Good morning it’s Thursday, which is basically Friday in this short workweek. First up, before we get into it here, a programming note: Due to the July 4th holiday, there will be no “Rise and Shine” tomorrow as we take the day off to observe our nation’s birth.
We will resume our regularly scheduled postings bright and early on Monday. I hope everyone has a relaxing, joyful, and safe holiday weekend.
Speaking of “safe,” this is as good a time as any to talk about fireworks. I personally am not a big fan. I don’t like loud noises and I don’t like crowds. I also sort of think that if you’ve seen one fireworks display, you’ve seen them all.
Since I became a dog mom, though, I have quadrupled my dislike of fireworks – and thunderstorms, and backfiring cars, and gunshots – because they all send my fur friends into a state of distress ranging from mild annoyance (Gizmo) to absolute terror (Henry). No amount of medication or soothing or preparation is enough to assuage Henry’s fear, and I hate to see him shaking and trying to dig a hole in the back of the closet in which to hide.
I do realize that aside from my fellow dog parents and small children and people with extra sensitive ears, I’m probably in the minority when it comes to my opinions about fireworks. They are a tradition when it comes to observing the glorious 4th, and have been since the first organized Independence Day celebration, which was held in Philadelphia in 1777.
July 4th is, not surprisingly, a big day for those who manufacture and sell fireworks. The American Pyrotechnics Association, (yes, there’s pretty much a trade group for everything), says that Americans set off roughly 275 million pounds of fireworks annually, with consumer fireworks (as opposed to “display” fireworks used in big shows) accounting for about 250 million pounds of that.
Celebrations of the nation’s birthday account for about two-thirds of all fireworks sales, though they are also deployed during big sporting events, at festivals, New Year’s Eve and Christmas displays, and (on a smaller scale) personal milestones like weddings, anniversaries, and birthdays.
The fireworks market has seen (ahem) explosive growth. Again, according to the APA, Americans bought 29 million pounds of fireworks in 1976, compared to 461.7 million pounds in 2022. Part of this is due to relaxed regulations at the state level across the nation, though productively growth in China – where most fireworks are produced – has also played a role in that increase.
China is where fireworks use is believed to have initiated, starting with a very rudimentary form of exploding bamboo sticks and moving up from there after the invention of gunpowder. Things have only gotten more advanced since then, with the addition of mineral compounds that result in the colors you see in the sky when fireworks are set off.
AND when it comes to setting these off, for the record, it’s really better to leave that to the professionals, though if you are going to dabble in the that yourself make sure you’re familiar with best practices when it comes to safety.
Some of this is pretty self-explanatory – keep children away from fireworks, even sparklers; have a water source nearby in case something catches on fire. Others are perhaps less obvious – don’t relight malfunctioning fireworks, for example, and dispose of them ONLY after they have been soaked in water.
Fireworks injuries and deaths have been increasing over time, according to the Consumer Products Safety Commission, so best to pay attention if and when you’re engaging in their use.
While today is looking like a wash, weather-wise, with clouds in the morning and thunderstorms developing in the afternoon, tomorrow and the weekend is shaping up to be pretty nice – though progressively hotter – with temperatures moving steadily from the low 80s to the low 90s by Sunday. We’ll see a mix of sun and clouds over the holiday weekend, but no significant weather in the forecast (for now).
In the headlines…
President Donald Trump spoke on the phone with a handful of Republican lawmakers blocking his “big, beautiful bill” in the early hours of this morning, as GOP leaders race to coalesce the conference around the sprawling package.
The phone call — which took place around 1 a.m. – came as a key procedural vote for the megabill remained open for almost four hours, with hardline conservatives and one moderate Republican hampering the legislation from moving forward.
House Republicans eventually advanced their “big, beautiful bill” full of Trump’s legislative priorities, overcoming a key procedural hurdle after a dramatic vote that GOP leaders left open for hours to quell an internal revolt.
The chamber voted 219-213 to adopt a rule governing debate on Trump’s domestic agenda, opening up discussion on the megabill and teeing up a final vote on the package.
Democrats are objecting to the tax package by citing analyses that show that the tax plan confers its greatest benefits on the wealthiest Americans. And they argue Republicans have had to slash social safety net programs to pay for the cost of their taxes.
Nevada Democratic Rep. Dina Titus said the GOP megabill backed by Trump will have an adverse impact on gamblers due to its tax provisions. The big, beautiful bill text would strike previous deductibles by 10 percent, according to the senate passed version.
Senior Justice Department officials are exploring whether they can bring criminal charges against state or local election officials if the Trump administration determines they have not sufficiently safeguarded their computer systems.
Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York has suspended her press secretary while her office investigates an allegation that he inappropriately touched another male staffer, according to two people familiar with the matter.
The press secretary, Avi Small, joined Hochul’s office soon after she was elevated to governor in 2021 following Andrew Cuomo’s resignation amid a sexual harassment scandal and has become one of her most trusted aides.
“Gov. Hochul has zero tolerance for misconduct by any New York State employee, and has instituted the strongest workplace protections and training policies in State history,” Hochul spokesperson Anthony Hogrebe said.
“While we cannot comment on an open investigation, as soon as a complaint was brought to the Chamber the employee in question was placed on leave,” Hogrebe added.
House Republicans launched an investigation into Hochul purportedly withholding Medicaid funding — including from hospitals serving the most vulnerable — in order to plug a billion-dollar hole in the state’s budget.
Rep. Ritchie Torres said that he’s “unlikely” to run for governor in 2026, despite earlier indications he was considering a challenge to Hochul’s reelection bid, and instead will focus on the Democrats’ fight in Washington against Trump.
“I’m unlikely to run for governor,” Torres said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” program. “Like the assault that we’ve seen on the social safety (net) in the Bronx is so unprecedented, so overwhelming, that I’m going to keep my focus on Washington DC.”
Beachgoers on Long Island will see increased patrols, enhanced aerial surveillance and more safety measures starting this weekend as part of the state’s effort to protect swimmers and monitor for sharks and other potentially dangerous marine life.
A judge Albany granted a temporary injunction forcing the state to fully implement a law sharply limiting solitary confinement in the prisons after elements of the law were suspended following the 22-day prison guards strike earlier this year, court records show.
Mayor Eric Adams waved off concerns about Trump’s false insinuation that Zohran Mamdani is an illegal immigrant and his threat to arrest the Democratic mayoral nominee if he got in the way of ICE agents.
Adams celebrated the closure of the migrant mega-shelter at the Roosevelt Hotel after it shuttered its doors last month.
New York City’s Law Department said it will stand behind a 20-year-old Venezuelan migrant arrested by ICE agents after an immigration hearing, arguing in an amicus brief that he’s being “detained without cause and in violation of his right to due process.”
Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo told the NY Post’s Michael Goodwin that the “buck stops with me” on his failed primary win, adding: “I should have focused on a simpler affordability message even in these complex times.”
Cuomo is scrambling to shore up backing for a general election run, even as pillars of support for his New York City mayoral campaign crumble.
The Rev. Al Sharpton suggested that it would be in Cuomo’s and New Yorkers’ best interests if he would remove his name from the mayoral ballot this fall and let the primary winner, Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, and Adams “have the one-on-one race.”
“I don’t want Cuomo to risk coming in third in the race,” Sharpton said in reference to the general election. “He has a role to play in public life. He is a very gifted politician. Now isn’t his time.”
Cuomo has secured an independent party line, Fight and Deliver, on which he could run in November. Regardless of whether he actively pursues a campaign or not, his name will appear on the ballot.
A poll conducted Tuesday night asked New York City voters whether Cuomo is a viable candidate in a general election for mayor after getting trounced by socialist Mamdani in the Democratic primary.
Mamdani celebrated his primary victory with members of several labor unions, including 32BJ SEIU, New York State Nurses Association, and the NY City Central Labor Council.
The Big Apple’s powerful teachers union is reportedly expected to announce its endorsement of Democratic mayoral nominee Mamdani — after its members passed on making a pick in the primary.
Mamdani denounced Trump on Wednesday for threatening to arrest him and repeating baseless claims that he immigrated to the US illegally, saying he is running to make New York City a bulwark against “authoritarianism” in Washington.
A book about Mamdani’s campaign is already up for sale even though the lefty mayoral candidate still needs to get past the November general election.
The lowly New York City bus is getting new attention thanks to Mamdani’s vow to make the service free for all. But can free also mean fast?
Deadly car crashes are way down in New York City this year, marking a major milestone in officials’ long-standing effort to make streets safer for cyclists and pedestrians.
A jury found Sean “Diddy” Combs guilty of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution this morning, but he was acquitted of the most serious charges in his federal criminal trial.
The government intends to seek a sentence of incarceration and Combs still faces up to 20 years in prison for the two counts he has been convicted of, according to Assistant US Attorney Maurene Comey.
After a long day in court, Combs’s legal team celebrated what it saw as a victory at a news conference that lasted less than 15 minutes.
Judge Arun Subramanian ordered that Combs stay in jail while he awaits sentencing. Reaction to the verdict in Harlem, where Combs once lived, was largely critical of him. He was described in court as violent and abusive during his nearly two-month trial.
A congressional committee investigating antisemitism on college campuses has released private text messages from Claire Shipman, the acting president of Columbia University, that show her expressing distrust and dislike of a Jewish board member.
Shipman sent an apology note yesterday to a limited group of alumni, board members and friends, saying she wanted to rebuild trust after the texts were made public.
Played for slapstick laughs in “Barbershop” and gory shock value in “Breaking Bad,” A.T.M. theft has soared nationally since the coronavirus pandemic began, industry data shows, and New York has felt the effects.
Rochester Gas and Electric and New York State Electric & Gas are facing significant opposition from local residents and elected leaders – including the governor – over their proposed rate hikes.
A former aviation facility in Long Island that had contaminated groundwater and nearby drinking wells is ready for redevelopment following a decades-long cleanup, state environmental officials said.
Two Common Council candidates will advance to the general election after the Albany County Board of Elections recount yesterday in two close Democratic primary races.
Sections of town can expect more power outages — first today, and then sometime next week — as National Grid crews upgrade electrical lines and install new transformers after systemic outages happened during the recent heat wave.
Following a five-year design process, construction of Albany’s Washington Park playground has begun and the revamped space is expected to reopen in the fall with updated equipment and safety features.
After a 30-year absence and two unsolved thefts, a pair of mourning doves returned to a popular life-size bronze statue of the late builder, arts patron and philanthropist Lewis A. Swyer, seated on a bench in Albany’s Academy Park.
Despite accusations that Saratoga Springs is criminalizing poverty, the City Council adopted a new ordinance that will ticket and fine, up to $250, anyone who “camps” on sidewalks, benches and other city property, which would largely impact the homeless.
Orange County Judge Craig Stephen Brown ordered the removal of a GPS monitor tracking John Reilly III, a town official charged with attempted murder for shooting a lost DoorDash delivery worker as he drove away from Reilly’s property two months ago.
Photo credit: George Fazio.
