NYC NOW - August 30, 2023: Midday News

Episode Date: August 30, 2023

Multiple sources report a judge has found former Mayor Rudy Giuliani liable for defaming two Georgia election workers after accusing them of mishandling ballots in the 2020 presidential election Meanwhile, a federal judge has ruled that New Jersey’s final immigrant detention facility can continue operations, deeming the state’s law against such centers unconstitutional. Also, Madison Square Garden, situated above Penn Station, has received a five-year permit extension from a City Council Committee, contrary to the ten-year recommendation by the city’s planning department. Finally, Council Member Erik Bottcher, who supported the shorter timeframe, is here to elaborate on the decision.

NYC now. Your source for local news in and around New York City from WNYC. It's Wednesday, August 30th. Here's the midday news from Michael Hill. Multiple sources, reporter, Judge, has found former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani liable for defaming two Georgia election workers. Giuliani had accused the workers of mishandling ballots in the 2020 presidential election, promoting false claims that Donald Trump had won the election. election. The ruling means the case can go to trial to set damages for the defamation. The New York

Times reports a lawyer for Giuliani declined to comment. A federal judge says the last remaining immigrant detention facility in New Jersey can remain open in that the state's law banning immigrant detention centers is unconstitutional. W.DMIC's Karen Yee explains. About 300 immigrants awaiting deportation or fighting to stay in the country are housed at a jail and Elizabeth run by Core Civic. It's the only ICE facility left in New Jersey after lawmakers in 2021 outlawed private and public immigrant detention facilities. That prohibited Core Civic from renewing its contract with the federal agency, which expires at the end of the month. The company took the state to court and won. A federal judge called the law a dagger aimed at the heart of U.S. immigration

enforcement and said Core Civic can continue to operate. New Jersey plans to appeal the ruling. 75 and partly sunny right now. Sunshine today and a high of 84, and then 64 tonight. Tomorrow, Friday and Saturday, sunshine, dry upper 70s as we begin that holiday weekend, and then on Sunday and Monday we hit the 80s once again. Right now, 75 and partly sunny in the city. Michael Hill, WNBC News. I'm Sean Carlson for WNYC. Madison Square Garden is known as the world's most famous arena. But to a lot of New Yorkers, its relationship to the city's infrastructure is just as frustrating as rooting for the Knicks and the Rangers.

The guard notoriously sits atop New York Penn Station and the city needs to periodically re-approve its permit to operate. A city council committee voted to extend the arena's permit for five years. And while yes, they did vote to extend the permit, it's only half of the city planning department's 10-year. recommendation. Joining us now to discuss that decision is Councilmember Eric Bacher. He represents the West Side Neighborhoods around MSG and pushed for that shorter extension. Hey, Councilmember, thanks for joining us. Thank you for having me. So why the shorter permit? Well, today in 2003, it's the 60th anniversary of one of the greatest architectural and civic crimes of the last century, and that is the demolition of McKimmede and White's Pennsylvania Station. So for

six decades, commuters, almost 600,000 commuters a day have been forced to trudge through a drab, confusing, subterranean maze that is the current Penn Station. And one of the things that's been holding us back from improving those conditions has been the fact that Madison Square Garden sits on top and that Madison Square Garden's cooperation is going to be needed for us to improve that station. So we voted to extend their permit in place for five more years. I believe that that will give us the opportunity to bring all the stakeholders to the table and help us come up with a solution for a new Penn Station.

So let's talk about that. We said extend the permit as is, right? Now, the Department of City Planning recommended that 10-year permit, but it required the garden to make improvements to the surrounding neighborhood, pay for new entrances and work with the MTA on its planned renovations. So why did you scrap those extra requirements in this five-year extension? I believe that five years strikes the right balance because we want to set a clock that we'll get everyone to the table that isn't too far out so we don't lose the momentum. But it also provides us some time to really come up with a good solution here.

So I really feel strongly that five years is the right amount of time. And we have all the stakeholders ready, willing and able to work together on this. Now is our moment to do it. Yeah. Have you heard from The Garden on this? Are they playing ball? They're not happy with the five years. But I truly believe that the garden and the folks there, they want to help us get a new Penn Station.

You know, I've always said that. I think the best train station that we can. could get would require the garden to move. Is that going to happen in the next couple years? I don't know. Probably not. But there are plans that we can move forward with right now that could create a grand station. But they are going to require MSG's cooperation. I think MSG is ready to come to the table and help with this. So as we mentioned, this just passed through committee, it still needs to get a stamp of approval from the full city council and the mayor. Have you been talking to the mayor about it? Do you know where he stands on the five-year extension?

You know, the mayor's office, they recommended 10 years, but I believe that they're okay with this five years, and I believe that they want to get something done here. This is part of our legacy as policymakers. Right here, right now, we want to be able to look back and say that we helped fix this huge problem that is the current Penn Station, and we've helped improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of commuters a day. Now, advocates have called on the city council to pass a resolution that would call on the state to give up the tax exemption that MSG gets now. The Independent Budget Office tallied that up and says that the Garden has saved more than a billion dollars over the life of that exemption. Why don't you issue the resolution withdrawing it? I fully support withdrawing the tax exemption that Madison Square Garden.

has, they do not pay property taxes. That is a property tax exemption issued by the state. I fully support revoking it and I've stood at press conferences to that effect. And I'd be happy to introduce anything that would call on the state to do it. But at the end of the day, we need the state to do it. And I'm hopeful that will happen the next legislative session in Albany. That's Councilmember Eric Botcher. Thanks so much for giving us a few minutes. We appreciate it. Thank you. 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 podcast. We'll be back this evening.