Brian Zumhagen

New York, NY —

Proposed budget cuts to New York City's public hospital system will hit mental health programs the hardest, according to city councilman Oliver Koppell.

REPORTER: The Bronx Democrat, who chairs the committee on mental health, says such programs are not easily replaced once they're eliminated.

KOPPELL: If you ...

New York, NY —

Mayor Bloomberg says the nation needs to invest in its infrastructure to get the economy going again.

REPORTER: Appearing on NBC's Meet the Press Sunday, the mayor said President Obama needs to stop worrying about whether the spending is unpopular and show leadership by explaining to ...

New York, NY —

David Paterson says he understands why he has the lowest approval rating of any New York governor in 30 years.

REPORTER: In an interview with WPIX-TV Sunday, Paterson said that, as he works to get the state's finances in order in an economic downturn, he's going ...

New York, NY —

Theaters all over the city offer up the chance to see tomorrow's big shows and today's rising stars as they're putting together their newest projects. From The Public Theater to the Guggenheim, low-priced performances give audiences a unique inside scoop. Performance Critic Claudia La Rocco ...

New York, NY —

The film adaptation of a beloved comic book series "Watchmen" is now in theaters. The '80s graphic novel has been compared to great literature, even named one of the greatest novels of the 20th Century by Time Magazine. Jonathan Gray is a professor of English ...

New York, NY —

Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau has decided not to run for re-election this year.

An aide says the longtime prosecutor could announce his decision this afternoon.

The 89-year-old Morgenthau has served as a prosecutor in New York City since the Kennedy administration, when he was appointed as ...

New York, NY —

City officials have announced a second arrest in the killing of an Ecuadorean immigrant.

28-year-old Keith Phoenix may be charged with second degree murder as a hate crime in the killing of Jose Sucuzhanay last December.

Sucuzhanay and his brother were walking arm-in-arm in the Bushwick section ...

New York, NY —

New Jersey could generate or protect 100,000 jobs with the $17 billion in stimulus money headed to the Garden State, according to Governor Corzine.

But he says there must be stringent accountability standards to make sure the federal funds are used properly.

Corzine told WNYC Brian Lehrer ...

New York, NY —

It's often said that hip-hop was born in the Bronx. But Hollis Queens has also been called the hometown of hip-hop. Luminaries like RUN DMC are from the neighborhood, so is the grammy award winning artist Ja Rule.

Now, a new Hip Hop Museum pays tribute ...

New York, NY —

For years, tap has been treated as an unwanted step-child in the dance world, but now it’s getting a little bit more love. The Tap Legacy Foundation has announced an effort to build a new center for tap here in the city. And it’s the ...

Contract negotiations over the development of the Hudson railyards will continue. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the developer, Related Companies, ...

New York, NY —

Arts groups around New York City are struggling as a result of the recession. Cultural critic Claudia La Rocco talks with WNYC's Weekend Edition Host Brian Zumhagen about what the crisis in the arts means for the overall health of the city.

New York, NY —

"Madoff: a Jewish Reckoning." That was the title of a panel discussion that drew an overflow crowd at the Yivo Institute for Jewish Research Thursday night. Speakers with divergent views reflected on Bernie Madoff and his impact on Jewish people. It's been widely reported that ...

New York, NY —

A group of Latino evangelical leaders is set to address the issue of immigrant deportation at a gathering in East Harlem tomorrow. Reverend Gavriel Salguero, pastor of the Lamb's Church on the Lower East Side, says US citizens and legal permanent residents will be submitting ...

New York, NY —

Mayor Bloomberg is in Israel for a daylong trip to express solidarity with Israelis as their military continues its strikes against Gaza's Hamas rulers.

REPORTER: Bloomberg visited the southern towns of Ashkelon and Sderot, both of which have been targeted by Hamas rockets over the past ...

New York, NY —

The musical "Billy Elliot" is one of the few that’s still holding strong in an otherwise dismal time for a lot of Broadway shows. It’s a coming-of-age story about a young boy and his love of ballet, set against the backdrop on a 1984 miners' ...

New York, NY —

Governor Paterson calls his budget "fair and balanced," even though he acknowledges that the cuts will be painful.

REPORTER: The proposal calls for $13.7 billion in deficit reduction for fiscal years 2009 and 2010. During a conference call Friday, Paterson said state lawmakers who are attacking ...

New York, NY —

Local housing advocates and developers alike are praising President-Elect Barack Obama's decision to appoint Shaun Donovan to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Donovan has headed the city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development since 2004. WNYC's Cindy Rodriguez talks to Weekend Edition ...

New York, NY —

New York City housing commissioner Shaun Donovan has been tapped to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development in the Obama administration.

REPOTER: In his radio address today, the president-elect called Donovan an outstanding public servant and said he would bring "fresh thinking unencumbered by ...

New York, NY —

WNYC's Arun Venugopal attends the Connecticut wedding of two men who've been together for 35 years. And WNYC Weekend Edition Host Brian Zumhagen gets an update on the situation in New York from Alan Van Capelle, Executive Director of Empire State Pride Agenda.