News

The mayor of Plattsburgh recently announced plans to seek developers who would partner with the city to redevelop a waterfront lot.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jay Gonzalez picked up two endorsements in Pittsfield, Massachusetts Monday.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has more than $31 million in his campaign coffers, according to the most recent July filings. That figure dwarfs the amount collected by his challengers Democrat Cynthia Nixon and Republican Marc Molinaro, who each have less than a million dollars in their war chests.

   A new project in urban agriculture is launching this week in western Massachusetts.

Meteorologist Garett Argianas delivers the evening weather forecast for Tuesday, July 17, 2018. 

On this week’s 51%, we meet a woman who teaches empathy. And she talks about the difference between boys and girls when it comes to empathy. I’m Allison Dunne and this is 51%.

Simon Winchester has taken on subjects as diverse as the volcanic explosion of Krakatoa to the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary. His latest, “The Perfectionists,” traces the development of technology from the Industrial Age to the Digital Age to explore the single component crucial to advancement: precision.

A former New York state Senate leader and his son have been convicted of bribery and extortion charges at their federal corruption trial. A jury reached the verdict on Tuesday in the case against Dean Skelos and his son, Adam.

Two Democratic state lawmakers from the Hudson Valley are calling on the Thruway Authority to cancel its contract extension with the company that operates New York’s cashless tolling system. They say the company’s operation at the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge has resulted in residents being charged unreasonable penalties and fines.

Are you planning a vacation or a weekend getaway? Travel planner Andrea Schwartz is in the studio to answer your questions. WAMC's Ray Graf hosts.

After the latest violent death, there are increasing calls for action as the city of Albany grapples with one of its bloodiest summers in recent history.

Newschannel 13 meteorologist Paul Caiano delivers the Midday Weather Summary for Tuesday, July 17, 2018.

The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development has awarded Vermont a $2 million dollar grant to help reduce youth homelessness in the state.

North Adams, Massachusetts is celebrating baseball across the nation with "One Country, One Game: A Celebration of Baseball."  “Shades of Greatness” from the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City anchors the exhibit, which also includes features on Berkshire County players like Hall of Famer Frank Grant and Jack Chesbro and memorabilia from Berkshire County teams through the years.

Dan Bosley is a lifelong baseball fan and was the president of the North Adams SteepleCats, a team in the New England Collegiate Baseball League for 7 years following 24 years in the Massachusetts State House. The North Adams SteepleCats have had over 120 former players drafted into professional baseball with nine making it to the Major Leagues.

In the final scene of Henrik Ibsen’s 1879 ground-breaking masterwork, “A Doll’s House,” Nora Helmer makes the shocking decision to leave her husband and children and begin a life on her own. Lucas Hnath’s “A Doll’s House, Part 2” dares to wonder what Nora has been up to since she slammed the door. The play received eight 2017 Tony Award nominations.

Joe Calarco directs “A Doll’s House, Part 2” on Barrington Stage Company’s Main Stage in Pittsfield, MA through July 28. Laila Robins stars as Nora.

Robins appeared in the Roundabout Theatre Company's revival of George Bernard Shaw's “Heartbreak House,” other Broadway appearances include “Frozen” by Bryony Lavery, “The Herbal Bed” by Peter Whelan, and “The Real Thing” by Tom Stoppard, directed by Mike Nichols. Large and small screen credits include “Deception,” “Murder in the First,” “Homeland,” “Bored to Death,” and “Planes, Trains & Automobiles.”

  James Conrad from The Golden Notebook in Woodstock, NY joins us with this week's Book Picks.

List:
"Hope Never Dies" by Andrew Schaffer
"You All Grow Up and Leave Me" by Piper Weiss
"Tinderbox: The Untold Story of the Up Stairs Lounge Fire and the Rise of Gay Liberation" by Robert W. Fieseler
"The Great Believers" by Rebecca Makkai
"Tin Man" by Saran Winman
"Night-Gaunts and Other Tales of Suspense" by Joyce Carol Oates
"Clock Dance" by Anne Tyler
"The Other Woman" by Daniel Silva
"The Secret Life of Cows" by Rosamund Young

  The New York City Ballet is in residence at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, New York July 17-21.

Lauren Lovette has been a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet since 2015; jeteing from the School of American Ballet to apprentice, to corps de ballet dancer, to soloist and now, principal dancer. She’s performing the role of Juliet in “Romeo + Juliet” at SPAC on July 19, 20, and 21; and she will dance in Warren Carlyle’s tribute to Jerome Robbins’ “Something to Dance About” at SPAC’s New York City Ballet Gala.  She’s also choreographed a work entitled “Not Our Fate” that will be part of SPAC’s 21st Century Choreographers program on July 19.

PS21 in Chatham, New York presents Rory Block’s Gospel & Blues Fest Weekend, Friday-Sunday, July 20-22. 

This year the weekend focuses on “Power Women of the Blues.” The three-day festival kicks off this Friday night with an intimate solo concert by living legend Rory Block, followed by powerhouse singer Diunna Greenleaf and her band Blue Mercy on Saturday night, and on Sunday afternoon the Strait Way Ministries Gospel Choir.

        It is hurricane preparedness week in Massachusetts.

The Roundtable Panel: a daily open discussion of issues in the news and beyond.

Today's panelists are WAMC’s Alan Chartock, Times Union Associate Editor Mike Spain, the Empire Report’s JP Miller, and Chair of the Communications Department at The College of St. Rose Cailin Brown.

WAMC's Dr. Alan Chartock shares his thoughts on the Trump-Putin press conference Monday. Dr. Chartock also discusses New York's gubernatorial race.

WAMC's David Guistina speaks with Mike Spain, Associate Editor of The Times Union, about Mary Beth Tinning, a Schenectady woman accused of killing her seven children. Tinning was granted parole this month. The pair also discuss the Netflix series "The Punisher," which is filming in downtown Albany this week.

Here's NewsChannel 13 Meteorologist Paul Caiano's WAMC Regional Forecast:     

Mostly cloudy and humid today with numerous showers and thunderstorms.  Highs in the lower 80s.

MLB

Bryce Harper may have entered the All-Star break with a disappointing .214 batting average, but Monday night was all about his power.

The Washington Nationals outfielder won the Home Run Derby in his home ballpark, defeating Chicago Cubs outfielder Kyle Schwarber, 19-18. Harper was down 18-9 with about 80 seconds remaining in the finals before ending with a flourish, taking advantage of his 30-second bonus time to overtake Schwarber. He homered on nine of his last 10 swings before entering extra time.

On this week’s 51%, she was head of communications for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, and has penned a book about a new model of leadership. Plus, a few women with open door policies of sorts don’t mind all the birders. I’m Allison Dunne and this is 51%.

The Vermont attorney general's office says it has completed its investigation into the Brattleboro Retreat psychiatric hospital's billing practices and found no criminal misconduct, but did find several areas of billing deficiencies that need to be corrected. The state attorney general says the U.S. attorney general's office reached the same conclusion.

An early morning fire Monday has destroyed an historic building in downtown Woodstock, Vermont that houses several businesses and two apartments.

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection has announced plans for a major tunneling project in Westchester County. It will be New York City’s largest water-supply tunneling effort in Westchester since the 1940s.

Opponents to incumbent Andrew Cuomo in the 2018 New York governor’s race are continuing to weigh in on the corruption convictions of the former head of Cuomo’s economic development programs. Independent candidate for governor and the former Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner says it’s not just Cuomo and his administration who are to blame.