Good morning, it’s Monday.
I hope you survived the weekend deep freeze without too much discomfort. No burst pipes. No split, dry skin on your hands or lips. (This happens to me every winter, and it is horrible). No slip and falls on the ice. The dogs had a very tough weekend, indeed. But we made it through in one piece.
It looks like things are headed towards a warm spell. The high today will be in the low-to-mid 30s – a veritable heat wave, comparatively speaking. And the rest of the week is shaping up to be warmer still, though somewhat wet.
We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.
I did something over the weekend that I don’t do a lot of these days: I cooked. Specifically, I made roasted garlic and tomato soup. It came out well, however, after an initial taste to humor me, it’s likely that my husband won’t eat much of this creation. I’ll probably end up freezing a lot of it.
We do not share the same taste in food. Far from it. I like things super flavorful – lots of spices and salt. This might be the byproduct of having lived abroad as a young child. My mother was also ahead of her time when it came to garlic and other aromatics.
My maternal grandmother, not so much, may she rest in piece. Until later in life, she was a big fan of overcooked vegetables and well-done meats. To this day, I still prefer my red meat without a touch of pink in it – something I think is a result of spending a lot of time at her Brooklyn table. She made a mean kasha varnishke, though, and no one could hold a candle to her matzoh meal pancakes. Someone, she managed to make them light and fluffy – no mean feat when it comes to cooking with matzoh.
My husband has what I like to call a nursery school palate. In other words, he likes everything bland. Nothing spicy whatsoever. Definitely no Indian food for him. When dining at a Mexican restaurant, he’s likely to opt for a cheese quesadilla from the kids menu and fill up on chips with the swiftest of passes through the salsa dish – assuming it’s mild.
To accommodate my spouse’s unfortunate (and in my opinion lackluster) way of eating, I cut back on the spice and the salt and the garlic when I cook for the two of us. I rely on after-the-fact flavoring of my own plate, usually by way of condiments. I never really met a condiment I didn’t like – the fridge and pantry are full to bursting with them.
On just one door of the fridge alone I counted three different mustards (honey, horseradish, and tarragon), two different hot sauces (truffle and jalapeno), two types of mayo (avocado and traditional), a jar of banana pepper rings, a jar of roasted red peppers, a jar of pickle relish, a jar of chili crisp, and a jar of capers.
Life, in my humble opinion, is not worth living without hot sauce. Even just your basic tabasco (No. 6 on America’s top 10 hot sauce list) can liven up the most boring of dishes. And I know I’m hardly alone in thinking this way. No lesser a gourmand than Hillary Clinton is infamous for traveling with her own bottle of hot sauce.
Hot sauce dates back centuries, but is believed to have originated in Central America. The very first hot sauce was probably pretty limited – just ground-up chillies mixed with water and herbs. So precious were chillies to the Aztecs that they used them as currency, used them as offerings to the gods, and even paid their taxes in them.
Today is National Hot Sauce Day, which should be venerated and celebrated to the extreme – hot sauce at every meal, I say!
Since we already dispensed with the weather, let’s get right to the good stuff, shall we?
In the headlines…
Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida suspended his campaign for president just two days before the New Hampshire primary election, and endorsed former President Donald Trump.
“I can’t ask our supporters to volunteer their time and donate their resources if we don’t have a clear path to victory,” DeSantis said in a video released yesterday afternoon on X, formerly Twitter.
“It’s clear to me that a majority of Republican primary voters want to give Donald Trump another chance,” DeSantis said, adding, “He has my endorsement because we can’t go back to the old Republican guard of yesteryear.”
“I’d like to take time to congratulate Ron DeSantis, a really terrific person … for having run a great campaign for president,” Trump said at a New Hampshire rally. “He ran a really good campaign.”
GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley said President Biden and former President Trump are “equally bad” for the nation.
“(I)t’s now one fella and one lady left,” Haley said after DeSantis dropped out, adding: “For now, I’ll leave you with this: May the best woman win.”
Looking to duplicate his landslide win in Iowa, Trump is making his closing arguments to Granite State voters in a pair of events held yesterday and today the nation’s eyes turn north for the first primary of the 2024 cycle.
As Trump moves closer to the GOP presidential nomination, among his likely options for a new vice-presidential running mate are allies who have appeared alongside him at campaign events in recent days, and who appear to be angling for the job.
The political evolution of Rep. Elise Stefanik from a moderate into a strong defender of Trump helped catapult her into House GOP leadership. Is the No. 2 role in the White House next?
Haley can sustain her presidential campaign into the next round of primaries even without a win in tomorrow’s contest in New Hampshire, the state’s Governor Chris Sununu said.
“I don’t want to be anybody’s vice president. That is off the table,” the former South Carolina governor and Republican presidential contender told voters at Mary Ann’s Diner in Amherst. “I have always said that.”
The Biden campaign dismissed concerns that Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn) could end his Democratic primary challenge to President Biden and join a third party bid with No Labels, claiming that Phillips’ campaign doesn’t even matter.
Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke Friday after a nearly four-week gap in direct communication during which fundamental differences have come into focus over a possible pathway to Palestinian statehood after fighting in Gaza ends.
Israel’s foreign minister will address his EU counterparts as part of a “diplomatic battle” to win support from the bloc amid deepening criticism over the war’s human toll and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s refusal to consider Palestinian statehood.
Netanyahu rejected what he said were conditions proposed by Hamas for the release of the remaining hostages held in Gaza, including the end of the war and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Strip, which would leave Hamas in place.
Communication networks have been restored across Gaza following the longest near-total blackout in the coastal enclave since the start of the war.
More than 25,000 people have been killed in Gaza since October 7, the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health said.
The U.S. military said that it had declared two Navy SEALs dead after they went missing 10 days ago during an operation at sea to intercept weapons from Iran headed to Houthi fighters.
Biden said he believed a two-state solution between the Israelis and Palestinians could still happen even with the current Israeli government in power.
Capitol Police investigated more threats against members of Congress and staff in 2023 than the previous year, a stark reminder of the potential dangers that members face while the agents tasked with vetting those threats are understaffed.
The Federal Aviation Administration recommended late last night that airlines begin visual inspections of door plugs installed on Boeing 737-900ER planes, the second Boeing model to come under scrutiny this month.
The FAA issued a statement recommending operators of the Boeing 737-900ER “visually inspect mid-exit door plugs to ensure the door is properly secured.” In a subsequent statement, Boeing said it fully supports “the FAA and our customers in this action.”
The Boeing 737-900ER is used by Alaska, Delta and a number of overseas airlines. It is older than the 737 Max 9 involved in the Alaska flight, but it uses the same door plug design, FAA said.
The FAA notice does not ground the earlier generation of plane. Instead, it recommends that airlines inspect the four bolts that are intended to hold the door in place “as soon as possible.”
At least $1 million of contributions linked to the real estate and development industries bolstered the campaign accounts of Gov. Kathy Hochul and the state Democratic Party in the past six months, according to a review of recent campaign filings.
Advocates of reform of New York’s laws governing the manufacture and sale of alcohol were encouraged when Hochul’s proposed executive budget for fiscal year 2025 included mention of continuing improvements.
Drivers who evade the controversial $15 congestion pricing toll to enter Midtown Manhattan will be treated like criminals under legislation introduced by Hochul.
Assembly Member Jarrett Gandolfo and Rep. Andrew Garbarino are calling on Hochul to allow football box polls at bars and restaurants.
Hochul held a watch party fundraiser for last night’s Bills-Chiefs game in Manhattan. Sponsorship tickets ranged from $1,000 to $5,000.
A week after being eliminated in the NFC wild-card round, Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce traveled to Buffalo to support his younger brother, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. Taylor Swift was also on hand.
The state is planning to drastically shrink or even close University Hospital at Downstate in Brooklyn, the only state-run medical hospital in New York City.
Hochul recently unveiled her latest weapon against illegal pot peddlers who have only managed to grow even more in numbers since last year, according to city officials.
New York may soon join a growing number of states seeking to incorporate climate change into school lesson plans.
A small group of New York Republicans traveled to China for eight days last month at the behest of a shadowy not-for-profit that has close ties to the Chinese Communist Party, raising private concerns even among some members of their own political party.
New York State’s Conservative Party leaders are backing Trump for the White House ahead of tomorrow’s New Hampshire Republican Party — citing massive support for the Queens native from rank-and-file members.
Following the success of mobile sports betting, state Sen. Joseph Addabbo (D-Queens) has reintroduced legislation to allow remote bets on casino staples like blackjack, poker and craps.
Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo has filed a complaint against the office of state Attorney General Letitia James, seeking about 180 undisclosed interview memos from her 2021 investigation into sexual harassment allegations against him.
The lawsuit, filed in Manhattan Supreme Court, asserts that the public has a right to the documents, and that Cuomo needs the records to defend himself in two sexual harassment lawsuits that stemmed from James’ investigation.
Former Manhattan Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney is eyeing a comeback — if a new round of redistricting carves a House district that more closely resembles her old turf on the East Side.
The House Republican Super PAC is unloading on Democrat Tom Suozzi with $2.3 million in attack ads over the next two weeks to help Republican Mazi Pilip in the Feb. 13 special election to succeed expelled, ex-GOP Congressman George Santos.
Three potential candidates in the 2025 mayoral race in New York City have been accused of sexual misconduct. Voters are weighing the details of each case.
Mayor Eric Adams vetoed the How Many Stops Act, which would beef up NYPD transparency requirements, and a bill to prohibit solitary confinement in city jails, setting the stage for a showdown with the City Council, whose leaders pledged an override.
Speaker Adrienne Adams said in a statement following the mayor’s announcement that “we are prepared to override this veto,” as the council passed the legislation with enough votes to overrule the mayor.
“Vetoing this bill will keep those in our custody and our correction officers safer,” said Adams in a statement Friday after vetoing the solitary confinement legislation. Adams is a former NYPD police officer.
Adams is inviting City Council members and other elected officials to go on ride-alongs with cops, part of a last-ditch effort to squash a bill requiring NYPD officers to document every investigative encounter they have with civilians.
Adams needs to yank two city lawmakers to his side if he wants to kill a potential veto override of a controversial cop bill that will make officers file more detailed reports after every street stop — even minor ones.
The Bronx Democrats have selected Landon Dais, a lawyer from Highbridge, as their nominee for a Feb. 13 special election to fill the Assembly seat abruptly vacated by Latoya Joyner.
More than two dozen state lawmakers say in a new letter that major social media companies are allowing subway surfing content to persist on their platforms, days after a 14-year-old died attempting to ride atop an F train in Brooklyn.
Four bolts — and their mysterious disappearance — are at the center of the MTA’s investigation into the Jan. 10 derailment of an F train in passenger service in Brooklyn.
As New York City and the state begin enforcing stringent new climate laws this year, the oldest form of heating – wood-burning – has been excluded from the regulations.
A federal judge ordered that a New York man be freed from prison because a “most unsavory” government informant had duped him into an “F.B.I.-orchestrated conspiracy” focused on attacking an upstate Air Force base and Jewish sites in the Bronx.
Taylor Swift’s townhouse in New York City appears to have been the target of another break-in attempt, this time by a man who was arrested Saturday near the singer’s Tribeca home as police responded to a report of a disorderly person.
As a high-stakes competition unfolds for one of New York’s coveted casino licenses, an unusual struggle is emerging between Nassau County officials and Hofstra University.
The St. Regis Mohawk Tribe reached a confidential settlement with Monsanto in its years-long industrial contamination lawsuit alleging the ex-chemical giant was responsible for increased risks of cancer and other diseases in tribal members exposed to PCBs.
Journalist Dan Clark, most recently the host and producer of WMHT’s “New York Now,” has joined the Times Union’s award-winning statehouse and investigations team.
Some bold-named donors gave to multiple candidates, a sign that there is no clear front runner in the early stages of the City of Albany’s first mayoral race without an incumbent in 12 years.
Schenectady police officers continue to dominate the list of the municipal employees who just about every year earn the most money, according to payroll records obtained through the Freedom of Information Law.
Photo credit: George Fazio.
