Topics New York State
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
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
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
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
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
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
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