NY charter schools’ success, Letters

Charter champion

The Post’s recent editorial provides yet more evidence of the superior performance of charter schools in New York (“Fresh Proof NY Needs More Charters,” Jan. 16).

When I was an undergraduate, I was fortunate to take a course taught by a professor who was an early advocate of charter schools, as well as educational vouchers for parents to use in private schools. The professor posed this question: Should parents or the government have the fundamental right — and corresponding responsibility — to provide for the education of children?

The answer reveals a great deal. If your answer is with the parents, then you are more likely to support charter schools and educational vouchers, because they give parents the financial ability to choose what is best for their kids. If your answer is the government, you accept “failing” public schools.

James E. Ciecka, Chicago, Ill.

Stuffed courts

Thank you for highlighting examples of all the frivolous litigation winding through our court system (“Crazy cases from bad to (vers)us,” Jan. 17).

Our courthouses have turned into a vehicle for preposterous claims and get-rich-quick schemes. In this particular case, a woman sued Geico, which insured her partner’s car, for contracting an STD.

Legislators should work to stem the proliferation of absurd and cynical tort claims by adopting the British “loser pays” rule. If litigants and their attorneys bring unsuccessful tort claims, they should be required to pay the costs incurred in defending those claims. Such a rule would force attorneys and potential clients to think long and hard before signing on to flimsy lawsuits.

Peter Janoff, Stamford, Conn.

‘Royaled out’

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were reportedly disappointed with the recent Emmy results, which snubbed their Netflix series (“Meanwhile, Emmy-loser Sussex sulk,” Jan. 18).

The snub is likely due to a widespread case of Harry and Meghan fatigue. Like the strident, repetitive blather from talking heads on Election Day, most viewers are willing to watch and listen for only so long. Eventually, they’ll change the channel or turn off the television.

There are too many quality shows to choose from right now. The couple’s drama has become monotonous. It’s about as interesting as radio static.

Vincent Ruggiero, Scottsdale, Ariz.

Z is for Zombie

It would seem that the kids today have collectively turned their backs on the American Dream (“Today’s kids have no drive,” Jan. 18).

Getting a job and a driver’s license — benchmarks once considered a rite of passage for American teenagers — is no longer a priority for Gen Z.

Perhaps contemporary life has been too easy for them. Parental support, combined with services like Uber and DoorDash, has made the need for a job and license almost obsolete. Add to that the legalization of marijuana, virtual reality video games and AI, and you start to think the kids should really be called: Gen Z(ombies).

Jack Kaufman, Naples, Fla.

Crime critics

I was so sorry to read about the newsstand vendors getting robbed and assaulted in Manhattan (“Newsstand Nightmares,” Jan. 15).

I hope that the “defund the police” pundits read that story. They might then stop thinking they know more about fighting crime than the police.

John Francis Fox, Queens

Want to weigh in on today’s stories? Send your thoughts (along with your full name and city of residence) to letters@nypost.com. Letters are subject to editing for clarity, length, accuracy, and style.

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NY Girl, 7, killed in New Year’s Day house fire on Staten Island

New Year’s Day turned tragic on Staten Island after a 7-year-old girl was killed in a house fire, police and fire officials said.

The blaze erupted shortly after 5:30 p.m. inside a two-story home at 110 Brookside Avenue in the Castleton Corners neighborhood.

Video taken at the scene shows firefighters crawling through the second-story window of the home, decked in Christmas lights, as thick smoke billows out.

The young girl was rescued from the home and rushed to Richmond University Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead an hour after the fire sparked, the NYPD said.

The blaze erupted shortly after 5:30 p.m. inside a two-story home at 110 Brookside Avenue in the Castleton Corners neighborhood. Citizen App

There were no other reported injuries, according to FDNY officials.

The fire was brought under control minutes before the young girl died in the hospital.

Neighbors told ABC7 that the New Year’s Day tragedy comes on the heels of another family death.

Firefighters were seen crawling through the second-story window of the home, decked in Christmas lights, as thick smoke billows out. Citizen App
The fire was brought under control minutes before the young girl died in the hospital. Citizen App

The girl’s grandmother, who helped raise her, passed away just before Thanksgiving.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

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JFK Airport JetBlue flight evacuated after laptop fire

A New York-bound JetBlue flight from Barbados was jolted by more than the drastic temperature drop Saturday evening — when the plane was forced to evacuate at JFK International Airport due to a “smoking laptop.”

The aircraft had just rolled into Terminal 5 when an airline worker noticed the overheated computer, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

The 133 passengers were promptly evacuated from the plane — and some opted for the emergency chute, the Port Authority of New York told The Post.

Sixty-seven passengers escaped down the inflatable slide after several guests activated the emergency doors, a PANY spokesperson said. The remaining passengers exited through the jet bridge at Gate 29.

The flight crew called the fire in around 9 p.m., but extinguished the flames themselves.

Several people were treated for minor injuries at the airport following the mass evacuation of the plane.
Gabriele Holtermann

A passenger seated in the front row of the plane said the captain “came flying out of the cabin” when the fire was discovered.

“He grabbed a fire extinguisher, and was doing like an O. J. Simpson over the seats and passengers. The guy was amazing, and put the fire out. It was a complete zoo,” Sean Weed told CBS.

Seven people were treated with minor injuries, but none were transported to area hospitals.

The spark may have been caused by the laptop’s lithium battery, the PANY said, though the specific details of the fire are still being investigated.

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NYPD says teen stabbed in NYC, 3 people in custody

Three teenagers are in custody for the stabbing of a 13-year-old in the south Bronx on Saturday night, cops and sources said.

Police responded to an assault on the corner of Castle Hill and Westchester Avenues at 8:20 p.m., according to the NYPD. The victim is expected to survive, cops said.

Though police were unable to confirm the victim’s age, sources said it was a 13-year-old.

Three 17-year-olds are now in custody but it’s not clear if they have been charged, sources said.

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