Five hundred Army National Guard soldiers from across New York are deploying overseas for nearly a year with the Troy-based 42nd Infantry Division, the National Guard announced.

Farewell events were held Sunday in Syracuse and Albany and on Long Island for the soldiers, who departed for additional training to prepare to lead Task Force Spartan, a U.S. military posture in Southwest Asia.

Witnesses Tuesday told state lawmakers they must permit New York paramedics to administer opioid drugs that ease the pain of withdrawal as lethal drug contaminants spur a new wave of the opioid epidemic.

New York overdose deaths declined almost 30% in the last year, but drug experts at an Assembly hearing in Albany told lawmakers the prevalence of synthetic opioids like fentanyl, betadine and the horse tranquilizer xylazine are presenting new roadblocks to recovery.

In the 24 hours since Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado announced he would be taking his cratering relationship with Gov. Kathy Hochul to the long-expected next level, challenging her for the state’s top job, the sitting governor hasn’t been short on positive sentiment.

Rep. Pat Ryan posted on X Monday that he is “all in” for Hochul, a year out from the June 2026 primary.

In an interview on “Inside City Hall” a day after declaring his candidacy for governor next year, Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado said “a strong, bold, clear-eyed vision” is needed to lead New York.

Delgado on Monday became Gov. Kathy Hochul’s first official challenger in the 2026 Democratic gubernatorial primary.

Four million dollars was allocated in the New York state budget for support for a program that offers free tuition, fees, books and supplies at the State University of New York's 30 community colleges for adults between the ages of 25 and 55 who want to pursue degrees in high-demand fields.

On Tuesday, SUNY announced that it would add another $1 million in funding for technology to support eligible students, bringing the fund to $5 million.

With the primary election three weeks away, the four Democrats running for Albany mayor are being put through their paces: participating in multiple debates, forums and meet-the-candidate events.

While they’re being grilled, the city’s current mayor has her hands full planning how to spend the $400 million gift from the state of New York. The money is known as CAP — “Championing Albany’s Potential."

A federal appeals court upheld New York’s 2019 law meant to strengthen abortion laws and codify the Roe v. Wade decision into state law.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed a lower court decision on the constitutionality of the Reproductive Health Act. It allows a pregnancy to be terminated after 24 weeks if a woman’s life is in danger or the fetus is not viable. It allows a licensed or certified health care practitioner to perform abortions.

Two correctional officers charged in the death of Robert Brooks at Marcy Correctional Facility argued for their cases to be dismissed in Oneida County Court Tuesday morning.

Matthew Galliher, Nicholas Kieffer and David Kingsley face charges stemming from a Dec. 9 incident at Marcy that was caught on body-worn cameras and triggered widespread outrage. Footage released by the New York attorney general’s office shows correctional officers hitting Brooks while he was restrained. He died the next day at a hospital in Utica.

State lawmakers are considering legislation to create a Bill of Rights for students enrolled in New York's public colleges and universities before they leave Albany later this month.

Lawmakers introduced legislation earlier this year to implement a students' Bill of Rights for all State University of New York and City University of New York institutions.

It’s crunch time at the state capitol, as lawmakers work to get controversial legislative items like the NY HEAT Act, the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act and a slate of prison and immigration reform measures over the finish line before leaders deliver their closing remarks and flee the capital city.

With just days left in the legislative session, for Democrats the race is on to accomplish as much as possible on a compressed timeline thanks to the latest state budget in 15 years. For Republicans in the minority, the mission is to resist where necessary and find common ground where possible.

Because opioid-related deaths fell slightly in 2024, there might be a tendency to take our collective feet off the gas, but Rob Kent, an expert on both national and state drug policy, and president of Kent Strategic Advisors LLC, warns that would be a major mistake.

“Is it a trend or an anomaly? And especially with the uncertainty in Washington, does it continue?” he asked.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s list of sanctuary jurisdictions, which featured numerous communities in upstate New York, no long appears on the department’s website. If you’re looking for the page, it currently shows a “page not found” error message.

The list was released as part of an executive order by President Donald Trump requiring the DHS publish a list of areas that are deliberately obstructing the enforcement of federal immigration laws. The listed areas could lose access to federal funding like grants and contracts if they don’t comply with the law.

New York dairies are getting another boost from state coffers just a week after a little-noticed bill drew widespread scrutiny for its attempt to stifle permits for large dairy farms.

More than 100 dairy farms will split $21 million in state funding through the dairy modernization grant program to implement new equipment and technology.

Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado announced on Monday that he's challenging Gov. Kathy Hochul in next year’s Democratic primary for governor.

In a video, Delgado said there's a need for "bold, decisive, transformational leadership" in New York.

Rochester Mayor Malik Evans said Monday that the city is moving to dismiss the lawsuit the Department of Justice filed against Rochester over its decades-old sanctuary city policy.

The suit, in April, stems from an incident in March when Rochester police officers assisted federal agents in detaining three people during a traffic stop. One of them was charged with illegal entry into the U.S.

MASSAPEQUA, N.Y. — New York is discriminating against a school district that refuses to get rid of its Native American chief mascot and could face a Justice Department investigation or risk losing federal funding, President Donald Trump’s top education official said Friday.

U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, on a visit to Massapequa High School on Long Island, said an investigation by her agency has determined that state education officials violated Title VI of the federal civil rights law by banning the use of Native American mascots and logos statewide.

Five days after Department of Homeland Security police handcuffed one of his staffers, Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., said the incident was “outrageous” and called for the House Judiciary Committee to investigate.

During an interview with CNN on Monday, the congressman accused the DHS of lying about the events that led to one of his aide’s being briefly detained at his New York district office Wednesday.

All eyes will be on the U.S. Senate this week as senators debate what to do after the House of Representatives passed President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act last month.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries are urging senators to vote no. They rallied Sunday in Brooklyn to highlight what they say could happen if the bill becomes law and say those provisions would be detrimental to the state.

Thursday and Friday marked the second annual AAPI Summit at the state Capitolin Albany.

As chair of the state Legislature’s Asian Pacific American Task Force, Assemblymember Grace Lee was a driving force behind two days of panels, keynote speakers and work groups.

This year has been nothing short of busy and chaotic in Washington, D.C. With President Donald Turmp now applying pressure to get his legislative agenda passed, Rep. John Mannion joined Capital Tonight to discuss his first few months in office.

Mannion described how his experience in the state Legislature prepared him to represent a diverse Central New York district. He also shared his thoughts on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security releasing a list of sanctuary jurisdictions across the country, including in New York.

State Sen. James Skoufis was outspoken with his criticism of the state budget process and is pushing for things to change after the latest budget in 15 years. He discusses what conversations are happening within the state Legislature on reforming how the budget gets done.

Skoufis discussed his new role with the Democratic National Committee's "People's Cabinet," and what his future holds within the party.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has accused multiple areas across upstate New York of violating federal immigration law.

They published a list of what it calls "sanctuary jurisdictions defying federal immigration law."

State grants totaling $60 million will help 10 new housing and infrastructure projects take off across the Hudson Valley, Gov. Kathy Hochul said.

Hochul announced a second round of Mid-Hudson Momentum Fund awards Friday in Yonkers.

The three Democratic candidates for Syracuse mayor outline their visions for the Salt City in a debate Thursday evening, each laying out why they are the best candidate to meet the needs of a transforming community.

“Everybody knows I love this city, I always have,” Pat Hogan said, who serves as president pro-tempore on Syracuse’s Common Council. “I love the neighborhoods in this city, the neighborhoods I grew up in, played ball in, raised a family in.”

Troy should have a permanent home for its City Hall soon, Mayor Carmela Mantello said Friday afternoon.

The mayor said her office notified First Columbia the city would not renew its lease of the Hedley Building, where City Hall is located.

Two Democratic Buffalo mayoral candidates are touting their plans for the Queen City.

Sen. Sean Ryan says he wants to bring small businesses back to downtown Buffalo. His plan centers around "cutting the red tape" and modernizing City Hall to better serve mom and pop stores.

Gov. Kathy Hochul has added three new members to her cabinet.

Willow Baer has been confirmed by the Senate to serve as the commissioner of the Office For People With Developmental Disabilities, Denise Miranda will serve as commissioner of the Division of Human Rights and Amanda Lefton, who was confirmed earlier this week, will lead the Department of Environmental Conservation.

Reports of plain clothes U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detaining and arresting immigrants are on the rise.

This comes after a one-page order from the Supreme Court last week put in jeopardy the legal immigration status of Venezuelans with Temporary Protected Status.

New York Democrats want to make it easier for cities, towns and villages outside New York City to impose local rent stabilization as communities battle a statewide housing shortage and struggle to take advantage of bolstered protections for tenants.

With rent costs and homelessness on the rise amid stagnating wages, lawmakers are making a final push to advance a bill to empower upstate localities to take rent control, and the housing crisis, into their own hands.

The Trump administration is trying to expand natural gas supply flow throughout the Northeast using interstate pipelines — a goal that’s been stymied in the past by fierce local opposition and Democratic state and local governments.

But on Thursday, with hopes of getting federal support from the Trump White House, an energy company announced it wants a second shot at building natural gas pipelines spanning hundreds of miles across the Empire State.

Asked for a status check Thursday, state Sen. Liz Krueger told Spectrum News 1 this may finally be NY HEAT’s year. The HEAT Act has passed in the state Senate multiple times but has consistently struggled to pass in the Assembly. She said in addition to years of amendments, a recent change in language that could effectively leave Western New York off the hook for now may be just what is needed to do the trick.

“I’m pretty optimistic we might be able to, even though there is so little time left this year, get an amended version through both houses,” the bill’s Senate sponsor said.

A bill aimed at reducing plastic packaging waste passed the New York state Senate Wednesday night and now awaits approval in the Assembly.

President of Beyond Plastics Judith Enck, also a former regional administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency under President Barack Obama, joins Capital Tonight to discuss the goal of the Packaging Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act and the chances of it passing before session ends next month. Enck also shared her thoughts on the Trump administration's environmental policies and how she thinks the current EPA could clash with New York's policies.

Congressman Dan Goldman raised the alarm Thursday over the Trump administration’s increased immigration enforcement in the city.

“This is Gestapo-like behavior where plain clothes officers, wearing masks, are terrorizing immigrants who are doing the right thing,” he said.

A pair of state legislators from the Capital Region are introducing legislation to establish a New York State Holocaust Memorial near the state Capitol on the Empire State Plaza in Albany.

Sen. Patricia Fahy and Assemblymember Gabriella Romero said in a joint statement Wednesday the site would memorialize the millions of Jews and other victims of the Nazi Holocaust during World War II; teach about the dangers of antisemitism and racism; and provide visitors to the state Capitol an opportunity to learn lessons from Jewish history.

The race for mayor is tightening, with former Gov. Andrew Cuomo holding a less than 10-point lead over Queens Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, according to a poll from PIX11, Emerson College and The Hill.

In a ranked-choice voting simulation of the Democratic primary, Cuomo defeats Mamdani in the final round with 54% of the vote, compared with Mamdani's 46%.

A bill was amended Wednesday that would allow the sale of wine in New York grocery stores as lawmakers make a final push to pass legislation to modernize the state's alcohol laws in the next two weeks.

Lawmakers for more than a decade have debated creating licenses for supermarkets to sell wine, beer and cider products, and a series of other proposals to update New York's Alcoholic and Beverage Control laws, which date back to Prohibition.

State senators Wednesday confirmed Gov. Kathy Hochul’s pick to lead the state’s environmental agency.

Amanda Lefton will now become the commissioner of the state Department of Environmental Conservation. She was nominated by Hochul in February to replace former Commissioner Basil Seggos, who stepped down in March 2024. Lefton takes over the department, which has faced criticism for being behind on releasing regulations to keep up with the state’s ambitious emission reduction rules set under the 2019 Climate Act.

In the closing weeks of the legislative session, state Sen. James Skoufis is declaring war on a laundry list of what he describes as “predatory” ticketing practices in the live event space.

With laws governing ticketing and resale poised to sunset, Skoufis is teaming up with a coalition of lawmakers, including Assemblymember Ron Kim, in a push to not simply renew the existing regulations, but use the opportunity to target industry practices they argue are a one-two punch against artists and fans alike.

There is a candidate pileup in the lower Hudson Valley.

Six candidates already have jumped into the Democratic primary in New York’s 17th Congressional District, guaranteeing a crowded race for the right to challenge Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler in November of next year.

CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. — George Santos′ former campaign treasurer was sentenced Wednesday to three years' probation for her role in fabricating campaign finance reports for the disgraced ex-congressman from New York.

Nancy Marks, addressing a federal judge on Long Island, said she'd learned from her mistakes, walked away from politics and started her life all over again at the age of 59.

What started as cocktails for Christina Maxwell in 2020 soon after turned into sexual assault.

"What happened both evenings, I had a cocktail at the beginning of the event and then was handed an additional cocktail by this individual and after that became totally incapacitated,” Maxwell told NY1 earlier this month.

WASHINGTON — Eager to frame New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as “the leader of the Democrat Party,” the White House has taken aim at the progressive congresswoman in recent days for her calls to shutter the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency and other criticisms of President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda.

On Wednesday morning, the White House sent out an official press release slamming Ocasio-Cortez for wanting to eliminate the “agency arresting killers, rapists in New York.”

President Donald Trump issued a full pardon on Wednesday to former Staten Island Congressman Michael Grimm, NY1 has learned.

The Republican lawmaker, who represented Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn in Congress from 2011 to 2015, pleaded guilty in December 2014 to aiding and assisting the preparation of a false tax return.

U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik is asking the Department of the Army to fast track $69.2 million in funding to address failing infrastructure at Wheeler-Sack Army Airfield at Fort Drum, according to a letter dated Tuesday the congresswoman sent.

Stefanik is asking the Army to reprogram Army Facilities Sustainment, Restoration, and Modernization (FSRM) funds currently scheduled for Fiscal Year 2027 into Fiscal Year 2026. It would go toward replacing deteriorating electric power systems at the airfield.

Nearly 300,000 fewer cars crossed the U.S.-Canadian border to New York state last month compared to the same period last year, according to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol numbers released Wednesday by U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who attributed that drop to President Donald Trump’s tariffs and the recent intensifying relationship with the northern neighbor.

The numbers say 290,000 fewer cars crossed entry points in upstate New York in the month of April, a 22% decrease from those during the month of April 2024. The highest decline came from the Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge crossing, which saw a 28% decrease from last year.

This time next year, New York's Democratic Party is going to be very busy with June primary elections for midterms and the gubernatorial race.

Before things get too hectic, Capital Tonight wanted to check in with Jay Jacobs, chair of the state Democratic Party. He discusses the recent passing of former Rep. Charles Rangel, the recent House GOP tax bill and the dynamics of next year's elections.

Mayor Eric Adams refused to weigh in on the detainment of a Venezuelan public school student.

“People should really understand that this was not in a school building. We don’t know what was the outcome of the court case," he said. “We’re not responsible for them, we’re not in charge of them and so I think that’s a question that should be referred to federal authorities.”

The days are ticking down until the scheduled end of the legislative session in Albany, the first since the opening days of the 2021 session in which the state’s Democratic majority is directly facing a President Donald Trump.

Democratic lawmakers are working to use what time they have left, abbreviated by the latest state budget in 15 years, to put up something resembling a fight against the Trump administration’s sweeping first few months in office.

The proposed $300 billion in cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP, passed last week in the U.S. House of Representatives as part of a larger budget package would impact more than 3 million New Yorkers, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said.

In addition, to receive food stamps through SNAP, those up to age 64, rather than 54, who are able-bodied and without dependents, would need to meet the 80 hours a month work or community engagement requirements. Additionally, some parents of children older than 7 years old would need to fulfill the work requirements.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Following in the footsteps of many other states, New York is banning smartphones for public and charter schools. Officials supporting this digital ban say in doing so may improve social capital and community around the state, and say that this isn’t about being anti-phone or anti-technology — it’s about being pro-childhood.

The state of New York, following in the footsteps of many other states, is banning smartphones for public and charter schools

A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration's ongoing effort to end congestion pricing.

A temporary restraining order the MTA secured Tuesday bars the federal government from taking punitive actions against the transit agency until at least June 9.

New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office has reached a settlement with Walmart over shipping realistic looking toy guns to parts of the state, her office announced Tuesday.

An investigation found that third-party sellers on the retailer’s online store sold realistic looking toy guns to residents of New York and Walmart shipped nine of them to addresses in New York City, Westchester County and western New York.

Shootings in New York state are down 9% so far in 2025 compared to the same period last year, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Tuesday, the lowest level of gun violence the state has seen since the state began tracking this data nearly 20 years ago.

New statistics released by the state Division of Criminal Justice Services showed a 15% decline in shooting victims and a 9% drop in shooting incidents with injury between Jan. 1 and April 30. These numbers come from 28 police departments outside New York City participating in the state’s Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) initiative, a state-funded initiative focusing on 20 jurisdictions spread across 17 counties in New York that account for 80% of the gun violence outside of New York City. It includes symposiums and other educational programs, as well as funding for things like overtime so officers can build community bridges outside their normal duties.

Charles Rangel was sometimes known as the Lion of Lenox Avenue.

Harlem’s own Charlie Rangel rose from humble beginnings to become one of the most familiar faces and distinct voices in American politics.

NEW YORK — Former U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel of New York, an outspoken, gravel-voiced Harlem Democrat who spent nearly five decades on Capitol Hill and was a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus, died Monday at age 94.

His family confirmed the death in a statement provided by City College of New York spokesperson Michelle Stent. He died at a hospital in New York, Stent said.

A state senator and Assembly staffer biked over 200 miles to Albany this week from New York City to commemorate National Bike to Work Day.

For five years, Sen. John Liu, a Democrat from Queens, has cycled to the Capitol from his district each May. The informal holiday is celebrated every year on the third Friday in May, but the senator makes the trip the following weeked because there's no scheduled session on Fridays.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — For some, taking roadtrips is a great way to kick off the summer.

“Traveling to Connecticut to visit my brother but I’ve been a New York state resident since, oh, 1976,” said traveler Karen Savoca.

The Trump administration is accusing Columbia University of violating the civil rights of Jewish students by “acting with deliberate indifference” toward what it describes as rampant antisemitism on campus.

The finding was announced late Thursday by the Health and Human Services Department, marking the latest blow for an Ivy League school already shaken by federal cutbacks and sustained government pressure to crack down on student speech.

Standing in Niagara Square outside Buffalo City Hall, Buffalo mayoral candidate Sen. Sean Ryan said crime prevention is his No. 1 priority, which means putting more officers on patrol and giving them the resources they need.

"Everyone deserves to feel safe walking around their neighborhood, no matter where they live in the city," Ryan said.

The state of New York is home to 18 million acres of forest land, and one family is taking advantage of about 500 of them to raise a herd of beef cattle using agroforestry techniques.

“We’re standing here in one of our plantation silvopastures here. This is a 38-year-old stand of black locust and black walnut, and this was the first area that we planted on the farm in 1988,” said Brett Chedzoy, owner of Angus Glen farms in Watkins Glen.

House Republicans squeezed through their multitrillion-dollar tax breaks package on Capitol Hill in the early morning hours Thursday along party lines with no room to spare.

The bill extends some $4.5 trillion in tax breaks the GOP engineered during Trump's first term in 2017, while adding new ones he campaigned on during his 2024 campaign, including no taxes on tips, overtime pay, car loan interest and others.

Andrew Cuomo is under criminal investigation. The Justice Department is examining whether the former governor — and current mayoral frontrunner — made false statements to Congress regarding the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. NY1 investigative reporter Courtney Gross, political reporter Bobby Cuza and statehouse reporter Bernadette Hogan break down whether this development propels or harms Cuomo’s candidacy.

After that, the “Off Topic” team continues their series profiling Democratic mayoral hopefuls. This week, they focus on Zohran Mamdani, the Queens assemblymember whose grassroots campaign has stunned political insiders. With over 18,000 individual donors and a solid second-place position in recent polls, what’s fueling Mamdani’s momentum?

Four Democratic candidates vying to win the June 24 primary election for Albany mayor faced off in a debate on Spectrum News 1 Thursday to see who will be best positioned as the Democratic choice to replace Mayor Kathy Sheehan after 12 years running the state’s capital city.

Chief Auditor Dorcey Applyrs, Common Council president Corey Ellis, political newcomer Dan Cerutti and longtime public servant Carolyn McLaughlin took the stage with a mind on who can best guide a city that finds itself at a crossroads, still trying to pick itself up in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic while preparing for a significant assist from the state of New York in the form of a $400 million infusion as part of this year’s state budget.

Carolyn McLaughlin, Dan Cerutti, Dorcey Applyrs and Corey Ellis participated in a Democratic primary Spectrum News 1 debate in the race for Albany mayor.

The debate took place Thursday from the Spectrum News Albany studio.

Bronx Rep. Ritchie Torres is introducing legislation aimed at curtailing the Trump administration's efforts to detain certain individuals overseas, including in El Salvador.

The new bill, shared first with Spectrum News NY1, would bar the use of federal funds to pay a foreign government or foreign entity to detain individuals “if a court of the United States has determined that such detention violates the laws of the United States.”

After a limousine carrying 17 people to a birthday celebration on Oct. 6, 2018, sped down a hill at up to 118 mph before crashing in a wooded area near a shop in Schoharie, killing all the passengers, the driver and two pedestrians, a new state law is setting safety requirements specific to stretch limos.

The safety requirements apply specifically to stretch limousines altered on or after Jan. 1, 2021.

Whitney Tilson, a newcomer to politics, is trying to make a splash in the crowded Democratic race for mayor. A successful investor, civic activist and lifelong Democrat, Tilson sat down with NY1’s Errol Louis to discuss his decision to run for mayor and try to shake up the political establishment. The episode marks the fourth installment of the “You Decide” mayoral candidate interview series.

Tilson highlighted his plans to improve city safety, affordability, education, housing and homelessness. He also discussed his background in education reform and hedge fund management, detailing his influence on charter schools and political activism. Tilson also provided insights into tackling New York City’s housing crisis and effective investment strategies. The episode concludes with a discussion of Tilson’s upbringing and his parents’ dedication to public service.

Rep. Mike Lawler said the lower cap on the federal deduction for state and local tax payments, also known as SALT, has had a “negative impact” on New York.

“There were key provisions that helped reduce the overall tax burden, but we know the cap on SALT had a negative impact on New York,” he said in an interview on “Inside City Hall” Wednesday.

For a third time, a deadline has come and gone for the MTA to shut off the congestion pricing tolls.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy made the demand in February, then extended the deadline to April; then in April, extended it to May 21.

Echoing last year’s school budget vote, 97% of New York school districts voted in favor of their budgets on Tuesday, with that number rising to 99% for school districts staying within the property tax cap.

Forty-two districts statewide sought to override the 2% property tax cap; those districts needed a supermajority of votes to pass their budgets. Seventeen of those attempts failed. The districts will likely revamp their budgets and try again in June.

With just days until Memorial Day, two state lawmakers push for a long over-due tribute for some of our veterans.

State Sen. Nathalia Fernandez and Assemblyman Jon Rivera introduced a resolution to recognize April 13 as Borinqueneers Day in New York state.

When asked if Gov. Kathy Hochul thought federal investigations into several prominent New Yorkers are political, she said, “hell yeah.”

The Justice Department on Tuesday opened a criminal investigation into former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo after congressional Republicans recommended that he be charged with lying over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, the latest highly elected New York Democrat to be probed under the Trump administration and weeks before he faces a Democratic primary for New York City mayor.

The Justice Department has opened a criminal investigation into former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo after congressional Republicans recommended that he be charged with lying over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, a person familiar with the matter said Tuesday.

The investigation by the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington follows a referral from Rep. James Comer, Republican chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, over statements Cuomo made to lawmakers investigating his management of the pandemic when the virus was spreading through nursing homes, the person said. The person was not authorized to discuss the investigation publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Empire State Development has selected a firm to lead economic revitalization in downtown Albany as part of New York state's $400 million investment in the Capital City.

At an event held Wednesday in Albany, Gov. Kathy Hochul launched the Championing Albany’s Potential (CAP) Initiative. The spending includes $200 million to reinvigorate downtown spaces and grow housing; up to $150 million to upgrade cultural attractions, including the State Museum; up to $40 million to reconnect communities to Interstate 787; and $1.5 million for public safety enhancements.

Here's how to watch Thursday's Spectrum News 1 debate between four candidates running to be the Democratic candidate in the race for Albany mayor.

Carolyn McLaughlin, Dan Cerutti, Dorcey Applyrs and Corey Ellis.

The state Liquor Authority held a public hearing Wednesday morning in Albany to gather input on a proposed change to when liquor and wine stores can stay open in Albany County.

The hearing came in response to an Albany County Legislature resolution that calls for expanding the hours of operations for wine and liquor sales to 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. Monday through Saturday throughout the year. Sale hours are presently 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday between Jan. 8–Nov. 14 and from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday to Saturday between Nov. 15–Jan. 7.

State lawmakers said Tuesday they won't back down from a legislative fight to address persistent issues with the transition of a $9 billion Medicaid home care program — even though Gov. Kathy Hochul has indicated she's not open to compromise.

And a federal judge extended a preliminary injunction until June 20 to give people who rely on the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program for home care and their personal assistants more time to enroll with company Public Partnerships LLC, which took over April 1.

Democrat Sam Sutton is the winner of the special election for the 22nd state Senate district in Brooklyn, Spectrum News projects.

According to the city’s Board of Elections, with 99% of the vote counted, Sutton has 66.85% of the vote, while Republican Nachman Carl Caller has 28.10% of the vote.

The Plastic Reduction and Recycling Infrastructure Act is officially on the move, advancing out of committee and to the Senate floor after passing the upper chamber last year.

One year after a chaotic closing week of session upended by Governor Kathy Hochul’s pause of congestion pricing resulted in the curtain being lowered before the bill could get underneath in the Assembly, sponsors are looking to avoid a repeat this year when the time compression is thanks to the latest state budget in 15 years.

Mayor Eric Adams was more focused on the money the city has already lost than the on federal funding the city could lose.

“Yes, we’re going to fight to make sure D.C. doesn't short-change, us but Albany just short-changed us," he said Tuesday.

The leader of the New York state Assembly Republicans, Will Barclay, spoke with Capital Tonight’s Susan Arbetter about the state’s late budget, prison closures, the prison strike and his conference’s end-of-session priorities.

The Trump administration is allowing work on a major offshore wind project for New York to resume.

The developer, the Norwegian energy company Equinor, said Monday it was told by the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management that a stop-work order has been lifted for the Empire Wind project, allowing construction to resume.

Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday paid a visit to the Thomas Indian School, where she issued an apology to Native Americans on behalf of New Yorkers for the state's "sanctioned ethnic cleansing" and long legacy of broken promises at the former boarding school in Western New York’s Cattaraugus Territory.

In the first known trip by a sitting governor to Seneca Nation Territory, Hochul recounted New York's "sordid history" at the school, which was founded by missionaries in 1855 and once called the Thomas Asylum for Orphan and Destitute Indian Children.

Local unions of health care workers were outside 24th Congressional District Rep. Claudia Tenney's office in Canandaigua on Tuesday, urging her to vote against public service cuts.

They say millions of working families will suffer if Congress goes ahead with proposed cuts to Medicaid, the health care program for some 70 million Americans.

Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente assailed New York state’s new even-year election law during his State of the County address on Tuesday, framing it as a hostile takeover of local government control.

“Albany wants to control our policies on everything. How we deal with issues, how we use our own land, how we build housing and where we put it, where renewable energy can go and to whom it will serve, what services we provide and how we provide them. And now they want to control our local elections,” Picente said in prepared remarks provided to Spectrum News 1.

Several New York House Republicans remain committed that restoring the federal deduction for state and local tax payments, also known as SALT, be a part of the substantial multi-trillion-dollar tax package the GOP is trying to push through Congress while President Donald Trump wants them to give up that fight.

SALT was expected to be a big sticking point in the legislation, which aims to extend the 2017 tax cuts Republicans passed during President Donald Trump’s first term in office and will expire at the end of this year. The 2017 law capped the SALT deduction at $10,000 — part of an effort to help pay for tax cuts included in that legislation. The cap disproportionately hurts taxpayers in blue states like New York, where property and state income taxes are relatively high.

FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed over the weekend that the agency is investigating New York Attorney General Letitia James' real estate transactions.

The probe is reportedly focused on whether James committed fraud on a mortgage application.

School budget votes begin on Tuesday across New York.

Most polls are open at 7 a.m. and many will stay open through 9 p.m.

Drug-related deaths dropped 32% in 2024 across New York state compared to 2023, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The latest CDC findings show an estimated 4,567 New Yorkers died of a drug overdose in 2024, compared to 6,688 in 2023, with approximately 77% of those deaths involving an opioid, such as heroin or fentanyl.

With the June primary approaching, plenty of attention has been focused on the race for mayor. But there’s an important and highly competitive contest on the undercard: the race for city comptroller. What does the comptroller do and why should New Yorkers care?

NY1’s Errol Louis decided to talk more about the job with two former comptrollers who were major players in New York’s political arena — Liz Holtzman and Bill Thompson.

A slim majority of New York voters would prefer someone else as governor rather than reelect Gov. Kathy Hochul next year, while her favorability and job approval ratings have changed little, according to a Siena College poll released Tuesday.

According to the poll, 36% of voters are prepared to elect Hochul to a second full term in 2026 while 55% want “someone else,” a net 10-point negative movement from April. That said, the poll found voters approve of the job Hochul is doing as governor 50-46%, up slightly from 48-45% last month. Her favorability rating stands at 44-46%, where it was 44-43% in April.

New York state senators voted Monday to commemorate a cultural phenomenon that's spanned almost five decades — and unites lawmakers both Sith and Jedi.

Senators who are major fans of the Star Wars franchise created by George Lucas adopted a bipartisan resolution Monday to celebrate Star Wars Day — an informal holiday celebrated every May 4, or play on the catchphrase "May The Force be with you."

Among the bills advocates are hoping to move in these closing weeks of the legislative session is policy dealing with expanding bottle redemption and recycling in New York: The Bigger Better Bottle Bill, as it’s known.

Blair Horner, NYPIRG’s senior policy advisor, is a driving force behind the effort to score what he described as a long overdue update to New York’s redemption system.

If you’re watching the economy and starting to get worried about being laid off from your current job, there’s a tiny bit of good news for you in the recently passed state budget.

Unemployment benefits are set to increase from $504 per week to $869 per week starting in October of this year.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — For more than an hour Monday, attorneys and Erie County Court Judge Dennis Ward discussed the next steps in potential motion for contempt of court for correction officers who participated in illegal strikes across New York state earlier this year.

The state is seeking contempt of court against a fraction of the hundreds of officers originally named in the lawsuit, however in Monday’s hearing, the state attorney, Soo-Young Chang, reiterated that the state’s position hasn’t changed and they are only seeking a formal decision on whether officers in question violated the Taylor Law by striking, as the state argues. The state is not seeking larger punishments or penalties.