NYC NOW - November 28, 2023: Morning Headlines

Episode Date: November 28, 2023

Get up and get informed. Here’s all the local news you need to start your day: Two men have been cleared of murder convictions from the 90s in Manhattan on Monday, but only one of them is currently free. Meanwhile, a pro-car activist is being ordered to stay away from New York City's transportation commissioner. Also, New Jersey's acting education commissioner, Angelica Allen-McMillan is retiring at the end of January. Finally, today is the tree lighting ceremony at Bryant Park's Winter Village.

Welcome to NYC now. Your source for local news in and around New York City from WNYC. It's Tuesday, November 28th. Here's the morning headlines. I'm Jene Pierre. Two men have been cleared of their murder convictions in Manhattan as of Monday, but only one of them is currently free. Jabbar Walker was released a few hours after a judge decided to overturn his 1998 murder conviction.

Meanwhile, Wang Garding, remains in immigration detention because he's originally from Jamaica. He was transferred to immigration custody last year. Lou Fox is his attorney. He says there's no guarantee his client will be released. They don't have to let him out. And that's really the horrible, like, the bitter, sweet part of this for him. Fox says Gardeen has not been to Jamaica since he was 13 and all his family is in New York.

Fox says having the conviction overturned will make it easier for him to fight the deportation proceedings facing. A pro-car activist is being ordered to stay away from New York City's Transportation Commissioner. WNYC's Ramsey Caliphay reports. Raul Rivera is accused of interrupting a press conference on street safety improvements in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Prosecutors say Rivera ripped up a copy of Transportation Commissioner Edanus Rodriguez's speech and refused demands to back up. Rodriguez was touting changes to Berry Street meant to put pedestrians over drivers. A recording of the event captured Rivera's outrage. We want DOI to investigate you.

You sell out the drivers. You sell out the New Yorker. And we say, shame on you. Rivera criticizes policies he sees as punishing drivers on a social media account called NYC Drivers Unite. He's pleaded not guilty. His lawyer declined comment. New Jersey's acting education commissioner, Angelica Allen McMillan, is retiring at the end

of January. Alan McMillan has been acting head of the department since 2020. During her tenure, she's overseen New Jersey's schools' response to the pandemic, which included extended periods of remote and hybrid learning. She also oversaw the implementation of controversial new sex education standards. Governor Phil Murphy, in an announcement yesterday, celebrated Alan McMillan's oversight of the Education Department during a challenging time for New Jersey schools. Tis the season for tree lighting in New York City. Today is the tree lighting ceremony at Brian Park's Winter Village. It will feature performances from Olympic figure skaters and Broadway performers.

Attendance is free on a first-come basis, and it starts at four. And on tomorrow, the Rockefeller Center makes its prime time debut with the performance from Kelly Clarkson. The tree will be lit daily at the Rockefeller Center until January 13th. Thanks for listening. This is NYC now from WNYC. Be sure to catch us every weekday, three times a day, for your top news headlines and occasional deep dive. and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. See you this afternoon.