NYC NOW - June 15, 2023: Morning Headlines

Episode Date: June 15, 2023

Get up and get informed! Here’s all the local news you need to start your day: Governor Hochul wants to double the number of state troopers hired in New York over the next year, a Queens City Council member is calling on City Hall to help address flooding issues around a vulnerable park in Flushing Queens, and comic book fans are remembering renowned Marvel comics artist John Romita Senior, who passed away on Monday at 93.

Welcome to NYC Now. Your source for local news in and around New York City from WNYC. It's Thursday, June 15th. Here's the morning headlines from Michael Hill. Sunny and 62 now 80 today with sunshine. The air quality is back to a good rating of 34 in Lower Manhattan this morning. That's according to AirNow.gov. In the news this morning, Governor Kathy Hokel wants to double the number of state

troopers hired in New York over the next year. Karen DeWitt reports the governor spoke at a ceremony for the forces' latest graduates. Hokel told the graduating class that the state budget includes money to double the number of new troopers in the next year. She says she hopes to add more women and more diversity to the ranks. We need more of you because we're living in turbulent times. There's a lot of mistrust among communities and law enforcement. And you are the individuals. who every single day are going to get up and break down those barriers. Under Hokel's tenure, the state police have taken on new duties and gun control and safety measures.

They include policing the state's red flag laws, which temporarily removes firearms from people believed to be a potential danger to themselves or others. A clean city council member is calling on City Hall to help address flooding issues around a vulnerable park and flushing. Councilmember Sandra Ong sent a letter to Mayor Eric Adams last month, asking for updates on flooding mitigation in Queens. The letter came from areas surrounding Casina Park, flooded during a storm.

Those same areas flooded during Hurricane Ida. Ong says the Department of Environmental Protection has been in talks to prevent future flooding. She says DEPs evaluating sewer modifications, upgrades, and storage solutions that would be done in phases to help improve conditions there. Comic book fans are remembering renowned artist John Romita Sr. He died on Monday. Remeda was born in Brooklyn. Throughout his career, he drew an ink for Marvel and DC Comics, the big two comic book companies. In his time at Marvel during the so-called silver age of comics in the 1960s, he designed characters that had become household names like Mary Jane Watson from Spider-Man and infamous New York crime boss the kingpin. Ramita's son, John Remedia Jr., also a prominent comic book artist, broke the news on social media, and a statement Marvel called Remeda a quote. pillar of the Marvel universe. John Ramita Sr. was 93 years old. Here's your forecast now. 62 with

sunshine, mostly sunny today and a high of 80 with a slight breeze, and then tomorrow chance of showers, possibly at afternoon thunderstorm and a high near 77. 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 podcast. See you this afternoon.