Daily Digest: ‘Proactive step’: Mantello proposes six-month moratorium on battery storage facilities

Also: Hochul’s 2026 affordability agenda: Tax relief efforts, increased wages • Upcoming calendar

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Monday, January 12, 2026

Happy Monday! Hope everyone had a great weekend and has a great week ahead. Before you head out or enjoy that morning cup of coffee or tea, check out some of the top stories on our website. Be safe and enjoy the day. — Ron Rosner, Senior Editor e-edition                            obituaries ‘Proactive step’: Mantello proposes six-month moratorium on battery storage facilities TROY, N.Y. — Mayor Carmella Mantello announced that she intends to bring forth legislation to impose a six-month moratorium on Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) facilities in the City of Troy, citing the need to pursue a “formal pause” while reviewing safety regulations. Battery Energy Storage Systems have become a subject of controversy in recent […] Read more → Hochul's 2026 affordability agenda: Tax relief efforts, increased wages Gov. Kathy Hochul is informing New Yorkers about a number of tax relief and affordability measures that will begin in the New Year during the new tax year beginning January 1, 2026. Hochul has announced that in her upcoming FY2027 Executive Budget proposal she will put forth legislation that eliminates state income taxes on up to $25,000 of tipped income in tax year 2026. This follows federal guidance. Since taking office, the Governor has advanced policies that have put over $9 billion back in the pockets of New York households through tax relief efforts. "As we welcome in the New […] Read more → Upcoming calendar TITANIC IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE: Following the success of immersive exhibitions like Van Gogh, Claude Monet, Dinos Alive! and The Art of the Brick, Exhibition Hub has unveiled its newest fully immersive experience at Schenectady's Armory Studios (125 Washington Ave, Schenectady). "Titanic: An Immersive Voyage – Through the Eyes of the Passengers" opens on November 29 with […] Read more → Dr. Randy Cale's Terrific Parenting: Don't get caught believing the Midnight Brain There's a narrow stretch of time — usually between midnight and 4 a.m. — when otherwise competent, grounded adults wake up and, at times, 'lose their minds.' What do I mean by that? Thoughts arise, many strong and intrusive. Careers suddenly look fragile. Relationships feel doomed. Health concerns turn ominous. The future shrinks, the past grows teeth, and the present feels oddly helpless. Sometimes angst, sometimes anger, sometimes guilt … The Midnight Brain is quite creative in it's methods of torture. What's striking is not just the content of these thoughts, but the timing. The same person, with the same […] Read more → Federal Reserve Chair Powell says DOJ has subpoenaed central bank, threatens criminal indictment The move represents a major escalation in President Donald Trump's battle with the Fed. Read more → Celebrities wear pins protesting ICE on the Golden Globes red carpet The pins display slogans like "BE GOOD" and "ICE OUT." Read more → 'One Battle After Another' and 'Hamnet' take top honors at Golden Globes Many of the Oscar favorites won. Read more → 'Memory manipulation is inevitable': How rewriting memory in the lab might one day heal humans Research suggests memories are more like well-thumbed library books than museums. Read more → Advertisements promising patients a 'dream body' with minimal risk get little scrutiny State and federal authorities have the power to prohibit false or misleading medical advertising. Read more → Eco-friendly toilet papers are trendy, but their actual environmental impacts vary Experts say more consumers are seeking toilet paper made from recycled content or sustainable materials. Read more →

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