Law makers in Albany have come to an agreement on a series of bills aimed at combating domestic violence, including one that cracks down on repeat offenders.

Cuts to the subsidized child care and after-school programs in the mayor's budget proposal dominated the discussion Wednesday during the final hearing before the City Council begins wrangling with the administration for restoration of funds.

The city will start accepting online lottery applications for subsidized apartments in East Harlem and Richmond Hill, Queens, on Tuesday – with an eye on expanding the process to all city housing developments by fall.

A law designed to give domestic workers more labor protections has resulted in about 60 claims in the state since its inception 18 months ago — a fractions of the thousands of claims filed by workers in others sectors each year.

The city has been under scrutiny for its over haul of the 911 emergency dispatch system which has been plagued with cost over runs. The head of the department in charge of the system faced tough questioning during a budget hearing on Tuesday.

Online Grocer Fresh Direct is expanding its delivery area to include all of the Bronx — and not just the more affluent parts. The company says it will also accept food stamps at a few select locations as part of a pilot program.

Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Thursday that food stamp recipients will no longer be fingerprinted. It was a controversial policy that Mayor Michael Bloomberg has staunchly defended for years.

The City Council is looking to attach some strings to banks that receive city deposits. It’s poised to pass legislation Tuesday that would give the city authority to evaluate a bank’s lending practices in low and moderate income neighborhoods when deciding which banks may be certified to receive city deposits.

New York City’s budget process works something like this: The mayor announces billion dollar deficits as impetus to shed fire houses, day care centers, library hours and more. He will stick to his guns, refusing to raise taxes. There will be hearings, protests and rallies. It's all part of what's called "the budget dance," and the drama over the city's spending plans has already begun to unfold.

The dry winter and spring means New York City started May in Level 1 draught conditions. While that's the least severe level of drought, the lack of moisture is notable.

City Council members received up to $578 million in Fiscal Year 2012 to fund construction projects and a variety of non-profits in their districts, according to a new report from the good government group, Citizens Union. Who got what was mostly decided by Council Speaker Christine Quinn — and the distribution, the group contends, was based more on politics than need.

The city's Independent Budget Office issued a report Friday that included a list of 72 ways the city can save and generate revenue. On the list are old favorites that are often discussed but never implemented, but there were also some newer, controversial cuts recommended.

An avid cyclist and wealthy New Yorker has pledged $40 million to the Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation. It's the largest donation ever made to a city park and its to be used to build an indoor recreation center called the Fieldhouse.

Beginning next month applicants trying to obtain a license to operate a crane in New York City will need to pass a national exam and take a 40-hour training course, in addition to city requirements already in place, such as undergoing a criminal background check and a physical exam.

More than 1.7 million New Yorkers were living in poverty in 2010 – marking the biggest increase the city has experienced in five years, according to a new report.

No criminal action will be taken against the Administration for Children's Services in the death of a 4-year-old girl who was found starved, beaten and drugged two years ago, the Brooklyn District Attorney said Tuesday.

As the city targets where to keep subsidized child care and after school programs, public housing developments in wealthy neighborhoods are getting overlooked, according to a report by United Neighborhood Houses.

Eviction rates increased in all boroughs except Manhattan in 2011, but nowhere was the problem as bad as in the Bronx.

Federal guidelines could quiet the fight between city unions and developers over whether crane operators should have to pass a national exam or not.

Most New Jersey voters approve of the NYPD’s surveillance of Muslims in the state, according to a new poll.