Democrat and Chronicle
POPE’S ENCYCLICAL ON AI WINS PRAISE
What are humans worth when the work and thoughts they produce threaten to be replicated by technological algorithms? And what is artificial intelligence worth if in the end it does not benefit humanity? With his first major document as head of the...
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Wanted: Guard to be first line of defense in a shooting Pay: $18/hour
SAN DIEGO – On average, they make $18 an hour. Many are required to provide their own body armor. And if a gunman bursts through the door of a church, store or government office, they’re relied on to confront intruders hell-bent on wreaking deadly...
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DEWEY AVE RISING
Dewey Avenue is dark by the time dozens of people slip inside an unassuming storefront on a cold and snowy night early this winter. The room is not big enough for all who have come. The mayor is here, sitting in the front row with a manicured envelope...
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NASA SHARES PLANS FOR MOON BASE
Fleets of landers, rovers and drones will head to the moon in the months and years ahead before humans even step foot on the lunar surface for the first time in more than 50 years. So says NASA, which is already working toward sending vehicles and...
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Judge orders detained farmworker’s release
Dolores Bustamante Romero, a Wayne County farmworker whose detention by ICE garnered considerable attention last month, was released from custody late May 27. U.S. District Judge Meredith Vacca granted a habeas corpus petition that argued Bustamante...
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5 projects on Main Street
A stretch of downtown Rochester is seeing the fruits of millions in state funding, with several projects stemming from its 2021 Downtown Revitalization Initiative award complete. ● The $10 million in state funding, first announced in December 2021, was...
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U.S. MILITARY STRIKES BOATS, MISSILE SITES
The U.S. military May 26 launched new strikes on Iran, threatening to shatter a 7-week ceasefire and derailing negotiations in Qatar just days after President Donald Trump said an agreement was almost completed. U.S. Central Command said it carried...
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Pope Leo urges regulation for AI
VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo urged governments to slow down and closely regulate the development of AI systems in his first major document, released May 25, warning that they spread misinformation, prioritize conflict and risk leading the world down a path...
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Rural hospitals close in increasing numbers
Some Pennsylvania hospitals are being pushed beyond the brink of closure. Taylor Hospital in Ridley Park closed in April 2025, Crozer-Chester Medical Center in Upland closed in May 2025, and Heritage Valley Kennedy Hospital, formerly the Ohio Valley...
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LOSING ONE BADGE, GETTING ANOTHER
In November 2025, Ryan Zarnowski’s public career as a peace officer appeared to have ended. ● Internal documents show mistakes and discipline marked his only year as a jail deputy at the Oswego County Sheriff ’s Office: He failed to complete training;...
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Mamdani may change media access policies
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s office is reviewing its media access policy amid outcry over controversial statements supporters of murder suspect Luigi Mangione made while wearing city-issued credentials. The three individuals were identified as...
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Jan. 6 officers sue to block Trump’s $1.8B ‘slush fund’
WASHINGTON – Two police officers who defended the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, sued President Donald Trump and his administration in a bid to block the Justice Department’s new $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund. The lawsuit, filed May 20 by...
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Rights park endangered
Women’s Rights National Historical Park in Seneca Falls has been named one of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. A backlog of more than $10 million in deferred maintenance is the main reason...
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Trump delays strikes on Iran amid possible deal
President Donald Trump said he delayed strikes on Iran planned for May 19 following progress on a possible deal to end the war, though Tehran’s latest proposal appears little changed from an earlier deal that the president rejected as “garbage.” “It’s...
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Court battle with Target may decide old mall’s fate
The future of the former Irondequoit Mall might be held in the hands of a court decision on Target’s ability to control development around it. The agreement in question grants the Target in Irondequoit broad powers over access, utilities, signage and...
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Rising diesel costs strain school budgets
LOS ANGELES — Soaring diesel prices since the onset of the Iran war are draining already tight school district budgets, making it more expensive to bus students and run generators in a shock officials say they will not be able to afford for...
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Charting his own path
It’s been nearly 1,000 years since King Henry IV stood barefoot in the Italian snow to beg forgiveness after clashes with Pope Gregory VII, and over two centuries since Napoleon imprisoned Pope Pius VII in France. Now, a battle is underway between a...
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ACCESS TO ART
Sometime next year, admission to the Memorial Art Gallery, now $20, will be free for everyone all the time – forever. Gallery officials shared the news May 13. It has not revealed a 2027 start date, saying it will be announced in the coming months....
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Pension changes, taxes dominate negotiations
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a “general agreement” around the state budget last week, but as she and several state lawmakers have pointed out, many details have yet to be nailed down. As of Thursday, May 7, Hochul said the total budget cost is...
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Redistricting wars in uncharted waters
The redistricting wars are raging. What happens next? ● History provides little guidance, because never before has there been a cross-country campaign to redraw congressional districts at mid-decade and on the fly. But the repercussions, both immediate...
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Iran stalemate crimps global crude supplies
DUBAI – President Donald Trump’s swift rejection of Iran’s response to a U.S. peace proposal has fueled concerns that the 10-week-old conflict will drag on and continue to paralyze shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, pushing oil prices higher, on...
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U.S. sanctions aimed at severing Iran supply line
The Trump administration unveiled new sanctions on May 8 against 10 people and companies in the Middle East, Asia and eastern Europe that are “enabling efforts by Iran’s military to secure weapons,” and U.S. ally Bahrain said on May 9 it had arrested...
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‘ I don’t know where is safe now’ right
Two immigration officers were drawing attention downtown. Did they bring a bigger force with them? And who were they after? ● “ICE on State St in front of Innovative Field 2/12/26 @9:46am.” ● A Rochester Reddit post clocked their appearance. A half...
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LONG, HOT SUMMER AHEAD
Expect sultry heat and an increased risk of severe thunderstorms across much of the nation this summer – including in New York. According to AccuWeather’s long-range summer forecast, most of the United States is expected to see above-average...
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Thruway gets $78M for road upgrades
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a $78 million investment in four New York State Thruway infrastructure projects spanning the Capital Region, Central New York and the Finger Lakes. The work includes pavement rehabilitation and safety upgrades on heavily...
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Trump allies dominate in Indiana primaries
In Indiana’s May 5 primaries, allies of President Donald Trump annihilated most of the Republican legislators who opposed Trump’s plan to redraw congressional maps for the 2026 midterms. Of the seven GOP incumbent Indiana state senators on the ballot...
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Microplastics may be warming Earth
Two of our planet’s most serious environmental issues —microplastics and global warming — have collided in a new scientific study released May 4. Microplastics are in our oceans and mountains, our food and even our bodies. And now, according to the...
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KEEP IT COOL
It’s the calm before the storm — for the temperature, that is. After an early spring marked by ups and downs in temperature trends, forecasters say much of May will be cooler than normal for most of the country, ahead of what could be a summer of...
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States fighting DOJ over voter data access
Anthony Nel was surprised when his voter registration was revoked in Texas after he cast an early ballot for the November 2025 election. The Denton County resident was born in South Africa in 1996 and became a U.S. citizen in 2013 when his parents were...
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ABOUT YOUR D&C TEAM Telling Rochester’s history through its fire department
We are a mere two months away from America’s semiquincentennial, or 250th birthday. Whatever age you are, wherever you sit on the political spectrum, this is a major milestone for our nation, our communities and ourselves. The Democrat and Chronicle...
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TrumpIRA site offers retirement savings
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on April 30 that will broaden access to retirement savings for workers whose employers don’t offer 401(k)type plans. The order creates a new website, TrumpIRA.gov, that workers can use to enroll in a...
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Royal visit unlikely to mend differences
WASHINGTON – King Charles III jokingly apologized for the British burning the White House during the War of 1812 but slyly noted that, were it not for his countrymen, the Americans might be speaking French. ● President Donald Trump marveled at the...
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VENEZUELA REVIEWS OIL, GAS CONTRACTS
Oilfield service companies that for years kept rigs and specialized equipment stored in Venezuela have begun removing them from warehouses for assembly and repair as the government advances a review of oil and gas contracts that could lead to fresh...
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Food aid doesn’t make people loafers
Millie Morales believes in hard work. ● “I feel that as an American citizen, we all have a great opportunity to be able to improve our life,” the 58-year-old woman explained in an interview I conducted with her in 2025. “Are you willing to put in the...
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Study examines impact of upstate urgent care centers
Are all the urgent care centers now dotting the area good for your health? And, do they help or hurt the overall health care system? Those are big questions given the rapid growth of urgent care centers. There were 14,382 urgent care center...
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Blanche: Trump ‘likely’ targeted in shooting
WASHINGTON – Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on April 26 said the gunman who opened fire at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner appears to have targeted President Donald Trump and officials in his administration. “It does appear...
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Report: Medicaid cuts put RGH, Unity at risk
About 25% of all New York hospitals could face closure, layoffs or reduced services due to Medicaid cuts approved by Republicans in Congress and the Trump administration, according to the consumer watchdog group Public Citizen. Nearly 450 hospitals...
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Why third partie es perform the best t in Northeast U.S. . Region offers lessons about broadening voters’ options
A majority of Americans say they are “frustrated” or “angry” – or both – with Republicans and Democrats, according to the Pew Research Center. But that rarely translates into support for independent or third-party candidates. One exception has been in...
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SOCIAL MEDIA MOSTLY UNPOLICED
As the historic social justice movement gripped the nation in 2020, Sgt. Ferdinando “Fred” Pacicca III and his fellow Rome police officers were dispatched to a Black Lives Matter protest in a small city in upstate New York. It wasn’t long before...
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Baby reindeer Odin is here!
It literally was a dark and stormy night when baby Odin joined the reindeer herd at Shortsville Reindeer Farm. ● A fuzzy, cuddly, dark brown Odin came into the world the night of March 31, weighing 10.5 pounds. Odin arrived nearly a year after another...
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Can Masters rookie win green jacket for 1st time since ’79?
The cost of gas is still rising, and as Veo returns to Rochester, a businesswide survey revealed that residents nationwide are increasingly choosing ebikes and scooters over their own cars this spring. According to AAA data released on Monday, April...
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Shareholders seek clearer info on water use and climate risks
LONDON – Amazon, Microsoft and Alphabet’s Google have each recently abandoned construction of multibillion-dollar data centers over community opposition and now the companies are coming under shareholder pressure over the environmental impact of their...
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Image gives astronauts new perspective on life
As the four astronauts on the 10-day Artemis II mission around the moon got their first clear glimpse of Earth, the view of their home planet in the distance stopped them in their tracks. They captured a remarkable photo of Earth from the first crewed...
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Public defender shortage ripples across legal system
The Oregon Supreme Court on Feb. 5 issued a ruling that will have a wide impact. More than 1,400 criminal cases had to be dismissed, the justices ruled, due to lack of adequate counsel available for defendants. Like other states, Oregon must provide...
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On Easter, remembering the deep roots of faith communities
Government websites contain vast amounts of fascinating data, some quite relevant to our lives and some existing simply for the curious. On the U.S. Census website, there is a page listing the date of Easter every year from 1600 until 2099. Really,...
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High court debates birthright citizenship
WASHINGTON − President Donald Trump’s effort to redefine who is an American did not get the quick rejection from the Supreme Court that many expected going into the April 1 oral arguments, but key conservative justices seemed skeptical of the...
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Trump: Victory at hand in Iran war ‘very shortly’
On Day 33 of the war with Iran, President Donald Trump declared victory was at hand. Almost. In a prime-time address from the White House on April 1, Trump extolled what he called “swift, decisive, overwhelming victories on the battlefield” −...
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NY cities shatter snowfall totals after brutal winter Rochester stands as state’s second snowiest city with 113.8 inches
This winter has been a doozy throughout the Empire State. Two feet of snow on a single day in Syracuse in December, a string of extreme cold temperatures throughout upstate New York and a bona fide blizzard that brought Long Island, New York City and...
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Privatizing space brings COMPLICATIONS
Private companies are no longer peripheral participants in U.S. space activities. They provide key services, including launching and deploying satellites, transporting cargo and astronauts to the International Space Station, and even sending landers to...
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Rochester protest brings 1,000-plus
More than 100 No Kings protests were held across New York on March 28, with thousands more taking place nationwide, as demonstrators pushed back against actions by the Trump administration. The coordinated effort marked the first of its kind in 2026,...
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Albany revisits long fight over wine access
Beer and pretzels may go together like wine and cheese. But not in New York where you can buy beer with your pretzels but wine – that’s another story. If you’re looking for the perfect food pairing for that bottle of Riesling you picked up, you’ll...
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COST OF CRISIS
In just seven pages, the nonprofit that oversees New York’s electric grid offers up a thorough, if alarming, take on an issue confronting ratepayers statewide. ● Why are my electric bills so high? ● “Fuel cost volatility, increasing demand due to...
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U.S. weighs sending 10K more troops to Mideast
The Pentagon is weighing sending an additional 10,000 troops to the Middle East as the war with Iran rages, multiple news outlets reported. It remained unclear when a decision will be made on whether to send the additional combat soldiers, according...
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Outdoor light fixtures would need to be shielded
New Yorkers could more easily see the stars in their backyards if a bill aiming to reduce artificial lighting at night across the state gets approved. ● Assembly member Deborah Glick, D-Manhattan, has proposed regulating outdoor lighting by requiring...
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‘FAILURE ON OUR PART’
MILWAUKEE – In June 2023, a 13-year-old Wisconsin girl for the first time entered a website known for videos and images depicting publicized death, torture and rape. Eighteen months later, she committed the deadliest school shooting in state history...
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Marketplace Mall gets new purpose
The Marketplace Mall in Henrietta is opening the door to a major redevelopment focused on education and health care after closing its interior stores Dec. 31. On March 20, Gov. Kathy Hochul and billionaire entrepreneur and philanthropist Tom Golisano...
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2 pilots die after jet hits fire truck at LaGuardia
Two pilots were dead, dozens of people were injured, and New York City’s LaGuardia Airport was closed March 23 after an Air Canada Express jet hit a fire truck on a runway there late March 22, officials said. An Air Canada Express CRJ-900 plane was...
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Movement fights mental health crisis
Jayla Cole never experienced the carefree teenage years. She could not get a driver’s license because of epilepsy and frequent seizures. She didn’t want to take photos or selfies because Bell’s palsy left her with facial paralysis – a twisted smile...
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SHIELDED FROM CONSEQUENCE
Around New York, police officers who have been stripped of their badges are getting hired by other departments despite laws intended to prevent them from doing just that
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Henrietta advances housing plan near former Delphi site
A 300-unit multifamily housing development in Henrietta was approved by the town’s Planning Board on March 17. The Delphi Housing Development plans call for construction of five 40unit apartment buildings and 10 10-unit townhome buildings near the...
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Gas prices surge amid escalations in Iran war
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth wants billions more from Congress to fund the war with Iran as gas prices hit $3.90 a gallon nationwide and global oil prices surged amid the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The national average price per gallon...
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You can help vet police recruits
The city of Rochester is looking for volunteers to help vet police candidates. Since 2022, city officials and the United Christian Leadership Ministry have organized citizen-led panels to interview police recruits about their opinions on policing,...
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REQUESTS BEGIN FOR TRUMP DOCS On Jan. 20, five years to the day after Trump first left office, the National Archives started taking requests for records from Trump’s first term in office. More than 200 requesters got in line that day.
Reporters want to know what the president was first told about COVID-19, researchers want to know more about Jan. 6 riot text messages and others want to see who held the president’s ear. On Jan. 20, five years to the day after Trump first left...
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RUNNING GROUP HONORS WWII VET
CANANDAIGUA — Back in January, when ultra runner Noah Coughlan passed through the Finger Lakes region on his “Run for America: A Tribute to the American People,” he met 104-year-old Eugene “Gene” Gerrard. Gerrard, of Canandaigua, a Brooklyn native and...
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