••• “Sheldon Silver, who held a seemingly intractable grip on power for decades as one of the most feared politicians in New York State, was found guilty on Monday of federal corruption charges, ending a trial that was the capstone of the government’s efforts to expose the seamy culture of influence-peddling in Albany.” —New York Times

••• “In cases where a legislative seat becomes unexpectedly vacant, State law provides for two possibilities. The Governor can, if he chooses, call a special election. If the Governor takes no action, however, then the seat remains vacant until the next regular election. (In of the heavily Democratic 65th Assembly District, which Mr. Silver has represented since 1977, the next election may effectively be the next Democratic Party primary, in September, 2016.) If Governor Andrew Cuomo chooses to call a special election, it would likely take place within the next 60 to 90 days. Because there would be no time for a party primary on such short notice, the Democratic and Republican County Committee members for the 65th Assembly District would directly choose candidates for both parties.” —Broadsheet

••• “Firefighters rescued an injured red-tailed hawk near the World Trade Center Monday.” —DNAinfo