John Farley

Packaged marijuana seized by Port Authority of New York and New Jersey officers. The New Jersey State Assembly will vote on a bill to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana in June. AP/Port Authority
Will N.J. Decriminalize Marijuana? Decision Delayed to June.
May 25, 2012 4:00 AM | 1 Comment
New Jersey could decriminalize marijuana. Yet, marijuana has been decriminalized in New York for over three decades, and arrests are higher than they've been since 2000.VIDEO
Council Speaker Christine Quinn discusses the responsible banking ordinance at a press conference on May 15. The legislation is based on a law passed in Cleveland in 1990. Photo courtesy of New York City Council
Q&A with Cleveland on Responsible Banking Law, New in NYC
May 25, 2012 4:00 AM | Comments
Will NYC's new responsible banking ordinance improve support for local communities and prevent foreclosures? MetroFocus asked Cleveland, which led the way in 1990.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has not taken a position at the state version of the DREAM Act. He has said he supports the federal version. AP/Evan Agostini.
Minimum Wage Increases in NY Since 1990
May 24, 2012 4:00 AM | Comments
Gov. Cuomo says raising the minimum wage to $8.50 is "out of the realm of possibility." Do you think it's time for a wage hike?
Dharun Ravi, center, listens to a court officer with his attorneys Philip Nettl, left, and Steve Altman, during his sentencing in New Brunswick, N.J., Monday, May 21, 2012. Ravi, a former Rutgers University student who used a webcam to watch his roommate kiss another man days before the roommate killed himself was sentenced Monday to 30 days in jail. A judge also gave 20-year-old Dharun Ravi three years of probation. AP/Mel Evans
Dharun Ravi Gets 30 Days
May 21, 2012 7:11 PM | Comments
During sentencing, judge said Ravi acted out of "colossal insensitivity," not hate, in spying on Tyler Clementi.VIDEO
MarijuanaTugOfWar2
Hempire State of Mind: Where Leaders Stand on Medical Marijuana in NY
May 18, 2012 4:00 AM | 3 Comments
As the debate over medical marijuana in New York State heats up, MetroFocus looked at who the power players are.
A woman cooks up fresh tortillas out of a truck on Roosevelt Ave. in Jackson Heights, Queens. Many immigrant food vendors, particularly women, face stiff fines and even confiscation of their equipment, since they often can't afford to buy permits off what tour guide Andrew Silverstein calls the "grey market." Photo courtesy of Streetwise New York.
Streetwise Food Tours: Immigrant Cuisine in Queens
May 16, 2012 4:00 AM | Comments
Enjoy diverse culinary delights with a side of socio-economic and personal history.
According to gardener Kristen Bonardi Rapp, the lot at 462 Halsey Street in Bed-Stuy has probably been vacant since the 1970s. Until recently, it looked like this. Photo by Meg Watcher/megwatcherphotos.com
Growing on Vacant Brooklyn Lots, Reclaiming Public Space
May 16, 2012 4:00 AM | 1 Comment
Brooklynites, working with the group 596 Acres, explain why and how they're transforming formerly vacant city-owned lots into green spaces for everyone.VIDEO
In April 17, after walking 150 miles from New York City, a group of 15 undocumented students arrived in Albany to advocate for the passage of the New York State DREAM Act. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has no taken a position on the bill. Photo courtesy of the New York State Leadership Council.
What the DREAM Acts Mean for Undocumented Students: Share Your Thoughts
May 15, 2012 5:35 AM | 35 Comments

The New York State DREAM Act would allow undocumented students access to funding to attend city and state colleges; the federal version would provide path to legal status.

VIDEO
Washington Irving High School, near Union Square, is one of 22 schools scheduled to be phased out between now and when the remaining students graduate in 2013. In five of these phase-out schools, only the middle schools will be closed, while the attached high schools or elementary schools will remain open. Flickr/eden pictures
Mapping NYC School Closures and Openings
May 15, 2012 5:31 AM | Comments
MetroFocus maps what's coming and going: 24 turnarounds schools; 22 phase-outs; 54 new schools, 24 of which are charters; 4 closures.
Rolling chair operators walk past Revel, the newest casino in Atlantic City, N.J., Thursday, May 10, 2012, the same day that that New Jersey casino regulators released figures showing that the $13.4 million Revel won in its first month of operation ranked it 8th among Atlantic City's 12 casinos. AP/Wayne Perry
Craps! Atlantic City Lost Big Bucks Last Year
May 11, 2012 3:36 PM | Comments
As revenues fall and competition increases, can experimental revitalization models save the declining boardwalk empire?VIDEO
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