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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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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
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.

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May 31
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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May 26
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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May 25
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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May 23
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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May 17
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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May 12
Corporate Campaign Donors Identify Themselves after New York Focus Nudge
Electoral Politics, New York State, Reporting
Corporate Campaign Donors Identify Themselves after New York Focus Nudge
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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May 11
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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May 11
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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May 10
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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May 9
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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May 6
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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May 5
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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May 3
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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April 27
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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April 25
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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April 19
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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April 14
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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April 13
What’s In New York’s $220 Billion State Budget?
Budget, New York State, Reporting
What’s In New York’s $220 Billion State Budget?
A comprehensive tracker of the issues at stake in New York's budget.

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April 11
How New York State Just Rolled Back Criminal Justice Reforms
Budget, Criminal Justice, New York State, Reporting
How New York State Just Rolled Back Criminal Justice Reforms
The final budget made changes to bail law, discovery law, pre-arraignment detention, involuntary commitment and more.

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April 9
Hochul Opposes Rental Voucher Program On Basis of Inflated Cost Estimate, Sources Say
Budget, Housing, New York State, Reporting
Hochul Opposes Rental Voucher Program On Basis of Inflated Cost Estimate, Sources Say
The legislature wants to spend $250 million to combat homelessness. Hochul says it’ll actually cost $6 billion.

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April 6
Hochul, Plastics Industry and Green Groups Battle Over Recycling Proposal
Budget, Climate and Environment, New York State, Reporting
Hochul, Plastics Industry and Green Groups Battle Over Recycling Proposal
Rather than try to improve Hochul’s proposal, some environmentalists want to scrap it and instead concentrate on a forthcoming bill from Assemblymember Steve Englebright.

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April 4
Bitcoin Mining Gets Three Month Reprieve From Hochul’s Regulators
Climate and Environment, New York State, Reporting
Bitcoin Mining Gets Three Month Reprieve From Hochul’s Regulators
Green groups charged that Kathy Hochul is punting the issue until after the primary.

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April 1
Judge Rules New York’s District Maps Unconstitutional, Orders Legislature to Draw New Ones
Electoral Politics, New York State, Reporting
Judge Rules New York’s District Maps Unconstitutional, Orders Legislature to Draw New Ones
Democrats immediately said they would appeal the decision.

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April 1
Read the Senate’s Draft Compromise on Bail Reform
Budget, Criminal Justice, New York City, Reporting
Read the Senate’s Draft Compromise on Bail Reform
New York Focus obtained and analyzed a proposal presented by Senate leadership to the chamber’s Democratic caucus.

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March 30
Will New York Tackle its Largest Source of Emissions?
Budget, Climate and Environment, Health, Housing, New York State, Reporting
Will New York Tackle its Largest Source of Emissions?
Experts say the state needs to spend at least $1 billion a year to cut pollution from buildings. Legislators are trying to get the governor closer to that figure.

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March 30
As Albany Debates Health Coverage for Undocumented New Yorkers, Lawmakers Say Hochul is Inflating Costs
Budget, Health, Immigration, New York State, Reporting
As Albany Debates Health Coverage for Undocumented New Yorkers, Lawmakers Say Hochul is Inflating Costs
The governor’s projected price tag is five times higher than estimates by the legislature and outside researchers—but she hasn’t said how she arrived at her figure.

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March 29
Kathy Hochul Is Ready to Spend Millions on New Police Surveillance
Budget, Criminal Justice, New York State, Reporting
Kathy Hochul Is Ready to Spend Millions on New Police Surveillance
New York state legislators have just days to question phone hacking, forensics, and fusion centers before the budget passes.

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March 29
Striking Workers Say Brooklyn Oil Terminal Is ‘Playing Russian Roulette’ with Safety
Climate and Environment, Labor, New York City, Reporting
Striking Workers Say Brooklyn Oil Terminal Is ‘Playing Russian Roulette’ with Safety
Striking employees of United Metro Energy say management replaced them with workers who weren’t certified to operate the Brooklyn oil terminal, increasing the risk of an oil spill.

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March 28
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