NYC NOW - Evening Roundup: Another Death on Rikers Island, Purchasing a Home in NYC, Musk Critics Push to Close Buffalo Factory, and Over a million New Yorkers Impacted by SNAP Cuts

Episode Date: April 1, 2025

Department of Correction officials are investigating after another detainee died on Rikers Island Monday night. Plus, a new report from the Center for NYC Neighborhoods finds it's still possible to purchase affordable housing in the city. Also, concerns about Elon Musk’s work in the Trump administration have led to demonstrations at Tesla dealerships around New York. And finally, Congress is eyeing billions in cuts to the federal food stamps program, which could directly affect nearly two million New Yorkers.

Another death on Rikers Island. Purchasing a home in New York City. Critics of Elon Musk pushed to close his Tesla factory in Buffalo. And over a million New Yorkers impacted by snap cuts. From WMYC, this is NYC now. I'm Jinné Pierre. Department of Correction officials are investigating after another detainee died on Rikers Island Monday night. Officials say jail staff observed the man.

looking visibly ill during a walkthrough of one of the facilities around 915. He was pronounced dead about 45 minutes later. The department has not publicly identified the man. Three other people have died in the city Department of Correction Custody so far this year, while a fourth person died hours after being released. Hoping to buy a home in New York City, but don't have a wealthy parent bank rolling your down payment? The outlook is grim,

but a new report from the Center for NYC Neighborhoods finds it's still possible. The group's CEO, Christy Peel, says the report offers a guide for Middle and even some low-income New Yorkers who want to purchase in the five boroughs. The opportunities are definitely there, but it takes tenacity and grit, and people need to be prepared. They need to be educated and informed and ready to go. The guide includes a list of down payment assistance programs, counseling resources, and information on types of affordable housing. But they warn, the search may take a while. Median home sales reached nearly $800,000 last year.

There are concerns about Elon Musk in his work in the Trump administration, and that has led to demonstrations at Tesla dealerships around New York. Critics are now looking at the company's state-backed factory in Buffalo. WMYC's Jimmy Vilkine has more. Tesla has leased a sprawling factory in Buffalo for almost a decade. Taxpayers spent almost a billion dollars, and in exchange, the company promised to create thousands of jobs at what it calls the gigafactory. But assembly member Pat Burke, who represents the area, says it's never lived up to its promise.

It's a big project. I don't know many people who work at that plant. I think I know one person. So when Burke heard the state was in talks to cut a new deal with the company, he urged officials to pump the brakes. Burke says the company's ties to Elon Musk make it too risky. Get out of bed with Tesla. But also, don't do this again.

The Tesla factory was built when Andrew Cuomo was governor. But cutting a new deal falls to Governor Hockel and Empire State Development, a state agency. Officials reached a tentative agreement with Tesla to add another five years to its lease and raise its rent. But overall job commitments would go down. Kevin Unis of Empire State Development praised the updated deal. We are getting a substantially enhanced commitment from them without additional state resources. But the company, in factory, still have critics, like Sean Ryan, a state senator and candidate for mayor of Buffalo. It's a big white elephant. It's become Buffalo's version of the Springfield Monorrel.

That's right. Monorail. Ryan's referencing a fictional boondoggle from The Simpsons. He said the deal with Tesla was rotten, but it's in the past. Ryan doesn't see any choice but to renew. Moving forward doesn't cost us any money. That's the only move we have. Tesla said in a recent letter to the state that it's, quote, committed to a, making Gigafactory New York a world-class advanced manufacturing center. The new agreement will come up for a vote this summer.

That's WMYC's Jimmy Vilkind. Anti-Hunger groups are bracing for deep cuts to the federal food stamp program that feeds nearly 1.8 million New Yorkers. More on that after the break. More New Yorkers than ever are receiving SNAP benefits or food stamps, as the city becomes harder to afford and food prices remain stubbornly high. But now, Congress is eyeing billions in cuts to the program. WMYC's Karen Yee reports on who that could affect across the city. Here's a fan, and you just take a row. At the corner of 86th Street and West End Avenue,

food pantry volunteers at the West Side Campaign Against Hunger say everyone coming to pick up groceries keeps asking about the same thing. Eggs. I wonder why. But today, the pantry doesn't have eggs. 55-year-old Maria Spinoza recently lost her job as a home health aide. She comes to the pantry to help fill up her fridge. Oh, my little. My son comes much, and I say to my little,

no, you don't want to eat, I don't want to buy. She says eggs are so expensive at the store. She's told her 17-year-old son to stop eating so many. She's on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. or SNAP and receives $200 a month. But these days, that doesn't stretch very far. Now it could get even harder for people like Espinoza to fill their carts. Republicans in Congress are considering reducing SNAP as they aim to cut billions from the program.

That includes expanding work requirements or rolling back payments to what they were in 2021, which was the last time SNAP was increased. The city's Department of Social Services Commissioner Molly Wasso Park says that would literally take money for food out of the pockets of every single SNAP recipient. She says there's a lot of uncertainty around what will happen to SNAP, but she doesn't think it'll emerge unscathed under the Trump administration's planned spending cuts. It is very clearly taking food away from children and older adults to fund tax cuts for the very wealthy. One in five New Yorkers uses Snap, a record number.

That's 1.8 million residents, including half a million children. Still, many rely on food pantries. Providers say the level of hunger across the city is even worse than during the peak days of COVID. I would love for things to go back to the pandemic level of need. Like, that is a scary thought. Gregory Silverman runs the West Side Campaign Against Hunger. He says his organization is serving third. 50% more people than during the pandemic.

That's because extra cash benefits from the pandemic have expired, and food prices have shot up. But he says while food organizations can help feed the hungry, they can't replace SNAP. The big lift is SNAP, and people, I think, don't have an understanding of the breadth and scope of this. If Congress slashes SNAP funding, that could mean recipients would go from an average of $6 per day

to $4.80 per day. More than a third of SNAP recipients in the city are older adults, like 65-year-old Alan Thomas. I don't want to eat less because that's not my thing. I'm not trying to go down to 150 pounds for a grown man. Thomas is retired, but works part-time as a security guard at a daycare. It's supposed to just help. It's not supposed to actually sustain you. That I understand. But don't take back that a little bit that you have from people who have so much less. About 19% of SNAP recipients work, but they just don't make enough to be able to afford groceries. That includes 35-year-old Jacob Santa Stephen.

For him and his wife, Emily, Snap has been a lifeline as they raise their young son on a tight budget. Oh, yeah, no. Every single time we walk in the store. Yeah, no, calculator out, list on my phone, crossing things off. City officials say there's no way the city and the state will be able to fill the gap left by the federal government. And even if Snap is left alone, the Trump administration slashes to housing vouchers and other safety net programs will lead to increased hunger across the city. That's WMYC's Karen Yee.

Before we go, a reminder to separate your trash in compost. New York City is now issuing fines to buildings that don't comply with the composting rules. That means setting aside organic material in a separate bin that sanitation crews will pick up on the same day as recycling. It's technically been mandatory since last October. But now city inspectors will look for organic waste thrown out with regular garbage. If your building doesn't offer a compost set out area, you can call 311. The fines start at 25 bucks. Thanks for listening to NYC now from WMYC.

I'm Jene Pierre. We'll be back tomorrow.