Topics New York State
Staying Focused
Sign up for our free newsletter, and we'll make sure you never miss a beat.
To Meet Climate Mandate, New York Needs to Learn How to Build Clean Energy Again

After a decade of building virtually no large-scale renewables, New York is planning to build enough to power millions of homes over the next eight years. What will it take to pull it off?

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   November 21, 2022
Republicans Won Big on Long Island. So Did Affordable Housing.

Even as Long Island veers right, the Hamptons just voted to tax the wealthy to fund mid-range housing.

Sam Mellins   ·   November 17, 2022
The ‘Red Wave’ Hit Southern Brooklyn. Some Blame the County Democrats.

After the Brooklyn Democratic Party did almost nothing to mobilize voters, Republicans swept the borough’s southern points.

Sam Mellins   ·   November 9, 2022
What’s the Plan, Kathy?

New Yorkers picked Governor Kathy Hochul on Tuesday. New York Focus staff picked ten questions we’ll be watching for her tenure.

New York Focus   ·   November 9, 2022
Landfill Fight Illustrates New York’s Heaping Trash Problem

New York planned to slash its trash. Instead, we’re producing more garbage than ever.

Sam Mellins   ·   November 8, 2022
Anthony Annucci leaning on a desk
New York’s Prison Chief Ordered Guards to Illegally Shackle People to Desks

Anthony Annucci’s internal memo tells staff to restrain incarcerated people during any out-of-cell time, affecting at least 5,000.

Chris Gelardi   ·   November 7, 2022
New York’s Prison Chief Ordered Guards to Illegally Shackle People to Desks

Anthony Annucci’s internal memo tells staff to restrain incarcerated people during any out-of-cell time, affecting at least 5,000.

Chris Gelardi   ·   November 7, 2022
Meet the Moguls Fueling Lee Zeldin’s Super PAC Boost

New York Focus found six big spenders who have poured money into PACs backing Kathy Hochul’s Republican challenger.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   November 4, 2022
Blind Spots: Sexual Assault Allegation Exposes Self-Policing Prison System

Robert Adams alleges that a guard sodomized him with a baton. A year-long investigation into his story uncovered a system plagued by retaliation and primed for abuse.

Victoria Law   ·   November 3, 2022
‘Voters Are Lethargic’: Poll Suggests A Missing Economic Message In Governor’s Race

A new poll suggests a missing economic message is contributing to an unexpectedly close governor’s race.

Lee Harris   ·   November 3, 2022
Has Anyone Told the Brooklyn Democratic Party There’s an Election Next Week?

Downstate turnout could decide the governor’s race. The Brooklyn Democratic Party is mounting almost no campaign effort.

Sam Mellins   ·   November 2, 2022
‘They Lied to All of Us’: Ten Years After Hurricane Sandy, Construction Begins on Staten Island’s Promised Wetland

Staten Island residents who sold their homes to the state as part of one of the country’s first major “managed retreats” were promised the land would be returned to nature. Instead, part of it is being turned into a soccer complex.

Leslie Shailer   ·   October 29, 2022
Most of New York Gas Tax Holiday Savings Don’t Go to New Yorkers, Analysis Finds

Out of every dollar the gas tax suspension costs the state, less than 50 cents are going into New Yorkers’ pockets.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   October 26, 2022
Some Suburbs Are Actually Trying to Solve the Housing Shortage

New York suburbs have long lagged their peers in building new housing. A few towns are eyeing a different approach.

Sam Mellins   ·   October 25, 2022
Lesser Infractions Aren’t Supposed to Land You in Solitary Confinement. They Do Anyway.

New York prisons have illegally sent at least 1,100 people to solitary confinement for infractions that aren’t eligible for the punishment, a New York Focus analysis has found.

Chris Gelardi   ·   October 24, 2022
New York May Drop JPay, The Scandal-Plagued Prison Banking Company

A one-year extension could be the prison contractor’s last, ending a 15-year run.

Eli Tan   ·   October 21, 2022
New York’s Crypto Moratorium Would Leave Most Mining Untouched. There’s Another Reason the Industry Is Up in Arms.

A much-debated moratorium wouldn’t affect any crypto mining projects under development, but an accompanying environmental study could bring unwelcome scrutiny.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   October 20, 2022
New York Courts Are Ghosting Disabled New Yorkers

When disabled litigants who can’t to come to court in person request virtual appearances, they often don’t hear back.

Sam Mellins   ·   October 13, 2022
New York Banned Plastic Bags Two Years Ago. Why Are They Still Everywhere?

Two years after the state banned plastic bags, many New York City businesses are still distributing them with little fear of consequences.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   October 12, 2022
The Rent Is Too Damn High. Blame the Suburbs.

Long Island and Westchester build housing at some of the lowest rates of any suburban area in the country, fueling high rents and home prices across the region.

Sam Mellins   ·   October 6, 2022