Good morning, it’s Friday!
Back in the day, I was a pretty good Pac-Man player. I probably spent far too much time in my late 20s and early 30s challenging people to games – the winner paid for drinks – at the table top Pac-Mac located in the bar section of the much beloved and now defunct Justin’s on Lark Street (now the Savoy Tap Room).
I really loved Justin’s. I lived around the corner on Willett Street for a while, and then a few blocks further down on State Street. I frequented a number of Lark Street establishments in my time as a young cub state Capitol reporter (RIP McGuire’s), but Justin’s was my go-to local. You never knew who you were going to run into at Justin’s, which was a large part of its charm.
I loved the atmosphere, the live jazz, the Ropa Vieja (a Cuban shredded beef dish made with green olives), and Tess Collins, the undisputed doyenne of Albany night life. Sadly, Justin’s also played a role in the Capitol’s infamous sexual harassment culture – not the fault of the restaurant by any means, it was just a centrally located late night locale of choice for many inebriated lawmakers, staffers, lobbyists, and reporters, as well as a lot of Center Square locals
I have a lot of mixed feelings about those days. I don’t miss them, to be sure. But I do miss the camaraderie of Justin’s – and the Pac-Man table. I found another one recently at Bud’s on the Hudson, which is a coffee shop on Starbuck Island (located between Green Island and Troy). I am a fan of Bud’s; it’s a pretty good breakfast spot, if often crowded on the weekends. But somehow the Pac-Man experience there is not the same for me.
What does all of this nostalgic bellybutton gazing have to do with Oct. 31? You were probably expecting me to write about Halloween today, which would make sense. But there is a through line here….stay with me.
My musings were spurred by today’s Google Doodle, which is an interactive, Halloween-themed Pac-Man game. (I cleared the first board with relative ease, but didn’t get much further. I’m an old-school video game player, which is to say that I’m used to a joystick and don’t do well with the keyboard).
It turns out that Pac-Man is celebrating its 45th anniversary this year. (Man, do I feel old). The celebration will include Pac-Man’s first ever appearance as a float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, as well as limited-edition merch, and the release of a new game over the summer.
The original game was released in Japan on May 22, 1980. It was invented by a self-taught game designer named Toru Iwatani, who wanted to make a non-violent game that would have widespread appeal focused on a character that was initially conceptualized as a pizza with a slice missing.
The premise was simple: Move Pac-Man around a series of increasingly difficult to navigate mazes, eating blinking dots along the way to accumulate points while avoiding deadly blinking ghosts. The concept proved a bit hit, with an estimated 250 million games of Pac-Man played each week in the U.S. alone just one year after its introduction.
Pac-Man went on to be one of the most popular and highest-grossing video games in history, and spurred a whole host of spin-offs.
Toru Iwatani, by the way, is still around – he was so young when he created Pac-Man (he joined the company that released Pac-Man, Namco, in 1977 at the age of 22) that he’s only 70 today years old today. He now teaches game design at Tokyo Polytechnic University.
After yesterday’s absolutely batshit crazy weather (I drove in the middle of a wind and rainstorm across the Throggs Neck Bridge – an experience I definitely don’t want to repeat), today will be considerably calmer, with overcast skies and only a slight chance of a rain shower. Temperatures will top out in the low 50s.
Tomorrow will be chillier, with highs only in the high 40s to low 50s, but we might see some sun break through the clouds by afternoon. Sunday will bring intervals of clouds and sun with temperatures in the low-to-mid 50s.
In the headlines…
President Donald Trump called on Senate Republicans to initiate the “nuclear option” and get rid of the filibuster, which would allow them to end the government shutdown and pass legislation with a simple majority.
“It is now time for the Republicans to play their ‘TRUMP CARD,’ and go for what is called the Nuclear Option — Get rid of the Filibuster, and get rid of it, NOW!” Trump posted on Truth Social.
Trump explained that during his whirlwind Asia trip “the one question that kept coming up, however, was how did the Democrats SHUT DOWN the United States of America, and why did the powerful Republicans allow them to do it?”
The president once again slammed ObamaCare, demanding that Democrats “do something” ahead of an imminent spike in Affordable Care Act (ACA) premiums amid the federal funding impasse.
“As I have said for years, OBAMACARE IS A DISASTER! Rates are going through the roof for really bad healthcare!!! Do something Democrats!!!” the president wrote in a Truth Social post.
Trump and first lady Melania handed out chocolate to hundreds of costumed children at the White House during a Halloween celebration yesterday, just hours after the commander in chief returned from a five-day swing through Asia.
The Trump administration staunchly defended its decision to stop paying food stamps during the government shutdown, telling a federal court that it could not tap a tranche of available funds to provide aid to millions of poor Americans in November.
New York is spending $106 million to help feed low-income residents whose benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program aren’t expected to be replenished when the new month begins tomorrow.
Supermarkets, gas stations and even farmers will stand to lose millions of dollars in revenue starting Saturday if Congress and Trump can’t find a solution to keep the nation’s largest food assistance program afloat during the federal government shutdown.
A rep for Big Apple bodega owners is pleading with needy New Yorkers to keep their cool and avoid looting neighborhood stores after SNAP benefits possibly expire due to the federal shutdown.
The state is now on track to rake in $259 billion in revenue this fiscal year thanks to the six-month boost — $2.6 billion more for the 12-month period than Gov. Kathy Hochul’s budget office had originally forecast.
Hochul is on TIME’s 2025 list of 100 most influential leaders driving business climate action.
New York’s attorney general, Letitia James, is seeking to block a Justice Department investigation into her office’s civil fraud case against Trump by challenging the legitimacy of the U.S. attorney in Albany, according to two people with knowledge of the matter.
Super PACs supporting Andrew Cuomo and opposing Zohran Mamdani in the New York City mayoral race have raised over $40 million, with millions coming from prominent billionaires and family dynasties, according to election filings.
Mamdani responded to a widely shared 2023 clip in which he suggested that the NYPD and Israeli army were linked in oppression, the latest example of the Democratic mayoral nominee facing questions about his record of anti-police and anti-Israel statements.
Mamdani remains well ahead in surveys of likely voters, as his main rivals, Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa, strive to catch him. More than 370,000 New Yorkers have already voted.
Mamdani didn’t recognize Billy Joel’s beloved 1976 rock tribute to the Big Apple during a quiz about famous New York City tunes.
Younger New Yorkers are starting to make their mark at the ballot box — turning out at a higher clip over the past few days of early voting in the highly-watched mayoral race.
Mamdani has energized the Big Apple and polarized the nation’s largest city just as quickly. Much like his nemesis, Trump, the democratic socialist has inspired durable support and repelled his opponents, a dynamic that’s symbolic of the national divide.
A PAC supporting the independent campaign of Cuomo for mayor urged donors to keep the money flowing despite new polling suggesting that Mamdani is still the front-runner.
Nearly half of New Yorkers fear crime and violence will only get worse if Mamdani becomes mayor, according to a grim new poll that shows voters fearing a “disaster.”
Upstate Rep. Nick Langworthy — the former New York State Republican Party chairman and close ally of President Trump — endorsed Cuomo instead of GOP candidate Sliwa for mayor to stop “communist” Mamdani.
Some three million New Yorkers live in apartments with rent levels set by the market. They would not benefit from Mamdani’s rent freeze.
Mamdani’s opposition to Israel’s treatment of Palestinians could influence New York City’s investments, his appointees and city policing tactics.
Through the final days of this year’s campaign for New York City mayor, Cuomo has at times lived up to the nickname he earned in the early days of his political career: the prince of darkness.
Two new polls released yesterday showed Mamdani maintaining or expanding his sizable lead in the New York City mayoral race, as the two other major candidates strive for a late surge in the final days of the campaign.
Mamdani and New York City’s Democratic Socialists of America will have some relationship issues to iron out if he’s elected mayor of the nation’s largest metropolis.
If Mamdani becomes mayor, that will leave a vacancy in the Assembly – one that DSA member Diana Moreno hopes to fill.
Mamdani said he was taking MTA Chairman Janno Lieber’s cautionary tone regarding the candidate’s free-bus plan “with a grain of salt.”
A 10-minute address Mayor Eric Adams delivered from City Hall yesterday afternoon was ostensibly about antisemitism and an unsanctioned art exhibit featuring pro-Hamas messages at a city-affiliated site on Governors Island.
New York City landlords who make life hell for their rent-regulated tenants could spend up to seven years behind bars if a new bill co-sponsored by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg becomes law.
It remains to be seen how the recent discovery of $2.2 million in federal funding will affect the City Council’s efforts to add $5.2 million in revenue to next year’s budget and bring the mayor’s proposed 17% tax increase under the state’s property tax cap.
New York City’s school buses will keep running next week after city officials and bus companies reached a last-minute deal to avoid service disruption that could have caused chaos for many of the 150,000 students who rely on yellow buses to get to school.
Amtrak officials announced they are moving forward with Trump’s plan to rebuild Penn Station, and are seeking a “master developer” that can finish the job at a breakneck pace.
City transportation officials promised to one day install a seat at every bus stop in the city, giving riders a place to rest their legs while they wait for the MTA’s notoriously slow service.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority greenlighted a jaw-dropping $1.5 billion deal to buy hundreds of new subway cars.
Two men died after being trapped in separate flooded basements during yesterday’s storm, according to officials. A 39-year-old man died while trying to rescue his dogs from his flooded basement and another man was electrocuted while working on a boiler.
A 20-month-old girl who drowned at a Bronx day care in August died accidentally, according to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
Five state prison guards accused of faking illnesses and workplace injuries to collect thousands of dollars in sick pay are facing felony charges, the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office announced.
Saratoga PLAN has opened a 127-acre preserve along the foothills of the Adirondacks. Curtis Preserve is expected to provide critical wildlife habitat and serve as a link to other important habitats.
Michael Tucker, the longtime president and CEO of the Columbia Economic Development Corporation, announced that he would step down from the position he has held since 2015.
A 19-year-old arrested this past summer for running over a 93-year-old man with his car in Cohoes has pleaded guilty to manslaughter, prosecutors announced.
Albany County is moving forward with the purchase of five buildings on the former College of Saint Rose campus, which needs to be accepted by the Pine Hills Land Authority, the public authority in charge of redeveloping the shuttered college campus.
A Rensselaer tow operator accused of using his company to steal cars and sell them to scrapyards is facing additional forgery charges.
King Charles III stripped his disgraced brother Prince Andrew of his remaining titles and evicted him from his royal residence after weeks of pressure to act over his relationship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Buckingham Palace said the king “initiated a formal process to remove the Style, Titles and Honours of Prince Andrew.” The prince, the palace said, “will now be known as Andrew Mountbatten Windsor,” the family name of members of the House of Windsor.
Photo credit: George Fazio.
