Good morning, it’s Wednesday.
Two very different holidays collide on this day, and they really couldn’t be more different.
One, Valentine’s Day, is more or a less a commercial creation (yes, it does have its roots in history, we’ll get to that) in celebration of romantic love. It’s wildly popular.
A National Retail Federation survey finds that consumers plan to spend $25.8 billion – yess, you read that right – on Valentine’s Day this year, which works out to be just over $185 per person.
And that spending on partners, spouses, and even pets (I hadn’t event thought about it, for the record) is expected to reach record highs. Some also plan to spend a little something on themselves, taking a cue from Grammy award winner Miley Cyrus.
If you really want to go deep on the Christian roots of the feast of Valentine’s Day and the story behind the several St. Valentines and their respective martyrdom stories, click here. Suffice to say, this storyline has pretty much zero to do with love.
The connection between this holiday and romantic love didn’t come around until the 14th and 15th centuries, when the tradition of courting with cards, flowers, and small tokens of affection became more popular. The English poet Geoffrey Chaucer also might have hand a hand in the transformation of this holiday into its modern-day celebration of all things romance-related.
This year, you could be forgiven for overlooking – or even forgetting altogether – Valentine’s Day, as it happens to fall on a pretty significant religious holiday: Ash Wednesday, which marks the start of the Lenten period leading up to Easter.
Ash Wednesday is a somber day on the liturgical calendar. It is not a cheerful celebration, but rather a demarkation that signifies the beginning of a 40-day period of penance, prayer, and sacrifice in preparation for Resurrection Sunday.
it is traditional for those who are observant to receive from members of the clergy an ash mark in the shape of a cross on their foreheads, which is intended to represent our humanity “dust to dust” (Genesis 3:19) and encourage receivers to repent for their sins. The ash is made by burning the palms from the previous year’s Palm Sunday services.
I was under the misconception that once you received a cross on your forehead you were obligated to leave it there for the rest of the day. Apparently, this is untrue. It’s perfectly fine to wipe it off immediately after receiving it, even, though many people choose not to.
In terms of other observances, some people opt to fast on Ash Wednesday – either abstaining from food or pursuits that could serve as a distraction from spiritual matters (like social media, for example).
As an aside, there are only two required days of fasting and abstinence in the Catholic Church – Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, though Catholics are encouraged to forgo eating meat on Fridays during Lent (hence the ever popular fish fry Fridays).
Others might seek to give back by volunteering their time or tithing more than usual. However you choose to observe it – if you do – the purpose is to focus on some sort of sacrifice and repentance.
After the storm that wasn’t (at least in the Capital Region and points north in New York), it will be a clear day for lovers strolls and/or walking to church, though a bit on the chilly side. It will start out partly cloudy and then give way to sunny skies in the afternoon. Temperatures will be in the low 30s.
In the headlines…
Tom Suozzi, a former Democratic congressman, won a closely watched special House election on Long Island, narrowing the Republican majority in Washington and offering his party a potential playbook to run in key suburban swing areas in November.
His larger than expected victory avenged a year of humiliation unleashed by the seat’s former occupant, George Santos, and stanched a trend that had seen Republicans capture nearly every major election on Long Island since 2021.
The Associated Press called the result after 52% of votes were counted, with Suozzi on 59% compared with 41% for Republican candidate Mazi Pilip.
Suozzi’s victory over Pilip cuts Republicans’ already razor-thin House majority by one seat, making legislating even more difficult moving forward, and could provide a guide for Democrats competing in similar competitive districts this fall.
The outcome could serve as a bellwether for other suburban races. The GOP flipped several House seats across the New York City suburbs in 2022, including the 3rd District, and the state is poised to again be a focal point in the battle for control of Congress.
Former President Donald Trump lashed out at Pilip, claiming she lost the special election because she didn’t endorse him for president.
The House voted 214-213 to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over his handling of an influx of migrants across the U.S.-Mexico border. It’s the first time since 1876 that a cabinet secretary has been impeached.
All Republicans voted in the majority and three Republicans voted with Democrats against impeachment. Two Democrats did not vote.
Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise, the majority leader, returned to the Capitol following a six-week absence during which he received a stem-cell transplant as part of his treatment for blood cancer, saying: “(E)very vote is going to matter around here.”
It is highly unlikely that Mayorkas will be charged in the Democratic-controlled Senate. Senate Democrats are still weighing how to respond to the impeachment: to Move ahead with a trial, or move to dismiss it quickly given their view that it’s blatantly political.
President Joe Biden sharply rebuked Trump for saying he would encourage Russia to attack Nato allies that did not spend enough on defense, as he pleaded for Republicans in Congress to pass a $95 billion funding bill including aid for Ukraine.
“No other president in our history has bowed down to a Russian dictator,” Biden said of Trump and his comments about NATO. “Let me say this as clearly as I can: I never will. For God’s sake, it’s dumb. It’s shameful. It’s dangerous. It’s un-American.”
The president cited the former president’s comments in seeking to increase pressure on Speaker Mike Johnson to allow a floor vote on a $95 billion package of security aid for Ukraine and Israel approved by the Senate.
Senator Mitch McConnell put his standing on the line in aggressively pursuing military assistance for Ukraine over deep Republican resistance, and he achieved the outcome he wanted: a strong Senate vote to bolster embattled U.S. allies at a critical moment.
Elon Musk told US Republican senators “there is no way in hell” that Russian President Vladimir Putin could lose the war on Ukraine, weighing in on a conflict that has been affected by Musk’s own Starlink satellite services.
Ukraine claims it has evidence Russia fired an advanced hypersonic missile – one that experts say is almost impossible to shoot down – for the first time in the almost 2-year-old war.
A preliminary analysis of missile fragments by the government-run Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise concluded that a 3M22 Zircon missile had been used in a Feb. 7 attack that targeted cities across Ukraine.
The State Department is reviewing reports of harm to Gazan civilians by Israel’s military as part of a new U.S. program that tracks cases in which foreign militaries use U.S.-made weapons to injure or kill civilians.
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron urged Israel to ensure that humanitarian aid reaches Gaza, warning that it would be in breach of international law if it doesn’t.
Panic is soaring in Rafah as desperate Palestinians decide whether to flee the last refuge in Gaza as Israel draws up plans for a ground offensive that the United Nations aid chief has warned could lead to “a slaughter.”
A onetime business associate of Hunter Biden who is now a critic of the Biden family testified before lawmakers, reiterating claims he made during the 2020 election that Joe Biden was “an enabler” of several of his family’s overseas business schemes.
The U.S. Supreme Court ordered special counsel Jack Smith to respond by next Tuesday to Trump’s blanket immunity appeal in his stalled Jan. 6 election interference case.
Chief Justice John Roberts gave prosecutors eight days to say whether they believe the top court should hear Trump’s explosive claim that he cannot be prosecuted for crimes he committed while in the White House.
State Judge Arthur Engoron, who presided over the $370 million civil fraud case in New York against Trump and his company, is expected to issue his verdict in the trial by the end of the week, a person with direct knowledge of the situation told NBC News.
Trump will reportedly support North Carolina GOP Chair Michael Whatley to succeed Ronna McDaniel as the leader of the RNC, and will also support Lara Trump, the former president’s daughter-in-law, to serve as the RNC’s co-chairwoman.
Rep. Elise Stefanik filed a formal complaint against state AG Letitia James, alleging she conducted a biased investigation and prosecution of Trump and made dozens of “highly inappropriate and prejudicial comments” against him during his civil fraud trial.
Rep. Jamaal Bowman’s campaign is threatening a defamation lawsuit against his challenger, Westchester County Executive George Latimer, for defamation after Latimer baselessly accused him of accepting donations from the Hamas terrorist group.
David Mitrani, a lawyer representing the Bowman campaign, sent a letter to the Latimer campaign demanding the candidate retract the accusation that Bowman received money from the terrorist group.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is considering loosening its recommendations regarding how long people should isolate after testing positive for the coronavirus, another reflection of changing attitudes and norms as the pandemic recedes.
The CDC said there were no changes to the agency’s isolation guidelines to announce “at this time.” “We will continue to make decisions based on the best evidence and science to keep communities healthy and safe,” said CDC spokesman Dave Daigle said.
Millions of people deal with Covid–19 symptoms long after their initial infections. Two new studies – one looking at pregnant people and the other on children – give a better look at the burden from this health problem that doctors say often goes under the radar.
In an effort to improve access to higher education, Gov. Kathy Hochul wants to make completing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, a requirement for all high school seniors in the state.
After the worst year on record for overdose deaths in New York, Hochul wants to level off investment in addiction treatment.
The alleged assault of two NYPD officers by a group of migrants has revived a debate in Albany about whether jurists should receive mandatory training on New York’s retooled bail statutes and their ability to use discretion in cases involving violent crimes.
PrizePicks, a popular operator of online fantasy sports contests, will pay a nearly $15 million penalty and cease operations in New York after operating without authorization, according to a settlement with the state Gaming Commission.
Albany Republicans are making a push to roll back Democrat state and city sanctuary policies they blame for encouraging the influx of tens of thousands of migrants into New York.
Mayor Eric Adams pushed back on new state legislation that seeks to outlaw the 30- and 60-day limits his administration has put on migrants staying in New York City shelters, saying his policies constitute a “successful humanitarian response.”
The Adams administration introduced a new curriculum for the city’s youngest students that officials say will help them become much stronger readers – but early education providers and advocates worry proposed budget cuts could undermine the effort.
Teachers and students across New York City were shut out of their virtual classes yesterday morning, a major glitch as city officials ordered schools to offer remote instruction because of the snowstorm.
New York City’s public hospital system would have to scramble to “pick up any slack” if Manhattan’s Mt. Sinai Beth Israel medical center moves ahead with a plan to shut down this summer, Adams warned.
Adams yesterday paused a controversial rule that forces migrants to re-apply for a shelter spot after either 30 or 60 days, as a powerful nor’easter began to unleash the most snow the Big Apple has seen in years.
Four correction officers’ wish for a selfie with Adams ended up costing the job of Correction Department training chief Robert Gonzalez.
Police have identified the man who was killed on Monday afternoon when a fight on a Bronx subway train led to a shooting on the platform. Obed Beltran-Sanchez, 35, was fatally wounded when gunfire erupted at the Mt. Eden Avenue subway station.
A 74-year-old Brooklyn woman was killed yesterday when a portion of her Sunset Park home’s facade crashed down on her while she was shoveling snow off her stoop, according to officials and video footage from a security camera at a nearby business.
Dale Singer was on the steps of her home on Sixth Ave. near 54th St. in Sunset Park about 12:20 p.m. when a portion of the stone doorframe above her crumbled, according to cops.
Free Shakespeare in the Park, one of the longtime treasures of summer in New York City, will be smaller-scale and itinerant this year because a gut renovation of the program’s Central Park home is underway.
Animal lovers on the Upper East Side are pushing back against a system of scaffold netting they say is trapping and harming birds — netting the city says shouldn’t have been installed at all.
The Price Chopper/Market 32 supermarket chain said it will move its Albany and Colonie stores into the nearby buildings that were vacated when ShopRite left the Capital Region late last year.
Representatives of Grocery Outlet, an Emeryville, Calif.-based company described as the T.J. Maxx of supermarkets, have been exploring locations around the Capital Region, as far west as Amsterdam and Gloversville and as far south as Newburgh.
Senior U.S. District Judge Gary L. Sharpe, a Vietnam vet and former longtime prosecutor who rose to become chief judge of the 32-county Northern District of New York and presided over some of the highest-profile federal cases in the Capital Region, has died.
David Bouley, the American chef who first translated French nouvelle cuisine into the New American style that shaped modern high-end cooking, died Monday at his home in Kent, Conn. after suffering a heart attack. He was 70.
Paramount, the owner of TV networks like Nickelodeon, MTV and Comedy Central, is laying off hundreds of employees, cutting costs as it continues its painful transition away from traditional television.
About 3 percent of the company’s roughly 24,500 employees will be affected by the layoffs, according to a person familiar with the cuts, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive corporate information.
Photo credit: George Fazio.
