NYC NOW - August 8, 2023: Evening Roundup

Episode Date: August 8, 2023

COVID-19 hospitalizations are on the rise across much of the U.S., including in New York City. Plus, expanded protections for New Jersey's temp workers are now in full effect. And finally, ethnic minorities experience unique struggles when it comes to mental well-being but WNYC’s Bria Suggs shares the story of one group’s effort to change the narrative.

Good evening and welcome to NYC Now. I'm Jenae Pierre for WNYC. The majority of people hospitalized with COVID are actually hospitalized for something else who have tested positive, which makes sense when you have more COVID circulating. New York City is seeing a mid-summer bump in COVID-19 hospitalizations, a sign the coronavirus has gained steam in recent weeks. But City Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin-Vosson says there's no reason to panic. I will say that overall levels are still quite low, and we're not seeing any concerning outcomes in terms of death or really severe disease like ICU admissions.

About 300 people are hospitalized with COVID-19 in New York City. In the past, the city's worst surges saw numbers 20 to 40 times higher. In New Jersey, a new law expanding protections for the Garden State's temp workers is now in full effect. WNYC's Karen Ye has more on what the law. means for workers. Labor organizers handed out flyers to temp workers in Elizabeth to let them know about their new rights. Yes, the disconnocimento by the workers is total.

No, they're not. Se sorprendi. Mario Gamboa is a member of Make the Road, New Jersey. He says many workers are pleasantly surprised by the new rules. Temp worker Yolanda Yunga says it's a huge win to no longer have to pay for rides to and from work sites. We have to transport, that this also was a very difficult. state officials say the new law gives them stronger oversight of the growing temp worker industry,

which largely fuels warehouse labor. Staffing agencies that fail to comply with the law face up to $1,000 fines per violation. After a year of delays, New York City will begin ticketing overweight trucks on a section of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway known as the Triple Cantilever. WNYC's Stephen Nesson has the details. This week, trucks the way more than 80,000 pounds and drive over the crumbling section of the BQE in Brooklyn Heights, will get a warning from the city. And in three months, overweight trucks will get hit with $650 fines if they still roll over that 1.5 mile part of the highway. The tickets will be issued automatically thanks to new scales that can weigh trucks. It's part of the city's effort to extend the lifespan of the triple cantilever

section of the roadway. The city estimates about 11% of the more than 150,000 vehicles that travel over that section each day are over the restricted weight limit. For now, this will only impact vehicles on the Queen's bound side. Later this year, the city will install scales on the Staten Island bound side as well. Stay close. There's more after the break. Mental health is something people across all backgrounds deal with, but racial and ethnic minorities experience unique struggles when it comes to mental well-being. WNYC's Brea Suggs has the story of one group's effort to change the narrative in New York. Only about a quarter of Black Americans seek mental health treatment compared to 40% of white people.

Experts say the reasons are multifaceted. Economic disparities play a role. A lack of health insurance can be a hindrance. And it can be especially hard to find the right professional. Just about 2% of psychiatrists and 4% of psychologists are black in the U.S. A lot of people from color who come to us complaining of their experience. And so they don't feel seen, although the therapists, you know, think that they're feeling scene. That's Dr. Yasmin Sade, a clinical psychologist and founder of Madison Park Psychological

Services in Manhattan. She says she sees a lot of patients who have had trouble finding a therapist they can relate to. They're not finding a cultural competent therapist, and they want a therapist of color so that their experience could be understood. Now one organization is working to help more black people feel seen. Natalie Patterson is the director of training and programs at the Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective, or Beam for short. One of the things that we very often talk about is that it's not about that black people don't think that mental health exists, is that we use different language to describe it, and so much of our work is about translation.

Beam holds virtual and in-person trainings and gives grants to improve the well-being of communities of color across the country. The organization recently started in-person events in five cities, including New York. Patterson says their programs are catered towards black Americans and the black diaspora, but that anyone is welcome. I think of it as our entry to mental health kind of programming. Everybody is not at a point where they're like, yeah, I'm going to therapy. And that's totally fine, right?

You might just want to be with other people who are willing to talk about their mental health, even if you maybe don't want to share or disclose. Beam isn't against therapy, but doesn't necessarily promote it. Patterson says Beam's focus on meeting people where they're they are, teaching them how to correctly identify stressors, and giving them the proper tools to understand and cope. They say that's because psychology, like many other fields, has roots in racism and hasn't always been welcoming for black people. Patterson says Beams' in-person events are instead focused on love, learning, and also unlearning. Let's not limit ourselves

by what history has told us we were allowed to have. We want our folks to have everything. And so let us know about all the healing strategies, all the healing modalities. Recently, Beam had a meet and greet in Brooklyn that was open to the public. One of the people there was Naomi Mith, a self-care advocate from Jamaica Queens. She's partnering with Beam to expand her business and also improve her own mental health and self-care journey. I know when you're mentally struggling, it can feel so isolated and alone. And so that's what really drew me to Vim is that they emphasize. that sense of community and being around a bunch of people and learning and growing and having

those heart-to-heart meaningful conversations, I think is super, super important to the community because sometimes you don't even feel safe enough to talk, let alone do the extra steps in your self-care wellness and mental health journey. Beam also offers programs to support mental health and healing professionals. Natalie Patterson says that includes everyone on the front lines of helping people cope with life's challenging moments. A healer also is a hairstylist who listens to folks, right? be a community organizer, it could be a rakey master or a massage therapist. Patterson says they all need resources and support. That's WNYC's Brea Sucks.

Before we go, everyone is celebrating 50 years of hip-hop in New York City this week, including the MTA. The transit agency recently unveiled four limited edition metro cards emblazoned with hip-hop icons. 40,000 cards featuring LL Koojee and Pop Smoke are available at the Forest Hills, Karnarsi Rockaway Parkway, and New Lots Avenue subway stations. Another 40,000 cards will be given out system-wide later this month with Rakim and Cameron on them. Though the MTA is phasing out the Metro card, it'll be pretty cool to have a limited edition metro card to commemorate the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. So good luck getting your hands on one.

Thanks for listening to NYC Now from WNYN. Catch us every weekday, three times a day. We'll be back tomorrow.