WNYC News

Quince, with its fuzzy skin and fruity, floral smell, has fallen out of favor in the last decades. But the fruit is plentiful at New York City green markets this time of year and is a perfect way to incorporate some sweetness into the holiday season.

Amelia Tarpey is the Program and Publicity Manager for GrowNYC Greenmarkets. She said quince can be cooked into a sweet paste and makes a perfect stocking stuffer. At green markets across the five boroughs, quince costs about $4 per pound.

Public safety nonprofits across New York City say they’re scrambling to fill major funding gaps after the Trump administration terminated millions of dollars in antiviolence grants this year – and may be facing an uptick in violence if the money isn’t replaced.

Five organizations working in New York City to reduce gun violence, aid crime victims, house domestic violence survivors and counsel at-risk youth say the cuts have forced them to lay off staff and scale back services. The groups say those reductions have already hampered their ability to connect with the residents most affected by crime, and they worry recent progress in those neighborhoods could be jeopardized.

Nassau County Exec Bruce Blakeman joins the gubernatorial fray, setting the stage for a messy GOP primary. That and more in this week's Politics Brief roundup. 

A new study finds pollution has dropped in New York City and the surrounding areas since congestion pricing went into effect in Manhattan.  

The report found in the first six months of the program, air pollution dropped by 22% in the congestion zone below 60th Street. But it also found declines beyond that.

Tim Fraser is an assistant teaching professor at Cornell Systems Engineering at Cornell University. He spoke to WNYC's Morning Edition host Michael Hill about why this has implications not only for the region, but for the world.  

It's a holiday tradition in New York City dating back to 1900. But it's not the Rockefeller tree, or ice skating or caroling. It's the Audubon Christmas Bird Count, where bird lovers, scientists and anyone who is curious can join in to help track bird populations in and around the area. 

Jessica Wilson is the executive director of NYC Bird Alliance, which runs the count. She joined WNYC's Morning Edition host Michael Hill to talk through how -- and why -- to get out in the cold and help count.

Sweet potatoes may be a Thanksgiving staple, but they'll be plentiful at city green markets all throughout the winter.  

Amelia Tarpey, program and publicity manger for GrowNYC Greenmarkets, said the hearty crops can cost between $2,50 to $4 per pound this time of year at city farmers markets. She said sweet potatoes sweet or savory, breakfast or dinner, orange or purple — but they're all delicious. 

A $48 million deficit at The New School has sparked a showdown between administrators planning layoffs and faculty who fear the budget problems are being used to dilute the Greenwich Village institution's leftist identity.

A new program within the Albany Police Department that dispatches unarmed case workers to 911 calls – including for people having mental health issues – offers insight into how a similar effort could be launched at a much larger scale under New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani.

The MTA is phasing out the MetroCard. The familiar swipe card is being replaced by the OMNY tap system. You won’t be able to buy a new MetroCard after December 31st.

So what to do with all those MetroCards you might have floating around the house? 

WNYC's Elizabeth Shwe went on a search for answers and met some people who rely on MetroCards in unique ways and learned about what they plan to do in the future. She joins WNYC's Sean Carlson to share what she found.

Nonprofits that work with vulnerable New Yorkers say the level of need remains high this holiday season.

J. Antonio Fernández leads Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York. He joined WNYC's Moring Edition host Michael Hill to talk about Catholic Charities' work, how it and other organizations are bracing for cuts to food benefits, and what it's like being the first lay person to lead the group.