Tag: new york
New York to open tallest outdoor observation deck in Western Hemisphere
Article via CNN
(CNN) — New York will soon have “the edge” when it comes to magnificent outdoor observation decks. Already home to some of the most famous viewing spots in the world, the Big Apple is about to add another to its impressive collection.
Named Edge, the upcoming Hudson Yards observation deck is set to open next year, with incomparable views of the city skyline.
Standing at more than 1,100 feet, Edge will be the tallest outdoor observation deck in the Western Hemisphere and the fifth highest in the world.
After hopping on an elevator for 60 seconds, visitors will arrive at the 7,500-square-foot outdoor viewing area, which extends 65 feet from the 100th floor of the new 30 Hudson Yards tower and includes a glass floor, offering visitors a bird’s-eye view of the city.
Edge also holds a signature 10,000-square-foot restaurant as well as a bar and event space.
While a launch date hasn’t been announced as yet, group bookings are opened for the first quarter of 2020.
“Edge invites visitors to walk out into the sky and embrace unobstructed, panoramic views of New York City like never before,” says Jason Horkin, Executive Director of Hudson Yards Experiences.
“The name reflects both the unique structural design, which pierces the sky when observed from below, and the exhilarating feeling of being on the brink of something exceptional — exactly where you are on edge.” Once launched, Edge will stand taller than the observation deck at the Empire State Building, which is 1,050 feet above street level, as well as Top of the Rock at the Rockefeller Center, 850 feet above street level.
The 30 Hudson Yards tower was designed by William Pedersen of Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates as part of Manhattan’s newest neighborhood Hudson Yards.
Built over 28 acres of a working rail yard on Manhattan’s west side, Hudson Yards is the largest ever privately built real estate project in the US, with a cost of around $28 billion.
The complex will also include more than 100 shops and restaurants; The Shed, a cultural and performing arts venue and a public square and gardens.
‘Made in Staten Island,’ an MTV Reality Show, Makes the Borough Look Bad, Critics Say
First there was “Jersey Shore” on MTV and then “Mob Wives” on VH1.
Now another reality television series, set to debut on Monday, features a blend of both — and like its predecessors, it is drawing criticism that it stereotypes Italian-Americans.
“Bosses aren’t born, they’re ‘Made in Staten Island,’” MTV said in promotional materials for the show, “Made in Staten Island,” which the network described as “grittier and edgier” than its other reality shows.
“Made in Staten Island,” which tracks young adults trying to avoid mob lifestyles, has drawn the ire of city officials and thousands of people who signed an online petition calling for it to be canceled. The show perpetuates the notion that Staten Island is “a cesspool of gangsters, meatheads and low lives” and is premised on the idea that “kids from Staten Island all grow up surrounded by the mafia,” the petition said.
One of the show’s executive producers is Karen Gravano, a star of “Mob Wives” and the daughter of Salvatore (Sammy the Bull) Gravano, who was a hit man for John Gotti, the Gambino crime family boss, and later became a government informant. Ms. Gravano’s daughter Karina Seabrook, 19, is one of the stars of the show.
“A lot of us are faced with two options: the street life or the straight life,” says one of the show’s other stars, Christian Patterson, 20, in a preview. “Our crew was born in the streets, and now they’re looking for a way out.”
Article via TheNYTimes
Kanye West dropped out of Coachella due to over-the-top demands, ‘port-a-potties’ talk
The real reason why Kanye West dropped out of the mega-music festival Coachella has been revealed, and unsurprisingly, it has to do with the star’s over-the-top requests.
Billboard claims that on New Year’s Day, just two days before the highly anticipated lineup was set to be unveiled, West threw a fit because the festival’s organizers refused to allow him to build a giant chrome dome in the middle of its grounds to perform on instead of the main stage.
ARIANA GRANDE TO HEADLINE COACHELLA AFTER KANYE WEST DROPS OUT OF FESTIVAL
Executives from Coachella’s parent company Goldenvoice told West that the custom-made dome wouldn’t be possible, because it would force them to reorganize the festival’s setup entirely, and move one of the largest sections of portable bathrooms on the grounds. West reportedly hung up abruptly and said he was “an artist with a creative vision who shouldn’t be spending his time talking about port-a-potties.”
Due to West’s last-minute cancellation, Coachella was forced to make a quick replacement, which they found in Ariana Grande. The pop star is managed by Scooter Braun, who also worked with West until the rapper ended their professional relationship late last year because he claimed he “can’t be managed.”
Grande will now take West’s place to close out the final night of the three-day festival, and will make history as the youngest Coachella headliner ever.
West’s lofty request is just the most recent in the star’s erratic behavior spanning the last year. West, who claims he was diagnosed, then misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder, has been candid about his mental health struggles, and proudly declares that he no longer takes medication at this point in time.
It’s certainly a disappointment for fans that West will no longer be performing at the festival, which is widely considered one of the biggest music festivals in the world. Pre-sale tickets sold out in just six hours for this year’s lineup, and an estimated 125,000 people are expected to flock to the desert to see their favorite artists at the festival’s 20th iteration.
West’s appearance at Coachella had reportedly been in the works for several years. Now with the financial backing allowing artists to be paid between $2 million and $5 million to perform there, the draw for musicians and concertgoers alike is at an all-time high.
However, given that West had not collected any payments from Goldenvoice or signed any contracts, they decided to abandon negotiations with him about the dome shortly before the deadline to announce the lineup arrived.
Billboard also revealed that West nearly landed a headlining spot at the Governors Ball festival in New York, which never happened because of his demands for a dome stage.
Article via FoxNews
Transformer explosion causes chaos in New York City
The explosion at a power plant in Queens, New York, caused the sky to light up a turquoise blue hue, knocked power out in the area and grounded flights at LaGuardia Airport.
Woman made up rape claim because date wouldn’t drive her home
CLYDE, N.Y. — Police in upstate New York say a woman falsely accused someone of rape for not giving her a ride home.
The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office says 27-year-old Jessica Gallagher of Clyde was charged Sunday with false reporting of a crime. Deputies say Gallagher told police she was abducted by a man she met on a dating app before being blindfolded and raped.
Investigators say Gallagher later admitted she fabricated the story because she was angry at the man for refusing to give her a ride home.
Gallagher was arraigned and is being held Tuesday in the county jail. She’s scheduled to return to court on July 18. It couldn’t immediately be determined if she has a lawyer who could comment on the charges.
via: https://nypost.com/2018/07/10/woman-made-up-rape-claim-because-date-wouldnt-drive-her-home-cops/
Rihanna’s cousin fatally shot in Barbados hours after Christmas
NEW YORK — Rihanna is mourning the death of her cousin and calling for an end to gun violence.
The singer posted photos of herself with 21-year-old Tavon Kaiseen Alleyne on Instagram on Tuesday, writing that she “can’t believe it was just last night that I held you in my arms!”
Alleyne died Tuesday after being shot in Barbados, where Rihanna was born and raised. She also wrote, “Never thought that would be the last time I felt the warmth in your body!!! Love you always man! #endgunviolence.”
On Instagram on Wednesday, Rihanna posted a clip of her cousin smiling and filming himself. In the video he says, “It’s nice to wake up and see all of your brothers and sisters.”
Rihanna captioned the video with: “Be grateful for life man.”
Toddler With Dairy Allergy Dies After New York School Gave Him Grilled Cheese – knowing he was allergic to dairy foods
A New York City school is closing while officials investigate the death of a 3-year-old boy who died after he was allegedly given a grilled cheese sandwich — despite the school knowing he had a severe dairy allergy, according to KTLA sister station WPIX in New York.
Elijah Silvera was in his pre-K class at Seventh Avenue Center for Family Services in Harlem on Nov. 3 when he went into anaphylactic shock after eating the sandwich. The child was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced deceased.
A family friend wrote on a GoFundMe site, “…he was given a grilled cheese sandwich by an adult at the pre-K, despite them knowing and having documented that he has a severe allergy to dairy.”
The family member also told WPIX that school officials called Elijah’s mother when it happened. It’s unclear why they did not call an ambulance, so his mother rushed Elijah 10 blocks south to Harlem Hospital.
But it was too late.
The family stated online they want to know exactly what happened and if proper protocols were followed — “…at this moment, it is unclear where responsibility for Elijah’s death will fall between the pre-K and the hospital itself.”
“We want to find out exactly where, if any, breakdowns may have occurred at either the school or the hospital,” they wrote.
The money raised on GoFundMe will help pay for an independent autopsy, according to the family.
Michelle Daniels says she attended the school as a little girl.
“I went there when I was a kid,” Daniels said. “That person should be really investigated. Really they should. Because if that was my child, I would be all over the place.”
“If I’m sending my children someplace, and I’m entrusting my children in your care, you’re supposed to follow those guidelines,” Daniels added.
Late Wednesday, the New York City Health Department released a statement announcing the school will close in order to investigate the incident.
“There is nothing more important than the safety of our children and we are deeply saddened by this tragedy. We will get to the bottom of what happened here. In the meantime, we’re closing the Center for Family Services and continuing to aggressively investigate what happened and whether the facility could have done something differently to prevent this tragedy.”
Brooklyn man stabs, rapes ex-girlfriend in act of vengeance after slitting her friend’s throat
Minutes after his girlfriend broke up with him, a maniacal Brooklyn man busted into her apartment and slit her friend’s throat before stabbing and raping his ex-gal pal, sources said.
The savage attack in Sea Gate spanned five hours — all while the girlfriend’s 11-year-old daughter hid in a bedroom — and left the friend clinging to life on a ventilator, cop sources said Tuesday.
While holding the pair hostage, the jilted suspect, Ruslan Baimov, 40, alternated between kissing his wounded girlfriend, raping her and threatening to kill her.
“After kissing me, he said, ‘Oh, son of a bitch, I’ll kill you. I love you. No, I’ll kill you,’” the girlfriend told the Daily News.
“I said, ‘Please, I have a child… You already have one woman dying. Now you will have two, maybe three.’”
The brutal assault was set in motion after the friend went to visit Baimov’s girlfriend at her apartment near Neptune Ave. and Beach 45th St. shortly before midnight Saturday.
The two went to see Baimov, who lives in the top floor of the two-family home, to tell him the girlfriend was ending their two-year romance, sources said.The women returned to the girlfriend’s place. While she was taking a shower, Baimov pushed in an air conditioner and climbed through the open window, sources said.
“Oh my God! Oh my God!” the friend shouted as the blade-wielding Baimov walked toward her.
“She tried to call 911 but she couldn’t,” the girlfriend told The News.
“Then he took her phone, smashed it, grabbed her neck and said ‘Bitch!’ and then took the knife and stabbed her in the neck.”
As the friend crumbled to the floor, gasping for air, the girlfriend ran into a bedroom and told her daughter to lock the door and not leave the room.
There was blood everywhere,” the girlfriend said.
Baimov grabbed the woman by the throat and threw her onto the couch. He moved to stab her in the neck but stopped short and broke out in sobs, she said.
“He was crying,” the girlfriend said. “He was saying, ‘I don’t want to kill you because I love you.’”
Baimov ripped open her shirt and tried to have sex with her, but the girlfriend shoved him off of her.
The girlfriend’s 38-year-old friend was still lying on the floor, barely breathing and surrounded by blood.
The girlfriend pleaded with Baimov to let her give some water to the critically-injured woman.
“He said, ‘Okay, I’ll give you 30 seconds,’” the girlfriend recalled. “So I gave her some water. She was making these gasping noises but I could hear her drink.”
Baimov’s brief display of compassion switched back to rage.
He grabbed his girlfriend and for a second time attempted to rape her.
He ultimately forced her to perform oral sex in the bathroom.
But the sex act gave way to more violence as Baimov suddenly slashed his girlfriend’s shin with his knife.
Seeing the blood, Baimov stopped the attack and started kissing the wound.
“Then, maybe because he loved me, because he’s crazy, he freaked out and started kissing it,” the girlfriend said. “It was bleeding everywhere.”
The attack stretched on, with Baimov again pouncing on his girlfriend.
Finally, about 4:50 a.m. Sunday, the girlfriend managed to convince Baimov to leave the apartment and return to his place to go to sleep.
The girlfriend’s friend was rushed to Coney Island Hospital, where she remains in critical condition.
Baimov was arraigned Tuesday on attempted murder and rape charges and ordered held without bail.
Assistant District Attorney Ari Rottenberg said the girlfriend’s pal is “brain dead” and “likely to die in a few days.”
Three killed, 16 injured after tour bus slams into MTA bus in Queens
A tour bus “flying” down a busy Queens street crashed into an MTA bus Monday, killing three people and injuring 16 others, witnesses and authorities said.
The Dahlia Travel and Tours bus slammed into the Q20 bus around 6:15 a.m. at Northern Blvd. and Main St., sending both vehicles careening onto the sidewalk and killing a 68-year-old pedestrian, officials said.
The driver of the Dahlia bus, Raymond Mong, 49, was among the dead. A 55-year-old man aboard the MTA bus also died.
“There was people pinned under the front of the city bus. A lady was crying and screaming, ‘Get me out! Get me out!’” he said.
Article via: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/queens/killed-16-injured-mta-bus-tour-bus-collide-queens-article-1.3503764
Four charged in vicious Albion child abuse investigation
ALBION — Just one meal a day, doused with hot sauce.
That’s what four Albion adults allegedly allowed a 10-year-old child who the Oswego County Sheriff’s Office says was forced to work outside all day without food, water or bathroom access, tied to the back of a vehicle and dragged, and subjected to repeated physical abuse with what the suspects referred to as “the beating stick.”
Gary Bubis Jr., 37, Shawn Whaley, 23, and Brandy Shaver, 18, all of 393 Albion Cross Road, Albion, face second-degree assault charges.
The 34-year-old mother of the 10-year-old faces a count of endangering the welfare of a child in connection to the investigation, which also involves a 3-year-old who still suffers burn wounds from Bubis allegedly forcing its hand into a container of scalding water, deputies said.
According to the sheriff’s office, the 10-year-old fled to a neighbor’s residence Wednesday morning, reporting harrowing allegations of physical abuse since at least April.
“After seeing the condition of the child, (the neighbor) immediately called 911,” said Undersheriff Eugene Sullivan in an interview.
Deputies responded at 11 a.m. and noticed the alleged victim had suffered physical injuries warranting immediate medical attention, Sullivan said.
The 10-year-old was admitted and remains at Golisano Children’s Hospital, Sullivan said, where further investigation allegedly revealed injuries that corroborated the child’s accusations.
Deputies say the 10-year-old was the target of repeated abuse by the adults: Whereas other children in the house were allegedly given regular meals, clothing and proper bedding, the 10-year-old was allegedly deprived of food, slept on a couch, worked outside all day clearing brush at the property and hadn’t been allowed a bath for almost a month.
The sheriff’s office said a 12-year-old at the home was an unwilling participant in the alleged abuse, forced to beat the 10-year-old with a makeshift device the suspects called “the beating stick,” which deputies said was tightly rolled up newspaper wrapped in electrical tape.
The 10-year-old was allegedly struck with open hands, closed fists and kicked repeatedly in alleged abuse that escalated for months, according to the sheriff’s office, which notes the investigation is ongoing and more charges are likely.
The assault charges for Whaley and Shaver stem from a recent incident in which they allegedly took the 10-year-old to Happy Valley Game Management Park in the middle of the night and “forced (the child) to run with weighted backpacks,” according to a sheriff’s office press release.
“The victim was followed and struck by the motor vehicle for running too slow,” deputies wrote. “The victim was tied to the rear of the vehicle by a rope for running too slow and was dragged.”
The assault charge for Bubis stems from allegations he forced a 3-year-old’s hand into a container of hot water. The child’s hand still showed injuries Wednesday and it remains unclear whether the child ever received medical attention after the alleged incident, according to deputies.
Bubis, Whaley and Shaver were arraigned early Thursday morning in Williamstown Town Court, according to chief assistant district attorney Mark Moody.
All were remanded to the Oswego County Correctional Facility in lieu of Moody’s recommended bail of $25,000 cash or $50,000 bond.
The mother was released on her own recognizance and her next court date was unavailable by press time.
Whaley and Shaver must appear in Williamstown Town Court Sept. 9 at 7 p.m., while Bubis is due in Albion Town Court Sept. 18 at 6 p.m.
Moody noted a Williamstown judge issued an order of protection barring the defendants from any contact with the alleged victims.
Sullivan said it was his understanding the children who lived in the home have been taken in by relatives.
Anyone with more information is urged to contact investigators at 315-349-3411.