Deadly Garage Collapse Was Caused by ‘Reckless' Repairs, Report Finds

Hours before a Lower Manhattan parking garage collapsed in 2023, killing an employee and injuring seven other people, workers had inadvertently destroyed part of a load-bearing pier on its second floor, a report released Monday concluded.
The garage, at 57 Ann Street, near City Hall, had long been plagued by faulty construction and engineering missteps, the report found. Neither the engineering firm renovating the building nor garage workers had reported the unsafe conditions, and they never obtained the permits necessary to fix them, the report said.
The report was prepared by a structural engineering firm in collaboration with the city's Department of Buildings, Department of Investigation and the Manhattan district attorney's office, which found no evidence of criminality.
In a statement accompanying the report's release, Jimmy Oddo, New York City's buildings commissioner, said the 'reckless' repair work was partially to blame for the collapse of the garage.
'The extensive multiagency investigation into this catastrophic collapse makes one point abundantly clear: This tragedy in the heart of Lower Manhattan was entirely preventable,' Mr. Oddo said.
On April 18, 2023, a bit before 9 a.m., workers began removing bricks from the load-bearing column, leaving behind a gaping hole near the ceiling of the garage's second floor, the report said. A few minutes after 4 p.m., a garage employee drove a car across the roof, directly above the column.
Seconds later, the building collapsed, killing Willis Moore, a 59 year-old manager who had worked at the garage for more than a decade. Several other garage workers were injured, including one who was trapped on an upper floor and another who fell from the second floor to the first, according to ABC7.
Though the demolition work on the column caused the building to collapse, engineering and construction missteps over the years made the building unstable, according to the report, which spanned more than 3,000 pages. When the building was constructed in 1925, builders didn't connect the pier to a wall shared with a neighboring building.
This set the stage for the piers to deteriorate in the near-century that followed, the report said. Photos of the garage's second floor taken the year before the collapse show large cracks running down the second-floor column.
The company operating the garage, Little Man Parking, had chosen Experion Design Group, a New York-based architecture and engineering firm, to make repairs to the building to comply with a 2021 law requiring routine inspections of parking structures. The Ann Street garage would have had to file its first inspection just nine months after the collapse.
Neither Little Man nor Experion reported the cracking to city authorities, which they are required to do under city construction codes, the report said.
A renovation plan by Experion failed to identify that the column was made entirely of load-bearing brick, according to the report. The Little Man employees performing the repairs were doing so without city permits or approved engineering plans.
After employees removed the bricks from the pier, the garage's general manager texted a photo of the hole left behind to a project manager at Experion. Roughly an hour before the collapse, the project manager told the garage workers to put the bricks back, but 'did not communicate urgency,' the report said.
Representatives for Experion and Little Man could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
Jeff Roth, the city's deputy mayor of operations, said in a statement that the collapse highlighted the importance of the city's construction regulations.
'The tragedy at Ann Street reminds us that every time un-permitted work occurs, it could literally lead to loss of life,' Mr. Roth said.
Two decades before the building collapsed, its owner was cited for structural issues and fined $800, according to a summary of the violation. City records show no sign issues were ever fixed. The garage was cited again in 2009 for exceeding its capacity.
The collapse on Ann Street drew attention to problems in parking garages across the city. A New York Times report in 2023 found that more than three dozen parking garages had serious structural issues.
Though no criminal charges will be filed in relation to the collapse, the Department of Buildings issued civil citations, including seven to the building's owners.
The agency also ordered third-party reviews of all parking structures in the city that were operated by Little Man or worked on by Experion.
The report included several recommendations for strengthening city oversight of parking structure repairs and inspections. In the statement announcing the report, the Department of Buildings said it had created a 'proactive enforcement unit' to inspect parking structures that have fallen into disrepair. The unit will begin operating later this year.

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Associated Press

an hour ago

• Associated Press

Key moments from the sixth week of Sean 'Diddy' Combs' sex trafficking trial

NEW YORK (AP) — The sixth week of the Sean 'Diddy' Combs' sex trafficking trial was shortened by a holiday and a juror's illness as prosecutors nearly concluded their case, setting the stage for a one- or two-day defense presentation next week. In the trial's first five weeks, jurors repeatedly heard testimony about drug-fueled marathon sex events described as 'freak-offs' by one of Combs' ex-girlfriends and as 'hotel nights' by another. In the sixth week, they were shown about 20 minutes of video recordings from the dayslong events. Combs, the founder of Bad Boy Entertainment, has pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy charges in the trial, which continues Monday. Here are key moments from the past week: Jurors watch videos of 'freak-off' sex marathons they had heard so much about Jurors largely kept their reactions muted when they were shown about 20 minutes of recordings made by Combs of his then-girlfriends having sex with male sex workers at the elaborately staged 'freak-offs' or 'hotel nights.' Prosecutors say the events were proof of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy charges because Combs coerced his employees, associates and even his girlfriends to recruit and arrange flights for sex workers while his workers obtained drugs, stocked hotel rooms with baby oil, lubricant, condoms, candles and liquor and delivered cash. In her opening statement, defense lawyer Teny Geragos had called the videos 'powerful evidence that the sexual conduct in this case was consensual and not based on coercion.' Prosecutors played about 2 minutes of the recordings before the defense team aired about 18 minutes of the videos. The public and the press were unable to observe whether the prosecutors or defense lawyers had the better arguments after the judge ruled that neither the recordings nor the sound could be seen or heard by anyone except lawyers, the judge and the jury. Several jurors seemed to cast their eyes and sometimes turn their bodies away from the screens directly in front of them while the recordings played. The jurors listened through earphones supplied by the court, as did Combs and lawyers. A juror is ejected from the panel by a judge who questions whether he has an agenda Judge Arun Subramanian started the week by dismissing a juror whose conflicting answers about whether he lived in New Jersey or New York convinced the judge he was a threat to the integrity of the trial. Subramanian said the juror's answers during jury selection and in the week before he was excused 'raised serious concerns as to the juror's candor and whether he shaded answers to get on and stay on the jury.' 'The inconsistencies — where the juror has lived and with whom — go to straightforward issues as to which there should not have been any doubts, and the answers also go to something vital: the basic qualifications of a juror to serve,' the judge said. Residents of New Jersey would not be permitted to sit on a New York federal jury. A day before Subramanian ruled, defense lawyers argued fiercely against dismissal, saying that replacing the Black juror with a white alternate juror so late in the trial would change the diverse demographics of the jury and require a mistrial. The jurors are anonymous for the Combs trial. It wasn't the only issue regarding jurors for the week. The judge, angered by a media report about the questioning of another juror the week before that occurred in a sealed proceeding, warned lawyers that they could face civil and criminal sanctions if such a leak happened again. That juror was not dismissed. And Wednesday's court session had to be canceled after a juror reported 'vertigo symptoms' on the way to the courthouse. A defense lawyer predicts a presentation measured in hours rather than days Defense attorney Marc Agnifilo seemed to close the door on any chance Combs would testify when he said Friday that the defense presentation would be finished Tuesday or Wednesday the following week, even if prosecutors don't rest until late Monday. It is not uncommon for defendants to choose not to testify at criminal trials. Besides being exposed to cross-examination by prosecutors, the testimony can be used by the government against the defendant should there be a need for a retrial. Also, if there is a conviction, the judge can conclude that the jury believed the defendant lied on the stand. Another former Combs' employee requires immunity to testify about working for him Brendan Paul, fresh off the college basketball courts where he once played in a cameo role for Syracuse University, joined Combs' companies as a personal assistant in late 2022 and was warned by a friend who had worked for Combs about what was ahead. 'He told me to get in and get out,' Paul recalled for the jury, citing the endless days and always-on-edge existence. 'If you have a girlfriend, break up with her. And you're never going to see your family.' The friend also instructed him to 'build a rolodex of clientele and get out,' he said. Paul said he worked 80 to 100 hours a week for a music power broker who received 'thousands and thousands' of text messages and emails a day. He was paid $75,000 salary initially, but it was raised in January 2024 to $100,000. He said Combs told him he 'doesn't take no for an answer' and wanted his staff to 'move like Seal Team Six.' Several times, Paul said, he picked up drugs for Combs and knew to keep his boss out of the drug trade because 'it was very important to keep his profile low. He's a celebrity.' The job came to an abrupt end in March 2024 when Paul was arrested at a Miami airport on drug charges after a small amount of cocaine that he said he picked up in Combs' room that morning was mistakenly put in his travel bag as he prepared to join Combs on a trip to the Bahamas. The charges were later dropped in a pretrial diversion program. Paul said he hadn't seen Combs since.

2 hours ago

Insurance firm ordered to pay $44M in lawsuit filed by man freed from prison

A man won $11 million in a lawsuit against police after his conviction for killing a Missouri newspaper's sports editor was overturned, but the city's former insurer resisted paying most of it for almost three years. A Missouri judge this week ordered the company to pay nearly $44 million. Most of the money would go to Ryan Ferguson, whose legal battle with Minnesota-based St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Co. in Missouri's courts started in 2017, about six weeks after he won a federal lawsuit against six Columbia police officers. Ferguson was convicted in 2004 of killing Columbia Daily Tribune sports editor Kent Heitholt but was released from prison in 2013 after a state appeals court panel concluded that he hadn't received a fair trial. Ferguson maintained his innocence. The city insurer paid Ferguson $2.7 million almost immediately after he won his federal lawsuit, and his attorneys expected St. Paul to pay $8 million under its coverage for the officers from 2006 to 2011. But the company argued that it wasn't on the hook because the actions leading to Ferguson's arrest and imprisonment occurred before its coverage began. While Ferguson sought to collect, the officers argued that St. Paul was acting in bad faith, shifting the burden to them as individuals and forcing them to face bankruptcy. Ferguson's lawyers took up those claims, and Missouri courts concluded that St. Paul was obligated to pay $5.3 million for the time Ferguson was in prison while it covered the officers. It paid in 2020. But the payment didn't end the dispute, and in November, a jury concluded that St. Paul had acted in bad faith and engaged in a 'vexatious refusal' to pay. Cole County Circuit Judge S. Cotton Walker upheld that finding in his order Monday as he calculated how much money the company would pay — mostly as punishment — under a Missouri law capping such punitive damages. 'It's a way to send a message to insurance companies that if there's coverage, they need to pay,' said Kathleen Zellner, whose firm represents Ferguson. She added: 'You can't just pull the rug out from under people when they've paid the premiums.' The company can appeal the decision. An attorney representing St. Paul did not immediately return a telephone message seeking comment. Under an agreement between Ferguson and the six officers, they stand to split about $5 million of the $44 million. The award of nearly $44 million includes $3.2 million to compensate Ferguson and the officers, another $24.2 million in punitive damages, $535,000 million for the 'vexatious refusal' allegation and interest on all of the damages totaling about $16 million.

Forbes

3 hours ago

• Forbes

You Are Not A Journalist: The Diddy Trial And Credible Media

Members of the media report before Court Opens outside the Southern District of New York Federal ... More Court, as jury selection begins in Sean "Diddy" Combs' federal sex crimes trial in New York on May 5, 2025. Jury selection begins Monday in New York in the blockbuster federal sex trafficking trial of music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs, who stands accused of years of harrowing abuse. (Photo by kena betancur / AFP) (Photo by KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images) As the Diddy trial continues to make headlines, the rise of cosplay journalism driven by influencers and content creators sharing unsubstantiated claims is eroding the foundation of trustworthy news. The result: audiences are increasingly unable to tell credible journalism apart from mere imitation. It is getting out of hand. The transformation of media consumption cannot be used to compromise the tenets of journalism—or the identity of the journalist. From the recent red carpet antics to the courtroom chaos surrounding the Diddy trial, one thing is painfully clear: we are witnessing an epidemic of cosplay journalism. According to the Society of Professional Journalists' Code of Ethics, the core mission of journalism is to 'seek truth and report it,' to 'minimize harm,' and to 'be accountable and transparent.' Yet in today's media landscape, these principles are often overlooked in favor of virality, speed, and personal branding. The SPJ further emphasizes, 'Ethical journalism treats sources, subjects, colleagues and members of the public as human beings deserving of respect,' and warns against pandering to lurid curiosity. This is exactly where cosplay journalism fails—where the spectacle outweighs truth, and rumor outweighs fact. According to Muck Rack's 2025 State of Journalism Report, 36% of journalists say misinformation and disinformation are the most serious threats to the future of journalism—more concerning than even declining public trust or funding. This is exactly why cosplay journalism is more than just a branding issue; it's a credibility crisis. Journalists who are tenured in this game are exhausted. I often scroll through my LinkedIn timeline and witness the expression of a plethora of practicing journalists—some struggling to find new positions, others whose quality work never sees the light of day. Some with decades in the game are simply disillusioned, openly sharing their disappointment with the current state of the media. That story deserves its own deep dive. For now, I want to focus on how this has played out in coverage of the Diddy trial. Media and television crews are set up outside federal court before the Sean "Diddy" Combs' sex ... More trafficking trial in New York City on May 15, 2025. Sean "Diddy" Combs used violence and threats of reputational ruin to control women he abused for years, New York jurors heard May 12 during opening statements of the federal sex trafficking trial that was followed by the case's initial graphic testimonies. The panel of 12 jurors and six alternates responsible for determining Combs's fate heard of the famed artist's explosive outbursts and an attempt to preserve his own reputation and power of celebrity through bribery. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP) (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images) Yes, it is true. There is no official requirement to become a journalist. There is no licensing board or formal certification. However, that is not what I am referring to because that is not the problem here. I am referring to the actual practice of proper ethical journalism. A 2024 report from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism found that only 40% of Americans say they trust most news most of the time. The collapse of trust is understandable when anyone with a camera and a YouTube channel can claim the title of 'journalist.' Since its official commencement last May, the Diddy trial has served as the ultimate opportunity for the media to feed the algorithmic needs. From social media influencers, bloggers, YouTubers, to actual journalists and legal analysts flocking to the Southern District of New York Court in downtown Manhattan. For all of them, this was an opportunity to capture a moment in hip-hop and American music history. However, those who are indeed social media influencers, bloggers, and YouTubers with no journalistic intent or background are only flocking to lower Manhattan to obtain content. Some of these social media figures have traveled across the country, some even asking their audience for CashApp donations to survive their stay in New York City to 'cover' this trial. Some of them operate rather as new age paparazzi. Without a doubt, this is one of the biggest trials of the decade and calls for such attention. And it is from this experience and manner that their subscribers are retrieving their content, finding their takes raw, unfiltered, and valuable, they are under the impression that the success of such content has now qualified themselves to take on the label of journalist. Now this, is certainly an erroneous thought and act. The aforementioned order of behaviors does not make such social media influencers, bloggers, or YouTubers sudden journalists. Absolutely, never. They are undeniably social media figures. But a journalist? No. NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 12: Media are set up outside during the continuation of the jury selection ... More phase of the Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial at the Southern District Manhattan Federal court on May 12, 2025 in New York City. Combs has been charged with sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and transporting to engage in prostitution. He has been in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York since his arrest last September, and has pleaded not guilty on all charges. (Photo by) Many can't tell the difference—and cosplay journalists straight up exploit that confusion. According to Pew Research, approximately 40% of U.S. adults who get news on social media say inaccuracy is the aspect they dislike most—for example, unverified facts, "fake news," or unreliable sources. Yet even with that awareness, their subscribers, drawn in by raw and unfiltered coverage, begin to believe that going viral qualifies someone to be called a journalist. That is an erroneous and dangerous belief. Oxford defines a journalist as someone 'who earns his or her living by editing or writing for newspapers, magazines, etc.' This is the traditional comprehension of the identity of a journalist. And it still stands, as the most credible journalists are associated with media outlets. In my opinion, Florida's shield law offers the clearest and most comprehensive definition of a journalist, and should be adopted as a universal standard. According to the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, Florida Statute 90.5015(1)(a) defines a journalist as: 'A person regularly engaged in collecting, photographing, recording, writing, editing, reporting, or publishing news, for gain or livelihood, who obtained the information sought while working as a salaried employee of, or independent contractor for, a newspaper, news journal, news agency, press association, wire service, radio or television station, network, or news magazine.' This is pretty much a universal understanding of what makes one a journalist. However, it is fair to say in contemporary times, journalists with built credibility have been operating through their own modes of media—be it radio and podcasting like Pulitzer winner Karen Hunter or launching a YouTube media network like the renowned Don Lemon. As a matter of fact, 34% of journalists now self-publish outside of traditional newsrooms, and 61% of those report earning income from doing so, per Muck Rack. This shows that independence is not limited to informality, it still demands training, ethics, and trust-building. However, it was not Hunter's sole ability to write and Lemon's diction that catapulted them to high credibility status—it was their compassionate wandering curiosity, personable deliverance, and investigative rigor that earned them the trust of their audiences. NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 27: Ex-assistant Capricorn Clark leaves after testifying in the Sean ... More "Diddy" Combs sex trafficking trial at Manhattan Federal Court on May 27, 2025 in New York City. Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty on all counts, which include a racketeering charge alleging the hip-hop pioneer was the leader of a sex crime ring that included drug-fueled sex parties through the use of force, threats, and violence. (Photo by) Now, let's just look at some of the credible music online publications and their journalists that are covering the Diddy trial, like seasoned hip-hop journalist Shawn Setaro at Complex alongside fellow Complex journalists including Jaelani Turner-Williams, Trey Alston, and Trace William Cowen where the platform is giving near daily updates. Then there is Bill Donahue who is giving consistent coverage on the Diddy trial over at Billboard. Rolling Stone has dedicated coverage by Nancy Dillon, Cheyenne Roundtree, and Jon Blistein—which is expected because of the historic exposé they published last year regarding the Diddy allegations which was published before the infamous Cassie lawsuit last November. It was the perfect example of hard credible journalism as they abided by pure journalistic ethics: from securing accuracy and verification with their six-month investigation, acquiring multiple sources between Diddy's friends, former employees, witnesses; they were transparent as they provided legal context and communicated the allegations as being allegations; they distinguished what was fact and what was rumor—something that YouTubers who cosplay as journalists will not ethically do as their platforms thrive off of unverified rumors; and Rolling Stone's investigation was apparent to hold no conflict of interest and operated independently. In the exposé, Rolling Stone balanced public interest versus potential harm by considering the sensitive details surrounding what was then unverified accusations. This speaks directly to another SPJ standard: 'Balance the public's need for information against potential harm or discomfort. Pursuit of the news is not a license for arrogance or undue intrusiveness.' Rolling Stone took months to investigate and was cautious in how they presented allegations—something cosplay journalists sidestep in favor of instant engagement. NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 13: Janice Combs, mother of Sean "Diddy" Combs, departs for a lunch break ... More during Combs trial at Manhattan Federal Court on May 13, 2025 in New York City. Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty on all counts, which include a racketeering charge alleging the hip-hop pioneer was the leader of a sex crime ring that included drug-fueled sex parties by use of force, threats and violence. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) What needs to be understood by the public, those who do not hold the responsibility of journalists, is that it does not matter how believable a rumor may be. In the practice of journalism, if the journalist can't with their own lens verify such a rumor and confirm such to be a fact through evaluation of multiple credible sources—which may take at times months to years—they must disclose that it is indeed alleged. YouTubers use this alleged term all the time in their rants, in lieu of avoiding defamation claims. However, they misuse the term in a manner where even amid their broadcasts that they wish to label journalism, they still overwhelmingly insinuate truth. And of course, there are traditional mainstream news outlets who are also ethically covering the Diddy trial. Over at the New York Times, journalists in the likes of Julia Jacobs, Ben Sisario, and Anusha Bayya have taken on the platform's consistent coverage of the trial, while mainstream publications including The Washington Post, The New York Post, E! News, ABC News, and CNN are disseminating near hourly updates while also being mindful of the sensitive nature of such contextual exposure to domestic violence. Most of these outlets are referring readers to the National Domestic Violence Hotline through editor's notes—a necessary act particularly amid the week Cassie Ventura took the stand. Mainstream outlets at large are privy to proper press credentials to the trial, and hence have some of their most trusted reporters on the scene. Among the most visible are ABC News Chief Investigative Correspondent Aaron Katersky, CNN Legal Analyst Laura Coates, CBS News' Jericka Duncan, and News Nation's Laura Ingle who have all taken on the unbiased, classic inverted pyramid style of strictly fact-based broadcast reporting combined with investigative and analytical chops. NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 05: Brian Steel, attorney for Sean "Diddy" Combs, arrives for the start of ... More trial at Manhattan Federal Court on May 05, 2025 in New York City. Jury selection begins in Combs' trial, who has been charged with sex trafficking, racketeering conspiracy, and transporting to engage in prostitution. Combs has been in custody since his arrest last September and has pleaded not guilty on all charges. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images) Chasing around celebrities with a microphone for an unarranged so-called interview is not journalism. Using your voice to disseminate the talk of a rumor in the name of transparency is not journalism. It is amateurish and potential grounds for defamation. Journalists do not speak on unverified facts. As the SPJ states, 'Never deliberately distort facts or context, including visual information. Clearly label advocacy and commentary.' The problem with many content creators cosplaying as 'journalists' is that they distort under the guise of transparency, while disguising entertainment as fact. And if such is mentioned in a report, at most, the fact that it is an unverified variable of the article will be disclosed. The truth is many that cosplay the identity of a journalist are realistically aspiring media personalities. Many of these people are fixated on being in front of the camera. There are those who don't declare themselves as journalists but take on media roles in delivering commentary and asking figures basic questions (not necessarily an interview)—like DJs, actors, athletes—something that runs rampant in the form of podcasts, red carpets, and radio. They don't call themselves journalists, but they think they are in the same line of business. These people are wholeheartedly business tycoons. They see opportunity in the lane of media and they capitalize off of their appeal and reach—something that most ethical journalists have as actual practitioners within their unique networks and the dedicated journalism world—which is not at large. Most practicing journalists do not have grand social media followings because let's face the truth: reading is boring to most Internet users and social media paraders. According to Muck Rack's 2025 State of Journalism Report, 61% of journalists have fewer than 5,000 followers, and only 19% reach the 'micro-influencer' level of 10,000–100,000 followers. In journalism, visibility and virality are not the standard—credibility is. Then there are those raw tenured journalists that we love. They have been in the game for years and decades. Some of them, the above average broadcaster who once held a slot on a traditional media platform like a Joy Reid or Briahna Joy Gray. They are prime examples of those who have managed to pivot their journalism into modern modes of viral media. An act that journalists are starting to realize they must pivot to, but in the most integral and ethical manner. That is the power of real journalism. Not cosplay. Not content. Actual journalism. As the Diddy trial attracts the cosplayers of journalism, it's time we protect that distinction.