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☆ New York City Saw Fewer Murders in 2022, but Major Crimes Overall Rose
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Jimmy Vielkind | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The number of reported murders in New York City last year dropped roughly 11% from 2021, authorities said, but the nation’s largest city still recorded an overall increase in major crimes as it grapples with a surge that started during the Covid-19 pandemic. There were 126,537 major crimes committed in the five boroughs last year—an increase of 22.4% over 2021, according to the New York Police Department. The total includes felony assault, robbery, burglary, car theft and grand larceny. The number of murders, however, edged down in 2022 to 433 from 488—the lowest level since 2019.

☆ New York Gov. Kathy Hochul Says Her Focus Is on Crime and Housing—With Less Brashness in Albany
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Jimmy Vielkind | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

ALBANY, N.Y.—New York Gov. Kathy Hochul enters her first full-term facing an uncertain economy, elevated crime and a dire housing crunch. Ms. Hochul, a Democrat, was inaugurated Sunday as the first woman elected governor of the Empire State. The former lieutenant governor first assumed the office in 2021 following former Gov. Andrew Cuomo ‘s resignation, which came amid a sexual-harassment scandal.

☆ George Santos Loses Some GOP Support on Long Island
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( Jimmy Vielkind | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Rep.-elect George Santos (R., N.Y.) has admitted he lied about this educational and work history during his campaign. Long Island Republicans are distancing themselves from embattled Rep.-elect George Santos as questions about his biography and finances pile higher. Mr. Santos, 34 years old, acknowledged in interviews this week that he lied about his educational and work history during his campaign for a congressional district in Nassau County and Queens, N.Y.

☆ George Santos Was Just Elected to Congress. He Faces Scrutiny Over His Résumé.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Jimmy Vielkind | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Democrats called for an investigation into apparent discrepancies in the biography of George Santos , a Republican elected last month to represent part of Long Island, N.Y., in the House of Representatives, with some saying he shouldn’t be seated when the new Congress is sworn in next month. Mr. Santos, 34 years old, said during the campaign that he graduated from Baruch College in Manhattan and worked at financial-service firms including Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Citigroup Inc. before making an earlier bid for Congress in 2020. A Baruch College spokesperson found no match for a student with Mr. Santos’s name and graduation date. Representatives of Citigroup and Goldman said they had no record of his employment there.

☆ George Santos Was Just Elected to Congress. He Faces Scrutiny Over His Resume.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Jimmy Vielkind | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ New York Bans Retail Sales of Dogs, Cats
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Jimmy Vielkind | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Scenes of cats and dogs in New York pet stores will start disappearing soon. New York will ban the sale of dogs, cats and rabbits in pet stores, joining other states that restrict animal sales as part of a push by animal-welfare organizations to shut down large breeders in the Midwest. The ban will take effect in 2024, according to Gov. “Dogs, cats and rabbits across New York deserve loving homes and humane treatment,” she said. Democrats have majorities in the state Legislature but the bill passed with bipartisan support earlier this year.

☆ New York Panel Unveils New Vision to Revive Manhattan
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Jimmy Vielkind | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Only 9% of Manhattan office employees are in the office five days a week, according to a survey by Partnership for New York City. A panel of philanthropic officials, former government aides and other civic and business leaders proposed a series of parks and promenades throughout some of the busiest parts of Manhattan, suggesting major changes to reposition office-centric neighborhoods for the postpandemic world. The 158-page plan, released Wednesday by a group convened by New York Mayor Eric Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul , includes a pedestrian promenade around Grand Central Terminal that connects with expanded green space along Park Avenue, running north from the commuter rail hub.

☆ Gulf Storms in Southeast U.S. Leave at Least Three Dead
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Suryatapa Bhattacharya | Jimmy Vielkind | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A tornado that tore through Killona, La., about 30 miles west of New Orleans, left a trail of destruction Wednesday. Severe storms in the southeastern U.S. left at least three people dead and others injured as dozens of tornadoes touched down in Louisiana and Mississippi late Tuesday through Wednesday, officials said. The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center is tracking a system along the Gulf of Mexico and predicted strong tornadoes and damaging thunderstorm gusts late Wednesday across parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and parts of the western Florida Panhandle.

☆ At Least Two Left Dead in Severe Gulf Storms
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Jimmy Vielkind | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Destruction seen from a tornado that tore through the area in Killona, La., about 30 miles west of New Orleans. Severe storms in the southeast left at least two people dead and others injured as tornadoes touched down in Louisiana and Mississippi late Tuesday and early Wednesday, officials said. The National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center is tracking a system along the Gulf of Mexico and predicted strong tornadoes and damaging thunderstorm gusts late Wednesday across southern parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and parts of the western Florida Panhandle.

☆ Food-Delivery Apps Press to Amend New York City Fee Caps
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Jimmy Vielkind | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Delivery companies Grubhub and DoorDash Inc. are pushing for enactment of a bill in New York City that would amend the city’s cap on the fees they can charge restaurants—a measure the companies say is urgent as a new minimum wage for delivery workers takes effect next year. Grubhub retained a former state senator and a top adviser to Mayor Eric Adams ’s 2021 campaign as it pushes for legislation introduced last month. The bill would require companies to offer basic delivery services at the capped 15% commission, but allow them to charge restaurants a premium for additional functions like marketing.

☆ New York Attorney General Defends Handling of Harassment Allegations
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Jimmy Vielkind | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

New York state Attorney General Letitia James has received criticism from an advocacy group, some New York Republicans and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s aides for her handling of the harassment claims. Letitia James , the New York Attorney General who garnered national attention for her sexual-harassment investigation into now-disgraced former Gov. Andrew Cuomo , on Wednesday defended her recent handling of harassment allegations against a former top aide. Ibrahim Khan , her former chief of staff whose resignation was announced last week, was accused in October of having inappropriate contact with two women in separate encounters outside the office, according to two people familiar with the matter.

☆ States Advancing Gun-Control Proposals Face Legal Uncertainty
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Jimmy Vielkind | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Democratic-led states where gun restrictions were upended by a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling are pushing ahead with new measures to ban concealed weapons from places such as hospitals, parks and houses of worship. Lawmakers in several states are considering legislation to replace their old permitting regimes, which gave state licensing officials wide latitude to deny permits unless a gun owner could provide sufficient justification for carrying a concealed weapon outside the home. The 6-3 high-court opinion said that New York officials had too much discretion. The court also set a new constitutional test for state and local gun-control measures: They must be consistent with the nation’s historical tradition of firearms regulation.

☆ Supreme Court Weighs Limits in Fraud Prosecutions
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Jan Wolfe | Jimmy Vielkind | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON—The Supreme Court heard arguments Monday in a set of public-corruption cases that shook up New York politics, with the justices mulling whether to limit how federal prosecutors can pursue fraud cases nationwide. The court heard two cases emerging from former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara ‘s crackdown on what he called a “show-the-money culture in Albany” during the tenure of former Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo . Mr. Cuomo, who resigned from office in August 2021, wasn’t accused of wrongdoing in the cases, but they cast a shadow over his governorship.

☆ Buffalo Supermarket Shooter Pleads Guilty to Murder, Terrorism, Prosecutors Say
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-28 | by ( Jimmy Vielkind | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Prosecutors in Buffalo, N.Y., said the man who killed 10 people during a racist massacre at a supermarket there faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison after pleading guilty to state charges on Monday. Payton Gendron , 19 years old, pleaded guilty to 15 counts, including first-degree murder and domestic terrorism, Erie County District Attorney John Flynn said. Gendron admitted to shooting 13 people during the May 14 attack on a Tops Friendly Market in a predominantly Black neighborhood.

☆ Democrats to Tackle Abortion Access, Gun Laws With New State Power
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Jimmy Vielkind | Jon Kamp | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

After this year’s midterm elections, there has been a reshuffling of political power in several states. After wins in this year’s elections, Democrats say they hope to use newfound power in Midwestern states to pass legislation aimed at protecting abortion access and enacting new gun-control measures, while the incoming Republican governor in Nevada seeks to expand school choice. The two parties are building out their agendas in the midst of a reshuffling of power in several states. Democrats flipped the state Senate in Minnesota and both legislative chambers in Michigan, meaning members of the party will have full control of government because the states have Democratic governors. Democrats won control of the Pennsylvania House, further dividing government in that state, while gaining control of the governorships in Arizona, Maryland and Massachusetts.

☆ New York Gov. Kathy Hochul Signs Bill Limiting Cryptocurrency Mining
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Jimmy Vielkind | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Kathy Hochul said mining facilities could still be co-located near renewable generation such as hydropower. ALBANY, N.Y.—New York has become the first state to restrict cryptocurrency mining after Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday signed a two-year moratorium, calling the move necessary to help protect the environment. The new law, which took effect immediately, will prevent the reactivation of fossil-fuel power plants for off-the-grid cryptocurrency mining. Mining that taps into the electrical grid will still be legal.

☆ New York Approves First Batch of Recreational Marijuana Retailers
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Jimmy Vielkind | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

New York state regulators Monday approved roughly three dozen dispensaries for the recreational sale of marijuana, despite a recent court ruling that limited the potential locations for stores. The first permits eventually will allow for the legal sale of marijuana in Manhattan, the Bronx, Queens and Staten Island—but not Brooklyn, the state’s most populous county. A federal judge in Albany earlier this month blocked the state’s Office of Cannabis Management from approving applications for stores in the borough as well as upstate regions including Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo following a lawsuit by a company owned by a person convicted of a marijuana crime in Michigan who argued that the program’s requirements discriminate against out-of-state residents.

☆ New Jersey’s Bear Hunt Is Restored, Reigniting Debate on Curbing Population
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Jimmy Vielkind | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

There have always been bears around the tree farm that Dan Black ‘s family owns in Blairstown, N.J., but they haven’t posed a problem until this year. Some amped-up ursids rampaged through rows of Christmas firs and broke branches and trunks of three dozen of them during this spring’s mating season. “It looked like a tornado came through when I first saw it,” Mr. Black, 63 years old, said. “They have to control them somehow. They’re not grizzly bears, they’re just bears, but if you get in their way, they’re going to go through you.”

☆ Hakeem Jeffries, Front-Runner to Succeed Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Forged Ties Across Spectrum
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Jimmy Vielkind | Natalie Andrews | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The presumed front-runner to succeed Nancy Pelosi as leader of the House Democrats started his political career as an insurgent. Hakeem Jeffries , then a young attorney, launched his first campaign in 2000 against a longtime incumbent to represent his central Brooklyn home in the state Assembly. He failed twice before prevailing on his third try in 2006.

☆ Man Accused of Buffalo Supermarket Shooting Is Expected to Plead Guilty
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Jimmy Vielkind | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The man accused of killing 10 Black people in a racist massacre at a Buffalo supermarket this spring is expected to plead guilty to state murder charges, according to two people briefed on the case. Payton Gendron , a 19-year-old white man, faced 25 state charges including first-degree murder and domestic terrorism in connection with the May 14 attack. Law-enforcement officials said Mr. Gendron traveled more than 200 miles from his home near Binghamton, N.Y., to the Tops Friendly Market in a predominantly Black neighborhood in Buffalo.

☆ New York to Close Migrant Tent City Less Than a Month After Opening It
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Jimmy Vielkind | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The temporary facility on Randalls Island had room to house up to 1,000 single men. New York City officials will close the tent city they built to shelter an influx of migrants less than a month after opening it, Mayor Eric Adams said Thursday. The temporary facility, with room for up to 1,000 single men in a stadium parking lot on Randalls Island, had been a screening point for the busloads of migrants who have arrived from the southern border since the spring. As many as eight buses a day were arriving in Manhattan in September, officials and nonprofit workers said.

☆ Wins in New York State Ease Republicans’ Path to House Majority
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Katy Stech Ferek | Jimmy Vielkind | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Republicans netted at least two U.S. House seats in New York after wins that included defeating a member of the Democratic leadership, putting the state at the center of its push to pick up enough districts nationwide to regain the majority. Republicans will succeed retiring Democrats in two Long Island districts, cementing GOP representation over New York City’s eastern suburbs. In the Hudson Valley, Republican candidates won two elections that were considered tossups, including Republican Mike Lawler’s defeat of Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney , the Democrats’ House campaign chief. Other races are too close to call.

☆ Few State Governor Races Result in Change of Control
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Elizabeth Findell | Jimmy Vielkind | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Gubernatorial elections resulted in few changes of control on Election Day, as Democrats held off challengers in several races that polls showed could be close including Wisconsin, New York, Kansas and Michigan, while Republican incumbents won decisively in Florida and Texas, according to the Associated Press. Democrats also prevailed in the only two states to flip, Maryland and Massachusetts.

☆ Kathy Hochul Is the First Woman to Be Elected New York’s Governor
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Jimmy Vielkind | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul became the first woman elected to lead the Empire State after she defeated Republican U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin , according to the Associated Press, in a closer-than-expected race that caught the attention of national Democrats. While there are twice as many enrolled Democrats in the state as Republicans, polls showed the race tightening in October and Ms. Hochul’s margin of victory was less than 10%, according to the state Board of Elections. That marks the best showing by a GOP gubernatorial candidate since George Pataki secured the last Republican statewide win in 2002.

☆ Voters to Pick Governors in 36 States, With Many Democrats on Defense
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Jimmy Vielkind | Elizabeth Findell | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Voters in three dozen states will choose new governors Tuesday in contests that could bring the number of states led by each party closer—or expand Republicans’ advantage. Most of the nation’s tightest races feature Democratic incumbents on defense, including in Kansas, Nevada and Wisconsin. Those elections are considered tossups by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, as are the ones to succeed GOP Gov. Doug Ducey in Arizona and Democratic Gov. Kate Brown in Oregon, both of whom are leaving office because of term limits.

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