Good morning, it’s Monday.
Today’s post is a twofer. But first, a programming note: There will be no “Rise and Shine” tomorrow due to the Jewish holiday (more on this in a moment). Things will return to their regular schedule on Wednesday, Sept. 24. Thank you.
First, at 2:15 p.m., the autumnal equinox will occur. This marks the astronomical first day of fall, defined by the Earth’s position relative to the sun. If you want to get technical about it, this is the moment when the sun crosses the celestial equator, resulting in nearly equal hours of daylight and darkness.
Meteorologically speaking, which is based on the annual temperature cycle, fall has been around for a while, as it started on Sept. 1. The main (not the only) difference between the astronomical and meteorological fall is that the date of the first changes from year to year, while the second is a fixed range (Sept. 1 to Nov. 30) set by meteorologists to make it easier to track and compare seasonal temperature changes.
The word “equinox” is a mash-up of two Latin words – aequus (“equal”) and nox (“night”), though if you want to get technical about it, the day and night hours are not necessarily EXACTLY equal, depending on where you are in the world relative to the equator.
The autumnal equinox might be a little depressing for those of us who are loathe to say goodbye to summer and not at all looking forward to the long, dark, and cold days that are ahead. However, there are some positive things to look forward to, such as the aurora borealis, which are more likely to be visible from this point on through the spring equinox in March.
The second part of this two-part post, as mentioned briefly up top, is the start of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, which runs from sundown tonight through sundown Wednesday.
Rosh Hashanah is a happy and upbeat holiday that marks the kickoff of the Jewish High Holy Days, which end with a not-so-happy holiday, Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement.
Rosh Hashanah in Hebrew means the “head” of the year and is traditionally observed by family and community gatherings, religious services in synagogue, and the consumption of special foods such as apples dipped in honey, dates, challah, and honey cake.
Why all the honey, you ask? Because it symbolizes both God’s grace and the hope of a sweet and happy year. A deeper meaning – honey is a metaphor for the sweetness and wisdom of Torah, which translates into “law” or “instruction” and encompasses the first five books of the Hebrew Bible.
There’s a lovely ritual that occurs on the first day of Rosh Hashanah called Tashlich, which means “to cast off” in Hebrew. This practice calls for one to “throw away” their sins from the past year in the form of breadcrumbs (not terribly good for wildlife, however, or the health of the bodies of water into which they are cast) or small pebbles.
This is sort of a warm-up to the 24-hour confessional and fast that is Yom Kippur, but is gentler and also involves getting outside, which is always nice.
We’re moving into the last of the fantastic weather for a bit, so soak it up while you can. (Looking on the positive side, the forecast for later in the week is calling for rain, which is something we very much need). Today, it will be mainly sunny except for a few stay afternoon clouds. Temperatures will flirt with 80 degrees.
In the headlines…
Friends and conservative leaders repeatedly called Charlie Kirk a martyr yesterday at a memorial service that was a mix of Christian devotion and a raw battle cry for a political movement they cast as the divine hope for America.
Despite the somber tone of Kirk’s memorial at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., President Donald Trump’s speech frequently resembled a typical campaign rally or political address.
Trump was the last of more than two-dozen people who spoke at Kirk’s funeral, which drew a crowd of about 200,000 mourners to Glendale, where the packed the NFL stadium, the NHL arena next door and nearby resturants and bars.
Kirk’s widow, Erika, said she forgives the man accused of killing her husband, though she told The New York Times that she wants Tyler Robinson’s punishment to be determined by the legal system — not her wishes.
Trump and tech tycoon Elon Musk were spotted sitting together and even shaking hands at Kirk’s funeral service — marking their first public interaction since their bitter fallout earlier this year.
Buildings on New York’s state government buildings flew at half-staff yesterday in honor of Kirk’s memorial service.
Trump publicly teed off on Attorney General Pam Bondi on Saturday, saying the lack of criminal charges against top adversaries was “killing our reputation and credibility,” adding” “We can’t delay any longer.”
Trump posted on Truth Social that “JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!” He lamented the lack of criminal charges against Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), former FBI Director James Comey and New York AG Letitia James, three of his most prominent political antagonists.
Trump said Saturday that he would be nominating senior White House aide Lindsey Halligan to serve as the top federal prosecutor for the Virginia office that was thrown into turmoil when its U.S. attorney was pushed out Friday.
In a social media post, Trump said he was nominating Halligan as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, writing that she “will be Fair, Smart, and will provide, desperately needed, JUSTICE FOR ALL!”
The Trump administration has terminated an annual government hunger report, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) said Saturday.
“The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the termination of future Household Food Security Reports. These redundant, costly, politicized, and extraneous studies do nothing more than fear monger,” the USDA said Saturday in a press release.
Wall Street banks and tech companies big and small were scrambling on Saturday to figure out how their tens of thousands of employees would be affected by Trump’s proclamation imposing a $100,000 fee for visas granted to skilled foreign workers.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries sent a letter to Trump on Saturday, accusing him of wanting a shutdown and urging Republicans to negotiate.
“It is now your obligation to meet with us directly to reach an agreement to keep the government open and address the Republican health care crisis,” they wrote, accusing the president of preferring a shutdown to protecting the health of the American people.
Their letter drew a noncommittal response from Trump, who told reporters: “I’d love to meet with them, but I don’t think it’s going to have any impact.”
This week kicks off the high-level part of the U.N. General Assembly, when world leaders meet to discuss the world’s most pressing problems.
A bill package strengthening prison oversight remains unsigned by Gov. Kathy Hochul after passing the state legislature right before the 2025 session ended this past June.
Raj Doyle, a Democratic activist who successfully helped push for a state ban on cellphones in schools, announced a primary run against state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli in 2026.
A committee that was formed in the wake of this year’s strike by New York correction officers to review a law limiting the use of solitary confinement in state prisons has recommended multiple proposed amendments to the statute.
New York is making a $50 million investment to deliver 200 modular and manufactured homes to low-and middle-income families over the next year, part of a $1.5 billion housing initiative secured in the 2026 budget.
Several former state correction officers implicated in the beating death of Robert L. Brooks at Marcy Correctional Facility in Oneida County are expected to plead guilty today to charges that will carry hefty prison sentences.
Multiple correction officers are facing accusations of sexually harassing a female co-worker at the Clinton County jail, including a 45-year-old correction officer who has previously been accused of similar misconduct in lawsuits that were settled by the county.
A new report from the Public Policy Institute of New York shows that regulations, taxation and affordability are some of the main concerns facing business owners across the state.
The State Police and NYS Thruway Authority (NYSTA) seized 140 vehicles and issued over 700 tickets following three enforcement operations focused on regular toll violators and ghost plates throughout the lower Hudson Valley and Western New York. “
With the United Nations session kicking off today, the city is closing some streets and stepping up police presence. It is usually one of the slowest weeks for traffic in Midtown.
Jeffries, the House Democratic Minority leader from Brooklyn, is in discussions to endorse Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani for mayor.
State Democratic Party Chair Jay Jacobs said Friday he will resign from his post if Hochul requests it — a day after he broke with her by announcing he wouldn’t endorse Mamdani.
As a first-term state assemblyman, Mamdani called for the “racist” NYPD to reduce its work force “by 1,300 officers through attrition.” He pushed to freeze hiring, end overtime, cancel new police classes, and put a moratorium on equipment purchases.
Mamdani has proposed no-cost, universal child care, helping to reignite a national conversation about the government’s role in child care and the potential economic impact of a more comprehensive system.
New York’s Democratic Civil War has opened up a new battlefront on Staten Island. The most recent casualty is the head of the borough’s Democratic Party, who is stepping down over backlash she faced for unilaterally backing Mamdani.
Despite their high salaries, some tech workers, lawyers and financiers are concerned by New York’s rising cost of living, and are betting on Mamdani for mayor.
Mamdani is joining the war against e-bikes … on the side of the e-bikes, saying the way make the streets safe for both delivery riders and pedestrians is to ensure delivery apps can’t push riders to make unsafe decisions on the street.
Mamdani is nudging skeptics to get on board with his platform by laying out how he’d implement progressive policies other American cities and states have to offer, and he’s talking to their leaders to learn from them.
Rep. Yvette Clarke, who represents New York’s 9th congressional district, covering much of central Brooklyn, endorsed Mamdani in the race for mayor Saturday, praising the effectiveness of his “people-powered” campaign.
Mamdani didn’t claim the protesters who wore T-shirts with his name on them as they heckled his opponent, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, during a mosque visit in Queens on Friday, saying “we did not orchestrate this protest.”
A Muslim supporter of Mamdani’s bid for mayor was stunned and in disbelief when he was confronted in public about the candidate’s support for decriminalizing prostitution.
“A substantial” number of Gen Z voters supporting Mamdani have been brainwashed by leftist ideology into an army of “nasty,” USA-hating radicals — who routinely accost rival Mayor Eric Adams on the campaign trail, he said.
After claiming for more than two decades they couldn’t find any documents about what City Hall knew about the dangers of the 9/11 toxins swirling around Ground Zero, city lawyers have announced that they, indeed, have found records to share.
Ranked by non-partisan handicappers as the most endangered New Yorker heading to the 2026 congressional midterm elections, Nassau County’s Laura Gillen is voting more conservatively than 99% of her Democratic colleagues in Washington.
The actor Gary Busey was sentenced last week to two years’ probation for inappropriately touching a woman at a horror movie convention in New Jersey in 2022, according to court records.
A plan addressing an $8 million deficit at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry included mixed news for its Adirondack Park programming and forestry properties.
A preliminary report has been issued that sheds light on the causes of a July plane crash that killed Montgomery County Legislator Daniel Wilson.
The police officer who struck and killed a man is back on duty, Colonie police confirmed. Jason Tusch was placed on administrative leave after he ran into a pedestrian while off duty on May 27.
Schenectady is wrapping up an internal probe into an incident in which the head of its building and codes department called for police and reported that illegal immigrants who appeared to be Mexican were part of a work crew in the city.
A Coeymans man has been charged with stabbing 32-year-old Brent Reed to death in Rensselaer over the weekend.
Photo credit: George Fazio.
