NOVEMBER SNOWSTORM CAUSES NIGHTMARE COMMUTE FOR MANY, BUT SUPERSTAR EDUCATORS GO ABOVE AND BEYOND TO TAKE CARE OF STUDENTS ALL NIGHT

By CANDY STALLWORTH

On Thursday, November 15, winter storm Avery pummeled the New York/New Jersey area, dropping up to eight inches in some places. With a start just before the rush hour and the worst of the snow falling rapidly just as people were leaving work, the drive home turned into a nightmare for many commuters. Highways and back roads were covered in snow, and vehicles found themselves sliding, spinning, or getting stuck in the snow. Pulled-over cars became a commonplace sight, as was people abandoning their vehicles and attempting to make their way on foot. Good Samaritans pitched in and helped out total strangers, pushing out stuck cars and shoveling, sharing supplies, and doing whatever it took to help themselves and those around them attempt to find their way home.

While ordinary citizens were rising to the occasion, nowhere to be found were the sanders, salters, and plows that typically make their way around throughout the duration of a snowstorm. And, as time went on, the traffic nightmare worsened. With clogged-up roads, snowplows and salters that were readied too late could not even get out onto the roads. Roads became virtual parking lots, and many commuters’ ride home became exponentially longer. Rides that typically take a few minutes became two-and three-hour treks. And those with slightly longer commutes found themselves trapped in their vehicles and not moving for upwards of five hours, some around 9-10 hours. Additionally, the Port Authority Bus Terminal closed at around 5:15 p.m., leaving hundreds of commuters with nowhere to go and in a crowded, frustrated mess.

While this situation was disastrous all around, in some places in northern New Jersey,  school children also found themselves unable to get home. In West Orange, transportation was extremely difficult. Route 280 (which bisects the township) and many of the township’s normally busy major roads, including Pleasant Valley Way, Eagle Rock Avenue, and Northfield Avenue quickly became jam-packed and riddled with accidents; as a result, school buses attempting to bring children home were unable to move at all. With time passing and hundreds of children stranded and away from home, some extraordinary things happened:

The West Orange Police Department, alerted to the fact that buses of children were stuck on buses going absolutely nowhere, asked the managers of the Chit Chat Diner on Eagle Rock Avenue to house the children until the roads cleared. Without a thought of whether or not it would be good for business, they allowed many busloads of children to come into the diner, eat dinner, and stay for as many hours as needed until the buses could take them back to the schools to be picked up, or, to stay overnight there. Manager Leo Novakidis stated, “We were glad to help…That’s what you do in a situation like that. The community comes together. These were cold, hungry kids going stir crazy on a bus. Who wouldn’t want to help?”

And that leads to the next extraordinary story of selflessness and caring in the debacle of Thursday’ s snowstorm. With so many West Orange children unable to get home (some, having spent five hours on a school bus in stopped traffic), several schools opened their doors for the students to stay overnight. Eight schools housed some children, with Liberty Middle School housing approximately 300 children. In each of these buildings, some teachers, staff members, and administrators committed to spending all night at their work place, making sure their students were safe.

At Liberty, approximately 20 teachers, along with Principal Bob Klemt, took care of the children, including becoming cafeteria chefs to feeding them dinner and breakfast, showing movies in the auditorium, playing games with them in the gym, and setting up gym mats so children could sleep. Social media posts showed teachers keeping everyone’s spirits up, making the atmosphere more like a giant sleepover than a trapped-in situation. Principal Klempt posted regular Twitter updates to keep everyone informed. One Twitter post from @Liberty_WO at about 8:30 pm stated, “UPDATE…What a nor’easter…….students at Liberty are fine, transitioned back to the auditorium for the movie “Frozen”, timely movie choice, staff serving water….some students looking to grab some zzzzzzzzzz….@woschools. Another from early morning showed smiling teachers (who must have been beyond exhausted by this point, but smiling anyway) and students in the cafeteria and said, “5:30 am UPDATE…Rise & Shine…Liberty Staff serving up FRENCH TOAST this morning…@woschools.” Parents picked up their children whenever they could (many of them having endured horrendous, multi-hour commutes home), and police dropped off some at their homes the next morning.

And that is what being an educator is all about. “A+”’s all around for these amazing teachers, administrators, and other school personnel who went above and beyond to make sure their students were safe and secure.

Candy Stallworth, an Empire State News staff writer, whipped her way through a doctoral education at the finest of American higher ed institutions, noting how unoriginal, inept, and annoying many of the schools’ professors were in their robotic attempts to maintain a politically correct narrative. BTW: she hates words like “narrative”, “optics”, and “gaffe.” Other than that, her turn-offs include non-masculine men, women who hate men, men who hate men, phonies, disloyal people, and overflowing garbage cans. She likes New England clam chowder better than Manhattan clam chowder, but prefers Manhattan to New England.

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NY GOVERNOR CANDIDATES DEBATE; UPSTATE GOP LEADERS CALLING FOR ANOTHER ROUND

By DANIEL SONNINSHINE

On Tuesday evening, October 24, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and his challenger, Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro squared off in a televised debate. While it was the only debate scheduled between the two-term Democrat governor and his Republican challenger, several Republican party leaders are calling for at least one more debate. In particular, GOP leaders from upstate are calling for a debate on issues that are of interest to those voters in areas such as the Finger Lakes region and Ontario County.

Tuesday’s debate featured both candidates on the attack, with many instances of interrupting one another and/or talking over each other. Cuomo’s main tactic seemed to be to tie Molinaro to President Trump, at one point calling him a “Mini-Me of Donald Trump.” Catering to his far-left base, Cuomo remarked, “The extreme conservative wing that Mr. Molinaro and Mr. Trump represent exclude everything. They’re anti-women. They’re anti-LGBTQ,” Another over-the-top statement that Cuomo made, which was clearly designed to appeal to Brooklyn and Manhattan liberals: “This extreme conservative divisive cancer that you have brought to this state with Washington — you put children in cages in Washington and you shackle women to gurneys in New York.”

Molinaro’s strategy was to link Cuomo to corruption, referring to the recent case of Cuomo’s aide, Joseph Percoco, who was convicted of conspiracy and soliciting bribes. He put Cuomo on the spot by saying, “Governor, you have led the most corrupted state government in America. At what point, after eight years of being in office, do you take responsibility?” Molinaro also blamed Cuomo for the current state of New York’s economy, particularly upstate. He noted that the U.S. has “the most competitive economy in the world, and New York State lags behind.”

Following this debate, upstate Republican leaders expressed dissatisfaction, not only with Cuomo’s apparent reluctance to participate in a debate at all (this debate was only recently scheduled), but also with his lack of focus on issues of interest to those outside of cities. Ontario County Republican and Finger Lakes Regional Chairwoman Trisha Turner stated, “We deserve to hear from Cuomo and Molinaro in a meaningful debate about their solutions to solve the many issues facing upstate New Yorkers. Failure to do so sends a loud and clear message to millions of upstate taxpayers that we don’t matter.” And Monroe County Republican and First Vice State Chairman Bill Reilich noted, “Often times it appears Governor Cuomo forgets we exist in upstate New York.”

With just over a week until Election Day, it seems unlikely that another debate will be scheduled and televised. But hopefully one will occur. And like the GOP leaders, let’s hope for a debate that has less time spent on anti-Trump rhetoric and more time on meaningful dialogue and discussion of how the candidates can improve the economy and life in general in the Empire State.

Daniel Sonninshine is an Empire State News staff writer, who is in search of greatness. A 20-something smart fellow, he is now lifting weights in an effort to obtain more power. If that doesn’t work, he will ask to write more editorials for Empire State News and less fact articles.

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CUOMO TROUNCES NIXON IN NY GOV PRIMARY; JAMES EMERGES AS WINNER FOR AG

By DANIEL SONNINSHINE

Thursday, September 13 was one of New York State’s primary election days. While Congressional primaries were held on June 26, state primary races are held on a separate day.  New York is the only state in the country where federal primaries are scheduled on a separate day from state primaries, thus wasting resources and taxpayers’ dollars, but that is a matter for a separate discussion. The September 13 races featured Democratic primaries for governor, attorney general, and state senate seats.

Two-term governor incumbent Andrew Cuomo easily defeated challenger Cynthia Nixon with  65.5% of the vote. Nixon, who is known mostly for her role as Miranda on Sex and the City, and most recently for jumping into the race with “progressive” (aka socialist) views, garnered 34.4%. Nixon’s platform included advocating for universal healthcare, reforming the city’s subway system, advancing LGBTQ rights, legalizing marijuana, and improving public schools and was trying to jump on the bandwagon of socialist Congressional candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.  However, Cuomo maintained a $30 million war chest and a 20+ point-lead in the polls throughout the primary season and faced no real threat from Nixon. He will face Republican Mark Molinaro in November.

The state attorney general race featured an interesting cast of characters: The current acting AG, Barbara Underwood (who took over when Eric Schneiderman resigned amidst allegations of physical violence by four women accusers) did not seek election, which opened the door for several Democrat candidates: Letitia “Tish” James, who is New York City’s public advocate, Sean Patrick Maloney, who is also a current Congressman running for re-election in that race, Zephyr Teachout, an attorney and law professor who has run unsuccessfully for governor and Congress in the past, and Leecia Eve, who has served as an aide for Cuomo, former Vice President Joe Biden, and Hillary Clinton. Liberals were excited about the diversity of the field: James and Eve are African-American women, Teachout is also a woman, and Maloney is gay.

James emerged as the victor, with 40.6% of the vote. Teachout gained 31.0% of the vote, Maloney won 25.0%, and Eve received 3.4%.

James seemed to be the favorite all along, with an endorsement from Cuomo and excitement bubbling over the possibility of the first African-American woman elected to statewide office. Why didn’t this excitement extend to Eve? She was likely considered too “establishment,” given her work with Cuomo, Clinton, and Biden. Perhaps voters were wary of Maloney’s quest for both re-election to Congress and the AG seat, and this will likely hurt his bid for Congress in November.

All eyes will continue to be on the AG election. Whoever wins can dive right into the headlines by taking over attention-grabbling lawsuits that have already been filed by this office against the Trump organization, former Trump attorney Michael Cohen, and the Trump administration itself. The Republican candidate is attorney and political newcomer Keith Woffard.

So NY’s second round of primaries yielded no real surprises. Liberals voted for liberals—nothing new there. On to the midterm elections…

Daniel Sonninshine is an Empire State News staff writer, who is in search of greatness. A 20-something smart fellow, he is now lifting weights in an effort to obtain more power. If that doesn’t work, he will ask to write more editorials for Empire State News and less fact articles.

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PUSH FOR DIWALI AS OFFICIAL HOLIDAY IN NYC PUBLIC SCHOOLS

By THE OLD BAG

There may be a new holiday in the New York City public schools.

It’s called Diwali.

What is Diwali, you ask?

It’s not a Christian holiday.

Nor is it a Jewish holiday.

And nope – it’s not Muslim either.

Atheist, you ask?

Wrong!

Pick one of the following: Buddhist, Hindi, Jainism (whatever that is), Jedi Knights (huh?), or Mithraism (???).

 Confucius say it’s a holiday from the Hindu religion.

According to a press release issued:

“Hindus are urging New York City (NYC) Council to support the idea of Diwali as permanent official holiday in the city schools as its Committee on Education is meeting on November 22 to discuss this issue…Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement today, said that it was not fair with Hindu pupils and their families as they had to attend school on Diwali, the most popular Hindu festival…NYC Department of Education school calendar 2016-2017 included the holiday closures on Rosh Hashanah (two days), Yom Kippur, Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr. Good Friday (which falls during the Spring recess of April 10-18 when the schools are closed) is also paid holiday for employees (except for ‘prevailing wage rate employees’).”

The press release also provided:

“Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, indicated that this unfairness did not send a good signal to the impressionable minds of schoolchildren who would be the leaders of tomorrow. Holidays of all major religions should be honored and no one should be penalized for practicing their religion. Moreover, it was important to meet the religious and spiritual needs of these students, Zed added…Zed stressed that since it was significant for Hindu families to celebrate Diwali day together at home with their children, we did not want our children to be deprived of any privileges at the school because of thus resulting absences on this day. Closing schools on Diwali would ensure that and it would be a step in the positive direction…Zed noted that awareness about other religions thus created by such holidays like Diwali would make the NYC pupils well-nurtured, well-balanced, and enlightened citizens of tomorrow….Zed further says that Hinduism is rich in festivals and religious festivals are very dear and sacred to Hindus. Diwali, the festival of lights, aims at dispelling the darkness and lighting up the lives and symbolizes the victory of good over evil. Besides Hindus, Sikhs and Jains and some Buddhists also celebrate Diwali, which falls on October 19 in 2017. Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about one billion adherents and moksh (liberation) is its ultimate goal. There are about three million Hindus in USA.”

Why not add Diwali as an official holiday for the NYC public schools? Two reasons: most kids will want another day off, so give it to them; and another day away from their teachers and the liberal crap that most of them are force-feeding upon them can make for a better America.

The Old Bag is…old…and cranky…but one smart lady.

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BILL DE BLASIO IS USING PUBLIC EMPLOYEE PENSIONS IN A POLITICAL STUNT

By PRINTUS LEBLANC

There is just something nutty about New York. First Governor Cuomo announces he is going to sue the federal government to stop the recent tax cut legislation into law. Now the Mayor of New York City Bill De Blasio is going to divest the public employee pension funds from one of the most stable, growing, and in-demand industries in the world. A little research shows this is nothing more than a political stunt, but a political stunt that could cost billions.

This week De Blasio announced his intention to divest city assets from the fossil fuel industry. It means he intends to sell all fossil fuel interests in the five pension funds controlled by the city, stocks bonds everything. Comptroller Scott Stringer plans on investing the funds into projects and assets linked to the sustainability of the planet, i.e., Solyndra like investments.

The economic impact of the fossil fuel industry cannot be ignored. The industry contributes $1.3 trillion to the U.S. economy. That would make it the 12th largest economy in the world, larger than Russia and slightly smaller than South Korean economies. With the election of President Donald Trump, the impact can only grow as the President has announced his intentions to release American energy dominance. Why would any person that cares about the financial future of their employees not want to take part in that?

More importantly, the announcement shows De Blasio believes it is acceptable to use the pensions of police officers and teachers for a political stunt, or he has no idea how the economy of the city he lives in works. So far he is talking about divesting $5 billion out of the $191 billion managed by the city. This proves it is nothing but a publicity stunt.

Goldman Sachs, probably the most famous investment bank in the world, has an entire division dedicated to natural resources, which includes fossil fuels. The largest bank in the U.S., JP Morgan Chase, also has a substantial presence in the fossil fuel industry. It would be almost impossible to find any bank in the world that is not in the fossil fuel sector.

What about the insurance business? Major insurers like AIG are also in the fossil fuel industry. They ensure everything from the fuel to the pipelines to the people working on oil platforms.

What about the pharmaceutical industry? Petroleum is used widely in the healthcare industry, primarily as a transport fuel and feedstock for pharmaceuticals, plastics, and medical supplies, and there are few substitutes available.

Is the Mayor going to get rid of all bank stocks and CDs held by the pensions? Is he going to divest from the insurance companies? Is the Mayor going to sell all shares in Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer? Is he going to shut down the plants that supply millions of New York citizens natural gas for heat or electricity?

The answer is a resounding no, and that’s how you know this is nothing more than a publicity stunt to get national attention for his future presidential run. The only real problem is, why is the Mayor allowed to use the other people’s pensions as a political prop for a stunt? Former President Barack Obama’s Department of Labor is the answer.

The Employee Benefits Security Administration, in the Department of Labor, issued a controversial rule on October 26, 2015. The rule states:

“The Department has been asked periodically over the last 30 years to consider the application of ERISA’s fiduciary rules to pension plan investments selected because of the collateral economic or social benefits they may further in addition to their investment returns. Various terms have been used to describe this and related investment behaviors, such as socially responsible investing, sustainable and responsible investing, environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing, impact investing, and economically targeted investing (ETI).”

This means a fiduciary can invest money into a project or asset that has a higher chance of failure or lower rate of return than traditional investments as long as the investment is “socially responsible.”

It should be illegal for the Mayor to use the pensions as a political prop, especially if the new investments are linked to often failed sustainability projects, i.e., SolyndraBeacon PowerRange Fuels, etc. After all, a fiduciary has a legal duty to act in your best interest.

De Blasio did nothing but show his lack of understanding about how an economy works, and his willingness to use other people’s money to further his political career. De Blasio also reminded us the Department of Labor needs to resend this idiotic rule. The U.S. has a pension crisis as it is, it should not be exacerbated by giving political hacks the ability to invest based on “feelings.”

Printus LeBlanc is a contributing editor at Americans for Limited Government. You can read more of Printus LeBlanc’s articles at www.netrightdaily.com. 

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NYPD’S SECRET USE OF CELLPHONE-SWEEPING TECHNOLOGY

By R. J. NICHOLAS

Scores of police departments across the country are quietly using a highly secretive technology developed for the military that can track the whereabouts of suspects by using the signals constantly emitted by their cellphones, including New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago and Las Vegas.

Objections to the suitcase-sized devices known as StingRays or cell site simulators are increasingly growing amidst civil liberties and privacy groups. The StingRays or cell site simulators mimick cell towers and can sweep up cellphone data from an entire neighborhood. The cellphone user doesn’t even have to make a call or send a text message, the Police can still determine the location of a phone without the phone being in use. Some versions of the technology can even intercept texts and calls, or pull information stored on the phones.

Privacy experts say, that part of the problem is the devices can also collect data from anyone within a small radius of the person being tracked. In most cases, law enforcement will go to great lengths to conceal usage by offering plea deals rather than divulging details on the StingRay. Attorney Jerome Greco, of Legal Aid Society said, “We can’t even tell how frequently they’re being used.” Greco recently succeeded in blocking evidence collected with the device in a New York City murder case. “It makes it very difficult”

It has been brought to public attention that at least 72 state and local law enforcement departments in 24 states plus 13 federal agencies use the devices. The departments that use them must take the unusual step of signing nondisclosure agreements overseen by the FBI which makes further details hard to come by.

The Harris Corporation is a defense contractor that makes the devices. They are involved with the agreements that are intended to prevent the release of sensitive law enforcement information to the general public, states an FBI spokeswoman. The agreements, however, don’t prevent an officer from telling prosecutors the technology was used in a case.

The use of this technology was virtually unknown to the public in New York City until last year. The New York Civil Liberties Union forced the disclosure of records showing the NYPD used the devices more than 1,000 times since 2008. The NYPD and other police departments across the country are standing behind the continued use of this current technology saying it helped catch suspects in kidnappings, rapes, robberies, assaults and murders. It has even helped find missing people, if they even had a cell phone on them.

None-the-less, privacy experts and citizens that support the constitution say such deceptive gains come at too high a cost. Jennifer Lynch, an attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation said, “We have a Fourth Amendment to the Constitution.” She is referring to the protection against unreasonable search and seizure. “Our Founding Fathers decided when they wrote the Bill of Rights there had to be limits placed on government.”

Proposals to stop this invasion of privacy have been introduced by lawmakers in several states ranging from warrant requirements to an outright ban on the technology. There are a dozen states that already have laws requiring warrants. Last year, federal law enforcement said that it would be routinely required to get a search warrant before using the technology — a first effort to create a uniform legal standard for federal authorities.

As a result case law is slowly building. A Washington, D.C., appeals court overturned a conviction on a sex assault after judges ruled a violation of the Fourth Amendment because of evidence improperly collected from the simulator without a proper warrant, two months ago.

Last month, in the New York murder case argued by the Legal Aid Society, a judge in Brooklyn ruled that the NYPD must have an eavesdropping warrant signed by a judge to use the device. This is a much higher bar than the “reasonable suspicion” standard that had previously been required.

State Supreme Court Judge Martin Murphy wrote, ”By its very nature, then, the use of a cell site simulator intrudes upon an individual’s reasonable expectation of privacy, acting as an instrument of eavesdropping and requires a separate warrant supported by probable cause.”

Even though there had been a court order to use a StingRay, New York City police officials disagreed with the ruling and disputed that a StingRay was even used in the case. Police officials say they require a higher stander of probable cause when applying for the devices, but who knows what’s really happening.

Many hope the ruling will push the nation’s largest department into meeting the higher standard, and help judges better understand the intricacies of more cutting-edge surveillance, including Greco from the Legal Aid Society. Greco said, “We’re hoping we can use this decision among other decisions being made across the country to show that this logic is right. The fact that most judges don’t understand this growing technology, is what is making cell tapping a major issue. It makes it easier if another judge has sat down, learned about this new surveillance and really thought about it.”

Will American citizens continue to sacrifice their boundaries and privacy out of fear and oppression or will they stand like their forefathers did and say no more?

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ATTORNEYS FOR NYPD POLICE OFFICERS CHARGED WITH RAPE FILE MOTION TO DISMISS

By JUSTICE CAMPBELL

A paid of New York City police officers were charged with raping an 18-year-old girl at the end of October. The attorney for Officer Eddie Martins said, in a 37-page notice of a motion filed recently, that he wanted the charges dismissed. They are accusing the alleged victim of lying about the brutal attack by stating that the tale told by the teen  was “patently false,” and that she “perjured herself and made numerous material consistent statements.” The young woman “gave shockingly contradictory accounts of the incident to (police), the media and under oath,” according to the papers filed in the Brooklyn Supreme Court.

In November, Martins and fellow Officer Richard Hall quit their NYPD jobs. The two ex-cops now face charges of rape and kidnapping nearly two months after the stunning Sept. 15 allegations about an alleged rape inside their police minivan. A spokesman for the Brooklyn district attorney said, “We will review the motion and respond to it in court.”

During the course of the investigation, the court papers also asked for the suppression of physical evidence from Martins’ “person, locked office, desk, locker and body.”

According to the documents, the search warrants were issued based on information from witnesses lacking in credibility — and most egregiously, the accuser. The court papers charged, “The integrity of the grand jury proceeding was impaired by … the prosecution’s presentation of false testimony by their essential witness. The prosecution’s conduct deprived the grand jury from ‘the full truthful story’ and such evidence would have materially influenced the grand jury’s determination.”

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MANHATTAN BIKE ATTACK WAS FUELED BY ISIS

By DEVON ST. CLAIRE

Federal officials say, that the pickup driver accused of fatally mowing down people on a Manhattan bike path on October 31st has been charged in a 22-count indictment that accuses him of murder and providing key support to the terrorist group ISIS.

According to court papers released Tuesday, Sayfullo Saipov, is 29 years old and from New Jersey. Due to a simple decision he made last month he now faces life in prison or the death penalty on eight counts of murder in aid of racketeering and 12 counts of attempted murder in aid of racketeering. These are charges often lodged against organized crime and gang members. The criminal enterprise ISIS is steeped in killings, kidnappings, suicide bombings and other intimidation tactics.

The alleged killer rented a Home Depot truck and wanted to display the ISIS flag in the front and back of it during the attack. According to the U.S. Attorney’s office in Manhattan which has the case, he decided against it because he did not want to draw attention to himself.

The indictment said, in the allegation of providing and attempting to provide material support to ISIS, Saipov knew the foreign group’s members were terrorists but still “provided services and personnel” — namely himself — when he barreled down a mile-long stretch of the West Side Highway path before hitting a school bus van. Saipov was also indicted on one count of violence and destruction of a motor vehicle.

On Tuesday night Saipov’s attorney could not be reached. However, the facts remain that Saipov killed eight people and injured 12 others while driving directly through a bicycle and pedestrian path near Houston and West streets. This murderous rampage forced nearby schools to go on lockdown just as students were leaving for the day. Saipov then allegedly waved around a weapon after ditching the pickup truck. He was then shot by an NYPD officer who later determined that the weapon was a paintball gun and a pellet gun.

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement, “Sayfullo Saipov murdered eight innocent people and injured many more in a calculated act of terrorism in the heart of one of our great cities. People have a right to safety walking down a sidewalk or riding a bike, and we will not change our resolve to confront these threats both at home and abroad.”

Saipov, arrived to the states in 2010 from Uzbekistan and was a legal, permanent resident of the U.S. Prosecutors said they intend to seize all of his assets. Federal officials accused Saipov of “substantial planning and premeditation,” but the information released was largely known as was listed in court papers.

Authorities said, Saipov waived his Miranda rights after his capture and he revealed plans to continue driving on to the Brooklyn Bridge. It was apparently another soft target where he could maximize deaths. He chose to attack on Halloween because it was a day when many people were guaranteed to be on the streets.

Investigators found a stun gun, three knives and a document about 10 feet from his truck, with Arabic text saying “It will endure.” Federal officials said, this statement is commonly used to refer to ISIS, meaning the group will last forever. Prosecutors said, there were also cellphones in the truck that were key in the investigation. The cellphones contained scores of ISIS images and propaganda that inspired him to start planning his attack a year in advance. He choose the truck as his weapon after watching ISIS videos on his cellphone.

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MANHATTAN BIKE ATTACK WAS FUELED BY ISIS

By DEVON ST. CLAIRE

Federal officials say, that the pickup driver accused of fatally mowing down people on a Manhattan bike path on October 31st has been charged in a 22-count indictment that accuses him of murder and providing key support to the terrorist group ISIS.

According to court papers released Tuesday, Sayfullo Saipov, is 29 years old and from New Jersey. Due to a simple decision he made last month he now faces life in prison or the death penalty on eight counts of murder in aid of racketeering and 12 counts of attempted murder in aid of racketeering. These are charges often lodged against organized crime and gang members. The criminal enterprise ISIS is steeped in killings, kidnappings, suicide bombings and other intimidation tactics.

The alleged killer rented a Home Depot truck and wanted to display the ISIS flag in the front and back of it during the attack. According to the U.S. Attorney’s office in Manhattan which has the case, he decided against it because he did not want to draw attention to himself.

The indictment said, in the allegation of providing and attempting to provide material support to ISIS, Saipov knew the foreign group’s members were terrorists but still “provided services and personnel” — namely himself — when he barreled down a mile-long stretch of the West Side Highway path before hitting a school bus van. Saipov was also indicted on one count of violence and destruction of a motor vehicle.

On Tuesday night Saipov’s attorney could not be reached. However, the facts remain that Saipov killed eight people and injured 12 others while driving directly through a bicycle and pedestrian path near Houston and West streets. This murderous rampage forced nearby schools to go on lockdown just as students were leaving for the day. Saipov then allegedly waved around a weapon after ditching the pickup truck. He was then shot by an NYPD officer who later determined that the weapon was a paintball gun and a pellet gun.

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement, “Sayfullo Saipov murdered eight innocent people and injured many more in a calculated act of terrorism in the heart of one of our great cities. People have a right to safety walking down a sidewalk or riding a bike, and we will not change our resolve to confront these threats both at home and abroad.”

Saipov, arrived to the states in 2010 from Uzbekistan and was a legal, permanent resident of the U.S. Prosecutors said they intend to seize all of his assets. Federal officials accused Saipov of “substantial planning and premeditation,” but the information released was largely known as was listed in court papers.

Authorities said, Saipov waived his Miranda rights after his capture and he revealed plans to continue driving on to the Brooklyn Bridge. It was apparently another soft target where he could maximize deaths. He chose to attack on Halloween because it was a day when many people were guaranteed to be on the streets.

Investigators found a stun gun, three knives and a document about 10 feet from his truck, with Arabic text saying “It will endure.” Federal officials said, this statement is commonly used to refer to ISIS, meaning the group will last forever. Prosecutors said, there were also cellphones in the truck that were key in the investigation. The cellphones contained scores of ISIS images and propaganda that inspired him to start planning his attack a year in advance. He choose the truck as his weapon after watching ISIS videos on his cellphone.

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THANKSGIVING WEEKEND SHOOTOUT

By JUSTICE CAMPBELL

Gunfire rang out inside the Galleria at Crystal Run Mall on Sunday afternoon. Two people were injured and the mall evacuated during one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year.

Police say a round was apparently fired into the floor when a man discharged a handgun on the second floor of the mall near the American Eagle store around 3:00 p.m.

A 49-year-old woman from Goshen and her 12-year-old son suffered minor abrasions during the incident states Chief Robert Hertman, of the Wallkill Police Department. They were both treated for their injuries and released from Orange County Regional Medical Center. The two were injured as a result of the round being discharged into the floor, believe’s Hertman. The Town of Woodbury police believe the shooting may have been an accidental discharge of a firearm, but investigators of the case have not confirmed it yet.

No arrests have been made at this time. The shooter has been described by officials as wearing a dark jacket and grey pants. Officials also state he was with a female wearing maroon pants, a dark jacket and pushing a baby stroller.

An incredibly busy time for a shooting to occur as it took place during the Black Friday weekend. This also marks the start of the holiday shopping season. The police swarmed the mall and called a complete evacuation. This caused Sunday’s holiday shopping extravaganza to be cut short and by early evening the parking lot was mostly empty except for response vehicles. That’s one way to thin the crowds at the mall during the holidays.

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