Say what you want about actor Sean Penn. But he delivers an outstanding performance in the Gus Van Sant bio-pic about Harvey Milk, the country's first openly gay politician.
The film covers the political rise and eventual assassination of Milk...

At the outset of a recent community forum on Rochester schools issues, RTA President Adam Urbanski stressed that he and Superintendent Jean-Claude Brizard share a lot of common ground.
But make no mistake; the areas of disagreement are still...

So Malcolm Smith will be the first Democratic Senate Majority leader in 43 years.
After a Democratic conference meeting last night, that was the consensus. Smith and the so-called Gang of Three hammered out an agreement, and the rest of the...

During his House campaign, Cornng Democrat Eric Massa had a lot to say about the Iraq war - particularly how we need to end it.
Now he's going to have a chance to add to that very debate. In a move that ought to surprise few, House Majority...

There were few surprises in Governor David Paterson's State of the State address this afternoon. We knew he would say that things are tough in New York State, and he did. "Perilous" was his word.
To get out of this mess, he said, will take...

In his speech this afternoon, Governor David Paterson had one word to describe the state of our state: "Perilous."
The word isn't to be taken lightly, considering that most of these kinds of speeches are feel-good stumping.
But once Paterson...

In the continuing conflict over seating a new senator from Illinois, there's a winner and there are losers. The winner is Governor Rod Blagojevich. The losers: Senate Democrats and Blagojevich's pick for Barack Obama's Senate seat, Roland...

Senator Malcolm Smith, the newly affirmed president and majority leader of the State Senate, has Upstate on his mind. Or at least he wants to look like he does.
He's even asked his Number 2, Senate Vice President Pro Tempore David Valesky, to...

Last night's public hearing on Renaissance Square's environmental assessment offered little new insight into the project.
The environmental assessment says any traffic problems created by the project can be dealt with. But critics said they...

The arrangement through which Monroe County pays its Medicaid costs is complicated and President-elect Barack Obama's economic stimulus package might make it even uglier.
Obama's plan will probably include a boost in state Medicaid funding. And...

I don't want to power my car on turkey guts. Yes, this is a real dilemma I may one day have to consider.
This is all rooted in the anything-to-oil business. The basic theory and practice is that any number of materials can be converted into a...

About the same time that President-elect Barack Obama was talking up the virtues of his former Republican rival, Senator John McCain, at a dinner last night, his most formidable rival in the Democratic Primary, Senator Hillary Clinton, was...

Chris Lee's Congressional career is defying some traditions.
The Erie County Republican is only two weeks into his first term as a member of the US House of Representatives, but he was selected to serve on the prestigious Financial Services...

With one arm around Whoopie (Behar, by contrast, looked like she was sitting next to a pile of stinky diapers) hopeless Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich skipped his impeachment trial this morning to tap-dance on the View.
It's a frame-up,...

We now have an answer we've been waiting for: Officials will go ahead with the construction of two parts of Ren Square - the transit center and the MCC facility. If money can be raised for a theater, we'll get one. If not....
Senator Chuck...

The New York Times says President Obama will order a review of an EPA decision that struck down California's proposed vehicle emissions standards.
Obama's memo does not reverse the denial issued in 2007 by EPA administrator Stephen Johnson....

One of newly-appointed Senator Kirsten Gillibrand's committee appointments makes no sense.
Democrats put her on foreign relations, environment and public works, agriculture, and the Special Committee on Aging. She wanted a spot on the Armed...

I ran into Mayor Bob Duffy yesterday on my way into City Hall. I was there, coincidentally, to meet with Duffy.
The mayor had just come from his car, where he was listening to Bob Smith on WXXI. The program was about mayoral control of the...

So we know now that if the stimulus is approved by the Senate and signed by President Obama, public schools across the country are going to get some money.
In the Rochester region the amounts vary from $493,000 for Wheatland-Chili, Monroe ...

Newly appointed US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand was in Rochester today, meeting with local leaders about the federal stimulus package. At the end of her meeting she held a short, rapid-fire session with the press where Gillibrand was questioned...