Bob Hennelly

New York, NY —

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is freezing $1.6 billion in state aid as part of an effort to close a $2.2 billion deficit. At a joint legislative session, Christie told lawmakers that the freeze, by executive order, includes withholding $475 million in state aid to ...

New York, NY —

On the same day that the New York State Senate voted to expel one of its members for a misdemeanor conviction, the City Council was coping with how to deal with the federal indictment of one of their own, Bronx Councilman Larry Seabrook. WNYC's Bob ...

Gaming plays into the biggest budget and political stories on both sides of the Hudson. Ken Lovett, Albany bureau chief for the Daily News and WNYC's Bob Hennelly discuss the controversy over the bidding process for the Aqueduct racino to the financial hit New Jersey is taking as revenues drop ...

Republican and Democratic lawmakers in New Jersey are set to propose several public employee pension reforms they say will save the state billions of dollars.

New York, NY —

Governor Paterson came out swinging at the media today for advancing what he says are false allegations about extra-marital affairs and illegal drug use. A Paterson spokesperson says the governor thinks reporters and politicians have hit new lows and that the media accounts are based ...

New York, NY —

Republican and Democratic lawmakers in New Jersey are set to propose several public employee pension reforms they say will save the state billions of dollars. WNYC's Bob Hennelly has more.

REPORTER: Under the proposals all public workers would be required to contribute 1.5 percent of their ...

Mayor Bloomberg is taking Washington to task for failing to fund a counter-terrorism program for cities.

New York, NY —

Mayor Bloomberg is taking Washington to task for failing to fund a counter-terrorism program for cities. Bloomberg says the Securing the Cities initiative is a worthy expense, because it goes toward detecting so-called "dirty bombs."

"The explosion of one nuclear device could cost thousands of lives, ...

New York, NY —

When Attorney General Eric Holder announced he was bringing Khalid Sheik Mohammed and other 9/11 suspects from Guantanamo to lower Manhattan for a civilian trial, the locals were on board, including Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Gov. David Paterson. But nobody checked with the neighborhood. And ...

• TRIAL TAKEOUT: The civilian trial of 9/11 Mastermind Khalid Sheikh Muhammad was supposed to be held in lower Manhattan, in the shadow of the Twin Towers. WNYC reporter Bob Hennelly tells us why the trial is moving and where it might go.
• SPORTS TAKEOUT: Our own Ibrahim Abdul-Matin recaps this weekend's Australian Open final matches, and the NFL's Pro Bowl.
• LISTENER TAKEOUT: Listeners continue to weigh in on the stir caused by Chris Matthews's comment that he "forgot" President Obama was black on the night of the State of the Union address.

WNYC's Bob Hennelly discusses the apparent shift away from holding the Khalid Sheikh Mohammend trial in Manhattan. Then, the mayor of Newburgh, New York Nicholas Valentine shares his invitation to host the trial in his town.

New York, NY —

For New Jersey Governor Chris Christie the declining fortunes of the state's racing and casino industries require immediate attention. WNYC's Bob Hennelly has more.

REPORTER: Both Atlantic City and the state's racing industry have been hit hard by the regional explosion in gambling venues and the ...

New York, NY —

With Albany awash in red ink, budget battle lines are shaping up. WNYC's Bob Hennelly reports.

REPORTER: Mayor Bloomberg says unless the legislature restores cuts, Governor Paterson's budget will result in 19,000 laid off city workers including teachers, cops and firefighters. And he says things are ...

New York, NY —

Mayor Bloomberg goes to Albany today to urge lawmakers to restore proposed cuts in state aid to the city's budget. WNYC's Bob Hennelly has more.

REPORTER: Bloomberg says, if Governor Paterson's proposal to cut hundreds of millions of dollars in municipal aid is allowed to pass, ...

New York, NY —

Mayor Bloomberg is blasting Obama's call for new regulations on the financial sector and banks deemed "too big to fail." As WNYC's Bob Hennelly tells Weekend Edition Host Brian Zumhagen, such conflicts are as old as New York itself.

New York, NY —

Local officials are digesting the Supreme Court's decision to lift limits on what corporations and unions can spend on campaigns. WNYC's Bob Hennelly reports on concern over the decision in New Jersey.

REPORTER: State Senator Bill Baroni is one of New Jersey's top election and campaign ...

New York, NY —

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand aligned herself with President Barack Obama's efforts to increase regulation of the nation's largest banks. Speaking on The Brian Lehrer Show this morning, Gillibrand says she believes it is in the national interest for the federal government to be pro-active:

"It is very ...

New York, NY —

In his ninth State of the City address, Mayor Bloomberg laid out his priorities for his third term. The agenda was crafted in a time of budget austerity and it did not involve any big-ticket items. But in the 45-minute speech the mayor tried to ...

WNYC reporter Bob Hennelly reviews yesterday's inauguration ceremony in Trenton and looks at the new legislative start for New Jersey.

New York, NY —

Mayor Bloomberg will lay out priorities for his third term during the annual State of the City address today. WNYC's Bob Hennelly has this preview.

REPORTER: In today's speech Mayor Bloomberg will elaborate on his inaugural address commitment to work for comprehensive immigration reform. The mayor ...