New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has announced the framework of a $237 billion budget that includes broad plans to drive new housing construction, address the influx of migrants and crack down on illegal marijuana shops.

New York state's first licenses to sell recreational marijuana could be awarded as soon as next week.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo will resign in disgrace this week.

Passed after several years of stalled efforts, the measure makes New York the 16th state to legalize adult use of the drug, though South Dakota’s measure is in legal limbo. New York becomes the second-most populous state, after California, to legalize recreational marijuana. Still, New Yorkers can’t smoke or vape marijuana in locations where smoking is prohibited by state law, including workplaces, indoor bars and restaurants and within 100 feet of a school. Legalization supporters say that it’s already easy for young adults to get pot and that there’s no clear link between marijuana legalization and traffic accidents. The trade publication Marijuana Business Daily estimates New York could become the East Coast's largest recreational marijuana market — generating a potential $2.3 billion in annual sales by its fourth year.

New York has failed in recent years to pass marijuana legalization, but a state senator said lawmakers have reached an agreement to legalize marijuana sales to adults over the age of 21. The agreement reached Saturday would expand the state's existing medical marijuana program and set up a a licensing and taxation system for recreational sales. It has taken years for the state's lawmakers to come to a consensus on how to legalize recreational marijuana in New York. Some other states that have legalized recreational marijuana have struggled to address the inequities that the drug wars have wrought. AdCalifornia voters legalized recreational marijuana sales in 2016 as well and invited people to petition to have old marijuana convictions expunged or reduced.

Cuomo subjected her to an unwanted kiss during years of sexual harassment have spurred calls for an investigation and questions about who might meaningfully conduct one. Andrew Cuomo subjected her to an unwanted kiss during years of sexual harassment have spurred calls for an investigation — and questions about who might meaningfully conduct one. The agency has tackled sexual harassment claims in the past, finding that former Democratic Assembly Member Vito Lopez made unwanted sexual advances on female staffers. Mario Cuomo — the current governor's father — said a JCOPE investigation into Boylan's allegations “would just be total farce, in terms of credibility." AdThe attorney general's Civil Rights Bureau sometimes looks into sexual harassment complaints itself if it sees evidence of "a pattern, practice or policy of sexual harassment affecting a significant number of people.” Boylan accused Cuomo of “pervasive harassment” of female staffers.