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New York Focus is a nonprofit newsroom investigating power in the Empire State. Subscribe to our newsletter: http://nysfocus.com/newsletter
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In April, the New York City jail system reopened a decommissioned facility on Rikers Island and started housing some men at a women’s jail to deal with the backlog of incarcerated people waiting to be sent to prison. nysfocus.com/2025/09/02/c...
Twenty-seven media organizations in New York, including 18 public radio and TV stations stand to lose at least $57 million in federal funding over two years. “This is a devastating outcome.” nysfocus.com/2025/07/30/p...
Comptroller Tom DiNapoli said that his office intends to “slow roll” automatic returns from the $20 billion pot of “lost money” he oversees. Several states already proactively send out payments in much larger amounts than New York currently does. nysfocus.com/2025/08/05/n...
NEW: Amid February’s chaos, the state prison agency stopped accepting new prisoners. That left local jails, which hold people who haven’t yet been sentenced to prison time, to pick up the slack and hold people technically serving state time. nysfocus.com/2025/09/02/c...
The state boosted funding for child care this year with $350 million for NYC and $50 million for the rest of the state. But the additional funding does not keep pace with the growing demand. nysfocus.com/2025/08/08/c...
A notable New York politico has filed hundreds of lawsuits on behalf of a doctor repeatedly accused of being a key cog in a sprawling auto insurance fraud ring, according to records reviewed by New York Focus. nysfocus.com/2025/08/18/f...
The Legal Aid Society alleges that DOCCS declared an overbroad emergency to keep incarcerated people locked in their cells for upward of 20 hours a day. nysfocus.com/2025/08/20/d...
New York Focus investigates how power works in the Empire State. Become a source. nysfocus.com/become-a-sou...
Trump is threatening to withhold federal funding from states and localities that have enacted "cashless bail policies." His Republican allies in New York celebrated the order. nysfocus.com/2025/08/26/t...
Since April, tens of thousands of New Yorkers have been forced to pay for health insurance that doesn’t cover basic medical care. At a hearing before state lawmakers last week, the health insurance company signaled that change may be on the way. nysfocus.com/2025/08/27/h...
We’ve been keeping a close eye on the Bronx Community Foundation. Since we reported it had failed to spend nearly $400,000 it raised for fire victims, the foundation received $300,000 in new government grants. nysfocus.com/2025/08/28/b...
More than a dozen business interests have joined National Grid in backing a controversial pipeline championed by President Donald Trump. Opponents argue that it will fuel climate change and stir up toxic chemicals in the New York Bay. nysfocus.com/2025/08/29/n...
Sign up for our free newsletter, and we’ll make sure you never miss a beat. nysfocus.com/newsletter
Since April, tens of thousands of New Yorkers have been forced to pay for health insurance that doesn’t cover basic medical care. At a hearing before state lawmakers last week, the health insurance company signaled that change may be on the way. nysfocus.com/2025/08/27/h...
On Monday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order threatening to withhold federal funding from states and localities that have enacted “cashless bail policies.” nysfocus.com/2025/08/26/t...
Lawmakers demanded the NYPD halt a public housing surveillance expansion, after New York Focus revealed it's using a free internet program to gain access to NYCHA cameras. "New Yorkers did not agree to trade their right to privacy for the promise of free internet," they wrote.
A Bronx charitable organization failed to spend nearly $400,000 it raised for fire victims and has faced internal turmoil, with multiple board members resigning. None of these things stopped New York lawmakers from directing new grants towards the foundation. nysfocus.com/2025/08/28/b...
A Bronx charitable organization that failed to distribute hundreds of thousands of dollars that it raised for fire victims received $300,000 in new government grants this spring, records show. nysfocus.com/2025/08/28/b...
“People are pissed,” a representative of the healthcare advocacy group New York Caring Majority told New York Focus. “They want the cash and they want to be able to make their own choices.” nysfocus.com/2025/08/27/h...
“President Trump has no concept of how the law works in New York,” a spokesperson from Governor Hochul’s office said in response. nysfocus.com/2025/08/26/t...
Trump has New York in his sights for funding cuts, reports @chrisgelardi, even though the state allows cash bail for almost all of the offenses the order describes. nysfocus.com/2025/08/26/t...
As a key deadline approaches, business interests have launched a concerted campaign to back National Grid’s demands for more gas. nysfocus.com/2025/08/29/n...
NEW: More than a dozen, mostly Long Island-based business interests have joined National Grid in backing a controversial pipeline championed by President Donald Trump. Some letters have "template" in the filename, "[INSERT PARTY]" in the comments, and traces of National Grid's lobbying firm.
Trump’s allies in New York celebrated—even though the state allows cash bail for almost all of the offenses the order describes. nysfocus.com/2025/08/26/t...
A Bronx charitable organization failed to spend nearly $400,000 it raised for fire victims and has faced internal turmoil, with multiple board members resigning. None of these things stopped New York lawmakers from directing new grants towards the foundation. nysfocus.com/2025/08/28/b...
On Monday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order threatening to withhold federal funding from states and localities that have enacted “cashless bail policies.” nysfocus.com/2025/08/26/t...
We’ve been keeping a close eye on the Bronx Community Foundation. Since we reported it had failed to spend nearly $400,000 it raised for fire victims, the foundation received $300,000 in new government grants. nysfocus.com/2025/08/28/b...
NEW: We’ve been keeping a close eye on the Bronx Community Foundation. Since we reported it had failed to spend nearly $400,000 it raised for fire victims, the foundation received $300,000 in new government grants. nysfocus.com/2025/08/28/b...
New York’s charity care provides free or discounted healthcare to both insured and uninsured New Yorkers on a sliding income scale. Here’s how it works. nysfocus.com/2025/06/11/c...
Workers are currently forced to pay for insurance that many don’t want. nysfocus.com/2025/08/27/h...
Since April, tens of thousands of New Yorkers have been forced to pay for health insurance that doesn’t cover basic medical care. At a hearing before state lawmakers last week, the health insurance company signaled that change may be on the way. nysfocus.com/2025/08/27/h...
Trump is threatening to withhold federal funding from states and localities that have enacted "cashless bail policies." He has New York in his sights. nysfocus.com/2025/08/26/t...
TRUE or FALSE: Working-class New Yorkers are leaving New York City at significantly higher rates than wealthy residents. Our factchecker finds out: nysfocus.com/2025/07/29/a...
For decades, New York has faced the same conundrum: how to build an effective ethics watchdog agency. nysfocus.com/2024/11/22/n...
Lawmakers demanded the NYPD halt a public housing surveillance expansion, after New York Focus revealed it's using a free internet program to gain access to NYCHA cameras. "New Yorkers did not agree to trade their right to privacy for the promise of free internet," they wrote.
NEW: Since April, tens of thousands of New Yorkers have been forced to pay for health insurance that doesn’t cover basic medical care. At a hearing before state lawmakers last week, the health insurance company signaled that change may be on the way. nysfocus.com/2025/08/27/h...
Nonprofit hospitals are required to help those struggling with medical debt, but critics say their policies are poorly advertised and underutilized. nysfocus.com/2025/06/12/n...
New York Focus investigates how power works in the Empire State. Become a source. nysfocus.com/become-a-sou...
Big Apple Connect, the mayor’s flagship free internet service for public housing residents, is quietly being used to expand the NYPD’s real-time, remote surveillance. Here’s what we still don’t know about the clandestine program. nysfocus.com/2025/08/12/u...
Since April, New York’s state-funded home care program has been in upheaval. Last week, New York lawmakers held a hearing trying to get to the bottom of the chaos. They did not get the answers they were looking for. nysfocus.com/2025/08/22/n...
What do you want to know about New York state? Tell us what questions you have, and we may answer them in one of our “in brief” articles. nysfocus.com/how-power-wo...
New York’s gun shop owners are wary about the loss of federal oversight, with politicians warning the cuts will lead to increased trafficking, violence, and theft. nysfocus.com/2025/07/18/t...
🗣️ New york did not eliminate cash bail 🗣️ Bail reform has not led to increases in crime or recidivism 🗣️ Pretrial detention increases likelihood of rearrest Trump Targets Bail Reform in Latest Threat to New York’s Federal Funding nysfocus.com/2025/08/26/t...
Building nuclear will test whether New York state is still capable of constructing megaprojects as it has done in the past. nysfocus.com/2025/07/26/n...
Three committee chairs of the New York City Council sent a letter to Mayor Eric Adams’s administration demanding that it immediately halt an ongoing expansion of police surveillance in public housing developments and requesting information that could enable a public hearing or investigation.
NEW: Trump is threatening to withhold federal funding from states and localities that have enacted "cashless bail policies." He has New York in his sights.
New York’s public radio and TV stations are facing major blows to their budgets after Congress two weeks ago approved a bill that cancelled over $1 billion in federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.https://nysfocus.com/2025/07/30/public-radio-tv-cuts-npr-pbs-new-york
“New Yorkers did not agree to trade their right to privacy for the promise of free internet,” key committee chairs wrote to city officials. nysfocus.com/2025/08/25/n...
NEW: Lawmakers demanded the NYPD halt a public housing surveillance expansion, after New York Focus revealed it's using a free internet program to gain access to NYCHA cameras. "New Yorkers did not agree to trade their right to privacy for the promise of free internet," they wrote.
TRUE or FALSE: Did New York City record its lowest number of shootings and homicides in the first half of 2025? Our factchecker finds out. nysfocus.com/2025/08/09/n...
Lawmakers held a hearing trying to get to the bottom of the chaos of New York's state-funded home care program. They did not get the answers they were looking for. “80 percent of it was a complete waste of our time," one of the hearing's organizers said. .
The Legal Aid Society alleges that DOCCS declared an overbroad emergency to keep incarcerated people locked in their cells for upward of 20 hours a day. nysfocus.com/2025/08/20/d...
Over more than four hours of testimony, the state health department and a key contractor spent more time dodging questions than answering them. nysfocus.com/2025/08/22/n...
The Adams administration is using its flagship broadband program to give police real-time access to NYCHA camera feeds — without telling anyone. nysfocus.com/2025/08/11/e...
It’s only been a few years since New York legalized sports betting—but it’s already become nearly one-fifth of the state’s total gambling revenue. nysfocus.com/2025/01/16/w...
Since the late 2000s, prison populations across the country have fallen. And in New York, the decline is especially rapid. nysfocus.com/2024/12/19/n...
New York comptroller Tom DiNapoli has the authority to mail out checks of any size from the $20 billion pot of “lost money” he oversees—so why isn’t he using it? nysfocus.com/2025/08/05/n...
New York is projected to spend nearly double the national average per public school student in the 2024–25 school year—but just how much is that? nysfocus.com/2025/08/06/d...
“I’m worried for myself and my friends,” says one Rochester area senior. “I could see myself potentially on the street.” Key social services are being slashed by congressional Republicans—and the impact is being felt by New York’s elderly. nysfocus.com/2025/08/06/t...
A person incarcerated at Five Points Correctional Facility described the heat as “unbearable,” explaining that he and his cellmate put a blanket over the window to block the sun. nysfocus.com/2025/08/04/s...
Stay focused: Sign up for our daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on our in-depth reporting on Albany and beyond. nysfocus.com/newsletter
“Thousands of New Yorkers are spending weeks and months locked in their cells without meaningful interaction with other people. The stakes here are nothing short of human dignity and torture.” nysfocus.com/2025/08/20/d...
Over more than four hours of testimony, the state health department and a key contractor spent more time dodging questions than answering them. nysfocus.com/2025/08/22/n...
More than a third of New York counties, home to over half of the state’s population, have stopped enrolling eligible parents in the state’s child care voucher program, new data shows. @juliarock.bsky.social was on Radio Catskill to talk about the story. Listen here:
Brooklyn power broker Frank Seddio filed more than 500 “no-fault” auto insurance lawsuits on behalf of a Brooklyn-based physician accused across multiple lawsuits of participating in schemes to obtain money from insurance companies. nysfocus.com/2025/08/18/f...
At least 21 counties were not accepting applicants for the vouchers as of early July due to lack of funding. Thirteen are keeping waitlists; 1,500 families are on New York City’s waitlist alone. nysfocus.com/2025/08/08/c...
The Legal Aid Society alleges that DOCCS declared an overbroad emergency to keep incarcerated people locked in their cells for upward of 20 hours a day. nysfocus.com/2025/08/20/d...
Stay focused: Sign up for our daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on our in-depth reporting on Albany and beyond. nysfocus.com/newsletter
A hearing focused on the turmoil in New York's popular home care program didn't get far, as key witnesses deflected and refused to answer questions. "A complete waste of our time," one of the hearing's organizers said. nysfocus.com/2025/08/22/n...
NEW: On Thursday, lawmakers held a hearing trying to get to the bottom of the chaos of New York's state-funded home care program. They did not get the answers they were looking for. “80 percent of it was a complete waste of our time,” said @jamesskoufis.bsky.social.
New York’s affordability crisis is devastating the state’s aging population—more than half of seniors in Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse reported no retirement income in 2022. nysfocus.com/2025/08/06/t...
New York’s prison system is keeping people locked in their boiling cells and dorms for upwards of 21 hours a day. nysfocus.com/2025/08/04/s...
There’s an easy way to see if any of the New York State Comptroller’s $20 billion in funds is yours. nysfocus.com/2025/06/18/h...
In the few years since New York legalized sports betting, it’s already become nearly one-fifth of the state’s total gambling revenue. nysfocus.com/2025/01/16/w...
Whether legislators should return to Albany this year to tackle historic cuts to Medicaid and food assistance has become a thorny political question nysfocus.com/2025/08/14/n...
“People are always trying to scam everything these days, right?” comptroller Tom DiNapoli claimed on air. “I don’t want to send a $5,000 check without 100 percent assurance that it’s going to somebody who, in fact, is entitled to it.”
Who’s eligible for New York’s child care assistance program? Who pays for it? And is universal child care coming? nysfocus.com/2025/02/07/c...
TRUE or FALSE: New York spends more per public school student than any other state in the country. Our factchecker finds out: nysfocus.com/2025/08/06/d...
Today, New York lawmakers will hold a hearing focused on the CDPAP, New York’s state-funded home care program for the elderly and disabled. Here are five open questions from our reporting that we hope lawmakers will ask about. nysfocus.com/2025/08/19/n...
New York state prisons have subjected thousands of incarcerated people to upwards of 20 hours of cell confinement per day, including during extreme summer heat. The Legal Aid Society asked a judge for a second time to compel the prison agency to curtail the practice. nysfocus.com/2025/08/20/d...
“I fear it may be the tip of the iceberg.” Trump’s “anti-government waste” agenda is impacting New York’s seniors, in a state where already the number of seniors in poverty has surged by 50 percent over the last decade. nysfocus.com/2025/08/07/t...
The NYPD’s narratives about the video surveillance component of Big Apple Connect are changing rapidly. nysfocus.com/2025/08/12/u...
A contingent of progressive leaders and groups are calling on the legislature to reconvene and raise taxes to avoid cuts to lifeline services—but the idea is proving to be politically divisive in more ways than one. nysfocus.com/2025/08/14/n...
Sign up for our newsletter and get in-depth reporting and expert analysis about New York politics and policy delivered straight to your inbox. nysfocus.com/newsletter
Three defendants are fighting back against “sewer service”—the term for when plaintiffs in a lawsuit fail to properly inform defendants that they’re being sued. nysfocus.com/2025/08/14/z...
NEW: New York state prisons have subjected thousands of incarcerated people to upwards of 20 hours of cell confinement per day, including during extreme summer heat. The Legal Aid Society asked a judge for a second time to compel the prison agency to curtail the practice.
New York Focus investigates the politicians, lobbyists, and monied interests that drive state policy. But we can’t do it alone. Send us a tip. nysfocus.com/become-a-sou...
The state boosted funding for child care this year with $350 million for NYC and $50 million for the rest of the state. But it doesn't meet the growing demand. nysfocus.com/2025/08/08/c...
New York’s charity care provides free or discounted healthcare to both insured and uninsured New Yorkers on a sliding income scale. Here’s how it works. nysfocus.com/2025/06/11/c...
With a hearing on New York’s troubled home care program set for Thursday, here are five questions we’d like answered. nysfocus.com/2025/08/19/n...
New York has some of the most expensive child care in the country, compared to every state in the U.S. save for Massachusetts. nysfocus.com/2025/02/07/c...
TRUE or FALSE: Did New York City record its lowest number of shootings and homicides in the first half of 2025? Our factchecker finds out. nysfocus.com/2025/08/09/n...
Big Apple Connect, the mayor’s flagship free internet service for public housing residents, is quietly being used to expand the NYPD’s real-time, remote surveillance. nysfocus.com/2025/08/12/u...
Three defendants are fighting back against “sewer service”—the term for when plaintiffs in a lawsuit fail to properly inform defendants that they’re being sued. nysfocus.com/2025/08/14/z...
Brooklyn power broker Frank Seddio filed more than 500 “no-fault” auto insurance lawsuits on behalf of a Brooklyn-based physician accused across multiple lawsuits of participating in schemes to obtain money from insurance companies. nysfocus.com/2025/08/18/f...
TRUE or FALSE: Working-class New Yorkers are leaving New York City at significantly higher rates than wealthy residents. Our factchecker finds out: nysfocus.com/2025/07/29/a...
NEW: New York’s state-funded home care program for the elderly and disabled has been in turmoil for months. Lawmakers will hold a hearing on the troubled program on Thursday. Here are 5 questions we want answered.
I just did this and found some uncertain amount of money due me, fwiw
I've been reporting on New York's troubled home care program for months. On Thursday, lawmakers are holding a hearing to understand its recent turmoil. Here are 5 questions I'd like answers to: nysfocus.com/2025/08/19/n...