state news

Use of the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine is on pause in New York State. The FDA and CDC Tuesday morning recommended suspending usage of the vaccine after 6 women developed severe blood clots following inoculation. Appointments for the shot were cancelled at the state’s vaccination clinics, like the one at the New York State Fairgrounds.

Criminal justice advocates say they hope to build on victories in recent weeks like the legalization of adult recreational use of marijuana, to gain more reforms for members of Black and Brown communities who are incarcerated at a higher rate than white New Yorkers.

Six days after it was due, Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York State’s legislative leaders announced final agreement on $212 billion budget deal. The Senate and Assembly held a marathon session that was expected to last well into the night to approve the budget bills.

Critics of some of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s nursing home policies during the COVID-19 pandemic marked the anniversary of the controversial March 25, 2020 order that required the homes to take back from hospitals residents who were ill with the disease. They say an ongoing federal probe does not go far enough in investigating all that may have gone wrong in the governor’s management of nursing homes during the pandemic.  

With one week to go before the state budget deadline, Governor Andrew Cuomo and legislative leaders are at odds over key points of the spending plan, including whether to raise taxes on the wealthy and corporations by $7 billion. Meanwhile, the Assembly Speaker is refuting a claim by Cuomo that the Speaker’s COVID -19 diagnosis might make the budget late.

Congressmember Claudia Tenney (R-Utica) hasn’t wasted any time re-connecting with small businesses after taking office last month. Her recent tour of the 22nd District continues a tradition she began in her previous term.

The state Assembly Judiciary Committee held its first meeting of an impeachment inquiry of Governor Andrew Cuomo, over allegations that he sexually harassed several women, as well as other controversies, but the Chair of the committee, Charles Lavine, says it could be quite a while before it reaches any conclusions.