NYC NOW - September 10, 2024: Morning Headlines

Episode Date: September 10, 2024

Get up and get informed! Here’s all the local news you need to start your day: New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s lawyers have acknowledged that the MTA’s congestion pricing toll debate is political, despite her public claims that the “indefinite pause” isn’t. WNYC’s Ramsey Khalifeh reports. Meanwhile, New York health insurers may soon be required to ask members about their race, sexual orientation, and other details. Plus, over 50 street vendors in Corona, Queens, protested Monday, accusing the NYPD of illegally trashing their confiscated carts.

Welcome to NYC now. Your source for local news in and around New York City from WMYC. It's Tuesday, September 10th. Here's the morning headlines from Michael Hill. Governor Cathy Hockel publicly says her indefinite pause on the MTA's congestion. Pricing plan was not based on politics. But behind the scenes, a lawyer say the debate over the tolls is all politics. WNYC is Ramsey-C-C-C-C-Coliphe, explains.

transit advocates are suing the governor over her congestion pricing pause, arguing she's legally required to move forward with the controversial tolls. But in a new filing, Hockel's team says the future of the program should be decided in, quote, the political realm, not in the courts. Riders aligned spokesperson Danny Pearlstein says congestion pricing was approved through politics when it was signed into law in 2019 by former Governor Cuomo. riders fought for and won congestion pricing, and what we won was a law. The legislature voted for it and the governor signed it. The lawsuits are slated to be heard in court on September 27th.

New York health insurance companies soon may be required to ask members about their race, sexual orientation, and other details. WNIC's Caroline Lewis reports. State officials are proposing a new rule that would require health plans to gather more personal information from their members, although New Yorkers have the option to decline. Officials say the goal is to help insurance companies understand the populations they serve and how they use their health benefits, so they can identify any gaps in care. The draft regulations ban insurance companies from selling the data or using it to discriminate against New Yorkers, but the data could be shared with the state.

The proposed rule will be subject to a 70-day public comment period before being finalized. Street vendors and Corona Queen say the NYPD is illegally trashing their confiscated cards. A group of more than 50 vendors protest at the alleged disposals yesterday afternoon at Junction Boulevard in 37th Avenue. Blanca Alvaredo says police threw her card into a garbage truck two weeks ago after issuing her citation for vending without a permit. I know I'm not going to stay, because I'm with material, I said I'm going to little, a little. Alvarado says she wasn't given a chance to

reclaim her car, which advocates say violates due process rights. The NYPD did not respond to a request for comment. 64 and clear now, sunny and 78 today mostly dry all the way through Sunday. Thanks for listening. This is NYC now from WNYC.

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