Jenna Flanagan

New York, NY —

The city's green markets have seen a surge in shoppers using food stamp debit cards. Council Speaker Christine Quinn says that's due a 2006 program that brought credit card style scanners to green markets.

QUINN: Low income folks now are using their food stamps to get ...

New York, NY —

A Bronx state senator is refusing to budge on the issue of Democratic control in the legislature.

REPORTER: Senator Ruben Diaz and two fellow Democrats have been withholding support for Malcolm Smith of Queens to become majority leader, until Latino lawmakers are granted leadership positions. But ...

New York, NY —

As Governor Paterson and state leaders try to figure out how to close a $1.5 billion gap in the state budget, Paterson says they'll have to do it without borrowing.

Paterson says state government has to be managed like a household. He says he fears rating ...

New York, NY —

Suburban pedestrians beware. A new report has identifies the most dangerous roads to cross and the infamous Queens Boulevard does not top the list. Long Island's Hempstead Turnpike had three times as many pedestrian fatalities as Queens Boulevard between 2005 and 2007.

Next on the list ...

New York, NY —

The City Council voted down an amendment to the term limits bill that would have forced a voter referendum on extending the limits from two to three terms in a 28-22 vote.

Bill de Blasio, a vocal opponent of the term limit bill, described the failure ...

New York, NY —

First Mayor Bloomberg, and now the city council Speaker Christine Quinn is raising the possibility of a tax increase because of the city's multi-billion dollar budget gap and its slowing economy.

Speaking at a breakfast for the Citizens Budget Commission, Quinn says keeping the city afloat ...

New York, NY —

New York City could lose as many as 165,000 jobs over the next two years as the financial meltdown ripples beyond Wall Street. That's according to a new economic forecast from City Comptroller Bill Thompson.

The job loss projection is nearly double the 85,000 forecast in ...

New York, NY —

Asian Americans are one of the fastest growing segments of the national electorate and have a significant political presence in the New York-New Jersey area, according to a new Rutgers study.

The report's co-author Jane Junn says even though roughly 80 percent of the adults in ...

New York, NY —

Now that Council Speaker Christine Quinn has publicly announced her support for legislation that would repeal the city's term limits law, some good government groups are speaking out against her. Citizens Union director Dick Dadey says the legislation has tepid support in the council, as ...

New York, NY —

Governor Paterson says he's officially seeking election to a full term in 2010, and he's taken a step to do so. The governor launched a new web site yesterday, called patersonforny.com. It's not specifically labeled a campaign web site, but there is a link for ...

New York, NY —

Mayor Bloomberg has a reluctant supporter in fellow billionaire Ronald Lauder, the original proponent of the city's term limits law. Lauder says he'll accept a term limit extension for Mayor Bloomberg on this one occasion because of the critical financial issues the city is facing.

But ...

New York, NY —

Despite the stock market's slide and New York's projected $8 billion deficit, Governor Paterson is granting $1.2 billion in state aid for a new high-tech semiconductor factory. Paterson says New York eventually will reap benefits from helping AMD build the plant upstate.

PATERSON: This may be ...

New York, NY —

A frustrated and desperate-sounding Governor Paterson met with state leaders to try to come up with a plan to address the state's growing budget short fall.

He says he'll also call them in for another special session in November.

Paterson warned that the volatility and bank failures ...

New York, NY —

Governor Paterson wants proposals for private contractors to lease state assets like highways, bridges and the lottery. He says it could trim costs and generate revenue.

Carol Kellerman, president of the citizens budget commission, says it's a good plan, especially if it works like the city's ...

New York, NY —

The Bush administration is searching for a new way to sell its financial rescue plan after acknowledging some blunders and missteps in presenting it the first time around. One big change: insist it's not a Wall Street "bailout."

The focus has switched away from financial institutions, ...

New York, NY —

New York area congressional Democrats are expressing optimism that agreement can be reached by tomorrow on a financial rescue plan for Wall Street.

REPORTER: Queens Congressman Gregory Meeks blames Republican infighting for the breakdown in negotiations delay earlier this week.

MEEKS: It seems that their imploding and ...

New York, NY —

Five men accused of selling thousands of dollars of illegal weapons to undercover NYPD detectives are under indictment.

Queens District Attorney Robert Browne says the indictments will ultimately make New York safer.

BROWNE: Illegal hand guns exact a deadly toll. Last year for example in Queens, 60% ...

New York, NY —

There will be no shake up at the congressional Ways and Means committee.

The dean of the New York delegation, Congressman Charlie Rangel, never considered stepping down from his powerful seat as chairman of the tax-writing committee. That's according to his lawyer, Lanny Davis, who held ...

New York, NY —

Gov. David Paterson wants to add a fee to New Yorkers' electric bills, so he can add $49 million to the state's Home Energy Assistance Program. Officials says the monthly fee amounts to the cost of a cup of coffee.

David Hansell, commissioner of the State ...

New York, NY —

The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce says the borough may be best suited to weather the economic downturn through mid-2009. It's releasing a labor market review today that says a diverse population and work force are the key to the borough's survival. Chamber President Carl Hum ...