Extreme Weather Continues To Grow in Frequency and Intensity — Dozens of Temperature and Snowfall Records Broken in Recent Years, Along With Numerous Significant Rainfalls and Wildfires
Governor Launched Innovative State Weather Risk Communication Center at UAlbany; Invested More Than $25 Million to Expand Regional Presence of State Emergency Management Staff and Response Assets
In contrast to the malicious negligence of climate-denying Trump, HHS Secretary Kristi Noem, Republican governors including Texas Governor Greg Abbott, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul has worked for years stepping up the state’s mitigation and protection against the worsening severity and likelihood of climate disasters. After the tragic results of the Republican administration in Texas failure to spend money from its $30 billion “rainy day fund” on emergency warning system that could have prevented the loss of life of Camp Mystic and throughout the flash-flood prone region, and the extraordinary negligence of Kristi Noem who failed to send out rescue teams for 72 hours, Governor Hochul sought to alleviate New Yorkers’ concerns by focusing on how the state prepares for extreme weather and taking actions to mitigate for climate change as the state transitions to a clean-energy economy.- Karen Rubin/news-photos-features.com
Governor Kathy Hochul updated New Yorkers on the state’s preparedness and response capabilities as extreme weather continues to grow in frequency and intensity each year. In the face of this growing threat, as well as looming cuts in critical federal funding, Governor Hochul has made it a top priority to invest in the State’s capabilities to prepare for, and respond to, all types of extreme weather.
“New York State is no stranger to extreme weather, and New Yorkers must be prepared for the myriad of severe weather events that come our way,” Governor Hochul said. “Keeping our state safe and protected is my top priority, and my administration is committed to ensuring accessible emergency weather preparedness and an all-hands-on-deck approach to response and recovery operations as severe weather threats increase.”
New York has one of the nation’s most diverse threat landscapes, especially when it comes to the threat of extreme weather. Since taking office in 2021, weather-related natural disasters have resulted in eight Major Disaster Declarations, five Emergency Declarations and one Fire Management Assistance Grant Declaration from the federal government, as well as the declaration of at least 19 State Disaster Emergencies by Governor Hochul herself.
The diversity of natural threats has been wide ranging too. In 2024 and 2025 alone, New York has:
Broken 49 High Temperature Records
Broken 10 Low Temperature Records
Broken 19 Snowfall Records
Experienced 38 Tornadoes
Experienced 20 significant brush and wildfires, including the largest wildfire in NYS in 30+ years
Experienced at least 20 significant rainfall events; and
Experienced impacts from two tropical systems (Beryl and Debby)
New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray said, “Extreme weather events are now the norm, so being prepared is our best defense. We are fortunate to have a Governor that not only understands this, but actively does something about it. The significant investments Governor Hochul has made in training, equipment, planning and staffing have prepared us to support our local partners and all New Yorkers when a severe weather emergency strikes.”
“New York is leading the nation in building a strong connection between weather experts, emergency managers and the public— which is critical as our state faces increasingly frequent and extreme weather,: New York State Weather Risk Communication Center Director Nick Bassill said. “From hurricanes to lake effect snow and everything in between, the State Weather Risk Communication Center at UAlbany is working daily to help state and local emergency managers better prepare for and respond to severe weather events. I’d like to thank Governor Hochul and Commissioner Bray for their continued support and remain committed to making our communities safer and more resilient.”
Strengthening Preparedness and Response, While Building Resiliency
Under the leadership of Governor Hochul, New York has invested heavily in not only preparedness and response capabilities, but in building a more resilient state. Some of those efforts have included:
In December 2023, Governor Hochul announced the creation of New York’s State Weather Risk Communication Center (SWRCC) at the State University of New York at Albany. The Center is a first-of-its kind operational collaboration between university researchers and state emergency managers and serves as a clearinghouse for critical weather information. It also works to develop tools to help emergency managers make informed decisions to help protect communities and examines how communicating extreme weather risks to the public can be improved.
Governor Hochul secured $15 million in the FY25 Enacted Budget to enable the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services to supply county partners with critical emergency response assets such as generators, high-flow pumps and flood barrier technology.
Governor Hochul secured an additional $10.4 million in the FY25 Enacted Budget to further strengthen the regional presence of State Emergency Management Staff, which will add to the volume and availability of on-the-ground support, planning, trainings, exercises, as well as build out our analytic and geospatial capabilities.
Governor Hochul secured a total of $90 million in the past two years to launch the Resilient & Ready, an initiative administered by New York Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) consisting of two programs that support resiliency and home repair efforts for low-and-moderate income homeowners. The Resilient Retrofits program provides assistance to eligible homeowners for making proactive flood mitigation and resiliency improvements. The Rapid Response program helps assist eligible households that experience home damage to make necessary repairs in the aftermath of certain major storms.
In January 2024, the Governor announced a comprehensive resiliency plan to protect people, communities, infrastructure and homes.
Following the devastating tornado in Rome, Governor Hochul provided $11 million in Emergency Assistance, including up to $5 million for homeowners and $4 million for demolition in Oneida County after the event did not qualify for federal assistance. Another in May 2025 provided $3.5 million to rehab two buildings destroyed by the tornadoes as well.
State Preparedness, Response and Recovery Operations
The New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services’ Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is New York’s primary conduit for emergency preparedness and response operations for all emergencies, both natural and human made. During emergencies, OEM not only coordinates with local emergency responders to support local operations but helps coordinate the deployment of thousands of State personnel and pieces of equipment from numerous State agencies.
OEM is also home to the State Watch Center which is staffed 24/7/365 to monitor hazardous activity throughout the State and ensure situational awareness for state leaders. Additionally, OEM maintain nine stockpiles located throughout the State which are able to provide emergency response assets and supplies as needed.
Along with Emergency Management, training first responders from all disciplines is a core mission for the Division. Whether online, or in-person, over 54,000 firefighters, emergency managers, officers and other first responders received some form of training from the Division, including the 4,778 students who received training at the state’s Academy of Fire Science in Montour Falls. Separately, nearly 10,000 state and local first responders received training at the State Preparedness Training Center in Oriskany — one of the nation’s premier first responder training facilities.
The Division is also home to the Office of Disaster Recovery Programs which is responsible for the legwork necessary for obtaining federal disaster declarations and administering the federal recovery dollars that flow to communities as a result. Since 2021, the Division has issued payments totaling $12.36 billion in federal Public Assistance recovery funding and $410.6 million in Hazard Mitigation Assistance funding.
Individual Preparedness
In any emergency situation, individual preparedness is one of the most critical components of an effective response and the state offers New Yorkers a number of different ways to not only stay prepared, but stay informed as well.
The New York State Citizen Preparedness Corps (CPC), administered by the Division and the New York National Guard, was established in 2014 to train New Yorkers how to prepare for emergencies and disasters, respond immediately and recover as quickly as possible to pre-disaster conditions. Nearly 433,000 New Yorkers have taken CPC training in community settings throughout the State.
CPC trainings are free and held in-person throughout the State. New Yorkers can find a local training and enroll online at the DHSES website. For those unable to attend in person, courses are also available online in English and with subtitles in 12 additional languages, including Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, English, French, Haitian Creole, Italian, Korean, Polish, Russian, Spanish, Urdu and Yiddish.
Additionally, Governor Hochul announced a new real-time emergency and weather alert system earlier this year as part of the State’s Hurricane Preparedness Week recognition efforts. Managed by the Division, this text option allows New Yorkers to text the name of their county or borough to 333111 to receive real time emergency and weather alerts and updates directly to their phones. New Yorkers should also remember to follow their local forecasts and visit the DHSES Facebook page, follow @NYSDHSES on X, or visit dhses.ny.gov for important safety information.
Heat waves and other extreme heat events are likely to happen again this summer and New York State agencies are working to implement initiatives recommended by the State’s Extreme Heat Action Plan to help New Yorkers prepare for heat’s negative health and environmental impacts. In June, New York State marked significant progress on the first year of implementation of the Extreme Heat Action Plan (EHAP) with the first readiness update now available. The EHAP, led by DEC and NYSERDA along with DHSES and DOH under the direction of Governor Hochul, includes nearly 50 actions by State agencies to address extreme heat impacts across four tracks (local planning and capacity building, community preparedness and workers’ safety, resilient buildings and access to cooling, and advancing ecosystem-based adaptations). The full update on implementation progress is available here.
The State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) closely monitors air quality conditions statewide and works with the State Department of Health to issue timely public health advisories that millions of New Yorkers depend on each year. Visit DEC’s website for updated forecasts and information about air quality index levels, and the Department of Health website for information on health risks and precautions related to air quality.
New York State’s climate agenda calls for an affordable and just transition to a clean energy economy that creates family-sustaining jobs, promotes economic growth through green investments, and directs a minimum of 35 percent of the benefits to disadvantaged communities. New York is advancing a suite of efforts to achieve an emissions-free economy by 2050, including in the energy, buildings, transportation, and waste sectors.
As Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman was signing an Executive Order showing support for the Trump Administration’s mass deportation activities, and stood up a private militia to assist, Nassau County Legislator, Democrat Scott M. Davis, penned this op-ed decrying Blakeman’s legally suspect “Provisional Deputy Sheriff” program.
Blakeman also advocated for passing the first ban on wearing a mask in public in New York State (notably, not a ban on wearing a mask during the commission of a crime, but anyone wearing a mask in public), inviting discriminatory police stops like the New York City, Rudy Giuliani-era stop-and-frisk policies that were ruled unconstitutional. But while Blakeman led the way to arrest people wearing a mask, he just signed an Executive Order allowing police to wear masks. Blakeman’sExecutive Order comes in the wake of a new bill that would ban ICE agents from wearing masks to conceal their identities while working in New York City. County Executive Blakeman derided the legislation and the decisions made by the New York City Council as being “pro-criminal and un-American.”
Notably, while the Supreme Court years ago ruled wearing a mask at a protest was protected under the Constitution, a federal judge just ruled that snatching people based on their skin color, language, occupation violated the 4th Amendment. Trump’s Deportation Czar Holman said that was exactly the criteria the ICE agents and their surrogates were using, and as a result, also swept up U.S. citizens. The agents’ use of masks is intended to shield them from accountability for their unlawful actions.
The Republican county executive, who has been hard at work currying favor and attention to prove himself a loyal soldier of the Trump’s team, is part and parcel of the Trump Administration’s march to a police state. How Blakeman will use his private militia – basically deputized private citizens with guns – in the service of Trump’s mass deportation policy is the issue and the concern. – Karen Rubin, editor@news-photos-features.com
By Scott M. Davis
As a Nassau County resident and member of the Legislature’s Public Safety Committee, I believe it is important for all residents to be fully informed about County Executive Bruce Blakeman’s ill-considered appointment of Provisional Deputy Sheriffs. The program, which has become known colloquially as Blakeman’s “militia,” is unlawful, an overreach of Executive authority, and creates an unnecessary risk of liability for Nassau County.
The program, which was launched in March 2024 and is currently being challenged in State Supreme Court, seeks to allow for the appointment of armed civilian volunteers to serve as “provisional deputy sheriffs” during a declared emergency. The purported rational for enacting this law, according to County Executive Blakeman, is “to provide an extra layer of protection”. He contends that these armed civilians would be deployed only in extreme emergencies where County and local law enforcement are overwhelmed and unable to respond – in essence inserting armed volunteer civilians into the worst possible circumstances which would be challenging even for the most seasoned law enforcement professionals.
Simply put, Nassau County does not need an “extra layer of protection” from a private civilian militia in 2025. Our nearly 1.4 million residents are protected by over 22 village and city police departments, a highly trained County police force numbering nearly 2,600 officers, an Office of Emergency Management, the New York State Police and the National Guard if necessary.
These resources have led U.S. News and World Report to designate Nassau County as the safest County of its size in the United States – a designation which is clearly indicative of a robust, well-trained, staffed and equipped police department that is fully capable of addressing any emergency in the County. To date, there has been no request for additional support from armed civilians by any law enforcement agency in the County, nor has there been any indication the current police departments would be understaffed should an emergency arise.
Moreover, this annual study of more than 3,100 Counties nationwide determined that we border two Counties that similarly excel in public safety – Queens to the west (20th safest) and Suffolk to the east (22nd safest).
Not only is the program unnecessary, I believe it is unlawful. The legal authority that the County Executive has cited for forming his militia is New York County Law section 655, which provides “for protection of human life and property during an emergency, the sheriff may deputize… such number of additional special deputies as he deems necessary”. Enacted in the 1930s, this archaic law was intended for emergencies where there were inadequate law enforcement personnel for protection of human life or property – particularly in rural areas with sparse populations and small police departments that could be understaffed and overwhelmed during an emergency.
It is my belief that Nassau is not a County that this antiquated law was intended for, and that this statute does not give County Executive Blakeman the authority to deputize and marshal a force of armed civilians.
My Democratic colleagues and I have many unanswered questions regarding the core details of this program. Who trains these civilians and what does the training entail? Will members of the militia be provided with uniforms and weapons? Who do members of the militia report to? Who determines when and where they are deployed? Is Nassau County liable in the event of negligence by a member of the militia?
The residents of Nassau County deserve transparency and answers. Faced with the Blakeman administration’s refusal to communicate with the Legislators or respond to Freedom of Information requests (FOIL) regarding the militia, and the belief that the civilian militia is a misapplication of the law, the only option remaining was to file a lawsuit against Blakeman challenging the legality of his Provisional Deputy Sheriff Program and compel transparency.
For these reasons, I along with my fellow Public Safety Committee member Alternate Deputy Minority Leader Debra Mulé, filed suit in Nassau County Supreme against the Blakeman administration on Feb. 5.
Scott M. Davis, of Rockville Centre, has represented the Nassau County Legislature’s First District since 2024.
NY.gov/tariffs Will Keep New Yorkers Up-To-Date on Impacts of Tariffs
Amid the economic turmoil created by President Trump’s chaotic tariffs, Governor Kathy Hochul today announced a new tariff resource guide to keep New Yorkers up-to-date on programs available for business owners who have been impacted by tariffs. Additionally, the Governor announced a survey to allow business owners the opportunity to share how their businesses have been impacted by the federal government’s recently announced tariffs.
“New Yorkers and business owners all across the state have felt a sense of uncertainty when it comes to the impacts of President Trump’s callous tariffs on our imported goods,” Governor Hochul said.“No business should have to close shop due to these unfair and unwanted taxes that were imposed on states by the Trump administration. This resource guide will help provide individuals with the guidance they need to lower potential risk to their businesses and give New Yorkers a better understanding of how tariffs can impact them.”
Tariffs Impacts on the Economy and Tourism
Governor Hochul has heard from small and mid-sized businesses across the state who are worried about rising costs and their future. A recent survey from the National Small Business Association found that the majority of small businesses are concerned about tariffs and one in three are very concerned. Examples include North Country manufacturer Alcoa, which took an estimated $20 million hit on imports from Canada, and North Country Golf Club which is facing declines in businesses due to the decline in tourism from Canada.
Due to the tariff trade war with Canada, New York’s number one trade partner, and the rhetoric that Canada could be the “51st state,” impacts are widespread. Visitors from Canada are avoiding the U.S. and New York State. Overall, cross-border traffic from Canada has plummeted since Trump implemented his tariff policies. The most recent data shows that there were 400,000 fewer Canadian visitors in May compared to the same period in 2024. Bridge crossings over the Ogdensburg Bridge and the Champlain crossing in May were down 30 percent during that same time period from last year. In a recent North Country Chamber of Commerce survey, 66 percent of tourism businesses report a drop in Canadian customers and one in four businesses in the region may cut staff as a result. Reservations are down at hotels, campgrounds, local marinas, golf courses and other businesses that rely on visitors from Canada.
It deserves reminding that the president has no authority to unilaterally impose tariffs. Moreover, Trump is using tariffs to strong arm other countries to obey his will: telling Brazil, for example, that he will raise tariffs on Brazilian goods by 50 percent unless the country ends its prosecution of Bolsanaro for attempting the same kind of coup as Trump mounted on January 6, 2021, but unlike Trump, was held to account. (Trump Threatens Brazil With Tariffs of 50% as He Assails Prosecution of Bolsonaro)
New York State is also contradicting and countering the destructive policies of the climate-change denying Trump administration and Republican-dominated states (like Texas and Florida):
Madison County Gets Major Renewable Energy Project
Governor Kathy Hochul announced today that the New York State Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission (ORES) has issued a final siting permit to Cypress Creek Renewables to develop and operate Oxbow Hill Solar, a 140-megawatt (MW) solar array in the Town of Fenner in Madison County. The project will create good-paying jobs, improve grid reliability, invest in crucial infrastructure, and increase tax revenues for local schools and other community priorities.
“We are extremely pleased to announce the latest investment in solar technology, upholding our commitment to improving grid reliability and building a clean energy economy,” Governor Hochul said. “The projects we have approved over the last few years are a testament to New York’s commitment to sustainability and resiliency.”
The Oxbow Hill Solar facility will contribute 140 MW of clean, renewable energy to New York’s electric grid while offsetting over 177,000 metric tons of CO2 and providing power for approximately 23,000 average-sized homes.
The new solar facility will consist of the solar array and associated support equipment, along with an interconnection substation, fencing, access roads and an operations and maintenance building. The facility will interconnect to the New York electrical grid via the Fenner Wind to Whitman Road 115 kV transmission line that is owned and operated by National Grid. Oxbow Hill is sited on a portion of the existing Fenner Wind Farm, making it the first ORES permit where a solar facility is co-located with a wind facility.
This project was approved in less than the one-year timeframe required under the law, and was issued after a thorough, timely, and transparent review process that included public comment periods and hearings.
Office of Renewable Energy Siting and Electric Transmission Executive Director Zeryai Hagos said, “As the state approaches 4 gigawatts of clean, renewable energy, a monumental achievement, we are reminded that we still have work to do to address New York’s growing energy needs. ORES will continue to advance New York’s nation-leading clean energy policies while being responsive to community feedback and protecting the environment.”
This project is anticipated to create a total of 330 jobs during construction and marks 24 clean energy projects approved by ORES since 2021, when it was created to accelerate permitting for renewable energy generation. New York State has approved 28 large-scale solar and wind projects since 2021, including 24 permitted by ORES and four approved by the NYS Siting Board under Article 10, the statute that governed solar and wind projects over 25-MW prior to the creation of ORES. The 28 permitted facilities represent 3.9 gigawatts of new clean, renewable energy.
ORES’ decision for these facilities follows a detailed and transparent review process with robust public participation to ensure the proposed project meets or exceeds the requirements of Article VIII of the New York State Public Service Law and its implementing regulations. The application for the Oxbow Hill Solar project was deemed complete on November 18, 2024 with a draft permit issued by ORES on January 14, 2025. This solar power project meaningfully advances New York’s clean energy goals while establishing the State as a paradigm for efficient, transparent, and thorough siting permitting process of major renewable energy facilities.
Today’s decisions may be obtained by going to the ORES website.
Assemblymember Al Stirpe said, “By strengthening New York’s energy economy, we position ourselves to not only meet the growing electricity demand, but to do so sustainably. The solar array in Madison County brings us one step closer in reaching our climate and energy goals. Each major renewable energy project helps deliver the critical climate action that our state urgently needs, while also creating hundreds of local jobs and new revenue for community priorities. At a time where the federal government threatens progress on clean energy, New York remains unwavering in its provision of renewable and efficient energy for years to come.”
New York State’s Climate Agenda
New York State has approved 28 large-scale solar and wind projects since 2021, consistent with its Climate Agenda.
New York State’s climate agenda calls for an affordable and just transition to a clean energy economy that creates family-sustaining jobs, promotes economic growth through green investments, and directs a minimum of 35 percent of the benefits to disadvantaged communities. New York is advancing a suite of efforts to achieve an emissions-free economy by 2050, including in the energy, buildings, transportation, and waste sectors.
Southern Tier Gets $21 Million in Flood Protection Projects
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced $21 million to support flood protection projects in the Southern Tier. The projects address vital stormwater management and resilient infrastructure projects in communities including Binghamton, Elmira, Olean, and Whitney Point to help advance New York’s comprehensive clean water and resiliency efforts that will safeguard New Yorkers from extreme weather and the costly expenses of rebuilding after a flood.
“As we face more and more devastating extreme storms, we must do everything we can to ensure our communities are resilient, sustainable and ready,” Governor Hochul said. “We saw the flooding in Binghamton almost 15 years ago, and we don’t want to see it again. These projects help us get ahead of the storm damage, save taxpayers millions of dollars in the long run, and prevent post-flood recovery costs for homeowners and businesses alike.”
The $21 million provided through the ‘Restoration and Flood Risk’ category of the historic $4.2 billion Clean Air, Clean Water and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act of 2022 will support projects implemented by the State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). The initial four projects announced today will help make necessary updates and bolster the resilience of existing flood infrastructure like levees and flood walls, to help ensure these structures’ long-term effectiveness in protecting communities from flooding. These flood control structures were originally constructed under the federal 1936 Flood Control Act to specifically address flooding along the Southern Tier of New York State and built in the 1940s and early 1950s.
Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Amanda Lefton said, “Thanks to Governor Hochul’s leadership and historic investments, New York State is making important progress to protect communities and infrastructure from the devastating impacts of flooding. By supporting DEC’s repairs and upgrades in Binghamton, Elmira, Olean, and Whitney Point with the record funding from the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act, the Governor is advancing key projects in communities that are susceptible to flooding, helping provide residents the support they need to avoid potential costly repairs if flooding occurs.”
“As climate change continues to intensify storms and flooding across New York, proactive investments like these are critical to protecting communities, infrastructure, and ecosystems,” Assemblymember Deborah Glick said. “The $21 million in Environmental Bond Act funding announced today will strengthen flood control systems in the Southern Tier, projects that are not only long overdue, but essential for public safety and long-term resiliency. I applaud Governor Hochul and Commissioner Lefton for advancing these vital efforts to build a safer, more climate-resilient New York.”
City of Binghamton Flood Control Project: DEC is making improvements to the Binghamton Flood Control Project located along the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers in the City of Binghamton. Rehabilitation of the floodwalls is necessary to ensure Binghamton has a resilient working flood protection system. The construction includes replacement of two floodwall panels, replacing deteriorated concrete, and application of a protective coating on the floodwalls to extend the useful life of the concrete walls.
City of Elmira Flood Control Project: DEC is making improvements to the Elmira Flood Control Project along the Chemung River, which provides flood protection for the city of Elmira. The project consists of levees, and flood walls with appurtenant drainage structures. The project will install 65 relief wells along with collector pipes to provide pressure relief caused by floodwaters and will ensure the structure meets U.S. Army Corps of Engineers requirements.
City of Olean Flood Control Project: DEC is making improvements to the Olean Flood Control Project located on the Allegheny River and Olean Creek in the city of Olean. The project will stabilize a section of existing levee system, mitigate erosion, and improve access to the levee for regular DEC maintenance.
Village of Whitney Point Flood Control Project: DEC is making improvements to the Whitney Point Flood Control Project located on the Tioughnioga River in the village of Whitney Point. The project will upgrade the manual gate system and install a new swing gate closure structure to more efficiently and effectively close the existing stoplog railroad closure.
On Nov. 8, 2022, New Yorkers overwhelmingly approved the Clean Water, Clean Air and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act ballot proposition to make $4.2 billion available for environmental and community projects. The Environmental Bond Act supports new and expanded projects across the state to safeguard drinking water sources, reduce pollution, and protect communities and natural resources from climate change. State agencies, local governments, and partners can access this historic funding to protect water quality, help communities adapt to climate change, improve resiliency, and create green jobs.
The projects announced today complement other state investments and opportunities to protect communities from flood damage. In May, Governor Hochul announced more than $78 million in funding available through the Water Quality Improvement Project Program and $22 million in Climate Smart Community grants, which both support projects that include flood risk reduction. Applications for these latest rounds of funding are due by July 31, 2025. In April, the Governor also announced $60 million in Environmental Bond Act funding for the next round of Green Resiliency Grants. The program supports vital stormwater management and resilient infrastructure projects in flood-prone communities across New York State. Applications for this program are due by Aug. 15, 2025. To learn more about resources available for resilient Bond Act-supported projects, visit environmentalbondact.ny.gov.
New York’s Commitment to Water Quality
New York State continues to increase its nation-leading investments in water infrastructure. With an additional $500 million for clean water infrastructure in the 2025-2026 enacted State Budget announced by Governor Hochul, New York will have invested a total of $6 billion in water infrastructure since 2017. The budget also maintains a strong commitment to environmental conservation with a $425 million Environmental Protection Fund (EPF). This funding bolsters a wide array of vital programs, including land acquisition for habitat and open space preservation, climate change mitigation and adaptation initiatives, and water quality improvement projects.
$14.4 Billion in Lost Hospital-Generated Economic Activity, Resulting From $8 Billion in Cuts Targeting New York Hospitals and Health Systems
65,000 Jobs Lost Due to Cuts to Hospitals and Community Health Centers Serving Low Income New Yorkers
1.5 Million New Yorkers Will Lose Health Care Coverage
As the Senate voted to pass the Trump Administration and Washington Republicans’ “Big Ugly Bill,” Governor Kathy Hochul today sounded the alarm about the potential devastating consequences of the Bill on New York hospitals, health systems and patients statewide. These reckless cuts to Medicaid and the Essential Plan will significantly impact health care providers across the State, endangering the health and finances of many New Yorkers who rely on these providers.
“I’ve said it several times and I’ll say it again today — all New Yorkers deserve access to high-quality health care, it’s that simple,”Governor Hochul said. “Republicans in Washington, including seven representing New York, are trying to rip away this basic human right from New Yorkers and I will not stand by and watch it happen, I’m standing up for our hardworking hospitals and families who rely on this care to survive.”
Hospitals and other health care providers across New York rely on Medicaid and Essential Plan funding to provide needed care to patients and maintain their operations.
Hospitals and health systems play a vital role in driving local economies. They often serve as the largest employers in their communities, creating numerous other jobs and ranking among the top 10 private employers in every region of New York. When hospitals are stronger, their communities thrive. GNYHA and HANYS estimate that the hospital cuts will lead to 34,000 lost hospital jobs and an additional 29,000 lost related jobs, and create a cumulative $14.4 billion in lost hospital-generated economic activity, devastating communities across New York.
Unfortunately, many New York hospitals are already financially distressed. The collective impact of the GOP reconciliation bill in Washington, D.C., could force hospitals to curtail critically needed services such as maternity care and psychiatric treatment, not to mention to downsize operations, and even close entirely. These impacts will be devastating across the State, and especially in rural communities. These consequences will not only affect Medicaid enrollees, but also harm everyone who requires hospital care, leading to longer wait times and less access to critical services.
In addition to hospitals, every kind of health care provider in New York State will be impacted. The Community Health Care Association of New York State estimates a direct loss of $300M for the State’s Community Health Centers, resulting in almost 2,000 layoffs. Community Health Centers are a vital lifeline that provide care to one in eight New Yorkers, regardless of their ability to pay.
In June, a letter signed by Yale and University of Pennsylvania scientists warned that more than 51,000 preventable deaths could occur annually if the provisions in the House-passed budget reconciliation bill are enacted. The letter, addressed to Senator Ron Wyden and Senator Bernie Sanders, estimates the potential nationwide death toll that would result from the bill’s provisions including restricting Medicaid and Affordable Care Act coverage, repealing nursing home staffing regulations, and allowing Enhanced Affordable Care Act Premium Tax Credits to expire. These estimates would make the GOP bill a top ten cause of death in the United States, on par with kidney disease and liver disease.
Estimated Impact of Hospital Cuts by New York Economic Region
Member
Hospital employment losses
Total employment losses
Lost economic activity ($)
New York City
17,551
32,571
(7,405,661,000)
Long Island
3,514
6,521
(1,482,704,000)
Mid-Hudson
3,623
6,723
(1,528,578,000)
Capital District
1,042
1,933
(439,512,000)
North Country
759
1,409
(320,385,000)
Mohawk Valley
774
1,437
(326,619,000)
Southern Tier
856
1,588
(360,983,000)
Central New York
1,355
2,515
(571,928,000)
Finger Lakes
2,442
4,532
(1,030,506,000)
Western New York
2,130
3,954
(898,943,000)
Statewide total
34,047
63,183
(14,365,818,000)
Estimated Impact of Hospital Cuts by Congressional District
District
Member
Hospital employment losses
Total employment losses
Lost economic activity ($)
1
Nick LaLota (R)
976
1,811
(411,868,000)
2
Andrew R. Garbarino (R)
605
1,122
(255,206,000)
3
Thomas R. Suozzi (D)
1,927
3,576
(812,998,000)
4
Laura Gillen (D)
933
1,731
(393,628,000)
5
Gregory W. Meeks (D)
563
1,045
(237,515,000)
6
Grace Meng (D)
1,876
3,481
(791,359,000)
7
Nydia M. Velázquez (D)
862
1,599
(363,593,000)
8
Hakeem S. Jeffries (D)
790
1,466
(333,226,000)
9
Yvette D. Clarke (D)
1,178
2,187
(497,231,000)
10
Daniel S. Goldman (D)
1,457
2,705
(614,953,000)
11
Nicole Malliotakis (R)
654
1,213
(275,762,000)
12
Jerrold Nadler (D)
2,803
5,201
(1,182,612,000)
13
Adriano Espaillat (D)
2,520
4,677
(1,063,292,000)
14
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D)
980
1,819
(413,640,000)
15
Ritchie Torres (D)
2,942
5,460
(1,241,482,000)
16
George Latimer (D)
1,278
2,372
(539,332,000)
17
Michael Lawler (R)
1,462
2,713
(616,822,000)
18
Patrick Ryan (D)
810
1,503
(341,631,000)
19
Josh Riley (D)
797
1,479
(336,292,000)
20
Paul Tonko (D)
1,002
1,860
(422,977,000)
21
Elise M. Stefanik (R)
871
1,616
(367,481,000)
22
John W. Mannion (D)
1,536
2,850
(648,033,000)
23
Nicholas A. Langworthy (R)
759
1,409
(320,347,000)
24
Claudia Tenney (R)
1,009
1,873
(425,748,000)
25
Joseph D. Morelle (D)
1,899
3,524
(801,274,000)
26
Timothy M. Kennedy (D)
1,558
2,892
(657,525,000)
–
Statewide total
34,047
63,183
(14,365,818,000)
Greater New York Hospital Association President Kenneth E. Raske said, “This bill’s massive Medicaid cuts and health insurance eligibility restrictions will do enormous damage to New York State and its hospitals. The numbers are hard to comprehend—an estimated $8 billion cut to our hospitals, 34,000 lost hospital jobs and 1.5 million individuals losing their health insurance. Some financially fragile institutions will cease to exist. All patients will be impacted. There is no rationale for this. The bill is a clear example of ‘if you break it, you own it.’ I am grateful to Governor Hochul for defending New York’s hospitals and the patients we serve, and the entire hospital community is proud to stand with her in opposing this terrible bill.”
Healthcare Association of New York State President Bea Grause, RN, JD. said, “The One Big Beautiful Bill Act is a reckless assault on our healthcare system and our local economies, as evidenced by these projections. Lost coverage, care, jobs – it is astonishing to me that there is such determination to put so many people’s health and financial security at risk. This bill will not only harm individual New Yorkers. Its impact will ripple out to their families and communities, leaving almost no one untouched in its wake.”
Community Health Care Association of New York State President & CEO Rose Duhan said, “New York’s Community Health Centers provide access to primary and preventive care that keep people healthy and save money. Cutting Medicaid will put that care at risk for 2.4 million people across the State. Losing Medicaid will mean communities will lose CHCs that provide primary care, behavioral health, dental services, and more. Cuts of this magnitude will force impossible choices: reduce services, scale back hours, or turn patients away. Congress must protect Medicaid and the patients and health centers that depend on it.”
Speaker Carl E. Heastie stated: The administration in Washington can call this a “Big Beautiful Bill” all they want, but Americans know the truth. It is ugly and cruel and will be devastating for families across New York and across the country. They are taking an axe to Medicaid and cutting off access to healthcare for low income families, children and people with disabilities. They’re restricting access to the ACA for low- and middle-income Americans. It would make almost 12 million Americans lose their health insurance. All to make sure their billionaire donors get to keep their tax cuts. I’m disgusted and disappointed that they are willing to sell out their constituents like this. I am calling, once again, on New York’s seven Republican members of Congress to stand up for New Yorkers and for all Americans and vote against this travesty when it goes back to the House.
“Rise Up” was the theme of this year’s Pride Parade in New York City – a sad throwback connoting the fact that once again, in Trump’s America, millions of people have to fight for their equal rights and right to live their true lives
Governor Kathy Hochul was assertive in her remarks to press as the parade got under way, declaring, “the birthplace of the LGBTQ+ movement is in our city, our state, and this is a huge point of pride for us.
“Especially now more than ever, when a community that we cherish is under siege from Washington, Republicans in Washington who are trying to strip away their rights and their dignity and their ability to serve – in harm’s way in our military. My God, just like they fought during the Stonewall riots in 1969, they fought back and they won. We will always fight back and defend this community. We’re in this together, let’s continue fighting together and we’ll be victorious.”
Governor Hochul announced the state is contributing $15 million–the largest fund of its kind in the nation–to the Lorena Borjas Transgender and Non-Binary Wellness and Equity Fund, “because we’re putting our money where our mouth is to make sure people have access to the care they need and deserve, number one.”
In addition, the state is providing a new million dollar source of funding for the LGBTQ Center here in New York City and almost a million dollars in workforce development grants to help trans members get jobs.
Indeed, what a change in only six months from when Joe Biden, the man who got marriage equality ball rolling as Obama’s Vice President (the SCOTUS decision, ironically, exactly 10years ago), and from all that Biden-Harris did in his all-too-short four years of whole-of-government focus on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, summed up as a “Justice Agenda.”
In just 150 days, Trump has all but dismantled 150 years of civil and human rights progress, the animous to gender equity being a special focus of the anti-democracy attack, waging a culture war intended to reverse a generational sea change in empathy, understanding and acceptance.
Trump is doing nothing to recognize Pride month and instead working overtime to eradicate rights and legalize discrimination under the guise of “religious” rights and/or “EQUAL OPPORTUNITY FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS,” as his executive order barring transgender females in sports was titled. (See: Overview of President Trump’s Executive Actions Impacting LGBTQ+ Health)
In dramatic and disgusting contrast to Biden’s policies, Trump has:
Defining sex as a biological binary: A central theme of the Trump administration’s approach has been defining “sex” as limited to biological male or female, as determined at conception.
Targeting “gender ideology” and DEI initiatives – not just rescinding prior executive orders promoting LGBTQ+ equity and diversity and inclusion, but rendering such programs illegal and subject to prosecution. In addition, Trump has cut, frozen, or clawed back federal funding for DEI programs.
Restricting gender-affirming care: especially for young people (one of the executive orders that the Imperial Supremes have blessed). This includes directing agencies to assess grant conditions and ensure federal funds do not promote “gender ideology”, potentially affecting funding for institutions that provide or support gender-affirming care. There have also been legal challenges to these policies, with some courts issuing preliminary injunctions blocking parts of their enforcement.
Allowing schools to dismiss Title IX complaints based on stricter standards regarding “severity” and “pervasiveness” of an alleged assault or harassment and imposes the burden of potentially traumatic investigation and hearing processes on survivors.
Limiting access to reproductive healthcare.
Weakening workplace protections: Trump rescinded Executive Order 11246 which for 60 years has prohibited discrimination based on sex, race, and religion by federal contractors for sixty years.
Impact on LGBTQ+ individuals in the military and federal prison: The administration reinstated the ban on transgender people serving openly in the military. In federal prisons, policies were implemented to house transgender women according to their sex assigned at birth and to prohibit the use of federal funds for gender-affirming care. This contradicts the Prison Rape Elimination Act, which mandates housing transgender people based on safety concerns.
And there have been other insults, like stripping Harvey Milk’s name from a destroyer.
With these issues in a background, the 2 million who came to New York City to Celebrate Pride did it with a combination of joy and in-your-face vengeance.
While many companies have yielded to the change in the political winds, other companies participated in the event. Among them: The Walt Disney Company; I Heart Radio; SAG-AFTRA; Directors Guild of Americ;,The Metropolitan Opera; Macy’s Inc; JP Morgan Chase; SUNY; AARP; Girl Scouts of Greater New York; The New York; Foundling; Emblem Health; Kiehl’s; Audible; NYC Health & Hospitals; Starbucks;
Despite the dismal situation outside, there was joy and celebration at this year’s Pride Parade.
The overarching theme: “My sexuality is none of your business.”
And it is important to see and acknowledge who shows up, shows support and who has your back. Here are highlights:
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy became the latest commencement speaker promising to fund long-needed improvements to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.
“For years, [the Merchant Marine Academy] has been allowed to fall into disrepair – unworthy of the greatest country that has ever existed in history. You’re the class of COVID shutdowns, no hot water for months, not enough food, paper plates and plastic forks, dorms with mold, dilapidated library. Congratulations, you have perseverance.
“Your commitment to service despite hardship inspired everyone at the Department of Transportation to work harder to fix this place to make sure no one else has to go through what you went through for the last four years.
“Your frustrations, sacrifices, call for change have been heard – not just by me, but the president, Donald Trump. This administration understands the storied maritime dominance is critical to national security. We need more brave men and women to not only sail the ships we have now, but also the great ships of future.”
Duffy added, ”This mission could not be more important when the nation stands on precipice of potential conflict in Middle East. Whether the Suez Canal or the South China Sea, there are rough waters ahead.”
Indeed, unlike speakers of the last several years, these graduates who immediately go into the military or the National Guard, have seen their world turned upside down in a matter of days, as the Trump administration has embroiled the U.S. in the Israel-Iran War.
Duffy’s words were a reminder that the U.S. Merchant Marine was founded in 1942 by President Franklin Roosevelt to staff the merchant marine vessels supplying the troops. It is the only one of the service academies that carries a battle standard, a constant memorial to the 142 Cadet Midshipmen who shipped out on those missions but never returned.
As part of their arduous training – the hardest of any service academy – the cadets spend a year at sea. Some served on unarmed commercial ships that came under missile attack from the Houthis.
Vice Admiral Joanna M. Nunan, the USMMA’s 14th Superintendent reflected on the challenges the class of 2025 have faced, calling them “heroes and leaders,” their character forged by their experience.
“Heroes are known for epic deeds that ordinary people cannot or will not attempt…America will need heroes, hardened by experience, who have performed deeds that few others would attempt. We need mariners who have sailed to the furthest corners of the globe, plotted courses through blinding storms, … turned heat and horsepower into forward motion. America needs young military officers who know America cannot just be ready for battle but ready for war. America needs leaders who can turn ideas into reality, [who can manage] a sprawling maritime enterprise with political, economic, cultural goals that will be many and varied..
“You are among America’s greatest hopes…America’s national security will bear the stamp, ‘Acta Non Verba’” – action, not words, the USMMA motto.
The United States Merchant Marine Academy, in Kings Point, Long Island, NY, is recognized as vital to national security and the economic prosperity: 95 percent of the world’s products are transported over water, and the Academy educates and trains those who are vital to the effective operation of the nation’s merchant fleet for both commercial and military transport, in peace as well as in war. Merchant ships can be ordered into national service, delivering military troops, supplies and equipment overseas, and operating as an auxiliary unit of the Navy.
The United States imports about 85 percent of 77 strategic commodities critical to America’s industry and defense. And while Americans account for only six percent of the world population, we purchase nearly a third of the world’s output of raw materials (that is, before Trump’s tariffs); 99 percent of those materials are transported by merchant vessels.
The USMMA requires more credit hours for a Baccalaureate degree than any other federal service academy – the equivalent of a Masters completed in three-years’ time. The challenging coursework is augmented by the Academy’s Sea Year, which affords midshipmen hands-on, real world experience aboard working commercial or military vessels sailing around the world.
At graduation, the Kings Pointers are awarded the Bachelor of Science degree, a U.S. Coast Guard license, a merchant mariner’s license and an officer’s commission in the U.S. armed forces of their choosing. Graduates can choose to work five years in the U.S. maritime industry with eight years of service as an officer in any reserve unit of the Armed Forces, or five years on active duty.
Of the 124 graduates, all of whom earned Merchant Marine licenses, 44 are going into active dutyin the U.S. Navy; 13 into the U.S. 77Coast Guard; 4 into the U.S. Army; 14 into the U.S. Marine Corps; 9 into the U.S.Air Force and 1 into the U.S. Air Force Reserve.
“You are dedicating your life to maritime tradition, giving America the seapower… to assure our prosperity and security – keep shores, borders, ports secure, safeguarding homeland, keep shipping lanes open, commerce flowing, and combat threats – as sailors defeat hundreds of drones… and missile attacks,” declared Vice Admiral Johnny Wolfe, Jr., USN and Director for Strategic Systems Programs for the U.S. Navy and a USMMA graduate (’89).
“We are a global maritime nation. ..You are the reason our nation is postured and ready to insure prosperity, to fight wherever the fight, wherever the battle…Deeds not words.”
Estimates of more than 2,000 turned out in the rain for the No Kings rally and march at Nassau County Courthouse on June 14 – just one of several No Kings protests on Long Island.
Long Island’s protests were among the 2,100 taking place in all 50 states and the world that collectively drew an estimated 5 million in response to the authoritarian excesses and corruption of the Trump administration and rejecting Trump’s attacks on democracy and the Rule of Law, for one of the largest single days of protest since the 2017 women’s marches in Trump’s first term.
“The power of the presidency has been used to attack universities, the arts, political adversaries and the very fabric of our democracy,” wrote the organizers, Show Up LI, Engage LI, Long Island Network for Change. “It has been used to terrorize our immigrant communities and disappear them off the streets. It has been used to decimate the ranks of our federal employees who keep us safe, oversee our social security checks, care for our veterans, develop cancer treatments, monitor severe weather, attend to disasters and maintain our national parks. Disastrous cuts to the services and healthcare hard-working and vulnerable Americans rely on are on the horizon. The painful ramifications of these senseless cuts are being felt across the country while enriching a cabinet of billionaires and their allies.”
The No Kings protests were a counterpoint to Trump’s $45 million military parade, ostensibly to mark the formation of the U.S. Army on June 14, 1775 by the Continental Congress, to stand up against Britain’s monarch who claimed absolute power over the colonists, but actually for his own glory on his 79th birthday. Trump had been mooning over such a display – extraordinary in American history and more typical of tyrants and dictators – since his first term, when more patriotic advisers than surround him this time talked him out of it. The $45 million boondoggle is also a harsh contradiction to the millions of dollars cut from veterans benefits, health care, education, research, climate action, foreign aid, and administration of such critical programs as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid in order to fund billions more in tax cuts for the richest 1% and corporations.
“So on June 14th 2025, we come together to say NO KINGS in America. We say no to the cruelty and the chaos. Our country belongs to the American people and we will peacefully stand up to authoritarianism and defend our democracy.”
Speakers included Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado, NYS Deputy Speaker Assemblyman Phil Ramos, and NYS Assemblyman Chuck Lavine.
NYS Assemblyman Chuck Lavine began his remarks by mourning the political assassination of Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, and the critical wounding of Rep. John Hoffman and his wife – an event which prompted U.S. Senator Mike Lee to tweet “This is what happens When Marxists don’t get their way,” when Speaker Mike Johnson called for U.S. Senator Alex Padilla to be censored for daring to ask DHS Secretary Kristy Noem a question during a press conference, at which point he was thrown to the ground and handcuffed, and while in Los Angeles, law enforcement continued to provoke encounters with otherwise peaceful protesters, no doubt to give Trump an excuse to invoke the Insurrection Act and declare martial law. Raising the danger to our democracy, Lavine could also have quoted Noem who stated about the provocations in Los Angeles, “We are staying here to liberate this city from the socialist & burdensome leadership that this governor & this mayor have placed into this city” and just a couple of days before, U.S. Senator Padilla was thrown to the ground and handcuffed merely for trying to ask Homeland Security Sec Kristy Noem a question at a press conference.
It was a reminder that since Trump first entered the political scene 10 years ago down a gilded staircase, he used bigotry, sexism, xenophobia, scapegoated, stoked hatred and violence and basically gave permission for those to act on the grievances he created. And record numbers of threats and assaults have occurred as a result, including the January 6 2021 insurrection intended to keep Trump in office. (Notably, Trump pardoned 1,500 of the insurrectionists on his first day, and has weaponized the Justice department against the prosecutors and scores of his declared enemies and politicized the military.)
“You are not fair-weather sailors,” Lavine said as people stood steadfast as rain poured down. “We are here because we care, and if you care about the future of American democracy — you join us.”
Deputy Speaker Phil Ramos denounced the Trump administration’s escalating attacks on immigrant communities and railed against Trump’s $45 million military parade. “While mothers in Brentwood are praying that their children make it home safely, while ICE agents tear fathers from their families without warrants, Donald Trump is having a birthday party — let that sink in,” Ramos said.
Ramos’ impassioned remarks echoed his previously issued a statement after the militarism in Los Angeles and ICE raids in Long Island “America-and the world-witnessed what we have long feared: the unchecked abuse of presidential power unleashed against communities of color. Families are being torn apart. People are being taken without explanation, without warrants, and far too often, without due process. What remains is a trail of fear, heartbreak, and outrage….The painful truth is we can no longer trust this administration to uphold the law, respect the courts, or honor basic human dignity….
“In Los Angeles and here on Long Island, people are marching in defense of their families, their dignity, and their right to live without fear. They are standing against an authoritarian tide gaining strength each day. And when masked officers descend on our neighborhoods, abducting loved ones and escalating tensions with military force, we must ask: what choice do the people have but to resists?
“The tools of authoritarianism are in full effect. While 1% of the population hoards 99% of the nation’s wealthy, they poison our drinking water, erode our democracy, and drive the cost of living to unbearable heights. They gut our healthcare system and dismantle the foundations of everyday life. And yet, President Trump wants us to believe the blame lies not with the powerful but with the people who build our cities, harvest our food, mow our lawns, wash our dishes and hold this country together through honest, back-breaking work…
“We cannot fall for these cruel, calculated lies. We must reject this propaganda and speak the truth: immigrants are not the problem, they are part of the solution.
“The people are demanding an end to these raids. They are demanding justice. Many are prepared to risk their own safety to protect their families because for them, this is a should understand that. We must support peaceful protest, and wemust demand an end to this campaign of fear.
“We are at a turning point in our nation’s history. We must condemn the use of ICE and the National Guard as political tools deployed by a president who thrives on hate, division and fear, and who undermines constitutional rights and human dignity for political gain. This is not leadership. This is cruelty disguised as policy…
“I call on all freedom-loving people-Democrats and Republicans, Black, White, Latino, Asian – to stand in solidarity with our immigrant communities. History has taught us a painful lesson… We cannot-we must not – turn our backs on those now suffering these fascist assaults.”
Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado said, “No one is above the law” and every person is entitled to “equal protection under law. Without the Rule of Law, the most vulnerable would be trampled, the mighty would take what they want. But that’s not America. Democracy is based on a moral idea that all are created equal. If we lose sight of that moral essence, we will crumble. In New York, we are diversity, we are inclusion, we are tolerance. We are the essence of what it means to be American, what it means to be human.”
Rachel Klein, founder of Engage Long Island and an organizer of the rally, said immigration raids across the country has stoked fear, even on Long Island. “There are people in Brentwood and Westbury and Huntington Station and Glen Cove who are afraid to leave their homes right now,” she said. “We can’t function as a society like this.”
Other No Kings protests were held in Port Washington, which drew hundreds; outside Heckscher Park in Huntington, where Newsday reported 2,000; Patchogue, where Newsday estimated 2,000 demonstrated outside the local office of Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport), Riverhead, Orient, East Hampton, Hampton Bays and Southampton.
Rain did not deter the well over 50,000 New Yorkers from coming out for the “No Kings Protest” – just one of the more than 2100 protests taking place in all 50 states and around the world that drew an estimated 5 million, in one of the largest single day protests since 2017’s Women’s March against Trump and Trumpism.
They gathered as the target of their ire, the man who would be king, Donald Trump, watched his long-dreamed military parade march passed his viewing stand in Washington DC, a $45 million vanity show ostensibly to honor the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army that coincided with his 79th birthday.
June 14th is also Flag Day, and the protesters felt it appropriate to assert their rights and freedoms the flag is supposed to represent and that so many died defending.
Among the coordinators of the New York City No Kings Protest were Indivisible, Moveon, 50501, NYCLU, and Womens March.
“They’ve defied our courts, deported Americans, disappeared people off the streets, attacked our civil rights, and slashed our services. The corruption has gone too. far. No thrones. No crowns. No kings.” Wrote Indivisible
Womens March chose to adopt the theme of Trump as a Clown: “When authoritarianism shows its face, we don’t cower. We shine light—and sometimes that light is a spotlight on smeared-on orange makeup. Ridicule isn’t trivial; it’s courageous. And right now, that courage might be the best weapon we have.”
There was music. There was a bit of dancing. There were humorous digs at the wannabe dictator (a theme advocated by Womens March). And most of all, a sense of unity, camaraderie, and community in the shared desire to reclaim democracy, decency, governance by Rule of Law, and the values of equality that this country was founded upon and still striving toward.
Notable to me were the number of people in wheelchairs who nonetheless marched in the rain, but also the extraordinary kindness shown by New Yorkers crammed together on the city streets.
Though planned weeks ago, the protests that swept the nation took on an added commitment and determination after the actions of the Trump administration in defying court orders and Constitution’s due process protections in violently rounding up migrants, even those with legal status and US citizen spouses and children, for deportation, branding them all as worst of the worst criminals and gangmembers, the DOGE cuts to public services, the attacks on academic freedom, the politicization of the military, the political assault on Democrats, judges and anyone else who Trump doesn’t like, as he pardons actual criminals and terrorists and dismisses investigations and prosecutions against his friends, allies and donors, the weaponization of his law enforcement, the breaking of alliances, the derailment of the economy with his unhinged tariff policies, and general descent into fascism, oligarchy and kleptocracy.
Add to the list the attacks on free speech, free press, taking money from foreign interests and felons for pardons and policies, overt violations of laws including using the active military for domestic law enforcement, instituting tariffs and rescinding funding which are powers of Congress, not the president, attempting to overturn voting rights and birthright citizenship prescribed by the Constitution with the stroke of a Sharpie.
All of these issues were manifest in the banners, posters, hand-drawn signs that got soaked in the rain. But no one seemed to care.
The gathering on June 14th took on even more significance as Trump and his administration’s violent rhetoric (Kristy Noem stating “We are staying here to liberate this city from the socialist & burdensome leadership that this governor & this mayor have placed into this city”) was followed by the political assassination of a Minnesota Democratic state representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, and the critical wounding of Rep. John Hoffman and his wife (effectively changing a tied legislature with shared control into a Republican majority) while in Los Angeles, law enforcement continued to provoke encounters with otherwise peaceful protesters, and just a couple of days before, U.S. Senator Padilla was thrown to the ground and handcuffed merely for trying to ask Homeland Security Sec Kristy Noem a question at a press conference.
No Kings Day proved to be one of the largest days of protest in American history, with some 5 million taking part in some 2,100 cities and towns across all 50 states and several foreign countries (Indivisible.org)
No Kings Day proved to be one of the largest days of protest in American history, with some 5 million taking part in some 2,100 cities and towns across all 50 states and several foreign countries. “From deep red small towns to our largest cities, millions of people turned out to make clear that the American people will not bow to fascism,” Indivisible stated. “It is a frightening time in our history. But in spite of that reality — or rather, in response to that reality — over five million people here in the US, along with allies in cities from London to Tokyo, stood united today in the belief that democracy is worth fighting for.”
While the protesters were all peaceful, even joyful, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz pleaded that the planned No Kings protests not be held in light of the gunman, who had a kill list and “No Kings” flyers in his car, still being on the loose, and there was an incident of shots causing a panic in Salt Lake City. And Indivisible discouraged an official “No Kings” protest in Washington DC, amid Trump’s threats to stamp out dissent with force, though some smaller ones did take place.
“Trump has made no secret of his willingness to use force to crush dissent. He’s got tanks rolling through DC and marines in Los Angeles where we’ve all seen (and continue to see) police respond aggressively to peaceful protests.”
Also, Trump has made no secret he is salivating over the prospect of invoking the Insurrection Act, declaring martial law, to unleash military force throughout the country (that is, in cities, towns and states run by Democrats). In his first term, he wondered why his soldiers couldn’t just shoot protesters, but while his Defense Secretary and generals at the time discouraged him, this Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, equally violent and fascist, would likely greenlight whatever he was told.
But, as Indivisible wrote, “a massive, nationwide mobilization like today can change the narrative, grow our movement, build our organizing muscles, and deliver a jolt of courage — something much needed after Trump’s recent attempts to quash dissent with violence. But a single day of protest — even historically large protests like today — will not alone defeat the fascist takeover of our government. We need to ensure that the incredible organizing and inspiring courage of today’s protests continue to spread. We need to do the hard work of organizing those who turned out today and those who were watching into a sustained, broad-based movement that’s prepared for the hard work that comes ahead.”
Womens March is already planning the next action, most likely July 4th Free America action—rallies, BBQs, marches, art builds, community block parties, and more to celebrate real freedom.
Here are highlights from New York City’s No Kings Protest:
One of my favorite events of Summer in the City is the annual Museum Mile Festival, when eight of New York City’s finest cultural institutions throw open their doors, and the Avenue becomes one big block party.
It’s so popular, that it is best to plan ahead. I did have a plan, which I wound up throwing out the door, and letting serendipity take hold.
Insider tip: Come early and start at the Met Museum (NYS residents pay what they wish). It wasn’t my original plan, but I found that I was at the Museum at around 4:30 pm, knowing it would close at 5 pm and reopen at 6 when the festival began. Instead of spending the half hour walking up to 103rd, and being there an hour before that museum opened for the festival,
“The Scourged Back” (1863), attributed to William D. McPherson, “arguably the most devastating of all known Civil War-era portraits of enslaved individuals… was widely distributed by abolitionists as a visceral argument against the horrors of enslavement.”
“Laundress with Washtub,” 1860s, “In this exceptionally rare occupational portrait, we see something nearly invisible in the photographic record prior to the 20th century: a woman at work at home.”
“Nineteenth-century photographers produced thousands of portraits of Native Americans during the time when the U.S. government enacted policies that forcibly displaced Indigenous communities and impeded their ways of living.” These photos “allow viewers today to witness how individuals under near-constant duress attempted to contend with those holding power.”
I decided to see the Met’s “The New Art: American Photography, 1839–1910” (on through July 20). This exhibit offers a fascinating examination into the beginnings of photography and its relation to society and culture, through its various technology incarnations (daguerreotypes, tintypes, etc), made even more interesting by the notes about the subjects or photographer or why the photograph was so notable.
But then, when they closed the museum, I was told we could stay in the sections that would be open for the festival. It was incredible to wander through halls – the Egyptian rooms and Temple of Dendur, with just a few people – the quiet was extraordinary. Unfortunately, I was not able to see the Sargent and Paris exhibit (was not open for the festival), which explores the early career of American painter John Singer Sargent “from his arrival in Paris in 1874 as a precocious 18-year-old art student through the mid-1880s, when his infamous portrait Madame X was a scandalous success at the Paris Salon.” (Through Aug. 3). See https://www.metmuseum.org/.
I get time alone with a few of my favorites at the Met, the Tiffany fountain and windows in the American Wing.
By the time I left the Met with a plan to walk the Museum Mile up to 103rd and start at the Museum of the City of New York (always one of my favorites), the band had already started playing on the Met’s grand staircase and the festival was just beginning to get underway.
I pass the Guggenheim Museum at 89th St., where the “street art” activity is a group of body painters – literally, they are painting each other’s nude bodies. What is amazing is that while drawing a crowd of onlookers, it isn’t really gawking, but artistic appreciation – kind of evocative of Gaugin.
Further on, I spot a banner announcing the exhibit at the Jewish Museum, “The Book of Esther in the Age of Rembrandt,” and was beyond intrigued. It is just 6 pm with the doors just opening when I get in. The exhibit is breathtaking – showing how the story of Queen Esther resonated with the Dutch in this time, who heralded her as a hero of their own independence from Spain (after an 80-year war), and how the story of how she saved the Jews from annihilation pervaded Dutch culture.
Rembrandt’s depiction of Queen Esther, on view at the Jewish Museum’s exhibit, “The Book of Esther in the Age of Rembrandt.”
“Rembrandt and his Wife Saskia” c 1638 attributed to Ferdinand Bol, one of his most talented pupils.“If the couple is indeed Rembrandt and his wife Saskia, the composition demonstrates how artists modeled Esther from contemporary life, combining elements from the ancient past and their present to highlight the continued relevance of this biblical story.”
There are stunning paintings by Rembrandt and his contemporaries depicting Esther – even more fascinating because during this period, the Netherlands had begun their Golden Age of Sail and were trading with the Mideast, so the paintings depict genuine objects, though mixed into a Dutch context. I was reminded that Netherlands, after winning independence from Catholic Spain instituted religious freedom and many Jews escaping the Inquisition in Spain and Portugal settled there. The notes are excellent, but you can also download a digital guide transcript.
“Widely read in the 17th century, the Book of Esther offered a dramatic biblical subject for Dutch artists. The Dutch interpreted the story of Esther’s bravery as a symbol of the Netherlands’ newly won independence from Spain. Rembrandt was part of a larger cultural trend that reimagined this story for the new century, new secular art market, and new national purpose. Rembrandt’s naturalistic approach to biblical paintings and his talent for capturing human emotion made Esther highly accessible to his audience,” write Abigail Rapoport, curator of Judaica Jewish Museum, and Michele Frederick, curator of European Art, North Carolina museum of Art, Raleigh.
“Haman Begging the Mercy of Esther,” 1618 or 1619 by Pieter Lastman, Rembrandt’s teacher, use table settings over a Middle Eastern carpet that would have graced a wealthy Dutch table, as the same time, foreign motifs such as turbaned figures push the scene into the fantastical setting that Dutch artists often used when imaging the Book of Esther.
“Haman Begging the Mercy of Esther,” 1618 or 1619 by Pieter Lastman, Rembrandt’s teacher, use table settings over a Middle Eastern carpet that would have graced a wealthy Dutch table, as the same time, foreign motifs such as turbaned figures push the scene into the fantastical setting that Dutch artists often used when imaging the Book of Esther.
“Against this backdrop, Rembrandt and his contemporaries expressed Esther’s story in paintings, prints, drawings, objects for the home, Jewish ceremonial art, and theater. Presenting works that range form portraits of queen Esther to prim plays, this exhibition illuminates the Book of Esther’s meaning in Rembrandt’s time and for generations to follow,” Abigail Rapoport, curator of Judaica Jewish Museum, and Michele Frederick, curator of European Art, North Carolina museum of Art, Raleigh.” (On view through Aug. 10)
Ben Shahn’s “Everyman” is part of the Jewish Museum’s Ben Shahn, On Nonconformity exhibit, on view through October 12
“For Full Employment after the War, Register, Vote [Welders] 1944”. Ben Shahn’s social and political activism such as this call to register to vote resonate today. An exhibit of 175 of his works, Ben Shahn, On Nonconformity, is on view at the Jewish Museum through October 12.
The icing on the cake at the Jewish Museum is another spectacular exhibit: Ben Shahn, On Nonconformity, who used his art for social justice in ways that are unnervingly relevant today. The 175 artworks and objects form the 1930s to the 1960s show how this prolific and progressive artist chronicled and confronted crucial issues from the Great Depression to the Vietnam War, to Civil Rights and Workers Rights. “The exhibition draws its title from Ben Shahn’s credo of “nonconformity,” which the artist asserted as an indispensable precondition for both significant artistic production and all great societal change.” (On view through Oct. 12).
Continuing on, it is fascinating to see how even non-art, non-museum institutions join the festival: there was an ingenious art display “The Art of the Brain,” sponsored by the Friedman Brain Institute, of imaging that is, well, painterly. “Art transports us, engages us, provokes though, summons deep emotions, mirrors experience, and most often, is simply beautiful.”
The New York Academy of Medicine the Church of the Heavenly Rest, Asia Society, and AKC Museum of the Dog also joined the celebration, offering fun activities for kids and chalk to make art on the avenue.
But the most fun street happenings happen just outside the Museum of the City of New York – double Dutch rope jumping, dance, music.
But I dare not tarry because the whole festival only lasts three hours.
This year, the highlight exhibit is “New York at Its Core”: Port City (1609-1898” which tells the story of New York’s transformation from a Lenape community of 2,000 people in 1609, to a Dutch trading post of 3,300 in 1660, to the King’s Seaport in 1770 with 39,313 people, to a Merchant City in 1835 after the opening of the Erie Canal, with 334,967 population, already a diverse melting pot, to a Money Metropolis in 1890 with 2,507,414. There is a map presentation that is fascinating, which documents the city during these eras by population density, diversity, and money.
A companion exhibit, World City, 1898-2020 showcases the dizzying evolution of New York as it grew into the modern global metropolis – the constant battle resisting inevitable change, the constant struggle to deal with urban challenges. It makes you think, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”
I didn’t have time to see one of my favorite exhibits, “Timescapes,” where you watch New York City’s 400-year history unfold in 30 minutes, and “Changing the Face of Democracy, about the life and legacy of Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to US Congress (closes July 20); “Songs of New York” and “Activist New York.” (See mcny.org, 1220 Fifth Ave. at 103 St, 212-534-1672).
Governors Tim Walz of Minnesota, JB Pritzker of Illinois and Kathy Hochul of New York appear at a House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing in which they were forced to defend their handling of migrants.
I sure hope that Governor Kathy Hochul and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzer, appearing at a grilling by Republican House members intended to link sanctuary city policies to crime, noted the tens of thousands of migrants dumped into their cities and villages by Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis who illegally trafficked these people using lies to get them on buses, then dumping them without giving any notice in order to maximize the distress and cause chaos for Democratic mayors and governors.
And Democrats should note that the reason there are so many individuals do not have legal status is because Republicans have blocked every attempt at immigration reform, including funding to increase border security in 2024, following Trump’s orders. Now Trump’s thugs are going after anyone who looks Latino, including tourists, American citizens, and ending legal status for students, visa holders and those here to escape some calamity.
NY Congresswoman Elise Stefanik used the opportunity to audition for her run for governor, attacking Governor Hochul. But Hochul defended her handling of migrants.
Here is her opening statement to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and a memo laying out the facts and background of the state’s position on immigration and handling of the migrant crisis and crime: – Karen Rubin, editor, News & Photo Features.
Chairman Comer, Ranking Member Lynch, and Members of the Committee, as we speak the streets of an American City have been militarized over the objections of the Governor. This is nothing short of a flagrant abuse of power, an assault on our American values.
My views on immigration are simple and direct — our nation needs secure borders. Our nation needs comprehensive immigration reform from this Congress. Our state laws dictate that we cooperate with ICE in criminal cases. And our values dictate that we treat all law-abiding families with dignity and respect.
The America I believe in is a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants — abandoning either threatens the very foundation on which our great country was built. For 400 years New York has prospered from hard-working newcomers — people like my grandparents who fled poverty in Ireland — they had the same American Dream that immigrant families have today. They’re not here for handouts. They want to work, earn their place and raise their families.
Yet every day we see another story of children ripped from the arms of their mothers. Wives separated from their husbands. Families arrested while attending legal immigration appointments. Not long ago, in the small town of Sackets Harbor, New York masked and armed ICE agents stormed into a home before dawn, abducted a mother and three children — including a third grader. They were cast into a living hell in a detention facility in Texas. I immediately contacted Border Czar Tom Homan and demanded their release.
In Jefferson County, where more than 60 percent of voters supported Donald Trump, people protested in the streets. Local Republican lawmakers, business owners, and school leaders all spoke out. Finally, after nearly two weeks the family was returned home.
In New York, we understand the difference between going after criminals and traumatizing law-abiding families.
Now some will use this hearing to stoke fear but I’m here to give you the facts. New York has managed an unprecedented influx of migrants because of a broken border.
And yet at the same time our state has become stronger and safer.
Today, New York State has the lowest homicide rate among the nation’s ten largest states. We’ve achieved this not with indiscriminate roundups, not by tearing apart innocent families, but by investing over $2.6 billion in public safety. By engaging in smart, targeted policing and by partnering with federal agencies to apprehend and deport serious criminals.
Since I became Governor we’ve cooperated in handing over more than 1,300 convicted criminals to ICE. What we don’t do is enforce civil immigration violations — that’s the federal government’s job.
New Yorkers need their State Troopers seizing guns and drugs and patrolling highways. States like mine are doing our part but we can’t be expected to fix this nation’s broken immigration system.
The very people who go on cable news to rail about ‘chaos at the border’ are the ones who torpedo bipartisan immigration reform each and every time it’s within reach.
So here’s my message: If you truly care about public safety — if you truly care about the economy — if you truly care about human dignity then sit down, negotiate and deliver real reform. Secure the border. Revive legal pathways. Let people work.
At the end of today, I’ll go home and do my job of keeping New Yorkers safe. I hope you’ll do yours too.
TO: Interested Parties
FROM: Office of Governor Kathy Hochul
DATE: June 12, 2025
RE: Governor Kathy Hochul’s Appearance Before the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
Today, Governor Hochul is voluntarily appearing before the United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform to participate in a hearing on immigration policy.
During this hearing, you can expect to hear Governor Hochul explain how she’s keeping New Yorkers safe. Her position is clear: she supports strong, secure borders and comprehensive immigration reform. And throughout her time as governor, she has proven we can welcome individuals who wish to work and contribute to New York, while holding anyone who threatens public safety accountable.
Unfortunately, based on certain Members’ previous statements to the media, it seems very likely that this hearing will be derailed by wild accusations, twisted characterizations and flat-out falsehoods. This memo lays out the key facts on Governor Hochul’s record on public safety and on immigration policy. Let’s take a look:
FALSE CLAIM: New York is a sanctuary state that hinders the ability of federal law enforcement to arrest and remove violent criminals from its streets.
FACT: There is no sanctuary in New York for people who commit crimes. New York is committed to cracking down on gang members and violent criminals, and State officials cooperate with ICE and CBP in many circumstances.
-New York State can and will work and coordinate with federal immigration officials when:
-There is an active criminal investigation.
-An individual has been convicted of a New York State crime.
-An individual is suspected of an immigration crime.
-Coordination with federal immigration is relevant to the investigation of a crime committed in New York State.
-An individual is suspected of a crime with potential multinational dimensions, such as participation in international drug cartels and gangs.
-The Department of Correction and Community Supervision has handed over 1,300 non-citizen incarcerated individuals to ICE at the completion of their sentences since Governor Hochul took office in 2021:
Start Date
End Date
Released to ICE
ICE Did Not Pick Up
8/24/2021
12/31/2021
119
15
1/1/2022
12/31/2022
353
50
1/1/2023
12/31/2023
318
18
1/1/2024
12/31/2024
395
22
1/1/2025
5/30/2025
158
15
TOTAL
1,343
120
Source: NYS DOCCS records
–Justice.gov: Pakistani National Extradited to Face Charges in Connection with Plot to Carry Out ISIS-Inspired Mass Shooting at Jewish Center in New York City
-“A Pakistani citizen residing in Canada, Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, 20, also known as Shahzeb Jadoon, was extradited to the United States on June 10, in connection with an indictment filed in the Southern District of New York.”
-“State Police assigned to the Task Force played a critical role in the investigation of the subject and his movement toward the U.S. from Canada. Through partnership with colleagues at the FBI, CBP and Canadian law enforcement, he was ultimately arrested by Canadian authorities before he could get into the United States.” [Governor.ny.gov]
–Ice.gov: ICE New York City, partners arrest illegal alien wanted in home country for homicide
-“On Feb. 2, 2018, authorities in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, issued a warrant for Cruz’s arrest for the offense of homicide, which went international six weeks later. ICE New York City received notification March 16 this year.”
-“The New Rochelle Police Department arrested Cruz for having improper plates and impounded his vehicle May 17. The New Rochelle Police Department released Cruz on his own recognizance prior to realizing that he was an international fugitive wanted for homicide. Upon receiving this information, the police department immediately notified ICE New York City, which — along with federal partners — arrested Cruz.”
–Ice.gov: ICE Buffalo investigation nets 30-year sentence for New York man on child exploitation charges
-“A New York man was sentenced for child exploitation charges following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement with support from New York State Police.”
–Ice.gov: Pennsylvania man sentenced for role in burglary of 55 UPS warehouses following ICE investigation
-“Agencies nationwide supported ICE HSI Newark in the investigation leading to the sentencings… New York agencies include the New York State Police […].”
FALSE CLAIM: Crime is at record-high levels in New York and the City and State are in chaos.
FACT: Among the most populous states, New York State and New York City are some of the safest jurisdictions in the country with crime rates that have fallen since Governor Hochul took office in 2021.
-New York State has the LOWEST homicide rate of the top 10 most populous states in the U.S. and HALF the national average; its homicide rate is lower than Florida, Texas, Georgia and Arizona among other states.
-New York City has the SECOND LOWEST crime rate of the top 10 most populous cities in the U.S., lower than Houston, Dallas and San Antonio among other cities.
-Comparing the first five months of the year, murders are down 41% since 2021:
-Comparing the first five months of the year, shootings are down 54% since 2021:
–NYC.gov: NYPD ANNOUNCES RECORD LOW SHOOTINGS AND MURDERS FOR THE FIRST FIVE MONTHS OF 2025
-“Police Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch today announced that from January 2025 through May 2025, New York City experienced the lowest number of shootings and murders in recorded history and set the record for the lowest number of shootings and murders in May. New York City also experienced the safest Memorial Day on record, with the lowest number of shootings ever across the entire weekend and the first Memorial Day Sunday with zero shootings. These historic numbers helped drive the eighth straight month of declines in major crime categories with a 4.9% drop in May 2025 compared to the same time last year.”
–NYC.gov: NYPD ANNOUNCES HISTORIC CRIME REDUCTIONS IN FIRST QUARTER OF 2025 WITH FEWEST SHOOTING INCIDENTS IN RECORDED HISTORY
-“These historic declines in violence were accompanied by major crime reductions in every patrol borough with index crime down 10.9%. In this quarter, robbery dropped 22.8% (3,074 vs. 3,981), grand larceny declined 13.7% (10,226 vs. 11,855), auto theft was down 11.9% (2,773 vs. 3,148), burglary was down 4.4% (3,043 vs. 3,184), and felony assault fell 2.7% (6,361 vs. 6,535).”
–cdc.gov: According to the latest available CDC data, New York State has the lowest homicide rate of the 10 most populous states in the country.
FALSE CLAIM: New York’s leaders are soft-on-crime and have not taken action to protect the people of the state.
FACT: Governor Hochul’s top priority is public safety and she has invested over $2.6 billion in gun violence prevention and other public safety initiatives.
–Times Union: Hochul unveils $252B budget with focus on cost of living, crime
-“Her budget would include $77 million to increase police on subway platforms and on trains during overnight hours. She is also calling to expedite the expenditure of $400 million toward continuing the installation of fixed cameras in prisons across the state’s correctional system, with nearly $20 million allocated for expanding body-worn cameras for correction officers.”
–WKBW: Gov. Hochul announces millions in public safety funding for local law enforcement agencies
-“Gov. Hochul announced Wednesday $50 million of funding for public safety efforts across the state.”
-“$30 million of the funding will go towards new technologies and equipment for local law enforcement agencies, such as body cameras, storage, and software.”
–Everytown: VICTORY FOR GUN SAFETY: Governor Kathy Hochul, New York Lawmakers Include More than $350 Million in FY25 Budget Agreement for Gun Violence Prevention Programs; Moms Demand Action, Students Demand Action Respond
-“The New York chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots network, released the following statement applauding Governor Kathy Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Speaker Carl Heastie, and lawmakers for agreeing to a budget that sustains New York’s historic commitment of more than $350 million to fund gun violence prevention efforts across the state and invests in new efforts to combat violence this past weekend.”
–NY1: Subway safety plans in state budget include mental health services, more platform barriers
-“The governor touted securing $77 million in the budget to pay for the NYPD overnight patrols on every train, which the city also has to pay for. That ends on June 30 and it’s unclear whether they will continue. ‘I’ll continue that funding, and making sure we have the resources whether it’s through the city or the state or combined,’ Hochul said.”
–Statescoop: New York governor announces $127M in new funds for public safety tech
-“New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office this week announced that police departments and sheriffs’ offices outside New York City will receive $127 million for crime prevention tools and other new technology. Nearly 400 law enforcement agencies across New York will receive funding through the state’s Public Safety Grant after filing last year for additional funds to purchase new equipment. According to the grant funding announcement, police departments and sheriffs’ offices will use the funding to purchase license plate readers, mobile and fixed camera systems, computer-aided dispatch systems, software, drones, gunshot-detection devices and “smart” equipment for patrol vehicles and police officers.”
–NY Times: Building upon Governor Hochul’s record investments in proven crime prevention initiatives, the FY26 Enacted Budget includes essential, commonsense changes to New York’s Discovery Laws to support survivors, hold perpetrators accountable and safeguard the right to a fair and speedy trial. The changes will prevent cases from being thrown out over technical errors and eliminate dismissals and disruptions that have re-traumatized survivors of domestic violence and other serious crimes. There is $135 million allocated for prosecutors and defenders to ensure compliance with discovery, a year-to-year increase of $15 million.
FALSE CLAIM: New York takes a lenient approach to immigration while forcing border states like Texas to manage the influx of new arrivals.
FACT: New York State shares a border with Canada and has invested additional resources to secure its northern territory as well as stop transnational gangs and the flow of fentanyl.
–Newsday: New York allocates $8 million for Canada border security.
-“Gov. Kathy Hochul and state lawmakers agreed to earmark $8 million in the state budget for security along the U.S.-Canadian border, Hochul said in announcing a “general agreement” on a budget deal Monday night.”
-“The funds will “increase safety,” the Democrat said at a news conference, adding it will allow the state to provide “the dedicated law enforcement and technology to stop transnational criminal organizations and the trafficking of guns, drugs and people.””
-“The funding, part of a $254 billion budget, is focused on the “land border” with Canada near Plattsburgh, Jackie Bray, commissioner of the state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, told Newsday. The funds will go toward additional state police, license plate readers and drones and will be “rolled out over the next year,” she said.”
–NYP: Hochul blasts move to cut border crossing hours
-““While the Biden-Harris Administration has achieved measurable success in enhancing southern border security, New York is experiencing a dramatic increase in irregular crossings along our northern border,” she said in a statement. “We need to expand enforcement at the northern border today and I call on the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to reverse this decision.””
-“New York has redirected $5 million in federal State Homeland Security Program funding to enhance security efforts along the state’s border with Canada, Hochul said, including by purchasing additional tools to support investigations into transnational criminal organizations.”
-““While these important resources will help keep New Yorkers safe and manage the spike in illegal border crossings, greater federal support is crucial to meet the magnitude of migration we are seeing,” she said.”
–North County Now: Hochul called on the Department of Homeland Security to expand immigration enforcement at New York’s border with Canada
-““I have previously raised my concerns in meetings with the Biden-Harris Administration, and write to once again request the Department of Homeland Security immediately direct staffing and resources to expand enforcement activities along the U.S.-Canada border, and in light of this weeks actions I ask you to immediately reverse the decision to suspend 24/7 staffing along our northern border at critical locations,” she wrote.”
-“Hochul pointed to the rising number of illegal border crossings this year as a primary concern, saying it should warrant “a firmer response.” She said the historically lax policies regarding the northern border are also to blame in this case. Hochul pointed to “long-standing immigration policies of the U.S. and Canada” as a primary reason the northern border has become an “increasingly popular route for non-citizens seeking entry into the U.S.””
FALSE CLAIM: Crime on the New York City subways is spiking and commuters are abandoning the system.
FACT: Subway crime is down, and Governor Hochul is continuing to invest in law enforcement and physical infrastructure to keep commuters safe – all while ridership continues to grow.
–NYP: NYC subway crime drops to pre-pandemic levels after cops flood system: ‘Fear has really gone down’
-“Tisch, during a news conference with Mayor Eric Adams unveiling the city’s first-quarter crime statistics, said major offenses overall in the subways have dropped 18% — the second-lowest level in 27 years.”
-“There have been zero murders in our subways this quarter, the first time that that has happened since 2018,” she said, referring to the period covering the first three months of the year.”
-“Tisch responded by deploying 200 cops to trains and platforms, as well as flooding hundreds more to transit hubs in order to support a Gov. Kathy Hochul-hatched plan to put two officers on every overnight subway.”
–amNY: Subway crime continues to fall, even as high-profile cases make NYC headlines
-“Subway crime in NYC is still on a downward trend in 2025 even after a slight rise in April compared to the same month last year, according to the latest police data. “
-“Over a 28-day period that ran through April 20, transit crime increased 9% compared to the same period in 2024 — 146 crimes this year vs. 134 last year. Focusing on the middle of the month, transit crime jumped nearly 30% during the week of April 14-20 compared to the period in 2024. There were 27 crimes in the city’s public transit system during those seven days last year, compared to 35 throughout the same week in 2025.”
–PIX11: Governor Hochul has invested in cameras and other safety equipment
-“Hochul directed the MTA in 2022 to install surveillance cameras on every subway car. The governor described it as a major undertaking that was finally completed on Wednesday. “We have 100% of subway cars now equipped with cameras,” Hochul said. “We have thousands of cars, thousands of cameras … If you’re thinking of committing a crime on the subway, we’re watching and you will be caught.””
–NYT: “Ridership is up across all modes of public transit.”
-“While the number of cars on the road is down, transit ridership is up, suggesting many commuters have switched. From early January through mid-April, compared with the same time last year, ridership has increased on the bus and the subway for the M.T.A. It’s also up on the Long Island Rail Road, the Staten Island Railway and the Metro-North commuter lines that serve the northern suburbs and parts of Connecticut.”
–amNY: Congestion pricing: LIRR and Metro-North see increased ridership since Jan. 5
-“Suburban railways Metro-North and the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) saw a dramatic increase in ridership every day since the launch of congestion pricing on Jan. 5, according to state data.”
-“Metrics on the New York State open data portal show that ridership on both commuter lines is way up from the same period last year — before the tolls were in effect.”
FALSE CLAIM: New York Democrats aren’t serious about addressing immigration and are using this issue to blame their political opponents.
FACT: Governor Hochul has advocated for comprehensive immigration reform during the Biden Administration and the Trump Administration, and advocated for the bipartisan border bill that would have funded the largest investment in border security in American history.
–News 10: Gov. Hochul calls for passage of bipartisan Congressional bill
-“Governor Kathy Hochul is calling on New York Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives to pass bipartisan legislation on immigration reform, if it passes in the Senate.”
-“It is absolutely essential that we get these changes,” Hochul said at a press conference on Monday.”
-“According to Hochul, the bipartisan bill in the U.S. Senate will make asylum laws tougher and provide states and localities $1.4 billion dollars.”
–AP: What’s in the bipartisan Senate package to aid Ukraine, secure U.S. border
-“The package would also send $20 billion to immigration enforcement, providing money to hire thousands more officers to evaluate asylum claims, add hundreds of more Border Patrol agents and help stop the flow of fentanyl.”
-Congressional Republicans, many of whom serve on the House Oversight Committee, did not support the bill at the behest of then-candidate Trump to score political points.
–Chairman Comer: “Americans expect Congress to push policies that secure the border, and I will not support legislation that fails to achieve this priority.This disastrous border bill by @POTUS & @SenSchumer doubles down on failed border policies & further incentivizes illegal immigration.”
–Rep. Jordan: “Joe Biden is not going to fix a problem that he purposefully created… One sentence. No money can be used to process or release into the country any new migrants… Let’s say ‘time out’ and let the American people decide how we want to deal with this in November, when we have President Trump — who actually had control of our border — against President Biden… Let the country decide.”
–Rep. Mace: “Is this a joke? The Senate ‘border security’ The New York chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots network, released the following statement applauding Governor Kathy Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Speaker Carl Heastie, and lawmakers for agreeing to a budget that sustains New York’s historic commitment of more than $350 million to fund gun violence prevention efforts across the state and invests in new efforts to combat violence this past weekend.bill if we’re calling it that, is worse than previously thought.”
–Rep. Greene: “Pres Trump has the best border policies and the best statement on the WORST America last border surrender bill! It’s DEAD ON ARRIVAL!!”
–Rep. Boebert: “This so-called border “compromise” bill reads like a compromise between the cartels, the human traffickers and Alejandro Mayorkas. They are all salivating reading this thing. No Republican should support this absolute amnesty monstrosity that fails to actually secure the border.”
–Rep. Luna: “Any Republican who votes for this will betray the American people.”
CLAIM: New York is standing idly by while antisemitism and hate crimes are committed with impunity.
FACT: Governor Hochul has made record investments to strengthen safety and security measures for organizations facing increased risk of hate crimes.
–SILive: N.Y. Gov. Kathy Hochul announces funding to organizations at risk of hate crimes or terrorism
-“Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a new state investment of nearly $63.9 million to strengthen safety and security measures at nonprofit, community-based organizations that are considered at risk for hate crimes or attacks due to their ideologies, beliefs or missions.”
-“Available through the Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes Program, the funding will support projects and cybersecurity improvements at 336 organizations throughout New York, according to an announcement issued Tuesday.”
–NYT: Gov. Hochul Announces $75 Million to Combat Hate Crimes in New York
-“Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York announced on Tuesday up to $75 million in grants for local police departments and houses of worship in response to an uptick in reported antisemitic attacks and hate crimes against Palestinians in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war.”
-“The state will also begin a review of the antisemitism and anti-discrimination policies in New York City’s public university system, while the State Police will expand its monitoring of social media to identify online threats on college campuses.”
-““You can vigorously oppose Israel’s response following the attack on their people, but still be vigorously opposed to terrorism, Hamas, antisemitism and hate in all of its forms,” Ms. Hochul, a Democrat, said in remarks that were streamed online. “We cannot allow any New Yorker to live in fear.””
