NYC NOW - Evening Roundup: NJ Transit Grinds to a Halt, How Concerns Over Antisemitism Are Shaping the Mayoral Race in NYC, and the New York Liberty Get Ready for a New Season

Episode Date: May 16, 2025

NJ Transit service remains at a standstill as hundreds of train operators go on strike. A look at how candidates for New York City mayor are talking about antisemitism. Plus, we get a preview of the New York Liberty and their upcoming season.

A strike brings NJ Transit to a halt. How the mayoral candidates are talking about anti-Semitism. And the champs are back. It's time for another season of New York Liberty basketball. From WMYC, this is NYC now. I'm Jenae Pierre. NJ Transit Service remains at a standstill this hour. Roughly 450 train operators walked off the job just after midnight Friday

and what could end up being one of the state's biggest transportation disruptions in decades. The main sticking point appears to be wages. State officials have been warning about the possibility of the strike for days and encouraging riders to make alternate plans. There's additional bus service from key locations across the state. Visit the New Jersey Transit website for more information. The head of the NYPD wants to crack down on electric bikes amid public complaints. In an appearance on Fox 5 Friday, Commissioner Jessica Tisch says police are increasing enforcement to prevent behaviors like going too fast, running a red light, disobeying traffic signals, going the wrong way.

She says e-bikes are an important mode of transportation in the city, but the laws around them need to change. And instead of ticketing dangerous riders like in the past, Tish says police officers are now giving them criminal summonses for reckless riding. Coming up after the break, a look at how candidates for NYC mayor are talking about anti-Semitism and the war in Gaza. New York City has the largest Jewish population outside of Israel. The war in Gaza and campus protests have resurfaced divisions over Israel among Jewish New Yorkers and Democrats.

WMYC's Elizabeth Kim hit the campaign trail to see how candidates are talking about the issue. Speaking at a synagogue on the Upper West Side, city controller and mayoral candidate Bradlander took a stand on one of the most fraught issues in New York City politics. I believe you can criticize Israel without being anti-Semitic. You can hate what the Israeli government is doing in Gaza and the West Bank without being anti-Semitic. And look, while most of us in this room consider ourselves Zionists, as I do, it's factually inaccurate to equate anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism. Lander is the city's highest elected Jewish official and a self-described liberal Zionist.

He's one of many who argue that criticizing Israeli, actions, like bombing and restricting aid to Gaza, is not the same as being anti-Semitic. But some of Israel's staunchest defenders argue that criticizing the state of Israel is unacceptable, like Andrew Cuomo, the leading candidate for New York City mayor. Speaking at the same synagogue a month earlier, Cuomo said anti-Zionism is the same as anti-Semitism. I underestimated the threat that anti-Semitism could rear its ugly. head once again. But now accepting that painful reality, the question is what do we do about it?

Some say Cuomo is being disingenuous. Lander has accused Cuomo of weaponizing anti-Semitism for political gain. Their remarks are the latest sign of how Israel is shaping the mayoral election. Cuomo says he wants tougher penalties for anti-Semitic hate crimes. Mayor Eric Adams, who's skipping the primary recently created a new office to combat anti-Semitism. He's planning to run on two independent ballot lines in November, one of which is called end-antysmitism. The debate on the campaign trail reflects a long-standing tension within the city's Jewish community.

Felisa Wisdom is the head of New York Jewish agenda, a progressive organization that advocates for Jewish New Yorkers. There is a feeling that criticizing Israel as a Jewish American or a Jewish organization is not standing with it. And there's so much critique coming from outside that our responsibility is to just fully stand with it. And then there are Jews who feel like supporting and caring about Israel as the Jewish state

means holding it to its highest founding values. And that speaking about that is okay and in fact important and patriotic. These divisions have deepened since the October 7th attacks by Hamas militants and pro-Palestinian pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University and other campuses. Jewish New Yorkers are having these discussions at the dinner table with family, friends, and neighbors. At a park in Park Slope, I come across two Jewish residents on opposing sides of the issue. 52-year-old David Goodman says anti-Zionism

and anti-Semitism are deeply intertwined. I'm Israeli and American and New Yorker, and Israel may not be perfect. But Israel is our homeland. and Israel is an important cultural aspect of Jewish New Yorkers. And to reject Israel and to reject Zionism is to reject Jews. The city's ranked choice primary means voters can choose up to five candidates. But Goodman tells me he's leaving Lander off his ballot. Instead, he plans to rank Cuomo, along with Whitney Tilson, a former hedge fund manager, and Scott Stringer, the former city controller.

78-year-old Susie Hoffman is wearing a button that says resist the Trump agenda. She insists supporting Palestinians and criticizing Israel is not anti-Semitic. It's being hijacked in this campaign and used in a way that doesn't really reflect a true concern about anti-Semitism, but that is really just being used to shut down certain voices and to gain the support of others. And I'm very angry about that. She tells me she's going to rank both Lander and Zoran Mamdani, another progressive in the race who's been critical of Israel. Hoffman is at the park for an event with Mamdani.

I ask him about the issue. Do you feel additional pressure as a Muslim candidate to sort of make the case to Jewish New Yorkers that you too can protect them if you become mayor? I see an opportunity to speak to every New Yorker across the city because ultimately the safety that Jewish New Yorkers and Muslim New Yorkers want in their lives is a unifying desire for every New Yorker. And I know that as we have seen more than half of all hate crimes

continue to be those that are anti-Semitic, and we have seen a 65% increase in anti-Muslim hate crimes, that this is a shared crisis that many are feeling. Back at the synagogue, I watched Lander engage in a tense exchange with Alicia Weasel, the son of the late Holocaust survivor and famous author, Ellie Weisel. Weasel objects to Lander citing death tolls from Gaza's health ministry, which is controlled by Hamas. Lander's spokesperson asked me not to record the exchange. It's a sign of just how sensitive his campaign is to such debates.

Afterward, I approach Weasel. Do you agree with Brad's position that some of these candidates like Cuomo and Trump and Adams are weaponizing anti-Semitism? Every politician is politically opportunistic. As he spoke, around 80 pro-Palestinian protesters were being arrested that night at Columbia University for taking over the library. It was a reminder that as the war continues, the issue isn't going away anytime soon in New York City. That's WMYC's Elizabeth Kim. Before we go, let's talk a little basketball.

No, no, no, not the next this time. The New York Liberty opened their 2025 WNBA season this weekend. And for the first time in franchise history, they're doing it as defending champions. They faced the Las Vegas Aces on Saturday at Barclay Center. It's an early test against one of the league's top teams and a chance for the Liberty to show if they're primed for a repeat. To get a sense of how the team is preparing for their opener, I swung by a practice. this week with sports reporter Jackie Powell. The Liberty play this Saturday against the Las Vegas Aces.

I'm sure that whole team has a chip on their shoulder. Jackie, what are you looking for in this first game? I'm going to be looking for their defensive intensity and effort because that was something that was a little concerning in the two preseason games. Those 1% plays, are they getting on the glass? Are they going for those 50-50 balls? That's something I'm going to be really paying attention to. Another focus heading into Saturday is star forward Breanna Stewart,

who had knee surgery during the offseason. She did look strong. She wasn't practicing scared. She wasn't practicing like she just had a surgery. Coach Sandy Brandello says Stewart is fully cleared. They're just being intentional with her minutes. There's no restrictions on her in that regard. It's just being smart and we want to win a game.

The team is still stacked with talent. with players like Sabrina UNESCO and Leonie Phoebish. Plus, there's the key addition of Guard Natasha Cloud. And of course, finals MVP center, Junkwell Jones, who says the team will have a slightly different feel this year. I think it's just we're more five out, just more space in. And I think it's just a little bit less traditional

than we normally were, less traditional than basketball normally is with like two post players being inside. New offense, same goal. To win another championship, The Liberty take on the aces at 1 p.m. Saturday at Barclay Center. And to hear my full interview with sports reporter Jackie Powell, be sure to check out our feed tomorrow.

Okay, we lied. We gotta talk about the Knicks, who will try to close out the Boston Celtics at home Friday night in game six. The garden will be rocking, and fans are hoping the squad can punch their ticket to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in over two decades. No pressure, guys. Well, maybe just a little bit. Thanks for listening to NYC Now from WMYC.

I'm Jene Pierre. Have a great weekend.