New York lawmakers have included a correction to the overtime tax credit in the budget proposals, which previously excluded some farms from receiving the credit, industry advocates said Wednesday.

Prior to the correction, the law, which mandates farmers pay overtime to workers after a decreasing number of hours, didn’t allow farms that operate through a management company or payroll company to receive the tax credit meant to help offset the increased costs.

Buffalo Congressman Tim Kennedy is calling on President Donald Trump to permanently rescind tariffs on Canada.

Rep. Kennedy said that Canada is our greatest ally and trading partner. He said that Trump's pausing of the tariffs is a positive step as Trump needs to avoid an all out trade-war.

Despite what President Donald Trump may have said during his address to Congress on Tuesday night, Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon says, the future Micron plant outside Syracuse is "full steam ahead."

McMahon, in a statement after Trump's speech Tuesday, said he's worked with the Trump administration, including EPA Administrator and former New York gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin, to further an environmental review of the CHIPS & Science Law project. He added that he met with Zeldin on Monday regarding keeping the Micron project on schedule.

Gov. Kathy Hochul blasted President Donald Trump's long-threatened tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports as they took effect Tuesday — warning they could prove detrimental to New York farmers.

The governor was also expected to publicly rebuke the Trump's administration's efforts to cut federal aid for low-income public schools later in the day, but Hochul did not attend as hundreds of corrections officers and their families protested nearby.

New York state Senate Democrats are advancing legislation that aims to enhance workplace protections and combat wage theft, they revealed Tuesday.

The package of legislation includes measures that would:

New federal tariffs put in place Tuesday will negatively impact farmers who rely on selling products internationally and consumers could see prices jump, Gov. Kathy Hochul warned.

“From the North Country to the Southern Tier, farmers are the backbone of New York state. Many of our farmers rely on export sales of their products, and I’ll continue to do everything in my power to fight against this misguided tariff policy and ensure the government is doing what it is supposed to do, which is help, not hurt, New York farmers,” Hochul said.

The expected 25% tariff on Canadian goods coming into the U.S. is expected to begin Tuesday.

And while this could have a major impact on trade with the U.S.' neighbors to the north, it could also affect local communities that depend on Canadian tourism.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — President Donald Trump is going ahead with plans to impose new tariffs beginning Tuesday on Canadian and Mexican exports to the United States.

Trump on Monday said there is “no room left” for the leaders of Canada and Mexico to stop his long-pledged 25% tariffs on imports from the two U.S. North American neighbors from taking effect after midnight.

ALBANY, N.Y. -- Federal policy changes were a major topic at the New York state Legislaure budget hearing on labor and workforce development.

Lawmakers asked state Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon how New York was dealing with potentially thousands of employees the Trump administration has or is in the process of letting go.

It’s budget time in New York, and local governments may face increased budget challenges this year due to factors like the expiration of federal pandemic-era aid, state aid not keeping up with the pace of inflation and slower growth in local revenue, according to a report released Tuesday by state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli.

According to DiNapoli, federal stimulus during the COVID-19 pandemic from the CARES Act of 2020, American Rescue Plan of 2021 provided the fastest growing source of revenue for local governments during that time, and they were required to obligate by the end of 2024 and spend by the end of 2026. The report said outside of New York City, counties received the most federal stimulus funds in terms of overall dollars, while American Rescue Plan funds represented 14.4% of total 2019 (pre-pandemic) revenues for cities, 5.3% for towns, 4.5% for counties and 3.2% for villages.

The ubiquitous food delivery app DoorDash will pay almost $17 million to settle claims that it unfairly used customer tips to subsidize the wages of its delivery workers in New York, rather than letting drivers keep the tips on top of their guaranteed pay, Attorney General Letitia James said Monday.

James said DoorDash used the wage model between May 2017 and September 2019. The company would guarantee workers a base payment for each delivery but was factoring tips into that equation, only paying workers for whatever the tips didn't cover, according to the attorney general.

Following a review by the newly confirmed U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brook Rollins, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released $20 million in funding for farmers.

The funding will be put toward contracts that were already used for the Enviornmental Quality Incentive Program, the Conservation Stewardship Program and the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program. Originally, the money was part of the Inflation Reduction Act, which the Trump administration froze.

Bipartisan legislation has been introduced in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives that would require manufacturers to report their dairy processing costs every two years.

“New York dairy farmers deserve to be paid a fair price for their milk, and they need a milk pricing system that they can count on,” said U.S. Sen. Kristen Gillibrand Thursday in a press release. “Requiring manufacturers to report dairy processing costs on a biennial basis will give dairy producers, processors, and cooperatives the data they need to ensure that their prices accurate reflect the costs of production.”

BUFFALO, N.Y. - Some dairy farmers in upstate New York say they don't know just how much the Trump administration's focus on illegal immigration could impact the industry — with stories already circulating about Immigration and Customs Enforcement showing up to farms to pick up specific people with known infractions.

"Our employees all come to us with documents. It's a matter of whether they're legitimate or not and I would say, I look at them. If they look good I move forward. I don't ask questions about how they got here or anything like that so at this point you can tell which ones are nervous," said one upstate farmer who asked to remain anonymous in order to protect his staff and business.

The New York Power Authority backed down from a significant rate increase proposed for hydropower after facing bipartisan backlash, but it was an order from Gov. Kathy Hochul herself that ultimately doomed the plan.

The increase, which was in the midst of a lengthy implementation process, would have sent hydropower rates from $12.88/MWh to $33.05 over the next four years before settling back to a rate of $24.26 by 2029.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — There have been a lot of changes in Washington, D.C. since the Trump administration took office. One change in particular has a Rochester small business owner scratching her head and wondering, why? Paper straws are a product that’s been in the president’s crosshairs for a while now.

A 10,000-square-foot factory in Rochester is the definition of a small business.

Canandaigua, Brockport and Phelps will each receive millions of dollars to improve their communities as part of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative and NY Forward, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Monday.

Brockport and Phelps will each receive $4.4 million from the NY Forward Program, while Canandaigua will receive $10 million as the Finger Lakes winner as part of the eighth round of the Downtown Revitalization Initiative.

New York state Sen. Pat Fahy introduced a new bill that would allow New Yorkers to purchase state-produced alcohol from certain restaurants.

Fahy said the bill would help boost the state's craft food and beverage industry.

Local government sales tax collections in New York state increased by 1.6% in 2024 from the year prior, though that's by a slower amount than years past, according to a report released Friday by state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli.

Collections totaled $376 million during the calendar year, DiNapoli said. It was the slowest annual growth seen since the COVID-19 pandemic decline in 2020, and was less than half of the average pre-pandemic growth rate (3.8%) of 2011 to 2019 following the Great Recession.

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Trump administration agreed Monday morning to put a pause on tariffs on Mexican goods imported to the United States for another month as part of a deal in which the Southern neighbors will send more troops to the border.

However, at the time Gov. Kathy Hochul spoke to reporters, the U.S. still had plans in place to begin imposing 25% tariffs on product from Canada, 10% on Canadian energy and 10% on Chinese goods.

Gov. Kathy Hochul’s $252 billion executive budget proposal includes plenty of good news for families, including a middle-class tax cut, an inflation rebate check and a tripling of the child tax credit.

But the proposed spending plan is enormous, fueled in part by an 8% increase in revenue that some budget watchdogs say is not sustainable.

As part of her State of the State agenda, Gov. Kathy Hochul wants to make changes to the state’s workers compensation system to make it easier for those with claims to control who provides care and encourage more providers to participate in the system.

According to Dr. James Tacci, medical director for the New York State Workers Compensation Board, thanks to the conditions of current state statute, only about 10% of medical providers are authorized to treat individuals with workers compensation claims. He said that’s largely due to a system that is so burdensome that many people’s primary care providers or specialists simply decline to participate.

Some farmers across New York are still looking for lawmakers to fix an issue that left them unable to receive a tax credit following the state’s new farmworker overtime law.

The law, which mandates farmers pay overtime rates to workers after a decreasing number of hours, doesn’t allow farms that operate through a management company or payroll company to receive a tax credit to help offset costs.

The Trump administration’s announcement of a federal funding and grants freeze has been described as an ideological review of spending to align with executive orders.

But advocates and municipal leaders argue that the order jeopardizes critical programs that millions of Americans rely on for health care, education and social services — including school lunch programs and home heating and energy assistance.

CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. -- Alton's Restaurant has been serving customers in Cheektowaga for more than 40 years.

General Manager Audrea Arricale said the casual dining establishment is known for serving breakfast all day.

Gov. Kathy Hochul announced record attendance at state parks in 2024.

With 88.3 million visitors in 2024, the record from 2023 was broken by 5%. Over the last 12 years, attendance at the parks has steadily increased.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- The U.S. Department of Commerce officially announced funding for three factories in upstate New York. It's awarding the company Corning in the North Country up to $32 million to expand production of glass products used in advanced semiconductor chips.

Edwards Vacuum at the Genesee County STAMP Facility will get up to $18 million to support the construction of its dry pump facility, also vital to semiconductor manufacturing. U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer first announced the investment earlier this week.

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Following a Wednesday meeting with Canada's provincial and territorial premiers, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said "everything is on the table" as the country prepares to defend against economic threats from the Trump administration which takes office next week.

However, Empire Center for Public Policy Research Director Ken Girardin does not take seriously suggestions Canada would cut off energy resources to the United States.

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The federal government has already designated the I-90 corridor between Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse as the country's only federal tech hub for the semiconductor industry.

Invest Buffalo Niagara President & CEO Tom Kucharski, who helped the regions apply for the designation, said it's been an effective point of distinction as his and other economic development organizations pitch to site selectors and companies.

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Job growth in the United States outpaced analyst predictions in December by about 100,000.

The Bureau of Labor report released Friday showed the country gained about 256,000 jobs in December.

Farmers in New York state have some concerns as they begin the new year. Changing federal and state policies seem to be the driving forces behind their worries.

“The uncertainty about agricultural labor right now is probably foremost in most of agriculture's mind," said Doug Shelmindine, co-owner of Sheland Farms.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul released a statement Wednesday saying the state’s Republican congressional delegation should demand a full repeal of the cap on the federal deduction for state and local taxes, or SALT, as negotiations on its future continue with Donald Trump about to return to the White House.

“The New York Republican delegation owes middle class New Yorkers a full repeal of the SALT cap. This cap has cost New Yorkers as much as $12 billion every year since it took effect in 2018, robbing middle-class families of their hard-earned money,” Hochul said in the statement. “Republicans have drained billions directly from the pockets of their own constituents, and now it’s time for them to deliver. No excuses. No half measures. It's all or nothing – New Yorkers deserve a full repeal.”

Nonprofit organizations in 2022 provided 1.3 million jobs to New Yorkers, which was a 4.1% decline over a five-year period, according to a report released Wednesday by state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli.

There were more than 33,536 nonprofit organizations in the state as of 2022, the report says, which comprised one-tenth of the organizations nationwide.

The new year brings some changes to 401 (k) plans across the country, including an expanded limit on catch-up contributions older workers can make. The larger contributions can lower the amount of taxable income for individuals who are eligible and take advantage.

The contribution cap this year for all employees is $23,500, a $500 increase over last year’s cap.

Gov. Kathy Hochul is proposing a large expansion of New York’s child tax credit as part of her 2025 State of the State executive agenda, the governor announced Monday.

Under her proposal, families would receive an annual credit of up to $1,000 per child under age 4 and up to $500 per child from age 4 to 16. The current rate is set at $330 per child.

The New York state Office of Cannabis Management has generated more than $1 billion in total revenue since the recreational cannabis market opened in 2022, according to its annual report released Thursday.

That money has come from the nearly 300 adult use cannabis dispensaries now open across the state. The office said it has issued over 5,000 licenses, permits and registrations and conducted 1,300 enforcement inspections over that time.

Plates, forks and knives are everyday essentials for all of us, however, most of these items are made abroad. Now, state leaders are pushing for the items to be American made with the FORKS Made in America Act.

It would require the Department of Defense to buy stainless steel flatware and dinnerware from manufacturers in the United States, potentially good news for Sherrill Manufacturing in upstate New York.

The number of private sector jobs in New York increased by 11,900, or 0.1%, in November, according to preliminary seasonally adjusted figures released Thursday by the state Department of Labor.

These put the total number of private sector jobs in the state to 8,409,100, in November. The number of private sector jobs in the U.S. also increased by 0.1% in the same period, the department said.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a bill into law that aims to crack down on a sort of “black market” for restaurant reservations, the governor’s office announced Thursday.

The legislation makes it illegal for third-party restaurant reservation services from arranging unauthorized restaurant reservations with food service establishments. Those services must enter into a written agreement with restaurants before being able to list reservations on their website.

New York state’s Child Poverty Reduction Advisory Council (CPRAC) voted on Wednesday to advance $9 billion of child poverty reduction recommendations to Gov. Kathy Hochul. The hope is that she includes the recommendations in her State of the State address and her executive budget.

CPRAC was created in 2021 by passage of the Child Poverty Reduction Act, which has a goal of reducing poverty in the state by 50% by 2031.

The minimum wage in New York state is set to increase by 50 cents on Jan. 1, 2025.

The state’s minimum wage will increase from $16 an hour to $16.50 per hour in New York City, Long Island and Westchester County. For the rest of the state, it will increase from $15 to $15.50 an hour.

New York’s recreational cannabis industry has run into yet another legal hurdle, continuing to face fallout for decisions made by prior leadership of the state Office of Cannabis Management.

A state Supreme Court in Albany County on Thursday placed an injunction on the state from issuing new cannabis store licenses to applicants that don’t have a secured retail space as required by state law.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said her proposed “inflation refund” checks of up to $500 to taxpayers won’t impact the state’s finances in terms of emergency funds.

The governor announced the proposal on Monday, which would provide single New York taxpayers earning up to $150,000 annually a one-time payment of $300, while joint filers making up to $300,000 per year would get $500. The refund would be funded by excess sales tax revenue generated by inflation, or as Hochul as been calling it, “unanticipated revenue.”

Micron and the federal government have sealed the deal on the funding agreement on their future plant outside Syracuse.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's office confirmed Tuesday that the up-to-$6.1 billion in CHIPS & Science Law funding for Micron to build a new facility upstate is finalized and secured. This locks in the funding for the massive new chip fabrication facility being built in Clay.

Unemployment among people with disabilities in New York remains frustratingly high at 67%.

In order to address the issue, Gov. Kathy Hochul issued an executive order in September committing New York to be an “Employment First State” and to increase “Competitive Integrated Employment for New Yorkers with Disabilities."

Millions of New York state residents could receive “inflation refund” checks of up to $500 if a proposal from Gov. Kathy Hochul passes in the state budget next year.

Under the proposal, single New York taxpayers earning up to $150,000 annually would receive a one-time payment of $300, while joint filers making up to $300,000 per year would get $500, Hochul said Monday.

A pets advocate group has filed a lawsuit seeking an injunction against New York’s coming state law that will ban the sale of dogs, cats and rabbits in retail stores.

The Puppy Mill Pipeline Act, scheduled to go into effect on Dec. 15, is designed to stop dangerous large-scale breeding operations known as "puppy mills," where animals often face mistreatment and serious health issues.

More than 250 state and local organizations are urging New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to include a package of food and nutrition priorities in her upcoming executive budget proposal, according to a letter sent to the governor.

The groups are requesting:

The 110-year-old New York State Insurance Fund (NYSIF) has an ambiguous name, but does critical work.

The fund was born out of one of the deadliest tragedies in New York City history: the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire in which 146 mostly young immigrant women and girls perished.

Several New York and Pennsylvania House Republicans, led by Rep. Nick Langworthy, called on Gov. Kathy Hochul to end opposition to a proposed natural gas pipeline that would’ve run through parts of the Southern Tier and Western New York, according to a letter they sent Thursday.

Known as the Northern Access Pipeline, National Fuel Gas Co. proposed a decade ago to build a two-foot wide, 96-mile pipeline that would run through parts of Allegany, Cattaraugus and Erie counties, as well as one county in Pennsylvania, and carry natural gas to a variety of places in North America.

The number of clean energy jobs in New York state has reached a record high with 178,000 employees in the industry at the end of 2023, according to findings from the 2024 New York Clean Energy Industry Report.

That’s an increase of 7,700 from the year prior.

Several hemp retailers in the state who say they've been improperly accused of selling illegal marijuana products have high hopes for a state Supreme Court decision expected by the end of the month.

Hemp store owners this summer sued the state Office of Cannabis Management after police confiscated thousands of dollars of product they argue they're legally licensed to sell through the state agency.

Some New York pet stores are closing their doors for good ahead of big changes for the industry.

Two years ago, legislation was passed banning the sale of dogs, cats and rabbits in New York retail pet shops and signed into law by Gov. Kathy Hochul. The legislation, according to a press release, was "aiming to end the puppy mill-to-pet store pipeline and stop abusive breeders."

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Thanksgiving is a day for traditions like turkey, football and watching the parade.

Dank dispensary owner Aaron Van Camp said in his family they had a more discreet custom as well.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Threats of tariffs by President-elect Donald Trump are raising flags for people on all sides of the border.

Trump posted Monday on Truth Social that he’d sign an executive order declaring a 25% tariff on all products coming in from Mexico and Canada if they don’t crack down on illegal immigration and the flow of illegal drugs.

In 1940, New York state sent 45 congressional representatives to Capitol Hill.

By the year 2000, that number had dropped to 29.

The state pension fund is estimated to be valued at $274.6 billion as of the end of the second quarter of the state's fiscal year, New York state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli announced Wednesday.

The comptroller said fund investments returned an estimated 4.15% during the three-month period ending Sept. 30. At the end of the state’s fiscal year in March, the pension fund was valued at $267.7 billion.

A cryptocurrency plant in Central New York can continue operating after a court rejected the state’s effort to shut down the facility, but the debate isn’t over and both sides consider the ruling a victory.

Environmental advocates have been railing against the Greenidge Generation facility for years, alleging the operation works against the state's goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The number of private sector jobs in New York decreased slightly — .01% — in October, according to preliminary seasonally adjusted figures released Thursday by the state Department of Labor.

These put the total number of private sector jobs in the state to 8,391,200 in October, a drop of 800 jobs from the month before.

A week after winning her re-election bid, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said Tuesday she's inviting President-elect Donald Trump to tour the semiconductor manufacturing industry in New York.

"So that he can see for himself that these are jobs that will last for decades and that we want to be competitive with China, something he's said publicly many times, he wants to out compete China. New York is the way to do that," she told Spectrum News 1.

The New York state Office of Cannabis Management approved a six-month extension for provisional licenses for retailers with former marijuana convictions who want to open a recreational store, the office announced Tuesday.

Conditional Adult Use Retail Dispensary Licenses, known as the CAURD program, was created by the state to prioritize upcoming business owners with a cannabis conviction under former drug laws or people who have a family member with a previous conviction.

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- J.C. Seneca is taking over as president of the Seneca Nation of Indians after garnering more than 87% of the tribal election vote.

The business owner, philanthropist and long-time council member, who lost his previous three presidential campaigns, said the time was right.

An additional $2.4 billion makes New York's fiscal picture rosier than expected, but Gov. Kathy Hochul said Wednesday the extra cash will help drive down the state's existing debt.

Higher profits on Wall Street have given the state the $2.4 billion boost — shrinking next year's budget gap to $1 billion, according to the state's Mid-Year Budget update released late Tuesday.

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Help is on the way for three Western New York cities in the form of millions of dollars in state funding connected to a Seneca casino revenue sharing deal.

The governor's office said it will deliver more than $5.5 million to Buffalo, roughly $7.6 million to Niagara Falls and another $3.5 million to Salamanca and Cattaraugus County. New acting Buffalo Mayor Chris Scanlon said the city budgeted for $11 million in casino money.

The number of private sector jobs in New York decreased over the month by 2,900, or less than 0.1%, in September, according to preliminary seasonally adjusted figures released Thursday by the state Department of Labor.

These put the total number of private sector jobs in the state to 8,392,500 in September. By contrast, private sector jobs in the U.S. increased by 0.2% in September, the department said.

U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer announced a new $750 million preliminary investment for Wolfspeed from the CHIPS and Science Bill. Wolfspeed, located in Marcy, is the lead silicon carbide chip manufacturer in the U.S.

The funding is meant to boost Wolfspeed’s ongoing upstate expansion, as well as help to build a North Carolina facility that will send chip “wafers” to the Marcy Nanocenter to be finished.

ALBANY, N.Y. – New York's Advanced Clean Truck regulations take effect in 2025, requiring manufacturers that make vehicles 8,500 pounds and heavier to sell an increasing percentage of electric vehicles each year moving forward.

The goal, when feasible, is for all new commercial trucks by 2045 to produce zero emissions. Department of Environmental Conservation Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar said it's a critical component for meeting the state's climate goals.

Wall Street’s profits for the first half of the year were nearly 80% higher than last year. That’s according to a report from state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli.

DiNapoli reported that Wall Street’s $23.2 billion in pretax profits for the first half of 2024 were a 79.3% increase over the same period last year. He said the increase, which he described as “dramatic” was buoyed by securities trading, underwriting and selling. The report indicated that annual profits are on pace to close out the year in a significantly stronger spot than 2023.

Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown is stepping down from the office that he’s held for almost 20 years to become the president and CEO of Western New York Regional Off-Track Betting.

One of the reasons OTB said that it was interested in hiring Brown was for his relationships with lawmakers in Albany.

The dairy industry relies heavily on exporting their products through the East and Gulf Coast ports but with the labor strike, dairy farmers are at risk.

A.J. Wormuth, owner of Half Full Dairy in Elbridge, said he is concerned about the port strike and how it will impact the supply chain.

Fourteen New York local governments have been designated as "some level of fiscal stress," according to a new report from state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli's office. The state capital of Albany is one of them.

The report, recapping fiscal year 2023 in the state, shows that under the Fiscal Stress Monitoring System, 14 governments in fiscal stress is unchanged from fiscal 2022, and remains the lowest number the state have seen since the Fiscal Stress Monitoring System was introduced for fiscal 2013.

New York lawmakers said Wednesday they will introduce several proposals to regulate artificial intelligence in the state, and learn lessons from other states, like California, where concerns from tech giants squashed historic AI legislation over the weekend.

State assemblymembers held a hearing in Albany last week to examine the best way to protect New York consumers as the nascent automated technology develops.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — U.S. ports from Maine to Texas shut down Tuesday when the union representing about 45,000 dockworkers went on strike for the first time since 1977.

Workers began walking picket lines early Tuesday, picketing near ports all along the East Coast.

The New York state Division of Budget sent a letter to state agencies on Tuesday warning them to keep their funding requests flat ahead of the FY25-26 budget that New York lawmakers will have to pass in April of next year.

“While there is a growing consensus that the national economy is proceeding toward a ‘soft landing,’ New York’s status as the world’s financial capital makes it susceptible to a multitude of economic, geopolitical, and market risks,” the letter to agency commissioners from state Budget Director Blake Washington, reads. “A thorough consideration of state commitments will allow the state to be better positioned to meet planned out-year spending growth, and in the event of an economic downturn, will lessen the need for potential reduction in critical services at a time when New Yorkers would otherwise be in most need of our support. To accomplish this, agency budget requests for State Fiscal Year SFY 2026 should not exceed the total SFY 2025 Enacted Budget agency funding levels, excluding one-time investments."

New York is preparing for any impacts a possible strike at ports along the East Coast might have on the state, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Monday.

At issue is a contract dispute between the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) with the current contract expiring Tuesday. The ILA is demanding significantly higher wages and a total ban on the automation of cranes, gates and container-moving trucks that are used in the loading or unloading of freight at 36 U.S. ports.

More than $33 million has been allocated to help farmers address the impacts of climate change as part of New York’s Climate Resilient Farming grant program, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Friday.

“This program gives farmers the resources they need to mitigate their impact on the environment, prepare for and respond to whatever weather events the future holds and continue their critical work contributing to our local economies,” Hochul said in a statement.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a bill into law aimed to increase transparency and accountability in public utility rate changes, she announced Wednesday.

One piece of legislation will require the Public Service Commission to publish certain information prior to a major rate change by a public gas or electric utility, explaining why the rate change is requested and a summary of how the proposed revenue will be spent.

About $27 million in Department of Defense funding will go to the New York-based consortium known as the Northeast Regional Defense Technology Hub (NORDTECH) to boost semiconductor research and development and workforce training at upstate universities and research institutions, U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer announced Wednesday.

The funding comes from the $2 billion CHIPS for America Defense Fund, part of the CHIPS and Science Act that passed Congress in 2022 and on which Schumer was a lead architect. It will go to upstate research labs focused on semiconductor chips, quantum computing and other critical technology part of the defense industry.

Local sales tax collections in New York grew by 3.8% in August compared to the same month in 2023, according to data released Tuesday by state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli's office.

DiNapoli said collections reached $1.85 billion, which is up $68 million year over year.

The state Legislature authorized up to three new casino licenses in the downstate region back in 2022, but progress has been slow. Now one lawmaker is saying enough with the delays, as the state Gaming Commission says decisions on where those casinos will be are still over a year away.

State Sen. Joe Addabbo told Spectrum News 1 that it is taking way too long to get these casinos up and running. He hopes Gov. Kathy Hochul will take action on a bill he sponsored, which passed late last session, to codify deadlines into law.

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- In Western New York, two small movies will begin shooting before the end of the year and Buffalo Niagara Film Commissioner Tim Clark said there are a number of big projects in the works for 2025.

"Two of them in particular are studio films so chances are they'll be major motion pictures with major stars," Clark said.

State business groups expressed disappointment Monday that Gov. Kathy Hochul didn't heed concerns about negative impacts a new law to strengthen protections for retail workers from theft rings and related violence will have on small employers.

Hochul signed legislation, known as the Retail Worker Safety Act, over the weekend as part of a package of legislation to commemorate New York City's annual Labor Day parade on Saturday.

Rail technology company Siemens Mobility will build a first-of-its-kind high-speed rail manufacturing facility in Horseheads, in Chemung County, New York, creating about 300 new jobs, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced Monday.

The facility will build high-speed trainsets for Brightline West, which will build 218 miles of new track along the Interstate 15 cooridor, which will connect Las Vegas to Southern California. The seven-car trains, designed for speeds of up to 220 miles per hour, will carry up to 450 passengers. The trains would run faster than those on other high-speed lines in the U.S.

Nuclear energy is unique in a lot of ways. While it doesn’t emit greenhouse gasses, it is extractive since it relies on uranium mining. While nuclear waste is radioactive and must be carefully transported and stored, nuclear power is efficient and a greenhouse gas emissions-free alternative to oil and gas.

The state currently has three aging nuclear plants in Central New York, but they continue to produce 20% of New York’s energy.

Does New York’s climate plan need more nuclear energy? Nuclear New York answers that question with a resounding “yes."

With the state’s climate targets lagging at least three years behind, and its electricity needs increasing thanks to Artificial Intelligence; economic development projects like Micron; and crypto currency mining, there are stakeholders who feel investing further in nuclear power is the best way to meet the state’s energy goals within a reasonable timeline.

The New York state Office of Cannabis Management is implementing a new reporting tool to allow licensees authorized to cultivate to meet the state's climate goals.

Licensees can now use the PowerScore platform, a state-specific tool that provides detailed insights into resource consumption and aims to help businesses understand the relationship between their operating costs and yield. It is available at no cost, ensuring that all participants have the tools necessary to monitor and reduce resource consumption, potentially lower operating costs, and meet state environmental standards.

The state’s energy summit will continue on Thursday in Syracuse with panel discussions on next generation technologies and nuclear power, among other issues.

Protests are planned around the event by those groups who were not invited to participate: communities on the front lines of the climate crisis, including environmental justice organizations.

Gavin Donohue, president and CEO of the Independent Power Producers of New York (IPPNY), is hoping to hear that the Hochul administration will be investing more in workforce development to ensure that New York can quickly bring online any new energy technologies.

He spoke with Capital Tonight’s Susan Arbetter about the issue from the governor’s energy summit in Syracuse.

When Jerome Powell delivered a high-profile speech last month, the Federal Reserve chair came the closest he ever had to declaring that the inflation surge that gripped the nation for three painful years was now essentially defeated.

And not only that. The Fed's high interest rates, Powell said, had managed to achieve that goal without causing a widely predicted recession and high unemployment.

Zoe McGrady makes her living as a beauty and print model. She loves the industry, but says it's missing structure, like consequences for bad actors.

She says she still hasn't been paid for a job she did a year ago.

A three-month push to shut down unlicensed cannabis stores has led to hundreds of shops seeing their doors padlocked and issued notices of violation, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Monday.

The Illicit Cannabis Enforcement Task Force was launched on May 21. In accompaniment with several other statewide agencies and law enforcement groups, more than 150 investigators have been sent to inspect, padlock and seize products from illicit cannabis operators since that time.

As voters prepare to go to the polls this November, small business owners are taking a close look at the issues and policies that are most urgent to them.

Thousands of small business owners in New York state participated in a survey ranking issues they say rank as the most severe for them.

Cidermaker Chris Jackson says that at the height of the pandemic, shipping cider to customers who didn’t want to leave their homes helped keep the century-old Fishkill farms afloat.

“Obviously, that really saved a lot of cideries through COVID," he said. "The biggest thing was that it proved that it's not a big deal to do that. It's easy to manage. It doesn't take away from anybody else's business, and it really helps some of these cideries stay in business."

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has signed a bill into law that will allow small craft manufacturers of spirits, cider and mead to ship directly to consumers, a practice put in place temporarily during the COVID-19 pandemic that will now be allowed again for good.

The new law will expand opportunities for the craft beverage industry by allowing them to ship their products to consumers within and across state lines.

A surge in optimism by Democrats over the prospects of Vice President Kamala Harris lifted U.S. consumer sentiment slightly this month.

The University of Michigan's consumer sentiment index edged up to 67.8 after coming in at 66.4 in July. Americans' expectations for the future rose, while their assessment of current economic conditions sank slightly.