Top Stories from NCPR

President Donald Trump won the White House in large part by appealing to small town America. But rural policy experts say his bold promises to revive small mining and manufacturing towns will be hard to fulfill. [full story]

The Adirondack Wind Ensemble, "AWE," will present a staged version of Igor Stravinsky’s classic work, "The Soldier’s Tale," in two performances this weekend. The production will include narration by Roger Andrews, retired member of the Metropolitan Opera Chorus; and choreography by Antonette Knoedl, a popular theater and dance performer in the North Country.Performances will take place this Saturday at 4 pm at the Lake Placid Center for the Arts and Sunday at 2 pm in E. Glenn Giltz Auditorium at SUNY Plattsburgh. "The Soldier’s Tale" is based on an old Russian folk tale in which a soldier trades his violin to the devil in exchange for a magical book that will bring him untold riches. AWE Music Director Daniel Gordon said for every conductor, Stravinsky is a kind of Holy Grail. [full story]

Governor Andrew Cuomo is pushing forward with plans to develop a $32-million tourist destination in the town of North Hudson in Essex County. North Hudson has a population of just 240 people. But the governor said the site of the old Frontier Town theme park along Interstate 87 will serve as a new “gateway” to the Adirondack Park. [full story]

Governor Andrew Cuomo is positioning himself from the onset as the liberal alternative to President Donald Trump. Among the sharpest differences Cuomo is drawing is in responding to climate change. Cuomo wants to be a national leader in reducing carbon emissions, installing clean energy like wind and solar, and re-imagining the power grid. His critics in the energy sector agree the big ideas are there, but the nitty gritty details are not. [full story]

Tanya Roy had us rolling in the aisles at the Howl Story Slam in Clayton, NY in Summer 2016, and did it again at our Grand Slam event in Heuvelton, NY. Her missed opportunity happened on a night in Syracuse that was supposed to start with Dinosaur Barbecue and end with a Dave Matthews band concert. But somewhere in the middle, misplaced car keys and concert tickets get in the way of her plans.The Adirondack Center for Writing is co-sponsor of the Howl Story Slams [full story]

Lawmakers in St. Lawrence County are moving ahead with plans to punish their colleague for making offensive remarks about Barack Obama. [full story]

When Watertown Daily Times reporter Jen Jackson talked with healthcare leaders in Jefferson, St. Lawrence, Lewis and Oswego counties, she found a lot of fear and uncertainty. The concern, detailed in a lengthy article published earlier this month, is that Republicans led by President Donald Trump will repeal the Affordable Care Act without offering a comprehensive policy to replace it. [full story]

The leader of the Senate Republicans said he’s not happy with what he said is over $800 million in new taxes and fees tucked away in Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s new state budget.Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan said he’s upset over about new proposed fees that a preliminary analysis shows total $803 million - with $250 million in new Department of Motor Vehicles fees alone. [full story]

Governor Andrew Cuomo was in Plattsburgh yesterday with some big news for skiers. He proposed to spend $20 million upgrading the ski lodges and other facilities at Whiteface and Gore mountains as part of a larger plan to boost tourism in the Adirondacks. [full story]

New York lawmakers will again consider legislation that would authorize people with terminal illnesses to request life-ending drugs from a physician. The bill introduced Monday in Albany would require two physicians to certify the patient's illness is terminal. Physicians could refuse to agree to the request for any reason. A similar bill passed the Assembly health committee last year. Organizers are hoping to go further this year, and get a vote in the full Assembly. [full story]