NYC NOW

A Nigerian restaurant in Brooklyn is receiving some serious recognition. The Department of Culture has been named a finalist for the prestigious James Beard Award for "Best New Restaurant.” The James Beard Awards are often referred to as the “Oscars of the food world” and the winners will be announced on June 5th. WNYC’s Janae Pierre visited The Department of Culture to find out more about its menu and the man behind it, Chef Ayo Balogun.

Public health teams are detecting early signs of a COVID-19 resurgence in New York City and several adjacent suburbs. And, amid a mounting migrant crisis, City Hall faces increasing demands for transparency. More on this from WNYC's Elizabeth Kim. Lastly, the primary election for the entire New Jersey state legislature will take place on Tuesday, June 6th. While mail-in voting is underway and early voting kicks off this Friday, a spate of legislative retirements has led to the highest number of open seats in 12 years. However, as reported by WNYC’s Nancy Solomon, these open seats haven't necessarily resulted in more contentious races.

Get up and get informed! Here's all the local news you need to start your day: New York lawmakers near a deal to seal criminal convictions automatically after a certain time, New Yorkers on Medicaid will soon need to confirm their continued eligibility, and Rashid Ali Bynum, the 29-year-old man charged with the murder of Sayreville, New Jersey council member and pastor Eunice Dwumfour, will remain in a Virginia jail until at least the end of June.

Video-taping police activity has long been touted as a way to hold officers accountable for misconduct. Cameras have exposed police violence against people whose names have been etched into history, including Rodney King, Eric Garner and George Floyd. Now, a group of social media personalities is testing the limits of what’s acceptable — and what’s legal — when it comes to filming officers. WNYC’s Samantha Max reports.

The New York City council is raising questions about the Department of Corrections effectiveness in bringing people at Rikers to their court dates; WNYC's public safety reporter Matt Katz has more on yesterday's hearing. Also, the news website NJ.com reports Port Authority officials have suspended 22 police officers without pay for alleged time and attendance violations at LaGuardia Airport.

Get up and get informed! Here's all the local news you need to start your day: Authorities have arrested a 28-year-old Virginia man, linked to the murder of Sayreville, New Jersey Council member Eunice Dwumfour, state Department of Public Health data indicates a continuing decline in New York’s fertility rate, and New York City appoints Maria Torres-Springer as the new Deputy Mayor overseeing housing, economic development, and workforce issues.

The Asian American Federation in New York is warning of a mental health crisis throughout Asian communities in the city. Plus, a new report finds that leaders of city jails are withholding information about grisly incidents at Rikers Island. And finally, thousands of New York City buildings are still burning dirty fuels. WNYC’s David Brand and Rosemary Misdary look into the issue as owners struggle with a looming ban.

Demand for New York City's free summer school program surpasses its current capacity, hazy skies may get in the way of your Manhattanhenge viewing tonight at 8:12, and the Museum of Art and Design opens a new* exhibit dedicated to pop star Taylor Swift. In other museum news, New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the biggest museums in the world. But critics say it has a big problem: it owns hundreds of works that, at some point in history, were looted. As WNYC’s Arun Venugopal reports, the museum is now trying to address the issue. And finally, a Greenpoint coffee shop called Botbar is causing controversy with locals for using robots in replacement of human labor. WNYC’s David Furst sits with Eater NY reporter Luke Fortney who has been covering the story.

Get up and get informed! Here's all the local news you need to start your day: New York City takes measures to combat upcoming hurricane season, the city’s Health Department says it'll vaccinate raccoons against rabies tomorrow on Staten Island, the state’s shark surveillance program will ramp up drone use to prevent attacks, and in basketball news, Breanna Stewart and New York Liberty travel to Seattle to take on the Storm.

Happy Memorial Day! New York state is being eclipsed by its West Coast counterpart, California, on the matter of reparations. WNYC’s Tiffany Hansen talked with Arun Venugopal about what, if anything, is happening on this issue in New York. Plus, some store owners are trying to change a state law that prevents you from buying wine at grocery stores.