New York lawmakers called for the governor-appointed chairman of the New York City transit system to be fired amid accusations he downplayed a rash of subway crime to praise new Manhattan tolls that are aimed at driving commuters underground.
In comments on a Bloomberg podcast, MTA Chairman Janno Lieber argued that crime on the MTA has declined and that the recent viral incidents are giving an impression of a system-wide safety crisis.
"The overall stats are positive. Last year, we [had] actually 12.5% less crime than 2019 . . . , " he said.
"But there's no question that some of these high-profile incidents; terrible attacks, have gotten in people's heads and made the whole system feel less safe."
Rep. Michael Lawler, R-N.Y., shared a clip of Lieber ceremonially unveiling one of the new "Congestion Pricing" setups near Lincoln Center and said the agency "needs an enema; starting with Janno Lieber."
"Imagine being such an a--hole as to celebrate screwing New Yorkers out of their hard-earned money just for the privilege to drive to work," Lawler wrote, adding that Hochul "needs to be defeated in 2026."
Lieber ripped Lawler in response, telling MSNBC that the Rockland County lawmaker was dabbling in "grievance politics."
Lieber claimed that a plurality of Lawler’s constituents – in bedroom communities 30 miles north of the city – already rely on mass transit and that only "one percent" make the daily drive down the Palisades to the "congestion-pricing" zone.
New York’s new $9 toll to enter any part of Manhattan below Central Park has enraged commuters, as well as residents within its bounds.
Commuters from Long Island found themselves bottlenecked in trying to access the last unaffected entry to Manhattan – the Upper Level of the Queensboro Bridge.
One East Side luxury building's exit also unintentionally forced residents through a toll gantry, even if they are trying to go uptown; away from the zone, while outer neighborhoods braced for a deluge of suburbanites looking for parking to avoid the toll.
New York Senate Deputy Minority Leader Andrew Lanza, R-Staten Island, torched Lieber:
"Janno: pull your head out of your piles of statistics, get out from behind your computer, and walk a mile in your riders’ shoes before you ignore, dismiss and insult them," Lanza said.
"The people of this state and city deserve the truth and real solutions, not eggheads trying to convince themselves they’re doing a good job."
Sen. Bill Weber of Valley Cottage added: "Albany Democrats claim congestion pricing is to reduce traffic congestion, but at what cost? It punishes everyday people—working parents, firefighters, seniors going to doctor's appointments, and those who already struggle to make ends meet."
"For them, this isn’t just a toll; it’s another obstacle in their daily lives. Tell me, how is that progressive?" he asked.
Sen. Steve Rhoads of Nassau previously quipped that the MTA’s acronym stands for "Money Thrown Away" and said this week that his constituents who rely on trains like the LIRR have grown distrustful of the agency.
"[Lieber] has no idea what it is to be a working-class New Yorker," Rhoads said. "While affordability and safety are huge concerns for real people, they are abstract concepts for him."
Lieber was previously an executive at Silverstein Properties — recently overseeing a World Trade Center project — a transportation adviser to President Bill Clinton and Mayor Ed Koch, and a journalist for the New Republic.
He was also the MTA’s capital development officer under Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Cuomo, who still strongly supports the congestion pricing plan, recently told Fox News Digital through a spokesman that he, however, has reservations about whether now is the right time to activate the tolls – given the lack of confidence in subway safety and changes in the city since the COVID-19 pandemic.
"It is undeniable that New York is in a dramatically different place today than it was in 2019, and without a study forecasting its consequences based on facts, not politics, it could do more harm than good to New York City's recovery," Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi said last week.
State Sen. Alexis Weik, R-Suffolk, called the video of Lieber’s Broadway sign-reveal "a despicable show of glee and greed" and called for a financial review board to scrutinize the transit agency’s books.
In response to the slew of calls for Lieber's ouster, MTA Chief of Policy & External Relations John J. McCarthy defended the transit boss.
"Under Chair Lieber’s leadership, the MTA has added service, opened new terminals and provided record on-time performance for their constituents on Long Island and the Hudson Valley, while delivering the most reliable subway service in a dozen years," McCarthy said.
"But apparently, none of that prevents out-of-touch politicians from bloviating."
Attorneys and legal experts railed against New York Judge Juan Merchan sentencing President-elect Donald Trump in the NY v. Trump case just days ahead of his inauguration as president, saying the case will be remembered as "one of the worst" cases in history.
"I'll tell you how it strikes me, when you look at cases throughout history, not just in the United States, but really all over the world, this will be remembered as one of the worst. This will be remembered as an absolute injustice from the beginning," Fox News host Mark Levin said on Fox News after the sentencing.
Merchan sentenced Trump on Friday morning to unconditional discharge, meaning he faces no punishment such as fines or jail time.
"This is the end of the politicalization of the justice system," said Fox News contributor Leo Terrell, a civil rights attorney whom Trump named this week as senior counsel to the assistant attorney general for civil rights at the Department of Justice in his upcoming administration.
"Trump's victory in the election basically, in my opinion, neutered this case. And the attempt to stain President Trump, to tarnish him with the scarlet felon, is going to be reversed just a matter of time. And I'm telling you this with 35 years of experience, this case should have never had been tried. It was done for one reason, to stop President Trump from becoming the 47th president. I want to be very clear, it failed."
Terrell added in his comments to Fox Digital that he is "salivating to get to the Department of Justice," where he will be "very involved in pursuing justice" surrounding the NY case and others brought against Trump.
"I'm going to be involved in stopping anti-semitism and to stop going after Catholic families, parents who go to a school board meeting, and the misuse, the abuse of using the legal system for political gain. So, I'm going be involved in any investigation, and I hope I'm working there 24/7 to uncover all this nonsense," he said, noting that documents and correspondence surrounding the Trump cases will be "exposed."
Merchan highlighted Friday ahead of sentencing that the court system handled Trump's case as it handles every other criminal case.
"After careful analysis, this court determined the only lawful sentence that permits entry of judgment of conviction is an unconditional discharge," Merchan said Friday. "At this time, I impose that sentence to cover all 34 counts."
Merchan added, "Sir, I wish you Godspeed as you assume your second term in office."
Fox News contributor and lawyer Trey Gowdy underscored on Friday that if Trump's case was handled the same as any other in New York, it shows "there are a lot of bad trials going on" in the state.
"Court time is precious. It is a precious resource. To waste this time on a case, where even the prosecution agrees you should not spend a minute. So if Juan Merchan says this case was not handled any differently, that just tells me there are lots of bad trials going on in New York," Gowdy said.
Legal scholar and Fox News contributor Jonathan Turley compared Merchan's remark that Trump's case was similar to any other in New York to Mary Shelley's "Dr. Frankenstein."
"Merchan appears to be making the case in his own defense and insisted that this case is no different from any other case in New York. It is a case being made long after the jury has left the courthouse. This is like Dr. Frankenstein telling his creature that he is just like any other man. Stitching together this case from a dead misdemeanor and declined federal charges is anything but ordinary," Turley said on X.
Trump addressed the court ahead of sentencing that the case was a "great embarrassment to the state of New York," while highlighting that voters "decisively" re-elected him to the White House in November.
Fox News legal editor Kerri Urbahn added on Friday that as she walked into the courtroom, she noticed widespread support for Trump on the streets.
"The only protesters, per se, who were here were Trump supporters. And even as I'm standing here right now, I'm looking into a square and I'm looking at people holding Trump flags, I'm looking at a person who has a sign that says, 'Enough is enough. We voted. We don't want this lawfare anymore.'"
During Trump's trial in the spring of last year, no cameras were permitted in the courtroom. For the sentencing, however, Merchan agreed to allow audio, which Urbahn found odd.
"It is noteworthy that during the trial, there was no audio. There were no cameras, but for this particular sentencing, Judge Merchan agreed to have audio. I can't help but think if it's because he wants the world to hear his voice sentence Donald Trump because we were not able to have that before," she said on Fox News.
Merchan set Trump’s sentencing for Jan. 10 earlier this month, and was swiftly met with repeated attempts to delay and block the sentencing. Merchan said ahead of the sentencing that he would likely not "impose any sentence of incarceration" on Trump, and instead hand down an "unconditional discharge."
Trump’s legal team filed an appeal to block sentencing from moving forward with the New York State Court of Appeals. However, the court rejected his request. Trump also filed an emergency motion with the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that it "immediately order a stay of pending criminal proceedings in the Supreme Court of New York County, New York, pending the final resolution of President Trump’s interlocutory appeal raising questions of Presidential immunity, including in this Court if necessary."
"The Court should also enter, if necessary, a temporary administrative stay while it considers this stay application," Trump’s filing requested.
The Supreme Court denied the request. Justice Clarence Thomas, Justice Samuel Alito, Justice Neil Gorsuch and Justice Brett Kavanaugh indicated that they would have granted Trump’s petition to postpone sentencing, while the order suggested Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett voted with Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Katanji Brown Jackson to deny Trump’s request.
Trump has vowed to appeal the conviction, arguing that evidence in the case implicated his duties as president during his first term after the Supreme Court’s ruling in July that former presidents have substantial immunity from prosecution for official acts in office but not for unofficial acts.
"I will be appealing this case, and am confident that JUSTICE WILL PREVAIL. The pathetic, dying remnants of the Witch Hunts against me will not distract us as we unite and, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!" Trump posted to Truth Social shortly after the Supreme Court’s order on Thursday.
"Every Legal Scholar stated, unequivocally, that this is a case that should never have been brought. There was no case against me. In other words, I am innocent of all of the Judge’s made up, fake charges. This was nothing other than Weaponization of our Justice System against a Political Opponent. It’s called Lawfare, and nothing like this has ever happened in the United States of America, and it should never be allowed to happen again. To this day, this highly political and corrupt Judge has put a gag order on me, which takes away my First Amendment right to speak about very important aspects of the case," his post added.
Trump was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records in the Manhattan case in May. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office worked to prove that Trump had falsified business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to former porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election to quiet her claims of an alleged affair with Trump in 2006.
Trump has maintained his innocence in the case and repeatedly railed against it as an example of lawfare promoted by Democrats in an effort to hurt his election efforts ahead of November.
Fox News's Brooke Singman and David Spunt contributed to this report.
President-elect Trump is expected to be sentenced Friday after being found guilty on charges of falsifying business records stemming from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s years-long investigation.
The president-elect attended his sentencing virtually, after fighting to block the process all the way up to the United States Supreme Court this week. Trump sat beside his defense attorney Todd Blanche.
Trump called the case and his sentencing a "tremendous setback for the American court system."
"This is a great embarrassment to the state of New York," Trump said, adding that the people saw the trial firsthand, and voted "decisively" to elect him as president.
Judge Juan Merchan set Jan. 10—just ten days before he is set to be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States.
Merchan, though, said he will not sentence the president-elect to prison.
Merchan wrote in his decision that he is not likely to "impose any sentence of incarceration," but rather a sentence of an "unconditional discharge," which means there would be no punishment imposed.
Trump filed an appeal to block sentencing from moving forward with the New York State Court of Appeals. That court rejected his request.
Trump also filed an emergency motion with the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that it "immediately order a stay of pending criminal proceedings in the Supreme Court of New York County, New York, pending the final resolution of President Trump’s interlocutory appeal raising questions of Presidential immunity, including in this Court if necessary."
"The Court should also enter, if necessary, a temporary administrative stay while it considers this stay application," Trump’s filing requested.
Trump's attorneys also argued that New York prosecutors erroneously admitted extensive evidence relating to official presidential acts during trial, ignoring the high court's ruling on presidential immunity.
The Supreme Court denied Trump’s emergency petition to block his sentencing from taking place on Friday, Jan. 10.
The Supreme Court, earlier this year, ruled that presidents are immune from prosecution related to official presidential acts.
But New York prosecutors argued that the high court "lacks jurisdiction" over the case.
They also argued that the evidence they presented in the trial last year concerned "unofficial conduct that is not subject to any immunity."
Trump was charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. He pleaded not guilty to those charges. After a six-week-long, unprecedented trial for a former president and presidential candidate, a New York jury found the now-president-elect guilty on all counts.
Trump has maintained his innocence in the case and repeatedly railed against it as an example of "lawfare" promoted by Democrats in an effort to hurt his election efforts ahead of November.
FIRST ON FOX:A New York Court assigned a new judge to preside over the civil fraud case against President-elect Trump brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James, seemingly replacing Judge Arthur Engoron, but hours later, the court put him back on the case, sources close to Trump's legal team told Fox News Digital.
The case and the trial were handled by Judge Arthur Engoron, who was accused by Trump allies of acting with bias against the president-elect, his family and his company.
Sources familiar told Fox News Digital the court sent out an automated email at around 12:45pm on Thursday, notifying the parties that it had assigned New York County Supreme Court Justice Judith McMahon of Staten Island to the case.
But several hours later, at 4:12pm, attorneys on the case received another automated message from the court system notifying them that Judge Arthur Engoron was assigned back to the case.
A source close to Trump's legal team told Fox News Digital that they are concerned with the back-and-forth.
The case is pending on appeal. After the appeals court issues its decision, the case will be remanded to a lower court, which Engoron presided over during the trial.
Engoron, after a weeks-long non-jury civil fraud trial that began in October 2023, ruled last year that Trump and defendants were liable for "persistent and repeated fraud," "falsifying business records," "issuing false financial statements," "conspiracy to falsify false financial statements," "insurance fraud," and "conspiracy to commit insurance fraud."
But before the trial began, Engoron issued a summary judgment against Trump, making the subsequent trial a case over the penalty to be paid.
Notably, during the case, Engoron allowed the value of Trump's Mar-a-Lago to be listed at $18 million. President Trump disputes that valuation, saying the property is worth 50 to 100 times more than Engoron's estimation. And real estate insiders and developers argued the property could list at more than $300 million.
In his ruling in the case last year, Engoron took a shot at Trump, criticizing him for his participation in the trial, stating that he "rarely responded to the questions asked, and he frequently interjected long, irrelevant speeches on issues far beyond the scope of the trial."
"His refusal to answer the questions directly, or in some cases, at all, severely compromised his credibility," Engoron wrote.
Over the course of the trial late last year, Trump, Trump allies, Republicans and legal experts repeatedly criticized Engoron, who throughout his career has exclusively donated to Democrats, over his handling of the case.
Engoron is also reportedly subject to a probe over unsolicited advice he received on the case.
Trump and his family denied any wrongdoing, with the former president saying his assets had been undervalued. Trump's legal team insisted that his financial statements had disclaimers and made it clear to banks that they should conduct their own assessments.
Trump appealed the $454 million judgment. The appeal is pending before the New York Appeals Court.
Judges on the New York appeals court appeared receptive last year to the possibility of reversing or reducing the $454 million civil fraud judgment.
The president’s attorneys called Engoron’s ruling "draconian, unlawful, and unconstitutional."
Trump attorney D. John Sauer, the incoming solicitor general, argued that James’ lawsuit stretched New York consumer protection laws and said there were "no victims" and "no complaints" about Trump’s business from lenders and insurers.
Sauer said the case "involves a clear-cut violation of the statute of limitations," pointing to transactions used in the non-jury civil fraud trial that dated back more than a decade.
Sauer said if the verdict is not overturned, "people can’t do business in real estate" without fear.
Editor's Note: This story has been updated to reflect additional information.
The United States Supreme Court has denied President-elect Trump's petition to block his Friday sentencing in New York v. Trump.
Trump filed an emergency petition to the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday in an effort to prevent his Jan. 10 sentencing, scheduled by Judge Juan Merchan, from taking place.
The high court on Thursday night said "the burden that sentencing will impose on the President-Elect’s responsibilities is relatively insubstantial in light of the trial court’s stated intent to impose a sentence of ‘unconditional discharge’ after a brief virtual hearing."
Now, sentencing in New York v. Trump can move forward, with the president-elect expected to appear virtually for the proceeding, scheduled for 9:30 am Friday.
Merchan set Trump's sentencing in New York v. Trump for Jan. 10 after a jury found the now-president-elect guilty of falsifying business records in the first degree, stemming from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's investigation. Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges and has appealed the ruling but was rejected last week by Merchan.
Trump's lawyers, in their petition to the high court, said it should "immediately order a stay of pending criminal proceedings in the Supreme Court of New York County, New York, pending the final resolution of President Trump’s interlocutory appeal raising questions of Presidential immunity, including in this Court if necessary."
"The Court should also enter, if necessary, a temporary administrative stay while it considers this stay application," the filing states.
Trump's attorneys also argued that New York prosecutors erroneously admitted extensive evidence relating to official presidential acts during trial, ignoring the high court's ruling on presidential immunity.
The Supreme Court, earlier this year, ruled that presidents are immune from prosecution related to official presidential acts.
Trump's legal team is arguing Merchan should not be permitted to move any further and said their appeal of the ruling "will ultimately result in the dismissal of the District Attorney’s politically motivated prosecution that was flawed from the very beginning, centered around the wrongful actions and false claims of a disgraced, disbarred serial-liar former attorney, violated President Trump’s due process rights, and had no merit."
Merchan set the sentencing date last week but said he will not sentence the president-elect to prison.
Merchan wrote in his decision that he is not likely to "impose any sentence of incarceration," but rather a sentence of an "unconditional discharge," which means there would be no punishment imposed.
Trump will be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States on Jan. 20.
Trump has maintained his innocence in the case and repeatedly railed against it as an example of "lawfare" promoted by Democrats in an effort to hurt his election efforts ahead of November.
Buffalo, New York, is set to be 2025's 'hottest' market once again, according to Zillow.
John Greim/LightRocket/Getty Images
Zillow has released its forecast for the hottest housing markets of 2025.
The metros are spread across the Northeast, Great Lakes, South, Midwest, and West regions.
Buffalo, New York, is projected to be the hottest market in 2025, followed by Indiana.
High home prices, rising mortgage rates, and inflation have sharply reduced buyer demand in the US real estate market, leading to a slowdown in home sales over the past few years — even in previously booming areas like Austin and the Bay Area.
Some areas are poised to see more action than others. Zillow has forecasted 10 metros where homebuyer competition will be the fiercest, taking into account factors like price growth, new construction, and job growth in each area.
Buffalo earned the title of Zillow's hottest market for the second year in a row. Located on Lake Erie and somewhat close to Niagara Falls, the metro has become an appealing choice for buyers thanks to its relatively affordable homes and strong job market, according to Zillow.
"Common threads among 2025's hottest markets are affordability — or at least relative affordability compared to nearby markets — and inventory shortages that have not been able to keep up with demand," Anushna Prakash, a data scientist at Zillow, told Business Insider. "An inventory shortfall of course limits sales, but it also means competition for each home on the market is ratcheted up."
Here are 10 metro areas forecast to see the most homebuying competition in 2025, according to Zillow.
Building tiny backyard homes can be expensive. The units can range in cost — from under $100,000 to over $300,000.
Three states will help with the cost by providing homeowners with grant money.
Here are the programs, how much homeowners can receive, and who is eligible to apply.
If you've looked into building a tiny home in your backyard, you've probably discovered what many have: While they may save you money in the long run, they can be expensive to build.
These backyard homes, called accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, are small housing units ranging from 150 square feet to 1,200 square feet, depending on where you live.
In California, where most backyard homes are being built, ADU building permits cost anywhere from $450 to $15,000 — even before construction starts, Backyard Unlimited, a company that builds ADUs, said.
That's not all: Other costs could include site preparation, which includes anything from inspections to running utility lines.
All this to say, if you don't have cash lying around or the ability to access financing for the project, it can be cost prohibitive — making it harder for middle- and low-income homeowners to actually build one, studies have shown.
To combat this disparity, promote equity, and ultimately propel the construction of much-needed housing, some states — and nonprofits in some cities — have created grant programs to help.
The deadlines for these programs vary from state to state. Those interested in building an ADU should be prepared for next year's application cycles, as they often experience high demand.
Here are the ADU programs available nationwide.
California: Up to $40,000 per grantee
The funding for 2024 has already been allocated. The state previously provided $40,000 to Californians for pre-construction ADU costs, such as design, permitting, and soil inspections. In 2024, several legal changes were made regarding ADU size, owner occupancy requirements, and more.
An ADU in San Jose, California.
Courtesy of Abodu
Who can apply? Californians that fall in the range of low- to moderate-income limits.
Total funding available: $100 million was allocated in 2021, but by 2023, the money had been fully distributed. The program's funds were infused with $25 million in grant funding for 2023 to 2024, but those have also been fully allocated.
When are applications open? The program is no longer accepting applications for 2024, and applications for 2025 have not yet been announced.
Requirements:
Homeowners do not need to live in the primary home or the ADU they build.
For single-family lots, you can be approved for one ADU (attached or detached) up to 1,200 square feet and one Junior ADU up to 500 square feet.
For multi-family lots, you can build multiple ADUs attached to existing structures and up to two detached ADUs on the property.
Homeowners can build an ADU at least 800 square feet, up to 16 feet high, and must be set back 4 feet from side and rear yards.
Agency or Department in charge of distribution: California Housing Finance Agency
Julie Fornasero and her husband, Tim Logan, built an ADU in their backyard for $170,000.
Courtesy of Julie Fornasero
New York: Up to $125,000 per grantee
The Plus One ADU Program provides eligible New Yorkers up to $125,000 to build or convert an ADU on their property.
In 2024, as part of Mayor Eric Adams's 'City of Yes' housing initiative, New York State legalized permitting ADUs on one- and two-family residential properties in low-density housing districts. However, whether a locality in New York allows ADUs depends on its land use and zoning regulations.
A residential neighborhood in Monroe, New York, in the Hudson Valley.
Kelsey Neubauer/Insider
Who can apply? Homeowners who meet the income requirement of 100% or below the area median income.
Total funding available: The 2022-2023 NYS Capital Budget provided $85 million for thePlus One ADU Program over the next five years. Of the total, $60 million has been distributed across 50 municipalities, with the remaining $25 million available through a competitive RFP.
When are applications open? There are 50 participating localities, all accepting homeowner applications on a rolling basis.
Requirements:
The ADU can be within the existing home, such as a basement or attic apartment, an in-law suite, or a completely independent and detached structure.
A 10-year restrictive covenant is in place to ensure the home remains the owner's primary residence and that the ADU is kept in a livable condition.
The ADU must be occupied by a tenant or a family member, and it cannot be rented out short term.
Agency or Department in charge of distribution: New York State's Homes and Community Renewal
A welcome sign to Boxwill's town.
Courtesy of Helen Boxwill
Vermont: Up to $50,000 per grantee
This program allows Vermonters to receive up to $50,000 to build an ADU on their property. Both landlords and owner-occupied homes with plans to rent are eligible.
A residential neighborhood in Burlington, Vermont.
Kelsey Neubauer/Insider
Who can apply? Any Vermont homeowner can apply through these five regional organizations: RuralEdge, Champlain Housing Trust, NeighborWorks of Western Vermont, Downstreet Housing and Community Development, and Windham and Windsor Housing Trust. These organizations review applications and oversee projects.
Total funding available: As of 2023, Vermont had a $15 million budget.
When are applications open? Open now, on a rolling basis.
Requirements:
Those who receive a grant must abide by certain stipulations, such as complying with local ordinances, maintaining HUD Fair Market rent, and matching at least 20% of the grant funds.
The project must be completed within 18 months of signing the grant agreement.
Those using their ADU as a rental must sign a rental covenant or forgivable loan agreement, committing to charge rent at or below Fair Market Rent for the entire duration of the agreement.
Agency or Department in charge of distribution: Vermont Housing Improvement Program
Marni Leiken and the apartment she built over her backyard carriage barn, visible on the far right of this photo.
Courtesy of Marni Leiken
Colorado: A new grant program still rolling out
In 2024, Colorado passed HB24-1152 to assist homeowners in building ADUs.
Who can apply? The Accessory Dwelling Unit Fee Reduction and Encouragement Grant Program will offer down payment assistance, low-interest loans, and interest rate reductions to eligible low—and moderate-income Coloradans building ADUs.
Total funding available: The General Assembly allocated $5 million for the program. Currently, grants are available to "accessory dwelling unit supportive jurisdictions," meaning local governments actively supporting ADU development. The Department of Local Affairs will manage the grant program created by the bill.
When are applications open? It has not yet been announced when applications will open to local governments or residents.
Requirements: The qualification requirements are still being finalized.
Agency or Department in charge of distribution: The Department of Local Affairs, Division of Local Government
Have you built an ADU on your property? We want to hear from you. Email the reporter, Alcynna Lloyd, at [email protected] to share your story.
FIRST ON FOX – Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., introduced a bill that would pull federal highway funding from states such as New York that issue driver's licenses and identification cards to illegal immigrants.
Tenney, who co-chaired the House Election Integrity Caucus amid the 2024 race that ended in President-elect Trump's victory, re-introduced her bill – named the Red Light Act – at the start of the new Congress.
The proposal says it aims to "withhold federal highway funds from States that provide drivers licenses or identification cards to aliens who are unlawfully present in the United States, and for other purposes."
"Our nation is grappling with an unprecedented migrant crisis, yet some states, like New York, are incentivizing and rewarding criminals with driver's licenses and identification cards," Tenney said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "In New York, the Green Light Law has given licenses to illegal immigrants, allowing these dangerous individuals to roam freely in our country, brutally attacking, raping, and murdering members of our community. In addition, this law also restricts law enforcement from accessing DMV records, preventing the enforcement of our nation's immigration laws. This legislation ensures states that refuse to comply with our nation's immigration policies are not rewarded with federal funding."
Passed by the state legislature in 2019 and signed by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the Green Light Law allows New York to issue driver's licenses to undocumented individuals. As part of a sanctuary policy intended to block deportations, it also directed the state Department of Motor Vehicles to withhold records from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or other federal law enforcement without a court order or judicial warrant signed by a judge for such information.
Trump's incoming border czar Tom Homan, a native of upstate New York, floated the idea of blocking vehicles with New York license plates from entering the U.S. from the Canadian border if the state does not repeal the Green Light Law.
"To me, this is a high priority," Homan told the Buffalo News. "I grew up in New York state, I still own a home in the state. What happens in New York means a lot to me."
"That would be bizarre to me that anyone thinks that stopping our vehicles from coming in and out of our country, keeping New Yorkers in a foreign country, is a smart path forward," New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said at an unrelated press conference on Monday, responding to Homan's proposal. "I'd like to sit down and have that conversation."
Tenney's bill would grant the secretary of transportation authority to withhold 100% of the amount required to be apportioned to a state's federal highway system for fiscal year 2025 and each fiscal year afterward.
The measure also allows the secretary to reapportion the funding to states that repeal any such laws that provide driver's licenses or identification cards to aliens who are unlawfully present in the U.S.
A judge in New York has denied a motion filed by President-elect Donald Trump to stay the Jan. 10 sentencing in the New York v. Trump case.
Trump was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records in the Manhattan case in May 2024. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office worked to prove that Trump falsified business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to former porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election to quiet her claims of an alleged affair with Trump in 2006.
New York Judge Juan Merchan set Trump's sentencing date in the case earlier this month, ahead of his inauguration as president on Jan. 20. The former and upcoming president had requested the verdict in the case be vacated based on the Supreme Court's presidential immunity decision last year, which was denied by Merchan.
Fox News Digital learned yesterday that Trump filed a motion to stay the Jan. 10 sentencing.
"Today, President Trump’s legal team moved to stop the unlawful sentencing in the Manhattan D.A.’s Witch Hunt. The Supreme Court’s historic decision on Immunity, the state constitution of New York, and other established legal precedent mandate that this meritless hoax be immediately dismissed," said Trump spokesman and incoming White House communications director Steven Cheung on Monday.
"The American People elected President Trump with an overwhelming mandate that demands an immediate end to the political weaponization of our justice system and all of the remaining Witch Hunts. We look forward to uniting our country in the new administration as President Trump makes America great again," Cheung continued.
However, Associate Justice Ellen Gesmer issued a filing Tuesday saying that "after consideration of the papers submitted and the extensive oral argument, movant’s application for an interim stay is denied."
Trump remains set to be sentenced on Friday, Jan. 10, at 9:30 a.m. He plans to attend virtually.
Trump has maintained his innocence in the case and repeatedly railed against it as an example of lawfare promoted by Democrats in an effort to hurt his election efforts ahead of November.
Fox News' Emma Colton and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
President-elect Donald Trump railed against the ongoing "lawfare" against him during his first public remarks since Congress certified his decisive election win over Vice President Kamala Harris.
"They're playing with the courts, as you know, they've been playing with the courts for four years. Probably got me more votes because I got the highest number of votes ever gotten by a Republican by far, actually, by a lot. And, you know, we had a great election, so I guess it didn't work. But even to this day, they're playing with the courts and they're friendly judges that like to try and make everybody happy .. It's called lawfare, it's called weaponization of justice," Trump said Tuesday during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago.
Trump held the press conference, which was his first since Congress certified his election win on Monday, to announce DAMAC Properties will invest $20 billion in new data centers across the country. DAMAC's owner, Hussain Sajwani, said the investment is aimed at facilitating the development of AI and cloud-based technologies.
Trump took aim at the legal battles he has faced in the last four years during the address, slamming special counsel Jack Smith as well as New York Judge Juan Merchan.
"I call it the Injustice Department. What they've done is so bad, the whole world has watched that. And, it took work, but it got me a lot of votes, because when explained, we have a judge in New York is a very crooked judge," he said, referring to Justice Juan Merchan who presides over the New York v. Trump case. "I'm under a gag order. I can't even talk about aspects of the case that are the most vital aspects I'm going to do. You know that I'm the president-elect of the United States of America. I'm a former very successful president."
Merchan announced earlier this month that he will sentence Trump in the New York v. Trump case on Jan. 10, ahead of his inauguration as president on Jan. 20. Trump's legal team filed a motion to delay sentencing, which Merchan denied on Monday afternoon.
"Today, President Trump’s legal team moved to stop the unlawful sentencing in the Manhattan D.A.’s Witch Hunt. The Supreme Court’s historic decision on Immunity, the state constitution of New York, and other established legal precedent mandate that this meritless hoax be immediately dismissed," Trump spokesperson and incoming White House communications director Steven Cheung told Fox Digital on Monday morning.
"The American People elected President Trump with an overwhelming mandate that demands an immediate end to the political weaponization of our justice system and all of the remaining Witch Hunts. We look forward to uniting our country in the new administration as President Trump makes America great again," Cheung continued.
Trump was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records in the Manhattan case in May. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office worked to prove that Trump falsified business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to former porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election to quiet her claims of an alleged affair with Trump in 2006. Trump has maintained his innocence in the case.
Smith, who led the investigation into Trump's handling of classified documents after his first term in the White House, is set to release a final report on the investigation. Two of Trump's former co-defendants in the classified documents case, Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, filed an emergency motion on Monday in an effort to block the report's release.
"These Defendants will irreparably suffer harm as civilian casualties of the Government’s impermissible and contumacious utilization of political lawfare to include release of the unauthorized Report," Nauta and De Oliveira's attorneys wrote in an emergency motion filed on Monday. "The Final Report relies on materials to which Smith, as disqualified special counsel, is no longer entitled access— making his attempt to share such materials with the public highly improper."
The judge presiding over the case blocked Smith's efforts to release the report on Tuesday.
Trump slammed Smith as "deranged" during his Tuesday remarks while taking a victory lap that the court cases brought against him since the 2020 election have fizzled out since the 2024 election. Trump has maintained his innocence in the various state and federal cases brought against him, arguing they were examples of "lawfare" intended to hamper his campaign to reclaim the White House.
"I defeated deranged Jack Smith. He's a deranged individual. I guess he's on his way back to The Hague. And we won those cases. Those were the biggest ones. And, the press made such a big deal out of them. But we did nothing wrong. We did nothing wrong on anything. And the people saw that, you know, when they vote to when you went to Republicans," he said.
Fox News Digital's Anders Hagstrom and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
The Associated Press reported that New York-based U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman ruled that the former Trump lawyer and New York mayor "willfully violated an unambiguous order of the court" when he "blew past" a Dec. 20 deadline to submit information.
Liman said that Giuliani "attempted to run the clock by stalling" and withholding information about assets he could use to pay Georgia election workers Ruby Freeman and Wandrea Moss after he accused them of committing fraud during the 2020 election.
This comes after Giuliani, 80, testified for three hours on Friday and again on Monday explaining the delays in sharing information about his assets.
Liman said that he would be issuing sanctions against Giuliani over the contempt, which he would decide on later.
Another trial set for Jan. 16 will decide whether a New York Yankees World Series ring and Giuliani’s Florida home can be used to help pay his debt to Freeman and Moss.
"Defendant's motion for a stay of these proceedings, including the sentencing hearing scheduled for January 10, 2025, is hereby DENIED," Merchan wrote in his decision Monday.
Earlier Monday, Trump's legal team filed a motion to delay sentencing in the case. Trump is set to be sentenced on Jan. 10 at 9:30 a.m., 10 days ahead of his inauguration as the 47th president of the United States on Jan. 20.
"Today, President Trump’s legal team moved to stop the unlawful sentencing in the Manhattan D.A.’s Witch Hunt. The Supreme Court’s historic decision on Immunity, the state constitution of New York, and other established legal precedent mandate that this meritless hoax be immediately dismissed," Trump spokesperson and incoming White House communications director Steven Cheung told Fox Digital on Monday morning.
"The American People elected President Trump with an overwhelming mandate that demands an immediate end to the political weaponization of our justice system and all of the remaining Witch Hunts. We look forward to uniting our country in the new administration as President Trump makes America great again," Cheung continued.
Earlier Monday, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office responded to Trump's filing, calling on the court to deny the request.
Merchan has already said he will not sentence the president-elect to prison and instead issue a sentence of an "unconditional discharge," which means there would be no punishment imposed.
Trump was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records in the Manhattan case in May. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office worked to prove that Trump falsified business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to former porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election to quiet her claims of an alleged affair with Trump in 2006.
Trump has maintained his innocence in the case and repeatedly railed against it as an example of lawfare promoted by Democrats in an effort to hurt his election efforts ahead of November.
"Virtually ever legal scholar and pundit says THERE IS NO (ZERO!) CASE AGAINST ME. The Judge fabricated the facts, and the law, no different than the other New York Judicial and Prosecutorial Witch Hunts. That’s why businesses are fleeing New York, taking with them millions of jobs, and BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN TAXES. The legal system is broken, and businesses can’t take a chance in getting caught up in this quicksand. IT’S ALL RIGGED, in this case against a political opponent, ME!!!" Trump posted to Truth Social on Sunday evening of the case.
Fox News Digital's Brooke Singman contributed to this report.
President-elect Trump filed a motion to stay the Jan. 10 sentencing in the New York v. Trump case, Fox Digital has learned.
"Today, President Trump’s legal team moved to stop the unlawful sentencing in the Manhattan D.A.’s Witch Hunt. The Supreme Court’s historic decision on Immunity, the state constitution of New York, and other established legal precedent mandate that this meritless hoax be immediately dismissed," Trump spokesman and incoming White House communications director Steven Cheung told Fox Digital on Monday morning.
"The American People elected President Trump with an overwhelming mandate that demands an immediate end to the political weaponization of our justice system and all of the remaining Witch Hunts. We look forward to uniting our country in the new administration as President Trump makes America great again," Cheung continued.
The Manhattan district attorney's office responded to the filing Monday afternoon, denying the request to delay sentencing.
"The Court should deny defendant’s motion for an immediate stay and should proceed to sentencing as scheduled on January 10, 2025," the DA's office wrote in its response Monday.
New York Judge Juan Merchan set Trump's sentencing date in the case earlier this month, ahead of his inauguration as president on Jan. 20. The former and upcoming president had requested the verdict in the case be vacated based on the Supreme Court's presidential immunity decision last year, which was denied by Merchan.
Trump is set to be sentenced on Friday, Jan. 10, at 9:30 a.m. Merchan has already said he will not sentence the president-elect to prison, and instead issue a sentence of an "unconditional discharge," which means there would be no punishment imposed.
Trump was found guilty of 34 counts of falsifying business records in the Manhattan case in May. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office worked to prove that Trump falsified business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to former porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election to quiet her claims of an alleged affair with Trump in 2006.
Trump has maintained his innocence in the case and repeatedly railed against it as an example of lawfare promoted by Democrats in an effort to hurt his election efforts ahead of November.
"Virtually ever legal scholar and pundit says THERE IS NO (ZERO!) CASE AGAINST ME. The Judge fabricated the facts, and the law, no different than the other New York Judicial and Prosecutorial Witch Hunts. That’s why businesses are fleeing New York, taking with them millions of jobs, and BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN TAXES. The legal system is broken, and businesses can’t take a chance in getting caught up in this quicksand. IT’S ALL RIGGED, in this case against a political opponent, ME!!!" Trump posted to Truth Social on Sunday evening of the case.
Trump’s sentencing in the case has been repeatedly delayed. Trump's lawyers had asked Merchan to overturn the former president’s guilty verdict after the Supreme Court ruled in July that former presidents have substantial immunity from prosecution for official acts in office, but not for unofficial acts.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand says she will apply the lessons learned from the 2024 elections and other recent cycles as she works to win back the Senate majority for the Democrats in the 2026 midterm elections.
"If we've learned anything in the last few cycles, if you're not in the field early, talking to voters about what they're worried about, what’s their kitchen table issues, and then coming up with legislative solutions to help them, they're not going to feel that you have their back. And so it's about a relationship with your voters," the new chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee told Fox News Digital in a recent interview.
Gillibrand, the longtime senator from New York who was re-elected in November, was named on Monday by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a fellow New Yorker, to steer the Senate Democrats' campaign committee in the 2026 cycle.
"Electing more Democrats to the Senate in 2026 is the most important thing we can do to limit the damage of Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans and do more for working families," Schumer argued in a statement. "I have worked side by side with Kirsten Gillibrand for nearly two decades and I know she will be an outstanding DSCC Chair. With her hard work, tenacity, and discipline, Sen. Gillibrand is the right person to lead our campaign to victory in 2026."
Gillibrand pledged in a statement to "work my hardest to support our Democratic incumbents, recruit the strongest possible candidates, and ensure they have every resource needed to win. I am confident that we will protect our Democratic seats, mount strong challenges in our battleground races, and look to expand our efforts into some unexpected states."
The senator, as she looked ahead to her new mission to win back the Senate majority or at the least, cut into the GOP's newly won 53-47 control of the chamber, pointed in her Fox News Digital interview to her own re-election and her efforts to help House Democrats flip Republican-controlled seats in the 2024 cycle.
"I made sure that for my race and for the House races in New York that our candidates were in the community talking to voters two years before the election, talking to them about what mattered to them. People were concerned about crime; they were concerned about immigration. They were concerned about fentanyl and gun trafficking. They were also concerned about the economy and the cost of food, the cost of housing," she said.
Gillibrand emphasized that "we really did the outreach and engagement that you really need to do in this day and age to make sure you're talking about the things that voters want you to be working on."
"President-elect Trump is a formidable candidate. He showed in this last election that he was able to win over voters in states across this country, not just red states," Gillibrand noted. "I think it's important to learn the lessons of last cycle."
Senate Democrats faced an extremely difficult map in the 2024 cycle as they lost control of the majority. An early read of the 2026 map shows they will continue to play defense in some states, but also offers opportunities to go on offense.
Among them is the southeastern battleground state of North Carolina.
"There's a number of places where Democrats can win if they have the right candidate in the community early enough talking about the issues that voters care about. A state like North Carolina might be one where we got very close last time.," Gillibrand said.
There is plenty of speculation that former Gov. Roy Cooper, who just finished steering the state for two terms, may make a bid for the Senate against Republican incumbent Sen. Thom Tillis.
"There are some really remarkably good candidates in North Carolina, considering the former governor would be one of them. That's the kind of state I'm going to be looking at around the country, states where Democrats have won in the past, where they might be able to win again if they have a candidate that really resonates and does the hard work of engaging voters early," Gillibrand said.
Another potential pickup opportunity for Gillibrand may be blue-leaning Maine, where moderate Republican Susan Collins is up for re-election in 2026.
"Susan is quite tough to beat," Gillibrand acknowledged. But she added that "if we get a great candidate there, that's a race where we will be competitive."
The 2026 map also gives Republicans opportunities to flip Democrat-controlled seats.
In swing state New Hampshire, longtime Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, who's taking over as ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is up for re-election.
Sen. Gary Peters, who steered the DSCC in the 2022 and 2024 cycles, is up for re-election in battleground Michigan. So is first-term Sen. Jon Ossoff in swing state Georgia.
"The great thing about Jean Shaheen is she is in her community every week, talking to people about the things she works on, on their behalf. She's common sense, she's bipartisan, and so I'm optimistic we will hold her seat," Gillibrand said. "I'm also optimistic about making sure Gary Peters holds his seat in Michigan. Again, he's extremely bipartisan. He's constantly working on behalf of the voters of Michigan to make sure they understand that he fights for them. The same is true, I'd say for Jon Ossoff. He hit the ground running as a new senator last term, and I think he really does resonate with Georgia voters."
As New York’s "congestion pricing" inner-city tolling plan takes effect Sunday, one of its major proponents is questioning whether the timing is right for a policy meant to drive people to an increasingly dangerous mass transit system.
Through a spokesman, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo confirmed that he still backs the system that now tolls drivers $9 to cross below Central Park or enter Lower Manhattan from Brooklyn and New Jersey – but questioned whether now is best to implement it.
"Governor Cuomo believes congestion pricing is ultimately the right policy, which is why he fought and succeeded in passing it after more than a decade of failed attempts," longtime spokesman Rich Azzopardi told Fox News Digital on Friday.
Azzopardi said that Cuomo’s original plan, which found agreement from then-Mayor Bill de Blasio, was based on a "safe and reliable subway system" and a thriving city core. Prior Mayor Michael Bloomberg had proposed a similar plan in 2007, but it died in Albany.
"[G]iven the obvious lack of confidence the public currently has in the subway system – combined with the tenuous state of New York City post-COVID, [Cuomo] called for a data-driven study on the impact of congestion pricing to inform the timing of such a major policy change and to ensure New York was not creating additional obstacles to its comeback."
Cuomo previously wrote in a March op-ed that congestion pricing’s success hinges on confidence in the MTA and mass transit, which he noted has also statistically still not recovered from COVID levels.
He noted how congestion pricing is meant to "incentivize" subway use – but that that is hard to do when people are getting brutally attacked underground – and noted that it was his father, Gov. Mario Cuomo, who first beefed-up police presence after the "bad old days."
At the time of a prior column in the Post, Cuomo cited a conductor with 24 years of service to the MTA vowing never to go back underground after he was slashed in the neck and required 34 stitches while operating an A train in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.
More recently, an Ocean County, N.J., woman was burned alive in Coney Island, and there have been several near-fatal cases of people being randomly shoved in front of trains, occurring from Morningside Heights to TriBeCa, since Christmas.
"It is undeniable that New York is in a dramatically different place today than it was in 2019, and without a study forecasting its consequences based on facts, not politics, it could do more harm than good to New York City's recovery," Cuomo’s spokesman said Friday.
But Cuomo’s onetime deputy, Gov. Kathy Hochul, appeared full-steam-ahead in enacting the policy, which is intended to drive commuters and residents to consider mass transit to head to work or play in Midtown.
In a recent statement lauding her current plan, Hochul’s office said the reduction of the congestion toll from its original $15 will save drivers $1,500 per year, and that commuters will see "new and improved subway services."
"By getting congestion pricing underway and fully supporting the MTA capital plan, we’ll unclog our streets, reduce pollution and deliver better public transit for millions of New Yorkers," Hochul said.
MTA Chairman Janno Lieber, who oversees the state-run metro subway, bus and rail network, said that Hochul is "stepping up" for people who want cleaner air, safer streets and less gridlock.
He also noted that upgrades have already taken place on the 7 subway from Times Square to Flushing, Queens, and the L train from Union Square to Canarsie.
However, Cuomo’s camp maintains that it was he who envisioned and oversaw the upgrades to New York’s transit network without the added tolls in effect – and ripped Hochul and Lieber for claiming that he had gotten cold feet.
When the New York Post asked Hochul for comment on Cuomo suggesting she "hit the brakes" on congestion pricing, the governor directed comment to a Lieber spokesman, who blasted Cuomo for "flip-flopping."
"What would really harm New York’s continuing recovery is starving subways of a desperately needed source of funding after decades of underinvestment," the MTA’s Aaron Donovan said.
"The $15 fee was passed by the MTA under Hochul’s watch, but please gaslight away," Azzopardi told Fox News Digital. "New Yorkers aren’t stupid."
Cuomo previously told WNYW that people have the option to work from home, which they didn’t have when he first pushed the plan in 2019 – and that if he were a commuter, he would likely balk at the idea of added costs at a time of "high crime and homelessness."
Cuomo’s camp also said that Hochul likes to take credit for the achievements of his three-term administration that presaged the new tolls.
"The difference here is that Governor Cuomo built the [new Amtrak/MetroNorth] Moynihan Train Hall and the Second Avenue Subway [extension to East Harlem], as well as fixed the L train and did the hard work to get [Grand Central’s] East Side Access and the LIRR Third-Track done. All Hochul wanted to do was cut the ribbons," Azzopardi said.
Cuomo’s calls for a pause were joined by several New York Republicans, yet the former governor and potential 2025 mayoral candidate remains supportive of congestion pricing, while the GOP wants it nixed entirely.
Commuters from New Jersey must still pay Port Authority tolls to cross the Hudson River, and outer-borough commuters the same via the East River – albeit with a slight credit toward their "congestion" fee.
Drivers who remain on the FDR Drive or Joe DiMaggio West Side Highway will not be charged unless they turn onto surface streets.
After a surge in violence on the New York City subway in the last few weeks, New York Governor Kathy Hochul said that security cameras have been installed in "every single subway car" in the city, which she said will help police fight and "solve crimes even faster."
This comes amid a wave of violent crime incidents in the New York City subway system, including a homeless woman being burned alive by an illegal immigrant and a man being pushed in front of an approaching subway.
It also follows the high-profile trial of former Marine Daniel Penny, who was charged but later cleared of homicide for his actions defending subway passengers from a mentally unstable homeless man named Jordan Neely.
Hochul, a Democrat, touted her deployment of 1,000 National Guard members to patrol the New York City subway, saying: "Public safety is my top priority." She also claimed credit for directing the state-run Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to install cameras in subway cars, which she said has now been completed.
"The recent surge in violent crimes in our public transit system cannot continue — and we need to tackle this crisis head-on," she said. "I directed the MTA to install security cameras in every single subway car, and now that the project is complete, these cameras are helping police solve crimes even faster."
Hochul went on to emphasize that "many of these horrific incidents have involved people with serious untreated mental illness," which she said is "the result of a failure to get treatment to people who are living on the streets and are disconnected from our mental health care system."
She blamed weak state laws and "nearly half a century of disinvestment in mental health care and supportive housing," which she said "directly contributed to the crisis we see on our streets and subways."
Hochul said she would introduce legislation to change New York’s laws governing the involuntary commitment of dangerous mentally unstable individuals to improve the process through which a court can order certain individuals to participate in assisted outpatient treatment.
"We can’t fully address this problem without changes to state law," she said. "Currently, hospitals are able to commit individuals whose mental illness puts themselves or others at risk of serious harm, and this legislation will expand that definition to ensure more people receive the care they need."
Despite these commitments, Hochul is being criticized for not being stronger on protecting New Yorkers traveling on the subway.
"The Governor is all talk and no action," said Curtis Sliwa, an activist and founder of the "Guardian Angels," a citizen law enforcement group known for patrolling and offering assistance to subway passengers.
Sliwa told Fox News Digital that Hochul should "lever her power" and call out individual members of the state legislature who refuse to support legislation to commit the emotionally disturbed to state psychiatric hospitals.
"She has to tell them she will not sign any of their initiatives into law until they support her signature subway initiative," said Sliwa.
He also claimed that the MTA further spurred on violent crime by allowing fare evasion to "explode to the point where 30% of subway riders don't pay their fare."
"The governor must get control back of who comes in and out of the system," he said. "Without control of who comes in then all of the other gubernatorial initiatives will result in more tax money spent with little if any results. Everything will change when you restrict who comes into the subway."
New York Council member Joe Borelli, a Republican, meanwhile, blamed Democrats for instituting soft-on-crime policies that have resulted in more violence in New York.
"Successive Democratic governors have closed mental health facilities and eroded the very same system she is now saying we need," Borelli told Fox News Digital. "What we really need to do is look at the bail reform and ‘raise the age’ laws her party put into effect in 2019 and see how the trajectory of criminal behavior increased thereafter."
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, is looking to expand the state’s involuntary commitment laws to allow hospitals to force more people with mental health problems into treatment.
This comes in response to a series of violent crimes in the New York City subway system.
Hochul said Friday she wants to introduce legislation during the coming legislative session to amend mental health care laws to address the recent surge of violent crimes on the subway.
"Many of these horrific incidents have involved people with serious untreated mental illness, the result of a failure to get treatment to people who are living on the streets and are disconnected from our mental health care system," the governor said.
"We have a duty to protect the public from random acts of violence, and the only fair and compassionate thing to do is to get our fellow New Yorkers the help they need," she continued.
Mental health experts say that most people with mental illness are not violent and are far more likely to be victims of violent crime than they are to carry out a violent crime.
The governor did not provide details on what her legislation would change.
"Currently, hospitals are able to commit individuals whose mental illness puts themselves or others at risk of serious harm, and this legislation will expand that definition to ensure more people receive the care they need," she said.
Hochul also said she would introduce another bill to improve the process in which courts can order people to undergo assisted outpatient treatments for mental illness and make it easier for people to voluntarily sign up for those treatments.
The governor said she is "deeply grateful" to law enforcement who every day "fight to keep our subways safe." But she said "we can't fully address this problem without changes to state law."
"Public safety is my top priority and I will do everything in my power to keep New Yorkers safe," she said.
State law currently allows police to compel people to be taken to hospitals for evaluation if they appear to be suffering from mental illness and their behavior presents a risk of physical harm to themselves or others. Psychiatrists must then determine if the patients need to be involuntarily hospitalized.
New York Civil Liberties Union executive director Donna Lieberman said requiring more people to be placed into involuntary commitment "doesn't make us safer, it distracts us from addressing the roots of our problems, and it threatens New Yorkers' rights and liberties."
Hochul's statement comes after a series of violent crimes in New York City's subways, including an incident on New Year's Eve when a man shoved another man onto subway tracks ahead of an incoming train, on Christmas Eve when a man slashed two people with a knife in Manhattan’s Grand Central subway station and on Dec. 22 when a suspect lit a sleeping woman on fire and burned her to death.
The medical histories of the suspects in those three incidents were not immediately clear, but New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, has said the man accused of the knife attack in Grand Central had a history of mental illness and the father of the suspect who shoved a man onto the tracks told The New York Times that he had become concerned about his son's mental health in the weeks prior to the incident.
Adams has spent the past few years urging the state Legislature to expand mental health care laws and has previously supported a policy that would allow hospitals to involuntarily commit a person who is unable to meet their own basic needs for food, clothing, shelter or medical care.
"Denying a person life-saving psychiatric care because their mental illness prevents them from recognizing their desperate need for it is an unacceptable abdication of our moral responsibility," the mayor said in a statement after Hochul's announcement.
President-elect Trump's bid to toss his conviction in his New York criminal hush money case was denied on Friday.
New York Judge Juan Merchan rejected Trump's request to vacate the verdict in the case based on the Supreme Court's presidential immunity decision.
Sentencing is set for January 10 at 9:30 a.m, with the president-elect having the option to appear in person or virtually. But Merchan said he will not sentence the president-elect to prison.
Merchan wrote in his decision that he is not likely to "impose any sentence of incarceration," but rather a sentence of an "unconditional discharge," which means there would be no punishment imposed.
Trump will be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States on January 20.
Merchan noted that he is still reviewing the other motions filed by Trump to dismiss the case.
He also rejected the DA’s suggestion that he preserve the verdict, but end proceedings as it would deny Trump’s right to a path to appeal.
"Today’s order by the deeply conflicted, Acting Justice Merchan in the Manhattan DA Witch Hunt is a direct violation of the Supreme Court’s Immunity decision and other longstanding jurisprudence," Trump spokesman and incoming White House Communications Director Steven Cheung told Fox News Digital. "This lawless case should have never been brought and the Constitution demands that it be immediately dismissed. President Trump must be allowed to continue the Presidential Transition process and to execute the vital duties of the presidency, unobstructed by the remains of this or any remnants of the Witch Hunts."
Cheung added: "There should be no sentencing, and President Trump will continue fighting against these hoaxes until they are all dead."
Last month, Merchan also denied Trump attorneys' request to dismiss charges on the basis of presidential immunity.
The ruling comes after President-elect Trump and his team in July requested Merchan overturn his guilty verdict in New York v. Trump, citing the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling that presidents have immunity for official acts.
Merchan ruled that the evidence presented in the trial was related "entirely to unofficial conduct and thus, receive no immunity protections."
Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree stemming from the yearslong investigation related to alleged hush money payments run by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. Former Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance initiated the investigation, and Bragg prosecuted Trump.
After an unprecedented six-week trial in New York City, a jury found the president guilty on all counts.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a former president has substantial immunity for official acts committed while in office.
In the formal motion in July, Trump attorney Todd Blanche pointed to the Supreme Court’s immunity decision, and argued that certain evidence of "official acts" should not have been admitted during the trial.
Trump attorneys, last month, officially requested to "immediately" dismiss charges against the president-elect in New York v. Trump, declaring the "failed lawfare" case "should never have been brought."
Trump attorneys said the case "would never have been brought were it not for President Trump’s political views, the transformative national movement established under his leadership, and the political threat that he poses to entrenched, corrupt politicians in Washington, D.C. and beyond."
Trump lawyers said that "wrongly continuing proceedings in this failed lawfare case disrupts President Trump’s transition efforts and his preparations to wield the full Article II executive power authorized by the Constitution pursuant to the overwhelming national mandate granted to him by the American people on November 5, 2024."
Bragg, in November, requested to Judge Juan Merchan that the case be stayed until the end of Trump’s second term, but Trump attorneys noted that the Office of Legal Counsel in the Justice Department concluded that "the categorical prohibition on the federal indictment of a sitting president…even if the case were held in abeyance…applies to this situation."
They added that Bragg's "ridiculous suggestion that they could simply resume proceedings after President Trump leaves Office, more than a decade after they commenced their investigation in 2018, is not an option."
Viviana Vazquez grew up low-income but now makes over $150,000 from her tech job.
When she first started working, she wanted to contribute to her family but struggled with resentment.
After setting some boundaries, she's now able to save for herself while also giving to her family.
Editor's note: This list was first published in July 2024 and most recently updated on January 3, 2025.
I grew up in poverty in a $ 1,000-a-month rent-controlled apartment in Hell's Kitchen before the neighborhood became gentrified.
My parents immigrated from Mexico and met in New York. They married and had me, my sister, and my brother.
The five of us lived in one bedroom of our apartment while my dad subleased the other two bedrooms. We often dealt with rats, roaches, and occasional water outages, but it was the only place we could afford.
Viviana and her sister.
Viviana Vazquez
Today, it's a bittersweet memory. I'm 28 and live in a luxury one-bedroom apartment in Manhattan with my fiancé, Xavi, whom I met in college. Our place reminds me of the kind of apartment my mom used to clean.
In 2024, I earned over $150,000 as a senior content marketing manager at a FinTech startup — that's over five times the amount my family of five lived on when I was growing up. I also earned over $15,000 as a social media content creator.
Seeing my parents struggle took a toll on me
I remember my dad borrowing money from loved ones or banks to cover the rent. The day we got an eviction letter, my heart dropped twice — once when I read it myself and again when I translated it into Spanish for my parents.
My dad has worked a minimum-wage job at a parking garage for as long as I can remember. My mom babysat, tutored kids in Spanish, and cleaned apartments. She would come home with bags of secondhand clothes and toys her clients had donated to her. My sister and I would proudly wear those "new" clothes to school.
My favorite childhood memories were made at the local park because it was free, accessible, and almost always empty.
Viviana (far right) with her sister and cousins.
Viviana Vazquez
I didn't understand why my parents couldn't give me money for the books I wanted to buy at the Scholastic book fair or the Girl Scout cookies my classmates were selling.
At 17, I had to fill out the FAFSA and navigate the college process on my own while I watched my classmates enroll in SAT classes. I didn't know why my parents encouraged me to attend college when they couldn't afford it.
I started at CUNY City College before transferring to Baruch, where I graduated with my BBA in economics. I lived at home and worked part-time to pay my way.
We thought I was "rich" when I landed a $57,000 job
My first job out of college was as a teacher with a $57,000 salary. My whole family cried and celebrated for weeks; I was the first in my family to graduate from college, and now we were "rich" — or at least I thought we'd be.
I had already been helping my family with money for groceries and small bills, but now I wanted to contribute more financially.
After spending my first paycheck, I realized that between tuition for graduate school, paying off over $15,000 in student loans and credit card debt, and covering much of my family's expenses, I had no money to save or spend on myself.
I felt stuck. I wanted to give back to my parents, but over time, resentment built up in me. It felt like I had gone through all of that hard work just to fall into the same struggle that I had seen my dad go through.
I finally told my parents I was struggling and needed time to organize my finances. I would still help them, but not as much as before. They were supportive, understanding, and curious about how to pay off their debts, invest, and build wealth.
Now, I give back to my family, but within my means
I learned about personal finance through podcasts, social media, and Xavi. I quit my teaching job after realizing three things: I didn't enjoy the classroom setting, my earning potential was limited, and I was interested in technology and finance.
After networking and months of job searching, I landed my first tech job in 2021. Two promotions and two interstate moves later, I've increased my income by 300%.
Now, I consistently save and invest 30% (and sometimes more) of my income, allowing me to afford everything I wanted to do as a child, like travel and eat out. I send my mom money each month for her groceries, pay for my sister's phone, and pick up the check every time I'm out with my family.
I helped my parents consolidate their debt, refinance their interest rates, and invest in a Roth IRA. They were able to finally become debt-free in August — it was a huge weight lifted off all our shoulders. They've also been able to build up their savings now that they're debt-free.
We've accomplished so much on our money journeys, which I share openly with my community on Instagram.
Establishing boundaries was a big part of my financial journey
My parents and I haven't always been on the same page regarding money. They wanted me to cosign on a mortgage with my aunt because she didn't meet the income requirements, and another time, they wanted me to empty my emergency fund to lend money to a family member.
I didn't do so either time because it didn't align with my financial goals, and my parents weren't very happy with me. Ultimately, they respected my boundaries.
It took me years to get to where I am, but I'm thankful that I put myself first
Viviana Vazquez.
Viviana Vazquez
I'm proud that I prioritized myself. Although I thought I was selfish at the time, I was making a short-term sacrifice so that I could do more and give more to my family in the future.
I was able to pay for their flights to Mexico for our wedding this year, and my mom and I surprised my dad with a new iPhone 14 for Christmas, which he loved. My fiancé said he's never seen my dad so happy before. It was also a bittersweet moment seeing my mom, who grew up poor, be able to gift him something so expensive. It shows how far we've all come — not just me.
Recently, I took them to a paint-and-pour session and karaoke; it was their first time doing either of those things, and they had so much fun. I hope to have more of these "first experiences" with them in the future now that they're debt-free and building great financial habits, and I can afford to purchase those experiences.
If my younger self saw everything I've built for us, she'd be so happy. While it feels like I overcame the cycle of generational poverty, there's still so much more I want to do, like become the first millionaire in my family and retire my parents.
For now, I'm focused on sharing my wealth with the people who deserve to enjoy it most: my loving parents. Their sacrifices are why I've gotten this far, and it's only beginning.
In the 1942 film "Holiday Inn," legendary crooner Bing Crosby describes the stroke of midnight on New Year’s as "one minute to say goodbye before we say hello." In 2025, Americans in several states around the country are "saying hello" to many new laws and changes in tax codes.
In West Virginia, for example, residents saw an automatic 2% personal income tax cut taking effect on New Year's Day.
"If anybody says there’s something [else] that could drive more growth to West Virginia than that, you’re out of your mind," outgoing Republican governor and Sen.-elect Jim Justice quipped of that particular policy change.
However, other states’ residents may face more proverbially "draconian" policies and regulations. Here's a look at some of them.
"Congestion pricing"
The Empire State’s heavily-debated congestion pricing law will take effect on Sunday, Jan. 5.
While Gov. Kathy Hochul and MTA Chair Janno Lieber have been supportive of the change, which charges the average driver crossing or entering Manhattan below Central Park a photo-enforced $9 toll, many New Yorkers remain outraged.
"Congestion pricing, the latest in a long string of tyrannical taxes, has been pressed forward through consistent opposition about the burden on New York families and workers," several New York Republican federal lawmakers wrote in a December letter.
Meanwhile, Democrats like State Sen. Andrew Gounardes of Bay Ridge had urged the congestion-pricing plan to begin "immediately, before [Donald] Trump can block it."
Lather up
Visitors to one of the most popular tourism states in the country will no longer be welcomed by travel-sized shampoo and lotion bottles, as they will be prohibited come the New Year.
The Empire State's ban took effect on Jan. 1, while a similar ban in Illinois goes into practice on July 1 for larger hotels and Jan. 1, 2026, for smaller ones.
While many hotels across the country have transitioned to affixing bulk shampoo dispensers into shower walls, many tourists still prefer the tiny bottles.
Tax hikes
California’s SB-951 of 2022 stipulated that workers will have slightly more money withheld from their paychecks in 2025. The state’s disability insurance program rate is to increase from 1.1% to 1.2%.
The average California worker will see $8 less per month in their net pay.
Gas prices
California Republicans estimated that new regulations taking effect in the New Year will cause "major sticker shock" for drivers in the Golden State.
"I’m concerned Californians will … be unprepared for the rapid gas spike in 2025, which could be an additional 90 cents per gallon," said state Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones.
The law prohibits schools from enacting policies that require parental notification if their child changes their gender identity.
In December remarks to FOX-11, bill sponsor Assemblyman Chris Ward said "politically motivated attacks on the rights, safety, and dignity of transgender, nonbinary and other LGBTQ+ youth are on the rise nationwide, including in California."
Ward, D-San Diego, said school districts had wrongly adopted policies to "forcibly out" students and that parents should love their children unconditionally in all cases.
Immigrant health insurance coverage requirements
A 2022 bill relating to health insurance coverage for Coloradans regardless of immigration status will take effect next month, according to the Denver Post.
HB-1289 requires the state to provide "full health insurance coverage for Colorado pregnant people who would be eligible for Medicaid and the children's basic health plan (CHIP) if not for their immigration status and continues that coverage for 12 months postpartum at the CHIP federal matching rate," according to the bill text.
Abortion
As of July 2025, Delaware colleges will be required to provide emergency abortion access and contraception or direct the patient to an external facility, according to the Wilmington News-Journal.
A law is also primed to take effect in the First State that mandates insurance coverage and eliminates deductibles for abortion procedures, according to multiple reports.
State Sen. Bryant Richardson, R-Blades, ripped the new law after it passed the legislature earlier in 2024.
"This is a procedure you want my tax dollars to pay for. I’m sorry, I think this is evil," he said.
Stop light
Washington, D.C., will institute a ban on right-turns-on-red within District boundaries. The law is a rare regulation in a blanket context, with New York City being one of the few other major cities with a similar law.
Signage denoting the otherwise tacit law is typically posted when entering New York City from highways like Major Deegan or one of the city's many river crossings, but it is often lacking on the hundreds of small streets on the grid that traverse into Westchester or Nassau Counties.
In the same vein, the District of Columbia reportedly lacks funding for signage on most of the streets entering the nation’s capital from Maryland or Virginia, which may or may not affect enforcement, according to reports.
The $385,000 in district funds allocated to notifying residents and drivers of the law was never identified, a DDOT official told WTTG.
Bird watch
D.C.’s Migratory Local Wildlife Protection Act of 2023 imposes a new building restriction as of Jan. 1.
Permit applications or glazing alterations will require bird-friendly materials on exterior walls and fenestration within 100 feet of grade level, according to WTTG.
The district is also one of a handful of places where the sales tax will see an increase. In the capital’s case, it will rise to 6.5%.
Firearms
Minnesota will institute a ban on "binary triggers" on personally owned weapons, according to reports. That is, the function that allows a gun to fire multiple rounds with one press of the trigger.
Vaping ban
The Ocean State is set to enact a ban on sales of and possession-with-intent-to-sell flavored vape products in 2025. The law is currently facing litigation but will be able to preliminarily go into effect, according to the Providence Journal.
Global warming
Vermont’s Global Warming Solutions Act, which initiates limits on greenhouse gas emissions, will take effect in the New Year.
It requires a 26% reduction in 2025 emissions reduction versus 2005 levels, according to the Vermont Public.
The law, however, also opens the state up to legal action from green groups and more if it fails to reach the required reduction level.
That aspect led Republicans to question the new law. Gov. Phil Scott vetoed the bill in 2020, saying it does not propose or create a good framework for "long-term mitigation and adaptation solutions to address climate change."
Meanwhile, Vermont Republican Party Chair Paul Dame recently said it opens up the state and taxpayers’ money to undue risk from such lawsuits.
"These goals were unattainable given the currently available technology, but now the state is getting dragged in to court for completely avoidable reasons," Dame told Fox News Digital.
No coal in your stocking
Oregon’s HB-4083 will direct the state onto a path toward divesting in coal firms and market instruments that include coal interests.
The laws that weren't
With many states, like those above, enacting tax hikes, new regulations and the like, Republicans in states with divided government are expressing cautious optimism that their trend of bucking liberal legislative interests can continue.
While Vermont’s Scott has seen key vetoes like the Global Warming Solutions Act overridden by the Democrat-dominated legislature, some states have the opposite dynamic where a Republican-majority chamber stymies the goals of Democrats.
With the state Senate in Republican hands, the State House one vote short of a 50-50 split and the governorship held by Democrats, Republicans expressed relief that legislation such as a 100% carbon-neutral 2050 Clean Energy Standard did not make it to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s desk.
In the gun control realm, both an assault weapons ban and proposed repeal of the state Stand Your Ground Law drafted by state Sen. Steve Santarsiero, D-Bristol, died in the legislature.
"It is time we take an evidence-based approach to our gun policy. ‘Stand Your Ground’ laws encourage gun violence. As such, it is time that we repeal ‘Stand Your Ground’ here in Pennsylvania," Santarsiero said in a memo.
Another bill enacting a firearms "Red Flag Law" languished through the legislative term.
A policy that would fund cost-free telephone calls from state prisoners also did not make it through, as did a bid for an "abortion protection package."
Those and several other top-line "draconian" bill failures are a product of GOP persistence, said state Sen. Doug Mastriano, R-Gettysburg.
"With a Democrat governor and Democrat House, the state Senate is the last line of reason to prevent Pennsylvania from becoming like California," the 2022 Republican gubernatorial nominee told Fox News Digital on Monday.
"There has been a litany of extreme legislation coming from Democrats."
As chair of the Emergency Preparedness committee, Mastriano added that the "most egregious" no-pass in 2024 was legislation to address Pennsylvanian effects from the biohazardous East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment.
Mastriano, along with state Sens. Elder Vogel Jr., R-Beaver, and Michele Brooks, R-Pymatuning, drafted legislation in July to exempt disaster relief payments from state taxes in one case.
That bill did not make it out of the legislature.
Republicans in the state also lamented the failure of the latest effort to withdraw Pennsylvania from a national "RGGI" Greenhouse Gas pact entered into by former Gov. Tom Wolf.
"Leaving our environmental and economic destiny to the whims of RGGI’s New England states is just bad policy for Pennsylvania," State Sen. Gene Yaw, R-Williamsport, said after the Senate approved the eventually-failed bill.
"It is time to repeal this regulation and focus on putting forth commonsense, environmentally responsible energy policy that recognizes and champions Pennsylvania as an energy producer."
"Pennsylvania’s greatest asset is our ability to produce energy," State Senate Majority Leader Kim Ward, R-Latrobe, added in a statement.
Minimum wage hikes are also primed to take effect in several states.
Washington, Connecticut and California are set to see $16 per hour or higher as the minimum wage for most workers. Rhode Island's will rise to $15, Maine's to $14.65, Illinois to $15 and Vermont will go to $14.
More than a dozen states, including Wyoming, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Utah, Tennessee and Mississippi, retain the federal minimum wage of $7.25.
