NEW YORK — Gov. Kathy Hochul said Friday she’d introduce legislation to the state budget that would make it easier to involuntarily commit those suffering from mental illness to hospitals, citing an uptick in violent crimes on the NYC subway system.

A spate of shocking crimes — including the woman fatally set on fire aboard a Brooklyn F ...Read more

WASHINGTON — Alcohol products like beer and wine should carry warnings of their links to cancer, the US surgeon general said, citing an increased risk of developing tumors in the breast and other parts of the body.

Scientific evidence of the connections between alcohol and cancer has been rising for decades, but less than half of Americans ...Read more

NEW YORK — Congestion tolling is scheduled to start on January 5 in NYC, barring any last minute legal challenges.

The path to this point has been long and confusing — so drivers have many questions about the MTA’s plan to reduce congestion and raise funds for mass transit improvements.

Here’s what you need to know:

When exactly ...Read more

NEW YORK — A New York City judge on Thursday granted Jay-Z’s request to file a motion for dismissal of a lawsuit that accuses the rap titan of raping a 13-year-old with Sean “Diddy” Combs in 2000.

Judge Analisa Torres of the Southern District of New York said Jay-Z’s lawyer, Alex Spiro, can file the motion by Feb. 6, according to ...Read more

MIAMI — The twin Alexander brothers charged with forcing dozens of women to have sex with them are expected to learn on Friday whether they will be detained in a federal lock-up before trial that might be held months from now or next year.

Alon and Oren Alexander, both 37, will appear in Miami federal court, where a magistrate judge will ...Read more

NEW YORK — Mayor Eric Adams announced Friday he has named a new head of City Hall’s hate crimes prevention office, more than eight months after firing his predecessor in a move that touched off a claim of discrimination.

Adams’ appointment of Vijah Ramjattan, a mental health expert and faith leader, to become his new hate crimes ...Read more

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will travel to New Orleans on Monday, the White House said Friday.

The Bidens will meet with the families of the deadly New Year’s Day terrorist attack in the city’s French Quarter. The president will also meet with investigators.

Fourteen people, including an 18-year-old woman who had ...Read more

BALTIMORE — The last remaining building in the State Center office complex in downtown Baltimore has been cleared of Legionella bacteria following a retest in late December.

A Dec. 23 test on 301 W. Preston Street showed all samples were within normal limits of the bacteria, according to a statement from the Maryland Department of General ...Read more

BALTIMORE — Baltimore County’s overall crime rate remained nearly unchanged last year, compared to 2023, even as the community saw its lowest homicide rate in a decade, along with sharp drops in forcible rapes and building thefts over the last 12 months, according to year-end government figures.

The number of homicides edged down slightly: ...Read more

After a record year of launches, SpaceX is set to kick things off again with the first mission of 2025 on Friday night.

A Falcon 9 on the Space42 Thuraya 4 mission carrying a communications satellite to a geosynchronous transfer orbit is set to lift off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40 during a four-hour ...Read more

BALTIMORE — The cold February rain fell as dozens of public school advocates bundled together in the dark outside the Maryland State House. Holding umbrellas and flashing blue lights as lawmakers gathered for an evening session, they shouted words like “investment” and “full funding,” urging the elected officials not to abandon the ...Read more

President Joe Biden has blocked the $14.1 billion sale of United States Steel Corp. to Nippon Steel Corp., killing a high-profile deal that sparked a political firestorm and tensions between the U.S. and Japan.

Biden announced his formal decision on Friday after the case was referred to him by a U.S. security review panel, ahead of a deadline ...Read more

Gov. Gavin Newsom said Friday he would direct California state agencies to investigate the health risks of food dyes and recommend ways for the state to further regulate the sales of candy, soda and other additive-heavy foods.

He issued an executive order Friday that aimed to curb “ultra-processed” food while promoting access to healthier ...Read more

“The news media is the least trusted group among 10 U.S. civic and political institutions involved in the democratic process,” the polling firm Gallup concluded in a 2024 analysis.

Despite news organizations’ pledges to provide fact-based reporting, and ongoing investments to build trust, people across the political spectrum in ...Read more