The costs of bitcoin
Bitcoin mining takes resources such as electricity and water and has some environmentalists facing off against the power generation stations that offer both, a story in the New York Times said over the weekend. Mining for the cryptocurrency requires a lot of energy, and hedge funds have bought defunct, or nearly so, power plants all over New York which help local economies but bring potentially harmful effects to the same localities.
Inflation pressures may force Feds hands
The Federal Reserve Board had signaled that they may raise interest rates later next year, but inflation pressures have meant that it might happen sooner, the Wall Street Journal is reporting. The story says that the shift in focus means the Fed is looking to curb inflation more than bring people back to work post-pandemic. It’s conjecture at this point.
More Cuomo fallout
This time the fallout is with Chris Cuomo, the former Governor’s brother. The CNN anchor, fired over the weekend from his job at the network after the network realized he helped his brother a lot during the Governor's sexual misconduct troubles, is facing allegations of sexual misconduct himself, the Times Union is reporting. Debra Katz contacted the network on Wednesday. One of Katz's clients alleges "serious sexual misconduct" by the former anchor, the story says.
What do you gotta do to get some weed?
Malta is asking that question, and it looks like the answer is to hope the public run a petition drive on the topic of marijuana sales and use at cafes in the town, the Times Union reported over the weekend. This town's supervisor says first the town needs to opt out of sales and use, the two decision each municipality needs to make in the state, and then turn around and let the public decide. With just seven people at a public forum on the topic, the town supervisor is loathe to make the decision.
Franklin County: COVID Central
In the first five days of December, 303 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Franklin County, the Adirondack Daily Enterprise is reporting. Only 42, by comparison, had the disease this time last year, the story says. About 900 people contracted the disease in all of November. Deaths from COVID have hit 26 people in the county since the outbreak began, the story says.
OSI connecting Saratoga County and the Adirondacks
The Open Space Institute's purchases of property in Warren and Saratoga Counties from the Moreau State Park borders through the town of Lake Luzerne, will be added to the Ralph Road State Forest, according to a story in the Adirondack Explorer. The purchase creates another connection of Saratoga County into the Adirondack Park, a the story says. It also creates a green corridor between Vermont’s mountains and New York's.