Good morning, it’s Friday! Somehow, this four-day workweek didn’t seem shorter than usual in any way. Not sure what that’s about.
I know there are proponents of reducing the five-day workweek by 24 hours – people who think cramming five days worth of work into four is somehow doable and humane. I feel like the stress that would induce would negate the extra day off altogether. I would need a full 24 hours just to steel myself for the storm to come.
I haven’t had a lot of time for leisure activities since 2026 shot out of the proverbial cannon – other than taking a few hours every weekend to run a ridiculously long way in the freezing cold or, worse yet, on the dreadmill and indoor track. Over the holidays, however, I did have some time on my hands, and for some reason that still remains a mystery to me, I decided to dedicate some of them to making an apple pie from scratch.
I am not sure what came over me, though I’ve written here before about my love of pie and my preference for it over almost all types of cake – except carrot cake, which, when done right is completely transporting.
The problem with cake, though, is that the icing to cake ratio is, in my opinion, all wrong. Each bite should have an equal amount of both, and in order to achieve that you need to do some surgery on your slice that is generally frowned upon in polite company. Someone should come up with a way to ice each individual slice just before serving – I would pay extra for that.
But I digress, as per usual. Now, back to my pie experiment.
The results of my foray were, charitably speaking, edible. It was the crust that stymied me, as I think is the case for most neophyte pie bakers, even though I opted for a crumb top so as to minimize my crust needs. The crumb topping was probably the best thing about the end result, though I did pre-cook the filling to avoid slumping and that worked out well.
The crust, which was an all-butter crust, was tough. I definitely overworked the dough and likely got overeager and didn’t let it rest long enough, either – two cardinal sins in pie crust-making. Probably using the food processor, which I did out of fear of overheating the butter with my fingers, was a bad choice. Also, I don’t own a rolling pin and so was forced to use a wine bottle, which wasn’t optimal.
I have read that leaf lard makes a truly transporting pie crust, but I didn’t happen to have any on hand. (I’m sue the HHS secretary and his fellow beef tallow enthusiasts would be disappointed in me). I did blind bake my crust, which avoided the dreaded bottom sogginess, but that couldn’t address the toughness problem. As it turns out, nothing can, other than to take it as a lesson and try again next time.
I might just leave pie making to the experts. Today is National Pie Day, which celebrates the tasty treat that humans have been enjoying – both savory and sweet varieties – for many hundreds of years.
The word “pie” didn’t show up until the medieval times, when “pyes” filled with all manner of game mixed with spices and dried fruits were popular. Dessert pies, of the sort we are familiar with today, filled with sweetened fruit, came along in the 1500s, and Queen Elizabeth I was reportedly fond of the cherry variety.
If you’re working on perfecting your pie skills, this weekend may or may not provide you with some indoor time to dedicate to that task. We could be in for a big snow storm on Sunday, or, on the other hand, not. Keep an eye on the forecast, as it seems to be changing by the hour.
Half the U.S. population will likely see some effect from the sprawling storm that will move across the country this weekend, meteorologists said.
It is definitely going to be clear and sunny but bone chillingly cold tomorrow – with the wind chill making it feel like many degrees below zero. Today will feel downright balmy by contrast, with highs in the 20s and a guest appearance by the sun in the afternoon.
In the headlines…
A long and growing list of world leaders, including those of India, Pakistan and the EU’s executive arm, say they’ve been offered the chance to join President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” to supervise the next phase of his plan for the Gaza Strip.
Trump rescinded his invitation for Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to join his “Board of Peace,” appearing to be lash out in response to stark, high-profile remarks by Carney of Canada that rejected Trump’s efforts to dismantle the international order.
Major Western allies chose to skip the Board of Peace signing ceremony on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, with some voicing concerns that the body, which Trump plans to chair personally, could replace the United Nations.
Following an emergency summit on the state of the trans-Atlantic relationship, European leaders announced that they would soon propose an investment package for Greenland and would direct part of a surge in security spending toward the Arctic.
TikTok said its Chinese owner, ByteDance, struck a deal with non-Chinese investors to create a new U.S. TikTok, concluding a six-year legal saga that saw the app banned by Congress and ensnared in politicking between two global superpowers.
Investors including the software giant Oracle; MGX, an Emirati investment firm; and Silver Lake, another investment firm, will own more than 80 percent of the new venture.
The new version of TikTok will operate under “defined safeguards that protect national security through comprehensive data protections, algorithm security, content moderation and software assurances for U.S. users,” the company said in a statement.
The United States formally withdrew from the World Health Organization, making good on an executive order that Trump issued on his first day in office pledging to leave the international organization that coordinates global responses to public health threats.
Jack Smith, the special prosecutor who twice indicted Donald Trump, defended his investigation in a tense and long-awaited appearance before a House committee, flatly accusing the president of causing the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
“I have seen how the rule of law can erode. My fear is that we have seen the rule of law function in this country for so long that many of us have come to take it for granted,” Smith said during testimony before the House Judiciary Committee.
Trump sued JPMorgan Chase & Co. and CEO Jamie Dimon for $5 billion, alleging the nation’s biggest bank improperly closed his accounts for political reasons after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
A 5-year-old boy wearing a Spider-Man backpack and an oversized hat was detained with his father by immigration authorities on Tuesday, one of four students recently apprehended in a suburban Minneapolis school district, school officials said.
Vice President JD Vance conceded yesterday that federal law enforcement officers have not been perfect in their handling of immigration enforcement in Minneapolis.
But in his visit to the city, Vance’s main message was that the best way to reduce clashes around ICE operations would be for Democrats to just cooperate with the Trump administration’s agenda.
The House passed a spending package for a broad swath of the government, narrowly mustering the votes to fund the Department of Homeland Security amid a Democratic revolt over spending for Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Gov. Kathy Hochul’s budget proposal includes a massive boost to Medicaid spending that’s already dramatically outpacing other states — but Dr. Oz could shake up her plan to tap into a nearly $10 billion trust fund already on New York’s books.
Hochul is waging a bruising battle to make New York (the 45th most affordable state in the nation!) a bit cheaper to live in — and she’s got no bones about making the Trial Lawyers Association a casualty in her cost-cutting crusade.
Hochul has included a “critical incident” policy in her latest budget proposal that would allow leave time for state troopers.
The state Public Service Commission unanimously renewed subsidies that will enable New York’s four nuclear power plants to remain operational for decades.
State utility regulators approved a 10.4% hike on Con Edison electric and gas bills over the next three years in the latest squeeze on residents’ wallets.
Average bills for electricity customers will go up by 3.5% this year, 3.2% in 2027 and 3.1% in 2028. For New York City residents, this adds up to about a $6.88 monthly increase this year, according to the plan.
Adem Bunkeddeko, a twice-failed congressional candidate who is running for state comptroller, is proposing using some of the state’s $290 billion pension fund to buy a big stake in MSG Sports, whose holdings include the Knicks and the New York Rangers.
State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli submitted a shareholder proposal to Uber demanding the company create and make public a report on how it plans to address an epidemic of sexual harassment and assaults that have victimized both passengers and drivers.
Hochul’s $260 billion budget proposal does not include any new taxes on the rich — and Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s grassroots army is trying to change that.
Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University graduate and Palestinian protest organizer whose immigration arrest made national headlines, will be re-arrested and deported to Algeria, Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said.
Mamdani stood by Khalil, telling reporters that plans to deport the controversial anti-Israeli activist and Columbia University grad student is an “attack” on freedom.
A massive winter storm is expected to drop up to 12 inches of snow on New York City Sunday into Monday, threatening to shut down parts of the five boroughs in what will be the biggest test of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration to date.
Plenty of New York City mayors have faced blowback over their handling of blizzards. In several appearances this week, Mamdani has sought to show he is prepared.
Mamdani was mocked online for seemingly playing it safe in his announcement that “3–16 inches of snow” could fall this weekend, after past City Hall administrations have created their own political nightmares for their handling of winter storms.
Mamdani – who has fond childhood memories of sledding with friends during wintry days off from school, once even getting a concussion – hinted that he may revive the old-fashioned snow day for kids.
That seemed to contradict Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels, who on Wednesday said a snow day would have to include remote learning.
Mamdani was in Brooklyn to announce the opening of two new clinics with NYC Health + Hospitals aimed at serving teenagers and young adults.
The mayor was joined by Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, who is running for retiring Rep. Nydia Velazquez’s seat, in a primary that also includes Mamdani’s protege, Assembly Member Claire Valdez.
Mamdani not only has to close a big budget deficit, he faces an economy that is losing jobs in every major part of the workforce except health care. New York City added a mere 27,100 jobs last year.
Investments in Israeli government bonds have emerged as a significant fault line between Mamdani and the city’s comptroller, Mark Levine.
Park advocates are calling on Mamdani to keep his promise to increase funding and potentially remake a park system that has fallen into decline after years of budget cuts.
In a wide-ranging exit interview, ex-DOI Commissioner Jocelyn Strauber discussed the Adams administration’s efforts to freeze her out, the independence of city investigators — and what she told her staff when the former mayor’s case was dismissed.
Former New York City Mayor Eric Adams personally ordered city officials to reopen a park drive on Staten Island to motorists last year, according to internal communications.
Responding to pleas from Mamdani and Hochul to head back to the bargaining table, the two sides in the New York City nurses’ strike resumed negotiations yesterday in hopes of returning 15,000 workers to their patients’ bedside.
A Long Island school district violated federal civil rights law by changing the names of its school mascot – a move it made to comply with a state ban on Native American imagery, the Trump administration said.
The Albany health insurer CDPHP has signed a new health coverage agreement with St. Peter’s Health Partners, allowing its members access to its doctors and medical practices without interruption.
Residents have moved into the Town of Bethlehem’s first affordable housing development in 25 years.
After Clifton Park Town Supervisor Phil Barrett crashed his work car in September, he failed to follow town policy requiring him to report the incident to the town safety officer.
An Albany man convicted of a fatal 2024 rush-hour shooting on Delaware Avenue is among seven people indicted in an alleged money-laundering scheme that led to the seizure of over 100 guns this summer.
A multi-tenant office complex on River Street, which Troy city government is expected to vacate at year’s end, will save the building owner a projected $2.8 million by 2039 under a tax break agreement supported by Mayor Carmella Mantello’s administration.
The Town of Colonie lifted the advisory to boil water before consuming, ending days of recommendations that water be boiled to kill microbes that might have infiltrated the water system following the discovery Monday of a ruptured 24-inch water main
Photo credit: George Fazio.
