New York State legislators passed the $254B Fiscal Year 2026 state budget, reflecting an increase of $17B from FY25. The FY26 budget included inflation refund checks (up to $200 for individuals and $400 for families), an...more
Yesterday, state lawmakers passed the $254B FY26 state budget, reflecting an increase of $17B from FY25. The budget was passed over five weeks after the deadline of April 1, and will be retroactively in effect from April 1,...more
NYC Council Sues Over ICE Office at Rikers Island -
The New York City Council has filed a lawsuit against Mayor Adams over the opening of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) outpost on Rikers Island. The...more
4/21/2025
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Healthcare ,
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New York ,
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Last Tuesday, Governor Hochul released her $252B FY26 Executive Budget. The proposal includes funding for $1B in tax cuts for middle class New Yorkers, $3B in rebate checks, $800M to expand the state’s child tax credit, $340M...more
1/28/2025
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New Legislation ,
New York ,
Nonprofits ,
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Rebates ,
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Tax Credits ,
Tax Cuts
Last Tuesday, Governor Hochul delivered her 2025 State of the State address, laying out her vision for the year ahead. Highlights from the State of the State are below. The Governor will release her Executive Budget soon to...more
This weekend, state lawmakers passed the $237B FY25 state budget, reflecting an increase of $8B from FY24. The budget was passed more than two weeks after the deadline of April 1, and will be retroactively in effect from...more
CHICAGO — Gov. JB Pritzker Announces Plan to Make Chicago Quantum Technology Capital-
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker announced a plan to make Chicago a quantum technology capital at M-Hub, a business incubator on Chicago’s...more
4/11/2024
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Business Disruption ,
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Shipping Cargo ,
Tax Increases ,
Wages
LOS ANGELES — How Tech Sector Downturn has Hurt L.A. Office Market -The Los Angeles tech office space saw fourth-quarter leasing drop to 2.2 million square feet from nearly 3 million square feet the year before....more
3/28/2024
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Vacant Properties ,
Wage and Hour
Mayor Adams and Chief Technology Officer Matthew Fraser released the “New York City Artificial Intelligence Action Plan.” The plan will develop a framework for city agencies to evaluate AI tools and risks and support the...more
CHICAGO — Chicago Government’s IT Infrastructure Inefficient to the Point of “Barely” Working, Consultant Tells City Council-
An IT consultant hired by City Hall to diagnose the city’s wide array of technological woes urged...more
10/6/2023
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Asylum ,
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CHICAGO — Chicago City Council to Consider Regulating Rideshares- Members of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration have been involved in the discussions, but Alderman Mike Rodriguez is taking the lead on the effort to...more
8/25/2023
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Layoffs ,
Local Elections ,
Mental Health ,
Notice of Default ,
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Property Tax ,
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Public Transit ,
Real Estate Market ,
Strike ,
Unions ,
WARN Act
CHICAGO — Google Plans to Open in Thompson Center by 2026; Will Tech Giant Help Revitalize the Loop?
The tech giant hasn’t revealed its plans for the Helmut Jahn-designed building, where it plans to open an office by 2026,...more
8/11/2023
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Drones ,
Fraud ,
Google ,
Homeless Issues ,
Local Elections ,
Mental Health ,
Public Health ,
Public Transportation ,
Short-Term Lease ,
State Funding ,
Surveillance ,
Unions
Last Thursday, a midlevel New York court ordered the Independent Redistricting Commission to redraw the state’s congressional maps ahead of new year’s 2024 elections, overturning a lower court’s decision. This represents a...more
The New York State Assembly officially closed out the 2023 legislative session last Wednesday. 896 bills passed through both houses of the state legislature, with over 600 of them receiving approval in the month of June. The...more
CHICAGO — United Center Concessions Workers in One-Day Walkout- Concessions workers at the United Center staged a one-day walkout Sunday that affected food and beverage service during the afternoon’s Chicago Bulls game....more
3/13/2023
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Bureau of Labor Statistics ,
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Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Freelance Workers ,
Labor Shortage ,
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Pay-To-Play ,
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Rent Control ,
Unions
City Council Launches “Welcome NYC”-
City Council announced a new public/private partnership in support of asylum seekers, “Welcome NYC.” The $2.2 million initiative includes $1 million in funding from the city and $1...more
Preview of Adams’ Mental Health Agenda-
Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan previewed details of the Adams administration’s mental health agenda last Wednesday. The agenda consists of three plans, focused on substance use...more
On the evening of February 2, Chicago rideshare drivers gathered outside the Copernicus Center on the city’s Northwest Side, braving extremely cold and windy weather, to demand better working conditions, wages and benefits. ...more
2/23/2023
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Wage and Hour
CHICAGO — Proposed Ordinance Offers Course Correction for False Claims Against Gig Workers-
Rideshare and delivery drivers in Chicago are calling for an ordinance that guarantees their right to appeal before being...more
2/13/2023
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Airports ,
Commercial Buildings ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Delivery Drivers ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
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Political Campaigns ,
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Public Health ,
Railways ,
Rent ,
Tax Assessment ,
Technology Sector ,
Transportation Industry ,
Vaccinations
Governor Hochul Releases FY24 Executive Budget-
Last Wednesday, Governor Hochul released her Executive Budget for Fiscal Year 2024. The state’s $227 billion budget includes no significant tax raises, and Governor Hochul...more
New Draft Assembly Map Released-
New York State’s Independent Redistricting Commission has voted to move forward with a new draft Assembly map. There are several changes from the map that was used for this year’s elections....more
CHICAGO — Chicago Offering 12 Weeks of Paid Parental Leave to City Employees; New Policy Applies to Birthing, Non-Birthing Parents-
In yet another pre-election sweetener, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced that the city is...more
10/27/2022
/ Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Cyber Attacks ,
Eviction ,
General Elections ,
Housing Market ,
Impeachment ,
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Minimum Wage ,
Paid Leave ,
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Redistricting ,
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Wealth Tax
This Week in New York – Deputy Mayor for Housing & Urban Development Steps Down & de Blasio Announces Next Commissioner to Oversee the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene -
Deputy Mayor for Housing & Urban Development...more