JP Updates

NYC Elects: With Anthony Weiner about to pop into the race for mayor any minute, one of his Democratic rivals demanded yesterday that he pay up $350,000 for the cost of the election required to fill his vacated congressional seat two years ago, after resigning for tweeting lewd pictures of himself. Read more »

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Haaretz reports: Justice Minister Tzipi Livni leveled criticism on Monday at the statements made by Yair Lapid on the topic of negotiations with the Palestinians in an interview for The New York Times.

“Lapid’s texts do not coincide with his party’s elections promises,” NRG quoted her as saying. “[His] comments, made on such a delicate week, do not promote the peace process. I hope Yesh Atid will eventually also join the push for peace,” she said. Read more »

ABC news: Americans in a new ABC News/Washington Post poll sharply reject special scrutiny of conservative groups by the Internal Revenue Service, suspect an administration cover-up of the Benghazi incident and express substantial distrust of the federal government more generally. Read more »

The Washington Post reports: Rescue crews were searching Tuesday for survivors and victims of a massive tornado that had devastated a suburb of Oklahoma City, grinding up entire neighborhoods and pulverizing two elementary schools.

The swath of destruction in Moore, Okla., was up to a mile wide and 20 miles long. The state medical examiner’s office told the Associated Press early Tuesday that at least 40 more bodies were expected, in addition to the 51 people already confirmed dead as a result of Monday afternoon’s storm. Read more »

Via Under30CEO: Israel is widely known as the Start-up Nation. With countless incredible characteristics and statistics, this small and young country, surrounded by war, has produced more productive high-tech startups than everyone else. For example, Israel hosts more NASDAQ-listed companies per citizen than any country. According to PWC’s MoneyTree survey, in 2012, 660 Israeli high tech companies received $1.9 billion in venture capital. To put this in perspective, in 2012 that amount was 17% of the $10.9 billion funnelled to Silicon Valley start-ups and 59% of the $3.2 billion that New England startups received. Read more »

Stephen Pierson, candidate for City Council in the 33rd District, who raised more than 10 times as many dollars as Levin during the most recent campaign finance filing period, castigated his opponent for choosing to speak publicly against Vito Lopez only after Governor Cuomo and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver had called for Lopez’s expulsion from the New York State Assembly due to sexual harassment of interns. Read more »

A monstrous tornado as much as a mile wide with winds up to 200 mph roared through the Oklahoma City suburbs Monday, flattening entire neighborhoods, setting buildings on fire and landing a direct blow on an elementary school.

BREAKING: At least 10 people confirmed dead following massive Oklahoma #tornado. #OutFront @cnn

— OutFrontCNN (@OutFrontCNN) May 20, 2013

BREAKING – KFOR-TV reporting some 2 dozen kids are dead at Plaza Tower Elem in Moore, OK

— Shawn Reynolds (@WCL_Shawn) May 20, 2013

via Politico: Bill and Hillary Clinton are making clear they are staying out of the New York City Democratic mayoral primary,Maggie Haberman reports.

The pair of stay-on-the-sidelines statements came as Weiner is set to declare his candidacy by video this week, likely on Tuesday or Wednesday, according to Haberman. Read more »

Crains New York reports: Vito Lopez resigned, effective Monday, but the nonprofit he helped create is likely to live on.

The Ridgewood Bushwick Senior Citizens Council, founded by a 31-year-old Mr. Lopez in 1973, is a multi-service nonprofit providing everything from affordable housing subsidies to education to emergency shelter for homeless youth. Read more »

Excerpts via NYTimes Jodi Rudoren’s Facebook page: Lapid:”I’m a Zionist. I think the two-state solution is the only real idea on the table.”

“The issue on the table is not borders, it’s not Jerusalem, it’s not the right of return. The real issue is hatred, fear, anxiety, suspicion….What we need now is first and foremost to break this circle of suspicion and hatred. Read more »

CNN: As a major tea party group plans protests Tuesday at Internal Revenue Service offices across the country Tuesday, a new national poll indicates that the IRS controversy has given the four-year-old movement a shot in the arm. Read more »