Small gifts to a national legal fund for AG Letitia James were redirected after reporting raised ethics concerns, reigniting debate over disclosure rules in Albany.

Public records show a Crescent Heights‑linked company tied to Council Speaker Julie Menin’s husband faces New York City tax warrants totaling about $246,000.

The state awarded roughly $72.3 million to rebuild the Capitol’s Eastern Approach in Albany; crews will dismantle, conserve and reset the carved granite over several years. Critics have pounced on the per‑step math.

Islip's Zoning Board will decide tonight whether boarding is an accessory use at the former Montfort seminary after a sale drew neighborhood pushback. The ruling could shape whether dorms are allowed without extra permits.

A New York judge declined to dismiss the state's lawsuit against Early Warning Services, the company behind Zelle, keeping claims that the network enabled over $1 billion in fraud alive. The company says the ruling was not a decision on the merits and that it intends to appeal.

St. Nicholas National Shrine has named Volodymyr Zelenskyy its 2026 Beacon Of Hope honoree; organizers plan a Sept. 26 fundraising gala at Casa Cipriani in Lower Manhattan.

A batch of state audits found officials missed nearly $670M in possible Medicaid overpayments, driven largely by unreviewed residency and premium‑payment flags. The findings raise fresh budget and oversight questions for Albany and New York City.

Mayor Mamdani unveiled "O.P.E.N. for Small Business" in the Bronx, promising 50 reforms to cut red tape and pair new owners with case managers.

More than 22,000 New Yorkers had SNAP cases closed in June after new federal work rules; the city says outreach saved many, but pantries expect demand to grow.

Michael Bloomberg asked a Manhattan court to block a July 22 deposition in a suit by former campaign staff who say he promised pay through November 2020. A recent federal ruling allowed at least one worker to press a claim against Bloomberg personally.

The State Department is reportedly weighing a plan that could require some overseas green‑card applicants to post refundable bonds — possibly up to $100,000 — to show they won’t rely on public benefits.

Senate Democrats reintroduced the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act this week — a sweeping plan to deschedule marijuana, fund expungements and funnel tax revenue into community reinvestment. The filing restarts a national debate over rescheduling vs. full descheduling.

Documents show the NY‑NJ Host Committee solicited donations in New Jersey for years without filing required paperwork with the state Attorney General.