NYC NOW

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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/Anado...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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 s...

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@WN...

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:...

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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...

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...

You know that voice that tells you to "please stand from the platform edge" 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...

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, commen...

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 r...

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 I...

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...

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 co...

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 mes...

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 l...

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 n...

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 su...

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@W...

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 opportuni...

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 NY...