

NYC NOW
WNYC
NYC Now helps New Yorkers understand the city through original reporting and sharp analysis from WNYC and Gothamist. The show digs into the news, culture, and conversations shaping life in New York, three times a week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, hosted by Janae Pierre.
Episodes
Mentioned books

May 1, 2025 • 7min
Midday News: Bank Closed Mayor Adams’ Campaign Account After Indictment, MTA Pushes Back on Tunnel Repair Plan, and City Schools Shift to New Math Curriculum
TD Bank shut down Mayor Eric Adams’ campaign account within a week of his federal indictment, according to new documents filed with the city’s Campaign Finance Board. Meanwhile, the MTA is urging Amtrak to rethink its plan for a three-year tunnel closure, warning it could disrupt Long Island Rail Road service for years. Plus, WNYC’s Jessica Gould breaks down the city’s new approach to math education and why even parents may need a refresher.

May 1, 2025 • 11min
Morning Headlines: NJ Transit Strike Looms, NYC Rent Hikes Proposed, AmeriCorps Loses NY Funding, and New Details on Mayor Adams’ Campaign Finance Challenges
New Jersey Transit engineers may go on strike May 16th if no contract deal is reached. In New York City, the Rent Guidelines Board is weighing rent increases for more than a million stabilized apartments, with a final vote expected in June. Meanwhile, the New York Attorney General says federal cuts have wiped out AmeriCorps funding across the state. Plus, this week’s politics segment dives into Mayor Adams’ campaign finance issues, updates in the mayoral race, and the latest from state budget negotiations.

Apr 30, 2025 • 8min
Evening Roundup: Student Activist Released from Federal Detention, How an Outdated NYPD Form Landed a Person in Jail, Century-old Elm Trees Struck by Disease and NYC’s Queer History Book
A federal judge orders the release of Pro-Palestinian student activist Mohsen Mahdawi from detention. Plus, an NYPD paperwork snafu has landed someone in jail. Also, the Prospect Park Alliance is cutting down one-third of the trees in the Dog Beach Elm Grove because of Dutch elm disease. And finally, historian Marc Zinaman released a coffee table book documenting 100 years of queer history in New York City.

Apr 30, 2025 • 8min
Midday News: Governor Hochul, Lawmakers Eye Budget Adjustments, Met Gala Alternatives, and Jane’s Walk Celebrates City History
Governor Hochul and state lawmakers say a final budget deal could come this week or next, but changes may follow later in the year. Meanwhile, New Yorkers without a Met Gala invite have several stylish alternatives including the People’s Ball, Debt Gala, and Metro Gala. Plus, the Jane’s Walk NYC festival returns this weekend with hundreds of free history walks across the five boroughs.

Apr 30, 2025 • 3min
Morning Headlines: NY Assembly Advances Medical Aid in Dying Bill, Rye Playland’s Summer Season in Jeopardy, and Knicks Blow Chance to Close Out Series
New York is moving closer to legalizing physician-assisted suicide, as the State Assembly advances the Medical Aid in Dying bill. Meanwhile, the future of Rye Playland is in doubt after a contract collapse with the park’s operator. And the Knicks fall to the Pistons at home, missing a chance to clinch the series. Game 6 is set for Thursday in Detroit.
**Correction: An old episode of NYC Now was inadvertently uploaded this morning. It was has since been updated with the correct version.

Apr 29, 2025 • 8min
Evening Roundup: MTA Wants to Use AI to Flag Problematic Behavior, Report Reveals Cause of Deadly Garage Collapse, U.S. Attorney Pushes for Telecom Companies to Monitor Sexual Predators, NYC’s Greenmarkets and Poetry Month
MTA officials laid out plans Monday to use artificial intelligence technology to push its surveillance capabilities to new levels. Also, city officials say unauthorized demolition work and years of neglect caused the deadly collapse of a parking garage in Lower Manhattan in 2023. And a federal prosecutor is threatening to sue telecom companies in a bid to get them to monitor users' messages and crack down on child sex predators. Plus, GrowNYC’s Greenmarket program supports over 200 local producers today. And finally, as National Poetry Month comes to an end, we share poems from a father-son duo in Brooklyn.

Apr 29, 2025 • 8min
Midday News: MTA Unveils New Gates to Curb Fare Evasion, Knicks Are One Win Away from Advancing in Playoffs, and Tentative NYS Budget Explained.
The MTA will test modern fare gates with sliding glass doors at 20 subway stations this fall, part of a pilot aimed at curbing fare evasion that costs the agency hundreds of millions annually. Meanwhile, the New York Knicks are one win away from advancing to the second round of the NBA playoffs as they play the Pistons at the Garden. Plus, New York state lawmakers have a handshake deal on the state budget that's almost a month late. WNYC state government reporter Jimmy Vielkind. Has the details.

Apr 29, 2025 • 3min
Morning Headlines: City Allows Affordable Housing Rentals on Real Estate Websites, Governor Hochul and Lawmakers Reach Tentative Budget Deal, and Trump Administration Probes Ban of Long Island School’s Native American Mascot
New York City will allow affordable apartments to bypass the housing lottery and list vacancies directly on real estate sites like StreetEasy, in an effort to speed up the rental process. Meanwhile, Governor Hochul and state lawmakers have struck a tentative deal on the nearly $254 billion state budget, almost a month late. Plus, the Trump administration is investigating whether New York’s ban on Native American school mascots violates federal civil rights laws, with a Long Island school at the center of the dispute.

Apr 28, 2025 • 9min
Evening Roundup: NY Leaders Rally Against Cuts to VA, New Investments for NYC’s Supportive Housing Initiative, Staten Islanders Vote to fill Council Seat and a Standoff Between Delivery Workers and DoorDash
Elected officials, veterans and union workers are blasting the White House for its proposal to cut staffing at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Plus, Mayor Adams’ executive budget will invest another $46 million to revitalize New York City's supportive housing initiative. Also, residents of Staten Island's south shore head to the polls Tuesday to fill an open City Council seat. And finally, delivery workers in New York City are accusing DoorDash of a pattern of wage theft.

Apr 28, 2025 • 7min
Midday News: Work Requirements Return for Public Assistance, Local Leaders Protest Budget Cuts, and a Look at NYPD Data on Homeless Encampment
Starting Monday, New Yorkers receiving cash assistance must once again meet work requirements or risk losing benefits. Meanwhile, Senator Cory Booker and Representative Hakeem Jeffries held an hours-long sit-in on the Capitol steps to protest looming cuts to social services. Plus, NYPD data show thousands of homeless encampment sweeps last year, but only about a hundred people wound up in shelter. WNYC’s Karen Yi has more.


