Good morning, it’s Friday. I don’t know who needs to hear this – I certainly do – but there are 49 days left until Spring, which officially starts on March 20 (at 10:46 a.m., which is when the vernal equinox is scheduled to occur).
This seems both very close and very far away. As I sit at my desk (or the table that passes for a desk) with the space heater blowing and a hot cup of coffee at my elbow, 49 days feels totally doable. But the second I step outside into the arctic temperatures we’re been experiencing of late, every minute feels like an eternity.
And we won’t be experiencing a break in the weather soon, according to the current forecast. We’re in the midst of a cold advisory that will last through 11 a.m. today, with wind chills as low as 25 below expected. This is a severe danger zone where frostbite can occur on exposed skin in as little as half an hour and hypothermia can set in quickly if you don’t take appropriate precautions.
Today we will see mostly sunny skies and high temperatures of MAYBE 11 degrees. The weekend is projected to bring more of the same, through things will warm up just a hair by Sunday with the possibility of breaking into the low 20s. Next week, we might even hit 30 degrees (!), which is going to feel like a heat wave, comparatively speaking.
This is a good time for a little refresher course on how to appropriately protect oneself from the wintertime elements. Frostbite, by the way, occurs when the water in your cells freezes, forming ice crystals inside your skin and leading to loss of feeling, color changes (from white to gray and then black), and potential permanent damage that, in extreme cases, requires amputation.
Scary stuff.
Frostbite most often occurs on the extremities of the body, so nose, cheeks, ears, fingers, and toes. When the body gets cold, it concentrates energy on protecting the most important operations – namely the internal organs – at the expense of some of the, let us say, more expendable bits. You can live without a finger or a toe, but not without a heart, a liver, a stomach…you get the idea.
Frostbite treatment is a little counter intuitive. You do NOT want to just stick your hand in very hot water, for example, but rather gently and slowly re-warm the tissue.
If you’re merely chilled, getting out of wet clothing, moving to a warm and dry place and wrapping up in layers will do the trick. If you have Stage 1frostbite, also known as “frostnip”, submersion in a bowl of warm water is the protocol. No massaging or heating pads/blankets is recommended. Seeking medical attention is probably a good call.
The best way to prevent frostbite is to stay inside when the temperature drops dangerously slow. This isn’t always doable, of course, and so if you do need to venture out, make sure you’re dressed appropriately.
Layering is the name of the game here, with insulation at the base (ideally, something synthetic that keeps moisture away from the skin) and wind-wicking, waterproof garments on the outside. And make sure you’re protecting those extremities by wearing a hat, insulated mittens or gloves, two pairs of socks (synthetic first, then wool-blend), waterproof boots, and a face mask.
It’s also important to keep yourself hydrated, which isn’t as easy to do in the cold weather when you can’t necessarily rely on thirst cues.
Being dehydrated actually increases your frostbite risk, because it maintains your blood volume and improves circulation, helping to keep you warm. This means laying off the alcohol and the caffeine, and drinking at least one full glass of water before you head outside is a good rule of thumb. Warm liquids help boost your internal body temperature.
In short: Be smart. Dress warm. Stay safe out there.
We’ve already dispensed with the forecast, and so let’s get down to business.
In the headlines…
Senate Democrats struck a deal with Republicans and the White House to pass five spending bills to fund a large portion of the government for the remainder of the fiscal year, and funding DHS for two weeks while talks continue on guardrails to rein in ICE.
“I am working hard with Congress to ensure that we are able to fully fund the Government, without delay,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “Hopefully, both Republicans and Democrats will give a very much needed Bipartisan ‘YES’ Vote.”
Border czar Tom Homan said the feds will “draw down” the number of federal agents involved in Trump’s controversial Minnesota operation against undocumented immigrants after the killing of protester Alex Pretti.
In a new sign that Trump is seeking a retreat from the crackdown, Homan vowed to act in a more “targeted” way to apprehend criminals instead of street sweeps that have provoked widespread protests in Minneapolis.
“I’m not here because the federal government has carried out this mission perfectly,” Homan said in an hourlong press conference, adding: “President Trump wants this fixed, and I’m going to fix it.”
At hotels from Minneapolis to Maine, crowds are gathering to blow whistles, bang pots and pans, and play drums, often late into the night, to protest ICE agents staying there. Hotels are now a front line in the conflict over Trump’s immigration crackdown.
Bruce Springsteen released a new song, “Streets of Minneapolis,” in response to two fatal shootings by federal immigration enforcement agents in the city this month.
He said he wrote it on Saturday, the same day immigration agents killed Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old I.C.U. nurse, during a confrontation. Renee. Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was killed by an ICE agent on Jan. 7.
Hundreds of organizations from across the country are staging a nationwide economic shutdown today to protest the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies and demand an end to ICE operations.
Activists are calling for a day of “no work, no school [and] no shopping” in response to the fatal shootings of at least four people by federal immigration officials in the past two months.
Democratic donors say that the fatal shootings by federal agents in Minnesota this month have not only generated outrage in key fundraising circles but have compelled many to open up their checkbooks.
Anthony Kazmierczak, 55, who rushed Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar and sprayed her with apple cider vinegar from a syringe was hit by the Justice Department with federal assault charges.
Trump is suing the US Internal Revenue Service and Treasury Department for at least $10 billion, accusing the agency of an unauthorized leak of his tax returns during his first administration.
The suit was filed yesterday in federal court in Florida. Trump, who filed the suit alongside his sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, is suing the IRS and Treasury personally, not in his official capacity as president.
Trump has been presented in recent days with an expanded list of potential military options against Iran aimed at doing further damage to the country’s nuclear and missile facilities or weakening Iran’s supreme leader, according to multiple U.S. officials.
Trump is reportedly set to announce his choice to replace Jerome H. Powell as chair of the Federal Reserve on Friday and is expected to select Kevin M. Warsh, a former Fed official, for the job.
Speaking at the premiere for “Melania,” the film about first lady, the president said a process that began last summer of finding his pick to succeed current Powell is about to end and hinted it could be “somebody that could have been there a few years ago.”
That fueled speculation that he had chosen Warsh, who was considered for the Fed chair in 2017. There was a surge of bets on Warsh to be nominated on the Polymarket predictions site, where his chances rose to 94% on Friday.
The debate over a sweeping state climate law that requires steep emissions cuts is poised to divide Gov. Kathy Hochul and Democratic lawmakers — and could upend budget talks.
New York’s top energy and environmental officials hinted this week that Hochul could still be looking to amend a key component of New York’s climate law, despite leaving plans to do so out of her budget proposal earlier this month.
Rural school advocates are raising alarms over Hochul’s recent executive budget proposal, arguing that the plan’s funding measures fall short of what is needed to support districts already facing significant hurdles.
Hochul directed that flags on all state government buildings be flown at half-staff today in honor of fallen retired New York State Police Maj. Frank J. Keyser.
Cattaraugus County lawmakers urged Hochul to resume negotiations with the Seneca Nation of Indians for “a new, fair and equitable” gaming compact.
Forty years ago, former Gov. Mario Cuomo signed an executive order that created the state Office of the Inspector General. Now, the state’s current inspector general is warning of ongoing attempts to erode the independence of her federal counterparts.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani upped the ante in a simmering showdown with Hochul, threatening budget cuts if she does not move forward with his plan to raise taxes on wealthy New Yorkers or fork over to the city a larger share of state money.
If Hochul doesn’t grant any of those asks, then “all it leaves the city are the most painful tools,” Mamdani said during a morning PIX11 appearance. “Cuts could be on the table as a last resort,” he said, also floating the prospect of raising property taxes.
Budget watchdogs don’t agree with New York City Comptroller Mark Levine’s $12 billion budget gap projection, which combines the midyear gap of $2.2 billion he’s identified for this fiscal year and the gap he predicts for next fiscal year of $10.4 billion.
Mamdani signed an executive order that creates the position of Chief Savings Officer within all city agencies, who will report back to City Hall within 45 days with a plan for how to make their agencies more efficient.
Adams took to social media to take a shot at lefty Mamdani, slamming his successor for pointing fingers rather than dealing with a gaping $12 billion budget hole.
“When you promise ‘free’ everything on Sunday, boldly declare that millionaires and billionaires shouldn’t exist on Monday, and by Tuesday you’re scrambling to fund your giveaways with the very people you wanted gone just yesterday,” the Adams said on X.
Mamdani’s administration ordered city cops and sanitation workers to stop tearing down homeless encampments just weeks before 10 people were found dead outdoors during the Arctic deep freeze.
Former NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani raged at his socialist successor Mamdani and said thinks the city should be forcing homeless people off the streets after several died during the brutal cold snap.
Superstar rapper A$AP Rocky dropped that he’s testing the waters for a potential bid at becoming New York City’s mayor.
Uber and Lyft drivers rejoiced yesterday as the City Council pushed through legislation that limits how often they can be kicked off the apps by Silicon Valley.
The Council overturned a record 17 vetoes left over from the final days on the Adams administration, including measures that would lift the cap on street vending licenses and prohibit ICE from having an office Rikers Island.
The New York City Council is establishing an antisemitism task force, beating Mamdani to the punch, in the wake of what appears to be the city’s latest act of Jewish hate.
Concerns about the DSA parachuting candidates into races sparked a false rumor that Aber Kawas moved to Queens in order to run for Mamdani’s seat but accidentally moved into a neighboring district.
In a break from Mamdani, some transit advocates are wary of a plan to subsidize bus fares and argue the money would be better spent on a major subway expansion.
Mamdani’s newly minted schools chancellor asked state lawmakers yesterday for another $602 million to hire 6,000 new teachers in Big Apple Schools on top of $14 billion in school aid for the city that the governor included in her executive budget proposal.
Instacart is hitting New York City customers with a “regulatory response fee” — prompted by the city’s new minimum wage rule for grocery delivery workers.
A man claiming to be an FBI agent showed up to a Brooklyn jail with a barbecue fork and pizza cutter and tried to free Luigi Mangione Wednesday night, according to a law enforcement official and a federal criminal complaint.
Amtrak riders can now travel the rails in supreme style — and apparent comfort — in a new tracksuit designed by a New York City fashion student.
The New York City police said they had charged a man with reckless endangerment and attempted assault after he rammed his vehicle repeatedly into the headquarters of Chabad Lubavitch, the Hasidic Jewish group, in Brooklyn.
Two teenage girls say that a teacher at Saint Ann’s School in Brooklyn who had pressured them to share naked photographs and videos sent “a revenge porn blast with dozens of explicit pictures” of them to his own students, according to a new lawsuit.
Two adults and three children were detained Wednesday morning after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents entered a Clifton Park apartment without a judicial warrant, advocates said.
Forest rangers were called to the state’s 12th-tallest mountain last week to rescue a hiker from Albany who brought their dog on a hike and lost the trail.
In the shadow of Albany’s Central Warehouse, angry and bewildered residents yesterday made the unhappy pilgrimage to retrieve their vehicles at AC’s Towing and Recovery on Montgomery Street. Some 302 cars were towed during the snow emergency.
The Albany police officer and a co-defendant charged over the weekend in a monthslong drug investigation have been released from custody.
Photo credit: George Fazio.
