Topics Reporting
Photo collage of a transparent yellow SNAP card over the black and white produce section of a grocery store.
Could A Lawsuit Finally Spur New York into Action on Food Stamp Theft?

The state has left defrauded food stamp recipients to fend for themselves. Internal agency emails point to a long-simmering effort riddled with delays.

Jie Jenny Zou   ·   June 17, 2025
State Legislative Leaders Pass Last-Minute Prison Oversight Package

The bill package will now head to Governor Kathy Hochul’s desk, and she could either sign, veto, or scale it back through amendments to the legislation.

Chris Gelardi   ·   June 13, 2025
5 Key Takeaways From Our Investigation Into Health Insurer Leading Edge Administrators

The little-known company recently won a huge taxpayer-funded contract. It has a record of not paying doctors and leaving patients on the hook for the bills.

Sam Mellins   ·   June 13, 2025
Robyn Hodgson at a rally in Lancaster, PA.
‘I Thought I Was In-Network’: The Insurance Scheme That Could Leave New Yorkers With Mountains of Debt

A company with a history of lawsuits and unpaid claims is now managing health insurance for thousands of New Yorkers on the taxpayers’ dime.

Sam Mellins   ·   June 12, 2025
Lobbyists ‘Deploy’ to Stop Sovereign Debt Reform Bill

Four lobbying groups representing Wall Street firms are trying to block the bill from passing in the final days of the legislative session.

Julia Rock and Chris Bragg   ·   June 12, 2025
This ‘Best-Kept Secret’ in Health Care Can Shave Down Your Medical Debt

Nonprofit hospitals are required to help those struggling with medical debt, but critics say their policies are poorly advertised and underutilized.

Jie Jenny Zou   ·   June 12, 2025
A warped image of the New York State DCJS logo.
New York Police Agencies Train Officers on a Discredited Medical Condition. Legislators Are Trying to Ban It.

Documents show that six county sheriffs’ offices and two state agencies have recently included excited delirium in their training.

Chris Gelardi   ·   June 11, 2025
5 Key Takeaways From Our Investigation Into ‘Sewer Service’

Tens of thousands of NYC residents are sued every year for consumer debt. Many of them don’t know about it.

Julia Rock   ·   June 11, 2025
Need Help Paying Medical Bills? Here’s How Charity Care Works in New York.

Learn the income thresholds, deadlines, and free support services that help New Yorkers shave down or sometimes completely erase medical debt.

Jie Jenny Zou   ·   June 11, 2025
Have You Been Sued for Credit Card Debt? Your Fake Relative Might Know.

Collectors claim they serve people who don’t exist, yet regulators rarely bar repeat offenders from the industry.

Julia Rock and Sam Mellins   ·   June 10, 2025
State Assemblymember Claire Valdez speaks at a rally in front of people holding a banner that reads "NY Renews."
Hochul Paused Carbon Pricing to Get More Feedback — But Hasn’t Asked for Any

State officials said they needed more time for “stakeholder engagement” on cap and invest. But groups involved with the program have gotten crickets.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   June 6, 2025
A Powerful Bronx Politician Dines on Developers’ Double Donations

An expert calls the six-figure haul “extraordinary” for an unpaid party seat whose powers are picking judges, poll workers, and party officers.

Chris Bragg   ·   June 5, 2025
National flags against the NY state capitol.
Amid Global Debt Crisis, Albany Advances Bill to Rein In Hedge Funds Suing Poor Countries

Half of sovereign bonds are issued under New York state law, giving Albany lawmakers the power to shape how countries around the world face off with creditors.

Julia Rock and Colin Kinniburgh   ·   June 4, 2025
Illustration of Alex Bores speaking at a press conference.
Why New York Judges Are Fighting a Major Plan to Fix Court Backlogs

As courts buckle under hundreds of thousands of unresolved cases, a quiet fight is erupting in Albany over how — and where — to add more judges.

Chris Bragg   ·   May 30, 2025
Small Towns, Big Stakes: How Medicaid Cuts Threaten Health Care in the Adirondacks

From nursing homes to Planned Parenthood clinics, rural health care in Upstate New York could collapse under proposed Republican budget changes.

Clara Hemphill   ·   May 29, 2025
Senator Monica Martinez (left) and Assemblymember Chantel Jackson (right) in an illustration showing legislative text and logos in the background
As Albany Debates Plastics Crackdown, Industry Pushes Softer Alternative

The chemical industry is pushing to replace a sweeping plastics bill with a more business-friendly alternative.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   May 29, 2025
Video: Five Years Since an Uprising Against the NYPD, What Has Changed?

Previously unpublished photos and video show how protesters set up encampments, burned police vehicles, and marched almost daily. Today, the NYPD operates much as it did before the movement.

Chris Gelardi   ·   May 28, 2025
Rochester Police Accountability Board Loses Investigatory Powers

A Monroe County judge stripped the PAB of its power to investigate and report incidents of police misconduct.

Nathan Porceng   ·   May 28, 2025
An Upstate Orchard Is Putting New Farmworker Protections to the Test

New York’s farm labor law was meant to transform life for agricultural workers. One apple farm shows how hard that may be.

Julia Rock   ·   May 27, 2025
Harrison Mayor Helped Rezone His Own Land — Then Sold It for $2.9 Million

Richard Dionisio participated in multiple votes related to a controversial rezoning effort without publicly disclosing his financial interest.

Chris Bragg   ·   May 21, 2025
8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16