NYC NOW - February 22, 2024: Morning Headlines

Episode Date: February 22, 2024

Get up and get informed! Here’s all the local news you need to start your day: Mayor Eric Adams says he's canceling an expected third round of agency spending cuts and allowing city agencies to restart some hiring. Meanwhile, a New York City watchdog agency has found that pepper spray use against detainees at Rikers Island is skyrocketing. Plus, Hornblower, the company that operates the New York City Ferry, is filing for bankruptcy.

Welcome to NYC Now. Your source for local news in and around New York City from WMYC. It's Thursday, February 22nd. Here's the morning headlines from Michael Hill. Mayor Adams says he's canceling an expected third round of agency spending cuts and allowing city agencies to start some rehiring. The mayor says that's thanks to better than expected tax revenues and cuts to migrant spending. Adams told WABC TV,

Migrant spending will decrease another 10% to avoid reductions in other city services, including sanitation, libraries, and policing. You're not going to see some of those draconian steps that we were going to have to take as we're getting away of the cleanliness and the safety of our city. The city council and some budget experts have called Adams previously announced cuts unnecessary.

Council members say they welcome the cancellation of more cuts and soon will review the mayor's proposed budget for the next fiscal year. A New York City watchdog agency has found that pepper spray use against detainees at Rikers Island is skyrocketing with teenagers and those with mental illness often unjustifiably victimized. WNYC's Matt Katz reports. City correction officers deployed pepper spray at an alarmingly high rate during the first 10 months of 2023. The Board of Correction analyzed video footage from the gels to identify 50 incidents in October, in which officers used pepper spray to quell arguments and subdued detainees.

The board found that eight times in October alone, officers sprayed a person in custody who was in the process of engaging in self-harm. Correction officials said certain instances involving pepper spray were problematic and unnecessary, but it is a non-lethal tool officers sometimes need to use. The company that operates the New York City Ferry is filing for bankruptcy. Hornblower is blaming its American Queen voyage overnight cruise line for its financial troubles. It says the move will not have an impact on the New York City ferry. Evelyn Torres takes the sound view line from the Bronx to Wall Street.

She says she'd be willing to pay a little more to ensure the service sticks around. Well, they already increased at once. It will be difficult, but you have to take the pros and cons. Convenience sometimes costs. Ridership broke records last year and surpassed. pre-pandemic levels, with fair revenue up more than $6 million, according to the company. 35 and mostly cloudy now. Slim chance of late afternoon rain today, partly sunny, mid-40s-4 high, should be nice overall,

then rain likely tonight in a low of 41. 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. soon.