Watch Gov. Hochul debate herself on congestion pricing

Plus: Joey Chestnut out of Coney Island hot dog eating contest [View this email in a browser.]( Gothamist relies on your support to make local news available to all. Not yet a member? [Consider donating and join today.]( [Watch Gov. Hochul debate herself when it comes to implementing congestion pricing]( [first image]( [Today's newsletter is curated by James Ramsay]( Weather: ☀️ Mostly sunny, highs around 80. It's Wednesday in New York, where Gov. Kathy Hochul said last June that "for commuters who've not yet discovered the ease and the benefit of using trains that may be right there for them, but they're just so conditioned to driving cars — we're going to help them see the light." It's also where she declared last week that "now is not the time" to ask New Yorkers "who are still feeling the cost of inflation in their pocketbooks" to pay $15 to drive into Manhattan below 60th Street. [Here's a video mash-up of Hochul effectively arguing with herself about the congestion pricing plan](. And here's what else is happening: - Lost your wallet? The New York DMV is rolling out digital state-issued IDs that you can [download on your phone and use to identify yourself](. - Due to a surge in demand for IDNYC cards, New York City is [opening a second enrollment center]( in the Bronx. - [A trauma center is "urgently" needed]( in the Rockaways so patients with severe injuries don't have to be transported off the peninsula, according to a local task force that's been studying the issue. - The group formerly known as NYC Audubon has changed its name to the NYC Bird Alliance, completing a multi-year process of severing its ties to John James Audubon, the 19th century artist and environmentalist [whose reputation as a slave owner had increasingly clouded the group’s mission](. - A 24-year-old Texas man has been charged with [selling firearms and parts]( to an undercover NYPD officer while incarcerated in federal prison. - New Jersey business owner Jose Uribe said during Sen. Bob Menendez's corruption trial yesterday that even though he's been convicted of fraud in the past, [the jury should trust his testimony]( about Menendez accepting bribes. - Joey “Jaws” Chestnut — the 16-time winner of the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest — [won’t be competing this year]( after signing an exclusive deal with a rival brand. - Does this mean the July 4 contest will be Pat “Deep Dish” Bertoletti's [time to shine]( - Brian Lehrer is launching his own newsletter, featuring his exclusive column, new ways to share your stories online and on air, plus an inside look at the show each week. [Sign up here]( to get it in your inbox on Thursday. - Mayor Eric Adams after Gov. Hochul's congestion pricing [about-face]( "She has really knocked it out of the park." - It's not just New York City — business owners in cities around the world push back against tolls or restrictions on driving because [they overestimate how many of their customers arrive by car](. - Federal prosecutors have charged a Manhattan anti-poverty charity founder with [embezzling $2.5 million]( and spending it on a Columbus Circle apartment, cosmetic surgery and frequent meals at high-end restaurants. - As criminal justice advocates push for more use of probation as an alternative to jail, the union representing New York City's probation officers says [it's losing workers]( because the job doesn't have the same pay and benefits as police, fire and sanitation. - After trying and failing to sell slices of pizza at $1.50, an East Village dollar slice shop [has gone back to its roots](. - Police in New Jersey [shot and killed a bear]( that trapped a mom and her daughter inside a Locust Grove nature preserve this week. - "Sleep No More," which was initially scheduled to close back in January, has now [been extended to September]( because audiences keep buying tickets. - [Some people love]( a wet, hot Florida summer. - WNYC has a brand new app! Listen to WNYC radio live, catch up on podcasts and read stories from Gothamist and NPR. [Download it here](. [“I know the fans will be sad not to see Joey – he’s an American icon. But what an amazing opportunity for the maelstrom of meat, the top male competitors, who can’t quite get to Joey’s level of 76 hot dogs and buns.”]( - Competitive eater Crazy Legs Conti on [THE NATHAN'S HOT DOG EATING COMPETITION WITHOUT 18-TIME WINNER JOEY CHESTNUT]( More from Gothamist [second image]( [After altercation video goes viral, NYC migrant street vendors get an assist]( A volunteer group began "emergency outreach" sessions following a viral video showing a physical altercation between a city Parks Department officer and a 14-year-old accused of selling food in Battery Park without a license. The main concern they're hearing from vendors: They can't do other work because they don't have child care. [New Yorkers are waking up to cricket. Local fans say it’s about time.]( Local cricket fans are fired up after the U.S. team beat Pakistan in a stunning upset at the International Cricket Council Men’s Twenty20 World Cup last week. Today, the U.S. plays powerhouse India on Long Island. [We Rely On Your Support]( [On Jackson Heights’ open street, NYC’s ‘moped crisis’ is in full throttle]( For some residents, early elation over the 26-block car-free zone has given way to fear because of an influx of e-bikes and mopeds. [Here's how you can save time, money and stress when moving in or to NYC]( Peak moving season is underway in New York City. Book a truck now. [Instagram]( [Instagram]( [Facebook]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Twitter]( [New York Public Radio] [WNYC]( | [WQXR]( | [NJPR]( | [GOTHAMIST]( [WNYC STUDIOS]( | [THE GREENE SPACE]( Copyright © New York Public Radio. All rights reserved. 160 Varick Street, New York, NY 10013 [TERMS OF USE]( You can update your [PREFERENCES]( or [UNSUBSCRIBE]( from this list.