NYC NOW - May 21, 2024: Evening Roundup

Episode Date: May 21, 2024

New Jersey pharmacist Ghada Abukuwaik has returned home safely after being trapped in Gaza for several weeks along with other medical workers due to the ongoing Rafah border closure. In other news, New York State's highest court issued a unanimous ruling on Tuesday upholding the requirement that health insurers cover medically necessary abortions. Meanwhile, the FDNY is investigating the cause of a three-alarm fire that tore through five commercial buildings in the Bronx. Plus, time is running out for New York lawmakers to consider two measures that would make it easier for some inmates to secure early release from prison. WNYC’s Samantha Max reports. Finally, ahead of the three-day Memorial Day weekend, Eater NY offers a suggestion on where you should visit: Kingston, New York. WNYC’s David Furst speaks with food critic Robert Sietsema to learn more.

Welcome to NYC now, your source for local news in and around New York City from WNYC. I'm Sean Carlson. A New Jersey pharmacist has returned home safely after she became trapped in Gaza, along with other medical workers because of the ongoing Rafa border closure. Gada Aboke, a mother of six, says she's happy to be home with her family, but was heartbroken to leave the people she cared for in a Gaza hospital. Just imagine that someone is looking at you because you are the hope for them to stay alive. And then you have to leave.

Abukwake was part of a mission that included medical professionals from around the world. She says five members out of the group of 19 left late last week, several days after the two-week deployment was slated to end with the help of the U.S. embassy in Israel. She says all those who were evacuated were Americans. Abakouac says 14 members of her team remain in Gaza and are awaiting replacements. Three Americans are among the members who stayed voluntarily. New York State's requirement that health insurers cover medically necessary abortions is here. to stay, at least for now. The state's highest court issued a unanimous ruling on Tuesday

upholding the regulation first put into place in 2017. The Court of Appeals decision goes against the Catholic Church and some other religious employers who have been trying to get the requirement overturned for years. The state Catholic Conference argues a religious exemption in the regulation is far too narrow and effectively requires employers to cover abortions, even if it goes against their beliefs. The court disagreed. A spokesperson for the Catholic Conference says he expects the plaintiffs to bring their lawsuit to the U.S. Supreme Court. The FDNY is investigating the cause of a three-alarm fire that tore through five commercial buildings in the Bronx. FDNY assistant chief Tom Correo says the flames broke out just after

seven o'clock on Tuesday morning. It seemed like the main heaviest body of fire was in the plumbing supply store, but that's all under investigation. We have our Bureau of Fire investigation looking at that. It all happened in a commercial strip at 233rd Street and Gunther Avenue in Wakefield. The FDNY says, four firefighters were injured in the blaze, but their injuries are not expected to be life-threatening. Up next, time is running out for New York lawmakers to consider measures that would help some inmates get early release from prison. That story and more after the break. The clock is ticking on New York lawmakers to consider two measures that would make it easier for people to gain early release from prison if the parole board finds they're no longer a threat to society.

Advocates say the legislation would make the parole system fairer and encourage rehabilitation, but critics say the bills go too far, especially. in an election year. WNIC Samantha Max reports. Thank you for using Securus. You may start the conversation now. Hello. Jose Colon has seen up close what it's like to die in prison. He's worked as a nurse's aide at Sing Sing Correctional Facility Upstate, where he's tended to some of the sickest people behind bars, including those on hospice. You can just see them. They did it to be reading day by day.

Colon has been incarcerated for more than half of his life. He was arrested as a teenager and sentenced to 30 years to life for killing two people during a botched robbery, according to court records. Since then, Cologne has cared for incarcerated people undergoing chemotherapy and radiation. People who've had medical procedures done preparatory for individuals that are going out for procedures and people that are healing like they might have had broken bones. He says he brings them food and water, helps them go to the bathroom, and tries to make them feel comfortable. like they're not alone. I understand that we're incarcerated and we're classified as

incarcerated individuals. But for those few moments where you're actually taking care of a person and showing that compassion, you see from all sides that there is no boundary. There's no border. There's no line. Two bills pending in the state legislature

would make it less likely for both Cologne and his patients to die behind bars. One would allow those in prison to ask for early release if they're 55 or older, and have served at least 15 years of their sentence. Another would require the parole board to let people leave prison once they're eligible for early release,

unless they're likely to break the law again. Neither bill would guarantee that anyone would be granted parole. But Senator Julia Salazar says the goal is to give a better chance at early release for people who have worked to improve their lives. It should not be about perpetual punishment. Salazar and other progressives have been trying to pass these two bills for years, and they now have dozens of co-sponsors. But the legislation has struggled to gain momentum, especially following backlash from other recent changes to the state's criminal justice system,

like bail reform. It's really difficult to overcome. Now, the bills are assigned to committees with no scheduled vote on the floor. Salazar says this year it's been hard to convince some of her Democratic colleagues who are up for re-election. Their response to me is, I'm afraid that I will be punished politically by the voters or by my opponent or opposition

if I support parole justice or criminal legal reform. And that it's really disappointing. But Jennifer Harrison with Victims Rights New York says it's not just about politics. She says the bills should not pass as they're currently written, because there aren't exceptions for particularly egregious crimes. Harrison says she and many other crime victims have felt left out of the conversation. We deserve the respect as human beings and people that have been through what we've been through

to sit down and have an honest conversation about what these bills mean. Harrison's boyfriend, Keith Davis, was stabbed to death at a bar nearly 20 years ago. She says she and other crime victims don't think. get a second chance at life with their loved ones. So why should the people who killed them? We're the ones that have to serve a lifelong sentence. I can't go pick Kevin up because it's been 15 years or because somebody decided to be compassionate towards my circumstances and say, you know what, you've been through enough. Like, your time is served. Let's let's let you be happy now. That doesn't happen. Colone at Sing Sing says he's become a nurse's aide, enrolled in school and made

other drastic changes in his life to honor those he's harmed. He says people like him who are remorseful and who work to make amends shouldn't have to die in prison. Give me an opportunity to come home because, you know what, I don't want to use the word that I'm an exception. There are anomalies. And I've just taken up space right now. Colone is scheduled to go before the parole board in 29. That's W&MIC Public Safety Reporter Samantha Max. For those of you looking for places to go and things to do during the upcoming three-day Memorial Day weekend, our friends at Eater, New York have some suggestions, a gateway to Kingston in the Hudson Valley. Kingston sits about 90 miles north of New York, and you can take a bus there. My colleague David First spoke with senior critic with Eater, New York, Robert Zizima, for the details.

Robert, you just wrote an article on places to eat in Kingston, but why head here in the first place? Give us a little background. If you're an antiquarian or if you're not, it's a wonderful place to go because part of the town that is the furthest up on the hill was actually founded in the 17th century. And it's filled with amazing architecture and churches dating from that era. There's a bookstore in a house that was built out of stone in the 17th century. It's an amazing place. It seems like an ideal place to chill out, shop for some books. and I was intrigued to see in your article that the retail store of Rhino Records is here.

Yeah, I was really surprised when I stumbled on that. And it's an amazing store selling all sorts of like secondhand vinyl. And of course, the rhino releases themselves. There's all sorts of things to visit. All right, Robert. Well, you're not just our travel agent today. You are also Eater, New York's senior food critic. So let's talk about the food.

Where should we eat? Well, now, there's three parts of town. There's the very oldest part, which is called the same. Stockade District because that's where they used to keep the cattle. That's where all the oldest architecture is. But then there's another area called Midtown that's like 19th century storefronts and stuff. And then there's the roundout, which is down by the river, which is kind of where the cement industry flourished in the 19th century. But there's all sorts of neat stuff there. But I'm going to direct you, first of all, to Midtown, which is kind of like the fungier part of

town. It kind of looks like the East Village a little bit. And they have just an amazing number of places there. One of them might be La Hacienda, a Wahacan restaurant, where you can get like things that you can't really get in New York very readily, like the Tlauta and the Memolita. Can you describe those items? Well, the Tleuda, it's sometimes erroneously referred to as a Mexican pizza. It's a drinking snack that's on a kind of pizza-like crust. And on top of the time, On top of it, they put black beans and jalapenos and chorizo sausage and all sorts of other things. It's just delicious. And it gets eaten, you know, in Oaxaca and in Mexico City, indeed, as a hangover remedy.

So if you decide to have a beer or two, this is the perfect place to go. Okay, if we wanted another lunch or dinner spots, can you give us one more? You bet. I love top taste, which is a Jamaican restaurant. I mean, it's the kind of Jamaican restaurant you might find in Crown Heights. It's every bit as good with, you know, jerked chicken and escapit fish. And it won a James Beard Award recently. Okay.

And how about some dessert? Let's finish off with maybe some ice cream. Oh, for sure. There's a place called Boyce Brothers that has been there over 100 years. It is a creamery, first of all, but it also makes ice cream. But the ice cream is not limited to the usual eight or nine flavors. When I went there, recently, they had Syrian gates. and walnuts in one ice cream. And it was just delicious and kind of like nothing I'd tasted before.

What's the name with the place again? Boyce Brothers, B-O-I-C-E, and there's a big ceramic cow out front, life-size. That's WNYC's David First, speaking with Robert Sitsima of Eater, New York. You can check out his article on nine great places to try in Kingston on Eater, New York's website. Thanks for listening to NYC now from WNYC. Catch us every weekday three times a day. Carlson. We'll be back tomorrow.