Good Wednesday morning, and Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
This day is the anniversary of the death in the fifth century of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland and its national apostle.
Born in Roman Britain, St. Patrick was kidnapped and brought to Ireland as a slave at the age of 16. He later escaped, but returned to the country and was credited with bringing Christianity to its people. (But he did not, as legend has it, banish snakes from Ireland).
Traditionally, Irish people celebrate this day by attending church in the morning and then engaging in festivities in the afternoon, for which the rules of Lent are waived and meat (usually ham and cabbage, which has since morphed into corned beef – and American tradition because it’s less expensive) and alcohol can be consumed.
Also traditional for marking this day (or maybe the weekend before or after it, depending on when it falls): Parades.
In 1848, several New York Irish Aid societies united their individual parades to form one official New York City St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which is today the world ‘s oldest civilian parade and the largest in the United States, with over 150,000 participants.
Each year, nearly 3 million people line the 1.5-mile parade route to watch the procession, which takes more than five hours. Of course, that was before COVID.
This year, for the second year in a row, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in New York City has been cancelled, and official festivities will be largely virtual. Although the usual massive display with floats and marching bands won’t take place, a few dozen people are expected to march at 6 a.m. to keep the tradition alive, a spokesperson for Mayor Bill de Blasio said.
Then at 8:30 a.m. there will be a live broadcast of the St. Patrick’s Day Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, which is also hosting a “day of giving.” A note on its website reads: “If 1,000 donors make a gift before 11:59 p.m., a generous donor will unlock $50,000 to support the preservation of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral.”
It would have been a good day for a parade, with temperatures in the low 50s and cloudy skies in the morning…there could be a few snow flurries about (?!), but otherwise the afternoon should be largely clear.
In the headlines…
President Joe Biden told ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos that Gov. Andrew Cuomo should resign if an investigation confirms claims he committed sexual harassment, and also opined: “I think he’ll probably end up being prosecuted, too.”
Biden did not say, however, that Cuomo should resign immediately.
People tied to Cuomo sought to damage the credibility of Lindsey Boylan, the first woman to accuse Cuomo of sexual harassment, circulating an open letter attacking her that they hoped former staff members would sign.
The governor himself reportedly helped draft the letter, which went through multiple versions and accused Boylan of being backed by supporters of former President Donald Trump and said she was making her claims in the interest of “political retribution.”
Cuomo’s 2014 Democratic primary opponent, Zephyr Teachout, penned an op-ed for The Nation about why Cuomo “must resign,” writing that he “is petty, controlling, and grandiose. Even worse, he equates bullying with competence.”
Washington Post columnist Helaine Olen writes: “Politicians are tried not just in legal settings but in the court of public opinion. If you want Cuomo gone for good, you need to get the voters on your side first.”
An audio recording of a closed-door Assembly Democratic conference meeting revealed a contentious conversation between Speaker Carl Heastie and his colleagues over his decision to launch a probe into Cuomo’s actions rather than move forward with an impeachment effort.
Heastie warned Democratic legislators not to rush to judgment on Cuomo, noting that “people get accused of things,” and adding: “These days any one of us in this place could be accused.”
There are more women with sexual harassment allegations against Cuomo who have not come forward publicly, an attorney for one of his accusers said. Deborah Katz, who represents Charlotte Bennett, said she has been contacted by some of them.
Columbia University Prof. Lincoln Mitchell writes: “Impeachment, as we saw twice over the last two years, is a political process. That, not the merits of the case, could decide Cuomo’s future.”
For two hours today, a plane will fly a banner declaring “New Yorkers Say: Cuomo’s Got to Go!” over the State Capitol, a trio of gender equity groups said.
Politics has been said to make strange bedfellows, and in this case Cuomo’s most reliable supporters are some of the groups one might normally assume to be the most bothered by sexual harassment claims: namely, women and self-described liberal voters.
“The View” is being accused of being too chummy with Cuomo after not booking Meghan McCain’s Fox News meteorologist pal Janice Dean to discuss the governor’s nursing home scandal.
Biden issued a blunt message to migrants thinking about crossing the border: “Don’t come.”
“We’re in the process of getting set up, don’t leave your town or city or community,” Biden added.
Biden said he supports the U.S. Senate’s filibuster rule back to requiring senators talk on the floor to hold up a bill, the first time he has endorsed reforming the procedure the White House has for weeks insisted the president is opposed to eliminating.
Biden will hold his first formal news conference on March 25, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.
Biden joined his administration’s tour of swing states yesterday to promote the $1.9 trillion Covid-19 relief package, using a stop in the Philadelphia suburbs to highlight the fresh round of aid for small businesses, visiting a Black-owned flooring shop.
The visit to Smith Flooring, Inc. was Biden’s first stop in a cross-country administration roadshow — also involving his vice president and his wife — designed to publicize, and take credit for, the virus relief package.
At least one gunman killed eight people at three Atlanta-area massage parlors yesterday and police say they are trying to determine a motive for the brazen attacks.
Six of the people killed were Asian, and two were white, according to law enforcement officials. All but one were women.
Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized influence operations to help Trump in last November’s presidential election, but there’s no evidence that any foreign actor changed votes or otherwise disrupted the voting process.
Trump again urged people to be vaccinated against COVID-19, saying he would recommend vaccination to “a lot of people that don’t want to get it, and a lot of those people voted for me.”
Some Republican members of Congress aren’t getting vaccinated for COVID-19 despite shots being readily available to them, concerning public health experts already worried about widespread immunization hesitancy among GOP voters across the country.
The drug company Moderna has begun a study that will test its Covid vaccine in children under 12, including babies as young as six months, the company said on.
After the EU’s biggest countries suspended the use of AstraZeneca’s vaccine, the continent’s top drug regulator pushed back hard against fears about the shot, saying there was no sign of its causing rare but dangerous problems.
More than 95% of the people who have received the first dose of the two-shot coronavirus vaccine regimen have returned on time for their second, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said.
Dr. Deborah Birx, who coordinated the Trump administration’s pandemic response, revealed she felt “extraordinarily uncomfortable” when the then-president suggested that people might fight COVID by injecting themselves with disinfectant.
Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious-disease expert, said that the U.S. is on a march toward more normalcy from the coronavirus pandemic but that a surge in cases similar to what is occurring in Europe is possible if the country relaxes public-health precautions prematurely.
New York City is expected to hit three million vaccinations administered, a milestone that comes as daily hospitalizations appear to be falling.
Mayor Bill de Blasio said that he has “appealed” to the Biden administration to arrange shipments of the COVID-19 vaccine directly to New York City — in order to bypass scandal-scarred Cuomo’s control.
Uber said it will grant its U.K. drivers an employment status entitling them to vacation pay and pension contributions, a costly shift in one of its largest overseas markets amid a global debate over the treatment of gig-economy workers.
A Japanese court ruled for the first time that the country’s constitution gives same-sex couples the right to enjoy the legal benefits of marriage, a pathbreaking decision in a region of the world that generally bars same-sex marriage.
The question hanging over higher education this month is whether an influx in applications to Ivy League schools that waived SAT and ACT requirements will permanently change how colleges select students and, ultimately, the makeup of the student population.
Negotiations over a bill to legalize marijuana in New York yesterday “reached a little bit of an impasse” over a provision related to impaired driving, according to Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins.
Lawmakers are likely to reach a cannabis consensus and act on a stand-alone bill as soon they address lingering concerns about traffic stops and safety, Stewart-Cousins acknowledged, adding: “It is a matter of when, not if. We are extremely close.”
The District Attorneys Association of the State of New York said that driving under the influence of marijuana should remain a misdemeanor crime rather than a traffic infraction.
Democrats who dominate the state Assembly and Senate are pushing to increase taxes on the state’s top earners beyond the level proposed by Cuomo and have introduced a new surcharge on capital gains as budget negotiations enter their final phase.
“We’re asking people who have a lot more to help a little more to make sure our recovery is a sustainable recovery,” Stewart Cousins said. “There is so much we need to do. I’m confident that we are setting ourselves for a recovery not just for a few, but for everyone.”
Stewart-Cousins said both chambers are working hard to hammer out the budget ahead of the April 1 deadline, even without the governor’s input. “I haven’t actually met with the governor,” she said, “but he hasn’t actually asked me to meet with him.”
The state Senate one-house budget includes rent relief paid directly to landlords.
Sen. Alessandra Biaggi of Brooklyn and Assembly Member Yuh-Line Niou of Lower Manhattan are bringing together both houses for their new video series “Lit Politics.”
As the industry works to recover in the post-pandemic world, the New York State Restaurant Association is pushing to make the change loosening restrictions on to-go alcohol orders a permanent one as state lawmakers this month consider the state budget.
De Blasio said the city is examining whether it should make summer school optional for all public school families and that he expects to make a decision on that in the coming weeks.
Queens became the latest county to give a free pass to people charged with loitering for prostitution, falling in line with prosecutors who are following the guidance of legislators who repealed a law derided as a “walking while trans” ban.
Disgraced ex-GOP Rep. Vito Fossella emerged from political exile to say he’s seeking the Republican nomination for Staten Island borough president — more than a dozen years after a second-family scandal killed his career.
Andrew Yang hauled in $2.1 million in just two months in his outsider bid for Gracie Mansion — and half of it came from donors who live in New York City, campaign finance filings show.
Twenty NYPD cops have substantiated misconduct accusations against them for their actions at protests following the death of George Floyd last year, the chair of the Civilian Complaint Review Board said at a City Council hearing.
Protesters from a Manhattan dance studio cut a rug in City Hall Park, as nearly two dozen women also representing yoga, barre and pilates facilities rallied to demand that de Blasio allow group fitness classes to go ahead.
The return of Shakespeare to Central Park is among the most visible signs that theaters, orchestras and opera companies aim to return to the stage — outdoors.
The office dedicated to assisting Puerto Ricans living in New York City should be reopened, says Bronx Democratic Rep. Ritchie Torres, and he called on Puerto Rico’s Gov. Pedro Pierluisi to help make it happen.
An independent arbitrator exonerated city police officer Matthew Seeber of all charges last week for his role in an incident on March 2019 on First Street, angering Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan.
After laying out what it sees as some of the plan’s shortfalls, the Albany Common Council voted 13-1 to pass a resolution approving the city’s proposed police reform plan.
The City of Albany has created a commission to study the feasibility of municipally-run internet.
Lombardo’s Restaurant, a longtime city landmark and mainstay of the lower Madison Avenue area, is being sold.
Tollbooths, now abandoned and useless on the Thruway because of the newly installed $355 million cashless system, will be removed this week at six interchanges, including those at Albany’s Exit 23 (I-787), and Exit 25A (I-88) in Rotterdam.
Saying the survival of the local harness horse racing industry is on the line, Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner called on Rivers Casino & Resort to make its overdue purse payments to the Saratoga Harness Horsepersons Association (SHHA).
As school districts in the Capital Region prepare to bring more students into the classroom, some school leaders say they are also bracing for a potential post-spring break coronavirus surge.
Town Justice Peter Crummey has resigned from the bench to run as a Republican for Colonie supervisor.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation’s annual spring burn ban will be in effect from March 16 to May 14.
State forest rangers on Sunday recovered the body of a dead hiker found near the top of Hunter Mountain in the Catskills, according to the DEC.
H. Douglas Barclay, lawyer, prominent local politician and the patriarch of the State Republican party, died this weekend at 88 years old. He was the father of Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay.
Tiger Woods has been released from a Los Angeles hospital where he was treated after a car crash last month, according to a post yesterday to his Twitter account that said he was recovering at home.
