Covering the politics, policies and people of New York State government.
Thursday marked the 75th day since the first confirmed case of COVID-19 was discovered in New York state. This same day, Gov. Andrew Cuomo held a press conference from Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse to discuss plans to slowly begin reopening parts of the state this weekend. As of May […]
Let’s face it — there is no current political commodity hotter than Andrew Cuomo. One Siena poll had him at a 77 percent approval rating in New York. Compare that with Donald Trump, in the relative basement. Cuomo has cleverly positioned himself as a moderate Democrat, unlike the more flamboyant […]
With court services reduced to essential proceedings online for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that the window for childhood sexual abuse victims to file a claim will be extended to January 14. The New York Child Victims Act (CVA) went into effect on Aug. 14, […]
Several New York congress members and U.S. Sen Kirsten Gillibrand have sent a letter to leaders of the U.S. House and Senate requesting emergency funding for mental health treatment providers as the nation grapples with the COVID-19 outbreak. Many behavioral health organizations (BHOs) are at risk of closing down amidst […]
The front-runner for the Green Party’s 2020 presidential nomination, Howie Hawkins, has selected Angela Walker as his running mate. Walker, a truck driver from South Carolina, is a veteran labor and racial justice activist and has twice previously run for office as an independent socialist. “I’ve known Angela since 2014. […]
The Finger Lakes, Southern Tier and Mohawk Valley regions have met criteria to begin phase one of the state’s reopening plan. Construction, manufacturing, retail for curbside pickup, forestry and fishing will resume this Friday, May 15 in these regions. The North Country and Central New York are close to meeting […]
Republican lawmakers continue to press for independent investigations into COVID-19 related deaths and illnesses in New York state nursing homes. Last week, they contacted both U.S. Attorney General William Barr and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services via a letter to the agency’s Inspector General’s Office to open […]
Thirty-one public health organizations, including the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association, addressed Gov. Andrew Cuomo in a letter, urging him to maintain funding for Medicaid and other public health programs, suggesting higher taxes on tobacco products as a way to fund them. Before the COVID-19 crisis began, […]