Good middle of the week morning. Another Wednesday is upon us.
This is the season (assuming it ever stops raining) for enjoying meals outside. I have to confess, though, that I have mixed feelings about dining en plein air, as the French say. (There’s a reason why I’m borrowing from our friends across the pond here, which I’ll get to in a moment).
Sometimes, food eaten outside – especially after rigorous exercise, like, say, a hike or a run – is sublime and incomparable.
The saying “hunger is the best sauce” originated for a reason. I distinctly remember a slice of pizza I consumed at the end of my first Ironman. I wolfed it down in about two minutes flat. It was cold and greasy and at the time it was the best thing I had ever eaten, coming on the heels of hours of activity fueled by sugary beverages, gels, and bars.
Also, there are some foods that are best consumed out-of-doors. Ice cream comes to mind, particularly if it’s eaten while walking on the sand or standing on the curb trying to beat the sun’s melting of your refreshing treat as the ice cream truck’s annoying jingle still echoes in your ears.
There are, however, a lot of downsides – in my opinion – to eating al fresco. First and foremost, bugs. I hate them, full stop. I understand why they exist as part of the food chain and everything, but I really don’t like them anywhere near me or my food. Ants, mosquitoes, ticks, spiders, sand fleas, etc. No thank you.
The other issue I have is dirt – and sand, and dust, and, to a lesser extent, rain.
I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t deliberately set out to eat outside in the wet, but you do you. I certainly HAVE dined outside in the pouring rain, but that was because I HAD to not because I wanted to. I was either running or hiking long and at the mercy of the weather. Left to my own devices, indoors it would be, in a civilized – and dry – manner.
The third problem, if you’re eating on a patio or some such, is traffic and all its attendant downsides (noise, emissions etc.). This is usually only a hazard if you’re in an urban environment, where dining outside became a real thing during the Covid crisis and, in some cases, stuck around. In the case of the ‘burbs, there are noisy neighbors, lawnmowers, incessantly barking dogs, and dive bombing birds to contend with.
The art of the picnic – or, as the word is believed to have originated in French “piquenique”, which is a combination of the verb “piquer,” meaning “to pick” or “to peck”; and the noun “nique,” which translates into “a trifle” or “something of little value” – originated in Europe and started out as a communal meal to which participants contributed different elements, usually food and drink that did not require cooking or was pre-made.
These days, we call that a potluck. Americans are also fond of the picnic’s cousin, the barbecue, which also traditionally takes place outside (all that smoke needs somewhere to go), but features hot food instead of cold.
Obviously, humans have been eating outside since, well, since they were first on the planet. Because back in the day, we did pretty much everything outside – or damn close to it – out of necessity. You know, no houses, no stoves, etc. But the modern version of picnicking appears to date back to sometime in the 16th century, though the meaning of the word evolved over time.
I would be remiss if I did not address the elephant in the room, which is the debate over the supposed racist origins of the word “picnic.” This concept has been debunked on numerous platforms, however, the term “lynching picnic” was, at one point, in the general lexicon at a very unfortunate moment in our nation’s history.
This should not deter you from celebrating International Picnic Day, though it’s unclear whether the weather will cooperate with any outdoor dining plans. It will be overcast with patches of fog developing early in the day and temperatures warming up into the low 80s. Early on there’s some chance of a rain shower, but the later half of the day appears to be fairly dry. Fingers crossed.
In the headlines…
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared “the battle begins” in an ominous post yesterday, hours after President Donald Trump called for Iran’s “unconditional surrender.”
“In the name of #Haider, the battle begins. Ali returns to #Khaybar with his Zulfiqar.” Khamenei wrote on X in Farsi, referring to Islam’s first imam, Ali, who won the Battle of Khaybar with the sword Zulfiqar.
Fears of a wider war grew after Trump’s cited the possibility of killing Iran’s supreme leader and referred to Israel’s war efforts with the word “we” – all apparent suggestions that the US could enter the war against Iran.
Trump’s comments, in social media posts, came as Israel has been pressing the White House to intervene militarily in the conflict with Iran to put an end to that country’s nuclear program.
Iran has prepared missiles and other military equipment for strikes on U.S. bases in the Middle East should the United States join Israel’s war against the country, according to American officials who have reviewed intelligence reports.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune argued that it’s too early for Congress to consider legislation that aims to prevent Trump from using military force against Iran, saying “I think we’re getting the cart ahead of the horse.”
China’s top leader, Xi Jinping, weighed in publicly on the war for the first time, saying he was “deeply concerned” about Israel’s “military action” and that China was willing to help mediate an end to fighting.
Hundreds of Americans on Israel birthright trips are being evacuated from the Jewish state on a cruise ship to Cyprus — as fears grow over the deadly bombardments by Iran.
A group of lawmakers spanning a broad ideological spectrum is raising alarms about the possibility of the United States taking an active role in the conflict between Israel and Iran.
The U.S. Embassy in Israel will be closed today through Friday because of the ongoing “security situation” in the region, the State Department announced.
House Republicans’ package to cut taxes and slash federal safety-net programs would add about $3.4 trillion to the debt, according to nonpartisan congressional analysts, who reported the minor gains in economic growth would not offset its fiscal impact.
The updated findings from the CBO amounted to yet another dour report card for the president’s signature legislation, which passed the House last month but now faces the prospect of significant revisions to its core components in the Senate.
Republicans will likely agree the bill will increase real GDP growth, which the CBO puts at 0.5% higher over the decade, bringing in an additional $124 billion in revenue.
The Senate policy bill would cut billions of dollars more from Medicaid than the earlier, House-passed legislation — in large part by cracking down on a budgeting maneuver used by 49 states that congressional Republicans have called a scam or gimmick.
A federal appeals court appeared inclined to allow Trump, against the wishes of Gov. Gavin Newsom, to keep using California’s National Guard for now to protect immigration enforcement agents and quell protesters in Los Angeles.
Throughout a 65-minute hearing, a three-judge panel signaled skepticism of the idea that the judiciary should second-guess Trump’s determination that deploying the state militia to Los Angeles is necessary to protect federal agents and buildings.
A federal judge extended an order blocking the Trump administration from enforcing a policy requiring identity documents to reflect an individual’s sex “at conception” to all trans, nonbinary and intersex Americans who want to change their passports.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was rushed by an ambulance to a Washington, D.C. hospital yesterday following what the agency said was an allergic reaction.
“She was transported to the hospital out of an abundance of caution. She is alert and recovering,” confirmed Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. She did not say what caused the reaction.
Gov. Kathy Hochul may face a tougher path to re-election in 2026 than many expected, polling suggest. A new poll shows Hochul locked in a tight race with either Republican Representatives Elise Stefanik or Mike Lawler.
Reforms passed by state lawmakers would force New York property owners to pay for new natural gas hookups to their buildings, ending a decadeslong practice that’s forced utility customers to cover the cost of the work.
Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano is reportedly on Hochul’s LG short list. “I’m interested,” he said. “…I would welcome joining a team that would work to replicate some of the tremendous successes we have had in New York’s third largest city.”
A bill passed by the state Assembly removes a rule that lets new homeowners get free gas hookups that are within 100ft of a gas line.
Former Gov. David Paterson is accusing his brother of cheating him out of his inheritance – by allegedly tricking their elderly mother into giving him over $7 million before her death.
New York State’s ban on Native American logos was referred to federal prosecutors after the Trump administration enthusiastically jumped in to save the name of the Massapequa Chiefs on Long Island.
Long Island Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi dodged questions about Los Angeles’ violent anti-ICE riots by pretending to take a phone call in a bizarre moment that was caught on camera.
Mayoral candidate and city Comptroller Brad Lander was arrested by federal agents at an immigration courthouse in Lower Manhattan, according to Homeland Security officials and staff for his mayoral campaign and office.
Video posted to social media shows Lander being led away in handcuffs into an elevator by two men who appear to be masked law enforcement officials, which is consistent with the recent practices of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE.
“You don’t have the authority to arrest U.S. citizens, Lander says repeatedly. “I’m not obstructing. I’m standing right here in the hallway. I asked to see the judicial warrant.” (Agents do not need judicial warrants to make arrests in immigration courts).
Lander was released from federal custody yesterday afternoon, hours after he was arrested by officers at immigration court in Manhattan after he tried to escort a migrant whom officers were attempting to arrest.
Gov. Hochul called Lander’s arrest “total bulls—” in a post on X. “When elected officials are being detained without cause, we have to ask: what the hell is happening to our country?” she wrote. “This federal overreach cannot go unchecked.”
New York State Attorney General Letitia James condemned Lander’s detention as “profoundly unacceptable,” adding: “Arresting Comptroller Lander for the simple act of standing up for immigrants and their civil rights is a shocking abuse of power.”
The Department of Homeland Security said Lander was arrested for “assaulting law enforcement and impeding a federal officer. Federal prosecutors said they were “continuing to investigate.” As of 5 p.m. ET, Lander had not been charged with a crime.
The Democratic primary for New York City mayor has tightened into a two-man sprint in its final days, with former Gov. Andrew Cuomo maintaining a modest but diminished lead over Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, a new poll found.
The survey from the Marist Institute for Public Opinion found that 38 percent of likely voters planned to rank Cuomo first on their ballots, compared with 27 percent for Mamdani.
Mamdani’s meteoric rise from progressive state assemblymember to a leading candidate New York City mayor has been accompanied by an alarming rise in threats; his campaign paid nearly $8,000 this month to Advance Security & Investigations, Inc.
For the past four mayoral elections, no Democrat has won the nomination without winning Southeast Queens, home to roughly a quarter of the city’s Black electorate.
Twice the number of New Yorkers are turning out for early voting in the 2025 primary compared to four years ago, data from the city Board of Elections show.
The food delivery platform DoorDash is the sole reported contributor to a political committee promoting City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams for mayor — even as the ads tell voters only that they are funded by a major municipal workers union.
With the Democratic primary for mayor one week away, the Daily News is breaking down the key issues for voters and where each candidate stands on them.
Activist David Hogg touted Mamdani ahead of the city’s Democratic primary next week, posting a photo of himself with the assembly member on the social platform X, captioning it with the candidate’s name.
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders made an unprecedented endorsement in the New York City mayoral fight, throwing his support behind Mamdani.
Before his bid to become mayor, Mamdani made rap music as Cardamom — and his old videos are going viral.
An analysis by the NY Post the 33-year-old Mamdani’s work history shows he has been employed for only approximately three years in the time between graduating college in 2014 and being elected to the New York State Assembly in 2020.
Transportation advocates filed a lawsuit that aims to stop Mayor Eric Adams from removing protective barriers for cyclists on a highly contested stretch of Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn.
Adams said that one of the Daily News’ two City Hall reporters – Chris Sommerfeldt – is no longer welcome at press briefings.
The mayor, whose interactions with reporters have often been contentious, imposed the ban after calling Sommerfeldt “disruptive” and “disrespectful” for shouting questions without being called on first, as is the custom at the so-called off-topic events.
Adams over the weekend reported his best campaign fundraising period since coming under indictment last year — a haul his reelection team head touted as a sign that the embattled mayor is beginning to bounce back.
In a series of posts to social media and an open letter to the mayor, the Daily News Union — which represents the paper’s reporters and editors — called on Adams to revoke the ban.
Culture wars on the city’s local education councils prompted a spike in candidates this year, but overall turnout remained very low, leading some education advocates to call for changes in how New York City runs the races.
In recent weeks, clouds of bees have buzzed through Midtown, clustered around light poles and even clung to sidewalk scaffolding. But despite how alarming such swarms may look, experts say they’re usually not dangerous.
The possibility that Sean “Diddy” Combs might testify at his federal sex trafficking trial all but vanished after his lawyer predicted a defense presentation lasting as little as two days and a judge said jurors could begin deliberations as early as next week.
Disgraced R&B artist R. Kelly was rushed to a hospital last week after overdosing on medications allegedly given to him by prison staff, his legal team claimed in a new court filing.
The parent company for the New York Liberty and Brooklyn Nets plans to open a new youth basketball training complex, right across from the Barclays Center.
A federal civil rights lawsuit was filed against multiple correction officers implicated in the March 1 beating death of 22-year-old Messiah Nantwi at Mid-State Correctional Facility in Oneida County.
Troy Mayor Carmella Mantello said she plans to move city hall operations to the old Proctor’s building on Fourth Street. The plan would be Troy government’s first move to a permanent headquarters in more than 15 years.
Voters in the Scotia-Glenville school district headed back to the polls yesterday, this time to cast their ballot for an amended school budget that calls for the tax levy to increase by 3.25% and stays within the state tax cap.
Food Network star Anne Burrell, 55, died at her home in Brooklyn. The New York City Police Department shared that Burrell was found “unconscious and unresponsive” and pronounced dead at the scene. The cause of her death is pending an autopsy.
Photo credit: George Fazio.
