New York’s Nassau County seeks to ban standing within 15 feet of cops under bill panned as unconstitutional
Lawmakers in Nassau County, New York, are pushing a measure to make it illegal to stand within 15 feet of police officers or other first responders during an emergency, although critics of the proposal argue that it is unconstitutional. People who enter the “buffer zone” for first responders during an emergency would face a misdemeanor charge and a $1,000 fine along with the possibility of up to a year behind bars, according to the bill introduced by the county Board of Legislators. The measure seeks to protect first responders from “threats, harassment, and physical interference,” lawmakers say. “It is important that first responders are not obstructed during emergency situations and that our frontline heroes are allowed to engage in the lifesaving actions they are trained to perform without distractions,” legislator John Ferretti, a Republican, told the New York Post. NEW YORK PROPOSAL WOULD BAN POLICE FROM MAKING TRAFFIC STOPS FOR MINOR VIOLATIONS TO PURSUE ‘RACIAL EQUITY’ State law already subjects people who interfere with first responders to up to a year in jail, three years of probation or a $1,000 fine. The new bill was introduced by Republicans but has garnered support from some Democrats, according to the newspaper. “Our cops and first responders shouldn’t have to fight crowds while they’re saving lives,” Democrat legislator Seth Koslow, who is running for county executive, told the New York Post. “This bill gives them the authority to keep chaos out and do their jobs without interference. It’s backed by both parties — because protecting those who protect us shouldn’t be political.” Despite the bipartisan support among lawmakers, critics say the bill goes too far and could be abused to curb people’s constitutional rights. “Floating buffer zones offer yet another way for police to keep their activities hidden from public scrutiny,” New York Civil Liberties Union senior policy counsel Justin Harrison told the New York Post. “Laws that make it harder to monitor the police don’t make anybody safer — in reality, they violate the Constitution, run counter to government transparency principles, and foster distrust in law enforcement.” Some other states have passed similar laws that were later struck down by the courts. VIDEO CAPTURES NEW YORK GRANDMOTHER, CHILDREN NARROWLY AVOIDING MANHOLE EXPLOSION Louisiana passed a law last year prohibiting people from being within 25 feet of police after being told to back up. But last month, a federal judge blocked the measure, finding that it violated the 14th Amendment’s due process regulations and could infringe on journalists’ press freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment that grants them the right to film officers. Similar laws in Arizona and Indiana have also been blocked by federal judges. “We expect that Nassau’s law, if passed, will meet the same fate,” Harrison said.
Houthis say group downed US drone in northwest Yemen as US strikes continue
Al Masirah, a Houthi-affiliated outlet, says the US launched a series of strikes on several locations in the country. Yemen’s Houthis have said they shot down a US drone that was carrying out an attack on the northwestern Hajjah governorate whilst the Al Masriah news outlet has reported that United States air strikes targeted at least three areas across the country. In a statement on Tuesday, Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree said the group’s “air defence shot down a hostile American MQ-9 Reaper drone while it was carrying out hostile missions in the airspace of Hajjah Governorate”. Saree claimed that this is the seventh US drone that the group has downed so far this month, and the 22nd since Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza began 18 months ago. Al Masirah, a Houthi-affiliated outlet, said a series of strikes on Tuesday night targeted Kamran Island in the Red Sea, two air strikes hit the Al Salif district in western Yemen, and four air strikes were reported in the Al-Saleem district in the Saada province in the north of the country. The US has been carrying out near-daily, deadly air attacks against what it claims are Houthi targets in Yemen, killing more than 200 people – including women and children – since March. Advertisement The administration of US President Donald Trump has warned that its military campaign will continue until the Yemeni group halts all firings against vessels in the Red Sea, a major conduit for international trade. The Houthis have rejected the US assault, stressing that they are targeting ships in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza and will stop when Israel ends its punishing war on the enclave. The latest attack comes just days after 12 people were killed in air strikes conducted by the US on Yemen’s capital Sanaa. Last week, the US launched 13 strikes on Hodeidah’s port and airport. It was three days after its deadliest attack to date targeted the Ras Isa port, also in Hodeidah, killing at least 80 people and wounding more than 150 others. Since November 2023, the Houthis have reportedly launched more than 100 attacks on vessels they say are linked to Israel, in response to Israel’s war on Gaza. The group halted attacks on shipping lanes during a two-month ceasefire in Gaza earlier this year. But they pledged to resume strikes after Israel renewed its assault on the besieged enclave last month. Houthi attacks have paralysed shipping through the Suez Canal, a vital waterway through which approximately 12 percent of global shipping traffic normally passes, forcing many companies to resort to costly alternative routes around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. Adblock test (Why?)
US judge blocks Trump’s effort to shutter international news service
District judge orders administration to restore the capacity of broadcaster shuttered over claims of ‘leftist bias’. A federal judge has stated that US President Donald Trump illegally halted the operation of the Voice of America (VOA), a federally funded international news service created by Congress. In a ruling on Tuesday, US District Judge Royce Lamberth ordered the Trump administration to restore the 83-year-old broadcaster’s capacity to the levels before Trump slashed funding and laid off scores of personnel. In a March court filing stating that all 1,300 employees had been placed on administrative leave, lawyers for VOA said that the broadcaster seeks to report the news “truthfully, impartially, and objectively”, pushing back against claims from the Trump administration that it promotes a “leftist bias” and is insufficiently “pro-American”. Judge Lamberth also ordered the administration to restore the capacity of two other broadcasters also funded by the federal Agency for Global Media, Radio Free Asia and Middle East Broadcasting Networks, while those lawsuits progress. The judge also denied a similar request for two additional networks, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Open Technology Fund. Advertisement Trump and his allies have wielded federal funds to dismantle programmes and agencies within the government that they dislike and compel greater ideological compliance from media organisations and universities under the premise of combatting what the administration portrays as “left-wing” views. Kari Lake, a close Trump ally, was also placed in charge of the Agency for Global Media. The administration shuttered VOA in March, instituting funding cuts that Lamberth said reflected a “hasty, indiscriminate approach”. A labour union representing workers at the Agency for Global Media celebrated the ruling as a “powerful affirmation of the role that independent journalism plays in advancing democracy and countering disinformation”. VOA was first founded during World War II in an effort by the US government to counter Nazi propaganda and was later used to project pro-US views to countries around the world during the Cold War, a history that has led some to criticise the network as a means of promoting US interests around the world. “That simple mission [delivering impartial news] is a powerful one for those living across the globe without access to a free press and without the ability to otherwise discern what is truly happening,” lawyers for VOA wrote. Many other institutions created during the post-war era to project US political and cultural influence around the world, such as the humanitarian assistance agency USAID, have also come under attack by a Trump administration that sees them as ideological enemies or sources of bureaucratic bloat. Advertisement After largely gutting USAID, tech billionaire and Trump ally Elon Musk said that the international assistance group had been a “viper’s nest of radical left Marxists who hate America”. Adblock test (Why?)
‘He gave us strength’: Gaza Christians remember calls with Pope Francis
Gaza City, Palestine – For 72-year-old Kamal Anton, Pope Francis was a source of comfort and support. Kamal has had to shelter since the start of the war in the same Catholic church compound in Gaza City – the Holy Family Church – that his wife and daughter were shot and killed by an Israeli sniper in. That was in December 2023, two months after the start of Israel’s war. Anton and the more than two million Palestinians in Gaza have often felt abandoned in the 18 months of conflict, in which more than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed, with hope of an end to the war still feeling remote. But the late pope, who died aged 88 in the Vatican City on Monday after a battle with illness, was in constant contact with Gaza’s small Christian community. Before his illness, he held calls every evening with those sheltering at the church, and continued to reach out, on a less regular basis, even after he fell ill. Kamal remembered his most recent call on Saturday, just two days before his death. Pope Francis was greeting the members of the church for Easter. Advertisement “During his call, he prayed for peace and resilience for us in Gaza,” Kamal said. “He never forgot the word ‘peace’ in any of his calls with us throughout the war. His support included all of us – Christians and Muslims alike. He prayed daily for our safety.” Kamal Anton’s wife and daughter were shot and killed by an Israeli sniper in December 2023 [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera] Palestinian defender A deep sense of grief and sorrow permeates the Holy Family Church, where approximately 550 displaced Palestinian Christians continue to seek shelter. Israel has attacked the church and its neighbouring school several times during the war, including a July 2024 attack in which four people were killed. Another church, St Porphyrios Greek Orthodox Church, has also been bombed. But the Holy Family Church is still a refuge. People gather inside the church every day, piano music accompanies hymns during prayer, and people greet Father Gabriel Romanelli. He’s the parish priest, an Argentinian who came to Gaza to lead the church 15 years ago. After the death of the pope, those in the church have largely dressed in black, the colour of mourning. The loss of the leader of their church was a solemn enough event, but Palestinian Christians know they have also lost one of their greatest defenders – a world leader who has long backed the Palestinian cause, and has earned the anger of Israel on a number of occasions for his defence of Palestinians. In his final public speech delivered on his behalf on Easter, Francis called for peace in Gaza and urged the warring sides to “agree to a ceasefire, release the hostages, and provide aid to a starving people longing for a peaceful future”. Advertisement Father Romanelli told Al Jazeera that the loss of Pope Francis was a tragedy for Christians around the world, and particularly in Gaza. He recalled that Saturday phone call with the pope. “He said he was praying for us, supporting us, and thanked us for our prayers,” Romanelli said. “People at the church waited for his call daily. He would speak to the children and reassure them. He was deeply human and incredibly supportive, especially during the war.” Catastrophe Kamal noted that support from Pope Francis was also material, in the form of aid arriving in Gaza until Israel blocked all entry of goods into Gaza in March, just before it unilaterally broke a ceasefire. “Everyone in Gaza knows how much the Vatican supported us,” Kamal said. “We always shared that aid with our Muslim neighbours too.” Kamal’s fellow Palestinian Christian, 74-year-old Maher Terzi, is also in mourning. Maher, who has been displaced since the first week of the war, had just sat in the mourning hall when he spoke to Al Jazeera. “He gave us strength,” Maher said. “He told us not to be afraid, that he was with us and would never abandon us, no matter what.” “He encouraged us to hold on to our land, and promised to help us rebuild our destroyed homes,” Maher added. “His death is a catastrophe and a shock for us during such a difficult time.” Palestinian Christian Maher Terzi said the death of Pope Francis was a catastrophe for Gaza [Abdelhakim Abu Riash/Al Jazeera] Adblock test (Why?)
Pahalgam Terror attack: Who is Saifullah Khalid? Mastermind behind terrorist activities for Lashkar and TRF in J&K
According to sources, the mastermind behind this brutal act is Saifullah Khalid, a key figure in orchestrating terrorist activities for both Lashkar and TRF in Jammu and Kashmir.
Halliburton reports reduced North America drilling demand, warns of tariffs
The company warns investors in its earnings report of the impact of tariffs have on the sector. Halliburton has reported a decline in first-quarter profit due to reduced drilling activity in North America, which weakened demand for its oilfield services and equipment. The Houston, Texas-based oil and gas giant warned on Tuesday of a second-quarter earnings impact from tariffs and lower oilfield activity in North America as producers reckon with weak oil prices, sending shares of the oilfield service provider down about 6 percent. The oilfield service sector worries United States President Donald Trump’s tariffs on imported steel and parts will disrupt supply chains and drive up equipment costs, such as drilling rigs and well casings. Halliburton said its first-quarter North American revenue was $2.2bn, down 12 percent from a year earlier. Halliburton is the first of the big three US oilfield services providers (Schlumberger and Baker Hughes are the other two) and is among the first large oil companies to report earnings as US crude prices hover under $64 a barrel. Many companies say they cannot drill profitably if oil prices fall under $65 a barrel, denting demand for equipment and services provided by companies like Halliburton. Advertisement “Many of our customers are in the midst of evaluating their activity scenarios, and plans for 2025 activity reductions could mean higher than normal white space for committed fleets and in some cases the retirement or export of fleets to international markets,” Halliburton Chief Executive Jeff Miller said about expectations in North American markets. White spaces refer to gaps in the calendar when the company does not have work lined up for its equipment. Shares down Halliburton shares were down about 6 percent at $20.62 a share after it forecast a 2-cent- to 3-cent-per-share impact in the second quarter from trade tensions. Second-quarter earnings were estimated to be 63 cents per share, according to LSEG data. Shares had fallen as much as 10 percent on Tuesday and were down 24 percent so far this year. Rival Schlumberger’s shares were down only 11 percent this year. Halliburton’s Q1 international revenue eased 2 percent primarily due to lower drilling and project management activity in Mexico. It forecast year-over-year international revenue to be flat to slightly down. Mexico is proposing new contract models for the oil sector while struggling to pay off billions of dollars of accumulated debt to oil service companies. In the meantime, state company Pemex’s oil output has continued falling this year to 1.62 million barrels per day, compared with 1.76 million barrels per day last year. Halliburton posted a profit of $204m, or 24 cents per share, in the three months that ended on March 31, lower than the $606m, or 68 cents per share, it had posted last year. Advertisement The company also took a $107m severance cost in the first quarter. That came on the heels of a $63m severance charge in the third quarter of 2024 but the company did not provide more details. Excluding a $356m pre-tax charge, which included the severance charge, the company posted earnings of 60 cents, in line with analysts’ estimates. Revenue of $5.42bn beat analysts’ average estimate of $5.28bn. Adblock test (Why?)
Harvey Weinstein’s rape retrial to open with majority-female jury
Weinstein’s rape and sexual assault retrial involves accusations from three women, including one who wasn’t part of the original trial. Opening statements are set for Wednesday in New York for disgraced former movie mogul Harvey Weinstein’s rape retrial, this time with a majority-female jury deciding the landmark #MeToo case. Prosecutors and Weinstein’s lawyers finished choosing a sixth and final alternate on Tuesday after a selection process yielded a seven-woman, five-man jury and five alternate jurors on Monday. Alternates step in if a member of the main panel can’t see the trial through. Weinstein was convicted at his first trial in 2020 by a jury of five women and seven men. The verdict marked a pivotal moment for the #MeToo movement against sexual misconduct, fuelled by a series of allegations against the producer of Oscar winners including Pulp Fiction and Shakespeare in Love. In a blow to #MeToo activists, New York’s highest court last year overturned the conviction and 23-year prison sentence after it found that the original trial judge allowed women whose accusations were not part of the charges Weinstein faced to give evidence in court. Advertisement Weinstein’s rape and sexual assault retrial involves accusations from three women: an aspiring actor who said he raped her in 2013 and two women who made separate allegations of forced oral sex in 2006. One of the two wasn’t part of the original trial. In the meantime, Weinstein is also facing a separate 2022 rape conviction in Los Angeles. Weinstein, 73, has pleaded not guilty and denies raping or sexually assaulting anyone. He has insisted that all sexual encounters he was involved in were consensual. The 12 members of the main jury for the New York retrial include a physics researcher, a photographer, a dietitian, a therapist, an investment bank software engineer and a fire safety director. Others have experience in real estate, TV commercials, debt collection, social work and other fields. Those chosen were questioned about their backgrounds, life experiences and various other points that could relate to their ability to be fair and impartial in the highly publicised case. Prosecutor Shannon Lucey sought assurances that prospective jurors could put aside any position or feelings they had about #MeToo. Bombshell allegations against Weinstein erupted in 2017 and led to a flood of allegations against other powerful men as women fought back against sexual violence in what became known as the #MeToo movement. The Hollywood mogul underwent emergency heart surgery after being rushed from prison to a hospital in New York in September. He was later diagnosed with bone marrow cancer and received treatment in prison for chronic myeloid leukaemia. Advertisement Adblock test (Why?)
In act of forgiveness, woman hugs the El Paso Walmart mass shooter who killed her brother
A day after the shooter pleaded guilty to killing 23 people and wounding 22 others, Yolanda Tinajero gave the judge an unusual request.
Trump admin files first racketeering charges against massive migrant terrorist group present in U.S.
The first RICO racketeering charges against members and associates of the migrant terrorist group Tren de Aragua were filed this week in New York. A statement by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York said that the case is part of “Operation Take Back America,” which it said is a “nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Justice Department to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.” According to the statement, the charges filed against 27 alleged current and former Tren de Aragua (TdA) members include human smuggling, sex trafficking and murder. “Today, we have filed charges against 27 alleged members, former members, and associates of Tren de Aragua, for committing murders and shootings, forcing young women trafficked from Venezuela into commercial sex work, robbing and extorting small businesses, and selling ‘tusi,’ a pink powdery drug that has become their calling card,” announced Matthew Podolsky, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York. PRESIDENT TRUMP BLASTS COURTS FOR GETTING IN THE WAY OF DEPORTATION AGENDA Podolsky said that the indictments “make clear that this Office will work tirelessly to keep the law-abiding residents of New York City safe, and hold accountable those who bring violence to our streets.” The charges were filed in two separate indictments, the first against six alleged current members of Tren de Aragua and the second against 21 alleged members and associates of a splinter gang known as “Anti-Tren,” which consists of former TdA members. The Trump State Department has designated Tren de Aragua, as well as several other migrant gangs present throughout the U.S., as foreign terrorist organizations. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York said that 21 of the 27 alleged gang members and associates are currently in federal custody. The statement said that 16 were already in federal criminal, immigration, or state custody and five were arrested over the last couple of days. OHIO SHERIFF DEFENDS NEW ICE PARTNERSHIP: ‘JUST DOING THE RIGHT THING’ Most of the alleged gang members are in their twenties, with the oldest being 44. Many are facing multiple life in prison sentences if they are found guilty. Charges include racketeering, sex trafficking, alien importation, drug trafficking and carjacking conspiracy, robbery, illegal firearms possession and use and extortion. CLICK HERE FOR MORE IMMIGRATION COVERAGE Among the most egregious of the charges included in the indictments are the smuggling of “multadas” – indentured sex workers – from Venezuela into Peru and the U.S. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office statement, both TdA and Anti-Tren operate keep the multadas trapped in a life of sex slavery by threatening to kill them and their families and by assaulting, shooting and killing them and tracking down those who attempted to flee. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi commented on the RICO charges, saying: “Today’s indictments and arrests span three states and will devastate TdA’s infrastructure as we work to completely dismantle and purge this organization from our country.” GORSUCH, ROBERTS SIDE WITH LEFT-LEANING SUPREME COURT JUSTICES IN IMMIGRATION RULING “Tren de Aragua is not just a street gang,” said Bondi. “It is a highly structured terrorist organization that has destroyed American families with brutal violence, engaged in human trafficking, and spread deadly drugs through our communities.” New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch also praised the operations, saying that “for the first time ever, TdA is being named and charged as the criminal enterprise that it is.” “This gang has shown zero regard for the safety of New Yorkers,” said Tisch. “As alleged in the indictment, these defendants wreaked havoc in our communities, trafficking women for sexual exploitation, flooding our streets with drugs, and committing violent crimes with illegal guns. Thanks to the dedicated members of the NYPD and the important work of our federal partners, their time is up.” The U.S. Attorney’s Office statement also mentioned that this case received significant support from Joint Task Force Vulcan, a collection of U.S. attorneys’ offices and law enforcement agencies that was created in 2019 to eradicate the Salvadoran gang MS-13 and has now expanded to target Tren de Aragua.
Voice of America restored by judge after Trump dismantled taxpayer-funded outlet in March
A federal judge ordered the restoration of Voice of America (VoA) on Tuesday, the federally-funded state media network that the White House dismantled earlier this spring. Judge Royce Lamberth ruled in favor of the plaintiff’s request for a preliminary injunction, though the Trump administration is allowed to appeal the decision. The plaintiffs asked the court to “cancel the orders putting approximately 1,300 VOA employees on administrative leave” and to “cancel the termination of contracts with approximately 500 personal service contractors (PSCs) with VOA, cease dismantling VOA, and restore VOA’s personnel and operating capacities.” President Donald Trump dismantled the news agency through an executive order (EO) in March, claiming that VoA promoted biased reporting. TRUMP ORDERS THE DISMANTLING OF GOVERNMENT-FUNDED, ‘PROPAGANDA’-PEDDLING MEDIA OUTLET “The non-statutory components and functions of the following governmental entities shall be eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law, and such entities shall reduce the performance of their statutory functions and associated personnel to the minimum presence and function required by law,” the EO stated. The EO also dismantled VoA’s parent company, the United States Agency for Global Media, as well as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. “Voice of America has been out of step with America for years. It serves as the Voice for Radical America and has pushed divisive propaganda for years now,” a senior White House official told Fox News Digital at the time. TRUMP ANNOUNCES PLAN TO CHOP DOWN MAGNOLIA TREE PURPORTEDLY PLANTED BY ANDREW JACKSON: ‘MUST COME TO AN END’ On Mar. 22, VoA employees filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration and Kari Lake, who serves as the special advisor to the United States Agency for Global Media. “In many parts of the world, a crucial source of objective news is gone, and only censored state-sponsored news media is left to fill the void,” the lawsuit reads. “The second Trump administration has taken a chainsaw to the agency as a whole in an attempt to shutter it completely,” the suit stated. Fox News Digital’s Emma Colton and Hanna Panreck contributed to this report.