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Gov. Andrew Cuomo continues to take issue with comments by White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, who said over the weekend that the federal government does not plan to get control of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Meadows said on CNN Sunday that the federal government instead will focus on getting out a vaccine and prescribing therapeutic remedies for those who do get sick. 

More than 200 counterprotesters came out to voice opposition to about two dozen Back the Blue supporters in Ithaca Saturday. Over the previous week, the city was the site of escalating tensions between pro- and anti-Trump groups. Some involved physical clashes and arrests.

Minor parties in New York face strict new rules this year to keep their candidates on the ballot without having to resort to petitioning for thousands of signatures, and one is making an all-out effort to boost votes on its line.

Central New York Democratic congressional candidate Dana Balter continues to call Rep. John Katko’s ads racist and misogynist in the race for the 24th Congressional District. The Katko campaign accuses Balter of lying in her ads.

When Bob Antonacci won a seat on the New York State Supreme Court, he left the state Senate's 50th District seat vacant. The district covers parts of Onondaga and Cayuga counties, and includes parts of the city of Syracuse. This week, Grant Reeher moderates a debate between the two candidates looking to fill that seat. Democrat John Mannion lost to Antonacci in 2018. He's being challenged by Republican Angi Renna. 

Watertown leaders are ready to make an offer to one of the candidates who interviewed for the city manager position, a development that comes shortly after the city released a report which sheds more light into why Watertown's former city manager resigned earlier this year.

With just 12 days until the election, candidates for New York’s 22nd Congressional District made their case to voters during a broadcast debate Thursday night. Democratic incumbent Anthony Brindisi, former Republican representative Claudia Tenney and Libertarian candidate Keith Price were present.

Two candidates are running for an open central New York Assembly seat, after Republican Assemblyman Gary Finch announced he was retiring after two decades in office. Republican John Lemondes and Democrat Dia Carabajal share some similar views, but also have different visions to fix the state, which is facing a fiscal crisis and uptick in crime. 

Early voting begins in New York state this weekend, and while elections officials are prepared, they aren’t sure how many voters will choose to cast a ballot in a relatively new way to vote in New York.

With 43 states now on New York State’s travel advisory list, Gov. Andrew Cuomo says he’s talking to health experts about a possible testing regimen that could end the mandatory quarantine period for people who travel to those states.

Central New York Democratic state Sen. Rachel May is running for reelection. Her opponent is Republican Sam Rodgers. The two candidates had a debate over the weekend on the Campbell Conversations. The coronavirus and the state’s $14 billion deficit, were among the main topics.

For the first time in more than 100 years, the annual Salvation Army holiday fundraiser is getting underway early. Officials with the charitable organization say the pandemic is stretching its resources and services thin.

Sarah Miller-Locke, director of Empire State Division of the Salvation Army, said talk about the holiday campaign usually doesn't start until after Halloween, but like with so many other things in 2020, this year is different.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said his vaccination plan for New York, released over the weekend, is preliminary, and much more information is needed to finalize the distribution of the vaccine to New Yorkers when it becomes available. 

Cuomo said his plan, which the federal Centers for Disease Control required all states to submit, is just a first draft of what could happen when the vaccine is finalized. He hopes that will occur over the winter. 

The first debate in the race for New York’s 24th Congressional District was held Monday in Syracuse. Rep. John Katko (R-Camillus) and Democratic challenger Dana Balter crystalized key campaign points in a debate held by syracuse.com.

The Verizon network has activated its 5G service in some parts of Syracuse, making it the first city in upstate New York with, what’s described as, ultra-fast wireless speed. Anyone with a 5G device on the Verizon network can access the service. 5G Ultra Wideband, as it’s called, is supposed to double download speeds and eventually handle data volumes 100 times larger than today’s 4G service. But it could still take years before the entire city is connected, if it happens.

County leaders in New York say they are frustrated over delays by Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the State Legislature to make major decisions about the state’s multibillion-dollar budget gap.

They're also asking for more cooperation in carrying out key functions during the COVID-19 pandemic, like testing and tracing. 

Democrats in New York are on the verge of winning a veto-proof majority in the State Senate, which could bring profound changes in the state's policies. This week, Grant Reeher moderates a debate between the two candidates running for New York's 53rd State Senate district, incumbent Rachel May (D-Syracuse), and Republican challenger Sam Rodgers.

Last month, New York state reduced the number of days a nursing home must be free from Covid-19 in order for families to visit from 28 days to 14, which the NYS Department of Health said will open up access to 500 of the state's 613 nursing homes. But, a group of upstate lawmakers say there are still too many barriers in place. 

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has written a letter on behalf of all the states’ governors asking President Donald Trump to form a clear plan on how to administer a COVID-19 vaccine when that day comes.

Cuomo, who is head of the National Governors Association, wrote a letter to Trump, asking that the president hold a meeting with the country's governors to talk about how to make sure a national vaccination campaign is “implemented smoothly and efficiently."