By KATHERINE ROTH

Museums throughout New York City were just reopening in the wake of the COVID pandemic when Jane August launched what seemed like a straightforward plan: She would travel to every single museum in the city, producing a short video log of each one. She figured it would take three years at most.

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But with 136 museums documented since 2021, she still has about 64 to go by her estimation. And with new museums opening and some old ones changing so dramatically that they deserve a revisit, the 26-year-old now says she’s realistically aiming to complete the project before she’s 30.

“At first, I started the project for myself to safely get out of my house and experience culture in the city again,” said August, who grew up in Arizona and has lived in New York for nine years. She said she wasn’t a big museum person before starting the project, and had only been to around seven at the time.

But as she began, the plan quickly evolved.

“I decided TikTok would be a cool way to document this so my friends could keep up with my journey and maybe discover something new,” August said. Her audience has since far expanded with about 40,000 followers across social platforms.

Museums big and small, Manhattan and beyond

Visiting its museums has sparked a new appreciation for New York City, she said, as well as for the sheer breadth of what’s on offer, particularly for those willing to explore smaller museums and those in the boroughs beyond Manhattan.

And yes, she has favorites.

“I love Poster House. It’s the first poster museum in the country, has great programming and is free on Fridays,” she says of the largely unsung museum at 23rd Street and Sixth Avenue, which features graphic design and advertising posters ranging from Art Nouveau to political propaganda.

Others on her list of favorites include the Tenement Museum in lower Manhattan and the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens, as well as three Brooklyn museums: the Brooklyn Seltzer Museum, the New York Sign Museum and the Red Hook Pinball Museum. She also has a soft spot for The Paley Center for Media NYC in midtown Manhattan.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 04: A exterior view of The Paley Center for Media signage as the executive producers and survivors featured in Lifetime’s “Surviving R Kelly” attend the Emmy FYC Screening at the Paley Center for Media on June 4, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for Lifetime)

“They have archives with every TV show you could possibly think of. It’s amazing,” she said of The Paley Center.

Staten Island offerings are worth the ferry ride

As for the city’s smallest borough, the ferry ride to Staten Island (free, with views of the Statue of Liberty along the way) is well worth the trip for museum-goers, she said.

The borough features the Newhouse Center of Contemporary Art, as well as the Alice Austen House, a Victorian Gothic house important to LGBTQ+ history. It was the home of one of the country’s earliest and most prolific female photographers, famous for documenting the city’s immigrant communities.

This October 2014 photo shows the interior of the Alice Austen House in the Staten Island borough of New York. Austen was a pioneering Victorian-era photographer whose images often challenged social conventions and gender roles. The museum is redefining its mission by championing tolerance and sending a contingent to march in New York’s gay pride parade June 28. (AP Photo/Beth J. Harpaz)

“You wouldn’t imagine that Staten Island had one of the gayest museums in New York, dedicated to a queer photographer, but it does,” August said.

Staten Island is also home to the Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art and the Chinese Scholar’s Garden, which claims to be one of only two authentic classical outdoor Chinese gardens in the United States.

“It’s so peaceful and quiet, and I love riding the ferry,” August said.

Taking advantage of free days and slow hours

While museums can be expensive, she said she makes good use of museum passes at her local library, and that many museums have days or times when they are free.

And because her “day jobs” tend to be at night — she works at different venues in ticketing and production, and also bartends — she’s able to visit museums in the middle of weekdays, when they tend to be less crowded.

August recently became a licensed New York City tour guide, and she says it’s given her a renewed appreciation both of the city and its visitors.

She’s also seen a few trends take hold, like the rise in museum programming aimed at younger audiences and the trend away from chronological exhibits, which she says make return visits less enticing.

“So many of us are desperate for third spaces,” she said, referring to a place distinct from both home and work where people can relax or socialize. “For a lot of us, we have a hunger to come back and visit again, especially when it’s free.”

Although big museums like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art can certainly be crowded, August says New York isn’t facing nearly the level of overcrowding as in European cities like Paris.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 20: An exterior view of The Museum of Modern Art which will reopen to the public on August 27 as the city continues Phase 4 of re-opening following restrictions imposed to slow the spread of coronavirus on August 20, 2020 in New York, New York. The fourth phase allows outdoor arts and entertainment, sporting events without fans and media production. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images)

And at peak times and seasons, like summer, it’s nice to know there are plenty of smaller museums to visit.

Seeing the whole city

“I think this is especially important for the lesser-known museums that don’t often get press or social media features,” she said. “There are some small museums that get a huge bump in attendance and press after I have posted my videos so it’s exciting to be able to play a small role in that success.”

As for her motivation to continue the project, she said “it boils down to the people. I get to connect with fascinating and passionate people who are making these museums what they are and I get to connect with enthusiasts who want to find something fun to do with their weekend.”

For anyone interested in giving something like this a go for themselves, she says it takes a lot of endurance.

“Be prepared to go to corners of the city you never considered — I’m talking edges of the Bronx and middle of Staten Island,” she said. “But if you’re up for the challenge, you’ll probably gain a lot of insight on not just the museums and their content, but also the communities they serve.”

By JESSICA DAMIANO

I’ve seen a rash of social media posts recommending the application of sticky-tape bands around tree trunks to prevent spotted lanternflies and other garden pests from accessing tree canopies and munching on foliage. But those bands also catch caterpillars, butterflies, bees and birds, which would be difficult to free without ripping off their limbs or breaking their wings.

This July 7, 2023, image provided by Jessica Damiano shows a bee resting on a purple coneflower on Long Island, N.Y. (Jessica Damiano via AP)

Similarly, glue traps are cruel devices, holding hostage everything from basement cave crickets to terrified mice and rats until they starve to death.

Recently, after noticing a rustling sound coming from my attic, I discovered a family of squirrels had settled in, presumably after the pregnant mother gained access through an unscreened vent. At that point, securing the vent would have been easy, but would have trapped the critters indoors.

After monitoring the scampering above me for a few days, I surmised that after their early-morning dance parties, the squirrels would leave the house each day, then return after sunset. So, when the disco closed one morning, I sealed up the vent opening, locking them out. Problem solved.

It required more patience than setting out traps or poison, or calling someone to “take care of it,” but it was worth the wait (and it didn’t cost a dime).

Coexisting with wildlife

So-called “nuisance” animals, like squirrels, bats and raccoons, are just living their lives, as we are, and they need food, water and shelter, like we do. It’s not their fault that we chopped down their forested homes, paved over meadows and built neighborhoods in their habitat. They have nowhere else to go, so the least we could do is treat them humanely and share our (outdoor) space with them as much as possible.

This Jan 26, 2022, image provided by Jessica Damiano shows a squirrel sitting on a backyard deck on Long Island, N.Y. (Jessica Damiano via AP)

When they enter indoor living spaces, however, that means evicting them, as I did. But prevention would have been better. Look for openings in attics, basements, and around windows, doors and soffits, keeping in mind that a mouse can squeeze through a hole as small as the diameter of a pencil.

Check, too, for gaps under eaves, missing chimney caps and broken vents. Ensure there aren’t any animals indoors before sealing them. If you have unwanted residents, wait for them to leave or lure them out so they don’t die in your walls.

If you’re concerned about biting insects, there are better ways to control them than using pesticides, which can expose people, animals and groundwater to harmful chemicals and kill a variety of other insects that serve as an important food source for birds. The products also require repeated applications to maintain that control.

Instead, eliminate mosquitoes from your backyard by preventing them from breeding in the first place.

FILE – Mosquitoes cling to the inside of a jar loaded with repellent during a test as part of a tour of the Center for Disease Control laboratory in Fort Collins, Colo., on April 4, 2024. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

Don’t allow water to collect anywhere on your property. Get into the habit of emptying plant-pot saucers, overturned trash can lids, tires, children’s playsets and other receptacles after each rainfall (or irrigation session).

Add Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis), a naturally occurring bacterium sold as Mosquito Dunks and Mosquito Bits, to sources of standing water, such as birdbaths or still ponds, where the insects lay their eggs. The biological control prevents mosquito, gnat and black fly larvae from developing, but is considered harmless to humans, pets, wildlife, beneficial insects, fish and plants.

To discourage wild animals, avoid feeding pets outdoors, tightly secure trash can lids, and physically make your property as inhospitable as possible by sealing entry points, closing garage doors, installing fencing, etc.

This June 1, 2022, image provided by Jessica Damiano shows a red-breasted robin holding an insect in its beak on Long Island, N.Y. (Jessica Damiano via AP)

If there are babies, please don’t separate them from their mother. Wait a few weeks until they are old enough to leave on their own, as my attic’s squirrels were. Or, call a licensed wildlife rehabilitator for help.

Avoid relocating animals. Many won’t survive; others will return, often from greater distances than you might imagine. It also may be illegal in your state.

Reaching for a spray can might seem like an easy and effective route to a pest-free summer, but it shouldn’t be considered unless you’re facing a legitimate infestation. And in that case, start with the safest, least toxic method and escalate only if necessary.

Indoor problems

Kitchen ants, for example, can be effectively controlled with bait stations.

Some cockroaches can be controlled with baits, as well, but if yours can’t, you have my blessing to hire a certified pesticide applicator (roaches multiply quickly, so common sense must prevail). Remember to do your part by removing clutter, keeping things clean and sealing up entry gaps to prevent a recurrence.

Similarly, it wouldn’t be likely for you to have just one mouse in your house, as they are also prolific breeders. To eliminate indoor rodents, opt for a strong snap trap that will kill instantly without causing the animal to suffer.

Jessica Damiano writes weekly gardening columns for the AP and publishes the award-winning Weekly Dirt Newsletter. You can sign up here for weekly gardening tips and advice.

For more AP gardening stories, go to https://apnews.com/hub/gardening.

The post Strangest State: Toilet Seats, Cowboys, and a Sea of Dimes appeared first on The Texas Observer.

By DAMIAN J. TROISE, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks rose in morning trading on Wall Street Friday, keeping the market on track for its third weekly gain in the last four.

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The S&P 500 was up 0.7% and sitting just below its record. The benchmark index is on track to wipe out its losses from a slide last week.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 212 points, or 0.5%, as of 10:44 a.m. Eastern. The Nasdaq added 0.8% to the all-time high it set a day earlier.

Technology companies, with their hefty stock values, were doing much of the heavy lifting for the market. Nvidia rose 0.9% and Microsoft rose 0.2%.

Gilead Sciences jumped 8.8% for one of the biggest gains. It reported financial results that easily beat analysts’ forecasts, while also raising its earnings forecast for the year. Expedia Group also notched one of the biggest gains, advancing 4.4% after also reporting encouraging financial results.

They are among the final big batch of companies within the S&P 500 to report mostly strong financial results for the second quarter. Still, many have warned that current tariffs could cut into their profits and operations.

The main focus throughout the week has been on President Donald Trump’s trade war and its potential impact on the U.S. economy, as well as the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy.

Trump began imposing higher import taxes on dozens of countries Thursday. The unknown path of the economy amid an unpredictable tariff policy has been the key reason for the Fed to hold its benchmark interest steady.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell, though, has been under increasing pressure from Trump to cut interest rates. Policy decisions aren’t made solely by the Fed chair. All 12 members of the Federal Open Market Committee vote on interest rate changes.

Trump has an opportunity to exert more control over the Fed following his nomination of Stephen Miran to a vacancy on the Fed’s board of governors. Miran is a top economic adviser to Trump and is a near-certain vote in support of lower interest rates.

The Fed’s last decision to hold interest rates steady included two votes to lower interest rates. Its next meeting is in September and Wall Street is overwhelmingly betting that the central bank will cut interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point.

Treasury yields edged higher. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.28% from 4.25% late Thursday. The yield on the two-year Treasury which more closely tracks expectations for Fed actions, rose to 3.76% from 3.73% late Thursday.

The expectation for an interest rate cut follows a series of signals last week that the economy could be weakening. That included reports showing that inflation edged higher in June and employers in the U.S. hit the brakes on hiring in July.

Both are key concerns for the Fed, which has been trying to cool inflation down to its target rate of 2% while also fulfilling its “full employment” mandate.

Lower interest rates can give the economy and investment prices a boost, though the downside is that they can also push inflation higher. Concerns about inflation reheating could be overshadowed by worries about a weakening employment market.

Wall Street and the Fed will get more insight next week on inflation’s temperature and the economy. The government will release updates on inflation at both the consumer and wholesale levels, along with a report on retail sales.

“We believe stocks will stay supported amid solid fundamentals, but fresh headlines in the coming week may challenge investor sentiment that remains vulnerable to tariff, economic, and geopolitical risks,” said Ulrike Hoffmann-Burchardi, chief investment officer for the Americas and global head of equities at UBS Global Wealth Management.

Asian markets closed mostly lower except in Tokyo, where the Nikkei rose 1.9% after Japan’s main trade envoy said the U.S. had agreed to correct a problem over tariffs that will apply to exports to the U.S.

European markets were mixed.