A lot of Mayor Mamdani's campaign was rooted in the promise that he was going to bring a new pragmatism to City Hall that would be informed by his Democratic Socialist worldview that would make life in New York City more affordable and livable for millions of New Yorkers including the one in four that now live in poverty.
This week, Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani announced the installation of 17 new public bathrooms has begun across New York City, bringing free, accessible facilities to public plazas and high-traffic areas where New Yorkers currently lack reliable access to a bathroom.
According to Council Member Sandy Nurse, there are just 1,000 public toilets in New York City, or one per 8,500 New Yorkers. Nurse and the Mamdani administration believe 2,100 additional toilets are needed.
We played that press conference in its entirety including the off-topic Q and A where Mayor Mamdani answers questions about next week's UN General Assembly and on where he stands on the planned protest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. There's even questions regarding the city's response to the challenges posed by Artificial Intelligence, which some experts predict could bring an end to human existence on this planet before the climate crisis kicks off mass extinction.
We also had sound from a UFT rally this Wednesday demanding that Gov. Hochul not sign on to a controversial federal tax credit school voucher program that was buried in the GOP's Big Beautiful Bill.
A broad coalition of union and social justice groups say the tax credit is a Trump inspired attempt to defund public education.
In our second hour. we crossed the Hudson and discussed a 5,000 gallon fuel leak into the Hackensack River fuel leak from the Equinix Data center in Secaucus, highlighting the environmental consequences of these facilities.
We hear from Jennifer Coffey, executive director of ANJEC (Association on New Jersey Environmental Commissions) and Hackensack Riverkeeper Capt. Bill Sheehan about the impact on an estuary that’s made an amazing comeback.
We finished up with good news about a merger of Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn with New York City Health+Hospitals, which was approved yesterday by the New York State Department of Health’s Public Health and Health Planning Council (PHHPC). This merger was actually supported by the New York Nurses Association.
Russell Pinsker, RN with NYSNA, discussed Maimonides robust maternal care capabilities at a time when so many communities lack that kind of essential care.
Pinsker also explained why his union supports the New York Health Act, which would provide universal coverage for ALL New Yorkers.
