You have almost made it through another Monday in one piece, CivMixers. I’ve got to cut out a bit early to run to a meeting, but here are some headlines you might have overlooked as the day progressed.
Keep in mind that there very well could be – oh, who am I kidding, there definitely WILL be – more breaking news between now and when we meet again, bright and early tomorrow morning. I’ll be sure to catch you up on things.
In case you need something to do this evening – and assuming the weather cooperates – several state parks are staying open late so everyone looking for the clearest view of the Perseid Meteor Shower, one of the best shows of the year for sky watchers, can see the shooting stars.
Also, there’s still time to get out and celebrate National Julienne Fries Day.
In the news…
U.S. Attorney General William Barr said there were “serious irregularities” at the federal prison in Manhattan where accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein allegedly committed suicide, adding: “We will get to the bottom of what happened and there will be accountability.”
The Trump administration announced that it would change the way the Endangered Species Act is applied, significantly weakening the nation’s bedrock conservation law credited with rescuing the bald eagle, the grizzly bear and the American alligator from extinction.
The Trump administration also announced a rule change that will allow federal officials to deny green cards to immigrants considered likely to rely on government aid like food stamps, housing assistance or Medicaid.
Bill Cosby’s lawyers will fight to overturn his sexual assault conviction Monday as the 82-year-old comedian serves a three- to 10-year prison term in Pennsylvania.
Anthony Scaramucci, who served all of 11 days in the administration as White House communications director, said he won’t support Trump’s re-election and suggested the GOP might need to find another candidate to top its 2020 ticket.
Thousands of renters in Lower Manhattan should have had stabilized leases and may be owed years of back rent, according to a recent court ruling — but few know it.
After nearly 40 years of operation on the banks of Seneca Lake, Freedom Village USA, the controversial campus for troubled teenagers, is closed. State Office of Children and Family Services officials confirm the remaining few students have returned to their homes.
Legislation to bolster protections for victims of sexual harassment in the workplace in New York and lower hurdles for those individuals to seek judicial recourse was signed into law today by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Victims of sexual harassment no longer have to prove their mistreatment was “severe or pervasive” as defined under current standards. Instead, the new law expands that definition to include conduct that rises above “petty slights or trivial inconveniences.”
A stalled provision of the SAFE Act that would create a database of ammunition purchases is a “complicated issue” Cuomo said in a radio interview late last week.
More than two dozen local and statewide business groups today issued a letter urging Cuomo sign a pair of bills meant to spur regulatory relief in New York.
And so it begins….A lawsuit that will be filed later this week accuses an active Buffalo priest of sexually abusing an 8-year-old boy, according to the law firm that will file the suit.
The Adirondack Council is backing an effort to tackle overuse of the park’s popular high peaks hiking trails through new planning projects, better funding and a pilot program for permits.
State Police say they believe an Albany man extorted another person, taking over $8,600 from the victim’s bank account. Troopers charged Dyaire Holt, 22, with felony coercion and grand larceny.
A rare Blue American rabbit that was stolen from Vale Urban Farms in Schenectady has been found.
A 78-year-old man from Pittsfield, Mass. is the rider who, police said, was critically injured in a motorcycle crash that closed part of Route 32 in Bethlehem on Saturday.
The Clifton Park Halfmoon Public Library has announced it will be conducting a survey this month to gauge the public’s opinion on improvements that could be made to the library over the next few years.
Gershon’s Deli, temporarily closed by an electrical fire last week, has reopened, the deli announced. “We’re back in business!” Gershon’s Facebook page read. “Please stop in, we’ve missed you all!”
Former Oneida County Executive and state Sen. Ray Meier is facing aggravated DWI charges, according to the Rome Police Department.
“The Pretenders,” the locally shot film by actor-director James Franco, is slated for a Sept. 27 release by Cleopatra Entertainment.
Celebrated film director Francis Ford Coppola in October will bring a newly re-edited and expanded version of his 1984 movie “The Cotton Club” to town for a screening and conversation at The Egg with local author William Kennedy, who wrote the screenplay for the movie.
The Cohoes Falls is getting some well deserved attention.
The Altamont Fair kicks off tomorrow.
The State Fair opens Wednesday, and it looks like it’s going to be a warm start.
This is a great read, if you have some time on your hands.
Photo credit: George Fazio.
