Topics Reporting
Climate Advocates ‘Haunt’ State Meeting, Demanding Energy Efficiency Funds

Governor Kathy Hochul has yet to indicate whether, or how, New York might plug a funding hole for Empower+, a key energy affordability program.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   October 23, 2025
Transparency Advocate Rejected From Ethics Commission Plans to Sue

Gary Lavine says law school deans illegally blocked his nomination to the state’s ethics body.

Chris Bragg   ·   October 22, 2025
Who’s In Hochul’s Mystery Universal Child Care Coalition?

Hochul appears to have snubbed advocates, providers, and unions, while they try to figure out how serious she is about universal child care.

Julia Rock   ·   October 21, 2025
Governor Hochul at a press conference
Hochul Vetoes Public Records Bill, Leaving ‘New Era of Transparency’ Still Pending

Governor Hochul vetoed a measure to speed up New York’s public records process, which is among the slowest in the nation. We asked our reporters about their most protracted records requests.

New York Focus   ·   October 20, 2025
Lawmakers, Top Judges Push to Expand Mental Health Courts

Statewide diversion courts could keep thousands out of jail, but they’ll need more investments in treatment to succeed.

Eliza Fawcett   ·   October 17, 2025
A collage of Hochul and the route 17 highway
Hochul Hits Pause on Hudson Valley Highway Expansion

Reporting from New York Focus last year found that the project would save drivers six minutes max, at a cost of $1.3 billion.

Sam Mellins   ·   October 14, 2025
Sierra Johnson, Who Fought for Victims of Sexual Abuse in NY Prisons, Dies Waiting for Own Lawsuit to Be Heard

Johnson was one of roughly 1,600 women to sue the state under the Adult Survivors Act alleging they were sexually assaulted in state prisons.

Jessy Edwards   ·   October 13, 2025
She Says Her Lawyer Stole Her Money. She Can’t Get the DA to Return Her Calls.

Despite mounting evidence that a disbarred attorney stole client funds, Manhattan prosecutors have taken no action.

Chris Bragg   ·   October 10, 2025
Surprise Trump Move Will Upend New York Food Stamps

New York counties thought they had months to prepare to implement SNAP work requirements. Now, they have weeks.

Jie Jenny Zou   ·   October 9, 2025
A box of books with a label reading "return to sender" sits on a metal table in front of prison bars.
New York’s Biggest ICE Detention Center Bans Book Deliveries

Rejected books include a Spanish-English dictionary, a Spanish translation of a George R.R. Martin novel, and “The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work.”

Isabelle Taft   ·   October 8, 2025
An unreachable phone seen from inside a jail cell.
ICE Detainees in New York Jails Can’t Talk to Their Lawyers

Some immigrants held in county jails are struggling to access legal advice, phone calls, and even their own court hearings.

Julia Rock and Isabelle Taft   ·   October 6, 2025
Lawmakers Scrutinize Secretive Process Behind Energy Bill Hikes

In a state Senate hearing on spiraling energy bills, consumer advocates lamented the closed-door negotiations at the heart of New York’s ratemaking process.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   October 2, 2025
Two city officials at a council hearing
NYPD Plans Massive Expansion of Real-Time Surveillance in NYCHA Housing

The City Council held an emergency hearing on the NYPD’s use of a free internet program to gain real-time access to public housing cameras, in response to New York Focus’s reporting.

Zachary Groz   ·   October 1, 2025
Apple Pickers Are Still Waiting for Promised Union Protections

An entire season has come and nearly gone, and Wafler Farms still isn’t following its union contract.

Julia Rock   ·   October 1, 2025
Adams Locks In Big Apple Connect Through 2028, One Day Before Oversight Hearing

The renewal locks New York City into well over $100 million in costs for the controversial program.

Zachary Groz   ·   September 29, 2025
Shadows over an asylum application form
Asylum Seekers in Panic Over Trump’s Unclear $100 Fee

The Trump administration’s lack of clarity about when and how to pay new fees sparked chaos and misinformation among immigrants with pending asylum applications.

Liv Veazey   ·   September 29, 2025
Whatever Happened With the State’s ‘Migrant Relocation’ Program?

The initiative to resettle asylum seekers outside New York City reached half the targeted number of familes. ICE has deported some participants.

Isabelle Taft   ·   September 29, 2025
The State Spent Millions to Resettle Asylum Seekers. ICE Is Arresting Them.

The Migrant Relocation Assistance Program helped families leave crowded shelters and put down roots. Trump’s immigration crackdown is upending that.

Isabelle Taft   ·   September 29, 2025
Climate Hawks Vow Election Showdown If Hochul Greenlights Gas Pipeline

Pipeline opponents say that approving NESE could bite Hochul in next year’s elections.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   September 26, 2025
The State Commission of Correction's logo
Five Sleepy Minutes With New York’s Jail Watchdog

Jails and prisons across the state are facing many crises. Someone should tell the Commission of Correction.

Chris Gelardi   ·   September 25, 2025
4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12