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DECEMBER 9, 2021 | The Jewish Home
which ended a grand jury investigation into him. Steinhardt, who turns 81 on Tuesday, built his wealth running the hedge fund Steinhardt Partners, which he closed in 1995 to focus on Jewish philanthropic issues. He is worth $1.2 billion, according to Forbes magazine. Vance said the antiquities will be returned to their rightful owners in Bulgaria, Egypt, Greece, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Syria, and Turkey. Law enforcement in these countries assisted in the probe. According to a 142-page statement of facts, 138 of the antiquities came from Greece, Israel, or Italy, with Steinhardt once acknowledging that a majority of items he bought from one dealer “did not have provenance.” Vance formed an antiquities trafficking bureau in December 2017. He leaves office after 12 years at the end of the month.
So That’s What That Smell Was
Residents of Carson, California, have been suffering from noxious smells for months. Over 4,600 complaints had been filed since October 3. More than 3,200 residents had temporarily moved to hotel rooms paid for by the county. Those who remained in their homes were given air purifiers. For close to two months, investigators puzzled over why the gas smell was overwhelming the Carson area. Officials knew the stench was the product of a colorless and odorous gas called hydrogen sulfide produced by decaying organic material – and that it was probably emanating from the Dominguez Channel that runs through Carson. But they could not identify what had changed conditions in the channel to cause the smell. Finally, on Friday, the South Coast Air Quality Management District, an agency that oversees the area’s air conditions, announced that its investigation had pinpointed a culprit: A three-alarm fire that
erupted on September 30 at a Carson warehouse storing wellness and beauty products. After the fire – which took days to control – was extinguished, the chemicals contained in the products, including ethanol, flowed into the sewer system and into the Dominguez Channel. The chemicals caused organic material in the channel to decay and release abnormally high hydrogen sulfide levels. At its worst, the hydrogen sulfide levels in the air reached nearly 7,000 parts per billion – 230 times higher than the state’s nuisance standard, the management district said. The warehouse had stored “large vats of ethanol.” An L.A. County fire inspector noted that the blaze spread among rubbing alcohol wipes stored in crates. As a result of its investigation, the management district issued violations to four companies, as well as L.A. County, for their roles in contaminating the air. Virgin Scent, doing business as Art Naturals and Day to Day Imports, had stored “large quantities” of wellness and beauty products in the warehouse, the agency said. The warehouse is owned by Liberty Properties Limited Partnership and its parent company, Prologis. Los Angeles County manages the channel. As of last week, L.A. County has spent $54 million on cleaning up the channel, as well as paying for hotel rooms and air purifiers, according to the Los Angeles Times. If the cleanup continues until March, those costs could reach $143 million. “The gas has caused and is continuing to cause physical injury to residents and is interfering with [their] ability to use and enjoy their properties,” states a class-action lawsuit, filed on November 12 in Los Angeles Superior Court. It adds: “The full extent of exposure is unknown.”
Bob Dole Dies at 98
Senate leader and presidential hopeful Bob Dole died this week. He
was 98. Dole had announced in February that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. He had used his voice and wit during his 36 years on Capitol Hill, becoming one of the nation’s most influential legislators and party leaders. Dole shaped tax policy, foreign policy, farm and nutrition programs, and rights for the disabled, enshrining protections against discrimination in employment, education and public services in the Americans with Disabilities Act. It is due to Dole’s efforts that national parks and government offices are handicapped accessible. And it is because of him that there are sign language interpreters at official local events. During his later years on the Hill, he devoted his efforts to the cause of wounded veterans. Dole ran for president three times. He sought the Republican ticket in 1980 and 1988. In 1996, he won the party’s nomination only to see President Bill Clinton reelected.
More Vaccine Mandates in NYC
New York City is now requiring children ages 5-11 to be vaccinated. Mayor Bill de Blasio said one of the main reasons he expanded the city’s vaccine mandate to include children aged 5-11 is because he wanted to “give parents a sense of urgency” as the Omicron variant emerges. “For the older kids—12 and up— it’s over 80 percent now, vaccinated. So I think we’re going to get there with the younger kids, but I’m trying to give parents a sense of urgency,” De Blasio told CNN’s New Day on Tuesday. “We’re dealing with a new reality—this is not the fall. This is the winter. We see COVID go up in the winter. Big holiday gatherings, Omicron, it’s time to get vaccinated.” So far, seven cases of the Omicron variant have been detected in New York City. New York City currently requires people 12 and older to show proof
that they have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in order to participate in indoor dining, indoor fitness, and indoor entertainment. On Monday, De Blasio announced that, beginning December 14, the city’s “Key to NYC” mandate would expand to include children aged 5 to 11. The requirements will expand again starting December 27, when those 12 and older will be required to show proof that they are fully vaccinated with either two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Because they only became eligible for the vaccine last month, kids aged 5 to 11 will only need to show proof of at least one dose. As of Tuesday, at least 47.1 percent of children in NYC between the ages of 5 to 17 have received at least one dose of a COVID vaccine and 36 percent are fully vaccinated. For now, de Blasio has not yet mandated the vaccine as a requirement for children to attend school. “We love it when people go to our restaurants or our movie theaters but those are obviously for fun, for enjoyment,” De Blasio explained. “School is absolutely basic to a child and their development and their future. I don’t want to hold it against a child if their parent doesn’t take the time to get them vaccinated or, for some reason, hesitates. I don’t want that child to miss their education.” He added, “Some kids went a year and a half without being in a classroom. That’s an extraordinary setback for those kids. We can’t let that keep happening,” he said. “That’s why I thought it was important. Every child welcome, but let’s really push vaccinations.”
Skid Row Arrests in LA
On Friday, the Los Angeles Police Department announced that it has made 50 arrests with 16 additional
