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A famous maxim holds that truth is the first casualty in any war. Less famous is the notion that government transparency can be among the many victims in a time of crisis — as displayed by the stonewalling over COVID-19 deaths that in 2020 brought the administration of former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo into disrepute months before other scandals descended on him.

New York has in recent years faced declared emergencies ranging from the pandemic to the more recent migrant surge, as well as gun violence, health care staffing and myriad localized natural disasters. Without a doubt, these are dire problems that need to be addressed with speed, and when properly used, emergency declarations can rush resources to the right localities and organizations. But the lack of oversight can also........

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