As negotiations over the state budget reach a fever pitch in March, a visitor to the New York State Assembly offices might see something surprising: cots and sleeping bags.

They’re evidence of a work culture that former Assembly employees say is punishing, all-consuming, and low-paying.

“My kids would call me crying and say, ‘When are we going to see you?’” one former Assembly staffer said. (New York Focus granted this staffer and others quoted in this story anonymity to avoid retaliation from their current employers.)

With generous support from The Lenfest Institute for Journalism, we set out to answer this question. Between the fall of 2023 and spring of 2024, New York Focus traveled to cities like Rochester, Albany, Potsdam, and Syracuse to gather information from local communities and media partners to understand the local news landscape of New York. Read our full report.

The federal government sends states billions of dollars each year to improve and maintain their transportation systems. By default, 80 percent of that money is allocated to highways and 20 percent to mass transit. But that’s not set in stone: Governors can choose to shift up to half of their state’s highway funding to transit instead, a move known as “flexing” the funds. Transit advocates and climate groups have urged governors to make wider use of this power to boost mass transit and reduce the environmentally harmful effects of highway expansion and car use.

New York’s top court, somewhat confusingly known as the Court of Appeals, meets just down the street from the state Capitol in Albany. From its stately Greek Revival building, the court issues rulings that are the final word on state law and the state constitution.

Here’s a short introduction to how the court works and who’s on it.