Thomas C. Zambito reports in the Poughkeepsie Journal that there is talk of expanding landfills in New York as recycling costs have skyrocketed, and more renewable materials are not being recycled. The owners of bottle redemption companies want to raise the 3.5 cents-per-container deposit for beer, soda, and water containers. In 1987, New York set a goal of reducing, reusing, or recycling at least 50 percent of the state's waste stream in ten years. It never got there, only reaching around 20 percent in 2008, and staying there since, below the national average of 32 percent. Kristen Lawton, the director of Recycling and Reduction for the Onondaga County Resource Recovery Agency told state lawmakers last month, “New York has too much waste and our recycling rates are stagnant.... Our recycling funding system is unsustainable.... It is getting more expensive for haulers to recycle.... Often it is equal to or the same as throwing material out, so recycling is leaking out of our system.” Lawmakers in Albany are considering two ideas to increase recycling a tiny bit more: One would double the nickel deposit for carbonated soft drink and beer bottles and make bottles of wine and liquor, and non-carbonated sports drinks also require a deposit. Another proposal would mandate manufacturers use environment friendly packaging, reducing paper and plastic in the waste stream, giving the companies, rather than taxpayers, the check. New York also recently made manufacturers pick up the cost of recycling rechargeable batteries, paints, and some other products. Kirstie Pecci, the executive director of Just Zero, a national non-profit for recycling advocacy based in Massachusetts, explained why more than 80 percent of New York’s 18 million tons of waste is going to landfills, incinerators, or being shipped out of state, saying, “What they end up doing is they permit incinerators and landfills because they want the waste to go away but that means there is no incentive to actually reduce and reuse, compost and truly recycle the things that are recyclable." Julie Tighe, the president of the New York League of Conservation Voters, says, “We have to do a better job of educating the public, of making it easy for the public to be able to recycle and by making the producers of goods use the most recycled content and the most recyclable materials so that we create the circular economy.” Read more about this story in the Poughkeepsie Journal.

Nov. 7 is the final day to cast your ballot in a variety of local elections. Most local races are unopposed, though there are competitive contests in Cairo, Athens, Claverack, and other towns. The Columbia County elections for district attorney and judges will be closely watched after incumbent retirements and newcomers running for their places. Alex Gault at Johnson News Service reports there are two constitutional amendments on the back of this year’s ballots. Both questions only ask about minor changes to already established rules. One asks voters if they support a technical change to the constitutional debt limits set for small city school districts and the other is an extension to a change made for debt limits on local sewer projects. Hudson has the most at stake locally as proposal one asks voters if they support a change to the state constitution for small city school districts, and Hudson is one of the few in New York. Currently Hudson schools, with a total taxable value of $1.016 billion, have a debt limit of abut $50.8 million. A yes vote on proposal one would allow the school to double that, to the same percentage as most other schools around the state. The two questions are the only statewide issues on the ballot this fall that is crowded with many local elections. Voting ends at 9 p.m. Tuesday, and WGXC will have election results online and on air as soon as we get them on election night.

New York State of Politics reports that former President Donald Trump began testifying Nov. 6 in Manhattan in his civil fraud trial about allegations his company illegally inflated valuations in legal documents of his properties. Trump claimed the documents with the false statements were worthless. He said, “Banks didn’t find them very relevant, and they had a disclaimer clause -- you would call it a worthless statement clause." Then Trump attacked state Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engeron from the witness stand, “because he always rules against me.” Engoron responded: “You can attack me in whichever way you want but please answer the questions.” Later, the judge asked Trump's attorney to "control your client," and said, "This is not a political rally.... This is a courtroom." Then later the judge said, "I beseech you to control him if you can. If you can't, I will. I will I excuse him and draw every negative inference that I can." Engoron already ruled Trump guilty of fraud, and the former president seemed to be playing more to the public and his presidential campaign on the witness stand. Read more about this story in New York State of Politics.

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Andy Tsubasa Field reports in the Times Union that apple farmers are having a tough year with a late May frost taking out much of their crop, and rainy summer weekends meant they missed income from tourist visits. Golden Harvest in Valatie said it lost about two-thirds of its apples. In Halfmoon, Alan DeVoe of DeVoe's Rainbow Orchards said the orchard only harvested a fifth of its typical crop. DeVoe said, "Because we had so little on our trees, we just made the decision to not do pick-your-own.... Customers would've walked way too far in the orchard looking for apples. They were very spread out." Then rainy weekends in August, September, and October cut revenue many farmers make from tourist visits. Mark Farrington, of Terrace Mountain Orchard in Schoharie, said they typically get over 4,000 visitors in a day during apple-picking season, but only got about a third of that this year. Farrington made changes because of the loss of revenue. He said, "We've taken the main house and turned it into a very high-end Airbnb. That's helped out. And we've just done another home on the property.... We're looking at maybe doing more of a wedding venue operation in conjunction with the orchard — investing that way as opposed to the trees. Because one is not going to be impacted by weather and Mother Nature." Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Kevin Frey reports at New York State of Politics that while most Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives want to cut money to Amtrak in a new transportation funding bill, local Rep. Marc Molinaro does not. Republicans are proposing a massive, nearly two-thirds funding cut year-over-year for Amtrak. Locally, that incudes a $1 billion cut to the busy Northeast Corridor. Molinaro said, “It's one of the lines that makes money. It is responsible for a good number of jobs." Other New York-based Republicans are also against cuts to Amtrak. A “65 percent cut to Amtrak is a non-starter,” said Nassau County Rep. Anthony D’Esposito. Amtrak says the cuts would “radically reduce or suspend service on various routes across the nation, impacting our State Supported, Long Distance and Northeast Corridor services.” The full House was expected to vote on the transportation bill last week, but that was delayed because or protests from New York Republicans. Democrats who control the Senate want more money for Amtrak, so the final outcome for America's passenger rail service is in doubt. Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

Michael Ryan reports for the Mountain Eagle that after 42 years, Pat and Bob Kerns closed their Jewett nursery. Bob Kerns said, “We want to spend more time with our kids and grandchildren.” So the Kerns Nursery on Route 23C in Jewett closed at the end of October. Pat Kerns said, When we started the nursery, we were so small it was ridiculously funny, and being off the main roads didn’t help.... But as word of mouth spread, our business has continually gotten bigger and bigger. In 2023, we now have a large and very unique nursery.... The environment you shop in is like a well-cared for garden―not a supermarket. More than that, we are a nursery for gardeners because the plant selection we offer makes it worth coming from a good distance away.” They may sell part of the property with a greenhouse, but otherwise the business is over. Read more about this story at Porcupine Soup.

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H. Rose Schneider reports in the Times Union that the Town of Berne left an around 800-percent increase from last year's tax rate off its 2024 town budget. This week, though, it is posted on the town website. The 2024 preliminary budget has an estimated tax rate of 4.6, or $4.60 to be paid for each $1,000 of a resident's assessed property value. Deputy Town Supervisor Anita Clayton said, "The budget was very low for the last two years to give residents a break for COVID." About a month ago, The Altamont Enterprise reported the the tax rate was not included in the budget. On Oct. 31 Berne Town clerk Kristin De Oliveira told the Times Union that the tax rate wasn't available beyond an estimate. But the next day, the rate was listed on the town's home web page. The town board unanimously voted to adopt the preliminary budget on Oct. 11, without the tax rate announced. This week, at 6 p.m. on Nov. 8 Berne holds a public hearing about the budget before the final vote. The story also says, "The comptroller's office said in January the town essentially ignored its financial recommendations in response to a 2021 audit that found the town board failed to oversee Berne's finances and illegally allowed then-Supervisor Sean Lyons to pay the town bills without the board. Then-Deputy Supervisor Dennis Palow is now the town supervisor." Berne is in southern Albany County. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Mid-Hudson News reports that new Dutchess County Executive Bill O’Neil's first proposed budget includes plans to raise the county’s 3.75 percent sales tax to 4 percent in June. The Republican is also proposing a second tax increase, raising the county’s hotel tax from four percent to five percent. O’Neil’s proposed budget also calls for a “eight new positions, including shelter director, case managers and program specialists” to help with the homelessness crisis. He also wants the “creation of new affordable housing through the county’s Housing Trust Fund,” but the story does not specify how the homes would be built. O'Neil took over the job from Marc Molinaro when his term in Congress began in January. Read more about this story at Mid-Hudson News.

New York's foliage report has almost the entire state at past-peak colors. In fact, they have no information this week about the Catskills. But, "In the Hudson Valley, Dutchess County spotters from Beacon and Fishkill report peak and just-past-peak foliage with 70% change and bright green leaves mixed with yellow, orange and red.... Columbia County spotters in Hudson predict that foliage will be just-past-peak with 95% color change and average to bright shades of gold, orange and yellow, plus hints of red." See more about this at New York's foliage report.

Today's daily news audio update.

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

Jammel Cutler reports for Columbia-Greene Media that the Germantown Central School District is asking voters for more money for a project. But they are not doing it during the current election cycle when many people are voting on local issues. Germantown school officials are holding the election on the $13.9 million capital project from noon to 9 p.m. on Dec. 19. Business Manager Ryan Smith said, “We’re estimating on the low end that 85% of the project is through state aid, which is $6.6 million, and the taxpayers are only funding $5.2 million." Of course, taxpayers also pay for state aid. The school wants to fix a flooding basement, install a sewer line, fix the playground, repave a parking lot, replace some entrance steps, renovate locker rooms, and install sidewalks. Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.

Joshua Solomon reports in the Times Union that advertisements for and against Rep. Marc Molinaro launched on streaming services, broadcast stations, and billboards this week, a year ahead of his election. The Congressional Integrity Project, a nonprofit run by a former Democratic operative, is targeting many New York Republicans in the House of Representatives, including Molinaro, with its ads. Meanwhile, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the New York State Business Council, put together ads celebrating Molinaro and two other New York-based House Republicans. And neither group is saying who is funding the ad campaigns. Republicans won 11 of 26 congressional seats in the 2022 election, swinging the House to GOP control. New York, analysts say, will be a battleground for control of the House of Representatives again in 2024. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

ABC News reports that this weekend clocks get turned back an hour early Sunday morning as Daylight Savings Time ends this year. At 2 a.m. Sunday, clocks get turned back to 1 a.m., putting the United States back on standard time. Dr. Phyllis Zee, a sleep researcher at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, says “falling back” and gaining an extra hour is generally easier on the body than “springing forward" and losing one. Molly Hart, spokeswoman for AAA's Auto Club Group, warns that there are more road accidents after a time change. Hart said, “With daylight savings coming to an end, what people really need to be focused on is their driving now in the afternoon when it’s darker earlier,” and when they may be feeling drowsy." Read more about this story at ABC News.

Today's audio daily news update.

Jammel Cutler reports in Columbia-Greene Media about Democratic First Ward Supervisor Claire Cousin primary challenge against Assemblyperson Didi Barrett. Cousin said her disagreement with Barrett was that she did not sponsor the Good Cause Eviction Law, the Housing Access Voucher Program and the Tenants Opportunity to Purchase Act. Cousin said, “Didi Barrett has refused to co-sponsor any of those bills.... In fact, her record in office is distinctly anti-tenant. In the middle of COVID-19, she voted against two eviction moratoriums, threatening the safety of thousands of families in her district. And she’s voted with Republicans against several other pro-tenant bills over the years.” Barrett is not commenting so far on the housing issues Cousin raises. But Cousin said, “If elected, I will use my experiences as a commissioner for the Hudson Housing Authority to fight for strong tenant protections, expand rent stabilization across the district, and build truly affordable housing via a statewide Social Housing Development Authority. That’s why Tenants PAC has endorsed me; I’m the only candidate in this race who will side with the tenants of my district over corporate landlords and real estate developers.” Barrett did recently announce a $3 million grant through the Capital Projects Grant Program with $1.5 million going toward Habitat for Humanity, and $1.5 million for the Dutchess County-based Hudson River Housing. Cousin did like that move saying, “I applaud the state Legislature’s appropriation of $3 million for Habitat for Humanity and Hudson River Housing, two local nonprofits that have helped house thousands of Hudson residents.... As the co-founder of the Hudson/Catskill Housing Coalition and a lifelong renter, I understand the critical importance of funding affordable housing in our community. Every day, rents in Hudson continue to skyrocket, and more families are pushed out of their homes.” Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.

Mid-Hudson News reports that Rep. Pat Ryan took to the floor of the House of Representatives on Nov. 1 in support of the current ban on dangerous barges being parked on the Hudson River. The Port of New York recently made an administrative change to its rules, allowing large barges up on the Hudson River. Here is what Ryan said on the House floor: Click here to download or play what Ryan said. Read more about this story at Mid-Hudson News.