States, Cities and Counties
Here's a look at documents covering state government, cities and counties
Featured Stories
Governor Morrisey Issues Statement on the Capture of Nicolas Maduro
CHARLESTON, West Virginia, Jan. 3 -- Gov. Patrick Morrisey, R-West Virginia, issued the following news:
* * *
Governor Morrisey Issues Statement on the Capture of Nicolas Maduro
*
Governor Patrick Morrisey issued the following statement regarding the capture of Nicolas Maduro:
"I applaud President Donald Trump and his national security team for taking decisive action to hold Nicolas Maduro accountable and for confronting the criminal networks that have operated throughout Venezuela with impunity for far too long.
"A global narco-terrorist, Nicolas Maduro has enabled drug trafficking operations
... Show Full Article
CHARLESTON, West Virginia, Jan. 3 -- Gov. Patrick Morrisey, R-West Virginia, issued the following news:
* * *
Governor Morrisey Issues Statement on the Capture of Nicolas Maduro
*
Governor Patrick Morrisey issued the following statement regarding the capture of Nicolas Maduro:
"I applaud President Donald Trump and his national security team for taking decisive action to hold Nicolas Maduro accountable and for confronting the criminal networks that have operated throughout Venezuela with impunity for far too long.
"A global narco-terrorist, Nicolas Maduro has enabled drug trafficking operationsthat have fueled violence, addiction, and death across the United States, including here in West Virginia. These networks have pushed deadly narcotics into our communities and torn apart too many families.
"West Virginia has buried far too many sons and daughters lost to fentanyl and other lethal drugs. Actions that disrupt the global supply chains responsible for that suffering are a step toward protecting our people, and sending a clear message that those who profit from poisoning Americans will be held to account."
***
Original text here: https://governor.wv.gov/article/governor-morrisey-issues-statement-capture-nicolas-maduro
Governor Hochul Slams Washington Republicans for Surging Health Care Costs for 140,000 New Yorkers
ALBANY, New York, Jan. 2 -- Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-New York, issued the following news release:
* * *
Governor Hochul Slams Washington Republicans for Surging Health Care Costs for 140,000 New Yorkers
*
Governor Hochul today slammed Congressional Republicans for failing to extend the existing enhanced premium tax credits, which expired on December 31, 2025. Due to Washington Republicans' failure to take action, health insurance premiums will increase by an average of 38 percent for New Yorkers receiving subsidies, putting affordable coverage out of reach for many working families. 140,000 New
... Show Full Article
ALBANY, New York, Jan. 2 -- Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-New York, issued the following news release:
* * *
Governor Hochul Slams Washington Republicans for Surging Health Care Costs for 140,000 New Yorkers
*
Governor Hochul today slammed Congressional Republicans for failing to extend the existing enhanced premium tax credits, which expired on December 31, 2025. Due to Washington Republicans' failure to take action, health insurance premiums will increase by an average of 38 percent for New Yorkers receiving subsidies, putting affordable coverage out of reach for many working families. 140,000 NewYorkers will now face steep health care costs surging to unaffordable rates starting as early as yesterday, January 1.
"As we enter the New Year, thousands of hardworking New Yorkers face skyrocketing healthcare costs at the hands of Washington Republicans," Governor Hochul said. "Their inaction is a disgraceful representation of failed leadership and now their constituents will quite literally pay the price. New York's Republican members of Congress must do the right thing and extend these credits, thousands of New York families rely on them."
Regional Breakdown of Increased Monthly Health Care Costs:
Region Average Monthly Cost Increase For a Couple ($) Average Monthly Cost Increase For a Couple (%)
New York City $211 38%
Mid-Hudson $206 31%
Long Island $219 32%
Capital Region $231 33%
Western New York $267 38%
Central New York $256 43%
Finger Lakes $248 42%
Mohawk Valley $270 49%
Southern Tier $265 48%
North Country $253 44%
Statewide $228 38%
Governor Hochul remains committed to ensuring New Yorkers can continue to access affordable health care coverage, but no one state can backfill the immense losses felt from federal funding reductions enacted under H.R.1. These include significant federal health care cuts impacting New Yorkers enrolled in Medicaid and the State's Essential Plan. Nearly 450,000 New Yorkers in the Essential Plan expansion population are at risk of losing their current coverage as early as July 2026 due to HR1 funding cuts, and thousands more Medicaid members may also lose coverage due to new, burdensome HR1 requirements.
Despite the severe impact of these federal changes, Governor Hochul has taken decisive action to shield New Yorkers from these devastating coverage losses. In response to deep federal cuts to the Essential Plan under H.R.1 which reduced the program's funding by approximately 50 percent Governor Hochul directed New York State of Health to submit a formal request to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to revert the program back to a Basic Health Program to preserve coverage for approximately 1.3 million lower-income New Yorkers.
Even in the face of these federal setbacks, the New York State Department of Health continues to serve New Yorkers through its dedicated call centers and extensive enrollment assistor network. Consumers with questions about their coverage options, anticipated premium changes, or eligibility can call 1-855-355-5777 or visit nystateofhealth.ny.gov.
For detailed information on cost impacts by congressional district, visit: info.nystateofhealth.ny.gov/stay-connected.
Contact the Governor's Press Office
Contact us by phone:
Albany: (518) 474-8418
New York City: (212) 681-4640
Contact us by email:
Press.Office@exec.ny.gov
***
Original text here: https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-slams-washington-republicans-surging-health-care-costs-140000-new-yorkers
Governor Hochul Highlights Record-Breaking Year of Performance and Ridership for the MTA in 2025
ALBANY, New York, Jan. 2 -- Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-New York, issued the following news release:
* * *
Governor Hochul Highlights Record-Breaking Year of Performance and Ridership for the MTA in 2025
*
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) had a record-breaking year in 2025, with significant milestones reached for performance, reliability and ridership. The subway, Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad all recorded record-highs for On-Time Performance in 2025. Ridership also experienced strong growth in 2025: nearly 1.9 billion trips
... Show Full Article
ALBANY, New York, Jan. 2 -- Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-New York, issued the following news release:
* * *
Governor Hochul Highlights Record-Breaking Year of Performance and Ridership for the MTA in 2025
*
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) had a record-breaking year in 2025, with significant milestones reached for performance, reliability and ridership. The subway, Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad all recorded record-highs for On-Time Performance in 2025. Ridership also experienced strong growth in 2025: nearly 1.9 billion tripswere taken on New York City Transit's subway, bus and paratransit services, up roughly seven percent from 2024.
"This is what happens when you invest in mass transit: better service, faster trips and increasing ridership, benefitting the entire region," Governor Hochul said. "2025 was a record-breaking year for the MTA and a great year for riders, who took almost two billion trips from Poughkeepsie to Patchogue and the Rockaways to Riverdale, powering the entire region. Transit is the lifeblood of New York, and in 2026, we will build on these results to continue improving service, saving New Yorkers precious time and powering our economy."
MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said, "Four years ago, under Governor Hochul's leadership, the MTA set out ambitious goals to bring transit - and New Yorkers back from the pandemic by increasing and improving service and investing in our infrastructure. Thanks to the amazing MTA workforce and historic capital funding from Albany, we've been able to accomplish those goalsridership, service, safety and modernizing and expanding our great but aging system. Promises made, promises kept. That's good government in action."
New York City Transit
2025 was a historic year for the subway system. Weekday and weekend On-Time Performance (OTP) reached the highest levels since electronic record-keeping was launched, excluding the pandemic period when 24/7 service was suspended. Weekday OTP in 2025 was 83.7 percent, a 2.1 percentage point improvement from 2024 and weekend OTP was 86.6 percent, 2.4 points better than 2024. In August, subway weekday OTP reached 85.2 percent, the best single month for performance in history.
This improvement in subway service was driven through increased focus on data-driven schedule and service management improvements; a drop in delays related to public conduct incidents; and improved schedules helping to mitigate the impacts of scheduled maintenance and capital work. The subway system experienced about 13,000 fewer delays in 2025 compared to the previous year, even with increases in regularly scheduled service. In 2025, the Department of Subways also increased service on several lines, including the A and L in November, and the M in December in conjunction with the F/M swap.
Subway ridership grew substantially in 2025, with nearly 1.3 billion total trips, up seven percent from 2024. Subway ridership continued its post-pandemic recovery, with total trips in 2025 up nearly 30 percent from 2022 and at 85 percent of pre-pandemic levels. The subway broke its post-pandemic single-day weekday and weekend ridership records on numerous occasions in 2025, with the most-recent single day high reached on December 11 with 4.65 million customers.
On buses, the MTA has added additional service across the city in 2025. Following the launch of congestion pricing, the MTA and Governor Hochul committed $8 million from the Outer Borough Transportation Account to increase frequencies on 22 high-ridership bus routes, including 8 Express Bus routes connecting riders to Manhattan and 14 critical Local Bus routes, reducing wait times for riders. In June and September, the MTA phased in the Queens Bus Network Redesign, which included a $35 million annual investment in increased all-day frequency, 11 brand new bus routes and 25 new Rush Routes, which have sped up trips by seven percent.
Systemwide, bus speeds, customer journey time performance, and service delivered were all improved in 2025. Bus ridership also grew by roughly eight percent in 2025, with nearly 440 million total trips.
Paratransit continued to break records in 2025. October was the first month in history with more than one million riders on the service. Overall ridership is at 161 percent of pre-pandemic levels, reflective of improved service and heightened customer satisfaction.
Customer survey data also reached record highs in 2025: November satisfaction was at 67 percent for subway riders and 62 percent for bus riders, while paratransit satisfaction has consistently been in the high 70s all year. This increase in satisfaction was driven primarily by improved customer safety, with 71 percent of subway customers reporting they felt safe on the system in November, the highest rate since the MTA began monthly surveys in 2022.
Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North
The MTA's railroads also clocked strong performance and ridership results in 2025. The Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) saw the greatest increase of ridership of all MTA modes in 2025, with 81 million customers, a 9 percent increase from 2024. The LIRR also broke several post-pandemic records in December, with 183,250 people taking the train on Saturday, December 13, the highest post-pandemic Saturday, and 152,661 customers on Sunday, December 21, the highest post-pandemic Sunday. On September 24, the LIRR carried more than 300,000 riders for the first time since the pandemic. Overall, LIRR ridership is at 92 percent of pre-pandemic levels.
Performance on the LIRR was also at or above record levels in 2025. OTP for the year exceeded 96 percent, an increase of one point from 2024 and the best non-pandemic year in at least a decade. And customer satisfaction reached new heights, with 81 percent of riders feeling satisfied, an 11 point increase from 2024.
Metro-North continued to deliver excellent service in 2025, with an OTP for the year of 97.8 percent. This strong performance was matched by improvements to service, including the ahead-of-schedule launch of new "Super-Express" service on the Hudson Line on October 5, slashing travel times between Poughkeepsie and Grand Central to less than 90 minutes.
Metro-North carried 69 million riders in 2025, an increase of 6 percent from 2024. The week of December 15 saw the highest post-pandemic ridership recovery week for Metro-North, with 827,015 total customers. The weekend of December 20-21 was Metro-North's strongest weekend ridership performance of the post-pandemic era, with 245,638 customers. Metro-North ridership is now at 88 percent of pre-pandemic levels.
2025 Milestones
* Additional milestones in the transit system in 2025 include:
* Highest ridership subway station: 42 St Complex (Times Sq-42 St N,Q,R,S,W,1,2,3,7/42 St-PABT A,C,E/Bryant Pk B,D,F,M/5 Av 7) - total: 58,848,238
* Highest ridership subway route: 6 line with an average of 560,000 daily riders
* Highest ridership bus route: M15-SBS carried 7,004,769 riders
* Busiest turnstile in the subway: Grand Central - 42 St, Booth R238 Position 16 - total of 1,853,615 entries
Contact the Governor's Press Office
Contact us by phone:
Albany: (518) 474-8418
New York City: (212) 681-4640
Contact us by email:
Press.Office@exec.ny.gov
***
Original text here: https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-highlights-record-breaking-year-performance-and-ridership-mta-2025
Governor Hochul Announces Special Elections in Senate Districts 47 and 61, and in Assembly District 36
ALBANY, New York, Jan. 2 -- Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-New York, issued the following news release:
* * *
Governor Hochul Announces Special Elections in Senate Districts 47 and 61, and in Assembly District 36
*
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that a special election to fill the vacancies in the 47th and 61st Senate Districts, and the 36th Assembly District will be held on Tuesday, February 3, 2026. The vacancies were created by the resignations of former State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal, former State Senator Sean Ryan and former Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, respectively. Governor Hochul issued
... Show Full Article
ALBANY, New York, Jan. 2 -- Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-New York, issued the following news release:
* * *
Governor Hochul Announces Special Elections in Senate Districts 47 and 61, and in Assembly District 36
*
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that a special election to fill the vacancies in the 47th and 61st Senate Districts, and the 36th Assembly District will be held on Tuesday, February 3, 2026. The vacancies were created by the resignations of former State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal, former State Senator Sean Ryan and former Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, respectively. Governor Hochul issuedthe proclamation on January 2 pursuant to the Public Officers Law.
"These State Legislators represented their communities with distinction in Albany, and we wish them well in their next chapters," Governor Hochul said. "To ensure constituents of these districts are represented in the State Legislature, there will be a special election on February 3, 2026 to fill the vacancies. I look forward to working with their successors and working on the issues that matter to New Yorkers."
Contact the Governor's Press Office
Contact us by phone:
Albany: (518) 474-8418
New York City: (212) 681-4640
Contact us by email:
Press.Office@exec.ny.gov
***
Original text here: https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-hochul-announces-special-elections-senate-districts-47-and-61-and-assembly-district
Governor Glenn Youngkin Announces Additional Board Appointments
RICHMOND, Virginia, Jan. 2 -- Gov. Glenn Youngkin, R-Virginia, issued the following news release:
* * *
Governor Glenn Youngkin Announces Additional Board Appointments
*
RICHMOND, VA Governor Glenn Youngkin today announced additional board appointments.
BOARD APPOINTMENTS
COMMERCE AND TRADE
TOBACCO REGION REVITALIZATION COMMISSION
* Kristen Blevins-White of Abingdon, Vice-President, Abingdon Area Executive, Skyline National Bank
COMMONWEALTH
VIRGINIA AFRICAN AMERICAN ADVISORY BOARD
* Justin Saunders of Chesapeake, Vice President, Hampton Roads Chamber
* Michael M. Watson
... Show Full Article
RICHMOND, Virginia, Jan. 2 -- Gov. Glenn Youngkin, R-Virginia, issued the following news release:
* * *
Governor Glenn Youngkin Announces Additional Board Appointments
*
RICHMOND, VA Governor Glenn Youngkin today announced additional board appointments.
BOARD APPOINTMENTS
COMMERCE AND TRADE
TOBACCO REGION REVITALIZATION COMMISSION
* Kristen Blevins-White of Abingdon, Vice-President, Abingdon Area Executive, Skyline National Bank
COMMONWEALTH
VIRGINIA AFRICAN AMERICAN ADVISORY BOARD
* Justin Saunders of Chesapeake, Vice President, Hampton Roads Chamber
* Michael M. Watsonof Lorton, Specialist, United States Army
DESIGNATED
SOUTHEASTERN PUBLIC SERVICE AUTHORITY
* William Moore of Portsmouth, retired Quality Assurance Department Head, Norfolk Naval Shipyard
* Tony Parnell of Southampton County, Assistant Director: Infrastructure and Environmental Unit, Virginia Department of Corrections
* Michael B. Stanton of Isle of Wight County, Captain, U.S. Navy (retired); President, BCA Consulting, LLC
HEALTH AND HUMAN RESOURCES
BOARD OF MEDICINE
* Dee Gilmore of Chesapeake, Chairman of the Board, Chesapeake Hospital Authority
TRANSPORTATION
AEROSPACE ADVISORY COUNCIL
* Captain Jill E. Mills of Alexandria, 777 Captain, United Airlines
***
Original text here: https://www.governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/news-releases/2025/december/name-1072848-en.html
California Department of Justice Investigating Two Southern California Officer-Involved Shootings Under AB 1506
SACRAMENTO, California, Jan. 2 -- California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued the following news release:
* * *
California Department of Justice Investigating Two Southern California Officer-Involved Shootings Under AB 1506
*
**The information provided below is based on preliminary details regarding two ongoing investigations, which may continue to evolve**
OAKLAND California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced that the California Department of Justice (DOJ), pursuant to Assembly Bill 1506 (AB 1506), is investigating and will independently review two separate officer-involved shootings
... Show Full Article
SACRAMENTO, California, Jan. 2 -- California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued the following news release:
* * *
California Department of Justice Investigating Two Southern California Officer-Involved Shootings Under AB 1506
*
**The information provided below is based on preliminary details regarding two ongoing investigations, which may continue to evolve**
OAKLAND California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced that the California Department of Justice (DOJ), pursuant to Assembly Bill 1506 (AB 1506), is investigating and will independently review two separate officer-involved shootings(OIS) that occurred in Southern California on Wednesday, December 31, 2025. The first incident took place in Fontana, California at approximately 1:36 p.m. The OIS incident involved personnel from the Fontana Police Department and resulted in the death of one civilian. The second OIS incident took place in San Pedro, California at approximately 9:40 p.m., involved personnel from the Los Angeles Police Department, and resulted in the death of one civilian.
Following notification of these incidents, DOJ's California Police Shooting Investigation Team initiated an investigation of each in accordance with AB 1506 mandates. Upon completion of the investigations, they will be turned over to DOJ's Special Prosecutions Section within the Criminal Law Division for independent review. Anyone who has information related to either OIS incident and wishes to report it may do so by calling (916) 210-2871.
More information on DOJ's role and responsibilities under AB 1506 is available here: https://oag.ca.gov/ois-incidents.
***
Original text here: https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/california-department-justice-investigating-two-southern-california%C2%A0officer
AG Nessel Wraps Up Holiday Consumer Protection Campaign
LANSING, Michigan, Jan. 2 -- Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel issued the following news release:
* * *
AG Nessel Wraps Up Holiday Consumer Protection Campaign
*
LANSING - Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is wrapping up her holiday consumer protection campaign by reminding residents that alerts shared during the campaign are relevant all year long. Each entry in this year's campaign can be found in the list below:
November 28: Credit Card Safety - Keep Your Accounts Safe
November 29: Credit and Debit Card Surcharges
December 1: Website Spoofing - Scammers Disguised as Trusted
... Show Full Article
LANSING, Michigan, Jan. 2 -- Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel issued the following news release:
* * *
AG Nessel Wraps Up Holiday Consumer Protection Campaign
*
LANSING - Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is wrapping up her holiday consumer protection campaign by reminding residents that alerts shared during the campaign are relevant all year long. Each entry in this year's campaign can be found in the list below:
November 28: Credit Card Safety - Keep Your Accounts Safe
November 29: Credit and Debit Card Surcharges
December 1: Website Spoofing - Scammers Disguised as TrustedBrand
December 2: Wise Charitable Giving
December 3: Prevent Identity Theft: Protect Your Mail and Packages from Porch Pirates
December 4: Computer Ransomware - What Is It?
December 5: Travel Tips
December 8: Phishing Scams
December 9: Michigan's Scanner Law - The Shopping Reform and Modernization Act
December 10: Puppy Scams
December 11: Artificial Intelligence and Scams
December 12: Credit Cards - Did I Charge That?
December 15: Payment Apps and Scams
December 16: Online Shopping - Be Smart, Stay Safe
December 17: Grandparents Scam
December 18: Facebook Marketplace Scam
December 19: Drop-Shipping: What you Need to Know Before You Buy or Sell Online
December 22: Business Sudden Closure - Protect Yourself
December 23: Don't Fall Victim to Gift Card Scams
December 24: Gifting Circles Good, Gifting Schemes Bad: How to Spot an Illegal Pyramid Scheme
December 26: Avoiding Unhappy Returns - Returning Merchandise Bought Online or In the Store
December 29: Data Breaches: What to do Next
December 30: File a Complaint
December 31: Free Credit Reports: What Consumers Should Know
"These consumer alerts are available year round to help you avoid scams and protect your personal information, and I want to thank my talented team for their creativity and dedication to keeping residents informed," Nessel said. "My office will continue to provide resources throughout the year to help Michiganders stay ahead of fraudsters."
To help Michigan residents stay safe from scams, identity theft, and other deceptive schemes, Attorney General Nessel recently launched a new consumer protection social media account, Michigan Consumer Protection (@MIConsumerWatch). The new account will serve as a trusted source for scam alerts, consumer protection tips, education resources, and updates from the Department of Attorney General and hosted the Attorney General's 2025 holiday campaign. Residents can follow @MIConsumerWatch on Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn.
To file a complaint with the Department of Attorney General, residents are encouraged to contact:
Consumer Protection Team
P.O. Box 30213
Lansing, MI 48909
517-335-7599
Fax: 517-241-3771
Toll-free: 877-765-8388
Online complaint form
***
Original text here: https://www.michigan.gov/ag/news/press-releases/2026/01/02/ag-nessel-wraps-up-holiday-consumer-protection-campaign
