NYC NOW - Midday News: NJ Officials Push Back on Affordable Housing, Brooklyn Shooting Investigation, Police Search for Queens Burglars, and St. John’s Basketball Heads to March Madness

Episode Date: March 12, 2025

Local officials in more than 150 New Jersey towns say home builders shouldn’t dictate how much affordable housing they must develop, intensifying a statewide debate. Meanwhile, the NYPD is searching for a gunman who fatally shot a 21-year-old man at an auto shop in Brooklyn. Police are also searching for three burglars targeting businesses in Queens. Plus, the St. John’s University men’s basketball team is having its best season in decades. Now it's gearing up for the Big East Tournament and the NCAA tournament.

NYC, how I see, Welcome to NYC now. Your source for local news in and around New York City from WNYC. It's Wednesday, March 12th. Here's the midday news from Michael Hill. Homebuilders have no business telling them how much affordable housing they should develop. W&YC's Mike Hayes has more. It's a contentious fight that started when 158 New Jersey towns

asked the state to reduce the number of affordable homes that are required to build. New Jersey law requires each municipality to build its fair share of units for low and middle income residents. But the New Jersey Builders Association sued. It's asked a judge to decline the town's request, arguing it would drastically reduce the state's goal of building 84,000 affordable homes over the next decade. Now, the towns are seeking to dismiss the trade group's legal action. A decision is expected later this month. Looking for someone who shot and killed a 21-year-old man yesterday, getting his car fixed at a Brooklyn auto shop.

Officials say Joe Harris-Rivas was gunned down a little after two in the afternoon on Meseril Street and Union Avenue in Williamsburg. NYPD data show shootings are relatively rare in the precinct encompassing most of Williamsburg. And the NYPD is looking for three burglars stealing from Queens businesses. Investigators say the burglars at a grocery store. store, a nail salon, and another shop that shares the same building on Queens Boulevard near 42nd Street in Sunnyside. Police say the thieves got away with more than $20,000 in cash, including from ATMs and in a black Mercedes-Benz with New Jersey license plates.

48 with some clouds now, partly sunny in a high of 53, partly sunny tomorrow, right around 54 high, then Friday, partly sunny in mid-50s, then Saturday, partly sunny in mid-50s, then Saturday, Saturday, cloudy and near 60 rain chances on Sunday. Stick around. There's more to come. There's a red storm brewing in Queens. The St. John University men's basketball team is having its best season in decades. The Big East tournament starts at Madison Square Garden tonight. St. John's plays its first game tomorrow at noon,

and it will play in the NCAA tournament after this weekend. That's what most of us know as March Madness. So what are the vibes like on campus for SJU students? Kyler Fox is a senior journalism student at St. Johns and is the managing editor, the student newspaper, The Torch. He joins us now. Kyla, welcome to the show. Michael, thank you for having me. You're welcome.

As I said, it's been a minute since the school's hoops program has had so much to celebrate. What's the atmosphere like on campus? Honestly, it's been fantastic. Seeing the fans all come out and support, the students are all very excited. The basketball lovers really saw this coming last year when we hired coach Rick Patino. Absolutely. But this year, it's just been completely different. Seeing so much success is something that as a senior I've been here for four years now.

And if you would have come to me three years ago and told me that we'd be here now, I wouldn't have believed you. And I think a lot of the student body wouldn't have believed that either. When was the last time St. John's did this well? I mean, it must have been some time ago, as we said. So on March 1st, St. John's beat Seton Hall at the Garden, and that clinched them their first outright Big East regular season title since 1985. Wow. They'd won a share of it previously in 1998, 1992, 1986, 1980, but the first time that they won it outright in 40 years. What about alumni, Kyle? Are they returning to campus in big numbers?

So not particularly to campus. There have been a lot. lot of basketball alum at some of the games at the Garden. Felipe Lopez came to a game at Carnaceca Arena earlier in the season, but there have also been some very, very big names coming out to support at the Garden. Spike Lee was there recently, which was very cool to see. When St. John's is good, the city really adopts them as their college team. For example, they recently played a game, as you mentioned, at Madison Square Garden, and a nearby sports bar had a watch party for them. So tell us, Kyla, what are you seeing out in the world when it comes to New Yorker supporting your school? It's been unbelievable, Michael, seeing the billboards and the flags and the signs.

It seems like the whole city has red storm fever that extends beyond people that were alumni or currently go to the school. I mean, I've met fans of the team now who have no relation to the university whatsoever, but they're winning and the style of play that they rely on. resonates with New Yorkers. Yeah, people love a winner, too. All right, so let's get down to some basketball here. Beyond the Big East tournament, St. John's has punched a ticket, as you said, to the March Madness Tournament because they won the Big East regular season outright.

What kind of run are you expecting, Kyler, for the Johnny's to make in the tournament, March Madness tournament? Michael, that's very difficult to predict, especially with this kind of team, because of the way that they play, because they relate. rely on their defense and their effort. This isn't say a team like Kentucky last year who relied solely on their offense and their first game of the tournament, they had an off night shooting and they got upset. So, and Coach Patino mentioned this earlier in the week.

This team has the potential to be upset in the first round or it has the potential to go all the way to the final four. It's all going to depend on their matchups and if that defense can travel. regardless of who they play. Fantastic. Our guest has been senior journalism student, Kyler Fox, the managing editor at the Torch, that's St. John's student newspaper. Hey, Kyla, thanks for joining us, and you have to come back and see us as the team progresses through the tournament. That sounds great, Michael. Thank you for having me.

You're welcome. The Big East Conference tournament, as we said, starts tonight. St. John's plays its first game at noon tomorrow. 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 podcast. More soon.