44 F
New York
Friday, March 29, 2024
Home Blog Page 2089

Rachel Brosnahan of “The Marvelous Mrs Maisel” Says Jewish Culture Prepared Her for the Role of Midge

0

The hit television series known as The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is now entering its third season, impressing audiences around the country. The lead character known as Miriam “Midge” Maisel carries the Prime Video’s period comedy to a top spot in the ratings. The actress who deftly plays the aspiring stand-up comedian Midge character is Rachel Brosnahan.  She has won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 2018 and two consecutive Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy in 2018 and 2019. She also had a recurring role in the Netflix political thriller series House of Cards, for which she received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination.

Edited by: TJVNews.com

According to the Wikipedia site, Brosnahan made her film debut in the horror film The Unborn (2009) and has subsequently appeared in films including Beautiful Creatures (2013), Louder Than Bombs (2015), The Finest Hours (2016), and Patriots Day (2016).

In 2013, Wikipedia reported that Brosnahan starred in the critically acclaimed Netflix political drama House of Cards with Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright. Her role brought her career prominence and received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series. She was initially booked for two episodes and five lines, she caught the eye of showrunner Beau Willimon, and was soon developed into a major character.

In 2016, she appeared in Woody Allen’s Amazon series Crisis in Six Scenes with Allen, Elaine May, and Miley Cyrus. 

After her Emmy Award win, Brosnahan stated that The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel resonated with viewers because “the show is equal parts fantasy and reality. It has beautiful clothes, beautiful sets. I think in some ways it’s aspirational too. It’s about a woman who’s reinventing herself after completing the dream she had laid out for herself. Everything falls apart; she finds herself anew. It’s never too late to do that. And it’s funny and, I think, filled with joy at its core, and that’s something we need a lot more of in the world right now.”[

Brosnahan said that, while she is not Jewish, her exposure to Jewish culture growing up helped prepare her for the role.

Brosnahan will appear in the upcoming drama film Ironbark, alongside Benedict Cumberbatch. The film is set to be released in 2019. 

According to the Hollywood Reporter,  the third season of the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel will see   Midge delving into uncharted waters in both her professional and personal lives. Within the first few episodes, she’s embarked on her most high-profile and demanding gig to date (a nationwide tour as the opening act for pop star Shy Baldwin), moved all her worldly possessions out of her parents’ soon-to-be-vacant Manhattan apartment, and finalized her divorce from her husband Joel (Michael Zegen).

 

 

 

Democrats Say Trump Impeachment Charges Must Come Swiftly

0
Rep Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), the Chairman of the Photo Credit: YouTube)

House Democrats moved aggressively to draw up formal articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump on Thursday, with Speaker Nancy Pelosi saying he “leaves us no choice” but to act swiftly because he’s likely to corrupt the system again unless removed before next year’s election.

Edited by: TJVNews.com

A strictly partisan effort at this point, derided immediately by Trump and other leading Republicans as a sham and a hoax, it is a politically risky undertaking. Democrats say it is their duty, in the aftermath of the Ukraine probe, while Republicans say it will drive Pelosi’s majority from office.

Congress must act, Pelosi said. “The democracy is what is at stake.”

“The president’s actions have seriously violated the Constitution,” she said in a somber address at the Capitol. “He is trying to corrupt, once again, the election for his own benefit. The president has engaged in abuse of power, undermining our national security and jeopardizing the integrity of our elections.”

Trump has insisted he did nothing wrong. He tweeted that the Democrats “have gone crazy.”

At the core of the impeachment probe is a July phone call with the president of Ukraine, in which Trump pressed the leader to investigate Democrats, including political rival Joe Biden. At the same time the White House was withholding military aid from Ukraine, an ally bordering an aggressive Russia.

Drafting articles of impeachment is a milestone moment, only the fourth time in U.S. history Congress has tried to remove a president, and it intensifies the rigid and polarizing partisanship of the Trump era that is consuming Washington and dividing the nation.

The speaker delivered her historic announcement in solemn tones at the Capitol, drawing on the Constitution and the Founding Fathers in forcefully claiming Congress’ oversight of the president in the nation’s system of checks and balances. Democrats are already beginning to prepare the formal charges, pushing toward House votes, possibly before Christmas.

“Sadly, but with confidence and humility, with allegiance to our founders and a heart full of love for America, today I am asking our chairmen to proceed with articles of impeachment,” Pelosi said.

Seemingly eager to fight, Trump tweeted that if Democrats “are going to impeach me, do it now, fast.” Though he has fought the House investigation, trying to bar current and former officials from testifying, he said he now wants to move on to a “fair trial” in the Senate.

Approval of articles of impeachment is considered likely in the Democratic-majority House. Conviction in a following trial in the Republican-dominated Senate seems very unlikely.

Once reluctant to pursue impeachment, warning it was too divisive for the country and needed to be bipartisan, Pelosi is now leading Congress into politically uncertain terrain for all sides just ahead of the election year.

Republican are standing lockstep with Trump, unswayed by arguments that his actions amount to wrongdoing, let alone impeachable offenses. That is leaving Democrats to go it alone in a campaign to consider removing the 45th president from office.

At a town hall late Thursday on CNN, Pelosi said she would have no regrets if impeachment ended up helping Trump’s reelection effort. “This isn’t about politics at all,” she said. “It’s about honoring our oath of office” – to defend the Constitution.

Pelosi has emphasized the Russia connection, from special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into 2016 election interference to the president’s phone call this summer with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that set off alarms in Washington.

Russia and President Vladimir Putin benefited most from Trump’s actions toward Ukraine, she said.

“All roads lead to Putin. Understand that,” she declared at a morning news conference at the Capitol. “That was the a-ha moment.”

She spoke solemnly and calmly, but that changed when she was asked as she was leaving if she hates Trump.

Pelosi stiffened, returned to the podium and responded sharply that the president’s views and politics are for the voters to judge at elections but impeachment “is about the Constitution.” She said that as a Catholic, she does not hate the president but rather is praying for him daily.

Trump quickly tweeted back that he didn’t believe her.

Trump’s allies argue that voters, not lawmakers, should decide the president’s future. But Democrats say the nation cannot wait for the 2020 election, alleging Trump’s past efforts to have foreign countries intervene in the presidential campaign are forcing them to act to prevent him from doing it again. Pelosi said the still-anonymous whistleblower’s complaint about Trump’s Ukraine call changed the dynamic, creating the urgency to act.

The number of articles and the allegations they will include will be both a legal and political exercise for the House committee chairmen, who will be meeting privately. They must balance electoral dynamics while striving to hit the Constitution’s bar of “treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors.”

Pulling from the House’s 300-page investigation of the Ukraine matter, Democrats are focusing on at least three areas – abuse of power, bribery and obstruction – that could result in two to five articles, they say.

They argue that Trump abused the power of his office by putting personal political gain over national security interests; engaging in bribery by holding out $400 million in military aid that Congress had approved for Ukraine; and then obstructing Congress by stonewalling the investigation.

Some liberal Democrats want to reach further into Trump’s actions, particularly regarding the findings from special counsel Mueller’s report on Russian interference in the 2016 election. That could produce an additional article of obstruction not only of Congress, but also of justice.

But more centrist and moderate Democrats, those lawmakers who are most at risk of political fallout from the impeachment proceedings, prefer to stick with the Ukraine matter as a simpler narrative that Americans can more easily understand.

The GOP Leader of the House, Kevin McCarthy, said Pelosi is more concerned about tearing the president down than building the country up. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., criticized Democrats for focusing on impeachment over other issues, though many House-passed bills are waiting for action in his chamber. “It’s all impeachment, all the time,” he said.

At the White House, press secretary Stephanie Grisham tweeted that Pelosi and the Democrats “should be ashamed.”

House members are preparing to vote on the articles of impeachment in the Judiciary Committee, possibly as soon as next week. The committee set a Monday hearing to receive the Intelligence Committee’s report outlining the findings against the president.

The House is expecting a full vote by Christmas. That would send the issue to the Senate for a trial in the new year.  (VOA News)    

Amid Rising Anti-Semitism, Germany’s Merkel Visits Auschwitz for 1st Time; Donates $66M for Preservation of Site

0
Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, center, with Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki of Poland, second from right, at the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum in southern Poland on Friday. Photo Credit: Janek Skarzynski/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder on Friday met German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the site of the former Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp and thanked her for announcing that Germany is committing € 60 million to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation to support preservation of the memorial site. Her visit is the first in her 14-year tenure as Chancellor of Germany, the first time a German chancellor has visited the site since 1977, and the third time a German chancellor/head of government has visited since World War II. The visit comes in advance of the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau and amid rising levels of antisemitism in Europe and around the world.

Edited by: TJVNews.com

Chancellor Merkel entered through the camp’s notorious gate marked “Arbeit Macht Frei” (Work Sets You Free), and lit a candle in memory of the more than 1.1 million people killed there. She was accompanied by Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki; Piotr M.A. Cywinski, Director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum and President of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation; and Dr. Josef Schuster, head of the Central Council of Jews in Germany.

WJC President Lauder accompanied Chancellor Merkel during her visit at the museum’s Conservation Laboratories, which preserve every shoe, every document, and every building that remain at the site. Amb. Lauder has been involved in the preservation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau site for decades, raising tens of millions of dollars internationally to fund conservation efforts, including the establishment in 2003 of the laboratories. Chancellor Merkel also visited the Central Sauna building at the former Birkenau camp, where prisoners were subjected to “disinfection” before being forced into slave labor.

“Antisemitism remains a vile, pervasive and resurgent force in the world today, making Holocaust education more vital than ever,” said WJC President Lauder. “Chancellor Merkel has been a valued and reliable ally in the fight against this oldest of hatreds. Preserving and conserving the remains of the Holocaust are critical to maintaining an accurate record of the atrocities committed, especially as the number of living, first-hand witnesses inevitably dwindles. Only by knowing the past can we protect our future, and we are deeply grateful to Chancellor Merkel for her commitment to the preservation of the site where almost 1 million Jews were brutally murdered by the Nazis only and exclusively because they were Jews.”

Chancellor Merkel acknowledged the conservation work and thanked “that care was taken with great commitment so the site can bear testimony”. Merkel stated: “This history has to be told, again and again.”

In October 2019, the World Jewish Congress honored Chancellor Merkel with the WJC Theodor Herzl Award for her efforts to protect and foster Jewish life in Germany and her support for Israel.

The Auschwitz-Birkenau site is one of the most important remaining physical remnants of the Holocaust and a crucial reminder of the evil that can stem from bigotry and hatred. Chancellor Merkel’s visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial comes at a time when antisemitism and white nationalism are on the rise across Europe and the United States, and global understanding of the Holocaust is on the decline. In the United States today, 41% of adults cannot identify what Auschwitz was or is, and 11% of adults – and over one-fifth of millennials – have not heard, or are not sure if they have heard, of the Holocaust.

The WJC and Amb. Lauder are preparing to return to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial on January 27, 2020, International Holocaust Remembrance Day, for the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Amb. Lauder will join close to 200 survivors as well as heads of state and representatives of Jewish communities from around the world to mark the anniversary.

In the lead-up to International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the WJC will also launch its fourth annual global #WeRemember campaign aimed at promoting education about the horrors of the Holocaust.

Netanyahu Associates to be Indicted in $2B Corruption Case Involving German Subs

0
State Attorney Shai Nitzan on Thursday announced charges against former senior security officials, as well as former aides of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a major corruption case involving the purchasing of German naval vessels. The charges are subject to pre-indictment hearings. Photo by Yissachar Ruas/TPS on 5 December, 2019

State Attorney Shai Nitzan on Thursday announced charges against former senior security officials, as well as former aides of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a major corruption case involving the purchasing of German naval vessels. The charges are subject to pre-indictment hearings.

By: Arye Green 

The scandal, which has come to be known as “Case 3000,” involves alleged bribery of top Israeli security officials who pushed a multi-billion-shekel acquisition of military vessels and submarines from the German ship manufacturer ‎Thyssenkrupp in 2016.

A statement from the Justice Ministry said that Vice Admiral Eliezer Marom, former commander of Israel’s Navy, will be charged with bribery, money laundering, and tax offenses, as will Miki Ganor, Thyssenkrupp’s former representative in Israel.

Additionally, former minister Eliezer Sandberg, and David Sharan, a former aide to Netanyahu and to Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz, will be indicted for bribery, breach of trust, and money laundering.

David Shimron, Netanyahu’s cousin and former lawyer, will be charged with money laundering, as well.

Rami Taib, a former political adviser to Steinitz, will be charged with assisting bribery, and Yitzhak Lieber, a media consultant and close associate of Sharan, will be charged with money laundering and assisting tax offenses.

According to the charges, Avriel Bar-Yosef, former deputy national security advisor, approached Ganor in 2009 and suggested Ganor would become Thyssenkrupp’s representative in Israel, hoping to benefit from the appointment financially.

Bar-Yosef then allegedly asked Marom, who headed the Israeli Navy at the time, to push for Ganor’s appointment. Allegedly, according to an understanding that was reached, Ganor would compensate Marom and Bar-Yosef for their work towards his appointment. Ganor was eventually appointed as Thyssenkrupp’s representative in Israel.

According to the prosecutors, Ganor paid Marom and Bar-Yosef hundreds of thousands of shekels, and Bar-Yosef worked to advance naval purchases while serving as Deputy National Security Advisor.

The statement did not explicitly say Bar-Yosef will be charged in a crime, despite describing his alleged corrupt dealings in the description of the case.

The statement also described unethical relations between Ganor, Sharan and Sandberg. Ganor is accused of bribing Sharan and Sandberg in exchange for promoting his interests. Shimron is suspected of laundering money for Ganor.

Ganor had initially signed on to become a state witness in the case, but later backed out of the agreement, leaving him open to severe charges from state prosecutors.

Despite the expected indictment of several close associates of Netanyahu, the prime minister is not suspected of any wrongdoing in the case. (TPS)

REVEALED: Killer of 4 at Florida Naval Station was Saudi National; Terror Connection Probed

0
It appears that the shooter that claimed the lives of four people at a Florida Naval station in Pensacola was an aviation student from Saudi Arabia. AP reported that authorities are investigating if the shooting was related to terrorism. Photo Credit: Google Maps

It appears that the shooter that claimed the lives of four people at a Florida Naval station in Pensacola  was an aviation student from Saudi Arabia. AP reported that authorities are investigating if the shooting was related to terrorism. It marked the second shooting at a military facility this week. A gunman began shooting just a few days ago at a Pearl Harbor station.

Edited by: TJVNews.com

Sources identified the shooter, who was killed in the incident, as Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani.

The FBI was the lead agency in charge of the investigation as of Friday afternoon.

Military from around the globe attend the Naval Air Station in Pensacola.

It all began on Friday morning at 6:50 am when the shooter opened fire in a classroom at the air station. In addition to the four people who were killed, many people were wounded including the assailant.  

Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan said four people had been killed and that the two sheriff’s deputies who were the first to respond, including one who killed the shooter, were wounded but expected to recover, according to an AP report.

One of the deputies was shot in the arm and the other was shot in the leg and was in surgery, Chief Deputy Chip Simmons said during a morning news conference. 

“Walking through the crime scene was like being on the set of a movie,” Sheriff Morgan told reporters.

Morgan said eight people were taken to Baptist Health Care in Pensacola, and one of them died

According to information provided by its web site, the Naval Air Station in Pensacola employs more than 16,000 military and 7,400 civilian personnel, as was reported by AP. The Pensacola air station is one of the most historic bases in the country and plays a major role in the economic prosperity of the surrounding area.

It’s home to the Blue Angels flight demonstration team, and includes the National Naval Aviation Museum, a popular regional tourist attraction, as was reported by AP.

The base was still on lockdown at about 10 a.m. and was to remain closed for the rest of the day, with only essential personnel allowed to enter. Pensacola Mayor Grover C. Robinson also asked residents to avoid the area around the base as investigators swarmed the scene.

AP reported that Escambia County Commissioner Jeff Bergosh, who works at the Naval Air Station as a civilian contractor, told the Pensacola News Journal he was in line to go through the gate Friday morning when it was shut down due to the active shooter report.

“There’s probably been 100 or so various law enforcement vehicles zooming down the wrong side on Navy Boulevard,” Bergosh told the newspaper. “There’s been ambulances, fire trucks. It’s my understanding there’s multiple causalities.”

President Donald Trump has been briefed on the shooting and is monitoring the situation, the White House said.

Vice President Mike Pence tweeted: “Saddened to hear of the horrible shooting at Naval Air Station Pensacola & continuing to monitor the situation. Praying for the victims & their families & we commend the first responders for their swift action in taking down the shooter & getting those on base to safety.”

 

NYC’s Most Expensive Commercial Streets & Neighborhoods in 2019 Would Surprise You!!

0
Commercial space in prestigious areas like FiDi, Hudson Yards, or the Plaza District regularly ask potential tenants more than $100 per square foot. Photo Credit: 19Dutch.com

New York City has historically been known to fetch among the highest prices for commercial real estate across the globe.  That’s not to say it’s overpriced. There is undeniably incalculable value added by being in a prime location. The Big Apple is certainly a prime setting, a place to see and be seen, to wheel and deal, more so than any other City in America.  This is true for businesses and offices as well as homes and residential buildings.  

By Ilana Siyance

Today, businesses continue to pay a premium for an address in the Big City.  Commercial space in prestigious areas like FiDi, Hudson Yards, or the Plaza District regularly ask potential tenants more than $100 per square foot. The only question remains, which NYC streets and neighborhoods are fetching the highest prices for commercial space in 2019. A recent blog in Metro Manhattan by Alan Rosinsky sought to answer this question.  Based on commercial real estate sales data from NYC Department of Finance , in the five boroughs of NYC from January 2019 till October, a list was compiled revealing the 30 most expensive streets, as well as the 30 most expensive neighborhoods in NYC. The list found the locations with the highest Median Sale Price for NYC streets and neighborhoods that had at least 10 commercial sales transactions so far this year.

First let us peek at the Priciest Commercial Streets in NYC.   The number one most expensive street in NYC is none other than Manhattan’s Third Avenue.  The Median Sales Price was $12,092,588, as calculated from the 10 sales on the street between January and October 2019.  The total sales volume for the period was $715,746,114. The largest transaction was Chetrit Group’s $422 million purchase of the Midtown Manhattan building at 850 Third Avenue in January.  The 21-story, 617,000 Square foot building on 51st street and third was previously owned by China’s debt-ridden HNA Group. Another heavy-duty deal was 60 Guilders and RCG Longview’s $212.5 million purchase of the renovated 19-sory student housing building at 1760 Third Avenue, from The Chetrit Group. 

The second most expensive street in NYC was Manhattan’s Lexington Avenue.  The street boasted a Median Sales Price of $9,335,312 for commercial transactions.  There were 10 sales recorded for the year so far, with total sales volume of $379,769,138.  The largest transaction in the area was the $180 million purchase of 360 Lexington Avenue by Savanna at the end of the summer.  Manhattan’s First Avenue was named the third most expensive street in NYC. There were 11 sales recorded for the period with a Median Sales Price of $8,000,000.  

As expected, the City’s most expensive streets are in Manahattan.  However, Brooklyn seems to be catching up. Manhattan was home to 9 of the 30 most sought after streets for the year, but Brooklyn topped that with 13 of the most expensive streets based on this year’s sales.  NYC’s fourth priciest street is in Brooklyn– namely Flatbush Avenue. The street fetched a median sale price of $5.6 million for commercial properties, recording 13 transactions with total sales volume of $191,040,950. That means than in 2019, commercial buyers paid a higher premium for Flatbush locations than Fifth Avenue or Broadway.  Brooklyn’s busy street is developing fast. The priciest exchange was the $100 million sale of 270 Flatbush Avenue, which is yet to be built. 

Last in the Top five is Queens’ Northern Boulevard with a Median Sales Price of $4,550,000, for 12 sales.  The biggest transaction there was the sale of the $40 million retail building at 51-30 Northern Boulevard. The former Sports Authority Store there will be turned into a high school.  Queens grabbed a total of seven spots in the top 30 list for the most expensive commercial streets. The combined commercial sales volume for the borough on this list was $863 million in 2019.  

Manhattan’s prized Fifth Avenue took the sixth spot on the list.  The Median Sales Price for transactions was $4,222,500, despite the high total volume of $3,010,590,975 on the 18 sales in 2019.  Seventh place on the list was Brooklyn’s President Street, with Median Sales Price of $3,050,000 in 16 transactions.  

Eighth place was 4th Avenue, also in Brooklyn.  Median Sales Price was $2,950,000 over the 16 transactions.  Other notable streets to make the top 30 list from Brooklyn include:  Brooklyn’s Broadway (#11), Nostrand Avenue (#13), Coney Island Avenue (#16), Atlantic Avenue (#17), Amity Street (#21), Bedford Avenue (# 22), 6Th Avenue (#23), Fulton Street (#26), Kings Highway (#29), and Greene Avenue (#30 on the list).

Number Nine on the list is Queens’s 31st Street, with a Median Sales Price of $2,850,000 for the 10 transactions.  Other hot streets on the top 30 list in Queens included: Steinway Street ( spot #18), Queens Boulevard (# 19), Prince Street (#20), Roosevelt Avenue (#24), and Union Street (#25).  

Rounding off the top ten of the list of NYC’s most expensive streets was Manhattan’s Charlton Street with a Median Sales Price of $2,788,914 for the 13 transactions.  Other hot streets in Manhattan included: Madison Avenue (#12), Leonard Street (#14), West 87Th Street (#15), and of course Broadway (down to spot # 27, with Median Sales price of $1,400,000, despite high sales volume of $476,502,007 in 21 transactions.)

The Borough of Bronx did make an appearance on the list, though Staten Island did not.  East Tremont Avenue landed was ranked as #28, with a median sale price of $1.2 million for 10 commercial sales in 2019.  

 

That brings us to the list of the Most Expensive Commercial Neighborhoods in NYC, based on sales data from the DOF dated January to October 2019.  In this list, Manhattan regains its rightful place at the top. Manhattan hogged 19 of the top 30 spots in the list, as compiled by Metro Manhattan.  In fact all the top 11 most expensive neighborhoods were in Manhattan. The top neighborhood was, of course, Manhattan’s Financial District. It blew away all the competition with Median Sales Price of $43,850,000 in 10 transactions.  Second place on the list is Manhattan’s Fashion District, with a Median Sales Price of $12,499,570, over 27 recorded transactions. The other top ten commercial neighborhoods on the list, in order include: Midtown Cbd, Upper East Side (79-96 streets), Greenwich Village-West, Greenwich Village-Central, Little Italy, Upper East Side (59-79 streets), East Village, and Chelsea neighborhoods respectively.  

The Bronx’s Mount Hope/Mount Eden neighborhood stole spot #12, with Median Sales Price of $5,812,000 over 11 transactions in the neighborhood.  Manhattan neighborhoods continue to dominate the list till the Bronx’s Mott Haven/Port Morris takes spot 18. 

Queen’s Bayside neighborhood was named # 19 on the list with a Median Sales Price of $3,750,000 over 12 transactions. Bayside was the only Queens neighborhood on the list, led by the $12.2 million sale of the Bayside Tennis Corporation at 34-28 214th Place.

Six Brooklyn neighborhoods made the top 30 list. Carroll Gardens took the 22nd spot with a Median Sales Price of $3,700,000 in 17 transactions.  The neighborhood of Gowanus was ranked # 23, with a Median Sales Price of $3,425,000, over 20 transactions with a total sales volume of $177,085,207 for the neighborhood in 2019.  Flatbush-Central made the list as # 25, with 46 transactions in the neighborhood, at a Median Sales Price of $207,529,331. Other Brooklyn neighborhoods to make the most expensive list include: Park Slope (# 27), and Boerum Hill (#30).

Art Basel Miami Draws Chic Global Crowd; Avantgarde “Banana in Duct Tape” Sells for $120K

0
At the upper crust Art Basel Miami exposition that draws the world’s crème de la crème of art collectors and aficionados it appears that a banana which had been duct-taped to a wall has been sold to a buyer for staggering $120,000. Photo Credit: Art Basel

Seems like odd things sell like hotcakes at contemporary and avantgarde art shows and it appears that old fruit will cost art collectors a pretty penny. 

Edited by: TJVNews.com

At the upper crust Art Basel Miami exposition that draws the world’s crème de la crème of art collectors and aficionados it appears that a banana which had been duct-taped to a wall has been sold to a buyer for staggering $120,000. Another interesting feature of the annual art confab is that children are selling their paintings for up to $75,000. Not bad for a kid with a paint brush.

A New York Post article indicated that the banana that was duct taped to a wall and presented to the world as a classic example of rare and unique art was the brainchild of respected Italian artist, Maurizio Cattelan who bought  the fruit at a supermarket and taped it to a white wall at the Perrotin Parisian gallery during a VIP preview party, according to Artnet.com. 

A collector from France purchased the unusual piece which was titled, “Comedian” for its $120K listed price, according to the Post article.  A second edition later sold at the same price to yet another French collector. A third version is selling for $150K although Cattelan, has intentions of selling it to a museum, according to the NY Post. 

Speaking to Artnet about the genesis of the banana piece, Cattelan said that he had been working on it for a year. Originally, the artist had attempted to construct a banana out of bronze and resin, according to the NY Post report and then he came up with a unique idea of how to proceed with it.  

“I couldn’t figure out how to finish it,” Catalan mused. “In the end, one day I woke up and I said, ‘The banana is supposed to be a banana.’ ”

As to buyers of Cattelan’s work receiving instructions on what to do with the piece of art when it inevitably begins to rot, there were not given by the artists, nor were buyers advised on how to display it in the appropriate manner in which this kind of art deserves.   

The Post reported that a gallery owner named Emmanuel Perrotin said that he will be throwing out the rotting banana unless a buyer wants it for the price he is asking.

About three years ago, the Guggenheim Museum in New York City featured an 8-karat solid-gold toilet that Cattelan made. In some circles, he is considered an artist with a predilection towards being a prankster of sorts.  The Post reported that Cattelan rejected the idea that “Comedian” was simply a joke. 

Children as young as age seven are featuring their works at Art Basel for tens of thousands of dollars.

Some examples include:

Aelita Andre, a 12-year old expressionist prodigy priced one of her works at the event for $75,000, according to the NY Post.

Elisabeth Anisimow, 13, sold a piece for $12,500 that she created when she was only 11 years old, as was reported by the Post.

A work made out of candy wrappers with the words “Sweet Like Candy” sold for $1500. 

The painting, “Waiting for Departure,” depicts two World War II-era children next to a suitcase.

The Post also reported that 15-year old Isabella Koopman — who goes by “Koops” — walked off with $10,000 in sales for four of her colorful collages.

American Dream Mall Ushers in the Holiday Season in Style

0
Real estate developer Eskander Ghermezian, Jewish Voice publisher David Ben Hooren, Bergen County Executive James J. Tedesco and Bahman Ghermezian. Photo Credit: Jewish Voice Photography

The holiday season officially kicked off at American Dream Mall in the Meadowlands complex on Thursday, December 5th with festive activities for the entire family including free photos with Santa, face painting, a winter market and more.

Edited by: TJVNews.com

American Dream is a retail and entertainment complex that has over 450 stores. Big SNOW is the third venue to open at American Dream. The mega-mall in the Meadowlands opened its doors Oct. 25 but only the Nickelodeon Universe theme park and The Rink, an NHL regulation-sized skating rink debuted. The rest of the opening stages will take place in early 2020.

American Dream was the brainchild of Canadian real estate developers Eskandar, Nader, Raphael and Bahman Ghermezian who are of Iranian-Jewish origin.  

The Big SNOW American Dream also opened on Thursday, welcoming Santa Claus himself as one of the attraction’s very first visitors. 

The Big SNOW American Dream also opened on Thursday, welcoming Santa Claus himself as one of the attraction’s very first visitors. The media was allowed inside the 16-story, 180,000 square-foot indoor ski and snowboard park for a first look before the public slid down the slopes later on Thursday.

The media was allowed inside the 16-story, 180,000 square-foot indoor ski and snowboard park for a first look before the public slid down the slopes later on Thursday.

According to an NJ.com report this is the first real snow indoor ski and snowboard venue in North America. To make it feel like winter the whole year through, the Big Snow will be regulated at about 28 degrees. The below freezing temperature keeps the slopes covered in 5,500 tons of snow, with an average depth of 2 feet, according to the NJ.com report.

Big SNOW has a ski chalet-themed retail store, three slopes of varying difficulties, four lifts, a freestyle terrain park for snowboarders and a Terrain Based Learning area for beginners, the trademarked teaching tool of SNOW Operating, which runs Big SNOW and Mountain Creek, as was reported by NJ.com

NJ.com reported that skiing novices can rent equipment, ski jackets and pants for $69.99 for a two-hour session or more for a three-day session, and experienced skiers and snowboarders can bring their own and just buy an access pass for $34.99. There’s pricing for kids, too, and even child care for parents who want to ski without kids in tow.

The media kick-off event featured appearances by New Jersey native and Olympic gold medalist mogul skier Donna Weinbrecht, World Champion and Olympic Gold Medal ski racer Lindsey Vonn, Burton Snowboards Global Team Rider and US Olympic Gold Medalist Red Gerard and Global Team Rider Ben Ferguson.

SNOW Operating’s owner, Joe Hession said the indoor ski facility continues his mission to get more people sliding on snow.

PHOTOS WITH SANTA

American Dream’s Events Court is transformed into a winter wonderland this holiday season. When you and your family visit American Dream between December 5 – December 24 you will receive a complimentary 5×7 print + digital photo with Santa. Photos with Santa are available at your convenience, with no appointments needed. Suggested donations benefiting Make-A-Wish® New Jersey, our holiday non-profit partner, are encouraged. A complete listing of Santa’s schedule for the holiday season is available at www.americandream.com/event/santa. Santa is bilingual and is fluent in English and Spanish.

 

CELEBRATE WITH COCA-COLA

 

Coca-Cola’s celebration of the season comes to life at American Dream this Saturday, December 7 and Sunday, December 8. Coca-Cola has created an immersive snowscape environment, including a gif booth where guests will sled down a mountain, complete with Coca-Cola branded winter gear. Guests can enjoy new Coca-Cola Cinnamon and Sprite Winter Spiced Cranberry flavors after they ‘ride’ down the mountain.

 

WINTER MARKET

The Winter Market at American Dream will debut this December and offer guests the opportunity to shop for unique gifts for loved ones, as well as sample snacks that will tease their appetites. Vendors include A’Jar Sweet Cream Factory, Bang Cookies, Italian Alps Gelato, Grisini Coffee, Ladurée, Pandora, Robin Ruth, Sleet & Sole, The New Stand and Unique Flowers.

 

FESTIVE FACE PAINTING

Enjoy festive face painting during the weekend at American Dream. Face painters will be in the Tree Court and Nickelodeon Universe every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from December 6 – December 22, as well as Monday, December 23 and Tuesday, December 24. Hours will be posted on www.americandream.com.

 

CHANUKAH CELEBRATIONS

 

Celebrate Chanukah at American Dream. Join us for a special Chanukah Skate at The Rink on Sunday, December 22 from 5:00PM – 8:00PM, with DJ Jon spinning and a menorah lighting at 6:00PM. The community will gather to celebrate the last night of Chanukah on Sunday, December 29 from 5:30PM – 6:30PM, with a menorah lighting in the Events Court at 6:00PM.

 

SOUNDS OF THE SEASON

American Dream will welcome local schools and community groups performing holiday hits throughout the winter wonderland. Enjoy performances several times throughout the afternoon on Saturday, December 7, 14, 21 and on Sunday, December 8, 15, 22.

 

WEAR THE SEASON WITH WHOOPI

Wear the season in Whoopi Goldberg’s amazing, amusing, limited edition Christmas and Chanukah sweaters. Holiday sweaters are available for sale in Whoopi = American Dream, open through January 2020. While you’re there, check out Whoopi’s new book ‘The Unqualified Hostess’ for inspiration and tips for all of your holiday soirees.

Billionaire Steve Cohen Swings High in Potential Buy of 80% Stake in NY Mets

0
Billionaire Steven A. Cohen is quite possibly in the process of buying a huge stake in the New York Mets. (Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Billionaire Steven A. Cohen is quite possibly in the process of buying a huge stake in the New York Mets. This has not been completely confirmed yet, but sources indicate Cohen would take over, after the Wilpons continue their position for five more years. In the past, when the Wilpons were under pressure from having investments in Madoff’s Ponzi scheme, Cohen had actually attempted to buy the Mets, a buy that was very much of interest to him.

By: Romy Ronen

Cohen purchased a 4% stake in the Mets in 2012 for $20 million. Bloomberg News reported he plans to up that stake to 80% of the team. If these reports are, indeed, true, and the deal is in the works, then the Mets would gain a sum total of $2.6 billion in value, as Cohen would obtain approximately 80%. The Mets have had their fair share of financial struggle, and this majority stake would not only help the Mets, but encourage the already discouraged, devoted fans who have been quite frustrated with the franchise itself.

New York Mets fans appear to be psyched up by Cohen’s interest in buying a significant stake in the National League club as they hope that a guy like Cohen could turn the team into a post season contender for the Fall Classic. The Mets have only made the playoffs just twice in the past decade.

If Cohen does purchase the Mets he would be the wealthiest owner across all the major sports leagues, according to a December 5th report in the Hartford Courant. The 63-year-old hedge fund manager is chairman and CEO of Point72 Asset Management in Stamford and lives in Greenwich, the report continued.

With Forbes estimating his net worth at $13.6 billion, that places Cohen in the sport of the second richest person who resides in Connecticut. The Hartford Courant article said that the only person ahead of Cohen in terms of wealth in Connecticut is yet another hedge fund manager, Ray Dalio who is worth an estimated $18.7 billion.

The Hartford Courant report that on a national scale that gauges wealth, Cohen has a ranking of number 35 and is higher of the Forbes 400 list than such prominent billionaires as George Soros who is estimated to have a net worth of $8.6 billion, filmmaker George Lucas who has a net worth of $6.2 billion, fashion designer Ralph Lauren who has a net worth of $6.3 billion and Jerry Jones, the owner of the Dallas Cowboys football team who has a net worth of $8.6 billion.

Cohen grew up to a Jewish family in Great Neck, New York. His father worked in the garment district, his mother was a piano teacher. He had a relatively normal upbringing, focusing on hobbies like poker. Cohen was known as the kid who “took risks.” And most of all, he grew up rooting for the Mets. “It has always been a dream of mine to be a majority owner of a Major League Baseball franchise,” Cohen wrote in a note to investors Wednesday reviewed by Bloomberg News, as was reported in the Hartford Courant. The note reassured investors that Cohen would remain focused on “my first passion” of investing, but also said that “I look forward to seeing you at Mets games.”

He is now considered to be one of the biggest billionaires, hedge fund managers, philanthropists, and art collectors of our time. He is dedicated to the Robin Hood Foundation, serving his role as board of trustees. Most of his other philanthropy work has been geared towards helping veterans with PTSD through health centers and bioscience.

He has a massive art collection with pieces by Monet, Manet, Pollock, Hirst, Picasso, Warhol, and the list goes on. His reportedly $1 billion collection of art includes Swiss sculptor Alberto Giacometti’s “L’Homme au doigt” or “Man Pointing” that was purchased at a 2015 auction for $141.3 million, which broke the record for the most ever paid for a sculpture, according to the report in the Hartford Courant.

In 2013, Cohen bought Pablo Picasso’s “Le Reve” of “The Dream” from Las Vegas casino owner Steve Wynn for a staggering $155 million, which also shattered the record in terms of being the most money paid by a US collector for a piece of art.

On the bizarre and quite unusual side, the Courant also reported that Cohen owns a 14-foot shark preserved in formaldehyde and a self-portrait sculpture of a human head made from the artist’s own frozen blood.

As a renowned philanthropist and benefactor of the arts, Cohen gave $50 million to the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

In 1986, he was charged with insider trading regarding shares of RCA. When under interrogation, he repeatedly invoked his Fifth Amendment right. In 2013, he was charged with insider trading again, pleading guilty, and paying $1.8 billion in fines in one of the biggest cases against a hedge fund. In addition to insider trading, Patricia Cohen, his ex wife, confirmed Cohen’s illegal insider trading so that he could push the beginnings of S.A.C. Capital. Cohen was not proven guilty, even with federal prosecutors inserting wires and devices in his phone to track his supposed wrongdoings. Cohen’s firm even withstood a sex discrimination lawsuit that claimed it was underpaying female employees and condoning crude behaviors.

Buying 80% of the Mets would have Cohen swinging high; as a kid who always took risks, this would be a big one, one that would take off a new rocket of opportunity, wealth, and growth in a sky of past scandal and scheme.

Iran Waging ‘Shadow War,’ Seeding Iraq with Short-Range Missiles

0
Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks to air force staff in Tehran on February 8, 2019. Handout via EPA

“Tehran is engaged in a shadow war, striking at countries in the Middle East but thinly disguising the origin of those attacks to reduce the chance of provoking a response,” say the sources.

By: WIN Staff 

As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to warn Tehran that the Jewish State has a “long arm” to strike wherever the Islamic Republic’s forces are mobilized, the latest report on just how aggressive the Iranians have become was published Wednesday in The New York Times.

“Iran has used the continuing chaos in Iraq to build up a hidden arsenal of short-range ballistic missiles in Iraq, part of a widening effort to try to intimidate the Middle East and assert its power, according to American intelligence and military officials,” says the paper.

As far back as August, Israel was being “blamed” for a series of airstrikes on Iraqi territory.

Top U.S. and Israeli officials are said to have been meeting on a regular basis on the Iranian issue. It was a key issue discussed when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held talks on Wednesday with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

“The Israeli-American policy is key to that effort that serves the purposes of many, many countries in the region,” said Netanyahu, accusing Iran of  having “staging grounds against us and the region from Iran itself, from Iraq, from Syria, from Lebanon, Gaza, and Yemen and we are actively engaged in countering that aggression.”

The Iranian buildup “comes as the United States has rebuilt its military presence in the Middle East to counter emerging threats to American interests, including attacks on oil tankers and facilities that intelligence officials have blamed on Iran,” reports The Times.

“Since May, the Trump administration has sent roughly 14,000 additional troops to the region, primarily to staff Navy ships and missile defense systems.”

“But new intelligence about Iran’s stockpiling of missiles in Iraq is the latest sign that the Trump administration’s efforts to deter Tehran by increasing the American military presence in the Middle East have largely failed,” reports the newspaper, citing intelligence officials as saying that “the missiles pose a threat to American allies and partners in the region, including Israel and Saudi Arabia, and could endanger American troops.”

Iraqis “do not want to be led around on a leash by the Iranians,” Rep.Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said in an interview with the Times. “But, unfortunately, due to the chaos and confusion in the Iraqi central government, Iran is paradoxically the best poised to take advantage of the grass-roots unrest.”

Iranian officials did not return a request for comment, says the Times.

The military and intelligence officials at the center of the newspaper’s report say that “Tehran is engaged in a shadow war, striking at countries in the Middle East but thinly disguising the origin of those attacks to reduce the chance of provoking a response or escalating the fight.”

“If the United States or Israel were to bomb Iran, its military could use missiles hidden in Iraq to strike back against Israel or a gulf country,” the report says.

Short-range missiles have a range of just over 600 miles, meaning that one fired from the outskirts of Baghdad could strike Jerusalem, notes the Times.

“People are not paying enough attention to the fact that ballistic missiles in the last year have been placed in Iraq by Iran with the ability to project violence on the region,” according to Slotkin, an expert on Shiite militias who recently visited Baghdad to meet with Iraqi and American officials, says the paper.

Slotkin is said to have pressed Iraqi leaders on the threat from Iran, telling them that if Iran launched a missile from Iraqi territory, it could threaten the American training effort in Iraq and other support from the United States.

The United States is concerned about potential Iranian aggression in the near future, John C. Rood, an undersecretary of defense, told reporters on Wednesday, according to the Times, but he provided no details about what prompted the concerns.

While decades of international sanctions have weakened the Iranian military, the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) says that Tehran has invested in its domestic infrastructure, allowing it to continue to develop capable cruise and ballistic missiles.

“Iran will deploy an increasing number of more accurate and lethal theater ballistic missiles, improve its existing missile inventory and also field new land-attack cruise missiles,” warns Christian Saunders, Senior Defense Intelligence Analyst for Iran at the DIA.

Aside from its missiles, “another point of concern to the United States and our allies is Iran’s rapid progress in advancing its UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle] capabilities,” says Saunders.

In June, Iran shot down a U.S. Navy high-altitude drone, firing a surface-to-air missile in the area of the Strait of Hormuz. (World Israel News)

Read more at: worldisraelnews.com

Does Corey Johnson Have What it Takes to Quit Vaping before Flavored Ban Goes into Effect???

0
New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson was able to quit his pack a day smoking habit in 2010 when preparing for the NYC Marathon and he is currently prepping to quit vaping and is considering entering the race again. Photo Credit: Twitter

New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson was able to quit his pack a day smoking habit in 2010 when preparing for the NYC Marathon and he is currently prepping to quit vaping and is considering entering the race again, The NY Post reported.

By: Justin Credible 

“I realized I wasn’t actually going to be able to meet that goal unless I quit smoking, so I was running like 30 to 40 miles a week, and that’s what kept me off cigarettes for a year,”  he told the NY Post.

The 37-year-old pol admitted he uses nearly an entire mint-flavored Juul pod a day — equivalent to just under a pack of smokes, the Post reported. 

“What kept me off of cigarettes for a year was my marathon training and then afterward feeling good. And then I fell off the wagon and starting smoking again and smoked until May of this year,” he told Post reporters.

Since May he has been vaping the popular Juul brand e-cigarettes. Johnson is giving himself until July to quit vaping. A controversial NYC ban on flavored vape brands goes into effect at that point.

“NY Nanny state politics strikes again, adults won’t be able to enjoy flavored vape, but NYC happily allows illegal immigrants into the City, breaking literal federal law. NYC politics is bordering on psychotic , they make a lame excuse that  flavored vape is marketed towards minors, there is no evidence this is true, New Yorkers who don’t rebel, deserve what they get, total tyranny and a new black market in flavored vape”, Jared Evan a libertarian leaning political analyst told TJV recently.

Meanwhile Corey Johnson, is against the next step, banning menthol cigarettes. Career charlatan, anti-Semite and tax evader, Al Sharpton and Johnson both stand against the menthol ban. 

“The menthol cigarette ban proposal  is simply out of control, sadly I have to agree with Sharpton on this, he mentioned Eric Garner who was killed by police during that whole incident while  he was selling loose cigarettes, Sharpton is correct, this will create a huge black market, but why Sharpton has any political clout is beyond reason & why does Corey Johnson need Sharpton to explain his to him? “Jared Evan went on in a rant to TJV reporters.

Corey Johnson who is seriously considering a run for mayor, recently stepped to plate for former Mayor Bloomberg, after de Blasio attacked “Mike” Bloomberg.

“There, I think, is typically a level of graciousness that occurs,” Johnson said at a news conference., covered by leftist leaning NY. Daily News “Now that may change when someone decides to run for president. “When Mayor de Blasio was running for president, I didn’t see Mayor Bloomberg criticizing him.”

 

Pelosi Directs Democratic Leaders to Draft Articles of Impeachment Against Trump

0
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi holds her weekly press conference on Capitol Hill Thursday. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi directed Democratic leaders on Thursday to “proceed with articles of impeachment” against President Trump, declaring that he has “abused the power of his office.”

By: Ken Bredemeier

Pelosi, in a brief but dramatic statement, contended that the Republican U.S. leader had defied the norms of presidential conduct, violating his sworn obligation to uphold the U.S. Constitution by asking Ukraine to launch an investigation of one of his chief 2020 Democratic challengers, former Vice President Joe Biden, to help him as he runs for re-election.

“The facts are uncontested,” Pelosi said. “The president abused his power for his own personal political benefit at the expense of our national security.”

Pelosi asked Congressman Jerrold Nadler, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, where impeachment hearings started Wednesday, and other Democratic committee chairs to draft the impeachment articles.

While Pelosi mentioned no timetable, the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives could vote to impeach Trump before the Christmas holiday recess at the end of the month. That would set the stage for a January trial in the Republican-majority Senate, where Trump’s conviction and removal from office remains unlikely.

Trump, on Twitter, reacted defiantly to Pelosi’s statement, saying, “The Do Nothing, Radical Left Democrats have just announced that they are going to seek to Impeach me over NOTHING.”

Trump contended that he had “two totally appropriate (perfect) phone calls” with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in one of which he asked for the investigation of Biden, his son Hunter’s work for a Ukrainian natural gas company and a debunked theory that Ukraine meddled in the 2016 election Trump won, not Russia, as the U.S. intelligence community concluded.

His request came at a time he was temporarily withholding $391 million in military assistance Kyiv wanted to fight pro-Russian separatists in the eastern part of the country, although in September he released the aid without Ukraine opening investigations of the Bidens.

Trump said the House move toward his impeachment “will mean that the beyond important and seldom used act of Impeachment will be used routinely to attack future Presidents. That is not what our Founders had in mind. The good thing is that the Republicans have NEVER been more united. We will win!”

White House spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham tweeted, “Pelosi & the Democrats should be ashamed. @realDonaldTrump has done nothing but lead our country – resulting in a booming economy, more jobs & a stronger military, to name just a few of his major accomplishments. We look forward to a fair trial in the Senate.”

Pelosi said Trump withheld the military aid Kyiv wanted and a “crucial Oval Office meeting” sought by Zelenskiy “in exchange for an announcement of an investigation into his political rival,” Biden, who is leading Democratic rivals for the party nomination to run against Trump in next November’s national election.

Pelosi, against more vocal Trump foes in the House, had for months voiced reluctance to pursue Trump’s impeachment. She expressed fears that his impeachment would be a politically losing pursuit, since the Republican majority in the Senate has shown no indication it will turn against Trump and vote for his conviction to oust him from the White House. While a small number of Republican senators have criticized Trump’s request to Zelenskiy, it would take at least 20 Republicans to turn against Trump to convict him.

But Pelosi, citing young America’s Declaration of Independence from Britain in 1776, on Thursday said Trump’s “actions are in defiance of the vision of our founders – and the oath of office that he takes – to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

“Our democracy is what is at stake,” she said. “The president leaves us no choice but to act because he is trying to corrupt, once again, the election for his own benefit. The president has engaged in abuse of power, undermining our national security and jeopardizing the integrity of our elections.”

“In America,” she said, “no one is above the law.”

Pelosi’s nationally televised statement came a day after three U.S. constitutional scholars told Congress that the U.S. leader committed impeachable offenses by pushing Ukraine to open investigations to benefit him politically. An expert called by Trump’s Republican backers, however, argued there is a “paucity of evidence” to impeach Trump.

The Judiciary panel’s hearing was part of the House Democrats’ effort  to impeach the country’s 45th president, only the fourth time in the country’s 243-year history that a U.S. leader has faced a formal impeachment proceeding. Articles of impeachment would first be considered by the 41-member Judiciary panel, where Democrats hold a 24-17 majority.

Two former U.S. presidents — Andrew Johnson in the mid-19th century and Bill Clinton two decades ago — were impeached but not convicted by the Senate and removed from office, while a third — Richard M. Nixon — resigned in 1974 in the face of certain impeachment. (VOA)

Impeachment Star Witness Pamela Karlan Forced to ‘Apologize’ for Mocking Barron Trump

0
Constitutional scholar Pamela Karlan of Stanford University testifies before the House Judiciary Committee in the Longworth House Office Building on Capitol Hill December 4, 2019 in Washington, DC. This is the first hearing held by the Judiciary Committee in the impeachment inquiry against U.S. President Donald Trump, whom House Democrats say held back military aid for Ukraine while demanding it investigate his political rivals. The Judiciary Committee will decide whether to draft official articles of impeachment against President Trump to be voted on by the full House of Representatives. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

By: Joshua Caplan

Stanford Law School professor Pamela Karlan said she “apologized” Wednesday evening for invoking President Donald Trump’s 13-year-old son, Barron Trump, to criticize the president during the House Judiciary Committee’s hearing on impeachment — adding that she hopes the president apologizes for his past actions.

Karlan quickly changed topics during questioning from Rep. Greg Stanton (D-AZ) to walk back an out-of-nowhere jab at the president’s son earlier in the hearing. “While the president can name his son Barron, he can’t make him a baron,” she had quipped to Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX). After being called out for the play on words, she took on a more conciliatory tone — while maintaining that the president remains in the wrong for unrelated actions.

“I want to apologize for what I said earlier about the president’s son,” she said. “It was wrong of me to do that. I wish the president would apologize, obviously, for the things that he’s done that’s wrong, but I do regret having said that.”

The play on words drew swift backlash from the White House and Republican lawmakers. Less than an hour before she revisited her statement, Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) entered into the record a social media post from Barron’s mother, First Lady Melania Trump, saying Karlan “should be ashamed” of the stunt.

Karlan stood out from even her fellow Democrat-called witnesses with fiery, combative testimony from the start of the hearing — ostensibly a session to discuss legal theories on the constitutional grounds for impeaching a U.S. president. She scolded House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Doug Collins (R-GA) in her opening statement, answering a perceived slight that ultimately was not accurate.

The professor has previewed the unhinged style of her congressional testimony in past discussions of the president. During a panel discussion in 2017, Karlan delivered a series of monologues reviling Trump’s “outrageous” behavior both before and after he was elected, repeatedly saying that he “worries” her, questioning whether he is able to tell the difference between truth and falsehood, and admitting she could not bring herself to walk past the Trump International Hotel in Washington, DC — instead choosing to change course and cross the street.

FEC records indicate Karlan donated $1,000 to the presidential campaign of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) earlier this year. When Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) asked her about this donation, Karlan became indignant, invoking foreign intervention in American elections. (Breitbart.com)

Queens Residents Shocked by “F—K White People” Racist Graffiti

0
The spray-painted graffiti, written in black and underlined with red, was discovered on the sidewalk in front of a home on 151st Avenue near 81st Street in the neighborhood of Lindenwood on Thanksgiving morning, the Post reported. Photo Credit: streetadvisor.com

By Jared Evan

 A special message was left in front of a Queens home on Thanksgiving morning, “F@CK WHITE PEOPLE”, was found spray-painted on the pavement, the N.Y Post reported. 

The spray-painted graffiti, written in black and underlined with red, was discovered on the sidewalk in front of a home on 151st Avenue near 81st Street in the neighborhood of Lindenwood on Thanksgiving morning, the Post reported. 

On a nearby tree the words “F@CK WHITE” and another message stating just the “F-word” was found spray painted as well.

It’s not safe. We’re afraid,” said Lina Bachour, 38, who lives at the home where the “F–K WHITE PEOPLE” graffiti was scrawled in front of, told the NY Post.

Authorities are not sure, if this message was directly targeted to anyone, the Post reported

“This is horrible,” he said. “There are no words to share my disgust right now. It is definitely a hate-crime, especially what they wrote on the [sidewalk], another resident on the block, Barry Rachnowitz, told the NY Post. 

Rachnowitz continued saying: “can’t understand how someone can have so much hate in their heart towards a stranger … Hopefully the person will be caught and punished.”

This appears to be a current trend. Most hate related crimes overall in America are usually against Jews, however anti Caucasian hate incidents are becoming commonplace. 

In Los Angeles, several years back, , there was a rash of hate messages directed towards an art gallery in a Latino neighborhood, including the spray-painted message “f@ck white art”, the LA Times reported. 

Radical left-wing politics were apparently the motivation behind these hate messages. Local communist activists in L.A often decry “gentrification”. The left leaning independent news journal The Guardian reported at the time:

 “A coalition of community leaders and leftwing militants has mobilized over the past year to protest, confront and in some cases intimidate galleries whom they fear will pave the way for development that will push out residents and erase a cradle of Chicano identity”.

One must wonder if the Queens incident is also based on far-left indoctrination as well. 

It’s horrendous that something of this caliber would be posted on a fence on a holiday,” said Marcel. “It’s such a tight-knit community and to have somebody vandalize someone’s personal property, especially with these hate messages is disgusting.”, local PJ Marcel told The Post as he scrubbed off the messages.

On the other hand, since the election of Donald Trump there has been an explosion in fake hate crimes, framed to make Trump supporters look like violent racists. The most famous case being actor Jesse Smollett, who fabricated a story of two men in Trump MAGA hats beating him up. The well reported story was totally fabricated. 

Another example of fake hate crime took place in Michigan. 

A Muslim woman at the University of Michigan received national attention from national outlets like The Washington Post in November 2016 after she claimed a drunk 20-something man threatened to light her on fire if she didn’t remove her hijab. The university condemned the “hateful attack,” which turned out to be a hoax, Daily Caller revealed. 

 

Bloomberg Rolls Out Progressive Ideology in 2020 Run; Receives a Poll Bump

0
In the huge Morning Consult tracking poll, Bloomberg’s up to 5.3 percent. Last week in the same survey he was at 2.4 percent. Similarly, in the HarrisX/Hill poll, he’s doubled his support from three percent two weeks ago to six percent now, NY Magazine reported. Photo Credit: Wikipedia

By: Jared Evan 

Former New York City Mayor and 2020 presidential hopeful Mike Bloomberg has let voters know, he is a progressive dedicated to gun control, climate change and income inequality, a pollster for the former mayor announced on conservative talk radio station AM9970 “The Answer”, and he has seen a small bump in the polls

In two new national polls appearing this week, Bloomberg is experiencing a jump in support. In the huge Morning Consult tracking poll, Bloomberg’s up to 5.3 percent. Last week in the same survey he was at 2.4 percent. Similarly, in the HarrisX/Hill poll, he’s doubled his support from three percent two weeks ago to six percent now, NY Magazine reported.  

The presidential hopeful has blanketed all forms of media, from cable and local television to social media, with millions upon millions of dollars in advertising. 

 “Guns, certainly,” Doug Schoen told host John Catsimatidis on “The Cats Roundtable” on AM 970 New York in an interview that aired Sunday. “He has had great success passing anti-gun violence legislation in the state legislatures.”

 Bloomberg began showing his true colors when it comes to the 2nd amendment after the horrific Sandy Hook shootings. Bloomberg  wasted no time after the shootings to further his case for his gun control ideology.  

Bloomberg and his group “Mayors Against Illegal Guns”/ Every Town  became more vocal  after the Connecticut school massacre.

Bloomberg and other mayors in this group went on MSNBC and others  challenging then President Obama and congress to take action.  He wanted and still desires  a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition clips and an end to gun-show purchases without background checks. 

Bloomberg’s critics believe what is sold as a “common sense” gun control is often the first step to a total incremental ban. 

Mayors Against Illegal Guns, which Bloomberg started in 2006 with former Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, signed up more than 700 mayors; it lobbies for gun-control legislation, including banning gun sales to people on terrorist watch lists, USA Today reported. 

The same year, Bloomberg organized a sting operation in Southern states against firearms dealers who sold guns to customers who couldn’t pass background checks. 

Bloomberg set up a super PAC, Independence USA, with almost $10 million. The group targeted races in the November 2012 election.

Bloomberg is a Special Representative of the UN Secretary General on Climate. A major component of his 2020 presidential run will be on Climate Change. His campaign sounds very similar to most of the other Democrats currently running. 

“Ultimately he needs to tell the story of how he’s created thousands of jobs, and what we need to do as a country to reduce income inequality,” Schoen told 970 AM radio.  “Because while we have very high employment, the gap between the rich and the poor has gotten greater. And I think people really require opportunities that close that gap.”

 

 

The UN Holds Event Commemorating Jewish Refugees from Middle East & North Africa

0

On Wednesday at the UN headquarters in New York, the Israeli Mission to the UN held an event to commemorate the Jewish refugees from North Africa and the Middle East, in coordination with JIMENA (Jews Indigenous to the Middle East and North Africa). This public event was heavily attended by ambassadors from around the world, UN officials, and members of the community, and featured speeches by Elan Carr, the US State Department’s Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating anti-Semitism and Sarah Idan, the former Miss Iraq, among others.

Edited by: TJVNews.com

The event was held one day after the annual UN General Assembly plenary session that commemorates the passage of Resolution 181 “Partition Plan” on November 29, 1947. The day features resolutions that highlight the Palestinian refugees, but ignore the Jewish refugees.

Special Envoy Carr stated that “in order to fight antisemitism whether it be in Europe or anywhere else, it has to be acknowledge that antizionism is antisemitism.” He continued “Jew hatred is Jew hatred whether it is focused on the Jew down the street or the Jew in the diaspora or the Jewish state.”

In her remarks, Sarah Idan spoke about visiting Israel following the revocation of her Iraqi citizenship after she posted a photo taken with Miss Israel.

She went “to learn more about this tiny country that so many Arab states see as an enemy and threat. I was very surprised and especially touched by the experience of visiting the Babylonian Heritage Museum on Or Yehuda – which serves as a center to honor the heritage and history of Iraqi Jews. I was born in Baghdad…and felt very connected to the Iraqi Jews I met in Jerusalem who welcomed me with open arms and with so much love, even though my country treated them unfairly. I was overwhelmed when I saw pictures of Iraqi government stamps on their passport saying “one-way exit – not allowed to return”. I told them I was utterly ashamed.”

In her comments, she also stated that antisemitism served as a cause of the Jewish refugees: “Sadly 3,000 year chapter of Jewish life in Iraq, along with the larger Middle East and North Africa came to an abrupt and traumatic end – and much of this is the result of antisemitism.”

Nathaniel Malka spoke on behalf of JIMENA: “Without remembrance, there cannot be truth; without truth, there cannot be justice; without justice, there cannot be reconciliation; without reconciliation, there cannot be peace. We are here today for remembrance. We recall the history of my ancestors and the rest of the million Jews who left North African and Middle Eastern lands under duress in the last century. Let me wish you all strength in your work toward reconciliation, enabled by the justice required for it, determined with truth and built over the remembrance we undertake today and increasingly all the other days of the year.”