Good Friday morning.
The state budget is officially late.
Also, it’s Good Friday, the last day of Lent, the start of the Easter weekend, and the day that commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary.
The word “good” in this sense actually derives from the rather obsolete meaning of “holy or pious.” On the one hand, the death of Jesus was definitely not good, but it also led to his resurrection and, if you are one of the faithful, his victory over death and sin, which is the very pinnacle of the annual Easter celebration.
This is supposed to be a day of somber reflection. Some people refrain from eating, and some churches strip their altars and muffle their bells to mark the significant loss that occurred on this day. Sunday, the day of resurrection, by contrast, is a joyous celebration with songs and family gatherings and, for some, egg hunts.
And if you’re curious about the whole Easter Bunny thing and want to go down an (ahem) rabbit hole, click here.
Today is also the 14th annual World Autism Awareness Day, and don’t be surprised to see buildings, landmarks and/or homes lit up in blue as a result.
Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication. According to the Centers for Disease Control, autism affects an estimated 1 in 54 children across the U.S., and signs usually appear around the ages of 2 or 3.
Oh, and one more thing, because it’s such a central part of my life – and literally, I eat some version of it every. single. day – it’s National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day, an ENTIRE DAY to indulge in and honor the world’s most perfect food combination.
But grape jelly? It’s disgusting. Yup. I said it. Come at me.
So yesterday was very weird, weather-wise. It snowed! Happy April Fool’s Day, Mother Nature. You win again. The roads could be slick this morning, due to overnight lows that fell below freezing, so be aware and maybe take some extra time during that commute – if you have one.
Today, by contrast, it will be sunny but still not warm, with temperatures barely reaching 40 degrees. The weekend looks pretty nice, with clouds and sun and temperatures in the 50s.
In the headlines…
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) adjusted Moderna’s emergency use authorization to permit more COVID-19 vaccine doses in each vial — a move expected to speed up deliveries and shipments.
The FDA is investigating what caused a batch of the active ingredient for Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine to be scrapped for failing to meet quality standards at a contract manufacturing plant, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The FDA has authorized the first Covid-19 tests for repeated, frequent use by consumers at home to screen for infections even if they don’t have symptoms.
Moderna will be allowed to include up to 50 percent more extractable doses in its vials in an amendment to its authorization. The increase would permit Moderna to put up to 15 doses per vial, instead of the previous 10 doses per vial.
The U.S. may not need AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine — even if the shot gets approved by federal regulators, Dr. Anthony Fauci said.
Fauci is defending fellow COVID expert Dr. Deborah Birx against criticism that she enabled former President Donald Trump’s disastrous response to the coronavirus pandemic.
The CDC walked back controversial comments made by its director, Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky, suggesting that people who are vaccinated against the coronavirus never become infected or transmit the virus to others.
President Biden is in favor of providing COVID-19 vaccines to immigrants regardless of their legal status, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.
Declines in coronavirus testing in many states in the South and the Great Plains are making it harder to know just how widely the virus may be spreading in those states, even as restrictions are lifted and residents ease back into daily life, experts say.
First-time claims for jobless benefits were higher than expected last week, with 719,000 more workers heading to the unemployment line, the Labor Department reported, even as federal stimulus cash and vaccines are being distributed.
The total compared with the 675,000 estimate from Dow Jones and was above last week’s downwardly revised 658,000.
Initial claims have been distorted by backlogs, multiple filings and fraud, making it difficult to get a clear signal on the labor market’s health from the weekly data.
For the week ending March 20, Massachusetts, Texas, Connecticut, Maryland, and Virginia recorded the largest increases in initial claims, Labor Department data shows.
The IRS will automatically calculate and send refunds to those who paid taxes on unemployment benefits received during the coronavirus pandemic.
Factories around the world are struggling to keep up with soaring demand for all types of goods as the global economic recovery from the pandemic accelerates.
The S&P 500 closed above 4000 for the first time to kick off the second quarter, buoyed by a continuing rebound in technology stocks.
Biden has requested that Education Secretary Miguel Cardona prepare a report on the president’s legal authority to cancel up to $50,000 in student debt per borrower, White House chief of staff Ron Klain said.
Biden will “look at that legal authority,” Klain said. “He’ll look at the policy issues around that, and he’ll make a decision. He hasn’t made a decision on that either way, and, in fact, he hasn’t yet gotten the memos that he needs to start to focus on that decision.”
Biden set about convincing America it needs his $2.3 trillion infrastructure plan, deputizing a five-member “jobs Cabinet” to help in the effort. But Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell vowed to oppose the plan “every step of the way.”
Biden announced that Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, HUD Secretary Marcia Fudge, Labor Secretary Marty Walsh and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo would take on the additional responsibility.
Biden aims to spend $100 billion to close gaps in the nation’s broadband network, calling affordable high-speed internet connections critical for modern households but leaving central details of the plan up in the air.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she’s waiting for the advice of the Capitol physician and the sergeant-at-arms before inviting Biden to give his first address to a joint session of Congress.
The precariousness of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s political situation and his apparent willingness to cash in the political bargaining chips he’s got left have created a strange new dynamic in Albany as the budget deadline loomed (and has passed).
Assemblyman Ron Kim claims Cuomo’s top aide, Melissa DeRosa, was ready to quit the state deliberately withheld the complete coronavirus death toll in nursing homes, but the governor “begged her stay.” The administration says this isn’t true.
The allegations that top aides helped Cuomo write his best-selling memoir are part of a “pattern of corruption” that should be added to the multiple matters under investigation by federal and state authorities, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said.
The impeachment investigation into Cuomo will examine whether official state resources were used to produce the memoir that the Democratic governor published in October, a key state lawmaker said.
Citizens for Responsibility in Washington filed a complaint with the state Board of Elections seeking an “immediate investigation” into allegations that the governor violated election laws by including a link to purchase his COVID book in campaign emails.
The Assembly has established a hotline for members of the public to provide information relevant to its inquiry into Cuomo’s alleged wrongdoing on multiple fronts.
Cuomo announced $4.6 million in federal grant funding is available for economic and community development within New York’s Northern Border Region.
Cuomo has signed a law that places new limits on the use of solitary confinement in the state’s correctional facilities, following years of pressure by lawmakers and advocacy groups.
New York state lawmakers are negotiating a $2.1 billion fund that would give unemployment benefits to illegal immigrants and former inmates — possibly providing some recipients with around $28,000.
A federal program that will allow people whose relatives died of COVID-19 to collect upwards of $9,000 for funeral costs is expected to launch later this month.
Despite having been eligible for vaccination since January, only 42 percent of New Yorkers 85 and older have been fully vaccinated, according to recent city data, which has jolted community groups into action.
Roughly 39,000 state workers, including those at health care and correctional facilities, could see a delay in their paychecks if lawmakers don’t pass a budget soon, New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli warned.
New York’s once-mandatory two-week quarantine for anyone traveling into the region from other states has been lifted.
Starting today, theaters, comedy clubs and other arts venues can open at 33-percent capacity in New York, though the formula doesn’t work for everyone.
The NYPD has told cops how to enforce the state’s new marijuana law, which includes letting adults light up in public, ignoring the exchange of weed unless money is involved and banning vehicle searches based on smell alone.
Marijuana remains illegal under federal law, and workers whose jobs are regulated by the feds – including police officers and transit workers – would still be fired if they test positive for the drug.
Medical cannabis patients will be the first beneficiaries of New York’s new cannabis law.
With revenue from marijuana sales, the City of Buffalo is eyeing long-term plans of possibly implementing a universal basic income program.
A Republican North Country lawmaker, who is white, joked on social media during the cannabis vote that Democratic state Assembly leaders, many of whom are Black and people of color, are high on drugs.
After the state gave the green light to adult use, less than 24 hours later, the Town of Amsterdam decided to take action and put a hold on marijuana sales.
An appellate court has sided with NYU over its decision to suspend three students for attending an off-campus party where they were photographed maskless — overturning a lower court’s ruling.
A longer video clip of a heinous attack on an elderly woman as she walked by a residential building in Hell’s Kitchen shows lobby workers who initially shut the door as the beatdown unfolded later went outside to help the victim and flag down a cop.
Mayoral candidate and City Comptroller Scott Stringer lashed out at rival Andrew Yang with an accusation that Yang flip-flopped on his support of busways when he recently voiced concerns about one in Queens.
Yang released a rap video to drum up support for his New York City mayoral bid, featuring rhymes about his failed presidential campaign, COVID-19 and how it’s “dope” to be an Asian candidate.
Yang pitched himself as a “salesperson and cheerleader” for New York City who’d represent a “break from the past” — and almost immediately drew heat from his rivals as being out of touch.
A year after Covid-19 cratered the Manhattan sales market, the borough is poised for a recovery, thanks to price cuts, renewed confidence in the city and a surge of first-time home buyers.
The arrival of high-speed rail has been delayed yet again in New York.
State officials are weighing how to distribute hundreds of millions of new federal dollars that are to be used for an expansion of COVID-19 testing in public K-12 schools.
A dozen Walmart pharmacies in the Capital Region are now providing COVID-19 vaccinations, according to the Capital Region Vaccine Network.
The first batch of body-worn cameras for New York state troopers was rolled out in the Capital Region yesterday.
Albany County Legislator George Langdon IV apologized for making what he called “foolish” remarks denigrating the LGBTQ community at a “constitutional liberty” seminar held over the weekend.
The Saratoga Lake Association (SLA) and neighbors living around the proposed Cedar Bluff subdivision have sent a letter to town officials demanding the clear-cutting operation of a yet to be approved development end immediately.
Baseball is back – more or less.
A federal judge granted Nike’s request to halt shipments of the Satan Shoes, and the company that released the customized sneakers said it wouldn’t proceed with plans to give away the final pair.
A deer crashed through a school bus windshield yesterday morning in Virginia but escaped uninjured.
“Good Morning America” host and former Giant Michael Strahan revealed that his claim earlier in the week that he’d has the signature gap between his teeth fixed was an elaborate April Fool’s Day joke.
