April 4 top stories
It is April 4. Here are today’s top stories.
City demanding NYC marathon organizers to pay $750K to cross the bridge
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is demanding the New York Marathon organizers pay roughly $750,000 for use of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge and says the fee represents the estimated amount of toll revenue lost when the nation’s longest suspension bridge is closed.
President of MTA said in a statement that local taxpayers cannot be expected to subsidize a wealthy non-governmental organization like the New York Marathon to the tune of $750,000.
The organizers pushed back saying that the MTA enjoys increased revenue from greater transit ridership during marathon week that “more than makes up” for any lost toll revenue from the bridge and that the amount MTA proposed would make the race less affordable. They said they value their partnership with all the City and State agencies so they remain willing to negotiate.
With about 50,000 runners expected to participate in the marathon on the first Sunday in November, the $750,000 the MTA demands works out to $15 per runner, which is double the price of the Verrazzano E-ZPass toll. The Verrazzano E-ZPass toll is $7.
Palestinian American doctor walks out of WH meeting with Biden in protest
Dr. Thaer Ahmad, a Palestinian American emergency medicine doctor who worked in Gaza in January, said he walked out of a stakeholder meeting at the White House on Tuesday evening over President Biden’s handling of the war in Gaza.
Ahmad told CNN host Kaitlan Collins that he and other attendees showed up and the president and the vice president, the national security adviser are in the room, and there were very brief comments by the president saying he wants to hear from us and he wants to listen to us.
Ahmad said he spoke first in the meeting, sharing that Palestinian Americans, Arab Americans and Muslim Americans are not satisfied with what has taken place, there havea been no concrete steps, then walked out. He told Collins he was the only Palestinian in the room.
He continued that he was able to let the president know that out of respect for his community, out of respect for all of the people who have suffered and who have been killed in the process that he needs to walk out of the meeting. When asked for Biden’s response to his walk out, the doctor replied Biden actually said that he understood before I stood up and walked out.
Amazon gives up on cashier-less ‘Just Walk Out’ program
The company confirmed Amazon is removing its cashierless checkout system at Fresh supermarkets in the U.S. They won’t include the system, called Just Walk Out, in existing Fresh stores and in new locations slated to open later this year. Though Amazon’s Go convenience stores will continue to use Just Walk Out technology, along with smaller Fresh locations in the U.K.
It will instead rely more heavily on Dash Carts, which track and tally up items as shoppers place them in their carts, enabling people to skip the checkout line. The company has been testing Dash Carts at some Fresh and Whole Foods locations in the past.
One of the main reasons Amazon said customers just haven’t bought into cashier-less technology, especially in grocery stores where they purchase larger quantities and face extra tasks such as weighing produce.
Retailers from Dollar General to Walmart and Costco are rethinking the reliance on self-checkout, as they find it leads to higher merchandise losses from customer mistakes and shoplifting.
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Botswana threatens to send 20,000 elephants to Germany
The president of Botswana has threatened to send 20,000 elephants to Germany in a dispute over the import of hunting trophies. Earlier this year, Germany’s environment ministry suggested there should be stricter limits on importing trophies from hunting animals.
Botswana’s President Masisi told German media this would only impoverish people in his country. Germans should live together with the animals, in the way you are trying to tell us to. This is no joke.
Botswana is home to about a third of the world’s elephant population – over 130,000 – more than it has space for. To tackle the country’s overpopulation of the animals, Botswana has previously given thousands of elephants to its neighboring countries.
Masisi argued that conservation efforts have led to an explosion in the elephant population, and hunting is an important means to keep them in check. Herds were causing damage to property, eating crops and trampling residents.
President Masisi said “We would like to offer such a gift to Germany,” adding that he would take no for an answer.
Alex has three updates related to former President Trump.
Three Trump updates
Thanks, Callie.
I have three updates related to Donald Trump.
The first: Trump’s criminal trial in Manhattan related to the hush-money payment to Stormy Daniels will not be delayed and is slated to begin on April 15. Trump’s legal team asked the judge to delay the trial, but that was denied.
The second: In Trump’s New York business fraud case, he has posted a $175 million bond to prevent his assets (money and real estate) from being seized while his case is under appeal. If Trump doesn’t win the appeal, he will have to pay more than $450 million.
The third: Trump is doing well with fundraising for his presidential campaign. He may raise $43 million this weekend at an event in Florida. If he successfully raises this amount, it would beat Biden’s $26 million haul last week in New York City.
That’s the three updates.
Thanks for those updates. That is all the top stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light!
City demanding NYC marathon organizers to pay $750K to cross the bridge
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/03/nyregion/marathon-tolls-mta.html
Palestinian American doctor walks out of WH meeting with Biden in protest
https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/02/politics/white-house-ramadan-meeting/index.html
Amazon gives up on cashier-less ‘Just Walk Out’ program
Botswana threatens to send 20,000 elephants to Germany
Three Trump updates
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/03/nyregion/trump-merchan-immunity-ruling.html
https://www.axios.com/2024/04/04/trump-campaign-palm-beach-fundraising-weekend