5 Takeaways from Hochul’s State of the State Address
The New York Times
Child care, housing costs and public safety were the New York governor’s top issues as she outlined her policy plans for the year and for a re-election fight in 2026.
In her fourth State of the State address, Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York laid the foundation for her re-election message, hoping to connect with disaffected Democrats who voted against the party in the last presidential election and to woo them back as she stares down a tough fight for a second term.
During a roughly 54-minute speech on Tuesday, Ms. Hochul seemed to wed her policy plans to the state’s shifting political environment, in which voters’ frustrations with rising costs and immigration helped lift Donald J. Trump to his strongest performance in the state. She unveiled a range of plans to lower costs for renters and parents of young children while committing to measures aimed at improving public safety, particularly on New York City subway trains.
The governor repeatedly pledged to fight for these policies, comparing her efforts to those of the New York Liberty basketball team, which won the W.N.B.A. title in 2024. She said she wanted to build on Democrats’ policy accomplishments in the State Legislature since she took office in 2021.
Here are the main takeaways from her speech:
Many of Ms. Hochul’s most recent policy promises have focused on lowering the costs of housing and child care. On Tuesday, she described a handful of cost-saving measures, including a statewide tax cut for residents making less than $323,000 and rebate checks from surplus tax revenue.
The governor also revisited her plan for a $1,000 child tax credit, which she announced in early January and which could apply to nearly 3 million children statewide. She vowed to work toward universal child care in New York while committing $110 million to renovating child care facilities and building new ones.
The man and his son, who both used wheelchairs, called for help in evacuating from the Eaton fire in California. They were found dead later that day, and now their family is asking what happened.
Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday signaled her plan to include related legislation in her budget proposal, saying she hoped to limit distractions during the school day.
Early data from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority suggests that traffic has dropped around Manhattan’s core.
Brad Lander, the New York City comptroller who is running for mayor, will announce a major plan to address homelessness after a series of violent attacks on the subway.
As state legislatures convene, they face the same political polarization seen in Congress. Some are in near-deadlock.
President-elect Donald J. Trump picked the South Dakota governor to head the Homeland Security Department, which includes the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Carol Acosta, known to her fans as “Killadamente,” transformed herself into a social media influencer with a message of self-love. The Dominican American star died last week at the age of 27.
The committee’s Republican chairman and its top Democrat were briefed on F.B.I. findings into Pete Hegseth, Donald Trump’s defense secretary pick. Democrats questioned whether there were gaps.
Days after a devastating wildfire, residents of Pacific Palisades have started sifting through the ruins, and their memories.
California’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, and President-elect Donald J. Trump have long feuded. Can the rancor be set aside to help a devastated city recover?
“There were too many houses to protect, and not enough engines,” one fire captain in Los Angeles said. Though fire officials say they were well-prepared and simply overwhelmed by the elements, questions are being raised about whether the intensity of modern fires requires a new playbook.
The Hall Street shelter in Brooklyn, which drew numerous complaints, is among several that will soon close in New York.
Shanti Gooljar grabs some coffee before eight hours of heart-racing driving lessons around New York City. She caps off her day by having dinner with her son.
President-elect Donald J. Trump has worked for years to discredit any and all criminal and civil cases against him as nothing more than politically motivated witch hunts.
Clearing the toxic remnants of burned buildings around Los Angeles will require a complex and expensive mobilization. California has been there before.
An incumbent Democrat narrowly won re-election to the state’s highest court. But the Republican-controlled court is considering an unusual protest from her challenger that could flip the result.
Erden Arkan, a businessman with close ties to New York’s Turkish community, pleaded guilty in federal court on Friday to conspiracy to commit fraud.
Charging drivers to enter Lower Manhattan vindicates the lifelong mission of a Nobel laureate who, as it happened, died behind the wheel of a car.