Good morning. The end of the week is upon us. It is Friday, BUT not just any Friday. It’s an extra-special party Friday!
It’s Cinco de Mayo!
So, technically speaking, this holiday commemorates the day in 1862 when Mexico’s army defeated France in the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War. Though this is often confused with Mexico’s Independence Day (Sept. 16, the day that Mexico officially severed ties with Spain), it is no less of a big deal.
It is, in short, a day to celebrate the triumph of the so-called “little people” – determined, out-gunned and passionate – over a much larger and well-equipped foe.
Brief overview: The French decided they wanted to expand their territory, and sent some 6,000 troops into the City of Veracruz. The Mexican government promptly retreated, and the troops moved on to a small town in east-central Mexico called Pueblo de Los Angeles.
The government could only muster 2,000 men to fight back, and sent them into battle. They were vastly outnumbered, and only had rudimentary weapons – including sticks – but somehow managed to hold off the French, which gave Mexico – and its army – a much-needed infusion of confidence and pride.
(If you really want to delve deeply into the historical background on this, click here).
Naturally, Cinco de Mayo is a big deal in the state of Puebla, though it is observed to some degree elsewhere in the country. (Oh, and for the record, in Mexico, it’s known as El Día de la Batalla de Puebla, which translates to “The Day of the Battle of Puebla”).
Outside of Mexico – especially here in the U.S. – this date has become an opportunity to celebrate and honor Mexican culture and heritage, writ large.
FDR officially recognized Cino de Mayo in 1933, though creation of the “Good Neighbor Policy”, which was intended to improve relations between the U.S. and Latin American countries.
The holiday also got a boost in the U.S. during the 1960s, thanks to Chicano activists who identified with the victory of Indigenous Mexicans over European invaders. Congress proclaimed Cinco de Mayo an official holiday in 2005.
These days, Cino de Mayo celebrations are likely to include some combination of parades, parties, mariachi music, folk dancing, margaritas, tacos and mole poblano – and avocados, lots and LOTS of them.
Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston – all cities with a big Mexican diaspora – have particularly large festivals, but Denver’s, which is a two-day extravaganza, is known as the biggest.
If you are planning on doing some celebrating today, the weather – FINALLY – looks like it will be cooperating. There’s only a slight chance of a shower. Skies will be cloudy and temperatures will be in the mid-60s. The weekend is looking pretty good, with clearish skies and temperatures in the low 70s.
In the headlines…
President Joe Biden has dispatched his wife to represent the United States at Saturday’s coronation of King Charles III, the late queen’s eldest son. No American president has ever attended a British coronation.
Biden’s absence is not intended to insult Charles, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said last month “It is not a snub,” Jean-Pierre said.
King Charles has issued a Royal Warrant in anticipation of Saturday’s coronation to officially drop the “Consort” from his wife Camilla’s title so that she may be known simply as “Queen Camilla.”
Biden met with CEOs of top artificial intelligence companies including Microsoft and Alphabet’s Google and made clear they must ensure their products are safe before they are deployed.
Biden is expected to nominate Gen. C.Q. Brown, the Air Force’s top officer and the first Black person to lead any branch of the military, to succeed Gen. Mark Milley as the next Joint Chiefs chair.
If approved by the Senate, it would mark the first time in US history that the defense secretary and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs are both African American, a notable milestone for an administration that has prided itself on the diversity of its leadership.
Ohio Representative Jim Jordan said that while there is a Republican push to gather facts to impeach Biden, the party is not currently focused on that issue.
Federal prosecutors investigating former President Donald Trump’s handling of classified documents have obtained the confidential cooperation of a person who has worked for him at Mar-a-Lago.
Four members of the Proud Boys, including their former leader Enrique Tarrio, were convicted of seditious conspiracy for plotting to keep Trump in power after his election defeat by leading a violent mob in attacking the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
There’s still a chance Trump will take the stand at his civil rape trial in New York City — even as he and E. Jean Carroll rested their cases yesterday. He has until 5 p.m. Sunday to reopen his case to testify in his defense.
Trump’s lawyers demanded that his trial in the porn star hush money case be moved from state to federal court because Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg was “politically motivated” to seek an indictment.
A month after the Manhattan district attorney’s office unveiled criminal charges against Trump, the complexities of prosecuting a former president and current contender for the White House are becoming increasingly clear.
Years after a video recording captured Trump bragging about grabbing women by their genitals, he said in a deposition for a trial accusing him of rape that he was merely stating a historical truth.
Whether you get it from a vaccine or an infection, COVID-19 immunity does not last forever. In a study published May 3 in JAMA Network Open, researchers combed through studies to determine just how long protection from the shots endures.
COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness against omicron infection fell dramatically after six months for people who only got their primary series, according to the new analysis.
Covid-19 was the fourth leading cause of death in the United States in 2022, according to provisional data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Unintentional injuries — including drug overdoses and car accidents — were responsible for more deaths than Covid last year and were the nation’s third leading cause of death. Deaths from heart disease and cancer both rose in 2022, compared with 2021.
Nearly one in four New Yorkers lost at least one person close to them to Covid-19, according to a newly released survey. The toll was even higher among people of color.
Gov. Kathy Hochul acknowledged she hadn’t scrutinized the background of a longtime political adviser when she hired him to run her 2018 LG re-election campaign, just months after he was fired for sexually harassing colleagues at a nonprofit in Washington.
“My staff had told me that they were contacted by the New York Times so they alerted there would be an article in a few hours, that’s when I found out about the allegations and what the women are saying happened and I believe the women,” Hochul said.
“It’s honestly frustrating to many Democrats that after nearly two years in office, the governor still hasn’t found her footing and it’s honestly shocking that nobody did even basic vetting of Adam Sullivan,” an Albany insider told the NY Post.
Hochul celebrated the new state budget law as a boon to working New Yorkers at a campaign-style rally in a Manhattan union hall.
The New York State Catholic Conference called Hochul “terribly misguided” in her focus after the governor signed legislation that makes abortion medication more accessible in New York, including at state universities.
It was a good New York budget for environmental advocates. According to Liz Moran, New York public advocate at Earthjustice, the spending plan “exceeded expectations” by attacking greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from buildings.
Question marks remain for New York’s finances as federal pandemic aid is set to conclude and a potential economic downturn looms, Comptroller Tom DiNapoli said in a statement.
Nursing homes in New York could be getting stronger and long-sought expansion of oversight — but there’s a concern funding won’t be enough.
New York is poised to vastly expand the use of body scanning devices in its correctional facilities through a measure included in the state budget that was adopted this week.
Leaders in New York’s power supply industry have doubts the state’s electric grid can handle the demand of new mandates included in the 2024 budget intended to limit greenhouse gas emissions and transition to cleaner energy.
An estimated 81% of New York school children will be able to receive free breakfast and lunch due to combined state and federal aid for food programs, state lawmakers said.
NYPD detectives and Manhattan prosecutors conferred over possible criminal charges against a Marine vet as new details emerged in the caught-on-camera chokehold death of Jordan Neely, a Michael Jackson impersonator with a history of mental illness,
Hochul elaborated on her earlier statements, saying Neely’s family deserved justice and that “no one has the right to take the life of another person.”
“I do want to acknowledge how horrific it was to view a video of Jordan Neely being killed for being a passenger on our subway trains,” Hochul said. “I’m really pleased that the district attorney is looking into this matter.”
Her initially muted reaction, as well as New York City Mayor Eric Adams’ apparent hesitation to condemn the killing of a Black man on the subway who was homeless, have prompted confusion and anger among some state and city lawmakers.
Adams urged officials not to rush to judgment amid protests over a video showing a white man fatally choking a Black homeless man in an altercation on the subway system.
New Yorkers and elected officials are mourning Neely’s death and debating how the city should address mental health and public safety.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez pushed back on a statement issued by Adams on Neely’s death, saying the mayor had reached “a new low” with his response.
The death of another Black man in a chokehold — this time at the hands of a civilian — prompted sharp comments from Adrienne Adams, the City Council speaker, over racism in the legal system.
The Marine who was filmed putting Neely in a fatal chokehold on a subway has lawyered up — hiring Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s former rival to represent him.
Adams doubled down on his melding of politics and the pulpit, saying that God has spoken to him on occasions. “The same voice I heard 32 years ago spoke to me a few months ago and said, ‘Talk about God, Eric,’” the mayor said.
Small businesses in New York City have saved $22 million in costs connected with municipal fines over the last year, according to Mayor Adams, who touted the savings yesterday as part of a plan to cut red tape and expenses for mom-and-pop businesses.
The NYPD’s former Manhattan police academy building is being transformed into a shelter for hundreds of migrants as the city struggles to house the growing number of asylum seekers entering the Big Apple.
As thousands of migrants pour across the US border daily, El Paso says it is ready to start busing asylum seekers out — and New York is set to be a top destination.
Former New York City Councilman Andy King — who was kicked out of the chamber in 2020 for harassing a female staffer and other ethics violations — can run for his old Bronx seat this year despite his tumultuous ouster, a New York judge ruled.
Brooklyn Councilman Chi Osse, who has tweeted in the past about “eating the rich”, took in a taste of how the other half lives this week, when he partied at the high-priced Met Gala along with some of the Big Apple’s most moneyed elite.
Official New York City subway, bus and train announcements are heading back to Twitter after the tech company backed down from its demand for a $500,000 annual fee for the ability to do so, the MTA said.
Anhingas, water birds with snakelike necks, have turned up in Prospect Park in Brooklyn and far upstate, a sign of shifting ranges for birds from the South.
A state Supreme Court justice rejected Kevin D. Monahan’s latest request for bail in the shooting death of Kaylin Gillis, the 20-year-old woman who was gunned down after she and a group of friends mistakenly turned into his driveway.
A group of parents is speaking out in support of an Albany midwife who has been federally indicted, along with two of her employees, on charges they orchestrated an elaborate COVID-19 vaccine card fraud.
The fourth day of jury selection in the Schoharie limousine crash trial concluded yesterday evening with 10 jurors seated, but still short of the 12 regular and four alternates needed before opening statements can begin.
After more than three years of regulatory hurdles and legal battles, the town of Guilderland Zoning Board of Appeals has officially greenlit the development of the Capital Region’s first Costco Wholesale store.
Appellate justices unanimously reversed the second-degree murder conviction of an Albany man found guilty at trial of killing a 27-year-old father of six while firing 14 times into a crowd on Lark Street in 2015.
Ed Sheeran stressed he was no one’s “piggy bank” after successfully battling claims that he ripped off Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get it On” in his own work.
Carrie Fisher was posthumously honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame yesterday. The tribute fittingly came on May 4, better known to “Star Wars” fans as “Star Wars Day”.
