Remarkable how poorly the Kremlin fails to develop a narrative about the Crocus City Hall massacre. They try to blame Ukraine, the US & the UK without any evidence whatsoever, while they don’t explain at all how their security could have failed so totally.
A lot is wrong here.— Anders Åslund (@anders_aslund) March 27, 2024
Month: March 2024
Surfside condo collapse investigators provide key insights into possible causes of the disaster. Here are the top takeaways https://t.co/WPXA3RDV6H via @YahooNewsAU
— Michael Novakhov (@mikenov) March 27, 2024
Federal investigators on Thursday shared updates on their probe into the cause of the catastrophic 2021 condominium collapse in Surfside, Florida, providing key insights into the factors that may have led to the deaths of 98 people under a mountain of rubble.
Investigators have identified hundreds of possible points of failure in the building, eventually narrowing down about two dozen hypotheses of what could have triggered the collapse, officials with the National Institute of Standards and Technology said in a presentation on their progress.
The probe has revealed that the building’s swimming pool deck – located at ground level above an underground parking garage – collapsed at least four minutes before the rest of the building, confirming earlier witness reports. Potential structural failures in the pool deck or columns supporting the tower are among the top issues now being looked at as teams probe the cause of the disaster, investigators said.
Part of the Champlain Towers South building crumbled to the ground in the pre-dawn hours of June 24, 2021, turning what was formerly a thriving residential building into a devastating scene as residents became crushed or trapped under a massive pile of twisted metal and concrete.
It took about a month for search and recovery crews to find and identify all 98 victims, who ranged in age from 1 to 92 years old. The tragedy affected families all over the world, including in Argentina, Paraguay and Colombia. In some cases, entire families were killed.
The tragedy may have been decades in the making. Investigators have determined Champlain Towers’ integrity had likely been compromised when it was being built in the 1970s, noting that the design and construction of some parts didn’t meet standard building code requirements at the time.
“It becomes clear that the design and construction did not meet all the safety standards of its day,” Surfside Commissioner Marianne Meischeid told CNN following the release of the preliminary report. “I would be most interested in knowing if this was a very isolated defect, or was it common to a particular era of development?”
But the search for answers is far from over, as investigators must continue to meticulously examine the evidence and rule out the long list of possible scenarios. Their final findings are expected to be released in a report next year.
The agency investigates major building failures and disasters – including that of the World Trade Center on 911 – but does not determine criminal culpability. Instead, it can recommend changes to building codes to improve future safety standards.
Surfside Mayor Shlomo Danzinger told CNN the findings are “a poignant reminder of the imperative need for proactive measures and continuous maintenance in the realm of condominium safety.”
“The tragic incident in Surfside, has brought into sharp focus the potential consequences of neglecting these crucial aspects, and underscores the call for a proactive stance in the realm of condominium safety,” Danzinger added.
Here are the key takeaways from Thursday’s investigation update.
Parts of original building weren’t up to code, investigators say
When construction of Champlain Towers finished in 1981, parts of its structural design didn’t meet the required building code, particularly in the pool deck and tower columns, investigators said in their presentation.
“We’ve discovered several places where the construction did not meet the requirements of the drawings, the building code or common practice,” said James Harris, one of the probe’s project leaders.
Deficiencies were found in the building’s steel reinforcement placements, concrete alignment and strength of the columns and floor concrete, according to the presentation. Officials noted several areas of the pool deck had “severe” strength deficiencies.
In the months leading up to the collapse, the building was also facing major structural repairs. Condo association president Jean Wodnicki described some of the issues in a letter to homeowners in April 2021, noting that the “concrete deterioration is accelerating.”
At the time of the collapse, the condo association had approved an assessment that detailed $15 million worth of repairs – a process they began more than two years after receiving a report about “major structural damage” in the building, CNN has reported.
Search and rescue personnel work after the partial collapse of the Champlain Towers South condo building on June 24, 2021 in Surfside, Florida. – Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Pool deck buckles minutes before tower collapse
Before the chaos erupted, one resident reported being woken up by a family member concerned about “metallic noises” reverberating in the building – and just moments later watched as the pool deck fell into the underground garage below it, said Emel Ganapati, who’s co-leading evidence collection efforts for the investigation.
The slab supporting the pool deck collapsed more than four minutes before the tower came crashing down, according to investigators. The connection between the slab and its support columns may have failed, causing the slab to drop into the garage, they said.
“There were indications of severe distress in the pool deck at least three weeks before the collapse,” investigators said in the presentation.
Residents had reported hearing “knocking” and “hammering” sounds leading up to the incident that may indicate the slab’s reinforcement had fractured, it said. Evidence also revealed the slab had been sagging, exposed to water and corroded in some areas.
Over time, the landscaping planters decorating the pool deck had also become weighed down with more filling and paving than originally designed, increasing the weight load on the slab, according to the presentation.
Together, all of these deficiencies created “critically low margins against failure” at the time of the collapse, it said.
Still, investigators noted, “while there is strong evidence that the collapse initiated in the pool deck, we have not yet ruled out a failure initiation in some part of the tower” that may have occurred before the pool deck collapse.
Failure of tower’s columns is also a possibility
Investigators said they have identified several scenarios in which the columns supporting the tower’s southern edge could have failed, forcing their load to be distributed elsewhere and triggering the collapse.
Signs of imminent disaster can be seen in video footage which shows “severe structural movements” in the tower before the drop, and roaring and rumbling sounds could be heard in one of the upper story corridors before the floor started to sag and warp, according to investigators.
The initial structure failures that caused the eastern part of the collapse likely happened below the third floor, investigators said, noting that video footage shows the facade of the building moving “uniformly downward” during the fall.
The tower columns could have been compromised in several ways, including corrosion, water exposure and poor installation, the presentation noted.
Dozens of hypotheses still remain
Search and rescue teams look for possible survivors and remains in the partially collapsed Champlain Towers South condo building on June 30, 2021 in Surfside, Florida. – Michael Reaves/Getty Images
Though investigators said they have identified strong evidence to support the most likely causes of the collapse, they must still meticulously rule out dozens of other hypotheses through extensive evidence analysis and testing.
Among the other possible – but less likely – causes are that the foundation settled unevenly or was build on topography that developed sinkholes or other weaknesses, officials said.
Once the probe is complete, the National Institute of Standards and Technology plans to release a multi-volume final report on its findings as well as an online presentation tailored to the public by fall 2025, it said.
“There are millions of high-rise condominium units in Florida alone, many of them aging structures near the ocean,” its website says. “While a NIST investigation is intended to identify the cause of the Champlain Towers South collapse, it could also uncover potential issues in other similar buildings nearby and throughout the nation.”
The report may also bring much-needed answers to victims’ families, who have seen safety legislation and hefty legal settlements but have been waiting years for clarity on why the tragedy happened in the first place.
CNN’s Jamiel Lynch, Nouran Salahieh and Joe Sutton contributed to this report.
For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Federal investigators on Thursday shared updates on their probe into the cause of the catastrophic 2021 condominium collapse in Surfside, Florida, providing key insights into the factors that may have led to the deaths of 98 people under a mountain of rubble.
Investigators have identified hundreds of possible points of failure in the building, eventually narrowing down about two dozen hypotheses of what could have triggered the collapse, officials with the National Institute of Standards and Technology said in a presentation on their progress.
The probe has revealed that the building’s swimming pool deck – located at ground level above an underground parking garage – collapsed at least four minutes before the rest of the building, confirming earlier witness reports. Potential structural failures in the pool deck or columns supporting the tower are among the top issues now being looked at as teams probe the cause of the disaster, investigators said.
Part of the Champlain Towers South building crumbled to the ground in the pre-dawn hours of June 24, 2021, turning what was formerly a thriving residential building into a devastating scene as residents became crushed or trapped under a massive pile of twisted metal and concrete.
It took about a month for search and recovery crews to find and identify all 98 victims, who ranged in age from 1 to 92 years old. The tragedy affected families all over the world, including in Argentina, Paraguay and Colombia. In some cases, entire families were killed.
The tragedy may have been decades in the making. Investigators have determined Champlain Towers’ integrity had likely been compromised when it was being built in the 1970s, noting that the design and construction of some parts didn’t meet standard building code requirements at the time.
“It becomes clear that the design and construction did not meet all the safety standards of its day,” Surfside Commissioner Marianne Meischeid told CNN following the release of the preliminary report. “I would be most interested in knowing if this was a very isolated defect, or was it common to a particular era of development?”
But the search for answers is far from over, as investigators must continue to meticulously examine the evidence and rule out the long list of possible scenarios. Their final findings are expected to be released in a report next year.
The agency investigates major building failures and disasters – including that of the World Trade Center on 911 – but does not determine criminal culpability. Instead, it can recommend changes to building codes to improve future safety standards.
Surfside Mayor Shlomo Danzinger told CNN the findings are “a poignant reminder of the imperative need for proactive measures and continuous maintenance in the realm of condominium safety.”
“The tragic incident in Surfside, has brought into sharp focus the potential consequences of neglecting these crucial aspects, and underscores the call for a proactive stance in the realm of condominium safety,” Danzinger added.
Here are the key takeaways from Thursday’s investigation update.
Parts of original building weren’t up to code, investigators say
When construction of Champlain Towers finished in 1981, parts of its structural design didn’t meet the required building code, particularly in the pool deck and tower columns, investigators said in their presentation.
“We’ve discovered several places where the construction did not meet the requirements of the drawings, the building code or common practice,” said James Harris, one of the probe’s project leaders.
Deficiencies were found in the building’s steel reinforcement placements, concrete alignment and strength of the columns and floor concrete, according to the presentation. Officials noted several areas of the pool deck had “severe” strength deficiencies.
In the months leading up to the collapse, the building was also facing major structural repairs. Condo association president Jean Wodnicki described some of the issues in a letter to homeowners in April 2021, noting that the “concrete deterioration is accelerating.”
At the time of the collapse, the condo association had approved an assessment that detailed $15 million worth of repairs – a process they began more than two years after receiving a report about “major structural damage” in the building, CNN has reported.
Search and rescue personnel work after the partial collapse of the Champlain Towers South condo building on June 24, 2021 in Surfside, Florida. – Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Pool deck buckles minutes before tower collapse
Before the chaos erupted, one resident reported being woken up by a family member concerned about “metallic noises” reverberating in the building – and just moments later watched as the pool deck fell into the underground garage below it, said Emel Ganapati, who’s co-leading evidence collection efforts for the investigation.
The slab supporting the pool deck collapsed more than four minutes before the tower came crashing down, according to investigators. The connection between the slab and its support columns may have failed, causing the slab to drop into the garage, they said.
“There were indications of severe distress in the pool deck at least three weeks before the collapse,” investigators said in the presentation.
Residents had reported hearing “knocking” and “hammering” sounds leading up to the incident that may indicate the slab’s reinforcement had fractured, it said. Evidence also revealed the slab had been sagging, exposed to water and corroded in some areas.
Over time, the landscaping planters decorating the pool deck had also become weighed down with more filling and paving than originally designed, increasing the weight load on the slab, according to the presentation.
Together, all of these deficiencies created “critically low margins against failure” at the time of the collapse, it said.
Still, investigators noted, “while there is strong evidence that the collapse initiated in the pool deck, we have not yet ruled out a failure initiation in some part of the tower” that may have occurred before the pool deck collapse.
Failure of tower’s columns is also a possibility
Investigators said they have identified several scenarios in which the columns supporting the tower’s southern edge could have failed, forcing their load to be distributed elsewhere and triggering the collapse.
Signs of imminent disaster can be seen in video footage which shows “severe structural movements” in the tower before the drop, and roaring and rumbling sounds could be heard in one of the upper story corridors before the floor started to sag and warp, according to investigators.
The initial structure failures that caused the eastern part of the collapse likely happened below the third floor, investigators said, noting that video footage shows the facade of the building moving “uniformly downward” during the fall.
The tower columns could have been compromised in several ways, including corrosion, water exposure and poor installation, the presentation noted.
Dozens of hypotheses still remain
Search and rescue teams look for possible survivors and remains in the partially collapsed Champlain Towers South condo building on June 30, 2021 in Surfside, Florida. – Michael Reaves/Getty Images
Though investigators said they have identified strong evidence to support the most likely causes of the collapse, they must still meticulously rule out dozens of other hypotheses through extensive evidence analysis and testing.
Among the other possible – but less likely – causes are that the foundation settled unevenly or was build on topography that developed sinkholes or other weaknesses, officials said.
Once the probe is complete, the National Institute of Standards and Technology plans to release a multi-volume final report on its findings as well as an online presentation tailored to the public by fall 2025, it said.
“There are millions of high-rise condominium units in Florida alone, many of them aging structures near the ocean,” its website says. “While a NIST investigation is intended to identify the cause of the Champlain Towers South collapse, it could also uncover potential issues in other similar buildings nearby and throughout the nation.”
The report may also bring much-needed answers to victims’ families, who have seen safety legislation and hefty legal settlements but have been waiting years for clarity on why the tragedy happened in the first place.
CNN’s Jamiel Lynch, Nouran Salahieh and Joe Sutton contributed to this report.
For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Surfside condo collapse investigators provide key insights into possible causes of the disaster. Here are the top … Yahoo News Australia
The post Surfside condo collapse investigators provide key insights into possible causes of the disaster. Here are the top … – Yahoo News Australia first appeared on The Condo Law.
Edited by: TJVNews.com
In a recent turn of events, Maritza Ming, once a prominent figure as a top aide to Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, has left the district attorney’s office amidst a storm of controversy. Reports suggest that Ming’s departure is linked to accusations of anti-Semitism and other forms of misconduct, raising questions about her conduct and professional integrity, according to a recently published reported in the New York Post.
The saga surrounding Ming’s exit from the Brooklyn DA’s office began to unfold eight months ago when allegations surfaced from multiple current and former staffers. Among the accusations were claims that Ming engaged in disparaging Jewish employees, exhibited bullying behavior towards subordinates, and allegedly misused office resources and staff, as was reported by the Post. These complaints painted a troubling picture of a workplace fraught with tension and impropriety, ultimately leading to scrutiny of Ming’s leadership and managerial practices.
It was revealed in the Post report that Ming had transitioned to a role at a personal-injury law firm, Harris, Keenan & Goldfarb, in Manhattan. The shift from a high-ranking official to what was derisively described as an “ambulance chaser” serves as a humbling reminder of the consequences of unchecked behavior and ethical lapses.
Further complicating the narrative is the revelation regarding Ming’s prolonged absence from the DA’s office. Despite reports suggesting that Ming had not been present at the office since July of the previous year, she remained on the payroll, drawing a substantial salary that included a sizable bonus, the Post report revealed.
In response to inquiries about Ming’s status, the Brooklyn DA’s office initially offered vague explanations, with spokesman Oren Yaniv stating that Ming was on leave without providing further details. However, subsequent revelations suggest that Ming’s absence was more protracted and financially lucrative than previously acknowledged, as was indicated in the Post report. The discrepancy between official statements and the documented reality highlights the importance of independent oversight and investigative journalism in holding institutions accountable for their actions.
The internal probe, commissioned by Gonzalez himself, focused on the handling of discrimination complaints within the office, a process overseen by Ming, the Post reported. Additionally, the city Department of Investigation has launched its own inquiry into Ming’s conduct, further complicating the situation.
Gonzalez’s decision to hire Guidepost Solutions to conduct the internal probe reflects the seriousness of the allegations surrounding Ming’s tenure. The investigation, initiated in response to concerns raised by employees, delves into accusations of discrimination and misconduct within the office. However, the Post report said it’s worth noting that Ming herself has been at the center of these allegations, raising questions about the efficacy of an investigation led by a firm hired by the very office under scrutiny.
Maritza Ming’s tenure within the Brooklyn DA’s office spans over two decades, with her rise to the position of chief of staff in 2018 and subsequent promotion to “confidential executive assistant district attorney” last year, according to the report in the Post.
The controversy surrounding Ming’s conduct has not only impacted her own career but has also reverberated within the wider political landscape. Sources suggest that Gonzalez, who harbors aspirations of becoming state attorney general, has faced backlash from members of the Jewish community over Ming’s continued employment despite accusations of anti-Semitism, the Post report explained. Leaders within the Jewish community have expressed concerns about Gonzalez’s association with Ming, emphasizing the importance of their support for his political ambitions. The potential loss of support from the Jewish community could prove to be a significant setback for Gonzalez, potentially altering the course of his political trajectory.
The post Top Aide to Bklyn DA Gonzelez Departs Over Anti-Semitism Accusations appeared first on The Jewish Voice.
By: Jared Evan
In a grim turn of events, a murder mystery unfolds in Manhattan, shedding light on the perils associated with squatter laws and the current surge in squatting trends.
Videos, have popped up online teaching potential property thieves how to invade private property, when owners are on on vacation or away from their homes for an extended period of time, and take it over, due to legal loopholes.
According to police sources, Nadia Vitels, 52, met a tragic fate inside her late mother’s New York City apartment in the Kips Bay neighborhood.
Two suspects on the run were apprehended by the US Marshals Regional Fugitive Task Force in York, Pennsylvania, in connection with the homicide of 52-year-old Nadia Vitel, whose body was discovered in a duffel bag in her upscale Manhattan apartment last week, two senior law enforcement officials said Friday.
The individuals, a 19-year-old and a 16-year-old, are now facing charges related to Vitel’s death. Specifics on the charges weren’t immediately clear, nor were details regarding their capture, NBC News NY reported
Halley Tejada, 19, and Kensly Alston, 18, were tracked down by US Marshals in York, west of Philadelphia, just before 11 a.m. and taken into custody, the sources said.
NY Post reported: Investigators believe the suspects had been squatting in the upscale apartment and beat Vitels to death when they came face to face with her there on March 12, police said.
Reports suggest that Vitels, who had traveled from Spain to prepare the apartment for occupation by a family friend, was unaware of the two individuals unlawfully residing there. Surveillance footage captured her movements as she visited the vacant apartment, unaware of the presence of the squatters.
Tragically, upon her arrival, the suspects returned to the scene, leading to a confrontation resulting in Vitels’ death from blunt force trauma to the head. Her body was discovered concealed in a duffel bag within the apartment’s front closet.
The superintendent of the building, Jean Pompee, expressed shock and dismay, recounting the grim discovery made by concerned family members. The suspects, identified through surveillance footage, were seen fleeing the scene in Vitels’ Lexus, which was later involved in an accident in Pennsylvania.
The incident underscores the urgent need for reevaluation of squatter laws in New York and beyond. Assemblyman Jake Blumencranz has been vocal about the need to address loopholes that afford squatters legal protection after a mere 30 days of occupancy.
NY Post reported on Squatter craze.
Blumencranz’s proposed legislation aims to mitigate the risks associated with squatters’ rights, aiming to prevent situations where individuals exploit the system for personal gain. Squatting, a growing concern across the nation, poses significant threats to homeowners’ rights and public safety.
In a disturbing trend, online forums and dark web platforms offer guidance on trespassing and establishing residency in vacant properties. Squatters strategically target homes based on various criteria, often exploiting properties left unattended for extended periods.
While high-profile cases, such as mansion takeovers, garner attention, instances like Vitels’ tragic death underscore the broader implications of squatting on individuals and communities.
As Vitels’ grieving son mourns the loss of his mother, the call for action to safeguard property rights grows louder. With thousands of homes vulnerable to invasion by squatters, urgent measures are needed to address this pressing issue and protect homeowners’ rights across the country.
The post Murder in Manhattan Apt Linked to Squatter Craze; Property Take Overs Continue appeared first on The Jewish Voice.