Albany, NY
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Trouble Ahead For Hochul In NY Governor's Race, Fresh Polling Shows Trouble Ahead For Hochul In NY Governor's Race, Fresh Polling Shows Trouble Ahead For Hochul In NY Governor's Race, Fresh Polling Shows
Trouble Ahead For Hochul In NY Governor's Race, Fresh Polling Shows Fresh polling has alarm bells ringing in Albany. As New York’s 2026 race for governor begins to take shape, a new Siena College poll shows voters are craving new leadership, though incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul still leads potential Democratic challengers by a wide margin. The poll, released Tuesday, May 20, found that 36% of voters are ready to reelect Hochul, while 55% prefer “someone else,” a 10-point dip in support compared to last month. Her favorability rating sits at 44-46% and job approval at 50-46%—largely unchanged from April. Among Democrats, Hochul remains the frontrunner in a hy…

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by Michael Mashburn
National Interest
Trump Reverses $5B NY Wind Halt After $50M Weekly Loss, Whale Claims Debunked Trump Reverses $5B NY Wind Halt After $50M Weekly Loss, Whale Claims Debunked Trump Reverses $5B NY Wind Halt After $50M Weekly Loss, Whale Claims Debunked
Trump Reverses $5B NY Wind Halt After $50M Weekly Loss, Whale Claims Debunked The Trump administration has reversed its highly controversial stop-work order on the Empire Wind 1 project, allowing construction of New York’s largest offshore wind farm to resume, officials announced Monday, May 19. The $5 billion project, spearheaded by Norwegian energy giant Equinor, had already completed more than 30 percent of construction — including seabed foundations and a Brooklyn terminal — when Interior Secretary Doug Burgum halted work on April 16, citing "flawed science." That claim, echoed in a Fox News report and Burgum’s social media post, was not supported by any released…

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by Jillian Pikora
Albany, NY
Your Community
School Of Horror: Hochul To Apologize For NY’s Role In Native Child Abuse At Notorious Site School Of Horror: Hochul To Apologize For NY’s Role In Native Child Abuse At Notorious Site School Of Horror: Hochul To Apologize For NY’s Role In Native Child Abuse At Notorious Site
School Of Horror: Hochul To Apologize For NY’s Role In Native Child Abuse At Notorious Site New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is gearing up to formally acknowledge a painful chapter in the state's history. Hochul is planning a historic visit to Seneca Nation Territory to apologize for the state’s role in the abuses carried out at the Thomas Indian School. In a joint statement, the governor and Seneca Nation President JC Seneca called it a pivotal moment in the long road to healing for Indigenous communities affected by the state-run boarding school system. The visit, scheduled for Tuesday, May 20, on the Seneca Nation’s Cattaraugus Territory will mark the first time a sitting…

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by Michael Mashburn
Albany, NY
Breaking News
Up To $400 'Inflation Refund' Checks On Way To Millions Of NY Households: Here's Who Qualifies Up To $400 'Inflation Refund' Checks On Way To Millions Of NY Households: Here's Who Qualifies Up To $400 'Inflation Refund' Checks On Way To Millions Of NY Households: Here's Who Qualifies
Up To $400 'Inflation Refund' Checks On Way To Millions Of NY Households: Here's Who Qualifies New Yorkers will get some financial relief this fall. “Inflation refund” checks of up to $400 will be mailed directly to 8.2 million households across New York beginning in October, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Wednesday, May 14. No application, sign-up, or extra steps are required. The checks are part of the FY 2026 State Budget and aim to ease the financial strain on working- and middle-class families impacted by rising prices, Hochul’s office said. “It’s simple—this is your money and we’re putting it back in your pockets,” Hochul said in a statement. “I’ll never stop fighting to help you…

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by Michael Mashburn
Albany, NY
Your Community
Phone Ban: NY To Become Largest State With Bell-To-Bell Restrictions On Student Smartphones Phone Ban: NY To Become Largest State With Bell-To-Bell Restrictions On Student Smartphones Phone Ban: NY To Become Largest State With Bell-To-Bell Restrictions On Student Smartphones
Phone Ban: NY To Become Largest State With Bell-To-Bell Restrictions On Student Smartphones New York classrooms are dialing down distractions. Come this fall, all K-12 public schools in New York will implement bell-to-bell bans on student cell phone use, Gov. Kathy Hochul's office announced Tuesday, May 6. The sweeping new policy, part of the state’s 2026 budget agreement, prohibits students from using internet-enabled personal devices anywhere on school grounds from the first bell to the last—including during lunch and study hall periods. “New York was the first state to target addictive social media feeds — and now we’re the largest state to restrict smartphones in schools thr…

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by Michael Mashburn
Lindenhurst, NY
Your Community
Lindenhurst Man Voted Twice In 2024 Election, DA Says Lindenhurst Man Voted Twice In 2024 Election, DA Says Lindenhurst Man Voted Twice In 2024 Election, DA Says
Lindenhurst Man Voted Twice In 2024 Election, DA Says A Long Island man is facing felony charges after allegedly voting twice in the 2024 general election. Christopher Lindenberg, age 54, of Lindenhurst, is accused of requesting, completing, and submitting an early mail ballot in another person’s name — and then casting a second ballot himself. An investigation found that Lindenberg used the early mail ballot online application portal in October 2024 to request a ballot on behalf of another person without their knowledge, according to the Suffolk County DA’s office. The ballot was reportedly sent to Lindenberg’s home a few days later. He then…

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by Michael Mashburn
Ballston Spa, NY
Breaking News
Get In The Loop: New Roundabout Coming To Major Milton Intersection Get In The Loop: New Roundabout Coming To Major Milton Intersection Get In The Loop: New Roundabout Coming To Major Milton Intersection
Get In The Loop: New Roundabout Coming To Major Milton Intersection Get ready to slow your roll. A $3.4 million project is officially underway in the Town of Milton, where the traditional four-way intersection at State Route 29, Rowland Street, and Petrified Sea Gardens Road is being transformed into a brand-new, single-lane roundabout. Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the project this week, calling it an important step toward keeping Saratoga County’s roads safer and traffic flowing smoother — just in time for a busy summer in nearby Saratoga Springs. “New Yorkers need the best and safest roads so they can travel to work, visit their families and shop for lei…

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by Michael Mashburn
Albany, NY
Your Community
NY Discovery Laws Must Change To Protect Domestic Violence Survivors, Gov. Hochul Says NY Discovery Laws Must Change To Protect Domestic Violence Survivors, Gov. Hochul Says NY Discovery Laws Must Change To Protect Domestic Violence Survivors, Gov. Hochul Says
NY Discovery Laws Must Change To Protect Domestic Violence Survivors, Gov. Hochul Says New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is doubling down on her push to revise the state’s discovery laws after a new series of state reports revealed devastating impacts on domestic violence survivors. Hochul released three reports compiled by the State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (OPDV) on Monday, April 14, detailing feedback from more than 1,400 survivors, advocates, family members, and court professionals across New York. The findings underscore what the governor calls a “fatal flaw” in the state’s legal process, with many domestic violence survivors seeing cases against their ab…

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by Michael Mashburn
Mastic-Shirley, NY
Breaking News
New 'World-Class' LIRR Station Breaks Ground In Yaphank New 'World-Class' LIRR Station Breaks Ground In Yaphank New 'World-Class' LIRR Station Breaks Ground In Yaphank
New 'World-Class' Lirr Station Breaks Ground In Yaphank Construction is underway on a new Long Island Rail Road station promising faster, more accessible travel. A groundbreaking ceremony was held at the new Yaphank LIRR station, located roughly three miles east of the current Yaphank platform, on Thursday, April 3. The new transit digs promise a “world-class, fully accessible experience,” ensuring compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office said. It will be strategically closer to major thoroughfares such as William Floyd Parkway and the Long Island Expressway, as well as the key scientific hub, Brookhaven …

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by Michael Mashburn
Albany, NY
Your Community
Hochul Blasts Trump Admin's 'Cruel' Funding Cuts To Health, Addiction Services Across NY Hochul Blasts Trump Admin's 'Cruel' Funding Cuts To Health, Addiction Services Across NY Hochul Blasts Trump Admin's 'Cruel' Funding Cuts To Health, Addiction Services Across NY
Hochul Blasts Trump Admin's 'Cruel' Funding Cuts To Health, Addiction Services Across NY More than $360 million in federal funding is being stripped from New York’s public health, mental health, and addiction programs. The cuts, attributed to changes under the Trump administration, could leave critical services in jeopardy for millions of residents, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office warned Friday, March 28. Among the services expected to be impacted are COVID surveillance, addiction recovery, and health crisis support. Hochul’s office shared the following breakdown of the sweeping federal cuts: $300+ million lost from the Department of Health, impacting virus tracking, outbreak res…

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by Michael Mashburn
Albany, NY
Breaking News
NYers Can Now Report Soaring Drug Prices, Pharmacy Complaints Through New State Program NYers Can Now Report Soaring Drug Prices, Pharmacy Complaints Through New State Program NYers Can Now Report Soaring Drug Prices, Pharmacy Complaints Through New State Program
NYers Can Now Report Soaring Drug Prices, Pharmacy Complaints Through New State Program New Yorkers now have an easier way to report skyrocketing prescription drug prices and pharmacy issues, thanks to a new digital platform. The tool, called DFS Connect, was unveiled Monday, March 17, by the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) as part of a push to increase transparency and hold drug manufacturers accountable, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office said. It will allow residents to file complaints about prescription drug price spikes, particularly if a drug’s cost has risen by more than 50 percent in a year. Small, independent pharmacies can also report unfair business pr…

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by Michael Mashburn
Catskill, NY
Your Community
Massive Catskill Film Studio, Development Site Along Hudson River To Be Auctioned For $6.35M Massive Catskill Film Studio, Development Site Along Hudson River To Be Auctioned For $6.35M Massive Catskill Film Studio, Development Site Along Hudson River To Be Auctioned For $6.35M
Massive Catskill Film Studio, Development Site Along Hudson River To Be Auctioned For $6.35M A massive production studio and waterfront development site in downtown Catskill is heading to auction, offering a rare investment opportunity at nearly half its original listing price. The 20,208-square-foot Lumberyard, a New York State Qualified Production Facility, will be sold to the highest bidder on Wednesday, March 20. Originally listed in 2023 for $11.5 million, the property now has a reserve price of $6.35 million — about 45 percent lower than its initial asking price. The auction follows Gov. Kathy Hochul’s recent announcement of a $10 million state grant to revitalize downtown Ca…

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by Chris Spiker