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Lawmakers react to controversial, Clean Slate Act

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:16 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (WTEN) -- For years, advocates have been pushing for what some call a controversial bill: The Clean Slate Act. The bill would automatically seal criminal records three years after sentencing for misdemeanors and after seven years for felonies. It would not apply to sex crimes. Advocates say existing criminal records make it nearly impossible for those who were previously incarcerated to get a job or proper housing.  Albany advocates for Clean Slate Act "Once you’ve atoned for these mistakes, you should be able to move forward and make yourself and your families whole," said Senator Jamaal Bailey. Bailey said everyone deserves a second chance and passage of the bill will lead to lower recidivism rates, "You want to stop people from committing crimes, give them a job. You want to make sure you keep people off the street, give them a job." Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay said while the bill has good intentions, there are simply some crimes that should not be sealed...

AG secures over $860K from USA Medical Transport

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:16 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A Capital Region medical transportation company that provided rides for Medicaid recipients to get to and from their appointments has agreed to pay $862,500, to the New York State Medicaid Program. Ismat Farhan and his company, USA Medical Transport, were found to be defrauding Medicaid by submitting over 2,500 false claims and billing Medicaid around $400,000. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! “Medicaid is meant to help support the medical needs of vulnerable New Yorkers, not to pad a company’s profits,” said Attorney General James. “Farhan and USA Medical Transport took advantage of their patients and taxpayers by billing Medicaid for thousands of services that were never provided."Investigations determined that Farhan submitted fraudulent claims between June 2015 and February 2020. The settlement resolves the OAG's findings.

Waterford nature lovers help rescue injured eagle

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:16 GMT

WATERFORD, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- A group of nature lovers in Waterford put their bird knowledge to the ultimate test when they helped rescue an injured eagle over the weekend. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Patricia Egan and her son, Robert Alford, were taking their usual Saturday morning walk down the Champlain Canal Trail when Patricia spotted a big bird down in the basin."We thought he was hunting or something, so we continued our walk," Egan recalled, "and on our way back, it was still there, and we knew that was unusual."They realized he was injured and called North Country Wild Care. They spoke to someone who told them to capture the eagle."We have no idea how to do that, so my mother sent out an SOS on 'Peebles Eagles' Facebook page hoping Bob and Janet would respond," said Alford.Bob and Janet Beaudoin are well known in the area for photographing the local wildlife and sharing on social media– something they picked up d...

Glens Falls looks to upgrade its noise code

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:16 GMT

GLENS FALLS, N.Y. (NEWS10) - The city of Glens Falls is looking for input on whether things are getting too loud. Starting this week, the city's Building and Codes Committee is reviewing Glens Falls' noise ordinance - and wants public input on how things are sounding. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! A new survey has been released, for city and area residents to weigh in on whether enough is being done to control noise in Glens Falls' five wards. The city asks for specifics on whether users live or work in the city, information on the type of neighborhood in which they live, and comments about the state of noise pollution in the city.“Any changes to the noise ordinance will have to be measurable and objective," said Ward 3 Councilwoman Diana Palmer. “While we will be looking at other communities for examples, we want to make sure we are crafting an ordinance unique to our city and the needs of our residents.”  Currently, the...

Woman without arms and legs wants a job, not empathy

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:16 GMT

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) - Eight hours a day and six days a week, 48-year-old Lisa Olson searches for a job from her home in Virginia Beach. She has a master's degree in journalism from Regent University, where she worked for 19 years. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! Ten years ago, the scene was dramatically different when she was interviewed by NEWS10's sister station in Virginia. "Hello, my name is Lisa Olson. I'm the Career Services and Quality Manager at Regent Univesity's Robertson School of Management and I am Hampton Roads," she said for the closing line in her segment. Last year, Olson joined the ranks of the unemployed when her position at Regent, a job she loved, was eliminated. She hopes that the pandemic-inspired work-from-home trend would bode well for her since her daily routine requires a few extra steps. She has applied for about 400 jobs and has sat for some seventy interviews. Not one job has been offere...

If Trump is indicted, what happens next?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:16 GMT

Preparations appear to be underway for the unprecedented scenario that Donald Trump could become the first former president in U.S. history to be indicted.Barricades arrived outside the criminal courthouse in Manhattan on Monday while law enforcement agencies grapple with how to protect the former president. Questions also remain as to whether Trump would be handcuffed and when he would first appear in court if he is indeed charged in a case involving a hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.As a potential indictment looms, here’s what to expect if the grand jury indicts Trump.What charges would Trump face?Manhattan prosecutors are scrutinizing a $130,000 hush payment that Michael Cohen, Trump’s longtime fixer and former attorney, made to Daniels in exchange for her silence about an alleged affair she says she had with Trump. Making a hush payment in itself is not illegal, but legal observers indicate that prosecutors are eying charges against the former presid...

Hickenlooper: The FAA is a mess; let Phil Washington get it back on track

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:16 GMT

There’s currently no Senate-confirmed leader at the FAA. If there were, they’d be fired by now. It’s been a rough couple of years for air travel: we’ve seen the first nationwide grounding of flights since 9/11 because an old computer failed, airlines stranded passengers for days after a winter storm, delays so frequent you can almost predict them, and even near-collisions on runways.It’s time we put someone in charge who can put the FAA back on course. That someone is Phil Washington.You might wonder who would want the job given the recent chaos. But that’s what Phil does. He takes on the big, complex problems and gets it done. Phil honed his leadership skills over 24 years in the U.S. Army where he ultimately achieved the rank of command sergeant major, the highest enlisted rank possible. In the Army, the command sergeant major makes things work by organizing and motivating troops to get the mission done, whatever it is.He then took the top job at Regional Transportation Dist...

California to establish oil company watchdog in scaled-back win for Newsom

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:16 GMT

California Governor Gavin Newsom's ongoing battle with oil companies picked up a win Monday after legislative leaders struck a deal on a proposal to establish a year-round watchdog that will monitor oil company profits.The proposal was authored by California State Senator Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) at the behest of the governor, who has publicly decried the soaring price of gasoline in California, for which he has accused big oil companies of price gouging consumers.The proposal outlines the creation of a new independent watchdog group within the California Energy Commission that will be tasked with monitoring California's petroleum market on a daily basis. It would have access to new information that oil refiners would be legally required to report, as well as subpoena power to obtain other data. The hope, the governor says, is that the new watchdog group would make sure oil companies "play by the rules," or face civil penalties or prosecution by the state's Attorney General. New...

New luxury airline to begin Taipei to LAX flights

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:16 GMT

A Taiwan-based luxury airline will begin offering flights from Taipei to LAX starting in April.STARLUX Airlines will offer the transpacific flights five days a week when the service launches, with plans to expand to daily flights in June. The inaugural flight will take place on April 26. Passengers will fly aboard the luxury airline's new-generation Airbus A350s which will be configured into a "premium four-class layout." There will be four seats in First Class, 26 in Business Class, 36 in Premium Economy, and 240 in Economy.Travelers in First and Business classes will have private spaces with a sliding door and seats with "full-flat and Zero G mode for full relaxation," the airline said. Premium Economy will feature extra legroom and luxury seats with a leg rest and footrest bar. Even the Economy Class seats will offer luxury amenities, the airline said, with leather headrests and a wide seat pitch (the space between your seat and the seat in front of you).All seats will have ...

Planned LAUSD strike would close schools: Here are child-care options for parents

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:58:16 GMT

Thousands of Los Angeles Unified School District families are bracing for school closures as district employees plan to go on a three-day strike starting Tuesday. The strike is expected to last from March 21 –23. LAUSD preparing for school closures amid imminent strike, but remain open to negotiations While many parents worry that the potential school closures will leave them without reliable childcare during the workweek, the school district and Los Angeles County have announced multiple resource efforts to help parents throughout the school closures. Los Angeles public school unions to strike for 3 days next week; schools to close LAUSD ResourcesWebinars: LAUSD parents can join a Zoom webinar at 5:30 p.m. on Monday to learn more about the resources available to them. The zoom ID is 867 1125 7296 and no passcode is required.Student Supervision: Free student supervision will be provided at select elementary, middle and high schools from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the three-da...