NYC NOW - July 16, 2024: Morning Headlines

Episode Date: July 16, 2024

Get up and get informed! Here’s all the local news you need to start your day: Court delays are causing people to languish for too long in Rikers Island jails, according to a new report from city Comptroller Brad Lander. WNYC’s Matt Katz has more. Meanwhile, low-income families in the Bronx will soon have more options for free child care. WNYC’s Karen Yi reports six new Head Start centers will open in the borough by 2026. Plus, both New York Attorney General Letitia James and the NYCLU are calling Nassau County’s law banning trans women from competing in sports at county facilities transphobic. But Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman denies this.

Welcome to NYC Now. Your source for local news in and around New York City from WMYC. It's Tuesday, July 16th. Here's the morning headlines from Michael Hill. Court delays are causing people to languish for too long in Rikers Island jails. That's the conclusion of a new report out today from city controller Brad Lander. WNIC's Matt Katz has more. Lander says the number of cases that took more than 30.

three years to resolve increased 179% from 2019 to 2023. Lander's office also found that the amount of time to resolve a murder case increased more than two years. He says costly inefficiencies in the courts are to blame, including lag time in the exchange of evidence and scheduling challenges. He's calling on the court system to convene representatives from city agencies to figure out how to speed things up. Landers says the delays mean the population at Rikers is more than 1,000 people higher than it could be. complicating the plan to close the jails and move people into four smaller facilities around the city. A court spokesperson says they welcome the report and are working to address the issues with criminal justice stakeholders. Low-income families in the Bronx soon will have more option for free child care.

W. and MyCase-Caron-Y reports six new Head Start centers will open in the borough by 2026. Social Services provider Grand Street Settlement says it'll be able to serve more than 400 families in what are considered child care deserts across the Bronx. Head Start programs are federally funded and provide free year-long care for low-income families. Rico Noel leads new settlement, which will house one of the new locations expected to open by the end of the year.

Head Start is not just addressing the need of that child. It's really addressing the need of the entire family. Head Start cares for children from birth until the age of five, but also provide services to their families, such as help with housing, employment, health, or education. Both New York Attorney General, Letitia James, and New York Civil Liberters Union are challenging Nassau County's law banning trans women from competing in sports at county facilities. They call the new law transphobic.

But Nassau County Executive, Bruce Blakman says that's not the case. We've had lesbian athletes approach us all, call me on the telephone, text me, and say, basically, you're doing the right thing. We want integrity, fairness, and safety in our sporting events. The law goes into effect right away, but one of the lawsuits filed yesterday does ask the judge to pause its enactment until the court cases resolve. Your forecast now, 79 with Sunny right now. He devised me till Wednesday night now. We have a slim chance today of afternoon showers and thunderstorm sunny in 96 and then hot again tomorrow. 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.