Kristen Dubowski-Barba begins her QCBA term aiming to expand services, boost engagement and support public service and advocacy.
The post Queens County Bar Association’s newest president looks to the future appeared first on Brooklyn Eagle.
Day: July 14, 2025
The city will stop operations at a controversial concrete recycling facility in the Columbia Waterfront District next month and close the plant altogether by the end of the year, Mayor Eric Adams announced on Friday.
Residents have been speaking out against the Department of Transportation-run plant since it was relocated from the South Brooklyn Army Terminal to Columbia Street last year. Concrete recycling operations were loud, they said, and generated huge clouds of concrete dust that blew across the neighborhood and into their homes. Short-term exposure to cement dust is known to cause irritation to lungs and eyes, and long-term exposure can cause serious illness including silicosis.
Officials have repeatedly said the Columbia Street location was temporary, and assured local politicians earlier this year that they were seeking alternative locations. On Friday, Adams said the closure would make way for the city’s proposed redevelopment of the Brooklyn Marine Terminal.
“This move not only clears the way for much-needed housing, open space, and a school as part of our proposed Brooklyn Marine Terminal project, but also reflects our city’s deep commitment to continuing to improve the quality of life for all New Yorkers,” he said in a statement.
The city said the recycling plant will be relocated, but did not say where or when. It was originally moved to make way for offshore wind construction at the Army Terminal.
Resident Molly Pearson said it was “shameful” it had taken the city so long to close the facility, but said the news “finally provides some long overdue peace of mind.”
“It means we can open our windows again. It means we feel safe to breathe the air in our neighborhood. It means our buildings won’t literally shake from the weight of the trucks and crack from the vibrations caused by the work they are doing,” she said in a statement. “It means we won’t have to run our air purifiers twenty four hours a day. It means our kids won’t film swirls of concrete dust on windy days, asking us if it’s safe outside.”
Locals had grown increasingly frustrated about the facility, circulating a petition against it and even blocking trucks from entering during a rally earlier this year. Though the city had promised to implement dust-reduction measures, residents said they weren’t enough, and local politicians have been urging the city to close the site for months.
Council Member Shahana Hanif, who helped spearhead the fight to close the facility, said the decision was a “testament to the power of local organizing.”
“The facility’s closure will help improve air quality, reduce truck traffic, and ease noise pollution in an area that has borne environmental burdens for far too long,” she said in a statement. “It’s particularly important that we won this outcome outside the context of the Brooklyn Marine Terminal Vision Plan proposal. The health of local residents never should have been used as a bargaining chip.”
City Hall said the recycling facility helped construct sidewalk extensions, pedestrian and bus boarding island, and more; and said DOT will “accommodate” the end of operations on Columbia Street “while continuing its concrete construction efforts.”
A court tossed a plea deal for 9/11 suspect Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, prolonging the case and debate over justice vs. closure.
The post Appeals court throws out plea deal for alleged mastermind of Sept. 11 attacks appeared first on Brooklyn Eagle.
Jared Evan
(TJV) In a striking shift, leading House Democrats are moving to force the full release of all files related to Jeffrey Epstein—years after largely ignoring bipartisan calls for transparency during the Biden administration.
Why are the Epstein files still hidden? Who are the rich & powerful being protected?
On Tuesday, I’m introducing an amendment to force a vote demanding the FULL Epstein files be released to the public. The Speaker must call a vote & put every Congress member on record.
— Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) July 13, 2025
The renewed push comes after a Department of Justice and FBI memo released last week claimed there is no official “client list” tied to Epstein’s network and reaffirmed that the disgraced financier died by suicide in 2019. That conclusion—long questioned by the public and across the political spectrum—has reignited outrage, particularly among conservatives and populist voices who have accused federal authorities of covering for powerful individuals.
Now, Democrats say they want answers too.
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) announced Saturday he will introduce an amendment this week to compel a vote on making all Epstein-related files public. His measure would force House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) to bring the issue to the floor, requiring lawmakers to go on record over whether to release the documents. “Why are the Epstein files still hidden? Who are the rich & powerful being protected?” Khanna asked.
Rep. Marc Veasey (D-TX) echoed the call for transparency, saying he will introduce a parallel resolution. Veasey appeared to suggest the Trump administration is hiding something. “Either [Trump] and his acolytes fueled the rumors of the significance of these Epstein files to help his campaign, or something is there! That’s why on Monday, I’ll introduce a resolution demanding the Trump Administration release all files related to the Epstein case. Put up or shut up!” he said.
Either @realDonaldTrump and his acolytes fueled the rumors of the significance of these Epstein files to help his campaign, or something is there! That’s why on Monday, I’ll introduce a resolution demanding the Trump Administration release all files related to the Epstein case.… pic.twitter.com/ZRwPLz0Vlu
— Rep. Marc Veasey (@RepVeasey) July 13, 2025
Critics have pointed out that Democrats had ample opportunity to release Epstein records during President Biden’s time in office, but only now, as scrutiny mounts and election-year tensions rise, are some demanding action.
The DOJ memo at the center of the latest controversy concluded that Epstein’s death at New York’s Metropolitan Correctional Center was not the result of foul play. It also insisted that after an “exhaustive review,” no client list exists—a statement that contradicts earlier remarks from former Attorney General Pam Bondi, who previously claimed such a list was “sitting on my desk.” That discrepancy has fueled renewed speculation about blackmail, cover-ups, and high-profile protection.
Trump-aligned figures reacted with fury. Conservative activist Laura Loomer called for Bondi’s resignation, accusing her of undermining the DOJ’s credibility and demoralizing Trump’s voter base. “The American people and MAGA base will not tolerate being lied to,” Loomer posted, warning the fallout could damage GOP turnout in 2026.
Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson also issued a dire warning about the implications of the government’s handling of the Epstein case. “This is honestly one of the craziest things I’ve ever seen in my entire life,” Carlson said. “I don’t want a revolution, but if you wanted a revolution, this is how you would act.”
President Donald Trump, asked about Epstein during a recent Cabinet meeting press exchange, appeared frustrated. “You’re asking—we have Texas, we have this, we have all of the things, and are people still talking about this guy? This creep? That is unbelievable,” he said. He later dismissed the controversy as politically motivated.
On Truth Social, Trump suggested the Epstein files were fabricated by his political enemies, likening them to the Steele dossier. “They created the Epstein Files, just like they created the FAKE Hillary Clinton/Christopher Steele Dossier,” he wrote. Trump also insisted that if there were truly anything damaging in those files, Democrats would have used it already to destroy the MAGA movement.
Despite those claims, Democrats now seem committed to putting the issue front and center—at least rhetorically. Whether it results in actual public access to Epstein’s long-hidden files remains to be seen.
But one thing is clear: years after Epstein’s death, the political fight over what he knew—and who might be implicated—is far from over.
The post Democrats Suddenly Demand Epstein Transparency, Press for Full Release of Files After DOJ Denial appeared first on The Jewish Voice.
Thunderstorms are continuing to develop and move Southeast through the state. Flooding and damaging winds are possible.
▶️ Over 2″ of rain is possible within the yellow highlighted area through tonight.
▶️ Isolated totals up to 4″ are possible in the pink highlighted area. pic.twitter.com/Co02YEFpna— NYS Div. of Homeland Security & Emergency Services (@NYSDHSES) July 14, 2025