Mayor Zohran Mamdani was elected as the first digital native to run City Hall, and now New Yorkers have found a new way to report what’s broken in their neighborhoods: filming a short video, tagging Mayor Mamdani, and asking him to come fix it. Sometimes, it works. WNYC and Gothamist reporter Karen Yi fills in for Janae Pierre and meets Carolina Abreu, whose pitch black Bronx street got streetlights two days after her video racked up nearly 2 million views. Then NYU politics professor Joshua Tucker explains what’s behind the trend and where the limits are when a request goes from fixing a pothole to changing a policy. Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org

Housing has been a major focus for Mayor Zohran Mamdani since taking office in January. His administration has heard from tenants about poor living conditions, but landlords have complaints of their own, from unpaid rent to rising costs and lengthy eviction proceedings. WNYC and Gothamist housing reporter David Brand fills in for Janae Pierre and brings those concerns to Cea Weaver, director of the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants. They discuss how the administration is responding to both tenants and landlords, what it’s doing to keep New Yorkers from being priced out of their neighborhoods, and its plans for public housing and tenant ownership. Photo: David Brand Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org

Diwali is the festival of lights, celebrated by millions around the world. But what does the holiday look like in New York City? Anu Sehgal, founder of The Culture Tree, joins us to talk about growing up celebrating Diwali in India, passing traditions down to her children here in the city.

New York Democrats won big on election night, with Governor Kathy Hochul winning a second full term, Democrats flipping a Hudson Valley House seat, and supermajorities taking shape in the state legislature. WNYC and Gothamist accountability editor Stephen Rex Brown and Albany reporter Jon Campbell join us to break down the results and what they say about where New York voters are right now. Photo: Leonardo Munoz / AFP via Getty Images Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@wnyc.org

WNYC arts and culture editor Matthew Schnipper joins Janae Pierre to talk about Public Service, the free Brooklyn dance party bringing New Yorkers of all backgrounds together. Also discussed are the last outdoor events to catch before summer ends, whether New York is really a buffet town, the fake AI ads popping up in the subway and what to expect when the Knicks return this fall. Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org.

For the first time since the 1990s, Chinese immigrants have surpassed Dominicans as New York City’s largest foreign born population. CUNY Baruch College professor Kenneth Guest explains what is driving that growth, how Chinese communities are expanding beyond Manhattan’s Chinatown and what the shift could mean for services, political influence and the future of immigrant New York. -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org Photo Cred: Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images

Description: Julian Mu, who goes by Mubereats on social media, has hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers and millions of TikTok likes, and he pays for every single meal he reviews. He joins us to talk about how he got started, why he only covers small and local businesses, and to play a game of “NYC Chow”, picking his favorite spot in each borough. Follow Julian on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mubereats -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org

In July 2023, O’Shae Sibley was stabbed and killed at a Brooklyn gas station after an argument broke out while he and his friends were dancing to Beyoncé. Prosecutors called it a hate crime. Nearly three years later, the man who killed him was sentenced to 20 years in prison. WNYC reporter Samantha Max covered the trial from the start, and she joins us to talk about the sentencing, what she heard from Sibley's family, and what his friends are doing to keep his memory alive. Photo: Caroline Rubinstein-Willis/Mayoral Photography Office Read More: Brooklyn jury convicts man in hate-crime killing of O'Shae Sibley Black, gay dancer was ‘living his best life’ before brutal Brooklyn murder, prosecutor says -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org

The Democratic Socialists of America, Mayor Zohran Mamdani's political home, defines working class as anyone who depends on a paycheck to live. By this logic, that includes doctors, programmers, and waiters all under the umbrella. But do everyday New Yorkers agree? WNYC and Gothamist reporter Liz Kim joins us to unpack DSA's "working class" growth, and New Yorkers' answers to how they define working class themselves. Photo: Michael S. Santiago/Getty Images -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org

Summer’s not over yet... if you haven’t gotten to the beach, there’s still time! WNYC arts and culture editor Matthew Schnipper joins us with a guide of all there is to do this August in New York City: from dance parties at Moma PS1, outdoor screenings of Jurassic Park and The Warriors, to where you can find the best banana pudding in NYC. Photo: Edith Young for Gothamist -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org

At least 22,000 New Yorkers and 31,000 New Jerseyans have been cut from SNAP since new federal work requirements took effect earlier this year. The numbers are expected to grow, and food pantries are already seeing surging demand. WNYC reporter Karen Yi joins Janae with the latest, and what options remain for New Yorkers who've been kicked off the rolls. Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images. Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org .

Only three Black students were admitted to Stuyvesant High School's incoming ninth grade class of 777 students this past spring. That's the lowest number since the city started tracking this data in 2014. WNYC and Gothamist reporter Jessica Gould has covered this story for years, and she joins us to break down what the numbers actually show and why the specialized high school entrance exam is so hard to change. Photo: Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org

A Brooklyn interior designer says she believed a stack of wet rugs left outside had been discarded. Days later, her face appeared in news reports about a grand larceny investigation, and she spent seven hours at an NYPD precinct before being released without charges. WNYC and Gothamist reporter Catalina Gonella traces how the misunderstanding escalated and where the law draws the line between stooping and stealing. Photo: Jocelyn Ullman Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org.

After a deadly Legionnaires’ disease outbreak on the Upper East Side, WNYC health reporter Caroline Lewis and investigative data reporter Joe Hong explain how the illness spreads, what went wrong during the 2025 Harlem outbreak and why major gaps in cooling tower testing and inspections remain. Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org

A few weeks after two structural columns buckled at a Midtown Manhattan high rise, WNYC and Gothamist reporter David Brand shares new details from hours spent reviewing hundreds of pages of building plans at the Department of Buildings. He explains what the plans called for, what the engineering firm says about whether required steel reinforcements were installed and what city officials are investigating now. Plus, WNYC and Gothamistreporter Arya Sundaram reflects on how the 2026 FIFA World Cup brought immigrant communities together at watch parties across New York City. Photo: New York City Department of Buildings -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org

The World Cup final is this Sunday, and if you're looking for a place to watch in the city, WNYC arts and culture editor Matthew Schnipper has some ideas. He also joins us with a summer reading list of New York City books and culture reporter Sonia Rao stops by to explain why jorts are peaking in popularity around the city. Photo: Jordan Bank/FIFA via Getty Images -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org

In 2024, comedian Nora Fried started a monthly book club for women incarcerated at Rikers Island. What began with nine women and a copy of Tara Westover's "Educated" has grown into a nonprofit called Rosebuds Reading Collective, with actress and author Julia Fox now leading a monthly creative writing workshop inside the jail. Nora joins Janae to talk about how it all came together. Photo: Rosebuds Reading Collective

In counties along New York's Southern Tier, the number of homeless people nearly tripled between 2019 and 2025. But without all the sidewalks, subways, and shelters of a big city, it's more difficult for street outreach workers to find and help homeless people. WNYC's Jimmy Vielkind talks with us about how the state's street outreach program has adapted to rural communities. Photo: Jimmy Vielkind -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org

Musician and producer Ella Bric joins Janae Pierre at The Greene Space for a live conversation and performance exploring salsa’s roots, evolution and enduring influence in New York City. She also discusses composing music for Futuro Media’s Our Thing: The Birth of Salsa in Nueva York and how her Venezuelan background, jazz training and Latin music traditions shape her sound. -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org

New York City's flooding problem is getting worse, and it's not hitting every neighborhood equally. Furhana Husani, director of programs and climate initiatives at the Waterfront Alliance, joins us to break down why some neighborhoods flood more than others, what tools exist to track flooding, and what you should actually do the next time a flash flood warning hits your phone. Photo: Anadolu/Anadolu via Getty Images

Happy the Elephant lived at the Bronx Zoo for nearly 50 years, where she was beloved by generations of New Yorkers, and was also at the center of a landmark legal battle over whether an elephant could be granted the same rights as a person. WNYC reporter Walter Wuthmann joins us to trace Happy's life and investigate what comes next for Patty, the last elephant left at the Bronx Zoo. Photo: Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis News via Getty Images

WNYC & Gothamist arts editor Matthew Schnipper introduces a new series exploring the ideas, traditions and cultural touchstones that began in New York before spreading across the country. He also tells us about a dance party offering free dental screenings and recommends a few upcoming events. Photo: Edith Young for Gothamist -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org

New York City approves a $126 billion budget that scraps a planned NYPD expansion and broadens housing assistance through a new rental voucher program. Officials also prepare for a dangerous heat wave by opening cooling centers and extending pool hours. Plus, WNYC’s Karen Yi reports on why supportive housing providers are still filing eviction cases months after the city told them to use eviction only as a last resort. -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org Photo Cred: Karen Yi, WNYC/Gothamist

Big changes to federal student loan repayment take effect July 1. Carolina Rodriguez of New York's Education Debt Consumer Assistance Program walks us through what's changing. Also, this fall, New York City will open the Bronx School of Hip Hop. That's a first-of-its-kind public high school where MCing, DJing, breaking, graffiti, and knowledge of self are pathways into English, math, science, and social studies. Founding Principal Jason Reyes joins us to explain how the school's five core elements map onto coursework and how Bronx hip hop pioneers like Grandmaster Caz and Melle Mel are shaping what students learn. -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org Photo: David Dee Delgado / Getty Images News

Performer Miss Peppermint found herself in late '90s NYC club culture, made history on RuPaul's Drag Race and Broadway, and is now one of four grand marshals at NYC Pride. She joins us to talk about the role NYC has played in her story, and what this year's Pride slogan "For All of Us" means when the T in LGBT feels under attack. Photo: Walter McBride/Getty Images -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org

Candidates backed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the Democratic Socialists of America won several key congressional primaries in New York City. WNYC’s Jimmy Vielkind breaks down the results, and political scientist Dr. Christina Greer explains what they could mean for the future of the Democratic Party in New York and beyond. -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org Photo: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 23: Supporters keep track of election results during a primary-night watch party for NYC Congressional candidate Claire Valdez at 99 Scott Studio on June 23, 2026 in the East Williamsburg neighborhood of the Brooklyn borough of New York City.

A Brooklyn nonprofit that runs homeless shelters across the city is facing federal bribery and embezzlement charges against two of its former leaders. New York City has already paid BHRAGS Home Care Corporation roughly $130 million, and the city recently announced it plans to keep doing business with them. WNYC and Gothamist reporter Ryan Kost joins us to walk through how this all happened. Photo: Ryan Kost -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org

On this Juneteenth edition of NYC Now, Janae Pierre visits the Federation of Black Cowboys in Jamaica, Queens, where members are working to preserve the often overlooked history of Black cowboys in the American West. She meets the riders, visits their stables, and learns how a small group of dedicated New Yorkers is keeping that legacy alive. Plus, WNYC arts and culture editor Matthew Schnipper joins us to discuss the Knicks championship celebration, World Cup fever sweeping the city, and what is happening around New York this holiday weekend. Got any questions, comments Got any questions or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org Photo cred: WNYC/Gothamist

Finding an affordable apartment in New York City is hard enough. WNYC and Gothamist reporter Catalina Gonella spent months investigating allegations against David Michael, a man who describes himself as a real estate adviser. Dozens of renters say he took deposits for apartments they never got, then disappeared when they tried to get their money back. She explains how the alleged scheme worked and why small claims court offered little relief.

The wait is over. For the first time since 1973, the New York Knicks are NBA champions. In this special championship edition of NYC Now, we get reactions from sports reporter Priya Desai and talk with two lifelong Knicks fans from the WNYC newsroom about what it feels like to finally see their team reach the top.

You know that voice that tells you to "please stand from the platform edge" when you take the train? That's Bernie Wagenblast. Bernie has been the voice of the New York City subway since 2009, and this month she's one of four grand marshals at NYC Pride. She joins us to talk about growing up knowing she was trans, and what it took to finally live that truth decades later. Photo: Courtesy of Bernie Wagenblast -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org

The city is expanding free childcare for two-year-olds this fall. Will that actually convince New York parents to grow their families, though? WNYC reporter Karen Yi tells us about parents who have been going into debt, leaving the workforce, and rethinking second kids while waiting for the city's childcare promises to catch up. Photo: Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org

When Zohran Mamdani ran for mayor, he promised to reduce the NYPD’s role in responding to issues like mental health crises and homelessness while investing in civilian alternatives. Six months into his administration, the mayor is planning to add hundreds of police officers, while Mamdani’s proposed Department of Community Safety remains far smaller than what he campaigned on. WNYC and Gothamist reporter Elizabeth Kim explains how the mayor’s approach to policing has evolved, why some supporters are frustrated, and what the shift could mean for public safety and politics in New York City. [Photo: Marika Hacking/Gothamist] — Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org

In this week’s Arts & Culture Check-In, WNYC & Gothamist editor Matthew Schnipper shares stories coming off his desk, including a look back at New York City in 1973, new steakhouses reshaping the city’s dining scene, and a guide to Pride Month events happening across the five boroughs. Got any questions, comments Got any questions or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org Photo: Getty Images/ Bettman (Original Caption) “4/29/1973-New York, NY- Knick's Phil Jackson prepares to enter a cab at LaGuardia Airport, after the team's return from Boston and a 94-78 win over the Celtics. The Knicks will meet the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA championship series.”

Inspired in part by Mayor Mamdani's Rental Ripoff Hearings, tenants are fed up by broken elevators, heat outages, and flooding in "luxury" buildings charging $4,000 to $6,000 a month. WNYC housing reporter David Brand joins us to talk about the new class of tenant associations fighting back. Photo: David Brand -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org

New York City police are taking a skyrocketing number of people to criminal court for sleeping or spreading out on the public transit system. WNYC public safety reporter Samantha Max joins us to understand how this is affecting New Yorkers, and why charges were up 3000% last year. Photo: Samantha Max

For the first time since 1999, the New York Knicks are headed to the NBA Finals. Sports reporter Priya Desai joins us to discuss the team’s dominant playoff run, the electric atmosphere around the city, and why this moment feels bigger than basketball for generations of Knicks fans. Photo cred: David Dee Delgado / Stringer via Getty Images -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org

New federal SNAP work requirements are now affecting thousands of New Yorkers, including veterans, older adults, young people, and parents who were previously exempt. With the June 1 deadline approaching, reporter Karen Yi joins us to explain why the city is urgently knocking on doors across the five boroughs to keep people from losing food assistance. Photo: Karen Yi/ Gothamist : People wait in line at a food pantry. Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org

What does it actually mean to feel safe in New York City? WNYC and Gothamist health reporter reporter Caroline Lewis joins us to talk about her conversation with the city’s first Community Safety Commissioner, Ayesha Delaney-Brumsey, and the new office now tasked with tackling issues like mental health crises, gun violence. Plus, WNYC and Gothamist reporter Liam Quigley Liam Quigley returns with new reporting on the city’s underground tow truck economy, including a Queens operator openly promoting unlicensed towing crews on social media while officials struggle to crack down. —Click here to listen to Liam’s full story on unlicensed tow trucks: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/special-investigation-how-new-york-city-lost-control/id1681278959?i=1000749236747 Photo: Gothamist illustration/Photo courtesy of City Hall -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org

Rain may be in the forecast for Memorial Day weekend, but New York City still has plenty to offer. WNYC arts and culture editor Matthew Schnipper joins us to share indoor arts and culture picks for the long weekend, from story time at The Metropolitan Museum of Art to free exhibits at MoMA PS1. Plus, we talk about New Yorkers fishing in city waters, a new immersive Radiohead experience, and the summer lineup for BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! Festival, including our guesses for a mysterious Aaliyah tribute show. Photo: Anna Rawls -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org

Resorts World in Queens just got live table games, making it the first full casino in New York City's five boroughs. WNYC reporter Arun Venugopal speaks with us about the ambitions of the New Yorkers who are working the tables, many of whom are earning upwards of $90,000 a year with benefits. Photo: Arun Venugopal/Gothamist -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org

New York City schools are overhauling the way students learn to read through a literacy initiative known as NYC Reads, built around the “science of reading” movement. City officials say the approach is already improving reading scores. But some teachers, parents and students say the curriculum relies too heavily on worksheets, rigid lessons and short excerpts, leaving students with fewer opportunities to immerse themselves in full books. WNYC’s education reporter Jessica Gould joins us to discuss the debate over phonics, reading stamina, and whether schools are improving literacy at the expense of fostering a love of reading. Photo: Wavebreakmedia via Getty Images -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org

With less than 50 days until the World Cup kicks off, WNYC reporter David Brand takes us from Little Haiti in Flatbush, where fans are celebrating Haiti's first World Cup appearance in 52 years, to Kearny, New Jersey, a small town that shaped the entire history of American soccer. Photo: Johnrob/iStock Unreleased via Getty Images -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org

Mayor Mamdani filmed a video in front of the most expensive penthouse ever sold in the United States to celebrate a new tax on luxury second homes. It went viral, and the city's billionaires were not happy. WNYC reporter Elizabeth Kim takes us from Billionaire's Row to Fordham Road in the Bronx to speak to New Yorkers about the fight to tax the rich. Photo: Michael Lee/Moment via Getty Images -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org

A New York law allows domestic violence survivors who commit crimes connected to their abuse to ask judges for reduced sentences. But the state’s highest court recently ruled that prosecutors cannot require survivors to waive that right as a condition of a plea deal. WNYC’s Samantha Max explains the cases at the center of the decision, why advocates say the practice is widespread, and what prosecutors fear the ruling could mean for victims and the court system. Plus, WNYC’s Jimmy Vielkind breaks down a growing push by top Democrats to redraw New York’s congressional maps as national redistricting battles escalate. Photo: Screenshot, New York State Court of Appeals - Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

This year's Met Gala had plenty of bold looks, but the bigger story was who decided to stay home. Arts & Culture Editor Matthew Schnipper joins us to break it down, plus never before seen Keith Haring works going to auction, what's coming up at SummerStage, and the best frozen treats in the city this summer. Photo: Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org

New York City is legally required to provide shelter to anyone who needs it. But a new WNYC and Gothamist investigation finds that the Tillary Street Women’s Shelter in Downtown Brooklyn has become a place where violence, overdoses and chaos are part of daily life. WNYC and Gothamist editor Andrew Giambrone joins us to discuss months of reporting that uncovered more than 2,000 calls to 911 in a single year, hundreds of fights, and growing concerns from residents who say they did not feel safe inside one of the city’s largest shelters for women with mental illness and addiction.

For some New Yorkers, qualifying for a CityFHEPS housing voucher means first entering the shelter system. Reporter Karen Yi breaks down the fight over expanding the city’s rental assistance program and why advocates say delaying it could cost more in the long run. Photo: Lajoy Clark, Ciro Sollazzi, and Kevin Joseph Cuffy for Gothamist -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org

Before Madonna was Madonna, she was working coat check. Before the Beastie Boys were the Beastie Boys, they were janitors. They worked at Danceteria, a five-story downtown Manhattan nightclub that became the unlikely launchpad for some of pop culture's biggest names in the 1980s. DJ Rafe Gomez runs Danceteria Rewind on Twitch every Thursday night, reconstructing the club's legendary playlists for nearly 60,000 followers worldwide. He joins us to talk about what made Danceteria unlike anything before or since, and why Manhattan nightlife has never quite recaptured that magic. Photo: Steve Eichner/Archive Photos via Getty Images -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org

When Meredith Trainor's 11-month-old daughter tested positive for cocaine at a hospital, New York City caseworkers removed the baby from her arms, without a court order, even though Meredith had been at work when it happened. Five days later, a family court judge ordered the baby returned. Now Meredith is suing the city. WNYC reporter Samantha Max walks us through her case and what it reveals about how the city's Administration for Children's Services uses emergency removals, a process that separates more than 1,300 children from their parents every year. -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org

Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration plans to add more than 6,500 curbside trash containers across the five boroughs as part of a push to clean up streets and cut down on rats. WNYC and Gothamist reporter Liam Quigley explains where the new Empire Bins are going, why the rollout could cost parking spaces, and how the city hopes to fully containerize trash by 2032. Plus, WNYC health reporter Caroline Lewis breaks down a new Bellevue Hospital study on serious bike and scooter injuries, what it found about e bikes, helmets, alcohol, and who is getting hurt most.

WNYC Arts & Culture Editor Matthew Schnipper is back with a rundown of what's worth your train swipes this week. We cover the Queens Night Market's last year of $6 food before prices go up, a Martha Cooper retrospective at the Bronx Documentary Center celebrating one of graffiti's earliest documenters, and whether the Lower East Side's booming vintage shops can sustain the hype. Plus: Mayor Mamdani attempts a Mario Kart metaphor, pioneer trans DJ Lena Bradford celebrates 3 decades of DJing, and a Wallace Shawn mini retrospective at Metrograph. -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org

Mayor Zohran Mamdani is 100 days into his historic term with sweeping plans to make New York City more affordable through an expansion of public services. In a live conversation at The Greene Space, WNYC’s Senior Politics Reporter Brigid Bergin speaks with the mayor about his first months in office, what he has accomplished so far, and what comes next.

A tourist who landed at JFK says she was charged $800 for a ride from the airport to Times Square after she fell victim to a notorious New York City scam. WNYC’s Ramsey Khalifeh joins us to explain how a network of unlicensed drivers and dispatchers target exhausted travelers in a hustle that's been going on for decades. -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org

It is a big week for basketball fans in New York. The Knicks are heading into a first round playoff matchup against the Atlanta Hawks, while the New York Liberty prepare for a new WNBA season with roster changes, new additions and a new coach. Sports reporter Priya Desai joins us to break it all down. Plus, WNYC producer Elizabeth Shwe explores tipping culture in New York City, from coffee counters and bars to delivery apps, and what experts say is a fair tip in 2026. -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org

A federal judge ruled that the Trump administration can’t continue withholding tens of millions of dollars in funding over the school district’s policies on transgender students. WNYC reporter Giulia Heyward chats with us about what this means for schools, students, and the city. Also, WNYC’s Arun Venugopal talks about the new city council proposal for a $30 minimum wage, and what its supporters and opponents alike are saying. -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org

In his first 100 days, Mayor Zohran Mamdani has tried to turn big progressive promises into policy while managing the day to day demands of running New York City. Political scientist Dr. Christina Greer joins us to break down the mayor’s early wins, his “pothole politics” approach, and where he has already had to compromise. Plus, what the city’s $5.4 billion budget deficit could mean for his plans for free buses, child care, and more. -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org

Spring is here, and there's plenty to do without leaving the city. Arts & Culture Editor Matthew Schnipper chats with us about staycation alternatives to pricey travel destinations, the New Directors/New Films Festival at MoMA and Lincoln Center, and what it's like to show up to a 24-hour Brooklyn techno party in corduroys at 8am. -Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org

Jabbar Collins was wrongfully convicted of murder in 1994 and spent years teaching himself the law before winning his freedom in 2010. Before leaving prison, he made a promise to fellow inmate Allen Porter, who was serving time for a double murder in a separate case, that he would help prove his innocence. Porter had been incarcerated since 1995. After his release, Collins kept that promise, continuing the legal fight that ultimately led a judge to vacate Porter’s conviction in January 2025, citing withheld evidence. Now, the two join us to talk about the bond they formed behind bars and the fight that led to Porter’s release. Read Graham Rayman’s full report on Allen Porter and Jabbar Collins on Gothamist: https://gothamist.com/news/exonerated-for-murder-jabbar-collins-is-a-force-of-nature-fighting-for-ny-prisoners​​ ​​​-Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org

Starting this month, a new campaign from the Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence will appear across subways, ferries, and sidewalks, calling out street harassment and encouraging New Yorkers to step in when they see it happening. Janae speaks with Commissioner Saloni Sethi of NYC's Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence about what the campaign aims to change and how bystanders can safely take action.

A film series at the Brooklyn Academy of Music is spotlighting a Brooklyn subway station that has doubled as the backdrop for iconic movie scenes for decades. WNYC producer Verónica Del Valle explains how Hoyt Schermerhorn has been used in films from The Warriors to Coming to America. Also, WNYC reporter Brittany Kriegstein tells the story of Ellen Baum, a Brooklyn Heights resident who has spent weeks removing unusual items people have tied to the Brooklyn Bridge, turning a strange trend into a personal cleanup effort.  — Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org

New York City is opening newer shelters while closing older, deteriorating sites, signaling a shift in how the system is run. WNYC reporter Karen Yi explains what Mayor Mamdani's approach looks like, and how it is affecting people in the system as the city continues to face a homelessness crisis. Plus, WNYC reporter Samantha Max looks at Joey Skaggs, the New York artist behind some of the city’s most elaborate April Fools’ hoaxes that have fooled both the public and the media. Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org

Finding an affordable apartment in New York City can take years, and for many renters, the process feels confusing and out of reach. Troy Kingston, also known as @scourgebliss, shares what it took to finally land a place after years of searching, navigating housing lotteries, strict income requirements, and multiple rejections. Plus tenants rights attorney Leah Goodridge shares best practices on what to look for when searching for affordable housing. — Got any questions, comments or story ideas? Send us a message at NYCNow@WNYC.org