Good Monday morning. Welcome to a brand new month. All the fall things are upon us. Back to school, apples, pumpkins, Halloween, and the mad dash to the winter holiday season.
Phew. I’m exhausted already.
Technically speaking, fall won’t start for another few weeks. The Fall Equinox is Sunday, Sept. 22.
But realistically, summer is over. Even though we could well see some warm and sunny days for a good while yet – this past weekend was a true weather blessing, by the way – there’s a hint of things to come in the air. The heat just hits different around this time of year. And there are leaves turning and falling already.
I’m headed later this week to New York City for a work trip, and though it’s going to be something of an undertaking, I am looking forward to the time I’ll spend in the Big Apple. Fall is my favorite time of year to be in the city. It’s not too hot, not too cold, and – a little later on, anyway – the leaves in Central Park can be spectacular.
Today is the birthday of the man one could argue is responsible for laying the groundwork for the singular New York City skyline – and that of every other city that boasts multi-story buildings.
Happy Skyscraper Day!
American architect Louis H. Sullivan, AKA the “father of skyscrapers”, was born in this day in Boston, MA, in1856. Sullivan designed and built more than100 U.S. buildings in the late 19th Century – including the first skyscraper, the Home Insurance Building in Chicago, in 1885.
At its initial height of 10 stories and 138 ft (42.1 m) tall, the Home Insurance Building was the largest office building in the city at the time and the first tall building to use structural steel in its frame. Two more stories were added in 1890. It stood from 1885 to 1931 when it was demolished to make way for what was then known as the Field Building and today is simply known as 135 S. La Salle St.
What constitutes a skyscraper, exactly? Well, it turns out that it depends on who you ask.
Different organizations around the world have different opinions on the matter, but generally speaking, buildings that have at least 40 floors and stand at least 150 meters (490 ft) in height or taller are considers skyscrapers. And then there are so-called “supertalls” – those higher than 300 meters (984 ft) – and “megatalls”, which tower more than 600 meters (1,969 ft).
New York, sadly, is no longer home to the world’s tallest building. That honor goes to a skyscraper called Burj Khalifa – one of the top attractions to visit in Dubai. This building, with a total height of total height of 829.8 meters (2,722 feet, which is just over half a mile) including its spire, but not its anttena, has held the title since its 2009 topping out ceremony.
Up until that moment, a building in China called Taipei 101, had been the world’s tallest building, but at 508 meters (1,667 feet) it’s not even in the top 5 anymore. That’s accounting to a list maintained by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. For the record, One World Trade Center (541 meters, 1,776 feet) in Lower Manhattan clocks in at No. 7.
Skyscrapers have both their supporters and detractors. Those in favor of building ever upwards argue that doing so is a more efficient use of space, enabling more people to live and work in one place. Detractors, however, say that skyscrapers don’t encourage interaction between neighbors and the anonymity they facilitate feeds social isolation.
They also don’t last forever, and are expensive to maintain.
And then, of course, there are the environmental drawbacks. The incredible amount of steel necessary to ensure a very tall building can withstand high windspeed, which, of course, are increasing due to climate change, is not a terribly efficient use of raw materials. Also, it takes a lot of energy to pump water from the ground to the top floors of a skyscraper, not to mention all the unused space their mechanics require.
Love them or hate them, skyscrapers definitely are a phenomenon. And, it turns out they’re actually safer than shorter buildings when it comes to withstanding earthquakes (though not, sadly and tragically, plane strikes) because they’re, get this, more “flexible.” This is not a word that I usually associated with the rigidity of a structure, and so I count myself as newly educated.
A beautiful day is on tap, which is a little cruel for those of us who have to return to the workweek grind. It will be bright and sunny, with temperatures in the mid-70s. Perhaps you’ll be able to sneak in an afternoon break or lunch al fresco.
In the headlines…
President Biden gave a demonstration that the Democratic Party now belongs to Vice President Kamala Harris, stepping to the microphone at a campaign event in Pittsburgh to introduce his No. 2 rather than taking the speaking slot of honor for himself.
Between declaring support for organized labor and decrying Donald Trump’s attacks on organizing, Harris spoke against the purchase of US Steel by Nippon Steel, arguing the iconic Pennsylvania steel company should stay in American workers’ hands.
“U.S. Steel should remain American-owned and American-operated,” Harris said during a campaign stop in Pittsburgh, prompting cheers from the audience.
Sean O’Brien, president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, said he hasn’t endorsed in the 2024 presidential race yet because he hasn’t yet met with Harris, and “you don’t hire someone unless you give them an interview.”
“Republicans came up to me in one of my campaigns and they said, ‘Tim is in the pocket of organized labor.’ I said, that’s a damn lie. I am the pocket,” Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz told the crowd at Laborfest in Milwaukee.
A race that Harris leads nationally is the equivalent of a knife fight in a phone booth, and it’s set to be decided in a smaller-than-usual number of states.
Trump said in a new interview that he thinks God believes he will “straighten out” the country after he survived an assassination attempt in July.
The parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an Israeli American who was held hostage by the militant group Hamas, laid their son to rest after the deaths of six hostages sparked mass protests in Israel. “We failed you. We all failed you,” said Hersh’s father, Jon Polin.
After the Israeli military announced it recovered the bodies of six hostages from Gaza, unions and businesses united to pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree to a truce with Hamas that could facilitate the release of those still in captivity.
Biden added to the pressure when he said Netanyahu wasn’t doing enough to bring the hostages home, and Britain said it would suspend some weapons exports to Israel.
Britain announced that it would suspend the export of some weapons to Israel, a significant hardening of its position on Israel’s conduct of the war in Gaza under a new Labour government.
The families of several American hostages criticized Netanyahu as not moving urgently enough to secure a hostage release deal, after six hostages were found dead in southern Gaza over the weekend.
Netanyahu brushed aside pleas from allies and the chants of Israeli protesters who demanded an immediate cease-fire to facilitate the return of hostages, doubling down on his refusal to agree to a truce that would involve Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza.
In securing RFK Jr.’s nod, Trump gained an ally who could steer him votes by providing cover on themes that defined Kennedy’s campaign: COVID vaccine distrust, opposition to government mandates, and lingering outrage over the handling of the pandemic.
The Trump-Kennedy alliance followed a six-week crush of behind-the-scenes discussions, embarrassing missteps, secret meetings and private misgivings.
The U.S. government has seized an airplane linked to Nicolás Maduro, the leader of Venezuela, and brought it to Florida yesterday because it was bought in violation of U.S. sanctions, according to a Justice Department statement.
It’s the latest development in what has long been a frosty relationship between the US and Venezuela, and marks an escalation as the US continues to investigate what it regards as corrupt practices by Venezuela’s government.
The Biden administration is trying to put more pressure Maduro because of his attempts to undermine the results of the recent presidential election in his country, White House officials said.
Thousands of hotel workers began a multi-day strike Sunday in several cities across the U.S. to press for higher wages and increased staffing after contract negotiations with major hotel chains Hyatt, Hilton and Marriott stalled.
The union representing the workers, UNITE HERE, has planned a rolling strike for several days in cities like Boston, San Francisco and Seattle in an attempt to disrupt Labor Day weekend travel after contract negotiations stalled.
The legal team leading New Jersey’s opposition to New York City’s congestion pricing plan have made more arguments hoping to convince a judge to overturn federal approvals of the $15 fee to enter lower Manhattan.
Gov. Kathy Hochul recently announced that New York welcomed a record-setting 306.3 million visitors in 2023, while also setting new historic highs for direct visitor spending and total economic impact associated with the state’s tourism industry.
Hochul reminded New Yorkers to take extra precautions to avoid mosquito bites and prevent diseases like West Nile virus and eastern equine encephalitis.
With the school year starting this week, Sen. James Skoufis is pushing Hochul to sign his bill to establish a maximum temperature in school buildings and indoor facilities.
An outside investigation commissioned by the Democrat-led State Senate has ended quietly without reprimand of state Sen. John Mannion, a CNY congressional hopeful, concluding he did not violate the chamber’s harassment and discrimination policy.
New York has distributed over 20 million test strips that detect the presence of dangerous synthetic substances in illicit drug supplies, a move state officials hope will tamp down overdose deaths even as advocates decry inaction on other opioid policies.
The city’s School Construction Authority has made decisions on spending billions of taxpayer dollars over the past year without the required oversight, according to education watchdogs.
The city’s Open Streets program will allow schools to close 71 streets to traffic and open them for students to play without worrying about speeding cars.
Outside entrepreneurs may soon be invited to pitch more of their ideas to city government in hopes of scoring contracts, under a new rule advanced by the Adams administration.
Adams is standing by his controversial nomination of white-shoe attorney Randy Mastro as New York City’s next top lawyer, even after Mastro was dragged over the coals by City Council members during a punishing 11-hour hearing last week.
“We’re going to let the process play out … They’re going to vote,” Adams said on Fox5, referring to the Council. “That’s up to the City Council, and after that, we’ll make a decision on the next step in the process.”
As kids get ready to head back to school, Adams discussed plans for expanding early childcare and making the city safer for commuting families.
Queens Assemblywoman and city comptroller hopeful Jenifer Rajkumar said a perpetrator smashed a door bearing her image and rifled through drawers at her district office in Woodhaven last week in what police are treating as an attempted burglary.
Behind the pomp of New York’s West Indian American Day Parade, masquerade bands say interest is waning in one of the city’s best known cultural celebrations — and dwindling resources have made competition among the bands more fierce.
Five people were shot near the route of the West Indian Day parade route in Brooklyn yesterday, NYPD has confirmed. At least one of the victims was listed in critical condition, with the remaining four expected to recover, the police said.
A Brooklyn elementary school near the Gowanus Canal is proceeding with back to school plans despite the recent discovery of high levels of indoor air contamination, alarming parents.
Up to 7,000 unruly anti-Israeli protesters — including some proudly waving Hamas flags — stormed through the Big Apple on Labor Day, lighting flares and setting off smoke bombs as they marched toward the heart of the city.
A Columbia University task force set up to combat antisemitism on campus released its latest report on Friday, detailing numerous instances of harassment and even physical violence directed at Jewish students in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel.
Mail delivery has become a complicated endeavor for migrants staying at hotels and other places converted into shelters, with important documents getting lost or delayed.
Across New York, recently arrived migrants are flooding the criminal-justice system — at far higher rates than public officials have acknowledged.
New York City has reportedly agreed to pay $12 million to a former Wall Street trader paralyzed in a June 2020 pandemic-era police-involved shooting in Manhattan’s East Village.
Under new outdoor dining rules, inspectors are ticketing some restaurants and coffeehouses that have a few chairs or tables outside but no formal structures.
The New York State Fair closed early Sunday evening after reports of violence, officials said. Fair officials decided to close early “out of an abundance of caution,” according to spokesperson Sean Farnsworth, who sent the message at about 9:40 p.m.
The State Fair reopened as scheduled for its final day yesterday. It was closed early Sunday as a result of what New York State Police called false reports of a shooting.
With the 2024 meet in Saratoga Springs coming to an end on its traditional Labor Day closing, there was much to be encouraged by and plenty to still work on.
A historic building that has long sat vacant at the corner of Madison and New Scotland avenues in Albany is now up for sale, listed for $800,000.
The City of Saratoga Springs’ Gilded Age story is now more accessible to visitors of the Saratoga Springs History Museum, thanks to new artificial-intelligence audio tours that keep one’s eyes on the art and objects rather than their labels.
WNYT reporter and morning anchor Faith King is leaving the station and the Capital Region. She made the announcement yesterday on social media.
Stefan Bielinski, a social historian at the New York State Museum for nearly five decades who compiled a one-of-a-kind historical database of Albany’s history and inhabitants during the city’s colonial period, died last week at the age of 77.
Photo credit: George Fazio.
