President Biden’s campaign issued a statement following former President Donald Trump’s conviction Thursday on 34 counts of falsifying business records in his New York “hush money” case, saying that “there is still only one way to keep Donald Trump out of the Oval Office: at the ballot box.” Ed O’Keefe reports from the White House.
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
NEW YORK (WABC) — The testimony in Donald Trump’s New York hush money trial is all wrapped up after more than four weeks and nearly two dozen witnesses, meaning the case has headed into the pivotal final stretch of closing arguments, jury deliberations, and possibly a verdict.
It’s impossible to say how long all of that will take, but in a landmark trial that’s already featured its fair share of memorable moments, this week could easily be the most important.
Information from Eyewitness News, ABC News and the Associated Press
Thursday, May 30
Jury wants readback on how to consider evidence
Lauren Glassberg reports from outside the courthouse in Lower Manhattan.
“We did receive another note” from the jury this morning, Judge Merchan said.
According to Merchan, the jury wants the readback to begin with a description of how the jury should consider that evidence, and what should be drawn from the testimony.
Second, the jury said they want headphones “for use with the evidence laptop.”
Merchan says the jury will get both headphones and a speaker so they can listen to the evidence.
Day 2 of jury deliberations
The jury in Donald Trump’s hush money trial is to resume deliberations Thursday after asking to rehear potentially crucial testimony about the alleged hush money scheme at the heart of the history-making case.
The 12-person jury deliberated for about 4 1/2 hours on Wednesday without reaching a verdict.
Besides asking to rehear testimony from a tabloid publisher and Trump’s former lawyer and personal fixer, the jury also requested to revisit at least part of the judge’s hourlong instructions that were meant to guide them on the law.
It’s unclear how long the deliberations will last. A guilty verdict would deliver a stunning legal reckoning for the presumptive Republican presidential nominee as he seeks to reclaim the White House while an acquittal would represent a major win for Trump and embolden him on the campaign trail. Since verdicts must be unanimous, it’s also possible the case ends in a mistrial if the jury can’t reach a consensus after days of deliberations.
Josh Einiger reports on the former president’s trial from Lower Manhattan.
Wednesday, May 29
Trump rails about trial after leaving court for the day
Donald Trump continued to complain about the hush money trial as he left court Wednesday after the first day of jury deliberations.
“The judge ought to end it and save his reputation,” Trump told reporters after conferring with his campaign and legal teams.
The former president also railed that “a lot of key witnesses were not called,” even though his side ultimately chose to call only two witnesses to testify.
He said again it’s “very unfair” that he has to be in court instead of out campaigning” and again labeled the case “a Biden witch hunt” and “weaponization.”
Judge says jury notes will be addressed tomorrow
With the just back in the courtroom, Judge Merchan told them the requested readback of testimony would will take at least half an hour, so announced he would dismiss the jury for the day and address both their notes when they return tomorrow.
Before dismissing the jury for the day, the judge emphasized his standard instruction about the jury not looking up information related to the trial.
“You are at a critical point in the proceedings,” Merchan said.
“See you tomorrow morning at 9:30,” the judge said before the jury exited the courtroom.
Jurors want to rehear instructions
Before the parties resolved the first note, the jury sent another note asking “to rehear the judge’s instructions.”
Meanwhile, Trump remained essentially expressionless – almost with a frown on his face as the judge addresses the parties.
The jury is expected to return to the courtroom shortly.
Jury note requests portions of testimony
The parties – including Donald Trump – returned to the courtroom after a bell inside the room went off about 15 minutes ago. Judge Merchan arrived shortly thereafter:
“Good afternoon. We have received a note,” Merchan said.
Jurors have requested four items from the court:
-David Pecker’s testimony about the phone conversation with Donald Trump while at an investor meeting in New Jersey.
-David Pecker’s testimony about the decision about the assignment of McDougal’s life rights
-David Pecker’s testimony about Trump Tower Meeting
-And Michael Cohen testimony about Trump Tower Meeting
“I will be in the robing room, let me know when you are ready for readback,” Merchan says.
Todd Blanche and Joshua Steinglass are now conferring about how to respond. The parties are presumably combing through transcripts to find the relevant portions.
Stuck waiting at the courthouse, Trump rants on social media
Donald Trump’s complaints on social media about the hush money case persisted Wednesday as the jury deliberated.
“IT IS RIDICULOUS, UNCONSTITUTIONAL, AND UNAMERICAN that the highly Conflicted, Radical Left Judge is not requiring a unanimous decision on the fake charges against me brought by Soros backed D.A. Alvin Bragg,” he wrote. “A THIRD WORLD ELECTION INTERFERENCE HOAX!”
Despite his declaration, any verdict in the case has to be unanimous: guilty or not guilty.
If the jurors disagree, they keep deliberating. If they get to a point where they are hopelessly deadlocked, then the judge can declare a mistrial.
If they convict, they must agree that Trump created a false entry in his company’s records or caused someone else to do so, and that he did so with the intent of committing or concealing another crime – in this case, violating a state election law.
What the jurors do not have to agree on, however, is which way that election law was violated.
The jury has been sent to deliberate. What exactly does that mean?
Jury deliberations proceed in secret, in a room reserved specifically for jurors and through an intentionally opaque process.
Jurors can communicate with the court through notes that ask the judge, for instance, for legal guidance or to have particular excerpts of testimony read back to them. But without knowing what jurors are saying to each other, it’s hard to read too much into the meaning of any note.
It’s anyone’s guess how long the jury in Donald Trump’s hush money case will deliberate for and there’s no time limit either. The jury must evaluate 34 counts of falsifying business records and that could take some time. A verdict might not come by the end of the week.
To reach a verdict on any given count, either guilty or not guilty, all 12 jurors must agree with the decision for the judge to accept it.
Things will get trickier if the jury can’t reach a consensus after several days of deliberations. Though defense lawyers might seek an immediate mistrial, Judge Juan M. Merchan is likely to call the jurors in and instruct them to keep trying for a verdict and to be willing to reconsider their positions without abandoning their conscience or judgment just to go along with others.
If, after that instruction, the jury still can’t reach a verdict, the judge would have the option to deem the panel hopelessly deadlocked and declare a mistrial.
Trump: ‘Mother Teresa could not beat these charges’
Former President Donald Trump told reporters after jurors began deliberating in his criminal hush money trial that the charges were rigged and again accused the judge of being conflicted. He further said that “Mother Teresa could not beat these charges.”
“What is happening here is weaponization at a level that nobody’s seen before ever and it shouldn’t be allowed to happen,” Trump said.
Trump repeated accusations that the criminal charges were brought by President Joe Biden’s administration to hit him, as the president’s main election opponent.
Jury begins deliberating in historic case
“That concludes my instructions on the law. Counsel please approach,” Judge Merchan said when he was done instructing the jury.
He held a sidebar with the attorneys, after which the jurors filed out of the courtroom to begin deliberations.
Lauren Glassberg is in Lower Manhattan as jury deliberations get underway.
Judge to jurors: Personal bias must be put aside
The judge in Donald Trump’s criminal trial reminded jurors Wednesday morning of their solemn responsibility to decide Trump’s guilt or innocence, gently and methodically reading through standard jury instructions that have a special resonance in the former president’s high-profile case.
“As a juror, you are asked to make a very important decision about another member of the community,” Judge Juan M. Merchan said, underscoring that – in the eyes of the law – the jurors and Trump are peers.
Merchan also reminded jurors of their vow, during jury selection, “to set aside any personal bias you may have in favor of or against” Trump and decide the case “fairly based on the evidence of the law.”
Echoing standard jury instructions, Merchan noted that even though the defense presented evidence, the burden of proof remains on the prosecutor and that Trump is “not required to prove that he is not guilty.”
“In fact,” noted Merchan, “the defendant is not required to prove or disprove anything.”
Reading of jury instructions underway
The jury in Donald Trump’s hush money trial has entered the courtroom and taken their seats. Ahead of deliberations, Judge Juan M. Merchan has begun instructing the panel on the law that governs the case and what they can consider as they work toward a verdict.
Jurors will not receive copies of the instructions, but they can request to hear them again as many times as they wish, Merchan said.
“It is not my responsibility to judge the evidence here. It is yours,” he told them.
Trump leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes as Merchan told jurors that reading the instructions would take about an hour.
Another famous face at the courthouse
Donald Trump will not be the only big name appearing before a judge in lower Manhattan on Wednesday – fallen movie mogul Harvey Weinstein is expected to appear for a hearing related to the retrial of his landmark #MeToo-era rape case.
The hearing will take place in the same courthouse where Trump is currently on trial and where Weinstein was originally convicted in 2020.
Weinstein’s conviction was overturned in April after the court found that the trial judge unfairly allowed testimony against Weinstein based on allegations that weren’t part of the case. His retrial is slated for sometime after Labor Day.
Weinstein is set to appear for a hearing before a judge in the same courthouse as Donald Trump.
A motion that still hasn’t been decided
The judge in Donald Trump’s hush money trial might have one last piece of business to address on Wednesday before jurors receive instructions and can begin deliberations.
Last Monday, defense lawyers filed a motion asking the judge to dismiss the case, arguing that prosecutors had failed to prove their case and there was no evidence of falsified business records or an intent to defraud.
Prosecutors rebutted that assertion, saying “the trial evidence overwhelmingly supports each element” of the alleged offenses, and the case should proceed to the jury.
Judge Juan M. Merchan did not indicate at the time when he would issue a decision on the request. More than a week later, it remains unclear whether he will address it before the case goes to the jury.
Jury set to begin deliberations
Jurors in Donald Trump’s hush money trial are expected to begin deliberations Wednesday after receiving instructions from the judge on the law and the factors they may consider as they strive to reach a verdict in the first criminal case against a former American president.
The deliberations follow a marathon day of closing arguments in which a Manhattan prosecutor accused Trump of trying to “hoodwink” voters in the 2016 presidential election by participating in a hush money scheme meant to stifle embarrassing stories he feared would torpedo his campaign.
“This case, at its core, is about a conspiracy and a cover-up,” prosecutor Joshua Steinglass told jurors during summations that stretched from early afternoon into the evening.
Trump’s lawyer, by contrast, branded the star prosecution witness as the “greatest liar of all time” as he proclaimed his client innocent of all charges and pressed the panel for an across-the-board acquittal.
The lawyers’ dueling accounts, wildly divergent in their assessments of witness credibility, Trump’s culpability and the strength of evidence, offered both sides one final chance to score points with the jury as it prepares to embark upon the momentous and historically unprecedented task of deciding whether to convict the presumptive Republican presidential nominee ahead of the November election.
Lindsay Tuchman has the latest in Lower Manhattan on the trial.
Tuesday, May 28
Closing arguments conclude; jury deliberations to begin Wednesday
Donald Trump choreographed “a conspiracy and a coverup” in a brazen attempt to “pull the wool” over voters’ eyes ahead the 2016 presidential election, prosecutor Joshua Steinglass said during a lengthy closing argument that stretched into Tuesday evening.
“The name of the game was concealment, and all roads lead inescapably to the man who benefitted most: the defendant, former President Donald J. Trump,” Steinglass said.
With his final pitch to jurors, Steinglass attempted to both rehabilitate the credibility of the government’s key witness, Michael Cohen, and downplay his role in the case, characterizing the onetime fixer as nothing more than a “tour guide” through a “mountain of evidence.”
In the end, Steinglass argued, jurors need not rely on Cohen alone, because “it’s difficult to conceive of a case with more corroboration.”
Judge Juan Merchan will instruct jurors on Wednesday morning. After that, deliberations will begin.
Prosecution dubs ‘Access Hollywood’ tape a ‘Category 5 Hurricane’
Following a brief afternoon break in closing arguments in Donald Trump’s hush money trial, prosecutor Joshua Steinglass turned his attention to the publication of the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape in October 2016 and the resulting fallout for the then-candidate’s campaign.
“When you’re a celebrity, they let you do it. You can get away with anything,” Trump could be heard saying on the tape.
Steinglass reminded jurors how Hope Hicks, then the campaign’s communications director, testified that news coverage of the tape knocked a Category 4 hurricane out of the headlines.
Steinglass dubbed the tape a “Category 5” hurricane.
Trump was ‘looming behind everything they’re doing,’ prosecutor says
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass said on Tuesday during closing arguments that joking texts between Karen McDougal’s lawyer Keith Davidson and then-National Enquirer editor Dylan Howard about hypothetical ambassadorships were clear evidence that they knew the deal would benefit Trump’s presidential campaign.
“Throw in an ambassadorship for me. I’m thinking Isle of Mann,” Davidson wrote on July 28, 2016, referring to the British territory Isle of Man.
“I’m going to Make Australia Great Again,” replied Howard, who hails from Australia.
All joking aside, Steinglass said: “It’s a palpable recognition of what they’re doing. They’re helping Trump get elected.” The prosecutor said the text messages underscore that “Trump is looming behind everything that they’re doing.”
Prosecutor says case is about Trump and not Michael Cohen
After Donald Trump’s lawyer had insisted to jurors that the hush money case rested on Michael Cohen and that they couldn’t trust him, prosecutor Joshua Steinglass sought to persuade the group that there is “a mountain of evidence, of corroborating testimony, that tends to connect the defendant to this crime.”
He pointed to testimony from David Pecker and others, to the recorded conversation in which Trump and Cohen appear to discuss the Karen McDougal deal, and to Trump’s own tweets.
“It’s not about whether you like Michael Cohen. It’s not about whether you want to go into business with Michael Cohen. It’s whether he has useful, reliable information to give you about what went down in this case, and the truth is that he was in the best position to know,” Steinglass said.
The prosecutor then accused the defense of wanting to make the case all about Cohen.
“It isn’t. That’s a deflection,” he said. “This case is not about Michael Cohen. It’s about Donald Trump.”
Trump campaign holds its own news conference
Donald Trump’s campaign staffers held their own news conference outside the courthouse Tuesday morning in the exact same spot where actor Robert De Niro and Jan. 6 officers had just spoken on behalf of Joe Biden’s campaign.
Jason Miller, Trump’s senior campaign advisor, called De Niro “a washed-up actor,” and said the news conference showed that the hush money trial was political.
“After months of saying politics had nothing to do with this trial, they showed up and made a campaign event out of a lower Manhattan trial day for President Trump,” Miller said.
Karoline Leavitt, the campaign press secretary, called the Biden campaign “desperate and failing” and “pathetic” and said their event outside the trial was “a full-blown concession that this trial is a witch hunt that comes from the top.”
Actor Robert de Niro and Jan. 6 first responders speak near Trump’s trial
Biden campaign deploys actor Robert De Niro, Jan. 6 first responders near Trump’s trial
Joe Biden’s campaign sent actor Robert De Niro and two law enforcement officers who defended the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 to an area in lower Manhattan not far from the criminal court where Donald Trump’s hush money trial is happening.
Speaking while the former president was stuck in court, De Niro said Trump wants to “destroy not only the city but the country and eventually he could destroy the world.”
As he spoke, Trump protesters screamed anti-Biden chants.
Actor Robert De Niro exchanged words with Trump supporters outside the court.
Defense says Trump watches his finances carefully
After arguing earlier Tuesday that Donald Trump may not have been fully aware of all his invoices, defense lawyer Todd Blanche stressed to jurors that the former president was a stickler about watching his finances.
Michael Cohen received $420,000 in all from Trump in 2017, a sum that the ex-lawyer and prosecutors in the former president’s hush money case have said included the $130,000 reimbursement related to Stormy Daniels, a $50,000 repayment for an unrelated expense and a $60,000 bonus. On top of that, prosecutors have said, there was extra money to cover taxes that would be due on the $130,000 as income – taxes that wouldn’t apply if it had simply been paid as a business expense reimbursement.
“That is absurd,” Blanche told jurors, pointing to “all the other evidence you heard about how carefully President Trump watches his finances.”
Biden and Trump campaigns hold dueling news conferences outside courthouse
Joe Biden’s campaign announced on Tuesday that it would hold an event with “special guests” as closing arguments in Donald Trump’s hush money trial are underway.
Trump spokesman Jason Miller said the former president’s allies will respond with their own event immediately following Biden’s.
He posted on the social platform X that Biden’s allies “aren’t in PA, MI, WI, NV, AZ or GA – they’re outside the Biden Trial against President Trump,” adding: “It’s always been about politics.”
Blanche takes aim at Cohen’s testimony
Insisting that prosecutors haven’t proven their case, defense lawyer Todd Blanche told jurors during closing arguments Tuesday morning that they “should want and expect more” than key prosecution witness Michael Cohen’s testimony, or that of a Trump Organization employee accounts payable staffer talking about how she processed invoices, or the testimony given by Stormy Daniels’ former lawyer Keith Davidson.
Blanche argued that Davidson “was really just trying to extort money from President Trump” in the lead-up to the 2016 election.
“The consequences of the lack of proof that you all heard over the past five weeks is simple: is a not guilty verdict, period,” Blanche said.
Blanche further laid into Cohen and his testimony, telling jurors he’ll come up repeatedly throughout the defense’s summation.
“You’re going to hear me talk a lot about Michael Cohen, and for good reason. You can not convict President Trump, you can not convict President Trump of any crime beyond a reasonable doubt on the word of Michael Cohen,” Blanche said. Cohen “told you a number of things that were lies, pure and simple,” the lawyer added.
Closing arguments in Trump trial
Closing arguments in Donald Trump’s historic hush money trial began Tuesday morning in a Manhattan courtroom, giving prosecutors and defense attorneys one final opportunity to convince the jury of their respective cases before deliberations begin.
Jurors will undertake the unprecedented task of deciding whether to convict the former U.S. president of felony criminal charges stemming from hush money payments tied to an alleged scheme to buy and bury stories that might wreck Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.
At the heart of the charges are reimbursements paid to Michael Cohen for a $130,000 hush money payment that was given to porn actor Stormy Daniels in exchange for not going public with her claim about a 2006 sexual encounter with Trump.
Prosecutors say the payments to Cohen, Trump’s then-lawyer, were falsely logged as “legal expenses” to hide the true nature of the transactions.
Monday, May 27
Closing arguments expected Tuesday
After 22 witnesses, including a porn actor, tabloid publisher and White House insiders, testimony is over at Donald Trump’s criminal trial in New York.
Prosecutors called 20 witnesses. The defense called just two. Trump decided not to testify on his own behalf.
The trial now shifts to closing arguments, scheduled for Tuesday.
After that, it will be up to 12 jurors to decide whether prosecutors have proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Trump falsified his company’s business records as part of a broader effort to keep stories about marital infidelity from becoming public during his 2016 presidential campaign. He has pleaded not guilty and denies any wrongdoing.
A conviction could come down to how the jurors interpret the testimony and which witnesses they find credible. The jury must be unanimous. The records involved include 11 checks sent to Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, as well as invoices and company ledger entries related to those payments.
One last thing before the jury deliberates
A critical moment will take place, perhaps Wednesday morning, before the jury begins its deliberations.
Judge Juan M. Merchan is expected to spend about an hour instructing the jury on the law governing the case, providing a roadmap for what it can and cannot take into account as it evaluates the Republican former president’s guilt or innocence.
In an indication of just how important those instructions are, prosecutors and defense lawyers had a spirited debate last week outside the jury’s presence as they sought to persuade Merchan about the instructions he should give.
The Trump team, for instance, sought an instruction informing jurors that the types of hush money payments at issue in Trump’s case are not inherently illegal, a request a prosecutor called “totally inappropriate.” Merchan said such an instruction would go too far and is unnecessary.
Trump’s team also asked Merchan to consider the “extraordinarily important” nature of the case when issuing his instructions and to urge jurors to reach “very specific findings.” Prosecutors objected to that as well, and Merchan agreed that it would be wrong to deviate from the standard instructions.
“When you say it’s a very important case, you’re asking me to change the law, and I’m not going to do that,” Merchan said.
Prosecutors, meanwhile, requested an instruction that someone’s status as a candidate doesn’t need to be the sole motivation for making a payment that benefits the campaign. Defense lawyers asked for jurors to be told that if a payment would have been made even if the person wasn’t running, it shouldn’t be treated as a campaign contribution.
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
Sign up for our amNewYork email newsletter to get news, updates, and local insights delivered straight to your inbox!
A Brooklyn man was indicted for allegedly committing several hate crimes in Manhattan.
Skiboky Store, 40, allegedly assaulted, stalked and harassed strangers in a series of anti-female, anti-white, and antisemitic incidents. He was charged with three counts of assault as a hate crime, one count of stalking as a hate crime, and one count of aggravated harassment.
“Skiboky Stora allegedly committed a series of hate-motivated incidents against several individuals based on their perceived gender, race and religion,” said District Attorney Bragg. “Much of what defines our city is respect and acceptance of all people. Nobody should have to fear for their safety because of their identity. I thank our prosecutors for their unwavering commitment in seeking justice for these victims.”
According to court documents, at 8 a.m. on Sept. 20, 2023, a 17-year-old white student walked past Stora near West 17th Street and 8th Avenue in Chelsea. As he walked by, Stora allegedly elbowed the student in the neck, causing pain, and said in substance, “You people think you can do whatever the f— you want.”
Then, at 8:10 a.m. on Oct. 26, 2023 a 37-year-old fair-skinned woman walked past Stora in the same vicinity as before and as she passed, Stora allegedly elbowed the victim’s left shoulder, causing pain and bruising.
Stora allegedly struck again on Nov. 18, 2023 at 9:30 a.m. when a 28-year-old woman and her 28-year-old husband, a white, Jewish couple, were walking their dogs in Union Square. As they approached East 15th Street and 5th Avenue, the woman allegedly saw Stora tearing down posters of kidnapped Israeli hostages and took a picture of him. After noticing the couple, Stora allegedly began to follow them around and shouted anti-white and antisemitic remarks, including, “F— you white boy.”
A Good Samaritan let the victims into her building to get them away from Stora, who allegedly followed them into the lobby shouting in substance, “Die, Jews, Die!”
Then, on March 25, 2024, a 23-year-old white woman was walking near West 17th Street and 7th Avenue in Chelsea at 10:20 a.m. As she passed Stora, he allegedly struck her in the head, causing her to fall to the ground. As a result, the victim suffered pain and swelling to the left side of her head.
Following a joint investigation conducted by the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, Stora was arrested two days after the most recent incident.
NEW YORK — A man is accused of setting a subway rider on fire on Saturday afternoon and the NYPD says he was behind a similar attack a few months ago.
Officers were called for an assault in progress on the 1 line platform at the Houston Street station and when they arrived saw 23-year-old Alijaj Petrit with his shirt off and badly burned.
Investigators say a homeless man, now identified as 49-year-old Nile Taylor, threw a flammable liquid on the victim for no reason and took off.
Taylor was arrested near the Holland Tunnel and is now facing charges, including attempted assault, reckless endangerment, and arson. Police said the victim is recovering at NewYork-Presbyterian and is expected to survive.
“It’s horrifying,” subway rider Chloe Leone said of the alleged attack.
Detectives say back in February Taylor threw a lit container of flammable liquid at a group of people standing on the southbound 1 train platform at the West 28th Street station. No one was hurt.
At around the same time, city officials announced plans to use weapon-detection technology in the subway after they said crime in the transit system was up 4% in 2024 compared to 2023.
Subway riders say they are always on guard
Leone, like others who ride the rails, said she keeps her head on a swivel when underground.
“Hopefully, people are traveling in pairs so they can stay safe,” Leone said. “I’m praying for the person burned. It’s very tragic.”
As for commuters who have no choice but to use the subways, “You just have to be alert and keep your eyes open,” one woman said.
“Crazy stuff happens, everything. It’s awful. I take this train a lot,” another woman said. “We are in New York City. I feel we are risking it every day. I don’t make eye contact with anybody. It keeps me pretty safe, keep to myself.”
Mark Prussin is a digital producer at CBS New York. He covers breaking news, sports, politics and trending stories in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Mark joined the CBS New York team in 2019.
GREENWICH VILLAGE, Manhattan (WABC) — A man is speaking out after being set on fire onboard a subway train in Manhattan.
In exclusive video obtained by Eyewitness News, first responders are seen rushing to help Petrit Alijaj after a stranger doused him with a flaming liquid.
At the time, the 23-year-old victim was with his fiancée and cousins on a No. 1 train. After the attack, video shows Alijaj at the corner of Varick and King Street with his shirt off and in visible pain.
“I was on the train and a maniac like put fire on my body, and he left the train,” said Alijaj over the phone from the hospital.
Alijaj says it happened in a split second around 2:45 p.m. on Saturday as his southbound train was pulling into the Houston Street station. He tells Eyewitness News that the suspect didn’t say anything to him, but proceeded to give him a weird look.
“He had a cup with the fire and the train stopped at Houston Street. We thought when he go for the foor, we thought he’s leaving, he’s getting off. He waited for the door to open and then he put the fire on me,” Alijaj said.
Now Alijaj has burns all over his body.
Fortunately, no one with him was hurt. He says he was able to successfully shield his family from the burning liquid.
“When I saw it, I protect the others with my body,” he said.
Aljaj says he is traumatized, and that the only place he’s ever seen anything like this is in the movies.
Police arrested 49-year-old Nile Taylor shortly after the incident occurred on Saturday.
Taylor is charged with assault, arson, and reckless engagement. He is also charged with petty larceny and criminal possession of a weapon.
Unrelated to the incident, authorities separately charged Taylor with criminal possession of stolen property, after he picked up a phone that a woman dropped on the train platform.
Though the suspect is in custody, it provides little comfort to Alijaj.
“They caught the guy, they will keep him in prison for a week and they will release him,” Alijaj said.
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
Ifyouever fancied yourself as “fancy,” the Harlem School of the Arts gets you.
The cultural arts center in upper Manhattan, New York, threw a 60th anniversary “Bridgerton” themed party that was the definition of it. But the school also gets the many students whose creativity, ingenuity and talents are nurtured and fostered there, with young people ages 2 to 18 engaging in everything from dance, theater and music to media and design. It’s HSA’s mission to ensure that “all children have access to the power of the arts,” inspiring more than 60,000 students over the years. This includes former students like rock ’n’ roll icon Lenny Kravitz, who welcomed attendees to the party in a video testimonial honoring the school that set him on his path to success.
Monday night’s event raised more than $2.5 million for the school, benefiting the students who not only performed, painted, danced and acted throughout the evening, but were also its greeters and hosts, all in full costume with British accents and precocious charm. About 75% of the students at HSA receive tuition assistance, which makes events like this both special and necessary.
In the past this annual spring gala has been a masquerade ball, but for the Harlem school’s 60th, the black-tie event was transformed into a sumptuous, lavish fete full of “lords” and “ladies” dressed in period costumes as well as elevated tuxedo and ballgown fare, like a Regency-era, mini Met Gala.
Held at a venue Queen Charlotte herself would have approved of (the opulent Ziegfeld Ballroom in midtown Manhattan), the evening honored HSA founder and world-renowned concert soprano Dorothy Maynor, alongside author Nicole Avant, a former ambassador to the Bahamas, and parents Jacqueline and Clarence Avant, who were honored posthumously for their philanthropy and influential work in entertainment and politics.
The evening also honored ABC News’ Deborah Roberts; the NBC “Today” show’s Al Roker, with son Nicholas Roker; civil rights activist Jennifer Jones Austin, the CEO of the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies; and the Herb Alpert Foundation. It featured an after-party hosted by Black Thought of legendary hip-hop band The Roots, with founding member Questlove deejaying throughout the remainder of the evening — because there’s nothing more “Bridgerton” than people in period costumes dancing the night away to a modern soundtrack of the finest R&B, electronic dance music and hip-hop that Questlove could offer.
Watch how the night unfolded for the fancified guests and the dedicated students in the images below.
Students Neriah, Nana, Aimony and Issys are shown after getting ready for HSA’a 60th Anniversary Gala held at Manhattan’s Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York on Monday, May 20, 2024.
Rayon Richards for HuffPost
Amechi, Olander, Nana, Ellem, Calli, Khari, Mercedes, Eva, Min, Aimony, Marina, Issys and Neriah pose for a group photo before HSA’s 60th Anniversary Gala held at Manhattan’s Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York on Monday, May 20, 2024.
Rayon Richards for HuffPost
Student Neriah has makeup applied while preparing for HSA’s 60th Anniversary Gala held at Manhattan’s Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York on Monday, May 20, 2024.
Rayon Richards for HuffPost
Students prepare for HSA’s 60th Anniversary Gala held at Manhattan’s Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York on Monday, May 20, 2024.
Rayon Richards for HuffPost
Students Renea, Uma and Codie prepare for HSA’s 60th Anniversary Gala held at Manhattan’s Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York on Monday, May 20, 2024.
Rayon Richards for HuffPost
A student prepares for HSA’s 60th Anniversary Gala held at Manhattan’s Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York on Monday, May 20, 2024.
Rayon Richards for HuffPost
Student Amechi prepares for HSA’s 60th Anniversary Gala held at Manhattan’s Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York on Monday, May 20, 2024.
Rayon Richards for HuffPost
Student Lekia is shown after getting ready for HSA’s 60th Anniversary Gala held at Manhattan’s Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York on Monday, May 20, 2024.
Rayon Richards for HuffPost
Student Ellem prepares for HSA’s 60th Anniversary Gala held at Manhattan’s Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York on Monday, May 20, 2024.
Rayon Richards for HuffPost
Students Ellem, Marina, Eva, Calli and Khari are shown after getting ready for HSA’s 60th Anniversary Gala held at Manhattan’s Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York on Monday, May 20, 2024.
Rayon Richards for HuffPost
Students prepare for HSA’s 60th Anniversary Gala held at Manhattan’s Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York on Monday, May 20, 2024.
Rayon Richards for HuffPost
Student Eva is shown after getting ready for HSA’s 60th Anniversary Gala held at Manhattan’s Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York on Monday, May 20, 2024.
Rayon Richards for HuffPost
Student Nana prepares for HSA’s 60th Anniversary Gala held at Manhattan’s Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York on Monday, May 20, 2024.
Rayon Richards for HuffPost
Student Logan is shown after getting ready for HSA’s 60th Anniversary Gala held at Manhattan’s Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York on Monday, May 20, 2024.
Rayon Richards for HuffPost
Dana helps student Min prepare for HSA’s 60th Anniversary Gala held at Manhattan’s Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York on Monday, May 20, 2024.
Rayon Richards for HuffPost
Students Sofia, Eduardo, Roen and Levi are shown after getting ready for HSA’s 60th Anniversary Gala held at Manhattan’s Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York on Monday, May 20, 2024.
Rayon Richards for HuffPost
Students Neriah, Ellem and Issys prepare for HSA’s 60th Anniversary Gala held at Manhattan’s Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York on Monday, May 20, 2024.
Rayon Richards for HuffPost
Students Ellem and Eva are shown after getting ready for HSA’s 60th Anniversary Gala held at Manhattan’s Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York on Monday, May 20, 2024.
Rayon Richards for HuffPost
Students Ellis, Everton and Logan take a break before HSA’s 60th Anniversary Gala held at Manhattan’s Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York on Monday, May 20, 2024.
Rayon Richards for HuffPost
Student Dylan is shown after getting ready for HSA’s 60th Anniversary Gala held at Manhattan’s Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York on Monday, May 20, 2024.
Rayon Richards for HuffPost
Student Marina, with the assistance of Mercedes, gets prepared for HSA’s 60th Anniversary Gala held at Manhattan’s Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York on Monday, May 20, 2024.
Rayon Richards for HuffPost
Students Nana and Aimony are shown after getting ready for HSA’s 60th Anniversary Gala held at Manhattan’s Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York on Monday, May 20, 2024.
Rayon Richards for HuffPost
Aaliyah takes a photo of Lekia, Amechi, Min, Eva, Alimony and Ellem, all students of the Harlem School of the Arts, as they prepare for the 60th Anniversary Gala held at Manhattan’s Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York on Monday, May 20, 2024.
Rayon Richards for HuffPost
Students Ellem, Amechi and Ellis chat while preparing for HSA’s 60th Anniversary Gala held at Manhattan’s Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York on Monday, May 20, 2024.
Rayon Richards for HuffPost
Student Amechi is shown after getting ready for HSA’s 60th Anniversary Gala held at Manhattan’s Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York on Monday, May 20, 2024.
Rayon Richards for HuffPost
Sara helps students Nova’Jane, Raiyi and Zoe prepare for HSA’s 60th Anniversary Gala held at Manhattan’s Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York on Monday, May 20, 2024.
Rayon Richards for HuffPost
Students Min and Ellem prepare for HSA’s 60th Anniversary Gala held at Manhattan’s Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York on Monday, May 20, 2024.
Rayon Richards for HuffPost
Student Min is shown after getting ready for HSA’s 60th Anniversary Gala held at Manhattan’s Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York on Monday, May 20, 2024.
Rayon Richards for HuffPost
Student Eva prepares for HSA’s 60th Anniversary Gala held at Manhattan’s Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York on Monday, May 20, 2024.
Rayon Richards for HuffPost
Student Neriah is shown after getting ready for HSA’s 60th Anniversary Gala held at Manhattan’s Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York on Monday, May 20, 2024.
Rayon Richards for HuffPost
Skylah and Brittany prepare for HSA’s 60th Anniversary Gala held at Manhattan’s Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York on Monday, May 20, 2024.
Rayon Richards for HuffPost
Students Khari and Ellem prepare for HSA’s 60th Anniversary Gala held at Manhattan’s Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York on Monday, May 20, 2024.
Rayon Richards for HuffPost
Student Issys is shown after getting ready for HSA’s 60th Anniversary Gala held at Manhattan’s Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York on Monday, May 20, 2024.
Rayon Richards for HuffPost
Students attend HSA’s 60th Anniversary Gala held at Manhattan’s Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York on Monday, May 20, 2024.
Craig Barritt/Getty Images
Students perform at HSA’s 60th Anniversary Gala held at Manhattan’s Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York on Monday, May 20, 2024.
Craig Barritt/Getty Images
Students perform at HSA’s 60th Anniversary Gala held at Manhattan’s Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York on Monday, May 20, 2024.
Craig Barritt/Getty Images
Students attend HSA’s 60th Anniversary Gala held at Manhattan’s Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York on Monday, May 20, 2024.
Craig Barritt/Getty Images
Students perform at HSA’s 60th Anniversary Gala held at Manhattan’s Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York on Monday, May 20, 2024.
Craig Barritt/Getty Images
Students attend HSA’s 60th Anniversary Gala held at Manhattan’s Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York on Monday, May 20, 2024.
Cyndi Lauper‘s son is in BIG trouble with his luxury Manhattan apartment building!
Declyn “Dex” Lauper-Thornton — who is the son of the music icon and her Law & Order star husband David Thornton — is facing being evicted from his $7,200 per month apartment in a swanky high-rise in the heart of New York City. And the claims being made against him by other tenants and building management alike in the Financial District spot are WILD!!
Of course, Dex is already the focus of legal action following an incident in which he allegedly threatened to shoot a nurse in the head. But now, the Girls Just Want To Have Fun singer’s progeny is facing even more legal trouble!
According to the New York Post, Dex’s landlord lodged an eviction petition against the 26-year-old last month in the building’s first official bid to try to boot him. That’s according to a New York County Civil Court filing first unearthed by that outlet on Friday. The filing claims that Dex has violated a number of lease rules since he moved into the place back in October. And neighbors are claiming the same thing, too!
One unnamed neighbor spoke to the Post about it on Friday, saying that Dex’s one-bedroom apartment almost immediately became the source of considerable noise pollution in the very early hours of the morning:
“I never had any problems with any of the neighbors before. Then a new tenant moved in … and immediately there was very loud music at the most bizarre times, like 3 a.m. or 7 a.m. — it felt like there was a nightclub right behind my wall.”
That source went even further, too. They claimed that they confronted Lauper-Thornton about his loud music and unruly behavior after a particularly wild night. Then, the day after the confrontation, the neighbor found a BULLET in the hallway near his apartment!! OMG!! Horrified of the finding, that neighbor up and moved out of his apartment shortly thereafter. Honestly, we would probably do the same…
The bullet is an interesting and concerning detail for a number of reasons. Not only for the most obvious — what it means about the things Dex may have access to and/or the possible intimidation tactics involved — but also because the Time After Time singer’s son has been arrested twice before. Those arrests include an illegal gun rap in Harlem back in February, and being in possession of a stolen vehicle in Manhattan in July of 2022.
Speaking of the gun charge from February, on the night before he was arrested for that one, the Post reports that Dex walked into the management office of his apartment building and got into a terrifying verbal altercation with them. Per the civil court papers, he was “holding a marijuana blunt and looking visually inebriated” during his confrontation, which was over an email that he’d been sent about building policies. The court filing claims he threatened management officials like this:
“If you don’t fix the email, I will come back with people and have everyone’s face broken. I will break your legs. I have friends and an uncle that will f**k you up. Don’t play with me because I will bring someone with me and tear this whole place up.”
OMG…
Another frightened tenant later reported to building management that they could hear “constant screaming” and threatening language coming from Dex’s apartment after he moved in. Management made this notation regarding that claim:
“The resident advised the yelling, shouting and/or screaming sounded very aggressive in nature and was filled with explicit language and threats of bodily harm.”
A third tenant called the building “unlivable” with Dex in it, and a fourth reported:
“[I am] scared for my safety because of the constant yelling and noise.”
Other complains include tenants alerting management to cigarette and marijuana smoke constantly wafting from Lauper-Thornton’s apartment, even though the building has a very explicit ‘no smoking’ policy.
That aforementioned first neighbor confirmed the other tenants’ complaints to the Post. They explained to the outlet that noise was a significant and persistent issue, including one morning in which they actually confronted Dex about it:
“I would hear the disturbing music every other day. There were plenty of times when it was 2 a.m., 3 a.m. or 4 a.m. I had an important meeting one day, on a week day, but I was woken up at 3 a.m. the night before because the music was blasting. I could feel the bass. I put on a robe and went to confront the guy, in a nice way, and I had to bang on the door so loud because he just couldn’t hear.”
The neighbor went on:
“He tried to take the high road with me, saying, ‘oh, is this how you talk to people?’ I said, ‘yes, at 3 a.m., I’m not going to be overly nice about it.’ So we had this conversation for 30 seconds. I left, and the music continued.”
Ugh.
Other residents began seeking rent concessions to make up for Lauper-Thornton’s alleged bad behavior. In turn, the building’s landlord served him with eviction papers. Womp, womp! Now, the battle is making its way through court. In the meantime, Dex’s attorney Darryl Vernon said to the Post:
“We are talking about ways to resolve the situation.”
Uh-huh…
Not a great look for Cyndi’s kid here — to say the very least. But what say U, Perezcious readers?? Sound OFF with your reactions down in the comments (below)!
The Carolina Hurricanes turned their last stand into a season-extending victory. Surprisingly, it was the struggling power play that got them there.
What You Need To Know
The Carolina Hurricanes beat the New York Rangers 4-3 on Saturday night in Raleigh
Carolina’s win in Game 4 helped them avoid a sweep, setting up Game 5 on Monday night in New York
Brady Skjei scored the game-winner on a power play, which was Carolina’s first power-play goal in 17 tries in the series
Brady Skjei scored on the power play with 3:11 left to help the Hurricanes beat the New York Rangers 4-3 on Saturday night, staving off a sweep by winning Game 4 of the second-round playoff series.
Skjei’s shot from the point came off a feed from Tuevo Teravainen, with the puck zipping past Igor Shesterkin to catch the upper-right corner of the goal and bang into the net. That was Carolina’s first goal with the man advantage in 17 tries in the series, and it pushed Carolina ahead for good on a night when the Hurricanes squandered a two-goal lead.
No matter, though. The Hurricanes survived to fight another day in the NHL playoffs.
“I don’t care,” coach Rod Brind’Amour said of whether there was extra significance to getting the winner with the man advantage. “Not tonight. We’ve just got to get Ws at this time of year.”
The Rangers get another closeout chance Monday night with the 3-1 lead when the series returns to Madison Square Garden for Game 5.
Evgeny Kuznetsov, Stefan Noesen and Sebastian Aho each scored for Carolina, while Frederik Andersen finished with 22 saves as the Hurricanes try to become the fifth team to rally from a 3-0 deficit to win a playoff series and first since 2014.
Everything started with Carolina showing potential in the first period, running out to 2-0 and 3-1 leads to build momentum.
“Obviously we played a lot of aggression,” said Aho, who finished a feed from Jake Guentzel from near the slot for the 3-1 lead with 4:31 left in the first period. “We kind of did what we needed to do. That was a strong start. We want to do that again (in Game 5).”
The Hurricanes tweaked their power-play unit to put Skjei on the top group. And roughly 30 seconds after a tripping penalty by Ryan Lindgren, Skjei converted the winner to send Teravainen and Aho rushing over to hug him and have a tense home crowd roaring in gleeful relief, even if Skjei felt “definitely celebration” instead.
“I feel like going into every game, you try to feel confident and feel you can be the guy to do it,” Skjei said. “Obviously it doesn’t happen every night or that often. But that’s kind of our mindset going forward here, just win the day.”
Will Cuylle, Barclay Goodrow and Alexis Lafreniere scored for the Rangers, while Shesterkin finished with 27 saves.
“It’s tough, we dug ourselves a hole early,” Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said. “I don’t think it was because we weren’t ready to play. … We’ve got to come out a little bit sharper than that.
“We were competing, we were working, we were trying to do our job offensively. But there’s some things defensively that I thought we could’ve been a little bit better in the first period.”
New York had won its first seven playoff games after sweeping Washington in Round 1 and taking the first three of this series, and had a chance to become the first team to reach 8-0 in a postseason since Edmonton won its first nine games on the way to claiming the Stanley Cup in 1985.
Lafreniere had the Rangers within reach of that when he capitalized on a mistake by Andersen, who let his left skate extend past the post as Lafreniere skated in on the right side. As he skated toward the boards, Lafreniere bounced the puck off Andersen’s left hip, then into the net for the 3-3 tie at 2:04 of the third period that deflated the home crowd.
The series began with the potential for heavy drama considering the Metropolitan Division-winning Rangers also won the Presidents’ Trophy as the league’s top regular-season team, while the Hurricanes — in the playoffs for the sixth straight season — finished three points behind and entered the NHL playoffs as the favorite to win the Stanley Cup, according to Bet MGM Sportsbook.
The tight finishes have been there, with the Rangers winning 4-3 in both Game 1 and 2 — the latter in double overtime — and then taking Game 3 in Raleigh on Artemi Panarin’s OT score for the 3-2 win. But the Rangers had been winning the special-teams battle in a landslide, outscoring the Hurricanes 5-0 with four power-play goals and a shorthanded score while Carolina’s No. 2-ranked regular-season power play entered Saturday at 0 for 15 in the series.
Carolina came up empty on its first power play, but Skjei finally gave the Hurricanes a desperately needed breakthrough.
“I thought the penalty kill was still good,” Laviolette said. “They took a shot from the point, he hammered it, it had eyes. It was a tough corner shot, traffic in front of the net. There was a lot going on there.”
New York has more millionaires than any other city in the world, beating out California’s Bay Area, London and other wealthy cities, according to a new report.
Nearly 350,00, or one in every 24 residents of The Big Apple are millionaires, according to a new ranking from Henley and Partners. New York City is also home to 744 centi-millionaires, worth at least $100 million; and 60 billionaires. The combined total wealth of the city’s residents is greater than $3 trillion.
New York tops the list of richest cities despite some of its wealthiest residents fleeing for Miami, now dubbed Wall Street South, as finance firms set up shop in the Sunshine State. Billionaire hedge fund Ken Griffin recently moved Citadel’s headquarters from Chicago to Miami. Miami was ranked 33rd on the list, with 35,300 millionaires, up 78% from 2013.
After New York City, California’s Bay Area has the second-highest share of millionaires — 305,700. Tokyo, Japan, took the third spot, followed by Singapore.
London, Paris, Dubai
London’s share of millionaires dropped 10% from 2013, according to the report, landing it in fifth place. Seventh-ranked Paris is the wealthiest city in mainland Europe. Dubai is far and away the wealthiest city in the Middle East, having grown its population of millionaires by 78% over the past 10 years.
Henley and Partners, a firm that provides residence and citizenship services, defined millionaires as individuals with liquid investable wealth of at least $1 million.
Some countries have had their wealth boosted by so-called golden visa programs that let wealthy foreigners obtain citizenship and/or residence. Seven of the wealthiest cities in the world are in countries that host these types of programs.
“You can secure the right to live, work, study and invest in leading international wealth hubs such as New York, Singapore, Sydney, Vienna and Dubai via investment,” said Dominic Volek, head of private clients at Henley & Partners. “Being able to relocate yourself, your family, or your business to a more favorable city or have the option to choose between multiple different cities across the world is an increasingly important aspect of international wealth and legacy planning for private clients.”
The programs benefit cities and countries, which can use them “to attract the world’s wealthiest and most talented to their shores,” said Volek.
For locals, however, the influx of foreign money can lead to their being priced out of a housing market, and even displace them from the very cities in which they were born.
Megan Cerullo is a New York-based reporter for CBS MoneyWatch covering small business, workplace, health care, consumer spending and personal finance topics. She regularly appears on CBS News 24/7 to discuss her reporting.
The Manhattan district attorney’s office said Tuesday night that they would not prosecute 22-year-old social media influencer Kai Cenat for the madness that devolved at Union Square on Aug. 4. Two others, Denzel Dennis and Muktar Din, will also not face prosecution for their roles in the riot that turned violent.
The DA’s office said that Cenat had already paid $55,000 in restitution, and the other two had each paid just over $1,000 each as well. Cenat also posted a lengthy apology on his Snapchat account, which would be reposted by Dennis and Din.
“When I promoted a give-away PS5s in Union Square Park it created an unintentional dangerous situation due to the way I promoted and advertised it. The result was an unsafe situation for the people who live and work in the neighborhood, first responders, and my followers that attended the event,” the apology read. “I apologize for the disruption and damage to the community, the park, the vehicles, and the storefronts in the area…I apologize to the first responders who had to endure the backlash of this irresponsible promotion and work to restore calm.”
He also offered an apology to his followers who went to the event and did not act out, saying it was “never my intent for it to get so out of hand.”
The DA’s office said the case would be officially dismissed after that apology was on social media for a full 24 hours. Prosecutors also said none of the trio had any new arrests since the incident.
Here’s what it looked like in Union Square during Kai Cenat pandemonium
Thousands of fans of Cenat, who has millions of followers on Twitch, YouTube and other platforms, showed up after Cenat announced that he would be there giving away video game consoles and other electronic devices that afternoon. A crowd of mostly young people packed into the park, with some running running through nearby streets, swinging objects at car windows and climbing on top of buses.
What exactly turned the crowd unruly isn’t quite clear, but by 3:30 p.m. people were seen throwing garbage at police and taking down barriers around the perimeter. Witnesses reported seeing others hurling chairs and bottles.
Police said several people — including officers — were injured, including at least four who were taken to hospitals. About 65 people were arrested, nearly half of whom were juveniles. Police estimated crowds swelled to 5,000-6,000 people.
Officers eventually pulled Cenat from the massive crowd, and he was seen speaking to several officials afterward.
The NYPD is ramping up its pursuit of the people who cause chaos in Union Square on Friday. Gus Rosendale reports.
Cenat, who grew up in the Bronx but now lives in Atlanta, said he had planned the event as a gift to his hometown.
“I am from NY and would never want to the city turned upside down due to unwanted, irresponsible, and dangerous behavior. I wanted to do something cool and fun for people and did not think it was going to turn into something that caused harm to the city, and I should have though more about the post before I announced it,” his apology on Snapchat read. “The actions of some of the people that attended were unacceptable. At no time is it ok to act out physically in situations like this or to destroy property or try to harm people…social media is a very powerful tool to do good, but it can also cause dangerous unwanted situations if it is not used properly.”
In a video posted on Twitch about a week after the chaos, Cenat said he was “beyond disappointed” in the bad behavior that occurred. Cenat was upset about what erupted from what he said was supposed to be a fun giveaway.
“I don’t condone any of the things that went on,” he said in the video, noting how some of his followers jumped on cars and hurled bottles during madness. “None of that is cool, bro, you feel what I’m saying?”
Who is Kai Cenat?
NBC New York’s Chris Glorioso reports on Kai Cenat, the social media and Twitch influencer who organized the reported game console giveaway Friday in Union Square.
Kai Cenat, who police said organized the giveaway that led to the chaotic scene, is a Twitch streamer and YouTuber who has been making online content since 2018, when he was still in high school. He is known for having a large fanbase, and in Feb. 2023, became the most-subscribed Twitch streamer of all time, with more than 100,000 subscribers.
He’s won awards for his content, which includes videos of him doing various challenges, online pranks and more. In addition to those videos, he gained following for videos where he chatted with viewers on his Twitch channel, which he started in 2021.
While it didn’t appear that Friday’s stunt was a prank of any sort, he has done other prank videos like pretending to break his brother’s PlayStation 4 controller, or knocking on neighbors doors and running away — a video which became his first one to break a million views.
In February, his attorneys argued to the New York Court of Appeals that he did not get a fair trial. In a 4-3 decision last week, the court overturned Weinstein’s 23-year sentence saying “the trial court erroneously admitted testimony of uncharged, alleged prior sexual acts.”
In a dissent, one judge wrote the decision was “endangering decades of progress in this incredibly complex and nuanced area of law” regarding sex crimes.
His attorneys say they plan to appeal the California case.
Seeking a retrial
Six women testified in Weinstein’s trail, even though he was facing charges related to three.
He was found guilty four years ago of forcibly performing a sex act on one woman and rape in the third degree for an attack on another woman. He was acquitted on charges of predatory sex assault and first degree rape.
The ruling shocked and disappointed women who celebrated historic gains during the era of #MeToo, a movement that ushered in a wave of sexual misconduct claims in Hollywood and beyond.
Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg was not the district attorney during Weinstein’s previous trial. He says he’ll retry the case.
“Having conversations with survivors, centering their well-being, and pursuing justice,” Bragg said Wednesday.
Weinstein and accuser appear in court
Weinstein, 72, was noticeably thinner and paler when he appeared in court Wednesday in a wheelchair. He smiled and greeted everyone he knew in the first row behind the defense table when he entered the courtroom. He did not speak in court.
Jessica Mann, one of the women who testified, was also there. Prosecutors told the judge she was present to show she was not backing down, and that Weinstein “may have power and privilege, but she has the truth.”
Attorney Gloria Allred represents Mimi Haley, who was not present at Wednesday’s appearance. Allred says Haley’s not decided whether she’ll testify again.
“The vacating of the conviction was re-traumatizing to her, and that it will be even more traumatic to testify once again,” Allred said.
Weinstein attorney Arthur Aidala spoke about his client’s life behind bars.
“Harvey Weinstein was used to drinking champagne and eating caviar and now he’s at the commissary paying for potato chips and M&Ms,” Aidala said. “Mentally, he’s fine. He’s sharp as a tack. But physically, he’s been breaking down for years.”
“Obviously there’s a new sense of energy about him,” Aidala added.
Facing widespread unhappiness over its response to the Israel-Hamas war, the writers’ group PEN America has called off its annual awards ceremony. Dozens of nominees had dropped out of the event, which was to have taken place next week.
PEN, a literary and free expression organization, hands out hundreds of thousands of dollars in prizes each year, including $75,000 for the PEN/Jean Stein Award for best book. But with nine of the 10 Jean Stein finalists withdrawing, along with nominees in categories ranging from translation to poetry, continuing with the ceremony at The Town Hall in Manhattan proved unworkable.
Among those dropping out was debut novel finalist Rachel Eliza Griffiths, wife of former PEN president Salman Rushdie.
“This is a beloved event and an enormous amount of work goes into it, so we all regret this outcome but ultimately concluded it was not possible to carry out a celebration in the way we had hoped and planned,” PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel said in a statement Monday.
The cancellation comes as tensions over the war have spread throughout the country, from college campuses to political events to roadways, which at times have been blocked by protesters everywhere from Illinois to California.
Since the war began last October, authors affiliated with PEN have repeatedly denounced the organization for allegedly favoring Israel and downplaying atrocities against Palestinian writers and journalists. In an open letter published last month, and endorsed by Naomi Klein and Lorrie Moore among others, the signers criticized PEN for not mobilizing “any substantial coordinated support” for Palestinians and for not upholding its mission to “dispel all hatreds and to champion the ideal of one humanity living in peace and equality in one world.”
PEN has responded by citing that it has condemned the loss of life in Gaza, called for a ceasefire and helped set up a $100,000 emergency fund for Palestinian writers. Last week, PEN America President Jennifer Finney Boylan announced that a committee was being formed to review the organization’s work, “not just over the last six months, but indeed, going back a decade, to ensure we are aligned with our mission and make recommendations about how we respond to future conflicts.”
Critics have said that the relief fund is too small and noted that PEN waited until March to endorse a ceasefire, five months after the war began.
Stein finalists had included Justin Torres’ “Blackouts,” winner last fall of the National Book Award for fiction, and Catherine Lacey’s “Biography of X.” At the request of the estate for Jean Stein, an author and oral historian who died in 2017, the prize money will be donated to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.
“Jean Stein was a passionate advocate for Palestinian rights who published, supported, and celebrated Palestinian writers and visual artists,” reads a statement from Katrina Vanden Heuvel, Wendy Vanden Heuvel and Bill Clegg, on behalf of the Stein estate. “While she established the PEN America award in her name to bring attention to and provide meaningful support to writers of the highest literary achievement, we know she would have respected the stance and sacrifice of the writers who have withdrawn from contention this year.”
Camille T. Dungy’s “Soil” had been the only remaining Stein award contender.
PEN announced Monday that judges had selected a handful of winners, among them Javier Fuentes’ “Countries of Origin” for debut novel, the PEN/Hemingway award. Playwright/screenwriter Tony Kushner will still receive the PEN/Mike Nichols Writing for Performance Award. Other honorary awards include the PEN/Nabokov Award for Achievement in International Literature, given to the late Maryse Condé.
Some authors have called for the resignation of Nossel and other top officials. Lacey, in an Instagram post last week, wrote that PEN needed to “make big changes in the leadership and move into a new era.” More than a dozen awards finalists endorsed a recent letter that demanded Nossel, Boylan and others step down and alleged that PEN had “shown blatant disregard of our collective values.”
A PEN spokesperson said it had no plans to respond to calls for Nossel and others to resign.
PEN’s other high-profile spring events — the “World Voices” festivals in New York and Los Angeles, and the gala at the American Museum of Natural History — will go ahead as scheduled. Klein and Moore are among the writers who have said they will not attend the World Voices festival, which Rushdie helped establish 20 years ago. Rushdie and other former PEN presidents, including Jennifer Egan and Andrew Solomon, had recently published a letter urging the literary community to participate in the festival.
“The festival was conceived amid conflict to draw together diverse authors and thinkers at a time of deepening and deadly geopolitical tension after 9/11,” the letter reads in part.
“We believe in PEN America and the festival and urge that, even at a time of discord, readers and writers will once again find a way to come together to jointly quest for insight and inspiration.”
More than a thousand migrants gathered outside City Hall during joint hearing on Black newcomer experience.
Dean Moses
Sign up for our amNewYork email newsletter to get news, updates, and local insights delivered straight to your inbox!
Two Council committees representing immigration and hospitals held a joint hearing Tuesday that focused on the experiences of newly arrived Black migrants, drawing a crowd of more than a thousand migrants and newcomers outside City Hall.
City Council Members Alexa Avilés, Mercedes Narcisse and others critical of the mayor’s handling of the migrant crisis grilled members of the Adams administration on efforts being taken to address a myriad of issues pertaining to Black newcomer needs. According to the council members at the hearing, newcomers from countries including Guinea, Haiti, Senegal and others have faced significant problems in accessing shelter and city services as they integrate into the city.
These problems, the council members said, include language access barriers, cultural competency challenges and health needs.
Nearly 200,000 migrants have flooded into NYC since 2022, many arriving from Latin American countries and Africa. The mass influx has resulted in growing economic and humanitarian crises that has had local, state and federal politicians pointing fingers.
“Today’s hearing centers the experience of Black immigrants in NYC and has turned out over 1,000 people,” Avilés, who is chair of the council’s Committee on Immigration, posted on X, formerly Twitter. “We must uproot the anti-Blackness that plagues our systems of Care. This work requires dedication, creativity and a city willing to fund our short, mid and long-term needs.”
Migrants gather outside City Hall in lower Manhattan. Photo by Dean Moses.
Migrants gather outside City Hall
The gathering outside City Hall grew because, law enforcement sources said, many attendees apparently believed they would receive work visas, a misunderstanding spread on social media. The crowd eventually disbursed in peace while the hearing inside City Hall went on.
Several people from Black migrant and immigrant communities were invited inside to participate in the hearing by giving testimonies on their personal experiences in New York City. One man spoke through an interpreter and explained that he is facing many challenges here after leaving his native Guinea.
“I’m here for political reasons,” the man said. “I was a prisoner in my country and that’s why I fled here. I’ve had a lot of difficulties since I arrived in New York City. I have difficulty finding lodging. I’ve had health problems. And I’ve had a terrible time finding legal representation.”
Advocates for Black migrants and newcomers were also in attendance and demanded more funding for immigrant support services.
Migrants gather outside City Hall in lower Manhattan. Photo by Dean Moses.
Council members demanded answers from the administration about what is being done to alleviate the challenges faced by immigrants whose first language is not English.
Public Advocate Jumaane Williams said language barriers pose big problems for Black immigrant communities, especially when it comes to housing and other city services.
“Language accessibility is a lifeline for immigrants and opens doors to legal services, housing, economic empowerment and other opportunities,” Williams said. “Many of these migrants are navigating an entirely new city, culture, language and systems after what may have been a long and harrowing journey just to get here.”
Discussions about language centered around the successes and shortcomings of We Speak, a city program that helps newcomers from other countries learn English.
New Arrivals Strategy Team
As the marathon hearing continued throughout the day, NYC Council Speaker Adrienne Adams announced more details about the city’s New Arrivals Strategy Team, a set of experts who will “improve the overall response” to the growing number of migrants arriving in the city.
Members of the team include an advisory board with members who have backgrounds in government, education and public affairs, as well as stakeholders from the areas of language access, children, youth and young adult services, shelter, housing and resettlement, culture and social connections, health and hunger, legal services and support, among others.
According to Adams, the team will evaluate government and non-profit responses to the latest wave of migration into the city.
“In the past two years, tens of thousands of people have come to New York City in search of safety and a better life,” the speaker said. “Managing their arrival and supporting their success has come with challenges, exposing longstanding deficiencies in our social safety net and delivery of city services.”
Andrew Warren and Ava Dash at the Save Venice Ball. Marcy Swingle
It’s Friday night, and a highlight of the gala season is on the calendar: Save Venice’s Un Ballo in Maschera, an event I always look forward to. The glitzy soirée, which focuses on raising money dedicated to the artistic preservation of Venice, Italy, is, fittingly, held at the Plaza Hotel. While the non-profit organization hosts several galas, the New York iteration is always special; this year, it fell on Friday, April 12.
Tonight’s date is Ava Dash, one of my best friends and, luckily, one of those girls who is surprisingly easygoing, because we both ended up last-minute winging our looks for the evening—shockingly enough, they worked out quite well, if I do say so myself. When I say I was texting my salesperson at Saks at 5 p.m. looking for the perfect McQueen blazer, I’m not exaggerating. Luckily, Ava and I had a good starting place, as Julian Polak of Maison Spoiled texted Ava and me photos of sparkling diamond options to tie our outfits together, and base the looks around—I ended up basing my look around a white gold-and-yellow diamond brooch Julian picked for me.
For Ava, I pulled a vintage, circa-1980s couture Calvin Klein marigold gown from my late grandmother’s collection, and tied the look together with tan Rachel Roy shoes and a bejeweled Judith Leiber monkey bag. Sometimes I do miss being in fashion, because I always love when my girlfriends let me style them. A few photos later, and we hopped in an Uber and were off to the Plaza.
Ava Dash. Matteo Prandoni/BFA.com
We arrived just in time for the last moments of cocktail hour, and my inner Kris Jenner came out, making sure Ava, the 24-year-old daughter of Damon Dashand Rachel Roy, was photographed by everyone.
Now, onto the actual event, which was sponsored by Oscar de la Renta and the Gritti Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel. The sold-out event, themed La Primavera and attended by over 400 guests, raised more than $1.2 million for the preservation of historic art and architecture in Venezia.
As someone who has attended charity galas since I was 14 years old, I’m confident that I know a thing or two about how to do them right. The key to this event was the backdrop, which meant having it decorated and transformed into a Venetian garden by Save Venice co-chair and event engineer Bronson van Wyck and his team, Van Wyck & Van Wyck. With Bronson on decor, there isn’t much left to worry about, especially with Nathalie Kaplan’s consultancy agency, NGK Global, handling logistics. She’s the queen of these society charity galas, which are her speciality. And with corporate sponsors like Chaneland Gucci,the night was bound to be a success.
Ivy Getty, Emily Ratajkowski and Nicky Hilton. Matteo Prandoni/BFA.com
Aside from Ava, of course, some of the other best-dressed attendees included Tina Leung (in an Oscar de la Renta Barbie-esque sheer crystal top and pink silk bow dress),Di Mondo (in a blue hydrangeas-covered creation with butterflies and a matching mask),Ivy Getty(in a sheer, embellished Oscar de la Renta gown and Bulgari jewels) and Natalie Jackson (in a classic black Vivienne Westwood gown and over-the-top butterfly mask). And let’s not forget about van Wyck’s peacock cape. Other fashionable attendees included Emily Ratajkowski, Jenna Lyons, Nicky Hilton Rothschild, Anna van Patten, Julian Schnabel, Huma Abedin, LaQuan Smith and Ezra J William, to name just a few.
After the cocktail hour came to an end, Ava and I headed to our seats for the dinner.Laura KimandFernando Garcia, the co-creative directors of Oscar de la Renta, presided over the Ceremony for Outstanding Masks; Jordan Roth, Andy Yu and Lisa Sher-Chambers won the three prizes.
Paolo Lorenzoni, Bronson van Wyck and Lisa Sher-Chambers. Deonté Lee/BFA.com
It was an incredibly, glamorous evening, and in the midst of the festivities, I caught up with Ava on what she’s up to right now.
Observer: What’s the latest with you?
Ava Dash: I just moved back to New York. After graduating college at LMU in L.A., I’m excited to be back in the city and focusing on modeling as well as television projects.
What’s next for you, career-wise?
I recently worked with PETA, launching a campaign advocating for the welfare and well-being of animals. This has always been a priority to me, and working with their team has taught me so much. I am also very grateful to have just signed with a new modeling agency in New York City.
Why the switch from L.A. to New York?
I was born in New York and I moved to L.A. with my family when I was 14 years old; I did high school as well as college there, and was ready for a change. I wanted to elevate my career and experience my 20s in the city. The experiences that I can have in New York City, I just wasn’t having in L.A.. The New York lifestyle is so spontaneous; I was walking around Soho with friends and kept running into people we knew, adding to our group, and a magician stopped us and did an impromptu show. This type of thing never happens in L.A., where you’re just driving from place to place.
What’s your favorite part of New York?
Being able to walk around and meet new people. The feeling of endless possibilities drew me back to the city where I was born. Literally whatever you’re into, you can find the best of it in this city.
We’re at Save Venice—what other charitable causes are important to you?
The well-being of children is the most important. My mom and I co-authored a young adult novel [96 Words for Love, published in 2019] and gave the proceeds to girls rescued from sex trafficking in India. I am also very passionate about the well-being of animals, and have traveled to Thailand to work at a sanctuary for rescued elephants.
Ava Dash, Andrew Warren, Julia Moshy, Sarah Shatz and Natalie Jackson. Deonté Lee/BFA.com
What has been your favorite part of the night thus far?
I love people-watching and seeing how people come together for a theme. There is so much devastation that happens in Venice every year, so I am proud to be a part of a community that cares about this cause.
The event was beautiful! The food was delicious, the drinks were flowing and I love that the dance floor was packed throughout the night. It seems like everyone enjoyed themselves in helping to raise money for the historical and fabulous city of Venice.
Rate the decor one to 10?
It’s quintessential old school New York—9/10.
Who’s best dressed that you’ve seen tonight
Me!
I must ask—boyfriend or single lady?
Single lady! Trying to channel my inner Carrie Bradshaw with my recent move.
Well, on that note—anyone you’d immediately say yes to going on a date with?
Sign up for our amNewYork email newsletter to get news, updates, and local insights delivered straight to your inbox!
A would-be bandit is wanted for attempting to rob three Midtown Manhattan banks in February, police said.
Police are investigating the string of attempted robberies that started at the Santander Bank, located at 1350 Broadway, on Thursday, Feb. 1, at approximately 1:40 p.m., when the suspect slipped a note to a teller demanding cash. When the teller did not comply, the suspect fled the scene on foot.
Just two hours later, the wannabe robber changed his clothes in preparation for a second attempt to get loot, police said. After entering nearby Citizens Bank at 518 Seventh Ave. he slipped a note to a teller demanding hundred-dollar- and twenty-dollar bills, police sources said, but then immediately left the scene with nothing.
The suspect tried again later in the month, when he entered Citibank at 205 East 42 St. on Feb. 22 at approximately 5 p.m., using a similar demand note that read, “Money now, $100s and $50s. I don’t want to shoot you…I need $2,500…give note back,” law enforcement sources said.
But once again, the perp left with nothing before fleeing the scene on foot, heading westbound on 42 Street.
No injuries were reported at any of the scenes and no weapons were seen, police said.
Police describe the suspect as a male with a dark complexion, approximately 6-feet-tall and 180 pounds. He was last seen wearing a blue sweater with light green sleeves and light green sneakers.
Anyone with information in regard to the attack is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit tips online at nypdcrimestoppers.com or on X (formerly Twitter) @NYPDTips. All calls and messages are kept confidential.
Water was seen pouring from the side of a Manhattan high-rise Thursday.
The FDNY said it got a call around 12:15 p.m. about a water leak from a building on Eighth Avenue and West 42nd Street. Video posted to the Citizen app shows what looked like a geyser erupting from the side of the building.
No injuries were immediately reported.
The water had stopped flowing by the time News 4 cameras got to the scene around 12:30 p.m.
The Department of Buildings says it was not called to the scene.
It turns out the scene was nothing more than a fire pump test being done and the area on the ground was cordoned off from people.
Two Florida brothers pleaded guilty Wednesday to insider trading charges, admitting making over $22 million illegally before the public announcement in 2021 that an acquisition firm was taking former President Donald Trump’s media company public.
Michael and Gerald Shvartsman entered their pleas to a single count of securities fraud in Manhattan federal court, where Judge Lewis J. Liman set sentencing for July 17.
The men said that they knew they were committing a crime when they made trades in October 2021 through a New York broker, buying shares of Digital World Acquisition Corp., a so-called blank check company designed to take another company public without an IPO. The pair had been tipped off that Digital World had planned to merge with Trump Media & Technology, whose main asset is the social media network Truth Social.
In October 2021, shares of Digital World soared more than 800% after the deal with Trump Media was announced.
The indictment against the brothers did not in any way implicate Trump — who is again seeking the presidency this year — or Trump Media & Technology Group, which last week began trading on the Nasdaq stock market and currently has a value of about $6.7 billion. Trump owns about 57% of the company.
“I’ve made a terrible mistake,” Gerald Shvartsman told the judge as he pleaded guilty. He added that it was “wrong and the mistake I will pay for dearly the rest of my life.”
His brother told the judge that he knew that his securities trades were wrong and illegal.
According to the indictment, the men invested millions of dollars in Digital World, and then sold the securities for $22 million in profits after the news about the Trump Media business was made public.
Sharing secrets with friends
At the time, Michael Shvartsman owned Rocket One Capital LLC, a venture capital firm, according to court papers.
According to court papers, the men shared their secrets with friends and employees, who also bought tens of thousands of units of securities ahead of the merger announcement with Trump Media & Technology Group.
The merger and public trading of Trump Media & Technology Group was eagerly anticipated by Trump’s political supporters, who viewed the Truth Social platform as a worthy response to Trump’s temporary ejection from some social media platforms after the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
Michael Shvartsman, 53, of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, and his brother Gerald Shvartsman, 46, of Aventura, Florida, remain free on bail while they await their sentencings. They were both arrested last June.
Federal sentencing guidelines in plea letters signed by the men recommended that Michael Shvartsman receive about four years in prison and his brother spend at least three years behind bars. The deals also call for Michael Schvartsman to forfeit $18.2 million in profits and for his brother to relinquish $4.6 million.
In a release, U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Insider trading is cheating, plain and simple, and today’s convictions should remind anyone who may be tempted to corrupt the integrity of the stock market that it will earn them a ticket to prison.”
The Tenement Museum in Manhattan pays tribute to those often-invisible citizens of America: Immigrants and workers struggling through poverty to establish a home. But even here, someone was left out — until recently. Michelle Miller reports on the stories told at a new exhibit.
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
NEW YORK (WABC) — Representatives from New Jersey and the MTA are back in court to try to come to a resolution over the state’s lawsuit in opposition to congestion pricing.
Getting close but not quite there yet is how the negotiations are described involving that lawsuit.
Wednesday, there will be a mandatory settlement conference in Newark between New Jersey and the MTA to see if the lawsuit the state filed can be resolved.
There’s also a separate case before a federal judge in New York pending.
Congestion pricing, which would charge most drivers $15 to drive below 60th Street, is still set to begin mid-June.
But now, Mayor Eric Adams has come out saying while he doesn’t have reservations, there needs to be more exemptions than there are currently, including for city workers using their own vehicles.
His administration also working on an exemption for yellow school buses.
Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is also sharing his thoughts in an op-ed for the NY Post, saying yes he approved congestion pricing back in 2019, but thinks it needs to be paused altogether now. He said it needs to come at a time when people feel safe riding the subway and:
“What impact will an additional $15 entry surcharge have on New York City’s recovery in this moment – when the migrant crisis, crime, homelessness, quality of life and taxes are all pressing problems?”
There is a hearing scheduled for early April in the New Jersey lawsuit and a judge is expected to rule before the planned start date.
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
We explore three amazing eateries in Manhattan, from a West Village restaurant inspired by an early American religious community to one of the most iconic seafood restaurants in the five boroughs. Watch these stories and more on “The Dish.”
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
