Writer at Hell Gate! Pulitzer finalist! Tips: jessy@hellgatenyc.com Previously: Gothamist/WNYC, NBC New York, BK Readerhttps://bsky.app/profile/jessyedwards.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/jessyedwards.bsky.social/post/3ml726dp4cs2qLast night, @nickpinto.bsky.social went to a "real estate expo" hosted by an UES synagogue that encouraged attendees to buy land in illegally annexed parts of the West Bank. The NYPD barricaded the event to protesters, some of whom they pepper sprayed, and locals were blocked from getting home. https://hellgatenyc.com/nypd-shields-illegal-land-sale/06 May 2026 15:44 +0000at://did:plc:hbgf3akyi74xe2nwrjs7g22f/app.bsky.feed.post/3ml726dp4cs2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/jessyedwards.bsky.social/post/3ml5hiwtydc24For the past year, we’ve been haunting courtrooms, chasing transcripts & hanging around political clubhouses to investigate the machinations of NY’s broken judicial system. How do judges become judges in NYC? And how is it harming regular New Yorkers? Read all about it at our beautiful new website! https://courtsofcontempt.hellgatenyc.com/the-case-file/06 May 2026 00:37 +0000at://did:plc:hbgf3akyi74xe2nwrjs7g22f/app.bsky.feed.post/3ml5hiwtydc24https://bsky.app/profile/jessyedwards.bsky.social/post/3mkjaf3mbac22We obtained audio of the courtroom “spat” between State Senator Luis Sepúlveda—who is also chair of the powerful Senate Judicial Committee—and a housing court judge. Experts say it was embarrassing, and shouldn’t have happened: https://hellgatenyc.com/senator-luis-sepulveda-housing-court-spat-audio/27 Apr 2026 23:36 +0000at://did:plc:hbgf3akyi74xe2nwrjs7g22f/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkjaf3mbac22https://bsky.app/profile/jessyedwards.bsky.social/post/3mjwxy4ialc2vI recently joined Gotham Bat Conservancy on a bat walk in Prospect Park and learned all about the incredible comeback story of the long-maligned NYC bat. Since 2007, a deadly fungus has wiped out much of our local bat population. But a passionate community of bat lovers is helping them recover 🦇❤️20 Apr 2026 17:18 +0000at://did:plc:hbgf3akyi74xe2nwrjs7g22f/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjwxy4ialc2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/jessyedwards.bsky.social/post/3miyswblm5c2vA Manhattan housing court judge dramatically submitted his resignation in court last week, just days after he got into a "spat" with an attorney he ruled against—who happened to be Bronx State Sen. Luis Sepúlveda, the chair of the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee. https://hellgatenyc.com/senator-luis-sepulveda-judge-vendzules-resignation/08 Apr 2026 17:27 +0000at://did:plc:hbgf3akyi74xe2nwrjs7g22f/app.bsky.feed.post/3miyswblm5c2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/jessyedwards.bsky.social/post/3mirwblq77c2vThe “yoink!” really sets this Bryant Park woodcock video apart from the rest, for me https://hellgatenyc.com/new-yorkers-cant-get-enough-of-woodcocks/05 Apr 2026 23:39 +0000at://did:plc:hbgf3akyi74xe2nwrjs7g22f/app.bsky.feed.post/3mirwblq77c2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/jessyedwards.bsky.social/post/3mgnqzudzxk2hThere's a new hot bird in town! And it's the first time NYC has ever seen a trumpeter swan, in recorded history (after it came back from the brink of extinction). In the last week, it's been spotted frequently hanging out with one of our mute swans 👀 https://hellgatenyc.com/behold-nycs-first-ever-trumpeter-swan-extinction/09 Mar 2026 21:04 +0000at://did:plc:hbgf3akyi74xe2nwrjs7g22f/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgnqzudzxk2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/jessyedwards.bsky.social/post/3mg3tbptqck2wPinnacle moved to evict this couple the same week their baby was born. They’d been withholding rent for 2 months, after fighting for repairs for over a year. After the mom came home from a C-section, she stood on a nail, found a dead mouse in clean sheets, and roaches crawling in the baby bottles https://hellgatenyc.com/pinnacle-summit-eviction-baby-mice-roach/02 Mar 2026 17:56 +0000at://did:plc:hbgf3akyi74xe2nwrjs7g22f/app.bsky.feed.post/3mg3tbptqck2whttps://bsky.app/profile/jessyedwards.bsky.social/post/3mfcewuetec2kFantastic reporting from @chrisgelardi.bsky.social who easily found a former New York prison chef accused of sexual assault, after the state insisted in legal filings that he did not exist. [contains quote post or other embedded content]20 Feb 2026 15:03 +0000at://did:plc:hbgf3akyi74xe2nwrjs7g22f/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfcewuetec2khttps://bsky.app/profile/jessyedwards.bsky.social/post/3mdgrc4k7322vPureGym member Jon Gingerich is filing an ADA complaint after he says a gym staffer told him last week that his membership could be canceled if he didn’t monitor for ‘tailgaters’ when he enters the gym through the accessibility door: https://hellgatenyc.com/puregym-tailgating-policy-blind-accesible-pod-ada-complaint/27 Jan 2026 22:04 +0000at://did:plc:hbgf3akyi74xe2nwrjs7g22f/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdgrc4k7322vhttps://bsky.app/profile/jessyedwards.bsky.social/post/3mcl6tf5qp22lSpent 9 hours in a marathon bankruptcy court hearing yesterday to cover the fate of 5,200 NYC homes up for sale to Israeli businessman Zohar Levy. He couldn't make it in person to discuss the $451M deal: He's on vacay in Austria. Today, despite the City's opposition, a judge approved the sale. https://hellgatenyc.com/pinnacle-buildings-sold-summit-zohar-levy-mamdani/16 Jan 2026 22:52 +0000at://did:plc:hbgf3akyi74xe2nwrjs7g22f/app.bsky.feed.post/3mcl6tf5qp22l