JP News Roundup
Egypt plane crash: Russia says jet was bombed in terror attack: The Kremlin has said it will increase airstrikes in Syria after acknowledging for the first time that a bomb brought down the Russian jet that crashed over Egypt last month, killing all 224 people on board.Russia has until now played down assertions from western countries that the crash was a terrorist incident, saying it was important to let the official investigation run its course.Live Paris terror attacks: France makes formal request for EU help – liveFollow our live coverage of the fallout from the Paris attacks, as France steps up airstrikes in Syria and some US states refuse to take Syrian refugees Read moreBut three days after terrorist gunmen and bombers killed 129 people in Paris, Alexander Bortnikov, the head of Russia’s FSB security service, told a meeting chaired by President Vladimir Putin on Monday night that the plane crash was “unequivocally a terrorist act”.Bortnikov said investigators had studied the personal belongings, baggage and debris from the aircraft and concluded that an improvised bomb, packed with up to 1.5kg of TNT, exploded in mid-air. He said traces of explosives were found in the plane’s debris.Putin said he had ordered Russia’s special services to focus on finding those responsible. “The tears in our soul and heart will remain with us forever, but this won’t stop us from finding and punishing those guilty,” he said.“We will search for them wherever they may be hiding. We will find them anywhere on the planet and punish them.”The FSB told news agency Interfax on Tuesday that it was offering a $50m reward for information leading to the capture of those responsible.[GUARDIAN]
As World Mourns Paris, Many in Mideast See Double-Standard: Within hours of last week’s Paris attacks, as outrage and sympathy flooded his social media feeds and filled the airwaves, Baghdad resident Ali al-Makhzomy updated his Facebook cover photo to read “solidarity” — and his friends were shocked.”Everyone was like why are you posting about Paris and not about the attacks in Baghdad every day,” the recent law school graduate said. “A lot of my friends said, ‘OK, so you care more about them than you care about us?'”He had unintentionally tapped into frustration in Iraq, Lebanon and Syria with what many see as a double-standard: The world unites in outrage and sympathy when the Islamic State group kills Westerners, but pays little attention to the near-daily atrocities it carries out in the Middle East.The day before the Paris attacks, twin suicide bombers struck a southern Beirut suburb, killing at least 43 people, and on Friday a suicide bomber struck a funeral in Iraq, killing at least 21. Both attacks were claimed by the IS group and reported by major media outlets, but generated little interest outside the region, where the turmoil of recent years has made such events seem like a sadly regular occurrence.Baghdad has seen near-daily attacks in recent years, mainly targeting the security forces and the country’s Shiite majority. Bombings killed an average of more than 90 civilians a month last year, according to Iraq Body Count, a U.K.-based group that documents civilian deaths in Iraq.The civil war in neighboring Syria has killed 250,000 people since 2011. There, government warplanes regularly carry out raids using so-called barrel bombs that demolish entire apartment blocks and insurgent groups shell government-held neighborhoods.[ABC]
Palestinian land owners accept demolition plan for disputed synagogue:Supreme Court approves two-day extension in execution of demolition plan; gov’t offered settlers NIS 5.2 million compensation used to build new synagogue elsewhere in Givat Ze’ev.The Supreme Court approved a request on Tuesday to postpone the demolition of a synagogue built on Palestinian land in the West Bank, after the land owners accepted a plan proposed by the government to solve the dispute.The approval comes with several conditions, primarily that all worshiprs and holy books are removed from the synagogue in Givat Ze’ev within the two allocated days, and that the government begins the structure’s demolition.The heirs of the Palestinian land owner informed the Supreme Court on Tuesday that “in order to prevent bloodshed,” they accept the plan proposed by the government for the evacuation and demolition of the synagogue, but set several conditions:A week after the completion of the demolition, the fence built on the property will be removed, and the petitioners will be given access to the land, as is the situation in similar nearby plots.The government must provide guarantees and securities that it would meet the set deadline, in light of previous repeated violations of the government’s commitments.Failure by the government to execute the plan and meet the conditions set by the land owners will result in the immediate demolition of the structure, as well as significant financial sanctions.The government must commit not to seek further extensions for the deadline. The government will be required to address the conditions set by the Palestinian land owners, following which the court will decide whether to allow for another three weeks to complete the demolition. The government offered a NIS 5.2 million compensation to the settlers in the form of a new synagogue that will be built elsewhere in the settlement, as well as a new sports facility.[YNETNEWS]
Israel bans Islamist group, saying it’s inciting violence: Israel has banned the radical northern branch of the Islamic Movement, charging it with links to terrorist groups and inciting the recent wave of violence, the cabinet announced early Tuesday.“Any person who belongs to this organization or who provides services to it or who acts within its framework is henceforth committing a criminal offense punishable by a prison sentence,” a cabinet statement said. The move also allows for the confiscation of all property belonging to the group.The northern branch of the Islamic Movement rejects the Oslo peace accords between Israel and the Palestinians and boycotts national elections on the grounds that they give legitimacy to the institutions of the Jewish state.After the security cabinet declared the movement illegal in a meeting late Monday night, Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon signed an edict banning any activity connected to the group.Israeli security forces then carried out a series of overnight raids on the organization’s offices, seizing computers, documents and cash in regional branches across the country, the Israel Police and Shin Bet security agency said. Police also froze bank accounts linked to the organization and a number of NGOs working alongside it.In total, 17 regional branches were ordered closed, including offices in Umm al-Fahm, Jaffa, Nazareth, Kfar Kana, Turan, Beersheba and Rahat.[TIMESOFISRAEL]
Minutes from slaughter: Joyous crowd wave and smile as they enjoy Eagles Of Death Metal concert… before 89 of them were murdered by ISIS gunmen, These poignant photographs show jubilant fans at the Eagles Of Death Metal gig moments before they were massacred by ISIS gunmen in Paris.The pictures are clear enough to pick out individual faces in the crowd, some of whom were among the 89 victims slaughtered at the Bataclan Concert Hall on Friday night.Some fans can been seen making the horn hand gesture that is popular within the heavy metal culture. Others are smiling for camera, raising their glasses or simply enjoying the music. [DAILYMAIL]
Photos of the Day: Photos of New York: ‘Through the Eyes of the Homeless’ [WSJ]
Video: See NY Botanical Garden’s Magnificent Holiday Train Show From The Train’s P.O.V.[GOTHAMIST]
Donald Trump: Thank you Tennessee! #Trump2016
Andrew Cuomo: @GEICO is the first insurance company in New York to take advantage of electronic ID cards: http://on.ny.gov/1NWUCYJ
Agudah News: Thanks to moderator @ADMotzen our panelists & audience who shared their political expertise & experience #AIAConv15
Simcha Felder: PSA: Nov. 16 – 19, Q train running express 9:45a – 3p b/w Newkirk & Kings Hwy. FRIDAY Q is express till 2p. Ty #MTA for Sabbath sensitivity!
Mark Levine: official portrait of former @NYCCouncil Speaker Gifford Miller unveiled at City Hall…
Chaim Deutsch: Trading a lollipop for a smoke alarm with @FDNY. Educate your children by planning ahead! #GetAlarmedNYC
Brad Lander: Can I introduce bill to ban Ted Cruz from NYC? Bill of attainder, yes. But he doesn’t seem to know the Constitution.
Phil Goldfeder: Leaders of @NYStormRecovery came together to discuss #SandyResiliency projects #Rockaway #HowardBeach #BreezyPoint
Chaskel Bennett: VIDEO: President Obama stressed the importance of not equating ISIS with Islam at the G20 Summit.
Leon Goldenberg: New fundraising campaign: Buy a weapon to kill a Jew in Israel – Middle East – Jerusalem Post
Michael Fragin: “The tangible benefits of voting can be seen everywhere. Anyone who doesn’t vote has no right to take a stand on issues.” @ChaskelBennett
Kalman Yeger: #deblasiospending $10M to combat “illegal hotels” $0 to provide security for children. #intro65 http://fw.to/kovnLpU
Ezra Friedlander: weather is simply too nice to sit in the office-decided to work from the deck of the South Street Seaport-come visit
Alex Rapaport: Excited to get the @TabletMag real paper magazine volume one issue one. Thank you @GabrielSanders! #MayNotBeForYou
JP LOCAL
Terror Seizes Agenda in New York City: Paris was under siege, and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio was thrust for the first time into the somber role played by New York’s mayors over the past 15 years: presiding with calm resolve over a city that doubles as one of the world’s biggest targets for terror.
Within 24 hours of the attacks in Paris, Mr. de Blasio had conducted interviews on half a dozen local TV and radio stations to reassure New Yorkers that the city was on high alert but hadn’t received any specific threats, joined the French Consul General at a vigil for the victims in Washington Square Park, and returned later in the evening to light its signature arch in the colors of the French flag.Then on Monday he appeared with New York Police Commissioner William Bratton to mark the launch of a new counterterrorism unit, the Critical Response Command, based on Randall’s Island.“Make no mistake we are using every tool in our arsenal to stop the terrorists and to protect the safety of the people of this city.”The Paris attacks have underscored the extent to which Mr. de Blasio relies on the NYPD, an unlikely position for a liberal Democrat elected with promises to stop police abuses, but who has worked to shed a perception that he is antipolice.One de Blasio aide noted the Critical Response Command was made possible by the nearly 1,300 more police officers he hired. The mayor initially opposed adding to the force but changed his mind after being urged to do so by Mr. Bratton and City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito.[WSJ]
Bratton: New York City, a top terror target, is prepared: New York City’s police department for the first time deployed a special counter-terrorism team of more than 500 officers in the aftermath of the attacks that shook Paris Friday night, Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said Monday.The department has about 1,500 officers—out of 35,500—assigned to combat terrorism, including a heavily armed and specially trained “Strategic Response Group” created in January. The new group is intended to be a rapid-reaction force in the event of a terrorist attack.”We still remain the number one terrorist target in the world, we believe,” Bratton said Sunday during an interview with ABC7 television.Heavily armed police and National Guard troops have been posted at bridge and tunnel crossings and inside transit facilities, while mobile units patrol throughout the city. Other teams guard iconic tourist attractions such as Times Square, religious institutions and the French consulate in Manhattan.NYPD has had counter-terrorism specialists assigned to Paris and other cities around the world for more than a decade, and they are working with local law enforcement to learn all they can about the resources, tactics and strategies used in Friday’s attack, Bratton said.”All of them were equipped with these suicide vests—which are of great concern if you’re asking your officers to rush in,” Bratton said in the ABC7 interview. “We’ll want to know the ballistic capabilities of those vests; how far do those projectiles spew out? In terms of the communications they used, what types of phones were they using?”The attackers also communicated using devices with encryption technology intelligence agencies can’t monitor, Bratton said.Ever since November 2008 in Mumbai, where Pakistani jihadists killed 164 in a shooting rampage that hit hotels, a Jewish community center, a movie theater and restaurants, New York police have worried about the vulnerability of so-called “soft-targets,” such as the venues hit in Paris Friday.The SRG, as the unit is called, was created to address that weakness, Bratton said.[CRAINSNY]
NYPD Steps Up Security at Local Jewish Schools: In light of the security situation and also the spate of anti-Semitic incidents that happened in Brooklyn, the NYPD has stationed officers to ensure Jewish schools are not an easy target. Dee Voch went out today and captured the reassuring sight of New York’s finest in front of some of the large local schools.[JP]
NYS Demands $5M Refund From Family of Dead 8-Year-Old: New York officials overpaid nearly $5 million to a Manhattan hospital after a young Medicaid patient died — then demanded a “shocking’’ refund from the child’s family to fix their accounting error, The family sued the hospital and won a $6 million settlement in April 2008.As part of the deal, the hospital agreed to “assume full responsibility for any . . . [money] due to Medicaid in connection with [Merrick’s] . . . hospitalization,” according to court papers.But officials with the city’s Human Resources Administration disregarded notices they received saying their agency did not have to pay the Medicaid bills When they realized their mistake, they went after the family.In recent ruling against the city, Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Alice Schlesinger noted that the HRA officials acknowledged they received notice of the settlement but simply “lost” the paperwork.Calling the mix-up “negligent,” Schlesinger characterized the city’s refund demand to the Lees as a “shocking request for relief. [NYP]
How the corruption cloud of Sheldon Silver Radiated outward from Albany: Unsettling.” “I was surprised, concerned, upset.” “There were a whole bunch of things flying around in my head at that time.” This is the kind of language a veteran, sober-minded and judicious lawyer like Richard Runes uses when he is thinking, “I pooped a brick.”Silver’s second slippery scheme was, if anything, even more outrageous than the first one brought up by the US attorney — that Silver fleeced taxpayers by directing $500,000 in your money to reward the doctor who was steering him millions of dollars’ worth of asbestos victims whose cases could profitably be litigated.Maybe you never felt Silver’s hand in your pocket. Maybe you don’t care.But picture your firm trying to do an honest day’s business and even employing a compliance lawyer to make sure every single detail is up to code — when, suddenly, you realize you’ve unwittingly been paying off Silver.It’s like the horror movie when you try to call for help and you realize the killer is already on the line, right there in the house with you.What the hell do you do? Panic. Which is what Runes more or less did. He went to the boss of Glenwood Management and other top brass to tell them. They were equally upset. But no one could figure out how to get away from Silver.It’s an illustration of how deeply involved Silver was in everything that goes on in this state: All roads led through Shelly.[NYP]
Like Father, Like Son: Skelos Corruption Trial Kicks Off: Former New York state Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos and his son, Adam Skelos, are set to face trial on Monday for charges of politically pressuring companies to give the majority leader’s son hundreds of thousands of dollars in jobs and commissions.The trial is one among plenty of high-profile cases to spill out a string of corruption scandals, and will likely last anywhere between four to six weeks. More than 30 state legislatures in Albany have been forced from their positions or indicted on corruption charges, according to a Reuters report.Skelos, who has held the Long Island Senate seat for three decades, was charged four months following corruption charges were brought up against former New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, responsible for the prosecution of both high-profile legislatures, has criticized Albany for being “one of the most corrupt governments in the nation.”The Skelos trial began just two weeks after a jury began overlooking evidence pertaining to Silver’s case, who was considered to be one of the most powerful lawmakers in Albany. And with prosecutors expected to rest in that case early this week, it could transform how Albany lawmakers run their “business” from here on out.Prosecutors accused Skelos of pressuring several companies with business before the state to provide commission sales work or employment to his son, Adam, from 2010 to 2015. They say Skelos pressured a real estate developer and an environmental technology company to pay his son nearly $220,000 in exchange for his support on infrastructure and legislation.[JP]
Share Us: Like the MorningRead? Share with a friend and have him sign up Here
********************************
NOTEBOOK – ROAD TO THE WHITE HOUSE 2016
Paris The Attacks and 2016: Will outsiders like Donald Trump and Ben Carson lose steam because of new interest in national security? So far, Washington outsiders, including businessman Donald Trump and former neurosurgeon Ben Carson, have been among the most popular candidates, but Peter Nicholas and Beth Reinhard of The Wall Street Journal suggest that voters might start questioning the leadership ability of candidates who lack political experience. They write, “The Paris attacks and potency of Islamic State, which France blames for the deadly assaults, could reshuffle the field as voters ask: Is this the moment to turn over the presidency to an untested outsider?”Shane Goldmacher of Politico also reports that voters will turn to candidates who are qualified to serve as commander in chief. He observes, “The disparity between candidates has been present and glaring for months, of course, but it took a back seat in a primary where experience has been akin to a dirty word, and early state voters haven’t demanded great familiarity with world affairs.” Goldmacher raises the question of whether the Paris attacks will cause Trump’s and Carson’s popularity to decline. “The question for 2016 now turns on whether foreign policy fluency and the seasoning of elected office somehow morph into assets, a development that could dislodge the two outsiders who are currently perched comfortably atop the polls – Donald Trump and Ben Carson – and reorder the race,” he writes.[USNEWS]
VIDEO: Paris attacks become focus of 2016 race: Foreign policy is the new focus on the 2016 campaign trail in the wake of the deadly terrorist attacks in Paris, marking a fresh chapter in the race for the White House that has so far focused on issues such as immigration, the economy and bringing change to Washington.Republican presidential candidates raised red flags about U.S. border security and the admission of Syrian refugees Sunday in the wake of the Paris attacks. Democrats, meanwhile, pointed to new challenges — with Hillary Clinton calling ISIS an “unusually effective threat” and Bernie Sanders saying climate change remains crucial to national security.As President Barack Obama huddled at an international summit in Turkey with Russia’s Vladimir Putin and other world leaders, several GOP White House contenders faulted him for failing to take the rise of the ISIS more seriously and called on Obama to revisit plans to admit 10,000 Syrian refugees in 2016.[CNN]
Trump: I’ll ‘go to war’ with Cruz if he rises higher: Donald Trump said Monday he is capable of turning on Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) in their competition for the GOP’s 2016 presidential nomination.“If he catches on, I guess we’ll have to go to war,” he told host Joe Kernen on CNBC “Well, he’s been very nice and supportive of everything I’ve said, more than anybody else.”Cruz and Trump have typically enjoyed a warm relationship since launching their respective Oval Office bids earlier this year. The pair has expressed mutual admiration over their similar policies on border security and illegal immigration.“I salute Donald Trump for focusing on the need to address illegal immigration,” Cruz said on July 5.“I like Donald Trump,” he said. “He is bold, he is brash. He has a colorful way of speaking, and it’s not my way of speaking, but I salute him.”Both men have also found common ground opposing President Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran. The two teamed up for a rally criticizing implementation of the controversial pact last September.Trump remains first in the race for next year’s GOP presidential nomination with 24.3 percent, according to the latest RealClearPolitics average. Cruz trails the billionaire by nearly 14 points in the same index while still seeing success in other areas.Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) endorsed Cruz on Monday, for example, boosting his prestige in the early voting state.“Cruz has a proven record of standing up to both Democrats and Republicans to put the American people first, and I believe he is the only one who can unite conservatives around his campaign and build the organization necessary to beat [Democratic presidential front-runner] Hillary Clinton,” King said in a statement released by the Cruz campaign.“With Ted Cruz, conservatives no longer have to accept a Republican nominee who doesn’t truly share are values.”Trump argued Monday that he remains satisfied with his place in the GOP’s 2016 presidential primary so far.[THEHILL]
Paris Attacks Complicate Hillary Clinton’s Alignment With Obama: In her pursuit of the Democratic nomination for president, Hillary Rodham Clinton has emphasized her ties to President Obama. She regularly tells the story of how he wooed her into serving as his secretary of state and recites, typically to a roar of applause, the line: “President Obama doesn’t get the credit he deserves.”But the terrorist attacks in Paris on Friday, and a presidential election that has suddenly taken a turn toward foreign policy, have complicated Mrs. Clinton’s strategy of aligning herself closely with Mr. Obama, who is widely popular among Democratic primary voters and whose support she will need should she advance to the general election.On Saturday in the second Democratic debate, Mrs. Clinton declined to directly respond to a question about whether she thought Mr. Obama had underestimated the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, which French officials have said was responsible for the attacks.Mrs. Clinton’s campaign has said for months that it sees no reason to break with Mr. Obama. Mrs. Clinton has instead positioned her agenda around plans to “build on the progress” of the Obama administration. In places like South Carolina where African-American voters, in particular, overwhelmingly support the president, Mrs. Clinton devotes much of her stump speech to effusively praising Mr. Obama’s success in reviving the economy after the 2008 financial crisis.In a New York Times/CBS News survey released last Thursday, 79 percent of Democrats said they were satisfied or very satisfied with Mr. Obama’s presidency and 60 percent said they would like to see the next president continue his policies.But the renewed emphasis on terrorism in the past few days has laid bare Mrs. Clinton’s long-held differences with Mr. Obama on foreign policy and when the United States should intervene in conflicts abroad.[NYT]
JP CULTURE:
Agudath Israel Gathers Crowd Across the Torah Spectrum: United for one common goal, that was the mantra used to set up Agudas Yisroel way back in Europe. It was based on a verse describing how an “agudah” a conglomeration was set up to do the will of G-d.This past weekend saw the Agudath Israel of America Annual Convention underline the message of unity between various factions and observances that color the Orthodox spectrum.In case you missed it, here are some of the sights that show how Agudath Israel brought together an oleo of Torah-True Jews.[JP]
Famous violinist will be the fourth Israeli to be awarded America’s highest civilian honor: The awards will be presented by US President Barack Obama at the White House on November 24 to “individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.”A native of Israel,” the White House statement said of Perlman, “he came to the United States at a young age and was introduced to Americans broadly when he appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1958. Mr. Perlman made his Carnegie Hall debut in 1963 when he was 18.Perlman has been the soloist for a number of film scores such as ‘Schindler’s List,’ which subsequently won an Academy Award for Best Original Score. “Alongside his wife Toby, Mr. Perlman teaches talented young musicians through the Perlman Music Program. Through his advocacy and his example, he has been an important voice on behalf of persons with disabilities.” In addition to an Oscar, Perlman has also won 16 Grammy Awards and four Emmys. [YNETNEWS]
JP Business:
Meet the Uber Driver Who Built a $2 Billion Company: If you’re in Boston and you use UberX, keep an eye out for a driver named Paul behind the wheel of a Tesla S P85D (which retails for more than $100,000). That will be Paul English, the co-founder of Kayak, which was sold to the Priceline Group for what turned out to be about $2.1 billion in 2013.it’s all about research for his new stealth-mode startup, which will focus on the travel industry.”We’re rethinking how people book travel, from how they conceive travel, who they get advice from, where to go, how much work it takes to book it,” English told me this morning, in an interview before we each headed to our day jobs. “I always said even when we were at Kayak that we sucked less than other websites. I was trying to make it simple, but even with Kayak there was some work involved.”His research goal with Uber? Mainly to learn what the rating experience feels like.”I wanted to study what it felt like as a driver, knowing that at the end of every ride, you were rated on a scale of 1 to 5,” English told me. “And the drivers rate [passengers] as well. … [They’re] trying to reward kindness. I think that’s been really good.”[INC.]
Former Church To Become 16 Residential Units At 599 Willoughby Avenue, Bed-Stuy: An old Bed-Stuy building is slated for a makeover and conversion, and we know what it will look like, thanks to the above photo. 599 Willoughby Avenue, formerly home to the Hebron Baptist Church, is now set to become 16 residential units, though the math in the filing is a tad confusing.The building currently has 8,923 square feet, but the makeover would expand it to 11,994 square feet. According to the rendering posted at the site, the first floor façade would remain relatively intact. Chaskel Strulovitch’s CS Real Estate Group appears to be the developer [YIMBY-NY]
Brookland plans another Tel Aviv bond offering, developer raised $34.5M last year to fund projects: After raising $34.5 million through a bond offering on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange last year, Brookland Capital is hungry for more. The Bedford-Stuyvesant-based development firm led by Boaz Gilad and Assaf Fitoussi is looking to raise $30 million to fund roughly 32 Brooklyn projects in its pipeline. The Series B bond offering is expected to launch in two weeks, Gilad told The Real Deal. “I’ll either tell you the market is going through difficulties — or that it was very successful,” Gilad quipped. Hebrew-language business news website TheMarker first reported on the plans. The capital will go toward purchases of development sites and construction of the condominium and rental properties in neighborhoods such as Crown Heights, Bushwick and Bed-Stuy. Brookland is one of the most active in the borough, with 16 buildings under construction, 16 in the planning stages, and 15 completed to date, according to Brett Kaplan, the firm’s head of business development. The firm, founded in 2012, prefers to develop 40-to-90-unit properties and has never paid more than $10 million for a development site. Gilad and Fitoussi were hit hard by the housing crisis, and have recovered in recent years. Raising funds in Tel Aviv is a “natural progression of our business,” Gilad said. Gilad said the bond offering in July 2014 was a smooth process. Victory Consulting’s Gal Amit and Rafael Lipa, advisers for the majority of New York City developers raising funds in Tel Aviv, worked with Brookland on their offerings as well. [TRD]