News Blog

The Paris climate talks are under way and will continue for the next 12 days.

Approximately 150 world leaders convened in the city for the opening of the United Nations talks, in which UN members are negotiating a global treaty for addressing climate change. The talks come soon after a brutal terrorist attack on the city, which killed 130 people and injured hundreds more. The fact that the leaders are still gathered for the climate conference is a “rejection of those who would tear down our world,” President Barack Obama told an assembly of the leaders, reports the Guardian.

The talks will center around plans to reduce carbon emissions that have been submitted by member countries, including a joint agreement between the US and China. But the UN has said that the pledges submitted will only hold global warming below 2.7 to 3 degrees Celsius, which is higher than the 2 degrees Celsius threshold that scientists say should be the target.


A commission reviewing the Monroe County sheriff’s pay meets today at 4 p.m.

During a meeting last week, the commission received a packet of information about pay levels and department sizes for other New York sheriff’s offices. The members were instructed to review the data and come to today’s meeting with recommendations for Monroe County Sheriff Patrick O’Flynn’s salary.

Legislature Democrats suspect that Republican leaders have already determined that they’re going to give O’Flynn a raise. The commission develops recommendations that are forwarded to the County Legislature, which has to approve any pay raise.


The County Legislature’s Ways and Means Committee will meet at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, December 3,  to discuss County Executive Maggie Brooks’ 2016 budget proposal.

So far, the $1.2-billion plan seems to be a status quo budget, with no big cuts or new programs. And it keeps the county property tax rate at $8.99 per $1,000 assessed value. Brooks has said that the budget contains no new chargebacks and doesn't reduce the county’s contribution to child day care subsidies. The 2014 and 2015 budgets both reduced the county’s contribution.

The Legislature will vote on the budget during its December 8 meeting. BY JEREMY MOULE 


Rochester City Council will hold public meetings on the police body-camera program at 6 p.m. on Monday, November 30, at the Danforth Community Center, 200 West Avenue. And at 6 p.m. on Thursday, December 3, at the David Gantt center, 700 North Street.

The purpose of the meetings is to get public input on the pending program. Participants will break off into tabletop work sessions where they will consider: When will the cameras be on and off? Can citizens opt-out of being recorded? Who can see the footage? And, how long will the footage be saved?

There will also be a display of different kinds of body cameras.

The city wants to phase-in the program by the end of June, 2016. BY CHRISTINE CARRIE FIEN