Opinion

The state legislative session recently ended for the year. There were many good measures that passed, but many more, however, that did not come to floor for a vote. Here are a few noteworthy items that passed that I was pleased about. This list is not comprehensive, but I wanted to share with you some […]

First, please note the plug for my latest play, at the end of this column. I recently read that some science writers claim that NASA and other scientists fiddled with temperature data to show global warming. The writers show us one chart with actual U.S. temperatures — those recorded each year since 1900 or so.

Set to the background of a mournful piano melody, a stoic, authoritative voice on the radio public-service announcements tells us in hushed, reverent tones, that the person next to us in the car, or perhaps our office mate down the hall, or even one of our kid’s friends, all suffer with hunger. We are told

Just how big is the student-loan bubble? America’s college and university students now owe more than $1.2 trillion for their education, more than double the amount owed in 2007. The obligation impacts 37 million borrowers. The size of the debt is staggering, but of even more concern is the rate of expansion of the trend

Once again the New York state teachers’ union (New York State United Teachers, or NYSUT) insults quality teachers. Its New York City chapter just watered down evaluations of teachers. That was a concession it won in its new contract. In other words, it moved to protect poor performers. That insults the good teachers. The State

The 2013-14 state legislative session is in its final month. The governor, legislators, and advocacy groups are all jockeying in an attempt to get their favored legislation passed and signed into law before the legislative session concludes. The Assembly majority, which is dominated by downstate Democrats, is pushing a number of agenda items including medical

If you read this column, you might remember Sister Mac from a few chapters ago. She was the nun from my childhood who smacked us when we lied or evaded the truth. I suggested many of us would welcome the likes of her at interviews of our leaders. Sir, did you know about this in

New York was recently named the top yogurt producer in the nation. This is the second year our state has earned this distinction, in large part due to the Greek yogurt producers who call New York home. According to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, New York produced 741 million pounds of yogurt, up from 695

One of my favorite courses to teach at the Newhouse School at Syracuse University is ethics. The formal title of the course is “The Ethics of Advocacy,” and it’s open to upperclassmen who are starting to get real serious about what their own careers might look like in the next few years. Most of them

Launch of National Export Initiative NEXT aims to enhance export assistance Each May, World Trade Month celebrates the benefits that U.S. exports bring to the nation, state, and local economies. The month reminds us of the important link between exporting and job creation. Americans are appreciating the fact that 95 percent of the world’s customers