Good Tuesday morning.
The weather is making headlines this morning. Depending on where you live, you’re either in the process of getting a lot of snow, or wondering what all the fuss was about. (I currently am in the latter category, as there is zero precipitation falling from the sky as I write this, and no, I am not sad about that).
As the New York Times noted, “This is not a long lasting storm; the snow will come down quickly and in some cases pile up to a foot or more.” So it’s going to be over pretty quickly, but it might leave some damage in its wake. New England is likely to be bearing the brunt of it.
Elected officials weren’t taking any chances as the forecast shifted here, there, and everywhere. Mayor Eric Adams announced that New York City public schools would pivot to remote learning amid the possibility that the city would receive 8 inches of snow, and Gov. Kathy Hochul issued increasingly dire warnings about the impending storm.
I’m going to try a new thing today because there is a plethora of posting potential out there, and I’m unable to choose just one thing to focus on. So, I’m going to do a series of mini overviews instead of just one (or two). See how this grabs you:
- Shrove Tuesday (AKA Mardi Gras) – This is the final day of Carnival (AKA Shrovetide) and the last hurrah leading up to Lent, which starts tomorrow with the observance of Ash Wednesday. Aside from the party and feasting aspect of this day (the purpose of which is to get rid of all the rich, fatty, sugary foods one won’t be consuming during Lent), one is supposed to set aside time on this day for self-examination and thinking about the things they should spend the coming weeks repenting for/asking for God’s help in addressing. The term “Shrove Tuesday” comes from the word “shrive“, which means “to absolve” or “free from guilt.”
- Galentine’s Day – This is like the anti-Valentine’s Day, and has evolved into a celebration of female friendships and empowerment. The tradition originated with Amy Poehler’s character, Leslie Knope, on the hit show “Parks and Recreation.” (Season 2, Episode 16 was the first reference, though it was repeated at least three times throughout the life of the show), which aired from 2009 to 2015). Leslie described this made-up holiday as “the best day of the year,” adding: “Every February 13, my lady friends and I leave our husbands and our boyfriends at home, and we just come and kick it, breakfast style. Ladies celebrating ladies.” Ideas for observing this day run the gamut, including everything from spa days to wine-and-cheese nights. The overarching rule? No boys allowed.
- International Condom Day – Another Valentine’s Day-adjacent “holiday,” this one strategically placed to encourage and educate about the practice of safe sex. The day was created by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), which notes that condoms – when properly used – are 98 percent effective and among the best ways to prevent unintended/unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections, including things like gonorrhea and chlamydia, as well as HIV/AIDS. CDC statistics indicate that one in five people in the U.S. (about 20 percent of the population) had a STD on any given day in 2018. Be safe out there, this Valentine’s Day, everyone.
- National Cheddar Day – You know what goes well with chocolate covered strawberries and champagne? Cheese! I’m a big fan of pretty much any sort of cheese, but cheddar is definitely one of my favorites. It’s reportedly named for its city of origin, Cheddar, which is located in Somerset, South England. Unlike some other regional specialties that are protected (meaning you can’t use the name of the product unless it’s produced in a specific area, like champagne), “cheddar” was not, which has led to its worldwide proliferation. Cheddar is among the world’s most popular cheeses, and was the first type of cheese produced in the New World. Today, Wisconsin leads the pack in cheddar production. According to one website, it makes almost as much cheddar in a single state as the entire United Kingdom. (FWIW, cheddar cheese is naturally white, not yellow or orange, which is a result of added coloring).
- World Radio Day – Once upon a time, radio was the main source of news, communication, and entertainment for a pretty hefty portion of the global population. These days, thanks largely to TV and then subsequently the rise of social media, that is definitely no longer the case. Radio, however, continues to be one of the most dependable sources of news – especially in the face of disaster. (I have a solar powered one, and also a battery powered model). World Radio Day was first celebrated in 2012, following its declaration by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) General Conference. It was subsequently adopted as an International Day by the UN General Assembly. This year’s theme is “Radio: A Century Informing, Entertaining, and Educating.”
We have already dispensed with the weather. The less said about that the better. I think it’s a safe bet that we won’t be seeing a return of unseasonably warm temperatures any time soon.
In the headlines…
A bipartisan coalition of senators last night pushed a $95 billion foreign aid package for Ukraine and Israel to the brink of passage, as Republicans fractured bitterly over the bill, with opponents threatening to fight it until the very end.
In a 66-33 vote, the measure cleared its last hurdle before a final vote, with 17 Republicans and almost all Democrats advancing it over the objections of the bulk of GOP senators, House leaders and the party’s likely presidential nominee, Donald Trump.
House Speaker Mike Johnson fired a warning shot at the Senate’s foreign aid package, criticizing the $95.3 billion supplemental as the upper chamber inches closer to a final vote on the legislation and suggesting he has no intention of bringing the measure up.
Johnson said the bill had failed to include provisions on U.S. border security, an issue Republican lawmakers have said is crucial to winning their support.
Former President Donald Trump asked the Supreme Court to pause an appeals court’s ruling rejecting his claim that he is absolutely immune from criminal charges based on his attempts to subvert the 2020 election.
“Without immunity from criminal prosecution, the Presidency as we know it will cease to exist,” Trump’s attorneys wrote in an application for the Supreme Court to pause the ruling from a lower court.
Unless the justices issue a stay while they consider whether to hear his promised appeal, proceedings in the criminal trial, which have been on hold, will resume.
President Joe Biden hosted Jordan’s King Abdullah II in Washington yesterday and the two leaders were expected to discuss the ongoing effort to free hostages held in Gaza, and growing concern over a possible Israeli military operation in the port city of Rafah.
Biden has reportedly grown increasingly frustrated behind the scenes with Benjamin Netanyahu, telling advisers and others that the Israeli prime minister is ignoring his advice and obstructing efforts to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Biden has added his voice to growing international calls for Israel to drop plans for an all-out military assault on the city of Rafah, in southern Gaza, after a ferocious hostage rescue operation that killed dozens of Palestinians.
The C.I.A. director, William J. Burns, was expected in Cairo today for talks aimed at securing the release of hostages being held in Gaza and a temporary pause in fighting, amid mounting concerns over Israel’s stated plans to invade Rafah.
Biden poked fun at conspiracy theories about the NFL and Taylor Swift after the Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl on Sunday night. “Just like we drew it up,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
House Republicans unveiled a new package for reauthorizing and reforming the nation’s warrantless surveillance powers, pushing forward text while prepping for a floor battle over controversial provisions.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential campaign is in the hot seat after a seven-figure Super Bowl ad enraged his family and brought new public attention to his independent bid.
The $7 million TV spend by American Values, the leading Super PAC supporting RFK Jr.’s candidacy, sought to invoke the Kennedy family imprint on politics, complete with music and strikingly similar images to former President Kennedy’s 1960 campaign.
RFK Jr. shared the ad on X, the former Twitter, but hours later added an apology to his family after his cousin, Bobby Shriver, the son of Eunice Kennedy Shriver, slammed the ad and other family members disavowed it.
Nicole Shanahan, a Bay Area lawyer once married to the Google co-founder Sergey Brin, gave $4 million and creative guidance to American Values, which is backing RFK Jr.’s independent presidential bid.
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley is doubling down on her condemnation of Trump over comments he made ridiculing her deployed husband.
Mazi Melesa Pilip and Tom Suozzi made their closing cases to Long Island and Queens voters yesterday, on the eve of their ultracompetitive special House election for the seat vacated by George Santos.
Pilip and Suozzi vowed to pull out all the stops to win despite the impending major snowstorm that could have a dramatic impact today’s hotly contested race.
Suozzi raised doubts about whether Biden will be on the November ballot, saying: “The bottom line is, he’s old. He’s 81 years old…Let’s see what happens between now and the Democratic convention.”
The special election to replace U.S. Rep. Brian Higgins in New York’s 26th Congressional District will take place on Tuesday, April 30, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced.
Rep. Dan Goldman’s Brooklyn office was vandalized with blood-red wax by a hateful anti-Israel protester yesterday, marking the second time the Jewish lawmaker’s office has been defaced since the Israel-Hamas war erupted in October.
Hochul’s push to dramatically expand the list of potential hate crimes in New York is the latest in what’s become a long line of crime-related issues to divide Democrats in Albany.
A trio of Democratic state senators are looking to reform New York’s tax-incentive system amid reports those programs cost more than what they provide.
New York Republicans want to pump the brakes on requiring school districts to purchase only electric school buses in the coming years.
Two progressive New York lawmakers are taking aim at 30- and 60-day migrant shelter stay limits in the latest challenge to the Adams administration’s controversial policy.
The New York Independent Redistricting Commission will hold a public meeting Thursday in Albany to vote on a new set of congressional maps – a significant step forward in redistricting battle that could impact the fall elections for control of the House.
A former state prison in New York’s North Country is one of several properties that Hochul is interested in helping to solve the state’s housing crunch. However, the ambitious plan will require a constitutional amendment in Albany.
“New Yorkers will know today if Mayor Adams and Sanitation Commissioner Jessica Tisch lived up to their promises that snowstorms would be effectively and promptly attacked, using what they call their BladeRunner 2.0 technology.”
“We’re taking this storm extremely, extremely serious,” Adams said. “We’re encouraging New Yorkers, if you don’t have to go out: stay home.”
Adams added that all New York schools will be closed today, with classroom lessons to be replaced by remote learning.
Manhattan state Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal and Queens Assemblymember Catalina Cruz introduced legislation to scrap the Adams administration’s “cruel” city-imposed caps on shelter stays.
Adams’ administration is taking longer to close noise complaints, pruning fewer street trees and answering far fewer 311 calls within 30 seconds compared to pre-pandemic levels.
Brooklyn’s borough president and a Manhattan councilman are forming a club of politicians who embrace using development to ease New York City’s housing crisis.
The city health department wants to ban smoking or vaping at restaurants while dining outdoors. It’ll mean the end of a comforting puff of mango from your friend’s Juul in between bites of pancakes.
One person was killed and at least five others were injured — all of them youngsters — when an argument on a Bronx train turned violent during rush-hour yesterday afternoon, according to law enforcement sources.
The shooting took place amid a dispute between two groups of teenagers at the Mount Eden Avenue station, the police said. The victims ranged in age from 14 to 71, including a 34-year-old man who died.
A New York City police officer fatally shot a man in a Queens apartment who officials said had pointed an “imitation gun” at officers who were responding to a 911 call reporting that shots had been fired at the building.
A cherished mural of late rap legend and Brooklyn native The Notorious B.I.G. was painted over in Bushwick after a pot shop moved into the building — sparking outrage among proud Brooklynites.
Albany County District Attorney David Soares said yesterday evening in a pre-taped video that he will return money he awarded himself last year from two state grants. He did not address the legal questions surrounding the move.
Soares has lost key political support as he seeks a sixth term in office after an outside law firm found that his decision to award himself two bonuses using state grant money late last year likely violated state law and the county charter.
The Albany Academies will drop most of its single-gender classes as it deals with a significant decrease in enrollment, officials announced. It is also reducing expenses and cutting its workforce.
Three people are in critical condition after a car sailed off the Northway overpass to Crossgates Mall on Sunday and landed across two lanes of the adjacent Thruway where it was hit by an oncoming SUV, State Police said.
FBI agents reportedly raided the home of the owner of an Albany-based lending firm that was forced into bankruptcy late last year amid allegations the company made off with tens of millions of dollars in client funds.
Sunday night’s overtime Super Bowl shattered ratings records. An audience of 123.4 million watched the Kansas City Chiefs beat the San Francisco 49ers, according to preliminary figures from Nielsen and CBS, which broadcast the game.
Bob Edwards, the host of NPR’s “Morning Edition” for nearly a quarter-century, whose rich baritone and cool demeanor imbued his radio broadcasts with authority in reaching millions of listeners, died on Saturday in Arlington, Va. He was 76.
Jon Stewart returned last night as host of “The Daily Show,” the Comedy Central news satire he turned into a cultural force before leaving in August 2015. He’s planning to stay through the presidential election.
Photo credit: George Fazio.
