Akash Mehta
@akashmehta.bsky.social
Editor in chief, @nysfocus. Reach out: akash(at)nysfocus.com
Reposted by Akash Mehta
Mamdani says our story from last week helped him decide to vote no on prop 6, read it here: nygroove.nyc/proposition-...
November 4, 2025 at 1:51 PM
Mamdani says our story from last week helped him decide to vote no on prop 6, read it here: nygroove.nyc/proposition-...
Reposted by Akash Mehta
A late-night debut!
New York Focus was featured on @lastweektonight.com's episode on gang databases.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlR8...
New York Focus was featured on @lastweektonight.com's episode on gang databases.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlR8...
July 29, 2025 at 4:01 PM
A late-night debut!
New York Focus was featured on @lastweektonight.com's episode on gang databases.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlR8...
New York Focus was featured on @lastweektonight.com's episode on gang databases.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlR8...
As Zohran Mamdani faces an onslaught of Islamophobia, Eric Adams' team told organizers of an event celebrating a far-right Hindu nationalist who has called for economic boycotts of Muslims that he would be their guest of honor.
NEW: NYC Mayor Eric Adams was slated to attend an event next week featuring a Hindu nationalist whose speeches frequently include calls for violence against Muslims in India.
He withdrew yesterday after New York Focus sent inquiries about his attendance. nysfocus.com/2025/07/10/e...
He withdrew yesterday after New York Focus sent inquiries about his attendance. nysfocus.com/2025/07/10/e...
Eric Adams Withdraws From Event Honoring Anti-Muslim Activist
He was slated to be the guest of honor at an event honoring a Hindu nationalist activist who has called for violence and boycotts against Muslims.
nysfocus.com
July 10, 2025 at 9:51 PM
As Zohran Mamdani faces an onslaught of Islamophobia, Eric Adams' team told organizers of an event celebrating a far-right Hindu nationalist who has called for economic boycotts of Muslims that he would be their guest of honor.
Reposted by Akash Mehta
Andrew Cuomo won 11 out of 13 majority-homeowner districts — but Mamdani swept the floor in renter-heavy areas, where turnout surged.
nysfocus.com/2025/07/04/r...
nysfocus.com/2025/07/04/r...
July 4, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Andrew Cuomo won 11 out of 13 majority-homeowner districts — but Mamdani swept the floor in renter-heavy areas, where turnout surged.
nysfocus.com/2025/07/04/r...
nysfocus.com/2025/07/04/r...
Reposted by Akash Mehta
Another excellent editor on our panel is Akash Mehta @akashmehta.bsky.social of NY Focus @nysfocus.bsky.social an “independent nonprofit newsroom investigating power in the Empire State”
#SolutionsJournalism
Good Local News Panel
Info: www.mobilize.us/medi...
3/6
#SolutionsJournalism
Good Local News Panel
Info: www.mobilize.us/medi...
3/6
June 25, 2025 at 11:30 AM
Another excellent editor on our panel is Akash Mehta @akashmehta.bsky.social of NY Focus @nysfocus.bsky.social an “independent nonprofit newsroom investigating power in the Empire State”
#SolutionsJournalism
Good Local News Panel
Info: www.mobilize.us/medi...
3/6
#SolutionsJournalism
Good Local News Panel
Info: www.mobilize.us/medi...
3/6
Reposted by Akash Mehta
NEW: Hotels and motels have quietly become New York’s most common solution for emergency shelter for homeless people outside NYC.
Many stay in dilapidated rooms without the social services that shelters are required to provide.
With @propublica.org and support from @economichardship.bsky.social.
Many stay in dilapidated rooms without the social services that shelters are required to provide.
With @propublica.org and support from @economichardship.bsky.social.
How Hotels Became New York’s Go-To Fix for Homelessness
Statewide spending on hotels has more than tripled in recent years. The shift away from shelters has prevented families from accessing services like child…
nysfocus.com
June 24, 2025 at 12:07 PM
NEW: Hotels and motels have quietly become New York’s most common solution for emergency shelter for homeless people outside NYC.
Many stay in dilapidated rooms without the social services that shelters are required to provide.
With @propublica.org and support from @economichardship.bsky.social.
Many stay in dilapidated rooms without the social services that shelters are required to provide.
With @propublica.org and support from @economichardship.bsky.social.
Each year, New York pads its state budget with hundreds of millions of unclaimed dollars.
But that money — now $20 billion! — is still owed to its original owners. Other states are more proactive in returning theirs, and a comptroller candidate wants to do the same.
nysfocus.com/2025/06/18/w...
But that money — now $20 billion! — is still owed to its original owners. Other states are more proactive in returning theirs, and a comptroller candidate wants to do the same.
nysfocus.com/2025/06/18/w...
June 18, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Each year, New York pads its state budget with hundreds of millions of unclaimed dollars.
But that money — now $20 billion! — is still owed to its original owners. Other states are more proactive in returning theirs, and a comptroller candidate wants to do the same.
nysfocus.com/2025/06/18/w...
But that money — now $20 billion! — is still owed to its original owners. Other states are more proactive in returning theirs, and a comptroller candidate wants to do the same.
nysfocus.com/2025/06/18/w...
Reposted by Akash Mehta
New York Focus has been awarded the Walter T. Brown Award for excellence in coverage of New York state government for the second year in a row 🤩
nysfocus.com/2025/06/10/n...
nysfocus.com/2025/06/10/n...
New York Focus Honored for Coverage of Prison System
The Legislative Correspondents Alumni Association recognized Chris Gelardi with its award for the year’s best state government reporting — the second year…
nysfocus.com
June 11, 2025 at 4:38 PM
New York Focus has been awarded the Walter T. Brown Award for excellence in coverage of New York state government for the second year in a row 🤩
nysfocus.com/2025/06/10/n...
nysfocus.com/2025/06/10/n...
Reposted by Akash Mehta
the most dangerous reporters in the state, I'm telling you
June 15, 2025 at 3:39 AM
the most dangerous reporters in the state, I'm telling you
Reposted by Akash Mehta
🚨New York just handed a major public contract to a health insurer with a history of lawsuits and unpaid claims.
Our latest investigation shows who’s paying the price: home care workers and their doctors. The company’s own employees call the company’s practices “shitty” and “very disheartening.” 🧵
Our latest investigation shows who’s paying the price: home care workers and their doctors. The company’s own employees call the company’s practices “shitty” and “very disheartening.” 🧵
June 13, 2025 at 5:59 PM
🚨New York just handed a major public contract to a health insurer with a history of lawsuits and unpaid claims.
Our latest investigation shows who’s paying the price: home care workers and their doctors. The company’s own employees call the company’s practices “shitty” and “very disheartening.” 🧵
Our latest investigation shows who’s paying the price: home care workers and their doctors. The company’s own employees call the company’s practices “shitty” and “very disheartening.” 🧵
Reposted by Akash Mehta
After a MASSIVE lift poring over thousands of pages of the NYS budget, the team at @nysfocus.bsky.social has put together this comprehensive budget guide. It's in-depth, searchable, and easy to understand — completely the opposite of how the state presents it. nysfocus.com/2025/05/10/n...
What’s in the 2025 New York State Budget? Here’s Everything You Need…
Our searchable database breaks down what was proposed and what made it in this year's budget among key topics like education, family policy, criminal…
nysfocus.com
May 10, 2025 at 12:50 PM
After a MASSIVE lift poring over thousands of pages of the NYS budget, the team at @nysfocus.bsky.social has put together this comprehensive budget guide. It's in-depth, searchable, and easy to understand — completely the opposite of how the state presents it. nysfocus.com/2025/05/10/n...
Reposted by Akash Mehta
📰 Local And Vocal
The green shoots that are breaking stories, winning awards, and reimagining journalism close to home.
🗣️ @roziebreen.bsky.social @akashmehta.bsky.social Andrew Lack, Geordie Greig
📆 Livestream 7 May: sirharrysummit.org/watch
🔗 Full agenda: tinyurl.com/322jwf8y
#sirharrysummit
The green shoots that are breaking stories, winning awards, and reimagining journalism close to home.
🗣️ @roziebreen.bsky.social @akashmehta.bsky.social Andrew Lack, Geordie Greig
📆 Livestream 7 May: sirharrysummit.org/watch
🔗 Full agenda: tinyurl.com/322jwf8y
#sirharrysummit
May 2, 2025 at 8:28 PM
📰 Local And Vocal
The green shoots that are breaking stories, winning awards, and reimagining journalism close to home.
🗣️ @roziebreen.bsky.social @akashmehta.bsky.social Andrew Lack, Geordie Greig
📆 Livestream 7 May: sirharrysummit.org/watch
🔗 Full agenda: tinyurl.com/322jwf8y
#sirharrysummit
The green shoots that are breaking stories, winning awards, and reimagining journalism close to home.
🗣️ @roziebreen.bsky.social @akashmehta.bsky.social Andrew Lack, Geordie Greig
📆 Livestream 7 May: sirharrysummit.org/watch
🔗 Full agenda: tinyurl.com/322jwf8y
#sirharrysummit
Reposted by Akash Mehta
Important story from @nysfocus.bsky.social on how business and politics get done in New York State’s fourth largest city
nysfocus.com/2025/04/30/y...
nysfocus.com/2025/04/30/y...
For a Yonkers Political Dynasty, a Succession of Blurred Lines
Mayor Mike Spano has stated his administration has not been lobbied by his powerful brother’s firm. Emails indicate otherwise.
nysfocus.com
April 30, 2025 at 1:28 PM
Important story from @nysfocus.bsky.social on how business and politics get done in New York State’s fourth largest city
nysfocus.com/2025/04/30/y...
nysfocus.com/2025/04/30/y...
"Late in the budget process, we heard from families in NYC about a looming crisis, about the availability of child care vouchers. So we stepped in to address it." —@governor.ny.gov
Proud of @juliarock.bsky.social for uncovering and repeatedly reporting on this, weeks before anyone else did.
Proud of @juliarock.bsky.social for uncovering and repeatedly reporting on this, weeks before anyone else did.
April 28, 2025 at 11:35 PM
"Late in the budget process, we heard from families in NYC about a looming crisis, about the availability of child care vouchers. So we stepped in to address it." —@governor.ny.gov
Proud of @juliarock.bsky.social for uncovering and repeatedly reporting on this, weeks before anyone else did.
Proud of @juliarock.bsky.social for uncovering and repeatedly reporting on this, weeks before anyone else did.
Reposted by Akash Mehta
NEW: As Trump’s administration rounds up hundreds of immigrants it claims are gang members, New York state police are quietly feeding him a 5,000 person gang database built on speculative criteria like tattoos and clothing.
The New York State Police Are Feeding ICE a Gang Database
For 20 years, state police have been quietly building a database of suspected gang members — and they're feeding it to Donald Trump's administration.
nysfocus.com
April 23, 2025 at 4:51 PM
NEW: As Trump’s administration rounds up hundreds of immigrants it claims are gang members, New York state police are quietly feeding him a 5,000 person gang database built on speculative criteria like tattoos and clothing.
As Trump rounds up immigrants and sends them to rot in El Salvador based on threadbare evidence of gang ties, the State Police are quietly feeding ICE a database of New Yorkers identified as gang members based on criteria like tattoos and clothing.
NEW: As Trump’s administration rounds up hundreds of immigrants it claims are gang members, New York state police are quietly feeding him a 5,000 person gang database built on speculative criteria like tattoos and clothing.
The New York State Police Are Feeding ICE a Gang Database
For 20 years, state police have been quietly building a database of suspected gang members — and they're feeding it to Donald Trump's administration.
nysfocus.com
April 23, 2025 at 5:18 PM
As Trump rounds up immigrants and sends them to rot in El Salvador based on threadbare evidence of gang ties, the State Police are quietly feeding ICE a database of New Yorkers identified as gang members based on criteria like tattoos and clothing.
Reposted by Akash Mehta
NEW: Residents of Sackets Harbor, NY were shocked after immigration authorities detained three children and their mother on a dairy farm.
The incident highlighted just how much key industries upstate depend on workers with few paths to citizenship.
The incident highlighted just how much key industries upstate depend on workers with few paths to citizenship.
Sackets Harbor ICE Raid Shows the 'Reality' of New York Dairy Country
The detention of three children and their mother shocked the town. It also highlighted just how much the region’s key industries depend on immigrant…
nysfocus.com
April 9, 2025 at 6:24 PM
NEW: Residents of Sackets Harbor, NY were shocked after immigration authorities detained three children and their mother on a dairy farm.
The incident highlighted just how much key industries upstate depend on workers with few paths to citizenship.
The incident highlighted just how much key industries upstate depend on workers with few paths to citizenship.
Reposted by Akash Mehta
The son of a top New York judge is at the center of a controversy over an undisclosed romance.
Meanwhile, the top state judge, Joseph Zayas, has himself appointed his son's girlfriend and boss to prestigious positions
nysfocus.com/2025/04/09/n...
Meanwhile, the top state judge, Joseph Zayas, has himself appointed his son's girlfriend and boss to prestigious positions
nysfocus.com/2025/04/09/n...
Top New York Judge’s Son, and His Boss, At Center of Ethics Dispute
A Queens court’s failure to reveal a romance has sparked accusations of bias.
nysfocus.com
April 9, 2025 at 12:48 PM
The son of a top New York judge is at the center of a controversy over an undisclosed romance.
Meanwhile, the top state judge, Joseph Zayas, has himself appointed his son's girlfriend and boss to prestigious positions
nysfocus.com/2025/04/09/n...
Meanwhile, the top state judge, Joseph Zayas, has himself appointed his son's girlfriend and boss to prestigious positions
nysfocus.com/2025/04/09/n...
Reposted by Akash Mehta
Officers recorded over 25,000 stops last year, a 50 percent increase over the previous year. Nine in ten people stopped by the NYPD last year were Black or Latino.
--New from @nysfocus.bsky.social
nysfocus.com/2025/04/02/n...
--New from @nysfocus.bsky.social
nysfocus.com/2025/04/02/n...
NYPD Stop-and-Frisks Soared in 2024
Officers recorded over 25,000 stops last year, a 50 percent increase over the previous year. Nine in ten people stopped by the NYPD last year were Black…
nysfocus.com
April 2, 2025 at 11:09 AM
Officers recorded over 25,000 stops last year, a 50 percent increase over the previous year. Nine in ten people stopped by the NYPD last year were Black or Latino.
--New from @nysfocus.bsky.social
nysfocus.com/2025/04/02/n...
--New from @nysfocus.bsky.social
nysfocus.com/2025/04/02/n...
Former Comptroller calling on oversight agencies to investigate flagship Eric Adams tech project, following our story
After 3.5 years, no one can tell us where that $100 Million went, and it’s embarrassing. It’s time to draw a line in the sand: I am calling upon the Council, the Department of Investigations, and the Comptroller to investigate. It is time for this government to take accountability.
The mayor enlisted an army of contractors to build a one-stop benefits platform.
Two years and $100 million later, the website is a skeleton of what it was supposed to be.
Two years and $100 million later, the website is a skeleton of what it was supposed to be.
March 28, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Former Comptroller calling on oversight agencies to investigate flagship Eric Adams tech project, following our story
Reposted by Akash Mehta
SCOOP: Andrew Cuomo's campaign failed to disclose its bundlers, and set up fundraising webpages incorrectly telling donors that their gifts were eligible for public matching funds.
Cuomo Failed to Disclose Lobbyists Who Bundled Donations
Donors solicited by at least three undisclosed bundlers — Tonio Burgos, Jim Whelan, and Rick Ostroff — were told their gifts would be matched with public…
nysfocus.com
March 21, 2025 at 11:36 AM
SCOOP: Andrew Cuomo's campaign failed to disclose its bundlers, and set up fundraising webpages incorrectly telling donors that their gifts were eligible for public matching funds.
Reposted by Akash Mehta
New: Cuomo failed to disclose lobbyists who fundraised for his mayoral bid nysfocus.com/2025/03/20/a... w/ @juliarock.bsky.social
Cuomo Failed to Disclose Lobbyists Who Bundled Donations
Donors solicited by at least three undisclosed bundlers — Tonio Burgos, Jim Whelan, and Rick Ostroff — were told their gifts would be matched with public…
nysfocus.com
March 20, 2025 at 11:51 PM
New: Cuomo failed to disclose lobbyists who fundraised for his mayoral bid nysfocus.com/2025/03/20/a... w/ @juliarock.bsky.social
Stunning scoop from Sam. Hochul’s home care plan has been subject to remarkable scrutiny — yet the company picked to take over insurance was founded by someone convicted of fraud, and has made millions helping home care companies get out of paying their workers benefits.
nysfocus.com/2025/03/20/h...
nysfocus.com/2025/03/20/h...
Fraudster-Linked Company Set to Begin Massive Home Care Contract
The company used to help employers avoid paying for workers' benefits. Now it’s slated to administer health insurance for tens of thousands of low-wage…
nysfocus.com
March 20, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Stunning scoop from Sam. Hochul’s home care plan has been subject to remarkable scrutiny — yet the company picked to take over insurance was founded by someone convicted of fraud, and has made millions helping home care companies get out of paying their workers benefits.
nysfocus.com/2025/03/20/h...
nysfocus.com/2025/03/20/h...