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Nearly 1.8 million New York City residents rely on SNAP to help pay for groceries. Under new federal rules, tens of thousands must prove they are working, volunteering, or in school to keep those benefits. WNYC’s Karen Yi reports the expanded requirements could push many off the program if they fail to comply, raising concerns that vulnerable New Yorkers could lose food assistance amid confusion about the new rules.                                                                                                                                                   

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Reality show America’s Next Top Model helped launch modeling careers in the early 2000s, but two decades later many viewers say the show has not aged well. A new Netflix documentary revisits some of the controversies surrounding the series and how contestants were treated. Harlem native and season one contestant Ebony Haith joins WNYC’s Janae Pierre to reflect on her experience on the show. Haith talks about growing up in Harlem, navigating the fashion industry as a Black model, and what she hopes the next generation of artists and performers takes from her story.

For this pledge drive, listeners try their hand at a quiz. Today's theme is NYC neighborhoods.

(Photo by cisc1970 CC BY-NC 2.0 DEED)

The Trump administration’s $130 million purchase of a warehouse in Roxbury, New Jersey to convert into an ICE detention center is drawing opposition from local leaders who cite infrastructure limits and question the town’s ability to handle a facility of that size. Meanwhile, many New Yorkers are seeing unusually high Con Edison bills this winter, even without using more energy. Ian Donaldson of the Public Utility Law Project explains what is driving the spike and how the state’s Energy Affordability Program could lower monthly costs for eligible households.

New Yorkers are slogging through the late winter blues, and in this week’s arts and culture check in, WNYC and Gothamist arts and culture editor Matthew Schnipper joins us to talk about why February can feel especially brutal, a packed spring concert calendar including Shelter’s 35th anniversary, Mayor Mamdani’s latest cultural references, the Tin Building’s pivot to a balloon museum, and a major new digital archive project at the Center for Brooklyn History. Plus, as funeral services are held this weekend, reporter Arun Venugopal examines the life and legacy of the Rev. Jesse Jackson and his lasting impact on politics and culture.

Staten Island was one of the worst hit parts of New York City during Monday’s snow blizzard. Some places on the island got 29 inches of snow! And some on the Island are saying that there is still a lot of snow in the street.

Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella joined WNYC's Sean Carlson to talk more how the borough is dealing with snow cleanup.

Construction on the $16 billion Gateway tunnel project that aims to build a new set of train tunnels under the Hudson River shut down earlier this month after the Trump administration froze federal funding. More than a thousand workers were forced to walk off the job. A federal judge ordered the money released and crews are preparing to restart the work, but the case is still moving through the federal court system. WNYC transportation reporter Stephen Nessen and editor Clayton Guse explain how the project became a political flashpoint, what the pause revealed about federal funding and what it means for the commuters who rely on the aging tunnels every day.

A record-breaking snowstorm hits New York City, bringing travel bans, icy streets, and the first full public school snow day since 2019. Schools reopen Tuesday, and Janae sits down with WNYC education reporter Jessica Gould to talk about how students and teachers are using AI tools like ChatGPT and what the city’s incoming guidance could mean for classrooms across the five boroughs.

Sports reporter Priya Desai joins us to discuss the Knicks’ playoff push, Team USA women’s hockey’s gold medal run with two local players, and Unrivaled bringing elite women’s basketball to Barclays Center. Plus, WNYC’s James Ramsay weighs in on the dress shoe revival and what footwear says about being a “real” New York