The Albany Institute of History and Art says Executive Director Tammis Groft will retire. In the position since 2013, Groft began at the downtown museum as an intern in 1976. Groft, who became chief curator in 1987 and deputy director in 2000, will remain through the transition to a successor. Groft called being executive director […]

Devin and Lauren dive into the history of Timbuctoo, an African American settlement founded by philanthropist Gerrit Smith in response to an 1846 law requiring all Black men to own $250 worth of property in order to vote in New York state. To counter this racist policy, Smith decided to give away 120,000 acres of […]

New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik faces new competition in the 21st District. Democrat Matt Putorti, a lawyer from Whitehall, announced his candidacy for the 2022 midterms on Monday. Putorti, an openly gay lawyer, says Stefanik’s politics are divisive. Stefanik is a fourth-term Republican and strong ally of former President Trump. In a statement, the Stefanik […]

For more than a year, we’ve been covering the devastating COVID-19 outbreak at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home. Eventually, 76 residents — including many men who fought in World War II — died of the virus. As subsequent investigations found, that was likely exacerbated by a series of poor decisions and understaffing. A new investigation by […]

In this episode, Devin and Lauren research the life of Audrey Munson, America’s first supermodel. Born in upstate New York, Munson was one of the most famous models of the early 20th Century, and posed for the top American artists in the Beaux Arts movement. Sculptures based on Munson dot the landscape of New York […]

The Supreme Court has agreed to consider Mississippi’s bid to enforce a 15-week ban on abortion, setting up a showdown over abortion nearly 50 years after Roe v. Wade. The court first announced a woman’s constitutional right to an abortion in that 1973 case. Before the court hears the case, likely this fall, we speak […]

Traversing Iceland by foot, Mongolia by horseback, Arabia by camel and the Blue Nile Gorge by raft; Bruce Kirby’s journeys span 80 countries around the world. In his new book “Blue Sky Kingdom,” we follow Kirkby and his family as they hop on a freighter and make a remarkable three-month journey from Canada to the Himalayas. […]

In this episode, Devin and Lauren investigate the invasions of Canada by the Fenian Brotherhood, a group of Irish Nationalists intent of freeing Ireland from British control. These invasions were launched from several locations in upstate New York, including the site of a recently-erected William G. Pomeroy Foundation marker in the Franklin County town of […]

This week, Two former female aides to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo are accusing him of bad behavior. One says the governor sexually harassed her in incidents that included inappropriate touching and an invitation to play strip poker. Cuomo denies the allegations. Our political observer Dr. Alan Chartock shares his thoughts on the political ramifications […]

Democratic state Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara of the 111th district has another idea says it's time to legalize mobile sports betting.