Janae Pierre: From WNYC, this is NYC NOW. I'm Janae Pierre. New York City's basketball teams are having quite a week. Well, everyone except the Brooklyn Nets. No shade, it's just the facts. Area hoops fans will cheer on the Knicks as they host the Atlanta Hawks for the first round of the playoffs. Meanwhile, the WNBA is gearing up for its season next month, and rosters are filling up. That includes some changes with the New York Liberty. That's ahead on today's episode. Plus, what's the appropriate amount to tip these days? Think about it. In the meantime, here's what's happening in New York City. The organizer of SantaCon is facing a federal wire fraud charge. Thousands of people dressed in Santa costumes descend on Manhattan each year for the Christmas themed bar crawl, which claims to raise money for charity, but a WNYC investigation found the organization only gives a fraction of its proceeds to nonprofits. Now, federal prosecutors say organizer Stefan Pildes spent a lot of the money on concert tickets, fine dining, luxury vacations and other personal expenses. Attorney information was not immediately available.

Were you personally victimized by this guy who ran SantaCon? The FBI wants to know. The agency's New York division is asking anyone to come forward and fill out some information online if they think they were swindled. The Trump administration will resume federal funding for the Second Avenue subway extension. The move comes six months after the White House halted payments for the project, which is working to extend the queue line into East Harlem. They said they were reviewing the MTA's contracting practices, particularly requirements under state law that mandate some contracts go to minority and women owned businesses.

In a letter, the US Department of Transportation says they still found it troubling that the MTA would consider race and sex in awarding contracts, but that the MTA is complying with the Trump administration's requirements. New Yorkers can now see a snapshot of the art people are making across the city at the Museum MoMA PS1. Greater New York 2026 is a showcase of pieces made by people living and working in our region, which happens every five years. The exhibition features more than 150 pieces from more than 50 artists.

This year's installment of Greater New York also coincides with the 50th anniversary of the museum, which used to be known as the PS1 Contemporary Art Center. The series runs through August 14th. It's the post season for the New York Knicks. Meanwhile, the Liberty have filled their roster a week after the WNBA draft. More on that after a quick break. [silence] It's peak basketball time in New York with hoops fans looking forward to the NBA playoffs and the WNBA draft winners headed to their respective teams with their season starting soon. Joining me to discuss it all is sports reporter Priya Desai. Hey, Priya.

Priya Desai: Hello.

Janae Pierre: Welcome to the show.

Priya Desai: Happy Spring.

Janae Pierre: Listen, it is an exciting time. I'm sweating a little bit. [laughs] Basketball is happening. We usually kick things off with the ladies, but today we're going to kick it off with the fellas. The New York Knicks are back in the playoffs and they're gearing up for their first round against the Atlanta Hawks. The last time these two teams met up in 2021, it wasn't pretty for the Knicks. Do you want to remind us about that 2021 series?

Priya Desai: Do I? [laughs]

Janae Pierre: Can you remind us?

Priya Desai: That series feels like ten years ago, but also like last year, all in one swoop. It was Hawks in five. The Knicks won one game. They just could not get past Trae Young. It was a real wake up call for that franchise that they just didn't have that star power, that lineup that could go far in the playoffs. You're looking at quite a different team, but honestly, on both sides, really, with the Hawks and the Knicks going into this series.

Janae Pierre: So true. 2021 was in the past. What's different about these two teams now?

Priya Desai: With the Knicks specifically, you have the addition of Karl-Anthony Towns, of Jalen Brunson, of OG Anunoby. You have these players where you can just call them by their nicknames and people know exactly who they are. That's something that was really missing, right?

Janae Pierre: Yes.

Priya Desai: Then as far as the Hawks, they've had some real shakeups. Trae Young is no longer on the team. They traded him back in January, I do believe. In return, they got this veteran, CJ McCollum, and they have this young kid, Jalen Johnson, who is lights out. That is who the Knicks are going to have to really be able to defend. He was on that 2021 team, but he was a rookie.

Janae Pierre: Oh, yes.

Priya Desai: Now, it's his time to shine.

Janae Pierre: You mentioned CJ McCollum, dangerous guy. Who's the biggest threat for the Knicks besides themselves, of course?

Priya Desai: [chuckles] I think that Jalen Johnson, as I mentioned, is going to be the young one that they're really going to have to get through. If he is the star of that series, the Knicks aren't getting past the first round.

Janae Pierre: Who do we need to step up for the Knicks?

Priya Desai: Well, I have to say both Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson have really linked up the second half of the season. There was some panic around December, around January, and something clicked to the point where the last game of the season, they sat all their starters. It's working, finally.

Janae Pierre: I have to say, and people may disagree with this, but when it comes to the playoffs, for me, I think Jalen Brunson takes some time to get warmed up.

Priya Desai: Well, I would say that during the playoffs, teams know that that's who they have to guard.

Janae Pierre: True.

Priya Desai: So then you have to start relying on the bench. I think in this series also, it's going to be the Hawks looking at Karl-Anthony Towns and looking at Jalen Brunson and making sure that they have bodies on those two. Who else can shoot? Is it going to be OG Anunoby from the corner? They have a really good bench.

Janae Pierre: Let's talk about it, because one of the most exciting players for me is my guy, the backup center, Mitchell Robinson. He's just an exciting player to watch, but who are you expecting to step up off the bench this post-season?

Priya Desai: I should mention, Mitchell Robinson and Deuce McBride were the only two players on the 2021 Knicks team. Those two are going to really be a big part, both defensively and offensive, when the team realizes that their star players have bodies on them.

Janae Pierre: When we talk about three pointers, we've got to give it up for my guy, Williamsburg's own, Jose, is out there. He's doing it.

Priya Desai: Jose Alvarado. Correct. Got traded to the Knicks and people were excited. He went to Christ the King.

Janae Pierre: Yes.

Priya Desai: He's the kind of player that every team wants in the playoffs because he can come in for short stints. He's not going to play 30 minutes or anything like that. He can come in for short stints and really cause some chaos and make some plays that the team needs, give some of their bigger bodies the rest they need, create some energy for a little bit. I'm excited to see him in this playoffs. He's a character.

Janae Pierre: Yes, and I love his hustle. He's a great player to watch as well. This is Mike Brown's first post-season as head coach of the Knicks. What's his success rate in the playoffs?

Priya Desai: I think this series, it's a must win for him to really cement himself as the answer to what New York needs-

Janae Pierre: Definitely.

Priya Desai: -to be able to become maybe that hot franchise once again. What was important was he was able to turn around what, I think, December, January, everyone was just like, "All right, we're done. Same old Knicks." He came into that locker room and decided, "What do I need to do to create some chemistry?" Again, back to Jalen and KAT. They linked up and they figured something out.

Janae Pierre: Yes. Grateful for it.

Priya Desai: Yes.

Janae Pierre: All right, let's turn to the ladies, shall we? It's been a busy couple weeks for the WNBA, and rosters are finally filling up. The draft earlier this week was a really historic one, setting the tone for the 30th year of the WNBA. I cannot believe it. That is so cool. Before we get to the Libs, can you just talk a bit about some of the big takeaways from this year's draft?

Priya Desai: Number one. 30 years is wild. Makes me feel like I've been doing this for way too long. It was really exciting to see Azzi Fudd go number one in this draft, from UConn, pretty close to here.

Janae Pierre: We're giving it up for her.

Priya Desai: Granted, UConn was expected to win. They did not. UCLA did. They had a lot of players go in the draft. I've always thought it's really exciting to go from the tournament then into the draft to see a lot of these players, where they end up. I think that Azzi going first still says a lot about UConn. We'll see what happens next year with that program.

Janae Pierre: Great program over there, but UCLA is definitely on their heels.

Priya Desai: Oh, absolutely. I mean, that was a great story, because they weren't even-- no one really picked them to make it that far. It was a phenomenal story.

Janae Pierre: Can we also talk about the fashion at the draft? Omg.

Priya Desai: Who was your favorite?

Janae Pierre: Got to give it up to Flau'jae Johnson. My girl, LSU. That's my home state. Looking fab.

Priya Desai: One of my favorites as well. I think there could be a whole show about dressing for the WNBA draft.

Janae Pierre: Let's do it.

Priya Desai: I'd watch that in a second.

Janae Pierre: Next year-

Priya Desai: Absolutely.

Janae Pierre: -we'll be on the red carpet or the orange carpet, whatever they decide to do. Let's do it. Speaking of draft, the New York Liberty walked away with a player. 41st pick, right?

Priya Desai: Yes. Manuela Puoch. Young lady from Australia, 19 years old. She was so surprised that she cried when her agent told her.

Janae Pierre: I was surprised.

Priya Desai: Because her agent was like, "I don't think that you're going to get drafted," but she did. I think what this means for the Liberty is that they believe she has a high ceiling to come in as a developmental player. It's very NBA of them to find someone young and overseas to bring in. I think that's kind of what they were thinking, because they only had one draft pick. This is it.

Janae Pierre: Yes. We know that Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart are both expected to stay with the Liberty. Just waiting for the John Hancocks on that, right?

Priya Desai: Correct.

Janae Pierre: Jonquel Jones recently signed her multi year deal, keeping the big three together, hopefully, but the excitement in my spirit, Priya, when I read that Satou Sabally would be joining the New York Liberty, I was so happy. Made my weekend, in fact. Talk about what she brings to this team.

Priya Desai: A three time All Star. She only gets better in the playoffs. There was a chance that she was going to come last year. She ended up with the Phoenix Mercury and was really tough against Liberty.

Janae Pierre: Yes, and her sister.

Priya Desai: Her sister, who unfortunately has left the team.

Janae Pierre: Yes. She's going over to the Toronto Tempo now.

Priya Desai: Correct. Yes.

Janae Pierre: Coached by Sandy Brondello. We'll get to that.

Priya Desai: Yes. Full circle. Everything. I think what this indicates is the Liberty are focusing on their star players. It's no longer about gritty defense off the bench. They want their star players to really run this team, and it's a huge signing by the Liberty. I think it also kind of indicates that it's championship or bust.

Janae Pierre: Okay. Period. As excited as I was to hear this news about Satou Sabally joining the team, got to be honest, it made me a little nervous for one of my favorite players, Natasha Cloud. Should I be nervous? How likely is it that Cloud Nine chucks up the deuces and leaves New York City?

Priya Desai: I think it's either that or take less money. I think that she's one of the most underrated free agents right now-

Janae Pierre: Yes.

Priya Desai: -for sure, but it just didn't work with the Liberty and the backcourt, for whatever reasons. I think she is a really good player if she can find the perfect system for her.

Janae Pierre: Man, that makes me so sad. She's such an exciting player. Brought a different energy to the team, and honestly, just having a jersey that you can buy that reads Cloud 9, it's the coolest thing the Liberty has done.

Priya Desai: I didn't even think about that.

Janae Pierre: It's the coolest thing.

Priya Desai: True.

Janae Pierre: The Liberty organization also said thank you and goodbye to a few others. Who did the team part ways with?

Priya Desai: Nyara Sabally, of course. Sister gone. That would have been cool.

Janae Pierre: That would have been cool, to play on the same team as your sis.

Priya Desai: Of course, Izzy, Kennedy, Burke. Again, this is all pointing to, they want their lineup to have star power, and they paid the money. It's a lineup that should be scary for any team. Hello, Indiana Fever, speaking to you.

Janae Pierre: Ooh.

Priya Desai: It's a lot of money.

Janae Pierre: We'll see in the pre-season.

Priya Desai: There's a lot on the line. Yes, right? [laughs] There's a lot on the line.

Janae Pierre: We can't forget about Betnijah Laney-Hamilton.

Priya Desai: The Liberty right now have contractual rights for negotiating her contract.

Janae Pierre: Okay.

Priya Desai: There is a chance, Natasha not coming back, but Hamilton, there's a good chance she comes back, but once again, the money's been spent. We'll see. She was a big part of the last two seasons, but she is also hampered by injuries.

Janae Pierre: Yes, unfortunately. Liberty fans will definitely have some new faces and some new names to cheer for, but we should also remind listeners, Priya, that the team has a new coach this season. Talk briefly about why Sandy Brondello was let go, and who's this new coach? Chris DeMarco.

Priya Desai: Sandy, I think there's two school of thoughts to go from the championship team to being booted in the first round of the playoffs. Not acceptable. If you're really going to run a franchise in the way that this is the franchise of the WNBA, then again, there is a lot of injuries on the front court. Not exactly her fault, but she held on strong and now she has a new job and it should be okay.

Now we have Chris DeMarco. Spent 14 years with the Golden State Warriors, assistant to the man Steve Kerr. I bring this up because this can go either way. This can go Mike Brown. This can go, I'm going to say this name to a lot of Knicks fans, Dave Fizdale.

Janae Pierre: Dave Fizdale.

Priya Desai: He was the coach of the Knicks. Terrible coach. Came from Golden State.

Janae Pierre: Oh, yes.

Priya Desai: This could go any way. This is a real experiment. He can use Ionescu the way Curry comes off the three ball. Right?

Janae Pierre: Yes.

Priya Desai: Great. Then you can exploit the switchability of Stewart and Sabally and Jones, and they can be these bigs that can play defensively and also offensive. That's what the Golden State Warriors do. All of it on paper, makes sense. When it comes to chemistry in locker room, will this coach succeed? It could go either way. Again, it's the Fizdale versus Brown sort of Knicks experiment. We'll see. It's an interesting concept. He's never been a head coach.

Janae Pierre: That's the thing. All right. We'll just wait and see, I guess. That's sports reporter Priya Desai. Thanks a lot, Priya, for joining us.

Priya Desai: Thank you.

Janae Pierre: The Knicks/Hawks series starts Saturday night at Madison Square Garden. The Liberty, you'll have to wait a little longer for that season to start. That'll start on May 8th at Barclays Center.

[music]

Janae Pierre: How much do you tip? That's a question that's been coming up more and more in popular culture, especially here in New York City, which has one of the largest service industries in the country. Tipping has always been part of the industry, but now it's expected in more places than it used to be, and the rules of who you're supposed to tip and how much to give them are getting really complicated. WNYC producer, Elizabeth Shwe, did some digging into what's going on, and she joins us now to talk about tipping etiquette in the city. Hey, Elizabeth.

Elizabeth Shwe: Hey, Janae.

Janae Pierre: Got to start with ourselves. What's a fair tip to you personally?

Elizabeth Shwe: Personally, I try to tip a dollar or two at cafes if I get a coffee or pastry to go, but if I do sit down at a cafe to talk to friends or work there, I try to tip more, like 20%. Then for food delivery, I tip based on weather and distance.

Janae Pierre: Okay. You have a whole system.

Elizabeth Shwe: Yes.

Janae Pierre: Cool.

Elizabeth Shwe: Remember that really bad snowstorm?

Janae Pierre: Yes. Tip extra there. [laughs]

Elizabeth Shwe: Exactly. What about you, Janae?

Janae Pierre: I'm an 18% to 20% tipper. If you're really great, then you get more. That's how it is. I understand that you went out and talked to New Yorkers about tipping habits with people at cafes and bars. What do people you met say a fair tip in 2026 should be?

Elizabeth Shwe: I talked to some people at Mottley Kitchen in the Bronx, and that's a cafe that sells coffee and tea. They also have one of those tablets where suggested tipping comes up right after you tap to pay. Someone I did meet, Thomas Gardia, for him, tipping is simple.

Thomas Gardia: I always tip 20% regardless of anything wherever I am.

Elizabeth Shwe: He always tips 20%. He doesn't feel pressured to tip because he said he would do it anyway, but Rani Singh says that those tablets do add a little bit of social pressure when she's with other people.

Rani Singh: I wouldn't call it peer pressure because it's not a negative pressure, but I would say there is added influence when I'm with people that also tip generously.

Janae Pierre: Definitely.

Elizabeth Shwe: Gregory Morgan, who I also spoke to, says that he has a couple friends that are baristas, so he knows what they go through, and that makes him more inclined to tip.

Gregory Morgan: My personal rules on tipping at cafes is if you're going to go there more than once, you should tip.

Elizabeth Shwe: He says that the tipping culture can be a little bit abrasive sometimes.

Gregory Morgan: I don't really feel pressure to do anything ever, because I generally, I'm going to do what I want to do, but I'll be peeping the tactics. They'll just flip the screen or point to where they want the tip to be. That's a little rude sometimes.

Janae Pierre: I can see how the tablet can feel a little impersonal, right? On one hand, it's nice to be able to tip right there as you're paying, but it feels like the tip tablets are everywhere now.

Elizabeth Shwe: Yes. That came up quite a bit when I went out to Mottley Kitchen. I talked with someone named Ayanna Williams, who told me she actually likes the tablet for that exact reason, because the tipping amounts are right there in front of her.

Ayanna Williams: I'm the type of person, my brain is always running, so sometimes I do need it to be a part of the process, to be like, "Oh, okay. A reminder of, okay, let's tip," versus if they just give me the receipt and leave me the option, I may not do it. Not because I don't want to, but I'm just always on the go, rushing. I'm not as encouraged to do it.

Janae Pierre: Did you chat with any service workers?

Elizabeth Shwe: I did. I talked with Declan Carroll, a bartender at McDougal Street Ale House, and he told me that he thinks tipping should be mandatory at bars.

Declan Carroll: If you give good service, you should be tipped. You know what I mean?

Elizabeth Shwe: What's the appropriate amount to tip, in your opinion?

Declan Carroll: I would say 18% to 20% if you get proper service. If the service is really good, maybe 25%.

Elizabeth Shwe: He says that if he gives people good service and they still decide to tip on the lower end, he thinks they are scumbags.

Declan Carroll: When I go out, I'm a big tipper. It'll be 50% to 75%. You know what I mean?

Elizabeth Shwe: Maybe that's the thing. We're thinking about the customers and they're thinking about bartenders.

Janae Pierre: Yes, because again, this is New York City.

Elizabeth Shwe: Exactly.

Janae Pierre: When we're talking about bars, drinks are already expensive.

Elizabeth Shwe: They're already expensive, and the taxes are expensive. Going out, one drink, it's going to be like $30.

Janae Pierre: Facts.

Elizabeth Shwe: Jillian Pacheco, she is the manager at Mottley Kitchen, and she actually had the opposite opinion. She wants to get rid of tips entirely.

Jillian Pacheco: I would love to live in a world where all of our employees, all of us, including managers, including baristas and servers, we all just got paid what we're supposed to get paid, a living wage.

Janae Pierre: I can see that. Elizabeth, I'm curious. You spoke to a lot of people about how much they tip. Is there anyone who admitted that they don't tip at all?

Elizabeth Shwe: Surprisingly, yes. Gregory from earlier. He's the one who said you should tip if you're at a place more than once, but he admitted that he didn't tip that day.

Gregory Morgan: Sometimes I just forget. I'm going to be honest, I just forgot to tip just now. I'm here a lot, so I'll get him on the next time.

Janae Pierre: No judgment, Gregory. No judgment.

Elizabeth Shwe: Steve Gill at McDougal Street Ale House did admit to me that in the few times he's experienced really bad service, he doesn't tip out of principle. Kristin Kalmus said that sometimes if she's ordered enough drinks, she'll stop tipping.

Kristin Kalmus: When I've ordered probably like five rounds of drinks, and I'm like, "Okay, I don't have the money to tip a fifth time."

Elizabeth Shwe: Declan, again, he's the bartender at McDougal Street Ale House. He told me there's quite a number of people who click no tip really quickly on the tablet when they're really busy and they're not looking.

Janae Pierre: Sneaky.

Priya Desai: Sneaky.

Janae Pierre: Okay. The numbers I've been hearing range from no tip to a dollar or two, to 15%-20%, but what do the experts say? Is there a definitive right amount to tip?

Elizabeth Shwe: Yes. I spoke to Michael Lin. He's a professor at Cornell who has studied tipping culture for 40 years. He said back in the day, the tipping standard used to be 15% to 20%. I still remember when my parents used to tip 15% when we went out to restaurants when I was a kid, but now, he said that the standard tipping amount is 18% to 20%.

Michael Lin: Actually, at one point, people tipped 10%. In my lifetime, it was typically 15% to 20%. Tip amounts in restaurants have increased over time.

Elizabeth Shwe: Even though tips have increased, he said only half of customers tip for coffee. That's most likely because people tip better on bigger bills. He said it's also true that there is more pressure to tip when there's a tablet in front of you than a tip jar.

Michael Lin: If I don't put money in a tip jar, that's a sin of omission, but to not leave a tip in the digital age, I have to hit a button that says no tip, and that's an act of commission. We judge sins of commission worse than sins of omission.

Janae Pierre: After all your reporting, Elizabeth, what are your rules for tipping?

Elizabeth Shwe: My rules now are, if you can tip at cafes, especially if you're sitting down and are being served, tip 15% to 20%, but if you can't afford to do that at cafes, that's okay. Always tip 18% to 20% at bars, regardless of the service, and higher if you get really good service. A lot of people kept repeating, if you don't plan to tip, don't go out, but not everyone agrees with that, and really, at the end of the day, tipping is really dependent on your own personal finances.

Janae Pierre: That's a tip from WNYC's Elizabeth Shwe. Thanks a lot for joining us.

Elizabeth Shwe: Thanks, Janae.

Janae Pierre: Thank you for listening to NYC NOW. I'm Janae Pierre. See you next time.

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