Good Tuesday morning.
Let’s get something out of the way: I am going to write the word “nuts” multiple times this morning, professing my fondness for them and discussing in great length their origins and attributes. Let’s dispense up front with all the sexual innuendos and fifth grade-level humor, shall we?
Now that we’re past that, let’s focus on nuts – specifically, pecans, which, I learned today, are the only major tree nut indigenous to North America. Trees that grow right here in the US of A produce about 80 percent of the world’s pecan crop, which is about 300 million pounds of nuts a year worth some $500 million – most of which stay in this country and are consumed here.
Known as “America’s native nut,” pecans are mostly cultivated in the south and the west. The name “pecan” (officially, Carya illinoinensis) originates from an Algonquin Indian word for hard-shelled nuts that required a stone to crack. French settlers who colonized the Mississippi valley in the early 1700s adopted the word but adapted it to “pacane” or “paccan“.
If you’ve visited the South, you’ve probably been treated to a sweet called the pecan praline, which is basically just nuts, sugar, butter and cream – sometimes, if you’re gilding the lily, you might add cinnamon and/or vanilla. Good but very rich and, in my opinion, hard to eat a lot of.
Let’s also address the pronunciation question, about which people from certain regions – notably the South – feel very strongly. Generally speaking, either “pee-KAHN” or “PEE-can” is correct. But if you’re below the Mason-Dixon line, you’re most likely to hear “puh-KAHN” or “pih-KAHN”, while the emphasis on the “PEE” is more of a Northern thing.
George leads the nation in pecan production, with 132 million pounds harvested in 2022. The next closest competitor that year was New Mexico at 74.7 million pounds, followed by Arizona at 39.1 million pounds, and Texas at 25 million pounds. If you really want to go deep on all things pecan – including how it went from a basically overlooked wild food into a cultivated commodity, click here.
If I’m being totally honest, I will admit that pecans are not high on my list of favorite nuts. (Peanuts, for the record, don’t rank up there, either, but it’s only because they’re actually a legume).
While I wouldn’t turn down, say, a peanut-crusted muffin or even a slice of well-made pecan pie (tooth-achingly sweet, yes, but nice around the holidays), I wouldn’t choose pecans over, say, almonds or walnuts – especially if I was going to be eating them unadorned and out-of-hand.
In case you hadn’t already guessed, it’s National Pecan Day.
It’s going to be warm today, with highs in the high 70s, but mostly cloudy. Things are going to get a little nutty (ahem) in the weather department over the next week or so, so hold onto your proverbial hats.
In the headlines…
The United States and Iran have traded proposals for a suspension of Iranian nuclear activities, but remain far apart on the length of any agreement, according to Iranian and U.S. officials.
Vice President Vance said yesterday that the “ball is in the Iranian court” regarding the next steps toward reaching an agreement to end hostilities with the U.S.
Oil prices fell and stocks rose today as investors weighed a possible path to a peace deal, with the United States and Iran trading proposals for a suspension of Iranian nuclear activity.
Israel launched airstrikes on two cities in southern Lebanon this morning, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported, hours before envoys from Israel and Lebanon were scheduled to meet in Washington.
Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell of California announced that he will resign from Congress following sexual assault and misconduct allegations that prompted loud bipartisan calls for him to step down.
The decision caps a swift political fall for the seven-term lawmaker, who had been seen as a frontrunner in California’s gubernatorial race before dropping out Sunday as the allegations surfaced, claims he has continued to deny.
Texas Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales said that he will “file my retirement from office” when the House is back in session today- an announcement that came just an hour after Swalwell said he would resign. Both face allegations of sexual misconduct.
Gonzales, a third-term congressman whose district stretches from San Antonio to El Paso, was embroiled in a bitter primary fight when text messages became public that documented his pursuit of a female staff member. He withdrew from the race last month.
Trump explained that he deleted an AI-generated image that appeared to depict him as Jesus Christ because of the “confusion” the social media post caused, though he didn’t apologize for the post.
“Normally I don’t like doing that,” Trump told CBS News, when asked why he deleted the Truth Social post, “but I didn’t want to have anybody be confused.”
The image showed Trump bathed in divine light and clad in religious robes. His interpretation was that the image depicted him as a doctor, not Jesus Christ.
Vance, the highest-ranking Catholic in the federal government, said in an interview on Fox News that the pope should stay out of American affairs.
As the president threatens to wipe out Iran and attacks the pope, even some former allies and advisers are questioning whether he has grown increasingly unbalanced, describing him as “lunatic” and “clearly insane.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul endorsed Assemblyman Micah Lasher in the crowded Democratic primary for New York’s 12th congressional district, soon to be vacated by the retiring Rep. Jerry Nadler.
“Micah Lasher is exactly who we need in Washington fighting back on behalf of working families,” Hochul said. “(He) has a proven ability to take on tough fights and achieve meaningful change.”
New York lawmakers are still discussing key state budget issues, forcing both the Assembly and Senate to pass their third extension of the month yesterday. This time, it’s only for a few days as they’ll meet again later this week – likely to approve a fourth extender.
Tension is mounting in Albany as Hochul and legislative leaders stubbornly stick to their guns in policy debates to be included in the minimum $263 billion spending plan as lawmakers passed a third budget extender.
Hochul wants it her way or the highway when it comes to her proposals intended to reduce the cost of car insurance, which remains the top sticking point in budget negotiations, according to lawmakers.
Joseph Hernandez, the Republican candidate for state comptroller, is threatening to sue Hochul over language in the executive budget that says the comptroller would only review state contracts if they exceed $300,000. Right now, that limit is about $50,000.
Legislation that has bipartisan support at the state Capitol would require the state DEC to claw back the refrigeration regulations it imposed under the CLCPA and instead align them with a federal law that does not require states to follow similar rules until 2036.
AG Tish James announced a landmark settlement with NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital that requires the hospital system to overhaul how it treats patients in mental health emergencies after an investigation found years of alleged dangerous failures in care.
For the first time in the organization’s history, the NYS Alliance for Retired Americans (NYSARA) is endorsing Hochul, James and Comptroller Tom DiNapoli in the 2026 election.
Trump’s aggressive tariff policies and rhetoric aimed at Canada, the state’s most important trading partner, had dire consequences for New York’s economy in 2025, according to a new study by state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.
Former President Biden will deliver remarks today at his law school alma mater, Syracuse University, at an unveiling of his portrait at the New York college.
The Trump administration will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for a controversial new natural gas pipeline in New York City today, with the project set to run off the coast of the city to boost the region’s energy supply.
There are signs that, despite differences with Mayor Zohran Mamdani and his tax-the-rich agenda, Wall Street and the financial sector are eager to pay record rents for new office space.
The city transportation department plans to ban cars from the southern edge of Grand Army Plaza in a move that will connect the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial Arch directly to Prospect Park, Mamdani announced.
Mamdani’s first-unveiled city-owned grocery store will cost a staggering $30 million to build from the ground up at East Harlem’s longstanding La Marqueta, officials confirmed – as local grocers worried it’d gobble up their business.
Mamdani has tasked the New York City Economic Development Corp. with helping execute his city-owned grocery store plan, putting an agency in flux at the center of the rollout of one of his most ambitious governing promises.
Mamdani is charting a new course in how he plans to honor veterans on Sept. 11, 2001. The first-of-its-kind “Remembrance Ruck” will bring together veteran groups across the city on the Brooklyn Bridge to celebrate NYC vets and military community.
Mamdani and New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin have been stoking an increasingly contentious feud that could end up hampering the mayor’s agenda.
A delegation of City Hall and NYPD officials traveled to Columbus, Ohio, last week to study a protest policing model that Columbus officials say emphasizes conversation and de-escalation over mass arrests and aggressive force.
A little more than a month after construction of the Hudson River Tunnel resumed, crews are working on assembling the specialized machines necessary to dig the first stage of a pair of rail tunnels through the tough rock of the New Jersey Palisades.
The federal government agreed that the rainbow Pride flag could fly at the Stonewall National Monument in Manhattan, reversing its decision to remove it and dealing a blow to the Trump administration’s nationwide assault on diversity initiatives.
Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn is opening a $43 million visitor’s center to attract the living by making it easier to navigate the rambling grounds.
Zamiqua Miller, 33, a Brownsville resident, died in NYPD custody in Brooklyn Central Booking after two trips to the hospital within a 24-hour span.
The uncle of slain 7-month-old Kaori Patterson-Moore, who was killed by a stray bullet while in her stroller during a botched gang hit in Brooklyn, said the girl’s mother is “breaking down all day every day,“ as the grief-stricken family held a wake for the little girl.
Harvey Weinstein will be back in a Manhattan courtroom this week as he faces a trial on charges that he raped an aspiring actress in a hotel room — the third time a jury is set to consider the same accusation against him.
A protest in Manhattan against arms sales to Israel, held at the offices of two Democratic US senators, led the police to detain about 90 people, including Chelsea Manning, the former Army intelligence analyst who leaked classified documents to WikiLeaks.
Dozens of pro-Palestinian activists were arrested during a protest of Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip outside Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s office in Manhattan yesterday, cops said.
Rep. Mike Lawler, a Republican who is seeking re-election in a swing district in the Hudson Valley, faced tough questions from constituents at a recent town hall about his stance on the war in Iran.
On her 102nd day in office, Albany Mayor Dorcey Applyrs highlighted early accomplishments while making little mention of the multimillion-dollar budget crunch the city is facing.
The Shake Shack location at Stuyvesant Plaza is expected to open this summer, according to Mark Bardack, president of the shopping center’s public relations firm, Ed Lewi Associates.
Four months after North Greenbush officials chose not to give Michael Chaires Sr. another term as town comptroller, a former private company finance administrator has stepped into the role.
The state comptroller’s office says fiscal management issues persist in the Village of Victory, including not maintaining accurate records, not providing the Board of Trustees with monthly financial reports and not filing annual reports with the state in a timely manner.
Scotia residents gave village leaders an earful in response to Mayor David Bucciferro’s proposed budget that calls for a nearly 11% property tax hike in the tiny municipality.
A 47-year-old Waterford man was dressed in a cow costume when he tried to stab a family member during a Saturday encounter in the Helderberg town, according to the Albany County Sheriff’s Office.
Photo credit: George Fazio.
