Mayor Michael Bloomberg and others will sit shiva for Koch at Gracie Mansion tomorrow. Koch practiced his own brand of Judaism that was, "mixed with a deep, abiding respect for Catholicism." "He attended Mass. He believes that God hears prayers if they are in Greek, Latin or Hebrew," Mr. Arzt said.

Many gay activists remain angry about Koch's handling of the AIDS crisis in the 1980's including Gay Men’s Health Crisis and ACT UP founder Larry Kramer, who greeted the news of the former mayor's death by proclaiming, "Ding dong, the wicked witch is dead."

Governor Andrew Cuomo has a plan to use up to $400 million to purchase homes destroyed by Hurricane Sandy, demolish them and maintain the land they stood on as undeveloped coastline.

Federal officials are cutting $1.1 billion in annual Medicaid funding to New York after finding the state overcharged an estimated $15 billion in expenses for care of the developmentally disabled over the past two decades in what investigators have called "a system of massive waste and illegal billing."

Some critics say Governor Cuomo has, in effect, broken a promise to keep new taxes out of this year's state budget.

While Governor Cuomo eliminated legislative pork in his budget, he preserved over $3 billion in discretionary spending that he will control.

Local leaders are weighing in on the governor's pension smoothing plan.

Assemblyman William Boyland, who's facing federal bribery charges, is also the subject of a state comptroller's report that questions over $67,000 in travel, food and mileage reimbursements he has collected while working in the Legislature.

New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez may be able to weather the allegations surrounding his friendship with a controversial surgeon, improper flights and alleged patronizing of underage prostitutes.

John Kerry spent his first weekend as Secretary of State on the phone with leaders in the Mideast.

Republican politicians are mounting an effort to hold on to Wall Street donors who have a "list of complaints" about their legislative agenda.