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A photo collage of Governor Kathy Hochul in the foreground, over a yellow-tinted photo of an Oswego Sheriff's car in the background.
Albany Reins in Police Collaboration With ICE but Doesn’t Ban Informal Cooperation

The legislation comes after months of haggling over how best to protect New Yorkers from President Trump’s immigration crackdown.

Isabelle Taft   ·   May 22, 2026
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani, in profile, looks at Governor Kathy Hochul, who looks outwards. The two stand close to each other behind a podium.
Mamdani Declares Victory As Hochul Helps City Close Budget Gap

New York City’s $125 billion executive budget hinges on taxes and cuts whose details are still being worked out in Albany.

Nick Garber   ·   May 12, 2026
Photo collage of Governor Kathy Hochul, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins. Behind them, a huge clock nears midnight, and stacks of papers loom.
Critics Say Messy Budget ‘Deal’ Highlights Bigger Woes

Governor Kathy Hochul’s announcement that a deal had been reached led to a flurry of recriminations from lawmakers.

Sam Mellins, Nick Garber and Amudalat Ajasa   ·   May 7, 2026
Senator James Skoufis sits at a large, dark desk illuminated by the soft glow of a lamp, speaking on the phone and looking away from the camera. Plaques and awards adorn the wall and desk.
The Young Populist Trying to Redefine the New York Democratic Party — and We Don’t Mean Mamdani

State Senator James Skoufis represents a redder district than almost any other Democrat in Albany.

Julia Rock   ·   May 4, 2026
Immigration Talks Hit Impasse After Hochul’s Latest Proposal

Hochul’s counter would limit informal collusion with ICE only in civil matters.

Liv Veazey and Isabelle Taft   ·   April 29, 2026
The State Budget Is Late. Now Mamdani’s Might Be, Too

The mayor may delay his executive budget proposal while he awaits billions of dollars in potential Albany aid.

Nick Garber   ·   April 25, 2026
Hochul Pushes Mamdani to Slow Spending in Exchange for Aid

The governor has asked for cost-cutting plans on pricey housing vouchers and public school programs, sources say.

Nick Garber   ·   April 16, 2026
How the New York State Budget Works

We answer your questions on the state’s notoriously opaque budget process.

Sam Mellins   ·   April 15, 2026
Senator Jamaal Bailey
Five Takeaways From Our Reporting on the Bronx Democratic Party

The Bronx Democratic Party is gaining power. So is a consulting firm tied to its chair.

Chris Bragg   ·   April 15, 2026
Gas Industry Eyes Comeback as New York Weighs Climate Law Delays

Fossil fuel interests have enlisted prominent former elected officials to make the case that gas is here to stay.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   April 10, 2026
Photo Steven Fulop
Business Group Fighting Tax Hikes Shields Information About Funders

Using an exemption to a 2012 law, the Partnership for New York City has revealed the names of donors to its political arm, but not the amount each gave.

Chris Bragg   ·   April 1, 2026
Child Care Voucher Enrollment Is Closed in 34 New York Counties and NYC

That number is up from 21 last July. New York City’s waitlist alone has surged to over 17,000 — a tenfold increase in less than a year.

Melissa Manno   ·   March 31, 2026
Hochul’s Embrace of Trump’s ‘No Tax on Tips’ Will Cost NYC Millions

The city could lose $239 million from the policy, which is supported by business groups while unions remain on the sidelines.

Nick Garber   ·   March 30, 2026
Mamdani Stays Mum on Albany Climate Fight

Some climate activists want the mayor to take a stronger stance. He previously said the state’s climate law “is not a suggestion. It is a mandate.”

Nick Garber and Colin Kinniburgh   ·   March 26, 2026
New York’s Safety Net Workers Push for a Bigger Bump in Contracts

The governor, Senate, and Assembly all have different ideas for how to implement this year’s increases for human services contracts.

Jie Jenny Zou   ·   March 25, 2026
A Pension Battle Is Heating Up in Albany. Here’s What to Know.

Unions want state leaders to sweeten their retirement packages. What would it cost, and what would it achieve?

Sam Mellins   ·   March 23, 2026
Hochul Unveils Eleventh-Hour Push to Defang New York’s Climate Law

Under the governor’s proposal, the most concrete deadline for climate action would be pushed out to the end of her potential second term.

Colin Kinniburgh   ·   March 20, 2026
New York Gave These Broadway Shows Millions — And They Flopped Anyway

Sold as a pandemic-era emergency program, the state’s theater tax credit has quietly sent hundreds of millions to short-run flops and blockbuster hits.

Nick Garber   ·   March 19, 2026
Your Guide to the 2026 State Budget Fight

We read the governor’s, Senate’s, and Assembly’s budget proposals — so you don’t have to.

New York Focus   ·   March 12, 2026
Legislators Push for Stronger Safety Net but Stop Short of Restoring Benefits

Senate and Assembly budget proposals would leave New Yorkers at risk of losing their benefits from federal cuts.

Jie Jenny Zou and Chris Bragg   ·   March 11, 2026
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