Good morning, it’s Monday. Holiday countdown – things are getting real now, folks: Nine days remain until Christmas/Chanukah, and 10 until Kwanza. Get moving.
For obvious reasons, we’ve been heavy on the festive, seasonal content of late. But today I want to deviate for a moment to recognize an important historical milestone without which, arguably, none of us would be here – at least the life we lead would likely look a heck of a lot different.
I’m sure you can’t guess what I’m getting at, so I’ll put you our of your misery. On this day in 1773, American colonists who called themselves the Sons of Liberty – some disguised as Mohawk Indians to conceal their identities – threw 342 of the British East India Company’s chests of tea into the Boston Harbor to protest taxation without representation.
This incident, known as the Boston Tea Party, laid the groundwork for the Revolutionary War, which, in turn, gave the colonies their independence from Britain and led to the creation of the United States of America.
You might ask: All that from a little spilled tea? Well, as per usual with history, is was a little more complicated than that.
Taxation in the colonies started to really rub people wrong in the 1760s when the British parliament sought to use it as a tool to recoup the considerable financial investment necessary to win the French and Indian War.
This didn’t really sit too well with residents in the Americas, who didn’t necessarily have anything against paying taxes, per se, but did balk at the concept of doing so without having any say in the matter. Tax policy was being set back home, without anyone from the colonies involved in the process.
Colonists protested so vigorously against the 1765 Stamp Act, which placed a tax on pretty much every form of paper used anywhere in America, that parliament was forced to repeal it a year later. But that didn’t last long, as the Townsend Acts, which proposed new taxes on all lead, glass, paint, and tea imported into the colonies, came along in 1767 and 1768.
This led to a boycott on British goods in some New England towns – notably in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island – which spurred Britain to send troops over the ocean to Boston in hopes of putting down some of the unrest.
This didn’t work terribly well, and instead upped the ante considerably, with skirmishes between British soldiers and colonists becoming something of a routine occurrence, culminating in the Boston Massacre on March 5, 1770 – ironically, the same day parliament started to put a repeal of the Townsend Acts into motion.
The Townsend Acts were ultimately rescinded – everything that is, save the tax on tea. A brisk business is smuggling non-taxed tea into the colonies was established, with some big names (John Hancock, for example) participating in these illicit efforts. Hence, the Tea Party, during which – miraculously – there was no violence or death, and only one participant was arrested and imprisoned.
None other than Paul Revere rode to Manhattan to spread the news of the Tea Party’s success, though actually the Sons of Liberty’s efforts continued for some time afterwards as the tea was floating in the harbor and they routinely rode out in boats to try to sink it to ensure it could not be salvaged.
We’re not talking about a little bit of tea, here, by the way. We’re talking some 90,000 pounds of the stuff, which, in today’s dollars, was worth millions – no small loss for the British East Indian Company and a very significant symbolic act of protest.
Things are going to warm up a tad around here, with temperatures climbing into the mid-to-high 30s – still tea-drinking weather, in my opinion. Skies will be cloudy, with rain developing as night falls.
This morning, though, the roads might be icy in some parts of the region after some freezing rain/light snow situation overnight. Take extra care out there. No need to rush. Better to be a few minutes late than never make it at all.
In the headlines…
Drone sightings in the Northeast skies have put intense pressure on federal agencies to provide more information about the aircraft, as officials have urged calm and emphasized there is no evidence suggesting the sightings pose a security threat.
Department of Homeland Security chief Alejandro Mayorkas continued to dismiss the flood of drones across New Jersey, this time saying it is likely just the result of relaxed rules on the devices.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said yesterday that he’s “working to pass a bill” to give local law enforcement “more tools for drone detection” following a spate of mysterious sightings in Northeastern U.S. states.
Schumer in online statements urged Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to send “special drone-detection tech” to New York and New Jersey to tackle the unidentified flying objects problem that saw Stewart International Airport shut down Friday.
Gov. Kathy Hochul urged the federal government to step in amid ongoing drone sightings after she said the Orange County, N.Y., airport was forced to shut down its runways because of the mysterious aircraft.
“This has gone too far,” Hochul said in the statement, adding that she’s urging Congress to pass the Counter-UAS Authority Security, Safety, and Reauthorization Act empowering local law enforcement to do more to counter drones.
Rockland County Executive Ed Day sent a letter to President Joe Biden urging him to have the Federal Aviation administration (FAA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigate and provide answers as to who is behind the drone sightings.
Police arrested two Massachusetts men for allegedly operating drones too close to Logan Airport. “Operators are prohibited from flying drones over people or vehicles and must be aware of airspace restrictions,” Boston Police Department said in a statement.
America’s new rulers are putting on a show of intent and unity as Donald Trump turns from his so-far-successful rescue of Pete Hegseth to three more of his provocative Cabinet choices.
Daniel Penny received a hero’s welcome Saturday as he joined Trump and Vice President JD Vance at the annual Army-Navy football game.
Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick to lead the Defense Department, told Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina that he planned to release the woman who accused him of sexual assault from a confidential settlement agreement, Graham said.
Threatened defamation lawsuits aimed at intimidating news outlets that criticized or questioned Trump’s FBI and Pentagon picks is the latest sign that the incoming administration appears poised to do what it can to crack down on unfavorable media coverage.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is taking aim at his party’s isolationist wing — including Trump — faulting them for undermining tough-on-Russia policies and sending mixed signals to allies.
A CNBC All-America Economic Survey finds that 54% of the public are “comfortable and prepared to support” Trump as president, which is down two percentage points from when he took office in 2016.
ABC News and anchor George Stephanopoulos agreed to settle a defamation suit brought by Trump by issuing a public apology and providing $15 million to fund Trump’s future presidential library, according to court documents filed Saturday.
The agreement was a significant concession by a major news organization and a rare victory for a media-bashing politician whose previous litigation efforts against news outlets have often ended in defeat.
The founder of a “socialist apparel” brand who has called online for the death of corporate executives is planning to sell a deck of cards of “most wanted CEOs” — complete with names and faces and decorated with illustrations of gun range targets.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York is leading the charge for Democrats to persuade Biden to adopt the Equal Rights Amendment, which would invite a Supreme Court battle.
Biden reflected on his tenure in office and his international impact in his address to Democratic Party members at their holiday reception last night.
Investigators received a tip from the San Francisco Police Department identifying Luigi Mangione as a suspect before he was arrested in the killing of an insurance executive in Midtown Manhattan, the New York F.B.I. field office said Friday.
Mangione has retained a high-powered New York attorney – Karen Friedman Agnifilo – to represent him as he faces a second-degree murder charge in the death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
Mangione, 26, is scheduled to appear in a preliminary hearing in Pennsylvania on Dec. 23 regarding charges related to a 3D-printed gun and fake ID. He is currently being held without bail.
Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado has begun to carve out his own political path, potentially putting him on a collision course with his boss, Hochul, who observers speculate he might challenge in a primary.
Hochul signed legislation to require that all school districts develop plans to mitigate extreme heat in classrooms and support services spaces and to establish a maximum allowable temperature to ensure the health and safety of students, faculty, and staff.
Hochul vetoed a bill on Friday that would have required local community input before a hospital closes a facility or certain units. The bill, which state lawmakers approved in June, would have laid out a timeline and procedures for any closure.
Hochul vetoed a bill on Friday that would have required all 180 state parks to allow visitors to enter with their leashed dogs.
Dozens of computer programming consultants hired by state agencies on the basis of fraudulent residency documents or fabricated resumes may represent a wider national issue.
A state affordable housing program unveiled last week by Hochul will provide funding to support construction of homes on vacant or underutilized lots in Buffalo and the four other large upstate cities.
The state Office of Cannabis Management’s Cannabis Advisory Board is recommending a pause on supply-side cannabis licenses and a cap on dispensary licenses at 1,600.
Pet shops across New York are now banned from selling dogs, cats and rabbits, thanks to a new law — prompting stores to frenetically offer bargain-basement prices beforehand to clear out their furry inventory.
Manhattan prosecutors investigating corruption allegations against Ingrid Lewis-Martin, the chief adviser to Mayor Eric Adams, have presented evidence to a grand jury and could seek an indictment as soon as this week, sources said.
Lewis-Martin, 63, abruptly resigned from city government yesterday. She has been under investigation at least since September.
Her departure, which takes effect immediately, comes at a precarious time for the mayor: He is heading to trial for a five-count federal indictment to which he pleaded not guilty, and is up for reelection next year.
The FARE Act, which frees New York City tenants of paying real estate broker fees and shifts those costs to landlords, became law on Saturday, 30 days after its passage, despite Adams refusing to sign it.
New York City is gearing up for an expansion of its Citi Bike program, Adams said, bringing the popular bike share service to underserved neighborhoods in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens.
Adams’ reelection bid is facing a watershed moment today when the city Campaign Finance Board is expected to decide whether to grant the indicted mayor millions in public matching funds.
Two of Adams’ advisors are quietly trying to secure a ticket for him to attend Trump’s inauguration in Washington next month.
A major vendor has asked city Comptroller Brad Lander to investigate whether the Department of Education’s purchase of the controversial “Illustrative Math” curriculum unfairly sidestepped the bidding rules.
Announced last week, the plan will add new docking stations and bikes to meet growing demand while enhancing accessibility for New Yorkers.
Weeks ago, Jessica Tisch was in charge of street sweeping and trash pickup. Suddenly, she found herself overseeing a ferocious manhunt as the head of the NYPD – an early test for the new commissioner.
The new CEO of Avant Gardner, one of Brooklyn’s largest event venues, said the company was overhauling the space and making sweeping security changes during a fraught period for the space – including the deaths of two patrons found nearby last year.
The MTA’s longtime orange-and-yellow seated subway cars are riding off into the sunset next year. The state-run agency in 2025 plans to slowly retire its remaining 1,700-plus R46, R62/62A, and R68/R68A subway trains, which were rolled out in the 1980s.
A prominent national private schools group has apologized for remarks some speakers made at a conference about diversity and inclusion earlier this month, after leaders of several Jewish organizations condemned the comments as antisemitic.
In Rochester, N.Y., every year in early December thousands of crows descend on the city, which tries to shoo them away with loud noises and bright lights.
Some $75 million has been set aside to invest in the state’s 12 fish hatcheries, and recommendations for how to spend it are expected soon.
A judge sided with the Saratoga Springs Republican Committee on Friday ruling that the Saratoga County Board of Elections must hold a special election for Saratoga Springs Commissioner of Public Works on Jan. 28, 2025.
Citing a bus driver shortage and myriad programs that require transporting students, the Saratoga Springs City School District is considering adjusting school start times to accommodate its nearly 6,000 students living in a 112-square-mile range.
The Albany-based sportswear-centered NOVUS Clothing Company on Friday celebrated the opening of its first retail store, located at the Impact Athletic Center in Halfmoon.
Were you Seen at the 19th annual Santa Speedo Run on Dec. 14 in Albany?
An advisory instructing residents to boil water before using it has been lifted but a state of emergency remains in effect as the village’s water crisis enters its second week.
Photo credit: George Fazio.
