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.

New York’s Excluded Workers Fund is Running Out of Cash
Budget, Labor, New York State, Reporting
New York’s Excluded Workers Fund is Running Out of Cash
Tens of thousands of undocumented workers could be left out. Advocates are pushing to add more funds....

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October 6
Hundreds of Thousands of Co-op Residents Shut Out of State’s Rent Relief Program
Housing, New York City, New York State
Hundreds of Thousands of Co-op Residents Shut Out of State’s Rent Relief Program
"Staff at OTDA seem to be ignoring the plain meaning of the law," said Senate Housing Committee Chair Brian Kavanagh....

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September 30
Death at Rikers: How NYC Judges Fueled the Swelling Jail Population
Criminal Justice, New York City, Reporting
Death at Rikers: How NYC Judges Fueled the Swelling Jail Population
An analysis by New York Focus and Gothamist/WNYC reveals the judges who set bail most frequently, driving up the jail population as it entered crisis....

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September 27
As Rikers Crisis Persists, Prosecutors Continue to Request High Bail
Criminal Justice, New York City, Reporting
As Rikers Crisis Persists, Prosecutors Continue to Request High Bail
"We only ask, and the court sets the bail," the president of the state prosecutors' association said....

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September 24
He Says He Was Wrongfully Convicted. His Trial Prosecutor Led The Unit That Rejected His Petition.
Criminal Justice, New York City, Reporting
He Says He Was Wrongfully Convicted. His Trial Prosecutor Led The Unit That Rejected His Petition.
Anthony Sims’ case shows the conflict of interest inherent in Conviction Review Units led by former prosecutors, critics say....

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September 23
Cab Drivers Are Drowning in Debt. The City’s Plan Won’t Help.
Labor, New York City, Perspectives, Transit
Cab Drivers Are Drowning in Debt. The City’s Plan Won’t Help.
The city's taxi agency has ignored drivers' demands and proposed a plan that the comptroller warns 'would spend more money to forgive less debt.'...

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September 23
Will ‘Blue Collar Mayor’ Adams Give City Unions What They Want?
Budget, Labor, New York City, Reporting
Will ‘Blue Collar Mayor’ Adams Give City Unions What They Want?
With deep ties to both organized labor and the city’s business elite, Mayor Eric Adams will face tough tradeoffs on union contracts....

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September 21
Senate #2 Joins Mounting Opposition to Hochul’s Pick for Top Financial Regulator
New York State, Reporting
Senate #2 Joins Mounting Opposition to Hochul’s Pick for Top Financial Regulator
Adrienne Harris has worked for over a dozen financial technology firms that Hochul would put her in charge of regulating....

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September 14
Inside New York’s Messy Push to Clean Up Concrete
Climate and Environment, New York State, Reporting
Inside New York’s Messy Push to Clean Up Concrete
If concrete production were a country, it would be the world’s third largest carbon emitter. New York legislators want to clean it up....

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September 9
Governor Hochul Promised a “New Era of Transparency.” So Far, Details are Scarce.
New York State, Reporting
Governor Hochul Promised a “New Era of Transparency.” So Far, Details are Scarce.
New York’s new leader has pledged to improve access to public records – but hasn’t yet committed to the policy reforms transparency experts say are needed....

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September 8
Why Isn’t New York Offering Paper Applications for COVID Rent Relief?
Budget, Housing, New York State, Reporting
Why Isn’t New York Offering Paper Applications for COVID Rent Relief?
The $115 million state contract for administering the program required a paper application. Without it, tenants who can’t access technology may be getting left behind....

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September 2
How New York Lets Prosecutors Off The Hook for Misconduct
Criminal Justice, New York State, Reporting
How New York Lets Prosecutors Off The Hook for Misconduct
Not a single prosecutor appeared to have been disciplined for on-the-job misconduct in 2019. Even the state prosecutors association supports reforms....

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September 1
Lessons to be learned from New York’s climate policy laboratory
Climate and Environment, New York State, Reporting
Lessons to be learned from New York’s climate policy laboratory
New York is seen as a model - but it also shows the challenges of green public-private partnerships ...

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September 1
Nobody knows it, but Bill de Blasio is America’s best climate mayor
Climate and Environment, New York City, Perspectives
Nobody knows it, but Bill de Blasio is America’s best climate mayor
And that’s still vastly short of what’s needed....

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August 31
Rikers Staffing Crisis Limits Access to Medical Care
Criminal Justice, Health, Labor, New York City, Reporting
Rikers Staffing Crisis Limits Access to Medical Care
With thousands of officers not coming into work, incarcerated people aren’t getting escorted to their medical appointments, a New York Focus investigation finds....

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August 26
Retired City Workers Brace for Shift to Privatized Health Care
Health, Labor, New York City, Reporting
Retired City Workers Brace for Shift to Privatized Health Care
City leaders have awarded a contract to provide city retirees private Medicare-like insurance to a corporate coalition termed “The Alliance.” Former public workers worry their coverage may change....

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August 19
Renters Powered India Walton’s Upset Win
Electoral Politics, Housing, New York State, Perspectives
Renters Powered India Walton’s Upset Win
Renters broke decisively for India Walton in Buffalo's June Democratic primary, favoring an affordable housing advocate with a tenant-centered housing platform over a developer-friendly incumbent....

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August 17
Cuomo Leaves, But a Corrupt Political Culture Remains in New York
Electoral Politics, New York State, Reporting
Cuomo Leaves, But a Corrupt Political Culture Remains in New York
The structure of state government, with its centralized power and few ethical checks, invites scandal after scandal....

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August 11
New York Dairy Farms Skirt Clean Water Act Requirements
Climate and Environment, New York State, Reporting
New York Dairy Farms Skirt Clean Water Act Requirements
Farms in New York have used a form of legal arbitrage to shield their manure management practices from scrutiny....

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August 11
Who is Kathy Hochul? An Introduction to New York’s Next Governor
New York State, Reporting
Who is Kathy Hochul? An Introduction to New York’s Next Governor
A political moderate and former Congressperson and bank executive, Hochul stands to make history as New York’s first woman governor, but may face fierce challengers in next year’s election....

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August 11
Andrew Cuomo Picked His Own Impeachment Jury
New York State, Reporting
Andrew Cuomo Picked His Own Impeachment Jury
The New York Court of Appeals participates in impeachment trials. Cuomo has appointed all seven members, including two of them in June...

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August 6
Amid Intraparty Conflict, Brooklyn Democrats Issue Judgeship Recommendations
Electoral Politics, New York City, Reporting
Amid Intraparty Conflict, Brooklyn Democrats Issue Judgeship Recommendations
At a meeting that included an attempt by party leadership to prevent several district leaders from voting, the party made seven picks - six of whom were donors to the party and its leaders....

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August 5
The Promises and Failures of the “Cancel Rent” Movement
Housing, New York State, Perspectives
The Promises and Failures of the “Cancel Rent” Movement
Where does the housing justice movement go from here?...

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July 30
New York Judges Lock the Accused Out of Their Homes, Skirting Review Required by Landmark Ruling, Critics Charge
Criminal Justice, New York City, Reporting
New York Judges Lock the Accused Out of Their Homes, Skirting Review Required by Landmark Ruling, Critics Charge
An appellate court ordered hearings for defendants facing orders of protection that could separate them from their homes and families. But some judges — following a memo from state court officials ...

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July 23
Unlicensed Street Vendors Fear Steep Fines as Enforcement Escalates
New York City, Reporting
Unlicensed Street Vendors Fear Steep Fines as Enforcement Escalates
More than a year after fines for unlicensed street vending were largely suspended when the pandemic struck, enforcement has begun again. Many street vendors say it threatens their only means of econom...

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July 21
Albany Passes ‘Good Cause Eviction,’ In a First for New York
Housing, New York State, Reporting
Albany Passes ‘Good Cause Eviction,’ In a First for New York
Tenant groups are already turning to other upstate cities that could pass good cause this summer—and that could pave the way for statewide legislation....

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July 21
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 and Environment, 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 and Environment, 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
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