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Reformers in Albany say now is the time to approve government ethics reforms now that former Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno has been convicted on federal corruption charges.

Joseph Bruno has been found guilty of two counts of corruption by a federal jury in Albany.

Brooke Astor's 85-year-old son says he's too sick and doesn't deserve to go to prison for plundering his late mother's fortune.

A California venture capitalist has pleaded guilty to criminal charges in connection with New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's investigation of a pay-to-play scandal at the state's giant public pension fund.

Finally, a bright spot on the economic horizon for New York City. A new report by the Independent Budget Office says the city's fiscal outlook isn't as bad as it appeared last spring, and that the financial sector is making a comeback.

The IBO projects record Wall Street profits ...

Before (Bryan Bedder/Getty Images)

There are few things that scream Christmas in New York louder than the giant spruce at Rockefeller Center. Last night Mayor Bloomberg, along with Aretha Franklin, the Rockettes, and thousands of spectators flocked to watch ...

A bill to legalize same sex marriage was defeated in the Senate by a 38 to 24 margin Wednesday.

After spending nearly a month at a special session to cut New York's budget, lawmakers agreed today to trim $2.7 billion from the deficit. That falls short of the $3.2 billion Gov. David Paterson wanted them to cut--and many say the state has bigger problems to come.

Kathryn Wylde of ...

The state Senate has voted down a landmark bill that would've legalized gay marriage. Liz Benjamin of the New York Daily News and Rick Karlin of the Albany Times Union discuss with WNYC's Amy Eddings what it means that eight Democrats voted against the bill. Karlin ...

The New York State Senate, by a count of 38-24, has voted down a landmark bill that would have made New York the sixth state in the nation to legalize gay marriage.

The floor debate and vote came after months of delays and behind-the-scenes arm-twisting of Senators who were ...

The New York State Senate has concluded debate on the gay marriage bill and voting is underway. The Assembly passed the bill for the third time late last night, and Gov. David Paterson has said he would sign it into law.

Senator Eric Adams of Brooklyn supports gay marriage and, ...

A groundbreaking ceremony for a Lower Manhattan building raised more dust from officials than it did from the ceremonial shovels.

Brooklyn City Councilman Charles Barron took the podium at the groundbreaking for Fiterman Hall in Lower Manhattan and accused Mayor Bloomberg and other officials of disrespecting him. City University trustee ...

Today is World AIDS Day... and here in the city, that means the annual reading of the names of those lost to the disease.

The 24-hour vigil is taking place at City Hall Park.

The 24-hour vigil ...

Queens Councilman James Gennaro wants the city council to pass a resolution to name the "Newtown Pippin" the city's official apple. The Newtown Pippin is a tart green apple that was first harvested in Elmhurst, Queens about 300 years ago.

What do you think? Does the city need ...

As this report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows, New Jersey ranks near the bottom of states when it comes to the percentage of people eligible for Food Stamps actually enrolled in the program. In fact, the Garden State ranks 42nd among all 50 states and the District ...

Its that time of year again! Preparations, including the inflation of 50 massive balloons for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade are well underway.

"Lewis and Clark on the Lower Columbia" by Charles Marion Russell 1905.

While many travel home for Thanksgiving, we here at WNYC combed the archives for another travel tale. This one is ...

Mayor Michael Bloomberg took on the teachers union today when he announced that principals will be directed to use student test scores this year when evaluating teachers who are up for tenure. WNYC's education reporter Beth Fertig has been following the story and answers some key questions.

(Stephen Nessen)

As WNYC's Lisa Chow reports, long-distance bus travel is gaining popularity for the first time in almost four decades. And the competition among bus companies in New York City is picking up speed too. Bus lines Greyhound and Peter Pan--already under ...

A teenager in Queens killed in a confrontation with New York City police over the weekend was shot 11 times.