Capital Region News

Recovering from the societal impact of the pandemic, educators are considering various scenarios for the September opening of the school year.

As doctors and researchers around the world work to identify treatments and vaccines for the novel coronavirus, a team from New York’s Capital Region has been testing a cancer drug on COVID-19 patients. 

At the start of every summer the number of shooting incidents in the city of Albany goes up. But the numbers and types of incidents this year are troubling law enforcement officials.

The Democratic candidates for Albany County District Attorney debated virtually Thursday night.

As Albany city hall was sending out a news release about the mayor and police chief hosting weekly conversations with residents, protesters swarmed a Common Council press conference this afternoon just steps from the mayor’s office.

With police-community relations already at a low point in the city of Albany, the mayor and police chief are dropping charges against a man who was arrested after filming another arrest Tuesday. An internal investigation is under way.

Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan launched Pride Month in front of City Hall Monday at an uneasy time in the city.

New York's school board and budget votes are fast approaching — by mail, because of the pandemic. The Albany City School District joins other districts in making accomodations.

Albany officials announced a series of programs today designed to provide funding to individuals and businesses in the city of Albany directly impacted by COVID-19 and Saturday’s riots.

An Albany civil rights leader says the peaceful protest of Saturday afternoon and the violence of Saturday night come from fears among African Americans that a loved one could be killed by law enforcement.

At the peak of Saturday night’s violence in Albany, County Executive Dan McCoy, a former firefighter, took quick action when he learned on social media about a fire. 

Top law enforcement officials in Albany County are discussing how policing and the criminal justice system will function in a post pandemic world.

Protestors have taken to the streets in the Midwest after a Minneapolis black man named George Floyd was killed by police in an incident where an officer was filmed kneeling on Floyd's neck for several minutes as he lay on the ground, several times repeating "I can't breathe." In Albany, a march is planned for Saturday.

The city of Troy has launched a campaign to encourage the wearing of facemasks to prevent the spread of COVID-19 during the reopening of the Capital Region.

Over a hundred evironmental groups are urging the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to enforce the plastic bag ban and bottle bill law. The DEC disputes the criticism.

With the Capital Region in Phase One of the reopening process, COVID-19 numbers have been trending down in recent days.

State lawmakers representing the Capital Region say it will be long way back for local businesses now that phase one of reopening has begun.

Concerns remain over environmental pollution from burning toxic materials at the Norlite site in Cohoes.

The Capital Region began the first phase of reopening on Wednesday, but Albany County has seen an uptick in positive coronavirus cases and is issuing a warning regarding socializing this holiday weekend.

A facemask giveaway is scheduled for Friday in Albany.

Sixteen years ago, David Soares upended his former boss in the decisive Democratic primary for Albany County District Attorney. Now, Soares himself is facing a challenge from a former attorney in his office.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has given the Capital Region the go-ahead to begin reopening from coronavirus shutdowns Wednesday, a bit of news county leaders have been wishing for.

New York’s Capital Region is getting closer to reopening from the coronavirus shutdown.

Capital Region municipalities are laying off workers and cutting services with revenues sharply down during the pandemic.

Albany County's COVID-19 numbers released Friday continue to cast a shadow over a possible Capital Region reopening.

Governor Andrew Cuomo has held briefings for 75 straight days during the pandemic, but the legislative session in Albany – scheduled to run through June – has slowed to a crawl after the budget passed in early April. WAMC's Capital Region Bureau Chief Dave Lucas spoke with 109th district Assemblywoman Pat Fahy about what comes next.

Democratic New York state Assemblymembers Pat Fahy and John McDonald hosted a virtual town hall Thursday on health disparities found among communities of color during the COVID-19 pandemic.