Podcasts about Metropolitan Transportation Authority

County executive rejected extra prosecutors Dutchess County legislators voted on Wednesday (Dec. 17) to keep two new prosecutors and an administrative assistant in the district attorney's budget for next year, despite warnings from County Executive Sue Serino about "difficult decisions" ahead. By a quick voice vote, legislators rejected Serino's veto of their bipartisan amendment to add the positions to the $653.6 million spending plan that they passed Dec. 8. Their additions included five new DA positions overall, costing $711,000, plus other amendments that increased Serino's $651.4 million proposal by $2.2 million and the use of reserve funds, or savings, by $7.2 million. In a memo explaining her veto, Serino said District Attorney Anthony Parisi had decided to "walk back" an agreement to hold the positions vacant to offset $300,000 in spending on promotions for 22 of his attorneys. Serino said she sought a compromise: allowing Parisi to keep two of the five new positions, a third prosecutor and a junior accountant approved by the Legislature. Even without the three extra positions, Parisi's office would have 73 employees, compared to 68 when he took office last year, said Serino. "You all share in the responsibility for fiscal sustainability," she said before Wednesday's override vote. "We will need to compromise in the new year to work together to do what's right for our community while minimizing the impact on taxpayers." In a statement released shortly after the override vote, Parisi said the positions were "the five most critical" of nine he asked legislators to add to Serino's draft budget. Without them, the district attorney's ability to prosecute would have been "significantly reduced," he said, citing "growing demands" from the reform of state evidence-sharing rules and ongoing efforts to fight drug and violent crime and elder abuse. "Unfortunately, the county executive's vetoes failed to acknowledge the real-world consequences these cuts would have had on victims, law enforcement and the safety of our communities," said Parisi. All 15 Republicans voted for the amended budget, with nine of 10 Democrats (one was absent) voting against the plan. It anticipates $268 million in revenue from sales taxes, $107 million from property taxes and the use of $34 million in savings - $7 million more than Serino proposed. The tax levy will stay below a state-mandated cap, and the rate assessed on property owners will fall slightly, from $2.17 to $2.10 per $1,000 of assessed value. The budget also eliminates 10 vacant jobs and leaves 17 unfilled. Legislators also rejected a proposal by Serino to end an exemption from the county's 3.75 percent sales tax on clothing and shoes costing less than $110. (Dutchess consumers pay 8.125 percent sales tax, which includes 4 percent for the state and 0.375 percent for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.) Letting the exemption expire as scheduled on March 1 would have yielded $5.4 million in additional revenue, including $133,000 for Beacon under a revenue-sharing agreement, according to Serino. Beacon's share of sales tax collections, which was $6.1 million in 2025, will still rise from 2.35 percent to 2.45 percent in 2026, or about $268,000. On Wednesday, legislators also approved each municipality's share of the $107 million property-tax levy. Beacon property owners will be assessed $4.7 million. After Jan. 1, Serino will have to work with a Legislature led by Democrats, who defeated five Republican incumbents in November to flip the 15-10 majority. Democrat Yvette Valdés Smith, who represents Ward 4 in Beacon and part of Fishkill as the minority leader, is expected to succeed Republican Will Truitt as majority leader.

Spending plan passes without Democratic support Dutchess County lawmakers on Monday (Dec. 8) approved a $653.6 million budget for next year along party lines, with Democrats uniting against the spending plan as they prepare to take control of the Legislature next month. All 15 Republicans voted for the amended version of a draft budget that County Executive Sue Serino, also a Republican, presented in November. It anticipates $268 million in revenue from sales taxes, $107 million from property taxes and the use of $34 million in general-fund reserves, or savings - $7 million more than Serino initially proposed. The tax levy stays below a state-mandated cap, and the rate assessed on property owners will fall slightly, from $2.17 to $2.10 per $1,000 of assessed value. The budget also eliminates 10 vacant jobs and leaves 17 unfilled. Legislators rejected a proposal by Serino to end an exemption from the county's 3.75 percent sales tax on clothing and shoes costing less than $110. (Dutchess consumers pay a total 8.125 percent sales tax, which includes 4 percent for the state and 0.375 percent for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.) Letting the exemption expire as scheduled on March 1 would have yielded $5.4 million in additional revenue, including $133,000 for Beacon under a revenue-sharing agreement, according to Serino. Beacon's share of sales tax collections, which was $6.1 million in 2025, will still rise from 2.35 percent to 2.45 percent in 2026, or about $268,000. Serino, who said the changes create "a very large budget gap," now must decide whether to sign or veto the budget, or to reject individual amendments. But Democrats, who will soon take control, have already rendered their verdict. Nine of the 10 Democrats (one was absent) voted against the plan, even though it contains several amendments they proposed. One increases spending for a trust fund for affordable housing from $1 million to $2 million and another allocates $200,000 for grants of up to $25,000 to municipalities for initiatives to combat homelessness. Nevertheless, said Yvette Valdés Smith, whose district includes Ward 4 in Beacon and part of Fishkill, the budget "does not adequately address the affordability crisis that our residents are facing." The Legislature also approved proposals to add $711,000 to the district attorney's office for five full-time positions and $750,000 to the budget for safety and security improvements at municipal buildings. In her budget presentation in November, Serino highlighted $2.5 million for youth programs and $2 million for supplemental ambulance services. Buttressing the county's shorthanded EMS services has been a priority. The budget also funds two school resource officers, a Drone as First Responder Program for the Real-Time Crime Center and a new Elder Justice Task Force. The latter, a collaboration with the Office for the Aging and the district attorney and sheriff's offices, "will investigate, identify, pursue and prosecute those who exploit older adults through abuse, fraud or neglect," said Serino. After Jan. 1, Serino will have to work with a Legislature led by Democrats, who defeated five Republican incumbents in the November election to flip the 15-10 majority. Smith, who had been the minority leader, is expected to succeed Will Truitt as majority leader.

Council expected to hire consulting firm Beacon is wasting no time getting started on the first leg of a proposed 13-mile rail trail from the city to Hopewell Junction. The City Council is expected to vote on Monday (Dec. 15) to approve spending $350,000 to hire a Westchester County firm to design a 3.3-mile section from the Beacon waterfront to the Town of Fishkill line. The trail could eventually connect to the planned Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail and, in Hopewell, the Dutchess Rail Trail and 750-mile Empire State Trail. If the council approves the request, City Administrator Chris White said that Barton & Loguidice, which conducted a feasibility study on the trail for the Dutchess County Transportation Council, could begin design and engineering work as early as January. The city's goal is to put the project out to bid by November and construct the 12- to 14-foot-wide multi-use segment in 2027. "What we've been doing in the last couple of months is figuring out how we can start our piece and accelerate it and go forward," Mayor Lee Kyriacou said during the council's Monday (Dec. 8) meeting. In October, the Barton & Loguidice report recommended a "rail-to-trail" conversion of the abandoned line, which begins at the Hudson River. The line, which has not been active for 30 years, runs through Beacon and along the east end of Main Street before crossing back and forth over Fishkill Creek on its way through the Village of Fishkill and the towns of Fishkill and East Fishkill. The line is owned by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. In 2024, Metro-North, an MTA agency, "railbanked" the tracks, reserving its right to revive service, although an agency representative said it had no plans to do so. The Dutchess Transportation report estimated that it would cost $46 million to $56 million to construct the entire trail; Beacon officials anticipate the first segment will be $4.5 million. There are two bridges (near Dennings Avenue and at South and Tioronda avenues) and an overpass at Wolcott Avenue, but otherwise, the paved trail will be "basically a road project," White said. The city has requested a "sizeable" grant from the governor's office to link the project to a proposed development at the Beacon train station that is part of Gov. Kathy Hochul's housing agenda. It is also seeking funds from Dutchess County and two private organizations. In other business scheduled for Monday: The council is expected to vote on an update to the city's fee schedule. Beacon charges fees for dozens of services, including dog licenses, building inspections, record searches and permits for backyard chickens. Not all fees are increasing, and some that are no longer applicable, such as for junk dealers and amusement parks, will be removed. Some fees have not changed since 2010, White said. Council members will consider a request from the developer of the Edgewater apartment complex for a two-year extension to the special-use permit issued for the project in 2018. Phase 2 of the 246-unit development is underway; three of seven residential buildings have been completed. Ben Swanson, the mayor's assistant, will be appointed Beacon's deputy city administrator, a new position. Since he was hired in 2021, Swanson's duties "went from being primarily clerical to really being supervisory and much more executive," White said. His new responsibilities will include coordinating housing and food resources and filling in if White is unavailable. The council will vote on a 10-year renewal of the city's franchise agreement with Optimum, aka Cablevision of Wappingers Falls. The non-exclusive agreement allows Optimum to provide cable and internet service in Beacon in exchange for a franchise fee equal to 5 percent of its gross revenue from the previous year. In 2024, Optimum paid the city $172,393. As in years past, the council will consider $10,000 spending proposals from students in the Participation in Government class at Beacon High School. Emilio Guerra an...

Committee completes study of Beacon corridor After nearly two years of work, the citizen committee studying the Fishkill Avenue corridor in Beacon this week released a 26-page final report whose broad range of recommendations spans zoning, viewsheds, housing and transportation and is supplemented by more than 100 pages of maps and appendices. Appointed by Mayor Lee Kyriacou in January 2024, the committee was asked to develop concepts and proposals for the northeast section of Beacon, an area that includes Fishkill Avenue (Route 52), Fishkill Creek, residential neighborhoods and former industrial sites. If constructed, the Beacon-to-Hopewell Junction rail trail would follow the dormant Metropolitan Transportation Authority rail line through that part of the city and toward the Town of Fishkill. "This has been a forgotten area of Beacon," said Pam Wetherbee, the City Council member who represents Ward 3, which includes the corridor. "There's so much potential. It's really like a hidden gem." Committee members met monthly, and in March held a public workshop attended by about 80 people. Committee Chair J.C. Calderon, who presented the report to the council on Monday (Nov. 24), said he saw the group's work as a "forensic study" of conditions in the 1.2-mile stretch from Blackburn Avenue (at Ron's Ice Cream) to Prospect Street (at Industrial Arts Brewing Co.). The report isn't meant to be "definitive or final in its recommendations," he wrote in the introduction, but a tool for city leaders, present and future, "to envision a future that encompasses the best interests" of Beacon. Thirty recommendations are spread across numerous categories, some sorted by location, others by topic. Timing runs the gamut, from short-term suggestions that can be taken up in 2026 to longer-term issues that the city will address as it refines a vision for the corridor. Some the city has already taken up. To encourage pedestrian-friendly growth around Fishkill Avenue, the committee earlier this year suggested "quick fixes" prohibiting new self-storage facilities, drive-thrus, gas stations, car washes, auto lots and repair shops. The council banned drive-thrus citywide in May and regulated self-storage facilities in June. Below are notable recommendations; some have been shortened due to space limitations. Industrial corridor (Fishkill Avenue east out of Beacon) Have industrial property owners improve the character of their sites with enhanced landscaping and alternative fencing without chain link or barbed wire. Remove self-storage facilities as a permitted use and consider restricting other "low-value or nuisance" uses. Evaluate the addition of employment-generating or green-manufacturing uses. Mixed-use corridor (State Street to Blackburn Avenue) Create a new Fishkill Avenue zoning district or extend the General Business district. Support uses such as office, retail, multi-family housing, restaurants, recreation and health care. Prevent over-concentration of any single use. Prohibit fast-food restaurants and self-storage businesses. Limit or gradually phase out autocentric uses. Allow buildings up to four stories, provided that the fourth story is recessed to reduce visual impact. Consider limiting height to three stories in viewshed areas. Evaluate Tallix and The Yard sites for infill development. Groveville (the historic neighborhood east of the train tracks) Implement a Groveville Historic District. Upgrade roads to city standards with sidewalks and trail connections. Improve Groveville bridge to enhance pedestrian and bike access to Liberty Street. Integrate housing through higher-density infill development while balancing open space preservation. Housing Retain multi-family housing as a permitted use within the mixed-use area and permit multi-family for future redevelopment proposals for the Tallix site. Regarding affordable housing, the group said that Beacon's existing requirement to designate 10 percent of new developments (of 10 units or ...

Includes more sales-tax revenue for Beacon The budget proposed by the Dutchess County executive for 2026 would lower the property tax rate and provide more sales tax revenue to Beacon. Sue Serino's proposal to the Legislature includes $651 million in spending. Among its provisions, it would eliminate 10 vacant jobs and leave 17 unfilled. (See dutchessny.gov.) Despite those changes, spending would rise by 1.8 percent, Serino said on Oct. 29 in an address to the Legislature. She cited a $6.7 million increase in "state mandates," primarily for daycare, early intervention, and special-education programs, as well as higher costs for salaries and benefits. Revenues would come from $273.8 million in sales taxes, $106 million in property taxes and $23 million in general-fund reserves, or savings. The tax levy would be $224,000 below a state-mandated cap, and the rate assessed on property owners would fall from $2.17 to $2.10 per $1,000 of assessed value. Serino said she anticipates $5.4 million in additional sales tax revenue by allowing an exemption from Dutchess' portion of the sales tax (3.75 percent) for clothing and shoes costing less than $110 to lapse on March 1. (The 8.125 percent sales tax includes 4 percent for the state and 0.375 percent for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority). Beacon's share of sales taxes, which totaled $6.1 million, will rise from 2.35 percent to 2.45 percent in 2026, or an additional $268,000. According to Serino, ending the clothing and shoe exemption would yield an extra $133,000 for Beacon. Democrats criticized the decision to end the exemption, which took effect in 2022. Legislator Yvette Valdés Smith, who represents Ward 4 in Beacon and part of Fishkill and is the Legislature's minority leader, called it a "rash decision" that will hurt working families. "The Republican-led county government's mismanagement of funds - including a luxury clubhouse at the baseball stadium, mindboggling pay raises and failed litigation against New York State - has necessitated this tax increase," Valdés Smith said in a statement. Republicans, who hold 15 of 25 seats on the Legislature, faced criticism for funding upgrades at Heritage Financial Park in Wappingers Falls, the home of the Hudson Valley Renegades, the New York Yankees' High-A affiliate. They also authorized spending up to $100,000 to sue the state over a state law requiring most local elections to be held in even years, but no funds were spent, according to the county. The state Court of Appeals upheld the law in October, but a new lawsuit challenging its legality has been filed in federal court. Smith said the budget "fails to properly address the EMS [emergency medical services] crisis" and "contains no meaningful funds for our efforts to deal with the housing crisis." In her budget address, Serino highlighted $2 million in funding for supplemental ambulance service to address shortages that have led to long wait times, along with $2.5 million for youth programs and $1 million for the county's Housing Trust Fund, which supports affordable housing projects. Her budget would fund two school resource officers, a Drone as First Responder Program for the county's Real-Time Crime Center and a new Elder Justice Task Force. That collaboration with the Office for the Aging and the district attorney and sheriff's offices "will investigate, identify, pursue and prosecute those who exploit older adults through abuse, fraud or neglect," according to Serino.

Running North America’s largest transportation network is no easy task. Janno Lieber, the CEO and Chair of New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority is in charge of everything from upgrading ancient train infrastructure to advancing long-delayed expansion plans. He’s now also dealing with potential federal funding cuts for two of his agency’s signature projects – expanding the Second Avenue Subway into East Harlem and building a new commuter rail tunnel to connect New York and New Jersey. Today on the show, Lieber sits down with host Sarah Holder to discuss his approach to running the agency in the face of these threats, his thoughts on NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani’s free bus proposal, and his advice for other cities who want to up their public transit ambitions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Had ended campaign for re-election because of poor health Putnam County Sheriff Kevin McConville, who had decided against running for a second term in November because of poor health, died at his Cold Spring home on Aug. 22. McConville, 68, was elected as a Republican in 2021, defeating Democratic incumbent Robert Langley Jr. with 57 percent of the vote. The sheriff began his career in law enforcement as a Cold Spring police officer and rose to become chief of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority police force. He ran unsuccessfully for Putnam sheriff in 2009 as a Democrat and in 2013 as a Republican. Following the sheriff's death, County Executive Kevin Byrne ordered flags flown at half-staff. A funeral service was held at Our Lady of Loretto in Cold Spring on Wednesday (Aug. 27). Andres Gil, chair of the county's Republican Committee, said earlier this month that although McConville ended his re-election campaign in June, his name would remain on the ballot because state election law prevents political parties from replacing a candidate except if they die or are disqualified. Photos by Ross Corsair With McConville's death, the party had 10 days to file a certificate with the Board of Elections naming a new candidate. On Thursday, the Republican Committee announced it would submit the name of Undersheriff Brian Hess, who was appointed to the position by McConville on Aug. 13, following the retirement of Thomas Lindert. There is no Democratic candidate, but Larry Burke, a Cold Spring police officer, is running as an independent on the Serve & Protect party line. Statement from Undersheriff Brian Hess It is with deep sadness that the Putnam County Sheriff's Office announces the passing of Sheriff Kevin J. McConville on Aug. 22, 2025. Sheriff McConville began his tenure on Jan. 1, 2022, after being elected to a four-year term. Prior to becoming sheriff, McConville had served with the MTA Police Department for 30 years, beginning as a patrolman and rising through the ranks and retiring as the chief. He worked during the 9/11 terror attacks and served as chief during the London and Madrid bombings on their commuter transport system, implementing plans and responses in incident reduction and management. A lifelong resident of Putnam County, as sheriff he worked diligently to improve the working conditions for the men and women of the department so they could better serve the residents of the county. His accomplishments included achieving DCJS (Division of Criminal Justice Services) state accreditation in law enforcement, obtaining a new records management system, improving radio communication systems to greatly reduce areas of poor reception and obtaining newer vehicles. Sheriff McConville devoted his life to serving others with integrity, courage and compassion. Our hearts are heavy as we stand with the McConville family, but we will honor his legacy with pride and continue the mission that we have to serve and protect Putnam County. McConville was a lifelong resident of Cold Spring; his late father, Ronald, served as mayor. According to an obituary posted by Clinton Funeral Home, McConville graduated from Haldane High School in 1975 before earning bachelor's and master's degrees from Marist College (now Marist University). In 1982, he married his high school sweetheart, Janice Brigati, and they raised their three children in the same house he grew up in. McConville worked for 30 years for the MTA Police Department, beginning his career as a patrol officer and rising to become chief in 2005. During his tenure, he created the Interagency Counter Terrorism Team, worked with the FBI and members of the Joint Terrorism Task Force and created a 50-team K-9 unit. He managed the MTA Police response at Grand Central Station on Sept. 11, 2001. After retiring as chief in 2008, McConville served for 12 years as director of security at what is now NewYork-Presbyterian Hudson Valley Hospital in Cortla...

Republicans say law prevents replacement Putnam County Sheriff Kevin McConville will remain on November's general-election ballot as the Republican candidate despite abandoning his re-election campaign in June because of an undisclosed illness. Andres Gil, chair of the county's Republican Committee, said on Wednesday (Aug. 6) that state election law prevents political parties from replacing a candidate on the ballot except if they die or are disqualified. A party would then have 10 days to file a certificate with the Board of Elections naming a new candidate. "We did have a lot of interest," said Gil of alternative candidates. There is no Democratic candidate, but Larry Burke, a Cold Spring police officer, is running as an independent on the Serve & Protect party line. Burke has worked in law enforcement for 37 years, including 26 years with the New York City Police Department. He joined the Cold Spring department in 2013 and served as officer-in-charge for seven years, until 2024. Burke has also been a volunteer firefighter with the North Highlands Fire Co. for 12 years. If McConville outpolls Burke in November and cannot serve, he will be certified as the winner but can notify the Putnam County Board of Elections that he does not intend to take the oath of office, according to the state Board of Elections. Alternatively, he could take the oath and resign. The undersheriff could lead the office until a new sheriff was chosen through a special election or in the 2026 general election. McConville was elected in 2021, defeating Democratic incumbent Robert Langley Jr. with 57 percent of the vote. The sheriff, who lives in Philipstown, will appear on the Republican and Conservative party lines on the November ballot. He began his career in law enforcement as a Cold Spring police officer and rose to become chief of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority police force. He ran unsuccessfully for Putnam sheriff in 2009 as a Democrat and in 2013 as a Republican. Gil said in June that McConville's decision to end his campaign left him "heartbroken." In a letter sent to the committee members, he said the sheriff and his family were the primary concern. "We are grateful for his leadership, his accomplishments and, most importantly, his friendship," Gil wrote. "Anyone who has ever met Sheriff McConville knows that he is truly a remarkable human being who will give you the shirt off his back when in need."

Assembly member says he'll find money for dock State Assembly Member Jonathan Jacobson pledged on Tuesday (July 29) to find funding for the City of Beacon to construct a new ferry dock, the first step, he said, to restoring service between the city and Newburgh. Jacobson, a Democrat whose district includes Beacon, was among more than 100 residents and elected officials who braved sweltering heat to rally at the Beacon waterfront in support of the ferry that had connected the two cities for years before being discontinued by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Chanting "Gov. Hochul, MTA / Bring our ferry back today!" and "Keep us afloat / Fund the boat!", the crowd was joined by a flotilla of kayakers in the Hudson River. The MTA announced in June that commuter ferry service would not return after damage to the agency's floating dock at the Beacon waterfront led the MTA to re-examine its cost amid dwindling usage. NY Waterway had operated the ferry for the MTA since 2005, but ridership, which peaked at an average of 227 people daily in 2008, had slowed even before the pandemic. By 2024, it was carrying 62 people per day. On Tuesday, advocates said they want the MTA to restore service for commuters and to provide daily service for tourists visiting Newburgh and Beacon. Jacobson said the $2.1 million the MTA paid annually to NY Waterway to operate the ferry was miniscule compared to the agency's nearly $20 billion budget. "That's one penny out of $100," he said. "Give us our penny and save the ferry." The Assembly member said he would work to find funding. Earlier this month, he secured $250,000 for the Beacon Volunteer Ambulance Corps and in May obtained $150,000 for Beacon's South Avenue Park rehabilitation project. However, Metro-North President Justin Vonashek said in a statement this week that the expense of operating a ferry for relatively few commuters "didn't add up." The good news, he said, is that the MTA launched a Newburgh-to-Beacon bus after ferry service was suspended in January. It "provides more connections to Beacon trains throughout the day than the ferry did," he said. The bus costs $1.75 each way, the same as the ferry, but Metro-North has said it will become free in 2026. The most popular route for the Beacon Bicycle Coalition's monthly group rides has been to cross the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge, stop for food and drinks on the Newburgh waterfront and take the ferry back to Beacon, said Yvonne Caruthers, who spoke at the Tuesday rally and is one of the coalition's founders. "Everybody's jaw drops" when they see the landscape from the water, she said. Equally as important as the economics, she said, is "how you feel about where you live." State Sen. Rob Rolison, a Republican whose district includes Beacon and Philipstown, said that the ferry's fate rests with Gov. Kathy Hochul. The MTA Board members, he said, "take their direction from her." Calling the issue nonpartisan, he said the ferry is "smart and it's good for the environment. We're going to get there, I promise you." The MTA Board met on Wednesday, and a handful of advocates made public statements, including Oliver Meyer, 15, a Beacon resident who said he used the ferry to get to and from the ice cream shop on the Newburgh waterfront where he works. "This is my first job, and the ferry played a huge part in my parents allowing me to work at 14," he said. If the ferry was stopped because "it's not making money, then expand the hours. Newburgh has a thriving waterfront, food and tourism scene, but it could be a million times better if you could take the ferry to and from it." Rep. Pat Ryan, a Democrat whose district includes Beacon, wrote to Janno Lieber, the CEO of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, that "permanently discontinuing the ferry will disrupt our constituents' commutes, harm our community's economic development and rip away a special Hudson Valley feature that connects our community in a way that no other transportation mode...

Low ridership, cost drive MTA decision Commuter ferry service between Newburgh and Beacon will not return after being suspended since January, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said last week. NY Waterway has operated the Beacon-to-Newburgh ferry under contract with the MTA since 2005, but the company in March announced that its weekday rush-hour service was discontinued indefinitely due to damage at the Beacon dock. On June 23, Evan Zucarelli, the MTA's acting senior vice president of operations, said during a Metro-North committee meeting that the initial suspension of service was triggered by "typical river icing." However, subsequent assessments "revealed significant damage" to the floating ferry dock the MTA attaches to Beacon's pier, "requiring long-term solutions," he said. After reviewing ridership, which had been "steadily declining" prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the $2.1 million annual cost of the service, the ferry will not return, Zucarelli said. An average of 62 riders used the ferry each day in 2024, down from "approaching 250" per day at its peak in 2008, said Andrew Buder, Metro-North's director of government and community relations. Ridership usually doubles over the summer, but last fall did not rebound to match its numbers from a year earlier, Buder said. "Even with that, we don't see a drop in ridership on the [Metro-North] train correlating to the drop in ridership on the ferry," he said. "If those people are still using the train, they're just choosing to get there a different way." Bus service costing $1.75 per ride will continue ferrying commuters between the two cities on weekday mornings and afternoons for the rest of the year, after which it will become free. The MTA has been working with New York State to expand the frequency and coverage area of the service, Zucarelli said. When pressed by an MTA board member, he said the agency would consider implementing free bus service before 2026. Another factor in the decision, Zucarelli said, is that Beacon is "actively developing plans to activate its dock area for tourism," while in Newburgh, where the MTA had been using a temporary dock, city officials are preparing for similar growth in 2027 with the opening of the $14.3 million Newburgh Landing Pier. The MTA's license to attach its ferry dock in Beacon expired June 30, and the agency notified the city that it did not intend to renew the agreement, City Administrator Chris White said. Neal Zuckerman, a Philipstown resident who represents Putnam County on the MTA board, pushed back against the plans during the June 23 meeting. "It is counterintuitive to me that, at the same time you've mentioned that both Newburgh and Beacon are enhancing their waterfront, that we are finding that use of the waterfront is not valuable," he said. Zuckerman said that what's happening on the Newburgh waterfront is "shockingly nice," while Beacon is a "TOD [transit-oriented development] dream, because it was once a moribund, empty area." Then, when Dia Beacon arrived in 2003, "it created an extraordinary resurgence" in a community that, because of the MTA, was "an easy one to get to." Whether ferry service returns or not, restricted access to the dock has hindered the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, which would typically dock in Beacon for at least six weeks out of its April-to-November sailing season. Clearwater has had to reschedule school sails aboard the sloop to depart from either Cold Spring or Poughkeepsie, while some fee-based sails for private groups and pay-what-you-can community sails, which draw about 45 people per outing, have been canceled, said David Toman, the organization's executive director. "Our core - the idea of getting people out on the sloop, out on the water - provides a unique impact that you can't get otherwise," he said. "It is critically important to be in Beacon and be able to serve the community from that access point." Steve Chanks, an art director who lives in Newburgh, often ...

June 12, 2025 - We examine how the funding streams for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority have changed in recent years, which was the focus of a recent report from the state comptroller's office. Our guest is Rahul Jain, a deputy state comptroller.

Kevin McConville was seeking second term Putnam County Sheriff Kevin McConville is ending his campaign for a second term because of health issues, the Sheriff's Office said on Thursday (June 5). A Republican, McConville was elected in 2021, defeating incumbent Sheriff Robert Langley Jr. with 57 percent of the vote. The sheriff, who lives in Philipstown, had filed to run in November on the Republican and Conservative party lines for another 4-year term. He began his career in law enforcement as a Cold Spring police officer and rose to become chief of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority police force. He ran unsuccessfully for Putnam sheriff in 2009 as a Democrat and in 2013 as a Republican. Andres Gil, who chairs the Putnam County Republican Committee, said on Thursday that he learned of the decision the day before and that it left him "heartbroken." In a letter sent to the committee members, he said McConville and his family were the primary concern. "We are grateful for his leadership, his accomplishments and, most importantly, his friendship," Gil wrote. "Anyone who has ever met Sheriff McConville knows that he is truly a remarkable human being who will give you the shirt off his back when in need." In terms of a replacement, the Republican Committee's leaders are "exploring all available options as we are identifying and reviewing the process to substitute a qualified Republican candidate" for the November ballot, said Gil. "It is going to take us a little bit of time to make sure that we are dotting our i's and crossing our t's," he said. McConville is scheduled to receive the Conservative of the Year Award on Thursday (June 12) from the Putnam County Conservative Party, which did not immediately respond to an email about its plans, if any, for a new candidate for its ballot line. There is no Democratic candidate, but Larry Burke, a Cold Spring police officer and formerly the officer-in-charge, is running as an independent on the Serve & Protect party line. A general objection to his nominating petition was filed on May 30 with the Putnam County Board of Elections by Cindy Trimble, a member of the Philipstown Republican Committee. But no specific objections were filed by a June 5 deadline. Burke, 59, has worked in law enforcement for 37 years, including 26 years with the New York City Police Department. He joined the Cold Spring department in 2013 and served as officer-in-charge for seven years, until 2024. Burke has also been a volunteer firefighter with the North Highlands Fire Co. for 12 years.

Sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic is my god-given right as an American. Listen to the full episode on our Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/deniersplaybook) TELL GOV. HOCHUL TO FIGHT FOR CONGESTION PRICING (if you live in New York state): +1 (518) 474-8390 or https://www.governor.ny.gov/content/governor-contact-form SAMPLE SCRIPT: I'm a New York state resident and I am reaching out to urge Gov. Hochul to continue supporting New York City's Congestion Pricing plan and fight against the federal government's insane attempts to shut it down. This policy has already decreased traffic congestion, reduced travel times for people of all income brackets traveling into the city, increased business-friendly foot traffic in the city, and raised much needed revenues to improve our public transportation system. We cannot allow the federal government to bully our state into reversing a popular and effective policy, and I ask that you continue doing everything in your power to make sure the policy remains in effect. Thank you. SOCIALS & MORE (https://linktr.ee/deniersplaybook)WANT TO ADVERTISE WITH US? Please contact climatetownsponsorships@gmail.comDISCLAIMER: Some media clips have been edited for length and clarity. CREDITS Created by: Rollie Williams, Nicole Conlan & Ben BoultHosts: Rollie Williams & Nicole ConlanExecutive Producer: Ben Boult Editors: Laura Conte & Ben BoultProducers: Daniella PhilipsonFact Checking: Carly RizzutoMusic: Tony Domenick Art: Jordan Doll Special Thanks: The Civil Liberties Defense Center, Charles Komanoff, Jon Orcutt & Matt NelsenSOURCESAP Archives. (2017, May 28). Cuomo: Penn Station 'Summer of Hell' Coming. YouTube.Badstuber, N. (2018, March 2). London congestion charge: what worked, what didn't, what next. The Conversation. Balanced Transportation Analyzer. (n.d.). The Nurture Nature Foundation.Bauman, A. (2024, June 25). Does congestion pricing work in London? It depends on who you talk to. CBS News.Bloomberg Television. (2024, June 5). New York Governor's Kathy Hochul Halts Congestion Pricing in NYC [Short]. YouTube.Bonanos, C. (2025, April 15). How Well Is Congestion Pricing Doing? Very. Curbed. Bridges and Tunnels tolls by vehicle. (n.d.) Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Capital Plan 2025-2029: The Future Rides with Us. (2025). Metropolitan Transportation Authority.Carrns, A. (2023, September 22). The Rising Costs of Owning a Car. The New York Times. CBS6 Albany. (2025, February 19). Gov. Hochul on Protecting Congestion Pricing | Full Presser. YouTube.CBS News. (2024, November 14). New York City to start congestion pricing in January at $9, Gov. Kathy Hochul announces. YouTube.CBS News. (2025, February 20). Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says FAA cuts won't affect flight safety. YouTube.Central London Congestion Charging: Impacts monitoring fourth annual report. (2006, June). Transport of London.Chen, S., & Hu, W. (2025, February 24). Congestion Pricing Reduced Traffic. Now It's Hitting Revenue Goals.. The New York Times.Chi'en, A., & Flanagan, J. (2025, April 21). Feds issue new deadline for New York to shut down congestion pricing gantries. Fox 5 New York.Colon, D. (2025, February 5). The Explainer: What To Know About The MTA's New Congestion Pricing-Backed Debt. Streetsblog NYC.Colon, D. (2025, February 27). Memo to the President: Manhattan Economy Improving, Thanks to Congestion Pricing. Streetsblog NYC.Congestion Pricing: CSS Analysis. (n.d.). Community Service Society.Congestion Relief Zone toll rate calculator. (n.d.) Metropolitan Transportation Authority.Duffy, S. P. (2025, February 19). DOT letter to NY Gov. Kathy Hochul. Department of Transportation.Face the Nation. (2025, February 19). Gov. Kathy Hochul responds to Trump administration pulling NYC congestion pricing approval. YouTube.Face the Nation. (2025, February 19). Trump administration terminates New York City's congestion pricing approval. YouTube.First congestion fines to go out. (2003, February 18). BBC News.Fitzsimmons, E., & McGeehan, P. (2017, May 23). Cuomo Steps Into Transit Fray With Ideas for After ‘Summer of Hell'. The New York Times.Fix NYC Advisory Panel. (2018, January). Fix NYC Advisory Panel Report.Fox News. (2025, February 20). NY gov melts down after Trump ends congestion pricing. YouTube.Goldbaum, C., & Fitzsimmons, E. (2020, January 23). Andy Byford Resigns as New York City's Subway Chief. The New York Times.Governor Kathy Hochul. (2023, December 5). Governor Hochul Delivers Remarks at Congestion Pricing Rally. YouTube.Grabar, H. (2025, February 20). Revenge of the Bridge-and-Tunnel President. Slate.Hu, W., & Ley, A. (2024, November 14). What to Know About Congestion Pricing. The New York Times.Hu, W., & Ley, A. (2025, January 5). New York City Welcomes Congestion Pricing With Fanfare and Complaints. The New York Times.Hu, W., Ley, A., Castle, S., & Anderson, C. (2023, December 2). Congestion Pricing's Impact on New York? These 3 Cities Offer a Glimpse. The New York Times.Irish Republican Army: Timeline. (2019, May 15). HISTORY, A&E Television Networks.Katersky, A., & Charalambous, P. (2025, April 24). DOJ accidentally files document outlining flaws with Trump administration's plan to kill NYC congestion pricing. ABC News.Khalifeh, R., & Nessen S. (2025, April 21). Feds threaten NYC highway money if MTA doesn't shut down congestion pricing. Gothamist.Komanoff, C. (2017, December 14). London Traffic Would Be At Least 20 Percent Slower Without Congestion Pricing.Komanoff, C. (2024, June 11). Hochul Murder Mystery. The Washington Spectator.Komanoff, C. (2025, February 19). Defending Congestion Pricing. The Washington Spectator.Lanza, A. J. (2014, February 6). Lanza Announce Relief for Staten Island Toll Payers. The New York State Senate.Lew, I., Chatterjee, D., & Torres, E. (2022, March 14). What Does Congestion Pricing Mean for Outer-Borough New Yorkers in Poverty?. Community Service Society.Ley, A. (2024, August 8). 7 Years After ‘Summer of Hell,' the Subway Is Approaching Another Crisis. The New York Times.Ley, A., Chen, S., Hu, W., & Oreskes, B. (2025, February 19). Trump Administration Moves to End New York's Congestion Pricing Tolls. The New York Times.Manville, M. (2019). Longer View: The Fairness of Congestion Pricing. Transfers Magazine.Meyer, D. (2025, March 3). Four Reminders of Andrew Cuomo's Disastrous Record on City Transportation. Streetsblog NYC.Metropolitan Transportation Authority et al v. Duffy et al. (2025, February 19).Miner, P., Smith, B. M., Jani, A., McNeill, G., & Gathorne-Hardy, A. (2024.). Car harm: A global review of automobility's harm to people and the environment. Journal of Transport Geography, 115, 103817.Moye, B. (2023, August 30). Annual New Car Ownership Costs Boil Over $12K.MTA Annual Disclosure Statement Update (2021 ADS First Quarterly Update). (2021, August 3). Metropolitan Transportation Authority.MTA Releases Revenue From Congestion Relief Zone Tolling Showing Program in Line With Projections. (2025, February 24). Metropolitan Transportation Authority.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

May 7, 2025 - State Sen. Dean Murray, a Long Island Republican, and Ken Pokalsky, a vice president of The Business Council of New York State, express their objections to an evolving plan to fund the state's share of a $68 billion capital plan for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which would include cutting the payroll tax for small New York City area businesses and raising it for large employers.

Program would connect city with Newburgh Two area residents have been awarded $100,000 by New York State to explore a bike-sharing program that would connect Beacon and Newburgh. Thomas Wright, a Beacon resident and head of the city's Greenway Trail Committee, and Naomi Hersson-Ringskog, an urban planner who lives in Newburgh, were awarded the funding through a Clean Mobility program overseen by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). It aims to add zero-emission connections to public transportation in underserved communities. The award is not to create a bike-share program but to plan how one could work. Wright, who works in Newburgh, and Hersson-Ringskog will be paired with WXY Architecture + Urban Design to develop a blueprint for a program similar to New York City's Citi Bike initiative. Wright and Hersson-Ringskog said they envision stations with eight to 10 bikes each, some electric, which users could check out for a fee or perhaps at no charge because of sponsors. The duo foresee their plan leading to a public-private partnership like Citi Bike's, which partners with the New York City Department of Transportation and Lyft, the ridesharing company. A combination of private funding, sponsors and memberships support the program. Officials on both sides of the Hudson River have indicated they're supportive of bikes for transportation, Hersson-Ringskog said. In Beacon, Mayor Lee Kyriacou has endorsed the Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail, a 7.5-mile linear park that Scenic Hudson is planning between Beacon and Cold Spring. The city is equally enthusiastic about a proposed Beacon-to-Hopewell rail trail. Both projects would significantly increase safe bike routes. Beacon also has applied for funding from Dutchess County for a rehab of Beekman Street, which leads to the Metro-North station. The project, still several years away, could include bike lanes that would build on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's "first mile, last mile" initiative for environmentally friendly ways for passengers to connect to trains. In Newburgh, Hersson-Ringskog's nonprofit, Dept of Small Interventions, in 2020 partnered with the city's Transportation Advisory Committee to create a community bike action plan, while monthly "critical mass" community rides take place from April to October. "You feel proud of your community that you're not starting from zero," Hersson-Ringskog said. She and Wright are also working to create the "Regional Connector," a 1-mile path that would connect the Metro-North station in Beacon to the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge. That effort, they say, could unify a growing network of trails. A bike-share program could accelerate the campaign, Wright said, "by providing a means of mobility which gives users much greater range. When you add in e-bikes, the options are further multiplied." WXY plans to survey residents in both cities (see linktr.ee/newburgh.beacon.bike), while Wright and Hersson-Ringskog will make presentations to community groups. WXY will also help with data analysis, mapping and exploring partnerships for maintenance, operations and funding. "We hope to uncover the voice of a broad cross-section of the communities that desires this," Hersson-Ringskog said. "Here you have a transportation system that could really unite Beacon and Newburgh. We're stronger together, essentially." The bike-share grant was one of 29 - totaling $2.9 million - that NYSERDA announced in March. Projects elsewhere in the state will explore the feasibility of charging hubs, scooter-share programs and electric-vehicle car shares. Ten of the 29 are in the Hudson Valley, including in Kingston, Poughkeepsie and New Paltz. With "transformational" developments being considered in the region, Wright said he believes "multi-modal systems" that can alleviate congestion without polluting the environment "are so important to think about."

Cites support for NYC toll, interest in Lawler seat A Philipstown resident who represents Putnam County on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board rejected a demand by the county executive that he resign because of his support for congestion pricing in lower Manhattan and his interest in the U.S. House seat held by Rep. Mike Lawler. Neal Zuckerman, a Democrat who chairs the MTA board's Finance Committee, served on the Metro-North Commuter Council for six years before being appointed in 2016 to the MTA board with a recommendation from then-County Executive MaryEllen Odell, a Republican. He was reappointed, to a term that ends in 2026, by the state Senate in 2023 with a recommendation from Byrne, also a Republican. Byrne, a former Assembly member elected as county executive in 2022, is an ally of Lawler and a critic of the MTA's 3-month-old congestion-pricing program, which launched on Jan. 5 with a $9 toll for passenger and small commercial vehicles entering Manhattan below 60th Street. Zuckerman supports the toll, which is higher for buses and trucks, and raised $48 million in the first month while reducing traffic and travel times in lower Manhattan, according to the MTA. In an April 3 letter, Byrne claimed that Zuckerman "conveyed a genuine desire to work across the aisles regardless of political differences" during a meeting in 2023 for his reappointment but had since "outright opposed the policy positions" of the county and "openly assailed several officials duly elected by the people of Putnam County." He called on Zuckerman to resign "in a manner which is dignified and appropriate." Byrne also referenced news reports about Zuckerman's interest in seeking the 17th District congressional seat held by Lawler, a Republican in his second term. Philipstown is within the district's borders. Those reports "make clear that you intend to present yourself as a candidate for public office and seem to be using your position in furtherance of that pursuit," said Byrne. "It is imperative that we have a representative on the board who is dedicated to the position." Byrne copied his letter to President Donald Trump, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Gov. Kathy Hochul, both U.S. senators from New York, Lawler, four members of the state Legislature, the MTA board chair and the chair of the county Legislature. Individual legislators were also asked to sign a separate letter from Bill Gouldman, who represents Putnam Valley, calling for Zuckerman's resignation. Lawler said in a statement on Wednesday that Byrne's letter "speaks for itself. If Neal Zuckerman is not representing the interests of Putnam County residents on the MTA board, he should resign." In a letter responding to Byrne, Zuckerman said that chairing the board's Finance Committee has enabled him to champion projects that benefit Putnam riders, who use both the Harlem and Hudson lines. Those projects include repairs at the Cold Spring and Garrison stations and funding in the 2025-29 capital plan to buttress the Hudson Line against flooding, he said. He said his support for congestion pricing "should come as no surprise" since he had voted in 2019 for a capital plan that relied on it. "At recent board meetings, I have lamented the added burden of yet another fee on residents of our region," he wrote. But the program, enacted by state law in 2019, will help fund $15 billion (25 percent) of the MTA's capital plan for 2025-2029, which will "improve the system that is essential to the livelihoods of Putnam County commuters and, indeed, for the region's economy," said Zuckerman. He said that 69 percent of Putnam residents who visit the congestion zone get there by train but will benefit from the toll collected from drivers. If Zuckerman decides to pursue Lawler's seat, he could face at least four other Democrats declaring their candidacies: Beth Davidson, a Rockland County legislator; Jessica Reinmann, founder of the nonprofit 914Cares in Westchester County; Cait Conley,...

March 25, 2025 - The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is hoping that Gov. Kathy Hochul and Democrats in the state legislature can reach a consensus in budget negotiations on billions in additional capital funding for the downstate transit system. Our guest is Jamie Torres-Springer, president of construction and development for the MTA.

The digitization and literal disembodiment of every sphere of human reality advances with terrifying rapidity—from the Social Security system to the New York subway system. Rather than dropping swipe-cards and bringing back tokens, returning to what was a manifestly superior and more rational system, New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority moves to a still more dystopian "contactless" credit system. Similarly, rather than phasing out automobiles, our corporate overlords are now imposing driverless cars, a further step toward making the human race redundant altogether and portending the ultimate abolition of humanity. In Episode 270 of the CounterVortex podcast, Bill Weinberg continues his Spring ritual of reading the George Orwell essay "Some Thoughts on the Common Toad"—which brilliantly critiqued technological hypertophy, and articulated an imperative for humanistic revolution and scaleback of the mega-machine way back in April 1946. Listen on SoundCloud or via Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/countervortex Production by Chris Rywalt We ask listeners to donate just $1 per weekly podcast via Patreon -- or $2 for our new special offer! We now have 68 subscribers. If you appreciate our work, please become Number 69!

New York officials are in the final stage of the state's budget process, following March 13 passage of the Assembly and Senate individual spending and revenue proposals for fiscal 2026. It's now up to a three-way negotiation between the Legislature's two chambers and Gov. Kathy Hochul (D), who has her own plans for a budget that's likely to top $252 billion—including a host of tax changes that don't completely align with what the Democratic-led lawmakers want. As in recent years, lawmakers have proposed raising taxes on the highest-income earners and corporations, which Hochul has rejected in the past. There are divergent approaches to how much to expand the state's child tax credit. And the Senate wants to tailor the governor's idea of sending New Yorkers sales tax rebates—a salve to inflation—to just seniors rather than all taxpayers. Other issues include an expansion of New York's film tax credit program to benefit more independent movies and whether the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's funding needs will disrupt the various tax proposals. On this episode of Talking Tax, Bloomberg Tax state editor Benjamin Freed talks with New York correspondent Danielle Muoio Dunn and Bloomberg Government Albany correspondent Zach Williams about the budget process, the political stakes for Hochul ahead of her 2026 re-election campaign, and the odds that lawmakers wrap up the budget by their April 1 deadline—or at least the first night of Passover. Do you have feedback on this episode of Talking Tax? Give us a call and leave a voicemail at 703-341-3690.

No commitments yet as feasibility study continues Although it's not yet known if Dutchess County will commit to a 13-mile rail trail connecting Beacon and Hopewell Junction, a planning firm it hired told the City Council on Monday (March 3) that it has found no major roadblocks. "This is all buildable," Tom Baird, an engineer from Barton & Loguidice, the Albany firm conducting a feasibility study with the county, told the council. "There aren't big obstacles, there aren't major environmental concerns. We don't have any real hazardous materials to worry about, either." Dutchess County released a report on conditions along the Beacon Line, an abandoned rail spur, in November. A final report, with detailed concepts, cost estimates and phasing recommendations, should be finished by the summer. The Monday presentation to the City Council can be viewed at highlandscurrent.org/rail-trail-deck. The proposed trail would begin at the Beacon Metro-North station, a stone's throw from the Hudson River, then wind for 4 miles around the city's southern perimeter before running parallel with Tioronda Avenue and the east end of Main Street. Major crossings would include Churchill Street and East Main Street (at the dummy light). The trail would run underneath Route 9D (at Tioronda Avenue) and hug northbound Route 52 (Fishkill Avenue) to the city line. The trail would connect with the proposed Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail near the bridge at Madam Brett Park, where the planners said a trailhead could be located. Scenic Hudson, which is building the Fjord Trail between Beacon and Cold Spring, is a member of the Beacon-to-Hopewell Trail Advisory Committee. Once the rail trail leaves the city, it would veer back and forth over Fishkill Creek on its way through the Village of Fishkill and the towns of Fishkill and East Fishkill. At Hopewell, it would connect with the Dutchess Rail Trail, the Maybrook Trailway and, overlaying both, the 750-mile Empire State Trail. The abandoned rail line is owned by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. A year ago, Metro-North, an agency of the MTA, "railbanked" the line, reserving the right to revive service, although an agency representative told The Current in February 2024 that it had no plans to do so. The important takeaway from the conditions study is that "the majority of the corridor is in really good condition," said Chris Hannett, another Barton & Loguidice engineer, on Monday. There are two options for constructing a trail, although one would be a much heavier lift. A "rail-with-trail" conversion, in which the tracks remain in place, would present many challenges, including a 20- to 25-foot buffer required between the tracks and any trail. Bridges in the corridor, which are no longer safe for trains, would have to be rebuilt, adding significant cost and environmental impacts, and right-of-way acquisitions would be required. The second option, a "rail to trail," would permit the reuse of bridges and ballast stones, the rocks used to stabilize the tracks, but the rails would be removed. A rail to trail would minimize environmental impacts, with little and possibly no rights-of-way needed. When the study began, Metro-North's abandonment of the line had not been approved by the federal Surface Transportation Board, so the engineers studied both options. The final report will include both but won't recommend either, instead letting "the engineering and the cost speak for itself, as well as the environmental impacts," Baird said. The planners anticipate a 12-foot-wide path made with a crushed-stone mix or asphalt, depending on the location. It would likely be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act and could be lighted because of its proximity to dense urban areas. Baird said the county is conducting the study because funders often consider projects "and some will scratch their heads [and say], 'Can they really do that?' " With a report analyzing environmental impacts and other factors, "it...

$15 billion is the amount congestion pricing is expected to yield for MTA infrastructure investment—to bring trains, tracks, yards, and signals to a state of good repair, increase accessibility, and expand subway service. As congestion pricing is challenged by the Trump administration, this speaks to the larger question of the fiscal and regulatory relationship between the federal government and New York. In this episode we are joined by Polly Trottenberg, who served most recently as Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation and before that as Commissioner of the NYC Department of Transportation, as well as a board member of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Polly brings her experience at both the federal and City level to unpack the future of transportation policy and funding.

It's been another wild week as the Trump administration took some time off from breaking all the laws to break the rules of civil procedure. Will the Supreme Court let them get away with it? Links: AIDS VACCINE ADVOCACY COALITION v. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69627654/aids-vaccine-advocacy-coalition-v-united-states-department-of-state/   Metropolitan Transportation Authority v. Duffy https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nysd.637159   Dellinger v. Bessent Supreme Court docket https://www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docket/docketfiles/html/public/24a790.html Show Links: https://www.lawandchaospod.com/ BlueSky: @LawAndChaosPod Threads: @LawAndChaosPod Twitter: @LawAndChaosPod Patreon: patreon.com/LawAndChaosPod  

President Donald Trump's special envoy to Ukraine and Russia visited Kyiv to meet with top Ukrainian officials. This visit came amid strong accusations exchanged between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over the war.The Transportation Department revoked its approval for New York City's congestion toll, which charges drivers entering Manhattan below 60th Street. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul stated she would fight the termination, and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority filed a lawsuit challenging the move.A federal judge held a hearing with New York City Mayor Eric Adams and federal prosecutors regarding the mayor's criminal charges. The judge stated he would rule on a government request to drop the charges against the mayor.The polar vortex reached its peak across much of the United States, with millions facing record-breaking cold and heavy snow. The average low temperature in the continental United States was just 13.7 degrees.Two people were killed when two small, single-engine aircraft collided mid-air near Tucson, Arizona. Two people were aboard each aircraft. An investigation is underway.

Happy eww year! New Year's Eve is one of the booziest holidays — it's common to usher in a hangover along with the new year. You'll typically feel the worst of it — the headaches, muscle aches, nausea and anxiety — the morning after heavy drinking when your blood alcohol concentration is near zero. In the headlines on #TheUpdate this Friday, a postal worker was stabbed to death in a fight with a woman over a spot on line at a Harlem deli — marking at least the third murder in New York City in just the first two days of the new year. New Jersey is making a last-ditch attempt to block Gov. Kathy Hochul and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's controversial congestion toll — which is set to kick in Sunday for drivers entering Manhattan south of 60th Street. And in Washington, President Biden has rejected the nearly $15 billion proposed deal for Nippon Steel of Japan to purchase Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel — affirming his vow in March to block the acquisition.

Michael Goodwin: The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is an uncontrolled money pit Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

(The Center Square) — The nation's first congestion pricing system got underway in New York over the weekend after a last-ditch legal challenge failed to block the controversial new tolling program. New York's new toll for drivers entering Manhattan below 60th Street began just after midnight on Sunday after a U.S. District Court judge late Friday denied New Jersey's push to keep the plan from going into effect. Under the program, passenger cars will pay a $9 toll between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. on weekdays and between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. on weekends. New York officials say the toll will reduce tailpipe pollution and provide more funding for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which operates the public transit system.

Dec. 16, 2024 - State Senator Dean Murray, a Long Island Republican, makes the case for imposing financial control board on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

In this episode, Noah McClain, Assistant Professor of Sociology talks with the UC Riverside School of Public Policy about security and technology vulnerabilities within New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority. This is the third episode in our 11-part series, Technology vs. Government, featuring former California State Assemblymember Lloyd Levine. Thank you so much to our generous sponsor for this episode, the Wall Street Journal. Activate your free school-sponsored subscription today at: WSJ.com/UCRiverside About Noah McClain: Noah McClain (PhD, New York University) is a sociologist with interests spanning the sociologies of cities, law, inequality, complex organizations, work, policing, and security, and how these intersect with technologies high and low. Dr. McClain has published a broad range of articles dealing with these topics in venues such as the Journal of Consumer Culture, Poetics, and Information, Communication, and Society. He has served on the faculties of Illinois Tech, and the Bard Prison Initiative, where he was also a postdoctoral research fellow. He is also a former investigator of police misconduct for the City of New York. Learn more about Noah McClain via https://www.linkedin.com/in/noah-mcclain-2b415769 Interviewer: Lloyd Levine (Former California State Assemblymember, UCR School of Public Policy Senior Policy Fellow) Watch the video version of this episode via: https://youtu.be/kKr6yODUQGQ Music by: Vir Sinha Commercial Links:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://spp.ucr.edu/ba-mpp⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://spp.ucr.edu/mpp⁠⁠⁠  This is a production of the UCR School of Public Policy: ⁠⁠⁠https://spp.ucr.edu/⁠⁠⁠  Subscribe to this podcast so you don't miss an episode. Learn more about the series and other episodes via ⁠⁠⁠https://spp.ucr.edu/podcast⁠⁠⁠. 

In the second hour of the Greg Kelly Show, Greg continued talking about the Mark Robinson recent scandal and how there are double standards between Democrats and Republicans. At the bottom of the hour Greg invited James Flippin with whom he talked about Biden attending his last UN summit as president, the Bob Mendez sentencing and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CBS News chief political analyst John Dickerson and senior White House and political correspondent Ed O'Keefe break down the first debate between President Biden and former President Donald Trump as concerns emerge.CBS News chief election and campaign correspondent Robert Costa says people close to President Biden say there is no push for him to give up the nomination at the Democratic convention amid concern from some in his own party over the president's debate performance.CBS News political contributor Joel Payne and former national communications director for the Republican National Committee Doug Heye discuss what to expect after some Democrats expressed concern over President Biden's performance in the first presidential debate against former President Donald Trump.Eleven bars are part of Bon Appétit magazine's best new bars in the country list. They include a bar and underground listening room full of vinyl records in Austin, Texas, along with a Chicago speakeasy that you get to by going through a Chinese takeout restaurant. Bon Appétit editor in chief Jamila Robinson reveals the list.Bernie Wagenblast, a transgender woman who's one of the iconic voices of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, writes a note to her 18-year-old self, who had not transitioned yet for the CBS News series "Note to Self."See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Trucking Association of New York filed a federal lawsuit in May against the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which developed the toll scheme, arguing the higher fees unfairly and unconstitutionally target the trucking industry. The trucking association's lawsuit is among at least eight seeking to block the congestion fee plan, which is slated to launch June 30. Under the transit authority's plan, trucks would be subject to a charge of $24 or $36 per trip, depending on their size. Most drivers in private passenger cars, in contrast, should expect to pay about $15, with lower rates for motorcycles and late-night entries into the city, according to the proposal finalized in March. Kendra Hems, the trucking association's president, said the industry will have no choice but to shoulder the increased costs, as truck operators don't have flexibility on their driving routes or schedules, which are generally set by the businesses they serve. That, she said, will only lead to price increases on countless goods, as the trucking industry moves nearly 90% of products in New York City. “As any responsible business does, we deliver when our customers ask us to deliver, which is during prime business hours,” said Joe Fitzpatrick, founder of Lightning Express Delivery Service and a member of the trucking association's board. “That will not change now, but what will change is higher costs for New Yorkers as a result.” The association suggests that the transit authority revise its plan to exempt the industry from the fee, limit trucks to being tolled just once a day or toll them at the same rate as passenger vehicles. A Manhattan federal court judge last month heard arguments in lawsuits brought by unionized public school teachers, politicians, and other New Yorkers. In New Jersey, a federal court judge has also heard arguments in legal challenges brought by New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich, and others. Many of those lawsuits argue the tolling scheme was approved by federal transportation officials without proper scrutiny and that the court should order transit officials to conduct a more comprehensive environmental study before rolling out the plan. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority's approval of a zone tolling program in New York City, aimed at combating traffic congestion and funding mass transit, faces legal challenges and public outcry, echoing debates over tolling in Portland amidst regional transportation funding gaps. https://tinyurl.com/z6advpn5 #NewYorkCity #ZoneTolls #CongestionPricing #TinaKotek #RegionalMobilityPricingProgram #I205Tolling #InterstateBridgeReplacement #I5Tolling #GregJohnson #OregonDepartmentOfTransportation #WashingtonStateDepartmentOfTransportation #I405Tolls #TacomaNarrowsBridgeTolls #ClarkCountyWa #Portland #ClackamasCounty #RoadUsageCharge #GasTax #MetropolitanTransportationAuthority #FederalHighwayAdministration #AndrewCuomo #AbernethyBridge #RoseQuarter #MoveAheadWashington #HB2017 #OregonLegislature #WashingtonLegislature #UrbanMobilityStrategy #WashingtonCounty #VancouverWa #ClarkCountyNews #ClarkCountyToday

Description: Today's conversation between Tina Marie St.Cyr and Special Guest Michael Riegel delves into Michael's journey from corporate to small business ownership, highlighting his transition into coaching and executive leadership development. Michael shares insights from his book, "The Little Book of Big Ideas for Construction Professionals and Those Who Work with Them," emphasizing universal leadership principles applicable beyond the construction industry.Biography: Michael Riegel is a coach, consultant, author, speaker, and trainer working across industries with a focus on technical and processdriven organizations. He developed an expertise in managing technical professionals, creating high-performing teams, and helping leaders grow and exceed their individual and corporate goals. As a technical professional himself, Michael brings insights and perspectives on the challenges and organizational dynamics that can thwart analytical, technical, and structured-thinking professionals. In his coaching work, he focuses on building emotional intelligence, communication skills, collaboration, cooperation, and leadership skills, especially for technical professionals who work with nontechnical leaders and teams. Michael's coaching approach leverages his experience working in organizations and emphasizes practical solutions to management and leadership challenges. His clients include Washington Gas and Light, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Carolinas AGC, Wayfair, Electives, and Udemy. He designed and is facilitating the Carolina AGC Construction Business Academy including business assessments, action planning, and leadership coaching. Michael is a strategic partner to the National Association of Women in Construction to build greater awareness of coaching and professional development benefits to traditionally underserved professionals, industries, and companies. Michael is a contributor to Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Forbes, and is the author of Build Like The Big Primes: A Contractor's Guide to Building Your Business While Balancing Your Life and The Little Book of Big Ideas for Construction Professionals.Links: Website: https://www.michaelriegel.comWebsite: https://www.aecbusinessstrategies.com Website: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-riegel-acc-pmp-8739024

Is rising crime in NYC a barometer for the whole country? Is rising crime in NYC a barometer for the entire country? Is crime a problem in the subway? According to the NY Times? Although surveys by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which operates the subway, show that a number of riders feel unsafe, data has not always confirmed the public's perception. Crime rates jumped during the coronavirus pandemic starting in 2020, but the subway became safer last year. Still, some riders are anxious. “Perception becomes reality for people,” said Lisa Daglian, executive director of the authority's Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee, a watchdog group. “If you look at crime reports that numbers are going down, but you hear your neighbors say that they're afraid to ride, then that becomes your reality.” Officials have also installed hundreds of additional surveillance cameras, including in subway cars. Subscribe now and become part of the conversation, as we seek justice and understanding in the complex world of real crime stories.

[This blog will always be free to read, but it's also how I pay my bills. If you have suggestions or feedback on how I can earn your paid subscription, shoot me an email: cmclymer@gmail.com. And yes, I am available for speaking engagements.]Folks, I'm starting a new feature on my blog. Every Monday morning, I'll be sending you five items that I hope will start your week off right, give you a smile, make you laugh, make you think, and just make you feel good.Because the current state of our world—and particularly our country's politics—is, well, pretty fraught, I figure we can all use a breather from stressful news items and pay a bit of attention to some of the good happening around us.It's called Five Things You Should Know, and I hope it makes your Monday mornings a little brighter and more bearable moving forward.1. Caitlin Clark Becomes All-Time NCAA ScorerWhen Caitlin Clark was in 2nd grade, she wanted to play competitive basketball, but her father couldn't find a girls league. So, she joined a boys team at her grade level and wound up winning the state tournament that year. Some parents on other teams protested that girls shouldn't be permitted to play on boys' teams.Yesterday, Ms. Clark became the NCAA's all-time leading scorer, for both women and men, when she overtook Pete “Pistol Pete” Maravich, breaking the legend's iconic record that had stood for more than half a century.This is the crowning individual achievement for Ms. Clark, who is widely considered to be one of the greatest college basketball players of all-time. Along the way, she's won every award at the collegiate level and shattered attendance records in arenas across the country.2. The Voice of the NYC Subway System is a Trans WomanSince 2009, if you've taken the subway in New York City, chances are pretty high that you've heard an authoritative yet comforting voice guide passengers around town and offer friendly advice. For millions of New Yorkers, that voice has become something of an institution in their daily lives. It belongs to Bernie Wagenblast, who initially built a long career as a radio journalist before being hired for her voice by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority more than 15 years ago. She also now records announcements for New Jersey Transit and the Kennedy and Newark airports.Ms. Wagenblast came out publicly as a trans woman in 2022. Her journey is extraordinary and makes me smile.I deeply admire her.3. Medical School Will Be Tuition Free After $1 Billion DonationLast week, Ruth Gottesman, a former professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, announced to that institution's student body that tuition will be now be free, thanks to her donation of $1 billion, thought to be one of the largest individual financial contributions to a college or university in history. Dr. Gottesman credited her husband, David “Sandy” Gottesman, a Wall Street investment banker and former board member at Berkshire Hathaway, for the enormous amount of the donation. He passed away in 2022. They had been married for 72 years.The video of the audience reaction to Dr. Gottesman's announcement is a must-see.4. CVS and Walgreens Will Begin Selling Abortion Pills This MonthOn Friday, the two largest pharmacy chains in the country announced they would begin selling mifepristone, the abortion pill, in its stores this month. It will initially be offered at Walgreens pharmacies in New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Illinois, and California and at CVS pharmacies in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.Both chains plan to expand access to the pill in a slow rollout beyond those states over time where abortion is still legal. It will not be accessible by mail.There's currently a pending case regarding mifepristone on the Supreme Court docket that's shaping up to have far-ranging consequences for reproductive freedom, FDA regulations, and much more. A date for oral arguments in that case has not yet been set.5. I'm Speaking at the 2024 SXSW Conference & Festival This WeekendEvery March, a few hundred thousand folks gather in Austin, Texas for the better part of two weeks to take part in the latest and most trendy topics in politics, tech, education, music, film, and television.It's an enormous and exciting gathering, and I'm lucky to be taking part in it this year, alongside Prof. Robin Maril, Willamette University School of Law; Andy Marra, Exec. Director of the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund; and Ricardo Martinez, CEO of Equality Texas, the state's largest LGBTQ rights organization.The four of us will be discussing LGBTQ rights in the context of the 2024 election in a panel entitled “Defending Democracy: LGBTQ Activism and Power in 2024.”Unfortunately, it will not be live-streamed, but I encourage folks attending SXSW to come to our session and learn more about our goals in the fight for equality this year.Charlotte's Web Thoughts is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Charlotte's Web Thoughts at charlotteclymer.substack.com/subscribe

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In just a few months, congestion pricing will come to New York City. Most drivers will have to pay a $15 fee to enter Manhattan below Central Park. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority hopes congestion pricing will lead to reduced traffic, less pollution and more money for roads and public transportation infrastructure. But the program took nearly two decades to come to fruition, and there are a lot of details still being worked out before it is implemented. Host Pat Kiernan speaks with his Spectrum News NY1 colleagues about what congestion pricing means for New Yorkers.

KKTV 旺年會｜每月銅板價訂閱，輕鬆追日劇看動漫！買一送一最後倒數 ➟ https://go.fstry.me/47bwk8S —— 以上為 Firstory DAI 動態廣告 —— ------------------------------- 通勤學英語VIP加值內容與線上課程 ------------------------------- 通勤學英語VIP訂閱方案：https://open.firstory.me/join/15minstoday 社會人核心英語有聲書課程連結：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 歡迎針對這一集留言你的想法： 留言連結 主題投稿/意見回覆 : ask15mins@gmail.com 官方網站：www.15mins.today 加入Clubhouse直播室：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/46hm8k 訂閱YouTube頻道：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 商業合作/贊助來信：15minstoday@gmail.com ------------------------------- 以下是此單集逐字稿 (播放器有不同字數限制，完整文稿可到官網) ------------------------------- Topic: Newspapers in New York, Like Their Readers, Are Vanishing Kenny Hospot is in some ways a typical reader of The Daily News. He's a construction worker from Queens who's lived in the city most of his life. He always liked reading the comics and the horoscope in The News. 就某些方面而言，肯尼．霍斯帕堪稱每日新聞報的典型讀者。他是紐約市皇后區的一個建築工人，這一生大多數時間都住在這個城市。他一向愛看該報的漫畫和星座運勢。 How long since he last bought a copy of the paper? Hospot laughed. “I would say like 15 years.” 他上一次買這份報紙是多久之前？霍斯帕笑了，「我看大概有15年了吧。」 Kamel Brown is another archetypal customer for New York's Hometown Newspaper, as The Daily News styles itself. He's a maintenance worker for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. He's 55 years old. He grew up buying the paper for his grandmother in Brooklyn. “When she was finished reading it, I'd pick it up, flip back and start with the sports,” Brown said. 對於自我定位為紐約家鄉報紙的每日新聞報，凱默．布朗是另一種典型讀者。他是都市交通局的維修工人，55歲。他在布魯克林區的成長過程中，常幫祖母買這份報紙。布朗說：「她看完後，我會拿過來，翻回去，從運動版開始看。」 He doesn't remember the last time he bought it. When he paged through a copy at a friend's home this past week, he was unimpressed. 他不記得上次買這份報紙是何時。過去這一周的某日他在友人家翻閱一分報紙時，很無感。 Tristan Dominguez, on the other hand, is still a big Daily News fan. “It's the only place you see anything local,” Dominguez said at a bodega in Washington Heights, where a stack of papers sat behind the counter. 另一方面，崔斯坦．多明奎茲仍是新聞報的大粉絲。「這是你唯一能看到在地新聞的地方。」多明奎茲在華盛頓高地的一家雜貨店內說，櫃檯後方有一大疊報紙。 He reads the paper mostly online and through Twitter. 他大多數是上網或透過推特看這份報紙。 All of this helps explain why there was an air of inevitability about the news Monday that the organization was laying off half its editorial staff. 這些例子亦可說明，當這家報社決定資遣編輯部一半員工的消息周一（7月23日）傳出時，為何外界會覺得此事似難避免。 Once upon a time, The Daily News sold more than 2 million papers a day. Now its circulation is only about a tenth of that, and the paper's non-hometown owner, the Chicago-based media company Tronc, which bought the paper in 2017, does not have the patience for non-profitability that the prior owner, Mort Zuckerman, did. 每日新聞報曾經一天賣出200萬分以上，現在發行量大約只剩十分之一。這家報社的非在地老闆、芝加哥的媒體公司Tronc，2017年買下每日新聞報，對於它未能獲利，並沒有前任老闆莫特．札克曼那般的耐性。 At a cultural moment when the very idea of New York City as a hometown is quickly dissolving, and when most people get their news from some sort of glowing screen, the thirst for local ink is not what it used to be. 在當下這個文化時刻，將紐約市當作家鄉的想法正在快速瓦解，而且大多數人是從某種閃爍的螢幕獲得新聞，對於在地新聞文字報導的渴求已不如以往。 And those who do crave hard-hitting coverage that holds officials accountable for the state of the city were not pleased to hear about the layoffs. 對於那些渴望看到逼官員為城市現況負起責任的強烈抨擊報導的人，聽到前述資遣消息並非樂事。 “You need those old-school people because they know what they're doing,” Rosanne Nunziata, a manager at the New Apollo Diner in downtown Brooklyn, said of The Daily News' staff of veteran shoe-leather reporters, many of whom are now pounding the pavement in search of employment. “They know how to sneak in and get their stories, and know how to get witnesses to talk and do their thing.” 布魯克林鬧區「新阿波羅餐館」經理羅珊娜．努齊亞塔說：「你需要這些老派人士，因為他們知道自己在做什麼。」她指的是新聞報本分且資深的記者，這些人中有不少正在路上奔走著找工作。「他們知道如何潛入並取得新聞，也知道如何讓目擊者開口，做好他們的工作。」 The New York Post, The Daily News' longtime rival for tabloid dominance, has seen its circulation plummet, too. Rupert Murdoch, whose News Corp. owns The Post, has long tolerated the paper's unprofitability, but there may come a time when his successors have far less stomach for red ink. 每日新聞報的長期對手，爭奪八卦小報霸主地位的紐約郵報，發行量也持續大跌。擁有紐約郵報的新聞集團老闆魯柏．梅鐸，長期容忍這家報紙未能獲利。但是也許有一天，他的接班人對赤字的容忍度會小得多。 Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/330084/web/ Next Article Topic: Dumplings tempt New Yorkers with pizza, peanut butter flavors - and no human contact New Yorkers can now get their dumpling fix from an automat with no human contact, and the adventurous can order flavors ranging from pepperoni pizza to peanut butter and jelly. 紐約客現在可由一套不需要與人接觸的自動販賣機為他們料理餃子，喜歡嘗試新鮮的人可從義式臘腸披薩到花生醬、果醬等口味中選購。 While the Brooklyn Dumpling Shop in the city's East Village offers traditional pork and chicken bite-sized treats, chicken parm or Philly cheesesteak are also on the menu. 位於這座城市東村的布魯克林餃子店，提供一口大小的傳統豬肉、雞肉餡點心，菜單上也有焗烤雞肉，或是費城牛肉起司三明治。 Spurred by the pandemic and technology advances, the Brooklyn Dumpling Shop is delivering food via automat 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 在這場疫情以及科技進步的帶動下，布魯克林餃子店正透過自動販賣機，全年無休24小時出餐。 "Embrace technology, because technology is something that has to be embraced by hospitality（business）to thrive," said the shop's owner Stratis Morfogen. 「擁抱科技，因為餐旅（業）要蒸蒸日上，就得擁抱科技」，店老闆史特拉狄斯．摩佛根說。 Next Article Topic: New York lawmakers pass bill allowing gender-neutral "X" option in govt documents 紐約州議員通過法案 允許政府文件中可選擇中立性別「X」 The New York state assembly has passed a bill that would allow people who do not identify as either male or female to use "X" as a marker to designate their sex on drivers' licenses. 紐約州議會通過一項法案，允許認為自己既不是男性也不是女性的民眾，在駕照上標記其性別為X。 The new marker would help transgender, nonbinary and intersex individuals' identity be recognized in government documents, according to a statement from Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Assembly member Daniel O'Donnell. 根據州眾議院議長希斯堤和州眾議員歐唐納發出的聲明，這項新註記會有助於跨性別、非二元性別和雙性人的性別認同，獲得政府文件承認。 "The provisions in this bill will make life safer, reduce the stigma and affirm the identities for so many of our friends and neighbors," O'Donnell said in the statement. 歐唐納在聲明中說，「這項法案中的該項條文，將讓人生活更安全，減少污名，並且確認我們廣大鄉親朋友的身分認同。」 Next Article Topic: Looking Back on 100 Years of New York City Drinking Culture, From Gritty to Elegant The history of drinking in America goes straight through the heart of New York. As with so many aspects of the city, that history has run from gritty to stylish and back again. 美國的飲酒歷史直接穿越紐約的心臟，就像這座城市的許多方面一樣，這段歷史經歷了從粗獷到風雅，再回到當初的過程。 For generations, taverns and saloons were largely places for men to gather, drink, gamble and chew tobacco. Those places could be discerning, as with Fraunces Tavern, a still-existent bar patronized in the 18th century by the likes of George Washington and his soldiers, or more suited to the average Joe, like McSorley's Old Ale House, which opened in the mid-19th century and, until 1970, admitted only men. 數世代以來，酒館和酒吧大多是男人聚集、喝酒、賭博與嚼菸草的地方。這些地方可能是比較有品味的，像是18世紀喬治華盛頓和他旗下軍人經常光顧、至今依然存在的弗朗西斯酒館，也可能是更適合一般人的，像是19世紀中葉開業，且在1970年前只接待男性的麥克索利酒吧。 By the time McSorley's had opened, many American bartenders had made a a of inventing what we now think of as craft cocktails. The atmosphere at these locales was often hostile and crude.Prohibition changed all that. The idea of bars as hospitable, welcoming spaces gained traction when liquor sales became illegal. 當麥克索利開業時，許多美國酒保已具備發明現今所謂精調雞尾酒的專長。這些地方的氣氛常常是不友善而且粗魯的。 With the advent of speak-easies, owners and bartenders suddenly had a new clientele: women. The social appeal of speak-easies pulled them into new and vibrant communal spaces. Alongside the new customers came bar stools, live jazz and a new breed of cocktails. 禁酒令改變了這一切。當賣酒變成非法時，酒吧是個好客、歡迎人的場所的想法才流行起來。隨著地下酒吧的出現，業主和酒保突然有了一個新的客群：婦女。地下酒吧的社會吸引力將她們拉進新的、充滿活力的公共空間。除了新客群，還出現了酒吧高腳凳、現場爵士樂與新一代雞尾酒。 Despite the end of Prohibition in 1933, these changes to New York's drinking culture endured, opening up the cocktail scene to a broader audience. 禁酒令雖於1933年廢止，紐約飲酒文化的這些變化卻持續了下來，將雞尾酒的舞台向更廣泛的觀眾開放。 By the 1960s and into the ‘80s and ‘90s, bar culture in New York had become as varied and textured as the city itself. Cocktail bars got yet another revival at the Rainbow Room, where Dale DeGroff took over the drinks program. In the Village, the Stonewall Inn and others became centers for gay culture, while uptown venues like the Shark Bar attracted a mostly African-American clientele. 到了1960年代並進入1980和1990年代，紐約的酒吧文化已變得跟城市本身一樣多采多姿。 雞尾酒酒吧在戴爾．第格洛夫接管酒單的彩虹廳又迎來一次流行。在紐約格林威治村，石牆酒吧等處所成了同性戀文化的中心，而鯊魚酒吧等曼哈頓上城場所則吸引了以非洲裔美國人為主的客群。 Today, despite an unfortunate turnover rate, modern New York cocktail bars are doing their best to foster a sense of community and hospitality. 現今，儘管翻桌率很低，但現代的紐約雞尾酒酒吧正盡最大努力營造一種社群意識和好客氣氛。 It's this spirit that an editorial writer for The Brooklyn Eagle captured in an 1885 column (quoted by David Wondrich in his book “Imbibe”). “The modern American,” the paper observed, “looks for civility and he declines to go where rowdy instincts are rampant.” 這正是《布魯克林鷹報》一位主筆1885年在專欄中提到的精神（大衛·旺德里奇在所著《飲酒》一書中引用了這段文字）。該報評論道：「現代美國人追求文明有禮，他拒絕去那些粗暴本能猖獗的地方。」 But American bars are not by definition civil. Luckily, it's as easy to find your watering hole fit today as it was a century ago. 但從定義上說，美國酒吧並非文明的。幸運的是，今天很容易找到適合你的酒吧，跟一個世紀前一樣。Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/335069/web/

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority approves a congestion pricing plan for lower Manhattan. A Bridgeport official accuses John Gomes supporters of ballot stuffing during the mayoral election. The South Fork wind farm has started to deliver power to Long Island. And could Tom Suozzi get his old seat in Congress back in a vote to replace George Santos?

The panel discusses the outlook for mass transportation across the US amid waning federal pandemic emergency aid and lagging ridership as metropolitan area commuters continue to work from home. This episode includes a remembrance of our great friend and colleague, Richard Ravitch, the former New York State lieutenant governor, Metropolitan Transportation Authority chairman, Volcker Alliance director, and tireless advocate for fiscally sustainable state and local budgeting, who passed away on June 25. Our panel of experts includes Janno Lieber, chair and chief executive officer, Metropolitan Transportation Authority; former US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx; Kurt Forsgren, managing director and sector lead for transportation in US Public Finance at S&P Global; Frank Jimenez, senior fiscal policy analyst, California Legislative Analyst's Office; and Leslie Richards, general manager and chief executive officer, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. Notable Quotes: “I made the case that it was insane for New York [to not receive funding to avert a fiscal cliff], when 85% of our commuters use mass transit. It was an intense equity issue.” - Janno Lieber “What is clear in the post-COVID era is that the critical role that transit plays is not going to change. We have to rethink how we make decisions. We know that cities, regions and transit are intrinsically related – we know that our futures are tied together; that the stronger a transit system is, the stronger the region it operates in is as well.” - Leslie Richards “Ultimately in the final budget package, the legislature provided $5.1 billion to support transit agencies across the state over a four-year period. This funding is on top of the state's baseline funding which supports transit agencies and is funded by fuel taxes and vehicle fees.” - Frank Jimenez “Whether that is in the form of sales taxes, or as New York has done with congestion pricing, I think we're going to have to look at new ways to generate income from local and state sources to support our transit systems.” - Anthony Foxx “Even for transit agencies where we have sales tax or other forms of tax that make up the bulk of revenues, we felt like the ridership loss is likely to impact their operating funds and have ripple effects across their enterprise.” - Kurt Forsgren Be sure to subscribe to Special Briefing to stay up to date on the world of public finance. Learn more about the Volcker Alliance at: volckeralliance.org Learn more about Penn IUR at: penniur.upenn.edu Connect with us @VolckerAlliance and @PennIUR on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn Special Briefing is published by the Volcker Alliance, as part of its Public Finance initiatives, and Penn IUR. The views expressed on this podcast are those of the panelists and do not necessarily reflect the position of the Volcker Alliance or Penn IUR.

------------------------------- 強化英語課程資訊 ------------------------------- 「社會人核心英語」有聲書課程連結：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/554esm ------------------------------- 15Mins.Today 相關連結 ------------------------------- 歡迎針對這一集留言你的想法： 留言連結 官方網站：www.15mins.today 加入Clubhouse直播室：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/46hm8k 訂閱YouTube頻道：https://15minsengcafe.pse.is/3rhuuy 主題投稿/意見回覆 : ask15mins@gmail.com 商業合作/贊助來信：15minstoday@gmail.com ------------------------------- 以下有參考文字稿～ 各播放器有不同字數限制，完整文稿可到官網搜尋 ------------------------------- Topic: Newspapers in New York, Like Their Readers, Are Vanishing Kenny Hospot is in some ways a typical reader of The Daily News. He's a construction worker from Queens who's lived in the city most of his life. He always liked reading the comics and the horoscope in The News. 就某些方面而言，肯尼．霍斯帕堪稱每日新聞報的典型讀者。他是紐約市皇后區的一個建築工人，這一生大多數時間都住在這個城市。他一向愛看該報的漫畫和星座運勢。 How long since he last bought a copy of the paper? Hospot laughed. “I would say like 15 years.” 他上一次買這份報紙是多久之前？霍斯帕笑了，「我看大概有15年了吧。」 Kamel Brown is another archetypal customer for New York's Hometown Newspaper, as The Daily News styles itself. He's a maintenance worker for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. He's 55 years old. He grew up buying the paper for his grandmother in Brooklyn. “When she was finished reading it, I'd pick it up, flip back and start with the sports,” Brown said. 對於自我定位為紐約家鄉報紙的每日新聞報，凱默．布朗是另一種典型讀者。他是都市交通局的維修工人，55歲。他在布魯克林區的成長過程中，常幫祖母買這份報紙。布朗說：「她看完後，我會拿過來，翻回去，從運動版開始看。」 He doesn't remember the last time he bought it. When he paged through a copy at a friend's home this past week, he was unimpressed. 他不記得上次買這份報紙是何時。過去這一周的某日他在友人家翻閱一分報紙時，很無感。 Tristan Dominguez, on the other hand, is still a big Daily News fan. “It's the only place you see anything local,” Dominguez said at a bodega in Washington Heights, where a stack of papers sat behind the counter. 另一方面，崔斯坦．多明奎茲仍是新聞報的大粉絲。「這是你唯一能看到在地新聞的地方。」多明奎茲在華盛頓高地的一家雜貨店內說，櫃檯後方有一大疊報紙。 He reads the paper mostly online and through Twitter. 他大多數是上網或透過推特看這份報紙。 All of this helps explain why there was an air of inevitability about the news Monday that the organization was laying off half its editorial staff. 這些例子亦可說明，當這家報社決定資遣編輯部一半員工的消息周一（7月23日）傳出時，為何外界會覺得此事似難避免。 Once upon a time, The Daily News sold more than 2 million papers a day. Now its circulation is only about a tenth of that, and the paper's non-hometown owner, the Chicago-based media company Tronc, which bought the paper in 2017, does not have the patience for non-profitability that the prior owner, Mort Zuckerman, did. 每日新聞報曾經一天賣出200萬分以上，現在發行量大約只剩十分之一。這家報社的非在地老闆、芝加哥的媒體公司Tronc，2017年買下每日新聞報，對於它未能獲利，並沒有前任老闆莫特．札克曼那般的耐性。 At a cultural moment when the very idea of New York City as a hometown is quickly dissolving, and when most people get their news from some sort of glowing screen, the thirst for local ink is not what it used to be. 在當下這個文化時刻，將紐約市當作家鄉的想法正在快速瓦解，而且大多數人是從某種閃爍的螢幕獲得新聞，對於在地新聞文字報導的渴求已不如以往。 And those who do crave hard-hitting coverage that holds officials accountable for the state of the city were not pleased to hear about the layoffs. 對於那些渴望看到逼官員為城市現況負起責任的強烈抨擊報導的人，聽到前述資遣消息並非樂事。 “You need those old-school people because they know what they're doing,” Rosanne Nunziata, a manager at the New Apollo Diner in downtown Brooklyn, said of The Daily News' staff of veteran shoe-leather reporters, many of whom are now pounding the pavement in search of employment. “They know how to sneak in and get their stories, and know how to get witnesses to talk and do their thing.” 布魯克林鬧區「新阿波羅餐館」經理羅珊娜．努齊亞塔說：「你需要這些老派人士，因為他們知道自己在做什麼。」她指的是新聞報本分且資深的記者，這些人中有不少正在路上奔走著找工作。「他們知道如何潛入並取得新聞，也知道如何讓目擊者開口，做好他們的工作。」 The New York Post, The Daily News' longtime rival for tabloid dominance, has seen its circulation plummet, too. Rupert Murdoch, whose News Corp. owns The Post, has long tolerated the paper's unprofitability, but there may come a time when his successors have far less stomach for red ink. 每日新聞報的長期對手，爭奪八卦小報霸主地位的紐約郵報，發行量也持續大跌。擁有紐約郵報的新聞集團老闆魯柏．梅鐸，長期容忍這家報紙未能獲利。但是也許有一天，他的接班人對赤字的容忍度會小得多。 Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/330084/web/ Next Article Topic: Dumplings tempt New Yorkers with pizza, peanut butter flavors - and no human contact New Yorkers can now get their dumpling fix from an automat with no human contact, and the adventurous can order flavors ranging from pepperoni pizza to peanut butter and jelly. 紐約客現在可由一套不需要與人接觸的自動販賣機為他們料理餃子，喜歡嘗試新鮮的人可從義式臘腸披薩到花生醬、果醬等口味中選購。 While the Brooklyn Dumpling Shop in the city's East Village offers traditional pork and chicken bite-sized treats, chicken parm or Philly cheesesteak are also on the menu. 位於這座城市東村的布魯克林餃子店，提供一口大小的傳統豬肉、雞肉餡點心，菜單上也有焗烤雞肉，或是費城牛肉起司三明治。 Spurred by the pandemic and technology advances, the Brooklyn Dumpling Shop is delivering food via automat 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 在這場疫情以及科技進步的帶動下，布魯克林餃子店正透過自動販賣機，全年無休24小時出餐。 "Embrace technology, because technology is something that has to be embraced by hospitality（business）to thrive," said the shop's owner Stratis Morfogen. 「擁抱科技，因為餐旅（業）要蒸蒸日上，就得擁抱科技」，店老闆史特拉狄斯．摩佛根說。 Next Article Topic: New York lawmakers pass bill allowing gender-neutral "X" option in govt documents 紐約州議員通過法案 允許政府文件中可選擇中立性別「X」 The New York state assembly has passed a bill that would allow people who do not identify as either male or female to use "X" as a marker to designate their sex on drivers' licenses. 紐約州議會通過一項法案，允許認為自己既不是男性也不是女性的民眾，在駕照上標記其性別為X。 The new marker would help transgender, nonbinary and intersex individuals' identity be recognized in government documents, according to a statement from Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Assembly member Daniel O'Donnell. 根據州眾議院議長希斯堤和州眾議員歐唐納發出的聲明，這項新註記會有助於跨性別、非二元性別和雙性人的性別認同，獲得政府文件承認。 "The provisions in this bill will make life safer, reduce the stigma and affirm the identities for so many of our friends and neighbors," O'Donnell said in the statement. 歐唐納在聲明中說，「這項法案中的該項條文，將讓人生活更安全，減少污名，並且確認我們廣大鄉親朋友的身分認同。」 Next Article Topic: Looking Back on 100 Years of New York City Drinking Culture, From Gritty to Elegant The history of drinking in America goes straight through the heart of New York. As with so many aspects of the city, that history has run from gritty to stylish and back again. 美國的飲酒歷史直接穿越紐約的心臟，就像這座城市的許多方面一樣，這段歷史經歷了從粗獷到風雅，再回到當初的過程。 For generations, taverns and saloons were largely places for men to gather, drink, gamble and chew tobacco. Those places could be discerning, as with Fraunces Tavern, a still-existent bar patronized in the 18th century by the likes of George Washington and his soldiers, or more suited to the average Joe, like McSorley's Old Ale House, which opened in the mid-19th century and, until 1970, admitted only men. 數世代以來，酒館和酒吧大多是男人聚集、喝酒、賭博與嚼菸草的地方。這些地方可能是比較有品味的，像是18世紀喬治華盛頓和他旗下軍人經常光顧、至今依然存在的弗朗西斯酒館，也可能是更適合一般人的，像是19世紀中葉開業，且在1970年前只接待男性的麥克索利酒吧。 By the time McSorley's had opened, many American bartenders had made a a of inventing what we now think of as craft cocktails. The atmosphere at these locales was often hostile and crude.Prohibition changed all that. The idea of bars as hospitable, welcoming spaces gained traction when liquor sales became illegal. 當麥克索利開業時，許多美國酒保已具備發明現今所謂精調雞尾酒的專長。這些地方的氣氛常常是不友善而且粗魯的。 With the advent of speak-easies, owners and bartenders suddenly had a new clientele: women. The social appeal of speak-easies pulled them into new and vibrant communal spaces. Alongside the new customers came bar stools, live jazz and a new breed of cocktails. 禁酒令改變了這一切。當賣酒變成非法時，酒吧是個好客、歡迎人的場所的想法才流行起來。隨著地下酒吧的出現，業主和酒保突然有了一個新的客群：婦女。地下酒吧的社會吸引力將她們拉進新的、充滿活力的公共空間。除了新客群，還出現了酒吧高腳凳、現場爵士樂與新一代雞尾酒。 Despite the end of Prohibition in 1933, these changes to New York's drinking culture endured, opening up the cocktail scene to a broader audience. 禁酒令雖於1933年廢止，紐約飲酒文化的這些變化卻持續了下來，將雞尾酒的舞台向更廣泛的觀眾開放。 By the 1960s and into the ‘80s and ‘90s, bar culture in New York had become as varied and textured as the city itself. Cocktail bars got yet another revival at the Rainbow Room, where Dale DeGroff took over the drinks program. In the Village, the Stonewall Inn and others became centers for gay culture, while uptown venues like the Shark Bar attracted a mostly African-American clientele. 到了1960年代並進入1980和1990年代，紐約的酒吧文化已變得跟城市本身一樣多采多姿。 雞尾酒酒吧在戴爾．第格洛夫接管酒單的彩虹廳又迎來一次流行。在紐約格林威治村，石牆酒吧等處所成了同性戀文化的中心，而鯊魚酒吧等曼哈頓上城場所則吸引了以非洲裔美國人為主的客群。 Today, despite an unfortunate turnover rate, modern New York cocktail bars are doing their best to foster a sense of community and hospitality. 現今，儘管翻桌率很低，但現代的紐約雞尾酒酒吧正盡最大努力營造一種社群意識和好客氣氛。 It's this spirit that an editorial writer for The Brooklyn Eagle captured in an 1885 column (quoted by David Wondrich in his book “Imbibe”). “The modern American,” the paper observed, “looks for civility and he declines to go where rowdy instincts are rampant.” 這正是《布魯克林鷹報》一位主筆1885年在專欄中提到的精神（大衛·旺德里奇在所著《飲酒》一書中引用了這段文字）。該報評論道：「現代美國人追求文明有禮，他拒絕去那些粗暴本能猖獗的地方。」 But American bars are not by definition civil. Luckily, it's as easy to find your watering hole fit today as it was a century ago. 但從定義上說，美國酒吧並非文明的。幸運的是，今天很容易找到適合你的酒吧，跟一個世紀前一樣。Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/335069/web/

New York has received a critical federal approval for its first-in-the-nation plan to charge big tolls to drive into the most visited parts of Manhattan, part of an effort to reduce traffic, improve air quality and raise funds for the city's public transit system. The program could begin as soon as the spring of 2024, bringing New York City into line with places like London, Singapore, and Stockholm that have implemented similar tolling programs for highly congested business districts. Under one of several tolling scenarios under consideration, drivers could be charged as much as $23 a day to enter Manhattan south of 60th Street, with the exact amount still to be decided by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which is overseeing the long-stalled plan. The congestion pricing plan cleared its final federal hurdle after getting approved by the Federal Highway Administration, a spokesperson for New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said. “With the green light from the federal government, we look forward to moving ahead with the implementation of this program,” Hochul, a Democrat, said in a statement. People headed into Manhattan already pay big tolls to use many of the bridges and tunnels connecting across the Hudson, East and Harlem Rivers. The special tolls for the southern half of Manhattan would come on top of those existing charges. The new tolls are expected to generate another $1 billion yearly, which would be used to finance borrowing to upgrade the subway, bus and commuter rail systems operated by the MTA. The state Legislature approved a conceptual plan for congestion pricing back in 2019, but the coronavirus pandemic combined with a lack of guidance from federal regulators stalled the project. The plan has been sharply opposed by officials in New Jersey, where people bound for Manhattan by car could see the costs of commuting skyrocket. Taxi and car service drivers have also objected, saying it would make fares unaffordable. Some MTA proposals have included caps on tolls for taxis and other for-hire vehicles. This article was provided by The Associated Press.

On this day, June 27th, in legal history, the Federal Housing Administration came into being. The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) was established in 1934 as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal program during the Great Depression. On June 27, 1934, the National Housing Act was passed which functionally created the FHA. The primary goal of the FHA was to stabilize the housing market and increase homeownership opportunities for Americans. It did so by providing mortgage insurance to lenders, enabling them to offer loans with lower down payments and longer repayment terms if those loans complied with certain underwriting conditions.The FHA played a significant role in expanding homeownership, particularly for low-income and first-time homebuyers who were previously unable to secure traditional mortgages. It introduced standardized underwriting guidelines, making it easier for lenders to assess borrower creditworthiness. Additionally, the FHA established regulations for home construction and safety standards to improve housing conditions.During its early years, the FHA primarily facilitated the construction of single-family homes. However, after World War II, it expanded its programs to include multi-family housing, aiding the construction of rental properties and helping address housing shortages.Over time, the FHA's role evolved, and it became a vital institution in the mortgage market, ensuring the availability of affordable home loans. However, it faced criticism for some of its practices, including redlining, a discriminatory practice that disproportionately affected minority communities by denying them access to mortgage loans.Despite its shortcomings, the FHA continues to operate today as part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), supporting affordable housing initiatives and promoting access to mortgage financing for a wide range of borrowers.KPMG LLP, one of the Big Four accounting firms, is planning to lay off nearly 5% of its US workforce, amounting to approximately 2,000 positions, citing challenging economic conditions and low turnover rates. This marks the second round of layoffs for the firm in 2023 and deviates from its earlier strategy of offering incentives to retain employees during the "Great Resignation" trend. The job cuts are expected to be completed by late summer, and affected employees will receive severance packages and access to career services and healthcare benefits. KPMG's decision aligns with similar actions taken by competitors like Deloitte, Ernst & Young, and Grant Thornton, who have also reduced their consulting businesses due to declining demand. Despite the layoffs, KPMG reported a 14% increase in revenue for its US affiliate in the previous year and expressed optimism about future growth opportunities. The firm's leaders noted a significant disparity between workforce size and the resources required to deliver services, citing economic headwinds and low attrition rates as contributing factors. While staff in tax and audit practices received immediate notifications, professionals in the advisory business and other areas were told they would have to wait until later in the summer to learn their fate. Unlike its counterparts, PwC has not announced any layoffs driven by market conditions but instead informed its staff to expect bonus pay and merit raises, with increased in-office presence.KPMG Cutting US Workforce 5% in Second Round of 2023 Layoffs (1)The County of Los Angeles has severed ties with law firm Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith following the release of racist, sexist, and antisemitic emails by two former senior partners. The county will no longer assign new matters to the firm and will review existing cases to determine if they should be transferred to other outside lawyers on a case-by-case basis. County counsel Dawyn Harrison emphasized the importance of promoting inclusion, diversity, equity, and anti-racism in law firms contracted by the county. The LA County counsel's office assigns cases to contract law firms for various government departments and has an apportioned budget of around $186 million for the current fiscal year. Lewis Brisbois has represented clients such as the LA County's Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Sheriff's Department, and Board of Supervisors. The firm is currently in discussions with the county but declined to provide further comment. This development follows the departure of leaders from Lewis Brisbois' labor and employment group, who left to launch a competing firm and subsequently prompted the release of offensive emails. Lewis Brisbois, known for its work in insurance defense, has undergone leadership changes and is now led by managing partner Gregory Katz.LA County Cuts Ties With Lewis Brisbois After Racist Emails (1)Rite Aid, the drugstore chain burdened by a $2.9 billion debt, has ended its relationships with two law firms, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings and Littler Mendelson, due to personal connections between their partners and Rite Aid's former and current senior executives. The decision was made to ensure that "related persons" do not have a significant interest in the company's legal matters. Rite Aid cited the presence of the sister of its former chief legal officer at Bradley, which represented the company in opioid-related litigation, and a Littler partner who is the brother of Rite Aid's chief financial officer. The company did not disclose the names of the lawyers involved. Rite Aid recently appointed Christin Bassett as its acting legal chief following the departure of its former chief legal officer, Paul Gilbert. Thomas Sabatino Jr., previously the top lawyer at Tenneco Inc., will succeed Gilbert as the legal group leader. Rite Aid is currently dealing with various legal issues, including opioid litigation and a growing debt load. Bondholders have engaged Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison as they prepare for discussions on restructuring the company's debt.Rite Aid Cuts Loose Law Firms With Personal Ties to ExecutivesThe U.S. Supreme Court has dismissed a Republican appeal to defend a Louisiana electoral map that was challenged as discriminatory. The map, drawn by the Republican-led state legislature, was accused of unlawfully discriminating based on race. A federal judge had ordered the creation of two congressional districts where Black voters would be the majority, potentially benefiting Democratic chances in the upcoming elections. The Supreme Court's dismissal allows the case to proceed before the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans for review before the 2024 congressional elections in Louisiana. Black voters and civil rights groups had sued, claiming that the map disenfranchised and discriminated against Black Louisianans by packing them into one district and diluting their voting power in others. The ruling follows a similar decision in an Alabama case, where the Supreme Court found that the Republican-drawn map violated the Voting Rights Act by diminishing the voting power of Black Alabamians.US Supreme Court tosses race-based dispute over Louisiana electoral map | ReutersThe U.S. Supreme Court has rejected an inventor's bid to challenge a patent ruling based on the grounds that one of the judges involved is facing a competency probe. Inventor Franz Wakefield argued that the investigation into Judge Pauline Newman of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit raised concerns about due process and warranted a new hearing. However, the Supreme Court denied the petition without providing a written opinion. Wakefield had sued several tech companies for patent infringement, but the patent was invalidated in 2021 by a Delaware federal court and affirmed by a three-judge panel at the Federal Circuit that included Judge Newman. Wakefield claimed that the presence of a judge with a mental disability on the panel undermined the principle of a fair and impartial hearing. Judge Newman, who is 96 years old, has denied the claims and filed a lawsuit to halt the competency probe.US Supreme Court won't reconsider ruling by judge facing competency probe | ReutersIn this week's column, I lay out and compare some tax rates in the United States and Norway, pointing out that the top federal tax bracket in the US for 2023 is 37%, while in Norway, it reaches 55.8% – but the top US rate in 1944 was a staggering 94%, applied to income over $200,000 (equivalent to $3.45 million today). I acknowledge that advocating for such a high rate would be difficult. Instead, I propose a compromise: maintaining the current rate structure but adding a 100% tax rate for individuals earning over $1 billion.The proposed tax would apply to both income and capital gains, without any loopholes or exceptions. At the outset I acknowledge the complexity of implementing such a tax, given the intricacies of the US tax code, but I'd argue that the lack of proper regulation ensuring billionaires pay their fair share is a result of political unwillingness rather than administrative obstacles.There are a limited number of billionaires who earn over $1 billion per year in income, it is an elite group, and taxing just this elite group would generate relatively modest revenue (that is, approximately $6 billion per year). However, there are massive unrealized gains held by billionaires, which amount to around $2.7 trillion in the US. I thus suggest implementing a mark-to-market tax, requiring billionaires to recognize gains and losses on their investments at the end of each tax year.By applying a mark-to-market tax rate of 100% on gains and income above $1 billion, I argue that it would prevent the further growth of billionaires' wealth and could generate significant revenue. For example, if the year ended today, it could raise around $335 billion from the top billionaires alone. I conclude by highlighting the ease of administering such a targeted tax due to the relatively small number of billionaires in the US (724). That said, the main obstacle to implementing a 100% tax rate is not administrative feasibility but rather the political challenges and resistance from a nation that aspires to wealth. It's Time to Slap America's Billionaires With a 100% Tax Bracket Get full access to Minimum Competence - Daily Legal News Podcast at www.minimumcomp.com/subscribe

May 12, 2023 - Reinvent Albany Senior Policy Advisory Rachael Fauss breaks down the state investments into the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in order to solve its fiscal crisis and improve services.

Move Free益節--母親節限時優惠【Podcast聽眾隱藏福利】熱銷UC-II迷你錠禮盒現省$200還享免運快速到貨及滿額贈活動點擊連結搶購，只到5/6！https://link.fstry.me/3Lp6571 母親節禮物還沒準備好嗎？就送媽媽維持靈活及健康的好物吧！益節美國原裝進口，官網品質有保證 —— 以上為 Firstory DAI 動態廣告 —— 歡迎留言告訴我們你對這一集的想法： https://open.firstory.me/user/cl81kivnk00dn01wffhwxdg2s/comments Topic: Newspapers in New York, Like Their Readers, Are Vanishing Kenny Hospot is in some ways a typical reader of The Daily News. He's a construction worker from Queens who's lived in the city most of his life. He always liked reading the comics and the horoscope in The News. 就某些方面而言，肯尼．霍斯帕堪稱每日新聞報的典型讀者。他是紐約市皇后區的一個建築工人，這一生大多數時間都住在這個城市。他一向愛看該報的漫畫和星座運勢。 How long since he last bought a copy of the paper? Hospot laughed. “I would say like 15 years.” 他上一次買這份報紙是多久之前？霍斯帕笑了，「我看大概有15年了吧。」 Kamel Brown is another archetypal customer for New York's Hometown Newspaper, as The Daily News styles itself. He's a maintenance worker for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. He's 55 years old. He grew up buying the paper for his grandmother in Brooklyn. “When she was finished reading it, I'd pick it up, flip back and start with the sports,” Brown said. 對於自我定位為紐約家鄉報紙的每日新聞報，凱默．布朗是另一種典型讀者。他是都市交通局的維修工人，55歲。他在布魯克林區的成長過程中，常幫祖母買這份報紙。布朗說：「她看完後，我會拿過來，翻回去，從運動版開始看。」 He doesn't remember the last time he bought it. When he paged through a copy at a friend's home this past week, he was unimpressed. 他不記得上次買這份報紙是何時。過去這一周的某日他在友人家翻閱一分報紙時，很無感。 Tristan Dominguez, on the other hand, is still a big Daily News fan. “It's the only place you see anything local,” Dominguez said at a bodega in Washington Heights, where a stack of papers sat behind the counter. 另一方面，崔斯坦．多明奎茲仍是新聞報的大粉絲。「這是你唯一能看到在地新聞的地方。」多明奎茲在華盛頓高地的一家雜貨店內說，櫃檯後方有一大疊報紙。 He reads the paper mostly online and through Twitter. 他大多數是上網或透過推特看這份報紙。 All of this helps explain why there was an air of inevitability about the news Monday that the organization was laying off half its editorial staff. 這些例子亦可說明，當這家報社決定資遣編輯部一半員工的消息周一（7月23日）傳出時，為何外界會覺得此事似難避免。 Once upon a time, The Daily News sold more than 2 million papers a day. Now its circulation is only about a tenth of that, and the paper's non-hometown owner, the Chicago-based media company Tronc, which bought the paper in 2017, does not have the patience for non-profitability that the prior owner, Mort Zuckerman, did. 每日新聞報曾經一天賣出200萬分以上，現在發行量大約只剩十分之一。這家報社的非在地老闆、芝加哥的媒體公司Tronc，2017年買下每日新聞報，對於它未能獲利，並沒有前任老闆莫特．札克曼那般的耐性。 At a cultural moment when the very idea of New York City as a hometown is quickly dissolving, and when most people get their news from some sort of glowing screen, the thirst for local ink is not what it used to be. 在當下這個文化時刻，將紐約市當作家鄉的想法正在快速瓦解，而且大多數人是從某種閃爍的螢幕獲得新聞，對於在地新聞文字報導的渴求已不如以往。 And those who do crave hard-hitting coverage that holds officials accountable for the state of the city were not pleased to hear about the layoffs. 對於那些渴望看到逼官員為城市現況負起責任的強烈抨擊報導的人，聽到前述資遣消息並非樂事。 “You need those old-school people because they know what they're doing,” Rosanne Nunziata, a manager at the New Apollo Diner in downtown Brooklyn, said of The Daily News' staff of veteran shoe-leather reporters, many of whom are now pounding the pavement in search of employment. “They know how to sneak in and get their stories, and know how to get witnesses to talk and do their thing.” 布魯克林鬧區「新阿波羅餐館」經理羅珊娜．努齊亞塔說：「你需要這些老派人士，因為他們知道自己在做什麼。」她指的是新聞報本分且資深的記者，這些人中有不少正在路上奔走著找工作。「他們知道如何潛入並取得新聞，也知道如何讓目擊者開口，做好他們的工作。」 The New York Post, The Daily News' longtime rival for tabloid dominance, has seen its circulation plummet, too. Rupert Murdoch, whose News Corp. owns The Post, has long tolerated the paper's unprofitability, but there may come a time when his successors have far less stomach for red ink. 每日新聞報的長期對手，爭奪八卦小報霸主地位的紐約郵報，發行量也持續大跌。擁有紐約郵報的新聞集團老闆魯柏．梅鐸，長期容忍這家報紙未能獲利。但是也許有一天，他的接班人對赤字的容忍度會小得多。 Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/330084/web/ Next Article Topic: Dumplings tempt New Yorkers with pizza, peanut butter flavors - and no human contact New Yorkers can now get their dumpling fix from an automat with no human contact, and the adventurous can order flavors ranging from pepperoni pizza to peanut butter and jelly. 紐約客現在可由一套不需要與人接觸的自動販賣機為他們料理餃子，喜歡嘗試新鮮的人可從義式臘腸披薩到花生醬、果醬等口味中選購。 While the Brooklyn Dumpling Shop in the city's East Village offers traditional pork and chicken bite-sized treats, chicken parm or Philly cheesesteak are also on the menu. 位於這座城市東村的布魯克林餃子店，提供一口大小的傳統豬肉、雞肉餡點心，菜單上也有焗烤雞肉，或是費城牛肉起司三明治。 Spurred by the pandemic and technology advances, the Brooklyn Dumpling Shop is delivering food via automat 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 在這場疫情以及科技進步的帶動下，布魯克林餃子店正透過自動販賣機，全年無休24小時出餐。 "Embrace technology, because technology is something that has to be embraced by hospitality（business）to thrive," said the shop's owner Stratis Morfogen. 「擁抱科技，因為餐旅（業）要蒸蒸日上，就得擁抱科技」，店老闆史特拉狄斯．摩佛根說。 Next Article Topic: New York lawmakers pass bill allowing gender-neutral "X" option in govt documents 紐約州議員通過法案 允許政府文件中可選擇中立性別「X」 The New York state assembly has passed a bill that would allow people who do not identify as either male or female to use "X" as a marker to designate their sex on drivers' licenses. 紐約州議會通過一項法案，允許認為自己既不是男性也不是女性的民眾，在駕照上標記其性別為X。 The new marker would help transgender, nonbinary and intersex individuals' identity be recognized in government documents, according to a statement from Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Assembly member Daniel O'Donnell. 根據州眾議院議長希斯堤和州眾議員歐唐納發出的聲明，這項新註記會有助於跨性別、非二元性別和雙性人的性別認同，獲得政府文件承認。 "The provisions in this bill will make life safer, reduce the stigma and affirm the identities for so many of our friends and neighbors," O'Donnell said in the statement. 歐唐納在聲明中說，「這項法案中的該項條文，將讓人生活更安全，減少污名，並且確認我們廣大鄉親朋友的身分認同。」 Next Article Topic: Looking Back on 100 Years of New York City Drinking Culture, From Gritty to Elegant The history of drinking in America goes straight through the heart of New York. As with so many aspects of the city, that history has run from gritty to stylish and back again. 美國的飲酒歷史直接穿越紐約的心臟，就像這座城市的許多方面一樣，這段歷史經歷了從粗獷到風雅，再回到當初的過程。 For generations, taverns and saloons were largely places for men to gather, drink, gamble and chew tobacco. Those places could be discerning, as with Fraunces Tavern, a still-existent bar patronized in the 18th century by the likes of George Washington and his soldiers, or more suited to the average Joe, like McSorley's Old Ale House, which opened in the mid-19th century and, until 1970, admitted only men. 數世代以來，酒館和酒吧大多是男人聚集、喝酒、賭博與嚼菸草的地方。這些地方可能是比較有品味的，像是18世紀喬治華盛頓和他旗下軍人經常光顧、至今依然存在的弗朗西斯酒館，也可能是更適合一般人的，像是19世紀中葉開業，且在1970年前只接待男性的麥克索利酒吧。 By the time McSorley's had opened, many American bartenders had made a a of inventing what we now think of as craft cocktails. The atmosphere at these locales was often hostile and crude.Prohibition changed all that. The idea of bars as hospitable, welcoming spaces gained traction when liquor sales became illegal. 當麥克索利開業時，許多美國酒保已具備發明現今所謂精調雞尾酒的專長。這些地方的氣氛常常是不友善而且粗魯的。 With the advent of speak-easies, owners and bartenders suddenly had a new clientele: women. The social appeal of speak-easies pulled them into new and vibrant communal spaces. Alongside the new customers came bar stools, live jazz and a new breed of cocktails. 禁酒令改變了這一切。當賣酒變成非法時，酒吧是個好客、歡迎人的場所的想法才流行起來。隨著地下酒吧的出現，業主和酒保突然有了一個新的客群：婦女。地下酒吧的社會吸引力將她們拉進新的、充滿活力的公共空間。除了新客群，還出現了酒吧高腳凳、現場爵士樂與新一代雞尾酒。 Despite the end of Prohibition in 1933, these changes to New York's drinking culture endured, opening up the cocktail scene to a broader audience. 禁酒令雖於1933年廢止，紐約飲酒文化的這些變化卻持續了下來，將雞尾酒的舞台向更廣泛的觀眾開放。 By the 1960s and into the ‘80s and ‘90s, bar culture in New York had become as varied and textured as the city itself. Cocktail bars got yet another revival at the Rainbow Room, where Dale DeGroff took over the drinks program. In the Village, the Stonewall Inn and others became centers for gay culture, while uptown venues like the Shark Bar attracted a mostly African-American clientele. 到了1960年代並進入1980和1990年代，紐約的酒吧文化已變得跟城市本身一樣多采多姿。 雞尾酒酒吧在戴爾．第格洛夫接管酒單的彩虹廳又迎來一次流行。在紐約格林威治村，石牆酒吧等處所成了同性戀文化的中心，而鯊魚酒吧等曼哈頓上城場所則吸引了以非洲裔美國人為主的客群。 Today, despite an unfortunate turnover rate, modern New York cocktail bars are doing their best to foster a sense of community and hospitality. 現今，儘管翻桌率很低，但現代的紐約雞尾酒酒吧正盡最大努力營造一種社群意識和好客氣氛。 It's this spirit that an editorial writer for The Brooklyn Eagle captured in an 1885 column (quoted by David Wondrich in his book “Imbibe”). “The modern American,” the paper observed, “looks for civility and he declines to go where rowdy instincts are rampant.” 這正是《布魯克林鷹報》一位主筆1885年在專欄中提到的精神（大衛·旺德里奇在所著《飲酒》一書中引用了這段文字）。該報評論道：「現代美國人追求文明有禮，他拒絕去那些粗暴本能猖獗的地方。」 But American bars are not by definition civil. Luckily, it's as easy to find your watering hole fit today as it was a century ago. 但從定義上說，美國酒吧並非文明的。幸運的是，今天很容易找到適合你的酒吧，跟一個世紀前一樣。Source article: https://paper.udn.com/udnpaper/POH0067/335069/web/ Powered by Firstory Hosting

Nov. 22, 2022 - Metropolitan Transportation Authority is facing a fiscal cliff as ridership levels continue below pre-pandemic levels and might not bound back for years. Reinvent Albany Senior Policy Advisor Rachael Fauss explains the looming hole in the transit budget and how it should be filled in the future.

Improving data-driven efforts. Three guests joined the podcast to discuss their research and insight into the advancement of data in local government. They shared their new definition of data-driven local government and the methodology of their research. Ruth Puttick is a Senior Policy Advisor for the Open Innovation Team. Lauren Su is the Director of Certification for What Works Cities. Lisa Mae Fielder is the Acting Manager of Data & Analytics at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Host: Toney Thompson

The Lymphatic System may not be the most popular of the anatomical systems, but understanding this unsung hero is fundamental to the work we do. Join Allison as she describes what lymph is, what this system does, and how it compares to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority workers of the New York City subway system. This beautifully intricate component of who we are deserves a deeper understanding, some love, and, perhaps, a raise.   Host:                   Contact Allison Denney: rebelmt@abmp.com             Allison's website: www.rebelmassage.com                      Allison Denney is a certified massage therapist and certified YouTuber. You can find her massage tutorials at YouTube.com/RebelMassage. She is also passionate about creating products that are kind, simple, and productive for therapists to use in their practices. Her products, along with access to her blog and CE opportunities, can be found at rebelmassage.com.               Allison's column in Massage & Bodywork magazine:     “The QL and the Psoas: The Epitome of Codependency” by Allison Denney, Massage & Bodywork magazine, January/February 2022, page 24.    “The Hand: A User's Guide,” by Allison Denney, Massage & Bodywork magazine. November/December 2021, page 81.   “Feelization: Connect with Clients on a Deeper Level,” by Allison Denney, Massage & Bodywork magazine, September/October 2021, page 85.   This podcast sponsored by:     Rebel Massage Therapist: http://www.rebelmassage.com   The Academy of Lymphatic Studies (ACOLS): acols.com   Rebel Massage Therapist: My name is Allison. And I am not your typical massage therapist. After 20 years of experience and thousands of clients, I have learned that massage therapy is SO MUCH more than a relaxing experience at a spa. I see soft tissue as more than merely a physical element but a deeply complex, neurologically driven part of who you are. I use this knowledge to work WITH you—not ON you—to create change that works. This is the basis of my approach. As a massage therapist, I have worked in almost every capacity, including massage clinics, physical therapy clinics, chiropractor offices, spas, private practice, and teaching. I have learned incredible techniques and strategies from each of my experiences. In my 20 years as a massage therapist, I have never stopped growing. I currently have a private practice based out of Long Beach, California, where I also teach continuing education classes and occasionally work on my kids. If they're good.   website: www.rebelmassage.com     FB: facebook.com/RebelMassage     IG: instagram.com/rebelmassagetherapist     YouTube: youtube.com/c/RebelMassage     email: rebelmassagetherapist@gmail.com     The Academy of Lymphatic Studies (ACOLS) promotes the quality and integrity of continuing education to practitioners in the field of lymphedema and edema management. Manual lymphatic drainage helps to reduce edema of various genesis, including posttraumatic and post-surgical edema, as well as several pathologies, such as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, migraines, and chronic pain. Highly skilled manual lymphatic drainage therapists with advanced training are instrumental in supporting the healing process in patients recovering from oncology treatments as well as cosmetic, reconstructive, and gender affirming surgery. ACOLS offers Manual Lymph Drainage (MLD) Certification and Complete Lymphedema Therapy Certification courses in both in-person and hybrid options. With 150 annual course offerings all over the country, students can find the right course for them.    Website: acols.com   Facebook: facebook.com/AcademyofLymphaticStudies   LinkedIn: llinkedin.com/company/academy-of-lymphatic-studies-llc   Instagram: instagram.com/lymphaticstudies   Email: admissions@acols.com    

In this special episode of Recalibrate Reality, Scott Rechler moderates an RPA Assembly panel with Janno Lieber, Chair and CEO of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Maria Torres-Springer, Deputy Mayor for Economic and Workforce Development, Vishaan Chakrabarti, Founder and Creative Director of Practice for Architecture and Urbanism, and Yael Taqqu, Senior Partner at McKinsey and Company, on what the future holds for our central business districts.  Recalibrate Reality is presented in collaboration with 92nd Street Y.

This week your hosts Steve Lowry and Yvonne Godfrey interview Doris Cheng of Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger (https://www.walkuplawoffice.com/)   Remember to rate and review GTP in iTunes: Click Here To Rate and Review   Episode Details: Acclaimed California trial lawyer and former San Francisco Bar Association president Doris Cheng of Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger shares how she successfully represented a grieving mother after her son was fatally struck by a city bus while riding his bike. On May 15, 2017, Maria Renteria's son, Luis Alvarez, Jr., rode his bike in the right lane of a Los Angeles street until he came upon a stopped Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LACMTA) bus and, adhering to the rules of the road, moved to the left lane to pass the bus. In an attempt to return to the right lane and travel in front of the bus, Luis was struck by the bus, dragged 70 feet and killed on impact. Trial lawyer Doris Cheng argued that the bus driver failed to be aware of her surroundings and did not adhere to her training, while defense counsel countered that the bus driver should not be held to a higher standard of care than Luis or any bicyclist. In spite of the defense's tactics, which included revealing the estrangement between Luis and his mother due to Luis's father's chronic abuse, a Los Angeles County jury assigned a percentage of negligence to both LACMTA and Luis, awarding Maria $1,400,000 in damages for the tragic loss of her son. In this in-depth discussion, Doris Cheng discusses everything from dealing with bad facts in voir dire to when to abandon the conventional "rules of the road" formula, instead focusing on the fundamental rules of persuasion: ethos, pathos and logos.     Click Here to Read/Download the Complete Trial Documents   Guest Bio: Doris Cheng A frequent guest lecturer and adjunct professor, Ms. Cheng has trained lawyers and judges nationally and internationally. As part of the Rule of Law Initiative, she has had the privilege of training trial lawyers and judges in Mexico, Kosovo, and Macedonia.  She has also collaborated and trained with civil practitioners in Singapore and Belfast. This past year, she led trial skills training for criminal prosecution offices in Glasgow, Scotland and multiple Caribbean countries. Ms. Cheng is also the Program Director of the National Institute for Trial Advocacy's Western Region Advocacy Teacher Training Program. In 2012, she was awarded the Robert E. Keeton Award for outstanding service by the National Institute for Trial Advocacy. She is the 2015 recipient of the University of San Francisco Professional Achievement Award. Ms. Cheng is involved in local bar associations and community organizations. She is the current President (former Secretary) of the San Francisco Bar Association and immediate Past President of the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association.  She is a former Chair of the Civility Matters! Program and current national representative for the American Board of Trial Advocates (San Francisco Chapter).  She is a member of the American College of Trial Lawyers. She serves on the Kaiser Arbitration Oversight Board. She is a co-author of the eminent Rutter Group California Practice Guide on Personal Injury, and the trial practice guide, Mastering the Mechanics of Civil Jury Trials. Following the induction of new Fellows of The American College of Trial Lawyers, Doris Cheng gave a speech to all the new inductees about being awarded such an elite honor. Read Full Bio   Show Sponsors: Legal Technology Services - LegalTechService.com Digital Law Marketing - DigitalLawMarketing.com Harris Lowry Manton LLP - hlmlawfirm.com   Free Resources: Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1 Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2