After missing the Monday night game between the Vikings and the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field, veteran safety Harrison Smith said he expects to return in the near future.

Though he did not go into detail about the personal health issue he has been dealing with for the past month or so, Smith chatted with reporters Wednesday at TCO Performance Center and indicated he has made progress. It was the first time he has spoken publicly since training camp.

“I’m just trying to get my conditioning up,” Smith said. “I’m moving around well.”

How long does he expect it will take for him to get his conditioning where it needs to be?

“I think I’ll be able to bounce back pretty quick as far as building stamina,” Smith said. “It’s a new experience, so I’m figuring it out.”

The fact the Vikings did not place Smith on injured reserve suggested they didn’t feel this was going to keep him out longer than a month.

It’s unclear if Smith will play when the Vikings host the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night at U.S. Bank Stadium. He was listed as a limited participant in walkthrough on Wednesday afternoon at TCO Performance.

“We’re kind of fluid with if I’m ready to go or not, and if I am going to help the team or not,” Smith said. “That all matters.”

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By MARK KENNEDY

NEW YORK (AP) — Polly Holliday, a Tony Award-nominated screen and stage actor who turned the catchphrase “Kiss my grits!” into a national retort as the gum-chewing, beehive-wearing waitress aboard the long-running CBS sitcom “Alice,” has died. She was 88.

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Holliday died Tuesday at her home in New York, said her theatrical agent, Dennis Aspland. She was the last surviving member of the principal cast of “Alice;” Linda Lavin, who played the title character, died last year.

“Alice” ran from 1976 to 1985, but Holliday had turned into such a star that the network gave her her own short-lived spin-off called “Flo” in 1980. It lasted a year.

Holliday earned four Golden Globe nominations and won one in 1980 for “Alice,” as well as four Emmy Award nominations, three for “Alice” and one for “Flo.”

As for the “Kiss my grits!” line, the Alabama-born Holliday was quick to distance herself from it, telling interviewers that the line was “pure Hollywood” and not a regional saying. But she identified with Flo.

“She was a Southern woman you see in a lot of places,” she told The Sarasota Herald-Tribune in 2003. “Not well educated, but very sharp, with a sense of humor and a resolve not to let life get her down.”

FILE – Actors Polly Holliday, center, and Vic Tayback, left, appear with actor Danny DeVito after receiving their Golden Globe awards in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Jan. 26, 1980. (AP Photo/George Brich, File)

Holliday’s career included stints on Broadway — including a Tony nod opposite Kathleen Turner in a 1990 revival of “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” — and lots of TV, including playing the blind sister to Betty White’s character in “Golden Girls.” On the big screen, her credits included John Grisham 1995 legal thriller series “The Client” and portraying a protective secretary in “All the President’s Men.”

Her Broadway credits include “All Over Town” in 1974 directed by Dustin Hoffman, “Arsenic and Old Lace” in 1986 with Jean Stapleton and Abe Vigoda, and a revival of “Picnic” with Kyle Chandler in 1994.

Some of her more memorable credits include the wicked Mrs. Deagle in “Gremlins,” Tim Allen’s sassy mother-in-law on “Home Improvement” and off-Broadway in “A Quarrel of Sparrows,” in which The New York Times said she radiated “a refreshingly touching air of willed, cheerful imperturbability.”

By MATTHEW PERRONE

WASHINGTON (AP) — Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other administration officials are vowing a crackdown on deceptive drug ads, but the effort is likely to face multiple headwinds, including pushback from industry and layoffs among regulators tasked with leading the effort.

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President Donald Trump signed a memo Tuesday that directs the Food and Drug Administration and other agencies to step up enforcement against ubiquitous prescription drug ads on TV, websites and social media.

The industry’s multibillion-dollar marketing efforts have long been a target for Kennedy, who previously suggested banning all pharmaceutical ads from TV. That step would have almost certainly been struck down by federal judges, who have long accepted advertising as a First Amendment-protected form of speech.

Instead, Trump’s directive tells the FDA to use current laws to ensure “transparency and accuracy” in all ads.

But the FDA has long struggled to defend its actions against drug promotions in court. And reworking some of its key regulations — including those governing TV advertising — could take years.

Here’s a look at the administration’s plans and some of the hurdles that may lie ahead.

A promise for more FDA warnings after years of legal setbacks

The FDA kicked off its effort Tuesday evening saying it was issuing “thousands” of warnings to drugmakers over inaccurate or misleading ads.

But rather than individual notices citing specific violations, the FDA shared a generic letter that it sent to drugmakers, instructing them to bring “all promotional communications into compliance.”

The form letter is different from typical FDA warning letters, which usually cite specific issues with company advertisements that run afoul of FDA rules and lay the groundwork for future legal action.

The FDA’s press release noted that such warnings have fallen dramatically in recent years, with only one issued in 2023 and none in 2024.

Former FDA officials say that reflects two trends. First, the drug industry has abandoned many of the most egregious tactics deployed in the early 2000s, including the use of distracting sounds and visuals that often drew attention away from drug warnings and side effect information.

Additionally, the FDA has repeatedly settled legal cases challenging its authority to police drug promotions. The agency often declines to pursue such cases due to the risks of losing in court, which could create legal precedent eroding its power.

Looking ahead, recent Trump administration job cuts have slashed staffing in the FDA’s drug advertising division, which handles warning letters.

A plan to curb TV ads could take a very long time

One major proposal by the administration involves reversing a nearly 30-year-old FDA rule.

Until the late 1990s, TV drug advertisements were impractical and prohibitively expensive because FDA regulations required drugmakers to list each medication’s risks and side effects. A 1997 shift allowed companies to briefly summarize that information and point viewers to more complete information on websites, in print ads or elsewhere.

The FDA said this week it will begin the process to eliminate that practice, calling it a “loophole” used to “conceal critical safety risks.”

But the FDA rulemaking process usually takes years — sometimes more than a decade — with multiple opportunities for public comment and revision.

For example, new guidelines finalized last year that require clearer and simpler language in drug ads took more than 15 years to develop and implement.

If the FDA tried to skip steps or rush, drugmakers could challenge the process in court.

For its part, the industry maintains that TV ads are a way to educate and empower consumers.

“Truthful and nonmisleading DTC advertising is protected under the First Amendment and has documented evidence of advancing patient awareness and engagement,” PhRMA, the industry’s leading trade group, said in a statement Wednesday.

Influencers and other newer promoters may be beyond FDA’s reach

FDA Commissioner Marty Makary also suggested his agency will be more aggressive about policing ads on social media platforms like Instagram, where drugmakers often partner with patient influencers or doctors.

The agency has long struggled to oversee those promotions, because FDA advertising rules only apply to drug companies.

Social media influencers who are paid to endorse or promote products are supposed to clearly disclose that relationship. But that requirement is overseen by the Federal Trade Commission.

And in some cases, influencers aren’t being paid by anyone: They promote products in hopes of landing future endorsement deals.

The FDA has also been under pressure to crack down on advertisements from newer specialty pharmacies and telehealth companies. A Super Bowl ad from one company drew scrutiny earlier this year for promoting unofficial versions of weight loss drugs, touting their benefits without listing any of the risks or side effects. Disclosing that information is an FDA requirement.

Companies that connect patients to so-called compounded drugs say they are not subject to FDA rules because they are not traditional drug manufacturers.

A Senate bill introduced last year would bring influencers and telehealth companies clearly under FDA’s jurisdiction, requiring them to disclose risk and side effect information. But the legislation has not advanced or received a hearing.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

What started in 2009 to seek out climate commitments from business and government leaders attending the United Nations’ September General Assembly, Climate Week now includes hundreds of events citywide, both official and grassroots. Here’s how to get involved.

A youth-led protest in April 2024 urging bank giant Citigroup to divest from fossil fuels (Adi Talwar)

It’s that time of year again: the air is crisper, the leaves will soon be changing and New York City Climate Week is descending upon the Big Apple once more. 

The week of Sept. 21-28 will be packed with events that draw attention to climate change and the ways in which communities are coming together to fight it. You can check out the full list of events here.

Hosted by the international nonprofit Climate Group, the annual event started in 2009 as a series of round table discussions with government heads and elite members of the business community who attended the United Nations General Assembly in September. The idea was to drum up commitments from them to tackle climate change. 

While it still hosts high-profile talks with global leaders, Climate Week NYC has grown to include programs by community organizations on the front lines of fighting climate change, which can post their events in the week’s official agenda.

It has also inspired local groups to launch their own versions, after the official event in recent years was criticized for including business leaders tied up in supporting fossil fuels.

Adam Lake, head of communications at Climate Group, says that pretty much any initiative can be featured in their events program as long it “has a positive role to play” in their mission to drive climate action. “We are trying to be a sort of catalyst for communities to do what they feel they need to do,” Lake said.

With over 900 events on the docket, this year’s line up of community-led events includes a panel discussion on tackling basement flooding by the Waterfront Alliance, and a walking tour of West Harlem hosted by WE ACT for Environmental Justice.

Then there is Black Earth Bright Futures, a series of film screenings presented by the Black Hive and Climate Justice Alliance to put community resilience in the spotlight. 

“I often joke that even if we decide to cancel Climate Week, it’s still going to happen anyway because the community’s got it,” Lake pointed out. “I think that’s what makes Climate Week NYC genuinely unique, because it’s the only event of its kind that has that community element driving every single part of what we do.” 

And community groups have indeed made Climate Week their own. They also hold the Climate Group to account. One of last year’s panel discussions, for example—“Can an Oil Company Lower Its Emissions?”—which featured the CEO of the American oil company Occidental Petroleum, was heavily criticized for involving the producers of the polluting fossil fuels that drive climate change.  

“Climate week has become more of a moment for corporation after corporation to pretend they’re acting on climate,” said Keanu Arpels-Josiah, a climate justice organizer with Fridays for Future NYC.

But it has also led smaller groups to craft alternatives to the official version’s higher profile, invite-only events with global leaders, at a time when President Donald Trump is undermining climate progress on the federal front.

A rally last month against fracked gas pipelines in New York, which the Trump administration is looking to revive. (Adi Talwar/City Limits)

The president suspended new leasing and permitting for projects that generate clean electricity from wind. And his Big Beautiful Bill, now signed into law, rolls back billions in clean energy investments for climate programs and energy tax credits.

Among the local efforts to counter that, environmental justice group Uprose is hosting the “Climate Justice Lives Here” festival in Brooklyn from Sept. 22-26. The event will be an act of resistance and a way to show the world that Climate Week is more than just bringing together global leaders, members say.

“New York City is more than big corporations and the United Nations. It is neighborhoods and communities like Sunset Park, Red Hook and Bed-Stuy that are on the frontlines of making plans to address the climate crisis,” said Annecia Steiniger, climate justice organizer at Uprose.

“So this festival is a reminder that we are here and we can be in community together and discuss the future of fighting climate change,” she added.

City Limits put together a list of community-led events—including those that made it into the official Climate Group’s roundup, and those that didn’t—for those looking to get involved.

2025 International Coastal Cleanup at the Castle Hill YMCA
When: Sept. 20
What: Help remove trash from the East River in the Bronx

Climate justice marches
When: Sept. 20, 21 and 27
What: Three marches will be held during climate week to protest recent attempts by the Trump administration to embrace fossil fuels:  the Make Billionaires Pay March, the New York Stands Up To Trump On Climate Town Hall, and the Sun Day Festival.

Sulfur Bottom
When: Sept. 20
What: An off-Broadway play staged at the Theater Center in Midtown on how the effects of pollution impact the lives of multiple generations of a family of color. Climate week performances will include post-show talks with local environmental justice groups.

E-Waste Drive at Battery Park City
When: Sept. 21
What: Dispose of electronic waste properly by dropping it off at Battery Park City 

Street Works Earth 
When: Sept. 21
What: A street arts and climate action festival in Jackson Heights, Queens, that will feature opportunities to make art in collaboration with local artists and talk about climate justice.

Resilience Rising at Rockaways
When: Sept. 21
What: A community effort to add native plants and restore the dunes on the Rockaways’ coastline to make it more resilient to sea-level rise, storm surges, and erosion.

The 5th Annual BIPOC Climate Justice Summit: Power Shift
When: Sept. 21
What: A full-day public event at Columbia University that will feature panels, interactive booths led by climate organizers in frontline communities, researchers, and public servants to advance climate justice.

Black Earth, Bright Futures
When: Sept. 22
What: Three film screenings about climate justice and community resilience that will also include conversation and good food.

Uprose’s Climate Justice Lives Here Festival
When: Sept. 22-26
What: From film screenings, to lunches, workshops and even a clothing swap, this community festival will put environmentally friendly practices in center stage.

From Risk to Resilience: Tackling Basement Flooding Through Equity and Reform
When: Sept. 22
What: A virtual panel that will look at the growing problem of basement flooding, and discuss opportunities to tackle the issue.

Rebuild by Design
When: September 23-28
What: Several days of lectures, walking tours and community celebrations led by the research hub Rebuild By Design will highlight strategies to merge design with policy and collaboration to build more climate resilient cities. 

How to Tell the Methane Story: Making the Invisible Visible
When: Sept. 25 
What: A panel discussion in Tribeca with Rollie Williams, creator of the YouTube channel Climate Town. 

West Harlem Environmental Justice Walking Tour 
When: Sept. 26
What: Walking tours of historic West Harlem that will point out environmental justice issues residents face thanks to climate change.

To reach the reporter behind this story, contact Mariana@citylimits.org. To reach the editor, contact Jeanmarie@citylimits.org

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