Tagged: new york

This week marks the 150th anniversary of the first in a series of Civil War battles during which New York regiments would suffer thousands of casualties.  WAMC’s Tristan O’Neill reports…

According to historians at the New York State Military Museum in Saratoga Springs, the first of the Seven Days Battles occurred on June 25, 1862 when New York's Excelsior Brigade spearheaded an attack against Confederate forces outside Richmond, Va.

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.

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.”

A treasurer for Joel Tyner’s campaign has resigned and accused the 19th district congressional candidate of misusing campaign funds.  WAMC’s Tristan O’Neill reports…    

The Times-Herald Record reports that campaign treasurer Misha Fredericks says Tyner’s cash-on-hand claim is off by more than $5,200. 

In an interview with the Poughkeepsie Journal, Fredericks says she had continuously asked Tyner to produce receipts in order to account for the missing money, but the receipts she received did not match the money withdrawn. 

Governor Cuomo is telling the legislature to ‘take it or leave it’ over a new bill he’s released new bill outlining how to make teacher evaluations public.  Capitol Correspondent Karen DeWitt reports…  

Governor Cuomo says he introduced legislation on the publication of teacher evaluations just before his own self imposed deadline of midnight Monday in order to clarify his position on the issue.  He says it’s up the Assembly and Senate whether they want to pass it, exactly as is, or not.  

A bill to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana appears dead for the legislative session , now that Republicans in the Senate say they won’t be acting on the bill.  Capitol Correspondent Karen DeWitt reports… 

Governor Cuomo says it’s “highly unlikely” that his bill to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana will be taken up by the Senate before the legislative session ends on Thursday, and Senate Leader Dean Skelos confirms that. 

“I’ve said all along that I was not in favor of further decriminalization of marijuana,” Skelos told reporters. 

A new study shows that opponents of President Barack Obama's health care plan clearly beat supporters in getting their message across through the media. More from WAMC’s Dave Lucas…

The study released Tuesday by the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism found that opponents won because their positions were sharper and easier to understand. The critics also more frequently drove coverage, particularly when Tea Party demonstrations came to the fore.

Pew director Tom Rosenstiel said the competition wasn't even close.

The Assembly and Senate have passed legislation they say will curb abuses against disabled people in state care.  Capitol Correspondent Karen DeWitt reports… 

Governor Cuomo says he no longer thinks settling the issue of making teacher evaluations public “urgent,” and will allow the legislature to leave later this week without an agreement on the matter.  Capitol Correspondent Karen DeWitt reports…  

Cuomo, speaking on former Governor David Paterson’s radio show on WOR, says the legislature will end its session for the summer without acting on a plan on how to make public teacher evaluations public, saying that the evaluations do not have to be completed by schools until January, anyway.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and legislative leaders say they have agreed on a sweeping reform of the state's system of caring for the disabled that has been marked for years by abuse and death.  WAMC’s Ian Pickus reports…

For Cuomo, the deal announced Sunday fulfills a major legislative goal.

Recent governors have been dogged for years by outcry from whistle blowers and a chilling New York Times series was published this year about abuse within the massive bureaucracy caring for 1 million people.