NYC NOW - October 15, 2024: Midday News

Episode Date: October 15, 2024

New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan will step down this Friday, months earlier than expected, citing personal reasons. Meanwhile, politicians and luminaries joined Monday’s Columbus Day parade, which marched up Fifth Avenue. WNYC’s Ryan Kailath was on the scene. Plus, the Yankees and Mets are both three wins away from a potential Subway World Series, as they compete in their respective league championships. WNYC’s Michael Hill speaks with sportswriter Kavitha Davidson about both teams’ progress and the possible showdown.

Welcome to NYC Now. Your source for local news in and around New York City from WMYC. It's Tuesday, October 15. Here's the midday news from Michael Hill. New York City's Health Commissioner is stepping down this Friday, months earlier than expected. Dr. Ashwin-Bossin said late last month he would be leaving his post because he needed to spend more time with his family. At the time, he said he would stay on until early next year to ease the train. transition. But in an email to his staff sent this morning, Dr. Vossin changed course. He now says

he has to leave earlier than anticipated because his family's needs have taken on greater urgency. Another top health department official, Dr. Michelle Morse, will serve as interim health commissioner as the city looks for a successor. Politicians and luminaries joined the Columbus Day parade yesterday. Devil Edm. C's Ryan Cullough swung by as it marched up Fifth Avenue. He also recognizes the holiday as Italian heritage and indigenous People's Day. But at the parade, it's still Columbus Day, where a singer on a box truck is belting out Italian-American classics like... Sweet Caroline?

Everybody looks like a tourist out here. This is my first time seeing the parade. New Yorker Mack Tolliver is watching on his lunch break. He spotted U.S. Representative Tom Swazi go by, but just missed the mayor. Adams was it? I would like to get a little bull in there. Yeah, that guy's a deep trouble. Aaron Thomas is standing helplessly next to a hand cart

stacked with quickly thawing frozen fish, trying to figure out how to cross the avenue. Supposed to be delivering seafood to a restaurant. It's a one block away. Tolliver, who lives in Queens, heads back to work. A lot different from the Caribbean Day parade. 53 and Sunday now, mostly sunnily. sunny and 57 for a high today with a slight breeze.

Tonight, mostly clear and 42. It's going to be cold at the stadium. Another chilly night for baseball in the Bronx at 7.30. And then tomorrow's sunny and 55 and gusty. Wednesday night, mostly clear. 42 gusty at City Field for Dodgers' Mets game three. Of course, beginning a three-game homestand there. And then on Thursday, sunny and 58, as we notice a warming trend all the way into the weekend.

Stay close. There's more after the break. What an incredible time to be a New York baseball fan. Both the Yankees and the Mets are in Major League Baseball's final four. And if both teams win their series, the crosstown rivals could go head to head in a subway world series for the first time since 2000. With us now to talk and to break it all down is Kavitha Davidson.

She's a sports writer and the host of the podcast, Sportley. Kavitha, let's start with the Mets. they've come a long way this year. Tell us, in your words, I'm going to hear what you have to say about this, why it is so impressive that the amazons are where they are right now. Yeah, they certainly have. The term Miracle Mets is being thrown around again, and I think it very much applies to the way the Mets have gotten this far.

You know, this is a team that started the season really weekly in the first two months, had a huge surge starting in June, a little bit of a downturn in August. And because of some weather events and some scheduling mishaps, it came down to a doubleheader the day after the last day of the season for them to clinch a wildcard spot. Then they go on to beat the Brewers in the Wild Card series on a comeback home run from Pete Alonzo in the last game of that series. They beat the Phillies off of a couple of really wild home runs, won by Francisco Lindor at Grand Slam. And now they're tied with the Dodgers. And just to sum it up, they have now beaten two division winners, and the Dodgers have the best record in baseball, and they are tied with them. So these Mets are doing some really amazing things.

Now, the Yanks have made it just as far, but the vibes are different in the Bronx so far, right? I hear you were at last night's game? I was. Full disclosure, I grew up in Washington Heights and grew up a Yankees fan. I've been to every game so far at home. You know, the vibes are great. The vibes are fantastic in New York around both. of these teams. It's a little bit different from the Yankees because it is just a little, you know, they won their division. They had the best record in the American League. And they are

perennially under the scrutiny of they are supposed to be here, right? So they're living up to those kinds of expectations. But right now they are doing so. As you said, we have a long way to go. But everybody is kind of looking forward to what a, what a subway series might look like. Mets and Dodgers are nodded at a game each and are heading back to Queens for some home games. tomorrow night, Thursday night, and Friday night, while the Yankees are one game up, gearing up for game two tonight in the Bronx, sum up the league championship series so far. Yeah, so the Mets dropped their first game to the Dodgers behind some, you know, some really great Dodgers pitching.

The Dodgers had extended a 17-inning scoreless streak that was broken yesterday by a Francisco Indoor single. But they've been able to get to the Dodgers bullpen, at least yesterday. and now they come back home against a pretty beaten-up staff. Walker Bueller, who's starting for the Dodgers, gave up six runs in his only start in the postseason so far. So things are looking pretty okay for the Mets, and the bats are hitting, and that's really important.

On the Yankee side of things, you know, they had their ace and reigning Sall Young winner, Garrett Cole going tonight. He did not start in game one against Cleveland. And the bats are starting to wake up. There are still some issues with runners in scoring position. And Aaron Judge still has yet to have that big hit that everybody has been waiting for throughout his postseason career. But it's feeling pretty good in New York right now.

Kabita, I'm going to say the words that we usually dare not speak. Here we go. Subway series. What happens to, what has to happen for us to see one in 2024? Yeah, I mean, so the Yankees need to just keep getting it done. They're up one-nothing. You know, both of these series are Best of Sevens. I think they need a strong start from,

they need a strong start from Garrett Cole. And as I said, they need some, they need the big hit. They've right now been winning with an offense that has gotten by solo home runs and some walks and some fortuitous wild pitches, but they haven't had that break open hit yet. The Mets need to, I mean, the Mets have been relying on heroics this entire postseason.

So I don't think there's anything else that we can, that we can say about them. I will caution everybody about the word subway series. It's kind of like when there's a perfect game going on and you don't want to talk about it during the game until it happens. I think we'd all love to see this happen because I remember what New York felt like in 2000. And it really is a special thing when both of these teams are doing well. Our guest has been sports writer and podcast host Kavitha Davidson. I'm going to ask, I'm going to put you on a spot right now.

Will you come back and see us again, please? Absolutely. I love doing your show. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks so much for joining us. We'll see you again. Thank you.

Thanks for listening. This is NYC now from WMYC. Check us out for updates every weekday, three times a day, for the latest news headlines and occasional deep dives. And subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. We'll be back this evening.