Regional Briefs – April 2, 2015

Pedestrian Fatality Video to Be Used in Cabbie Training

NEW YORK – New York City cab drivers will soon be required to watch a video about pedestrians killed as part of Vision Zero, the New York Post reported. The video profiles five grieving families, including a woman whose husband was killed by an NYPD tow truck while bicycling.

Another Senior de Blasio Staffer to Depart

NEW YORK – The fourth senior member of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration is departing to work at a political consulting firm. Rebecca Katz has been an adviser and longtime friend to the mayor and his wife. Her focus was shaping the public image of Chirlane McCray, the city’s most visible first lady in decades.

Long-Eared Bat ‘Threatened’; Threatens Monticello Casino

MONTICELLO – The federal government on Wednesday listed the northern long-eared bat as a threatened species, casting doubt on a prospective casino in Monticello, where the bat makes its home, The Associated Press reported. More than 100 acres was already cleared pending the bat designation.

Court Considering Release Of 1973 Cop Killer

TRENTON – New Jersey’s Supreme Court said Tuesday it will consider whether a man convicted in the 1973 murder of a state trooper should be released from prison. Sundiata Acoli and Joanne Chesimard, who fled to Cuba, were jailed for slaying Werner Foerster during a Turnpike stop. A lower court ordered Acoli freed.

Six Texans Indicted in Spate Of Indian Home Invasions

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. – Six Texans were indicted Wednesday for a string of home invasions that targeted Asian-Indians. They face charges of bias intimidation, robbery and burglary for selecting the five families whose homes were ransacked at gunpoint in 2014.

Eyes on National Profile, de Blasio to Travel to Iowa

NEW YORK – Mayor Bill de Blasio is planning a trip to Iowa this month as he moves to expand his national progressive profile, Capital New York reported. At the invitation of former Sen. Tom Harkin, the mayor will speak at Drake University about income inequality.

This article appeared in print on page 5 of the April 2nd, 2015 edition of Hamodia.