NYC NOW

Governor Hochul and state lawmakers say a final budget deal could come this week or next, but changes may follow later in the year. Meanwhile, New Yorkers without a Met Gala invite have several stylish alternatives including the People’s Ball, Debt Gala, and Metro Gala. Plus, the Jane’s Walk NYC festival returns this weekend with hundreds of free history walks across the five boroughs.

New York is moving closer to legalizing physician-assisted suicide, as the State Assembly advances the Medical Aid in Dying bill. Meanwhile, the future of Rye Playland is in doubt after a contract collapse with the park’s operator. And the Knicks fall to the Pistons at home, missing a chance to clinch the series. Game 6 is set for Thursday in Detroit. **Correction: An old episode of NYC Now was inadvertently uploaded this morning. It was has since been updated with the correct version.

MTA officials laid out plans Monday to use artificial intelligence technology to push its surveillance capabilities to new levels. Also, city officials say unauthorized demolition work and years of neglect caused the deadly collapse of a parking garage in Lower Manhattan in 2023. And a federal prosecutor is threatening to sue telecom companies in a bid to get them to monitor users' messages and crack down on child sex predators. Plus, GrowNYC’s Greenmarket program supports over 200 local producers today. And finally, as National Poetry Month comes to an end, we share poems from a father-son duo in Brooklyn.

The MTA will test modern fare gates with sliding glass doors at 20 subway stations this fall, part of a pilot aimed at curbing fare evasion that costs the agency hundreds of millions annually. Meanwhile, the New York Knicks are one win away from advancing to the second round of the NBA playoffs as they play the Pistons at the Garden. Plus, New York state lawmakers have a handshake deal on the state budget that's almost a month late. WNYC state government reporter Jimmy Vielkind. Has the details.

New York City will allow affordable apartments to bypass the housing lottery and list vacancies directly on real estate sites like StreetEasy, in an effort to speed up the rental process. Meanwhile, Governor Hochul and state lawmakers have struck a tentative deal on the nearly $254 billion state budget, almost a month late. Plus, the Trump administration is investigating whether New York’s ban on Native American school mascots violates federal civil rights laws, with a Long Island school at the center of the dispute.

Elected officials, veterans and union workers are blasting the White House for its proposal to cut staffing at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Plus, Mayor Adams’ executive budget will invest another $46 million to revitalize New York City's supportive housing initiative. Also, residents of Staten Island's south shore head to the polls Tuesday to fill an open City Council seat. And finally, delivery workers in New York City are accusing DoorDash of a pattern of wage theft.

Starting Monday, New Yorkers receiving cash assistance must once again meet work requirements or risk losing benefits. Meanwhile, Senator Cory Booker and Representative Hakeem Jeffries held an hours-long sit-in on the Capitol steps to protest looming cuts to social services. Plus, NYPD data show thousands of homeless encampment sweeps last year, but only about a hundred people wound up in shelter. WNYC’s Karen Yi has more.

Newly reviewed data shows NYPD officers removed more than 27,000 homeless people from public spaces last year, mostly in Manhattan. Meanwhile, Amtrak is cutting service between Albany and New York City starting today for major tunnel repairs. Plus, Basketball Hall of Famer and Knicks legend Dick Barnett has died at 88, as the Knicks push to close out their playoff series against Detroit.

NYC Now is back this weekend with the final episode in its series on Mayor Eric Adams and how he has found himself at the mercy of intersecting political powers — from his voter base, to prosecutors, to Governor Kathy Hochul, and, of course, President Donald Trump. Now, with the mayoral election just a few months away, we look at what lies ahead for Adams and the city. Host Janae Pierre sits down with WNYC politics reporter Brigid Bergin and fellow host Brian Lehrer. Miss the previous episodes in our series? Listen to #1 here, #2 here, #3 here, #4 here and #5 here.

Former New York Congressmember George Santos will be spending at least seven years in federal prison. Plus, comptroller candidate, Justin Brannan, has a plan to re-invest a $500 million piece of the city's multibillion-dollar pension funds and use it to pay for universal child care. Also, a report on the future of containerizing New York City’s garbage. And finally, a food critic shares a few good eats in the West Village neighborhood.