NEW YORK NEWS
The NYPD can no longer hold people for the sole reason of checking if there is a warrant out for their arrest. “Digital stop and frisk,” as the practice has been called, has been banned unless the search is directly related to a crime or if a crime is imminent. Now the officers can only ask questions related to a stop itself. Upon resolution of the stop, the person must be let go. This is a change from the previous practice to hold someone until a warrant check occurred. When denouncing the process, plaintiff’s lawyer Cyrus Joubin said that “This lawsuit has always been about bringing justice to innocent New Yorkers who are baselessly detained in the street so aggressive NYPD officers can run their IDs.” After the settlement was announced, City Councilwoman Joann Ariola said, “This is another decision that empowers criminals & prevents police from doing their jobs. We need to make public safety a priority in this city, but this will virtually guarantee that dangerous criminals will be able to roam at will.”
New York State Climate Action Council announced the approval and adoption of its scoping plan. The vote passed by a 19-3 margin, and it “outlines recommended policies and actions to help meet the goals and requirements of the nation-leading Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act.” This plan is an aggressive action to address climate change, and includes a phase out of all fossil fuel burning furnaces as soon as 2025 for new homes. For existing homes, residents whose fossil fuel-burning heating units give out after 2030 will have to replace them with a zero-emission system. The 433-page plan will be presented to the Governor and the Legislature in the new session in January.
Pet stores in New York State will soon be prohibited from selling dogs, cats, and rabbits, starting in December 2024. The legislation was signed by Governor Kathy Hochul and was devised as part of an effort that is meant to stem the sale of animals from breeding facilities. New York joins other states like California and Illinois that have passed similar bans. “Ending the puppy mill pipeline to New York State signifies the triumph of compassion over the evils inherent in a cruel industry that pursues profits by subjecting innocent animals to barbarous treatment,” said Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal, a Democrat who sponsored the legislation in the lower chamber.
Actor Robert DeNiro’s rental home in Manhattan was robbed when a woman broke in and was looking for items to steal. The woman was caught when she was spotted by police officers entering the residence at around 2:45 a.m. After following her, they noticed that the basement door showed signs of forced entry and discovered her attempting to remove property. DeNiro, who was home at the time, declined to comment on the incident.
A New York City firefighter died after tragically falling 20 feet during a training exercise. William Moon II was a married father of two who was with the FDNY for 21 years. In addition to serving the FDNY, Moon volunteered with the Islip Volunteer Fire Department in his hometown, serving as chief there in 2017. His family decided to donate his organs to save the lives of others. After days of uncertainty following the fall, Mayor Eric Adams and FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanaugh said it became clear he wouldn’t make it. “Firefighter Moon was a dedicated public servant, who spent more than two decades saving the lives of New Yorkers and will continue to do so in his passing,” Adams said in a statement. “Our hearts are broken for Firefighter Moon’s family and friends, and for our entire department,” Kavanaugh said. “Firefighting was in his bones, and he embodied the spirit and passion of our department. He was passionate about organ donation, and just as he saved countless lives working out of the firehouse, he will continue to save lives in his passing.”
US NEWS
The January 6 Committee officially voted to recommend to the Justice Department pursue at least four criminal charges against former President Donald Trump related to his alleged efforts to thwart the transfer of presidential power. This historic move is seen as largely symbolic, as the DOJ is already conducting its own investigation through a special council appointed last month. This is the first time a former president has been the subject of a criminal referral by Congress. The Committee also made referral to the House Ethics committee for four congressmen who refused to comply with subpoenas.
The Federal Reserve raised its benchmark interest rate to the highest level in 15 years, indicating that the fight against inflation is not over yet despite some promising signs lately. Keeping with expectations, the rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee voted to boost the overnight borrowing rate half a percentage point, taking it to a targeted range between 4.25% and 4.5%. The increase broke a string of four straight three-quarter point hikes, the most aggressive policy moves since the early 1980s. “Inflation data received so far for October and November show a welcome reduction in the monthly pace of price increases,” Chairman Jerome Powell said at his post-meeting news conference. “But it will take substantially more evidence to have confidence that inflation is on a sustained downward path.”
The Biden administration is again making some free Covid-19 tests available to all U.S. households as it unveils its contingency plans for potential coronavirus surges this winter. This announcement comes after a three-month hiatus in the program. Covid-19 cases have shown a marked increase after the Thanksgiving holiday, and further increases are projected from indoor gathering and travel around Christmas and New Year’s. “As expected, we’re seeing Covid rising across the country this winter. And while Covid isn’t the disruptive force it once was, we are focused on ensuring that the U.S. is prepared for this winter no matter what the virus throws at us,” said Dr. Ashish Jha, the Biden administration’s pandemic response coordinator.
Wells Fargo & Co. reached a $3.7 billion settlement with federal regulators, including a record $1.7 billion fine, to cover allegations that for years it mistreated millions of customers, causing some to lose their cars or homes. The agreement with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau includes more than $2 billion in “redress to consumers,” the CFPB said in a statement that cited “widespread mismanagement” of auto loans, mortgages and deposit accounts. “Wells Fargo’s rinse-repeat cycle of violating the law has harmed millions of American families,” CFPB Director Rohit Chopra said in the statement. “The CFPB is ordering Wells Fargo to refund billions of dollars to consumers across the country. This is an important initial step for accountability and long-term reform of this repeat offender.”
Elon Musk may be stepping down as the head of Twitter soon. A poll posted by the billionaire posited the question, and he said he would abide by the results. 17.5 million users responded and the Yes’s won with 57.5% of the vote. There was no immediate announcement from Twitter or Musk on who would step in as CEO and when the change would take place, but apparently there is no immediate successor to the position. ““The question is not finding a CEO, the question is finding a CEO who can keep Twitter alive,” Musk wrote.
WORLD NEWS
Russia’s Foreign Ministry warned that if the United States confirms reports that it plans to deliver sophisticated air defense missiles to Ukraine, it would be “another provocative move by the U.S.” that could prompt a response from Moscow. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the U.S. had “effectively become a party” to the war by providing Ukraine with weapons and training its troops. She added that if reports about U.S. intentions to provide Kyiv with Patriot surface-to-air missile system prove true, it would become “another provocative move by the U.S.” and broaden its involvement in the hostilities, “entailing possible consequences.” “Any weapons systems supplied to Ukraine, including the Patriot, along with the personnel servicing them, have been and will remain legitimate priority targets for the Russian armed forces,” Zakharova declared.
Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to seek full diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia once he takes office. The plan would be for Saudi Arabia to become signatories on the Abraham Accords, the peace plan between Israel and several Arab nations including the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. While the Saudis have said in the past that they would not conduct full peace negotiations with Israel until there is a two-state solution with the Palestinians, they also have begun allowing Israel to use its airspace - a significant sign towards peace. Netanyahu claims that once Saudi Arabia has a peace agreement with Israel, the Palestinians will come back to the negotiating table.
Argentina beat France in a FIFA World Cup finale for the ages. The 3-3 match came down to kicks at the end of regulation and extra play. Argentina appeared set to win the game twice before Kylian Mbappe’s 117th minute penalty (and a hattrick goal) tied up the game at three goals apiece. Argentina ended up winning after a dramatic 4-2 penalty shootout. Riots broke out in several French cities after France lost the World Cup final, with thousands of football fans pouring into the streets in Paris, Nice, and Lyon.
Eight Bedouin Israeli men were arrested for suspected involvement in the break-in of an Israeli military base that resulted in the theft of tens of thousands of bullets, according to Israel’s Shin Bet internal security service. In late October, Israeli media reported that 30,000 bullets were stolen from the Sde Teiman military base in southern Israel. According to the security service, four of the suspects cut through the base’s fence and stole dozens of boxes of ammunition from a military bunker. An additional two suspects from the same community were arrested for working to sell the ammunition to other parties. The last two suspects arrested purchased the ammunition from the other suspects. According to the Shin Bet, they admitted this during the investigation and handed over some of the stolen ammunition to the security forces.
Bernard Arnault, the chairman of French luxury goods giant LVMH, has just become the first European to top Bloomberg’s list of the world’s richest people, relegating Elon Musk to second place. Now worth $171 billion, Arnault’s wealth eclipsed the Tesla CEO’s $164 billion fortune on Tuesday, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Arnault had already ousted Musk from the top spot on Forbes’ list of “Real Time Billionaires” last week.
Peru’s new government imposed a police state Wednesday in response to violent protests following the ouster of President Pedro Castillo. The 30-day national emergency declaration suspends the rights of “personal security and freedom” across the Andean nation. Acts of vandalism, violence, and highway blockades “require a forceful and authoritative response from the government,” Defense Minister Luis Otarola Peñaranda announced.
Turkey arrested 44 people on Wednesday for what officials claimed was their involvement with Mossad, the Israeli intelligence service, Turkish media reported. Those arrested appear to be largely Turkish citizens, and the group includes several private detectives, as well as the director of a private detective firm named Ismail Yetimoglu. No Israelis were arrested.
By QJL Staff