Former NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo Charged With Sex Crime

Good morning, it’s Friday, Oct. 29. Have you figured out your Halloween costume? It’s clutch time, and Patch has put together some last-minute costume ideas you can either make yourself or pick up on the fly from a Halloween store.

Here are some of the other stories we’re following:

• Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo was charged Thursday with a sex crime.
• Facebook isn’t Facebook anymore, except when it is.
• The FBI said an American Airlines flight from New York to California was diverted to Denver after a passenger attacked a flight attendant.
• The “Nightmare on Elm Street” house is on the market, but it’ll cost you.

Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo could face a forcible touching charge months after a sexual harassment scandal toppled the once-lauded politician.

A criminal complaint filed Thursday in Albany levied the misdemeanor sex crime charge against Cuomo, The Associated Press reported. Details about the complaint were scant and confused Thursday — the Times Union reported the summons was filed erroneously and prematurely as local sheriff's investigators continue a probe into Cuomo.

But the complaint as filed indicates the probe is centered on a Dec. 7, 2020, incident in the governor's Executive Mansion in Albany. A woman, whose name is redacted, accused Cuomo of putting his hand under her shirt. » Forcible Touching Charge Filed Against Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, via New York City Patch

Dispatch From The Unfriendly Skies

In the decreasingly friendly skies, an American Airlines plane made an unscheduled landing in Denver after a passenger punched a flight attendant twice in the face, the FBI said. The flight attendant was treated at a Denver hospital for broken facial bones.

Drawing a harsh line as midair brawls become increasingly common, American Airlines said it is putting the passenger who struck the flight attendant on its no-fly list, but said, “we will not be satisfied until he is prosecuted to the full extent of the law.” » Plane Diverted After Passenger Punches Flight Attendant: FBI, via Denver Patch

What’s In A Name?

Facebook the app will still be called Facebook, but Facebook the company is changing its name to Meta. Company CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Thursday he is rebranding his company as Meta to focus on a virtual reality experience that will allow users to step inside the internet with special headsets and virtual glasses.

Skeptics argue Zuckerberg is trying to divert the public’s attention from the Facebook Papers, a damning leaked document trove so dubbed by a consortium of news organizations. » Facebook Rebrands, Changes Corporate Name To Meta, via Menlo Park, California, Patch

‘Historic’ Deal Near: Biden

Before heading overseas, President Joe Biden made a final pitch to lawmakers to approve his roughly $2 trillion domestic spending plan. Together with a nearly $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, the spending package would be a domestic achievement greater than those from Franklin Roosevelt or Lyndon Johnson. » Biden Announces ‘Historic’ Deal, Asks Democrats For Votes, via Across America Patch

At the same time, a new poll gives Biden underwater approval ratings on his handling of the economy. » Biden, Democrats Get Low Marks On Spending: Poll, via Across America Patch

‘Nightmare’ Dream House

There’s nothing scary about this dreamy bathroom in the Los Angeles house made famous in the “A Nightmare on Elm Street” series. If your dream has been to live there, you can pick it up for $3,250,000. » ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’ House Hits The Market, via Los Angeles Patch

Some Spookiness For You

Halloween Masks: Your kids should be able to wear scary masks while trick-or-treating and can skip the personal protection gear unless local COVID-19 transmission rates are high, according to the CDC, via Across America Patch.

Big- And Small-Screen Costumes: If you’re scrambling for a costume, it may be staring you in the face from your favorite device, via Across America Patch.

Cannabis Treats A Bad Trick: Attorneys general from several states are warning of the dangers of cannabis edibles and hemp derivatives that could find their way into kids’ Halloween bags, via Arlington, Virginia, Patch

Around ‘The Patch’

• Families Of 9 Killed In S.C. Church Settle With Feds Over Gun, via Across America Patch
• Gabby Petito’s Dad Not Speculating On Laundrie Notebook: Report, via Patchogue, New York, Patch
• Hunger-Striking Climate Activists Bring Protests To Capitol Hill, via Washington, D.C., Patch
• Arizona Family Wins $108M Mega Millions Jackpot, via Phoenix Patch

Find Your Patch

Patch is in more than 1,000 communities across America. Find your community and see what's happening outside your front door.