NYC NOW

A few weeks after two structural columns buckled at a Midtown Manhattan high rise, WNYC and Gothamist reporter David Brand shares new details from hours spent reviewing hundreds of pages of building plans at the Department of Buildings. He explains what the plans called for, what the engineering firm says about whether required steel reinforcements were installed and what city officials are investigating now. Plus, WNYC and Gothamistreporter Arya Sundaram reflects on how the 2026 FIFA World Cup brought immigrant communities together at watch parties across New York City. Photo: New York City Department of Buildings -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The World Cup final is this Sunday, and if you're looking for a place to watch in the city, WNYC arts and culture editor Matthew Schnipper has some ideas. He also joins us with a summer reading list of New York City books and culture reporter Sonia Rao stops by to explain why jorts are peaking in popularity around the city. Photo: Jordan Bank/FIFA via Getty Images -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In 2024, comedian Nora Fried started a monthly book club for women incarcerated at Rikers Island. What began with nine women and a copy of Tara Westover's "Educated" has grown into a nonprofit called Rosebuds Reading Collective, with actress and author Julia Fox now leading a monthly creative writing workshop inside the jail. Nora joins Janae to talk about how it all came together. Photo: Rosebuds Reading Collective Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In counties along New York's Southern Tier, the number of homeless people nearly tripled between 2019 and 2025. But without all the sidewalks, subways, and shelters of a big city, it's more difficult for street outreach workers to find and help homeless people. WNYC's Jimmy Vielkind talks with us about how the state's street outreach program has adapted to rural communities. Photo: Jimmy Vielkind -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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New York City's flooding problem is getting worse, and it's not hitting every neighborhood equally. Furhana Husani, director of programs and climate initiatives at the Waterfront Alliance, joins us to break down why some neighborhoods flood more than others, what tools exist to track flooding, and what you should actually do the next time a flash flood warning hits your phone. Photo: Anadolu/Anadolu via Getty Images Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Happy the Elephant lived at the Bronx Zoo for nearly 50 years, where she was beloved by generations of New Yorkers, and was also at the center of a landmark legal battle over whether an elephant could be granted the same rights as a person. WNYC reporter Walter Wuthmann joins us to trace Happy's life and investigate what comes next for Patty, the last elephant left at the Bronx Zoo. Photo: Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis News via Getty Images Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

WNYC & Gothamist arts editor Matthew Schnipper introduces a new series exploring the ideas, traditions and cultural touchstones that began in New York before spreading across the country. He also tells us about a dance party offering free dental screenings and recommends a few upcoming events. Photo: Edith Young for Gothamist -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

New York City approves a $126 billion budget that scraps a planned NYPD expansion and broadens housing assistance through a new rental voucher program. Officials also prepare for a dangerous heat wave by opening cooling centers and extending pool hours. Plus, WNYC's Karen Yi reports on why supportive housing providers are still filing eviction cases months after the city told them to use eviction only as a last resort. -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org Photo Cred: Karen Yi, WNYC/Gothamist Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Big changes to federal student loan repayment take effect July 1. Carolina Rodriguez of New York's Education Debt Consumer Assistance Program walks us through what's changing. Also, this fall, New York City will open the Bronx School of Hip Hop. That's a first-of-its-kind public high school where MCing, DJing, breaking, graffiti, and knowledge of self are pathways into English, math, science, and social studies. Founding Principal Jason Reyes joins us to explain how the school's five core elements map onto coursework and how Bronx hip hop pioneers like Grandmaster Caz and Melle Mel are shaping what students learn. -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org Photo: David Dee Delgado / Getty Images News Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Performer Miss Peppermint found herself in late '90s NYC club culture, made history on RuPaul's Drag Race and Broadway, and is now one of four grand marshals at NYC Pride. She joins us to talk about the role NYC has played in her story, and what this year's Pride slogan "For All of Us" means when the T in LGBT feels under attack. Photo: Walter McBride/Getty Images -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Candidates backed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the Democratic Socialists of America won several key congressional primaries in New York City. WNYC's Jimmy Vielkind breaks down the results, and political scientist Dr. Christina Greer explains what they could mean for the future of the Democratic Party in New York and beyond. -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org Photo: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 23: Supporters keep track of election results during a primary-night watch party for NYC Congressional candidate Claire Valdez at 99 Scott Studio on June 23, 2026 in the East Williamsburg neighborhood of the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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A Brooklyn nonprofit that runs homeless shelters across the city is facing federal bribery and embezzlement charges against two of its former leaders. New York City has already paid BHRAGS Home Care Corporation roughly $130 million, and the city recently announced it plans to keep doing business with them. WNYC and Gothamist reporter Ryan Kost joins us to walk through how this all happened. Photo: Ryan Kost -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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Finding an affordable apartment in New York City is hard enough. WNYC and Gothamist reporter Catalina Gonella spent months investigating allegations against David Michael, a man who describes himself as a real estate adviser. Dozens of renters say he took deposits for apartments they never got, then disappeared when they tried to get their money back. She explains how the alleged scheme worked and why small claims court offered little relief. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The wait is over. For the first time since 1973, the New York Knicks are NBA champions. In this special championship edition of NYC Now, we get reactions from sports reporter Priya Desai and talk with two lifelong Knicks fans from the WNYC newsroom about what it feels like to finally see their team reach the top. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

You know that voice that tells you to "stand clear of the closing doors" when you take the train? That's Bernie Wagenblast. Bernie has been the voice of the New York City subway since 2009, and this month she's one of four grand marshals at NYC Pride. She joins us to talk about growing up knowing she was trans, and what it took to finally live that truth decades later. Photo: Courtesy of Bernie Wagenblast -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The city is expanding free childcare for two-year-olds this fall. Will that actually convince New York parents to grow their families, though? WNYC reporter Karen Yi tells us about parents who have been going into debt, leaving the workforce, and rethinking second kids while waiting for the city's childcare promises to catch up. Photo: Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When Zohran Mamdani ran for mayor, he promised to reduce the NYPD's role in responding to issues like mental health crises and homelessness while investing in civilian alternatives. Six months into his administration, the mayor is planning to add hundreds of police officers, while Mamdani's proposed Department of Community Safety remains far smaller than what he campaigned on. WNYC and Gothamist reporter Elizabeth Kim explains how the mayor's approach to policing has evolved, why some supporters are frustrated, and what the shift could mean for public safety and politics in New York City. [Photo: Marika Hacking/Gothamist] — Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this week's Arts & Culture Check-In, WNYC & Gothamist editor Matthew Schnipper shares stories coming off his desk, including a look back at New York City in 1973, new steakhouses reshaping the city's dining scene, and a guide to Pride Month events happening across the five boroughs. Got any questions, comments Got any questions or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org Photo: Getty Images/ Bettman (Original Caption) “4/29/1973-New York, NY- Knick's Phil Jackson prepares to enter a cab at LaGuardia Airport, after the team's return from Boston and a 94-78 win over the Celtics. The Knicks will meet the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA championship series.” Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Inspired in part by Mayor Mamdani's Rental Ripoff Hearings, tenants are fed up by broken elevators, heat outages, and flooding in "luxury" buildings charging $4,000 to $6,000 a month. WNYC housing reporter David Brand joins us to talk about the new class of tenant associations fighting back. Photo: David Brand -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

New York City police are taking a skyrocketing number of people to criminal court for sleeping or spreading out on the public transit system. WNYC public safety reporter Samantha Max joins us to understand how this is affecting New Yorkers, and why charges were up 3000% last year. Photo: Samantha Max Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For the first time since 1999, the New York Knicks are headed to the NBA Finals. Sports reporter Priya Desai joins us to discuss the team's dominant playoff run, the electric atmosphere around the city, and why this moment feels bigger than basketball for generations of Knicks fans. Photo cred: David Dee Delgado / Stringer via Getty Images -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

New federal SNAP work requirements are now affecting thousands of New Yorkers, including veterans, older adults, young people, and parents who were previously exempt. With the June 1 deadline approaching, reporter Karen Yi joins us to explain why the city is urgently knocking on doors across the five boroughs to keep people from losing food assistance. Photo: Karen Yi/ Gothamist : People wait in line at a food pantry. Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What does it actually mean to feel safe in New York City? WNYC and Gothamist health reporter reporter Caroline Lewis joins us to talk about her conversation with the city's first Community Safety Commissioner, Ayesha Delaney-Brumsey, and the new office now tasked with tackling issues like mental health crises, gun violence. Plus, WNYC and Gothamist reporter Liam Quigley Liam Quigley returns with new reporting on the city's underground tow truck economy, including a Queens operator openly promoting unlicensed towing crews on social media while officials struggle to crack down. —Click here to listen to Liam's full story on unlicensed tow trucks: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/special-investigation-how-new-york-city-lost-control/id1681278959?i=1000749236747 Photo: Gothamist illustration/Photo courtesy of City Hall -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Rain may be in the forecast for Memorial Day weekend, but New York City still has plenty to offer. WNYC arts and culture editor Matthew Schnipper joins us to share indoor arts and culture picks for the long weekend, from story time at The Metropolitan Museum of Art to free exhibits at MoMA PS1. Plus, we talk about New Yorkers fishing in city waters, a new immersive Radiohead experience, and the summer lineup for BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival, including our guesses for a mysterious Aaliyah tribute show. Photo: Anna Rawls -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Resorts World in Queens just got live table games, making it the first full casino in New York City's five boroughs. WNYC reporter Arun Venugopal speaks with us about the ambitions of the New Yorkers who are working the tables, many of whom are earning upwards of $90,000 a year with benefits. Photo: Arun Venugopal/Gothamist -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

New York City schools are overhauling the way students learn to read through a literacy initiative known as NYC Reads, built around the “science of reading” movement. City officials say the approach is already improving reading scores. But some teachers, parents and students say the curriculum relies too heavily on worksheets, rigid lessons and short excerpts, leaving students with fewer opportunities to immerse themselves in full books. WNYC's education reporter Jessica Gould joins us to discuss the debate over phonics, reading stamina, and whether schools are improving literacy at the expense of fostering a love of reading. Photo: Wavebreakmedia via Getty Images -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

With less than 50 days until the World Cup kicks off, WNYC reporter David Brand takes us from Little Haiti in Flatbush, where fans are celebrating Haiti's first World Cup appearance in 52 years, to Kearny, New Jersey, a small town that shaped the entire history of American soccer. Photo: Johnrob/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mayor Mamdani filmed a video in front of the most expensive penthouse ever sold in the United States to celebrate a new tax on luxury second homes. It went viral, and the city's billionaires were not happy. WNYC reporter Elizabeth Kim takes us from Billionaire's Row to Fordham Road in the Bronx to speak to New Yorkers about the fight to tax the rich. Photo: Michael Lee/Moment via Getty Images -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A New York law allows domestic violence survivors who commit crimes connected to their abuse to ask judges for reduced sentences. But the state's highest court recently ruled that prosecutors cannot require survivors to waive that right as a condition of a plea deal. WNYC's Samantha Max explains the cases at the center of the decision, why advocates say the practice is widespread, and what prosecutors fear the ruling could mean for victims and the court system. Plus, WNYC's Jimmy Vielkind breaks down a growing push by top Democrats to redraw New York's congressional maps as national redistricting battles escalate. Photo: Screenshot, New York State Court of Appeals - Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This year's Met Gala had plenty of bold looks, but the bigger story was who decided to stay home. Arts & Culture Editor Matthew Schnipper joins us to break it down, plus never before seen Keith Haring works going to auction, what's coming up at SummerStage, and the best frozen treats in the city this summer. Photo: Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org

New York City is legally required to provide shelter to anyone who needs it. But a new WNYC and Gothamist investigation finds that the Tillary Street Women's Shelter in Downtown Brooklyn has become a place where violence, overdoses and chaos are part of daily life. WNYC and Gothamist editor Andrew Giambrone joins us to discuss months of reporting that uncovered more than 2,000 calls to 911 in a single year, hundreds of fights, and growing concerns from residents who say they did not feel safe inside one of the city's largest shelters for women with mental illness and addiction.

For some New Yorkers, qualifying for a CityFHEPS housing voucher means first entering the shelter system. Reporter Karen Yi breaks down the fight over expanding the city's rental assistance program and why advocates say delaying it could cost more in the long run. Photo: Lajoy Clark, Ciro Sollazzi, and Kevin Joseph Cuffy for Gothamist -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org

Before Madonna was Madonna, she was working coat check. Before the Beastie Boys were the Beastie Boys, they were janitors. They worked at Danceteria, a five-story downtown Manhattan nightclub that became the unlikely launchpad for some of pop culture's biggest names in the 1980s. DJ Rafe Gomez runs Danceteria Rewind on Twitch every Thursday night, reconstructing the club's legendary playlists for nearly 60,000 followers worldwide. He joins us to talk about what made Danceteria unlike anything before or since, and why Manhattan nightlife has never quite recaptured that magic. Photo: Steve Eichner/Archive Photos via Getty Images -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org

When Meredith Trainor's 11-month-old daughter tested positive for cocaine at a hospital, New York City caseworkers removed the baby from her arms, without a court order, even though Meredith had been at work when it happened. Five days later, a family court judge ordered the baby returned. Now Meredith is suing the city. WNYC reporter Samantha Max walks us through her case and what it reveals about how the city's Administration for Children's Services uses emergency removals, a process that separates more than 1,300 children from their parents every year. -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org

Mayor Zohran Mamdani's administration plans to add more than 6,500 curbside trash containers across the five boroughs as part of a push to clean up streets and cut down on rats. WNYC and Gothamist reporter Liam Quigley explains where the new Empire Bins are going, why the rollout could cost parking spaces, and how the city hopes to fully containerize trash by 2032. Plus, WNYC health reporter Caroline Lewis breaks down a new Bellevue Hospital study on serious bike and scooter injuries, what it found about e bikes, helmets, alcohol, and who is getting hurt most.

WNYC Arts & Culture Editor Matthew Schnipper is back with a rundown of what's worth your train swipes this week. We cover the Queens Night Market's last year of $6 food before prices go up, a Martha Cooper retrospective at the Bronx Documentary Center celebrating one of graffiti's earliest documenters, and whether the Lower East Side's booming vintage shops can sustain the hype. Plus: Mayor Mamdani attempts a Mario Kart metaphor, pioneer trans DJ Lena Bradford celebrates 3 decades of DJing, and a Wallace Shawn mini retrospective at Metrograph. -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org

Mayor Zohran Mamdani is 100 days into his historic term with sweeping plans to make New York City more affordable through an expansion of public services. In a live conversation at The Greene Space, WNYC's Senior Politics Reporter Brigid Bergin speaks with the mayor about his first months in office, what he has accomplished so far, and what comes next.

A tourist who landed at JFK says she was charged $800 for a ride from the airport to Times Square after she fell victim to a notorious New York City scam. WNYC's Ramsey Khalifeh joins us to explain how a network of unlicensed drivers and dispatchers target exhausted travelers in a hustle that's been going on for decades. -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org

It is a big week for basketball fans in New York. The Knicks are heading into a first round playoff matchup against the Atlanta Hawks, while the New York Liberty prepare for a new WNBA season with roster changes, new additions and a new coach. Sports reporter Priya Desai joins us to break it all down. Plus, WNYC producer Elizabeth Shwe explores tipping culture in New York City, from coffee counters and bars to delivery apps, and what experts say is a fair tip in 2026. -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org

A federal judge ruled that the Trump administration can't continue withholding tens of millions of dollars in funding over the school district's policies on transgender students. WNYC reporter Giulia Heyward chats with us about what this means for schools, students, and the city. Also, WNYC's Arun Venugopal talks about the new city council proposal for a $30 minimum wage, and what its supporters and opponents alike are saying. -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org

In his first 100 days, Mayor Zohran Mamdani has tried to turn big progressive promises into policy while managing the day to day demands of running New York City. Political scientist Dr. Christina Greer joins us to break down the mayor's early wins, his “pothole politics” approach, and where he has already had to compromise. Plus, what the city's $5.4 billion budget deficit could mean for his plans for free buses, child care, and more. -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org