Early Addition: Bill Maher has 99 problems, but a writers’ strike ain’t one

Happy Friday morning in New York City where a photographer is capturing the revival of sea life off the coast of Long Island.

Sutton Lynch’s 13K+ followers on Instagram are dazzled by the photos he’s able to capture in the waters of Long Island’s East End. Humpback whales, a school of striped sea bass and spinner sharks are just some of the marine animals Lynch has photographed, which shows the abundance of life after decades of reduction.

Here’s what else is going on:

• Also on Long Island: a middle school health teacher was pulled from the classroom for giving 5th graders an assignment that asked them to choose from a list of people to save in a fallout shelter in the event of a nuclear attack. The list included choices such as a 16-year-old pregnant girl or a 38-year-old retired prostitute.
• The median rent in Manhattan last month was unchanged from July, coming in at $4,370. Better luck next month.
• A new study found the best way to test how stressed workers are on the job is with an AI computer mouse. The mouse proved to be more accurate than a model which tracked heart-rate data.
• Autumn is almost upon us, arguably the best time of year, especially in New York where fall foliage is elite. This map shows you where to catch it at its peak.
• Bill Maher decided to bring his show “Real Time with Bill Maher” back on air without writers amid the ongoing strikes. In an X post, Maher said the writers on strike are “not the only people with issues, problems, and concerns.”
• A French bulldog puppy named Enzo who was stolen in May during a doggy playdate has been recovered in Newark.
• Staten Island’s North Shore waterfront is getting a $400 million investment from the city which will bring more big business, housing, a new school and open space, Mayor Eric Adams said Thursday.
• And finally, she is me: