Good Tuesday morning.
On this day in 1848, something extraordinary occurred…
Niagara Falls ran dry and some people thought the world was ending as a result. Churches held special services to pray for the water to start flowing again.
True story!
Basically, what happened was that after an unusually cold winter, there was a warm spell that caused thick ice on Lake Eric to start to break up. Strong winds on March 28 and 29 blew those floes across the lake and into the mouth of the Niagara River, which cut off the flow of water over the falls for a period of about 30 hours.
The whole thing started around midnight on the 29th and when local residents woke up the next morning (the 30th, that is), they found the entire riverbed from Fort Erie to the top of the Horseshoe Falls dry and exposed.
After about a day and a half, the winds reversed direction and started dispersing the ice, allowing the regular flow of water to resume.
This phenomenon has never occurred again, and to ensure that it didn’t, an ice boom was installed in Lake Erie in 1964. The American Falls, however, did see its water source cut off for a five-month period in 1969 – but this time it was man, not Mother Nature, who was the culprit.
A 600-foot dam was constructed from almost 28,000 tons of rock and soil to hold back the water from June 12 to November 25, 1969, to allow geologists to study the rock formations and determine how to stop the erosion of the falls and prevent rock slides.
(Or maybe it was to try to figure out how to remove some unsightly boulders that were piling up at the base of the falls and curtailing their height?)
A walkway was temporarily constructed to accommodate tourists, who flocked to the falls to gape at the spectacle of them, well, not falling. In the end, the scientists decided to leave everything well enough alone, and took a big scoop out of the dam. Water did the rest, and it only took less than a day for the falls to be fully restored to their previous roaring glory.
The Horseshoe Falls have never frozen over completely, but the American Falls have done so several times, which are far shallower at their crest, have twice – once in 1909 and again in 1936 – and also slowed significantly during several very cold winters.
Apparently, the state has been talking for a number of years now about dewatering the falls again to replace two 115-year-old stone arch bridges that allow pedestrians, park vehicles and utilities access to Goat Island.
Not surprisingly, not everyone is on board with this idea, which was supposed to be put into action as early as 2019, but hasn’t occurred yet.
It felt cold enough yesterday to freeze any body of water – including Niagara Falls, though I know that would take a prolonged period of really seriously bone-chilling weather. But I am SO DONE with this winter. Just, finished, you know?
Today will be slightly better – but really only a little – after a night were the thermometer dipped into the teens, we’ll see temperatures back up in the balmy mid-30s, with partly cloudy skies.
In the headlines…
President Joe Biden reiterated that he was not announcing a change in US policy when he had said that Russian President Vladimir Putin “cannot remain in power” – a remark that sent the White House into clean-up mode over the weekend.
Biden said his comments were nothing more than “personal feeling” stemming from “moral outrage,” and the president dismissed concerns that he had exacerbated a situation that some worry could escalate into a broader European war.
Biden snapped at Fox News reporter Peter Doocy, responding to the journalist’s question about what the U.S. would do specifically in response to a possible chemical weapons attack by Russia on Ukraine by saying: “Why should I tell you?”
Biden appeared to reveal that the U.S. is training Ukrainian forces in Poland — stating for the first time since the war began that American troops are actively teaching Ukrainians to fight and kill Russians.
Ukrainians reported that they had pushed back invading Russian forces in fierce fighting around Kyiv and in northeastern Ukraine, while the Russians moved to encircle and cut off Ukrainian forces in the east.
Russia and Ukraine prepared to hold cease-fire talks in Turkey to try to end more than a month of war while intense fighting continued.
Novaya Gazeta, the Russian newspaper that helped define fearless journalism in the post-Soviet era and whose editor shared the Nobel Peace Prize last year, suspended publication, leaving Russia without any major media outlets critical of the Kremlin.
The UN chief has launched an initiative to immediately explore possible arrangements for “a humanitarian cease-fire in Ukraine” to allow the delivery of desperately needed aid and pave the way for serious political negotiations to end the month-long war.
A federal tax investigation into Hunter Biden is gaining momentum as prosecutors gather information from several of his associates about the sources of his foreign income, including from Ukraine.
Biden unveiled his fiscal year 2023 budget proposal, and while it includes increased funding for security and reduces the deficit, officials admit inflation could continue to cause problems for the overall economy.
The president’s center-leaning budget addresses the main attack lines that Republicans are using against him and his Democratic allies in Congress in the run-up to the midterm congressional elections.
Biden called for the largest-ever level of military spending and increased funding for law enforcement in a $5.8 trillion budget, playing down his proposals for expanding social programs in favor of backing initiatives generally favored by centrist lawmakers.
U.S. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell rejected Biden’s $5.79 trillion budget plan, saying it was unacceptably light on defense spending at a time of heightened international tensions over Ukraine.
Biden swiped at his GOP predecessor, former President Donald Trump, chastising what he viewed as economic “mismanagement” and touting his own ability to rein in federal spending.
A federal judge said that Trump and a law professor “more likely than not” committed a felony in their efforts to block the 2020 election results, in a ruling clearing the way for related emails to be turned over to congressional investigators.
“The illegality of the plan was obvious,” the judge wrote in a civil case.
Republicans are defending Justice Clarence Thomas as he faces intense ethics scrutiny over his wife’s support for overturning the 2020 election.
Unlike other Democrats, Biden declined call on Thomas to recuse himself from cases related to the Jan. 6 insurrection in the wake of more details coming to light about his wife Virginia “Ginni” Thomas’ involvement with efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
The House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol voted to advance contempt of Congress proceedings against two top aides to Trump, teeing up possible prosecution by the Department of Justice (DOJ).
The committee made their case that Peter Navarro, Trump’s ex-trade adviser, and Dan Scavino, a White House communications aide under Trump, have been uncooperative in the congressional probe into the 2021 insurrection and are therefore in contempt.
Former presidential son-in-law Jared Kushner reportedly has agreed to be interviewed by the congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack as the panel separately mulls asking Ginni Thomas to cooperate.
A Manhattan judge demanded the Trump Organization comply with imminent deadlines as a company lawyer lamented the state Attorney General’s probe had “tentacles everywhere.”
Notorious golf cheater Trump claimed in a press release last night that he recently drained a hole in one, and he spared no detail.
Fewer than 800 coronavirus deaths are being reported each day in the United States, the lowest daily average since before the Omicron variant took hold late last fall. The last time the rate was this low was in mid-August.
Biden’s proposed budget for the Department of Health and Human Services emphasizes pandemic preparedness, signaling concern about future pathogens that could complicate progress against COVID-19 or threaten a different pandemic altogether.
Covid fears rocked the oil market yesterday as China’s planned lockdown of Shanghai raises concerns about energy demand.
Elon Musk says he has Covid for a second time, but he is feeling relatively well.
Musk wrote on Twitter: “Covid-19 is the virus of Theseus. How many gene changes before it’s not Covid-19 anymore? I supposedly have it again (sigh), but almost no symptoms.”
Many who participated in what prosecutors are calling the largest fraud in U.S. history — the theft of hundreds of billions of dollars in taxpayer money intended to help those harmed by the coronavirus pandemic — couldn’t resist purchasing luxury automobiles.
Everyone 50 and older could soon be eligible for an additional COVID-19 vaccine at least four months after their booster shot. According to multiple reports, the Food and Drug Administration is likely to approve that extra shot as soon as today.
It’s currently unclear just how beneficial more boosters would be for healthy adults, as data is limited.
The World Health Organization is examining rare reports of hearing loss and other auditory issues following Covid-19 vaccinations.
New York still has 454,000 fewer private-sector jobs than it had two years ago before the coronavirus pandemic hammered the city and state — a 4.1 percent employment deficit that is the worst in the mainland U.S., an analysis of federal labor statistics reveals.
New coronavirus cases leaped in New York in the week ending Sunday, rising 25.7% as 19,377 cases were reported. The previous week had 15,412 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19.
New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett issued a warning to Central New Yorkers, as the region’s COVID positivity rate remains far higher than those in other regions of the state.
The department issued a news release specifically noting that Central New York’s rate is triple the state average, but offered no clear explanation for why and no new strategies for controlling the increase.
More than two dozen former court employees are suing the New York State Unified Court System, seeking reinstatement of their jobs after their requests for a religious exemption to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate were denied.
Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving made his first appearance of the season on the team’s home court Sunday after being sidelined by a Covid-19 vaccine mandate.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams is over the vaccine mandate controversy. And he says everyone else should be, too.
Adams said he was too busy trying to get a handle on safety in New York City’s transit system to care about Will Smith smacking Chris Rock — or to weigh in on Irving slapping around COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
Adams could be seen partying with model Cara Delevingne and hip hop artist A$AP Rocky during an event at One Vanderbilt in Manhattan last night.
Adams is firing back in response to the controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, calling it hateful and harmful.
More than 64,000 retired city workers have opted out of a controversial Medicare plan that Adams’ administration is hoping to implement despite legal concerns.
The MTA continues to struggle financially due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, with fare revenue under-budget so far this year due to lagging ridership, officials said.
Adams and JetBlue announced that the airline would hire 5,000 new employees — many of them from within New York City — to accommodate an expanding flight schedule expected to roll out this summer at the height of tourism season.
Adams took up what he called “a real battle” in Albany to convince state lawmakers to increase access to quality child care.
A clerical error could send City Comptroller Brad Lander packing. The city’s fiscal watchdog enlisted the help of Albany lawmakers to make sure he can keep his job after flagging a filing mishap that could potentially result in his dismissal.
NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell ventured to Albany to push for changes to the state’s controversial criminal-justice reforms, the department said.
Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo trails successor Kathy Hochul by only 8 percentage points in a hypothetical Democratic primary matchup, a poll released by the Siena College Research Institute on yesterday found.
Black political leaders support Hochul, but there are signs of a lack of fervor and lingering support for Cuomo among Black voters.
The Siena College survey shows Hochul running away, with 52% of registered Democrats backing the governor, followed by city Public Advocate Jumaane Williams with 12% and Long Island Rep. Tom Suozzi with 11% – unless Cuomo runs.
Still, Cuomo remains deeply unpopular, complicating any comeback bid. Sixty percent of all registered voters have an unfavorable opinion of Cuomo, while only 32% have a favorable opinion.
A majority of New Yorkers see a link between the state’s cashless bail laws and increasing crime, the poll also found.
Some Democrats are pressing Hochul to remove state Democratic Party Chair Jay Jacobs, a Cuomo appointee, from his post.
Billionaire backers that donated millions of dollars to Trump also gave hundreds of thousands of dollars to Hochul, a Democrat, according to an analysis constructed by LittleSis, a grassroots watchdog network.
The New York Post’s editorial board calls on Hochul to drop her “major ethics problem” – LG Brian Benjamin.
Hochul faces a major dilemma following the revelation that her No. 2 is under federal investigation in an alleged campaign finance scam, political experts said.
Hochul announced a joint public-private agreement to finance the Buffalo Bills stadium, marking the largest taxpayer contribution ever for a National Football League facility.
New York state taxpayers would spend $600 million to help build the new $1.4 billion stadium.
Hochul said: “The Bills will stay in Buffalo for another 30 years, the project will create 10,000 union jobs and New Yorkers can rest assured that their investment will be recouped by the economic activity the team generates.”
The plan, which includes $250 million from Erie County, comes in the final days of state budget talks and rankled progressive advocates and left-leaning economists who view it as a poor use of taxpayer dollars at a time when the state is flush with cash.
A luxury residential building in the financial district with more than 750 apartments has been experiencing lengthy elevator outages since the fall.
Two state senators are advancing legislation to replace the board of directors of the Catskill Regional Off Track Betting Corporation after an inspector general report revealed mismanagement of the public corporation by its longtime President Donald Groth.
The owner of a construction firm has been charged with a felony for allegedly working on a University of Albany project without providing workers’ compensation insurance, according to the state Inspector General’s office.
The Mechanicville School Board accepted Superintendent Bruce Potter’s resignation during a special meeting last night, an action that happened after Potter was placed on adminstrative leave early this month for reasons that are unclear.
The Capital District YMCA will reopen its Troy and Schenectady locations on May 1, following prolonged pandemic-induced shutdowns, the nonprofit announced.
A near-sellout crowd estimated at about 12,000 people thronged the MVP Arena last night to see comedian Sebastian Maniscalco.
Will Smith has issued an apology for striking presenter Chris Rock at Sunday’s Academy Awards. In a post on Instagram yesterday afternoon, Smith called his behavior “unacceptable and inexcusable.”
Smith, who pointedly did not apologize to Rock immediately following the incident, did so after the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which administers the awards, denounced his actions and opened an inquiry into the incident.
After an emergency call, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that it would launch a “formal review” of the incident that will determine if the newly minted Best Actor winner will receive any discipline.
Smith may face some type of disciplinary action or sanction, though it’s unlikely he will be made to forfeit his prize. In its official standards of conduct, the Academy states it is “categorically opposed to any form of abuse.”
Twitter was divided over whether to cancel Smith, especially since other Oscar winners such as Roman Polanski, Harvey Weinstein and many more have reportedly done other unspeakable acts — and still have their trophies.
Venus and Serena Williams’ father, Richard Williams, reserved specific judgment about the Oscars literal onstage smackdown by Smith, who won his Oscar for portraying the tennis stars’ father in “King Richard.”
Sunday night wasn’t the first time Rock had joked about Jada Pinkett Smith, but it may have been his last.
Ticket sales skyrocketed for Rock’s upcoming comedy shows.
Pinkett Smith found her struggle with hair loss at the center of an unexpected controversy at the Oscars, after her husband appeared to strike comedian Rock in response to a joke he made about her shaved head.
