NYC NOW - Midday News: Trump Administration Appeals SNAP Ruling, FAA Orders Flight Cuts, and FDNY Identifies Cause of Bronx Explosion

Episode Date: November 7, 2025

The Trump administration has asked a federal appeals court to block a judge’s order to distribute full November SNAP benefits during the federal shutdown. Meanwhile, the FAA will order airlines to cut flights by up to 15 percent starting Friday at 40 major airports, including JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark, citing growing delays and controller shortages caused by the shutdown. Also, ICE is targeting NYPD officers with social media ads urging them to switch agencies. Plus, the FDNY says a discarded cigarette caused the Bronx car explosion that injured seven firefighters earlier this week. Finally, Film Forum wraps up its tribute to silent film historian Kevin Brownlow with sold out screenings of his restored 1927 epic “Napoleon.”

Welcome to NYC Now, your source for local news in and around New York City from WNYC. It's Friday, November 7th. Here's the midday news from Michael Hill. The Trump administration has asked a federal appeals court to block a judge's order to distribute November's full snap benefits amid the federal government shutdown. The judge had given the administration until today to make the payments through the supplemental nutrition assistance, program. Now the administration is seeking to suspend any court orders requiring it to spend more money than available in a contingency fund. Also, starting the day, fewer planes are taking off from New York's three major airports. The FAA is ordering airlines to cut back flights by 10%, maybe

to 15% in the coming days at 40 of the country's busiest hubs, including JFK, LaGuardia and Newark. It's a direct response to growing air traffic delays in control of short. amid this shutdown. This is day 38 of the government shutdown. Federal Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has told CBS News the move is necessary to get people where they want to go and safely. We have to take unprecedented action is because we are in an unprecedented situation with a shutdown. New Yorkers and New Jerseyans and others who trial have travel plans should expect more cancellations, fewer options, and longer waits. Refunds are required that airlines will not have to cover hotels and meals.

ICE is running social media ads aimed directly at NYPD officers, urging them to jump ship. W&MACC Charles Lane has more. ICE's new recruitment push promises NYPD officers more respect and up to $50,000 in bonuses. The ads hit on concerns about incoming mayor Zoran Mamdani, who has pledged stronger police oversight. Former NYPD officer Jillian Snyder teaches at John Jay College. They don't want to work somewhere where they think everything they do is going to be scrutinized,

everything they do is going to be criticized, everything they do is going to be interpreted through a really negative lens. Schneider says that signing bonuses are rare in law enforcement. ICE is also touting perks like student loan repayment and no degree requirements. FDNY officials say a discarded cigarette caused a fiery car explosion that hurt seven firefighters this week in the Bronx. Department chief John Esposito says smokers should make sure their cigarette, are out before tossing them. If you're smoking, don't flick your cigarette butts. We remind all New Yorkers to properly extinguished cigarettes before throwing them out.

The incident happened on Fox Street near Westchester Avenue and Longwood around 7 on Wednesday night. Officials say the thrown out cigarette started a small trash fire that quickly spread to a car parked nearby. That ignited the car's gas tank and triggered the explosion. Five of the firefighters were treated for serious injuries, All seven are expected to fully recover. 54 with sunshine now, partly sunny going up to 59 a day, winds picking up to 30 miles an hour, showers likely through midnight, all the way into early in the morning, mid-50s with high winds overnight.

Then tomorrow, a slim chance of showers mainly by 7 in the morning, becoming sunny mid-60s with a light wind. Michael Hill, WNIC News. Stay close. There's more after the break. Film Forum is wrapping up a series devoted to the silent film scholar Kevin Brownlow. Perhaps his crowning achievement is a decades-long restoration of Napoleon, a nearly six-hour-long French silent from 1927. WNYC's Ryan Kyloth reports both showings this month sold out immediately.

The last time Napoleon screened in New York City was 1981, when Francis Ford Coppola, who was a fan of the legendary epic by French director Avel Gans, rented out Radio City Music Hall to show it. The three-day run was extended to eight. The New York Times called it the city's hottest ticket. Film forums Bruce Goldstein was there. Remember, Radio City Musical, a 6,000 seat. It became the talk of the town. A silent movie made in 1927 with a full symphony orchestra, something like it had never been seen for decades. I remember sitting in front of Gloria Vanderbilt. Every celebrity in town had to be there. And they extended the run.

Each film forum screening is spread out over a whole day with breaks. And just like the 1981 run, it is sold out. Oh, it's sold out. Oh, my God. But they may have some tickets. Well, I guess I'll wait. It's a masterpiece for pushing the boundaries of silent film. It's something that's never really shown.

It's an iconic movie, and I'm really looking forward to the five and a half hours. Jason Chats has a ticket, but Diego Rodriguez, John Diaz, and Beatrice Renault are waiting in the standby line. Eventually, they get in. There's no recording in the theater, but the first three hours of the film are electric. Gons did things a hundred years ago that look fresh today. There's montage and split screen and stop motion animation. The camera swings on rope over a packed room full of people. It sinks underwater and rides on horseback.

Roger Boe saw the film at Radio City 44 years ago. Were you an unusual college student in that this was your interest? I think I probably was. I'm here alone, so that says a lot. So my grandmother introduced me to silent films when I was a little kid.

She came from China, she didn't have a language, so silent films were definitely something for her. Every time PBS would hear silent movies, especially Chaplin, she would drag me to the TV, of the TV, and we'd watch it together. Film forums Goldstein said these screenings were a miracle. The movie's shown so rarely because of complicated rights issues, but he got special permission for these two screenings.

And based on the reception, Goldstein says, he may try to bring Napoleon back for a longer run. Ryan Kyloth, WNYC News. 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.

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