WNYC News

The St. John's University men's basketball program is having quite a year. They already claimed the Big East regular season conference title. They're undefeated at home this season. And they're currently ranked #6 in the nation. On Saturday, March 8 the team wraps up its regular season against Marquette in Milwaukee. And then it's on to the Big East tournament and of course the NCAA's annual March Madness. James Williams is a journalism student at St. John's and sports editor for the student paper, The Torch. He joins Weekend Edition host David Furst to talk about the team's resurgence. UPDATE: St. John's ended up finishing the regular season in wild fashion, beating Marquette with a last-second basket in overtime, 86-84.    

Consumers aren't usually aware of the products that Saratoga County's Precision Valve & Automation make. But PVA builds machines that spray adhesives to hold together everything from electronics to aircraft -- mainly using Canadian steel. The company is one of many manufacturers worried about how President Donald Trump's tariffs could harm their business.

The latest on congestion pricing lead's this week's On The Way roundup of New York City transit news. Plus, a new plan to repair the BQE in Brooklyn Heights. 

Cara Kennedy-Cuomo, 30, said she found a place and is now a “proud Brooklyn resident.” But she failed to mention a key detail about her apartment hunt: She’d recently moved out of a $8,242-a-month two-bedroom apartment in Midtown East now occupied by her dad, Andrew Cuomo.

Beth Jacob Ohev Sholom is the oldest Orthodox synagogue in Brooklyn and the only one in Williamsburg that isn’t Hasidic, according to long-time members. The congregation’s building stands on the dividing line between drastic gentrification to the north and an insular Hasidic Jewish community to the south. Until a few months ago, the synagogue followed Orthodox customs, like separating male and female worshippers, but not all of the practices observed at nearby Hasidic congregations. Unlike the many Hasidic synagogues in the neighborhood, the congregation has historically been known for welcoming different kinds of Jews to pray. Hundreds of worshippers used to pack into the Beth Jacob Ohev Sholom’s sanctuary on major holidays, Ruiz said. But as many of those congregants died or moved away in recent years, a small group of Hasidic Jews started to pray alongside the mostly non-Hasidic, long-time members. While the two groups co-existed in relative peace at first, in the last few years they have become estranged. Now, the mostly non-Hasidic long-timers and the Hasidic newcomers are suing each other for authority over the synagogue and its building. On Friday, a judge is expected to hear arguments in the case. But the legal dispute is likely to continue for months to come.The specifics of the strife range from petty arguments over hoarded water bottles on a hot day to profound disagreements about what it means to be a Jew. But the patterns at play in this case underscore broader questions about the fate of New York’s revered houses of worship, as religious membership dwindles and property values soar. At the center of the dispute is the congregation’s most valuable asset: its building. Each side is accusing the other of plotting to sell the property, raze the temple and construct condos in its wake.

Klike la a pou w wè paj sa a nan lang angle.Click here to view this page in English.  Ane pase, vyolans gang touye plis pase 5000 moun ann Ayiti. Sa gen kèk ane depi peyi a nan yon kriz politik. Epi Ayisyen nan peyi Etazini ki gen yon pye isit yon pye ann Ayiti, sitiyasyon an pa estab nan tou de peyi yo. Pou moun konprann istwa sa a pi byen, twa estasyon radyo piblik nan twa vil ki gen plis Ayisyen nan peyi Etazini: GBH and The World nan Boston, WNYC nan New York City, ak WLRN nan Miami – ap mete tèt ansanm pou yo ouvè liy telefòn yo pou tande sa Ayisyen k ap koute estasyon sa yo gen pou yo di. Se Brian Lehrer (WNYC) ki pral anime pwogram sa a ansanm ak Saraya Wintersmith (GBH News) ak Tim Padgett (WLRN). Emisyon espesyal 90 minit sa a, “AYITI SOU LIY LAN.” ap an dirèk sou tou le twa estasyon radyo yo. Emisyon espesyal sa a ap gen esperyans pèsonèl oditè ki rete nan kominote sa yo, pandan y ap pataje relasyon yo ak Ayiti ak jan sitiyasyon an ye kounye a epi yo va pale de sitiyasyon imigran ak refijye ap viv isit nan peyi Etazini. Animatè pwogram nan yo ap resevwa envite espesyal sa yo nan emisyon an: Widlore Merancourt, jounalis epi editè anchèf AyiboPost Jacqueline Charles, jounalis nan Miami Herald li te youn nan finalis pou prim Pulitzer Prize pou repòtaj li te fè apre tranblemanntè 2010 Ayiti a Dr. Geralde Gabeau, direktè egzekitif Immigrant Family Services Institute Rep. Sheila Cherfilus McCormick (D-FL), ko-dirijan House Haiti Caucus epi se sèl Ayisyen Ameriken ki nan Kongrè a kounye a   Speaker: [00:00:00] Depi nan GBH, Boston, WNYC, New York, ak WLRN nan Miami, se emisyon Haiti on the line. Soti tan lesklavaj ak kolonizasyon pase nan tranblemanntè ak manifestasyon, pa gen anpil pèp ki soufri tankou pèp ayisyen.  Kounye a, se vyolans gang lakay nou ak move tretman imigran nan peyi Etazini, kote Prezidan Trump, kòm anpil nan nou deja konnen, fèk anile TPS pou 500, 000 imigran ayisyen. Apil Ayisyen vanyan ki pasipala ap mande tèt yo sa pou yo fè. Aswè a twa estasyon radyo piblik met tèt ansanm pou yo pale ak kèk moun nou envite epi pou nou ouvè liy telefòn yo bay piblik la pou nou kab koute istwa Ayiti ak istwa Ameriken-Ayisyen kounye a nan bouch kèk nan nou. Prèske mwatye yon milyon Ayisyen. Plis pase mwatye Ayisyen [00:01:00] k ap viv nan peyi Etazini rete Boston, New York, ak Miami. E si w ap koute radyo a nan peyi Etazini, epi ou gen zanmi ak fanmi ki rete ann Ayiti, di yo koute emisyon sa a tou. Emisyon sa a ap pase an dirèk pandan pwochen 90 minit yo. Epi yo kab koute sou entènèt nan adrès sa @wnyc.org. Pou koute sou entènèt an dirèk, al sou sit sa a: awnyc.org. Epi telefone nan nimewo sa a si w vle poze yon kesyon oswa fè yon kòmantè: 8 4 4 7 4 5 talk. Make nimewo a. N ap kontinye repete nimewo a pandan emisyon an: 8 4 4 7 4 5 8 2 5 5 8 4 4 7 4 5 Talk. Pase mesaj la bay lòt oditè ki Ayisyen ak sa ki pa Ayisyen. Kouman kriz politik yo ak kriz gang yo ann Ayiti afekte ou pèsonèlman oswa lòt moun ou konnen? Ki wòl peyi Etazini oswa Ameriken-Ayisyen jwe nan kriz sa a ann Ayiti, si pou yo ta jwe yon wòl? Ki sa w pral fè si Trump ap sispann dwa ou pou w rete isit [00:02:00] nan Pwogram pwoteksyon tanporè? Epi di nou tou, Ki sa medya yo manke nan repòtaj yo? Toutbon, di nou sa nou rate? Ki sa medya pa fè repòtaj sou li ou ta vle nou pale de li kounye a? N ap envite ou telefone 844 745 TALK. Sa se Haiti on the Line, epi mwen rele Brian Lehrer depi New York. Saraya Speaker 2:  Wintersmith nan Boston. Nou gen kèk gran envite ki pare pou pale avè nou aswè a. Jounalis korespondan pou jounal Miami Herald, Jacqueline Charles, ap la avè nou tou. Nou pral pale tou ak yon manm Kongrè Ameriken an ki te fèt ann Ayiti, Madam Sheila Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick epi nou gen Doktè Gerald Gabeau. L ap travay nan  Immigrant Family Services Institute ki nan Boston, se yon òganizasyon k ap ede Ayisyen tabli yo nan peyi Etazini. Met sou sa, nou gen Widlore Mérancourt, editè an chèf AyiboPost yon gwoup endepandan ki bay nouvèl, ki gen biwo prensipal yo nan Port au Prince. Nou pral akeyi li talè kon sa, men anvan sa nou pral rejwenn kòlèg nou Tim Paget ki nan Miami. Alo, Tim. Alo, Saraiya. Alo, Brian. Speaker: Alo, Tim. Tim, dapre sa m tande, e se pral yon bon bagay [00:03:00] pou editè nou yo paske m tande ou prepare yon ti rezime pou oditè ki pa suiv nouvèl Ayiti nan dènye ane ki sot pase yo. Ki lè ou te kòmanse prepare bagay sa a? Speaker 3: Bon, gen anpil moman nou te ka chwazi kòm yon pwen depa pou nou bay yon rezime sou moman sa a ann Ayiti kounye a, men nou kòmanse ak tranblemanntè 2010 la, ki deklannche tout yon seri degrenngolad katastwofik nan peyi a epi peyi a poko janm kab reprann li depi lè sa a. Epi tou, istwa a pa t ap konplè san nouvèl semenn pase a kote Prezidan Trump anile TPS pou plizyè santèn mil imigran ki vin chèche refij nan peyi Etazini Speaker: Mèsi, Tim. Mezanmi men istwa a. Li dire apeprè 3 minit. Speaker 3: Kenz an de sa, bagay yo te kòmanse chanje ann Ayiti. Speaker 4:  Speaker 3: Peyi sa a nan karayib la te toujou peyi ki pi pòv nan emisfè a, men te gen yon fyète menm jan ak dlo Ayiti sa a, Lakay, djaz ayisyen Tabou Combo te anrejistre pandan deseni sa a  [00:04:00] . Pwofesè sikoloji nan Inivèsite Miami, Marie Guerda Nicolas, yon moun ki fèt Ayiti, te fè sonje santiman optimis sa a. Speaker 5: Nou te gen plis estabilite nan sitiyasyon politik la. Sou plan ekonomik, peyi a te espòte plis machandiz, yo te bati plis enfrastrikti. Nou te sou bon wout. Speaker 3: Epi, 12 janvye 2010, yon gwo tranblemanntè kraze tout sa. Tranblemanntè a touye apeprè 200, 000 moun epi sa te kreye yon deblozay politik ak ekonomik. Malerezman, kominote entènasyonal la anpil fwa fè bagay yo vin pi mal. Paregzanp, gwoup sòlda Nasyonzini an, MINUSTAH, ki te vin met lapè nan peyi a, pote yon epidemi kolera nan peyi a. Speaker 6: Yo te bay lòt antite ki pa nan peyi a responsablite pou ban nou sekirite. Speaker 3: Christensen Janty fèt ann Ayiti, li te retounen Ayiti nan kapital Pòtoprens, sa gen 10 an pou l al ede kreye kèk nouvo biznis yo te bezwen anpil.    Janty di lè Minustah kite Ayiti an 2017, li kite [00:05:00] yon nouvo espas vid nan afè sekirite anndan peyi a. Anpil moun nan elit politik la sèvi ak gang pa yo pou kontwole espas sa yo. Speaker 6: Lè w mete zam nan men moun k ap komèt vyolans nan fason sa a, se tankou yon bèt sovaj ou t ap bay manje ki kite kalòj li. Speaker 3: Kou ki touye koukou a se asasina Prezidan Jovenel Moise mèsenè touye nan mwa jiyè 2021. Apre sa, vyolans gang yo vin si tèlman gaye se chèf gang sa yo ki la kòm dirijan kounye a. Speaker 6: Epi men nou kounye a nan yon sosyete ki apèn ap fonksyone paske gang kontwole plis pase 80% vil nan vil Pòtoprens. Speaker 3: Epi y ap kontwole rès ekonomi an tou. Nasyonzini di ane pase gang touye 5, 600 moun, ak yon bann kidnapin, yo fè kadejak sou moun, epi yo vòlè kamyon manje, gaz, ak medikaman. Majorite gwo zam fann fwa yo genyen se nan peyi Etazini yo soti. Yon misyon miltinasyonal ki vin pou ede lapolis ann Ayiti sanble yo pa kab fè fas ak gang yo, kote ane pase gang sa yo atake ayewopò Pòtoprens lan epi yo fèmen l pou plizyè mwa.  [00:06:00] Gen plis pase yon milyon Ayisyen ki kite kay yo akòz vyolans oubyen ki ret nan lari epi sa kreye yon pwoblèm imigrasyon pou Ayisyen ki rete isit nan peyi Etazini. Malgre sa, Ayisyen tankou Jeanty ak Gepsie Metelus, yo ap dirije yon òganizasyon ki rele Sant La nan North Miami, raple nou istwa peyi sa a, se istwa yon peyi ki leve gwo defi deja. Speaker 7: Nou gade sou istwa nou kòm premye peyi ki fè revolisyon kont lesklavaj ki reyisi, flanbo diyite sa a, mwen kenbe l kòm eritaj. Alafen, nou pral wè chanjman ann Ayiti. Speaker 3: Ayiti va bezwen rezistans sa a plis pase anvan pou l retounen sou bon wout. Non mwen se Tim Padgett nan Miami. Speaker: Mèsi, Tim. Yon lòt fwa ankò, n ap envite tout moun k ap koute ki gen yon koneksyon ak Ayiti pou yo vin pran pa nan konvèsasyon sa a. Nimewo telefòn nou se 844 745 TALK. Se 844 745 8255. Kouman sitiyasyon gang yo ak sitiyasyon politik la [00:07:00] afekte ou pèsonèlman oswa yon moun ou konnen? E oumenm ak fanmi ou ki kote ou gad ak desizyon Prezidan Trump pran pou l sispann Pwoteksyon tanporè nan peyi Etazini? E ki sa ou panse medya yo manke nan repòtaj y ap fè yo? Telefone 844 745 TALK, pou moun k ap koute sou Flatbush, Brooklyn, oubyen nan Little Haiti nan Miami, oswa Boston, oubyen Western Massachusetts sou NAPM. Speaker 2: E pandan n ap òganize apèl ou yo, nou pral pale kounye a ak Widlore Mérancourt, Editè anchèf AyiboPost, yon jounal endepandan ki gen biwo santral li nan Pòtoprens. Li abite pòtoprens, men li... Alo Widlore nou byen kontan resevwa ou la a. Speaker: Mèsi. Widlore, se Brian k ap pale la a. N ap gade kèk tit nan atik ou yo ki parèt nan jounal Washington Post kote ou fè repòtaj tou, petèt gen kèk nan oditè nou yo ki deja konn sa, bondye papa m, an desanm gang masakre yon bann granmoun. Biwo Wo Komisyon Nasyonzini ki okipe afè Dwa Zimèn deklare gang yo touye omwen 184 moun [00:08:00], plis pase 120 ladan yo te gen plis pase 60 an. Dapre sa mwen konprann kounye a chif la monte a 200. Dapre deklarasyon Nasyonzini, nan mwa oktòb, omwen 70 mouri nan atak gang ann Ayiti. Nan mwa septanm, pandan Ayisyen ap kouri kite kapital la, moun kòmanse pè pou gang pa suiv yo. Èske ka byen rapid enfòme oditè nou yo ki kab pa suiv nouvèl ki soti ann Ayiti? Ki sa kondisyon yo ye nan peyi a ki fè nou gen kalite gran tit istwa sa yo? Speaker 8: Bon, kanta pou move nouvèl, nou pa manke sa, lè se de Ayiti w ap pale. Mwen panse si pou m ta bay yon rezime tou kout sou sa k ap pase ann Ayiti, jan m kite ayiti de twa semenn de sa, se yon bon kote pou m ta kòmanse. Bon, sa pran m apeprè 3 jou, pou m kite kapital la nan premye semenn fevriye a pou m te al Kalifòni pou m al asiste kèk konferans. Bon, wout prensipal moun sèvi [00:09:00] pou yo antre soti nan Pòtoprens, tout sou kontwòl gang. Gang kontwole wout nò a, gang kontwole wout sid la,  se menm wout sa a ki mennen nan depa

Health officials say there are two confirmed cases of measles in New York City. This comes as outbreak of measles in Texas continues to grow, with more than 100 cases. New York State Health Commissioner Doctor James McDonald talked with WNYC's Sean Carlson about the current outbreak and current vaccination rates in New York.

Under the latest proposed regulations the state Office of Cannabis Management will consider exceptions to the distance rules based on factors such as consumer demand in the area and whether there’s an obstruction such as a highway between the two dispensaries in question. Read the full story here.  

When Cinthia Almonte, better know as La Comelona, or, "the foodie," first moved to New York City from the Dominican Republic in 2016, she was looking for a way to fall in love with New York. So, she ate her way through it. Today, the Dominican native has made her mark in the city as one of its most prominent food influencers.

Evelyn Graham-Nyaasi knows what it’s like to be involuntarily committed for mental health treatment.“ I was locked up in the room where all these people were screaming and yelling,” she said. “There were no toilet seats, no doors, nothing. It was a horrible experience.”She's part of a group of advocates battling Gov. Kathy Hochul's plan to expand the state's standard for involuntary commitment. They say it would infringe on civil rights, while proponents argue it would boost public safety.

After all the buzz and the predictions about this year’s nominees, it will all be settled tonight. The 97th Academy Awards ceremony airs on ABC at 7pm on Sunday, March 2 with Conan O'Brien hosting. Alison Stewart is, of course, the host of All Of It on WNYC. But she's also an Oscars super-fan. She joins Weekend Edition host David Furst for a preview and a roundup of the New York and New Jersey nominees. BONUS:Play along while you watch with the All Of It 'Oscar Bingo Card.'    

When it comes to star-gazing, March marks the transition from winter to spring night skies. The spring equinox is on March 20th, when we will have equal amounts of daytime and night hours. WNYC's Rosemary Misdary joins Weekend Edition host David Furst with some stargazing tips for March.  

As we flip the calendar to March, the New York City mayor's race is coming into focus. This week, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams took steps towards entering the race. And voters and candidates are waiting to see if former governor Andrew Cuomo will throw his hat in the ring. WNYC's Michelle Bocanegra joins Weekend Edition host David Furst with the latest.   

The New York Amsterdam News is one of the most influential Black newspapers in the city, and was one of only 50 Black newspapers in the country when it put out its first edition in 1909. Now the over a hundred year old paper is turning its newsroom in Harlem into a museum.   Elinor Tatum, the publisher and editor in chief of the New York Amsterdam News, talked with WNYC's Sean Carlson more about it.

Nearly 200 years ago, Richard Riker — a powerful judge whose family the island is named after — was at the center of a network that included city officials, police officers and others who captured Black New Yorkers, purportedly fugitive enslaved people, and delivered them to Southern slave owners, according to historians. Mack was detained on Rikers Island in 1992 and 1993 and is now the co-founder and co-director of Freedom Agenda, which works with people affected by incarceration. On Feb. 14, he told the crowd that Adams’ proposal to bring U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents back to Rikers would put Black and Latino immigrants in enforcement agents' crosshairs and was on par with Richard Riker’s harmful actions. Read the full story here.

Working as an Uber, Lyft or taxi driver doesn’t come with many perks. But since the start of congestion pricing, those drivers do get one benefit: exemption from the tolls, regardless of whether they’re on the job or not.

The federal government wants congestion pricing in Manhattan disabled by March 21. But Gov. Kathy Hochul says drivers will continue to be tolled until a judge rules otherwise. That and more in this week's On The Way roundup of NYC transit news. 

The Gender-Motivated Violence Protection Act was sponsored by Councilmember Carlina Rivera of Manhattan. It opened a two-year "look back" window for survivors to report claims of assault, with no statute of limitations.Since the window was instated, some 540 New Yorkers have sued the city, alleging they were sexually abused by staff at city juvenile detention centers while they were held there as children. Councilmember Rivera joined WNYC Morning Edition host Michael Hill to talk about the Act, how to file a claim, and what comes next.  

As campaign season gets underway in New York City, Gov. Kathy Hochul has to look for a new running mate for next year after Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado declared his independence. Catch up on these stories and more in our weekly politics brief.