Evening briefing in central New York: May 21

Good evening, Central New York. We end the day for you with the most important stories you need to know and your weather forecast.

Your weather planner

This evening it will be variably cloudy and warm with occasional showers or thunderstorms. Lows will be in the 60s.

Another day of heat and humidity tomorrow as highs return to the 80s and lows back to the 90s before showers and thunderstorms develop through the afternoon. Some storms on Wednesday could be strong to severe.

Tomorrow’s forecast

Hourly Forecast for Central NY | Hourly forecast for the southern level | Hourly Forecast for Northern New York

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Watch the latest news and other local stories from around the country.

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The big stories of the day

1. New York High Court upholds insurance requirement to cover medically necessary abortions

New York can continue to require health insurance companies to cover medically necessary abortions, the state’s highest court ruled Tuesday. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany and other religious groups argued that the rule violated their religious freedoms.

2. School budgets, a priority on election day in New York

Tuesday is election day. This time, voters across New York are heading to the polls to determine the future of education. There are school board seats on some ballots and different proposals – but the bottom line is the budget.

3. Herkimer County Legislature Speaker Arrested and Charged with Drug Offenses

The speaker of the Herkimer County Legislature was arrested over the weekend and charged with a drug offense. A representative with the Ilion Police Department said Robert Hollum, 49, was arrested Sunday around 7:45 p.m.

4. New national program aims to help older drivers be safer on the road

Crash data from the New York State Sheriffs’ Association between fall 2022 and fall 2023 shows that crashes involving drivers 65 and older are on the rise. For these drivers and their families, there is a newer effort called CarFit to help improve safety and comfort behind the wheel.

5. Trump Trial Updates: Defense Ends Case Without Ex-President Testifying

The defense in Donald Trump’s secret trial rested without calling the former president as a witness. Judge Juan Merchan adjourned the proceedings until next week.

6. Biden releases 1 million barrels of gasoline from reserves to lower prices

The Biden administration announced Tuesday it would release 1 million barrels of gasoline from a Northeast reserve established after Superstorm Sandy in an effort to lower prices at the pump this summer. The sale, from storage sites in New Jersey and Maine, will be distributed in increments of 100,000 barrels at a time. This approach will create a competitive bidding process that will ensure gasoline can get to local retailers before the July 4 holiday and sold at competitive prices, the Department of Energy said.

In case you missed it



18-year-old runs for Southern Tier school board while still in school

High school graduation is fast approaching, and for tens of thousands of New York students, that often means leaving the area for a new opportunity. But one Southern Tier high school student is looking to seize a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and he’s doing it while he’s still in school.