ABOUT NEW YORK FOCUS

New York Focus is a nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom covering state and local politics in the Empire State.

Launched in October of 2020, New York Focus aims to help make government more transparent by publishing in-depth journalism that cuts through the noise to explain how the state really works.

New York State’s legislative process is notoriously opaque to outsiders and murky even to its own rank-and-file legislators. New York scores at the top of state corruption rankings. As the pandemic deals fresh blows to an already depleted local news landscape, New Yorkers increasingly lack the information and resources to hold their representatives accountable.

The lack of coverage is particularly dramatic at the state level. Power in New York is centralized in Albany, where the governor and legislature spend more money each year than 90 percent of the world’s countries. Yet most of New York’s accountability news focuses on New York City. New York Focus is the state’s only nonprofit news organization focused on state politics.

We investigate power and report stories that would otherwise go untold, guided by the belief that politics is not a sport. Decisions made in New York’s executive mansions, legislative chambers, state administrative offices, courts, nonprofits, union halls, and campaign headquarters don’t stay there. They determine how many New Yorkers sleep on the street each night; how large public college classes are; how many hospital beds are available during a pandemic.

To pitch New York Focus, send a story tip, or get in touch, please see editors’ and reporters’ contact information on our masthead. We can also be reached at editor@nysfocus.com.

We are particularly interested in pitches related to housing and homelessness,  climate and environment, criminal justice and labor, fiscal policy and economic development, and the administration of Governor Kathy Hochul. 

We invite New Yorkers with original views on state politics—especially with insights underrepresented in legacy media—to contribute to our Perspectives section. Please send submissions to editor@nysfocus.com.

We depend on our readers. Become a New York Focus member today.  Sign up for our newsletter.

You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Meet our team here
Ethics & Funders

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Judge Frees Man From Rikers in Exceptional Decision Citing Bail and Jail Conditions
Criminal Justice, New York City, New York State, Reporting
Judge Frees Man From Rikers in Exceptional Decision Citing Bail and Jail Conditions
The ruling, which isn’t binding on other judges but will surely be noted by them, was based on the 2019 bail reform law’s requirement that judges consider defendants’ ability to afford bail.

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September 21
Adams and Unions Strike Deal on Shift to Cost-Cutting Medicare Plan
Health, Labor, New York City
Adams and Unions Strike Deal on Shift to Cost-Cutting Medicare Plan
The mayor and major city unions plan to press the City Council to clear a path for a privatized Medicare plan for retired city workers.

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September 8
Lawmakers, Judge Seek Evidence Behind Prison Package Ban
Criminal Justice, New York State, Reporting
Lawmakers, Judge Seek Evidence Behind Prison Package Ban
The prison agency has stonewalled lawmakers' requests for information justifying the policy.

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September 8
‘Heatflation’ Hits the Farmers Market
Climate and Environment, New York State, Reporting
‘Heatflation’ Hits the Farmers Market
This summer’s heat and drought have driven New York farmers’ input costs up and their yields down, straining their finances and further pushing up food prices.

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September 6
A Prison Used Solitary Confinement to Force a Trans Man to Undergo a Genital Exam, Lawsuit Alleges
Criminal Justice, Health, New York State, Reporting
A Prison Used Solitary Confinement to Force a Trans Man to Undergo a Genital Exam, Lawsuit Alleges
Prison officials had already seen his genitals three times. But the superintendent ordered a more invasive exam, the lawsuit alleges. (Note: detailed descriptions.)

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August 31
New York Lawmakers Look to Boost E-Bikes After Federal Snub
Climate and Environment, New York State, Reporting, Transit
New York Lawmakers Look to Boost E-Bikes After Federal Snub
The recently passed Inflation Reduction Act turbocharges the market for electric cars at the expense of other forms of transit. A New York bill aims to help e-bikes catch up.

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August 30
Did New York’s Chief Judge Break the Law to Pick Her Interim Successor?
Criminal Justice, New York State, Reporting
Did New York’s Chief Judge Break the Law to Pick Her Interim Successor?
Janet DiFiore may have gotten a say in picking her interim successor, boosting a judge who has never once voted against her.

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August 29
New York’s High Court Tried to Protect Parents’ Rights. Lower Courts are Ignoring It.
New York State, Reporting
New York’s High Court Tried to Protect Parents’ Rights. Lower Courts are Ignoring It.
Many judges have ignored a 2016 mandate from New York’s top court that parents must be allowed to present evidence in their defense before they lose custody of their kids.

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August 24
Distrust, Power Wrangling, and the Battle Over Rochester’s Next Public Defender
Criminal Justice, Electoral Politics, Reporting
Distrust, Power Wrangling, and the Battle Over Rochester’s Next Public Defender
The Monroe County legislature’s president, Sabrina LaMar, has denigrated public defenders and shut them out of the now-eight-month-long process to appoint the next head of their office.

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August 23
Judge Strikes Down New York Jail’s Prolonged COVID Visitation Ban
Criminal Justice, New York State, Reporting
Judge Strikes Down New York Jail’s Prolonged COVID Visitation Ban
The ban had helped the local sheriff rake in hundreds of thousands of dollars in profit from detainee video and phone call fees.

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August 18
Montefiore Health System Reshuffles Bronx Operations Ahead of Looming State Policies
Health, New York City, New York State, Reporting
Montefiore Health System Reshuffles Bronx Operations Ahead of Looming State Policies
A plan to move a family medicine clinic in a low-income Bronx neighborhood has sparked backlash from patients and staff.

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August 16
Medicare Standoff Threatens Cuts to Current City Workers’ Benefits
Budget, Labor, New York City, Reporting
Medicare Standoff Threatens Cuts to Current City Workers’ Benefits
The cancellation of a proposed cost-saving health plan after retired city workers sued could drain a special fund City Hall and unions use to pay employee benefits.

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August 10
Amazon Likely To Win Nine-Figure Tax Break To Build Western New York Warehouse
Budget, Labor, New York State, Reporting
Amazon Likely To Win Nine-Figure Tax Break To Build Western New York Warehouse
The deal has been two years in the making, but it’s been a secret for most of that time.

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August 9
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.

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August 2
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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July 26
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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July 25
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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July 19
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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July 19
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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July 14
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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July 12
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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July 11
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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July 7
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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July 6
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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June 30
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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June 28
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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June 27
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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June 22
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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June 22
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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June 21
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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June 16
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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June 15
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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June 15
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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June 14
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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June 14
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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June 14
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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June 13
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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June 7
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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June 3
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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June 2
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.

By

May 31
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