A borough president with real teeth? NYC voters could decide.

Today's newsletter is curated by James Ramsay

Weather: ☀️ Sunny this morning, possible thunderstorms this afternoon and highs near 90.

It's Thursday in New York City, where borough presidents have mostly been ceremonial elected officials for the past three decades.

But come November, that could change.

A ballot question currently under consideration would give borough presidents real power when it comes to land-use decisions by including them on an "appeals board" that, in certain cases, could overrule the City Council.

Here's why proponents of the change think it could lead to the construction of more housing.

And here's what else is happening:

• The Macy’s Fourth of July fireworks start launching out of the East River at 9:25 p.m. tomorrow. Here are some ideal viewing spots.
• Deadly car crashes are way down in New York City this year.
• A Manhattan federal jury yesterday convicted Sean "Diddy" Combs on two counts but acquitted him on the more serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering. Harlem residents who spoke with Gothamist afterward were disappointed he wasn't found guilty on all counts.
• Gov. Kathy Hochul has suspended her top spokesperson, Avi Small, while officials investigate allegations he sexually harassed other state employees.
• A hacker broke into Columbia University’s IT systems last week and stole student data in what officials said was a politically motivated cyberattack.
• New York City is allocating nearly $14 million toward gender-affirming care and other critical housing and employment resources for its LGBTQ community as part of the newly approved $115.9 billion city budget.
• New York state environmental officials said a former aviation facility on Long Island that had contaminated groundwater is ready for redevelopment following a decades-long cleanup.

• The New York City teachers union, which declined to endorse a Democratic mayoral primary candidate, is now backing Zohran Mamdani.
• A prominent real estate investor is throwing Mayor Adams a fundraiser in Bridgehampton this weekend.
• Columbia University's acting president, Claire Shipman, has apologized for a 2024 text message in which she affirmed that she thought a Jewish board member was "a mole."
• Yesterday was a tough day for former FBI Director James Comey's daughter, Maurene Comey, who was a lead federal prosecutor in the Diddy case.
• The Knicks appear to finally have a new coach.
• Here's how to reserve a free sand-accessible wheelchair at a New York City public beach.
• Courtesy heads-up from AMC theaters: Your movie might start 25 minutes after the listed start time because they need to run a bunch of ads first.
• White sock summer.