New York Mayoral Candidate Joe Lhota Featured on Tonight's METROFOCUS

A new edition of the award-winning MetroFocus premieres in the New York metro area tonight, October 16 at 7:30 p.m. on WLIW21 and Thursday, October 17 at 8:30 p.m. on THIRTEEN and at 10:30 p.m. on NJTV.

The next edition of MetroFocusfeatures an in-depth interview with New York Republican candidate for mayor Joe Lhota and excerpts from a recent conference called City Lab, sponsored by The Aspen Institute, The Atlantic magazine and Bloomberg Philanthropies. Both Democrat Bill de Blasio and Republican Lhota appeared on stage with Mayor Michael Bloombergat the City Lab event.

Bloomberg is still not endorsing anyone in the race to be his successor, but in the interview with MetroFocus host Rafael Pi Roman, Lhota says he would welcome Bloomberg's endorsement. "Early on in the campaign, I talked to him. Back in late January, early February he said he was not going to get involved in the primary and in fact, he would make his decision after the primaries. And he made his decision after the primary that he thought it was in everybody's best interest to stay away from endorsing anyone one way or the other. Sure, I'd love to have his endorsement. But you know, the mayor's a strong-willed person." Lhota also tells Pi Roman, he believes he will get his message out despite de Blasio's massive lead in recent polls, saying "I believe I'm very, very different from Bill de Blasio. He does take at times, what I consider to be, very extremist points of view."

In continuing coverage of the recovery from Hurricane Sandy, reporter Rick Karr visits the communities in the Rockaways where rebuilding is still underway and where residents are turning down offers from New York State to buy them out of their flood-prone homes. Karr introduces us to Kevin Boyle, editor of the local weekly paper "The Wave." Boyle has become an advocate for Rockaways residents who are protesting FEMA's decision to raise flood insurance rates and eliminate subsidies.

Author and staff writer for The New Yorker magazine George Packer joins Pi Roman to talk about his new book "The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America." The book is on the long list for this year's National Book Award for non-fictionand uses narratives from individuals across the country to document the changing economy. Packer tells Pi Roman the title refers to "...the end of a deal that used to exist among Americans that basically said, if you hold down a job, if you educate your kids, there's a place for you in society...I think in the last generation that deal has come undone."

And if it's autumn, it's time to tackle a corn maze. NJ Today's Lauren Wanko shows us why the vast mazes, apple cider stands and hay rides are a part of agriculture in the garden state called "agri-tourism," a significant source of income for farmers in the Garden State.

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MetroFocus Series Overview

MetroFocus is an award-winning multi-platform news magazine focusing on the New York region. The MetroFocus television program features interviews, in-depth reporting, content from many partners and solutions-oriented reports from the community. Major areas of coverage include sustainability, education, science and technology, the environment, transportation, poverty and underserved communities. MetroFocus.orgamplifies that reporting with daily updates and original stories that also cover culture, government and politics, the economy, urban development and other news in the metropolitan region. More information at:thirteen.org/metrofocus/about-us-faq/

MetroFocus is a production of WLIW21 in association with WNET, parent company of THIRTEEN and WLIW21. For 50 years, THIRTEEN has been making the most of the rich resources and passionate people of New York and the world, reaching millions of people with on-air and online programming that celebrates arts and culture, offers insightful commentary on the news of the day, explores the worlds of science and nature, and invites students of all ages to have fun while learning.

MetroFocus is made possible by James and Merryl Tisch, the Ford Foundation, Cheryl and Philip Milstein Family, Charlotte and David Ackert, Jody and John Arnhold, Betty and John Levin and the Dr. Robert C. and Tina Sohn Foundation. Corporate funding is provided by Mutual of America.

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