All Over Albany

Cuomo pushing tax restructuring-casino-jobs plan, a look at the lives of transgender people, fatal shooting in North Greenbush

The Cuomo administration is putting together a package of legislation that includes changes to the state tax code, casino gaming in the state, infrastructure spending, and jobs initiatives. The administration is apparently hoping the legislature will take up the legislation this week. Says the Empire Center's EJ McMahon of the legislation: "It's about a tax increase. The rest of the stuff is to shift the talk." [State of Politics] [NYDN] [TU]

The city gave Occupy Albany protestors a cease-and-desist letter based on "health and safety concerns," but officials may be willing to issue the protestors a permit. OA could have until December 22. [YNN] [WNYT] [Fox23]

David Soares says the report about his romantic involvement with a staffer in the Albany County DA's office is "not newsworthy" and "clearly a political effort to malign my reputation." (Lee Kindlon officially announced last week that he'll be challenging Soares for DA.) The relationship was reported by ACO. [TU] [ACO]

A Times Union package looked at the lives of transgender people, exploring the lengthy process a local transgender woman took to go from male to female, and looking at the psychological process they go through. It also explored the number of LGBT people in the US and locally. [TU]

A North Greenbush man allegedly shot his girlfriend to death during a domestic fight this weekend. [Fox23] [YNN] [TU]

A 17-year-old boy was killed while visiting his friend in Greenville when the house caught fire. [TU] [YNN]

A 25-year-old man was shot and injured in a mid-morning incident in Albany's South End on Friday. [WNYT]

A 63-year-old man who drove into several houses and cars along Orange Street in Albany on Sunday morning was charged with DWI. [YNN] [TU]

The sewer system connecting Troy and Rensselaer to the Rensselaer County sewage treatment plant has been dumping raw sewage into the Hudson during dry weather multiple times over the past two years -- which is illegal under federal law. (When local sewer systems are overwhelmed during storms, many also dump sewage into the Hudson -- a "combined sewer overflow" -- which, while icky is not illegal.) [TU]

Because of a little-known state law, Bruno could get a portion of the $2 million he spent on attorneys reimbursed by taxpayers. [TU]

Because of the many budget cuts in public schools the past few years, many more students are now in study halls rather than taking elective classes. [TU]

A Bolton man wrote a book to help him get through the grief of losing his two granddaughters in a fire. [Post-Star]

A Schenectady woman's 15-year odyssey to get her bachelor's degree included the loss of her home and a fight with colon cancer. [Daily Gazette]