Good morning, it’s Thursday.
Today marks the start of Hajj – the pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, which every financially capable, able-bided adult Muslim is compelled to make at least once in their lifetime.
It is the fifth of the fundamental Muslim practices and institutions known as the Five Pillars of Islam. The 97th verse of the Quran’s third chapter proclaims: “Pilgrimage to this house is an obligation by God upon whoever is able among the people.”
Pilgrims have been converging on Mecca for the largest Hajj since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020. Efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus led organizers to severely curtail access to the site, and though it has been reopened, there are still some virus-related rules and restrictions in place that are making it difficult for everyone who wants to make the trip to do so.
This year, the kingdom of Saudi Arabia has capped international visitor numbers for the five-day Hajj to 850,000 pilgrims, which is quite a bit less than the nearly 1.9 million (or maybe more than 2 million? I’ve seen conflicting reports) who attended in 2019.
In addition, only those under the age 65, who have never undertaken the Hajj before, are vaccinated against COVID-19, and who don’t have a chronic disease, are allowed to come.
A highly controversial lottery system for Muslims from Western countries has also introduced this year, which has not sat at all well with individuals in Europe, Australia and the Americas.
Hajj is highly ritualistic, has a lot of rules associated with it, (there are seven total steps involved), and can be fraught with peril. Apparently, a lot of people suffer from heatstroke as they are required to spend the day in the Plain of Arafat to ask God for forgiveness for any sins they have committed.
If you are not Muslim and aren’t involved in Hajj, you might be interested to know of another observance that it taking place: World Chocolate Day. It’s not religious, per se, but I do know a lot of people who take their chocolate VERY seriously.
Chocolate has been around for about 4,000 years. It has its roots in ancient Mesoamerica, which is present-day Mexico, where the first cacao plants were found. The Olmec, one of the earliest civilizations in Latin America, were the first to turn the cacao plant into chocolate, which they drank during rituals and used as medicine.
Fast forward several centuries, and the Mayans, who thought chocolate was the drink of the Gods, concocted a foamy brew they called “xocolatl”, meaning “bitter water.” It was made of roasted and ground cacao seeds mixed with chillies, water and cornmeal, and then poured back and forth from one vessel to another until it was thick and creamy.
The Aztecs used cocoa beans as currency, and also believed chocolate was holy – specifically, that it was a gift from the god Quetzalcoatl. They drank chocolate as an aphrodisiac and also to prepare for War.
The explorer Cortez is believed to have brought cocoa beans home to Spain, where it was sweetened with honey and/or sugar to cut its bitter taste. Naturally, it became a big favorite of the wealthy set, but monks also reportedly liked to consume it to aid with religious practices.
Chocolate arrived in the American colonies in the 1600s, and the first chocolate house reportedly opened in Boston in 1682. It didn’t take long for the beans to become a major import, and enjoyed by people of all classes. It was even sometimes used to pay soldiers in lieu of cash.
These days, of course, you can consume your chocolate in a vast variety of forms – ice cream, fudge, bars, bonbons, cookies, brownies, cakes, drops, even as a vehicle for cannabis, if you so desire. However you choose to indulge, please do so responsibly. A little really good chocolate can go a long way.
It might not be the greatest day for consuming non-frozen forms of chocolate outside, as temperatures will be in the low 80s. We’ll see intervals of clouds and sunshine, and 56 percent humidity – give or take.
In the headlines…
The Biden administration exported more than 5 million barrels of oil from its emergency reserves that were released in order to combat sky-high gas prices here at home.
President Joe Biden said during a Cleveland stop touting a Democratic-backed fix to multi-employer pension funds that social security, Medicare and Medicaid could be in jeopardy if Republicans take back control of Congress and the White House.
Biden broke his silence on the Akron police shooting of Jayland Walker during his remarks in Cleveland, saying the Justice Department would take “appropriate action” if violations of criminal statutes are revealed.
Biden told detained basketball star Brittney Griner’s wife, Cherelle, that he’s pursuing “every avenue” to bring the WNBA star home.
Cherelle Griner released a statement after a phone call with Biden and VP Kamala Harris, saying, “I am grateful to the both of them for the time they spent with me and for the commitment they expressed to getting BG home.”
A trade for her release would require the easing of significant tension—and not just between two hostile superpowers during wartime.
Biden said in a letter to Congress that he will officially rescind Afghanistan’s designation as a major non‑NATO ally.
Biden’s measured approach at a time of political tumult has left him struggling to inspire his supporters and allies to action.
Biden’s communications director, Kate Bedingfield, is leaving the White House, marking another departure of a high-ranking communications official ahead of the midterm elections.
Bedingfield is a longtime aide to Biden who helped shape the messaging strategy for his campaign and during his presidency. She is expected to assist the White House from outside the administration, although her next position remained unclear.
Biden is set to arrive in Israel on July 13 for his long-awaited visit to the Middle East.
A group of artists have signed a letter urging Biden to denounce Saudi Arabia’s human rights abuses, specifically regarding freedom of speech and artistic expression, during a meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) later this month.
The former Trump White House counsel Pat Cipollone is expected to testify to the House January 6 select committee tomorrow after reaching an agreement over the scope of his cooperation with a subpoena compelling his testimony.
Cipollone pushed back on Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election and was in the West Wing to witness his actions on Jan. 6, 2021.
Former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson’s testimony before the Jan. 6 committee was a big hit with television viewers, easily reaching a larger live audience than any of the four other daytime hearings.
A New York state judge held one of the world’s largest real estate firms — which appraised several of Trump’s properties — in contempt of court in connection with a civil investigation into whether he falsely inflated the value of his assets.
State Supreme Court Justice Engoron found Cushman & Wakefield, which faces a $10,000 daily fine, in contempt of court for refusing to comply with AG Letitia James’ subpoenas for information related to its relationship with the Trump Organization.
The Federal Reserve, determined to choke off rapid inflation before it becomes permanent, is steering toward another three-quarter-point interest rate increase later this month even as the economy shows early signs of slowing and recession fears mount.
Officials voted to raise their benchmark rate by 0.75 percentage point in June, the largest increase since 1994, and several officials have indicated since then that they are prepared to support another such increase at their meeting later this month.
As the Biden administration continued to pressure U.S. airlines to improve service, some in the industry pushed back, saying the government shared some responsibility for problems causing delays and cancellations.
British Airways is scrapping another 10,300 flights from its summer schedule as airlines contend with a resurgence in travel demand that has overwhelmed operators.
His support crumbling, his government in disarray, his alibis exhausted, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson tried frantically to salvage his position, even as a delegation of cabinet colleagues traveled to Downing Street to plead with him to step down.
Prosecutors said a 21-year-old man confessed to targeting revelers from a rooftop during an Independence Day parade, killing seven and wounding dozens in an attack that left the city of Highland Park dazed and in mourning.
The suspect, Robert “Bobby” Crimo III, was ordered held without bail at his first court appearance yesterday, where prosecutors revealed he fired more than 80 rounds during the attack.
Crimo thought about attempting another massacre in Wisconsin after allegedly killing seven people in Illinois, officials said.
Crimo’s father said that his son talked about a mass shooting in Denmark the night before launching his own massacre — and washed his hands of any guilt over how the suspect got his gun.
It remains unclear whether the Highland Park shooting revealed weaknesses in state restrictions on guns, or in the limits of even potent safeguards in a system that ultimately relies on the judgments of people — the authorities, families, observers.
Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering touted her city and state’s gun control laws, even though the shooter purchased his weapon legally in Illinois.
Illinois lawmakers are discussing measures to give the state more authority to stop people who threaten violence from buying guns after the deadly shooting.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said that easy access to guns is not the “core of the problem” after America suffered another mass shooting on the Fourth of July.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene claimed the Highland Park shooting is part of a liberal plot to push more “gun control” — and even outrageously suggested gay-rights activists played a role in the convoluted scheme.
A police officer had the Uvalde school shooter in his rifle sight before the gunman entered Robb Elementary School but didn’t fire because he believed he needed permission to take the shot, a report found.
Federal regulators authorized state-licensed pharmacists to prescribe the COVID-19 medication Paxlovid, enabling eligible patients to receive the medication over the counter.
The announcement comes as COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths are rising again, though they remain near their lowest levels since the coronavirus outbreak began in 2020.
Beijing announced a Covid-19 vaccine mandate for residents to enter public venues, becoming the first city in mainland China to do so as it attempts to contain a highly infectious Omicron subvariant.
Hong Kong ordered 440 pounds of mangoes imported from Taiwan tossed out after finding traces of coronavirus on the skin of just one of the orange-hued fruits.
With summer officially underway, many Americans say COVID-19 is the last thing they’re thinking about.
Yellowstone National Park will now require visitors 2 years and older to wear face masks in its indoor facilities, citing a rise in COVID-19 cases. The National Park Service has implemented a mask mandate on public transit in all of its parks.
Governments, drugmakers and vaccination sites are discarding tens of millions of unused Covid-19 vaccine doses amid sagging demand, a sharp reversal from the early days of the mass-vaccination campaign, when doses were scarce.
Canada is preparing to throw away 13.6 million doses of its available AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine due to a lack of demand.
A new study found that the cancer drug sabizabulin reduced the risk of death among Covid patients by 55 percent, but some experts were cautious about over interpreting the results.
As New York enters its third pandemic summer, the city has been caught in another COVID wave, with an explosively contagious omicron strain pushing test positivity rates to steep heights.
As what appears to be a sixth wave of COVID-19 in New York City gains steam, positivity rates in parts of Manhattan are back at 20%, and citywide transmission rates are back to levels last seen in late May.
A Gothamist analysis of municipal data found that the number of NYC Health + Hospitals testing sites were cut in half citywide from mid-February to mid-April — from 270 sites to 144 locations — leading to fewer hours of testing availability.
New York City broke ground on the new NYC Public Health Laboratory in Harlem, this as COVID cases rise across the city.
The New York City Education Department can’t place 82 staffers accused of using fake vaccine cards on unpaid leave before they can appeal the allegations, a labor arbitrator has ruled.
New Yorkers who lost loved ones to COVID-19 are losing patience with Gov. Kathy Hochul, who has yet to launch a promised probe into the Cuomo-Hochul administration’s response to the pandemic.
As she runs for a full term in office, Hochul is pushing data-gathering hybrid cars in a green push for New York City that also includes more energy efficient buildings.
Hochul signed a bill into law that requires private breastfeeding accommodations at airports.
This bill amends current Public Health Law to ensure there are nursing-friendly airports that have lactation accommodations behind the airport security screening area.
Hochul’s administration is planning an update of New York’s sexual harassment prevention policies, and is seeking the input of New Yorkers.
New York state should fully implement a plan to stuff billions of dollars into a rainy-day fund over the next several years in order to soften the blow of a potential economic recession, Comptroller Tom DiNapoli urged in a report on the state’s fiscal condition.
DiNapoli said that since the state’s fiscal position is “currently stable” the Hochul administration should take the opportunity to build up “rainy day” reserves in case of future emergencies.
With last week’s statewide primaries in the rear-view mirror, both Hochul and her Republican rival, Rep. Lee Zeldin, are gearing up toward their head-to-head matchup in November.
Zeldin claimed his bid for governor has “a lot of support” among voters who may have backed centrist Long Island Rep. Tom Suozzi’s failed run in the Democratic gubernatorial primary because of issues like rising crime and inflation.
Former NYPD Deputy Inspector Alison Esposito, the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor, punctuated her 25-year career in law enforcement with a ceremonial walkout from her onetime Brooklyn command.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams held his first community forum on public safety in Brooklyn last night.
Seated at every table was a community group, violence disrupters, and a high-ranking NYPD official sitting side by side.
Adams focused on one major issue plaguing the city — gun violence.
Adams announced that the city has reached a deal with the lifeguard union represented by District Council 37 to raise starting wages for lifeguards to $19.46 per hour this summer, as well as develop a training program to fully staff the city’s 17 mini pools.
The agency in charge of running New York City’s ferry system failed to report nearly a quarter-billion dollars in costs during the administration of Mayor Bill de Blasio, the city comptroller announced in a 50-page audit.
Dubious bookkeeping girded city officials’ claims the interborough boat service cost 30% less to operate than the actual numbers showed, according to the report by Comptroller Brad Lander.
Lander said he asked for guidance — and got the go-ahead — from the Conflicts of Interest Board for his office’s review of contracts with nonprofits tied to a group run by his wife.
Several powerful unions are lining up support for Bronx Sen. Gustavo Rivera’s reelection bid — breaking with the borough’s Democratic Party, which began backing a primary challenger against him after this spring’s confusing redistricting process.
In an unusual move, the leadership of the Bronx Dems snubbed Rivera and instead endorsed his rival, lawyer Miguelina Camilo, in the reapportioned 33rd district.
The union representing thousands of state troopers fired back at a lawsuit the New York Civil Liberties Union filed against State Police this week challenging the agency’s denial of access to records pertaining to internal police misconduct investigations.
A conservative watchdog group has sued New York elected officials for failing to remove potentially hundreds of thousands of phantom voters from the city voter rolls to help prevent fraud.
Just two days after the U.S. Supreme Court announced it would hear the appeal brought by his co-defendants in the so-called “Buffalo Billion” bid-rigging case, SUNY Polytechnic Institute founder Alain Kaloyeros was released from federal prison.
The Dead & Company canceled their performance at Saratoga Performing Arts Center just hours before showtime, a disappointment subsequently attributed to a medical emergency suffered by the father of singer-guitarist John Mayer.
A Ballston Spa Black Lives Matter activist surrendered to State Police yesterday morning on charges related to her allegedly slamming her fist into a parked vehicle during an April protest.
A Columbia County resident may have contracted a rare and potentially dangerous disease from a tick, the county’s health department said, prompting a warning for all to be wary of the pest as they venture outdoors.
The Bethlehem Chamber of Commerce has hired a new president: Former Town Supervisor Terri Egan.
A mid-level appeals court recently overturned a decision by the state Supreme Court in Rensselaer County, a ruling that permits the development of an events barn in West Sand Lake.
Democrats will take control of Troy City Council after the Republican council members said they will back Democratic candidate Steven Figueroa to fill the seat left vacant when a GOP council member resigned in June.
In North Colonie Central School District’s 72-year history, it has had only five superintendents. Next year, there will be a sixth. Superintendent D. Joseph Corr announced he will retire on Jan. 31, giving the district seven months to find his replacement.
The parents of two girls who said their children, ages 8 and 9, died as a result of a “blackout challenge” on TikTok are suing the company, claiming its algorithm intentionally served the children dangerous content that led to their deaths.
More than three years after the fatal shooting of the rapper Nipsey Hussle, a jury found Eric R. Holder Jr. guilty of first-degree murder in the case.
For more than four decades, the Georgia Guidestones near Elberton Ga., have been an enigma. Yesterday, the authorities said, “unknown individuals” destroyed a large part of the structure.
Amazon agreed to add Grubhub to its suite of Prime services in the U.S., in a deal aimed at expanding the food-ordering company’s reach by tapping Amazon’s membership program.
