Shootings in New York City were up by nearly 166 percent and murders were up by nearly 50 percent in August compared to the same month last year, NYPD data released Wednesday shows. The city logged 242 shooting incidents last month — a 165.9 percent increase from August 2019, when 91 shooting incidents were logged, the newly-released data shows. A total of 1,014 shootings took place between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31 of this year — an 87 percent jump from the months between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31 of 2019, when the city logged 541 shootings, the data shows. Murders in the city were up by 34 percent in the first eight months of this year compared to the same period last year, from 217 to 291. Fifty-three of those 291 murders took place last month, the data shows.

A federal appeals court on Tuesday blocked a New York prosecutor from obtaining Donald Trump’s tax returns while the president’s lawyers fight a subpoena seeking the records. The three-judge panel ruled after hearing brief arguments from both sides. Trump’s lawyers asked for a temporary stay while they appeal a lower-court ruling that granted Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr.’s office access to Trump’s tax returns. A lawyer for Vance’s office had argued that further delays would only impede their investigation. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below. NEW YORK — A federal appeals court is weighing whether to allow a New York prosecutor access to President Donald Trump’s tax returns while his lawyers fight a subpoena seeking the records.

YWN regrets to inform you of the Petira of the Rabbi Emeritus of the Young Israel of Midwood, HaRav Moshe Yehuda Greenberg ZATZAL, who led the shul and was a pillar in the community for decades. The Niftar was one of the first talmidim of Beth Medrash Gavoah, and a Talmid of Hagoan HaRav Aharon Kotler ZATZAL. He was the brother-in-law to Rav Dovid Feinstein שליטא. The Levaya set out from his home at the corner of E. 14th and Avenue L at 11:45 this morning, and will proceeded to the Young Israel at 1694 Ocean Ave. Boruch Dayan Ha’Emmes… STAY WITH YWN WHATSAPP FOR BREAKING UPDATES IN LIVE TIME!  YWN WHATSAPP STATUS UPDATES: CLICK HERE to join the YWN WhatsApp Status. YWN WHATSAPP GROUPS: CLICK HERE to be dded to an official YWN WhatsApp Group. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

New York City officials say motor vehicle deaths are up, so they’re lowering the speed limit. DOT officials announced Tuesday they are reducing speed limits by five miles per hour on nine of the most dangerous streets across the five boroughs. The speed limit will be lowered to 25 miles per hour on parts of Riverside Drive in Manhattan, Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn, Northern Boulevard in Queens and Bruckner Boulevard in the Bronx. The limit will also drop to 25 miles per hour on Shore Parkway Service Road and Dahlgren Place in Brooklyn, Webster Avenue in the Bronx, and Targee Street in Staten Island. STAY WITH YWN WHATSAPP FOR BREAKING UPDATES IN LIVE TIME!  YWN WHATSAPP STATUS UPDATES: CLICK HERE to join the YWN WhatsApp Status.

The executive board of the teachers union on Monday told union officials to continue negotiations with New York City over a school reopening plan, but that they could authorize a strike vote if no agreement had been reached by Tuesday afternoon. New York City has issued a hybrid plan for the 1.1 million children in its schools for the academic year starting Sept. 10. The United Federation of Teachers union has said there are safety concerns that need to be addressed in any reopening plan, and that it was prepared to go to court or on strike, even though New York state bars teachers and other public employees from striking.

NYPD Chief Chaplain Rabbi Alvin Kass was mugged during his daily walk on the Upper West Side early Tuesday morning. The attack occurred at around 5:45AM, as Kass, 84, was on his morning walk near West 107th Street and Riverside Drive. The suspect demanded money and began to riffle through Kass’ pockets saying “I’m hungry, I need food,” ABC-TV reports. After a brief scuffle ensued, the rabbi fell and injured his shoulder. The attacker fled with the rabbi’s cash and police shield, which he later dropped, the report adds. He refused medical attention at the scene. Four years ago, Kass – the longest-serving member of the NYPD – was also mugged on the Upper West Side while walking on Riverside Drive between West 83rd and West 84th streets and suffered minor injuries.

To Our Community, My wife recently tested positive for COVID-19 after spending all summer in the mountains. After testing positive for the virus, we let everyone know in our bungalow colony so that they can get tested and quarantine if necessary. Surprisingly nobody got tested, and everyone is just going on with business as usual. When I asked people if they are not concerned, they said that they actually are pretty certain that they have COVID-19 because they have all the symptoms, they just don’t want to get tested because then they will have to quarantine. How selfish can people be, knowingly infecting other people just so that they aren’t inconvenienced? Is their memory so short? Don’t they remember all those almanos and yesomim of a few months ago?!

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday that a deal has been reached with the unions representing educators in New York City and that in-person, blended learning at public schools will resume on Sept. 21. This move is part of a deal to avert a teachers’ strike and calm principals and parents anxious about the start of in-person classes. Students will begin with virtual instruction Sept 16 and school buildings will reopen for in-person learning Sept 22. Schools had originally been set to reopen on Sept. 10. STAY WITH YWN WHATSAPP FOR BREAKING UPDATES IN LIVE TIME!  YWN WHATSAPP STATUS UPDATES: CLICK HERE to join the YWN WhatsApp Status. YWN WHATSAPP GROUPS: CLICK HERE to be dded to an official YWN WhatsApp Group. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

A New York congressman is seeking to double the amount of funding for a Justice Department community policing grant program used to hire officers across the U.S. U.S. Rep. Anthony Brindisi told The Associated Press he is adding an amendment to a government spending bill that would increase the funding for the COPS Hiring Program to about $800 million. The grant program, administered by the Justice Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, distributed more than $350 million to police agencies across the U.S. in 2020.

Multiple children were rescued from a house fire in Boro Park on Monday afternoon. Hatzolah and the FDNY received numerous calls reporting a house fire at 928 51st Street, just off of 9th Ave at around 6:30PM. Arriving emergency personnel found a group of six children trapped on the back porch, and fast-acting Hatzolah volunteers (Units B-270 and B-59) immediately grabbed a ladder and began taking the children down – before the FDNY arrived. The fire was on the first floor of a 3 story private home. The cause of the fire was unknown. JOIN THE TENS OF THOUSANDS WHO ALREADY ARE ALERTED OF BREAKING NEWS LIKE THIS IN LIVE TIME: YWN WHATSAPP STATUS UPDATES: CLICK HERE to join the YWN WhatsApp Status. YWN WHATSAPP GROUPS: CLICK HERE to be dded to an official YWN WhatsApp Group.