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On motorcycle ride, Cuomo promotes breast cancer screening, reflects on Dallas shootings

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has been traveling the state, promoting a new law that provides free breast cancer screenings. Cuomo made a stop in Syracuse last week with his partner Sandra Lee who was diagnosed with breast cancer last year. Lee is now cancer free. Cuomo credits that to early detection of the cancer. The new law is meant for more people to get screenings.

"The two main  obstacles, time and money, are eliminated," Cuomo said. "Evening hours, weekend hours, the clinics, the hospitals will be ready when you're ready. It costs you absoluetly nothing to get this screening done. It can be all the difference in the world, its not overly dramatic to say its the difference between life and death."

The new law expands breast cancer screening hours at hospitals and clinics. It also eliminates insurance deductibles, co-payments and cost-sharing for screenings. Cuomo and Lee have been traveling across the state on a motorcycle in what he calls a dramatic fashion to get people’s attention and raise awareness.

During his visit, Cuomo took a moment to reflect on the shootings in Dallas that left five police officers dead. He also acknowledged the incidents in Minnesota and Louisiana of African-American men killed in altercations with police.

"This nation has to come to its senses when it comes to gun policy," Cuomo said. "These assault weapons, etc. that are not used for hunting but when they fall into the wrong hands can do tremendous damage. In New York, we're a model of living with diversity and we should be proud of it and we should double down on it today."

Cuomo said diversity is the nation's greatest strength. The governor said the U.S. should not tolerate those that try to inflict harm by undermining peoples' differences.

Tom Magnarelli is a reporter covering the central New York and Syracuse area. He joined WRVO as a freelance reporter in 2012 while a student at Syracuse University and was hired full time in 2015. He has reported extensively on politics, education, arts and culture and other issues around central New York.