Porcupine Soup is reporting five members of the Cairo-Durham High School senior class have earned the New York State Seal of Biliteracy, recognizing their high levels of proficiency in English and Spanish. The students recognized are Kyra Byrne, Robert Lampman, Ally MacGiffert, Mckayla Mudge and James Mutinsky. The students are the second class of Cairo-Durham students to earn the Seal of Biliteracy distinction. In addition to special seals on their diplomas, they will also receive medallions in recognition of their achievement. “Earning the Seal of Biliteracy is a true affirmation of these students’ accomplishments in language proficiency and multicultural understanding, and meaningful for their future college endeavors and employers,” said Tammy Karker, department facilitator for Languages Other than English at Cairo-Durham High School. All five candidates completed upper-level English and World Language courses with a minimum average of 85 percent and earned high scores on Regents, Advanced Placement and other accredited “Checkpoint C” exams. Candidates were also required to present a research project meeting the state’s criteria for proficiency in speaking, listening, reading, and writing in English and at least one other language. Read more at porcupine soup [dot] com.

Ars Technica reports that President Joe Biden heaped praise this week on the opponents of his nominee for the Federal Communications Commission, Gigi Sohn. Technology policy, though, is not Biden's priority right now, as raging inflation and Russia's invasion of Ukraine are taking up much of the president's time. Biden announced that Comcast, Charter Spectrum, AT&T, Verizon, and 16 other ISPs, "committed to offer all Affordable Connectivity Program-eligible families at least one high-speed plan [with download speeds of at least 100Mbps] for $30/month or less, with no additional fees and no data caps." the White House said, crowing about a policy to help consumers through inflation. The Affordable Connectivity Program provides eligible households with discounts of $30 a month, so many consumers will get free plans. "You're really changing people's lives. You really are," the president said to the big broadband providers. Instead of short-term announcements such as this, Biden could be passing long term solutions at the FCC if Sohn was confirmed to give Democrats a majority of the FCC commissioners. "Some of the Internet service providers appearing at this White House event are sabotaging President Biden's FCC even as they pose for today's photo op," Free Press VP of Policy and General Counsel Matt Wood said yesterday. "These voluntary commitments form a strange juxtaposition to the aggressive delay efforts orchestrated by the very same broadband providers, wireless carriers, and broadcasters the FCC regulates to stall the confirmation of Gigi Sohn, a strong consumer champion, to the agency," Public Knowledge said. Biden waited almost a year to even nominate Sohn, on October 26, 2021. The Senate Commerce Committee sent the nomination to the full Senate on March 3, but Democratic leaders have not brought the nomination to a vote. "The Biden administration took a painfully long time to nominate the most obvious candidate for the position—Gigi Sohn—and has done precious little to have her confirmed in a reasonable time frame. Though it would be easy to blame Republican opposition, the truth is that it simply does not appear to be a priority for the administration," said Community Broadband Networks Program Director Christopher Mitchell. Ars Technica also reports that Biden, in March 2021, promised to prioritize municipally owned networks, nonprofits, and co-operatives in a $100 billion broadband plan. Congress eventually only voted for $65 billion, and did not give municipal networks priority.

Today's daily news update.

Jonah E. Bromwich and Ben Protess report in the New York Times that New York judge Arthur F. Engoron ruled on May 11 to end $10,000-a-day fines and a judicial order holding former President Donald Trump in contempt of court, but with conditions. Last month, Engoron ruled that Trump failed to comply with the terms of a December subpoena from Attorney General Letitia James requesting documents from his personal files. The judge ordered Trump to pay $10,000 a day until he provided the documents, and so far Trump owes $110,000. Trump is appealing the contempt ruling, so the judge says the money will be held in escrow until that appeal is settled. In a court filing earlier this year James alleged that the Trump Organization had engaged in “fraudulent or misleading” business practices, and she is seeking business records to see if, for instance, the Trump organization told the Internal Revenue Service that his properties were worth a different amount then what he told investors. Trump's lawyers argue that they have searched for and turned over all documents requested that they could find. The judge has also ordered that Trump, Donald Trump Jr., and Ivanka Trump all testify in the case, and Trump lawyers are also appealing that ruling. Read more about this story in the New York Times.

Nick Reisman reports for New York State of Politics that state Supreme Court Judge Patrick McAllister ruled May 11 that New York State's new Assembly districts will remain in place for a June 28 primary election. A different judge ruled the Congressional and State Senate district lines were gerrymandered, and ordered new districts be drawn, and those primary elections moved to Aug. 23. Then a Greene County-based man, Gary Greenberg, and Republican activist Gavin Wax, filed a suit against the Assembly redistricting. But McAllister said there is not enough time to draw new lines before a June 28 primary. Wax has previously indicated he would appeal a negative ruling to a higher court. Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

Cloey Callahan reports in the Times Union about the nonprofit organization SailHope, which sponsors sailing trips on the Hudson River for those in need. "You forget about other issues when you’re sailing,” said Stefany Coulter of Catskill, who co-founded non-profit to “reach those who are facing personal, financial or emotional discouragement, stress and struggles, and bring them new joy and hope.” Each trip can host up to six people on the group's 28-foot sailboat, which boards in Catskill where the boat is berthed, or at the town dock in Athens or Hudson. So far the group has worked with Columbia/Greene Mental Health Association and wants to partner with the Girl Scouts’ mariners’ program. “I want to share it with as many people as possible and not everyone can afford to rent a boat or go sailing,” said Coulter. “I didn’t want people to feel like they couldn’t experience that.” Read more about this story in the Times Union.

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Melanie Lekocevic is reporting for Capital Region Independent Media after several months of unpredictable utility prices, Central Hudson now claims electricity rates have declined by 55 percent in May. “Central Hudson’s residential price for electric supply has declined significantly from 13.6 cents per kilowatt hour in April to 6.12 cents per kilowatt hour, effective May 11,” according to a statement from the company. Natural gas prices also decreased from 97.1 cents per hundred-cubic-feet in April to 64 cents per hundred-cubic-feet in May, effective May 1. The fluctuating rates are due to volatility in the energy markets. “This, coupled with the potential of increased demand during the summer, could have an impact on electric supply prices in the coming months,” according to the company. The rise in supply prices for electricity and natural gas was due to a number of factors, including increased domestic demand due to a colder winter, constrained domestic pipeline capacity and increased global demand for natural gas. Central Hudson is currently the focus of an investigation by the state Department of Public Service into the company’s billing practices that have led to billing errors over the past few months, according to Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan, who requested the investigation. Hundreds of local residents filed complaints about billing after some utility customers saw their monthly bills increase by two- and three-fold in recent months. Read the full story at TheUpStater [dot] com.

Greta Jochem is reporting for The Berkshire Eagle across all four western Massachusetts counties, more than 2,800 people faced homelessness one night in February, more than double the previous year. "We have nowhere near enough housing and then our renters spend far more than what is reasonable on housing costs," said Keleigh Pereira, director of the Three County Continuum of Care. The number of people found to be chronically homeless across western Massachusetts more than doubled this year, jumping from 118 to 303 people. The data is collected annually in the Point-in-Time Count, a survey for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. "Our chronically homeless number is very high and the highest it's been in this five-year period," Gerry McCafferty, director of Springfield's Office of Housing and the Hampden Continuum of Care. While the number of homeless families stayed about the same, the number of homeless individuals have increased since 2021. Overall, risk factors for homelessness increased during the pandemic, McCafferty said. "The pandemic continues to take a severe toll." And homelessness is impacting people of color more. Compared to the general western Massachusetts population, there are 2.6 times the number of black people and three times the number of Hispanic and Latino people who are homeless, McCafferty said. Construct, a southern Berkshire housing nonprofit, has 77 units of permanent housing available in the southern Berkshires and 800 households on the waiting list, said Jane Ralph, the organization's executive director. The wait list has always been long, but it has increased over the last several months. While Berkshire County housing groups are working to address the need, there are not enough resources, she said. Housing stock needs to be increased, Keith Fairey, president and CEO of Wayfinders, a regional housing organization. "We need more supply," he said. "We need to decrease the local barriers in our region. ...We need to work together toward that vision." Read the full story in The Berkshire Eagle.

Nick Reisman is reporting for State of Politics under legislation proposed by state lawmakers and the good-government organization Common Cause, disgraced ex-officeholders could face restrictions on the use of their campaign funds once out of office. The bill would apply to former officials who are impeached and removed from office, convicted of a crime while in office, or resign following the release of findings pointing to criminal conduct. If signed into law the measure would prohibit the use of campaign funds by the former official for political purposes and require them to close out the account within two years. At a news conference on May 10, in Albany, the lawmakers backing the bill — state Senator Alessandra Biaggi and Assemblymember Phil Steck — named former Gov. Andrew Cuomo as the most recent example of a former official that would be impacted by the law. Cuomo has accessed millions of dollars he raised while in office to fund TV ads meant to refute the sexual harassment and inappropriate conduct allegations leveled against him. "New Yorkers donate to candidates with the expectation that they will act with integrity and uphold the public trust should they assume office," Biaggi said. "When elected officials violate that trust, they should not be able to influence our politics with funds previously raised. ..." Cuomo spokesperson Rich Azzopardi in a statement called the proposal unconstitutional. Read the full story at nystateofpolitics [dot] com.

Radio Insight reports that since President Donald Trump signed the 2020 PIRATE Act, the Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau has begun to send warning letters not just to folks they believe are operating pirate radio stations, but also to the owners of the properties the FCC believes are hosting the broadcasts. Four real estate owners getting the letters now have ten days to respond to the FCC that they are addressing the issue. Edwin and Joyce Pitt of Baltimore, MD; Maria V. Hernandez of Kissimmee, FL; Richard Manson of Philadelphia, PA; and Kent and Deanna Coppinger of the Jefferson RV Park in Summerville, OR got the letters that read, in part, “You are hereby notified and warned that the FCC may issue a fine of up to $2,000,000 if ... we determine that you have continued to permit any individual or entity to engage in pirate radio broadcasting the property that you own or manage." The new law Trump signed includes draconian $2 million fines for pirate radio operators, or property owners. It was co-sponsored by Rep. Paul Tonko, who represents Albany County and much of the Capitol District, where there has not been any pirate radio activity reported in many years. While there has not been any local pirate radio activity to get Tonko's attention, he did receive $7,000 in donations during the 2016 campaign from the National Association of Broadcasters, a virulent anti-pirate radio organization. But Inside Radio reports that the new law so far is toothless. The COVID-19 pandemic limited field work by FCC agents, and the FCC says it does not have the manpower to fully implement all of the 2020 PIRATE Act's mandates. And they also say they don't have the money to hire new agents. "President Biden’s proposed spending plan for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1 would increase the FCC’s budget by 4.3 percent in the coming year.... Under the Biden proposal, the Enforcement Bureau would receive an increase of $5 million to implement the new law and to hire the 15 new employees," Inside Radio reports. David Goren, a pirate radio expert who runs pirateradiomap.com, says that the FCC's new giant fines may be working, or pirates may be changing channels and locations. Goren told Columbia Journalism Review last year that, "Recently the FCC sent notices to three stations in Queens, to landlords. There is a station in Queens that I’m able to hear in Brooklyn, probably six miles away, this Ecuadorean station. They were on the air when the notices came out, and they were on the air for several days after, but now they’re no longer on that frequency, so they may have felt some pressure to shut down and move."

Today's daily news update.

Patricia R. Doxsey reports in the Daily Freeman that Democratic Chairwoman Kelleigh McKenzie said the committee to fill vacancies for the 19th Congressional District filed a “certificate of substitution” for Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan with the state Board of Elections on May 9. The move will allow Ryan to replace Rep. Antonio Delgado on the ballot for the NY-19 Congressional District. Delgado was just named Lieutenant Governor by Gov. Kathy Hochul, but has not officially resigned, and has not said exactly when he will leave that office. Delgado, a Democrat, was going to face Republican Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro this November. Ryan’s filing gives him the right to replace Delgado on the ballot. Daniel Torres, a spokesperson for the Democrat said, “Today papers were filed in Albany as part of a technical procedure to ensure that County Executive Ryan has as many options as possible as he continues to discuss with his family and neighbors about a potential candidacy for Congress.” Torres also said Ryan “has received support from residents all over upstate New York who are inspired by his record of service and who are fearful of Washington extremism taking over this seat.” Ryan is expected to announce a decision later this week. Saugerties-based state Senator Michelle Hinchey said last week that she is not running for the Congressional seat, but for re-election. What the 19th Congressional District is remains up in the air, as a court threw out redistricting maps Democrats in Albany drew as gerrymandered. Read more about this story at the Daily Freeman.

Michelle Del Rey reports in the Times Union that environmental activists in New York are consistently insisting that the state turn completely to electric power, rather than burning fossil fuels, to slow global warming and attempt to save the planet. Many environmental groups, for instance, are opposing a new anti-pollution bill from Democrats Carrie Woerner and Kevin S. Parker aimed to lower the intensity of on-road transportation by 20 percent by 2030. “There is a right way to fund our climate law and a wrong way,” said Peter Iwanowicz, executive director of Environmental Advocates NY. “Regressive policies like this that also continue pollution hotspots are clearly the wrong way.” The New York City Environmental Justice Alliance said, “This policy focuses only on the carbon intensity of a fuel rather than taking into account the overall greenhouse gas emissions and resulting co-pollution. By proposing the use of fuels for transportation rather than electrification, this policy would continue to incentivize the combustion of fuels other than fossil gas, which still contribute to climate change and result in severe health impacts, particularly in disadvantaged communities where pollution is concentrated.” Buildings account for 32 percent of the New York's climate-heating greenhouse gas emissions, and legislators earlier this year considered banning fossil fuels in new buildings. Washington state recently became the first in the country to mandate that newly constructed buildings be outfitted with all-electric space heating and hot water systems, as more of the country moves away from fossil fuels. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

It’s time for us to show up in force for Roe v. Wade. That’s why we’re marching all across the country for abortion rights next week.

Join us on Saturday, 5/14. Find an event near you here:https://t.co/4jMWM3qXwV

— Women's March (@womensmarch) May 9, 2022

There are marches planned May 14 in Hudson, Albany, Kingston, and cities across the country after the leak of the Supreme Court decision to overturn the Roe vs. Wade case later this year. The Women's March has held massive rallies after President Donald Trump was elected, and around some of his nominations for Supreme Court justices. "It’s time for us to show up in force for Roe v. Wade. That’s why we’re marching all across the country for abortion rights next week," the group Tweeted. The Hudson event is from 1-2 p.m. May 14 at the Planned Parenthood Health Center, 804 Columbia St. The Kingston event is from 11 a.m. until noon at Academy Green Park, 238 Clinton Ave. In Albany, organizers have not said where the rally will be, but that it will be from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m.

Today's daily news update.

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Patricia Doxsey is reporting for the Daily Freeman the state police last week renewed efforts to locate Audrey Herron, the Greene County resident who disappeared nearly 20 years ago after finishing her shift as a nurse at the Columbia-Greene Long Term Health Care Center in Catskill. Acting on a tip, the state police at Catskill and the New York State Police Underwater Recovery Team searched Maurer’s Lake and Potuck Reservoir, both located on Schoharie Turnpike in Earlton, as well as a portion of the Catskill Creek in South Cairo. However, it was a dead end. No evidence or information was developed from the search. The last time the 31-year-old mother of three was seen, she was walking toward her 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee at about 11 p.m. on August 29, 2002. After her disappearance, police and volunteers conducted ground searches by retracing her possible routes home to Freehold, covering roughly 120 miles of roads and trails. They were unable to locate Herron or her vehicle. Herron was described at the time of her disappearance as white, five feet tall and 105 pounds with hazel eyes and light brown hair. She last was seen wearing green medical scrubs and a blue turtleneck top. Anyone with information regarding Herron’s disappearance is asked to call the state police in Catskill at (518) 622-8600. Read more in the Daily Freeman.

Nick Reisman is reporting for State of Politics that advocates for proposed statewide tenant protection measures meant to make it harder for landlords to raise rent and move forward with evictions reported on May 9, the legislation would not negatively impact New York's housing supply. Those opposed to the legislation argue the report is misleading and would hurt small property owners. The Good Cause Eviction law is meant to prevent landlords from forcing tenants, who are unable to pay an unreasonable increase in rent, from their homes. The debate over affordable housing policy in New York has resurfaced as lawmakers head into the end of the legislative session on June 2. Lawmakers are debating the extension and potential changes to tax abatements in addition to the push for a good cause law. The report, released by the Pratt Center for Community Development and Community Service Society of New York, reviewed the effect of a Good Cause law in New Jersey that has been on the books for nearly 50 years. The law, the report found, did not have an impact on the pace of building in the Garden State. However, the Community Housing Improvement Program, a trade association that represents the owners of more than 4,000 apartment buildings in New York City, called the report misleading, and said the New Jersey law was not an accurate point of comparison. A spokesperson for the group said the report lacks any credibility. Read the full story in nystateofpolitics [dot] com.