New York environmental regulators have deemed a developer liable for an $18 million Westchester cleanup — but they haven’t yet made the company pay.
New York environmental regulators have deemed a developer liable for an $18 million Westchester cleanup — but they haven’t yet made the company pay. ·  View in browser
NEWSLETTER

What will it take to turn Mayor Mamdani’s campaign promises into policy? Join us for a housing policy discussion on February 12.

A Superfund cleanup on the western side of the Amawalk Reservoir was completed in 2024, but the state has yet to recoup the cost. David McKay Wilson
New York environmental regulators have deemed a developer liable for an $18 million Westchester cleanup — but they haven’t yet made the company pay.
By David McKay Wilson

Recent Stories

Governor Kathy Hochul has provided sparse details about the future of New York’s Medicaid program, which makes up the largest share of the state budget. Photos: Bill Badzo; Vlad Fratila | Illustration: Leor Stylar
State officials have so far dodged questions about the future of New York’s largest health plan. A hearing on Tuesday could provide some insight.
By Jie Jenny Zou

Over 95 percent of New Yorkers have health insurance — one of the highest coverage rates in the country. That could soon change if lawmakers are unable to chart a new course for the state’s Medicaid program amid federal cuts.

Governor Kathy Hochul has provided sparse details about the future of the program, which makes up the largest share of the state budget. The public may gain more insight on Tuesday, when lawmakers will get a chance to grill agency heads at the annual Medicaid budget hearing.

President Donald Trump’s “big beautiful bill” has already jeopardized funding for the state’s flagship Essential Plan, which covers New Yorkers not eligible for Medicaid. That plan has expanded over the past decade and now covers 1.7 million New Yorkers. On top of further burdening the state’s health care system, advocates say forthcoming federal cuts to Medicaid could undermine the state’s progress on curbing overdoses, trigger widespread job losses, and threaten local economies.

Here are our questions about the future of New York’s Medicaid program.

The mayor’s Tin Cup Day speech hinges on a bold claim about the city’s relationship with the state.
By Nick Garber

Like many New York City mayors before him, Zohran Mamdani is trekking up to Albany on Wednesday to beg the state for money. But the new mayor is arming himself with an unusually provocative argument: that state leaders have systematically deprived the city of what it’s owed, and that it’s time to fix the imbalance.

“New York City is the economic engine of this state,” Mamdani said at a recent press conference, where he made a case for tax increases on the wealthy and corporations to help cover the city’s growing budget gap. “While we contribute the majority of state revenue growth, we do not receive the same proportion of state funds.”

The argument was a preview of Mamdani’s testimony at Wednesday’s annual “Tin Cup Day,” where the mayor and his aides will ask Albany leaders for tax hikes — and potentially other forms of aid — as part of the upcoming state budget.

The Kings County Supreme Courthouse was the site of a foreclosure case featuring connections between the judge, court referee, and lawyers on both sides. Beth Wilson/Flickr
A foreclosure case in Brooklyn highlights ties between the courts and political party clubhouses.
By Chris Bragg

On Thursday, New York Focus reported on a Brooklyn foreclosure auction that ended with Emigrant Bank acquiring a Windsor Terrace home for $100 after an allegedly inflated minimum bidding price may have chilled the bidding.

A five-bedroom home in Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn, is the subject of a court battle over whether Emigrant Bank illegally inflated a foreclosure auction bidding price. Colin Kinniburgh/New York Focus
New York Focus identified more than a thousand cases where a disputed interest formula increased a home’s bidding price at auction, allowing a bank to obtain it for a pittance.
By Chris Bragg

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Staying Focused is compiled and written by Alex Arriaga
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