Good Monday morning, CivMixers. Happy MLK Day.
As we discussed last week, this is the day that honors the great civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., who was born last Friday (January 15). This federal holiday is always observed on the third Monday in January, which means its date changes slightly from year to year.
The campaign for a federal holiday in King’s honor began in the wake of his 1968 assassination. It wasn’t until 1983 that Republican President Ronald Reagan signed the holiday into law, and it was first observed three years later.
Some states resisted at first, giving MLK Day alternative names or combining it with other holidays. It was officially observed in all 50 states for the first time in 2000.
This is a traditional day of service for many, who like to volunteer in King’s memory. He once said: “Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.”
The pandemic has put a damper on being out and about. A lot of events honoring King have been called off – some of them cancelled months ago – or moved onto Zoom.
There are a whole host of online events to choose from. The National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington is hosting a social justice-themed virtual concert by the jazz bassist and composer Christian McBride and students from the Juilliard School, starting at 4 p.m., for example.
New York State will be hosting a one-hour tribute to King entitled “Civil Rights Then and Now” that will be streaming online here and also carried on broadcast and PBS stations statewide starting at 11 a.m. Blurbage:
“Through the eyes of New Yorkers from Buffalo to Albany, Lake Placid to New York City, the program will focus on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life and dreams with music, art, and inspiring stories that reflect the fight for civil rights then and now across the state.”
Also in the Capital Region, a food and diaper drive is taking place to held families in need.
Just a little Googling will find you a whole plethora of options – if, in fact, you are not working today.
If you do go out, be careful, of course, and also take heed about the weather. The forecast is calling for snow showers in the morning, with mainly cloudy skies for the rest of the day and temperatures in the mid-30s.
In the headlines…
Besides being the first president to get impeached twice, Donald Trump will have a stain on his legacy with arguably longer-lasting consequences: He’s about to become the only American leader in a century with more than 400,000 deaths from one event (the coronavirus pandemic) on his watch.
It took 12 weeks for the death toll to rise from 200,000 to 300,000. The death toll has leaped from 300,000 to almost 400,000 in less than five weeks.
For nearly the entire pandemic, political polarization and a rejection of science have stymied the United States’ ability to control the coronavirus. That has been clearest and most damaging at the federal level.
A year after the U.S. saw its first case of COVID-19, scientists are still trying to nail down its exact origins. Understanding the journey of SARS-CoV-2 may provide insights into how the relationship between humans and animals led to the pandemic, as well as other disease outbreaks.
Israel has vaccinated at least 25 percent of its population against the coronavirus so far, which leads the world and makes it “the country to watch for herd effects from” the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.
The coronavirus was found on ice cream produced in eastern China, prompting a recall of cartons from the same batch, according to the government.
Dr. Erica S. Pan, the California epidemiologist, issued a statement recommending a pause in the distribution of a specific lot of Moderna vaccine after “fewer than 10 individuals required medical attention over the span of 24 hours.”
People involved in New York’s effort said the first month of vaccine distribution was plagued by public feuding between state and local officials, threats from Gov. Andrew Cuomo of $1 million fines for not following distribution rules, and accusations of misguided decision-making.
Vaccinating New Yorkers was always going to be a huge logistical challenge. Now, state and local officials say that the number of doses coming to the state is decreasing, just as the number of people eligible to be vaccinated has increased dramatically.
As officials warn of dwindling coronavirus vaccine doses, the city is making transportation services available to seniors who manage to get a shot, NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio said.
A former head of New York state Democratic Party has already received his first dose of the coronavirus vaccine – in Florida.
As COVID-19 cases rise in New York, one of the city’s mass vaccination sites remained closed for the second straight day, amid low supply of the coveted inoculations.
President-elect Joe Biden’s top health officials are confident the U.S. will have enough vaccine doses to meet the incoming administration’s goal of inoculating 100 million people in 100 days despite a slower-than-expected rollout of the life-saving drugs.
The Trump administration is leaving a “huge mess” in terms of vaccine distribution for Biden to clean up, the Democrat’s incoming chief of staff said.
As of Friday morning, some 31 million vaccine doses had been distributed nationwide, but only about 12 million had been administered, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious diseases expert, was sanguine about the timeline for new coronavirus vaccine approvals, saying that the clearance of new AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson shots is likely “weeks away.”
Those getting ready to roll up their sleeves for a Covid-19 vaccine shot will take part in the most ambitious vaccination effort in U.S. history. As efforts ramp up, here’s advice from doctors involved with the vaccine rollout on how to prepare and what to expect.
The New York nurse who was the first in the US to receive the COVID-19 vaccine will be featured during Biden’s Inauguration Day programing.
Trump is reportedly preparing to issue around 100 pardons and commutations on his final full day in office tomorrow – a major batch of clemency actions that includes white collar criminals, high-profile rappers and others but – as of now – is not expected to include Trump himself.
In short: a lucrative market for pardons is coming to a head, with some of Trump’s allies collecting fees from wealthy felons or their associates to push the White House for clemency, according to documents and interviews with more than three dozen lobbyists and lawyers.
It doesn’t appear that Trump will do anything public to mark MLK Day, while Biden will be volunteering at the hunger-relief charity Philabundance in Philadelphia.
The FBI is screening all 25,000 National Guard troops heading to D.C. as fears mount among defense officials that those responsible for security at the inauguration could participate in an insider attack.
Small groups of right-wing protesters — some carrying rifles — gathered outside heavily fortified statehouses around the country yesterday, outnumbered by National Guard troops and police brought in to prevent a repeat of the violence that erupted at the U.S. Capitol.
Members of Trump’s failed presidential campaign played key roles in orchestrating the Washington rally that spawned the deadly assault on the U.S. Capitol, undercutting claims the event was the brainchild of the president’s grassroots supporters.
In court papers and interviews, at least four pro-Trump rioters have said they joined the march that spiraled into violence in part because the president encouraged them to do so.
A Sullivan County man was in custody Saturday for for his involvement in the Jan. 6 siege of the U.S. Capitol, the FBI said.
A Newburgh man has been arrested for his alleged role in the deadly U.S. Capitol invasion, after posting an image of the mob to Instagram with the words “This is me” and a pointing emoji superimposed on it, according to authorities.
A Capital Region man was arrested Saturday night for his participation in the storming of the U.S. Capitol, the FBI Albany office announced.
Over 70 arrests have been made across the country in relation to the riots, and at least 170 cases have been opened.
The website for Parler, the conservative-friendly social media platform, was back online yesterday with a message for the company’s “lovers and haters.”
Trump’s political fate, and any ambitions he might have for reclaiming the White House in 2024, could be settled by who wins a debate over whether a president can be convicted through the impeachment process after leaving office – a matter on which the U.S. Constitution is silent.
After quickly impeaching Trump last week, Democratic House impeachment managers said only that the article of impeachment will be delivered to the Senate “soon.”
A House impeachment manager acknowledged that one reason for charging Trump with incitement of insurrection was to prevent the outgoing commander in chief from trying to become president again.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, who earlier this month had criticized Trump over his demands to overturn his election loss, expressed more support for him yesterday – though he did warn the president not to pardon insurrectionists who stormed the U.S. Capitol.
Trump is relaying to supporters and GOP donors that he wants to raise $2 billion for a presidential library and museum, which will likely be in Florida, where he will reportedly reside (at Mar-a-Lago) when he departs D.C.
Twitter temporarily locked new Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene out of her personal account after the QAnon follower sent out a slew of tweets that pushed election disinformation and incited supporters of Trump to “mobilize” and “make your voices heard.”
In an effort to mark a clean break from the Trump era, Biden plans to roll out dozens of executive orders in his first 10 days on top of a big stimulus plan and an expansive immigration bill.
The Guatemalan government estimates between 7,000 and 8,000 migrants have crossed the country’s border from Honduras since Friday and will head toward the United States.
Biden has chosen two veteran regulators to lead the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).
The Keystone oil pipeline’s developer plans to announce a series of overhauls – including a pledge to use only renewable energy – in a bid to win Biden’s support for the controversial project.
U.S. aviation regulators have approved the first fully automated commercial drone flights, granting a small Massachusetts-based company permission to operate drones without hands-on piloting or direct observation by human controllers or observers.
Vice President Mike Pence and Second Lady Karen Pence visited Fort Drum this past weekend to thank the 10th Mountain Division and their families for serving the country – their final official appearance before returning to private life.
The National Security Agency is moving forward with hiring a Trump administration loyalist, Michael Ellis, after the acting defense secretary ordered he be made the spy agency’s top lawyer.
Biden’s economic relief package will bring more than $50 billion to cash-strapped New York, the state’s U.S. senators said.
Cuomo said de Blasio and the city’s police officials need to apologize to New Yorkers over charges they violated the civil rights of some demonstrators during last year’s often violent George Floyd protests.
The New York Police Department plans to reduce staffing levels around Trump Tower after Trump leaves office this week, police officials said.
NYC mayoral candidate Ray McGuire’s ties to the Koch brothers aren’t limited to serving as banker of the conservative donors’ company years ago.
Eric Adams and Scott Stringer, two of the best-known NYC mayoral candidates, continue to far outpace the rest of the Democratic field in raising money.
Big Apple Republican and independent voters are getting unsolicited letters and text messages urging them to re-enroll as Democrats in order to vote in the party’s June primary for mayor — the race that will likely determine the next mayor.
The MTA board on Thursday is set to vote on a slate of fare hikes — while transit officials are at the same time considering service cuts that would leave riders paying more for less.
The MTA’s No. 2 official — required by his job description to lead the delivery of “high quality transportation services” — retreated to Canada in the last months of 2020 as New York was slammed with a second wave of COVID-19 cases.
Albany County residents hospitalized because of coronavirus complications reached a new high overnight Saturday to 169 people. Patients moved to the ICU also shot up from nine to 14.
Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple is reporting a severe outbreak of COVID-19 at the correctional facility and rehabilitative service center.
The Siena men’s basketball team had four more games rescheduled Sunday, part of another round of Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference schedule shuffling caused by coronavirus disruptions.
Republican Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin opened his 2021 re-election effort with a financial shock and awe of $238,000 in campaign funds as county Democrats ponder endorsing Gwen Wright, of Schodack, as their candidate.
The owners of Stewart’s Shops, big donors to Rep. Elise Stefanik, have decided to pause all political contributions for “further review” after pressure by individuals on social media to boycott the chain over their support for the congresswoman.
Following her second defeat by Stefanik in November, Democrat Tedra Cobb has launched a new political action committee to help Democrats in rural areas run for Congress.
Public Employees Federation President Wayne Spence on Friday filed a lawsuit against New York for its failure to provide adequate paid sick leave for state employees who have had to quarantine or isolate beyond the 14 days allotted to them.
Phil Spector, the prolific music producer who changed the industry with his “Wall of Sound” in the 1960s and spent his last years in prison for murder, died Saturday. He was 81, and reportedly had contracted COVID-19 while imprisoned in California.
