Thursday News Brief

Governor Hochul has signed off on new legislation aimed at protecting people from the dangers presented by lead pipes. The Lead Pipe Right to Know Act requires that information on lead pipes be made available to the public. It also stipulates the location of those pipes be known so they can be removed and no longer impact drinking water. The governor says this measure will help reduce the risk of New Yorkers being affected by lead poisoning. The photo shows samples of typical pipes used in household plumbing. While copper is very resistant to corrosion, untreated lead pipes and plumbing tend to corrode over time. When drinking water comes in contact with lead pipes and plumbing, for extended periods of time, corroded lead particles can enter your drinking water.

 

The former chief of the Irondequoit Police Department has been ordered to spend the next six months in jail. Yesterday, a judge sentenced 48-year-old Alan Laird after he pleaded guilty in September to committing tax fraud. Prosecutors say that Laird filed false tax returns related to the business that he co-owned and failed to report more than five million dollars in earnings between 2016 and 2021. Laird was a member of law enforcement for over 25 years.

 

Union workers at the University of Rochester Medical Center are weighing whether they’ll go on strike again. Negotiations between hospital officials and those employees are scheduled to resume today. If a deal isn’t reached, the workers could vote as early as tomorrow on whether they will walk off the job for three-days. URMC leaders say they’ve been trying to hammer out an agreement with employees on issues such as pay and benefits.

 

SiriusXM is being sued for allegedly trapping customers in subscriptions and making it difficult for them to cancel. State Attorney General Letitia James announced the lawsuit after an investigation that found the company “forces its subscribers to call or chat online with an agent to cancel a subscription, then deliberately draws out those interactions as part of its strategy.” James said that the tricky cancellation process is illegal. She added the office also found that the company trains its agency not to take “no” for an answer when customers call to cancel. The investigation began after hundreds of customers reported complaints about the process.

 

Holland Land Office Museum will be closed from January 2nd to January 27th while they redesign and rearrange the exhibits. Their newest exhibit, “98 years since the sun went out” will be moved to a much larger room where it will show what Genesee County was like the last time there was a total solar eclipse in 1925 in a revamped and redesigned capacity. The opening of the exhibit will be February 9th. 2024 will feature new exhibits and special events. The Museum will be open from 10 to 4 from the end of January on.

 

The Buffalo Sabres will be back on home ice once again tonight as they look to avoid a third consecutive loss. The Sabres will host their longtime rivals the Toronto Maple Leafs at KeyBank Center. The Sabres suffered a 9-4 defeat at the hands of the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night. Face-off this evening is set for 7:00.

 

 

ELSEWHERE…

 

An 86-year-old man has just donated his 200th gallon of blood. Bob Fisher has been donating at the San Diego Blood Bank since 1976. Records show he’s donated various blood products over 930 times. He donates triple platelets every couple weeks, and also donates for medical research conducted through the blood bank. He retired from three jobs with the military, both as an enlisted man and a civilian. As a volunteer, he filed taxes for people for 20 years and he taught AARP safe driving lessons for another ten years. He’s SDBB’s only 200-gallon donor, which makes him the top donor at San Diego Blood Bank.

 

Toyota is recalling more than one million vehicles for potential air bag issues. Toyota Motor announced the recall on Wednesday, saying a short circuit in a sensor could cause air bags to not properly deploy. The recall is for 2020 through 2022 model year vehicles including various Corolla, Camry, Avalon and Sienna Hybrid vehicles. The automaker says it will start notifying owners about the recall in February.

 

With Christmas just four days away, the Better Business Bureau is providing some tips to help people avoid scams when shopping for last-minute gifts. If you’re getting a gift card, look to see if it’s been tampered with and if so, pick a different card. And, only purchase toys from reputable websites and stores and don’t be fooled by a price that seems unusually low. Also, be careful with any personal information you post online so scammers don’t steal it. For more recommendations, visit bbb.org.

 

American voters are divided if the 2024 presidential election comes down to President Biden and former President Trump. The latest Quinnipiac poll reveals a virtual dead heat, with Biden receiving 47% of support from registered voters and Trump receiving 46%. Trump is polling far more favorably than other GOP members vying for the presidency, with South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis both receiving 11% of respondents’ support.

Today is Wednesday, Dec. 21, the 355th day of 2022 with 10 to follow.

This is the first day of winter.

The moon is waning. Morning stars are Jupiter, Mars and Uranus. Evening stars are Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Neptune, Saturn, Uranus and Venus.

December 21 in history…

…In 1620, the Pilgrims arrived at Plymouth, Massachusetts, following a 63-day voyage from England aboard the Mayflower.

 

 

 

 

 

…In 1913, the first crossword puzzle in an American newspaper appeared in The New York Sunday World.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…In 1935, former talk show host Phil Donahue was born. Happy 88th!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…In 1957, comedian Ray Romano was born. Happy 66th!

 

 

 

 

…In 1970, Elvis Presley went to the White House to volunteer his services to U.S. President Nixon on fighting the nation’s drug problems. He gave Nixon a chrome-plated Colt .45 and Tricky Dick gave Elvis a Narcotics Bureau badge.