Saturday, May 31, 2014

Gangbanger, 16, arrested for opening fire in Brooklyn


NRRTimages/Getty Images/iStockphoto An off-duty cop witnessed the shooting and called 911, then followed Gordon Tracey until uniformed cops arrived to take him into custody.

A 16-year-old gangbanger was arrested for opening fire on a Brooklyn street — weeks after he threatened to shoot up his school, cops said Saturday.


Gordon Tracey was charged with attempted assault and criminal possession of a loaded firearm for firing a 9-mm. Glock on Flatbush Ave. near Ditmas Ave. in Kensington about 8:30 p.m. on Friday, police said.


Moments later, a second gunman opened fire, police said.


A 50-year-old homeless woman was wounded by a stray bullet, but investigators have not yet determined which shooter hit her, police said.


The victim was taken to Kings County Hospital with a nonlife-threatening injury.


An off-duty cop witnessed the shooting and called 911, then followed Tracey until uniformed cops arrived to take him into custody, police sources said.


Witnesses at the scene identified Tracey as a young Crips member who they said was taking aim at someone who had robbed a fellow gang member.


On May 13, Tracey was attempting to walk out of his Brooklyn school in the middle of the day when a school safety agent told him he wasn’t allowed to leave, cops said.


Tracey left anyway and, furious at the agent, told her he would be back to shoot up the school, according to police. The agent alerted a passing cop, who caught up with the alleged teen terror.


The young punk flailed his arms and struggled with the cop, and was hit with a resisting arrest charge, officials said.





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Trial Halted in Wrongful Death Suit Against Owner of Crane in ’08 Collapse


A judge has declared a mistrial in a wrongful death case stemming from a 2008 crane collapse.


The decision comes after a lawyer representing the crane’s owner said his client had been severely injured in a car accident.


James Lomma is recovering from a broken pelvis and doctors say he won’t be able to appear in court for two to three months.


The judge halted the trial, saying Lomma is constitutionally entitled to be present.


The suit was filed by the families of Ramadan Kurtaj and Donald Leo.


A lawyer representing Leo’s family says they are devastated by the outcome.


Lomma was acquitted of all criminal charges in 2012.





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New attractions and new technology make Disney World more fun and easy


The brand-new Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, located in Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom Park, is a family-style roller coaster in which the cars swing back and forth.Matt Stroshane The brand-new Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, located in Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom Park, is a family-style roller coaster in which the cars swing back and forth.

Disney has never been one to rest on its laurels. There’s always a new film, theme park ride, or animated princess popping up.


In Walt Disney World, Florida, a few new attractions have joined the longstanding ones that have been luring families here for more than 40 years.


The biggest newcomer is the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, which just opened up Wednesday in Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom (one of four theme parks that make up Disney World). This family-style roller coaster is of course inspired by Disney’s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” and features music from the film as well as animated figures of all the characters and forest creatures. The Mine Train’s vehicles are mounted in cradle-like pivots that allow the cars to swing back and forth during the ride.


As with other Disney attractions, waiting on line is part of the Mine Train’s fun: You go downhill, along a stone wall, giving you the feeling of entering a mining cave. And there are interactive games involving jewels that guests can play to pass the time. The coaster itself is fast and thrilling. Indoor portions, which move slower so you can see everything and hear the song “Heigh-Ho,” boast some of Disney’s best animatronics work. Dwarf figures mining the jewels move realistically, and there tons of glowing, multicolored diamonds embedded in the walls.


Characters from the animated hit "Frozen" are featured in the new Festival of Fantasy Parade at Disney World's Magic Kingdom.Matt Stroshane Characters from the animated hit “Frozen” are featured in the new Festival of Fantasy Parade at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom.

Also new at the Magic Kingdom is the Festival of Fantasy Parade, which officially debuted in March. It brings together 100 performers, some on swings and pendulums, representing a slew of Disney productions from “Beauty and Beast” and “Peter Pan” to the newer “Brave,” “Tangled” and “Frozen.” It’s all mega-colorful and of course includes old standbys like Donald Duck and Pinocchio.


There’s also some new technology in use in the parks that makes everything easier and quicker for visitors.


Those staying at a Disney resort, including kids, are given MagicBands — colorful wristbands embedded with microchips that are linked to your hotel registration and credit card. (You can also buy the bands if you’re staying off-site.)


The MagicBand wristband, which is linked to your hotel registration and credit card, lets you enter Disney World, enter your hotel room, buy food and merchandise, and go on rides, among other uses.Kent Phillips/Kent Phillips, Photographer The MagicBand wristband, which is linked to your hotel registration and credit card, lets you enter Disney World, enter your hotel room, buy food and merchandise, and go on rides, among other uses.

They work hand in hand with My Disney Experience, the Mouse’s online vacation planning interface.


Want to open your hotel room door? Just wave your wrist.


Want to get into Splash Mountain via FastPass? Just place your wrist in front of the magic Mickey sensor.


The Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater in Hollywood Studios is a restaurant that replicates the look of a 1950s drive-in theater, complete with trailers for movies like "It Conquered the World."GARY BOGDON The Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater in Hollywood Studios is a restaurant that replicates the look of a 1950s drive-in theater, complete with trailers for movies like “It Conquered the World.”

Have to pay for your barbecued turkey leg, but don’t want to carry around your wallet or bag? Tap the Mickey.


The bands are programmable with all your preferences, such as what restaurants you might be going to, what rides you want to check out on which days, and which parks you’ll be visiting. You can do the programming yourself online, or the concierge at the resort can do it for you.


During a recent trip to Disney World, my family and I did a test run on the new bands, and can report they worked 100% as advertised: We had no glitches, with either the programming or using them in the parks and hotels.


The water park Blizzard Beach has an alpine setting.The water park Blizzard Beach has an alpine setting.

They’re used by the Disney staffers too. For instance, when you enter the pool area of a hotel, the guy who gives you towels might wave a hand sensor over your band to make sure you’re really a guest. That’s better than having to remember to bring your key down each time.


Of course, with every move registered, some might find it all vaguely Orwellian or chalk it up to Disney simply finding more methods of lightening your wallet. But it’s fun as well as efficient.


And that’s not the only new gizmo. If you don’t mind looking a little silly, Glow With the Show mouse-ear hats make you part of productions. The ears complement the imagery, music and beats of various shows in Disney World, like “Fantasmic!” at Hollywood Studios and the “Wishes” fireworks at the Magic Kingdom. When the music swells, the hats glow right along, in perfect time.


Beloved stories and characters from Fantasyland come to life for Magic Kingdom guests in the daily Festival of Fantasy Parade.David Roark Beloved stories and characters from Fantasyland come to life for Magic Kingdom guests in the daily Festival of Fantasy Parade.

All the new high-tech stuff at Disney World made our old favorites easier to enjoy. My traditional iced latte at Typhoon Lagoon (one of two Disney World water parks) involved no money or credit card, just a flick of the wrist. Same with morning coffee and newspaper. We of course had to go on Splash Mountain and Buzz Lightyear in the Magic Kingdom, the Kali River Rapids and Kilimanjaro Safari in the Animal Kingdom park, and do a food-sampling tour of Epcot.


Even Disney World vets can’t get to every attraction or restaurant, no matter how many times they visit. So on this trip we made a point of trying a few places that, while not new, we had never gotten around to.


One was the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater in Hollywood Studios. Anyone who is a fan of trashy sci-fi movies of the 1950s should check this out. The whole restaurant is set up like a giant drive-in movie and all the tables look like cars. It’s relatively simple fare (beer, burgers, wings, salads, some decent beers), but it’s all enhanced by a series of trailers shown on the giant screen, like “Attack of the 50 Foot Woman,” “The Blob” and “Robot Monster.”


Guest uses her MagicBand to enter a Disney World attraction.Mark Ashman Guest uses her MagicBand to enter a Disney World attraction.

Another interesting dining experience is Whispering Canyon Cafe at the Disney resort Wilderness Lodge. The first draw is simply walking into the Lodge itself. The soaring lobby with its American Northwest and Native American themes, is one of Disney’s finest, designed by Peter Dominick. The restaurant serves “frontier” food (ribs, chicken, corn on the cob, greens) with a side of humor. Servers might “punish” you for talking on a cell phone by making you get in a hobby horse race around the restaurant. And if you ask for ketchup, everyone screams “WE NEED KETCHUP!” and then brings you five or six bottles. Best advice: Just go with it.


It’s not clear if this is a recent development, but Disney seems to have instituted an entertain you while you wait at the bus stop policy. Twice at our resort, while we waited for a bus to the parks, a talented cast member was there to lead teen girls in “Frozen” sing-alongs, tell bad jokes (“Why didn’t the crab share his dinner? He was shellfish.”), and pass the time.


When even standing at the bus stop is entertaining, it’s clear Disney has covered all its bases.


Fire-breathing dragon raises the Florida temperatures in the Festival of Fantasy Parade.Matt Stroshane Fire-breathing dragon raises the Florida temperatures in the Festival of Fantasy Parade.

(To check out My Disney Experience, go to disneyworld.disney.go.com.)


pschultz@nydailynews.com


IF YOU GO


Stay: If you can, stay at a Disney hotel. You can save a few bucks by staying “off-property,” but if you choose Disney’s value or moderate resorts, the difference is negligible. ( You can get rates as low as $ 84 at the All Star Sports Resort, or $ 140 at Port Orleans Riverside.) Hotel guests get free transportation to the parks, to and from the airport, and early admission to the parks, among other perks.


Spend a few days: Park admission ($ 94-$ 99 ages 10+, $ 88-$ 93 age 9 and under) goes down the more days you go: A four-day ticket is $ 73 a day; a five-day ticket is $ 60 a day. You can save even more if you combine it in a package with Disney hotel and dining plan.


FastPass: This service has been an essential for enjoying the parks since 1999, since it eliminates long waits at popular attractions: The FastPass queue heads right to the ride, while the standby line takes longer. Best idea is to get your park tickets in advance so you can link them to the My Disney Experience site or mobile app and schedule your FastPass rides ahead of time. That way when you get to a park you don’t have to worry about whether you’ll get on your fave rides . If you want to wing it, there are FastPass kiosks (and helpful attendants) throughout the parks.


Go Early, Stay Late: If you’re a Disney hotel guest, take advantage of the early admission to the parks; you’ll have the place (almost) to yourself. Likewise, crowds tend to thin a bit toward closing time, so a midday siesta is a good idea.





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Woman helps police capture suspect resisting arrest


A Good Samaritan lent a helping swat and whacked an alleged thief in the noggin with a police baton after the suspect was resisting arrest in Boerum Hill, police said.


The 39-year-old woman had just hopped off a bus when she saw a cop chasing a man down Fulton near Smith Street at 1:15 p.m. Friday, according to police.


Moments earlier, a worker at a nearby Payless Shoes dialed 911 and said a man was inside the retail store and had the counterfeit bills on him, but fled the scene, cops said.


An eagle-eyed cop identified the 21-year-old suspect, and stopped the suspect to ask him for identification, cops said.


The man inadvertently exposed a bulge of counterfeit $ 10 bills when he pulled out his wallet, and then fled, police said.


At first, the Good Samaritan threw her purse at the suspect, Shakhawat Hossain,21, cops said.


A scuffle ensued after the cop caught up with Hossain, and the Brooklyn woman joined the fray, picking up the cop’s baton after it fell off his belt while the two were wrestling on the ground, according to police.


She told police she saw the man reaching for the cop’s gun, sources said.


Hossain was rushed to a hospital where he received multiple stitches to his head, authorities said.


He was charged with 36 counts of possession of a forged instrument and resisting arrest, cops said.





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Pre-K centers across city have racked up thousands of violations


NYC PAPERS OUT. Social media use restricted to low res file max 184 x 128 pixels and 72 dpiRichard Harbus for New York Daily news Garbage is piled outside an entrance at Brightside Academy. The pre-K center and others across the city have collectively been hit with thousands of health code violations since 2009.

Mayor de Blasio’s dramatic plan to expand pre-K relies primarily on community-based groups that have collectively been hit with thousands of health code violations since 2009, a Daily News investigation has found.


From 2009 through last year, the city issued 39,000 violations against 1,158 groups that run pre-K and day care. That includes more than 6,900 citations for “public health hazards” that the city considers “an imminent threat” to kids and 18,600 dubbed “critical.”


Nearly all of the groups have received at least one citation but 51 have racked up between 50 and 145 serious violations at a single address during that time — at least 10 a year every year for five years, according to a News analysis of city inspection data.


Sixteen of these groups with 50 or more violations now run pre-K for the city. Each year they were renewed; each year they racked up more citations, records show.


These groups have been cited for a long list of violations, including blocked fire exits, unsafe playgrounds and persistent vermin infestation.


Mayor de Blasio is preparing to expand the city's full-time pre-K seats from 20,000 to 53,000 come September.Anthony DelMundo/New York Daily News Mayor de Blasio is preparing to expand the city’s full-time pre-K seats from 20,000 to 53,000 come September.

Inspectors routinely find a litany of problems: Operators who failed to check criminal histories of employees. Toxic cleaning fluids that were stored in unlocked cabinets. Smoke detectors that don’t work.


One group now running pre-K for the city — a Brightside Academies school on E. 150th St. in the South Bronx — has been cited 100 times in the last five years. That’s nearly two citations every month for five years straight.


Health inspectors have returned repeatedly to find the same violations they’d cited months before. Last year they visited in January, then April, twice in October and two more times in December. They found 20 violations, including not reporting within 24 hours to the health department an allegation about an employee.


Last week, The News found a mammoth pile of garbage stacked at the school’s secondary entrance. Inside, the school was dingy, with scuffed furniture and drab classrooms. One room was crammed with eight cribs packed next to each other with barely any room between them.


NYC PAPERS OUT. Social media use restricted to low res file max 184 x 128 pixels and 72 dpiRichard Harbus for New York Daily news Breahna Watkins, 30, is a day care teacher whose 3-year-old daughter attends a Brightside Academies school in the South Bronx. She says the school is not safe.

The same building houses both infants and children up to 12 years old. The school — like all pre-K centers — is paid per child, so the more children enrolled, the more it takes in.


“It’s not safe in there,” said Breahna Watkins, 30, a day care teacher from the Bronx whose 3-year-old daughter attends day care at Brightside. Two sons, 6 and 9, and another daughter, 11, go there for after-school programs.


Watkins enrolled her children there in September but now says conditions are so poor, she plans to pull them out at the end of the school year.


To top it off, Watkins said the school has a draconian policy of charging $ 1 per child per minute for late pickups.




I don’t keep track of that. If someone sneezes, that might be a violation.




“You have to pay on the spot and if you can’t pay, you can’t come back,” she said. “It’s awful.”


The Pittsburgh-based Brightside chain operates 11 New York City facilities. A Brightside school on Webster Ave. in the Bronx has racked up 50 serious violations in the last five years. And at a Brightside school on White Plains Road, also in the Bronx, children were discovered alone in a classroom during an inspection, records show.


Brightside officials in the city referred The News to the company’s Pittsburgh headquarters. Officials there did not respond to a request for comment.


The News spoke with parents at several oft-cited pre-K spots. Some praised the schools, but others spoke of unhealthy and potentially dangerous conditions, including crowded classrooms, sewage backups and blocked fire exits.


NYC PAPERS OUT. Social media use restricted to low res file max 184 x 128 pixels and 72 dpiRichard Harbus for New York Daily News A sign at a Brightside Academies school in the South Bronx tells parents of late-pickup fines.

None were aware of the health code violations at their child’s school, and all were surprised when told of the situation.


“That would be good to know,” said Chivonne Myers, 35, outside a pre-K with 51 violations where she had just dropped off her daughter. “That shouldn’t be hard to find.”


This is the landscape as de Blasio prepares to offer free pre-K to all 4-year-olds, expanding full-time pre-K seats from the current 20,000 to 53,000 come September.


As the mayor has made clear, the vast majority of those seats will not be run by the city but by community-based organizations.


Padlocked gates seen at a Brightside Academies school on E. 150th St. in the South Bronx could be a fire hazard.Richard Harbus for New York Daily news Padlocked gates seen at a Brightside Academies school on E. 150th St. in the South Bronx could be a fire hazard.

On Friday he said the city is “going to guarantee the quality standard citywide” at all the community-based pre-K programs.


Devora Kaye, spokeswoman for the Education Department, said the city’s pre-K team will expand from 150 to 250, while the Buildings Department will add more inspectors. The health department added $ 900,000 to its budget and promises to hire 12 more inspectors.


“The quality and safety of these programs is our top priority, which is why we have dramatically increased the personnel and resources for inspections across multiple agencies,” Kaye said. “We will have more oversight and higher standards than ever before. We will ensure every location is ready to provide a healthy, safe and high-quality learning environment this September.”


The city now relies on 850 community groups and is reviewing applications to hire more. Some are mainstream do-gooders like Catholic Charities and the Salvation Army. Some are run by national chains like Brightside. Most are run by mom-and-pop outfits that operate only a single facility.


NYC PAPERS OUT. Social media use restricted to low res file max 184 x 128 pixels and 72 dpiRichard Harbus for New York Daily News The Tender Years Childcare on busy Tremont Ave. in the Bronx is run out of a ramshackle storefront.

All of these pre-K centers are subjected to tremendous oversight, required to follow a long list of rules designed to keep New York’s children safe and healthy.


Rules require a specific ratio of teachers to children and allow only one child for every 30 square feet of space. Sinks must be child-level. Fire exits must be clear, smoke detectors in working order, staff regularly performing fire drills.


Staff must be tested for tuberculosis and given an overall clean bill of health. Operators are required to perform a criminal history check on all employees, including a fingerprint query.


Centers must fix hazardous conditions within 24 hours, and if they don’t, the city can shut them down.


NYC PAPERS OUT. Social media use restricted to low res file max 184 x 128 pixels and 72 dpiJeff Bachner for New York Daily News Health inspectors have issued 143 serious code violations to Little Red Riding Hood in Brooklyn (pictured) since 2009.

No fewer than six separate agencies are in charge of ensuring pre-K is safe: state and city education departments, the city Administration for Children’s Services, and the buildings, fire and health departments.


At Little Red Riding Hood in Brooklyn, for example, health inspectors have issued 143 serious code violations since 2009 — one of the highest numbers in the city.


Director Ari Cesar defended the program, emphasizing that all problems have been resolved and insisting that if the school didn’t address problems immediately, the agency would turn out the lights.


“The Health Department doesn’t play,” Cesar said. “Our inspection information is posted online. Anyone who wants to look can find it. You found it.”


Ari Cesar, director at Little Red Riding Hood Day Care in Brooklyn, on Thursday.Jeff Bachner for New York Daily News Ari Cesar, director at Little Red Riding Hood Day Care in Brooklyn, on Thursday.

Actually, parents interviewed by The News at Little Red and other pre-K spots uniformly were unaware of the inspection data’s existence.


Finding the health code history of these places is no easy task.


Neither the Education Department nor ACS provides health violation information, and the health department’s findings are buried deep within the agency’s website.


On Friday the mayor’s office released the latest list of groups that will handle pre-K this fall, but made no reference to health code inspections. They provided “Helpful Links,” but not to the health department.


NYC PAPERS OUT. Social media use restricted to low res file max 184 x 128 pixels and 72 dpiJeff Bachner for New York Daily News Friends of Crown Heights pre-K in Brooklyn has been hit with violations for student-teacher ratios and sewage issues.

In fact, it’s difficult to find a pre-K spot’s health code history and impossible to know how that history compares citywide.


To shed light on health code violations at pre-K centers, The News asked the de Blasio administration for the data via the Freedom of Information Law. Three months later they complied with the request.


The data show 51 pre-K/day care operators in New York City have been hit with 50 or more serious violations dubbed by the health inspectors as either “critical” or “public health hazards” between 2009 through 2013.


Many of the pre-K facilities operate out of challenging locales. The Tender Years Childcare on busy Tremont Ave. in the Bronx — which racked up 65 violations — is run out of a ramshackle storefront.


Daryl Davis, director of Friends of Crown Heights Educational Center, says he does his best to keep kids safe.Jeff Bachner for New York Daily News Daryl Davis, director of Friends of Crown Heights Educational Center, says he does his best to keep kids safe.

“It’s not adequate,” said one Bronx dad (who wouldn’t give his name) after dropping off his daughter. “It looks like a fire hazard in there.”


Tender Years owner Ruben Tavarez said that he’s doing his best to run a top quality program but he needs more government funding. His website encourages parents to enroll for “FREE Universal Pre-K while seats are still available.”


“A lot of the things that they mention are corrected right on the spot,” said Tavarez, who has applied to be a pre-K provider and hasn’t heard back yet. “On paper the violations sound horrible but they’re not dangerous. They’re simple things.”


Under the rumbling above-ground J train in Bushwick, Footsteps Child Care has been hit with 51 serious code violations, including 20 last year.


Several of Footsteps’ violations were repeats. Inspectors cited them twice in 2011 for failing to adequately screen employees for criminal backgrounds, then issued the same violations twice more last year.


One parent who asked to remain anonymous said Footsteps has had sewage backups in the basement, recently became unbearable due to a dead animal inside a wall, and has suffered air conditioning breakdowns that forced the school to shut down.


“I’m on my way to work trying to leave my child in a safe place and you tell me I have to take my kid home because there’s no AC?” the parent said.


Tisha Meekins, 39, also recalled the rat incident but still had a generally favorable opinion of Footsteps. Told of the high number of violations, she said, “I was not aware of that.”


Footsteps’ Education Director Bonita West said, “I don’t keep track of that. If someone sneezes, that might be a violation.”


She blamed the bad smells on a broken toilet and a dead animal found in the wall, but emphasized both problems were addressed immediately.


At the Friends of Crown Heights pre-K on Prospect Place in Brooklyn, which has run up 41 violations from 2009 to 2013, director Daryl Davis says he does his best to keep the children safe.


He blamed carbon monoxide detector violations on a change in rules, while he attributed student-teacher ratio violations to teachers who call in sick. He said a sewage issue was due to flooding from backed up pipes. All of these problems, he emphasized, were fixed right away.


“We may have had violations, but when the inspectors come back, all the violations have been resolved,” he said. “I think the inspection process is good. It’s good to have them come in and say what is right and wrong. Sometimes there are things we didn’t see and we’ll fix them.”


gsmith@nydailynews.com





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Chelsea Hit-and-Run Leaves Two in Hospital


Two people were hospitalized—one with what are believed to be life-threatening injuries—after a hit-and-run in Manhattan Saturday morning.


Police say a Dodge Durango was heading north on 10th Avenue near 34th street this morning when it slammed into a pole and a fire hydrant.


The S.U.V. also hit a man and a woman.


Police say the woman is now fighting for her life at Bellevue Hospital, while the man suffered serious arm and leg injuries.


Police say the driver abandoned his vehicle and ran away from the scene.





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US deploys first advanced drones to Japan


The U.S. Air Force has deployed two of its most advanced long-distance surveillance drones to a base in northern Japan over the past week.Eric Talmadge/AP The U.S. Air Force has deployed two of its most advanced long-distance surveillance drones to a base in northern Japan over the past week.

MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan— The U.S. Air Force has deployed two of its most advanced long-distance surveillance drones to a base in northern Japan over the past week, enhancing its ability to monitor nuclear activities in North Korea and Chinese naval operations.


The deployment of the two unarmed Global Hawk drones to Japan, a key U.S. ally, is intended to demonstrate Washington’s commitment to security in Asia as part of its rebalancing of forces to the Pacific. But it will likely rankle with China and North Korea, which have been working to improve their own unmanned aircraft fleets.


Lt. Gen. Sam Angelella, commander of U.S. Forces Japan, said Friday the drones will remain here until October, when the typhoon season on the drones’ home base on the Pacific island of Guam is over. Similar rotations from Guam to Misawa are expected in the future, though Angelella said no firm plans have been made. He refused to comment on the specific missions the drones will carry out but noted that the Global Hawk’s “capabilities are well known.”


The drone is considered particularly valuable because it can conduct long-range missions without the limitations of pilot fatigue, is able to fly at a maximum 60,000 feet (18.3 kilometers) and can “loiter” around any particular site of interest for 24 hours or more.


From Japan, it can easily monitor areas on the Asian mainland — including North Korea’s nuclear sites — or targets at sea — such as areas where China and other countries have had confrontations over territory.


The military keeps much of the Global Hawk’s work secret, but Angelella spoke of its use in humanitarian missions including Japan’s 2011 tsunami and the devastating typhoon that hit the Philippines last year. More recently, he said, the drone was used in surveillance work following the mass abduction of more than 300 girls in Nigeria by Islamic extremists.


The deployment of the drones will also help Japan familiarize itself with the aircraft. Tokyo plans to buy three Global Hawks.


Angelella said the aircraft has proven itself to be one of the most reliable in the Air Force. While still under development, the Global Hawk began supporting overseas contingency operations two months after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. As of September last year, it had surpassed 100,000 flight hours, three-quarters of which were performed in combat.


Lt. Gen. Sam Angelella, commander of U.S. Forces Japan, said Friday the drones will remain here until October, when the typhoon season on the drones’ home base on the Pacific island of Guam is over.Eric Talmadge/AP Lt. Gen. Sam Angelella, commander of U.S. Forces Japan, said Friday the drones will remain here until October, when the typhoon season on the drones’ home base on the Pacific island of Guam is over.

Safety is a key factor in Japan because many U.S. bases here are located in heavily populated areas.


Under a mutual security pact, the U.S. maintains about 50,000 troops in Japan, which is home to several major air bases, the headquarters of the U.S. 7th Fleet and more than 10,000 Marines.


Though some residents of the city of Misawa have raised concerns about the drone deployment, opposition has been notably muted compared to the often emotional and deep-rooted protests against the deployment of new aircraft or troops on the southern Japan island of Okinawa, where most of the U.S. military in Japan is based.


But the deployment comes at a politically sensitive time.


Tokyo is now hotly debating a significant revamp of the role of its military forces, which have since World War II been rebuilt and are now one of the strongest in Asia, though they remain restricted to a narrowly defined strategy of national defense.


Citing the perceived threats from China and North Korea, Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is championing an effort to change that and allow the Japanese military to be able to fight more closely with U.S. troops in contingencies.


Abe’s focus has been on what the Japanese military should be allowed to do when an ally defending Japan comes under attack — what the Japanese call collective self-defense. But opponents fear loosening restrictions will open the door for the Japanese military to be drawn into broader U.S. conflicts that don’t have a direct connection to Japan’s national defense.





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National Action Network Mourns Death of Maya Angelou


Reverend Al Sharpton led a group of mourners to the steps of Maya Angelou’s Harlem apartment Saturday morning.


Sharpton dedicated his National Action Network’s weekly rally to Angelou’s memory.


The group gathered on the steps of her brownstone, where flowers and notes were laid out.

Those gathered talked about what Angelou means to them.


“She was very inspirational in the community. She was a fighter for freedom and justice and dignity,” one mourner said.


“I just think she was the example, the epitome of strong black womanhood and there’s just no other. We’re blessed that we have her gift, that she left with us,” another mourner said.


“She was a very good woman, she liked to help people,” said a third.


Angelou died on Wednesday at the age of 86.




Angelou died on Wednesday at the age of 86.





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Smith drops bid to use recordings of disgraced pol in trial


State Sen. Malcolm Smith is dropping his bizarre bid to use convicted ex-Queens Sen. Shirley Huntley to prove his innocence at his upcoming corruption trial next week.


Gerald Shargel, a lawyer for Smith (D-Queens), confirmed the flip-flop to White Plains federal Judge Kenneth Karas during a hearing Friday. When asked to elaborate, Shargel remained vague, saying only that he and his legal team are “exercising our collective judgment, and we decided not to go down that road.”


As The Post reported two weeks ago, Smith — who is claiming he was framed by the government — wanted to submit as evidence two secret conversations that Huntley recorded with him for the feds.


“On these recordings, Huntley proposes various unlawful acts in which she hoped to ensnare Smith. Each time, Smith rejected her criminal overtures,” Shargel wrote.


Smith, one of the state’s top Democrats, was busted last year in a failed scheme to secure a spot on the Republican line for the 2013 mayoral race allegedly through the bribery of former Queens Councilman Dan Halloran and two other GOP leaders.





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Park rangers searching for 6 missing climbers on Mount Rainier


STAND ALONE PHOTOElaine Thompson/AP The six climbers were reported missing to Mountain Rainier park rangers on Saturday after they never returned from their trip to the summit.

Park rangers have launched an aerial search for six climbers that went missing on Washington’s Mount Rainier, reports say.


The climbers, two guides and four clients with Alpine Ascents International, a Seattle company, started their climb on Monday, but were expected to step off the mountain on Friday.


The company had not heard from them and notified park rangers.


They were last contacted on Wednesday when the group called park rangers on a satellite phone at 6 p.m. to let them know they were at the elevation marker of 12,800 feet.


The 14,410 foot-tall mountain was hit by hail and a small weather front of flurries on Wednesday, Park Ranger Fawn Bauer said.


The search also includes a team of rangers climbing their route with the helicopter serving as a spotter.


The identities of the climbers have not been released.


A blog post shared by Alpine Ascents International on Tuesday says one of their Liberty Ridge group checked in to their campsite at 10,700 feet and were watching the forecast to choose their route to the summit.


The mountain is trekked by about 10,000 each year, but some never make it to the summit due to the tough environment. This is one of the largest groups of climbers to go missing on the mountain since four people died in 2012 of hypothermia during a winter storm.


One of the worst mountaineering deaths on Mount Rainier happened in 1981 when an avalanche killed 11 climbers.


With news wire services.


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City bedbug infestation numbers drop by over half


Manhattan is on its way to cutting the bedbug epidemic by more than a half, city records show.


According to the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, there have been 381 violations issued for bedbug infestations at rental buildings since October 2013, compared to 846 violations that were issued during the height of the epidemic during the 2010 fiscal year.


“As opposed to just a few years ago, people are now considerably more vigilant, and there is more and better information available to the general public regarding how to prevent and deal with infestations,” HPD spokesperson Eric Bederman told The Post.


In Manhattan, there were 775 violations in the 2011 fiscal year, 675 violations in the 2012 fiscal year and 520 violations in the 2013 fiscal year. The data reflects verified instances of bedbug infestations in multifamily residential rental buildings.


Lee Browning of Discovery Dogs — whose bedbug detection service exclusively caters to tony clients on the Upper West Side and Upper East Side — said the bedbug mania still exists but he barely finds the creepy crawlers.


“Go back to 2009, and it was not uncommon to get called back again and again,” Browning said. “The hysteria seems to be over.”


Another service, Bell Environmental, has also tackled the annoying critters, with “Roscoe the Bed Bug Dog” leading the charge.


“Roscoe is the chief detective with our Bed Bug K9 Force and the latest tool in our arsenal of bedbug control,” the firm’s Web site boasts.


There were only 16 violations issued at rental buildings on the Upper East Side and 36 violations issued on the Upper West Side since the beginning of the 2014 fiscal year.


“Whatever processes and chemicals they’ve been using have been working,” he said. “It’s a good thing.”


At this point, a big part of his work is helping his clients sleep better at night by assuring them that their beds are bug-free.


Citywide, there have been 2,268 bedbug violations since October 2013. There were 4,808 violations during the 2010 fiscal year.





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Dan Halloran’s lawyer says he just found out client had brain tumor removed


A lawyer for eccentric former City Councilman Daniel Halloran said he just learned last week that his client had a brain tumor removed in 2012.Seth Wenig/ASSOCIATED PRESS A lawyer for eccentric former City Councilman Daniel Halloran said he just learned last week that his client had a brain tumor removed in 2012.

A lawyer for eccentric former City Councilman Daniel Halloran said he just learned last week that his client had a brain tumor removed in 2012.


Lawyers for Halloran, who’s charged in a bribery plot to put Queens state Sen. Malcolm Smith on 2013 mayoral ballot, had asked Judge Kenneth Karas to consider allowing them to use an insanity defense when the case goes to trial in White Plains next week.


Halloran’s lawyer, Vinoo Varghese, said he just found out last week about the surgery and suggested it might have impacted his decision-making ability.


“I’m not in anyway saying he’s insane. We’re exploring it a potential defense,” Varghese said.


Lawyers for Halloran, who’s charged in a bribery plot to put Queens state Sen. Malcolm Smith on 2013 mayoral ballot, had asked Judge Kenneth Karas to consider allowing them to use an insanity defense when the case goes to trial in White Plains next week.Mike Groll/AP Lawyers for Halloran, who’s charged in a bribery plot to put Queens state Sen. Malcolm Smith on 2013 mayoral ballot, had asked Judge Kenneth Karas to consider allowing them to use an insanity defense when the case goes to trial in White Plains next week.

The judge said he’d consider the request, but chided the lawyer for bringing it up at the 11th hour. Varghese said Halloran had just mentioned the surgery to him last week. “He doesn’t share those things,” Varghese said of his client, who’s involved in a neo-pagan religion that involves public flogging and spear throwing.


Meanwhile, Smith’s lawyer, Gerald Shargel, told the judge he no longer plans to use audiotapes of his client rejecting proposals for “unlawful acts” by former state senator Shirley Huntley. “We decided not to go down that road,” Shargel said.





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Cuomo, Working Families Party Hash Out Deal Before Nomination Announcement


Governor Andrew Cuomo and the Working Families Party are moving toward a deal that could give the incumbent the party’s ballot line.


The labor-backed organization will nominate its pick for governor today at its convention in Albany.


Sources familiar with the agreement say the deal requires Cuomo to support local control of the minimum wage increase—something he previously opposed.


The governor must also back a full Democratic takeover of the Senate and prove his support for decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana.


Cuomo must also get behind the women’s agenda.


The Working Families Party supported Cuomo during his 2010 run.


Mayor Bill de Blasio has played a large role in talks, even speaking out publicly this week to encourage the party to get behind Cuomo.





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Photos show baby of Christian Sudanese woman on death row


Meriam Ibrahim’s husband, Daniel Wani, holds their newborn daughter at Omdurman women's prison in Sudan. Ibrahim’s hanging will be delayed for two years so she can nurse her baby.AFP PHOTO/HO/FAMILY Meriam Ibrahim’s husband, Daniel Wani, holds their newborn daughter at Omdurman women’s prison in Sudan. Ibrahim’s hanging will be delayed for two years so she can nurse her baby.

The family of a Sudanese woman sentenced to death after refusing to renounce her Christian faith has released pictures of her husband holding their newborn daughter.


Meriam Ibrahim, 27, gave birth to baby Maya on Monday at the clinic at the Omdurman women’s prison near Khartoum, Sudanese newspapers reported.


The photos, which were taken on Wednesday and released on Friday, show Ibrahim’s husband, Daniel Wani, cradling the little girl.


Ibrahim was sentenced to death by hanging for apostasy, or “abandoning her faith.” She was given a period of time to renounce her Christian beliefs, but she refused.


In Sudan, conversion of Muslims to another religion is punishable by death.


Daniel Wani, a U.S. citizen originally from South Sudan, is also a Christian, so Sudanese law does not recognize their marriage. The state will not give him custody of their other child, a 20-month-old boy, because the law considers the child to be a Muslim and he isn’t allowed to be raised by his Christian father.AFP PHOTO/HO/FAMILY Daniel Wani, a U.S. citizen originally from South Sudan, is also a Christian, so Sudanese law does not recognize their marriage. The state will not give him custody of their other child, a 20-month-old boy, because the law considers the child to be a Muslim and he isn’t allowed to be raised by his Christian father.

The court ruled that it would not carry out her execution until she gave birth and will delay it for two years so she can nurse her child, according to Amnesty International.


Even though Ibrahim was raised Christian by her Ethiopian mother, her father was Muslim. Children are required by Sharia law to follow their father’s religion.


Ibrahim was also sentenced to 100 lashes for adultery because the court does not recognize her marriage to Wani, a Christian originally from South Sudan who is a U.S. citizen.


Muslim women in Sudan are forbidden to marry outside their faith, although Muslim men can marry non-Muslims.


Ibrahim and Wani also have a 20-month-old son, who is with his mother in jail.


Ibrahim’s lawyers have said they have plans to appeal the death sentence.


With News Wire Services


vtaylor@nydailynews.com


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MTA probe nets Metro-North foremen in pay scheme


Metro-North supervisors were caught on the clock shopping for fishing supplies, hanging out in parks and having workers chauffeur them as they ran personal errands, The Post has learned.


The foremen were also busted for fudging their time sheets in a five-month probe of four crews at the railroad by MTA Inspector General Barry Kluger’s office.


Investigators found a disturbing lack of mid-level and upper-level management in a system that includes over 400 miles of tracks and 121 stations.


Foreman Samuel Giordano shopped at Home Depot and Lowe’s, dined at King Buffet in Peekskill and relaxed at different parks in Westchester while on the clock. He was paid over $ 95,000 in 2013, according to SeeThrough New YorkNY, a transparency-advocacy group.


On an April 18 shift, Giordano took off at about 11:20 a.m. in his company car to shop at Croton Bait & Tackle, visit the bank and eat lunch at Shop-Rite. He went back to the yard at noon, then returned home before 2 p.m. to hang out on his lawn for forty minutes — and had another worker pick him up so he could then swipe out of his shift at the yard.


Foremen and their crews were also caught driving in long, meandering routes to rack up the overtime pay, as well as taking trips to Pennsylvania to buy illegal fireworks and cheap cigarettes.


Kluger said Metro-North’s new president, Joseph Giulietti, and chief engineer have worked closely with his office on operations and management.


“There is definitely progress being made in this area, and the president is giving it the attention it deserves,” Kluger said. “This is a systemic issue.”


MTA spokesman Aaron Donovan said the railroad suspended five foremen without pay and has sought to dismiss them.


“All Metro-North employees are expected to put in a full day’s work for a full day’s pay,” he said.


A sixth foreman retired before he could face disciplinary charges.


The foremen could lose their federal pensions.


After a worker is dismissed, Metro-North appeals to the Chicago-based federal railroad retirement board to ask that their pensions be forfeited, based on the circumstances of their job history.





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Mayor de Blasio not shutting down city’s 911 system


NYC PAPERS OUT. Social media use restricted to low res file max 184 x 128 pixels and 72 dpiJoe Marino/New York Daily News Mayor de Blasio is not shutting down the city’s troubled 911 system despite increased criticism. Pictured are Anne Roest, left, from the city’s Department of Information Technology along with NYPD Chief of Communications, Richard Napolitano, right, testifying before the New York City Council’s Committee on Public Safety on the City’s beleaguered 911 Unified Call System on Friday.

Mayor de Blasio, despite increased criticism from elected officials and union leaders, won’t hang up for good on the city’s problematic 911 system.


The process of handling emergency calls will remain unchanged through the summer as city officials re-examine the Unified Call Taker project, the mayor said Friday.


“The more we see, the more we want to dig deeper,” de Blasio said.


FDNY unions and City Council member Elizabeth Crowley ripped the flawed system and demanded immediate changes — including the automatic dispatch of an ambulance to 911 calls.


The current ambulance response time of more than nine minutes is “unacceptable,” she said.


NYC PAPERS OUT. Social media use restricted to low res file max 184 x 128 pixels and 72 dpiJoe Marino/New York Daily News FDNY unions and City Council member Elizabeth Crowley ripped the flawed system and demanded immediate changes — including the automatic dispatch of an ambulance to 911 calls.

“I believe the protocol as to responding to a fire emergency should change,” Crowley said.


Earlier this month, the mayor called a halt to the city’s failed overhaul attempt on its troubled 911 system. The project, slated for completion in 2008, is also nearly $ 1 billion over budget.


While some cheered de Blasio for those actions, he was urged Friday to do even more.


clestch@nydailynews.com





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Police Arrest Man Who They Say Stabbed Girlfriend to Death in Bronx


Police have arrested a man who they say stabbed his girlfriend to death in the Fordham section of the Bronx last month.


Michael Tsiakaros, 20, is charged with manslaughter and criminal possession of a weapon.


On April 26, investigators say 19-year-old Jasmine Canton confronted Tsiakaros with a knife in her Creston Avenue home.


They say he was able to get control of the knife and stab her in the chest before fleeing.


Police say they were able to track down Tsiakaros using Canton’s cellphone.





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Bill’s in the zone


Before and after, as proposed by developer SL GreenSL Green Before and after, as proposed by developer SL Green

In what is described as a first step toward rezoning Midtown East to spur office construction, Mayor de Blasio is moving to open five blocks that face Grand Central to mega-tower construction. He’s on the right track, but his plan needs refinement.


To his credit, de Blasio picked up where former Mayor Bloomberg left off when the City Council shot down a Bloomberg proposal to unlock commercial development in the area bounded by 39th and 57th Sts. and from Third to Fifth Aves.


Rather than rework zoning in the whole district at once — a step sure to face substantial opposition — city Planning Commission chief Carl Weisbrod said the administration would enable builders to erect super-tall towers along Vanderbilt Ave., from 42nd St. to 47th St., in return for also investing in improvements to mass transit and the outdoor environment in the neighborhood.


Practically speaking, de Blasio is giving the go-ahead to a single developer, SL Green Realty, which has been eager to break ground for a 1,200-foot-tall tower at the corner of Vanderbilt and 42nd. In exchange for the right to go that high — higher than the Chrysler Building — the firm has committed to pay for upgrades that will ease getting into, out of and around Grand Central.


Here’s where de Blasio has to tighten the nuts and bolts. Task one will be to determine more precisely how much money a developer will have to pay for greater building rights.


Under Bloomberg, SL Green put the figure for its project at up to $ 200 million in public improvements. In his press release, de Blasio put the figure at more than $ 100 million. Later, SL Green said the correct amount was almost $ 200 million.


Hard numbers will be key to evaluating whether the public is getting its money’s worth from SL Green, as well as from future developers.


Weisbrod said the administration will now move on to producing a plan for rezoning the rest of Midtown East so as to maintain the area’s status as the city’s prime business district. Better late than never, as long as the scheme is drawn to spark development and adequately finance public improvements.





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Man shot dead after argument on Brooklyn street


Cops are looking for a suspect wanted for killing a man after an argument in Brooklyn Thursday night.


Police say Todd Wilks, 37, was shot to death in front of 268 Albany Ave. about 7:30 p.m. after getting into an argument with his shooter.


Wilks was rushed to Kings County Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival, according to police.


Surveillance video showed the suspect running along Albany Avenue just after the shooting, cops said.





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Woman stabbed to death, another shot in Brooklyn attacks: cops




NYC PAPERS OUT. Social media use restricted to low res file max 184 x 128 pixels and 72 dpiSam Costanza for New York Daily News Police investigate the scene on Stanley Ave. and Linwood St. in Brooklyn where an 18-year-old woman was stabbed in the neck and died. NYC PAPERS OUT. Social media use restricted to low res file max 184 x 128 pixels and 72 dpiSam Costanza for New York Daily News The woman, identified by family members as Tanaya Grant, died at Brookdale University Hospital. Tanaya Grant,18, was stabbed to death.Tanaya Grant via Facebook Tanaya Grant,18, was stabbed to death.


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Two women were attacked — one fatally — in separate Brooklyn incidents Friday, cops said.


The first incident occurred at about 8:30 p.m. when a 16-year-old gunman shot a 50-year-old homeless woman in the stomach on Flatbush Ave. near Ditmas Ave. in Flatbush, according to police.


It was not immediately revealed whether the woman was the gunman’s intended target. She was taken to Kings County Hospital, authorities said.


About 90 minutes later, an 18-year-old woman was stabbed in the neck on Stanley Ave. near Linwood St. in East New York, authorities said. The woman, identified by family members as Tanaya Grant, died at Brookdale University Hospital.





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