Today's audio daily news update.

Click above to download or play the "Better Weather." Produced by Joe Demanso of the Catskill Makers Syndicate.

Andrea Macko reports for Porcupine Soup that it finally might snow this weekend. The first major snow storm of the year may come Saturday and Sunday. The National Weather Service in Albany said, “We are monitoring the potential for accumulating snow associated with a coastal storm expected to develop over the weekend.... While it is early for specifics, a plowable snowfall (greater than three inches) is possible especially from around Albany south Saturday into Sunday. We will have further updates to refine the forecast as the weekend draws closer." It should be another day or two before the forecast becomes more clear. WNYT Meteorologist Paul Caiano said, “If the storm track is close enough to the coast, more snow is likely across our region. A track farther off the coast east of Long Island would mean less snow, or even no snow for the North Country." Read more about this story at Porcupine Soup.

Paul Kirby reports in the Daily Freeman that protesters supporting a ceasefire in the Palestine-Israel conflict disrupted a swearing-in ceremony of elected town officials that was officiated by Rep. Pat Ryan on Jan. 2 in Ulster County. A statement from the protesters demanded Ryan “immediately and unconditionally support a permanent ceasefire and end military aid to Israel.” About a dozen protesters interrupted the event, holding a banner reading “Permanent Ceasefire” and chanting, “Ryan Ryan, you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide,” “Not another nickel, not another dime, no more money for Israel’s crimes,” and “No justice, no votes.” Audience members there for the swearing-in ceremony yelled back at the protesters to sit down and shut up. Gardiner resident Linda Geary said that the protest was “embarrassing and rude and I think they didn’t make any points to Pat Ryan that he hasn’t already heard.” Many local citizens have been exercising their right to protest Ryan recently, with several rallies outside his local offices. Ryan did not release a statement after the protest, but has repeatedly come out against a ceasefire in the Middle East conflict. Read more about this story in the Daily Freeman.

Kate Lisa reports for New York State of Politics that state legislators return to Albany on Jan. 3 to start the latest legislative session. Lisa reports there are five major issues: Legislators will wrestle with a projected $4.3 billion budget deficit this year; an affordable housing crisis and busloads of migrants constantly arriving in the state; redistricting; and the relationship between Gov. Kathy Hochul and the legislators. Hochul recently vetoed a slew of bills the legislature passed and said, "We can get to fewer vetoes, but let's have more common sense involved in the process of developing the legislation." Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said, "I don’t agree with her assessment, but I also say this: Then I hope that means we won’t see any policy in the budget because the policy she put forth in her budget, there was no hearing … when she proposed it to us." Read more about this story in New York State of Politics.

Here is this week's WGXC Congressional Report, tracking the votes, statements, positions, and campaigns of the representatives and candidates for the 18th, 19th, 20th, and 21st Congressional seats in New York. Democrat Pat Ryan is representing the 18th Congressional District, Republican Marc Molinaro represents the 19th Congressional District, Democrat Rep. Paul Tonko represents the 20th District, and Republican Elise Stefanik represents the 21st District. Click here to listen to this report.

Annie Karni in The New York Times reports that Rep. Marc Molinaro's first year in Congress was historic. The House of Representatives only voted for 27 bills that became law. That is an average of one law every two weeks. Many of the 27 bills passed were not substantial, such as naming a facility after someone. And Democrats provided more votes than the Republican majority to approve the most important governing bills, from funding the government to prevent a shutdown to raising the debt ceiling to avert a default. The Republican majority in the House held 724 votes in all, with only 27 becoming law, and that is more voting and less lawmaking than at any other time in the last decade, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center. Last year, when Democrats had unified control of Congress, the House held 549 votes and passed 248 bills that were signed into law. The House did oust Republican serial-liar George Santos, and they also sanctioned three Democrats. But they. did not pass many laws. Read more about this story in The New York Times.

Mid-Hudson News reports that the Newburgh district office of Rep. Pat Ryan was vandalized by activists demanding the Democrat call for a ceasefire in the war in Gaza. The words “CEASEFIRE NOW” and “WAR CRIMINAL” were painted on the windows of Ryan's office on Broadway in Newburgh. Ryan continued to defend his support of the war in a statement, “War brings out the worst in humanity- making the urgent pursuit of peace both necessary and incredibly difficult to achieve." Ryan said he would support a ceasefire if certain benchmarks were reached first. But Ryan's demands before a ceasefire may not be realistic. The story says, "the likelihood that a new Palestinian government could be quickly constituted to end the bloodshed and that the new government would be able to negotiate a genuine two-state solution with Israel seems low." Several hundred people peacefully rallied in front of Ryan's office last month to convince him to support a ceasefire. Read more about this story at Mid-Hudson News.

Joshua Solomon reports for the Times Union that state Supreme Court Justice Christina L. Ryba rejected on Dec. 28 an attempt by Rep. Elise Stefanik and the Republican Party to temporarily suspend a new state law allowing any registered voter in New York to cast their ballot early by mail. The Republicans argue that the law violates the constitution, and will now make their case to an appellate court in Albany. Democrats in the legislature passed, and Gov. Kathy Hochul signed, the law allowing any registered voter to vote by mail. Before, voters needed an excuse to vote by mail, such as being away in the military. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the state allowed temporary voting by mail without any major problems. But Stefanik and the other Republicans say a constitutional amendment must be passed to allow voting by mail. The judge, though, ruled that the Republicans did not demonstrate they would face “irreparable harm” under the new law. At the same time that they are challenging the issue in court, Stefanik and the New York Republicans have been pushing “legal ballot harvesting” and encouraging its constituents to enroll to vote by mail to win the 2024 elections. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Jack Arpey reports for New York State of Politics that New York's Independent Redistricting Commission met on Dec. 28, charged yet again with drawing congressional boundaries. Chair Ken Jenkins said, “We’ll meet as much as is required to make sure the date is accomplished." This is the third attempt by the commission to construct congressional boundary lines. The commission has until Feb. 28 to announce the new lines. The Congressional map has changed several times since the 2020 census, as courts and the legislature have rejected maps from the commission and a special master appointed for the task. In 2022, New York Congressional elections helped shoft control of the House of Representatives from Democrats to Republicans, and the 2024 election is expected to be just as pivotal in New York. Read more ahout this story at New York State of Politics.

WOOC's Mark Dunlea reports that, "Governor [Kathy] Hochul recently vetoed legislation that many felt would undermine the state's new public campaign finance system for state legislative races. Blair Horner of NYPIRG discusses the veto as well as the recent meeting of the Independent Redistricting Commission which the courts have given another chance to redraw the district lines for Congressional races.

Here is what the computer tells us were the artists played most-often in 2023 (through Dec. 29) on WGXC 90.7-FM.

Brian Dewan (131)
The Beatles (116)
Elvis Costello (115)
Bob Dylan (110)
The Magnetic Fields (97)
Harry Nilsson (97)
Sonic Youth (92)
Negativland (89)
Scanner (86)
Fela Kuti (77)
The Replacements (76)
Brian Eno (71)
Elvis Costello & The Attractions (69)
Bruce Springsteen (66)
The Beach Boys (63)
Diamanda Galás (60)
Quintron (59)
Chris Cutler (59)
Tony Bennett (57)
Talking Heads (56)
R.E.M. (56)
Florist (55)
Wreckless Eric (55)
P.G. Six (54)
The Rolling Stones (53)
Johnny Cash (52)
David Bowie (52)
Superchunk (49)
The Everly Brothers (49)
Harry Belafonte (49)
Prince (48)
Ben LaMar Gay (48)
Marvin Gaye (45)
Various Artists (44)
Lynn Nandar Htoo (44)
The Conet Project (42)
Yo La Tengo (42)
Chris Forsyth (42)
John Coltrane (41)
Meshell Ndegeocello (41)
Matmos (41)
Michael Jackson (40)
Lia Kohl (39)
Bobby Previte (39)
Nina Simone (38)
The Velvet Underground (38)
Amy Rigby (38)
Let's Active (37)
Kraftwerk (37)
Matthew Shipp (37)
Buke & Gase (36)
James Brown (36)
The Band (36)
The Kinks (36)
Stevie Wonder (36)
Radio Wonderland (35)
Joni Mitchell (34)
Steve Swell (34)
Public Enemy (34)
Ramones (33)
Bomis Prendin (33)
Elvis Presley (33)
Tom Waits (33)
Damienz Dezign (32)
Pink Floyd (32)
BRIAN DEWAN (32)
The Jazzmaster (31)
Cluster (31)
Joseph Bertolozzi (30)
The Clash (30)
Bob Marley & The Wailers (30)
PJ Harvey (29)
Kontiwennenhawi (29)
Sun Ra (29)
Stereolab (29)
Neil Young (29)
Babehoven (28)
John Lennon (28)
Herbie Hancock (28)
Kamasi Washington (28)
Quincy Jones (27)
The Pogues (26)
Sinéad O'Connor (26)
George Jones (26)
Tortoise (26)
Alice Coltrane (26)
Elvis Perkins (25)
Daniel Carter (25)
Charles Mingus (25)
Spike Jones & His City Slickers (25)
Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers (25)
Hans Zimmer (25)
Al Green (24)
R.Reger (24)
Steely Dan (24)
Queen (24)
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark (24)
Prefab Sprout (24)
Jamie Saft (24)
Peter Gabriel (24)

Today's audio daily news update.

The National Weather Service in Albany reports that Albany had its warmest year on record in 2023, and the ninth wettest year. The average temperature in Albany for 2023 through Dec. 26 was 52.2 degrees fahrenheit. The previous warmest year in Albany was 2012, with an average temperature of 51.6 degrees. Albany had 47.95 inches of precipitation in 2023, well above the 40.68-inch average. The National Weather Service temperature records date back to 1874 and the precipitation records date back to 1826. See more information at the National Weather Service website.

Outgoing Ulster County District Attorney David Clegg writes a guest column in the Daily Freeman where he says, "Here in Ulster County, the crime rate has gone down." He reports statistics from the Division of Justice Services that show the overall crime rate in Ulster County has gone down in each year from 2019 to 2022. Both violent crime and property crimes rates fell during that period in Ulster County. Clegg, who did not run for reelection, writes, "Statistics from The Gun Involved Violence Elimination Initiative which our office does in partnership with the Kingston Police Department shows that after a spike in shootings during the pandemic, total incidents in 2022 and 2023 are sharply lower than in 2019. At this point in 2023, the total number of shooting incidents is less than 50 percent of what it was in 2019." His outgoing message also bragged about modernization in his office, and that, "Our case management has been totally digitalized." Read the entire guest column in the Daily Freeman.

Tristan Geary reports in the Times Union that The Local, a live music venue in Saugerties that opened in September, announced its second season with Palestinian musician Firas Zreik, Irish bluegrass band JigJam, and a partnership with the Brooklyn global music club Barbès. So far the new venue has shoscased West African funk, Spanish flamenco, and experimental electronics. In 2024 The Local hosts Veracruzian ensemble Caña Dulce y Caña Brava, Persian classical musician Kayhan Kalhor, and psychedelic fusion by Combo Daguerre. Isabel Soffer and Danny Melnick are owners and Melnick said, “There are so many fantastic spaces indoors and outdoors around this region … but they have a lane — ‘we’re a rock club, we’re a jazz club, we’re a classical space.... We’re everything. It’s a total experiment.” Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Today's audio daily news update.

Click above to download or play the "Better Weather." Produced by Joe Demanso of the Catskill Makers Syndicate.

Joshua Solomon reports for the Times Union that state Supreme Court Justice Christina L. Ryba rejected on Dec. 28 an attempt by Rep. Elise Stefanik and the Republican Party to temporarily suspend a new state law allowing any registered voter in New York to cast their ballot early by mail. The Republicans argue that the law violates the constitution, and will now make their case to an appellate court in Albany. Democrats in the legislature passed, and Gov. Kathy Hochul signed, the law allowing any registered voter to vote by mail. Before, voters needed an excuse to vote by mail, such as being away in the military. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the state allowed temporary voting by mail without any major problems. But Stefanik and the other Republicans say a constitutional amendment must be passed to allow voting by mail. The judge, though, ruled that the Republicans did not demonstrate they would face “irreparable harm” under the new law. At the same time that they are challenging the issue in court, Stefanik and the New York Republicans have been pushing “legal ballot harvesting” and encouraging its constituents to enroll to vote by mail to win the 2024 elections. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Liz Montgomery reports in Porcupine Soup that tolls on the New York State Thruway go up five percent on Jan. 1. Currently passenger cars with E-ZPasses pay 5.1 cents per mile, which will increase to 8.2 cents per mile in 2024, and 8.6 cents per mile by 2027. Thruway Authority Board of Directors Chair Joanne M. Mahoney said, “The Thruway Authority receives no dedicated federal, state or local tax dollars and relies primarily on toll dollars to maintain and operate the Thruway which is one of the safest and reliable toll roads in the country.” Thruway officials say the aging roadway is in need or repairs and updates. Read more about this story in Porcupine Soup.

Jack Arpey reports for New York State of Politics that New York's Independent Redistricting Commission met on Dec. 28, charged yet again with drawing congressional boundaries. Chair Ken Jenkins said, “We’ll meet as much as is required to make sure the date is accomplished." This is the third attempt by the commission to construct congressional boundary lines. The commission has until Feb. 28 to announce the new lines. The Congressional map has changed several times since the 2020 census, as courts and the legislature have rejected maps from the commission and a special master appointed for the task. In 2022, New York Congressional elections helped shoft control of the House of Representatives from Democrats to Republicans, and the 2024 election is expected to be just as pivotal in New York. Read more ahout this story at New York State of Politics.

The computer tells us these 100 songs were the ones played the most on WGXC from Jan. 1 through Dec. 28, 2023. Tune in to 90.7-FM this weekend to hear many of these songs.

Brian Dewan - Clockwork of the Heavens (61)
Harry Nilsson - Me and My Arrow (59)
Ben LaMar Gay - Vitis Labrusca (45)
Radio Wonderland - Good To Be Back In LA (34)
Damienz Dezign - She Needs Me (32)
The Jazzmaster - Looney Jazz (31)
Quincy Jones - Shoot To Kill (27)
Wtfbrahh - Yip Yip Dubstep, Vol. 1 (22)
Chris Forsyth - Experimental & Professional (22)
Fela Kuti - Egbe Mi O (Carry Me) (22)
Edo.G - Hold U (20)
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Radio Prague (19)
Lynn Nandar Htoo - Unlawful (18)
Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Radio, Radio (18)
Scott Holmes - Green Fields (18)
DJ ARC - sound nasty (17)
Brad Fiedel - The Terminator Theme (Extended Version) (17)
Elvis Costello - Radio Is Everything (17)
Willie Songue et Les Showmen - Moni Ngan (17)
Songs: Ohia - Farewell Transmission (17)
Lia Kohl - sit on the floor and wait for storms (16)
Hans Zimmer - You're So Cool (16)
Amy Rigby - Tom Petty Karaoke (16)
David Binney - Squares and Palaces (16)
Lia Kohl - the moment a zipper (15)
Elvis Costello - Radio Silence (15)
R.E.M. - Fall On Me (15)
The One*Ders - Aquarian Soul (15)
Ken Ikeda + Chihei Hatakeyama - Tsuyu To Kie (14)
Common - The People (14)
Negativland - Sign-On (14)
Brett Naucke - No Ceiling In The Mansion (14)
The Replacements - Left of the Dial (Ed Stasium Mix) (14)
P.G. Six - I Have Known Love (14)
Dan HabarNam - High Pass Rambo (14)
Ramin Djawadi - Be a Warrior (From 'A Wrinkle in Time'/Score) (14)
Tom Glazer - Why Does the Sun Shine (13)
Brian Eno, Jah Wobble - Where We Lived (13)
Fabolous - Wake Up Everybody (13)
Meshell Ndegeocello - Virgo (13)
Scanner - Trawl (Enter Exit Mix) (13)
Gary's Dream - To The Moon (13)
Bob Marley & The Wailers - So Much Trouble In The World (13)
Genesis Breyer P-Orridge - Ritual Music (13)
P.G. Six - I Have a House (13)
Lynn Nandar Htoo - Trial (12)
Elvis Perkins - There Go The Nightmericans (12)
Bill Justis - The Stranger (12)
Ben Salisbury - The Alien (12)
Morton Subotnick - Silver Apples of the Moon - Pt. A (12)
Elvis Costello - Radio Radio (12)
Lynn Nandar Htoo - Night (12)
P.G. Six - I Don't Want To Be Free (12)
M.I.A. - Double Bubble Trouble (12)
The Durutti Column - Beginning (12)
Negativland - Announcement (12)
The Wild Weeeds - (I love you) Mary Jane (12)
Glen Campbell - Wichita Lineman (11)
Meshell Ndegeocello - Vuma (11)
Stace Loyd - The Triple truth (11)
Peter Thomas - The Dandy Walks Again (11)
Brian Dewan - The Civil War (11)
Treday - Suicide Letter (11)
Nachtmahr - Stumme Zeugen (11)
E. Jones - SLD (Morning Show) (11)
Spoon - On The Radio (11)
The Wild Weeeds - New Grow Room (11)
Rory Friers - Freeing of the Resistant (11)
The Sovereignnatians - Fear Itself Aka The Darkeness (11)
Arone Dyer, stargaze - Define (11)
The Magnetic Fields - '83: Foxx and I (11)
Negativland - What is the Problem? (10)
Riccardo Muti - Water Music, Suite No. 3 in G Major: I. Minuet (10)
Rasputina - Watch T.V. (Album Version) (10)
MU - Turn off Your Radio (10)
Wreckless Eric - They Come Free with Cornflakes (10)
Shellac - The End of Radio (10)
BRIAN DEWAN - The Day the Day Stood Still (10)
Peter Thomas Sound Orchester - The Dandy Walks Again (10)
Wreckless Eric - Standing Water (10)
d4vd - Sleep Well (10)
Wax Tailor - Shaman In Your Arms (10)
Florist - Sci-fi Silence (10)
Kraftwerk - Radio Sterne (2009 Remaster) (10)
Joe　Jackson - Is　She　Really　Going　Out　With　Him？　（Album　Version） (10)
Yuni Wa - Hope 4 Tomorrow (10)
José Francisco Romero - Escúchame (10)
The Redlight District - District Lines (10)
Buke & Gase - Derby (10)
Ronnie Hunt - Coronation Street Theme (10)
Babehoven - Chariot (10)
Laura Zarougian - Cairo (10)
Pink Floyd - Breathe (In The Air) [2011 Remastered Version] (10)
Wreckless Eric - Badhat Town (10)
Pauline Oliveros - Alien Bog (1967) (10)
PJ Harvey - A Child's Question, August (10)
Carly Simon - You're So Vain (9)
Daniel Carter - Welcome Adventure! Vol. 2 feat. William Parker,Gerald Cleaver,Matthew Shipp (9)
Fela Kuti - Water No Get Enemy (Edit Version) (9)
Paramore - The News (9)

Today's audio daily news update.

Joshua Solomon reports in the Times Union that Gov. Kathy Hochul vetoed a bill to expand the eligible campaign contributions for matching public funds. New York has a new system of publicly funded campaigns beginning with the 2024 elections. The publicly financed elections are intended to give less wealthy New Yorkers and their political contributions more weight against those from donors with more disposable income. But Hochul said, “Signing this bill would effectively reduce the impact of small donors on elections,” in “direct contravention of the purpose” of the public campaign finance program. Groups supporting transparent government and public campaign finance advocates were also opposed to the legislation that would have allowed for the first $250 of any contribution to a campaign in an election cycle to be matched by state funding. So far, about 168 candidates have filed applications to take part in the public campaign finance program but Hochul is not among them. State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli is the only statewide candidate to enroll in the program at this time. Read more about this story in the Times Union.