NEW: People are driving a lot more than they were five years ago in every big metro area in the state. Congestion and crash deaths are up, too. nysfocus.com/2024/09/17/n...
From New York City to Buffalo, people are driving a lot more than they did before the pandemic.
NYPD has an 86-member public relations team — more than double its size two years ago. Some of its recent hires have histories of dishonesty and misconduct. nysfocus.com/2024/05/14/n...
DCPI has more than doubled in size in the past two years. Some of its recent hires have histories of dishonesty and misconduct.
NEW: More New Yorkers are installing rooftop solar with the hopes of lowering their energy bills, but some aren’t getting what they signed up for. One Queens homeowner is now suing two solar companies who she says scammed her into a predatory loan. nysfocus.com/2024/09/11/n...
The retiree says a local rooftop solar company and its partners forged her signature to sign her up for a loan she could not afford.
NEW: A parole board member was ousted in May after a two-month tenure full of absences, lateness, and "extreme sleepiness" during hearings. Nearly half of Kathy Hochul's parole board nominations have crashed and burned. nysfocus.com/2024/09/10/h...
The governor promised to fill the chronically understaffed Board of Parole. Nearly half of her nominations have ended in disaster.
NEW: Governor Kathy Hochul says New York already has “robust and well-funded” entities advocating on utility customers’ behalf. But those offices are far smaller than New York used to have — and many other states still do. nysfocus.com/2024/08/29/u...
New York's consumer advocacy groups struggle to compete with well-funded utilities and corporations. Lawmakers want to level the playing field.
NEW: Department of Public Service staffers are the "worker bees" that keep energy bills affordable and steward New York's transition away from fossil fuels. The agency has more work than ever — and far fewer employees than than it did three decades ago. nysfocus.com/2024/08/07/c...
The state's energy regulator has more work than ever — and far fewer employees than than it did three decades ago.
NEW: Recently arrived immigrants trying to feed themselves are facing bureaucratic hurdles — including meager meals at city shelters and NYPD harassment for cooking donated groceries on a sidewalk. nysfocus.com/2024/07/31/a...
New immigrants say meager meals from a shelter operator and police harassment are leaving them with few ways to feed themselves.
When congestion pricing passed the state legislature in 2019, it was buoyed by the union that represents more than 41,000 New York City transit workers. But five years after it passed, congestion pricing’s biggest labor supporter turned against it. Why? nysfocus.com/2024/07/26/m...
Before Kathy Hochul paused it, the tolling program lost the little labor support it had when the Transport Workers Union withdrew its backing this spring.
NEW: More New York counties are turning to private corporations to run medical care in jails. While the corporations profit, scores of incarcerated people have died after they were provided inadequate care. nysfocus.com/2024/07/18/p...
Counties are turning to corporations with deadly track records for jail medical care.
NEW: The lobbyist who has been dating New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie was recently laid off from her job. The decision prompted Heastie to place an upset call with the labor group that employed her. nysfocus.com/2024/07/17/c...
Rebecca Lamorte was let go by her employer in June, prompting the Assembly Speaker to place an upset call to her boss.