Latest news with #EastSide
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Editorial: Another UN failure — US had to veto a lopsided resolution that would not bring peace to Gaza
We wish that Elise Stefanik was sitting at the large C-shaped table in the UN Security Council chamber over on the East Side on Wednesday, where she would have ripped apart the fecklessness of the diplomats (from both friend and foe) who lined up to do the bidding of Hamas in support of a lopsided resolution that had to be vetoed by the United States. But due to D.C. politics and the narrowness of the Republican control of the House, Stefanik remains a congresswoman from upstate and is not the U.S. ambassador and the veto task fell to Chargé d'Affaires Dorothy Shea, a career Senior Foreign Service officer. Shea cast her veto, making for a 14-1 tally and correctly killing the resolution, which called for a ceasefire in Gaza without blaming Hamas, who started the fighting by launching the Oct. 7 onslaught against Israel and can stop the fighting by freeing the hostages, giving up, disarming and leaving Gaza. The way to peace is simple: get Hamas out and get aid in. They are stealing the supplies being shipped to the needy Palestinians in the territory. Hamas started this horrible situation by launching the Oct. 7 surprise attack on Israel, the deadliest day for Jews since Hitler's genocidal 1,000-year Reich was destroyed by the heroic soldiers and airmen of the Red Army and the Western Allies. Hamas has been defeated by Israel. Hamas has lost the war, but they are not willing to surrender and they are prolonging the agony for the innocent Palestinians by using them as human shields. The U.S., Egypt and Qatar have been conducting peace talks for months. Israel keeps saying yes, while Hamas keeps saying no, as recently as this past weekend. The U.S. policy has been consistent since Oct. 7: Hamas is the cause of the bloodshed and the suffering and any UN resolution must assign them the blame. The Biden administration vetoed prior Security Council resolutions that failed to condemn Hamas and now the Trump administration is continuing to do so. The Security Council cannot be allowed to deliver Hamas a propaganda victory, while in the real world, the terrorists refuse to accept a way out that the negotiators are offering. There was some hope for a breakthrough when Israel killed Hamas honcho Mohammed Sinwar last week, the younger brother of Yahya Sinwar, the fiend who masterminded Oct. 7 and who was killed last October. But this UN vote, which the Hamas champions will heap blame on Washington for, will only make a getting deal take that much longer and that means more suffering for the people of Gaza who have suffered under years of cruel Hamas dictatorship and now a war started by Hamas. But that's to be expected from the UN, which still hasn't labeled Hamas as a terror organization. As for what's happening in Gaza while the UN dickers, Hamas terrorists hide in their tunnels and ordinary Palestinians pay for their intransigence. There are still 58 Israeli hostages being held by Hamas, now for 608 days. The way forward is clear for Hamas: lay down your weapons, release the hostages and leave Gaza behind to be rebuilt. The Hamas legacy of death and suffering has to end. The UN is only postponing that day. _____
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
NYC DOT under fire after bike lane revisions cause gridlock for drivers trying to avoid congestion tolls
The NYC Department of Transportation has put the screws to drivers who are trying to avoid congestion pricing tolls by entering Manhattan via the Queensborough Bridge, critics told The Post. The agency helped spur relentless massive gridlock last month by removing a key left-turn lane along East 62nd Street heading northbound on First Avenue — to create a seven-foot-wide safety buffer area abutting the 62nd Street bike lane. 'It makes me feel like the New York City Department of Transportation is deliberately trying to ruin the only toll-free route into Manhattan from Queens,' said Dylan Yen, 24, an Upper East Side tech consultant and U.S. Coast Guard member who regularly commutes between boroughs by taking the bridge. 'They're deliberately trying to make it as difficult as possible so that people will either pay the congestion toll or, more cynically, they make it so bad that we as a neighborhood decide that we need congestion pricing.' Northbound travelers such as Yen avoid the controversial $9 toll for Manhattan drivers below East 60th Street by using the bridge's upper level exit, leading to East 61st Street. Exiting the lower level leaves drivers off at East 59th Street where they have to pay the piper. Yen continued: 'This is manufactured congestion to cater to the whims of Transportation Alternatives,' referring to the powerful anti-car group that critics say has incestuous relationship with DOT, indirectly lobbies for Uber and Lyft and wields a lot of power with lefty officials. The revisions leave only one lane operating during certain hours for both drivers needing to turn left to onto First Avenue or continue east onto the FDR Drive. The road's right lane is supposed to be open to traffic except Sundays and overnights the rest of the week, midnight to 7 a.m. when parking is allowed. However, it's routinely blocked during business hours by trucks making deliveries, residents said. Previously, the strip had a lane dedicated for left turns, a center lane for thru-traffic to the FDR Drive and a right lane with 'No Standing' zones regulations in affect most hours beyond Sunday. The DOT insists its plan was always to eliminate the left lane and create a safety buffer for bikers since the 62nd Street bike lane was installed in 2021 under then-Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration. That part of the project was put on hold for years because outdoor dining sheds were blocking the right lane until Mayor Eric Adams instituted new rules phasing out many of the blighted structures, officials claimed. Bridge users aren't buying the excuse. Michael, a 34-year-old Upper East Side resident who works at a Queens tech company, said his average commute time is now 75 minutes, compared to 25 minutes before the traffic patterns changed. He said the traffic now routinely backs up onto bridge's upper level and is especially bad on Sundays when the right lane on East 62nd Street allows parking — adding it's deplorable that drivers are being charged the congestion toll for 'creeping 300 feet into the zone' to exit and enter on the lower-level. 'On Sundays, it's backed up to the middle of the bridge,' he said. 'They don't give a s—t! The DOT does not give a s—t! It's an open targeting of drivers.' Traffic congestion near the Manhattan side of the bridge has historically been a problem, but it's now nonstop, said Sebastian, who lives on East 62nd Street near First Avenue. 'The traffic is 24 hours [a day], he said. 'It's a safety concern for pedestrians.' Linda Santangelo, 61, of the Upper East Side, said she doesn't drive but is now forced dealing with the honking horns and car fumes the extra traffic congestion has brought to the neighborhood. 'I was surprised by the gridlock going on [because of the traffic changes], ' Santangelo said. 'And I do a see a lot of extra traffic on the Upper East Side because of this. It's gridlock everywhere!' Councilwoman Julie Menin, a Manhattan Democrat who represents the Upper East Side-Lenox Hill areas near the bridge, told The Post her office has fielded plenty of complaints from local residents about the changes causing 'added congestion.' 'DOT should review this location to determine whether this intersection should be reverted to a configuration that better supports traffic flow and continues to make our streets safer for pedestrians, drivers, and cyclists,' said Menin. DOT spokesman Vincent Barone said the bike lane project was put in place by the de Blasio administration 'to create safer crosstown connections for cyclists and pedestrians while also preserving the same number of vehicular travel lanes during rush hours in a historically congested area near the bridge.' 'These corridors were chosen for safety upgrades in part because they were the locations of hundreds of injuries and multiple pedestrian fatalities — and if there are any delays due to drivers dangerously and illegally parking in travel lanes, we will work with our sister agencies on enforcement,' he said.
ABC News
26-05-2025
- ABC News
Alice Springs council removes roadside memorial without consultation
The Alice Springs Town Council has apologised after a roadside memorial was destroyed without consultation with family and friends. Alice Springs teen Alex Marchant-Powell died on May 31 last year when the car he was driving hit a tree on Bougainvillea Avenue in East Side. The tree became a roadside memorial for friends and family to visit and pay their respects. Several weeks ago mementos, flowers and fairy lights were removed without consultation, leaving those closest to him bereft. His mother, Nicolle Marchant, said learning of the removal as the one-year anniversary of her son's death approached had caused her unbelievable pain. "To lose your only child, your whole world, is the greatest heartache that anyone can go through," she said. "And then to know that some heartless person or people have just gone and torn down memorabilia is beyond heartbreaking." Ms Marchant said she did not want a similar thing to happen to anyone else in Alice Springs. "For this to occur, this absolutely heartless act, is completely unnecessary," she said. "There's so much sadness there, but there's so much love there. "It's a place that they can go and just sit and be and remember Alex and all the love that he shared with everyone." Alex Shaw said he often went to the tree to pay his respects to his lost mate. "We don't have a grave or anything," Mr Shaw said. "So this is the closest thing we have to it." "We filled it with decorations. "The base was covered in flowers and filled with valuable mementos and photos. "A lot of the stuff were personal items of his that we took from his house and left it for him." He said he was shocked by the removal. "The whole year has been trying to keep the [memorial] alive, trying to keep it going especially for his mother." Council director of technical services, Joel Andrew, said the council had provided an apology to Ms Marchant and to her son's friends. "We've let them down … by not contacting them and trying to work through and find a solution to the concerns," he said. Mr Andrew said there was a roadside memorial policy which dictated the size, shape and makeup of memorials. "[Staff] said it was outside of the policy and removed it," Mr Andrew said. He said at least two complaints had been received for Mr Marchant-Powell's memorial. "I think it was an effect on the nearby residents and also the distraction towards drivers [as it] was quite lit up at night with fairy lights and it's causing concern for residents," Mr Andrew said. Mr Andrew said the council would work with Mr Marchant-Powell's family and friends to ensure the memorial was reinstated. "We've offered to try and mitigate the situation," he said. "I understand her son's friends have some things they'd like to put in place for the one-year anniversary and we're trying to assist with that and make recompense as much as we possibly can."
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Festivities underway at Erie's annual Troika Russian Festival
The Troika Festival has kicked off in the historic East Bayfront neighborhood, celebrating Russian culture at the Russian Old Rite Orthodox Church of the Nativity. Running for three days, the festival offers attendees a chance to experience Russian music, food, and beer. The event began with a blessing and bell ringing by Father Pimen Simon from the Church of the Nativity of Christ. 'We certainly wouldn't start any endeavor without prayer,' said Father Pimen Simon, emphasizing the importance of blessing the festival's food and activities. WATCH: Brian Wilk live at the Troika-Russian Festival Despite the cool weather, the festival continued with a variety of traditional Russian dishes. Co-organizer Mary Wassell highlighted the food offerings, including vareniki, a dumpling stuffed with fried cabbage, onion, and mushrooms, and a beet salad. The festival's profits are reinvested into the local community. Mark Sokoloff, a parishioner, noted that the funds help improve the lifestyle of residents in the lower east side of Erie. Erie resident Patty Gyuratz expressed enjoyment at the festival, noting the abundance of activities, bands, and live music. The 15th annual Troika Festival continues through Sunday, providing a cultural experience and supporting community initiatives in Erie. All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by WJET/WFXP. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by WJET/WFXP staff before being published. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Teen on the mend after tree falls into house during storm
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – A massive tree came down and crashed into an East Side home on March 30. A 13-year-old was in the wrong place at the wrong time when the tree came down and she was pinned by a thick branch, her foot through the floor and stuck there for about an hour. Now, the teen is out of the hospital and the family is living in a hotel. That teen, Kallie Frederick, recalls exactly what happened that night. $250 million facility opens down the road from Intel in New Albany, creating 225 jobs 'My grandma had told me to come listen to the wind because she had never heard something like this,' Kallie Frederick said. 'I heard a branch or a tree snapping or something and I knew that, like, something was up. Like something was totally going to go wrong.' 'I was standing there and I was talking about the wind, and I didn't get about, like, maybe two words out, and the tree had fell and I was shocked,' she added. 'I couldn't think anything. I was just traumatized. I was just shocked. I was just traumatized. I just kind of couldn't even say anything.' 'That's when you heard the tree hit the house,' Kallie's grandfather Pat Frederick said. 'Glass busting and the ceiling tile and the four by eights and stuff come down into the living room. She got caught by a 32-inch branch, and it drove her foot into the floor.' The tree, at least six feet in diameter near the base, came down over the chimney, with branches penetrating the living room right where Kallie stood and her grandfather sat in his recliner. 'It happened so quick when it hit the house, I wasn't sure what had happened, and then as all the noise and the glass and the stuff coming down from the ceiling, I close my eyes and when I opened my eyes, the tree was literally from about this far. It was about 12 inches away,' Pat Frederick said. Investigation alleges Kroger overcharges customers on items advertised as on sale That night of March 30, the National Weather Service confirmed five tornadoes in Ohio and two more from the same storm in Indiana. Wind gusts were rampant that night as well, many recorded up to 60 miles per hour. That's likely what brought down the large tree at the edge of a wooded area off of Noe Bixby Road in the Fredericks' backyard. 'I was thinking about trying to get this leg out of the way and try to run as fast as I can, but I was just, I just couldn't make it and the tree fell,' Kallie Frederick said. 'My, like, foot had drove into the basement and I was stuck. After about an hour or so, I was finally released out of it and they put me into the stretcher, and they got me in the ambulance.' Columbus firefighters arrived at the scene along with paramedics that night. They had to go into the basement of the home to prop up the floor in order to get Kallie's leg freed from the tree branch. 'They were saying, 'It's going to be okay. You're going to be safe,' and then the ambulance and fire department reassured me that I was going to be okay,' Kallie Frederick said. The frightening moments of living through the storm and tree crashing down on top of her continue to haunt Kallie, especially when there is the threat of a thunderstorm, common during the spring and summer in Ohio. South-Western City School board joins groups denouncing gender identity, DEI and non-English languages 'I couldn't sleep for one night because of how traumatized and scared and, it was just, wasn't my normal bed, and I was just scared,' she said. 'It was scary. It was just so scary how the tree just fell right through the chimney.' Kallie said she already had a fear of storms since she was very young. 'Ever since I was little, I've been scared of thunderstorms,' Kallie Frederick said. 'Even if the power goes out or I'm in the dark in the hallway, I'm just scared of everything and now that I saw a tree fell, I'm scared of trees now.' 'I have had the tree stuck in my mind for quite a while,' she added. 'I just can't get it out of my head. Makes me cry, makes me sad. It just makes me everything.' Life is starting to get back to normal for the Fredericks. Kallie is back in school, and she's off the crutches and in a walking boot. Fire rainbow spotted in Ohio sky explained 'I was actually out of school for a month,' she said. 'Ever since the incident happened, I just recently got to school on Wednesday the 14th and I had gone to school. Everybody was nice. They were concerned about me. They were really worried for me.' The family is still living in a hotel. The home is a wreck inside and out after the tree sat there for weeks before it was removed. Pat Frederick said raccoons have been in and out of the home often since then, tearing the place apart, but they are still grateful and thankful to be alive. 'If it had gone a few minutes one way or the other, or the tree had gone 12 inches one way or the other, we probably wouldn't be here,' he said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
