Please forgive the late post, CivMix crew. We spent some time in the ‘dacks today. It did not disappoint, but talk about crowds. And heat. Wow. Even up north, it was hot and sticky.
The long holiday weekend continues. There’s some rain in the forecast tomorrow, with a growing chance of thunderstorms as the day progresses, so be on the lookout.
It looks like the precipitation might reduce some of the heat and humidity, and Sunday will be slightly cooler (like in the 80s, not the 90s) with clear skies predicted, according to The Weather Channel.
By the way, three days running of 90-degree temperatures means we officially have a heat wave – the first of the summer season.
In the news today…
The president said he “is thinking” about issuing an executive order to allow for a citizenship question on the 2020 census, but administration lawyers failed to provide any legal justification for the question by a court deadline.
Lawyers for the Department of Justice told a federal judge in Maryland this afternoon that the Trump administration will continue to explore options of adding a citizenship question to the 2020 census, but made no mention of a potential executive order being considered by the White House.
Texas cops said they found the girl who licked a tub of Blue Bell ice cream and then put it back on the shelf — and she even confessed after being busted with the boyfriend who filmed her in the video gone viral.
…as the girl is under 17, they also seem to have thawed on locking her in the cooler despite previously warning she could have faced up to 20 years in jail along with fines of up to $10,000.
Job growth rebounded sharply in June, the Labor Department reported. Employers added 224,000 jobs, a larger figure than expected. And manufacturers, which are bearing the brunt of Trump’s trade war, added jobs at the fastest pace since January.
There is still, however, concern that a major slowdown or even recession could be in the offing — a fear seemingly confirmed by many surveys of industrial activity.
California Sen. Kamala Harris raised nearly $12 million during the second quarter of the 2020 Democratic primary — giving her a financial boost after a fiery debate exchange with former Vice President Joe Biden.
Communities in the Mojave Desert tallied damage and made emergency repairs to cracked roads and broken pipes today as aftershocks from Southern California’s largest earthquake in 20 years kept rumbling.
A young man who says Kevin Spacey groped him in a Nantucket bar in 2016 has dropped his lawsuit against the Oscar-winning actor, his lawyer said. Spacey still faces a criminal charge. He pleaded not guilty to indecent assault and battery in January.
After losing the Democratic primary, Cohoes Mayor Shawn Morse spent Independence Day getting a large image of Jesus Christ tattooed on his right arm, calling the work by local artist Mike Kirk “My 4th of July fireworks” on Facebook.
Be aware if you live in Cohoes, water service has been interrupted in certain parts of the city due to valve replacement and repair work.
Progressive insurgent Tiffany Cabán cut party favorite Melinda Katz’s lead in the neck-and-neck Democratic primary race for Queens District Attorney to just 16 votes today as their campaigns geared up to battle over 100 tossed provisional ballots in court.
The roller coaster DA primary has escalated hostilities among the state’s Democrats, spurring accusations of voter suppression and suggestions of conspiracies, and also highlighted the archaic nature of New York’s voting laws.
Progressives are hoping Gov. Andrew Cuomo will sign a bill that would make it harder to disqualify votes cast as affidavit ballots, a change they say would have greatly impacted the Queens DA primary.
Extreme weather is increasingly disrupting transportation, bringing delays and even cancellations to rail and air travel in the Northeast. There’s likely to be more where that came from.
The city of Saratoga Springs has awarded $8.46 million to contractors to restore the fire-damaged City Hall.
Police in Colonie are trying to figure out if fireworks may have caused a blaze that severely damaged a home on Marne Street and destroyed two vehicles.
Schenectady police say they have made an arrest in a July 4th double shooting.
Two more recreational marijuana dispensaries opened in western Massachusetts today, bringing the total number of pot shops near the Capital Region to 10.
The East Greenbush Community Library will present its preliminary 2020 budget of $2.1 million at a public hearing on July 16.
A 23-year-old hiker was found dead at the base of a cliff near a Cascade Mountain waterfall in Keene, State Police said.
The Saratoga Polo season got underway tonight. Matches are held Fridays and Sundays at 5:30 p.m. on Whitney Field.
The 2019 Saratoga Race Course season opens Thursday, with races scheduled five days a week through Monday, Sept. 2. If that seems like a bit of a marathon, you’re right: The season has a longer span than previous years.
Talk about a fish tale. (Tail?) A SUNY Cobleskill student reeled in a massive fish at Albany’s Washington Park Lake this week.
Julian Canavan said he caught the 38-pound, 41-inch common carp on a fly fishing rod on the afternoon of Sunday, June 30, after a 40-minute fight. (He released it, in case someone else wants to try).
