Good morning, it’s Monday.
When we were last together, I was admonishing everyone to be safe with fireworks. Little did I know that I should have been providing advice about how to be safe AT fireworks displays, given what occurred in Albany over the weekend.
While that incident was terrifying, disappointing, and sad, it was unfortunately not the only bad news that occurred over the holiday weekend. Flash flooding in Texas has claimed multiple lives, including many children – some of who are still missing after the raging waters overran their summer camp.
With this in mind, it seems frivolous to write about what I had planned – today is World Chocolate Day – as much as I would like to opine on my love of all things chocolate and my firm belief that it is by far the best flavor for a whole range of things, from cookies and cakes to muffins, ice cream, and frosting (probably my No. 1 favorite form).
It feels more fitting to point out that today is World Change Day, which, according to the International Change Federation, ” exists to celebrate change and to evaluate the steps we can take to make our world a better place.” The organization also notes something that we tend to too often forget change at both the individual and collective levels can be powerful.
When things go sideways on a big scale – whether it be due to inexplicable violence, extreme weather events, or big legislative bills that target the most vulnerable among us – it’s easy to feel defeated, helpless, and checked out. I know I often experience this, thinking, well, there’s nothing I could possibly do to combat the seemingly endless tide of negativity.
But change, by definition, is the “act or instance of making something different.” That could, according to Merriam-Webster, be “radically” different and transformative, but also could be simply a “shift from one to another.” The later seems altogether doable, to me, small, consistent efforts to shift from one habit or one mindset to another can, over time, make a big difference.
We cannot change the weather, for example, but we can make changes in our respective lifestyles that are more mindful of the planet, and also be better prepared for the inevitable storms that rock our respective worlds – both figuratively and literally.
I had a big race this past weekend. It was hard, harder than anything I’ve undertaken in a long time. I was both disappointed and pleased with my performance, which I know doesn’t really make sense. But I also had the gift of 8+ unplugged hours (headphones weren’t allowed) to focus on nothing but putting one foot in front of the other. And in this manner, I eventually got to the finish line.
There’s a metaphor in there somewhere, though I don’t want to be too preachy about it. Try to make a small change today – either in your life or someone else’s. I’m betting it will feel good, and will add up over time to a potentially big accomplishment.
The holiday weekend heat and humidity will continue today, with temperatures flirting with 90 degrees. There will be a mix of sun and clouds and a stray thunderstorm is possible as the day progresses.
In the headlines…
Rescuers rushed yesterday to find more survivors of devastating floods that killed at least 81 in Central Texas, as dramatic tales emerged of those who experienced the disaster and endured the agonizing wait for news of loved ones.
The death toll from catastrophic flooding in Texas’ Hill Country rose as emergency personnel continued a relentless search in the area in hopes of finding survivors. Eleven girls who attended the Christian sleepaway event, Camp Mystic, remained missing.
The deluge in Central Texas has become one of the deadliest floods in the United States in the past 100 years. As of last night, 80 people had died after the flooding began on the Fourth of July, with at least 41 people still missing, officials said.
When catastrophic floodwaters surged through Kerr County last week, there were no sirens or early flooding monitors. Instead, there were text alerts that came late for some residents and were dismissed or unseen by others.
Trump said that his administration is working with Texas state and local officials in response to the fatal flash flooding, and he will “probably” visit the state on Friday.
Chiefs owner Clark Hunt’s family suffered a tragic loss in the devastating flooding in Texas over the weekend. Janie Hunt, 9, a young cousin in the family, was one of the Camp Mystic campers who died in the incident.
Trump signed his package of tax breaks and spending cuts into law Friday after his cajoling produced almost unanimous Republican support in Congress for the domestic priority that could cement his second-term legacy.
Trump used an antisemitic slur to describe exploitative bankers during a speech last week as he touted congressional passage of his massive domestic policy bill.
Elon Musk said he’s carrying out his threat to form a new political party after his fissure with Trump, announcing the America Party in response to the president’s sweeping tax cuts law.
“When it comes to bankrupting our country with waste & graft, we live in a one-party system, not a democracy,” Musk said Saturday on X, the social media company he owns. “Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom.”
Musk officially filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission yesterday to establish the new party after he pledged to hit back against Republicans for passing Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” which is projected to add $4.5 trillion to the national debt.
“I think it’s ridiculous to start a third party,” Trump said in response to a reporter’s question about Musk, adding later: “So he can have fun with it, but I think it’s ridiculous.”
“I am saddened to watch Elon Musk go completely ‘off the rails,’ essentially becoming a TRAIN WRECK over the past five weeks,” Trump subsequently wrote on Truth Social.
Trump’s support among baby boomers has rebounded sharply, giving the president a boost with one of his most dependable voting blocs as he heads into the 2026 midterm cycle.
Trump threatened to impose an additional 10 percent tariff on countries “aligning” themselves with the BRICS bloc of developing nations.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that the U.S. will revert to steep country-by-country tariff rates at the beginning of August, weeks after the tariff rate pause is set to expire.
Trump signed an executive order last week establishing a Make America Beautiful Again Commission to “promote responsible stewardship of natural resources while driving economic growth” on historically protected public land.
Avi Small, press secretary to Gov. Kathy Hochul, resigned on Friday, days after the governor’s office confirmed to The New York Times that it was investigating an allegation that he inappropriately touched another male aide.
Small was under investigation following the alleged June 16 incident. That probe has now substantially concluded, though the results have not been made public.
Small was also the subject of an internal probe last year. In early 2024, a complaint was made about him repeatedly berating a junior staffer. Several people who spoke with POLITICO said Small had a history of castigating younger employees.
Hudson Valley Republican Rep. Mike Lawler said during a cable news appearance Friday that he is nearing his decision on whether he will launch a gubernatorial bid to challenge Hochul.
Hochul and her husband have between $2.2 million and $4.3 million in the bank– less than they’ve declared in the past, newly released state financial disclosures show.
New York’s new public campaign finance program has triggered big business for political strategists, fundraisers, accountants and advertisers. Legislative candidates in New York spent more money last year than in any election in the past 25 years.
Hochul and the MTA on Saturday touted congestion pricing as a “huge success,” saying 67,000 fewer vehicles are entering Lower Manhattan each day, while mass transit ridership is up across the board.
A slew of upstate politicians spent the winter competing for U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik’s seat in Congress. Now, many of them are poised to pick up where they left off.
Three dozen members of a “massive” shoplifting ring have been convicted in a years-long scheme to steal and resell millions of dollars in goods from New York City retailers.
New York is being accused by a congressional committee of using an unlawful strategy to withhold state Medicaid funding from health care providers, including hospitals that primarily serve low-income residents.
Democratic mayoral primary winner and state Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani is leading the pack of candidates to potentially govern New York City, a new poll this month shows.
According to internal data from a hack of Columbia University, Mamdani, who was born in Uganda, checked boxes that he was Asian and Black or African American on his application during a time when elite colleges factored in race in the admissions process.
Though Mamdani didn’t get in to Columbia, Adams called this “an insult to every student who got into college the right way” adding, “The African American identity is not a checkbox of convenience. For someone to exploit that for personal gain is deeply offensive.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries refused to delve into the controversy surrounding Mamdani’s description of himself as “black or African American” on his application for Columbia University in 2009.
The piece also seemed to divide New York Times staff, and reignited years-old internal tensions between some younger, more left-leaning members of staff and management.
Former Gov. David Paterson says Mamdani is taking a page from Trump’s successful 2016 playbook, demonstrating a “a new campaign style, where you speak as verbosely as possible”, which the president “invented.”
One of the most prominent donors to the pro-Andrew Cuomo super-PAC, Fix the City, was hedge-fund billionaire Bill Ackman. Last week, Ackman signaled his support for Adams.
Cuomo and Adams were both in the Hamptons over the weekend — at the same area hotspot.
As Cuomo considers whether he can drum up support for an independent run for mayor in November’s general election, the wealthy donors who backed his primary bid are splintering.
Cuomo won 11 out of 13 majority-homeowner districts in the Democratic primary — but Mamdani swept the floor in renter-heavy areas, where turnout surged.
Fernando Mateo, who is a spokesman for the United Bodegas of America, is asking Trump to convince Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa to drop out as this year’s GOP candidate to get Adams to appear on the Republican Party line.
A Jewish advocacy group slammed Mamdani for posting a “sick” video mocking Hanukah and “cosplaying Jews.”
Mamdani appears to defend al Qaeda fiend Anwar al-Awlaki — and blame America for turning the prostitution-loving cleric into a terrorist — in newly surfaced tweets.
Mamdani’s plans to hike taxes on corporations and wealthy New Yorkers has general election voters split, a new poll showed.
Ever since Mamdani achieved a thumping win in the Democratic mayoral primary on June 24, his campaign has weathered a flood of vitriol – some of it coming from the Hindu right.
Long Island Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi said that Mamdani “tapped into the same thing that Donald Trump tapped into,” attributing the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City’s rise to his focus on affordability.
Mamdani declared having just $2,000 in the bank on his latest state disclosures. That’s despite his privileged upbringing and family money — and an annual salary of $131,000 as a state lawmaker, a job he’s had for five years.
Mamdani’s father, a longtime academic and Ivy League professor, said during a 2022 panel discussion about one of his many books that Adolf Hitler drew his inspiration for the Holocaust from Abraham Lincoln.
Harlem Rep. Charles Rangel, known for pocketing rental income from his Caribbean cottage without disclosing it, has apparently left behind a modest estate, with assets worth only $300,000, according to Manhattan Surrogate Court filings.
New Yorkers looking to beat the heat headed to the Rockaways this weekend – and so did sharks. Drone technology seemed to contribute to an unusual number of shark sightings along Rockaway Beach in recent days, with swimmers ordered out of the water.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch rejected the recommendation of an administrative judge and said last week that a lieutenant who fatally shot a man during a confrontation that began after a seatbelt stop should not be fired.
Ten people were injured across multiple shooting incidents Fourth of July evening and early Saturday morning in Albany, according to police.
A violent night and morning in Albany left 10 people with gunshot wounds, and a house struck by a round from a flare gun was consumed just a block away from where thousands of people celebrated the Fourth of July at the Empire State Plaza.
Schenectady County is moving closer to having many of its departments under one roof at the nine-story building that previously housed the offices of the state Lottery and Gaming Commission.
Attendance at all of the Alive at Five concerts has been up this year, said Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan, even those at the rain location by the Corning Preserve Boat Launch, which has helped downtown businesses to varying degrees.
A flood closed the Northshire Bookstore’s Saratoga Springs location Friday. The store will be closed at least through today.
Photo credit: George Fazio.
