NYC NOW - August 17, 2023: Morning Headlines

Episode Date: August 17, 2023

Get up and get informed! Here’s all the local news you need to start your day: Governor Kathy Hochul reveals New York City ignored multiple state-offered migrant housing sites. Meanwhile, the upcoming replacement of the Rutgers-Newark chancellor has raised concerns for Mayor Ras Baraka. Additionally, amid a national surge in mail theft, Representative Grace Meng from Queens is inundated with reports from constituents about stolen documents and valuables.

Welcome to NYC now. Your source for local news in and around New York City from WNYC. It's Thursday, August 17th. Here's the morning headlines for Michael Hill. Governor Kathy Hokel says New York State officials offered up more than a dozen sites to house migrants, but New York City has not taken her up on the offer. Hokel's attorney sent a letter to Mayor Eric Adams' office this week. It says, starting almost a year,

ago, the state suggested places like Aquedog Raceway in Queens and gymnasiums at state parks, but the city declined. Hockel told Spectrum News, New York One, the Aquedog Raceway offer is still on the table. When they're in need of state-owned sites, we offered them months ago. They're still available. That's the point. Mayor Adams says the sites the state is offering are not suitable for housing. His administration is looking to use other state-owned sites like the Javitt Center and college dorms. The Chancellor Rutgers-Norke will be replaced next year, news the city's mayor, as Baraka says, he finds disturbing. W.N.R.M.C.'s Karen Ye reports. Baraka sent a letter to Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway, imploring him to reconsider his decision to replace Chancellor Nancy Cantor.

Cantor has led the Rutgers-Norick campus since 2013. State legislative leaders, the head of NJ. Pack and other major city players signed on to the letter, saying Cantor's departure would disrupt Newark's progress. Baraka says Cantor has boosted college enrollment among local residents by 60%, helping students through the application process and increasing financial aid opportunities. Cantor also staffed the campus with local residents. President Holloway says Cantor will end her tenure after her contract expires in June. The U.S. Postal Service says there's been a nationwide increase in mail theft, and local officials say it's happening here as well. Representative Grace Ming of Queen says her office has been flooded with reports from constituents

who say important documents, including sensitive information and valuables, have been stolen. This issue of mail theft is something that our office and the NYPD and the postal inspector have been constantly hearing about, there have been over 600 cases reported this year just in my congressional district alone. Officials are urging residents to drop their mail off directly at their local post office or to place envelopes and mailboxes as close as possible to the designated pickup time. 73 Novacast has a slight chance of afternoon showers and storms, mostly cloudy in 82. 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.

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