Latest news with #NYPD
CBS News
2 hours ago
- CBS News
NYC man accused of hiding explosive devices on rooftops pleads not guilty
A New York City man accused of building explosive devices and then hiding them of rooftops around the city pleaded not guilty to the federal charges. Michael Gann was arraigned Friday morning after authorities charged him with allegedly making at least seven explosive devices with chemicals he ordered and instructions he found on the internet. Investigators said Gann, 55, stored approximately five devices on rooftops of apartment buildings in Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood and tossed one onto the Williamsburg Bridge subway tracks between May and June. The indictment revealed investigators found 30 grams of explosive powder, which is more than 600 times the legal limit for consumer fireworks. "Even a relatively small-looking device, in this case 600 times the explosive power of a firework, in close proximity of a subway car can be very damaging, even deadly," Rebecca Weiner, the NYPD's deputy commissioner of intelligence and counterterrorism, said at the time. Gann was charged with three federal counts, including attempted destruction of property by means of explosives. According to the indictment, he told law enforcement he was trying to make pyrotechnics and learned how to online. Prosecutors said Gann set off an explosive on June 5 near the East River and the FDR Drive. The indictment said he told investigators he was frightened after that and started considering how to get rid of the devices, either by throwing them into the East River or handing them over to the FDNY. He allegedly threw two devices into the river from the Williamsburg Bridge. Gann's next court date is August 13. He has 30 prior arrests and three felony convictions.
Daily Mail
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Food Network star Anne Burrell died by suicide at 55, report confirms
Food Network star Anne Burrell died by suicide, it has been revealed. Five weeks after her sudden death at 55, the news was confirmed by the New York City medical examiner's office, as per a report in People on Thursday. Her cause of death was listed as 'acute intoxication due to the combined effects of diphenhydramine, ethanol, cetirizine, and amphetamine.' SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO Diphenhydramine and cetirizine are both antihistamines, ethanol is a type of alcohol, and amphetamine is a stimulant often prescribed for ADHD. Burrell's family declined the publication's request for comment. She was found dead inside her Brooklyn apartment on Tuesday. The Food Network star - who hosted Secrets Of A Restaurant Chef and co-hosted Worst Cooks In America - was found 'in the shower unconscious and unresponsive surrounded by approximately (100) assorted pills,' according to NYPD documents seen by The New York Times. Emergency medical teams responded to the home she shared with her husband Stuart Claxton but she was pronounced dead at the scene. On June 20, a spokeswoman for the city's medical examiner's office confirmed that Burrell's autopsy had been completed but findings on the exact cause of her death was still pending. Claxton reportedly last saw his wife alive at about 1 am the night prior before discovering her unconscious between six to seven hours later in their bathroom. It was reported earlier this week that EMS crews had attempted CPR on Burrell but could not resuscitate her. Her family said in a statement: 'Anne was a beloved wife, sister, daughter, stepmother, and friend — her smile lit up every room she entered. 'Anne's light radiated far beyond those she knew, touching millions across the world. 'Though she is no longer with us, her warmth, spirit, and boundless love remain eternal.' A Food Network spokesperson added: 'Anne was a remarkable person and culinary talent – teaching, competing and always sharing the importance of food in her life and the joy that a delicious meal can bring. 'Our thoughts are with Anne's family, friends and fans during this time of tremendous loss.' Just hours before her passing Burrell had performed an improv show at a comedy club in Brooklyn, after having taken classes at the venue's training center. In a podcast earlier this year she spoke with Tori Spelling on taking the classes and how she planned to expand her horizons. She said: 'I just started taking acting classes. I started yesterday, actually... It's like an improv for actors' class. 'I got there and it's like eight people in the class. I'm the oldest one. Every other person has like, "Oh, I have a master's in fine arts in theater." ' Burrell showed off her self-awareness and sense of humor that her fans were familiar with as she joked about the age gap between she and her fellow students. She said: 'I'm like, 'okay, I've never taken an acting class. I don't know, this is new to me.' 'I wonder if these delightful and super talented kids look at me and they're like, "What's this old lady doing here?" ' The television personality had taken a break from her show Worst Cooks In America for season 28, which baffled many fans. Spelling asked at the time what led her to that decision. Burrell answered: 'I can cook, yes, I can do TV, but also, what else? I've got more to do in my life, I feel like.' She also admitted she was just 'dipping my toe' when it came to acting. Burrell explained: 'I feel very excited about it. I've got a few other things that I'm working on as well, which I'm not quite ready to share yet. Hopefully, exciting things [are] coming.' Gigi Hadid, who famously appeared on the cooking competition series Beat Bobby Flay with Burrell, led the celebrities paying tribute. 'I am heartbroken to hear of the loss of the Great Anne Burrell,' the model, 30, said. Hadid included a photo of herself and Burrell from their time filming Beat Bobby Flay in 2023. 'As a longtime fan, getting to share this day with her was a dream come true. Beat Bobby. Hang. Eat,' she recalled. 'I wish we could have done it again. She was awesome. Rest in Peace Legend.' Chef Carla Hall, who previously appeared on Food Network's Top Chef, called Burrell an 'incredible cook and teacher.' Queer Eye For The Straight Guy star Carson Kressley, who was a close friend of Burrell's, revealed that he spoke to her just days before her death. He also shared a post to his own Instagram page which included a photo of him and Burrell. 'Rest easy, Chef Anne. I'm so blessed I was able to work with you, learn from you, laugh with you. 'So many memories - on screen and off - I cherish this photo of us living our best lives, as the kids say,' Kressley wrote. The TV chef - who became synonymous with her trademark spiky platinum hair - is survived by husband, whom she wed in October 2021 in an autumn-themed ceremony and reception in her hometown of Cazenovia, New York. She is also survived by her mother Marlene and sister Jane and her children Isabella, Amelia and Nicolas, and her brother Ben. Burrell developed a passion for cooking at a young age, inspired by her mother's home-cooked meals and by watching food icon Julia Child on television. After earning a degree in English and communications from Canisius College in Buffalo in 1991, she followed her culinary dreams and enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, graduating in 1996. She worked at a host of New York City hotspots including Felidia and Savoy in Soho, where she honed her craft in Mediterranean cuisine. She was later thrust into the spotlight and became best known as the longtime host of Worst Cooks In America. The show, which ran for 28 seasons, saw celebrated chefs mentor amateur cooks in an attempt to transform them from rookies to kitchen experts. Elsewhere, she appeared on Chef Wanted, Chopped, Food Network Star, and most recently competition series House Of Knives - which premiered in March. She also penned two of her own cookbooks - Cook Like A Rock Star and Own Your Kitchen: Recipes To Inspire & Empower.
New York Post
19 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Post
OF COURSE ‘restorative justice' in schools doesn't work — and now the proof is in
Surprise, surprise: School 'meditation rooms' and 'harm-reduction circles,' a new study shows, don't cure juvenile delinquents but instead undermine teachers' authority and lead to more chaotic classrooms. Gee, who would've thunk it? Actually, the study — by the Manhattan Institute — confirms what we've long known about then-Mayor Bill de Blasio's push for 'restorative justice' in the name of racial equity: It was always doomed to fail. Restorative justice calls for schools to provide students and staff the opportunity to talk through conflicts instead of punishing kids with meaningful measures like suspensions. Yet the data shows that, despite an outlay of $100 million since it became the prevailing practice, incidents requiring the NYPD's school safety division more than doubled — from 1,200 in the first quarter of 2016 to 4,120 in the first quarter of 2025. The report also found that putting troubled students in 'meditation rooms' instead of suspending or kicking them out of class doesn't solve any problems, as violent incidents continued to rise and absenteeism jumped 35%. The study cites several instances of students not being punished or held accountable for deplorable behavior and violent acts. Though students at Origins High School who had subjected a Jewish teacher to Nazi salutes and threats were sent to a 'meditation room,' the harassment did not stop. This spring, an 8-year-old stabbed a staff member with a pencil and threatened classmates at Staten Island's PS 8. Parents derided the school's response — a meditation room and calls home — as entirely inadequate. A Center for Court Innovation in Brooklyn found no statistically significant benefits in schools that implemented restorative-justice practices compared to those that used a traditional disciplinary approach. The Department of Education claims suspensions have plummeted 48% over the past 10 years, resulting in 'keeping more children in class and engaged.' Duh: If your policy is to suspend fewer kids, as restorative-justice calls for, it's no shock that fewer kids get suspended. Even Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos admits the approach isn't cutting it: 'The work is far from done,' she conceded Wednesday. Yet she vowed, 'It's not leaving New York City public schools.' That's unforgivable: The study's bottom line clearly found restorative justice fuels disorder, a lack of accountability and possibly an increase in chronic absenteeism. The disruptions that prevent well-behaved kids from learning alone should be enough to ditch this policy, not to mention the violence and absenteeism that comes from it. Mayor Eric Adams, as a former cop, should know that kids who don't pay meaningful consequences for misbehavior will simply continue misbehaving. Some good news: An April 2025 executive order from Donald Trump puts the kibosh on using race as a factor in discipline, which may help push schools to return to traditional responses to misconduct and a restoration of order in classrooms. But until New York City's policy changes, the chaos will continue — and learning will suffer.
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
A paid-for trip to talk immigration with Dr. Phil sparks questions about NYPD's John Chell
NEW YORK — John Chell, the NYPD's top uniformed cop, had at least $1,000 in travel expenses covered by Dr. Phil last year to participate in an interview with the conservative TV personality — an example of how the powerful police official has become a mainstay of right-wing media, according to records reviewed by the Daily News. Chell, a key ally to Mayor Eric Adams who was at the time the department's chief of patrol, took the trip to Texas in March 2024 to do an interview with Dr. Phil about New York's 'migrant crime wave.' The intersection of migrants and crime is a key talking point of President Trump's administration as it pursues an aggressive deportation agenda, and Chell's comped Texas trip came at a time he was emerging as a regular on Trump-boosting news shows, raising concerns about him mixing policing with partisan politics. In addition to Dr. Phil's shows, Chell has regularly appeared on Newsmax, a pro-Trump outlet, and Fox News. Wearing full uniform, Chell appeared on Newsmax from inside Madison Square Garden during Trump's October 2024 campaign outlet at the arena. Last year, The News reported that Chell — before being promoted to become the NYPD's chief of department — was even considering quitting public service to join Newsmax as a paid political commentator. Since then, Chell has bolstered ties with Trump, including golfing with the president at his New Jersey club last month, while also attracting scrutiny from city oversight agencies over some of his political activities. Chell, a registered independent voter, didn't violate rules or laws by having his Texas tab picked up by Dr. Phil. Chell also regularly appears on media outlets seen as less partisan, including local and national TV stations. Still, Manhattan Councilwoman Gale Brewer, a Democrat who's the chairwoman of the Council's Oversight Committee, argued Chell appearing on overtly pro-Trump outlets takes on a potentially problematic political overtone. 'It could be a problem to go on quasi news channels that are very conservative and Trump-oriented because it doesn't look great for the police department,' said Brewer, whose committee has oversight to probe the NYPD. 'But it is not illegal as far as I can tell.' Ken Frydman, a longtime New York media consultant who has worked for several of the NYPD's labor unions, agreed with Brewer, calling Chell's Dr. Phil appearance 'not only bad optics' but also 'inappropriate.' Senior police officials like Chell, Frydman added, shouldn't engage in activities that could be construed as 'public political positions' as that could send a signal that the NYPD as a whole is partisan. Details about Chell's Texas trip were included in his 2024 financial disclosure, provided to The News this month by the city Conflicts of Interest Board. The document shows Dr. Phil, a vocal Trump supporter whose real name is Phil McGraw, paid between $1,000 and $5,000 on 'travel & lodging' for the chief. The disclosure, which only offers a range as opposed to an exact dollar figure, says the trip had a 'city-related' purpose, meaning Chell's travel was considered an official government activity. Adams' office has routinely said the city pays for expenditures related to official activities municipal employees engage in. But an NYPD spokesperson noted the City Charter allows for officials to accept travel costs as a gift when 'the trip is for a City purpose and therefore could properly be paid for with City funds.' 'The purpose of the trip was to exchange views regarding policing in America, including discussion regarding the challenges facing New York City amid the migrant crisis,' said the spokesperson, who didn't provide the exact cost of Chell's accommodations and airfare. Earlier this year, the Department of Investigation determined that Chell violated NYPD guidelines by using his official social media accounts to go after political critics online, a finding that came after Chell had planned to deliver remarks at a Republican club meeting in Queens. Then, earlier this month, it emerged the Department of Investigation has separately started looking into a complaint alleging Chell misused police resources by bringing his security detail along with him as he traveled to his Trump golf outing last month. That complaint was filed by Rev. Kevin McCall, a Brooklyn civil rights activist and pastor. In response to Dr. Phil paying for Chell's Texas trip, McCall said NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch should 'get a hold of this media monger.' 'This is an insult to every New Yorker who expects NYPD to be a public institution not a personal brand platform,' McCall said. 'John Chell is being allowed to run rogue.' Since Chell's Texas trip, Dr. Phil has grown increasingly close with Adams and his administration. Last month, the New York Times reported Dr. Phil introduced Adams to Tom Homan, Trump's 'border czar,' who then proceeded to coordinate with administration officials on deportation raids that were called off by Tisch amid concerns they would have violated local sanctuary laws. Recently, Dr. Phil's TV network also signed a deal with Adams' office to do a documentary called 'Behind the Badge,' which is expected to highlight the work of the NYPD, specifically focusing on Chell and Kaz Daughtry, Adams' deputy mayor for public safety. Adams spokeswoman Kayla Mamelak declined this month to share a copy of the Dr. Phil contract. _____
Chicago Tribune
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Trump administration sues New York City over sanctuary city protections for immigrants
The Trump administration has filed a federal lawsuit seeking to end sanctuary city law policies in New York City, arguing that the laws that protect migrants violates the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The lawsuit, filed Thursday in Brooklyn Federal Court, cites Sunday's shooting of an off-duty Customs and Border Patrol officer in Fort Washington Park and the arrest of two migrants who were in the country illegally. It contends that the city has 'long been at the vanguard of interfering with enforcing this country's immigration laws.' The lawsuit is seeking an injunction to put a stop to city laws that bar the use of resources from being used in immigration enforcement, and blocking city agencies like the Department of Correction and the police from honoring civil immigration detainers placed by federal authorities. The city's sanctuary laws were passed under Mayor de Blasio in 2014. They limit communications and cooperation between federal immigration enforcement agencies and local agencies, including law enforcement. The lawsuit specifically takes aim at an NYPD operations order that prevents officers from engaging in or assisting in civil immigration enforcement. It prevents cops from contacting civil immigration authorities to let them know where an individual is located; detaining an individual so that person can be taken into custody and allowing NYPD facilities to be utilized in connection with civil immigration enforcement. The lawsuit was filed against the city, Mayor Adams and Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, as well as the NYPD and the Department of Correction. It claims local protections are designed to obstruct the lawful enforcement of federal immigration law, and that the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution means that federal law pre-empts any laws passed by New York City. 'We will review the lawsuit,' Adams spokeswoman Kayla Mamelak said. The council did not immediately comment. The lawsuit criticized what it called 'the city's intentional effort to obstruct the United States' enforcement of federal immigration law, by (among much else) impeding the consultation and communication between federal and local law enforcement officials that is necessary for the United States to enforce the law and keep Americans safe.' Murad Awawdeh, president of the New York Immigration Coalition, blasted the administration's efforts. 'Unfortunately, Donald Trump thinks that he and he alone can decide our country's local laws – undermining the 10th amendment,' Awawdeh said. 'Today's lawsuit is frivolous at best, and an attack on New York's ability to govern itself at worst. New York must reject Trump's continued assaults to its Constitutional right to pass local laws that serve our communities best. Mayor Adams must fight back against this federal overreach and defend the well-being of all New Yorkers.' The lawsuit comes after DHS Secretary Kristi Noem Monday blamed the mayor and New York's sanctuary city policies for the shooting of the off-duty Customs and Border Patrol agent. 'This officer is in the hospital today, fighting for his life, because of the policies of the mayor of the city and the City Council and the people that were in charge of keeping the public safe refused to do so,' Noem said. 'When I look at what Mayor Adams has done to New York City, it breaks my heart to see the families that have suffered because of his policies.' Noem's comments marked an unusual Trump administration rebuke of Adams, whose criminal indictment was dismissed by Trump's DOJ in what has been criticized as a corrupt deal to aid in the administration's deportation efforts. Though named as the defendant in Trump's lawsuit, Adams himself has been critical of the sweep of the city's sanctuary city protections and has talked about the possibility of using executive orders to dial them back. Mamelak said the lawsuit does not point to any change in the relationship between Adams and the Trump administration. 'Mayor Adams has been clear: no one should be afraid to dial 911, send their kids to school, or go to the hospital, and no New Yorker should feel forced to hide in the shadows,' Mamelak said. 'That's why the mayor supports the essence of the local laws put in place by the City Council — but he has also been clear they go too far when it comes to dealing with those violent criminals on our streets and has urged the Council to reexamine them to ensure we can effectively work with the federal government to make our city safer. So far, the Council has refused.' At a press conference Wednesday, the mayor, asked about sanctuary policies, said he wished he could use his executive authority to override laws he didn't like. 'I wish my EOs can override laws. I'd override a whole lot of laws,' Adams said. 'But executive orders can't override laws. And that's one of the misnomers that's out there, that mayors have the ability to override existing laws. No, the City Council, they pass laws and we sign it into law. But we can't use the power of our pen with executive orders to override the laws.' Adams, through his Deputy Randy Mastro, did issue an executive order earlier this year allowing ICE to operate an office on Rikers Island, but those plans are at a standstill after the Council challenged the move in court. The City Council has pushed back strongly against any changes to the sanctuary laws, which are intended to allow immigrants to make use of the city's resources, send children to school and seek help from law enforcement.
