Not so fast: Welcome to Wednesday, dear readers, as we dive headlong into November – and the Christmas season, at least according to Mariah Carey.
With Halloween candy on our breath, a contentious Election Day to survive, military veterans to honor and enormous Thanksgiving feasts to prepare, we’re not ready to jump that far ahead – although this latest workweek is certainly zipping along nicely. Let’s catch up!
Muerta and Mrs: Living it up on the Day of the Dead.
Dead again: It’s Nov. 2 out there, and if you thought Halloween was scary, then you better avoid Mexico today, when the Day of the Dead reanimates the dearly departed for a 24-hour fiesta.
Here in the States, you can experience the sheer terror of National Deviled Egg Day, which has nothing to do with el diablo and everything to do with tangy deliciousness.
Hello from your friendly Enemies of the State: Today is also the 11th annual International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, and if you’re OK with killing journalists or otherwise replacing a free press that reports truths you don’t like with state-run media that reinforces nonsense, go ahead and sit this one out, sport.
Enemy of bad hairstyles, maybe: A textbook example of inoffensive journalism, the women’s fashion magazine Harper’s Bazaar, dropped its first issue on this date in 1867.
Geography 101: North is on top.
Two-fer: Happy anniversary to North Dakota and South Dakota, which were both admitted to the Union – as the 39th and 40th States, respectively – on Nov. 2, 1889.
Wood if he could: Did you know the Black Hills Spruce is the state tree of South Dakota? That’s interesting, because the Spruce Goose – billionaire aviator Howard Hughes’ giant wooden vanity project – made its first and only flight on this date in 1947.
Early worm: Speaking of technological regrets, major cyberattacks (accidentally) became a thing 34 years ago today, when Cornell University graduate student Robert Morris unleashed an experimental “computer worm” that (surprisingly and uncontrollably) spread to nationally networked universities, military installations and medical facilities.
Roomies in spaaaaace: And it was Nov. 2, 2000, when two Russian cosmonauts and one American astronaut settled in as the first long-term residents of the International Space Station.
The Expedition 1 crew would spend four months installing and activating life-support and communications systems, with three different U.S. space shuttles coming and going during their stay.
Based on a true story: American frontiersman Daniel Boone (1734-1820) – who really did survive hostile natives, rugged terrain and other Wilderness Road dangers, though his pioneering adventures may have been somewhat exaggerated in the retelling – would be 288 years old today.
Moonlight moment: Lancaster aged gracefully.
Also born on Nov. 2 were French Queen Marie Antoinette (born Marie Antoinette Josèphe Jeanne, 1755-1793), who probably didn’t let them eat cake; 11th U.S. President James Polk (1795-1849), considered the last strong president before the Civil War; 29th U.S. President Warren Harding (1865-1923), who was popular until he died in office, and the scandals emerged; American astronomer Harlow Shapley (1885-1972), who accurately mapped the Sun’s position in the Milky Way; and Hollywood heartthrob Burt Lancaster (1913-1994), a stereotypical tough guy who became a versatile star.
Write in: And take a bow, Thomas Mallon! The American novelist (and Sewanhaka High School graduate) – known best for his detailed historical fiction and sharp literary reviews in GQ, The New Yorker and other major periodicals – turns 71 today.
Wish the Glen Cove native well at editor@innovateli.com, where your news tips earn rave reviews and your calendar events always make history.
About our sponsor: New York Institute of Technology’s 90-plus profession-ready degree programs incorporate applied research, real-world case studies and professors who bring decades of industry knowledge and research into the classroom, where students and faculty work side-by-side researching cybersecurity, drone design, microchips, robotics, artificial intelligence, app development and more. Visit us.
BUT FIRST, THIS
Storming ahead: A Stony Brook University graduate and guest lecturer has earned a prestigious National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine award for his climate change-focused podcast.
Already a staple of Long Island National Public Radio affiliate station WSHU, Season One of J.D. Allen’s “Higher Ground” has snagged an Eric and Wendy Schmidt Award for Excellence in Science Communication. The show, produced with support from the science-advancing Kavli Foundation and SBU’s Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science, features Allen (WSHU’s managing editor) and co-host Sabrina Garone exploring climate change’s effects across Long Island – including rising tides and escalating severe-weather events – and the innovative ways local communities are adapting.
The Schmidt Awards honor journalists and researchers across numerous categories, including the Best Science Reporting On The Local/Regional Level category championed by Allen and co. “The [NASEM] is one of the most important organizations for developing evidence-based scientific advice for the United States and beyond,” noted Stony Brook University President Maurie McInnis. “This honor is a significant achievement for our School of Communication and Journalism and a win for climate-change communication.”
Storming back: Governor Kathy Hochul has marked Superstorm Sandy’s 10-year anniversary with a shining review of state-led recovery efforts and a new defensive shield against extreme weather.
First, the good news: A report detailing the Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery’s performance over the last decade shows the state has spent 91 percent of its $4.5 billion U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development post-Sandy disaster-recovery stipend, with 11,000-plus housing recovery and resiliency projects completed and more than 1,000 small businesses supported. Since the storm ravaged southern New York on Oct. 29, 2012, Albany has also invested $19 billion reinforcing the statewide electric grid, according to the governor’s office, including $4.9 billion on Long Island.
The better news: the launch of the Office of Resilient Homes and Communities, which will collaborate with community leaders, advance climate-justice principles and otherwise “build on the work” of the GOSR, which launched in 2013 specifically to allocate the HUD billions. “New York’s recovery (from Sandy) has been extraordinary,” Hochul said this week. “With the new Office of Resilient Homes and Communities, we are taking a major step toward protecting and strengthening New York for generations to come.”
POD PEOPLE
Episode 32: Kevin Tracey, bioelectrified.
Bioelectronics (the science of electric nerve stimulation, offering drug-free treatment alternatives for a host of medical conditions) is a breakthrough science with breathtaking potential – and nobody understands it better than Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research President and CEO Kevin Tracey.
The “father of bioelectronic medicine” joins Spark: The Innovate Long Island Podcast to discuss bioelectronics’ unprecedented possibilities, his most gratifying personal achievements and the accidental discovery that started it all.
TOP OF THE SITE
In memoriam: There will never be another Calvin O. Butts III, according to the regional and national rainmakers lining up to honor the Baptist minister and longtime SUNY Old Westbury leader.
Justice served: To avoid the mistakes of the past, environmental sustainability must incorporate social justice, according to CEBIP Portfolio Manager Shruti Sharma, who believes inclusive innovation is key.
What a deal: All this innovation information, all these useful links, all this sound advice, all in my inbox three times a week, for free? Where do I sign? (Right here!)
VOICES
Accidents, sudden ailments, chronic conditions – whatever the cause, millions of Americans are crumbling under crushing medical debt. But there are innovative solutions available, according to Family and Children’s Association President/CEO and Voices nonprofit anchor Jeffrey Reynolds, who knows just where to look.
STUFF WE’RE READING
People power: Individual consumer decisions can be a united force against climate change. Vox sees strength in numbers.
European power: The European Union starts the countdown toward a new, more interoperable Internet. Wired reviews the new rules.
Transfer of power: This may be Putin’s last dance – but some truly undesirable successors wait in the wings. Politico rates potential Russian rulers.
RECENT FUNDINGS
+ Lazzaro Medical, a Colorado-based medical-device manufacturer, received a $1 million strategic investment. Northwell Health made the investment.
+ Fox Robotics, a Texas-based autonomous forklift manufacturer, raised $20 million in funding led by BMW I Ventures, Zebra Technologies and the Japan Airlines & Translink Innovation Fund.
+ Odyssey, a New York City-based public-funding and education-services platform, raised $4.75 million in seed funding led by American Dynamism, Village Global, Bling Capital, Packy McCormick, John Danner and Red House Education.
+ Ionblox, a California-based lithium-ion cell manufacturer, raised $24 million in Series B funding led by Lilium, Applied Ventures and Catalus Capital.
+ Gabbi, an Oregon-based breast cancer risk-assessment and care-navigation platform, raised $4.4 million in funding led by Bread and Butter Ventures, Female Founders Fund, Phoenix Rising and Coyote Ventures.
+ Ascend Elements, a Massachusetts-based engineered-materials and lithium-ion battery-recycling company, raised $300 million in equity and debt financing led by Fifth Wall Climate, SK ecoplant and Lithium Americas Corp.
Like this newsletter? Innovate Long Island newsletter, website and podcast sponsorships are a prime opportunity to reach the inventors, investors, entrepreneurs and executives you need to know (just ask New York Tech). Marlene McDonnell can tell you more.
BELOW THE FOLD (Winter Is Coming Edition)
There’s snow escape: Coming soon to an island near you.
First heat: Get a running start now on warming your home later.
Clockwork: Standard Time returns Sunday – for the last time, maybe.
Deep trouble: Expect above-average snow on Long Island, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.
Well-seasoned: Please continue supporting the amazing institutions that support Innovate Long Island, including New York Tech, where academic and social development shines in the winter, spring, summer and fall. Check them out.
