The presumed victor in the Democratic primary race for New York City Mayor, Zohran Mamdani, says he expects the momentum of support behind him will carry through to November’s general election. Meanwhile, the summer swelter continues in New York City with a heat advisory in effect until 7 Wednesday evening. Plus, WNYC’s Jon Campbell breaks down the results of the Democratic primary election.
Jun 25, 2025•8 min
Zohran Mamdani is commanding a significant lead in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary, as votes continue to be counted from yesterday’s election. Meanwhile, state officials are warning that air quality will be compromised across New York on Wednesday due to elevated ozone Plus, in New Jersey, the State Fair Meadowlands will go dark for the next two summers. Organizers say the hiatus, prompted by World Cup events at MetLife Stadium, will allow them to “re-imagine” the fair before it retur...
Jun 25, 2025•3 min
New Yorkers are casting ballots for their choice for Mayor, Public Advocate, City Council and other citywide offices. Plus, one of the issues that’s top of mind for candidates in the mayor’s race is housing affordability. Also, unemployment is increasing nationwide, but in New York State it's going the other way. And finally, what New Yorkers should watch out for in the city’s first heat wave of the year.
Jun 24, 2025•8 min
New Yorkers are casting ballots in today’s primary election, with candidates making their final appeals as record temperatures grip the city. Meanwhile, city officials are warning residents to watch for signs of heat stroke as the extreme heat continues. Also, Con Edison is reducing voltage by 8% in parts of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Bushwick, Greenpoint, and Williamsburg and asking residents to limit energy use while crews make repairs.Plus, the family of Win Rozario, a Queens teen fatally shot by po...
Jun 24, 2025•8 min
It’s Primary Day in New York City, with voters casting ballots for mayor, public advocate, city council and more. WNYC’s Brittany Kriegstein is reporting from Brooklyn Borough Hall. Meanwhile, the Adams administration is reversing course on a controversial plan to build affordable senior housing on the Elizabeth Street Garden site. First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro says the city will pursue alternative locations instead.
Jun 24, 2025•3 min
Hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers have already voted ahead of Tuesday’s Democratic Primary Election. Plus, the MTA says it collected $61 million from drivers through its congestion pricing program in May. Also, Mayor Adams announces a new strategy in the city’s war on rats. And finally, a nonprofit-run workforce development program is helping to give people with criminal records a second chance as bike mechanics.
Jun 23, 2025•8 min
New York City is entering its first heat wave of the summer season, with temperatures expected to remain dangerously high through the week. Meanwhile, the Adams administration is dropping its plan to build housing on the Elizabeth Street Garden, preserving the green space and seeking alternative development sites. Plus, with Primary Day tomorrow, candidates for mayor, comptroller, and public advocate are making their final appeals to voters after record early turnout. WNYC’s Brian Lehrer and sen...
Jun 23, 2025•11 min
New York City is under an extreme heat warning as Primary Day approaches Tuesday, with temperatures expected to top 100 degrees. Officials are urging residents to stay indoors and check on neighbors. Meanwhile, Governor Kathy Hochul has ordered state agencies to stay on high alert after U.S. airstrikes on Iran over the weekend. Plus, major overnight road work begins on the FDR Drive uptown Tuesday night, lasting through mid-August.
Jun 23, 2025•3 min
While gun violence has risen in public housing across much of New York City this year, East Harlem is bucking the trend. Shootings in the neighborhood’s NYCHA complexes have dropped 30% since 2023, compared to just 7% citywide. WNYC’s Brittany Kriegstein reports on the coalition of police, nonprofits, and community members working together to keep violence down, and why that progress remains fragile.
Jun 21, 2025•12 min
A federal judge says he’ll order that activist Mahmoud Khalil be released from immigration detention. Plus, New Yorkers are voting early at a rate that experts say may signal a transformative shift in the electorate. Also, a bill has passed in the New York City Council that would require the parks department to install at least 50 new outdoor drinking fountains over the next decade. And finally, NYCHA and a pair of developers are awaiting final approval from the federal government. After that, r...
Jun 20, 2025•9 min
Governor Hochul is urging voters to head to the polls this weekend before dangerous heat hits early next week. Meanwhile, police are investigating threats made against mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani. And with the mayoral primary just days away, WNYC’s Brittany Kriegstein spoke with all nine leading Democratic candidates about how they would approach crime and public safety.
Jun 20, 2025•7 min
A new lawsuit alleges correction officers at Mid-State Correctional Facility beat Harlem resident Messiah Nantwi to death while he was handcuffed, and failed to activate required body cameras. Meanwhile, mayors across New York, including Eric Adams, are pushing back on a bill passed by state lawmakers that limits their ability to block ballot measures. Finally, the Spring Starfest in Brooklyn invites New Yorkers to view distant galaxies through expert-operated telescopes.
Jun 20, 2025•3 min
Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani is facing backlash for not denouncing the slogan “globalize the intifada,” which critics say promotes violence against Jews. Meanwhile, new details have emerged about Derlis Chusin Toaquiza, a 19-year-old Queens high school student detained by ICE at an immigration court hearing. His legal team says he has no criminal record and was preparing for exams and school activities. Also, an environmental group is pushing for a new policy that’ll allow visitors to swim at t...
Jun 19, 2025•9 min
A major rezoning of Midtown Manhattan is moving forward after the City Planning Commission approved it. Plus, legislators watered down consumer protection bills before leaving Albany for the year. And finally, progressive candidate Zohran Mamdani’s campaign has been aggressively courting Muslim and South Asian New Yorkers.
Jun 18, 2025•8 min
The New York City Office of Emergency Management is urging residents to prepare for the first major heatwave of the season, expected next week. Meanwhile, the Department of Sanitation says there will be no trash, compost, or recycling pickup on Thursday in observance of Juneteenth. Plus, food writer Robert Sietsema takes us to overlooked dining spots in the heart of one of the city’s busiest areas: Times Square.
Jun 18, 2025•8 min
The U.S. Department of Justice is set to review a dispute over Massapequa’s Native American mascot after the Department of Education ruled that New York State’s ban on indigenous team names violates federal civil rights policy. Meanwhile, early voting in New York City’s primaries remains open on Juneteenth, with polls running from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. And the city is in for a heat wave starting this weekend, with temperatures expected to soar into the 90s by Saturday.
Jun 18, 2025•3 min
Video posted to social media shows Mayoral candidate and New York City comptroller Brad Lander being detained by someone who appears to be a masked law enforcement official. Plus, the Supreme Court is opening a new window for religious groups in New York to challenge longstanding state regulations that require employers to cover the cost of abortions. And finally, a look into the voting power of residents in Southeast Queens.
Jun 17, 2025•12 min
U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders has endorsed Zohran Mamdani for New York City mayor and Justin Brannan for comptroller, while former Governor Andrew Cuomo has won support from Hasidic sects in Borough Park. Also, on Long Island, immigration raids appear to be driving away some day laborers who gather at Home Depot stores looking for work. Plus, the Hoboken City Council is weighing a ban on AI rent-setting tools, following similar action in Jersey City.
Jun 17, 2025•8 min
The Department of Homeless Services is now requiring all new homeless shelters to provide air conditioning, as nearly 40% of existing sites still lack it. Meanwhile, bee swarms are being spotted across the five boroughs. Experts say the insects are mostly harmless and on the move to form new colonies. Plus, the National Weather Service is warning of patchy dense fog this morning across parts of Southern Connecticut, the Lower Hudson Valley, and interior Northeast New Jersey
Jun 17, 2025•3 min
The tech industry is pushing back against an effort to regulate artificial intelligence in New York. Plus, New York City workers who conduct sweeps of homeless encampments are supposed to offer to store people’s personal belongings. But new records obtained by WNYC show that rarely happens. Finally, how a multi-millionaire dollar environmental effort in New Jersey is aimed at preventing damage from future storms.
Jun 16, 2025•9 min
The NYPD is expanding its quality-of-life “Q-teams” across the city this summer to handle non-emergency complaints like outdoor drug use and illegal parking. Meanwhile, the FAA is capping flights at Newark Liberty Airport to 34 per hour through late October to ease delays. Plus, early voting is now underway in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary. WNYC’s Brian Lehrer and senior politics reporter Brigid Bergin bring us the latest.
Jun 16, 2025•12 min
Mayor Eric Adams is commending both demonstrators and officers after thousands marched in Manhattan Saturday to protest President Trump on his birthday. Meanwhile, two of four detainees who escaped from a Newark immigration detention center last week have been recaptured, according to the FBI. State lawmakers have passed a bill requiring major AI developers to reduce risks of harm, with penalties for violations. And flags across New York are flying at half-staff today to honor Minnesota State Re...
Jun 16, 2025•3 min
In this episode, we look at how LGBTQ+ New Yorkers are pushing for greater protections and visibility as they face a more hostile political environment. Plus, a guide to this year’s Pride celebrations across the city.
Jun 14, 2025•9 min
Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani and Comptroller Brad Lander are teaming up in the ranked choice election. Also, the attorney general for the Dominican Republic says local power broker Antonio Espaillat and his sister were irresponsible and negligent by failing to stop the club roof from collapsing in April. And finally, an arrest in upstate New York highlights the consequences when local police cooperate with federal immigration agents.
Jun 13, 2025•9 min
Former Governor Andrew Cuomo and Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani exchanged sharp attacks during the final Democratic mayoral debate Thursday night. Cuomo questioned Mamdani’s experience, while Mamdani challenged Cuomo’s record. Meanwhile, New Jersey lawmakers are advancing a bill to expand the state’s community solar program, boosting capacity to power over 500,000 homes. Finally, WNYC’s Brigid Bergin breaks down key moments from the final Democratic primary debate for New York City mayor.
Jun 13, 2025•10 min
Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani condemned a flier circulated by a super PAC supporting Andrew Cuomo during Thursday’s mayoral debate. The flier criticizes Mamdani’s record on Israel. Meanwhile, a new report from the Coalition for the Homeless finds nearly 73,000 non-asylum-seeking New Yorkers slept in shelters last year — a 12 percent increase from the year before. Also, the father of a missing Bronx toddler is pleading not guilty to murder, manslaughter, and menacing charges. Finally, in this wee...
Jun 13, 2025•12 min
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul testified before Congress Thursday about New York’s immigration policies. Plus, a group of New Yorkers is suing the state, alleging it hasn't done enough to protect their food assistance benefits from being stolen. Also, state lawmakers are stalled on a bill that would require speed limiters be put in the cars of some of New York’s most reckless drivers. And finally, a popular Chinatown bar became a destination last summer, now it’s receiving community backlash.
Jun 12, 2025•8 min
Police arrested dozens of people Wednesday who were protesting logistics giant Maersk for its role in delivering U.S. fighter jets to Israel. Meanwhile, the New York City Council has advanced plans for a casino at the former Trump Golf Course in the Bronx, bringing the project closer to state approval. And in this week’s politics segment, we look at New York leaders’ reactions to President Trump’s immigration policies, Zohran Mamdani’s proposed wealth tax, and a major endorsement for Andrew Cuom...
Jun 12, 2025•10 min
Governor Kathy Hochul is set to testify Thursday before the Republican-led House Oversight Committee on New York’s immigration policies. Meanwhile, the founder of Queens Defenders has been indicted in federal court for allegedly stealing funds meant for low-income legal services. And the Bronx moves closer to landing a casino, after the City Council approved a proposal to build one on the former Trump Golf Course site.
Jun 12, 2025•3 min
The recent protests in Los Angeles over the Trump administration's immigration enforcement are spreading to other parts of the country, including New York City. Plus, some City Councilmembers are pressuring Mayor Adams to let more New Yorkers ride public transit at a discount. And finally, weddings carry on as usual alongside high-profile trials and immigration arrests at the city clerk’s office.
Jun 11, 2025•10 min
