Today's daily news update.

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

MidHudson News is reporting how biologists from the state Department of Environmental Conservation’s Hudson River Fisheries Unit annually study the endangered adult Atlantic sturgeon when the fish return to the Hudson River to spawn. Atlantic sturgeon is the largest fish species in the Hudson River Estuary. They are anadromous, which means they hatch in freshwater, spend most of their lives in saltwater, and then return to freshwater to spawn. Atlantic sturgeon can live more than 60 years, reaching a weight of 800 pounds and a length of 14 feet. They are armored with bony plates, evidence of a lineage going back to the age of dinosaurs. Sturgeon are bottom feeders, eating chiefly worms, insects, crustaceans, and small fish. During the annual study, the fisheries crew set nets to catch the sturgeon, carefully moving the fish from the nets into a large pen in the Hudson, tied to the boat. Crew members then weigh and measure each fish, determines its sex, and scan them for an electronic tag, called a PIT tag. If no tag is detected, a crew member inserts one into the base of the dorsal fin. The sturgeon are immediately released back into the Hudson River as soon as they are examined. The tags can be scanned to help learn more about sturgeon movement and behavior. Atlantic sturgeon are known to migrate as far south as Georgia and as far north as Canada’s Bay of Fundy. The Hudson River currently supports the largest population of Atlantic sturgeon along the Atlantic Coast, estimated to be between 1,000 and 1,500 fish. Read the full story at MidHudsonNews [dot] com.

Nick Reisman is reporting for State of Politics absentee ballots cast in New York will not be rejected or voided because of stray marks or writing under a new law signed June 24, by Gov. Kathy Hochul. The intent of the voter would have be clear and unambiguous in order for the ballot to be upheld. Hochul said,, "No ballot should be disqualified because of a single errant pen stroke, and the legislation we're signing today marks a major step forward to ensure New Yorkers' unambiguous votes are counted." State election law requires that ballots be marked in the space where a voter is casting their vote as their candidate of choice. Stray marks or stains can occur, leading to the rejection of the ballot as a result, but the law approved by Hochul will allow for the vote to be counted as long as the intent is clear. Close election contests often come down to absentee ballots that have been cast. The use of absentee balloting has increased over the last two years amid the COVID-19 pandemic. New York voters last year rejected a constitutional amendment that would have permanently allowed for no-excuse absentee balloting. Read the full story at nystateofpolitics [dot] com.

Natasha Vaughn-Holdridge is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media Columbia and Greene counties are the recipients of funding to provide jobs this summer for disadvantaged youths. The state of New York has made available $46 million to provide training and employment as part of its Summer Youth Employment Program. Columbia County will receive $110,582 and Greene County will receive $115,533. An estimated 19,000 youth from low income families statewide will participate this year according to Gov. Kathy Hochul's office. The program introduces the participants into the labor market so they can develop useful skills that will help them improve school performance and become responsible adults. It supports communities in creating summer jobs for youth, including communities where youth are vulnerable or susceptible to gun violence. Participants work in entry-level jobs at places such as parks, nursing homes, summer camps, childcare organizations, senior citizen centers and community recreation centers, and more. To be eligible, participants must be 14 to 20 years old and have a household income below 200 percent of the federal poverty level or $46,060 for a family of three. Interested young people are encouraged to contact their local department of social services. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Jon Brodkin reports at Ars Technica that after the Supreme Court let states do away with abortions last week, Democratic Senators Ron Wyden, Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, and Sara Jacobs sent a letter to Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan, asking to "investigate Apple and Google for engaging in unfair and deceptive practices by enabling the collection and sale of hundreds of millions of mobile phone users' personal data." After the Supreme Court ruling some are concerned that making a Google search for abortion, or using a period tracker app in states where abortion is outlawed will lead to legal consequences. "The FTC should investigate Apple and Google's role in transforming online advertising into an intense system of surveillance that incentivizes and facilitates the unrestrained collection and constant sale of Americans' personal data," the senators wrote. "These companies have failed to inform consumers of the privacy and security dangers involved in using those products. It is beyond time to bring an end to the privacy harms forced on consumers by these companies." The senators also wrote that women "seeking abortions and other reproductive healthcare will become particularly vulnerable to privacy harms, including through the collection and sharing of their location data." Clearly, information harvesting is part of almost any computer app in existence, even if some companies deny they sell that information. "Google never sells user data, and Google Play strictly prohibits the sale of user data by developers," the company said in a statement on June 24. But the senators letter, sent the same day, says they are concerned about how companies use the public radio waves to track the public. "Data brokers are already selling, licensing, and sharing the location information of people that visit abortion providers to anyone with a credit card. Prosecutors in states where abortion becomes illegal will soon be able to obtain warrants for location information about anyone who has visited an abortion provider. Private actors will also be incentivized by state bounty laws to hunt down women who have obtained or are seeking an abortion by accessing location information through shady data brokers," the letter said. The Electronic Frontier Foundation pointed out in a statement June 24 that even if companies do not sell the data they harvest, it could be used against women in court. "Everyone deserves to have strong controls over the collection and use of information they necessarily leave behind as they go about their normal activities, like using apps, search engine queries, posting on social media, texting friends, and so on," the EFF said. "But those seeking, offering, or facilitating abortion access must now assume that any data they provide online or offline could be sought by law enforcement." And a strongly-worded letter won't stop a court order. Read more about this story at Ars Technica.

News10 in Albany reports that there was a rally for abortion rights June 25 in Hudson's Public Square, the day after the Supreme Court allowed states to ban the medical procedure. “I’m outraged,” Kathleen Fernandez said. “I just see our country going so far back and there’s no reason for it.” Some attending the event handed out voter registration cards. “It’s going to be really ever more important for people to vote in state and local elections, as more rights are taken away at the federal level and given to the states,” Kaitlyn Curtin, volunteer with the Columbia County Democratic Committee, said. There were also similar rallies locally June 24 in Albany and June 25 in New Paltz, and around the country. Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, who will represent Rensselaer County if re-elected in November, praised the decision. “It will save countless innocent children, House republicans are incredibly grateful for the pro-life movement’s tireless efforts for decades leading to this day to give a voice to the voiceless,” Stefanik said. Read more about this story at the News10 website.

Nick Reisman is reporting for State of Politics the four Republicans competing next week in their party's gubernatorial primary election participated in a debate June 21, in Rochester. As the Republican primary for governor enters its final days, the candidates are all pledging their electability to voters. Republicans have not held statewide office in 20 years and hope this year is their best chance in decades. "Ultimately it's the people of New York, it's the voters of New York who decide in November what they want as far as fighting crime, as far as making life more affordable," said U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin, the party's preferred candidate. Zeldin is facing off against former Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, businessman Harry Wilson and former Trump administration official Andrew Giuliani. Astorino, who ran for governor in 2014, said he hopes to appeal to a broad group of voters. Wilson, who lost a close race for comptroller in 2010, attempted to stand out by pointing to his experience in the private sector and ability to work with Democrats. And Giuliani, a former Trump administration official and the son of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani has based his campaign on the frustration of some GOP voters with pandemic-related rules and restrictions. Read the full story at nystateofpolitics [dot] com.

Patricia Doxsey is reporting for the Daily Freeman a farm in High Falls, Ulster County, was among the most recent group of farms to be granted a conditional license by the state Cannabis Control Board to grow adult recreational-use marijuana. That brings to five the number of Ulster farms approved under the state’s “Seeding Opportunity Initiative” to cultivate products to be sold in dispensaries owned by justice-involved New Yorkers. The license was issued on June 22, to Back Home Farm of High Falls, said Jen Metzger, a member of the Cannabis Control Board. Conditional licenses were previously granted to farms in Clintondale, Rosendale, Milton, and Kingston. The control board also approved a conditional license for Sebastiano Bulfamante, in Dutchess County. Conditional licenses are valid for two years and allow cultivators to grow up to one acre, or 43,560 square feet, of cannabis outdoors or 25,000 square feet in a greenhouse. Metzger said, to date, the board has approved “just over” 200 conditional licenses since it began accepting applications on May 15. She expects the board to approve additional licenses in the coming weeks. The deadline to submit an application is June 30. The control board will begin accepting applications on June 28 for conditional adult-use processor licenses, which are available to already licensed hemp processors for the creation of tinctures and edibles. That application period will run through August 31. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman..

The state has extended the comment period on its draft climate scoping plan under the CLCPA law until July 1. Bob Cohen of Citizen Action discusses the importance of the plan and how individuals can still submit comments with WOOC's Mark Dunlea. (see www.nyrenews.org/submit-a-public-…aft-scoping-plan and nyserda.seamlessdocs.com/f/DraftScopingComments)

Today's daily news update.

Steve Barnes reports for the Times Union that after 38 years in New Lebanon, The Theater Barn has suspended the current season as audiences aren't attending shows in the same numbers as before the pandemic, according to Allen Phelps, whose parents founded the company. "Its not so much a money issue as it is people just not coming out," said Phelps. In 2019, The Theater Barn had 110 subscribers, but this year just 36. The Theater Barn, at 654 Route 20, opened this season with the David Mamet play "Boston Marriage" and is showing "Fiddlers Three" by Agatha Christie through July 3. Four other shows scheduled for this summer are now on hold. The Theater Barn will be back," Phelps predicted. "This isn't just about The Theater Barn. Smaller theaters all over are having the same problem, sometimes 10, 12 people in the audience when it used to be full," Phelps said. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Mid-Hudson News reports that the Town of Catskill is getting $10.2 million in long-term, interest-free financing to improve its water quality. The money, from from the State Environmental Facilities Corporation, will go to plan, design, and construct a wastewater collection and conveyance system for the newly formed Leeds and Jefferson Heights Sewer District. Plus, it will also pay for installing mechanical screening at the village-owned wastewater treatment plant. A $3.15 million grant was previously authorized for the project. Residents in Catskill often report brown water, and water main breaks have also plagued the town. It is unclear whether this loan and grant will address those problems. Read more about this story at Mid-Hudson News.

Andrea Macko reports for Porcupine Soup that there is another proposal a commercial solar farm in Greene County, this one in the town of Greenville, this time on the Freehold Flats. Stella Solar, LLC of Denver, CO, under the name East Durham Solar, LLC, on May 25 asked for a special use permit and site plan approval application to the Town of Greenville Planning Board for a solar farm at 9139 State Route 32. The company wants to generate 493.8 kilowatts on about six acres of a 40-acre parcel on the west side of State Route 32 along the Catskill Creek. “The PV panels proposed for this project are single-axis tracking. Panels containing cadmium telluride will not be used for this project. The racking system, generally composed of aluminum, will be pile driven into the ground surface. The solar panels will be directly interconnected to and provide energy to the local electric distribution grid via an overhead electrical service. Prior to utility interconnection, direct current (DC) electrical power generated by the solar panels will be transformed to AC power and modified as necessary to connect to the local electrical power supply. The project will also include an equipment pad, a gravel access road, a vegetative soil cover, and it will be surrounded by an [eight-foot] agricultural security fence with wood posts,” the application states. The Greenville Planning Board meets the first Wednesday of every month at 7 p.m. Read more about this story at Porcupine Soup.

Today's daily news update.

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

Heather Bellow is reporting for The Berkshire Eagle officials at the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation have blocked swimming access at Bash Bish Falls. Barriers now block the access point that for decades made it possible to swim at the falls, which straddles the Massachusetts and New York state border. The hiking trails are open, however. “It was always a dangerous place,” said Brian Tobin, the Town of Mount Washington Select Board chair and acting police chief. “People ignored all the signage that said ‘no swimming.’ With the pandemic, the traffic got a lot worse. People were using it as a swimming hole, and that just wasn’t a good idea.” The state has also built a new parking lot with limited spaces, Tobin said. People also can park at Taconic State Park on the New York side. Tobin says he understands how disappointing it is to those who yearn to swim at Bash Bish, but the action taken was absolutely necessary. “People always slip and fall. We don’t have the resources to police it and keep people out [of the water],” he said. The falls, amid the parks gorges and ravine forest, are one of the highlights of the 424-acre Bash Bish Falls State Park. In August 2018 a man died after slipping and falling into the water on a Friday evening. It took rescuers two days to locate his body. Three deaths in the 1960s prompted the state to patrol the park and prohibit swimming. Read the full story in The Berkshire Eagle.

MidHudson News is reporting the May unemployment rate for the Hudson Valley is 2.9 percent, down from 4.6 percent in May of 2021. Because of the low rate, many jobs are going unfilled, and businesses continue to offer higher starting wages and sign-on bonuses. Columbia County had the lowest rate of joblessness in May at 2.4 percent. Delaware and Greene counties had the highest rate at 3.1 percent. Ulster and Dutchess counties each had 2.8 percent unemployment. Read more at MidHudsonNews [dot] com.

Kathleen Moore is reporting for the Times Union in a letter to the Albany City School District, the New York Civil Liberties Union has alleged the district applied its dress code in a discriminatory manner that may have violated the U.S. Constitution when it disciplined students who wore sports bras at track practice. The NYCLU asked the district to change its dress code and expunge the suspensions given to 13 athletes last month. The NYCLU made the point that boys were practicing shirtless while the girls wore sports bras, but according to the students, only the girls were told to put on shirts until they complained that it was unfair. “It appears that district officials have discriminatorily enforced the dress code against girl athletes — and particularly against black girls and other girls of color — in a manner that reinforces invidious race and sex stereotypes potentially in violation of the Fourteenth and First Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, Title IX [9] of the Education Amendments of 1972, and corresponding state and local constitutional and statutory protections,” the NYCLU wrote. In a written response, Albany schools Superintendent Kaweeda Adams said the students were not punished for wearing sports bras, but for their "inappropriate behavior" after they were told to put on shirts. "None of the student-athletes involved in this matter received an athletic suspension because of their attire, or because they expressed disagreement with the portions of our Student Code of Conduct that reference dress code," she said. The school’s dress code is also in the wrong, the NYCLU wrote, asking the district to “revise its dress code to eliminate provisions that reflect and reinforce gender stereotypes.” Changes to the district code of conduct, which includes the dress code, will be reviewed by the school board on July 7, and a vote taken on July 21. Read the full story in the Times Union.

Randy J. Stine reports for Radio World that the National Association of Broadcasters and National Public Radio are among the group's opposed to the Federal Communications Commission allowing ZoneCasting. The new technology lets a radio station that covers a large area use FM boosters to geo-target some content in specific areas. So in New York, for instance, WAMC is a network of translator stations all broadcasting the same signal from the Canadian border to the outskirts of New York City. Under this new technology they could geotarget local news for, say, Newburgh or Kingston, while different local news plays in Albany. The National Association of Broadcasters, a trade group for the biggest corporate radio stations in the U.S., cites supposed "interference" the new technology would create for its opposition. National Public Radio claims the technology would threaten to cause widespread harm to the fidelity of the FM dial. Neither support those claims with many facts. More likely, both organizations want to ward off competition. In the past the NAB and NPR both opposed allowing community-run low-power FM stations on the air, because they did not want the competition. In that case, all the industry claims that new, small low-power stations would cause interference to big, corporate stations proved false. In this case, smaller broadcasters are in favor of ZoneCasting, as a way to better serve those listeners. But if smaller stations serve their listeners well, the NAB and NPR seem to believe it will come at the expense of larger stations. In 2009 a Federal Communications Commission report found that small, community radio stations do not impact the ratings or revenue of large commercial stations. "Our final conclusion is that the analysis finds no statistically reliable evidence that [low-power FM] stations have a consistent effect on the economic performance of full-service commercial FM stations," the report said.