A new report released this week suggests that the Long Island Rail Road could save millions of dollars a year without reducing service by laying off half of its conductors.

The report was issued by the nonprofit watchdog group Citizens Budget Commission. In the report, the CBC says there are a number of things the MTA can do to save nearly $3 billion by the year 2022.

Citizens Budget Commission Proposes Ways for MTA to Save Nearly $3 Billion a Year

Mayoral candidate Andrew Yang indicated Wednesday that he’s ready to teach Mayor Bill de Blasio some basic math if elected to succeed him, especially when it comes to his most recent, record-breaking budget proposal.

The killing of George Floyd prompted soul searching at police departments across the country, including the NYPD.

Last year's massive demonstrations, with thousands of activists marching elbow-to-elbow on New York City streets for days, called for a whole menu of police reforms. The sweeping demands they called for included: police transparency, police accountability, and a movement to "defund the NYPD."

eplacing LIRR ticket collectors with station turnstiles is among several ways the MTA could save up to $2.9 billion a year, according to a new report.

The report, published Tuesday by fiscal watchdog group the Citizens Budget Commission, or CBC, recommended several measures aimed at boosting productivity among workers, including replacing the existing method of conductors selling and collecting tickets on trains with a proof-of-payment system.

Upward revisions by two bond rating agencies validate New York City’s fiscal planning and emergence from COVID-19, its budget director told the City Council.

Moody’s Investors Service and S&P Global Ratings within the past 10 days have elevated their outlooks on the city’s general obligation bonds to stable from negative.

Mayor de Blasio is treating $3 billion in federal stimulus money for schools like a “blank check,” according to budget experts.

The administration has provided few details about how it plans to spend $3.1 billion out of a total $7 billion in education aid from President Biden’s coronavirus recovery plan, critics charge.

City budget analysts warned that budget proposals by the de Blasio administration to spend billions in federal assistance on an expansion of government could drive the city over a fiscal cliff by as early as 2024.

From California to Virginia, many states that faced devastating shortfalls in the depths of the pandemic recession now find themselves flush with tax revenues because of a rebounding economy and a soaring stock market. Lawmakers who worried about budget cuts are now proposing lucrative increases in school spending, tax cuts and direct payments to their residents.

Citizens Budget Commission is teaming up with WNBC, Telemundo 47, Politico, and New York Urban League for the third, and final Democratic Mayoral Primary Debate.

According to the Mayor’s Office, the city experienced a growth of 100,000 jobs from December 2020 to March 2021, and expects to gain 400,000 more to reach a total of 4.5 million jobs by the end of 2021. Even as economic indicators have been headed in the right direction in recent months -- including significant job growth -- amid public vaccination, some easing of restrictions, and a massive infusion of federal dollars, New York City’s economy remains devastated, particularly certain industries and sectors reliant on tourism, commuting, and recreation.

With billions of dollars in federal COVID-19 aid flowing into New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio proposed a “recovery budget” with record-high spending for his final months in office.