Almost 8 percent of New Yorkers carry some medical debt, according to data from the Urban Institute think tank in Washington D.C. But now a pair of women in the Finger Lakes are working to ease the burden.

It's been twenty years since the governor and legislature in New York received a pay raise. But that might be changing in January. A panel formed to determine future pay for lawmakers is holding hearings and will make a recommendation by December 10.

The mid-term election this month brought a massive shift in political power in Albany, with Democrats gaining a solid 40-seat majority in the state Senate. Republicans are left with just 23 seats.

That change could spell trouble for the North Country and much of Upstate New York, regions heavily dependent on taxpayer dollars for investments and infrastructure and overwhelmingly represented by Republican lawmakers, who lost a huge amount of power and influence.

Senate Republicans suffered a seismic change election day. It was only the third time in the last century that Democrats took the majority in the chamber. Members of the diminished caucus met Friday in Albany to regroup.

They promised they won’t give up the fight against Democratic priorities.

They re-elected Sen. John Flanagan of Long Island as their leader, but not without a fight of his own. Nine senators voted for a challenge - Senator Cathy Young of Olean, in western New York.

The Hyde Collection in Glens Falls is displaying two copies of late 15th century German books and a rare page from the Gutenberg Bible.

The North Country gets a lot of national stage time in Ben Stiller’s new seven-part prison drama, “Escape at Dannemora.” The series premieres this Sunday on the Showtime TV network. It’s the real-life story of Richard Matt and David Sweat, who broke out of Clinton Correctional Facility in 2015. Matt was killed in a shootout and Sweat was captured after a three-week manhunt. Last night, Stiller hosted a local premiere in Plattsburgh. Zach Hirsch was there.

Prepare for winter conditions, ice and snow-depths from 8 to 18 inches by the end of the weekend, with the deepest snows at higher elevations. Snowshoes and ice crampons and traction devices are recommended if you are headed to the High Peaks this weekend. Temperatures will reach into the teens on summits, with wind chills mostly in the single digits below zero on summits this weekend. Some stream crossings may be difficult. Some ice has been forming, but no ice should be considered safe.

Progressive-leaning groups said Wednesday that now that more Democrats have been elected to the state Senate, they'll hold the legislators' feet to the fire in January to ensure that measures like bail reform and legalizing marijuana are swiftly enacted into law.

Sunday night is the debut of Showtime’s “Escape at Dannemora.”