How is New York City coping with the 175,000 migrants from the Southern border? New York Times reporter Andy Newman says the city's legal mandate to provide shelter to any who need it is being tested by a stream of migrants — some of whom were sent on buses by Southern governors. Also, Maureen Corrigan reviews Francis Spufford's Cahokia Jazz. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
On the Ted radio hour, linguist Ann Curzan says she gets a lot of complaints about people using the pronoun they to refer to one person.
I sometimes get into arguments with people.
Where they will say to me, but.
It can't be singular.
And I will say, but it is.
The history behind words causing a lot of debate.
That's on the Ted radio hour from NPR.
This is FRESH aiR.
I'm Dave Davies.
While much attention has been focused on the surge of migrant crossings at the US Mexico border border and battles in Congress over immigration policy, a crisis driven by the influx of new arrivals has been building 2000 miles away in New York City.
More than 175,000 migrants have made their way to New York, which has long had a policy of providing shelter to anyone in the city who is without housing.
Many of those trekking to New York came on buses provided by southern governors, most notably Greg Abbott of Texas.
Many others have come on their own to connect with family and find work.
The cost of providing shelter and other assistance to arriving migrants in New York is now in the billions of dollars.
Other cities, notably Chicago and Denver, are facing similar challenges, but the crisis is particularly acute in New York.
Mayor Eric Adams has said, quote, this issue will destroy New York City.
Our guest, New York Times reporter Andy Newman, has been reporting on the crisis in all its dimensions.
The city's efforts to house migrants, including building tent cities and steps it's taken to reduce the number of migrants it must care for, including discouraging people from coming to New York, busing some to other counties in New York state, and, critics say, deliberately making conditions so difficult for migrants that they choose to leave the city's shelter system.
Andy Newman has reported on New York City and the surrounding region since the mid nineties, with a particular focus in recent years on homelessness, poverty and social services.
Andy Newman, welcome to Fresh Air.