Good Wednesday morning.
Thankfully, Henry cannot read, because if he could what I am about to write might very well offend his delicate sensibilities.
Today is National Pet Obesity Awareness Day. Yes, there’s an epidemic of overweight pets in our country, folks, and – like us – some of our furry friends perhaps packed on a few extra pounds during the pandemic, though others probably got walked a lot more often than usual, due to the fact that so many of us were homebound.
It also didn’t help that our collective rise in anxiety as a result of the Covid-19 crisis took a toll on our pets, who definitely feed off our emotions and are high empathic.
According to a report by one speciality and emergency pet hospital, which is a group of more than 90 practices across the U.S., 52 percent of dogs and 56 percent of cats treated during 2020 were overweight.
In 2018, an estimated 60% of cats and 56% of dogs in this country were overweight or obese, according to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, (yes, that’s a real thing).
Being overweight is not healthy for animals, which, given their domesticity, don’t really have the opportunity to control their own food intake or exercise opportunities. Obese dogs, for example, develop an increased risk for many types of cancer, diabetes mellitus, heart disease, and hypertension. osteoarthritis and a faster degeneration of affected joints.
Now, it’s hard to say “no” when the dog (or cat?) looks really cute and gives you that look – you know the one – that literally beds for tuna, or peanut butter, or some other fantastic treats. Henry, for example, puts his head not so subtly on your knee while you eat and looks up with the puppy eyes. You know the ones.
Also, when he gets really desperate, he pushes his empty food bowl around the kitchen floor, which starts out cute but does get old fast.
Now, to be clear, Henry is not at all fat. My vet likes a very lean dog, and prefers Henry on the lower edge of the spectrum of weight that is deemed appropriate for his size and breed. I mix his food with green beans, which helps fill him up without adding empty calories, and he really does like them. I swear.
If you need help trying to determine if your dog is overweight, click here. Check with your vet for an appropriate nutrition plan to help keep your pet in optimum condition.
This is getting a little repetitive, but we’re going to have partly cloudy skies with temperatures in the low 70s. Again. Ho-hum.
In the headlines…
The House of Representatives approved legislation to raise the U.S. debt limit in the short-term, the final legislative hurdle to averting a first-ever national default that was otherwise expected to occur next week.
The resolution passed along party lines, 219-206, with no Republicans voting for it. The measure raises the debt limit by $480 billion, the amount the Biden administration says is necessary to pay the nation’s debts until early December.
The $480 billion increase in the country’s borrowing ceiling cleared the Senate last week on a party-line vote. The House approved it swiftly so President Joe Biden can sign it into law this week.
The problem is that the dispute between the two parties over how to address the issue has not been solved and action will be required in just a few weeks to again avert crisis.
China said it set up a group with the U.S. to discuss disputes, ahead of a video summit between President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping planned for later this year.
China reported disappointing growth in imports in September, while exports beat expectations, according to data released yesterday by the customs agency.
Questions about Hunter Biden could detract from the president’s efforts to position himself as a global good-government crusader.
Biden could become embroiled in an FBI investigation of his son’s finances, experts say, as emails reveal the two shared accounts and paid each other’s bills.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she was “very disappointed” that Biden’s domestic agenda will have to be pared down because of opposition from Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona.
Pelosi has written a “Dear colleagues” letter to her Democratic fellows on Capitol Hill, saying: “In order to pass both the Build Back Better Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill on time, it is essential that difficult decisions must be made very soon.”
The Biden administration will not conduct mass arrests of undocumented workers during enforcement operations at U.S. businesses, a reversal from Trump administration policies.
Workers left their jobs at a record pace in August, with bar and restaurant employees as well as retail staff quitting in droves, the Labor Department reported.
As the world economy struggles to find its footing, the resurgence of the coronavirus and supply chain chokeholds threaten to hold back the global recovery’s momentum, a closely watched report warned.
The Food and Drug Administration for the first time authorized an electronic cigarette to be sold in the United States, a significant turn in one of the most contentious public health debates in decades.
The United States will lift restrictions at its land borders with Canada and Mexico for fully vaccinated foreign nationals in early November, ending historic curbs on non-essential travelers in place since March 2020 to address the COVID-19 pandemic.
Foreign travelers who provide proof of vaccination and are looking to visit families or friends or shop in the United States will be allowed to enter, senior Biden administration officials said.
“Since the beginning of the pandemic, members of our shared cross-border community have felt the pain and economic hardship of the land border closures,” said U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat. “That pain is about to end.”
The border first closed to non-essential travel due to the pandemic in March of 2020. After 17 months of restrictions, Canada reopened its border to vaccinated Americans on Aug. 9. However, the U.S. continued its order restricting all Canadians.
The Labor Department took the next step to implement Biden’s plan to require private-sector workers to be vaccinated against Covid-19 or be regularly tested, a move that has drawn a mixed reaction from larger and smaller companies.
Food and Drug Administration staffers didn’t take a firm stance on Moderna Inc.’s application for a booster dose, indicating there may not be sufficient data to support the extra dose.
Breezes can waft coronavirus particles straight into your nasal passages if you’re downwind from a coughing, infected person, a new study has found, recommending wearing masks outside on breezy days.
Boeing Co. said it will mandate Covid-19 vaccination for its approximately 125,000 U.S. employees by the Dec. 8 deadline set by a presidential order requiring federal employees and contractors to receive the shots.
The move by Texas to bar Covid-19 vaccine mandates by businesses sets up a clash between the state and the Biden administration, leaving employers caught in the middle.
Insurance companies have pulled back the blanket coverage they previously offered for Covid tests. That means some people may have more out-of-pocket costs while some pharmacies are bearing the expense of administering and analyzing tests for customers.
Far more law enforcement officers in the U.S. have died from Covid-19 than from any other work-related cause in 2020 and 2021. Even so, police unions are fighting vaccine mandates.
The World Health Organization’s leader is continuing his campaign against booster shots in wealthy countries, saying it’s “immoral” and “unfair” to proceed with booster programs.
Drops in the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines over the summer were likely the result of the dominant Delta variant and loosening social distancing efforts, a New York health department study suggests.
A Westchester County woman was arraigned on felony forgery charges after a traffic stop for a bogus license plate tag led to the discovery of 21 fraudulent COVID-19 vaccination record cards, authorities said.
Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks said that Kyrie Irving’s decision to not comply with New York City’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate left the organization with “no choice” but to send him away from the team until he’s able to fully participate.
A federal judge extended an order requiring New York state to allow religious exemptions from its Covid-19 vaccination mandate for healthcare workers, in a ruling that could help shape the legal landscape around government-required shots.
A federal judge in Utica granted the preliminary injunction on behalf of 17 medical workers who contend the state’s failure to consider religious exemptions has violated their constitutional rights.
A lawyer for a group of workers who are suing the state over the mandate hailed the ruling, saying it recognized that “‘yesterday’s front line heroes’ in dealing with Covid cannot suddenly be treated as disease-carrying villains.”
“My responsibility as Governor is to protect the people of this state, and requiring health care workers to get vaccinated accomplishes that,” Kathy Hochul said. “I stand behind this mandate, and I will fight this decision in court to keep New Yorkers safe.”
Hochul holds a commanding lead in a potential Democratic primary race — with disgraced predecessor Andrew Cuomo placing third in one hypothetical matchup, according to survey results released yesterday.
The Marist Poll found Hochul leading state Attorney General Letitia James, 44 percent to 28 percent, in a three-way race in which NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams trailed with just 13 percent.
In a four-way race that included Cuomo, 36 percent of Democratic voters said they favored Hochul, while 24 percent said they would vote for James, 19 percent for Cuomo and 9 percent for Williams; 12 percent said they were unsure.
The Broome County Democratic Committee elected former party chair Barbara Fiala to a second stint as the committee’s leader, and she has endorsed Hochul.
A week from now, when New York’s ethics commission holds its next meeting, a commissioner is planning to again try and have the agency’s approval of Cuomo’s book deal rescinded.
A letter published yesterday reveals new details of several investigations into Cuomo’s administration, including that James’ office issued a subpoena related to priority COVID-19 testing received by his friends and family.
A memorandum written over the summer by an attorney representing Cuomo pushed back on the idea the state sought to downplay nursing home residents’ deaths in order to secure a lucrative book deal for the then-governor in 2020.
Hochul held a closed-door meeting with relatives of nursing home residents killed by COVID-19, and apologized to them for the pain caused by her predecessor’s handling of the crisis.
The brakes have officially been slammed on the plan to build a $2.1 billion AirTrain to La Guardia Airport, which had been heavily pushed by Cuomo.
Hochul last week requested the Port Authority seek “alternatives” to the project. Officials at the bistate agency said they’ll conduct the review Hochul wants, and put the existing AirTrain plan on hold.
Economic development groups, including the Hotel Trades Council, issued letters for Hochul to proceed with redevelopment of the Penn Station district and supported the demolition of the Hotel Pennsylvania.
Hochul announced that all New Yorkers enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will receive the maximum level of food benefits for October.
Hochul’s first vetoes as governor, issued last Friday, targeted nine bills passed by state lawmakers this year that aim to steer funding to local school districts despite paperwork errors or missed deadlines.
Curtis Sliwa, the long-shot Republican NYC mayoral nominee, issued a barrage of broadsides against his well-funded Democratic rival, suggesting Eric Adams is beholden to special interests and is reckless for saying he’d carry a gun as mayor.
Adams, meanwhile, portrayed his challenger as a clown and the Guardian Angel founder retaliated by saying the retired cop is an out-of-touch elitist.
Seven other candidates notched spots on the NYC mayoral ballot through other parties, according to city Board of Elections records.
Adams distanced himself from Mayor Bill de Blasio’s controversial decision to scrap schools’ Gifted and Talented program — saying he wants to actually increase opportunities for accelerated learners while also helping other students.
De Blasio voiced confidence that he’ll be able to change Adams’ mind after the Brooklyn borough president poured cold water on his plan to phase out the controversial Gifted & Talented program from city schools.
The head of de Blasio’s police detail is still on the job despite a referral to the Manhattan district attorney’s office for potential criminal charges over allegations he covered up the mayor using his security officers as glorified chauffeurs.
De Blasio has taken to walking in Brooklyn’s storied Green-Wood Cemetery.
Marie Therese Dominguez, commissioner of the state Department of Transportation and a member of the new limo safety task force, has not enacted changes suggested by federal regulators to address limo safety concerns in New York.
Ten people have been arrested on weapons possession charges following a mass shooting at a private club in Albany on Saturday that left an Afghan war veteran dead and six others injured.
Even before the incident late Saturday when a total of seven people were shot, city officials had flagged the Lounge @ 117 as a problem spot.
Saratoga Springs police have opened an investigation into alleged forged signatures on independent nominating petitions witnessed by City Council candidate Samantha Guerra.
Albany County’s 2022 budget is bouncing back from a strained pandemic year, officials said – and will include a slight tax decrease and funding to address blight.
In the mid-to-latter years of NXIVM, as Keith Raniere’s cult-like empire slowly headed toward a fall, the “Vanguard” fired executive board members and refused to let Nancy Salzman, his second-in-command, attend meetings in her own Halfmoon home.
Management staff in the City of Schenectady will receive a $250 bonus if they provide proof of full vaccination under a proposal by city Mayor Gary McCarthy.
“The Right Girl,” a new musical about sexual abuse in Hollywood, was supposed to have had its world premiere at Proctors this month, but has been delayed due to Covid concerns.
Schumer says federal money could be used toward projects related to the new Bills stadium.
The food world mourns Anne Saxelby, a revered cheese purveyor and advocate for American-made artisanal cheeses, who died over the weekend. She was 40.
Former President Donald Trump’s family company is in advanced discussions to sell the rights to its opulent Washington, D.C., hotel in a deal worth more than $370 million, say people familiar with the matter.
Trump took a hard swing at Mayor de Blasio over his plan to find a new operator for his eponymous golf course in the Bronx.
People in their 60s or older shouldn’t start taking aspirin to prevent a first heart attack or stroke because risks likely cancel out the potential benefits, according to a government-backed panel of medical experts.
Gabby Petito’s cause of death was ruled to be strangulation and the manner of death was homicide, Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue announced.
Who killed Petito, when she was killed and what happened leading up to her death remain a mystery.
Southwest Airlines pilots said the airline’s weekend meltdown reflected longer-running fatigue and frustration among its crew, leaving it vulnerable to further outages.
Hasbro Chief Executive Brian Goldner, who pushed the storied toy company far beyond playthings into movies and entertainment, died yesterday at the age of 58, just days after he took a leave of absence for medical care.
Jeff Bezos’ space company Blue Origin is set to launch William Shatner, the actor known best for his role as Captain James T. Kirk in the original “Star Trek,” and three others on a brief journey to the edge of space this morning.
The Rolling Stones retired one of their most popular rock songs due to lyrics that depict the horrors of slavery. The Stones have not played the 1971 hit “Brown Sugar” on their current tour and said the blues classic has been removed from their setlist.
