Amid a number of media reports April 23 that the Federal Communications Commission finally, officially ended net neutrality, the Electronic Frontier Foundation pointed out that, actually most of the old net neutrality rules remain in effect until later this year. "On the Federal Register’s website — which is the official daily journal of the United States Federal Government and publishes all proposed and adopted rules — the so-called “Restoring Internet Freedom Order” has an “effective date” of April 23. But that only applies to a few cosmetic changes. The majority of the rules governing the Internet remain the same—the prohibitions on blocking, throttling, and paid prioritization—remain. Before the FCC’s end to those protections can take effect, the Office of Management and Budget has to approve the new order, which it hasn’t done," the EFF wrote. There will be a notice in the Federal Register when that happens, but it should be May or June before net neutrality is eliminated and the Internet is reclassified as a Title I instead of Title II information service, which will allow ISPs to start paid prioritization programs, and block or throttle content from competitors or anyone they determine is using too much bandwidth. Broadband providers will mostly be regulated more, at that point, by the Federal Trade Commission than by the Federal Communications Commission.

DOWNLOAD or play the audio version of the local news update for Mon., April 23 (4:41). (Produced by Alanna Medlock.)

The Mid-Hudson News Network is reporting U.S. Rep. John Faso dismissed his critics and vowed victory for Republican candidates in remarks made at a political fundraiser on April 22. “There is, no doubt, excessive polarization in our country,” the Kinderhook Republican said. “The other side is very energized. They are determined to reverse the outcome of the 2016 election; that’s what this is really about, folks, when you really cut to the chase. The Democrats, if they win control of the House of Representatives, the very first item on the agenda, is going to be impeachment [of President Donald Trump],” he said. Faso said Democrats have failed to produce anything that could be seen as an impeachable offense. “Excessive tweeting is not an impeachable offense, last time I looked,” he laughed. Faso told those in attendance that Republicans should talk to Democrats to find common ground, at the same time he characterized "people on the other side" as intolerant. In late 2017, the first-term Congressman was named one of Roll Call's 10 most vulnerable House incumbents at mid-term. A field of seven Democrats are currently vying to unseat him in November. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

Daniel Zuckerman is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media residents, environmental advocates and politicians rallied April 22, at Ernest R. Lasher Memorial Park in Germantown in opposition to the Amtrak proposal to build 8,600 feet of fencing in Columbia and Duchess counties, thereby preventing access to the Hudson River. The towns of Germantown, Stockport and Stuyvesant in Columbia County, and Rhinebeck and Tivoli in Dutchess County, would be impacted by the plan. Protesters carried signs at the rally with messages such as “Stop the fence” and “No fences, no gates, no wall.” The Germantown Waterfront Advisory Committee has found that Amtrak’s proposal is not consistent with the state’s Coastal Management Plan and the gates are unnecessary. The committee chair, Jennifer Crawford said, “I want the train to be here, but I want the train to let me be here as well. CSX tried to block us from this land as recently as 2001, but we rallied and the gates came down.” Republican state Sen. Kathy Marchione attended the rally and called the proposal misguided and ill-conceived. The project will impede first responders from doing their jobs in a timely manner, she added. Marchione also said she will express her opposition directly to Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Assembly member Didi Barrett, a Democrat, said local voices deserve to be heard, and a public meeting between residents and Amtrak representatives should be held. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

David Lombardo is reporting for Capitol Confidential Democrat Brian Flynn, a candidate in the 19th Congressional District primary, is taking steps to offset his campaign's carbon footprint, much like fellow Democrat Gareth Rhodes. In an update to his April 22 story, Lombardo reports Flynn, the founder of the New York chapter of Environmental Entrepreneurs, has already purchased 90 mT [metric tons] of carbon pollution to offset the environmental footprint of his campaign. E2 is a coalition of business owners who advocate for responsible environmental policies, E2 spokesman Michael Timberlake told TheOtherHudsonValley [dot] com. The organization has nine chapters with 1,000 members. Flynn was involved with the organization from 2008 through 2012. There are seven Democrats vying for the opportunity to unseat first-time U.S. Rep. John Faso in November. The Democratic primary will be held June 26. Read the full story at Capitol Confidential, a Times Union blog.

Richard Moody is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media Empire Livestock in Chatham will close its doors May 1. Empire Livestock General Manager Kenneth Krutz made the announcement April 20. He said the closure was due to changes in the market and challenges in finding experienced and willing employees in this region. According to its website, Empire Livestock is the largest full-service dealer of livestock in the Northeast, and currently maintains nine locations statewide. The company buys animals from farmers to sell at auction. “The beef industry has changed and the competitive nature is driving changes in the marketplace,” Krutz said. “The Chatham market is in a region where some cattle buyers are able to offer direct pick-up services.” With the closure of the Chatham market, the nearest Empire location will be Central Bridge, Schoharie County. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

DOWNLOAD or PLAY the audio version of the local news headlines for Mon., Apr. 23 (7:08). (Produced by Philip Grant.)

Amanda Purcell is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media the Greene County Jail has been temporarily closed due to structural concerns, according to the Greene County Sheriff's Office. Sheriff Greg Seeley said he and three unidentified county legislators made the decision after consulting with a structural engineering firm. No further details were available about that process and Seeley did not name the lawmakers involved. Repeated calls and attempts by Purcell to contact legislators went unanswered, and the Greene County Administrator's office directed all press inquiries to the sheriff's office. The decision was made as a precaution to keep staff and inmates safe, according to Seeley's statement. “Basically, the infrastructure of this building is falling down around us,” the sheriff said April 20. Those incarcerated at the facility were scheduled for transfer to nearby counties later that same day, Seeley said. Thirty people will go to Columbia and 20 individuals will be sent to Ulster. Specific areas of the jail building will remain open for booking purposes, Seeley said. The sheriff's road patrol will continue operations out of the building and all 36 corrections officers will remain on the job during the closure. “I will not lay off any COs. I will find something for them to do,” Seeley said. The county jail, located on Bridge Street in Catskill, was designated one of the worst in the state in a report released Feb. 14. “I would like to see this place made into a parking lot and for a new correctional facility to be built in Coxsackie...,” Seeley said. “I hope the legislators will get together to get things moving. This should have been done 25 years ago.” Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Sean Rossman is reporting for USA Today the federal E. coli warning has been expanded to all types of romaine lettuce harvested in the Yuma, Arizona region as a nationwide outbreak affecting dozens of people is investigated. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said people in Alaska reported getting sick after eating whole heads of romaine lettuce from Yuma. Previously the warning only referred to chopped romaine. It's now expanded to all types, including hearts of romaine, salads and salad mixes. The CDC advised that all romaine lettuce originating from the Yuma region should be tossed. All romaine from Yuma should be tossed, even if it has already been eaten and no one has gotten sick.  "Produce labels often do not identify growing regions," the CDC said April 20. "So, throw out any romaine lettuce if you're uncertain about where it was grown." Read the full story in USA Today.

Richard Moody is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media students at the Darrow School in New Lebanon April 20, took the occasion of the 19th anniversary of the mass shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado to hold a symposium on gun violence. The day-long symposium was organized by Spanish teacher Joshua Brown and Darrow students. “The school has a symposium every year on a subject, but I saw the work students were doing around the country on the gun violence issue,” Brown said. “So I thought it would be a good idea to allow students to use their voices to discuss the issue.” Topics the students chose for discussion included institutional violence, the National Rifle Association, the correlation between mental illness and gun violence and gang violence. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.

Dana Rubenstein is reporting for Politico New York for the first time since the appearance of the automobile, private vehicles will be banned from Central Park, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio announced April 20. “The idea of thinking about every aspect of our lives and finding ways to make that change, that’s what this is all about,” said de Blasio. “And this is such a powerful notion, to take this absolutely crucial piece of our city and liberate it from the automobile.” Beginning June 27, all of Central Park , but for the crosstown transverses, will be closed to traffic. Officials said they expected the streets surrounding the park to have no problem accommodating the extra traffic. In January, cars were banned from Prospect Park in Brooklyn. Read the full story at Politico New York.

David Lombardo is reporting for Capitol Confidential Democrat Gareth Rhodes is taking steps to offset his campaign’s carbon footprint. The RV driving 19th Congressional District primary candidate announced he will spend $4,000, approximately what the campaign has invested in fuel, to purchase carbon offsets through the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. Rhodes’ budget for the next RGGI auction on June 13 should allow him to purchase the equivalent carbon pollution of 96 cars driving for an entire year, according to his campaign. “By taking this action, we will more than offset our campaign’s carbon emissions, stop the fossil fuel industry from polluting by another 450 metric tons, and help invest resources back into our communities to get more solar panels on more roofs,” Rhodes said. He has traveled to more than 100 of the 163 towns in the district in a 1999 Ford Winnebago. The campaign believes Rhodes is the first major party congressional candidate in New York to take steps to offset his carbon footprint.  Read the full story at Capitol Confidential, a Times Union blog.

Local weather forecast:

TODAY: Sunny. High near 66. Monday night, mostly clear. Low around 37.

FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS:
TUESDAY: A chance of rain after 4 p.m. Mostly sunny. High near 63. Tuesday night, rain likely. Cloudy. Low around 46.
WEDNESDAY: Periods of rain. High near 55. Wednesday night, showers likely. Cloudy.Low around 47.

Sunrise today: 6 a.m.
Sunset today: 7:46 p.m.
LENGTH OF THE DAY: 13:45 hrs.

PUBLIC MEETINGS and POLITICAL EVENTS for Mon., Apr. 23:
Please see the WGXC Community Calendar.

Variety reports that on April 20 in Washington D.C., it was not looking good for the Sinclair Broadcast Group, in their efforts to merge with Tribune Media. There, a three-judge panel on the DC Circuit Court of Appeals questioned Sinclair's lawyers on the UHF discount, an old rule revived by the FCC, seemingly, just so this merger can get done. Sinclair already owns more local stations then any other company in the U.S., and has been criticized for putting a conservative slant on the local news coverage of its affiliates. Sinclair wants a $3.9 billion merger with Tribune Media, which would give the station group market coverage of 72 percent of the country. Current rules would not allow such a concentration of control over U.S. airwaves, but reviving the UHF discount, would only count some stations in the deal, those nominally on UHF channels, as half-stations. The old rule compensated for the lack of transmission power UHF stations had against VHF stations. Now, though, the signals are all digital and often relayed through cables, satellites, and the internet, so there is virtually no difference between VHF and UHF stations today. Judge Gregory Katsas said at this hearing that there was, “no reason for thinking at that the end of the day, part of the solution will be keeping the discount.” Competitor Chris Ruddy, the CEO of Newsmax, said in a statement that, “the judges on the DC Circuit reviewing the FCC’s UHF discount were left scratching their heads wondering why the rule was re-instated when everyone — Republicans and Democrats alike — agree that the discount is an analog relic and makes no sense in a digital world.... The FCC should avoid the appearance of impropriety and proceed with a transparent national ownership cap proceeding to set a level playing field before approving any merger that benefits just one company, namely Sinclair.”

Claire Gilbert in The Columbia Paper profiles the candidates in the April 24 special election for state Assembly District 102 and 107. Republicans Steve McLaughlin and Peter Lopez, used to hold the seats, with McLaughlin elected Rensselaer County executive and Lopez named regional administrator for the EPA last year. Whoever wins faces another election for the same seat in November. In the 102nd District Democrat Aiden S. O’Connor, Jr. (also on the Working Families and Women’s Equality ballot lines), Republican Christopher Tague, (also on the Conservative, Independence, and Reform lines), and independent Wesley D. Laraway running on the on the Best Choice Party line are trying to replace Lopez. Laraway is a teacher at Middleburgh Central School in Schoharie County and operates a privately funded animal rescue facility. O’Connor, Jr. is from Greene County where he serves on the legislature for Durham, and he works as a Regional Business Development Manager for LifeNet. Tague is the Supervisor of Town of Schoharie, and previously worked for McLaughlin. In the 107th District, Republican Jake Ashby (also on the Conservative, Independence, and Reform Party lines) is running against Democrat Cindy Doran (also on the Working Families and Women’s Equality Party lines). Ashby is from Schodack resident, and is an army veteran, and a Rensselaer County legislator, and an occupational therapist. Doran, from Troy, has been a member of the Rensselaer County Legislature since 2013, and was a school teacher in Troy for over 30 years. Voting is from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday, April 24. Read the full story in The Columbia Paper.

Here's the week in the news for Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook), the District 19 Congressperson for the WGXC listening area. The Fivethirtyeight.com website currently reports Faso votes with Donald Trump's positions 87.3 percent of the time, the same as last week. Click here to download or play an audio version of this report (8:59).

* Reuters reports that Republicans in Congress this week unveiled changes to the Farm Bill, mostly to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, what is generally known as the Food Stamp program. The proposals include raising the age from 49 to 59 for work requirements in order to receive food stamps. “This bill attempts to change SNAP from a feeding program to a work program,” said Collin Peterson, a Minnesota Democrat on the House Agriculture Committee. Locally, Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook) is on the Agriculture Committee. A proposal to allow states to put in a drug testing program for certain food stamp recipients is not in the first draft, but is being discussed by Republicans. "It's not in the bill base text, but we have some members on the committee who are keenly interested in that," said Michael Conaway, the chairman of the Agriculture Committee. Read the full story at the Reuters website.

• Congressman John Faso (R-Kinderhook) is again busy with Albany, delving into state politics. He has sent a second letter the to the Department of Treasury asking about recent changes to New York State tax law. Just over a month ago Faso wrote to the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Tax Policy asking whether Cuomo’s proposal to make certain state and local tax payments eligible for charitable tax deductions is legal. That was before the state budget was adopted. Now Faso’s follow up letter requests the Treasury Department review the recently enacted state legislation that would convert some state and local tax payments to payments that might be eligible for the charitable tax deduction under federal law. He is asking the Treasury Department if Albany legislators passed a legal budget.

• Ariél Zangla is reporting for the Daily Freeman Democrat Antonio Delgado of Rhinebeck continues to be the fundraising leader among the candidates in the June 26, 19th Congressional District Democratic primary. The winner of that contest will go on to challenge incumbent John Faso in November. As of March 31, Delgado had raised nearly $2 million, including nearly $462,000 in the most recent quarter alone, according to filings posted by the Federal Election Commission. After expenses, Delgado reported having more just under $1.2 million in the bank. Republican Faso during that same period raised a total of $1.66 million to support his re-election bid, according to his campaign filings. After expenses, he was left with $990,000 on hand as of March 31. Brian Flynn of Elka Park had raised more than $1.4 million as of March 31; Patrick Ryan of Gardiner raised $1.33 million; and Gareth Rhodes of Kerhonkson raised $685,000. David Clegg of Woodstock raised nearly $650,000 as of March 31, with $418,000 of that total coming from loans by the candidate and candidate contributions. Jeffrey Beals of Woodstock raised more than $261,000, and $56,000 of that total was in the form of a loan by the candidate. Erin Collier of Cooperstown raised nearly $100,000 as of March 31, according to her campaign; her financial filings were not available on the Federal Election Commission website. Collier did not announce her candidacy until March 12. Financial filings were not available for Green Party candidate Steven Greenfield of New Paltz [PAUL-tz], or independent candidates Diane Neal of Hurley or Luisa Parker of Callicoon. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

• Rep John Faso (R-Kinderhook) co-authors a story in The Hill with Illinois Democrat Dan Lipinski brag about their Challenges and Prizes for Climate Act of 2018. The bill, H.R. 5031, "direct[s] the Secretary of Energy to provide for prize competitions relating to climate and energy." The bill does not itself address climate change, but directs former Texas Governor Rick Perry to create prize competitions around carbon capture, energy efficiency, energy storage, climate adaptation and resiliency, and data analytics "to better understand or communicate about climate."

• Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook) released a statement on the death of former First Lady Barbara Bush that read, in part: "By all accounts, Barbara Bush is one of the most humble, decent, and kind-hearted people to ever serve our country. Her service as First Lady during and after President George H.W. Bush’s term serves as a beacon of decency in a political world that is often nasty and unrelenting. Nearly thirty years ago, I was in Maine and by chance had the opportunity to visit with the Bush Family. Without hesitation, Barbara welcomed us into her family’s home and gave my son, at the time three or four years old, the same toys to play with that her family’s children played with. My heart goes out to the Bush family as they mourn the loss of Barbara Bush. An entire nation is with them."


• Dan Freedman is reporting for the Times Union U.S. Rep. John Faso is leading the effort by House Republicans to strengthen the work requirement for American citizens receiving food stamps. Currently, 44 million people receive food stamps nationwide, including 2.8 million New Yorkers, many living in impoverished upstate rural communities. The Kinderhook Republican said he believes the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, is “an essential program for many families,” but he insists the recipients of the federal nutrition program should be working and they are not. “The best path to economic independence is a job,” Faso said in an interview. “This isn’t rocket science.” According to USDA data, 10.2 percent of those in the 19th Congressional District receives SNAP, compared to 15 percent statewide and 12.7 percent nationwide. Among SNAP families, 31.9 percent had no workers, 40.5 percent had one worker and 27.6 percent had two workers. Faso is a member of the House Agriculture Committee, which is considering SNAP provisions as part of broader deliberation on the Farm Bill. Democrats including Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, denounce the GOP job requirement. The GOP House plan “is only going to increase hunger in our communities” and “could kick millions of households off of the program,” Gillibrand said on a conference call with reporters April 17. “I believe no New Yorker, no American, should ever have to suffer from hunger — especially a child.” Under the Faso-backed measure, anyone receiving benefits between the ages of 18 and 59 without children under 6 would be required to work or be in job training (or a combination) for 20 hours a week. The GOP approach also would intensify the punishment for those who fail to abide by the work requirements. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.

The Farm Bill makes significant investments and improvements in education and training programs. With millions of jobs open, we should strive to provide job seekers with the skills needed to take advantage of employment opportunities and on the path toward economic independence. pic.twitter.com/j4UmZu8DuH

— John Faso (@RepJohnFaso) April 18, 2018

• John Herath at Farm Journal reports that Republicans on the House Agriculture Committee, including Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook) voted April 18 to advance a Farm Bill that makes it more difficult to receive food stamps. The bill passed 26-20 with all Republicans voting in favor and all Democrats voting against. Democrats did not complain about just what was in the bill, but how the bill was made. "Mr. Chairman, this is a flawed bill,” Collin Peterson from Minnesota said. said. “This is the fault of a bad and non-transparent process. When I was chairman, we marked the bill up in subcommittee. We didn't do that this time. I oppose it and I urge my colleagues on my committee to oppose it as well." Democrats opposed the work requirements added for recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or food stamps. Faso tweeted, "The Farm Bill makes significant investments and improvements in education and training programs. With millions of jobs open, we should strive to provide job seekers with the skills needed to take advantage of employment opportunities and on the path toward economic independence." The Senate Agriculture Committee has not introduced their version of a farm bill yet, so while this version moves to the House for a vote next month, the final version could be much different. Read the full story at the Farm Journal website AgWeb.

Here are some stories from the Hudson River this week. Click here to hear an audio version of this report. (3:39)

• The Stevens Institute reports temperatures this week in the Hudson River at Schodack Island were between 39 and 42 degrees, slightly warmer than last week.

• David Figura at New York Upstate reports that striped bass season on the Hudson River is running behind schedule due to the cold temperatures. "The striped bass fishing season on the Hudson and tributaries north of the George Washington Bridge begins April 1 and lasts until Nov. 30. Prime time, though, is usually early or mid-April to mid-May, around Mother's Day - and sometimes, depending on the weather into early June," Figura writes. While it has been cold so far this year, last year was worse with a rainy, windy spring that muddied the waters, according to a summary of the season drafted by Jessica Best of the Hudson River Fisheries Unit of the state Department of Environmental Conservation. This year, anglers need some warmer weather. "It needs to get into the high 40s before they really start showing up. There's a few fish, though," Capt. Bob Trenz, of Off the Charters guide service out of Newburgh, said. "Once the water gets in the lower 50s, it really starts to turn on." Read the full story at New York Upstate.

• On April 16 the City of Hudson Wastewater Treatment Facility had an 18-hour combined sewer overflow, with 50 gallons per minute headed into the Hudson River.

A second student walkout to protest gun violence in schools was held April 20, but far fewer locals participated. The Daily Freeman reported that students at Red Hook High School wrote letters to Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook), while sitting on grass outside the school April 20, the 19th anniversary of the Columbine High School massacre. In Albany, students from Albany, Bethlehem, Columbia, Guilderland, Shenendehowa and Emma Willard walked out, according to The Troy Record. They joined a rally at the state capitol that included two student speakers, Adam Alhanti and Alfonso Calderon, from the school in Florida, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where 17 were killed Feb. 14. On March 24 multiple local schools including those in Chatham, Catskill, Coxsackie-Athens, Ravena, Kingston, Rhinebeck, Red Hook, Bethlehem, Ballston Spa, Rondout Valley, Saugerties, Ellenville, Albany, and many other districts held similar protests. The Associated Press reported that about 150,000 students nationwide walked out on April 20, compared to almost a million on March 14.

Local weather forecast:

TODAY: Sunny, with a high near 47, and a low around 28.

FORECAST FOR THE NEXT TWO DAYS:
SUNDAY: Sunny, with a high near 51, and a low around 30.
MONDAY: Sunny, with a high near 58, and a low around 36.

DOWNLOAD or play the audio version of the local news update for Fri., April 20 (4:08). (Produced by Neva Wartell.)