Akash Mehta, Editor-in-Chief
akash@nysfocus.com

Akash’s reporting on New York politics has appeared in The Intercept, THE CITY, Jacobin and Gothamist.

Lee Harris, Editor at Large
lee@nysfocus.com

Lee has written for The Wall Street Journal, ABC News, Jewish Currents, and The Chicago Maroon, where she was editor-in-chief from 2019-2020.

Sam Mellins, Associate Editor
sam@nysfocus.com

Sam’s reporting on New York politics has appeared in The Appeal, THE CITY, Jacobin, and City & State.

Morley Musick, Contributing Editor
morley@nysfocus.com

Morley has written for The Nation, the LA Review of Books, the South Side Weekly and the Hyde Park Herald, and is the founder of Mouse magazine.

Ari Dubow, Contributing Editor
ari@nysfocus.com

Ari has covered upstate news for Tompkins Weekly, the Ithaca Times and Ithaca.com, and was City Editor at the Cornell Daily Sun.

Chloe Miller, Operations
chloe.dl.miller@gmail.com

Chloe Miller is director of operations at Supermajority.

Ross Barkan, Andrew Hsiao, Alexander Kaufman, Sarah Leonard, Raina Lipsitz, and Joel Lovell sit on New York Focus’ Advisory Board.

Web design by Stephan Shaw. Logo by Eric Doctor.

Up and Down The Ballot, Progressives Score Wins in Western New York
Electoral Politics, New York State
Up and Down The Ballot, Progressives Score Wins in Western New York
In Buffalo, socialist India Walton scored a landmark win against a four-term incumbent mayor. In nearby Rochester, shakeups on the city council and county legislature could chart a new course for loca...

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July 19
A Wave of Upstate Cities Could Ban Eviction Without “Good Cause”
Housing, New York State, Reporting
A Wave of Upstate Cities Could Ban Eviction Without “Good Cause”
Blocked at the state level, the campaign for “good cause eviction” is going local....

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July 16
In 2021 Legislative Session, a New Approach to Drug Policy
Criminal Justice, Health, New York State, Reporting
In 2021 Legislative Session, a New Approach to Drug Policy
This year, state legislators passed major bills in response to the overdose crisis. Will Cuomo sign them?...

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July 13
Schumer Joins Fight Against Astoria Power Plant Proposal
Climate and Environment, Health, New York City, Reporting
Schumer Joins Fight Against Astoria Power Plant Proposal
DSA organized against a fracked-gas plant in Astoria. Now Schumer is getting involved....

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July 12
NYC Jails Have Far More Correction Officers Than Any Other City. Why Are They Hiring 400 More?
Budget, Criminal Justice, New York City
NYC Jails Have Far More Correction Officers Than Any Other City. Why Are They Hiring 400 More?
Rikers Island and other city lockups employ five officers for every three incarcerated people. As some call for a reduction in officers, the City Council okays a budget plan that boosts the ranks by 4...

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July 11
The World’s Most Important Local Climate and Jobs Law is in Eric Adams’ Hands
Climate, Housing, New York City, Perspectives
The World’s Most Important Local Climate and Jobs Law is in Eric Adams’ Hands
Elected with real estate industry support, soon-to-be Mayor Adams faces a critical choice on New York’s landmark buildings emissions law....

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July 9
New York Regulations Allow Cops Stripped of Training Credentials to Be Rehired
Criminal Justice, New York City, New York State, Reporting
New York Regulations Allow Cops Stripped of Training Credentials to Be Rehired
Police officers who were decertified by state regulators went on to find work at other departments and public safety agencies, records show....

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July 8
“I watch the roaches and I envy them.” After 34 years, Billy Blake leaves solitary confinement
Criminal Justice, New York State, Perspectives
“I watch the roaches and I envy them.” After 34 years, Billy Blake leaves solitary confinement
As New York turns the page on solitary confinement, a reflection on what three decades in solitary cost one man....

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July 7
The Council Implementing New York’s Climate Law Is Stacked With Industry Executives
Climate, New York State, Reporting
The Council Implementing New York’s Climate Law Is Stacked With Industry Executives
A top energy executive, whose firm is designing pro-gas talking points, has a seat at the table charting the state’s path to decarbonization....

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July 6
Democratic Party Boss Obstructed India Walton’s Underdog Candidacy, Walton Says
Electoral Politics, New York State, Reporting
Democratic Party Boss Obstructed India Walton’s Underdog Candidacy, Walton Says
Jeremy Zellner uses his dual role as Erie County’s chief election administrator and Democratic Party chair to create obstacles for outsider candidates, critics charge....

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June 28
Abolish the EDC
Housing, Labor, New York City, Perspectives
Abolish the EDC
The Economic Development Corporation manages city land in the service of private profit. We need a new approach....

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June 28
How the Manhattan DA’s Race Could Upend New York’s Criminal Justice System
Criminal Justice, New York City, Reporting
How the Manhattan DA’s Race Could Upend New York’s Criminal Justice System
A roundup of a five-part series on the Manhattan DA Democratic primary, focusing on contrasts on key issues between the eight contenders....

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June 21
How Progressives Could Lose New York’s Mayor’s Race—But Win the City
Electoral Politics, New York City, Reporting
How Progressives Could Lose New York’s Mayor’s Race—But Win the City
“The whole city is up for grabs”: from office of the comptroller to the city council, progressives could pull off a wave of critical victories....

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June 21
How Manhattan DA Candidates Plan to Rein in Police Misconduct
Criminal Justice, Electoral Politics, New York City, Reporting
How Manhattan DA Candidates Plan to Rein in Police Misconduct
“The police can only go as far as the DA lets them,” one defense attorney said....

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June 17
What Shaun Donovan’s Record Reveals about His Approach to Housing Crises
Electoral Politics, Housing, New York City, Perspectives
What Shaun Donovan’s Record Reveals about His Approach to Housing Crises
Donovan has a progressive housing platform. But does it match his record?...

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June 15
How a Democratic Supermajority Confirmed a Tough-On-Crime Prosecutor to New York’s Top Court
Criminal Justice, New York State, Reporting
How a Democratic Supermajority Confirmed a Tough-On-Crime Prosecutor to New York’s Top Court
A progressive campaign to block the confirmation of Governor Cuomo’s nominee to the New York Court of Appeals failed by just a few votes...

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June 15
Manhattan DA Candidate Tali Farhadian Weinstein Skipped Years of Voting in Local Elections, Records Show
Criminal Justice, Electoral Politics, New York City, Reporting
Manhattan DA Candidate Tali Farhadian Weinstein Skipped Years of Voting in Local Elections, Records Show
The former federal prosecutor joined the Democratic Party in 2017, after registering with no party and casting ballots only in presidential-year contests....

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June 14
Albany Just Blew it on Climate, Again
Climate, Housing, New York State, Perspectives
Albany Just Blew it on Climate, Again
Only big, strong, mean grassroots campaigns can turn this around ...

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June 12
Wage Theft Got Worse During Covid. A Stalled Bill Could Give Workers Leverage To Fight Back
Budget, Labor, New York State, Reporting
Wage Theft Got Worse During Covid. A Stalled Bill Could Give Workers Leverage To Fight Back
Cuomo pledged to deal with rampant wage theft this year, then failed to deliver. Now, a bill to recover stolen wages is unlikely to pass the legislature....

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June 10
Inside New York’s Grueling Parole Application Process
Criminal Justice, New York State, Reporting
Inside New York’s Grueling Parole Application Process
As legislators consider reforms to New York’s parole system, former prison officials and incarcerated people describe the barriers to parole release....

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June 7
Progressives Mobilize to Block Cuomo’s Tough-on-Crime Pick For Highest NY Court
Criminal Justice, New York State, Reporting
Progressives Mobilize to Block Cuomo’s Tough-on-Crime Pick For Highest NY Court
Madeline Singas, a close Cuomo ally, has been a prominent opponent of criminal justice reforms and has taken a punitive approach as Nassau County DA, defenders say....

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June 4
How a Tenant Revolt Sank NYCHA’s Biggest Overhaul Plan in Years
Housing, New York City, Reporting
How a Tenant Revolt Sank NYCHA’s Biggest Overhaul Plan in Years
With a week left in the legislative session, New York lawmakers shelved a plan that aimed to revamp 25,000 NYCHA apartments....

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June 4
Anticipating Pushback From Finance, Enviros Move to Regulate Energy-Intensive Crypto Mining
Climate, New York State, Reporting
Anticipating Pushback From Finance, Enviros Move to Regulate Energy-Intensive Crypto Mining
Founded by a major Cuomo donor, Renaissance Technologies is set to become a stakeholder in upstate mining operation that touched off backlash against Bitcoin....

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June 1
How New York State Let Covid-19 Run Rampant in Prisons
Criminal Justice, New York State, Reporting
How New York State Let Covid-19 Run Rampant in Prisons
First, the state failed to protect people in prison from the virus. Then, it obscured the full scope of the crisis, advocates charge....

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May 26
Inside the chemical lobby’s unusual campaign to protect the fire retardant business
Climate, Health, New York State, Reporting
Inside the chemical lobby’s unusual campaign to protect the fire retardant business
Chemical industry lobbyists are aggressively fighting a bill that would ban the use of toxic flame retardants—including by placing stories in local news outlets with quotes from a tenant organizer w...

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May 22
A Manhattan DA Candidate Touts Her Leadership of a Conviction Review Unit. Why Did It Exonerate So Few People?
Criminal Justice, Electoral Politics, New York City, Reporting
A Manhattan DA Candidate Touts Her Leadership of a Conviction Review Unit. Why Did It Exonerate So Few People?
Under Tali Farhadian Weinstein’s leadership, Brooklyn’s unit exonerated just three people — a far lower rate than in previous years....

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May 17
Could Public Ownership Save the New York Power System?
Climate, New York City, Reporting
Could Public Ownership Save the New York Power System?
New York’s profit-driven power system leads to higher costs, more blackouts, and more fossil fuels, activists say....

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May 7
The Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act Gets A Slow Start
Criminal Justice, New York State, Reporting
The Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act Gets A Slow Start
Two years after New York enacted a high-profile law to reduce prison sentences for domestic violence survivors, few survivors have seen much benefit....

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May 7
Two years after passing a landmark climate law, New York has no plan to fund it
Budget, Climate, New York State, Reporting
Two years after passing a landmark climate law, New York has no plan to fund it
Governor Cuomo just approved the largest budget in New York history — and it has virtually no new funding to help meet the goals in New York's landmark climate law....

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April 30
Why Is New York Still Taxing Unemployment Benefits?
Labor, New York State, Reporting
Why Is New York Still Taxing Unemployment Benefits?
Unemployed New Yorkers are receiving surprise tax bills. Republican legislators joined with progressive Democrats to move to waive taxes on benefits, following the lead of most other states and the fe...

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April 29
Gas plant in Newburgh tests limits of NY’s landmark climate law
Climate, Labor, New York State, Reporting
Gas plant in Newburgh tests limits of NY’s landmark climate law
Can New York meet its emissions goals if it green-lights more fossil fuel infrastructure? A proposal to rebuild a fracked-gas plant will set the precedent....

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April 22
Health Care Costs for Retired City Workers Could Dramatically Increase Under City Plan
Health, Labor, New York City, Reporting
Health Care Costs for Retired City Workers Could Dramatically Increase Under City Plan
A quarter million retired city workers could be left with bigger health insurance bills and fewer doctor choices under a city plan to change their health insurance....

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April 21
A New Threat to New York’s Clean Energy Goals: Bitcoin Mining
Climate, New York State, Reporting
A New Threat to New York’s Clean Energy Goals: Bitcoin Mining
A Finger Lakes power plant plans to ramp up energy-intensive Bitcoin mining. If the state allows it to proceed, environmentalists warn dozens of fossil-fueled plants could follow....

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April 13
Thousands of New Yorkers are in Prison for Life. These D.A. Candidates Want to Change That
Criminal Justice, Electoral Politics, New York City, Reporting
Thousands of New Yorkers are in Prison for Life. These D.A. Candidates Want to Change That
Manhattan D.A. candidates vow to reduce lengthy sentences—but sharp differences between their approaches remain...

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April 28
What Made It Into The Budget – And What Was Left Out
Budget, New York State, Reporting
What Made It Into The Budget – And What Was Left Out
The major provisions of New York's 2021 budget....

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April 7
Homelessness Priorities Won’t Make the State Budget, Lawmakers and Advocates Say
Budget, Housing, New York State, Reporting
Homelessness Priorities Won’t Make the State Budget, Lawmakers and Advocates Say
“A year from now, this money will still be in the hands of Governor Cuomo, unused - and that’s exactly what he wants.”...

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April 3
“A byzantine and high-bar system”: Governor pushes to saddle undocumented workers fund with documentation requirements
Budget, Labor, New York State, Reporting
“A byzantine and high-bar system”: Governor pushes to saddle undocumented workers fund with documentation requirements
State lawmakers and workers' rights advocates warned that burdensome proof-of-employment requirements may mean the funds go unspent....

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April 2
Will New York’s Rent Relief Program Address The Problems that Hobbled The Last One?
Budget, Housing, New York State, Reporting
Will New York’s Rent Relief Program Address The Problems that Hobbled The Last One?
Governor Andrew Cuomo is pushing to impose stringent requirements, according to lawmakers and tenant advocates, that could delay and decrease aid....

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April 2
Where are the Safe Injection Facilities Cuomo Promised for New York?
Health, New York City, New York State, Reporting
Where are the Safe Injection Facilities Cuomo Promised for New York?
He committed three years ago to supporting safe injection sites for drug users — then reversed course, activists say. Now, they see a new chance to pressure the embattled governor....

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March 30
Legislature Seeks to End “Arbitrary Limit” on Medicaid Spending
Budget, Health, New York State, Reporting
Legislature Seeks to End “Arbitrary Limit” on Medicaid Spending
A 2011 rule prevents New York from adequately funding Medicaid, advocates say. This year’s budget could see it repealed. ...

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March 29
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