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Republican and former Congresswoman Claudia Tenney agreed Monday to the forum. Democratic Incumbent Anthony Brindisi and Libertarian Challenger Keith Price earlier confirmed their participation.
“Claudia Tenney indicated at this time she is not accepting any invitation to debate her primary opponent.”
Farmer Dennis Brawdy said this year is stranger than most because major customers are closed.
Binghamton University student Dino Nicolari decided to stay at his off-campus apartment. “I really have trouble working at home.”
“Now is not the time to ease up on strong mitigation tactics that can help flatten the curve and ease the burden likely to be placed on our healthcare system.”
“You want to act like everything is normal, you want to look your brightest…even though that might be a facade.”
“We will see a rise in the cases of child abuse and neglect when this is over.”
The Commonwealth’s unemployment compensation program saw more than 378,900 claims filed during the week ending March 21 — 6 percent of the workforce.
The Pennsylvania Governor says the state Department of Community and Economic Development will not respond to open records requests for the foreseeable future,
“If you place yourself in the time in which the play was written, then I believe you can start to enjoy the play in its fullest.”
“It’s been my dream for three decades to find and revive Serling’s story involving the Cincinnati Reds.”
Rod Serling returns to radio, Saturday, April 18 at 2:00 p.m., with a repeat on Sunday, April 19 at 3:00 p.m on WSKG Radio. CINCINNATI, OH (WVXU) Anne Serling is confident that her famous father would be pleased that Cincinnati Public Radio is reviving O’ Toole From Moscow, his 1955 Cincinnati Reds comedy premiering 8 p.m. tonight on WVXU-FM and at wvxu.org. “I have a thought about my dad, imagining him listening, nodding and just beaming. I am so grateful,” said Serling, daughter of Rod Serling, creator of TV’s The Twilight Zone. Rod Serling, who started his career in Cincinnati (1950-54), wrote O’Toole for NBC’s Matinee Theater.
America’s longest undefended border totals around 4,400 miles and hasn’t been militarized since after the American Civil War.
“Trees, as a group, are more responsive to these temperature shifts than wildflowers,”
“Agriculture’s role is unquestionable: access to food is a right; we need local agriculture now more than ever.”
“All of a sudden, somewhat of a train wreck happened.”
The president took questions from Fox anchors and northeast Pennsylvania residents on issues ranging from the national deficit to coronavirus.
For decades, Susan Stamberg has managed to sneak her family’s controversial, Pepto Bismol-pink, cranberry relish recipe onto the air and 2019 will be no exception.
“I had this lady that comes in that’s probably 72, 73 years old. She’s tried everything on the market multiple times. She says that she hasn’t had a single day without a cigarette until she found vaping.”
The executive director of the New York State Thruway Authority says drivers should expect to see more cashless tolls throughout the state.
“It seems natural for us to do that, with the hydroelectric power generation that goes on here.”
The Diocese will expand the use of its ethics hotline, beyond reports of financial fraud or irregularity, to include all reports of any ethical improprieties, sexual abuse or harassment or financial fraud.
Wolf’s proposal is about more than paying teachers a living wage. At current salaries, some districts say they struggle to attract and retain qualified educators.
The change means these convictions will no longer trigger automatic deportation proceedings.
John Kane, a Mohawk radio host and activist living on Seneca territory, says the ruling forces the Senecas to pay the state slot money, despite the nation never having really received its gaming exclusivity perk.
“Small county, small numbers, but important numbers and we have to be very vigilant that we don’t take any of this for granted.”
“The objective here is to protect individuals, who are not convicted of a crime in many instances, from having their mugshots be publicly listed into perpetuity.”
A new bill in the state Capitol would require every school district in Pennsylvania to test for radon and inform parents of the results.
Demand for natural gas is growing across the Northeast. Meanwhile, natural gas production is booming in Pennsylvania. Connecting the two requires building pipelines across New York State.
“These state tests go against everything we know to be best practice in assessment. In fact, they’re causing harm.”
Over a nine-year period, RepresentativeM Tom Murt reportedly co-sponsored 71 bills and was the lead sponsor on one bill that contained language that appears to be lifted from legislation pushed by interest groups in other states.
The fight to boost education funding brings lots of people together — teachers, superintendents, politicians. But advocates want to add another constituency to the mix: real estate agents.
“I know from my experience we still have facilities that are double-bunked all over the state and that creates an unsafe situation.”
Panelists repeated many of the same problems: Long wait times for services. A shortage of psychiatrists and therapists. Massive case loads for social workers. And children who need mental health services, but who are not getting them.
Research suggests that about half of the county’s children experience at least one traumatic event before the age of 17.
Writer Rhianna Jones is petitioning the Unicode Consortium for an emoji of a person with an Afro.
The location was strategic, giving Wolf a chance to highlight the kind of infrastructure projects he’d like to complete with the $4.5 billion his administration says the tax would produce.
In this time of mass shootings, schools are feeling the pressure to make changes to how schools are constructed in an effort to keep intruders out.
“This is a treasure trove of original material, direct from the pen of one of comedy’s most important and resounding voices,”
The emergency designation, typically used for natural disasters like floods and earthquakes,t loosens some rules to make it easier for state agencies to help people in times of crisis.
The plan raises a question lawmakers and state agencies aren’t yet able to answer: How many buildings does the state have sitting around vacant?
The line transports petroleum products from Sunoco’s Montello terminal near Reading to north-central Pennsylvania and New York state.
Pennsylvania elections officials rejected more than twice as many absentee ballots during last year’s midterm elections than they did in 2010.
Envision commercial goods packed in giant capsules and moving in vacuum-sealed steel tubes hurtling from one end of the state to the other in under a half hour.
People earning 150% of their state’s median income would be asked to spend no more than 7% of their personal income on child care.
A group called, #bFair2DirectCare says that Governor Andrew Cuomo had promised to phase in extra state funding for the workers over five years, including $75 million in the upcoming budget, but that it wasn’t in the proposed spending plan.
A lot of people may have been busy changing out batteries in their smoke detectors, but New York state is moving away from selling those kinds of devices.
With news that Alex Trebek has stage four pancreatic cancer, many are left wondering how the longtime “Jeopardy!” host will be treated.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand talks about why she’s running for president and how her more conservative past will play in the crowded field of progressive Democratic candidates.
Five rural Pennsylvania hospitals are testing a pilot program that aims to keep them financially viable and help them better target resources to patients.
John Witzgall and Bob Bolus have a lot in common. Beyond retirement age and living in the Scranton area, they both voted for Donald Trump in 2016. Witzgall, 69, is a school bus driver. Bolus, 76, owns a trucking company. But when it comes to legalizing marijuana in Pennsylvania, they are miles apart.
The state Department of Health wants to hire 10 scientists to learn more about the health risks of the PFAS group of chemicals that have been linked to cancer and other illnesses.
A much talked about new state law went into effect Monday. GENDA (Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act), adds gender identity and expression as a protected class in New York State’s human rights and hate crimes laws.
African-Americans currently make up less than two percent of larger orchestra members in the United States. This lack of representation is a struggle for many groups, including the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra.
Sunday’s fierce wind storm knocked out power to thousands of customers across Western New York. Utility crews are assessing the damage from the severe windstorm. More 44,000 customers remain without power as of Monday afternoon.
Statewide rallies are being held weekly demanding the Governor increased state funding for mental health housing. The ‘Bring It Home Coalition’ is staging rallies each Thursday in Long Island, New York City, Syracuse and here in Buffalo, targeting state lawmakers.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday placed limits on the ability of local law enforcement to seize homes, cars and cash from people suspected of being involved in crime.
A tax-break program that routes millions to Pennsylvania private schools could grow much larger if a new bill becomes law. The proposal has powerful support in the State Senate, but Governor Tom Wolf’s spokesman calls it an “unfunded mandate.”
During a candid budget hearing Thursday, lawmakers heard a bleak tale of Pennsylvania’s system of higher education. In particular, Cheyney University risks losing its accreditation next year amid declining enrollment and growing debt.
Performances of the New York Metropolitan Opera are heard Saturday afternoons, during its season, on WSKG Classical.
A new online training program in the state is now available to help educators better prepare in supporting student mental health. The Mental Health Association in New York State provides the service for educators.
Pennsylvania Auditor General Eugene DePasquale and Democratic state Rep. Mike Schlossberg of Lehigh County are calling for increased resources for mental health services. The two fielded questions at a Facebook town hall Tuesday.
Some doctors want to stop the state Supreme Court from changing a rule tied to medical malpractice lawsuits. They say the plan would drive up costs for medical practices and patients alike.
Two legislative efforts at the state Capitol aim to add resources for paramedics and emergency medical technicians (EMTs), including those dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Canadian researchers are studying how to help prevent the spread of this fish
A proposal with potentially dire consequences for Pennsylvania’s cyber charter schools re-emerged in Harrisburg this session. And one of the politicians pushing it now has a key education post in the state capital.
As Pennsylvania looks again to redraw its congressional map after the 2020 census, Draw the Lines PA hopes people across the state will become educated about the redistricting process in order to “slay the gerrymander.”
A state lawmaker proposes taxing violent video games as a way to pay for increased security at schools throughout the state.
Two teenagers, who are not vaccinated because of religious beliefs, were kicked out of school. Now their mother is suing the school district.
Last year’s flu vaccine was less effective than public health officials had hoped, but research published this month indicated it still saved thousands of lives.
Ten years ago Colgan Air Flight 3407 crashed in Clarence Center killing 50-people. The Continental Connection flight was heading to the Buffalo Niagara International Airport when the pilots failed to recover a stall from the Bombardier Dash-8-aircraft plunging into the home on Long Street. Homeowner, Karen Wielinski lost her husband Doug in the fcrash.
A backlog on the federal level is hurting local brewers. Sen. Chuck Schumer brought that message to Rochester’s Genesee Brewery on Monday. Schumer said brewers are heavily regulated and must file applications with the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau in order to release new flavors, update labels or change the size of a bottle.
A Pennsylvania law that takes effect in April has some mental health advocates concerned, even as others tout it as a way to help people with serious mental illnesses.
Senator Chuck Schumer is calling on lawmakers to make online predator blackmailing a federal crime. That’s when someone steals your personal information online and threatens you with it.
Government reopened a week after the double payment. And now, nearly 2 million Pennsylvanians on food stamps have to wait until March before the next round of benefits.
Reps. John Katko (R-Camillus) and Anthony Brindisi (D-Utica) may metaphorically sit on different sides of the aisle, but Tuesday night they sat side by side.
Last year, ProPublica and The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the Pennsylvania State Police had no guidelines preventing troopers from engaging in behavior that raised questions of racial profiling and unlawful arrests. That behavior is now forbidden in Pennsylvania,
Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf’s $34.1 billion proposal includes a $400 million increase to the Department of Human Services. That takes the total ask to $12.9 billion for the agency, which administers an array of programs such as medical assistance, food assistance and mental health and substance abuse services.
In terms of education dollars, the first budget of Gov. Tom Wolf’s second term isn’t as ambitious as the one he proposed four years ago.
A proposed rule change is sparking debate around medical malpractice lawsuits, pitting doctors and health systems against personal injury trial lawyers and the state Supreme Court.
Three years since the state Department of Human Services first settled a lawsuit with the American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU of Pennsylvania says the situation is improving, but the state still hasn’t met the terms of the settlement.
Pennsylvania state Sen. Daylin Leach is suing a woman who claims the Montgomery County Democrat coerced her to perform oral sex on him when she was 17.
Ping-pong, video games, a music studio. Libraries have been changing for several years, offering electronic books and other technology. However, they’re also changing to become more accessible, offering young people a safe place to explore and nurture skills needed for today’s economy.
Many school districts across Pennsylvania say that budget stress is causing them to raise property taxes and cut school programs, according to an annual survey released by the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials and the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators.
State Rep. Curt Sonney hails from just outside Erie representing an ‘L’-shaped district jammed into the state’s northwestern corner. State Sen. Ryan Aument comes from the state’s heartland, and represents a chunk of fast-growing Lancaster County.
Sen.Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) announced her intention to run for president Tuesday during an appearance “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” Hours later, the Democrat returned to her native Capital Region for her first campaign event.
For every prescription filled, a company such as Express Scripts, CVS Caremark or OptumRx processes the payment between the pharmacy and the insurer–taking a cut for each transaction.
The Tamaqua School Board voted Tuesday night to temporarily suspend implementation of a policy that would allow some school staff in the Schuylkill County district to carry firearms in classrooms anonymously.
Following lawsuits from both parents and teachers, the Tamaqua School Board will vote Tuesday night on whether to temporarily suspend a policy that allows some school staff to carry firearms in classrooms anonymously.
A Nazi war criminal, living safely in New York until his deportation to Germany last year, has died. He had been the last known World War II Nazi living in the U.S.
A case that could set statewide precedent in holding school districts liable for ongoing student-on-student bullying has hit a barrier.
Imagine falling on the sidewalk. You think you might have broken a rib, and you want to know what a chest X-ray costs at an emergency department near where you live.
Millions of dollars in past due casino revenue payments may be on the way to Buffalo, Niagara Falls and Salamanca after an arbitration panel ruled against the Seneca Nation of Indians’ attempt to stop the payments.
There is a new program available to primary care physicians in assisting patients with their mental health care needs. It’s mean to help patients manage their behavioral health, substance abuse and mental illnesses.
When a principal leaves a school, research suggests that students tend to suffer. And a new study of K-12 schools in Pennsylvania shows that principals are more mobile in big, urban districts.
Pennsylvania officials renewed their plans to respond to the opioid crisis that claimed 5,456 lives in the commonwealth in 2017. While some plans discussed at a Monday press conference are continuations of ongoing programs, officials did mention a few new or recent efforts.
The Cuomo Administration is touting one of the most progressive agenda’s in New York State history, 2019 Justice Agenda. Governor Andrew Cuomo and Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul were sworn-in for a third term Tuesday night in New York City.
The public comments period ended Friday for a proposed federal rule that would allow more employers to use health reimbursement arrangements–untaxed funds that employers could set aside for employees to use on health care expenses. Most employers are currently prohibited from using the arrangements, which are also known as HRAs.
The New York state health department unveiled what it called a “holiday gift for caregivers” Wednesday in New York City. It’s a book that the department says will make life easier for people who take care of others who can’t support themselves, although state health commissioner Howard Zucker said the gift is more than just a book.
Across the country, public schools are required to identify and support students experiencing homelessness. But a new report finds that many schools in Pennsylvania may be undercounting.
Before his untimely death in 1966, Reverend Stanley Kiehl Gambell recorded a reading of “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens.
Awards were announced Tuesday in Albany for the eighth round of Regional Economic Development Council funding.
We live in an age of ratings. Yelp, TripAdvisor, Rotten Tomatoes — each provide numerical guideposts, giving consumers a seemingly rational way to sift through the bewildering array of options now at their fingertips. Education is not immune to this trend.
WSKG public media (NPR and PBS) officially opened an office and radio studio in Ithaca today with the help of city and local leaders. The office has been open since May, but it took several months to get everything in place including a radio studio and signage.
By time Jeanne Nearhoof, of Lycoming County, and her mother went to a naloxone distribution site Thursday, there wasn’t any left.
Pennsylvania released a list of 289 struggling schools Thursday that will have to develop “improvement plans” with the direction of state advisors.
Nearly a decade after being tasked with the assignment, a state commission is still grappling with a mandate to create a risk assessment algorithm for Pennsylvania judges to use during criminal sentencing procedures.
Department of Health policy prohibits their paramedics from using the type of naloxone the state is offering them.
In a case with potential statewide ramifications, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has decided a legal fight over school taxes in Lower Merion Township will be heard on its merits. The case stems from the district’s 2016 decision to boost taxes despite having cash reserves.
A growing body of evidence, including a study published last week in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, is calling into question the current guidelines on who meets the criteria for genetic testing for breast cancer susceptibility.
“We’re not dead yet, we’ve still got a pulse in Mahanoy City. Thank God Trump lifted all the regulations on coal…coal is gonna be king.”
Frank Femia runs Klubfunstore Guns and Ammo in Henrietta, where the popular ammunition this season is copper bullets. “It’s been hard finding them because everyone’s been sold out of them and it’s been hard to keep in stock,” Femia said.
People hoping to get vaccinated against shingles are looking at long wait times. There’s a nationwide shortage of the new shingles vaccine, called Shingrix, which is made by Glaxosmithkline.
Pennsylvania’s Independent Fiscal Office released a new report this week comparing state and local tax effort to the rest of the country. The overall burden felt by Pennsylvania residents sits at about the national average.
The Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court has tentatively scheduled a hearing in a landmark education funding lawsuit for the summer of 2020, according to trial schedule released Thursday.
Flashy digital toys provide intense stimulation for young children, but they cannot match the developmental benefits offered by traditional toys like boxes and blocks, according to a report released this week by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
After a pair of state investigations, the Pennsylvania Bureau of Special Education will send new guidelines to school districts across the state on how to identify and serve students who require surrogate parents to advocate for their special-education rights.
A Buffalo developer has been sentenced to 28 months in prison and ordered to pay a $500,000 fine in a bid-rigging scheme connected to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s “Buffalo Billion” economic redevelopment program.
“We set out to correct a glaring inequity in our public spaces,” said Chirlane McCray, the first lady of New York City. A number of cities are taking steps to honor women with statues and public art.
Pennsylvania’s population of uninsured children decreased slightly amid a nationwide increase in uninsured children. For the first time in at least 8 years, the number of uninsured children rose in the U.S., according to a study from Georgetown University Center for Children and Families.
Public listening sessions are being held over the next few weeks to study accessible ride sharing services for customers with disabilities. The New York State Transportation Company Accessibility Task Force was created as part of the legislation that made ride-sharing legal in Upstate New York.
The race for New York’s 22nd Congressional District seat came to an end Wendesday, when Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-New Hartford) formally conceded to Democrat Anthony Brindisi.
NORRISTOWN, PA (WHYY) – A judge has rejected former state Attorney General Kathleen Kane’s eleventh-hour bid to stay out of jail, clearing the path for Kane to start serving her time as an inmate under county supervision.
U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is calling for $1 billion in emergency funding to help battle a polio-like disease that’s affecting a growing number of people — particularly children.
Singer-songwriter-satirist Randy Rainbow — yes, that’s his real name — has built a fervent fan base by churning out parody videos on politics and current events.
ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – Nearly three weeks after Election Day, Democrat Nate McMurray reluctantly conceded his race against Rep. Chris Collins in New York’s 27th Congressional District. However, the concession included an angry series of blasts at the incumbent and a vow to “fight like hell” to re-involve the public in politics.
Today is Giving Tuesday, and breweries across the region are joining a nationwide effort to raise money for victims of the Camp Fire in northern California. Hundreds of breweries are making the exact same beer recipe and donating the proceeds.
Every year, politicians raise hundreds of millions of dollars to finance their campaigns. But insiders know that the money is used for far more than competing in elections.
KEYSTONE CROSSROADS – Two people who have accused priests of molestation in Philadelphia have filed a lawsuit against the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference and all of the state’s dioceses demanding that additional church secrets be exposed.
ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – Over $2 million of medical debt across New York state is about to be erased. It’s due to the efforts of two friends, 70-year-old Caroline Kenyon and 80-year-old Judy Jones, both of Ithaca, who raised $12,500 that they’ve donated to an organization called RIP Medical Debt.
KEYSTONE CROSSROADS – The Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court heard arguments Tuesday in a case that could set state precedent, holding school districts liable for ongoing student-on-student harassment.
KEYSTONE CROSSROADS — Nearly three hours into a special meeting about a policy that would ask some staff at the Tamaqua Area School District to carry guns, parent Liz Pinkey read aloud a letter from educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
TRANSFORMING HEALTH — Twenty-four-year-old Samantha Valley is a familiar face to staff at Dauphin County’s Case Management Unit, where she meets regularly with her caseworker.
KEYSTONE CROSSROADS – Candidates for Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate and congressional seats and their supporters spent $100.7 million in this year’s midterm election, according to the latest filings.
KEYSTONE CROSSROADS – The wake of the blue wave that swept Democrats into control of the U.S. House of Representatives trickled down to Pennsylvania state legislative races, but wasn’t powerful enough to upend GOP control of the General Assembly.
Republican Congressman Chris Collins narrowly won re-election against Democratic opponent Nate McMurray in NY-27. But McMurray, who initially conceded, is now wants a recount.
Cornell University has found that a prominent professor and researcher violated federal regulations and was “reckless” in his research conduct.
VESTAL, NY (WSKG) – Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY) debated Democratic candidate Anthony Brindisi in New York’s 22nd Congressional District. This race is a “Toss Up” according to RealClear Politics.
By the time dawn’s first vermilion fingers tickle the east’s black sky, hunters in a dozen-plus marshes have slogged, sometimes chest-deep, through marshes to arrive at blinds – often constructed, sometimes mostly natural – to await the arrival of ducks, large and small, drab and bright, slow and fast.
BUFFALO, NY (WBFO) – Bishop Richard Malone is responding to the news conference held by whistleblower Siobhan O’Connor, who released diocesan documents to authorities and the media about the handling of sexual abuse victims.
LANCASTER, PA (WHYY) — Gov. Tom Wolf has increased his lead over Republican challenger Scott Wagner in the latest Franklin and Marshall College Poll.
KEYSTONE CROSSROADS – On Saturday morning in North Philadelphia, a confident British man named Dylan Wiliam stood before about 100 teachers and told them that pretty much every education reform idea they’ve heard is bogus.
Hailing from neighboring counties in Northeastern Pennsylvania, the two major candidates are rooted in the same challenges, but are coming up with very different solutions.
BUFFALO, NY (WBFO) – Despite repeated calls that he resign, Buffalo Bishop Richard Malone appears ready to ride out the building crisis regarding the sexual abuse of minors at the hands of clergy members. However, pressure will surely mount following Sunday night’s explosive “60 Minutes” story.
Over the last few months, Democrats seem to be more motivated to vote in the upcoming midterms than Republicans, and have donated more money. While the enthusiasm and money gaps have narrowed in recent weeks, forecasters still expect a blue wave to sweep Democrats into control of the U.S. House of Representatives.
KEYSTONE CROSSROADS – Student performance on Pennsylvania’s suite of standardized tests didn’t change much in 2018, with the exception of science scores, which shot up 12 percentage points.
TRANSFORMING HEALTH – Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf and the state’s insurance commission have opted not to follow Trump administration guidance allowing insurers to sell individual health policies that would not be regulated through the Affordable Care Act.
Senator Gillibrand, D-N.Y., contrasted her bill with what she said are efforts by the administration of President Donald Trump to reduce government health insurance coverage.
TRANSFORMING HEALTH – Pennsylvanians on Affordable Care Act insurance will see an overall rate cut of 2.3 percent for 2019.
Governor Wolf, a Democrat, considers the “clean slate” law – expected to help hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians – one of his signature criminal justice initiatives, as does his opponent, former Republican state Sen. Scott Wagner, who co-sponsored the bill.
ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – Today, Chacku Mathai is the CEO of the Mental Health Association of Rochester. But at 15, he wanted to die.
ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – If you get a phone call from someone claiming to be from the New York State Police and seeking personal information, don’t share anything — it’s a scam.
STATE IMPACT PENNSYLVANIA — Remember the $12.6 million penalty on Sunoco for dozens of permit violations during construction of the Mariner East 2 pipeline? The Department of Environmental Protection said at the time it would turn that penalty into grants for projects related to water quality, watershed restoration and stormwater management. The DEP just put out a list of where that money is going.
Baker Victory Services in Lackawanna is using ‘groundbreaking’ treatment for children with duel diagnosed behavioral and medical challenges. WBFO’s senior reporter Eileen Buckley tells us this is a ‘first of its kind’ program in New York State.
KEYSTONE CROSSROADS – After much delay and consternation, Pennsylvania will change its high school graduation requirements. But the change won’t be as drastic as initially mapped out when state leaders first committed to revisions nearly a decade ago.
GOP Senate Candidate Lou Barletta, as he regularly does, spoke to one of the two aspects of the ACA that have made it a complex issue for Republicans and Democrats alike.
A group of resort owners had challenged DEP’s new classification of headwater streams in Monroe County.
The business is the brainchild of Lisa Scheller, who has had her own battle with heroin, and knows first-hand the importance of having a community for people in recovery.
As the state moves toward new regulations for helping special needs children, advocates say the standard is too low in Pennsylvania.
BUFFALO, NY (WBFO) – A trial date of Feb. 3, 2020 has beens set for the federal insider trading case involving Rep. Chris Collins.
TRANSFORMING HEALTH – The state plans to spend more to help families impacted by the opioid epidemic raise children.
KEYSTONE CROSSROADS — Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder was in Philadelphia on Thursday to endorse a group of suburban Democrats running for the Pennsylvania Senate.
KEYSTONE CROSSROADS – No, it wasn’t a debate. But the two men vying to win Pennsylvania’s gubernatorial election did appear in Philadelphia Wednesday to answer the same set of five questions, one after the other. Their interrogators were elementary-aged children, and the questions revolved mostly around education.
STATE IMPACT PENNSYLVANIA – Special education costs are rising much faster in Pennsylvania than state aid — causing local taxpayers to foot most of the bill, while also stretching school budgets thin and increasing inequities between rich and poor districts, according to a new report by a duo of advocacy groups.
ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – New York’s two U-S senators voted against the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh as a Supreme Court justice Saturday.
KEYSTONE CROSSROADS – How much does your county spend on public defense? In Pennsylvania’s scattershot system, funding varies widely depending on where you live.
Five years after the death of its host and namesake, Piano Jazz with Marian McPartland is ending distribution to the nation’s public radio stations. The announcement was made in letter sent to public radio station managers by longtime producer Shari Hutchinson.
KEYSTONE CROSSROADS – Pennsylvania’s Independent Fiscal Office is reporting historically strong state revenue collections through the first quarter of the fiscal year.
KEYSTONE CROSSROADS — State Auditor General Eugene DePasquale has targeted two school districts in recent weeks for mismanagement of taxpayer funds.
ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday blamed upstate weather for New York’s continuing population decline, a day after his Republican challenger said Cuomo’s economic policies had failed to stanch the flow of migrants heading to other states.
TRANSFORMING HEALTH – More Americans are obese than ever before. That’s according to an annual survey from Trust for America’s Health and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – Brian Wansink, the Cornell professor who authored six articles retracted by the Journal of the American Medical Association Wednesday, has been removed from all teaching and research at the university, and will retire at the end of this academic year.
TRANSFORMING HEALTH – A study from University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health shows drug overdose deaths have steadily increased over the past four decades, years before prescription opioids first flooded the streets.
ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – Most American adults are worried they’ll develop Alzheimer’s, but they’re also optimistic that there will be a cure for the disease in their lifetimes, according to survey results released Monday.
BUFFALO, NY (WBFO) – An indicted New York congressman who had announced he was withdrawing from his race has reversed course and now says he will continue to campaign for re-election and plans to serve again if he wins this November.
ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – Indicted congressman Chris Collins will remain on the ballot in the November election in the 27th District.
KEYSTONE CROSSROADS — U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos called out the nation’s universities Monday in a talk about campus free speech and the First Amendment.
TRANSFORMING HEALTH – A proposed bill that would require insurers to pay for telemedicine services is drawing widespread support from health care providers and opposition from some in the health insurance industry.
Bishop Kevin Rhoades of the Fort Wayne-South Bend Diocese has been cleared of sexual misconduct allegations by the Dauphin County, Pennsylvania district attorney.
Federal officials called it a blitz — “the largest coordinated enforcement effort in the FDA’s history” in response to concerns that e-cigarette use has become an “epidemic” among youths.
ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – A Monroe County resident has died from West Nile virus. It’s the only death from the disease in New York state so far this year, according to the most recent data from the state health department.
Pennsylvania’s recent grand jury report on the sexual abuse of children in Catholic dioceses throughout state has renewed calls to change statute of limitation laws.
William Suan is no stranger to the problems abandoned oil and gas wells can cause. “It’s just an eyesore,” he said, standing inside a barn on his cattle ranch near Lost Creek, West Virginia. “I had to fence one off because it’s leaking now.”
There are five inactive wells on his land, most installed in the ’60s and ’70s, and the companies that owned the wells have long since gone out of business. On a recent rainy Monday, Suan treks down a muddy hill on the backside of his property. Hidden in the wooded thicket is a three-foot-tall rusted tube jutting out of the ground.
A Pennsylvania prosecutor is investigating a misconduct allegation against Bishop Kevin Rhoades of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend. The allegation is being investigated by the Dauphin County District Attorney’s office and Pennsylvania ChildLine.
ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – Many American soldiers who attempt suicide have no prior mental health diagnosis, according to the most recent study to make use of data collected by the U.S. Army and the National Institute of Mental Health.
ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – More details are emerging about upcoming funeral services for the late U.S. Senator John McCain.
ROCHESTER, NY (WBFO) – People with special needs will have access to new ID cards that state Sen. Pam Helming says will help them communicate with emergency responders.
TRANSFORMING HEALTH:- Rural hospitals see an average of 10 percent more Medicare and Medicaid patients than elsewhere, according to Hospital and Health System Association of Pennsylvania. Those insurers pay less than commercial insurance. Rural hospitals also have a higher rate of patients who have no means of payment. (Stock image)
ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – New York Senator Chuck Schumer took aim at the conception of the opioid epidemic as an urban concern Friday.
BUFFALO, NY (WBFO) – New York State Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia is speaking out against a proposal to use federal dollars to buy guns for educators. WBFO’s senior reporter Eileen Buckley got reaction when Commissioner Elia appeared in Buffalo Friday.
Pennsylvania Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott Wagner has a plan to pump an additional $1 billion into public schools without raising taxes. He says he’d do four things to make that happen: privatize the sale of alcohol, lease its liquor wholesale system, slash corporate welfare “that has no positive economic impact,” and reform the welfare system.
BUFFALO, NY (WBFO) – Republican county chairs from across the 27th Congressional District say they have three weeks to decide who they want to replace Congressman Chris Collins on the November ballot. They spent much of Tuesday huddled at Batavia Downs discussing the issue and hearing from nine potential candidates.
TRANSFORMING HEALTH – The Pennsylvania Department of Insurance is requiring companies to put a consumer notice on short-term, limited duration health insurance plans indicating that they aren’t regulated and may not offer much of what people have come to expect from health insurance.
HARRISBURG, PA (KEYSTONE CROSSROADS) — A lawsuit that could reshape the way Pennsylvania funds its public schools has cleared another legal roadblock.
ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – Cooperstown, New York means one thing to baseball fans – the Hall of Fame, And another thing to opera fans – The Glimmerglass Festival, held every summer.
For years, Arthur Baselice Jr. has been in a self-imposed exile. He doesn’t like leaving his house. He avoids large family gatherings. He frequently bursts into tears. It’s been that way for more than a decade.
But the source of his pain began much earlier.
KEYSTONE CROSSROADS – More than 300 “predator priests” allegedly sexually abused over one thousand victims in six Pennsylvania Catholic dioceses for decades, while bishops and other high-ranking church officials covered it up and urged victims not to go to the police.
HARRISBURG, PA (WITF) – State lawmakers say they’re awaiting feedback from the state’s 500 school districts and 300 private school entities before they can disburse the first wave of funding to improve school safety. The funds are part of Act 44, a bipartisan bill signed into law in the months after the Parkland, Florida school shooting that killed 17 people.
A long-awaited grand jury investigation into clergy sexual abuse in Pennsylvania was released Tuesday in an interim, redacted form — detailing decades of alleged misconduct and cover-ups in six of the state’s eight Roman Catholic dioceses.
BUFFALO, NY (WBFO) – Republican Party chairs from the eight counties in the 27th congressional district spent three hours talking Tuesday night about how to get indicted Rep. Chris Collins (R-Clarence) off the November ballot and find a replacement.
BUFFALO, NY (WBFO) – Philip Smith is a physical education teacher in the Buffalo school system — and a longtime renter. But he wanted to build some capital, so he started looking to buy a house.
The National Defense Authorization Act for 2019 gives troops their largest pay increase in nearly a decade and starts laying the groundwork for the president’s proposed Space Force.
KEYSTONE CROSSROADS – In a new campaign ad, Pennsylvania U.S. Senator Bob Casey attacks his opponent, Republican U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta for his vote seven years ago to restructure the Medicare program. Barletta’s campaign says the ad is repeating a proven lie.
BUFFALO, NY (WBFO) – The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network has released its latest progress report on how states are doing when it comes to passing and implementing policies and legislation to prevent cancer. “How Do You Measure Up?” gave New York generally good grades.
Lyme disease is continuing its westward march across New York state.
Some political onlookers agree, arguing the combination of post-Parkland mobilization and Trump-related backlash will unleash a wave of young voters this fall.
Organophosphates drain off farms and make their way to the ocean, where they could be harming sea creatures like whales, dolphins and manatees
STATE IMPACT PENNSYLVANIA – A battle is brewing over how to protect streams in the Poconos.
BUFFALO, NY (WBFO) – A movement that started with scared homeowners, strange smells and a collection of health symptoms celebrates an anniversary today. Forty years after President Jimmy Carter first declared Love Canal a national health emergency, former housewife and activist Lois Gibbs looks back and realizes that the people she mobilized were the start of something a lot bigger.
ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – Researchers at the Rochester Institute of Technology released the region’s first-ever catalog of responses to the growing opioid epidemic.
BUFFALO, NY (WBFO) – New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli is reporting strong growth in local state sales tax collections through the first half of the year.
TRANFORMING HEALTH – The Hospital and Health System Association of Pennsylvania warns consumers to “read the fine print” before changing over to short-term, high deductible health insurance.
STATE IMPACT PENNSYLVANIA – In a rare move for Republican lawmakers, U.S. Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick of Bucks County and Carlos Curbelo of Florida have teamed up to introduce a climate change bill — a big one.
WILKES-BARRE, PA (WHYY) — President Trump rallied supporters in Wilkes-Barre on Thursday to push for the Senate candidacy Lou Barletta, a challenger to two-term Pennsylvania U.S. Senator Bob Casey.
ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – The aging rail infrastructure in New York and across the country needs immediate attention before a “nightmare scenario” occurs, according to Sen. Chuck Schumer.
HARRISBURG, PA (WITF) — The leader of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg released a list of clergy accused child sex abuse. The list includes allegations dating back to 1947, and it names 71 clergy members. More than half of those men are already dead.
KEYSTONE CROSSROADS — Republican gubernatorial nominee Scott Wagner released an attack ad Wednesday ripping Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf over education policy.
SYRACUSE, NY (WRVO) – A high school student from Saratoga County who went undercover in May to record Democrat Tedra Cobb at an event for teenagers was paid three times by the National Republican Congressional Committee.
Like many others, Stacy Zeigler’s story of addiction begins in a doctor’s office.
ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – Forty men and women in hospital gowns flitted in and out of the break room at the University of Rochester Medical Center with an energy at odds with their attire.
ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – A national farmers market association announced Thursday that it’s staving off the closure of the company that processes food stamp benefits at 40 percent of the farmers markets across the country, including hundreds in New York state.
ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – The latest numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show suicide rates continuing to climb nationwide. In New York, the CDC found that the rate has risen almost 30 percent since 1999.
Since 9/11, American troops have been focused much of their training on the fight against insurgent groups in the Middle East. But now, the military is preparing for the possibility of war with nations that have bigger, more sophisticated armed forces.
TRANSFORMING HEALTH – Initiatives to prevent addiction and help those who need treatment show signs of working, Wolf Administration officials said at a press briefing.
ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – The company behind the software that turns SNAP benefits into the tokens used at the Rochester Public Market has announced that it’s going out of business.
TRANSFORMING HEALTH – Prescriptions for opioids fell 29 percent nationwide from 2013 to 2017, according to Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.
A Purdue professor has found that rooms rented on sites such as Airbnb benefit white neighborhoods, but do less good for black and Latino areas.
KEYSTONE CROSSROADS — President Trump recently signed the Supporting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Act into law.
TRANSFORMING HEALTH – The U.S. Health and Human Services department has put a freeze on $10.4 billion in funding that was expected to go to Affordable Care Act insurers later this year, raising questions about the future of the exchange in Pennsylvania and elswhwere.
A Pennsylvania judge heard uncontested evidence that ICE agents violated constitutional rights during an arrest last year, but that wasn’t enough to stop deportation proceedings.
ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – The Trump administration is suspending a federal program that sent billions of dollars from health insurers with largely healthy customers to insurers with larger numbers of customers with chronic illnesses or other pre-existing conditions.
ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – A group of researchers at Cornell University has developed a new, faster test to determine whether bacteria are present in beach water.
U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer introduced a bill Monday that would compel the U.S. Postal Service to allow veterans’ groups to solicit donations on post office property.
KEYSTONE CROSSROADS — Governor Tom Wolf called for a major change to the way Pennsylvania funds schools Friday, advocating for the state to distribute its largest pot of school money in a way that would benefit the majority of students in the state, but would likely cause deep cuts in many districts.
BUFFALO, NY (WSKG) – The Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo on Thursday placed four more priests on administrative leave, in response to complaints of alleged sexual abuse. Additionally, the Diocese of Buffalo announced claims against three other priests have been substantiated while a fourth has been exonerated and reinstated.
KEYSTONE CROSSROADS — The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in a 5-4 decision that public sector union employees can choose not to pay union dues or fees, a move that could damage union finances and limit their political clout.
HARRISBURG, PA (WSKG) — A long-awaited study out of the state General Assembly offered a scathing assessment of the state’s capital punishment system this week, saying the death penalty comes at a high cost to state taxpayers without deterring crime.
ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – Two candidates in the five-way Democratic primary race for the 23rd Congressional District are separated by less than 30 votes.
ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced new protections for transgender New Yorkers on Sunday, saying the state health department will add gender identity to a non-discrimination list that already includes race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, age and source of payment.
ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – A Rochester hospital is the first in the state—and one of the first in the country—to replace a patient’s heart valve and discharge him the same day.
To celebrate summer’s splendor, we share our summer reading list. This is a collection of books you can sink into, spend some extra time with, pages and passages waiting to be pored over unhurriedly. These are stories and topics meant to savor.
ALBANY, NY (WSKG) – Prosecutors and lawyers for the defense gave opening statements Monday in the bid rigging trial of a former associate of Gov. Cuomo and two upstate development firms, who are accused of fraudulently obtaining lucrative taxpayer-funded state contracts.
For generations, coal power has fueled American prosperity. But for each shovelful thrown into the furnaces, a pile of ash was left in its place.
ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – Should a state registry list domestic violence perpetrators? State legislators, experts and advocates have been wrestling with that question for years.
ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – The New York State Public Service Commission has laid down the law to Charter Communications – the parent company of Spectrum – in a scathing order, for failing to meet the terms set when Charter acquired Time Warner Cable in 2016.
ALBANY, NY (WSKG) — The state Auditor General is launching a review of Pennsylvania’s voting and registration process, following up on concerns Russians attempted to interfere in the 2016 elections.
KEYSTONE CROSSROADS – The home improvement chain Lowe’s has suspended its practice of checking customers’ receipts at the exits of its stores.
Ebro Darden and Peter Rosenberg remain vocal gatekeepers in an era of SoundCloud rappers and soundalike playlists.
On May 31, President Donald Trump announced that the 25 percent steel and 10 percent aluminum tariffs that had been temporarily exempt for the EU, Canada and Mexico would go into effect in June. Mexico answered with some counter-tariffs, including one on U.S. apples.
KEYSTONE CROSSROADS – Most of Pennsylvania’s 500 school districts plan to ask for tax hikes this fiscal year and about half expect their finances to get worse, according to an annual census conducted by school administrators and business officials.
ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – A new report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration says the amount of crude oil being shipped by rail through New York state has increased. This includes Bakken crude oil, a highly volatile version of crude oil.
The hero in “The Devil’s Half Mile” is investigating the death of his father, who may have been involved in some shady deals.
HARRISBURG, PA (WITF) – State Attorney General Josh Shapiro is fighting the Trump Administration’s rule to allow employers to cut birth control coverage from health insurance plans. Shapiro recently filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals.
SYRACUSE, NY (WRVO) – Concern about access to health care is an issue that both candidates in the race for the Democratic nomination in the 24th Congressional District are concentrating on as the June 26 primary date approaches.
STATE IMPACT PENNSYLVANIA – Five men are facing federal charges related to the Clean Air Act in Pennsylvania.
STATE IMPACT PENNSYLVANIA — The commonwealth’s population growth has been concentrated in the State College area, suburban Pittsburgh and southeastern Pennsylvania.
For Father’s Day, PBS Books has put together a list of terrific books for you to give to the special men in your life.
Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Nilo Cruz has written a play specifically for the anniversary of the Spanish language theater.
KEYSTONE CROSSROADS – The Pennsylvania Legislature is poised to soon make history as it welcomes its first openly gay lawmaker of color.
KEYSTONE CROSSROADS – Legislation is on the move in Harrisburg that could give parents more school choices and siphon millions from traditional public schools.
HARRISBURG, PA (WITF) – Pennsylvania lags behind the national average for access to mental health care providers, according to Hospital and Health System Association’s analysis of data from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Tom Wolfe wasn’t interested in fitting in. In his signature white suit, the best-selling author and journalist described himself as “the village information gatherer.” Wolfe died Monday in a New York hospital.
SYRACUSE, NY (WRVO) – The adage that a pear-shaped body is healthier than an apple-shaped body is prevalent in today’s health literature, but experts and research suggest that genes are to blame for the body types, and America’s cultural obsession with changing body shape is causing women in particular a lot of emotional and physical strain.
KEYSTONE CROSSROADS – A few months before he was assassinated, Martin Luther King Jr. launched the Poor People’s Campaign, an effort to end poverty in the U.S. Today, more than 50 years later – under the leadership of the Rev. William J. Barber of North Carolina and Dr. Liz Theoharis of New York – activists are reigniting the civil rights leader’s unfinished fight.
ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – Regional transit experts are working hard to improve local transportation. They say they want to reduce the dependency on cars but in an area like upstate New York, that’s not easy.
STATE IMPACT PENNSYLVANIA – Pittsburgh attorney Laura Ellsworth, Pittsburgh businessman Paul Mango, and state Sen. Scott Wagner (R-York County) are running for the Republican nomination to oppose Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat.
KEYSTONE CROSSROADS — After some of the civil rights victories of the 1960’s Martin Luther King Jr. turned his focus to poverty, and launched the Poor People’s Campaign to press for things like affordable housing and livable wages.
Rates of major depression are up 63 percent among teens, and are up nearly 50 percent among young adults.
15 years on the Erie Canal? Try 100. The New York State Canal System is officially 100 years old and the Canal Society of New York and the State Canal Corporation celebrated the big day on Thursday with a ceremony
KEYSTONE CROSSROADS – In a plush, wood-paneled meeting room that’s likely seen its share of erudition, Zartman slides a book cover onto the projector’s flat service and reads the title aloud: “Betty Bunny Wants Everything.”
TATE IMPACT PENNSYLVANIA – Freshwater mussels function as nature’s water treatment plants. Each animal can filter up to 600 gallons of water per month. Working together, they can dramatically clean the water of the rivers they live in.
LITTLE ROCK, AR (KUAR) The Arkansas Department of Human Services has taken temporary control over two nursing homes in the state over concerns of nonpayment of food vendors.
ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – Guitarist Lawrence Johnson recorded the complete works of early-nineteenth century composer Fernando Sor – using equipment that the guitarist got in a trade for a Volkswagen.
(Harrisburg) — State officials have sent letters to 7,702 registered voters in Pennsylvania who they have reason to believe may not be citizens, and thus ineligible to vote.
A Pew study says that 20 percent of Americans who identify as Muslims are converts. With surges in hate crimes and negative media portrayals, here’s what makes them faithful.
Buffalo, NY (WBFO) – A recent discovery at the Buffalo Museum of Science has the scientific community buzzing. A team uncovered a fully-intact elephant bird egg while digitally cataloging the museum’s oological collection.
STATE COLLEGE, PA (WPSU) – Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro’s office is appealing the dismissal of some charges in the case of the hazing death of Penn State student Timothy Piazza.
BINGHAMTON, NY (WSKG) – After over 35 years of entertaining public radio audiences, Host/Producer Mike Flynn is retiring. In a letter sent out earlier this month, Flynn announced production of The Folk Sampler will stop at the end of June.
The French magazine Charlie Hebdo describes itself as a punch in the face. So get ready America, because Charlie Hebdo is coming to town, online and in English.
STATE IMPACT PENNSYLVANIA – The federal government has opened a review on whether its policies governing approval of interstate natural-gas pipelines should be revamped, an issue often raised by critics of the rapid expansion of industry infrastructure in New Jersey.
HARRISBURG, PA (WITF) – York County Solicitor Glenn Smith knows the county coroner’s phone number by heart. He calls often to get the most recent number of drug overdose deaths, a number that increases almost every day. “As of today?” said County Coroner Pam Gay. “Twenty-two confirmed, another 25 suspected.
The arrests of two black men at a Philadelphia Starbucks sparked Twitter users to share their stories of how African-Americans are treated in predominantly white spaces.
A report by the CDC said the bacteria has infected at least 53 people, including 31 who have been hospitalized. The agency’s advice: Throw out pre-cut romaine lettuce grown in Yuma, Ariz.
ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – A controversial panel at the Dentzel Carousel in Ontario Beach Park will soon be replaced by a new image featuring a black panther.
The eggs were sold in nine states, according to the FDA. They are labeled under a number of brands, including Coburn Farms, Country Daybreak, the Food Lion store brand, Great Value and Sunshine Farms.
ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – One day, Rebecca Shriver was at work, helping an elderly patient get to the bathroom, when the patient became unsteady.
Todd Brassner, 67, who died Saturday, reportedly told his friend that he wanted out of the building, which had become “an armed camp” since Trump’s 2016 election.
HARRISBURG, PA (WITF) – Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf speaks in an undated photo. The governor has renewed the 90-day “disaster emergency” declaration for the opioid crisis, a move that he says allows the state government to cut through some rules and help people struggling with addiction.
Trying to flee the war in Yemen, some U.S. passport holders are stuck in Djibouti due to slow immigration processes and the Trump administration’s ban on travel from countries including Yemen.
HARRISBURG, PA (WITF) – As the opioid epidemic ravages communities, the state has partnered with University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health and the Aetna Foundation to combat the crisis. The Wolf administration hopes to improve its recently launched “opioid data dashboard,” an online, public tool that provides county-level information on things like the number of people saved with the overdose-reversing drug naloxone. Pitt’s role is to help interpret that data, while Aetna is providing a one-million dollar grant. Read full story here.
KEYSTONE CROSSROADS – Last week’s 2,200-page omnibus congressional spending bill nearly doubled funding for construction work led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Exactly how the money will be allocated is still being determined by Army Corps’ headquarters.
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member Patti Smith performs in honor of her late husband, Fred “Sonic” Smith, and helps with his posthumous induction into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame.
GREAT LAKES TODAY – Key federal funding for the Great Lakes has survived again thanks to Congress. This is the second time President Trump proposed a big cut to the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. And Congress restored it full: $300 million for the 2019 budget year. Since 2009, the initiative has funded thousands of projects that help the Great Lakes by cleaning up pollution, combating invasive species, and protecting wetlands. And it has received support from Democrats and Republicans in Congress.
Hawking was a theoretical physicist who changed how scientists think about gravity. He also wrote the best-selling book A Brief History of Time and lent his machine-aided voice to TV shows. He was 76.
Regulators are working hard to avoid a repeat of last year’s flooding on Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. The International Lake Ontario St. Lawrence River Board, which manages water levels, set a record last month for most water pushed downriver in any month since the dam was built in the 1950s.
Governor Andrew Cuomo is urging congressional Democrats to reject President Trump’s plan to build a wall along the Mexican border. He addressed the 2018 SOMOS gala in Albany Saturday night, saying the border wall is a symbol of the Trump’s administration’s anti-immigrant policies.
A helicopter carrying six people crashed into New York City’s East River on Sunday evening, killing all five passengers, while the pilot managed to escape.
SYRACUSE, NY (WRVO) – Experts on harmful algal blooms in bodies of water across upstate are developing plans and informing the public on solutions to the problem. The blooms can negatively affect drinking water quality and recreational use of lakes.
GREAT LAKES TODAY – Canada and the province of Ontario recently released their plan to combat toxic algae blooms in Lake Erie. Phosphorus is the primary cause of the blooms that turn parts of the lake green most summers.
ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – A local rapper is at the center of a free speech debate because of a song he recorded that local law enforcement says amounts to a terroristic charge.
Several environmental groups have asked the Commonwealth Court for an injunction to halt Sunoco/Energy Transfer Partners’ Mariner East 2 pipeline construction.
Dick’s Sporting Goods announced it will stop selling assault-style rifles like the one used in the Florida high school shooting and won’t sell firearms to anyone under 21. NPR’s Ailsa Chang speaks with Cornell University business ethics professor Dana Radcliffe, who also teaches ethics and public policy at Syracuse University, about the company’s decision.
Local gun rights advocates and anti-gun violence activists are offering their thoughts on Wednesday morning’s announcement by a national sporting goods chain that it is ending sales of military-style assault rifles and raising the minimum age for all gun sales to 21. Dick’s Sporting Goods chief executive officer Ed Stack announced his company’s policy changes during an appearance on ABC’s Good Morning America on the same day students were returning to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. It was at the school accused gunman Nikolas Cruz carried out a mass shooting that left 17 dead and many more wounded. “I applaud them. I think they’re becoming great, responsible corporate citizens,” said Paul McQuillen, Upstate Coordinator for the group New Yorkers Against Gun Violence.
CEO Ed Stack announced Wednesday that the national retailer is also banning the sale of all guns to customers under the age of 21. The company is one of the country’s largest sports retailers.
Central York District parent Linda Veras-Lopez, center, leans her head on her 14-year-old son Tyler Shields’ shoulder during a press conference outside the Springettsbury Township Police Department Thursday.
Throughout the years, WSKG-TV has shown numerous programs including “NOVA: Making North America,” “American Experience,” news programs like “Frontline,” musical programs like “Expressions,” and it’s most popular locally produced show, “Let’s Polka!” Now, it looks like WSKG-TV will be having its last polka in Tompkins and Cortland counties. WSKG announced Spectrum plans to drop the TV station in the Ithaca and Cortland areas in the coming weeks. Read full story here.
Steve Bannon, Kellyanne Conway and Long Island billionaire Robert Mercer launched a group called Reclaim New York even before they helped put Donald Trump in the White House. Mercer’s daughter Rebekah, also a conservative powerhouse, is active in setting policy.
Darrin Ball was at his day job at an upstate fire department last summer when the phone rang. “One of my relatives had called me and said ‘Hey, did you check your mail yet?’ And I said, ‘No, why?’ And she goes, ‘Well, there’s a very interesting piece of mail in there with your photo all over it,’” Ball said.
The National Rifle Association has called the AR-15 the “most popular rifle in America” and estimates Americans own more than 8 million of them. The NRA says the gun is popular because it’s “customizable, adaptable, reliable and accurate.” Those features may also explain why it’s also become a weapon of choice for mass shootings.
An environmental group says that Pennsylvania’s gas drilling industry is releasing much more methane into the atmosphere than the state is reporting. Scientists at the Environmental Defense Fund calculated Pennsylvania’s Marcellus shale industry is emitting twice as much methane as companies are reporting to the state’s Department of Environmental Protection. The analysis, posted to the group’s website, is based on 16 peer-reviewed studies funded in part by EDF, including some involving oil and gas companies. Read full story here.
ROCHESTER, NY (WXXI) – Even though ovarian cancer is the fifth most common cause of cancer-related death for women, a national task force upholds its recommendation against screening for it. That’s because the screening methods available create more problems than solutions, according to the statement.
On Point radio host Tom Ashbrook has been dismissed from WBUR. Ashbrook, who has hosted the nationally syndicated show for 16 years, was placed on leave in December 2017 after 11 current and former station employees filed complaints of sexual misconduct and bullying that spanned the past 10 years.
Sunoco is appealing the Department of Environmental Protection’s January 3 order to halt construction on the Mariner East 2 natural gas liquids pipeline.
KEYSTONE CROSSROADS – In a full majority opinion released Wednesday, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court found that the state’s congressional district map deprives voters’ of their right to “free and equal” elections as protected by the Pennsylvania Constitution.
The Pennsylvania governor’s proposed spending plan includes $33 million to combat the opioid epidemic that is ravaging communities and that has claimed the lives of more than 5,000 Pennsylvanians last year.
HARRISBURG (WSKG) — In the midst of a fraught battle over state congressional maps, and during an increasingly-heated midterm election year, Governor Tom Wolf has released his budget proposal for the 2018-19 fiscal year–the fourth and final one of his first term.
KEYSTONE CROSSROADS – After Philadelphia U.S. Rep. Bob Brady’s surprise announcement last week that he will not seek re-election, Pennsylvania now has six open congressional seats for the midterm election. Those vacancies are due to incumbents retiring, a run for U.S. Senate, and scandal.
ALBANY (WSKG) – Two state lawmakers have introduced a bill to make laundry pods less attractive, and have sent a letter to Procter & Gamble, calling on the company to overhaul its colorful liquid detergent “Tide PODs.”
ALBANY (WSKG) – Testimony at the trial of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s former top aide, Joe Percoco, has highlighted some practices inside the governor’s office that government reform groups say is at the very least questionable, and possibly even illegal.
KEYSTONE CROSSROADS – Responding to charges of bias in the state gerrymandering lawsuit, Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Christine Donohue and David Wecht defended their involvement in the case in filings that posted Monday.
KEYSTONE CROSSROADS – U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito has denied the request for a stay on the ruling overturning Pennsylvania’s congressional district map. Republican lawmakers, who were sued for creating an unconstitutionally gerrymandered congressional map, had turned to the nation’s top court after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s split decision in January.
HARRISBURG (WSKG) — Pennsylvania Republicans have lost what was likely their best shot at getting out of redrawing congressional maps, after the state Supreme Court declared them unconstitutional. GOP legislative leaders had appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court on the grounds the state court decision violated the US constitution. But Justice Samuel Alito declined to issue a stay. House Majority Leader Dave Reed said there may be nothing else opponents of the redistricting decision can do to change the situation. “I mean look, I think generally when the U.S. Supreme Court speaks, that tends to be the end of it,” he said.
HARRISBURG (WSKG) — Governor Tom Wolf is releasing his fourth budget proposal today. It will lay out his preferences for spending and funding for the 2018-19 fiscal year.
SYRACUSE (WRVO) – Water levels in the Great Lakes basin are once again higher than normal, similar to what happened last year ahead of the historic flooding that occurred along Lake Ontario’s southern shore. Federal and state officials are working to avoid a repeat, but some say it’s not enough.
ALBANY (WSKG) – A Republican candidate for governor is calling for hearings on controversial tourism signs that the Cuomo administration set up on the New York State Thruway and other highways. The federal government said the signs are illegal and will withhold federal funds if they are not removed.
KEYSTONE CROSSROADS – Republican lawmakers say the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the state’s congressional map should be vacated due to a Democratic justice’s stated bias against the way the districts were drawn in 2011.
ROCHESTER (WXXI) – Rallies across New York State were held Saturday to call on the federal government for continued support in Puerto Rico.
ROCHESTER (WXXI) – New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is calling for a federal agency to take emergency action to help residents along the Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence River shorelines deal with flooding problems.
SYRACUSE (WRVO) – The number of people testing positive for the flu this winter has been rising rapidly in New York State and central New York. According to the state health department, more than 11,000 thousand cases of the flu were confirmed in the state during the week ending January 27, a 50 percent increase from the week before.
SYRACUSE (WRVO) – If a National Grid rate hike is approved by the state Public Service Commission, residential customers could be paying $16 more a month on their electric and gas bills over the next three years. Critics say the increase could hurt the most vulnerable.
ALBANY (WSKG) The bribery trial of Governor Cuomo’s former top aide, Joe Percoco, begins its third week in federal court Monday. Cuomo has not commented on the proceedings, and has instead been busy focusing on other topics.
HARRISBURG (WSKG) — With at least 18 state House republicans and four GOP senators likely leaving their seats this year, Pennsylvania’s legislative races could present a big opportunity for Democrats.
ROCHESTER (WXXI) – Supporters of the Child Victims Act hope the momentum of the #MeToo movement will improve their chances of getting the legislation passed in New York this year.
SYRACUSE (WRVO) – Central New York Rep. John Katko (R-Camillus) said Thursday it would be very bad if a memo from the House Intelligence Committee shows people with political motivations skewed special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into ties between Russia and President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign.
While the president mentioned energy in his first State of the Union speech Tuesday night, he offered few details about his energy priorities.
Pennsylvania is expected to bring in $46.1 million more this year from natural gas impact fees, according to an estimate published Wednesday by the state’s Independent Fiscal Office.
HARRISBURG (WSKG) — Pennsylvania’s 2018 gubernatorial hopefuls have filed their fundraising and spending reports for last year.
HARRISBURG (WSKG) – Top Senate Republicans are refusing to hand over congressional district data to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
ROCHESTER (WXXI) – Industry experts and retirees are weighing in on Wednesday’s news that Fuji and Xerox will merge, with the Japanese company taking a controlling interest in the new venture.
SYRACUSE (WRVO) – Central New York Republican Rep. John Katko said President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address Tuesday night struck a bipartisan tone, was presidential and not combative.
ALBANY (WSKG) – Gov. Andrew Cuomo is expected to call for special elections to be held April 24 to fill two empty Senate seats, according to a state official who confirmed the date. The news is fueling hopes among Senate Democrats that they can gain control of the chamber before the end of the session.
KEYSTONE CROSSROADS – Sandwiched in an office between an eyebrow threading salon and a gadget repair shop in South Philadelphia, congressional candidate Nina Ahmad has been closely studying the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s recent decision to strike down the state’s district map.
SYRACUSE (WRVO) – Wednesday is the deadline for New York State pistol permit holders to recertify their permits with state police. State police said they are focused on informing handgun owners about the requirement, which is a provision of the state’s SAFE Act. The deadline applies to those who were issued a pistol permit before January 2013.
HARRISBURG (WSKG) — A week into the three-week period the state Supreme Court allotted lawmakers to redraw Pennsylvania’s congressional maps, not much concrete progress has been made.
HARRISBURG (WSKG) — A statewide audit has found a number of school districts across Pennsylvania have employed bus drivers that should be banned from the job–and still more have drivers that aren’t properly cleared.
Environmental groups are pushing Governor Tom Wolf to advocate more for green causes as the Democrat gears up for the final year of his first term and runs for reelection.
ALBANY (WSKG) – A third Republican candidate has announced his intention to run for governor against Democrat Andrew Cuomo. Syracuse-area Sen. John DeFrancisco said he thinks it’s time for a change.
HARRISBURG (WSKG) — After a year marked by lower-than expected income and intractable budget problems, Pennsylvania’s finances appear to be on an upswing.
HARRISBURG (WSKG) — Almost three weeks into a statewide disaster declaration, a new Opioid Operations Command Center is up and running.
SYRACUSE (WRVO) – An attempt by New York state to dismiss a lawsuit against its program that supports financially struggling nuclear power plants with fees collected on ratepayer’s utility bills has been rejected.
SYRACUSE (WRVO) – Community health centers in central New York and across the country have been operating without long-term funding from the federal government since September. Sen. Charles Schumer said he is fighting to fully renew the program.
ALBANY (WSKG) – The head of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s economic development programs said he doesn’t think federal corruption trials now taking place will have any effect on the projects.
Scientists might have found a new way to combat white-nose syndrome, a disease caused by a fungus killing millions of bats in the U.S. and Canada.
Governor Tom Wolf said Friday he never made a campaign pledge to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative —a market-based effort among northeastern states to limit carbon emissions.
A senior staffer for Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf asked the state’s chief environmental regulator not to send letters to Sunoco detailing problems with its permit applications for a controversial pipeline project until the governor was updated, according to text messages obtained through a lawsuit.
SYRACUSE (WRVO) – Southern Tier Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-New Hartford) is donating her Congressional paycheck that she received during the federal government’s recent shutdown. She made donations to organizations like the Central New York Veteran’s Outreach Center in Utica for each day of the shutdown, about $300 per check.
SYRACUSE (WRVO) – The $15 million taxpayer-funded Central New York Film Hub in DeWitt has gotten criticism for not being utilized enough by production companies over the years. But a new virtual CNY film office wants to bring more movie business to the hub and the region.
ALBANY (WSKG) – New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the governors of New Jersey and Connecticut said they intend to soon file a multi-state lawsuit against the federal tax overhaul law over the partial loss of the deduction of state and local taxes.
A section of the controversial Mariner East 2 pipeline showed scrapes and a gouge in its coating during construction in Ohio last year, federal regulators said, in a recent statement that has fueled activists’ concern about the safety of the line.
As state lawmakers keep looking for ways to plug an estimated billion-dollar hole in Pennsylvania’s budget, they are scrutinizing state agencies’ use of special funds, which include money to promote environmental programs.
The Delaware River Basin Commission heard its first public comments on the proposal to ban fracking in the watershed this week in Wayne County and Philadelphia. If the DRBC approves the proposal, it would cement a current de-facto moratorium on drilling. But it remains controversial.
HARRISBURG (WSKG) — Pennsylvania is being sued by five inmates for a blanket policy that keeps all death row prisoners in solitary confinement.
YSTONE CROSSROADS – Republican state lawmakers are asking the U.S. Supreme Court for a stay on the state court decision earlier this week that declared Pennsylvania’s congressional district map unconstitutional.
HARRISBURG (WSKG) – To date, Pennsylvania is earning significantly more money than expected from bids on its new mini-casino licenses.
This has to be one of the most Zen-like videos of the year: a snowy owl riding the icy waves of Lake Ontario. Now, it’s a hit on social media.
SYRACUSE (WRVO) – A new study shows that doctors may have more time than previously thought to successfully treat someone who has had a stroke. Doctors at Upstate Medical University in Syracuse see this as a new era in stroke treatment.
ROCHESTER (WXXI) – The New York Farm Bureau, the state’s largest agricultural lobbying and trade organization has released its annual list of budget priorities.
Pennsylvania’s upcoming congressional elections are in flux after the Pa. Supreme Court ruled this week that the state’s congressional map is unconstitutional. Things are especially complicated in the 18th Congressional District south of Pittsburgh.