Topics New York City
Child Care Voucher Enrollment Is Closed in 34 New York Counties and NYC

That number is up from 21 last July. New York City’s waitlist alone has surged to over 17,000 — a tenfold increase in less than a year.

Melissa Manno   ·   March 31, 2026
Hochul’s Embrace of Trump’s ‘No Tax on Tips’ Will Cost NYC Millions

The city could lose $239 million from the policy, which is supported by business groups while unions remain on the sidelines.

Nick Garber   ·   March 30, 2026
Mamdani Stays Mum on Albany Climate Fight

Some climate activists want the mayor to take a stronger stance. He previously said the state’s climate law “is not a suggestion. It is a mandate.”

Nick Garber and Colin Kinniburgh   ·   March 26, 2026
Class Size Plan at Center of Mamdani’s Bid to Extend Mayoral Control

The administration will soon send legislators a plan to meet a mandate capping class sizes, said NYC Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels.

Melissa Manno   ·   March 25, 2026
New York Gave These Broadway Shows Millions — And They Flopped Anyway

Sold as a pandemic-era emergency program, the state’s theater tax credit has quietly sent hundreds of millions to short-run flops and blockbuster hits.

Nick Garber   ·   March 19, 2026
ICE Is Trying to Send Hundreds of New York’s African Asylum Seekers to a Country They’re Not From

Over the last three months, ICE attorneys in New York state have petitioned to send half of the African asylum seekers who had immigration hearings to Uganda.

Liv Veazey   ·   March 18, 2026
Lawmakers Join Battery Developers in Fight With ConEd Over NYC’s Grid

ConEd says New York’s battery boom could overload the grid. The industry and its allies are pushing back.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   March 13, 2026
State Legislature Backs Tax Hikes on Wealthy, Adding Fuel to Mamdani’s Push

The Senate and Assembly’s budget proposals include many of the mayor’s desired revenue-raisers and give the city a larger cut of state funds.

Nick Garber   ·   March 10, 2026
Mamdani’s New Albany Asks: Smaller Corporate Tax Hike, Fees on Pricey Home Sales

The mayor narrowed his big business tax proposal in the hopes of making it easier to pass.

Nick Garber   ·   March 6, 2026
An illustration shows figures walking along next to a barbed wire fence, a large pile of paperwork, a person in a green prison uniform lying down with a book on top of them, a guard holding a baton stick and a woman in a red suit waving her hand while standing at a podium.
It’s Dangerous to Feel This Desperate: How to Ease the Chaos in New York’s Prisons

When the governor doesn’t commute sentences, and the legislature won’t act, the carrot-and-stick system of rehabilitation disintegrates.

John J. Lennon   ·   March 3, 2026
Mamdani’s Small Business Czar Wants Economic Justice for Workers

As Small Business Services commissioner, Kenny Minaya will be charged with slashing fees and helping street vendors.

Nick Garber   ·   March 2, 2026
Eric Adams's failed attempt to fix New York City's broken property tax system shows why it won’t be easy for Mamdani to do so either.
Mamdani Wants to Fix Property Taxes. Eric Adams’s Failure Is a Warning Sign.

As Zohran Mamdani prepares to unveil property tax reforms, he must weigh a plan he inherited from his predecessor.

Nick Garber   ·   March 2, 2026
‘I Was Just Desperate to Find a Lawyer’: Three Journeys Through New York’s Asylum Maze

It’s almost impossible to win an asylum case without an attorney. Finding one is a tall order.

Liv Veazey   ·   February 26, 2026
Why a NIMBY Councilmember Said Yes to Affordable Housing

The threat of a new appeals board pushed Vickie Paladino to approve a new development.

Nick Garber   ·   February 24, 2026
New York City Had a Chance to Ease Its Staffing Crisis. It Quietly Gave Up.

Civil service exams can slow down government hiring by months or even years. New York City is one of the only areas of the state that hasn’t opted into a program to bypass the process.

Nick Garber   ·   February 11, 2026
Does Mamdani’s Claim that Albany is Shafting New York City Hold Up?

The mayor’s Tin Cup Day speech hinges on a bold claim about the city’s relationship with the state.

Nick Garber   ·   February 9, 2026
How New York’s Court System Intertwines With Party Politics

A foreclosure case in Brooklyn highlights ties between the courts and political party clubhouses.

Chris Bragg   ·   February 6, 2026
For Sale: Brooklyn Five-Bedroom. Price: $100

New York Focus identified more than a thousand cases where a disputed interest formula increased a home’s bidding price at auction, allowing a bank to obtain it for a pittance.

Chris Bragg   ·   February 5, 2026
Landlord That Won Big in Cuomo’s Penn Station Plan Makes a Comeback Under Trump

Vornado Realty Trust has a stake in Halmar’s proposal to rebuild the Manhattan rail hub.

Nick Garber   ·   February 2, 2026
Five Questions for New York’s Education Leaders

The state’s top education officials head to the hot seat Thursday for a lengthy budget hearing. Here are some questions we’d put on the table.

Melissa Manno   ·   January 28, 2026
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