Bruce Convisor

The cause of the explosion is unknown, but an investigation is underway.

Mayor Zoran Mamdani praised the first responders during an afternoon press conference.

He said they do what they always do, which is to run towards danger so that others can flee to safety.

For NPR News, I'm Bruce Convisor in New York.

After a week-long trial, Liu Xunwang was found guilty on two of three federal charges related to being a Chinese agent.

Prosecutors say Liu set up a so-called police station in a section of Manhattan's Chinatown.

Liu claims he was merely helping Chinese residents navigate bureaucratic paperwork, such as renewing Chinese driver's licenses.

But prosecutors successfully argued that that was mere window dressing for what Liu was really doing.

targeting Chinese dissidents on behalf of the communist government in Beijing.

The 64-year-old Liu came to the U.S.

from China more than 45 years ago.

He now faces up to 30 years in prison.

For NPR News, I'm Bruce Convisor in New York.

New Jersey Transit is backpedaling on how much it will charge fans for a 20-minute train ride.

The Transportation Authority says it will now charge fans $105 for a round-trip ticket.

That's a 30% reduction from the $150 fare announced last month.

But it's still eight times more than the standard round-trip ticket.

which costs just under $13.

New Jersey officials, led by Governor Mikey Sherrill, argued that New Jersey residents would not pay the $48 million price tag to provide the rail service.

She said FIFA, soccer's global governing body, stood to make billions of dollars from the tournament and should subsidize the rail service.