new york state

On the anniversary of Robert Brooks' death, advocates in Albany called on New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign an Omnibus Prison Reform package.

The Freedom to Read Act is a bill that would ensure librarians across New York state can cultivate inclusive, diverse book collections as a way to fight censorship within schools. Education advocates hosted a read-in at the State Capitol urging New York State Governor Kathy Hochul to sign the bill as the end of the year approaches.

Families across the Capital Region, like those nationwide, are dealing with a variety of stressors from the back-and-forth of food stamp cuts to complications surrounding federal assistance for heating to this month’s expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies. With federal resources in limbo, the New York State Office of Children and Family Services hopes to fill in that gap by redirecting people to state-funded resources that are still available. WAMC’s Sajina Shrestha spoke with the Office’s Commissioner, Dr. DaMia Harris-Madden, about what benefits are available for New Yorkers.

Disability advocates from all over New York rallied at the state Capitol in mid-November, asking Governor Kathy Hochul to address their demands around providing better resources for direct support professionals in the upcoming state budget.

WAMC's David Guistina in conversation with Mike Goodwin, News Editor at The Times Union, about what's on the ballot for voters in the Capital Region.

Cornell University researchers recently released a mapping tool that looks at how reduced federal funding is impacting jobs and budgets across New York. WAMC’s Sajina Shrestha sat down with Russell Weaver, the director of research at Cornell’s Buffalo Co-lab, to talk about how this tool maps the impact of federal decisions on New York State.

The Village of Scotia is considering whether to demolish its oldest building in the face of budget woes. It’s a decision that localities across New York have faced before.

The “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act” passed by GOP lawmakers and signed into law by President Trump last week contains a number of policy changes, tax breaks, and spending cuts to execute the Republican’s second-term agenda.

The U.S. Census Bureau has released a new report detailing county population changes in New York.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has signed six laws aimed at reducing gun violence.The Democrat was joined by former Arizona Congresswoman and gun safety advocate Gabby Giffords for a bill signing ceremony on Wednesday. The latest actions by the governor come as her office says gun violence is down 47 percent since she took office in 2021.To learn more about the new gun laws and how the state measures gun crime, WAMC spoke with New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray.