Tag Archives: New York

Tremors in U.S. Northeast caused by sonic boom, not quake: USGS

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Residents from New Jersey to Connecticut reported feeling earthquake-like shaking on Thursday afternoon, but U.S. seismologists said the vibrations were likely the result of a series of sonic booms.

The U.S. Geological Survey, which monitors earthquake activity, said no quake had struck. The agency reported at least nine sonic booms had been recorded over 90 minutes starting at 1:24 p.m. near Hammonton, New Jersey, about 35 miles southeast of Philadelphia.

On Twitter, users said they felt several tremors, particularly in southern New Jersey.

It was not immediately clear what had caused the sonic booms, which are generated by airplanes traveling in the air faster than the speed of sound.

Some news reports suggested that military aircraft from McGuire Air Force Base, approximately 35 miles north of Hammonton, were the likely source.

But the McGuire base said on Twitter that its training ranges were clear on Thursday and that none of its aircraft are capable of creating sonic booms. In a subsequent post, the base said it was working with local authorities to determine a cause.

Seismologists at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University in New York also confirmed that no earthquake had occurred in the region and that they had measured vibrations and low-frequency sound waves consistent with about eight sonic booms from approximately 1:20 p.m. to 2:40 p.m.

Won-Young Kim, a research professor at the observatory, said residents on the ground likely would not have heard the booms but would have experienced 15 to 20 seconds of shaking during each one.

The tremors produced numerous emergency calls to local police departments, some of which took to Twitter to ask residents not to flood their emergency lines with any more reports.

No damage was immediately reported.

Some Twitter users offered a lighthearted response. One person using the handle @VixenRogue quipped: “Aliens are invading New Jersey. What’s the best way to let them know the other 49 states are just fine with this?”

The reports came two days after residents in Charleston, South Carolina, said they felt tremors. The shaking was likely caused by sonic booms from F-18 fighter jets on a training run from a nearby military base, according to media reports.

Sonic booms are often mistaken for seismic activity, according to the USGS website.

(Reporting by Joseph Ax; Additional reporting by Curtis Skinner in San Francisco; Editing by Andrew Hay and Sandra Maler)

Death Toll in New York Legionnaires’ Outbreak Rises

New York City officials reported Wednesday another death from the current Legionnaires’ Disease outbreak that has now sickened almost 100 people.

“This is the largest outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease that we are aware of in New York City,” Health Commissioner Mary Bassett said.

Although officials with the city’s Department of Health and Mental Health would not say where the victim had lived, they did say that like the other deaths it was an older person with other medical issues.

In addition to the news about the death and the 11 new cases of the disease, New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio announced the city will be making a new law governing the cooling towers that have been confirmed to be the source of the latest outbreak.

“What we need and what the legislation will achieve is a complete registry of every single building that has (a cooling tower),” the mayor said. “That does not exist as a matter of law right now.”

Community residents were thankful the government was finally taking action but wondered why it took so long to happen.

“The health (commissioner) of the City of New York needs to step up her game,” said Alexander Freeman, 57, a cook at the East Side House Settlement, told the New York Daily News. “I’m still afraid that it might come down here.

“Everybody is nervous. How would you feel if this was your backyard?”

New York Legionnaires Death Toll Now Seven

New York health officials held a public meeting Monday on the current Legionnaires’ Disease outbreak and admitted the death toll has reached seven.

In addition to the seven deaths, more than 80 others have been confirmed to have the deadly bacteria.

Health officials made a point to say those who died were older and had other health problems.  They were also confident they found the source of the outbreak. Health officials are currently investigating five cooling towers in the South Bronx. All five towers tested positive for legionella bacteria, but health officials believe one of the towers is the source of the outbreak. Since the investigation, all five cooling towers have been cleaned and flushed to remove the bacteria.

 

“The five sites we have found, we’re confident based on scientific evidence we have identified only sites that are causing this outbreak,” New York Mayor Bill DeBlasio told reporters.

“This is the largest outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease that we are aware of in New York City,” Health Commissioner Mary Bassett told NBC. “Although we will continue to see cases, we expect the case rate to decline and the number of cases to fall over the coming weeks.”

One infectious disease expert said it’s surprising we don’t see more outbreaks.

“What surprises me more is that we don’t see it more often, it’s common in cooling towers or central air conditioning systems,” Dr. Stephen Morse, an infectious disease expert at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, said to ABC News. “You’re going to find it in a lot of places where there are no reports of people being sick.”

Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreak In New York Kills Two

An outbreak of Legionnaires’ Disease in the Bronx has killed two people and left dozens more sickened according to city health officials.

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene reported 31 cases of the disease since July 10th.

“We are concerned about this unusual increase in Legionnaires’ Disease cases in the South Bronx,” Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett told reporters.  “We are conducting a swift investigation to determine the source of the outbreak and prevent future cases. I urge anyone with symptoms to seek medical attention right away.”

Officials say they are testing water from cooling towers along with humidifiers and air conditioning systems to determine the source of the outbreak.  City officials are worried with the hot weather striking New York that if the bacteria is in a drinking supply the number of cases could escalate.

The disease presents with pneumonia-like symptoms including fever, chills and headaches.  It cannot be spread from person to person.

The last major outbreak of the bacteria in New York was in December and January when 12 people were sickened in Co-op City.  The source was found to be a contaminated cooling tower.

Woman Adopts Dying Friend’s Four Daughters

When single mother Elizabeth Diamond died in April less than a year after being diagnosed with stage 5 brain cancer, she left this life with one less worry thanks for her friend Laura Ruffino.

Ruffino, who had been friends with Diamond since they were in grade school, adopted Diamond’s four daughters to make sure they had a loving, stable, caring home after their mother’s death.

“She said if anything ever happens to me I want you to take my girls and I instantly said ok,” said Ruffino.

“I would always want someone to do that for me. Her kids and I were so close anyway, because she was my best friend. I wanted to give her peace,” Ruffino added to ABC. “I can’t even imagine what she had to be going through.”

The family has not been forced to accommodate four new family members alone.  The community of Orchard Park, New York and surrounding towns have stepped up to provide the family with money and supplies they otherwise could not afford.

For example, someone donated a large refrigerator so that they could store enough food for the now family of 8.

“I’m in awe of the love and generosity we’re getting,” Ruffino told the New York Daily News. “I feel like Liz has her hand in all this and as a family we’re just getting stronger.”

Diamond’s family has been supportive of the adoption by the Ruffino family.

“I think it’s remarkably generous for Laura and her husband to do that,” Patricia Kaminski, Diamond’s aunt, told ABC. “I know Elizabeth’s family is very happy with that family. The rest of the family believe it’s an excellent outcome for the children.”

New York Stock Exchange Halted By Computer Glitch

Trading at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) was suddenly halted around 11:32 a.m. Eastern Time because of what officials termed a “computer glitch.”

The market was down over 200 points (over 1%) at the time of the halt.

“We’re currently experiencing a technical issue that we’re working to resolve as quickly as possible,” Marissa Arnold, an NYSE spokeswoman, said in an e-mailed statement. “We will be providing further updates as soon as we can, and are doing our utmost to produce a swift resolution, communicate thoroughly and transparently, and ensure a timely and orderly market re-open.”

The Nasdaq reported to problems and said they continue to trade stocks that are listed on the NYSE.

“It’s been a little bit of a bumpy day. We had some technical problems even before the opening,” said Art Cashin, director of floor operations at the NYSE, in a CNBC interview.

“This will not cause a move in any particular direction, so I would kind of wait it out and see what happens,” he added.

The uncertainty about Greece and a massive selling of Chinese stocks were driving the market lower.

The Department of Homeland Security told CNN they found “no sign of malicious activity” at the stock exchange and no sign of a cyberattack.

New York Mayor Allows Churches To Continue To Meet In Schools

The mayor of New York said that he is not going to enforce the Supreme Court’s decision that the New York School System could ban Christian organizations from holding meetings in school buildings.

The Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal of a lower court decision that said the school board could prohibit churches under the Establishment Clause.  It was the third time the Court has sided with the city against churches.

Mayor Bill de Blasio said he will allow churches to continue to meet in public schools despite the ruling.

“The administration remains committed to ensuring that religious organizations are able to use space in city schools on the same terms provided to other groups,” said mayoral spokesman Wiley Norvell. “Now that litigation has concluded, the city will develop rules of the road that respect the rights of both religious groups and nonparticipants.”

“While we review and revise the rules, groups currently permitted to use schools for worship will continue to be able to worship on school premises under DOE guidelines,” he said.

The Alliance Defending Freedom, who represented the church in their case, said that while they welcome the Mayor’s decision, the rules need to be changed to allow equal access to all groups.

Two New York Women Charged With Terrorism Plot

Two female roommates in Queens, New York are charged with plotting a terrorist attack on American soil.

Noelle Velentzas, 28 and Asia Siddiqui, 31, are both U.S. citizens.  The complaint against them was unsealed Thursday at Federal District Court in Brooklyn.

“The investigation has revealed that Velentzas espouses violent jihadist beliefs and has repeatedly expressed an interest in terrorist attacks committed within the United States,” the complaint stated.

A source told Fox News the women were plotting to use pressure cooker bombs similar to the ones used in the Boston Marathon bombings.  They were also in possession of propane tanks along with instructions on how to turn them into bombs.

Both of the women had “repeated contact with members of the foreign terrorist organization al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.”  One of the women said that Osama Bin Laden was her “hero”.

In communications with terrorists, Velentzas asked why they would need to come to the middle east when there were plenty of opportunities for “pleasing Allah” in the U.S.

The women face life in prison if convicted on all charges.

New York Assembly Passes Bill To Kill Third Trimester Babies

A vote shows that 94 members of the New York State Assembly want to make it OK for babies to be killed in the third trimester by shooting poison into their hearts.

The bill, AB 6221, was sponsored by pro-abortion Assemblywoman Deborah Glick.  The bill would allow any woman in New York to kill their baby up to the moment of birth.  The bill also says that a woman could have an abortion at any time for any reason.

Currently, no third trimester abortions are allowed except in the case of the pregnancy endangering the life of the mother.

“Expanding cruel and brutal third-trimester abortions has long been a goal of the anti-life lobby who never met an abortion they didn’t like,” Lori Kehoe, executive director of New York Right to Life, told the Christian Post. “With no regard for the fully developed unborn baby who is violently dismembered, or otherwise killed, the New York State Assembly once again put the abortion lobby above New York State women and their children.”

Kehoe continued: “We now look once again to the Senate to hold the line in defense of the children which happens to also be in accordance with the will of the rest of the people. It is ridiculous that in 2015, with all the technology at our disposal, we are still arguing whether or not an eight month old baby in the womb deserves protection. It is doubtful that our descendants will look kindly upon this period in our history, when we fought for the right to dismember babies weeks, days and even minutes before birth.”

 

Plane Skids Off Icy LaGuardia Runway

The winter storm that shut down most of the eastern United States almost resulted in a horrific tragedy at New York’s LaGuardia airport.

A Delta Airlines flight from Atlanta slid off a runway and smashed through a fence.  The plane, with 125 passengers and five crew, slid to a stop feet from landing in the water.

Authorities reported at least 3 people were hospitalized for their injuries and many other suffered minor injuries.

The airport closed because of the “aircraft incident.”

Authorities on scene said that two planes landed just before the Delta flight without any problems.  The pilots reported “good braking action” for the flight.

The closure of the airport further hampered a day of travel crushed by winter storms.  The Dallas/Fort Worth airport, one of the busiest in America, was shot down because of ice covering the airport.