At first glance, the white tents behind the Schoharie Reformed Church make the parking lot look inviting, like a yard sale. But as you walk past piles of construction debris, mud-caked minivans and makeshift tables displaying donated bottles of used cleaning products, a different scene reveals itself. The parking lot is a staging area for disaster relief. The Village of Schoharie (population: 1,300) was largely destroyed by flooding after Tropical Storm Irene last month. It’s a nightmare that Assemblyman Pete… [More]

CITY & STATE FIRST READ is our morning email roundup of New York politics and government. Every day before 7 a.m. we deliver daily exclusives from City Hall and The Capitol, a curated summary of the day’s headlines, editorials, schedules and milestones – and short tidbits like the “Heard Around Town” items below. Not getting City & State First Read each morning? Click here to subscribe. * When the Department of Environmental Conservation releases its complete report on hydrofracking today,… [More]

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has blasted the Long Island Power Authority for its frustratingly slow efforts to restore power after Tropical Storm Irene, but the governor hasn’t been so quick to exert his own power on the public authority. But the governor’s delay in installing new leadership at LIPA may give him greater freedom to criticize the public authority since he is not responsible for any of its appointees, some observers say. Even before the storm hit, LIPA’s debt woes and… [More]

CITY & STATE FIRST READ is our morning email roundup of New York politics and government. Every day before 7 a.m. we deliver daily exclusives from City Hall and The Capitol, a curated summary of the day’s headlines, editorials, schedules and milestones – and short tidbits like the “Heard Around Town” items below. Not getting City & State First Read each morning? Click here to subscribe.   HEARD AROUND TOWN – HURRICANE EDITION: * New York City officials didn’t highlight… [More]

CITY & STATE FIRST READ is our morning email roundup of New York politics and government. Every day before 7 a.m. we deliver daily exclusives from City Hall and The Capitol, a curated summary of the day’s headlines, editorials, schedules and milestones – and short tidbits like the “Heard Around Town” items below. Not getting City & State First Read each morning? Click here to subscribe.   HEARD AROUND TOWN – HURRICANE EDITION: * New York City officials didn’t highlight… [More]