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

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

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

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

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

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