Regional Briefs – September 13, 2016

Democratic Assemblyman May Challenge de Blasio

NEW YORK – Assemblyman Keith Wright of Manhattan is mulling whether to run for mayor next year in a primary challenge to Bill de Blasio, the New York Post reported. He just lost a primary race for Rep. Charles Rangel’s seat and is retiring from the Assembly in 2017.

Boat Carrying Students Breaks Down During School Trip

ALPINE, N.J. – Dozens of students from Irvington, NY, were rescued Monday from a disabled sailboat on the Hudson River after it experienced engine failure, the Journal News reported. The boat’s team kept the children calm by playing games and singing songs.

Tenement Museum Expanding Exhibit on NYC Immigration

NEW YORK – The Tenement Museum is expanding its story of immigration on the Lower East Side for the first time to include those who settled there after WWII. The exhibit will focus on three families who lived at 103 Orchard St. Until now, it focused on those who lived at 97 Orchard St. from 1863 to 1935.

NJ Transit Cautions Riders About Using Samsung Note 7

NEWARK – NJ Transit on Tuesday began urging passengers not to use their Samsung Galaxy Note 7 mobile devices on its trains and buses over concerns the battery can burst into flames, The Associated Press reported. Samsung has told owners to power them down and return them.

Head of Publishing Trade Group Stepping Down

NEW YORK – The head of the Association of American Publishers, the book publishing industry’s trade group, is stepping down next year. Tom Allen, a former Maine congressman, presided during a time of rapid growth of e-books.

NY Lawyer Defends Case Against Former AIG Boss

NEW YORK – A lawyer on Tuesday defended New York’s pressing on with a decade-old civil trial against a 91-year-old former CEO of insurance company AIG, saying it serves as a warning to other executives, The Associated Press reported. Former Attorney General Eliot Spitzer made Maurice Greenberg a top target.