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NYPD Arrests Suspected Would-Be Terrorist (Updatedx2)
Nov 20th - 7:25 pm
Update: New York City officials this evening announced that a 27-year-old man from the Washington Heights section of Manhattan was arrested Saturday on terrorism charges.
Officials say Jose Pimentel, an American citizen, was repeatedly described by officials as a “lone wolf,” was taken into custody and is believed to have planned to target returning service members, post offices and a police station in New Jersey.
Law enforcement recovered at least one partially constructed pipe bomb from his apartment, but believe had the capacity to built three.
“The suspect was a so-called lone wolf, motivated by his own resentment of the presence of American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as inspired by Al Qaeda propaganda,” Bloomberg said.
“He was not part of a larger conspiracy emanating from abroad. He represents exactly the kind of threat FBI Director Robert Mueller and his experts have warned about, as American military and intelligence agencies have eroded Al Qaeda’s ability to launch large-scale attacks.”
To demonstrate the bomb’s strength, police reconstructed one of the partially completed devices found in Pimentel’s apartment and detonated it within a car.
A videotape of the bomb destroying the car was shown at the news conference.
Pimentel had been under police surveillance since at least 2009 and lived in Schenectady for five years before moving to upper Manhattan.
“This is a city that people who want to take away from freedoms gravitate to,” Bloomberg said at a news conference at City Hall that included Kelly and DA Cyrus Vance.
Pimentel was described by Kelly as a follower of the late Anwar al-Awlaki, a high-ranking Al Qaeda figure who was killed by U.S. forces on Sept. 30.
Kelly said it was the death of al-Awlaki that “set off” Pimentel.
Authorities are also crediting the NYPD intelligence unit, which came under scrutiny after an Associated Press series highlighted the broad powers of the unit this summer, for the arrest.
Bloomberg added that he had contacted Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office this afternoon to discuss the arrest.
UPDATE: Cuomo sent the following statement shortly after 9 p.m., after the press conference (which he did not attend) was over. Note the timing difference here: Cuomo references an arrest that occurred today, while Bloomberg said it took place Saturday.
“The arrest tonight of an individual suspected of planning to commit a terrorist act in New York demonstrates once again the effectiveness and bravery of our men and women in law enforcement,” Cuomo said.
“As families across our state gather this holiday season, we will continue to remain in close contact with our federal and local law enforcement partners to ensure the safety of all New Yorkers.”
Also worth noting: A number of outlets are reporting the FBI took a pass on this case several times, according to sources familiar with the situation, but the bureau is declining comment.
Kelly said federal prosecutors and the FBI were “kept informed” of the case and the NYPD decided to act arrested once the suspect allegedly started to build a bomb.
Cox Wraps Liu, Calls For Independent Investigation
Oct 13th - 3:47 pm
State Republican Party chief Ed Cox fired off a statement this afternoon blasting New York City Comptroller John Liu after a New York Times piece found multilpe discrepancies in his campaign filings that include apparently fake names or people listed as donors who said they never cut him a check.
And Cox dredges up last year’s mini-scandal of Liu’s illegal campaign flyers. Liu has expressed surprise at the revelation and pledged to investigate the matter.
But Cox says that itsn’t good enough.
John Liu is already notorious for financial misdealing. Last year, he stiffed the City on over half a million dollars in fines his campaign incurred for posting thousands of illegal campaign flyers.
Whether it’s phantom donors or illegal campaign postings, John Liu has demonstrated a manifest disregard for New York election laws. While Mr. Liu promises an internal review, we can’t leave a “weasel” to guard the hen house.
It’s time for an independent investigation into Liu’s dealings. We call upon the New York City Campaign Finance Board to do so immediately.
NY1/Marist Poll: Quinn Narrowly Leads NYC Mayoral Field
Jul 28th - 7:00 pm
A new NY1/Marist Poll shows that the race for New York City mayor is wide open, now that Rep. Anthony Weiner is out of the race.
Back in April, our poll had Congressman Weiner as the front-runner, with 18 percent. With him now out of the race following his sexting scandal, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn leads the crowded Democratic field. Here is how it breaks down:
- Christine Quinn – 16%
- Bill Thompson – 15%
- Marty Markowitz – 14%
- John Liu – 9%
- Bill De Blasio – 7%
- Scott Stringer – 6%
- Undecided – 32%
The poll also asks voters if they think former Rep. Weiner, or former Governor Eliot Spitzer should run for mayor. The two didn’t fair well. Weiner only got 26% of support, and Spitzer got 33% support for a mayoral run.
And we also asked if Police Commissioner Ray Kelly should run. The electorate was divided on him. 42% said yes, they want him to run. And 42% said they didn’t want him to run, with 16% undecided.
Yesterday, a Quinnipiac University poll asked all voters who they would prefer to be Mayor. Police Commissioner Ray Kelly topped the field with 23% – though winning a general election against whatever Democrat comes out of the primary might be tough, assuming Dems unite around the winner.
EMBARGOED_Complete July 28, 2011 NYC NY1-Marist Poll Release and Tables
Waiver Panel Gives OK To Walcott
Apr 13th - 5:33 pm
If there was any indication that New York City Schools Chancellor-in-waiting Dennis Walcott would face an easier process than his predecessor, it was this afternoon’s statement from the state Education Department’s screening panel lauding Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s pick.
The panel recommended that Walcott be granted a waiver to the lead the nation’s largest school system.
“Upon careful review of Mr. Walcott’s credentials, the Panel voted unanimously to recommend to Commissioner
Steiner that he grant a waiver it was clear to the entire Panel that Mr. Walcott is, in fact, exceptionally qualified for the position,” said the panel’s chairwoman, Marilyn Terranova.
Final approval for a waiver rests with Department of Education Commissioner David Steiner. Steiner, who announced that he’s leaving the job at the end of the school year, was criticized for granting a waiver to Cathie Black, who left the post last week after three months on the job.
Walcott, unlike Black, worked as a teacher and has been involved in a professional and personal capacity with the city’s schools.
Quinn Calls For Hearings On City Storm Response
Dec 28th - 12:53 pm
NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn is promising to hold oversight hearings on Jan. 10 to look into the city’s response to the Blizzard of 2010.
Quinn had some positive things to say about the way New Yorkers banded together during the storm and praised the work of the Sanitation Department, while admitting there were some significant failures in the overall response.
Here’s her statement in full:
“Yesterday, Members of the Council encountered the true spirit of New York in every corner of the five boroughs as neighbors helped one another overcome the difficulties brought on by the elements.
“Council Members also encountered justified anger throughout their districts as New Yorkers were stranded on trains and buses, forced to suffer with a backlog in response to emergencies. New York’s Strongest, the men and women of the Sanitation Department, do an amazing job day in and day out and we are grateful for their service. That said, by all accounts, the collective storm response was not anywhere near up to the standards New Yorkers are accustomed to.
“This is unacceptable.
“New Yorkers have serious questions about the City’s snow emergency policy and response. We in the Council will seek forward looking answers on behalf of our constituents. Therefore, the Council will convene oversight hearings on January 10th at 1pm to examine questions surrounding the City’s response to yesterday’s blizzard.
“This hearing acknowledges the reality that many New Yorkers are experiencing, that something went wrong. We will conduct a constructive fact finding effort with the goal of preventingit from happening again. As we convene this hearing we must be mindful that the events of the last two days are a stark reminder of the need to protect core public services from potentially life-threatening budget reductions.”
NYC Under Snowy Siege
Dec 27th - 4:45 pm
This account of how the city is coping with the copious amount of snow comes courtesy of NY1′s Josh Robin:
Ever since John Lindsay got caught on the wrong side of the snowplow in 1969, New York City mayors prize little more than cleaning up the white stuff ASAP.
No different for Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who is already nursing a bad cold and doesn’t need the headache of 8.4 million gripes. Crews are out in force, deficit be damned, but Hizzoner also got lucky; the sixth worst snowstorm in modern city history fell amid Christmas vacation.
The storm paralyzed much of the five boroughs. Giant snow drifts abound and even Broadway is a slick mess. It’s much worse in the so-called outer boroughs. The only totally clear spot this reporter has seen is City Hall (seen here).
More than 100 ambulances got stuck and the FDNY is “holding” more than a thousand calls. Response times are up, though the department insists no more than on summer scorchers.
The subways and commuter rails are especially socked. The MTA took the extraordinary step yesterday of shutting the entire Long Island Rail Road, the largest commuter rail network in the nation. Ditto for Metro-North, which runs north of the city. And then there was the Numbers 7 and A…for several hours each, both had trains stuck mid-track, stranding straphangers for hours.
“I think you had some isolated instances around the system where trains are stuck,” insisted MTA chief Jay Walder, an appointee of Gov. David Paterson.
“In just about every case we were able to get trains to stations, allow people to discharge from a station so they were in a location where they could – you know – get where they want to go or at least be warm and be safe in what they were doing. This was an enormous storm.”
As for the roads, Bloomberg’s sanitation commissioner says it’ll all be cleared by tomorrow. The warming weather will also help. Otherwise, be prepared for a snow shovel brigade to descend on City Hall. The walkway is clear.
Cuomo’s Co-Chairs: Thompson, Velazquez, Barrett
Sep 19th - 3:26 pm
Democratic gubernatorial frontrunner Andrew Cuomo held a “big tent” event this afternoon in City Hall Park in Lower Manhattan at which he announced the a bipartisan trio of campaign co-chairs that touches on four key constituencies he’s trying to woo: Women, Latinos, African Americans and Republicans.
The group – Rep. Nydia Velazquez, former NYC Comptroller Bill Thompson and former state GOP Chairman Pat Barrett – also bridges the upstate-downstate divide. In fact, the only big voting blocs NOT represented here, as far as I can tell are suburbanites and the LGBT community (not that Cuomo doesn’t have support there, too).
NYC Councilman Thomas White, Jr. Dies
Aug 27th - 2:13 pm
This report comes courtesy “Inside City Hall” associate producer Tim Farrell:
New York City Council member Thomas White, Jr. died today after a battle with cancer at the age of 71.
This was White’s second stint on the Council. He served on the Council for 10 years until he was forced to give up his seat after being term limited in 2001 and won back his old seat in 2005, after defeating then-councilman Allan Jennings, who was embroiled in a harassment scandal.
White was chairman of the the Council’s Economic Development Committee and was involved with substance abuse programs in his community.
“Tom’s legacy will live on in the results of his work, and my thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones,” Mayor Bloomberg said in a statement.
City Council Speaker Christine Quinn also released a statement.
“Though Tom has left us, he remains present in the lives he touched and the impact he made on the face of our city. The thousands of New Yorkers he helped shepherd away from the jaws of addiction; the small business owner given a chance to build her own American dream here in the five boroughs; the working family that can now afford to stay in the home they built; the child who will grow up with cleaner air and safer streets.
White is the first Councilman to die in office since James Davis was shot to death in 2003.
De Blasio: I’d Be A 7-Day-A-Week Mayor
May 11th - 12:26 pm
Public Advocate Bill de Blasio today took a bit of a swipe of Mayor Bloomberg for being AWOL when the Staten Island ferry crashed last Saturday, saying he would opt for a seven-day-a-week schedule if he were in charge.
NY1′s Bobby Cuza caught de Blasio at this morning’s ABNY breakfast. The public advocate was asked during the post-event Q&A what he thought of the fact that Bloomberg had monitored the crash and its fallout from an undisclosed location (that was not, according to the Times’ Michael Barbaro, Bermuda).
“The history of mayors in the city is of being very hands-on and being at the site of each incident,” de Blasio replied. “And I think it’s important for the public to see that. I think the public values seeing their chief executive at the scene of any particularly difficult moment.”
“I think we understand the mayor has a lifestyle, and it doesn’t mean he isn’t a good mayor on many levels. I wouldn’t do it. It wouldn’t be my lifestyle. It wouldn’t be my choice. I think it’s better for the mayor to be here seven days a week. But I still think he’s been a very effective mayor on many levels.”
Protesting Levy (Updatedx2)
May 4th - 9:51 am
Latino and African-American NYC Council members are planing to protest Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy when the gubernatorial hopeful shows up at The Woolworth Tower Kitchen in Manhattan Thursday morning for an “On/Off the Record” breakfast hosted by City Hall newspaper.
I spotted word of the gathering on Facebook under the headline: “New York ≠ Arizona: Protest Steve Levy!”
“We cannot tolerate racial profiling or hatred in our government,” the organizers wrote.Countless times, Steve Levy has offended the Hispanic community with his racially charged comments and anti-immigrant policies.”
“We must show him that New York is not the same as Arizona, and although we respect free speech, we cannot condone prejudiced or provocative behavior.”
UPDATE: Several readers have forwarded me an e-mail sent out by City Hall late this morning that abruptly announced the postponment of the Levy breakfast. No reason was given, nor was a new date for the event provided.
UPDATE2: A City Hall source says the decision to postpone the Levy breakfast was made yesterday and was not connected to the planned protests. The event has indeed been rescheduled for June 17, which will be after the state GOP convention at which Levy may or may not get onto the ballot.
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