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President Donald Trump is facing intensifying bipartisan criticism after sharing a video on social media that critics said portrayed former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes — a post the White House press secretary publicly defended even as Trump claimed it was shared “in error” but declined to apologize. Donald Trump says the racist imagery of the Obamas was posted by a "staffer" but stopped short of apologizing The video, which circulated o

Nicholas Kieffer, a former New York state corrections officer acquitted of criminal charges in the fatal beating death of inmate Robert Brooks, has filed a federal lawsuit seeking $5 million in damages, alleging an “ill conceived, ill intended” prosecution by William Fitzpatrick, who served as special prosecutor in the case. Nicholas Kieffer was acquitted of criminal charges in the beating death of inmate Robert Brooks Kieffer’s complaint, filed this week in federal court, ac

Gov. Kathy Hochul enters 2026 with her strongest favorability rating since taking office, commanding wide leads over both Democratic and Republican challengers, according to a new Siena College poll — a political rebound that comes after a highly public and unusually bitter rupture with her former lieutenant governor, Antonio Delgado. An AI-generated illustration depicts Gov. Kathy Hochul and Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado facing off amid their political rift. Photo illustration ge

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced plans to extend and codify sanctuary-style protections statewide, citing public safety concerns and civil liberties in the wake of two controversial shootings involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in Minnesota that have sparked national outrage. Governor Hochul Introduces the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act to limit state cooperation with ICE The move follows deadly ICE encounters in Minneapolis that have intensified scrutiny

Demitria Lawton-Greggs On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I talked over the phone with Demitria Lawton-Greggs, principal of Flower City School No. 54, to talk about legacy, not as abstraction or slogan, but as something lived daily in classrooms, hallways, and hard conversations. For Lawton-Greggs, King’s legacy is not simply remembered; it is practiced. “King opened doors,” she told me. “The fact that we can have all types of people sit in one room, not worry about status, not

Rochester Police Chief David Smith and Mayor Malik Evans at a press conference, highlighted progress in public safety in 2025 City of Rochester public safety leaders on Tuesday provided an overview of crime statistics for 2025, highlighting significant declines in violent crime while urging continued efforts to address persistent challenges. In a year-end briefing, Rochester Police Chief David Smith and Mayor Malik Evans said nearly all major gun violence metrics fell to thei

As tensions escalate over a massive federal immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota that has included the fatal shooting of a resident by a Border Patrol agent, the Trump administration is demanding access to the state’s voter registration database — drawing sharp criticism from Minnesota officials and civil liberties advocates. At the center of the dispute is a Jan. 24 letter from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. In that letter, Bondi tied c

A French textile recycling company plans to invest $390 million to build its first North American textile regeneration facility at Eastman Business Park, a project expected to create about 70 jobs and position Rochester as a hub for circular manufacturing, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Thursday. The company, Reju, will develop an 18.9-acre vacant site at the former Kodak campus, where it plans to construct a 145,000-square-foot facility to recycle discarded polyester textiles i

Ongoing payroll problems within the Rochester City School District are again drawing criticism from employees and union leaders, after district officials acknowledged that recently issued W-2 tax forms contained errors, prompting workers to delay filing their taxes. Demonstrators march at RCSD Headquarters District administrators notified staff earlier this week that inaccuracies were discovered in some W-2 statements generated by the district’s payroll system. Employees were

Our Voices Project LLC, in collaboration with Legacy Drama House, presented Being Black in America: Discussion and Collective Action on Monday, January 19, 2026, at the Legacy Drama House, located at 112 Webster Avenue in Rochester, NY. Dr. Mary Tina, the owner of Legacy Drama House, has operated the space for more than eight years. The event was well attended, filling the venue. Our Voices Project Founder, Director, and Co-Producer Jackie McGriff, along with Outreach Facili

AI created image of President Donald Trump When Donald Trump has mused publicly about serving a third term as president, the response from many allies and critics has been familiar: dismiss it as a joke, provocation, or “Trump banter.” Supporters often frame the comments as sarcasm meant to irritate opponents or excite crowds, while even some Republican lawmakers insist the Constitution makes such speculation moot. But Trump’s political history complicates that dismissal. Aga

Margaret “Midge” Thomas, a beloved leader, mentor, and tireless advocate for community empowerment in Rochester, New York, died on Jan. 8, 2026, at Rochester General Hospital. She was 99 years old and had been hospitalized for several weeks with respiratory complications, her goddaughter, Beverly Randall, said. Margaret "Midge" Thomas For more than five decades, Thomas’s life was defined by service, compassion, and a steadfast commitment to lifting others — especially youth a