NYC NOW - Morning Headlines: Parents Complain of Broken ACs and Hot Buses in Summer School, Hochul Calls to End Nonpartisan Redistricting, and Sen. Warren Supports Mamdani

Episode Date: August 5, 2025

Parents of students with disabilities in summer school say broken air conditioning and overheated buses are making an already difficult experience worse. Meanwhile, Governor Kathy Hochul says it’s time to move past nonpartisan redistricting in New York. Plus, Senator Elizabeth Warren shows support for democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani.

Welcome to NYC Now, your source for local news in and around New York City from WMYC. It's Tuesday, August 5th. Here's the morning headlines. I'm Jene Pierre. Parents and advocates for students with disabilities who attend summer school are complaining of broken air conditioners and sweltering school buses. Ileana Frias is a teacher's union representative who works with high-need students and their families. She says families and staff report six to ten buses. a week with broken ACs. Now they are hot and bothered and can't control that.

They start acting out. Some students cry. I've heard of students not wanting to get on the bus in the afternoon. The Education Department says there are more than 130 school buses with air conditioning issues, and they're working to address the problem as quickly as possible. Governor Kathy Holkel says the days of nonpartisan redistricting in New York. York should be over. WMYC's John Campbell reports the governor is blaming Texas Republicans for politicizing the process. The governor welcomed six Texas lawmakers to the state capital in Albany, all of them Democrats

who fled their home state to derail Republican efforts to redraw the congressional map. Hokel says if the GOP does overhaul the Texas map, Democrats in New York should do the same. This is a war. We are at war. And that's why the gloves are off. And I say, bring it on. But New York's Constitution doesn't allow for redistricting until the next census. Amending it is a multi-year process that requires voter approval. The earliest that could happen is for the 28 congressional elections. Senator Elizabeth Warren is standing by Zaramam Dani, even as some of her colleagues

stopped short of endorsing him. Warren joined Mamdani yesterday as the Democrats' mayoral nominee pledged to deliver universal child care if he wins the November election. When asked about the lack of support from people like Senator Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Warren says her party needs to rally around affordability. But if you actually think we are in America that needs to work harder to make this country affordable for working families, then this is the fight to be in. Momdani's emphasis on the affordability message that helped him win the primary comes as his rivals criticized his public safety proposals after last week's mass shooting in Midtown.

A look at your commute now. Two and three trains are skipping the Clark Street station in both directions. And on the roads, drivers can expect traffic on the I-95 southbound ramp to I-87 Major Deacon Expressway. A look at your forecast. There's no rain in sight this week. 72 degrees currently, it'll be partly sunny today with a high around 86 degrees, mostly cloudy skies ahead on your Tuesday night with a low around 70. Thanks for listening. This is NYC now from WNYC.

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