New York Focus

Hochul Extends Program to Hire Government Workers Faster. Mamdani Opts Out.

Hochul extended NY HELPS through 2028 after it filled 60,000 jobs, but Mamdani’s New York City administration has no plans to ...
New York Focus

$170 Million in State Pre-K Funds Went Unused by New York School Districts

K, districts left millions unspent in 2024–25 — citing staffing, space, enrollment, and reimbursement challenges.
New York Focus

Budget Allows Hochul to Spend $1.5 Billion Without Normal Review

Watchdogs say Hochul’s budget lets $1.5 billion in contracts bypass comptroller review, raising concerns about waste and ...
New York FocusOpinion

Extreme Heat Is Rising. New York’s Cooling Aid Isn’t.

New York’s free air conditioner program ran out of funding before summer, even as extreme heat becomes a deadlier threat.
nysfocus

‘A Family Trying to Survive’: Six Die at Motel Used to House Broome County’s Homeless

Before 6 am on Monday, Kimberly Crooks, 53, stepped out of her room at the Knights Inn to smoke a cigarette. The Broome County Department of Social Services had placed Crooks and her 12-year-old son ...
nysfocus

New York Essential Plan Users Worry: Am I Losing Coverage?

Sign up for Staying Focused, our newsletter keeping readers up to speed on New York politics. Christina Hauptman felt relieved when her 19-year-old son, Cody, got ...