Facing Out: The Most Interesting News of the Week

October 19, 2024

Photo of the northern lights above lake George.
The northern lights, the best show above Earth, lit the skies around Lake George, N.Y., with a spectacular array. Luke Dow

Dear Colleagues and Friends:

We don’t know about you, but when we think about the outdoors, we think of clean air, adventure, gorgeous scenery, clean fun and great memories, the kind a father and young son from Cohoes, N.Y., will no doubt relish after conquering each of the 46 High Peaks of the Adirondack Mountains, a feat that took them just over a year to accomplish.

It’s literally a place to escape the aggressive boorishness that, sadly, defines our times.

At least, it should be. But as the Adirondack Explorer reports this week, people who think the rules are for everyone else have become threatening and abusive to trail stewards who are simply trying to enforce rules meant to keep people safe. A member of the Town Board in Keene, where several popular trailheads are located, said, “We do want to have (visitors) here, but we need help. A 20-year-old steward is not equipped to deal with an angry hiker. (But) the (Department of Environmental Conservation) rangers are already strapped and they’re working tons of overtime.” Let’s all hope the temperature comes back down before someone gets seriously hurt.

Speaking of misbehavior in the wild, an incident in Old Forge, N.Y., that led to the deaths of a mother black bear and her two cubs aroused the curiosity of the Explorer, which found that people intentionally feeding bears — and getting in trouble for it — is more common than you might think. Bears who lose their fear of people, or expect to be fed by them, often pay with their lives — New York State has euthanized more than 50 in the past eight years.

POSTING POLITICS: In the midst of a heated political campaign, “Private employers are wondering if there is anything they can — or should — do to regulate social media posts by their employees. Recently, employers have faced public pressure to terminate employees for their politically charged social media activity. But are such decisions legal? What about enacting company policies that prohibit employees from posting political content on social media? The answer likely depends on state law.” Thus begins an analysis workplaces nationwide can benefit from. The author? Attorney Stacia Daigle, a graduate of Queensbury High School, The College of Saint Rose and Belmont University Law, and daughter of our longtime friend and colleague Troy Burns, who puts together this newsletter for us each week.

GETTING CONNECTED: The economy of the Adirondacks, long reliant on physical labor and service jobs, is being transformed as broadband internet becomes more available and reliable, allowing entrepreneurs to build teams that can be scattered around the globe. Svetlana Filipson, a technology specialist for the Adirondack Foundation, estimates there are 1,000 remote tech workers in the greater Adirondack region and the foundation is working to recruit more, launching the Adirondack Innovation Initiative in response to the region’s economic challenges. “Unless we can find a way to create new, high-paying jobs, none of the rest of it matters,” the initiative’s founder, retired Pepsi CEO Craig Weatherup, told the Adirondack Explorer.

MIND GAMES: It’s been 15 years or so since Apple popularized the phrase “there’s an app for that,” and in many ways that’s literally true. If It can be digitized, there quite likely is an app for it, which people can use to set reminders, limit their time online, motivate themselves and generally reinforce positive habits. Reams of research over the years has shown that people are more likely to follow through on their goals when they use external aids — whether digital or tangible, like nicotine patches and swear jars — but at the same time, studies show that few people use these supportive strategies. The reason: They fear that doing so may expose a lack of self-control that would make others judge them harshly, says Harvard Business School Associate Professor Julian Zlatev, who co-authored new research with Ariella Kristal, a postdoctoral scholar at Columbia Business School.

YOUR LYING EYES: Use of artificial intelligence continues to proliferate, with creative types exploring all manner of new graphic frontiers. One genre that is capturing outsize attention (and worrying scholars) are AI-generated photos that replicate historic events, themes and looks and are shared widely on social media. “AI has caused a tsunami of fake history, especially images,” a Dutch historian who debunks false claims online told Barron’s.

Photo of a bridge over Walloomsac River in North Hoosick, N.Y. The fall foliage is in full splendor around the Walloomsac River in North Hoosick, N.Y. John Bulmer

UPSET STOMACHS: An Oregon company that makes pre-cooked proteins for various ready-to-eat products expanded a recall to more than 11.7 million pounds of meat and poultry from grocery stores, restaurants, schools and other institutions nationwide this week over possible listeria contamination. The recalled products include salads, wraps, pasta bowls, burritos, enchiladas and many other ready-made frozen and family meals, and come from brands including Fresh Express, Rao’s, Boston Market, Atkins, Dole, ReadyMeals, Taylor Farms, Home Chef and Signature Select, NPR reported. Coca-Cola, meanwhile, recalled more than 13,000 cases of Minute Maid Zero Sugar Lemonade from stores in the Midwest because they were found to contain the regular formula of lemonade, with 40 grams of sugar per can. The recall was issued in September but kept quiet until the Food and Drug Administration revealed it this week.

DREAM CHASERS: Across America, small downtowns that once thrived are sad, tired and sagging, verve and fresh ideas the stuff of nostalgia. The challenges are numerous and daunting, which explains why so many seem stuck in an endless spiral. But the same entrepreneurial spirit that once animated the streets is showing up again in some creative and unusual ways and in unexpected places, driven, as always, by people willing to take big risks.

DEEPENING FRACTURE: Tensions between Canada and India ratcheted a few notches this week after Canada expelled India’s top diplomat and five others, accusing them of roles in the 2023 assassination of a Sikh activist in British Columbia. “India has made a monumental mistake,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in announcing the move. India, which has dismissed the allegations as absurd, responded by expelling six Canadian diplomats.

01_Nuggets.jpgSOUND IN NATURE: If you’ve ever wondered what a piano concert sounds like in the middle of a historic quarry, you’ll get your chance today at 2 p.m. when Ben Cosgrove performs “The Music of Nature Reboot” at the Essex Quarry Nature Preserve in Essex, N.Y. Bring something to sit on if you go.

GETTING HIS (OVER)DUE: Ulysses S. Grant, who died on Mount McGregor in Saratoga County, N.Y.,  in 1885, has finally received the promotion long sought by his admirers. He joins John J. Pershing and George Washington as General of the Armies of the United States, the nation’s highest military rank. Washington’s promotion also occurred posthumously, in 1978.

TRAIN PAINS: Maintenance in New York City will result in the loss of three daily round trips on the busy Amtrak route between the Capital Region and Penn Station starting next month, the Albany Times Union reports, citing a passenger advocacy group. The cuts include a 5:10 a.m. train to New York that is popular with business travelers.

BRADY BUYS IN: Tom Brady joined the NFL ownership club this week, gaining approval from other owners to buy a minority stake in the Las Vegas Raiders.

TRAGEDY IN NIGERIA: An overturned fuel tanker exploded as crowds rushed to collect the gas that was leaking out, killing at least 153 people and injuring about 100 more, some critically, according to authorities in northern Nigeria.

02_Lives.jpgLILLY LEDBETTER had spent years as a supervisor at a Goodyear tire plant in Alabama when an anonymous note in her mailbox revealed a secret that left her, she recalled to NPR, “humiliated … degraded.” She learned she was paid less than male co-workers in the same position. She retired 11 months later and filed a gender discrimination lawsuit that resulted in a $3 million judgment in her favor, later drastically reduced by a divided U.S. Supreme Court. Congress soon after passed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, the first measure signed into law by President Obama. She remained an active advocate for pay equity and a movie based on her life, Lilly, is winning acclaim from various film festivals. She was 86.

TOM DONAHUE was a shrewd and unapologetic advocate for America’s business interests, broadening the scope of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to vigorously defend industry against what it regarded as frivolous lawsuits and regulatory overreach. He wasn’t afraid to initiate actions against the government to shield specific businesses from fallout. He “gave business a seat at the table and a voice in the debate in a way it never had before,” the Chamber said in a statement, as reported by The New York Times. “It is no exaggeration to say he resurrected the Chamber, taking the institution from good to great and from productive to powerful — and standing up for business from the nation’s capital to every corner of the globe.” He was 86.

MEGAN MARSHACK was a young aide to Nelson Rockefeller, the former New York governor and vice president of the United States, and with him when he died of a heart attack in 1979. Varying stories about the location and circumstances of Rockefeller’s death only fueled speculation about the nature of the relationship, but she maintained public silence throughout her life, telling reporters, “I'm sorry, I have nothing to say.” Her brother, Jon Marshack, told The Associated Press he thought his sister, a former AP radio reporter, signed a non-disclosure agreement. “All I know is they were very good friends. Beyond that, I don’t know,” he said. “She never discussed it with me, and I never pried.” She was 70.

03_Almost Final Words.jpgSNOWED UNDER: Bath and Body works apologized and stopped selling “Snowed In,” a winter-themed candle that critics said had a label that looked like Ku Klux Klan hoods.

04_signoff.jpgSome of the linked material in Facing Out requires a subscription to read.

Principal Author: Bill Callen.

Contributors: Mark Behan, Ryan Moore, Kristy Miller, John Brodt, Claire P. Tuttle, Luke Dow and John Bulmer.

FACING OUT is what we do. We help companies, organizations and individuals work effectively with their most important external audiences – their customers, their shareholders, their communities, the government and the news media.  www.behancommunications.com

Facing Out features news and other nuggets that caught our eye, and that we thought might be of value to you, our friends and business associates. Some items are good news about our clients and friends, others are stories that we hope will leave you a bit more informed or entertained than you were five minutes ago. As always, we welcome your ideas and feedback. 

Let’s make it a conversationmark.behan@behancom.com

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