Good Wednesday morning, CivMixers. The middle of the week is here.
A kind of interesting juxtaposition to report today: It’s International Anti-Corruption Day and also Weary Willie Day. (Yeah, I know, I’ll get to it! Be patient).
The first one is pretty self explanatory. Corruption is something we New Yorkers know a thing or two about, especially those of us involved in the political scene – local, state and federal, take your pick.
It has been a while seen we’ve had a full-blown corruption scandal (of course, now I’ve jinxed us), but for a while there, you could barely turn around before there was another headline about an elected official and/or political appointee doing something illegal and getting busted for it.
International Anti-Corruption Day was designated by the UN in 2003 raise awareness of corruption and its negative impact on societies. Corruption involves an abuse of entrusted power by dishonest or unethical conduct that leads to personal gain.
There’s apparently something called the Corruption Perceptions Index that measures the perceived levels of public sector corruption around the world. According to its findings, 68% of countries have a serious corruption problem.
That link is really worth a click if you’ve got a moment or two to spare, as it will take you to a color-coded map of worldwide corruption that’s pretty eye opening.
Of course, the coronavirus pandemic is, as it tends to do, is making things worse when it comes to corruption, according to UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, creating new opportunities to exploit weak oversight and inadequate transparency and diverting funds away from people in their hour of greatest need.
In short: Corruption thrives in crisis, and we’ve got crisis coming out the wahzoo right now.
OK, so now onto Weary Willie. Who the heck was that, say all you readers under the age of…40, maybe?
He was a character made famous by the actor and clown Emmett Kelly, who was born on this day in 1898. Weary Willie was a new, outside-the-box phenomenon – a sad clown with minimalist makeup in a sea of smiling, white-painted faces. He wasn’t initially well received.
But the Great Depression changed that. All of a sudden with so many Americans down on their luck, a lot of people could identify with Weary Willie, with his bindle stick and torn clothes and whiskery face. He became an icon. Emmett Kelly Jr. carried on the Weary Willie persona until his death in 2003 at the age of 83.
The day, by the way, recognizes the art of clowning and the impact it has on our lives. (Call me nuts, but I’ve always been a little on the leery side of clowns…not my favorite part of the circus, which, come to think of it, I don’t like all that much, period).
We’re in for another day of cold (mid-30s) with variable clouds and snow showers. Brrr. Bundle up, folks.
In the headlines…
In a report released yesterday morning, the FDA indicated that it could greenlight the country’s first Covid-19 inoculation within days.
If Pfizer’s shot is granted an emergency use authorization, or EUA, the immunizations — which are administered in two doses about three weeks apart — could start as soon as next week.
Be forewarned: The side effects of the vaccine can be intense, with volunteer trial participants reporting high fevers, body aches, bad headaches, exhaustion and more. And the second shot is reportedly worse than the first.
A Chinese vaccine candidate showed to be 86% effective in protecting people against Covid-19, according to interim results of a Phase 3 trial in the United Arab Emirates, in a boost for China as it races with Western nations to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Now comes the hard part: Delivering the vaccines, which are very fragile, on an expedited basis.
The US has averaged 206,152 new cases a day over the last seven days – the highest number of cases in the pandemic so far. Yesterday, 104,600 people were hospitalized with the virus.
The first signs of a post-Thanksgiving surge in coronavirus cases are beginning to show up in data released by states across the country in a troubling prelude of what may become the deadliest month of the pandemic so far.
The Supreme Court rejected a bid by Pennsylvania Republicans to nullify President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the Keystone State, dealing another blow to the long-shot legal effort by President Trump and his allies to overturn the election in the courts.
Just hours before the court’s order was released, Trump made a direct appeal to state officials and members of the Supreme Court to assist him in his efforts to subvert the will of voters, as he continually and falsely suggested there was massive voter fraud during the election.
Texas’ Republican attorney general, Ken Paxton, announced a lawsuit in the U.S. Supreme Court to invalidate presidential election results in four key swing states that helped secure Biden’s victory over Trump.
The Trump administration made a $916 billion coronavirus relief offer to Democrats, opening yet another front in the multi-track effort to reach an agreement in talks that rank-and-file lawmakers have been leading in the final weeks of the year.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer criticized what they deemed presidential obstruction on COVID-19 relief talks while emphasizing “progress” after Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell signed off on a new, bigger relief proposal.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin made the offer to Pelosi. House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy said it proposes a $600 direct payment for individuals and $1,200 for couples, which is half the payment delivered by the March pandemic relief bill.
The president tapped former aide Kellyanne Conway and Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao to government jobs in the final days of his administration.
Trump told reporters that he had not invited representatives from Biden’s transition team to yesterday’s coronavirus vaccine summit because Trump won the election in some battleground states.
Trump sought to claim credit for the likely imminent approval of the first American coronavirus vaccines, calling the forthcoming cures a “miracle” while painting a factually dubious picture of his administration’s response to the still-raging pandemic.
The new vaccines will probably prevent you from getting sick with Covid-19. No one knows yet whether they will keep you from spreading the virus, which means mask-wearing is still a must.
Trump’s lawyer Jenna Ellis has informed associates she tested positive for the coronavirus, stirring West Wing fears after she attended a senior staff Christmas party on Friday.
Meanwhile, Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s personal attorney, tweeted that he is feeling well and continuing to recover after being hospitalized with COVID-19 on Sunday.
Congressional Republican leaders rejected a resolution that asserted that Biden is president-elect, the latest effort by the Hill GOP to refuse to accept the election results even though it’s been clear for weeks that Trump lost.
The measure, which would have recognized what Democrats and some Republicans say is obvious — that Biden won the election — failed to pass on a 3-3 tie vote in the Joint Congressional Committee on the Inaugural Ceremonies.
The former Florida state data scientist whose house was raided by police says she isn’t just worried about the legal ramifications she’s facing, but also for other state employees who leaked her damaging information on Florida’s coronavirus response.
Biden laid out a three-point plan to begin defeating the pandemic during his first 100 days in office, saying he will sign an executive order the day he is sworn in to require Americans to wear masks on buses and trains crossing state lines, as well as in federal buildings.
Biden will reportedly tap Tom Vilsack to reprise his former role as head of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), choosing to nominate a key ally to another Cabinet post.
Biden has chosen Ohio Democratic Rep. Marcia Fudge to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development — the second African American nominated to his cabinet this week.
If confirmed, Fudge, who represents parts of Cleveland and Akron and is a former chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, would be the second Black woman to lead the department.
Fudge, a member of the House Agriculture Committee, and her allies in the Congressional Black Caucus had lobbied openly for the USDA job that Biden wants to give back to Vilsack.
In a commentary published by The Atlantic, Biden explains why he selected Lloyd Austin to serve as Secretary of Defense, saying: “We need a leader who is tested, and matched to the challenges we face in this moment.”
Congress would need to approve a waiver for Austin, a recently retired general, to serve in the civilian post, four years after Trump’s first defense secretary received one.
Former Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg may be headed for China as the incoming Biden administration’s ambassador to Beijing, but he’s also reportedly under consideration for several domestic posts.
The acting director of Voice of America was reassigned, as part of what is most likely a broader bid to install loyalists for Trump at the news outlet before the Biden administration takes over, two people familiar with the decision said.
The House voted by an overwhelming 335-78 margin to pass a $740 billion defense bill despite Trump’s veto threat.
..The defense bill includes provisions to expand AI education for K-12 students, which were written by a Capital Region high schooler.
MSNBC anchor Stephanie Ruhle revealed that she and her family are recovering from coronavirus after she spent the better part of the past two weeks in bed.
Four lions have tested positive for coronavirus at a Barcelona zoo, most likely infected by an asymptomatic staffer, zoo officials said.
The latest owned of Trump’s childhood home is launching a crowdfunding campaign with the goal of giving the five-bedroom Tudor in Jamaica Estates to the president as a gift — once the $3 million price tag is met.
A former Israeli space security chief has sent eyebrows shooting heavenward by saying that earthlings have been in contact with extraterrestrials from a “galactic federation.”
American Airlines is becoming the first major carrier to sell an at-home COVID-19 test kit that passengers can order and return via UPS before flights to domestic destinations, it said.
Facing mounting pressure about its role in the opioid crisis, McKinsey has taken the unusual step of acknowledging that its work with Purdue Pharma fell short of its standards and vowed a full internal review of its actions, including the possible destruction of documents.
Elon Musk said that while SpaceX and Tesla maintain major operations in California today, he has personally moved to Texas.
The number of available hospital beds are dwindling as a second surge of the coronavirus grips the New York City region, new state data reveals. The number of beds available in both New York City and Long Island is under 20 percent.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo plans to cancel all in-person press briefings going forward, citing revised CDC guidance and rising COVID-19 cases in the Empire State.
New York’s 29-member electoral delegation will likely be casting their votes in person next week (despite COVID) to formally elect the next president of the United States.
The chairman of the New York City Housing Authority warned Albany legislators that the low-income apartment buildings may soon become unrepairable if lawmakers don’t sign off on major organizational changes that could bring in new federal funds.
Establishments in New York City, Long Island and Westchester were handed liquor license suspensions due to COVID-19 regulation violations, according to Cuomo.
After weeks of claiming that gyms, hair salons and barbershops were among the top spreaders of COVID-19, Cuomo has changed his tune.
NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams criticized Cuomo’s “slow and hesitant approach” to shutting down indoor dining that he says is reminiscent of mistakes the state and city made in March.
The New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America is calling 225,000 registered voters in the Big Apple as part of its tax-the-rich lobbying campaign.
As the MTA faces down massive layoffs and devastating cuts to subway and bus service, state lawmakers are reviving a proposal to raise money for the transit agency by charging a $3 fee for every package delivered in the five boroughs.
New York City is setting up plans to distribute COVID-19 vaccines within days, including making sure hospitals have the ultracold freezers needed to store the Pfizer vaccine, Mayor Bill de Blasio said.
There are nearly 12,000 more white children returning to public school buildings in NYC than Black students — even though there are many more Black students than white children in the system overall.
Nearly six months after de Blasio pledged to end solitary confinement in New York City jails, the City Council this week is set to begin fast-tracking the process by reviewing new legislation to halt the controversial practice.
Radiators are cranked up to full blast in NYC classrooms relying on open windows for ventilation — but that’s cold comfort for kids and teachers still struggling through frigid lessons as winter arrives.
Starting March 1, beleaguered NYC artists will be able to stage ticketed concerts, plays, sketches and more on city streets and other open spaces, thanks to a bill set to be passed in the City Council.
Tech entrepreneur and one-time Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang could shake up the crowded 2021 field to replace de Blasio if he opts to jump in the race, according to a new poll.
Shaun Donovan, who served as the city’s housing chief under former Mayor Bloomberg, snubbed his former boss during his own campaign launch for mayor.
Downtown residents disputed the city-led rezoning plan for Soho and Noho during Manhattan Community Board 2’s Land Use Committee virtual public hearing last night.
A mounted police horse trampled over two men grappling on the ground in Times Square during a wild brawl last week, video shows.
The Staten Island D.A.’s office decision to not seek bail for pub owner Daniel Presti is evidence that white suspects get kid-glove treatment in an “unequal” justice system, the city’s public defenders charged.
Suffolk County was the most populous county in the U.S. that Trump won in 2020, winning the New York City suburb by just 232 votes, according to election results certified in recent days.
A state Supreme Court judge ruled that election officials in several upstate counties must revisit at least 2,000 disputed votes in an effort to finally settle New York’s last uncertified congressional race in NY-22.
Minor political parties in New York, many of which suffered a devastating blow with losing state ballot access, hope to tap into a growing number of New Yorkers who do not identify with a political party.
Republican state Sen. George Borrello and his wife have tested positive for COVID-19 and are self-isolating.
Daily coronavirus cases in Albany County have topped 200 for the first time since the pandemic began, officials announced.
Capital Region health departments are working to scale up their workforces as the strain of rapid coronavirus spread has forced them to prioritize case investigations and callbacks to people who’ve been exposed.
On the heels of $8 million in cuts to administration and staff, The College of St. Rose said it has decided to end 16 bachelor degree, six master degree and three certificate programs.
Hudson Valley Community College and 26 other members of the State University of New York Community Colleges have collectively decided to cancel the winter season for indoor sports that are considered “high risk” for COVID-19 exposure.
Cohoes Mayor Bill Keeler wants to tax the hazardous wastes that are incinerated at Norlite’s aggregate plant here, but some people think the facility should simply be closed.
Ama Cocina, a Mexican restaurant that opened in downtown Albany in fall 2015, will close indefinitely on Saturday, Dec. 19. Slow business and an environment made challenging by the coronavirus pandemic were cited as reasons.
Thanks to the pandemic, a lot of people are getting into decorating for the holidays, and there’s an early run on Christmas trees.
The five veteran NY1 anchorwomen, who sued the network last year claiming age and gender bias, want to see Pat Kiernan’s contract so they can learn how much he makes, new court papers show.
