November 26, 2024: Morning Headlines

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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 Tuesday, November 26th. Here's the morning headlines. I'm Janae Pierre. New York City has a new Police Commissioner. Jessica Tisch took the oath of office Monday, becoming the department's second female commissioner and the fourth person to hold the job since Mayor Eric Adams took office. She praised the mayor's leadership.

Jessica Tisch: You have trusted my judgment, given me incredible latitude and yes, independence to be thoughtful and creative.

Janae Pierre: Tisch previously headed the city's Department of Sanitation. There she led the so-called war on rats and the agency's efforts to clean up city streets. She takes over the agency at a difficult time, with Adams and the two previous commissioners subject to federal investigations. A new report from the city's Buildings Department is shedding new light on the collapse of a Bronx apartment last December. Buildings Commissioner James Oddo says just before the collapse, construction workers removed bricks from a load-bearing column.

He says that caused the apartments above to crumble. No one was injured in the collapse. Oddo says the workers were following a directive from a site engineer. His agency suspended the engineer for two years. They also fined the construction firm $50,000. Manhattan's top prosecutor is leaving his job next month, ahead of President-elect Trump's inauguration in January. WNYC's Andrew Giambrone has more.

Andrew Giambrone: Damian Williams, the US attorney for the Southern District of New York, says he's resigning just before midnight on December 13th. Williams, a Biden appointee, is known for prosecuting the ongoing corruption case against Mayor Eric Adams and securing the convictions of former US Senator Bob Menendez and cryptocurrency magnate Sam Bankman-Fried. Williams says his departure is bittersweet. Deputy US Attorney Edward Kim will take over the office until the Trump administration gets underway. Trump has tapped former Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Jay Clayton to succeed Williams. That nomination still needs the US Senate's approval.

Janae Pierre: Hunger in New York State is on the rise. According to a new report from Hunger Free America. Nearly 2 million New Yorkers say they weren't getting enough to eat as of earlier this year. That's up 75% from 2021. The number of people experiencing food insecurity also went up in the New York City metro area, which includes parts of Connecticut, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Hunger Free America says more people may be struggling because of the rising cost of living and the expiration of some COVID-related subsidies.

Thanks for listening. This is NYC Now from WNYC. Be sure to catch us every weekday three times a day for your top news headlines and occasional deep dives. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. See you this afternoon.

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