Nick Reisman in New York State of Politics tracks reaction in New York to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to strike down the use of race as a factor in college admissions. Gov. Kathy Hochul said, "We are very disappointed in this decision, not unexpected given the political composition of the Supreme Court today.... But that being said, we go forth to ensure New York remains a place where we celebrate diversity, inclusion, and we're going to continue to subscribe to those principles regardless of the decisions made by the Supreme Court of the United States." New York Republican Chair Ed Cox, by contrast, was elated, saying, "De facto race quotas at our nation’s elite institutions have been a roadblock on the path to the American Dream for many Americans, especially Asian Americans.... Today’s decision takes us a big step closer to an America in which citizens are judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” And the New York Bar Association released a statement. “Businesses – including law firms – are worried about the legitimacy of corporate diversity initiatives. This could also impact governmental programs that require quotas such as minority business enterprise requirements,” Bar Association President Richard Lewis said. “We want to prepare our members, clients and lawyers throughout the state and nation for any eventuality.” Read more about this story in New York State of Politics.

Mid-Hudson News reports that Ulster County is getting new voting machines. The Ulster County Board of Elections will buy the machines from Hart Intercivic. The board of elections released a statement saying, “Hart Intercivic stands out as an all-American made voting solution with a forward-thinking vision to make our elections more accessible and accountable. Their commitment to innovation, security, and voter satisfaction aligns seamlessly with our goals of maintaining the integrity and efficiency of the electoral process in Ulster County.” And while Republicans across the country have denigrated the integrity of voting machines by several different companies, Republican Commissioner John Quigley is in favor of the Hart Intercivic machines, saying, “Their proven track record and dedication to producing cutting-edge voting solutions give us the confidence that we have made the right choice for the voters of Ulster County.” Read more about this story at Mid-Hudson News.

The Daily Freeman reports that the New York state Department of Motor Vehicles unveiled on June 28 new Mid-Hudson regional license plates as part of a series of 10 special license plates depicting regions across the state. DMW Commissioner Mark J.F. Schroeder said, “Every region of our state has something unique and interesting about it, and we are happy to celebrate that uniqueness by making these new license plates available for New York drivers.... These also allow drivers to put their own unique touch on their vehicles and show pride for the place they live.” There is an additional fee for custom plates and New York is creating more than 200 custom plates for branches of the military and veterans, counties and regions of New York State, professions, causes, and sports teams. Custom plates can also be ordered by mail or by calling the agency’s Custom Plates office at (518) 402-4838. Read more about this story in the Daily Freeman.

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WNYT reports that a state of emergency because of flooding was issued in New Lebanon, in Columbia County, after a beaver dam in Massachusetts broke. The beaver dam broke in the Pittsfield State Forest in Berkshire County June 28, sending much water into a nearby pond. That pond then overflowed, sending water down the mountain into New Lebanon. Residents reported one to three feet of water in their basements, with mud and debris on Main Street. The New York State Department of Transportation was on the scene. New Lebanon's website announced, "a State of Emergency and a Local Emergency Order for the Town of New Lebanon due to emergency conditions produced by flooding that occurred in the vicinity of Main Street in the Town of New Lebanon." Read more about this story at WNYT.

Andrea Macko reports for Porcupine Soup that New Baltimore's travel plaza on Interstate 87 reopened June 29 after two years of renovations. Not all of the new restaurants are open yet, but will be soon, according to the New York State Thruway Authority. Governor Kathy Hochul also announced on June 29 fewer temporary lane closures for road and bridge construction projects on New York State highways for the holiday weekend. AAA is predicting record traffic volumes this weekend, with up to 43.2 million people expected to be driving to their destinations, up four percent from 2019. Read more about this story in Porcupine Soup.

Raga Justin reports in the Times Union that Rep. Paul Tonko crowed about Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act on June 29 at the newspaper's office building in Albany. Part of what the bill does is expand the number of medical professionals who can prescribe a medication called buprenorphine from 130,000 to 1.8 million people. Buprenorphine is a drug that is now a little easier to prescribe to people struggling with opioid addiction. "There is some progress afloat," Tonko said. The Albany County Congressional representative also cited statistics from France, where they made access to drugs that can help with opioid addiction easier, overdose deaths declined nearly 80 percent, according to the National Institute of Health. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Paul Kirby reports in the Daily Freeman that Rep. Marc Molinaro, the Republican representing the 19th Congressional District, wants the Government Accountability Office to conduct a comprehensive study on how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted educational outcomes for students with disabilities. Molinaro said, “I’m the father of four children, one of whom is on the autism spectrum.... During the pandemic, parents like myself saw learning loss in their children firsthand. While many academic studies have sought to understand the full scope of these educational setbacks, very little attention has been given to the educational needs of students with disabilities.” Molinaro explained that when school staff meet with parents of a child with a disability to develop an educational plan for the student parents have the right to bring a third-party advocate, such as a therapist, lawyer, or knowledgeable family member. Molinaro is backing a bill to tell parents that. "Most parents are not aware of this right,” Molinaro's office said in a statement. Read more about this story in the Daily Freeman.

Today's audio daily news update.

H. Rose Schneider reports in the Times Union that Ingrid Amberger, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Albany the pattern of incoming wildfire smoke from Canada will continue through this summer. Amberger said, “Since the fires are burning, the source continues to bring more smoke.... It’s going to be an ongoing issue into the summer.” Amberger said air quality advisories could come regularly from the state Department of Environmental Conservation this summer. Wildfire season typically doesn’t start until July in Canada, and predicted hot and dry weather is expected to exacerbate the problem. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Cat Syman in the Times Union rounds up where the fireworks will be going off in the area for the July 4 holiday. Pets and anyone triggered by the sounds of large explosions may use this list to avoid fireworks this week.
• June 30, 6-10 p.m. Albany hosts one of the largest area displays at the Empire State Plaza with Sheila E. performing, and food and beverages.
• July 1, 9:30 p.m. Germantown shoots off fireworks at Palatine Park after a day of live music and more.
• July 2, 7:30 p.m. Windham has a "Good Old Fashioned Fourth of July Celebration" with fireworks at dusk and sidewalk sales, live music, and children’s entertainment during the day along Main Street. • July 2, 9:15 p.m. Saugerties shoots off fireworks at Cantine Field. The Saugerties Fire Department also leads a parade at 11 a.m.
• July 3, 9:15 p.m, Coxsackie's Independence Day Celebration includes a farmers market, food trucks, and live music from James Dykeman and Wyld Blu earlier in the day at Riverside Park.
• July 4, at sunset Riedlbauer’s Resort in Round Top has fireworks, plus an Eagles tribute band, Already Gone, will also perform at Nussy's Bier Garten at the resort.
• July 4, dusk, Cairo's 4th of July Celebration at the Park with children's activities during the day at Angelo Canna Park.
• July 5, dusk, Catskill's 4th of July Celebration at Dutchman’s Landing Park.
• July 6 dusk, East Durham's July 4th Parade & Fireworks is two days after July 4, and starts with a parade at 11 a.m. on Route 145 at the Michael J. Quill Irish Cultural Centre.
• July 6, dusk, Village of Tannersville 4th of July Celebration shoots off fireworks at Rip Van Winkle Lake.

Hudson's Juneteenth celebration, rescheduled after the threat of rain June 17, has been moved to June 30. The Fourth Annual Juneteenth celebration in Hudson has been moved to the Lightforms Art Center from 3-10 p.m. Many of the performances are continuing, with the Resistance Revival Chorus at 6 p.m., Ifetayo Cobbins at 7 p.m., a tribute to the late Alan Skerrett at 7:15 p.m., and a "freedom dance party" at 8:30 p.m. The event is sponsored by the Hudson/Catskill Housing Coalition.

Today's daily news audio update.

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Patrick Tine reports in the Times Union that New York's departments of Environmental Conservation and Health, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that every region in the state had air on June 28 that was either “unhealthy” or “unhealthy for sensitive groups,” which includes pregnant women and people with asthma or other pulmonary conditions. The smoke is expected to linger in the air through June 30. An air quality health advisory issued by the DEC and DOH on June 28 was extended through Thursday. Experts recommend keeping windows and doors closed while the smoke is in the air. Close the outdoor air damper on window air conditioners or HVAC systems, or set HVAC systems to recirculate mode. Avoid using evaporative coolers or portable air conditioners, and keep the seals between the window and devices as tight as possible. A portable air cleaner or high-efficiency air filter can also help. A DIY air cleaner can be made by attaching one or two filters to a box fan. Wearing N95 masks for outdoor activity is also recommended. Emergency cellphone notifications will go out to New Yorkers if the air quality index exceeds the 200 threshold for 'very unhealthy' air. Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Michael Ryan reports for the Mountain Eagle that Prattsville officials are considering a noise ordinance, but are uninterested in regulating short-term rentals. The Hudson Valley, and all of New York State, have an affordable housing crisis, fueled, in part, by short-term rentals. Gov. Kathy Hochul is talking about affordable housing, but not noise. Town Supervisor Greg Cross said, “We currently don’t have a noise ordinance, obviously, so if somebody calls about a noisy neighbor there is nothing we can do.” He also explained why the town is considering a noise ordinance now, saying, “We haven’t had any real problems yet but there have been some potential problems in town so we are looking at this." Cross also said, “there is no appetite on the town board to create short-term rental regulations....Some people believe there should be a fee on short-term rentals and that we should know who the property manager is in case there is a complaint, but we don’t have any enforcement mechanism.” Read more about this story in Porcupine Soup.

Mid-Hudson News reports that the New York State Board for Historic Preservation has recommended adding Fairview Manor in Columbia County to the State and National Registers of Historic Places. The property is also known as the Alonzo and Mary E. Flack House in Claverack. The brick house was built around 1870 and damaged by a fire in 1988. Read more about this story at Mid-Hudson News.

Today's audio daily news update.

The Times Union reports that local filming is quieter this summer than last, with the writer's strike effecting productions in the Hudson Valley. The Writers Guild of America has been striking since May 2, in a dispute with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. Last time the writers had a strike it lasted 100 days. Micah Khan, a director, writer and co-founder of the 518 Film Network said, “It used to be like a writer on ‘Lost’ would make $10K a year from residuals from their show and now they’re making 14 cents.... People are fighting for their living; they’re fighting for their ability to pay their bills and survive in an industry that doesn’t really care if they survive or not.” Debby Goedeke, Albany County film commissioner, explains the impact film productions have locally, saying, “The Association of Film Commissioners International estimates that it’s $125,000 to $165,000 a day when a production comes into a city,.... From personal experience, I believe that does happen.” Last summer the TV shows “The Gilded Age,” and “Poker Face” filmed in the Hudson Valley, and this year "Pretty Little Liars" has. “The Gilded Age” booked a combined total of 11,000 hotel rooms in Albany County, Goedeke said, noting she has felt the difference between this summer and last. “I’m sure it’s because of the writers' strike.... Though we may not be impacted in a direct way, indirectly I think we are all feeling that impact.” Read more about this story in the Times Union.

Mid-Hudson News reports that home sales fell 34.3 percent in the first five months of the year in Ulster County, according to the Ulster County Board of Realtors. The average selling price rose by just under 3.0 percent, rising from $406,692 in the January through May period in 2022 to $474,119 this year. Housing costs have risen dramatically in the Hudson Valley since the COVID-19 pandemic, and these statistics are among the first signs that the housing market locally is cooling. Read more about this story at Mid-Hudson News.