A state judge effectively expanded a federal order that stopped a new law from applying to two tribes.
The state tried 13 years ago to collect taxes on cigarette sales on reservations but backed down. Its new effort takes effect on Wednesday.
Outside the former MetLife building on Madison Avenue, die-hards take a smoking break. They chat, but most of their conversations last only as long as their embers.They cluster on the sidewalks below their offices, cigarettes in hand, and know all the warnings. Some of them say they are going to quit. Really.
Cigarette machines, once a familiar presence in most bars, have become scarce in a no-smoking atmosphere.
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said the ban made sense because it would cut the health risks of second-hand smoke and reduce littering by smokers.
New York State lawmakers wrestled with a number of high-profile bills in a flurry of activity late Wednesday.
New York State should look elsewhere for revenue to close the budget deficit, said some lighting up near the old Philip Morris building.
Politicians in Albany continue to explore ways to dip into the pockets of the self-destructive, especially poorer people, to address budget woes.