KATHY HOCHUL

New York Republicans and Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul have introduced new criminal justice reform plans amid backlash over a rise in gun violence.

After years of delays and massive cost overruns, the enormously expensive railway project shuttled its first passengers Wednesday from Long Island to a new annex in New York City's iconic Grand Central Terminal. The new transit center, built inside a massive man-made cavern and served by rail tunnels carved through bedrock, is being heralded as an important addition to the nation’s busiest railway network. The new 700,000-square-foot (65,032-square-meter) terminal, dubbed Grand Central Madison, was conceived and constructed at a time when New York City's transportation system was bursting with passengers. “I've been waiting for 30 years," said John Cannon, a Long Island man who was on the inaugural 21-minute ride from Jamaica, Queens, to Manhattan. “It obviously makes the businesses in Midtown East a more attractive destination for commuters from Long Island,” said Kathryn Wylde, the president of the Partnership for New York City.

A huge new commuter rail terminal built in caverns beneath New York City’s landmark Grand Central Terminal received its first regular passenger trains Wednesday.

When the war on marijuana came sweeping through his New York City housing project decades ago, Roland Conner found himself going in and out of jail.

Nancy Pelosi claimed during an interview that Democrats would have kept the House if New York politicians recognized that crime was a top issue in New York.

The New York Department of Health said it's "exploring its options" after a state Supreme Court judge struck down a health care worker coronavirus vaccine mandate.

In the same week that the Biden administration reversed course and on whether a ban on the sale of new gas stoves is under consideration, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul proposed banning fossil fuel infrastructure, including lines that power gas stoves and furnaces, in smaller new residential buildings by 2025 and larger ones by 2028. "We are taking these actions because climate change remains the greatest threat to our planet, and to our children and grandchildren." He did not indicate whether he would endorse Hochul's gas ban proposal specifically and when asked by the publication Energywire, his aides only pointed to his general comments in response. Environmental activists in New York eagerly embraced the proposed gas ban put forth by the governor.

New York Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand has kicked off her reelection campaign.

Each has over 1,000 beds and 3,500 or more union nurses. Kathy Hochul greeting returning nurses at Mount Sinai just before dawn. “Our bargaining team has been working around the clock with NYSNA’s leadership to come to an agreement,” Montefiore said in a statement. Mount Sinai said in a statement it was pleased to have reached a tentative agreement and that the strike was over. It is fair and responsible, and it puts patients first,” Mount Sinai Health System said.

NEW YORK — (AP) — Two New York City hospitals have reached a tentative contract agreement with thousands of striking nurses that ends this week's walkout that disrupted patient care, officials announced Thursday. Each has over 1,000 beds and 3,500 or more union nurses. Kathy Hochul greeting returning nurses at Mount Sinai just before dawn. “Our bargaining team has been working around the clock with NYSNA’s leadership to come to an agreement,” Montefiore said in a statement. It is fair and responsible, and it puts patients first,” Mount Sinai Health System said.

The Supreme Court is allowing New York to continue to enforce for now a sweeping new law banning guns from “sensitive places” such as schools, playgrounds and Times Square and increasing training requirements.

Nurses at Mount Sinai Hospital and Montefiore Medical Center cite staffing conditions and burnout for the walkout.

Greg Gutfeld reacts to Gov. Kathy Hochul asking people to stop "leaving" New York after telling Republicans to "get out" months before and Gov. Ron DeSantis "congratulating" them for getting out.

One year ago I boarded a plane with my husband and three kids and left New York City for Florida. I love New York and it was very hard to leave. Here's what it's been like.

Critics slammed Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-N.Y., on Twitter for asking people to stop leaving the state of New York, after telling Republicans to "get out" months earlier.

Just in time for the New Year, New York lawmakers have become the highest paid state legislators in the nation under a bill signed Saturday.

ALBANY, N.Y. — (AP) — Just in time for the New Year, New York lawmakers have become the highest paid state legislators in the nation under a bill signed Saturday. Members of both houses are getting a pay raise of $32,000, for a base salary of $142,000, under a bill Gov. Before the pay boost, state lawmakers in California were the highest paid with a yearly base salary of $119,000, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The new pay raise comes with restrictions, though. Some Democrats in the legislature supported the pay raise, and said it was necessary in order to keep up with the cost of living.

Just in time for the New Year, New York lawmakers will be the highest paid state legislators in the nation under a bill signed Saturday.

ALBANY, N.Y. — (AP) — New York Governor Kathy Hochul was sworn in for her first elected term on Sunday, making history as the first woman elected to the position in the state. The Democrat, launching her term as the 57th governor of New York, said her goals were to increase public safety and to make the state more affordable. “Right now there are some fights we have to take on,” Hochul said after taking the oath of office at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center in Albany. Hochul also called for making the state more affordable, citing the high cost of living. New York Attorney General Letitia A. James, 64, also took oath Sunday for her second elected term in the position.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul was sworn in for her first elected term on Sunday, making history as the first woman elected to the position in the state.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul was sworn in for her first elected term on Sunday, making history as the first woman elected to the position in the state. The Democrat, launching her term as the 57th governor of New York, said her goals were to increase public safety and to make the state more affordable. “Right now there are some fights we have to take on,” Hochul said after taking the oath of office at the Empire State Plaza Convention Center in Albany.

NY's Kathy Hochul signed legislation to legalize natural organic reduction, known as human composting, making NY the sixth state in the nation to allow that method of burial.

At least 40 deaths have been reported in western New York from the blizzard that raged Friday and Saturday.

The storm-related death toll in the area rose to 37. Meanwhile, a nearly week-long driving ban has been lifted as temperatures rise and all major state highways in western New York have also reopened.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — (AP) — Roads reopened Thursday in storm-besieged Buffalo as authorities continued searching for people who may have died or are stuck and suffering after last week's blizzard. Suburban roads, major highways and Buffalo Niagara International Airport had already reopened. Buffalo police and officers from other law enforcement agencies also searched for victims, sometimes using officers’ personal snowmobiles, trucks and other equipment. With the death toll already surpassing that of the area's notorious Blizzard of 1977, local officials faced questions about the response to last week's storm. The National Weather Service forecast that any flooding would be minor, but state and local officials said they were preparing nonetheless.

The death toll from the blizzard that hit the Buffalo area over the weekend has grown to nearly 40.

Temperatures were beginning what was forecast to be a steady rise but the storm's death toll was still ticking up as well.

A ravaged Buffalo, N.Y., faced more snowfall on Tuesday as the death toll from the weekend’s blizzard continued to rise. The National Weather Service recorded more than 49 inches of snow in Buffalo, where authorities said at least 28 people have died. On Christmas Eve, Sha’Kyra Aughtry said she heard a man outside screaming for help. Alex Campagna, a dentist in nearby Williamsville, wrote on Facebook that at 2 p.m., he heard a "frantic knock on the door today during the worst blizzard I've experienced." Buffalo man assisting a friend.

Officials in New York say state and military police were sent to keep people from driving in snow-choked Buffalo.

Authorities in Buffalo, New York, have responded to reports of looting in the aftermath of a deadly winter storm that claimed the lives of at least 35 people.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — (AP) — Storm-battered Buffalo braced Tuesday for fresh snow while still striving to recover from an epic blizzard that killed at least 28 people, stranded others in cars for days and shuttered the city's airport. County Executive Mark Poloncarz called the blizzard “the worst storm probably in our lifetime,” even for an area known for heavy snow. “I’ve lived here my whole life, and this is the worst storm I’ve ever seen,” the 48-year-old said. Kathy Hochul toured the aftermath in Buffalo — her hometown — and called the blizzard “one for the ages.” Almost every fire truck in the city became stranded Saturday, she said. The National Weather Service said the snow total at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport stood at 49.2 inches (1.25 meters) at 10 a.m. Monday.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — (AP) — Storm-battered Buffalo braced Tuesday for fresh snow while still striving to recover from an epic blizzard that killed at least 28 people, stranded others in cars for days and shuttered the city's airport. County Executive Mark Poloncarz called the blizzard “the worst storm probably in our lifetime,” even for an area known for heavy snow. “I’ve lived here my whole life, and this is the worst storm I’ve ever seen,” the 48-year-old said. Kathy Hochul toured the aftermath in Buffalo — her hometown — and called the blizzard “one for the ages.” Almost every fire truck in the city became stranded Saturday, she said. The National Weather Service said the snow total at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport stood at 49.2 inches (1.25 meters) at 10 a.m. Monday.

Officials in New York say state and military police were sent to keep people from driving in snow-choked Buffalo.

A deadly winter storm in Western New York has claimed the lives of at least 28 people, officials have confirmed. New York leaders are calling a "once-in-a-generation" blizzard.

Even in pummeled Buffalo, N.Y., the mercury is expected to rise above freezing soon. But many travel nightmares persist.

Emergency crews in New York were scrambling Monday to rescue marooned residents from what authorities called the "blizzard of the century," a relentless storm that has left at least 25 dead in the state and is causing US Christmas travel chaos. Blizzard conditions continue to prevail in parts of the US Northeast, the stubborn remnants of a massive sprawl of extreme weather that gripped the country over several days, causing widespread power outages, travel delays and at least 47 deaths across nine states. In New York state, authorities have described ferocious conditions, particularly in Buffalo, with hours-long whiteouts, bodies being discovered in vehicles and under snow banks, and emergency personnel going "car to car" searching for more motorists -- alive or dead. The perfect storm of fierce snow squalls, howling wind and sub-zero temperatures forced the cancellation of more than 15,000 US flights in recent days, including at least 2,600 on Monday, according to tracking site Flightaware.com. Buffalo -- a city in Erie County that is no stranger to foul winter weather -- is the epicenter of the crisis, buried under staggering amounts of snow. "Certainly it is the blizzard of the century," Governor Kathy Hochul told reporters, adding it was "way too early to say this is at its completion." Hochul said some western New York towns got walloped with "30 to 40 inches (0.75 to 1 meter) of snow overnight." Later Monday, Hochul spoke with President Joe Biden, who offered "the full force of the federal government" to support New York state, and said he and First Lady Jill Biden were praying for those who lost loved ones in the storm, according to a White House statement. The National Weather Service forecast up to 14 more inches Monday in addition to the several feet that have already left the city buried in snow, with officials struggling to get emergency services back online. Erie County executive Mark Poloncarz told a press briefing he was "heartbroken" to report the blizzard-related death toll had climbed to 25 county-wide. Poloncarz said Erie's death toll will likely surpass that of Buffalo's infamous blizzard of 1977, when nearly 30 people died. "We do expect that there will be more" deaths from the ongoing storm, he added. With more snow in the forecast and most of Buffalo "impassable," he joined Hochul in warning residents to bunker down and stay in place. - 'Gut-wrenching' - National Guard members and other teams have rescued hundreds of people from snow-covered cars and homes without electricity, but authorities have said more people remain trapped. Erie County Sheriff John Garcia called the storm "the worst" he has ever seen, with periods of zero visibility and authorities unable to respond to emergency calls. "It was gut-wrenching when you're getting calls where families are with their kids and they're saying they're freezing," he told CNN. Hochul, a native of Buffalo, said she was stunned by what she saw during a reconnaissance tour of the city. "It is (like) going to a war zone, and the vehicles along the sides of the roads are shocking," Hochul said, describing eight-foot (2.4-meter) drifts against homes as well as snow plows and rescue vehicles "buried" in snow. "This is a war with mother nature," she said. The extreme weather sent temperatures to below freezing in all 48 contiguous US states over the weekend, including in Texas communities along the Mexico border where some newly arriving migrants have struggled to find shelter. - Sweeping power outages - At one point on Saturday, nearly 1.7 million customers were without electricity in the biting cold, according to tracker poweroutage.us. That number has dropped substantially, although there were still some 50,000 without electricity mid-day Monday on the US east coast. Due to frozen electric substations, some Erie County residents were not expected to regain power until Tuesday, with one substation reportedly buried under 18 feet of snow, a senior county official said. Buffalo's international airport remains closed until Tuesday and a driving ban remained in effect for the city and much of Erie County. Road ice and whiteout conditions also led to the temporary closure of some of the nation's busiest transport routes, including part of the cross-country Interstate 70 highway. Drivers were being warned not to take to the roads -- even as the nation reached what is usually its busiest time of year for travel. burs-mlm/bbk/caw

Dozens of deaths are now linked to a fearsome winter storm blanketing much of the US and Canada.

Erie County, New York continues to be plagued by snow and below-freezing temperatures, resulting in thousands losing power during one of their worst winter storms ever.

The death toll from a pre-Christmas blizzard that paralyzed the Buffalo area and much of the country has risen to 28 in western New York, authorities said Monday as the region dug out from one of the worst weather-related disasters in its history.

A dangerous winter storm continued to wreak havoc across much of the U.S. on Sunday, bringing record-low temperatures and bringing several major cities to a halt. >> Read more trending newsAt least 18 people have been killed as a result of the deep freeze overnight and into Christmas morning, The Associated Press reported. According to the National Weather Service, New York City experienced record lows, including a 15-degree reading at Central Park, CNN reported. In Dallas, residents woke up to Christmas morning temperatures that rose from the upper teens to mid-20s, The Dallas Morning News reported. In Memphis, Tennessee, high temperatures Sunday were forecast to be at 31 degrees; last year’s high was 77, according to WHBQ-TV.

In New York's Erie County, home to Buffalo, ambulances were taking more than three hours to make a single hospital trip and the blizzard may be "the worst storm in our community's history."

Millions of people hunkered down against a deep freeze Sunday to ride out the winter storm that has killed at least 34 people across the United States.

Buffalo, New York is experiencing a winter storm with up to four feet of snow expected in some areas, and three people have died during the blizzard.

Blinding blizzards, freezing rain and frigid cold knocked out power from Maine to Seattle.

“It’s a frigid start to your #ChristmasEve across the area,” the National Weather Service in Tallahassee tweeted. Duke Energy said that it was putting planned emergency outages in place because of high demand and that trees felled in high winds had also damaged some lines. ___BUFFALO, N.Y. — Officials are describing the ongoing blizzard in western New York around Buffalo as potentially the worst the area has ever seen. “This may turn out to be the worst storm in our community’s history,” Poloncarz said during a news conference Saturday. ___MONTPELIER, Vt. — Almost 400,000 electric customers across the six New England states remained without power on Saturday morning.

Across the country, officials have attributed at least a dozen deaths to exposure, car crashes on icy and snow covered roads and effects of the storm.

A massive winter storm moving across the United States is bringing frigid temperatures, whiteout conditions and power outages to more than half the country. >> Read more trending newsThe storm, which put approximately 60% of the U.S. population under some form of winter weather advisory or warning, was blamed for approximately 1.4 million power outages by Friday evening, The Associated Press reported. “The National Weather Service’s Watch Warning graphic depicts one of the greatest extents of winter weather warnings and advisories ever,” the agency said Thursday, according to CNN. Kathy Hochul said in a news conference Friday, CNN reported. A number of cities, including Atlanta, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Tallahassee, are forecast to see their coldest high temperatures ever on Dec. 24, CNN reported.

More than 1.5 million people were without power, holiday travel was scrambled and thousands were ordered to stay home as the storm pummeled most of the nation.

Lawmakers would also face limited restrictions — for the first time — on how much they can make from other jobs.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday nominated Hector D. LaSalle—a conservative jurist who has sided with crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs)—to lead the state’s highest court for a 14-year term. LaSalle’s history as a right-wing judicial activist is in direct contrast with the governor’s previous pledges to support abortion rights in New York.

ALBANY, N.Y. — (AP) — Just in time for Christmas, New York legislators returned to the state capital Thursday to give themselves a nice holiday gift: a pay raise that would make them the nation’s best-paid state lawmakers. Outside income would be capped at $35,000, starting in 2025. Some government transparency and watchdog groups said after the bill was introduced late Monday that it doesn't do enough for regulating outside income. Members of the U.S. Congress, for example, are excluded from making any outside income while they are in office from certain professions that could pose conflicts of interest, such as being a lawyer. New York's legislators got their last pay raise in 2018.

Just in time for Christmas, New York legislators passed a bill in both houses on Thursday that will make them the best-paid state lawmakers in the nation.

"It's now a crisis on steroids," says New York Governor Kathy Hochul.

The new unit is a broader effort by Gov. Kathy Hochul to address hate crimes and violence across the state in response to Buffalo's deadly mass shooting that killed 10 Black people.

The new law, designed to target commercial breeding operations decried by critics as "puppy mills," lets pet shops work instead with shelters to offer rescued or abandoned animals up for adoption.

The Fox News Lifestyle Newsletter brings you trending stories on family, travel, food, neighbors helping neighbors, pets, autos, military veterans, heroes, faith and American values.

The ban is an effort to end large-scale abusive breeding practices by puppy and kitten mills.

Kathy Hochul and takes effect in 2024, lets pet shops work instead with shelters to offer rescued or abandoned animals up for adoption. It will also ban breeders from selling more than nine animals a year. While that law requires pet stores to work with animal shelters or rescue operations, like New York is doing now, it does not regulate sales by private breeders. In 2020, Maryland banned the sale of cats and dogs in pet stores, triggering pushback from shop owners and breeders who challenged the measure in court. We're not going to survive this,” said Ortiz, who considers the ban unfair to stores that work with responsible breeders.

New York has become the latest state to ban the sale of cats, dogs and rabbits in pet stores in an attempt to target commercial breeding operations decried by critics as “puppy mills.”.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams defended wealthy New Yorkers as an important part of the state's recovery from the pandemic and told critics to 'leave.'

A federal judge said prosecutors did not sufficiently allege a “quid pro quo” between Benjamin and a real estate developer who helped raise campaign contributions.

ALBANY, N.Y. — (AP) — New York's state health commissioner will resign Jan. 1 after 13 months in the job to return to Harvard University's T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Bassett, a former New York City health commissioner, became the state health commissioner on Dec. 1, 2021, taking over for Howard Zucker. Before becoming state health commissioner, Bassett worked at Harvard, where she was director of the François-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights and a professor at the T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

New York’s state health commissioner will resign Jan. 1 after 13 months in the job to return to Harvard University’s T.

Sexual assault victims in New York are getting a one-time opportunity to sue their abusers under a new law expected to bring a wave of litigation against prison guards, middle managers, doctors and prominent figures including former President Donald Trump.

President Joe Biden is sending federal aid to western New York to help state and local authorities clean up from the massive storm that dumped more than 6 feet of snow in western and northern New York.

Parts of New York are finally catching a break after a storm dumped snow for days on cities and towns east of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.

Piles of snow taller than most people have buried parts of western and northern New York.

A dangerous lake-effect snowstorm has paralyzed parts of western and northern New York.

The man who killed 10 Black people in a mass shooting at a Buffalo supermarket plans to plead guilty to the massacre.

A record 12 women will take their seats as their states' highest-ranking elected officials when the nation's governors are sworn in this winter.

While Democrats were celebrating a stronger-than-expected midterm performance across much of the U.S. this week, New York was emerging as a notable exception where losses and lackluster results prompted a round of soul-searching and finger-pointing inside the party.

Democrats held onto a string of competitive governors’ seats in the midterm elections after making the case to voters that Republican challengers posed a threat to abortion rights and democracy in their states.

Republicans inched closer to a narrow House majority while control of the Senate hinges on tight Arizona, Nevada and Georgia races.

It is still up in the air which political party will control the U.S. Congress, but on Wednesday a media narrative of Election Day appeared to solidify: Good night for Democrats.

Democrat Kathy Hochul has become the first woman elected New York governor, winning the office outright that she took over in 2021 when former Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigned.

Coast to coast, candidates and big-name backers made final appeals to voters Monday in the last hours of a fraught midterm election season, with Republicans excited about the prospect of winning back Congress.

President Joe Biden has slammed Republicans up and down ballots across the nation as election deniers who reveled in political violence.

President Joe Biden has slammed Republicans up and down ballots across the nation as election deniers who reveled in political violence.

Vice President Kamala Harris and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are hitting the campaign trail in New York City for Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat facing an unexpectedly competitive election.

Democrats have created a super PAC in New York to boost incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul, a sign of the party’s growing fears that a late-stage surge by her Republican opponent Lee Zeldin could result in an upset in the blue state.

President Joe Biden is focusing on economic issues as he fine-tunes his closing argument in upstate New York for voters trying to cope with raging inflation and fears of a recession heading into the Nov. 8 election.

Once a key part of the political season and an important role for newspapers, editorial endorsements of candidates are fading away.

Fights over crime, abortion and the deadly U.S. Capitol insurrection took center stage as New York Gov. Kathy Hochul faced her Republican challenger, U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin, in their only televised campaign debate.

Republican congressman Lee Zeldin has focused his campaign for New York governor on hammering Democratic incumbent Kathy Hochul over rising violent crime.

Fourteen months after resigning in a sexual harassment scandal, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is looking to elbow his way back into the public eye.

A shooting outside New York U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin’s Long Island home is giving the Republican a fresh and personal perspective on a rash of violent crime that’s been a focus of his campaign for governor.

New York congressman and Republican candidate for governor Lee Zeldin says his family is safe after two strangers were shot outside his Long Island home.

In cities and suburbs across the U.S., Republicans up and down the ballot have overwhelmingly focused on sending a message that violent crime is out of control.

New York's attorney general has appealed a federal judge's ruling that halted key provisions of the state's new rules on guns.

President Joe Biden says a $20 billion investment by IBM in New York’s Hudson River Valley will help give the United States a technological edge against China.

Some historical battle re-enactors in New York are holding their musket fire because of worries over the state’s new gun rules.

Progressive Democrats are facing a test of their power in November's midterm elections.

New York City will lift its private-sector COVID-19 vaccine mandate on Nov. 1 but will continue to require city employees to be vaccinated against the virus.

President Bill Clinton says he is amazed by the massive response to the return of the Clinton Global Initiative.

Museums in New York that exhibit artworks looted by Nazis during the Holocaust are now required to let the public know about that dark history through signs or placards put on display with the stolen objects.

Fans of Lea Michele will have to wait a little more to see her singing in “Funny Girl” on Broadway.

New York City will begin posting signs proclaiming the iconic tourist destination Times Square as a “Gun Free Zone.”.

U.S. governors and other state officials responded to Russia's invasion of Ukraine earlier this year with public calls to divest state pension, university and other funds from Russian assets.

Some states have moved ahead with plans of their own to boost child care subsidies after a national effort by Democrats in Washington stalled.

Officials in New York City have declared a public health emergency due to the monkeypox outbreak.