Janae Pierre: Welcome to NYC Now, your source for local news in and around New York City, from WNYC. It's Monday, August 18th. Here's the morning headlines from Michael Hill.

Michael Hill: House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries says he's still deciding whether to endorse Zohran Mamdani for mayor. WNYC's Jimmy Vielkind reports.

Jimmy Vielkind: Jeffries says he still wonders if the mayoral frontrunner can deliver for working class voters in his district. Jeffries spoke last week on CNBC.

Hakeem Jeffries: During the general election, of course he's going to have to demonstrate to a broader electorate, including in many of the neighborhoods that I represent in Brooklyn, that his ideas can actually be put into reality.

Speaker C: Top Democrats like Jeffries and Governor Hochul still haven't endorsed Mamdani. Their deliberations show how his primary victory increased tensions between the party's moderates and progressives. Jeffries says he is setting up another meeting with Mamdani in Central Brooklyn. Mamdani says he's continuing to talk with everybody.

Michael Hill: Staten Island gets its own NYPD Quality of Life team starting today. The so called Q-Teams focus on cracking down on issues that chip away at daily life. Things like illegal mopeds, abandoned cars, encampments, outdoor drug use and late night noise complaints. Mayor Adams and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch say the teams have already responded to more than 31,000 311 and 911 calls across other boroughs and they've also shaved nearly an hour off average non-emergency response times.

The rollout on Staten Island is part of a broader push, with every precinct citywide expected to get a Q-Team by the end of the month. Whip out your tennis whites, it's almost time for the US Open, but you can already get in on some of the action for free as part of Fan Week. WNYC's Veronica Del Valle has more.

Veronica Del Valle: Fans can get into the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center free of charge for a week of events revolving around the US Open qualifying tournament. Visitors can expect to see practices between some of the sport's biggest stars and participate in everything from a family-friendly fair to a silent disco. Some other special events, like the Open's Mixed Doubles Championship, still require tickets. Those are available at the US Open website. Fan Week runs through Saturday. The main event then starts Sunday, with the men's and women's singles first round.

Michael Hill: A cool morning out there. 67 with clouds, mostly cloudy today and 76, winds up to 15 miles an hour.

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Janae Pierre: Thanks for listening. This is NYC Now from WNYC. Catch us every weekday, three times a day, for your top news headlines and occasional deep dives, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. More soon.

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