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A  bill in the New York state Legislature  would implement new standards for Child Protective Services. The bill requires CPS workers to get a court order and inform parents and caregivers of their rights before searching homes.

New York State's Legislature is considering several bills to get the state to utilize ethical and sustainable supply chains. Learn more about it here.

A  recent report from the Prison Policy Initiative  calls for better state laws to keep incarcerated parents close to their kids. It finds 12 states including New York have measures designed to improve a child's access to incarcerated parents, but not all of these laws have the same protections.

The New York State Legislature is considering a bill to allow the creation of public banks.  The New York Public Banking Act  would authorize municipal and other local governments to form and control public banks through ownership interests such as capital stock. The hope is these banks will invest in community endeavors rather than interests in line with making the bank profit. A  report from the...

As National Reading Month ends soon, libraries across New York and the nation are dealing with the increasing number of book challenges. New data from the American Library Association  finds demands to censor certain books hit an all time high of 1,200 in 2022. This is nearly double the 729 book challenges in 2021.

A New York environmental group feels the Environmental Protection Agency's latest regulations on soot in the air do not go far enough. The  new regulations  would reduce fine particulate matter from 12 micrograms per cubic meter of air to between nine and 10. Anastasia Gordon, energy and transportation policy manager for the group We Act for Environmental Justice, wants to see it reduced to ei...

New York environmentalists are protesting banks heavily invested in the fossil fuel industry as part of a national day of action today (Tuesday). Led by the group Third Act, protests across the U.S. will consist of rallies, art installations, and activists cutting up credit cards. According to the  Rainforest Action Network's  2022 Fossil Fuel Finance report, the world's 60 largest banks i...

New York disability-rights advocates are calling for the age cap on the state's Medicaid Buy In Program to be raised or eliminated. The program is designed for people with disabilities who work  and earn more than would be allowable to qualify for regular Medicaid. This ensures people with disabilities won't be at risk of losing vital healthcare coverage, while still earning some income. T...

New York's State Legislature is considering a bill to ensure that companies contracting with the state don't contribute to tropical deforestation. The Tropical Deforestation-Free Procurement Act holds companies contracting with New York State accountable for any deforestation they might take part in, whether that's through how their product is made or through their supply chain. A study from the U...

New York's  Public Campaign Finance Program  is facing delays from the very people who approved it - New York legislators. The program was approved by the Legislature in 2020 and aims to level the playing field of campaign donations for everyday New Yorkers and special-interest groups. One element of the program is a matching system, which allows contributions of less than $250 to be mat...

A recent report finds nursing homes across New York are going without proper oversight. AARP New York's report finds about 80% of New York City's almost 300 nursing homes, assisted-living and adult-care facilities didn't receive a single visit from the state's Long Term Care Ombudsman Program during a three-month period in 2022. The reason for this is that the program has long been underfunded, a...

A bill in the New York State Legislature would increase the minimum wage to over $20 by 2026. The Raise the Wage Act would increase New York's $15 per hour minimum wage over the next three years and index each year after to match inflation. Data from the Economic Policy Institute  finds if this bill is approved, it would increase wages for about 3 million workers across the state by more than...

A review of nonprofit hospitals in New York found they are more concerned with making money than patient care. According to a patientsrightsadvocate.org survey of more than 2,000 hospitals nationwide, only 6 of 101 New York hospitals reviewed complied with federal regulations requiring all hospitals to post prices online, as well as making them easily accessible.

A new study shows rural New York is struggling with declining populations and lacking employment. The State of Rural New York examines about a decade's worth of data and rural counties experienced a population decline of 50,000 people. This was twice the rate of urban counties in the state. Other issues rural areas are facing include aging housing stock which isn't designed for seniors or people w...

New York lawmakers have introduced a bill to ban radioactive waste from being discharged from the Indian Point Energy Center . This comes as the facility's owner, Holtec International, is considering dumping treated - but still radioactive - waste into the Hudson River. The river has a history of pollutants being dumped into it, and some 200 river miles are classified as a superfund site by the En...

Proposed legislation in Albany would mean increased protections for women's healthcare providers. Brought forward by state Sen. Shelley Meyer - D-New Rochelle - the bill is part of a larger effort to make New York a safe haven for a pregnant person's right to choose. Medication abortions made up more than half of all abortions in the U.S. in 2020, according to the Guttmacher Institute . Meyer said...

A new report found antisemitism is on the rise across the U.S., but awareness of its detriment is rising as well. The report from the American Jewish Committee showed 91% of Americans know antisemitism is a serious problem. According to the New York City Police Department, hate crimes against Jewish people increased 11% from 2021 to 2022. Holly Huffnagle, U.S. director for combating antisemitism a...

As part of New York's 2024 executive budget, Gov. Kathy Hochul is aiming to further the state's climate action initiatives. One particular piece of the budget seeks to advance renewable energy through the New York Power Authority. It would allow the agency to use funds from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act to help the state meet its energy-efficiency goals, but some observers feel it is a step in...

While most New Yorkers oppose charter schools, Gov. Kathy Hochul wants to better fund them. According to the 2024 New York State Executive Budget , Hochul wants to remove the regional cap on the number of charter schools in the state. But, a poll from New York State United Teachers and United Federation of Teachers finds this isn't what New Yorkers want. Seventy-nine percent of those surveyed oppo...

Doctors are helping New Yorkers learn the difference between cardiac arrest and heart attack this February, National Heart Month. While the terms are often used interchangeably, there are important differences that could help people save a life. Comments from Dr. Srihari Naidu (SHRI-har-ee NY-doh), president, New York Chapter of the American College of Cardiology; and Dr. Ravi Johar (YO-har), chie...

Misinformation about the effects of offshore wind turbines on marine life could derail offshore wind farm projects in New York and New Jersey. The issue stems from a string of whale deaths in both states over the last two months. Experts have  not found a link  between offshore wind turbines and harm to whales, but misinformation has continued to spread.

While controversy rages on about the College Board's  Advanced Placement African American Studies course , Black students in a new survey say they want a more inclusive curriculum. In the survey by YouthTruth , Black students said they feel learning about Black American or African history can be a guiding factor for them to pursue higher education.

A new report shows social workers are not being paid equal to similar professions. The report, from the National Association of Social Workers New York Chapter finds 34% of social workers surveyed are at the same salary they were when they started their job, which on average began one to five years ago. Many feel this is one piece of a larger puzzle contributing to social workers leaving the field...

New York pharmacists would be able to dispense abortion medication under newly proposed legislation, and a person could get the prescription from a physician online or by mail. This comes after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued  new guidance  allowing retail pharmacies to sell abortion pills.

Why are students still behind after the COVID-19 pandemic? What will it take to get them caught up? Those questions and more were considered in new research.