Edwin Viera

Survivors of online scams in New York are backing legislation to hold social media companies accountable for sharing fraudulent ads on their platforms. A recent report by the Consumer Federation of America finds New Yorkers are losing more than $6 billion each year to online scams. That includes New York City resident Josh Carrera’s mom, who lost more than… MoreNY online scam survivors: Tech companies profit from our pain

New York state’s electric school bus mandate faces a likely delay under a state budget proposal that would push back the original July 2027 transition start to 2032, the year it was initially supposed to be completed. Some school districts said the original timeframe was not achievable, and rural lawmakers raised concerns that rural districts would struggle to meet… MoreInside the proposal to postpone electric school bus rollout

Despite New York’s delayed budget, state lawmakers are passing bills at the highest rate since 2022, according to new data. This year’s budget is the most delayed in the last decade, but Rachael Fauss, senior policy adviser for Reinvent Albany, said lawmakers appear to be adapting to a longer budget process. “The first year of the legislative… MoreNYS Legislature passing bills at higher rate, despite late budget

New York lawmakers are considering several bills that supporters say would strengthen consumer protections for seniors. AARP data finds older New Yorkers lost more than $400 million to scams in 2025, a substantial increase from previous years. One bill, known as the CRYPTO Act, would slow down cryptocurrency purchases to help prevent people from being scammed. Bill Ferris,… MoreNY lawmakers consider senior consumer protection legislation

Several New York bills are aimed at strengthening voter protections by addressing issues in election administration and at the polls.

New York state lawmakers approved a new redistricting amendment , which could go before voters in 2027.

New York is seeing mixed progress on child well-being, according to a new annual report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The state ranks 30th in the 2026 Kids Count Data Book, a slight drop from previous years. While New York maintained a high ranking for child health, it lost ground or stagnated in areas such as economic… MoreReport: New York State sees mixed results on child well-being

New research from the Natural Resources Defense Council finds laws restricting perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances in New York and California are having an effect.

Consumer rights groups in New York and across the country are organizing against payday lenders and paycheck advance apps they said are evading state lending laws. The Stop Taking Our Pay Coalition includes people from the 21 states and Washington, D.C., where payday loans are banned. In New York, lenders are subject to a 25%… MoreNY consumer coalition works to rein in payday lenders

A new report from Feeding America says New York food banks are helping keep people healthy by making sure they have enough to eat.