WNYC News

Mayor Eric Adams' administration is marking one year of a program they call the Partnership Assistance for Transit Homelessness.  

That’s the program where NYPD officers work alongside clinicians to remove New Yorkers living in the subway system and connect them with services like the shelters and mental health support.  

Brian Stettin is a senior advisor on severe mental illness for Mayor Adams office who helped develop this program. He talked with WNYC's Sean Carlson more about it.

New Yorkers on tight budgets say it’s not only human food that’s getting harder to afford — it’s food for their pets, too.

“They’re like your kids. I know mine are,” said Daisy Santiago, 58, who has two Shih Tzus, Nico and Kimora. “Sometimes I go without buying stuff that I need, like a gallon of milk or coffee or whatever, just to get them food.”

The city's affordability crisis is increasingly affecting people’s ability to care for their pets, according to food pantry providers and pet owners. Animal Care Centers of NYC, the city’s largest contracted animal shelter operator, said so far this year, 1 in 3 pet surrenders are due to housing insecurity.

Few places exist for pet owners to get help feeding their pets. Food pantries that do provide pet food say demand for kibble and canned cat food has increased, but what these pantries distribute often falls short of what is needed.

Pet owners say even a couple of days' worth of food for their furry companions helps as rising rents and food costs squeeze their budgets further.

Recent polling shows an extremely tight race between the two major-party candidates, Republican nominee Jack Ciattarelli and Democratic Representative Mikie Sherrill.

Sophie Nieto-Muñoz is the statehouse reporter for the New Jersey Monitor. She joined WNYC's Morning Edition host Michael Hill to talk through the latest.  

Polls show Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani remains the front-runner, but former Governor Andrew Cuomo has narrowed the gap following Mayor Eric Adams decision to not seek reelection. Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa remains at third.

Julio Cesar García-Torres is a reporter and host with NY1 and Spectrum Noticias. He joined WNYC's Michael Hill to talk through the latest on the race.  

With the temperature dropping and the days getting shorter, food critic Robert Sietsema declares it's officially time for soup.

Sietsema writes about food for Gothamist and for his Substack, "Robert Sietsema's New York." His latest column highlights some of the best places for soup in New York City. Speaking with Weekend Edition host David Furst, he highlights some of the best bowls in town.

Legal basement apartments are finally coming to New York City. In late September, the Department of Buildings opened up the application for homeowners who want to convert their basements, attics or backyards into so-called ancillary dwelling units. 

WNYC's data reporter, Joe Hong joins Weekend Edition host David Furst to talk about where people want to build basement units and the safety issues the city needs to address.

Election Day is less than a month away and this week, the candidates for governor in New Jersey -- Republican Jack Ciattarelli and Democrat Mikie Sherrill -- wrapped up their second and final debate. 

As they enter the last few weeks of campaigning, Colleen O'Dea, Senior Writer and Projects Editor with NJ Spotlight News, joins Weekend Edition host David Furst with the latest on the race.

For the next two weeks, all advertising in Grand Central Terminal and its subway station will be cleared and replaced with portraits from “Humans of New York.” That includes more than 150 digital screens usually used for advertising and MTA public announcements. The exhibit called "Dear New York" will run between October 6th - October 19th.

Brandon Stanton, the photographer behind “Humans of New York," talks more about his exhibit with WNYC's Sean Carlson. 

A Long Island organization that runs an app helping locals report and track Immigration and Customs Enforcement sightings tells WNYC it isn't going anywhere.

The organization Islip Forward runs one of many apps that give people information about ICE's whereabouts — which the Trump Administration says "put ICE agents at risk just for doing their jobs."

Ahmad Perez founded Islip Forward. He joined WNYC's Michael Hill to talk about the work his organization does and what comes next. 

When asked about the app, Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said, “ICE tracking apps put the lives of the men and women of law enforcement in danger as they go after terrorists, vicious gangs and violent criminal rings. But, of course, the media spins this correct decision for Apple to remove these apps as them caving to pressure instead of preventing further bloodshed and stopping law enforcement from getting killed.”

In four weeks, voters in New Jersey will elect their next governor. 

While the Garden State is often thought of as a blue one, the race remains extremely close between Republican nominee Jack Ciattarelli and Democratic Representative Mikie Sherrill.  

Nancy Solomon is the host of WNYC's Ask Governor Murphy and the podcast "Dead End: a New Jersey Political Murder Mystery." She joined Morning Edition host Michael Hill to talk through the latest on the campaigns.