Dear Reader,
I promise this will end on a positive note.
This morning, while I was in the shower listening to the sweet hum of the radio, my partner popped in to say how depressing the news felt. And she’s right. Reading the headlines and scanning economic data can leave you with a heavy sense of loss. For those who lived through 9/11 and the 2007–2008 crash, it feels like déjà vu—an unsettling mix of economic hardship and erosions of civil liberties swirling into something like a Category 4 hurricane.
Since BetaNYC’s founding, we’ve worked to bridge the digital divide, build literacy, and protect privacy. Yet this week, NY Focus reported that Big Apple Connect is wiring NYCHA developments into the NYPD’s dragnet surveillance network. Safety and privacy should go hand in hand. One should never be sacrificed for the other. And yet, both our Federal and Local administrations seem willing to trade away both. While a federal takeover of our police may be unlikely, we are already normalizing National Guard patrols on our streets.
Meanwhile, the New York Times reports troubling job prospects for computer science graduates. Among 22- to 27-year-old college graduates, unemployment rates for computer science and engineering majors are 6.1% and 7.5%, among the highest for any field, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Other technical fields aren’t far behind. And with this administration’s attacks on science and research, coupled with doubts about the reliability of federal data, how will we know if things improve? As Alondra Nelson asked in The Hill: “Do we believe that knowledge should serve the common good? If so, we cannot treat this assault on science and research as someone else’s problem.”
So, where do we go from here?
Our power resides in the networks we build. At CityCamp NYC, we invite you to bring friends, make new ones, and spotlight the issues that matter, then work together to move them forward.
Take the “right to repair.” In New York, we can repair our digital devices, but wheelchair users can’t. A bill to change that is stalled in the Assembly. If we can win repair rights for smartphones and laptops, surely we can win them for wheelchairs.
Looking ahead, we must ensure that NYC procurement allows us to insource talent when needed, create policies and technologies that protect our neighbors, and develop civic tech built for the mid–21st century.
Democracy is not dead. We will fight for our liberties, our families, our friends, and our neighbors.
I will not give up on hope. In three weeks, my son and his classmates will start a new school year filled with opportunities to learn and grow. And in November, we can renew our democratic covenant and commit to building a better tomorrow.
As New Yorkers, we take care of each other. That’s why I believe—truly—that tomorrow can be better than today. See you at CityCamp NYC!
— Noel Hidalgo
Upcoming Events with BetaNYC 🎊
- September 6 CityCamp NYC, Spend the day with BetaNYC in a participant-led unconference packed with collaborative sessions, cross-sector conversations, and community problem-solving. Shape the agenda, explore the future of tech and policy in NYC, and connect with changemakers. General admission tickets now on sale!
- September 6 at 5:30 pm CityCamp NYC After Party & Fundraiser, Close out CityCamp NYC with an evening of celebration, community, and civic tech energy. This isn’t just an after party, it’s a fundraiser fueling open government, data equity, and civic engagement across NYC. Special discounted tickets for CityCamp NYC attendees!
Community Resources 📚
- Tracking Opioid Settlement Spending: MuckRock is inviting the public to help investigate how local governments are using opioid settlement money, aiming to uncover whether the funds are making a difference or disappearing into general budgets.
- Wildfire Risk Map Sparks Pushback: ProPublica examines Oregon’s wildfire risk map, which has stirred controversy among rural homeowners over insurance and property values.
- The modem’s final screech: AOL will shut down its dial-up internet service on September 30, 2025, ending a 30-year era of connection sounds and online nostalgia.
- Paywall Bypass Shuts Down: 12ft.io, the once-popular tool for reading articles behind paywalls, has shut down for good, ending an era for internet loopholes.
- Co-op Living Stories: Curbed kicks off a new series, Tales from the Co-op, offering an inside look at life in NYC’s co-ops, from neighborly drama to shared victories. (Paywall)
- Vatican Observatory Expands Its View: The Vatican’s own astronomers are looking to the heavens with new projects bridging faith and science. (Paywall)
This Week in NYC Civic Tech 🗽
- Surveillance Expansion under the Radar: The Adams administration is quietly repurposing its free internet service for NYCHA residents, allowing NYPD real-time access to public housing cameras, raising concern over transparency and oversight.
- Thinking Big on the IBX: Streetsblog covers how the MTA’s latest course correction for the Interborough Express could improve connections between Brooklyn and Queens.
- Instacart’s Wage Fight Playbook: Streetsblog details how Instacart is funding an astroturf group to oppose a worker minimum wage in NYC.
- Immigration Court Arrest Data Revealed: THE CITY analyzes ICE arrests, uncovering patterns in enforcement. Earlier this summer, half of all immigration courthouse arrests were in Manhattan.
- Batteries Help Con Ed Beat the Heat: A Con Edison pilot project is using battery storage to ease strain on NYC’s grid during summer heat waves.
This Week in Data, Tech, & Gov News 🏛️
- New Data on Bus Lane and Bus Stop Violations: New York State’s open data portal now hosts MTA Bus Automated Camera Enforcement Violations, showing how often cameras ticket drivers for blocking lanes, double-parking, or obstructing stops.
- Ongoing Redistricting Politics: Governor Hochul is doubling down on partisan redistricting, even as state governance demands mounting attention.
- Computing Education Gaps: A new report from the Center for an Urban Future highlights how New York State can close its computing education gap to better prepare students for the tech workforce.
- Potential Pause on Jobs Reports: President Trump’s nominee for the Bureau of Labor Statistics Director could delay monthly jobs data over accuracy concerns.
- State Budget Pressures Ahead: New York sidestepped deep cuts in this year’s budget, but looming federal policy shifts could strain state finances and put social services at risk.
Artificial Intelligence 🤖
- Illinois Bans AI Mental Health Services: StateScoop reports on Illinois’ new law prohibiting AI-powered therapy and counseling, citing safety and privacy concerns.
- AI Billionaires Emerge Fast: A new analysis finds AI is creating billionaires at a record pace, reshaping wealth distribution in tech.
- AI-Powered Jobs Shifts: The New York Times highlights 21 ways people use AI at work, from restaurant menus to lesson plans and coding to translating lyrics from the 17th and 18th centuries. (Paywall)
- AI and Kids’ Photos: A new report highlights how AI tools can alter children’s images in unsettling ways, raising concerns over online safety and consent. (Paywall)
Election 2025 🗳️
- A No-Drama City Hall: City & State reports on Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine’s vision for a possible Mamdani administration, focusing on stability and governance.
- Paging the M34: Mamdani Beats the Bus (Literally): After years of delays, politicians, including mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, walked faster than the M34 bus down 34th Street to celebrate revived busway construction. (Paywall)
- Cuomo’s Housing and Transit Proposals: Mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo has rolled out two plans: a $140 million initiative to make subways and buses free for low-income New Yorkers, and “Zohran’s Law,” which would bar higher-income tenants from occupying rent-stabilized apartments.
- Should the Bus Be Free? A Podcast Explores the Possibility: The War on Cars podcast explores whether making bus rides fare-free might be feasible, featuring transit expert Yonah Freemark weighing the pros and cons.
- New Yorkers Back Housing Protections: A recent poll finds strong support among voters for tenant protections: 69% are more likely to support a candidate who favors rent stabilization and 68% will back candidates who support social housing to address NYC’s affordability crisis.
Jobs Alert and Announcements 💼
- The Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation at Georgetown University is hiring a Communications Manager.
- The NYC Climate Justice Hub’s applications for The Climate Justice Action Fellowship and NYC Climate Justice Hub Internship Program are open until August 17. (Open to all current CUNY students across all campuses enrolled in the 2025-2026 academic year.)
- Princeton’s Center for Information Technology Policy has launched the CITP Technology Fellows Program. Applications accepted on a rolling basis from August 4, 2025 to October 15, 2025.
- Siegel Family Endowment is seeking a Grants Management Coordinator.
Upcoming Events 📅
Note: All times are listed in EDT
- August 15-17 [HOPE_16] Welcome to Hackers On Planet Earth!
- August 24 at 12 pm New York’s Limited Equity Cooperatives: Histories, Challenges, and Possibilities
- August 29 at 10 am NYC Coffee & Tech Policy, at Think Coffee in Manhattan, 123 4th Ave
- September 11 at 1 pm Data Deletion: How to Stay Safe & Clean-Up Your Online Presence with Lock Down Your Life
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