Another five-day workweek is upon us. Good morning, it’s Monday.
There really is a day for everything, including pests – and by that, I mean the sort that comes in the form of a destructive insect or other animal (and also invasive plants) that attacks crops, food, livestock, etc. and has a generally negative overall impact on human lives, interests, and/or wellbeing.
That impact could be physical – in the form of a bite, for example – or monetary, in the form of crop destruction – or medical, in which a pest carries illness and/or disease.
The interwebs inform me that a pest is “any organism that spreads disease, causes destruction or is otherwise a nuisance.” Examples include, but are not limited to, mosquitoes, bedbugs, termites, fleas, rodents, and weeds.
To be clear, not all insects are pests, and many of them are, in fact, quite beneficial – like ladybugs and honeybees. Some things that are seen as pests – like spiders – actually do quite a bit of good. Also, mosquitoes are a food source for bats and some birds, so I guess one person’s pest is another entity’s life source.
Interesting to keep in mind.
(As for the other definition – a person or thing that is annoying or makes a nuisance of themselves/itself, it seems there actually is NOT a day for that. So I stand corrected).
As for World Pest Day, it was apparently created by the Chinese Pest Control Association, (don’t bother clicking that second link unless you can read Chinese, BTW), in 2018 to “promote the use of professional pest management in a scientific and socially responsible way, and call attention to the big threats caused by small pests.”
Not surprisingly, climate change is causing a surge in pests and enabling them to thrive in areas that were previously inhospitable, posing an increasing threat to global food security and the environment. Invasive insects and plants cause many billons of dollars worth of damage every year.
Because our borders are so porous and trade is now occurring on an international scale, the effort to combat pests needs to be a far-reaching and collaborative undertaking. Also, sometimes the “cure” – the use of harmful pesticides, for example – is worse than the disease.
In short, it’s complicated.
Since all that was sort of a downer, and I like to try to start your day off on an upbeat note, it’s worth pointing out that today is National Drive-In Movie Day, which marks the day when America’s first drive-in theater was opened in New Jersey by Richard M. Hollingshead Jr.
He created the drive-in specifically for seniors – AKA, his mom – who found it hard to comfortably sit in indoor movie theaters, placed a big screen in his backyard with a Kodak projector on his car.
Hollingshead went on to patent this idea and opened a larger commercial drive-in with enough space for 400 cars. It was also a good option for families with young kids who are notoriously bad at sitting still and being quiet.
Drive-ins were definitely endangered, with many of them closing around the country in recent years. In 1958, drive-ins topped out at more than 4,000 locations nationwide, while there are only about 350 of them still operating today.
However, the drive-in experienced a resurgence in popularity, thanks to the pandemic, and apparently they’re showing some staying power. Personally, I don’t love a drive-in movie, as I find cars uncomfortable. BUT, I would certainly pick one over sitting in a brick-and-mortar theater any day. Also, they’re considerably cheaper AND you can bring your own snacks.
This is already longer than I intended, but given my love for all things related to coffee, I can’t pass on the opportunity to direct you to today’s Google Doodle, which honors Angelo Moriondo, the Italian innovator who created the espresso machine.
He was born in Turin on June 6, 1851, and patented his invention, which involved two boilers – one that pushed hot water against the coffee grounds and another that used steam to finish the brewing process – in 1884.
Let us all raise a mini cup to this genius sometime today.
After a perfectly glorious weekend, we’re in for one more day of fairly good weather, with temperatures in the mid-70s and a mix of clouds and sun, before things start to take a rainy turn.
In the headlines…
The “Summit of the Americas” – a gathering of leaders from North, South, and Central America, as well as the Caribbean – begins today in Los Angeles. It is only the second time the U.S. has hosted this get-together since 1994.
The Biden administration is considering a drawdown of tariffs on Chinese goods in an effort to combat record-high inflation in the U.S.
Biden will take executive action to boost the US solar sector, seeking to revive clean energy projects stalled by a trade dispute and bolster domestic manufacturing so the nation’s climate efforts are less reliant on foreign suppliers.
A meeting between Biden and Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is now expected to happen next month, according to an administration official.
The president’s trip to Saudi Arabia is unlikely to reduce oil and gasoline prices, and it is not clear that anything else he might do would work, either.
Don’t blame the White House for pain at the pump, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said.
Biden will serve as a guest on Wednesday night’s broadcast of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on ABC, appearing in-person on the late night talk show for an interview at the production’s studio at L.A.’s El Capitan Entertainment Centre on Hollywood Boulevard.
Baby formula will remain hard to find until at least mid-July, industry executives said, despite efforts by manufacturers, the White House and regulators to ease a monthslong shortage.
Only about a quarter of American voters say they approve of President Joe Biden’s handling of inflation, compounding the president’s low approval rating.
In a new ABC News/Ipsos poll published yesterday, 28 percent of voters said they approved of Biden’s handling of inflation, with 27 percent approving how he is handling the rising gas prices.
The poll also found that seven out of ten Americans said that new legislation reducing gun violence should be prioritized over protecting gun rights amid a particularly deadly string of mass shootings in the country.
Multiple people shot into a crowd in downtown Philadelphia just before midnight Saturday killing at least three people and wounding 11 more, according to police.
The Democratic mayor of Philadelphia blasted the “availability and ease of access to firearms”hours after gunfire that erupted in a busy entertainment district.
Police in Chattanooga said they believe multiple shooters fired guns outside a nightclub in the early morning hours yesterday. Fourteen people were shot and three people were struck by vehicles that were attempting to flee the scene.
The Senate Democrat leading a push for new gun legislation, Connecticut’s Chris Murphy, said that discussions over red-flag laws and background checks are making progress and that he expected a package of measures to be ready for debate this week.
…However, an assault weapons ban is off the table.
Suffolk County on Long Island aggressively uses New York’s red flag law to take guns from people in crisis in an effort to prevent shootings and suicides. Its experience could inform a national debate.
An emergency services dispatcher in Buffalo who was accused of hanging up on a 911 call from a supermarket employee during the racist shooting rampage last month has been fired.
The dispatcher, who The Buffalo News identified as Sheila E. Ayers, had worked for the Erie County Central Police Services Department for eight years.
GOP Rep. Chris Jacobs, whose district includes Buffalo suburbs, abandoned his campaign after his support for a federal assault weapons ban caused a backlash in his party.
“The last thing we need is an incredibly negative half-truth filled media attack funded by millions of dollars of special interest money coming into our community around this issue of guns and gun violence and gun control,” Jacobs said.
North Country Rep. Elise Stefanik, a member of GOP leadership and rising star in the party, endorsed Carl Paladino for Jacobs’ seat.
Paladino confirmed that he is running for the seat, saying that he heard that there were a few people thinking of running that he did not respect, but he did not name names.
The Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District board held its first meeting Friday night since the May 24 tragedy at Robb Elementary School and largely kept parents in the dark after going into a closed session.
Biden’s Secret Service detail rushed him to a safe house in Rehoboth Beach, Del., Saturday when a private plane violated the airspace above the vacation home he owns in the small seaside town.
Ukrainian forces managed to retake parts of the city of Severodonetsk in a counterattack, as they try to hold off the Russian offensive in eastern Ukraine while Kyiv waits for new long-range rocket systems from the U.S.
The U.K. said it is sending Ukraine multiple-launch rocket systems that can strike targets up to 50 miles away. The move has been coordinated with the U.S., which announced a similar military aid package last week.
Even though some residents have been returning to Kyiv, Ukraine’s deputy defense minister warned that the city “is constantly under threat.”
FDA scientists say another COVID-19 vaccine appears to be highly effective, potentially offering a new tool to entice the millions of people who still aren’t vaccinated to finally get inoculated.
American Airlines CEO Robert Isom said he met with politicians in D.C. recently to implore them to get rid of a policy requiring Covid testing for international travelers before entering the U.S.
The rise in COVID-19 cases reported in the Northeast in recent weeks appears to have peaked, but upward trends continue in at least 21 states.
The Western U.S. region, which includes mountain and coastal states, has recently eclipsed the Northeast to have the nation’s highest rate of known cases per 100,000 people.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified 21 monkeypox cases in 11 states, and the numbers are expected to rise, officials reported.
Beijing will further relax Covid-19 curbs by allowing indoor dining, as China’s capital steadily returns to normal with inflections falling, state media said.
Hochul is sharing some good news with property taxpayers, but the timing of her announcement of a homeowner tax rebate has critics wondering whether she’s leveraging her official power for personal political gain ahead of the June 28 Democratic primary.
Long Island Rep. Tom Suozzi, a Democratic gubernatorial candidate, claims Hochul’s obsession with the Buffalo Bills could doom the Big Apple’s public schools.
With less than three weeks to go before the June 28 primary, Suozzi and NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, another Hochul primary opponent, have little time to waste in persuading voters to go in a new direction, and that’s easier said than done.
In a NY Post op-ed, Suozzi wrote: “New York had already passed laws in response to mass gun violence — that aren’t being enforced. Executive leadership and effective implementation are also key to preventing bloodshed.”
Suozzi was popping up on the campaign trail in his bid for governor of New York, all while proxy voting. Of the 125 roll call votes cast in the House between Jan. 10 and April 7, Suozzi voted by proxy 118 times
Hochul had the state shell out $2 million to provide herself a spacious state-of-the-art executive office in a Buffalo building whose landlord is a big campaign contributor.
Privacy advocates are urging Hochul to affix her signature on a bill that would protect sensitive information gathered from people being vaccinated against COVID-19.
Hochul issued a proclamation Saturday, declaring that special elections to fill the vacancies in the 19th and 23rd Congressional Districts will be held on Tuesday, August 23.
Hochul, who took office in August when ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigned, presided over an, at times, bumpy legislative session. It didn’t have some of the high-profile issues from the last two years, but much of the governor’s agenda eventually was approved.
New York state lawmakers passed a bill that would trigger a two-year moratorium on new permits for certain power plants involved in Bitcoin mining.
The measure, which was approved by by a vote of 36 to 27 in the state Senate early Friday morning, now moves to Hochul for consideration.
In a blow to the left, the Clean Slate Bill, which would seal most New Yorkers’ criminal convictions, failed to pass both houses of the Legislature before the session ended.
With little public debate, the state Legislature passed a bill near the end of its session last week that’s been characterized by opponents as the largest industry-specific tax break ever granted by New York’s government.
Former Department of Environmental Conservation Commissioner Joe Martens is the new head of the Olympic Regional Development Authority board.
Mayor Eric Adams is hailing his administration’s lobbying efforts in Albany, dismissing criticism from those who say the former state Senator should have come away with more policy victories in his first state legislative session.
Adams faced a bumpy first round in pushing his agenda in Albany, particularly when it came to his education goals.
A bill approved by state lawmakers to shrink New York City class sizes would cost millions, and its passage reignited a longstanding debate about whether the move would help students as intended.
Adams has no beef with the NYPD’s month-long wait to make an arrest in the cold-blooded slaying of a hard-working Chinese food delivery man that stemmed from a dispute about duck sauce.
“I take my hat off to the thoroughness of those police officers to make sure we had a solid case when we did our apprehension,” Adams said.
Adams visited just three homeless shelters despite pledging to make unannounced inspections at facilities in the scandal-scarred system. And only one of those surprise drop-ins is on the books, as is mandated by the state, records show.
Adams promised Friday to not take a “heavy-handed” approach toward those who sell marijuana illicitly in the city and gave New Yorkers his blessing to smoke more pot.
Adams brushed aside bad press days after picking an activist with a checkered past as his “gun violence prevention czar,” instructing church-goers yesterday to tell skeptics to “leave him alone.”
NYPD Deputy Commissioner John Miller touted his department’s efforts that have recently spurred a “steady decline” in Big Apple shootings, declaring in a new interview that the nation’s largest police force is “firing on all cylinders.”
Saying this year’s process of creating controversial new congressional districts for New York “ran roughshod over communities of color,” Bronx Rep. Ritchie Torres is trying to make sure the public gets more input next time around.
The state has to pay the redistricting “special master” and his team more than $147,000 for drawing New York’s congressional and state Senate maps after the Court of Appeals threw out Democrat-drawn maps saying they violated the state Constitution.
Rep. Carolyn Maloney claimed that her longtime colleague and now primary opponent Rep. Jerry Nadler tried to muscle her out of a newly carved Manhattan congressional district — and wouldn’t have attempted such a thing if she were a man.
A nationwide shortage of public school staff has trickled down to Head Start, which is losing many of its most experienced teachers to higher-paying school district jobs.
And as New York prepares to allow recreational cannabis sales, members of the Robinson family, which once dominated the illegal weed trade in Albany, want to be the first in the state to legally provide the product that landed several of them in federal prison.
With an assist of state investment, a subsidiary of Saratoga Springs-based Bonacio Construction will rehab the former Brown Swan Club on Schroon Lake, Hochul’s office said.
Queen Elizabeth II, 96, delighted the clamoring crowd below with a surprise visit to the balcony of Buckingham Palace yesterday, the final day of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations commemorating her 70 years on the throne.
Pippa Middleton, the younger sister of Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, is pregnant with her third child, People reported after she sparked speculation in a green dress at the “Party at the Palace” concert outside of Buckingham Palace.
Rafael Nadal, a French Open champion for the 14th time at age 36, is, in obvious ways, different from Rafael Nadal, a French Open champion for the first time all the way back in 2005 at age 19.
