Two people stand on the tip of the antenna of the Empire State Building in New York while holding a banner on Wednesday, July 1, 2026. Photo: WABC-TV via AP
Weather: Day 100°, Night 84°, Hot
The Lede: Good morning. Two people scaled the Empire State Building’s antenna Wednesday and unfurled a banner about “the power of love,” apparently as part of an audacious, high-altitude marriage proposal — soon followed by their arrest.
The Rundown
Extreme heat grips NYC, prompting ‘unprecedented’ emergency plan: Mayor Zohran Mamdani has launched an “unprecedented” emergency heat plan as dangerously-high temperatures begin to fry a city full of visitors here for the World Cup, the nation’s 250th anniversary, and the Fourth of July fireworks.
2 arrested after scaling the Empire State Building’s antenna for apparent marriage proposal: Police Emergency Services Unit officers started ascending a ladder in the spindly structure to intercept them. Police body camera video showed an officer calling out a greeting and explaining, “Well, you can’t be up here.”
These Brooklyn Heights streets will close Saturday for the fireworks: As of 1 p.m. on Saturday, only Brooklyn Heights residents, businesses and authorized guests will be permitted on the streets shown in red on the map.
Annual Mount Carmel Feast marries faith and Italian traditions: There is a dramatic religious element rooted deep in the Catholic immigrants who brought their faith to northern Brooklyn in 1887.
Former NBA players Malik Beasley, Ed Davis are latest to be charged in gambling scandal: Former NBA player Malik Beasley has been indicted in the government’s sprawling investigation of illicit gambling on basketball games, accused of tailoring his 2024 performance with the Milwaukee Bucks to reward bettors and chip away at his own financial problems, authorities said Monday.
Former TD Bank on Montague fully demolished, new high-rise planned: The building’s deconstruction began in April in order to make way for a planned 47-story, 672-foot-tall mixed-use skyscraper, which is set to feature 90 rental units, 46 condos, 40,000 square feet of commercial space and a large parking garage.
As Route 66 turns 100, what is it that we’re actually celebrating?: "As the towns that dot the highway prepare to celebrate its centennial, I’ve found myself wondering what it is, exactly, that’s being celebrated." (The Conversation)
Our world in photos: Swimmers, selfies, summer and more.
Our World in Photos
KASHMIR — Kashmiris cool off at a stream on a hot summer day on the outskirts of Srinagar. Photo: Dar Yasin/AP
More Brooklyn News
"August Trial Date Is Set for Brooklyn Power Broker Accused of Bribery" (NYT)
"Step into Brooklyn: Walking the borough’s Revolutionary landscape" (Brooklyn Paper)
"NYC plans to replace nearly 30K parking spaces with trash bins, report shows" (Gothamist)
Staff Picks
READ: "The Night My Marriage Fell Apart: In the span of about 20 minutes, I lost my wife, my best friend, and my grip on life. Finding it again took a lot longer." (The Atlantic)
LIVE: Here are 17 fun activities to do in Brooklyn this weekend. (Brooklyn Magazine)
CARTOON: A trip to the mechanic. (The New Yorker)
LIVE: "Why these quirky Gothic houses built in 1855 in Brooklyn Heights were nicknamed 'honeymoon row'" (Ephemeral New York)
The Wrap
⌛ ON THIS DAY
In 1901, the Eagle reported, "The hottest July 2 ever recorded before in New York was in 1872 and in 1876, when a temperature of 94 degrees was registered. This record was smashed at 10 o’clock this morning, at which hour the official thermometer registered 95." Click here to see what else happened on this day in history.
📔 IMPRINT
American actress Sadie Sink sits on a radiator for Nylon Magazine.
👑 ROYAL WATCH
"Prince Harry 'Close to Tears' Over UK Visit Security Situation" (Vanity Fair)
🏀 SPORTS
Liberty hoist Commissioner’s Cup at Barclays (Brooklyn Eagle)
NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty
Nobel Prize-winning molecular biologist Richard Axel, who was born in Brooklyn
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” star Margot Robbie
“The Game of Love” singer Michelle Branch
“Mean Girls” star Lindsay Lohan
Click here to see a full list of birthdays!
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Brooklyn Today’s editor is Scott Enman. Contact him at [email protected].