Adams to be sworn in as NYC mayor at New Year's ball drop
NEW YORK — Eric Adams will be sworn in as the city’s 110th mayor during the city's Times Square New Year's Eve gathering, just after midnight after the iconic ball drops.
Adams, who earlier this month scrapped plans for an indoor Jan. 1 inauguration ceremony over concerns about the omicron variant of COVID-19, said Wednesday that he set his mind on the Times Square bash because it’s a safer but equally as bombastic alternative for getting sworn in.
“Times Square has long been synonymous with the New Year — a place of excitement, renewal, and hope for the future,” Adams said in a statement.
“These are the same themes that animated my campaign and will inform my mayoralty, as I prepare to lead the city out of this challenging period. I am deeply humbled to officially take the oath of office at this iconic occasion, and to participate in the transfer of leadership that is a cornerstone of our democracy.”
Adams, who’s set to become the second Black mayor in Big Apple history, will be sworn in by the city clerk and use a family Bible to take the oath of office, according to a press release. Members of Adams’ family will join him for the event, which will be livestreamed on the Times Square Alliance’s website.
—New York Daily News
Suspect in Florida hit-and-run scuffles with deputies in court
WILTON MANORS, Fla. — The suspected driver of a 2009 Honda Accord Sedan who veered around a bus and plowed into a group of children, killing two and injuring four others, has been arrested, the Broward Sheriff’s Office announced.
Physical evidence left at Monday’s crash scene at 2417 NW Ninth Ave. in Wilton Manors led detectives to the suspect, Sean Charles Greer, 27. Greer was booked into the Main Jail Tuesday evening, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Greer caused a bit of a disturbance during his first court appearance Wednesday morning. He was led away by deputies after it seemed he objected to attending the proceeding. Court was delayed for about one minute while Greer was taken out of the courtroom.
“We seem to have lost him for a moment,” Judge Joseph Murphy said.
Seconds later somebody told the judge, “Your Honor, he stepped away. He didn’t want to come back before the judge.”
Greer’s court-appointed public defender said he suffers from asthma, depression and insomnia. Greer was ordered to be held on no bond for two probation violations, and was ordered to appear before a judge at 8:30 a.m. Thursday for one of the probation violations.
Assistant State Attorney Ross Weiner said Greer’s Florida driver's license has been suspended since 2016. Weiner also listed several arrests for Greer dating back to 2013, including possession of cannabis, petty theft and driving with a suspended license.
—South Florida Sun Sentinel
Dad accidentally shoots teen son in head, officials say
A police officer accidentally shot his 15-year-old son in the head in Eastern North Carolina, officials said.
The teen was rushed to a hospital with a life-threatening injury after the shooting on Monday, according to the Onslow County Sheriff's Office.
The shooter was identified in a news release as a police officer working for the city of Jacksonville, roughly 120 miles southeast of Raleigh.
The Jacksonville Police Department on Dec. 29 didn't immediately respond to McClatchy News' request for comment about the shooting but shared a statement with news outlets.
"The Onslow County Sheriff's Office is conducting an investigation into the incident and the Jacksonville Police Department is fully cooperating with their investigation," the statement said, according to WITN. "We ask that our community members keep our employee and their family in their thoughts and prayers at this time."
At about 4:30 p.m. Dec. 27, deputies responded to a reported handgun shooting at a home on Haw Branch Road. The son was taken to a trauma center on the nearby Camp Lejeune military base before he went to Vidant Medical Center in Greenville, officials said.
"The victim is the son of the shooter and the investigation is continuing, but all preliminary indications are that the incident was an accidental shooting," the Onslow County Sheriff's Office said on Dec. 28.
—The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.)
Court says man can be charged with threatening McConnell
It might be tempting to fire off angry emails to politicians you despise. But a federal court ruling in California this month should warn of the potential consequences.
Howard Weiss, a Bay Area resident, was indicted in 2020 for allegedly using anonymous emails to threaten and harass Sen. Mitch McConnell, the former Senate majority leader, in 2018 and 2019.
The case has gone back and forth. Earlier this week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit issued a ruling that Weiss can be charged with threatening or harassing McConnell through email, after the original decision was tossed in 2020.
The case is one of several in federal courts testing how far citizens can go in expressing their distaste — and even hatred — of elected officials. Weiss, at least in the opinion of the appeals court, crossed a line.
"...(The) resistance is coming to DC to slash your throat," read a portion of the email Weiss sent in Oct. 2018 included in court documents. The email was sent from an address that referenced the "resistance."
The email was one in a series Weiss allegedly sent to McConnell, some of which referenced violent acts and racist slurs.
—Los Angeles Times
