Hochul vows swift action as she takes helm in New York

By MARINA VILLENEUVE
Associated Press

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Kathy Hochul has become the first female governor of New York. In her first hours on the job Tuesday, she sought to bring a new sense of urgency to immense problems that went unaddressed during Andrew Cuomo’s distracted final months in office. She said in an afternoon address she would make masks mandatory for anyone entering public schools and wanted to implement a requirement that all school staff either be vaccinated or undergo weekly COVID-19 testing. The Democrat and former member of Congress from western New York took the oath just after midnight.