At his arraignment today, the father of accused terrorist Najibullah Zazi, pleaded not guilty to charges of obstructing the investigation of his son by destroying evidence—glasses, chemical bottles and masks that could have been the materials for homemade bombs. The hearing in Brooklyn Federal Court was kept secret and not marked on a public calendar, but there was a recording. After pleading not guilty, Mohamed Wali Zazi was told he'd no longer be released on bail (before today he was being monitored electronically). Prosecutors were against letting him free because of the "gravity of his charges" and the "risk of flight," reports the Post. more ›

Here we go again. After countless allegations of fraud and abuse of police parking placards, a new report indicates that some 22,000 parking decals for disabled drivers are missing, and they might have fallen into the wrong hands. According to city Comptroller John Liu, the massive number of missing permits means there could be a lucrative black market for the handicapped stickers. "Fraudulent permits are easily created using these seals," he said. more ›

With the Health Department cracking down on the carriage horse industry, it seems stable horses are next on their list—if their proposed regulations go through, the animals may receive the same breaks animal rights activists have been fighting for. But one Brooklyn Stable owner tells the Daily News that if he has to give his horses 5-week vacations, bigger stalls and install a sprinkler system in his barn... it would break the bank. more ›

Bloomberg made so many donations last year he can't even keep track of them all. Something shady is allegedly going on with one of them, a $750,000 contribution to the Independence Party, prompting Manhattan DA Cy Vance to investigate how the money was handled by a top aide and what exactly it was spent on. "We handed the money over to the Independence Party, and they have the full accounting, presumably, of how the money was spent," said Bloomberg's campaign lawyer Ken Gross. "The understanding was that the money was helping go to the party to pay for Election Day expenses such as poll watchers." more ›

Last weekend's snow storm missed us, but meteorologists say the NYC region will get walloped tomorrow with a big snowfall, prompting city officials to call it a snow day in advance. AccuWeather says, "The nor'easter is destined to be the biggest storm of the new year so far for New York City to Boston. Unlike the last storm, this one will 'not' miss these areas... The blowing snow will create near-zero visibility at times." more ›

Governor Paterson held a press conference today to talk about impending snow (the natural kind). But naturally talk veered to the rumors surrounding a yet-unpublished NY Times "bombshell" that some have speculated would force Paterson to step down. The Governor said he sat down for an interview with Times reporters today, and the questioning did not have to do with the salacious gossip that's been swirling for the past week. "I was interviewed for that piece," Paterson told reporters. "No such questions related to any of that information was asked of me at any interview. [The reporter] said he would leave all that speculation for other news sources." And then Paterson defiantly unloaded on the Times for not clearing the air. more ›

Did you know that today marks the 75th anniversary of the birth of one of New York's greatest urban legends? Yep, the discovery of alligators in the NYC sewer system! Back in November we took a look back at the city's history with alligators, dating back to at least 1935 when the New York Times reported on an 8-footer in East Harlem! more ›

At the end of last week, we were so impressed to read that someone actually had the intestinal stamina to beat the Hill Country "Feed Your Face Challenge." We shouldn't have been. Turns out, eating two pounds of meat, two sides, a cupcake, and a 32-ounce soft drink in under an hour is child's play. At least, it is for a "competitive eater." We're told that on Saturday, an unidentified female pro eater visited the popular BBQ joint and beat the challenge in eight minutes—then added another extra pound of meat and some more sides! Hill Country's workers say they don't remember her name, but the restaurant insists they initially set the challenge with the condition that if anyone wanted to set the bar higher they could... and she did. Now it's really extreme. more ›

In order to avoid far-reaching subway cuts that would eliminate the M and W lines and cause trains to become less frequent and more crowded, the MTA needs about $18 million—the same amount a deadbeat advertising company owes the transit agency. An MTA audit revealed that Titan Outdoor Holdings has come up short on its monthly payments for almost a year, but the MTA is afraid that recouping the money might bankrupt the company, causing the agency to net even less revenue. more ›

[UPDATE BELOW] Today rapper Lil Wayne is expected to go to Rikers Island, where he'll spend most of 2010 behind bars after pleading guilty to "attempted" gun possession charges. In a cover story interview with Rolling Stone, Wayne says he hasn't sought advice on how to get through Rikers, because "This is Lil Wayne going to jail. Nobody I can talk to can tell me what that’s like. I just say I’m looking forward to it." It can be a mellow place if one avoids the fight clubs. Wayne spent his last night of freedom in the studio recording tracks bound for "Tha Carter IV," and also send out this heartfelt message, or "shout out," for his fans: more ›

[UPDATE BELOW] Councilman Larry Seabrook (D-Bronx) has reportedly been hit with a 13-count indictment on federal charges of money laundering, conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, mail and wire fraud, extortion, and receiving an unlawful gratuity. Insiders told the Times that the Democrat—who represents Wakefield, Co-op City, Edenwald, Williamsbridge and Baychester—is suspected of helping a boiler company obtain city contracts. more ›

The city is backing out of plans to purchase the historic Wyckoff-Bennett House in Brooklyn even though the 18th-century Dutch farmhouse—located on East 22nd Street near Avenue P—is one of the few left standing and it's still inhabited. Homeowners Stuart and Annette Mont say they've gone through a decade of negotiations and preparations with the Parks Department, but now a new deal has been proposed that isn't to their liking. more ›