Jun 9, 2021
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Supporters of two bills that would reform parole guidelines in New York are camping outside the state capitol this week to press their case before lawmakers.
One of the two bills would give inmates who are 55 years old or older and have served 15 years a chance to make their case before the parole board. The other bill would release inmates who are eligible for parole and are no longer considered a threat to society.
Jun 9, 2021
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The Firemen s Association of the State of New York is calling on state lawmakers to advance a bill that would charge insurance companies for their services.
The bill has been stuck in the Ways and Means Committee. The association says expenses for volunteer fire departments this last year soared 49 percent. The bill has passed the state Senate for the last three years but has hit roadblocks in the state Assembly.
By Bill Galluccio
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has updated its international travel guidance for over 120 countries. The agency removed 62 countries from the level 4 travel alert, which discourages any travel to those nations. Those countries included Japan, Canada, Mexico, Italy, France, and Germany, which were moved to the third tier, which advises that unvaccinated passengers should not travel to those destinations.
There are still 65 countries under the level 4 travel alert, including Brazil, Argentina, and the Netherlands. Those countries have reported more than 500 cases per 100,000 residents in the last 28 days.
The CDC also moved 33 countries, including Israel, South Korea, Singapore, and Iceland, into the lowest risk category, which means they have reported less than 50 cases of COVID-19 in the last 28 days.
Jun 9, 2021
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The New York City Marathon is returning this November after going virtual last year due to the pandemic.
Governor Cuomo said 33-thousand runners will be allowed to participate, which is about 60 percent capacity. There will be no general lottery this year and most slots will be filled by runners who deferred their 2020 entries until this year. Registration opens Wednesday and runners have until June 15th to officially claim their spot and if they don t, entries will automatically be deferred to the 2022 race.
Jun 9, 2021
Photo: Photo: Getty Images
Fans eager to get their season passes for the summer racing season at Saratoga can do so Wednesday.
The season passes will be available at NYRA dot com. NYRA says that season passes are only for fans who have gotten the coronavirus vaccine. A season pass for the grandstand is $50, and a clubhouse season pass costs $75. NYRA says Saratoga will be open at nearly full capacity this summer, with most sections of the track only open to people who are fully vaccinated, including the popular backyard area at the track. Opening Day is Thursday, July 15th.