NYC NOW - Evening Roundup: ICE Agent Relieved of Duties After Shoving Woman, Cuomo Lands Endorsement from Former Rival, COVID-19 Vaccination Guidance, and Preserving Fresh Herbs for the New Season

Episode Date: September 26, 2025

A federal immigration agent seen in viral videos shoving a woman to the floor outside a Manhattan immigration court has been relieved of duty while the Department of Homeland Security investigates. Plus, Andrew Cuomo is getting an endorsement from Jim Walden in his bid for New York City Mayor. Also, New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Michelle Morse shares recommendations as we enter cold and flu season. And finally, now's your chance to stock up on and preserve herbs for the upcoming season.

An ICE agent is relieved of duties after shoving a woman to the ground. Andrew Cuomo lands an endorsement from a former rival in the mayor's race. COVID-19 vaccination guidance and preserving fresh herbs for the new season. From WMYC, this is NYC Now. I'm Jinné Pierre. A federal immigration agent seen in viral videos shoving a woman. to the hallway floor outside Manhattan Immigration Court has been pulled from duty while the Department of Homeland Security investigates.

DHS spokesperson, Trisha McLaughlin, says in a statement that the officer's conduct was, quote, unacceptable and beneath the men and women of ICE. Videos of the clash at 26 Federal Plaza depict a chaotic scene as the woman's husband is being taken into immigration detention. McLaughlin says the department will conduct a full investigation. Former Governor Andrew Cuomo is getting an endorsement in his bid for New York City Mayor from an old rival in the race. Jim Walden is a former federal prosecutor.

He ran as an independent before dropping out earlier this month. Walden posted his endorsement on social media this week, noting that he has disagreements with Cuomo but wants voters to support him anyway. Walden also urged the other candidates to drop out and endorse Cuomo. He referred to frontrunners of Ramam Dani's agenda as radical. and quote, a gateway to extremism. The Mamdani campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. September is National Preparedness Month. It's meant to raise awareness around big emergencies,

like hurricanes, snowstorms, and even flash floods. Local officials are calling on New Yorkers to make a safety plan before the next emergency. WMYC's Amanda Roseone has more. When an emergency strikes, you don't have time to path. That's why you need a go bag. Ready to grab at a moment's notice. The mayor says go bags should contain essentials that will hold you and your family over for at least 72 hours.

That includes water, non-perishables, a hand-cranked radio to stay up to date, medications, copies of important documents. You can tailor your go bag to your family's needs and add comfort items too, like snacks, coloring books for kids, or a favorite blanket. The goal is to make it through those first critical. officials say it's also important to sign up for the city's emergency communication system, notify NYC, for the latest. Herman Schaefer is Deputy Commissioner of Community Engagement for the city's Office of Emergency Management. Not only do you need to understand what the emergency is and how to react, you need to have a plan for where you're going to go. He says, make sure you know your designated evacuation zone, so you're ready to respond if an evacuation order is issued for your area. and come up with a family plan on where to meet if you get separated.

But Schaefer says, don't panic. You don't need to have everything in place all at once. Teaching our kids about a fire escape, taking those simple steps that everyone can do, knowing that you can keep on going down this road and get more and more prepared. The city says if you have physical limitations and use services like accessoryed or have specific medical needs, set a plan early.

That was WMYC's Amanda Rosa. Fall is upon us, and so are respiratory viruses. After the break, some recommendations from New York City's top doctor. Stay close. It's finally fall, and with it comes respiratory viruses, like the flu, RSV, and of course, COVID-19. The change in season is happening amid confusion over federal vaccine recommendations, but New York City Health Commissioner, Dr. Michelle Morse, is making it plain. First and foremost, anyone who six months,

and above, there are zero safety concerns about the COVID vaccine. And we are recommending that everyone six months and above get an updated COVID shot this fall to protect them as much as possible for the upcoming respiratory viral season. The health department strongly encourages people who are above the age of 65 to get the vaccine as well. We're also encouraging anyone who is pregnant or considering being pregnant. And we're also encouraging our babies, the age group, of six months to 24 months or two years. Those groups in particular will benefit tremendously. In New York, all insurers across the state have agreed to make sure that the COVID vaccine is

covered by health insurance. Moore says that's important because no one should have to pay for vaccines. Vaccines are safe, effective. They benefit you and your community and your family. And in many cases, they are life-saving, as we learned very clearly during the height of the emergency phase of the COVID pandemic. It's been five years since the height of the pandemic, and things certainly have changed since then. The CDC Vaccine Advisory Board is now recommending that people consult with their doctor before getting a coronavirus shot. That's a shift from previous federal policy that made vaccines available to almost all Americans. But Dr. Morris reiterates. There has been no new data presented about any safety concerns about the COVID vaccine.

In recent weeks, the health department recorded a slight ugly. in both emergency room visits and hospitalizations for COVID. Moore says her office is still seeing that uptick for people who are pretty young and those over the age of 65. She says COVID-19 is still around and circulating. She encourages New Yorkers to get the vaccine for themselves and their community. The New York City Health Department has a website called NYC Health Maps. It lists several locations where you can get a vaccine.

But for those who have contracted the virus, Morris recommends waiting about three months. Really, you are eligible any time after you're no longer feeling ill. And if you have more questions about that, you can certainly also talk to your primary care doctor about what the ideal timing is for you. That's New York City Health Commissioner, Dr. Michelle Morris. It's the first week of fall, but it certainly doesn't feel like it. Amelia Tarpie with Grow NYC Green Markets shares what's in season at your local market.

She says herbs don't do well in a cold. So now's your chance to stock up on and preserve herbs for the upcoming season. Herbs are one of the easiest ways to sort of elevate your cooking. It is the time to make pesto and freeze it so you have that fresh basil flavor into the wintertime. Another herb you can find at the market that isn't as common in grocery stores is lemon verbena. It's this very whimsical herb. herb. It has this bright, liminey scent and these long leaves and it makes an incredible tea. One bunch of herbs at the green market. They typically run about three to five dollars a bunch,

and it's more herbs than you'll know what to do with. One great way to preserve herbs is by drying them. Do not be intimidated by drying herbs. Really, all you need is like wrap them in a rubber band and hang them on a doorknob, hang them up in your closet. The main thing is you want to keep them out of direct sunlight and let them hang like that for a couple weeks. And once they're like completely dry, transfer them to a jar. Another great way to preserve is doing sort of an herb-infused olive oil that you put in the freezer and freeze in ice cube trays. Basically, you just take whatever herbs or combination thereof, chop them up, stick them into an ice cube tray,

and cover them with olive oil and freeze. Once they're frozen, you can pop them out and put them in. into a Ziploc bag, and that way you'll just have kind of like a hit of extra flavor for whatever you're cooking throughout the cold months ahead. Amelia Tarpby is a program and publicity manager for growing YC green markets. All right, a quick heads up before we go. The check is in the mail for more than 8 million New Yorkers. The state started sending checks of up to $400 to New York tax filers before heading into

the weekend. Governor Kathy Hockel is calling them inflation refund checks. She says the state will send them out in batches over the next two months. I'm going to tell you this. If your neighbor gets it and you don't, don't start calling us. Give us October and November, okay? The checks will cost the state $2 billion. Lawmakers approved them as part of the state budget earlier this year.

Joint filers who earned less than $300,000 in 2023 will automatically receive a check. For single filers, it's $150 or less. Thanks for listening to NYC now from WNYC. I'm Jene Pierre. Enjoy the weekend.