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Just sitting down with my cup of New York State produced Chobani Greek lemon yogurt when up pops a release from the Cuomo administration announcing that New York is now the top yogurt producing state in the country. Huzzah!

New York officially overtook California as the top yogurt producer in the country this year. 

As Cuomo points out, New York's dairy farmers are the reason for New York's yogurt domination and as both a connoisseur of yogurt and someone who grew up on a farm and surrounded by dairy folk I can attest that both yogurt and dairy folk are sometimes hard to please.

But Cuomo apparently delivered for both sects, promising during New York's Yogurt Summit to strip restrictive regulations on farms and provide more cash to help ensure that dairy farms do not taint local water supplies with waste runoff. 

“The new New York State is a place where businesses can grow and thrive, and the fact that New York State is now, for the first time ever, the nation’s leader in yogurt production demonstrates that our efforts to open the state’s doors to business and grow the private sector are truly working,” Cuomo said in a statement. “Our state government is working closer together with the private sector than ever before, rolling back bureaucratic red tape and addressing the burdens that are facing job creators. With New York State officially being crowned Yogurt Capital of America, it is clear that our approach to growing the economy and creating an entrepreneurial government is paying off.”

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City Council Speaker Christine Quinn has followed up on a promise to help prepare New Yorkers for the coming changes to the healthcare industry.

Quinn announced a new partnership today to help prioritize retraining for current healthcare workers to meet new standards and incentivize jobs in the industry. The effort comes as city leaders seek to capitalize on the expected demand for healthcare jobs stemming from the rollout of the national Affordable Care Act and the state's Medicaid redesign.

Quinn first announced the new partnership, called the New York Health Employment Coalition, during her State of the City address in February.

"If we get this right, it will mean thousands of new job opportunities for working and middle class New Yorkers," Quinn said when she introduced her proposal in February. "If we get it wrong, we’ll see major disruptions in our healthcare system, and healthcare professionals could actually lose their jobs.

The coalition is co-chaired by Health Committee Chairwoman Maria del Carmen Arroyo, Greater New York Hospital Association President Kenneth Raske, 1199 SEIU Training and Employment Funds Executive Director Deborah King and the City University of New York's Dean of Health Bill Ebenstein.

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The nation's highest court stayed above the fray of the gun control debate after it declined to hear appeals from New York State gun owners.

The court didn't comment on the case, Kachalsky v. Cacace, which came about as a result of the state's concealed-and-carry laws. Five Westchester County residents had their applications for unrestricted concealed permits rejected after the clerk's office said that they had failed to show a need for self-protection outside of their home.

New York State penal law allows local authorities to grant concealed handgun permits at their own discretion.

The Kachalsky case is unrelated to the package of gun control reform legislation that Gov. Andrew Cuomo in January, parts of which come into effect today — including the ban on magazines for semi-automatic guns used for home protection that have more than seven bullets. The New York Post reported that the New York State Rifle and Pistol Association will file for a preliminary injunction against the Cuomo-backed law with the US District Court.

Concealed handgun permits remain central to the ongoing debate in Washington D.C. as Congress mulls over the latest bipartisan gun control proposal. Sen. Chuck Schumer has already spoken out strongly against one amendment proposed in the compromise that would force New York to recognize permitted gun owners from across state lines.

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Bronx State Sen. Gustavo Rivera says he officially endorsed City Council Speaker Christine Quinn in her mayoral bid earlier today because she "has been there" for the people he represents.

I asked Rivera what brought about his endorsement so early in the race before any other state legislators have made tipped their hats. 

"First of all I respect all the candidates but I had to make an assesment on who is going to be best for job," he said. "We need a leader to bring people together with common interests. She is a proven leader knows how to bring interests together in the City of New York. I was not looking to endorse someone I agree with 100 percent of time." 

Rivera said that he has had a good working relationship with Quinn and that she has responded quickly on issues, such as getting properties in the Bronx away from absentee landlords. 

"Whenever we have reached out she has been there," Said Rivera. 

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Gov. Andrew Cuomo fired the first salvo today in what he says will be an ongoing campaign against public corruption. 

Cuomo was joined by a number of county district attorneys at a press conference at his Manhattan office today where he announced a push to create a "Public Trust Act" that would increase penalties for existing public corruption laws and establish three new criminal acts: bribing a public official, scheming to corrupt the government and failing to report corruption.

Legislators convicted of corruption charges would be banned from holding office and would not be able to do business with the state. 

"The public expects honesty," Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance said at the press conference, "and it's time our laws caught up with reality." 

Asked by reporters why his proposal didn't include giving more power to the attorney general to investigate corruption, Cuomo said that today's announcement was "step one." 

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