WNYC News

The best sunsets of the year in New York City are coming up this month. And when the sun goes down, star gazers will be able to see the shooting stars left behind from Halley's Comet. To help us get ready to take it all in, WNYC's Rosemary Misdary joins Weekend Edition host David Furst for the May night sky report. 

Can you make it as a working-class New York City artist in the 21st century? That's a question a lot of local artists were asking at a forum hosted by Hunter College this week.

It was called, 'We The People: A Forum on Working-Class Artists in America.' Gregory Mosher, the executive director of the Office of the Arts at Hunter College joins Weekend Edition host David Furst to talk about the challenges artists face in New York City.

All it takes is a quick look at the ads on TV and online right now to know that serious money is being spent on the New Jersey governor's race. There are a lot of candidates. And there are a LOT of ads.

Colleen O'Dea is with NJ Spotlight News. She's been studying and reporting on the money raised during primary season. Speaking with Weekend Edition host David Furst, she says as we approach primary day on June 10, cash is pouring into the race and tracking where it's coming from is harder than ever.

Long awaited repairs to East River train tunnels spark the latest war of words between Amtrak and the MTA. That and more in this week's On The Way roundup of New York City transit news. 

As President Donald Trump pursues a deregulation agenda, New York’s ambitious clean energy goals appear further out of reach. So what’s a climate conscious New Yorker to do? WNYC’s Rosemary Misdary reports on some New York City residents taking an extreme approach to eliminating their carbon footprints. 

Running for mayor, Zohran Mamdani is eyeing vacant spaces in the New York City subway system  for crisis and drop-in hubs to serve homeless people. The state assemblymember from Queens said his idea could connect people to longer-term care and provide “triage” centers for those undergoing mental health crises in the subways — something that has become all too familiar for many New Yorkers.

Mamdani estimates his plan would cost $10 million and fit into his $1 billion broader public safety proposal, which he said he would fund by pushing the state to vote for tax hikes on the wealthy. He’s calling to hire outreach workers in the top 100 busiest subway stations with the highest rates of homelessness, and he said the drop-in hubs were inspired by a similar effort in Philadelphia, which has been operating for over a decade. 

It’s yet another sign many mayoral candidates have made allaying fears around riding the subway a central goal.

Mayor Eric Adams has said his biggest impediments to reelection are behind him. Governor Kathy Hochul has said the state budget is done. Are they right? Here to get into are WNYC's Jon Campbell and Brigid Bergin.

If you're looking for a reason to get outside this weekend, the 2025 Jane’s Walk NYC festival kicks off Friday.

That's the annual weekend-long celebration of New York City history, named after the famed urban activist Jane Jacobs. It features hundreds of volunteer-led walks all across the city that celebrate the neighborhoods, history, and culture of New York

Keri Butler is the Interim President of The Municipal Art Society of New York. Daniel Pecoraro is a historian and a tour guide, and is leading one of the Jane’s Walk strolls. They joined WNYC's Morning Edition host Michael Hill to talk about some of the offerings this year. 

Nine massive American elms made up the Dog Beach Elm Grove — a popular spot named after a nearby dog-swimming area in Prospect Park. But three of the trees died after being infected by Dutch elm disease, a fungus that can kill trees, and has been an ongoing challenge for New York City's parks.  

Today, there are over 45 Greenmarkets throughout New York City, according to GrowNYC, and the man who helped start the largest farmers’ markets in the country passed away last week.  

Barry Benepe was the co-founder of GrowNYC’s Greenmarket program, which still supports over 200 local producers today.

Robert Lewis helped organize the city’s first Greenmarket alongside Mr. Benepe. He talked with WNYC's Sean Carlson more about the city's  Greenmarkets and Benepe's legacy.