News

The New York State Legislature on Monday held the first of two hearings on the thousands of COVID-19 deaths among nursing home residents.

Questions to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s health commissioner, Dr. Howard Zucker, focused on a controversial March 25 directive that required nursing homes to take back COVID-19 patients from hospitals.

The Syracuse Common Council is holding its spending items until Mayor Ben Walsh comes up with a plan to fill the city’s $20 million budget gap. One councilor said the lack of a bailout from the state or federal governments, to make up for the revenue losses from the coronavirus shutdown, is expediting the need for action. 

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday that he will announce later this week on what terms schools can reopen during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

But he put the responsibility for the details back on schools, saying they need to better respond to the concerns of parents. 

Senate leaders and White House officials continue to negotiate the next coronavirus relief bill, and U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) Schumer is calling on central New Yorkers to lobby for legislation that will include more money for schools.

Standing in front of Cazenovia High School Friday, Schumer said schools need the federal government to come through if they are expected to open up in any way, shape, or form come September. Cazenovia School District Superintendent Matt Reilly agreed, putting the cost of COVID at hundreds of thousands of dollars for his small district.

State officials will spend this week reviewing school district plans for reopening this fall in the midst of a global pandemic. Most school districts in central New York have decided on a hybrid model that alternates in-person and remote learning.

In the aftermath of the police killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, as well as other instances of police brutality, sustained protests and movements for change in police policy have sprung up around the country, including central New York. This week, Grant Reeher speaks with Yusuf Abdul-Qadir,  one of the leaders of The People's Agenda for Policing, and the director of the CNY chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union. 

Central New Yorkers could be among the thousands of individuals who will be part of a clinical trial for a potential vaccine against COVID-19. There are currently two studies underway as scientists across the world look for a vaccine that could slow the progress of the coronavirus pandemic.

Upstate Medical University in Syracuse is taking part in one clinical trial spearheaded jointly by drugmaker Pfizer and a German biotech company. Upstate’s Infectious Disease Chief Dr. Stephen Thomas said this is a late-stage human trial that will ultimately include up to 30,000 participants.

The New York State Department of Transportation has submitted its draft environmental impact statement on the I-81 reconstruction project, through the city of Syracuse, to the Federal Highway Administration for review. It's a project state officials have been working on since 2013. The federal agency needs to sign off on the document, so it can be released to the public. 

The coronavirus pandemic couldn’t have come at a worse time for those involved in the 2020 Census. The pandemic wreaked havoc on plans for the every-ten-year population count.

School board members in New York are concerned that they might not be able to successfully fully or partially reopen schools without an infusion of cash from the state or federal governments.

School districts across New York State have to submit their plans for reopening to the state Education Department by Friday. Central New York superintendents are explaining to school boards what a hybrid model of in-person and remote learning would look like.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has written a letter to New York’s congressional delegation, urging them not to settle for a federal stimulus package that does not include aid to states hard hit by the coronavirus.

The plea comes as talks between House Democrats and Senate Republicans in Washington are down to the wire.

Several police items will not be on the agenda for Wednesday’s Syracuse Common Council meeting, because one councilor blocked them in protest for not having Right to Know legislation come out of committee. Right to Know is a law passed in New York City, which requires police to identify themselves to citizens during certain interactions, provide a business card and obtain and record consent to searches. The Right to Know legislation is being held to allow lawyers to weigh in.

Hospitals are getting better at treating the sickest COVID-19 patients, according to one central New York coronavirus expert. Dr. Stephen Thomas, Chief of Infectious Diseases at Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse, said treatment for patients has gone through some changes over the last several months.

"The idea of 'when do you intubate people, do they get steroids, do they need antibiotics immediately or do they not, do they need to get anticoagulated'," Thomas said. "These sorts of things we’ve learned as we’ve gone along."

A recent report from the Government Accountability Office says that the International Joint Commission, the agency that helps regulate water levels on Lake Ontario, needs to do a better job of communicating with the public.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo reacted angrily Monday to news that a new plan to be released by Republicans in the U.S. Senate will not include aid to states and local governments hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic. 

Republicans, who hold the majority in the U.S. Senate, are unlikely to propose additional money in their federal stimulus proposal for state and local governments suffering economic impact from the pandemic. 

Democrats, who are in charge in the House, want to include up to $1 trillion in aid.

There were 41 opioid-related deaths in Onondaga County in the first quarter of 2020, nearly one-third of the total amount of opioid deaths last year. That number has continued to rise over the past three years. Treatment providers say the COVID-19 pandemic is only making things worse.

State and federal officials are continuing to lobby for more money for child care in the federal COVID relief bill being negotiated in Congress. During a stop in Syracuse Friday, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul said funding for child care is needed now more than ever.

North Country Rep. Elise Stefanik has been a leading voice for Republicans in Congress, and gained a national profile for her defense of President Trump during impeachment hearings. This November, Stefanik is being challenged by Democrat Tedra Cobb, in a rematch from 2018. Cobb talks with Grant Reeher about her campaign, and why she should represent the North Country in Congress. 

Philipe Rivera goes by "Flip." He's 34 years old and has cerebral palsy. He has a tattoo on his arm, uses a wheelchair, and communicates through a device called a DynaVox.

"I also use a head pointer for my personal PC," Rivera said. "I cannot use my hands. I rely on people to help me with getting dressed, feeding, bathing, etc."

New York State is offering a rent relief program to low-income renters who lost income during the COVID-19 crisis. But some local activists say that’s still not good enough and they’re calling for New York to cancel rent payments for the entirety of the pandemic.

Pediatricians across central New York are fighting to survive as the coronavirus pandemic has created a financially untenable situation for many.

East Syracuse pediatrician Dr. Vito Losito says it’s plain and simple, the infrastructure for pediatric care is crumbling.

"I want the government to know, I want the insurance companies to know, I want the public to know that the pediatric infrastructure, the people who care for your children are struggling to stay afloat, stay available, and we need help." Losito said.