Tag: new york

UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, Fatally Gunned Down in New York, Was Under DOJ Investigation for Insider Trading and Monopoly Tactics

UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was brutally murdered in a targeted attack outside a Manhattan hotel on Wednesday.

Thompson, a high-profile executive in the health insurance industry, was reportedly under investigation by the Department of Justice (DOJ) for allegations of insider trading and attempting to thwart monopolistic practices within the healthcare sector.

Thompson, 50, was gunned down around 6:45 a.m. outside the Hilton hotel on Sixth Avenue, where he was scheduled to attend UnitedHealth Group’s annual investor conference.

Surveillance footage reveals a masked assailant approaching Thompson from behind and firing multiple shots before fleeing on an electric bike toward Central Park.

“It does seem that he’s proficient in the use of firearms as he was able to clear the malfunctions pretty quickly,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joe Kenny said at the news conference.

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United Healthcare CEO Fatally Shot in Chest Outside Hotel in Midtown Manhattan

United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot in the chest Wednesday morning outside the Hilton hotel in Midtown Manhattan in what is believed to be a targeted attack.

Thompson, 50, arrived before 7 am for a conference when he was shot at multiple times by a masked man who police say was waiting for him to arrive, the New York Post reports.

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“This Is Nuts”: NYC Pays Pakistani-Owned Roosevelt Hotel $220 Million To House Illegal Aliens 

Americans should be outraged by New York City’s $220 million sweetheart deal with Pakistan to lease the prestigious Roosevelt Hotel in Midtown Manhattan as a luxury shelter for illegal aliens. The most alarming issue is that NYC paid a foreign government to help house the migrants.

X user John LeFevre resurfaced a 2023 news story, first published by The Economic Times, regarding Pakistan’s decision to lease the iconic Roosevelt Hotel to the local government, sympathetic to globalist policies, such as open borders. 

For some context, Pakistan has owned the Roosevelt Hotel since 1979. State-owned Pakistan International Airlines acquired the trophy property through its investment arm, PIA Investments Limited. 

According to the 2023 report, the lease agreement spans three years, during which NYC stuffed thousands of illegal aliens into the 1,250-room hotel like cattle—funded entirely by taxpayers. This arrangement has sparked outrage about how NYC paid a foreign gov’t to help support the invasion of the third world into a first-world city.

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NYC Mayor Eric Adams staffer tasked with ‘bridging cultural divides’ rips down hostage posters, allegedly assaults witness

A staffer from the office of Mayor Eric Adams who has been tasked with helping to “bridge cultural divides” with events in the Big Apple was caught on video ripping down Israeli hostage posters in New York and allegedly assaulting a witness to her actions. 

Nallah Sutherland, 25, who is a staffer in the Mayor’s Office of Special Projects and Community Events, was caught on video this month as she was riping down the hostage posters, per the New York Post. The video was posted earlier this month by the account Stop Antisemitism, which asked viewers to identify the girl in the video. 

The individual with the camera asked Sutherland why she was tearing up the posters, to which she did not respond verbally, but hit his phone in an attempt to stop the man from recording. The man then accused her of assault in response. 

“That’s assault actually. You know that, right?” the man tells Sutherland. She simply smiled and walked away after his comment. Sutherland reportedly only got a slap on the wrist for the incident. She had to take a “multicultural training” course and got a disciplinary memo, a source told the outlet. 

The New York City government website states that Sutherland’s team in the Mayor’s Office of Special Projects and Community Events “organizes, plans, and executes public or private events and special projects that embraces and rejoices in the extraordinary cultural richness and range of our City” and has a mission to “bridge cultural divides, cultivate enduring connections or strategic partnerships, and support key City initiatives that help provide a source of strength, unity, and resilience to New Yorkers across all communities within the five boroughs and beyond.”

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NYC is now home to over 58K ‘criminal’ migrants — including more than 1,000 gang members: ICE

There are over 58,000 illegal migrants who are convicted felons or facing criminal charges roaming NYC — and close to 670,000 across the country, startling new data obtained by The Post shows.

Of the 759,218 illegal-border crossers living in the Big Apple the feds were aware of as of Nov. 17, a jaw-dropping 58,626 – 7.7% — were either previously convicted of crimes or had criminal charges pending, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency data.

And of the 58,626 migrants with rap sheets, 1,053, nearly 2%, are “suspected or known gang members,” according to the agency.

“These numbers make it clear what everyone but our elected officials already know: sanctuary city laws are endangering New Yorkers by shielding criminals instead of protecting law-abiding citizens,” said Councilman Robert Holden, a moderate Queens Democrat.

Nationwide, the numbers are just as galling.

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The Prosecution Of Daniel Penny Is A Soviet-Style Attack On The Right Of Self-Defense

American justice has become politicized — a weapon against enemies with hall passes for favored groups. Attorney General Merrick Garland, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, and dozens of big city, George Soros-funded leftist district attorneys routinely prosecute innocent citizens while letting criminals walk free.

The actions of these powerful officers of the law fit a pattern that the great Soviet-era Russian writer Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn not only would have recognized, but he also detailed.

Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg’s prosecutions of both Donald Trump and Daniel Penny — closing arguments for Penny’s trial are scheduled for after Thanksgiving — combined with his leniency for deadly criminals are a case in point.

In “The Gulag Archipelago,” Solzhenitsyn wrote of the “Voroshilov Amnesty,” granted three weeks after Stalin’s death in 1953, which “flooded the whole country with a wave of murderers, bandits, and thieves, who had with great difficulty been rounded up after the war.” Communist authorities thought a general amnesty would endear them to the people — of course, many non-violent political prisoners weren’t eligible.

This amnesty was compounded by Article 139 of the Criminal Code of 1926 which defined the “limits of necessary self-defense.” As Solzhenitsyn described the law, “you had the right to unsheathe your knife only after the criminal’s knife was hovering over you. And you could stab him only after he had stabbed you. And otherwise, you would be the one put on trial.” Solzhenitsyn then observed that “This fear of exceeding the measure of necessary self-defense led to total spinelessness as a national characteristic.”

Returning to Bragg’s prosecution of Penny, by now, much of the nation knows that Penny, a former Marine, intervened when Jordan Neely became aggressive and threatening on a subway train. Neely, who tragically died, either during the confrontation or shortly after, was not simply a man in need of help; he had a long history of violence and assault. By stepping in, Penny averted harm to fellow passengers. Yet instead of being hailed as a protector, Penny was prosecuted. It appears Bragg is a fan of the Soviet Union’s Article 139.

As Solzhenitsyn explained, the Soviet state reserved for itself the monopoly on force, punishing self-defense as a form of insubordination. Such policies deliberately cultivated fear and compliance, demoralizing citizens and teaching them to rely solely on the state for protection — a state that often failed to provide it. Solzhenitsyn recounted the case of soldier Aleksandr Zakharov, who, when sentenced to 10 years for murder for defending himself from a hoodlum’s attack, asked, “And what was I supposed to do?” To which the prosecutor responded, “You should have fled!”

The chilling effect of cases like Penny’s is already visible. People who might otherwise intervene in dangerous situations now think twice, fearful of becoming the next defendant in the crosshairs of prosecutors like Bragg.

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New York’s Legal Marijuana Market Set To Pass $1 Billion In Sales By End Of 2024

New York’s legal marijuana market is expected to hit a major milestone in the next month as retailers pass $1 billion in products sold since stores opened two years ago.

As of last week, the total sales figure stood at $863.9 million—up from $500 million in August, according to data from the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM). The state is set to surpass the billion-dollar sales mark by the end of December, officials predict.

“These numbers clearly indicate that New York is open for business,” John Kagia, OCM’s policy director, told the New York Post, which first reported the impending $1 billion milestone. “There’s strong momentum behind the market right now.”

After a slow rollout in its first year marked by lawsuits and other delays, legal marijuana sales in New York have picked up significantly in the past several months. Regulators say that’s the result of more licensed businesses opening as well as what they describe as a successful crackdown on unlicensed shops.

This spring, for example, officials in New York City launched Operation Padlock, an enforcement initiative meant to shutter illegal storefronts. Since then, licensed shops that were open before the operation began have since seen sales climb 105 percent, according to an OCM survey.

A spokesperson for Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) told the Post that enforcement actions statewide shut down more than 1,000 illegal dispensaries.

“Her policies have helped transform the industry, increase revenues for local businesses and spur reinvestments in the communities most harmed by historical wrongs—all while building the most equitable cannabis market in the nation,” the spokesperson said.

Hochul argued in June that there’s a direct correlation between the stepped-up enforcement and “dramatically” increased legal sales.

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Kathy Hochul forces New Yorkers to pay $9 to drive through midtown Manhattan—claims it’s a cost savings because she wanted to charge $15

Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) announced this week that New Yorkers will soon face a $9 congestion charge for driving into Manhattan’s Congestion Relief Zone, CBC News reported. Hochul originally canned the program as the presidential election loomed. Her first proposal was for people to pay a $15 and is now claiming that $9 “will save daily commuters” money.

“State law requires that congestion pricing simultaneously raise money for the MTA [Metropolitan Transportation Authority] and drive down traffic congestion. These are important priorities. But I believe that no New Yorker should have to pay a penny more than absolutely necessary to achieve these goals, and $15 was too much,” Hochul said. “I am proud to announce we have found a path to fund the MTA, reduce congestion and keep millions of dollars in the pockets of our commuters.”

“This lower toll will save daily commuters nearly $1,500 annually,” she said, though that “savings” is actually just a lesser increase. “And that kind of money makes a big difference for our families,” Hochul continued, adding that the really good news is that people who own vehicles, belong to the Low-Income Discount Plan and make less than $50,000 a year will be eligible for a 50 percent discount – but only after paying 10 tolls first. Hochul said the rate will be lower during the night when fewer people are driving into the city.

The governor said “the most critical” part of the massive tax is that it will guarantee $15 billion in MTA funding, which she said was the whole purpose of the tax to begin with. “We’re still getting the $15 billion to fund the MTA, and drivers are paying $6 less,” she said. She said that $15 billion will pay for an improved subway signal system, expansion of the Second Ave. subway line and buy electric buses.

President-elect Donald Trump told The New York Post on Thursday that he is against Hochul’s congestion pricing plan calling it the “most regressive tax known to womankind.”

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NYC Expands Use Of Drones To Respond To Crimes

The New York Police Department has launched a new program that will send drones zipping to emergency scenes before officers can get there.

Two drones will be stationed at each of five NYPD station houses, including the one that oversees the 843 acres of Manhattan’s iconic Central Park. Three precincts in Brooklyn and one in the Bronx will also be getting the drones as part of the “Drone as First Responder” initiative.

“New York City is flying into the future as we keep New Yorkers safe,” Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement Wednesday. “These drones will mean more efficient policing and will help increase the safety of our responding NYPD officers and New Yorkers.”

The drones will be deployed remotely and programmed to autonomously fly to the exact longitude and latitude of emergencies, including missing-person searches, alerts from the NYPD’s ShotSpotter gunfire detection system and crimes in progress, according to the mayor’s office.

Once a drone arrives at the scene, an NYPD drone pilot at police headquarters in Lower Manhattan or another location will take control of the device. High-resolution cameras equipped with night vision technology and high-definition audio microphones will allow pilots to assess situations and send live feeds to the smartphones of officers and supervisors on the ground.

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New York City’s Push to Ban Mail at Rikers Was Based on Drug Test Kits With an 85 Percent Error Rate

In 2022, former New York City Department of Corrections Commissioner Louis Molina testified before the city council about the flood of fentanyl coming into Rikers Island, the city’s infamous jail complex.

“How does fentanyl get into our jails?” he asked. “The short answer is that most of it enters in letters and packages laced with fentanyl, literally soaked in the drug, and mailed to people in custody.”

To illustrate the problem, Molina had a powerful prop: A child’s drawing of a reindeer that had been mailed to a Rikers Island inmate and tested positive for fentanyl. It was because of letters like this, Molina explained, that his department was proposing ending delivery of physical letters to jail inmates and instead sending them scanned and digitized copies.

There was only one problem: The field test used on that reindeer drawing wasn’t reliable, and a drug lab would later invalidate the results. Rudolph was clean.

In fact, a report released Wednesday by the New York City Department of Investigation (DOI) found that, when it sent 71 pieces of mail that tested presumptive positive for fentanyl to a drug lab for verification, 85 percent of the items came back negative, including the reindeer drawing.

The DOI concluded that “field tests are not reliable, particularly with respect to the identification of fentanyl in items such as books, clothing, greeting cards and other materials sent through the mail.”

The basis for the DOC’s proposed policy ending physical mail delivery to inmates was a falsehood, and not a particularly good one. The problems with these drug field tests are well known: They’ve resulted in hundreds of documented cases of wrongful arrests around the country, and several state prison systems, including New York’s, have suspended their use.

The test kits use instant color reactions to indicate the presence of certain compounds found in illegal drugs, but those same compounds are also found in dozens of known licit substances. Over the years, police officers have arrested and jailed innocent people after drug field kits returned presumptive positive results on bird poop, donut glaze, cotton candy, and sand from inside a stress ball. 

A study published earlier this year by the Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice at the University of Pennsylvania estimated that these tests may result in up to 30,000 wrongful arrests a year.

The DOI says reliance on these field tests led officials to incorrectly focus on mail instead of other, more obvious, vectors for contraband.

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