Ilya Marritz

New York, NY —

Governor David Paterson has addressed growing public concerns about an expected boom in gas drilling in upstate New York by ordering a full environmental review.

The move was announced as the governor signed into law a measure to simplify the permit application for energy companies seeking ...

New York, NY —

New York State plans to begin processing drilling permits for natural gas wells in the Catskills and the Southern Tier of New York in a few months. But as WNYC and ProPublica reported, there are gaps in the plan to regulate this expected boom ...

WNYC, in a joint investigation with ProPublica, a non-profit investigative news organization, recently discovered that New York State legislators have been aggressively promoting the exploration of natural gas in New York's Macellus Shale, a type of gas-rich sediment. WNYC reporter Ilya Marritz, who investigated the practice, and ProPublica ...

New York, NY —

The Marcellus Shale is what industry people call an unconventional play. It’s loaded with natural gas, from Eastern Ohio to the Catskill Mountains. But the gas is very hard to extract. It’s packed tight 7,000 feet deep.

Today, with energy prices at record highs, extracting that ...

New York, NY —

Local housing advocates say they're relieved that the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve have intervened to keep Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac solvent.

Sarah Gerecke of the not-for-profit Neighborhood Housing Services says the government sponsored lenders are playing an increasingly important role, especially for New ...

New York, NY —

The U.S. Labor Department is confirming today what many shoppers already know - prices are going up in our area. A consumer price analysis for New York and its suburbs found a 4.5 percent jump in the cost of goods from June 2007 to June ...

New York, NY —

On Wall street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell below 11,000 for the first time in two years, before recovering slightly. WNYC's Ilya Marritz reports on one investment bank trying to weather the storm, Lehman Brothers.

The share price of the Midtown-based firm briefly hit a ...

New York, NY —

The board of directors of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has voted to discontinue a major perk: lifetime EZ Passes.

REPORTER: Traditionally, the MTA gave out the automobile passes as a gift to departing members of the board, who serve without pay. But, once that fact came ...

New York, NY —

Just before the end of session in Albany, the legislature passed a bill to make it easier for energy companies to drill for natural gas.

WNYC's Ilya Marritz has more.

No one knows for sure how much gas is buried in the shale deep beneath New York. ...

New York, NY —

Off Track Betting in New York City got a reprieve last Monday, as Mayor Bloomberg and authorities in Albany agreed on a state takeover. But, as WNYC's Ilya Marritz reports, all is not resolved in the world of horse racing.

REPORTER: A feeling of crisis prompted ...

Ikea is officially open in Red Hook. WNYC reporter Ilya Marritz and NY Daily News reporter Jotham Sederstrom join us live on the scene to discuss the frenzy and what it means for locals. And we'll also be joined by Craig Hammerman, District Manager of Brooklyn Community Board ...

New York, NY —

As beach season begins, the nation's two biggest markets for aerial advertising are experiencing some turbulence.

REPORTER: Sun-seekers along the Jersey Shore and on Long Island will likely see fewer banner ads pulled by small aircraft this summer. Michael Arnold of Arnold Aerial says the poor ...

New York, NY —

Sunday could be the last day of Off-Track Betting in New York City, but it's still hard to say for sure. As WNYC's Ilya Marritz reports, the city and state now find themselves on opposite sides of an issue both say they are trying to ...

New York, NY —

Scientific breakthroughs can come from the most surprising places. A new drama set in the 1940s explores a real-life innovation developed by two amateurs: a Hollywood starlet and an avant garde composer. WNYC's Ilya Marritz brings us this glimpse of the play “Frequency Hopping”.

REPORTER: It's ...

New York, NY —

Off Track Betting will live another day in New York City. Governor Paterson announced that legislative leaders had reached a deal to save the troubled betting corporation. WNYC's Ilya Marritz has more.

REPORTER: Surrounded by lawmakers and labor leaders, Governor Paterson declared that OTB workers should ...

New York, NY —

With just days to go before a deadline is reached, the union representing Off-Track Betting workers rallied this morning the steps of City Hall.

Leaders of the DC-37 union called on the governor, the mayor, and state legislators to unite around a plan to save OTB ...

New York, NY —

Con Edison is asking New Yorkers to do what they can to cut back on their electricity usage, as the utility continues to grapple with scattered outages. Brooklyn and Queens are the most affected, with about 175 customers without power.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg is also urging ...

New York, NY —

Con Edison says it's ready for New Yorkers to crank up their air conditioners and fans during the expected heat wave this weekend. The utility says it's spent $1.7 billion upgrading electric cables and installing new transformers to meet summertime demand.

Con Ed estimates most customers ...

New York, NY —

HOST: More than a hundred thousand people are expected to attend the Belmont Stakes tomorrow as Big Brown tries for the first Triple Crown in three decades. Off Track Betting parlors will also be packed, but don’t be fooled by the crowds. As WNYC’s Ilya ...

New York, NY —

There's beauty in wastewater. At least the city thinks so. Last night it flicked on special bluish lights on eight stainless steel wastewater digesters in the Newtown Creek plant.

Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Emily Lloyd says the digesters are sometimes called eggs because of their ...