By JOYCE M. ROSENBERG AP Business Writer NEW YORK (AP) The hiring freeze at small businesses looks like it's finally thawing. Recruiting is picking up after being dormant at many companies even years after the recession. The factors behind companies' decisions to hire vary, with some anticipating a big revenue kick from the Trump administration's […]

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) Advocates for the elderly say each year con artists and greedy family members cheat New York seniors out of $1.5 billion in assets but they worry the number of reported cases is only the tip of the financial abuse iceberg. The Senate and Assembly's Joint Committee on Aging heard testimony Tuesday from […]

By MARY ESCH Associated Press FLORIDA, N.Y. (AP) When Denise Krohn came home to find her goldendoodle Kirby bleeding on the kitchen floor, she at first thought it was a terrible accident. But she soon realized that her home had been ransacked, and that her other dog, Quigley, was lying dead on his favorite blanket […]

President Donald Trump's first weeks in office have spawned anxiety and even arguments at some workplaces, putting owners — especially at smaller companies — in the position of needing to protect peace and productivity. At software maker BetterWorks, CEO Kris Duggan has noticed a drop in productivity since Trump's Jan. 20 inauguration, with staffers distracted […]

By DAVID BAUDER AP Television Writer NEW YORK (AP) These days of alternative facts, phantom terrorist attacks and fake news are changing the way news organizations do their jobs. Media outlets are more aggressively fact-checking political statements, a function often pushed into the background when campaigns end, finding innovative new formats and seeing keen interest […]

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP)  Thousands of new slot machines and table games debuting this month as part of New York state’s casino growth spurt are bringing not only more chances to gamble, but also millions of dollars more to help problem gamblers. The openings of the del Lago Resort & Casino in the Finger Lakes on […]

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) State lawmakers questioned the price tag of Gov. Andrew Cuomo's plan to make college tuition free for middle class students Tuesday, suggesting the true cost of the proposal could be far higher. The proposal has won the Democratic governor national attention and applause from education advocates, but lawmakers said during a budget […]

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) Call it contraception equality. Vasectomies, which are not covered under President Barack Obama's health care law, are increasingly being included in state measures that would require insurers to provide cost-free coverage of birth control. Backers of laws and proposals in such states as Illinois, Vermont, Maryland and most recently New York say […]

Albany, N.Y. (WHAM) - Governor Andrew Cuomo proposed another marijuana-related initiative as part of his 2017 State of the State plan Wednesday. The proposal to decriminalize marijuana in New York was found in the 383-page State of the State book on the governor's website. Under the plan, New York state would remove, "the criminal penalties […]

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) New York state lawmakers began their work for 2017 Wednesday with a vote to prohibit the use of cellphones as recording devices in the Senate chambers. The ban is intended to protect the chamber's decorum, according to lawmakers who included it in the Senate's internal rules. Democrats, however, called it an infringement […]