Sam Mellins, New York Focus
Posted inLabor
A judge’s decision delays the Oct. 31 deadline for former city employees to decide whether they want to move to private Medicare Advantage or pay for alternatives.
Posted inHealth
Retirees Flee City Medicare Program as Deadline Looms for Move to Private Health Plan
Uncertainty about coverage and costs under Medicare Advantage has a quarter million former city workers on edge. Two lawsuits seeking to block the move are slated to be heard in court Wednesday.
Posted inCriminal Justice
New York Judges Lock the Accused Out of Their Homes, Skirting Review Required by Landmark Ruling, Critics Charge
An appellate court ordered hearings for defendants facing orders of protection that could separate them from their homes and families. But some judges — following a memo from state court officials — aren’t adhering to the ruling, defense lawyers say.
Posted inManhattan
Manhattan DA Candidate Tali Weinstein Skipped Years of Voting in Local Elections, Records Show
The former federal prosecutor joined the Democratic Party in 2017, after registering with no party and casting ballots only in presidential-year contests.
Posted inLabor
Retired City Workers Recoil at Coming Cost-Saving Medicare Shift
Impending move to privately managed health plans could save taxpayers as much as $600 million annually — at a high cost to retirees, who may have to pay more for less care and fewer doctor choices, some warn.
Posted inLabor
Queens Public Defenders Push to Unionize. Management Calls Them a ‘Mob.’
A wave of legal aid attorneys is joining the labor movement. But bosses at Queens Defenders say it’s bad for business and that the unions just want to collect their dues.
Posted inCriminal Justice
Many New York Judges Spend Their Way Toward Seats on the Bench. And It’s Perfectly Legal
An investigation by New York Focus found most of the city’s state Supreme Court candidates who won in November have donated to Democratic county parties and leaders. Some have spent thousands, thanks to a widely used loophole in ethics rules.

