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.

POWER energy rebate checks start mailing Sept. 21: up to $200 to 8.2 million households through December, no application needed; state says $7.6B in utility-bill relief since 2021

Hochul announced Sept. 14 that the $1B Protecting Our Wallets Energy Rebate (POWER) checks from the FY27 budget begin mailing Sept. 21 and continue through December: $200 for joint filers under $150K, $150 for joint filers $150K-$300K, $100 for single filers under $150K, based on timely 2024 resident returns and not claimed as a dependent. The release frames the checks as relief from federal tariffs and gas prices ($4.35/gal cited) and lists the FY27 Ratepayer Protection Plan and RATES Commission. Context: this is the second consecutive fall in which state checks arrive in the weeks before Election Day (Nov. 3); Republicans called the 2025 inflation refund timing a gimmick, and the July Gothamist row already logged the same criticism for POWER. Hochul told a Sept. 7 parade breakfast to "watch the mail"; this release fixes the actual start date and household count.

Hochul's Aug. 28 pardon of Keisy Guerrero Mariano moots a Supreme Court immigration-detention case: on Sept. 11 the justices dismissed Genalo v. Black, set for argument Oct. 13, after Solicitor General Sauer and the ACLU jointly stipulated the pardon ended his deportability

One of the six pardons in Hochul's Aug. 28 rolling clemency batch went to Keisy Guerrero Mariano (identified in court papers as Keisy G.M.), a lawful permanent resident whose 2015 second-degree assault conviction made him deportable and subject to mandatory ICE detention; the 2nd Circuit ruled in 2024 that his 21 months in detention without a bond hearing violated due process, and the Trump administration's appeal (Genalo v. Black, No. 25-886) was granted June 15 and scheduled for argument Oct. 13. Because the pardon removes the basis for deportation and detention, ACLU legal director Cecillia Wang argued in the Aug. 31 merits brief that the case was moot; Solicitor General D. John Sauer agreed in a Sept. 11 letter, the parties filed a joint stipulation, and the Court dismissed the case the same day. Sauer said DOJ will look for another vehicle to bring the question back this term. The 2nd Circuit precedent requiring bond hearings after prolonged detention stays in place. The governor's Aug. 28 release described the batch as recipients who had lived crime-free for a significant period; it did not mention the pending Supreme Court case. Reaction so far is from outside New York: Iowa Solicitor General Eric Wessan called it "pretty wild to fully pardon an aggravated felon" to block deportation and a Supreme Court ruling; ACLU/NYCLU called it a victory for due process. Fox News says it asked Hochul's office for comment; no response reported yet, and no Blakeman statement found as of Sept. 12.

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 on CNN's Situation Room after the ceremony: "I just left the reading of the names," says New Yorkers "were let down" by EPA air-quality assurances, and describes the Giuliani–Mamdani handshake as animosity that "seems to melt away"

Hochul appeared live on CNN's Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer on the 25th anniversary, opening with "I just left the reading of the names of the victims." She said people "were let down" by post-9/11 air-quality assurances from the EPA, citing the records the city released this week; said the state put money toward roughly 2,000 untested responder samples; cited $70M in hate-crime security grants and a 50-foot buffer zone for houses of worship going into the High Holidays; and said the animosity over Giuliani's calls for Mamdani to stay away "seems to melt away" at the reflecting pool. Conservative and aggregator sites framed her departure during the name-reading as ditching the ceremony; no tier 1–2 outlet had reported that framing or the spokesperson's reported Vance comparison as of Sept 12 (see fact check).

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/

Hochul signs three labor bills at her Labor Appreciation Reception: $1,000-per-violation AG penalties for impersonating a union rep, a Construction Reporting Pay Act (2 hours' pay for shifts cancelled with under 12 hours' notice, 4 hours if sent home), and a right to see your personnel file

At the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies on Sept. 9, Hochul signed A.10835-A/S.9577-A (AG may seek $1,000 per violation from people fraudulently posing as union representatives; sponsors Ramos/Griffin), A.6950/S.9843 (Construction Reporting Pay Act: two hours at regular rate if a shift is cancelled with less than 12 hours' notice, four hours if a worker reports and is sent home without cause; current law is four hours at minimum wage; sponsors Ramos/Cruz) and A.2107/S.3460 (employees may access their personnel files and must be notified when negative information is added; sponsors Gounardes/Gonzalez-Rojas; the release says at least 17 states already guarantee this). AFL-CIO, NYSUT, CSEA, DC 37, Building Trades and LIUNA issued supporting quotes. Effective dates are not stated in the release.

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 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.

Hochul opens the school year with Pre-K seats in 402 districts and, for the first time, a date: statewide universal Pre-K for 4-year-olds by fall 2028

At a ribbon-cutting for the new Silas Wood Pre-K Center in South Huntington, Hochul said 402 school districts (more than half the state's public districts; NYC counts as one and already has UPK) are adding Pre-K seats this year, funded by the $563M annual increase in the FY27 budget within a $1.7B childcare package. The release states the state "will ensure Pre-K is truly universal for 4-year-olds statewide by the start of the 2028-29 school year," the first explicit target date attached to the promise. Regional breakdown: Long Island 84 districts, Western NY 58, Mid-Hudson 53, Capital Region 45, Finger Lakes 42, Southern Tier 35, Mohawk Valley 29, Central NY 28, North Country 27. The release gives district counts, not seat counts ("thousands" this year, "tens of thousands" in coming years), so the scale of this year's expansion is not verifiable from the announcement. Universal child care for under-4s, the second half of the promise, is not addressed.

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.

FEMA denies New York's appeal for a February-blizzard disaster declaration; Hochul: "Another day, another denial," and calls out GOP House members

In a 3:23pm Sept. 2 statement, Hochul said her administration was informed that FEMA has officially denied New York's appeal of the Major Disaster Declaration request for the February blizzard that hit New York City, Long Island and the Mid-Hudson. The state and local governments put damages at more than $168 million, which the governor says cleared every FEMA threshold. Timeline on the record: Trump denied the original request July 2 (statement-169); Hochul filed a formal appeal July 31; the appeal denial arrived one day after her Sept. 1 press conference with Mayor Mamdani over $87M in withheld counterterrorism grants. She tied the two together ("another denial") and turned on New York's Republican members of Congress, calling their silence "a direct betrayal" and demanding they press the President to grant the declaration. Her statement did not include FEMA's stated reason for denying the appeal, and no further appeal route or replacement state aid package was identified (FingerLakes1 noted the same gap). No response from Blakeman or the GOP delegation was published as of the morning of Sept. 3. Nonpartisan note: the $168M figure and the "met every threshold" claim are the governor's; FEMA's denial letter has not been released publicly.

DHS Secretary Mullin, at 26 Federal Plaza, touts "Operation Rotten Apple": 2,100+ ICE arrests across New York in five weeks, blames Hochul's 287(g) ban

While Hochul and Mamdani held their counterterrorism-funding press conference on Sept. 1, DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin held a competing one downtown at 26 Federal Plaza announcing that a July 27 to Aug. 29 ICE surge across New York City, Long Island and the Hudson Valley produced roughly 2,100 arrests (DHS release: 2,197). Mullin called them "the worst of the worst," said the state had released more than 13,000 criminal defendants despite ICE detainers, criticized Hochul's new law ending 287(g) agreements (fully effective Aug. 25), called New York "crime-ridden," threatened more agents, and said "I don't think we should be sending one federal penny to sanctuary states and sanctuary cities." Hochul disputed the framing: "There is no way that that number constitutes people who have committed crimes the way we consider a crime a crime in New York state," noting NYC has never had a 287(g) agreement and major crime categories are at record lows. Neither Mullin nor ICE Field Office Director Ken Genalo gave a breakdown of how many of the 2,100 had violent convictions versus civil immigration violations; national TRAC data shows about 70% of ICE detainees as of July had no criminal conviction. The Mullin threat to cut federal funds and the FEMA "unspent $300M" statement landed the same day, making Sept. 1 the sharpest federal-state escalation of the campaign so far.

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.

Hochul and Mamdani demand the $87M in federal counterterrorism funds still withheld; Hochul: Trump is "defunding the police"

At a Sept. 1 joint press conference with Mayor Mamdani, Hochul called on President Trump and DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin to release $87M in FEMA Homeland Security Grant Program money she says is still owed to New York. Her office's timeline: DHS cut New York's 2025 HSGP allocation by $187M (86%); Trump posted on Truth Social in October 2025 that he had reversed the cuts; New York has since received $100M, following a federal judge's order, leaving ~$87M outstanding. The state itemizes the gap as $63.3M in UASI cuts (NYC -$55.7M; Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester and Yonkers -$948K each; Port Authority -$3.8M) and $17.7M in SHSP cuts spread across every county. Hochul said the funding covers NYPD intelligence analysts, FDNY radiological response, Joint Task Force Empire Shield, 12 state bomb squads and county/sheriff equipment and training. She framed the withholding as "defunding the police" and "revenge on a blue state" ahead of the 9/11 25th anniversary; Democratic members of Congress (Jeffries, Gillibrand, Meng, Kennedy, Goldman, Latimer, Morelle, Manion) issued supporting statements. Fox News reported it had reached out to the White House and DHS; no federal response was published as of Sept. 1 afternoon. The $187M/86% cut figure and the "promise" are the governor's characterization, sourced to her release. Blakeman had not publicly responded as of this entry.

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.

Hochul responds to the mail-voting ruling: "President Trump does not get to rewrite election law"

Hochul issued a statement the evening of Aug. 24 following the Supreme Court's ruling on the mail-voting executive order: "Today's ruling does not change the facts: President Trump does not get to rewrite election law or suppress the right to vote with the stroke of a pen. New York's elections are secure. Our laws are clear. And the Constitution does not give the President the authority to override the longstanding role of states in administering their own elections. New York challenged this unlawful executive order from the very beginning and we'll continue the fight." The statement does not name the case or specify next steps.

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.

Blakeman's running mate's own sheriff's office drops its ICE deal; 7 New York agencies still hold 287(g) agreements a week before the deadline

Per ICE's own website, 7 of the original 12 New York law enforcement agencies still hold 287(g) agreements ahead of the Aug 25 state deadline: Broome, Cattaraugus, Nassau, Niagara, Rensselaer and Steuben counties plus the Nassau County Police Department. The Madison County Sheriff's Office is the latest to dissolve its agreement, citing compliance with the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act; Madison County Sheriff Todd Hood is Bruce Blakeman's running mate for lieutenant governor. Broome County officials say they house no federal detainees and will follow state law. ICE's monthly 287(g) encounter reports list a single New York encounter across May, June and July 2026 - two individuals in Cattaraugus County on June 5.

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.

Days after refusing to visit, Hochul joins DEC commissioner's weekend calls to Niagara homeowners; residents still seek relocation

Homeowners on Fox and Chester avenues in the Town of Niagara said DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton called them Saturday, Aug 15, and resident Kellie Moytka said Hochul joined her call personally — three days after Hochul said at an Aug 13 Chautauqua County press event that an in-person meeting was unnecessary and that she did not want to politicize residents' "cries for help." Moytka told WIVB she was "caught off guard," said she pressed for permanent relocation, and said Hochul indicated her office is deferring to EPA to lead on that question. Lexi Hawk of Save Our Backyards Niagara missed Lefton's call and is still seeking a face-to-face meeting. Hochul energy communications adviser Ken Lovett said Monday the governor directed DEC and the Department of Health to coordinate with EPA and that EPA has offered to voluntarily relocate several families while testing continues. Jocelyn and Daniel McKiernan, who found potentially hazardous material in their 99th Street yard, said they received no weekend call and got an EPA letter last week saying the federal agency will only engage on their property if the state DEC requests assistance first. Blakeman and Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt are backing Ortt's bill to extend the state superfund law to radiological contamination; Hochul's office says the change would take months of rulemaking and hiring and that EPA's Superfund program is already equipped.

EPA regional administrator rebuts Hochul in letter: federal work already accelerated, 1,200 Niagara properties visited

EPA Region 2 Administrator Mike Martucci wrote to Gov. Hochul on Monday, Aug 10, defending the federal role in the Niagara County radiological assessment and saying her July 14 request to accelerate the work was unnecessary because it was already happening. "Everything we can speed up — access agreements, field work, deeper sampling, and potential cleanups, where needed — is being accelerated," Martucci wrote, describing EPA as "surging resources and manpower" into Niagara and Erie counties with dozens of expert staff working alongside NYSDEC. He put numbers to it: since July 23, EPA and state teams have visited more than 1,200 properties, obtained property-access permission from 756 homeowners, and screened 350 properties, working seven days a week. Martucci had earlier called Hochul's claim of EPA testing delays an "outright lie"; in this letter he wrote that EPA's focus is "ensuring the resources needed are provided without delay – and without regard to partisan politics." Hochul's July 14 letter had blamed the "wheels of federal bureaucracy" for leaving families waiting. Hochul senior communications adviser Ken Lovett responded Wednesday that public health and safety are the governor's first priority and that she directed a surge of NYSDEC and State Incident Management Team resources. Blakeman and Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt are pushing to amend New York's superfund law to cover radiological contamination; Hochul's office argues EPA is better equipped for radiological cleanups and that the Ortt approach would require additional specialized DEC staff and cause delays.

Hochul declines to visit Niagara radiation neighborhood, calls Blakeman's trip a "political show"

Asked in Chautauqua County on Aug 13 whether she would follow Blakeman and Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt to the contaminated Town of Niagara neighborhood, Hochul said no: "I have seen people go up there and politicize their cries for help... I go there, it's a political show, and I'm not going to use politics to capitalize on people's misery." She said more than 160 state personnel from DEC, DOH and emergency management are working the response and that state aerial and road surveys helped identify hotspots. Homeowner Lexi Hawk, whose property DEC and EPA confirmed contaminated on June 29, told Spectrum News her request for a visit predated Blakeman's appearance; four residents wrote Hochul on July 7 asking for testing data, relocation help, a State Superfund designation and an in-home meeting by July 10, which did not happen. Hawk also said the original property-access agreement contained language waiving reimbursement claims against the government; that language was later removed. Separately, Ortt introduced S.10672, which would classify nuclear and radioactive waste as hazardous waste so affected sites could be remediated through the state Hazardous Waste Superfund; it sits in the Senate Rules Committee and cannot advance while the Legislature is out of session.

NYT: Trump attacks Hochul on crime while Nassau's violent crime rose in Blakeman's first three years before falling in 2025

The New York Times' account of Friday's Garden City event adds crime-record context to both campaigns' claims. Trump called Hochul "very very bad on crime — a nightmare for crime"; Blakeman thanked him for border enforcement and invoked the killing of Sheridan Gorman. The Times reports New York statewide violent crime was 6,669 higher in 2021 than 2019, began falling by 2024, and index crime dropped about 10 percent this spring versus a comparable 2022 period — a trajectory that closely tracked national trends, with the 2026 national murder rate at a decades low. In Nassau, violent crime rose roughly 350 incidents in 2022, Blakeman's first year as county executive, kept climbing through 2023 and 2024, and fell in 2025; index crime peaked in 2023. Trump also said he would uphold qualified immunity and characterized New York's ICE limits as an obstacle to federal deportations; Hochul and James said before the event that they intend to enforce the state laws.

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, Mamdani and James announce $7.25M for legal aid to 1,400 unaccompanied immigrant children after federal contract lapse

Aug 12 joint Albany appearance: Hochul, Mamdani and AG James announced $7.25M via the Office for New Americans (coalition led by the Hispanic Federation) to fund legal representation for ~1,400 unaccompanied immigrant children in active removal proceedings, including 250+ currently detained, after the Trump administration let the federal Acacia Center legal-services contract expire Jul 31. The trio also criticized ICE's new G.L.O.V.E. biometric device. Corroborated by City & State: https://www.cityandstateny.com/politics/2026/08/hochul-mamdani-united-against-ice-pledge-legal-funding-migrant-children/415376/

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

Siena: Hochul leads Blakeman 49-39 in first likely-voter poll — lead halved from June

Siena's first likely-voter poll of the cycle (811 LV, Aug 3-6, MOE +/-4.2) has Hochul up 49-39 — half her 52-32 June lead among registered voters. Blakeman leads the suburbs 49-41 and independents 45-40; Hochul leads NYC 64-19. Blakeman's favorability improved to 33-26, though 40% still don't know enough about him. Voters prefer Hochul on affordable housing (+16) and prices (+7); 52-25 support her data-center moratorium. Likely-voter screens typically tighten races, but this is the closest public head-to-head from a nonpartisan pollster this cycle.

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.

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.

First 2-K class: Hochul and Mamdani extend offers to 2,000+ children as applications hit 5,700+

At Bedrock Preschool in the Bronx on Aug 4, Hochul and Mamdani announced that 2,000+ children received offers for NYC's first free 2-K class, with 5,700+ applications submitted — nearly 3 applicants per seat. The state-city pilot covers five school districts, with a planned expansion to ~12,000 children next year and all five boroughs. Milestone on Hochul's universal pre-K/child care promise; demand far exceeding supply underscores how much scale-up remains.

Hochul signs cooling tower inspection law drafted during Harlem Legionnaires' outbreak

Hochul signed S08472-A/A09058-A on Aug 5, requiring NYC cooling tower owners to certify twice-yearly inspection, testing, cleaning and disinfection, with 24-48 hour remediation deadlines and civil penalties up to $12,500 for violations causing death or serious injury. Sen. Cordell Cleare said she drafted the bill during the 2025 Harlem Legionnaires' outbreak. Mamdani and Council Speaker Menin backed the measure; Menin flagged a September Council oversight hearing and legislation package to follow.

Medical Aid in Dying Act takes effect: terminally ill New Yorkers can now request life-ending medication

As of Aug. 5, medical aid in dying is legal in New York under Public Health Law Article 28-F, making it the 13th U.S. jurisdiction (plus D.C.) to permit the practice. Terminally ill adults with a prognosis of six months or less can request self-administered medication after approval from two physicians, a capacity determination, and a five-day waiting period between prescription and fill. Hochul signed the act Dec. 17, 2025; the effective date was set to give DOH time to issue regulations and providers time to set policies. Provider participation is voluntary, so access will vary by hospital system. The law arrives under a split legal cloud: an Aug. 3 injunction lets Catholic providers decline participation on consent grounds, while a disability-rights challenge was dismissed.

New York sues Kalshi: Hochul and James call prediction-market platform an illegal gambling operation

On July 31, Gov. Hochul and AG James announced New York has sued KalshiEX LLC, alleging its prediction-market platform is an unlicensed, illegal gambling operation that exposes New Yorkers — including those under 21 — to financial risk. The suit seeks forfeiture of illegal gains, consumer restitution, and treble fines. At least four other states (MA, MI, NV, WA) have won court orders restricting Kalshi. Backfilled from July 31; missed by prior refresh windows.

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.

Hochul announces gun-sale crackdown to counter ATF rollback of 30+ federal firearms regulations

Responding to the ATF's planned rollback of more than 30 federal firearms regulations, Hochul announced Jul 30 that State Police will prioritize inspections of dealers linked to crime guns, the Interstate Task Force on Illegal Guns will expand, and the state will run a dealer-education campaign. She will also seek two bills in January: requiring all firearm sales to occur in person (countering federal moves to allow online sales) and requiring affirmative background-check approval before a sale — aligning gun checks with the stricter ammunition standard. Framed explicitly against the Trump administration: rollbacks "make it easier for dangerous individuals to obtain firearms."

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 says Democrats will try to "cheat," won't commit to accepting election results without caveat

At a Penn Station press conference Jul 29, Blakeman said Democrats have "consistently tried to cheat" and would accept the outcome only "if the results of the elections are fair." Asked for evidence, his campaign cited two examples: the PCFB's since-reversed denial of his matching funds and his exclusion from speaking at the Dominican Day Parade. On Fox Business that morning he said Democrats would attempt to "steal" the election; the state BOE said the New Jersey registration error he cited could not occur under New York's system. Hochul's campaign called it "embracing Trump's election denial lies." The same presser included attacks on Mamdani's tax policies.

Hochul and James release final SAFE for Kids Act rules restricting addictive feeds and overnight notifications for minors

Final rules under the 2024 SAFE for Kids Act, announced Jul 28 at a NYC roundtable with parents and teens, publish in the State Register Jul 29; the law takes effect 180 days later, Jan 25, 2027. Platforms must not serve algorithmically personalized feeds to users under 18 or send notifications between midnight and 6 a.m. without parental consent. Rules set criteria for which companies are covered and standards for age verification and parental consent. AG can seek civil penalties up to $5,000 per violation. AG release: https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2026/attorney-general-james-and-governor-hochul-release-final-safe-kids-act-rules

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.

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.

Office of Immigrant Trust opens first enforcement action: 12 agencies — including Nassau — told to end ICE 287(g) agreements by Aug. 25

Hochul and AG James announced Jul 24 that the new Office of Immigrant Trust — a bureau inside the AG's office created by the package Hochul signed May 27 — sent letters to the 12 local law enforcement agencies with active 287(g) ICE agreements, notifying them state law requires the agreements be unwound by Aug. 25, 2026. The Local Cops, Local Crimes Act bans formal or informal 287(g) arrangements and bars local facilities from housing federal civil immigration detainees. Counties with agreements include Nassau, Broome, Madison, Rensselaer and Steuben. OIT can issue subpoenas, investigate and bring civil actions.