NYC NOW

New Yorkers are slogging through the late winter blues, and in this week’s arts and culture check in, WNYC and Gothamist arts and culture editor Matthew Schnipper joins us to talk about why February can feel especially brutal, a packed spring concert calendar including Shelter’s 35th anniversary, Mayor Mamdani’s latest cultural references, the Tin Building’s pivot to a balloon museum, and a major new digital archive project at the Center for Brooklyn History.
Plus, as funeral services are held this weekend, reporter Arun Venugopal examines the life and legacy of the Rev. Jesse Jackson and his lasting impact on politics and culture.

Construction on the $16 billion Gateway tunnel project that aims to build a new set of train tunnels under the Hudson River shut down earlier this month after the Trump administration froze federal funding. More than a thousand workers were forced to walk off the job. A federal judge ordered the money released and crews are preparing to restart the work, but the case is still moving through the federal court system. WNYC transportation reporter Stephen Nessen and editor Clayton Guse explain how the project became a political flashpoint, what the pause revealed about federal funding and what it means for the commuters who rely on the aging tunnels every day.

A record-breaking snowstorm hits New York City, bringing travel bans, icy streets, and the first full public school snow day since 2019. Schools reopen Tuesday, and Janae sits down with WNYC education reporter Jessica Gould to talk about how students and teachers are using AI tools like ChatGPT and what the city’s incoming guidance could mean for classrooms across the five boroughs.

Sports reporter Priya Desai joins us to discuss the Knicks’ playoff push, Team USA women’s hockey’s gold medal run with two local players, and Unrivaled bringing elite women’s basketball to Barclays Center. Plus, WNYC’s James Ramsay weighs in on the dress shoe revival and what footwear says about being a “real” New York

A state Supreme Court judge has ruled that New York’s 11th Congressional District unlawfully dilutes the political power of Black and Latino voters, triggering a high stakes redistricting battle with national implications. At the center is Staten Island’s North Shore, a denser and more diverse part of the borough that some residents say has more in common with Lower Manhattan than with the rest of Staten Island. WNYC’s Brigid Bergin reports on the lawsuit and what a potential redraw could mean for representation in Congress and for the future of the borough itself.