Hochul at Divide with Lawmakers on Child Care, Once A Top Priority
Child care used to be Hochul’s marquee issue. Now, she’s proposing a modest expansion—but only if Congress doesn’t act.
Child care used to be Hochul’s marquee issue. Now, she’s proposing a modest expansion—but only if Congress doesn’t act.
At New York Focus, our central mission is to help readers better understand how New York really works. If you think this article succeeded, please consider supporting our mission and making more stories like this one possible.
New York is an incongruous state. We’re home to fabulous wealth — if the state were a country, it would have the tenth largest economy in the world — but also the highest rate of wealth inequality. We’re among the most diverse – but also the most segregated. We passed the nation’s most ambitious climate law — but haven’t been meeting its deadlines and continue to subsidize industries hastening the climate crisis.
As New York’s only statewide nonprofit news publication, our journalism exists to help you make sense of these contradictions. Our work scrutinizes how power works in the state, unpacks who’s really calling the shots, and reveals how obscure decisions shape ordinary New Yorkers’ lives.
In the last two decades, the number of local news outlets in New York have been nearly slashed in half, allowing elected officials and powerful individuals to increasingly operate in the dark — with the average New Yorker none the wiser.
We’re on a mission to change that. Our work has already shown what can happen when those with power know that someone is watching, with stories that have prompted policy changes and spurred legislation. We have ambitious plans for the rest of the year and beyond, including tackling new beats and more hard-hitting stories — but we need your help to make them a reality.
If you’re able, please consider supporting our journalism with a one-time gift or a monthly gift. We can't do this work without you.
Thank you,
New York’s home care workers are suing insurance companies for systematically underpaying them for grueling, around-the-clock work.
Most utilities barely track how much water they lose to leaks, but one thing is clear: Aging infrastructure is costing customers.
New York could see more frequent and destructive blazes, but the state doesn’t have enough forest rangers and firefighters to respond to the growing threat.
Here’s a simple explanation of a complicated and archaic formula — and why the state is updating it.
New financial disclosures show when Mujica began consulting for the Greater New York Hospital Association.
Hundreds of Child Victims Act cases have been filed against New York schools, some over accused serial offenders that could leave districts with tens of millions of dollars in liability.
Nearly half of the state’s child care providers have raised tuition and a third have lost staff, a new report found.
Before Kathy Hochul paused it, the tolling program lost the little labor support it had when the Transport Workers Union withdrew its backing this spring.
Medicare Advantage plans are spreading across upstate New York, despite a reputation for denying care. In Cortland County, retirees kept it at bay.
A review of Trump’s first term, along with his campaign promises and details found within Project 2025, indicate what’s to come in New York.
Years of shortages have led to a staggering problem across the state, with few solutions on the horizon.
We’re collecting stories from teachers across the state.