🌱 Fed Investigation Of NYPD Sex Crimes Unit + Body Discovered In Apt

Hi, everybody. I'm back in your inbox this warm morning with everything you need to know about what's happening in Queens today. Let's do this...

First, today's weather:

Mostly sunny and humid. High: 90 Low: 74.

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Here are the top three stories today in Queens:

1. Federal authorities are opening an investigation into the NYPD sex crimes unit. According to the U.S. Justice Department, complaints about the way the unit treats victims have prompted a sweeping inquiry. Mayor Eric Adams and Commissioner Keechant Sewell say they have taken steps to improve professionalism within the unit since Sewell's appointment in January. (Spectrum News NY1)
2. Union Yes: the second Starbucks in Queens has voted to form a union. 22-28 31st St. is now the location of a unionized coffee shop after employees voted seven to four in favor of unionization. The union will be part of Starbucks Workers United, which is part of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which has about two million members. (Astoria Post)
3. Police discovered a rotting body under a couch in a Queens apartment on Wednesday. The corpse was dead for weeks, according to police. The body was discovered in an apartment on Jamiaca Avenue near 77th Street around 1:00 p.m. when someone called about a foul smell. As of Thursday evening, the city medical examiner's office has not yet determined the cause of death. (New York Post)

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Today in Queens:

• SPACE CADE7S Live, At Culture Lab LIC (7:00 PM)
• Live Band Karaoke, At The Wolfhound (10:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Movie night! Queens Botanical Garden is hosting Men In Black at the Garden. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. tonight, Jul. 1, and tickets are available here. (Queens Botanical Garden via Facebook)
• Queens Borough President Donovan Richards celebrated the official swearing-in of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. Justice Jackson became the first Black female justice of the Supreme Court. (Queens Borough President Donovan Richards via Facebook)
• Calling all foodies! Queens, New York has a spot for you in Astoria. Sala Astoria has everything you could want from a legit Spanish place — tapas, gazpacho, torta, paella, and so much more. Click the link to see it all. (Queens, New York via Facebook)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Friday! See you all tomorrow morning for another update.

— Miranda Fraraccio

About me: Miranda Fraraccio is a born and raised Rhode Islander, now living in New York. She works as a staff writer for content creation agency Lightning Media Partners and is a graduate of The University of Rhode Island, where she earned a degree in Writing & Rhetoric and Communication Studies. In her free time, you can find her traveling, drinking tea, or photographing her neighborhood as a street photographer.