Good Tuesday morning. Welcome to a four-day workweek and the first full unofficial week of summer.
It feels like it should be June already, but we’re not quite there yet. Another few days remain in May. But the Memorial Day weekend delivered sufficient summer vines, I would say, though it admittedly ended on a downswing with storms, rain, clouds, cooler temperatures etc.
But earlier in the day, as well as all day Saturday and Sunday brought plenty of sun and opportunities for outdoor festivities.
If you were like millions of other Americans, chances are you consumed a hamburger sometime over the past several days. According to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, more beef is eaten on Memorial Day – close to 56 million pounds of it – than on any other day in the year. That’s fitting, given that May is National Beef Month.
The U.S. is the world’s largest beef producer, with over 700,000 cattle operations nationwide, and also the largest beef consumer in terms of overall volume. Argentina, which is also known for its love of beef, tops America when it comes to per-person beef supply (103 pounds, on average, per person per year).
The lion’s share of the beef consumption in this country is done by a relatively small sliver of the population – about 12 percent, most of whom are men and people between the ages of 50 and 65, according to a Tulane University study. And those who live in states known for ranching – Montana, for instance – are far more likely to eat beef on the regular than those who live in, say, Maine.
Pork is actually more popular than beef among the meat-eating countries around the globe, comprising about 36 percent of all meat consumption, closely followed by poultry, with beef coming in third on the list.
Meat is problematic for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that it’s not terribly good for your health, particularly when consumed in large quantities and also if it’s highly processed. Its production – again, in large quantities – is not particularly good for the health of the planet, either.
Grilling meat reportedly adds another layer of danger when it comes to health risk factors, as cooking flesh at high temperatures to the point of charring, which, of course, is what makes grilled food taste so singularly good, has been shown in some studies to produce compounds that raise one’s chances of getting colorectal cancer.
There are “safer” ways to grill one’s food, including introducing a protective marinade to the mix, pre-cooking meat to reduce its flame time, and eschewing meat altogether in favor of veggies and fruits, which, for some reason, doesn’t produce the same carcinogenic compounds.
It does not seem like any of the aforementioned concerns are stopping burger lovers from enjoying their favorite grilled delights – as evidenced by the statistics with which this post kicked off. And, to be clear, humans have been consuming chopped meat – both raw and cooked – for many, MANY years, though the practice of grilling chopped meat in a patty form (AKA Hamburg steak) is generally attributed to the Germans.
(Ironically, in Hamburg. Germany, today, what we consider a hamburger is referred to as “American steak.” Go figure.
In terms of who created the modern-day “hamburger” – name and all – well, as per usual, there are a lot of places and individuals who lay claim to that. There’s even a New York angle!
Allegedly, brothers Charles and Frank Menches, of Ohio, were running a sausage patty stand at the Erie County Fair in 1885 and ran out of their usual offerings. When they found the local butcher was out of pork, they instead whipped up an alternative made out of ground beed cooked with coffee and brown sugar, served on slices of bread or a bun.
They allegedly dubbed this concoction a “hamburger” after its namesake town. BUT, there’s also a Chicago origin story, and another in Wisconsin. We’ll probably never know for sure who dreamed up the idea of what we know today as a good old fashioned burger. And whoever that was would likely be appalled (or amazed?) at all the different options one has today – burgers made from fish, beans, fake meat, chicken, shrimp, etc., and topped with all manner of things, from fried eggs to peanut butter.
Personally, I’ve been trying to cut down on my red meat consumption, but sometimes a really good burger just hits the spot. I’m partial to the Nighthawks special. But I’m sure you’ve got your favorite. Do you.
We’ll have some sun to kick off the workweek, with increasing clouds throughout the afternoon. A stray shower or even a thunderstorm is possible, and temperatures will be on the cooler side in the mid-to-high 70s.
In the headlines…
Severe weather stretching across the Midwest and East Coast yesterday disrupted plans for millions of Americans trying to make it home after a busy weekend that was expected to break records for Memorial Day travel.
The disruptions followed storms and tornadoes that killed at least 22 people in the South and left hundreds of thousands without power.
President Joe Biden urged the nation to remember the sacrifice of hundreds of thousands of soldiers who gave their lives “bound by a common commitment” as he honored fallen soldiers during Memorial Day remarks at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
Biden’s somber message was a sharp contrast to that of former President Donald Trump, his challenger for re-election this year, who posted an angry and incendiary Memorial Day message on his social media site.
Trump initially posted a subdued message on his Truth Social platform. “We can never replace them. We can never repay them. But we can always remember. “Today, that is what we are doing — we remember.” However, hours later, he erupted.
Each Memorial Day brings memories of Biden’s son, Beau Biden, who served in Iraq for the Delaware Air National Guard died in 2015 of brain cancer.
In his first commencement speech to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point as as commander-in-chief, Biden on Saturday spoke directly about the ongoing conflicts in Europe and the Middle East.
Biden told graduates of the U.S. Military Academy that their class is being called upon to tackle threats across the globe and preserve the country’s ideals at home “like none before.”
Biden’s former border chief denounced the current administration’s border policies, telling CBS News’ “60 Minutes” that neither the president nor vice president spoke with him during his tenure.
Calling it ridiculous that Ohio has yet to find a fix to make sure Biden is on the November ballot, Gov. Mike DeWine ordered lawmakers to return to Columbus this week and get it done.
Former Rep. Patrick Kennedy, R-R.I., cousin of independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., endorsed Biden as the incumbent president seeks another term in office.
“There is no other choice than Joe Biden,” Kennedy told CNN’s “State of the Union” during a larger discussion with host Dana Bash about addiction and the mental health crisis. “That sounded like an endorsement,” Bash said. “Of course it is,” Kennedy replied.
Biden plans to break his vow of silence and publicly address the criminal trials Donald Trump is facing when a verdict is reached, four people familiar with internal deliberations told POLITICO.
Biden made a surprise nighttime visit to the Delaware home of Hallie Biden yesterday – just before she’s due to serve as one of the most important witnesses at first son Hunter Biden’s federal trial for alleged gun crimes.
Users on X, formerly Twitter, questioned why the president made a nighttime visit to his daughter-in-law’s home in Delaware, noting that his son is scheduled to stand trial on June 3.
Prosecutors make their final pitch today to jurors for why they should convict Trump of a slew of business crimes, facing the tough task of weaving together weeks of testimony and evidence they say proves he committed felonies to help his 2016 campaign.
After prosecutors get their turn, the case could be in the hands of the jury as early as tomorrow.
Trump told a reporter that he considered his former primary competitor Nikki Haley to be a “very capable person” and saw a potential place for her in his campaign.
Former 2024 GOP presidential candidate Haley reiterated her support for Israel over a Memorial Day trip to the country this weekend.
Trump reportedly promised to crush pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses, telling a roomful of donors — a group that he joked included “98 percent of my Jewish friends” — that he would expel student demonstrators from the United States.
Trump faced a ravaging backlash and boos at the Libertarian Convention in a bid to solicit votes from the group.
Trump’s attorneys assailed a request by federal prosecutors to limit what he could say about a new flare-up in a case accusing him of illegally retaining classified documents after leaving office.
Federal prosecutors on Friday night asked the judge overseeing Trump’s classified documents case to bar him from making any statements that might endanger law enforcement agents involved in the proceedings.
Within minutes of beginning speaking — and after enduring sustained jeering and boos — the former president turned on the third party, mocking its poor electoral record in presidential elections even as he appealed to them for their endorsement.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez blasted an Israeli strike on Rafah that killed at least 45 people over the weekend as “an indefensible atrocity,” as criticism rises of the Israeli military operation in the southern Gaza city.
Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu blamed a “tragic mistake” for displaced civilians getting killed in a tent city in Rafah, a strike that sparked widespread condemnation, even from key allies.
His comments came at a particularly delicate time, just three days after the IJC appeared to order Israel to immediately halt its offensive in Rafah and as diplomats were aiming to restart negotiations for a cease-fire and hostage release deal.
The health ministry said at least 45 people in the camp had been killed and 240 others wounded.
A Michigan dairy worker has been diagnosed with bird flu — the second human case associated with an outbreak in U.S. dairy cows.
Gov. Kathy Hochul penned a NY Post op-ed about the need to “save our kids from social media despair.”
A group of tech professionals have joined the chorus of advocates and lawmakers pushing for passage of legislation that would prohibit social media companies from collecting personal data from children and also prohibit them from using addictive feeds.
Chris Alexander, the executive director of the state Office of Cannabis Management, has informed Hochul that he will leave his job in two weeks rather than stay through Sept. 1 and assist with transitioning the embattled agency to new leadership.
“(W)hile I planned to serve out the remainder of my term, I no longer have confidence in my ability to do my job and lead this team effectively under current circumstances,” Alexander wrote in his resignation email.
Hochul on Friday granted clemency to 13 people, including several convicted of drug crimes decades ago and two serving life sentences for murder.
Politicians from across the state reacted with outrage Friday to Hochul calling supporters of Trump “clowns” after his massive Bronx rally, which drew a diverse array of supporters.
Legacy admissions at New York universities and colleges are under fire as the legislative session nears a close.
In an effort to address backlogs of court cases, lawmakers are pushing for the passage of legislation that would begin the process of amending a constitutional requirement capping the number of state Supreme Court justices in New York.
Lawmakers seeking to tackle a complex legal process that dictates the deals investors can make with cash-strapped countries have expressed their intent to usher through legislation on the issue in the final days of New York’s legislative session.
As plastic continues to fill landfills and oceans, city and state leaders are backing state legislation to curb it.
Tribal leaders from three North Country councils disavowed the actions of eight people arrested for allegedly damaging property on Barnhart Island — native lands the Saint Regis, Mohawk and Akwesasne councils are in active negotiation over with the state.
Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo has quietly been reaching out to politically influential labor leaders, a move being seen by many as a clear sign the disgraced governor’s plans to engineer a comeback are picking up steam.
Mayor Eric Adams announced that his administration is relaxing some test requirements for lifeguards in a bid to address staff shortages in their ranks that are expected to force swaths of city beaches to stay closed this holiday weekend.
Rockaway Beach welcomed back tens of thousands of New Yorkers on Saturday as the city reopened 14 miles of public beaches, one day after Adams announced a surprise deal between NYC Parks and DC37, the union representing lifeguards.
The Adams administration has been working with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement to work around New York City’s strict sanctuary city laws — which a top ICE official said have been hamstringing the federal agency’s efforts to remove violent criminals.
The Big Apple is being flooded with illegal flavored e-vapes made in China after banning the smokes’ sale in 2020 to prevent youths from getting hooked on their addictive nicotine, a new study shows.
Vincent Del Giudice, a longtime Brooklyn judge who has drawn both praise and fury across his 22-year career on the bench, is slated to retire in June amid sharp criticism leveled by activists.
E-bikes zoom down New York City streets, zigzag around cars and zip across sidewalks, changing the way some residents view the streets.
A man accused of throwing flammable liquid onto Manhattan subway passengers in February was arrested over the weekend after allegedly doing it again, according to NYPD officials.
Sex trafficking is “significant” in the Capital Region, investigators say.
The St. Peter’s Health Partners hospital system is wrestling with a health insurance network over contract negotiations and has issued a warning that if there’s no agreement soon, coverage for many enrollees in the Capital Region could lapse by this summer.
A blue-red-and-white Trump political campaign flag was among those blowing in the wind for a time in on the flagpole front of the Delmar post office on Memorial Day. It wasn’t placed there by the postal service, however, and was quickly removed.
A Colonie police sergeant who is under investigation for allegations he took “surrendered” guns from a property-evidence room and traded many of them in at local gun stores — usually in exchange for a store credit — retired from the department.
Residents and businesses in the Latham Water District no longer need to boil their water before drinking it, the town of Colonie announced yesterday.
Blackbirds Bike Cafe in Voorheesville, the first of two new ventures under the umbrella of the Business for Good foundation being finished in the hometown of BFG’s founder, opens Wednesday at 43 S. Main St.
Photo credit: George Fazio.
