Bob Hennelly

New York, NY —

Governor George Pataki returned to the site of the World Trade Center to sign three pieces of landmark legislation that will make it easier for ground zero workers to get health care coverage and disability pay.

REPORTER: The new laws for ailing World Trade Center first ...

New York, NY —

Con Edison's response to the nine day power outage in Queens will be the subject of two high profile public hearings today. WNYC's Bob Hennelly has this report.

Con Ed CEO Kevin Burke will face tough questioning from Assembly Energy Committee Chair Paul Tonko as well ...

Con Ed CEO Kevin Burke took a lot of heat from members of the City Council's consumer affairs committee Monday afternoon.

Committee members wanted to know what caused last week's extensive and lengthly blackout in northwest Queens, and why the utility appeared reluctant to tell customers about extent of the problem.

WNYC ...

The lights and air conditioners are back on in Queens and Staten Island. Yet the precarious nature of the City's power grid and this weekend's expected heat wave forced Mayor Michael Bloomberg to cancel a trip to Ireland and stick out the weekend with his fellow New Yorkers.

Next week, even ...

New York, NY —

New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn is raising questions about the legality of the NYPD's proposed changes to permitting parades and demonstrations.

The police department has insisted the changes are necessary clarifications because the courts have found the current rules ambiguous. The new language includes ...

New York, NY —

New Jersey Attorney General Zulima Farber could lose her job if a special prosecutor finds she used undue influence to get her boyfriend off the hook after a traffic stop. The investigation could cost taxpayers $75,000 a month.

Earlier this month, Governor Corzine appointed retired Judge ...

New York, NY —

There is an increasing reliance on private security guards to take on the role of protecting both public and private facilities. While these guards rarely carry guns- they are asked to be on the front line for any contingency that comes up: natural disaster, medical ...

New York, NY —

After several years of legal wrangling, the state of New Jersey has finally reached a settlement with the advocacy group that went to court to force reforms at the state's troubled child welfare agency. WNYC's Bob Hennely has more.

Under the terms of the settlement New ...

New York, NY —

Officials of towns near the Meadwolands told a state commission that the new football stadium to be built by the Jets and Giants will create a traffic nightmare. WNYC"s Bob Hennelly has more.

REPORTER: The new 84,000 seat state of the art stadium has been hailed ...

New York, NY —

Nearly five years after the World Trade Center attack a congressional oversight panel was told there are still significant safety problems at New York Harbor's port facilities.

REPORTER: Currently under 10 percent of all the cargo coming into the United State's ports is screened for a ...

New York, NY —

Despite an agreement that ended the 6-day budget standoff in Trenton considerable pressure remains on lawmakers to actually adopt a specific budget later today.

For the 45,000 furloughed state employees, today will be another day without pay as lawmakers go into overtime to flesh out budget ...

New York, NY —

New Jersey Assembly Democrats have put a new budget offer on the table that they hope will break the deadlock that has shutdown the state's non-essential services.

Their budget would raise taxes on some "luxury" items, but it does not call for the one percent across-the-board ...

One of the fastest growing sectors of the US economy is the private security industry. Even before September 11, requests to private security firms for uniformed protectors were on the rise. This is also true for the City Government which contracts for close to 1000 guards beyond the almost 37,000 ...

New York, NY —

With less than a week to go before New Jersey's budget deadline Governor Jon Corzine and legislative leaders are meeting today in hopes of ending their impasse. WNYC'S Bob Hennelly has more.

HENNELLY: Governor Corzine's full court press to win support from fellow ...

New York, NY —

Newark voters head back to the polls today to vote in runoff races that will shape their City Council and their new Mayor's reform plans. WNYC's Bob Hennelly has more.

Mayor-elect Cory Booker's name is not on the ballot this time but he has a lot ...

The State of New Jersey has until today to reach an agreement with the national child advocacy group that sued it to reform the child welfare system. WNYC's Bob Hennely has more.

At stake for New Jersey is avoiding being held in contempt by a Federal judge for not keeping promises ...

New York, NY —

The owner of one of New Jersey's largest private guard companies that suppplies the Port Authority guard services has plead guilty to deceptive business practices. WNYC's Bob Hennelly has more.

Under the terms of a plea deal John D'Agastino, owner of Haynes Security, admitted that he ...

New York, NY —

Last night's primary victory speeches gave New Jersey voters a preview of what to expect during the US Senate campaigns that will be waged between Republican Tom Kean Jr. and Democrat Robert Menendez.

Kean will try to tie Menendez to past Democratic political scandals in Trenton ...

New York, NY —

New Jersey voters go to the polls tomorrow to vote in primary election. Republican State Senator Tom Kean Jr. faces a conservative challenger for his party's nomination to run for the US Senate.

Political analysts expect Kean to beat his conservative challenger John Ginty, a financial ...

New York, NY —

The FBI is conducting a criminal civil rights investigation into the way the NYPD handled the mass protests during the 2004 Republican National Convention.

REPORTER: According to a letter obtained by WNYC the FBI is seeking the cooperation of the New York Civil Liberties Union and ...