Reporting to New Yorkers on the “State of the State” is a job requirement for every governor. The state Constitution commands that “The governor shall communicate by message to the legislature at every session the condition of the state and recommend such matters to it as he or she shall judge expedient.”

The big stories right now, in terms of popular and press reaction appear to be the attack on Venezuela, seizure of its president, and the killing of Renee Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis.

It’s not every day that I’ll spend close to forty bucks on a lightbulb. But the LED spotlight I bought at Lowe’s a few years back made extraordinary claims.

So which is it? Is the US economy doing extremely well and we are about to have a “great” year in 2026? Or are there signs of serious problems in the economy, especially for middle – class and working class people who are not in the top ten, five or one percent of the population in terms of income and wealth?

Animation isn't just for kids. Over the past decade, there's been a major increase in animated features aimed at adults, from North American and international filmmakers and studios.

It is hard right now not to root for Ole Miss in the semifinal round of the College Football Playoffs.

In September 2023, I recorded a WAMC commentary about two aging figures in entertainment and politics: Willie Nelson and President Joe Biden. Watching Willie perform that summer, I came to the regrettable conclusion that it was time for him to hang it up. He’d just turned 90 and was severely diminished physically. As a fan, I’d much rather remember him as I saw him in his prime.

President Trump wants us to bow to him. He tries to impress us by gilding the White House with gold, paving over the Rose Garden, and taking control of the American military and a Latin American country, accompanied by disclosure that the US Mint is considering “a commemorative coin featuring President Trump,” breaking with tradition, not to put living presidents on money that began with George Washington.

As New Yorkers rang in the New Year, Albany’s budgeteers were developing a fiscal proposal for Governor Hochul. As directed by the state Constitution, the governor must unveil her budget plan within a few weeks and with it her policy priorities for the upcoming legislative session.

What would you say is the biggest problem facing our country? Now, if you said, “Donald Trump,” I wouldn’t necessarily disagree, but that’s not the kind of answer we’re looking for here. Hold that thought, though: you may be onto something.