the riders we talked to are very concerned. >> that's very scary, being that i just started working here in the city. it makes me more aware of my surroundings when i take the subway every day. i'm very concerned. it's scary. this neighborhood, it's busy, people going to work. it's scary. >> reporter: this morning, another slashing during an attempted robbery in lower manhattan. this all comes amid the 20 percent increase in slashings across the city. the police says this is a serious issue and something they're working hard to try to stop. ernie: all right. thank you very much for that. also in the news, minimum wage workers in new york are getting a raise. it is part of a new budget the state passed today. the minimum wage will eventually rise to $15 an hour. stacey delikat is joining us with a look at how it's being implemented and how businesses may be affected by this. >> reporter: good evening. this minimum wage hike is being

state, but business owners say they're concerned about how to come up with the money to pay the higher wages. home health aide lisa johnson is a mom of four who works three jobs to stay afloat. today she's breathing a sigh of relief. >> i am so happy. >> reporter: she is one of the 2.3 million workers who will see their pay go up now that the wage will be $15 an hour. >> right now i'm working three jobs. all of them are basically paying me $10 an hour. i have one that's paying me 11. this would give me the opportunity with this raise to eliminate one of the jobs and spend more quality time with my children. children. >> reporter: the increase means tough choices for businesses, especially small family-run businesses like this liquor store. it has 10 employees and will

between now and 2018. >> i don't want to let anyone go. go. >> reporter: businesses in westchester westchester have until 2021, but that's doing little to sweeten the deal. >> i can't afford to pay them what the requirement is going to be. i can't afford that. i will go out of business. >> reporter: governor cuomo and other proponents of the increase say it will have the opposite effect by putting more money in people's pockets that will bolster spending. >> when you look at the past times that the minimum wage has been raised, the economy has increased because of the raise in the minimum wage. employment has actually >> reporter: some business owners say they can't imagine

wonder how the increase will impact the pay scale across the board. >> with no experience went from 9 to 15, what does 10 years of experience go to? from 15 to 20 or from 15 to 25. >> reporter: i mentioned that businesses in westchester and long island have longer to implement the minimum wage. they have up to six years as opposed to four for city businesses. upstate counties have to get to 12.50 by 2020. that will move to $15 down the road once they do analysis of how it impacts businesses. ernie: it's been a hot issue. we know new york legislators, the governor, have built in this safety valve into the law. tell us about that and how that works. >> reporter: that's a provision that says if the economy goes south, if this doesn't have the intended effects, which governor cuomo said of helping to improve the economy. legislators can hit a brake. they can suspend the minimum wage increase in 2019. that depends what the economy is

that's what he's calling the safety valve. ernie: as we've seen, a lot of adjusting going on. thank you very much. >> this story in the news. the water at eight more schools in newark tested positive for potentially dangerous lead levels. the contamination was found in utility sinks, bathroom faucets, a transportation hub and athletic fields. the mayor tells fox 5 the city is going to need help fixing the problem, estimating it could cost $1 billion to repair. that's what's happening in the news. nick is joining me. we both are wearing the blue pin. this is autism awareness day, which is tomorrow in new york, and we're going to see a lot of buildings even this evening in the blue color trying to raise awareness. intervention can make such a difference, a lifetime difference. nick: it really is. this is the logo for autism speaks. i'm involved with some of the charity work they do. we all know someone who's

each year we hear the ratio is smaller and smaller. it's something that -- ernie: it's improving. we like to hear that. the intervention thing is really important to start early. ernie: okay. friend. nick: we do, but we still have showers to get through. the temperatures have been pushing 80 in parts of the area. there will be showers coming through this evening. today. ernie: forget about it. nick: in the process, more rain will be coming through. and some snow. 79, 62 today. that, again, way above average. average high 56. average low 40. the records are 83 and 12 not in jeopardy. 6:37 your sunrise. down at 7:21. not going to be a lot of sun tomorrow. maybe in the afternoon. we'll be dealing with rain into the early afternoon. 77. humidity at 45 percent. with the wind out of the south, we're seeing that warmer weather and higher humidity. the pressure is falling, waiting

we'll expect that this evening. the first of what will be two cold fronts. 78 to 80 in the hudson valley down to the city. newark topping off at 80. 50s as you moved on to long island. 62 bridgeport. monticello sharing in the warmth at 70. sussex, back up a degree. they've had rain showers. 72 poughkeepsie as rain moved through that area. 50s from islip east. 73 as you get to allentown. you'll find the wind out of the southwest. we're waiting for the cold front to come through. it's off to the west. 20 to 30 miles an hour. it's breezy tonight. tomorrow, we'll get a gusty breeze in the afternoon. look at the showers from danbury, connecticut, extending county. we'll close in on this one. from north of the nye -- nyack area and matter

that will push to the east. look at fox 5 sky guardian 3-d. east. some lightning and thunder with these as they come along and a brief burst of rain. be on the lookout for that this evening. a couple more showers off to the west. look at the wider view. this is what i'm concerned about tomorrow. just a second. here are the showers on the northeast radar and satellite composite moving to the east. we'll watch this trend, this moisture sneaking up. behind this system is where the real cold air is lurking. that will be arriving for saturday night into sunday. may come with snow showers, too. 50s out the door in the city. again, scattered, occasional rain in the morning. maybe a break of sun or two in the afternoon. only 59 for the high tomorrow. and the colder air tomorrow night. see what i mean? the futurecast, the moisture streaming up behind this front. occasional rain into the afternoon. that may kick off snow tomorrow night into sunday. very windy sunday.

effect for the area from late saturday night through sunday morning. this system is likely to bring some rain for the yankees opener on monday. there's the high wind watch with gusts of 55 miles an hour. be careful. early showers, then a lot of clouds the rest of the night. 53 in the city. 40s in the suburbs. we will have occasional rain tomorrow morning into the early afternoon. we'll stop at 59 with a gusty breeze. windy tomorrow night. rain showers to snow showers and sun, 42. monday, rain comes back. 51. the end of snow. tuesday morning, 29. windy, 40 in the afternoon with sunshine. only 45 wednesday morning. low in the 20s. the end of the week looks unsettled. april is starting off eh. ernie: you've given us a lot to think about. taking it one day at a time. thank you very much. we have much more to tell you about. technology has changed a lot in our lives. and even the local library. how they've gone digital and more advanced with new branches. new york city's former schools

about his exciting new job. and we'd love to see you next week. monday, we'll be trying to figure out how to raise new york's rating on the list of best cities to live in. on tuesday, alison morris joins me as we try to help you find your next job. a lot coming up all week long. we hope you'll join us for that. we'll be back after the break here on fox 5. fios is not cable. we're wired differently. in the last 10 years our competitors have received a few awards. but we've received a few more, including jd power who ranked us highest in customer satisfaction for the third year in a row. only fios has the fastest internet on the most awarded network. now get super-fast 100 meg internet tv and phone for just $69.99 per month, online. cable can't offer internet speeds this fast at a price this good,

ernie: welcome back on this friday. tonight we're going to the library. a lot of us remember going in, showing a card and leaving with a book or doing research with an encyclopedia. a lot of memories. as liz dahlem shows us, they're come a long way and their future is limitless. >> reporter: the local library used to be the place where you'd take out a classic or the newest novel. now there is so much more to do, like you're about to see at the queens center library. on any given morning, every corner of the library is taken. you won't see many people with books. most are in front of computers. >> i try my best, but i think it helps really, really, really good. >> reporter: at the job and business academy corner, francesca works to perfect her resume. job placement is something this library specializes in.

app, search for jobs, create a profile and even record themselves. one of the things that we saw pretty quickly was when they wanted to apply for jobs, they didn't necessarily have something to make them look professional, which is why we started this. >> reporter: it's on the cutting edge of technology. forget the library card. use your phone. customers can take out tablets and bring the library home. and there's wi-fi hotspots available, too. >> there are certain challenged communities with limited access to the internet or no access at home. and they need an alternative to get a leg up. >> having the ability to access the resources through technology is drawing people in. in fiscal year 2013, there were 6.8 million electronic visits on the virtual portal. in 2017, officials predict there will be 8.5 million. another program has students hitting the books and is giving

this classroom is full of young adults getting their ged's, known as the high school e equivalent cy diploma and it's free. >> they need that motivation, someone to guide them to the next step. >> reporter: the library is still a life and career starter. from jamaica queens, liz dahlem, fox 5 news. ernie: thank you very much for that. we're very happy to have with us the president and ceo of the queens library. >> always a pleasure. ernie: congratulations to you. a former new york city schools chancellor. you had many government roles. here you are in your hometown, queens where you were brought up. >> it's interesting. i spent a lot of time at this library as a student. we'll be celebrating our 50th anniversary. i was probably in early high school visiting the library. it's a great opportunity. it's an honor to be a part -- ernie: what a full circle for you.

i know you have a lot of great ideas. >> i want to compliment the staff. a lot of great programs. the vision is how we expand our services and make sure people are able to take advantage of the great programs that we offer throughout the borough of queens. ernie: you have a lot of programs. >> we do. we've had one million people who have taken advantage of our free programs. we are the great equal opportunity provider for services. ernie: so great. >> people are able to do the old-fashioned thing, taking books out -- ernie: and the new technology. >> -- and having a virtual library in front of them. ernie: that's very exciting. you have a lot of great ideas in terms of what you want to do. you're looking for the cutting edge technology you were telling me about. >> we want to make sure we include the various platforms available to people, making sure we expand our programs, making sure we're available seven days a week. right now we're six days a week. two of our community libraries are open seven days. we want to expand that to 14

we're asking the mayor and city council to make sure for baseline funding. ernie: everybody needs that. you talk about the different programs. we saw where you have this ged, the high school equivalency program and others. >> we have uniform pre-k programs, programs for adults, adult learners who are there on a regular basis learning english, learning how to really compete in today's society. as you saw, job business programs. ernie: it's wonderful. >> we're teaching new languages. we're having great opportunities for the people of queens and beyond. ernie: good for you. tell me something. with all the experience you've had, what's the most important thing you've learned through your experiences? >> always take on challenges. i love for myself and for others to always be available to take on a new challenge. what we see are people who come through our doors taking on new challenges. i mentioned to you i moved the office that was my predecessor's

ernie: this is a good idea. >> i take bathroom complaints and people tell me about not having hot water in the bathroom. ernie: you're right there. >> more importantly, i hear the needs of the people. and they want services. they want services seven days a week and they take advantage. they run to our cyber center, our media room, the shelves to get the books. everything. queens library. congratulations. always good to have you here. come back again. you got your card. ernie: good man. thank you, dennis. no fooling around. it's april 1st. i was wondering about something. do you like to play april fool jokes? ernie: what about you? are you a prankster? your answers are coming up. first, russ will join us with

syracuse's ernie: we've got a big weekend of college basketball, final four, but not without controversy here. russ: you know, quite frankly, to me it's silly. look, big weekend. the tournament has been great thus far. villanova plays oklahoma in the first game. syracuse-north carolina in the second. it's been no secret, everybody knows that syracuse has been under heavy sanctions. jim bayhaim missed nine games. they lost scholarships. but he made a comment yesterday which to me is absolutely silly, idiotic idiotic.

doesn't mean you're cheating. so, like, i mean, either he's completely arrogant and thinks everybody is stupid, or he's just not thinking. ernie: he was asked a question. that's -- what do you think he should have said? russ: he should have said, hey, we paid the price. we paid our penalty. it's done with. we're moving on. but to say it's not cheating, ernie, the improprieties stem from improper benefits, academic misconduct and failure to enforce the school's drug policy. okay. so you broke the rules, but you didn't cheat? you're making yourself look stupid. it doesn't make sense. i feel bad for the kids at syracuse. ernie: i think you're right. they've had some great basketball games. that overshadows what you're talking about. russ: to me it's just great. they're coming off -- syracuse is coming off such a great win over virginia.

don't -- don't view the public as being stupid. they know what the deal is. ernie: who's going to win this weekend? what do you think? who's going to take it all? russ: if i had a -- i think the best team and the team that will win everything i believe is north carolina, who by the way, their coach, roy williams, is under big time heat for their own indiscretions. if i had a choice, i would like it to be villanova. ernie: i knew you'd say that. russ: if it's not, i'll take oklahoma. i can't vote for bayheim or williams. ernie: it's april fools' day.

your answers are coming up next. fios is not cable. we're wired differently. in the last 10 years our competitors have received a few awards. but we've received a few more, including jd power who ranked us highest in customer satisfaction for the third year in a row. only fios has the fastest internet on the most awarded network. now get super-fast 100 meg internet tv and phone for just $69.99 per month, online. cable can't offer internet speeds this fast at a price this good,

ernie: it's that time of year again. do you like to play april fool jokes? >> no. never. >> my daughter was born april 1. ernie: so you always play jokes? >> always. my husband is the biggest comedian. >> of course. ernie: what do you do? >> i mean, i remember one time i, like, i sprayed the water in the sink. it sprayed on my sister. ernie: that's an old one. you like to play the jokes? >> yeah. ernie: anybody get mad at you? >> my parents. ernie: don't do that, they say? >> yeah. ernie: what are you doing this year? >> that i don't know. but it's going to involve mice. >> every year is about having fun. it's about playing jokes on family, friends. sometimes they take it serious. sometimes they don't. ernie: let's keep asking the question. do you play jokes on people?

make a prank call to my wife or my co-workers, stuff like that. ernie: do you enjoy it? >> sometimes. ernie: who do you do it to? >> my children, my wife. ernie: your children, your wife. do they know you're going to play jokes? >> if they remember the date. >> not really. i used when i was little. not anymore. ernie: you're grown up now. >> bad, right? ernie: no. you have to be playful. >> you have a good joke? ernie: i'm not going to tell you. i may surprise you. maybe try a good joke today. >> i will. ernie: have a good time. bye-bye. >> i need some new material. go to facebook and let me know. thank you very much for joining us. i'm ernie anastos here in studio 5. our control room upstairs, big john k. give us a wave. thanks for being part of the broadcast. we'll see you monday. what was john doing? playing games?

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america runs on dunkin'. >> today on "tmz" -- >> turns out kylie jenner might have some maternal instincts after all because she shut up a bunch of whiny kids last night. >> she went to craig's because she released her lip gloss. the fans are there and this is how she reacts? >> no, you stop for the selfie and go -- >> yeah, what is that? >> what are you doing, mike? [laughter] >> manny pacquaio. we're like, you know the reaction from getting banned from the grove because of his homophobic comments. >> do you think you still have the privilege to go there, have the rights to be there? >> yeah. >> there could be a public risk if manny goes in. >> gays would beat him up. >> the bears will take him down. >> the bears will take him down. otters will be pretty good. >> what's an otter? >> an otter is a lesser level of a bear. >> i thought an otter just laid