<p>Assemblyman David McDonough&#39;s absence from Albany raises concerns as he misses key votes, citing health challenges while voting remotely via videoconference.&nbsp;Newsday&#39;s Albany reporter Steve Hughes has more.</p>


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State lawmaker misses 100 votes; unclear when he was last in Albany

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Assemblyman David McDonough's absence from Albany raises concerns as he misses key votes, citing health challenges while voting remotely via videoconference. Newsday's Albany reporter Steve Hughes has more.

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New York Attorney General Letitia James is setting up a program to have legal monitor immigration enforcement across the state. Newsday Nassau County Politics Reporter Bahar Ostadan has more.

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Assemb. David McDonough of Merrick has not filed Albany travel expenses in more than 2 years.

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Gov. Kathy Hochul spoke about immigration enforcement at her State of the State address on Tuesday. She spoke about proposals to curb what she called abusive tactics of immigration enforcement officers. NewsdayTV's Doug Geed reports.

'Not allow the use of state resources'

Affordability, child care and crime were some of the topics touched on by Gov. Kathy Hochul during her 2026 State of the State address, which was met by both praise and criticism. NewsdayTV's Doug Geed has more.

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In her address, Hochul discussed affordable child care, protecting the offshore wind industry and lowering car insurance costs. NewsdayTV's political analyst Joye Brown reports.

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Affordability is expected to be a big issue in Albany in 2026, as well as in Gov. Kathy Hochul's upcoming State of the State address. NewsdayTV's Doug Geed reports.

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The 2026 legislative session in Albany begins Wednesday, and affordability is a big priority for lawmakers. Newsday New York State correspondent Keshia Clukey reports.

'The biggest word of this session is affordability'

The state Lawyers' Fund for Client Protection was meant to reimburse people who had money stolen by dishonest lawyers. With payments in those cases now surpassing $100 million over the fund's history, the fund is struggling. Newsday investigative reporter Joshua Solomon reports.

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Rep. Elise Stefanik has announced she is dropping out of the governor's race. NewsdayTV's Doug Geed reports.

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The bill will allow terminally ill individuals with less than six months to live to use doctor-prescribed medication to end their lives. NewsdayTV's Ken Buffa reports.

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The annual "Pennies for Charity" report found professional fundraisers took a big chunk out of donations last year. NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie has more.

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Long Island food pantries are seeing an increase in demand amid the ongoing uncertainty over the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. NewsdayTV's Doug Geed reports.

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Newsday Albany Bureau Chief Yancey Roy talks about the future of the Young Republicans group in New York.

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Thomas Valva's death has some family law experts and state legislators rethinking state confidentiality laws in some circumstances.

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In his nearly 30-minute acceptance speech, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman hit on themes that have been central to his campaign as the Republican nominee for governor. NewsdayTV's Doug Geed has more.

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Dunia Sibomana-Rodriguez began his quest for another state wrestling title. The Long Beach senior went 3-0 in the county qualifiers at Hewlett. Dunia will wrestle in the Nassau championships this weekend. Newsday's Chris Ware capture the action in this video essay.

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The Yankees opened spring training on Wednesday in Tampa,and manager Aaron Boone said he's excited about some of the depth in the starting rotation.

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Mia Carillo has been fixing cars since she was a toddler. Now a general manager at LI WRAP Pros & Mechanic, she tells NewsdayTV's Ken Buffa what it takes to work on cars.

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NewsdayTV's Elisa DiStefano visited the new Museum of Disability History, a one-of-a-kind cultural institution at The Viscardi Center in Albertson.

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Newsday's Doug Geed visits the Long Island Aquarium in Riverhead, where there is so much more to learn about than just ocean life.

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NewsdayTV's Elisa DiStefano learns all about junk journaling with the Scrappy Hour team at Village Vibes in Babylon.

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Students and parents say the new band at Mattituck-Cutchogue Junior-Senior High School has livened the experience of attending events and lifted school spirit. NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie reports.

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<a href="https://www.newsday.com/video/newsdaytv-top-stories">Get more on these and other NewsdayTV stories</a>

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On the latest episode of "Sarra Sounds Off," Newsday's Michael Sicoli talks about the top guards in boys basketball on Long Island, plus Jared Valluzzi on the Suffolk hockey finals, a look at Long Beach wrestler Dunia Sibomana-Rodriguez and the plays of the week.

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