The Mess in Midtown
If there's any way you can avoid Midtown today, do so. Thanks to roughly 120 heads of state in New York for the opening of the UN General Assembly, this will likely go down as the absolutely worst day of the year as far as gridlock and temperamental cab drivers are concerned. (If it makes you feel any better, President Obama extended his apologies to NYC residents for all the traffic tie-ups on the Late Show with David Letterman last night.)
The president won't have much time for fun (or any good meals) while he's here. President Obama kicked off his incredibly busy schedule today with a speech at UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon's climate change conference. Right now he's holding meetings beteen Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Then he heads off to a lunch with various African presidents and prime ministers, which will be followed by a summit meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao. He'll then address President Clinton's Global Initiative conference later in the afternoon before returning to the UN for Secretary General Ban's Climate Change dinner. (And you were thinking you had an annoyingly hectic day ahead.)
As for Libyan leader Moammar Khadafy, who has been having a bit of trouble finding a place while he's in town, he hasn't been spotted on American soil yet. Although thanks to the small army of gun-toting ladies who surround him at all times, you're unlikely to miss him when he does.
Obama's Busy Day Ahead [NYT]
Libyan leader's 'gun girls' [NYDN]