“I watch the roaches and I envy them.” After 34 years, Billy Blake leaves solitary confinement
As New York turns the page on solitary confinement, a reflection on what three decades in solitary cost one man.

New York Focus revealed routine secret instructions used to guide judges’ decisions. Civil rights lawyers are suing to make them public.
The iconic public defense organization is due back in its Brooklyn office Monday. Attorneys, reporting health complications, say they’ve dreaded the return.
A raucous emergency meeting featured escalating alarm, bewilderment, a hot mic, dueling accusations of conflicts of interest, and a dramatic vote with two surprise twists.
A group of Manhattan Democrats wants to force County Leader Keith Wright to choose between working for the party and working for a lobbying firm.
A major wind and solar developer is defecting from industry ranks, arguing the state shouldn’t bail out struggling projects.
In California, getting labor on board was essential to addressing the housing crisis. In New York, unions say the governor has barely tried.