Partly Cloudy and Windy 40°
Business
Ocasio-Cortez Bears Most Blame For Loss Of Amazon HQ2, New Yorkers Say In New Poll Ocasio-Cortez Bears Most Blame For Loss Of Amazon HQ2, New Yorkers Say In New Poll
Ocasio-Cortez Bears Most Blame For Loss Of Amazon HQ2, New Yorkers Say In New Poll The majority of New Yorkers believe that losing the planned Amazon HQ2 headquarters in Queens is bad for the state and say Westchester high school graduate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is most to blame, according to a brand new Siena College poll. Last year, Amazon announced that it was planning to build two new Amazon HQ2 headquarters, one in Long Island City, and a second in northern Virginia, bringing more than 25,000 jobs to the region. Last month, the retail giant backed out of the deal, despite billions of dollars in state and local incentives. The newly released Siena Poll found that 67 …

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Politics
Video: Joined By Hillary Clinton, Cuomo Calls for Bolstering NY Abortion-, Birth-Control Rights Video: Joined By Hillary Clinton, Cuomo Calls for Bolstering NY Abortion-, Birth-Control Rights
Video: Joined By Hillary Clinton, Cuomo Calls for Bolstering NY Abortion-, Birth-Control Rights Flanked by former presidential nominee and fellow Town of New Castle resident Hillary Clinton, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo vowed that the Reproductive Health Act will be passed within the first 30 days of the legislative session, bolstering abortion- and birth-control rights statewide. "A woman's right to make her own decisions regarding her personal health is a fundamental right, yet Washington, with its extreme conservative agenda, continues to threaten the freedoms for which women have fought for decades to attain," Cuomo said during a speech at Barnard College in Manhattan on Monday,…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Politics
Stewart-Cousins' Elevation As NY's First Female Majority Leader Lauded By Cuomo, Pace President Stewart-Cousins' Elevation As NY's First Female Majority Leader Lauded By Cuomo, Pace President
Stewart-Cousins' Elevation As NY's First Female Majority Leader Lauded By Cuomo, Pace President There no longer will be "three men in a room" negotiating key state legislation, with the first woman in the state's history being tapped as a leader in the New York General Assembly. "Congratulations to Senate Democratic Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins on her much-deserved election to be leader of the Senate majority and the first African-American woman to lead a majority conference in the Legislature," Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a fellow Westchester Democrat, said in a statement on Monday, Nov. 26. Stewart-Cousins of Yonkers also drew praise from Pace University's president, where she received her …

SHARE

by Jon Craig
Politics
Stewart-Cousins Poised To Make History As Democrats Take Over State Senate Stewart-Cousins Poised To Make History As Democrats Take Over State Senate
Stewart-Cousins Poised To Make History As Democrats Take Over State Senate Do you know much about Andrew Stewart-Cousins? Her leadership style is so low-key and selfless that few constituents know much about her life. Yet, the Tuesday, Nov. 6 election has catapulted her to a position of huge political power in Albany. Democrats retained control of a majority of seats in the state Senate. Related story: Democrats Take Control of State Senate Come January, Stewart-Cousins is expected to become the first woman in state history to lead majority control of a legislative chamber in the New York General Assembly.  The 68-year-old Yonkers resident also is one o…

SHARE

by Jon Craig
Politics
Control Of State Senate Could Hinge On Hudson Valley Control Of State Senate Could Hinge On Hudson Valley
Control Of State Senate Could Hinge On Hudson Valley Democrats managed to pull six key Sept. 13 primary upsets in the state Senate, as reported here by Daily Voice, but have they raised enough money and voter support to take back the Republican-controlled chamber in Albany on Nov. 6? The Hudson Valley and Catskills are expected to play a pivotal role because the retirements of Republican Sens. John Bonacic and Bill Larkin created two open seats in the GOP-led Senate. Hudson Valley labor unions have added at least three local Senate races to their "get out the vote" phone bank call lists in the final days of the campaign. Meanwhile,…

SHARE

by Jon Craig
Politics
Former State Senate Leader, Son Sentenced To Prison For Corruption Convictions Former State Senate Leader, Son Sentenced To Prison For Corruption Convictions
Former State Senate Leader, Son Sentenced To Prison For Corruption Convictions Former New York State Majority Leader Dean Skelos and his son, Adam Skelos, have been sentenced for corruption charges. In Manhattan federal court, Dean Skelos was sentenced to 51 months in prison, while the younger Skelos got four years behind bars after being convicted twice of conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right, conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud, three counts of extortion under color of official right, and three counts of soliciting and receiving bribes.   In addition to the prison time, Dean Skelos was ordered to pay a $500,000 fine and sentenced …

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Politics
State AG Candidates Vow To Take On Corruption In Albany At Forum In Westchester State AG Candidates Vow To Take On Corruption In Albany At Forum In Westchester
State AG Candidates Vow To Take On Corruption In Albany At Forum In Westchester Candidates for Attorney General and state Senate visited the Mediterranean Political Action Committee in Yonkers on Thursday to discuss statewide issues. The election is Nov. 6. Democrat Letitia "Tish" James and Green Party Candidate Michael Sussman spoke at the forum, discussing the criminalizaing of mental illness, criminal justice reform, corruption in Albany, gender and race.Republican Keith Wofford did not attend.  "Mental illness should not be a crime, and poverty should not be a crime," James said.  Sussman pointed out that 40 elected officials have been prosecu…

SHARE

by Daily Voice
Politics
Former NY State Senate Majority Leader, Son Convicted Of Bribery, Extortion Former NY State Senate Majority Leader, Son Convicted Of Bribery, Extortion
Former NY State Senate Majority Leader, Son Convicted Of Bribery, Extortion Guilty, again. Former New York State Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos and his son, Adam Skelos, have been convicted on corruption charges in federal court. The two had previously been found guilty of the same offenses by a jury in December 2015, but their convictions were overturned by a U.S. Court of Appeals." United States Attorney Robert Khuzami announced Tuesday, July 17 that the Skelos’ have been found guilty of bribery, extortion and honest services fraud charges following a five-week trial in court. “For the second time, Dean Skelos repeatedly abused his official position to…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
News
Senate OKs Bill To Add 'TZB' To Official Bridge Name, But Assembly Adjourns Senate OKs Bill To Add 'TZB' To Official Bridge Name, But Assembly Adjourns
Senate OKs Bill To Add 'TZB' To Official Bridge Name, But Assembly Adjourns The debate over naming rights at the new Tappan Zee Bridge continues to rage, as officials remain split on the matter. The New York State Senate voted by a count of 40 to 20 in favor of a compromised bill to add the Tappan Zee Designation to the seldom-used official name of Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, but the Democratic-controlled State Assembly ended its annual legislative session without even putting the bill to a vote, leaving its future status uncertain at best. The bill was first introduced by State Sen. John DeFrancisco (R-District 50/Syracuse area). The Senate’s vote came late on Wed…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
News
110K-Signature Petition To Restore TZB As Official Name Delivered To Cuomo 110K-Signature Petition To Restore TZB As Official Name Delivered To Cuomo
110K-Signature Petition To Restore TZB As Official Name Delivered To Cuomo What’s in a name? The battle over naming rights of the new Tappan Zee Bridge came to a head on Thursday, as several members of Save Our Tappan Zee, a group dedicated to preserving the bridge’s namesake, printed out a change.org petition that garnered nearly 110,000 signatures from local residents lambasting the name “Mario M. Cuomo Bridge.” On Thursday, the delegation traveled to the State Capitol building in Albany to drop off a printed out list of the signatures, which called open state legislators and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to restore the previous name of the span connecting Rockland…

SHARE

by Zak Failla
Politics
Schneiderman Resigns As NY Attorney General Amid Abuse Claims Schneiderman Resigns As NY Attorney General Amid Abuse Claims
Schneiderman Resigns As NY Attorney General Amid Abuse Claims Eric Schneiderman resigned as New York State Attorney General just hours after he was accused of committing physical abuse while in romantic relationships by four women in a New Yorker story published Monday night. The 63-year-old Schneiderman said his last day on the job will be Tuesday. “It’s been my great honor and privilege to serve as Attorney General for the people of the State of New York," he said in a statement. "In the last several hours, serious allegations, which I strongly contest, have been made against me. "While these allegations are unrelated to my professio…

SHARE

by Joe Lombardi
Politics
Dems Gain Numerical State Senate Edge With Two Special Election Wins Dems Gain Numerical State Senate Edge With Two Special Election Wins
Dems Gain Numerical State Senate Edge With Two Special Election Wins http://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/politics/2018/04/24/election-night-bronx-district-32-westchester-district-37-state-senate-special-elections Strong Democratic victories by Democrats in Westchester County and the Bronx give that political party a one-seat Senate majority. But Republicans will stay in charge through the end of the legislative session in June because of an alliance with Democratic Sen. Simcha Felder of Brooklyn. Felder has long sided with the GOP. The most significant race on Tuesday was in Westchester County, where Democratic Assemblywoman Shelley Mayer of Yonkers easily d…

SHARE

by Jon Craig