Morning Edition on WAMC

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission is holding its first meeting after taking control of the state racing commission.  WAMC’s Tristan O’Neill reports…

The new five-member gambling panel is charged with licensing and overseeing up to three casinos and a slots parlor in Massachusetts.

Under the casino law approved by lawmakers and signed by Governor Deval Patrick, the panel is charged with overseeing virtually all gambling in the state, except for the lottery.

That includes taking over the responsibilities of the state racing commission.

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STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

According to the royal website, the applicant who's chosen will have dominion over the royal residences — including Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, overseeing a staff of 60. The position is described as "challenging and exciting."

The legislative session that’s concluding in Albany seems to be more about what’s not getting done that what is getting accomplished. As Karen DeWitt reports, agreements were not reached on several key issues.   

Governor Andrew Cuomo at this time last year was intensely lobbying lawmakers to pass a bill to legalize gay marriage. This year, he has taken a more hands off approach to the end of the current legislative session.

The governor introduced a bill on how to make teacher evaluations public, but said he would not push the legislature to approve it.

Vermont is getting a $5 million federal grant for a new automated system that will allow it to better gather and report on information from every school in the state.  WAMC’s North Country Bureau Chief Pat Bradley reports…

Officials say with the new system the state will be able determine, for example, how many students have taken geometry by ninth grade or attended full-day kindergarten.

Listen to Paul Caiano's WAMC Regional forecast.  Paul Caianois a meteorologist at WNYT Newschannel 13. He graduated from SUNY Albany in May of 1993 with a B.S. in the field of Atmospheric Science/Meteorology.

The state’s major environmental groups have formed a new coalition, urging Governor Andrew Cuomo to reject a plan to begin hydrofracking in select counties in New York’s Southern Tier.  Capitol Correspondent Karen DeWitt reports… 

Peter Hudiburg of the town of Plymouth, in Chenango County joined major environmental groups like the Sierra Club and Hudson Riverkeeper in a rally to persuade Governor Andrew Cuomo to drop a plan to begin limited hydrofracking in the state’s Southern Tier.

“Governor Cuomo, the science is in,” he shouted. “This is a very dangerous technology.”