Peter Katz
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Broadcaster, journalist, publisher, columnist, former ABC News reporter/editor/manager, newsman DJ, WFAS, WHDH, WMEX, WBUR, WGBH, KFWB, pilot, concert promoter
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Articles by Peter Katz
NYS unemployment insurance system to be unavailable for 9 to 12 days
Beginning with the close of business at 5 p.m. on Nov. 2, the New New York State Department of Labor’s (NYSDOL) unemployment insurance system will be unavailable to businesses and other users for a period of from 9 to 12 days. NYSDOL is taking the internet-accessible system offline for a major upgrade. During that time period none of then usual online and phone-based unemployment insurance services will be available. NYSDOL has branded the new system Unemployment Services.
MTA says crime is down on Metro-North and other lines
Major crime on the Metro-North Railroad, Long Island Rail Road, and Staten Island Railway, including burglary, felony assault, grand larceny, and robbery dropped a combined 20.1% in the first eight months of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025, according to statistics released Oct. 26. There was a 16.4% drop in major crimes reported for the first eight months of 2025. The lines are patrolled by the Metropolitan Transit Authority’s (MTA) Police Department.
NYMC event raises $570k for scholarships and research
The 2026 Founder’s Dinner hosted by New York Medical College (NYMC), which joined Touro University (TU) in 2011, not only marked the founding of the college 166 years ago but also resulted in $570,000 being raised to support scholarships and medical research. The event took place at the Greentree Country Club in New Rochelle. NYMC said that more than 375 academic, health care, business and community stakeholders attended the dinner. From left: Zvi Lefkovitz; John J. Connolly; Edward C.
U.S. and world news for Oct. 26
Trump intensifies anti-Muslim attacks During a campaign rally in Port Huron, Michigan, on Sunday, Donald Trump lashed out at Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed as being a threat to national security, a jihadist, being on the side of terrorists and having to go through a metal detector to get into the U.S. Senate if elected. Trump was in Michigan campaigning for Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers.
Cait Conley, running against Rep. Mike Lawler, speaks out in Business Journal interview
Cait Conley, the Democrat candidate for the New York 17th Congressional District, did not mince words in an interview with Westfair’s Westchester County Business Journal when it came to discussing issues as she campaigns to unseat two-term Republican incumbent Mike Lawler. Key issues included affordability, corruption, ICE, Donald Trump, and what Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been doing at the Pentagon.
Two HV historic places receiving $1.2M in federal funds for repairs
The federal government is providing $1,281,961 in federal funding to pay for repairs and ensure on-going operations at two historic sites in the Hudson Valley: Van Cortlandt Manor at 525 S. Riverside Ave. in Croton-on-Hudson; and Creek Meeting House at 2433 Salt Point Turnpike in Clinton Corners in Dutchess County. Creek Meeting House. Photo via Google Maps. U.S. Sen.
Palisades Center mall seeks to use more space
The owner of the Palisades Center shopping mall in West Nyack is seeking approvals to begin using 250,888 square feet of space that has not been used for retailing since the mall first opened. Mall owner BD Palisades Center Holdings LLC, which is based in Stamford, has applied to the Town of Clarkstown’s Planning Board for amended site plan approval so that it can expand the gross leasable area of the mall, which is on a 170.89-acre site.
NYC council votes to ban horse-drawn carriages
The New York City Council has voted to phase out horse-drawn carriages that are a feature in Central Park and on surrounding streets by June 1, 2028. The legislation is known as Romanch’s Law and is named after 18-year-old Romanch Mahajan who died in a carriage accident this summer. In the accident, the carriage driver had stepped down to take a photo of Mahajan and his family sitting in the carriage when the horse bolted and Mahajan was thrown from the carriage. Horse-drawn carriage in NYC.
U.S. and world news for Oct. 23
Judge issues warning about Trump’s $10B lawsuit against BBC A federal judge in Miami warned that Donald Trump could see his $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) dismissed if he does not work harder to produce information the news outlet is entitled to in the case, including sitting for a deposition. Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué Aytch Lett also backed a subpoena from the BBC for membership records at Mar-a-Lago.
Manhattanville breaks ground on sports field project
Manhattanville University in Purchase held a ceremonial groundbreaking Oct. 22 for a new multi-sport field. Manhattanville sought and received approvals from the Town of Harrison for the project on its campus at 2900 Purchase St. In August, the Harrison Zoning Board approved the zoning variance required for the project to move forward. The Planning Board gave site plan approval, a steep slopes permit, and handled the environmental review under the State Environmental Quality Review Act.
Greenburgh Town Board approves amendment to Regeneron’s expansion plan
Greenburgh’s Town Board has approved an amended site plan and related applications from Loop Road Holdings LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Tarrytown-based Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., for a project on its property at 555 Saw Mill River Road that covers approximately 39.8 acres. In the summer of 2024, Greenburgh approved the construction of an approximately 136,000 square feet logistics building and related off-street parking for 208 vehicles.
Ulster makes move to help residents know their rights
Ulster County has taken steps to help residents understand their rights under civil rights and law enforcement accountability laws. The County Legislature approved a new policy from the County Executive Jen Metzger directing the County Department of Human Rights and Human Rights Director Joe McDonald to serve as a local point of contact for plain language information about residents’ rights and non‑legal guidance.
U.S. and world news for Oct. 22
Russia stages massive attack on Ukraine Russia staged a massive missile attack on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv overnight into Thursday, hours after Russian Dictator Vladimir Putin said the Kremlin was ready to resume peace talks next month.
Hochul’s lead over Blakeman narrows: now 14 points
The lead Democrat New York Gov. Kathy Hochul holds over Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman has narrowed by five points since Sept. 23, according to a poll released Oct. 21 by Quinnipiac University. Hochul received 55% support among likely New York voters and Blakeman received 41%. Four percent did not have a favorite candidate. In Quinnipiac’s Sept. 23 poll, the spread was 19% with Hochul receiving 58%, Blakeman receiving 39% and 3% not choosing a candidate. Hochul and Blakeman.
Latimer pushes for federal action on strokes
At a time when the Trump administration’s Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F.
Rockland launches $21M intermunicipal program
Rockland County has started a new program to distribute $21 million in funding that is designed to help municipalities in the county with various projects to improve their services, enhance infrastructure and strengthen the overall quality of life for residents. The $21 million will be distributed over three years at a rate of $7 million per year.
U.S. and world news for Oct. 21
Hubbard released by Russia Russia has freed Stephen Hubbard, an American who had been imprisoned in Russia for more than four years on charges of fighting as a mercenary in Ukraine. Hubbard, a 74-year-old retired teacher, was captured in occupied eastern Ukraine during Russia’s invasion in 2022 and accused of fighting for Ukraine in what his family and the State Department said were fabricated charges.
Conference held on battery energy storage systems
The Westchester Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) Conference has been held at the Westchester County Center in White Plains. The half-day gathering brought together more than 200 local leaders and public safety professionals, including municipal officials, elected representatives, planning and zoning board members, code enforcement officials, emergency responders and industry experts, to discuss the evolving role of battery energy storage systems (BESS) in New York’s energy infrastructure.
CNN warns Trump White House of legal action if it continues AF One ban
(CNN) — The White House has been excluding CNN from President Donald Trump’s trips on Air Force One, disrupting a decades-old tradition of pooled TV coverage. Now an attorney for CNN is warning that the network will take additional legal action if the White House continues to prevent its news crews from covering the president.
Yonkers program offers assistance with up to 19% of home, condo or co-op cost
Eligible homebuyers in Yonkers will able to receive up to 19% of the purchase price when buying a home in the city under a new program announced by Mayor Mike Spano, designed to help people overcome the difficulty of saving money for a down payment. The First-Time Homebuyer Down Payment Assistance Program provides individual awards determined through underwriting and subject to available funding.
New president for Pace University
Pace University, which has campuses in Westchester and New York City, has named a new president who will be taking office effective Jan. 1. Robert “Bobby” Ahdieh will succeed current president Marvin Krislov, who announced earlier this year that he would be stepping down. Ahdieh will be coming to Pace from Texas A&M University, where he served simultaneously as dean and Anthony G.
HV to receive $66.4M in state grants for water, sewer projects
New York state will be funding 17 water and sewer projects in Hudson Valley communities to the tune of $66,412,338 as part of nearly $500 million in new grants for various projects throughout the state announced Oct. 20 by Gov. Kathy Hochul. The state has committed to spend $3.75 billion over a five-year period for clean drinking water and sewer projects statewide. The funding is intended to help local governments modernize aging infrastructure including dealing with lead in water service lines.
County begins $10M affordable housing improvements program
Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins and the Westchester County Department of Planning on Oct. 19 announced the launch of the $10 million Affordable Housing Preservation and Rehabilitation Initiative (PRP). It’s a new program through which property owners can apply for grants to help make necessary improvements to existing affordable housing developments.
Kingston faces 6.9% property tax hike
Kingston’s Mayor Steve Noble, in delivering his budget address to the Common Council revealed that the proposed 2027 budget contains a 6.9% property tax increase. “For the last ten years, we have focused on careful planning, debt reduction, critical infrastructure investments, and cost-saving sustainability efforts, and though all of our costs are rising steadily and steeply, we remain in a strong fiscal position to weather this storm,” Noble said.
Iona expanding Sommer Center to become A. M. Hynes Performing Arts Center
The multipurpose Sommer Center, which features a 316-seat auditorium and dance studio on the Bronxville campus of Iona University is due to be transformed into the A. M. Hynes Performing Arts Center, the university has announced. The project will expand the venue from its current 316-seat capacity to 450 seats. It also will introduce a new performance stage along with enhanced lighting and sound systems.
Amazon looks to open distribution center in North White Plains
Sevan Multi Site Solutions, an architectural and construction firm based in Downers Grove, Illinois, has submitted an application to the Town of North Castle to convert an industrial building at 111 Lafayette Ave in North White Plains into an Amazon Quick Service Retail Distribution Center that would operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The building is owned by 111 WP Mistis Properties LLC. The two-story building covering 5,731 square feet is on an approximately 0.75-acre site.
Westchester County’s HomeSeeker receives award
Westchester County’s HomeSeeker platform has received a 2026 Award of Excellence from the National Association for County Community and Economic Development (NACCED). The online platform was designed to help residents more easily find and apply for affordable housing opportunities. The award was presented during NACCED’s 51st Annual Educational Conference and Training in Baltimore, a gathering of county leaders from across the country.
New public art in three Westchester communities
White Plains,Yonkers, and Port Chester have new public art as a result of New York state’s CHARM initiative administered by the New York State Council on the Arts. The current state budget has a $1 million allocation to fund the program that was established in 2025. CHARM was designed to bring 98 murals in public places to more than 40 counties around the state and so far has produced 42 artworks, with 40 unveiled through Oct. 17.
Ginsburg proposes second building for Bridgewater project in Yonkers
Martin Ginsburg’s Valhalla-based Ginsburg Development Companies (GDC) has submitted plans to Yonkers for the second building in its Bridgewater Project, which will when completed would bring a total of 385 new apartments to the city. The building Bridgewater North has already been approved by the city and Bridgewater South, to be located at the corner of Ludlow Street and Bridge Street, is planned as the second of two buildings in the development.
Sullivan County faces 27%+ tax hike
Sullivan County’s proposed 2027 tentative county budget has been presented to the County Legislature by County Manager Joshua Potosek. While the proposed budget does not cut programs, it does provide for increasing the county property tax by 27.67%.
AG James, others, want another law to release more Epstein files
New York Attorney General Letitia James has joined with 16 other attorneys general to push for passage of a new law that would give state attorneys general the power to go after the Epstein files that the Trump administration has refused to release.
U.S. and world news for Oct. 16
(Cover photo of Pope Leo conducting mass in hospital: Vatican Media via CNN Newsource) Investigation continues into Oregon school shooting The police chief in Bend, Oregon, says there will be a large police presence at the Silver Rail Elementary School where a 16-year-old shooter killed three children, aged 5, 8 and 11, and one teacher on Thursday. Another child and a teacher were hospitalized in critical condition. The shooter was shot and killed by a bystander.
Capital budget of $435.7M proposed for Westchester
Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins on Oct. 15 handed over his proposed 2027 Capital Budget for the county to Board of Legislators Chairman Vedat Gashi following a briefing on the budget at Jenkins’ ninth floor office in the County Office Building in White Plains. The process calls for the legislature to review the budget and negotiate with the county executive for any changes. The proposed capital budget for 2027 came in $435.7 million.
Juliette opens in White Plains
The mixed-use building known as Juliette developed by the Southern Land Company, which is based in Nashville, has officially opened its doors at 250 Mamaroneck Ave. in White Plains. The building has 177 apartments and was built on the site formerly occupied by the YMCA of Central and Northern Westchester. A Starbucks is in a 2,196-square-feet commercial space on the ground floor.
Plan being developed for new apartments in Irvington
The entity Irvington Equities LLC, which is based in the Bronx, and owns the property at 106 N. Broadway in Irvington, is in the process of preparing a formal site plan submission to the Village of Irvington that would revitalize, repurpose and expand an existing building at the site into 12 or 13 apartments, Westfair’s Westchester County Business Journal has learned.
U.S. and world news for Oct. 15
More trouble for economy with election looming Wholesale inflation shot higher in September, soaring to its highest level in more than four years, Bureau of Labor Statistics data showed Thursday. The Producer Price Index (PPI) was up 6.3% on an annual basis. That comes against overall inflation having risen to 3.7% in September. The PPI rose by 1.3% in August. PPI serves as a potential bellwether for what consumers could experience in the months to come.
NYS readies to spend another $200M for commercial and residential solar
The New York State Fiscal Year 2027 budget contains $200 million in funding for expanding access to solar-generated electricity across the state and on Oct. 14 the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) announced basics of how the money will be put to use. NYSERDA will be administering the funds. The target is to support the creation of new solar generating capacity of more than 565 megawatts (MW), enough to power over 90,000 homes.
Lawler proposes airbag bill
Congressman Mike Lawler, whose New York 17th Congressional District encompasses all of Rockland and Putnam and parts of Westchester and Dutchess has introduced a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives that would add consumer protections at the federal level that are more comprehensive than protections enacted by New York state in 2021. Lawler introduced a bill known as the “Anthony Amoros Law Right to Know Act,” House bill number H.R. 10762.
AG James releases updated guide on AI election misinformation
New York Attorney General Letitia James on Oct. 14 released an updated version of a guide first published in 2024 that is designed to help New Yorkers spot, avoid, and report election misinformation created by artificial intelligence (AI) ahead of the Nov. 3 general elections. The Office of Attorney General (OAG) noted that in just the last year, AI-generated images, videos, and audio recordings have become more sophisticated and harder to detect.
U.S. and world news for Oct. 14
Trump tells new falsehood about Greenland Donald Trump claimed in a social media post early Wednesday that “massive oil, gas and mineral exploitation is getting ready to begin” in Greenland.
Westchester Tech Accelerator selectes eight more businesses
Eight startup businesses have been selected to take part in this year’s fall session of Westchester County’s Element 46 Tech Accelerator Powered by QUAY Acceleration program. The businesses were chosen through a competitive entry process. Participating businesses will receive access to educational benefits, connections to entrepreneurs, investors, mentors, and full-time support from the Element 46 staff.
Development team selected for transforming Kingston Business Park
Douglaston Development, based in New York City, and the nonprofit RUPCO based in Kingston have been selected to work with the City of Kingston and the Kingston Local Development Corporation (KLDC) on redeveloping the 107-acre Kingston Business Park. Their selection was announced by Mayor Steven T. Noble and the KLDC following a competitive Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) process conducted by the city earlier this year.
Developer wants to add to approved Beacon project
The developer of a project that was approved by the City of Beacon in 2023 has gone back to the city with an amended plan that would add to the proposal for 393 and 397 Fishkill Ave., and 7 Conklin St. The city’s Planning Board on April 11, 2023, approved the application by 397 Fishkill Avenue LLC and 393 Fishkill Avenue LLC for a three-story, 15,948 square foot building with 12 apartments and 3,500 square feet of commercial space on the first floor.
U.S. and world news for Oct. 13
Trump holds raucous rally in Ohio Donald Trump on Monday kicked off a week of campaigning in Republican-controlled states with a raucous rally in Ohio, where Republicans are fighting to hold onto a Senate seat. He spent portions of his nearly 90-minute remarks railing against Somali and Haitian communities and catering to his base. He claimed two out-of-state Democrats — Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar and Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed — are bigger threats than former Ohio Sen.
Six leases totaling 34,200 sq. ft. signed for 360 Hamilton Ave.
TKF Burnside Real Estate Partners has signed new leases for its building at 360 Hamilton Ave. in White Plains, making the property 85% leased. The firm acquired the 400,000-square-foot Class A office building in February. Announced Oct. 13 as signing leases for space at the building were: CPL Architects (7,700 sq. ft.); Senior Whole Health of New York (6,500 sq. ft.); Itochu Specialty Chemicals (3,300 sq. ft.); Flagstar (8,000 sq. ft. renewal); Viner Finance (6,300 sq. ft.
Bryne proposes $6.5M tax cut for Putnam property owners
Putnam County Executive Kevin Byrne has submitted his 2027 Executive Recommended Budget to the Putnam County Legislature, proposing a $6.5 million reduction in the county property-tax levy along with no new borrowing. The $6.5 million tax cut is designed to fulfill the $6.5 million tax rebate plan approved by the County Legislature last year but not actually put into effect due to legal complications.
Mount Kisco reviews 54-unit development proposal
The entity 47 Dakin Owner LLC is proposing to build a 54-unit multifamily residential development at 49 Dakin Ave. in Mount Kisco. The building would be 3-1/2 stories and would front on Dakin Avenue adjacent to the St. Francis of Assisi Church and the Mount Kisco’s Justice Court and Police Department. The development would include six studio units, 25 one-bedroom units, 18 two-bedroom units and five three-bedroom units. Rendering of proposed Dakin Avenue building. According to Attorney Anthony B.
U.S. and world news for Oct. 12
Judge orders end to taxpayer-paid White House TV ads A federal judge with the Southern District of New York has ordered an immediate end to the White House spending taxpayer money on ads that promote Donald Trump and Trump’s political agenda. Taxpayer money has been used to pay for production of ads and the purchase of television time to show them. Judge Jennifer Rochon ordered the White House to immediately cease airing the ads.
WMCHealth receives $5M state money for student training
The Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth) based in Valhalla has received a five-year, $5 million grant from the New York State Department of Health to expand a student training program. The medical center’s current Rising Senior Program, launched in 2019, will be expanded to become the Targeted Education and Applied Clinical Healthcare Experience for Rising Seniors (TEACHERS) program. WMCHealth said it will help 400 students preparing to enter the health care workforce.
ICE has made hundreds of arrests in Westchester; here’s where
The Oct. 8 shooting of an immigrant from the Dominican Republic in a car by an agent of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the Marble Hill section of New York City, which touches Riverdale and is close to the city’s border with Westchester County has put a glaring spotlight on ICE activity in the region. The man’s five-year-old son was in the back seat of the car at the time and was not hit by any of the seven bullets that were fired.
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