In October, 17,600 people in the Syracuse area didn't have jobs but wanted them.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- The unemployment rate in the Syracuse area continued to drop in October when compared with last year.

The rate for the area, which includes Madison, Onondaga and Oswego counties, was 5.8 percent for October. The year before, the rate was 6.8 percent. The rate is slightly higher than September, when it was 5.7 percent for the region.

The last time the October unemployment rate was 5.8 percent or lower was 2008, when it was 5.5 percent. Statewide unemployment for October was 6 percent.

The number of people employed in the Syracuse region in October was 288,200. That number is unchanged from September and down from October 2013, when it was 293,600.

The number of people who were unemployed was 17,600, down from 21,500 in October 2013, but up slightly from September, when it was 17,400.

County unemployment rates:

• Cayuga: 5.2 percent.
• Cortland: 5.6 percent.
• Madison 5.5 percent
• Oneida: 5.8 percent
• Onondaga: 5.5 percent
• Oswego: 7.1 percent

Contact Marnie Eisenstadt anytime: email | twitter | 315-470-2246.

As storm slams East Coast, flights could be delayed around the country.

Syracuse, N.Y. -- If you're planning to drive south or east for Thanksgiving, experts have some advice for you.

"Leave now," said Paul Walker, a senior meteorologist for AccuWeather.com. "The earlier you leave, the better."

On Wednesday, a major storm will roll up the East Coast and dump a foot or more of snow through major travel corridors. Albany could get a foot of snow; so could Scranton, Pa. The snow will start in the morning and continue all day and into evening.

"If you have the ability to travel today rather than tomorrow, that's the much better option," said John Koch, deputy chief of meteorological services for the National Weather Service's Eastern region.

View full sizeProjected snowfall totals for Wednesday.National Weather Service 

Related story: Best times to travel in all four directions

The storm will start Wednesday morning, then get worse into the afternoon and evening.

"Conditions will deteriorate as the day goes on," Koch said. "We expect the bulk of the precipitation to be done by Thursday morning, but that doesn't mean the roads will be great then."

New York state's transportation commissioner, Joan McDonald, is encouraging drivers to travel today or Thursday. She also urged drivers to check the state's traffic conditions website, 511NY, before leaving. (You can also follow it on Twitter at @511NY.)

Koch said it's likely there could be delays and cancellations at airports across the country.

"When you have a winter storm hitting all the major East Coast terminals, you can anticipate there will be delays system wide," he said.

Airports across the region are readying for a bad storm on what is considered the busiest travel day of the year. Impacts could vary widely; officials at Logan Airport in Boston say they expect rain and an inch or 2 of snow.

Christina Callahan executive director of Hancock International Airport, said she hasn't seen any cancellations or delays yet. She said travelers should check with their airlines before leaving for the airport. You can also check on the airport website.

The weather service has issued a variety of watches and warnings for areas south and east of Syracuse:

•Albany. Winter storm warning, 8 to 14 inches of snow.

•Western Massachusetts. Winter storm warning, 6 to 10 inches of snow.

•Binghamton. Hazardous weather outlook, "significant snowfall" possible.

•Oneonta. Winter storm watch, 7 or more inches possible.

•Scranton, Pa. Winter storm watch, potential for 7 inches or more of snow.

Central New York will get a few inches of snow at most, and the storm won't affect travel to the west and north.

Contact Glenn Coin: Email | Twitter | Google + | (315) 470-3251

Dwight DeLee remains free but is facing another indictment in the hate-crime death of a transgender Syracuse woman.

Dwight Delee in Onondaga County Court in 2009.Dick Blume | dblume@syracuse.com 

Syracuse, NY -- The Onondaga County District Attorney's Office vowed to prosecute Dwight DeLee a second time after the state's highest court upheld the dismissal of his hate-crime conviction due to confusing jury instructions.

"We fully intend to move forward with the prosecution of Dwight DeLee as soon as possible," First Chief Assistant District Attorney Rick Trunfio said today, expressing disappointment at the court's ruling.

DeLee was found guilty by a jury of manslaughter as a hate crime in the Nov. 14, 2008 death of Lateisha Green, a 22-year-old transgender Syracuse resident shot outside a house party. She was previously known as Moses Cannon.

But the jury acquitted DeLee of ordinary manslaughter, rendering an "inconsistent" verdict, according to an appeals court. Someone cannot be guilty of manslaughter as a hate crime without also being guilty of manslaughter. The appellate judges tossed the conviction and DeLee was set free.

The state's Court of Appeals upheld the decision to dismiss the conviction, but made a major change: prosecutors could present new charges against DeLee to a grand jury.

Given the court decided to throw out the conviction, getting another chance was a significant win for the prosecution, Trunfio said.

When asked if prosecutors planned to seek another hate-crime prosecution, Trunfio replied: "Why wouldn't we?"

The district attorney's office has pointed out that there was nothing wrong with the proof against DeLee or the lawyers' performance during trial.

A sworn affidavit from the jury foreperson indicated that the jury was not confused at all and that they very quickly decided that the death of Cannon was a hate crime, Trunfio said.

The high court said the jury may have been "misled by confusing instructions on the order of deliberations." The judge who oversaw the trial, William Walsh, has since retired.

DeLee remains free after his parole violation in an unrelated weapons case.

Army Lieutenant Colonel was taking courses through SU's Institute of National Security and Counterterrorism

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- A former Syracuse University military student has been convicted of sex trafficking of a minor by a federal jury.

U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Raymond Valas, 41, was convicted Friday in San Antonio, Texas. The federal jury found that Valas, who was a U.S. Army War College fellow at Syracuse University and a member of the New Hampshire National Guard, solicited a minor using the Internet to engage in commercial sex. Further, jurors found that Valas knowingly had sex with that minor female in a San Antonio hotel on two occasions in August 2013 while on temporary duty.

Valas, who has been remanded into federal custody, faces between 10 years and life in federal prison when he is sentenced in February.

Three co-defendants charged along with Valas have all been convicted of sex trafficking of minors.

Valas attended SU beginning in the fall of 2013. He was sponsored by the U.S. Army as a one-year Army War College Fellow, taking courses through the Institute for National Security and Counterterrorism (INSCT). The criminal charges relate to conduct that occurred in Texas before Valas arrived in Syracuse to attend classes.

"Valas no longer has any connection with INSCT or Syracuse University," the university said in a written statement.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation together with the San Antonio Police Department.

Contact Dave Tobin anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-3277

The regulations will also apply to convenience stores, bakeries and vending machines.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Whether they want to or not, consumers will soon know how many calories they are eating when ordering off the menu at chain restaurants, picking up prepared foods at supermarkets and even eating a tub of popcorn at the movie theater.

The Food and Drug Administration announced long-delayed calorie labeling rules Tuesday, requiring establishments that sell prepared foods and have 20 or more locations to post the calorie content of food "clearly and conspicuously" on their menus, menu boards and displays. Companies will have until November 2015 to comply.

The regulations will also apply to convenience stores, bakeries, coffee shops, pizza delivery, amusement parks and vending machines.

The idea is that people may pass on that bacon double cheeseburger if they know it has hundreds of calories -- and, in turn, restaurants may make their foods healthier to keep calorie counts down. Beverages are included in the rules, and alcohol will be labeled if drinks are listed on the menu.

"Americans eat and drink about one-third of their calories away from home and people today expect clear information about the products they consume," FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg said. The effort is just one way Americans can combat obesity, she added.

The menus and menu boards will tell diners that a 2,000-calorie diet is used as the basis for daily nutrition, noting that individual calorie needs may vary. Additional nutritional information beyond calories, including sodium, fats, sugar and other items, must be available upon request.

The rules deal a blow to the grocery and convenience store industries, which have lobbied hard to be left out since the menu labels became law in 2010 as a part of the health care overhaul. Even before the new rules were announced, some Republicans in Congress had expressed concern that they would be too burdensome for businesses.

The law came together when the restaurant industry agreed to the labeling in an effort to dodge a growing patchwork of city and state rules. But supermarkets, convenience stores and many other retailers that sell prepared food said they wanted no part of it. The restaurant industry pushed to include those outlets, as they increasingly have offered restaurant-like service.

The FDA issued proposed rules in 2011 that included supermarkets and convenience stores but excluded movie theaters. The final rules being released Tuesday include all of them.

The restaurant industry, along with nutrition and consumer advocates, has said any business that sells prepared foods should be included. They argued that if a rotisserie chicken is labeled with a calorie count at a takeout restaurant, it should be labeled at a grocery store.

Representatives for the supermarket industry have said it could cost them up to a billion dollars to put the labels in place -- costs that would be passed on to consumers. They said the rules could cover thousands of items in each store, unlike restaurants, which typically have fewer items.

To assuage some of their concerns in the final rules, FDA excluded prepared foods that are typically intended for more than one person to eat and require more preparation, like deli meats, cheeses or bulk deli salads.

But a sandwich for sale at the same counter would have to have a calorie label nearby, and the majority of prepared foods in the grocery store will have to be labeled -- from the salad bar to the hot food bar to cookies and birthday cakes in the bakery.

Leslie G. Sarasin, president and CEO of the Food Marketing Institute, the main trade group for supermarkets, said the industry is "extremely disappointed" in the rule.

"The cost of FDA's menu labeling rule will redirect hundreds of millions of dollars away from grocers' efforts toward expansion of their offerings of fresh, minimally processed, locally produced items, such as cut cantaloupe, mixed salads, or steamed seafood," she said. "Clearly, this was not the intent behind a requirement for menu labeling in chain restaurants."

The pizza industry, led by delivery giant Domino's, has also vigorously fought the rules, saying there are millions of ingredient combinations possible. The FDA attempted to mollify some of their concerns by allowing pizza restaurants to label pizza calories by the slice, as they had requested, but would still force the labeling on menu boards in takeout restaurants.

The delivery pizza industry had asked to post information online instead, saying only a small percentage of customers walk into their stores and about half order online.

As in the proposed rules, the final version still exempts airplanes, trains, food trucks and other food served on forms of transportation. School foods overseen by the Agriculture Department aren't covered either.

The point of menu labeling is to make sure that customers process the calorie information as they are figuring out what to eat. Many restaurants currently post nutritional information in a hallway, on wrappers or on their website. The new law will make calories immediately available for most items.

New York City was the first in the country to put a calorie posting law in place, and other cities and states have followed since then. Several restaurant chains such as McDonald's are already putting calorie labels on menus and menu boards nationwide.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- About 50 people gathered in front of the Federal Building in Syracuse Tuesday afternoon to protest a grand jury decision to not indict Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown, an unarmed black 18-year-old, in Ferguson, Mo. People held signs demanding justice for Brown, speaking out against police brutality and talking about institutionalized racism...

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- About 50 people gathered in front of the Federal Building in Syracuse Tuesday afternoon to protest a grand jury decision to not indict Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown, an unarmed black 18-year-old, in Ferguson, Mo.

People held signs demanding justice for Brown, speaking out against police brutality and talking about institutionalized racism throughout the country.

Several discussed their own reasons for attending:

Katie Barrett, 55, and Cathy Middlesworth, 49, of Syracuse

Katie Barrett said she was at the rally to stand in solidarity with people who are as shocked by the grand jury decision as she was when she saw it online Monday night.

She said she was emotionally moved by the Brown case because she thought about her own son.

"That could have been my child. When I see somebody get shot down in cold blood, I see my kid laying there," she said.

Cathy Barrett agreed, saying the decision speaks to the larger issue of police brutality across the country, including in Syracuse.

"People have to remember that police work for us," she said.

She said Officer Darren Wilson should have faced a jury of his peers.

Barrett also wanted to see Wilson in court.

"An indictment isn't a conviction," she said. "If you don't want to convict, that's something different."

Ann Tiffany, 79, of Syracuse

Ann Tiffany was active in the Civil Rights movements throughout the 1960s and 1970s. She said that despite positive changes made in race relations since then, she sees racism day-to-day in Syracuse.

She sees it in disparities of opportunities for housing, education and jobs.

"It hasn't ended. It permeates so many parts of our lives," she said.

She said she hopes the decision made in Ferguson begins a conversation in Syracuse about how police agencies, churches and community leaders can come together to discuss violence in the city and how institutionalized racism impacts people's lives.

Odelia Grady, 31, of Syracuse

When Odelia Grady read the grand jury decision while on Facebook Monday night, she was inspired to do something because she couldn't believe the verdict.

"I felt more empowered to stand up with people," she said.

She said Syracuse is diverse, but despite that, she has dealt with racism her whole life.

Her biracial mother was disowned by her family for marrying an African American man.
Grady has always been pegged with racist stereotypes, such as being an Oreo, a slang phrase for people with black skin who "act" white, something Grady said she was dubbed because she strives to create a good life for her and her children.

She said she wants the decision in Ferguson to address the local need for equality, regardless of one's race.

"We're all human," she said.

Tempest Saldivar, 54, of Syracuse

Tempest Saldivar said she was watching television last night when she heard that there would be no indictment.

She said her first reaction was acknowledging that she didn't know all the facts about the case. She said she hopes that the grand jury would have considered all the evidence and applied the law appropriately.

She was at the rally to dissuade violence from happening in Syracuse the way it's happening in Ferguson. She said she's aware of racism and violence in Syracuse, but doesn't want people to use their anger about the shooting as an excuse to perpetuate more violence.

"We need to stick together," she said.

Matt Bethurem, 38, of Southern Missouri is currently living in Syracuse

Matt Bethurem watched the grand jury announcement live on TV. He was unsurprised because he didn't expect a different decision from a justice system he said is corrupt.

He was at the rally because he said he hopes that people can begin to see the differences in what it is like to live as an African American as opposed to a white person.

"Discrimination is institutionalized," he said. As a white male he doesn't see himself as being discriminated against because the term is inherently meant to describe the condition of disenfranchised and minority communities.

He said he hopes the grand jury decision and rallies in Ferguson opens people's eyes to how racism is present in their own community.

The longtime Syracuse district attorney analyzes the Ferguson, Mo. grand jury decision.

Syracuse, NY -- Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick offered his analysis today on a grand jury's decision not to indict a Ferguson, Mo. police officer in the death of an unarmed man, Michael Brown.

The case has sparked nationwide protests by those who felt that Officer Darren Wilson, 28, who is white, should have been charged in the shooting death of Brown, 18, who was black.

Fitzpatrick said the evidence did not prove that Wilson "shot a man in cold blood or negligently," but he did not defend the officer's actions, either.

"(Brown) was not shot in the back, not executed," Fitzpatrick said. "That doesn't mean Wilson was right or couldn't be involved in a civil lawsuit, which he is."

But Fitzpatrick concluded that the evidence didn't support criminal charges against the officer.

Fitzpatrick responded to questions from Syracuse.com about what he felt were the pivotal moments before the shooting, the grand jury process and the lesson for Syracuse.

Pivotal moments

• Officer Darren Wilson knew about the strong-arm robbery: Fitzpatrick said that the officer's knowledge that Brown was a potential suspect in a nearby robbery provided probable cause to stop Brown, who was walking down the middle of the road.

• Brown was bigger than Wilson: The officer compared struggling with the suspect to a 5-year-old holding onto Hulk Hogan, Fitzpatrick noted. The DA described Brown as an "extremely large individual who happened to be black."

• Brown's DNA on Wilson's gun: That corroborates a struggle for the gun that happened in the officer's car, before the fatal shooting, Fitzpatrick said. Wilson said he was punched twice by Brown during the encounter. That led to widely-publicized photos of Wilson's face afterward.

• Wilson feared for his safety: Under law, police officers are allowed to shoot if they feel they are about to suffer serious physical injury, Fitzpatrick said. The standards are pretty similar across the country, and apply in Syracuse. Once that threshold is reached, an officer is not required to contain himself to non-lethal force. He's taught to shoot at center mass and stop the source of danger, Fitzpatrick said. Wilson attempted to shoot Brown while they struggled for the gun in the car, but the weapon did not go off. When he did get off a shot, it startled both men and Brown retreated for a moment.

• Intent of Wilson's subsequent shots unclear: At some point, Wilson fired again. Fitzpatrick said he's not clear whether the officer was firing at Brown at that point, or firing warning shots. Witnesses told the grand jury conflicting accounts.

• Brown was coming back toward the officer when he was killed: After Wilson's second round of gunfire, Brown started running and Wilson chased him. Brown stopped under a light pole. He turned around and moments later, Wilson fired the fatal shots.

Those brief seconds before the fatal shots were crucial, Fitzpatrick said.

Did Brown have his hands up in surrender? Did he reach for his waistband threateningly? The grand jury's witnesses weren't clear, according to news reports.

"He turns around and comes back," Fitzpatrick said, noting that the blood trail showed Brown advancing on the officer.

"But this is the point you're never going to have agreement," Fitzpatrick said. "You're going to look at it through a personal background, and in some cases, race."

"Could (Wilson) have wounded him? Could he have fled?" Fitzpatrick wondered, raising the point of view of Brown's supporters.

That said, under law, "we have to look at Officer Wilson's mind," the DA said. And that, combined with the forensic evidence and conflicting witness accounts, was not enough to indict Wilson, Fitzpatrick concluded.

The grand jury

• A prosecutor who wanted to indict Wilson could have gotten the grand jury to do so: A prosecutor has the ability to present only evidence favorable to the case.

If St. Louis Prosecuting Attorney Bob McCulloch had only presented witnesses who claimed Brown had his hands up in a universal sign of surrender, he could have gotten an indictment, Fitzpatrick said. But that could have been misconduct, because he was obligated to present clearly exculpatory evidence, Fitzpatrick said.

• Presenting all the evidence was the right call: Fitzpatrick credited McCulloch for releasing the grand jury testimony so he couldn't be second-guessed.

• Releasing the grand jury's findings at a different time wouldn't have stopped the violence: Fitzpatrick said some people were going to riot regardless of the outcome. Fitzpatrick said he didn't know what McCulloch's reasons were for releasing the findings when he did, but argued that someone would have leaked the findings if there had been any further delay.

Some pundits have suggested that announcing the decision after dark made it harder to contain the inevitable rioting.

What can Syracuse learn?

• Don't put yourself in a bad situation like Brown did: "Anytime that there's a national story, I hope people learn from it," Fitzpatrick said. "It's a learning process. If it were up to me, Learning Point No. 1: Don't commit a strong-arm robbery. Don't resist arrest."

Fitzpatrick said he's never indicted a local officer for a shooting, a testament he said to local law enforcement.

Lovely Warren posted her response on Facebook in reaction to the Ferguson, Mo., grand jury decision.

After Monday's announcement that Officer Darren Wilson was not indicted in the shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., many reacted on social media -- one being Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren.

While numerous people expressed their opinions on the decision, Warren's statement has reportedly created a social media firestorm. Democrat & Chronicle reports Warren's post drew more than 400 comments, inciting arguments and outrage.

Much debate stemmed from Warren's comment that describes Wilson as an "authority figure who had little regard for this young man's life," Democrat & Chronicle continues to report. Later mentioned in the statement, Warren connects the situation to Rochester, saying residents "live in a community where we embrace our differences, where we talk about them."

Warren's post continues with her response to President Obama's statement, connecting his words to changes made with Rochester's law enforcement.

"President Barack Obama said on Sunday that the way back, the way to keep future incidents from occurring, is for our law enforcement to be 'sensitive to the concerns of minority communities, then over time trust can be built.' I wholeheartedly agree, and this is why we have taken steps to change the way we do business here in Rochester. We've made strides, but still have a ways to go."

After seeing the post, WROC reporter Rachel Barnhart tweeted a portion of Warren's statement.

Mayor Warren: Wilson "an authority figure who had little regard for this young man's life" https://t.co/plVzTfevl7 pic.twitter.com/fB9fzJ1DsA

— Rachel Barnhart (@rachbarnhart) November 25, 2014

Barnhart also posted responses from the brother of a fallen Rochester Police Department officer, which Warren later responded to, CBS 6 Albany reports.

Oh no. This is officially a disaster. https://t.co/11m3da7dVj pic.twitter.com/ugEjzSlP2v

— Rachel Barnhart (@rachbarnhart) November 25, 2014

Mayor response to brother of slain cop: https://t.co/11m3da7dVj #ROC pic.twitter.com/9mO58olFIP

— Rachel Barnhart (@rachbarnhart) November 25, 2014

Warren tells Deomcrat & Chronicle that she welcomes debate, as she "embraces people being able to share their thoughts and opinions." Acknowledging that people are bound to disagree on controversial topics, Warren says she "stood for what's right."

To view Warren's entire statement, view WXXI News' post.

Sean Hunter is facing a murder charge in the shooting of Lavon Spaights, of Syracuse.

Syracuse, NY -- A Liverpool man with a long criminal record was indicted today on a murder charge in the January shooting of Lavon Spaights.

Sean Hunter, 30, of 102 Roosevelt Ave., was indicted on murder and weapons charges in the Jan. 28 death of Spaights, 22, on Shonnard Street in Syracuse.

After he was shot, Spaights ran to the Midway Express market on West Onondaga Street and collapsed.

The victim's girlfriend told police she called a cousin to help get Spaights to leave her house, and Hunter came along. The shooting happened during the ensuing argument, Syracuse Police Chief Frank Fowler said.

Hunter was arrested a day later after a standoff outside his Liverpool home.

A month before the murder, Hunter was critically wounded himself after being shot in the head. His own record includes drug, stolen property, robbery and grand larceny charges. He had multiple warrants and marijuana arrests, police said.

But Hunter avoided prosecution in a 2013 armed robbery case after the victim could not identify him as her attacker, Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick said.

Hunter remains in jail with no bail.

Check back to Syracuse.com for a complete list of indictments reported today by Onondaga County grand juries.

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon says more than 2,200 National Guardsmen will be in place in the region near Ferguson on Tuesday night

He said Tuesday that hundreds more will be deployed to Ferguson, where fires and looting erupted Monday night after word that a grand jury decided not to indict a white police officer who fatally shot 18-year-old Michael Brown.

The rest will be in a position to respond rapidly, if needed.

Nixon says 700 guardsmen were in the area on Monday night, when more than a dozen buildings were set on fire and otherwise vandalized.

Ferguson Mayor James Knowles said earlier in the day that the National Guard wasn't deployed quickly enough as violent protests broke out.

Knowles on Tuesday thanked the police officers, firefighters and highway patrol troopers who worked to save businesses in a more than a dozen buildings that were set on fire and otherwise vandalized during the unrest. But Knowles said "the National Guard was not deployed in enough time to save all of our businesses" and called the delay "deeply concerning."

New York Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer said his party erred five years ago by putting health care reform ahead of economic priorities.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Senate Democrats' top message man is urging the party leftward in the wake of crushing midterm election losses, saying working Americans want a robust government that will promote education access, labor bargaining rights, progressive taxes and more.

At a Washington news conference, New York Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer said his party erred five years ago by putting health care reform ahead of jobs and economic priorities. The vast majority of Americans were relatively happy with their employer-provided health insurance in 2009, he said, and the health care overhaul's message was aimed at about 5 percent of the electorate: those who lacked insurance and who voted.

"To aim a huge change in mandate at such a small percentage of the electorate made no political sense," Schumer said. "Unfortunately Democrats blew the opportunity the American people gave them. We took their mandate and put all of our focus on the wrong problem - health care reform."

He said he expressed such concerns at the time. His office later said he "expressed those concerns privately to fellow Democrats."

Schumer's remarks came a few weeks after Republicans won control of the Senate and boosted their House majority in the midterm elections. He said the way back to influence on Capitol Hill is to appeal to voters who support "an active and forceful government" to help them cope with globalization, technology and other forces keeping middle incomes stagnant.

Schumer said Democrats made it easier for Republicans to paint government as bloated and inept with "the rollout of the Obamacare exchanges, the mishandling of the surge in border crossers, ineptitude at the VA (Veterans' Administration) and the government's initial handling of the Ebola threat."

Schumer is one of the Senate's most senior and ambitious Democrats. He oversaw the party's campaign efforts in two highly successful elections, 2006 and 2008, and he now chairs the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee. Some see him as a potential successor to Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada.

His comments Tuesday could upset those who say it was wise to make the health care overhaul the first major legislative initiative after President Barack Obama's 2008 election. And Republicans quickly ridiculed his call for a more robust federal government.

"The failure of big-government liberalism is why liberals were overwhelmingly rebuked at the polls this month," said the conservative group YG Network.

In a lengthy speech Tuesday, Schumer repeatedly said Democrats must not run away from an active government.

"The 2014 election was not a repudiation of government in general," he said, but "just another sign of a deep frustration that government is not doing enough to fix our country's problems."

Schumer said he and other Democrats will propose specific policies later, but he hinted at several likely areas. He called for making college more affordable; making taxes progressive, or proportionately higher on upper incomes; spending more on infrastructure such as roads and bridges; and "changing labor laws so workers can demand more pay."

Schumer reflected Democratic divisions over expanded trade agreements. He called for "negotiating good trade policies that prevent jobs from going overseas." He said most voters feel "trade has hurt wages significantly" by encouraging imports from low-income countries.

Schumer isn't the only Democrat calling for a more robust agenda for education spending, a higher minimum wage and an end to some corporate tax breaks.

"We did a horrible job as progressives with connecting with voters on these issues because we are too tentative," Seattle-based entrepreneur Nick Hanauer said at a recent post-election forum sponsored by the Center for American Progress.

The owner of Rosa's Fresh Pizza in Philadelphia is trying to help the city's homeless with $1 and prepaid slices.

After working three years on Wall Street, Mason Wartman moved to Philadelphia and opened a pizza shop. Now, he's feeding the city's homeless -- one slice at a time.

Screenshot from NBC 10 

Wartman's shop, Rosa's Fresh Pizza, serves $1 slices. But if the customer can't foot the bill, they are directed to a wall covered with multicolored Post-It notes. Each piece of paper, when handed to the cashier, is exchangeable for one free slice of pizza, NBC 10 reports.

The program began seven months ago, as Wartman saw a similar program in New York City pizzerias. Once the shop was open for business in December 2013, Wartman noticed many customers couldn't come up with enough change to fund their food, NBC 10 says.

One day, a customer offered to pay for a homeless man's slice in addition to his own. Since that instance, Wartman gives out about 40 slices a day to those in need. NBC 10 says Rosa's gave out their 7,000th slice last week.

With winter drawing near, Wartman tells NBC 10 that his shop will sell sweatshirts to be paid for by customers and passed on to the homeless. Additionally, each sweatshirt will include inserts displaying a daily schedule of nearby shelters that serve free meals.

When asked how he determines who is a valid candidate for the "off-the-wall" slices, Wartman replies, "We don't ask questions."

What do you think of Rosa's free slice program? Would a similar system work for Syracuse pizzerias? Leave your comments below.

James Charneske is facing assault and resisting arrest charges.

Syracuse, NY -- A homeless man from Illinois was indicted today in the Oct. 15 attack on a retired Syracuse police officer who serves as the director of downtown security.

James Charneske, 38, is accused of attacking Tom Campanie, 47, when the retired cop responded to the 300 block of South Warren Street for a report of three disorderly men.

Campanie, who works for the Downtown Committee, was wearing a security uniform, badge and carrying a gun when he responded to the complaint. He was immediately attacked when he arrived at the scene, suffering serious facial and head injuries, police said. The attacker fled.

Officers arrested Charneske about three hours later after confronting a man who fit the description of Campanie's attacker.

When ordered to the ground, Charneske charged at officers, police said. An officer fired a Taser and a probe hit him in the leg, but Charneske pulled out the probe and continued advancing. He was then tackled and continued fighting until put in handcuffs, police said.

Reached by Syracuse.com, Charneske's family said they hadn't talked to him in years and didn't know how he reached Central New York. They said Charneske had a long history of mental illness.

Related: Family thought homeless man accused of attacking retired Syracuse cop was dead

Charneske remains in jail with no bail. He faces felony assault and misdemeanor resisting arrest charges.

It's not yet clear what role his mental health will play in the prosecution.

Hazardous road conditions combined with increased holiday traffic could cause significant problems.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- State officials warned the public Tuesday ahead of an expected snow storm to prepare for problems traveling for Thanksgiving.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo urged motorists planning to drive on Interstate 84 Wednesday to made the journey a day early or adjust their plans and use an alternate route. He said the state might close I-84 as soon as 7 a.m. Wednesday.

Long-tandem trailers were banned from New York City to Exit 32 in Westmoreland effective 5 a.m. Wednesday.

The National Weather Service issued weather watches and warnings for areas in and around New York State beginning Wednesday and lasting through Thursday. Heavy snowfall is expected in the Hudson Valley.

Hazardous road conditions combined with increased holiday traffic could cause significant problems.

"We're hoping for the best, but planning for the worst in order to keep New Yorkers safe," Cuomo said in a statement. "I've directed State agencies to be on heightened alert as this storm develops, and we are taking all necessary precautions to address potentially hazardous conditions."

The state has readied more than 900 snow plows and and more than 130,000 tons of road salt between New York City and Albany to respond to the storm.

I-84 is the main vehicular route between Southern New England and Pennsylvania and points west. It crosses two mountain ranges.

Indictments released Nov. 25.

Syracuse, NY -- Three men were indicted today on sex crimes among more than two dozen indictments handed down by Onondaga grand juries.

Steven Barbour, 48, of 202 John St., Syracuse, charged with first-degree rape, first-degree sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of a child. Based on June 12, 2005 incident in Syracuse.

Stanley Karasiewski, 65, of 410 Bailey Road, North Syracuse, charged with predatory sexual assault against a child, first-degree sexual abuse (2 counts) , first-degree sexual abuse, forcible touching (2 counts) and endangering the welfare of a child (2 counts) . Based on Fall 2008 through December 2013 incident in Salina.

Russell Appleby, 55, of 7775 Barbara Lane, Baldwinsville, charged with first-degree sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of a child. Based on October to December 2013 incident in Lysander.

Here are other people indicted by grand juries:

Spartacus Brown, 40, of 6191 Sitka Drive, Cicero, charged with first-degree robbery. Based on Oct. 3, 2014 incident in Syracuse.

Chan Ji Byung, 52, of 10121 Brokers Tip Lane, Raleigh, N.C., charged with operating an unlawful electronic sweepstakes and second-degree promoting gambling. Based on June 25, 2014 incident in Syracuse.

James Charneske, 38, of no address (homeless), charged with second-degree assault and unlawfully obtaining communications information. Based on Oct. 15, 2014 incident in Syracuse.

Avion Collins, 23, of 237 Palmer Ave., Syracuse, charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, fourth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and third-degree unlawfully fleeing a police officers in a motor vehicle. Based on Nov. 4, 2014 incident in Syracuse.

Termaine Davis, 27, of 201 Catherine St., Apt. 3, Syracuse, charged with fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Based on Sept. 12, 2014 incident in Syracuse.

Rashein Fortune, 35, of 404 S. Alvord St., Apt. 1, Syracuse, charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Based on May 27, 2014 incident in Syracuse.

Lissette Gonzalez, 30, of 430 Elliott St., Syracuse, charged with first-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Based on Oct. 1, 2014 incident in Syracuse.

Ommy Graziano, 35, of 1424 No. State St., Apt. 2, Syracuse, charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance (2 counts) , second-degree criminally using drug paraphernalia (3 counts) and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Based on Nov. 10, 2014 incident in Syracuse.

Justice Holliman, 21, of 352 Elm St., Syracuse, charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Based on Nov. 9, 2014 incident in Syracuse.

Sandra Hollis, 66, of 512 LeMoyne Ave., Apt. 210, Syracuse, charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and second-degree criminally using drug paraphernalia. Based on Sept. 29, 2014 incident in Syracuse.

Sean Hunter, 30, of 102 Roosevelt Ave., Liverpool, charged with second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon (2 counts) . Based on Jan. 28, 2014 incident in Syracuse.

Khadijah Lane, 23, of 110 May Ave., Syracuse, charged with fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Based on Aug. 27, 2014 incident in Syracuse.

Jose Loiz, 32, of 512 Wilkinson St., Apt. 1, Syracuse, charged with first-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Based on Oct. 1, 2014 incident in Syracuse.
Edward Lopez, 24, of 120 Gifford St., Syracuse, charged with first-degree robbery. Based on Oct. 18, 2014 incident in Syracuse.

Phillip Mino, 36, of 200 Winslow St., Watertown, charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Based on Nov. 13, 2014 incident in Syracuse.
Carl Newton, 28, of 425 Mountainview Ave., Syracuse, charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and unlawful possession of marijuana. Based on Nov. 12, 2014 incident in Syracuse.

James Norway, 32, of 1074 S. Clinton St., Syracuse, charged with first-degree promoting prison contraband and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Based on July 12, 2014 incident in Syracuse.

Jason Pederzolli, 29, of 7966 David Road, Clay, charged with driving with a blood-alcohol count of more than 0.08, aggravated driving while intoxicated and driving while intoxicated. Based on Aug. 6, 2014 incident in Baldwinsville.

Edgaro Pizarro-Pinet, 27, of 1148 Bellevue Ave., Syreacuse, charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance (3 counts) , fourth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and fourth-degree criminal possession of marijuana. Based on Oct. 3, 2014 incident in Syracuse.

Dashawn Stroud, 23, of 124 Kenmore Ave., Syracuse, charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Based on Aug. 27, 2014 incident in Syracuse.

Ne'aujh Townsend, 16, of 103 Gordon Ave., Syracuse, charged with second-degree assault. Based on Oct. 30, 2014 incident in Syracuse.

Sabrina Tredo, 37, of 512 Wilkinson St., Apt. 1, Syracuse, charged with first-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Based on Oct. 1, 2014 incident in Syracuse.
Paul Vazquez-Pizzaro, 19, of 607 Grand Ave., Syracuse, charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Based on Oct. 13, 2014 incident in Clay.

Tomarco Wilson, 30, of 333 Rowland St., Syracuse, charged with first-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance (2 counts) and fourth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Based on Oct. 1, 2014 incident in Syracuse.

See previous Onondaga County indictments.

Wilson made his first public statements Tuesday during an interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos.

FERGUSON, Mo. -- Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson says he couldn't have done anything differently in his confrontation with Michael Brown to have prevented the 18-year-old's shooting death.

Wilson made his first public statements Tuesday during an interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos.

He told Stephanopoulos he has a clean conscience because "I know I did my job right."

Wilson was placed on leave Aug. 9, the day the white officer fatally shot Brown, who was unarmed and black.

Wilson had been with the Ferguson police force for less than three years before the shooting. He told Stephanopoulos that Brown's shooting marked the first time he had used his gun.

Scanner traffic indicated that a man was shot at least two times.

Update at 7:55 p.m. Police have confirmed that a male victim is in critical condition.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Syracuse Police are responding to a shooting on the 200 block of West Beard Avenue Tuesday night.

The call was placed at 7:07 p.m. and police scanner traffic indicated that a male was shot at least two times.

Police are still at the scene.

Visit Syracuse.com for more information about this developing story.

Scanner traffic indicated that a man was shot at least two times.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Syracuse Police are responding to a shooting on the 200 block of West Beard Avenue Tuesday night.

The call was placed at 7:07 p.m. and police scanner traffic indicated that a male was shot at least two times.

Police are still at the scene.

Visit Syracuse.com for more information about this developing story.

Obama said destructive actions are criminal acts and those who responsible should be prosecuted.

CHICAGO (AP) -- President Barack Obama sharply rebuked protesters Tuesday night for racially charged violence in Missouri, saying there was no excuse for burning buildings, torching cars and destroying other property after a grand jury declined to indict the white police officer who shot a black teenager.

As darkness fell in Ferguson, Missouri, where authorities hoped to avoid a second night of chaos in the streets, Obama said destructive actions are criminal acts and those who responsible should be prosecuted. "To those who think that what happened in Ferguson is an excuse for violence, I do not have any sympathy for that. I have no sympathy at all for destroying your own communities," he said.

The president spoke from Chicago, a trip planned to focus on immigration but overshadowed by the news the night before of the decision not to indict police officer Darren Wilson in 18-year-old Michael Brown's death.

Obama said he understood that many people were upset by that decision.

"The frustrations that we've seen are not about a particular incident. They have deep roots in many communities of color who have a sense that our laws are not always being enforced uniformly or fairly," Obama said.

"There are productive ways of responding and expressing those frustrations, and there are destructive ways of responding," he said. "Burning buildings, torching cars, destroying property, putting people at risk. That's destructive and there's no excuse for it. Those are criminal acts and people should be prosecuted if they engage in criminal acts."

Obama's call for calm a night earlier, just after the grand jury's decision was announced, was not heeded by some in the crowd in the St. Louis suburb who burned police cars, smashed and looted storefront windows and fired gunshots. In a real-time display of the limits of his influence, television networks showed Obama's remarks from the White House on a split screen with live video of the violence.

White House officials are still considering whether Obama should travel to Ferguson, weighing the importance of the moment with the risk of inflaming tensions. They say a trip won't come this week with the Thanksgiving holiday, giving them time to watch the response unfold and consider the president's options.

Before he left the White House, the president was briefed by Attorney General Eric Holder on the latest developments and the Justice Department's long-running efforts to restore trust between minority communities and law enforcement. Obama said he instructed Holder to set up regional meetings on building trust.

"My message to those people who are constructively moving forward, trying to organize, mobilize and ask important questions about how we improve the situation, I want all those folks to know that their president is going to work with them," Obama said. "The frustrations people have generally are rooted in some hard truths that have to be addressed. Those who are prepared to work constructively, your president will work with you.

"So don't take the short-term, easy route and just engage in destructive behavior," Obama said. "Take the long-term, hard but lasting route of working with me and governors and state officials to bring about some real change."

Obama's efforts to strike a balanced middle ground in response to Ferguson stands in contrast to the deeply personal remarks he delivered last year after a Florida jury found another unarmed black teenager's killer not guilty. "Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago," Obama said then, going on to describe how he had experienced being followed in a department store or hearing drivers lock their doors when he walked by.

The cases have many differences, most notably that the bullets that took Brown's life came from a policeman's gun after a confrontation on the street. Martin's shooter was George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer.

Which food is unusually popular in New York on Thanksgiving?

According to Google, New Yorkers seek out recipes for stuffed artichokes, mashed turnips and coquito (Puerto Rican eggnog) for their Thanksgiving meals.

A glass of coquitoLarry Crowe | The Associated Press 

Thanks to The New York Times, you can now view what distinct dishes residents from all 50 states search for in preparation for Turkey Day.

Researchers at The Times asked Google to help analyze searches based on not the most popular dish in every state -- otherwise turkey would have won across the board -- but instead the most distinct.

The Times explains that the numbers shown next to each dish indicate how much more popular searches for it were in a given a state. The data gathered is from the week of Thanksgiving over the past 10 years.

The Times adds that readers shouldn't interpret the dishes as the most iconic Thanksgiving recipes in each state, let alone a state's favorite dish. Thus the result: Very obscure dishes, and quite possibly some you didn't even know existed.

In addition to the top three contenders mentioned above, New Yorkers tend to browse for recipes on coconut custard pie, string bean casserole, stuffed mushrooms and flan. The Times says they were surprised to see Philadelphia cheesecake on the list instead of the ever-popular Brooklyn version.

Seriously interested in stuffed artichokes? So is the nearby state of New Jersey. Check out nj.com's recipe for the flavored-packed veggies.