Extra, Extra

1. Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a high-rise fire on West 143rd Street, a pedestrian struck and pinned by a car in Brooklyn, and a police car MVA in Central Park.
2. The New York Times Magazine has put out their great "Year in Ideas" special-- it's worth checking out. For instance: The Diplomat-Parking-Violation Corruption Index.
3. The state agency in charge of the Atlantic Yards project has issued its long-expected stamp of approval. Next up: lawsuits by the tenants in some of the condemned buildings.
4. Mayor Mike has been riding the subway to work every day for five years, but says: "I don't like taking the subway." But convenience trumps personal preference: "it's the best way to get to where you want to go quickly and efficiently."
5. Speaking of Bloomberg, the next stop on his march towards the White House is a private dinner with Senator John McCain tonight.
6. No respect for the law: a cop in Queens allegedly threatened to shoot a couple in a dispute over a parking space.
7. The Campus Times of the University of La Verne, California, has an amusingly star-struck piece about a visit to the big streets of New York: "Fashion in New York is taken to an extreme level; even five year olds are clad in itty-bitty skinny jeans and shag haircuts."
8. Apparently the iconic dome of the Revere Sugar Refinery in Red Hook is still standing-- even though it was rumored to be getting demolished yesterday. If you're in the neighborhood, please try to snap some pictures this weekend!

Red Hook, by F. Trainer. Reminder: you can contribute photos to Gothamist by tagging them "gothamist" on Flickr, or sending them to photos(@)gothamist (dot) com. Please make sure the photos are at least 640px wide-- it's hard for us to use smaller shots!