NYC NOW - February 1, 2024: Morning Headlines

Episode Date: February 1, 2024

Get up and get informed! Here’s all the local news you need to start your day: A new report on New York City's B-HEARD pilot program, which diverts mental health calls from police to social workers and EMTs, shows that many 911 calls that qualify aren’t getting a response. Meanwhile, a Manhattan judge ruled on Wednesday that two men who each spent decades behind bars for the death of a French tourist in Times Square should not have been convicted. Also, Prospect Park Zoo administrators vow to eventually reopen but no timetable has been given. Finally, the Knicks look to push their current win streak to 9 games against Indiana at home.

Welcome to NYC Now. Your source for local news in and around New York City from WMYC. It's Thursday, February 1st. Here's the morning headlines from Michael Hill. New York City's Be Heard Pilot Program is diverting a growing number of mental health calls away from police to teams of social workers and EMTs. But a new city report on the program says there's still many calls to 911 that qualify for BeHeard. response that don't get one. In the first half of last year, Beheard teams responded to about a quarter of the mental health calls in the

neighborhoods they covered. The city says that's partly because call volumes are up and there aren't enough 911 operators to properly triage each one. A Manhattan judge ruled yesterday that two men who spent decades behind bars for the death of a French tourist in Times Square should not have been convicted. WNYC Samantha Max reports. Justice Stephen Antignani overturned the 1987 guilty verdicts against Eric Smokes and David Warren for a fatal mugging during the annual New Year's celebration in Midtown. Loved ones cheered and applauded as the judge announced his decision. Smoke sat up straight in his chair.

Warren smiled and turned his face to the sky. Outside court, Smokes called the judge's decision a victory. We knew we wasn't giving up. So we was going to fight, you know, fight until there was no more breath in us. The judge's ruling ends a nearly four-decade fight for the two friends to clear their names. The men have been free since their release on parole more than a decade ago. Prospect Park Zoo administrators are vowing it will eventually reopen, but still don't know when. The historic rainstorm in September badly damaged the Brooklyn Zoo with flooding.

Basements, then house electrical equipment, boilers, and HVAC equipment took on 25 feet of water, in just a few hours. The Wildlife Conservation Society says the first goal is getting the zoo back on permanent electrical power. The New York Knicks are looking to make it nine wins in a row tonight when they face the Indiana Pacers at Madison Square Garden. The team has been hot since New Year's Day. They've won 14 of their 16 games in January. They remade their roster just before the new year by acquiring O.G. and Anobi from Toronto in exchange for two well-light home green. own players and they haven't looked back since. The team has the third best

record in the Eastern Conference and they're gaining on the Milwaukee Bucks and the first place, Boston Celtics. Tip off tonight, 7.30. 36 and partly cloudy now, mostly cloudy today in a high of 48. Rain likely, mainly overnight and a low of 40. Then

tomorrow, slim chance of morning rain, mostly cloudy, mid-40s and gusty sunshine. This weekend, temperatures in the 40s. 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.