Good morning, it’s Tuesday.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock or out of the state for the past, say, year or so, you’re aware of the fact that a big debate is underway over how best to care for New York’s 5-and-under set.
Though I am childless (unless you count the fur children, who attend doggie daycare Monday through Friday), I am aware of how expensive it is to raise a kid in this day and age. I have friends who gave up fairly well-paying and career-track jobs after calculating that it would cost them basically their entire take-home salary just to pay for daycare.
Also, the wait lists for certified, reputable child care centers are long. The pandemic did a number on the child care business, and the industry has yet to fully recover, according to a 2025 report by state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli’s office.
New York has some of the highest child care costs in the nation, the report found, while wages in the sector are notoriously low, leaving it woefully understaffed as demand continues to increase. The number of providers across New York today remains about 9.6 percent lower than pre-pandemic levels.
Given this difficult state of affairs, one might think that parents would be clamoring to get their kids into school as soon as they’re old enough to go. Interestingly, though, data show that K-12 public school enrollment has been steadily declining across the state over the past 10 years, though charter schools and home schooling have both seen an increase.
Interestingly, sending your child to kindergarten is not legally required in New York, which is not at all unusual. Only 19 states and Washington, D.C. actually mandate that kids go to kindergarten, though schools MUST offer at least half-day K in all 50 states.
In New York compulsory education law begins at the age of 5, not 6. Outside of New York City, parents can choose to delay their child’s entrance into kindergarten until age six (a practice known as “redshirting”), in order to allow for an extra year for development. If you live in the city, however, you are required to send your five-year-old to kindergarten IF you opt to send them to public school.
The benefits of early childhood education have been studied for years. Generally speaking, researchers agree that starting a child in a high-quality program the sooner the better can set them up for lifelong academic and even professional success. But there are a lot of factors to consider – including the child’s own maturity and readiness and the availability of quality options.
The concept of kindergarten, which, quite literally means a “garden of children”, was invented by a German educator named Friedrich Fröbel, who opened the first play and activity institute for young kids in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg, Germany. Fröbel believed children should be nurtured like plants, providing with creative opportunities for growth and self-expression.
Interestingly, given today’s political landscape, Fröbel’s kindergarten movement was temporarily sidelined by the Prussian government, which saw his progressive, community-focused approach to education and conflated his beliefs with that of his socialist nephew, Carl.
Fearing socialism’s spread, the government banned kindergartens in 1851 – a move that actually helped spread the kindergarten movement, as educators left Germany and brought their ideas and training to other countries – including the U.S.
The first U.S. kindergarten was founded in Watertown, Wisconsin, in 1856, by a German immigrant named Margarethe Meyer Schurz, who was a trained educator and established the school based on Fröbel’s principles. Initially, instruction was offered just in German and was offered in Schurz’s home to her own daughter and four other children.
Fröbel, one of the most influential education reformers of his time, was born on this day (April 21) in 1782. To commemorate that date and celebrate his contributions to early childhood education, today is National Kindergarten Day.
Another chilly day is on tap, with high temperatures struggling to get into the low 50s. It will be dry though, which is a good thing, and skies will be partly cloudy.
In the headlines…
Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer has resigned and will be temporarily replaced by Deputy Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling, making her the third Cabinet member to depart during President Donald Trump’s second term.
Her exit comes after a whistleblower complaint accused the labor secretary of an affair with her security guard, drinking on the job and using staff to fabricate official travel for personal trips at taxpayer expense.
Steven Cheung, a Trump spokesperson, said that Chavez-DeRemer “has done a phenomenal job in her role by protecting American workers, enacting fair labor practices, and helping Americans gain additional skills to improve their lives.”
The F.B.I. director, Kash Patel, sued The Atlantic yesterday, accusing it of defamation over an article that claimed his excessive drinking and unexplained absences were putting his job in jeopardy.
The article, under the headline “The FBI Director Is MIA,” was published on Friday and detailed Patel’s behavior in his role leading the Federal Bureau of Investigation, citing more than two dozen anonymous sources.
The story said Patel’s behavior has alarmed officials at the FBI and Department of Justice and that he desperately fears being fired by President Trump, who doesn’t drink and distrusts heavy drinkers.
Vice President JD Vance is expected to leave for Pakistan today, ahead of the scheduled end of the two-week U.S.-Iran cease-fire, as Iranian officials said that the country’s top negotiator would attend peace talks with the United States if Vance were there.
The U.S. Navy has turned back 27 ships trying to enter or exit Iranian ports since an American blockade outside the contested Strait of Hormuz began about a week ago, the military’s Central Command said.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf accused President Trump of violating the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran and said his country’s armed forces are “prepared to reveal new cards” if fighting resumes.
New Jersey Democratic Rep. Analilia Mejia was officially sworn in to represent the Garden State’s 11th Congressional District yesterday, further narrowing the GOP majority in the lower chamber.
Trump made a last-minute pitch to Virginians yesterday, urging voters to reject a redistricting ballot measure that could give Democrats as many as four pickup opportunities in the House this November.
Dozens of veterans and military family members protesting the Iran war were arrested by U.S. Capitol Police yesterday after they occupied the Cannon House Office Building in Washington, D.C.
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) introduced a resolution to expel Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.) from the House of Representatives over allegations of domestic violence, sexual misconduct, stolen valor and profiteering from federal contracts as a member of Congress.
Apple CEO Tim Cook is stepping down from the job that he inherited from the late Steve Jobs, ending a nearly 15-year reign that saw the company’s market value soar by more than $3.6 trillion during an iPhone-fueled era of prosperity.
The longtime leader of the iPhone maker will be replaced by John Ternus, the company’s head of hardware engineering. Cook, 65, will move into a new role as Apple’s executive chairman in September.
One Canadian tourist was shot dead and several other people were wounded, including U.S. nationals, officials said, when a man opened fire yesterday at one of Mexico’s most popular tourist destinations, the Teotihuacán pyramids just outside Mexico City.
The singer known as D4vd was charged with the murder of Celeste Rivas Hernandez, a missing teenage girl whose severely decomposed body was found in the trunk of his Tesla last fall.
Gov. Kathy Hochul’s support for a surcharge on ritzy non-primary New York City residences has not pacified calls from Democratic state lawmakers, left-leaning advocates and unions for a broader tax hike on wealthy people and large corporations.
New York businesses can now begin applying for refunds tied to Trump’s tariffs that the U.S. Supreme Court found were imposed illegally, Hochul said, adding that consumers who paid higher prices should also get some form of relief.
The state Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association in a letter to Hochul declared that the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) is in a full-scale “systemic emergency”.
State lawmakers voted to pass a fifth, $5.1 billion budget extender yesterday, with the next stopgap bill expected tomorrow. But lawmakers don’t seem any closer to closing down controversial policy issues that – as always – have gummed up the process.
New OCM Executive Director John Kagia penned a City & State op-ed marking 4/20 and insisting that the state “has made real progress toward building the world’s most equitable and sustainable cannabis market” in the five years since legalization.
According to OCM, there are now more than 630 licensed dispensaries operating statewide, with over 2,000 licenses issued across the supply chain. Total sales have climbed to roughly $3 billion since legalization in 2021.
New Yorkers may soon have more places and more time to watch the World Cup, under a state plan to let bars host larger outdoor events and stay open during this summer’s tournament.
Still smarting after their gubernatorial candidate was blocked from receiving public dollars, Republican New York state lawmakers are pushing a longshot bill that would give him another crack at millions in matching funds.
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a case brought by plaintiffs who alleged former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and his administration were responsible for the deaths of their elderly parents who had contracted COVID-19.
New York City and state’s child protective services failed to meet federal standards in outcomes for child safety, permanency and well-being, according to an annual report by the New York State Citizen Review Panel.
New York education officials adopted emergency rules last week mandating that schools set a policy for taking care of young kids’ number ones and number twos — just in time for an expansion of state-funded daycare and pre-K programs.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned the NYPD’s violent arrest in Brooklyn of a man mistaken for a drug dealer, calling it “not only incredibly disturbing, but also unacceptable.”
Texas Republican Rep. Chip Roy introduced an immigration bill he dubbed the “MAMDANI” – Measures Against Marxism’s Dangerous Adherents and Noxious Islamists Act proposes amending the Immigration and Nationality – Act.
The act would radically expand the grounds for deporting, denying entry and stripping the citizenship of anyone in the country based on their real or perceived politics or ideology.
A group of East Village residents is suing Mamdani to stop the opening in two weeks of a new homeless intake shelter on East Third Street.
The residents contend that the city has skipped over necessary public review and notice requirements, relying on emergency executive orders to address a situation that is not an emergency.
Mamdani reflected on the legacy of former Mayor Fiorello La Guardia during an exclusive one-hour conversation yesterday, just after his first 100 days in office.
Hassan Naveed, who was fired as New York City’s hate crimes prevention chief in 2024, is back in the municipal ranks — even as he continues to sue the city and the former mayor over allegations that his termination stemmed from religious-based discrimination.
The Mamdani administration rehired a staffer fired under former Mayor Eric Adams — as the employee continues a lawsuit against the city for alleged discrimination when he was given the pink slip.
Mamdani accused Trump of “killing thousands of people” in the Iran conflict and defended his decision to revoke his predecessor’s executive orders about Jew-hatred and anti-Israel boycotts in an interview at City Hall with NPR’s Leila Fadel.
The New York Mets have lost 10 straight games since Mamdani hugged mascot Mr. Met during a Citi Field photo opp — and now fuming fans are blaming Hizzoner for squeezing the mojo out of the Amazins.
The Mamdani administration released a plan to expand the tree canopy to cover 30% of the city by 2040, but has not earmarked money for the initiative.
A contentious City Council push to ban 24-hour shifts for home health aides is being propped up by radical left-wing groups who have shared pro-communist sentiments and vile anti-Israel rhetoric online.
Eric Durn, 38, a former NYPD sergeant convicted of manslaughter for throwing a cooler at a man during a drug bust was released from state prison yesterday, according to corrections officials. He remains free on bail while appealing his conviction.
The NYPD has identified the shooter who gunned down 15-year-old Jaden Pierre at a Queens park, New York Attorney General Letitia James said at a vigil for the slain teen.
Members of Jaden’s family were among the hundreds of mourners who filled the basketball court at the park at a vigil for Jaden. They placed lit votive candles, white roses and letters that spelled out his name on the ground
The longtime head of a Harlem-based nonprofit was arrested and jailed last week after a housing court judge found his organization had failed to complete repairs at a building it owns on West 114th Street.
Members of the Jewish community in New York City gathered on Sunday for an unveiling event of a bench in Central Park commemorating the hostages kidnapped into Gaza during the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel’s south.
The New York City Fire Department is considering hiking ambulance and emergency medical bills by double digits, blaming the squeeze on patients’ pockets on inflation and coming pay increases for union workers.
The grandson of an infamous mob boss was sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to defrauding the federal government out of more than $1 million in Covid relief funds, some of which he invested in cryptocurrency.
Six years after disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein first went on trial in Manhattan, a third group of jurors will be asked if he is guilty of raping an aspiring actress in a hotel room more than a decade ago. Opening statements are today.
Rex Heuermann, the Long Island serial killer who pleaded guilty earlier this month to murdering eight women, told his wife that he killed seven of them in their house, according to an excerpt released yesterday of an upcoming documentary episode.
NY-12 candidate Jack Schlossberg’s decision to skip at least two upcoming Jewish community candidate forums occurring next month is raising some eyebrows among a key constituency in a district that has the largest Jewish voting population in the country.
Only 42% of likely Democratic primary voters in the House district spanning Upper Manhattan and parts of The Bronx would vote for incumbent Rep. Adriano Espaillat in the primary election according to an internal poll from challenger Darializa Avila Chevalier.
The Oklahoma Training Track, adjacent to the Saratoga Race Course, is now open for horses and their trainers to prepare for the summer racing season, which kicks off for the third and final time with the Belmont Festival, with racing June 3 through 7.
The iconic GE sign, which has illuminated downtown Schenectady through the Great Depression, World War II and decades of invention, cutting-edge research and manufacturing, is coming down for renovations, the company announced.
Witness lists and discovery requests are shaping up for a hearing that will help the state decide whether to permit the first-ever cannon testing project in the Adirondack Park.
A tour bus carrying students and chaperones from private high schools in the Bronx crashed after traveling through an intersection and off a roadway in the town on Sunday morning, resulting in multiple injuries.
Bishop Avery Comithier said he wants City of Albany leaders to bring back a past anti-violence effort to help curb youth gun violence.
Photo credit: George Fazio.
