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Rochester City Council President Miguel A. Meléndez, Jr. is urging the Trump administration to immediately restore federal homelessness funding after the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) abruptly paused its Continuum of Care (CoC) grant program, a primary funding source for local housing stability efforts. Rochester City Council President Miguel A. Meléndez, Jr. The pause, which stems from HUD’s withdrawal of its notice of funding opportunity earlier thi

Gov. Kathy Hochul has issued her fourth veto of the Grieving Families Act, a bill that would overhaul New York’s wrongful death statute and allow families to seek damages for emotional suffering, expanding what is currently one of the nation’s most restrictive laws. Hochul rejected the legislation late Monday, arguing that the broad expansion of eligible claims and the lack of clear financial guardrails would significantly drive up insurance and liability costs for municipali

A deep freeze grips Rochester today, giving way this week to a mix of snow, wind and fluctuating daytime highs that could challenge travel and outdoor plans. Brief warm-up brings snow After a frigid Monday topping out at 23 °F, the region warms slightly on Tuesday — to a high near 32 °F — but that comes with a burst of early snowfall. Forecasts call for 3 to 6 centimeters of accumulation, enough to dust roads and sidewalks. Unsettled midweek: snow, rain mix By Wednesday, temp

Rapper Toosii, a Syracuse native, Announced He Will Join Syracuse University Football Program Syracuse native and platinum-selling rapper Toosii is returning to his roots — not on stage, but on the field. The 24-year-old artist, known for hits like “Love Cycle”  and “Favorite Song,”  is set to join the Syracuse University football program, the school confirmed Monday. Toosii, born Nau’Jour Grainger, will enroll as a non-traditional student-athlete and participate as a walk-on

NEW YORK — New York Attorney General Letitia James on Tuesday secured a federal court order preventing the U.S. government from cutting off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood, a move she said would have jeopardized health care access for millions of low-income patients nationwide. The ruling, issued by the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, grants a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of a provision in the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” The prov

Monroe County Legislator Rachel Barnhart is demanding the release of all county records related to Airbnb’s lobbying efforts as lawmakers prepare to vote on whether the county will opt out of New York’s new statewide short-term rental registry — a system designed to track Airbnb and other vacation rentals, standardize tax collection, and enforce safety and licensing rules across the state. Monroe County Legislator Rachel Barnhart The registry, approved by lawmakers earlier th

New York Attorney General Letitia James on Wednesday filed a federal lawsuit to stop the Trump administration from enforcing new guidance that could cut off food assistance for tens of thousands of lawful permanent residents. NY AG, Letitia James James, joined by a coalition of 21 attorneys general, is challenging an October 31 directive from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that she says unlawfully restricts Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligibility for

Sister Grace Miller, who dedicated decades of her life to serving the city’s most vulnerable, died Thursday at age 90. Known for her radical compassion and unwavering advocacy, Miller’s work transformed Rochester’s response to homelessness and left a lasting legacy of care, dignity, and inclusion. Who was Jesus the Christ? Scholars, theologians, and seekers have offered countless answers: a Jewish rabbi, a rebel against Rome, a Buddhist sage, a Hindu avatar, the Messiah, God

New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani sparked fresh controversy Sunday following a high-profile appearance on NBC’s Meet the Press , where he addressed his tax-reform agenda, described his recent Oval Office meeting with President Donald Trump, and weighed in on Gov. Kathy Hochul’s approach to state-level tax increases. NYC Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani The interview, which quickly drew reactions across the political spectrum, offered the clearest picture yet of how Mamdani i

Bishop Troy Anthony Bronner, a nationally respected preacher, author and the founding pastor of Elim Christian Fellowship in Buffalo and Rochester, died this week, leaving behind a transformative legacy that reshaped urban ministry in Western New York and beyond. He was 62. Elim Christian Fellowship announced his passing and asked the community to keep his family and congregation in prayer. [Funeral arrangements are listed at the end of this article.] A Dynamic Preacher and

Congress on Tuesday approved bipartisan legislation requiring the Justice Department to release thousands of pages of files related to Jeffrey Epstein, sending the measure to President Donald Trump, who has signaled he will sign it. The Epstein Files Transparency Act cleared the House in a 427–1 vote and later passed the Senate by unanimous consent, reflecting rare and overwhelming bipartisan agreement. The bill mandates the disclosure of all unclassified Justice Department d

Rochester is joining a worldwide movement this week as Global Entrepreneurship Week Rochester 2025 (GEWROC) kicks off a four-day celebration aimed at empowering entrepreneurs and strengthening the region’s business ecosystem. Running Nov. 18–21 at multiple locations across the city, GEWROC features more than a dozen partner organizations and over 40 speakers offering workshops, bus tours, wellness events, advisory sessions and networking opportunities. Organizers say the week

Metro Justice and the Rochester for Energy Democracy (RED) coalition have welcomed Rochester City Council’s public opposition to the latest RG&E rate hike proposal — but say words are not enough. The coalition delivered a statement Thursday, Nov. 13, during the Speak to Council session at City Hall, urging Council to take concrete action by advancing a City-led public utility study. Pastor Wanda Wilson of RocACTS delivered the statement on behalf of the RED campaign, ahead of

The United States Postal Service (USPS) is currently recruiting and will be holding several job fairs in the region. Representatives will be on-site to answer questions and walk applicants through the available positions. According to the announcement, interested candidates can view the full list of openings online at the USPS careers page. In order to apply, applicants must be at least 18 years old, and willing to work weekends and holidays. Pay starts at $20.73 per hour fo

As Congress moves toward ending the weeks-long federal government shutdown, millions of Americans who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, are anxiously waiting for the restoration of their full monthly benefits. For more than six weeks, the shutdown has stalled federal funding for critical services, leaving roughly 42 million low-income individuals and families in limbo. The Department of Agriculture, which oversees SNAP, warned states earlier this

Monroe County Executive Adam Bello and Rochester Mayor Malik Evans joined local, state, and federal leaders Monday to break ground on a $13 million housing development that will bring 22 new affordable single-family homes to the city’s Upper Falls neighborhood — a historically redlined area long affected by disinvestment The First Genesis Single Family Homes project, spearheaded by the First Genesis Development Corporation in partnership with Rochester Management Inc., Atlas

New York Attorney General Letitia James NEW YORK —New York Attorney General Letitia James secured an emergency court order temporarily halting the Trump administration’s effort to retract Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits already released to millions of Americans. The ruling, issued by the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, blocks a last-minute directive from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that ordered states to “immediat

On November 10, 2025, Donald Trump issued what may be one of his most consequential exercises of the pardon power: a “full, complete, and unconditional” federal pardon for more than seventy individuals who were involved in efforts to challenge or overturn the 2020 presidential election results. President Donald Trump Key figures included: Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s former personal lawyer and one of the most visible proponents of his post-2020 election fraud claims. Mark Meadows,

The City of Rochester’s Water Bureau will hold a public meeting on Thursday, November 13, at 5:30 p.m. at Lake Riley Lodge, 100 Norris Drive, to discuss updates to the Reservoir LT2 Compliance Project. The project is designed to bring the city’s water storage facilities into compliance with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (LT2), which requires that open, finished water reservoirs be either covered or equipped with a

Monroe County Executive Adam Bello joined local leaders this week to warn residents about delays and upcoming changes to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) as the federal government shutdown continues. Monroe County Executive, Adam Bello County officials said SNAP benefits scheduled for release on Nov. 1 will be delayed, impacting more than 104,000 Monroe County residents — including over 37,000 children and 22,000 seniors. The county’s SNAP program