WAMC Northeast Report on WAMC

Vermont has won conditional federal approval for its plan to build a consumer-friendly health insurance marketplace, or exchange.

Vermont is now one of 17 states to have gotten word from a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that they are on track to have a health exchange ready for business by Oct. 1.

Robin Lunge, Gov. Peter Shumlin's director of health reform, says much work remains to get the exchange up and running.

Two Vermont state senators are calling for a three-year moratorium on large-scale wind power projects in the state, and for giving energy projects more thorough environmental review.

The state aims to phase out the use of motel rooms as emergency shelters for homeless families over the next 18 months and halt the program completely by June 30, 2014.  Aaron Gornstein, the Undersecretary of  The Department of  Housing and Community Development  said eliminating the motel system is in the best interest of taxpayers and homeless families.

Your afternoon regional weather summary with meteorologist Garett Argianas.

It seems the topic of the hour is government spending.  So I’ll continue that dialogue, at least as it pertains to the state of Pennsylvania.  The current governor of that state Tom Corbett is angry about $60 million of state funds that are scheduled to be spent largely out of state.  It’s a result of the penalty levied by the NCAA on Penn State for its part in the recent child abuse scandal in its athletics department.

A draft of The Capital Region Sustainability Plan is now available for review and comment - more from Capital Region Bureau Chief Dave Lucas

A coalition of Capital Region municipalities and organizations has received funding from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to create a regional sustainability plan as part of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Cleaner, Greener Communities Program.

Public workshops held throughout the 8 counties and on-line yielded hundreds of strategies.

Your afternoon regional weather summary with meteorologist Garett Argianas.

The dawn of a new year is the time to reflect and to plan a new course.  When it comes to fighting cancer, in 2012 New York took one significant step forward by restricting the use of indoor tanning booths.  As 2013 dawns, more steps are needed.

First some background:  In July, Governor Cuomo signed into law a new restriction on the use of tanning beds by children.  The law, which went into effect in August, bans the use of indoor tanning beds for those aged 16 years old and younger. 

Kwanzaa, the seven day African American cultural celebration is underway. The city of Springfield Massachusetts Friday held its third annual official observance at city hall.    WAMC”s Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill reports.

The New York Army National Guard will send one of its two new UH-72 Lakota light utility helicopters-and an accompanying three-member aircrew from its Latham operations center to the Texas/Mexico border next week. Capital Region Bureau Chief Dave Lucas reports.