Latest
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Upstate voters sour on Hochul, Buffalo’s hometown governor, as downstate megaprojects draw billions
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Josh Allen ties Jim Kelly in Las Vegas, but a spitting ejection leaves the Bills with a suspension question
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Buffalo gets a second shot at federal lead money as the White House moves to cut the program by nearly two-thirds
Top Stories
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Hotels chosen for convenience and self-approved credit cards: what four new audits found in Western New York
Audits of the Snyder Fire District, Lancaster’s Twin District fire company, the City of Olean and Erie County’s cash office found weak…
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Upstate voters sour on Hochul, Buffalo’s hometown governor, as downstate megaprojects draw billions
Kathy Hochul is the first governor from Buffalo since Grover Cleveland. Polls show upstate voters souring on her as billions go to…
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Josh Allen ties Jim Kelly in Las Vegas, but a spitting ejection leaves the Bills with a suspension question
Josh Allen tied Jim Kelly’s franchise touchdown-pass record in a 33-30 win over the Raiders. Now the 5-1 Bills wait to learn…
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Buffalo gets a second shot at federal lead money as the White House moves to cut the program by nearly two-thirds
[PREMIUM] Buffalo’s new $4 million HUD lead grant follows one it gave half of back. Federal records show Erie County has drawn…
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Trump again reserves most U.S. refugee slots for white South Africans, keeping Buffalo’s resettlement pipeline nearly shut
The 2027 refugee ceiling stays at 17,500, mostly for Afrikaners, after a year in which all but five of 16,292 admitted refugees came from South Africa. Here is what that means for Buffalo.
Latest Headlines
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Ontario will buy 600 megawatts of New York power this winter, weeks after Ford threatened to cut the U.S. off
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Trump again reserves most U.S. refugee slots for white South Africans, keeping Buffalo’s resettlement pipeline nearly shut
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Albany’s data center review closes its first comment window Tuesday as Western New York’s biggest proposal sits on hold
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Copart now owns ACV, and the merger filings show what Buffalo workers were promised, and for how long
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Erie County still chasing $617,700 from Albany for jail stays left over from the prison strike
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Niagara Falls froze its trash fee for 2027, leaving a $1.12 million gap for the mayor’s budget
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Buffalo wants its control board to borrow $20 million for emergency repairs. Its comptroller wants the math first
[PREMIUM] Buffalo is asking its state control board to borrow up to $20.06 million for emergency repairs, the…
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Erie County still chasing $617,700 from Albany for jail stays left over from the prison strike
Erie County lawmakers voted unanimously to press the state for $617,700 the Sheriff’s Office spent holding parole violators…
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Hotels chosen for convenience and self-approved credit cards: what four new audits found in Western New York
Audits of the Snyder Fire District, Lancaster’s Twin District fire company, the City of Olean and Erie County’s…
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WNY ‘No Kings’ rallies turn protest energy toward early voting
Saturday’s No Kings rallies across Western New York pushed early voting Oct. 24–Nov. 1. Mayor Sean Ryan, Supervisor…
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Upstate voters sour on Hochul, Buffalo’s hometown governor, as downstate megaprojects draw billions
Kathy Hochul is the first governor from Buffalo since Grover Cleveland. Polls show upstate voters souring on her…
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Albany’s data center review closes its first comment window Tuesday as Western New York’s biggest proposal sits on hold
Comments on the scope of New York’s statewide data center review are due Oct. 20, and 56 legislators…
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Washington’s ‘big shift’ is landing on New York’s books, and counties still don’t know what Albany will pass down
[PREMIUM] Federal H.R. 1 cuts are moving Medicaid, Essential Plan and SNAP costs onto Albany and the counties.…
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Volunteer firefighter tax credit quadruples to $800, but Hochul’s office describes a narrower law than lawmakers passed
Gov. Hochul signed a bill raising the volunteer firefighter and EMS tax credit from $200 to $800. Her…
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Buffalo gets a second shot at federal lead money as the White House moves to cut the program by nearly two-thirds
[PREMIUM] Buffalo’s new $4 million HUD lead grant follows one it gave half of back. Federal records show…
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Trump again reserves most U.S. refugee slots for white South Africans, keeping Buffalo’s resettlement pipeline nearly shut
The 2027 refugee ceiling stays at 17,500, mostly for Afrikaners, after a year in which all but five…
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Alberta votes Monday on a path to separation as Carney warns ‘some outside our borders’ want to break Canada
Alberta’s 10-question referendum asks whether to start the legal process toward a binding vote on leaving Canada. Prime…
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A year after Trump’s promise, New York is still owed $87 million in counterterror grants
Thirteen New York Democrats are demanding DHS release $87 million in counterterror grants still owed to the state.…
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DOJ threatens California election workers with prosecution as New York, which beat the department in court, opens early voting
The Justice Department says California officials who count ballots from 20,000 “likely” noncitizens risk prosecution. A federal judge…
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Brooklyn judge tosses Trump’s sanctuary suit against New York City and finds a key federal information-sharing law unconstitutional
A federal judge dismissed the Justice Department’s suit against New York City’s sanctuary laws and held that 8…
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Bend police say teen gunman scaled a fence and shot through locked doors before a father stopped him
Police say a 16-year-old former student climbed a fence and shot through locked glass doors at Silver Rail…
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Pro-Israel PAC goes in balls deep with San Francisco’s Wiener
By Staff Reporter State Senator Scott Wiener, the leading candidate to succeed Nancy Pelosi in California’s 11th Congressional…
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Niagara Falls froze its trash fee for 2027, leaving a $1.12 million gap for the mayor’s budget
The Niagara Falls City Council voted 5-0 to keep the garbage and recycling fee at $181, leaving about…
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Niagara SPCA gets $5,000 county boost as grace year for New York’s new shelter rules runs out
Niagara County legislators gave the Niagara SPCA $5,000 to upgrade kennels under New York’s new shelter standards, as…
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Niagara County weighs suing Albany over immigration law it says shields noncitizen voting, though the law exempts election work
The Niagara County Legislature votes Tuesday on suing the state over a new limit on helping immigration agents,…
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Taylor Devices clears IDA hearing for $8 million aerospace landing-gear expansion in North Tonawanda
Taylor Devices cleared an NCIDA public hearing for an $8 million aerospace landing-gear expansion in vacant North Tonawanda…
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North Tonawanda traffic stop that ended in Border Patrol arrests is under state review
The attorney general’s office is reviewing a complaint over an Oct. 7 North Tonawanda traffic stop that ended…
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No charges in Cheektowaga Flock camera misuse, leaving discipline and oversight as the open questions
Erie County prosecutors won’t charge three Cheektowaga police employees who used Flock cameras to track a co-worker for…
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Tops gunman’s lawyers say Western New York’s jury lists shortchange Black residents as death-penalty jury selection begins
Payton Gendron’s lawyers moved to dismiss his federal indictment the day before jury selection, arguing Black residents are…
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Buffalo-to-Jamestown drug ring case ends in pleas, with sentences far below the maximums
All seven defendants in the attorney general’s fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine case pleaded guilty. The alleged leader got…
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Copart now owns ACV, and the merger filings show what Buffalo workers were promised, and for how long
Copart closed its $1.9 billion cash purchase of Buffalo’s ACV Auctions on Oct. 16. The filings guarantee employees’…
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Western New York’s $16 minimum wage is frozen for 2027 by a jobs test Albany now calls ‘overly sensitive’
A small drop in statewide jobs canceled the first inflation raise under New York’s 2023 wage law. Gov.…
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With the grape crush ending, Lake Erie growers who lost their buyer are still waiting on help
A Fredonia processor is offering a late outlet for grapes left without a buyer after Refresco canceled 126…
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Taylor Devices clears IDA hearing for $8 million aerospace landing-gear expansion in North Tonawanda
Taylor Devices cleared an NCIDA public hearing for an $8 million aerospace landing-gear expansion in vacant North Tonawanda…
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Josh Allen ties Jim Kelly in Las Vegas, but a spitting ejection leaves the Bills with a suspension question
Josh Allen tied Jim Kelly’s franchise touchdown-pass record in a 33-30 win over the Raiders. Now the 5-1…
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Bills are 4-1, but Jim Leonhard says his defense can’t keep waiting for Josh Allen to rescue it
The Bills are 4-1, but defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard says a unit giving up historic numbers can’t keep…
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Bills fans paid $1.08 million in Erie County’s stadium surcharge in August. Where does it go?
A 6% Erie County surcharge on tickets, food and merchandise at the new Highmark Stadium raised $1.08 million…
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Sabres keep digging out of early holes, and Lindy Ruff wants them to stop digging
The Sabres keep rallying from two-goal deficits, including Saturday’s 4-3 overtime loss in Montreal. Coach Lindy Ruff’s verdict:…
Latest News
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North Tonawanda traffic stop that ended in Border Patrol arrests is under state review
The attorney general’s office is reviewing a complaint over an Oct. 7 North Tonawanda traffic stop that ended with Border Patrol arresting three roofing workers. The police chief…
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Seneca Nation bans all Level 3 sex offenders from its territories, with annuities and leases on the line
The Seneca Nation Council has barred every Level 3 registered sex offender from Seneca territory. Members who violate it can lose annuity payments, and lessees who harbor an…
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Western New York’s $16 minimum wage is frozen for 2027 by a jobs test Albany now calls ‘overly sensitive’
A small drop in statewide jobs canceled the first inflation raise under New York’s 2023 wage law. Gov. Hochul wants $16.55 upstate by March 1, but that depends…
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Hotels chosen for convenience and self-approved credit cards: what four new audits found in Western New York
Audits of the Snyder Fire District, Lancaster’s Twin District fire company, the City of Olean and Erie County’s cash office found weak checks on receipts, wire transfers and…
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Bills are 4-1, but Jim Leonhard says his defense can’t keep waiting for Josh Allen to rescue it
The Bills are 4-1, but defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard says a unit giving up historic numbers can’t keep relying on Josh Allen to bail it out. “Everything’s being…
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Bills fans paid $1.08 million in Erie County’s stadium surcharge in August. Where does it go?
A 6% Erie County surcharge on tickets, food and merchandise at the new Highmark Stadium raised $1.08 million in August alone. Where the money goes, who tracks it,…
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Sabres keep digging out of early holes, and Lindy Ruff wants them to stop digging
The Sabres keep rallying from two-goal deficits, including Saturday’s 4-3 overtime loss in Montreal. Coach Lindy Ruff’s verdict: “We’ve got to fix the start.”
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UB keeps the Flagship Cup in overtime and climbs to 4-3 in its first season at Broadview Stadium
UB rallied to beat UMass in overtime and keep the Flagship Cup, moving to 4-3 and 2-1 in the MAC in its first season at the renamed Broadview…
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Volunteer firefighter tax credit quadruples to $800, but Hochul’s office describes a narrower law than lawmakers passed
Gov. Hochul signed a bill raising the volunteer firefighter and EMS tax credit from $200 to $800. Her office says it starts in 2027 and can’t be stacked…
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Niagara SPCA gets $5,000 county boost as grace year for New York’s new shelter rules runs out
Niagara County legislators gave the Niagara SPCA $5,000 to upgrade kennels under New York’s new shelter standards, as the state’s ‘educational year’ for the rules ends in mid-December.
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No charges in Cheektowaga Flock camera misuse, leaving discipline and oversight as the open questions
Erie County prosecutors won’t charge three Cheektowaga police employees who used Flock cameras to track a co-worker for months. Residents now want answers on discipline, audits and who…
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WNY ‘No Kings’ rallies turn protest energy toward early voting
Saturday’s No Kings rallies across Western New York pushed early voting Oct. 24–Nov. 1. Mayor Sean Ryan, Supervisor Brian Nowak and organizers cast turnout as the test that…
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Buffalo schools revise closure plan after community pushback on high school merger and bilingual seats
Buffalo Public Schools is revising its eight-school closure proposal, shifting a high school merger to East Community and adding transfer options for PS 33. Capacity and staffing checks…
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HEAP winter heating aid opens Nov. 2 as delivered-fuel benefits rise
New York’s HEAP season opens Nov. 2 with higher oil and wood benefits. Western New York received 132,462 benefits last winter; Erie County authorized more than 93,000. Emergency…
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Alberta votes Monday on a path to separation as Carney warns ‘some outside our borders’ want to break Canada
Alberta’s 10-question referendum asks whether to start the legal process toward a binding vote on leaving Canada. Prime Minister Mark Carney and Premier Danielle Smith urge a vote…
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Brooklyn judge tosses Trump’s sanctuary suit against New York City and finds a key federal information-sharing law unconstitutional
A federal judge dismissed the Justice Department’s suit against New York City’s sanctuary laws and held that 8 U.S.C. § 1373 violates the Tenth Amendment. It is the…
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With the grape crush ending, Lake Erie growers who lost their buyer are still waiting on help
A Fredonia processor is offering a late outlet for grapes left without a buyer after Refresco canceled 126 contracts. Growers say a $20 million federal juice purchase did…
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Tops gunman’s lawyers say Western New York’s jury lists shortchange Black residents as death-penalty jury selection begins
Payton Gendron’s lawyers moved to dismiss his federal indictment the day before jury selection, arguing Black residents are systematically underrepresented in the district’s jury lists. Here is what…
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Canadians are driving back to the U.S., but not across the Peace Bridge, StatCan data show
Canadian car trips home from the U.S. rose 5.6% in September. At Fort Erie, the Canadian end of the Peace Bridge, they fell 2.1% and remain 35% below…
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Niagara County weighs suing Albany over immigration law it says shields noncitizen voting, though the law exempts election work
The Niagara County Legislature votes Tuesday on suing the state over a new limit on helping immigration agents, arguing it protects ‘illegal non-citizen voting.’ The law itself exempts…
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Buffalo Water Board sues 17 companies over PFAS in Lake Erie as city tests show levels near federal limit
The Water Board’s lawsuit targets makers of PFAS firefighting foam. Buffalo Water’s own report shows PFOS in treated water at up to 3.56 parts per trillion, just under…
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A year after Trump’s promise, New York is still owed $87 million in counterterror grants
Thirteen New York Democrats are demanding DHS release $87 million in counterterror grants still owed to the state. Erie County says the program funds police radios and in-car…
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Gillibrand bill would let Washington and the Seneca Nation end New York’s criminal jurisdiction on Seneca land
A Senate companion to Rep. Nick Langworthy’s bill would let the Justice Department and the Seneca Nation end New York’s 1948 criminal jurisdiction on Seneca land. Its broader…
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Hochul opens $76 million county infrastructure round, raising housing-linked award caps
Gov. Kathy Hochul opened a $76 million county infrastructure round with higher award caps for projects that unlock new housing. Applications are due Feb. 5, 2027.
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Taylor Devices clears IDA hearing for $8 million aerospace landing-gear expansion in North Tonawanda
Taylor Devices cleared an NCIDA public hearing for an $8 million aerospace landing-gear expansion in vacant North Tonawanda buildings, with a November vote on tax incentives.
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City declares Broadway Barns emergency after concrete panels fall, winter plow gear at risk
Mayor Sean Ryan declared an emergency at the Broadway Barns after concrete panels fell onto plow equipment, leaving winter readiness hanging on a failing roof.
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Love Canal family wants out of its 99th Street home. The state says the data don’t show the landfill is to blame
A petition to relocate the McKiernan family and reinvestigate Love Canal puts the DEC and Health Department on a legal clock that could run out in early November.
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With talks stalled and a Jan. 1 auto tariff looming, the Niagara Frontier braces for a longer trade war
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer says Washington is “holding fast” with Canada. New Statistics Canada data show Canadians’ car trips from the U.S. are still 31% below 2024…
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Six Nations’ Haldimand Tract lawsuit is finally on trial, and its roots run through New York
Thirty-one years after filing suit, Six Nations of the Grand River is in court against Canada and Ontario over lost lands and trust funds, with potential damages estimated…
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New York is $7.3 billion ahead of its tax forecast at midyear. Watchdogs are split on what to do with it
Comptroller DiNapoli reports state tax receipts ran $7.3 billion above projections through September, driven by Wall Street and business taxes, even as $31.7 billion in out-year budget gaps…
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ORELL: Richard Franke left a legacy on the liberal arts education
By Brent Orell This weekend, the Wall Street Journal marked the passing of Richard J. Franke,…
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TEWS: 5G, Planes, and Progress
By Shane Tews Last week, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee’s…
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ABRAMS: New England liberal arts colleges are dangerous to American civility
BY SAMUEL J. ABRAMS With their leafy campuses, visually diverse student bodies, well-stocked libraries, and attentive…
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PETHOKOUKIS: So Big Tech massively investing in itself is worrisome now?
By James Pethokoukis Imagine a world much like this one where the most valuable companies were…
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POMERLEAU: A progressive corporate income tax doesn’t make a lot of sense
By Kyle Pomerleau The House version of the budget reconciliation bill includes a provision to raise the corporate…
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