Brooklyn's Coney Island Kicks Off First-Ever Winter Season - lavocedinewyork.com
Brooklyn's Coney Island Kicks Off First-Ever Winter Season - lavocedinewyork.com
Frances Martel-Breitbart
Argentine President-elect Javier Milei announced on Sunday night he would be flying to the United States overnight and making stops in New York and Washington, DC, on Monday.
Milei landed in New Jersey on Monday morning, the Argentine newspaper Clarín reported, and began his travel to New York City.
Milei, a libertarian economist who first held elected office in 2021, won a decisive victory in the November 19 presidential election against current Economy Minister Sergio Massa, an establishment socialist whose tenure has corresponded to historically high levels of inflation, unemployment, and poverty. As a presidential candidate, Milei repeatedly stated that he would seek to realign Argentina’s foreign policy – inclined towards growing ties with rogue states such as China and Iran during the 12 of the past 16 years it has been led by socialist presidents – toward making America and Israel the country’s top allies.
Milei posted a photo on social media before departing alongside Luis Caputo, the man he has chosen for minister of economics, and Nicolás Posse, who is expected to take on the chief of staff role.
Rumbo a los Estados Unidos…!!!
VIVA LA LIBERTAD CARAJOCC: @totocaputo6hb pic.twitter.com/ofcebj3zDr
— Javier Milei (@JMilei) November 26, 2023
Argentine newspaper La Nación confirmed on Monday morning that Milei had landed on American soil – in New York, where he is expected to make a quick stop at the Ohel, a Jewish holy site, to pray thanks for his success in the presidential election. From there, he is expected to travel to Washington to meet with several officials in the administration of President Joe Biden – though no indication suggests he will meet Biden himself – and officials with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), a global financing institution to which Argentina is heavily indebted.
In an interview on Sunday with La Nación, Milei explained his visits, beginning with his stop at the Ohel, the final resting place of Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe.
Milei was raised Catholic but has in the past two years begun publicly studying Judaism, incorporating Jewish iconography into his presidential campaign and openly discussing conversion. Milei made a stop at the Ohel in New York in July and said that he now felt it necessary to return and pray in gratitude following the election.
File/Presidential candidate of the Liberty Advances coalition Javier Milei greets supporters during a campaign rally in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko, File)
“I am going to New York first, I am going to the Ohel… it is the place where the Rebbe prayed … who has been a man of great influence on the global level, someone very, very spiritual,” Milei told La Nación. “Basically, I am going to say thanks because – I can say it now – because when I went, what I did was to ask for wisdom, courage, and temperance: wisdom to separate the good from evil, courage to choose the good, and temperance to sustain myself and to accept the will of the Creator.”
“The Creator put me in a role of maximum responsibility, so I am going to say thanks and to try to rise to the level of the circumstances,” he continued. “Then I will go to Washington and have a bunch of meetings strictly related to my activities as president-elect.”
Milei habló sobre su viaje a Estados Unidos y las chances de una posible reunión con Trump:
“El Creador me puso en un lugar de máxima responsabilidad, voy a dar las gracias. Eso no se va a dar en ESTE viaje, pero la reunión con Trump es casi un dato”@JMilei #LaLibertadAvanza pic.twitter.com/U4lcAXhhTt
— Agarra la Pala (@agarra_pala) November 27, 2023
He added that he did not anticipate a meeting with former President Donald Trump during his brief stay in America this time, but that such an in-person meeting is “almost a fact.” Trump congratulated Milei in a video on his Truth Social profile, called him personally, and is reportedly planning to attend Milei’s inauguration in Buenos Aires on December 10.
In Washington, Milei is expected to meet with Juan González, Biden’s top policy adviser on Latin America, and representatives of the State Department and Treasury. He will also meet with IMF officials to discuss his plans to address Argentina’s crippling public debt.
Marc Stanley, the American ambassador to Buenos Aires, told Clarín that Milei’s engagements would be “introductory meetings at the technical level to generate common synergies and to understand how we would work together towards the future.”
Libertarian? Populist? What Argentina’s New Chainsaw-Wielding President Javier Milei Believes
Frances Martel / Breitbart News
The Biden administration received Milei’s victory tepidly. In contrast to President Trump’s effusive congratulations, Biden called Milei on November 22 to offer congratulations but has not commented on the election beyond the White House readout of their chat. The readout claimed Biden and Milei “discussed the importance of continuing to build on the strong relationship between the United States and Argentina on economic issues” and topics such as “advocating for the protection of human rights, addressing food insecurity and investing in clean energy.”
Milei, in turn, has been harshly critical of Biden.
“Biden himself is a threat to Western values,” Milei declared in an interview with the Colombian radio network RCN in August, adding that Biden was “putting the world’s leading power in check.”
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The post Argentina’s Javier Milei Begins Whirlwind U.S. Tour with Jewish Holy Site Visit in NYC appeared first on The Jewish Voice.
The Cardinals got themselves a frontline starter on Monday morning, agreeing to a three-year, $75 million contract with Sonny Gray.
The terms were first reported by The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal.
The 34-year-old Gray is cashing in after finishing second for the American League Cy Young Award, which went to Yankees ace Gerrit Cole. A former Yankee himself, Gray went 8-8 with a 2.79 ERA and just eight home runs allowed over 32 starts for the Twins in 2023.
The Cardinals, meanwhile, have now agreed to deals with three starting pitchers after suffering a miserable last-place finish in 2023. Prior to the Gray news, St. Louis signed veterans Kyle Gibson and Lance Lynn – another ex-Yankee – to one-year pacts with club options for 2025.
The Cards’ quick pitching additions could impact the Yankees, as the two teams have been viewed as logical trade partners since the summer.
The Redbirds employ a surplus of controllable players who can handle the outfield and hit from the left side, including Alec Burleson, Dylan Carlson (switch), Lars Nootbar, Brendan Donovan and Tommy Edman (switch). It’s no secret the Yankees have needed players who fit that description. The Cardinals, meanwhile, needed starters entering the offseason.
The Yankees can still offer arms in a deal for the aforementioned players, but St. Louis’ need is less dire with the additions of Gray, Gibson and Lynn. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean the two sides can’t work something out this winter.
Even with the moves they’ve made, the Cardinals aren’t exactly projecting an intimidating rotation, which would currently also include Miles Mikolas and Steven Matz. Matz, meanwhile, is the only member of the group under the age of 34.
While the Cardinals also have some pitching prospects in the upper levels of their system, adding a young, cost-controlled starter wouldn’t be a terrible idea for them. When it comes to the Yankees, MLB-ready possibilities include Clarke Schmidt and Michael King. There’s also Jhony Brito and Randy Vásquez, to a lesser extent.
In the minors, the Yankees have a few pitching prospects of their own that could be dangled in trades, including Chase Hampton, Drew Thorpe and Clayton Beeter. The first two may be a bit steep depending on which of the Cardinals’ outfielders we’re talking about, but the Yankees certainly have options if St. Louis wants to add some youth to its immediate and/or future pitching plans.
Expect the two clubs to remain linked as next week’s Winter Meetings near.
Good for Gray
Gray’s time in pinstripes went poorly, as he recorded a 4.51 ERA over 41 games for the Yankees from 2017-2018 following a trade from the Athletics. Gray arrived with high expectations, but his short tenure included a move to the bullpen – Lynn coincidentally replaced him in the rotation – and ended with a trade to the Reds.
Gray has since returned to form, recording a 3.22 ERA for Cincinnati and Minnesota while logging two top-10 Cy Young seasons. His deal with the Cardinals will be the second sizeable contract he’s signed since leaving New York, as the Reds inked him to an extension after acquiring him.
Gray disappointed in the Bronx, adding to the list of talented players who have had trouble performing there. But he’s rebounded nicely since leaving town.
More Japanese stars posted
Yoshinobu Yamamoto isn’t the only Japanese ace on the market.
Pitchers Shota Imanaga and Naoyuki Uwasawa have both been posted, according to multiple reports. Imanaga, a 30-year-old southpaw, recorded a 2.80 ERA over 148 innings in 2023 and has a sub-3.00 ERA over the last two seasons with the Yokohama BayStars. Uwasawa, a 29-year-old righty, tallied a 2.96 ERA over 170 innings for the Nippon-Ham Fighters in 2023.
While Uwasawa is thought to have a lower ceiling, Imanaga could be a potential mid-rotation starter. He would make sense for the Yankees and Mets, among other teams, if they don’t win the Yamamoto sweepstakes. If nothing else, Imanaga would be a cheaper alternative; MLB Trade Rumors predicted he would get a five-year, $85 million deal.
image/jpeg The clock is ticking on Rep. George Santos’s congressional career as a vote looms on the embattled lawmaker’s expulsion in the coming days.
The Long Island Republican could face a fresh vote to boot him from office as early as Wednesday as the House of Representatives returns from its Thanksgiving break.
Santos admitted over the holiday weekend that he believes he will be ousted after the recent release of an extraordinarily damning ethics committee report that accused him of using his congressional campaign as his personal piggy bank.
He would be the first lawmaker since the Civil War era to be expelled from the House without being convicted of a crime.
The disgraced lawmaker has scheduled a press conference for Thursday but it’s not clear what the topic might be, especially since an expulsion vote could come before then.
He warned that he could divulge undisclosed dirt on fellow lawmakers if they vote him out, accusing unnamed colleagues from both parties of voting while drunk and sleeping with lobbyists.
Republican leaders released a schedule for House votes that did not include the Santos expulsion, although it could still take place.
If Santos is expelled, Gov. Hochul would have 10 days to call a special election for the seat representing the NY-03 district spanning Long Island’s North Shore and a slice or eastern Queens.
Under New York state law, the election would have to be held between 70 and 80 days after Hochul’s proclamation, meaning a vote to fill the seat could be held in mid to late February.
The candidates who would vie in a special election would be picked by party committees, not primary elections.
On the Democratic side, former Rep. Tom Suozzi would be the likely frontrunner, although he angered some local activists by abandoning the seat to mount a failed run for governor. Ex-state Sen. Anna Kaplan is also running.
For Republicans, state Sen. Jack Martins is probably the best-known name but he has not said if he will run. Air Force veteran Kellen Curry has been running as a fresh face amid the Santos drama while retired NYPD Detective Mike Sapraicone has raised the most cash so far.
Mazi Pilip, an Ethiopian Jewish immigrant, is coming off a victory in an off-year election for a Nassau County legislative seat that encompasses a large chunk of the district.
National Democrats are bullish on their chances of flipping back the seat, which Santos won in a big upset after President Biden carried it by about 10%.
But Republicans are optimistic that local recent electoral trends benefitting the GOP will give them an edge despite the stench of Santos.
Regardless of the expulsion drama, Santos faces a 23-count federal criminal indictment on campaign finance and fraud charges. He has a trial scheduled in 2024 and insists he is not guilty.
Santos portrayed himself as a trailblazing gay conservative on his way to bagging the seat. But shortly after winning election, he was forced to admit concocting most of his life story, including his work and education background.
An investigation is underway at Hillcrest High School after students stormed the hallways and put the school on lockdown as a Jewish teacher who had attended a pro-Israel rally was targeted, education officials have announced.
Teens at Hillcrest High in Jamaica walked out of class last Monday to protest the health staffer, who was seen at a pro-Israel rally off school premises, according to viral social media videos. Local politicians say she was forced to barricade herself in a room until the situation was under control.
“Our safety team is actively collaborating with the superintendent and principal to fully investigate the matter and protect the safety of both students and staff,” said Schools Chancellor David Banks on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“Every student, teacher, and staff member deserves to feel safe at school,” he continued, “and it is our responsibility to ensure that the right tools are in place to make this a reality through de-escalation and fostering opportunities for open dialogue that leaves hate at the door.”
Banks, a Hillcrest alum who has visited the school multiple times for various announcements, was expected to address the incident at a press conference on Monday afternoon.
“When a protest brakes [sic] out because a teacher stands with Israel,” read one of the videos on TikTok, as students charged through the hallways, jumping up and down.
“POV: your school had 1 lockdown multiple fights and riots js bc of a teacher that chose to wake up one day and choose … Zionism and occupation,” read another clip on the platform.
Hillcrest High School on Highland Ave. in Queens is pictured on Saturday, June 17, 2023. (Theodore Parisienne)The caption included a threat: “YO IF HER A** COME BACK IN THAT BUILDING,” followed by a skull death symbol and praying hands emojis.
“Hillcrest high school had a riot because a Health teacher was supporting Israel,” read another, depicting at least two students holding Palestinian flags.
The original videos appeared to have been deleted by Monday morning. A social media post advertising a rally against antisemitism at Hillcrest had also been removed from Twitter.
The school had to go on lockdown during the protest, according to an email Tuesday from Principal Scott Milczewski to staff obtained by the Daily News. He said additional police and school safety agents were present, while deans had their teaching posts covered to focus on the events.
A photo of the teacher, re-shared by students on TikTok, shows her at a rally with the sign “I stand with Israel” and surrounded by other demonstrators holding Israeli flags.
The incident came just weeks after an initial tally of 770 public school students walked out of class on Nov. 9 to demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
“The vile show of antisemitism at Hillcrest High School was motivated by ignorance-fueled hatred, plain and simple,” said Mayor Adams on Saturday, “and it will not be tolerated in any of our schools, let alone anywhere else in our city. We are better than this.”
Adams said local organizations through Project Pivot, whose focuses may include violence interruption and other social services, will begin outreach with students at Hillcrest this week “to ensure they understand why this behavior was unacceptable.”
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