Good morning, it’s Thursday. Welcome to a brand new year!
I don’t know about you, but it kinda feels anticlimactic on this end. Maybe that’s because we are sort of slammed rudely back into the workweek with what feels like no warning?
Who ever heard of turning over a new leaf on a Thursday?
I guess another way to look at it is that we’re easing back into the concept of work after a week-plus of holiday revelry and vacation? I read a lot over the break about attitude and reframing your thoughts. (Was your feed similarly full of self-improvement tips and articles? Is the universe trying to tell me something?)
I’m also struggling to get back to a sense of normalcy after being very, very sick for well over a week. The kind of sick where you can’t get out of bed, stop eating, and just lie in bed staring at the ceiling and waiting for this moment to pass. It felt like eternity.
However, in a weird way, I miss it. I miss having to do nothing other than focus on regaining my health. No emails. No calls. Nowhere to be and no one to talk to. Just a pile of books and dogs and a lot of liquids.
It says something about my life that being sick is a reprieve, right? Something not good. I’m working through it. Needless to say, that might take a while to fully come to terms with – I know what the message is; I just am not at all ready to hear it.
The Christmas-to-New-Years doldrums week was oddly active from a news perspective. We lost Jimmy Carter, about whom I am embarrassed to admit that I know quite a bit more now than I did when he was alive. We witnessed a terrible and yet unexplained plane crash in South Korea, and rang in the new year with a terror attack in New Orleans.
Here in New York, meanwhile, the last legal hurdle blocking the implementation of congestion pricing fell (or appeared to, anyway, as New Jersey isn’t quite ready to throw in the towel just yet), the New York City subway system was the site of some horrific acts of violence, as was a now notorious upstate prison.
There was a lot more where that came from, headline-wise, though I tried mightily (and largely failed) not to pay too much attention. Now, however, I am back and fully plugged in – for better or worse – and hoping that this year brings some much-needed inspiration, solace, and positive developments.
Because of this lingering malaise that came courtesy of whatever crud broke through my immune defenses (it wasn’t COVID, at least not according to the multiple tests I obsessively took), New Year’s Eve was fairly low key.
I consumed a THC seltzer that didn’t really feel like it had much of an effect, and was in bed before 1 a.m. I am proud that I made it to midnight at all, as some years I haven’t even managed that much. The dogs gave me a present by sleeping in until 5 a.m., which was a nice was to start 2025.
I did not feel the need to make any resolutions, other than a sort of general pledge to be better and do better – whatever that might mean – while also wrestling with the aforementioned recognition that maybe I need to take a cue from my body and brain and learn how to slow down every once in a while.
One reason not to bother with resolutions is the fact that most people fail to stick with them for more than a few months. Making drastic pledges about improving one’s health through a vigorous exercise regime, massive diet, or by quitting any number of vices – hello, Dry January? – tend to be a bit more than the average person can accomplish.
Small changes – adding more vegetables to your daily intake, for example, or getting out for a daily dose of fresh air and steps – are where it’s at. I find that accomplishing small, bite-sized goals makes it a lot easier for me to get into a head space where I can more successfully tackle the big stuff.
The practice of making resolutions dates back centuries, as it turns out. The ancient Babylonians and Romans both dabbled with making promises and pledges, though in their case, the price of forfeiture – falling out of favor with the gods – was a far sight more serious than just feeling a little worse about oneself.
The name of the game is patience, practice, and persistence. I’ll let you know how it goes on my end.
After a string of just insanely nice (read: warm) and unseasonable weather, I hope you haven’t 1) grown too complacent, and 2) packed away your woolies, because we’re in for a deep freeze. Polar vortex 2025 will soon be upon us, with temperatures dipping down into the 20s.
In the headlines…
The New Orleans attack, which officials are investigating as an act of terrorism, appears to be the deadliest mass attack in the US in more than a year.
President Biden briefly spoke to reporters about the ongoing investigation after a car drove into a crowd on New Orleans’ Bourbon Street, saying was coordinating with “every agency” about getting to the facts of the attack before commenting further.
The Sugar Bowl has been postponed after police confirmed a driver rammed his truck into a New Year’s Day crowd on Bourbon Street in New Orleans killing at least 15 people – a number that could increase – and injuring several others.
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill told “NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt” last night that she would have preferred the football game get delayed at least until Friday.
The FBI confirmed the identify of the suspected driver of the truck as Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar, 42, of Texas. Investigators have reviewed video of three men and a woman placing explosives in New Orleans amid the investigation into the terrorist attack.
Jabbar served in the Army from 2007 to 2015 and deployed to Afghanistan, then served in the Army Reserve until 2020, according to an Army release, leaving with the rank of staff sergeant.
Feds ruled out that the ISIS flag-flying terrorist who killed at least 15 people and injured dozens of others on New Orleans’ famed Bourbon Street had help from four people spotted on surveillance footage near the deadly attack.
Two recent high school graduates, a Princeton football star, a young mother and a father of two were among the victims killed in New Orleans.
President-elect Donald Trump suggested on social media that his condemnations of undocumented immigrants had been validated, though officials later said that the suspect was a U.S.-born citizen.
One person was killed and at least seven were injured after a Tesla Cybertruck exploded outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas yesterday morning, and officials were investigating any possible links to an earlier attack on a crowd in New Orleans.
The two episodes have superficial similarities, including that both suspects used the same car rental app.
The truck was rented in Colorado and arrived in the city less than two hours before the detonation, police said. Parked in front of the hotel near a glass entrance, the vehicle started to smoke, then exploded.
Jeremy Schwartz, the FBI acting special agent in charge in Las Vegas, would not identify the person inside the vehicle, who died in the blast, saying, “Our number one goal is to ensure that we have proper identification of the subject involved in the incident.”
The FBI found the largest cache of “finished explosive devices” in the bureau’s history during the arrest of a Virginia man earlier this month, according to court documents.
Brad Spafford was arrested on Dec. 17 in Isle of Wight County, 180 miles (290km) south of Washington DC, after a tip-off that he was stockpiling weapons and homemade ammunition on the property he shares with his wife and two young children.
Pro-Palestinian groups in the U.S. are staring down a new challenge in 2025: Trump and Republicans.
Trump on Monday failed to overturn a $5 million judgment that he sexually abused the writer E. Jean Carroll in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in the mid-1990s and later defamed her.
Gov. Kathy Hochul mobilized additional resources in preparation for significant snowfall and strong winds as a lake effect snow event impacts areas in Western New York, the Finger Lakes, Central New York, the Mohawk Valley and the North Country.
A New York democratic bill aimed at charging oil and gas companies for pollution could result in regressive costs for working families in the state, energy and economic experts says.
Hochul on Monday installed a new top leader at Marcy Correctional Facility, the upstate prison where 14 corrections workers have been implicated in a fatal attack on an inmate that was captured on video.
A video was released by the AG’s office showing correctional officers at the facility “repeatedly pummeling” a handcuffed Brooks on Dec. 9, “striking him in the chest with a shoe, and lifting him by the neck and dropping him,” according to The Associated Press.
“The system failed Mr. Brooks and I will not be satisfied until there has been significant culture change. Today I am implementing a number of new policies at Marcy and within DOCCS,” Hochul said in a press release.
Hochul visited Marcy, which drew criticism from local leaders, while protestors demonstrated in Manhattan, calling for the officers involved in Brooks’ death to be fired.
Pregnant New Yorkers will be entitled to at least 20 hours of paid leave to attend prenatal medical appointments under a law that took effect yesterday.
Hochul recently signed legislation to help combat the opioid and overdose epidemic across the state, which is particularly prevalent on Staten Island.
New York State delivered nearly $6.5 billion in food assistance to low-income working New Yorkers in 2024, with funds provided through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which helps families with disabilities afford healthy food.
The legal cannabis industry will take New Yorkers even higher in 2025, with state regulators projecting the number of new licensed pot stores will more than double — soaring from 275 to more than 625.
In 2024, consumers purchased more than $840 million in legal cannabis. When factoring in sales from 2023, the legal market has exceeded the milestone of $1 billion in total sales.
“This milestone is more than just a number—it’s a testament to the hard work of those who helped build the strongest cannabis industry in the nation: one that prioritizes equity, ensures public safety, and empowers communities,” Hochul stated.
John Chell was sworn in as the NYPD’s Chief of Department at Times Square on New Year’s Eve, replacing Jeffrey Maddrey, who recently resigned amid accusations he had swapped sex for overtime.
Chell, a 30-year veteran of the Police Department, has publicly sparred with members of the media and liberal politicians.
As New Yorkers consider who will run their city and state in 2025 and beyond, the message from candidates is clear: Vote for me, and I’ll make living here more affordable.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams is entering a critical re-election year with many of his closes allies gone from City Hall.
Adams starts this year facing a federal corruption trial and having been denied (for now) public matching campaign funds, and so at clear risk of defeat in both the June 24 primary and — should a viable GOP challenger emerge — the general election.
As he faces reelection next year with a record of scandal atop the NYPD, Adams is leaning into his 2021 campaign pledge to reduce crime and effectively manage the nation’s largest police department.
On Jan. 9, Adams will deliver his fourth mayoral State of the City Address at The Apollo in Harlem, where he will discuss his administration’s achievements over the past three years.
Adams announced “Founded by NYC,” a year-long celebration marking New York City’s 400th anniversary. The year-long event is a reflection on the Big Apple’s past – acknowledging its indigenous roots, cultural tapestry, and forward-thinking innovations.
A 23-year-old man was arrested and charged with attempted murder on Tuesday night, hours after a man waiting on a Manhattan subway platform was violently shoved into the path of an oncoming train.
A man who was shoved off a Manhattan subway platform and into the path of a fast-moving train, Joseph Lynskey, 45, not only survived, but was able to speak to his family from his hospital bed. He is expected to make a full recovery.
The person accused of attacking Lynskey, Kamel Hawkins, 23, was charged with attempted murder in the second degree and four counts of assault, according to a criminal complaint filed by Manhattan prosecutors.
Investigators have learned the name of a woman who was burned alive — and beyond recognition — aboard a Brooklyn train last week. The police identified the woman as Debrina Kawam of Toms River, N.J.
Sebastian Zapeta-Calil, an illegal Guatemalan immigrant who has been accused of the crime, is facing first-degree murder charges in the attack.
Adams warned Curtis Sliwa and the Guardian Angels to stay in their lane as the volunteer public safety group said they would resume subway patrols in the wake of a woman who was killed after being set on fire on a Brooklyn F train.
A string of attacks has riders devising their own strategies to stay safe, even after years of official efforts to make New York’s vital transportation system secure.
Adams’ legal defense trust returned seven of eight contributions from Madison Square Garden kingpin James Dolan’s family business within days of receiving them, new records reveal — a move that put increased strain on the already cash-strapped fund.
Erden Arkan, a businessman accused of playing a central role in funneling thousands of dollars in illegal straw donations to Adams’ 2021 campaign on behalf of the Turkish government, has indicated he will plead guilty, federal prosecutors said.
Many New Yorkers believe the city is best appreciated on foot. But the teeming streets — packed with cars, bikes and a growing number of other vehicles — became increasingly hostile to pedestrians in 2024, city statistics show.
A decade into an effort to reduce traffic fatalities in New York City, total deaths have begun to trend upward in recent years after consistently dropping during the first five years of the initiative.
The Lower East Side institution Katz’s Deli agreed to make renovations to accommodate people with disabilities, long after a “most popular” restaurants list put it under Justice Department scrutiny.
Actor Blake Lively sued “It Ends With Us” director Justin Baldoni and several others tied to the romantic drama, alleging harassment and a coordinated campaign to attack her reputation for coming forward about her treatment on the set.
Erin P. Gall, the state Supreme Court Justice who initially fought removal from the bench after a July 2022 incident in which she threatened to shoot a group of Black teenagers, has landed a job as an attorney working for Herkimer County.
Terry Kindlon was sworn in as Albany County’s new DA.
Trainer Chad Brown and jockey Dylan Davis, each a graduate of a Saratoga County high school, earned the most wins in their respective disciplines during 2024 on the New York Racing Association’s circuit.
A 30-foot sailboat anchored in the Hudson River off of Henry Hudson Park sank, but it does not appear that any fuel leaked from the vessel, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.
After nearly 21 years on the Schenectady County Legislature, Philip “Fiscal Phil” Fields, the go-to person for tackling budget and fiscal matters, has stepped down, citing the increased demands of a job promotion.
Drivers in Albany will have another resolution to add to their New Year’s lists: slowing their roll on city streets.
Jocelyne Wildenstein, the New York socialite most commonly known by the moniker “Catwoman” for her appearance due to numerous plastic surgeries, has died at 84.
The Swiss-born ex-wife of billionaire Alec Wildenstein died Tuesday in Paris from a pulmonary embolism, according to a statement from her companion, Lloyd Klein, to Agence France-Presse.
Photo credit: George Fazio. (Yes, I know Christmas is over, but I don’t want these shots to go to waste, so let’s try to prolong the cheer for just a few days, OK? Humor me).
