Annika Kim Constantino reports for CNBC that New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Dec. 10 a statewide mask mandate for all indoor public places unless businesses or venues have implemented a vaccine requirement beginning Dec. 13. The mandate stays in effect through Jan. 15, 2022, when state officials will reassess. The mandate comes with winter beginning soon, and COVID-19 case counts locally sometimes exceeding last year, when vaccines were not available. “We shouldn’t have reached the point where we are confronted with a winter surge, especially with the vaccine at our disposal, and I share many New Yorkers’ frustration that we are not past this pandemic yet," Hochul said. Since Thanksgiving, the state’s weekly seven-day case rate has jumped by 43 percent and hospitalizations have risen by 29 percent. More people are dying. “I have warned for weeks that additional steps could be necessary, and now we are at that point based upon three metrics: increasing cases, reduced hospital capacity and insufficient vaccination rates in certain areas,” Hochul said in the statement, adding the mask mandate “will no longer be necessary” if “others will follow suit” and get vaccinated. Noncompliant businesses could be subject to a maximum fine of $1,000 per violation. Read more about this story at CNBC.

Sharon LaFraniere and Noah Weiland report in The New York Times that the Food and Drug Administration Dec. 9 authorized booster shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for 16- and 17-year-olds. That is good news as initial laboratory tests suggest that the new fast-spreading coronavirus variant, Omicron, "dulls the power of two doses of the Pfizer vaccine." Less than a month ago, everyone 18 and older became eligible for a booster shot, six months after their first two doses, and nearly 50 million Americans have been boosted since then. “Since we first authorized the vaccine, new evidence indicates that vaccine effectiveness against COVID-19 is waning after the second dose of the vaccine for all adults and for those in the 16- and 17-year-old age group,” said Dr. Peter Marks, who oversees the F.D.A.’s vaccine division. A booster, he added, “will help provide continued protection against COVID-19 in this and older age groups.” President Joe Biden said it was, “even more great news from the F.D.A. and C.D.C.... I say it to all of you: If you got vaccinated six months ago, get your booster right away.” Read more about this story in The New York Times.

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Melanie Lekocevic is reporting for Capital Region Independent Media that a state analysis of the gritty dusting found in the Magnolia Circle area of the village of Ravena concludes that the substance was salt, according to a determination released December 6, by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Resident complaints started coming in to the DEC on November 5. The substance was found in the community, coating homes and vehicles, around Octotber 31, according to a letter from DEC Regional Director Anthony Luisi. “DEC staff determined that the sample consisted of salt,” Luisi said. The source of the dusting remains unknown. “Our investigation into potential sources is ongoing,” according to a letter from Luisi to Mayor Bill Misuraca. The mayor said on social media that if any more of the dust is found, residents should submit their information to Regional Air Pollution Control Engineer Benjamin Potter via email at Benjamin [dot] Potter [at] dec [dot] ny [dot] gov or by phone at 518-357-2345. The DEC will send a professional to the site to collect a sample. The substance was found by numerous residents and is said to be difficult to wash off. Deputy Mayor Nancy Warner said last month, “People have said it sticks right to the paint on their cars and trucks and it can’t be washed off easily, if at all. People said they have turned on their windshield washers and it just smears.” The Lafarge cement plant released a statement regarding the material in November. “We are aware of the complaints regarding fugitive dust on private property in the Ravena area, and we have been in ongoing discussions with the state Department of Environmental Conservation about this matter,” LaFarge said in a statement. The DEC’s investigation into the origin of the salt dusting is ongoing. Read more in The Ravena News-Herald.

Emilia Teasdale is reporting for The Columbia Paper the Ichabod Crane Board of Education recessed its December 7 meeting early after certain audience members chose to speak without permission and then shouted at board members. The board reconvened the meeting later the same night with an abbreviated agenda and a small number of audience members. Approximately 50 people attended the in-person meeting in the primary school cafeteria and everyone was asked to wear a mask. The meeting was also live-streamed, and roughly 35 people were watching. Only three people signed up to speak. During the public comment period, people came to the podium to speak but were told they were required to sign up to be recognized. Those people said they had the right to speak at a public meeting and one person began to comment. At that point board members stood to leave the room and Board President Matthew Nelson recessed the meeting. Thirty minutes into the meeting, the live-stream was stopped and a message appeared on screen, saying “meeting delayed.” Under Ichabod Crane Board of Education policy, anyone wishing to address the board during the public participation portion of the meeting is instructed to sign in with the District Clerk. Those wishing to speak must first be recognized by the president, then identify themselves, their organization and the topic they wish to discuss. When the board reconvened, it tabled the academic reports and postponed committee meeting discussions. Board members did hear a report from the superintendent on enrollment as well as Health and Safety updates. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.

Nick Reisman is reporting for State of Politics Gov. Kathy Hochul is being urged to sign 10 measures intended to protect the environment, including water in schools and curtailing spills on public roadways, as 2021 draws to a close. The advocacy group Environmental Advocates NY December 8, released a year-end list of bills still under consideration including efforts to address climate change through promoting electric vehicles and reducing the prevalence of single-use plastic bottles. The group is backing legislation that would ban the use of pesticides on playgrounds, turf and playing fields at children's overnight camps and improve pesticide reporting in the state, as well. A bill meant to ban the spread of liquid oil and gas waste on roadways is also under consideration as is banning the use of chemical fire retardants in some consumer goods. The group is also seeking the final approval of measures to build out the state's electric vehicle charging infrastructure and a bill meant to promote soil health and research practices. Kate Kurera, deputy director of Environmental Advocates NY, said, "We urge the governor to sign these commonsense bills as soon as they hit her desk." Read the full story at nystateofpolitics [dot] com.

Chris Bragg reports in the Times Union that New York's Working Families Party has added several ethical queries to their candidate questionnaires this year, after all sorts of scandals in Albany. "It is about your platform and your policy positions, and it’s also about whether or not you’re a leader that your community can be proud of, or whether you're someone that's going to mire us in crisis," Sochie Nnaemeka, the state director of the New York Working Families Party, said. "Unethical, closed-door, retaliatory governing is bad for New Yorkers." Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who took several efforts against the Working Families Party during his tenure in office, resigned this summer after a number of sexual harassment allegations, and other reports of ethical lapses. The party's candidate questionnaire says that Cuomo has "indicated he may use his $18 (million) campaign war chest to attack those who voiced opposition to him," then asks candidates if they’ll support an Assembly bill that prohibits an elected official convicted of a crime committed in office, impeached and convicted, or who resigns while subject of an impeachment inquiry, from using a campaign account for any political purpose. There was an impeachment inquiry into Cuomo when he resigned. But Cuomo's spokesperson denies that the former governor ever threatened his political enemies in this way. The story that Cuomo would use his campaign funds in retaliation against political enemies was only reported by Politico. “If anyone wants to change the law going forward that’s their prerogative, but the premise of their question is a lie as we never said nor ‘indicated’ anything like that — we can’t help it if we continue to take up valuable real estate in people’s heads,” Cuomo's longtime spokesperson Rich Azzopardi said on Dec. 9. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Today's daily news update.

Adam Brewster and Graham Kates report for CBS News that New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Dec. 9 that she is suspending her campaign to be the nation's first black woman governor. Instead, she will attempt to win another term as attorney general. "I have come to the conclusion that I must continue my work as attorney general," James said in a statement. "There are a number of important investigations and cases that are underway, and I intend to finish the job. I am running for re-election to complete the work New Yorkers elected me to do." The Washington Post reported earlier in the day that James wants a deposition from former President Donald Trump on January 7 as part of her investigation into whether Trump's company committed financial fraud. The Trump Organization has not commented so far on whether Trump is cooperating, but the company said the investigation is "another political witch-hunt." She also drops out of the race as a Siena College poll released on Dec. 7 showed James trailing current Gov. Kathy Hochul with Hochul at 36 percent to 18 percent backing James, with New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams at 10 percent, and Congressperson Tom Suozzi and New York City Mayor de Blasio at six percent. Read more about this story at CBS News.

Bernadette Hogan, Carl Campanile, and Ben Kesslen report in the New York Post that SUNY Chancellor James Malatras resigned Dec. 9 after several politicians and groups called for his resignation for smearing one of the women alleging sexual harassment by ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo. On Dec. 8, more than 30 Assembly members signed onto a letter calling for his resignation or firing. “The recent events surrounding me over the past week have become a distraction over the important work that needs to be accomplished as SUNY emerges from COVID-19,” Malatras wrote in a letter to SUNY Board of Trustees Chairman Merryl Tisch. I believe deeply in an individual‘s ability to evolve, change, and grow, but I also believe deeply in SUNY and would never want to be an impediment to its success therefore please accept my resignation effective January 14, 2022 as SUNY’s Chancellor.” An anonymous source claims Gov. Kathy Hochul called SUNY board chairman Merryl Tisch Dec. 8, saying the situation “was untenable and not good for SUNY,” according to the source. An audio recording released by the Albany Times Union earlier this week included Malatras berating a staffer also contributed to the calls for his resignation. Malatras was appointed by former Gov. Cuomo after working as an official on Cuomo’s COVID-19 task force. “The audio showed there was a pattern of mistreating staff,” an anonymous higher education source told the newspaper. “There will be a demand with SUNY from faculty and students for the Board of Trustees to conduct a national search to find a new chancellor, which was bypassed to appoint Malatras last year at Andrew Cuomo’s behest.” Read more about this story in the New York Post.

Natasha Vaughn-Holdridge reports for Columbia-Greene Media that the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office claimed Dec. 8 that a COVID-19 outbreak at Columbia County Jail is under control. Five corrections officers and seven incarcerated people there contracted coronavirus recently. “We’ve had a few positives there before, but I think by the numbers, this is the biggest,” Columbia County Health Department Director Jack Mabb said. “We get a few inmates, and then they would isolate successfully, ride it out, then we would get a couple of COs here and there, but in both cases the numbers are the highest we’ve had.” Capt. Patrick Delaney, the jail’s chief corrections officer, said everything is just fine now, but did not say why. “Yes, I think it’s contained,” Delaney said Wednesday. “No one knows what’s going to happen with COVID, but we’ve been lucky. And we follow the protocols set forth by the commission and the health department and do what they say.” Mabb and Columbia County Sheriff David Bartlett both said they did not know the vaccination status of the individuals who tested positive. Bartlett, who lost his reelection campaign in November, was also vague, saying the facility does everything correctly, even with so many new cases. “We have a very strict COVID protocol that we started right at the beginning of COVID,” Bartlett said. “Working with the state, and working with the county department of health, and it’s really kept it out of our facility.” Currently the 9.4 percent seven-day average positivity rate in Columbia County is more than double the 4.9 percent statewide average according to data from the state Department of Health. Columbia County Emergency Management Director David W. Harrison Jr. earlier this week said his department is recommending but not mandating mask wearing when indoors. Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.

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All four local Congressional representatives voted Dec. 7 for a bill to spend $778 billion on defense next year, $25 billion more than what President Joe Biden had requested. The bill passed 363-70, including yeah votes from Democrats Antonio Delgado, Paul Tonko, and Sean Maloney, and Republican Elise Stefanik. While America pulled out of a war in Afghanistan this year, lawmakers voted for a five percent increase over last year’s defense bill. The extra $25 billion that Congress added to Biden's request went to a list of “unfunded requirements,” weapons that military officials would like to have but couldn’t fit in the budget limits set by the White House. At a House hearing last summer, Gen. Mark Milley, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was asked if any of the items on the list were critical for countering China, terrorism, or other threats. “The answer is no, in my professional opinion. If they were critical, then they [would have been] higher on the priority list," Milley said. The defense bill did address sexual assault in the military, but the House version cut measures that would shift many responsibilities in the military justice system from a commander to a special prosecutor.

Andrea Macko is reporting for Porcupine Soup state Senator Michelle Hinchey visited Greenville on December 6, to present a Senate Empire Award to Kelly’s Pharmacy. “Kelly’s Pharmacy is really the definition of a community-minded, people-first pharmacy,” said Hinchey. Marty, Diane and Quinn Kelly opened the first Kelly’s Pharmacy on Main Street in Greenville in 2011, and later a second location in Hope Plaza in Coxsackie. Today they employ more than 25 people. “Thank you for what you do,” the Saugerties Democrat said as she presented a plaque to Marty and Quinn Kelly. One of the reasons Kelly’s was chosen, Hinchey said, was their foresight and proactive role in helping to battle the opioid epidemic. Kelly’s was the first pharmacy in the state of New York to partner with the federal Drug Enforcement Administration to collect potentially dangerous, expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs, Hinchey said. Drugs, as well as sharps, can be safely disposed of right at the pharmacy during regular business hours. “To see the importance of that before anyone else, any other pharmacy, is really incredible,” said Hinchey. And during the pandemic, Kelly’s in Greenville also served as one of the only locations in Greene County to offer COVID-19 testing. Since January, Quinn Kelly noted, they have administered more than 11,000 COVID-19 vaccines at their two locations. “They deserve the recognition,” said Hinchey. “They don’t do it because they want the accolades, they do it because they love their community.” Read more at porcupinesoup [dot] com.

Paul Kirby is reporting for the Times Union more than 50 Afghan refugees are expected to attend Bard College for free beginning next spring, Bard President Leon Botstein said this week. During a press conference on December 7, Botstein said a total of 177 people are to be enrolled at the Annandale-on-Hudson campus or at other Bard facilities. The placement of Afghan students is part of the college’s Afghan Student Fund, which provides living, legal and other necessary support to Afghan students who come to Bard, according to the college’s website. “The College has committed to providing a full package to each student, including tuition (which is being waived), room and board, books, and a stipend.” Botstein said educational institutions have the responsibility to help.. He said the college was able to get the students out of Kabul with the help of American University in Afghanistan and the American University of Central Asia where Bard has a dual degree program. “We have an obligation, a moral obligation,” Botstein said. “it is the right thing to do.” Read the full story in the Times Union

Nick Reisman is reporting for State of Politics legislation signed into law this week by Gov. Kathy Hochul will allow state officials and law enforcement to consider identity theft as a form of elder abuse when older people are victimized. The measure adds identity theft and other fraud-related crimes to the state's formal definition of elder abuse and exploitation. "The fact that older New Yorkers are often the target of identity theft is unconscionable," Hochul said. "...Older New Yorkers have been there for us, and as the nation's first age friendly state I'm proud that New York continues to lead the way to be there for them." The new law also requires that identity theft be one form of elder abuse tracked by the state Office of the Aging as well as law enforcement officials. The changes are meant to provide more protection for older New Yorkers from fraud, such as when a person's social security number, driver's license information, or bank or credit card account is used by an unauthorized person. The measure was sponsored by Assemblyperson Catalina Cruz and state Sen. Rachel May. May said, "This simple change to our laws will open up state resources for people fighting this terrible crime. I thank Governor Hochul for signing this bill today to ensure [that] seniors have more protection against abuse." Read the full story at nystateofpolitics [dot] com.

Today's daily news update.

Rebekah F. Ward reports in the Times Union about a new database from SUNY’s Rockefeller Institute of Government tracking which New York municipalities have opted out of allowing cannabis sales and/or consumption lounges. New York legalized cannabis in April, and is currently working on regulations for sales to begin. Towns and villages have until Dec. 31 to bar sales or bars where consumption would be allowed. So far, about 15 percent 15 percent have filed local laws to opt out of both retail sales and on-site consumption businesses. “A big theme I saw was they just said, ‘We can’t opt into an unknown’,” SUNY researcher Heather Trela about the new database. The database shows that in Greene County, Windham and Jewett have both barred sales and consumption sites, while New Baltimore holds a public hearing Dec. 13 on the issue. In Columbia County, The village of Chatham has opted out of both, while Austerlitz, Germantown, New Lebanon, and Taghkanic will allow both types of businesses. Copake will allow sales, and will hold a public hearing on lounges Dec. 9. Ancram will allow sales, but not lounges. Trela said she is noticing neighboring towns following the lead of other nearby towns. “It was motivating in two ways: sometimes it was, ‘We don’t want to go against the grain. If everyone else is opting out, we don’t want to be the outlier,’” Trela said. “And in other communities, it was like ‘We do want to be the outlier, because there’s going to be demand.’” Read more about this story in the Times Union.