Morning Headlines: Mamdani Questions Mayoral Control of Schools, the NYPD Says Major Crime has Fallen Citywide, and NYC Earmarks $14 Million for Transgender ...

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Janae Pierre: Welcome to NYC Now, your source for local news in and around New York City from WNYC. It's Wednesday, July 2nd. Here's the morning headlines from Michael Hill.

Michael Hill: Democratic nominee for New York City Mayor, Zohran Mamdani, says he'd break with predecessors, including Eric Adams, on a key education policy, the mayor's control of public schools. WNYC's Jessica Gould reports.

Jessica Gould: Mamdani says he wants parent leaders and educators to have a bigger role shaping policy. Here's what he told the teachers' union at a forum last month.

Zohran Mamdani: We have to have a system where it's not just a decision being made from up on high, but one that actually has educators, and parents, and students as part of that.

Jessica Gould: Former Mayor Bloomberg successfully lobbied state lawmakers for control of the schools, saying local school boards were inefficient and often corrupt. Every mayor since has fought to keep control, including Adams, but many parents and educators say the system is too top-down and leads to whiplash when new mayors change policies.

Michael Hill: Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa did not immediately comment. The NYPD says major crime keeps falling across New York City. Offenses such as murder, rape, and robbery are down 6% citywide. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch says shootings have dropped at a historic rate.

Jessica Tisch: The fewest number of shooting victims ever recorded in the first half of any year in New York City, and that didn't just beat the previous low, it shattered it.

Michael Hill: Police say so far, 124 fewer people have been shot compared to last year. One place in New York where major crimes have not gone down is the Bronx that rose 3% in the city's northernmost borough. New York City is allocating nearly $14 million toward gender-affirming care and other critical services for transgender and gender non-conforming New Yorkers. The money is part of the newly approved $116 billion city budget and marks the largest investment of its kind in the city's history. Kei Williams leads the civil rights group New Pride Agenda.

Kei Williams: New York City just made nation-leading life-saving investments that no other city, no other state has done at a moment where transgender people are directly under attack.

Michael Hill: Supporters say the investment sends a message to the rest of the US at a time when transgender rights are under attack. 74 with light rain, small chance of late morning showers, mostly cloudy, and 84.

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Janae Pierre: Thanks for listening. This is NYC Now from WNYC. Check us out for updates every weekday, three times a day, for the latest news headlines and occasional deep dives, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

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