Northeast
NYPD crushes anti-American mob on NYC campuses as mayor blasts 'despicable' school environment
New York City Mayor Eric Adams lauded the NYPD on Wednesday after officers swept through anti-American and anti-Israel mobs at two major college campuses overnight, locking up hundreds of agitators.
He then ripped into the “despicable” academic environment that allowed the groups to fester.
He singled out an incident when NYPD officers tore down a Palestinian flag that protesters had raised in place of the Stars and Stripes, praising officers for putting their lives on the line and noting his own uncle had died defending American values.
“My uncle died defending this country, and these men and women put their lives on the line – and it’s despicable that schools will allow another country’s flag to fly in our country,” Adams, a former NYPD captain, told reporters. “So blame me for being proud to be an American, and, I think, Commissioner Daughtry for putting that flag back up. We’re not surrendering our way of life to anyone.”
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY LOCKS DOWN CAMPUS BUILDING FOLLOWING OVERNIGHT MUTINTY: ‘EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY’
Mayor Eric Adams holds up the request from Columbia University asking for New York City police to clear protesters from campus, where a building occupation and protest encampment had been set up, in New York City,on May 1, 2024. (Reuters/Mike Segar)
“…[I]t’s despicable that schools will allow another country’s flag to fly in our country.”
New York City’s law enforcement leaders delivered an update Wednesday morning, hours after sweeping through the historic Hamilton Hall at Columbia University and clearing out a group of anti-Israel agitators who had “occupied” the building as part of their ongoing demonstrations.
Adams warned that a global movement to “radicalize young people” is being led by individuals who are “not affiliated with the university” but nevertheless recruited students to “create chaos.”
WATCH: NYPD reraises American flag at CCNY after removing Palestinian flag
“There is a movement to radicalize young people, and I’m not going to wait until it’s done and all of a sudden acknowledge the existence of it,” he told reporters Wednesday morning. “This is a global problem that young are being influenced by those who are professionals and radicalizing our children. And I’m not going to allow that to happen. As the mayor of the city of New York.”
COLUMBIA STUDENT DESCRIBES CAMPUS FEAR, ANTI-ISRAEL SIGNS SUPPORTING TERROSISTS WHO ‘PUT BABIES IN AN OVEN’
Police finally stormed the structure after school administrators repeatedly retreated from enforcing deadlines demanding the groups dismantle their campus encampment over the past two weeks. Columbia University officials finally threatened the group with expulsion after students smashed their way into the school’s Hamilton Hall and “occupied” the building.
Anti-Israel agitators barricade themselves inside Hamilton Hall, an academic building which has been occupied in past student movements, on April 30, 2024, in New York City. (Alex Kent/Getty Images)
“There’s nothing peaceful about barricading buildings, destroying property or dismantling security cameras,” Adams said.
His remarks came after university officials finally asked police for support as campus demonstrations grew increasingly unruly.
“This may be the most memorable moment in a mayoralty that has thus far not been very memorable,” said Paul Mauro, a former NYPD inspector, who warned that the bravado may be a way for city leaders to soften the consequences for students involved in the chaos.
Police Commissioner Edward Caban speaks at a press conference while holding up chains and a lock removed by officers during their operation to clear protestors from Columbia University, where a building occupation and protest encampment had been set up, in New York City on May 1, 2024. (Reuters/Mike Segar)
“I want to see the numbers. They’re not all outside agitators. New York looked good the way it was handled by the NYPD… now though I see the meme developing that these are just kids led astray and that’s gonna be an excuse for them to go soft on these kids. These are not children – these are adults who are in one of the most prestigious institutions in the country and are our future leaders.”
Police arrested about 300 people at Columbia and at City College overnight.
SPEAKER JOHNSON CALLS OUT CAMPUS ANTISEMITISM AS COLUMBIA’S ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTERS SHOUT AT, HECKLE HIM
“Students occupying the building face expulsion,” school spokesman Ben Chang declared in bold letters in a statement Tuesday afternoon.
The blunt warning came about 12 hours after photos showed a mob of masked and keffiyah-clad demonstrators broke into the building, barricaded the doors and took it over.
Protesters have chosen to escalate to an untenable situation – vandalizing property, breaking doors and windows, and blockading entrances – and we are following through with the consequences we outlined yesterday.
“The work of the University cannot be endlessly interrupted by protesters who violate the rules,” Chang said.
“Continuing to do so will be met with clear consequences. Protesters have chosen to escalate to an untenable situation – vandalizing property, breaking doors and windows, and blockading entrances – and we are following through with the consequences we outlined yesterday.”
COLUMBIA STUDENT DESCRIBES CAMPUS FEAR, ANTI-ISRAEL SIGNS SUPPORTING TERRORISTS WHO ‘PUT BABIES IN AN OVEN’
Students at Columbia University broke into Hamilton Hall on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. (Getty Images/Alex Kent)
Outside the occupied building, a group of like-minded activists linked arms and demanded the university bend to their requests that it divest from Israel-related companies and promise not to punish students involved in the demonstrations.
Critics have widely condemned the controversial encampments, which have cropped up at Columbia and other major university campuses, as an antisemitic display that threatens the safety of their Jewish classmates.
New York Police Department officers enter the Columbia University building and detain anti-Israel demonstrators on April 30, 2024. The building was cleared of occupiers about two hours after the operation began, and over 100 people were taken into custody, according to multiple reports. (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The school said it had already begun issuing suspensions and that seniors singled out for that punishment will not graduate on time.
“This is about responding to the actions of the protesters, not their cause,” Chang said. “As we said yesterday, disruptions on campus have created a threatening environment for many of our Jewish students and faculty and a noisy distraction that interferes with teaching, learning, and preparing for final exams, and contributes to a hostile environment in violation of Title VI.”
A view of the broken windows at the entrance door of Hamilton Hall. (Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Earlier on Tuesday, university officials declared a lockdown as a result of the Hamilton Hall break-in.
The NYPD later revealed video evidence that “professional” protesters were on the scene, egging on the students.
Supporters of Students for Justice in Palestine, one of the groups organizing the national anti-Israel demonstrations, insist they are carrying out peaceful protests.
Columbia University President Nemat Shafik leaves the Low Memorial Library on the campus on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. The embattled president, who is under pressure to resign her post, reportedly met with House Speaker Mike Johnson before his speech at the university earlier. (Fox News Digital)
However, Jewish students at Columbia and elsewhere tell Fox News Digital they are facing harassment, discrimination and physical threats.
COLUMBIA STUDENT SUSPENDED AFTER ALLEGED ‘FART SPRAY’ ATTACK DURING PRO-PALESTINIAN RALLY SUES SCHOOL
One student, who asked to be identified only with his first name, Josh, due to fears for his safety, told Fox News Digital that he could hear the protesters chanting anti-Israel slogans and beating drums well into the night.
A masked demonstrator stands guard at a locked gate on Columbia’s West Lawn, where dozens of students have set up tents as they demand the university take a number of anti-Israel measures amid a conflict between the country’s military and Hamas terrorists who attacked on Oct. 7, 2023. (Micheal Ruiz/Fox News Digital)
“The scariest thing I want to emphasize is that we’ve had no idea who has been in these camps,” he said. “I’ve watched, while walking home at night, people climbing over the fence, smuggling stuff in through side doors.” He said some of the people he saw resembled a student he believed had been suspended in connection with the demonstrations.
ANTI-ISRAEL AGITATORS AT COLUMBIA ISSUE DEFIANT ULTIMATUM
He also played cellphone video taken over the weekend showing a group of anti-Israel agitators calling a pair of Jewish students “Zionists” and surrounding them because they were wearing Star of David necklaces.
Multiple people who said they were authorized to speak on behalf of the Columbia encampment declined to speak with Fox News Digital.
Anti-Israel agitators relax inside an encampment set up on the West Lawn at Columbia University in New York City on April 25, 2024. A group of radical demonstrators broke into the school’s Hamilton Hall early Tuesday and barricaded themselves inside. (Micheal Ruiz/Fox News Digital)
“I’ve had a friend who was beaten up,” said Itai Driefuss, a third-year Columbia undergrad and Israeli military veteran from Tel Aviv. “It’s scary. It’s violent.”
On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas launched a surprise attack that killed more than 1,200 Israelis and saw more than 200 kidnapped and held hostage. Israel’s military response is still underway and has killed thousands.
Earlier this month, another Israeli military veteran who attends Columbia filed a lawsuit accusing the school of harshly punishing him for using “fart spray” on anti-Israel activists while turning a blind eye to their antisemitic rhetoric.
Fox News’ Lawrence Richard contributed to this report.
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Vermont
Here are five places to ice skate in Vermont this winter
How to see a reindeer in Vermont
Vermont Reindeer Farm in West Charleston is home to the only three reindeer, or caribou, living in the state. Here’s what it’s like to visit them.
Looking for ways to enjoy the rest of the cold New England winter?
While staying indoors often seems better than facing the cold, the region has lots of outdoor activities that brighten the winter season, including skiing, snow tubing and, of course, ice skating. From Burlington to Stratton, Vermont has plenty of indoor and outdoor ice rinks, many of which offer lessons, concessions and special events in addition to ice skating.
Here are five places in Vermont where you can go ice skating this winter.
Spruce Peak Village Ice Rink
This outdoor ice rink is located in the heart of the village at Spruce Peak, a ski resort in Stowe formerly known as Stowe Mountain Lodge.
Guests can skate daily surrounded by the majestic ski slopes of the Green Mountains. On Friday nights, the Spruce Peak Village ice rink hosts glow skate parties with a light show, glow sticks and a live DJ. Skate rentals and lessons are also available for purchase.
When: Noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday or noon to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Where: Spruce Peak, 7412 Mountain Road, Stowe
Ice Haus Arena
Located up at Jay Peak Resort near the Canadian border, Ice Haus Arena is the newest ice-skating arena in the state. The indoor rink is complete with bleacher seating, a rental and repair shop, four locker rooms, a pro shop, a snack bar and of course, an NHL-sized rink where guests can participate in public skating or skating with sticks and pucks.
General admission to the rink is $6, with skate rentals available for $6, skate sharpening available for $7 and helmets available for $3.
When: Online schedule updated daily
Where: Jay Peak Resort, 830 Jay Peak Road, Jay
C. Douglas Cairns Recreation Arena
This indoor arena has not one, but two NHL-size ice rinks for hockey, public skating and stick and puck practices. Off the ice, Cairns Arena also offers a pro shop and a cafe with hot food, snacks and drinks.
Skating at Cairns costs $5 for adults or $3 for children and seniors, and skates are available to rent for an additional $5.
When: 10 a.m. to noon Tuesday through Thursday, with exceptions. Check the online schedule at cairnsarena.finnlyconnect.com..
Where: 600 Swift St., South Burlington
Mill House at Stratton Mountain Resort
Surrounded by the scenic Stratton Mountain Resort, Mill House Pond is the perfect outdoor spot for public ice skating or skating lessons.
Public skating costs $20, and bookings can be made online.
When: Noon to 8 p.m. Saturday or noon to 6 p.m. Thursday-Friday and Sunday-Monday
Where: Stratton Mountain Resort, 5 Village Lodge Road, Stratton Mountain
Riley Rink at Hunter Park
A large indoor sports facility, Northshore Civic Center has an Olympic-sized ice rink, along with a concession stand and retail shop. The rink offers public skating, stick and puck practice, hockey and skating lessons.
When: Check the online schedule for weekly updates
Where: 410 Hunter Park Road, Manchester Center
Northeast
Alleged Tren de Aragua criminal gang members charged in ATM robberies across New England
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Two alleged members of the Venezuelan-linked gang Tren De Aragua (TdA) were charged in an ATM jackpotting conspiracy that included robberies and attempted robberies across New England, according to federal prosecutors.
Moises Alejandro Martinez Gutierrz and Lestter Guerrero, both 29, have been charged with conspiracy to commit bank theft, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts said in a news release.
Officials said both men are in the U.S. illegally.
The duo is accused of robberies and attempted robberies at ATMs in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Rhode Island. They allegedly installed malware directly into the ATM’s software programming to force the machine to dispense all its cash.
Moises Alejandro Martinez Gutierrz has been charged with conspiracy to commit bank theft. (U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Massachusetts)
Prosecutors said there has been an ongoing federal investigation into a nationwide conspiracy allegedly coordinated and committed by TdA members to steal money from ATMs using malware, a scheme referred to as ATM jackpotting.
Martinez Gutierrez and Guerrero were arrested on Feb. 5 in Augusta, Maine, after an attempted ATM jackpotting robbery, according to charging documents.
Martinez Gutierrez is allegedly connected to at least five other ATM jackpotting robberies across New England, including robberies on Dec. 31 in Norwich, Connecticut; Jan. 20 in Braintree, Massachusetts; Jan. 30 in Rochester, New Hampshire; and attempted robberies Jan. 14 in Coventry, Rhode Island, and Jan. 19 in Stoneham, Massachusetts.
Lestter Guerrero is seen pointing his cellphone at an ATM with Moises Alejandro Martinez Gutierrz in the passenger seat. (U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Massachusetts)
Guerrero is allegedly connected to at least one additional jackpotting robbery, with Martinez Gutierrez, on Jan. 30 in Rochester, New Hampshire.
If convicted on the conspiring to commit bank theft charge, the pair could be sentenced to up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
TdA has allegedly developed revenue sources through a range of criminal activities, including ATM jackpotting to steal millions of dollars from financial institutions, prosecutors said in court documents.
ALLEGED TREN DE ARAGUA LEADER CHARGED IN RACKETEERING CONSPIRACY AND COCAINE TRAFFICKING IN TRUMP CRACKDOWN
The two men were arrested on Feb. 5 in Augusta, Me., after an attempted ATM jackpotting robbery. (Photo by Robert Alexander/Getty Images)
Jackpotting proceeds are typically distributed amongst the gang’s members and associates to conceal its derivation, according to the court documents.
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The members are often told to split the proceeds from a jackpot operation with 50% earmarked and sent to gang leadership in Venezuela and 50% divided among the individuals conducting ground operations.
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Boston, MA
Red Sox insider hints Boston may have Pablo Sandoval problem with Masataka Yoshida
The Boston Red Sox were expected to have a busy offseason to build on their short 2025 playoff appearance, their first in four seasons. Boston delivered, albeit not in the way many reporters and fans expected — Alex Bregman left and no one was traded from the outfield surplus.
Roster construction questions have loomed over the Red Sox since last season. They were emphasized by Masataka Yoshida’s return from surgery rehab and Roman Anthony’s arrival to the big leagues. Boston has four-six outfielders, depending where it envisions Yoshida and Kristian Campbell playing, and a designated hitter spot it likes to keep flexible — moving an outfielder makes the most sense to solve this quandary.
The best case-scenario for addressing the packed outfield would be to find a trade suitor for Yoshida, which has proven difficult-to-impossible over his first three seasons with the Red Sox. Red Sox insiders Chris Cotillo and Sean McAdam of MassLive think Boston may have to make an extremely difficult decision to free up Yoshida’s roster spot.
“You wonder, at what point does this become a — not Patrick Sandoval situation — but a Pablo Sandoval, where you rip the Band-Aid off and just release,” McAdam theorized on the “Fenway Rundown” podcast (subscription required).
Red Sox insiders wonder if/when Boston will release Masataka Yoshida, as it did with Pablo Sandoval in 2017
Pablo Sandoval is infamous among Red Sox fans. He signed a five-year, $90 million deal before the 2015 season and he only lasted two and a half years before the Red Sox cut him loose. His tenure was marked by career lows at the plate, injuries and a perceived lack of effort that soured things quickly with Boston. Yoshida hasn’t lived up to the expectations the Red Sox had when they signed him, but he’s no Sandoval.
McAdam postulated that the Red Sox may be waiting until there is less money remaining on Yoshida’s contract before they potentially release him. Like Sandoval, Yoshida signed a five-year, $90 million deal before the 2023 season, which has only just reached its halfway point. The Red Sox still owe him over $36 million, and by releasing him, they’d be forced to eat that money.
The amount of money remaining on Yoshida’s contract is just one obstacle that may be preventing the Red Sox from finding a trade partner to move him elsewhere. Yoshida has never played more than 140 games in a MLB season with 303 total over his three-year tenure, mostly because he’s dealt with so many injuries since moving stateside.
Maybe the Red Sox could attach a top prospect to him and eat some of his contract money to entice another team into a trade, like they already did with Jordan Hicks this winter. But that would require sacrificing a quality prospect and it would cost more money, just to move a good hitter who tries hard at his job.
There’s no easy way to fit Yoshida onto Boston’s roster, but the decision to salary dump or release him will be just as hard. Yoshida hasn’t been a bad player for the Red Sox and he doesn’t deserve the Sandoval treatment, but his trade value may only decrease if he spends another year with minimal playing time. Alex Cora and Craig Breslow have a real dilemma on their hands with this roster.
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