Today's daily news audio update.

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

Raymond Pignone reports in Columbia-Greene Media that Charlotte Sena, the nine-year-old girl who vanished while biking in Moreau Lake State Park on Sept. 30, was located in good health on Oct. 2, and police took her suspected captor into custody. Jene Luciani Sena, of Hudson, is the girl’s aunt, and said just before the girl's return, “Charlotte is a loving and kind little girl.” The girl's disappearance from a Saratoga County park sparked international attention. Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.

Mike Hayes, Aditi Sangal, Leinz Vales, Maureen Chowdhury, and Elise Hammond report for CNN that former President Donald Trump attended the first day of the New York civil trial against him and his namesake company.at a Manhattan courtroom on Oct. 2. Trump was not required to be there, and the only action he took was speaking to reporters where he attacked New York Attorney General Letitia James for bringing the case against him. And then he attacked the judge for a ruling in the case last week. And then he tried to tie them to special counsel Jack Smith’s criminal indictments, even though they are unconnected. Trump said, “This has to do with election interference, plain and simple.... They’re trying to damage me, so I don’t do as well as I’m doing in the election.” The case is actually about Trump inflating valuations on his properties and other business fraud. The judge has already ruled that Trump's company committed fraud, and the trial will determine the size of the fines he must pay. Read more about this story at CNN.

Paul Kirby reports in the Daily Freeman that Republican Rep Marc Molinaro said on Oct. 2 he is standing by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Rep. Matt Gaetz moved to remove McCarthy from his post on Oct. 2, after McCarthy cut a deal with Democrats to keep the government open until at least November. Molinaro took to social media to brag about his support of McCarthy, writing, “With Speaker McCarthy, House Republicans have passed bills to unleash American energy, secure the southern border, protect parents rights (and) combat rising crime." Gaetz filed a “motion to vacate the chair,” and only needs five Republicans to break with McCarthy to oust the speaker. Rep. Pat Ryan, a Democrat who represents the 18th Congressional District said, “This is yet another example of the chaos and dysfunction when MAGA Republicans are in charge.... They’re fighting each other rather than serving the American people, putting at risk Social Security, pay for our troops, food assistance for hungry kids, and more. Now, more than ever, we need patriots in Congress, not political hacks.” Read more about this story in the Daily Freeman.

Today's audio daily news update.

Noel McLaren reports at News10 that the rollout of the latest COVID-19 vaccine has not gone smoothly. Leigh McConchie, president of the Pharmacist’s Society of New York, said, “There have been some shipping difficulties.... We were told we’d have it second to third week of September.... Moderna says they will get it to us as soon as possible with no specific date and no specific reason behind the delay in shipping.” McConchie says the Federal Government is no longer part of the ordering process, so the change may be slowing the supply chain. McConchie said, “In the first round, the manufacturers sent all their stuff directly to basically what I’ll call a clearing house that we all ordered from and was sent to us.... Now we’re all ordering individually because it’s no longer free to us, we actually have to purchase it so we are ordering it as we need it and now they’re having to ship to thousands of individual pharmacies. They have to set up accounts with the pharmacies which takes time.” Read more about this story at News10.

Joshua Solomon reports in the Times Union that the state Court of Appeals will hear arguments on whether New York's congressional boundaries should be redrawn on Nov. 15. Redistricting is supposed to take place every ten years, so it should have been complete by the 2022 elections. But lawsuits in New York continue to drag the process out. About 17 months ago the Court of Appeals struck the Democrat-drawn political boundaries for the state Senate and Congress that had been established by the Democrat-controlled Senate, ordering a new map. Repeatedly courts have ruled that the map boundaries were intentionally gerrymandered for political gain. That led a judge to pick an outside expert to draw the maps, which were used in the 2022 elections. Republicans did well in those votes, winning House seats in the Hudson Valley that helped flipped control of the House. So Democrats sued, and, again, candidates and citizens can't be sure of the end result. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Luke Parsnow reports at New York State of Politics that New York drivers must now switch lanes when there is a disabled vehicle pulled over. Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the law on Oct. 2 that, "requires an operator of a motor vehicle to exercise due care to avoid colliding with a vehicle which is parked, stopped, or standing on the shoulder of a parkway or controlled-access highway" by changing lanes. Since 2010 New York law mandates cars move over lanes for emergency vehicles. Hochul said 37 people were struck and killed outside of a disabled vehicle in New York between 2016 and 2020. Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

Today's daily news audio update.

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

It does not happen much, but occasionally both New York's Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, and the four Hudson Valley representatives all vote the same way. It happened on Sept. 30 when Republicans Elise Stefanik and Marc Molinaro, and Democrats Pat Ryan and Paul Tonko, all voted to keep the United States government operating temporarily while a few ultra-comservative Republicans holding up a deal decide what, exactly, they want. Only nine very conservative Republicans in the Senate voted against the temporary budget deal, while 90 Republicans and one Democrat in the House voted against the stop-gap measure called, the "Continuing Appropriations Act, 2024 and Other Extensions Act." Ryan said of the vote, “For weeks, far-right MAGA extremists have threatened a government shutdown unless we accept cuts to critical programs that Hudson Valley veterans, seniors, and children rely on. Today, I voted alongside a bipartisan coalition to prevent those cuts and pass a bill that keeps the government open.” Molinaro said, “I’m a yes on the short-term government funding extension. We can do both. We can keep our government running while finishing our work to rein in inflation & secure the border.” The next threat of a government shut down is not\w pushed back after elections in November.

Michael Ryan reports in the Mountain Eagle that Greene County officials are crowing about the lack of a increase in the tax levy this year. Greene County Administrator Shaun Groden said, “For the fifth straight year, there will be no increase in the tax levy.... It is always a combination of factors. Expenses are up considerably from a year ago, but our sales tax revenue remains pretty robust." And despite taking a recent $3 million hit in Medicaid costs from New York State, Groden says, “Our projection for next year is that the budget will again be flat.” The county's tentative budget numbers will be filed by October 17 in the office of the legislature clerk and then will be viewable on the county website. Then there's a public hearing about the proposed budget at the Catskill Middle School auditorium at 6 p.m. on October 30. Read the full story in Porcupine Soup.

Mid-Hudson News reports that the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Communications Commission are conducting a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System at 2:20 p.m. on Wednesday, October 4. Cell phones should receive wireless emergency alerts in either English or Spanish, and radios and television programs will be interupted by the Emergency Alert System. Individual parts of the warning systems are tested regularly, and this is a coordinated nationwide test of the entire system. Read more about this story in Mid-Hudson News.

Here is this week's WGXC Congressional Report, tracking the votes, statements, positions, and campaigns of the representatives and candidates for the 18th, 19th, 20th, and 21st Congressional seats in New York. Democrat Pat Ryan is representing the 18th Congressional District, Republican Marc Molinaro represents the 19th Congressional District, Democrat Rep. Paul Tonko represents the 20th District, and Republican Elise Stefanik represents the 21st District. Click here to listen to this report.

Diane Pineiro-Zucker reports in the Daily Freeman that prominent conservative and liberal scholars have argued recently that former President Donald Trump cannot run for office under the 14th Amendment, because he took part in an insurrection. Local Reps. Marc Molinaro, a Republican, and Pat Ryan, a Democrat, predictably disagree on the issue. Ryan said, “The constitutional scholars that have written on this, including many very conservative constitutional scholars asserting that Trump should not be on the ballot … is a very compelling argument.... I think it’s something we have to take seriously (and) that I want to certainly hear from more experts on it. I think it could likely end up in the Supreme Court.” Molinaro disagrees, saying, “You can’t consider the 14th Amendment in static, as if it was adopted a week ago. It was in the result of the near loss of the American Union and the concept was that we didn’t want that kind of experience again and, therefore, would use the Constitution to protect against states leaving and those using military efforts to overtake the Union. … When you apply that you have to apply the rest of the Constitution, which is due process. Every man and woman is afforded due process. Level the charge, consider the charges by a court and then get the individual to a penalty. That’s the basic American standard.” The 14th Amendment was passed so that people who take up against fair and legal voting in this country, who acted against the electoral process, were ineligible to win office. Ryan, who represents the 18th Congressional District, said, the amendment “was written post-Civil War to deal with exactly the situation we find ourselves in right now where there were those who had seceded from the Union and hijacked control of it and in 1861 voted to block certification of elections just like we had in 2021. So, we’re at a very perilous time and I’m glad that the folks had the foresight to include this (in the Constitution)." While Molinaro, who represents the 19th Congressional District, does not believe in disbarring Trump from office, he would not say if he supported him. Asked about Trump's role in the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and recordings of Trump’s alleged attempt to subvert his election loss in Georgia, Molinaro would only say, “Let’s get through this next chapter.” Read more about this story in the Daily Freeman.

Diane Pineiro-Zucker reports in the the Daily Freeman that Rep. Marc Molinaro, a Republican who represents the 19th Congressional District, supports House Speaker Kevin McCarthy launching an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, while Democrat Pat Ryan, who represents the 18th District, does not. But Molinaro would not specifically say why there should be an impeachment investigation. Molinaro said, “oversight of the Executive Branch is one of Congress’s most fundamental duties. I worry about what appears to be criminal activity benefiting the Biden family and undermining our national interests. That warrants an inquiry.” He did not say what alleged criminal activity needed investigating. Then after appealing to conservative Republicans by backing impeachment, he attempted to court moderates and independents by saying he, “did not come to Congress to impeach the President” and has “pledged to work with him on areas where we can find common ground like mental healthcare and the opioid epidemic.” Then Molinaro's spokesperson would not respond when asked about Rep. Jamie Raskin's assertion that the Biden impeachment investigation, "is a transparent effort to boost Donald Trump’s campaign by establishing a false moral equivalency between Trump — the four time-indicted former president” and Biden, who faces “zero evidence of wrongdoing whatsoever.” Ryan, though, agreed, saying McCarthy has not found “any meaningful evidence for impeachment. … Unlike him, I’ll continue to fight for my constituents and the American people.” And while Democrats took votes on the record to impeach Trump, the House took no vote to begin an impeachment investigation into Biden, with McCarthy announcing it on Sept. 12 on his own. Apparently, the business dealings of the president’s son will be the main thrust of the investigation. Read more about this story in the the Daily Freeman.

Brett Samuels reports for The Hill that former President Donald Trump may be coordinating his election campaign to regain the presidency with the U.S. House leaders that are launching an impeachment inquiry into his opponent, President Joe Biden. Trump spoke Sept. 12 with Rep. Elise Stefanik, the Republican who represents Rensselaer County and the rest of the 21st Congressional District in New York, just after Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced a formal impeachment inquiry into Biden. Stefanik said, “I speak to President Trump a lot. I spoke to him today." Stefanik claimed that whatever House Republicans are investigating is “the biggest political corruption scandal of our lifetime.” Stefanik did not give specific details of what alleged crimes are being investigated. Democrats took votes before starting impeachment investigations into Trump, but McCarthy just announced the current investigation without any vote. Locally Democrat Rep. Pat Ryan said he is against impeachment, while Democrat Paul Tonko has been mum so far. Republican Rep. Marc Molinaro came out for the impeachment inquiry, but also did not specifically say what exactly he wanted to investigate. Read more about this story in The Hill.

Joshua Solomon reports in the Times Union that on Sept. 20 Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a bill that allows any New Yorker to cast their vote by mail. Hochul said, "It's finally time to allow people to vote by mail.... Why not? What is so sinister? Why would this be attacked? What are you afraid of?" Rep. Elise Stefanik leads a Republican lawsuit filed in the state Supreme Court of Albany County Sept. 20 against the measure. The lawsuit says the state's constitution only allows absentee voting in cases of not being in your registered county on Election Day or an illness or disability. Stefanik said, “Kathy Hochul and extreme New York Democrats are trying to destroy what is left of election integrity in New York." But Hochul framed the issue differently, saying, "There's a more sinister, slow-motion insurrection going on, a little more under the surface perhaps than what we saw on Jan. 6.... It's happening quietly in Republican legislatures all across America ... They're stripping away these rights. They're doing the exact opposite of what needs to happen." Voting by mail was used nationally throughout the COVID-19 pandemic with few reports of any problems. The bill Hochul signed also expands same-day voter registration and requires officials at prisons to provide voting rights information when prisoners are released from incarceration. And the new law also creates a penalty if an electoral college "elector" votes against the will of the people. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Paul Kirby reports in the Daily Freeman that Rep. Marc Molinaro has moved to Catskill. Now the Congressional representative now lives in the district he represents. Until now, Molinaro has been living in the 18th Congressional District, while representing the 19th District. Molinaro did not provide a comment about the move, which was announced by his spokesperson, Dan Kanz. Molinaro won his office while living out of the district in 2022, but promised to move into the district. Read more about this story in the Daily Freeman.

Today's audio daily news update.

Paul Kirby reports in the Daily Freeman that almost 13,000 people living in the 18th and 19th congressional districts will go without pay if the federal government shuts down this weekend, according to the Congressional Research Service and New York Senator Chuck Schumer. He said, “We cannot afford to let the extreme fringe views of the House Republican Conference risk a government shutdown and needlessly hurt New York families.... This is not an abstract issue – If the House GOP refuses to embrace this bridge towards cooperation and away from extremism, the government will inevitably shut down, causing disruptions for millions of New Yorkers to services they rely on, while thousands of federal workers could be furloughed.” Democrats in the Senate have passed a spending plan, but House Republicans are deadlocked, with a small group of ultra-conservative representatives blocking all compromises. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said Sept. 28 that he would not take up Senate legislation designed to keep the federal government fully running. He did not offer an alternative plan, so this weekend's shutdown seems inevitable. Republican Marc Molinaro represents the 19th District and, without giving details, said he has a plan, saying, "In a bipartisan government, our solution must be bipartisan, and that’s what I’m continuing to work on.” Democrat Pat Ryan, who represents the 18th District, said, “I’m pushing relentlessly to keep the government open, but extreme Republicans in the House refuse to negotiate.... They haven’t proposed legislation to fund the government and won’t vote on the overwhelmingly bipartisan Senate legislation that would avert a shutdown.... Thousands of Hudson Valley families, including active duty military personnel and postal workers, will go without pay. Millions more could go without vital services like SNAP and WIC.” Read more about this story in the Daily Freeman.

Philip Pantuso reports for the Times Union about how Tubby's in Kingston is celebrating five years of bringing indie rock, hardcore, noise, and experimental bands to the Hudson Valley. Co-owner Cory Plump, who does the booking for the venue, said, “I want it to feel like a different space, as much as it can, every time you walk in here.... There’s usually something for everybody, if you’re of an adventurous mind, musically.” Plump, and other owners Katy McElroy, Drew Piraino, and Morgan Coy have made the bar into a destination for bands from around the country. McElroy said it began more as a “neighborhood bar that had a few shows a week” rather than the full-scale music venue it is today. Back then, BSP and The Beverly Lounge in Kingston also hosted similar shows, but they are closed now. And now, Coy says, “You’ll see touring bands here that you would never see in a venue this size." Piraino said, “What’s really hard now with businesses is everything has to be a certain thing or fit into a certain ideal or attract a certain kind of people. But we can just do what we want to do. And that feels like a real privilege.” Read more about this story in the Times Union.

New York's foliage report says this week, "In Greene County, spotters reporting from the upper elevations around Windham predict up to 40% leaf change with green, red and yellow leaves of average brilliance, while foliage spotters in Catskill predict 10-15 percent change with a mix of orange, yellow and red leaves.... Albany County spotters at Thacher State Park in Voorheesville predict up to 35 percent foliage change this weekend with average shades of yellow, orange and green, along with some wisps of red.... Columbia County spotters in Hudson predict 15 percent change this weekend with average shades of yellow and gold, and a few splashes of orange." Read more about this at New York's foliage report online.

The Times Union reports that the National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for the mid- and lower Hudson Valley through Sept. 30, as an already wet region gets more rain. A slow-moving coastal front could bring heavy rainfall locally. Gov. Kathy Hochul warned of potential disruptions and potential rainfall rates of an inch an hour in some places. Hochul said state agencies will be standing by to respond to weather-related events and assist communities if they need support. Hochul said, “I encourage anyone expected to receive heavy rainfall over the next 48 hours to stay vigilant, keep a close eye on the forecast, and heed any emergency orders from officials if necessary." The National Weather Service predicts two to four inches of rain in the lower Hudson Valley. Read more about this story in the Times Union.