Good morning, it’s Monday.
This is going to be another discombobulated week, as Yom Kippur lands right in the middle of it – starting at sundown on Wednesday, and ending at sundown on Thursday. There will be no “Rise and Shine” on Thursday morning as a result. But don’t worry, I’ll remind you again of that as we get a little closer to the day itself.
As is required of all Jewish adults after their bar or bat mitzvah, unless they are ill or pregnant, I fast on Yom Kippur, which in our tradition requires abstaining from both food and liquid for the duration (usually about 25 hours, give or take). The food part usually isn’t all that hard for me and as long as I don’t work out, the temporary dehydration is also pretty manageable.
What’s really tough, though, is the absence of caffeine.
I drink one to two cups of coffee a day and have a hard stop on all caffeinated beverages around 1 p.m., at the latest, because otherwise the sleep situation is even worse than usual. However, that is enough to firmly solidify my addiction – I guess if you’ve been drinking coffee for 40 some-odd years, you come to rely on its subtle pick-me-up without even realizing it.
By about noon on Yom Kippur, the caffeine headache has kicked in with a vengeance. And by mid-afternoon, I am lethargic, cranky and ready for a nap. The difficult thing is that break-fast occurs around 8 p.m. (it has to be well after the sun has set and no light in left in the sky), which makes caffeine consumption very difficult. Usually I have just a few sips, which seems to take the edge off without exacerbating the sleep problem.
I am a full-on coffee addict, and I am hardly alone. Coffee is the most popular beverage in this country – more so than tea or bottled water. According to the National Coffee Association, the number of Americans (67 percent) who say they’ve had coffee in the past 24 hours has increased by 376 percent since 2004, putting that number at its highest level in more than 20 years.
This increase appears to be driven by older consumers – age 25 and up – and specialty coffee consumption is also part of the equation, with 57 percent of Americans saying they’ve have something more than a basic cup of Joe in the past week, which is up about 7.5 percent year-on-year.
The coffee industry close to 2.2 million U.S. jobs and contributes about $343 billion to the nation’s economy every year, again according to the NCA. But the competition for your coffee loyalty is fierce, and the industry is going through something of a contraction – at least is Starbucks is a bellwether, with the company just last week announcing it would cut another 900 jobs (corporate workers, mostly) and close hundreds of stores across the country.
Caffeine in moderation can be good for you. Of course, it can boost your energy levels, but also might contribute to lowering your risk of Tye 2 diabetes, promoting weight management, supporting brain and heart health, and more. Too much caffeine, however, can be deadly, especially for those who might have pre-existing heart conditions. For healthy adults, the limit appears to be about 400 mg a day.
Coffee has been cultivated for centuries and likely originated in Ethiopia. There are a number of coffee origin stories/legends, including one about a goatherd noticing the increased energy output by his flock after they consumed a certain type of berry. Upon trying the berry himself, he experienced a rush of exhilaration – and hence, coffee was discovered…maybe.
Today, for some reason no one can figure out (as far as my limited Googling can determine), is National Coffee Day, which is being observed by a number of coffee shops and chains that are offering discounts and freebies.
This should not be confused with International Coffee Day, which will occur just a few days from now – Oct. 1/Wednesday – which is, according to the interwebs, “an opportunity for coffee lovers to share their love of the beverage and support the millions of farmers whose livelihoods depend on the aromatic crop.”
Two separate days to celebrate something I love and have grown to depend on? I’ll take it. For the record, though, I’m still on the iced coffee train. I am a seasonal iced coffee drinker, unlike you year-round diehards out there, and I will switch as soon as the weather makes a decisive downward turn. A the rate we’ve been going lately, that might not happen until November?
It looks like the amazing weather we’ve been enjoying is going to continue for the foreseeable future. Today will be unseasonably warm again, with high temperatures reaching into the upper 70s. Skies will be mostly sunny, with a few clouds developing in the afternoon.
In the headlines…
President Trump told NBC News yesterday that he believed it was possible that the Department of Justice could be investigating former F.B.I. Director Christopher A. Wray just days after the indictment of James B. Comey, another former F.B.I. director.
Trump accused Wray of “inappropriate” behavior and said he “would think” the Justice Department is investigating him. “I would imagine. I would certainly imagine. I would think they are doing that,” he told NBC.
Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer and GOP Majority Leader John Thune are digging in ahead of a looming government shutdown, showing little evidence of budging even as both have agreed to meet with President Trump at the White House today.
Lawmakers face a deadline tomorrow to fund the government, which will require them to agree on a spending measure that can win at least 60 votes in the Senate.
During various interviews on the Sunday political affairs programs, Republican and Democratic leaders signaled that health care subsidies set to expire at the end of the year remain a key sticking point.
Trump said yesterday that a peace deal to end the war in Gaza is in its “final stages,” telling Axios: “Everybody has come together to get a deal, but we still have to get it done,” the president said in an interview.
Trump has promised “something special” is coming on Gaza as Israeli officials say Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reservations about the White House’s 21-point ceasefire and post-war governance plan.
As Trump and Netanyahu prepare to meet at the White House today, several new proposals to end the fighting in Gaza and govern the territory are under discussion.
Tony Blair, 72, has emerged as a key player in planning for the rebuilding and governance of the Gaza Strip if a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas is finally signed, according to officials in Israel and the United States familiar with the discussions.
Trump showed off the latest gold trimmings to adorn the Oval Office in an odd social media post — insisting world leaders “freak out” when they walk in and see the bling.
Trump said Saturday he has ordered the deployment of troops to Portland, Ore. — and authorized the use of “full force” if needed — marking the latest escalation of his controversial operations in U.S. cities, targeting what he calls “left-wing terrorism.”
“I am directing Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to provide all necessary troops to protect war-ravaged Portland, and any of our ICE facilities under siege from attack by Antifa, and other domestic terrorists,” Trump wrote in a post on his social media platform.
At least two people were killed and eight others were wounded yesterday morning in a shooting at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, police said.
Authorities say a gunman rammed a vehicle through the front of the church during a large service, began shooting and then intentionally set a fire that grew into a large blaze. Police believe they may still find victims in the burned-out building.
Thomas Jacob Sanford, the man who officials said crashed a vehicle into a Michigan church and opened fire on the congregation, has been identified by the police as a 40-year-old from Burton, Mich., who went to high school nearby and served in the Marines.
Sanford joined the Marine Corps in 2004, according to Marine records, and held the titles of organizational automotive mechanic and vehicle recovery operator. In 2007, he started a nearly seven-month deployment under Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Numerous shots were fired from a passing boat into a crowded dockside North Carolina restaurant on Saturday night in a shooting that killed three people and left some eight injured.
Officials said the unidentified boater pulled up to the American Fish Company restaurant in Southport Yacht Basin, about 30 miles south of Wilmington, and opened fire into the crowd of unsuspecting diners at around 9:30 p.m.
Federal immigration agents patrolled downtown Chicago yesterday as the Trump administration ramps up immigration crackdowns in major cities across the country. The Border Patrol agents spotted downtown were armed, masked and camouflaged.
Officials in Oregon have filed a lawsuit seeking to block the Trump administration from deploying National Guard troops in Portland, adding to legal battles against President Trump’s use of troops in major cities.
The state of Oregon and city of Portland filed a joint lawsuit yesterday against Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem over the deployment of the National Guard to the city.
New York will start to send checks of up to $400 to more than 8.2 million households this week as part of an initiative Gov. Kathy Hochul and the state Legislature tucked into this year’s budget.
New York and more than a dozen other states are accusing the federal Department of Health and Human Services of illegally pressuring them to censor references to gender identity in federally funded sexual education programs.
In a lawsuit filed in federal court Friday, AG Letitia James and 15 other attorneys general argue that new HHS rules violate constitutional discrimination protections and undermine public health. New Jersey and Connecticut are taking part, too.
Mayor Eric Adams of New York City announced yesterday that he would abandon his foundering campaign for a second term, upending the race to lead the nation’s largest city just five weeks before Election Day.
In a nearly nine-minute video message that began with Frank Sinatra’s “My Way,” the mayor conceded that despite his best efforts, he could no longer see a path to re-election and would conclude his tumultuous mayoralty at year’s end.
Adams blamed “continued media speculation about my departure” and a decision by the city’s Campaign Finance Board to deny him public matching funds for his campaign, which has flagged amid anemic poll numbers and a cloud of scandal around City Hall.
Adams was hailed for his decision to end his campaign, including by ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is mounting his own bid to take City Hall.
The quotable, luxury-loving, perpetually mysterious mayor took New Yorkers on a wild and unpredictable ride. In many ways, his choice to end his flailing re-election campaign was the most conventional thing he had done in some time.
Adams served in the New York State Senate and as Brooklyn borough president before becoming mayor of New York City in 2022. Ethical questions have followed him along the way.
Adams’ decision to drop out of the mayoral race won’t dramatically change the shape of the contest, according to Columbia political strategist Basil Smikle.
Cuomo issued a plea to defeat “destructive extremist forces” after Adams ended his reelection bid, a move that could help the former governor narrow the gap with Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani.
The mayor did not endorse one of his rivals. But he offered voters what appeared to be a veiled warning about Assemblyman Mamdani and what he characterized as growing extremism in politics.
Mamdani blamed Adams’ decision on President Trump — and maintained it won’t change the outcome of the November election.
“Curtis Sliwa is the only candidate who can defeat Mamdani. Our team, our resources, and our funding are unmatched,” Sliwa campaign spokesperson Daniel Kurzyna wrote in a statement.
Mamdani called the news “an illustration of what so many New Yorkers are tired of, adding: “Donald Trump and his billionaire donors can determine the actions of Eric Adams and Andrew Cuomo, but they can’t dictate the results of this election.”
“We have connected more New Yorkers to mental health services and supportive housing. We’ve driven down crime in our subways and gotten illegal guns off the streets,” Hochul said of Adams in a statement.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries praised Adams for serving “courageously and authentically” after the mayor ended his reelection campaign.
A pile of debts owed to lawyers. Stock options worth millions. A stretch of land near the Nile River. A big bill for cat food. These are among the entries in the financial ledgers of the top candidates vying to be mayor of New York City.
Adams started with strong support among Black and working-class voters. By the time he dropped out, his re-election effort was polling below 10 percent.
Adams lamented the media coverage of his campaign, arguing it has hurt his ability to mount a competitive run. “It’s been a real challenge for me to raise the money that I need to run for office,” he said.
As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel approached the rostrum to address the United Nations General Assembly on Friday, representatives of nations from around the world streamed out in protest. Adams settled in to watch him speak.
Adams warmly embraced Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the United Nations on Friday — while Zohran Mamdani slammed the Israeli leader, whom he has vowed to arrest if elected to City Hall.
Netanyahu’s visit quickly became a flashpoint in the mayoral election, with Mamdani issuing a statement condemning the right-wing Israeli leader over the war in Gaza while Adams attended Netanyahu’s speech and met privately with him afterward.
Cuomo picked up a key endorsement from a union representing thousands of bus operators and other transit workers citywide– that wants no part of a “free bus” plan being pitched by Mamdani.
A top aide to powerful national teachers’ union president Randi Weingarten claimed that Mamdani lacks the experience to lead New York City — and cited the unpopularity of far-left Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson as a cautionary tale, according to an email.
Daniel Cassella, president of the ATU Local 726 representing Staten Island bus operators and maintenance workers, touted the former governors’ “historic investments in buses and public transit,” while rebuking his opponent.
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, whose parents escaped Cuba as young refugee children in the early 1960s during Fidel Castro’s communist dictatorship, has a message for New Yorkers – expect dark days ahead if you elect Mamdani your next mayor.
Several super PACs that oppose Mamdani’s candidacy for mayor of New York City have banded together to coordinate attack ads.
Mamdani is a longtime Airbnb foe who pushed for the “the abolition of private property”, yet his wealthy parents have rented their posh Ugandan compound on the online site for nearly a decade.
Taxpayers will pick up an additional $100 million tab for undocumented migrants facing deportation, Mamdani pledges, calling it a “cornerstone” of his campaign.
Sliwa plans to reimburse New Yorkers up to $500 yearly on tolls spent driving into Manhattan’s congestion zone if he’s elected NYC’s next mayor.
Mamdani yesterday refused to disavow a sick tribute to fugitive cop-killer Assata Shakur by his own Democratic Socialist comrades, saying he doesn’t have time to worry about it.
A federal immigration officer was “relieved of his duties” and is under investigation after he shoved an Ecuadorean woman whose husband had been arrested and pushed her to the floor at an immigration courthouse in Manhattan.
An ICE agent who violently shoved an immigrant to the floor of a Manhattan federal court has been disciplined, Trump administration officials said Friday — as Mamdani vowed to fight such “horrors.”
The owner of the city’s famed Junior’s cheesecake company is inviting mayoral candidates to stick a fork in the mudslinging — and take on real issues at a special meal at his flagship eatery.
The purveyors of casino projects proposed for the New York City area are nearing the end of a process that will determine which bets will pay off. In coming days, powerful community advisory committees will cast votes on the last of eight projects remaining.
More than 200 people marched in Brooklyn Saturday to protest Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration, the latest in an orchestrated, often violent displays taking place nationwide.
A 16-year-old from South Jamaica has been charged with murder for allegedly shooting 13-year-old Sanjay Samuel in the head during a confrontation outside a Dunkin’ store in Cambria Heights, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said.
An ex-educator claiming the de Blasio administration knowingly permitted “racial harassment” against white staffers in the public school system — during anti-bias training sessions and in the workplace — can sue NYC, a federal appellate court ruled this week.
Cops towed an eye-popping 60 vehicles, — including cars, vans and campers — along a neglected half-mile stretch of Webster Avenue in the Bronx that looks more like a junkyard out of “Sanford & Son”
The MTA is walking back some of its proposed fare increases that are set to take effect in January, after it said it received over 1,300 comments over six weeks from riders, advocates and elected officials.
The largest town in America – Long Island’s Hempstead – has been held in contempt by a New York judge for releasing just 17 of nearly 3,000 emails sought in a battle over alleged illegally issued school-bus-camera tickets.
As the 200th anniversary of the Erie Canal approaches on Oct. 26, organizers are seeking to temper the celebration with an acknowledgment of the waterway’s displacement of Native American communities.
Hundreds of Starbucks stores will close this month, including one in Albany and three in the Hudson Valley, as part of a nationwide downsizing announced by the company’s CEO last week.
Trump’s unprecedented campaign to deport immigrants without legal status has resulted in hundreds of arrests across upstate New York in 2025, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement data analyzed by the Times Union.
Lorenz Kraus, the 53-year-old man who was charged with murder after telling a television news anchor he killed and buried his parents in their backyard, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Friday morning.
One person died when a small airplane crashed at an airport in Ulster County on Saturday. The pilot, who has not yet been identified, was the only person on board, according to a news release from State Police.
The Lake George Association and other road salt reduction advocates have renewed calls to solidify recommendations of an Adirondack-focused task force and create salt reduction goals for the state.
Shares of Plug Power have been surging amid good news for the company’s green hydrogen manufacturing plant in Georgia.
The Latin superstar Bad Bunny, who has won three Grammys while bringing Spanish-language music to the top of the charts, will headline the Super Bowl halftime show in February, the N.F.L. announced.
Bad Bunny said: “It’s for those who came before me and ran countless yards so I could come in and score a touchdown… this is for my people, my culture, and our history. Ve y dile a tu abuela, que seremos el HALFTIME SHOW DEL SUPER BOWL.”
According to multiple reports, the world’s biggest pop star, Taylor Swift, walked away from an offer to headline the NFL’s biggest game after negotiations with the league broke down. She had some requests, and the NFL reportedly refused to budge.
“She wasn’t asking for favors, she was asking for respect,” one anonymous music executive told British pop culture journalist Rob Shuter, who first broke the story on his “Naughty But Nice” Substack.
Photo credit: George Fazio.
