What to Know
- Wednesday is the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor; WWII veterans from across the U.S. are in Hawaii
- An earthquake in Indonesia killed nearly 100 people, officials said, as crews continued a desperate search for survivors
- Investigators said that a refrigerator may have caused the deadly fire at an Oakland warehouse
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75th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor was attacked 75 years ago today. More than 2,400 Americans were killed and more than 1,000 others were wounded. Hundreds of survivors will be at the site of the attack to remember the "date which will live in infamy" and the lives lost on that day. On the morning of Dec. 7, a Sunday, Japanese bombers flew across Oahu and began their assault. Some children climbed onto the roofs of homes to see what was happening. The planes were so close to the ground in some cases that they could make out the Rising Sun insignia. Seventy-five years later, those children, now in their mid-80s, remembered the day that marked their childhoods.
Search for Cause in Oakland Fire
Investigators honed in on a refrigerator and other electrical appliances as possible causes of the fire at a warehouse in Oakland that killed 36 people, as crews were set to finish their search for bodies. A refrigerator was a potential source of the fire, but it was too soon to say for sure, said Jill Snyder, special agent in charge of the San Francisco office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Meanwhile, the Alameda County Coroner’s Bureau late Tuesday night positively identified nine more victims of the fire. The deadly blaze is a grim reminder of the devastating Happy Land social club fire that killed 87 people in the Bronx more than 25 years ago.
Indonesia Earthquake Kills Dozens
Local
A strong earthquake rocked Indonesia's Aceh province early on Wednesday, killing nearly 100 people and sparking a frantic rescue effort in the rubble of dozens of collapsed and damaged buildings. Maj. Gen. Tatang Sulaiman, chief of the army in Aceh province, said at least 97 died while four people were pulled from the rubble alive. Another four or five are known to be buried, but he didn't say if they are dead or alive. A rescue effort involves thousands of villagers, soldiers and police.
Man Arrested Near 30 Rock
A Bronx man carrying a gas can and matches was arrested near Rockefeller Plaza Monday afternoon, police say. NYPD Critical Response Command officers stationed in the area of Sixth Avenue and 48th Street were alerted by a witness to a man yelling, "F--- the NYPD" and throwing a bottle. A separate law enforcement official said the man became combative when he was confronted by cops.
3rd Charged in Slaying of Hofstra Grad
The son of a former New Jersey mayor has been charged in connection with the death of a Hofstra University graduate who prosecutors say was stabbed 15 times in the chest in a luxury Manhattan apartment last month and then buried in a shallow grave in New Jersey. Max Gemma, 29, of Oceanport, was arrested Tuesday after turning himself in to police. The son of former Oceanport mayor Gordon Gemma appeared in Manhattan Criminal Court to plead not guilty to charges of hindering prosecution and tampering with physical evidence in the death of 26-year-old Joey Comunale.
Brokers Market Secret Service "Amenity"
Ever since Donald Trump was elected, the Secret Service has kept a heavy presence at the Fifth Avenue tower, a skyscraper where Trump has lived and worked for years. Real estate agency Douglas Elliman reportedly took notice. Less than a week after the Nov. 8 election, the firm sent out an email advertising a $2.1 million condo on the 31st floor with the subject “Fifth Avenue Buyers Interested in Secret Service Protection?” Meanwhile, a few blocks away, Citicorp Center was designated a city landmark this week.
Mistaken Ticket Earns Couple $1M
A mistakenly sold lottery ticket has earned a New Jersey couple $1 million. State lottery officials say 70-year-old Dante Castillo usually picks his own numbers, but when he bought some tickets for last Thursday's Cash4Life jackpot at a convenience store a small mistake netted him big bucks.
Man Lives in Huge Salvation Army Kettle
During this time of the year, it's common to see volunteers from the Salvation Army standing outside ringing a bell to raise money. This is why one volunteer is living inside an enormous version of one of those familiar red kettles. “You see things from a whole different perspective up here,” he said.
