President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw from the presidential race this late in the political calendar is unprecedented and has sent a jolt through both the Democratic and Republican presidential campaigns.

But according to the chairman of New York’s Democratic Party, Vice President Kamala Harris is the one and only choice to run for the top spot, and New York state’s leaders are behind her.

As top New York Democrats began rushing to endorse Kamala Harris for president on Sunday, Mayor Eric Adams did not join the stampede.

“I have a great deal of respect for the vice president, but I think there’s a process in place and we’re going to allow that process to go through,” Adams told NY1’s Dean Meminger on Sunday after news President Joe Biden had dropped out of the race and endorsed Harris.

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- New York state delegates to the Democratic National Convention had varying opinions when President Joe Biden announced he was no longer seeking reelection over the weekend.

"I was very shocked because he was really holding strong about running and continue to run into the fall but now I think that the president made the right decision," Buffalo Common Council Member Mitch Nowakowski said.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Rep. Joseph Morelle thanked President Joe Biden for his service and threw his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris for president of the United States on Monday.

Describing Biden as a true leader, Morelle says he put the needs of the country ahead of himself.

U.S. Rep. Nick Langworthy on Monday introduced a resolution demanding the termination of U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle following the attempted assassination of former President Trump more than a week ago.

Cheatle was questioned on Capitol Hill Monday by the House Oversight Committee and has been called on to resign by the top Republican and Democratic lawmakers on that panel and other bipartisan members of Congress. Cheatle acknowledged her agency failed in protecting Trump but has refused to step down.

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Former Democratic U.S. Rep. Henry Nowak, who represented Western New York from 1975 to 1992, has died. He was 89.

“On a day of great change for Democrats, the ... community mourns the passing of one of the greatest elected officials we have ever had,” Erie County Democratic Chairman Jeremy Zellner said on X, announcing the death Sunday after President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential race.

As the dust settles from President Joe Biden’s decision to bow out of the 2024 presidential race, all eyes are on Vice President Kamala Harris, and the upcoming Democratic National Convention.

Alain Sanders, professor emeritus of political science at Saint Peter’s University, joined “News All Day” on Monday to share his insight on the upcoming Democratic National Convention.

Less than a week ago, Republicans firmly held the political spotlight coming off a convention where the party rallied around former President Donald Trump. But just as quickly, Democrats have grabbed the current news cycle, with President Joe Biden announcing his decision to end his reelection campaign and choosing to endorse his vice president, Kamala Harris, as the Democratic nominee.

According to Republican political strategist Bill O’Reilly, Biden’s decision has upended the Republican’s line of attack.

Bronx Rep. Ritchie Torres has thrown his weight behind Vice President Kamala Harris following President Joe Biden’s announcement that he will not seek reelection in November.

With the Democratic National Convention set for Aug. 19 and the general election just four months away, Biden’s decision has added an unexpected twist into the race. Torres, however, sees Harris as the natural successor, saying her ascension has "an aura of inevitability."

New York officials reacted Sunday after President Joe Biden announced he will not seek reelection.

Biden made the announcement in a letter posted to social media.

Gov. Kathy Hochul has requested a federal emergency declaration from President Joe Biden to support response and recovery operations in 15 counties following a string of severe weather which recently devastated areas throughout upstate New York.

This declaration would authorize FEMA to provide reimbursement for debris removal operations, emergency protective measures like search and rescue operations, and actions to eliminate or reduce immediate threats of significant additional damage to critical infrastructure such as roads, bridges, water control facilities and utilities.

Leaders from counties across New York state are still working to get a handle on the massive computer system crash caused by the global CrowdStrike outage early Friday. These issues are expected to continue through the weekend and possibly beyond for many people, organizations and municipalities.

Gov. Kathy Hochul says that New York state officials are continuing to address the IT outage of Windows computers affected and have made significant progress in restoring systems.

Arnold Fernandez is many things: a father, husband and soon to be grandfather. He’s also one of many struggling New Yorkers facing eviction.

“I’ve never been to a shelter. I’ve seen a lot of news about the shelters, but I’ve never been to one,” he said.

As calls for President Joe Biden to drop his reelection bid grew louder Friday, the commander-in-chief also got a dose of public support from several high profile New Yorkers.

In an Instagram live feed, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said people “underestimate” Biden and argued for keeping the Biden-Harris ticket intact. “I have not seen an alternative scenario that I feel does not set us up for enormous peril,” she said.

The state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision determined two correctional facilities in upstate New York can be safely closed. It comes after state budget language approved earlier this year allowed the state to close up to five prisons with 90 days' notice.

Great Meadow Correctional Facility in Washington County and Sullivan Correctional Facilities in Sullivan County will close on Nov. 6, DOCCS said Thursday. The decision comes after a DOCCS reviewed the state’s 44 prisons, taking into account diminished incarcerated populations; physical infrastructure; program offerings; whether inmates can be relocated to other institutions; security levels; specialized medical and mental health services; and areas of the state where prior closures have occurred in order to minimize the impact to communities and other factors.

During a conversation Thursday at the Hearst Tower in New York City with reporter Dan Clark, Gov. Kathy Hochul stated the state’s aggressive climate law was becoming costly to implement, like congestion pricing. Because Hochul paused congestion pricing, Capital Tonight asked Doreen Harris, president and CEO of NYSERDA – the New York State Energy, Research and Development Authority – if the administration had plans to pause the implementation of its already delayed climate goals. Harris said no.

“Absolutely not. And instead, what we are seeing is this market response. Clearly, change takes time but at the same time, when we set these goals, we see the market responding in ways that are truly transforming our economy and, and, benefitting New Yorkers. So, our commitment remains firm,” she said.

CHAUTAUQUA, N.Y. — The Chautauqua Institution Summer Lecture Series welcomed former Barack Obama cabinet member Julián Castro and former Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to its stage Friday.

The topic was the future of humankind in a crowded world but with so much happening in the country lately, a lot of the focus was on current events.

Capital Tonight has been reporting on the push to broaden the kinds of opioid antagonists the state uses to stop overdoses. The state presently contracts with only one maker of naloxone or Narcan, but that may change.

According to the state Health Department Commissioner Dr. Jim McDonald, DOH will issue a new procurement next year to see if the state can get a better price on the drug.

New York's decision to close two maximum-security prisons this fall has left small towns like Comstock in Washington County facing an uncertain future.

The state announced Thursday that Great Meadow Correctional Facility in Washington County and Sullivan Correctional Facility in Sullivan County will close Nov. 6, eliminating over 900 jobs. For Comstock, a town that has long relied on the prison for economic stability, the closure threatens to turn it into a ghost town.

Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday committed $100 million to fund energy conversion aimed at "decarbonizing" the Empire State Plaza and Capitol in Albany.

Designed to reduce the environmental impacts of the 98-acre state government complex and advance New York state's climate goals, the phased project is outlined in the Empire State Plaza Energy Infrastructure Master Plan released on Friday.

New York Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli has released a new report on the State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2024-25 Enacted Budget Financial Plan, which forecasts a cumulative three-year budget gap of $13.9 billion by the Division of the Budget (DOB).

DiNapoli says action is needed to align projected state spending with revenues and address factors that challenge the state’s finances, economic competitiveness, and ability to offer services effectively over the long term.

Gov. Kathy Hochul has announced that flags at all New York state buildings will fly at half-staff in honor of Corey Comperatore on July 19.

Comperatore, a former fire chief who was shot and killed at Donald Trump's rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13, spent his final moments protecting his family from gunfire in the attempted assassination of the former president.

The chairman of New York state’s Republican Party on Friday praised former President Donald Trump's call for unity at the Republican National Convention and expressed optimism about flipping New York from blue to red.

"He gave a strong speech vowing to be the candidate that unites the American people," Ed Cox said during an appearance on “Mornings On 1.” "We have a shared destiny, as he said it."

Joe Biden is facing growing pressure to drop his reelection bid, with Democrats worried his presence on the ticket could cost them in down ballot contests.

New York is home to several of the competitive congressional districts that Democrats hope to flip in order to win back control of the U.S. House. However, polling shows Biden’s popularity in New York has sagged compared to 2020, prompting questions whether he might be a drag on Democrats in those key congressional races.

A judge temporarily struck down part of a pay raise for New York state lawmakers on Wednesday.

In exchange for the raise, lawmakers were expected to limit their outside income to $35,000 annually outside of their legislative salaries with some caveats. That part is set to go into effect on Jan. 1.

The final night of the Republican National Convention is Thursday with former President Donald Trump delivering the keynote speech and officially accepting his party’s nomination for the third consecutive election.

One of the notable people in the audience will be Hudson Valley U.S. Rep. Marc Molinaro, who has introduced legislation creating a registry of immigrants in the country illegally who have committed felonies.

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Albany County District Attorney David Soares won't be on the ballot in November but the incumbent has high hopes anyway.

"The party bosses have written me off but the people of Albany County are going to write me in," he said.

The battle between the two sides of City Hall over the confirmation of mayoral appointments doesn’t seem to be subsiding anytime soon.

On Thursday, the City Council filed what’s known as its advice and consent ballot question with the Board of Elections.

ALBANY, N.Y. -- Following recent pressure from addiction services organizations, the New York state Department of Health appears to be open to purchasing other brands of opioid overdose reversal drug naloxone besides the most well-known, Narcan.

However, that likely won't happen until at least next year. The DOH confirmed Thursday it will opt in to another year of the current $21 million contract with pharmaceutical subsidiary Emergent Devices.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation that will expand the number of judges appointed and elected statewide in an effort to help reduce the case backlog in family and civil courts, her office announced Wednesday.

The new law will increases the number of family and civil court judges by 28. Two will be assigned to Nassau County, two will be assigned to Suffolk County, and one additional judge will be assigned in each of the following counties: Cayuga, Chenango, Cortland, Erie, Jefferson, Rensselaer, Rockland and Westchester.

After the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, leaders of both parties called for turning down the political heat.

But that has given rise to a war of words, as some Republicans argue the rhetoric of Democrats is dangerous - even though some prominent Republicans have used similar language to describe Joe Biden. Democrats say blaming them for inflamed rhetoric is cynical at best, given who leads the GOP presidential ticket.

Central Hudson customers will pay an additional $12 and change per month for electric and gas under new rate plans established Thursday by the New York State Public Service Commission.

The "typical" residential electric customer will see a 7.85% increase, or approximately $12.65 per month, while the same residential natural gas customer will pay an approximately 9.19% increase, or about $12.25 a month, according to Central Hudson.

The New York state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision has determined that two correctional facilities in upstate can be safely closed, following through on state budget language approved earlier this year that allowed the state to close up to five prisons with 90 days' notice.

Great Meadow Correctional Facility, in Washington County, and Sullivan Correctional Facilities, in Sullivan County, will close on Nov. 6, DOCCS said Thursday.

This week marks the 10-year anniversary of the death of Eric Garner, a man who was placed in an illegal chokehold by police who were arresting him for selling cigarettes illegally on a Staten Island street. Garner’s dying words to police, “I can’t breathe,” became a rallying cry for protesters who were outraged at the police brutality.

Debi Rose was a former Staten Island councilwoman whose district included the block where Garner was killed. Reverend Kirsten Foy is an activist who was a major organizer around the Garner case. They both joined NY1’s Errol Louis to tell the story of Garner’s killing and the many attempts by his family to fight for justice. They also discussed what, if anything, has changed in the ensuing decade.

It has been 10 years since Eric Garner died at the hands of an NYPD officer who put him in a banned chokehold. Community members on Staten Island, where Garner lived, are still organizing to keep his memory alive.

On Wednesday, more than a dozen people marched from the Staten Island Ferry to a block party in Tompkinsville Park, across the street from the Staten Island sidewalk where Garner died.

New York parents are expected to pose the greatest pushback to Gov. Kathy Hochul's plans to limit the use of smartphones in schools, but lawmakers and leaders with the state Parent Teacher Association said Wednesday they're prepared to defend the proposal, which will keep students the most safe.

Hochul and her staff have held meetings every day this week to shape a new policy to limit the use of smartphones and other mobile devices in New York schools — with the governor meeting with Capital Region schools Monday and districts Tuesday on Long Island. Other representatives of her office met with the state PTA on Wednesday about the proposal for elementary, middle and high school students.

With just four months to go until the fall election, financial disclosure filings show Democrats have the cash-on-hand advantage in most of the competitive congressional seats across New York.

In many cases, the Democrats outraised their Republican opponents in those contests in the second quarter, which includes all of April, May and June.

The city has seen nearly six straight months of double-digit drops in subway crime since the NYPD surged officers into the system in February, officials said Wednesday.

Transit crime dropped by 15.3% year over year in June, marking the fifth straight month of double-digit decreases, NYPD data shows.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday toured storm damage in the city of Rome after a devastating tornado touched down on the region Tuesday afternoon, following a week of multiple confirmed tornados and dozens of tornado warnings across the state.

“This is the worst event to ever hit the city of Rome in its long 228-year history,” Hochul said at a press briefing Wednesday afternoon.

As of Wednesday, there are 111 days until Americans vote in the 2024 presidential election on Nov. 5. Between now and then, even more ink will be spilled regarding a policy blueprint drafted by the conservative Heritage Foundation called Project 2025, which was designed as a policy playbook for the next Republican administration.

The 900-page “Mandate for Leadership” includes specific policy proposals like cracking down on abortion, (including medical abortion), eliminating the Department of Education, and transforming civil service jobs within the federal government.

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Western New York conservative talk show host and decorated Army veteran David Bellavia says people close to Donald Trump approached him about a month ago about speaking at the Republican National Convention.

He's talking about national security and military recruitment.

A bill passed late in the New York legislative session aims to create a state sustainability officer.

The role would be tied to the wide range of efforts underway to meet New York's ambitious climate goals, which state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli said Wednesday needs improved planning, monitoring and assessment.

Albany County District Attorney David Soares, coming off a Democratic primary election loss last month, will mount a write-in campaign for the general election.

Soares, who has been DA for 20 years, lost the June Democratic primary election to Lee Kindlon. Ralph Ambrosio is running on the Republican line in the general election.

Rep. Tim Kennedy has joined the bipartisan calls urging the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to delay new rules that would require dogs entering the U.S. from Canada to be older than six months and have a CDC-approved Dog Import Form, among other things.

“I am working across the aisle to ensure people can continue to cross the Northern Border with their canine family members,” Kennedy said in a statement. “This CDC policy places an excessive burden on U.S. citizens, especially in border communities like ours, which will contribute to increased processing time, longer border backups, and diminished economic returns. The CDC must delay implementing this rule until we find a more balanced approach.”

As he runs for the White House again, former President Donald Trump is aggressively courting Black voters – a group that for decades has been the bedrock of the Democratic vote.

During his Manhattan criminal trial, Trump hosted rallies in New York City neighborhoods that are traditionally heavily Democratic.

State Assembly education leaders said Tuesday the Legislature should not rush to reduce the number of emergency drills conducted in New York schools each year after the Board of Regents adopted rules this week to mandate parents be notified of an exercise at least one week beforehand.

Starting this fall, about 6 million parents in the state will be informed in advance of a school lockdown or evacuation drills, according to new guidelines the Board of Regents voted to adopt Monday. Drills must also be age-appropriate for students and trauma-informed — reform education leaders have worked on after parents have complained about harmful drill practices including using fake firearms to imititate an active shooter emergency.

Queens native and long-time resident of Long Island Mike Sapraicone is meeting the Republican Party faithful in Milwaukee and trying to raise his name recognition within the GOP.

Sapraicone served in the NYPD for 20 years, working his way up to detective. According to his biography he “combated gang violence, illegal gun trafficking, and led high-profile homicide investigations”. When he retired from the force, he transitioned into private security, starting a 600-employee company that provides armed security services to the nation’s largest corporations.

A bill waiting for Gov. Kathy Hochul's signature would create a registry for private student loan debt.

Jordan Daniels, student loan manager at Empire Justice Center, explained that families often turn to private student loans when a federal loan and financial aid don’t quite close the gap.

A typical Tuesday at City Hall involves Mayor Eric Adams taking questions from the media.

But this week’s briefing was more intense for the mayor, who was hot under the collar, highly critical of the media and defensive of his administration.

J. Landress Brass sells, restores, repairs and fabricates brass instruments out of Manhattan.

Owner Josh Landress said it's the last store of its kind in New York City.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Americans across all parties share many policy preferences, with overlaps on hot-button issues such as abortion, gun restrictions and even Project 2025.

“The types of issues that seem to get picked up are issues that seem to be what a lot of commentators refer to as cultural issues that cast one group against another group,” University of Rochester professor of political science James Druckman said. “So immigration is a classic example, right? And when these issues become moralized, it becomes much more difficult to find a middle ground.”

A day after Ohio Sen. JD Vance secured his spot as former President Donald Trump’s running mate, New York Rep. Nicole Malliotakis lauded him as a “great pick.”

The Republican congresswoman, whose district includes Staten Island and part of Brooklyn, is currently attending the Republican National Convention in Wisconsin, where Vance was officially selected by delegates to be the party’s nominee for vice president.

Ninety New York delegates are part of those gathered at the Republican National Convention this week in Milwaukee.

There is both anticipation and anxiety after Saturday’s assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump.

Tompkinsville barber Daniel Ewing said it seems like yesterday that Eric Garner was sitting in his chair, but it was July 17, 2014.

“He came, wanted to get it cut,” Ewing recalled. “He’d just get his normal cut, a shave. I laid him back. He immediately [falls] asleep because he has sleep apnea, so would get a kick out of that. After I’m done with him, he left. About 10 minutes later, I found out what happened.”

Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday condemned Saturday's assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, but tied political violence to one of her top legislative priorities next year: Cracking down on the use of smartphones in schools.

The governor Monday led the first of several roundtables to be held with educators across the state to shape a proposal to limit the use of smartphones in schools on the heels of signing new social media rules for minors into law.

It’s been just a few days since Fire Department Commissioner Laura Kavanagh announced her resignation and it is still unclear who will replace her.

Mayor Eric Adams said Kavanagh will serve until a replacement is found.

U.S. Rep. Nick Langworthy, who represents New York's 23rd Congressional District, joined Capital Tonight host Susan Arbetter on Monday to talk about the 2024 Republican National Convention, Donald Trump selecting Ohio Sen. JD Vance as his vice presidential running mate, political rhetoric and the attack on Trump.

The 23rd District is made up of parts of Western New York and the Southern Tier.

State lawmakers reacted Monday to Saturday’s assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, and death of bystander, Corey Comperatore, a former fire chief who spent his final moments protecting his family from gunfire.

Acknowledging heightened rhetoric in recent years on both sides of the aisle, they largely called for an adjustment in that tone.

New York state Republican Party Chairman Ed Cox joined Capital Tonight host Susan Arbetter from Milwaukee’s Fiserv Forum, the site of the 2024 Republican National Convention, to discuss the selection of Ohio Senator JD Vance as Donald Trump’s running mate.

Cox also reacted to President Joe Biden’s call to lower the “temperature” of national political rhetoric in the lead-up to the election.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul raised more than $7.3 million in the first half of 2024, her campaign announced Tuesday morning, a record-breaking amount for any governor at this point in the election cycle.

Of that money raised, $5.8 million comes for Friends for Kathy Hochul for her re-election bid and more than $1.4 million for the state Democratic Party.

For Aaron Gaza and his girlfriend, Kailey Coelho, a day of joy and patriotism turned into their worst nightmare.

“It was the most traumatic thing I think I’ve ever been through," Coelho said.

The growing popularity of electric bicycles are fueling concerns over the dangers associated with lithium-ion batteries. New York state is rolling out new guidelines to promote the safer use of the equipment.

More than 1.1 million e-bikes were sold across the country in 2022, four times the amount sold in 2019, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Paired with lots of sales are fires caused by their batteries, some of which have been fatal.

New York state Republican Chairman Ed Cox said Monday that the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump during a rally in Pennsylvania is likely going to reshape the landscape of the 2024 presidential election.

In an interview on “Mornings On 1,” Cox stressed that Democrats and Republicans should “absolutely” tone down their rhetoric, highlighting past remarks by President Joe Biden regarding Trump.

Reactions are pouring in from leaders across New York state after former President Donald Trump was whisked off the stage at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Saturday night after a shooting that killed at least one rally attendee.

The former president said he was "shot with a bullet" that pierced part of his ear.

Reactions are pouring in from leaders and organizations across New York state after Former President Donald Trump was whisked off the stage at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on Saturday night after a shooting that killed at least one rally attendee.

The former president said he was "shot with a bullet" that pierced part of his ear.

All week, Brooklyn Congressman Hakeem Jeffries got an earful from his Democratic colleagues on Capitol Hill.

Currently in his second year as the top House Democrat, Jeffries is navigating a critical moment for his party — one that could help determine if he becomes House Speaker next year.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday continued her staunch defense of President Joe Biden’s reelection bid as national Democrats splinter over the president’s future — this time using foreign policy and his briefing at the recent NATO summit as the backdrop for her argument.

“That’s who I want dealing with Putin and President Xi and everybody else and dealing with our challenges we have in the Middle East and with NATO. That is the person to preserve world order,” Hochul said of Biden Friday at an infrastructure announcement in Albany.

President Joe Biden’s first major press conference in more than six months did little to create unity among state Democrats who are bickering over his political future.

While Gov. Kathy Hochul continues to be a cheerleader for the president, some state delegates for the party’s national convention next month are hoping he’ll drop out of the race.

President Joe Biden met with groups of Democrats in Congress on Friday to shore up support amid as calls for the incumbent to step down from the ticket continue

The meetings come after a huddle with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, which the New York Democrat detailed in a letter on Friday morning.

It’s been two weeks since President Joe Biden’s disastrous performance in a debate against Republican challenger Donald Trump. As the fallout from that night continues, where do New York Democrats stand? NY1 investigative reporter Courtney Gross, political reporter Bobby Cuza and Washington correspondent Kevin Frey discuss New York lawmakers’ level of commitment to the president and the national implications of their wavering status.

After that, Mayor Eric Adams is talking trash again. The mayor rolled out the city’s first official trash bin, dubbed the "NYC Bin.” Buildings with one to nine residential units will be required to use secure bins of 55 gallons or less for trash set-out starting Nov. 12 of this year and start using special new trash bins in 2026. Spectrum New York political director Bob Hardt joins the “Off Topic” team to discuss the benefits and downsides of the new initiative, which aims to move toward a “safer, faster and cleaner collection.” And fewer rats.

“The debate was a wake-up call; we’ve got to be honest about that.”

Rep. Pat Ryan this week became the first congressional Democrat from New York to publicly call on Joe Biden to drop out of the presidential race, arguing the risk of a second Donald Trump presidency is just too great.

Elected Democrats in New York are deeply divided over supporting President Biden’s re-election bid.

The split is perhaps best illustrated by Gov. Kathy Hochul, who is with Biden, and Lieutenant Gov. Antonio Delgado, who thinks the president should throw in the towel.

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- As the effort to tackle plastic pollution across the country and the globe continues to build, there are a lot of new products on the market.

Beyond Plastics President and former Environmental Protection Agency Regional Administrator Judith Enck said it comes with good and bad.

Donald Trump’s lawyers are urging the judge in his New York hush money case to overturn his conviction and dismiss the case in the wake of the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on presidential immunity.

The former president's lawyers wrote in papers made public Thursday that prosecutors rushed to try Trump in the spring while the high court was still considering his immunity claims. Trump was convicted in May of falsifying records to cover up a potential sex scandal. He is the first ex-president convicted of a crime.

A proposed amendment to New York's constitution to bar discrimination over “gender identity” and “pregnancy outcomes” will appear on the ballot this November, the state's high court ruled Thursday.

The decision from the Court of Appeals affirms a lower court ruling from June, dismissing an appeal “upon the ground that no substantial constitutional question is directly involved.”

Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday signed a package of bills aimed at reducing the risk of e-bike battery fires.

The legislation focuses on e-bike, e-scooter and moped safety standards, as well as the sale, storage and charging of lithium-ion batteries.

Conversations are continuing among House Democrats about whether they believe President Joe Biden should continue to run for reelection, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said Thursday.

Jeffries refused to discuss details about the conversations or indicate where he personally stands on the matter.

Federal environmental officials said Wednesday they need to collect more data from the Hudson River before they determine how well six years of dredging completed in 2015 to clean up the river is working.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released a draft review on the cleanup of polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, from a 40-mile stretch of the river north of Albany. The EPA concluded that while overall PCB levels in water and fish are going down, the agency needs more data on fish to determine if the cleanup is meeting initial expectations.

When it comes to local politics, it’s already been a sticky summer. From congestion pricing being put on hold to the 2025 mayoral race already heating up, there’s been plenty of major news in New York City beyond the fight for the White House.

This week, NY1’s Errol Louis was joined by two journalists who cover City Hall: Katie Honan from the news outlet The City and Jeff Mays from The New York Times. They examine the events of early summer, look at the mayor’s complicated relationship with the media and discuss why Gov. Kathy Hochul’s decision to cancel congestion pricing could backfire politically.

Rep. Pat Ryan has joined the small list of House Democrats asking President Joe Biden to step aside – becoming the first New Yorker in Congress to do so publicly.

“Trump is an existential threat to American democracy; it is our duty to put forward the strongest candidate against him,” Ryan wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Wednesday. “Joe Biden is a patriot but is no longer the best candidate to defeat Trump.”

LOCKPORT, N.Y. — Save the Michaels of the World opened its Lockport recovery center in 2019 and moved to the current location on Walnut Street in May 2023.

Program Director Emily Buteyn said the operation has expanded significantly, averaging roughly 1,000 visits a month, including services for about 100 homeless individuals.

Gov. Kathy Hochul and Lieutenant Gov. Antonio Delgado are publicly divided over whether President Joe Biden should continue running for re-election, with Hochul saying yes and her top deputy saying no.

“[Biden] is welcome here any day. We spoke about President Biden when [our administration] announced, just a couple of days ago, the largest federal infrastructure project in American history,” Hochul said during a phone interview with Spectrum News Wednesday morning.

Federal leaders, including President Joe Biden, have been touting the CHIPS and Science Act for attracting semiconductor development to places like Central New York with Micron. But a new Op-Ed by Leecia Eve, former deputy secretary for economic development in New York, stresses the need for the semiconductor boom to not leave any community behind.

Capital Tonight talked with the former deputy secretary-turned-partner at Ichor Strategies, on Wednesday.

A recently passed bipartisan bill aims to regulate how close new schools can be to major roadways. The Schools Impacted by Gross Highways, or SIGH Act, applies to controlled access highways, with newly constructed facilities required to be at least 500 feet away, with some exceptions.

Across the state, thousands of students attend schools near these major roadways, where the air quality is unquestionably a concern for their health and safety.

Members of the Democratic Mayors Association met virtually with President Joe Biden on Tuesday amid concerns about his fitness for the nation’s top job. Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan, who was on Tuesday’s call, joined Capital Tonight to discuss her support of the president, as well as her recent trip to Ukraine, which is closing in on 2 1/2 years in its war against Russia.

School districts across New York state are expected to electrify bus fleets by 2035. As of 2027, they won’t be able to purchase diesel-powered buses.

“This situation is not a one size fits all,” said New York Association for Pupil Transportation President-Elect Marc Medina.

New York Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado says President Joe Biden should end his campaign for reelection and make room for a new leader, the highest-ranking New York Democrat so far to do so.

Delgado on Wednesday wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he has "immense respect and admiration for his deep and abiding commitment to the American people and our founding democratic ideals. He can add to his legacy, showing his strength and grace, by ending his campaign and making room for a new leader."

With just under four months to go until the November election, a handful of congressional Democrats are calling on President Joe Biden to stand down from his reelection bid.

According to multiple reports, over the weekend on a private call with House Democratic leaders, New York Reps. Jerry Nadler and Joe Morelle were among those to argue for the president to step aside.

When it comes to presidential politics, New York doesn’t get much attention.

Other than being a common state of residence for presidents at the time of their election (the most recent being Donald Trump in 2016 before he changed residency to Florida), the state and its large number of electoral votes has been a Democratic stronghold for two generations. Ronald Reagan was the last Republican nominee to carry the state in 1984, and the state is expected to continue its long Democratic streak in 2024.

Rochester Mayor Malik Evans pledged his support to President Joe Biden following a virtual meeting on Tuesday.

The president met with more than 200 Democratic mayors across the country about the 2024 election and his plans to stay in the race.

The Democrats’ divisions over President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign were laid bare Tuesday on Capitol Hill, as a mixture of acquiescence and anxiety permeated segments of the Democratic coalition.

In the morning, a Manhattan Democrat reversed course on his thinking about Biden’s future. Meanwhile, New York Republicans in battleground seats are watching the Democratic divisions play out in real time, with election day less than four months away.

The state Legislature wants a successful program that helps New York homeowners facing instability stay in their home to be removed from the budget negotiation table.

The 2025 budget included $40 million for the Homeowner Protection Program, or HOPP, which provides legal counseling and services for low-income homeowners navigating mortgage delinquency, deed theft, predatory lending, scams and other threats.

Former New York State Assembly Majority Leader Jim Tallon has died, according to public officials.

Tallon served in the New York State Assembly for 19 years and represented Binghamton and parts of Broome County. He was majority leader from 1987 to 1993, was chair of the Assembly Health Committee from 1979 to 1987 and served as Assembly speaker for three days in December 1991.

With heat indexes going over 100 degrees in parts of upstate New York, there is a renewed focus on the impact that heat has on people who have to live and work in these conditions.

One of those places are New York’s prisons where workers and incarcerated people have to deal with these temperatures in older buildings.

Lawmakers are pushing ahead with a series of proposals to address New York's child care crisis. They say continuing issues of affordability and workforce development are exacerbating the issue across the state.

Coming out of the budget process, child care advocates were disappointed by a lack of progress, but say they are encouraged that three significant bills did pass at the very end of session. Now, they are calling on Gov. Kathy Hochul to take action.