BUFFALO, N.Y. — When it comes to younger voters, they tend to get their information differently than in previous elections.

“I get a lot of news from, I don’t want to say Twitter, but Twitter,” said Kelechi Ogbonnaya, a student from the University at Buffalo.

Ahead of Halloween, New York state Attorney General Letitia James issued a consumer alert Monday to remind businesses and online retailers that they are not permitted to sell realistic looking toy guns.

State law prohibits selling toy guns that are black, dark blue, silver or aluminum-colored and requires them to be made in bright colors or made entirely of transparent or translucent materials.

The 56th State Senate seat is up for grabs this election, with incumbent Democrat Jeremy Cooney being challenged by Republican and former Gates Police Chief Jim VanBrederode.

“I spent 37 years delivering public service to the community,” VanBrederode said. “I was the person delivering the services and I've heard people's complaints and I've seen programs that work and which programs don't work. We need to change the environment right now.”

More than 700,000 people took part in the first weekend of early voting for general elections in New York state, according to state Board of Elections numbers.

As of Monday, 705,700 state residents voted early on Saturday and Sunday, with 379,421 on day one and 326,279 on day two.

Donald Trump hosted a rally featuring crude and racist insults at New York's Madison Square Garden, turning what his campaign had dubbed as the event where he would deliver his closing message into an illustration of what turns off his critics.

With just over a week before Election Day, speakers at the rally Sunday night labeled Puerto Rico a "floating island of garbage," called Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris "the devil," and said the woman vying to become the first woman and Black woman president had begun her career as a prostitute.

Election Day is a little more than a week away, and candidates are making final pitches to gather support from constituents. This includes a new crop of voters, Generation Z, many of whom will be voting for the first time.

Molly Murray, a student from New York, expressed her excitement about voting in her first presidential election.

ALBANY — New York leaders will close a smaller budget gap next year because of higher tax receipts, but that won’t absolve the expected tussle over hotly disputed spending decisions — like more resources for migrants.

The state’s financial plan is due for an update now halfway through the state’s $237 billion fiscal year. The state Budget Division will release new figures by Wednesday that state Budget Director Blake Washington said will be good news for the state: Next year’s $2.3 billion gap will be smaller than expected.

Republican incumbent Claudia Tenney is being challenged by Democrat David Wagenhauser in the 24th Congressional District race.

Both candidates say they’re eager to work with both sides of the aisle.

In the race for New York's 25th Congressional District race, Republican businessman Gregg Sadwick is challenging Democratic incumbent Joe Morelle.

Both described their top priorities.

Saturday was the first day of early voting in New York, and signs point to a decent turnout across the state.

In a long, contentious election season, some voters like Kari Avramov simply expressed relief that thanks to early voting, the deed is done.

A majority of New York voters believe Mayor Eric Adams should resign from office, according to a new poll from The New York Times and Siena College.

The question came following the mayor's indictment on bribery and corruption charges last month.

Jim Walden is the newest Democratic primary challenger to emerge in the race for mayor in 2025.

“I want to hear about your challenges and your problems and I want to be the solution because I have the people, and the brain power and the expertise to really drill into the details and solve them," he told NY1.

Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday expressed confidence in New York’s Democratic congressional candidates and her role in bolstering them.

It’s no secret the governor took heat when she was at the top of the ticket against Republican Lee Zeldin in 2022, and New York Democrats got clobbered in congressional races as she managed a closer-than-anticipated win.

"Black Insurrectionist," the anonymous social media persona behind some of the most widely circulated conspiracy theories about the 2024 election, can be traced to a man from upstate New York. He's white.

With a profile photo of a Black soldier and the tagline "I FOLLOW BACK TRUE PATRIOTS," the account on the platform X amassed more than 300,000 followers while posting dubious claims about Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. Some were amplified by former President Donald Trump, his running mate Ohio Sen. JD Vance, and Republican allies in Congress. Some of the most salacious claims have come in the closing weeks of the campaign.

The year 2024 has been an active one for New York’s delegation in the House of Representatives. A new set of congressional maps was submitted and approved, ending a years-long legal battle. Then there were two special elections — one of which to replace former Rep. George Santos after his historic expulsion — followed by a few bruising primary elections this spring.

It all comes after the 2022 elections in which Democratic House candidates across the country largely held their own and prevented an overwhelming “red wave.” But New York stood out in stark contrast. Republicans flipped four Democratic seats in the Empire State, the number that ultimately helped the GOP win their thin majority in the chamber.

Three candidates are vying to serve Albany County’s district attorney for the next four years.

After a Democratic primary defeat, incumbent David Soares is running a write-in campaign. He’s challenged by Lee Kindlon, who defeated him in June's primary, and Republican Ralph Ambrosio.

New York is all but a lock for Democrat Kamala Harris in the presidential race. But down ballot, it’s proving to be a pivotal battleground.

Control of the U.S. House next year may hinge on the outcome of elections in a half dozen congressional districts across the state — from the shores of Long Island Sound to the leafy Hudson Valley to Syracuse.

The City Council held a six-hour hearing this week, questioning city officials about Mayor Eric Adams’ "City of Yes" housing plan. The mayor wants to change zoning codes to allow for more housing, but critics say the plan would destroy the character of their neighborhoods and put pressure on infrastructure that is already crumbling. NY1 investigative reporter Courtney Gross and political reporters Bobby Cuza and Kelly Mena discuss the proposal, as well as the reactions from local communities.

After that, Spectrum News hosted the only debate this year between the two major candidates in New York’s U.S. Senate race. Democratic incumbent Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Republican challenger Mike Sapraicone sparred on stage at the University at Albany. The debate tackled hot topics, including immigration, crime and the economy. The “Off Topic” team weighs in on the candidates’ performances in New York’s capital city.

When New Yorkers tune in to watch the Yankees take on the Los Angeles Dodgers in game one of the World Series Friday night, they will also see a campaign ad for Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.

The 30-second spot, which touts Gillibrand’s work on legislation to help 9/11 first responders and veterans exposed to toxic burn pits, is also scheduled to run during the second game of the series, Spectrum News has learned.

Democrats are continuing to digest polls that suggest they are not doing as well with Black voters as in 2020.

A New York Times Siena College poll released earlier this month found Vice President Harris comfortably ahead of former President Donald Trump among Black male voters, 70% to 20%. The same poll found that 83% of Black women support Harris while 12% support Trump, and 78% of Black voters overall support Harris while 15% support Trump. What has some Democrats concerned is that figure is well below the 90% support Black voters had for President Joe Biden in 2020, and other polls have found similar results.

Albany Law School’s Jackson Distinguished Professor of Law Dr. Vin Bonventre weighs in on Prop 1 with Capital Tonight host Susan Arbetter.

Student enrollment at New York public colleges and universities is expected to increase for the second year in a row, higher education leaders said Thursday, defying national trends.

Recent news reports show a national dip in the number of students, and diversity, in this year's freshman class. But New York is continuing to take action to withstand national odds.

BATAVIA, N.Y. -- The Western Regional Off-Track Betting Board on Thursday approved three personnel resolutions.

Board member Tim Callan said the first, a corporate restructure resolution, included pay upgrades for four current management employees and created two new positions.

Polls open for early voting across New York state on Saturday.

Turnout is expected to be higher than in years past, and that means more security.

Mayor Eric Adams, along with other New York politicians, celebrated the New York Liberty on Thursday at City Hall.

“We want to send a message loud and clear. There are only two types of Americans: those who live in New York City and those who wish they could," Adams said. "This is the greatest city on the globe.”

Election Day is inching closer and closer and Western New Yorkers are hearing from the two candidates vying for Erie County district attorney.

The debate took place at St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute Thursday morning. It was the only scheduled Erie County district attorney debate between now and Election Day.

A contentious election is causing some voters to cross the line, according to law enforcement.

Some agencies are seeing a rise in complaints of stolen or vandalized political campaign signs.

The Second Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan largely upheld portions of New York’s gun laws that say firearms can be barred in areas deemed sensitive like schools, public transportation and hospitals.

The federal appeals court ruled Thursday, like it did in December 2023, that provisions requiring a gun license applicant to “demonstrate good moral character” and disclosing requirements for household and family members on an application can remain in effect.

In the two years since U.S. Rep. Brandon Williams won election by just one percentage point in New York's 22nd Congressional District, the state's Democratic leaders have done what they could to make him the most endangered Republican in Congress.

The Legislature changed the boundaries of his district, taking out rural areas that strongly favored Donald Trump and adding Cortland, resulting in a new territory where voters favored Joe Biden by 11 points in the 2020 presidential election.

With less than two weeks until Election Day, farmers in upstate New York who rely on migrant workers say they are concerned with potential changes to immigration policy under a President Donald Trump administration.

“Most people who work in the agriculture sector and the daily farmworker side of things are Hispanic, so there are a lot of migrants that come in on visas from Mexico and Guatemala as well as Jamaica and other countries to harvest and produce the food we eat,” said Deanna Fox, chief executive of the New York Farm Bureau. “So, immigration is deeply important.”

New York state has awarded about $100 million to support free and low-cost after-school programs in high-need areas statewide, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Thursday.

The state grants, awarded by the Office of Children and Family Services through the Learning and Enrichment Afterschool Program Supports, will go to help fund new or continuing afterschool programs targeted to children in high-need areas statewide.

Democrat Paula Collins is challenging Republican incumbent Rep. Elise Stefanik in the race for New York's 21st Congressional District.

Collins, a cannabis tax attorney, says her experience outside of politics is what makes her stand out.

In an effort to help New York's top high school seniors get accepted at SUNY colleges and universities around the state, the state has launched the SUNY Top 10% Promise Program.

According to a press release, the Top 10% Promise is a direct-admissions program that automatically grants acceptance to graduating high school students whose GPAs are in the top 10% of their class to select SUNY campuses. The nine initial participating campuses are University at Albany, University at Buffalo, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, SUNY Geneseo, SUNY New Paltz, SUNY Oneonta, SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Purchase College and Stony Brook University.

The first indictment in modern history against a sitting New York City mayor has dominated local headlines. Where is the case headed? What will this mean for the administration’s ability to move forward with day-to-day operations? And what are the political implications if Mayor Eric Adams runs for reelection — or steps down? Vital City and the Columbia Journalism School hosted a virtual conversation featuring perspectives from law enforcement, journalism and government on the political and legal consequences of the allegations against Mayor Adams. The conversation was moderated by Errol Louis and included former First Deputy Mayor Stan Brezenoff; former assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Carrie Cohen; investigative journalist Tom Robbins; and political strategist Basil Smikle.

Before that, Errol sits down with Spectrum News Chief National Political Reporter Josh Robin to discuss a brand new national special, “In Us We Trust: A Crisis of Confidence.”

Spectrum News hosted a debate Wednesday night between Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Republican Mike Sapraicone for one of New York's two U.S. Senate seats.

Gillibrand has served in the U.S. Senate since 2009. Sapraicone is a retired NYPD detective.

The University of Chicago estimates 8.3 million young people will be eligible to vote in November's presidential election. They're part of the Gen Z generation, and a recent UCLA poll found more than half of Gen Z respondents reported staying very informed on all news.

NY1 spoke with some first-time voters in the city about what's motivating them to have their say on who will lead the nation.

U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand clashed with Republican newcomer Mike Sparaicone during a debate hosted by Spectrum News Wednesday night.

The two sparred over the economy, with Gillibrand, the incumbent Democratic senator, insisting “people deserve to earn a living wage for the hard work they do in this state.”

Queens Democratic state Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani on Wednesday morning formally announced he's throwing his hat in the ring for mayor of New York City.

Mamdani, who was first elected to the Assembly in 2020, has been a vocal critic of Mayor Eric Adams, who was indicted last month on federal corruption charges and has endured waves of resignations within his administration.

Former Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown on Wednesday attended his first Western Regional Off-Track Betting Committee meetings as the public benefit corporation’s new president and CEO.

And a lot of the questions surrounding his new job include who he is taking with him.

Doorbell video released Wednesday appears to show the Republican candidate for New York's 111th Assembly District stealing his opponent's election mailer from a homeowner's porch.

The video was taken off a doorbell camera, and provided by the law office of Frank Salamone, the Schenectady County Democratic Committee chair.

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- In many ways, Democratic U.S. Rep. Tim Kennedy has been campaigning for the better part of the year.

Kennedy won a special election to fill New York's 26th Congressional District seat in late April. He's once again running as a favorite in the heavily blue district with Republican candidate Anthony Marecki not actively campaigning.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation Wednesday that extends red light camera programs across the state and establishes a new red light camera program in the Hudson Valley.

The areas where the program is extended include:

New York state lawmakers have partnered with Buffalo's SUNY schools to help close the opportunity gap for students.

Buffalo State University, the University at Buffalo and SUNY Erie are each involved in the Advancing Completion Through Engagement and Advancing Success in Associate Pathways programs.

Spectrum News will host a live debate on Wednesday, Oct. 23, between candidates for one of New York's two U.S. Senate seats.

Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Republican Mike Sapraicone will appear in the debate, which starts at 7 p.m. on Spectrum News, and will be hosted by political anchors Errol Louis and Susan Arbetter.

In a blue state like New York, it can be tough for a Republican to throw their hat into the ring and win statewide.

In 2022, the GOP’s U.S. Senate candidate, businessman and political commentator Joe Pinion, put up the strongest challenge to Sen. Chuck Schumer since the Democrat was first elected back in 1998.

There's just two weeks left before most voters head to the polls to decide key elections around the state and nation, including who will be next to fill the big seat in the White House. We said "most voters" because early voting is already underway in many states.

In New York, it begins Saturday, though election officials are already processing absentee ballots and early votes made by mail. With that in mind, polling locations and boards of elections will be working extended hours to give you the best chance to fill your ballot.

Mayor Eric Adams says he is confident he will get millions of dollars in public matching dollars for his reelection campaign despite the fact he is facing a federal indictment for bribery and soliciting illegal campaign donations.

But NY1 has learned that the city's campaign finance officials were already raising serious questions about those finances — potentially jeopardizing his ability to get those matching funds.

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Save the Michaels of the World has three locations in Western New York where it provides services for people struggling with addiction.

President Avi Israel said in the last two months, 277 people have entered treatment programs at the facilities and 20 have already come back.

Early voting begins this Saturday across New York state. What can you expect when you go to the polls?

Right out of the gate, the prediction from some election officials is that there could be some lines and crowds when the polls open Saturday at 9 a.m.

Rudy Giuliani must turn over sports memorabilia and other prized possessions to two Georgia election workers who won a $148 million defamation judgment against him, including his New York City apartment, more than two dozen luxury watches and a 1980 Mercedes once owned by movie star Lauren Bacall, a judge ruled Tuesday.

But U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman in Manhattan also said Giuliani does not have to give the election workers three New York Yankees World Series rings or his Florida condominium — for now — noting those assets are tied up in other litigation.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The case against Payton Gendron, the man spending life in prison without parole for the racially motivated shooting that killed 10 Black people and injured three at a Tops supermarket in Buffalo on May 14, 2022, was back in federal court Tuesday.

Gendron’s attorneys say the federal charges of committing hate crimes along with a premeditated act of terrorism is unconstitutional under the federal Hate Crimes Act in part because Congress doesn’t have the authority to enact it.

All 435 seats in the United States House of Representatives are up for reelection in November, including the 26 in New York. Spectrum News political reporters will be providing updates throughout the campaign season on New York's congressional races.

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Following the removal of an incorrect sign regarding voter identification, Ulster County elections officials are reminding voters that ID is not required to cast a ballot at poll sites in New York.

The Ulster County Board of Elections said the sheriff's department was called Sunday to "remove a sign that falsely claimed voters needed to provide ID in order to vote. This action followed a complaint filed with the New York State Attorney General's Office, which swiftly addressed the issue."

Just two weeks before Election Day, Democrat Pat Ryan is releasing a new ad previewing his closing argument of the 2024 campaign cycle.

In the minute-long spot, shared first with Spectrum News, the congressman and Army veteran leans in on the theme of patriotism. Speaking directly to the camera, he says, “The only flag I pledge allegiance to is the one I wore on my shoulder in combat.”

Vice President Kamala Harris has expanded her lead against former President Donald Trump to 19 points among likely New York voters as the race for the White House enters its final stretch, according to a Siena College poll released Tuesday.

The vice president leads Trump 58-39%, the poll found, which is up slightly from 55-42% in September. In a multi-candidate race, Harris leads by 17 points, with minor party candidates totaling 4%.

State lawmakers said Monday they will work to draft a bill to strengthen privacy and protections for library and other public workers after a reported increase in threats or acts of aggression toward public servants.

Several library directors from across the state testified Monday they've seen an increase in members of the public targeting library staff when patrons are unhappy with decisions about the books or materials the library offers.

State lawmakers and Gov. Kathy Hochul are marking a milestone this month in a long awaited effort to expand the state’s Tuition Assistance Program, or TAP. More than 40,000 newly eligible New York state students have submitted TAP applications for the 2024-25 academic year. It comes as the state projected that changes in this year's budget could benefit about 93,000 students.

State Assemblymember Pat Fahy, who chairs the Higher Education Committee, said in addition to raising the income threshold from $80,000 to $125,000 per year, state lawmakers also increased the minimum TAP award from $500 to $1,000, and increased income limits for married and independent students. The expansion program also includes extending eligibility to part-time students and those enrolled in non-degree programs, which they say opens doors for students who are pursing a non-traditional path.

Local lawmakers are examining the mayor’s ambitious housing proposal, known as the “City of Yes,” aimed at significantly increasing housing stock across all five boroughs over the next 15 years.

“Yes, we are in a housing crisis. Yes, we need more housing but how we build more housing must be responsive to the needs of our diverse neighborhoods. Just because two neighborhoods share the same zoning, it does not mean they are the same," City Councilman Rafael Salamanca said in his opening statement during a hearing on housing Monday morning.

On the commute to work, you are likely seeing a plethora of political signs these days, many about Proposition 1, or the Equal Rights Amendment, which will appear on the back of New York ballots across the state.

The signs urging voters to “Vote No on Prop 1” claim that, if passed, it will erode parents’ rights and allow illegal immigrants to vote. At the other end of the political spectrum, advocates for a “yes” vote on Proposition 1 argue it will enshrine abortion rights into the state Constitution, and prohibit discrimination by the government regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, pregnancy status, disability status or gender expression.

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- A coalition of 35 organizations representing small businesses, the insurance industry, medical interests and more sent a letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul urging her to once again veto an expansion to the state's wrongful death statute.

National Federation of Independent Business State Director Ashley Ranslow said affordability polls among the most important issues for New Yorkers.

Two weeks from Tuesday, the polls open for the 2024 general election. This Saturday, early voting begins across New York state.

A top law enforcement officer has a message for residents about their voting rights.

Five men wrongfully convicted of assaulting and raping a woman in New York’s Central Park in 1989 have sued former President Donald Trump for defamation over comments he made in a debate against Vice President Kamala Harris last month.

Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, Kevin Richardson, Antron Brown and Korey Wise, initially known as the “Central Park Five” and, later, the “Exonerated Five,” accused Trump in a lawsuit filed in Pennsylvania of making “false, misleading and defamatory” statements about their case at the debate.

With less than three weeks to Election Day, poll watching has found its way into the electorate’s lexicon in recent years. As a result, many are learning about poll watchers for the first time. So here’s a primer to make things clearer.

Typically, they’re polling location and elections office monitors who watch voting and vote counting, keeping a look out for anything irregular. They are, according to the New York attorney general’s office, “designated by candidates, political parties, or independent organizations which have candidates on the ballot and/or political committees” and report any issues to election boards, officials, and/or police officers.

BUFFALO, N.Y. – A former top aide from former Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown's administration could soon be joining him at Western Regional Off-Track Betting.

Multiple sources believe OTB is planning to or has hired former First Deputy Mayor Steve Casey in some capacity with the public benefit corporation. One source says Casey has been hired, while two others say the hiring is imminent.

In a court filing Friday, prosecutors pushed back against an attempt by Mayor Eric Adams’ attorneys to have the bribery charge against him thrown out.

Last month, Adams’ lawyers filed a motion to dismiss the bribery charge in his five-count federal indictment, arguing the conduct detailed in the indictment does not amount to bribery.

New York state officials are launching a new push to crackdown on copper and catalytic converter theft.

State Sen. Sean Ryan was joined by Assemblymember Monica Wallace and local law enforcement Friday at Niagara Metals in Buffalo to push for legislation that would reduce the recent spike in copper and catalytic converter theft throughout the state.

A new survey commissioned by the New York Health Foundation and conducted by RAND looked into the needs of veterans returning to civilian life in New York. It comes as lawmakers this week urged Gov. Kathy Hochul to sign a bill to make it easier for veterans to access tuition assistance.

Following up on a study from 14 years ago, it found that 1 in 4 veterans surveyed have probable depression or PTSD, compared to 1 in 6 in 2010.

While most New Yorkers aren’t seeing spirited local campaigns in their neighborhoods this election season, it’s a different story in South Brooklyn.

In State Senate District 17, freshman Democratic State Sen. Iwen Chu is facing a tough fight from Republican Steve Chan, an ex-Marine and retired police officer.

Lawmakers who lead state climate policy said Friday they will push to expand New York's biofuels market as higher costs and supply chain issues make it more difficult for New York to meet its aggressive climate goals.

Biofuels are biodegradable liquid fuel made from a blend of petroleum and cooking oils or animal fats, which are cleaner than traditional fossil fuels. Some energy stakeholders want biofuels to be mandated to be part of the state's renewable energy plans as Gov. Kathy Hochul has said she wants to use an "all-of-the-above" approach to reduce New York's emissions as mandated under the Climate Act.

There are several narratives around the New York Equal Rights Amendment, also known as Prop 1, which will appear on the back of your ballot in New York state on Nov. 5.

Here is one for it.

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Currently, Article 1 Section 11 of the New York state Constitution prohibits discrimination based on race, color, creed and religion.

Ballot Proposition 1 would amend the section to also include ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy and pregnancy outcomes, as well as reproductive health care and autonomy.

New York is one year ahead of schedule for hitting some of its clean energy goals outlined in the 2019 state climate law, the state announced Thursday.

So far, 6 gigawatts of solar have been installed statewide.

Hours after lobbing a number of below-the-belt insults at the Al Smith charity dinner in New York, former President Donald Trump took to Fox News on Friday morning to bemoan the lack of a teleprompter he could use at the event, while also revealing that he got some help from “a couple of people” at the conservative-leaning network with his jokes.

When asked by one of the anchors who wrote his jokes, Trump replied: “Well, I’ve had a lot of people helping, a lot of people. A couple of people from Fox, actually — I shouldn’t say that, but they wrote some jokes.”

Mayor Eric Adams continues to clean house. Last week, he announced a new first deputy mayor. This week, he appointed a new deputy mayor for public safety, Chauncey Parker. There is also a new schools chancellor, Melissa Aviles-Ramos. Gov. Kathy Hochul has praised the mayor for removing controversial staff members and seems to be working with him to ride out this storm. NY1 investigative reporter Courtney Gross and political reporters Bobby Cuza and Ayana Harry discuss the many personnel changes at City Hall as well as the mayor’s recent fundraising woes.

After that, NY1 and Spectrum News hosted a fiery debate in the 18th Congressional District in the Hudson Valley between Congressman Pat Ryan and Republican challenger Alison Esposito. This race is example of the kinds of clashes taking place in swing districts across the state and the country. The “Off Topic” team shares their takeaways from the debate as well as other notable congressional races across New York.

Gov. Kathy Hochul Thursday touted new state crime statistics that show violent crime decreasing statewide. It comes as crime in New York continues to be an issue in key races ahead of Election Day, and two years after a string of congressional losses in New York were largely tied to concerns about public safety.

Hochul reported that gun violence in New York state was at its lowest point since the state started keeping track in 2006. Shooting incidents with injuries were down 26% through September 2024 compared to the same nine-month period last year. Homicides are down 12%, and overall crime, 10%.

It was a promotion amid crisis - and by the slimmest possible margin.

The nation, still gripped by a pandemic, had just endured a divisive national election, capped by an attack on the U.S. Capitol.

The city faces a looming deadline to close Rikers Island in less than three years.

A new report from the Alliance for Safety and Injustice, as well as the Independent Rikers Commission, found victims of crimes overwhelmingly support efforts to that would help shutter Rikers Island by backing investments and reforms for detainees that they believe would help address the root causes of crime.

As their contentious race for Congress enters the final couple of weeks, Rep. Marc Molinaro and his Democratic challenger Josh Riley are still going at it over the issue of immigration in their race to represent New York’s 19th Congressional District.

Molinaro, a Republican, signed on to co-sponsor a bill this week that would prevent a U.S. Department of Homeland Security program used by FEMA from using any funds on transporting and housing migrants. Instead, the bill would divert money earmarked for those purposes to be spent on disaster relief.

There are issues with the way New York state’s Division of Human Rights (DHR) manages housing discrimination complaints, according to a new audit released Thursday by the office of state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, which found DHR could not account for 68% of sampled complaints.

“We do a lot of work with the Division of Homes and Community Renewal, and they have a backlog of tenant cases that goes back years," said For The Many political coordinator Daniel Atonna.

One of four regional subcontractors helping to administer changes to a Medicaid home care program in the coming months said Thursday that New York lawmakers need to delay the April 1 deadline when they return to Albany next year.

The state is forging ahead to change the $9 billion Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program under Medicaid, which more than 250,000 New Yorkers rely on for home care, in under six months. Pushback is growing for that timeline to be extended to change the program — including from companies partnering with the state to manage it.

Some fans disappointed with how athletes perform on game day will often let them know exactly how they feel. There's a separation between the field and the stands, but online, that distance can shrink to near nothing. Add in sports gambling losses, and it can turn nasty.

If sports weren’t exciting enough, add a wager to the mix and fans become even more engaged with the game. But in some circumstances, the engagement crosses a line.

While every seat in the State Assembly and State Senate is up for election this November, more than three dozen Democratic incumbents in the city are running unopposed.

Although there are more than half a million Republicans in the five boroughs, GOP party leaders say they can’t mount a fight in some heavily Democratic neighborhoods.

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Help is on the way for three Western New York cities in the form of millions of dollars in state funding connected to a Seneca casino revenue sharing deal.

The governor's office said it will deliver more than $5.5 million to Buffalo, roughly $7.6 million to Niagara Falls and another $3.5 million to Salamanca and Cattaraugus County. New acting Buffalo Mayor Chris Scanlon said the city budgeted for $11 million in casino money.

Former President Donald Trump will trade the rally stage for comedy Thursday night as he headlines the annual Al Smith charity dinner, where he was jeered eight years ago while delivering an especially pointed speech.

Vice President Kamala Harris is skipping attending the event in person as she campaigns in battleground states, breaking with presidential tradition. But she will appear on screen in a recorded video, organizers said.

New Yorkers are getting more involved with presidential campaigns as Election Day ticks closer.

Millions of votes are up for grabs in New York, but campaigners don’t seem too focused on them.

The number of private sector jobs in New York decreased over the month by 2,900, or less than 0.1%, in September, according to preliminary seasonally adjusted figures released Thursday by the state Department of Labor.

These put the total number of private sector jobs in the state to 8,392,500 in September. By contrast, private sector jobs in the U.S. increased by 0.2% in September, the department said.

U.S. Rep. Tim Kennedy (D-NY-26) has introduced a new bill, the Homeward Bound Act, which would give military families, diplomatic families and service dogs an 18-month waiver from the CDC's new pet travel rule, which requires all dogs coming into the U.S. from other countries be at least 6 months old and microchipped to help prevent the spread of rabies.

The proposed bill would also eliminate the age requirement and require microchips for dogs born after enactment of the bill.

Just as the mayor’s legal troubles mount, his legal defense fund appears to be strapped for cash.

Almost three weeks after the mayor was indicted on charges of bribery, fraud and soliciting foreign contributions, NY1 has learned Mayor Eric Adams raised only $92,500 for his legal defense in the last three months, according to the latest fundraising report filed with the city’s Conflicts of Interest Board late Tuesday. The fundraising period covers July though the end of September.

Since 1984, American historian and professor Allan Lichtman has correctly predicted nine of the last 10 presidential races. Lichtman, however, does not use polling data. Instead, he has developed a set of 13 metrics — or, as he calls them, keys.

Lichtman appeared on the podcast in February to discuss his elaborate forecasting system, and he promised he’d return after he announced his pick for president. Now, Lichtman joined Errol to discuss why he believes Kamala Harris will be victorious in November. The pair also discussed the possibility of an October surprise, how past predictions have made him unpopular, and why it is governing, not campaigning, that ultimately matters.

Democratic Rep. Pat Ryan and Republican Alison Esposito engaged in a spirited debate hosted by Spectrum News 1 Wednesday evening featuring issues hotly contested on the federal level that are also central to the Hudson Valley congressional district both want to represent.

With immigration one of the top issues in this year’s elections and a top-of-mind issue for New York voters since the migrant crisis took hold in the spring of 2023, Esposito said the country needs to secure the southern border, reinstate the Remain in Mexico policy and pass legal lawful immigration reform.

Spectrum News hosted a debate Wednesday night between Democratic U.S. Rep. Pat Ryan and Republican challenger Alison Esposito for New York's 18th Congressional District, which includes all of Orange, and parts of Dutchess and Ulster counties.

The debate took place at Marist College.

Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams’s newly elevated First Deputy Mayor Maria Torres-Springer announced new housing development figures Wednesday — cheering it as progress made on the state and city’s housing crisis.

It’s also a show of support from Hochul that she’s working with City Hall during the mayor’s time of crisis.

Democrats in New York’s competitive U.S. House races built on their cash advantage in the third quarter of this year. They outraised their GOP rivals in all of the key contests.

With one exception, those Democrats also each reported having more cash on hand at the end of September, just in time for the final stretch of campaigning.

Spectrum News will host the only debate between the candidates for New York's U.S. Senate race on Wednesday, Oct. 23.

Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Republican challenger Mike Sapraicone will face off at 7 p.m. at the University at Albany for one of the seats in the nation's upper chamber on Capitol Hill.

U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer announced a new $750 million preliminary investment for Wolfspeed from the CHIPS and Science Bill. Wolfspeed, located in Marcy, is the lead silicon carbide chip manufacturer in the U.S.

The funding is meant to boost Wolfspeed’s ongoing upstate expansion, as well as help to build a North Carolina facility that will send chip “wafers” to the Marcy Nanocenter to be finished.