NYC NOW - Morning Headlines: SNAP Delays Hit New York Grocers, Health Officials Warn of Rising Viruses, and State Investigates False Text Alert

Episode Date: November 13, 2025

New York grocers say sales have dropped by as much as 25 percent as SNAP delays leave customers without funds, forcing stores to cut orders and mark down perishable goods. Meanwhile, the city’s health commissioner is urging New Yorkers to get flu, COVID and RSV vaccines amid a sharp rise in respiratory illnesses. And the state is investigating how a third party vendor sent a false Bank of America alert to nearly 200,000 text subscribers.

Welcome to NYC now, your source for local news in and around New York City from WNYC. Here's the morning headlines from Michael Hill. New York grocers say sales at their stores in the last week dropped by as much as 25% because of the delay in SNAP benefits. WNYC's Karen Yee reports. Grocers who spoke to WNYC say they saw some of their customers leave the store in tears. When they realized at checkout, there was no money left on their food stamp. cards. Others paid on credit cards or only took a handful of items. Juan Jimenez manages the Cherry Valley marketplace in Elmhurst. He says he helped cover some of the costs for his customers

from his own pocket because he couldn't be apathetic. Other grocers say they ordered fewer meats and produce to avoid waste and had to lower prices of all items before they went bad. is expected to resume once the government reopens. The city's health commissioners urging New Yorkers to get their flu, COVID, and RSV vaccines before the holidays. Dr. Michelle Moore says there's an upswing of respiratory viruses right now, including an 80% increase in emergency room visits for the flu compared to last week. Dr. Moore says vaccines are safe and reduces the risk of severe symptoms in doctor visits. And if you've already been inoculated, she says, there are other ways to stay safe.

Stay home if you're sick. That helps to cut off the spread of viruses. Another thing you can do is wear a mask if you're going to be in crowded locations where others may be sick or contagious. And then we always recommend hand hygiene. To find where you can get vaccinated, you can visit the New York City Health Map. You can also look up locations based on your insurance. Governor Hokel's office says a third-party vendor is to blame for a false message. They went out to nearly 200,000 of subscribers to official state text alerts. The text went out on Monday. It claimed a transaction on their Bank of America card failed to go through and directed them to a call a specific number. They received a follow-up text on Tuesday, warning the message didn't come from the state and that they shouldn't reply to it or call the number. The State Department of Information Technology Services says the company that handles its text hotline is investigating the cause. Brooklyn-based Mobile Commons has not responded to a request for comment.

49 with clouds right now, mostly sunny and 51 for a high, West winds gusting to 30 miles an hour, and then tonight a low of 38 with high winds. 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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