MTA issues the RFQ for Contract 4, the last and largest Second Avenue Subway Phase 2 contract: station fit-outs, track, signals, 22 elevators and 20 escalators at 106, 116 and 125 St; RFP by year-end, contractor pick mid-2027, full completion fall 2032 on a $6.968B budget

Sept. 14 release: the fourth and final Phase 2 contract goes out as a Request for Qualifications. Contract 1 (106 St utility relocation, awarded Jan 2024) is about 60% done; Contract 2 (tunnels and 116 St box, Sept 2025) targets substantial completion Sept 2029; Contract 3 (106 St shell, April 2026) targets Q3 2030. Funded by congestion-relief revenue and $3.4B federal. Hochul: "we are moving full speed ahead with the final contract." Revenue service still projected for 2032, so the promise stays in-progress.

Hochul marks completion of the $69.6M Sydor Optics Advanced Technology Center at Monroe Community College in Brighton; state put in $34.6M, Monroe County $34.8M, pitched as workforce pipeline for the upstate semiconductor push

Sept. 14 release: the center relocates MCC's automotive, precision tooling and HVAC programs and its Optical Systems Technology program (enrollment up 3,520% since 2015, per the release) to the Brighton campus. State share $34.6M includes $10M for the STEM addition announced Feb 2024; county $34.8M includes $3.5M federal via Schumer, Gillibrand and Morelle. Tied to the NY SMART-I Corridor Tech Hub and $200M ON-RAMP program. Enrollment figure is the state's own claim.

NYS Building & Construction Trades Council (235,000 members) endorses Hochul for re-election; LaBarbera cites construction, housing and energy-project policies, Hochul points to offshore wind, Gateway, upstate chips and housing

Hochul's campaign announced Sept. 10 that the New York State Building & Construction Trades Council, which it says represents more than 235,000 union construction workers, endorsed her re-election. President Gary LaBarbera credited policies expanding construction jobs, housing development and energy projects; Hochul cited offshore wind off Long Island, the Gateway Tunnel, upstate semiconductor plants and housing. The membership figure and project claims come from the campaign; no vote tally or endorsement process was described. The statewide council endorsement sits against the intra-labor split logged since June, in which individual building-trades locals (e.g., Steamfitters Local 638 on Sept. 2) have gone to Blakeman. Reported Sept. 14 by Fingerlakes1; original campaign release URL not located.

After the pardon mooted Genalo v. Black, Solicitor General Sauer says the Trump administration will seek an "alternative vehicle" to challenge the Second Circuit's bond-hearing ruling; Iowa's solicitor general calls the pardon "pretty wild," and Hochul's office had not commented as of Sept. 12

Follow-on to the Sept. 11 dismissal. Fox News reports Solicitor General John Sauer agreed the case is moot but said the administration will look for another case to bring the same question (whether prolonged immigration detention triggers a constitutional right to a bond hearing) back to the Supreme Court. Criticism quoted is from Iowa Solicitor General Eric Wessan on X; no Blakeman statement was found in any outlet. Fox said it had asked Hochul's office for comment and had no reply. Reader note: Fox's framing ("torpedos") is the outlet's; the underlying facts match SCOTUSblog's Sept. 11 report.

Voting-rights groups press Hochul to sign the "time extender" bill (S4602-A/A5846-B) before November: it would automatically keep a poll site open by the length of any disruption over one hour, including machine failures or ICE activity; her office says only that she will "review this legislation"

Common Cause NY's Susan Lerner used the 9/11 anniversary, which halted the 2001 NYC primary, to press for the bill. Sponsor Sen. Andrew Gounardes (Assembly sponsor Eddie Gibbs) says it would make poll-hour extensions automatic rather than left to each local board of elections; an exception applies if voters did not actually lose the ability to vote. Some county boards object that sites within one county could close at different times. The State BOE declined to comment on pending legislation. The bill passed both houses this session and has not yet been delivered to or acted on by the governor as of Sept. 11.

NY1 on the ceremony's politics: Hochul stood with Cuomo and de Blasio, Vance embraced Giuliani and Bloomberg, 9/11 widow Terry Strada used the podium to attack Saudi protection "administration after administration," and Blakeman attended to honor his nephew, court officer Thomas Jurgens

Speeches by politicians were barred, but the ceremony still turned political through family readers: Strada called out dignitaries for protecting Saudi Arabia and asked Vance to carry the message to Trump. NY1 reports the Mamdani–Giuliani meeting after weeks of Giuliani urging the mayor to stay away, and quotes Hochul's CNN line that animosity "seems to melt away" at the reflecting pools. Blakeman's campaign said he attended to honor Senior Court Officer Thomas Jurgans, who died evacuating people from the World Trade Center. No incident or protest involving Hochul or Mamdani was reported.

Hochul puts $2.2M into the 9/11 Memorial Museum to make "New York First Sundays" every Sunday for a year starting October; also orders 17 landmarks lit red, white and blue and flags at half-staff, and releases a Steve Buscemi-narrated video

Two anniversary-morning releases. The $2.2M expands a Carnegie-funded program that gives New York residents and students free afternoon admission on the first Sunday of each month to every Sunday for one year beginning October 2026; museum CEO Beth Hillman credited Hochul. The second release lists 17 landmarks lit red, white and blue (One WTC, Cuomo Bridge, Niagara Falls, Moynihan, etc.), half-staff flags at the Capitol and Empire State Plaza, and notes 84 Port Authority and 40 Tax and Finance employees killed. Neither release mentions the ceremony itself, Blakeman, or Mamdani. Second URL: governor.ny.gov/news/25-years-later-we-will-never-forget-governor-hochul-honors-911-victims-survivors-and-first

Hochul's 9/11 op-ed in the New York Post: "never forget" means backing sick responders, "standing up for the police officers who protect our city when their resources are threatened," and "refusing to let this solemn anniversary become a source of division"

The governor's office reposted Hochul's New York Post op-ed on the morning of the 25th anniversary. The piece profiles four children of 9/11 victims who went into the NYPD, FDNY and nursing, and casts "never forget" as a standing obligation: health care and benefits for responders with 9/11-related illnesses, support for police "when their resources are threatened," and a refusal to let the anniversary "become a source of division." It does not name Blakeman, Mamdani or the headscarf fight, but the closing lines ("refuse to allow hatred, suspicion or division to diminish the spirit New Yorkers showed") track the language she has used against Blakeman's "Hijab Hochul" attack. Original: nypost.com/2026/09/10/opinion/new-york-must-never-forget-9-11-and-turn-sorrow-into-service/

After Canada imposes retaliatory tariffs of up to 50% at 11:01 a.m., Hochul calls on New York's seven House Republicans to demand Trump end the trade war and refund $13.5B she says New Yorkers overpaid; says NY wine exports to Canada are down about 91%

In Albany remarks on Sept. 8, Hochul said Canada imposed tariffs of up to 50% on billions of dollars of American goods that morning in retaliation for the Trump administration's trade war. She called on New York's seven Republican House members to demand the President end the tariffs and repeated her call for the federal government to return $13.5 billion she says New Yorkers have overpaid through tariff-driven prices. She cited Canadian wood and aluminum as inputs that raise housing construction costs, and said New York wine exports to Canada, previously the state's largest wine export market, are down about 91%. She also noted a Supreme Court ruling that the President lacks authority to impose tariffs without congressional approval. Figures are the governor's; the 91% and $13.5B numbers were not independently sourced in the release.

Ahead of the High Holidays, Hochul announces distribution of a record $70M in Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes grants to 290 nonprofits and a State Police surge at religious sites through Yom Kippur

Sept. 8 announcement: $70M through the Securing Communities Against Hate Crimes program goes to 290 nonprofit, community-based organizations deemed at risk because of ideology, beliefs or mission (houses of worship, community centers, cultural museums, daycares). Eligible uses are physical hardening (lighting, locks, alarms, panic buttons, barriers, shatter-resistant glass), cybersecurity and security training. Per the Sept. 3 JNS report on the funding round, the $70M combines $35M already available with $35M added in the FY27 budget, making it the largest round in program history. Hochul also directed State Police and the Hate Crimes Task Force to surge presence at synagogues and Jewish neighborhoods from Rosh Hashanah through Yom Kippur. Backdrop: NYPD reported hate crimes up 15.8% YTD through August (425 vs 367), and the announcement lands three days before the 9/11 25th-anniversary ceremony amid Blakeman's "Hijab Hochul" attack line. Governor URL as linked from Daily Caller coverage; release text corroborated via dailycaller.com/2026/09/08/kathy-hochul-grants-hate-crimes-antisemitism/.

At the West Indian Day Parade breakfast, Hochul says New York will "never, ever, ever support the overreach of ICE" and tells the crowd to "watch the mail": the $1B POWER utility rebate checks go out "over the next couple of weeks"

Speaking Sept. 7 at the West Indian American Day Association breakfast before marching on Eastern Parkway, Hochul said fear of ICE in Caribbean communities has "only gotten worse" since last year and that the state will not "support the overreach of ICE," six days after DHS Secretary Mullin blamed her 287(g) ban for "Operation Rotten Apple." She listed free school meals, universal child care and the $1,000 under-four child credit, then said the $1 billion POWER utility rebate ($100-$200 per household, 8.2M recipients) starts landing in mailboxes within a couple of weeks. That confirms the September start Republicans have called an election-year gimmick. No Blakeman appearance at the parade was reported.

Labor Day accomplishments release: Hochul cites $145M in wage-theft recoveries since 2021 ($35M in 2025), ~18,000 apprentices as of June 30, 12,000+ SUNY/CUNY Reconnect enrollees, 64,000+ NY HELPS hires; Tier 6 and workers' comp changes from the FY27 budget; 17 landmarks lit

The annual Labor Day accomplishments release (Sept 7, 2026) is a retrospective, not a new policy. Verifiable figures it puts on the record: NYSDOL recovered more than $35M in wages and $2.2M in penalties in 2025 (highest since 2015) and more than $145M for 130,000+ workers since 2021; 14,579 public-work contractor registration certificates issued; 79 model-management companies registered under the Fashion Workers Act; almost 18,000 registered apprentices, 600+ sponsors, 900+ programs and 1,300+ completion certificates as of June 30, 2026; 12,000+ enrolled in free community college (SUNY/CUNY Reconnect), expanded this year to logistics, air traffic control and second-degree nursing; 64,000+ appointments through NY HELPS. It also claims the nation's smallest gender wage gap (91.4 cents per dollar, 2024) and recaps FY27 budget items: Tier 6 reforms (lower retirement ages for educators, lower contribution rates, higher overtime caps), a DA grant program for workers' comp fraud starting 2027, and universal provider authorization for injured workers starting January 2028. Retail Worker Safety Act silent-response-button mandate for 500+ employee retailers takes effect Jan 1, 2027. Blakeman has been courting union support (Steamfitters 638, TWU 106/252 endorsements); no Blakeman Labor Day statement located. Official governor.ny.gov URL not yet indexed at run time; source is a verbatim repost of the release.

Backfill: El Hogar Residence opens in the Bronx: 83 senior apartments, 50 for formerly homeless seniors, all at or below 40% AMI; state repeats the 87,000-of-100,000 housing-plan count

Sept. 3: Hochul cut the ribbon on El Hogar Residence, a $60M, 10-story all-electric building at 2444 Tiebout Ave. developed by nonprofit Comunilife. 83 apartments for older adults, 50 of them supportive units for formerly homeless seniors with on-site case management funded through ESSHI; all units capped at 40% of AMI. Financing: ~$19M in federal LIHTC equity, $11M+ HCR subsidy, $5.9M OTDA HHAP, $6M DOH ESSHI, $11.6M NYC HPD, $700K RESO A. The release restates that the $25B five-year plan has created or preserved "more than 87,000" of the promised 100,000 homes, the same figure the state used Sept. 2 at Matinecock Court. Construction on this project began in August 2024, so the completion falls inside the plan window.

Backfill: Hochul details $50M U.S. Route 9 overhaul in Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown: four roundabouts, separated bike-ped path; half the money is a federal BUILD grant and construction does not start until 2028

Sept. 4: NYSDOT's preliminary design for a 1.3-mile stretch of Route 9 (Broadway) replaces four signalized intersections in Sleepy Hollow with roundabouts, adds signals at two unsignalized intersections, a 0.75-mile physically separated shared-use path, continuous sidewalks, curb extensions and ADA bus stops. Of the $50M, $25M is a USDOT BUILD grant announced by Schumer and Gillibrand; Stewart-Cousins says she added $5M in the 2023 state budget. The release is a design milestone, not a groundbreaking: final design proceeds now and construction is "anticipated to begin in 2028," i.e., after the election and into a second term.

Backfill: Hochul awards $76.2M in federal Rural Health Transformation money to 90 rural-care partnerships; first year of a $212M CMS award, with Dr. Oz crediting the Trump administration

Sept. 4: Hochul announced $76.2M through the Rural Community Health Integration Initiative: 90 awards to 56 organizations ($22.7M planning, $53.5M implementation) plus $1M for school-based health centers. The money is 100% federal, drawn from New York's $212M+ first-year allocation under the $50B CMS Rural Health Transformation Program (FFY2026-2030) created in the 2025 federal reconciliation law. Three other tranches remain: $30M technology-enhanced primary care, $13M rural workforce, $79.5M technology/cybersecurity. CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz's quote in the state release credits "The Trump Administration's Rural Health Transformation Program." Context for the tracker: the state announcement frames this as Hochul's investment; the funding source is federal, and future-year awards depend on CMS renewing New York's share.

Hochul calls Blakeman's escalating "Hijab Hochul" attack "reprehensible"; Blakeman doubles down citing his nephew killed on 9/11 and ties her to Mamdani and "Global Intifada"

Sept. 3: The headscarf fight moved to a third round. After Blakeman's Sept. 1 post ("Hijab Hochul. Kathy's Latest Costume: Whatever the Audience Wants"), Hochul called the attack "reprehensible." Blakeman did not back off: in a statement invoking his nephew Tommy (state court officer Thomas Jurgens), killed on 9/11 while giving first aid to a burned woman, he said Hochul "has aligned yourself with Zohran Mamdani who won't speak against 'Global Intifada' which was the goal of his murderers." The Post noted Blakeman himself wore a head covering at a Sikh event last year. Hochul's office again cited the 2022 Ronkonkoma mosque visit and Officer Didarul Islam's funeral as precedent. This is the first time either side has used "reprehensible"; it follows Hochul's Sept. 2 on-camera answer ("says more about him") and her X reply to Trump. Logged Sept. 5 (missed Sept. 3-4 runs).

Lawmakers press Hochul to act now on AI and data-center bills instead of the usual December veto-or-sign window; Blakeman opposes the data-center moratorium

Sept. 3 (7:18pm): hundreds of passed bills await Hochul's signature or veto, and sponsors of AI and big-tech measures argue the usual year-end wait is costlier when the technology changes daily. Sen. Michelle Hinchey wanted Hochul to sign by Labor Day a bipartisan bill requiring businesses to report to the Department of Labor how AI is displacing workers, cutting hours, creating jobs or leaving positions unfilled; Upstate United's Justin Wilcox backs it as "gather the data first." Sen. Kristen Gonzalez is touring the state pushing the data-center package (including a statutory one-year moratorium) that Hochul partially pre-empted with her July executive order. Hochul's office points to her AI commission and the EO. Blakeman says he opposes a moratorium and that the administration should already have written data-center regulations. Watch: the bill-action calendar runs through December.

Hochul leads 18 governors in a letter to AG Blanche urging DOJ not to abandon Olmstead enforcement for community-based disability care

Sept. 4: Hochul led 18 governors (including Lamont, Moore, Whitmer, Kotek, Stein) in a letter to Attorney General Todd Blanche asking DOJ to reverse its decision to stop relying on its longstanding Olmstead v. L.C. guidance, which protects the right of people with disabilities to receive services in the community rather than institutions under the ADA and Section 504. Hochul called the federal move "needlessly cruel and unjust." Follows her July 22 statement (statement-171) on the same DOJ decision. Letter PDF: governor.ny.gov/sites/default/files/2026-09/Governors_Letter_on_Olmstead_9-2026.pdf. No New York policy change; this is a federal-posture item.

One year after the Cato ICE raid, Hochul ties the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act to the anniversary and names Homan and Mullin as targets for "truth and transparency"

Sept. 4 statement marking one year since the Sept. 4, 2025 ICE raid on Nutrition Bar Confectioners in Cato (Cayuga County), which detained 69 people including three mothers with infants. Hochul cites the Buffalo death of Nurul Amin Shah Alam and last month's pepper-spraying of a protester during "Operation Rotten Apple," credits the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act (287(g) ban, sensitive-locations protections, a state cause of action against officials who violate constitutional rights), and says she will keep "demanding truth and transparency from Tom Homan and Secretary Mullin." Context: the 287(g) ban is under challenge in Bourgault v. Hochul (state response due Sept. 9) and Mullin blamed the ban for 2,100+ ICE arrests on Sept. 2.

Safer Streets: Hochul says GIVE communities logged their fewest index crimes since 2017 through May (down 7%, murders down 48% to 41); NYC summer had record-low 195 shootings and 66 murders

Sept 3 release: the 28 GIVE police departments reported 29,654 index crimes Jan–May 2026 (down 7% from 31,752), 4,617 violent crimes (down 1%), 41 murders (down 48%), 830 robberies (down 17%), property crime down 8%. Eleven departments posted double-digit index-crime drops (Elmira, Greece, Hempstead, Jamestown, Kingston, Newburgh, Poughkeepsie, Rochester, Spring Valley, Suffolk County, Utica). NYC June 1–Aug 31: 195 shooting incidents, 249 victims, 66 murders, each an NYPD record low for the period; August major crime down 6.6% (10,276 vs 11,000). Context: this is the fourth crime-stats release since Aug 14 as public safety becomes the campaign's central argument; the GIVE data covers only through May and only the 28 participating upstate/suburban departments, not statewide totals. Underlying DCJS table: governor.ny.gov/sites/default/files/2026-09/GIVE_Agencies_Index_Crime_Data_Jan.May_2017.2026.pdf.

Hochul awards first $18.6M of the $400M Albany "CAP" plan to ten downtown projects; Liberty Park redevelopment goes to Columbia Development and Galesi Group

One year after the first CAP public workshop, Hochul announced the first ten awards from the $200M Downtown Albany Strategy pool: $18.6M in grants leveraging ~$97.5M in other investment for nearly 300 housing units, mostly office-to-residential conversions (largest: $6.5M to Jankow Companies to convert 54 State Street into 120 apartments; $4M to Redburn for Union Station with 50 workforce units). ESD is also committing up to $20M for streetscapes and $1M for a small-business facade fund, and Capitalize Albany selected Columbia Development and Galesi Group to master-plan the eight-acre Liberty Park district, with terms still to be negotiated. The office says commitments to date total up to $80M of the $200M. A separate $25M OGS "Reconnect the Empire State Plaza" report was released alongside. Note: the Galesi Group and Columbia Development are prominent Capital Region developers; we have not checked their campaign-donor history this run.

Matinecock Court opens in Huntington after a 48-year fight; state now says 87,000+ of the promised 100,000 affordable homes are done

The $98M, 145-unit limited-equity co-op in Huntington was first proposed in 1978 and became a landmark Fair Housing Act case (Huntington Branch NAACP v. Town of Huntington, affirmed by the Supreme Court in 1988). Financing: ~$36M in federal and state LIHTC equity, $28M state subsidy, $1.7M OPWDD, $1M ESD, ~$4.2M Suffolk County. Eight units are for people with developmental disabilities and four for veterans; all are at or below 80% AMI. The release also updates the five-year Housing Plan tally to "more than 87,000" of 100,000 affordable homes created or preserved, up from the 81,000+ figure in our tracker. That is the state's own count and has not been independently audited.

Backfill: Hochul's detailed public schedules run 14 months late and redact 400+ "private events," despite an early-tenure pledge of quarterly releases

City & State (Aug. 31) reports that Hochul's office released nine months of detailed public schedules in late August, but they only run through June 2025, about 14 months behind. Her office had committed at the start of her tenure to releasing them roughly quarterly; until this batch, the site was nearly two years out of date, and the prior release (January 2026) covered only through September 2024. The schedules contain over 400 "private events" with no participant listed (81 in October 2024 alone), which typically indicate campaign or fundraising calls. Reinvent Albany's Rachael Fauss said the administration has not made good on its transparency promise and that its FOIL process remains as slow as in 2021. Spokesperson Jen Goodman did not explain the delay or the departure from quarterly releases, saying the administration "remain[s] committed to improving transparency and accountability." An Aug. 18 meeting with NYPD Commissioner Tisch was not on the public schedule. Note: the tracker has no standalone "quarterly schedule release" promise row; this is logged as a governance item, not a promise flip.

On Overdose Awareness Day, Hochul cites a ~45% drop in overdose deaths since 2022; landmarks lit purple

For International Overdose Awareness Day (Aug 31), Hochul announced overdose deaths fell roughly 45% statewide since 2022 — CDC provisional data show predicted deaths dropping from 6,630+ in 2022 (~18/day) to 3,775 in 2025 (~10/day) — and directed 16 landmarks including 1WTC and Niagara Falls to be lit purple. The figures repeat the CDC provisional numbers her office first highlighted May 21; the new elements are the awareness-day framing and illuminations. Release cites ~$500M in opioid settlement funds deployed, 1.4M+ naloxone kits shipped since Aug 2022, and 28M+ fentanyl/xylazine test strips distributed.

Hochul announces $20M for community-based youth services organizations in 10 communities statewide

Aug 31 announcement of $20M for community-based organizations providing youth services and support in 10 communities statewide. Details per the governor's release as republished by LongIsland.com; recipient list and funding mechanism to be confirmed against the full release.

"Unplug and Play": Hochul announces $75M available through NY BRICKS for community centers

Aug 31 announcement making $75M available through the NY BRICKS program for municipal and nonprofit community centers, branded under her "Unplug and Play" youth initiative. Details per the governor's release as republished by LongIsland.com.

Backfill: Hochul one-on-one with NBC New York; $36M victim-services money followed News 4 reporting on unexpected cuts

In a one-on-one with Melissa Russo (aired Aug. 28), Hochul discussed Blakeman and Trump's Lake Ontario renaming order. Accountability context for the tracker: NBC frames the $36M victim-services announcement as coming AFTER News 4 reported unexpected cuts that jeopardized services for crime victims and sexual assault survivors, including children — i.e., the funding restored money to programs already disrupted, rather than expanding them unprompted.

Hochul headscarf clip: office defends her as national right-wing outlets escalate ahead of 9/11 anniversary

Hochul spoke Friday, Aug. 28 at the Islamic Cultural Center School in the Bronx wearing a black headscarf. A clip posted Sunday, Aug. 30 by the "End Wokeness" X account drew 4M+ views, and Republican figures — Rep. Brandon Gill (R-TX), the NY Young Republican Club, Newsmax's Rob Schmitt and others — attacked her as hypocritical on feminism, with several invoking the upcoming 25th anniversary of 9/11. UPDATE Aug 31: the pile-on went national (Daily Wire, Townhall, National Pulse, Dave Rubin), and Hochul's office defended her, saying she respects 9/11 victims and their families while rejecting anti-Muslim hatred (per South Shore Press); the Islamic Cultural Center School posted that the visit was "an honor" and "meaningful recognition." Hochul previously wore a headscarf at the July 2025 funeral of slain Muslim NYPD Officer Didarul Islam. No Blakeman campaign comment found as of Aug 31. The pile-on lands as Blakeman courts outer-borough and suburban voters on public-safety themes.

Backfill: Hochul and Kevin Bacon promote her repeal of restrictions on dancing in bars and restaurants

On Aug 28 Hochul appeared with actor Kevin Bacon to highlight her policy eliminating outdated restrictions on dancing in bars and restaurants — a Footloose-themed publicity event for a quality-of-life deregulation she has made part of her affordability-and-fun pitch in the campaign's final stretch.

Hochul grants six pardons in first rolling (non-year-end) clemency batch, bringing her total to 145 grants

On Aug 28 Hochul pardoned six people — convictions dating 1986-2015 for drug possession, a loaded firearm, assault, DWI and bail jumping — citing her Clemency Advisory Panel and a commitment to grant clemency on a rolling basis rather than only at year-end. Her office says she has now issued 145 clemency grants: 125 pardons and 20 commutations.

Backfill: Hochul discusses tariffs, ICE and social media on MSNOW's Morning Joe

Hochul appeared on MSNOW's Morning Joe on Aug 28 (10:16 AM transcript posted by the governor's office), discussing the Canada tariffs, ICE enforcement in New York, and social media policy. National-TV framing of the two threads dominating the race; no new policy announced.

Blakeman launches digital ads reviving Hochul's 2024 "Black kids ... computer" remark, calling it a racial stereotype

The Blakeman campaign launched a digital ad campaign Aug 26 targeting Hochul over her May 2024 Milken Institute remark that "young Black kids growing up in the Bronx ... don't even know what the word computer is" — a comment she said the same day she regretted ("I misspoke"). The campaign characterized the remark as a racial stereotype and said video and related material would run across major social platforms immediately. The release did not disclose the ad spend or how long the ads will run.

Hochul campaign hits Blakeman over his support for Trump's tariffs after the 50% duty on Canadian goods

Friends for Kathy Hochul issued a statement on Aug 25 attacking Blakeman for backing Trump's tariffs, arguing the 50% tariff on Canadian goods raises consumer costs and hurts the state economy, and comparing the policy to Depression-era protectionism. Spokesperson Ryan Radulovacki called Blakeman one of Trump's strongest tariff supporters. The release carried no response from Blakeman or the administration. This is a campaign statement, not an independent finding.

Backfill: construction starts on a $46M, 80-unit affordable housing conversion of the Oval Wood Dish Factory in Tupper Lake

Hochul announced Aug. 24 the start of construction on the former Oval Wood Dish Factory in the village of Tupper Lake, Franklin County — a $46 million, 80-unit mixed-use affordable development.

Backfill: New York opens the Workforce Pell application portal for short-term job training programs

Hochul announced Aug. 24 that New York has opened the application portal for the Workforce Pell Program, through which higher education institutions seek state approval for short-term workforce training programs eligible for federal Pell funding.

Hochul marks five years in office with a record retrospective as her campaign draws the contrast with Blakeman

Hochul was sworn in as New York's 57th governor on August 24, 2021. The official five-year release restates her affordability, public safety and health care record. It arrives the same day her reelection campaign issued a parallel statement contrasting that record with Bruce Blakeman.

Hochul campaign marks five years with gun, spending and health-cost claims; no Blakeman response in the release

Campaign spokesperson Ryan Radulovacki credited Hochul with stronger gun laws, medical-debt protections, and inflation and energy rebate checks. The campaign claims more than 10,000 illegal guns taken off New York streets and nearly $4 billion in public safety spending since 2021. The claims are campaign figures, not independently verified here. The release included no response from Blakeman.

Hochul announces $6.2M for Brooklyn healthcare and community facilities: $4.2M for StartCare, $2M for NYCHA's Breukelen Houses community center

Announced Aug 18 in Canarsie alongside state Sen. Roxanne J. Persaud. DASNY will administer the funds. StartCare gets $4.2M to renovate its East New York facility and expand primary care and behavioral health, adding on-site EKG and lab testing plus space for vocational training. NYCHA gets $2M for renovations at the Breukelen Houses community center.

Hochul: $216M in Summer EBT food assistance delivered to 1.8M children so far; applications open until Sept 8

The 2026 Summer EBT program has distributed over $216M to more than 1.8M low-income children ($120 per eligible child); the state expects ~$240M to nearly 2M children by completion. Families can apply through Sept 8. Same benefit Hochul promoted on the Lower East Side Aug 12.

Hochul launches $60M RFP for up to four Regional Quantum Technology Commercialization Hubs

Aug 12: Hochul announced a competitive $60M Request for Proposals to establish up to four Regional Quantum Technology Commercialization Hubs statewide, pitched as startup and jobs development.

Capital Group to expand NYC operations with $38M investment

Aug 11: Hochul announced asset manager Capital Group will expand its New York City operations with a $38M growth project. Routine economic-development announcement in the campaign-season cadence.

Hochul announces WithCoverage expansion in NYC: 205 new jobs, $25M R&D investment

Dog days on the trail: Hochul pushes $120 child food benefit on Lower East Side as Blakeman courts Flushing business leaders

Both candidates worked NYC on Aug 11. At Grand Street Settlement on the Lower East Side, Hochul urged eligible families to apply for the $120-per-child Summer EBT food benefit before its Sept 8 deadline. Blakeman met business leaders in Flushing, Queens, and previewed Trump's Friday Nassau visit, saying the president "wants to honor our police officers, our deputy sheriffs, our corrections officers." Under three months to Election Day.

Hochul unveils $10M for new cardiac catheterization lab at Lincoln Hospital in the South Bronx

Hochul and Rep. Ritchie Torres announced a nearly $10 million state investment to complete a cardiac catheterization laboratory at NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln in the Bronx, framed as closing a health-equity gap in the South Bronx, which has among the state's highest rates of cardiovascular disease.

Hochul awards $21M to expand psychiatric emergency programs at seven hospitals

$21 million in capital and start-up funding to establish three new Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Programs and improve four others statewide — an installment of the $1B mental-health plan.

Hochul flags Aug 11 deadline for $30M farm tariff-relief fund as Canada trade fight squeezes NY producers

Aug 8 release: Hochul reminded eligible New York farmers and producers that applications for the $30 million Agricultural Resiliency Against Tariffs Program — which offsets 2025 tariff-related losses — close Aug 11. The state relief fund is the administration's direct response to the Canada tariff hit on NY's largest trading partner, a cost storyline both campaigns have used in the affordability fight.

MTA seeks contractors to modernize century-old Chambers St J/Z station

Hochul announced Aug 7 that the MTA is seeking contractors to design, construct and rehabilitate the Chambers St J/Z station in Lower Manhattan, which opened in 1913 and has long ranked among the system's most deteriorated stations. Design-build procurement stage; no completion date or final cost announced yet.

Hochul announces $434M in water infrastructure financing and grants, framed as affordability

EFC board approved $434M in low-cost financing and state/federal grants for water and sewer projects statewide on Aug 7, including $361M for 11 NYC drinking water and sewer projects (City Tunnel No. 3 shafts, Kensico-Eastview tunnel, Hillview Reservoir cover). Hochul cast it in affordability terms: "Affordability means investing before problems become crises." First installment of the $3.75B clean water plan in the FY2027 budget; release notes federal IIJA supplemental funding to the State Revolving Funds ceases this year.

Hochul signs cannabis showcase bill: microbusinesses can now sell at farmers markets and pop-up events

Hochul signed S.10113/A.11217 (now Chapter 207 of the Laws of 2026) on Aug 6, letting licensed cannabis microbusinesses fully participate in Cannabis Showcase Events — pop-ups, farmers markets, and public market events — without needing to partner with standalone cultivators or processors. Effective immediately. Licensed dispensaries reported nearly $1.7B in 2025 sales, up from ~$900M in 2024.

CSEA members ratify five-year contracts: raises for 55,000+ state workers through April 2031

All four CSEA bargaining units ratified five-year labor agreements announced Aug 6, covering more than 55,000 state employees through April 1, 2031. Terms include raises, boosts to location pay and unit-specific payments, 20 hours of paid prenatal leave, a higher sick-leave accumulation cap, and health insurance changes reducing co-pays and out-of-network costs. Relevant to the intra-labor split over Hochul's union record.

Empire AI Beta fully online: Hochul says state's academic supercomputer is now the most powerful in the country

Hochul announced Aug. 5 that Empire AI Beta is officially online, giving researchers at New York's public and private universities access to what the state calls the most powerful academic research computer in the country. The announcement frames the federal government's new state and regional AI infrastructure hubs as taking inspiration from New York's model. Empire AI is a signature Hochul initiative housed at SUNY; the Beta milestone is a delivery checkpoint on the state's claim to lead public-sector AI research capacity. Capability claims are the state's own characterization.

Blakeman calls Kalshi lawsuit "hypocritical," says Hochul walked away from deal he pegs at $10B over five years

Campaigning in Albany Aug. 5, Blakeman attacked the state's lawsuit against prediction-market platform Kalshi, arguing Hochul should have accepted a proposed settlement — a 6% tax on prediction-market trades that, per Wall Street Journal reporting cited by Blakeman, could have generated $10B over five years. He called the suit hypocritical given last year's casino approvals and framed prediction markets as personal choice. Hochul's office responded that Kalshi "blatantly violated state law," put consumers including minors at risk, and that "weak attempts to self-regulate are meaningless." The suit seeks fines and restitution that could total $36B.

Hochul tours Lake Placid Olympic facilities as state explores joint NYC-Lake Placid bid for 2042 Winter Games

Hochul toured Lake Placid's Olympic Museum and facilities Monday, Aug. 3, promoting a possible bid to host the 2042 Winter Games. She created an Olympic exploratory committee last month to study a joint bid: indoor ice events in New York City arenas, mountain and sliding sports on Lake Placid's existing 1980-era infrastructure.

Hochul formally appeals Trump administration denial of disaster aid for February blizzard

On July 31, Hochul sent President Trump a letter formally appealing FEMA's July 2 denial of a Major Disaster Declaration for the Feb 22-23 blizzard, calling the decision "arbitrary and without explanation." The state says it identified $168M+ in storm damages — at least triple FEMA's Public Assistance threshold — and that the denial is inconsistent with Stafford Act standards. Follows the July 2 denial already tracked. Backfilled from July 31.

UUP members ratify five-year SUNY contract 98%, with first-in-nation AI protections for faculty

United University Professions — the ~42,000-member SUNY faculty and professional-staff union — ratified a five-year contract running to July 1, 2031, with roughly 98% of ballots cast in favor, one of the largest ratification margins in the union's 53-year history. The deal includes annual raises, health-insurance changes to control premiums, and contract language putting SUNY courses under human "direction and responsibility" with humans holding "ultimate accountability" for AI-assisted work. Hochul announced the ratification Jul 28; UUP announced it Jul 27. A data point on the pro-Hochul side of the intra-labor split: TWU has urged unions not to back her, while UUP joins the AFL-CIO majority.

Second straight year of fall rebate checks: up to $200 arriving September-October, weeks before Election Day

The next round of state rebate checks — up to $200, from the $1B utility-relief program in the $277B budget adopted in May — will land in mailboxes in September and October, on the eve of the Nov 3 election (reported Jul 29). Hochul says the program helps people facing higher utility bills; Republicans call the timing a gimmick. It is the second consecutive year of fall checks: the 2025 inflation refund sent up to $400 to 8.2M households in Sept-Nov. Feeds the ongoing affordability fight — Hochul touts direct relief while Blakeman runs on cost-of-living criticism.

Finger Lakes bitcoin mine Greenidge rebrands as data center, testing Hochul's EO 62 moratorium

Greenidge Generation, the gas-fired Finger Lakes bitcoin-mining plant, has rebranded as Vulcan Infrastructure and Power and is seeking 200 MW of additional grid power (roughly 150,000 homes' worth) to become an AI data center — raising ~$40M for the effort. Hochul's EO 62, signed this month as the country's first data-center moratorium, pauses permits for facilities of 50 MW+, but DEC says it has received no new application and would not say whether Vulcan's plan falls under the moratorium; Hochul's office referred questions to DEC. Earthjustice and Seneca Lake Guardian say the rebrand is an attempt to escape the moratorium and the plant's pollution record. A first test of how far EO 62 reaches.

Blakeman attacks Hochul for praising Bragg after she suggests he could one day be U.S. attorney general

Speaking Sunday Jul 26 at Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, Hochul praised Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg and — after briefly misspeaking "AG" for "DA" — said he could one day become U.S. attorney general. Blakeman called Bragg "the most soft-on-crime DA in the state," saying under him "violent offenders get charges knocked down" and "repeat criminals walk free." Hochul's team stood by the remarks. Bragg prosecuted the Trump hush-money case; crime framing is central to Blakeman's campaign.

Park Avenue Viaduct structural replacement finished 60 months early and $195M under budget, Hochul announces

Hochul announced completion of major structural replacement on the MTA's Park Avenue Viaduct: 196 bridge structures and 12,600+ feet of railroad replaced over 28 weekends since October 2023, finishing 60 months ahead of schedule and $195M under the initial $960M budget ($765M project cost), without delaying a train. The 133-year-old viaduct carries 98% of Metro-North service — every train in and out of Grand Central. Remaining track/cable work runs through September 2027.

Hochul announces legal-AI firm Legora will create 550+ jobs in Manhattan expansion, backed by up to $10.5M in Excelsior tax credits

Legora, a legal-AI company, will open a ~98,420 sq ft office at 11 Madison Avenue creating 550+ jobs, with $87.5M in R&D commitments. Empire State Development offered up to $10.5M in performance-based Excelsior Jobs Program tax credits. Notable context: the announcement of AI office jobs comes weeks after Hochul signed the nation's first statewide data-center moratorium — office expansions like this are unaffected by the moratorium, which targets hyperscale data-center facilities.

Blakeman attacks Hochul and Mamdani over "inheritance tax," says family homes and farms could be forced into sale

In a Sunday X post with video, Blakeman claimed Hochul and NYC Mayor Mamdani "want to increase the number of people subject to an inheritance tax," arguing family farms, businesses and homes would have to be sold to pay it, and pledged to "stop it" as governor. The post does not cite a specific Hochul proposal; New York levies an estate tax (not an inheritance tax), and no current Hochul proposal to expand it was identified in the article or accessible reporting.

Hochul launches state website directing donations and anti-scam guidance for Venezuelan earthquake relief

Announced July 25: the state launched a website connecting New Yorkers to vetted relief organizations (Hispanic Federation, Aid for LIFE, Casa de Venezuela Orlando, World Central Kitchen) for Venezuelan earthquake recovery, plus tips for avoiding donation scams. Venezuela's toll has passed 5,000 deaths and 16,000 injured. New York has one of the largest Venezuelan communities in the U.S.

State secures USDA disaster designation for 32 counties after April frost caused $30M+ in fruit-crop losses

Announced July 25: USDA granted a Secretarial Disaster Designation covering counties in 10 regions after an early bloom followed by April 2026 frost hit apple, stone fruit, grape and strawberry growers, with reported losses topping $30 million. Affected farmers can now apply for USDA low-interest emergency loans. Hochul requested the declaration May 19.