Good morning, on top of the fact that you should be on your toes because it’s Monday…BEWARE the Ides of March!
The word “Ides” is derived from the Latin word “idus,” which refers to the middle day of any month in the ancient Roman calendar.
In the Roman calendar, this date corresponded to several religious observances. The Romans considered the Ides of March a deadline for settling debts. Apparently, if you didn’t settle said debts, you could end up in prison – or worse – so this time of year was considered pretty unlucky by some.
But if you’ve heard the saying above before, it’s probably a result of William Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar, in which a soothsayer delivers that warning to our unsuspecting hero…who two years later is assassinated on the steps of the Senate on March 15 in the year 44 B.C.
(Actually, the myth on which the playwright based the aforementioned writing was subsequently debunked. It turns out that the omen was actually “beware the next 30 days” – a prophecy delivered on Feb. 15, 44 B.C. – not March 15 – by an Etruscan Soothsayer named Spurinna).
Some other not-so-fabulous things occurred on this date in history, including, in 2003, the World Health Organization issuance of a heightened global health alert about a dangerous new disease called SARS (Sudden Acute Respiratory Syndrome).
Also on this date in 1971, CBS cancelled the beloved “Ed Sullivan Show.”
Contrary to various superstitious belief surrounding its origins, Ides technically merely marks the first day of the full moon in every month, which typically falls between the 13th and 15th.
Looks like the crazy wind we experienced over the past 24 hours or so is over. We’re in for a rather chill day, with temperatures hovering around 30 degrees. It will be very sunny, though, so that’s nice.
In the headlines…
President Joe Biden commented on Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s spiraling sexual harassment scandal, refusing to call for his resignation, while saying he wants to see what comes of the independent investigation into the allegations.
Cuomo dug in this weekend against growing demands from fellow Democrats that he step aside as he faces accusations of inappropriate conduct toward multiple women and criticism over the state’s handling of Covid-19 in nursing homes.
“He’s not leaving. He’s not resigning. Not today, not tomorrow, not next week,” said one person familiar with the governor’s thinking.
Cuomo is now furiously plotting a path to salvage his job, his legacy and even a potential fourth-term re-election run in 2022, according to Democrats familiar with his thinking.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has known the governor for years, said yesterday on ABC’s “This Week” that Mr. Cuomo “should look inside his heart—he loves New York—to see if he can govern effectively.” She stopped short of calling for his resignation.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio lambasted embattled Cuomo as he faces calls to resign amid accusations of sexual misconduct, saying the Democratic governor is “literally in the way of us saving lives” by remaining in office.
De Blasio refused to rule out a possible run for governor in 2022, while insisting that his priority is shepherding New York City through the coronavirus.
Former LCA reporter Jessica Bakeman is now the seventh woman to publicly accuse Cuomo of sexual harassment — detailing instances of unwanted touching and humiliating comments she endured while covering his administration.
Hofstra Prof. Kara Alaimo: “It is not news that Gov. Cuomo is a bully. While there is no excuse for his behavior, New Yorkers also bear some responsibility for repeatedly choosing to elevate him to power.”
WSJ: “If Democrats want him gone, then impeach and convict him based on specific charges and evidence. Make the case for why the verdict of voters should be short-circuited. Make them vote in Albany, and make them watch in Washington.”
NYT: “At this point, it is hard to see how Mr. Cuomo can continue to do the public’s important business without political allies or public confidence.”
Larry Schwartz, New York’s “vaccine czar” and a longtime adviser to Cuomo, phoned county officials in the past two weeks in attempts to gauge their loyalty to governor amid an ongoing sexual harassment investigation, according to multiple officials.
One Democratic county executive was so unsettled by the outreach from Schwartz that the executive filed notice of an impending ethics complaint with the public integrity unit of the state attorney general’s office.
“I’m afraid of that man,” one local official said of Schwartz. “Why in God’s name would that man have called? People were terrified.”
Schwartz has denied mixing political and policy calls or acting improperly.
State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, Long Island Rep. Tom Suozzi and others have been engaging with supporters and party leaders to discuss potentially running for governor in 2022.
As Cuomo faces growing calls to resign, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone is taking steps toward a possible gubernatorial run.
Cuomo’s governorship has been defined by cruelty that disguised chronic mismanagement. Why was that celebrated for so long?
Cuomo’s daughter, Mariah Kennedy-Cuomo, was seen arm-in-arm with her embattled father outside the Executive Mansion in Albany as he took a phone call Friday. It’s not clear how his other two daughters are reacting to his political imbroglio.
Daughters Mariah and Michaela Kennedy-Cuomo — as well as the governor’s sister Maria Cuomo Cole — all retweeted a post from actor Billy Baldwin defending the governor’s legacy and calling on critics to wait for the state to conclude its investigation.
Senior aides said that Cuomo, who has reportedly used cellphone trouble to lure junior staffers to his side, is notorious for his lack of technical proficiency — and that for years he has sought help from subordinates with his smartphones, computers and software.
As Cuomo fights for his political life, the woman who would succeed him if he were to resign, step aside or be removed from office, LG Kathy Hochul, has stayed largely quiet about the multiple allegations lodged against him – even in private conversations.
“She basically is saying that she’s the last person who should offer an opinion on this because she would appear to be self-interested,” one person who has spoken to Hochul said.
“She has made her entire time in the lieutenant governor’s seat sort of like a statewide campaign opportunity,”state Sen. Liz Krueger, a Manhattan Democrat, said of Hochul.
Michael Shnayerson, who wrote an unauthorized biography of Cuomo, revisits his own book and finds that many of the governor’s flaws that led him to the mess he’s in now “have been evident for years.”
When the Minnesota senator Al Franken resigned, Democrats weighed how to handle sexual misconduct allegations. Now that conversation is evolving, with Cuomo at the center.
U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said she decided to finally come out against Cuomo because she felt it was important that New York be led by someone able to give the pandemic their undivided attention.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said an “awful crisis” is engulfing New York as he again called for Cuomo to step down.
Cynthia Nixon, who unsuccessfully primaried Cuomo in 2018, isn’t exactly telling New Yorkers “I told you so,” but her supporters are — and the actress-turned-politician is coming pretty close herself.
The state Assembly’s probe of Cuomo as a prelude to possible impeachment proceedings will have “wide latitude” to investigate beyond allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct.
As pressure grows for Cuomo to step aside, members of the State University of New York board of trustees are standing by their chancellor, James Malatras.
Democratic Hudson Valley Rep. Mondaire Jones has joined the chorus of lawmakers calling for a federal investigation of the structural integrity of the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo bridge.
Those who worked on women’s rights efforts in Albany in recent years are left grappling with the effect the governor’s alleged behavior will have on the future of sexual harassment rules, enforcement of those rules and workplace culture.
The third round of stimulus checks started hitting bank accounts for eligible Americans over the weekend, shortly after Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act into law Thursday.
Some Americans say their government checks were deposited in the wrong bank accounts this weekend, forcing many of them to wait longer for the badly needed aid after struggling financially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Biden administration is looking past its $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill and starting to consider how to pay for the next round of programs meant to bolster long-term economic growth with investments in infrastructure, clean energy and education.
Successful vaccination campaigns in the U.S., accumulated savings and the $1.9-trillion relief bill are turbocharging consumer demand. That is straining the globe-spanning supply chains.
The Biden administration is directing FEMA to assist in processing an increasing number of children and teenagers who have filled detention facilities at the southwest border, as criticism mounts over the treatment of young migrants.
The sophisticated hacks pulled off by Russia and China against a broad array of government and industrial targets in the U.S. are driving the Biden administration and Congress to rethink how the nation should protect itself from growing cyberthreats.
Winter and spring collided Sunday as parts of Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and Nebraska were blasted with up to 4 feet of snow, while Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri braced for heavy rains, high winds, flooding and possible tornadoes.
Breonna Taylor’s boyfriend has filed a federal lawsuit accusing the Louisville Police Department of excessive force and unlawful search in her death.
Dr. Anthony Fauci warned that the U.S. could experience another Covid-19 surge like Europe if it lifts restrictions too soon and called on Donald Trump to urge his supporters to get vaccinated.
With millions of Americans vaccinated and states dropping mask and dining restrictions at the one-year mark of the pandemic, Fauci warned against loosening restrictions prematurely, despite the recent week-over-week decreases in new coronavirus cases.
While Covid-19 deaths head lower, raising hopes that the U.S. is turning a corner as vaccinations continue, states around the country are steadily finding previously unreported deaths that are causing data confusion.
Duke University ordered thousands of students Saturday evening to quarantine for at least a week because of a coronavirus outbreak at the school.
Italians enjoyed the last weekend outdoors before three-quarters of the population goes into a strict lockdown today, when the government puts in place restrictive measures to fight the rise in coronavirus infections.
With somber words and music set against a backdrop of images of New Yorkers taken by the coronavirus pandemic, NYC yesterday marked a year since officials – and subsequently the public – learned of the state’s first fatalities from COVID-19.
The pandemic forced more than half of New York City women who provide care for children to cut back on paid working hours — part of “seismic changes” to the workforce, according to a poll conducted by city Comptroller Scott Stringer’s office.
An MTA honcho who spent much of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada before resigning last month collected one of the biggest executive salaries in the agency’s history.
The MTA Board will vote this week on a policy change that guarantees sick time to any employee who has health issues related to the World Trade Center “rescue, recovery or clean-up operations.”
The state Senate and Assembly are scheduled to vote today on their versions of the state budget. Stark differences remain between their proposals for raising taxes on the wealthy and legalizing online mobile sports betting and what Cuomo has said he supports.
Both houses of the state legislature have proposed budgets that include nearly $7 billion in new and increased taxes on businesses and the rich.
For marijuana, it appears that a deal is being struck outside of the budget process, as it’s not included in either of the one-house budgets, despite having broad support and being backed by Cuomo.
New York City’s incoming Schools Chancellor Meisha Ross Porter is pushing to expand the city’s summer-school program to as many students as possible, as part of an effort to help students recover from educational disruptions during the pandemic.
Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa will officially launch his long-anticipated bid for the Republican nomination for mayor this morning, his campaign said.
New York Penn Station could be transformed into a bright, roomy commuter hub with wide corridors, light-filled concourses and more stairs, escalators and elevators to platforms, according to plans being considered by transportation officials.
School officials in Guilderland said the high school will be open today after a fire in a computer lab Saturday caused some smoke damage.
The opening of The Snowman on Saturday in Troy unofficially signaled a return to spring weather soon for the community.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation has released a committee’s recommendations for how to address ever-increasing hiker traffic in the High Peaks.
Famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma treated a vaccine clinic to a free concert at Berkshire Community College in Massachusetts Saturday, where he broke out into a spontaneous performance during his observation period after receiving the vaccine.
Beyoncé, 39, showed up at the 2021 Grammys and made history with four wins — making her the most decorated woman in Grammys history.
At only 9 years old, Beyoncé’s oldest daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, is already starting to follow in her parents’ footsteps, winning her first Grammy for her role in the music video for “Brown Skin Girl.”
The 63rd annual awards were held in Los Angeles yesterday. Here is the full list of winners.
One of the most prolific careers in NFL history has come to an end, as New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees announced Sunday on Instagram he has decided to retire after 20 seasons.
Designer Jessica McClintock, known for concoctions of calico and lace that accompanied girls and women on the most important occasions of their lives, has died. She was 90.
Amazon said it recently removed a three-year-old book about transgender issues from its platforms because it decided not to sell books that frame transgender and other sexual identities as mental illnesses.
