All Articles
Unshowered and Hungry, Incarcerated People Wait Out Prison Guard Strike

With nearly all of New York’s state prisons on lockdown, those on the inside struggle to get by.

Chris Gelardi and Sara G. Kielly   ·   February 22, 2025
In the foreground, two ICE officers enter a person's warmly-lit home. In the background, black and white image of Ithaca from afar.
‘A Chilling Effect:’ Central New York County Faces Federal Threats for Not Complying with ICE

The Trump administration, eager to force local officials to collaborate with ICE, is coming for a Tompkins County sheriff who released a man who’d served his sentence.

Julia Rock and Chris Gelardi   ·   February 21, 2025
The Biggest Issue Behind the New York Prison Guard Strike

The HALT Solitary Confinement Act altered the balance of power within New York’s prisons.

Chris Gelardi   ·   February 20, 2025
A worker holding up a sign that says "Just a few "Rogue" NYSCOPBA Members"
New York Prison Guards Are Walking Off the Job. What’s Behind Their Demands?

Wildcat strikes have spread to over half of the state’s prisons.

JB Nicholas and Chris Gelardi   ·   February 19, 2025
Split screen: left - New York Focus Article, "New York's Health Department is Ignoring a Law that Could Save Lives;" right - Health Commissioner James McDonald.
Health Department Promises Action on Organ Donation After New York Focus Reporting

A legally mandated program to reimburse organ donors has languished since 2022. The health department now says it’ll fix that this year.

Sam Mellins   ·   February 19, 2025
A photo collage depicting a sign for social services and the Capitol building in Albany
Do You Work for a Social Service Department in New York?

We are expanding our coverage and want to hear from you.

New York Focus   ·   February 14, 2025
Lawmakers Press State on Lagging Efforts to Stanch Food Stamp Theft

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

Jie Jenny Zou   ·   February 13, 2025
DAs Promised to Help Wrongfully Convicted New Yorkers. In Many Cases, They Made Things Worse.

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

Ryan Kost and Willow Higgins   ·   February 13, 2025
State Urges Investigation Into Opponents of Hochul Home Care Plan Following New York Focus Reporting

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

Chris Bragg   ·   February 11, 2025
A New York state benefits card with a cut-out yellow outline where a digital chip would go. In the background, a black and white photo of produce in  a grocery store.
A Simple Fix Could Stop Millions in Food Stamp Theft. Will New York Commit?

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

Jie Jenny Zou   ·   February 11, 2025
The photo shows Governor Kathy Hochul standing at a podium during a press conferene. The podium bears a sign that reads, "Fighting Crime" and "Ending Recidivism."
Hochul’s Criminal Justice Plan Could Leave Defendants in the Dark

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.”

Chris Gelardi   ·   February 11, 2025
Black and white photograph of someone's hands resting on a laptop keyboard, a photo of Kathy Hochul appears on the laptop screen. Around the border of the image, the logos of Verizon, Comcast, At&T, Disney Plus, Hulu, Apple TV, and Amazon Prime Video appear.
Canceling Your Cable Subscription in New York Won’t Get Easier This Year

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

Sam Mellins   ·   February 10, 2025
A screenshot of a zoom meeting between local social services officials and OTDA officials.
Local Reps Blast New York Over Heating Assistance Lapse

“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.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   February 7, 2025
A voucher ticket shows an image of two children playing with colorful toys. In the background, text from the document, "Making Child Care More Affordable, Accessible and Equitable for New Yorkers."
In Brief: Child Care Assistance

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.

Julia Rock   ·   February 7, 2025
Photo collage: blurred images of the application for New York state's Home Energy Assistance Program, foregrounded by an alarm clock set to 5pm, dollar bills floating away, and a yellow question mark.
New York Won’t Say Why it Froze Heating Assistance in the Middle of Winter

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.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   February 5, 2025
A person witting in a bed receiving home care. A silhouette of a figure with a question mark over their face holds out a handful of money.
Mystery Donor Funds $10 Million Campaign Against Hochul Home Care Plan

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

Chris Bragg   ·   February 4, 2025
Photo of a prison wall with barred windows and two yellow security cameras pointing outwards.
A Decade and $600 Million Later, New York Prisons Still Lack Cameras

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.

Rebecca McCray and Chris Gelardi   ·   February 3, 2025
Hochul’s Deportation Stance Sparks Fear, Confusion

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.

Julia Rock and Chris Gelardi   ·   February 1, 2025
Photo triptych of three images: Governor Kathy Hochul at a Buffalo Bills game, frozen water pipes, and the Court of Appeals.
Bills Receipt, Clean Water Funding, and Court of Appeals

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.

Chris Bragg, Sam Mellins and Colin Kinniburgh   ·   January 31, 2025
Photo collage of two pairs of hands holding a paper cutout of a pair of kidneys, in front of a pile of hundred dollar bills.
New York’s Health Department is Ignoring a Law That Could Save Lives

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.

Sam Mellins   ·   January 30, 2025
New York Student Test Scores Show Little Improvement Post-Pandemic

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

Bianca Fortis   ·   January 29, 2025
Photo collage of a desk with a notepad and voice recorder in a newsroom.
Green Funding Feint, Foundation Aid Update, and Lobbying Fines

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

Bianca Fortis, Colin Kinniburgh and Chris Bragg   ·   January 24, 2025
Photo collage of President Donald Trump standing in front of several windmills. Faded in the background, the text of the executive order reading, "Temporary Withdrawal of All Areas on the Outer Continental Shelf from Offshore Wind Leasing and Review of the Federal Government’s Leasing and Permitting Practices for Wind Projects."
Trump Throws Wrench Into Offshore Wind, Putting New York’s Clean Energy Plans In Doubt

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.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   January 23, 2025
Split screen of two photos: On the left, Bronx residents as Eric Adams speaks to them following the 2022 fire. On the right, in black and white, a firefighter leans out of an empty window in the burned building of the Twin Parks apartment complex.
After a Catastrophic Fire in The Bronx, Nearly $400,000 in Donations Remains Unspent

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

Sam Mellins   ·   January 22, 2025
Climate Deadline Stripped from Hochul’s State of the State Agenda at Last Minute

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

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   January 17, 2025
From a spectator point of view, an iPhone screen held up to a Knicks game. The game is in color on the screen and black-and-white outside of it. The screen shows there dollar signs indicating a gambling profit.
In Brief: Sports Betting in New York

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

Julia Rock   ·   January 16, 2025
Money for Families: State of the State 2025

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

Julia Rock   ·   January 15, 2025
Photo collage of Governor Kathy Hochul in front of a yellow gas pipe on a residential street.
Hochul’s ‘Bait and Switch’ on Climate: State of the State 2025

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.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   January 15, 2025
Hochul Wants to Revisit Another Criminal Justice Reform: State of the State 2025

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

Chris Gelardi   ·   January 15, 2025
Hochul Unveils Universal Free School Meals Program: State of the State 2025

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

Bianca Fortis   ·   January 15, 2025
Abortion, Importing Drugs and Involuntary Hospitalization: State of the State 2025

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

Chris Bragg   ·   January 15, 2025
Housing Hopes, or Housing Half Measures? State of the State 2025

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

Sam Mellins   ·   January 15, 2025
Photo collage of a desk with a notepad and voice recorder in a newsroom.
Covering Governor Hochul’s 2025 State of the State

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

New York Focus   ·   January 13, 2025
The image shows a collage with Kathy Hochul in the foreground and grey smokestacks in the background, with dollar signs among the smokestacks.
What is ‘Cap and Invest’?

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

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   January 10, 2025
Photo collage of a desk with a notepad and voice recorder in a newsroom.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Cannabis Connections, and Prison Abuse

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

Sam Mellins, Chris Gelardi and Colin Kinniburgh   ·   January 9, 2025
Brandon Bishunauth sits for a portrait inside his family's home.
Five Key Takeaways From Our Investigation Into the Queens Surrogate’s Court

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

Chris Bragg   ·   January 7, 2025
The Queens Supreme Courthouse houses the Surrogate's Court, where Brandon Bishunauth's court case has played out over the past two years.
In Fight Over Fortune, a Young Man Takes on the Kingmakers of Queens

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

Chris Bragg   ·   January 6, 2025
Photo collage of Governor Kathy Hochul signing papers in front of the Capitol Building in Albany.
Here’s Every Bill That Kathy Hochul Vetoed in 2024

One hundred and twenty-four laws that almost were.

New York Focus   ·   January 3, 2025
Photo collage of Governor Kathy Hochul signing papers in front of the Capitol Building in Albany.
Here’s Every Bill That Kathy Hochul Vetoed in 2024

One hundred and twenty-four laws that almost were.

New York Focus   ·   January 3, 2025
Photo collage of Governor Kathy Hochul signing papers in front of the Capitol Building in Albany.
Here’s Every Bill That Kathy Hochul Vetoed in 2024

One hundred and twenty-four laws that almost were.

New York Focus   ·   January 3, 2025
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