WNYC News

Congress member Jerry Nadler will not seek re-election next year after representing parts of New York City in Washington D. C. for more than 30 years. Nadler’s decision represents a changing of the guard in Manhattan politics. Scott Stringer is a former New York City and a former candidate for mayor. In the 80s and 90s, Stringer worked as an aide and campaign manager for Representative Jerry Nadler before succeeding him in the assembly in 1992. He joined WNYC host Janae Pierre to reflect on Nadler's legacy in politics. 

New Yorkers passing through the subways starting Wednesday may notice something unfamiliar in the air: a voice that isn’t telling them when the next train arrives, but is instead nudging them to feel something. A new audio artwork by conceptual artist and lifelong New Yorker Chloë Bass, titled “if you hear something, free something,” will take over the public address systems in 14 subway stations across the city.

New York City subway service went down the tubes this summer, a problem largely sparked by long-standing infrastructure problems, according to new stats released by the MTA.

A wave of relief washed over Fire Island this summer thanks to new funding intended to prevent the beloved shoreline from becoming New York’s own Atlantis.

The money — $1.7 billion secured in this year’s state budget — pays for resiliency work for Fire Island and other Long Island shorelines through 2050.

For decades, Catholic Charities has been providing support to the neediest New Yorkers, no matter their religion. Now, its longtime Executive Director, Kevin Sullivan, is leaving his post on September 8th after 25 years.  

Monsignor Sullivan was born in the Bronx and raised in Yonkers and has led the most needy New Yorkers through tragedies like the September 11th attacks and Hurricane Sandy. He joined WNYC host Michael Hill amid change at the organization and to discuss what he thinks will be the biggest challenges his successor will inherit. 

Summer weekends may be dwindling, but summer produce isn't!

Amelia Tarpey is a program and publicity manager for GrowNYC Greenmarkets. She says farmstands across the city are offering over 600 varieties of peppers this season. Many peppers are priced at about $4 per pound, and up to $8 per pound for specialty peppers. Or, you can get a half gallon container of peppers priced at around $6 a carton. Load up on Jimmy Nardello peppers this weekend to make sausage and peppers for Labor Day, or maybe try your hand at homemade hot sauce with some habaneros! 

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said she told President Donald Trump there was no need for him to deploy the National Guard to New York City.

Hochul, a Democrat, told reporters Tuesday that crime rates are falling and she's amended criminal justice laws the Republican president has attacked. Hochul conveyed the message in a phone call with Trump on Saturday, a state official said.

Inside a small house in the Parkchester neighborhood of the Bronx, seven Bangladeshi women sat around a large table earlier this month, trying to figure out how to mute themselves on Zoom.

It was the first time many were using the video conferencing software.

“ We should always stay mute until our turn to talk,” instructor Sakib Shikder told the class. He switched between Bengali and English as he went through the lesson.

Sapna NYC, a nonprofit aimed at empowering South Asian immigrant women, offers classes on how to use Zoom, set up a Gmail account, attach a document to an email and use calendar reminders. Some students say they’re using spreadsheet formulas to organize their catering business. Others are using Zoom to communicate with their families.

Advocates say learning digital skills can help immigrants find higher paid and safer work, apply for benefits online such as low-cost Metro Cards or better communicate with their kids’ schools. But they say despite demand, there are few programs in the city that teach digital literacy to immigrant communities, where residents face language barriers and often work in the informal economy.

“It's a vital tool that can transform and improve their lives and help them negotiate better wages,” said Ligia Guallpa, executive director of the Worker’s Justice Project, which is training domestic workers on tech skills. Guallpa said immigrant women are learning to use language translation apps to communicate with their employers or finding work online rather than by word of mouth.

The driverless taxis that can be found on the streets of San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Austin are now coming to New York City. The Adams Administration just issued a permit to the company that operates them, Waymo, to run a pilot on New York city streets.

The pilot program won’t allow Waymo to pick up passengers, but it will allow 8 of the autonomous vehicles into Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn, as long as there’s a driver behind the wheel, in case something goes wrong.

New York City Councilmember Justin Brannan talked with WNYC's Stephen Nessen more about it.

It's been a hot summer, and many New Yorkers are relying heavily on their air conditioners to stay cool. They might also be bracing for spikes in their electricity bills.

Laurie Wheelock is the executive director of the Public Utility Law Project, a non profit organization that advocates for low income utility consumers in New York. She talked with WNYC's Stephen Nessen about how to know if your bill is accurate.