New York Now

On this week's edition of New York NOW (8/18/2023): The state Legislature in New York has passed a bill that would ban wildlife killing contests in the state, sparking some controversy and misinformation. We'll break down the bill with Brian Shapiro, the New York state director at the Human Society of the United States. Lawmakers also considered legislation related to health insurance and health care this year, while insurance companies propose higher rates for consumers. We'll discuss that and more with Eric Linzer, president and CEO of the New York Health Plan Association. WATCH, READ, OR LISTEN TO THE EPISODE: https://bit.ly/NYN202333   

On this week's edition of New York NOW (8/11/2023): New York's influx of asylum seekers continues, with more being transported upstate this week. A few weeks ago, we brought you a special discussion on the situation. This week, we speak with Assemblymember Angelo Santabarbara, D-Schenectady, about a bill he's introduced that he says would help better organize the process. Concerns over the integrity of elections began to pop up during, and after, the 2020 election, including in New York. So, how confident should you be in New York's elections, and voting? We'll explain the entire process, and how your vote is protected, in a new installment of NY&. Explore More: nynow.org

On this week's edition of New York NOW (8/04/2023): How will New York spend the $4.2 billion that voters authorized it to borrow last year, to adapt to climate change? And is New York taking your gas stove away? We'll answer those questions with DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos and NYSERDA President & CEO Doreen Harris. A new installment of our segment New York By The Numbers, which uses a number to tell about something in New York you might not know about. This week's number is 13.8, and deals with access to high-speed internet in New York. Gov. Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams team up for an announcement on public safety in New York City. We'll have details. Plus, what's next for mental health in New York's schools? New funding is available.

On This Week's Edition of New York NOW: July is Disability Pride Month, marking the passage of the Americans With Disabilities Act in 1990. We speak with New York's Chief Disability Officer, Kimberly Hill, about how the state can become more accessible for people with disabilities. Ever since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling last year, there's been a lot of confusion and misinformation about how laws on abortion work, and who can change them. We break it all down in a new installment of NY&, our civics series. An update on the 9/11 Notice Act in a new On The Bill segment. Explore More: nynow.org

More than 90,000 immigrants seeking asylum have come to New York over the past year. In this exclusive bonus release for our podcast subscribers, we bring you a full discussion about the U.S. immigration system, how New York plays a role, and what the future looks like for those asylum seekers. Explore More: nynow.org

On this week's edition of New York NOW (7/21/2023): Thousands of migrants seeking asylum have traveled to New York over the past few years in an effort to restart their lives. But that influx has overwhelmed officials in New York City and state government, who've struggled to house and provide basic necessities for those migrants. We'll give you a full explainer on the state's role in immigration, and what makes asylum seekers different than refugees and other immigrants. Then, Dr. Dina Refki from the SUNY Institute on Immigrant Integration Research and Policy and Murad Awawdeh from the New York Immigration Coalition join us with their take on immigration in New York today, including how the influx of asylum seekers has been handled. Explore More: nynow.org

On This Week's Edition of New York NOW: How well do you know New York's state government, and how it affects your life? We'll tell you how it all works, soup to nuts. The state Legislature is often the target of criticism related to transparency. Sen. Jim Tedisco, R-Saratoga County, chats with us about a bill he says would make both chambers more transparent and accountable to the public. Plus, heavy rain causes flooding around the state, and the state's Office for the Aging holds a town hall. More on that. Explore More: nynow.org

On this week's edition of New York NOW (7/07/2023): Immigration has been in the spotlight over the past year, as thousands of asylum seekers arrived in New York. The Legislature has also considered more support for immigrants in New York. Murad Awawdeh from the New York Immigration Coalition joins us to discuss. Having a disability can make finding a job, and maintaining it, difficult at times. But it doesn't have to be. WMHT's Catherine Rafferty explains in a new story. An update on an interview from a few weeks ago on New York's physician assistants. Explore More: nynow.org

On This Week's Edition of New York NOW: Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado (D) took office last year, and he's been busy. We introduce him to you and catch up on what he's been up to. The New York State Education Department has issued a new framework for schools surrounding transgender and gender-expansive students. We'll speak with Kathleen DeCaltado, assistant commissioner for the Office of Student Support within the State Education Department. Former Lt. Gov. Richard Ravitch -- a titan of New York politics and fiscal management -- has died. We remember his time in public service and show you part of what he told us last time he was in the New York NOW studio. Explore More: nynow.org

On This Week's Edition of New York NOW: The State Assembly returned this week for a short-lived special session. We'll tell you what happened. New gun crime data was released this week. We'll have details. A bill to study the possibility of reparations in New York has passed the Legislature and heads to Gov. Hochul for a decision. We'll speak with bill sponsor Assm. Michaelle Solages. D-Nassau, who also chairs the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, Asian, and Legislative Caucus. Explore More: nynow.org

On This Week's Edition of New York NOW: We'll consider changes to the state's nascent system of publicly financed election campaigns, narrowly approved by state lawmakers at the end of the legislative session. Blair Horner, Executive Director of the New York Public Interest Research Group joins. Bill Mahoney, Capital Reporter for Politico, New York joins for a discussion on a potential update to the local election calendar and we'll highlight unfinished business for the state assembly. Explore more: nynow.org

On this week's edition of New York NOW (6/09/2023): It was the last scheduled week of this year's legislative session at the State Capitol in Albany. We'll tell you what happened. Josh Solomon from the Times Union and Rebecca Lewis from City & State NY have more analysis and news from the week. New York has invested more than half a billion dollars into the Olympics Regional Development Authority over the last six years alone. NPR's Brian Mann reports on how that money's been spent, and how that's impacted the region. (Read that story here.) Poem Renovation challenges users to express themselves by creating a new poem, with parts of an old one. Now, one teacher in New York has brought the concept into the classroom. Producer Catherine Rafferty has that story. Explore More: nynow.org

On this week's edition of New York NOW (6/02/2023): Next week is the last week of this year's legislative session. We'll tell you what to expect. Jon Campbell from WNYC/Gothamist and Ashley Hupfl from the Daily Gazette have more news and analysis from the week. Judicial ethics is in the national spotlight, but should New York expand its own judicial ethics watchdog? Robert Tembeckjian, head of the state's Commission on Judicial Conduct, joins us to discuss. Explore more: nynow.org

On This Week's Edition of New York NOW: Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins highlights potential major policies that could potentially be accomplished in the final stages of the legislative session. We explore the future of Physician Assistants, who have been granted expanded autonomy during the pandemic. Learn More: nynow.org

On this week's edition of New York NOW (5/19/2023): We explore how New York serves its aging residents, the unique challenges those individuals face, and where gaps in service exist. Greg Olsen, director of New York's Office for Aging, joins us to discuss their work and resources available to aging New Yorkers. Assembly Aging Chair Ron T. Kim chats about how the state can better serve aging residents from a legislative perspective. Explore More: nynow.org

On This Week's Edition of New York NOW: It's been one year since a white supremacist targeted and killed 10 people at a Buffalo supermarket solely because they were Black. How is the City of Good Neighbors doing, one year later? Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes, a Democrat from Buffalo, shares her thoughts on the shooting, how Buffalo can move forward, and more. As part of their coverage of the anniversary of the shooting, journalists with WBFO traveled to Charleston, SC, to see if there's anything Buffalo could learn from that city's recovery after a similar mass shooting eight years ago. WBFO Managing Editor Brigid Jaipaul-Valenza shares what they found. Learn More: nynow.org

On this week's edition of New York NOW (5/05/2023): After more than a month of delays, a new state budget was approved this week by lawmakers and Gov. Kathy Hochul. We'll have details. Anna Gronewold from Politico New York and Yancey Roy from Newsday join us with analysis and more news from the week. Patrick Orecki from the Citizens Budget Commission joins us to go over the financial side of the budget. A new edition of On The Bill looks at legislation that would ban certain pesticides that environmentalists oppose, but that many farmers depend on. Explore More: nynow.org

In this episode of NY& State Government, we provide a concise overview of how the government of New York State is structured and how it functions. Discover the roles of the governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general, and learn about the State Legislature, which is made up of the Senate and Assembly. Get a quick guide to the State Judiciary and the Court of Appeals, and explore the many other departments and agencies that make up New York State's government. Explore More: https://www.wmht.org/nys-public-media/civics/ HOW A BILL BECOMES A LAW: https://nynow.wmht.org/blogs/politics/how-a-bill-becomes-a-law-in-new-york/ FIND YOUR REPRESENTATIVES: https://wmht.org/NY& THIS EPISODE'S SOURCES: Expert Interviews: Assm. Patricia Fahy (D) District 109 Hon. Leslie E. Stein (Ret.) Court of Appeals OTHER SOURCES: NYCourts.gov https://ww2.nycourts.gov/courts/8jd/structure.shtml https://www.nycourts.gov/courts/structure.shtml NY State Senate Website: https://www.nysenate.gov/branches-government-new-y

On This Week's Edition of New York NOW: Highlights from the budget framework revealed by Gov. Kathy Hochul including NY's minimum wage and curbing illegal marijuana sales. Take a look at the ongoing teacher shortage across the Empire State. Insights and analysis at the Reporters Roundtable featuring Maysoon Khan from The Associated Press and Jon Campbell, Capitol reporter for Gothamist and WNYC radio. Explore More: nynow.org

On this week's edition of New York NOW (4/21/2023): A deal on New York's state budget between Gov. Kathy Hochul and the Legislature appears to be near. We'll tell you more. Michael Gormley from Newsday and Joe Spector from Politico New York join this week's panel with analysis. New York has a new chief judge: Rowan Wilson, who is the first person of color to hold the role. We'll tell you about him, and get analysis from Vin Bonventre, an expert on the high court from Albany Law School. Explore More: nynow.org