Topics Reporting
Hochul on New York’s Fraying Safety Net: State of the State 2026

The governor’s vision for tackling historic cuts to public benefit programs remains blurry.

Jie Jenny Zou   ·   January 14, 2026
Hochul, Unions Rally in Defense of Offshore Wind

New York’s building trade unions are turning out in force to try to save the mammoth energy projects from Trump’s latest attack.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   January 13, 2026
Covering the 2026 State of the State

Here’s what our reporters will be watching for during Governor Kathy Hochul’s agenda-setting address that will kick off state budget negotiations.

New York Focus   ·   January 12, 2026
The State Is Locking Kids in Solitary Confinement Without Toilets, Lawsuit Alleges

Office of Children and Family Services facilities keep youth in small cells for days or weeks at a time, violating state regulations, the suit claims.

Chris Gelardi   ·   January 9, 2026
FBI Wiretaps, Illegal Drugs, and Dead Horses

The feds gave New York key evidence on horse racing’s largest doping ring. State regulators have done nothing with it for years.

Sam Mellins   ·   January 7, 2026
New York Counties Have Received Millions From Opioid Lawsuits, But Many Won’t Say How They’ve Spent It

Drug policy advocates are calling a new reporting mandate a missed opportunity for needed transparency and sustained action.

Jie Jenny Zou   ·   January 5, 2026
A man wearing a mask installs pink fiberglass insulation on the inside of a home.
New York Shores Up Funding for Key Energy Efficiency Program

The state plans to stabilize the Empower+ program with a record amount of money from the pollution pricing program RGGI.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   December 23, 2025
Here’s Every Bill That Kathy Hochul Vetoed in 2025

One hundred and forty laws that almost were.

New York Focus   ·   December 23, 2025
Over 50 Incarcerated People Wrote to Us About Their Innocence Claims. Some Had Waited Years for a Conviction Review.

The letters paint a picture of a CIU process rife with roadblocks, especially for applicants who didn’t have lawyers.

Oishika Neogi and Curtis Brodner   ·   December 23, 2025
A Judge Tossed a Prison Sex Abuse Lawsuit Over Typos. Hundreds More Dismissals Could Be Coming.

The state plans to ask a court to dismiss some 500 prison sexual assault lawsuits for not strictly abiding by filing requirements.

Chris Gelardi and Jessy Edwards   ·   December 22, 2025
An illustration of Eric Adams against a rack of Chromebooks
Inside Eric Adams’s School Chromebook Spending Spree

The Adams administration is shelling out north of $320 million to give public school students Chromebooks that connect to the internet through cell service. Most already have internet at home.

Zachary Groz   ·   December 22, 2025
Governor Kathy Hochul stands at a podium in front of a field of solar panels. In the background, a large, looming clock ticks close to midnight.
Wetland Rules Slow Solar Buildout as Developers Rush for Tax Credits

Recently adopted environmental regulations have added months to New York’s already yearslong energy permitting process, colliding with new deadlines for federal subsidies.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   December 20, 2025
Photo collage of a desk with a notepad and voice recorder in a newsroom.
Hochul Pushes to Narrow Domestic Violence ‘Coerced Debt’ Bill

Eleventh-hour negotiations could decide the fate of legislation to make it easier for survivors to cancel debt caused by their abuse.

Chris Bragg   ·   December 19, 2025
Hochul May Veto Bill to Protect LLC Transparency Act from Trump

The governor is poised to veto a bill to insulate a business transparency law from federal shifts, according to the bill’s sponsor.

Chris Bragg   ·   December 17, 2025
Will New York City Drop BlackRock Over Climate?

Outgoing Comptroller Brad Lander wants the city’s pension funds to reconsider $42 billion in investments with the firm, but it may fall to his successor to take action.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   December 15, 2025
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is back on track for now, but even more changes could be on the way.
What’s Next for New Yorkers on SNAP?

New Yorkers who rely on federal food assistance could see more program disruptions in upcoming months.

Jie Jenny Zou   ·   December 12, 2025
Inside NYC’s Overstretched Social Services Agency

With nearly 1,500 unfilled jobs, New York City’s Department of Social Services is leaning on mandatory overtime to keep up.

Keenan Chen and Reuven Blau, THE CITY   ·   December 11, 2025
AmeriCorps Cuts Leave New York Trails in Trouble

Some of downstate New York’s most used hiking trails are badly eroding. President Trump’s cuts have slashed the crews working to save them.

Sam Mellins   ·   December 11, 2025
One Year Since Robert Brooks’s Killing, Prison Chaos Has No End in Sight

The murder has led to more tumult than New York’s prison system has seen since the Attica prison uprising over five decades ago.

Chris Gelardi   ·   December 10, 2025
Following New York Focus Investigation, Home Health Aides Will Get New Insurance

A health insurer offering shoddy coverage to low-wage workers at taxpayer expense will be replaced next year. But will what comes next be any better?

Sam Mellins   ·   December 9, 2025
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