5:13
On Monday, New York state Attorney General Letitia James received the necessary referral letter from the executive chamber to independently investigate allegations of sexual harassment against Governor Andrew Cuomo. WAMC’s Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Allison Dunne reports on what lawmakers in her region think should happen next.
One of the women who accused Cuomo is former aide Charlotte Bennett. Westchester Democratic state Senator Shelley Mayer says Bennett resides in her 37th district.
“I’m very, very distressed and disappointed to hear of these allegations, and that’s why I believed and continue to believe a thorough investigation by a truly independent agency is so critical, and I will await the results of that investigation, at this point,” says Mayer.
6:20
The House is expected to pass the latest COVID relief package Friday or over the weekend. The American Rescue Plan includes $350 billion in funding for state and local governments, something for which Democratic New York Congressman Antonio Delgado has been advocating for some time. If the package is passed as is, his 19th District would see more than $400 million. He spoke with WAMC’s Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Allison Dunne Thursday afternoon.
Delgado says the $400 million for New York-19 includes aid for counties, towns, villages and hamlets.
If the package makes it to the president’s desk and is signed, and as it stands now, counties would receive funding directly from the Department of the Treasury within 60 days. The state would allocate funding to municipalities, with fewer than 50,000 residents, as is in the case in New York-19, within 30 days; for municipalities with more than 50,000 residents, 60 days.
6:24
Democratic Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan delivered his state-of-the-county address earlier this week. He spoke with WAMC’s Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Allison Dunne about the start of a basic income pilot program as well as initiatives under his Green New Deal.
Ryan’s address included two main themes.
“The first is building on all the resilience work that we did in the county with food delivery, childcare support, rent support, small business support, to add a new and really pretty innovative addition to that, which is a pilot program of universal basic income, essentially providing direct cash relief to families in Ulster County, as they try to get, you know, work their way out of the economic stress and challenges of the pandemic. So we re really excited about that one,” Ryan says. “And I think, not only will it have a direct impact for the 100 families that will participate in, in the program, but it will also add to this growing body of research and work natio
6:26
An annual eagle-viewing festival in the Hudson Valley is going virtual, for the most part, this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. WAMC’s Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Allison Dunne spoke with the head of a nonprofit nature preserve and environmental education center that organizes the event.
It’s called EagleFest, and it’s organized by Ossining-based Teatown, where Kevin Carter is executive director. After record-breaking crowds last year, Carter says the showcase for the migration of bald eagles to the Hudson River will be mainly online.
“So we felt that, you know, rather than canceling it altogether, that we would, we would extend it and make it a weeklong event with mostly virtual programs, but a couple of in-person programs as well, and that we would kind of try to keep the spirit and the DNA of the EagleFest event through virtual programs. So that means partnering up with organizations that we work with, it means working with the birding community and a number
12:09
On Friday, SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras traveled to Suffern to meet with Rockland Community College President Michael Baston. It’s one of the SUNY colleges that recently expanded its weekly COVID-19 pooled surveillance testing program as the 64-campus system proceeds through a fall semester marked by local coronavirus spikes and shutdowns. Governor Andrew Cuomo’s color-coded COVID zones have raised new questions about transmission for college towns and commuting students.
Just before arriving on campus, Malatras spoke with WAMC’s Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Allison Dunne about pooled testing, the abrupt leadership change at SUNY Oneonta, and plans for the Spring 2021 semester.