Gov. Kathy Hochul enters 2026 with her strongest favorability rating since taking office, commanding wide leads over both Democratic and Republican challengers, according to a new Siena College poll — a political rebound that comes after a highly public and unusually bitter rupture with her former lieutenant governor, Antonio Delgado. An AI-generated illustration depicts Gov. Kathy Hochul and Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado facing off amid their political rift. Photo illustration ge

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced plans to extend and codify sanctuary-style protections statewide, citing public safety concerns and civil liberties in the wake of two controversial shootings involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in Minnesota that have sparked national outrage. Governor Hochul Introduces the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act to limit state cooperation with ICE The move follows deadly ICE encounters in Minneapolis that have intensified scrutiny

Demitria Lawton-Greggs On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I talked over the phone with Demitria Lawton-Greggs, principal of Flower City School No. 54, to talk about legacy, not as abstraction or slogan, but as something lived daily in classrooms, hallways, and hard conversations. For Lawton-Greggs, King’s legacy is not simply remembered; it is practiced. “King opened doors,” she told me. “The fact that we can have all types of people sit in one room, not worry about status, not

Rochester Police Chief David Smith and Mayor Malik Evans at a press conference, highlighted progress in public safety in 2025 City of Rochester public safety leaders on Tuesday provided an overview of crime statistics for 2025, highlighting significant declines in violent crime while urging continued efforts to address persistent challenges. In a year-end briefing, Rochester Police Chief David Smith and Mayor Malik Evans said nearly all major gun violence metrics fell to thei