NEWS & INFO

School officials in Albany are urging parents across New York State to be vigilant about dangerous social media trends after a young student died in what appears to be an online challenge gone wrong. The tragedy happened on Saturday night and involved a student from Arbor Hill Elementary School, according to a message sent to families by Principal Rosalind Gaines-Harrell. She described the loss as “profoundly sad” and cautioned families about viral challenges that are often f

Consumer, environmental, and affordability advocates are pushing state regulators to reject a sweeping proposal from New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG) and Rochester Gas & Electric (RG&E). The plan could add as much as $800 per year to some households’ utility bills. In a filing before the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC), the companies outlined rate increases that would raise monthly delivery charges between 34% and 48%, depending on service type and custome

New York Attorney General Letitia James has formally asked a federal judge to throw out the mortgage fraud case brought against her, arguing the prosecution is rooted in political retaliation driven by President Donald Trump. In a filing submitted Friday, James’ legal team portrayed the charges as a personal vendetta. The motion recounts years of hostile public remarks made by Trump following James’ civil lawsuit against him and the Trump Organization. According to the motion

Forbes March When former daytime TV actor Forbes March was arrested in Ulster County for grand larceny, headlines exploded. Police said he and another man were caught siphoning used cooking oil from a storage tank behind Michael’s Diner, located at 1071 Ulster Avenue, Kingston, NY 12401. The container was owned by Buffalo Biodiesel, Inc., a Buffalo-based business servicing over 28,000 restaurants across the Northeast. March was arrested with burglary tools, accused of cutting

New York Attorney General Letitia James suffered a legal setback on October 31st when a federal judge denied her attempt to force prosecutors to keep a detailed record of their media contacts in her federal mortgage fraud prosecution. James’ legal team filed the motion last week, citing reports that U.S. Attorney Lindsey Halligan exchanged encrypted Signal messages with a journalist about the case. Defense attorney Abbe Lowell sought a court order requiring prosecutors to log

Governor Kathy Hochul continues to plead financial hardship for New York even as newly released state fiscal reports show another massive surge in tax collections — nearly $3 billion above what her own budget office projected for the first half of the fiscal year. The unexpected boost pushes expected revenue to about $259 billion, which means NYS will take in $2.6 billion more than Hochul initially claimed she had to work with. Despite the influx, Hochul’s administration insi

A subway confrontation in New York City went viral after a woman launched into an Islamophobic tirade against an Iranian-Palestinian couple riding the train, repeatedly calling them terrorists and mocking traditional clothing. The incident was recorded by Iranian content creator Ariana Jasmine, who said she and her companion Youssef, who is Palestinian, were simply sitting together in mid-October when a stranger approached them and began shouting. According to Jasmine, the wo

Public filings reveal that one of the largest financial boosters to Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral campaign comes from a political action committee tied to the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), which is a group that some federal lawmakers have publicly accused of having significant connections to terrorist organizations. Campaign finance reports show that the Unity and Justice Fund PAC contributed $120,000 to Mamdani. The PAC shares addresses, staff, and infrastructure

Just days into November, New York is facing what public health experts had been warning about for months, a surge of the so-called “tripledemic.” State data shows that cases of influenza, COVID-19, and RSV are rapidly climbing across New York. The New York State Department of Health reports that flu infections spiked 30 percent in just one week while RSV rose 24 percent during the same period. Emergency departments are already feeling the pressure. The New York City Departmen

Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is now publicly backing Mayor Eric Adams’ push to add 5,000 officers to the NYPD, and he’s using the proposal to sharpen attacks on democratic socialist mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani whose long record of anti-police rhetoric is proving politically toxic. Cuomo, speaking about the city’s officer shortage, said the hiring spike is needed just to return policing to a functional level. “We're losing police officers at one of the highest rate

Governor Kathy Hochul’s political missteps continue to snowball, this time igniting fury within her own party after she endorsed self-described socialist Zohran Mamdani for New York City mayor. It's a move that even fellow Democrats have privately called disastrous. Representative Elise Stefanik, who has long branded Hochul as “the worst governor in America,” said Democrats across the state are now privately expressing regret for backing the embattled governor and are eager t

Governor Kathy Hochul is under fire for what critics call a “performative” response following the detention of two SUNY Upstate Medical University employees by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The two men, both Cuban nationals legally authorized to live and work in the United States, were taken into custody Wednesday at ICE’s Mattydale office during what was reportedly a routine immigration hearing. The incident has sparked outrage among union officials and imm

New York Attorney General Letitia James, recently indicted on federal charges, is making headlines again. While warning New Yorkers to “beware of sham charities” in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, the Attorney General is simultaneously urging supporters to donate to her own legal defense fund as she faces mounting criminal and political fallout. Last week, James issued a public statement cautioning residents to vet hurricane relief efforts for potential scams. “As New Yor

A late-night call from a worried wife set off an urgent search through the woods of Upstate New York that ended in heartbreak. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) confirmed that a missing hunter was found dead in Otsego County early Friday morning. According to officials, local authorities requested Forest Ranger assistance on October 16th after a woman reported her husband had failed to return from a hunting trip. The call for help came in just

Environmental advocates are sharply criticizing Governor Kathy Hochul’s response after a judge found that New York is in violation of its signature climate law and ordered the state to issue regulations to cut emissions. In the ruling, a state court determined the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) requires the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to issue rules by February 6, 2026, after acknowledging it has missed its deadline. When as

A New York State Department of Corrections transport bus carrying nearly 30 inmates erupted in flames Friday night in the Hudson Valley creating chaos and fights between inmates and officers. The fire broke out around 8pm near Route 9D and Dogwood Lane in the Town of Fishkill, close to Interstate 84, after 911 callers reported the bus ablaze and altercations underway. Cellphone video captured by Freddie Beltran shows the dramatic scene with flames engulfing the vehicle. Rockl

Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor, is facing new scrutiny after a watchdog group filed two criminal referrals alleging his campaign took unlawful donations from foreign nationals. The Coolidge Reagan Foundation submitted complaints to both the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office asserting Mamdani’s campaign may have violated provisions of the Federal Election Campaign Act as well as New York elect

Hochul’s Domestic Violence Training Mandate for Police Fails to Quiet Critics on Law Enforcement Record Governor Kathy Hochul announced Wednesday that starting January 1st, 2026, all police recruits in New York will be required to complete a new 16-hour “Domestic Incident Response” curriculum designed to emphasize survivor-centered, culturally responsive and trauma-informed policing. Under the program, recruits will receive: (1) Lethality assessment training to help officers

Universities across New York State are grappling with a bizarre and troubling trend in which students are recording and sharing videos of themselves urinating in public spaces on campus. The clips, many of which have surfaced under the hashtag #SUNYpissers, have been linked to several institutions including Syracuse University, the University at Albany (UAlbany), and Cornell University. At UAlbany, some videos appear to capture students urinating on the school’s football fiel

Rep. Elise Stefanik has pulled ahead of Governor Kathy Hochul in New York’s gubernatorial contest, according to new polling released Tuesday by the Manhattan Institute. The survey found Stefanik with 43 percent support compared to Hochul’s 42 percent. While the margin is within the poll’s error range, the numbers give the Republican congresswoman a slight lead over the incumbent governor. Nine percent of respondents said they would back another candidate while 7 percent remai