NYC NOW - April 11, 2024: Morning Headlines

Episode Date: April 11, 2024

Get up and get informed! Here’s all the local news you need to start your day: 14 New Jersey Democratic lawmakers are sponsoring a bill to create what some people are calling the Garden State’s first private school voucher program. Meanwhile, the first 5 battery charging stations for e-bikes are open in New York City. Also, a team of Bronx prosecutors is going to review former detainees’ claims of sexual assault on Rikers Island. That’s in response to a WNYC investigation into more than 700 lawsuits accusing jail staff of abuse. WNYC’s Samantha Max reports. Plus, Westchester County Executive George Latimer is out fundraising his opponent, incumbent representative Jamaal Bowman, in a tight Democratic Primary.

Welcome to NYC Now. Your source for local news in and around New York City from WMYC. It's Thursday, April 11th. Here's the morning headlines from Michael Hill. 14 New Jersey Democratic lawmakers are sponsoring a bill to create what some people are calling the Garden State's first private school voucher program. Supporters say that's the wrong way to look at it. New Jersey would give tax credits to residents who donate to organizations

that in turn fund scholarships to private and religious schools. On last night's Ask Governor Murphy Call-in Show, the governor said New Jersey benefits from a mix of public and private schools. We respect all of the above, but I'm not sure what you call it, but I'm not a voucher guy. Murphy said there are lots of other ways New Jersey can support private schools. For instance, with security at religious schools fearing bias attacks or with health care programs, but the governor said he would not directly comment on the bill. The Hertz 5 battery charging stations for e-bikes are open in New York City.

Baruch Hertzfeld co-founded Pop Wheels, one of the companies involved in the stations. Hertzfeld says giving delivery workers a place to charge their bike batteries or swap spent batteries for new ones will be a big deal. It can change the face of the city. Hertzfeld hopes the program can expand after a six-month pilot program. The hubs are costing the city almost a million. million dollars. A team of Bronx prosecutors is going to review former detainees claims of sexual assault on Rikers Island and sent response to a WNIC investigation into more than 700 lawsuits

accusing jail staff of abuse. WNIC Samantha Max reports. The Bronx DA's office has jurisdiction over Rikers. A spokesperson says its prosecutors are reaching out to lawyers who filed hundreds of lawsuits on behalf of women accusing jail staff of sexually. assaulting them. It's a reversal from the DA's previous approach. In recent weeks, prosecutors wouldn't say whether they plan to launch a comprehensive investigation. Attorney Anna Kull represents hundreds of former detainees who say they were assaulted by jail staff. If they're not brought to justice immediately, they will continue to harm other women in the same manner. Prosecutors will assess whether to pursue criminal charges. Westchester County,

Executive George Latimer is out fundraising his opponent incumbent Congress member Jamal Bowman in a tight Democratic primary. Latimer's campaign says during the first three months of the year, they brought in more than $2 million. Democratic strategist Basil Smichael says Latimer likely has a wider network of donors to pull from in addition to pro-Israel support. Latimer is a county executive so he could likely raise money from a larger group of donors. and on average those donors are probably wealthier than many of the folks that Bowman currently represents in the district. Bowman's campaign raised just more than a million dollars in the same time frame. It's a second quarter in a row that Latimer leads fundraising in this race, but Bowman's campaign says it's the most money he's raised since 2020 when he first won.

That's he. 50 with some showers and clouds out there. Coastal flood advisories kicking in later today. Shower's likely today, late afternoon, cloudy in mid-60s, and then tomorrow, showers likely, possibly a thunderstorm, mostly cloudy in mid-60s, and then this weekend we have temperatures in the 60s with some clouds and some sunshine. Thanks for listening. This is NYC now from WNYC. Be sure to catch us every weekday, three times a day, for your top news headlines and occasional deep dives, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. See you this afternoon. Thank you.