Photograph of Washington Square Park's renovation, in progress, by j_bary on Flickr

• From the Gothamist Newsmap: A large crowd at 49 St & 8th Av in Manhattan, a homicide at Sheffield Ave & Pitkin Ave in Brooklyn, and a suspicious package at Wandell Ave At Van Duzer St on Staten Island.
• NYPD police officers can't express their political preference.
• Ted Nugent tells the Village Voice how he put together his book: "I'm a live motherfucker, man. I actually participate in this experiment in self-government. I think guitar players qualify as 'we the fucking people.'"
• No, Rome is not burning--it's just a building on Elizabeth Street, near Gawker's offices.
• Is Madonna back together with that mobbed up son of Staten Island Chris Paciello?
• The redevelopment plan for the South Street Seaport goes in front of the Landmarks Preservation Commission tomorrow.
• NY Times restaurant critic Frank Bruni, answering readers' questions, says, "I love the texture and consistency of lamb hearts, and for some reason the idea that they're hearts doesn't bother me emotionally or intellectually."
• What do the Mona Lisa and the Greenpoint waste eggs have in common?