Today in News History
On July 13, several notable moments in the history of News stand out. In 1863, American Civil War: The New York City draft riots begin three days of rioting which will later be regarded as the worst in United States history. In 1970, Leslie Groves, American general and engineer (born 1896) passed away. In 1973, Watergate scandal: Alexander Butterfield reveals the existence of a secret Oval Office taping system to investigators for the Senate Watergate Committee. In 1977, New York City: Amidst a period of financial and social turmoil experiences an electrical blackout lasting nearly 24 hours that leads to widespread fires and looting. In 1982, Shin-Soo Choo, South Korean baseball player was born. In 1985, The Live Aid benefit concert takes place in London and Philadelphia, as well as other venues such as Moscow and Sydney. In 1988, Steven R. McQueen, American actor and model was born. In 1990, Lenin Peak disaster: a 6.4-magnitude earthquake in Afghanistan triggers an avalanche on Lenin Peak, killing 43 climbers in the deadliest mountaineering disaster in history. In 2011, Mumbai is rocked by three bomb blasts during the evening rush hour, killing 26 and injuring 130. In 2024, Richard Simmons, American fitness personality and public figure (born 1948) passed away. Together, these milestones provide historical context for today's news news and ongoing narratives.
Can this startup cool NYC’s sweltering subway stations?
On a hot summer day in New York City, walking into a subway station can feel like descending into a sauna, improbably even hotter and muggier than the air outside. Unlike more modern subway stations around the world, New York’s century-old stations lack air conditioning—with staircases open to the outside air, AC would be inefficient and ineffective. And while you can blissfully cool off on the air-conditioned trains, they’re also making the problem worse: Cooling the cars means constantly pumping hot air into the tunnels and stations. At the East Broadway station on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is launching a pilot to test a potential new solution. Tucked into arches in the ceiling and hidden behind grates, a radiant cooling system will passively pull heat from the air to cool the station with minimal energy use. In the future, the same type of system could send the heat that’s captured to nearby buildings to heat hot water, saving even more energy. The city is racing to find better ways to deal with extreme heat. “We are keenly aware, especially when we get into the heat of summer, about the impact of climate change on our customers and our infrastructure,” says Jamie Torres-Springer, president of MTA construction and development. The subway system has to deal with multiple climate challenges, including coastal flooding and heavy rainfall. But heat is particularly difficult to tackle because of the way the system is designed. “We’re quite honestly and explicitly in experimentation mode here, and we’re looking for what the best alternatives are,” he says. [Image: MTA] The pilot will test technology from a startup called Cascara Energy. The basic radiant cooling tech isn’t new; some other large buildings, including airports in Asia, use a similar approach. Pipes with chilled water or refrigerant are installed in a wall or ceiling, absorbing heat from a room and then pumping the warm water away. In the pilot, the MTA is using a refrigerant to chill the water, though a future version could potentially use refrigerants directly in the pipes. Unlike a traditional air conditioner, the system doesn’t blow cold air, helping it use 25-35 less energy. While many other systems are built into walls, Cascara says that its add-on version is easier to retrofit into old buildings. It can also be customized to fit into small spaces, such as the arches in the subway station’s ceiling. [Photo: MTA/Megan Armas] Over the next year, the team will monitor how much the temperature changes in the test area, a passageway that’s around 1,000 square feet (93 square meters). The goal isn’t to make the area cold, but just more comfortable, maintaining a temperature around 85 degrees Fahrenheit (29 degrees Celsius), even as heat continues to flow in from open staircases, subway cars, and people in the station. Unlike traditional AC that cools the air, radiant cooling cools people directly—absorbing heat not just from the air but from bodies—so hot air added to the station has less impact on the system’s ability to work. The data will also be used to calculate the value of the waste heat—the warmed coolant that is piped out of the station—and how much the MTA could potentially make in the future by selling it to other buildings nearby. The potential for this type of system is huge, says Cascara’s CEO, Robert Croghan. “Every city has a massive geothermal exchange already built into the city,” he says. “And they run trains through it.” New York wouldn’t have the first subway system to reuse heat. In London, an abandoned Underground station has been turned into an energy center with a huge fan that pulls heat from subway tunnels, then heats water for a district heating system connected to 2,400 homes nearby. For the MTA, the project is still in the earliest stages. The system has 472 stations, and even if the pilot at East Broadway performs as expected, there’s no plan yet to scale it up. The agency is also exploring other options, including the possibility of geothermal cooling that would make use of steady temperatures farther underground. Meanwhile, they’re trying to make passengers more comfortable by running trains more often. “The most important and best thing that we can do to help our passengers stay cool is offer frequent and reliable service,” says Torres-Springer. “No one wants to wait in a station, no matter what temperature it is. But the cars are cool, and as soon as that train pulls into the station, everybody’s getting on and feeling a lot of relief. So we have been investing in that reliable, frequent service.”
Narrative Intelligence Brief
This article was published by Fast Company, a source frequently categorized with a lean left bias based in United States of America. Our narrative intelligence engine continuously monitors coverage from this outlet to track framing, bias, and rhetorical patterns. Our initial algorithmic scan of this specific piece did not flag high-confidence rhetorical techniques, suggesting a generally straightforward reporting style or neutral framing. By understanding the editorial perspective of Fast Company, readers can better contextualize the information presented and compare it across our broader media matrix to find the real narrative.
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Discussion
How other outlets are covering this story
Compare narratives across 37 related reports from 37 sources. Real Narrative News aggregates the coverage spectrum so you can see who emphasises what — bias tags reflect the outlet, not the story.
Coverage bias distribution
37 sources
Left 35%
Center 19%
Right 41%
ABC7 New York
· Jul 2, 2026
From the first subway to fine dining, New York City's surprising firsts
From the first subway to fine dining, New York City's surprising firsts
Real Clear Politics
· Jun 25, 2026
Can the Would-Be Revolutionaries Stop Subway Stabbings?
Whoever figures out how to mobilize the folks fed-up with the current state of the city can make New York City great again.
BERNAMA
· Jul 3, 2026
World : New Yorkers Escaping Heat Using Fire Hydrants And Asphalt Melts
NEW YORK, July 3 (Bernama-Sputnik/RIA Novosti) -- New Yorkers are opening fire hydrants to cool off as they try to escape the extreme heat, reported Sputnik/RIA Novosti.
DNyuz
· Jul 9, 2026
This Summer, Midtown Manhattan Is Taking Center Stage
Midtown Manhattan occupies a particular place in the popular imagination. It is the land of hop-on-hop-off buses, Broadway marquees, Penn Station and Rockefeller Center; the heart of the concrete jungle, where office workers and sightseers mingle under towering skyscrapers. It is not cool. Though home to many of the most overrun tourist destinations, its neighborhoods []
Bloomberg
· Jul 5, 2026
New York Thunderstorms Raise Flood Risk as Heat Dissipates
New York City will have a cooler, soggier Sunday now that the massive heat dome across the US East that taxed power grids and snarled transit has started to crack, while lingering high temperatures in Washington and across the Mid-Atlantic triggered air quality warnings.
Associated Press
· Jul 8, 2026
LIVE: Mamdani and Hochul speak after New York building at risk of collapse was stabilized
Watch live from New York as Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani make a transportation announcement. This comes after a Manhattan high-rise at risk of collapse was stabilized late Tuesday and some evacuations of nearby buildings were lifted.
New York Amsterdam News
· Jun 25, 2026
Mamdani signs citywide order to protect workers from extreme heat
New York City’s hot summer temperatures can affect the safety of workers on the job and those exposed to the heat. The post Mamdani signs citywide order to protect workers from extreme heat appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.
Knewz
· Jul 10, 2026
Bronx leaders challenge Mamdani’s $800M bus plan, saying speed shouldn’t come before safety
Bronx politicians, including local elected officials and community leaders, have condemned New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s 800 million bus plan and criticized the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s bus-stop changes, arguing that they could put pedestrians, especially elderly people, at risk. They also pointed to the 2022 Bronx Local Bus Network Redesign, which overhauled bus routes...
Yonhap News Agency
· Jul 8, 2026
(LEAD) Power outage causes morning commute chaos on Seoul Subway Line 1
SEOUL, July 8 (Yonhap) -- A power outage disrupted services on Seoul Subway Line...
Korea Times News
· Jul 6, 2026
Seoul Metro puts up English warnings at depots after graffiti vandalism by foreigners
Seoul Metro puts up English warnings at depots after graffiti vandalism by foreigners
Wonkette
· Jun 26, 2026
Congratulations On Your Rent Freeze, Rent-Stabilized New Yorkers!
'Cause everything is rent?
The Hill
· Jul 2, 2026
Mamdani mocked by GOP for telling New Yorkers to set thermostats to 78
Republicans are criticizing New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) after he suggested residents set their thermostats to 78 degrees to help conserve energy in the city as it braces for triple-digit temperatures this weekend. “New York: it's hot out there, and the power grid is working overtime to keep us cool. Set your AC...
ArcaMax
· Jul 1, 2026
Mamdani expands cooling centers, pool hours, outreach to help NYC cope with heat
NEW YORK — Mayor Zohran Mamdani urged New Yorkers to stay out of the heat in the coming days as temperatures are expected to rise into the 100s. Feels-like temperatures could rise as high as 112 degrees in the coming days, the mayor said, and ...
Fark
· Jun 21, 2026
NYC to get high-tech public toi- aaaaand it's become a filth-encrusted crackatorium in the time it took you to read this [Obvious]
[link] [7 comments]
NewsBlaze News
· Jun 21, 2026
Raised by the Streets: Growing Up Hardcore in New York’s Lost Generation
Russell W. Dickson recalls New York Hardcore, Gen X bonfires, clubs, mosh pits and subway rides before social media.
Scientific American
· Jun 30, 2026
New York City could see its hottest weather in more than a decade
Temperatures in New York’s Central Park haven’t surpassed 100 degrees Fahrenheit since 2012; but that may be about to change
South China Morning Post
· Jul 8, 2026
New York City races to secure unstable skyscraper after columns buckle, floors sag
Workers have started making emergency repairs to stabilise a Manhattan high-rise after buckled columns and sagging floors forced evacuations in and around the midtown construction site. The scene unfolded throughout Tuesday after the precarious conditions were spotted in the morning at the 1970s-era building, which is being converted into luxury flats. Construction workers at the site and people in nearby buildings – including a school, diplomatic offices and several hotels – in the busy...
Caucasian Knot
· Jul 4, 2026
The mayor's call to switch to trams due to fuel shortages caused skepticism among Krasnodar residents.
The mayor of Krasnodar, Evgeny Naumov, urged residents to switch to trams and trolleybuses to reduce the excitement due to fuel shortages. Krasnodar residents, commenting on his post in Telegram, stated that they need to get to work on time and pointed out the poor condition of public transport to the authorities.
RedState
· Jul 3, 2026
Mayor Mamdani Orders NYC to Sweat at 78 Degrees — While His Own City Hall Was HOW Cold?
Mayor Mamdani Orders NYC to Sweat at 78 Degrees — While His Own City Hall Was HOW Cold?
Common Dreams
· Jul 11, 2026
Mamdani Unveils New Rule to Crack Down on Junk Fees and Subscription Scams
Advocates say the move, a part of the Mayor's affordability agenda, will save New Yorkers up to 162.5 million annually.
The Daily Wire
· Jul 2, 2026
‘Welcome To Communism!’: Mamdani Roasted For Heat Wave Instructions For New Yorkers
Far-Left New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani told New York City residents and business owners to take on the heat wave in the name of collectivism, urging them to keep their thermostats set to a toasty 78 degrees. “New York: it’s hot out there, and the power grid is working overtime to keep us cool. ...
The Hollywood Reporter
· Jun 22, 2026
Aubrey Plaza Says Her Animated Series ‘Kevin’ Has Been Canceled at Amazon’s Prime Video
Reflecting on how NBC execs had supported 'Parks Rec' despite its ratings, Plaza wrote, in sharing the news, I was hoping for this for 'Kevin' but sadly we are living in a different time in our industry. I hope the machines won’t ruin everything.
Townhall
· Jul 6, 2026
New York City Has Tried Rent Freezes Before. Here's How They Ended.
New York City Has Tried Rent Freezes Before. Here's How They Ended.
CNBC
· Jul 2, 2026
Sandwich chain Jersey Mike's files for IPO, reports 50% same-store sales growth in recent years
Jersey Mike's has nearly 3,300 locations, making it the second-largest hoagie sandwich chain in the U.S. behind Subway.
Sky News Australia
· Jul 7, 2026
NYC high-rise on verge of collapse triggers mass evacuations
A section of New York's Manhattan has been evacuated over fears a building could collapse. The office tower, formerly the headquarters of Pfizer, is currently undergoing renovations. Bricks have reportedly fallen from the active construction site, raising safety concerns. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani says the issue is believed to be on the building's 21st floor.
The Daily Signal
· Jul 12, 2026
Government Incompetence in a Red State: When Columbus Shuts Off Your Water
That New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his embrace of Democratic Socialists would urge residents to set their air conditioners to 78 degrees wasn’t surprising. What was shocking, however, was that the city government of Columbus, in the red state of Ohio, would be causing utility issues for hundreds of customers. Incompetent city government is...
BingNews
· Jul 3, 2026
Pourquoi San Francisco reste l'une des villes les plus fascinantes des États-Unis
Découvrez le charme urbain raffiné, les quartiers animés et la scène gastronomique de haut vol de San Francisco ...
SNY
· Jun 29, 2026
Knicks championship team honored with temporary NYC street signs
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the Department of transportation have announced that temporary street signs will be going up in Manhattan on Monday to honor each member of the Knicks 2025-26 championship squad.
KTLA 5
· Jul 8, 2026
NYC high-rise to be stabilized after columns buckle, forcing evacuations
Workers began making emergency repairs to stabilize a Manhattan high-rise Tuesday evening after buckled columns and sagging floors forced evacuations in and around the midtown construction site. KTLA's Lauren Lyster reports. Details: https://ktla.com/news/ap-us-news/ap-falling-bricks-and-buckling-columns-at-a-manhattan-high-rise-force-evacuations/ Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/ktla?sub_confirmation=1
Washington Examiner
· Jul 2, 2026
Mamdani ripped for telling New Yorkers to keep AC at 78 degrees during heat wave
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani urged residents to conserve electricity as a dangerous heat dome settled over the East Coast, prompting criticism from several prominent Republican officials who seized on the appeal as evidence of shortcomings of his socialist agenda. “New York: it’s hot out there, and the power grid is working overtime to []
CNN
· Jun 30, 2026
Mamdani’s advice to New Yorkers ahead of heat dome
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is encouraging New Yorkers to stay cool and stay indoors as a heat dome brings triple-digit temperatures to the city. He also gave a reminder to keep an eye out for tourists who may not be used to the sweltering heat.
USA TODAY
· Jul 7, 2026
LIVE: New York building at risk of collapse forces evacuations in NYC
A 38-story office tower at risk of collapse prompted evacuations in Midtown Manhattan, fire officials said July 7. Just before 8 a.m., the Fire Department of New York received a report of bricks falling from the high-rise building currently under construction on East 42nd Street, between 2nd and 3rd avenues. On arrival, fire officials said two columns had buckled on the 21st and 22nd floors, while floors were sagging between the 21st and 26th floors. Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2026/07/07/nyc-building-collapse-risk/90833610007/ Sign up for our newsletter for the day's top stories, from sports to movies to politics to world events: https://profile.usatoday.com/newsletters/daily-briefing/
Al Jazeera
· Jun 26, 2026
New York City freezes rents for one million regulated apartments
New York City's rent freeze fulfillls a key campaign promise from Mayor Zohran Mamdani
KSAT San Antonio
· Jul 8, 2026
Life returns to streets around damaged NYC high-rise. Here is what comes next
The streets around a midtown Manhattan high-rise where structural damage forced evacuations are gradually returning to life.
The Standard
· Jul 3, 2026
Prince William joins Travis Kelce on New Heights podcast ahead of footballer's wedding to Taylor Swift
It comes as New York is abuzz ahead of the popstar’s rumoured Madison Square Garden ceremony
Daily Mail
· Jul 5, 2026
Panic as NYC's Brooklyn Bridge erupts in FLAMES during Macy's July 4 fireworks extravaganza
Panic as NYC's Brooklyn Bridge erupts in FLAMES during Macy's July 4 fireworks extravaganza
Powerline
· Jul 10, 2026
The Times Expands Its Range
This is something I haven’t seen noted anywhere–the New York Times is expanding geographically, by adding “local newsletters” for metro areas outside of New York. The first one will be in the Twin Cities: The New York Times is piloting a local newsletter for the Twin Cities. It said: Our hope is that The Local: Twin Cities can serve as a model for similar future efforts elsewhere around the country
Topics:
Related coverage for "Can this startup cool NYC’s sweltering subway stations?": ABC7 New York — From the first subway to fine dining, New York City's surprising firsts . Real Clear Politics — Can the Would-Be Revolutionaries Stop Subway Stabbings?. BERNAMA — World : New Yorkers Escaping Heat Using Fire Hydrants And Asphalt Melts. DNyuz — This Summer, Midtown Manhattan Is Taking Center Stage. Bloomberg — New York Thunderstorms Raise Flood Risk as Heat Dissipates. Associated Press — LIVE: Mamdani and Hochul speak after New York building at risk of collapse was stabilized. New York Amsterdam News — Mamdani signs citywide order to protect workers from extreme heat. Knewz — Bronx leaders challenge Mamdani’s $800M bus plan, saying speed shouldn’t come before safety. Yonhap News Agency — (LEAD) Power outage causes morning commute chaos on Seoul Subway Line 1. Korea Times News — Seoul Metro puts up English warnings at depots after graffiti vandalism by foreigners. Wonkette — Congratulations On Your Rent Freeze, Rent-Stabilized New Yorkers!. The Hill — Mamdani mocked by GOP for telling New Yorkers to set thermostats to 78. ArcaMax — Mamdani expands cooling centers, pool hours, outreach to help NYC cope with heat. Fark — NYC to get high-tech public toi- aaaaand it's become a filth-encrusted crackatorium in the time it took you to read this [Obvious]. NewsBlaze News — Raised by the Streets: Growing Up Hardcore in New York’s Lost Generation. Scientific American — New York City could see its hottest weather in more than a decade. South China Morning Post — New York City races to secure unstable skyscraper after columns buckle, floors sag. Caucasian Knot — The mayor's call to switch to trams due to fuel shortages caused skepticism among Krasnodar residents.. RedState — Mayor Mamdani Orders NYC to Sweat at 78 Degrees — While His Own City Hall Was HOW Cold?. Common Dreams — Mamdani Unveils New Rule to Crack Down on Junk Fees and Subscription Scams. The Daily Wire — ‘Welcome To Communism!’: Mamdani Roasted For Heat Wave Instructions For New Yorkers. The Hollywood Reporter — Aubrey Plaza Says Her Animated Series ‘Kevin’ Has Been Canceled at Amazon’s Prime Video. Townhall — New York City Has Tried Rent Freezes Before. Here's How They Ended.. CNBC — Sandwich chain Jersey Mike's files for IPO, reports 50% same-store sales growth in recent years. Sky News Australia — NYC high-rise on verge of collapse triggers mass evacuations. The Daily Signal — Government Incompetence in a Red State: When Columbus Shuts Off Your Water. BingNews — Pourquoi San Francisco reste l'une des villes les plus fascinantes des États-Unis. SNY — Knicks championship team honored with temporary NYC street signs. KTLA 5 — NYC high-rise to be stabilized after columns buckle, forcing evacuations. Washington Examiner — Mamdani ripped for telling New Yorkers to keep AC at 78 degrees during heat wave. CNN — Mamdani’s advice to New Yorkers ahead of heat dome. USA TODAY — LIVE: New York building at risk of collapse forces evacuations in NYC. Al Jazeera — New York City freezes rents for one million regulated apartments. KSAT San Antonio — Life returns to streets around damaged NYC high-rise. Here is what comes next. The Standard — Prince William joins Travis Kelce on New Heights podcast ahead of footballer's wedding to Taylor Swift. Daily Mail — Panic as NYC's Brooklyn Bridge erupts in FLAMES during Macy's July 4 fireworks extravaganza. Powerline — The Times Expands Its Range