Yonkers casino developers pull bid, increasing odds for Queens plans

Yonkers casino developers pull bid, increasing odds for Queens plans

The chances of Queens one day being home to two casinos – and another right at its border – grew exponentially this week after MGM withdrew its bid to expand their racino into a casino in Yonkers.

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‘Killing hope’: Advocates say gov has abandoned clemency reforms after failing to commute sentences

‘Killing hope’: Advocates say gov has abandoned clemency reforms after failing to commute sentences

Issuing her first round of clemencies in eight months, Governor Kathy Hochul on Friday pardoned 13 people but chose not to commute the sentence of a single New Yorker, despite the fact that commutation request make up a vast majority of the hundreds of clemency applications sent to the governor’s desk each year.

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Solitary confinement continues in state prisons despite court order, attys say

Solitary confinement continues in state prisons despite court order, attys say

Prisoners continue to be illegally held in solitary confinement a month after a judge ordered prison officials to comply with state required prisoner protections, legal advocates said.

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Holding all the cards: Fate of Queens’ casino bidders rests with newly-appointed committees

 Holding all the cards: Fate of Queens’ casino bidders rests with newly-appointed committees

The local committees charged with reviewing bids from each of the developers hoping to snag one of the three downstate casino licenses up for grabs began to be formed this week, including the committees set to evaluate the two separate casino bids in Queens.

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Prison guards charged for murdering Robert Brooks

Prison guards charged for murdering Robert Brooks

Five New York prison guards were charged with murder Thursday after they allegedly beat 43-year-old Robert Brooks to death while his hands were cuffed behind his back in Marcy Correctional Facility in December.

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Gov leaves out atty student loan relief from budget

Gov leaves out atty student loan relief from budget

Despite widespread support from lawmakers, district attorneys and public defenders alike, Governor Kathy Hochul did not allocate the $4 million in her recently released Executive Budget Proposal needed to enable legislation that would expand the District Attorney and Indigent Legal Service Attorney Loan Forgiveness program.

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