NYC NOW - August 12, 2024: Morning Headlines

Episode Date: August 12, 2024

Get up and get informed! Here’s all the local news you need to start your day: 1 in 10 public restrooms in New York City aren't actually open to the public. WNYC's Jaclyn Jeffrey-Wilensky reports. Meanwhile, the city has paid out at least $82 million in police misconduct lawsuits so far this year, a 60% increase from the same period last year. Plus, the G train will be shut down from Monday through September 2nd between the Bedford-Nostrand and Church Avenue stops.

Welcome to NYC Now. Your source for local news in and around New York City from WNYC. It's Monday, August 12th. Here's the morning headlines from Michael Hill. In the news this morning, in many parts of New York City, when you got to go, you are out of luck. There's about a thousand public restrooms for a city of more than 8 million residents and 62 million visitors. And data show that about one in. 10 restaurants aren't even open.

W&MAC's data whiz, Jacqueline Jeffrey Willinsky, has more. About 90% of the city's public bathrooms are open. But the 10% that aren't make it even harder to find a bathroom in a city that's already desperately low on toilets. That's especially true in bathroom deserts like East Harlem. Out of six public toilets there, two are in libraries that are closed for renovations, and two park bathrooms are out of order. You may have to walk close.

to a mile to the nearest public bathroom or try your luck at a storefront nearby. You can find Jacqueline's interactive map of shutdown bathrooms at our new site, Gothamist. New York City has paid out at least $82 million in police misconduct lawsuit so far this year. This is according to new data from the Legal Aid Society. It's a 61% increased in cost to taxpayers compared to the same period. last year. Many of these misconduct cases are from as far back as the 1990s. Patrick Hendry, the president of the city's largest police union, says settlements are complicated and don't always reflect officers' actual conduct. The NYPD has not responded to an inquiry about the data.

Heads up, G-Train riders in Bedstuy in Clinton Hill, Fort Green, Gowanus, Park Slope, and Kensington. The final phase of the line's summer-long closure starts today from now until September 2nd. That's Labor Day. The G-Train will be shut down between the Bedford-Nostron stop in Bedstey and the Church Avenue stop in Kensington. The MTA is offering free shuttle buses while the line is closed. The MTA says it's closing the stops to upgrade switches to improve the speed and the frequency of the G-Train. sections of the G in North Brooklyn and Queens have been closed for parts of the summer. 68 and clear now. We have a slim chance of mid-afternoon showers, mostly sunny and 81.

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.