WORLD WORLDWIDE USA New York NY New York City NYC the city THE CITY News Journal Update - Rikers gets new commissioner, comptroller limits mayor’s emergency spending, Newcomers High School students request name change

 

Dear New Yorkers,

Rikers Island’s troubled jail system will soon have a new leader, two government sources have told THE CITY: Lynelle Maginley-Liddie.

The appointment — which hasn’t been formally announced — comes more than a month after Department of Correction Commissioner Louis Molina announced his transition to a new role as an assistant deputy mayor for public safety under Phil Banks.

Maginley-Liddie previously served as first deputy commissioner under Molina. She joined the department in 2015, initially working as an attorney. Over the last eight years, she rose up the ranks, serving as deputy general counsel and, in August 2020, getting promoted to acting senior deputy commissioner and chief diversity officer.

But it remains unclear how long Maginley-Liddie will remain commissioner — and how much independence she will have.

She will take the helm as the push for a federal third-party receiver to take charge of the city’s jail system is awaiting action from a federal judge. (To learn more, read THE CITY’s explainer on why a federal receivership matters and what it could mean for city jails.)

Manhattan federal court judge Laura Taylor Swain has begun reviewing arguments on whether the Department of Correction should be placed under control of a court-appointed receiver.

The federal monitor overseeing proposed city jail reforms has repeatedly called out Molina and his leadership team for failing to do enough to stem a spike in violence and deaths behind bars over the past year.

Read more here

Weather scoop by New York Metro Weather Wednesday’s Weather Rating 5/10. Another cold one, with afternoon high temps barely scraping the lower 40s. Still, we’ve got some sunshine and less wind to deal with today. Grab a jacket, the vibes are all right!

Our Other Top Stories

Earlier this week, NYC Comptroller Brad Lander notified city agencies that his office would now need to pre-approve emergency procurement requests. That limits Mayor Eric Adams’ ability to ink emergency contracts. Until this week, the mayor’s office had authorized billions in migrant-related emergency spending, with Lander’s office only vetting those contracts once they were in effect. Lander told THE CITY that the idea that the administration needs unfettered ability to contract without oversight “strains credulity.” But the change in the way that City Hall approves funding for asylum seekers comes as temperatures are expected to get even colder – and even more migrants are expected to arrive in New York City.  The name of New York City’s largest public school for immigrant students succinctly describes who it serves: Newcomers High School. It is one of about 20 schools across the city designed to provide more targeted support and help new arrivals acclimate to life in the U.S. — and it has enrolled perhaps more migrant students over the past two school years than any other in the city. But now, Newcomers’ student government has requested a name change. Some students fear that the school’s name puts a “target” on them as NYC grapples with tensions surrounding the ongoing influx of migrants.

Reporter’s Notebook

DMV Snafu Results in Suspended Licenses

Check your wallet: Are you among the nearly 18,000 New Yorkers who had their license suspended last week because of a vision test snafu? On Dec. 1, the Department of Motor Vehicles automatically suspended the driver’s licenses of people who renewed entirely remotely during the pandemic lockdown and then failed to take a new, in-person eyesight test by the deadline.

If you’re among that group, don’t put off renewal. Driving with a suspended license risks up to $500 in fines, or up to a month in jail. Here’s more information from the DMV on the eye exam issue and how to fix it — the easiest route is scheduling an exam with a DMV-approved provider, who will send the results to the DMV directly.

— Rachel Holliday Smith

Things To Do

Here’s what’s going on around the city this week.

Thursday, Dec. 7: Holiday Wreath Making hosted by NYC Parks GreenThumb. All supplies are provided. Free with RSVP from 6 to 8 p.m., at the Williamsbridge Oval Recreation Center in The Bronx. Friday, Dec. 8: Exhibit opening of Byzantine Bembé: New York by Manny Vega, a celebration of the mosaicist and muralist whose work also appears in subways, street walls and businesses in East Harlem. Pay what you wish (at the museum’s in-person ticketing counter) at the Museum of the City of New York in Manhattan. Friday, Dec. 8: Parranda and Poetry Liberation Celebration, a walk through the Sunset Park community that celebrates both the holidays and the spirit of struggle for liberation. Free from 4 p.m. (walk begins promptly at 4:15 p.m.) at UPROSE in Brooklyn.

THE KICKER: Alicia Keys’ very New York musical, “Hell’s Kitchen,” will be heading to Broadway next spring. The show, loosely inspired by Keys’ early life, is currently midway through its run at the Public Theater.

Thanks, as always, for reading. Make it a great Wednesday.

Love,

THE CITY

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