What’s News: Breaking

April 13, 2022 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

April 18, 2022

PARK SLOPE MAN CHARGED IN INFANT DRUG OVERDOSE: Daniel Auster, son of novelist Paul Auster, was charged with second degree murder, criminally negligent homicide, and endangerment of a child after his 10-month-old infant, Ruby Auster, died. The cause of death was rendered an overdose on fentanyl and heroin by toxicology reports. She was found on November 1, 2021. According to police, Auster had used heroin that morning and fell asleep with his daughter by his side. When Auster woke up, he said his daughter was unresponsive and “lifeless.” Afterward, Auster said that he administered narcan to his daughter’s body. Auster turned himself in to authorities.

The judge has set bail at $100,000 cash or $250,000 bond.

April 13, 2022

MALLIOTAKIS NOT SHY ABOUT ASSIGNING BLAME IN SUBWAY SHOOTING: Brooklyn Republican congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11) is not afraid to assign blame of “lawlessness” and “chaos” to current elected officials who allegedly invited recent increases in petty crime and violence around New York. Malliotakis Tweeted earlier this afternoon in response to public announcements declaring Frank R. James to be arrested and charged with terrorist attacks or other violence against a mass transportation system, relating to the Tuesday, April 13, incident in Sunset Park.

“New Yorkers deserve to be safe and we must demand it from elected officials who have invited lawlessness & chaos with their dangerous policies. Prosecutors need to prosecute, judges need to set bail & politicians need to let police do their job. Until then, crime will continue!”

– Nicole Malliotakis, Twitter.

Malliotakis levied further cause to the New York Bail Reform Law, a controversial issue that some speculate caused Republican victories out on Long Island — including her own lucky victory in Staten Island and south Brooklyn – along with ex-mayor Bill De Blasio.

“Between the defund the police movement, bail law, ending broken windows policing, decriminalizing low-level crimes, we have attracted a criminal element in our city & New Yorkers are suffering. These policies need to be reversed to restore public safety.”

– Nicole Malliotakis, Twitter.

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UBER, LYFT RIDESHARE PRICE BUMP DURING SUBWAY ATTACKS, COMPANIES APOLOGIZE: Rideshare giants Lyft and Uber had hiked prices during panic ensuing a violent attack on the northbound N train on Tuesday, April 12. In response to frustration on social media, Lyft has promised to refund all “prime-time” rideshare purchases to users around Sunset Park on Tuesday. Uber had announced a price cap on all rideshares, saying that the high prices were “unintended” and Freddie Goldstein, an Uber spokesperson, has said “we will work” toward issuing users refunds via Twitter.

Previous emergency price-hiking of rideshares has caught both companies flack before: in a 2016 Chelsea, Manhattan explosion and a hostage situation in Sydney, Australia, according to Marketwatch.

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ACCESS CLASSIC BANNED TEXTS THROUGH BPL’S ECARD SYSTEM: Want to read Fahrenheit 451, The Giver or Catcher in the Rye? You might have previously run into trouble finding them at your local library if you live outside of Kings County, New York. Many seemingly classic or healthily thought-provoking texts from the English classroom have been removed from local libraries across the country, but the Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) has announced a new eCard system, allowing students and highschoolers to access banned texts nationwide. In coordination with Hachette, Macmillan and Scholastic, the BPL has made taboo literature – emphasizing, Speak by Laurie Anderson, King and The Dragon Flies by Kacen Callender, Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi and The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Sallinger — ubiquitously accessible and free to internet users, waving an initial $50 fee for users between the ages of 13-21.

In a statement, Tony Marx, President of the New York Public Library, wrote, “Making these books available shouldn’t feel like an act of defiance, but sadly, it is. And we are proud to be part of it.”

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Longtime Brooklyn Heights residents Saundra Williams-Cornwell and Don Cornwell were guests of honor at the 11th Annual Brooklyn Artists Ball, shown here with fellow honoree Maria Grazia Chiuri. The event raised a record $2.4 million.

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BOROUGH PRESIDENT PRAISES NEW YORKERS’ SWIFT ACTION: Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, calling yesterday’s subway shooting “a senseless act of violence,” praised safety personnel and commuters alike for helping each other in the moments after the attack. “As always in a time of crisis, Brooklynites experienced the swift reaction of our city’s first responders, including the MTA, NYPD, and FDNY. I am deeply heartened to see the Sunset Park community coming together during this time of tragedy – Brooklyn stands with you.”

Borough President Reynoso added, “I will continue to work with local authorities and elected officials as more details of the attack are confirmed and the perpetrator is found.”

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GOVERNOR: CONTINUE EXERCISING CAUTION: New York’s governor is cautioning New Yorkers to stay safe and vigilant while law enforcement continues the hunt for a gas-masked gunman who detonated a smoke device and then shot several commuters during yesterday’s morning rush hour. Gov. Kathy Hochul warned that as long as the “dangerous and depraved” gunman is running free, he could continue to terrorize New York City.

“This is an active-shooter situation right now in the City of New York,” she said a few hours before law enforcement officials found on the scene a gun and several magazines of ammunition, a U-Haul van and the assailant’s credit card.

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FLATBUSH’S OWN ‘STRATFORD UPON AVON’: Stratford Road in Ditmas Park-Flatbush becomes the borough’s own Shakespeare jubilee on April 23. Brooklyn’s Brave New World Repertory Theatre (BNW) holds its annual festival Shakespeare on Stratford, a live FREE family-friendly community celebration in honor of Shakespeare’s birthday on Saturday, April 23 from 2-4 p.m., (rain date, April 24) choosing the Flatbush namesake to honor Shakespeare’s birthplace, Stratford Upon Avon.

The multi-faceted Shakespeare on Stratford will provide four 20-minute showtimes for up to 200 people at a time and include Shakespeare’s Sonnets performed on 6 Victorian porches, a Madrigal singalong, and a Haitian dance finale all in celebration of spring. Masks are encouraged but spectators are free to wander from porch to porch.

IN MEMORIAM: GILBERT GOTTFRIED: Comedian Gilbert Gottfried, a Brooklyn native and standup comic recognized for his shrill voice, died Tuesday at age 67. Born in Brooklyn to a hardware store owner and a stay-at-home mom, Gottfried started performing amateur standup at 5, and went on to appear on Saturday Night Live,” “The Cosby Show,” and his signature voice was heard in Disney’s “Aladdin” franchise and the TV series “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.” He also got notoriety for what many considered his tasteless jokes about 9/11 and a Japan earthquake; the latter of which comment got him fired from his Aflac commercial.

Gottfried, who had a heart ailment, may have unwittingly presaged his own death, when on January 21, he posted a photo on Twitter showing him standing alongside comics Louie Anderson and Bob Saget, both of whom both died that month. As news of Gottfried’s death circulated yesterday, the Twitter post regained renewed attention.