Real Estate Is Funding Eric Adams’s Fifth Homeless ‘Outreach’ Initiative. What’s the End Game?
Housing, New York City, Reporting

Real Estate Is Funding Eric Adams’s Fifth Homeless ‘Outreach’ Initiative. What’s the End Game?

The partnership split homeless advocates: some welcomed the additional dollars, arguing "more is better," while others predicted they would function mainly to keep people off corporate property.

Is Eric Adams About to Gut the Nation’s Most Important Local Climate Law?
Climate and Environment, Housing, Labor, New York City

Is Eric Adams About to Gut the Nation’s Most Important Local Climate Law?

Enormous pollution cuts and tens of thousands of jobs depend on how Adams implements New York City’s landmark climate law in the coming months.
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Weeks Before Heat Wave, New York’s Program to Help Poor People Stay Cool Ran Out of Money
Climate and Environment, Health, Housing, New York State, Reporting

Weeks Before Heat Wave, New York’s Program to Help Poor People Stay Cool Ran Out of Money

Heat kills hundreds of New Yorkers every summer - but health experts say a "cold weather bias" keeps policymakers from prioritizing the issue.
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Health Insurers Just Killed The Medicare Plan City Retirees Railed Against
Health, Labor, New York City, Reporting

Health Insurers Just Killed The Medicare Plan City Retirees Railed Against

With the plan tied up in court, insurers Elevance Health and Empire BlueCross BlueShield pulled out of a controversial deal to switch retired city workers to privately run health insurance.
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New York Judges Are Watering Down Protections Against Evictions
Housing, New York State, Reporting
New York Judges Are Watering Down Protections Against Evictions
For housing advocates, getting the legislature to expand the right to a court hearing before evictions was one thing. Getting judges to implement it is another.

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An Opening for Defendants’ Rights on New York’s Highest Court
Criminal Justice, New York State, Reporting
An Opening for Defendants’ Rights on New York’s Highest Court
The court’s last term included a slew of cases rolling back defendants’ rights. Progressives hope to reset that trajectory.

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With Chief Judge Out, Will Conservatives Lose Control Of Top New York Court?
New York State, Reporting
With Chief Judge Out, Will Conservatives Lose Control Of Top New York Court?
Governor Hochul’s pick to replace the resigning Court of Appeals Chief Judge could break up the conservative bloc that controls the court—or entrench it.

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Eric Adams Wants to ‘Drill Into’ Complaints Against NYPD Gun Unit Trainees. So We Did.
Criminal Justice, New York City, Reporting
Eric Adams Wants to ‘Drill Into’ Complaints Against NYPD Gun Unit Trainees. So We Did.
Officers trained for the NYPD’s new Neighborhood Safety Teams average nearly double the number of substantiated civilian complaints than the NYPD as a whole.

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A New Conservative Majority on New York’s Top Court is Upending State Law
Criminal Justice, Labor, New York State, Reporting
A New Conservative Majority on New York’s Top Court is Upending State Law
A new four-judge bloc has consistently voted together in its most recent term, impacting criminal defendants, workers and people suing police.

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The Fossil Fuel Investments Driving Up ConEd Energy Bills
Climate and Environment, New York City, New York State, Reporting
The Fossil Fuel Investments Driving Up ConEd Energy Bills
ConEd wants to jack up electric bills by 10 percent, and gas by 15 percent. Here’s what that would pay for.

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We’re About to Know a Lot More About NYPD Misconduct
Criminal Justice, New York City, Reporting
We’re About to Know a Lot More About NYPD Misconduct
Two years after the repeal of a state law that kept police performance records secret, documents narrating alleged NYPD abuse are starting to become public. But it could still be years until they’re

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Forged Signatures Found on Petitions for Candidates Backed by Queens Machine
Electoral Politics, New York City, New York State, Reporting
Forged Signatures Found on Petitions for Candidates Backed by Queens Machine
New York Focus reached four voters listed as signatories who said they never signed. A review of other signatures suggests they might not be the only ones.

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Will Eric Adams Let Landlords Buy Their Way Out Of Energy Upgrades?
Climate and Environment, Housing, New York City, Reporting
Will Eric Adams Let Landlords Buy Their Way Out Of Energy Upgrades?
Recent transmission projects could enable building owners to get out of upgrading their buildings for a decade, if Adams doesn’t intervene.

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Corporate PACs Fail to Disclose Cash Behind Attacks in Primary Races
Electoral Politics, New York State, Reporting
Corporate PACs Fail to Disclose Cash Behind Attacks in Primary Races
With less than a week left before the primary, two groups boosting moderate Democratic candidates for the state legislature have not submitted disclosures required by campaign finance law.

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Robert De Niro’s Astoria Film Studio Backs Out of Promise to Hire Union Construction Workers
Labor, New York City, Reporting
Robert De Niro’s Astoria Film Studio Backs Out of Promise to Hire Union Construction Workers
“We're basically being blocked out in the process of even trying to bid on the work,” said one union leader.

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The Failure to Ban Gas in New Construction is a Bad Sign for New York’s Climate Law
Climate and Environment, Housing, New York State, Perspectives
The Failure to Ban Gas in New Construction is a Bad Sign for New York’s Climate Law
The state’s own expert council, tasked with planning the law's implementation, told the legislature to pass a gas ban this year. They were ignored.

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How Lobbyists Killed a Bill to Protect New York Elections, With An Assist from the NAACP
Electoral Politics, New York State, Reporting
How Lobbyists Killed a Bill to Protect New York Elections, With An Assist from the NAACP
New York elections could soon be more vulnerable to hacks, after lobbyists, the NAACP, and the Assembly elections committee chair teamed up to kill an election security bill.

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City Employee Health Plan Could Switch to Lower-Cost Company Under New Proposal
Health, Labor, New York City, Reporting
City Employee Health Plan Could Switch to Lower-Cost Company Under New Proposal
Hundreds of thousands of city workers and their dependents could have their healthcare shifted to a cheaper plan by 2024, documents show.

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Our Group of Freelancers Took on Albany’s Byzantine Legislative Process. Here’s How We Won.
Labor, New York State, Perspectives
Our Group of Freelancers Took on Albany’s Byzantine Legislative Process. Here’s How We Won.
An organizer for the Freelance Solidarity Project describes how getting a bill passed through Albany takes “running into a brick wall repeatedly, waiting for a tiny crack to show.”

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NYPD “Business Improvement” Officers Dismantled a Homeless Encampment During a Memorial for a Dead Resident
Criminal Justice, Housing, New York City, Reporting
NYPD “Business Improvement” Officers Dismantled a Homeless Encampment During a Memorial for a Dead Resident
As part of an initiative by Mayor Eric Adams, the city has swept the encampment where Jose Hernandez would often sleep nearly 10 times this year.

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Jail Visitation Ban Drives Big Profits for Sheriff on Phone Calls
Criminal Justice, New York State, Reporting
Jail Visitation Ban Drives Big Profits for Sheriff on Phone Calls
More than two years into the pandemic, the Broome County Sheriff’s Office is still prohibiting all jail visits. That helped rake in more than half a million dollars last year.

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Electrical Workers Union Fights to Expand Fossil Fuel-Powered Crypto Mining in New York
Climate and Environment, Labor, New York State, Reporting
Electrical Workers Union Fights to Expand Fossil Fuel-Powered Crypto Mining in New York
The IBEW opposes a bill awaiting signature by Gov. Kathy Hochul that would put a moratorium on new fossil fuel power plants for the crypto industry.

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The State Police Sent You a Friend Request
Criminal Justice, New York State, Reporting
The State Police Sent You a Friend Request
Twice this year, Kathy Hochul has ordered a State Police-run fusion center to beef up its social media monitoring. Documents show that analysts create fake accounts to do that work.

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Nursing Home Industry Cozies Up to Hochul, Disclosures Reveal
Electoral Politics, New York State, Reporting
Nursing Home Industry Cozies Up to Hochul, Disclosures Reveal
After New York Focus revealed that Hochul had failed to disclose the individuals behind corporate donations to her campaign, she provided that information for recent donors — revealing major support

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This Is Not The First Time Maloney Has Snubbed His Party, Local Democrats Recall
Electoral Politics, Reporting
This Is Not The First Time Maloney Has Snubbed His Party, Local Democrats Recall
Maloney’s announcement that he will exit his old district for a slightly safer seat alarmed Democrats—and rang a familiar bell back home.

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Hochul Stores Billions in Slush Funds, Continuing Cuomo-Era Budgeting Practices
Budget, New York State, Reporting
Hochul Stores Billions in Slush Funds, Continuing Cuomo-Era Budgeting Practices
The comptroller sounded the alarm that the budget includes $18 billion in “unnecessarily opaque” spending, most of it under Hochul’s control.

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New York Labor Bills Are Stuck in Limbo
Labor, Reporting
New York Labor Bills Are Stuck in Limbo
The Assembly Labor Committee has emerged as a bottleneck for unions’ top legislative priorities.

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This Bill Could Save 100 Lives a Year for $1 Million. Will The Assembly Pass It?
Health, New York State, Reporting
This Bill Could Save 100 Lives a Year for $1 Million. Will The Assembly Pass It?
A bill to increase kidney donation rates is stuck in the “traffic jam” of the Assembly.

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Big Oil Wants New York’s Cow Manure 
Climate and Environment, New York State
Big Oil Wants New York’s Cow Manure 
Biogas credits are incentivizing the expansion of factory farming in New York—and might end up increasing carbon emissions.

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Exclusive: Here Are the New NYPD Gun Units’ Trainees. Many Have Histories of Excessive Force Complaints.
Criminal Justice, New York City, Reporting
Exclusive: Here Are the New NYPD Gun Units’ Trainees. Many Have Histories of Excessive Force Complaints.
Adams promised they'd be different.

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Why Starbucks Workers Had To Wait Six Months To Get Help From The US Labor Board
Labor, New York State, Reporting
Why Starbucks Workers Had To Wait Six Months To Get Help From The US Labor Board
Buffalo workers were the first to unionize - but labor law went unenforced during their elections.

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New York Prisons Set to Ban Most Packages from Family and Friends
Criminal Justice, Health, New York State, Reporting
New York Prisons Set to Ban Most Packages from Family and Friends
At the urging of the correction officers union, the prison agency is restricting packages to private vendors that charge steep markups and have limited selections.

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Corporate Campaign Donors Identify Themselves Following New York Focus Reporting
Electoral Politics, New York State, Reporting
Corporate Campaign Donors Identify Themselves Following New York Focus Reporting
After New York Focus reported that the elections board wasn’t enforcing a landmark transparency law, it sent delinquent donors a letter requesting that they comply. Thousands did within weeks.

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Construction Industry “Flaggers” Report Pervasive Wage Theft
Labor, New York City, New York State, Reporting
Construction Industry “Flaggers” Report Pervasive Wage Theft
Black and Latino nonunion flaggers on public construction projects say they're paid just a third of wages they’re legally entitled to.

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Eric Adams Wants Weapons Detectors in the Subway. Would That Bring Safety or “Absolute Chaos”?
Criminal Justice, New York City, Reporting, Transit
Eric Adams Wants Weapons Detectors in the Subway. Would That Bring Safety or “Absolute Chaos”?
"Expect delays, expect secondary screening, expect frustration and expect to miss your train from time to time."

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Perspective: It’s Time to Take a Clearer Look at Bail Reform
Criminal Justice, New York City, Perspectives
Perspective: It’s Time to Take a Clearer Look at Bail Reform
In the raucous debate over bail reform, simple facts have fallen out of sight.

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Retired Judges and Advocates: Don’t Let Cops Interrogate Kids Without a Lawyer
Criminal Justice, New York State, Reporting
Retired Judges and Advocates: Don’t Let Cops Interrogate Kids Without a Lawyer
A bill in the state legislature would prohibit police from interrogating minors before they consulted with a lawyer.

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Workers Accuse Ultra-Fast Delivery Startup of Wage Theft
Labor, New York City, Reporting
Workers Accuse Ultra-Fast Delivery Startup of Wage Theft
Before the Russian-funded delivery startup collapsed, Buyk sold itself as a way for workers to escape the gig economy. Former workers say it failed to deliver.

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Bill to Stop Foreclosures Heads to Hochul, Under Heavy Pushback from Banks
Housing, New York State, Reporting, Uncategorized
Bill to Stop Foreclosures Heads to Hochul, Under Heavy Pushback from Banks
The state legislature has passed a measure intended to counter a court ruling that made it easier for lenders to win cases against homeowners.

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Environmental Hazard or Economic Boon? Legislators Spar on Bitcoin Mining in New York
Climate and Environment, New York State, Reporting
Environmental Hazard or Economic Boon? Legislators Spar on Bitcoin Mining in New York
Legislators opposed to a bill enacting a temporary moratorium on proof-of-work cryptocurrency mining are warning that it could harm New Yorkers often excluded from traditional financial markets, sourc

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An Upper East Side Assembly Candidate Accepted Over $10,000 in Illegal Corporate Cash
Electoral Politics, New York City, New York State, Reporting
An Upper East Side Assembly Candidate Accepted Over $10,000 in Illegal Corporate Cash
After New York Focus reported on illegal contributions to candidate Russell Squire, his campaign announced it would return the money.

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Zoning Laws Are Blocking the Conversion of Hotels into Affordable Housing
Budget, Housing, New York City, New York State, Reporting
Zoning Laws Are Blocking the Conversion of Hotels into Affordable Housing
The state’s grand plan to convert unused hotels into affordable housing hasn’t gotten off the ground. Lawmakers just boosted funding — but developers and housing advocates say that won’t help

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Prison Officials Block Most Requests from Terminally Ill New Yorkers for Medical Release
Criminal Justice, Health, New York State, Reporting
Prison Officials Block Most Requests from Terminally Ill New Yorkers for Medical Release
Officials routinely refuse to send requests for medical release to the state parole board, frustrating advocates and raising questions about the murky criteria for medical release.

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Labor Experts Dismissed the Quixotic Amazon Union Drive on Staten Island. Then They Won.
Labor, New York City, Reporting
Labor Experts Dismissed the Quixotic Amazon Union Drive on Staten Island. Then They Won.
“I told the workers beforehand that they would lose based on the ‘numbers.’ They said they knew the workers. They were right!”

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