NYPNN

New York Filmmakers Skeptical of President’s Foreign Film Tariff

On Sunday, President Donald Trump announced he had authorized imposing a 100 percent tariff on all foreign films. Filmmakers and local film commissions in New York say it’s a bad idea — and infeasible. The president says the movie industry in the U.S. is dying. He claims other countries are offering incentives that are “propaganda” […]

New York’s Native American Mascot Ban Under Federal Probe, As Activists and Academics Highlight Harm

The battle over Native American mascots as logos for schools sports teams in New York has taken a turn, as President Donald Trump has directed the U.S. Department of Education to investigate the state over its 2023 mascot ban. John Kane is a Mohawk activist and radio host living on Seneca territory. His time as […]

NY Lawmakers Aim to Block Elon Musk’s Attempt to turn X into a Venmo, Zelle Competitor

New York could be a stumbling block for billionaire Elon Musk’s attempts to launch a person-to-person payment system on his platform X. Two state lawmakers from Manhattan sent a letter this week urging the state’s Department of Financial Services not to issue a money-transmitter license to X Corp., which is seeking authorization from all 50 […]

Religious School Reprieve from NY Education Standards to be Included in State Budget

New York lawmakers have agreed to delay regulations on nonpublic religious schools, bowing to pressure from Orthodox Jewish leaders and ignoring concerns from the state’s top education officials. Draft bill language reviewed by the New York Public News Network would create another pathway for nonpublic schools to meet a standard known as “substantial equivalency,” which […]

New York’s Agriculture Commissioner Sees Opportunity for Positive Change in Immigration Crackdown

New York’s top agriculture official sees an opportunity for positive change in the nationwide crackdown on immigration, when it comes to the farm labor needed to produce the food and milk New Yorkers consume. Richard Ball is New York State’s Commissioner of Agriculture and the owner of a working farm in Schoharie County. Nationwide, estimates […]

Rep. Lawler Faces Boos, Jeers from Angry Constituents at Rockland County Town Hall

Republican New York Congressman Mike Lawler was met with shouts, boos, and jeers from constituents at a combative town hall in Rockland County Sunday. It was a tense evening at Clarkstown South High School in West Nyack, where protesters gathered outside the school before doors even opened. The sold-out, 90-minute event was the first of […]

Lawmakers Want to Make Changes to NY’s Home Care Program

Several state lawmakers say they want to undo aspects of New York’s controversial remaking of a popular home care program after the budget is finalized. More than 200,000 disabled people are enrolled in the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Program. What’s changing is that instead of have 600 agencies share in processing payments to caregivers, the […]

Yes in God’s Backyard? Churches Push to Skirt Zoning Laws and Build More Housing

Dustin Longmire is a pastor with an extra church. And he believes the most Christian thing to do with it is build more housing. The 38-year-old pastor of Messiah Lutheran Church in the upstate town of Rotterdam said his plan was moving forward until local officials changed the zoning code to reduce the allowed density. […]

Gov. Hochul Drops Bid for New Crime of ‘Masked Harassment’ in NY Budget Talks

As negotiations over the late state budget limp along, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposed restriction on wearing facemasks in public remains one of the last sticking points. But after weeks in which a partial mask ban hardly came up, officials said Hochul this week proposed narrowing her demand by only seeking tougher penalties for people who […]