Akum Norder.
@stickfigureman.bsky.social
Journalist. Times Union opinion page editor. Author of “The History of Here: A House, the Pine Hills Neighborhood, and the City of Albany.” See Also: naps.
Recognizing Lois Norder, recipient of a journalism career achievement award from the Loeb Foundation, "widely regarded as the editor behind some of the most impactful journalism in regional newsrooms."
Though the honor is all hers, I too am honored -- to say I'm her daughter. tinyurl.com/fb9zc38v
Though the honor is all hers, I too am honored -- to say I'm her daughter. tinyurl.com/fb9zc38v
2025 Loeb Award Finalists, Career Honorees and Awards Event at Rainbow Room in New York City Announced by UCLA Anderson
/PRNewswire/ -- The G. and R. Loeb Foundation Inc. and UCLA Anderson School of Management today announced two career honorees and 41 competition finalists of...
www.prnewswire.com
August 28, 2025 at 7:38 PM
Recognizing Lois Norder, recipient of a journalism career achievement award from the Loeb Foundation, "widely regarded as the editor behind some of the most impactful journalism in regional newsrooms."
Though the honor is all hers, I too am honored -- to say I'm her daughter. tinyurl.com/fb9zc38v
Though the honor is all hers, I too am honored -- to say I'm her daughter. tinyurl.com/fb9zc38v
We asked readers: What's the verdict on the new Thruway travel plazas? The Bronx cheer could be heard from the Hudson Valley to Buffalo. www.timesunion.com/opinion/arti...
We asked what you thought of the new Thruway rest areas. The verdict: You're not impressed.
Interior layout and food options drew the most criticism. Read the responses and share your own.
www.timesunion.com
August 13, 2025 at 3:59 PM
We asked readers: What's the verdict on the new Thruway travel plazas? The Bronx cheer could be heard from the Hudson Valley to Buffalo. www.timesunion.com/opinion/arti...
Why would the Albany County Pine Hills Land Authority sell off key Saint Rose buildings before the campus-wide plan is created? Why not let the strategists do what they were hired to do? The neighborhood association is right: Slow down, folks. www.timesunion.com/opinion/arti...
Editorial: Don't sell off Saint Rose campus without a plan
It would be a mistake to sell College of Saint Rose buildings to Albany County before a firm hired to explore options has completed its work.
www.timesunion.com
July 17, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Why would the Albany County Pine Hills Land Authority sell off key Saint Rose buildings before the campus-wide plan is created? Why not let the strategists do what they were hired to do? The neighborhood association is right: Slow down, folks. www.timesunion.com/opinion/arti...
"Trump’s actions must not deter those who would speak out against his abuses of our laws and norms" -- peacefully: "Protesters must not feed Mr. Trump's narrative that he's restoring law and order. It is he who is pouring gasoline on a woodpile. Protesters should not be the ones to light a match."
"It raises urgent questions for the courts, and it may put Marines and National Guard members in the impossible position of acting against people who are exercising the very rights they took an oath to defend," writes the Times Union Editorial Board.
Editorial: A dangerous escalation in Los Angeles
The president sends troops to L.A. on a flimsy excuse. It's a blatant attack on Americans' constitutional rights.
www.timesunion.com
June 10, 2025 at 2:46 PM
"Trump’s actions must not deter those who would speak out against his abuses of our laws and norms" -- peacefully: "Protesters must not feed Mr. Trump's narrative that he's restoring law and order. It is he who is pouring gasoline on a woodpile. Protesters should not be the ones to light a match."
Get ready for the spectacle of the century! Invitations for President Trump's birthday parade are finally here -- and we're all invited! 😀 Created exclusively for @timesunion.com by John Ficarra and Sam Viviano of MAD magazine fame. (They're just as fun to work with as you think they'd be.)
June 8, 2025 at 2:29 PM
Get ready for the spectacle of the century! Invitations for President Trump's birthday parade are finally here -- and we're all invited! 😀 Created exclusively for @timesunion.com by John Ficarra and Sam Viviano of MAD magazine fame. (They're just as fun to work with as you think they'd be.)
Reposted by Akum Norder.
"Of all the cruel and unjustifiable moves the Trump administration has made on immigration, this is one of the worst: The government is ending deportation protections for people who assisted US troops in Afghanistan. It’s a broken promise of the vilest kind," writes the Times Union Editorial Board.
Editorial: America's broken promises
Ending deportation protections for those who helped U.S. troops in Afghanistan is a national shame.
www.timesunion.com
June 2, 2025 at 12:54 PM
"Of all the cruel and unjustifiable moves the Trump administration has made on immigration, this is one of the worst: The government is ending deportation protections for people who assisted US troops in Afghanistan. It’s a broken promise of the vilest kind," writes the Times Union Editorial Board.
Reposted by Akum Norder.
"Perhaps the plan isn’t white enough, or male enough, for a president determined to cover up evidence of diversity in one of the most diverse nations in the world," writes the Times Union Editorial Board.
Editorial: An attack on our humanities
The Trump administration’s cuts hit home as the president usurps agencies that Congress intended to be independent of the executive.
www.timesunion.com
June 1, 2025 at 1:06 PM
"Perhaps the plan isn’t white enough, or male enough, for a president determined to cover up evidence of diversity in one of the most diverse nations in the world," writes the Times Union Editorial Board.
Capital Region residents! At the 100-day mark of President Trump's term, we want to hear from you: How have the sweeping changes enacted by his administration affected you? What have you learned about America, and what are your hopes/fears for the future? www.timesunion.com/projects/202...
Trump's first 100 days: Share your thoughts
How have changes affected you? Which actions of the Trump administration stand out as especially significant? What are your hopes or fears for the next 100 days and beyond?
www.timesunion.com
April 28, 2025 at 12:40 PM
Capital Region residents! At the 100-day mark of President Trump's term, we want to hear from you: How have the sweeping changes enacted by his administration affected you? What have you learned about America, and what are your hopes/fears for the future? www.timesunion.com/projects/202...
Occasionally I amuse myself by asking AI programs to draw sketches of a postapocalyptic Albany.
Q: How do we know this image is fake?
A: Because the state Capitol steps aren't barricaded off.
Q: How do we know this image is fake?
A: Because the state Capitol steps aren't barricaded off.
April 22, 2025 at 2:13 PM
Occasionally I amuse myself by asking AI programs to draw sketches of a postapocalyptic Albany.
Q: How do we know this image is fake?
A: Because the state Capitol steps aren't barricaded off.
Q: How do we know this image is fake?
A: Because the state Capitol steps aren't barricaded off.
This is a genuine post from the White House Twitter account.
April 18, 2025 at 4:43 PM
This is a genuine post from the White House Twitter account.
Reposted by Akum Norder.
Historians: Quibbling Over Exact Definition Of Concentration Camp Sign Of Healthy Society
Historians: Quibbling Over Exact Definition Of Concentration Camp Sign Of Healthy Society
NEW HAVEN, CT—Calling such concern for linguistic precision a clear indicator of a thriving country, a panel of historians from Yale University issued a statement Thursday announcing that quibbling ov...
theonion.com
April 17, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Historians: Quibbling Over Exact Definition Of Concentration Camp Sign Of Healthy Society
From a teacher: Blaming last week's standardized test system failures on the vendor ignores problems for which NYS is to blame -- including the disproportionate focus on exams and SED's rigidity in moving to computer-based testing. How is any of this good for kids? www.timesunion.com/opinion/arti...
Commentary: Problems with school testing go beyond the vendor's tech issues
Commentary: With its disproportionate focus on exams and its rigidity in moving to computer-based testing, the state is also culpable.
www.timesunion.com
April 16, 2025 at 6:30 PM
From a teacher: Blaming last week's standardized test system failures on the vendor ignores problems for which NYS is to blame -- including the disproportionate focus on exams and SED's rigidity in moving to computer-based testing. How is any of this good for kids? www.timesunion.com/opinion/arti...
The Times Union editorial board writes that it's time to begin contempt proceedings against the Trump administration. The alternative: We become a nation where innocent people can be disappeared to a foreign dungeon with no hope of legal redress. www.timesunion.com/opinion/arti...
Editorial: Ignoring the U.S. Supreme Court
The Trump administration claims it has no influence to get Kilmar Abrego Garcia out of an El Salvadoran prison. That's a lie.
www.timesunion.com
April 15, 2025 at 2:32 PM
The Times Union editorial board writes that it's time to begin contempt proceedings against the Trump administration. The alternative: We become a nation where innocent people can be disappeared to a foreign dungeon with no hope of legal redress. www.timesunion.com/opinion/arti...
From a Times Union commentary: New York ranks last among U.S. states for timely delivery of early intervention services for children with developmental delays. Wouldn't our "first mom governor" want us to do better? www.timesunion.com/opinion/arti...
Commentary: Children with developmental delays aren't getting the services they need
Commentary: New York ranks 50th for timely delivery of early intervention services. Wouldn't our "first mom governor" want us to do better?
www.timesunion.com
April 11, 2025 at 2:55 PM
From a Times Union commentary: New York ranks last among U.S. states for timely delivery of early intervention services for children with developmental delays. Wouldn't our "first mom governor" want us to do better? www.timesunion.com/opinion/arti...
The CEO of the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society writes that New York lawmakers have a chance right now to fight cruelty to animals by strengthening laws against animal abuse. www.timesunion.com/opinion/arti...
Commentary: To fight animal cruelty, New York needs stronger penalties and real funding
Commentary: Lawmakers can help by passing laws that deter abusers and strengthen investigatory powers, along with supporting the care of abused animals.
www.timesunion.com
April 9, 2025 at 2:00 PM
The CEO of the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society writes that New York lawmakers have a chance right now to fight cruelty to animals by strengthening laws against animal abuse. www.timesunion.com/opinion/arti...
Reposted by Akum Norder.
"Welcome to the disappearance of human beings in America, a concept that befouls every ideal this nation is supposed to stand for. Liberty. Human rights. Due process. A government bound by the rule of law," writes the Times Union Editorial Board.
Editorial: ‘Disappeared’ in America
People living legally in the U.S. are being caught up in the Trump administration’s deportation frenzy. The courts must stop this, now.
www.timesunion.com
April 7, 2025 at 2:34 PM
"Welcome to the disappearance of human beings in America, a concept that befouls every ideal this nation is supposed to stand for. Liberty. Human rights. Due process. A government bound by the rule of law," writes the Times Union Editorial Board.
A gov't scholar writes: Most politicians are wary of institutional change since any power they take today may be used by opponents tomorrow. Not MAGA: Why's the GOP letting Trump invest so much power in the presidency? Is it because they don’t intend to give it up? www.timesunion.com/opinion/arti...
Commentary: Trump's consolidation of power raises an ominous question: Will he give it up?
Most political actors know that any institutional change they make today may be used by their opponent tomorrow. But MAGA acts like there's no tomorrow.
www.timesunion.com
April 7, 2025 at 3:18 PM
A gov't scholar writes: Most politicians are wary of institutional change since any power they take today may be used by opponents tomorrow. Not MAGA: Why's the GOP letting Trump invest so much power in the presidency? Is it because they don’t intend to give it up? www.timesunion.com/opinion/arti...
From the TU editorial board - CDPAP? More like CYA: With state workers asked to "volunteer" to register home care recipients - work NYS paid a vendor to do - taxpayers are paying for the same thing twice. Meanwhile, the state keeps insisting everything's fine. www.timesunion.com/opinion/arti...
Editorial: A careless approach to care
The home care program transition isn’t going well, and the state seems unable to admit it.
www.timesunion.com
April 4, 2025 at 3:11 PM
From the TU editorial board - CDPAP? More like CYA: With state workers asked to "volunteer" to register home care recipients - work NYS paid a vendor to do - taxpayers are paying for the same thing twice. Meanwhile, the state keeps insisting everything's fine. www.timesunion.com/opinion/arti...
Seneca Meadows, New York state's largest landfill, is seeking to expand despite strong local resistance. Writing in @timesunion.com, a commenter argues the landfill isn't the problem -- the problem is that we make too much trash. www.timesunion.com/opinion/arti...
Commentary: Seneca Meadows landfill is not the problem. Overconsumption is.
Commentary: Environmental stewardship requires more than protecting our own backyard. We must address the waste problem at the source — our own habits.
www.timesunion.com
April 3, 2025 at 3:18 PM
Seneca Meadows, New York state's largest landfill, is seeking to expand despite strong local resistance. Writing in @timesunion.com, a commenter argues the landfill isn't the problem -- the problem is that we make too much trash. www.timesunion.com/opinion/arti...
The TU editorial board has two problems with Gov. Hochul's proposed mask ban: 1) It's a terrible idea that runs afoul of the First Amendment. 2) It has no business being buried in the NY budget. Present the bill openly, debate it and put lawmakers' votes on record.
www.timesunion.com/opinion/arti...
www.timesunion.com/opinion/arti...
Editorial: Flawed mask ban doesn't belong in the budget, or anywhere else
As negotiations continue, Gov. Hochul hopes to include a mask-wearing ban in New York's spending plan.
www.timesunion.com
April 2, 2025 at 4:26 PM
The TU editorial board has two problems with Gov. Hochul's proposed mask ban: 1) It's a terrible idea that runs afoul of the First Amendment. 2) It has no business being buried in the NY budget. Present the bill openly, debate it and put lawmakers' votes on record.
www.timesunion.com/opinion/arti...
www.timesunion.com/opinion/arti...
Two bills before the NYS Legislature seek to expand the number of state Supreme Court judges to ease the backlog of cases. A judge writes that one of the bills is much better, and fairer, than the other. www.timesunion.com/opinion/arti...
Commentary: The state Supreme Court system needs more judges. But how they're assigned matters.
Commentary: Competing bills offer solutions to the backlog of cases; one of them better ensures fairness and safeguards the independence of the judiciary.
www.timesunion.com
April 1, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Two bills before the NYS Legislature seek to expand the number of state Supreme Court judges to ease the backlog of cases. A judge writes that one of the bills is much better, and fairer, than the other. www.timesunion.com/opinion/arti...
Last day of March! The Times Union published *59* publicly submitted op-eds this month -- essays and commentaries you won't find anywhere else. Scroll through timesunion.com/opinion to read what your neighbors, representatives and other advocates are saying about our communities, state and nation.
Letters, Opinion for Albany & the New York Capital Region
Read news editorials, letters to the editor, blogs, and commentary on news and events in Albany, New York, and the Capital Region
timesunion.com
March 31, 2025 at 4:48 PM
Last day of March! The Times Union published *59* publicly submitted op-eds this month -- essays and commentaries you won't find anywhere else. Scroll through timesunion.com/opinion to read what your neighbors, representatives and other advocates are saying about our communities, state and nation.
TU editorial board: Those who say “Well, noncitizens shouldn’t vote so what’s the problem?” are missing the point: Adding onerous bureaucratic requirements isn't about voter fraud; it's about disenfranchising millions of eligible voters who tend to vote Democratic.
www.timesunion.com/opinion/arti...
www.timesunion.com/opinion/arti...
Editorial: An attack on America’s voting rights
Congressional Republicans and President Trump are trying to disenfranchise eligible voters under the guise of fighting virtually nonexistent fraud.
www.timesunion.com
March 30, 2025 at 4:27 PM
TU editorial board: Those who say “Well, noncitizens shouldn’t vote so what’s the problem?” are missing the point: Adding onerous bureaucratic requirements isn't about voter fraud; it's about disenfranchising millions of eligible voters who tend to vote Democratic.
www.timesunion.com/opinion/arti...
www.timesunion.com/opinion/arti...
A writer argues: If NYS decides a homeschool co-op looks too much like traditional school, they can crush it with bureaucratic demands: fire inspections, evacuation drills and lockdown drills. This is how you kill innovation - and teachers unions like it that way.
www.timesunion.com/opinion/arti...
www.timesunion.com/opinion/arti...
Commentary: Outdated homeschool laws are stifling education innovation
Parents should have the right to form collaborative "microschools" without facing onerous bureaucratic demands.
www.timesunion.com
March 27, 2025 at 5:03 PM
A writer argues: If NYS decides a homeschool co-op looks too much like traditional school, they can crush it with bureaucratic demands: fire inspections, evacuation drills and lockdown drills. This is how you kill innovation - and teachers unions like it that way.
www.timesunion.com/opinion/arti...
www.timesunion.com/opinion/arti...
The Times Union editorial board writes: With so many questions swirling about America’s future, let’s start with the most basic question of all: Who’s not going to eat today? www.timesunion.com/opinion/arti...
Editorial: Empty plates in the land of plenty
Turmoil at the federal level makes it all the more critical for New York to expand food assistance.
www.timesunion.com
March 27, 2025 at 4:58 PM
The Times Union editorial board writes: With so many questions swirling about America’s future, let’s start with the most basic question of all: Who’s not going to eat today? www.timesunion.com/opinion/arti...