Good morning, it’s Tuesday.
We’re in prime bagpipe season, and I, for one, am here for it.
I don’t think I’m going too far out on a limb by saying that bagpipes are an acquired taste. I feel like you either love them or hate them. I lean toward the former, though I am not listening to bagpipe music on the regular. I think they are seasonally and situationally appropriate – like, say, at a funeral, or a wedding, or, of course, a St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
Bagpipes have been around pretty much as long as humans have been making music and are one of the world’s oldest instruments. Though today they are most closely associated with Scotland (more on that in a moment), bagpipes actually originated in ancient Egypt and/or the Middle East and then subsequently spread to Europe.
Bagpipes are very complex, as instruments go. They’re a woodwind instrument in the same family as the bassoon, clarinet, and saxophone. But instead of just one reed, as those aforementioned instruments have, the bagpipe has four, which is possible because of the bag from which it derives its name.
Those four reeds are made up of three drones – two tenors and one bass – that produce the steady thrumming tone that is unique to bagpipes, and then one chanter, where the player creates the musical melody, which has nine notes and one double reed.
The bag, which the player inflates and then squeezes under their arm, produces a steady flow through the reeds and – unlike with other woodwinds – enables the player to take a breath when necessary without losing the musical cadence.
It is believed that the Roman Empire played a key role in spreading the bagpipe around Europe, and it may have been the returning Crusaders – or perhaps Roman legions, or maybe Norse invaders? – who introduced the instrument to Scotland, where, by the Middle Ages, it had become deeply entrenched in the culture, frequently played at feasts, fairs, and gatherings of all kinds.
The Great Highland Bagpipe, which has a very distinctive sound and is designed specifically for outdoor use, is now the dominant form of the instrument played throughout Scotland. It requires a significant amount of lung power to operate and is often tuned to a slightly higher pitch than other versions of the instrument.
There are a lot of very interesting bagpipe stories out there – including the fact that hundreds of bagpipers last year claimed a new world record by playing AC/DC’s rock and roll classic “It’s a Long Way to the Top.” You may also have heard of the TikTok sensation Ally the Piper, a young woman piper who has made a name for herself for her ability to render pop, rock, and heavy metal tunes on the bagpipe.
Today is International Bagpipe Day, established in 2012 by the Bagpipe Society and the International Bagpipe Organization to promote the diversity of bagpipes worldwide.
Another AMAZING day is on tap, with more mild temperatures (highs will top out in the mid-to-high 60s) and sunshine in the morning, giving way to clouds in the afternoon. A passing shower or two might develop tonight, and as some minor flooding could occur as the snow pack melts.
In the headlines…
After a day of conflicting signals about when the war against Iran might end, President Donald Trump struck a belligerent tone yesterday evening, warning of even more aggressive action if Iranian leaders tried to cut off the world’s energy supply.
Less than two weeks after U.S. and Israeli forces attacked Iran, Americans are already feeling the effects an ocean away. Gas prices are up. Food prices are likely to increase. And volatility in the stock market could threaten retirement savings.
Trump sought to dismiss concerns about rising gas prices from his war in Iran, contending that the price spike “doesn’t really affect us” even as some Republicans fear soaring costs are undercutting their economic argument heading into the November elections.
Trump threatened the Iranian regime against halting the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz, as gas prices back home rise amid the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.
“If Iran does anything that stops the flow of Oil within the Strait of Hormuz, they will be hit by the United States of America TWENTY TIMES HARDER than they have been hit thus far,” the president wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Trump pushed for the passage of a GOP voting requirements bill, telling House Republicans that enacting the legislation will “guarantee the midterms” and reiterating that he won’t sign any other bills until it gets passed.
“All voters must show proof of citizenship in order to vote,” Trump said. “No mail-in ballots, except for illness, disability, military or travel.” He claimed that, if the bill were to pass, Democrats “probably won’t win an election for 50 years and maybe longer”.
A group of Senate Democrats are threatening to use every procedural tool at their disposal to hold up business on the Senate floor unless senior Trump administration officials testify before key committees under oath on the military conflict with Iran.
Billionaires made 19 percent of all reported federal campaign contributions in 2024, a Times analysis shows, and even more in some local elections. Wealthy donors are reaping the rewards.
Three brothers, including two who were among the country’s most prominent real estate brokers, were convicted in Manhattan on yesterday of engaging in a yearslong conspiracy to traffic women and girls for sex.
The Manhattan federal court jury found Tal, 39, and twins Alon and Oren Alexander, 38, guilty of carrying out a more than decadelong sex trafficking conspiracy starting around 2008.
New York’s and New Jersey’s attorneys general say they reject the U.S. Department of Justice’s tentative deal with Live Nation, and will press ahead with a lawsuit aimed at breaking up the Ticketmaster owner as an illegal monopoly.
A battle is heating up at the state Capitol again this year over legislation that would require companies that do business in New York to sharply reduce the amount of packaging they use, especially plastics.
The State Assembly and Senate are each calling for the state to raise taxes, piggybacking on a push by Mayor Zohran Mamdani of New York City and raising pressure on Gov. Kathy Hochul.
Hochul held a roundtable with business leaders and farmers from the capital region who were impacted by President Trump’s tariffs.
Hochul condemned “both” sides following the ISIS-inspired attempted terrorist attack at an anti-Muslim protest outside Gracie Mansion. “I reject hate in all of its forms. I reject the hate that launched this,” she said.
Nassau County Executive and gubernatorial hopeful Bruce Blakeman took a shot at Hochul during his State of the County address yesterday while touting his anti-crime and pro-ICE policies.
The company awarded a controversial $11 billion Medicaid contract in New York was accused of “egregious fiscal and operational failures” in other states.
All public libraries need to set specific policies on how new materials are selected and how people can object, the state librarian told the Board of Regents, which is set to vote on new regulations today.
Two teens accused of trying to ignite homemade explosive devices at a protest outside Gracie Mansion over the weekend expressed support for ISIS after their arrest, according to a criminal complaint released yesterday.
According to the 10-page criminal complaint, 18-year-old Emir Balat threw the devices at protesters after they were handed to him by Ibrahim Kayumi, 19. It said both declared allegiance to the Islamic State terror group.
Prosecutors say one of the two men who were arrested hoped the attack would be deadlier than the Boston Marathon bombing. Officials said they are seeing increasing signs of radicalization.
Mamdani finally decried the ISIS-inspired actions of two teenagers who tried to detonate bombs outside Gracie Mansion, calling it a “heinous act of terrorism” — but still stopped short of calling out radical Islam in the wake of the failed, potentially deadly attack.
Mamdani may have risen to power on the strength of his strong communication skills, but in moments that cut close to some of the city’s deepest fault lines and his own religious identity, he has come to favor a more cautious and stiffer approach.
While every mayor must deal with the politics of protest, the incendiary nature of Saturday’s events are being fueled by a potent combination of Mamdani’s faith, his politics, his position on the Israel-Hamas conflict and escalating tensions in the Middle East.
For two hours, the sleepy Upper East Side streets around Gracie Mansion, home of New York City’s mayor, became the stage for a heated protest reflecting a country seething with angst and unease.
Just days after ISIS-inspired counter protesters threw explosive devices outside Manhattan’s Gracie Mansion, the NYPD graduated more than 900 new cops, each ready to face the challenges and dangers ahead, Mamdani said.
Two NYPD officers who played a critical role in preventing the ISIS-inspired mayhem outside Gracie Mansion Saturday from becoming a potentially deadly terror attack deserved special commendation, Mamdani and Police Commissioner Tisch said.
The mayor and police commissioner presented a united front yesterday at Gracie Manson. Mamdani even personally thanked the two police officers who apprehended the suspects who allegedly deployed the bombs.
Some say the mayor’s remarks were a calculated public relations performance to show support for an agency he has decried in the past.
Former Mayor Eric Adams blamed the incident on “years of hateful rhetoric and incitement,” including “attempts to justify attacks on Jews in Israel” and “chants about ‘globalizing the intifada’ and ‘Death to America.’”
Mamdani’s administration is supporting a cost-savings plan that involves sharing city employees’ prescription drug data with a third-party health insurance administrator, raising privacy concerns among public sector unions.
Municipal finance data shows that, as it now stands, the mayor’s budget pencils out only if the financial sector has another banner year — an outcome both uncertain and ironic, given the industry’s jaundiced eye toward Mamdani and his political brand.
Speaker Julie Menin said the council’s analysis shows that the city does not need to tap its reserves in the Revenue Stabilization Fund, known as the Rainy Day Fund, to balance the budget.
Mamdani plans to announce today that New York City will add 1,000 free preschool seats for 3-year-olds this fall to meet demand for the popular program and to address neighborhoods that have not had enough seats – including on Staten Island.
Mamdani has vowed to wrest control of apartment buildings from the city’s worst landlords in order to improve life for tenants. Now the City Council may give him a legal pathway to do it — though its future is far from certain.
A miscount that resulted in Mamdani being sworn in as New York City’s 112th mayor has resulted in a limited edition souvenir that is now under lock and key.
Councilmember Vickie Paladino filed a lawsuit against the City Council in an effort to stop a disciplinary process against her for a series of posts disparaging Muslims.
New York City Council Member Pierina Sanchez wants to take a crack at reforming a controversial program to take derelict buildings away from negligent landlords, with an aim of narrowing in on “the worst of the worst” offenders.
One year after the arrest of Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil, the Palestinian activist acknowledged he was in denial — almost naive — about what was happening to him at the time.
Mamdani and his wife hosted Khalil, his wife and their young son for dinner at Gracie Mansion on Sunday for the holy month of Ramadan, the mayor posted on X.
Pothole complaints are surging in the Big Apple for the first time in years after two monster snowfalls recently pummeled the region — with one borough buried in thousands of gripes, city data show.
Allison Ziogas, a first-time candidate and populist Democrat, will formally kick off a campaign today to unseat GOP Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, leaning on her biography as a union electrician in a long-shot bid to win back voters who have abandoned her party.
Manhattan wannabe congressman Jack Schlossberg is ramping up his reliance on his slain grandfather and former President John F. Kennedy to raise more campaign cash.
An Albany man who shot and paralyzed another man during a June 2024 fight outside a CVS near Albany Medical Center was sentenced to 17 years to life in state prison, the Albany County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release.
A supervisor at a state agency in the Capitol Region admitted taking more than $2,200 in cash and designer gifts, including money for a Louis Vuitton handbag, from a subordinate employee, according to state ethics investigators.
Capital Region residents had to fork over $7 more than usual to fill their tanks with gas when the work week began Monday, just nine days after President Trump launched his surprise bombing campaign against Iran.
An ice jam that stretched yesterday from Schenectady to Cohoes sent water spilling into SUNY Schenectady and threatened to cause flooding along several miles of the clogged Mohawk River.
The risk of projectiles ricocheting into state Route 9 and Interstate 87 led the U.S. Army branch contracting with a private security consulting firm to pull its support for a project to test-fire military cannons in the northeastern Adirondacks, records show.
A study by Cornell researchers published in the latest edition of the scientific journal Biological Conservation found that the smoke of the 2023 Canadian wildfires led to changes in the frequency of calls from some birds in the state.
Photo credit: George Fazio.
