Court Suspends Giuliani’s Law License, Citing Trump Election Lies

The court concluded that Rudolph Giuliani had made “demonstrably false and misleading statements” about the 2020 election.

The former mayor of New York, who was once the top federal prosecutor in Manhattan, is now temporarily barred from practicing law in the state and faces disbarment.

By Nicole Hong and Ben Protess New York Times
June 24, 2021Updated 1:04 p.m. ET

Rudolph W. Giuliani, a former top federal prosecutor, New York City mayor and lawyer to a president, now faces the possibility of disbarment after a New York court ruled on Thursday that he made “demonstrably false and misleading statements” while fighting the results of the 2020 election on behalf of Donald J. Trump.

The New York State appellate court temporarily suspended Mr. Giuliani’s law license on the recommendation of a disciplinary committee after finding he had sought to mislead judges, lawmakers and the public as he helped shepherd Mr. Trump’s legal challenge to the election results. For months, Mr. Giuliani had argued without merit that the vote had been rife with fraud and that voting machines had been rigged.

In its decision, the court said Mr. Giuliani’s actions represented an “immediate threat” to the public and that he had “directly inflamed” the tensions that led to the Capitol riot in January.

“The seriousness of respondent’s uncontroverted misconduct cannot be overstated. This country is being torn apart by continued attacks on the legitimacy of the 2020 election and of our current president, Joseph R. Biden,” the decision read.

Mr. Giuliani now faces disciplinary proceedings and can fight the suspension. But the court said in its decision that he would likely face “permanent sanctions” after the proceedings conclude. A final outcome could be months away but could include disbarment.

Mr. Giuliani’s lawyers, John Leventhal and Barry Kamins, said in a statement that they were disappointed that the panel had acted before holding a hearing on the allegations.

“This is unprecedented as we believe that our client does not pose a present danger to the public interest,” they said. “We believe that once the issues are fully explored at a hearing, Mr. Giuliani will be reinstated as a valued member of the legal profession that he has served so well in his many capacities for so many years.

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California Gov. Newsome captured 62% of the vote just three years ago. Now he faces a recall election

(CNN) California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom will face a recall election, marking just the second time in state history that a special election will be held to recall a sitting governor.

State officials confirmed Wednesday that a recall election will proceed after just 43 people withdrew their signatures from petitions to recall the governor during a 30-day window required by state law.

As a result, California’s Department of Finance will now begin estimating the costs of the recall — including costs of holding it as a special election or as part of the next regularly scheduled election — which will then be submitted to the governor, the lieutenant governor, the secretary of state and the chairperson of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee by August 5, according to a letter outlining the process from California Secretary of State Shirley Weber.

A spokesperson for California’s Department of Finance previously told CNN the recall would cost about $215.2 million. A date has not yet been set. The recall drive has been fueled by anger over the restrictions Newsom put in place to curb the spread of Covid-19 throughout last year and during an alarming surge in cases in California during the winter holiday months.

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Nearly 50 companies pursuing New York City’s commercial waste contracts


By Cole Rosengren, Waste Dive, Published June 23, 2021

New York’s Department of Sanitation (DSNY) recently disclosed 48 companies provided responsive submissions to Part I of a request for proposals to service new commercial waste zones. Those companies are now eligible to bid on Part II, with detailed service plans, when it is released in “approximately the next two months.”

Waste Management is the highest-profile newcomer, along with Winters Bros. Waste Systems based on Long Island. Almost all of the market’s active companies participated, including Waste Connections, Action Environmental Services (a subsidiary of Interstate Waste Systems), Cogent Waste Solutions, Royal Waste Services, and others. Third-party service providers Recycle Track Systems and Rubicon also qualified.

After DSNY experienced notable budget cuts during the pandemic, lead consultant Arcadis has returned to assist with the implementation process and additional resources are anticipated. Updated FY22 budget proposals call for $3.96 million in new commercial waste funding, followed by $5.78 million in FY23. This increase could lead to as many as 38 staff members working on implementation by the end of FY23, up from only a few currently.

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This pending system, spurred by a 2019 law, will be the largest shift for the city’s commercial waste market since the 1990s.

Currently, all residential waste is managed by DSNY and haulers licensed by the Business Integrity Commission operate in an open market system to collect commercial waste throughout the five boroughs. Under this new system, the city will be divided into 20 geographic zones with up to three commercial waste haulers each. Five citywide contracts will also be awarded for containerized waste service. Contracts are expected to run for 10 years, with optional extensions.

“This is a significant milestone in the department’s process for moving towards it commercial waste zone system,” said David Biderman, CEO of the Solid Waste Association of North America.

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Are you a Beastie Boys fan? Looking to buy a beautiful lakefront home in New Jersey? Check this out.

Beastie Boys Lake House 17 Emerson Road For Sale Hewitt Nj 5
For sale: Beastie Boys’ Adam Horovitz’s lake house at 17 Emerson Road in Hewitt, N.J. Photo courtesy Compass.

By Chris Fry , Jersey Digs -June 22, 20212

A musician and rapper who rose to fame as part of a legendary trio is looking to sell his Garden State vacation home after relocating to the West Coast last year.

Adam Horovitz and his wife Kathleen Hanna recently listed a West Milford property they own for $975,000. The couple both have roots in the music industry, as Hanna was the lead singer for punk band Bikini Kill and Horovitz served as a member of the hip-hop/rock hybrid group Beastie Boys.

Beastie Boys Lake House 17 Emerson Road For Sale Hewitt Nj 2
Outdoor deck. Photo courtesy Compass.

Horovitz joined the Beastie Boys in 1982 just as the group’s popularity exploded, and hits like “Fight for Your Right (To Party),” “No Sleep till Brooklyn,” and “Sabotage” highlighted the trio’s three-decade career. The three-time Grammy-winning group sold over 40 million records worldwide during their run, getting inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012.

Horovitz and Hanna bought the three-bedroom, three-bathroom house over 15 years ago for $799,000. Built in 1955 on a 0.4-acre lot, the home sports a mid-century vibe that listing agent Maggie Sherman D’Aquila says has been deliberately preserved.

Beastie Boys Lake House 17 Emerson Road For Sale Hewitt Nj 6
Living area and fire place. Photo courtesy Compass.

“The reason they left it in its mid-century condition is that people that like mid-century LOVE mid-century,” says D’Aquila. “When you find something that has been preserved from that era inside a house of that era that’s very groovy and specific, it’s almost sacrilegious to renovate it.”

Beastie Boys Lake House 17 Emerson Road For Sale Hewitt Nj 4
Kitchen. Photo courtesy Compass.

The two-story home sits at the end of a private road on 200 feet of prime frontage along Greenwood Lake. The exterior of the home features several decks, seating areas, and landscaping plus a double slip dock with Pontoon Party Boat that would be included in any potential sale.

Beastie Boys Lake House 17 Emerson Road For Sale Hewitt Nj 3
Den. Photo courtesy Compass.

The first floor of the property sports large almost floor-to-ceiling windows and a working fireplace. The home, which was primarily used as a summer house for the couple, has a $1,000 monthly HOA fee and a $15,000 annual property tax bill.

Beastie Boys Lake House 17 Emerson Road For Sale Hewitt Nj 1
Bedroom. Photo courtesy Compass.

Horovitz and Hanna relocated to California last year and are apparently finding themselves to be more West Coast people at the moment. D’Aquila says the pair is also under contract to sell their $3.1 million Chelsea apartment that the New York Post reported as on the market earlier this year.

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The grounds. Photo courtesy Compass.

The full listing for the New Jersey house, which is located about 34 miles from New York City, can be seen here.

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Wildfires burn across US west as lightning sets off blaze near Arizona city

A fire burned in a national forest in southern New Mexico.
A fire burned in a national forest in southern New Mexico. Credit…USDA Forest Service, via Associated Press


By The Guardian staff

Dozens of wildfires were burning in hot, dry conditions across the US west, including a blaze touched off by lightning that was moving toward northern Arizona’s largest city.

The mountainous city of Flagstaff was shrouded in smoke on Monday and ash was falling from the sky as a blaze was encroaching on the city. The national forest surrounding Flagstaff announced a full closure set to begin later this week – the first time that has happened since 2006.

Intense heat that has hampered firefighting efforts was expected to moderate in the coming days. But, the National Weather Service (NWS) noted it could bring uncertainty for fire crews. “The humidity and the possibility of some scattered rainfall is a good thing,” said the meteorologist Andrew Taylor. “The lightning is not a good thing.”

In California, firefighters still faced the difficult task of trying to contain a large forest fire in rugged coastal mountains south of Big Sur that forced the evacuation of a Buddhist monastery and nearby campground. The Willow fire has burned more than 2,800 acres since it broke out on Thursday evening. More than 500 firefighters are battling the blaze.

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Arizona is at the highest level of preparedness for wildfires, and new fire starts have required constant shifting of resources. While humans are to blame for an overwhelming majority of the blazes, lightning started the 31-sq mile (80-sq km) blaze west of Sedona that was moving toward Flagstaff.

Some campers were forced to evacuate, and residents of rural areas have been told to prepare to leave on a moment’s notice, said Jon Paxton, a Coconino county sheriff’s spokesperson.

If the fire continues its north-eastern push, hundreds of people in Flagstaff – a college city about two hours north of Phoenix – also could be affected, Paxton said.

Two national forests in northern Arizona have made the rare decision to close completely to visitors starting Wednesday because of concerns they won’t have enough resources to respond to any future wildfires.

“We have limited resources, and we’re tapped right now,” said Brady Smith, a spokesperson for the Coconino national forest, which surrounds Flagstaff.

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Cooking up a greener world in the chem lab

Winners recognized for developing greener products and processes

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Clemson University researchers work on a bio-based polyurethane foam. The research won a 2021 EPA Green Chemistry Challenge Award. Credit: Srikanth Pilla
By Sam Lemonick, Chemical and Engineering News

Five winners of the 2021 US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Green Chemistry Challenge Awards (two of them New Jersey-based pharmaceutical giants) were announced at a virtual ceremony on June 15.

One academic researcher and four companies were honored for work that includes making pharmaceutical molecules more efficiently and safely, finding greener alternatives to chemicals found in consumer products, and creating a material that can absorb nutrient pollution and release it elsewhere as fertilizer.

The EPA’s Michal Freedhoff, principal deputy assistant administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, presented the awards at the Green Chemistry and Engineering Conference, which is being held online for the second year in a row.

“Talking about these success stories and finding ways to apply these practices in real-life situations is an investment in our future, ensuring all generations will have access to clean air, water, and land,” Freedhoff says in an email. Over the 25-year history of the awards, winners have collectively reduced the use of hazardous chemicals and solvents by hundreds of millions of pounds, and also reduced water use and air pollution, she says.

Two pharmaceutical companies with headquarters in New Jersey among the awards winners.

Merck & Co., which also won a Green Chemistry Challenge award in 2020, redesigned its process for making gefapixant citrate, a drug to treat chronic coughs. Merck scientists reported reducing both the amount and cost of materials needed to make gefapixant citrate, while increasing the yield by 44%. The researchers also claimed the new flow process is safer than the initial proposed route to the molecule.

Bristol Myers Squibb scientists developed with collaborators a new family of phosphorus reagents that can be used to make oligonucleotides, short DNA or RNA sequences that are being explored as possible new drugs ChemRxiv is a preprint server and the paper has not been peer-reviewed. The company claims the new reagents are safer than traditional alternatives and facilitate reduced solvent and reagent use.

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