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New York City arts. culture and politics from next-gen reporters at WFUV News.

  1. 7h ago

    MTA extends Q Line, World Cup Watch Parties in NYC, Midtown Prepares for NBA Finals, and Bronx Community Gardens Now Open

    The Knicks are playing in Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden tonight. The NYPD has ramped up security at MSG due to President Donald Trump attending the game. Watch parties outside of the venue have been canceled, and TSA-styled security checkpoints will be all around the Garden. Restaurants are also preparing for fans to watch the game at 8:30. Construction began for the 2nd Avenue Subway project. It will extend the Q line into Harlem and East Harlem. This comes after the Trump Administration reinstated funding for the project. Governor Hochul said the project is on track for service to begin in 2032. The World Cup kicks off its first game this Thursday with matches at the NYNJ Stadium on Saturday. WFUV’s Sonia Weliwitigoda tells where to watch the final championship game. This past weekend, more than a hundred community gardens in New York City opened their gates to the public. WFUV’s Livia Regina stopped by some of the gardens in the Bronx to learn about how they act as community spaces. Host/Producer: Xenia Gonikberg Editor: Lainey Nguyen Reporter: Anne Jackson Reporter: Sienna Reinders Reporter: Sonia Weliwitigoda Reporter: Giuliana Guarrancino Reporter: Livia Regina Theme Music: Joe Bergsieker

    9 min

  2. 4d ago

    Subway Service Increases for World Cup, Knicks Win Game 1 of Finals, and a Trans Rights Campaign

    With just a week until the FIFA World Cup begins, Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Governor Kathy Hochul announced they will be ramping up transportation and safety protocols across the city. WFUV’s Sonia Weliwitigoda reports. The last time the Knicks were in the NBA Finals was 1999. That year, WFUV listeners voted “Return of the Grievous Angel,” a tribute album for Graham Parsons, as the best album of the year, and the Knicks fell to the San Antonio Spurs that year. But last night the Knicks defeated the Spurs in Game 1 of the NBA finals. New Yorkers, including Governor Kathy Hochul, are celebrating. There’s a colorful new campaign in New York City for Pride Month. Pink, white and blue text reading “Trans Rights are Human Rights,” will soon fill LinkNYC kiosks and subway screens across the city. WFUV’s Xenia Gonikberg sat down with Dez Stavracos, the artist behind the campaign which aims to educate LGBTQ+ New Yorkers on where they can learn what rights they have. This week in music news, WFUV's Livia Regina shares some of Jack Antonoff's interview with the station about Bleachers' new album. Plus, Phoebe Bridgers has a pop-up show in NYC and Julia Jacklin is going on tour. Host/Producer: Sienna Reinders Editors: Lainey Nguyen and Tess Novotny Reporter: Livia Regina Reporter: Sonia Weliwitigota Reporter: Xenia Gonikberg Theme Music: Joe Bergsieker

    12 min

  3. 4d ago

    New York Finalizes Fiscal Year Budget, Fans React to Team U.S. World Cup Roster, and Pope Leo XIV Addresses AI

    The World Cup is quickly approaching, and the U.S. Men’s team roster was announced Tuesday at a fan event in Manhattan. WFUV’s Livia Regina takes us to the celebration. Pope Leo XIV, released a 42,000 word encyclical warning about the dangers of AI. It encourages people to learn more about AI, human compassion, and the role it plays in society. For our Fordham Conversations Series, WFUV’s Sonia Weliwitigoda interviewed Fordham's Father Thomas Massaro about the Pope’s writing. WFUV's Livia Regina tells us about Wet Leg's new deluxe album. Plus, a new collaborative album that's anti-internet and some covers from Rivers Cuomo Host/Producer: Sienna Reinders Editor: Lainey Nguyen Reporter: Sienna Reinders Reporter: Livia Regina Reporter: Sonia Weliwitigoda

    8 min

  4. 6d ago

    Applications Open for Free 2-k Childcare, Rally to Close Rikers Island, Primaries Open in New Jersey, and an Interview with the Literacy Assistance Center

    Governor Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani celebrated the opening of applications for the first 2000 seats of free 2-k childcare across the city. WFUV’s Mia Barth has more. New Jersey is one of six states where voters are heading to the polls for the primaries. This means each party is voting on who their candidates will be for the general election this November. But its impact goes beyond just the Garden State. The results in one district could lead to a change in who has control of the House. WFUV’s Lainey Nguyen breaks it down. It costs nearly half-a-million dollars to detain one person at Rikers Island according to the non-profit Campaign to Close Rikers. WFUV’s Sonia Weliwitigoda reported on the organization’s rally. WFUV’s Strike a Chord public service campaign highlights local non profits. This season’s campaign focuses on organizations that promote digital equity and access. New York City Alliance for Digital Equity is an umbrella group of individuals, organizations, and coalitions from across New York City working on digital equity and access issues. WFUV's Xenia Gonikberg spoke to Nell Eckersley from the Literary Assistance Center, a professional development organization partnered with NYCADE. Host/Producer: Xenia Gonikberg Editor: Nathan Ray Reporter: Mia Barth Reporter: Lainey Nguyen Reporter: Sonia Weliwitigoda Theme Music: Joe Bergsieker

    9 min

  5. May 27

    Hochul Cracks Down on Speeding, Sodium Labels to go on Food Items, and Councilman Proposes Rank Choice Voting Expansion.

    New Yorkers who have 16 or more speeding violations will now have to install a GPS device in their cars. Governor Kathy Hochul said it will stop motorists from speeding and make our roads safer. WFUV’s Sonia Weliwitigoda reports on the push for more transparency on nutrition, involving two new bills that demand warning labels next to food items on certain restaurant menus. WFUV’s Xenia Gonikberg breaks down the recent push to expand ranked-choice voting to general elections Governor Hochul announced reforms that will lower auto insurance rates for New Yorkers. WFUV’s Sienna Reinders reports. WFUV's Alexandra Pfau sits down with Margaret Kaufer, the co-founder and president of the Stem Alliance, an organization that works to make technology accessible to everyone. Host/Producer: Livia Regina Editor: Lainey Nguyen Editor: Robin Shannon Editor: Nathan Ray Reporter: Sonia Weliwitigoda Reporter: Xenia Gonikberg Reporter: Sienna Reinders Reporter Alexandra Pfau Theme Music: Joe Bergsieker

    9 min

  6. May 26

    Mayor Mamdani Expands Affordable Housing in NYC, Changes to the Climate Leadership Act, and the Knicks End a 27 Year Finals Drought

    New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a plan to increase affordable housing, protect tenants, and create investments for public housing. WFUV’s Sienna Reinders has more. Last night was the first time the public was able to see language changes Governor Hochul will make to the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act. This comes among ongoing debates about energy affordability. WFUV’s Mia Barth explains. The New York Knicks are heading to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. WFUV’s Lainey Nguyen went out in the Bronx to see how fans felt after the team’s historic series win against the Cleveland Cavaliers. With the ease of digital streaming platforms, many people don’t feel the need to own physical copies of their favorite movies and tv shows. But one shop in Brooklyn pledges two things: death to streaming – and physical media forever. WFUV’s Joseph Vizza takes us to NightOwl Video, a video store dedicated to buying and selling movies new and old, from VHS to DVD. Host/Producer: Xenia Gonikberg Editor: Nathan Ray Reporter: Sienna Reinders Reporter: Mia Barth Reporter: Lainey Nguyen Reporter: Joseph Vizza Theme Music: Joe Bergsieker

    10 min

  7. Apr 30

    The House Passes DHS Funding Bill, New Yorkers Rally Against New Casino, Airbnb to Give Kids World Cup Tickets

    The House passed a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security. Money will go to departments like TSA but not immigration enforcement operations. DHS has been unfunded since February, as Democrats demanded changes to ICE and Border operations. Republicans are now trying another way to get ICE funding through a weeks long budget reconciliation process. For now, this package will head to President Donald Trump’s desk to sign, ending the longest agency shutdown in history. On Tuesday, NYC’s first full casino opened in Queens after years of trying to get a license. Two more are planned to be built in the coming years. Community members are rallying against the new casinos this weekend, as they said the new casinos are being built in minority and working class neighborhoods. WFUV’s Sonia Weliwitigoda spoke to a rally leader. Mayor Zohran Mamdani wants New Yorkers to take part in public hearings through a new program. Its first target is to make sure both renters and landlords have their voices heard at upcoming hearings that decide prices for rent stabilized apartments. WFUV’s Mia Barth reports. Some young people in New York and New Jersey can go to the 2026 World Cup for free. Airbnb said they’re giving out 1000 tickets to kids. They’re working with nonprofits in the two states to select lucky ticket winners. The company also said it expects Airbnb owners in the region to be housing 25,000 people during the games. For this week's Music News, WFUV's Livia Regina gives us a sneak peek of Iron & Wine's interview about their new album. Plus, City Parks foundation announced the lineup for this year's SummerStage Festival. Host/Producer: Lainey Nguyen Editor: Lainey Nguyen Reporter: Mia Barth Reporter: Livia Regina Reporter: Sonia Weliwitigoda Reporter: Sienna Reinders Theme Music: Joe Bergsieker

    7 min

  8. Apr 28

    New York Delays Executive Budget, A Senator Calls for Student Loan Relief, and a Cultural Tour Through Harlem

    New York City is joining the state in delaying its executive budget deadline as Mayor Zohran Mamdani and New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin both call on the state to make longer-term commitments to securing more money for the city. New York Senator Kristen Gillibrand is demanding that the Trump administration provide relief for student loan borrowers. WFUV’s Jordan Donegan tells us more. Asad Dandia is an urban historian, professor, and a guide for walking tours of the Muslim history of New York who joined the ACLU in 2013 to sue the NYPD for surveilling Muslim Americans in the aftermath of 9/11. WFUV's Andrew McDonald went on a walk with Dandia through Harlem to talk about his life and how being a Muslim in New York has changed in the last 10 years. Host/Producer: Alexandra Pfau Editor: Tess Novotny Reporter: Jordan Donegan Reporter: Andrew McDonald Theme Music: Joe Bergsieker

    9 min
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About

New York City arts. culture and politics from next-gen reporters at WFUV News.

Information

  • Creator
    WFUV News
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    697
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    What's What