Amid rising crime, mayor and police commissioner tout overall progress

In the waning weeks of their respective tenures, Mayor Bill de Blasio and Police Commissioner Dermot Shea held their final monthly briefing on crime statistics. Although crime was up last month compared to a year ago, de Blasio and Shea pointed to progress made in recent years.

New York City may allow noncitizens to vote

Under a bill nearing approval, some 800,000 noncitizens would be allowed to cast ballots in elections to pick the mayor, City Council members and other municipal officeholders.

5 cases of omicron variant detected in New York

At least five people in New York have been infected with the omicron variant of the coronavirus. Four of the cases are in New York City and one is in Suffolk County.

Times Square New Year's Eve countdown back in 2021

Vaccinated people will be allowed back into Times Square for the annual New Year's Eve countdown at the end of 2021. The ball dropped into nearly deserted streets last year due to the pandemic.