Authorities in New York City have expressed ‘confidence’ that the Midtown Manhattan skyscraper, once feared to collapse like a ‘pancake’, has been adequately stabilized. Despite this, they caution that some movement is still a possibility.

Ahmed Tigani, the commissioner from the NYC Department of Buildings, explained on Tuesday evening that emergency reinforcements at the old Pfizer headquarters on East 42nd Street are effectively doing their job.

“We’ve been keeping a close eye on the building for multiple hours,” Tigani stated, confirming no movement had been detected.

Nevertheless, Tigani noted that officials remain vigilant, continuously monitoring both the interior and exterior of the 37-story structure.

“Should there be any detectable movement, or if we suspect movement, protocols are in place to swiftly evacuate people from the vicinity for thorough evaluation and assessment,” he emphasized.

A ‘frozen zone’ was enacted around the building, originally extending from 40th Street to 45th Street and from First Avenue to Third Avenue.

That displaced hundreds of locals, tourists and workers, with NYC authorities unable to explain for hours when they could return to Midtown. 

‘I haven’t taken out the trash, I left all my medicine in there,’ Mercy Muriungi, 52, told the New York Post. ‘I had to walk over to the pharmacy to see if they would give me some medicine for a day or two.’ 

Stefan Mitra, a doctor who lives at East 41st Street and First Avenue, said he would likely have to ‘find a hotel somewhere.’ 

‘I slept an hour or two after my shift to be safe to drive, and then I came home thinking I’d be able to go home and get to sleep some more, but now I’m stuck,’ Mitra told the outlet.

Though some feared that the area could be ‘frozen’ for weeks, authorities announced Tuesday night that ‘all traffic and pedestrian restrictions’ had been lifted as of shortly before 11pm.

The only exception were areas on 42nd and 43rd Streets between 2nd and 3rd avenues, according to NYC emergency authorities on X. 

People living and working there can access that stretch, but cars cannot.

Officials had said earlier that two structural columns on the high-rise building’s 21st floor had buckled, while another column was also showing movement. 

Tigani explained that authorities visited the 21st floor themselves to inspect the work, leading to their assessment.

He added that crews were installing ‘new steel’ as ‘another emergency intervention’ to help keep the skyscraper stable.

The building, at 235 East 42nd Street near Second Avenue, was evacuated during the morning rush after construction workers discovered structural columns buckling inside the high-rise. 

A complaint was filed on Tuesday as investigators began scrutinizing what went wrong inside one of the nation’s largest office-to-residential conversion projects.

Four nearby buildings – 815 2nd Avenue, 235 East 43rd Street, 231 East 43rd Street and 225 East 43rd Street – remained under an evacuation order as of Tuesday night. 

Meanwhile, 217 East 43rd Street was under a partial evacuation, with just the restaurant on the ground floor required to stay away from the area. However, residents on higher floors were allowed to return.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani had said emergency officials had been monitoring the building continuously since the first signs of structural failure emerged Tuesday morning – and the movement had not stopped.

‘The concern is that since we have been on site in the early morning, we have seen continued shifting of the structure,’ Mamdani said during an earlier afternoon briefing.

Authorities quickly cleared eight neighboring buildings and established a large exclusion zone spanning East 40th to East 45th Streets between First and Third avenues, shutting the busy Midtown corridor to both pedestrians and traffic.

Officials previouslysaid highly sensitive monitoring equipment detected continued movement within the structure as crews watched the building from outside.

FDNY Chief of Operations John Esposito had said the building’s steel-frame design meant authorities were not expecting a total collapse, but warned that a localized structural failure remained a very real possibility.

‘The way this building is constructed, it’s a steel-frame building, so it would not be a total collapse, it would be more of a localized collapse,’ Esposito said.

‘That remains our concern – that it’s moving. We have seen continual movement. It does mean it is not stable.’

When asked whether such a failure could resemble the floors collapsing into one another like a pancake, Esposito replied: ‘Possibly.’

Officials had said two structural columns on the building’s 21st floor had buckled, while another column was also showing movement.

Mamdani described the response earlier on Tuesday as a ‘minute-by-minute assessment,’ urging locals to stay away from the area as engineers determined the safest course of action.

Authorities said six specialists representing the FDNY, the Department of Buildings and the project’s construction management team, entered the building on Tuesday afternoon to conduct a closer inspection after monitoring suggested the structure had not shifted for about two hours.

Drones were also deployed around the building as engineers examined the damaged areas from above.

Esposito said firefighters have been using specialized monitoring equipment capable of detecting movement measuring only fractions of an inch.

‘It’s a very serious situation because the box beams, the steel beams, have started to bend and deflect from the weight,’ Esposito said.

‘We evacuated the building and started evacuations of surrounding buildings. The building has continued to move since we have been on the scene.’

Behind the emergency response, investigators were also examining whether problems during the renovation project contributed to the dangerous conditions now gripping the building.

The Department of Buildings filed a complaint Tuesday against the property’s owner, 235 Fee Owner LLC, alleging construction had exceeded previously approved plans.

Although the full details of the complaint have not yet been made public, the agency’s online records state that ‘no support of excavation has been approved.’

The former Pfizer office tower has been undergoing an ambitious transformation since 2024 into a residential development expected to contain roughly 1,500 to 1,600 apartments by 2027.

As part of the project, contractors had been adding 11 new stories above an existing 22-story section of the structure, according to Tigani.

Sources familiar with the response said the compromised areas appear to include the 17th and 21st floors, both located beneath the newly added construction.

Officials later said the 21st through 26th floors had caved under stress, with multiple cracks and sagging floors reported throughout sections of the building.

Despite the alarming damage, city officials have repeatedly emphasized that any structural failure would likely remain confined to part of the building because of its steel-frame construction rather than bringing down the entire tower.

The underlying cause of the structural failure remains unknown.

The Daily Mail has reached out to the New York City Department of Buildings Commissioner’s office for further comment.

HOMEWOOD, Ill. (WLS) — A woman from the southern suburbs faced significant challenges when her veteran benefits were inexplicably halted for 18 months. Despite her family’s efforts to provide the necessary documentation to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, it was only after they reached out to the I-Team that her benefits were reinstated, and she received back pay.

Mary Lou Heinberg, residing in Homewood at the age of 92, relies heavily on the veteran benefits to manage medical costs and living expenses at her assisted living home in Olympia Fields. Her eligibility for such support stems from her late husband’s honorable eight-year service in the U.S. Army.

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Reflecting on the ordeal, Heinberg expressed her frustration by saying, “Very upset, truthfully. I mean, my nerves. Sometimes I think they’re waiting for me to die. Really? I’m 92!”

She elaborated on the financial pressures that her situation has increased.

“It’s very depressing, to be perfectly truthful. Especially with groceries and medicine prices climbing, I really have to limit myself to what I do,” Heinberg shared.

According to the family, Heinberg had received VA benefits for years and continued receiving them after moving to a new facility in 2022. However, the payments stopped in January 2025. The family said the VA told them it had not been informed of the move.

Mary Woods disputed that explanation.

“That they’re stopping the benefit because she did not notify them that she moved into a new facility,” Woods said. “But she did. She did. She faxed them. And I have a copy of fax before she moved in in February of 2022.”

The family also said the VA claimed it did not have a medical expense report needed to count the facility as a medical expense, despite reports being completed after the agency requested them.

“They’re not telling us that no one, no one will tell us anything. All they will do is send another letter,” Woods said.

Despite documentation the family said it had provided, benefits remained suspended. Heinberg said she had gone about 18 months without receiving the roughly $1,500 per month she believed she was owed.

As a result, Woods said she had been helping cover her mother’s expenses.

“I’m giving her like $2,000 a month to help her because she’s not bringing in enough money to be living there,” Woods said.

The family said matters worsened when the VA sent a letter seeking repayment of $50,000 for benefits Heinberg had received while living in the new facility. The VA maintained she should not have been receiving those payments, but the family disagreed.

When asked about the repayment demand, Heinberg said, “Oh, I almost passed out.”

Woods added, “I told them they can keep sending letters because she doesn’t have the money.”

Heinberg said, “I said I don’t have any money. How I would pay them $50,000?”

The I-Team contacted the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Washington, D.C. The department did not provide a statement, but the family said a liaison contacted them within days to investigate the matter.

The family later received documentation showing a new decision and an email stating, “We were able to restart your mother’s award…”

The email continued, “She should start receiving her monthly award on or around August 1, 2026.”

According to the family, the email also addressed the $50,000 debt, stating, “A chunk of the retroactive payment will wipe out the existing debt.”

Consumer Investigator Jason Knowles said, “It looks like we are on the road to a resolution.”

Heinberg praised the outcome.

“You’re a miracle worker,” she said. “Yeah, it’s amazing.”

She added, “For the length of time you’ve been involved. It’s unbelievable.”

Reflecting on the turnaround, Heinberg said, “So, less than 12 hours, and it took me more than 18 months, and still got nowhere.”

Knowles replied, “And in 12 hours, we got the job done.”

“Right? Hallelujah,” Heinberg responded.

The family said they have also received about $28,000 in back pay for benefits that were not provided during the year and a half payments were stopped.

Sens. Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin have also been assisting with the case and both say they are available to help other people who are experiencing problems obtaining VA benefits.

Authorities have charged a diving instructor in connection with the death of a young scuba diver who went missing in Argentina earlier this year, according to recent reports.

Thiago Nahuel Pocovi, aged 26, faces manslaughter charges following the death of 23-year-old Sofia Devries. Her body was discovered two days after she disappeared during a scuba diving session near Puerto Madryn in southern Argentina on February 16, Todo Noticias reported.

Pocovi was guiding a group of seven divers as they pursued their advanced scuba certification at an underwater park by Hu Shun Yu 809, a favored diving location in the area, when the unfortunate incident occurred, according to local media.

Shortly before her tragic disappearance, Devries, who frequently shared travel experiences and beauty tutorials on social media, and her boyfriend allegedly found themselves diving in conditions of low visibility without direct supervision. It was then that she began exhibiting distress, attempting to remove her breathing regulator.

Prosecutor Alex Williams reported that Devries experienced a medical crisis while ascending from the dive. Despite efforts by her partner to assist her to the surface, these proved unsuccessful, as reported by Argentinian station Radio Rafaela.

Other members of the diving crew then launched a desperate search to find her, but could not locate her, the station said.

A team of specialized divers eventually discovered Devries’ body at a depth of roughly 82 feet underwater two days later, the outlet reported.

Pocovi allegedly violated safety protocols and regulations for professional diving instructors during the fateful expedition, prosecutors argued.

The diving instructor attended a court hearing virtually and did not give a statement of defense, Todo Noticias said.

The prosecutor’s office has now launched a full investigation into the diver’s death to determine whether to hold a trial.

The tragedy occurred just months before a group of five Italian scuba divers died 200 feet below the surface during a deep-water dive to a cave in the Maldives.

The group vanished on May 14, with most not having proper cave diving equipment, including a diving reel or guide rope.

Chilling revelations have surfaced in the Ohio ‘House of Horrors’ incident after a shocked family member spoke out, claiming he was unaware that 16 children were living in filth.

Ronnie Fletcher, who is married to the daughter of the suspects, Gary Siders Sr. and Christina ‘Lynn’ Siders, shared that his family has been caught in turmoil since authorities detained four family members in connection with the troubling child endangerment situation.

“How can I help?” was Fletcher’s initial reaction, as reported to WOWK-TV. He expressed feeling horrified and concerned for the children’s welfare, noting the difficulty of grasping the situation as a more distant relative.

Together with Gary Sr. and Christina, both Gary Siders Jr. and Elizabeth Siders are charged with 16 counts of child endangerment each, related to these distressing allegations.

Fletcher explained that he and his wife, who serve as the children’s uncle and aunt, were oblivious to the accusations until the authorities made their arrests public last week.

He insisted the extended family had become estranged over the years and had no idea what investigators now allege was happening behind the doors of the Hamden, Ohio, home.

‘If we would have known that it was like that in that home, we would have done something about it, even if it was just to go there and take the kids ourselves or give them money,’ Fletcher said.

‘Them girls would have went there and cleaned the house themselves if they’d known it was like that.’

Instead, Fletcher says the family’s lives have been turned upside down.

‘It’s been awful for the people that had no idea that was going on the house that are related to this family,’ he said.

‘I mean, we’ve had death threats – we’ve been told that we need to be put in front of an execution line of guns and… killed and burned.’

He said even his own daughters have received threats, forcing relatives to delete their social media accounts out of fear.

‘My children, my daughters, has been threatened,’ Fletcher said. ‘It’s to the point we’ve had our pictures taken off our accounts and we’ve had to delete all our social media. I mean it’s been awful.’

The backlash has become so severe, Fletcher said, that his wife is now too frightened to go to work and he fears it could destroy the business he had been trying to launch.

‘All this is taking money off our table because we can’t live our normal lives because the way these people are trying to treat us on something we didn’t have nothing to do with.’

‘How am I supposed to start a business in this community when I’m being stapled to the face of ‘pure evil’?’

Despite the horrifying allegations now gripping southeastern Ohio, Fletcher insisted the family he first came to know decades ago looked nothing like the one now accused of allowing 16 children to live in horrific conditions.

‘You’ve got people out there saying that Lynn and Gary raised their kids that way, and they was not raised that way,’ he said. ‘I’ve known this family since grade school… Gary and Lynn did not raise their children that way.’

Fletcher’s comments come as newly uncovered court records have revealed another startling detail about the family’s past.

Elizabeth Siders, now 33 and one of the four defendants charged with 16 counts of child endangering, was just 15 years old and seven months pregnant when she married Gary Siders Jr. in neighboring West Virginia in 2008. 

It adds yet another disturbing layer to a case that has already horrified investigators who say they found children living in conditions so squalid they resembled ‘almost feral’ animals.

The revelation comes as prosecutors continue building their sweeping child endangerment case against four members of the Siders family following last week’s dramatic raid on a home in Hamden, Ohio.

Authorities say 16 children ranging in age from 18 months to 18 years were discovered in deplorable conditions.

Marriage records from the Mason County Courthouse in West Virginia show Gary Siders Jr. was 18 when he married Elizabeth, then 15, on March 31, 2008.

The records state that Elizabeth’s parents, Brian Ray Russell and Lori Ann Raines, consented to the marriage, along with then-Circuit Court Judge David Nibert.

At the time, the couple lived only two houses apart in Gallia County, Ohio. Gary had completed the ninth grade, while Elizabeth had finished the eighth grade, according to the records.

The eldest child involved in the current criminal case was born just two months after the marriage.

Elizabeth, now 33, Gary Jr., 36, his parents Gary Siders Sr., 73, and Christina Siders, 67, have each pleaded not guilty to 16 counts of child endangering after investigators executed a search warrant at the family’s Ohmer Street property.

Each second-degree felony count carries a potential prison sentence of between two and 12 years if the defendants are convicted.

The judge ordered the four defendants to have no contact with one another or the children and set bond at $300,000 for each. If released, they must wear GPS ankle monitors.

As investigators continue piecing together what happened inside the home, new questions have also surfaced about Elizabeth’s own background.

Fletcher said Elizabeth had endured a troubled upbringing before marrying into the Siders family.

‘She’s willingly there at the home. She did not have a very good home life when they got together, and she escaped,’ he explained to WOWK.

Separate social media posts reviewed by the Los Angeles Magazine included comments from a man identifying himself as Elizabeth’s brother, who claimed she had been ‘indoctrinated’ and said the siblings had only recently reconnected after being estranged for roughly 15 years.

Former prosecutor Tommy Pope discussed the newly uncovered marriage records during an appearance on NewsNation, suggesting they could become relevant as the criminal case develops.

‘It looks like she got married with her parents’ consent in West Virginia when she was 15 and was seven months pregnant,’ Pope said.

‘It almost seems like the worst of circumstances. To her credit, they kept the child and they chose life. But it seems like she’s been locked in that cycle, obviously, based on the number of kids.’

Pope also weighed in on Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson’s repeated description of the investigation as an ‘intrafamily’ case.

‘Best I can see, it’s almost alluding to some sexual relationships within the family, perhaps with the father-in-law or something of that nature,’ Pope said.

Authorities have not publicly elaborated on what they mean by ‘intrafamily,’ although Wilson, Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain and Prosecutor William Archer have repeatedly stressed the investigation is not a human trafficking case and that there is no ongoing danger to the wider community.

Investigators say the family had lived in Vinton County for about four years after previously spending time in Gallia, Pike and Jackson counties in Ohio, as well as Wisconsin.

Wilson confirmed the children were not enrolled in school.

The children’s ages listed in the criminal complaints range from 18 years old down to just 20 months old, including twins aged four and another set of twins aged 20 months. Two additional child-endangering counts do not specify ages.

Authorities have said they have struggled to interview many of the children because of severe communication difficulties.

‘Some of these children couldn’t even speak,’ Wilson said.

‘This is terrible. They really, they looked like almost feral animals; it was terrible. So when we’re talking reading, writing and education, we’re talking a whole other level of expectations here. It’s hard enough just to get these kids to be able to – the 18-year-old can’t spell her name.’

Sheriff Cain described the conditions inside the property in similarly stark terms.

‘Our livestock are kept in better condition than these children,’ he said.

‘It was an extremely high presence of bacteria and human feces. Just a disgusting scene…. A large number of the children were kept in a roughly 12-by-12 area. It seems like that’s where they’ve spent the most of the last four years.’

Wilson said the scene left a lasting impression on him.

‘Adding on to what the sheriff said, I didn’t actually go into the room where the kids were; I just looked through the door. That was yesterday. I can still smell it – I can’t get the smell off of me or away from me right now,’ he said.

Seven of the children were taken to hospitals in the Columbus area, including two who were flown by helicopter. Authorities previously said one child was initially in critical condition.

Officials have not released updated medical information.

The investigation has also been accompanied by widespread online speculation, prompting officials and local media outlets to caution against false claims circulating on social media.

One rumor centered on the deaths of twin girls, Bailey Lee Siders and Faith Lee Siders, whose gravestone has circulated widely online.

Birth and death records reviewed by WCMH show the girls were born on November 20, 2022, at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus and died about an hour later.

Their deaths were ruled as natural causes.

Death certificates state the twins, who were conjoined twins born at approximately 24 weeks’ gestation, died from respiratory failure related to extreme prematurity.

Investigators have not linked those deaths to the current criminal case.

Neighbors have continued expressing disbelief that such conditions could have existed unnoticed in a village of roughly 700 people.

Josh O’Dell, who lives nearby, told local television station 13 News he believed the property had been abandoned.

Food pantry volunteer Charley Brown said he had occasionally seen members of the family but never suspected the allegations now emerging.

‘Unbelievable, unbelievable. I just would have never, never thought this,’ Brown said.

Restaurant owner Carissa Gonzalez said her business had delivered food to the home several times, but the occupants always collected the orders outside.

She also recalled frequently seeing Elizabeth at local stores.

‘You wouldn’t think that they were any different than anyone else other than they kinda had a little bit of smell to ’em,’ Gonzalez told 13 News.

‘They didn’t really mess with anyone. No one really knew nothing about ’em because they didn’t talk to nobody. They just went and got the stuff they had to do and then went back home about their day.’

Dollar General employee Ariel Gutierrez told WSYX she had served Gary and Elizabeth the day before they were arrested.

‘It was mind-blowing once I saw the mugshot. I just saw them on Monday. They were my last customers,’ she said. ‘It’s sad. It’s a crazy, sad situation.’

Gutierrez said Gary occasionally brought one of the children into the store but claimed ‘she was not allowed to speak’ to anyone else.

She also recalled the children appearing extremely thin and said they carried what she described as a ‘potent’ odor.

As investigators continue combing through evidence recovered from the home, officials say additional charges remain possible.

‘This case continues to reveal the unimaginable conditions these children were forced to endure,’ Wilson said, describing the allegations as ‘pure evil.’

‘Our focus remains on protecting these children, supporting their recovery and ensuring everyone responsible is held fully accountable under Ohio law.’

On Tuesday, the U.S. Navy revealed that Cmdr. Gabriel Edwards was the sailor unaccounted for after the MH-60S helicopter’s forced water landing in the Arabian Sea, which occurred last week.

Commander Edwards, who leads Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 5 (HSC-5), went missing when the helicopter assigned to USS George H.W. Bush conducted an emergency water landing on July 1, as stated by the Navy.

Out of the four crew members aboard the helicopter, three were successfully rescued. However, the Navy called off the search for the missing sailor on Sunday.

According to the Navy, the search for Edwards lasted more than 102 hours and covered more than 14,000 square miles.

“The thoughts and prayers of every member of the Carrier Strike Group 10 team are with the Edwards family,” Rear Adm. Todd Cimicata, commander of Carrier Strike Group 10, said in a statement.

“While we are far from home, our heartfelt support remains at your side,” Cimicata continued. “Gabe’s legacy as a husband, father, friend and fearless leader will never be forgotten. We are thankful to each who carry a unique and indelible part of Gabe’s memory with us as we continue this important mission.”

Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao said he has directed that Edwards be posthumously promoted to the rank of captain.

“I am deeply grateful to every sailor and airman who took part in the search and who continue to support his family, friends, and shipmates,” Cao said in a statement.

Edwards, a native of Oakland, Oregon, graduated from Norfolk State University in 2006 before earning his Wings of Gold as a Navy helicopter pilot in 2008, according to the Navy. He assumed command of HSC-5 in July 2025.

Edwards is survived by his wife, Rebecca, and two children, the Navy said.

“We are profoundly grateful to every Sailor, aviator, and Airman who devoted countless hours, extraordinary skill, and unwavering determination in the effort to bring Gabe home,” Rebecca Edwards said in a statement.

“Gabe has dedicated his life to serving his country with honor, courage, and commitment,” she continued. “He led with humility, integrity, and compassion, always putting his people before himself. To those who served alongside him, he was a respected leader and mentor. To our family, he is the love of my life, an extraordinary father to his children, and the foundation of our home. His greatest joy was always his family.”

During his career, Edwards logged more than 2,000 flight hours in multiple Navy helicopter platforms and had been selected for promotion to captain, according to the Navy.

HSC-5 is currently deployed to the Middle East aboard the USS George H.W. Bush. The Navy said mental health professionals, chaplains and other support personnel are assisting members of the squadron and the ship’s crew.

The Navy said the cause of the incident remains under investigation and that there is no indication the emergency water landing resulted from hostile action.