The Troy Record reports that New York’s highest court on June 14 turned down former President Donald Trump’s latest effort to avoid testifying in the state attorney general’s civil investigation into allegations of corrupt business practices. Trump will be forced to give a deposition in July. The state’s Court of Appeals said there was no “substantial constitutional question” to rule on an intermediate appellate court’s previous decision last month enforcing a subpoena for Trump’s testimony. Trump and his two eldest children, Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr., will have to answer questions under oath starting July 15. The state’s Court of Appeals upheld the appellate division of the state’s trial court May 26 ruling that the Trumps had to undergo a deposition. The Trump Organization is accused of exaggerating the value of assets including buildings, golf courses, and his Manhattan penthouse to get loans, insurance, and tax breaks. Read more about this story in the Troy Record.

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Diane Pineiro-Zucker is reporting for the Daily Freeman with less than a day to go before the Saugerties Town Board decides the fate of the Father’s Day weekend gun show at the Kiwanis Ice Arena, venue manager Rob Klegman says the show will happen while Town Supervisor Fred Costello disagrees. In a conversation on June 14, Costello said he wants to honor the show organizer’s last-minute cancellation announced last week. He said, “I have the feeling I have the support of the board” to finally put the kibosh on the New East-Coast Arms Collectors Associates Arms Fair at the Kiwanis Arena on June 17, 18, and 19. Until the board takes a vote, however, Klegman said he is expecting the show will go on. The ice arena is town property. Costello has said he hoped the town board would agree to refund the arms fair’s down payment for the show as he promised the group's president. Last week, the gun show was canceled “by mutual agreement between the town and the promoter,” according to a joint press release from Costello, David Petronis, president of NEACA and Saugerties Police Chief Joseph Sinagra. The decision to cancel was made following a June 8 meeting between the three men. In the press release, Petronis said he had agreed to the cancellation but on June 10, he changed his mind. “At this point, I am asking the town board to disregard my statement that I will cancel the gun show but rather that I be allowed to continue with my contract as written and of your agreement,” Petronis wrote in an email. Costello said Petronis’ change of heart was based on a belief that “controversy equals customers.” The supervisor said, “...[H]e thinks he’s going to have a successful show at our expense. He really doesn’t care about Saugerties. He just wants to make as much money as possible. …” Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

Henry Rosoff is reporting for News 10-Albany with roughly a week to go before early voting begins, a PIX11/Emerson College/The Hill poll shows Gov. Kathy Hochul heavily favored to win the Democratic nomination in the gubernatorial race and U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin favored to claim the Republican nomination. Gun violence and inflation are the top issues for voters in both parties, although there is disagreement about the underlying causes. Hochul is the choice of 57 percent of the Democratic voters surveyed. U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi were chosen by 17 percent and New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams was picked by 6 percent. Twenty percent of those surveyed were undecided. Among GOP voters, Zeldin is the choice of 34 percent. Tied for second place is Rob Astorino at 16 percent, businessman Harry Wilson at 15 percent and Andrew Giuliani at 13 percent. Twenty-two percent are undecided. Gun violence remains a top issue for voters in both parties: 90 percent of Democrats and 79 percent of Republicans say they are very or somewhat concerned. The Republicans surveyed consider mental health issues to be the source of the violence, with only 10 percent believing that gun access alone is the main cause. Democrats point to guns as the main cause 30 percent of the time, or consider the violence is a combination of mental health and gun access 51 percent of the time. Voters of both parties share a bleak outlook when it comes to inflation and rising costs — with Republicans more concerned than Democrats. The poll was conducted on June 9 and 10 of 1,000 voters. Read more at news10 [dot] com.

Residents in the city of Hudson are mourning the loss of Sheila Ann Ramsey, age 83, an educator and childcare professional. Ramsay was born Sheila Williams in Hudson in 1938. She graduated with high honors from Hudson High School in 1956. She married Richard Ramsey, her third husband, in 1975 and they joined their blended families until his passing in 1997. Ramsay made it her life's work to nurture the community's youth and working along with her good friend, Jean Cobb, she served for more than 40 years as a teacher, financier and parent counselor at Hudson City Daycare. Ramsay also served as a representative of Hudson's 4th Ward on the Common Council for nine years. She was appointed by then-Mayor Richard Tracy in 2007 and subsequently re-elected multiple times. Tracy said at the time, “I think Sheila has longevity here and her connection with the constituents in the ward put her as more of a front runner.” Her obituary noted that throughout her life she "loved dancing, music, parades, jazz festivals, and drum corps competitions. ...She leaves a legacy of love and a lifetime of memories. She will be greatly missed." Read more at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

The Broadcast Law Blog reports that the Federal Communications Commission is back with its monthly public meeting in July in person. The FCC closed its old office building to outside visitors on March 12, 2020. The agency has since moved to a new building. Axios reports that things are not all back to normal, though. The FCC is still a commissioner short, locked in a two-two tie between Republicans and Democrats so nothing much can get accomplished. "Biden was historically slow in picking his nominee," Gigi Sohn, Axios reports, who was nominated last October and has yet to get a full confirmation vote from the U.S. Senate. "The absence of effort from the White House to see this through by pushing a nominee through is frustrating beyond belief," one anonymous advocate for progressive radio policies told Axios. They report that President Joe Biden does not yet have the votes to get his nominee through, with Democrat Joe Manchin undecided, and Democrat Mark Kelly still evaluating her nomination. Sohn authored the net neutrality legislation, and is considered a progressive Democrat. By comparison, former President Trump promoted former FCC commissioner Ajit Pai to chair less than a week after taking office, and got Brendan Carr confirmed for the Republican majority seat by August in his first year.

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Nick Reisman reports for New York State of Politics that Republican incumbent state Sen. Daphne Jordan has ended her re-election campaign, though her name will still be on the Aug. 23 primary ballot in what will be the 44th Senate district. Redistricting placed Jordan and another incumbent, Republican Sen. Jim Tedisco, in the same district. Jordan currently represents the 43rd District, which includes Rensselaer County and part of Columbia County. Senate Minority Leader Robert Ortt had backed Jordan's bid for the 44th district, but Tedisco received support from Saratoga County Republicans. Jordan claimed Tedisco had created a "circus atmosphere" in the election. "I want no part of this sideshow," Jordan said. "I’m not going to play a political game that would be destructive, divisive, and undermine the principles that I care deeply about." Read more about this story at New York State of Politics.

Rep. Elise Stefanik, one of the Republicans who voted against certifying the 2020 presidential election results despite no evidence of voter fraud, will be in Greene County on June 16. Stefanik will attend a fundraiser for state Assemblymember Chris Tague at Furlong's Pub and Motel in East Durham. It is also Tague's 53rd birthday. Tague, a Republican, is running for re-election in the 102nd Assembly District against Democrat Nicholas Chase, a substitute teacher from Delaware County.

I invite you to join me in celebrating my 53rd birthday this Thursday, June 16th at Furlong's Pub and Motel in East Durham. View our event page to see details about the event and how to RSVP. As always, your friendship and support are greatly appreciated!https://t.co/8LojZBvNKd pic.twitter.com/iKet6uMmwO

— Chris Tague (@chrisWCtague) June 14, 2022

Kenneth C. Crowe II reports in the Times Union that state Supreme Court Justice Patrick J. McGrath ruled in favor of the Town of Nassau in Rensselaer County last week, to shut down a large junkyard spread across four properties and will receive $509,000 in civil penalties. The estate of Barbara Secor, and its executor Stephen B. Nalley, violated a 2011 zoning ordinance that outlawed the junkyards in town, the judge ruled. "This latest court decision follows a decades-long effort to clean up illegal junkyards to bring properties into compliance. Successive town boards have been clear. There is one set of laws in Nassau and they apply equally to everyone," Supervisor David Fleming said on June 13. The judge ruled that the properties be cleaned in 30 days, with no more dumping, and that the property owners are forever banned from operating junkyards at the four locations, and that the town gets legal fees and $509,000 in civil penalties within in 60 days. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Perry L. Novak reports in the Times Union that Ichabod Crane Riders won the Class B state high school softball title last weekend. They won definitively, beating Depew 14-2 in the semifinals then Chenango Valley 12-0 in the title game. The team finished the year undefeated. Ichabod Crane only allowed other teams to score 13 runs all season. Both the semifinal and final games were ended early due to the mercy rule. The team also got state titles in 2018 and 2021. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

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New York State of Politics reports that while the New York state Assembly primary elections are now scheduled for June 28, using the new maps drawn by Democrats in early 2022, a judge in the First Department of the Appellate Division last week ruled the lines invalid, but they cannot be redrawn during this election cycle because of time constraints. Another lawsuit, brought by the League of Women Voters of New York State, alleged the state Board of Elections should not certify the Assembly lines because the Court of Appeals said they were drawn by an unconstitutional process. “We lost that case,” said Laura Ladd Bierman, executive director of the League. “It has been appealed to the Third Department of the Appellate Division.” The two conflicting cases, from the Third Department and First Department, will be appealed to the Court of Appeals, the state’s highest court, where Ladd Biermann said she hopes they will be consolidated. It’s not clear when the Court of Appeals will rule. “It’s crazy. What happens after 2022? How are the new maps re-drawn then? It does not state. Would there be a master that would redraw them, as the master has redrawn the congressional and the Senate, or would it go back to the legislature or the IRC?” Ladd Bierman wondered aloud. “It doesn’t say and there’s no process to do this after 2022.” Read more at nystateofpolitics [dot] com.

Ted Remsnyder is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media that State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli released an audit last week finding the Greenville Central School District failed to establish adequate policies and procedures concerning employee network access. The audit began July 1, 2019, and the goal was to determine if district officials had established adequate network user account controls to prevent unauthorized use or access to its computer system. The audit was originally set to end Feb. 8, 2021, but was extended through March 31, so state auditors could complete computer testing. The Comptroller's Office found the district did not develop a comprehensive acceptable use policy and monitor employee computer use. They also found the district failed to disable 64 unnecessary user accounts, including both former student and employee accounts. The auditors recommended the district acceptable use policy be updated to clearly state what is acceptable for district computer use, update the policy to include district employees and to regularly review and monitor that policy for compliance. The report also recommended the district implement procedures to monitor employees' computer use and put into effect ways to ensure compliance. Greenville Central School District Superintendent Michael Bennett said he would defer questions about the state audit until after the Board of Education holds its next meeting. He said the district would be implementing an acceptable policy for employee use of district devices and its network. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

WNYT-TV is reporting that Gov. Kathy Hochul on June 13 signed bills to protect abortion rights in New York, providing protection for abortion providers and patients going forward. The legislation was approved in anticipation of a Supreme Court decision on abortion rights. "Not here, not now, not ever," Hochul said in response to the persistent assault on women's rights. She signed the package of six abortion rights bills at Cooper Union in New York City. "Under the first bill that I'll be signing, we're allowing New Yorkers to file lawsuits against people who are trying to limit their reproductive freedom," said Hochul. The legislation also provides legal protection for abortion service providers, and a bill allowing abortion providers and patients to keep their home addresses confidential. "The women of New York will never be subjugated to government-mandated pregnancies, because that's what will ensue if Roe v. Wade is overturned by the Supreme Court," said Hochul. The leak of a SCOTUS draft opinion in May seemed to indicate the nation's highest court is poised to overturn the 1973 landmark decision, setting off protests nationwide. Read the full story at WNYT [dot] com.

A legendary figure in pirate radio history, Carlos Juan Camacho Jr., died June 8 in Tampa. Camacho operated La Primerisima 89.3 FM from his home in Ybor City in Tampa, Florida, playing salsa and merengue music in the 1990s. The station was raided by officials from the Federal Communications Commission on April 13, 1998. Radio Amore, another unlicensed Tampa radio station was also raided that day by the FCC. That station was run by the Rev. Alberto Acosta who broadcast on 90.1-FM from a Baptist church. That raid came four months after three other pirate stations -- The Party Pirate, 87X, and Lutz Community Radio -- in Tampa were taken down by SWAT teams and the FCC. Tampa was a hotbed of pirate radio at the time, and the FCC's Tampa office busted more unlicensed stations than any other office in the country. Camacho did a do-it-yourself triangulation to locate 87X and meet Kelly Kombat, who was running that pirate station. "He proceeded to take me under his wing and school me on proper signal stabilization, how to use a limiter, how to tighten guy wires, and various other techniques in the operation of a 'professional pirate radio station,'" Kombat wrote of Camacho on Facebook after his death. "Carlos spoke in a thick rapid-fire Nuyorican accent, always with great enthusiasm about music and radio and family." Camacho was born in Puerto Rico on June 9, 1950. He ran the Red Plum Event Hall in New York, hosting performances from salsa stars including Hector Lavoe and Johnny Ventura. Camacho's obituary says "He made the first sound truck known as the 'Come Pava' in Puerto Rico," and also that, "He was an electrical technician and an alarms specialist and at the same time he followed his dream of having his own radio station, which he successfully broadcast for several years."

Emilia Teasdale reports in the Columbia Paper that beginning next year members of the public will not be allowed on the Ichabod Crane school campus after the elementary school shooting in Texas. Superintendent Suzanne Guntlow said she did not take the closure "lightly" and said the school shooting in Uvalde, TX, “shined a brighter light on school safety.” Previously, the public was allowed to use the track and the tennis courts during the school day if students are not using them. But next year, only parents picking up or dropping off children will be allowed on the Columbia County school campus. Guntlow also said the school will continue to employ a security guard, even though studies have shown they rarely avert school shootings and mostly just arrest students for many minor charges. Read more about this story in the Columbia Paper.

Sam Mellins reports for New York Focus the Gov. Kathy Hochul is now following a campaign finance law she had previously broken. In February, Focus reported that Hochul had failed to disclose the individuals behind corporate donations to her campaign, violating a 2019 law meant to crack down on corporate dark money in New York elections. Her latest campaign filings made the required disclosures identifying her recent donors, and Hochul says she will not spend the money received from past donors whose identities she hasn’t yet tracked down. The new election filings show Hochul is receiving many donations from the nursing home industry. Hochul has said she will investigate how thousands died of COVID-19 contracted in state nursing homes. Hochul received over $78,000 through limited liability companies from more than ten individuals associated with the nursing home empire Centers Health Care. That business was accused of neglecting patients and has suedNew York to stop a new law increasing staffing requirements for nursing homes. Read more about this story at New York Focus.