Latest news with #EmpireState
Mint
5 days ago
- Business
- Mint
Wall Street week ahead: Spotlight on Israel-Iran conflict, Fed rate decision, oil prices
Major focus of the Wall Street investors in the week ahead will be on the Israel-Iran conflict and US Federal Reserve's monetary policy decision. Last Friday, Israel launched massive assault on Iran's nuclear amd military sites. On Saturday, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue to strike hard at Iran and said the goal of the Israeli operation is two fold - to foil Iran's nuclear ambitions and to stop its ballistic missiles programme. Due to the conflict, oil prices rallied on worries about the crude supply. The price of a barrel of benchmark US crude soared 7.3% to $72.98. Brent crude, the international standard, rose 7% to $74.23 for a barrel. Iran is one of the world's major producers of oil. If a war becomes wider, it could slow the flow of Iranian oil and keep the price of crude and gasoline higher across the world. The US central bank's Monetary Policy Committee is widely expected to leave the key rate unchanged. Next week, market participants will also see the release of data on the US retail sales, housing starts and building permits. On June 16 (Monday), a report on Empire State manufacturing survey for June will be released. On June 17 (Tuesday), separate reports on US retail sales for May, Import Price Index for May, Industrial Production for May, and Home Builder Confidence Index for June will be released. On June 18 (Wednesday), separate reports on housing starts for May, building permits for May, and FOMC interest-rate decision will be declared. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell will hold a press conference. On June 20 (Friday), separate reports on Philadelphia Fed manufacturing survey for June and US leading economic indicators for May will be released. Following companies are due to report first quarter results in the week ahead — Lennar, Jabil Inc., Kirkland's, Vince, Accenture, Kroger, and CarMax. US stocks slumped on Friday on worries over escalating conflict in the West Asia following Israel's attack on Iranian nuclear and military targets. The S&P 500 declined 1.13% to end the session at 5,976.97 points. The Nasdaq fell 1.30% to 19,406.83 points, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 1.79% to 42,197.79 points. In the bond market, the yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.41% from 4.36%. Gold prices jumped as investors searched for safe-heaven to park their funds. An ounce of gold rose 1.4%.
Fox News
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Mike Lawler tells NY Dem to 'f--- off' after chaos ignites on House floor
Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., tore into his fellow Empire State lawmaker on Thursday after the latter accosted Lawler on the House floor. Chaos briefly broke out in the House of Representatives during the chamber's final vote series of the week, when Rep. John Mannion, D-N.Y., began shouting at Lawler that he was on the wrong side of the floor. Democrats and Republicans traditionally sit on opposite sides of the chamber, but it's not unusual for lawmakers of either party to enter through any door and cross to their side. Mannion was then heard shouting at Lawler, "Get over there and tell them the country is falling apart." Lawler responded to Mannion on X, "John Mannion was entirely unhinged and unprofessional. That was a shameful display that exposed his complete lack of temperament." "No wonder numerous staffers have previously alleged a toxic work environment. He should go seek help for anger management — and f--- off," Lawler said. Unverified accusations arose during Mannion's campaign that he had created a toxic work environment for staffers in the New York State Senate, which the New York Democrat dismissed at the time as a "false political attack." Fox News Digital reached out to Mannion's office for comment but did not immediately hear back. The New York Democrat was heard shouting at reporters ahead of the confrontation, "We need you. We need you to hold them accountable. Media, it's your country too." "Don't cover the distractions. Cover the actions that lead us towards authoritarianism, please," Mannion yelled, according to Politico. Mannion is a first-term Democrat who unseated former Rep. Brandon Williams, R-N.Y., whose district boundaries were changed last year to include more blue-leaning areas. Lawler's office referred Fox News Digital to his statement on X when reached for comment. The dust-up was brief but is a sign of the sky-high tensions in the current political climate. Democrats were already furious over the forced ejection of Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., from a media event being held by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Thursday.
Yahoo
07-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NY Assembly Dems accused of ‘veiled antisemitism' after killing bipartisan bill to commemorate Oct. 7 attack on Israel
ALBANY – Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie torpedoed a bipartisan bill that would have commemorated the horrific Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel. The Bronx pol went to extraordinary lengths Friday to ensure that the measure would not make it to the Assembly floor for a vote, stacking a committee with compliant Democratic allies who'd vote to scuttle it, sources said. The bill, sponsored by Republican Assemblyman Lester Chang, would have enshrined Oct. 7 alongside other days of commemoration in the Empire State, such as 'Rosa Parks Day' and 'Susan B. Anthony Day.' Sources suggested that Heastie, the most powerful Democrat in the Assembly, likely didn't want a bill with a Republican as its primary sponsor reach the floor for a vote — even though a number of Dems co-sponsored it. 'It shouldn't be controversial just because I'm a Republican,' said Chang (R-Brooklyn). 'It's ugly. It's destructive. It's hurtful for both sides,' Chang said of Heastie's actions, adding, 'And it's important that we remember 1,200 victims.' The move to kill the Oct. 7 bill follows chaotic behind-the-scenes drama that unfolded this week when Heastie permitted putting up a resolution honoring Palestinian Americans onto the floor before yanking it at the last minute. The lower chamber's ways and means committee also killed a bill by Assemblyman Ari Brown (R-Nassau) that would've required New York schools to teach about Oct. 7, in addition to making it a day of commemoration like Chang's measure. Brown, who is Jewish, accused the Democrats of 'veiled antisemitism.' 'Albany's legislature is rotten with veiled antisemitism, and their sabotage of my bill, A06557, to honor October 7th victims and fight hate, is proof,' Brown said. 'If this were a bill for the Black or Hispanic community, it would've passed with praise and fanfare. This isn't just obstruction; it's a vile, calculated betrayal of Jews as a minority, letting hatred win with their cowardly tactics.' Other lawmakers piled on condemning the Democrats' allegedly craven — or worse — motivations. 'It's particularly disheartening to see a bill held for purely political reasons,' said Assemblyman Ed Ra (R-Nassau), the top GOP lawmaker on the ways and means committee. 'These bills are designed to ensure we remember the atrocities of October 7, 2023 and help combat antisemitism, neither of which should ever be partisan or political.' The Oct. 7, 2023 attacks by terrorist group Hamas and Israel's subsequent war in Gaza have roiled New York politics and exposed bitter rifts among Democrats. The divide can be clearly seen in New York City's mayoral race, where old-school Democrat Andrew Cuomo has presented himself as a steadfast supporter of Israel and its fight against Hamas. Cuomo is the contest's frontrunner, but Israel critic Zohran Mamdani — a Democratic socialist Assembly member from Queens — is nipping at his heels. Many progressive Dems and leftists have claimed Israel's actions amount to genocide against Palestinians. Pro-Israel advocates have said that stance is antisemitic. One high-ranking Democratic Big Apple lawmaker said uniting over commemorating the 1,200 victims and dozens of hostages still being held by Hamas should be a no-brainer. 'There should be no controversy of a day commemorating the largest slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust,' the lawmaker said. The bill's road to legislative purgatory began when ways and means committee Chair and top Heastie lieutenant Assemblyman Gary Pretlow (D-Westchester) announced that four regular members of the panel would be substituted by other, 'acting' members. The four members included one Jewish lawmaker and another who reps a district with a significant Jewish population, as well as Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn (D-Brooklyn), would've voted against killing it, her spokesperson said. But the spokesperson noted that Bichotte Hermelyn would've preferred the bill had a Democratic sponsor. Chang said that he'd be willing to let a Democrat take over as the bill's sponsor if it meant passing it. Substitutions on committees aren't unheard of, but the maneuver is usually made to spare a member from making a tough vote or when leadership expects some of its members to vote out of line, as happened Friday. Several Democrats – Assemblymembers Ed Braunstein, William Colton, Jeffrey Dinowitz, Nily Rozic, Rebecca Seawright, and Amanda Septimo and David Weprin, who are all from New York City – broke from their party to support the commemoration bill. 'No one should use Oct. 7th as a political pawn. We owe the 56 hostages and their families more than that,' Rozic said. The sudden switcheroo on the commemoration bill committee came after Heastie also put the kibosh on a resolution honoring Palestinian Americans, sponsored by lefty Assemblywoman Emily Gallagher (D-Brooklyn), earlier this week. Tens of thousands of such resolutions are passed by the Assembly every year, and are usually not controversial. A copy of the draft resolution obtained by The Post indicates it would have read that 'Palestinian Americans in New York are increasingly involved in advocacy, activism, and civil rights work, particularly related to Middle Eastern issues, anti-racism, and immigrants.' Sources said Heastie allowed the resolution onto the floor with strict instructions for Gallagher to keep her remarks specific to it, meaning he didn't want her to opine on the Israel-Gaza war. But Heastie caught wind that that Republicans were going to call for a roll call vote — meaning every member would have to be recorded as voting in support or against her resolution — a highly unusual, if not totally unheard of move, sources familiar with the backroom dealings said. Heastie then pulled the measure, so as to avoid any drama on the Assembly floor. A spokesperson for Heastie did not return a request for comment. — Additional reporting by Matt Troutman
Fox News
03-06-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Nonstick pans face potential ban in New York amid health concerns
Some lawmakers in New York state are looking to ban nonstick pans in the Empire State. Senate Bill S1767 would prohibit the manufacture, sale and use of cookware containing polytetrafluorethylene, which is commonly known as Teflon. Teflon is also a member of PFAS. These are known as "forever chemicals" because they take hundreds – or even thousands – of years to break down in the environment. The chemical coating is commonly used on cookware to make it "nonstick." The bill would ban Teflon cookware – including, but not limited to, pots, pans, skillets, grills, cooking utensils and cooking appliances. The Make America Healthy Again Commission, chaired by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., recently released a report assessing chronic diseases, particularly those suffered by children. In the MAHA report, PFAS are tied to a harmful impact on children's health. The report notes that "high levels of certain types of PFAS exposure [have] been associated with a variety of health effects, including immune suppression and changes in cholesterol in children." "It is also possible for very small amounts of PFAS to enter foods through food packaging, processing and cookware," writes the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) on its site. The FDA authorizes certain PFAS in cookware and food packaging. "Because exposure to some types of PFAS has been linked to serious health effects, we are working to better understand PFAS in foods," says the FDA. Steve Burns of the Cookware Sustainability Alliance, a nonprofit organization, told Fox News Digital his group has been meeting with many members of the New York state Senate and Assembly. "We've presented that the nonstick coating material used on cookware is the same exact material used to coat a pacemaker and has been approved for use on both products by the U.S. FDA for over 60 years." "The coating is a well-studied, completely stable and inert material that has been shown for decades to be safe, non-toxic and most importantly not water-soluble," he said. "Several other states are following the science for nonstick cookware, and we continue to encourage New York State lawmakers to do the same." In 2022, Australian researchers said that just one surface crack on a Teflon-coated pan could release around 9,100 plastic particles. "Given the fact [that] PFAS [are] a big concern, these Teflon microparticles in our food might be a health concern, [which] needs investigating because we don't know much about these emerging contaminants," University of Newcastle researcher Dr. Cheng Fang – one of the study's authors – said in a release from Flinders University. Fox News Digital reached out to the FDA for comment.
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Upstate GOP lawmaker pushing bill to allow hands-free gas pumps in New York — joining rest of United States
New Yorkers might finally be able to go hands-free at the gas pump if one upstate lawmaker gets his way. State Sen. Joe Griffo (R-Onedia) has introduced a bill to greenlight the use of clips to hold open gas pump nozzles throughout the Empire State — devices already legal in the country's 49 other states. Griffo said he sponsored the legislation after investigating the matter following complaints from constituents. 'This bill would bring New York State in line with the rest of the country, [and] protect the elderly and other New Yorkers by limiting their exposure to harsh and potentially dangerous weather conditions when pumping gas, and [it would] rein in government overreach,' Griffo said in a statement to The Post Saturday. The bill, introduced April 15, will be 'supported by many, especially given advances in pump technology and station safety features.' New York's fire code has not allowed gas clips since the early 1980s, when self-service pumps were first approved. There were concerns then that the devices could fail and allow gas to overflow out of a vehicle, but the worries have been unwarranted based on use in other states. Griffo has compared the gas clip-rules to government overreach, limiting the number of gallons per minute that flow through showerheads and other appliances, such as dishwashers, washing machines and toilets. President Donald Trump signed an executive order last month calling for an immediate end to water pressure regulations implemented by former Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama, touting the action will make 'America's Showers Great Again' — and keep his signature blond hair 'beautiful.'
