NYC NOW - July 19, 2023: Morning Headlines

Episode Date: July 19, 2023

Get up and get informed! Here’s all the local news you need to start your day: The Mamaroneck School District implements reforms after an attorney general investigation found that school and district officials didn't protect nonwhite students from bullying and racial harassment. Meanwhile, the mayor's office awaits a heat advisory from the National Weather Service before reopening the city’s 500-plus cooling centers.

Welcome to NYC Now. Your source for local news in and around New York City from WNYC. It's Wednesday, July 19th. Here's the morning headlines from Michael Hill. Cloud, 73 showers, maybe a thunderstorm today in a high of 82 in the city. AirNow.gov rates the city's air as unhealthy for a sensitive groups due to drifting wildfire smoke, all children, all teens, and all older adults, as well as anyone with heart or lung issues such as asthma should avoid strenuous outdoor activities and try to keep indoors

as much as possible. The Mamaranax school district is instituting reforms after an investigation by the state attorney general's office found school and district officials failed to protect non-white students from bullying and racial harassment. WNYC's Arun Venegal Paul has more. The investigation began three years ago. It was prompted by a lawsuit by the family of a black student who was called the N-word by other students for years starting in fifth grade, to the point that he and his sister were pulled out and homeschooled. That lawsuit was settled last year, but it wasn't an isolated situation. The Attorney General's report said students were repeatedly degraded at schools across the district with little action. The district superintendent did not respond to questions, but according to

local reports, made a statement last week saying the district hopes to make changes so that all students can feel included. New York City's more than 500 cooling centers are still inactive, despite a recent spell of hot weather. So far this month, the city has recorded about 150 heat-related emergency room visits seven times what occurred over the end of June, but the mayor's office says the National Weather Service must issue a heat advisory before the cooling centers open. David Giffin, the executive director for the coalition for the homeless, says that's too high a bar, for at-risk groups. Imagine what it's like for somebody that has no ability 24 hours a day to get in someplace cool.

It's extremely dangerous for those people to be exposed to extreme heat. The National Weather Service does not issue an advisor until the heat index hits at least 95 degrees for two straight days or 100 degrees for a single day. Your forecast now. Sh showers likely today, possibly a thunderstorm, a high of 82. tonight a low of 71, and then tomorrow, mostly sunny, 85 chance of nighttime showers and storms. Right now, 73 and partly cloudy in the city, and there's haze out there, and we have another air quality alert underway right now. 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. Thank you.