Jun 24, 2005 — Governor Pataki refused to criticize comments made by President Bush's top aid, Karl Rove, at a Conservative Party dinner in New York Wednesday night. Karen DeWitt reports.  Go to full article

May 03, 2005 — The U.S. Border Patrol has dramatically increased the use of road checkpoints inside the U.S.- Canada border. One on the Adirondack Northway grabbed headlines last year after 4 people died and more than 50 were seriously injured in accidents there. But there are also dozens of border patrol checkpoints on smaller roads across the North Country. The Border Patrol says they're a critical second line of defense for stopping terrorism. But some citizens and civil liberties groups say they're an invasion of privacy and may not be very effective. David Sommerstein reports.  Go to full article

Feb 18, 2005 — In the weeks after the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001, the climate of ardent patriotism made it difficult for critics of the Bush Administration to speak out. One of the few voices of dissent during that time was New York City based artist David Rees. Rees has been drawing his comic strip Get Your War On for the three and a half years since then. He has two books out and the strip is now a regular feature in Rolling Stone magazine. Rees spoke Wednesday at St. Lawrence University, where several prints of the comic strip are on display through tomorrow. David Sommerstein caught up with him. Please note, there is one bleeped-out profanity in this story.  Go to full article

Dec 16, 2004 — Up to 10,000 soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division, based at Fort Drum near Watertown, will rotate into combat beginning next spring or summer. Members of the 1st Brigade will go to Iraq. Soldiers in the 3rd and 4th Brigades and a headquarters company will go to Afghanistan. It's the second deployment for many of them since September 11th, 2001. As David Sommerstein reports, the orders came as no surprise, but they're stirring up some resentment.  Go to full article

Dec 13, 2004 — Hundreds of soldiers from the north country are serving on the front lines in Iraq. Those units deal with local civilians every day. Often the encounters are tense, complicated by barriers of language and culture and fear. This week, in his latest Iraq Audio Diary, Major Eric Olsen talks with one of the local interpreters who serve as middle men between American soldiers and the people they're trying to protect. Major Eric Olsen is an Army chaplain from Saranac Lake. He's serving with the 2nd of the 108th, a New York National Guard unit.  Go to full article

Nov 08, 2004 — As fighting intensifies in Iraq, the Bush administration has called up thousands of additional reservists. Roughly 180,000 part-time soldiers are now on active duty. That's an increase of 25,000 since June. National Guard and Reserve soldiers now make up roughly half of the American forces serving in Iraq. According to the Pentagon, they're also suffering half of the casualties. Last month, 15 reservists were killed in action. Two of them were members of New York's 2nd battlion, 108th infantry regiment. In his latest audio diary, Major Eric Olsen, a chaplain from Saranac Lake, has this remembrance of Sgt. Michael Uvanni, a New York National Guardsman who was killed by a sniper October 1st in the town of Samarra.

The Iraq Diary series is produced by Brian Mann with web support from Dale Hobson.  Go to full article

Oct 27, 2004 — Two congressmen are asking the Border Patrol to shut down an Interstate 87 checkpoint in the Adirondacks until safety concerns are resolved.  Go to full article

Oct 25, 2004 — The National Transportation Safety Board says safety measures at an immigration checkpoint on the Northway are "ineffective" and contradictory. In a report issued late last week, the NTSB urged the Department of Homeland Security to develop national guidelines for traffic stop on highways. Brian Mann has details.  Go to full article

Oct 25, 2004 — The National Transportation Safety Board says safety measures at an immigration checkpoint on the Northway are "ineffective" and contradictory. In a report issued late last week, the NTSB urged the Department of Homeland Security to develop national guidelines for traffic stop on highways. Brian Mann has details.  Go to full article

Oct 18, 2004 — Hundreds of soldiers from northern New York are serving on the front lines in Iraq. For many, the dangers and the moral dilemmas of war are eased by faith. But they're also living and fighting in a place where religion is a flashpoint for violence and hatred. In his latest audio diary, Major Eric Olsen -- an army chaplain from Saranac Lake -- talks with reservists in Iraq about hope and spiritual belief in a time of conflict.  Go to full article