From Columbia Radio News in New York, I’m Miriam Sitz.
A former port authority official and ally of Governor Chris Christie pleaded guilty today to charges related to the 2013 George Washington Bridge closure. David Wildstein admitted to committing fraud and conspiracy. Two others who were also indicted: the Port Authority’s former deputy executive Director William Baroni and former Christie aid Bridget Anne Kelly.
According to the indictment, the lane closures in retribution for Fort Lee mayor Mark Sokolich for not endorsing Christie’s re-election bid. U.S. district attorney Paul Fishman says Wildstein and his conspirators intentionally caused mass disruption.
FISHMAN: They chose not to execute the plan during mid-August, which is typically a light traffic month, and they deliberately waited until Monday, Sept. 9, which they knew was the first day of school in Fort Lee to ratchet up the injury to Fort Lee.
In response to the charges filed today in Baltimore against six police officers in the death of 25-year-old last month, some protesters gathered in Union Square, planning to march later this afternoon to Foley Square in lower Manhattan.
The Whitney Museum reopened today at its new Meatpacking District location. Museum Director Alex Weinberg:
WEINBERG: This functional and beautiful new building is conceived to provide artists with aspirational spaces to imagine what they can possibly do here.
Sitting between the Highline and Hudson, the new Whitney will stay open this evening until 10. Tomorrow, the museum will host a free block party from with performances starting at 11am.
MUSIC: “There Goes My Baby”
The singer Ben E. King died yesterday in Hackensack, New Jersey. He was 76. King grew up in Harlem, and sang at the Apollo Theater in 1958 with a group that would become The Drifters.
He helped write the hit single There Goes My Baby and in 1961, he released the number one single Stand by Me as a solo artist.
MUSIC: “Stand By Me”
Miriam Sitz, Columbia Radio News.
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