NYC NOW

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.

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.

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 the city’s newest beach, if the water is good. And finally, New York City officials are urging residents to prepare for the first serious heat wave forecasted to move in early next week.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.