Latest news with #MidtownManhattan
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
NY Port Authority bus terminal closed due to multi-bus crash
Three New Jersey Transit buses crashed early Wednesday morning, forcing the closure of New York City's Port Authority Bus Terminal amid rush hour traffic. The collision occurred at the terminal in Midtown Manhattan, near West 41st Street, around 6 a.m., News 12 reported. It left at least a dozen people injured, including one who was transported to a hospital for further evaluation. Their exact conditions were not provided, but they are all expected to recover. 'New York Port Authority Bus Terminal is closed due to a multi bus accident,' NJ Transit said in a post shared on X just after 8 a.m. 'NJ TRANSIT bus service traveling to and from the New York Port Authority Bus Terminal is being diverted to Secaucus Junction Newark Penn Station and Hoboken Terminal.' From there, commuters will have to take the PATH into the city. Trains will also be making additional stops at Secaucus to accommodate affected passengers, the agency said. All NJ transit bus tickets and passes will be cross-honored by NJ TRANSIT rail, New York Waterway at Port Imperial and by PATH at Hoboken, Newark Penn Station and 33rd Street New York. While the cause of the crash remained unclear, a source told NBC New York one of the bus drivers may have suffered a medical emergency. An investigation into the matter is ongoing.
New York Times
5 days ago
- New York Times
Sean Combs Trial Live Updates: Defense Lawyer Calls Cassie a ‘Winner' Who Is $30 Million Richer
The testimony by Capricorn Clark, a former assistant to Sean Combs who the government said was kidnapped twice, was targeted by Mr. Combs's lead lawyer during his closing argument on Friday. If Act I of Marc Agnifilo's closing argument in Sean Combs's defense was delivered in partly comedic tones — he raised his voice animatedly and ridiculed the prosecutors' close attention to items like baby oil and lubricant — his second act was more narrowly trained on questioning the credibility of witnesses called by the government. He focused on dismantling the account of Capricorn Clark, a former assistant to Mr. Combs who the government said was kidnapped twice, and on the allegation of an arson attack against a romantic rival. Their emphasis appeared to represent an overall strategy by the defense of attacking allegations made by the government that it thinks are particularly weak. Ms. Clark testified that in 2004, she was subjected to five straight days of lie-detector tests over stolen jewelry in what she said was a vacant building in Midtown Manhattan. Ms. Clark said that a large, unnamed man administered the test daily, and that he told her that if she failed, 'they're going to throw you in the East River.' The government called it an example of kidnapping, as part of the racketeering conspiracy charge against Mr. Combs; to prove Mr. Combs's guilt the government must show that he agreed with collaborators to commit at least two criminal acts. Mr. Agnifilo broadly mocked this episode. Each day, Ms. Clark testified, she was driven home to Queens before returning for another day of lie-detector tests. 'A door-to-door kidnapping!' Mr. Agnifilo said. 'It's just not a kidnapping.' Mr. Agnifilo questioned the logic of the government's argument, asking: Were the jurors also kidnapped because they were stuck in court for long hours? 'Anyone feel kidnapped?' Mr. Agnifilo jokingly said. Throughout his summation, Mr. Agnifilo has let his voice crack or slip into high registers to underscore his sarcasm. The lawyer also argued that there existed implausibilities in the second kidnapping allegation involving Ms. Clark that were so great that the jury should disregard her testimony completely. Ms. Clark testified that Mr. Combs, carrying a gun, arrived at her apartment early one morning and forced her to accompany him to 'kill' Kid Cudi, a rapper who was a rival for the affections of Casandra Ventura, the singer known as Cassie. Kid Cudi, whose real name is Scott Mescudi, testified that Mr. Combs entered his home that day without permission. Mr. Agnifilo challenged Ms. Clark's testimony that Mr. Combs had a gun, noting that neither Ms. Ventura or Mr. Mescudi said that Ms. Clark had mentioned a gun when she called them during the trespassing at Mr. Mescudi's house. Raising the issue of witness credibility, Mr. Agnifilo foreshadowed the judge's instructions to jurors before they deliberate: Judge Arun Subramanian will instruct them that if they find a witness lied, 'you are free to disregard all of the witness's testimony,' the lawyer said. The government has argued that a few weeks after Mr. Combs trespassed in Mr. Mescudi's home, the mogul ordered a Molotov cocktail to be thrown into Mr. Mescudi's Porsche, destroying the interior. Mr. Agnifilo derided a fire official's arson investigation, saying it 'stunk,' and said it was not Mr. Combs's 'style' to blow up another man's car using a Molotov cocktail in a malt liquor bottle. 'It's a coward's way out,' the lawyer said. Julia Jacobs and Joe Coscarelli contributed reporting.
Forbes
25-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Three Ideas To Boost Economic Growth And Reduce Government Deficits
NEW YORK - NEW YORK - JUNE 1: A man walks near the National Debt Clock in Midtown Manhattan on June ... More 1, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/VIEWpress) The federal budget is a mess, with federal debt held by the public at $29 trillion and counting. States cannot print money and borrow the way the federal government can, but some of them still have deficit problems. Maine, California, Colorado, and New York are just a few of the states facing large deficits over the next few years. Fortunately, there are policy reforms both the federal government and state governments can implement to boost economic growth and reduce deficits. In a recent National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) paper, economists Douglas Elmendorf, Zachary Liscow, and R. Glenn Hubbard examine several policies with the potential to increase economic growth and reduce deficits. The general idea is that increasing total factor productivity (TFP)—the primary driver of economic growth—increases incomes and thus tax revenue. If this can be done in a way that does not involve too much government spending (or revenue losses) then the higher tax revenue would lower the deficit. Using estimates from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the authors calculate that increasing TFP by 0.5 percentage points each year for the next decade would reduce the federal budget deficit by 1.2% of GDP and make debt held by the public around 12% of GDP lower than it otherwise would be. The authors discuss seven policies in their paper, but I am going to focus on the three that seem to have the most potential. And while the paper focuses on the policies' impacts on federal deficits, the same growth effects would also impact state budgets. The first policy idea is making it easier to build housing. Economists know land-use regulations that restrict the supply of housing—including minimum lot sizes, parking requirements, and prohibitions on apartments, duplexes, and other forms of multi-family housing—make housing more expensive. As the authors explain, reducing the cost of housing construction would lead to more housing being built, which has downstream impacts on the demand for appliances, furniture, carpet, decks, and all the other things that make a house a home. The increase in housing construction and the production of complementary products would directly increase GDP all else equal. In addition to this direct effect, more housing in the most productive cities would make it easier for workers to move to take higher paying jobs. A few studies estimate that this mobility effect would increase U.S. GDP by roughly 8%. New residents also have a significant impact on state budgets. A recent report from the National Taxpayers Union Foundation shows that adding new residents can increase a state's revenue by billions of dollars. For all these reasons, it is a good idea for policymakers to reform regulations so we can build more housing in the places people want to live. State and local governments control most of the regulations that restrict the supply of housing. Over the last several years, many states have implemented reforms to make it easier to build, including Montana, Florida, California, and Arizona. This year, Texas passed several laws that will make housing more affordable in the Lone Star state. Other states should adopt and build on these reforms. A second and related idea discussed by Elmendorf, Liscow, and Hubbard is permitting reform for construction projects. In recent years, long permitting times have gotten more attention, and for good reason. Federal laws like the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) can delay projects for years. A recent report from the Council on Environmental Quality, which oversees agency implementation of NEPA, found that 61% of environmental impact statements still take more than two years to review despite a law specifying a two-year deadline. Clearly, we need more changes at the federal level. States have permitting problems, too. Earlier this year, wildfires destroyed thousands of homes in Los Angeles County. California governor Gavin Newsome promised to fast-track permitting so families could rebuild and get on with their lives. Five months later, only 33 building permits have been issued and not one house has been rebuilt. This is unacceptable for a country as wealthy as the United States. Long permitting times increase project costs since money is tied up in resources—land, equipment, and buildings—that are not generating returns. As the authors note, shortening permitting times would accelerate projects already underway as well as increase the number and size of future projects by increasing the return on investment. And since reforming regulations and processes typically does not require a lot of government spending, the growth we create by shortening permitting times is likely to help bring down government deficits. A third idea to boost economic growth and help reduce government deficits is immigration reform. Allowing more foreign workers with advanced degrees in science, engineering, and math to live and work in America would increase U.S. innovation and productivity. The NBER study calculates that a one-time increase of 200,000 additional high-skill immigrants would reduce debt held by the public as a percent of GDP by 2% after thirty years. Adding more high-skilled immigrants every year instead of just a one-time increase would have a larger effect. In addition to increasing innovation and productivity, immigrants have a direct effect on government deficits. High-skill immigrants, like high-skill natives, have a positive effect on government budgets on average since they pay more in taxes than they consume in government services such as welfare benefits or Social Security. One study estimates that over a decade we could reduce federal deficits by $25 billion per 100,000 additional people who come to America to work. Another recent report from the Committee to Unleash Prosperity (CTUP) also makes the case for more immigration to increase growth. The basic formula for economic growth is to add workers and make workers more productive. The U.S. fertility rate is falling, and without a sudden rebound the best way to add workers will be through immigration. From 2013 to 2023 about half of the growth in the U.S. civilian labor force was due to immigrants, as shown in the figure below (red bar). Without immigration, U.S. labor force growth would slow and eventually turn negative. Labor force growth Immigrants also tend to be incredibly entrepreneurial. According to the CTUP report, nearly half of all Fortune 500 companies were founded by foreign-born or second-generation Americans. These immigrants and their children create jobs for native-born workers in addition to the valuable new goods and services their companies create for consumers. Federal policymakers should reform our immigration system so more high-skill immigrants can create and grow their companies in America. Government budgets throughout the United States are a mess. From cities such as Chicago to the Halls of Congress, policymakers struggle to keep spending in line with revenue. Economic growth cannot solve all these budget problems, but it can help. Policy changes that make it easier to build housing, reduce permitting times, and increase immigration would boost output, incomes, and tax revenue. If we could get government spending under control, too, we would have a real shot at fixing our debt problem.
New York Times
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Victor Wembanyama opens up on kung fu training with monks in China, loss of Gregg Popovich as coach
NEW YORK — Just your average Saturday in Midtown Manhattan, where Victor Wembanyama and Kevin Hart lounged shirtless in water-filled metal tubs, designed specifically for their body lengths, with the comedian asking the budding NBA superstar about working out with monks for two weeks in China. Yes, that's a lot to take in. Advertisement The 21-year-old San Antonio Spurs center participated in two heavily attended events during Saturday's session of Fanatics Fest at Javits Center. First, Wembanyama bathed beside Hart for an episode of the comedian's podcast 'Cold as Balls' and followed up by sitting in 'The Shop' with LeBron James, Tom Brady and streamer Kai Cenat. Each setting brought out relaxed conversations, as well as some interesting questions from Hart and 'The Shop' panel to Wembanyama. Both forums focused on the curiosity about Wembanyama's trip to China. He tried to be casual about it with 'The Shop,' saying, 'I was just in China the last two weeks practicing with the monks.' Many in the panel from 'The Shop' chimed in, not letting the 'oh, by the way' answer slide, including Brady, who said, 'We've got to hear more on that.' Wembanyama laughed and obliged. He visited the Shaolin Temple in Dengfeng, China, along with a member of the Spurs' strength training staff. 'It was a great experience,' Wembanyama said. 'My goal going there was putting my body through things that it's not used to doing and allowing my range of movement and strength. This was probably as very different as possible from what I'm used to doing.' What did that entail? 'Kung fu. Everyday. It was like a vegan temple, monastery. … I was isolated,' Wembanyama said. He added that many of the meals consisted of zucchini and rice noodles. That meant sneaking out to eat some sort of meat to maintain his weight, which he told Hart is up to 245 pounds. The most notable physical change from the trip for Wembanyama is his hairstyle. The first thing the monks asked Wembanyama to do was to shave his head. He did so without hesitation. 'I'm pretty sure I'm Buddhist now,' Wembanyama joked. 'It was worth it.' Wembanyama didn't discuss his injury status after a blood clot in his right shoulder ended his 2024-25 season in February. It's expected he'll be ready for the start of this upcoming season, though. Advertisement It's also the first time Wembanyama has spoken publicly about Gregg Popovich leaving the bench as the Spurs' coach. Wembanyama admitted he was shocked when Popovich stepped down in early May after 29 seasons as the team's mentor. He moved to a front office position with Mitch Johnson taking over Popovich's former role. 'First of all, the person,' Wembanyama said. 'We were all really close. We all have really good relationships between the teammates and him. It's always sad and shocking when something like this happens. What's incredible with him is that he keeps giving hope being the person that he is. He keeps inspiring us. Because the way he works, he works harder than most athletes in the world.' Maybe it was random for Hart to ask Wembanyama if he's a big Kevin Durant fan, to which the Spurs center replied, 'That's right.' Or maybe it wasn't, given the Spurs rank among the top teams that the Suns forward, who turns 37 in September, would prefer to be traded to before next season. Wembanyama said Durant's game has inspired him all of his life, but Hart and Wembanyama stopped short of a sales pitch to keep the conversation tamper-free.
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Wrike Takes Center Stage at Creative Operations Summit with CMO Keynote on the Future of AI-Driven Enterprise Workflows
Christine Royston explores how Wrike powers fast, flexible, and brand-safe collaboration SAN DIEGO, June 16, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Wrike, the intelligent work management platform, today announced its Diamond Sponsorship of the Creative Operations Summit New York 2025, taking place on June 17th at Convene in Midtown Manhattan. As part of this premier industry gathering, Christine Royston, Chief Marketing Officer at Wrike, will take the main stage at 9:45 AM ET to deliver a keynote address titled "The Human Edge: Scaling Creative Ops in the Age of AI Agents." This keynote session will explore how Wrike is helping enterprise organizations reimagine creative operations at scale, where AI agents, intelligent workflows, and human creativity intersect to deliver brand-safe innovation with clarity, speed, and purpose. "At Wrike, we're not just automating workflows — we're orchestrating intelligent systems that amplify human creativity," said Christine Royston, Chief Marketing Officer, Wrike. "This keynote is about showing teams of all sizes what's possible when AI and AI agents accelerate clarity, not just output. Creative operations is a brand amplifier, a revenue driver, and a force for innovation. And when you give creative leaders the right systems, they don't just deliver faster — they deliver with purpose." As enterprise brands focus on scaling creative production, teams are being challenged to deliver more content, faster — without compromising brand consistency or campaign impact. Christine's keynote will unveil how Wrike's internal marketing organization leverages real-world AI agents, operational frameworks, and intelligent dashboards to resolve creative bottlenecks, reduce rework, and orchestrate workflows across functions — all while preserving the creative integrity that drives brand impact. Keynote attendees will gain: A blueprint for reclaiming time across teams through AI-augmented workflows Strategies for using AI and AI agents to accelerate approvals, enhance visibility, and eliminate duplication A behind-the-scenes look at Wrike's human-first approach to creative operations Tangible frameworks to protect brand integrity and scale creative output across enterprise environments Wrike will be exhibiting at Booth 13 throughout the day and invites attendees to stop by for live platform demos and conversations with the Wrike team. The company is also the official sponsor of the Networking Reception at 5:00 p.m., offering more opportunities to connect with peers and explore the future of creative operations in an AI-accelerated world. Wrike's presence at the Creative Operations Summit underscores its continued investment in helping enterprise companies scale creative delivery, orchestrate cross-functional workflows, and build AI-accelerated systems that empower teams — without sacrificing authenticity or control. About Wrike Wrike is an intelligent work management platform where anyone can build, connect, automate, and scale workflows so work flows without limits. With unmatched intelligence, versatility, flexibility, scalability, and security, Wrike breaks down the barriers that hinder modern work and creates new pathways to success. More than 20,000 customers do the best work of their lives on Wrike. Find out how work flows at View source version on Contacts Media Contact Arlena JacksonSr. Manager, Corporate Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
