The Rogovoy Report 6.30.25

From around the corner to around the globe...

Jun 29, 2025

High Costs Have Ended America’s Love Affair With Cars

(WSJ) - Four out of five American households depend on an automobile to get to work, to get the kids to school, to go wherever. The typical driver spends about an hour a day in the car, says the AAA—more face time than many of us spend with our families. A good relationship starts with a good match. Lately, though, Americans have been losing that car-loving feeling. Actually, they’re at the dish-throwing stage. Light-vehicle sales have fallen by about 1.7 million a year since 2016, reflecting the number of younger consumers declining the pleasures of ownership. Millions more remained trapped in toxic relationships with abusive elders. The average age of passenger cars on the road is currently 14.5 years. Most of the yelling is about money.

The worst sandwich is back. Go away, wraps! (The Atlantic)

It’s not just you. The tick situation is getting worse. (NYT)

How America’s ideal woman got jacked (Vox)

FASCISM WATCH:

Sotomayor warns no one is safe after Supreme Court's Birthright Citizenship ruling (TNR)

The Supreme Court just gave Trump three victories in one ruling (TNR)

The Supreme Court has dealt another devastating blow to women (The Nation)

Eric Trump suggests he could run for president when his father’s term ends (The Guardian)

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Streisand and Dylan Make Beautiful Music Together

(Forward) by Seth Rogovoy - On paper they seem an unlikely vocal duo. Some might even call them “Beauty and the Beast.” Yet when Barbra Streisand and Bob Dylan join forces to sing the Ray Noble standard “The Very Thought of You” on Streisand’s brand-new duets album, The Secret of Life: Partners, Volume Two, the two venerable singers, both 60-plus years into their careers, complement each other gorgeously in a mature and authoritative statement of love.

The ‘Accidental Archivist’ of the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival

(NYT) BECKET, Mass. - In 1977, Norton Owen, a young dancer from Alabama, was working at the box office of the annual Jacob’s Pillow dance festival in the Berkshires, when he noticed a few trunks in a storeroom. He decided to investigate. The trunks contained costumes used by Denishawn, an influential early American modern dance company created by Ted Shawn and his wife, Ruth St. Denis, in 1915. Shawn went on to found Jacob’s Pillow in the early 1930s, and Owen decided the festival audiences should understand the connection. He borrowed mannequins from a local department store and displayed the costumes in a studio open to Pillow visitors. “It’s an origin story that speaks to what I already felt impelled to do, to bring together past and present, and share that with others,” said Owen, the Jacob Pillow’s director of preservation. His 50th anniversary at the festival was celebrated on June 21 at a gala, where he received the 2025 Jacob’s Pillow Dance Award.

REVIEW: Opening Jacob’s Pillow’s season, Dorrance Dance stays true to the beat (Boston Globe)

PREVIEW: Susan Sarandon, Amber Heard, ice show in bold Williamstown theater season (ATU)

PREVIEW: Lillias White aims to spotlight Sarah Vaughan in new cabaret performance at BSC (Berkshire Eagle)

Chesterwood’s outdoor sculpture exhibit brings climate change into focus (Berkshire Edge)

Hevreh celebrates 50 years with concert by contemporary Jewish musicians (Berkshire Eagle)

Rufus Wainwright to bring baroque pop to Stissing Center in Pine Plains, N.Y., in August (Chronogram)

The conductor of funk lives in Woodstock (The Overlook)

Fans criticize Beyoncé for shirt calling Native Americans ‘the enemies of peace’ (AP)

NEWS FROM THE BERKSHIRES

Steven Valenti (right) at the sales counter of his namesake retail shop, with his son and co-owner Evan Valenti (photo John Townes)

Steven Valenti’s Clothing for Men a Cornerstone of Downtown Pittsfield for Over 40 Years

(Berkshire Edge) PITTSFIELD, Mass. - Since its establishment 43 years ago, Steven Valenti’s Clothing for Men has survived numerous changes in downtown Pittsfield, the national economy, and unforeseen challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Over that time, it has become an anchor retail operation in the city center and a regional destination for customers who travel from as far afield as New York and Connecticut to shop there. “We’re extremely grateful that our customers and the community have supported us over the years,” said founder Steven Valenti, whose son Evan became co-owner ten years ago.

READ MORE:

Dottie’s Coffee Lounge in Pittsfield is for sale (iBerkshires)

Residents concerned about parking, setback issues with proposed 21-unit apartment building in downtown Great Barrington (Berkshire Edge)

Great Barrington Police Chief Storti to retire in January (B Edge)

Girls lacrosse head injuries in Dalton prompt debate over helmets in Mass. (WAMC)

NEWS FROM THE HUDSON VALLEY

Newcomer Joseph Ferris Defeats Incumbent Mayor in Hudson Democratic Primary

(WAMC) HUDSON, N.Y. - Joseph Ferris, a political newcomer, defeated Hudson Mayor Kamal Johnson in Tuesday’s Democratic primary. The 40-year-old is the son of former Brooklyn Assemblymember Joseph Ferris. He has worked in nonprofits and public affairs, and lived in Hudson since 2022. During the campaign, Ferris focused on sowing distrust in Johnson’s administration with claims of incompetence and a lack of communication. If Ferris wins in November, he says his first priority would be to create a commission aimed at updating the city’s charter. He also wants to improve communication between the city and its residents.

READ MORE:
Hudson police sound alarm as overdose deaths spike in Columbia County (ATU)

Developer seeks state funding to clean up Bliss Towers contamination in Hudson (HV360)

Local law enforcement, Saratoga Performing Arts Center join to stop underage drinking, fake ID use (WAMC)

Catskill residents consider how to spend $10 million DRI award (WAMC)

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