Good Monday morning.
A few years back, we took a trip to Peru. We did some of the standard touristy things – hiked Machu Picchu; for example; ate alpaca, (not guinea pig, this was a bridge too far for me); and visited Cusco, which is the jumping off point for the Sacred Valley of the Andes.
But then we got a little bit more off the beaten path, spending five days hiking around Ausangate – a trek that typically includes five mountain passes over 5,000 feet. We didn’t camp out, staying instead in rustic huts run by local indigenous people in partnership with a trekking company that focuses on what it calls “community-based rural tourism.”
It was an amazing and humbling experience, and so unique that I clearly remember many details despite the passage of time.
One of the things I recall is how dark it was out there.
The huts have no electricity, relying on propane gas for heating showers and cooking, and candles and solar lanterns for light. Once darkness fell and everyone headed off to bed, you could step outside and see the sky unobstructed by any artificial light source because the nearest settlement with electricity was many miles away.
So. Many. Stars.
It isn’t until you experience total darkness in this manner that you truly understand what light pollution is and how much it has impacted your life. Even on the darkest night here in so-called civilization, artificial light is obscuring our ability to truly see the night sky.
A 2016 study found that more than 80 percent of the world, and 99 percent of U.S. and European residents, live under light polluted skies. One third of the people on the planet are unable to see the Milky Way. This strikes me as unbelievably sad.
“Light pollution,” by definition, is the brightening of the night sky caused by man-made sources – excessive artificial light at night is also known as “ALAN.” This is a problem not only for those who study the night sky, but also because it has a disruptive effect on natural cycles of many living things – including humans.
Any of my fellow insomniacs can tell you how difficult it is to get to back sleep after one spends a good deal of time staring at one’s phone, computer screen, or TV.
But humans have the luxury of being able to turn lights off, donning a sleep mask, hanging blackout curtains, etc., though we can’t fully escape the ambient stuff that’s outside (more on that in a second). Animals are not so lucky.
Those who are nocturnal get confused by the lights at night, which disturb their natural sleep and feeding patterns. Migratory birds that rely on natural light (and dark) spaces for navigational cues can get disoriented and lose their way due to light pollution. Too much artificial light can even impact breeding behaviors in some species.
You probably won’t be surprised to learn that light pollution is getting worse instead of better, increasing by a rate of 10 percent a year, according to one study. The rate does vary depending on where you are in the country, with North America experiencing a faster rate of light pollution increase than Europe.
There are approaches that can be used to mitigate light pollution – the first and most obvious is to reduce unnecessary lighting and turning off lights when they’re not needed. Using energy-efficient LED lights is another option, as is shielding lights so their glow isn’t directed upward into the sky.
We are at the tail end of International Dark Sky Week, “a worldwide celebration to build awareness about the harmful effects of light pollution and the importance of the global nighttime environment.”
After a somewhat disappointing weekend, weather wise, we’re in for a treat today with sunny skies and temperatures returning to the mid-70s.
In the headlines…
President Donald Trump’s approval rating is dipping as he nears 100 days in office and Americans grow skeptical of his sweeping actions to transform government, new polling shows.
A trio of polls out yesterday show that a majority of Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of the presidency.
Trump’s approval rating — which hovers between 39% and 45% in the three surveys— is the lowest for any newly elected president at the 100-day mark in more than seven decades, per CNN.
Federal agents raided an underground nightclub in Colorado early yesterday morning and detained more than 100 people who they said were undocumented immigrants, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.
A 4-year-old and a 7-year-old with U.S. citizenship were deported alongside their mother to Honduras last week, the family’s lawyer said, adding to the string of American citizens caught in the cross hairs of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, of Brooklyn, voiced their opposition to a “reckless” Republican budget by launching a 12+ hour sit-in on the U.S. Capitol steps yesterday morning. (It was also Booker’s birthday).
Billed as an “Urgent Conversation with the American People”, the livestreamed discussion came before Congress’s return to session today, where Democrats hope to stall Republicans’ economic legislative agenda.
“This is a moral moment in America. Sitting on the Capitol steps with (Jeffries) this morning to discuss what’s at stake with Trump’s budget and affirm the need for action to protect Medicaid, food assistance, and other safety net programs,” Booker said.
In the fight over the future of the Democratic Party, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has emerged as a leader of an insurgent faction calling for a full-throated, unflinching barrage of attacks on Trump, his Republican allies and their right-wing agenda.
Even before Pope Francis was entombed in a Rome basilica on Saturday, conservative cardinals who felt his pontificate was a divisive disaster that endangered the church’s traditions had begun politicking to sway the conclave electing the next pope.
The Vatican released photos of the tomb of Pope Francis, who was buried on Saturday in the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome. The release came Sunday morning, as the tomb opened for public viewing.
Though the famously humble pontiff requested simplicity in his wooden coffin and final resting place, the funeral Mass still reflected the grandeur and traditions of the Vatican.
Trump questioned whether Russian leader Vladimir Putin wants a peace deal, shortly after meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky in the heart of the Vatican minutes before the start of the pope’s funeral.
Trump was on the ground in Rome for about 14 hours, leaving immediately after the services for the pope in St. Peter’s Square, stopping only for handshakes or greetings with a few of the presidents, prime ministers, royals and religious leaders in attendance.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said yesterday that the Trump administration will decide this week whether to continue pursuing a negotiated settlement in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine or to turn its attention to other matters.
A coalition of 19 states sued the Trump administration on Friday over its threat to withhold federal funding from states and districts with certain diversity programs in their public schools.
The lawsuit was filed in federal court by the attorneys general in California, New York, Illinois, Minnesota and other Democratic-leaning states, who argue that the Trump administration’s demand is illegal.
A suspect was arrested in the theft last weekend of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem’s purse at a restaurant in downtown Washington, D.C, law enforcement officials said.
Law enforcement officials did not identify the suspect by name but accused the individual of being a repeat offender who had immigrated to the United States illegally some years ago.
A suspect has been charged with eight counts of second-degree murder after a car plowed into a crowd at a street festival celebrating Filipino heritage in Vancouver, killing at least 11 people in what police are calling “the darkest day” in the city’s history.
Some of those attending the festival helped chase down and detain the suspect, who police identified as Kai-Ji Adam Lo, 30, a Vancouver resident arrested at the scene who had a history of mental health-related interactions with authorities.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said more than 20 people were injured in the incident, which occurred at approximately20:14 local time on Saturday (03:14 GMT on Sunday).
As a budget deal nears completion, Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday would not rule out including changes in the final spending plan to weaken education standards for nonpublic schools in exchange for political gain.
Hochul said she’d reluctantly consider renaming Penn Station for President Trump — as long as the money’s right.
America’s beleaguered national railroad – Amtrak – is now in charge of what could be one of New York City’s most ambitious public works projects in recent memory.
Two state lawmakers are championing a bill that would forbid insurance companies from exempting lead poisoning claims from policies covering landlords, which they hope will incentivize the industry to address lead hazards in the properties they insure.
State Sen. Patricia Fahy and other lawmakers are fighting to remove a waiver that allows Tesla to operate five in-person dealerships in New York, instead forcing the company to sell their vehicles through dealer franchises.
Fahy, who previously supported Tesla’s fight to open dealerships in New York, is now participating in demonstrations against a planned Tesla dealership just outside her district, in Colonie.
Hochul recently announced that $30 million is available to potential car buyers who decide to lease or purchase a new electric vehicle through the Drive Clean Rebate program.
U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy slammed congestion pricing as Hochul’s “warped” war on the middle class — intended to price the poor out of their cars and into the filthy, unsafe underground.
No one was expecting a love fest when Hudson Valley Republican Rep. Mike Lawler faced constituents in his suburban swing district last night. Still, even he seemed surprised by the night’s first clash — over the Pledge of Allegiance.
George Santos, the former Long Island Republican congressman whose outlandish fabrications and criminal schemes fueled an unforeseen rise and spectacular fall, was sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison on Friday.
“Where is the remorse?” U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert asked Santos — the host of a podcast called “Pants on Fire” — before sentencing him to 87 months behind bars and ordering him to pay almost $374,000 in restitution and over $200,000 in forfeiture.
A New York Times reporter inside the Long Island courtroom shared that Santos “covered his face and was sobbing” as Seybert sentenced him to 87 months in prison for his “flagrant thievery.”
Santos’ pleas for mercy did little to move Seybert, who described the former congressman as “an arrogant fraudster talking out of both sides of his mouth.”
Mayor Eric Adams yesterday celebrated a sharp drop in gun violence across the five boroughs, and said New York City now sees fewer shootings than any other point in modern history.
The Police Department is investigating reports that pro-Israel counterprotesters at a pro-Palestinian demonstration assaulted two women, injuring one of them, during protests in Brooklyn over a visit by a far-right Israeli official, Adams said last night.
Demonstrations have taken place in recent days during a visit to New York by far-right Israeli national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, a West Bank settler who has pressed for an intensification of U.S. ally Israel’s war in the Gaza Strip.
Adams accepted between $1,000 and $6,000 worth of gifts last year from the Madison Square Garden business empire, which holds significant financial interests before his administration, according to new records.
The judge in Adams’ now-dismissed corruption case ordered that a trove of documents be released on Friday, May 2, which could provide a window into the case that never made it to trial.
Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Mary Rosado has delayed the opening of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) center on Rikers Island in a significant setback for Adams and the Trump administration.
Mayoral hopeful Andrew Cuomo on Friday locked in the endorsement of 1199SEIU, New York’s largest health care workers’ union, continuing a trend of organized labor organizations lining up behind the former governor’s bid for City Hall.
Cuomo was ambushed by profane performance artist Crackhead Barney outside a Brooklyn church yesterday, according to footage of the foul-mouthed attack.
Brad Lander, the New York City comptroller and self-described “tough nerd,” knows that for him to win the race for mayor of New York City, Cuomo must fall. So he has retooled his campaign to focus on taking down the former governor.
Mayoral hopeful and ex-City Comptroller Scott Stringer ripped the ex-governor yesterday, saying he “lied” about a group he built to fight antisemitism that has been largely missing in action.
Mayoral candidate Jessica Ramos wants to manage the city’s $112 billion budget, but she’s failed to get her own fiscal house in order — defaulting on nearly $80,000 in student loans.
A historically neglected area of Central Park now has a new recreation center complete with a massive public swimming pool that can become an ice rink or a public green, depending on the season.
The price of marijuana products in the Empire State is dropping as the legal weed industry booms, spurring more competition while more outlets open.
Related Companies and Oxford Properties Group plan to significantly increase the number of proposed housing units at Hudson Yards West — from 1,500 to as many as 4,000 — while maintaining the originally agreed 324 affordable units.
Reversing a Biden administration position, Trump’s Justice Department argued that a lawsuit could proceed in Manhattan that accuses a United Nations agency of providing more than $1 billion that helped to enable Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
A 38-year-old Brooklyn man was fatally stabbed early Friday after he and another man began fighting on a downtown No. 5 train in Manhattan during the morning rush hour, officials said.
After months of negotiations and public hearings, National Grid has reached a settlement with state regulators to raise gas and electric rates for its upstate customers.
New York announced $15 million in grants to municipalities, nonprofits and universities for reforestation projects across the state on Friday, including more than $3 million for the Hudson Valley and Capital Region.
Amtrak service between Albany-Rensselaer and New York City will be reduced starting today to allow for rehabilitation work on the East River Tunnel in New York City.
A judge has ruled that there is insufficient evidence to void the designating petitions that Schenectady City Council hopeful Kim Wiggins collected and submitted to election officials as she sought to get herself and other Democrats on the ballot.
The U.S. Department of Education plans to investigate New York education officials for threatening to withhold funding if a Long Island school district doesn’t stop using a Native American-themed logo.
Photo credit: George Fazio.
