WBFO Women's News Desk

The New York state legislative session began with ceremonies and excitement as Democrats claimed their solid majority in the state Senate and made history with the election of a new female leader.

The Cuomo Administration and state democratic lawmakers are calling for passage of the Reproductive Health Act. WBFO's senior reporter Eileen Buckley says former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is joining the effort as they seek passage in the first 30-days of the state legislative session.

The Cuomo Administration is touting one of the most progressive agendas in New York State history, 2019 Justice Agenda.  Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul were sworn-in for a third term Tuesday night in New York City.  WBFO senior reporter Eileen Buckley talked to Hochul about several topics including passing the Child Victims Act, legalizing recreational marijuana and a gun safety measure as a new senate democratic majority takes over when the legislature returns to work January 9 in Albany.   

A brand new addiction treatment center has opened in Niagara County.  Horizon Health Services held a ribbon cutting Thursday for Aurora Village Campus in Sanborn. WBFO's senior reporter Eileen Buckley says the new facility is just for women.  

Niagara County District Attorney Caroline Wojtaszek has specialized in prosecuting domestic violence cases throughout most of her career, but few people know she has had her own #MeToo moment.

The Immaculata Shelter in Lockport is beginning its second year of operation. This unique shelter gives women a place to go after they have left prison or addiction treatment centers.

Going to college as single parent can be daunting task. With that in mind, Niagara County Community College is offering “Mapping Opportunities for Single Parents,” a program designed to guide moms down the path to graduation.

Several African-American women will be appearing Friday evening in a special performance on stage at the University at Buffalo's Lippes Concert Hall on the north campus in Amherst.  WBFO's senior reporter Eileen Buckley talked with the author and producer Latricia Davis who created this original play called "This Is My Story".   

Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra Music Director JoAnn Falletta had an interesting experience. Falletta appears as one of six inspiring women for the Macy's fall ad campaign. WBFO's senior reporter Eileen Buckley talked to Falletta about how the advertisement is design to empower women.

It’s been a long journey for Pausa Art House co-owner Lazara Martinez who grew up in Cuba before coming to America. Now, her live music venue has become a hot spot for touring musicians. This weekend, Grammy nominated jazz artist Jane Bunnett will be performing with her all-women Cuban group Maqueque.

A new mashup of 47 studies of diabetes and cancer covering more than 19 million patients finds a seriously higher risk of developing cancer among diabetics, especially type 2 diabetics. It also finds diabetic women are much more likely to develop cancer than diabetic men.

Even though there are slightly more women than men, in Erie County, a new report shows most elected offices are held by men.

Finding love again after the death of a spouse is challenging and a reality millions of seniors face today. Data from Pew Research found that one in two divorced or widowed seniors had remarried and that trend figures to continue with longer age expectancy.

According to Pew Research, older Americans who are 65 and older are working more than at any time since the turn of the century. Many retirees are working fulltime and launching new careers in their 60s, 70s and 80s. As WBFO’s Senior News Desk reporter Sandy White found out, staying active can be a fountain of youth for seniors like Loretta Kaminsky.

Victims of domestic abuse have to confront a wide range of emotions when they seek help. And those emotions can intensify when they take the first steps to prosecute an abuser. But Buffalo-area groups like the Family Justice Center can provide support. WBFO’s Nancy Fischer has more about the center and its expansion plans.

Strong women's roles may be a rarity in Hollywood, but not here on Western New York stages, including the three daughters of King Lear over at Shakespeare in Delaware Park and the various roles in the very timely and topical SLUT, played by students from Buffalo's Academy for Visual and Performing Arts at the Manny Fried Theater. Also note Rebecca Ritchie's IN THE BEGINNING (the "real" story of Eve, Lillith, and "the serpent") up at the Kenan Center, paired up with Mark Humphrey's DAYROOM.

Lois Gibbs became a symbol for grassroots environmental activism in the fight again toxic waste at Love Canal in Niagara Falls in the late 1970s. But there are others who have continued the grassroots fight. Women like Jackie James-Creedon of Kenmore. She is literally digging up dirt and grass to look for toxins.

Wikipedia has a glaring gender disparity when it comes to editors. Less than 10% of them are women. In an effort to improve coverage of gender, feminism, and the arts on Wikipedia, Squeaky Wheel Film & Media Art Center has held “Art and Feminism Wikipedia Edit-a-thon” workshops this year to teach local residents how they can contribute to the site.

Perhaps you've heard about the crowd-pleasing video introductions at Vegas Golden Knights playoff games in recent weeks. The videos feature Buffalo-based voiceover artist Eileen Dugan. She's also a local actress. Dugan introduces armored knights, who on the videos, vanquish their opponents. She joined WBFO's Mark Scott for a live interview Thursday afternoon on "All Things Considered."