While thousands of New York City homeowners rushed to clear snow after last weekend’s storm to avoid penalties, icy walkways next to government-owned properties told a different story.
City officials issued more than 3,000 summonses to private property owners, with fines beginning at $100, under rules that require sidewalks to be shoveled within a set number of hours after snowfall ends. Those enforcement standards, however, do not apply the same way to sidewalks controlled by the city or the state.
Along Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, commuters encountered a long, slippery stretch of sidewalk bordering a Long Island Rail Road train yard that remained buried under snow and ice Monday morning. During peak travel hours, pedestrians were left navigating the hazardous conditions with care.
Comparable situations appeared elsewhere, including outside city-owned parks. Near Dean Playground in Prospect Heights, neighbors voiced concerns about safety after sidewalks remained unshoveled. Only after complaints were made did Parks Department crews arrive to clear the area.
The city acknowledges that while it strictly enforces snow-removal rules on residents and businesses, it does not issue fines to itself or to other government agencies. The Department of Sanitation says it lacks authority to penalize fellow agencies and generally responds to large sidewalk areas only after receiving complaints.
As one resident put it, “It’s funny how the rules are enforced block by block — unless the sidewalk belongs to the city.” For now, officials say the primary way to prompt action on unshoveled government sidewalks is for residents to report the issue by calling 311 or using the city’s 311 app.
{Matzav.com}
Emergency officials in rural Kentucky ordered residents to remain indoors Tuesday morning after a freight train derailment led to the release of hazardous materials along a rail line.
The incident involved a 31-car CSX train that derailed in Todd County shortly after 6 a.m. Authorities said at least one railcar was leaking molten sulfur, a substance that can cause serious burns and release toxic gases such as sulfur dioxide or hydrogen sulfide.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear alerted the public to the situation in a social media post, writing, “Kentucky, there has been a train derailment in Todd County, and local emergency management has issued a shelter-in-place for the City of Trenton. Please follow local guidance and stay safe.”
Photos taken at the site showed damaged freight cars strewn across the tracks, with a white chemical substance visibly escaping from one of the cars.
Officials later said the situation was stabilized, and the shelter-in-place order was lifted at about 11 a.m. Authorities reported no injuries and said nearby homes were not damaged.
Reflecting on the severity of the incident, Todd County Executive Todd Mansfield told WZTV News, “It could have been catastrophic.”
CSX Transportation confirmed that it is reviewing what led to the derailment. Company spokesman Austin Staton said Tuesday that cleanup efforts were underway. “CSX crews remain on scene and are working as safely and as quickly as possible to clean up the impacted site,” Staton said. “We appreciate the swift response and coordination of local first responders and emergency management officials.”
CSX has previously faced criticism from environmental advocates, who have raised concerns about the risks associated with transporting hazardous materials by rail and the potential consequences of chemical spills.
{Matzav.com}
Federal authorities say they have confirmed at least $1 billion in fraudulent childcare payments in Minnesota so far, with 92 individuals already charged. According to the US Attorney’s office, 82 of those charged are Somali immigrants, and prosecutors have cautioned that the total scope of the scheme could ultimately reach $9 billion.
Against that backdrop, the Trump administration has moved to cut off all childcare-related payments to the state and is pressing for an extensive review of Minnesota’s day care system, as scrutiny intensifies around the state’s human services department.
Deputy Health and Human Services Secretary Jim O’Neill announced the decision on Tuesday, writing on X, “We have frozen all child care payments to the state of Minnesota,” just days after a widely shared investigative video focused national attention on alleged fraud involving local day care providers.
O’Neill accused state officials of allowing massive abuse of public funds, saying Minnesota has “funneled millions of taxpayer dollars to fraudulent daycares across Minnesota over the past decade.” He detailed three steps the department is taking to prevent further misuse of federal money.
As part of the first measure, O’Neill said the federal government will now require “a receipt or photo evidence” before releasing any payments to states through the US Administration for Children & Families.
He also said he has “demanded” that Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz carry out a “comprehensive audit” of the day care centers identified in the investigation. “This includes attendance records, licenses, complaints, investigations, and inspections,” he wrote.
O’Neill pointed specifically to a YouTube video published Friday by Nick Shirley, who visited multiple Minneapolis-area day care sites that had received millions in public funding but appeared to be shuttered or not operating.
In addition, the Department of Health and Human Services has set up a dedicated hotline and email address at childcare.gov for reporting suspected fraud. “Whether you are a parent, provider, or member of the general public, we want to hear from you,” O’Neill said.
Summing up the administration’s posture, he added, “We have turned off the money spigot and we are finding the fraud.”
{Matzav.com}
The inauguration of Zohran Mamdani as New York City’s next mayor will depart sharply from past practice, with organizers planning a large public celebration rather than a ticketed ceremony at City Hall Plaza. According to the mayoral transition team, the January 1 event will feature a block party along Broadway in the Canyon of Heroes, complete with “dedicated viewing areas for tens of thousands to gather and participate in the ceremony, ensuring the day belongs to all New Yorkers.”
The transition team also announced that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York will deliver the opening remarks at the ceremony. In a statement cited by Fox News, the team said, “Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez’s presence underscores the leaders central to the movement to usher in a new era for New York City – one focused on delivering an affordability agenda and reimagining what government can do for working people.”
Ocasio-Cortez campaigned alongside Mamdani during the race. Mamdani, who is set to become the city’s first Muslim mayor, praised her role in his political rise, saying, “For the many New Yorkers who have long felt betrayed by a broken status quo, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez embodies a new kind of politics that puts working people at the heart of it.” He added, “I’ve been so proud to count her as a partner across the many stages of our people-powered movement – from the primary campaign to our Forest Hills rally in October to the very first day of the transition – and I’m honored that she’ll be a part of our historic City Hall inauguration.”
Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, another ally who appeared with Mamdani on the campaign trail, is scheduled to administer the oath of office. Sanders said the swearing-in will take place at the Old City Hall subway station, describing the symbolism of the location. “I’m honored to swear in our Mayor-Elect at the Old City Hall subway station. His inauguration will represent the blending of our city on a subway filled with cacophony, diversity, challenge and opportunity,” Sanders said. “The subway is a lifeblood of our city, and a great equalizer for New Yorkers. All of us are treated the same on the subway; it connects and binds New Yorkers in our daily lives. For all of our strengths and weaknesses as individuals, we ride together on the train, to places far and wide.”
Sanders continued by tying that imagery to Mamdani’s message, saying, “Zohran is our next mayor because he understands how important it is that New Yorkers living side-by-side all deserve a city that we can thrive in, no matter what subway line you use.”
Mamdani’s rise has also drawn controversy. He has faced sustained criticism over his policy positions, particularly his anti-Israel stance. He has declined to disavow the phrase “globalize the intifada” and publicly criticized Israel on October 8, 2023, one day after the Hamas massacre in southern Israel.
In repeated statements, Mamdani has accused Israel of committing war crimes in its campaign against Hamas in Gaza and has said he would seek to arrest Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu if he were to visit New York City.
Ocasio-Cortez, often referred to by her initials AOC, is a member of the progressive Democratic bloc known as “The Squad” and has a long record of opposing Israeli policies. Her past actions include accusing Israel of genocide against Palestinian Arabs and calling for reductions in US military assistance to Israel until humanitarian aid flows freely into Gaza.
Sanders has likewise been outspoken in his criticism of Israel’s government. In September, he asserted that Israel is committing “genocide” in Gaza, the first time he used that term in reference to the conflict.
Those views have translated into legislative efforts. In late July, the Senate voted down a resolution introduced by Sanders that sought to block American arms transfers to Israel. The measure failed 27-70, marking his third unsuccessful attempt since late 2024 to halt US weapons deliveries to Israel.
{Matzav.com}
A pro-Iranian cyber group calling itself Handala announced that it had gained access to the personal mobile phone of Tzachi Braverman, who serves as chief of staff to Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu.
In statements attributed to the group, Handala said it is holding a large cache of materials taken from the device, including documents, photographs, and video files, beyond a contact list that it says has already circulated online.
The Iranian news outlet Tasnim reported that the hackers claim the data includes sensitive paperwork tied to emergency orders and directives. According to the group, some of those documents bear signatures from Justice Minister Yariv Levin, former Supreme Court President Asher Grunis, and Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs.
Handala further asserted that it obtained private correspondence between Braverman and several government ministers as well as members of the Knesset, portions of which it has already released.
The group also said the files taken from the phone contain images of Braverman at meetings with US Presidents Donald Trump and Joe Biden, along with personal videos recorded at events in London and at other private gatherings.
In its declaration, Handala claimed it holds “thousands of secret documents about corruption in Israel, which will reveal the truth hidden behind the scenes.”
{Matzav.com}A federal court has cleared the way for the Trump administration to restart the transfer of certain Medicaid data to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement beginning Jan. 6, though the authorization is sharply limited in scope.
U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria of the Northern District of California ruled that federal agencies may legally share narrow categories of Medicaid information with immigration authorities, including basic biographical details, contact information, and location data. USA Today first reported on the decision.
At the same time, Chhabria made clear that the ruling does not open the door to unrestricted access to Medicaid records. He stressed that an existing injunction remains in force and continues to prohibit the disclosure of other types of information, including data related to immigrants who are legally present in the United States.
“Beyond the basic information discussed above, the policies are totally unclear and do not appear to be the product of a coherent decision making process,” Chhabria wrote in his opinion.
The case stems from a lawsuit filed in July by 20 states, led by California, seeking to prevent the Department of Health and Human Services from sharing Medicaid-related information with immigration enforcement agencies. California Attorney General Rob Bonta, whose office participated in the legal challenge, said the states were disappointed by the ruling that permits limited data sharing to go forward.
Federal officials supporting the policy welcomed the court’s decision. Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the ruling represents a win for the rule of law and for taxpayers.
The decision is being viewed as a partial victory for the administration’s broader push to expand coordination and information sharing among federal agencies involved in immigration enforcement.
Under federal law, illegal aliens are generally ineligible for full Medicaid benefits, though some may receive Emergency Medicaid coverage for life-saving treatment. Separately, a number of states, including California, provide state-funded health benefits to residents regardless of immigration status.
The Medicaid dispute is one of several recent legal battles over federal data sharing tied to immigration enforcement. In September, a federal judge in California temporarily blocked the Department of Agriculture from collecting information on recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Two months later, a federal judge in Washington, D.C., prohibited the Internal Revenue Service from providing tax return data to ICE.
Chhabria has not yet issued a final ruling in the Medicaid case. A hearing is scheduled for Jan. 2 to address unresolved questions surrounding the administration’s data-sharing policies.
{Matzav.com}
President Donald Trump publicly warned this week that Hamas faces dire consequences if it fails to lay down its arms, declaring, “If they don’t disarm, it will be horrible for them — really, really bad.” He framed the demand as part of a wider regional strategy aimed at restoring stability in the Middle East, pointing to prior American actions against Iran and terror groups as steps building momentum toward peace.
Behind the scenes, Israeli and American officials have reportedly agreed on a far more specific timetable. According to a report published today by Yisroel Hayom, Israel and Washington have settled on a two-month deadline for Hamas to completely disarm.
Trump had earlier addressed the issue alongside Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu on Monday, telling reporters that Hamas would be given only “a very short period of time to disarm,” though he did not specify an exact timeframe at the time.
The reported understanding was reached later that night during a meeting between Netanyahu and Trump at the president’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, according to the newspaper.
As part of the framework, US and Israeli officials are said to be working jointly to define precise criteria that would constitute full and verifiable disarmament by Hamas. The concern, according to the report, is that the terror group could attempt to turn over a limited cache of weapons while secretly preserving most of its military strength.
Both governments have reportedly agreed that such a scenario would be unacceptable. The plan demands the total dismantling of Hamas’ weapons reserves and military infrastructure, rather than any partial or symbolic compliance.
The proposed arrangement also calls for the complete demilitarization of the Gaza Strip, including the destruction of Hamas’ vast underground tunnel system, which Israel says has been used to carry out attacks, transport arms, and provide protection for terrorists.
Israeli officials reportedly believe Hamas is unlikely to accept the ultimatum. If the group refuses to disarm within the two-month window, the report states that control over the next steps would revert to Israel and the Israel Defense Forces.
{Matzav.com}
