Stay up-to-date on the companies, people and issues that impact businesses in Syracuse, Central New York and beyond.
OPINION: Biden-Xi meeting shows talk matters
U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping met for four hours last month on an estate near San Francisco. That, in and of itself, is important. At a time of serious tensions between the world’s two most powerful countries, maintaining communication is essential. Even if such talks don’t always produce breakthrough agreements, it’s […]
Biden’s CFPB Director Wants You to Pay for Late Credit-Card Payers
Imagine a regulatory body of the United States government deciding that people who pay their bills should subsidize those who don’t. Well, imagine no more. The constitutionally dubious Consumer Financial Protection Board (CFPB) has a proposed rule (Regulation Z) that would lower the penalty fee for failing to pay credit-card debt on time from $30
OPINION: Will Congress Ever Stop Flirting With Government Shutdowns?
Back in mid-November, when President Joe Biden signed the latest stopgap funding bill to keep the government operating, official Washington, D.C. no doubt heaved a sigh of relief. The measure, which originated in the fractious House, passed there only with support from the Democratic minority — in fact, many more Democrats than Republicans voted for
OPINION: Shop Local and Support Your Community this Holiday Season
Small businesses are the backbone of New York’s communities and one of the most important elements of our state’s economy. Data from Empire State Development shows a whopping 98 percent of all businesses in New York state are classified as small businesses and those businesses account for more than half the total workforce in the
OPINION: We can fix our broken politics
Americans are fed up with politics. That’s the obvious conclusion of a recent survey by the Pew Research Center, which found many of us have “unrelentingly negative” views of politics and elected officials. It’s understandable that people are discouraged. There are plenty of reasons to feel that way. I’m not especially alarmed at the findings
OPINION: Clean Slate Act is Another Step Back for Public Safety In NYS
Nearly every public poll conducted in recent years has reflected a similar sentiment: crime is a significant problem in New York state. Yet [on Nov. 16], we were reminded that the public’s sense of urgency isn’t shared by Gov. Hochul and her legislative allies. The signing of the Clean Slate Act, which automatically seals criminal
OPINION: What Kind of Democracy Are We When Politicians Have to Fear Violence?
Now that the dust has settled on the House speakership fight, both Washington, D.C. and the media have been eager to move on to other issues: the Israel-Hamas war, the Trump trials, the recent elections, and, on Capitol Hill, a potential government shutdown, and various funding bills. These are all important, but we shouldn’t let
OPINION: Former ICE chief warns border security is matter of life & death
Tom Homan, the former acting Director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency under President Donald Trump, says, “The Drug Enforcement Administration, the DEA, last year, seized enough fentanyl to kill every person in America.” In an interview with Rebecca Weber, CEO of the Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC), on her “Better
OPINION: Australia is a key U.S. ally
Australia may not be the first nation to come to mind when we think about important U.S. allies. It’s on the far side of the globe, an area of the world we often neglect. Its largest city, Sydney, is a 22-hour flight from New York City. Most Americans have never traveled there. But, in fact,
OPINION: Colleges Must Provide a Safe Learning Space for All Students
New York’s college campuses are no place for antisemitism, hate speech, or violence of any kind, and any university administration that fails to ensure as much has no business running a school in our state. Incidents at Cornell University, where a student was arrested for promoting gruesome violence against the Jewish community, and in our
Stay up-to-date on the companies, people and issues that impact businesses in Syracuse, Central New York and beyond.