Hold on to your potatoes: Welcome, dear reader, to Jan. 20, 2021.
Today, of course, is the series finale of “The Apprentice President,” which promises to be as somber as the “M*A*S*H” coda, as pointless as the “Seinfeld” sendoff, as inconclusive as the conclusion of “The Sopranos” … and as serious as a heart attack.
Whatever happens on this monumental Wednesday in our shining City on a Hill, consider this: You may praise President Trump and you may despise him. But through the blunt force of his single-minded, simple-minded jingoism, or by inspiring the middle to unite and rise, history may yet credit him with making America great again.
Stay tuned on that. As for today – be safe, be fair, be innovative. And above all else, be American.
Cheese Louise: Inauguration Day, with cheese.
Cheese the day: Speaking of American, enjoy a few slices today – otherwise brie yourself and, in queso emergency, lay your curds on the table. You can’t be too cheesy on National Cheese Lover’s Day, which is as gouda as it gets (especially if you’re feeling bleu).
Lady first: Suffragist Elizabeth Cady Stanton became the first woman to testify before the U.S. Congress on Jan. 20, 1869, sharing her thoughts on equality.
Choose your pleasure: The “Gravity Pleasure Switchback Railway,” remembered as the first American roller coaster, was patented on Jan. 20, 1885, by inventor LaMarcus Thompson.
Other U.S. patents issued on this date include one in 1891 for New York innovator Babtis Kinn, who broke new ice with a revolutionary beer cooler.
And justice for all: Reforming the fledgling National Civil Liberties Bureau, the American Civil Liberties Union was officially established on Jan. 20, 1920.
Seinfeldian spoof: Everyone out of the Chunnel!
Who was that masked man? Station WXYZ of Detroit debuted “The Lone Ranger” radio program on this date in 1930.
For the record, the ranger’s famous theme song – actually the fourth movement of “The William Tell Overture” by Italian composer Gioachino Rossini – didn’t come along until the 1949 television series.
Dig it: And final designs were approved 35 years ago today for the Eurotunnel connecting Britain and France underneath the English Channel.
The 31.5-mile Channel Tunnel, a.k.a. the Chunnel, finally opened to traffic in May 1994.
I’m a doctor (and a crooner, and a cowboy, and a…): Multitalented American actor, screenwriter, poet and singer DeForest Kelley (1920-1999) – remembered best as the U.S.S. Enterprise’s curmudgeonly space-age surgeon Leonard “Bones” McCoy – would be 101 years old today.
Also born on Jan 20 were British physician Edward Tyson (1651-1708), the “father of comparative anatomy”; French geologist Alexandre-Emile Beguyer de Chancourtois (1820-1886), the first to arrange chemical elements by weight; Russian neurophysiologist Vladimir Bekhterev (1857-1927), who spearheaded studies of the brain and conditional reflexes; Austrian naturalist Joy Adamson (1910-1980), who penned “Born Free”; and retired U.S. astronaut Edwin Eugene “Buzz” Aldrin (born 1930), who kinda lost his mind after the moon.
Riveting: Hoag, international sensation.
Down the Darkest Road: And take a bow, Tami Hoag! The American novelist and master of suspense, who boasts more than 40 million printed copies in 30-plus languages, turns 62 today.
Wish the bestselling author, the sci-fi icon and all the other Jan. 20 innovators well at editor@innovateli.com, where story tips and calendar events always give us a pleasant buzz.
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BUT FIRST, THIS
Listen closely: Alexa, are you recording this?
Gives you the chills: Electronic devices capable of recording their users – including smartphones and smart TVs – would be required to prominently disclose those abilities under a proposed New York State law.
A legislative proposal included in Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s 2021 State of the State agenda would mandate full corporate disclosure about devices that can make, retain and transmit recordings. The proposed law would replace traditional “fine print” with unmistakable warnings – akin to calories posted on menus, or Surgeon General warnings on cigarette packs – that make the user acutely aware of an Internet-connected device’s recording and sharing skills, including all phones, televisions and smart speakers that may be listening.
The idea is to help New Yorkers “make informed decisions when they choose to buy” smart devices, according to Cuomo’s office. “We’ve all heard reports of smart speakers and other connected devices recording people without their knowledge,” the governor said. “Everyone has a right to know the facts about the devices they buy, and those facts should be prominently displayed, not hidden in the fine print.”
Gives you the dorm fuzzies: From the Bulk Purchasing Department comes an innovative construction proposal for statewide school districts and nonprofit organizations, tucked into the governor’s sweeping 2021 strategy.
The plan is to open the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York’s low-cost design and construction services to all school districts and nonprofits, allowing these outside organizations to effect much-needed capital improvements with significant cost efficiencies. The Dormitory Authority will also “assist with providing financing” for construction efforts, according to Cuomo’s office, providing lower-cost financing options for schools and groups strapped by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The DASNY assistance is critical, the governor said, due to “the inaction of the federal government to properly fund and support state and local entities” during the coronavirus health emergency. “The State of New York understands the significant sacrifices public entities have made to keep their doors open this year,” Cuomo noted. “Low-cost financing, which saves dollars on major construction projects, will soon be provided to school districts and nonprofits because the state … values their role in serving the public.”
TOP OF THE SITE
Bad idea: Honest effort to obtain vaccine doses? Shameless headline grab? Either way, Gov. Cuomo’s direct Pfizer appeal was always doubtful – and possibly dangerous.
Good thinking: Thanks in part to a COVID-inspired double-reverse, a longtime CEBIP client is now the second to graduate from SBU’s clean energy business incubator.
Innovation in the Age of Coronavirus: SUNY has exhausted its vaccine supply, and that’s very good news. Confused? Thank goodness for Long Island’s one-and-only pandemic primer.
VOICES
Regional managers like Northwell Health face terrific challenges as COVID-19 vaccines spread slowly across the land – and only a steady hand can control the chaos, according to healthcare anchor Terry Lynam, who maps out the plan.
STUFF WE’RE READING
Main engine start: After a decade of innovation pessimism, technological optimism is ready to blast off. The Economist counts it down.
Makes you think: The pandemic is refocusing innovation on mental healthcare, in a good way. STAT studies the effects.
PDF attached: How, exactly, has this low-tech innovation reigned for 30 years? Marker downloads the form.
RECENT FUNDINGS
+ Sustainment, a Texas-based software company allowing business and government teams to discover and engage with U.S. manufacturers, closed a $2.1 million financing round led by Blackhorn Ventures, Congress Avenue Ventures and angel investors.
+ Koya Medical, a California-based healthcare company focused on treating lymphedema and vein disease, closed an $11 million Series A funding led by Arboretum Ventures, with participation from Scientific Health Development Partners, Zühlke Ventures, Bolt and InnerProduct Partners.
+ Delfi Diagnostics, a Maryland-based developer of high-performance, affordable liquid biopsy tests for early cancer detection, raised $100 million in Series A funding led by OrbiMed, Menlo Ventures, Samsara Biocapital, Illumina Ventures, AV8 Ventures and Foresite Capital, among others.
+ Cumulus Digital Systems, a Massachusetts-based startup building an Internet of Tools platform for the industrial workforce, raised $8 million in strategic growth funding led by new investor GEC, with participation from Brick & Mortar Ventures and Shell Ventures.
+ Nayya, a New York City-based insurance benefits experience and management platform, closed an $11 million Series A funding round led by Felicis Ventures, with participation from Social Leverage, Guardian Life, Cameron Ventures and Unum Business Ventures.
+ Promaxo, a California-based medical imaging, robotics and AI technology company, raised $4.17 million in funding. Huami Corp. made the investment.
BELOW THE FOLD
Dry run: Some are giving up marijuana for Dry January. Some aren’t.
Very Dry January: The annual no-booze month now covers weed, too (but not everywhere).
May flowers: If you’re hoping for a robust spring garden, better get busy now.
See you in September: Masks? Vaccine mandates? What, exactly, will school look like next fall?
Full calendar: Please continue supporting the incredible organizations that support Innovate LI, including SUNY Old Westbury, where micro-credential courses and other innovations always keep your best future within reach. Check them out.
