Good morning, it’s Thursday.
We’re several days away from Columbus Day, a federal holiday held on the second Monday in October to commemorate the arrival of the Italian explorer (sailing on behalf of Spain) Christopher Columbus in the Americas in 1492, opening them to European colonization.
This holiday is problematic on a lot of levels, not the least of which is the fact that Columbus played a key role in a whole host of wrongs – disease, violence, theft of land etc. – perpetrated on the Indigenous people who made their home on the land he supposedly “discovered” and claimed for Spanish monarchs.
Hence, the rise of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, which is increasingly being embraced by those who want to honor Native people and their culture.
Columbus actually never set a foot in what is now the United States of American; but rather landed in the Bahamas in the Caribbean. Also, the idea that Columbus was not – by a long shot – the first non-Indigenous individual to come to this corner of the world, because Viking explorers had beat him to the punch years earlier.
Leif Erikson (also spelled Ericson or Ericsson), for example, landed in Newfoundland in the 11th century – around 1000 CE, to be exact. He led a crew of Norsemen on an expedition and established a settlement that he called Vinland nearly 500 years before Columbus even existed.
Leif Erikson returned to his home country of Greenland (which his father, Erik the Red, had founded after being found guilty of murder and banished) with a raft of valuable commodities like timber and grapes (hence “Vinland” AKA “land of the vine”). Leif never went back to Vinland, but, legend has it, his brothers did.
Today is National Leif Erikson Day, but interestingly, it is NOT the day he supposedly discovered Vinland. It IS the day that the Norwegian immigrant ship “Restauration” docked in New York Harbor – at Pier 16, South Street Seaport, to be exact – in 1825 after a three-month voyage.
This was the first organized immigration from Norway to the U.S., and the ship carried some 52 immigrants plus a newborn who was birthed during the trip – many of whom were Quakers.
The ship’s captain, L. O. Helland, was arrested and slapped with a hefty fine, and his ship was confiscated for having too many passengers on his ship, but President John Quincy Adams awarded the captain a pardon a month later in an act of goodwill toward the new arrivals.
The Restauration’s passengers were known as “Sloopers” and their maiden voyage was the first of a stream of Norwegians coming to America. This initial group settled in what is now Orleans County.
There is a replica of the Restauration, which is scheduled to pay New York City a visit this week. It is scheduled to be welcomed by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Haakon, of Norway, to mark the 200th anniversary of the first organized Norwegian emigration to the United States.
It’s going to be seasonably chilly today, with temperatures struggling to rise out of the mid-50s. Skies will be sunny, but there’s a freeze watch in effect from 11 p.m. tonight through 9 a.m. tomorrow. Temperatures could drop overnight in the mid-20s, which will undoubtedly do a number on sensitive vegetation. Poor plants, they must be so confused by the weather of late.
In the headlines…
Israel and Hamas edged closer to ending their devastating two-year war, agreeing on the initial terms of a deal that could pave the way to an imminent cease-fire and bringing relief to the families of Israeli hostages and to two million Palestinians in Gaza.
The two sides were preparing for an exchange of Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners this weekend after reaching an agreement overnight, the culmination of sustained pressure from President Donald Trump and Arab mediators.
An exchange of hostages and prisoners was expected this weekend. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel said he would convene his cabinet to sign off on the agreement, and President Trump said he might travel to the region.
Trump said that he expects Hamas to release all remaining Israeli hostages on Monday — as families celebrated the breakthrough peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinian terror group.
Crowds swelled on the Tel Aviv plaza known as Hostages Square as news of the deal spread. Israelis waved national flags printed with yellow ribbons for those still in captivity, along with American flags, while singing and dancing.
For Trump, success in brokering a cease-fire is the ultimate test of his self-described goal as a deal maker and a peacemaker.
James Comey, the former F.B.I. director targeted by Trump, pleaded not guilty yesterday to charges he lied to Congress. His lawyer said he would move to quickly dismiss the case, calling it a “vindictive” and “selective” prosecution.
Lawyers for the former F.B.I. director sought clarity on the details of the indictment against him, and said it was filed only after pressure from President Trump.
Before Comey heads to trial in January over charges of lying to Congress, his team plans to put the prosecutors — and specifically President Donald Trump’s handpicked interim US Attorney Lindsey Halligan — on the defensive.
A federal judge will hear arguments today about whether to block the deployment of the Guard, which Illinois officials have called a violation of state sovereignty and the Trump administration has defended as necessary for safety.
New York Congressmen Hakeem Jeffries and Mike Lawler got into a shouting match yesterday during a testy exchange over the ongoing government shutdown.
Lawler, a Republican, confronted the Democratic House minority leader after a news conference about Affordable Care Act subsidies, a sticking point in negotiations between the two sides.
The candidates for governor of New Jersey faced off in a final debate that showcased stark differences in how they plan to lead the state, an accusation of culpability in the opioid epidemic and a rare moment of comity on self-serve gasoline.
Gov. Kathy Hochul faces mounting pressure to sign the Medical Aid in Dying bill that was passed by both houses of the Legislature in the 2025 session.
New York will challenge a federal judge’s ruling allowing the company tearing down the Indian Point nuclear power plant to discharge radioactive water into the Hudson River, state officials said.
Hochul says she’s involved in a full-court press with the Trump administration to claw back billions of dollars in federal infrastructure and security funding that was supposed to flow to New York.
Drama in Albany over a bill seeking to increase transparency when it comes to grocery delivery apps has presumably reached Hochul’s desk.
New Yorkers’ optimism about the economy remains higher than the national average but has weakened from the previous quarter, according to reporting released yesterday on the state’s consumer sentiment index.
New Yorkers out of work who receive unemployment will see their maximum benefit increase by more than $300 per week starting Monday. The maximum amount will increase from $504 to $869 per week, the state’s first rise in payouts since 2019.
The White House says it has funding to keep the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children running during an extended government shutdown, but it’s unclear how it will get to states’ health agencies and if it will arrive in time.
While the mayoral candidates are duking it out in a fierce campaign fight this fall, a group of lower-profile candidates who are also running in the city’s November general election could have an outsize effect on many New Yorkers’ lives.
As New York City mayoral candidates trade barbs over who is best suited to respond to Trump’s deployment of the National Guard in Democratic cities, elected officials and local activists are quietly gaming out how to respond to troops in the five boroughs.
Mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo told business leaders that he wants to scrap the city’s plan to replace Rikers Island with neighborhood-based jails and instead build new “state of the art” penitentiaries on the site of the current complex.
Cuomo, who is running for mayor of New York City as a third-party candidate, said he would convert the four borough-based sites into affordable housing projects, and remake Rikers into a “modern, humane correctional campus.”
Following the announcement, Curtis Sliwa and Zohran Mamdani criticized Cuomo for reversing his stance on the notorious jail complex.
Mayor Mamdani will stand up to city bureaucrats and political power players who oppose his plans to make streets safer and buses faster, the frontrunner in next month’s mayoral election pledged.
Mamdani once again called for free buses and reliable service at press conference yesterday, highlighting what is considered the slowest bus route in New York:The M57 through Midtown Manhattan.
Mamdani, the leading candidate in the race to be New York City’s next mayor, held a campaign event on a bus that crawled across Midtown Manhattan to highlight a signature proposal.
Mamdani said that he will regularly commute to City Hall by bus, subway and bicycle if he’s elected.
As Mamdani seeks to reassure New York City he is open to compromise, his views on Israel and Palestinians have been the biggest exception.
Hochul refused to push back on mayoral front-runner Mamdani’s pledge to remove the city’s top cop from police disciplinary proceedings — even after she claimed her endorsement came with a nod she would help to hold the line for New York’s finest.
Mamdani dodged and avoided taking a position on ballot measures going to public vote in November — as some would-be City Council allies are getting frustrated with his word-salad explanations for staying out of the fray.
A corporation registered in New York City mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa’s name owes nearly $4,000 in state taxes, according to public records.
Mayor Eric Adams said that he’s pushing for a direct flight from the Big Apple to Albania – a convenient route for an ambassador to travel back and forth from home.
New Yorkers in several neighborhoods where Adams won handily on a platform of reducing crime through increased policing now say they’re ready to embrace policies meant to minimize NYPD involvement — and potential harm — in mental health crises.
New York City filed a new lawsuit accusing Facebook, Google, Snapchat, TikTok and other online platforms of fueling a mental health crisis among children by addicting them to social media.
Broadway is facing a possible strike this fall as two of its major labor unions — one representing actors and stage managers and one representing musicians — are simultaneously in negotiations for new contracts with the industry’s commercial producers.
LaGuardia Airport experienced an hour-long ground stop yesterday afternoon due to an equipment outage. Flights were not allowed in or out of the Queens, New York, airport until 4 p.m. EST.
The casino proposal process started with eight players, with four surviving a first round of elimination to compete for up to three downstate casino licenses. Applicants for three licenses will now be evaluated by the Gaming Facility Location Board.
The city is considering a $5.5 million pilot program to probe the use of cool pavement in areas with hot streets that would protect New Yorkers from sizzling asphalt during the summer months.
A majority of New Yorkers who regularly visit Central Park are against a horse-carriage ban that’s gaining steam in the City Council, a new industry-funded poll found.
REI is closing its only store in New York City — but not until late 2026, leaving co-op members with plenty of time to take advantage of the retailer’s much-loved, yearlong, no-questions-asked return policy in person.
A law effectively banning transgender girls and women from playing sports at county-run facilities on Long Island county can no longer being enforced – for now
CHA Consulting engineers, under a contract with the town of Hoosick, are analyzing the feasibility of revamping and refrigerating the Reynolds-Gilchrest Skating Rink, which has long relied on chilly outdoor temperatures to sustain ice.
A scientist who once had to spend a semester proving his worth to Hudson Valley Community College has now won the Nobel Prize in chemistry.
Alexa Kropf walked smoothly to the witness stand yesterday and described the litany of life-threatening and life-altering injuries she sustained a year and a half ago. Austin Breyette, the man accused of inflicting them, sat several feet away, listening.
Niskayuna homeowners took their concerns about their water quality to town leaders last week during a Town Board meeting.
The mother of three children killed in a fire on Twiller Street in Albany thanked people who came to a vigil for her family on Tuesday night.
Photo credit: George Fazio.
