Another day of inaction. So went Wednesday's special session of the Legislature ordered by Gov. David A. Paterson, who found his fiscal demands once again ignored by his fellow Democrats in the Assembly and Senate.

It was Feb. 24, and amid rumors of a bombshell expose, Gov. David Paterson knew the final nail in his political coffin was beneath the hammer.

Buffalo businessman Carl P. Paladino said he will not continue to run for governor on a new third-party line if he loses September's Republican primary against Rick Lazio.

WASHINGTON — A jury of Rep. Charles Rangel's congressional peers is ready to publicly discuss charges of ethical misdeeds. But the political discussions outside the room will be far more significant. Eight House lawmakers who will determine guilt or innocence of the former committee chairman will hold their first meeting Thursday. A number of Democrats considering calls for the New York Democrat to resign will get their first look at the allegations.

Just over half of New York students in third through eighth grade are proficient in math and English, according to newly released state Education Department figures. This represents a precipitous, double-digit percentage-point drop from last year's scores on the standardized tests.

Sometime before the Sept. 14 Democratic primary, we need to tag along with Kathleen Rice as she campaigns for the nomination for attorney general. It's only a matter of time, surely, before the ritual of seeking votes takes on this twist. Ms. Rice, now the Nassau County district attorney, will ask one of New York's 5 million or so enrolled Democrats to vote for her. And that person will reply, in essence: Why should I vote for you, when you didn't vote for ... anyone?

The search by the booming North American population of Amish for affordable, fertile farmland has produced settlements in 28 states and Ontario - and has even led parties to scout for suitable properties in Alaska and Mexico.

As one voracious non-native fish bears down on the Great Lakes, notorious mussels are spreading across the West. Frustrated state officials say it’s time for the federal government to play a bigger role in stopping the spread of invasive species.

The phone call, on a Wednesday night in February, in which a besieged Gov. David A. Paterson asked Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo to investigate his administration's handling of a domestic violence case involving one of Mr. Paterson's most trusted aides, set up an odd and fraught situation: one candidate for governor asking another to examine whether he or others in his administration had committed a crime.

Applying new, tougher standards, state education officials said Wednesday that more than half of public school students in New York City failed their English exams this year, and 54 percent of them passed in math.

Gov. David A. Paterson and his advisers made errors of judgment in their handling of a domestic violence case involving a top aide, but their actions were not criminal, a retired judge who investigated the case announced on Wednesday.

Utah is not the only state where lawmakers are attempting to address illegal immigration — which is traditionally a federal issue handled by Congress.