The New York state Department of Health is not adequately overseeing adult care facilities, failing to conduct timely inspections and provide documentation showing critical problems were addressed, according to an audit released Wednesday by state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli.

The audit reviewed adult care facilities from January 2018 to October 2024 and found the DOH failed to complete inspections within the required 12- to 18-month timeframe at 70% of the 30 sampled facilities, with some delayed by as much as five years. Three of the state’s four regional oversight offices had inspection backlogs – New York City, Long Island and Western New York. Central New York had no backlog.

The East Side Parkways Coalition has filed an appeal against the New York State Department of Transportation.

The suit alleges violations of the Public Trust Doctrine and New York State Green Amendment when the original Humboldt Parkway was turned into the Kensington Expressway back in the 1950s and '60s.

State senators who pushed back a public hearing on a $9 billion Medicaid home care program said they agreed to the delay because they're confident New York state Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald and other Health Department leaders will testify if given more time to prepare for lawmakers' questions.

Senate Health Committee chair Gustavo Rivera and Senate Investigations & Government Operations Committee chair James Skoufis announced Tuesday the planned public hearing to examine the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program, or CDPAP, will take place Aug. 21 in New York City.

President Donald Trump suggested Tuesday that his administration might “run” his home town of New York City if the Democrats’ nominee for mayor — Zohran Mamdani — wins the election in November.

Mamdani’s campaign, in response, accused the president of insulting the city’s voters and treating democracy “like a suggestion.”

Last month, Capital Tonight spoke with census expert Jeff Wice who said that current projections indicate that New York state may lose two more congressional seats in the next census.

But that’s only part of the story.

With the passage of H.R. 1, also known as the tax cut and spending bill that President Donald Trump signed into law on July 4, the question on the minds of health care professionals is how will these changes affect New York?

Courtney Burke, a senior fellow for health policy at the Rockefeller Institute of Government, and principal at Sachs Policy Group/Ankura, joined Capital Tonight to break down how various groups of health care consumers will be affected.

Mayor Eric Adams continued his harsh criticism of rival Andrew Cuomo Tuesday, this time claiming the ex-governor has a history of derailing the political careers of Black officials.

“What has never been talked about that we need to talk about: Andrew’s assault on Black electeds,” Adams said. “He ran on the liberal line with Carl McCall and stayed on the ballot. Carl was running to be the first Black governor in the state of New York. Andrew sabotaged it.”

It’s now up to Gov. Kathy Hochul to decide whether to create a state office tasked with sticking up for ratepayers. The state Legislature advanced the bill which would establish a "state office of the utility consumer advocate."

As customers grapple with utility rate increases, those who are pushing the legislation argue that it’s time the state provides a voice which is solely responsible for representing consumers as decisions are being made and disputes litigated, rather than leaving it to existing state agencies which juggle other interests.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Days after President Donald Trump signed his policy bill into law, a consumer alert was issued by longtime energy provider and management company, NOCO.

The company told thousands of its residential and business customers that energy costs are on the rise.

The state has awarded $3 million to three projects to advance technologies that aim to integrate electric vehicles into the electric grid, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Tuesday.

Specifically, Voltpost was awarded $775,000 to develop lamppost EV charging in the New York City area, Capital Region and Hudson Valley focusing on UL certification, retrofits and plans to deploy at least 10 additional charging stations in New York. The Mobility House will get $867,000 to show how utility distribution capacity can be maximized with flexible interconnections to support electric school bus charging at a depot in Staten Island and a second location yet to be determined. Weave Grid, Inc. was awarded nearly $1 million to control when EV-managed charging will occur in the Orange and Rockland Utilities service area by using software and topology data to coordinate schedules and balance the energy load.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has revised its COVID-19 vaccine guidance for children and pregnant women, now urging families to consult with health care providers to make individual decisions based on personal risk.

The updated guidance says it supports a process called "shared clinical decision-making," giving families more control and discussing benefits and risks with their doctor.

New York lawmakers said they started talks about which state policies should be changed next year to reduce the number of teenagers involved in violent gun crimes after 10 people were shot in Albany on the Fourth of July.

Albany Sen. Pat Fahy on Monday spoke with city and state officials about how to address an uptick in gun violence perpetuated by adolescent offenders. She wants to amend parts of the state's Raise the Age law that raised the age of criminal responsibility in the state to 18, and draft legislation to ban the sale of flare guns to New Yorkers under 18 after an increase in minors committing crimes using a flare gun.

A familiar face was back on Capitol Hill last month — but on the opposite side of the hearing table.

Testifying before Senate lawmakers, former Nassau County Rep. Anthony D’Esposito pledged that, if confirmed as the next inspector general for the U.S. Department of Labor, he would “go after waste, fraud and abuse — not in press releases, but in results.”

Many child care advocates are frustrated as they head into the Albany "offseason" feeling like there is not only little to show for this year’s legislative session, but a sense of regression in the state’s fight to address the child care crisis. It comes as several counties upstate have had to create waitlists or close enrollment as emergency funding for the state’s child care assistance program has yet to fully kick in, and some experts say it may not provide enough of a boost to get enrollment reopened in some counties.

“The potential for backsliding feels a little bit more real,” Dede Hill, director of policy at the Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy said of the end of this session compared to the summer of 2024, when advocates geared up to lobby Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign a trio of bills largely intended to modernize eligibility requirements.

Mayor Eric Adams on Monday said it's his race to lose in November and he isn’t going anywhere — despite pressure from rival and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

“I have an opportunity to go one-on-one with [Zohran] Mamdani," he said.

H.R. 1, the tax cut and spending bill signed into law by President Donald Trump, will have wide-ranging impacts on New York state.

Because New York has expanded Medicaid over the years, any cuts to the program will be felt deeply. According to some estimates, over 1.5 million New York residents will lose health care coverage once the provisions of the bill are enacted.

The New York state Office of Victim Services has received a record-breaking $379.5 million over three years. The money comes from a civil asset forfeiture fund that collects money from federal lawsuits.

During the first administration of President Donald Trump, some of the money from the fund was directed elsewhere. If that happens again, Gov. Kathy Hochul has earmarked $100 million in state funding to offset those reductions.

The New York State Office of Cannabis Management announced two new leadership hires on Monday.

L. Simone Washington was named chief equity officer, while Dr. June Chin will take over as chief medical officer.

A hearing scheduled for July 9 to look into New York state’s transition of the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program (CDPAP) has been postponed to allow the Department of Health to testify, according to the hearing sponsors.

In a joint statement, state Sen. James Skoufis (D-Cornwall), chair of the Senate Investigations and Government Operations Committee, and state Sen. Gustavo Rivera (D-Bronx), chair of the Senate Health Committee, said, “As the agency with oversight of this program, it is imperative that DOH is present to provide their unique insights and knowledge as it relates to the transition and ongoing operations of CDPAP. While we are incredibly disappointed about this recent development, our commitment to hold this crucial hearing this summer has not wavered and we will notify stakeholders and the public as soon as we have a new date.”

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul's press secretary has resigned, her office confirmed to Spectrum News on Friday, following alleged sexual harassment allegations.

Sources told Spectrum News that Avi Small was placed on leave following an incident that occurred on June 16 at an all-staff retreat. It was reported last Wednesday and Small was immediately put on leave, according to sources.

As the number of New York adults who regularly use recreational cannabis trends upward, groups looking to curb the increase plan to pressure state leaders to restrict public consumption and reduce adverse health risks.

New Yorkers over age 18 who regularly smoke or ingest cannabis to get high has increased nearly 17% from 2021 to 2023, according to a state Health Department report released last week. The report revealed 14.7% of New York adults have used cannabis in the last month — with just under half reporting using it almost daily.

State and city lawmakers gathered at the immigration courthouse in Lower Manhattan Thursday, where masked ICE agents have been arresting undocumented migrants.

Local officials say their presence at court is an effort to protect migrants who are following the law by appearing for routine hearings.

As we reported last week, Gov. Kathy Hochul is directing the New York Power Authority to build a zero-emission nuclear power plant somewhere in upstate New York, where the state’s three other nuclear power plants reside.

While the move came as an unwelcome surprise to clean energy advocates who are still waiting for the administration to come out with cap-and-invest regulations, proponents argue that nuclear is carbon free and will pave the way for 1,200 new well-paying jobs.

The state’s Master Plan for Aging was released earlier this week.

Gov. Kathy Hochul convened a wide-ranging coalition, including state agency leaders, experts from the private and nonprofit sectors as well as research and advocacy groups, to come up with a comprehensive plan to address the needs of the state’s aging population. The 400-page plan makes over 100 policy recommendations.

For the better part of the last decade, Fort Drum’s power was considered renewable. A biomass plant provided the installation all of its energy needs.

But in 2023, that plant closed down as New York state no longer considered biomass renewable.

As those opposing President Donald Trump's sweeping tax reform legislation fight its passage, Republicans in the state Wednesday defended the president's policy bill and said they're prepared to ensure it gets to his desk before Friday's deadline.

A procedural House vote continued Wednesday night to pass Trump's tax and spending cuts package that avoids a 22% tax increase by making key provisions of Trump's 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent, eliminates taxes on tips and overtime pay and expands the State And Local Tax, or SALT, deduction cap to $40,000.

It was a busy day for Mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday as celebrated what he considers the wins of his administration.

“A cultural institution is more than an organization that is planned out on the landscape of our city," he said.

One of the most divisive portions of President Donald Trump’s tax and spending cut bill is the apparent reshaping of Medicaid, which could complicate health care in rural America.

“The 'big, beautiful bill' is anything but beautiful,” said Healthcare Association of New York President Bea Grause. “It’s going to be a catastrophe.”

Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant's announced closure in 2017 came as a total shock for the village of Buchanan. It's a village built around the power plant. There’s even a nuclear symbol in the village seal. Mayor Theresa Knickerbocker said state funds were needed to keep the village afloat.

“So, it did help balance the budget because that was additional money," she said. "Otherwise, we would have gone to the taxpayer for that.”

On Monday, Gov. Kathy Hochul celebrated the codification of the state Office of Gun Violence Prevention and a decrease in shootings statewide.

Rebecca Fischer, executive director of New Yorkers Against Gun Violence, joined Capital Tonight to discuss the impact actions on the state and federal level are having on gun violence prevention efforts.

New York on Wednesday launched a website that provides resources for school districts as they prepare to implement the new bell-to-bell cellphone restrictions which start at the beginning of the new academic year in September, Gov. Kathy Hochul said.

The website includes a policy FAQ, toolkit and examples that school districts can use to design their individual policy, which must be published by Aug. 1.

An appeals court judge has granted an injunction against the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) for its temporary suspension of certain aspects of the state’s HALT Act, which limits the use of solitary confinement and that was part of an agreement to end the three-week unauthorized strike by correction officers earlier this year.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of an inmate-rights organization.

A new bill introduced by New York U.S. Rep. Nick Langworthy seeks to tighten U.S. immigration controls over individuals who pose national security or public safety risks.

The SAFER at the Border Act would bar the U.S. secretary of homeland security from granting immigration parole to transnational criminals and those flagged in federal threat databases. Langworthy said the bill would also prevent the paroling of refugees.

With the 2025 New York State Fair approaching, leading immigration advocates are hailing its policy preventing federal immigration officials from engaging in civil enforcement activity on the fairgrounds without a judicial warrant.

Murad Awawdeh, chief executive officer of the New York Immigration Coalition, said this policy sends a message that everyone is welcome at the New York State Fair.

The deadline for the Oswego County Sheriff's Office to provide a vast amount of records of its work with federal agencies has now been extended, according to the sheriff’s office.

The New York State Attorney General’s Office is formally investigating the sheriff's office over its potential cooperation with federal agencies on immigration enforcement.

A majority of New York voters believe President Donald Trump’s domestic and foreign policy agenda will not “make America great” and believe that the “Big Beautiful Bill” making its way through Congress will worsen life for Americans, according to a Siena College poll of registered voters released Wednesday.

According to the poll, 54% of voters say the president’s agenda so far won’t help the country while 33% say it will.

Continuing his stunning political rise, Zohran Mamdani officially won the Democratic primary for mayor on Tuesday. After the Board of Elections conducted its ranked-choice voting tabulations, Mamdani ended up with 56 percent of the vote — compared to Andrew Cuomo’s 44 percent. Now, it’s on to November. NY1’s investigative reporter Courtney Gross, and political reporters Bobby Cuza and Ayana Harry, break down what the general election will look like and where Mamdani goes from here.

Leave a message at (212) 379-3440 or email yourstoryny1@charter.com

After decisively passing legislation to expand New Yorkers' access to physical therapy, a state lawmaker said Tuesday that work continues to expand the scope of practice for a variety of state-licensed medical professionals to address an ongoing staffing crisis.

Assemblymembers passed a bill in the final days of session to allow physical therapy assistants to work under general supervision, or permitting physical therapists to oversee a PT assistant's treatment and care plan without having to be physically present.

Mail-in ballots have been counted in the Ontario County district attorney Republican primary race.

Workers with the Ontario County Board of Elections have gone through the last absentee ballots postmarked June 24.

OCHOPEE, Fla. — As President Donald Trump visited and celebrated a new immigrant detention camp built by Florida’s government to house thousands of migrants in cramped tents and surrounded by alligator-filled swamps — dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” by its gleeful boosters — he demanded Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Justice Department prosecute CNN and former Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on unclear claims of criminality.

He also threatened New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani with arrest and promised the federal government would look into the 33-year-old state lawmaker’s citizenship as the president’s allies in New York and Tennessee Rep. Andy Ogles have demanded Bondi revoke it and deport him. Mamdani, who is Muslim and was born in Uganda, became a U.S. citizen in 2018 and handedly beat a large field featuring prominent Democrats in the city’s primary last week.

Gov. Kathy Hochul last week announced plans for New York state to build a nuclear power facility. While it’s not a renewable resource, it would produce carbon-free power during its operation.

While many harbor safety concerns associated with nuclear power, some experts point to questions about affordability.

Queens Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani is officially the Democratic nominee in the November general election for mayor after winning in the final round of ranked-choice voting, the city’s Board of Elections confirmed Tuesday.

According to the BOE, Mamdani received 56% of the votes, topping his closest rival, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who received 44%.

A former aide to two New York governors already facing charges of acting as an illicit agent of China pleaded not guilty on Monday to additional charges that she improperly profited from the state’s purchase of face masks and other key medical supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Linda Sun, 41, and her husband, Chris Hu, 40, — who is also charged — entered not guilty pleas to charges of wire fraud, bribery and conspiracy to defraud the United States. Hu also faces tax evasion charges.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Tuesday she is asking the state Department of Public Service to scrutinize proposed rate hikes from New York State Electric and Gas (NYSEG) and the Rochester Gas and Electric Corporation (RG&E).

RG&E is proposing a preliminary increase of 26% per month for electricity and 22.2% for natural gas, which would just be for delivery, not the whole bill, the company says. NYSEG is proposing a 33.5% increase for natural gas and 23.7% increase for electric.

The official results of the Democratic mayoral primary are expected Tuesday afternoon, but Zohran Mamdani’s win over Andrew Cuomo has already energized a younger generation of voters, experts say.

Voter data shows 18- to 29-year-olds led turnout, a stark difference from four years ago when the majority of voters in the 2021 mayoral primary were over 60, according the city Board of Elections.

U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik continues to lead a pack of three potential Republican candidates in next year’s race for New York governor while Gov. Kathy Hochul leads all three at this point by at least 20 points, according to a Siena College poll released Tuesday.

According to the poll, Republican voters strongly favor the North Country congresswoman with 35%, compared to 18% for U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler and 7% for Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, which is similar to last month. None of them have yet to declare any candidacy.

The 2026 fiscal budget was officially approved in a unanimous vote on Monday.

“All items on today’s general order calendar are adopted in a vote of 51 in the affirmative, zero in the negative and zero abstentions," Councilmember Amanda Farías said at the hearing.

Progressives are still rejoicing over Zohran Mamdani’s win in last week’s New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary and what it means for next year’s midterm elections.

Interestingly, at least one moderate Democrat sees a silver-lining in the Socialist’s victory, too.

Legislation in New York state could soon require employers to keep opioid overdose reversal medication in workplace first aid kits. As opioid-related incidents continue to impact communities, state lawmakers and advocates say the move could save lives.

A bill passed by the Legislature would require employers to include an opioid antagonist, such as naloxone, in first aid supplies wherever federal law already mandates first aid kits. That means workplaces covered by Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) rules could soon be required to keep these life-saving medications on hand.

State lawmakers are pushing for "truth in billing" as New Yorkers continue to struggle with utility costs.

New York state has one of the highest costs per kilowatt hour (kWh) of energy in the nation, at just about 24 centers per kWh, well above the national average of about 16 cents.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a bill Monday codifying the state’s Office of Gun Violence Prevention into law and criticized President Donald Trump’s administration for cutting funding for similar programs.

The agency was created by executive order in 2021, overseen by the state Department of Health, with the goal to use this data to track emerging gun violence hotspots and deploy resources to those areas that need it most. Now it is housed within the state Division of Criminal Justice Services.

Gov. Kathy Hochul recently announced she wants the New York Power Authority and state Department of Public Service to develop at least one new nuclear energy facility upstate to support the state's electric grid and help New York transition away from fossil fuels.

Clean energy has been a hot topic over the years across the country, and New York state is no different.

New York has paid off the nearly $7 billion in unemployment insurance debt to the federal government that ballooned in the state during the COVID-19 pandemic after it was included in the state budget that was passed in May, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Monday.

After initially declaring the state would only pay off the interest on the unemployment insurance debt earlier this year, Hochul said she met with business leaders during state budget negotiations this spring and reasoned this payout would help businesses should an economic downturn take place. The funding came from the state’s reserves, which Hochul at the beginning of her tenure as governor labeled the state’s rainy day fund.

Lactalis USA will invest $75 million to upgrade equipment at their Walton and Buffalo plants in an effort to modernize their dairy processing facilities.

“New York will continue to work with businesses in the agri-food sectors as they expand and grow to ensure good-paying jobs remain in our communities,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a press release Monday. “By investing in the Lactalis USA facilities and assisting with improvements, New York is retaining hundreds of jobs and adding new jobs, as well as helping to support the region’s dairy farmers.”

A bill will head to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s desk could shake up the way accountants become licensed in New York state, in hopes of filling a shortage of certified public accountants in New York.

According to the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the number of students taking the CPA exam nationwide dropped by 33% between 2016 and 2021. New York could be taking steps to reverse that trend.

The U.S. Supreme Court handed down a landmark ruling that federal judges lack the authority to grant nationwide injunctions.

But the decision still leaves unclear whether President Donald Trump’s effort to end birthright citizenship could soon take effect in parts of the country.

Within moments of declaring victory Tuesday night, Zohran Mamdani — the Democrats’ presumptive nominee for mayor of New York City — became a target of Republicans of Congress.

Many attacked his affiliation with the Democratic Socialists of America. But some on the right went further, zeroing in on his Muslim faith and hurling Islamophobic insults.

Acting Buffalo Mayor Chris Scanlon is dropping out of the Buffalo mayoral race, he announced Friday.

The decision to not run on the November ballot comes after losing Tuesday night's primary to state Sen. Sean Ryan.

A group of advocates, including two of the women who have accused former Gov. Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment, are calling on state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli to turn off the tap on state funding of his legal defense, and for lawmakers to step up and take action.

“We are urging the state comptroller to show leadership,” said Erica Vladimer, founding director of Harassment-Free Albany. “It is up to the comptroller to look for ways that he can reduce the public cost.”

The reconciliation bill Republicans are currently negotiating in the U.S. Senate remains on track to cut $880 billion from Medicaid over 10 years. If it passes, it could hit New York like a freight train.

The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates the cuts will cost the state around $70 billion over 10 years.

The U.S. Supreme Court issued a flurry of significant rulings on Friday, among them one that decided individual judges lack the authority to grant nationwide injunctions, but the decision left unclear the fate of President Donald Trump's restrictions on birthright citizenship.

The president issued an executive order earlier this year that would deny citizenship to U.S.-born children of people who are in the country illegally, so-called birthright citizenship that is outlined in the Fourteenth Amendment.

The next U.S. census isn’t until 2030, but there’s already an important battle brewing in Washington, D.C. that could lead to a significant undercount in New York, a state that’s already lost 20 congressional seats since the 1940s and could lose more.

The fight is over whether to count people who aren’t citizens in the decennial census.

WASHINGTON — In parts of rural upstate New York, schools have more than 1,100 students for every mental health provider. In a far-flung region with little public transportation, those few school counselors often are the only mental health professionals available to students.

Hennessey Lustica has been overseeing grant-funded efforts to train and hire more school psychologists, counselors and social workers in the Finger Lakes region, but those efforts may soon come to end — a casualty of the Trump administration's decision to cancel school mental health grants around the country.

Andrew Cuomo will not drop out of the race for mayor, sources tell NY1.

The former governor had until Friday to remove himself from the November general election ballot.

Queens Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani is poised to win the Democratic mayoral primary — easily outperforming Andrew Cuomo, Brad Lander and eight other candidates . NY1’s investigative reporter Courtney Gross, political reporter Bobby Cuza and political director Bob Hardt break down the results of primary day and discuss what this may mean for the November general election when incumbent Eric Adams is running as an independent candidate.

After that, will Andrew Cuomo stay in the race? And what will Mayor Adams' strategy be this fall? The "Off Topic" team weighs in on whether Adams can mount a strong campaign and if Cuomo will continue fighting.

While the battles and debates that drag New York’s budget process out sometimes weeks beyond the deadline vary year to year, education funding is always guaranteed to be a key topic of conversation as the process plays out.

It’s typically framed around whether there will be a continuation of a string of significant increases in school aid, and if so, how much.

Mayor Eric Adams officially launched his reelection bid.

He was surrounded by faith leaders and supporters on City Hall steps, as he looks ahead to the November general election.

On Thursday, Mayor Eric Adams launched his bid for a second term in office.

“Not one more year, not two more years, not three more years, but four more years," he said.

A Florida man has been indicted for allegedly mailing a letter containing what officials called a "suspicious white powder" to the New York State Attorney General’s Office in Albany, the Department of Justice said Thursday.

According to federal officials, Henry Garcia, 63, of Vero Beach, Florida, is accused of mailing a letter on Feb. 22, 2024, that officials say was "reasonably believed to contain a biological weapon."

New York Attorney General Letitia James has released a new report outlining why she thinks high-speed police pursuits should be banned unless the driver’s conduct poses an imminent threat of death.

For minor infractions, police wouldn't engage in a dangerous chase.

The clock is ticking for New Yorkers who want a say in the building of Micron Technology’s anticipated chip-manufacturing megasite.

With the release of a long-awaited Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) comes a 45-day public comment period.

LONG ISLAND, N.Y. –– Former New York Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, who became a leading advocate for gun reform after her husband was killed and son wounded in a mass shooting aboard a Long Island Rail Road train in 1993, has died. She was 81.

Known as the "Gun Lady” of Capitol Hill, McCarthy served nine terms in Congress – representing Long Island’s 4th congressional district, which encompasses swaths of central and southern Nassau County, from 1997 to 2015.

The Empire State Development Board has approved $40 million to launch the second phase of the state's Empire AI initiative, a consortium of seven of New York’s leading research institutions tasked with developing an artificial intelligence computing center, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Thursday.

Known as Empire AI Beta, this second phase will be 11 times more powerful than current capacity, which the governor's office said will allow hundreds of researchers from the now 10-member institutions to continue to advance AI research. It will allow the Empire AI consortium to purchase the equipment needed to power the second-phase supercomputer, housed at the University of Buffalo. Empire AI Beta will use NVIDIA’s state-of-the-art Blackwell AI supercomputing platform.

With the 10-year anniversary of the prison escape at Dannemora this month, how it happened has been described as a complete failure from those inside the walls.

Those failures have led to massive changes within the system.

The surprising Democratic primary victory of 33-year-old Zohran Mamdani over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo has left many political insiders scratching their heads. What does this mean for the future of the Democratic Party and how did a young assemblyman who was polling at 1% in February defeat a well-known New York political giant?

NY1 political reporter Ayana Harry joined NY1 political anchor Errol Louis to discuss the stunning results of this week’s primary. They also talked about Cuomo’s strategy of limited public engagement and reliance on traditional campaign methods, which ultimately failed. The conversation covered Mamdani’s effective ground game, enthusiastic voter engagement and modern digital tactics. Other topics included the impact of a super PAC’s spending, the role of minority and younger voters, and the implications for future elections in New York City politics.

Buffalo voters Tuesday decided to send new leadership to City Hall, marking a generational shift for Western New York Democrats as they grapple with a multimillion-dollar budget deficit.

State Sen. Sean Ryan, who's represented Buffalonians in Albany for more than a decade, overcame a five-way primary challenge with 46.5% of the vote, netting more than a 10-point lead over Acting Mayor Chris Scanlon.

This week, Gov. Kathy Hochul put the wheels in motion for the construction of a zero-emission nuclear power plant upstate, directing the New York Power Authority to get to work.

Hochul has argued it’s a necessary step to support the state’s clean energy transition, insisting that the grid will need the extra support into the future if New York is really going to transition off of fossil fuels.

Zohran Mamdani announced his run for mayor last fall, with an almost singular focus on affordability.

“While corruption is engulfing City Hall, it’s the cost-of-living crisis that most New Yorkers are concerned about,” he told NY1 on Oct. 23.

Queens Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani is poised to be the Democratic nominee for mayor in a historic upset over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

All eyes will soon shift toward November as Mamdani looks to continue his momentum against Mayor Eric Adams, who is set to launch his reelection bid as an independent candidate Thursday afternoon.

Next Tuesday, July 1, is when the certified results of a too-close-to-call Republican primary race for Ontario County district attorney are expected to be announced, the county Board of Elections said Wednesday.

Ontario County assistant attorney Jason MacBride is leading the Ontario County district attorney Republican primary race as of Tuesday evening.

A day after Zohran Mamdani shocked the New York establishment and won the Democratic primary for mayor, politicians of every ideological stripe — including the president — were adjusting to a new landscape with reactions ranging from joy to disgust.

“I will be your Democratic nominee for the mayor of New York City,” said Mamdani, the 33-year-old Democratic state assemblyman, declaring victory early Wednesday morning at his campaign watch party in Long Island City.

Gov. Kathy Hochul is directing the New York Power Authority to build a zero-emission nuclear power plant somewhere in upstate New York, where the state’s three other nuclear power plants reside.

The move comes as a surprise to clean energy advocates who have been waiting for her administration to come out with cap-and-invest regulations under the 2019 climate act which mandates a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

Less than 24 hours after losing the Democratic primary for Buffalo mayor, Erie County Board of Elections commissioners are taking Garnell Whitfield off the November ballot.

The former Buffalo fire commissioner lost Tuesday night’s primary by more than 10,000 votes to state Sen. Sean Ryan.

Syracuse Democratic voters on Tuesday once again picked someone to be their party’s candidate for mayor who wasn’t the one local party leaders wanted.

Deputy Mayor Sharon Owens cruised to victory in the Democratic primary over longtime Common Councilor Pat Hogan, who had been endorsed by the Onondaga County Democratic Committee as their designated candidate.

State Sen. Sean Ryan has declared victory in the Democratic primary for Buffalo mayor.

With 100% of precincts reporting, unofficial results show Ryan received 12,249 votes, or 46.5%. The next closest candidate was Acting Buffalo Mayor Scanlon with 9,278 votes, or 35.3%.

Incumbent Rochester Mayor Malik Evans secured a win in the Democratic mayoral primary on Tuesday.

Evans is seeking a second term in November and faced a pair of challengers in the primary, with current East District City Councilor Mary Lupien and political newcomer and businessman Shashi Sinha also running.

Political history was made in New York City on June 24, and once NY1’s live TV coverage wrapped early Wednesday morning, NY1’s Errol Louis, Courtney Gross and Bobby Cuza broke down the surprise results of the Democratic primary in this special crossover episode of "Off Topic/On Politics" and "You Decide."

Queens Assemblyman and democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, 33, pulled off an upset over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, an outcome few insiders predicted. The team unpacked how Mamdani’s grassroots movement energized young voters and what his win means for the future of the Democratic Party.

Zohran Mamdani had a significant lead over former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary Tuesday night, leaving the young liberal upstart poised to land a stunning upset in a race still to be determined by a ranked choice count.

Cuomo, who was trying to make a comeback from a sexual harassment scandal, conceded the contest less than two hours after the polls closed, saying he had called Mamdani to congratulate him.

Syracuse Deputy Mayor Sharon Owens is one step closer to being promoted to the top job.

Owens declared victory in Tuesday’s Democratic primary race to be the city’s next mayor, defeating Common Councilors Pat Hogan and Chol Majok.

Dorcey Applyrs declared victory Tuesday night in the four-way Democratic primary for mayor and will represent Democrats in November when voters determine who becomes Albany’s first new mayor in 12 years.

Applyrs, the city’s chief auditor, led businessman and political newcomer Dan Cerutti, Common Council leader Corey Ellis and Albany County Legislator Carolyn McLaughlin in the race to represent Democrats and succeed Kathy Sheehan as mayor, according to preliminary vote totals.

An important religious rights case out of Albany was decided last week by the U.S. Supreme Court.

In Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany v. Harris, the diocese argued it didn’t have to provide employee coverage for abortions on religious grounds.

New data shows tourism in upstate New York could take a hit as border crossings between the U.S. and Canada continue to plummet.

According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, nearly 400,000 fewer travelers crossed the upstate New York-Canadian border via land in May 2025 compared to May 2024 — a nearly 25% decrease.

Chautauqua County leaders are voicing their support for Gov. Kathy Hochul's plan to develop and construct an advanced nuclear plant upstate and our recommending the NRG power plant in the City of Dunkirk as a prime site, executive PJ Wendel, Sen. George Borrello and Assemblyman Andrew Molitor said Tuesday.

The New York Power Authority (NYPA) will help identify a site and host community for the project upstate, Hochul said. The project would generate 1,600 jobs during construction and 1,200 permanent jobs.

This month after more than a decade of relentless advocacy, the New York state Senate joined the state Assembly in passing the Medical Aid in Dying Act, which authorizes medically assisted suicide for individuals in end of life situations.

Advocates like Corinne Carey, Compassion & Choices' senior campaign director for New York and New Jersey, have been pushing the legislation for years largely by communicating the stories of individuals who they argue suffered needlessly, dying in pain after being diagnosed with a terminal illness and leaving their loved ones to share their stories.

In May, the U.S. veteran unemployment rate was 3.8%, up from 3.7% the previous month and up from 2.9% in 2024. While veterans usually have a lower unemployment rate then the general population, the rise in unemployment is a concern.

One place many veterans find a home after service is in the New York State Police, among the largest employers of military and veterans in New York state.