Authors
Sam Mellins

Sam Mellins is senior reporter at New York Focus, which he has been a part of since launch day. His reporting has also appeared in The San Francisco Chronicle, The Intercept, THE CITY, and The Nation.



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We Investigated the Bronx Democratic Party. Here’s What We Learned.

Our reporting spurred the disclosure of millions in spending and illuminated the networks behind the Bronx political machine.

November 15, 2024
A photo illustration showing Bronx Democratic Party Chair Jamaal Bailey in front of the Bronx County Courthouse.
Want to Be a Judge in the Bronx? Better Pay These Firms.

A Bronx political firm close to the borough’s Democratic party chair, Jamaal Bailey, is cashing in on local civil court races.

November 13, 2024
A photo illustration showing President Donald Trump and NYC Mayor Eric Adams with backgrounds of the White House and Albany Capitol Building.
A Weak Showing From Harris, a Strong One from Congressional Dems, and a Win for Abortion Access: How New Yorkers Voted

Last month, we asked five questions about what would happen in the election. Here are the answers.

November 6, 2024
State Senator Jamaal Bailey is shown during a senate session at the NY State Capitol in 2019.
Payday: Bronx Dems Spent Nearly $300,000 on Consultancy Tied to Party Chair Jamaal Bailey

It’s not clear what the money was used for in a county where Democrats outnumber Republicans ten-to-one.

October 24, 2024
The word "fixed" is overlaid on top of a Bronx city skyline with a background of $20 bills.
Oh, There It Is! Bronx Dems Fix Disclosure Failure After New York Focus Reporting.

The disclosures included over a dozen missing or incomplete reports covering a period of more than four years.

October 22, 2024
A collage of images showing the Albany Capitol building, Vice President Kamala Harris, former President Donald Trump, and NYC Mayor Eric Adams.
Cheat Sheet: Navigating New York’s 2024 Elections

Here are the five topics we’re watching with the elections less than three weeks away.

October 16, 2024
An image shows a closeup of a magnifying glass and $20 bills behind the Bronx skyline.
Where’s The Money? More Than $400,000 Missing from Bronx Democratic Party Disclosures

The chair of Assembly Democrats’ campaign committee said he wasn’t aware his organization had sent hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Bronx.

October 15, 2024
Kathy Hochul in front of a map of New York Route 17.
A $1.3 Billion Project That Would Save Drivers Six Minutes Max

As the state’s plans to get New Yorkers out of their cars stall, Governor Hochul is championing a highway expansion in the Hudson Valley.

September 24, 2024
Donald Trump walking
Trump Plans to Kill Congestion Pricing. Hochul’s Pause Could Let Him.

There are at least three ways a Trump administration could try to stop the transit-funding toll.

August 26, 2024
Legislators Wrote a Bill in 2023 to Address the Housing Crisis — But Never Got to Vote on It

A newly discovered 80-page housing package would have included good cause eviction, but legislators were dissuaded by Kathy Hochul’s opposition.

August 12, 2024
Hochul at a podium
Hochul Punts on How to Reduce Traffic and Pollution in NYC

Hochul says she’s working with the legislature to replace congestion pricing, but key legislators say they aren’t aware of any conversations.

August 9, 2024
The New York state Capitol against a wall of code
Hackers Nabbed State Employees’ Credit Card and Social Security Numbers

It’s unclear whether the legislature is taking steps to address its security vulnerabilities.

August 6, 2024
Kingston Made Rent Law History Two Years Ago. That Was the Easy Part.

For tenants in the first upstate city to adopt rent stabilization, benefiting from the law’s basic protections is an uphill battle.

July 16, 2024
Where Do Top New York Politicians Stand on Hochul’s Congestion Pricing Pause?

Some of the state’s top Democrats slammed the governor, while others supported the pause or stayed mum. Republicans want congestion pricing killed altogether.

July 2, 2024
Governor Kathy Hochul at an event
Hochul Waves Away Questions on Congestion Pricing Replacement

After the governor declined to answer questions, a New York Focus reporter was ejected from her event.

June 24, 2024
MTA workers in a tunnel
Does Anyone Have a Backup Plan to Fund the MTA?

We asked 26 lawmakers who support the congestion pricing pause how they propose to fund transit upgrades. Most shrugged.

June 21, 2024
Traffic on a Manhattan street
Hochul Halts Congestion Pricing as Manhattan Traffic Reaches Record High

The constant gridlock is a major drag on Manhattan’s businesses, and source of frustration for commuters. And it’s never been so bad.

June 12, 2024
A blurred Kathy Hochul
Hochul in Hiding as Congestion Pricing Hangs by a Thread

Since announcing her plan to put the program on ice, the governor has not appeared in public.

June 7, 2024
New York State Capitol in front of question marks
Senate Democrats Lock Down as Secret Committee Comes to Light

A secret group of Senate Democrats helped decide the fate of nearly 650 bills over the last month. Just don’t ask any questions.

June 6, 2024
An ornate Senate staircase in New York's Capitol building in Albany
This Secret Senate Committee Decides Whether Bills Live or Die

You haven’t heard of it, and your state senator might not have either. The Working Rules group helps determine the fate of hundreds of bills at the end of each legislative session.

May 30, 2024
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