NYC NOW - June 24, 2024: Morning Headlines

Episode Date: June 24, 2024

Get up and get informed! Here’s all the local news you need to start your day: New York City Comptroller Brad Lander argues congestion pricing is legally mandated to begin despite Governor Kathy Hochul's indefinite pause on the plan. In other news, Gov. Hochul says New York has the country's toughest protections for children on social media after signing a new bill into law. Plus, New York City shop owners are urging state and federal lawmakers to fund bodega security after police say a man was fatally stabbed inside a bodega in Jamaica, Queens, Saturday night.

Welcome to NYC Now. Your source for local news in and around New York City from WNYC. It's Monday, June 24th. Here's the morning headlines. I'm Jene Pierre. We're a week away from the day city controller Brad Lander argues congestion pricing is legally mandated to begin. That's in spite of the fact that Governor Kathy Hokel issued an indefinite pause on the traffic plan earlier this month. Here's Lander speaking on The Point.

with Marsha Kramer. I understand not everybody loves it, but we need that $15 billion to extend the Second Avenue subway to modernize our signal system, to make our subways accessible for people who can't use them now, and also to reduce traffic, which is crazy. It's as bad as it has ever been and bring down emissions. Lander says Hockel may be in violation of the 2019 state law that established congestion pricing. He has laid out plans to file lawsuits to force her to move ahead with the tolling program. Governor Kathy Hogle says New York has the country's toughest protections for children on social media,

now that she signed a new bill into law. The legislation, which she signed last week, restricts companies from collecting data from users under the age of 18 and requires they limit the, quote, addictive feeds on their platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Here's Hockel on CNN's State of the Union Sunday. These companies are monetizing our children's mental health. They're taking it away from them. And if we don't stand up as a government and as parents, the first mom governor of New York, I'm going to make sure that we fight for our kids.

The law includes a caveat that allows social media sites to collect kids data if they receive informed consent. Hockel says data collected from children help social media companies make their feeds more addictive. City shop owners are calling on state and federal lawmakers to make good on promises to help fund bodega security. The calls come the morning after police say a man was fatally stabbed multiple times inside a bodega in Jamaica, Queens, Saturday night. No arrests have been made. Fernando Mateo heads the United Bodegas of America Group. He issued a statement calling on Governor Hokel to unlock $5 million she promised in April to help fund security measures for shop owners. Hokel's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The air quality is moderate today.

There are low levels on weed, grass, and tree pollen in the air as well. A look at your weather forecast this morning, 75 degrees now. It's pretty warm to start the day. It'll be mostly sunny with a high around 82 degrees. 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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