5:13
On Monday, New York state Attorney General Letitia James received the necessary referral letter from the executive chamber to independently investigate allegations of sexual harassment against Governor Andrew Cuomo. WAMC’s Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Allison Dunne reports on what lawmakers in her region think should happen next.
One of the women who accused Cuomo is former aide Charlotte Bennett. Westchester Democratic state Senator Shelley Mayer says Bennett resides in her 37th district.
“I’m very, very distressed and disappointed to hear of these allegations, and that’s why I believed and continue to believe a thorough investigation by a truly independent agency is so critical, and I will await the results of that investigation, at this point,” says Mayer.
6:24
Democratic Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan delivered his state-of-the-county address earlier this week. He spoke with WAMC’s Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Allison Dunne about the start of a basic income pilot program as well as initiatives under his Green New Deal.
Ryan’s address included two main themes.
“The first is building on all the resilience work that we did in the county with food delivery, childcare support, rent support, small business support, to add a new and really pretty innovative addition to that, which is a pilot program of universal basic income, essentially providing direct cash relief to families in Ulster County, as they try to get, you know, work their way out of the economic stress and challenges of the pandemic. So we re really excited about that one,” Ryan says. “And I think, not only will it have a direct impact for the 100 families that will participate in, in the program, but it will also add to this growing body of research and work natio
27:30
On this week’s 51%, hear from the author of a book highlighting stories of ordinary girls around the world, and then an animated film features a girl superhero to help children relate to COVID times.
Masuma Ahuja spent the last three years reporting on gender around the world, and the stories she uncovered about girls’ lives were almost always about sexualization, victimization or despair. She wondered what accounts of girlhood would be like if girls wrote them themselves, so she started reaching out to global development and community organizations who could connect her with local girls, as well as finding girls through sports clubs, writing workshops and a network of friends and journalists.
6:26
An annual eagle-viewing festival in the Hudson Valley is going virtual, for the most part, this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. WAMC’s Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Allison Dunne spoke with the head of a nonprofit nature preserve and environmental education center that organizes the event.
It’s called EagleFest, and it’s organized by Ossining-based Teatown, where Kevin Carter is executive director. After record-breaking crowds last year, Carter says the showcase for the migration of bald eagles to the Hudson River will be mainly online.
“So we felt that, you know, rather than canceling it altogether, that we would, we would extend it and make it a weeklong event with mostly virtual programs, but a couple of in-person programs as well, and that we would kind of try to keep the spirit and the DNA of the EagleFest event through virtual programs. So that means partnering up with organizations that we work with, it means working with the birding community and a number
12:09
On Friday, SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras traveled to Suffern to meet with Rockland Community College President Michael Baston. It’s one of the SUNY colleges that recently expanded its weekly COVID-19 pooled surveillance testing program as the 64-campus system proceeds through a fall semester marked by local coronavirus spikes and shutdowns. Governor Andrew Cuomo’s color-coded COVID zones have raised new questions about transmission for college towns and commuting students.
Just before arriving on campus, Malatras spoke with WAMC’s Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Allison Dunne about pooled testing, the abrupt leadership change at SUNY Oneonta, and plans for the Spring 2021 semester.