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Rows of empty seats watch a horse racing track with a lone harness racer and horse.
Hochul Moves to Protect Horseracing From Casino’s Tax Fight

State leaders are expected to pass a bill that avoids resolving how much Resorts World New York City needs to pay.

Nick Garber   ·   June 3, 2026
A website on an open laptop sucks in cash via a black hole.
Rochester’s Anti-Poverty Portal Struggles to Meet Promise

New York state has pumped millions of taxpayer dollars into an online portal that vowed to make life easier for Rochester’s neediest, but critics say it’s fallen short.

Jie Jenny Zou   ·   June 3, 2026
A photo collage of a shopping basket full of groceries, in front of a yellow-tinted photo of a calendar with "work" written in many of the days.
New SNAP Rules in NY: What To Know If You Lost Benefits

We’ve compiled information for SNAP recipients in New York on the changing work requirements.

Jie Jenny Zou   ·   June 2, 2026
Photo of a casino floor with rows of brightly lit video lottery terminals and a single player sitting to the left in front of a terminal.
New York’s Brand-New Casino Is in a $500M+ Fight With the State

Resorts World is floating legislation to avert more than $500 million in payments to the horseracing industry.

Nick Garber   ·   June 1, 2026
A photo collage of Governor Kathy Hochul over a yellow-tinted photo of many tall stacks of paper superimposed onto the New York state Capitol.
What’s in the 2026 State Budget? Here’s What To Know.

Our searchable database breaks down the most consequential decisions Albany politicians made on climate, immigration, housing, schools, taxes, and more.

New York Focus   ·   May 29, 2026
Gove Kathy Hochul at a podium
State Budget Gives Prisons Half-Billion-Dollar Boost While Threatening Oversight Programs

It’s unclear whether the Correctional Association of New York will have to scale back its nascent reform initiatives.

Chris Gelardi   ·   May 28, 2026
A photo collage of Governor Kathy Hochul in the foreground, with a yellow-tinted photo of a school bus in the background.
NY Budget Brings Historic Child Care Investments — But Not for Its Workforce

Advocates welcomed the additional funding but said it falls short of need and doesn’t do enough to support workers.

Melissa Manno   ·   May 28, 2026
A photo collage of Governor Kathy Hochul in front of a yellow-tinted card explaining New York State of Health's Essential Plan.
No Solution to Health Coverage Cliff in Delayed State Budget

Despite last-ditch efforts by a coalition of lawmakers, the state failed to avert a health coverage cliff coming this summer.

Jie Jenny Zou   ·   May 28, 2026
A photo collage of Governor Kathy Hochul in front of a yellow-tinted photo of four smokestacks.
State Budget Thrashes Landmark Climate Law

Governor Kathy Hochul was successful in her bid to upend the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act after legislators caved to finalize an overall budget deal.

Amudalat Ajasa and Nick Garber   ·   May 27, 2026
Photo collage of Governor Kathy Hochul in front of a yellow-tinted photo of New York City.
Mamdani Gets a New York City Bailout, but Not the One He Wanted

Some of the city’s new aid will be canceled out by pension boosts.

Nick Garber   ·   May 27, 2026
A photo collage of Governor Kathy Hochul in front of a yellow-tinted photo of three new apartment buildings under construction.
New York State Budget Set to Remove Major Barrier to New Housing

A law designed to protect the environment will be partially rolled back to pave the way for much-needed homes.

Sam Mellins   ·   May 27, 2026
Trump Administration Fires Two More New York City Immigration Judges as New Hires Take the Bench

The Department of Justice has terminated more than 100 immigration judges since last year as it has pressured courts to order more deportations.

Isabelle Taft   ·   May 23, 2026
A photo collage of Governor Kathy Hochul in the foreground, over a yellow-tinted photo of an Oswego Sheriff's car in the background.
Albany Reins in Police Collaboration With ICE but Doesn’t Ban Informal Cooperation

The legislation comes after months of haggling over how best to protect New Yorkers from President Trump’s immigration crackdown.

Isabelle Taft   ·   May 22, 2026
Videos Reignite Fight Over Oswego County Border Patrol Calls

Footage published by New York Focus sparked a debate over deputies’ practice of calling Border Patrol on Spanish-speaking drivers.

Sammy Sussman   ·   May 21, 2026
Photo of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries overlaid on top of a map of New York state congressional districts.
Cautious Maps in New York Haunt Democrats’ Redistricting War

Hakeem Jeffries urged Albany to avoid maps that aggressively boosted Democrats, sources told New York Focus.

Nick Garber   ·   May 20, 2026
A map showing locations where layoffs have occurred in New York programs overlaid with a photo of a sign stating "permanently closed."
New York’s Beds for Unaccompanied Immigrant Children Evaporate as Feds End Contracts

Shelter providers have had to lay off staff, while the children’s already uncertain futures have become even murkier.

Isabelle Taft   ·   May 19, 2026
Image of a legislative chamber with many empty chairs.
Jail Oversight Body Hamstrung Until Hochul Staffs Its Leadership

The governor has yet to nominate heads of the State Commission of Correction, which now lacks a quorum.

Chris Gelardi   ·   May 18, 2026
Close-up photo of a man from behind wearing a suit, kufi, and mask. In the background, many other people attending a funeral.
Bronx Fire Relief Funds Finally Reach Families, Four Years After Catastrophic Blaze

After a New York Focus investigation, a Bronx charity distributed nearly $400,000 to survivors of a deadly 2022 fire.

Sam Mellins   ·   May 15, 2026
A diptych of two photos: a DoorDash delivery worker and a photo of former Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
DoorDash Starts Super PAC to Repel Progressive Challengers to Assembly Incumbents

Also: Michael Bloomberg gives $1.5 million to a pro-charter school group.

Nick Garber and Chris Bragg   ·   May 14, 2026
Visitors bundled up against the cold stand in line outdoors in the early morning before visiting starts at Five Points Correctional Facility, on Nov. 22, 2025.
‘I Just Need to Hug Him’: Families Say New York Is Illegally Delaying Prison Transfers

The prison system often postpones or rejects incarcerated people’s requests to be closer to their children, jeopardizing family ties.

Indy Scholtens   ·   May 14, 2026
A zoomed-in silhouette of a child and adult holding hands. In the background, paperwork for habeas corpus petitions.
These Kids Trekked Hundreds of Miles to Reunite With Their Parents. The Feds Kept Them Separated for Months.

Trump administration rules are keeping immigrant kids detained, even when their parents are available to care for them. Families are using a new legal tool to free them.

Isabelle Taft   ·   May 13, 2026
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani, in profile, looks at Governor Kathy Hochul, who looks outwards. The two stand close to each other behind a podium.
Mamdani Declares Victory As Hochul Helps City Close Budget Gap

New York City’s $125 billion executive budget hinges on taxes and cuts whose details are still being worked out in Albany.

Nick Garber   ·   May 12, 2026
Four young children sit around a table, playing with clay.
New State Law Could Unlock Thousands of Child Care Seats, Critics See Risks

The Hochul administration now has a chance to relax New York’s child care staffing ratios — among the country’s strictest — after 26 years. But will it?

Melissa Manno   ·   May 12, 2026
A train pulls into the Bedford Hills Metro North station.
Controversial Security Leader Transferred From Women’s Prison After Outcry

Michel Blot was reassigned from Bedford Hills Correctional Facility to Sing Sing after prisoners and advocates raised concerns.

Rebecca McCray   ·   May 11, 2026
Comptroller Tom DiNapoli speaks at a podium, gesticulating with his hands.
Pension Fund Litigators Donated Heavily to New York Comptroller’s Campaign

Comptroller Tom DiNapoli’s Democratic primary opponents say they’d refuse law firm donations if elected.

Chris Bragg   ·   May 8, 2026
Photo collage of Governor Kathy Hochul, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins. Behind them, a huge clock nears midnight, and stacks of papers loom.
Critics Say Messy Budget ‘Deal’ Highlights Bigger Woes

Governor Kathy Hochul’s announcement that a deal had been reached led to a flurry of recriminations from lawmakers.

Sam Mellins, Nick Garber and Amudalat Ajasa   ·   May 7, 2026
A book lies open and face-down on a desk.
Scores of New York School Districts Report Using Discredited Reading Curricula

Two years after Gov. Hochul unveiled her signature literacy policy, advocates say the findings underscore an urgent need for sweeping literacy reform.

Melissa Manno   ·   May 7, 2026
A screenshot from a police body camera shows a person in a car, his face obscured by the officer's hands holding a phone. The caption shows the officer saying "Is there a border patrol that speaks Spanish?"
Videos Show Upstate Cops Calling Border Patrol on Drivers

Oswego County sheriff’s deputies held drivers for up to 45 minutes as they waited for immigration agents, potentially breaking the law.

Sammy Sussman and Liv Veazey   ·   May 7, 2026
New York City’s Multibillion-Dollar Black Box Contracts Face Scrutiny

Master agreements let the city wildly exceed spending projections while avoiding typical oversight, the city’s comptroller found.

Nick Garber and Zachary Groz   ·   May 6, 2026
Senator James Skoufis sits at a large, dark desk illuminated by the soft glow of a lamp, speaking on the phone and looking away from the camera. Plaques and awards adorn the wall and desk.
The Young Populist Trying to Redefine the New York Democratic Party — and We Don’t Mean Mamdani

State Senator James Skoufis represents a redder district than almost any other Democrat in Albany.

Julia Rock   ·   May 4, 2026
New York Focus Adds Director of Growth and Climate Reporter

Thanks to the support of our readers, New York Focus is growing!

New York Focus   ·   May 1, 2026
An East Ramapo Central School District school bus.
Rockland County School District Sues State for Blocking Its Superintendent Pick

The East Ramapo school board has been overseen by state monitors for years after it slashed millions in public school funds to bankroll private religious education.

Melissa Manno   ·   April 30, 2026
Immigration Talks Hit Impasse After Hochul’s Latest Proposal

Hochul’s counter would limit informal collusion with ICE only in civil matters.

Liv Veazey and Isabelle Taft   ·   April 29, 2026
Hochul Avoids Campaign Matching Funds — and a Fundraiser Disclosure Rule

Also: A super PAC targets Democratic Socialists.

Chris Bragg and Nick Garber   ·   April 28, 2026
He Won Asylum Without a Lawyer. Now He Helps West African New Yorkers Fight Deportation.

Cheikh Fall has spent nearly two decades helping New York immigrants from his home region seek asylum in the United States.

Liv Veazey   ·   April 28, 2026
Cuomo Allies Pour Money Into Race Against Lindsey Boylan

A super PAC has spent six figures on the race over the last week — more than all the candidates had raised as of last month, combined.

Nick Garber   ·   April 27, 2026
Advocates Say ‘Chaos’ Is Mounting as Counties Implement New SNAP Rules

New rules could result in thousands of New Yorkers losing their food benefits this summer.

Jie Jenny Zou   ·   April 27, 2026
The State Budget Is Late. Now Mamdani’s Might Be, Too

The mayor may delay his executive budget proposal while he awaits billions of dollars in potential Albany aid.

Nick Garber   ·   April 25, 2026
Inside The Long Retreat of Workers’ Compensation in New York

160,000 injured New Yorkers seek workers’ compensation each year — but in recent years, regulators have tilted the scales towards employers and insurers.

Maxwell Parrott   ·   April 23, 2026
John Kaehny stands on a stage with a folder in his hands.
$77 Million for a Single Job: A Q&A with Subsidies Expert John Kaehny

The leader of Reinvent Albany discusses a data center subsidy in Rockland County that flew under the radar for years.

Sam Mellins   ·   April 21, 2026
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