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From NCPR Blogs:

  Ailsa Chang’s NPR profile of New York Senator — and former North Country congresswoman — Kirsten Gillibrand is getting panned on-line and apparently edited by NPR’s on-line crew. Chang’s report cast Sen....
It was a newsy week in the world of agriculture, so here are seven good reads to keep you busy this weekend: The Farm Bill passed both the House and Senate Agriculture committees this week, and are likely to get hearings on the floors of their...
I’ve been as captivated as anyone by the sudden burgeoning of scandal in Washington. Until this month, the Obama administration seemed to skate almost effortlessly above the morass that eventually sucks up most White Houses, from Richard...
The Senate Agriculture committee passed a nearly $100 billion a year Farm Bill this afternoon, 15-5. One of the Senators who voted against it was New York Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand, who’s leading a fight to restore all of the $400 million...
Let me outline what we know so far about the attacks on US embassy staff last September that led to the deaths of four Americans, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens. First, it’s a big deal. There are strong indications — and the US...



Politics
May 19, 2013 — Controversies dominated this past week's political headlines, leaving the Obama White House on the defensive, trying to contain any lasting damage. Host Rachel Martin talks with NPR's Mara Liasson.
May 19, 2013 — The IRS has admitted it flagged tax-exemption requests from groups with "tea party" or "patriot" in their names starting in 2010. But some liberal groups and journalism organizations say their applications also faced long delays during the same period.
May 19, 2013 — The Model S from electric car manufacturer Tesla has been named Motor Trend Car of the Year. But the company's business model is under attack by a formidable foe: the National Automobile Dealers Association, one of the most powerful lobbying groups in Washington.
May 18, 2013 — NPR's Ari Shapiro joins host Scott Simon to talk about the Obama administration's week. The president was buffeted by revelations that the IRS had targeted Tea Party groups seeking tax-exempt status and that the Justice Department had subpoenaed reporter phone records. On top of that, Republicans continue to allege that the White House engaged in a cover-up of talking points about the attack in Benghazi, Libya.
May 18, 2013 — NPR's Peter Overby reports on the Congressional testimony of IRS officials in response to the scandal over special scrutiny of tea party groups. Underneath all the politics, there's a policy question that hasn't been addressed.

Voter Resources

Project Sunlight: Track lobbying activities, member item spending and other legislation in New York. An initiative of the NYS Office of the Attorney General.

League of Women Voters DemocracyNet: Great one-stop election resource.

NYS Board of Elections Campaign Finance Database: Enter the last name of any candidate in New York to find out where the money comes from and where it's going.

Open Secrets: Campaign finance information broken down by industry, region, etc., for mostly federal politicans. An excellent starting point for following
money in politics.

Special Reports

heather root
Audio Slideshow:
Adirondack teens talk democracy
Face of Democracy is a national program that gives students an inside view of the democratic process by sending out to polling places to interview and photograph voters and officials. Sue Halpern, project organizer, talks with Brian Mann
faso cartoon
Cartoon Special:
Editorial cartoonist Mark Wilson Covers the NYS Party Conventions
Mark Wilson, aka Marquil, is a political cartoonist covering the 2006 New York State party conventions for NCPR. His sketches and caricatures bring the arcana of state politics to life.
McKnight Farm, Montpelier, Vermont. Photo: Sarah Harris
McKnight Farm, Montpelier, Vermont. Photo: Sarah Harris

Vermont grants driver's licenses to migrant workers

Dairy farms in Vermont and northern New York have faced a major labor shortage, which means that migrant laborers from Mexico and Guatemala are now milking many of the region's cows.

Farm country here is not an easy place to be a migrant worker: It's rural, hard to get around, and there's not a big Latino population. But a new law means that migrant workers in Vermont will soon be able to drive legally.  Go to full article
Hodson Hall, which houses North Country Community College's administration and several classrooms, in Saranac Lake. Photo: Chris Morris via <a href="http://www.adirondackdailyenterprise.com/">Adirondack Daily Enterprise</a>

North Country Community College reaches deal with faculty union

North Country Community College has reached a new, five-year deal with the union that represents its faculty.

NCCC President Steve Tyrell presented on the new contract at Monday's Essex County Board of Supervisors meeting. Afterward, county lawmakers approved the deal unanimously.  Go to full article
At the Rusty Nail. Archive Photo of the Day: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ncpr/8476197204/">George Cook</a>, Saranac Lake, NY

Essex County OKs earlier bar closing time

ELIZABETHTOWN, N.Y. (AP) Lawmakers in the northern New York county that's home to Lake Placid have approved a measure requiring bars to close an hour earlier.

The Press-Republican of Plattsburgh reports that the Essex County Board of Supervisors voted Monday to change the legal closing time from 4 a.m. to 3 a.m. The measure now goes to the State Liquor Authority for final approval.  Go to full article
Thousand Islands border crossing. Photo: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/friscocali/5066698146/">Friscocali</a>, Creative Commons, some rights reserved

Leahy, Owens oppose US-Canada border fee

Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy has joined the fight against a border fee.

The Department of Homeland Security last month proposed a study to assess the...  Go to full article
Protesters banned from the Republican-led hearing try to listen through an open window. Photo: Karen DeWitt

Dispute over access overshadows NYS campaign finance hearing

A hearing by Senate Republicans on New York City's public campaign financing system was overshadowed by protests, as government reform groups and other members of the public...  Go to full article
Adirondack Health CEO Chandler Ralph, center, at a public meeting May 1 on the proposed conversion of the Adirondack Medical Center-Lake Placid emergency room to an urgent care center, held at Lake Placid Center for the Arts. Stan Urban, left, is chair of Adirondack Health's Board of Trustees; to the right is Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Broderick. Photo: Chris Knight via <a href="http://www.adirondackdailyenterprise.com/page/content.detail/id/536726/Crowd-shouts-down-Lake-Placid-ER-plan.html">Adirondack Daily Enterprise</a>

Plan to close Lake Placid ER faces harsh criticism

Adirondack Health will host the second of two public meetings tonight on a controversial plan to convert the emergency room at its Lake Placid hospital to an urgent care...  Go to full article
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). Photo: Mark Kurtz

Gillibrand wants food stamps, milk price reform in Farm Bill

Congress is back to work on a new five year Farm Bill. The Senate passed one last year, but the House of Representatives couldn't agree on the size of cuts to the food stamp...  Go to full article
Syracuse-area job losses. Infographic: <a href="http://www.brookings.edu/research/reports/2013/04/18-job-sprawl-kneebone">Brookings Institution report</a>

Most upstate cities losing jobs

There's been a steady flow of jobs away from America's city downtowns for the first decade of this century. Some of upstate New York's cities are bucking the trend, but not...  Go to full article
Photo: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/25947183@N04/5728324248/">Ove Overmeyer</a>, Creative Commons, some rights reserved

Group cites 100,000 NY campaign finance violations

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) Gassing up twice a week in New Jersey? Hiring Turdo the magician? Buying smoked meats for Christmas presents?

A review by The Associated Press...  Go to full article
Former NY Senate Democratic Leader John Sampson. Photo: Karen DeWitt

Another State Senator arrested

Former Senate Democratic Leader John Sampson turned himself in to federal authorities Monday, after being accused in a nine count indictment of embezzling nearly half a...  Go to full article

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