NYC NOW - March 25, 2024: Morning Headlines

Episode Date: March 25, 2024

Get up and get informed! Here's all the local news you need to start your day: New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy is suspending her U.S. Senate campaign to replace Senator Robert Menendez as he faces federal corruption charges. Meanwhile, New Jersey Congress member Andy Kim is still pushing ahead with his lawsuit challenging the "county line" primary ballot system, as he seeks to replace indicted incumbent Senator Menendez. Plus, new data shows NYPD officers are making far more arrests in the subway system this year compared to 2023.

Welcome to NYC Now. Your source for local news in and around New York City from WNYC. It's Monday, March 25th. Here's the morning headlines from Michael Hill. New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy is suspending her U.S. Senate campaign to replace Senator Bob Menendez as he faces as he faced his federal corruption charges. Murphy announced her decision in a video posted to her social media yesterday. I am suspending my Senate campaign today.

I've been genuine and factual throughout, but it is clear to me that continuing in this race will involve waging a very divisive and negative campaign, which I am not willing to do. Murphy was a first-time candidate. She was running with the backing of influential Democratic figures across the state. Candidate and Congress member Andy Kim tweeted, let us also show our respect and appreciation to First Lady Tammy Murphy for her continued service to our state and country. Menendez announced he wouldn't run into. that primary but did not rule out seeking re-election as an independent in June. New Jersey Congress member Andy Kim is still pushing ahead with his lawsuit,

challenging the county line primary ballot system as he seeks to replace indicted incumbent Senator Bob Menendez. Kim's team made the announcement yesterday just hours after New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy says she was pulling out of the Senate race. Yael Bromberg is part of Kim's legal counsel. She says the cause has enough support from residents. We know that the voters and the people of New Jersey think that the line is an unconstitutional, unfair construct. The line gives preferential treatment at candidates' county political committees indoors, grouping them on the ballot. Murphy was going to get that treatment on ballots used by two-thirds of Democrats. If Kim wins his lawsuit, all candidates for a single office would be grouped together instead.

NYPD officers are making far more arrests in the subway system this year, compared to last year. That's according to data released just this weekend. Police say they arrested more than 3,100 people in the subways during the first two months of the year. That's a spike of nearly 50% from last year. The surge of enforcement comes as the city has seen three murders on the system so far this year, prompting Governor Hockel to deploy National Guard soldiers into busy stations across the system. 36 and clear, once again on a full moon morning, sunny and 52 for a high today. It'll be breezy. And then tomorrow, mostly cloudy and a high of 50. Wednesday, a chance of drizzle a light rain and upper 50s.

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.