NYC NOW - February 6, 2024: Midday News

Episode Date: February 6, 2024

More than 70 current and former NYCHA employees are facing bribery and corruption charges as part of an investigation into misconduct at the agency. Meanwhile, Mayor Eric Adams calls on the state to pick up half of the city's costs for providing care for migrants. Plus, there’s a 55-foot-deep hole across the street from Grand Central Terminal. It’s part of an MTA project to build a new walkway and stairs to the 7 train. WNYC’s Stephen Nessen reports the project hit a major milestone on Monday.

Welcome to NYC Now, your source for local news in and around New York City from WNYC. It's Tuesday, February 6th. Here's the midday news from Lance Lucky. More than 70 current and former NYCHA employees are facing bribery and corruption charges as part of a newly unveiled probe into misconduct at the agency. The U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York's office alleges employees receive kickbacks from NITHA vendor. through the so-called no-bid contract process for smaller jobs.

Yvonne Arvello is a special agent with Homeland Security. He says the superintendents arrested today prioritized their own financial gain over NYCHA residents, ultimately driving up costs. This offender allegedly enriched themselves at the expense of NITU residents and the contractors who were pursuing the real American dream by lining their own pockets through these illegal backdoor deals. Federal prosecutors say these employees solicited more than $2 million in bribes across housing developments in every borough.

Nica's CEO Lisa Bova Hyatt says the agency has zero tolerance for illegal activity. Mayor Adams wants the state to pick up half the city's cost for providing care to migrants. The mayor made the request this morning at a state budget hearing in Albany. He says he's all been given up on convincing

the federal government to pick up a greater share of costs for caring for migrants, so now he wants the state and city to split the cost 50-50. New York is already carrying the most of the asylum seeker. It's wrong to ask them to do more and it's put our city in precarious position. So far, Governor Hokel has committed to reimbursing the city for about $3 billion in direct costs. The mayor wants to bump that number up to more than $5 billion.

His budget testimony is expected to continue through this morning. It's 39 now, 42 this afternoon, around the freezing mark tonight, sunny and 45 tomorrow. Stay close. There's more after the break. On WNYC on WNYC and Michael Hill, there's a 55. foot deep hole across the street from Grand Central Terminal. It's part of an MTA project to build a new walkway and stairs to the seven train. WNMIC Stephen Nesson reports the project hit a major milestone on Monday. After a year of digging down, construction workers are now drilling and blasting their way across 42nd Street to the seven train platform. But first, a moment of prayer.

That's Father Brendan Fitzgerald. That's Father Brendan Fitzgerald. He's wearing a hard hat and hoodie over his clergy shirt and tab collar. He's the chaplain for the sandhogs, the construction workers who've been digging tunnels in the city for well over a century. At the end of the prayer, he anoints the pit with holy water. Fitzgerald is well known among the workers. He leads a twice-yearly mass for sandhogs who've died on what was once a much deadlier job. You know, there's a dignity in working.

putting all of our talents to the good use of the Lord, you know. I truly believe that when people are at work here, they're giving glory to God, you know. They're putting their health and their strength into the betterment of society. And this effort is for the MTA's $115 million project to make commutes easier for seven-train riders coming and going from Grand Central. While ridership has increased on the line, the platform and stairways have not changed in decades. But to build a new walkway, without interrupting train service, the sandhogs have to dig between two subway tunnels. They took a couple reporters down for a look.

Tell the next person up top, just hold on. To see the start of that tunneling, we climb down three sets of ladders. So there's an extension ladder at the bottom of this one. Got it. You got a transfer from this to that. We'll just keep an eye on you putting, okay? Got it. Thank you.

At the bottom is a gray, murky pool of water full of jagged, broken chunks of menhound. patent bedrock. A worker bangs on some pipes. Who needs air plugs? I do. Are you going to get noisy? Oh, yeah. A couple of sandhogs set up a type of drill called a jackleg on a tripod. The technology has changed little in the past hundred years. It looks like a giant metal harpoon that runs on compressed air and uses water to

bore through thick rock. Today, 34-year-old Kervin Asan is in charge of the jackleg. Are we good? As another sandhog turns out. on the air compressor. And the drilling begins. It only lasts for three minutes, but feels much longer. I ask Asan, how's his hearing after that?

I said, have your hearing? Ah, it's going, it's good, it's good. I use the air plugs and the airbox, so I'm doing good. Asan says he's been drilling for 15 years, so he's used to it. If you don't hold the tightest, take you flying. This will be his work site for the next several months. The crews will use a variety of

of tools, including low-grade dynamite to blast a tunnel across 42nd Street. The MTA says the explosions won't be that loud. The agency hopes the walkway and new staircases will be complete by the end of the year. Stephen Nesson, WNYC News. 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.

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