The BroadsheetDAILY ~ 3/2/21 ~ Two Extremists Face Charges for Online Threats

Beyond The Fringe

Two Extremists Face Charges for Online Threats

Former Occupy Wall Street protestor Brendan Hunt (also known as “X-Ray Ultra”): “Start up the firing squads, mow down these commies and letʼs take america back”

A pair of men for whom Lower Manhattan holds a troubling allure have been separately charged with making threats to assassinate public officials.

Rickey Johnson (who refers to himself as “Nigel Dawn Defarren” in online postings) was arrested February 11 on federal charges of using interstate communications to make threats, and an additional count of threating United States officials.

Prosecutors allege that Mr. Johnson posted multiple online threats and sent private messages to Fox News hosts Laura Ingraham, Jesse Watters and Greg Gutfeld, along with former Speaker of the House of Representatives Newt Gingrich.

Of Ms. Ingraham, Mr. Johnson is alleged to have said, “I want this white woman dead. . . . I am going to kill you with my bare hands.” In another online statement, prosecutors allege, Mr. Johnson threatened Mr. Gutfeld, while mentioning the address of his Tribeca home. Police subsequently observed Mr. Johnson on a bicycle ride near that building. Investigators took this threat seriously, in part, because Mr. Johnson is employed by a food delivery service that drops orders at Mr. Gutfeld’s building.

Mr. Johnson is also alleged to have threatened to kill a United States Senator and a former Governor, neither of whom are named in charging documents filed in federal court by the office of the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, located in Lower Manhattan.

Of an unnamed female member of Congress, prosecutors charge that Mr. Johnson said, “Maʼam, you are dead. You will be killed. Smile. Iʼm going to kill you.” He is additionally charged with threatening that the unnamed Governor (whom he labeled, “a domestic terrorist”) “will be killed in the name of the United States Constitution.”

In a separate development on Monday, federal prosecutors arraigned Brendan Hunt (who calls himself “X-Ray Ultra” in online postings), on charges of threatening to murder current Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, Senator Chuck Schumer, and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Prosecutors allege that Mr. Hunt (who spent several weeks in Zuccotti Park, in September, 2011, as part of the Occupy Wall Street protest movement) urged former President Donald Trump in online postings, “we want you to hold a public execution of pelosi aoc schumer etc. And if you donʼt do it the the citizenry will. Weʼre not voting in another rigged election. Start up the firing squads, mow down these commies and letʼs take america back.”

In another posting, charging documents allege, Mr. Hunt (whose website describes him as, “a New York-based filmmaker, comic artist, musician, and journalist”) said, “if you’re going to shoot someone… go after a high value target like pelosi schumer or AOC. They really need to be put down. These commies will see death before they see us surrender! USA!!”

And two days after the January 6 riot at the United States Capitol, prosecutors allege, Mr. Hunt posted an online video, entitled “Kill Your Senator,” in which he said, “we need to go back to the U.S. Capitol when all of the Senators and a lot of the Representatives are back there, and this time we have to show up with our guns. And we need to slaughter these motherfuckers… our government at this point is basically a handful of traitors… so what you need to do is take up arms, get to D.C., probably the inauguration… so called inauguration of this motherfucking communist Joe Biden… that’s probably the best time to do this, get your guns, show up to D.C., and literally just spray these motherfuckers… like, that’s the only option… they’re gonna come after us, they’re gonna kill us, so we have to kill them first… so get your guns, show up to D.C., put some bullets in their fucking heads. If anybody has a gun, give me it, I’ll go there myself and shoot them and kill them… we have to take out these Senators and then replace them with actual patriots… take up arms against them.”

At Monday’s arraignment, Mr. Hunt pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, and federal judge Pamela Chen refused a request by his attorney that Mr. Hunt to be released before trial.

Both Mr. Johnson and Mr. Hunt face up to ten years in jail, if convicted.

Matthew Fenton

Great Scott

Comptroller Renews Calls for BPCA to Commit Funds to NYCHA Upgrades

New York City Comptroller and mayoral candidate Scott Stringer is proposing to divert more than $400 million in excess revenue from the Battery Park City Authority to the cash-strapped New York City Housing Authority.

In a 27-point policy outline, “Housing Is a Right, Not a Privilege,” released on Thursday, Mr. Stringer proposes to, “reroute hundreds of millions from the Battery Park City Authority to NYCHA,” arguing that, “NYCHA’s needs are enormous, and it will take sustained commitment at every level of government to address them. To read more…

A Guide To Lower Manhattan’s 2021 Light Installations

Winter is a little brighter in Lower Manhattan, where you can bask in a whole bunch of colorful light installations this season.

There are two Downtown Alliance-sponsored public art projects on loan from Amsterdam’s Light Art Collection at the public plaza adjacent to 85 Broad.

The sculpture “C/C,” designed by Singapore-based artist Angela Chong, is a bench for seating that transforms into a colorful LED light show at night.

“Talking Heads,” designed by Hungarian artist Viktor Vicsek, is made up of two massive heads dotted with 4,000 LED lights that change to reveal different facial expressions in conversation.

Another Alliance sponsored installation is Ziggy. At the public plaza at 200 Water Street, this interactive piece by design studio Hou de Sous uses cords tied to a steel structure illuminated by colorful lights to create exciting views of the surrounding landscape. You can enter the installation from all angles, and sit on the several “gateways” that serve as benches. At night, Ziggy’s lights add an inviting extra pop of brightness.

Head up Water Street to the Seaport and find “Electric Dandelions,” created by artist Abram Santa Cruz and LA-based art collective Liquid PXL and presented by The Howard Hughes Corporation. In daylight, the ten 28-foot steel-and-acrylic structures look like dandelion flowers; at night, LED lights turn the structures into colorful, rhythmic animations.

(sponsored content)

Wall Street’s Secret Santa:

“It was love right away”

Rest in Peace, Arturo Di Modica

Charging Bull, the monumental bronze sculpture secretly fabricated by artist Arturo Di Modica with $360,000 of his own money, and then plunked down on Broad Street in front of the New York Stock Exchange in the middle of the night.

Arturo Di Modica’s Charging Bull stands poised at the foot of Broadway, seemingly sizing up the Canyon of Heroes as a potential urban Pamplona. He feels so perfectly sited, it’s surprising to learn that he began his New York life somewhere else. The Bull holds a few other surprises too.

   On December 15, 1989, downtown New York woke up to find an 18-foot, 7,000-pound present below the 60-foot Christmas tree in front of the New York Stock Exchange. Unwrapped and without a card, no one knew who sent it—or how it got there. To read more

The Gangs That Couldn’t Shoot Straight

Crips and Bloods Exchange Gunfire at FiDi Hotel, But Hit Nobody

The Artezen Hotel, at 24 John Street, was recently the scene of a shootout between two rival youth gangs, who fired multiple rounds at each other, all of which missed their targets. The February 7 incident resulted in the arrests of nine individuals and the confiscation of eight guns by officers of the NYPD’s First Precinct.

These details were relayed by Captain Thomas P. Smith, the newly assigned commanding officer of the First Precinct, during a February 18 meeting of the Quality of Life Committee of Community Board 1 (CB1). To read more…

9/11 Victim Compensation Fund Report

More Survivors than Responders Now are Submitting Claims

The September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) has released its annual report for 2020, which documents some significant developments.

Over the course of its ten years of operation thus far, the VCF has awarded $7.76 billion to more than 34,400 individuals who have suffered death or personal injury as a result of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 and their aftermath. The vast majority of these injuries take the form of illness caused by exposure to toxic materials that were released by the destruction of the World Trade Center.

PHOTO: Sept. 11, 2001. Residents began to make their way out of Lower Manhattan. photo: Robert Simko

Today’s Downtown Calendar

Tuesday March 2

Seaport District

Fitness classes via Instagram released every Tuesday and Thursday, featuring Trooper Fitness, Pure Barre and Lyons Den Power Yoga. Free

12NOON

Museum of American Financial History

Online discussion with Kevin R. Mirabile, author of Exotic Alternative Investments: Standalone Characteristics, Unique Risks and Portfolio Effects (Anthem Press, 2021). In the book, Mirabile evaluates exotic alternative investment opportunities, such as life settlements, litigation funding, farmlands, royalties, weather derivatives, collectibles and other unique asset classes, providing an in-depth analysis of the returns, risks, opportunities and portfolio effects for anyone who wants to expand their investment horizons. Advance registration is required. Registered guests will receive the Zoom link prior to the program. Free

3PM

9/11 Memorial & Museum

In March 2001, the Taliban ordered and directed the demolition of two treasured symbols of Afghanistan’s pre-Islamic heritage: the Bamiyan Buddhas. The objective was to erase any cultural heritage inconsistent with their narrow vision of Islam. Twenty years later, Dr. Morwari Zafar, an anthropologist with experience in international development and national security, and currently an adjunct lecturer at Georgetown University’s Security Studies program, reflects on the relationship between al-Qaeda and the Taliban during this time and discusses the significance of cultural heritage in defining a country’s national identity. Free

6PM

Skyscraper Museum

Melbourne-based architect Karl Fender is the designer of the two tallest buildings in his skyscraper-friendly native city, the 297-meter Eureka Tower, completed in 2006, and Australia 108, completed in 2020 at the height of 317 meters. He is also the architect of the 118-story Merdeka 118, now under construction in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which at 644 meters/2,113 ft. to the tip of its spire will become the world’s second tallest building after Burj Khalifa. Karl is the cofounder with his partner Nonda Katsalidis of the firm Fender Katsalidis, based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, and now with additional studios in Sydney and Brisbane. He is also Co-Director of the London Studio and Group Chairman of Arney Fender Katsalidis, founded in 2013 as a sister studio of Fender Katsalidis. Karl began his career as a design assistant for Robin Boyd – an important Melbourne modernist, then worked as an architect in London and Rome, before returning to school to take a Masters degree at Harvard’s GSD. Thereafter he worked extensively throughout Southeast Asia. Free

6PM

Transportation & Street Activity Permits Committee

Live Remote Meeting – https://live.mcb1.nyc

AGENDA

1) City Administrative Policy Act (CAPA) Department of Transportation Regulatory Agenda for Fiscal Year 2021 – Discussion

2) Street Use Priorities – Discussion

3) Congestion Pricing Working Group – Discussion

7PM

Brookfield Place

Test your trivia IQ at home with your friends and family! Follow along on Zoom and enter your answers via Kahoot, as you compete for a variety of fun BFPL prizes with hosts The Union of Quizzers. Free

7PM

Museum of Jewish Heritage

An international figure in architecture and urban design, Daniel Libeskind is renowned for his ability to evoke cultural memory in buildings. His work includes the Jewish Museum in Berlin, the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco, and the Danish Jewish Museum in Copenhagen, as well as the master plan for the rebuilding of the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan and several other noteworthy commissions. Join Libeskind and Paul Goldberger, Pulitzer Prize-winning architectural critic and Contributing Editor at Vanity Fair, for a conversation about Libeskind’s life and legacy. $10

Uncivil Servants

CB1 Decries Expanded Free Parking for Scofflaws with Badges

Community Board 1 (CB1) is urging that the administration of Mayor Bill de Blasio remove what appears to be an unauthorized (and possibly illegal) parking sign on River Terrace, which has been used to broaden the already rampant problem of illegal parking by government employees whose cars display official credentials.

In a resolution enacted at its January 26 meeting, CB1 noted that the River & Warren condominium (located on River Terrace, at 212 Warren Street) had for years used “for safe drop-offs and pickups” a length of curb in front of the building, which was designed “No Standing Anytime.” To read more…

Eyes to the Sky

February 22 – March 7, 2021

Sun’s return north, Lion springs tonight

It seems that we are born knowing that we can tell the time of day by the position of the Sun in the sky. The time of year is evident when we observe the changing location of the rising and setting Sun along the horizon, the trajectory of the Sun’s arc on the sky dome, and the length of day. In the illustration, February is represented by the third line. The whole image reflects our experience of the Sun’s northerly movement on the horizon from winter to summer solstice. We observe our star, the Sun, climb higher in the sky each day. On the vernal equinox, March 20, the sunrise point is due east on the skyline. To read more…

CLASSIFIEDS & PERSONALS

Swaps & Trades, Respectable Employment, Lost and Found

To place a listing, contact editor@ebroadsheet.com

TODAY IN HISTORY

March 2

1939 – Howard Carter, English archaeologist and historian (b. 1874)

537 – Siege of Rome: The Ostrogoth army under king Vitiges begins the siege of the capital.

1498 – Vasco da Gama’s fleet visits the Island of Mozambique.

1657 – Great Fire of Meireki: A fire in Edo (now Tokyo), Japan, caused more than 100,000 deaths; it lasted three days

1791 – Long-distance communication speeds up with the unveiling of a semaphore machine in Paris.

1825 – Roberto Cofresh, one of the last successful Caribbean pirates, is defeated in combat and captured by authorities.

1855 – Alexander II becomes Tsar of Russia.

1859 – The two-day Great Slave Auction, the largest such auction in United States history, begins.

1877 – U.S. presidential election, 1876: Just two days before inauguration, the U.S. Congress declares Rutherford B. Hayes the winner of the election even though Samuel J. Tilden had won the popular vote on November 7, 1876.

1882 – Queen Victoria narrowly escapes an assassination attempt by Roderick McLean in Windsor.

1903 – In New York City the Martha Washington Hotel opens, becoming the first hotel exclusively for women.

1933 – The film King Kong opens at New York’s Radio City Music Hall.

1946 – Ho Chi Minh is elected the President of North Vietnam.

1949 – Captain James Gallagher lands his B-50 Superfortress Lucky Lady II in Fort Worth, Texas after completing the first non-stop around-the-world airplane flightin 94 hours and one minute.

1962 – Wilt Chamberlain sets the single-game scoring record in the National Basketball Association by scoring 100 points.

1983 – Compact discs and players are released for the first time in the United States and other markets. They had previously been available only in Japan.

1998 – Data sent from the Galileo spacecraft indicates that Jupiter’s moon Europahas a liquid ocean under a thick crust of ice.

2017 – The elements Moscovium, Tennessine, and Oganesson were officially added to the periodic table at a conference in Moscow, Russia

Births

1453 – Johannes Engel, German doctor, astronomer and astrologer (d. 1512)

1769 – DeWitt Clinton, American lawyer and politician, 6th Governor of New York (d. 1828)

1793 – Sam Houston, American soldier and politician, first President of the Republic of Texas (d. 1863)

1900 – Kurt Weill, German-American pianist and composer (d. 1950)

1904 – Dr. Seuss, American children’s book writer, poet, and illustrator (d. 1991)

1917 – Desi Arnaz, Cuban-American actor, singer, and producer (d. 1986)

1921 – Ernst Haas, Austrian-American photographer and journalist (d. 1986)

1931 – Mikhail Gorbachev, Russian lawyer and politician, President of the Soviet Union, Nobel Prize laureate

1931 – Tom Wolfe, American journalist and author

1942 – Lou Reed, singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer, and actor (d. 2013)

Deaths

1729 – Francesco Bianchini, Italian astronomer and philosopher (b. 1662)

1835 – Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor (b. 1768)

1930 – D. H. Lawrence, English novelist, poet, playwright, and critic (b. 1885)

1939 – Howard Carter, English archaeologist and historian (b. 1874)

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