Good middle-of-the-week morning. Wednesday has arrived.
I am in need of a new pair of sneakers – not the running kind, though I do go through those at a fairly rapid clip – just the average, walking around kind. Though I buy a lot of things secondhand these days (more on that in a moment), something about wearing someone else’s shoes kind of skeeves me out.
So, new it is. Also, though I buy a lot of things online (more on this in a moment, too), shoes are something that I really prefer to try on in person.
My feet aren’t exactly the same size (this is fairly common, BTW), and they’re sort of weirdly wide, yet small. Also, to get a good idea of whether I’m going to be able to handle a new pair of shoes, I need to walk around with the socks I would actually wear – not those weird loaners they give you at the store when you haven’t had the foresight to bring your own.
But where to go? I have deliberately been eschewing the mall and other big box stores for a while now.
I don’t love crowds and I also don’t love looking like a carbon copy of everyone else, buying exactly the same things as the majority of Americans are also buying. (This week’s Texas outlet mall shooting only cemented my feeling that crowded shopping spaces should be avoided whenever possible).
Thankfully, there are any number of independent shoe stores/boutiques in the Capital Region where I can get my sneaker itch scratched.
Yes, I might pay a little more. Yes, the selection will be more, let us say, curated, and not as wide. But I will also have the comfortable and personable experience of interacting directly with a small business owner (potentially), and benefitting from their knowledge of the product they’ve got on offer.
I do order from Amazon and other online shopping sites more than I’d like. It’s easy, I’ll admit. Maybe too easy, from my wallet’s perspective. I’m not always thrilled with the quality of what shows up on my doorstep, though. And there is something to be said for interpersonal interactions – something I really missed when we were all on lockdown.
Elected officials like to say that small businesses are the backbone of our economy. But unlike some of the hyperbole lawmakers often spout, that happens to be true.
As of 2022, there were 3.2 million small businesses (defined by the Small Business Administration as having 500 employees or less) operating across the country, accounting for 99.9 percent of ALL US businesses.
According to the Census Bureau, approximately 47.3 percent of American workers are employed by a small business, and 88 percent of those have fewer than 20 employees.
I think you’re starting to get the picture – small businesses are important. They not only keep people employed, but they also contribute to the unique fabric of our respective communities. I know I don’t want to live in a world where everything looks the same and big box stores are the only option. They have their place, but they should stay in it.
Today is National Small Business Day, maybe make a point of going a few minutes out of your way to patronize your local independently owned coffee shop or deli or bodega or what have you. I’ll bet you’ll be glad you did.
We’re on an upward trend, temperature wise, with the mercury heading from the low 70s (today) into the 80s (by Friday). Skies will be sunny today. Get that Vitamin D while you can.
In the headlines…
A Manhattan jury found former President Donald Trump liable for the sexual abuse and defamation of the magazine writer E. Jean Carroll and awarded her $5 million in damages.
Jury members found that Trump did not rape Carroll but sexually abused her, and awarded damages of $2 million in compensatory damages and $20,000 in punitive damages for battery.
Trump told Fox News Digital that he will appeal the ruling in the civil case, saying he has “absolutely no idea” who Carroll is while blasting the verdict as a “disgrace” and “a continuation of the greatest political witch hunt in history.”
Trump has been accused of sexual assault by more than two dozen women. But today’s verdict represents the first time he’s been held legally responsible for the act. And it’s far from the end of his legal troubles.
Trump claimed he had not been allowed to defend himself at his New York City rape trial — despite having ample opportunity to take the stand and testify.
Judge Lewis A. Kaplan offered jurors three types of battery for which Trump might be liable under New York law: rape, sexual abuse and forcible touching.
Federal prosecutors have reportedly filed criminal charges against Long Island Republican Rep. George Santos, who is the subject of intense public scrutiny over his resume and finances and has faced bipartisan calls to resign.
Santos is expected to appear as soon as today at federal court in New York’s eastern district, where the charges have been filed under seal.
The specific charges against Santos, who last month announced he would run for re-election in his district in Long Island and part of Queens, are not yet clear. They come after months of investigation by the United States attorney’s office in Brooklyn.
The charges mark a major escalation in the many probes Santos has faced since taking office. The scandal-ridden congressman announced his reelection bid, despite facing an investigation from the House Ethics Committee on top of other legal probes.
President Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy emerged from a meeting at the White House with no consensus on how to end their impasse over the federal debt and spending weeks before the nation is set to default on its obligations for the first time in history.
In remarks after the meeting, Biden insisted the nation wouldn’t default, while adding that the “politics, posturing and gamesmanship” will continue in coming weeks. He and top congressional leadership will meet again Friday.
Biden said he may skip his upcoming foreign travel if the debt ceiling is not raised by the time he is due to leave in late May. He’s scheduled to attend the G7 leaders meeting in Hiroshima, Japan, and the Quad Leaders Summit in Sydney, Australia.
Biden said he has been looking at the 14th Amendment as a way to unilaterally work around the debt ceiling, though he acknowledged it will not be a viable short-term solution with the nation on track to default without congressional action by June.
“I have been considering the 14th amendment, and the man I have enormous respect for, Larry Tribe…thinks that it would be legitimate,” Biden told reporters after a meeting with congressional leaders on the debt ceiling.
With debt ceiling talks picking up steam, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who has thus far been largely on the sidelines and has an undefined relationship with Biden, could play a more pivotal role.
The major U.S. stock indexes slipped yesterday as investors awaited key inflation data and worries about the U.S. debt ceiling loomed over markets.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer said Biden will face a “judgment day” today when his panel releases financial documents that purportedly will show “wire transfers from adversaries around the world” going to Biden family members.
The United States opened an embassy in the Pacific island nation of Tonga, Washington’s latest move to broaden its diplomatic footprint in a region where China has been increasing its influence in recent years.
TikTok emphasized its independence from the Chinese government and defended its safety and privacy practices in a 54-page response to 400 follow-up questions that were posed by lawmakers after CEO Shou Zi Chew’s appearance at a March hearing.
The Georgia Bulldogs football team has declined an invitation to celebrate its College Football Playoff National Championship title with Biden in Washington D.C. due to scheduling conflicts.
There had been gripes among Georgia supporters that the team had not been invited sooner.
Novavax is cutting about a quarter of its global workforce as the COVID-19 vaccine maker seeks to slash expenses while dealing with uncertain future revenue.
The Biden administration will lift the COVID-19 vaccine requirement for inbound international air travelers on Friday.
Vaccine requirements for federal workers and federal contractors, as well as foreign air travelers to the U.S., will also end effective 12:01 a.m. EDT on May 12.
Nines states as well as the cities of New York and Washington, D.C., are calling on the federal government to issue regulations related to gas stoves.
In a letter dated Monday and submitted to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the state and city attorneys general call for “voluntary standards or mandatory regulations” in order to “reduce the emissions of harmful pollutants from gas stoves.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency due to “the arrival of increased numbers of migrants seeking shelter” in New York City amid an escalating controversy over Mayor Eric Adams’ decision to send asylum seekers to a handful of upstate communities.
Hochul said the executive order will allow the state to bring as many as 500 additional National Guard members to help the city, which has seen more than 57,000 migrants come to the five boroughs since last spring.
“With Title 42 set to expire, the circumstances on the ground are expected to change significantly and this executive order will be an important part of our coordinated response,” Hochul said in a statement.
Hochul signed an executive order expediting the release of $1 billion in aid to New York City and providing additional support resources to help address the anticipated surge in new migrant arrivals as the federal Title 42 provisions expire.
The state will have more flexibility to obtain and procure resources for local governments to handle the expected influx of migrants seeking asylum with the expiration of the Title 42 immigration policy this week under Hochul’s order.
The federal government needs to provide more assistance to local governments in New York to handle the influx of migrants as Adams plans to send asylum seekers to counties north of New York City, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said.
Hudson Valley officials prepared for the arrival of buses carrying asylum seekers from New York City today as the city’s controversial plan drew continued criticism from the northern suburbs.
New York state lawmakers, facing the final month of the legislative session, are considering a broad range of measures meant to address the state’s criminal justice and public safety laws as voters continue to rank crime as a top priority for them.
Lawmakers’ campaigns wouldn’t get public dollars for spending on legal defenses, and lobbyists for nominees would have to disclose their donors under two pieces of legislation being considered in New York.
Four companies New York’s pension fund has invested in have agreed to analyze and target a reduction in their greenhouse gas emissions, Comptroller Tom DiNapoli said.
Mayor Adams continued to steer clear of discussing Marine vet Daniel Penny’s role in Jordan Neely’s chokehold death, while suggesting that the homeless subway busker might still be alive had he received more “proactive” help.
Neely’s family invited the Rev. Al Shapton to deliver his eulogy at a May 19 funeral service in Harlem.
As prosecutors in New York weigh charges in Neely’s killing, a similar case in San Diego, Calif., last year resulted in an involuntary manslaughter charge after law enforcement officers arrested the perpetrator within hours.
Mayor Adams and Education Chancellor David Banks launched “New York City Reads,” a citywide campaign to declare literacy and reading instruction as the core focus and overriding priority of the City’s public schools.
Half of children in grades three to eight fail reading tests. The city’s schools chancellor, who has faulted the current approach, will begin rolling out new curriculums next year.
City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and other members joined providers and advocates at an early childhood center in the Lower East Side to outline actions aimed at strengthening and stabilizing the sector.
City Council candidate Yusef Salaam, who rose to prominence as one of the Central Park 5, locked down the endorsement of the famed intellectual Cornel West.
Project Veritas, a conservative group known for using covert recordings to embarrass its political opponents, has agreed to settle two federal lawsuits that accused it of underpaying employees and having a “highly sexualized” work atmosphere.
The Astor Place cube — which has spent most of its 56 years twirling cheerfully — was hauled away during the night for repairs. It expected to return in midsummer after a round of much-needed repairs at a foundry in Connecticut.
Another juror and an alternate were dismissed in the Schoharie limo case and County DA Susan Mallery took heat for failing to disclose the criminal histories of her witnesses. The judge reminded the remaining jurors they cannot use weed before court.
With mandates coming for all-electric buildings, one Albany developer is already moving in that direction, with a new apartment complex that will be 100 percent free of the need for fossil fuels.
The U.S. attorney’s office filed for a protective order to bar three Rensselaer County government officials from disclosing any information they get through pre-trial discovery in their criminal cases with other potential “targets or subjects of the investigation.”
The former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, declaring, “We’re back,” said that he was starting a new show on Twitter, a sign that negotiations to reach an amicable separation with the network, where he is still under contract, had broken down.
CEO Chris McCarthy informed his division of Paramount Global that 25% of staff will be let go, and certain units like MTV News will be shut down altogether.
CNBC said it was parting ways with Hadley Gamble, an anchor and senior correspondent who accused the former chief executive of NBCUniversal, the network’s parent division, of sexual harassment.
Buddy Holly, a fetchingly bewhiskered petit basset griffon Vendéen, won best in show at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show last night, beating back a field of fellow champions that included last year’s runner-up, Winston the French bulldog.
