Today's daily news audio update.

Raga Justin reports in the Times Union that New York's prisons have an internal grievance system that inmates do not trust, according to a new report from the Correctional Association of New York. The Incarcerated Grievance System was created after the 1971 prison riot at the Attica Correctional Facility. The report said, “During monitoring visits, and in correspondence with incarcerated people and their families, the program is frequently cited as restricted in scope, lacking transparency and fairness, failing to resolve grievances within specified time limits, and widely subject to physical and other forms of retaliation.... Together these failures inflict significant damage on perceptions of legitimacy of the system and negatively impact relationships between incarcerated people and staff.” There were more than 10,000 grievances filed in state prisons in the first six months of 2022. In response to the report, the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision said, "The Incarcerated Grievance Program makes every effort at all levels of the grievance process to fulfill its intent and to provide incarcerated individuals with everything to which they are entitled to by law and/or in accordance with departmental policy.” Read more about this story in the Times Union.

New York State of Politics reports that, like everything else, the cost of creating wind power is going up. So now New York state Energy Research and Development Authority-contracted wind project developers want the Public Service Commission to make “inflation adjustments." Anne Reynolds, executive director of the Alliance for Clean Energy NY, said, “Just like all the household expenses have increased, the price of your groceries have increased, so has the cost to build these projects.” But, according to Reynolds, the cost increases being sought are larger than the rate of inflation, “Ranging from 27 percent for some, all the way up to 70 percent for some other projects.” About 90 renewable energy projects want the cost increases and if the Public Service Commission does not agree, Reynolds says, “A lot of them will get canceled.... Some of them may successfully rebid.” Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

Porcupine Soup reports that Brian Smith has been appointed as the Catskill Central School District’s new athletic director. Smith has taught physical education at Catskill Elementary School for 19 years, and is Catskill’s varsity golf coach and the boys and girls golf coordinator for the Patroon Conference. Smith said, “This is an exciting time because we have a young core of eager coaches to help mold our players and build a new-found culture. Eighteen years ago Catskill took a chance and hired me and I look forward to giving back to this community.” Smith replaces former athletic director Eric Joyce, who resigned in September for personal reasons. Read more about this story in Porcupine Soup.

Today's audio daily news update.

Paul Kirby reports in the Daily Freeman that Republican Rep. Marc Molinaro said on Oct. 4 that he does not know who he will back to become the House speaker after Kevin McCarthy was removed from the post. Molinaro represents the 19th Congressional District and voted on Oct. 3 against McCarthy’s removal. Now Molinaro wants to speak with the potential speaker candidates. He said, “I have not yet decided who I’m backing to be the next speaker and am willing to sit down with anyone who is interested in the job to hear their ideas and impress upon them the importance of having voices in Upstate New York heard." For the next week, the federal government is ground to a halt, as no business can happen in the House of Representatives until Republicans pick a new leader. Molinaro said, “I get the frustration with the current state of paralysis.... I’m frustrated too. This can’t be business as usual. We have to move quick, stop the infighting and get back to governing.” Eight ultra-conservative Republicans voted to oust McCarthy without a plan for a new speaker. Read more about this story in the Daily Freeman.

Marc Ferris reports in the Times Union that a healthy do-it-yourself music scene has emerged in the Hudson Valley with shows at a derelict community center in Newburgh, a bowling alley in Middletown, the basement of a martial arts studio in New Hampton called the Dojo Dungeon, a warehouse in Troy, and private houses in Albany, Kingston, Cairo, and New Paltz. Ash, the guitarist for Albany-based doom band Carnwennan, said, “Rock lives — you just have to know where to find it.... It’s a deeply ingrained part of our culture that isn’t going away.” Phil Bartsch, the drummer for RBNX and Flowers for Burial, said, “We’ve booked shows from Albany to Beacon and played a boxing ring, a pizzeria kitchen, a bowling alley and in a field.” Liam Singer, co-owner of The Avalon Lounge in Catskill, is impressed with the do-it-yourselves shows, and sees their link to the hardcore and indie music past. Singer said, “They set up an incredible blueprint that is still followed." The DIY shows are not all hardcaore. Two weeks ago there was a noise show at a house in Cairo, and a folk music performance at an art gallery on Main St. there. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

New York foliage report show more color on the trees this week. It says, "In the Catskills, Greene County reports from above 1200’ in Windham predict peak foliage with 80 percent color change and orange, red, yellow and purple leaves, while spotters reporting from the lower elevations expect near-peak foliage with 65 percent change and brilliant autumnal hues. In Ulster County, peak conditions are expected at Belleayre Mountain in Highmount. Kingston spotters anticipate 55 percent change with varying seasonal shades.... In Rensselaer County, volunteers in East Greenbush expect around 40 percent transition with muted to average shades of orange, burgundy, red and yellow.... In the Hudson Valley, Columbia County observers in Hudson project 35 percent change with green and gold leaves of average brilliance along with accents of orange, red, bright yellow and pink. In Dutchess County, reports from Beacon and Fishkill expect 20 percent change with some yellow leaves, while volunteers in Hopewell Junction also predict nearly 20 percent change, with yellow leaves and some shades of red and orange." Read more about this at the New York 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.

Mike Goodwin reports in the Times Union that local non-commercial radio station WAMC is no longer going to pay guests on its “The Roundtable” program. Rosemary Armao said she won't appear on the show anymore because the radio station is no longer paying her $50 an hour to appear on the morning talk show. Armao, a longtime journalist and professor at the state University at Albany, said, “I’m leaving because new interim management at WAMC doesn’t want to pay me anymore starting Dec. 1,... I was hired more than a decade ago to come onto the show but the new guys say it isn’t fair that only some and not all of the Roundtable panelists get money ($50 an hour) to appear,” she wrote. “I agree, but they rejected my suggestion that paying everyone would fix this inequity.” WAMC's interim CEO Stacey Rosenberry said the station could not afford to pay all the panelists any more. WGXC does not pay any guest that appears on the station, and shows are hosted by volunteer community members. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Liz Montgomery reports in Porcupine Soup that the Greene County resort Windham Mountain now wants people to call it Windham Mountain Club. Earlier this year the Beall family and the Kemmons Wilson Hospitality Partners made a large investment in the local resort. Sandy Beall founded the original Ruby Tuesday restaurant chain, and the Kemmons Wilson Hospitality Partners formed the Holiday Inn hotel chain. The new owners say they will make more than $70 million dollars in upgrades on Windham mountain. President Chip Seamans said, “With uncrowded slopes for members and the public, our ski racing and development programs, and extraordinary culinary offerings, we aim to create a remarkable end-to-end experience at Windham Mountain Club.” Read more about this story in Porcupine Soup.

Kevin Frey reports for New York State of Politics that Rep. Marc Molinaro reflected the confusion and dual tracks of his now leaderless fellow House Republicans when talking about who he wants as their new leader. A handful of ultra-conservative Republicans ousted House Speaker Kevin McCarthy earlier this week, virtually shutting down the government. When actions resume next week, they will have to choose a leader to get anything done. Molinaro said, “We need in our conference to accept that we’re going to have to have a speaker who will mold consensus and accept a degree of compromise on our behalf." So Molinaro wants someone who can compromise with Democrats but who also puts, “forward effectively an aggressive agenda to meet the needs of the American people.” Molinaro also had good things to say about the outgoing speaker, saying, “No one member of Congress had worked harder to help me certainly get here or to win the majority — and then ultimately work towards growing it — than Kevin McCarthy.” House Republicans took 15 votes to elect McCarthy in January, and next week plan to choose a new leader so the federal government can function again. Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

Today's audio daily news update.

New York State of Politics reports that Congress may have extended federal spending into November to keep the government running, but they let the current Farm Bill expire without voting for a new bill. Christopher Wolf, an agricultural economics professor at Cornell University, said some program are reauthorized automatically, while other parts of the bill are not. He said, “Some of them are permanent and don’t require any extension, like crop insurance. Some of them need reauthorization, and some of them are authorized, but need funding.” A government-funded program to offset the cost of milk, for instance, will end soon and revert back to a 1949 law that would set prices relative to the 1910s, Wolf said. That would send milk prices 2.5 percent higher. “If it were to happen, that would cost billions and billions, but that’s not going to happen,” Wolf said. “It’s really not that unusual to go past the fiscal year expiration date.” New York Farm Bureau spokesperson Steve Ammerman said, “It is too soon to predict what will happen, and we are hopeful to avoid a repeat of years past that took us towards the so-called ’dairy cliff’ where critical risk management programs would be left unfunded and agricultural policy would revert to those in the 1940s.”

Mid-Hudson News reports that Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the bill from Hudson Valley-based state Senator Michelle Hinchey making it illegal to disseminate deepfake porn images. Hinchey said, “What our bill does it now makes it illegal for someone to intentionally disseminate fake explicit images, otherwise known as deepfake, without someone’s consent.” So-called "revenge porn" images have been banned in New York since 2019, and this bill expands that law to include images created by artificial intelligence. The new law includes a year in jail and a $1,000 fine, with the victims allowed to pursue additional legal action against the perpetrators. Read more about this story at Mid-Hudson News.

Sara Rizzo reports for News10 that the 23rd annual FilmColumbia brings film screenings and live events to the Crandall Theatre in Chatham from October 20 to October 29. The festival includes question and answer sessions with area residents Ruth Reichl, James Schamus, Al Roker, Stephen Lang, Scott Cohen, and Walton Goggins. Co-Executive and Co-Artistic Director Laurence Kardish said, “We tried to show as much good local talent this year as possible.... We recognize their strength in our community and celebrate the abundance of talent in our region—proving how essential it is to keep our historic single-screen cinema open and refreshed so they may continue to show their works in a place that is welcoming, and well, ideal.” Among other highlights at the film festival is a screening of director Todd Haynes' “May December,” with a Q&A with Christine Vachon and Pam Koffler of Killer Films and screenwriting panels with Scott Cohen and Anastasia Traina. Starts at Tracy Memorial Village Hall. Read more about this story at News10.

Today's daily news audio update.

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

Paul Kirby reports in the Daily Freeman that Republican Rep. Marc Molinaro voted Oct. 3 to keep Kevin McCarthy as House Speaker, a vote he lost. A small group of ultra-conservative Republicans were enough opposition to McCarthy to vacate the chair. It was the first time in America's history that a House Speaker was removed in a no-confidence vote. Molinaro, who represents the 19th Congressional District, said, “I voted to retain Speaker McCarthy because he allows us to keep governing, address inflation, secure the border, and fight for the issues facing families, farmers, and small businesses.” Democrat Pat Ryan voted with the rest of the Democrats against McCarthy. Ryan said, “It’s about delivering results and (McCarthy) has failed Hudson Valley families at every turn.... He’s leading the charge to enact a national abortion ban, voted to kick 18K #NY18 residents off their healthcare and to cut heating assistance for low-income families by 74 percent.” Rep. Elise Stefanik, who represents Rensselaer County and the rest of the 21st Congressional District, took to the House floor moments before the vote to defend McCarthy. Then Rep. Matt Gaetz, who brought the motion to remove McCarthy, spoke. CLICK HER TO PLAY BRIEF CLIP OF STEFANIK AND GAETZ. The Republican's kerfuffle came because Gaetz was upset McCarthy cut a deal with Democrats to keep the government operating. Removing McCarthy as House Speaker effectively stops the government from operating, as Republicans cannot get any business done until they pick a new leader. Read more about this story in the Daily Freeman.