Good morning, it’s Thursday.
I am conflicted as to whether I’m a spiritual person. Sometimes yes – especially, as with many people, I suspect – when I’m going through a particularly hard time. Sometimes no. I have read a lot about the occult, the unexplained, and the just plain weird.
If, in fact, there is a global internet outage today, or on President-elect Donald Trump’s scheduled inauguration next week (Jan. 20) – as predicted by The Simpsons – I will have to seriously re-examine my belief system.
Moving on…
Here’s an interesting juxtaposition: We are in the middle of National Pizza Week (Jan. 12 -18) AND today is Women’s Healthy Weight Day. The fact that the latter falls in the middle of January, when so many people are focused on a so-called “reset” around eating, exercise, alcohol consumption etc. I find a little ironic – but also completely appropriate.
It’s also worth noting the coverage of a report from a group of health experts from around the world who recommend definition of obesity beyond the standard (and controversial) body mass index (BMI) measure.
The Commission on Clinical Obesity now recommends the inclusion not only of body fat measurements, but also consideration o existing health issues, basically saying that BMI alone is not an adequate or accurate measure of overall health. Another suggestion is adding some nuance to the words we use around weight-related health diagnosis, including “pre-obesity” as well as “obesity.”
As noted in the aforementioned aside, this is hardly the first time the concept of BMI and its importance has been challenged. With the rise in popularity and availability of GLP-1 drugs for the purpose of weight loss (not, as they were originally designed and intended to treat diabetes), the whole discussion around bodies and their appropriate, healthy, and/or desirable size has taken on a whole new dimension.
We could start – and no doubt go down the rabbit hole on – the working definition of a “healthy weight,” which, according to the interwebs is “appropriate for your height, as measured by your BMI – a healthy BMI for adults is between 18.5 and 24.9.” There are all sorts of “healthy weight” calculators available online, including this one, which basically said if I weighed 20 pounds LESS than I do currently, I would still be considered within the “healthy” range for my height.
This does not, of course, take into consideration activity level or muscle mass, which does not, contrary to popular belief, weigh more than fat, but does take up less space as it’s less dense, or really anything else that might be a defining contributor to my overall health and wellness.
Before I get too comfortable on my soapbox, I think I’m just going to cut myself off here by saying: Eat the pizza, life is too short not to, but also get exercise, drink water, and try not to stress the small stuff. (I know, easier said than done).
It will be cloudy and chilly today, with temperatures in the high 20s and cloudy skies.
In the headlines…
Israel and Hamas have reached an agreement on a multiphase ceasefire that commits them to end the war in Gaza, President Joe Biden and Qatar’s prime minister announced separately yesterday.
“This deal will halt the fighting in Gaza, surge much needed-humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians, and reunite the hostages with their families after more than 15 months in captivity,” Biden said.
The long-sought, tortuously negotiated Gaza cease-fire deal came about in part through a remarkable collaboration between Biden and President-elect Donald Trump, who temporarily put aside mutual animosity to achieve a mutual goal.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will make an official announcement on the ceasefire-for-hostages deal only after the final details of the agreement are finalized, his office said in a statement.
Israel’s cabinet is expected to vote today on whether to formally ratify a deal for a 42-day cease-fire and hostage release in Gaza, raising hopes that the 15-month war that has destroyed much of the enclave could soon end.
Trump said he would use the Gaza ceasefire deal as momentum to expand the Abraham Accords, U.S.-backed agreements struck during the president-elect’s first term that normalized Israel’s relations with several Arab countries.
Biden warned that an “oligarchy” of the ultrawealthy was emerging in America, sounding the alarm about unchecked power as he gave a farewell speech to the nation just days before he surrenders office to a man he disdains.
His words were clearly aimed at Trump and his inner circle, including Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, although he didn’t cite anyone by name.
“I’m equally concerned about the potential rise of a tech industrial complex,” Biden said. “It could pose real dangers for our country as well. Americans are being buried under an avalanche of misinformation and disinformation, enabling the abuse of power.”
The speech marked a striking admonition by Biden, who is departing the national stage after more than 50 years in public life, as he has struggled to define his legacy and to steel the country against the return of Trump to the Oval Office.
As Trump prepares to once again assume the Oval Office, a new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll finds that, despite his claims of an “unprecedented and powerful mandate,” he may have to be careful about how far he decides to go with what he wants to do.
Trump was awarded the “first ever Presidential Commemorative Inaugural” Diet Coke by Coca-Cola’s CEO, according to his longtime aide Margo Martin.
The Canadian government is preparing billions of dollars in retaliatory measures on U.S. exports to Canada if Trump makes good on a threat to impose tariffs on Canadian goods, setting up a potential showdown between the two largest trading partners.
The chief executive of TikTok plans to attend Trump’s inauguration and has been invited to sit in a position of honor on the dais, where former presidents, family members and other important guests traditionally are seated.
Speaker Mike Johnson removed Rep. Michael R. Turner of Ohio from the helm of the House Intelligence Committee, in a shake-up that signaled he intends to align the pivotal national security panel more closely with Trump.
Trump’s pick for attorney general, Pam Bondi, fielded questions about her loyalty to Trump and promised there will “never be an enemies list” at the Department of Justice if she is confirmed.
Bondi said that she would consider recommending pardons for those convicted of crimes related to the January 6 riot on a “case-by-case basis.”
Meanwhile, Sen. Marco Rubio — Trump’s choice for secretary of state — appeared in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where he described his positions on foreign policy and ongoing global conflicts. (He also was briefly protested).
Democratic Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking Democratic member, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, said she believes Rubio “has the skills” and is “well qualified to serve as secretary of state.
Russ Vought wouldn’t commit to having the federal government spend all the money Congress approves. The issue came up during his Senate confirmation hearing, where he testified in pursuit of a second tour as White House budget director for Trump.
The confirmation hearing for North Country GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik to become the next ambassador to the United Nations will take place next Tuesday, Jan. 21 with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
The Food and Drug Administration has banned the use of Red Dye No. 3 in food, beverages and drugs, more than three decades after the synthetic coloring was first found to cause cancer in male laboratory rats.
The dye, a petroleum-based additive, has been used to give products a vibrant cherry red hue. Consumer advocates said the move was long overdue, given the agency’s decision in 1990 to ban the chemical for use in cosmetics and topical drugs.
The move acts on a November 2022 petition submitted by multiple advocacy organizations and individuals, including the Center for Science in the Public Interest and the Environmental Working Group, which cited links to cancer.
In announcing the ban, the FDA downplayed the risks to humans, saying that researchers had not found similar cancer risks in studies involving animals other than male rats.
With the 119th Congress underway, New York’s newest members of the House of Representatives received their committee assignments this week.
A day after her State of the State address focused on affordability, Gov. Kathy Hochul was in Troy yesterday to promote increases in childcare subsidies.
Hochul has green activists seeing red. The governor blindsided environmentalists for postponing a controversial “cap and invest” program that critics warned would send gas and home-heating oil prices soaring.
Hochul announced a host of ways she intends to use technology to improve the state’s services and operations, including a cybersecurity incident reporting mandate, required AI training and a broad effort to increase access to government services.
Hochul is pledging to close a legal loophole that allows some New York City landlords to keep their tenants’ security deposits without giving a reason. But housing advocates say the proposal is not enough to ensure tenants actually get their money back.
Hochul raised more than $10 million in the second half of 2024 for her reelection bid and for the state Democratic Party, her campaign announced. That includes $3.3 million to Friends of Kathy Hochul and $6.7 million raised for the party.
AG Letitia James is reportedly investigating about a half dozen guardianship organizations and how they manage the health and financial affairs of hundreds of elderly and infirm New Yorkers deemed incapable of looking after themselves.
Attorneys for the family of Robert L. Brooks, who died after being beaten by correction officers at Marcy Correctional Facility, filed a federal lawsuit against the two high-ranking state prison officials and more than a dozen officers implicated in the incident.
New York City is launching a new program called Bridge to Home that aims to provide extended services and supervision to homeless New Yorkers being discharged from psychiatric stays at the city’s public hospitals, the Adams administration announced.
Adams’ political fundraising is bouncing back, with his campaign bringing in $250,000 in the most recent filing period after receiving only $250 during the last recording period after his indictment became public.
Adams’ legal defense fund raised just $2,200 from two donors over the last three months, even as his expenses to battle federal corruption charges mount ahead of an expected April trial, new filings show.
Adams swiped back at critics of his newly announced $650 million plan to tackle mental illness and homelessness, including New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, saying “adults come up with real solutions.”
A new poll conducted for mayoral candidate Scott Stringer shows that former Gov. Andrew Cuomo would be the clear front-runner to win the June Democratic primary if he enters the race, garnering support from 33% of Democratic voters.
The Campaign Finance Board awarded City Comptroller Brad Lander just under $3 million in public matching funds yesterday, solidified the left-leaning Democrat’s decision to run against Adams and rectified an embarrassing paperwork error.
Oren, Alon and Tal Alexander were denied bail in a Manhattan courtroom yesterday, after a judge ruled that the three brothers posed both a danger to the community and might flee the country as they awaited trial on federal sex-trafficking charges.
The NYPD updated its policy regarding when officers can initiate vehicle pursuits. While the old rules gave officers little direction on when to engage in car chases, the new guidance prohibits them from chasing people suspected of low-level offenses.
The NYPD will stop initiating dangerous and often high-speed pursuits of suspects fleeing non-violent crimes and traffic infractions under the new policy created by Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
Officials have been trying to tame corruption and misconduct in the Police Department for more than a century, but the problems that Tisch inherited when she took over the department in November are especially thorny.
The Metropolitan Transit Authority has rolled out its latest effort to combat fare evasion — this time installing spikes on turnstiles.
Dozens of Brooklynites raged over a city-run concrete recycling facility that has been blanketing Cobble Hill in thick layers of dust for a year — spouting concerns that the fumes are making them sick.
An Amsterdam businessman vying to be the next Republican candidate for the 21st Congressional district says he’s innovating campaign politics by hosting a free night of cage fighting at Cool Insuring Arena.
Assemblyman Chris Tague and former congressional candidate Liz Joy are emerging as GOP favorites for the bid to succeed Stefanik, who is inching closer to confirmation as ambassador to the United Nations.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced a final agreement to allocate nearly a billion dollars to create a computer chip research center that will be one third of the country’s National Semiconductor Technology Center at the Albany NanoTech campus.
It doesn’t take a long walk down Lark Street to feel the impact of Willie Nelson Jr., a local icon affectionately known as the Mayor of Lark Street, who died on Dec. 31.
A political neophyte and small business owner from Schenectady’s Guyanese community is the newest member of the Schenectady County Legislature.
Downtown Albany’s MVP Arena will be the site of the 2025 CrossFit Games, an annual competition where top athletes from around the world compete for the title of “Fittest on Earth.”
Bird watchers flocked to Greenwich this week to get a glimpse of a taiga bean goose, a waterfowl indigenous to Europe and Asia that experts say is rarely seen in the Northeast U.S.
Photo credit: George Fazio.
