Elizabeth Shwe

Dec 25, 2024 | gothamist.com | Elizabeth Shwe |Stephanie Clary

Police say several people were injured after a taxi hit pedestrians on a sidewalk near Herald Square around 4 p.m. on Christmas day. A 9-year-old boy, a 41-year-old woman and a 49-year-old woman were sent to local hospitals and are in stable condition, police say. A 58-year-old man was driving a taxi on 6th Avenue when he drove onto the sidewalk, according to the NYPD. NBC New York and CBS News New York report that it’s unclear what led up to the incident, but no charges have been filed.

Nov 22, 2024 | gothamist.com | Elizabeth Shwe |Sean Carlson

It is finally raining in New York City, but it's not quite enough to relieve the city's long-term drought. The lack of rainfall in October and much of November has put the region way behind where it needs to be to fill up reservoirs and mitigate the ongoing threat of wildfires.

Nov 18, 2024 | gothamist.com | Tiffany Hanssen |Elizabeth Shwe

Emergency response times in New York City have been getting longer, year after year. That's according to Mayor Eric Adams’ annual management report. City Councilmember Joann Ariola, who represents parts of Queens, and Oren Barzilay, president of EMS Local 2507 Uniformed EMTs, Paramedics, and Fire Inspectors of FDNY, joined WNYC’s Tiffany Hanssen to talk about the dangers of increases wait times. The following interview has been lightly edited for clarity.

Nov 12, 2024 | gothamist.com | David Brand |Elizabeth Shwe

The New York City Council is set to vote on Wednesday on a bill that would eliminate a steep upfront cost for most renters trying to move in the five boroughs: broker fees. Unlike in nearly every other part of the country, New York City tenants often pay a one-time fee before signing a lease to a licensed agent who is usually hired by the landlord to list or show the apartment. That fee typically equals about 15% of the yearly rent total — $5,400 for a $3,000-per-month apartment, for example.

Oct 19, 2024 | gothamist.com | Elizabeth Shwe |Sean Carlson

New York city's health commissioner, Dr. Ashwin Vasan is stepping down a few months earlier than his original plan to leave in December. He's been health commissioner since mayor Adams took office in 2022 and led the city through part of the COVID pandemic and other public health emergencies. He joined WNYC’s All Things Considered host Sean Carlson to discuss his tenure at the helm of one the biggest municipal health agencies in the world.