Ian Pickus

Unveiling a new ethics reform package in New York City today, a week after a pair of corruption scandals rocked Albany, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said he doesn’t support term limits as part of a push to cut down on fraud by public officials. Analysis by good-government groups shows incumbents in the New York state legislature are overwhelmingly reelected.

In his first major address since last week’s corruption scandals in Albany involving the arrests of state Senator Malcolm Smith, Assemblyman Eric Stevenson and several other political leaders on both sides of the aisle, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo unveiled a new ethics reform package in New York City Tuesday afternoon.

Cuomo’s proposal will empower district attorneys across the state to pursue public corruption cases.

One of the most contentious areas of debate over the expansion of hydraulic fracturing for natural gas concerns a spike in seismic activity in unlikely areas that have begun fracking nearby. Some alarmed scientists say containment wells are putting undue pressure on faults deep underground. But industry interests disagree – that is, when they say anything at all.

Few, if any, people have more influence of the sound of popular music today as Ryan Tedder, a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer. And as the frontman for OneRepublic, Tedder has helmed the genre-bending, Colorado-based band for more than a decade, enjoying platinum sales and a 2009 Grammy nomination as the band rose from MySpace to MTV and beyond.

WAMC's Ian Pickus and resident quizzer Mike Nothnagel switch seats for a show about military men.

Last week's challenge

Start with the names of two national basketball championship schools: UCLA and DUKE. Change one letter to an M, and rearrange the result to spell a two-word phrase (three letters in the first word, five words in the second) associated with many college graduates. What is the phrase?

Answer: If you change the K to an M, you can spell CUM LAUDE.

THIS WEEK'S CATEGORY: MILITARY MEN

The White Album is nearly 45 years old, but interest in one of the Beatles’ most important artistic achievements, and in the group itself, remains rampant. One person who has paid special attention to what might have been the Beatles’ greatest year, 1968, is Scott Freiman, a composer, sound designer and musician in his own right who lectures on the Beatles and their work.

The New York Yankees are set to open their season against rival Boston today. But before turning their attention to a high-stakes season of adversity, the Bronx Bombers spent Saturday touring the facilities at West Point and holding an exhibition game against the Army cadets. The game rekindled an old tradition for the two storied programs.

WAMC's Ian Pickus and resident quizzer Mike Nothnagel wrap up their run of March Madness shows with a quiz inspired by the NCAA tourney.

The new New York state budget that lawmakers are enacting this week contains a tax package that includes both tax breaks and tax increases. The spending plan comes just two months after Governor Andrew Cuomo  said there would not be any new taxes in the budget.

On January 22, when Governor Cuomo introduced his budget plan, he said his proposal did not include any new taxes.

“No new taxes in the budget again,” Cuomo said. “That is what is working for us, it has signaled a new day in New  York.

Could the 2016 primary calendar finally put an end to the often laborious Iowa Caucus process? WAMC’s Ian Pickus spoke with Boston Globe reporter Matt Viser to try to find out.