Good morning, CivMixers. It’s Wednesday, and I hope you’ve got enough bread, eggs and milk on hand.
If not, you might want to make a quick trip out this morning to stock up on these and other necessities – whatever passes for necessary in your house, that is. We’re in for nasty weather.
A winter storm warning – the first of the season, I believe – is in effect this from late this afternoon through early tomorrow afternoon. The Capital Region and surrounding areas (Schoharie and central Mohawk Valleys, Helderbergs, northern Taconics, and Saratoga Springs area in eastern New York, and southern Vermont) could receive upwards of seven inches of snow.
The snow, according to The Weather Channel, will be heavy but also dry and fluffy, and there’s the possibility that up to an inch an hour will fall at times overnight. But there’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding this storm (so fitting for 2020), as to where the heaviest snowfall will occur. Accumulations could differ greatly depending on how things develop.
Some schools have already called an audible and decided to move to remote learning for tomorrow (and in many cases, for the rest of the year, since Christmas is so close now), to be on the safe side. I guess snow days might be a thing of the past?
New York City is expected to get hit hard, with accumulations of between 8 to 12 inches of snow and winds gusting as high as 50 miles per hour. There could be less snow on the ground if sleet mixes in with the snow overnight. But either way, travel is expected to be difficult, and therefor it’s advised that you stay home if you can.
If you do travel, take precautions, including keeping an extra flashlight, food and water in the car in case you get stranded. It’s also expected to get very cold, and feel even colder than it actually is as a result of the wind chill.
There is the possibility of power outages. Heavy snow on the power lines and trees is never a good thing. If that happens, there might be a lot of people calling on Thursday, since so many of us are still telecommuting and relying on our internet access to get to work. Also, if the snow snarls traffic, the ongoing vaccine delivery effort is going to be hampered.
The snow is also going to further complicate matters for New York City restaurants, which only recently lost their indoor dining capabilities as a result of rising COVID-19 infection rates.
Mayor Bill de Blasio has ordered outdoor dining to cease this afternoon in preparation for the storm’s arrival, and the new streetscapes that exist as a result of the pandemic are going to make snow removal extra challenging this year.
He’s also asking people to leave their cars at home and take public transportation if at all possible – and option that still makes some people leery as a result of the ongoing public health crisis. Trains and buses will operate as long as it’s safe, but subways will still be shut down for cleaning between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m., and possibly longer.
All told, more than 60 million Americans are under winter storm advisories, watches and warnings stretching from Georgia to New England as the powerful nor’easter draws near. The storm is forecast to dump over a foot of snow in New York City and up to two feet of snow in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Today will start out cold, but dry. So if you’ve got places to go and things to do, go there and do them early. And then go home. And stay put.
Here’s some good news to take the edge off the bad weather: It’s National Chocolate Covered Anything Day. Boom. You’re welcome.
In the headlines…
The newly-approved Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine is slowly making its way across the U.S. But those eagerly waiting their turn need to beware of dangerous scams and misinformation about the vaccine’s distribution.
The coronavirus vaccine made by Moderna is highly protective, according to new data released yesterday, setting the stage for its emergency authorization this week by federal regulators and the start of its distribution across the country.
The Moderna and Pfizer vaccines use a very similar mechanism called “mRNA” to create an immune response to coronavirus, but the Moderna version does not have to be stored at very cold temperatures.
FDA staff recommends monitoring people who get Pfizer or Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine shots for possible cases of Bell’s palsy, saying it’s not necessarily a side effect but worth watching out for after a handful of trial participants got the condition.
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said the Trump administration is attempting to secure an additional run of coronavirus vaccinations from Pfizer.
High-ranking officials, including President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President Pence, are making preparations to get the COVID-19 vaccine, hoping to instill trust and confidence in the vaccine ahead of its widespread distribution as the death toll climbs to new heights.
President Donald Trump, who likely already has some degree of immunity after contracting this fall, has been vague about whether he would be willing to be among the first to receive jabs from the limited supply of doses available.
The FDA gave emergency authorization for the first Covid-19 test that can be fully taken at home. The test, made by Australia-based Ellume, can deliver results in about 15 minutes and will cost about $30.
The actor Tom Cruise recently erupted at crew members on the set of “Mission: Impossible 7” over a breach of Covid-19 protocols in an apparent effort to prevent further disruptions to a film whose production has already been delayed by the pandemic.
Breaking with Trump’s drive to overturn his election loss, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell congratulated Biden on his victory and began a campaign to keep fellow Republicans from joining a doomed last-ditch effort to reverse the outcome in Congress.
McConnell privately warned Republican senators away from disputing the Electoral College tally when Congress convenes in a joint session Jan. 6 to confirm the results.
In a message to McConnell, shared on Twitter, Trump referenced his popular vote tally and said: “Mitch, 75,000,000 VOTES, a record for a sitting President (by a lot). Too soon to give up. Republican Party must finally learn to fight. People are angry!”
Trump still intends to veto the veto-proof $740 billion annual defense spending bill passed by Congress last week.
Biden will nominate Jennifer M. Granholm to be the next energy secretary, Gina McCarthy as the White House climate coordinator and his former rival for the Democratic nomination, Pete Buttigieg, for transportation secretary.
Buttigieg is the first openly LGBTQ person to be nominated for a permanent Cabinet position.
McCarthy is the former administrator of the EPA under President Barack Obama and the architect of some of his most far-reaching regulations to limit greenhouse gas emissions.
New Yorkers of all stripes were lining up behind state DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos on Tuesday amid news that he’s on a short list of those who Biden is considering to lead the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Biden urged Georgia voters to cast ballots for two Democratic Senate candidates in a pair of critical runoffs early next month that he hopes will give his party control of the Senate and help Democrats advance the agenda he promised during his campaign.
Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris aim to take their oaths of office outside the U.S. Capitol building as inauguration planners craft an event that captures the traditional grandeur of the historic ceremony while complying with COVID-19 protocols.
Congressional leaders were once again unable to reach a deal on how much economic relief to appropriate for pandemic-ravaged workers, businesses and state governments, even as an extended deadline for a federal government shutdown approached.
Top congressional leaders said they were coming closer to reaching an agreement on another coronavirus relief package, broadcasting progress after months of fitful efforts to approve more aid.
The top four congressional leaders had their first in-person spending discussions in months, but were still short of a deal on a pandemic stimulus measure or a broader spending plan.
California ordered 5,000 body bags and activated the state’s mass fatality program, Gov. Gavin Newsom said.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said that all restaurants and bars in the state would be allowed to operate at full capacity for the rest of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The U.S. Supreme Court sided with two New Jersey religious leaders who accused Gov. Phil Murphy of violating their religious freedoms during the pandemic.
As if the pandemic weren’t disruptive enough, many American schools are facing a growing shortage of teachers.
At least 39 states have said they would use funds from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (Cares) Act to help school districts close the tech gap, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
A number of Gmail users experienced issues with the email service yesterday, a day after more than a dozen Google services such as YouTube endured a nearly hourlong disruption.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a bill into law aimed at banning the sale of “hate symbols” such as the Confederate Flag or the Swastika on state property — even while admitting this might clash with the First Amendment and be struck down as unconstitutional.
Republican lawmakers are seeking to strip Cuomo of his emergency COVID-19 powers.
Cuomo signed the Protect Our Courts Act, which prohibits Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from arresting anyone going to or leaving a court proceeding, whether they are a defendant, witness or a relative, unless they have a signed warrant.
The man who opened fire outside The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine reportedly left a note saying he planned to take hostages but did not intend to harm them.
The COVID-19 vaccine will not be mandatory for NYPD members, Commissioner Dermot Shea said, as he announced that the department is expected to receive its first shipment in a matter of weeks.
Two New York City Council bills that seek stiff regulations to how fast-food restaurants can fire employees were blasted by the business community as a “sucker punch” to the COVID-19-ravaged restaurant industry.
Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and city Comptroller Scott Stringer were awarded millions of dollars in public matching funds for their mayoral campaigns — while failed 2017 candidate Richard “Bo” Dietl was slapped with a slew of campaign finance violations.
Recent Long Island Rail Road capital projects have run almost $70 million over budget and years behind schedule because officials failed to enforce their own construction rules, State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli said in a new report.
Getting the Bronx back on its feet as the pandemic continues to wreak havoc will be all about employment, Councilwoman Vanessa Gibson says as she looks to officially launch her campaign for Bronx borough president this week.
A coalition of policymakers and advocates laid out a “Justice Roadmap” yesterday, pushing for a sweeping slate of overhauls that includes decriminalizing prostitution, legalizing marijuana, and broad reforms for immigrants and the state’s prison system.
“It may be long overdue for New York to claim its spot at the forefront of cannabis, but it still holds the potential to become one of the biggest marijuana markets in the world and a fundamental contributor to the advancement and normalization of cannabis.”
State Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt was unanimously reelected to the leadership post by the Republican conference.
When a member of the public wants to look at a New York government official’s financial disclosure statement, under current practice, the request itself remains confidential. But JCOPE Commissioner Gary Lavine wants to change the practice.
Canadian fashion and retail mogul Peter Nygard was charged with sex trafficking and racketeering, according to an indictment unsealed in Manhattan federal court.
This season has produced a record flow of incoming cargo at the Port of New York and New Jersey—driven in part by the insatiable demand for merchandise from people stuck at home during the pandemic.
Marriott International is permanently laying off 850 employees from its hotel in Times Square, another sign that the hotel industry in New York City remains significantly hobbled by the coronavirus pandemic.
As the wealthy upgrade their homes, poor New Yorkers have to wait out the COVID crisis in rundown public housing, often exposed to conditions that threaten their health as much as the virus.
The Empire State Manufacturing Survey of firms statewide found the improvement in general business conditions slowing during December, the New York Federal Reserve Bank reported.
The NYC Department of Cultural Affairs announced that it would award $47.1 million in its newest round of grants, which this year will go to more than 1,000 of the city’s nonprofit organizations.
World’s richest woman Mackenzie Scott has been busy sloughing off her fortune since divorcing Amazon titan Jeff Bezos last year, to the tune of a billion dollars a month over the past four months.
Several Capital Region organizations have been the beneficiaries of Scott’s largesse, including the United Way, which received $5 million from her – its largest individual donation ever.
Citing a surge in COVID-19 cases in his own office, Albany County District Attorney David Soares is asking Cuomo to suspend the “simply reckless” convening of grand juries.
Albany County officials are urging residents to continue following basic health precautions and avoid holiday gatherings despite the first COVID-19 vaccines arriving in the region.
The City of Albany’s Community Police Review Board is recommending the Common Council grant it the power to independently investigate and discipline police officers accused of wrongdoing.
Jon Romano, who as a teen in 2004 fired a 12-gauge shotgun at students and teachers inside East Greenbush’s Columbia High School, was released from state prison at the age of 33.
Unshackle Upstate’s executive board announced that Justin Wilcox has been selected to serve as the organization’s new executive director.
Assemblyman Gary Finch, currently hospitalized with COVID-19 at Upstate University Hospital, is urging the community to follow health guidelines in order to stop the spread of the virus.
A 48-page report released by the City of Rochester’s Office of Public Integrity found no evidence of any city employee violating any policies or ethical standards for the city or city departments in the death of Daniel Prude in March.
An individual from the TR’s Restaurant & Lounge at the Holiday Inn on Canada Street tested positive for the coronavirus, Warren County Health officials said.
Smith & Wesson, one the nation’s largest gun makers, filed suit to block a subpoena from the New Jersey attorney general seeking information about its advertising practices.
Sam Jayne, 46, the musician who was the frontman for the Brooklyn band Love as Laughter, has died.
The Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse announced that two baby elephants died just days apart due to a “lethal” strain of herpes that targets their species.
