Articles by JAKE OFFENHARTZ

Manhattan Tourist Site The Vessel, Closed in 2021 After Suicides, Will Reopen This Year

The Vessel, a climbable sculpture that drew hordes of tourists to the Hudson Yards megadevelopment on Manhattan’s west side before a string of suicides forced its closure in 2021, will reopen to the public later this year with added safety …

Mayor Says New York City Will ‘Iron Out Kinks’ in Errant Chatbot

An artificial intelligence-powered chatbot created by New York City to help small business owners is under criticism for dispensing bizarre advice that misstates local policies and advises companies to violate the law. But days after the issues were first reported …

Construction Workers Had Little Warning as Baltimore Bridge Collapsed. Why?

In the moments before the cargo ship Dali rammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge and sent it crumbling into the water, a flurry of urgent warnings crackled over radios and enabled police to block traffic from getting on the …

New York Police Target Critics, Including Judges and Journalists, Using Social Media

The first “NYPD: Most Wanted” video was meant to be intimidating. Over a pounding soundtrack, the montage cuts among stock images and body-camera footage of actual police raids. A fake gun discharges. Real officers break down a door, barking orders …

Jury Finds Former NRA Chief LaPierre Misspent Gun Group’s Funds, Owes $4.4M

The longtime head of the National Rifle Association, Wayne LaPierre, misspent millions of dollars of the organization’s money, using the funds to pay for an extravagant lifestyle that included exotic getaways and trips on private planes and superyachts, a New …

Jury Awards Carroll $83 Million in Defamation Case Against Trump

A jury awarded $83.3 million to E. Jean Carroll on Friday in a stinging and expensive rebuke to former President Donald Trump for his continued social media attacks against the longtime advice columnist over her claims that he sexually assaulted …

Firefighters Find No Victims in Debris of Collapsed Bronx Apartment Building

Firefighters said they didn`t find anybody trapped in an enormous mound of rubble Monday after a corner of a seven-story Bronx apartment building collapsed, leaving apartments exposed like a stack of shelves and a convenience store partly buried under bricks …

New York Drying Out After Soaking by Record Rainfall

New York City began drying out Saturday after being soaked by one of its wettest days in decades, as city dwellers dried out basements and traffic resumed on highways, railways and airports that were temporarily shuttered by Friday`s severe rainfall. …

Manhattan Crane Collapse Linked to Owner, Operator With Past Safety Violations

As authorities continue to investigate a crane collapse that rained thousands of pounds of steel debris onto a busy Manhattan thoroughfare Wednesday, the owner and operator of the failed crane are facing scrutiny over past safety failures. The tower crane, …

New York City Construction Crane Catches Fire, Collapses and Crashes

A towering construction crane caught fire high above the West Side of Manhattan on Wednesday morning, causing its long arm to snap off, smash against a nearby building and plummet to the street as people ran for their lives on …