Mayor Mamdani, New York Road Runners Announce Open Registration for 2K for 2-K Event

 

Free family event at Fort Tryon Park on June 7 will celebrate launch of 2-K and encourage families to apply

Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and New York Road Runners (NYRR), the nonprofit that “runs” New York City, announced that registration is now open for 2K for 2-K, a new free, family-friendly event celebrating the launch of the Mamdani administration’s historic 2-K program and encouraging families to apply for a seat this fall.

The 2K for 2-K event, along with accompanying youth dashes and a family festival, will take place June 7 at 8 a.m. in Fort Tryon Park in Manhattan. The event is open to the public through registration on the NYRR website. Capacity is limited, and registration will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

In addition to the 2-kilometer (1.2 mile) family run and walk for participants ages 2 and older, the event will feature short dashes for children ages 2 to 11, as well as games and activities for families.

2-K is the City’s answer to the child care affordability crisis, delivering free, full-day, full-year quality child care to New York City families. In partnership with Governor Kathy Hochul, Mayor Mamdani announced the launch of 2-K on the eighth day of his administration. Families in the initial four 2-K communities have until June 26 to apply at myschools.nyc.

“This January, we drew the starting line for universal child care. Later this summer, the first 2,000 families will receive life-changing offers for free, full-day, full-year child care for their 2-year-olds. But this work is a marathon, not a sprint. We are building a city where every family, no matter where they live or how much money they earn, has access to the care they need to build a life in New York City,” said Mayor Mamdani. “This race is about bringing families together to raise awareness about 2-K, and giving New York’s cutest the running start they deserve.”

“New York Road Runners is proud to continue our enduring partnership with the city of New York and welcome families from across the five boroughs to run, walk, and celebrate the launch of 2-K together,” said Rob Simmelkjaer, New York Road Runners CEO. “This event embodies our vision as a nonprofit to build healthier lives and stronger communities through the transformative power of running and we look forward to seeing the next generation of runners and New Yorkers on the start line.”

New York Road Runners produces 60 adult and youth races annually, including the TCS New York City Marathon, and provides free year-round youth and community programming like Rising New York Road Runners. The nonprofit’s running-based youth program serves 200,000 students nationwide, including 100,000 students in New York City. Throughout the year, NYRR hosts more than 20 free Rising New York Road Runners youth events, including its marquee event, the TCS New York City Marathon Kids Kickoff. The 2K for 2-K event expands the nonprofit’s decades-long partnership with the City.

In February, Mayor Mamdani launched a 2-K request for information, and last month, announced that most 2-K seats would operate on a full-day and full-year schedule. Earlier this month, the Administration partnered with Bronx-born rapper Cardi B to host a 2-K jingle contest, with the winner to be announced later this summer.

The Mayor and Governor announced the first four communities to receive 2000 free 2-K seats in March. 

WORST OF THE WORST: ICE Arrests Murderers, Pedophiles, and Robbers

Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, if you break the law, you will face the consequences. Criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the U.S. 

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced the arrest of more despicable criminal illegal aliens across the country, with criminal histories that include convictions for voluntary manslaughter, sexual assault of a child under 14 years old, attempted sexual battery on a child less than 12 years old, selling a person for immoral purpose, and attempted robbery.

“While sanctuary politicians continue to smear ICE law enforcement, our officers continue to put their lives on the line to make America safe again. Yesterday, our law enforcement arrested murderers, pedophiles, and robbers,” said Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. “As our officers arrest the worst of the worst, they are facing coordinated campaigns of violence against them, including a more than 1,300% increase in assaults against them and an 8,000% increase in death threats.” 

Yesterday’s arrests include:

Kha Ngoc Le, a criminal illegal alien from Vietnam, convicted for voluntary manslaughter, disorderly conduct, street robbery with a gun, burglary, resident robbery with a weapon, and burglary-forced entry in Manchester, New Hampshire.

Andres Espinosa-Reyna, a criminal illegal alien from Mexico, convicted for sexual assault of a child under 14 years old in Harris County, Texas.

Jose Ordonez-Mendez, a criminal illegal alien from Guatemala, convicted for attempted sexual battery on a child less than 12 years old in Boynton Beach, Florida.

Sharon Cristina Cruz-Wences, a criminal illegal alien from Mexico, convicting for selling a person for immoral purpose in Bakersfield, California.

Edgar Velasquez-Ortiz, a criminal illegal alien from El Salvador, convicted for attempted robbery in the District of Columbia.

Americans can see more public safety threats arrested in their communities on our webpage WOW.DHS.Gov.

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Jacksonville Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Influence Major International Sports Competition by Doping

 

Paul Alexander Askew (46, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to influence major international sports competitions by doping. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.

According to court documents, beginning on or about July 10, 2023, and continuing through to on or about January 31, 2024, Askew conspired with a professional track and field athlete and at least one other person to provide the athlete with testosterone, a banned substance, to improve the athlete’s performances at major international track and field competitions. The doping was ongoing during the athlete’s competitions in the 2023 Ed Murphey Classic, in Memphis, Tennessee; the 2023 Xiamen Diamond League, in China; and the 2023 Prefontaine Classic, in Eugene, Oregon. Although the doping conspiracy was revealed before the athlete could compete in other competitions, Askew and the athlete also intended to use illegal testosterone injections to improve the athlete’s performance at the 2024 American Outdoor Track and Field Championships, the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships, the 2024 United States Olympics Trials, and the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.

This case was investigated by the United States Anti-Doping Agency and the Drug Enforcement Administration. 

Dual Iranian-Iraqi National Indicted for Providing Material Support to Terrorist Organizations

 

Al-Saadi Was Allegedly Involved in Nearly 20 Attacks and Attempted Attacks Throughout Europe and the United States That Included Extensive International Planning, Coordination, and Radicalization

The Justice Department today announced an eight-count indictment charging Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, a dual Iranian-Iraqi national, with terrorism-related offenses for his activities as an operative of Kata’ib Hizballah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), two U.S. designated foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs), including his involvement in nearly 20 attacks and attempted attacks throughout Europe and the United States. 

“As alleged in this indictment, Al-Saadi has been directly involved in terrorist operations and military decisions to attack U.S. and Israeli interests across the world and conspired with others to plan deadly attacks on American soil,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Now that he has been removed from his perch as an alleged commander of Kata’ib Hizballah with close ties to the Iranian regime and its proxies around the world, we look forward to vigorously prosecuting him under American law in an American courtroom.”

“As alleged, Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi worked with Iranian-backed terrorist organizations to direct successful attacks that targeted civilians and attempted to target civilians in the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton for the Southern District of New York.  “Al-Saadi claims to be part of the ‘resistance,’ a group that includes the IRGC, an Iran-based designated foreign terrorist organization.  These organizations have a stated goal of destroying our society and our collective commitment to freedom, security, and a better world for our children.  The IRGC’s claims are not just rhetoric, they are taking action around the world to undermine America and American values.  All Americans should recognize that we have sworn enemies and when your enemies tell you something, and when they act, you should know that they mean it.  For over 40 years, Iranian-backed groups, including the IRGC, have been committed to bringing terror to our shores, and our Office is proud to join with our colleagues across the Justice Department, the FBI, the NYPD, and many other partners to bring these groups to justice.”

“The FBI’s successful FTOC of Mohammad Al-Saadi, another high-value target responsible for mass global terrorism, is just the latest success in this administration’s historic work to bring terrorists to justice,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “This was a righteous mission executed brilliantly by our agents, investigators, CIRG tactical units, interagency partners and our allies around the world who delivered yet again.  This FBI will use our vast resources to detect and stop acts of terrorism and will work with our Justice Department partners to make sure those who engage in such actions are held accountable.”

According to the allegations contained in the Indictment and other public court filings, Al-Saadi, a longtime operative of Kata’ib Hizballah and the IRGC, has furthered the terrorist goals of those groups since at least in or about 2017. Al-Saadi allegedly has worked closely with senior leaders of both terrorist organizations and, following U.S. airstrikes killing certain of those terrorist leaders, has directed others to exact retribution by killing U.S. citizens and U.S. political and military leaders. In addition, as alleged, in recent months, Al-Saadi has helped plan and direct approximately 18 attacks and attempted attacks across Europe on behalf of those terrorist organizations (the “European Terrorist Attacks”). Those attacks were carried out in the name of a purportedly new terrorist group with the pseudonym Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya, which is actually a front of Kata’ib Hizballah and other U.S. designated FTOs.

In addition, in or about March and April 2026, Al-Saadi attempted to carry out attacks in the United States, including against a synagogue in New York, New York. Most recently, on or about April 30, Al-Saadi tried to find someone in the United States who could carry out a terrorist attack and kill or injure individuals here. Specifically, that day Al-Saadi called an individual in the United States (SOI-1) and asked if SOI-1 knew someone who could “attack” in the United States, including by “burning, . . . or whatever he can,” including “killing.”  The next day, however, Al-Saadi, who was based in Iraq, was detained while traveling abroad.

On or about May 14, Al-Saadi was transferred into the custody of the FBI and transported to the United States, where he was brought to the Southern District of New York. Several electronic devices that Al-Saadi had been traveling with, including an Apple iPhone (the “Al-Saadi Phone”), were also transferred into the custody of the FBI. While in FBI custody en route to the United States, Al-Saadi waived his Miranda rights and voluntarily made statements to U.S. law enforcement agents. Al-Saadi stated, in substance and in part, that he was a leader of “the resistance,” which he explained encompasses the IRGC and its proxies, including Kata’ib Hizballah, Hizballah, and the Houthis, all of which are U.S. designated foreign terrorist organizations. As part of his role in “the resistance,” Al-Saadi stated that he was in charge of media and psychological warfare, including against the United States, as well as strategy and military intelligence. Al-Saadi was also responsible for media for Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya, as part of his role handling media for the “resistance.” Al-Saadi explained that the propaganda videos of the European Terrorist Attacks were part of the “psychological warfare” that “the resistance” was waging against the United States, designed to instill fear and terror in civilians. 

Al-Saadi also described his close relationships with the current and former leadership of the IRGC.  Al-Saadi said he was like a son of Qasem Soleimani, the longtime commander of the IRGC Quds Force (IRGC-QF) who was killed during a U.S. airstrike in or about 2020. According to Al-Saadi, prior to Soleimani’s death, Al-Saadi constantly traveled with him and was supposed to be driving Soleimani to meet Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, then the leader of Kata’ib Hizballah, the day that Soleimani and al-Muhandis were killed in a U.S. airstrike.  Al-Saadi further stated that he was also close with Iran’s former Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Al-Saadi explained that approximately three days before the current conflict with Iran began on or about Feb. 28 and Khamenei was killed, Al-Saadi met with Khamenei in Iran.

Al-Saadi’s social media accounts and the Al-Saadi Phone also contain evidence of Al-Saadi’s allegedly longstanding role supporting the IRGC, Kata’ib Hizballah, and Hizballah, as well as of his direct involvement in the planning, execution, and promotion of the European Terrorist Attacks.

For example, the Al-Saadi phone contains videos and photos of Al-Saadi meeting with the leadership of the IRGC, Kata’ib Hizballah, and the Houthis; images glorifying the IRGC and Hizballah; and videos and photos reflecting Al-Saadi’s own role as a commander in Kata’ib Hizballah, with access to machineguns and other dangerous weapons, including a video of Al-Saadi meeting with Soleimani (the former leader of the IRGC-QF) and Akram ‘Abbas al-Kabi (a U.S.-designated terrorist and one of the main operatives in Iraq of the IRGC-QF) in what appears to be an underground operations center. Below are screenshots from the video, showing (i) from left to right, al-Kabi, Soleimani, and Al-Saadi together, and (ii) other individuals in the same room dressed in military uniforms.

Another photo, shown below, from on or about Feb. 12, 2024, of Al-Saadi standing in front of an array of machineguns in a conference room that Al-Saadi, in his post-arrest interview, stated was located in a building that at the time was used for “military intelligence” for “the resistance.” The room has a map on the wall of what appears to be the United States accompanied by a list of “legitimate targets” (redacted here) identifying a number of prominent former and current U.S. officials.

Al-Saadi’s social media accounts and the Al-Saadi Phone also contain evidence of Al-Saadi’s role in the planning, execution, and promotion of the European Terrorist Attacks. Al-Saadi participated in FaceTime calls with attackers as they were carrying out certain of the European Terrorist Attacks in real time, filmed those attacks as they were being conducted, helped create and disseminate propaganda videos of the attacks, discussed with a Kata’ib Hizballah member the need to engage in “psychological warfare” and the timing for certain of the attacks, and warned the Kata’ib Hizballah member about an attacker who had been arrested.

For example, on or about April 14, Al-Saadi received on an encrypted messaging application videos of two men dressed in hazmat suits, with the Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya logo taped to each suit, and a drone that appears to have two vials of white powder attached to it.  Screenshots from these videos are shown below. The content of these videos is consistent with the propaganda video that Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya posted on Telegram on or about April 16, 2026, in which it claimed that its members had attacked the Israeli Embassy in London using drones that were loaded with dangerous carcinogenic and radioactive materials. 

A video from on or about April 18 — the day of one of the European Terrorist Attacks against a synagogue in London — of Al-Saadi and approximately three or four other men on a FaceTime video call. The video call is projected onto a large screen against the background of the Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiyah logo. Al-Saadi is recording the attack through the call. In the video, one of the men, in English, instructs the individual on the other end of the call to execute the attack, directing that individual to take a lighter and “light one in your hand,” “light it” and “throw the fourth one.” Below is a screenshot from the video, with Al-Saadi, filming the attack, circled in red: 

The Al-Saadi Phone also contains evidence that the European Terrorist Attacks were conducted on behalf of and in coordination with Kata’ib Hizballah and related terrorist organizations, and that Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya was just a front of those organizations. For example, one of Al-Saadi’s primary phone contacts is a member of Kata’ib Hizballah (the “Kata’ib Hizballah Contact”), with whom Al-Saadi was constantly in touch during the European Terrorist Attacks. Al-Saadi exchanged with the Kata’ib Hizballah Contact propaganda videos of certain of the European Terrorist Attacks, which Al-Saadi instructed the Kata’ib Hizballah Contact to post on news outlets. In doing so, Al-Saadi explained that “[t]he most important thing is that within the psychological warfare, they [referring to Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya’s messages] are useful,” and that “anything that distracts the enemy is useful.”  For example, on or about April 29, 2026 — the day two Jewish men, including a dual U.S.-British citizen, were stabbed in London in one of the European Terrorist Attacks — Al-Saadi instructed the Kata’ib Hizballah Contact to “post it in the news[,] important,” referring to video footage of that attack, including a propaganda video that Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya posted on Telegram in which it claimed credit for that attack. That same day, Al-Saadi sent the following message to the Kata’ib Hizballah Contact:  “If God grants us success tonight, there will be a shooting at a restaurant.”  Al-Saadi, however, was detained shortly after he sent that message.

Al-Saadi, 32, of Iraq and Iran, has been charged with: (i) conspiring to provide material support to Kata’ib Hizballah, a foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; (ii) conspiring to provide material support to the IRGC, a foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; (iii) conspiring to provide material support for acts of terrorism, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison; (iv) providing material support for acts of terrorism, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison; (v) attempted acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, (vi) conspiring to bomb a place of public use, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison; (vii) attempted destruction of property by means of fire or explosive, which carries a minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison; and (viii) financing terrorism, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

The statutory maximum and mandatory minimum penalties are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.

FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which consists of investigators and analysts from the FBI, the NYPD, and over 50 other federal, state, and local agencies, and the FBI Washington Field Office’s Counterterrorism Division investigated the case. Assistance was provided by the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, Counterterrorism Section, the Office of International Affairs of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the NYPD, and the New York State Police. 

This prosecution is being handled by the National Security and International Narcotics Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey W. Coyle and Sarah L. Kushner for the Southern District of New York are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney James Donnelly of the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division.

The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

NYC Comptroller’s Office Announces Partnership with the Hebrew Free Loan Society to Expand Access to Zero-Interest Loans for Small Businesses

 

HFLS commits $8 million in interest-free capital to support small businesses across all five boroughs

The New York City Comptroller’s Office today announced a new partnership with  Hebrew Free Loan Society (HFLS) to expand access to zero-interest loans for small businesses across the five boroughs—providing critical support for neighborhood entrepreneurs who continue to face barriers to affordable capital. 

Hebrew Free Loan Society is one of New York City’s oldest nonprofit lenders, founded in 1892 to provide interest-free loans to New Yorkers in need of access to safe capital. Today, HFLS, a nonsectarian organization, supports small businesses and entrepreneurs of all backgrounds, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or immigration status, by offering affordable, no-interest loans that help owners start, sustain, and grow their businesses across the five boroughs.   

Through this initiative, HFLS has committed to making $8 million in interest-free loans available citywide to qualifying low- and moderate-income entrepreneurs and small businesses in New York City. Eligible entrepreneurs will be able to access loans of up to $60,000 at zero-interest, offering a vital alternative to high-interest debt and predatory lending that too often burden small business owners seeking to expand, hire, or stabilize operations. This marks the largest allocation HFLS has ever dedicated to small business lending in a single year. As part of this partnership, HFLS will prioritize businesses located in neighborhoods with high storefront vacancy rates and historically marginalized areas.  

“Since my days leading a credit union in Washington Heights, I’ve seen the power and lasting economic and social impact that providing access to capital can have on a business and a community. This incredible partnership between my office and the Hebrew Free Loan Society will deliver $8 million in interest-free support to small businesses of all kinds across the city,” said City Comptroller Mark Levine. “The positive return on investment these loans will have for our entire economy is overwhelmingly evident. I encourage any eligible small business looking to establish, sustain or grow their footprint in New York City to apply for these loans.”  

“We know how hard it can be for lower-income entrepreneurs to find capital to start or expand a business. For more than a century, the Hebrew Free Loan Society has been a source of opportunity for New Yorkers pursuing the dream of business ownership, and we are proud to partner with Comptroller Levine’s office to ensure that hundreds more small businesses will secure the funding they need to play their part in building New York City’s diverse and dynamic economy,” said Rabbi David Rosenn, President and CEO of the Hebrew Free Loan Society. “Small businesses are the lifeblood of every neighborhood in New York City, and with credit tight and interest rates high, we’re proud to offer an interest-free option designed to meet the needs of mom and pop small businesses in every borough.” 

This partnership builds on a successful model and partnership first advanced by Comptroller Mark Levine during his tenure as Manhattan Borough President, when that office partnered with HFLS to broaden access to affordable capital for local businesses underserved by traditional financial institutions.  

Small businesses are a major economic driver for the Big Apple’s communities, providing jobs, economic activity, and revenue, while enlivening commercial corridors. But entrepreneurs without generational wealth, traditional collateral, or longstanding banking relationships continue to face persistent structural barriers in accessing affordable financing. 

The HFLS lending model has long supported minority- and women-owned businesses, immigrant entrepreneurs, and community-based establishments throughout New York City. By offering interest-free loans and pairing financing with relationship-based support, HFLS has helped businesses expand operations, purchase equipment, hire staff, manage cash flow, and weather periods of uncertainty. 

For more information about interest-free loans for NYC small businesses and how to apply, visit HFLS.org/small-business. 

Mayor Mamdani Highlights Housing Production Agenda in Block by Block as Support for Plan Grows

 

Plan charts path to build 200,000 new affordable homes over the next decade 

 

Public Advocate Williams, four Borough Presidents, labor leaders and housing groups back the plan   

Today, Mayor Zohran Kwame highlighted key elements of the administration’s historic housing plan, Block by Block, focused on building the new housing New Yorkers urgently need.

The plan charts a path to create 200,000 new affordable homes over the next decade, including through direct investment in affordable housing for low-income New Yorkers, innovative financing tools and process reforms to help public dollars go further. It also advances an ambitious land-use agenda to create more housing of all kinds across New York City.

Block by Block is paired with a nearly $5 billion investment over the next two years for new rent-stabilized affordable housing, including dedicated commitments to affordable senior housing and supportive housing.

Support for the plan has continued to grow since its release, including endorsements from New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, four Borough Presidents, labor leaders, housing organizations and tenant advocates.

“New Yorkers deserve a housing plan that meets this crisis with ambition, scale and urgency it demands. If we want New York City to remain a place where working people can afford to live and build a future, we have to build far more housing and give New Yorkers housing options of all types, across the entire city. Block by Block is an all-of-the-above strategy to deliver the homes New Yorkers need , including 200,000 new affordable homes over the next decade,” said Mayor Mamdani.

“We cannot become a more affordable city without building a lot more housing and ensuring that every neighborhood is a part of that growth. With a historic investment in affordable housing and an ambitious land use agenda including new tools supported by voters, we can turn the tide on our housing challenges and ensure that New Yorkers have the options they need, whether they are looking to grow their family, age in place or move closer to family,” said Leila Bozorg, Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning.

“Every day, rents rise and our neighbors are pushed out of this city—simply because there aren't enough homes. Fixing that means building more housing: we’re planning to create a record 200,000 affordable homes over the next decade, across every single neighborhood,” said Housing Commissioner Dina Levy. “Block by Block is an ambitious vision of a more affordable city, where every New Yorker has the chance to rent or own a home they can afford, in the neighborhood they want.”

“Block by Block recognizes that New York City’s housing shortage is driving its affordability crisis, and that meeting this moment requires ambitious land use action,” said Sideya Sherman, Director of the Department of City Planning. “By advancing neighborhood plans that mandate affordability, using new voter-approved tools like the Affordable Housing Fast Track, and unlocking more homes near transit across the city, we will give New Yorkers more housing options of all types and create a fairer, more affordable city for people to live in.”

Through Block by Block, the Mamdani administration is advancing an ambitious land-use agenda, that includes a citywide transit-oriented development proposal to meaningfully increase housing near public transit, giving New Yorkers greater access to all the city has to offer.

The plan also incorporates new land-use tools approved by voters in November that are speeding up the development of affordable housing and ensuring every neighborhood contributes to the city’s housing growth. In addition, the Mamdani administration will create New York City’s first revolving loan fund to help affordable housing financing go further and unlock private investment.

The administration is also continuing implementation of Executive Orders 4 and 5, signed on the Mayor’s first day in office, to accelerate housing development and expand affordable housing on City-owned land.

Through reforms proposed by the Streamlining Procedures to Expedite Equitable Development (SPEED) Task Force – including SEQRA reform in the newly-approved state budget – the City will cut eight months from the development timeline for all affordable housing projects and as much as two years  for projects requiring rezonings.

The plan also outlines strategies to maximize the use of City-owned land for both 100% affordable and mixed-income housing, including housing co-located with public facilities such as libraries and schools.

Governor Hochul Signs Budget That Makes New York More Affordable, Keeps New Yorkers Safe and Expands Opportunity for All

Putting New York on Path to Statewide Universal Childcare

$1 Billion in One-Time Energy Rebate Checks

Puts Ratepayers First in Push To Reduce Utility Costs

Protecting New Yorkers From ICE Overreach

Making More Than $900 Million Record Investment in Public Safety Funding To Continue Driving Down Crime and Keeping New Yorkers Safe

Advances First-in-the-Nation Legislation To Ban Illegal, Homegrown 3D-Printed Ghost Guns and DIY Machine Guns

Measures To Reduce Insurance Rates for Drivers

Offsets Rising Costs for Farmers Due to Federal Tariffs

No Tax on Tips for Hardworking New Yorkers

Improving Transparency in the Residential Property Insurance Market

Governor Kathy Hochul today signed her FY 2027 Budget making New York more affordable, keeping New Yorkers safe and expanding opportunity for all. The Governor delivered sweeping measures to lower costs including putting New York on a path to universal childcare, reducing utility costs and delivering energy rebate checks, and bringing auto insurance rates down for drivers. She also implemented a surcharge on luxury New York City second homes, generating much needed revenue for the City without impacting everyday New Yorkers. Additionally, the Governor continues to build on her unprecedented investments in public safety with more than $900 million in funding, measures to crack down on illegal 3D printed guns, and a nation leading package of immigration protections that keep New Yorkers safe.

"Every proposal included in this Budget was a fight for New Yorkers and their future. Working with my partners in the Legislature, we delivered an ambitious agenda that will lower costs for hardworking families, keep New Yorkers safe and create opportunity for all," Governor Hochul said. "While Washington continues to make life more difficult for New Yorkers, I’m doing everything in my power to make real, tangible progress on the issues New Yorkers are facing and I will always fight for the people who call this great state home."

 

Delivering Universal Childcare

Governor Hochul is putting New York State on a pathway toward universal childcare, beginning with committing to investments that will support the delivery of affordable childcare to up to nearly 100,000 additional children.

The Governor's landmark investment will increase funding by $1.7 billion bringing the total FY27 investment to $4.5 billion for childcare and prekindergarten services statewide.

These investments will:

• Make Pre-K truly universal statewide by making funding available to provide high-quality pre-k seats for all four-year-olds in the State by the start of the 2028-29 school year.
• Partner with New York City to launch the Mayor’s signature 2-Care program and finally realize the promise of universal 3K access in New York City.
• Support counties in building out New York’s First 3 Program providing high-quality affordable childcare to families across the state regardless of income.
• Expand childcare subsidies to tens of thousands of additional families.
• Support the workforce through early childhood educator preparation.
• Launch an Office of Childcare and Early Education to steer the implementation of high-quality, universal childcare for New York families and will work to enhance awareness of the Child Tax Credit to ensure as many New Yorkers as possible benefit from the Governor’s historic expansion of the program that increased the credit from $330 per child to $1,000 annually for children under four.

Tackling Utility Costs

New Yorkers deserve reliable energy at a price they can afford, which is why Governor Hochul is proposing a sweeping set of reforms to modernize the Public Service Law, demanding strict fiscal discipline from utilities and empowering the State to fight more effectively for lower bills.

In her FY27 Budget, the Governor is putting ratepayers first by:

• Issuing one-time $1 billion Protecting Our Wallets Energy Rebate (POWER) checks to help provide needed relief. The POWER program will provide $200 to joint filers with incomes under $150,000 and $150 to joint filers with incomes between $150,000 and $300,000. Tying executive pay directly to customer affordability,
• Requiring utilities to present a budget constrained option when requesting a rate increase to ensure efficiency and affordability are prioritized,
• Ensuring customers do not foot the bill for hidden costs like lobbying, political contributions and unnecessary executive travel.
• Allowing for the installation of an “Affordability Monitor” within any utility company when the average residential bills creep too high.
• Modernizing the way utility rate cases are reviewed to help keep prices manageable.
• Incentivizing the use of smart thermostats to help reduce energy usage and lower bills.
• Establishing the RATES commission, bringing together consumer advocates and energy experts to investigate the root causes of surging utility bills, evaluate utility profits, review energy market designs and recommend actionable, transparent reforms.

Pied-à-Terre Tax on Luxury Second Homes in New York City

Governor Hochul’s Budget includes a pied-à-terre tax, a surcharge that will apply to high-value – $5 million or more – second homes within New York City. The tax ensures that those who own luxury properties as their second homes are still fairly contributing towards the funding of essential services like policing or parks that make New York City a global destination.

Given the complexity of New York City’s property tax system, the pied-à-terre surcharge makes accommodations in the short term transition phase for the ways in which different property types are currently valued in New York City, while ensuring the surcharge is applied fairly and immediately to luxury properties. The proposal is expected to generate at least $500 million a year in recurring revenue for New York City without impacting everyday New Yorkers.

Protecting New Yorkers From ICE Overreach

Governor Hochul has enacted a sweeping set of laws to protect New Yorkers against aggressive federal immigration enforcement as part of the FY27 Enacted Budget.

These new laws will expand protections by:

• Prohibiting state, local and federal officers from wearing face covering while interacting with the public.
• Prohibiting local governments, state and local police and state and local corrections from entering into 287(g) Agreements or similar agreements with the federal government that allow for state and local law enforcement personnel and facilities to be used for civil immigration enforcement purposes.
• Establishing a state law under which New Yorkers can bring a lawsuit against federal, state and local government officials for a violation of their constitutional rights.
• Prohibiting the use of state and local civilian agencies and public school resources, including employee time, for immigration enforcement activities.
• Prohibiting civilian state, local and school employees (including higher education and K-12) from permitting access to any non-public area of a state-owned or operated facility to immigration authorities without a judicial warrant, meaning any state or municipally owned, or operated facility including housing accommodations, parks, childcare facilities, preschools, hospitals, schools, dorms, healthcare facilities, community centers, libraries and shelters, cannot grant or facilitate access to any non-public areas of their facilities to immigration authorities without a warrant.
• Ensuring immigrant students can access education, codifying the right to a free public education regardless of immigration status.

Record Investments in Public Safety

Since taking office, Governor Hochul has invested more than $3 billion in public safety initiatives. The funding has provided record support for local and state law enforcement that has contributed to gun violence reaching record lows, reduced subway crime and combated pandemic-era surges in motor vehicle and retail thefts.

This Budget adds more than $900 million to those record investments and strengthens public safety by:

• Prioritizing New Yorkers’ safety throughout the transit system. The Governor secured an additional $77 million to support the deployment of NYPD officers across the subway system and $25 million for expanding the Subway Co-Response Outreach Teams initiative to respond more quickly to individuals in acute distress.
• Establishing a pilot program for New York City requiring the installation of Intelligent Speed Assistance devices in the vehicles of so-called “super speeders,” drivers with a documented pattern of flouting speeding laws and putting New Yorkers at risk.
• Advancing a comprehensive approach to both prohibit risky drone use and expand responsible use of drones as first responders by creating a crime for dangerous drone use and flying in and around restricted areas, and authorizing the use of detection and mitigation efforts by qualified law enforcement officers.
• Protecting safe access to worship — creating a new crime for knowingly and intentionally interfering with a person seeking to enter or exit a place of religious worship or acting in a way that makes a person within 50 feet of a place of worship fear for their safety.

Stopping Illegal Homegrown Guns

Governor Hochul has passed the strongest gun laws in the nation and made record investments in gun violence prevention, resulting in New York having the fewest shooting incidents statewide in 2025 in recorded history.

Governor Hochul’s FY27 Enacted Budget will:

• Require first-in-the-nation minimum safety standards for 3D printers sold in New York to be equipped with basic technology that prevents the unlicensed, illegal production of lethal firearms and firearm parts.
• Require the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services to lead a task force of experts to recommend regulations that will ensure New Yorkers are protected from these dangerous weapons. Following the implementation of the resulting regulations, state law will allow for recourse against any actor who sells a 3D printer in New York without equipping it with such technology.
• Criminalize the unlawful possession, sale, or distribution of blueprints that allow the printing of illegal guns and gun parts, and the manufacture of 3D-printed firearms.
• Prohibit gun manufacturers and firearms dealers from selling pistols that can be quickly and easily converted into machine guns using common tools.

Lowering Car Insurance Rates for New Yorkers

Fraud is a major driver of elevated auto insurance premiums. Increasingly sophisticated actors stage elaborate accidents, designed to allow for “jackpot” payouts from insurance companies or jury awards. These schemes imperil the safety of honest drivers, cause property damage, and increase rates for drivers across the state. Increasingly, scams go beyond just one bad actor at the wheel and are orchestrated by organized criminal rings.

The Governor’s plan will:

• Cap payouts for drivers engaging in criminal behavior at the time of the incident, including uninsured motorists, drunk drivers, and drivers in the act of committing a felony.
• Better define what actually constitutes a ‘serious injury’ so that damages for pain and suffering or emotional distress are reserved for those able to objectively demonstrate that they have suffered a serious injury.
• Ensure that if a driver is found to be mostly at fault for causing an accident, they cannot claim outsized payments for damages.
• Prevent insurance companies from exorbitantly raising rates by setting a legal threshold that prevents excess profits and returns savings to consumers.
• Create new regulatory safeguards to prevent insurance companies from raising rates without seeking express approval from the Department of Financial Services.
• Protect consumers by prohibiting insurance companies from setting rates based on extraneous, personal factors like homeownership status, occupation, education level or zip code.
• Enable prosecutors to seek criminal penalties against any individual responsible for organizing a staged accident, not just the particular individual behind the wheel.
• These measures come in addition to the Governor’s whole-of-government approach to combatting fraud by tasking DFS, DMV, DCJS and NYSP with a more proactive and coordinated approach to enforcement.
• The Governor’s plan also includes transparency for auto insurance policyholders by requiring insurers to notify policyholders about rate changes.

Protecting Vulnerable Renters and Homeowners

High prices and unscrupulous landlords are driving too many tenants out of their homes and making it harder for vulnerable homeowners to make ends meet. Governor Hochul has secured agreements to help address these issues in the FY27 Budget including:

• Protecting renters by clarifying anti-harassment laws.
• Enacting stiffer criminal penalties for landlords who engage in systemic harassment of rent-regulated tenants across multiple buildings or who are repeat serious offenders of existing anti-harassment laws.

To ensure that housing remains affordable for both seniors and New Yorkers with disabilities who are living in rent-regulated housing and Mitchell-Lama affordable housing, Governor Hochul’s final FY27 Budget:

• Increases income eligibility limits for New York’s Rent Freeze Program for both the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption and Disability Rent Increase Exemption from $50,000 to $75,000.
• Authorizes raising the eligibility for the Senior Citizen Homeowners’ Exemption and Disabled Homeowner’s Exemption from $50,000 to $75,000.
• Adds notice requirements to make more elderly and disabled rent-regulated tenants aware of the SCRIE/DRIE rent freeze programs.

Consistent with current practice, New York City and other communities may opt into both the SCRIE/DRIE and SCHE/DHE programs.

Improving Transparency in the Residential Property Insurance Market

Homeowners and housing providers across the state are contending with escalating home insurance premiums and shrinking options for coverage, which threaten the affordability of New York’s single and multi-family homes. While single family home insurance rates in New York are on average lower than many other states — thanks to New York’s tightly regulated market — year over year increases in insurance rates still threaten to sap money from families’ pocketbooks and make multi-family housing less and less affordable for homeowners and renters. For years, New Yorkers have not been properly informed about the reasons for rising premiums. This year, the Governor’s reforms will increase transparency for consumers and give the Department of Financial Services (DFS) a better understanding of the multi-family market with new data from insurers.

Governor Hochul is tackling this problem head-on by:

• Requiring insurers to provide detailed information to DFS on how they price policies for multifamily residential buildings.
• Increasing transparency for home insurance as well as auto insurance by requiring insurers to notify policyholders about rate changes.

Protecting New York Farmers from the Disruption of Federal Tariffs

Agriculture is a cornerstone of New York’s economy, yet the federal government’s tariff policy has threatened the competitiveness of our farmers. Federal actions have driven up the cost of essential resources — like seeds, fertilizer, and necessary machinery — while creating market instability. Although the USDA recently announced a national assistance program, it is fundamentally flawed for New York since it leaves specialty crops and the dairy sector with no meaningful support.

To relieve farmers from the adverse impacts caused by federal tariffs, Governor Hochul will:

• Create the Agricultural Resiliency Against Tariffs Program, which will provide $30 million in direct payments to New York specialty crop growers, livestock producers, aquaculture, and dairy farmers.
• This initiative will quickly distribute much needed support to offset rising costs caused by tariffs.
• This program reinforces New York’s commitment to our agricultural community, while safeguarding local jobs and ensuring our farmers have the certainty needed to compete in a volatile global marketplace.

Helping New Yorkers Put Food on the Table

The recent shutdown of the federal government reminded the nation of how precarious our nutrition safety net is and how many New Yorkers contend with food insecurity. In response to the shutdown, Governor Hochul rushed an additional $65 million toward food assistance programs that delivered meals to tens of thousands of New Yorkers in their hour of need. To build on these actions and further reinforce our emergency food system:

• Governor Hochul is announcing a $51 million investment in the Department of Health (DOH)’s Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program (HPNAP) program, which will help New York’s network of about 2,700 food banks, pantries, and soup kitchens reach more New Yorkers in need. An additional $15 million will strengthen and expand operations, allowing them to reach more people with healthier options.
• The Enacted Budget also includes $55 million for the Nourish New York Program, which reroutes surplus agricultural products to those who need them most through the state’s food banks.

Theft of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits is an epidemic across the United States, with hundreds of millions of dollars illegally stolen from families’ EBT cards nationwide using illegal “skimming” devices. Governor Hochul’s FY27 Budget will protect New Yorkers from this predatory behavior by:

• Upgrading New York’s EBT cards to secure chip-based technology that makes cards virtually impervious to skimming. While the federal administration tries to strip SNAP benefits from as many New Yorkers as possible and turns a blind eye to criminals taking food from vulnerable families, transitioning to chip-based EBT cards will help safeguard the SNAP dollars that New Yorkers depend on.

The Governor’s plan will also:

• Establish New York PLATES, a statewide competitive $10 million grant program for eligible food pantries that will fund capital projects, to increase the capacity of these critical organizations and enable food pantries to safely store, transport and distribute food to more families.
• Support localities in expanding free summer meal sites.

No Taxes on Tips for Hardworking New Yorkers

Tipped workers — New York’s bartenders, servers, and deliveristas — are the backbone of the state’s service economy. In jobs that demand long hours and daily dedication, every dollar is hard-won. Governor Hochul is committed to making sure tipped workers can hold on to more of what they earn. The Governor passed legislation that eliminates state income taxes on up to $25,000 of tipped income in tax year 2026, consistent with federal tax guidance.

Governor Hochul’s FY27 Budget builds on her efforts to put more money back in New Yorkers’ pockets. To date, her administration has:

• Cut middle-class taxes to their lowest rates in 70 years, ensuring families keep more of the paychecks they earn.
• Raised New York’s minimum wage and tied future increases to inflation so a day’s work covers a day’s needs.
• Implemented an historic expansion of New York’s Child Tax Credit, also known as the Empire State Child Credit, to provide families up to $1,000 per child under the age of four beginning in 2026, and up to $500 for school-aged children beginning in 2027, substantially increasing the previous maximum of $330.
• Made school meals free for every student, saving families $1,600 per child every year and making sure no child goes hungry at school.
• Sent Inflation Refund checks to 8.2 million New Yorkers — up to $200 for individuals and up to $400 for families.
• Increased the maximum weekly unemployment benefit by $300 a week so people can focus on finding work, not keeping the lights on.
• Established a nation-leading birth allowance — the New York State BABY Benefit (Birth Allowance for Beginning Year Benefit) — providing $1,800 to new parents receiving Public Assistance when they have a new baby.