Hochul’s Christmastime boast of safer subway came amid string of alarming violent attacks

In the days since New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared New York City’s subways had improved in safety, a woman was burned alive, a man was pushed in front of an oncoming train and gangs of illegal immigrants have robbed straphangers.

Just before Christmas, the Democrat took to X to claim that, since March, she has taken action to make subways "safer for the millions of people who take the trains each day."

"Since deploying the [New York National Guard] to support [the NYPD] and MTA, safety efforts and adding cameras to all subway cars, crime is going down, and ridership is going up," she wrote on Dec. 22.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), while mostly serving the five boroughs, Long Island and Lower Hudson Valley suburbs, is a state-operated, not city-operated, agency.

However, in that short time, an illegal immigrant allegedly set a woman on fire on an F train, a man miraculously survived being shoved in front of a 1 train and Venezuelan gang members have been robbing straphangers at will.

In Coney Island, Guatemalan national Sebastian Zapeta was charged with murder after allegedly lighting a Toms River, New Jersey, woman on fire while she slept on board an F train at the Stillwell Avenue Terminal. That incident occurred the morning of Dec. 22, hours before Hochul's post.

The victim, Debrina Kawam, once worked for Merck Pharmaceuticals in the early 2000s but had more recently lived in a New York City homeless shelter.

Zapeta’s arraignment has been set for Tuesday. He told the NYPD he overindulges in alcohol and "doesn’t know what happened," according to NBC News.

"My office is very confident about the evidence in this case and our ability to hold Zapeta accountable for his dastardly deeds," Kings County Democratic District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said of the case.

Earlier this week, 23-year-old Kamel Hawkins of Brooklyn allegedly shoved an unsuspecting straphanger into the path of a South Ferry-bound 1 train at W 18th Street Station in Chelsea.

Hawkins initially got away but was soon caught near Columbus Circle and Central Park, according to reports. The injured victim’s survival was lauded as a miracle, as he fell into a "trench" between the tracks as the train ran over him and was ambulanced to a hospital with head injuries.

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Hawkins had prior arrests for body-slamming a police officer in Queens. His father, Shamel Hawkins, told the New York Post, "We think somebody put something in his weed."

Shamel Hawkins said Kamel had been "acting weird" recently and that he "needs help" but continues to refuse to seek it.

On New Year’s Day, WPIX reported two separate unprovoked subway stabbing incidents during daylight hours on the West Side. A 30-year-old man was reportedly stabbed in the head and hip awaiting a 1 train at 110 Street and Broadway. The station is in otherwise one of the safer areas of Manhattan, near Columbia University, the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, and the diner made famous in the sitcom "Seinfeld."

Another man was stabbed while awaiting a 2 train at 14th Street and 7th Avenue that same day, according to the outlet.

Meanwhile, authorities found 22 Tren de Aragua migrant gang members during a raid on a residence in Crotona Park, Bronx last month. Federal law enforcement had tracked the ankle monitor of Jarwin Valero-Calderon – a Venezuelan national originally arrested in Nassau County and under a deportation order – to the building.

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Hochul said in an X video on her account, called "This Week in New York," that her "five-point plan to improve subway safety" has led to overall subway crime dropping 10% since March 2023.

Hochul also said she will deploy 250 more National Guard members to take part in Joint Task Force: Empire Shield.

In its December report on November’s crime stats, the NYPD listed subway crime as having decreased 15% that month from 240 reported incidents to 202 and a year-to-date decrease of 6% from 2,137 to 2,002.

The NYPD said the subways saw their safest year-to-date figure in more than a decade.

"We are all in this together, and while the downward trends in violence and disorder across New York City are highly encouraging as we enter the final month of 2024, we have a lot more work to do to deliver the public safety that New Yorkers deserve," NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch said in a Dec. 3 statement.

However, New Yorkers overall felt less safe on the MTA as of late.

"Kathy Hochul needs to resign," commentator Chaya Raichik – or "LibsOfTikTok"—wrote on X after chronicling some of the recent subway incidents, and claiming some of the recent underground robberies were committed by Tren de Aragua gang members.

"Of course she won’t resign. These people care only about their power and the perks," FOX Business host David Asman wrote in a reply. "Only New Yorkers can get rid of her."

"Daniel Penny for governor," another X user commented, referring to the man acquitted in the death of a crazed straphanger who had been menacing passengers earlier this year.

MTA Chairman Janno Lieber pledged during a March transit board meeting "we are not going back" to the mid-20th century when the subway was incredibly unsafe. "This is a nightmare for New Yorkers," he said after learning Carlton McPherson – whom neighbors described to the Post as "a little off" – had recently fatally shoved a man in front of a Woodlawn-bound 4 train on 125 Street in Harlem.

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Mayor Eric Adams also addressed the public sentiment in remarks earlier this year.

"Public safety is the actual safety and it's how people are feeling," he said in March. "We know we have over 4 million riders a day and a reliable system. We know we have approximately six felonies a day out of those 4 million riders. But if they don't feel safe, then we're not accomplishing our task."

"Stats don't matter if people don't believe they are in a safe environment," he said, according to WNBC.

Lieber said at the March meeting he would not be "surrendering our city to anyone."

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NYC protesters follow New Orleans attack by calling for ‘intifada revolution’ hours after rampage

Hundreds of demonstrators called for an "intifada revolution" in Times Square on New Year's Day, hours after a terrorist with an ISIS flag plowed into dozens at a New Year's parade in New Orleans.

Attendees of the New York City protest — organized by the Palestinian Youth Movement, the Party for Socialism and Liberation and the People's Forum, according to the New York Post — chanted "There is only one solution: Intifada revolution."

Among other chants were "Resistance is glorious — we will be victorious;" "We will honor all our martyrs;" and "Gaza, you make us proud."

WHO IS SHAMSUD-DIN JABBAR? WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE NEW ORLEANS NEW YEAR'S TERRORIST SUSPECT

Protesters carried signs reading "Zionism is a cancer," "No war on Iran" and "End all U.S. aid to Israel," the Times of Israel reported.

"We’re sending you back to Europe you white b------," one woman wearing a keffiyeh shouted at counter-protesters in an exchange captured on video. "Go back to Europe!"

A speaker shouted through a megaphone that "2024 was a year of struggle against the crime of Zionism." 

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"We will be here every single year for generation after generation until total liberation and return," the speaker said, according to the Times of Israel. 

Several hours before the demonstration, 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar plowed a pickup truck into a crowd of New Year's Eve revelers on New Orleans' Bourbon Street. 

Jabbar — who was shot dead in a gunfight with police — was a U.S.-born citizen who lived in Texas, FBI Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge Alethea Duncan said at a Wednesday afternoon press conference. 

The attack unfolded around 3:15 a.m. Wednesday, leaving 15 people dead, including Jabbar, and 35 people injured.

SUSPECT IDENTIFIED AFTER DRIVER KILLS TEN, INJURES DOZENS IN BOURBON STREET TRUCK ATTACK

FBI Deputy Assistant Director Christopher Raja said Thursday that investigators had recovered several weapons from the crime scene and surrounding areas, including two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in coolers located at the cross-section of Bourbon and Orleans Streets and at a second intersection just two blocks away. He added that the FBI wants to talk to witnesses who may have seen the coolers containing IEDs. 

Jabbar served in the Army as a human resource specialist and information technology specialist (IT) from March 2007 until January 2015. Following active duty, he served in the Army Reserve as an IT specialist from January 2015 until July 2020. 

During his tenure, he deployed to Afghanistan from February 2009 to January 2010.

Jabbar said in Facebook videos before the attack that he had joined ISIS before this summer and provided a will and testament, according to the FBI.

Fox News Digital's Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.

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Mike Johnson gets public GOP Senate support ahead of tight House speaker vote

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., received public support from Republicans in the Senate as he faces an uncertain vote Friday to determine whether he will maintain the role in the new Congress. 

"My friend [Johnson] has done an incredible job in the House, and I’m glad he’s at the helm there as Congress looks forward to growing our economy and safeguarding our communities in the new year," said Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., on X. 

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Johnson also got the backing of the other member of Lousiana's Senate delegation, Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La. "I agree with President Trump that [Johnson] is the right man to lead. He’s a committed conservative and a man of integrity," he wrote on X, referencing President-elect Donald Trump's recent endorsement. 

During the last-minute government-spending fight last month, most Republican senators were careful not to call for Johnson's replacement. However, that didn't stop others, such as Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Mike Lee, R-Utah, from suggesting that someone else would do a better job. 

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"Technically, the rules of the House—I don't think you have to be a member of the House to be speaker. And other people talked about it," Paul told reporters in December. He noted that he has previously gotten stray votes to be speaker, as has Trump.

"And so, we'll leave it open to interpretation. I think that, hey, seriously, Elon Musk is having an impact."

When asked about his confidence in Johnson, Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., sidestepped, saying, "I can't make a decision. I don't know him that well. He's got to work with everybody else. He doesn't have to work with us."

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Since the House speaker will be selected solely by the lower chamber, few Republican senators are expected to weigh in publicly. But the fact that some have is notable in and of itself. 

In order to be elected as the speaker of the House, a member must get a majority of the votes cast. Depending on whether all House members are there, how many vacancies there are, and whether anyone chooses to vote "present," thereby lowering the majority threshold, Johnson could be in a situation where he can only afford to lose one GOP vote.

There are still several House members that have said they are unsure whether they will back Johnson. 

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Additionally, at least one Republican lawmaker is a "no," even after Trump's endorsement. 

"I respect and support President Trump, but his endorsement of Mike Johnson is going to work out about as well as his endorsement of Speaker Paul Ryan," Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., wrote on X. "We’ve seen Johnson partner with the democrats to send money to Ukraine, authorize spying on Americans, and blow the budget." 

The speaker vote is set to take place on Friday to set the new Congress in motion. 

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Warding off dementia means more reading, praying and listening to music: study

For long-term brain health, older adults might want to carefully consider how they spend their downtime, according to a new study.

Researchers from the University of South Australia assessed the 24-hour activity patterns of nearly 400 people over age 60.

When it comes to brain health, the study found that the context or type of activity individuals engage in matters, news agency SWNS reported.

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Some sedentary behaviors are better for cognitive function than others, according to the findings, which were published in The Journal of Gerontology Series A. 

Mentally stimulating behaviors, such as reading, listening to music, praying, crafting and playing a musical instrument — as well as social behaviors like chatting with others — are beneficial for memory and thinking abilities, the study noted.

The research team referred to the "valuable insights" that could help reduce instances of cognitive impairment. More passive activities, like playing video games or watching TV, do not offer the same benefits as reading, praying and other activities, they noted.

More than 55 million people around the globe have dementia, according to estimates from the World Health Organization. Another 10 million new cases are diagnosed each year.

SLEEPY DURING THE DAY? IT COULD BE AN EARLY WARNING SIGN OF DEMENTIA, STUDY SUGGESTS

Dr. Maddison Mellow, researcher at the University of South Australia, said that not all sedentary behaviors are equal when it comes to memory and cognitive health.

"In this research," she said, "we found that the context of an activity alters how it relates to cognitive function, with different activities providing varying levels of cognitive stimulation and social engagement."

DEMENTIA RISK COULD BE LINKED TO WALKING SPEED, STUDY SUGGESTS

She said that scientists "already know that physical activity is a strong protector against dementia risk, and this should be prioritized if you're trying to improve your brain health," as SWNS reported.

"But until now, we hadn't directly explored whether we can benefit our brain health by swapping one sedentary activity for another."

ALZHEIMER’S PATIENT, 90, SAYS SKIING AND OTHER ACTIVITIES KEEP HIM MENTALLY SHARP

She went on, "And while the ‘move more, sit less’ message certainly holds true for cardiometabolic and brain health, our research shows that a more nuanced approach is needed when it comes to thinking about the link between sedentary behaviors and cognitive function."

It's wise to "prioritize movement that's enjoyable and gets the heart rate up," she also said.

And "even small, 5-minute time swaps can help."

A recent study published by the RAND Corporation in California also identified several major predictors occurring around age 60 that could likely lead to cognitive impairment and dementia in individuals by age 80, as Fox News Digital previously reported.

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Researchers evaluated 181 potential risk factors, including demographics, socioeconomic status, lifestyle and health behaviors, health history, psycho-social factors and more.

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The list of predictors, according to RAND, included "never exercising" and "low engagement in hobbies." 

The study results suggested that "maintaining good physical and mental health is beneficial not just to staying in shape, but also to staying sharp and delaying cognitive decline," study co-author Peter Hudomiet, a RAND economist in California, told Fox News Digital.

Melissa Rudy of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.

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Why was there a wall near runway at South Korea plane crash airport?

An air safety expert says lives could have been saved if the "obstruction" was not there.

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Guardian Angels resume New York City patrols after subway burning death: 'Never seen it this bad'

The Guardian Angels, a volunteer crime-prevention group, will be resuming its patrols of the New York subways after the death of a woman burned alive one week ago.

"We’re now back to where we were when I started the group in 1979 on the subways. It’s gone full circle. I’ve never seen it this bad. Never," founder Curtis Sliwa told The New York Post Sunday.

Sliwa founded the Guardian Angels because "the need was there" after a rise in violent crime. Forty-five years later, he argued that "the need is here now once again" and his group is "going to step up."

"We’re covering the actual trains from front to back, walking through the trains and making sure that everything is okay," he said. "We’re doing this constantly now. Starting today, that’s going to be our complete focus because the subways are out of control."

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The group was incentivized after an illegal immigrant was arrested for allegedly setting a woman on fire in a subway car where she ultimately burned to death. Since then, Sliwa claimed they have received requests from "hundreds" of people to offer services.

"We’re going to have to increase our numbers, increase the training and increase our presence as we did back in 1979," Sliwa said.

According to Sliwa, 150 members will begin patrolling the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue station where the woman was killed. They plan to provide wellness checks and water to homeless people and other emotionally disturbed passengers while reporting issues to the NYPD.

In the meantime, he emphasized his hopes that his group would inspire New Yorkers to be more than bystanders.

"There’s so many trains that come in and out of here," Sliwa said. "It’s the perfect place because it reminds people that nobody did anything a week ago. Nobody intervened. Nobody pointed to the cops and said, ‘This is the guy.’ Even the cops didn’t do anything."

"It was an example of people just not getting involved," he said. "And we’re here to say, ‘You see something, you say something.’ You got to do something."

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The announcement came less than two weeks after New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that 750 National Guard members and 250 members of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Police were deployed to patrol the New York City subway system ahead of the holidays.

"It's clear to me, as I've heard from many people, that the presence of the National Guard has made not just a physical difference, but a psychological difference in how they feel about safety," Hochul said. "When people see a person in uniform… even our National Guard, they feel more secure."

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Family accused of ‘Sopranos’-style brawl with bats, guns against rival paving company: police

Six Georgia men who work for the same family paving company are accused of instigating a brawl with a competitor paving company on Dec. 19, according to police records.

Mark Buckland Sr., Mark Buckland Jr., Willy Buckland Sr., Willy Buckland Jr. Luke Buckland and James Small have all been charged in connection with the alleged assault against several family members working for a competing paving company called EH Paving, Monroe County records show.

Monroe County Sheriff Brad Freeman told 13 WMAZ that the incident was "like something out of ‘the Sopranos’ TV series."

The victims, working for EH Paving, were paving a customer's driveway in Bolingbroke around 1 p.m. on Dec. 19 when several trucks pulled up to the location, at which point six members of the Buckhead family — who work for a rival paving company in Bolingbroke — exited the trucks with baseball bats, sticks and other weapons, according to an incident report obtained by Fox News Digital.

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Deputies arrived after a 911 caller reported a "large fight" involving "bats and guns."

The owner of EH Paving said that Mark William Buckland Sr., 50, had tried to hit his son over the head with a bat. He further alleged that Willy Buckland Jr., 22, and Buckland Sr.'s 21-year-old son-in-law, Small, had attacked the owner's other son, and Luke Buckland, 28, had attacked his nephew, the incident report states.

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The EH Paving owner believes the Buckland family attacked his family because they were doing a paving job near one of their properties, which the Bucklands thought was "disrespectful." The owner alleged that Mark Buckland Sr. was carrying a "cowboy-style" gun and pointed it in his face.

The property owner, who contacted police, said that one member of EH Paving had shot a gun into a wooded area in an attempt to break up the fight, according to the incident report. 

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Meanwhile, Mark Buckland Jr. told an officer that he had been punched in the mouth and chalked the alleged attack up to "just a misunderstanding" when asked why his family was at the property.

"These are adult men, too," Freeman told 13 WMAZ. "Adult men with pretty good reputations."

Mark William Buckhead Sr. is charged with tampering with evidence, pointing a gun or pistol at another person and criminal trespass. Luke James Buckland is charged with simple battery. Mark Judy Buckland is charged with simple battery, inciting to rioting and criminal trespass. Small is charged with criminal trespass and simple battery. Willy Jack Buckland Jr. is charged with criminal trespass and simple battery. Willy Jack Buckland Sr. is charged with criminal trespass and aggravated assault, Monroe County records show.

The six men had been released as of Monday morning.

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