New Jersey

Happening Today: Parkland, USA Hockey, Flu Deaths, Harvey Weinstein

What to Know

  • Students and parents appealed to President Trump to set politics aside and protect America's school children from gun violence
  • A lab test confirms an 8-year-old girl is the latest child to die from the flu in New Jersey, the state's Department of Public Health said
  • Harvey Weinstein wants a judge to dismiss a sexual misconduct lawsuit against him and invoked the words of Meryl Streep in his defense

Get the top headlines of the day in your morning briefing from NBC 4 New York, Monday through Friday. Sign up for our newsletter here.

“Fix It!” Gun Violence Plea to Trump From Students, Parents

Spilling out wrenching tales of lost lives and stolen security, students and parents appealed to President Trump to set politics aside and protect America's school children from the scourge of gun violence. Trump listened intently to the raw emotion and pledged action, including the possibility of arming teachers. A tearful Samuel Zeif, a student at the Florida high school where a former student's assault left 17 dead last week, shared the texts he sent his loved ones during the shooting to say good-bye on Twitter. Trump promised to be "very strong on background checks." And he suggested he supported allowing some teachers and other school employees to carry concealed weapons to be ready for intruders. But largely he listened, holding handwritten notes bearing his message to the families. "I hear you" was written in black marker.

Montenegro Police Working to Identify Attacker on US Embassy

Police in Montenegro say they are "working intensely" to identify an assailant who threw an explosive device into the U.S. embassy compound in the capital, Podgorica, before killing himself. The police said in a statement the man threw a bomb into the embassy yard and then committed suicide by activating another one. Police say the blast created a crater but caused no other material damage to the embassy property. The statement says police who received reports about an explosion found a lifeless male body in the area of the Moraca river that runs through Podgorica. The U.S. State Department has said embassy officials are working with police to identify the assailant and internally to confirm all staff are safe.

GOP Congresswoman From NY: Many Mass Murderers Are Democrats

A Republican congresswoman from upstate New York said "many" people who commit mass murder turn out to be Democrats. U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney made the remarks on Talk 1300 Radio during a discussion about calls for stricter gun control since last week's deadly Florida high school shooting. "Yeah, well, obviously there is a lot of politics in it, and it's interesting that so many of these people that commit the mass murders end up being Democrats, but the media doesn't talk about that either," Tenney told talk show host Fred Dicker. Tenney did not offer any evidence to support that statement. In a statement, Tenney said her comments were taken out of context. Democratic state Assemblyman Anthony Brindisi, who is opposing Tenney this fall, called her comments "disgusting" and "toxic" and urged her to apologize.

U.S. Women Beat Canada for First Olympic Hockey Gold Since 1998

Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson skated slowly back and forth toward the net, showing forehand, then leaning quickly to the left to fake a backhand that pulled Canadian goalie Shannon Szabados out of the crease. On the sport's biggest stage, against the Americans' greatest rival, with all her teammates leaning eagerly over the boards watching her every move, the three-time Olympian came back to her forehand to finish off a dazzling, triple-deke move by sliding the puck into the net past the outstretched glove of Szabados for the deciding goal in the sixth round of a shootout thriller. That would be 20-year-old goalie Maddie Rooney, who stuffed the last two Canadian shooters to wrap up a 3-2 victory that snapped the Americans' 20-year gold medal drought and ended Canada's bid for a fifth straight title in the first shootout in an Olympic women's final. The Americans piled over the boards, throwing gloves in the air before piling on top of Rooney on the ice — 20 years after their last gold medal in women's hockey and 38 years to the day after the men's famous "Miracle on Ice" victory over the Soviet team in group play at Lake Placid.

8-Year-Old Girl Is Latest NJ Kid to Die From Flu, Officials Say

A lab test confirms that an 8-year-old girl is the latest child to die from the flu in New Jersey, the state’s Department of Public Health said. Officials didn't name Daniela Genaro as the girl, but her family told NBC 4 earlier this week that she was the young Elizabeth resident whose death was being investigated. Genaro is the third New Jersey child to die from the virus this flu season; a 4-year-old girl from Central Jersey died in December and the death of a 6-year-old girl from Hudson County was reported last week. Officials continued to encourage adults and children to get flu shots, saying flu season can last until May and that getting vaccinations helps stop the spread of the virus to more vulnerable people, like children.

Weinstein Uses Quotes From Female Celebrities in His Defense

Harvey Weinstein wants a judge to dismiss a federal sexual misconduct lawsuit against him and invoked the words and actions of Oscar-winning actresses including Meryl Streep in his defense. Lawyers for the disgraced film mogul said in federal court in New York that the proposed class-action lawsuit filed by six women should be rejected because the alleged assaults took place too long ago and they failed to offer facts to support claims of racketeering. The lawyers cited comments made by Streep, who had said Weinstein had always been respectful in their working relationship. Streep issued a blistering response to the use of her comments later Wednesday, saying Weinstein's use of her statement "as evidence that he was not abusive with many OTHER women is pathetic and exploitive." "The criminal actions he is accused of conducting on the bodies of these women are his responsibility," Streep continued, "and if there is any justice left in the system he will pay for them."

Contact Us