Jimmy Vielkind

1 week ago | weos.org | Jimmy Vielkind

New York lawmakers have agreed to delay regulations on nonpublic religious schools, bowing to pressure from Orthodox Jewish leaders and ignoring concerns from the state’s top education officials. Draft bill language reviewed by the New York Public News Network would create another pathway for nonpublic schools to meet a standard known as “substantial equivalency,” which requires them to be more or less on par with public schools on subjects like reading and math.

2 weeks ago | gothamist.com | Jimmy Vielkind

A bill to allow medically assisted suicide passed the New York state Assembly on Tuesday, but still faces opposition from religious leaders and other hurdles that could prevent it from being enacted. The Medical Aid in Dying measure passed 81-67 after more than four hours of debate, with more than 10 Democrats joining the minority Republicans in voting no. It’s still unclear whether it will be considered by the state Senate or whether Gov. Kathy Hochul supports it.

2 weeks ago | gothamist.com | Jon Campbell |Jimmy Vielkind |Jeongyoon Han

New York State officials announced a tentative agreement Monday on a $254 billion budget that will prohibit most kids from using cell phones during the school day, send rebate checks to middle-class families, loosen evidence-sharing expectations for prosecutors in criminal cases and create a new charge for wearing a mask while committing a crime. Gov.

2 weeks ago | gothamist.com | Jimmy Vielkind

The top federal prosecutor in Albany on Monday said he was considering a lawsuit that would force telecommunications and social media companies to use algorithms to monitor users’ conversations for sexual predation. Interim U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III said he has been stunned by cases of sexual exploitation of children and pledged to do everything in his power to stop it.

2 weeks ago | weos.org | Jeongyoon Han |Jimmy Vielkind |Jon Campbell

New York state officials announced a tentative agreement Monday on a $254 billion budget that will prohibit most kids from using cellphones during the school day, send rebate checks to middle-class families, loosen evidence-sharing expectations for prosecutors in criminal cases and create a new charge for wearing a mask while committing a crime. Gov.