Ian Pickus

When the COVID emergency began in March of 2020, local governments had to quickly adapt. Public meetings across the Northeast migrated to Zoom as states made emergency allowances to open meetings laws. Now that public life is reopening, should some of those changes be allowed to remain in place?

WAMC's Ian Pickus and resident quizzer Mike Nothnagel try to medal in honor of the 2021 edition of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The Albany Common Council has passed a series of local fair housing laws introduced by Mayor Kathy Sheehan in March.

WAMC's Ian Pickus and resident quizzer Mike Nothnagel head back to "camp."

Most of us are trying to forget 2020. The pandemic sickened millions and upended everyday life, disrupting the rhythms many of us didn’t realize we were so dependent on. For many, that includes the sounds of a nightly baseball game.

The controversial head of the Massachusetts Republican Party is facing new headwinds. The Boston Globe reports several major donors are threatening to cut ties if Chairman Jim Lyons is not replaced, in a letter obtained by the newspaper.

Two years after taking over the Amsterdam Recorder, The Daily Gazette says it is acquiring another smaller newspaper in the region: The Gloversville Leader-Herald — one of the nation’s last afternoon publications.

WAMC's Ian Pickus and resident quizzer Mike Nothnagel decide to live free or die.

The Albany Institute of History and Art says Executive Director Tammis Groft will retire. In the position since 2013, Groft began at the downtown museum as an intern in 1976. Groft, who became chief curator in 1987 and deputy director in 2000, will remain through the transition to a successor. Groft called being executive director “the job of a lifetime.” The museum’s Board of Trustees will launch a national search for a new director.

Utility companies are working right now to restore power to thousands of users in the Northeast after damaging storms on Wednesday. The village of Coxsackie, New York in Greene County remains under a state of emergency, with many downed tree limbs and power lines. In a social media update, Mayor Mark Evans called it an “unprecedented event.” He spoke with WAMC News Thursday morning.

A Republican has kicked off a campaign for governor of Massachusetts in 2022, but probably not the one you’re thinking of. Former state representative and 2018 U.S. Senate candidate Geoff Diehl co-chaired President Trump’s 2016 Bay State campaign. So far, Governor Charlie Baker hasn’t said whether he will seek a third term. Diehl joins a field that includes three Democrats — Harvard professor Danielle Allen, former state Senator and Pittsfield native Ben Downing, and State Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz.   

The House is launching a new investigation of the January 6th Capitol siege. 

WAMC's Ian Pickus and resident quizzer Mike Nothnagel get ready for the 4th.

It may be several months before Vermont U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy decides whether to seek a ninth term next year. And as WAMC’s Ian Pickus reports, the state’s political class is holding its breath.

Cooperstown, New York is gearing up for a more typical summer tourism season now that COVID-19 is on the wane and cultural attractions are reopening. That includes an in-person Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony in September, and the summer opera season at Glimmerglass. It also comes as the region prepares for federal COVID relief funding. Mayor Ellen Tillapaugh, who has been in office since 2018, spoke with WAMC’s Ian Pickus.

WAMC's Ian Pickus and resident quizzer Mike Nothnagel forge some common ground.

Jon Wertheim has made a career out of looking for a good sports story, but when he recalled the summer of 1984, he found several crammed into one summer. Wertheim’s new book is “Glory Days: The Summer of 1984 and the 90 Days That Changed Sports and Culture Forever.”

The longtime voice of the New York Yankees on the YES Network, Michael Kay has also been sitting down with some of the biggest names in sports, entertainment and politics as the host of “CenterStage” for the past two decades. Some of his favorite moments from the show, on camera and off, are collected in the new book “CenterStage: My Most Fascinating Interviews — From A-Rod to Jay-Z.”

Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan has taken a big step in her bid for a third four-year term. The Democrat on Tuesday turned back a primary challenge against Valerie Faust and now advances to November’s general election. Unofficial results from the Albany County Board of Elections show Sheehan with about 61 percent of the vote to Faust’s 35 percent. Sheehan spoke with WAMC’s Ian Pickus Wednesday morning.

WAMC's Ian Pickus and resident quizzer Mike Nothnagel welcome Broadway fanatic and friend of the program Sarah LaDuke to the stage.

Musician Amy Helm returned to a familiar place — for her and for many of us in the region — to make her new album “What the Flood Leaves Behind.” Helm recorded in Levon Helm Studios, also known as The Barn, with a cast of stellar musicians.

The state legislative session in Albany is now behind us, as lawmakers grappled with a second pandemic-focused year. Early fears of a multi-billion budget gap were eventually eased by federal COVID relief, majority Democrats pressed new criminal justice reforms, and the status of embattled Governor Andrew Cuomo loomed large.

Musician Brett Dennen has a message for the summer: “See the World.” That’s the new of his new album and single, and at least to these ears, it comes at a fortuitous time. Outside of music, Dennen is known for his climate activism, artwork, and love of the outdoors. This summer, he’ll perform in our listening area on July 24 at City Winery Hudson Valley in Montgomery, in Orange County, and July 25 at the Ridgefield Playhouse in Connecticut.

WAMC's Ian Pickus and resident quizzer Mike Nothnagel close the blinds to binge some TV.

New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik faces new competition for her seat in the 21st District. Democrat Matt Putorti, a lawyer from Whitehall, announced his candidacy for the 2022 midterms in a video on Twitter Monday morning.

With a politically wounded governor and state government still working around the COVID emergency, this week marks the end of one of the stranger New York state legislative sessions in memory. It started on fears of a billion dollar shortfall, which were soon alleviated thanks to federal coronavirus relief. But what does three people in a room, the typical model in Albany, look like when two have called on the third to resign?

A new study from the University of Utah finds up to three-quarters of us overestimate our ability to spot fake news stories — and the worse we are, the more likely we are to share misinformation.