Joel Rose

Lots of states have underfunded pension systems, but New Jersey's ranks near the bottom. Christie's plan to cut pension payments even further is the subject of multiple lawsuits.

Critics are targeting New York's policing theory, which aims to crack down on minor offenses. But it's also praised for reducing the crime rate.

At an age when most people are slowing down, soul singer Jerry Lawson is releasing his first solo album, Just a Mortal Man. The 71-year-old Lawson was the lead singer of the Persuasions, a Brooklyn-based a cappella group, for four decades. On his new record, the title turned out to ...

New York City's mayor and the state's chief judge announced a plan Tuesday to cut the number of pre-trial detainees at the notorious Rikers Island jail. It's not unusual for defendant...

Officials released the details of the state's proposed $225 million settlement with ExxonMobil, calling it a historically large payout. But environmentalists say the deal is worse than they feared.

In New York City, police rarely talk on the record at all, especially about a touchy subject like quotas. But Officer Adhyl Polanco is an exception.

"The culture is, you're not working unless you are writing summonses or arresting people," says Polanco.

One of the dirty secrets in law enforcement ...

It's the end of an era: After nearly a century, the Streit's matzo factory is leaving Manhattan's Lower East Side. This Passover will be its last there. Streit's plans to move to a new factory.

Cider is the fastest-growing alcoholic beverage in the United States. Much of that growth is driven by big industrial producers, but smaller cider-makers are looking for a larger bite of the apple.

The Smithsonian American Art Museum has just added a handful of soul records to its collection — or at least that's what you might think when you first see the work of Mingering Mike. A self-taught artist, he grew up in a tough part of Washington, D.C., just a few ...

Gov. Chris Christie is defending the state's $225 million settlement for decades of contamination at two refineries as a "good deal." But Democratic lawmakers and environmentalists say otherwise.

The Federal Communications Commission voted along party lines — 3 to 2 — to approve new net neutrality rules that would regulate access to the Internet more like a public utility.

The FCC votes Thursday on rules that would make Internet providers treat all traffic equally. Big wireless companies say that will make it harder to keep their networks from getting too congested.

The movie Birdman is favored to pick up several major Academy Awards Sunday night, but it will not be taking home the Oscar for best original score. That's because it was declared ineligible for Oscar consideration.

Birdman has one of the year's more distinctive musical scores, propelled by the ...

In a speech last week, FBI Director James Comey addressed racial tensions between police and minorities. A new effort in his hometown of Yonkers, N.Y., tries to get officers and young people talking.

New York's wage board is proposing a boost in the minimum wage for people who work for tips. Some restaurateurs say this could raise labor costs and force them to drop tipping and raise menu prices.

With gas prices down, a growing number of states are turning to a gas tax increase. New Jersey looks at following suit to fund much-needed projects, but some drivers aren't eager to pay up.

The Federal Communications Commission is proposing major changes to the way it regulates Internet access. Chairman Tom Wheeler believes stronger, utility-style regulations are needed.

The Federal Communications Commission will decide this month whether the Internet should be regulated as a public utility. In speeches, CEOs alternately have predicted a chilling effect or no impact.

President Obama is urging the Federal Communications Commission to protect the principle of net neutrality. But Republicans presented their own set of rules at a subcommittee hearing Wednesday.

Two large unions have been working without a contract for years. Insiders say stalled negotiations are a big part of the "disrespect" cops say has fueled their recent protests against City Hall.