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Iran’s president has vowed to completely destroy Israel, should it proceed with even the "tiniest invasion" of its country.

President Ebrahim Raisi spoke Wednesday at an annual army parade warning Israel of a "massive and harsh" response, as the country braces for potential Israeli retaliation after Iran’s missile and drone attack over the weekend.

 

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Per Restaurant Business Online, the seafood-chain, which has around 650 locations across the United States, has struggled in recent years due to leadership troubles and strategic missteps. The company's financial struggles were magnified by economic hardships that have impacted a majority of American businesses since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Thai Union Group made the decision to cut ties with Red Lobster and look for a buyer in January, according to the outlet, which reported that Red Lobster suffered a $33 million loss in 2022.

The outlet attributed those losses to less Americans choosing to eat out at restaurants and an increase in food and labor costs. Red Lobster closed 16 locations, per the outlet.

 

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ELMIRA, N.Y. (WETM) — One person was injured after an Elmira City School District bus and a bicyclist crashed in Downtown Elmira on Tuesday night.

The school bus and bicyclist crashed at the intersection of East Water Street and Madison Avenue at about 9 p.m. on April 16. According to an 18 News Reporter at the scene, the bus had passengers inside and appeared to have been traveling west down East Water Street at the time of the crash.

 

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Fifty years ago this month, President Richard Nixon wasfacing impeachment. Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth's home run record. Leaders of the American Indian Movement were on trial after the armed standoff at Wounded Knee. And the song "Come and Get Your Love" was one of the biggest hits on the radio.

This soulful pop tune by the band Redbone was, in some ways, related to what was going on politically. It became the first song by an all-Native and Mexican American band to crack the Billboard Top 10, peaking at No. 5 on April 13, 1974.

Since its release on Redbone's 1973 album Wovoka, "Come and Get Your Love" has been used in commercials, on TV shows including the Netflix seriesF Is for Family and in movies. The song captured a new generation of fans in 2014, when actor Chris Pratt danced to it in the opening scene of Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy.

Musician Stevie Salas remembers first hearing "Come and Get Your Love" as a sixth grader in Oceanside, Calif., where it came on during a school dance. Salas, who is Apache, has played guitar with musicians such as Rod Stewart, Bootsy Collins, Mick Jagger and Justin Timberlake. He's also an executive producer on a documentary about Native musicians calledRumble: Indians Who Rocked The World. But back in sixth grade, he had no idea the musicians behind "Come and Get Your Love" were Native and Mexican American — until he saw them on TV.

"Redbone came on and they were all dressed like Natives. I mean, that was just mind-blowing," Salas recalls. "But at the same time, you'd see people dressed like that, you know, on Halloween. So I don't know, are they real Indians? It's like that. But they sure look cool."

 

Read more, and see the video, HERE. 

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CNN — NPR has suspended the senior business editor who penned a scathing online essay claiming the radio network had “lost America’s trust” by embracing a “progressive worldview,” prompting fierce right-wing backlash and calls to defund the public radio network.

NPR’s David Folkenflik reported on Tuesday that Uri Berliner’s five-day suspension without pay began last Friday. In a written letter notifying Berliner of the suspension, the network said he did not first seek approval for work in other outlets, as is required by NPR. It described the notice as a “final warning,” stating Berliner would be fired if he violated NPR’s policy again, Folkenflik reported.

An NPR spokeswoman told CNN the outlet “does not comment on individual personnel matters, including discipline.” Berliner did not immediately respond to a CNN request for comment.

 

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NEW YORK (AP) — Robert MacNeil, who created the even-handed, no-frills PBS newscast “The MacNeil-Lehrer NewsHour” in the 1970s and co-anchored the show with his late partner, Jim Lehrer, for two decades, died on Friday. He was 93.

MacNeil died of natural causes at New York-Presbyterian Hospital, according to his daughter, Alison MacNeil.

 

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Syracuse, N.Y. — More than a hundred police officers and other public safety officials silently stood shoulder to shoulder late Sunday night outside the door to the emergency room at Upstate University Hospital.

They had come from all over to show respect for Syracuse police officer Michael Jensen and sheriff’s Lt. Michael Hoosock, who were killed in a shootout earlier that night in Salina. Some were in their formal uniform, but others were wearing whatever they had on when they got the news and sped to the hospital.

Many were back patrolling the streets Monday, even as they were dealing with emotions that Joseph Moran, the president of the Syracuse Police Benevolent Association, said were “indescribable.”

“They don’t have time to grieve,” he said at a Monday afternoon news conference. “They’re out responding to calls right now, providing the city a great service.”

Before Sunday night, it had been more than 30 years since the last time Syracuse lost a police officer in the line of duty. A sheriff’s deputy hadn’t been killed in the line in two decades.

The moment was one for which Syracuse Police Chief Joseph Cecile, who has put in nearly 40 years at the department, said there was no way to prepare.

“We lost two heroes last night,” the chief said.

 

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For the second time in the past few weeks, an Elmira Police Officer was involved in a car crash while responding to a call.

According to Elmira Police, on Sunday evening around 9:45 pm, Elmira Police conducted a traffic stop on Hoffman Street and Elizabeth Street in regards to a disturbance call that they were investigating. Other Elmira officers responding to this traffic stop to provide assistance, an Elmira Police officer was operating a marked patrol unit with the emergency lights and sirens activated. They came to a stop at the intersection of West Washington Avenue and Walnut Street heading westbound. A civilian vehicle heading south on Walnut St, failed to stop for the officer who had began to proceed through the intersection, and ultimately struck the patrol car.

The civilian driver was not injured and the police officer was transported to a local hospital for minor injuries. The investigation into this incident is ongoing and any additional information will be made at a later time.

Anyone who witnessed this incident or has video of the incident is encouraged to contact the Elmira Police Department at 607-737-5623.

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Agriculture officials in at least 17 states have restricted imports of dairy cattle from states where the virus has been detected, but, so far, government agencies say it’s had little effect on commercial milk production. Officials believe cows likely have been infected by exposure to wild birds, but said cow-to-cow spread “cannot be ruled out.” 

Farmers are testing cows that show symptoms of infection, including sharply reduced milk supply and lethargy. Animals that show signs or test positive for illness are being separated from other animals on the farms. The animals appear to recover within two weeks. 

U.S. egg producers are watching the situation closely after bird flu was detected in chickens in Texas and Michigan. Millions of birds have been killed, but the FDA said the risk of affected eggs getting into the retail market or causing infections in humans is low because of federal inspections and other safeguards.

 

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The Biden administration said Friday that is using existing student loan forgiveness programs to cancel another round of student debt, totaling $7.4 billion for 277,000 borrowers.

Under President Joe Biden, the Department of Education has made it easier for some specific groups of borrowers, like public sector workers, to qualify for loan forgiveness. It also launched a new repayment plan that creates a shorter pathway to loan forgiveness for many low-income borrowers – and is at issue in at least two legal challenges from Republican-led states.

In total, the Biden administration has authorized the cancellation of $153 billion in student loan debt for nearly 4.3 million people. That’s more than 9% of all outstanding federal student loan debt.

 

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ALBANY — State Senator Tom O’Mara (R,C,I-Big Flats) today reminded area residents that the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York (FASNY) will conduct its annual “RecruitNY” campaign this weekend.

“Recruit NY” is an annual public awareness initiative sponsored by FASNY to encourage the recruitment and retention of local volunteer firefighters and EMTs. This year’s RecruitNY campaign is scheduled for Saturday, April 13 and Sunday, April 14. Throughout the weekend volunteer fire departments across the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes regions, and statewide, will conduct Open Houses and invite the public to learn more about becoming a volunteer firefighter. 

For a county-by-county list of fire departments locally and statewide currently scheduled to hold a RecruitNY Open House, visit FASNY’s website at https://www.recruitny.org/participants/.

O’Mara said, "The challenge of recruiting volunteer firefighters and EMTs, especially in our rural, upstate communities, deserves all of the attention it gets. Keeping our corps of emergency services volunteers strong must be a statewide priority. Our volunteer fire departments have long been the foundation of public safety and security, and the center of community service and civic pride, and we can’t risk their decline. It’s a challenge that we need to keep working on and raising awareness about because in addition to the safety and well-being of our communities, the economic impact of volunteer emergency services is enormous. RecruitNY sounds the alarm and accomplishes these goals very effectively.”

According to FASNY, the number of volunteer firefighters statewide declined from 140,000 in the early 1990s to less than 90,000 just a few years ago. Volunteer emergency medical technicians (EMTs) experienced a decline from more than 50,000 to 35,000 during the same period, with some rural counties experiencing as much as a 50-percent depletion of their EMT ranks.

FASNY recently noted that they have lost 4,100 volunteers over the past two years and, this year, are calling on state legislators to increase the state’s income tax credit for volunteers from the current $200, which was set in 2006, to $800.

O’Mara, together with local state Assemblymen Phil Palmesano (R, C,I-Corning) and Chris Friend (R,C,I-Big Flats) have long sponsored legislation known as the “Omnibus Emergency Services Volunteer Incentive Act,” to provide a series of tax and other incentives to help address the recruitment and retention challenge. They point to their legislation  as part of ongoing state-level efforts by FASNY and others to keep drawing attention to a challenge that many believe poses a property tax crisis in waiting and other crises for many rural, upstate communities. 

A FASNY study, “Tax Savings and Economic Value of Volunteer Firefighters in New York,” found that the state’s 100,000 volunteer firefighters save taxpayers nearly $4 billion annually. Other specific findings included that:

• an additional 31,000 career firefighters would be necessary to convert to an all-paid service statewide;
• the annual cost of an all-career service would be $4.7 billion;
• there would be a one-time cost of $8.2 billion to acquire existing stations/structures, vehicles, and equipment -- approximately 1,300 stations would have to be built new or reconstructed; and
• property taxes statewide would rise an average of 28.4% statewide. 

The FASNY report noted, “New York State as a whole relies heavily on volunteer fire departments. Of its 1,795 municipal fire departments, 89% are volunteer.  Volunteer firefighters are most prevalent in smaller, suburban, and rural communities that have a lesser tax base than larger towns and cities. That these communities rely on volunteers testifies to cost savings from volunteer departments, and conversion to paid departments would be a particular burden for these localities.”

The track management team has been busy preparing for the 2024 season since the last checkered flag flew back in September. Ray and Ellen Hodge, promoters of the 3/8-mile paved oval, have made some exciting changes for the upcoming season.

“First and foremost, we’ve had a solid relationship with Jim Bronson and his nearby business. He’s stepped up in a big way, so we’re now Chemung Speedrome Presented by Jim Bronson and Ferrario Auto Team of Sayre, PA,” Ray stated.

Hodge is pleased with the level of support from area businesses. Three businesses are returning to sponsor divisions (Buckley’s Automotive Modifieds, Blauvelt Funeral Home Super Stocks, and Marion Decker Agency Hobby Stocks). This year they’ll be joined by a new sponsor for the Bandolero division, JRC Cleaning from Athens, PA. Many other businesses provide support in the form of billboard signage and/or sponsorship of race nights or products throughout the year.

Race teams can get ready for the season with single car open practice on Friday, April 19 th from 1 PM until dark, or during a regular test and tune for all divisions on Saturday, April 20 th from 3 PM until 7 PM. Pit passes for each day are $10, with a $25 per car fee each day. Grandstand viewing is free to the public during those practice times.

That all sets the stage for the season opener on Saturday, May 4 th . The opener, sponsored by Buckley’s Automotive, includes Modifieds, Super Stocks, Hobby Stocks, 4 Cylinders and Bandoleros. The grandstand opens at 1 PM, with racing beginning at 2 PM. Admission is $15 for adults, $13 for seniors
ages 65 and older, $5 for kids ages 6 to 12, and free for kids ages 5 and under.

A year ago, TJ Potrzebowski won his second consecutive season opener over eventual 2-time track champion, Lee Sharpsteen in the Buckley’s Automotive Modifieds. The following weekend Chemung will also run on Saturday afternoon, with the first of four appearances by various divisions operating under the Race of Champions banner.

This one, the first of two for the Modifieds, has the same 2 PM start and is $25 for adults, $22 for seniors 65+, $10 for ages 6-12 and free Austin Beers won the 75-lap event last year, in a race that became the first half of his ROC sweep at Chemung. Zane Zeiner finished second to Beers a year ago in this one.

Racing switches back to Chemung’s regular Friday night schedule on May 17 th , with a regular show presented by returning sponsor Firehouse Subs. Another longtime supporter, Sam’s Bar & Grill presents Fan Appreciation Night with a Meet & Greet and regular show on Friday, May 24 th . Regular Friday shows will begin at 7 PM.

“We’re looking forward to kicking off the season, and this year we reverted back to building in an off week each month for the racers,” Hodge explained. Those off nights are May31 st , June 21st , July 12 th , and August 16th also looking forward to 2 ROC Modified shows and 2 for their Sportsman division this year.”

Once again, the track expects newcomers in each class. The Bandolero division continues to serve as a launching point for many drivers. Over the winter the Sinsabaugh and Gullo families were busy preparing a Modified for former champ Chase, and a Hobby Stock for last year’s champ Devin. Several others are moving on up, something the fans appreciate seeing as well.

Anyone seeking more information on operations or track sponsorship can contact Ray Hodge (607-483- 3468). or Jerry Sinsabaugh (607-738-8829. Current information is always on the track’s official Facebook page (Chemung Speedrome – Racing at the Drome) or website (www.chemung-speedrome.com).

This report was submitted to us by Carol Houssock

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O.J. Simpson, the former football great who was accused of and ultimately acquitted of the brutal 1994 slayings of his ex-wife and her friend, has died, according to his family. He was 76.

"On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren. During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace," a statement from his family said.

 

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TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — President Joe Biden could be left off the ballot in Ohio this fall unless the state’s Republican-dominated legislature creates an exception to the ballot deadline or the Democratic Party moves up its convention, according to the office that oversees the state’s elections. 

Ohio’s deadline to certify presidential candidates for the general election is Aug. 7, nearly two weeks before the Democratic National Convention, at which Biden is expected to be nominated to run against Republican challenger Donald Trump.

Ohio law requires that presidential candidates be certified 90 days before the general election, which is on Nov. 5 this year, said a letter written last week by Paul DiSantis, chief legal counsel for Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose.

 

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Two men were arrested after a complaint that they were threatening people in the neighborhood with weapons. 

On Tuesday at approximately 6:48pm Elmira Police responded to the area of the 1000 block of N Main St for a report of a man threatening people with a firearm, while in the company of another male who was threatening people with a knife. Upon arrival, Elmira Police Officers located a male who matched the description of the suspect with the knife standing outside of a residence and he was taken into custody without incident.

Officers quickly were able to ascertain the identity of the other male who was reported to be in possession of the firearms. At this time, the second suspect was observed in an open window of the second floor of a residence in the area. Due to the weapons concerns, Elmira Police Officers closed traffic in the surrounding areas and were able to verbally contact the suspect, who ultimately surrendered to police after approximately after approximately forty minutes.
Elmira Police Department executed a search warrant at the residence and recovered multiple firearms and large quantities of ammunition.

The firearms described to responding officers that the suspect had pointed at neighbors, prompting the original call to police were among the firearms recovered.

As a result of the investigation, the Elmira Police Department has charged 45 year old Benjamin J Luisi of Elmira, with Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the 2nd degree, a Class C Felony.

Additionally, Elmira Police charged 33 year old David P Haynes of Elmira with Menacing in the 2nd degree, a class A Misdemeanor.

Both men were held at the Elmira Police Department pending arraignment in Elmira City Court today.

This investigation is ongoing and additional charges are pending related to this incident. The Elmira Police Department would like to thank the New York State Police, Chemung County Sheriffs Office and West Elmira Police Department for their assistance in this matter.

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New polling by the Economist and YouGov asked Americans about changes in the U.S. political climate, including whether divisions have worsened and what they expect in the future. We find that most Americans believe divisions have gotten worse since the start of 2021 and most expect them to grow in the coming years. Two in five Americans believe a civil war is at least somewhat likely in the next decade; Republicans are more likely than Democrats to expect civil war.

Two-thirds of Americans (66%) believe that political divisions in this country have gotten worse since the beginning of 2021, compared to only 8% who say the country has grown less divided. Few see things improving in the coming years: 62% expect an increase in political divisions. 

A similar share (63%) to the proportion who say political divisions have worsened (66%) say political violence has increased since the start of 2021. Three in five Americans (60%) anticipate an increase in political violence in the next few years and only 9% expect political violence to decline.

 

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Take note: This was published in 2022. Do you think it's an accurate assessment, or perhaps even more accurate now than it was in 2022?

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NEW YORK (AP) — Winter, apparently, is not coming back. Kit Harington has shut down talk of a Jon Snow sequel to HBO’s massive hit “Game of Thrones.”

“There are no plans for it at the moment. It’s off the table for the foreseeable,” Harington told The Associated Press in an interview Tuesday, while promoting his new crime drama film “Blood for Dust.”

“Game of Thrones” ended in 2019 after eight seasons, but the prospect of spinoffs were bandied about. Fans had to wait three years for the only one that’s aired thus far, the HBO prequel “House of the Dragon,” set two centuries before “Game of Thrones.” 

A sequel centered around the popular Snow, who started “Game of Thrones” as an outcast and brother of the Night’s Watch and fought his way to more power in Westeros and the truth of his ancestry, had reportedly been in development for a few years.

 

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NEW YORK (AP) — A 1938 copy of the comic that first “introduced Superman to the world” has sold for a record-setting $6 million, the auctioneer that handled the purchase said last week.

According to Heritage Auctions, the rare copy of Action Comics No. 1 was sold to an anonymous buyer on Thursday. The $6 million price tag makes the book the most expensive comic to ever sell at auction, the action house added.

Heritage Auctions hails Action Comics No. 1 as “the most important comic ever published” — noting that the Superman who first appeared in the 1938 spring issue “remains remarkably like” the version still seen in comic strips and on the big screen today. In addition to the Man of Steel’s first appearance, the book also introduced central love interest Lois Lane.

A report from comic book grading service Certified Guaranty Company, cited by Heritage Auctions, estimates that there are only 100 surviving copies of Action Comics No. 1 today — out of 200,000 that were printed by National Allied Publications, the predecessor to DC Comics.

 

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Berliner is a senior editor on NPR's Business Desk. (Disclosure: I, too, am part of the Business Desk, and Berliner has edited many of my past stories. He did not see any version of this article or participate in its preparation before it was posted publicly.)

Berliner's essay, titled "I've Been at NPR for 25 years. Here's How We Lost America's Trust," was published by The Free Press, a website that has welcomed journalists who have concluded that mainstream news outlets have become reflexively liberal.

Berliner writes that as a Subaru-driving, Sarah Lawrence College graduate who "was raised by a lesbian peace activist mother," he fits the mold of a loyal NPR fan.

Yet Berliner says NPR's news coverage has fallen short on some of the most controversial stories of recent years, from the question of whether former President Donald Trump colluded with Russia in the 2016 election, to the origins of the virus that causes COVID-19, to the significance and provenance of emails leaked from a laptop owned by Hunter Biden weeks before the 2020 election. In addition, he blasted NPR's coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

On each of these stories, Berliner asserts, NPR has suffered from groupthink due to too little diversity of viewpoints in the newsroom.

 

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Among the major unresolved budget issues is a housing package. It would build more affordable housing, offer tax breaks to developers who agree to add affordable units, and strengthen rights for tenants.

Stewart-Cousins also said talks are “progressing” on how to crack down on the growing retail theft, although so far Democrats in the Legislature have not signed on to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s plan to increase penalties for robbers who also assault a store employee.

Earlier this month, Hochul signaled that she might be willing to drop a controversial budget proposal that would have resulted in half of the state’s school districts receiving significantly less money from the state than they did in previous years.

Hochul wanted to end the provision known as “hold harmless,” which guarantees that no school gets less funding than it did in the budget the year before. The governor told reporters that she was leaning instead toward a study to change the state’s foundation aid formula going forward, putting off any potential cuts for at least a year or two.

 

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