New York | InsideOjodu https://www.insideojodu.com ...conecting the community Thu, 29 Jul 2021 11:36:17 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.9.10 http://www.insideojodu.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/favicon.ico New York | InsideOjodu https://www.insideojodu.com 32 32 Twitter shuts its New York, San Francisco offices permanently https://www.insideojodu.com/twitter-shuts-its-new-york-san-francisco-offices-permanently/ https://www.insideojodu.com/twitter-shuts-its-new-york-san-francisco-offices-permanently/#respond Thu, 29 Jul 2021 11:36:17 +0000 https://www.insideojodu.com/?p=24181 Twitter has announced that its New York City and San Francisco offices will be…

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Twitter has announced that its New York City and San Francisco offices will be closed permanently in response to the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warnings about COVID-19.

The decision to shut its two largest offices comes after the CDC recommended that fully vaccinated Americans in parts of the country with high transmission of the coronavirus disease should return to wearing masks indoors, citing new data on the highly contagious Delta variant.

The CDC also said masks should be required of everyone inside K-12 schools while urging classrooms to return to full-time, in-person classes with proper prevention strategies in place.

“After careful consideration of the CDC’s updated guidelines, and in light of current conditions, Twitter has made the decision to close our opened offices in New York and San Francisco as well as pause future office reopenings, effective immediately.

“We continue to monitor local conditions and make necessary changes that prioritize the health and safety of our Tweeps,” TechCrunch quoted a spokesperson as saying.

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The US issues Emergency declaration in 17 states after fuel pipeline cyberattack https://www.insideojodu.com/the-us-issues-emergency-declaration-in-17-states-after-fuel-pipeline-cyberattack/ https://www.insideojodu.com/the-us-issues-emergency-declaration-in-17-states-after-fuel-pipeline-cyberattack/#respond Mon, 10 May 2021 09:25:16 +0000 https://www.insideojodu.com/?p=22058 Joe Biden’s administration has issued a regional emergency declaration for 17 states and Washington,…

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Joe Biden’s administration has issued a regional emergency declaration for 17 states and Washington, D.C., to keep fuel supply lines open after a cyberattack on Colonial Pipeline’s infrastructure on Friday, May 7.

Friday night’s cyberattack is “the most significant, successful attack on energy infrastructure” known to have occurred in the U.S., according to Politico.

Colonial Pipeline carries 45% of fuel supplies in the eastern U.S. Some 5,500 miles of the pipeline has been shut down in response to the attack.

While gasoline and diesel prices aren’t expected to be impacted if pipeline operations resume in the next few days, fuel suppliers are becoming “increasingly nervous” about possible shortages, Bloomberg reports.

Colonial said in a statement Sunday while its main fuel lines remained offline, some smaller lines between terminals and delivery points were now operational.

He said “We will bring our full system back online only when we believe it is safe to do so and in full compliance with the approval of all federal regulations”

The US said it’s “working with” fuel pipeline operator Colonial Pipeline to try and restart operations as soon as possible.

The regional emergency declaration by the Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is so that fuel supply lines can be kept open.

The emergency declaration covers Alabama, Arkansas, D.C., Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

The DoT agency said in a statement the declaration “addresses the emergency conditions creating a need for immediate transportation of gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and other refined petroleum products and provides necessary relief.”

The attack is a significant breach of critical infrastructure and comes on the heels of multiple other major cyberattacks on both U.S. companies and the federal government in recent months by foreign actors.

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#EndSARS: Protesters in New York want SARS operatives sacked https://www.insideojodu.com/endsars-protesters-in-new-york-want-sars-operatives-sacked/ https://www.insideojodu.com/endsars-protesters-in-new-york-want-sars-operatives-sacked/#respond Mon, 12 Oct 2020 11:53:12 +0000 https://www.insideojodu.com/?p=17288 Hundreds of young anti-SARS protesters on Sunday stormed the Nigeria House in New York…

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Hundreds of young anti-SARS protesters on Sunday stormed the Nigeria House in New York demanding transparency in the disbandment of the police unit back home.

The protesters said operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad found wanting should be sacked and not redeployed.

Among them was Stephen “Papi” Ojo, the artist, model, and choreographer who stole the show as the ‘blue-guy’ in Beyoncé’s “Already” music video.

The protest started shortly after the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, announced the dissolution of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad.

Adamu also announced plans for a new arrangement to address anticipated policing gaps following the disbandment, and the constitution of an investigative team to probe the alleged cases of rights violations, among others.

But the protesters, who bore placards with different inscriptions including, “We no want audio ban”, said they were not buying it.

They argued that previous commitments announced by the force to change the behaviour of SARS operatives and other personnel had no effect.

“We are not buying that because they told us in 2017 that SARS had been banned from a lot of things, but they continued,” said Miss Omobolanle Adams, of the protest organisers.

“We don’t want back-door politics, we don’t want back-door negotiations.

“We want President Muhammadu Buhari to speak directly to us. We want justice for people that were murdered, raped, and assaulted.

“We want the SARS operatives responsible brought to book and at the end of the day, we don’t want them redeployed to other units. We want them gone,” she said.

In a series of tweets on Friday, the president assured Nigerians of his determination to end police brutality and bring “erring personnel to justice”.

Buhari said his administration’s “determination to reform the police should never be in doubt”, and sued for calm.

He blamed the bad reputation of SARS on some bad apples, noting that most police officers were committed to protecting Nigerians.

Another leader of the protest, Peter Johnson, reiterated that there was no transparency in the reported dissolution of the outfit.

“They gave us a very generic message. I, personally, feel like we need to see actual results.

“We need to see a plan of where the operatives are going, because people are still going to die,” he said.

Addressing other protesters, ‘Papi’ Ojo said he relocated to the US at the age of 11, and was afraid to visit home because he had lost two uncles to SARS.

However, the 23-year-old said the unity and courage displayed by Nigerians in the protest had given him strength to return and make a change.

“As I speak, I am still afraid, but I can’t keep living in fear anymore because I have relations back home calling me to help.

“So, I am begging everyone here that is afraid like me to stand up and help in whatever way we can to effect the desired change back home,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that some of the protesters took turns to narrate their personal experiences or those of their family members in the hands of SARS.

Being Sunday, the consulate was closed and no official was around to address the protesters.

The Consul General of Nigeria in New York, Mr Benaoyagha Okoyen, did not answer the phone when NAN called to get his comments.

He had also not replied text messages sent to him as of the time of filing this report.

NAN

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Cornonavirus: New York declares state of emergency https://www.insideojodu.com/cornonavirus-new-york-declares-state-of-emergency/ https://www.insideojodu.com/cornonavirus-new-york-declares-state-of-emergency/#respond Sun, 08 Mar 2020 09:41:32 +0000 https://www.insideojodu.com/?p=11395 The governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, has declared a state of emergency on…

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The governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, has declared a state of emergency on Saturday after the number of coronavirus patients in New York rose to 76.

During a news conference in Albany, Cuomo said twenty more people have tested positive for coronavirus in New York, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the state to 76.

He said “You know what’s worse than the virus? The anxiety. The declaration of emergency will allow the state to speed up the purchasing of supplies and the hiring of workers to assist local health departments that have been handling the monitoring of thousands of self-quarantined patients. Somebody has to go knock on their door, once a day, this is labor intensive. The declaration would also allow officials to skirt purchasing regulations, if necessary”

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New York City wind turbine topples, crushing parked car https://www.insideojodu.com/new-york-city-wind-turbine-topples-crushing-parked-car/ https://www.insideojodu.com/new-york-city-wind-turbine-topples-crushing-parked-car/#respond Tue, 31 Dec 2019 22:38:24 +0000 https://www.insideojodu.com/?p=9780 The wind — of all things — toppled a New York City wind turbine…

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The wind — of all things — toppled a New York City wind turbine which then crushed an unoccupied parked car, according to reports.

The incident Monday afternoon in the Bronx had elected officials who represent the area shaking their heads.

“A wind turbine should not be able to be taken down by the wind,” the New York Post quoted Jamaal Bailey, who serves in the New York State Senate, as saying.

What went wrong? On the first windy day, a wind turbine came crashing down on a busy intersection in the Bronx. City leaders say it was “put up in the middle of the night” https://abc7ny.com/billboard-crashes-down-on-bronx-shopping-center-parking-lot/5799270/@ABC7NY …

The wind turbine was erected recently atop a six-story parking garage, according to reports. No injuries were reported, according to Fox 5 New York.

A WABC-TV investigative reporter tweeted dramatic footage of the accident.

The station reported the wind turbine went up only two weeks ago.

On the way down, the wind turbine also struck an electronic billboard that has been the subject of lawsuits involving the billboard’s owner and the New York City Buildings Department, according to the station.

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NYC mugging victim dies after brutal beating over $1 https://www.insideojodu.com/nyc-mugging-victim-dies-after-brutal-beating-over-1/ https://www.insideojodu.com/nyc-mugging-victim-dies-after-brutal-beating-over-1/#respond Sun, 29 Dec 2019 09:55:50 +0000 https://www.insideojodu.com/?p=9745 A 60-year-old New York City man died in a hospital Friday, three days after…

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A 60-year-old New York City man died in a hospital Friday, three days after unidentified suspect brutally beat him, demanding money while he walked down a Bronx street early Christmas Eve morning,  police said Saturday.

Six muggers punched, kicked and stomped on Juan Fresnada as he tried to keep his partner, Byron Caceres, 29, safe from the attackers who robbed him of $1, ABC News reported.

“My husband tried to defend me,” Caceres told The New York Post. “The guy had his fist ready like he was ready to attack me. My husband said, ‘Don’t you get close to him.’”

Caceres said Fresnada told him to run away.

“They were beating him for 10 or 15 minutes,” he said. “I went back and found him on the floor. He was breathing heavily and bleeding from his head.”

The beating was caught on surveillance video but no suspects have been arrested, ABC reported.

“He takes care of me,” Caceres said. “He’s very calm and I’m the one who is stressed all the time.”

He told The Daily News he didn’t think the attack was a hate crime.

The couple have been together since 2015, The Daily News reported.

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Man eats Art Basel banana that sold for $120G https://www.insideojodu.com/man-eats-art-basel-banana-that-sold-for-120g/ https://www.insideojodu.com/man-eats-art-basel-banana-that-sold-for-120g/#respond Sun, 08 Dec 2019 07:07:02 +0000 https://www.insideojodu.com/?p=9281 Remember the banana duct-taped to a wall and labelled “art” that sold for $120,000?…

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Remember the banana duct-taped to a wall and labelled “art” that sold for $120,000? On Saturday, a New York man walked up to the art installation and ate the banana.

The banana art, titled “Comedian,” was the work of Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan. It’s a part of Emmanuel Perrotin’s outer gallery wall at Art Basel in Miami Beach. The piece sold for $120,000 to a French art collector.

Around 1:45 p.m. in front of a convention centre full of art lovers, New York-based performance artist David Datuna ate the banana, gallery representatives told the Miami Herald.

He called it “Hungry Artist.”

A dismayed Peggy Leboeuf, a partner at Perrotin Gallery, frantically told Datuna, “But you’re not supposed to touch the art!”

The gallery reported the incident to security, but Datuna slipped away.

Lucien Terras, director of museum relations, said the work was still salvageable.

The work came with a Certificate of Authenticity, and a disclaimer that owners may replace the banana as needed.

“He did not destroy the artwork. The banana is the idea,” Terras said. Apparently the collectors are buying the certificate — the banana is not made to last.

“This has brought a lot of tension and attention to the booth and we’re not into spectacles,” Terras added. “But the response has been great. It brings a smile to a lot of people’s faces.”

Perrotin, the gallery owner, was on his way to the airport when he heard the banana had been eaten. Immediately enraged, he turned around and headed back to the gallery. One of the gallery viewers tried to cheer him up by handing him another banana.

Perrotin and a gallery assistant taped the new banana back to the wall.

“It’s not about the piece. It’s an art performance. Maurizio Cattelan, I love him. One artist eats another artist. It’s fun,” Datuna told the New York Post about eating the banana.

Cattelan was the artist behind the 18-karat gold toilet named “America” that was widely touted as anti-Trump art. It was on display in a public restroom in the Guggenheim in New York City in 2016.

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Man apprehended for punching woman outside church https://www.insideojodu.com/man-apprehended-for-punching-woman-outside-church/ https://www.insideojodu.com/man-apprehended-for-punching-woman-outside-church/#respond Thu, 07 Nov 2019 22:08:32 +0000 https://www.insideojodu.com/?p=8601 Police apprehended a man Thursday who was caught on video punching a woman as…

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Police apprehended a man Thursday who was caught on video punching a woman as she left a New York City church late last month.

Surveillance footage of the Oct. 28 incident in front of St. Michaels Church, located on 41st Avenue in the borough of Queens, shows the man, described by police as Asian and between 20- to-30 years old, assault the 53-year-old woman.

NYPD NEWS

✔@NYPDnews

UPDATE: This individual has been APPREHENDED in connection with the assault of a 53 year-old woman in the confines of the @NYPD109Pct.

Thank you for submitting your tips to @NYPDTips. https://twitter.com/NYPDnews/status/1192247926636105729 …

She can be seen opening the door as the two appear to speak to one another. But when the woman walks through the door, the man punches her in the back of the head before fleeing the scene.

The woman — who police say was telling the man not to sleep outside the church — was taken to a nearby hospital in stable condition, WABC-TV reported.

The NYPD tweeted Thursday that the man was apprehended for the assault.

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Harvard says it received $8.9M in donations from Jeffrey Epstein https://www.insideojodu.com/harvard-says-it-received-8-9m-in-donations-from-jeffrey-epstein/ https://www.insideojodu.com/harvard-says-it-received-8-9m-in-donations-from-jeffrey-epstein/#respond Fri, 13 Sep 2019 11:30:48 +0000 https://www.insideojodu.com/?p=7518 Harvard University received nearly $9 million in donations from convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein…

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Harvard University received nearly $9 million in donations from convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein over a nine-year period, the Ivy League university’s president disclosed in an email Thursday night.

The disgraced financier, who was found hanging in his prison cell and later declared dead Aug. 10, gave $6.5 million to Harvard’s Program for Evolutionary Dynamics and made other gifts totaling $2.4 million between 1998 and 2007, University President Lawrence S. Bacow said.

“Each of these gifts from Epstein and his affiliated foundations to Harvard University predates his guilty plea in June 2008,” Bacow said. “To date, we have uncovered no gifts received from Epstein or his foundation following his guilty plea. Moreover, we specifically rejected a gift from Epstein following his conviction in 2008.”

Epstein pleaded guilty to a child prostitution charge in 2008 and registered as a sex offender. He agreed to a plea deal and served nearly 13 months in jail with work-release privileges, which meant he could work in his office six days a week.

Joichi Ito, director of the Media Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), resigned Saturday after it was revealed he accepted $525,000 in donations from Epstein after his guilty plea in 2008, according to a report by The New Yorker’s Ronan Farrow.

When he died, Epstein, 66, was awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide. Prosecutors alleged that Epstein paid girls as young as 14 hundreds of dollars for massages before molesting them in his homes in New York and Palm Beach, Fla, between 2002 and 2005.

“Epstein’s reported criminal actions were utterly abhorrent,” Bacow said Thursday. “They flagrantly offend the values of our society and this institution, and we condemn them.”

Bacow added that while most of Epstein’s gifts to Harvard were not endowed funds and were spent “years ago for their intended purposes in support of research and education,” the university found a current fund that was still in use.

“One small endowment” for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences has an unspent balance of $186,000, which Bacow said will be redirected “to organizations that support victims of human trafficking and sexual assault.”

“This is an unusual step for the university, but we have decided it is the proper course of action under the circumstances,” he noted.

A former faculty member, Stephen Kosslyn, designated Epstein as a visiting fellow in the Department of Psychology in 2005, and the university is “seeking to learn more about the nature of that appointment,” Bacow said.

A review of Epstein’s donations to Harvard is ongoing, according to the university.

The Justice Department and FBI are still investigating the circumstances of Epstein’s death.

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Italian police and FBI raid Mafia with ties to Gambino family https://www.insideojodu.com/italian-police-and-fbi-raid-mafia-with-ties-to-gambino-family/ https://www.insideojodu.com/italian-police-and-fbi-raid-mafia-with-ties-to-gambino-family/#respond Wed, 17 Jul 2019 22:52:56 +0000 https://www.insideojodu.com/?p=5880 The Italian police in connections with the FBI cracked down on a Palermo-area Mafia…

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The Italian police in connections with the FBI cracked down on a Palermo-area Mafia clan with ties to the U.S.-based Gambino organized crime family in New York.

Authorities said that around 200 officers – including FBI agents – swept across Sicily and the New York area Wednesday, arresting 18 suspects in Italy and one in the United States.

Palermo Police Chief Renato Cortese said that members of the Sicilian Passo di Rigano crime society had settled in the United States in the 1980s after surviving a turf war with the Corleone crime clan, which emerged victorious over the Inzerillo crime family in the Palermo area.

Some survivors looked to return to Italy right after the weakening of the long-dominant Corleone crime family. Salvatore “Toto” Riina, the Corleone clan chieftain, died in an Italian prison in 2017.

Officials fear the Mafia is planning to revert to its notorious past as the exiled mobsters who fled Sicily returned in the early 2000s in order to revitalize their clan. Italian reports suggest that Francesco Inzerillo, 63, returned to Sicily by Mafia leaders after being forced to leave the U.S.

The suspects are being investigated for fraud and involvement in businesses ranging from wholesale foods, gambling and online betting, according to the BBC. They face allegations including mafia membership, extortion and unfair competition.

Authorities stated officers followed the two families constantly, keeping eyes on them day and night.

The Gambino family in New York is considered to be one of the five historic Italian-U.S. clans, and was run by John Gotti before he was jailed in 1992. After his incarceration, the Gambino family went into decline.

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