Crime · New York, NY
Twins Alon and Oren Alexander, 39, and their older brother Tal Alexander, 40—luxury real estate agents in New York and Miami—face sentencing on Oct. 27 in Manhattan federal court after being convicted of sex trafficking conspiracy spanning 2008 to 2021. Prosecutors are seeking life sentences and fines up to $1.75 million per brother, while the defense requests 15 years each. U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni denied nearly all defense objections at a Monday conference hearing and will hear victim impact statements from women who did not testify during trial. Oren Alexander also faces two pending state rape cases in Miami-Dade court, with a status hearing rescheduled to mid-November.
Public Safety
Mayor Zohran Mamdani is expected to announce a $4.8 million expansion of New York City's Crisis Management System gun violence prevention program, allocating $1.6 million each to Bushwick, Harlem, and Washington Heights/Inwood for FY2027. The funding will create 42 new positions, including 30 credible messengers who mediate conflicts and connect at-risk residents with jobs and counseling. In Bushwick, Southside United's The Wick Against Violence will expand; in Harlem, Living Redemption's outreach grows; Washington Heights/Inwood receives a new CMS team through Grow Up Grow Out Jr., operated by United Way. A March 2025 city comptroller report identified service gaps in these neighborhoods and estimated CMS programs contributed to 1,567 fewer shootings citywide between 2012 and 2024. The expansion extends the network from 29 to 31 NYPD precincts; no specific start date has been set.
Transportation · New York, NY
City Council Speaker Julie Menin and Transportation Chair Shaun Abreu (D-Manhattan) released a video Tuesday promoting Intro. 986, which would require the NYPD and DOT to test dynamometer devices for measuring speed, power, and torque of electric micromobility devices on NYC streets. The bill, part of over two dozen measures addressing e-bike and e-scooter regulation, would make New York the first U.S. city to use such devices for enforcement. Current legal limits are 25 mph top assisted speed and 750 watts, with a city-wide 15 mph riding limit in effect since last year. NYPD Deputy Commissioner Michael Gerber questioned operational logistics at a hearing last month, while the bill's vote is expected in coming months.
Social Events · New York, NY
The annual Taste of the Seaport food event, postponed by a nor'easter, is rescheduled for Saturday, October 24, noon to 4 p.m. on Piers 16 and 17 in Lower Manhattan. A Peanuts x Best Friends Animal Society pop-up featuring adoptable pets runs Friday and Saturday, October 23–24, 11 a.m.–7 p.m., at West Broadway and Canal. The Roxy Cinema screens "The Red Violin" Thursday, October 22, at 7 p.m., preceded by a live violin performance of John Corigliano's "The Red Violin Caprices." A 9-year-old student at PS 150 is seeking votes in the Stan Lee Foundation's SuperKid contest.
Housing & Development · New York County
Workers have been observed at the long-vacant former P.S. 64 building in Manhattan's East Village, with new scaffolding and construction netting appearing at the site. The property owner, Sosnick, who holds the building through 605 East 9th Community Holdings LLC, has agreed to meet with the East Village/Gramercy blog (EVG) in December to discuss the building's future. Questions remain about the nature of the work underway and the status of a vacate order on the property.
