No plans for NY lawmakers to return to Albany, despite migrant crisis.

Also, NYC food stamp applications are taking too long to process. [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.]( [With Washington deadlocked, Albany faces pressure to do more on migrants]( [first image]( [Today's newsletter curated by Emily Nadal]( Weather: ☀️ Another picturesque day with a sunny high of 75 degrees. Just perfect, no notes. Welcome to Wednesday in New York City where we may be in the midst of a dire migrant crisis, [but that’s not bringing state lawmakers back to Albany to tackle legislation around it.]( Gov. Kathy Hochul floated the idea of a special session at the Capital two weeks ago as the city continues to struggle with the ongoing influx of migrants. But that idea has since lost traction, with Hochul hesitant to bring in lawmakers without a clear plan of action. Here’s what else is happening: - It’s taking the city a long time to process food stamp and cash assistance applications, with [many New Yorkers waiting more than the maximum 30 days,]( the worst record in more than a decade. - EMS workers who “aged out” of taking the test to become a firefighter in New York City because of pandemic delays [may get another shot as the city is considering temporarily raising the age limit.]( - LaGuardia Airport was [ranked as "average" in customer satisfaction by J.D. Power,]( but that's a huge jump from their previous 2019 ranking where it came in dead last. - Newark, New Jersey is getting a pedestrian bridge, akin to the Bronx’s Highbridge, which will [connect the Ironbound neighborhood in the East Ward to the Prudential Center arena in the Central Ward.]( But the timeline for completion still remains unclear. - All New York City businesses will be [required to put their garbage in lidded bins on the street]( starting next Spring, Mayor Eric Adams said Tuesday. The new rules are an expansion of a regulation that went into effect this month which requires all food-related and chain businesses to put their trash out in cans. - Gov. Kathy Hochul released a guide to [help schools in the state transition from gas-powered school buses to electric ones]( following the passage of a school bus electrification mandate last April. - The Port Authority [unveiled their own ambitious greenhouse gas reduction plan]( Tuesday which involves making its facilities “net zero” by 2050. And the agency said it’s already made progress on their goals by making some vehicles in its fleet electric. - Gov. Hochul is expected to sign legislation today that will dramatically expand voting access by [allowing any registered voter to cast an early ballot by mail]( but a court fight over the new law is likely. - Pat Sajak may have announced his plan to retire from the Wheel of Fortune, but [Vanna White just extended her contract for an additional two years.]( - A proposed bill that would hire a diversity monitor who would be [tasked with addressing persistent segregation in the NYC public school system]( is pending in the City Council. The proposed legislation also includes a measure to mark the site of the city’s first slave market. - A Queens woman [filed a lawsuit against Starbucks]( when she found out her beloved Strawberry Acai Refresher doesn’t actually contain any strawberries at all. - With small business storefronts disappearing from New York City, [a pair of photographers made it their mission to document]( the uniqueness of the ones that remain. - An 18-year-old was stabbed in the chest and [two other teens were slashed near a Brooklyn high school]( Tuesday afternoon. - Frank Robert James pleaded guilty to 11 charges for firing a gun into a crowded Brooklyn subway train in 2022, injuring 10 people. His [attorney is now asking for leniency]( ahead of his sentencing next week. “The city needs to fix this. What they're really doing is hurting people and people can't eat retroactively.” - Katie Kelleher, staff attorney with The Legal Aid Society, [ON THE CITY'S SLOW RESPONSE TIME FOR FOOD STAMP AND CASH ASSISTANCE APPLICATIONS.]( More from Gothamist [second image]( [NYPD: 114 arrested after climate protesters flood NYC’s Financial District on day of civil disobedience]( The NYPD arrested people who blocked the doors for disorderly conduct and threatened to include additional charges for anyone who resisted. [NYPD officers are making 84% more drug arrests per month since Mayor Adams took office]( Police say aggressive enforcement is essential to keep people safe, but critics say it does little to address the larger problem of drug trafficking. [We Rely On Your Support]( [Man who successfully sued NYC for discrimination rehired as top jails deputy]( Charles Daniels most recently served as director of the Nevada Department of Corrections, where news reports said he resigned after a man convicted of murder escaped. [Bronx day care suspects to face federal charges after fentanyl-related death]( Grei Mendez, the day care center's owner, and Carlisto Acevedo Brito, who lived in the apartment it operated from, will face federal drug charges in addition to state charges. [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.