News

The contest to succeed longtime New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver was supposed to give lawmakers two weeks to mull their options. Instead,  a decision between two candidates may be made before Silver's resignation from the post.

 Silver steps down effective Monday night. Waiting in the wings: Bronx Assemblyman Carl Heastie, who would become the first African-American speaker in New York, and Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan of Queens, who would be the first female speaker in state history. 

A new report shows that one in five Vermonters are living in "fuel poverty" — meaning they are having to spend more than 10 percent of their household income on energy costs.

Vermont's state auditor is asking lawmakers to beef up the information consumers have when they decide where to have a medical procedure done.

In New York, the Orange County district attorney says no criminal charges will be filed in connection with allegations made concerning a school district’s athletics team.

The USDA has launched a new school nutrition program that greatly expands the offer of free school meals to students.  The program could reach more than 8.8 million children in high poverty areas.  WAMC’s Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill spoke with USDA Under Secretary Kevin Concannon about the school meals option called the Community Eligibility Program.

Lake Placid's Olympic Flame Cauldron is being lit again to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the 1980 Winter Games held in the Adirondack Mountain village.

The ceremony is slated for 6 p.m. on Friday, February 13th — 35 years to the day from the original opening ceremony.

1980 Lake Placid Olympic Organizing Committee President Rev. J. Bernard Fell's opening ceremony speech will be the centerpiece of the program.

Health officials say a New York college student who now has measles recently traveled across the state on a train. So they want to make people aware while noting that most New Yorkers have been vaccinated against the disease.

The state Health Department said Friday that the Bard College student took a 1:20 p.m. Amtrak train from New York City's Penn Station to Albany and then to Niagara Falls this past Sunday.

A New York congresswoman will join with senior citizens in Westchester County Saturday afternoon to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Social Security.

Congresswoman Nita Lowey, the ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, will appear at The Esplanade Senior Residences in White Plains to talk about the importance of Social Security benefits. Senior citizens will share stories about how Social Security has positively affected their lives. They will then enjoy a celebratory cake. The first Social Security check was issued on January 31, 1940.

The Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts has a stake in Sunday’s Super Bowl between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks.

Sheldon Silver, the longtime speaker of the New York state Assembly, has resigned following federal charges that he took nearly $4 million in kickbacks.

Silver spokesman Michael Whyland says Friday that Silver filed a letter saying his resignation as Assembly leader will take effect at 11:59 p.m. Monday.

The 70-year-old Manhattan Democrat had already announced that he would relinquish the position he held for 21 years after he was arrested last week on federal corruption charges. He denies the charges and intends to hold on to his seat in the Assembly.