March 22nd, 2022 Daily Headlines
Local Environmental groups are touting a new paper out of Columbia Law School saying New York Governor Kathy Hochul has the legal authority to enact a moratorium on proof-of-work Cryptocurrency mining. Seneca Lake Guardian, Sierra Club, and others have urged the state Department of Environmental Conservation to reject an air permit renewal for the Greenidge Generation facility, a crypto mining facility in Dresden. Proof-of-work Crypto mining requires intensive energy use often generated from fossil fuels. Environmentalists also cite other significant impacts of the Dresden plant including super-heated water released into Seneca Lake. New York is a hotbed of Crypto mining, with more Cryptocurrency mined in New York than any other state in the U.S.
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The Ithaca Police Department is warning of tainted drugs in the Ithaca community. In a statement to the press the IPD said they’ve become aware of cocaine being sold which doesn’t contain cocaine, but does include opiates. The IPD says they’ve recently responded to multiple overdoses caused by tainted drugs. The IPD is extending this warning to any residents who may be addicted to or using narcotics recreationally.
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The New York State Attorney General’s office has recovered over $40,000 from a wedding venue on behalf of couples whose events were canceled due to the pandemic. According to WHAM, the venue agreed to return more than $18,000 to two couples and other deposit payments made between June 26th 2020, and May 19 2021. The AG’s office has been pursuing other venues which failed to refund money to New Yorkers after events were canceled due to the pandemic.
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In the fight over the state budget, the Governor and state legislature have come to an impasse over a proposal for bonuses for health care workers. According to the New York Times, both chambers of the state legislature and the Governor have proposed their own budgets. The Governor’s plan included bonuses for health care workers, while the Assembly and Senate both endorsed a raise in the minimum wage for health care workers. The Assembly has rejected the Governor’s bonus proposal instead supporting $1.2 Billion in spending for recurring wage increases for workers in the health department and other state workers.