Good Thursday morning.
Things haven’t changed much since yesterday.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo is still refusing to step down and playing impeachment chicken with the state Legislature.
Covid is still on the rise, with Dr. Anthony Fauci warning that the daily number of new coronavirus cases in the U.S. could double in the next few weeks, potentially resulting in new mutations that could be worse than the highly contagious delta variant.
There is plenty to be somber and depressed about. I, for one, could use a little levity and hope. And so, without further ado, we return to our regular lighthearted and nonsensical morning programming.
WHY? Because it’s NATIONAL DOG MONTH!!
Yes. Woman’s best friend gets a whole month all to its furry, fabulous self. You know how I feel about my dog, Henry, who is a mini Goldendoodle and the absolute love of my life and without whom I would not have survived the past year. Full stop.
I feel like it’s OK for me to take a bit of a breather from the serious stuff to sing the praises of dogs. And I needed to get this under the wire before the so-called “dog days” of summer (July 3 to Aug. 11) are over. In case you were curious about the origin of that…
“The phrase is actually a reference to the fact that, during this time, the Sun occupies the same region of the sky as Sirius, the brightest star visible from any part of Earth and part of the constellation Canis Major, the Greater Dog. This is why Sirius is sometimes called the Dog Star.”
Dogs are the most popular pets in the United States, with almost 50 million households owning at least one dog. On average, a dog owner has 1.7 dogs, according to the American Pet Products Association. (I’m not sure what .7 dogs means…I do happen to be in the market for a second dog FWIW, so I’ll potentially be skewing that statistic).
As of 2020, the most popular dog breeds in the U.S. were as follows: 1) Labrador Retriever, 2) French Bulldog, 3) German Shepherd, 4) Golden Retriever, and 5) Bulldog.
National Dog Month is actually a recent creation that was dreamed up (not surprisingly) by Milk-Bone. But even though this is entirely a made-up thing that benefits a commercial enterprise, I’m still a fan because, well, dogs.
Unconditional love is where it’s at.
Ironically, it’s also Work Like A Dog Day, which ostensibly celebrates people who go that extra mile. And that is basically all of us these days, right?
Supposedly, this day was inspired by the inherent work ethic of dogs – particularly service dogs. Since I don’t have one of those, I can’t speak to their work ethic, but I can say that Henry much prefers napping to anything else – except chasing spherical things and eating treats and having his tummy rubbed.
Anyway, take a moment to pat yourself on the back and maybe spend a few extra moments with your special furry someone – if you have one (or more) – in appreciation of all your hard work. Because if you don’t appreciate you, who will?
It’s going to be partly sunny with temperatures in the high 70s to low 80s.
In the headlines…(Back to the serious stuff now…trigger warning: This could be disturbing and really bring you down. Maybe return to dog snuggling and skip the headlines for today?)
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said President Biden has “no plans” to personally call embattled Gov. Andrew Cuomo and ask for his resignation after the state’s attorney general said he sexually harassed several women, breaking state and federal law.
A majority of state Assembly members – at least 86 of 150 – support beginning impeachment proceedings against Cuomo if he doesn’t resign over investigative findings that he sexually harassed at least 11 women, according to an AP count.
Jay Jacobs, Cuomo’s hand-picked state Democratic Party chairman and one of his staunchest allies and defenders, is no longer in the governor’s corner, calling on him to resign because he has lost the ability to governor “both practically and morally.”
District attorneys in Manhattan, Nassau County and Westchester County each disclosed that they had requested investigative materials from the state attorney general’s office in connection with open inquiries into the governor’s behavior.
Clearly, there’s grounds for prosecution,” de Blasio said. “But the most important thing right now is for the governor to resign and end the agony he’s putting the state of New York through and end the pain these 11 women are going through.”
The Assembly’s judiciary committee, which is conducting the impeachment inquiry, plans to meet Monday and combine AG Tish James’s report with evidence it has already collected, members said.
Two women who helped found the anti-harassment group Time’s Up during the height of the #MeToo Movement helped Cuomo’s office in drafting a letter that smeared one of his accusers and “impugned her credibility.”
New details have emerged about how Melissa DeRosa — a top aide and trusted confidante to Cuomo — allegedly helped try to bury the sexual harassment allegations against her boss.
Lindsey Boylan, the first woman to accuse Cuomo of sexual harassment, plans to sue the governor, along with his inner circle for alleged attempts to smear and discredit her.
Cuomo’s videotaped response to the AG report was “a total and complete disaster,” says Chris Cillizza.
Aides close to the governor say he is pushing for a press conference to refute James’s report in further detail, though it’s unclear if and when that plan will come to fruition as they try to talk him down.
Cuomo once told one of his alleged sexual harassment victims, Charlotte Bennett, that he wanted to “get drunk” with a woman and ride his motorcycle “into the mountains” with her.
DeRosa, Cuomo’s top aide, testified to James’ investigators that she blew up at the governor while they were in a car together in the wake of Bennett going public with allegations of sexual harassment in February.
Support for Cuomo plummeted in the immediate aftermath of James’ report corroborating allegations of sexual harassment made against the governor, according to a Marist poll conducted Tuesday night.
The governor has suffered consequential defections from core constituencies, including labor, white suburban lawmakers and Black political leaders.
The heads of the New York State AFL-CIO, District Council 37 and Transport Workers Union were just a few of the influential labor leaders who called for Cuomo’s resignation.
“I honestly do believe he should resign, but also honestly know that he won’t,” said Crystal Peoples-Stokes, the Assembly majority leader and one of Cuomo’s former backers.
Chris Cuomo, the top-rated host, left some colleagues confused after he did not acknowledge the calls for his governor brother’s resignation during his Tuesday show.
The Democratic Assembly speaker, Carl Heastie, most comfortable behind the scenes, now finds himself in the spotlight, facing the possibility of taking down a governor from his own party.
In an agency-wide email to staff at the Office of Children and Family Services, Commissioner Sheila Poole denounced Cuomo, saying she was “appalled and angry” about the AG’s report.
In non-Cuomo news…
The known total of global coronavirus infections surpassed 200 million, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University, a daunting figure that fails to capture how far the virus has embedded itself within humanity.
The Biden administration is developing plans to require all foreign travelers to the United States to be vaccinated against Covid-19, with limited exceptions.
The World Health Organization is calling for a moratorium on booster shots until at least the end of September, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a news briefing in Geneva.
As the delta variant of coronavirus continues to spread across the world, a relative of the deadly strain is sparking concerns among health officials in South Korea, one of several countries to record cases of the new mutation.
After sharp drops in infections over the last several months, the number of Covid cases among U.S. nursing-home residents and staff roughly tripled from the week of July 4 to the week ending July 25, according to the CDC.
Business leaders broadly agree they need to get more workers vaccinated to keep the U.S. economy humming in the face of the fast-spreading Delta variant. But they’re split over how best to do that.
FDA officials, under pressure to swiftly grant full approval to the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine, are in an intense debate over whether the agency will make the decision this month or stretch the timetable into early or mid-September.
The latest wave of Covid-19 hospitalizations is crashing into patients returning for care for other ailments, overtaxing some facilities and exhausting their doctors and nurses.
North Dakota Senator Kevin Cramer is pushing for legislation to force states that are requiring COVID-19 vaccine passports to also mandate voter identification.
Former President Barack Obama is scaling back his planned 60th birthday party this weekend at his Martha’s Vineyard vacation home as the nation confronts rising Covid-19 cases and in the wake of criticism from conservatives.
Uber ridership rebounded strongly in the most recent quarter from last year’s pandemic lows and its food-delivery showed signs of strength even as in-restaurant dining picked up.
How can you show proof of COVID vaccination in NYC? There are two official apps, the Excelsior Pass and NYC Covid Safe, but paper is fine too.
The mainstreaming of these credentials could usher in an era of increased digital surveillance, privacy researchers said.
The Senate moved through a series of amendments to the roughly $1 trillion infrastructure package yesterday, with lawmakers anticipating a vote on final passage of the bill this weekend or early next week.
The Biden administration will begin outfitting some Border Patrol agents with body cameras, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said.
The sharp jump in unemployment insurance claims during the pandemic forced the state to borrow $10 billion from the federal DOL. It will pay that back with money coming from employers already seeing sharply higher unemployment insurance rates.
Facebook disabled a New York University research project’s accounts and access to the platform, effectively shutting down a study of the social-media giant’s targeting of political ads.
Subway track fires are on the rise, sparking lengthy train delays as transit officials struggle to lure New Yorkers back to mass transit.
After hearing from residents who say they were bullied off fields at Clifton Common, a town councilwoman says the 99-year contract with the Clifton Park Soccer Club should undergo a review.
In an attempt to limit public intoxication and the public safety problems it creates, Saratoga Springs Mayor Meg Kelly is looking to cut back on the hours that city bars can serve alcohol.
Kevin Johnson, a former fundraising executive for the Palace Theatre, has returned to lead the venue on a temporary basis while the search for a permanent head is completed, according to the chairman of the Palace board of directors.
A sixth person has been arrested in connection with the rally-turned-violent held by supporters of then-President Donald J. Trump outside of the state Capitol building in Albany on Jan. 6.
A Capital Region restaurant association believes it should be included in a pandemic-related tax break that was made available last month to New York City eateries and others that were in “orange” or “red” zones during the height of the 2020 COVID-19 outbreak.
U.S. gymnast Simone Biles has revealed that her aunt “unexpectedly” died during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
It isn’t clear whether Biles will compete seriously again. At the Tokyo Games, the sport got an idea of what things might be like without her.
Biles and teammates celebrated their return from the Tokyo Olympics with a stop in Times Square.
After pandemic-fueled delays last year, the Tokyo Olympics have gotten a lot of attention around this summer. Unfortunately for NBC, that attention has not translated to viewership.
Ryan Crouser broke his own Olympic record on his way to defending his shot put title on a hot day in Tokyo.
Duanesburg’s Emma White, who won an Olympic bronze medal in cycling team pursuit on Tuesday in Tokyo, arrived at Albany International Airport last night to cheers, applause, smiles and celebratory water cannons at the departure gate.
