Good Wednesday morning.
I played outside a lot as a kid. An only child, I spent a lot of time learning how to amuse myself. I climbed trees with my imaginary friends, swung on the swing set, made up stories and songs, and sometimes played with the neighbor across the street, who was a year younger than me and not always free – she had a very active social life.
When the weather was bad, I played inside. I was a big Barbie girl, but also was a fan of arts and crafts. I spilled so much glue on the carpet of my playroom that I think my mom might have had to cut it in half to get it out when it was time to redecorate.
I had a lot of toys (only child syndrome). But I do not recall among them a single Mr. Potato Head. I was, of course, familiar with the toy, but I don’t think I missed not having one around. Truthfully, I recall finding the featureless canvas onto which one was to affix a variety of facial expressions, accessories etc. a little creepy.
But it appears that I am very much in the minority, because the interwebs inform me that Mr. Potato head, introduced in 1952 by Hasbro, has become one of the company’s most cherished and popular characters, with more than 100 million toys sold in over 30 markets across the globe.
On this day in 1952, Mr. Potato Head made history by becoming the first toy ever to be advertised on TV in what was the first commercial specifically targeting young viewers.
These days, of course, everything is algorithmically driven to serve highly tailored content to specific audiences, but at the time, the idea that an ad would be catering to a unique demographic was a revolutionary tactic. And it worked. Hundreds of thousands of Mr. Potato Heads were sold within a matter of months.
The original Mr. Potato Head did not include an actual head, and so was something of a misnomer. Instead, the kit featured plastic hands, feet, and ears, two mouths, two pairs of eyes, four noses, three hats, eyeglasses, a pipe, and eight felt pieces of facial hair. Kids were supposed to affix these pieces to a potato of the root vegetable variety OR they could use a piece of styrofoam, which was helpfully included in the box.
In 1953, Mrs. Potato Head was introduced, along with the couple’s children, Spud (a boy) and Yam (a girl). A number of veggie friends joined the fray shortly thereafter, including Kate the Carrot, Pete the Pepper, Oscar the Orange, and Cookie Cucumber.
Though the toys were wildly popular with kids, parents were not so thrilled with playing host to rotting vegetables – particularly when finding them lodged under the beds of their offspring – and were worried about the safety of the plastic pieces, which needed to be sharp in order to firmly lodge in a vegetable’s flesh.
Hasbro responded by introducing a plastic “body” for the toy, which is more or less same of the modern-day version, though it has grown larger overall due to safety concerns around choking hazards for small children. A trapdoor was added to the backside of the toy to allow the accessories to be stored inside it and reduce the likelihood of losing pieces.
Mr. Potato Head has had a number of star turns, including, most notably in the Toy Story franchise. He even got a float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame at the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester in 2000.
Controversy struck in 2021, however, when Hasbro tried to get on the inclusivity train and announced it would drop the “Mr.” from its signature toy’s name, so everyone would feel welcome in the Potato Head world, and also would sell an entire play set minus any designations so kids could make their own determinations about gender – or lack thereof.
This news was not well received in all corners, unsurprisingly, causing the company to backtrack somewhat, saying that “Mrs.” and “Mr.” would still be used, just not as prominently. The dustup didn’t necessarily have a long-term impact on the toy’s brand or its legacy – it’s still one of the best-selling toys of all time, including such icons as the Pet Rock and Cabbage Patch Kids.
It will be a little cooler today, with temperatures in the low-to-mid 60s. Skies will be partly cloudy.
In the headlines…
President Trump signed executive orders that walked back some tariffs for carmakers, removing levies that Ford, General Motors and others have complained would backfire on U.S. manufacturing by raising the cost of production and squeezing their profits.
The changes will modify Trump’s tariffs so carmakers that pay a 25 percent tariff on auto imports are not subject to other levies, for example on steel and aluminum, or on certain imports from Canada and Mexico, according to the orders.
China’s factory activity contracted at the fastest pace in 16 months in April, a factory survey showed today, keeping alive calls for further stimulus as Trump’s “Liberation Day” package of tariffs snapped two months of recovery.
Three weeks into a trade war that pushed import tariffs of Chinese-made goods to 145 percent, an official report on manufacturing activity signaled that in April, Chinese factories experienced the sharpest monthly slowdown in more than a year.
Trump said this month that his tariffs were bringing in $2 billion a day already. The real number was $192 million per day at the time. While the import revenue has increased slightly since then, it is still nowhere close to what the president had suggested.
Consumer confidence sank 7.9 points in April to a reading of 86, the Conference Board said in its latest survey released yesterday. That’s the lowest level since May 2020 and a larger decline than economists had projected.
UPS is cutting 20,000 jobs and closing some facilities as the delivery company reduces the amount of Amazon packages it handles.
The company said it plans to conduct the layoffs before the end of the year and close 73 facilities in buildings it owns or leases by the end of June — with more closings to possibly to come at a later date.
Trump marked the first 100 days of his second term yesterday at a rally in Michigan in which he celebrated his border crackdown and boasted of the retribution he has carried out against his perceived enemies and his opponents’ inability to thwart his agenda.
The president addressed about 3,000 of his supporters at Macomb Community College, in an area near Detroit seen as key to his electoral victory in the state and emblematic of union workers’ shift from the Democratic to the Republican Party.
Trump spoke for almost an hour and a half, falsely claimed to have won the 2020 presidential election, danced to “YMCA,” and acknowledged the regulars that have shown up to his rallies for years.
Trump was fuming about a report Amazon might list tariff price hikes on its popular marketplace, issuing a warning to founder Jeff Bezos and declaring the move hostile (Amazon said after Trump’s call the plan was only an idea and wouldn’t be implemented).
Trump, whose administration has insisted it could not bring Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia back from El Salvador to the US, said he does have the ability to help return the wrongly deported Maryland man, but won’t because he believes he is a gang member.
Trump and ABC News’ Terry Moran held a contentious interview in which the president and the senior national correspondent clashed over tariff policy, deportations, MS-13 tattoos and the power of the presidency.
Lawyers for Trump and Paramount, the parent of CBS News, are set to begin mediation today over a lawsuit brought by the president that accuses “60 Minutes” of deceptively editing an interview with his 2024 Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris.
The U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security is investigating the Chinese-American Planning Council, a New York City nonprofit, alleging the taxpayer-funded group’s know-your-rights training sessions may help undocumented people evade ICE.
In a letter Committee Chair Rep. Mark E. Green and Rep. Josh Brecheen alerted CPC President and CEO Wayne Ho about the probe into the “potential use of federal funds by non-government organizations (NGOs) to facilitate illegal immigration.”
Republican leaders are trying to convince Rep. Mike Lawler to drop his consideration of a run for governor of New York as concerns over protecting his battleground House seat next year mount, according to four senior GOP sources familiar with the situation.
Lawler blasted Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for his support of the Big Apple’s controversial congestion pricing plan – calling the Democrat “full of s–t.”
Rep. Elise Stefanik went after House Speaker Mike Johnson on social media in a rare open clash between members of GOP leadership, saying his claims that they have discussed the New York governor’s race are “not true.”
George Santos will ask Trump for a pardon, his attorney said days after the disgraced former congressman bawled in federal court as he was sentenced to seven years behind bars.
New York’s state budget will include “about $50 million” to establish a new housing assistance subsidy for low-income renters after years of advocacy from tenant groups and homeless rights activists, Gov. Kathy Hochul said.
The budget deal includes an increased payroll tax to help fund the MTA’s next five-year capital plan for transit improvements, though threats from the federal government could still lead to a shortfall.
Business owners and industry reps warned the looming tax increase will cause bigger companies to leave the state and make cuts that’ll hit workers in the pocketbooks.
Fiscal experts on both sides of the aisle slammed the deal as irresponsible as Republicans in Washington plot steps that could drastically slash the more than $90 billion in federal funds, primarily for health care and education, that the budget depends on.
With Congressional Republicans on the hook to realize $880 billion in savings by Sept. 30, Hochul is now forced to look for ways to compensate for the anticipated hit to the state’s $124 billion Medicaid budget — one of the largest in the country.
Assemblymember Gary Pretlow, chair of his House’s finance committee, said Hochul’s budget announcement was so premature it was like a romantic partner demanding their unwilling partner marry them because wedding invitations were out.
New York will require schools statewide to ban smartphone use during school hours, joining a national movement aimed at preventing compulsive social media use and distractions that interfere with school work, Hochul announced this week.
Most New Yorkers are set to get slight income-tax cuts and one-time “inflation refund checks” of up to $400 from Albany under a belated budget deal that preserved most of Hochul’s priorities.
New York is now one step closer to allowing doctors to help terminally ill patients die by prescribing life-ending medication that can be used when it’s determined they have less than six months to live.
The Medical Aid in Dying measure passed 81-67 after more than four hours of debate, with more than 10 Democrats joining the minority Republicans in voting no. It’s still unclear whether it will be considered by the state Senate or whether Hochul supports it.
State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins acknowledged that the proposal has gained traction over the last few years and that she would discuss it with members. She did not commit to bringing it up for a floor vote.
State lawmakers hope that a package of pending bills can close gaps in New York’s civil protections for survivors of sexual abuse.
Albany is mulling a bill that would require that intelligent speed assistance be installed in vehicles driven by people who accumulate more than 11 points on their license in a 24-month period or who have received six red-light camera tickets in one year.
A coalition of business advocacy organizations from across New York is imploring the state’s congressional delegation to oppose any efforts in Washington to weaken or repeal the CHIPS and Science Act.
Cannabis-related emergency room visits in New York leaped nearly 57% in the initial two years after the state legalized adult-use recreational marijuana in 2021.
After a slow initial launch to its adult-use marijuana market, New York in 2024 saw the number of legal stores nearly triple, according to a new Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) report, fueling total sales for the year of $869 million.
Hochul is pushing Amtrak to either switch to night and weekend work so the tracks aren’t closed during weekdays or add more coach cars so the existing trains can carry more passengers.
Republican Michael Henry said he’s raising the necessary funds for a rematch bid to topple embattled New York State Attorney General Letitia James next year.
Mayor Eric Adams is petitioning to run on an “EndAntiSemitism” ballot line — a choice that highlights one of his few remaining areas of unbridled political support, and attempts to undermine Andrew Cuomo.
Adams, who revealed earlier this month he was bypassing this June’s crowded Democratic primary, could potentially run on the “EndAntiSemitism” ballot line to complement the “Safe&Affordable” third-party line he’s also collecting signatures for.
Adams, one of the only major Democrats who has been willing to cooperate with the Trump administration’s crackdown on migrant crime, appears unfazed by the latest ruling against his efforts to allow ICE agents into Rikers Island detention facilities.
Adams announced plans to dramatically expand New York City’s free after-school for students, echoing an idea from a rival in the mayoral race, which has centered on the city’s child care crisis.
Adams is winning the war on rats — at his Brooklyn home. For the first time since 2023, inspectors found no evidence of vermin at the mayor’s Bedford-Stuyvesant rowhouse, according to health department records documenting an April 8 visit.
Adams late last year gave an ex-girlfriend his stake in a Brooklyn apartment they’ve co-owned together for decades, capping off years of confusion about the unit that began swirling during his 2021 run for City Hall.
Adams said he wants to make New York City more affordable for families by expanding a free after-school program — an issue that’s grown as a hot topic in the mayoral race.
The Big Apple should overhaul its primary elections and pull critical land-use power from the City Council, the city’s Charter Revision Commission is expected to recommend this week.
Cuomo is trying to toss the bombshell sexual harassment lawsuit brought by a state trooper on his detail — claiming her claims were part of a conspiracy within the state police force to attack him while he was in office.
Mayoral frontrunner Cuomo was stonewalled from endorsements by prominent Big Apple LGBTQ groups — despite spearheading gay marriage in New York as governor.
New York City mayoral candidate Zellnor Myrie is calling for a one-year rent freeze for tenants in rent-stabilized apartments — joining several other Democratic hopefuls.
The New York City panel that decides annually if and how much rents can go up for almost one million rent-stabilized apartments is expected to vote in favor of increases on one-year leases for the fifth straight year.
The United Nations, anticipating that Trump will slash U.S. contributions to the global body, has told its departments to draw up plans for budget cuts, including through staff relocations from New York and Geneva to less-expensive cities.
Hours before a Lower Manhattan parking garage collapsed in 2023, killing an employee and injuring seven other people, workers had inadvertently destroyed part of a load-bearing pier on its second floor, a report released this week concluded.
Miriam Haley, a former television production assistant, took the stand in a Manhattan courtroom for a second time to begin recounting how she said Harvey Weinstein overpowered and sexually assaulted her in his apartment nearly 20 years ago.
The New York state Republican Party’s Albany headquarters was defaced with Nazi imagery for the second time in two weeks — as party leaders blamed Democrats for escalating political tensions.
The Trump administration is investigating New York’s education department over claims it violated federal civil rights law by requiring schools to retire Native American mascots, which could lead to a lengthy legal battle.
Chairman of the Herkimer County Legislature Robert Hollum has been arrested on a drug charge and breaking his probation.
The city of Saratoga Springs has once again ticketed Saratoga Black Lives Matter leader Lexis Figuereo, as well as a member of Palestinian Rights Committee of Albany, for a gathering in Congress Park.
A man who served time in the notorious killing of a University at Albany student was sentenced to prison this week for selling stolen items online, according to the Albany County District Attorney’s office.
The city of Albany is poised to receive nearly half a billion dollars in state funding for a massive downtown revitalization plan, which could significantly reshape a community long plagued by suburban flight, violence and flagging economic development.
Photo credit: George Fazio.
