WNYC News

Elise Stefanik is on a path that could lead her to Speaker of the House of Representatives. Is she going to blow all that up to run a long-shot bid for governor? Plus: The latest on Andrew Cuomo's new third-party ballot line in the NYC mayoral race. It's Politics Brief from WNYC.

This election year, we’re exploring how New York City’s electorate is shifting. We’re going to the neighborhoods where these changes are unfolding first-hand. 

We’re calling it WORD FROM THE CURB.

We're starting in Sunset Park in South West Brooklyn, talking with residents and stakeholders about what issues matter to them. 

Councilmembers Alexa Aviles and Susan Zhuang represent Sunset Park and some of the surrounding neighborhoods. They’re both Democrats, but often have pretty different views on what to prioritize when it comes to serving the city. They both talked with WNYC's Sean Carlson about what matters most to them this election year.

If you're having spring allergies -- we are here! -- you might be one of the many people who look to the internet, or listen up when Morning Edition gives information on pollen levels.

That information usually comes to us through a website, AAAAI.org, run by the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. And the one person doing the counting for 8 million inhabitants of New York City is Dr. Guy Robinson. 

Dr. Robinson spoke with WNYC Morning Edition host Michael Hill. 

As journalism and political speech come under increasing scrutiny, one group of local student journalists and their advisor have been wrestling with tough decisions about journalistic freedom, personal safety, and the digital footprint.  

Debbi Porterfield is a former journalist, who now teaches at the Bronx River high school and serves as the advisor for The Bronx River News. Cesar Jimenez is a student and the paper's Editor-in-Chief.  They joined WNYC's Morning Edition host Michael Hill to talk about how to protect kids' speech -- while also protecting them and their families.

City councilmembers in Summit, New Jersey, may be backing down from a controversial proposal to ban homeless encampments in public spaces, which critics say would have allowed police to jail homeless people.

New York City on Monday will stop enrolling new families seeking child care vouchers, amid an escalating feud with the state over who should pay for the popular program that helps thousands of low-income New Yorkers.

First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro said new families who qualify for child care subsidies based on their income will be put on a wait list.

“To be clear, this is a step we did not want to take,” Mastro told reporters Monday, blaming the state.

Gov. Kathy Hochul’s $254 billion budget deal announced last week includes an additional $350 million for New York City vouchers, but only if the city agrees to match those funds.

While state funding for vouchers has doubled in the last three years, the city’s share has remained largely flat and a small percentage of the voucher program’s overall budget.

“The status quo is unsustainable, and if we are serious about providing comprehensive, affordable child care for working families, then these costs must be a shared responsibility between the city and the state,” Hochul spokesperson Avery Cohen said.

“They’re coming for everyone,” said Yaya, 44, who is a U.S. citizen. She gave birth to their son in April and said their recent stays at the homes of various friends and family members come ahead of what they see as an inevitable turn: voluntarily leaving the United States. Read the full story here.

More than 20 women say a man who went by Officer “Champagne” sexually assaulted them while they were held at the Rikers Island women's jail. Their allegations span decades and they are now suing the city for more than $500 million. But the Department of Correction says there was no one with that name who worked there during that time. WNYC spoke with several women who say they were assaulted by Champagne, and started to unravel the mystery. Who was Correction Officer Champagne? What the WNYC investigation found led to more questions — including why city officials have done so little to investigate more than 700 recent claims of sexual assault at the troubled jail. Warning: This episode contains profane language and detailed descriptions of sexual assault allegations.

An ongoing exhibit at Manhattan's Poster House museum is taking visitors on a trip to Puerto Rico.

The museum has been running "Puerto Rico in Print: The Posters of Lorenzo Homar" since March. The exhibition aims to put a spotlight on the on its titular subject, who some art historians call the father of Puerto Rican printmaking. 

"The easiest thing to say about Homar is that he is without a doubt one of the leading printmakers and poster makers of the Americas," said Alejandro Anreus, the exhibit's curator and an Emeritus Professor of Art History and Latin American Studies at William Paterson University in New Jersey. 

Lorenzo Homar's mixture of art and utilitarianism will be on display at the Poster House museum through September 2025.