NYC NOW - Midday News: Cuomo Loses Key Support for Mayoral Bid, Knicks Hire Mike Brown as Head Coach, and Newark Offers Teaching Jobs to High School Grads

Episode Date: July 3, 2025

Former Governor Andrew Cuomo is losing support for a potential independent mayoral run, with Reverend Al Sharpton joining others urging him to step aside. Meanwhile, the New York Knicks have hired Mike Brown as their new head coach. And in Newark, a new program is offering high school graduates contracts to return to the district as teachers.

Welcome to NYC Now, your source for local news in and around New York City from WNYC. It's Thursday, July 3rd. Here's the midday news from Veronica DeValle. Former Governor Andrew Cuomo is losing some key support for an independent mayoral run in November. WNYC's Elizabeth Kim reports. Reverend Al Sharpton is joining a growing list of power brokers urging Cuomo not to run. In a statement, he says he told the former governor, that the, quote, best option for New Yorkers is a one-on-one race between Mayor Adams and the Democratic nominee

Zeramamamdani. And Bill Ackman, an investor who gave $500,000 to a pro-Quomo super PAC, says he's backing Adams after meeting both the mayor and Cuomo. In a social media post, he writes that the former governor, quote, is not up for the fight, describing Cuomo's, quote, subdued energy. Many unions, which supported Cuomo in the primary have also switched their allegiance to Mamdani. The New York Knicks have a new head coach. A person with knowledge of the details tells the Associated Press

that Mike Brown will be the team's new bench boss. Brown has been a head coach and an assistant coach in the NBA since the late 90s with several teams. The Knicks fired Tom Thivido after he led them to their Eastern Conference final for the first time in a quarter century. The Knicks run electrified the tri-state this past spring, but didn't have enough in the tank to win.

They haven't won a championship since 1973. Right now, it's 87 and sunny outside. Tonight, a slim chance of showers and severe thunderstorms, mainly by 8, a low around 70. Stay close. There's more after the break. here Michael Hill. Last week as Miguel Rodriguez Bermuda has walked across the stage to get his high school diploma, he got it, and something even greater. A $74,000 contract to return to Newark Public Schools as a music teacher. The moment has been all over social media feeds. 34 students, including Miguel, received job offers to become future teachers in Newark Public

Schools. Miguel and Newark School Superintendent Roger Leone, join us now to talk. about this offer and this incredible moment. Miguel, talk to us about that moment when the superintendent offered you the contract. Oh, my gosh. It was a pleasure. It was an honor. I couldn't believe it. I was just in shock.

It was just amazing. It was an amazing moment. Tears to my eyes came down. I couldn't believe it. I just looked at my family. And I was just, all of them were smiling. And I was filled up with joy. Did you have any inkling, though, that this was coming?

No, not at all. I didn't think at all that I think that I was going to get this. Superintendent of all the students in Newark, why did you offer the contract to Miguel? Miguel has been one of my star arts high school Latin band musicians since his freshman year. He's been showcased not only in district events throughout our city, the county.

the state, even outside of New Jersey, he is a model of excellence. And I know he's going to be an absolutely incredible music teacher when he comes back. Wow. So Miguel, tell us about how music has inspired you and why are you pursuing a degree in music education? Music is just my life. Music has helped me through everything. It's my escape out of reality. I found music at a very young age. Growing up, my mother was a single mother. My brother had autism and cerebral palsy. And it was just, it was a struggle. You know, mom going in and out of the hospital. Brother was having 74 seizures a week. So I had to really be on my own. And when I found music, I mean, it was just everything to me. And that was the only thing that kept me going. And from there, going into school, I picked up the saxophone. And the

saxophone just was a whole new, brighter perspective of life and now wanted to become a music educator back in North Public Schools. I already know that I want to give back my knowledge, the wisdom that was given to be by online teachers, and I just want to give back and give back even better. From Frankie Valley, the Fugees, Queen Latifah, and Moore in Newark has a rich music history. Who are some of your favorite artists? Oh, my gosh. Well, I go back a lot of old, old music. Watch out now. Watch out with that.

I like a lot of Ronnie Cuber, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Jerry Mulligan. I'm more of the old soul. Are you in a band or a group? Do you perform? So I do the Jazz House Kids program at Montclair State. And then I have, you know, I just graduated, but I do the Latin band at Arts High. school and now I'm starting to get my own band but right now is to focus on getting an instrument sadly I had to turn to my instrument because it was the schools it was a Yamaha YBS 62 baritone saxophone

um close to $10,000 and it was probably the light of my life and I had to turn it in it was like losing a part of me so right now it's just focusing on getting this instrument so then I can keep going with my music and keep working. Wow. Superintendent Leon, there's no question you can tell Miguel's passion as he talks about music. How do you think, how do you hope that that passion affects students who are going to be his students when he begins to teach?

He's a student leader today right now with the band. He helps with the composition, not only of the musical arrangements, but just leadership strategies. He's not only having an impact with the band, he's having an impact in the school. He's a leader. You've been listening to Superintendent Roger Leone of Newark Public Schools there. And Miguel Rodriguez Bermudez in need and looking for a $10,000 saxophone. He's also a future music teacher on his way now to William Patterson to get four years of schooling there.

Thank you so much. Thank you so much for this. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks for listening. This is NYC Now from WMYC. Catch us every weekday three times a day for your top news headlines and occasional deep dives. And subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. More soon.