Readers sound off on gender-based violence, off-duty dancing and NIMBYism
Domestic violence is not an equal-opportunity crime. Men can be victims, but men are far more often the aggressors. In 2023, the National Library of Medicine reported that 500,000 women versus 100,000 men experienced physical assault or rape by an intimate partner. It goes against my grain to call women the weaker sex. It's not how I was raised or raised my children. But gender differences, particularly physical strength, automatically place women in a subordinate position. Then there's the verbal gymnastics that put women on the defensive — like Petito, who felt compelled to explain her OCD and how she angered Laundrie by editing her videos. Women are conditioned to suppress their needs; men to expect it. Feminism challenges these notions, and rightly so. The officers likely thought they were avoiding gender bias. But domestic violence against women isn't a stereotype — it's a reality. Their neutrality was misplaced, and another young woman died because of it.
The Gabby Petito Act, a 2024 Florida law requiring police to conduct a 12-question assessment in domestic violence incidents, is a start. But until society acknowledges women's disproportionate vulnerability, there will be more Gabbys, unheard — or worse, left for dead. Elise Buie
Hempstead, L.I.: To Voicer Thomas Facchiano: Ya got that right. 'Conclave' was the best movie in years — great acting, should have been nominated for cinematography, great twist ending and tour de force performances. Loved it! Leslie Feldman
Brooklyn: So, Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil has been arrested for exercising his right to free speech. That's the real reason he was grabbed out of his apartment. His green card was probably completely in order. This administration just doesn't want 'troublemakers' speaking up. What's next, are we going to arrest anyone who supports the IRA? Bob Gomez
Manhattan: If Brad Lander, as he claims, doesn't know anyone who spends the amount of money Andrew Cuomo pays in his monthly Manhattan housing rent, then Lander doesn't know many NYC residents. Mayors need to know the full populace and work together to get things done. I know more than enough high-income renters who pay more than Cuomo. Either Lander is lying, or if he is telling the truth, he does not deserve to be mayor of New York City. Joey Dluzak
West Columbia, S.C.: Why are politicians arguing about how to cut Medicare and Social Security instead of how to increase taxes on the richest 1%? Who wanted an Elon Musk to bring an army of reckless amateurs to gut government departments and kick out employees? Will they ever deliver a real accounting of how much money was saved and how much they charged? What is Russia receiving in exchange for America's abandonment of Ukraine? Why have male politicians become obsessed with controlling women's health choices? Will Canadian patience hold out until our president loses his urge to take over their country? Will Republicans ever get their mojo back and take a stand for democracy again? Can the Democrats find a workaround to halt the damage being done? Are there any answers out there, or just questions? Carol Robinson
Bronx: With President Trump's attack on USAID and Medicaid plus his tariffs, I can hear the painful cries of veterans, of people with disabilities, people of color, the poor, red state voters and women. How many of these victims voted for the demented man in the Oval Office? Why are so many Trump voters dismayed by the executive orders that have negatively affected them? New Yorkers have received the most wrath from Trump, and you can do something about it. Vote out all Republican House members, they have betrayed their states. We can cut the legs off of this lame duck president by a landslide vote in 2026, taking back both houses of Congress. Gilbert M. Lane
Manhattan: To Voicer Glenn Hayes: Your letter was excellent in encouraging readers and fellow Americans to take heed in protecting their economy in their own houses and being wise with personal spending. Unfortunately, most Americans aren't going to take heed, as we live in a society where most are programmed to consume. If you continue to live above your means, to spend crazy and be bamboozled by the government, it's not a Trump/Musk problem, it's a man/woman in the mirror problem. Omar Branch
Richmond Hill: To Voicer Nat Saraceni: You believe that JD Vance never wore blue jeans. Yes he did, and they probably were some hand-me-downs with a lot of wear and tear on them. Do you not know anything about the way he grew up? Read his book 'Hillbilly Elegy' or watch the film before you open your misinformed mouth! Maybe Trump never wore blue jeans, but growing up poor in Appalachia, raised by his elderly grandmother and with an alcoholic, substance-abusing mother, Vance certainly did. He joined the Marine Corps, served in Afghanistan and worked his way through Ohio State University and Yale Law School. Your hatred blinds you to the truth. Joseph Napoleone
Melville, L.I.: He disparaged the military service of American hero John McCain on camera. According to many witnesses, he referred to servicemen and women as 'suckers' and 'losers.' Now the man who faked bone spurs to get out of military service is having his administration ban patriotic Americans from serving in the military. Is there nothing he can do that will make you see the truth about this man? Dennis Joyce
Tarrytown, N.Y.: Captain Bone Spurs is betraying our allies and everything that our great country has stood for in the last century. In the blink of an eye, we have shown the world that America can no longer be respected or trusted in their time of need. I just observed a quote from the draft-dodger stating that if America would ever require help, our NATO partners would decline. When we launched Operation Enduring Freedom in 2001, every single one of our NATO partners assisted, and most countries had soldiers killed, including 160 from our neighbor to the north. These brave Canadian soldiers stood side-by-side in protecting America's interests. Their memory is disrespected by someone who clearly failed history. But we'll never know, as you can be severely sued for obtaining those school records. Stephen Talenti
Yonkers: I generally enjoy Voicer James McCaffrey's frequent contributions to the Voice of the People page, though they may be a tad hyperbolic and verbose at times. I just wish his contributions were around when I was trying to enhance my vocabulary for the Graduate Record Examination a few decades ago. Frank Brady
Lake Ronkonkoma, L.I.: Re 'Cop's jiggle-joint-vid fan' (March 9): Why should Det. Melissa Mercado be disciplined? And why has she been removed from active investigations? Her record clearly shows she's an excellent police officer and a credit to the NYPD. Has an investigation ever taken place for policemen who regularly attend men's clubs? The article states the video went viral within the NYPD. Was it watched during working hours? Are the officers who watched it being disciplined? I am so sick and tired of having centuries of men's double-standard determinations of how women should act shoved down my throat. Joanne Lee
Manhattan: What hypocrisy! Normal Siegel wants to end homelessness ('New York City can really end street homelessness,' op-ed, March 9) although he has been legal counsel to supporters of the Elizabeth Street Garden who are opposing affordable and low-income housing on that street. It seems that he advocates for housing unless it affects his friends and clients. Unfortunately, he isn't the only person who supports housing in the abstract but not when it can actually be built — the exact definition of NIMBYism. Alec Pruchnicki
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
2 days ago
- New York Post
Amy Bradley case hinges on ‘somebody remembering' as investigators hunt for new leads 27 years later: expert
The disappearance of a recent college graduate from her cruise ship stateroom nearly 27 years ago continues to baffle investigators as a new documentary hopes to breathe fresh air into the search for a woman who seemingly vanished into thin air. In March 1998, Amy Bradley embarked on a Royal Caribbean International cruise with her family for a seven-day trip to the tropics. The 23-year-old had recently graduated from college and was preparing to pursue a master's degree in sports psychology. Her story is now being revisited in the new three-part Netflix documentary series, titled 'Amy Bradley Is Missing.' On the evening before her disappearance, Bradley joined her brother Brad at the Rhapsody of the Seas nightclub, where the pair remained until the early morning hours of March 24. Bradley's father, Ron, last recalled seeing his daughter asleep on the cabin's balcony. Bradley vanished about a half an hour later, as the ship was preparing to dock in Curaçao. 5 An image of Amy Bradley. Courtesy of Netflix An extensive search for the recent college graduate ensued, but authorities were unable to locate Bradley. The vessel continued its scheduled stops and ultimately returned to Puerto Rico four days later. Countless rumors swirled around what happened to Bradley, including theories that she had fallen overboard and drowned, or that she had intentionally jumped to take her own life. Her parents, however, have never wavered from their belief that their daughter was kidnapped and could still be alive, according to the documentary. As the investigation into Bradley's death remained ongoing, Netherlands Antilles Coast Guard Lt. Sjoerd Soethout told reporters she could have fallen from the ship's balcony, The Associated Press reported. At the time, an FBI spokesperson said authorities had 'no evidence of foul play,' with the case ultimately running cold. 'There is decidedly little evidence of a fall or push, nor would there be,' Peter Valentin, chair of the Forensic Science Department at the University of New Haven and a former Connecticut State Police detective, told Fox News Digital. 'There would be next to no evidence unless there would be a struggle prior to the push.' One year after Bradley's death, her parents filed two lawsuits against Royal Caribbean. The family claimed the cruise line acted negligently in the handling of their daughter's disappearance, with Royal Caribbean releasing a statement at the time insisting they acted 'appropriately and responsibly at all times.' 5 In March 1998, Amy Bradley embarked on a Royal Caribbean International cruise with her family for a seven-day trip to the tropics. Courtesy of Netflix The lawsuits were subsequently dismissed in 2000. Royal Caribbean did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. 'The room was cleaned before the FBI agents had access,' Valentin said. 'Whether they realized it or not, they de-emphasized the value of physical evidence in that room.' Years later, Bradley's family received a set of sexually explicit images of a woman from an adult website based in the Caribbean from an anonymous tipster, further solidifying her family's fears surrounding her being forced into sex trafficking. In the photos, the woman, identified as 'Jas,' posed provocatively while deliberately covering any identifiable markings, such as Bradley's tattoo of a Tasmanian Devil spinning a basketball. Investigators were also informed of alleged sightings of Bradley. 5 On the evening before her disappearance, Bradley joined her brother Brad at the Rhapsody of the Seas nightclub. Courtesy of Netflix Tourist Judy Maurer told the documentary that she witnessed a woman she believed to be Bradley while in a restroom in Barbados, before three men allegedly escorted the woman away. David Carmichael also told filmmakers he may have seen Bradley while visiting Curaçao, adding that she was 'flanked by two people.' Another Curaçao sighting was reported by Navy veteran Bill Hefner, who believes he saw a distressed Bradley at a local bar. However, Valentin is skeptical of the potential sightings. 'Eyewitnesses can become very convinced of what it is they say they saw, even though the forensic evidence makes it quite clear that they could not have seen what they said they saw,' Valentin told Fox News Digital. The former investigator added that the reported eyewitness accounts of Bradley should be compared to look for similarities. 'Combine it with other forensic techniques and electronic evidence and it certainly suggests that investigative efforts should be focusing on a particular area,' Valentin said. 5 Bradley's father, Ron, last recalled seeing his daughter asleep on the cabin's balcony. Courtesy of Netflix Additionally, investigators previously looked into Alastair 'Yellow' Douglas, a member of the ship's band who Bradley was seen dancing with hours before her disappearance. Valentin points to roadblocks facing authorities regarding the lack of electronic evidence at the time of Bradley's disappearance. 'Any connection between that musician and Bradley, however fleeting it might be, could be explored through the electronic evidence,' Valentin said. 'So this really is a generational leap in terms of what we're capable of doing now with electronic evidence.' Throughout the years, Douglas has vehemently denied any involvement in Bradley's disappearance. While questions still swirl surrounding how Bradley vanished from her stateroom within such a short timeframe, Valentin highlights a potential point of interest in answering what happened to the young woman. 'I would have been very keen to know if she was missing a pair of shoes, or did she take her shoes with her?' Valentin asked. 'If all the shoes are accounted for, that's an interesting observation because that actually makes it a little less likely for some of the scenarios that were discussed about her leaving on her own accord.' 5 At the time, an FBI spokesperson said authorities had 'no evidence of foul play,' with the case ultimately running cold. Courtesy of Netflix In 2017, the FBI previously released age-progressing images of Bradley with the hopes of igniting new leads within the search. Despite the numerous leads, authorities have never charged anyone with a crime relating to Bradley's disappearance. Valentin suggests the passage of time since Bradley's disappearance could encourage anyone with information to speak up. 'This case is one that I think is probably going to hinge on somebody remembering that they know something,' Valentin said. 'Because of this case reemerging in the public eye.' Anyone who believes they have information pertaining to Bradley's disappearance is asked to contact their local FBI office or the nearest American embassy or consulate. 'Amy Bradley Is Missing' is now streaming. Fox News Digital's Stephanie Nolasco and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
New York Post
2 days ago
- New York Post
Legendary Long Island law firm Sullivan-Papain turns 100
They've pleased the court. A Long Island law firm that changed the world using out-of-the-box thinking on everything from smoking to cars to beer at baseball games is celebrating centenarian status this year. 'Everything that you have grown up with and have taken for granted is because of what's happened in this firm over the last 100 years,' New York State Supreme Court Justice Christopher McGrath told The Post of firm Sullivan-Papain, which has recovered north of $2 billion in settlements in the past decade alone. 4 Sullivan-Papain partners Thomas McManus, Eleni Coffinas, John Nash, Nick Papain (back row left to right) and Bob Sullivan (seated) at the law firm's office in Garden City. Dennis A. Clark The judge cut his teeth with the Garden City-based practice as a 23-year-old under the tutelage of its late 5'2″ skinny founder, Harry Lipsig, who was a giant in the legal world 50-something years ago. 'He was just different. He's a genius — and yet, we'll call him a little quirky at the same time,' McGrath said. 'One time, my job was to meet him at his apartment at seven in the morning. The train got me in late at 7:05, and he said, 'Good afternoon.' ' Lipsig's high standards weren't without reason. He used a mix of sheer brilliance and common sense to change how the world operated; perhaps most notably, starting with how stadiums sold beer 80 years ago, after a man at a New York Giants baseball game got belted in the head with a glass bottle at the old Polo Grounds. 4 Harry Lipsig was a founding partner of the 100-year-old firm. Dennis A. Clark 'The Polo Grounds was saying it wasn't their fault. … 'We can't put a police officer in every other seat. We can't have everybody stop anybody from throwing something down,' ' recalled senior partner Bob Sullivan. During the three-day trial, Lipsig, who passed away in 1989 at age 89, brought a mysterious handheld paper bag into court with him each day and left it sealed on the table. 'When he got to summation, he pulled out a paper cup and he said, 'This is how you stop it.' … That's how that came to be in stadiums all across the country,' Sullivan said. 4 Senior partner Bob Sullivan recalls the creative way Lipsig was able to win a case against the old Polo Grounds stadium. Dennis A. Clark On a case-by-case basis The novel way of thinking that Lipsig was known for — he once won a shark-bite case by proving the victim's hotel wasn't dumping its garbage far enough at sea and drew in the predators — has been passed down generation to generation. New York state recruited Sullivan-Papain in its lawsuit against smoking companies in the late 1990s, which yielded an end to cigarette ads and $25 billion in recovery locally. 'The genius was that we didn't represent the smokers, we represented the nonsmokers,' Sullivan said. 'Your taxes, what you pay for Medicare, Medicaid, for all these people who got sick and were dying of cancer, went through the roof. That was the key point.' 4 Partner Nick Papain was involved in a case that helped make cars safer. Dennis A. Clark Ironically, most of the firm's team on the case was hooked on nicotine. 'Every hour, we would take a 10-minute break so the lawyers could go out and smoke,' said partner Nicholas Papain, a lawyer who led to changes in how cars are built. He was involved in several cases of people who got into accidents by unintentionally hitting the gas rather than the brake when first getting into their cars. Ultimately, the high-volume litigation led to automakers keeping gearshifts locked unless a driver's foot was on the brake. The firm has also branched out into medical malpractice and represented the FDNY for four decades, with partner Eleni Coffinas saying cancer patients often find emotional strength in court victories. Sullivan-Papain has done an estimated $40 million in pro bono work for the families of first responders on 9/11, too. 'I think it speaks to that firm culture, philosophy, that is a big reason why it has been around for 100 years,' said managing partner TJ McManus, who added that it is common for new workers to hear of Lipsig's legend during their first week on the job. 'I think he set certain parameters and a legacy that is followed all the way through to today.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Netflix's new crime thriller series looks like a mystery-laced revenge story — here's the first trailer
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Netflix just dropped the first trailer for 'Two Graves,' a new Spanish crime thriller series directed by Goya Award-winning filmmaker Kike Maíllo. The story follows a grandmother's frantic search for her missing granddaughter and her friend, who vanished mysteriously two years earlier. What starts as a quest for answers quickly spirals into a relentless pursuit of revenge. 'Two Graves' is set to premiere on Netflix on August 29, and judging by the trailer, it looks pretty brutal. The trailer introduces Isabel (Kiti Mánver), the grandmother of one of the missing girls, who, with nothing left to lose, takes justice into her own hands and launches an off-the-books investigation. We also meet Rafael (Álvaro Morte), the father of the other girl who went missing alongside Isabel's granddaughter. In the trailer, Isabel confronts him directly, accusing him of knowing more than he's letting on. He simply responds with: 'I owe my daughter this revenge.' This is a clear signal that the story will shift from a slow-burn mystery into full-blown revenge thriller territory. The rest of the footage is pretty brutal at times. Quick flashes show Isabel smashing someone's knee with a hammer in a desperate attempt to extract information, and another scene depicts someone being crushed under the weight of a car. It's gritty, violent, and clear that neither character is holding back anymore. 'Two Graves' on Netflix — what we know right now Along with the first trailer, we also got an official synopsis: 'Two years after the disappearance of Verónica and Marta, two 16-year-old friends, the investigation is declared closed due to lack of evidence and suspects. 'The grandmother of one of the two girls, Isabel, who has nothing to lose, decides to carry out an investigation beyond the law. Isabel will do whatever it takes to uncover the truth about what happened that night and what begins as the search for a culprit, soon becomes a story of revenge.' The rest of the cast includes Hovik Keuchkerian, Nadia Vilaplana, Joan Solé, Zoe Arnao, Nonna Cardoner, Carlos Scholz, and Salva Reina. 'Two Graves' was created by Agustín Martínez and helmed by director Kike Maíllo. With a track record of emotionally gripping and visually compelling movies, Maíllo's distinctive style will likely be instantly recognizable in this upcoming series. He first gained major recognition with 'Eva,' a sci-fi thriller that won him the Goya Award for Best New Director. His subsequent works, such as 'Toro' and 'A Perfect Enemy' show his versatility in crafting tension-filled narratives across genres. Martínez is a celebrated Spanish novelist and screenwriter, best known for crime dramas like 'Monteperdido.' When creating 'Two Graves,' he told Netflix: 'Two Graves is a revenge story led by a character rarely seen at the heart of fiction, someone who could only find her place on a platform like Netflix: a grandmother willing to do whatever it takes to seek justice for the loss of her granddaughter. 'A thriller full of emotion and unexpected twists, brought to life by Kiti Mánver, Álvaro Morte and Hovik Keuchkerian, characters I truly enjoyed writing.' Even though 'Two Graves' isn't officially labeled as a revenge thriller, the trailer definitely leans into that concept with its brutal scenes. Even the shot of Isabel casually wiping blood off her piano made me chuckle (in a good way). But what makes the series stand out isn't some lone, haunted antihero like John Wick. Instead, we get a grandmother and a father, both fiercely determined to seek justice… the bloody way. It's a refreshing twist to say the least. 'Two Graves' looks like it could be a gripping ride packed into just three episodes. If stories about grief turning into a violent reckoning are your kind of thrill, this crime thriller series belongs on your watchlist. You can stream 'Two Graves' on Netflix starting August 29. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button. More from Tom's Guide All the new movies and shows on Netflix in August 2025 Netflix added a movie that's like 'Dead Poets Society' but with a penguin Netflix's new action-thriller series is a relentlessly gripping ride
