New York NOW

Taking a Look at Foundation Aid

This week on New York Now, we take a look at Foundation Aid. After months of public roundtables, will state lawmakers move to change the formula that determines aid for public schools? The Times Union’s Rachel Silberstein speaks with three education advocates about why they think it should happen.
Ray Suarez chats with the Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb (R-Canandaigua) about vocal opposition to the state’s criminal justice reforms set to take effect January 1. The reforms include the elimination of cash bail, which has been particularly controversial.
And Casey Seiler leads a discussion of the week’s news on the Reporters Roundtable with Karen DeWitt and Dan Clark of the New York Law Journal.
 
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Can New York Indict a Sitting President?

As the impeachment hearings continue in Washington, New York has been at the center of President Donald Trump’s legal woes. From Federal cases concerning his family charity to investigations of business dealings with banks by State Attorney General Leticia James, the majority of his legal battles are being fought hundreds of miles from Washington—in the Empire State.
On this episode of New York Now, host Ray Suarez sits down with two Constitutional law scholars—Paul Finkelman of Gratz College and Vincent Bonventre of Albany Law School—to discuss what the future may hold for the president’s legal troubles, and what role New York state might play in that future.
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Senator Stewart-Cousins; Adirondack Overuse

Are New Yorkers loving the Adirondacks to death? Concerns about overuse in the park have spurred state action. Also, Karen DeWitt speaks to Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins about her priorities for the upcoming session. At the Reporters Roundtable, Casey Seiler leads a discussion of the week’s news with Karen DeWitt and Mike Gormley of Newsday.

Maternal Mortality, JCOPE & Cuomo

Did the NYS Joint Commission of Public Ethics illegally leak information to Governor Cuomo concerning the fate of his disgraced former aide Joe Percoco? We’ll have the latest on a secret investigation by the inspector general.
Also, we speak to a doctor on a state-appointed board that’s investigating the cause of maternal deaths in New York.
At our Reporters Roundtable, we analyze the week’s headlines with Casey Seiler of the Times Union and Brendan Lyons and Bill Mahoney of Politico New York.

Police Misconduct Records, Public Campaign Finance

Will state lawmakers repeal a controversial civil rights law that protects police misconduct records? We’ll take a look at the issue from both sides. We also examine how a new statewide public campaign finance system could affect future elections and third parties. At the Reporters Roundtable, Karen DeWitt and Bernadette Hogan of the New York Post join us to analyze this week’s news.

Will New York State Ban Flavored Vaping Products?

The latest on how the vaping-related health crisis is affecting New York.
We’ll also touch on another controversial ban state lawmakers may consider – prohibiting tackle football before age 12. A recent study revealed a link between an increased risk of the degenerative brain disease CTE and playing tackle at an early age.

The Path to Early Voting

On this episode of New York Now, it’s the eve of New York’s first early voting period.
We’ll be taking a look at how one county prepared for the process, which wasn’t as smooth as hoped. Many counties across the state struggled to find accessible polling places. Others dealt with upgrading voting technology to accommodate early voting. Will the state and counties iron out the wrinkles by next year for the presidential election? Join us.
The early voting period starts October 26 and ends November 3. Check your county board of elections for details on where you can vote early this year.At the Reporters Roundtable, Karen DeWitt and Michael Gormley of Newsday join us to analyze this week’s news.

State of Compensated Surrogacy in New York

On this episode of New York Now, we welcome award-winning journalist Ray Suarez to our ranks as host. He will be with us as interim host for the next several weeks.Join us for an in-depth look at the issue of compensated surrogacy. Governor Cuomo made a big push at the end of last session to get it through after the Senate approved it, but it fell flat in the Assembly. It’s likely to come up again in January.
At the Reporters Roundtable, Jesse McKinley of the New York Times and Anna Gronewald of Politco NY join us to analyze this week’s news.Join us this week on your local PBS station.

A Discussion on North Country Politics

Learn about the severe overcrowding of the Adirondacks with longtime Mountain Lake PBS journalist Thom Hallock. We'll also analyze why environmental groups are criticizing President Donald Trump's administration, the big election just north of the border next week and Congresswoman Elise Stefanik's shift more to the right in 2019.
 
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Safety Reforms Planned One Year After Tragic Schoharie Limo Crash

Senate minority leader Charles Schumer joined Congressional representatives Paul Tonko and Antonio Delgado to announce legislation pushing for limo safety, one year after the deadly Schoharie limo crash. New York now's Jessica Bloustein Marshall reports.