Philip Marcelo.

Suspect in Gilgo Beach serial killings loses bid to separate case into multiple trials

The suspect in Long Island’s infamous Gilgo Beach serial killings has lost his bid to separate the sprawling case involving seven brutal killings spanning decades into multiple trials. Judge Timothy Mazzei ruled Tuesday that the trial against Rex Heuermann would move forward as a single trial. Heuermann’s lawyers argued there was no “unique and consistent modus operandi” common to all the murders. But prosecutors noted the victims were all petite women in their 20s involved in the sex trade. They also said the remains of nearly all of the victims were found in the same location not far from Heuermann’s home.

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FILE - A vacant lot is on 1st Avenue by the United Nations building in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on March 24, 2023. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File)

There will be no casino in Manhattan after all proposals are rejected by locals

Plans to build the Big Apple’s first full-service casino in the heart of the city have run out of luck. A local panel on Monday rejected the last of three Manhattan proposals vying for one of up to three new state licenses to operate a casino in the lucrative New York City market. The proposal was for a six-acre project near the United Nations headquarters dubbed “Freedom Plaza.” A Jay-Z-backed plan to build a Caesars Palace in Times Square and another proposal for a resort on Manhattan’s West Side were both voted down by two other local boards last week. Five proposals still remain in the race for up to three gaming licenses.

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A horse dawn carriage takes passengers for a loop through Central Park in New York, Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

NYC mayor throws support behind bill to ban Central Park horse carriages

New York City’s mayor has thrown his support behind a proposal to end the horse-drawn carriages that have been fixtures in Central Park for more than 150 years, citing safety concerns. Mayor Eric Adams also issued an executive order on Wednesday ordering police to “prioritize enforcement” against horse-drawn carriages operating outside their legally designated areas in order to illegally solicit fares or impede traffic or bike lanes. The Democrat’s comments come after the storied park’s overseers, the Central Park Conservancy, announced in August they were also backing a ban over safety concerts. Animal rights groups have long called for ending the industry.

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FILE - In this June 20, 2019, file photo, tourists visit Times Square in New York. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)

Jay-Z-backed plan for Times Square casino loses bid for NYC license amid Broadway opposition

A proposed Caesars Palace casino in Times Square that’s backed by Jay-Z has lost its bid for a lucrative New York City-area gambling license amid fierce opposition from the Broadway theater industry. A state-commissioned community advisory committee on Wednesday rejected the $5.4 billion plan to redevelop an office tower into a Caesars-branded hotel, gambling and entertainment complex. Local board approval was required for the proposal to be considered by the state Gaming Commission. Developers envisioned the Caesars gambling hall becoming one of the world’s preeminent resort casinos. But Broadway theater owners and producers said it would destroy their industry.

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FILE - New York City Republican mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa pets one of his cats as he speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in his apartment, Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, file)

Trump dismisses cat-loving NYC Republican candidate for mayor as ‘not exactly prime time’

President Donald Trump says the Republican candidate for New York City mayor is “not exactly prime time.” Trump made the comment about Curtis Sliwa on Fox & Friends on Friday and also disparaged the candidate’s plan to house rescue cats at the mayoral mansion if he wins. The remarks come as pressure mounts for opponents of Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani to drop out of the race. Mayor Eric Adams’ campaign says it’s polling voters to gauge his support — though continues to insist he is still running for reelection. Mamdani defeated former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary, but Cuomo is now running as an independent.

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Flags and flowers are placed in the inscribed names at the National September 11 Memorial in New York on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Donald King)

US marks 24th anniversary of 9/11 terror attacks

Americans are marking 24 years since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks with solemn ceremonies, volunteer work and other tributes honoring the victims. At the World Trade Center site in New York City, the nearly 3,000 victims’ names will be read aloud. At the Pentagon in Virginia, a memorial service will honor the 184 service members and civilians killed. And near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, a similar ceremony honors the victims of Flight 93. The remembrances are being held during a time of increased political tensions. The 9/11 anniversary comes a day after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at a college in Utah.

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Volunteers work during the "NYC Meal Pack For 9/11 Day" at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, Wednesday, Sep. 10, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Volunteers prep millions of meals for fellow New Yorkers on 24th anniversary of 9/11

People across the country are taking part in a national day of service marking the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks. The effort kicked off Wednesday in Manhattan where thousands of volunteers began assembling more than two million meals for needy New Yorkers aboard the USS Intrepid. Organizers say the effort is among at least 25 large-scale volunteer service projects taking place in cities across the country. Overall, about 30 million Americans are expected to participate in the service day, which is meant to serve as a counterpoint to the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people.

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FILE - Hagi Abucar places flowers for his former coworker Lindsey Herkness on the south reflecting pool during the 9/11 Memorial ceremony on the 23rd anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, Sept. 11, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura, File)

Trump seeking ways to take over 9/11 memorial in NYC

President Donald Trump’s administration says it’s looking at ways the federal government can assume operation of the 9/11 memorial in New York City. The White House on Friday said the administration has had “preliminary exploratory discussions” about the idea but declined to elaborate. The office noted that the Republican pledged during his campaign last year to make ground zero a national monument. Beth Hillman, president and CEO of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, says the idea of the government taking on the costs “makes no sense” as the Trump administration pares back federal spending. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul was also critical of the idea.

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A horse dawn carriage takes passengers through a loop in Central Park in New York, Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

As bikes and strollers fill Central Park, its managers want to push horse carriages out

The nonprofit that manages Central Park has thrown its support behind a proposal to end the horse-drawn carriages that have been fixtures in the greenspace for more than 150 years. The Central Park Conservancy said in an Aug. 12 letter to city officials that the popular tourist activity has an outsized impact on public safety and park infrastructure. Animal rights groups have long complained the carriages have no place in a busy city and that the horses are frequently overworked and live in substandard conditions. The calls to end the trade come after a carriage horse collapsed and died on a Manhattan street this month.

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FILE - Former U.S. Rep. George Santos arrives at federal court for sentencing, April 25, 2025, in Central Islip, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, file)

Disgraced former US Rep. George Santos to begin serving his 7-year fraud sentence

Disgraced former U.S. Rep. George Santos is set to begin serving a seven-year prison sentence for the fraud charges that got him ousted from Congress. The New York Republican is slated to report to federal prison by 2 p.m. on Friday. It’s unclear where he’ll serve his time. Santos and his lawyers have declined to comment, as has the federal Bureau of Prisons. Santos pleaded guilty last summer to federal wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. He admitted that he deceived donors and stole the identities of nearly a dozen people to fund his congressional campaign. He served less than a year in Congress before being expelled in 2023.

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FILE - Rapper Daniel Hernandez, known as Tekashi 6ix9ine, is escorted by police as he arrives for a court hearing at the Palace of Justice, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on Jan. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Ricardo Hernandez, File)

Rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine faces possible prison time after admitting to drug possession

Rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine has admitted that he violated the conditions of his supervised release from prison by possessing drugs. It is his latest run-in with the law since he completed a federal prison sentence on racketeering and conspiracy charges. The performer, whose real name is Daniel Hernandez, pleaded guilty in 2018 to his involvement with the violent Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods. He was given a lenient two-year sentence for his cooperation against other gang members. But last November, Hernandez was found in violation of his probation and sentenced to another 45 days in federal custody. He declined to comment after Wednesday’s hearing. Guildelines call for between three and nine months in prison when he’s sentenced Sept. 25.

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Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem speaks during a news conference at the Nashville International Airport, Thursday, July 17, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Trump officials lash out at NYC after shooting of off-duty US customs officer

The Trump administration is lashing out at New York City officials over their sanctuary policies. The criticism comes after two men living in the U.S. illegally were arrested in connection with the nonfatal shooting of an off-duty Customs and Border Protection officer at a park. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says the suspects had lengthy criminal records and should not have been free to commit Saturday’s robbery-gone-wrong. The officer is recovering and expected to survive. Border czar Tom Homan, meanwhile, vowed to send more federal immigration agents into sanctuary cities. Immigrant and civil liberties groups say the Trump administration is “exploiting a tragedy” to further its immigration agenda.

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FILE - Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow catches a ball during NFL football practice on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

NYC pawn shop owner pleads guilty to his role in burglary of NFL star Joe Burrow’s home and others

A Manhattan pawn shop owner has pleaded guilty to serving as a fence for luxury items stolen from wealthy people across the country, including a brazen burglary at the home of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. Dimitriy Nezhinskiy admitted Friday that he purchased watches, jewelry and other high-end goods to sell despite knowing they were stolen. The charge he pleaded guilty to in Brooklyn federal court carries a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison. Prosecutors said Nezhinskiy fenced the stolen goods for international burglary crews, some of which targeted homes of prominent professional athletes.

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FILE — People walk in front of the Minskoff Theatre where "The Lion King" plays on Broadway in New York, Nov. 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File)

Inside the high-stakes battle to win a New York City casino license

Eight projects are vying for a state license to operate a casino in the lucrative New York City market. Each has dangled the prospect of generational investment in America’s largest metropolitan region, including thousands of new jobs and billions of dollars of taxable gambling revenues for the state. Among the notable proposals are a Caesars Palace casino in Times Square, a gambling hall along Coney Island’s boardwalk, and a Hard Rock casino and hotel next to the home stadium of baseball’s New York Mets. The state Gaming Commission has said it plans to pick up to three proposals by December.

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FILE - A vehicle stops at Terminal 1 at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, Feb. 17, 2023. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

Woman convicted of stowing away on flight to Paris faces extradition to Connecticut

A woman convicted of stowing away on a flight from New York to Paris without a boarding pass or a passport won’t be released from custody. Authorities say she faces new charges of breaching security at a Connecticut airport. Svetlana Dali was sentenced Thursday to time already served behind bars for her illegal ride to Paris last year. But a federal judge in Brooklyn said she would not be released as Connecticut authorities are seeking to extradite her. The 57-year-old has been in federal custody for nearly seven months. Prosecutors say Dali was able to get through security checkpoints at Bradley International Airport near Hartford last November.

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Elizabeth Alvarado stands outside federal court in Central Islip, N.Y., on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, wearing a shirt bearing an image of her daughter, Nisa Mickens, who was slain by MS-13 gang members in 2016. (AP Photo/Philip Marcelo)

An MS-13 leader is sentenced to 68 years in case involving 8 Long Island murders

The leader of an MS-13 gang clique in New York City’s suburbs has been sentenced to 68 years in prison in a federal case involving eight Long Island murders, including the 2016 killings of two high school girls. Alexi Saenz had faced up to 70 years in prison at his sentencing Wednesday in Central Islip federal court. He pleaded guilty last year to his role in authorizing the killings, which focused the nation’s attention on MS-13 violence. Saenz’s lawyers sought 45 years behind bars. Prosecutors previously withdrew their intent to seek the death penalty.

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FILE - Revelers walk along Market Street during a Pride Parade, June 30, 2024, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope, File)

NYC, San Francisco and other US cities capping LGBTQ+ Pride month with a mix of party and protest

The monthlong celebration of LGBTQ+ Pride is reaching its rainbow-laden crescendo as New York and other major cities around the world host major parades and marches. Sunday’s festivities in Manhattan, the nation’s oldest and largest Pride celebration, kick off with a march that passes the landmark Stonewall Inn. In San Francisco, marchers will head down the city’s central Market Street. Chicago, Seattle, Minneapolis and Toronto, Canada are among the other major North American cities hosting Pride parades on Sunday. Organizers say this year’s events are taking a more defiant stance than in previous years in the face of rollbacks of LGBTQ+ friendly policies.

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FILE - Members of the Goya family wait for a ride, with their belongings, in front of the Roosevelt Hotel in New York, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

New York City closes arrival center for migrants in once grand Manhattan hotel

New York City has closed the arrival center for migrants it had established in a once grand Manhattan hotel. The Roosevelt Hotel served as the first stop for tens of thousands of immigrants arriving in the city seeking free shelter and services until its closure Tuesday. The hotel had been an emblem of the city’s fraught efforts to manage the flood of new migrants when it opened two years ago. Migrant families lined the sidewalk outside the hotel waiting for shelter beds. It is not clear what happens next to the storied hotel, which is blocks from Grand Central Terminal.

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FILE - The Unit 2 reactor at Indian Point Energy Center in Buchanan, N.Y., is seen, April 26, 2021, almost one year after it was shut down. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

New York governor seeks to build the state’s first new nuclear power plant in decades

New York’s governor is calling for the construction of the state’s first new nuclear power plant in decades. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday directed the state’s power authority to develop a plant in upstate New York. The Democrat says she envisioned an advanced facility that would help create a clean, reliable and affordable electric grid for the state. Hochul says the state needs to secure its “energy independence” if it wants to continue to attract large manufacturers. She wants the power authority to develop “at least” one new nuclear energy facility with a combined capacity of at least one gigawatt of electricity.

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FILE - Student negotiator Mahmoud Khalil is seen at a pro-Palestinian protest encampment on the Columbia University campus in New York, April 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File)

Mahmoud Khalil can remain jailed over claims he lied on green card application, judge says

A federal judge says the Trump administration can continue to detain Columbia University protester Mahmoud Khalil on allegations that he lied on his green card application. U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz conceded in a brief filing Friday that the Republican administration can continue to hold the legal U.S. resident on those grounds since they were not addressed in his ruling earlier this week. The judge previously determined that Khalil couldn’t continue being held based on the U.S. secretary of state’s determination that he could harm American foreign policy. Khalil has been detained since March. He denies that he wasn’t forthcoming on the application.

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FILE - Authorities work at the home of suspect Rex Heuermann, bottom right, in Massapequa Park, N.Y., July 24, 2023. Heuermann has been charged with killing at least three women in the long-unsolved slayings known as the Gilgo Beach killings. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

Daughter of accused Gilgo Beach killer believes her father ‘most likely’ did it, new film says

The daughter of Rex Heuermann, the accused Gilgo Beach serial killer, told a new documentary she believes her father “most likely” responsible. The admission from Victoria Heuermann comes near the end of “The Gilgo Beach Killer: House of Secrets,” a three-part documentary released Tuesday on NBC’s streaming service Peacock. Her mother, Asa Ellerup, is also prominently featured in the documentary and steadfastly defends her ex-husband’s innocence. Heuermann’s lawyer didn’t immediately comment. The Manhattan architect has pleaded not guilty to killing seven women, most of them sex workers, and dumping their bodies on a desolate stretch of beachside road on Long Island.

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FILE - Nicole Daedone, center, founder and former CEO of OneTaste, departs Brooklyn federal court on Tuesday, June 13, 2023 in New York. (AP Photo/Jeenah Moon, File)

Leaders of ‘orgasmic meditation’ women’s wellness company OneTaste convicted in forced labor trial

The leaders of a sex-focused women’s wellness company that promoted “orgasmic meditation” have been convicted of federal forced labor charges. A Brooklyn jury on Monday found 57-year-old Nicole Daedone and 44-year-old Rachel Cherwitz guilty after deliberating for less than two days following a roughly monthlong trial. Daedone is the founder of OneTaste Inc., and Cherwitz is the California company’s former sales director. Prosecutors argued the two had groomed adherents to do their bidding for years. Daedone’s defense lawyer cast her as a “ceiling-shattering feminist entrepreneur” who created a unique business around women’s sexuality and empowerment.

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FILE - Student negotiator Mahmoud Khalil is seen at a pro-Palestinian protest encampment on the Columbia University campus in New York, April 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File)

Detained Columbia graduate claims ‘irreparable harm’ to career and family as he pleads for release

A Columbia graduate facing deportation over his pro-Palestinian activism on campus has outlined the “irreparable harm” caused by his continued detention as a federal judge weighs his release. Mahmoud Khalil said in court filings unsealed Thursday that the “most immediate and visceral harms” he’s faced during his months in custody relate to missing out on the birth of his first child. He also cited potentially “career-ending” harms from the ordeal, noting that Oxfam International has already rescinded a job offer. Khalil’s statement was among a number of legal declarations submitted by his lawyers highlighting the wide-ranging impacts of his arrest.

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FILE - Chiefs signs and logos are displayed Massapequa High School in Massapequa, N.Y., Friday, April 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File)

New York won’t rescind Native American mascot ban despite Trump’s threat of cutting federal funds

New York education officials have refused to rescind the state’s ban on Native American mascots and team names, despite threats from the Trump administration that it risks losing federal funding. State officials suggested in a letter to the U.S. Department of Education on Thursday that they could instead broaden the state ban to include names and mascots derived from other racial or ethnic groups that the department deems offensive. The federal agency last week determined New York’s ban is discriminatory because names and mascots that are still permitted are also derived from other racial or ethnic groups, such as the “Dutchmen” and the “Huguenots.”

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FILE - Chiefs signs and logos are displayed Massapequa High School in Massapequa, N.Y., Friday, April 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Ted Shaffrey, File)

Trump’s education secretary threatens to pull funding from NY over its Native American mascot ban

President Donald Trump’s top education official says her department has determined that New York is discriminating against a school district that is refusing a state order to get rid of its Native American chief mascot. U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said on a visit to Massapequa High School on Long Island on Friday that the state could risk losing federal funding or face a Justice Department investigation. McMahon says her department will be asking the state to voluntarily sign a resolution rescinding its ban on Native American mascots and allowing districts to continue using the image and name of their choosing.

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FILE - Signs, including some advising drivers of congestion pricing tolls, are displayed near the exit of the Lincoln Tunnel in New York, Feb. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

Judge temporarily blocks Trump from retaliating against New York over congestion toll

A federal judge has temporarily prevented President Donald Trump from retaliating against New York over its Manhattan congestion toll. Judge Lewis Liman on Tuesday issued a temporary restraining order blocking the federal government from withholding federal funds or taking other punitive actions against the state for imposing a new toll on drivers entering the busiest part of Manhattan. The toll had been approved under former President Joe Biden, but Trump has been a vocal critic of the program. The native New Yorker’s namesake Trump Tower and other properties are within the congestion zone, which generally covers Manhattan south of Central Park.

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Former New York state trooper Thomas Mascia leaves Nassau County court in Mineola, N.Y. on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, after pleading guilty to charges that he shot himself and lied about it. (AP Photo/Philip Marcelo)

Former New York state trooper pleads guilty to faking his own shooting

A former New York state trooper has pleaded guilty to charges that he shot himself then falsely claimed he was wounded by an unknown gunman on a Long Island highway. Thomas Mascia formally changed his plea during a court appearance Wednesday in Mineola. He had been charged with official misconduct, tampering with evidence and falsifying documents. Mascia’s parents also pleaded guilty Wednesday to firearms charges. Prosecutors say Mascia shot himself in a park, stashed the gun, drove to the highway and called for backup. His lawyer has said Mascia suffers from untreated mental health issues.

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This undated photo provided by the Library of Congress shows the Thomas Indian school in Irving, N.Y. (Library of Congress via AP)

NY governor apologizes for ‘atrocities’ at state boarding school for Native Americans

New York’s governor has formally apologized for the “atrocities” she says were committed at an upstate boarding school where Native American youths were forcibly separated from their families and forced to assimilate into American society. Gov. Kathy Hochul also said on her Tuesday visit to Seneca Nation land that her budget will include funding to create new education materials about local indigenous communities and their contributions. Seneca President J. Conrad Seneca, who invited the Democrat, said the apology was overdue. The Thomas Indian School in western New York operated from 1875 to 1957 and was among hundreds of such boarding schools across the U.S.

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