Category Archives: New York

Trump loses bid to delay sentencing in hush-money case

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President-elect to be sentenced on Friday over conviction stemming from money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels

Donald Trump on Monday lost a bid to put off his sentencing on Friday for his criminal conviction stemming from hush money paid to a porn star.

Citing both presidential immunity and the demands of Trump’s impending January 20 inauguration as the 47th US president, his lawyers on Monday morning said judge Juan Merchan’s intention not to penalize Trump was “of no moment”.

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Jocelyne Wildenstein, socialite known for extreme cat-like plastic surgery, dies at 84

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Known as ‘one of the jet set’s most outrageous characters’, Wildenstein died in Paris hotel aged 84

The Swiss socialite and cosmetic surgery aficionado Jocelyne Wildenstein, sometimes known as “Catwoman” due to her extensive plastic surgery, has died, her partner said on Wednesday.

“It is with heavy heart and with great sadness that Mr Lloyd Klein announces the unexpected death of his beloved fiancée and longtime companion, Jocelyne Wildenstein,” the fashion designer said in an English-language statement sent to the Agence France-Presse news agency.

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Man pushed in front of New York City subway train injured but alive, police say

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The incident occurred in the heart of Manhattan and a man has been taken into custody, but charges are yet to be filed

A man waiting for the subway in Manhattan was pushed in front of an oncoming train on Tuesday afternoon, but survived with injuries to his leg and head, according to the New York police department.

The apparent attack comes less than two weeks after a woman died after being set on fire on a stationary train in New York, an act of violence that horrified the city.

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Woman fatally set on fire in New York subway car identified

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It took nine days to identify Debrina Kawam, 61, of Toms River, New Jersey, after she burned to death in Brooklyn

The woman who was set on fire in a subway car in New York on 22 December, horrifying New Yorkers and renewing a debate over city safety, has been identified as 61-year-old Debrina Kawam, of Toms River, New Jersey.

The victim’s identity, released by the New York police department, came nine days after the fatal incident. Investigators had previously said they were using forensics and video surveillance to identify the victim.

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New York governor orders firing of 14 prison workers after fatal attack on inmate

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Kathy Hochul calls for ousting of correction officers and nurse allegedly involved in death of Robert Brooks, 43

The New York governor, Kathy Hochul, has directed 14 workers at a state prison to be fired after they were allegedly involved in an attack that resulted in the death of an incarcerated man.

Robert Brooks, 43, died in a local hospital a day after a 9 December incident at the Marcy correctional facility in central New York.

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Urgent manhunt for UnitedHealthcare CEO shooting suspect enters second day

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Bullet casings with the words ‘deny’, ‘defend’ and ‘depose’ found at scene where Brian Thompson was killed

An urgent manhunt continued on Thursday in New York City as police combed through a vast network of private and public surveillance cameras and pursued leads in search of the person who shot and killed the UnitedHealthcare CEO, Brian Thompson, the previous morning.

Investigators deployed drones and dogs as well as sifting through data related to public-use electric bikes from the company Citi Bike, as the suspect remained at large after what police chiefs said was a targeted killing.

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UnitedHealthcare CEO’s wife calls shooting ‘senseless killing’ as police release images of suspect – as it happened

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A driver who witnessed the incident, described the gun as a “silent” and “black gun.”

In an interview with ABC News, driver Amar Abdelmula said that he heard “the shot” adding: “It was silent gun, black gun.”

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New York police search for person suspected of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO in ‘brazen’ attack

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Police look for suspect who shot and killed Brian Thompson, 50, outside Hilton hotel in midtown Manhattan

The CEO of UnitedHealthcare, one of the US’s largest health insurers, was shot dead on Wednesday in midtown Manhattan, police confirmed in a press conference.

Brian Thompson, 50, was shot outside the Hilton hotel at 1335 Avenue of the Americas just after 6.45am after arriving early for the company’s annual investor conference. A man wearing a mask approached him and fired at him repeatedly, police said.

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Weather tracker: lake-effect snow blankets parts of north-east US

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There was significant snowfall in five states downwind of the Great Lakes, including 4ft in western New York state

As meteorological autumn drew to a close at the end of last week, parts of the north-east of the US saw substantial snowfall thanks to a phenomenon known as “lake-effect snow”.

This occurs when cold air passes over relatively warm lake waters, causing the layer of air near to the surface to absorb heat and moisture. Warmer than the air above it, this layer of air then starts to rise, cooling and condensing into clouds that deposit snow on the windward side of the lakes in extremely localised bands.

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New York City found in contempt over conditions in city jails

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Despite 2015 settlement and consent decree, judge says conditions have worsened over the last decade

A federal judge found New York City in contempt on Wednesday over conditions in its city jails, saying things have only worsened in the nine years since the city settled accusations of abuse and violence.

The judge, Laura Taylor Swain, in Manhattan issued a written ruling finding the city in contempt over 18 separate contempt claims.

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Car found in Georgia pond may contain couple missing since 1980

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Lincoln Continental with one human bone inside could belong to New York couple who disappeared on drive home from Florida

A Georgia police department says it has found a car that could contain the remains of a New York couple who have been missing since 1980.

The car, a Lincoln Continental with one human bone inside, was found in a pond between the Royal Inn Hotel and Interstate 95 on New Jesup Highway, by a nonprofit investigative group from Florida called the Sunshine State Sonar Team, police said.

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Drake claims UMG and Spotify ‘artificially inflated’ Kendrick Lamar’s diss track Not Like Us

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Feud escalates as rapper’s lawyers file two petitions alleging Universal Music Group and streaming giant conspired while also accusing them of defamation

Drake has launched two legal actions against Universal Music Group and Spotify, alleging they conspired to artificially inflate interest in Kendrick Lamar’s diss track about him, Not Like Us, while suppressing his own music, as well as accusing them of defamation.

In a petition filed to the New York supreme court on Monday, attorneys for Drake’s company Frozen Moments LLC accused UMG and the streaming service of having “launched a campaign to manipulate and saturate the streaming services and airwaves”, using various tactics to make Lamar’s song more popular.

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Snow and rain forecast to hit US north-east for Thanksgiving

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Winds and rain could disrupt Macy’s parade and affect holiday travel – but also provide relief to drought conditions

A Thanksgiving Day storm is forecast to bring rain and potentially snow across the eastern half of the US, including to parts of New York.

The storm, which is predicted to bring snow to California’s Sierra Nevada early this week, is set to make its way to the north-east. As it travels further east, it is likely to strengthen after gathering more moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and eventually the Atlantic, according to AccuWeather.

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Father of missing Hawaii woman found dead in Los Angeles, police say

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Body of Ryan Kobayashi, who flew to LA to find daughter, found after police respond to reports of apparent suicide

Ryan Kobayashi, who flew to Los Angeles from Hawaii in search of his missing daughter, has been found dead near the Los Angeles international airport. Ryan Kobayashi had been searching for his 31-year-old daughter, Hannah Kobayashi, who was last seen at the airport on 8 November en route to New York City.

“After tirelessly searching throughout Los Angeles for 13 days, Hannah’s father, Ryan Kobayashi, tragically took his own life,” the family wrote in a statement shared by the Rad Movement, a missing persons non-profit. “This loss has compounded the family’s suffering immeasurably.”

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More rain and snow in US could affect Thanksgiving travel, forecasters warn

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One person found dead in submerged vehicle in California as storm warning issued for Sierra Nevada through Tuesday

Forecasters through the US issued warnings that another round of winter weather could complicate travel leading up to the Thanksgiving holiday, while California and Washington state continue to recover from storm damage and power outages.

In California, where a person was found dead in a vehicle submerged in floodwaters on Saturday, authorities braced for more precipitation while grappling with flooding and small landslides from a previous storm.

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New York City plan to charge $9 fee for driving in Manhattan approved

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US Department of Transportation has greenlit congestion fee for raising funds for mass transit and cutting traffic

The US Department of Transportation has approved New York’s plan to impose a $9 congestion charge for driving in Manhattan starting on 5 January, a move aimed at raising billions for funding better mass transit and cutting traffic jams.

The congestion charge, the first of its kind in the US, was revived last week by the governor, Kathy Hochul, after she had put it on indefinite hold in June.

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Percival Everett wins National Book Award for fiction with retelling of Huckleberry Finn

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Everett’s novel, James, which focuses on Twain's enslaved character Jim, won the $10,000 prize

Percival Everett has won the $10,000 National Book Award for fiction, one of the US’s most prestigious literary prizes, for James, his acclaimed reimagining of Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

The 67-year-old author was also shortlisted for this year’s Booker prize for James, which focuses on Huckleberry Finn’s enslaved character Jim. The Guardian’s Anthony Cummins called the book “gripping, painful, funny, horrifying” in his review.

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Man charged with murder after three stabbed in New York City rampage

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Suspect in custody as investigators work to understand what propelled random attacks in Manhattan

A man has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the fatal stabbings of three people in random attacks across Manhattan, police said on Tuesday.

Ramon Rivera, 51, was taken into custody after he was found with blood on his clothes and the two kitchen knives, authorities said.

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New York priest demoted after Sabrina Carpenter video inquiry reveals $1.9m scandal

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Gigantiello, who let singer film in church, stripped of duties after inquiry shows he sent parish funds to Eric Adams aide

The leader of a New York City church where pop star Sabrina Carpenter filmed provocative scenes for a music video was stripped of his duties on Monday after church officials said an investigation revealed other instances of mismanagement.

Monsignor Jamie Gigantiello was relieved of “any pastoral oversight or governance role” at his church located in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, Bishop Robert Brennan said in a statement issued by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn.

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Democratic leaders across US work to lead resistance against Trump’s agenda

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Democrats from California to Illinois prepare to ‘Trump-proof’ and ‘fight to death’ against his extreme proposals

After the November elections ushered in a new era of unified Republican governance in Washington, Democratic leaders across the country are once again preparing to lead the resistance to Donald Trump’s second-term agenda.

California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, said he would convene a special legislative session next month to “safeguard California values and fundamental rights”.

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