All Over Albany

Faso/Stefanik to vote no on tax reform, Albany receives DOJ warning about sanctuary status, 50 foot spruce headed for ESP

Faso/Stefanik on tax reform
Both John Faso and Elise Stefanik have announced they will not support the House Republican tax reform legislation when it comes up for vote today. [TU][Stefanik.house.gov]

Albany receives DOJ warning
Mayor Kathy Sheehan has been warned by the Department of Justice that Albany's status as a sanctuary city puts the city at risk of losing federal grant funding. [TU]

RPI
The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, a nonprofit group advocating for free speech on college campuses, is threatening to file a complaint with RPI's accrediting association over the institutes "repeated and deliberate efforts" to stifle student voices. [TU]

Mahan
Chris Churchill suggests Colonie supervisor Paula Mahan's son Joseph should not be working as the town building inspector because of the fear of political repercussions. [TU]

Milton supervisor
A judge unsealed the settlement agreement between the town of Milton and the woman who accused Supervisor Dan Lewis or on-the-job harassment. [TU]

$6,000 bill
The owner of Moscatiello's restaurant is suing to be paid more than $6,000 he says he is owed for a fund raiser thrown at the restaurant by Rensselaer County Legislator Lou Desso. [TU]

LED Sign at Mohawk Harbor
Mohawk Harbor is asking the Schenectady Zoning Board of Appeals to approve an LED sign that is pretty close to the same sign that was denied by the board last month. [Gazette]

HVCC President
Roger A. Ramsammy has been officially named the next president of Hudson Valley Community College. [TU]

Greek system
Sarah Foss makes the case for reforming the Greek system on college campuses in light of the recent death of a Penn State student this fall. [Gazette]

Schenectady blue collar workers
The president of the AFSCME, the union that represents blue-collar city workers in Schenectady says employees have been working without a contract for over a year and moral among workers is at a low.[TU]

UAlbany Interfaith Center
The occupants of UAlbany's Inerfaith Center are fighting the university's efforts to move them to the campus center, and have asked the State Attorney General's office to step in. [TU]

Schenectady auction
Schenectady raised $568,100 last month with the sale of 22 properties seized for unpaid taxes. [Gazette]

Posthumous promotion for deputy
The Saratoga County Sheriff's Deputy who died off-duty this week, while training for a triathlon, has been posthumously promoted to investigator. [Gazette]

Help for farmers fighting toxic algae
Federal assistance is helping farmers in their efforts to protect water supplies from toxic algae and farm fertilizers[TU]

O Christmas tree
A Latham family has donated a 50 foot blue spruce tree that will decorate the Empire State Plaza this holiday season. [WNYT]

Stuff going on today

Welcome to Nighvale
Thursday: Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor, creators of Welcome to Night Vale, will be at Skidmore College for a Q & A and a signing for their latest book, It Devours.

Gargoyles
Thursday: Author/journalist gargoyle John Freeman Gill will be at UAlbany as part of the NYS Writers Institute visiting writers series. His new novel is The Gargoyle Hunters, and he'll be giving an illustrated talk titled "Anchoring Flights of Fancy: Research & Imagination in the New York Novel The Gargoyle Hunters." Thursday 7:30 pm, downtown campus, Page Hall -- free

US v. Susan B. Anthony
Thursday: The federal courthouse in Albany is hosting a re-enactment of the 1873 trial in which Susan B. Anthony was tried for voting in the presidential election. Thursday 6 pm -- free

Museum of Political Corruption
Thursday: The Museum of Political Corruption will be grant its first Nellie Bly Award for Investigative Reporting award to Susanne Craig of the New York Times. The event also includes a panel discussion about government and media. Thursday 6 pm -- $40

Stage

The Olate Dogs
Thursday: The Olate Dogs -- a traveling act in which dogs perform all sorts of tricks -- will be at the Cohoes Musical Hall. "The all-new LIVE theatrical show include the infamous jumping rope, twirling spinning and fun-loving Olate Dogs made famous on America's Got Talent... but there's much more. With a doggy fashion show, a classic comedic routine by Richard Olate, music by Nicholas Olate and amazing cycling and juggling by his wife, the Olate Dogs show is fun for kids of all ages." Thursday 7 pm -- $25 and up

Music

Thursday: Regina Spektor at The Palace
Performing solo. 8 pm -- $49.50 and up

Thursday: Spyro Gyra at The Egg
Jazz fusion. 7:30 pm -- $34.50

Thursday: Ron Gallo at The Hollow
Rock. 9 pm -- $12 ahead / $14 day of

Thursday: Blues Beatles at The Upper Room
Pretty much what it sounds like. 7 pm -- $15 and up