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Hate Crimes up in NYC
Mayor de Blasio planned an anti-hate rally in the heart of Manhattan on Monday after NYPD Commissioner James P. O'Neill said that hate crimes are up 31 percent this year from last year, a trend he called “disturbing.” On Sunday, hundreds of New Yorkers came together to protest hate messages and offensive symbols at a Brooklyn Heights park that is named after a late Beastie Boys star. The playground was defaced with two swastikas and a pro-Trump message last week. Gov. Andrew Cuomo took to the pulpit at a church in Harlem on Sunday to talk with churchgoers about what may be inspiring hate crimes and his plans to create a special unit to investigate reports of hate crimes in the state.
Trump Holds More Meetings
More meetings are on President-elect Donald Trump's Monday schedule as he continues to fill his future cabinet. His transition team said former Texas governor and GOP presidential rival Rick Perry was expected to meet with Trump on Monday. Over the weekend, Trump met with nearly two dozen possible appointees at his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club, including Gov. Chris Christie. Trump made a show of each guest, greeting them formally at the door, shaking hands and smiling for the cameras and telling the press how "great" they were. Between conversations, Trump revealed he was making transition plans for his family. He told reporters that his wife, Melania, and their 10-year-old son, Barron, would move to Washington when the school year ends.
Officers Shot in Separate States
A San Antonio police detective writing out a traffic ticket to a motorist was shot to death in his squad car Sunday by another driver who pulled up from behind, authorities said. The suspect in that shooting has not yet been apprehended. Just hours later, a St. Louis police sergeant was hospitalized in critical condition but expected to survive after being shot twice in the face in what the police chief called an "ambush." The suspect was later killed in a shootout with police.
Local
Police, Pipeline Protesters Clash
Clashes between protesters and authorities over the Dakota Access Pipeline escalated Sunday night after an estimated 400 people tried to breach a law enforcement barrier. The sheriff's office described the clash as a "riot" prompted by "very aggressive" activists, but protesters said authorities used tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannon in below-freezing temperatures on unarmed people. The clash comes days after organizers held coordinated demonstrations across the country to protest a 1,170-mile oil pipeline that has generated the largest American Indian protest movement in modern history.
Denali Name Change?
Among Donald Trump's many promises on his way to the White House was a tweeted vow to change the new name of North America's tallest mountain back to Mount McKinley. The Obama administration renamed the Alaska peak Denali in a symbolic gesture to Alaska Natives ahead of the president's visit to the state last year. Alaskans have long referred to the mountain as Denali and have vowed to push back if Trump tries to rename the mountain after President William McKinley. Meanwhile, U.S. officials plan to block new mining claims outside Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming as the Obama administration races in its last days to keep industry out of pristine and environmentally sensitive areas. Republicans and industry representatives have criticized the administration's eleventh-hour actions to limit development and promised to seek a reversal.
Kanye Cancels Show After Rant
Just days after telling fans at a concert that he would have voted for Donald Trump, Kanye West delivered another public screed before abruptly ending a concert in Northern California, then canceled a performance Sunday in the Los Angeles area. West talked about Beyoncé, Jay Z, Hillary Clinton, Mark Zuckerberg, the radio and MTV before ending the show, much to the disappointment of fans.
