ALBANY — State officials have canceled June's Regents exams and extended school closures through April 29, creating more uncertainty for high schoolers making college plans in the thick of New York's coronavirus outbreak.Board of Regents Chancellor Betty Rosa announced the cancellations of the high school tests Monday morning as the board promised to give districts further guidance on Tuesday.State education officials vowed at the Board of Regents' April meeting to  “undertake a very thoughtful review” of the potential consequences of suspending the exams.A decision has not been made...…ALBANY — State officials have canceled June's Regents exams and extended school closures through April 29, creating more uncertainty for high schoolers making college plans in the thick of New York's coronavirus outbreak.Board of Regents Chancellor Betty Rosa announced the cancellations of the high school tests Monday morning as the board promised to give districts further guidance on Tuesday.State education officials vowed at the Board of Regents' April meeting to  “undertake a very thoughtful review” of the potential consequences of suspending the exams.A decision has not been made...WW…

ALBANY – In the midst of a global pandemic, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo is altering the requirements for a candidate to qualify for New York's primary election.Cuomo will sign an executive order Saturday slashing the petitioning threshold to 30 percent of what is required by statute; the number varies depending on the seat. This election cycle, that means congressional candidates must now collect 375 signatures instead of 1,250; state Senate candidates, 300 instead of 1,000; and Assembly candidates, 150 instead of 500.He is also ending the process early, requiring candidates stop petitioning after...…ALBANY – In the midst of a global pandemic, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo is altering the requirements for a candidate to qualify for New York's primary election.Cuomo will sign an executive order Saturday slashing the petitioning threshold to 30 percent of what is required by statute; the number varies depending on the seat. This election cycle, that means congressional candidates must now collect 375 signatures instead of 1,250; state Senate candidates, 300 instead of 1,000; and Assembly candidates, 150 instead of 500.He is also ending the process early, requiring candidates stop petitioning after...WW…

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateIn an attempt to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, Upstate counties are warning anyone traveling from New York City to self-quarantine for two weeks or stay away entirely.The requests have no legal backing as only Gov. Andrew Cuomo could give such an order, but they come as the number of cases in New York City continue to grow and upstate health departments predict that they could soon see a similar surge, possibly overwhelming their capabilities. Governors in at least two states have also mandated that anyone who travels...…This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateIn an attempt to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, Upstate counties are warning anyone traveling from New York City to self-quarantine for two weeks or stay away entirely.The requests have no legal backing as only Gov. Andrew Cuomo could give such an order, but they come as the number of cases in New York City continue to grow and upstate health departments predict that they could soon see a similar surge, possibly overwhelming their capabilities. Governors in at least two states have also mandated that anyone who travels...WW…

ALBANY — With positivity rates soaring to heights not seen since the dangerous days of the spring, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced that the Buffalo Bills will host nearly 7,000 fans at their stadium for their first-round NFL playoff game next week."I'm going to take my test and be out there to watch the game with you," added Cuomo, who said he was a Bills fan.Under the plan developed by the Bills, Cuomo's Department of Health and a medical company that's providing the tests, the Bills would allow 6,772 fans into the stadium for the game, which will be held either Jan. 9 or 10. Tickets will...…ALBANY — With positivity rates soaring to heights not seen since the dangerous days of the spring, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced that the Buffalo Bills will host nearly 7,000 fans at their stadium for their first-round NFL playoff game next week."I'm going to take my test and be out there to watch the game with you," added Cuomo, who said he was a Bills fan.Under the plan developed by the Bills, Cuomo's Department of Health and a medical company that's providing the tests, the Bills would allow 6,772 fans into the stadium for the game, which will be held either Jan. 9 or 10. Tickets will...WW…

ALBANY — Republicans are continuing to press for subpoenas to be used to compel Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's administration to provide documents and testimony about its handling of coronavirus in nursing homes, including records documenting the decision-making that guided the treatment and protection of elderly residents and their caretakers.The political pressure has intensified in the wake of a report last week that determined the health department had undercounted nursing home fatalities by roughly 50 percent at a time when criticism of the administration's policies governing the facilities...…ALBANY — Republicans are continuing to press for subpoenas to be used to compel Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's administration to provide documents and testimony about its handling of coronavirus in nursing homes, including records documenting the decision-making that guided the treatment and protection of elderly residents and their caretakers.The political pressure has intensified in the wake of a report last week that determined the health department had undercounted nursing home fatalities by roughly 50 percent at a time when criticism of the administration's policies governing the facilities...WW…

PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — Lawmakers in Kosovo gave their approval Tuesday for sending the country’s security forces to take part in international peacekeeping missions.The 120-seat parliament voted unanimously, with 92 present lawmakers, in favor of the move. Following a request from the U.S. Central Command, it will put Kosovo’s troops under the command of the National Guard of Iowa during peacekeeping assignments.No specifics on the location of any missions or the number of the Kosovo peacekeepers to be deployed were made public.The 3,400-troop Kosovo Security Force was turned into a...…PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — Lawmakers in Kosovo gave their approval Tuesday for sending the country’s security forces to take part in international peacekeeping missions.The 120-seat parliament voted unanimously, with 92 present lawmakers, in favor of the move. Following a request from the U.S. Central Command, it will put Kosovo’s troops under the command of the National Guard of Iowa during peacekeeping assignments.No specifics on the location of any missions or the number of the Kosovo peacekeepers to be deployed were made public.The 3,400-troop Kosovo Security Force was turned into a...WW…

ALBANY — A sixth woman has leveled allegations of sexually inappropriate conduct against Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, accusing him of touching her without consent late last year during an encounter at the governor's mansion, the Times Union has confirmed.The alleged incident took place after the woman, a member of the governor's Executive Chamber staff, had been summoned to the mansion to assist the governor with a work-related matter. The woman's supervisors recently became aware of the allegation and alerted the governor's counsel of it on Monday.An official close to the matter on Tuesday...…ALBANY — A sixth woman has leveled allegations of sexually inappropriate conduct against Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, accusing him of touching her without consent late last year during an encounter at the governor's mansion, the Times Union has confirmed.The alleged incident took place after the woman, a member of the governor's Executive Chamber staff, had been summoned to the mansion to assist the governor with a work-related matter. The woman's supervisors recently became aware of the allegation and alerted the governor's counsel of it on Monday.An official close to the matter on Tuesday...WW…

ALBANY – When Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo sought to publish a last July, his government counsel wrote a letter to New York’s ethics oversight agency. In that letter, Cuomo’s special counsel, Judith Mogul, noted past state ethics opinions laying out “guardrails” a state employee must follow when seeking to earn outside income from writing a book.Among the nine longstanding rules cited by Mogul: No “state property, personnel or other resources may be utilized.”"The governor will abide by all nine of the established requirements discussed above," Mogul wrote to the on July 10. "Specifically, he will...…ALBANY – When Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo sought to publish a last July, his government counsel wrote a letter to New York’s ethics oversight agency. In that letter, Cuomo’s special counsel, Judith Mogul, noted past state ethics opinions laying out “guardrails” a state employee must follow when seeking to earn outside income from writing a book.Among the nine longstanding rules cited by Mogul: No “state property, personnel or other resources may be utilized.”"The governor will abide by all nine of the established requirements discussed above," Mogul wrote to the on July 10. "Specifically, he will...WW…

POTOMAC, Md. (AP) — Police in Maryland say they've arrested an aging, serial bank robber who resurfaced after apparently being silent for four years.The Washington Post reports that police in Montgomery County arrested James Clyde Wersick, 71, on Tuesday after authorities said he robbed a PNC branch in Potomac.Police said that Wersick robbed a string of banks between 2012 and 2016 and took more than $50,000. He faces 16 felony counts.His attorney during a bail review, Selena Alonzo, said that Wersick is a master electrician whose work had been drying up because of the coronavirus pandemic....…POTOMAC, Md. (AP) — Police in Maryland say they've arrested an aging, serial bank robber who resurfaced after apparently being silent for four years.The Washington Post reports that police in Montgomery County arrested James Clyde Wersick, 71, on Tuesday after authorities said he robbed a PNC branch in Potomac.Police said that Wersick robbed a string of banks between 2012 and 2016 and took more than $50,000. He faces 16 felony counts.His attorney during a bail review, Selena Alonzo, said that Wersick is a master electrician whose work had been drying up because of the coronavirus pandemic....WW…