Former top aide to Gov. Hochul was undisclosed agent for China: Prosecutors
A former deputy chief of staff to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has been arrested on charges of acting as an undisclosed agent for China. Linda Sun and her husband, Chris Hu, have both been arrested six weeks after FBI agents searched their multimillion-dollar home on Long Island.
Prosecutors allege Sun used her influential position to advance Chinese interests, including blocking Taiwanese officials’ access to high-level New York state officials and shaping governmental messaging to align with Beijing’s priorities.
U.S. Attorney Breon Peace alleges Sun and her husband worked to advance the interests of the Chinese government and the Chinese Communist Party, directly threatening national security.
The indictment accuses Sun and her husband of laundering millions of dollars for China, using the proceeds to purchase luxury vehicles and multimillion-dollar properties.
Their lavish acquisitions include a $2.1 million condo in Honolulu, a 2024 Ferrari, and a $3.5 million home in a gated community on Long Island.
The couple faces multiple charges, including visa fraud, money laundering conspiracy, and violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
Hochul’s office terminated Sun’s employment in March 2023 after discovering evidence of misconduct and immediately reported her actions to law enforcement.
The order directs Virginia’s Department of Education to help public schools create policies establishing what he calls “cell phone-free education.”
The state is putting $500,000 toward working with parents, students, teachers and community members to develop age-appropriate restrictions during instructional time. They will also develop protocols to help parents contact their kids if there’s an emergency.
We’re establishing cell phone-free education in schools benefiting students, parents and educators across Virginia. This essential action will promote a healthier educational environment where every child is free to learn. https://t.co/A6CA7htBt1
— Governor Glenn Youngkin (@GovernorVA) July 9, 2024
The order cites a teen mental health crisis and deteriorating academic achievement over the last decade as being partly driven by extensive social media and cellphone use. It also said the move will ensure kids spend less time on their phones without parental supervision.
In May, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an advisory on the effects social media has on youth mental health. He’s also pushing to require tobacco-style warning labels on social media sites and apps.
Other states have taken similar action when it comes to phones in classrooms.
In 2023, Florida became the first state to prohibit the use of cellphones or other wireless devices during “instructional time” for K-12 students. In March, Indiana passed a law banning cellphones in class starting this upcoming school year.
Los Angeles Unified School District leaders recently took up a measure to ban cellphones and social media during instruction time. After that, California’s governor said he would also support a statewide ban. In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul, D, is set to announce a bill to ban cellphones in schools later in 2024.
Ohio’s governor also signed a new law in May that doesn’t go as far as to ban phones from classrooms, but it does require all districts create policies that seek to “minimize students’ use of cellphones.” Alabama’s state Board of Education passed a resolution earlier this year to “strongly encourage” districts to limit cellphone use in schools.
Similarly, Utah’s governor sent a letter to his state’s board of education about his concerns over cellphone use in class and said he’d support a ban on the devices in schools.
Federal lawmakers have also taken up the fight, although a federal ban on cellphones in schools is highly unlikely.
In November, Sens. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., and Tim Kaine, D-Va., filed a bill calling for a federal study on how cellphone use in schools is affecting students’ academic performance and mental health.
LA school district joins growing number of schools considering cellphone bans
Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) leaders whose students are being distracted by their phones and social media during class time are looking to join a growing number of school districts that are banning cellphones and social media during instruction time. Leaders will vote on the resolution on Tuesday, June 17. Those who support the measure hope it will improve education and prevent online bullying.
If passed, the proposal only directs staff to come up with policies banning the use of social media and cellphones. Parents, students, staff, labor partners and experts would then give input on new policy. The school board would then have 120 days to approve the measure. If the board passes specific policies, they would take effect in January 2025.
Right now, ideas for ban enforcement range from adding cellphone lockers to blocking social media access on devices. Leaders are still debating penalties for students found using their phones.
Parents against the ban said that their kids need phone access to contact them during the day. Parents also said they already restrict their children from using their phones.
Some school leaders also opposed to the resolution argue that guidelines are already in place to prevent cellphone use in the classroom, they just need to be enforced.
One principal, who chose to remain anonymous, said that a ban is “overkill,” and that cellphone enforcement should be dealt with on a “case-by-case basis.” He added that it would also add an unnecessary workload to staff.
Other parents showed their support for the ban, but maintain that it needs to have real consequences, like actually taking away the phone.
Los Angeles education leaders said that social media and cellphones not only hurt academics but also increase anxiety, online abuse and physical violence. Students reportedly used phones to set up fights, film them and post the videos online. Advocates said that with limited access to phones during the day, this student violence could be reduced.
LA’s proposed move comes as a handful of states look to pass legislation that would ban the use of social media or cellphones in the classroom. Florida already blocked social media access and cell phone use during instruction while New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, D, launched a plan to ban smartphones in schools.
NY Gov. Kathy Hochul considers face mask ban to combat antisemitic crime
New York lawmakers are debating if protesters should be allowed to wear face masks. Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-N.Y., is considering a face mask ban on subways over concerns that people are concealing their identities to get away with antisemitic hate crimes.
“We will not tolerate individuals using masks to evade responsible for criminal or threatening behavior,” Hochul said. “My team is working on a solution but on a subway people should not be able to hide behind a mask to commit crimes.”
Hochul said any face mask ban would need to go through the New York Legislature. According to the governor, there would be exemptions to any potential ban, including those wearing masks for health reasons like COVID-19 or pollution concerns, as well as cultural and religious exemptions.
Hochul did not specify how officials would police the policy if it were to take effect.
The governor cited specific examples of recent antisemitic crimes. On Monday, June 10, a group of masked anti-Israeli protesters took over subway cars. Hochul said the protesters were chanting things about Hitler and wiping out Jews, calling for Zionists to leave the train.
Hochul also referred to another incident on Wednesday, June 12, where homes belonging to the Jewish director and board members of the Brooklyn Museum were vandalized. No suspects have claimed responsibility for the vandalism yet.
The New York Civil Liberties Union has come out against the idea of banning masks on subways. The organization referred to an old state law that banned face masks in public as a response to protests over rent. That state law was repealed in 2020 as the pandemic hit.
“Mask bans were originally developed to squash political protests and, like other laws that criminalize people, they will be selectively enforced — used to arrest, doxx, surveil, and silence people of color and protestors the police disagree with,” Donna Lieberman, executive director of the group, said in a statement.
New York Mayor Eric Adams has voiced support for reinstating a version of past mask bans, suggesting shopkeepers have people remove their masks to enter.
Brooklyn Museum director, board targeted in antisemitic vandalism attack
Anti-Israel protesters hung antisemitic banners and vandalized the Brooklyn Museum’s Jewish director and board members’ homes the morning of Wednesday, June 12. The attack is the latest in a string of vandalism incidents tied to war protests.
Protesters also vandalized a Palestinian Mission to the United Nations. The group left leaflets on nearby streets that encouraged overthrowing leaders and accused the Palestinian authority of being too close to Israel and the United States.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul commented on the attack. In a statement, she called it “an abhorrent act of antisemitism” that “has no place in New York or anywhere else.”
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said he spoke with Anne Pasternak, the Brooklyn Museum’s director, shortly after she discovered the vandalism.
“This is not a peaceful protest or free speech,” Adams wrote on X. “This is a crime, and it’s overt, unacceptable antisemitism.”
Anti-Israel protesters targeted the Brooklyn Museum several times in recent weeks. A group of around 1,000 people entered the museum on May 31. It set up encampments, sprayed graffiti and defaced artwork and iconic staples on museum grounds.
Police arrested dozens of people during that incident.
These protesters have similar demands as those who set up encampments on college campuses in the spring. They called for art institutions like the Brooklyn Museum to disclose and divest financial ties to Israel.
“Twelve everyday New Yorkers listened to the judges directions, they followed the evidence,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said of the jury after the verdict was delivered. “You saw them in court every day, they were careful and attentive.”
But now that the trial is over and Judge Juan Merchan dismissed the jury, what will happen to their identities?
Judge Merchan prohibited their names from being released during the trial. It does not appear he plans on lifting that order now that the trial is over. State and local leaders in New York indicated they want to take steps to protect the jurors’ identities.
“I directed my administration to closely coordinate with local and federal law enforcement and we continue to monitor the situation,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement. “We are committed to protecting the safety of all New Yorkers and the integrity of our judicial system.”
“As we await the next steps, New Yorkers should rest assured that the NYPD stands ready to respond to any and all circumstances, including large-scale protests,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams posted on X.
As we await the next steps, New Yorkers should rest assured that the NYPD stands ready to respond to any and all circumstances, including large-scale protests. While peaceful protests and assembly will always be protected, we will not be a city of any form of lawlessness.
“The safety and security of the judge, court personnel and jury are of the utmost importance in the upcoming days and weeks,” State Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, D-N.Y., the chairman of the State Judiciary Committee, said in a statement. “Their protection, and this ruling, will demonstrate to the nation, and to the world, that we are indeed a nation governed by the rule of law.”
Journalists will track down the jurors and request an interview. Whether they participate is totally up to them.
It is not uncommon for jurors to come forward after high-profile cases. One juror did an interview after the OJ Simpson murder trial, another spoke after the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard defamation case.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul targets cellphones in schools
Gov. Kathy Hochul, D-N.Y., is leading a crusade across the state to address the issue of youth mental health. Her latest focus is the issue of cellphones in schools.
“This is the urgency that I am bringing to this cause,” Hochul said during a recent news conference. “Why I am investing a lot of my time, energy and political capital to say we can’t solve everything right now, but there’s one area where I know we can make a real difference. and this is the effects of the addictive, and the ‘addictive’ word is the one I’m focusing on. Addictive algorithms that are intended to bombard our young people when they scroll social media, and to draw them in deeper and make it harder for them to put down their device or to interact at a personal level with others.”
Hochul and her team spent the last year engaging with New York children and teenagers. Now, her office is ready to launch a set of bills aimed at online child safety. One of these bills, which is set to be announced later this year, proposes banning smartphones in public schools.
“Why are young people on their devices all day long during school hours?” Hochul asked while appearing on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” earlier this week. “How are they learning? How are they multitasking the way that they’re checking out what everybody’s going to be doing this weekend and scrolling and seeing different feeds and listening to their geometry class?”
The governor later clarified her stance after pushback form parents.
“I’m okay if you have a flip phone your child wants to talk to you, or you need to have a conversation,” Hochul said. “They say, ‘Can you pick me up at 3 o’clock?’ Text them a message, but you don’t have to be in the world of social media throughout the day.”
Hochul vowed to continue conversations with parents and children before introducing the bill during next year’s legislative session, which begins in January 2025.
Notably, New York is not the only state addressing cellphone behavior during school hours.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine recently signed a bill into law that requires public school districts to adopt or update policies related to student cellphone use. The bill contains rules aimed to limit phone usage as much as possible. It also includes potential bans on carrying phones on school grounds.
Ohio school districts have until July 2025 to implement the new policies.
A study by Common Sense Media reveals that 97% of students use their phones during school hours.
NYC subway shooting renews violence worries after National Guard called in
A man is in critical condition after being shot in the head on a Brooklyn subway train during rush hour Thursday, March 14. The altercation took place between a 32-year-old man and a 36-year-old man on board a northbound A train at a Brooklyn station.
Chief of Transit Michael Kemper held a news conference and said the 32-year-old had boarded the train and was approached by the 36-year-old man who was behaving aggressively and brandishing a knife.
The chief said that a woman who appeared to be with the 32-year-old man had a sharp object and seemed to have stabbed the 36-year-old.
“The 36-year-old removed a firearm from his jacket,” Kemper said during a news briefing. “He then took that firearm, started walking toward the 32-year-old who was on the train, yelling at him, walking toward him in a menacing way. And it became physical again between the two. During this physical confrontation. Well, that gun, we believe, was removed from the 36-year-old by the 32-year-old. And the 32-year-old fired multiple shots, striking the 36-year-old.”
Shots were fired, causing panic among passengers. Officers swiftly responded and apprehended the suspect.
This incident adds to recent concerns about subway safety following a series of violent events. It also comes a week after Gov. Kathy Hochul announced she was deploying the National Guard to help secure the subway system and keep New Yorkers safe.
Authorities have not determined whether charges will be filed against the 32-year-old, emphasizing the ongoing investigation.
In an effort to enhance passenger safety, a combined force of one thousand National Guardsmen and state police will be stationed throughout the subway network. These security personnel will focus on monitoring the city’s busiest stations and will conduct bag checks to search for weapons.
The National Guard and 250 additional police officers will carry out random bag checks and help patrol New York City’s subway system amid a spike in high-profile crimes, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/J2Zb7QLpEx
Addressing the recent violence, Governor Hochul stated, “These brazen, heinous attacks on our subway system will not be tolerated. So today, in the wake of these latest attacks, I’m unveiling a five-point plan to rid our subways of people who commit crimes and protect all New Yorkers.”
According to local reports, early Thursday, March 7, hours after the governor announced her plan to combat subway crime, a man was stabbed in the hand at a Bronx station. The incident occurred at the Pelham Parkway station, where the victim was trying to prevent two men from harassing a woman. The assailants escaped in a white vehicle.
In a separate incident, police are searching for a suspect who assaulted a 4 train conductor with a glass bottle at the 170th Street station, resulting in minor injuries for the conductor.
“Anyone looking to do harm or spread fear on our subways. You will be caught, plain and simple. There will be consequences. This has to end. New Yorkers deserve no less. And to those who are feeling anxious whenever they walk through those turnstiles. We will stop at nothing to keep you safe,” Hochul said Wednesday, March 6.
Alabama enacts IVF protections following Supreme Court decision
Alabama’s Governor has signed a bill into law aimed at protecting IVF patients and hospitals from prosecution following a near-three week pause in treatments. And—why New York is deploying hundreds of National Guard members to city subways. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Thursday, March 7, 2024.
Alabama enacts IVF protections following Supreme Court embryo decision
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey enacted legislation safeguarding in vitro fertilization (IVF) practices, following a controversial state Supreme Court decision that classified frozen embryos as children. This landmark ruling had previously led hospitals to suspend IVF treatments, fearing potential criminal prosecution.
Get up to speed on the stories leading the day every weekday morning. Get The Morning RundownTM newsletter straight to your inbox!
The legislation, which was expedited through the state legislature and signed by the governor late Wednesday, comes in response to urgent calls for the state to address the implications of the Supreme Court’s decision. This decision had permitted couples to pursue wrongful death lawsuits if their frozen embryos were mishandled and destroyed at fertility clinics.
I have signed SB159, the IVF protections legislation, after it received overwhelming support from the Alabama Legislature. #alpolitics
— Governor Kay Ivey (@GovernorKayIvey) March 7, 2024
Under the new law, fertility patients, doctors, and hospitals are provided with legal protections, ensuring they “cannot be held criminally responsible if an embryo is destroyed.” Furthermore, the legislation stipulates that any civil damages awarded in such cases will be limited to the cost of one IVF cycle.
Following this significant development, some clinics in Alabama have announced that IVF treatments, which had been halted for two weeks, might resume as soon as today or Friday.
President Biden to deliver State of the Union address
President Joe Biden is slated to deliver his annual State of the Union address to the nation tonight, before a joint session of Congress this evening. The address is anticipated to cover key issues such as the economy, immigration, and the ongoing foreign conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.
In tonight’s speech, Biden is expected to present his argument for re-election, leveraging one of his largest audiences ahead of the general election in November. The address follows closely on the heels of Super Tuesday, which has seemingly paved the way for a potential rematch between Biden and Trump in the upcoming presidential race.
Viewers can tune in to watch the State of the Union, which begins at 9 p.m. Eastern Time.
Armorer on ‘Rust’ movie set found guilty of involuntary manslaughter
Following the verdict, Gutierrez-Reed’s attorney announced plans to appeal the decision. Baldwin, who has consistently denied pulling the trigger in the fatal accident, is slated to stand trial in July and has entered a plea of not guilty.
Three people killed in first fatal Houthi attack on ships in the Red Sea
U.S. officials have reported a deadly attack by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels on a commercial ship in the Gulf of Aden, marking a significant escalation in regional tensions. The missile strike on a cargo ship resulted in the deaths of three crew members, the first fatalities in a series of Houthi assaults on shipping in the Red Sea.
The strike targeted the Barbados-flagged, Liberian-owned True Confidence, escalating tensions along a vital maritime route crucial for global shipping. Despite ongoing U.S. airstrikes against the Houthis, their aggressive actions persist, including the recent commandeering of a $50 million Kuwaiti crude oil cargo for Chevron Corp.
The U.S. Central Command reported the ship was hit by an anti-ship ballistic missile from Yemen, causing significant damage and injuring another four crew members.
Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree stated the attacks aim to lift the “siege on the Palestinian people in Gaza.”
National Guard deployed to New York City subways to combat crime
In an effort to enhance passenger safety, a combined force of one thousand National Guardsmen and state police will be stationed throughout the subway network. These security personnel will focus on monitoring the city’s busiest stations and will conduct bag checks to search for weapons.
Addressing the recent violence, Governor Hochul stated, “These brazen, heinous attacks on our subway system will not be tolerated. So today, in the wake of these latest attacks, I’m unveiling a five-point plan to rid our subways of people who commit crimes and protect all New Yorkers.”
Oakland Athletics unveil new Las Vegas stadium designs
The Oakland Athletics are set to dramatically alter the Las Vegas skyline with their new $1.5 billion stadium, drawing inspiration from the iconic Sydney Opera House. The team and their design partners revealed plans for the ambitious project this week, signaling a new era for the city and the franchise.
Together with @BIG_Architects and @HNTBCorp, we have unveiled the design for our new ballpark project in Las Vegas on the Tropicana site. BIG will serve as the design lead and HNTB as the sports/hospitality designer and architect of record.
Scheduled to replace the 67-year-old Tropicana Las Vegas by 2028, the 33,000-seat domed stadium will boast an outfield glass window offering panoramic views of the Strip, alongside the installation of the largest video board in Major League Baseball, measuring 18,000 square feet.
A’s owner John Fisher highlighted the decision to incorporate a non-retractable roof, emphasizing the stadium’s versatility for hosting a wide range of events throughout the year. The project’s hefty $1.5 billion price tag includes $380 million in public financing, with construction slated to begin next year.