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

Akash’s reporting on New York politics has appeared in The Intercept, The Nation, THE CITY, Jacobin, City & State 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.

Rebecca Klein, Executive Editor
rebecca@nysfocus.com

Rebecca was previously a senior reporter at HuffPost and teaches journalism at NYU. Her work has also appeared in outlets including NPR, The Guardian and The Hechinger Report.

Peter Sterne, Managing Editor
peter@nysfocus.com

Peter was previously a senior reporter at Freedom of the Press Foundation, where he managed the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker project. His reporting has appeared in Politico, New York magazine, Jacobin, and the Columbia Journalism Review.

Sam Mellins, Senior Reporter
sam@nysfocus.com

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

Colin Kinniburgh, Contributing Reporter

Colin covers New York climate and housing politics. His reporting has appeared in outlets including Dissent, The New Republic, The Nation and France 24.

Sarah Baum, Editorial Intern

Sarah is a college senior studying journalism and public policy at Hofstra University, where they co-founded the independent student newsroom The Hofstra Clocktower. Their writing has appeared in Teen Vogue, the BBC, and The New York Times.

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.

On Medicaid, Hochul’s Budget Departs from Cuomo Era
Budget, Health, New York State, Reporting
On Medicaid, Hochul’s Budget Departs from Cuomo Era
Hochul proposed raising the cap on Medicaid spending, which Cuomo created, and boosting reimbursement rates, which Cuomo cut....

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January 21
Hochul at Divide with Lawmakers on Child Care, Once A Top Priority
Budget, Education, Labor, New York State, Reporting
Hochul at Divide with Lawmakers on Child Care, Once A Top Priority
Child care used to be Hochul’s marquee issue. Now, she’s proposing a modest expansion—but only if Congress doesn’t act....

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January 12
Hochul Proposes Medicaid Expansion for Seniors and Disabled, Marking a Shift From Past Governors
Budget, Health, New York State, Reporting
Hochul Proposes Medicaid Expansion for Seniors and Disabled, Marking a Shift From Past Governors
Two proposals in Governor Kathy Hochul’s State of the State would constitute the most significant expansion of New York’s health plan for low-income individuals in years....

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January 7
Ron Kim Targets a Progressive Heavyweight in Allegations of Wage Theft
Health, Labor, New York City, New York State, Reporting
Ron Kim Targets a Progressive Heavyweight in Allegations of Wage Theft
Kim accuses the Chinese-American Planning Council of rampant wage theft—and, in coordination with 1199SEIU, of blocking workers’ access to the courts....

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January 4
He Was Homeless, So the Judge Kept Him at Rikers
Criminal Justice, Housing, New York City, Reporting
He Was Homeless, So the Judge Kept Him at Rikers
How a lack of stable housing, combined with bureaucratic hurdles in New York’s labyrinthine re-entry process, kept one man at Rikers during the height of its crisis. ...

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January 3
State Lawmakers Push to Scale Back Fossil Fuel Subsidies
Budget, Climate and Environment, New York State, Reporting
State Lawmakers Push to Scale Back Fossil Fuel Subsidies
The state spends $1.6 billion a year subsidizing oil and gas. Lawmakers are trying to eliminate about one-fifth of that spending. ...

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December 23
Hochul Signs Bill to Remove Barriers to Addiction Treatment
Health, New York State, Reporting
Hochul Signs Bill to Remove Barriers to Addiction Treatment
In the latest of a series of steps Hochul has taken to change the direction of drug policy, doctors will no longer have to ask insurance companies for permission to prescribe opioid use disorder medic...

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December 23
After Initial Setback, Amazon Workers on Staten Island Refile for Union Election
Labor, New York City, Reporting
After Initial Setback, Amazon Workers on Staten Island Refile for Union Election
This time, workers are trying to unionize just one warehouse, where they say they've gotten a majority of workers to sign union authorization cards....

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December 22
Failure of Build Back Better Casts Uncertainty over New York’s Climate Plans
Climate and Environment, New York State, Reporting
Failure of Build Back Better Casts Uncertainty over New York’s Climate Plans
New York was counting on federal money to help pay for its transition to clean energy, which will cost the state an estimated $15 billion each year....

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December 22
Columbia Student Worker Strike Could Become Testing Ground for Biden-Era NLRB
Labor, New York City, Reporting
Columbia Student Worker Strike Could Become Testing Ground for Biden-Era NLRB
An NLRB ruling on a grievance made by striking Columbia student workers could suggest the board’s approach to a major question about the legal status of student workers....

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December 20
Judge Orders City to Delay Retiree Health Care Switch Until April 1
Health, Labor, New York City, Reporting
Judge Orders City to Delay Retiree Health Care Switch Until April 1
Retired city employees will be able to opt out of their newly-privatized health insurance until June 30, the judge ruled...

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December 14
What Will It Take To Bring Cell Coverage to New York’s North Country?
Climate and Environment, New York State, Reporting
What Will It Take To Bring Cell Coverage to New York’s North Country?
A recent report renewed a decades-long debate over a regulatory requirement that cell towers in Adirondack Park be “substantially invisible.”...

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December 13
New York City Mailed Misinformation on New Health Insurance to Retired City Employees — and Won’t Send Out a Correction
Health, Labor, New York City, Reporting
New York City Mailed Misinformation on New Health Insurance to Retired City Employees — and Won’t Send Out a Correction
Guides sent to a quarter million retired city employees contained false information on the availability of dozens of treatments under the new plan....

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December 9
Women Sent from Rikers to Maximum-Security Prison: ‘They Treat Us Like State Property’
Criminal Justice, New York City, New York State, Reporting
Women Sent from Rikers to Maximum-Security Prison: ‘They Treat Us Like State Property’
Governor Hochul and Mayor de Blasio's quixotic plan to relocate women from Rikers Island to the Bedford Hills state prison has prompted fierce opposition from women who insist they do not want to go....

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December 9
Hochul Vetoes Bill to Create Utility Consumer Advocate
Climate and Environment, New York State, Reporting
Hochul Vetoes Bill to Create Utility Consumer Advocate
Hochul argues the office would be redundant, because the state already protects utility consumers....

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December 8
State Senators Ask Gov. Hochul to Commute Sentence of Man Who Spent Over 800 Days in Rikers
Criminal Justice, New York State, Reporting
State Senators Ask Gov. Hochul to Commute Sentence of Man Who Spent Over 800 Days in Rikers
Reginald Randolph is currently serving a two to four year sentence in state prison for stealing cold medicine....

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December 4
Westchester Hospital Network To Shift Thousands of Retirees to Private Health Insurance
Health, Labor, New York State, Reporting
Westchester Hospital Network To Shift Thousands of Retirees to Private Health Insurance
Three days before the deadline to opt out of a new health insurance plan, Westchester retirees still don’t know what’s in it....

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December 3
New York Utilities Polarize Over Push to Ban Natural Gas
Climate and Environment, New York City, Reporting
New York Utilities Polarize Over Push to Ban Natural Gas
A proposed gas ban has pitted ConEd against big oil, real estate lobbyists, and other investor-owned utilities....

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December 1
Foreclosure Looms for Homeowners Who Thought They’d Won, Thanks to Top New York Court Ruling
Housing, New York State, Reporting
Foreclosure Looms for Homeowners Who Thought They’d Won, Thanks to Top New York Court Ruling
The Court of Appeals found in favor of banks that complained cases were dropped on technicalities. Now homeowners across the state are bracing for new attempts to take away their homes....

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November 29
Hochul Nominates Former Prosecutor to New York’s Top Court
New York State, Reporting
Hochul Nominates Former Prosecutor to New York’s Top Court
Buffalo Appellate Judge Shirley Troutman is widely seen as well qualified, but some worry that she will accentuate the Court of Appeals’ prosecutorial leanings...

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November 24
A Homeless Amazon Worker Tried to Organize a Union. Then Amazon Fired Him.
Labor, New York City, Reporting
A Homeless Amazon Worker Tried to Organize a Union. Then Amazon Fired Him.
Daequan Smith loved working at an Amazon warehouse in Staten Island. After he started organizing with the Amazon Labor Union, he found himself out of a job....

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November 23
As Utility Shutoff Freeze Nears End, New Yorkers in Debt Fear Shutoffs
Budget, Housing, New York State, Reporting
As Utility Shutoff Freeze Nears End, New Yorkers in Debt Fear Shutoffs
Millions of New Yorkers are behind on their utility bills, and advocates say the state is doing a poor job distributing federal assistance....

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November 22
NYC Could Ban Gas in New Buildings This Year
Climate and Environment, Housing, New York City, Reporting
NYC Could Ban Gas in New Buildings This Year
The fight heated up at a hearing Wednesday, with debate centered on when, not if, a gas ban should go into effect....

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November 18
7,000 New Yorkers Need a Kidney. New Legislation Could Make it Easier to Donate.
Health, New York State, Reporting
7,000 New Yorkers Need a Kidney. New Legislation Could Make it Easier to Donate.
Two bills to incentivize kidney donations could save hundreds of lives a year – but supporters say it’s tough to get the legislature to prioritize the issue....

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November 15
State Senators, including Democratic #2, ask Hochul to Nominate Public Defender to New York’s Top Court
New York State, Reporting
State Senators, including Democratic #2, ask Hochul to Nominate Public Defender to New York’s Top Court
A 2021 retirement offers Hochul her first chance to shape New York’s Court of Appeals. Her pick will be an early indication of her ideological commitments, Senator Michael Gianaris said....

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November 14
Retired City Workers Voice Opposition to New City Health Plan in Chaotic Public Hearing
Budget, Health, Labor, New York City, Reporting
Retired City Workers Voice Opposition to New City Health Plan in Chaotic Public Hearing
More than 50 retirees said they opposed the plan. Zero said they supported it....

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November 11
“The Worst Prison in New York State”
Criminal Justice, New York State, Reporting
“The Worst Prison in New York State”
The situation at Rikers is bad, but at Great Meadow Correctional Facility, a maximum security facility more than 200 miles north of New York City, it’s worse....

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November 10
Buffalo Nurses’ Successful Strike Highlights Union Divide and Doubts over New Staffing Law
Health, Labor, New York State, Reporting
Buffalo Nurses’ Successful Strike Highlights Union Divide and Doubts over New Staffing Law
The union’s focus on direct action reflects skepticism that an incoming staffing law will significantly increase staffing ratios....

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November 9
Rochester Looks to Renew 485-a Tax Break Before Critics Take Office
Electoral Politics, Housing, New York State, Reporting
Rochester Looks to Renew 485-a Tax Break Before Critics Take Office
Two progressive organizers opposed to the 485-a program just won City Council races but won't take their seats until next year. Mayor Lovely Warren has directed the Council to vote on the renewal this...

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November 8
A Year After Reforms were Promised, People Leaving New York Jails and Prisons Still Lack IDs
Criminal Justice, New York City, New York State, Reporting
A Year After Reforms were Promised, People Leaving New York Jails and Prisons Still Lack IDs
Reentering society without ID makes jobs and apartments almost impossible to get. Still, many people leaving prison lack the essential paperwork....

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November 4
Homeless Man Spent Over 800 Days in Rikers After Stealing Cold Medicine from Duane Reade
Criminal Justice, New York City, New York State, Reporting
Homeless Man Spent Over 800 Days in Rikers After Stealing Cold Medicine from Duane Reade
Blind in one eye and at risk of losing vision in the other, 58-year-old Reginald Randolph has spent much of the past three years in jail. Now he's on the verge of being sent to state prison for four m...

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November 2
Charges Filed Against Andrew Cuomo for Forcible Touching
Criminal Justice, New York State, Reporting
Charges Filed Against Andrew Cuomo for Forcible Touching
The Albany Criminal Court issued a criminal summons charging Cuomo with a Class A misdemeanor....

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October 28
Nine Years after Sandy, Cuomo’s Flagship Community-Led Climate Adaptation Program has Disappeared into a ‘Black Hole’
Climate and Environment, New York City, New York State, Reporting
Nine Years after Sandy, Cuomo’s Flagship Community-Led Climate Adaptation Program has Disappeared into a ‘Black Hole’
With $750 million from the federal government, Albany asked New Yorkers in 2013 to decide how to protect their communities from future storms. Planning participants say their projects have stalled....

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October 28
As Water Shutoff Moratorium Nears Expiration, Hochul Administration Isn’t Enforcing It — or Distributing Federal Water Aid
Climate and Environment, Housing, New York State, Reporting
As Water Shutoff Moratorium Nears Expiration, Hochul Administration Isn’t Enforcing It — or Distributing Federal Water Aid
The moratorium expires in December. But New York hasn’t distributed a single dollar of the $70 million of federal water assistance....

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October 26
Disabled and Abandoned in New York’s Prisons
Criminal Justice, New York State, Reporting
Disabled and Abandoned in New York’s Prisons
Incarcerated people with disabilities detail a labyrinth of humiliations in prison....

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October 25
Court Blocks Controversial Medicare Switch for Retired NYC Workers
Health, Labor, New York City, Reporting
Court Blocks Controversial Medicare Switch for Retired NYC Workers
A judge’s decision delays the Oct. 31 deadline for former city employees to decide whether they want to move to private Medicare Advantage or pay for alternatives....

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October 22
Illegal Evictions Are Rising Across The State, But Landlords Rarely Face Consequences
Criminal Justice, Housing, New York State, Reporting
Illegal Evictions Are Rising Across The State, But Landlords Rarely Face Consequences
There’s a growing trend of landlords changing locks and shutting off utilities to get tenants out without going to court, tenant organizers say....

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October 21
Retirees Flee City Medicare Program as Deadline Looms for Move to Private Health Plan
Health, Labor, New York City, Reporting
Retirees Flee City Medicare Program as Deadline Looms for Move to Private Health Plan
Uncertainty about coverage and costs under Medicare Advantage has a quarter million former city workers on edge. Two lawsuits seeking to block the move are slated to be heard in court Wednesday....

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October 20
Tenants Suffer As City Sells Landlords’ Tax Debt to Speculators
Housing, New York City, Reporting
Tenants Suffer As City Sells Landlords’ Tax Debt to Speculators
Critics of New York City’s tax lien sales system say it encourages landlords to evict tenants and ignore building violations....

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October 15
Legislators Push to Make Phone Calls in New York’s Jails and Prisons Free
Criminal Justice, New York State, Reporting
Legislators Push to Make Phone Calls in New York’s Jails and Prisons Free
Incarcerated New Yorkers pay some of the steepest rates for phone calls in the country, as high as $9.95 for a single 15-minute call....

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October 14
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