What to Know
- The man accused of killing people in Tribeca with a rental truck had been renting a truck for weeks before the rampage, neighbors say
- Global warming is hurting people's health more than previously thought, but there's hope Earth can heal if the planet kicks its coal habit
- Ellen Barkin fended off a burglar who broke into her apartment, holding a door to an outer balcony as he tried to push his way back inside
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NYC Truck Suspect Drove in Rental Truck With Men for Weeks, Neighbors Say
The man accused of plowing a rental truck into people on a riverfront bike path in Lower Manhattan had been renting the truck, or a similar truck, for weeks before the rampage and was frequently seen driving off in it with two friends, neighbors say. Neighbor Carlos Batista, 23, says he saw 29-year-old Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov cruising around in the Home Depot rental truck with the two friends “every day, every other day” for the past three weeks. He estimates they rode in it four or five times in that time period. Batista's brother, Angel Batista, said the number of men with Saipov would fluctuate between two and four. Authorities say Saipov rented the truck used in the attack from a Home Depot about an hour before the rampage. Saipov, who was shot by police, is facing terrorism charges.
Big GOP Tax Bill Would Cut Rates, But Also Popular Breaks
With fanfare and a White House kickoff, House Republicans unfurled a broad tax-overhaul plan that would touch virtually all Americans and the economy's every corner, mingling sharply lower rates for corporations and reduced personal taxes for many with fewer deductions for home-buyers and families with steep medical bills. The measure is the product of a party that faces increasing pressure to produce a marquee legislative victory of some sort before next year's elections. GOP leaders touted the plan as a sparkplug for the economy and a boon to the middle class and christened it the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. It would also increase the national debt, a problem for some Republicans.
“This Is About Power”: Congresswomen Allege Harassment by Male Colleagues
Local
For years, Republican Rep. Mary Bono endured the increasingly suggestive comments from a fellow lawmaker in the House. But when the congressman approached her on the House floor and told her he'd been thinking about her in the shower, she'd had enough. She confronted the man, who she said still serves in Congress, telling him his comments were demeaning and wrong. And he backed off. Bono, who served 15 years before being defeated in 2012, is not alone. As reports flow almost daily of harassment or worse by men in entertainment, business and the media, one current and three former female lawmakers tell The Associated Press that they, too, have been harassed or subjected to hostile sexual comments — by fellow members of Congress. The incidents occurred years or even decades ago, usually when the women were young newcomers to Congress.
Global Warming Is Hitting People's Health, Medical Study Says
Global warming is hurting people's health more than previously thought, but there's hope the Earth — and populations — can heal if the planet kicks its coal habit, a group of doctors and other experts said. The poor and elderly are most threatened by worsening climate change, but there remains "glimmers of progress" especially after the 2015 Paris agreement to limit heat-trapping carbon dioxide emissions, according to a new big study published in the British medical journal Lancet. The report highlighted health problems stemming from more frequent heat waves, disease spread by insects, air pollution and other woes. A team of 63 doctors, public health officials and scientists from around the world wrote what they considered the first of a regular monitoring of the health of the planet.
Ellen Barkin Fends Off Burglar in Greenwich Village Home, Sources Say
Ellen Barkin fended off a burglar who broke into her Greenwich Village apartment, holding a door to an outer balcony as he tried to push his way back inside, law enforcement sources say. Sources said the 63-year-old actress was in her apartment when she noticed a strange man; he was also inside and was heading to a third-floor balcony. She shut the door to keep him outside and held it as he tried to muscle his way back in. The man was holding a bag of jewelry, though it's not clear if it belonged to Barkin. He dropped the bag on the balcony, then jumped onto the fire escape and ran off.
Agent, Publicist Drop Spacey as More Allegations Surface
The talent agency CAA is no longer representing Kevin Spacey. A person with knowledge of the decision who was not authorized to speak publicly confirmed that both CAA and Spacey's publicist Staci Wolfe have parted ways with the actor amid growing claims of sexual harassment against him. CNN reported Thursday that eight current or former "House of Cards" workers claim Spacey made the Netflix production a "toxic" workplace and one ex-employee alleges the actor sexually assaulted him. In a statement to NBC News, Spacey's representatives said the actor is getting help and would take a step back for evaluation.
