Beware of rats in your car

Also, why Tammy Murphy gets key placement on many primary ballots [View this email in a browser.]( Gothamist relies on your support to make local news available to all. Not yet a member? [Consider donating and join today.]( [Tammy Murphy gets key placement on many NJ primary ballots, since Democratic bosses say so]( [first image]( [Today's newsletter is curated by James Ramsay]( Weather: ⛅ Cloudy this morning, then sunny later on with highs in the lower 50s. It's Friday in New Jersey, where several of the Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate — including Rep. Andy Kim, who's leading in the polls — would like their names to be placed together on primary ballots. Instead, First Lady Tammy Murphy will get plum placement on most ballots while the others get shunted aside. [Here's why](. And here's what else is happening: - Got rats wreaking havoc under the hood of your car? We asked three mechanics in rat-heavy neighborhoods [what to do about it](. - The number of vacant New York City apartments dropped to its lowest point in more than five decades last year, with a vacancy rate [under 1% for apartments priced below $2,400 a month](. - Police said [an alleged shoplifter opened fire]( in Times Square Thursday night, striking an innocent bystander. - Whitestone Lanes, a beloved bowling alley in Queens, is getting replaced with [hundreds of new apartments](. - The FDNY shut down a Forest Hills e-bike shop where officials said [dangerous lithium-ion battery packs]( were being built and refurbished. - The City Council has approved a program that'll give domestic violence survivors access to [free and speedy lock changes](. - Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg yesterday announced [the indictment of seven people]( he says were involved in a group assault of two NYPD officers outside a migrant shelter in Times Square. - Police body cam footage from the incident appears to show that [a cop started the physical altercation](. - New York City homeowners who were effectively relying on Airbnb income to make their mortgage and utility payments [say they're now having a tough time]( thanks to the crackdown on short-term rentals. - Village Cigars in the West Village [has closed]( after the city stopped approving the owner's license to sell tobacco. (The guy who owns the building is trying to get a new tenant who'll keep the "Village Cigars" signage up.) - A federal appeals court ruled that a Buffalo man who was ticketed for [yelling at a cop to turn his headlights on]( (with an expletive worked in) has the right to sue the police for being in the wrong. - Snoop Dogg and Master P are [suing Walmart and Post Foods]( for keeping boxes of their product, Snoop Cereal, hidden in stockrooms instead of putting them on store shelves. - Pro tip: If you get struck by lightning, you're more likely to survive [if your skin is wet](. - Moana 2, [LFG](. - Have some time for a game? [Play]( our mini local news crossword. - Sign up for reminders when we publish new games [here](. [“Don’t leave your vehicle standing for a long period of time. At least two to three times a week, move it from place to place. Try not to park around restaurants or places that have a lot of garbage.”]( - Ridgewood mechanic jose gomez on [HOW TO AVOID GETTING A RAT INFESTATION IN YOUR CAR]( More from Gothamist [second image]( [Mayor Adams says social media is a ‘public health crisis hazard’ — what does that mean for NYC?]( The declaration doesn’t imbue the city with any new authority to combat the problem. Instead, public health officials say it serves as a call for the public, the administration and lawmakers to take the risks of social media seriously. [NY experts share how to score a deal on used furniture with a ‘slow shopping’ mindset]( If you’re new to thrifting, where do you start? How do you know what to look for? And how do you know that what looks good is, in fact, a solid piece? [We Rely On Your Support]( [Betting on the Super Bowl in NY: Why you can’t wager on the National Anthem or Gatorade shower]( Unlike some states, New York’s sports wagering law requires all bets to be tied to the game itself. [Incident at NYC lesbian bar Cubbyhole sparks debate about who belongs there]( A straight guy was blocking the path to the restroom in a West Village lesbian bar. The story of what happened next has been viewed millions of times on TikTok. [Instagram]( [Instagram]( [Facebook]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Twitter]( [New York Public Radio] [WNYC]( | [WQXR]( | [NJPR]( | [GOTHAMIST]( [WNYC STUDIOS]( | [THE GREENE SPACE]( Copyright © New York Public Radio. All rights reserved. 160 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013 [TERMS OF USE]( You can update your [PREFERENCES]( or [UNSUBSCRIBE]( from this list.