A man was arrested for allegedly setting off fireworks that burned down a home in Brooklyn. Damien Bend, 36, is charged with arson in the fourth degree. On June 24, firefighters responded to the home on E. 51 St. for reports of a fire on the first floor of a two-and-a-half story home. It took 60 firefighters to bring the flames under control. The Fire Marshal said video footage obtained of the incident shows Bend igniting fireworks in the driveway of the home when a burst from one of them entered an open window on the first floor. The Fire Marshal said Bend continued to set off the remaining fireworks before entering his house to retrieve more. In the last nine days, Fire Marshals have arrested 17 people and confiscated approximately $36,700 worth of illegal fireworks.

Many people received summonses in NYC this week due to confusion about the new alternate side parking regulations. NYC Councilman Chaim Deutsch gave YWN the following statement: “There has been substantial confusion from many New York City drivers about the new alternate side regulations that are in effect until Labor Day. The new regulations began on Monday, June 29, but unclear instructions from the administration have caused drivers to misunderstand where they can park. Many of my constituents received summonses after parking on a particular side of their street believing in good faith that they were permitted to park there.

Despite viral rumors on social media stating that a Federal Judge in NY ruled that summer camps would not be allowed to open, it is nothing more than “fake news”. The only update in the case is that “supplemental briefs” have been filed – both by the State of New York, as well as by the attorney representing the Association of Jewish Camp Operators (AJCO). The briefs were filed on Wednesday. At this point, there is no news other than waiting for a decision by the judge. That’s what happens when “news sources” publish news without even bothering to verify what they are posting – or even bother to read the date on a court document. STAY UPDATED WITH BREAKING UPDATES FROM YWN VIA WHATSAPP – SIGN UP NOW Just click on this link, and you will be placed into a group.

A man reportedly slashed a 2-year-old boy across the face as the child was being pushed in a stroller down a Manhattan street this week. The boy was with his babysitter near W. 110th Street and Morningside Drive in Morningside Heights around 9:30 a.m. Wednesday when the man came up and pretended to play with the child, and then suddenly slashed the boy above his eye. It’s unclear what he used to slash the toddler. The individual then fled the scene on foot westbound on West 110 Street. The victim suffered a laceration above his right eye and EMS removed him to Mt. Sinai St. Luke’s Hospital in stable condition. The individual is described as a male, approximately 5’6″ in height, with short black hair; last seen wearing a white shirt, dark colored shorts, black socks and black sneakers.

Two members of Congress representing New York City, Yvette Clarke and House Judiciary Committee Chair Jerry Nadler, have prevailed in the state’s Democratic primary. Thousands of votes cast by mail in the primary that concluded June 23 have yet to be counted, but an AP analysis of absentee ballots returned so far indicated Wednesday that both held leads after in-person voting that were too large for their opponents to overcome. Clarke defeated four challengers in New York’s 9th Congressional District, including Adem Bunkeddeko, who she also beat in a primary in 2018. Clarke, 55, has been in Congress since 2007 and is the only Black woman in New York’s congressional delegation. Her district covers parts of Brooklyn including Crown Heights, Flatbush and Sheepshead Bay.

Mayor Bill de Blasio said Thursday that the city is “full steam ahead” for reopening schools in September, with multiple plans already being discussed to bring as many students back to classrooms as possible. “We are doing the work right now to make September successful, to make the new school year successful,” de Blasio said at his daily briefing. “We’re full steam ahead for September—the goal of course to have the maximum number of kids in our schools.” The mayor said 450,000 families responded to a recent survey about schools. The survey found 75 percent of families wanted to send their children back to school in September. De Blasio said the city is developing multiple plans and contingencies with teachers, principals and parents.

Children with serious illnesses and their families enjoyed a much-needed night out from the comfort and safety of their cars at Chai Lifeline’s Summer Kickoff Concert in Monsey, NY on July 1. The concert was the first in a series of programs and events for “Camp Simcha Without Borders,” Chai Lifeline’s new initiative to bring the magic of Camp Simcha to communities across the country this summer. Social media personality Meir Kay emceed the program, which featured performances by Beri Weber, Avraham Fried, Yoni Z, Eli Gerstner and the Yeshiva Boys Choir, and others. Close to 1,000 excited children and families sang and danced along to the music in their cars and enjoyed boxed dinners prepared by Chai Lifeline volunteers.

There’s a new warning about a bizarre scam surrounding face masks. Federal officials say cards claiming that someone is exempt from wearing a mask in public are fake. One phony card claims businesses trying to enforce the rule by requiring the card carrier to wear a mask will face tens of thousands of dollars in fines. Investigators also say the FTBA, or Freedom to Breathe Agency, is not part of the government. Cards have surfaced in the New York area and other parts of the country. COVID-19 ALERT: Fraudulent Facemask Flyers, “Exempt” Cards not Authorized by U.S. Department of Justice https://t.co/pTa64ILFZK pic.twitter.com/4A1wKvDpCK — US Attorney MDNC (@USAO_MDNC) June 26, 2020 (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani was visitng the Whitehouse today, and on his way inside was asked about plans by Mayor DeBlasio to paint a giant “Black Lives Matters” on 5th Avenue – in front of Trump Tower. QUESTION: “The decision to paint Black Lives Matter on 5th Ave, do you agree with that?” RUDY GIULIANI: “No, Black Lives Matter is a Marxist organization, run by three avowed Marxists – go check – Black Lives Matter has been planning to destroy the police for 3 years. They’ve finally gotten stupid Democrat mayors to agree with them.” Rudy then went on to blast DeBlasio and the rising crime rate in NYC. Watch the video below: (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

Emergency personnel are on the scene of a building collapse in Brooklyn. The incident was reported at 338 Court St. just after 4:30PM on Wednesday. A partial stop work order had been issued for failure to maintain the building and it appears to have been under construction. The building housed a gym called Body Elite on the first floor. The building is a three story building under construction. FDNY reports all workers have been accounted for. FDNY has pulled all members from conducting searches do to the possibility of a secondary collapse.   (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)