All Over Albany

Cuomo asks agencies what they think of Schneiderman, Albany/Troy police investigating Troy shooting death, NYRA has a new chairman, Henry Johnson honored at Pentagon

QPoll: Voters disapprove of Cuomo's education plan
A recent Quinnapiac poll shows 59 percent of voters disapprove of the way Andrew Cuomo is handling education, with 54 percent saying they trust teachers unions to improve schools more than the governor. [Capital NY]

Cuomo surveys state agencies about Schneiderman
Andrew Cuomo is surveying state agencies asking them to evaluate the performance of state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman -- something believed to be a first for a New York governor.[NYT][TU]

Sheehan meets with Harlem state Assemblyman
Harlem state Assemblyman Keith Wright met with Kathy Sheehan and acting police chief Brendan Cox to clear the air after Wright suggested in a recent speech that minority protestors should be concerned about getting arrested in Albany because there are "not a lot of people that look like us up there." [TU]

Arrests in rent protest at Capitol
Fifty-five people were arrested at a protest by tenants rights groups at the Capitol on Wednesday. Protesters were calling for strengthening New York City rent control laws. [TU]

New NYRA chairman
The replacement for the NYRA Chairman Anthony Bonomo, who stepped down amid allegations that his medical malpractice company gave a "no show" job to the son of Dean Skelos, will be Michael Del Giudice, Chairman of Rockland Capital and a former advisor to both Mario and Andrew Cuomo.
[Saratogian][Business Review]

Lark Street woes
Chris Churchill on the closing of a Lark Street bank -- and the decline in business on Lark. [TU]

Henry Johnson honored at Pentagon
A day after being posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, Henry Johnson was inducted into the Pentagon's Hall of Heroes. [WNYT]

Possible gang activity
+ Police in Albany and Troy are teaming up to investigate the shooting death of a teenager in the Collar City which may have been connected to a gang feud between the two cities. [WNYT]

+ Police now believe that what was thought to be a car/pedestrian accident
in Cohoes may not have been an accident - but done on purpose as part of an Albany/Troy gang feud. [WNYT]

Schenectady standoff
Two people were taken into custody following a two-hour standoff involving a shotgun at a Schenectady home on Wednesday. [TWCN][Gazette]

Unclaimed soldiers laid to rest
The unclaimed cremated remains of eight veterans that were on the shelves of local funeral homes -- some for decades -- will be laid to rest at the Saratoga National Cemetery.[TU]

Cheerleader rights
A new bill in the state Assembly would protect labor rights for New York's professional cheerleaders. [TU]

Animal advocacy day
Wednesday was bring your dog to work day animal advocacy day at the Capitol. [TU]

Americade
Americade is underway in Lake George[Gazette]

Disturbing thought of the day
While discussing an amendment that would allow communities to use federal transportation dollars to repair locally owned roads and bridges, Kirsten Gillibrand pointed out that more than a third of New York's 17,000 bridges either can't handle current traffic demand or require significant maintenance to remain in service.[TWCN]

Happening Today

Brotherly Love
Thursday: The Palace will be screening Brotherly Love, a film written and directed by Jamal Hill, who was born in Schenectady. Blurbage:

Forging a way out of Philadelphia's roughest neighborhood is a life or death matter for siblings June, (Cory Hardrict), Sergio (Eric D. Hill Jr.) and Jackie (Keke Palmer). So when Sergio's skill on the basketball court promises an escape, it looks like he'll avoid the fate that befell the streetwise June. But the temptations of 'hood life still pull hard on a loving family trying their best in a world that's stacked against them.

Hill be at the Palace for a post-screening Q&A. Thursday 7 pm - $18

Mountain Jam
Thursday-Sunday: The Mountain Jam music festival returns to Hunter Mountain in the Catskills. This year's headliners include The Black Keys, Robert Plant, Alabama Shakes, Gov't Mule, Grace Potter, Moe., and Michael Franti. day passes are $49 and up / multi-day passes are $215 and up

Thursday: Rival Galaxies at The Low Beat
With: Science Club, Sexy Teenagers. 8 pm