In The News-New York State
PSC Accepts National Grid’s Long-Term Gas System Reliability Plan
The state Public Service Commission (PSC) voted 6-1 to accept National Grid’s long-term gas plan aimed at ensuring reliable energy for New York State. The plan includes the Williams’ Northeast Supply Enhancement (NESE) pipeline, which would run beneath New York Harbor to supply natural gas to New York City and Long Island.
The PSC did not approve the pipeline, instead it agreed with National Grid that steps need to be taken to address and prevent outages and potential shortfalls in gas supply during peak winter demand, especially when severe winter weather strikes. Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Company LLC (Transco) would transport natural gas from Pennsylvania through New Jersey, travelling underwater in the Raritan Bay and Lower New York Bay to approximately three miles offshore of the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens. The final decision on the pipeline rests with the Department of Environmental Conservation.
“The gas planning activities we require National Grid to undertake today will ensure that National Grid continues to provide safe, adequate, and reliable service while striving to meet the state’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets,” said Commission Chair Rory Christian. “Because widespread gas outages are a real possibility today given the narrow margin between available gas supply and demand, additional company actions identified in National Grid’s long-term plan and in the Commission’s order warrant consideration. The safety and reliability of the natural gas system that millions of New Yorkers rely on for heating their homes during cold winter weather is something that everyone should agree is non-negotiable.
The PSC is requiring the National Grid companies–The Brooklyn Union Gas Company, KeySpan Gas East Corporation, and Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation–to report on necessary improvements to demand forecasting and submit analyses regarding the Greenpoint LNG facility, non-pipe alternatives, and electrification.
Environmental advocates quickly pushed back, asserting the decision undermines the state’s legally mandated climate goals.
According to published reports, Governor Kathy Hochul is advocating an “all-of-the-above approach to energy production with an emphasis on affordability.
“At a time when the federal government has launched a full-on attack on renewables, the Governor is pushing an all-of-the-above approach that prioritizes affordability, grid reliability, and economic development. While the Governor understands the PSC’s finding that National Grid’s long-term plan addresses a reliability need, she has also been clear that any application to DEC to resolve that need must be reviewed impartially to determine compliance with state and federal laws,” said Ken Lovett, Senior Communications Advisor on Energy and Environment for Governor Kathy Hochul, in published reports.
Vaccine Guidance for New Yorkers in Partnership With the Northeast Public Health Collaborative
Governor Kathy Hochul this week announced the release of New York State’s 2025–2026 COVID-19 vaccine guidance. The guidance recommends COVID vaccination for children (6 months to 18 years old), all adults, and individuals at higher risk, including those who are pregnant, lactating, or immunocompromised.
The State guidance also aligns with consensus COVID-19 recommendations agreed upon by the Northeast Public Health Collaborative, a group of several Northeastern states and municipalities including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island and New York City. These recommendations are consistent with the Fall 2025 COVID-19 vaccination guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and the American Academy of Family Physicians.
The guidelines were released ahead of this week’s federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meeting, where national vaccine recommendations will be reviewed and voted on.
Earlier this month, Governor Hochul signed an Executive Order allowing pharmacists to prescribe and administer COVID vaccines, ensuring continued access for all New Yorkers who wish to be vaccinated. The Order will be extended as necessary while a long-term legislative solution is developed to address access to all vaccines in order to combat the Trump Administration’s misguided attack on immunization and healthcare.
At the direction of the Governor, the State also recently issued guidance to insurers encouraging them to continue covering all vaccines recommended by The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). The guidance also reminds insurers of previously issued guidance requiring insurers to cover COVID vaccines for children.
In The News-New York City
Adams Administration Analyzes Economic Impact of Downstate Casino Proposals & Gives
Recommendations to Benefits for All Boroughs
New York City Mayor Eric Adams today issued “Casting the Dice: Casinos in New York City,” a comprehensive report analyzing each of the seven casino proposals located within the five boroughs and laying out clear recommendations to make sure that any casino located within New York City benefits both the surrounding community and the entire city with billions of dollars in economic impact, thousands of jobs, and improvements to local neighborhoods. The report examines the financial, economic, and design impacts of each of the casino proposals; additionally, the report lays out seven general recommendations for all parties involved in the casino licensing process to consider as proposals continue to move forward.
Following a comprehensive review by several city agencies, Casting the Dice offers a comparative analysis of every application, showcasing the potential jobs and economic impact that each casino could have on New York City.
| Bally’s | Coney | Avenir | Caesars | Freedom | QF | Aqueduct | |
| Construction Jobs, Direct | 6,936 | 6,976 | 11,269 | 7,190 | 17,907 | 16,224 | 7,942 |
| Construction Jobs, Indirect & Induced | 3,297 | 3,316 | 5,356 | 3,417 | 8,511 | 7,711 | 3,775 |
| Permanent Jobs, Direct | 1,547 | 1,617 | 1,822 | 2,017 | 2,736 | 2,559 | 1,765 |
| Construction Economic Impact, Net New (Net Present Value) ($M) | $1,623.4 | $1,627.6 | $2,642.9 | $1.676.6 | $4,193.5 | $3,787.9 | $1,855.4 |
| Operations Economic Impact, Net New (30-Year Net Present Value) ($M) | $7,256.8 | $10,674.1 | $9,884.8 | $9,650.6 | $10,113.3 | $11,525.2 | $7,629.7 |
Casting the Dice includes detailed economic analysis showing the impact of each individual casino proposal for New York City. Source: New York City Mayor’s Office.
Earlier this week, two casino proposals (Caesars Times Square and Avenir Hudson Yarks) were voted down by their respective Community Advisory Committees. The Mayor indicated that “key” recommendations in this report were shared with the respective CACs and applicants ahead of the vote and before publication to ensure they had all the information necessary for a vote. The Adams administration continues to encourage all CACs to utilize the full-time allotted for a comprehensive review of all proposals.
Additionally, in order to make sure that every proposal best serves the surrounding community and the city, the report makes recommendations for the land use, design, and urban planning elements of each individual application.
Finally, the report calls on all parties involved in the licensing process, including applicants, the Gaming Facility Location Board, and the New York State Gaming Commission, to incorporate the following principles into their decision making:
- Consider a revised, regular distribution of gaming revenues to make sure that casinos located in New York City benefit all five boroughs.
- Ensure that community benefit funds have clear, accountable government structures.
- Establish meaningful enforcement mechanisms to ensure that commitments and pledges by license applicants are codified and followed.
- Promote transparency and clear oversight in decision-making throughout the process.
- Invest in initiatives that promote quality of life, treat addiction, and address traffic.
- Prioritize participation by minority- and women-owned business enterprises.
- Create detailed workforce plans to ensure that local communities have access to good-paying jobs and other economic benefits from a casino.
Mayor Adams, Attorney General James, HPD Launch Pilot Program to Support Co-op Owners in NYC
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Acting Commissioner Ahmed Tigani this week launched a new pilot program to support struggling Housing Development Fund Corporation (HDFC) cooperatives in New York City and ensure they can continue to offer affordable homeownership opportunities for low- and- moderate-income New Yorkers.
The pilot program, HDFC Cooperative Technical Assistance Program (CTAP), is backed by settlement funds from the Office of the New York Attorney General. The Urban Homesteading Assistance Board (UHAB) will provide HDFC co-ops in New York City with targeted technical assistance to help improve their financial, operational, and physical health.
According to the Adams Administration, there are over 1,200 limited equity HDFC cooperatives in New York City. While most HDFC co-ops are financially stable, some co-ops are struggling to manage their finances and maintenance
During the two-year program period, HPD will work closely with UHAB to identify a priority list of struggling HDFC co-ops that could benefit from support. Together with HPD, UHAB will assess each HDFC co-op’s operations, governance structure, financial needs, and physical needs to create and implement an actionable stabilization plan tailored to the specific co-op. Participating co-ops will also have access to a low-interest, flexible financing fund offered for urgent financial or physical needs.
UHAB will assist approximately 20-30 HDFC co-ops through the pilot program and address various common issues, including:
- Address Municipal Arrears and Other Outstanding Payments: Enable the co-op to pay off any debt owed such as bills that are past due to the New York City Department of Finance, New York City Department of Environmental Protection, and utility companies through a sustainable repayment plan or by refinancing the arrears with a below-market loan product.
- Stabilize Finances: Take steps to improve the co-op’s financial health by increasing or restructuring maintenance fees, refinancing debt, identifying unnecessary expenses, hiring third-party property management companies, and implementing sustainable cost-saving measures.
- Support Renovations and Address Housing Violations: Help co-ops explore financing options to complete repairs, including bringing vacant units back online so they can be sold to prospective shareholders. Guide the co-op in addressing outstanding building violations that may prevent the co-op from moving forward with rehabilitation projects.
- Establish Good Governance Practices: Aid the co-op in resolving governance issues by establishing or updating rules and regulations.
- Support Estate and Probate Issues: Engage attorneys to help the co-op’s shareholders and boards with estate planning and probate issues.
This pilot program is funded by the Office of the New York State Attorney General as a result of the 2012 National Mortgage Settlement, which secured $25 billion from five of the nation’s largest mortgage services, and the 2013 Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities Working Group–which secured a $13 billion settlement from JPMorgan Chase for the company’s role in the mortgage crisis.
Briefs
TWU President Samuelsen and Slate Win Historic Reelection
Unopposed for the second consecutive convention, TWU International President John Samuelsen and his entire United Unstoppable slate were reelected for another term at the 27th Constitutional Convention in Las Vegas this week.
The convention, the largest gathering of delegates ever in the TWU’s history, erupted in applause when the vote count concluded and the top five officers, standing shoulder to shoulder, raised their clasped hands high above their heads in victory: Samuelsen, Executive Vice President Alex Garcia, Secretary-Treasurer Jerome Lafragola, Administrative Vice President Curtis Tate, and Administrative Vice President Mike Mayes.
“It is with the utmost humility that we say thank you as a slate,” Samuelsen said. “The affirmation, the uplifting positivity of being elected without opposition, is just stunning. It’s incredible. It really is. It’s the entire body of the membership saying that we are in total agreement with the fighting mentality that this leadership has brought to the International.”
United Unstoppable slate, led by Samuelsen, Garcia, Lafragola, Tate, and Mayes, also ran unopposed four years ago at the previous convention, meaning they have secured an unprecedented pair of wins in TWU history.
Samuelsen said the International’s leadership is committed to maintaining the course it first set when coming into office in 2017.
“We will continue fighting aggressively for contracts that raise the living standards of Transport Workers,” he said. “We will continue fighting aggressively to organize the unorganized, and we will continue to invest in a robust political program.”
President Trump Establishes Presidential Emergency Board amid disputes between Long Island Railroad and Unions
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order establishing a Presidential Emergency Board to “investigate disputes” between the Long Island Rail Road and the unions representing is workers, delaying a potential strike.
Union leaders requested the Board’s intervention allowing services on the railroad to continue uninterrupted will the emergency board process is underway. A strike could occur next May, however, if a compromise with the MTA is not reach.
The labor organizations involved in these disputes are the Transportation Communications Union, the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
The emergency board will probe impasse and prevent and mediate negotiations under the Railway Labor Act, which triggers a 120-day “cooling off period.” The board, set to be composed of three members appointed directly by Trump, will have 30 days to review the contract proposals from both sides and issue its recommendations.
MTA Announces Record 7-Day Subway Ridership With 26.8 Million Rides Last Week
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) set a new post-pandemic subway ridership record, setting a new 7-day high of 26.8 million riders traveling between Monday, September 8th and Sunday, Sept. 14th. Additionally, the subway recorded more than four million riders every weekday, a first since the COVID-19 pandemic.
MTA Bus Company saw its third highest weekly ridership since the pandemic with 9.3 million rides, up 2.7% compared to 2024. The highest week was the week of September 12, 2022, with 100,000 more riders.
Access-a-Ride saw a new single-day record on Wednesday, Sept. 10, with 46,875 scheduled trips and now leads the MTA in post-pandemic ridership return, with 2025 ridership at 140% of its pre-pandemic peak. Access-A-Ride now regularly exceeds 40,000 scheduled weekday trips,
Metro-North Railroad carried an average of 237,994 riders for the workweek, the highest 5-day average since March 2020, while the Long Island Railroad reached its highest 5-day ridership average since the pandemic the week of August 25, with an average of 288,459 riders. Also on-time performance for both the Long Island Railroad and Metro-North have consistently been at or near 97% in 2025.
PGA of America Announce Three Elite Golf Championships Coming to New York State
Governor Kathy Hochul and the PGA of America this announced that New York State plans to host three landmark professional golf championships over the next decade. Bethpage State Park’s Black Course in Farmingdale expects to welcome the 2028 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and the 2033 PGA Championship, while Oak Hill Country Club outside Rochester will host the 2035 PGA Championship.
Next week, Bethpage State Park will host 250,000 spectators for the Ryder Cup, where the top golfers from the United States take on those from Europe September 26-28 on the Black Course.
According to the Governor, hosting these major events at Bethpage requires State Parks to commit resources to prepare the venue. The 2035 PGA Championship at Oak Hill is being supported by $3 million in grants from Empire State Development. These funds will assist with public transportation and site restoration. The 2023 PGA Championship was estimated to generate $190 million in economic impact.
Governor Hochul Urges Congress to Pass an Extension of Affordable Care Act Health Insurance Subsidies
Governor Kathy Hochul joined a call on Congressional leadership to pass an extension of the Affordable Care Act’s enhanced premium tax credits, which are set to expire at the end of 2025. New York is one of 18 states to sign a joint letter stating that without these subsidies, millions of Americans will see their healthcare premiums rise by thousands of dollars.
More than 140,000 New Yorkers rely on the enhanced credits to access health coverage. In addition, these credits support a further 1.7 million New Yorkers on the Essential Plan, which provides low or no-cost coverage for working families statewide.
The Governor asserted that extension of these tax credits is critical, as New York State grapples with the impacts of the Federal reconciliation law, which decreases federal funding for the Essential Plan by $7.5 billion annually, more than half of the program’s total funding, beginning in 2026. As a result, New York State is scaling back the Essential Plan back to a Basic Health Program
Adams Administration Announces Automatic Rebates to Qualified Homeowners for Purchase of NYC Bin
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) Acting Commissioner Javier Lojan, and New York City Department of Finance (DOF) Commissioner Preston Niblack today announced that owners of one- and two-family homes who receive the Basic or Enhanced School Tax Relief (STAR or E-STAR) credit or exemption will receive a $59.30 check to pay for the cost of their official NYC Bin. Checks are due to hit mailboxes in the coming weeks. Eligible homeowners will not have to do anything to receive the checks, as DOF will automatically be sending them.
As of November 12, 2024, all properties with one to nine residential units (including one- and two-family homes) are required to use bins, 55 gallons or less, with secure lids for trash set out. Those residents who already use a bin of similar size may continue to use it only until June 2026, when they will be required to use the official NYC Bin.
NY Foliage Report: Colorful Colors Emerging This Weekend
Colorful fall foliage continues to emerge across New York State, with the most significant changes once again expected in the Adirondacks and Catskills. This is according to the field reports from volunteer observers for the Empire State Development Division of Tourism’s I LOVE NY program.
Locations with the most significant foliage change this weekend will include Old Forge, Lake Pleasant, Newcomb, Mt. Arab, Tupper Lake, and Wanakena (Adirondacks); and Delhi, Colchester, and Liberty (Catskills).
Coming Up
New York State
*There are no meetings scheduled at the state level at time of this Publication*
New York City
Monday, September 22nd
Committee on Rules, Privileges and Elections, Council Chambers – City Hall, 10 a.m.
Committee on Public Safety, 250 Broadway – Committee Room 1, 8th Floor, 10 a.m.
Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises, 250 Broadway – 8th Floor – Hearing Room 3, 11 a.m.
Committee on Economic Development, 250 Broadway – 8th Floor – Hearing Room 3, 1 p.m.
Committee on Aging, Council Chambers – City Hall, 1 p.m.
Committee on Veterans, 250 Broadway – 8th Floor – Hearing Room 3, 1 p.m.
Thursday, September 25th
Committee on Finance, Council Chambers – City Hall, 10:30 a.m.
Committee on Land Use, Committee Room – City Hall, 10:30 a.m.
City Council Stated Meeting, Council Chambers – City Hall, 1:30 p.m.
Friday, September 26th
Committee on Mental Health, Disabilities and Addiction,
250 Broadway – 8th Floor – Hearing Room 3, 10 a.m.
Committee on Fire and Emergency Management,
250 Broadway – 8th Floor – Hearing Room 1, 10 a.m.