Good morning. Disgraced congressman George Santos is negotiating a plea deal to resolve his criminal fraud case in New York.
Santos (R-NY) was charged with multiple counts of wire fraud, identity theft and making false statements about his past during his campaign. Samuel Miele, Santos’ former campaign fundraiser, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in November. Nancy Marks, Santos’ former campaign treasurer, pleaded guilty to multiple campaign finance felonies in October.
He is expected to go to trial in September 2024 but if plea deal negotiations are successful, Santos will be able to resolve his case without a trial. Prosecutors want the trial expedited for May.
Here’s a bite-sized look at what else we are hearing:
U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro introduced the Eviction Prevention Act. DeLauro (D-CT) said the bill would expand programs for people facing eviction to better reach legal counsel in order to stay in their homes. It would additionally study national eviction rates and homeless populations to determine ways to reduce their increasing numbers. Over 19,000 evictions have been filed in Connecticut so far this year.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management recommended reducing the planned number of wind turbines for the Sunrise Wind Project — from 94 to 84. BOEM developed this recommendation in order to meet public demands and reduce impacts to local aquatic habitats, and marine life. Despite this proposal, Sunrise Wind would still meet energy needs for New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
Sales of electric bicycles in Connecticut continue to rise this holiday season. River Bicycles in Greenwich extended their state-run Electric Bicycle Incentive Program by 90 days and quadrupled sales. This is amid many e-bikes dropping in price from Black Friday sales that have continued into December. According to International Market Analysis Research and Consulting Group, e-bike sales are expected to increase by 6.5% annually over the next decade.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will reconsider whether to restore the storm-damaged Fire Island shoreline. The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation requested the federal agency replenish sand and bolster the shoreline after sending them damage data earlier in December. The Corps previously rejected restoring the shoreline in October after damaged areas failed to meet minimum eligibility requirements. If left unrepaired, future coastal storms could threaten mainland Long Island.
An off-duty police officer left his gun in the Eastport-South Manor Junior-Senior High School bathroom. According to the school district, the gun was discovered by a custodian Monday night, who immediately reported the weapon to school officials and Suffolk County Police. After investigating, police said that the gun was mistakenly left behind by the off-duty officer, who is also a parent of a student at the school. Police say the Internal Affairs Bureau is investigating.
UConn women’s basketball player Paige Bueckers scored her 1,000th career point against University of North Carolina’s Tar Heels on Sunday. She is now tied with UConn athletics legend Maya Moore as the fastest player in program history to reach 1,000 career points. Bueckers was named the BIG EAST Conference’s Player of the Week.
