Nearly a week after the collapse, rescuers continue to searching for those still missing
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(NewsNation) — President-elect Donald Trump’s new border czar, Tom Homan, tells NewsNation’s Ali Bradley criminal gangs like Tren de Aragua will be his “priority target,” and he will root them out once he takes office.
“We’ve been saying from Day 1 that the priority right out of the gate is public safety threats and national security threats. Tren de Aragua is a public safety threat,” Homan said. “They have proven that they’re in at least 16 states across this country, and they’ll be a priority.”
Tren de Aragua is a gang that started in a prison in the Venezuelan state of Aragua nearly a decade ago. It’s since expanded into what the Justice Department calls a “transnational criminal organization.”
The gang has spread to 16 U.S. states, according to a New York Post report citing an internal Department of Homeland Security memo. The Venezuelan gang is the fastest-growing transnational criminal organization, in part because the U.S. government cannot track criminal records in Venezuela. As such, members of the gang are more easily able to blend in with law-abiding migrants.
In Colorado, Aurora police have acknowledged that “components of Tren de Aragua” are operating in the area and have identified at least 10 known members.
Homan vowed to “remove them” and says he’s been working with state and law enforcement to monitor the gang’s activity.
“We’ll be attacking Tren de Aragua right where they operate, where they live, and we’re going to put them in detention,” he said.
For the gang members who are applying for asylum, Homan said he will be putting on strict conditions of release.
“Participating in gang activity is a violation of conditions of release, so at a minimum, we want to take them back into custody,” he said.
Homan blamed President Joe Biden’s border policies as the reason why the U.S. hasn’t been able to force Venezuela to take the gang members back, but that will all change under Trump, he said.
“Starting January 20, we’ll have a very strong America-first president who’s going to negotiate, if he needs to negotiate, or simply make these countries do what they should do,” Homan said.
“In the small chance they won’t take them back, then we’ll send them to other countries,” he said, adding that he is already in talks with several countries willing to take the gang members.
The first night of Hanukkah was a joyous one in Brooklyn, as hundreds of people from all over the country gathered to light the borough’s largest menorah in Grand Army Plaza.
It was a cold night, said Rabbi Shimon Hecht of Congregation B’Nai Jacob in Park Slope, but it was filled with light and celebration.
“The first night was unbelievable, the energy was special,” Hecht said. “So many people told us it was the best Hanukkah they ever had.”
Both longtime locals and visitors from far-away cities told Hecht how meaningful it was to celebrate Hanukkah in such a unique way, with so many people gathered together, he said.
Brooklynites will head to Grand Army Plaza to light the 32-foot-tall menorah every night of Hanukkah, as has been tradition for almost 40 years.
The celebration is meant to “publicize the miracle of Hanukkah,” Hecht said. The holiday marks an ancient victory and a holy miracle — when just one days’ worth of oil left in the Second Temple, in Jerusalem, which had just been reclaimed by the Maccabees, lasted for eight days.
Hanukkah carries with it a message of freedom, light over darkness, and the victory of the Maccabees over their enemies, Hecht said.
“We focus on the oil, the fact that it lasted for eight days and nights is a message to each and every one of us that if we put forth our best effort and search for that will, God will provide a miracle for us,” he said. “And what we think is only a little bit will end up being something that is so much greater than we ever imagined.”
Bobby Dweck, a lifelong Brooklynite, had a miracle of his own on Wednesday night as he headed to his first lighting of Brooklyn’s largest menorah. He went to the wrong place initially, he told Brooklyn Paper, and had to rush to Grand Army Plaza.
But he made it, and once he arrived, was shocked to be chosen to ride to the top of the menorah to help light the first candle. Getting to the top was “a little scary,” he said, but the experience was “exhilarating.”
“Just to be part of something like that was very special,” he said. “It was really cool. Like, seeing everyone happy, smiling, singing, and to be up there and light the candle — I couldn’t believe it. It was really a very special time, and a very special moment.”
The first night was celebrated with live performances, fresh latkes, and free gifts for little ones, and the food and toys will continue for all eight. Special guests are also slated to attend most nights — Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso on Sunday, Hecht said, and Mayor Eric Adams on Monday.
Seeing the singing, dancing, and gift-giving gave Dweck hope.
“You see social media, you think the world’s coming to an end,” he said. “But when you actually meet people, you realize most people are just good people. You walk in and you say, ‘You know what? This world’s going to be OK.’”
The sheer size of the menorah emphasizes the message of Hanukkah and the celebration, Hecht said.
“When people come together at such a massive menorah, it allows for their Jewish pride to express itself in a manner that is greater than what they’re usually used to,” he said.
As they celebrated light and miracles in Grand Army Plaza, Hecht said the crowd was also praying for the hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza, more than a year after they were kidnapped.
“We are hoping, and we’re praying that we experience a miracle at this time, for the hostages … that they be released to light, and that they experience a miracle,” he said. “The Hanukkah miracle of light should be with them and their families to be reunited in good health, and that we should have peace in the Middle East and peace around the world.”
Additional reporting by Erica Price
Bayview Houses became a festive holiday wonderland on Saturday, Dec. 21, as the tenant association hosted a heartwarming toy giveaway for local families.
Despite the chilly weather, the warmth of holiday cheer filled both the community and the Bayview gymnasium, which was lined with tables of toys from one end to the other. The gym resembled Santa’s workshop, with hundreds of toys awaiting the young residents.
Dozens of children and their parents gathered from noon to 3 p.m. at the community center, located at 2085 Rockaway Parkway in Canarsie. A spread of hot chocolate, coffee, donuts and cakes welcomed families in, while a toy giveaway included a variety of gifts for different age groups.
Children were invited to select one toy from the main tables provided by the Bayview Houses Community Association (BCHA). They also had the opportunity to pick another toy from a separate table of gifts donated by Assembly Member Jaime Williams, with support from Tru Fly and Speech Administrator DC22.
Williams was on hand, greeting children and parents and posing for photos with youngsters. Her personal involvement and generosity made the day even more special. Donald Cranston from Williams’ office also assisted with toy distribution and helped ensure the event ran smoothly.
The event was organized by the BCHA in partnership with PACT Development Team Partners. Sheryl Boyce, president of the BCHA, said she was grateful for the smiles on children’s faces as they received gifts.
(NewsNation) — President-elect Donald Trump has warned federal employees who have been working on a remote basis that if they want to keep their jobs, they will need to return to their given office spaces.
However, forcing government employees back into the office may not be as easy as threatening them with termination, a Republican lawmaker tells NewsNation.
U.S. Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., said he anticipates that as the newly formed Department Of Government Efficiency (DOGE) prepares to tackle government waste, a downsizing of the federal workforce may be required.
Trump’s campaign promise to force federal workers back to the office comes at a time when 17 of the 24 federal office buildings in Washington are at 25% capacity or less, according to a report released by the Government Accountability Office in the fall of 2023.
The study found that the government spends an estimated $2 billion per year maintaining the office space and an additional $5 billion per year to lease it.
However, as Trump pushes to force workers back into the office, Comer, the chairman of the House Oversight Committee, told NewsNation that many government employee contracts include clauses that allow for remote work on a hybrid or full-time basis.
Trump said earlier this month that he plans to do away with a waiver that he said President Joe Biden provided federal employees to work from home. He said that if needed, his administration would fight the waiver in court to force workers back to the office.
“If people don’t want to come back to work, come back into the office, they’re going to be dismissed,” Trump said.
Comer told NewsNation that enforcing such a threat won’t come without a legal challenge from the unions representing federal employees.
“This will probably head to court. But in the court of public opinion, I think the people that work hard every day and have to go to work and pay taxes, I don’t think they’re very happy with the fact that such a high percentage of the federal workforce is working from home,” Comer told NewsNation. “And they’re not held accountable like the employees who work for the federal government, who have to go to the office every day.”
Although the government is spending billions each year on physical office space, experts maintain that the solution DOGE is seeking doesn’t come by filling government-leased buildings with federal employees. Comey told NewsNation that in addition to closing down excessive federal offices, more attention needs to be paid to the workforce itself.
Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who have been tasked with heading up DOGE, have suggested that they would like to eliminate 25% of the federal workforce. However, Comer, who believes employees are more responsive and efficient in the office than they are from home, says that rather than eliminating jobs, the priority should be determining what government employees actually do.
The New York Times reported that of the 2.3 million civilian workers working for the government in May, 1.1 million were eligible for telework, and about 228,000 were eligible for entirely remote work.
“Some of them haven’t been seen since prior to COVID,” Comer said. “We’ve got to bring them back, and I would like for every employee to have to explain to some competent person exactly what their job entails and what their day looks like working from home.”
As DOGE prepares to get to work, Comer said that federal officials need to find a balance when it comes to what the work environment for many of these government employees looks like.
“The bottom line is, we have too many federal employees, the taxpayers cannot continue to pay them good federal benefits: the long-term pensions, the long-term health insurance, in addition to the just the everyday payroll,” Comer told NewsNation. “The taxpayers cannot put this burden anymore, and we’re going to have to get more efficient.”
The Flowery, a Florida-based medical dispensary, opened its newest legal adult-use cannabis dispensary in Williamsburg on Dec. 20, marking the company’s fourth location in New York City.
This opening at 692 Grand St. marks part of The Flowery’s continued expansion in New York, where it aims to set a new benchmark for cannabis retail.
Founded in 2019 as a medical marijuana delivery service in Homestead, Florida, The Flowery now operates in 10 regions across the state. In New York, the company partners with dispensary license holders to support their business ventures.
Ilya Schmidt, vice president of sales and retail operations at The Flowery, told Brooklyn Paper the plan is to open four more locations in New York by the summer of 2025.
“I think New York is desperate for quality and a good cannabis experience and brands that are ingrained in the culture,” Schmidt said. “We are quality first.”
The Flowery is an integrated medical marijuana operator, handling every aspect of the business, from growing plants to selling medical cannabis, as required by Florida’s vertical integration rule. Schmidt explained that it’s this expertise The Flowery brings to its New York customers, particularly those using marijuana for medicinal purposes.
“We hang our hat on having the best quality because we understand what [medicinal marijuana] helps with. And that educational piece we give to the community and our staff is so important,” Schmidt said. “We’re not just growing marijuana for fun. We’re growing it with a purpose because we want it to impact people in a positive way.”
Donovan Garrison, one of The Flowery’s co-founders, emphasized the importance of cannabis for treating a range of medical conditions. Garrison told Brooklyn Paper that his brother, a former Iraq war veteran, believed marijuana helped alleviate PTSD symptoms. When his brother passed away in 2017, the family continued his legacy by opening The Flowery.
“[My brother] was scared to smoke because he would lose his military benefits, but he thought that if he was able to get a license, it would help veterans. So we kind of took that one as a family,” Garrison explained.
Garrison acknowledged that he used to be “one of those people” who didn’t believe cannabis had any medicinal purpose.
“My wife started using cannabis around 2010, and it changed her life,” Garrison said. “I truly believe in it as medicine, and, yes, if you want to chill out and use it as recreational, it’s your business.”
The Flowery carries a variety of brands, including Jaunty, Doobie Labs, Danks, and Supernaturals. Products range from pre-rolls and edibles to tinctures, concentrates, and flowers.
Nicholas Huminski, cultivator at Supernaturals New York, one of the first adult-use conditional cultivators (AUCC) in the state, attended the opening and provided samples of the company’s products. Supernaturals offers whole-flower pre-rolls and a line of THC-infused herbal blend gummies with minor cannabinoid infusions.
Supernaturals grows its cannabis plants on a 50-acre farm in the Hudson Valley and prides itself on setting the standard for sustainably grown cannabis.
“We utilize organic practices. We actually have a pair of sheep. So our sheep graze and fertilize our soil in the off-season, and then we use OMRI-certified organic materials. There’s no pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides ever used on the farm,” Huminski said.
General manager Kepler Vilsaint told Brooklyn Paper that his goal is to create an environment where customers feel comfortable.
“[Customers] can spend their money anywhere,” he said. “I want to create a culture where people want to shop here because of the knowledge we have, how we treat people [and] the energy we create.”
The real estate listing site StreetEasy presented a series of predictions that 2025 may have in store for the market in New York City in a report by StreetEasy Senior Economist Kenny Lee.
Lee came up with five big predictions following a year in which housing costs reached new highs and landmark changes were made within the housing industry. He noted that the rental and for-sale markets will likely be influenced by affordability. These predictions are based on recent trends seen in 2024.
The first big prediction is that affordability challenges will lead more potential buyers to look towards getting co-ops. These types of homes are typically cheaper than condos. While the approval process to get a co-op can sometimes be difficult, more potential buyers may be willing to endure this if it means saving a lot of money during a time in which mortgage rates and asking prices are high.
The next prediction is that a limit on available suburban homes in the New York metro area will dissuade New York City residents from attempting to leave the area, as the shortage has led to increased competition for the few that are for sale. There were actually more listings for the sales market in New York City compared to these suburbs in 2024, providing more options for buyers and more negotiating power.
A boom in the luxury market is the third prediction. High-end properties are becoming more accessible as a result of recent downward trends in prices and interest rates. While December 2023 saw the highest starting price since 2018, at $4.95 million, that number has since plummeted 6.1% to $4.65 million in November 2024. The lower costs open this market up to more prospective buyers, who will seek to take advantage of the trends to get these units at a much better deal.
Another prediction is that the new developments and amenities that have opened or will soon open in Queens and Brooklyn, as well as in Jersey City and Hoboken, will result in an increased demand within these areas. New rental developments in Queens and Brooklyn have led to the boroughs catching up with Manhattan when it came to rental inventory in 2024. The expectation is this trend will continue in 2025, with rising inventories in these boroughs helping to stabilize the rental market in New York City.
Lastly, it is likely that there will be an increased demand among New Yorkers for amenities like outdoor spaces, pools and gyms. This is based on the belief that more New Yorkers will want to find comfort and convenience at home. This is especially true for those with hybrid work trends, wherein they work some or most of their job from home.
