NYC NOW - December 5, 2023: Morning Headlines

Episode Date: December 5, 2023

Get up and get informed! Here’s all the local news you need to start your day: A new Rikers Island jail unit designed to house people who are known as "fire-starters" opened last month without a working fire-prevention system, according to new court filings. Meanwhile, New York City Transit President Richard Davey invites one of the leading critics of congestion pricing over to his place for a beer. Plus, there's an open seat for Congress in New York now that George Santos is out. WNYC's Brigid Bergin reports like Santos himself, the process to fill it will be anything but usual.

Welcome to NYC Now. Your source for local news in and around New York City from WNYC. It's Tuesday, December 5th. Here's the morning headlines from Michael Hill. A new Rikers Island jail unit designed to house people who are known fire. Starters opened last month without a working fire prevention system. That's according to new court filings. A federal monitor charge with overseeing Rikers notified a federal judge of the

misstep and a report filed last Thursday. He says the unit should have been opened with his permission and the fact it opened without fire prevention systems is an example of the city's failure to keep detainee safe. A Department of Correction spokesperson says the sprinkler system met the city's building codes but there wasn't a sprinkler installed in every cell. An MTA executive is inviting one of the leading critics of congestion pricing over to his place for a beer. transit president Richard Davies says New Jersey Congressmember, Josh Godheimer, should come watch the Lincoln tunnel traffic outside his hell's kitchen window. Davis says Guthammer's critique of the plan to toll drivers who enter Manhattan below 60th Street as an MTA cash grab is.

Wrong. Okay. It's called air quality. It's called emergency vehicles getting around. And for purposes of my job, it's called buses getting around. That's what this is about. And then it's about investing in public transit. Godheimer maintains congestion pricing will hurt businesses and create more pollution in the Garden State. This week, the MTA Board is expected to vote on the $15 base fare for vehicles to enter the zone. Drivers who enter via the Lincoln or Holland Tunnel would get a $5 credit. There's an open seat for Congress in New York now that George Santos is out. W&M.C. Bridget Bergen reports, like Santos himself, the process to fill it will be anything but usual. Voters are looking at a special election in mid to late February. The precise date will be

set by Governor Hokel by next week. For now, the county party leaders in Nassau and Queens are screening potential candidates. Nassau County Republican Party chair Joe Cairo said he's interviewing nearly two dozen candidates. He's also assembled a screening committee of about nine people, including former Long Island Congress member Pete King. They're hoping to land on a choice by the end of the week. On the Democratic side, Nassau County and State Party leader, Jay Jacobs says he's working with Hokel Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Queen's Democratic Chair, Congressmember Greg Meeks. He hopes to announce their choice by Thursday. 40 and partly cloudy, now.

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. 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.