Latest in New York

2ND UPDATE, 8:57 AM: A federal judge in Manhattan today denied bail for billionaire financier Jeffrey Epstein, who is charged with multiple counts including sex trafficking of minors. Prosecutors had been arguing for Epstein to remain behind bars, saying he is a flight risk and a danger to the public. His defense team…

UPDATED with statement from StubHub: The New York State Legislature today passed legislation and adopted consumer disclosures in the ticket resale market that requires ticket broker sites to, among other things, disclose all fees and surcharges prior to accepting payment. The legislation was hailed today by the Broadwa…

A plan to bring a touch of Hollywood to upstate New York has run aground. SUNY Polytechnic Institute is transferring ownership of its Film Hub facility outside of Syracuse to Onondaga County for $1.  Local news reports indicate the state will pay the county $1.7 million for the facility, which opened just a few years…

New York’s Solicitor General Barbara Underwood has been appointed the state’s acting Attorney General, less than 24 hours after a New Yorker exposé detailing physical abuse accusations by four women against AG Eric Schneiderman led to his resignation. Schneiderman said Monday night that the allegations, which he…

Ronan Farrow’s investigations of Harvey Weinstein received the magazine world’s highest honor, the Ellie Award, and the publisher of them, The New Yorker, joined New York and GQ as the only winners of multiple trophies. In a lunchtime ceremony hosted by CNN’s Don Lemon, the 53rd annual Ellies (known for the…

UPDATED AT 6:15 PM to incorporate comment from the IAB. The Interactive Advertising Bureau has dramatically scaled back this year’s Digital Content NewFronts, paring the schedule to a week of presentations instead of the usual two. At the same time, the organization said it would host a new West Coast showcase at the…

UPDATED with governor’s comments, 2 PM: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has vetoed a bill that would have linked the state's film incentives to diversity hiring in the state’s TV industry. The bill, which sailed through the state Legislature, would have allocated up to $5 million for companies that hire female and minority…

A bill in New York that would link production incentives to diversity hiring is waiting for the signature of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has until midnight on December 18 to sign it or veto it. The bill, which sailed through the state Legislature, would provide $5 million in annual tax credits for projects that hire…

Politicians in California and New York are out to legislate changes in the wake of sexual harassment allegations that have rocked the entertainment industry. Connie Leyva, a freshman Democratic state senator in California, told our sister site Variety that she plans to introduce a bill in early 2018 that would outlaw…

EXCLUSIVE: Allegations that the leaders of SAG-AFTRA's ruling party in New York used "inside information" to win an extra seat on the union's national board of directors are being leveled by members of the local's opposition party. The claims could set the stage for an election challenge after ballots are counted next…

A first-of-its-kind tax incentive to boost women and minority TV writers and directors has made it through the New York state Legislature. The bill, which received the backing of the DGA and the WGA East, calls for a new tax credit of up to $5 million to be allocated in the state's next budget to be allocated toward…

As you might imagine, the MPAA is happy today after New York state lawmakers including Gov. Andrew Cuomo agreed over the weekend to include in their $153 billion budget a three-year extension of tax breaks for film and TV producers. “This will ensure stability and predictability for television and motion picture…