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New York is an incongruous state. We are home to fabulous wealth – if the state were a country, it would have the tenth largest economy in the world – but also the highest rate of wealth inequality. We are among the most diverse – but also the most segregated. We passed the most ambitious climate law in the country, but we missed its deadlines and continue to subsidize industries, accelerating the climate crisis.

As New York’s only statewide nonprofit news publication, our journalism exists to help you make sense of these contradictions. Our work examines how power works in the state, reveals who’s really in charge, and reveals how arcane decisions shape the lives of ordinary New Yorkers.

Over the past two decades, the number of local news outlets in New York has been nearly cut in half, allowing elected officials and powerful individuals to operate increasingly in obscurity – without New York’s Average Yorker is not aware of this.

We are on a mission to change that. Our work has already shown what can happen when those in power know someone is watching, with stories that have led to policy change and the passing of laws. We have ambitious plans for the rest of the year and beyond, including tackling new beats and more impactful stories, but we need your help to make them happen.

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