NYC NOW - June 20, 2024: Morning Headlines

Episode Date: June 20, 2024

Get up and get informed! Here's all the local news you need to start your day: A criminal indictment this week against New Jersey political boss George Norcross includes charges against his personal lawyer, William Tambussi. WNYC's Nancy Solomon reports on why Tambussi is a special case. Meanwhile, as registered Democrats and Republicans cast their primary ballots after a lengthy redistricting process, experts at a New York law school conference are evaluating how to improve it next time.

Welcome to NYC Now. Your source for local news in and around New York City from WNYC. It's Thursday, June 20th. Here's the morning headlines from Michael Hill. This week's criminal indictment of New Jersey political boss George Norcross included something unusual charges against his personal lawyer. WNYC's Nancy Solomon reports on why Bill Tambusi is a special case. Tambusi isn't just the lawyer for the party boss of South Jersey. He also has contracts with the city of Camden, the county, the school district, the redevelopment agency, and dozens of other government entities.

Seton Hall Law professor Paula Franzizi, a government ethics expert, says representing so many public agencies while also working for the party leader is a red flag. We have the potential for the toxic collision of big money. politics and decision-making. Tambusi is also on the Rutgers University Governing Board, but a faculty union is challenging that because he doesn't live in Camden County as the rules require for that seat. And Tambosie did not immediately respond

to a request for a comment from WNYC. Registered Democrats and Republicans are casting primary ballots this week and next, based on boundaries reached after a lawsuit and drawn out redistricting process. Experts at a conference this week at New York Law School are already looking at how to improve the process next time after the 2030 census. That includes Jonathan Servas,

the court-appointed special master who defended his 2022 congressional election maps combining Manhattan's Upper East and West Sides into one district. Though it may be true that the Upper East Side and the Upper West Side have differences, I remain unconvinced that those differences were drastic enough to warrant combining more desperate communities like the Upper East Side in Chinatown. In pop culture and in demography, downtown, midtown, and uptown are more important than east side, west side. Early voting in this election runs through Sunday. Primary Day is next Tuesday.

Air quality is considered good right now, but ozone pollution will challenge that later today. New York's Department of Environmental Conservation predicts it will become unhealthy for certain sensitive groups such as children, older adults, asthmatics, and those who are active outdoors for many hours a day. The Department says vulnerable people should limit their time outside doing strenuous activities. 71 and sunny now. Sunny and 91 for a high today. 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.