NYC NOW - June 8, 2023: Evening Roundup

Episode Date: June 8, 2023

Governor Kathy Hochul is reminding New Yorkers that masking up can be helpful as poor air quality continues to linger in the region. And if you're staying inside to avoid the bad air then animal experts say your pets should, as well. Plus, New York state lawmakers are racing to end their annual session in Albany this week but some major issues remain. And finally, we’re marking pride month with personal histories and wisdom from older adults in LGBTQ+ communities.

Good evening and welcome to NYC Now. I'm Jenae Pierre for WNYC. I don't know what's going on because I was like, wow, it looked like, shoot. Almost like the end of the world. I don't know. It was like it was a different look in the sky. To be honest, it doesn't feel safe. Riding my scooter with this air quality, I can barely see when I'm riding because of all of the fragments of things that can't into my eyes.

With poor air quality lingering in the region, Governor Kathy Hogle is reminding New Yorkers that a COVID practice can be helpful once again, masking up and not just when breathing the air outside. But even indoors, if you have a situation where you don't have air conditioning, you have a situation where you're not feeling good inside. Continue to put this on, this will make a big difference for people. And if you're staying inside to avoid the bad air today, then your dog and other pets should as well.

Animal experts say the particles in the air are just as bad for our. are pets' lungs as they are for hours. Veterinarian Lisa Lipman recommends keeping pets inside as much as possible until things improve. For dogs who go outside to use the bathroom, they can go outside for very brief bathroom breaks. Obviously, no vigorous activity or extended, you know, walks. Keeping the air conditioner on, if possible, which helps filter the air, and run a have a filter if you have one. Some symptoms to watch for include coughing, gagging, and excessive eye watering. Call your vet if those symptoms get worse, but experts say keeping pets hydrated should help.

In New Jersey, Governor Phil Murphy says the poor air quality is putting young children particularly at risk. He says children breathe more air and tend to be more active. If you're a kid in school, we really don't want you outside doing outdoor extracurricular activity. If you're vulnerable in any way, you should be. be outside. If you are, you should be wearing a mask. No need, at least at this point, to require that behavior. Just a few of the state's more than 600 school districts closed Thursday, but Murphy says it's still up to each district to decide whether to cancel classes and extracurricular activities. Garten state officials say they've also seen an increase in

individuals seeking care for asthma-related problems, the highest in two months. Stay close. There's more after the break. You know, we've been inundated with news about the region's air quality, but let's switch it up here. New York state lawmakers are racing to end their annual session in Albany this week, but some major issues remain. Chief among them, the Clean Slate Act. That's a bill that would automatically seal most felony and misdemeanor convictions after a certain period of time. Supporters say it will help people find employment and get a fresh start. At the Capitol Thursday, Republicans joined with district attorneys and police organizations to oppose the bill.

Tony Jordan is president of the State District Attorneys Association. Don't leave the victims behind. Don't leave the general public behind. And that's what we are most concerned that this does. The bill is expected to be put to a vote on Friday. To Mark Pride Month, WNYC is sharing the personal histories, and wisdom of older adults in LGBTQ plus communities. My name is Victor Rios.

I'm 61 years old. I feel like a woman inside. I look like a man, but I'm a woman. Ever since I was born and raised, that was me the way I am now, and I don't know if people like it or dislike it, but that was me, and I still me that way now. I feel like a woman.

I was born and raised in the South Bronx. It was very scary because there was a lot of, a lot of machismo, and it was scary because they used to beat you up. Now and day, in the century, it's much better now. We are more accepted. To me, it was harder more for my family to accept who I was and who I wasn't. They didn't like it because they were Puerto Rican people, and at the same time I tell them, this is me, and I'm going to live my life as I am.

The only one that used to tell me was the guys, my uncles, my father, and people like that, and I'm like, no, I'm mean. It was scary because I was scared. I was doing maintenance, and the maintenance department, there's a lot of men. So it was challenging because some of them, they used to look at me weird. Some of them used to make things, noises, and say things. It was overwhelming because I didn't know which way to go and what to do. So what I used to do was walk out of the job.

They never threw me out for no job, but I walked out. I feel good here. I work in Queen's Center for Gay Sings, and Jackson Hine. I'm a kitchen aide helper. I feel comfortable. I feel like I'm a whole person here. There's no thinking about being woman or gay

because I'm hanging out with them and I know they're in the same particular that I am. And it's a matter if you gay or not, we're human being, we're brothers and sisters. That's it. It doesn't make no sense that you're saying you gay, you just, no, we're brothers and sisters. And we have to help each other because we alone.

The best medicine in this world is laughing. I think that's the best. I keep on doing them laugh. No matter how much you're in hurt, how much you're in pain, laugh. Lave is the best thing to do in this world. That's Bronx resident Victor Rios, sharing her struggles, triumphs, and wisdom as we mark Pride Month.

Thanks for listening to NYC now from WNYC. Catch us every weekday. Three times a day. We'll be back tomorrow.