
The social services commissioner says New York wants to join other states adopting more secure cards, but lacks funds for the upgrade.

Our investigation identified dozens of cases in which a wrongful conviction unit denied someone’s application, only for a judge to later exonerate them.

The health commissioner has asked the state’s Attorney General and lobbyist watchdog to launch a ‘formal inquiry.’

Chip technology has been standard in credit and debit cards for a decade. It could stop New York’s surging rate of stolen benefits.

Prosecutors have urged the governor to roll back some of New York’s discovery reforms. Public defenders worry about reverting to a time when they had to fight their cases “blindfolded.”

The governor’s proposal could make it easier to cancel your gym subscription — but harder to cancel your phone or internet plan.

“I really felt like the carpet was ripped out from underneath us,” said one county official. The state still hasn’t fully explained why it put HEAP on hold so suddenly.

New York has spent more on child care assistance in recent years, but high child care costs continue to drive families out of the state and into poverty.

The HEAP program abruptly closed to applications in January, months ahead of schedule. It has since reopened, but key questions remain about why it shut down so suddenly in the first place.

The money is being routed through a nonprofit — possibly running afoul of state lobbying rules.

After footage of the killing of Robert Brooks sparked national outcry, Governor Kathy Hochul promised to fully equip New York prisons with cameras. The project has stalled for years.

The governor’s announcement appears to expand New York’s ability to cooperate with federal immigration authorities — but it’s not clear if the state has actually changed its policy.

A $1,700 Bills suite tab was paid with campaign funds, bipartisan support for clean water funding, and New York’s top court upheld a man’s conviction despite his negligent lawyer.

The governor is proposing a tax break to reimburse volunteer organ donors for their gift. Meanwhile, the state has failed to implement a 2022 law that would do the same thing.

Student performance in math and reading is still below pre-pandemic levels, according to new data — but on par with the national average.

Hochul proposes school funding updates and a climate funding alternative. A prominent lobbying firm racks up fines.

On his first day in office, President Donald Trump ordered federal agencies to halt all new approvals for offshore wind, which New York is counting on to meet climate law targets.

The Bronx Community Foundation spent almost none of the funds it raised for victims of the 2022 Twin Parks apartment fire.

The change was among a handful of eleventh-hour tweaks to Hochul’s policy briefing book.

In the last three years, New York has become the sports betting capital of the US.

Hochul says she has a plan to make New York affordable, through tax cuts and payments to families.

It looked like 2025 could be a tipping point for climate action in New York. Instead, the governor is backtracking on key parts of her agenda.

After years of targeting bail, the governor is proposing changes to New York’s 2019 discovery reform law.

The governor also wants to make some community college programs free. But she didn’t touch the thorniest issue: the school funding formula.

Among her many health-related proposals, the governor wants to rein in drug prices — possibly by importing them from Canada.

Hochul is pushing an array of financial incentives to tackle the state’s housing crisis. But will they make a dent?

Our team will be descending upon Albany on Tuesday. Here’s what they’ll be watching.

New York’s plan to put a price on carbon could arrive in 2025. Here’s how it would work.

Updates about an increase in emissions, violence within New York’s prison system, and a breakup of two nonprofits over cannabis in NYC.

Here are the major findings from a months-long investigation into what allegedly takes place inside the Queens Supreme Courthouse.

Brandon Bishunauth is an unlikely candidate to pick a fight with a bastion of old-time machine politics.

One hundred and twenty-four laws that almost were.

New York Focus education reporter Bianca Fortis reflects on the most important education stories in New York this year, and what to keep an eye on next year.

Chris Bragg, New York Focus’s Albany bureau chief, reflects on how even the most familiar topics brought new twists to his coverage in 2024.

New York Focus reporter Julia Rock reflects on her varied coverage of state policy in an end-of-year wrapup.

New York Focus climate reporter Colin Kinniburgh reflects on his environmental coverage over the past year and what’s coming on the beat in 2025.

New York Focus reporter Chris Gelardi reflects on the criminal justice reporting that shined light on overlooked agencies and shady practices in 2024.

The state is due to unveil a “cap and invest” program — its biggest effort yet to fund climate initiatives. But fears about hiking prices may limit its scope.

New York Focus reporter Sam Mellins reflects on what he learned this year, and teases what lies ahead for 2025.

A newly obtained document sheds light on how the disavowed diagnosis infiltrated the Rochester Police Department before Prude’s death.