Alvin Bragg drops assault charges against man who fought back when vagrant attacked him with nail-studded chunk of wood



Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) dropped assault charges against a Chinatown landlord who fought back when a vagrant attacked him with a nail-studded chunk of wood in late August, the New York Post reported.

Bragg’s office initially charged Brian Chin — a 32-year-old Harvard graduate student — with felony assault after the incident, the paper said.

'Instead of doing the right thing, [Bragg] used his office to pursue a case against me for nearly five months. It leads me to ask the question: How many other innocent people has he incarcerated?'

Chin spotted the vagrant lying on the ground outside the subway station at Chrystie and Grand Streets in Manhattan around 8:30 p.m. Aug. 24, the Post said. Chin allegedly kicked the male three times, the paper said, citing a criminal complaint.

Chin told the Post he approached the male because he recognized him as a local panhandler and wanted to make sure he was OK: “We have so many drug overdoses and deaths and pretty much every conceivable horror that you can imagine. Immediately, he woke up after that and just started screaming.”

The paper said the pair initially went their separate ways after the encounter — but both came back a few minutes later.

Chin said he returned because he was haunted by the slaying of his renter, Christina Yuna Lee, two years ago, the Post said. Chin blasted Bragg over Lee's 2022 killing, insisting it could have been prevented since the suspect in her killing had a lengthy criminal history.

“Especially after the murder, if someone is acting violent, I just like to stand by the front door, just to make sure that no one gets followed in, all my tenants are safe,’’ Chin noted to the paper.

More from the Post:

The homeless man did turn violent, breaking a wooden chair and swinging the nail-laden hunk of wood at Chin — who in turn knocked him down and punched him a half-dozen times before the assailant quit.

Blood gushed from the unidentified man’s face as he struggled to get to his feet when cops arrived, the complaint said. And when he tried to stand, he fell back and slammed his head into the subway station railing.

Authorities rushed him to Bellevue Hospital with facial and skull fractures, the complaint said. He was intubated and put on a ventilator afterward.

Chin told the paper he tried to calm him down but feared for his life during the fight: “I just wanted to get home to my wife and kids." Chin also told the Post that in the aftermath he felt "awful. I never want anyone to get hurt.”

The paper said the assault charges against Chin could have landed him in jail for up to seven years — until Bragg decided not to pursue them.

“It’s our job to thoroughly investigate and prosecute violent conduct, including incidents of alleged assault,” a representative for the Manhattan DA’s office said Sunday, according to the Post. “This case has been dismissed and, as a result, sealed by the court.”­

The process is the punishment?

Chin told the paper he's annoyed that the charges had been hanging over his head since the summer: “I am more angry than relieved because this is something that never should have happened."

He added to the Post that he "was treated like a violent perpetrator in the eyes of the law, and it has been five months of an unending, waking nightmare. … I woke up every day thinking that I would spend years in jail when I never committed a crime.”

Chin also told the paper that he had to resign from his teaching position because he no longer could pass a background check: "What was this for? It upended my life, everything I spent decades working for.”

He also noted to the Post that the homeless man later was charged with menacing and that it's “personally abhorrent that this case was ever brought.”

“With such an abundance of evidence from the very start, it was clear that I was not a perpetrator but a victim,” Chin told the paper. “Instead of doing the right thing, [Bragg] used his office to pursue a case against me for nearly five months. It leads me to ask the question: How many other innocent people has he incarcerated? How many were not so fortunate as to have been attacked on their own property and to have access to surveillance footage showing their innocence?”

The Post said Chin compared himself to Jose Alba — the New York City deli worker Bragg charged with murder after Alba stabbed an attacker to death in 2022. After public outrage over what many saw as self-defense, Bragg dropped all charges against Alba.

“How many more victims — how many more Jose Albas, how many more cases such as myself — will need to be at his hands before the politicians who have continually shielded him wake up to the fact that this is not how justice is conducted in this country? It’s not what New Yorkers deserve," Chin told the paper.

Chin's attorney Kenneth Gilbert told the Post that Bragg saved face by dropping his client's charges: “If it had gone to trial, it would have been an embarrassment for the prosecutor’s office."

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Chilling video shows suspect shoving man into path of NYC subway train — but victim survives 'by God's own hand'



Chilling video shows a New York City commuter being shoved onto subway tracks — and into the path of an oncoming train — Tuesday afternoon. What's more, the suspect in October was accused of harassing a woman and throwing bleach at her but was set free thanks to New York City's lenient no-bail policies.

In regard to the subway shove, video shows a male creeping up behind an unsuspecting commuter and violently shoving him off the 8th Street station platform in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood. Video of the entire assault (content warning: disturbing images) shows the victim falling toward the tracks as the train runs over him.

'If you look at the video, you wonder how he could have survived, so against all odds, he is going to survive.'

A witness told WABC-TV of the suspect, "I actually got a very weird vibe from him, I don't know if it was the way he dressed. He had a face mask on. He had his hood up, made eye contact with him, just got a very weird vibe. So I just immediately sat down on the bench."

A rider on the 1 train added the New York Post, "The subway stopped abruptly, then we waited for 10 minutes, confused. Then the conductor said over the intercom that we were going to have to evacuate because there was a man under the train."

The subway commuter said the victim was "bloody."

The 45-year-old victim narrowly escaped death in the New Year's Eve attack.

"By God’s own hand, he fell perfectly in the trench," an anonymous law enforcement source told the New York Post.

City Council member Erik Bottcher told WCBS-TV, "If you look at the video, you wonder how he could have survived, so against all odds, he is going to survive."

The victim — Joseph Lynskey — suffered a fractured skull, broken ribs, and a ruptured spleen.

He was listed in stable condition at Bellevue Hospital on Tuesday night.

The suspect was identified as 23-year-old Kamel Hawkins of Brooklyn.

Officers with the New York City Transit Police Department quickly apprehended Hawkins at 59th Street thanks to surveillance video of the subway attack.

Hawkins is charged with attempted murder and assault. He is being detained at the Eric M Taylor Center without bail. Hawkins faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted of attempted murder. Police said it does not appear the victim knew his attacker. He is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 6.

Hawkins previously was arrested in Brooklyn on Oct. 19. Charging documents accuse Hawkins of sending harassing text messages, damaging a woman's front door by kicking it, and throwing bleach at her in the stairwell of her building.

The New York Daily News reported that Hawkins was charged with multiple misdemeanor counts of aggravated harassment, fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, and related offenses. However, Hawkins was released on his own recognizance at his arraignment. A spokesman for Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez told the outlet that the charges were not bail-eligible.

Hawkins is set to go to court for the Brooklyn allegations on Jan. 29.

WABC reported that Hawkins was arrested in June 2019 and charged with assaulting an NYPD officer, resisting arrest, obstructing governmental administration, and disorderly conduct.

As Blaze News reported this week, the Guardian Angels vowed to patrol New York City subways to deter crime following the horrific death of a woman set on fire on a subway train by an illegal immigrant who was previously deported during the administration of Donald Trump.

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The Destruction Of A Beloved New York Choir School Epitomizes The Fall Of The Episcopal Church

[rebelmouse-proxy-image https://thefederalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screenshot-2024-12-09-at-3.24.11 PM-1200x675.png crop_info="%7B%22image%22%3A%20%22https%3A//thefederalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Screenshot-2024-12-09-at-3.24.11%5Cu202fPM-1200x675.png%22%7D" expand=1]The dismantling of the St. Thomas Choir School is not merely a governance decision; it is an act of cultural desecration.

UPDATE: 'Person of interest' arrested in connection with fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO; he was spotted at Pa. McDonald's



Police on Monday were questioning a male in Pennsylvania in connection with the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last week in Manhattan, two sources familiar with the matter told WNBC-TV.

Sources told the station that customers at a McDonald's in Altoona thought the male looked suspicious and called police; arriving officers noticed a fake ID and took him in for questioning. Altoona is about two hours east of Pittsburgh. Sources added to WNBC that officers at the station discovered the male was in possession of a gun similar to the one used in Thompson's killing along with a silencer.

Police told the station they believe the suspect acted alone and used a 9mm gun resembling guns farmers use to put down animals without a loud noise.

The station said the male had a fake New Jersey ID, adding that the suspected gunman allegedly used a fake New Jersey ID when he checked into a Manhattan hostel in November.

WNBC added that the male may have taken a bus to get out of New York, and sources told the station that investigators are looking into whether he recently exited a bus from Philadelphia.

Sources also told the station that New York City Police detectives are headed to Pennsylvania to question the male and assist investigators.

More from WNBC:

The development comes as a private funeral is set to be held Monday for Thompson, the 50-year-old executive gunned down at point-blank range as he headed to a midtown hotel for an investors' conference last Wednesday, according to a source familiar with the plans.

Five days after the shooting — by a man captured on surveillance cameras across Manhattan — the killer remains on the loose. The nation's largest police department is after him, along with the FBI, as the trail takes detectives to Atlanta. Despite obtaining a clear image of his face among other evidence, authorities have yet to identify him.

Late Saturday, police released two additional photos of the suspected shooter that appeared to be from a camera mounted inside a taxi. The first shows him outside the vehicle, and the second shows him looking through the partition between the back seat and the front of the cab. In both, his face is partially obscured by a blue, medical-style mask.

The new photos came after authorities recovered a gray bag possibly belonging to the suspect in Central Park. The bag was taken, unopened, for forensic processing before investigators were to review its contents. Sources later said the bag contained a jacket and Monopoly money, but no gun. DNA testing is ongoing.

Police told the station surveillance video was used to retrace the gunman's movements, and it appears he left New York City by bus soon after the shooting. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said he was seen on video at an uptown bus station about 45 minutes after the fatal shooting, WNBC said.

Police told the station they believe the suspect acted alone and used a 9mm gun resembling guns farmers use to put down animals without a loud noise.

Bullet casings recovered at the scene of Thompson's killing outside a Manhattan Hilton — which the police called a "brazen" and "premeditated, preplanned targeted attack" — apparently were inscribed with words referring to health insurance claim denial tactics. NBC News reported that three live 9mm rounds and three discharged 9mm shell casings were found. Citing two law enforcement officials, the New York Times said police are investigating apparent messages on the casings, specifically words such as “delay” and “deny," which may point to ways health insurance companies attempt to avoid paying patient claims.

The New York Post published a similar report, noting that sources said words such as “deny,” “depose,” and “defend” were engraved on live rounds and shell casings. The Post added that the words are similar to the main title of a 2010 book, “Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don’t Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It.” CBS News published a video report discussing the apparently engraved words.

Kenny told WNBC that the shooter knew UnitedHealthcare group was holding a conference at the hotel and what route Thompson might take to get to the hotel — and that it suggests the shooter could be a disgruntled employee or client.

According to the station, police said video indicates the gunman was in New York City for 10 days prior to the shooting, arriving at Manhattan’s main bus terminal on a Greyhound bus that originated in Atlanta. WNBC said it isn't clear if the gunman got on the bus in Atlanta or in another stop along the way to New York City.

The station said that around 11 p.m. on the night he arrived in New York City, he took a taxi to the HI New York City Hostel — and that there he briefly pulled down a mask and smiled while speaking with an employee in the lobby, which gave investigators a look at his face.

You can view a video report here about police questioning the male in Altoona.

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Bullet casings from CEO's killing apparently were inscribed with words referring to health insurance claim denial tactics



Bullet casings recovered at the scene of Wednesday's fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson — which New York City police called a "brazen" and "premeditated, preplanned targeted attack" — apparently were inscribed with words referring to health insurance claim denial tactics.

NBC News reported that three live 9mm rounds and three discharged 9mm shell casings were found at the scene. Citing two law enforcement officials, the New York Times said police are investigating apparent messages on the casings, specifically words such as “delay” and “deny," which may point to ways health insurance companies attempt to avoid paying patient claims.

'Threatening patients with a financial penalty for making the wrong decision could have a chilling effect on seeking emergency care.'

The New York Post published a similar report, noting that sources said words such as “deny,” “depose,” and “defend” were engraved on live rounds and shell casings. The Post added that the words are similar to the main title of a 2010 book, “Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don’t Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It.” CBS News published a video report discussing the apparently engraved words.

The Times added that patients, lawmakers, and others have fiercely criticized UnitedHealthcare — one of the America’s largest health insurers — for denying patient claims.

The Associated Press said Thompson drew attention in 2021 when UnitedHealthcare, "like its competitors," was criticized for its intention to deny payments "for what it deemed non-critical visits to hospital emergency rooms."

“Patients are not medical experts and should not be expected to self-diagnose during what they believe is a medical emergency,” the American Hospital Association's chief executive wrote in an open letter addressed to Thompson, according to the AP. “Threatening patients with a financial penalty for making the wrong decision could have a chilling effect on seeking emergency care.” The AP said United Healthcare responded by delaying rollout of the change.

After his fatal shooting, Thompson's wife said he had been receiving "threats." Paulette Thompson told NBC News in a phone call that "there had been some threats. Basically, I don’t know, a lack of coverage? I don’t know details. I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him."

A separate New York Post story — which cites a Wall Street Journal report — added that for years, Thompson, 50, and his wife had been living in separate homes less than a mile from each other in Maple Grove, Minnesota.

The Post also reported that Thompson at the time of his killing was facing a Justice Department probe for insider trading.

What else do we know?

Police continue to look for the shooting suspect. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the suspect appeared to be lying in wait for Thompson for several minutes, CBS News reported, adding that a senior NYPD official said the suspect's arrival before Thompson outside the Hilton indicates that he knew about the CEO's comings and goings.

More from CBS News:

Police are using surveillance footage to determine how the suspect spent the hours before the shooting. At 5 a.m. Wednesday, about two hours before the attack, surveillance cameras captured the suspect outside near the Frederick Douglass Housing Project on Manhattan's Upper West Side, according to NYPD officials. Police executed a search warrant at a building in the area on Wednesday night. Police said they believe the suspect may have stayed there the night before the attack.

Police also released surveillance images showing the suspect at a Starbucks two blocks from the shooting at 6:17 a.m., less than half an hour before the shooting. Police told CBS News they found unspecified "forensic evidence" at the Starbucks and that items recovered there are being tested for possible DNA and fingerprints by the NYPD's Crime Scene Unit. The suspect paid with cash, police said.

Police said the suspect then waited for Thompson, who left his hotel shortly after 6:40 a.m. and headed to the Hilton across the street, CBS News reported. NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said police are speaking to Thompson's coworkers to understand why he was headed to the hotel so early but acknowledged that Thompson was in charge of a conference there and may have been headed there to help set up.

The suspect approached Thompson from behind at 6:44 a.m., then shot him at least once in the back and once in the right calf, CBS News said, adding that a security camera captured the moment of the shooting.

Wanted poster for suspect in killing United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City, Dec. 4, 2024. Photo by Alex Kent/Getty Images

According to NBC News, Kenny said at a Wednesday news conference that "the shooter then walks toward the victim and continues to shoot. It appears that the gun malfunctions as he clears the jam and begins to fire again."

The suspect initially was described as a white male wearing a black hoodie, black pants, black sneakers with a white trim, and a gray backpack who was using a gun with a silencer, an individual familiar with the matter told CNBC. Kenny later told CBS News that the suspect was wearing a light brown or cream-colored jacket and that his backpack was "very distinctive."

NYPD News posted on X other images here and here showing the person the outlet says is the suspect.

You can view a Wednesday morning report from CBS News here on the manhunt for Thompson's killer.

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Wife of slain UnitedHealthcare CEO says he had been receiving 'threats'



The wife of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson — who was fatally shot outside a Manhattan hotel Wednesday morning in a "brazen" and "premeditated, preplanned targeted attack," according to police — said he had been receiving "threats."

Paulette Thompson told NBC News in a phone call that "there had been some threats. Basically, I don’t know, a lack of coverage? I don’t know details. I just know that he said there were some people that had been threatening him."

'The shooter then walks toward the victim and continues to shoot. It appears that the gun malfunctions as he clears the jam and begins to fire again.'

She added to NBC News that police told her it appeared that the shooting was "a planned attack."

The New York Post, which cited NBC News, reported that Paulette Thompson also said, “I can’t really give a thoughtful response right now. I just found this out, and I’m trying to console my children."

What else do we know?

New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a news conference that Thompson was struck at least once in the back and at least once in the right calf and that that the suspect was "lying in wait for several minutes," NBC News reported.

"Many people passed the suspect, but he appeared to wait for his intended target," Tisch added, according the news network.

Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny said the suspect arrived at the scene about five minutes before the shooting and fired a shot at Thompson’s back, NBC News noted.

"The shooter then walks toward the victim and continues to shoot. It appears that the gun malfunctions as he clears the jam and begins to fire again," Kenny added, according to the news network.

Three live 9mm rounds and three discharged 9mm shell casings were found at the scene, NBC News said, adding the police recovered a cell phone near the scene.

"The motive for this murder is currently unknown, but based on the evidence we have so far, it does appear the victim was specifically targeted," Kenny added to reporters, the news network said. "But at this point, we do not know why."

Kenny also said Thompson appeared unaware that he was in any danger and had no security detail around him, according to the New York Times, which also reported that a law enforcement official said surveillance video captured the shooting and that it shows the gunman alone when he fired at Thompson.

The suspect was described as a white male wearing a black hoodie, black pants, black sneakers with a white trim, and a gray backpack who was using a gun with a silencer, an individual familiar with the matter told CNBC.

Tisch said the shooter fled the scene on foot and then on a New York Citi Bike and was last seen in Central Park, NBC News reported. Police said no arrests have been made, the news network noted, adding that Crime Stoppers was offering a $10,000 reward for information.

You can view WNYW's video report here about the fatal shooting, which includes surveillance images of the suspected gunman and the update from police.

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UnitedHealthcare CEO fatally shot in possible targeted attack outside NYC hotel: Report



Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealth Group’s insurance unit, was fatally shot in a possible targeted attack outside a New York City hotel Wednesday morning, CNBC reported, citing an individual familiar with the matter.

The New York Times reported that police believe Thompson was targeted in the attack.

Citing police sources, the New York Post reported that a masked gunman allegedly was waiting for Thompson, opened fire at him repeatedly, and fled eastbound off Sixth Avenue.

The shooting took place outside the Hilton Hotel in midtown Manhattan, CNBC said.

A New York Police Department spokesperson confirmed that a 50-year-old male was shot in front of 1335 Avenue of the Americas at 6:46 a.m., CNBC said, adding that the spokesperson didn't confirm the male's identity.

The NYPD formal report said the male suffered a gunshot wound to the chest, the news network said, adding that he was unconscious and unresponsive upon arrival at Mount Sinai West hospital and in critical condition; he was later pronounced dead.

No arrests have been made, and an investigation is ongoing, CNBC said, citing the NYPD report.

The suspect is described as a white male wearing a black hoodie, black pants, black sneakers with a white trim, and a gray backpack who was using a gun with a silencer, the individual familiar with the matter told the news network.

UnitedHealth Group was hosting its investor day at the hotel, CNBC said, adding that the insurance giant canceled the day's activities after reports of the shooting came to light. Thompson led UnitedHealthcare, the largest private health insurer in the United States, the news network noted.

UnitedHealth Group did not immediately respond to a request for comment, CNBC said, adding that the company didn't confirm the shooting during its investor day.

“I’m afraid that we — some of you may know we’re dealing with very serious medical situation with one of our team members. And as a result, I’m afraid we’re going to have to bring to a close the event today, which I’m sure you’ll understand," UnitedHealth Group staff said during the investor day, according to the news network, citing a transcript.

Citing police sources, the New York Post reported that a masked gunman allegedly was waiting for Thompson, opened fire at him repeatedly, and fled eastbound off Sixth Avenue.

Witnesses added to the Post that suspect had been spotted milling around near the hotel on Sixth Avenue.

Police sources added to the Post that when the suspect spotted Thompson, he began to fire from a distance, striking him multiple times. The suspect then fled through the Ziegfeld alley and used a bicycle to escape, the Post reported.

Sources noted to the Post that the shooter wasn’t a hotel guest, but it's not clear if he had other business there.

The Post, citing Thompson's LinkedIn account, said he had worked with UnitedHealthcare for the last 20 years, became CEO in 2021, and was based at its Minnetonka, Minnesota, offices.

This is a developing story.

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Subway rider fights back after 'much bigger' passenger slaps him in face, sends his glasses flying



Alexander Rakitin told the New York Post he's been commuting from Brooklyn to Manhattan on the subway for almost three decades — but in the last couple of years he's noticed the danger factor increase.

“I think everyone who takes the subway feels scared and nervous,” Rakitin, a father who works in finance, told the Post. “There’s a degree of nervousness all the time. Scanning my surroundings, seeing irate, angry people. People just not following the rules, antisocial behavior, criminal behavior, and aggression.”

'Everybody that gets on the subway in the morning knows they're going down into a dangerous place. That's just the reality we live in.'

Rakitin experienced all of that dialed up several notches earlier this week in a dangerous encounter captured on cellphone video.

Just after 8:30 a.m. Monday, Rakitin was aboard the N train when another passenger became upset, WABC-TV reported.

The Post noted that Rakitin, 42, accidentally nudged the knee of 34-year-old Timothy Barbee.

"He's being aggressive that apparently I sat too close to him, even though I wasn't in an adjacent seat," Rakitin told the station. "It's just he felt that's his personal space, and he was being very aggressive. I told him to just chill out. Like, just chill. It's 8:30 in the morning. Just going to work. Nobody needs this. Just chill out. And he just escalated."

Video shows the pair jawing at each other with apparent expletives when Barbee tells Rakitin to "make me chill" and repeatedly orders him to "shut the f*** up." Rakitin tells Barbee that "you started it," and the pair stare each other down.

With that, Barbee tells Rakitin, “I ain’t got time to go to jail today" and to "stop staring at me" — and then slaps Rakitin in the face, causing Rakitin's glasses to fly off his head.

Rakitin told WABC that while he's had previous encounters on the subway, this was the first time it escalated into physical violence.

But Rakitin said he fought back.

"I got on top of him, and I just grabbed ahold of him," he told the station. "And I was thinking, like, 'Just don't let go because he's much bigger than me.' I don't know what's on his mind, so I was just holding him until the cops came."

Rakitin added to WABC that Barbee started calling out for help. What's more, Rakitin told the Post that Barbee — and other passengers — actually began telling Ratikin to let Barbee go.

“The only way I can explain it to myself is that the people that saw it start, how it started, they just ran away," Rakitin told the paper. "Most people just ran away into a different train car. And then the people that didn’t see it start only paid attention when I wrestled him to the ground.”

The Post said Barbee was arrested after the train pulled into the next stop; he was charged with third-degree assault. WABC said Rakitin wasn't seriously hurt.

Barbee declined to comment on the incident after his Tuesday arraignment, the Post reported.

"Everybody that gets on the subway in the morning knows they're going down into a dangerous place," Rakitin told WABC. "That's just the reality we live in."

You can view WABC's video report here about the incident. The Post's video shows the argument, the slap — and then Barbee being led off the train in handcuffs.

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Laken Riley Needed A Daniel Penny

[rebelmouse-proxy-image https://thefederalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Screenshot-2024-11-20-at-2.04.12 PM-1200x675.png crop_info="%7B%22image%22%3A%20%22https%3A//thefederalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Screenshot-2024-11-20-at-2.04.12%5Cu202fPM-1200x675.png%22%7D" expand=1]If you don't want your daughter to meet Laken Riley's fate, raise your sons to be like Daniel Penny.

Gov. Hochul plots post-election revival of NYC's unpopular congestion toll



New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) is reviving the highly controversial congestion toll in New York City, reversing her decision to indefinitely "pause" the plan this past summer.

In June, Hochul stopped the proposed $15 toll for those entering Manhattan below 60th Street following widespread opposition. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority agreed to pause the plan indefinitely.

'You wonder why people are cynical of elected officials? This is exhibit A.'

Hochul's stated reason at the time was to avoid adding "undue strain on already stressed New Yorkers."

However, post-election, Hochul has decided to bring back the initiative, sources told the Gothamist and the New York Post. The sources indicate that Hochul plans to reduce the $15 base toll to $9. However, the governor reportedly is also considering increasing the base toll to as much as $23 within the next three years.

At a press conference on Thursday afternoon, Hochul announced that New York City will proceed with a $9 base toll. She presented this reduction as a savings benefit for commuters, even though the original higher toll was never put into effect.

“From day one, I have made affordability for New York families a top priority,” Hochul stated. “I’m proud to announce we have found a path to fund the MTA, reduce congestion, and keep millions of dollars in the pockets of our commuters. Under this plan, the MTA will implement a congestion pricing plan with a reduced daytime toll of $9 beginning in January.”

“You heard that correctly. It was $15 before; now it is $9. That is a 40% reduction,” she continued. “This lower toll will save daily commuters nearly $1,500 annually, and that kind of money makes a big difference for our families. And there'll be further discounts for low-income New Yorkers. Car owners who make less than $50,000 a year will get a 50% discount on every toll after their 10th toll of the month. In addition, after 9 p.m., the toll is discounted even further.”

The previously proposed congestion toll received substantial legal and public backlash.

In April, New Jersey filed a complaint against New York, claiming that it "failed to adequately consider the environment impacts" and "ignored the significant financial burden being placed on New Jerseyans and New Jersey's transportation system."

The Trucking Association of New York sued the state in May over the toll's pricing structure, arguing that it "disproportionately targets" truckers. Under the initial plan, truck and tour bus drivers would have been charged $36.

The toll's revenue will cover $15 billion in repairs to the MTA's transit systems.

Hochul's proposed plan to reinstate the toll has raised questions about the timing of this decision.

Kyle Smith, a film critic with the Wall Street Journal, stated, "This is really unbelievably cynical politics. Kathy Hochul backed off a toll for midtown Manhattan because it polled disastrously and might have cost her party a House seat or 2. Now, the WEEK AFTER THE ELECTION, she says she's going ahead with it."

Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella (R) said, "I can't believe Hochul put congestion pricing to bed and brought it back."

"It stinks. You wonder why people are cynical of elected officials? This is exhibit A," Fossella added.

Jim Brosi, president of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association, expressed concerns that first responders would also be charged.

"Congestion pricing will compromise staffing in the FDNY [New York City Fire Department]," he explained. "The disproportionate impact on members assigned to inside the congestion zone will cause a rapid drain of senior officers and firefighters, which could create a significant safety risk for all New Yorkers."

Republican Hudson Valley Rep. Mike Lawler accused Hochul of "trying to pick the pockets of New Yorkers to bail out the corrupt MTA's waste, fraud, and abuse, and that's shameful."

In a Wednesday statement, a spokesperson for the governor said, "Gov. Hochul paused congestion pricing because a daily $15 toll was too much for hardworking New Yorkers in this economic climate."

"Tomorrow, the governor will announce the path forward to fund mass transit, unclog our streets, and improve public health by reducing air pollution," the spokesperson added.

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