Good morning, it’s Friday.
Remember back in May when it seemed like we were all collectively living on a modern-day version of Noah’s ark? It seemed like it would never stop raining. In fact, May was the wettest on record for the Albany area since 1826, with 7.43 inches of rain falling on the region, with much of it coming – like clockwork – over the weekend.
My yard quickly went from lush to swampy, with crops of mushrooms popping up seemingly overnight. I even found what I believed to be a small group of morels near an old apple tree stump.
I was pretty sure after posting photos online and hearing from self-professed fungi experts that what I had was the real deal, but in the end I chickened out from eating them after reading multiple accounts of people getting seriously sick from consuming wild mushrooms.
The next month brought some weather whiplash in the form of record-breaking heat. Seemingly overnight, the yard transformed from a thriving – almost overgrown – oasis into a dried-out shadow of its former self. The grass, in particular, took a big hit, with parts now crunching underfoot like hay, despite regular hits with the sprinkler.
This about-face gave me a renewed appreciation for just how much all life depends on water, and how quickly the lack of this essential compound of hydrogen and oxygen can take a significant toll.
The fact that life on Earth as we know it could not exist without water is well established. (There is, however, a debate about whether life could emerge on other planets without water, which, if you really want to go deep, is discussed here).
On Earth, water is abundant, covering about 71 percent of the planet’s surface. Most of that is saltwater, however, and a very small percentage – about 3.5 – is freshwater, and just a tiny fraction of THAT (about 1 percent) is available for human use, because much of it is unreachable, located deep under the ground in aquifers or locked up in ice caps or glaciers.
Given how little water is actually available for consumption purposes, statistically speaking, it is alarming – at least for me, anyway – to learn that a considerable amount of available fresh water is considered unusable – unfit for swimming, drinking, or fishing – due to pollution.
It’s hard to nail down exactly HOW many bodies of water are, in fact, polluted. But given that the pollution problem – from plastics and pathogens to agricultural, medical, and human waste – is only growing, it’s a fairly safe bet that the amount of fresh, potable water is, in many countries without advanced treatment systems, shrinking.
In the U.S. alone, according to the EPA, nearly half of all rivers and streams and more than one-third of lakes are polluted and unfit for swimming, fishing, and drinking. Needless to say, the impact of this is far-reaching.
August is National Water Quality Month, which is a time to reflect on what is arguably one of the world’s most precious resources and take steps to protect it. Given all the beach closures of late, due to everything from algae blooms to E.coli contamination, which really puts a damper on summertime recreation, now is the perfect time to sound the alarm on the world’s deteriorating water quality.
Today will bring fairly standard late-summer weather, with mostly sunny skies and temperatures topping out in the mid-80s. The weekend is looking pretty good, weather-wise, with progressively warmer temperatures moving from the mid-to-high 80s tomorrow into the low 90s on Sunday. Skies will be largely sunny, with no precipitation in the forecast.
In the headlines…
The Israeli government early this morning approved a plan to expand the war by taking control of Gaza City, a pivotal and risky decision that went against the recommendations of the Israeli military.
After 10 hours of deliberations, a majority of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet backed his proposal, according to a predawn statement from his office.
The Israeli military’s Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir reportedly warned the security cabinet of the danger of worsening the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the international implications of such an escalation of the war, but his warnings were brushed aside.
The decision is the first phase in an offensive that could include the occupation of the entire Gaza Strip by the IDF. It came despite mounting international calls to end the war and protests by many in Israel who fear for the remaining hostages held by Hamas.
Shares of Intel slumped after President Donald Trump said in a social media post that the chipmaker’s CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, needs to resign following reports and allegations that he has ties to China.
“The CEO of Intel is highly CONFLICTED and must resign, immediately,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “There is no other solution to this problem. Thank you for your attention to this problem!”
The call comes just days after Arkansas Republican Sen. Tom Cotton raised concerns and pressed the chair of Intel’s board over the CEO’s alleged connections to China, questioning the integrity of the company and its impact on US national security.
Trump signed an executive order requiring colleges to submit data to prove they do not consider race in admissions.
The president ordered his Education Department to collect data on the race, gender, test scores and grade point averages of college applicants in an effort to scrutinize whether universities are giving minorities preference in admissions.
Trump has nominated his top economic adviser, Stephen Miran, to serve as a governor at the Federal Reserve, an institution the president has repeatedly attacked for failing to acquiesce to his demands for lower borrowing costs.
The opportunity to reshape the top ranks of the central bank arose when Adriana Kugler, whose term as a governor was set to expire on Jan. 31, unexpectedly announced last week that she was stepping down early.
Trump called for creation of a new census that would count only U.S. citizens despite the Constitution’s edict that all people living in the country should be included.
Trump also hinted he might not wait until 2030 for the next census and said the count used for dividing up congressional seats and federal budget dollars should be based on “information gained from the Presidential Election of 2024,” without elaborating.
The government should “immediately begin work on a new … census based on modern day facts and figures,” Trump wrote on his social media site. “People who are in our Country illegally will not be counted in the census.”
Federal law enforcement officers will patrol the streets of Washington, D.C., for the next seven days, the White House announced.
The announcement comes a day after Trump said he was considering taking control of the Washington, D.C., police department in the wake of a violent attack on a former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staffer.
Military engineers raised the levels of a river in Ohio so the Secret Service could provide security to Vice President JD Vance during a family boating trip, agency officials said.
Gov. Kathy Hochul’s redistricting fight reveals that the often-cautious executive is adopting a more combative posture ahead of her reelection bid next year.
Cannabis regulators in New York told nearly a quarter of the state’s licensed retail dispensaries this week that they won’t be forced to close or relocate after they were found to be operating too close to schools.
Todd R. Howe, a former aide to Gov. Mario Cuomo, who parlayed his charm and proximity to state power into a lucrative consulting career only to end up convicted of federal corruption crimes, has died at age 65 of an apparent heart attack.
New York has hoisted prison salaries by $9,000 or more as it struggles to fill a dire staffing gap that ballooned this year with the firing of 2,000 workers who refused to end a strike.
A week after announcing his departure from the New York Assembly, two candidates have said they will be running to fill North Country Democrat Billy Jones’ seat.
The office of State Attorney General Letitia James announced its first indictments under the new criminal deed theft legislation.
A former top NYPD lawyer filed a lawsuit against the department and Mayor Eric Adams this week, accusing them of firing her after she investigated the highest-ranking uniformed officer and recommended disciplinary action against him.
Amy Litwin claims Adams and then-Commissioner Edward Caban moved to fire her after she said then-Chief of Department Jeffery Maddrey be disciplined for vacating the arrest of a cop pal who chased a trio of teens while waving a loaded pistol in 2021.
Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani pounced on a disputed report that Andrew Cuomo and Trump have been playing political footsie — as even the suggestion sent shockwaves across the mayoral race and riled up the socialist’s base.
The former governor said the last time he called Trump was after the Butler, Pennsylvania assassination attempt last July, when he left a message.
Cuomo called reporting that he talked on the phone to Trump about his mayoral bid “false” and dismissed it as “gossip”, adding that he would not “seek” or “accept” the president’s endorsement.
in a closed-door meeting on Wednesday with some of the city’s biggest business leaders, Cuomo reportedly suggested he might adopt a more conciliatory strategy if elected mayor.
Trump and Cuomo are arguably two of the most notable characters in New York City’s recent history, and their personal and professional lives have been intertwined for decades.
Cuomo has found himself the butt of the joke — yet again — after he reshared a post from an account named “Andrew Cuomo is a sex pest.”
Cuomo’s decisive loss to Mamdani in the New York City mayoral primary has led to a campaign rebranding that includes a fresh social media persona.
Cuomo proposed an affordability agenda targeting transit and food — but said his plan was more realistic than the ideas being pressed by Mamdani.
The former governor called for expanding the city’s Fair Fares program to cover free buses and trains for those at 150% of the federal poverty level and expanding free subsidies for food to those just above the SNAP eligibility line.
Mamdani has not released a detailed plan for public education, but his biggest proposal centers on weakening mayoral control and giving power to teachers and parents.
The New York Post editorial board called on Trump to “do what’s right for the city we all love” and endorse Adams for mayor – if the president does decide to involve himself in the race.
Adams opened a new campaign office in Brooklyn, saying he’ll use it as a base for his reelection team as they seek to shore up support for his reelection bid in the borough.
“This office here will be [manned] by dedicated New Yorkers, and thousands of New Yorkers will hit the streets, make phone calls, give our message out that has never been told,” Adams said outside the new office in Old Mill Basin.
Groups representing New York City industries are sounding the alarm about a new City Council proposal aimed at businesses, saying it will tie up firms in unnecessary red tape and additional costs when posting job notices.
City leaders on foot cruised to victory in a race against a Midtown MTA bus during yesterday’s rush as they celebrated a renewed plan to limit or ban cars on 34th Street for a controversial busway along the traffic-jammed route.
Sarah Carroll is retiring from running the Landmarks Preservation Commission, where she worked to preserve buildings in overlooked neighborhoods.
The city is committing $164 million to build a sprawling new rec center with two pools, an indoor gym, and public open space to replace the beloved, but aging West Village rec center where Keith Haring scrawled his iconic figures in the 80s.
Inspections for the Legionella bacteria in New York City’s cooling towers sank to a record post-pandemic low in the months leading up to an outbreak of the disease in East Harlem that has so far killed three people.
The worst of the Legionnaires’ disease outbreak that killed three people and sickened several dozen is over, Big Apple officials predicted yesterday – even as the city’s top doc acknowledged “we have more work to do.”
Anti-Israel campus leader Mahmoud Khalil was ripped over his attempt to “justify” the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas terror attacks in a recent interview — with elected officials saying it boosts the Trump administration’s case seeking to kick him out of the country.
A new program in New York City is aiming to help lower student loan payments for all residents and make it easier for them to find loan forgiveness plans.
The owner of Oheka Castle in Huntington, LI, has filed for bankruptcy. The landmark property has just $57.27 in its checking account and no cash on hand, according to court documents filed in the US Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of New York.
A sickly bull moose whose lingering presence prompted the closing of a popular Adirondack Mountain trail for two months was euthanized on Wednesday after New York conservation officials confirmed a sharp decline in the animal’s health.
Keller Army Community Hospital at West Point is one of 17 military treatment facilities slated to be downsized under a proposed plan from the federal Defense Health Agency, according to U.S. Rep. Pat Ryan.
While MLK Saratoga says the mayor has been supportive of their efforts to promote peace and justice for all, the community group says it is not working with the mayor on restorative justice, which contradicts Mayor John Safford’s statement to the TU last month.
The Saratoga County Democrats have chosen their candidate for county District Attorney — former county Assistant District Attorney Robert “Bobby” Logan.
The Capital District Transportation Authority will be changing the schedules for a number of bus lines later this month as it stares down a multimillion-dollar budget deficit.
Photo credit: George Fazio.
