Casey Seiler

The NYT editorial board, which two years ago said it wasn't going to do congressional (or mayoral or gubernatorial endorsements) has apparently had a change of heart. www.nytimes.com/2026/10/27/o...

Dewey! (I love the quote in here about Courteney Cox - his ex-wife - when discussing which remaining character from the original film would die in one of the sequels.) This makes me want to rewatch the first film and see if it really does hold up. #scream #filmsky

Amid all the midterm furor, here's a very funny Chris Churchill column to remind us that the Albany County Legislature is bloated and largely worthless.

The wildfires in Rensselaer County and Western Mass. have consumed more than 200 acres; teams worked through the night to contain them as officials prepare for several more dry days. @emilyscolnick.bsky.social and @mikegoodwinny.bsky.social report.

Islamophobia and transphobia are really having a moment

Whew yeah tell me about it

Any newspaper that isn't putting its editorial board to work issuing endorsements in key races should go open a hot dog stand.

“It’s been like presidential numbers, quite frankly": Early voting in NY is through the roof when compared to 2022, with some of the biggest increases racked up in the North Country. @timothythereporter.bsky.social and Jimmy Vielkind report.

RIP Walter Koenig — here's Mark McGuire's 2006 Times Union story on the elaborate fan-produced "Star Trek" episode that gave him a chance “to give some closure to” the character of Ensign Pavel Chekov.

The Times Union's editorial board has endorsed Kathy Hochul in the gubernatorial race, noting that she has "struck a moderate path on economic, criminal justice and environmental issues while standing up to President Donald J. Trump and his minions."

Judge Jesse Furman orders Maurene Comey to be reinstated w/back pay. This will obviously be appealed, but it means Ms. Comey will be one of the key appeals. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

Thomas Phillips, the former Republican chief justice of the Supreme Court of Texas, announces he's backing Democrat James Talarico for Senate. "Paxton’s longstanding reputation will embarrass Texas in ways our state simply cannot afford." www.beaumontenterprise.com/opinions/art...

Opening line of email seeking bucks for the "Rudy Defense Trust" (unrelated to the 1993 Sean Astin film, I just learned) is a grabber.

Update: Duffy’s brother says the investigation was prompted by CSAM being promoted by a long-defunct and apparently hacked X account that used Duffy’s name and hometown — which is not the smartest MO if the account owner is distributing CSAM and trying to avoid detection.

Check out how easy this is.

BREAKING from Brendan Lyons: Lt. Col. Jared Duffy was suspended without pay on Thursday, two days after his residence was searched by a unit that investigates crimes involving sexually explicit images of children.

NY Department of Labor recently 'bulk dropped' more than 20,000 unemployment insurance claims protests filed by employers without reviewing the cases.

Anthony Constantino has spent millions of his own money to boost his chances in a deep-red House district. The polls show a tight race, and the reason is Anthony Constantino. Alex MacDougall reports.

“The parties”

JUST POSTED: Today at The NYT we are publishing a major investigation into how President Trump used his executive powers to expose millions of Americans to greater cancer risks. A six month-long investigation built on more than 10,000 pages of FOIA records. Read it www.nytimes.com/2026/10/24/c...

Albany Police announced Friday night that the human remains found in a shed on a Marlborough Court property are those of Ashley Carroll, who went missing in 2010.

The TU editorial board endorses the Democrats in the four races in our region, especially NY-21: “To the extent that Mr. Constantino is running to be the president’s vassal, he represents everything that is wrong with his party.”

The state DEC is citing this attempted Buffalo marmoset sale as an example of the way in which social media is fueling illegal animal trafficking. (Note: This story does not involve the well-know Tuscon-based jam band Buffalo Marmoset Sale.) @schneidlee.bsky.social reports.

U.S. Sen. John Kennedy's closing argument to potential Republican donors:

😳 WOMAN REPORTER: Do sexual abuse allegations mean nothing to you, sir? TRUMP: Wait. Wait! Wait wait wait. Slow down. Who are you with? REPORTER: NBC, sir. But they are very serious sex abuse allegations TRUMP: Quiet! Isn't she a fresh person? You're a horrible little reporter, aren't you?

I also wrote about the weird apology that CBS’s Jan Crawford posted after her Twitter rant on the Tommy/El-Sayed dialogue. www.cjr.org/laurels-and-...

Albany County's bloated legislature wants the ability to remove misbehaving members. A key role in the process would be played by the county's ethics commission, which does not appear to have met in a year and a half. Patrick Tine reports.

God, I wish J.G. Ballard were alive to see this

Nearly 100 community members gathered to honor Ashley Carroll after police recovered human remains at a site linked to her disappearance earlier this week.

Democrats hold a slight enrollment edge in the district, but voters have repeatedly given the Republican incumbent double-digit wins

RAGBRAI (The Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa) is one of the most celebrated bike rides in the world.

He is remarkably consistent in supporting alleged perpetrators and enablers of sexual violence and attacking their victims

A state appeals court ordered the release of a disciplinary letter scolding First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III for official misconduct. Most of the items in the complaint submitted by the Campaign for Accountability that prompted the letter were culled from Times Union stories.

Excellent anti-endorsement piece from the @houstonchronicle.com editorial board, e.g. "Ken Paxton (not) for U.S. Senate: We’ve noted in the past that Paxton is one of the most crooked politicians in Texas history ... "

The whole point of the Freedom Summer and similar initiatives was to make their presence known — to bear witness and be allies in a public way.

Michael Sweeney, 14, has been attending college full time for more than a year. He's racing through Calculus III and Physics II right now. But the Bethlehem Central School District says he can't graduate and must do two more academic years. Kathleen Moore reports on the ensuing legal battle.

Avast, me hearties — a metaphor yonder! SHE BREACHES!

Chris Churchill notes that while you can correctly criticize the commuter tax proposed by the Albany Common Council, the controversy has been helpful inasmuch as it has identified who on that body is more interested in time-wasting foolishness as opposed to actual oversight and governance.

LIVE at 7 pm: Julie Brown of the Miami Herald receives the Nellie Bly Award from Albany’s Museum of Political Corruption, then joins a panel discussion on investigative journalism with the TU’s Brendan Lyons, WaPo and Boston Globe editor Marty Baron. www.youtube.com/live/qCbieRa...

As goes Mississippi, so goes Wyoming

Hochul's list of 75 regs ripe for revision, a new Q poll in the race for governor, a bill on state-serviced student loans and more in today's CapCon: www.capitolconfidential.com/p/hochul-s-l...

I remain happy with this 2023 column:

Just hours after the Times Union reported on a Republican Assembly candidate's complaint that Saratoga Co. GOP chairman Joseph Suhrada had used racist and homophobic slurs in a recorded phone call, Suhrada is resigning his party post. But he'll remain as the county's Republican elections commish.

Lt. Col. Jared Duffy, chief of staff for State Police Supt. Steven James, passed a polygraph examination and no evidence of wrongdoing was found on his multiple electronic devices after investigators searched his Colonie residence Tuesday, according to law enforcement sources.