All Over Albany

Reactions and pushback to Trump travel ban, Faso in leaked Republican recording of ACA discussion, ShopRite in the mix for North Greenbush plaza

Reaction to Trump travel ban order
Lots of reaction this weekend to the Trump administration's order temporarily blocking all refugees as well as the citizens of seven predominantly-Muslim countries from entering the US, and the resulting confusing situation as officials tried to figure out how to implement the order:
+ Chuck Schumer, with tears in his eyes: "This executive order is mean spirited and un-American. It was implemented in a way that created chaos and confusion across the country, and it will only serve to embolden and inspire those around the globe who will do us harm." (On Twitter, Donald Trump blamed a Delta computer program and "the tears of Senator Schumer" for problems at airports.) [CNN x2]
+ Andrew Cuomo in a statement: "I never thought I'd see the day when refugees, who have fled war-torn countries in search of a better life, would be turned away at our doorstep. We are a nation of bridges, not walls, and a great many of us still believe in the words 'give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses." The Cuomo admin also set up a hotline for people to report immigration problems at airports in the state. [Cuomo admin x2]
+ State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman called the order "unconstitutional, un-American and unlawful" and his office said it would be assisting attorneys representing people detained at airports. [Politico NY]
+ Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik called the order "rushed and overly broad" on Sunday, and Congressman John Faso, also a Republican, said he didn't yet know for certain how the order handled people with green cards. [TU]
+ Hundreds of people turned out at the Albany International Airport to protest the order. [TU]

Faso on Affordable Care Repeal and Planned Parenthood
In a recording from a recent Republican Congressional retreat leaked to the media, John Faso warned his colleagues about folding the defunding of Planned Parenthood in the repeal of the Affordable Care Act: "If you want to do it somewhere else, I have no problem, but I think we are creating a political minefield for ourselves -- House and Senate." A march for the ACA and other issues Saturday in Kinderhook ended at at Faso's home. [Washington Post] [WNYT]

Manufacturing jobs upstate
Donald Trump's public comments about about bringing back manufacturing jobs don't appear to line up with the ongoing efforts in Upstate New York to cultivate advanced manufacturing. [TU]

Failed nano Utica deal
Documents obtained by the Times Union indicate that the $600 million chip factory deal that fell through in Utica might not have failed because of mismanagement and scandal related to SUNY Poly so much as the Austrian company involved wanted more incentives from the state. [TU+]

Concern from private colleges over Cuomo plans
Private colleges say they're concerned not just about Andrew Cuomo's proposed plan for free tuition at SUNY schools, but also an item in the budget that would restrict financial to students at schools that don't stay within tuition increase cap. [TU+]

Momentive strike
The state Department of Environmental Conservation has warned Momentive about problems identified during recent inspections -- and asserted that the current strike at the Waterford plan can not be used as an excuse. [TU+]

A small slice for scholarships
A Times Union review of the tax returns for the Association of Black and Puerto Rican Legislators, Inc concludes that the state legislator org's annual event in Albany that publicly touts raising scholarship money as its main goal ended up contributing just 6.3 percent of money raised in 2015 to scholarships. [TU+]

Possible pension problem
More than 1,000 employees of the former St. Clare's Hospital in Schenectady got a letter last fall telling them their pension fund could run dry by 2024 -- and it's not backed up by the federal government because it had a religious exemption. [TU+]

Albany police detective arrested
State Police arrested an Albany police detective on a DWI charge in Saratoga County Saturday. [TU]

Jay Street fire
Five more people have filed suit against the building owner in the 2015 Jay Street fire -- and the city has still not released code enforcement documents related to the building citing an ongoing investigation. [Daily Gazette]

Baby blocked
Guilderland police allege an Albany woman used her baby to block being handcuffed at a Crossgates store before handing the child off to someone else and fleeing the mall -- she returned after being contacted by child protective services. [News10]

ShopRite for North Greenbush
It looks like a ShopRite will be going into the shopping center planned at the corner of routes 4 and 43 in North Greenbush. [TU+]