Capital Region News

A panel of government, labor and business leaders put together to push infrastructure projects in New York is set to meet in Albany.

The New York Works Task Force has a session scheduled for this afternoon.

Governor Andrew Cuomo appointed the 15 members to oversee ways of speeding up construction projects and rebuilding roads and bridges. The group also considers how to allocate infrastructure money around the state and help create jobs.

What do the CEO of a multi-national company and a 19-year-old in a dorm room have in common?

Chances are that they both spend time thinking about the intersections of technology, business, and social media, and whether or not they could be a part of the ‘next big thing’.

Soraya Darabi began her media career in her early-20’s as Manager of Digital Partnerships and Social Media at The New York Times, where she positioned the paper on the then fledgling, now ubiquitous, social networks like Facebook and YouTube.

New York's Assembly majority says it has reprimanded a lower level worker who blogged in support of Speaker Sheldon Silver during a sexual harassment scandal.

Silver spokesman Michael Whyland says the worker was formally reprimanded and lost his internet access. Whyland says all Assembly employees are being reminded they can't use state time and equipment for political purposes.

The Assembly majority says Silver didn't know of the blogging and does not condone it.

An Obama administration official was in upstate New York to join the mayors of three Albany-area cities at a roundtable discussion on helping distressed homeowners. Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Dave Lucas was there and files this report.

Statistics show home sales gingerly improving nationwide - but government leaders believe too many families in upstate New York and across the country are unable to take advantage of interest rates that are at their lowest levels since the 30-year mortgage was created. They want change.

WAMC's David Guistina gets the morning headlines from Judy Patrick, editor of the Daily Gazette.

WAMC's David Guistina gets the morning headlines from Mike Spain, associate editor of the Albany Times Union.