Brian Lear on WNYC, and now, as usual on Wednesdays, our lead Eric Adams reporter, Elizabeth Kim, with clips from and analysis of, and to take your calls about the mayor's weekly news conference.

Topics today will include the possibility of banning masks on the subways.

Is it increasing COVID risks for the vulnerable for extra protection against hate crimes?

Also, the rent stabilized apartment rent hike just approved.

The mayor and New York City's

Palestinian and other Muslim communities.

And as the heat dome caps the city today, why the pools and libraries both use to cool down

are closed.

Hi, Liz.

Welcome back to the show.

Happy Wednesday.

Good morning, Brian.

Let's start with this Kathy Hokel idea of banning masks on the

subways and the mayor's reaction. Before we play the clip, remind us of the context here and what question the mayor was actually asked.

So the governor last week talked about banning masks. This was in response to an incident that had occurred on a Manhattan

subway train. It was after a protest or rally that happened around Union Square. It was a pro-Palestinian

rally. And some participants from that rally got onto the train and started

using harassing language asking so-called Zionist to get off the train. There was a video of that

incident which went viral and that prompted the governor to say that she was considering having an anti-mask

policy put in place in public spaces, but also specifically the subway. Now, the state had an anti-mask rule in

place. It was put in place a century ago that allows the police to

charge someone for loitering if they are concealing or disguising their face in some way.

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