Good Tuesday morning.
If your workplace or classroom feels a little underpopulated this afternoon, it could be the result of the Free America Walkout, which is happening at 2 p.m. today to, as organizers put it, disrupt business as usual in protest of the Trump administration’s actions and policies.
Jan. 20, as you may recall (or in case you’ve conveniently blocked it out), is the anniversary of the date in 2025 when Donald Trump was inaugurated for his second term as president, taking the oath of office on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol. Some events were moved inside due to the extremely cold temperatures) – the first time that had happened since 1985 when then-President Ronald Reagan was sworn into office for the second time.
Trump’s second inauguration happened to coincide with MLK Day last year, which made for an interesting – if not jarring – juxtaposition.
Today’s walkout is largely the brainchild of the people who brought us the Women’s March, which organized a nationwide protest back in 2017 when Trump first came to power. (Remember the sea of pink knit so-called pussy hats? I sure do).
Hundreds of thousands of people showed up to march on D.C. on Jan. 21, 2017, which what was the largest single-day protest in U.S. history at the time – a benchmark later surpassed by the 2020 George Floyd protests and also by the June 2025 “No Kings” protests in which about 5 million people participated.
Since its heyday, the Women’s March has since struggled with controversy, internal struggle and an identity crisis. Organizers have now shifted their attention from a large-scale weekend demonstration to a weekday action in hopes of sparking a decentralized combustion disruption/community building exercise that both empowers participants and gives them a voice.
“Activists will organize walkout teams, contact neighbors and classmates, host mutual aid and community actions, and engage in public service as a way to block authoritarian violence and authoritarian rule against immigrants, families, and workers and make the stakes of this moment clear,” according to a statement from the organizers.
Walkouts have been held across history with varying degrees of success. They have been employed to fairly good effect by students protesting racism, gun violence, war, and inequity. For workers, walkouts tend to be more spontaneous – and often shorter lived – than strikes, and therefore may lack legal protection.
From what I can tell by a cursory review of the interwebs, there are Free America Walkout events taking place across New York. If you’re interested in finding out if there’s one near you, here’s a handy “enter your zip code” tool.
If you are planning to participate in an outdoor event and you live anywhere near Albany, I suggest you dig out those long underwear and wool socks. Highs (if you can even call them that) will be in the teens, and a few snow flurries or showers are possible.
Hey, no one ever said fighting for and/or participating in small-d democracy would be comfortable.
In the headlines…
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said he discussed security in the Arctic with representatives of Denmark and Greenland at the military alliance’s headquarters, as European leaders continued to criticize President Donald Trump’s threats to seize the island.
In a text message to Norway’s leader on Sunday, Trump said he no longer felt obligated to pursue a peaceful solution to the crisis because he was not awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
“Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace,” Trump said, adding that he’s now thinking of what is “good and proper” for the U.S.
Trump targeted European leaders with a series of social media posts early this morning, doubling down on his desire to acquire Greenland as the leaders gathered at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Stock futures last night pointed to a downbeat session on Wall Street as Trump intensifies his rhetoric on Greenland, threatening to impose new tariffs on countries opposing the sale of the Danish territory to the U.S.
Trump threatened to impose 200 percent tariffs on French wine, including Champagne, if President Emmanuel Macron of France declined to join his proposed “Board of Peace” for Gaza.
Trump once insisted he had “nothing to do with Project 2025,” the right-wing policy plan that became a key flashpoint during the presidential campaign. A year later, many of the policies have been implemented.
Trump proclaimed Martin Luther King Jr. Day last night, after he was criticized by civil rights activists for breaking from tradition by failing to recognize Dr. King’s legacy or attending commemorations of the holiday.
Trump did not attend any MLK Day events yesterday, instead spending the holiday at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
The share of Americans who are satisfied with the amount of Jeffrey Epstein-related files released so far is in the single digits, new polling shows.
Just 6 percent of Americans in a CNN survey said they’re satisfied with what the federal government has released so far in the case, the late convicted sex offender, including 12 percent of Republicans and just 3 percent each of Democrats and independents.
A federal judge in Washington declined to immediately block the Department of Homeland Security from requiring lawmakers to provide seven days’ notice before they try to visit and inspect immigration detention facilities.
The Justice Department asked a federal judge to allow a surge of immigration agents in Minnesota to continue despite a lawsuit filed by state and local officials claiming that the deployment is unconstitutional.
Fewer New Yorkers are enrolling in private health plans through the state’s Affordable Care Act marketplace so far this year as insurance premiums go up, early state data shows.
Gov. Kathy Hochul still has a sizable cash lead over her opponents, but her challengers say the state’s new public campaign finance system makes it easier for them to make their case.
In her latest bid to quell the tide of 3D-printed ghost guns in New York, Hochul has proposed regulations on the printing machines themselves. But whether any regulation could deter the illicit production of the weapons remains a matter of debate.
A judge issued a temporary restraining order last week suspending the state Thruway Authority from implementing a new system that will impose fees on two private companies that consolidate and manage toll bills on behalf of trucking companies.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani used his Martin Luther King Jr. Day speech at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) to push back against warnings that his plan for higher taxes on wealthy New Yorkers would drive them out of the city.
Mamdani also shared the stage at Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network MLK Day event with some elected officials with whom he has been at odds – including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.
Mamdani said he intends to raise the impact of travel bans on this summer’s FIFA World Cup with Trump, saying it is “something (he) hopes will change” ahead of the tournament.
Mamdani campaigned on a proposal to increase taxes on those earning more than $1 million. For now, at least, he isn’t pushing the issue with Hochul in Albany.
Some New Yorkers hope that raising a child in the city could become more affordable thanks to Mamdani’s plans for free child care and preschool.
Mamdani stood by his appointment of Afua Atta-Mensah as chief equity officer after her resurfaced social media posts drew criticism, saying his vetting team had reviewed the material before she was named to the post.
Five Democrats running in a suburban congressional primary refused to say if they’d accept Mamdani’s endorsement – with one candidate covering her face when asked about a potential nod.
Mamdani announced yesterday that, unlike his predecessor, his administration will not oppose a controversial supportive housing project on the campus of Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx.
The move will bring more than 80 new apartments to Jacobi Medical Center for formerly incarcerated seniors who have complex medical needs beyond the capabilities of homeless shelters.
The move will bring more than 80 new apartments to Jacobi Medical Center for formerly incarcerated seniors who have complex medical needs beyond the capabilities of homeless shelters.
The newly inaugurated mayor of New York City put an extraordinary soccer game watch party on in a classic location – the lobby of the Manhattan Surrogate’s Court – a formula he aims to mimic later this year.
City homeowners and landlords are bracing for a hike in their property taxes, as Mamdani’s “rent-freeze” promise can send prices soaring for residents who don’t live in rent-controlled apartments.
New Yorkers were told they have to start using official NYC garbage cans for trash pickup as part of an anti-rat push by City Hall — but good luck finding the bins.
The largest nurses strike in Big Apple history stretched into a second week yesterday with no end in sight –as some medical workers even protested outside hospital execs’ homes.
The creation of an exclusive underground map of the Big Apple is reportedly in the works, which officials claim could curb millions in overruns on construction projects and also save lives.
The AirTrain terminal at JFK Airport has become a hotspot for the homeless, with aggressive vagrants panhandling weary travelers and taking over public bathrooms while Port Authority cops look the other way.
A coach at Mohonasen High School has been fired after allegedly hitting a student athlete during practice.
The longtime Planning Board chair who quit in 2022 after a heated argument with Supervisor Phil Barrett has been reinstated to his leadership role. And with Rocco Ferraro’s return comes a restoration of public comment previously limited by his successor.
A formerly incarcerated Stephentown man, once convicted of manslaughter, among other charges, is ready for another day in court nearly three years after his conviction was overturned.
Residents and businesses in the town and village of Colonie are advised to boil tap water before using it until further notice after a water main break Monday morning caused a loss of pressure in the system.
Marcella’s Appliance Center is expanding once again. The Schenectady appliance store has acquired Cocca’s Appliances, located on Railroad Avenue in Colonie, the company announced.
The Bills fired Sean McDermott after nine seasons, the final of which ended Saturday with an overtime divisional round playoff loss to the Broncos in Denver.
Gary Charlton II of Loudonville was promoted to major general as he took command of the 5,800-member New York Air National Guard during two ceremonies at New York National Guard Headquarters in Latham.
Valentino Garavani, the last of the great 20th-century couturiers and a designer who defined the image of royalty in a republican age for all manner of princesses — crowned, deposed, Hollywood and society — died yesterday at his home in Rome. He was 93.
Valentino’s death was announced in a statement by his foundation.
Photo credit: George Fazio.
