News

The Fire Department may be forced to cutback on staffing to cover the costs of the increasing number of firefighters taking sick leave. more ›

Nearly 50% of city bridges and crossings used by Amtrak trains have components rated in "poor" or worse conditions, according to inspection reports. The Post sheds harsh light on the "crumbling conditions" of spans over the Bronx River, thoroughfares like Dyckman Street, and bridges in Queens. One that crosses from 135th to 125th Street along Manhattan's West Side "received consistent 'serious' rankings for beams and other metal supports, along with several 'poor' floor problems." Amtrak officials, who downplay the results of the inspections, lament the meager budget given over for repairs, with only a fraction of the $1.4 billion budget in federal funds allocated for them: "Is $40 million enough to paint every bridge? No, it's not." more ›

Defying conventional wisdom, crime is not on the rise despite the miserable economy. Police records reveal that as the city faces a 10.3-percent unemployment rate and record numbers of homeless families, "the number of major crimes is continuing to fall this year in nearly every category," the Times reports. more ›

Website Ride the City debuted in 2008, integrating Google maps with data about ideal cycling routes. The site enables users to map a bike ride along as many bike paths as possible, or take their chances with the "fastest," most direct route. Tomorrow the site will launch a new version, which will now maintain elevation data for every city and show riders how much climbing to expect from any given route. Ride the City will also allow visitors to create a user profile and save their favorite routes. more ›

A cop shot in the line of duty last year is suing the NYPD for outfitting him with a bulletproof vest and a holster that he claims weren't up to snuff. Officer Shane Farina, 39, was wearing a department-issued vest when he was shot point blank by a suspected fare-beater who grabbed his partner's gun in a Queens subway station last year more ›

Is leftover change on your Metrocard bumming you out? It's bumming everyone out, according to the Daily News today. Ever since the MTA changed how it formulated the bonuses on pay-per-ride cards, from 20% (buy five trips, get a sixth for free) to 15%, New Yorkers have been accumulating Metrocards with unusable spare change on them, while the MTA has been absorbing that decent chunk of unused change! more ›

When the smoke clears from Albany's latest inept attempt to get a grip on the budget crisis, one casualty will likely be the state's anti-smoking campaign. Governor Paterson, a committed proponent of the anti-smoking program, has nevertheless proposed a $10 million cut in order to help address a $3.2 billion deficit. The cutback would reduce funding for programs that provide free nicotine patches and help Medicaid patients quit smoking, among other things. Naturally, the cigarette industry and its allies are passing around the cigars. more ›

The mother of Rachel Uchitel, the woman suspected of having an affair with Tiger Woods, told Newsday, "I think she has a very good heart, and that heart was broken on 9/11. She's had a very tough life... whatever direction she's gone off on may have been not good for her.. Underneath it there's a very sweet and wounded person from that experience." more ›

It's no Man Getting Hit By Football, but this video of a Dodge van getting smashed by a wrecking ball is probably worth ten of your seconds, depending on what you've got going on today. While there is some debate as to the origins of the video—one YouTube commenter astutely declares, "has to be fake i live in nyc and I would have heard about this shit in the news and on the front of the ny post"—we're pretty sure this looks like a filmed stunt for a movie, or maybe a viral marketing ad. If so, you're welcome Astroboy! more ›

While most subway stations rely on sidewalk grates for fresh air, the new stops on the long-awaited Second Avenue line will be cooled with a modern ventilation system. But residents and politicians say the ventilation system, which will be housed in permanent above-ground structures, "many as large as midsize apartment buildings, rising up to nine stories tall," will turn vibrant Upper East Side blocks into "dead corners," blighting the neighborhood and lowering property values, according to the Real Deal. more ›

Oh no! Reader Marc Bloomgarden sent us the above picture, saying, "this iconic Weeping willow has fallen in to the Pool in Central Park." It survived the August storm that took down so many trees in the Park, so we reached out to the Central Park Conservancy to find out what felled this willow. We'll update when we hear back from them. more ›

While it was previously reported that crack pipes were found in former Knick Dean Meminger's rented room in the Bronx, the NY Post spoke to an FDNY source who said, "We have not found a crack pipe in his room," though the source did acknowledge "at least one crack pipe was found in the building." A four-alarm fire started in the SRO—and later spread to other buildings— and Meminger was found unconscious by firefighters. He is recovering in a burn unit. more ›

In recent years, the lefty activist group Time's Up has been widely associated with the monthly Critical Mass bicycle rides in Manhattan—a source of ongoing acrimony between police and cyclists. But the group, started by environmental activist Bill DiPaola back in 1987, has had a green finger in a wide array of progressive causes beyond cycling advocacy. Now Time's Up's wide-ranging agenda over the past two decades has been underscored by the recent acquisition of a trove of Time's Up documents by the Tamiment Library at NYU. more ›

Sports Illustrated announced today that it has named Yankees Captain and sometime Post Cover-Model Derek Jeter its Sportsman of the Year. Remarkably, Jeter, 35, is the first Yankee to be given the honor since it was first handed out starting in 1956. Sports Illustrated Group Editor Terry McDonell gushed about Jeter's leadership abilities on and off the field: "Derek Jeter has always presented himself with class; he does numerous good works for the community with his Turn 2 Foundation, which is one of the most efficient, effective foundations of its kind; and he's extremely generous with not just his money but with his time, which in many cases is more valuable. He also had another signature year on the field." more ›

The Post has an "exclusive" story on how 85-year-old Anthony Marshall, found guilty of grand larceny for looting his mother Brooke Astor's estate, "will try to dodge a mandatory year in prison by asking this week that the judge toss the top conviction against him -- in consideration of his good deeds 'managing' her finances." But Daily Intel shows that the real exclusive is the amazing Little Orphan Annie Photoshop job cooked up for the article. more ›

This week's forecast is all over the place as the weather spasms its way from fall to winter. It starts on a warm, wet note and looks to end with cool, dry conditions. In between it could be an interesting ride. Along with light rain, we will see temperatures holding steady in the mid 50s through this afternoon. more ›

Commuters waiting for the bus have been tossing their trash on the sidewalk and lawn in front of Rosanna Gennarelli's Bronx home — leaving her to face hundreds of dollars of littering summonses. The city has repeatedly fined the 51-year-old for violations including "scattered bottles, cigarette packs, paper bags, pieces of paper, tissue wrappers and other debris in the front yard,” hitting her with $300 tickets as recently as Nov. 14 and Nov. 19. more ›

The AP reports, "Serena Williams was fined a record $82,500 for her U.S. Open tirade and could be suspended from that tournament if she has another 'major offense' at any Grand Slam in the next two years." During the semi-finals against Kim Clijsters, Williams had yelled at a line judge, "I swear to God, I'm f*ckin' takin' this ball and shovin' it in(?) your f*ckin' throat… I swear to God." She was initially fined $10,000 but Grand Slam administrator Bill Babcock found Williams "violated the 'major offense' rule for 'aggravated behavior.'" Update: The NY Times says Williams was fined "a hefty $175,000," which will be reduced to $82,500 if she stays out of trouble for two years. more ›

With NY State running out of money because the State Legislature has been unable to offer a plan for billions needed in budget cuts, Governor Paterson announced he was moving ahead with a plan for $1.6 billion in savings, "I first presented my Deficit Reduction Plan on October 15, and since that time the Legislature has refused to take necessary action to maintain our State’s fiscal stability. As I said directly to New Yorkers last week, if legislators won’t face up to their responsibility and join me in making the tough decisions - I’ll do it myself. I will continue to fight every single day to keep New York State afloat in the midst of this historic economic crisis - with or without the help of the Legislature." more ›

The 78-year-old ex-con who's been arrested some 37 times over the past three decades is in trouble again, this time for missing her final court date two weeks ago. You may recall that Katherine Kelly was famously busted in October 2008, after a pickpocket sting at the Upper West Side Fairway turned up a wallet in her bra. (An NYPD source called her a "pickpocket terrorist.") Earlier this month, Supreme Court Justice Ronald Zweibel signed an arrest warrant for Kelly, despite being informed she was stuck in a car outside court. more ›

A Staten Island gang war that has claimed the lives of four men so far this month has gotten so intense that members of the Bloods are apparently skipping town to stay safe. According to the Daily News, the internal squabble between Bloods members from New Brighton and those from Port Richmond and Mariners Harbor turned deadly on Nov. 7, when an argument over a girl lead to the shooting of Jermaine "Big Den" Dickerson in an Arlington housing development. more ›

Former First Daughter Chelsea Clinton announced her engagement to Marc Mezvinsky, a Goldman Sachs banker and classmate from Stanford, via e-mail: "We're sorry for the mass e-mail but we wanted to wish everyone a belated Happy Thanksgiving! We also wanted to share that we are engaged! We didn't get married this past summer despite the stories to the contrary, but we are looking toward next summer and hope you all will be there to celebrate with us. Happy Holidays! Chelsea & Marc" ABC News also notes Mezvinsky's "father, former Iowa congressman Edward Mezvinsky, was released from federal prison last April after serving a sentence for his role in a Nigerian fraud scheme." Clinton, 29, works at a hedge fund. more ›

Has Anthony Michael Hall gone Hannibal on us? Details have surfaced about his recent assault on an ex (Diana Falzone), and reportedly he bit her forehead! The police report, obtained by Radar, says Hall "bit his girlfriend's forehead" and "pushed, shoved and spit at" her while inside of her apartment around 2 a.m. on November 10th. more ›

A legal secretary is suing a midtown law firm for allegedly cutting her loose just hours after she revealed that she had a cancerous tumor. In October 2007, Theodora Benedict sent an e-mail informing her employers at Tarnow & Juvelier that doctors had diagnosed her with a rare tumor behind her sinuses, and she would have to miss a week for surgery and a week for recovery. But instead of "get well soon" cards, Benedict, 61, says she got the boot—two hours after clicking send. more ›

The National Retail Federation says that Black Friday weekend sales grew slightly, 0.5% over last year, because shoppers were snatching up bargains. The NRF, which expects holiday spending to fall 1% this year, said, "While retailers are encouraged by the number of Americans who shopped over Black Friday weekend, they know they have their work cut out for them to keep people coming back through Christmas. Shoppers can continue to expect retailers to focus on low prices and bargains through the end of December." more ›

This is a pretty crazy time to be a teenager in the Bronx. Another adolescent was gunned down this weekend — this time fatally — with a bullet meant for someone else. more ›

Senators are back in Washington D.C. after the holiday week to debate health care reform legislation. Politico reports, "Republicans want six weeks of debate — which would be enough to push the final vote past Christmas — and have an arsenal of stalling tactics. But Democrats can short-circuit the debate all at once, simply by reaching a deal on the public option and filing cloture on the bill, which would set up the final crucial test vote before final passage." C-SPAN's coverage begins at 3 p.m.—Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said his colleagues should "expect daily votes on the bill, plus evening and weekend session." more ›

A ultra-right-wing blogger and radio talk show host will go on trial in Federal District Court in Brooklyn tomorrow, accused of making death threats against three federal judges who refused to overturn handgun bans in Chicago. But defendant Hal Turner claims that since 2003, he has been working undercover for the FBI, which paid him thousands of dollars to inform on neo-Nazis and white supremacist groups. Turner says the FBI even coached him to make racist, anti-Semitic and other threatening statements. more ›

On Saturday, there were reports of windows falling from a Tribeca building, likely due to the strong winds, and now it turns out the building in question was the new Goldman Sachs headquarters at Murray and West Streets. And it's not the first time things have been falling from the nearly finished 43-story building. more ›

Today's end-of-day links: A funeral for victims of a Crown Heights fire was held, foreclosures seem to never end in Queens, law firms should check who they are suing, a Times reporter writes about his son's gecko's constipation and more. more ›

Just one mile from the spot where 15-year-old Vada Vasquez was shot in the head by a stray bullet, a 16-year-old girl was caught in the crossfire after a Bronx house party, the Post reports. more ›

No chance of a Larry King Live revelation tomorrow night from the State Dinner crashers Michaele and Tareq Salahi who still managed to mingle with President Obama. The NY Times reports, "Television industry executives said on Saturday that Michaele and Tareq Salahi had postponed plans for an interview Monday on CNN’s 'Larry King Live' and were seeking top-dollar bids for their first television interview... A television network executive, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the network does not publicly comment on payments, said the couple’s asking price for an interview was in the hundreds of thousands of dollars... Programs quietly pay steep fees for photographs and videos to secure interviews in some cases." more ›

A petty larceny suspect escaped from a TriBeCa police station last night only to be dragged back to the First Precinct in tears. Orlando Reyes, 21, was being transferred to Central Booking when he reportedly broke free from the Ericsson Place stationhouse and hid in an alley nearby according to the Daily News. more ›

Links from around the -ist sites: SFist pondered a video showing a BART cop using (excessive?) force, DCist was confused by the crazy guy stopped traffic downtown to demand $200 million while standing atop a U-Haul van, throwing Molotov cocktails, Chicagoist was glad to know about the latest epidemic sweeping schools across the Midwest—ball-tapping—and more. more ›

With the New Jersey Nets likely to tie the NBA's record of for most consecutive losses (17) at the start of the season tonight when they play the Los Angeles Lakers, the team has fired coach Lawrence Frank. ESPN reports that the team was going to fire Frank after the game, "Yet it appears that Nets management determined that it had to make the move before facing the Lakers after reports became more widespread that Frank's dismissal was imminent." more ›

Tiger Woods issued a statement on his website about his Friday car accident, blaming himself for the incident, calling his wife Eiln's actions "courageous," and refuting the "many false, unfounded and malicious rumors" (namely that he and his wife got into a fight preceding the accident), "This situation is my fault, and it's obviously embarrassing to my family and me. I'm human and I'm not perfect. I will certainly make sure this doesn't happen again." more ›

Usually you would hear the words as you made your way to your seats, “Good Afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to Yankee Stadium.” The cadence was deliberately slow, with each syllable pronounced and it reverberated across the façade of the old stadium, bouncing back at you from different angles. Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Frank Gifford, Reggie Jackson, Lawrence Taylor, Chris Mullin, Derek Jeter, all of them were introduced by Bob Sheppard. And despite his absence from the new stadium, Derek Jeter used a recording of Sheppard to introduce his at bats there. more ›

Cops cuffed a 17-year-old accused of stabbing and killing 18-year-old Nelson Rafael Pena near the corner of Hester and Forsyth Streets on Nov. 18. Police charged Victor Fong with second-degree murder when he surrendered at the Fifth Precinct station house on Monday. According to cops, Fong and another man approached Pena and an 18-year-old whose name has not been released as the victim walked home from his job at Footlocker in SoHo. A short time later, at around 6 pm, Fong allegedly stabbed Pena in the leg and chest, and stabbed the 18-year-old, who survived the attack, in the neck. Pena's relatives say he did not know the attacker and that he was stabbed "over a look." Police believe the suspect and the victim knew one another through people in the neighborhood and that there was a dispute behind the stabbing, which was not gang-related. Fong's mother defended her son: “He’s a good boy, a very, very good boy.” more ›

New Year's Eve celebrations might turn out ending a little earlier this year, because the number of New York area bars that have applied for a special permit allowing them to keep serving booze until 8 am has plummeted by 60 percent. According to the Post, the number of "night permits" that extend the last call by four hours fell from 388 watering holes in New York City, Long Island and Westchester last year to just 165 this year. more ›

New York City judges spent taxpayer money on seemingly personal purchases like meditation retreats, framed photographs of themselves, and an iPod, according to the New York Post. Each year, judge's receive an expense allowance of $10,000 each — a citywide total of $12.6 million per year — to cover their work-related costs. But the stipend, which doubled in value on Nov. 1, is sometimes used on "frivolous expenses," the tabloid reports. more ›

The crooks who robbed a 64-year-old for his television — but couldn't escape with the unwieldly flatscreen — shot the victim because his achy knee kept him from following their orders. more ›

The city's street gangs have turned to Twitter to communicate amongst themselves, taunt their foes, and plan brawls, according to the Daily News. Police even think an adolescent might have been shot in the legs on Lenox Avenue over an online turf war started by the Original Young Gangsters clique on Twitter. more ›

State Majority Leader Pedro Espada Jr. has, the Post reports, "advis[ed] staffers at his health-care charity to check with his lawyers before speaking to state investigators probing allegations of financial misconduct -- a move some see as an effort to silence them." One employee at Soundview HealthCare Network, which paid Espada $450,000 one year, says, "It feels like they want to have too much control over what we say." Espada tells the Post, "Employees are entitled to in-house legal counsel... The letter was a formality to remind them." more ›

At 4-6, the Jets are not on the path to the playoffs. At this point, their season is all about making themselves feel better for next year and after that. That's why the debate over a starting quarterback is misplaced. Why sit Mark Sanchez now? Rex Ryan may talk a lot, but he's not silly enough to bench the man the team drafted to be a franchise quarterback. more ›

The report says, "The failure to finish the job represents a lost opportunity that forever altered the course of the conflict in Afghanistan and the future of international terrorism." According to the NY Times, "The committee report, prepared at the request of Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, the committee’s Democratic chairman, concludes unequivocally that in mid-December 2001, Mr. bin Laden and his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri, were at the cave complex, where Mr. bin Laden had operated previously during the fight against Soviet forces. The new report suggests that a larger troop commitment to Afghanistan might have resulted in the demise not only of Mr. bin Laden and his deputy but also of Mullah Muhammad Omar, the leader of the Afghan Taliban. Mullah Omar, who also fled to Pakistan in 2001, has overseen the resurgence of the Taliban." more ›

The driver suspected in a fatal Bronx hit-and-run on Friday has a suspended license and a lengthy automotive rap sheet. Sheldon Reid, 28, is accused of mowing down 40-year-old Sonya Powell at around 8:30 pm as she walked home from Christmas shopping in Wakefield with her fiancé. more ›

For those of you driving today, be patient: 1010WINS reports that with the Thanksgiving holiday weekend winding down, "Cars will pile up on the highways across the nation and create traffic jams. With both the Jets and the Eagles playing at home on Sunday, drivers can expect even more traffic along the New Jersey turnpike." As for air travel, it'll be clear but breezy and "winds may pick up later in the day." more ›

• Pittsburgh 8 Rangers 3: It has been two nights to forget for New York, but the question is, where did the defense go? Surely it cannot be the loss of Wade Redden that sparked the total breakdown in the defensive zone. Whatever it is, the Rangers have an off day Sunday to figure out why they have given up 13 goals in two games before the Penguins come to MSG Monday Night.

About 50 dogs rescued from puppy mills in Utah and overcrowded shelters in Missouri arrived in Long Island on Friday, where they will be put up for adoption before the holidays. The pooches, which were saved from filth, abuse, and the risk of euthanasia in September, enjoyed a special Thanksgiving meal of "canned turkey with potatoes and carrots; duck and sweet potato dinners, and bagged pheasant" at their layover in Chicago before flying to New York. more ›

The man or woman responsible for presiding over the trial of Khalid Sheik Mohammed and four other suspected plotters of the 9/11 attacks will likely be chosen with the kind of machine that "might have been used to call out bingo numbers in a church fund-raiser," according to the Times. The 20-some active Manhattan federal court judges — as well as a few who are on senior status — will have their names put into a lottery machine to determine who will preside over the high profile case, which could last years, and will likely result in the assignment of around the clock security the rest of the judge's life. more ›

TMZ has some crazy details on what may have happened to number 1-ranked golfer Tiger Woods, who drove his SUV into a fire hydrant outside his Florida home early yesterday morning and suffered some facial lacerations. The gossip website says, "Tiger Woods did not suffer facial lacerations from a car accident. They were inflicted by his wife, Elin Nordegren -- according to a conversation Woods had Friday after the accident."

Tiger has yet to be formally interviewed by the Florida Highway Patrol -- that should happen this afternoon. But we're told Tiger had a conversation Friday -- with a non-law enforcement type -- detailing what went down before his Escalade hit a fire hydrant. more ›

Allmir Lekperic, the 26-year-old Staten Island driver charged with fatally striking an elderly couple walking to a Thanksgiving Eve church mass and leaving the scene, posted the $50,000 bail. And his sister was also arraigned, for her part in trying to help him cover up his crime. more ›

Anecdotal reports suggest that crowds on Black Friday—the day after Thanksgiving—were up compared to last year, but retailers won't know how that translated into sales for another few days. Macy's president and CEO Terry Lundgren told the NY Times that over 5,000 waited outside the Herald Square location yesterday (more than last year) and said this year's customer was going to be more careful, "They've got a budget that they’ve planned to spend and I think most consumers will stick to that. We expect that this will be a market-share holiday season. We don’t need consumers to spend more money. We just need to make them spend more money with us." more ›

Ouch: According to WCBS 2, "A member of the NYPD's mounted patrol unit was on the mend Saturday after a fall down a flight of stairs. The officer was inside the stables at Pelham Bay Park in the Bronx when a power outage left him in the dark." Apparently a tree fell on the power lines! The officer, who is expected to make a full recovery, did suffer neck and back injuries and may also have a broken leg. more ›

The skies above Newark Liberty International Airport are a disaster waiting to happen, according to federal investigators who are concerned about the simultaneous use of intersecting runways. Problems arise when a plane needs to abort its landing — which occurs about once every 700 flights at Newark. Current protocol forces the diverted plane to make a sharp right turn directly across the flight path of planes taking off and landing, "allowing little margin for error," according to CNN. more ›

The White House released a photograph showing State Dinner crashing couple Michaele and Tareq Salahi meeting President Obama. The Washington Post reports, "The security breach has caused hand-wringing inside the White House, bewilderment among Tuesday night's guests -- and late on Friday, prompted an apology from the Secret Service." Secret Service director Mark Sullivan said the agency was "deeply concerned and embarrassed by the circumstances surrounding the State Dinner." more ›

Here's why you shouldn't lean on train doors. Two doors on a JFK Airport AirTrain fell off the shuttle — which had just undergone maintenance work — as it picked up its first load of passengers yesterday, according to the Post. more ›

Firefighters recovered the remains of two men from a burning van in Sunset Park last night. The victims — whose names have not yet been released — were apparently homeless and lived in the van, which had been parked near the Gowanus Expressway at the corner of 45th Street and Third Avenue for two years, according to neighbors. Investigators told the Times it's possible that the men, who were pronounced dead at the scene, had set a fire to keep warm. Last winter, a homeless man was found burnt to death in Owls Head Park, just 20 blocks away from yesterday's Sunset Park blaze. In that instance, police surmised that the victim had surrounded himself with candles to keep warm. more ›

Doctors at St. Vincent's Hospital exposed a Washington Heights woman to the HIV virus when they used dirty medical equipment, a lawsuit alleges. more ›

Reiterating worries about the NY State budget—and the lack of agreement from the State Legislature— State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli produced a YouTube video to beg state lawmakers and Governor Paterson to "close a budget deficit that he warned could reach $4 billion by the end of the fiscal year in March." In fact, DiNapoli said Paterson's projection of the state only have $36 million by the end of the year was "optimistic... We think if no action is taken, the state will end December with a negative balance, about minus $3 million." DiNapoli says in the video (see it after the jump), "It is time for state government to make those same tough choices and to be more responsible about our spending." more ›

Black Friday is typically the most lucrative day for traffic agents because many shoppers, out-of-towners, and forgetful locals assume it's a parking holiday. In past years, traffic agents have issued about 20,000 tickets on the day after Thanksgiving — netting the city around $900,000. But yesterday marked the Muslim holiday of Id al-Adha, which commemorates the willingness of Ibrahim to sacrifice his son to God, and as such, the city suspended alternate-side-of-the-street parking rules on Black Friday. more ›

In his race for a third term, the richest man in New York City spent an astounding $102 million of his $17 billion fortune. New filings reveal that Mayor Bloomberg shelled out about $174.53 per vote in his narrower-than-expected victory over Democratic challenger Bill Thompson, far exceeding his expenditures of $85 million in 2005 and $74 million in 2001, according to the Times. more ›

Three men shot a 64-year-old in Queens in an attempt to steal his new flatscreen television on Black Friday — but the 47-inch TV wouldn't fit in their escape vehicle. more ›

There are strong winds today, so strong that there's a wind advisory until 4 p.m. this afternoon. Apparently a strong west to northwest wind "will reach sustained speeds of 20-30 MPH with gusts of 45-50 MPH." And the highest winds will "likely occur" in or near NYC. Which also means watch out for falling objects—we hear that a window fell from the 30th floor of a Tribeca building! more ›

A popular deejay in Chelsea's gay nightclub scene has gone missing. Last seen on September 27th behind the decks at Splash Bar on West 17th Street, 53-year-old James Moyer (also known as DJ Jimmy) hasn't been seen, hasn't returned emails or phone calls, and hasn't been to his apartment for nearly two months. more ›

The family of Vada Vasquez, the 15-year-old Bronx girl who took a stray bullet to the skull last Monday, declined their usual Thanksgiving feast this year, postponing it until the teen can eat again. But the five young men accused of involvement in the shooting were given a seemingly generous Thanksgiving meal in jail yesterday. Dinner included turkey with dressing, yams, steamed greens and carrot cake! more ›

From CBS News, "Authorities say Tiger Woods has been seriously injured in a car wreck in Florida. The Florida Highway Patrol says the PGA star hit a fire hydrant and a tree as he pulled out of his driveway early Friday in his 2009 Cadillac sport utility vehicle." He was taken to the hospital. "The highway patrol says the crash is still under investigation, and charges are pending. However, the highway patrol said the crash was not alcohol-related." Update: Woods' spokesman said the golfer was released from the hospital in good condition, while the "mayor of Windermere, Fla., reportedly said Woods was treated for facial lacerations." TMZ has a photo of the hydrant. more ›

The couple who apparently crashed the Obamas' first State Dinner on Monday has now caused the Secret Service to investigate how a couple with reality show dreams managed to get through the security. Secret Service spokesman Edwin Donovan wouldn't given details on how Michaele and Tareq Salahi managed to attend the event, "We're being intentionally vague on that. All we are saying is that procedures we have in place weren't followed." more ›

Ladies, meet Martin Berres, a 62-year-old single man who describes himself on his MySpace page (martynycforever!) as a "classy native New Yorker." His heroes include Niccolò Machiavelli, and he is "in better shape and health than most men 1/3 my years. Do not let the age mislead you; I am young in heart and looks... I consider myself to be a find." Marty would love to meet you provided you meet the "paramount" requirement of "outside beauty" and "inside beauty." Oh, and you should also have lots of money and jewelry he can pawn—according to two women who say Berres swindled them out of $400,000. more ›

After yesterday's horrifying reports that a Brooklyn couple allegedly kept a young Mexican immigrant hostage and forced her into prostitution (not to mention refusing care for her baby, who eventually died), Mayor Bloomberg said victims of sex trafficking should call 311 or 911, "Whatever your documentation status is, no matter what your situation is, you don't have to worry about it. We all have an obligation to help each other, and if somebody really is being trafficked, you've got to make that phone call... You're not putting yourself at risk. You are helping other people." more ›

New York State's dire budget situation gets the front page treatment from the NY Times today. And the Times sounds the alarm bells and points a finger in the direction of a certain state body:

"Without a budget deal, New York will be left with just $36 million in the bank by the end of December, according to current projections. And the money will last that long, officials say, only if the state chooses to fully exhaust its emergency reserves by tapping several billion dollars’ worth of temporary loans from its rainy-day fund and short-term investments. more ›

On Wednesday afternoon, DOT officials had met with the pastor at Our Lady Queen of Peace church on Staten Island to discuss the problem of reckless drivers on the street that runs by the church and its school. Rev. Pancrose Kalist warned city officials about the dangerous situation on New Dorp Lane, where crossing guards routinely witness drivers blasting by them and running the red light. Six hours after his meeting, an elderly married couple was killed by a hit-and-run driver with numerous traffic violations who sped through a red light. more ›

Or is it Ellen DeGenerous? A Bronx mom wrote to the talk show host, who held a Dough-vember contest, about her troubles: Rozina Pijuan was out of work since she was studying to be a radiology technician. And even though she moved in with her mother, Pijuan couldn't afford Metrocards and had to walk her two boys to school and walk to her own school, adding that she did get her license, in hopes of some day getting a car. On Tuesday, DeGeneres surprised Pijuan with a gift of a GMC Terrain SUV, a year's worth of Metrocards for herself and her kids, and "$10,000: $1,000 to cover gas, $2,000 to buy the kids Christmas gifts, $5,000 to pay off their debt and an additional $2,000 for good measure." The show will air next Wednesday at 4 p.m. on NBC. more ›

For some reason, spending billions on skyscrapers and man-made palm-shaped island leads to...debt! So far, the Dow Jones, S&P 500 and Nasdaq have fallen at least 1% (even up to 2% as soon as the markets opened today), due to, as the Wall Street Journal puts it, "fears...about the potential fallout of debt prolems at Dubai World, the city-state's largest corporate entity, which asked creditors for a six-month stay on repayment of its $60 billion in debts." UBS actually estimates that Dubai's overall debt may be over $80 billion. more ›

Graphic photos have surfaced from the recent murder on the D train. Photography student Paola Nuñez Solorio was on her way home with fellow students when Gerardo Sanchez allegedly stabbed Dwight Johnson because he wouldn't move his bag from an unoccupied seat to make room on the half-empty train. The two men did not know each other. Solorio took 120 photos during the murder, and today the Times has published four of them online. The images are very disturbing, as is Solorio's first-hand account of the murder: more ›

Like clockwork, stores hyped up their Black Friday/Doorbuster sales and potential shoppers waited outside for hours, in hopes of getting great deals. A crowd was waiting outside a Jersey City Best Buy; one person told WCBS 2, "There's a lot of people on this line for laptops, like HP laptops for $197. Normally it's $500 or $600," with another possibly bragging that he "was here yesterday since 12 o'clock in the afternoon"—as in noon on Thanksgiving. more ›

Terrible: Three people were shot when gunmen opened fire in a Bronx store, near East Fordham Road, and it seems that at least one of the victims was a bystander. WABC 7 says the shooting started outside, with two people working inside the florist getting wounded, while the Daily News reports the shooting occurred inside "when the gunman barged in around 6:15 p.m." The store owner's wife was hit in the leg, while a 47-year-old and 25-year-old were also hit. The News adds, "Investigators believe the 25-year-old was the gunman's intended target, a police source said. It was unclear if the two male victims knew each other." No arrests have been made; all victims are in stable condition. more ›

For those that thought the Giants' overtime win over the Falcons last week spelled a turn around, think again. New York gave up the first 16 and final 10 points in a 26-6 loss to Denver on Thanksgiving night. That drops the Giants to 6-5 and puts them in a world of hurt in the NFC East. The Giants, who snapped a four-game losing streak of their own Sunday, helped the Broncos break theirs. Denver held the Giants to 57 yards rushing and sacked Eli Manning three times. Big Blue's quarterback needed 40 attempts to accumulate 230 yards and an interception. more ›

Yesterday, WikiLeaks began posting "half a million US national text pager intercepts," saying, "The archive is a completely objective record of the defining moment of our time. We hope that its entrance into the historical record will lead to a nuanced understanding of how this event led to death, opportunism and war." more ›

City Island residents have finally gotten rid of the NYPD firing range on nearby Rodman's Neck in the Bronx, which has been disturbing their peace since the Kennedy administration. Last week the City Council approved the site of a 40-acre Police Academy in College Point, Queens, where the NYPD will relocate training to an enclosed firing range. But some residents say their aural nightmare endures! more ›

Police arrested two 3rd graders and a 5th grader suspected of bringing a box cutter and a knife to their Bronx elementary school on Wednesday. According to the Post, a school safety agent nabbed a 9-year-old with a box cutter inside P.S. 2 on Franklin Avenue in Morrisania at around 9:30 am. When questioned, the student ratted out his accomplices — an 8-year-old and an 11-year-old — who reportedly were plotting an assault against a faculty member. more ›

After his surprisingly competitive mayoral bid against Mayor Bloomberg, there have been various rumors about what City Comptroller Bill Thompson might do next. First there were murmurs of a Senate run, and then ones that Andrew Cuomo was eyeing him as a running mate during for his gubernatorial campaign. Now the NY Times says the Senate run is just one of three options that Thompson is mulling. more ›

While the Obamas' first State Dinner was hailed as a glamorous evening, one thing is looking bad: The security, because a couple from the now-filming "Real Housewives of D.C." managed, somehow, to crash the dinner and mingle with the VIPs. While the Secret Service emphasized that no one was in danger because of the "magnetometers and several other levels of screenings," a spokesman did admit there was "a Secret Service checkpoint which did not follow proper procedure to ensure these two individuals were on the invited guest list." more ›

Investigators uncovered the remains of an infant encased in cement and a Rubbermaid container when they broke up a suspected sex trafficking ring in Sunset Park. Federal prosecutors allege that Domingo Salazar, 33, smuggled a young Mexican woman into the country, forced her to turn tricks, and then refused to provide medical care for their three-month-old baby — whose remains were recovered in their 40th Street apartment on Tuesday. more ›

While in Washington D.C. yesterday, Mayor Bloomberg said the city will start to use students' test scores when evaluating teacher tenure. The NY Times called the proposal one "that has been bitterly opposed by the teachers’ union and criticized as putting too much weight on standardized exams." more ›

This Thanksgiving, the CDC has been concerned that the H1N1 virus may spread further, what with holiday-related travel. The CDC's Dr. Beth Bell said, "It's important to remember the things that everybody can do to stay healthy," as in not traveling if you're sick, washing your hands frequently, and covering your sneezes and coughs—not to mention getting the vaccine. But what about coughing relatives already parked in your home? Long Island College Hospital's Dr. Clifford Bassett tells WCBS 2, "Without causing a political crisis within your family, you really want to quarantine anybody that's ill from an area where the people are congregating. If someone is ill, keep them away from the food preparation area - that's very important." more ›

Just days after a student was suspended from Stuyvesant High School for allegedly setting fires, investigators say a copycat arsonist has been lighting blazes in the esteemed Lower Manhattan school — and taunting police in hieroglyphics. more ›

Last night, a couple in their 70s were fatally struck by a vehicle as they were crossing a Staten Island street to attend a church mass. The Staten Island Advance reports, "Lillian Sabados [77] was pronounced dead at Staten Island University Hospital, Ocean Breeze, at 4 this morning. Her husband, Peter S. Sabados, 78, was pronounced dead shortly after the 7:15 p.m. accident in front of our Our Lady Queen of Peace R.C. Church." more ›

The family of the 15-year-old girl who took a stray bullet to the skull last Monday has something incredible to be thankful for today: doctors expect the teen to make a full recovery. After performing brain surgery to remove the bullet from Vada Vasquez's skull, doctors put her in medically-induced coma and cautioned relatives that she would most likely suffer some degree of brain damage. But now surgeon Narayan Sundaresan believes that although the bullet damaged her left temporal lobe, the area of the brain responsible for speech, she still "can make a full recovery." more ›

In hockey news, the Rangers and Devils won, the Islanders lost. And in the depressing basketball update, the Knicks and Nets lost—the Nets are now 0-15. more ›

Days after leaving CNN earlier this month, speculation began that Lou Dobbs might consider running for Senate in 2012, challenging Democrat Robert Menendez. Now he's been confirming that the thought has crossed his mind—as has the idea of running for President at some point. more ›

Yesterday, the NY Times reported on a 13-year-old boy with Asperger's syndrome who hid in the subway system nearly two weeks. Francisco Hernandez didn't want to go home, because he had gotten into trouble at school and was afraid of his parents' reaction, so he rode three different subway lines in four boroughs for 11 days in October. His mother says the police didn't do enough to find him, but a conductor told WCBS 2, "Supposedly this kid did not want to be found. It's pretty easy to elude us for quite a while. I'm not surprised." more ›

The Giants stayed out of the abyss this past Sunday. Losers of four-straight, they blew a 14-point fourth quarter lead, but managed to prevail in overtime to keep their season moving. Now, they have to go on the road in a short week and beat a Denver team that has its own problems. Denver started out 6-0 on the season and has lost four games in a row to date. Things have gotten so bad that they started fighting each other last week. more ›

Last night, President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama held their first state dinner at the White House. According to Politico, the "first couple applied their formal-but-comfortable style to a social event with international implications," with the President toasting Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in a giant tent on the White House lawn, "Mr. Prime Minister, today we worked to fulfill our duty — bring our countries closer together than ever before. Tonight, under the stars, we celebrate the spirit that will sustain our partnership — the bonds of friendship between our people." more ›

Even though prosecutors say his job is a sham, a judge ruled that convicted mafia racketeer Dominick Dionisio will be allowed to continue working at the popular Brooklyn pizzeria Lucali while he is on house arrest. more ›

Earlier this year, we were moved by the plight of little Jasmina Anema, a 6-year-old with leukemia who needed a bone marrow transplant. While she is still fighting the diseases, Jasmina is having a big week—not only did she reunite with Rihanna on Monday, she is scheduled to meet President Obama today, thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. more ›

The Post reports that a proposed Meatpacking District high-rise got the go-ahead from the city's Board of Standards and Appeals: "Five zoning variances [were approved] for the project, but the OK only came after the developer agreed to reduce the building from 12 to 10 stories and to lop off part of the tower that would have jutted out over the High Line. The glass tower, intended for commercial and retail tenants, would rise on the site of a shuttered meatpacking plant at 860 Washington St., at 13th Street. The project is being developed by the Romanoff family, which has been in the meatpacking business for three generations." Previously, the family had claimed hardship if they weren't able to maximize their space. more ›

Bed bugs are on the rise in schools, NY1 reports. Though the city couldn’t provide any hard data on the number of infestations, officials told the station that the bed bug problem has gotten worse as the hard-to-exterminate critters have become more common. more ›

Opponents of the Obama administration's plan to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other suspected terrorists in New York City will hold a Dec. 5 rally in front of the federal courthouse to demand that the trials take place elsewhere, according to the Daily News. "This is perhaps the most dangerous decision any President and any attorney general have ever made," said Rep. Pete King (R-Nassau), who publicized the event alongside a new group called 9/11 Families for a Safe and Strong America. more ›

The holidays must be a lucrative time for drivers who lure passengers into their unlicensed taxis at airports, but the Port Authority is making it tough for them this year. Yesterday Queens DA Richard Brown announced [pdf] that a crackdown on unlicensed taxi drivers has resulted in 18 arrests at JFK and LaGuardia. The arrests come a month after Governor Paterson signed a bill increasing penalties for unlawfully soliciting ground transportation at an airport, making it a Class B misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in jail and/or a fine of up to $1,250. more ›

An 18-year-old student at Sacred Heart University claims that three lacrosse players at the Connecticut school — one of them a Long Island native — sexually assaulted her in a dorm room last weekend. The victim was having consensual sex with 19-year-old freshman Timothy Sanders, when the suspect allegedly held her down and shouted for his two teammates, freshmen Nicholas Travers and Zachari Triner, to join in, according to police. The two men then purportedly ran naked into the dorm room and touched the woman inappropriately. After she screamed and struggled, Travers and Triner fled. more ›

Even though the State Legislature has been in special session the past few weeks at Governor Paterson's request because of the state's huge $3.2 billion deficit, no action has been taken to, you know, deal with the deficit and cut the state budget. Yesterday, Paterson asked for special, emergency power to cut the budget himself, which lawmakers, naturally, thought was crazy. Senate Minority Leader Dean Skelos declared, "This is not the old Soviet Union." more ›

Exhortations to "Close the deal you c---" and "Stop being a f---ing p----y" are allegedly commonplace at GDS International, which is being sued by a 26-year-old Egyptian-American female employee for an unspecified sum. Lobna Abdelrehim is alleging "discrimination" based on gender and religion, as well as "retaliation" for opposing discrimination in the workplace—her lawyer Jack Tuckner tells the Post that GDS's publishing sales culture is "an extreme sort of jock fraternity ethos that's really unfathomable in this day and age. The bosses are all aware of it, and they could care less. It's like a throwback into the 1950s." more ›

Online gamers, get ready for possible alerts on your consoles! According to Information Week, "State authorities are testing a plan that would see the Emergency Management Office issue alerts over online gaming networks in addition to regular channels. The goal, said New York State Deputy CIO Rico Singleton, is to reach younger residents who spend more time on the Xbox, PlayStation, or Wii than with television or radio... Under the state's plan, authorities would tap [Microsoft's, Nintendo's, Sony's] networks to broadcast warnings about natural or man-made disasters." Singleton it was logical, "considering the amount of time our youth spend on video games." more ›

Dean Meminger, the former Knicks great nicknamed "The Dream," is in a burn unit at Jacobi Hospital after suffering injuries from a four-alarm fire in the Bronx. The Fire Department is continuing to investigate the cause of the blaze, after reports that crack pipes were found in a building where the fire was started—and some of the crack pipes may have been in Meminger's rented room. more ›

The day before Thanksgiving is traditionally one of the busiest times of the year for travel, with roads and airports clogged with those heading for turkey, family, friends and relaxation. However, the economy has made some people rethink their travel plans. According to WCBS 2, "Thanksgiving travel plummeted a staggering 25 percent between 2007 and 2008, and many of those habits seem to be sticking this year. The number of people traveling is likely to stay about the same, inching up only by about 1.4 percent, according to an AAA prediction." more ›

The Knicks' record is now 3-11 after a loss to the Lakers and the Nets are at 0-14, just three losses short of tying the NBA's record. more ›

Cops busted a Clinton Hill crack and marijuana ring and nabbed 11 individuals suspected of selling drugs on the street, from an apartment building at the corner Putnam and Grand Avenue avenues, and out of a barbershop and two t-shirt stores. In an investigation dubbed "Operation Grand Slam," undercover officers infiltrated the ring and made 18 purchases of crack cocaine before executing a warrant on Oct. 29. During a raid, police recovered 75 grams of crack — which carries a street price of about $10,000 — from the barber shop, two guns and nearly two pounds of weed from the t-shirt shops, and a third gun from the home of a t-shirt store manager. The investigation came in response to community complaints. more ›

A judge announced on Monday that he will likely throw out the conviction and dismiss the indictment of a Bronx man who was incarcerated for four years on rape charges that his accuser has admitted were made-up. Though he didn't immediately clear William McCaffrey's name, State Supreme Court Justice Richard D. Carruthers said "it seems from what I hear, the case against William McCaffrey should be dismissed," according to the Times. more ›

More than a week into deliberation on the fourth racketeering trial against one-time Gambino boss John Gotti Jr., the jury still hasn't come up with a verdict — and one of its members wants a vacation. more ›

Are city cabbies making "sun tea" in their vehicles? Of the 44,000 TLC drivers on the streets, most working 12 hour days, you can imagine how difficult it is for them to find a place they can relieve themselves. So many allegedly "resort to going in the street or peeing in bottles stowed under their seats." more ›

Brooklyn's Joe Tiralosi doesn't remember much about that day in August when he went to New York Presbyterian Hospital feeling sick and disoriented, then collapsed. But last week the 56-year-old father of two visited the hospital to thank doctors for not giving up on him just because his heart stopped beating for 47 minutes after a sudden cardiac arrest. All told, it took 4,500 chest compressions and eight shocks from a defibrillator to bring him back from the brink. Doctors are calling it a medical miracle, but Tiralosi's also lucky the E.R. he visited happened to have some special equipment. more ›

The 15-year-old Bronx girl who was put in a medically-induced coma after taking a stray bullet to the skull has spoken for the first time since the incident, eight days ago. A source tells the Daily News that Vada Vasquez's first word was "Mom." Her condition has been upgraded to stable and a spokeswoman at Lincoln Hospital says, "She's improving. She's in stable condition and recognizes family members." more ›

A nonprofit organization accused of serving as a "front for the Iranian government" donated $100,000 to Columbia University just months before Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made a controversial appearance at the school. more ›

As you may have read in our newsletter, on this day in 1966 New York City experienced the smoggiest day in the city's history... and the details read like a horror movie. After 9/11, the NY Times touched upon three particularly smoggy years in the city, saying "Most of the horrors of New York's environmental past, like the grim air episodes in 1953, 1962 and 1966, were chronic and cumulative. Most past events had a thousand sources and causes — a vague diffusion of responsibility that made no one responsible." more ›

There's a classic he said/she said playing out at a Park Slope cinema, where moviegoers and theater management are arguing over allegations that the multiplex is infested with bed bugs. Commenters on the messageboard Brooklynian.com have claimed that "there's a giant bedbug problem" at the Pavilion Cinema on Prospect Park West. "It is not a rumor," wrote one commenter. "I experienced it first hand during Julie and Julia whenever that was a few months ago. I was bit by an adult bed bug in the big theater. Luckily he did not come home with me, but I am not taking any chances and am staying far away from that place." more ›

It was NY parks commissioner Thomas P. F. Hoving who dubbed pigeons "rats with wings," a term that fourteen years later was popularized by Woody Allen in his 1980 flick “Stardust Memories.” So surely there's some blood on their hands in the war on the pigeon community in New York (only recently was a National Pigeon Day established to combat the haters). more ›

One of the undercover cops involved in the fatal shooting of an 18-year-old who was pointing a gun at officers fired eight rounds, according to the Post. Three officers contributed to the 15-bullet salvo (up from 14 in yesterday's papers) that left Dashawn Vasconcellos with 11 separate wounds, three to the back, one to the chest, one to the right arm and the rest to the legs. The shooting occurred after the teen fled from police who spotted him leaving a park after hours and allegedly raised a gun at officers. While Vasconcellos' friends and relatives have complained that officers responded with excessive force, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said it was too early in the investigation to make a definitive call, but he stated: "On the surface, the shoot looks clean." more ›

It was a year ago that 50 Cent filed a lawsuit against Taco Bell for using his name without permission. The company's president, Greg Creed, had asked the rapper in an open letter to press outlets "to change his name to 79 Cent, 89 Cent or 99 Cent for a day, and noted if he rapped his order at a drive-thru it would result in $10,000 being given to his favorite charity." Not informed of this, 50 Cent didn't hear about it until he was being called a sell-out. more ›

The subway passenger who pulled the emergency brake during a grisly murder over a seat on the D train claims the attacker was unprovoked. Denouncing previous reports that victim Dwight Johnson had struck suspect Gerardo Sanchez during their dispute, witness Vincent Martinez said the victim — a homeless man who traveled everywhere with his bags — had already moved his duffel bag from the chair when the accused killer snapped. more ›

From the Daily News's Michael Daly: The great state of South Carolina is putting its own sick twist on Black Friday with a tax holiday on firearm purchases. Not cars. Not clothes. Certainly not books. Just guns. For the 48 hours following Thanksgiving, gun buyers will enjoy a break of up to 9% in state and local taxes. Firearms traffickers are not expected to pass the savings on to New York criminals, but what is called 'the extrava-gun-za' and 'Second Amendment Weekend' is sure to help South Carolina stay among the top five states that provide 85% of the illegal handguns recovered in New York City." Keep it classy, South Carolina! more ›

The hand and foot model suing her UES co-op for $10 million for allegedly ostracizing her because she married a former doorman has been all too happy to tell her story to the tabloids this week—until yesterday, when she suddenly fled the building with a coat over her head. But since Christina Ambers is a famous hand model, the local tabloid photographers immediately recognized her distinctive digits, and some truly hilarious images ensued. "You ruined our lives!" husband Angel Rotger shouted at the shutterbugs as he led his hooded wife along the sidewalk. more ›

A 13-year-old boy with Asperger's Syndrome—a form of autism that often causes difficulty with social interaction—spent 11 days in the subway system last month. In a heartbreaking Times article, Francisco Hernandez Jr. tells how he took refuge in the subway for over a week because he got in trouble in class and "didn't want anyone to scream at me" at home. He says nobody spoke to him the entire time he rode the trains, and when the reporter asked him if he "saw any larger meaning in that," Hernandez replied, "Nobody really cares about the world and about people." more ›

Albany is doing what it does best—not coming to an agreement about important stuff! Lawmakers are holding another special session to try to deal with the state's $3.2 billion deficit, something they've been meeting about for the past two weeks. The Assembly is apparently upset the Senate can't get their act together and may even consider a two-way deal with just Governor Paterson. State Senate President Pro Tem Malcolm Smith told NY1, “I think the governor wants the $3.2 billion; we're trying to indicate to him that we may not get exactly there, but we're very close, and I think that's where the stalemate is." more ›

Those curbside tables manned by people soliciting donations for the United Homeless Organization are nothing more than a scam that funnels money to the bosses at the top, according to a lawsuit filed yesterday by Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. You'll recall that UHO founder Steven Riley was deliciously skewered in a classic Fox 5 "Shame" segment last month; now Riley and UHO director Myra Walker are in Cuomo's crosshairs, accused of co-opting "a tax-exempt, charitable corporate structure for their own benefit"—benefits such as paying Riley's bills for cable and Weight Watchers! more ›

The NY State Court of Appeals, the highest in the state, dismissed a lawsuit challenging the use of eminent domain for developer Bruce Ratner's Atlantic Yards project. The NY Times calls the lawsuit the "last major obstacle" for Ratner, "whose 22-acre development has been delayed for three years by a flurry of lawsuits, the collapse of the credit and real estate markets and a glut of luxury housing, plans to begin selling tax-free bonds next month to finance the development’s cornerstone project: an 18,000-seat basketball arena for the New Jersey Nets at the intersection of Flatbush and Atlantic Avenues near downtown." more ›

The Corona dad suspected of slitting the throats of his wife and 14-year-old son claims he has suffered from multiple personality disorder since childhood, and that his alter ego Roberto was "responsible for everything I did that was bad," suspect Otto Herrarte told investigators. more ›

Back in August photographer Zach Hyman brought one of his muses to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for some naked time. The 26-year-old model, Kathleen Neill, stripped down in the Arms and Armour exhibit, only to be arrested shortly after for public lewdness. Just a few days later she said: "I want people to have the freedom to express themselves. I want the city to drop the charges. I would love to be able to go to museums and see stuff like this happen on any scale." more ›

NY1 reports that two people are in the hospital after a Brooklyn car crash last night: "Police say they saw a Toyota Corolla run a red light a little after midnight. They then followed the car, and a few seconds later, the Corolla slammed into a Lexus SUV at Lee Avenue and Rutledge Street in Williamsburg." The Post adds, "The witness said the car apparently being chased was going at least 45 miles per hour." The cops are apparently investigating whether the Corolla's driver was drinking. more ›

As dozens of people remain homeless after a Sunday four-alarm fire destroyed homes in the Claremont section of the Bronx, now fire officials suspect the fire began from a crack pipe—and many crack pipes were found in a room of an SRO rented by former Knicks great Dean "The Dream" Meminger. Meminger, 63, suffered smoke inhalation and is in critical condition at a burn unit in Jacobi Hospital. more ›

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and the four other suspected terrorists who will be tried in Manhattan for their involvement in planning the 9/11 attacks will plead not guilty, according to an attorney. Scott Fenstermaker, the lawyer representing suspect Ali Abd al-Aziz Ali, said the men would not deny their role in the attacks, but "would explain what happened and why they did it" and share "their assessment of American foreign policy," according to the Post. Unsurprisingly, "their assessment is negative," according to Fenstermaker. more ›

Eep: 1010WINS reports, "Pharmaceuticals company GlaxoSmithKline PLC said Tuesday it has advised medical staff in Canada to not use one batch of swine flu vaccines in case they trigger life-threatening allergies. Company spokeswoman Gwenan White said that they issued the advice after reports that one batch of the swine flu vaccine might have caused more allergic reactions than normal." The batch of 172,000 doses had been distributed across Canada; it's unclear how many had been given to patients before GSK informed medical professionals. more ›

• Islanders 4 Toronto 3 (OT): Dwayne Roloson made an amazing 58 saves as he carried the Islanders to victory. Despite Roloson’s heroics, he did surrender a 3-0 lead as the Maple Leafs were rewarded for all their tenacity in the offensive end. But, Josh Bailey scored the game-winner in overtime, rewarding Roloson with a well-deserved win.

Is there anything more horrifying than being locked on the subway with a knife-toting murderer? About two dozen commuters found themselves in that hellish situation early on Saturday, when they were locked on in the first car of an uptown D train with suspect Gerardo Sanchez, who according to witnesses had just stabbed a passenger to death in an argument over a seat. more ›

Today's end-of-day links: Rep. Rangel is gloomy these days, don't smoke around your Mac or else your warranty might be voided, a colorful Nolita building may face foreclosure, the Church of Scientology refutes a Post opinion piece and more. more ›

During his campaign for a third term, Mayor Bloomberg stifled a Freedom of Information Law request by withholding the release of photographs of himself with Sarah Palin until two weeks after the election, the Daily News reports. more ›

A soaring number of supermarkets, delis, even drugstores have been overcharging for a wide range goods by using inaccurate scales, according to an investigation by the Department of Consumer Affairs [DCA]. City inspectors have issued 2,976 violations so far this year to retailers; a 58 percent increase over last year's 1,882 tickets. The culprits include basically everyone: Whole Foods, Fairway, Gristedes, Associated, D'Agostino's, Pathmark, Key Food, Food Emporium, Met Food, Stop & Shop, Waldbaum's, Foodtown, C-Town, Pioneer, and Western Beef. At the Whole Foods in Columbus Circle, undercover inspectors bought eight pieces of cheesecake weighed with a scale that didn't adjust for the weight of the plastic containers, overcharging $8.58. more ›

Two men who allegedly operated a Florida-to-New York gun trafficking ring were indicted today after selling more than 40 guns to undercover cops, worth more than $40,000. The 105-count indictment charges Watson Joachin, 27, and Ryan Woodard, 22, with selling weapons including 28 semi-automatic pistols, six revolvers, three assault rifles, four sawed-off shotguns, and five rifles. Most of the guns were purchased at pawn shops and gun shows in Florida, then sold fully loaded in Brooklyn. "We'll accept oranges from the sunshine state but not guns," Commissioner Kelly told reporters today. more ›

The animal rights advocates at PETA wanted to run this commercial during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC. However, the organization says they were told their "family-friendly announcement against abusing turkeys" didn't meet network standards. "The station asked us to give more information about the cruelty behind turkey slaughter to back up the statements made in the ad. But even after we sent the network this New York Times article chronicling the grisly facts about turkey factory farming, it nixed the ad." They say they had a kid-centric audience in mind when they created it, but we imagine if any kids listened to the ad they might choose to go hungry this Thursday! more ›

In the latest article in NY Times' series "Toxic Waters," about the "worsening pollution in American waters, and regulators’ response," the focus is on sewer systems. And the main example is here in NYC, starting at the Owls Head Water Pollution Control Plant, "where much of Brooklyn’s sewage is treated." And you will never think about a rain fall the same way again. more ›

Music to Governor Paterson's ears? According to Bloomberg News, "New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo’s campaign fund took tens of thousands of dollars from law firms representing clients his office investigated or accused of wrongdoing, state records show. Boies Schiller & Flexner LLP, a New York law firm led by David Boies, gave Cuomo $35,000 this year, records show. The firm represents former American International Group Inc. Chief Executive Officer Maurice 'Hank' Greenberg in a civil fraud case the attorney general is pursuing. Lawyers defending Dell Inc.,Deutsche Bank AG and a former state political party chief in Cuomo cases also contributed to him, records show." Apparently there's a loophole in the donation form that allows lawyers "representing persons or entities with matters before the NYS Attorney General’s office" to donate to his campaign. more ›

Aye, the easterly wind... Weak low pressure southeast of the city means we're in for several days of dingy gray weather. The ocean winds will produce a thick blanket of stratus clouds which will keep the temperature nearly steady in the upper 40s to lower 50s through tomorrow. To add to the rawness there may be periods of drizzle or light rain between this afternoon and Tuesday morning. more ›

Artist and rabble rouser Robert Lederman sent us word that he was arrested this past Saturday afternoon on the 14th Street section of the High Line. He was issued 5 summonses, handcuffed and taken to the Precinct by Park Enforcement Patrol officers, after High Line staff called the NYPD. more ›

In the distressing news pile today, a new study was released revealing that people are still going hungry in NYC in increased numbers. According to a report by the NYC Coalition Against Hunger (PDF), the number of people seeking emergency food services has risen nearly 21 percent from last year. While the survey finds "fewer agencies ran out of food than the year before," thanks to federal stimulus money, some food pantries are struggling to meet the growing need. more ›

You'll recall that last week Transportation Alternatives held their Biking Rules PSA Festival at BAM, featuring 40 PSAs created to promote bike safety and responsible cycling (i.e., not pedaling fiendishly down the sidewalk and running over pedestrians, etc.). The videos competed in two main categories, "Why Biking Rules" and "Street Code." Here's one of the winners in the shorter "Street Code" category, which will be broadcast on local TV, at outdoor summer films, and at cultural venues like BAM. Winners Aldo Arias and Pam Tietze also got a cool two grand, which will buy a lot of magical bike lights. more ›

After a Corona dad blamed his split personality for the gruesome murder of his wife and 14-year-old son, the victims' relatives have said they aren't buying the excuse. Friends and family of the victims claim that Otto Herrarte — who has blamed his alter ego Robert for slitting Edna and Daniel Herrarte's throats — is a domineering man with a fake defense. "It's just his way of trying to get out of it," said Edna's niece, who declined to give her name. "He tried to manipulate the situation." more ›

Sure, Rupert Murdoch wants people to pay for his content, but now he's definitely considering upping the ante. From the Media Decoder: "News Corporation...has engaged in early stage discussions with Microsoft about a pact to get paid from Microsoft to remove its news content from Google’s search engine... The Financial Times first reported on the discussions, which involve Microsoft possibly paying News Corporation to index its content on Microsoft’s search engine, Bing. The development has the potential that the newspaper industry could finally find a way to make online news lucrative." Wired, though, thinks it could be disaster. more ›

During the first nine months of the year, LaGuardia, Newark, and JFK have maintained the worst record for on-time arrivals among the 31 major U.S. air hubs, according to the FAA. And because so many flights pass through these hubs, nearly three-quarters of all delays in the U.S. could be traced to a problem in New York. The line of planes waiting to land at LaGuardia Airport can sometimes stretch unbroken in the sky for 40 miles, according to one air traffic controller, who tells the AP, "All we can do is take them and space them out as close as FAA rules allow. It's not like you can put more aircraft in there. That's it. We're just maxed out." more ›

This isn't the first time that Brooklyn Paper Editor Gersh Kuntzman has gone too far in his web videos. He has already posed nude and documented himself using the bathroom, but it's safe to say that nothing he — or any semi-reputable journalist — has ever done will make you feel as uncomfortable as this PG-but-very-suggestive video. more ›

A Canadian IBM employee lost her disability benefits after the insurance company checked out her Facebook profile. According to the Daily News, "Nathalie Blanchard was diagnosed with depression and granted leave from her job at IBM in Bromont, Que." a year and a half ago. She received monthly benefits until Manulife deemed "the pictures Blanchard posted to her private Facebook account prove she is no longer depressed. One showed her having fun at a Chippendales show, another at her birthday party and a third on a beach holiday." Blanchard said she has the same problems—plus her doctor told her she needs fun—and her lawyer said, "I don't think for judging a mental state that Facebook is a very good tool." more ›

The hand and foot model who's suing her co-op for treating her like a pariah for marrying the doorman has a history of romancing the help. Before she fell for bareheaded former doorman Angel Rotger, Christina Ambers had previously cavorted with another doorman at the Upper East Side building, a married Romanian immigrant named John Bradatan. But is it so crazy for a woman whose hands are her livelihood to fall for men who professionally open doors? more ›

Police shot an 18-year-old 11 times when he pointed a gun at them after a chase in Far Rockaway late on Saturday. Officers fired 14 shots in total, striking and killing Dashawn Vasconcellos after he ran away from cops who tried to question him for being in a park after hours. more ›

As the NY Post continues their takedown of the pedicab industry today, we wonder who causes the most trouble on the city's streets. more ›

In July 2008, the Vice Enforcement Squad raided Big Daddy Lou's Hot Lap Dance Club on West 38th Street, which was ranked as the best of all strip clubs in the world by AskMen.com. Prosecutors say it was so beloved because the club offered much more than erotic dancing to its upscale clientele, including on-site cocaine sales, and private rooms with beds for $250 an hour (plus whatever customers gave "dancers" behind closed doors). During the raid, police arrested some dancers, including porn star Alexia Moore, on alleged prostitution charges, as well as staff members and club owner Louis Posner, a lawyer who started a voter reform advocacy group after the 2000 election. more ›

Now that the Senate will debate health care reform next week, the question is whether Senate Democrats can gain enough support to pass legislation. Senator Charles Schumer told Face the Nation, "Look, there are still many bumps in the road, discussions, arguments, disagreements. But I think now the wind is at our back. There's real momentum. And the good news here is we still have a very diverse caucus but every Democrat, from the most liberal to the most conservative, very much wants to get a bill." more ›

Flight 1549 captain Chesley Sullenberger has opened up about his life after his heroic landing of a US Airways plane into the Hudson way back in January. But are we ready to know all the details of his personal life? In an NBC "People of the Year" TV special, his wife Laurie tells Matt Lauer, "He doesn't know I'm going to say this, but I had joked the other day that ... the hero sex really helps a 20-year-old marriage." Sully clarified, "Rock star sex." more ›

The 37-year-old suspected of slaying a straphanger in a grisly murder on the D train was not provoked before the vicious attack on Saturday, according to prosecutors. When suspect Gerardo Sanchez boarded the first car of the northbound train at around 2 am at Rockefeller Center, he seemed "disorganized and disoriented before and after the shocking violence," a witness told police, according to the Post. more ›

The mother of the 16-year-old Bronx boy accused of shooting a rival gang member and an innocent young bystander gave her first interview with the press yesterday. In a teary sit-down with the Post, Zelita Mighty explained that she tried to keep her son, Carvett Gentles, away from the gang culture that grips the area around East 169th Street and Boston Road—where her own father was shot nine times in the back when she was a teen. But at some point over the summer, she claims "Zico" [Carvett's nickname] went from being an engaged student who would "proudly bring home attendance and science awards" to a distant young man mixing with his older cousins and uncle—members of the Gorilla Stone Blood gang. more ›

Apparently news that Goldman Sachs employees would help out at the Salvation Army's Thanksgiving meals isn't good enough for the NY Times editorial board! The Times published an opinion piece slamming Goldman Sachs for its "non-apology." Noting that CEO Lloyd Blankfein said, "Certainly, our industry is responsible for things. We’re a leader in our industry, and we participated in things that were clearly wrong and we have reasons to regret and apologize for," the Times thinks the investment firm should try a lot harder:

It is widely and correctly understood that Wall Street, with Goldman as a leader and with regulators in thrall, helped to inflate and profited from a credit bubble that burst and cost tens of millions of Americans their jobs, incomes, savings and home equity. American taxpayers continue to stand behind the bailouts and other government interventions that have stabilized the financial system, including Goldman, enabling the firm to post blowout profits in 2009 and to set aside $16.7 billion for bonuses so far this year... more ›

The city Health Department held its third weekend of free swine flu vaccine clinics open to people in priority groups and 6,008 got the vaccine on Saturday while 5,478 more received it on Sunday. One reader commented yesterday, "Just went to the Queens flu clinic, and the lines were about 15 minutes max. Kudos to NYC DOH on a really well-run efficient operation." (The previous weekend, over 15,000 opted for the vaccine.) The next weekend for the clinics is December 5 & 6. more ›

Student activists have released two more videos to complement last week's footage of an NYPD officer violently arresting a protester during a march in solidarity with student protesters at the University of California. Both videos depict some of the activities leading up to the arrest of two individuals—neither of whom are actually enrolled at the New School, according to university spokeswoman Deborah Kirschner. more ›

Long Island cops are using an $800,000 acoustic gunshot tracking system that allows officers to almost immediately pinpoint the locations of shootings from a data center miles away. The so-called ShotSpotter system transmits the sound of gunfire using microphones and wireless sensors to a police computer and triangulates the scene of a shooting to within 80 feet — though police sources in the “the gun corridor” between Roosevelt and Uniondale in Nassau County say it is often more accurate than that, sometimes leading cops exactly to the spots where shell casings were found. more ›

A fire broke out in a Bronx home last night around 9:20 p.m. and quickly spread to neighboring homes, becoming a four-alarm blaze. Ultimately, it took over 200 firefighters and three hours to put out the fire on Findlay Avenue in the Claremont section. Now 45 people (and one cat) are left homeless. more ›

The Giants win in overtime (finally), the Jets lose their sixth game of the last seven and more playoffs hopes, and the Knicks' winning streak ends at two, with a Celtics loss. more ›

Back in heady days of 2007, real estate developers followed a simple algorithm: add the city's finite housing supply with the massive demand for housing and you could make money by building a condo on just about any property. Though the recession certainly changed that equation, seemingly out-of-place condo developments continue to pop up across the city as a result of that practice — and few seem more out of place than a luxury building in Gravesend at the corner of West 11th Street and Avenue V, just one block away from a housing project. more ›

They are a lot of issues that Allen Iverson brings to the table. He sulked his way out of Memphis and he has never been a great distributor of the basketball. But, he is still a great scorer and a great defender and for a team lacking both of those attributes, the Knicks were foolish not to sign him. more ›

The restaurateur who sent out an obscenity-laden missive against his employees last week stands by his angry rant, which he has defended as his food industry version of Allen Ginsberg's poem "Howl." Vadim Ponorovsky, owner of the Meatpacking District eatery Paradou, told the Post that he has been receiving death threats because of his email to staffers, which goes something like this: more ›

Earlier this week, the City Council passed a bill to add a five-minute grace period for drivers in certain no parking zones, such as alternate side parking regulations and expired Muni-Meters. Amid debate about the bill's worthiness, Mayor Bloomberg vowed to veto the legislation, saying "The five-minute grace period is only going to lead to chaos and enormous increases in the number of contested tickets, and in argument. Whose watch are you going to use?" Well, based on one Daily News reporter's experience, maybe it doesn't matter at all! more ›

Police gunned down an 18-year-old in Far Rockaway when he pointed a 9mm handgun at officers. When four plainclothes cops approached Dashawn Vasconcellos and two other men as they were leaving Bayswater Park after-hours at around 11:30 pm, Vasconcellos fled. Officers pursued the teen to Bay 32nd Street near Beach Channel Drive when Vasconcellos allegedly spun around and aimed the handgun at police. "After repeated orders to drop his weapon," officers shot the teen in the torso and legs, a police source told the Daily News. Vasconcellos was pronounced dead about an hour later at Jamaica Hospital. According to NY1, the other two men were not arrested. more ›

The off-duty NYPD cop who shot a man following a Long Island bar brawl fired the round after the altercation was over, according to the lawyer representing victim Atiba Watkins. The fight that lead to the shooting started when the 22-year-old NYPD officer, whose name has not yet been made public, got into a shoving match with the 23-year-old victim's cousin on or near the dance floor of the Irish bar Napper Tandy's in Miller Place on Thursday. more ›

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter was in the Bronx on Friday, to settle his World Series bet with Mayor Bloomberg. The two mayors decided not to do a cheesesteak-cheesecake bet (Senators Schumer and Gillibrand did that with Senators Casey and Specter) and instead agreed "that the losing mayor would travel to the winning city to join the winning mayor in a volunteer service project, while wearing the winning team’s jersey." So Nutter wore a jersey with the number 55—for Hideki Matsui—while Bloomberg wore a #27 jersey (for the Yankees' 27th World Series win) while they painted the halls of J.H.S. 131, the Albert Einstein School. more ›

As more and more New Yorkers are using bikes to commute and the city continues its massive — and at times controversial — push to expand its network of bike lanes, the Daily News examines the city's 650 miles of cycling routes and names its favorites. Among other selections, the tabloid's biking experts dub Ninth Avenue's protected bike lane between 16th Street and 31st Street as the city's "Safest," the Bleecker Street lane in the Village as the "Commuter's Choice," and the cycling routes on Ninth and Tenth streets as having the "Best-looking Crowd" because they are used by "hotties cutting through the Village and NYU's campus." Funny, because we thought all of the cycling hotties were using the lanes in South Williamsburg.
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The majority of New Yorkers want to see Khalid Sheik Mohammed and four other suspected terrorists put to death, according to a study by Marist and the Daily News. If found guilty, 73 percent of locals want Mohammed to be executed, while 67 percent of New Yorkers support the death penalty for the other suspects, the poll reveals. more ›

During the Knicks' "Basement Battle" win over the Nets yesterday, there was one sour moment for New York coach Mike D'Antoni. It was when Nate Robinson threw the ball at the Nets basket—and it went in—just after the first quarter buzzer. As Deadspin put it, "rather than quietly hand the ball to an official, or even chuck a desperation heave 80 feet down the court, [Robinson] decided to show what a good three-point shot he's got when no one is guarding him, and there's nothing at stake." more ›

The Jets are in New England to play the Patriots at 4 p.m. today, but players didn't get a great night's sleep. Safety Kerry Rhodes Tweeted, "you know we are playing new england when in the middle of the night when u r sleep somebody pulls a fire alarm to wake u up!! wow!!" And Dustin Keller added around 2 a.m., "So much for a good nights sleep..the alarm just went off in our teams hotel hahaha grown men walking around the hallway in their draws haha." ProFootballTalk points out it's "apparently a frequent problem for teams that play New England; the Bills were also awakened by a fire alarm the night before they played the Patriots this season." more ›

The fallout continues from tween pop star Justin Bieber's chaotic Friday appearance at a Long Island mall. Record executive James Roppo was charged with "endangering the welfare of a child, obstruction of governmental administration, reckless endangerment and criminal nuisance"—Newsday reports, "Nassau police said James A. Roppo's failure to send out a Twitter message to disperse the hordes resulted in an officer and others receiving minor injuries." more ›

A Queens father is suspected of slitting the throats of his wife and son, then blaming the act on his alternate identity, according to cops. "Otto does not do these things, but Robert does," Otto Herrarte, 48, told investigators, according to the Daily News. "Otto did not do it. Robert did it." more ›

Embattled political journalist Dominic Carter told the press yesterday that he was innocent, but that the allegations of domestic abuse and his conviction of attempted assault mean that his family has "lost everything." more ›

Though Governor Paterson signed the nation's toughest DWI bill into law this week, making it a felony to drive drunk with a passenger under age 15, it won't apply to one man who allegedly broke it yesterday. Suffolk County police arrested Ivan Llaghza for DWI and endangering the welfare of a child, because his 5-year-old daughter was also in the car—and not in a car seat, as required by law. The Daily News notes the new law "doesn't take effect until next month," adding that Llaghza's daughter "survived two brushes with death" before—her birth weight was 1.5 pounds and "when she was just 3 months old, she was almost killed by loss of oxygen during an apnea attack." more ›

Last night, the Senate voted to debate health care legislation after Thanksgiving, in a 60-39 vote along party lines. Two weeks after the House passed its health care legislation, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) said, "The road to this point has been started many times. It has never been completed." more ›

More details have emerged on the gruesome stabbing on the D train yesterday that left one straphanger dead and another behind bars. Bronx resident Geraldo Sanchez, 37, allegedly stabbed Dwight Johnson, 36, repeatedly in the face and neck in an altercation that started when the victim declined to move his bag from a seat on the crowded train. more ›

There was a lot of attention, blame and heated sentiments exchanged last week over the little-dog-that-almost-could, Oreo. The pit bull mix survived being thrown off a six-story building in Red Hook last summer only to be euthanized last week. The abused dog was deemed to be too dangerous to live out her life in the company of other animals or humans by ASPCA, the organization that helped the dog recuperate after the fall. more ›

• Knicks 98, Nets 91: Something is rotten in the state of New Jersey. Al Harrington and Danilo Gallinari each had 17, but the real story is the Nets. They have lost 13 straight to start the season. The NBA record is 17. Devin Harris played 26 minutes off the bench and had 12 points. Chris Douglas-Roberts led the Nets with 24. All Knicks starters had double figures in points. The Knicks have won two straight and sit at 3-9.
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After losing his job as a doorman when he started dating Christina Ambers, the so-called "Heidi Klum of foot models," the couple married and Rotgers moved from his apartment in the Bronx to his wife's posh, 700-square foot apartment. But since he moved into the building where he used to work, Rotgers claims his former coworkers have become like "captors" who discriminate against the couple, making them feel "trapped" in their apartment, according to the Daily News. "After working amongst them, them having to work under me is a big culture shock," said the 32-year-old, who also tells the Post his neighbors are jealous and refuse to treat him fairly because of his race. "They no longer have to treat me as a Hispanic porter, telling me what to do, where to go. Now they have to treat me as an equal [and] that made them very, very upset." more ›

The last time the Jets swept the Patriots in one season, Bill Clinton was president and Vinny Testaverde was quarterback. Since 2000, there have been four Patriots sweeps and four splits. Thanks to a 16-9 win over the Patriots at the Meadowlands in Week 2, the Jets can end their drought this week. more ›

The judge who convicted NY1 political anchor Dominic Carter of attempted assault for "punching, choking, and kicking" his wife, ruled that his spouse's conflicting testimony blaming a day laborer for the attack was "preposterous." more ›

A source at the real estate agency that leased Jude Law an apartment in the heart of NYU's campus has no sympathy for the "Hamlet "star. The actor — who has been so terrorized by his collegiate fans that he was forced to throw oranges at them — was aware that he would be moving next to an NYU dormitory, an insider at Brown Harris Stevens told the Post. "Obviously, Jude rented this apartment knowing where it was," the source said. That makes some sense, considering that the Hayden Hall dorm, like almost every building near Washington Square Park, is decked out with large purple and white flags.
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A disabled Iraq War veteran who relies on the assistance of a service dog claims he was beaten by employees at a McDonald's in Sunset Park after being repeatedly kicked out of the fast food joint for bringing his pooch. more ›

The Staten Island teenager who was run over in a chain reaction car crash in front of her high school last week has died. Janine Brawer, 17, was taken off of her respirator on Thursday after going into a coma when she was pinned beneath a car on Luten Avenue that had been rear-ended by another vehicle. No charges have been filed against the drivers — both of whom, like Brawer, had just been dismissed from Tottenville High School. The Advance runs a full obituary on the teen, who was interested in art and had just started learning to play guitar. "We are all devastated," an uncle told the Daily News. "It still hasn't sunk in yet that Janine is gone." more ›

The Giants have had two weeks to think about the unraveling of their season. A four-game losing streak punctuated by a last-second loss to the Chargers has put the entire season into question after a 5-0 start. But, New York will get a couple of fortunate breaks this Sunday. more ›

The Health Department is holding weekend clinics for people in the priority groups—more details here—to get H1N1 vaccines. Here's a PDF of the locations and hours in each borough and there are two more weekends of clinics scheduled after the Thanksgiving Day weekend. Last weekend, 15,000 people opted to get the vaccines. more ›

A knife-wielding commuter stabbed a passenger to death on the D train early this morning in a fight over a seat. Cops arrested a 37-year-old man suspected of repeatedly stabbing a 36-year-old man in the neck and face when the victim refused to move his bag from a seat on the northbound train at the 7th Avenue and 53rd Street station in Manhattan. more ›

A 16-year-old Stuyvesant High School student was caught on camera setting two fires in school bathrooms this week, according to police. Cops arrested junior Mohammed Hassan after obtaining surveillance tapes that apparently show the teen entering a seventh-floor bathroom at 1:13 pm and leaving two minutes later as a trash can went up in flames. At 1:16 pm, a different camera purportedly captures Hassan entering and quickly exiting another bathroom, leaving "bright orange and yellow flames rising out of a large garbage can," according to investigators quoted by the Daily News. more ›

A 67-year old Bronx man is suing NYC and the Montefiore Medical Center for throwing out his severed ear, the Daily News reports. A chunk of Eduardo Garcia's ear was bitten off by his son's bull terrier on May 10 last year. Emergency workers put the ear on ice in the ambulance, but when they got to Montefiore, EMS workers "threw the hunk of flesh in the trash" because of the risk of infection if it were reattached. more ›

This is simply disgusting. A teacher is suing the city after she slipped and fell on condoms and other garbage scattered across the floor in the High School of Art and Design. Educator Karen Hollander says she injured her head and nervous system after losing her balance on the offending prophylactics in the Second Avenue school's cafeteria last November. more ›

After 911 operators mistakenly dispatched firefighters to the wrong addresses in response to at least two fatal fires, the NYPD and FDNY announced that they will alter the city's emergency phone-answering system. Police phone operators will still respond to all 911 calls — continuing the so-called "Unified Call Taking System" which was launched in May — but when a caller reports a fire, the operator will electronically transmit the data to the FDNY and an FDNY official will have the chance "to listen in on the emergency fire calls and ask additional questions," according to the Post. more ›

Yesterday, tween singing sensation (or so Wikipedia leads us to believe) Justin Bieber was scheduled to make an appearance at the Roosevelt Field Mall on Long Island. Apparently the 15-year-old's fans were really excited to see him, because thousands flocked to the mall, forcing the police to cancel the event. Newsday says that "a crowd of 3,000 young girls and their parents started aggressively pushing and shoving." more ›

Vada Vasquez, the 15-year-old Bronx student who was shot in the head Monday afternoon by suspects targeting someone else, was taken off her ventilator and remains in critical condition. The intended target spoke to the Daily News, "I'm so sad about what happened to her. I feel terrible. She's innocent, like I'm innocent." more ›

Yesterday the US Postal Service announced they would save 9 of the 14 branches that were set to shutter, due to a decrease in business. CityRoom reports that the five still being shut down are in the Bronx and Queens. more ›

For the first time in six games, the Islanders fell in regulation in a 3-2 loss to Minnesota on Friday. They allowed the Owen Nolan game-winner with 67 seconds remaining. Jon Sim had a goal and an asssist. Despite trailing by one goal after the first period, the Islanders rallied to take a 2-1 lead entering the final session. But the Wild tied the game 6:58 into that one and then won it late. Martin Biron had 26 saves in the loss. more ›

Reclining her hospital bed yesterday, the 66-year-old Harlem woman who took a stray bullet in the leg in Harlem Wednesday sent a strong message to Mayor Bloomberg about what Harlem needs: "Bloomberg's getting in there and making the place look fancy and all of that, but it's not safe and people won't want to come here," Virginia Valree told the Daily News. more ›

Former NY1 senior political reporter Dominic Carter was found guilty of misdemeanor assault after several accusations of "punching, choking, and kicking" his wife Marilyn Carter in their Rockland County home. (His wife claims a day laborer assaulted her.) Carter, 45, could face three months in jail in addition to crippling his chances of returning to his position at NY1. more ›

You might remember back in May when the Taxi & Limousine Commission threatened the public with three new pilot programs that would reduce congestion by packing more fares into fewer cars. Well, unlike most pilot programs, it appears this one is actually happening, and as soon as next month. TLC announced Thursday that they will be setting up three locations where two or more riders and/or strangers can hop into a single cab for a discounted fare—and possibly a missed connection. more ›

An off-duty New York City cop shot a knife-wielding man Thursday night after a bar brawl that started in the Strong Island watering-hole Napper Tandy's and spilled out into the street. John Gomez, 27, was one of the many witnesses in the crowded bar at 12:30 a.m. when two men began fighting in the front foyer. more ›

As one man battles a ginkgo biloba tree in Brooklyn, another fights his own stinky tree situation in Queens. Barry Plonski's home on 210th Street and 43rd Avenue in Bayside is within smelling distance of multiple gingkos — and he places the smell they emit "at the olfactory intersection of animal feces and vomit." Female gingkos, the smelly fruit bearers, are the ones to blame — and there are about 15 in Plonski's neighborhood. more ›

The NYPD's stop and frisk policy shows no signs of abating. The latest data on the controversial program shows that the NYPD is on track to stop a record number of New Yorkers this year. more ›

The last dolphin spotting reported was off Staten Island this August, but today, just before 3 p.m., we got word that a dolphin was entangled in Queens — somewhere around Beach 87th and Beach Channel Drive. And some good news followed the original report: he or she is now free! We wonder if this is a straggler left behind from the massive dolphin invasion over the summer, or if all those dolphins are still lurking the New York waters... waiting. more ›

John Brek, the former NJ airport security guard who was accused of threatening President Obama last month, was released today after serving 29 days in the Newark county jail for harassment. Brek was interviewed by CBS 2 for "about 15 minutes" after he was released, and denied the threat while lamenting his time in jail: "I wouldn't wish it on nobody...You can't sleep, can't eat. I lost a tremendous amount of weight. Trying to sit in that 4-by-7 room and rock yourself to sleep, wondering what they were saying about you on the outside." At least he lost some weight? more ›

Narcotics investigators seized more than $800,000 and 61 pounds of cocaine worth nearly $1 million in a Williamsburg apartment yesterday. The drugs were hidden under the seat of a portable sauna, and officials say—wait, portable sauna?! Is that really a thing? Turns out yes, it is! It's also one of the last places anyone would want to "chill" while ripping rails, so the suspects probably figured nobody would ever think to look in there for cocaine. Oh well. more ›

Reportedly some residents of a Queens housing complex, Rochdale Village, "may have a wily coyote — or a close cousin — in their midst." After confirmed sightings of it prowling the territory, Animal Control officers have set up traps to capture the creature, which they say is either a "coyote or a coyote hybrid." A hybrid! There are suspiciously no details as to what kind of hybrid, but this is all starting to sound very familiar. more ›

A tipster spotted this truck stuck under the Q train subway station on Avenue J in Midwood this morning around 8:45 a.m. We're told "the truck was all crumpled and the fire department had to come out." We're guessing at this point they're just waiting for a giant stick of butter. more ›

Thank goodness for the Gothamist tipsters. Until we read Contribute we weren't sure if last night's really loud clap of thunder that woke us up was real or part of a nightmare. There's no mention of thunder in the Weather Service's hourly report and we were getting worried that the thunder of our dreams could be so loud. Was anyone else woken up by the thunder? The storms cells form the line of blue-green blobs above. more ›

Though prosecutors say he gave a written and videotaped confession, the 16-year-old Bronx boy accused of shooting two teens on a crowded street Monday afternoon pleaded not guilty at his arraignment yesterday. As his mother wept in the third row of the courtroom, Carvett Gentles and four other young men—all members of the "Gorilla Stone Blood" gang—were arraigned and sent to Rikers Island without bail. Gentles lawyer maintained his client's innocence, insisting, "He does well in school, he comes from a nice family." But some members of this "nice family" happen to be the older gang members who allegedly handed Gentles the gun and told him to shoot—because he was the only one without an arrest record. more ›

Oh, my: The city's new school zoning may split residents of the same Tribeca building into different schools. Of course, the building is already split with two addresses and lobbies—101 Warren for the luxury condos, 89 Murray for the rentals and affordable housing units—and the luxury condo owners' kids would go to acclaimed P.S. 234 just two blocks away while the other children would need to schlep across City Hall to Beekman Tower. The Downtown Express reports that one 89 Murray resident said "that unlike the families in the adjacent luxury condos at 101 Warren St., families at 89 Murray cannot afford a nanny to help make the trek over to the Spruce Street School every day if they can’t go to 234" more ›

When we previously noted on the Knicks burgeoning interest in signing free agent guard Allen Iverson, it seemed as though it was a long shot to happen. But new reports have come out in the last two days that are making us question everything. more ›

[UPDATE BELOW] Life is so unpredictable: One minute you're pulling out of a New Jersey gas station, the next minute you're diving off the George Washington Bridge to escape police after a high-speed chase. An unidentified man presumably fell to his death yesterday morning after trying to escape from cops who pulled him over for a "routine stop" while driving his 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix through Fort Lee. Police say the man was pulled over around 9:30 a.m. for failing to yield, and the vehicle "had law enforcement equipment inside." But within minutes he sped away toward the bridge, with the fuzz in hot pursuit. more ›

Could the fourth time be another charm? The jury deliberating the fate of John Gotti Jr.—whose past three federal trials have ended in mistrials—sent a note to Judge Kevin Castel yesterday reading, "We are unable to reach a verdict." Castel told the group to keep deliberating at first, but then sent them home for the weekend. more ›

Hand and foot model Christina Ambers fell in love with the doorman at her Upper East Side co-op in 2007, but the superintendent forbade Angel Rotger to see her romantically. And yet the romance between doorman and foot lady could not be so easily snuffed out, and the two continued their affair in secret. When they were found out, Rotger was fired—but not before the super's wife allegedly swung her handbag into his groin so hard he suffered a contusion of the testicle. Naturally, their story is on the cover of the Daily News and the Post today. more ›

A tipster described his morning commute on the F as screwy (Manhattan-bound F rerouted to Hoyt-Schermerhorn, to pick up the A/C) —and NYC Transit workers chalked it up to a broken rail. The MTA's service alert page says, "Due to a rail condition at the 14th Street Station, 168th Street-bound C trains are running on the express track between the Canal Street Station and the 59th Street-Columbus Circle Station. Jamaica-bound E trains are running on the express track between the Canal Street Station and the 42nd Street Station. Please expect delays on the A, C, E, F and V trains at this time." more ›

There's not much background on this video depicting the violent arrest of a demonstrator last night, but it's still a bracing way to start your day. New School students and their comrades brought the ruckus downtown to show solidarity with students at the University of California, who are occupying various administration buildings on multiple campuses to protest budget cuts and an increase in student fees, among other grievances. more ›

Yesterday, developer Bruce Ratner and architect Frank Gehry celebrated the "topping off" of the 76-story Beekman Tower in lower Manhattan. A 10-pound bucket of concrete was lifted 900 feet onto the roof of the 1.1 million square foot skyscraper, which will have rental apartments, a pre-K through 8th grade public school, an ambulatory care center for NY Downtown Hospital, retail space, and public plazas. more ›

If it's almost Thanksgiving, it means the city is gearing up the influx of visitors to the city for the holidays. The Department of Transportation released its calendar of "Gridlock Alert Days" (PDF) and its "Holiday Traffic Mitigation Plan" (PDF)—above all, the DOT recommends that people take mass transit. Today is the first Gridlock Alert Day, as is Thanksgiving next week; next month, the Gridlock Alert Days are December 2 (Rockefeller tree lighting), 4, 11, 16, 17, 18 and 23. more ›

The city’s unemployment rate is at 10.3 percent, its highest level in 16 years, and the unemployment rate statewide reached 9 percent in October, the highest rate since April 1983, the State Labor Department reported yesterday. Making matters worse, the usual holiday hiring bump doesn't seem to be happening; instead, the retail sector shed 1,100 jobs in October. Leisure and hospitality, which usually picks up toward the end of the year, lost jobs last holiday season and is doing slightly worse so far this year. At this point, we'd ask for a stiff drink, but who's left to pour it? Yet there is a silver lining empty lining where some copper wire used to be! more ›

Oprah Winfrey, the media mogul-juggernaut, is going to end her successful daytime talk show when her 25th season ends on September 9, 2011. She will be making the announcement on her program today. As for her future, the NY Times says she's expected to "concentrate on the forthcoming cable channel that will bear her name... The move represents an enormous bet — that her popularity and golden touch with programming can sustain an entire cable channel and that she’ll remain a central cultural figure even without the mass exposure of broadcast television every day." more ›

Former Nets star Jayson Williams is expected to plead guilty to manslaughter charges for the 2002 shooting of his limousine driver. According to the Star-Ledger, his sentence, in a deal with prosecutors, would be 18 months. Williams was previously convicted of charges related to covering up the shooting (and acquitted of aggravated manslaughter), but was facing a retrial on reckless manslaughter charges; if convicted of reckless manslaughter, he could have faced up to 10 years in prison. Williams shot Costas "Gus" Christofi in his NJ mansion when he was showing friends a shotgun. more ›

The Devils came back twice, thanks to Zach Parise, but they ultimately fell to Nashville 3-2 in a shootout. Parise scored his 12th and 13th goals of the season, but he did not convert in the shootout and when Martin Erat did, New Jersey went home a loser. Jason Arnott had two goals against his former team. more ›

Perhaps realizing that blaming NY State's woes on Governor Paterson's blindness wasn't a great idea, media mogul Rupert Murdoch apologized to Paterson. The Daily Politics reports, "Apparently, Paterson was willing to chalk Murdoch's bizarre comments up to a 'random misstatement,' according to this source, and did not try to negotiate more favorable coverage from the tab while he had the news mogul on the line. (Remember: This is the same newspaper that portrayed Paterson as Pinocchio in the wake of the Caroline Kennedy debacle)." Gawker is hopeful: "We look forward to more random misstatements in the near future." more ›

A 66-year-old Harlem woman became the second victim of stray gunfire this week in NYC. Virginia Valree was walking along Lenox Avenue in Harlem around 3:30 p.m. yesterday, carrying potatoes to deliver to a sick friend, when a bullet struck her left leg and knocked her into traffic on West 135th Street. "I'm horrified. All I know is I was just standing there and my leg gave in," Valree told the Daily News from her hospital bed last night. "I was on the ground. I was laying there saying, 'Somebody stop the traffic!' because I didn't want to get run over." more ›

In a 4-3 decision, New York State's highest court rejected a Christian legal group's argument that same-sex marriage was akin to incest and polygamy, and should therefore be denied government benefits for spouses. But the court's narrow ruling did not address the broader question of whether same-sex marriages performed in other states should be recognized in New York. The minority vote came from judges who argued that the case should have been tossed altogether, "on the ground that same-sex marriages, valid where performed, are entitled to full legal recognition in New York." more ›

The furor over holding the trials of alleged 9/11 terror plotters in a Manhattan federal court continues to simmer. Yesterday, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder testified in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday, "I’m not scared of what [terror mastermind] Khalid Sheik Mohammed has to say at trial — and no one else needs to be either." more ›

Today, NYPD Chief James P. Hall, who heads the department's Transit Bureau, told the City Council that sexual harassment was the "No. 1 quality of life offense on the subway," according to City Room. Hall added, "This should not be a part of commuting in New York. t's an under-reported crime." (Nothing, unfortunately, new there.) more ›

Since the Department of Transportation can't fix all the cracked sidewalks in the city at once, they came up with a new system in which locals can pay their way to the front of the fix line. First off, even though sidewalks are city property, they are the responsibility of homeowners, who can be held liable for injuries. When a homeowner is issued a violation, they have to repair the sidewalk via a private contractor, or through the DOT, which may take a while. more ›

Yesterday, a fire in a Crown Heights apartment building killed a man, 42, and his two young sons, ages 2 and 1. While the cause of the fire has not yet been determined, fire officials said incense had been burned in the bedroom (where the fire began) and that there were no smoke detectors in the home. more ›

According to a report from City Comptroller Bill Thompson's office, NYC has lost 30,000 jobs in "information services"—aka fields like traditional publishing, broadcasting and new media. According to the Post, "Thompson issued a report saying the industry -- one of New York's traditional leaders -- provided 192,300 jobs in September 2000. Two months ago, the number was down to 161,500." And the chief economist in the comptroller's office said, "The scary part of this is that not all of this is due to the recession." more ›

After months (years?) of speculation, former mayor Rudy Giuliani is not going to run for governor—but will set his sights on the Senate seat now occupied by Kirsten Gillibrand, according to various media outlets that spoke to anonymous sources. more ›

Service from the 7th Avenue subway station in Park Slope was stopped for a police investigation. It turns out that one person was fatally struck by a Queens-bound G train. more ›

It's a Thanksgiving miracle! A wild turkey hailing from Staten Island found her way to the New Jersey Turnpike, where for days she's been dodging vehicles and worrying toll booth attendants. more ›

Is Post trying to do at least one Derek Jeter-front page a week? Last week, Jeter's homeless bum cameo for a movie got him front page treatment—and now it's his vacation with girlfriend Minka Kelly! more ›

Not a good couple of weeks for Access-A-Ride, the bike-lane blocking fleet of giant vans that shuttle infirm New Yorkers around town. A local news crew caught one driver sleeping on the job last week, but now maybe the fatigue makes sense: the Access-A-Ride headquarters in Long Island City has been infested with bed bugs since the summer of 2008! The situation's become so intolerable that workers picketed outside yesterday, and one employee, who brought the bugs home and had to throw out all her furniture, tells the Daily News, "They really need to clean this place. This is not a joke." more ›

Journalist Dominic Carter — who is facing charges for allegedly abusing his wife — had scuffled with NY1 colleagues in the newsroom, according to the Associated Press. In a profile on the well-known political anchor, the wire service quotes NY1's general manager Steve Paulus as stating: "there have been incidents involving many employees" at the newsroom with Carter, though he wouldn't say whether the arguments became physical. "I'm not saying Dominic didn't, but I'm not attaching any importance to it," Paulus said. "It's a newsroom." more ›

The Newark Airport private security guard who was overheard discussing "how someone could shoot the president through a hole in a fence at the airport" was sentenced to 30 days in jail today. John Brek had been initially charged with making terroristic threats but pleaded guilty to a lesser charges of harassment last week; the Star-Ledger reports, "They represent a drastic reduction from the original felony charges Brek faced: making terroristic threats and possessing a rifle stolen from Alabama; and possessing hollow-point bullets." Since he has been held in jail since last month, Brek is to be released today. more ›

"We got into a fight about him cheating on me. I cut him with a box cutter, and he punched me in the face," 41-year-old Lisa Gibbs told cops after she was arrested Oct. 30th. "I punched her in the face because I was defending myself when she tried to cut me with the box cutter," her husband Christopher Binns, 34, told police. There's not much more to add—except that Gibbs is also a public school principal at Brooklyn's School for Global Studies. The school might ring a bell if you recall the great laxative prank of 2008 that went so terribly wrong. more ›

Last year, a private sanitation truck driver had an epileptic seizure and fatally struck a British couple in Midtown and, yesterday, he was sentenced to 20 years to life. The Daily News reports that State Supreme Court Justice Richard Carruthers pointed out that Auvryn Scarlett "stopped taking his epilepsy medicine because it interfered with his boozing" and said the 54-year-old was a "time bomb." Scarlett, who had been found guilty of the murder, also never told his employer he had seizures; he said, "I'm very sorry for what took place." The children of one of the victims had written to the court, "There are lots of things that we will never get to share with our mum. She will never witness her only daughter one day walk down the aisle." more ›

Yesterday, the NY Attorney General's Organized Crime Task Force and NYPD raided a number of homes and business in Staten Island, Brooklyn, NJ, Pennsylvania, and Nevada, arresting 22 people from two investigations dubbed "Operation Pure Luck" and "Operation Night Gallery." The charges, according to Cuomo's office, stem "from the operation of lucrative loan sharking and gambling activities closely controlled by organized crime"—the Gambino and Luchese crime families. more ›

Something crazy happened in Albany this week: The Assembly passed a bill, then the Senate passed their version of the bill, and then Governor David Paterson signed it into law—all in two days! Yesterday New York instituted the nation's toughest drunk driving law, making it a felony to drive intoxicated with a passenger 15 years old or under. The bill, "Leandra's Law," was named for the 11-year-old New York girl killed in a DWI crash on the West Side Highway last month. At the signing yesterday, Leandra's father Lenny Rosado vowed to take his crusade to Washington and pass the law on the federal level:

From here on, those that think it’s OK to drink and drive - with children in the car or not - will pay the price...This is not going to be where I stop. I'm going to go out there to as many people as I can and educate them about this terrible disease we have out there...and hopefully we can take it all the way up straight to the White House.

It is not a good week for businesses ending in "&H" — first the H&H Bagel owner was indicted on tax fraud, and now word is getting out that the Hasidic-run B&H Photo Video is being sued to the tune of $8 million in a gender bias discrimination lawsuit. According to the NY Times, the two unrelated cases were announced just 30 minutes apart yesterday. more ›

Yesterday, former mayor Ed Koch celebrated his 85th birthday a little early (it's December 12), with a party at the St. Regis Hotel. Guests included Mayor Bloomberg, former Gov. Mario Cuomo, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, former Senator Alfonse D'Amato and Dr. Henry Kissinger—check out this picture of Koch in a crown-like chair! He reflected on his time as mayor—"I thank the people of the city of New York for having given me their confidence and their trust and the opportunity to do what I loved so much"—and discussed his post-quadruple bypass diet (he needs to gain weight), "Ice cream, Peking duck, Peter Luger's steaks -- I'm doing it under doctor's orders! I'm doing terrific. I'm enjoying my life." more ›

A 16-year-old boy has confessed to the Monday afternoon shooting that left a Bronx girl in a medically-induced coma. Carvett Gentles, a sophomore at Bronx Leadership Academy who rarely attended class, had no criminal record before this week, and police believe that's why the .40-caliber pistol used in the shooting was passed to him, in a street version of "hot potato." The four other young men who were with him Monday afternoon all have extensive arrest records, and those boys—also members of a Bloods gang spin-off called "Gorilla Stone Blood"—passed the gun around until it ended up in Gentles's hands. more ›

Technology! The FAA says that a computer glitch has affected its "ability to process flight plans electronically"—which is now resulting in flight delays across the country. more ›

• Knicks 110, Pacers 103: What's this? A Knicks win? Al Harrington handed it to his former team, scoring 26 points, including 13 in the fourth quarter to help the Knicks snap a six-game losing streak. He wasn't the only one to fill up the stat sheet. Larry Hughes had 22 points, Wilson Chandler had 18 and David Lee had 17. Even Eddy Curry, playing for the first time this season after a calf injury, had 10 points in 12 minutes. The Knicks outscored the Pacers 56-34 in the second half. That kind of performance will end a lot of losing streaks.
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Parade routes always seem to be changing, but for many years it was 5th Ave that was seeing all the celebratory marching action. After the avenue became so popular, however, the city adopted a new policy and refused all new parade requests. more ›

In a time when most newspapers see their futures on the internet, the Daily News has put $150 million where it might make the least sense: brand new printing presses. The paper "heralded a new era for New York's favorite newspaper" with a gala yesterday to celebrate its new printing presses, which are faster than the older presses and capable of printing color on every page — potentially allowing paper to secure more lucrative color ads and push back its deadlines to gain an an edge on the Post. more ›

Last month the City Planning Commission approved a controversial plan to turn the Kingsbridge Armory, a massive red-brick castle in the Bronx, into a mall that will include a large department store, shops and a movie theater. But critics of the $310 million project insist the developer should not get the green light unless future mall employees are guaranteed a living wage. Opposition was intense yesterday at the City Council subcommittee's public hearing to decide whether to approve rezoning. more ›

A fire broke out in a six-story Crown Heights apartment building earlier today, killing three. Officials told CBS 2 reports that, "firefighters were called to a blaze that broke out in the Crown Heights section of the borough at 654 St. Marks Ave. at Rogers Ave. about 1:30 p.m. Two children, ages, 2 and 3, along with a 45-year-old man were pronounced dead at the scene." The names of the victims have not yet been released, and the cause of the fire has not yet been determined. more ›

An MTA-hired subcontractor severed a jet fuel line that was targeted by would-be terrorists in 2007, spilling 500 gallons of gasoline at the corner of Skillman Avenue and 37th Street. The workman was doing maintenance work for the MTA when he drilled into the Buckeye Pipeline, a 12-inch tube that rests four feet below street level and carries eight million gallons of fuel and refined petroleum into New York City every day, according to the Daily News. more ›

Yesterday, a federal appeals court panel of three judges upheld the conviction of lawyer Lynne Stewart for smuggling messages from a radical leader to his followers in Egypt. And the panels also thinks a judge should consider increasing her prison time from the 28 month sentence that was already handed down. more ›

The city has stopped a developer from completing a large rooftop addition in Carroll Gardens — but that doesn't mean it has any way to force the builder to remove the two stories of steel girders he has already erected. more ›

The MTA is considering rolling out bus-only lanes on First and Second avenues that the agency says might shorten commutes between Houston Street and 125th Street. The "East Side speedway" could be laid down by September 2010, and the agency is planning to stock up on "dozens of super-stretch buses for the new service," the Daily News reports. more ›

From the NY Times: "A little more than a week after Goldman’s chairman and chief executive drew fire for saying the Wall Street giant was 'doing God’s work,' the bank said Tuesday that it would spend $500 million — or about 3 percent of the $16.7 billion it has so far set aside to pay its employees this year — to help thousands of small businesses recover from the recession." Also, CEO Lloyd Blankfein, on the cusp of handing out billions in bonuses, said, "We participated in things that were clearly wrong and have reason to regret. We apologize." more ›

Since 10-time All-Star guard and former Philadelphia 76er Allen Iverson was released from his one year contract with the Memphis Grizzlies earlier this week (he only played in three games with them, off the bench, this season), all the talk has revolved around whether or not the dismal 1-9 Knicks might sign him to a short term contract. The Knicks GM Donnie Walsh had flirted with signing "The Answer" briefly last summer, and cautiously said on Monday that they'd "look into it." more ›

Media mogul Rupert Murdoch blamed some of New York's troubles on Gov. David Paterson's blindness, which the Australian billionaire claims makes it hard for Paterson to "really know what's going on." more ›

The Fire Department said it was the docking the pay of two captains and two lieutenants— plus reassigning them from fire companies to fire headquarters—because they did not carry out inspection of buildings. Three hours of weekly building inspections became a part of their jobs after the 2007 fatal Deutsche Bank fire; the Post reports, "Instead, the officers and their inspection crews left their firehouses late, returned early, or spent inspection time on other activities, such as shopping at stores." The Uniformed Fire Officers Association shot back, "We respectfully request the training and tools necessary for the Building Inspections program to move from charade to functional program effectively serving needs of citizens." said Al Hagan, head of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association. more ›

This year the DOT reached a goal of adding 200 more miles of parking space bike lanes in NYC—but as every cyclist knows, these also double as sweet traffic lanes, loading/unloading zones, and parking lots. The danger in all this, of course, is that when a bike lane is blocked, bicyclists are forced to merge with auto traffic, sometimes causing accidents and fatalities. more ›

All's quiet on the local weather scene today. Look for a high in the mid 50s with high clouds arriving late in the afternoon. more ›

Earlier this week, the Post revealed that Jets coach Rex Ryan broke down in tears when addressing his 4-5 team on Monday morning. To say the least, some of the players were shocked, with Darrell Revis saying, "I was a little upset to see him that way. I'm upset for the same reasons he's upset." Ryan said, "I'm just being myself and sometimes that happens. Very rarely, but it happens," but some New Yorkers want the 340-pound coach to keep his emotions to himself—or at least at home. One told the Daily News, "You can't be crying like that. He should go home and cry on his wife's shoulder, not in the locker room. This is New York." more ›

On Monday the City Council passed a bill that would give motorists a five minute grace period on parking tickets issued at Muni-Meters or when a vehicle is in violation of alternate side parking regulations. Mayor Bloomberg has vowed to veto it, but the Council approved it 47 to 2, and they only need a two-thirds vote to override a veto, meaning the law could very well take effect in 90 days. Will "chaos" reign, as Bloomberg predicts, or will motorists receive a welcome relief from "parking enforcement officers hiding behind the bushes, waiting for the meter to run out," as one parking commissioner in White Plains puts it? more ›

WCBS 880 reports, " Police say a man who drove his car into a cyclist in New Jersey was sending a text message about a drug deal." Apparently Robert Sharrer, 28, admitted to cops that he was texting when he hit a cyclist wearing a reflective vest in Medford on Monday night. Police claim the text was about a drug deal and "say they found unauthorized prescription drugs in Sharrer's car and charged him with drug possession." more ›

Clothing retailer and Brooklyn native Sy Syms passed away at age 83 from heart failure yesterday in Manhattan. According to the NY Times' obituary, he "pioneered selling off-price clothing and built his retail chain, the Syms Corporation, into a national brand." more ›

While the majority of Americans aren't happy with the plan to try Khalid Sheik Mohammed and four other suspected terrorists in New York City, more New Yorkers support the plan than oppose it, according to two new studies. Based on findings from a nationwide phone survey by Rasmussen Reports, 51 percent of Americans think it's a bad idea to host the trials in the city, while 29 percent of respondents favor the proposal to move the suspects from Guantanamo Bay to Lower Manhattan. more ›

Police have arrested five young men allegedly involved in the altercation that led to the shooting of innocent bystander Vada Vasquez, a 15-year-old Bronx girl who was chatting with a friend after school Monday afternoon when a stray bullet struck her in the head, shattering inside her skull. She is currently in critical condition and on a ventilator. The bullets were directed at Tyrone Creighton, 19, who was hit in the back as he fled five men who had confronted him outside a bodega near Bronx Latin School. Police believe revenge was the motive. more ›

The Department of Education is taking bids in search of a pest-control specialist to eradicate any sign of those troublesome bedbugs in schools around the city. A spokeswoman tells the Post that the listing is "a contingency measure, not a response to an increase in bugs." The department intends to spent no more than $100,000 over the course of the three-year contract, so who will be the intrepid exterminator that will protect our children on $33,333 a year? more ›

Oh dear. A reader just sent in the above photo and tells us, "On my way to work this morning, I spotted a sacrificed chicken on the steps of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception at the corner of Maujer and Leonard in Williamsburg." Clearly it's not for Kapparot. This leaves a few other options: Santeria, an offering from the nearby Cult of Michael Jackson, Twilight marketing. more ›

Business owners did their best yesterday to scare off Council members mulling a bill that would require all employers in the city to provide up to nine paid sick days. The owners insist such a law would force small businesses to slash salaries and benefits, lay off employees, and eventually flee the city. "Pile on another expense to us, you’re gonna put people out of business. You’re gonna encourage people to move their business out of New York City. I’m a mile from New Jersey. It’s a hop over the bridge. And it’s very tempting," said Tom Scarangello of Scaran Heating & Air Conditioning. more ›

A Republican Arizona Congressman who opposes the plan to hold the trials for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other suspected terrorists in Manhattan asked Mayor Bloomberg how he would feel if his daughter was "kidnapped at school by a terrorist." Though Bloomberg's daughters — Emma, 30, and Georgina, 26 — are well past school age, Rep. John Shadegg raised the question on the House floor on Monday while trashing a decision he described as "political correctness run amok." more ›

Yesterday Jersey City authorities announced that the body of 65-year-old Evan Chandler, who sued Michael Jackson for allegedly molesting his son, was found in his apartment at a Jersey City luxury building by his building's concierge, and it's believed he killed himself. Police spokesman Jesse Easton said, "He [Chandler] was on his bed still holding the weapon with a single gunshot wound to the head. It's straightforward. Case closed. It's suicide." more ›

The Maersk Alabama, the container ship that was hijacked by Somali pirates in April, was attacked again today while 350 miles east of the Somali coast. CNN reports, "Pirates fired automatic weapons at the ship...Guards aboard the ship fired back, repelling the attack." In the April incident, the Maersk's captain gave himself to the pirates as a hostage and was rescued in dramatic fashion five days later when Navy snipers stepped in and killed three of the pirates. more ›

Some details on that Midtown car accident that involved an advance car from Vice President Joe Biden's motorcade around 5:40 p.m. last night. According to the Daily News, "The squad car with two detectives scouting the route for the motorcade was headed west on 49th St. when it was T-boned by a cab going north on 10th Ave." more ›

• Washington 4 Rangers 2: Marian Gaborik had two goals, but it wasn’t enough as Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals beat the Rangers again. Gaborik tied the game with his 15th goal of the year in the third, but the Caps added two goals in the final five minutes for the win. more ›

Crazy Coney Island news just keeps on coming. Less than a week after Mayor Bloomberg reached a $95.7 million deal to purchase 6.9 acres of the neighborhood's ailing amusement district from landowner Joe Sitt, the city has announced plans to bring ferry service back to the People's Playground, the Post reports. The city will use $3.2 million of federal transportation funds to study the feasibility of commuter ferry service from three possible dock locations: West Eighth Street near the New York Aquarium, the existing Steeplechase Pier near KeySpan Park, and in Coney Island Creek. more ›

There were reports of a car accident at 49th Street and 10th Avenue and then we got word the vehicle was in the "Vice Presidential motorcade." A reader sent us this photo, adding, "Apparently a car from Biden's convoy hit a livery cab." D'oh! more ›

According to the AP, police officers raided the circulation offices of the NY Times, Daily News, NY Post, and El Diario today "as part of a union corruption probe... Investigators were seeking paperwork related to the Newspaper and Mail Deliverers Union, which packages and delivers newspapers across the region." more ›

Despite widespread backlash against the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for euthanizing Oreo the dog — a pit bull who miraculously survived being thrown off a six-story building only to be put down by the ASPCA because of her aggressive behavior — a major animal rights group has come forward to defend the agency. more ›

Bowing to pressure from families of drunk driving victims, state Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver has thrown his support behind a bill that would make it a felony to drive with a blood alcohol content of .08 while a passenger 15 years old or under is in the car. The legislation is named for 11-year-old Leandra Rosado, who recently died in a crash on the Henry Hudson Parkway while riding with her friend's allegedly drunk mother. more ›

A judge found Councilman Charles Barron guilty of disorderly conduct for sitting in the middle of Tillary Street to protest the Sean Bell verdict. Unsurprisingly, the East New York Councilman — a one-time candidate for Brooklyn Borough President who is considering running for Council Speaker against Christine Quinn — had a message for the man responsible for his prosecution. "[Brooklyn District Attorney] Charles Hynes should be ashamed of himself," said Barron, who was sentenced to time-served, which was about six hours according to the Post. "He should not be allowed to come into any black church this Jan. 21 and celebrate Martin Luther King Day." more ›

A day after voicing his opposition to plans to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other suspected terrorists in New York, Gov. David Paterson backtracked from those statements and blamed the press for sensationalizing his remarks. "We don't need to spend a lot of time on this," he said. "The decision is made. That's the president's decision. We're Americans. We will follow the decision and we'll trust the President." more ›

In its mission to reel in younger clientele, the Nassau County Regional Off-Track Betting location in Plainview is transforming its three-story "Race Palace" into a nightclub. Alongside the regularly televised racetrack programming, the evening will feature dancers and contortionists dispersed between three rooms for a night of what restaurateur Steven Carl tells Newsday is "good clean fun." more ›

The MTA's $200 million plan to install countdown clocks at all numbered train line stations is moving forward, though it's already running slightly behind schedule, the Times reports. By the end of next month, MTA NYC Transit will start the clocks at the Longwood Avenue, Brook Avenue and East 149th Street 6 train stations in the Bronx, but the installation of the timepieces in the remaining 152 numbered stations won't be completed until April 2011 — despite previous reports of a December 2010 finish. more ›

With Mayor Bloomberg asking for $1.750 billion in budget cuts from agencies for this year and next, Deputy Mayor Ed Skyler tells the Post, "It is serious, and it's serious for every agency," and didn't rule layoffs out, "So whether it's attrition or layoffs, some sort of personnel savings is going to be necessary in order to close the $5 billion deficit. It is hard to balance a budget of that size without dealing with the size of the city." The Citizens Budget Commission's Charles Brecher said, "In some ways, it's reassuring that they're at least, at the city level, facing up to the magnitude of the problem we have. We didn't have this discussion during the [mayoral] campaign." more ›

A bride is suing a wedding photographer for allegedly taking semi-nude pictures of her on her wedding day and posting them on the internet — despite her objections. Bride Sara Bostwick filed suit in Manhattan Supreme Court against photographer Carolyn Monastra and the Christian Oth Studio for causing her to "suffer severe emotional injuries, including post-traumatic stress disorder," the Post reports. more ›

According to The Real Deal, Judge Charles Ramos told lawyers for Corcoran to "read the riot act" to their client, finding the company "grossly negligent" for failing to preserve and turn over e-mails revealing that Corcoran agents canceled appointments with prospective buyers on rainy days. Apparently, the flooding in the three-bedroom Park Slope duplex was so bad that it was like "the side of a swimming pool has come down," Einstein tells the Daily News. Well, it doesn't take a genius to see that Corcoran's in a bit of hot water here. more ›

Reader and Flickr user Hello Turkey Toe took this photograph and writes, "Taken in the 34th Street - Herald Square Station, where the subway system has apparently collapsed in on itself, creating a sort of singularity..." We are also reminded of Cosmo Kramer's freakout, "Hey, I'm on First and First. How can the same street intersect with itself? I must be at the nexus of the universe." more ›

Everything would have been better had Anthony Michael Hall stayed his scrawny lil' lovable self, but the one-time geek had to grow up. Page Six reports today that the now 41-year-old has been ordered to keep his distance from ex-girlfriend Diana Falzone, "after he allegedly stalked her and attacked her in her New York apartment." more ›

The annual firearms discharge report issued by the NYPD indicates that 2008 saw the smallest number of police shootings since formal records of such events were first kept, in 1971. According to the report, last year 125 police officers fired their weapons, compared with 148 officers opening fire in 2007. Cops also burned through fewer bullets last year, busting a total of 354 caps, compared with 588 in 2007. But the New York Civil Liberties Union says we still don't have the full picture, and last week they sued the NYPD for complete access to the department’s internal reports. more ›

Take 100 middle school students, dozens of soccer balls, and one confined space and what do you get? A lawsuit! The staff at Intermediate School 219 in the Bronx used that dangerous recipe to pass by a rainy day last year. One dodgeball expert told the Daily News, "The force of those balls going across the gymnasium, especially thrown by middle school students, could be quite strong." more ›

A 75-year-old man perished in a Queens house fire yesterday when he ran back into the blaze to get his cellphone. Air Force veteran Nathan Lagree had already helped his wife and his eight-months-pregnant daughter escape from their single-family home in Springfield Gardens at around 6:20 am when he realized he forgot his phone. more ›

As pedicab operators make the final stride in becoming legit under the city's new regulations, the NY Post takes a look at their rate cards. Unlike other modes of transportation in this city, pedicabs don't have a fixed fare. Operators can change their prices from minute-to-minute as long as they provide rate cards for their customers. more ›

In August, a sudden summer storm downed hundreds of trees across city parks. Central Park suffered a great deal of damage between 90th and 100th Streets, with tree canopies "simply wiped away" and animals confused. more ›

While former mayor Rudy Giuliani continued to blast plans to host the trials of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other suspected terrorists in New York City, the Daily Show went after some seemingly hypocritical comments the likely gubernatorial candidate made just three years ago. more ›

Yesterday, the United States Preventive Services Task Force ("an influential group that provides guidance to doctors, insurance companies and policy makers") recommended that women get mammograms starting at age 50, reversing its previous position that mammograms should start at age 40. According to the Times, the panel believes that mammograms "can trigger unnecessary further tests, like biopsies, that can create extreme anxiety." But one woman told the AP, "I've never had a scare, but isn't it better to be safe than sorry?... I've heard of a lot of women in their 40s, and even 30s, who've gotten breast cancer. It just doesn't seem right to wait until 50." The American Cancer Society stands by its recommendation that mammograms start at 40. more ›

Last night, former CNN personality Lou Dobbs appeared on Bill O'Reilly Fox News program to discuss his departure from the cable news network. Dobbs blamed the new guy in the White House—and how CNN doesn't want to rock the boat, "You know, I discern more of a difference between then, which was under the Bush administration whom I was criticizing, and now, when it is the Obama administration and an entirely different tone was taken." more ›

The family of a man killed by cops during a Cypress Hills bar brawl are alleging a police coverup. The brother of a man was shot and killed by undercover cops is demanding that the NYPD release surveillance video that allegedly shows the 43-year-old Kevin White pointing a gun at officers moments before his death. more ›

A Manhattan Federal Court judge did double duty as the fashion police yesterday, when he ordered a groovy balloon artist who's suing police to go change out of his tie-dyed T-shirt, tie-dyed patchwork overalls, and far-out multicolored sneakers. Russian immigrant Alexander "Sasha" Alhovsky, 40, was in the court room during jury selection for the lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages over claims that the NYPD used excessive force when he was taken into custody in June 2006, on suspicion of planting a fake bomb inside an UES Starbucks three days earlier. more ›

A 15-year-old Bronx teen, not too far from her school in the Morrisania section, was shot in the head by a stray bullet yesterday afternoon. She had apparently walked into a dispute between two men—the Daily News reports, "As Vada Vasquez underwent emergency brain surgery, cops hunted for a bicycle-riding gunman who fired wildly at a man suspected of being a snitch." The apparent target of the gunfire, a 19-year-old man, was also shot in the abdomen and leg and taken to a hospital. more ›

With the state looking to cut $90 million from the SUNY system, the NY Times reports that some "are questioning whether the emphasis on athletics is misguided." SUNY lifted bans on athletic scholarships in 1986 and SUNY Buffalo was the first school to join Division I in 1991, but the success of the program is questioned. And Assemblyman Peter Rivera (D-Bronx) doesn't think state funds should be used towards building "powerhouse" sports programs, "That’s not the purpose of a SUNY school. The purpose of a SUNY school is to provide the best education possible." more ›

Thieves ransacked a Brighton Beach home after the city mistakenly marked it for demolition. After a fire ravaged the house next door to Martin Senzer's Brighton First Street residence, a Department of Buildings inspector who "is either legally blind or an imbecile," according to Senzer, slated the 66-year-old's home for demolition last January. That mix-up sent a plumber and a National Grid employee to Senzer's house to turn off the gas and water — and they had to cut the locks to get in. more ›

The new FAA rules regarding air traffic over the Hudson River go into effect Thursday, separating pilots into three altitude corridors: in the lower two (below 1,300 feet), local commuter planes and sightseeing helicopters would still rely on the "see and avoid" method, but would also be required to tune their radio to a frequency of 123.05; announce their location, description and route; and obey a speed limit of 140 knots or less. Longer flights under the jurisdiction of air traffic controllers will fly above 1,300 feet. But critics say the rules don't go far enough to prevent another crash like the August 8th collision between a small plane and a sightseeing helicopter that claimed nine lives. more ›

Around 7 a.m., a crash involving three vehicles occurred on the West Side Highway near 125th Street. According to WABC 7, "A northbound car apparently flipped over the guardrail and into the southbound lanes, landing on another vehicle." Two people were taken to the hospital. more ›

• Flyers 3, Devils 2: For the first time this season, the Devils were losers on the road. Martin Brodeur allowed a goal in each period as New Jersey lost for the first time in 10 away games this season. Had they won, it would have been a record for most consecutive road wins to start a season. Zach Parise scored with less than a second left and David Clarkson had a power-play goal to make it 2-1. The Devils visit Nashville on Thursday.
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Gov. David Paterson followed former Mayor Rudy Giuliani's lead yesterday, when he denounced plans to hold the trial for Kalid Shaikh Mohammed and four other suspected terrorists in New York. more ›

A Brooklyn couple is producing the latest novelty t-shirt, which reads in vintage Dodgers font: Brooklyn Jews. Carrie McLaren designed the shirts for her husband Charles Star and their son, but when it garnered enough attention during their outings in the borough, it turned into a little side business. more ›

After opening up its weekend H1N1 vaccination clinics to priority groups beyond public school students, the Health Department gave out 15,606 free vaccines this past Saturday and Sunday (the previous weekend's clinics saw less than 4,000 people receive the vaccines). Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley told the Daily News that in spite of NYC's low infection rate, "We haven't escaped it entirely. Rates are falling in most of the country now, but they're still rising here." more ›

While some might claim the worst Post Office in Brooklyn is in Park Slope... the Williamsburg USPS worker bees are working the hardest they've ever worked to steal that title away. The South 4th Street outlet is known for slow service and a blatant disregard for customer service... and sometimes technical difficulties! A reader tells us that those on line this past Saturday got the added treat of being told "there was a problem getting the computers started and there would be a delay for the windows." more ›

Remember how last week a reporter told Levi Johnston, the father of Sarah Palin's grandson, that Palin had declined to "trash" him during her interview taping with Oprah Winfrey? And Johnston remarked, "She's being smart. She knows what I got on her."? Well, that interview finally aired today, and it turns out Palin totally did trash him! So can we please get what he has on her now? more ›

The Obama administration will attempt to give the federal government control over safety regulations for the nation's subway and light-rail systems. You know who else controlled an entire nation's transit system? Mussolini. But he made the trains run on time! (Or did he?) At any rate, Obama's plan would expand the U.S DOT's control over airlines and Amtrak to every subway and light-rail system in the country, including the MTA. The proposal will be presented to Congress by the end of the year. more ›

The esteemed Bay Ridge private school Adelphi Academy has apparently filed a cease and desist order against a neighborhood message board that has hosted threads that were critical of the school. The post in question — which has since been removed from the forum BayRidgeTalk.com — addressed, among other things, Daily News articles covering the school's $2.1 million deficit in 2006, the foreclosure proceedings against the academy's 86th Street property, reports of teachers' paychecks bouncing, and the firing of a dean after he allegedly discovered a hidden bank account run by the school's Corporate Director. more ›

The Observer reports that Mayor Bloomberg wants to cut $1.2 billion from next year's budget and $550 million from this year's, according to a letter from budget director Mark Page: "For the current year, Bloomberg is seeking to cut 1.5 percent from the Department of Education, 2 percent from 'uniformed forces' and 4 percent from all other agencies. For next year, Bloomberg wants 4 percent cuts from the Department of Education and uniformed forces, and 8 percent cuts from all other agencies. The cuts should lower the city's budget by $1.2 billion." The letter also says, "The target can be met by reductions in personal service costs or other than personal service costs and/or assured, recurring revenue actions." more ›

Today the City Council is expected to pass two laws that would give motorists more wiggle room when fighting parking tickets. The first bill would create a five-minute grace period for drivers for certain no parking zones, such as alternate side parking regulations and expired Muni-Meters. (The bill does not include regular coin-operated, single-space meters, seen failing here.) A second piece of legislation would require the DOT to post notices of new and changed parking restrictions in affected neighborhoods and online up to one week in advance. (Last October, Orthodox Jews in Williamsburg were outraged when the DOT wrote tickets for over 90 vehicles that were violating new parking regulations—on a Saturday.) more ›

Yesterday, former NYC mayor Rudy Giuliani came out swinging against the Obama administration's decision to try five of the alleged 9/11 plotters, including mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, at a NYC federal court, accusing the White House of thinking the "War on Terror is over." But senior White House adviser David Axelrod pointed out that Giuliani previously supported the decision to try 20th hijacker Zacarias Moussaoui in federal criminal court. more ›

Since 2008, the city has received 23 complaints about illegal apartments and an unsanctioned daycare center in a Flushing, Queens building, but inspectors haven't been able to bring the building up to code, the Daily News reports. more ›

From the Post: "Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has opened up a staggering 59-point lead over Gov. Paterson after the embattled governor spent $500,000 on personal TV ads aimed at trying to fix his image... Cuomo extended his already massive lead over Paterson in a potential primary next year for the state's top job. The poll found Cuomo would beat his fellow Democrat 75-16 in a hypothetical 2010 match-up, according to the statewide Siena Research Institute." more ›

First Norah Jones got criticized for a nouveau-Tuscany vibe in the kitchen of her new Cobble Hill home—now the songstress is moving right along with her renovation and allegedly sweet-talked the LPC into letting her have a little bit more light. Beautiful, warm, embracing light. Sounds innocent enough, but the NY Post reports that "neighbors don’t want a window into her soul — or home." more ›

While Attorney General Andrew Cuomo won't publicly discuss a potential run for governor next year, the NY Times reports that he's been thinking about the gubernatorial ticket for next year: He "and his advisers have been discussing potential candidates to run alongside him, to present the most appealing Democratic ticket to the electorate, people with knowledge of those discussions said." And one of those potential candidates is...City Comptroller Bill Thompson. more ›

If anything ever turns out getting built at the World Trade Center site, please let it be this. Next month, workers are planning to construct a Subway sandwich shop atop a crane at Ground Zero — newly dubbed Ground Hero by the Post — so that hardhats can enjoy their $5-footlongs without having to descend from the Freedom Tower. more ›

Daniel Goldstein — the city's most prominent Atlantic Yards opponent — was low-balled by the state with an eminent domain offer of just $510,000 for a three-bedroom Prospect Heights condo he purchased for $590,000 in 2003. It's also less than half what mega-developer Bruce Ratner offered Goldstein for the home, which, alongside Goldstein's lawsuits, stand in the way of $4.9 billion plan. Goldstein believes the state made such a low offer "to deter people from fighting like we have," but others say it's the real estate downturn, which has put the entire Atlantic Yards project on thin ice. In the coming days, the state's highest court is expected to rule on Goldstein's lawsuit alleging that the state is improperly using eminent domain to seize private property to benefit Ratner's company — not the public. [Via Brownstoner] more ›

Yesterday was about as pleasant a mid-November day as one could hope for in New York. The high temperature in Central Park was 66 degrees. The big weather difference between yesterday and today is the passage of a weak late-night cold front. With the lower humidity behind the front we'll have crystal clear skies and a breezy high around 60. more ›

Captain Chelsey Sullenberger, the Flight 1549 captain who safely landed a US Airways plane into the Hudson back in January, tells CityRoom that a book about the plane's landing "'greatly overstates how much it mattered' that the plane he landed in the river, an Airbus A320, featured an automated cockpit." William Langwische's Fly by Wire credits the engineers behind A320's automation, but Sullenberger points out both engines were knocked out, "There are some situations where the automation will protect a pilot, but at the same time a highly automated airplane makes possible other types of errors, so it’s a mixed blessing. And greater knowledge is required to fly a highly automated aircraft." more ›

One 12-year-old was recently the victim of some kite fighting leftovers. The "sport," made famous in The Kite Runner, is popular in Flushing Meadows Corona Park — and now the city is on the receiving end of a lawsuit over it. more ›

The cab driver seen on surveillance video getting pummeled on Halloween by two men costumed as Super Mario Brothers spoke out about his ordeal at a rally for taxi driver safety yesterday. Senegalese immigrant Ndiaye Serigne, 48, told reporters, "I was really scared....At the time, I really think I'm going to die." Serigne says he was driving four costumed men back to Staten Island around 4 a.m. on November 1st when one turned off the meter, reached into his pocket, and grabbed $210. "Now it's a free ride," the suspect said. more ›

Whether gay marriage manages to make it to a vote in the State Senate is another question entirely, but State Senator Thomas Duane thinks the Senate will vote yes on the matter. According to WNYC, the bill's supporters say that there are "secret yes votes...Duane, the bill’s chief sponsor, says he’s had the votes locked up all along. But Duane won’t release the names of those yes votes because, he says, when it comes to gay marriage, senators have to come out of the closet on their own." Of course, Duane isn't naming names, "I’m not releasing my vote count until we’re ready to vote. What people have told me, they’ve told me in confidence. It just wouldn’t be appropriate for me to share that." more ›

More details have emerged about the police shooting in Cypress Hills that left one dead early on Sunday morning. At around 3 am, two undercover cops responded to reports of a wild bar brawl — which apparently stemmed from a dispute about a spilled drink. When the plainclothes officers arrived at the Norwood Palace Sports Bar on Fulton Street, 19-year-old Donovan Wilson ran out of the venue and pointed a .25-caliber handgun at cops, the Daily News reports. The officers — who apparently were wearing their badges around their necks — fired at the teen, hitting him in the chest, elbow, and leg. Wilson survived, though according to the Post, he was shot a fourth time, perhaps before police arrived. more ›

Will pedicabs become extinct before carriage horses? At the end of last month there were reportedly only 25 of 1,000 pedicabs who became licensed under the city's new regulations. The NYCPOA declared this was untrue, and we've contacted them today to confirm the latest Post report, which says that number is up to only 321. Peter Meitzler from the organization told us that "the current number of plates issued so far to inspected pedicabs is 349 as of 9 this morning." more ›

Fox 5 is really sticking it to the taxpayer-funded Access-A-Ride system, exposing one NYPD Auxiliary Police sergeant's apparent abuse of the system, and busting a driver for flagrant on-the-job napping. The Access-A-Ride program, which is managed by NYC Transit, provides transportation for people with disabilities who can't take the subway or bus. Each trip ends up costing about $66 (most of which is covered by taxpayers) and this year the whole program is expected to cost $451 million—which makes this footage of a cop getting picked up by Access-A-Ride to go march in a parade even more galling! more ›

With the job market remaining stagnant, more unemployed New Yorkers are volunteering for jury duty. "People are calling up, saying, 'Look, I lost my job; now would be a good time for me to serve,'" Vincent Homenick, chief clerk of the jury division for Manhattan, told the Post. "Not that $40 will pay the bills, but it's something." The unemployed aren't the only New Yorkers eager to get into the courthouse — a group of seniors dubbed "junkies for justice" travel across the city to attend the most interesting trials. Legal enthusiasts like Benjamin Rosen, 95, would rather spend their days watching real life episodes of Matlock "than watching TV soaps or playing bridge," the paper notes. "There's tension in the air," said Rosen. "It's like seeing an action movie. I like to decipher what's lies and what's true. And the courtroom is very nice and air-conditioned in the summer." more ›

Some city landlords have begun prohibiting tenants from smoking inside their apartments, because of the dangers of second-hand smoke. A study recently found that secondhand smoke causes at least 35,000 deaths from heart disease and 3,000 deaths from lung cancer in nonsmokers nationwide each year—and New Yorkers are even more at risk because their dense urban environment. As one tobacco expert put it: "Smoke doesn’t know to stop at a doorway. It fills the full capacity of every indoor location in which the cigarette is smoked." So at least one major real estate company is now stepping in to stop the smoke before it starts. more ›

With growing outrage over the state's plan to charge all drivers $25 for new license plates—up from the current $15 and up from $5.50 in 2001—Governor David Paterson said yesterday, "If the Legislature works with me, prior to the release of the 2010-11 Executive Budget, to identify real, recurring savings that will replace the revenue that would be lost, I will eliminate the new license plate requirement." more ›

A mother of two was set on fire in the doorway of her Long Island City apartment yesterday morning by her estranged boyfriend and father of one of the children. Neighbors in the woman's Queensbridge Houses building say the woman had previously thrown the suspect, 25-year-old Kehman Clark, out of the home. He returned to visit yesterday morning, but stormed off after a domestic dispute, only to return with a can of gasoline. more ›

Metallica just finished up a two night run at Madison Square Garden, and at least one fan is likely still reeling from Sunday night's show. The NY Post reports that 33-year-old New York firefighter, Gerard Weihe, got ejected from the show by security guards (for standing on chairs and "making a racket"). After being tossed, he came back for an encore and kicked in a plate-glass window! So hardcore... and so arrested. more ›

Former New Jew Governor Jim McGreevy — who resigned from office in 2004 after a homosexual affair — is training to become an Episcopal priest. Take it away, New York Post: "'Gay American' Jim McGreevey is spending his Sunday mornings with a new man — Jesus." more ›

Jacksonville 24 Jets 22: The Jets rallied from an 11-point fourth quarter deficit only to see the Jaguars comeback and win the game. Trailing 21-10, New York kicked a field goal at the start of the fourth quarter and then the defense forced the Jaguars to go three and out. New York then launched a 16-play drive that culminated in a touchdown run by Thomas Jones to put them up 22-21. They went for two, but Braylon Edwards dropped the conversion attempt, a mistake that proved to be very costly. more ›

This afternoon, there was a water main break at Bleecker and Carmine Streets. As this photograph shows, it created a burbling, muddy-looking lake on the street. more ›

In an article that seems to blur the NY Times' own decency standards, the paper of record examines how the word "douche" has evolved from a personal hygiene product into a popular TV pejorative. We're not particularly concerned with the journalistic merits of the piece — we'll leave that to the seasoned Times critics over at nytpick who claim the paper shouldn't have gotten its numbers on TV vulgarity from a Conservative anti-cussing group. But we were shocked to see the paper print the word "douche" five times in a page-one piece, when just last week it censored the words "fat chick" in an article about an online alibi by indirectly quoting a Facebook status update. Not to say that the Times' much-ballyhooed decency standards are a good thing, but consistency certainly is. more ›

A Midtown family was held hostage by its pet cat until rescue workers were able to trap the feline yesterday afternoon. It all started at around 3 pm, when Carmen — a 16-pound Russian blue with diabetes and a thyroid condition — turned on her owners, Rosa Davila and her son Victor Marte, 27, the Post reports. more ›

When Isiah Thomas returned to the tri-state area, bringing his Florida International team to play NJ's Monmouth College, the home crowd decided to go nostalgic with their jeers. According to the Daily News, they yelled, "sexual harassment," "take Lunesta," "Anucha Sanders," and "Magic hates you." Thomas took it in stride, "I'm used to being in a hostile work environment as athlete and former Bad Boy, every place we went to was this kind of environment... It's all in good spirit and good fun, that's what being a fan is all about. ... I thought the students were well in line and in bounds with the chants that they were saying." more ›

Last weekend, NY Times reporter Ariel Kaminer wrote about her experience taking the Church of Scientology's personality test and almost managing to go a little deeper into the mysterious group. This weekend, the Post tries to up the ante by speaking with a former member: "MANDY MULLEN, 20, a shop assistant from Old Bridge, NJ, joined Scientology last year when the religion claimed it could fix her spinal disorder, Scoliosis. But, she tells The Post, it did nothing but destroy her finances and mess with her mind — forcing her to break free a few months ago..." more ›

From around the Gothamist network, Chicagoist occupied itself with Twillight and pillow fights, SFist wondered who paid for Gavin Newsom's life coach, LAist interviewed Obama campaign manager David Plouffe, and more... more ›

Here's some more bad news about the city's embattled carriage horse industry. The Post reveals that many carriage drivers are charging customers more than the city-sanctioned rates. This comes amidst a highly public fight over animal rights, the announcement that one of the city's few remaining stables will close, and a new proposal replace horse carriages with antique-looking cars. more ›

No one was expecting the Knicks to be good this year, but their 1-9 start has exceeded even the most pessimistic projections. They don’t play defense, allowing opponents to shoot 50.7% from the field and they don’t look like they are even trying for long stretches of the game. Yet somehow, Mike D’Antoni escapes criticism. more ›

Yesterday, the U.S. Marshals auctioned off the belongings of Bernard and Ruth Madoff—objects as fancy as diamond jewelry and as mundane as stationery—and raked in almost $1 million. Perhaps the most recognizable item for sale, a satin Mets jacket with "MADOFF" embroidered on the back (one of his clients/victims was Mets owner Fred Wilpon), sold for $14,500, well over its $500-720 estimate. more ›

Midtown merchants claim that bus companies that use curbside stops — like Megabus and Bolt Bus — are hurting business. With as many as eight coaches idling on West 33rd Street at one time, business owners say that the vehicles create a "wall of metal, glass and rubber" that makes it hard for pedestrians to see or visit the shops on the other side of the street, according to the Daily News. more ›

Former mayor Rudy Giuliani made the talk show rounds this morning to denounce the Obama administration's decision to try five accused 9/11 plotters—including mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed—in New York City's federal court. On Fox News Sunday, Giuliani said the White House was "repeating the mistake of history" and had reverted to a "pre-9/11 approach... What the Obama administration is telling us loud and clear is that both in substance and reality, the War on Terror from their point of view is over. [Mohammad] should be tried in a military tribunal. He is a war criminal. This is an act of war." more ›

Want to avoid costly fines from the city for renting out illegally subdivided apartments? It's easy — just don't open the door. In the aftermath of a fatal fire that killed three Bangladeshi immigrants in an illegal basement apartment without sufficient exits, the Daily News pulls up some damning figures on the city's inability to crack down on these surprisingly ubiquitous deathtraps. more ›

While minorities are the new majority in the City Council, the Daily News' Adam Lisberg believes Speaker Christine Quinn will keep her leadership position: "When Quinn gave her late and grudging endorsement to city Controller William Thompson's mayoral campaign, reporters went running to [Councilwoman Letitia] James for what was sure to be an incendiary quote - but heard her praise Quinn instead. 'An endorsement is an endorsement,' James said." Apparently James and other Council members realize they should "cut deals with Quinn, because the speaker isn't going anywhere" and the "members who had seen their names floated as potential speakers are now talking with Quinn about getting leadership roles or powerful committees." As for Charles Barron's shot at being speaker, it's suspected he'll just get one vote. more ›

A 43-year-old man died yesterday after Long Island cops shot him twice with a Taser. Officers used the weapon on Darryl Bain, 43, after he locked himself and his 78-year-old mother — who had a restraining order against him — in her Coram home. more ›

When firefighters arrived at an apartment on 138th Street on Aug. 18, they were expecting to find a broken water pipe — not a pregnant woman whose water had just broken. In a 911 dispatching gaffe, an operator classified a call about a woman going into labor as a water leak and sent out Ladder Co. 28 "armed with hooks, wrenches and flashlights but no medical gear," the Post reports. more ›

Earlier this morning, a shooting at the Norwood Palace Bar in Brooklyn has left one person dead and others injured. Around 3 a.m., patrons got into a huge fight and then, according to WCBS 2, "Two plain clothes officers with the anti-crime unit entered the bar in Cypress Hill, and that's when, police said, gunfire was exchanged." more ›

• Devils 5 Washington 2: New Jersey didn’t come to play, surrendering two goals in the first five minutes, but they stormed back to clinch their eight-straight win. Five different players scored while Martin Brodeur stopped the final 27 shots he faced.

Baseball season is done and over with, but Bronx residents are still waiting to go to the park. When the city approved the construction of the new Yankee Stadium, it allowed the ballclub to pave over 20.8 acres of parkland. In return, the city promised neighbors it would construct eight smaller greenspaces including public ballfields called Heritage Field as soon as the old Yankee Stadium was demolished. But "The House That Ruth Built" continues to stand, and Bronx residents still don't have much of that new parkland. more ›

Despite repeated requests for clemency, Oreo the dog — a pit bull who miraculously survived a six-story fall from Brooklyn's Red Hook Houses — was put to death yesterday. But the controversy surrounding the ASPCA's decision to euthanize the two-year-old pooch remains very much alive. more ›

The new Apple Store on Broadway and West 67th opened this morning, with a crowd of Apple enthusiasts as well as the curious queueing up down the block. The line moved pretty quickly, with visitors being welcomed by cheering Apple employees who also handed out t-shirts. more ›

Embattled newsman Dominic Carter choked his wife twice in a single night in 2003 until she almost passed out, according to newly unveiled police reports. Following the revelation last month of a pending domestic assault charge against the NY1 political commentator for striking his wife in 2008, both the Daily News and the Post report today on a six-year-old dispute in which the journalist allegedly strangled his spouse. more ›

A Staten Island teenager is in critical condition after she was run over in a chain reaction car crash in front of Tottenville High School yesterday. At around 11:30 am, a Nissan Maxima stopped to allow 17-year-old senior Janine Brawer to cross Luten Avenue. But as she crossed the street, a Saturn rear-ended the Nissan and pushed the car into the teen, pinning her beneath it. Rescue workers extracted Brawer — who suffered cardiac arrest during the collision — and transported her to Staten Island University Hospital, where she underwent surgery and remains in "grave condition," according to police. more ›

Cops and district attorneys have agreed on a new protocol allowing police to more quickly obtain warrants to draw blood from drivers who refuse to take breathalyzer tests. The new process should let police draw blood from suspected drunk drivers at least two hours faster than the current average of seven hours, the New York Times reports. more ›

Since turnout for last weekend's swine flu vaccine clinics for public school students was low, the Health Department decided to open up this weekend's clinics to other priority groups—pregnant women; anyone 4 years through 24 years of age; persons 25 through 64 with underlying health conditions that increases risk of severe illness or complications; anyone who lives with or cares for children less than 6 months old. And on the Upper East Side, at P.S. 290, the lines went for three blocks with at least a 90 minute wait. more ›

Now that Lou Dobbs is no longer a CNN anchor, his next career path might take him to...the Capital. According to the Post, "With the conservative Gov.-elect Chris Christie poised to take control in Trenton, many Jersey political watchers feel the timing could be right for Dobbs, a self-described 'Rockefeller Republican.'" Montclair State poli sci professor Brigid Harrison said, "This is something that has been talked about, particularly for 2012 against Senator [Robert] Menendez." Plus Dobbs has a profile to start with. However, Monmouth University's polling chief Patrick Murray warns that his views on immigration could be a turn-off, "One out of five New Jerseyans were born outside of this country. That's a lot of people." more ›

Mark Sanchez says the Jets are better than their 4-4 record, which "doesn’t show the type of players we have, the kind of people we have in this locker room and the kind of coaching we have.” Bill Parcells, who said, "You are what your record says you are," would beg to differ. That said, the Jets did outplay the Dolphins despite losing the game on special teams. They also need only a win and a Patriots loss in Indianapolis to play for first place in the AFC East when they visit Foxborough next week. The team may have lost the luster it had after a 3-0 start turned into a .500 record, but it isn't dead in the water yet. more ›

Today, Gaston & Sheehan Auctioneers are helping the U.S. Marshals sell of items belonging to Ponzi schemer Bernard Madoff and his wife Ruth. You can see the various lots here—there's couple's jewelry, clothing knickknacks, and whatever else the Marshals found in their three homes. In other words, it's slightly more high-end than the average yard sale. more ›

The Australian businessman suspected of attempting to rape a maid at the Standard Hotel claims the charges against him are made up. A lawyer representing 42-year-old Matthew Moorhouse denied allegations that his client forced himself upon a hotel staffer last Saturday as she tidied up his $400-per-night room. "There was no assaultive conduct — nothing that can be construed in that fashion," his lawyer, Joseph DeMatteo, told The Post. The suspect served four nights in jail before being released yesterday on $20,000 bail. According to the criminal complaint, Moorhouse asked the victim "Where are you from? How long have you been here?" before pushing her onto a bed, groping her, and shouting "Touch me!" Another hotel worker heard the victim's screams, and the woman was able to escape from the room and alert hotel security.
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A Brooklyn actor is suing Spike TV for labeling him as a drug dealer — not an actor playing one on TV — in its reality show "DEA." Iban Hernandez, 32, says he had to move his family to a safe place after receiving threats from Newark gang members who saw an episode of the drug enforcement-themed program in which he is depicted as a real-life gang informant, not a thespian playing a role in a reenactment. more ›

A gunman in a white Cadillac Escalade opened fire on a Clinton Hill bodega last night, striking a pregnant woman and two men who were standing inside. The perp began shooting at the DeKalb Gourmet Deli near the corner of DeKalb Avenue and Kent Avenue at around 7 pm, hitting a 15-year-old boy in the arm and torso, a 20-year-old man in the leg, and a pregnant 24-year-old in the upper thigh. more ›

The two Fashion Institute of Technology students who were busted last December for coke dealing (to undercover cops, no less) were given probation for their felony cocaine possession raps. However, Mackenzie Dippenworth was unhappy with being branded a felon, saying, "It's the ugliest, most disgusting word in the entire language," adding, "I look in here, and I don't see a felon. I don't. I see a girl who made a mistake." more ›

Geraldo Rivera—what a pal! The journalist was spotted by the Daily News visiting Bernard Kerik at the soon-to-be-sentenced former police commissioner's Franklin Lakes, NJ home. Rivera said, "Considering he's been hung out to dry by the justice system, I think he's doing remarkably well... He's a man of great integrity and courage and he'll get through it." He added, "I can tell you what I said. I said he was screwed." It's unclear if Rudy Giuliani has been to Kerik's home to see his (one-time?) BFF. more ›

After U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced that five of the plotters behind the September 11 attacks—including mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed—would be tried in federal court in lower Manhattan, the reaction has ranged from the outraged and upset to the relieved. Retired deputy fire chief Jim Riches, whose firefighter son while responding to the World Trade Center's fires, told the NY Times, "Let them come to New York. Let them get on trial. Let’s do it the right way, for all the world to see what they’re like. Let’s go. It’s been too long. Let’s get some justice." more ›

Yes, even this slightly blustery and drizzly weather, there are Apple loyalists patiently waiting for tomorrow's opening of the Upper West Side Apple Store. Sure, it's the fourth one in the city and, no, there isn't a new product. Just before 10 p.m., there were about six people waiting, with about 10 people asking them why they were waiting and other passers-by snickering. more ›

Another attempt to get New Yorkers across the Hudson! One company is claiming there's a "Mass Exodus to New Jersey Underway" in their new web ad. Headlines on their fake newspaper warn of tax increases in NYC, saying, "Your governor is trying to tell you something: Leave." But where should you go? A Jersey City residential and commercial development, of course — located on the same plot of land that, in the early 1980s, New York City officials described as a "toxic waste dump." [via CityRoom] more ›

Earlier this week Google Maps launched a flu shot finder at http://www.google.com/flushot. Google said it has "been working with HHS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state and local health agencies to gather information on flu vaccine locations across the country, particularly for the H1N1 flu vaccine (both the nasal-spray vaccine and the shot)." more ›

It was only last week that Yankees captain Derek Jeter was on the top of the world at the ticker tape parade celebrating the team's 27th—and his fifth—World Series win. But today the Post has him on its cover, looking pretty raggedy. Why? more ›

Earlier this year, a Queens home in the Floral Park section exploded, killing wife and mother of three Ghanwatti Boodram. Now the Daily News reports, "Con Edison workers stumbled and bumbled for more than an hour instead of evacuating a Queens house before it blew up in April, a new state report says." more ›

Ah, fresh meat! After pleading guilty to staging their ridiculous hoax involving their 6-year-old son Falcon and a runaway helium balloon, fame-hunters Richard and Mayumi Heene were granted permission by a Colorado judge to visit New York City. The purpose of their trip? An unspecified "employment opportunity." See? Exploiting your children and deceiving an entire nation pays! more ›

You think that salacious Calvin Klein billboard is distracting... how about this new, menacing digital billboard at the corner of Canal and Hudson? NYC the Blog has video of it in action, and declares it to be a "potential mental health hazard" for those living near by (let's not forget what that glowing Kenny Rogers Roasters sign did to Kramer). Then there's the whole problem of temporarily blinding those operating motor vehicles in a pedestrian-heavy city. more ›

The Manhattan District Attorney's office announced yesterday that 15 people were arrested on charges including grand larceny in connection with an identity-theft ring. Prosecutors say that the crime ring stole more than $700,000 in an overly elaborate and complicated scheme, involving (but not limited to): An old-timey band of pick-pockets, futuristic identity theft, and of course, costumes. more ›

A sad story appears to be coming to an even sadder end: Oreo, the pit bull mix who survived being thrown off the roof of a 6-story Brooklyn building, is being euthanized today. According to the NY Times, "Oreo was almost impossible to control once her injuries healed, [ASPCA President Ed Sayres] said. Other officials from the society said Oreo had shown extreme aggressiveness during several behavioral examinations: growling, lunging and trying to bite people who came too close." [Update below: Oreo was euthanized this afternoon.] more ›

Okay, so the International Speedway Corp.—which owns NASCAR—said they wouldn't pursue the building a raceway on Staten Island back in 2006—but they only sold their 676-acre parcel of land yesterday. The plot was bought by KB Marine for $80 million, and the ISC is happy with the deal, because it wanted to find a buyer that would redevelop the site for port activities, "KB Marine plans to do exactly that, which will benefit economic development and job creation in Staten Island, New York City and the region as a whole." The Birmingham News says it's good NASCAR won't be here: "NASCAR is like Pace picante sauce—not to be associated with New York City. " more ›

Teenagers: they ruin everything, especially when armed. Lots of people around Brooklyn loved the 40-cent Tuesday wing deal at Buffalo Wild Wings sports bar in Fort Greene—even Brooklyn Cyclones players were known to wing it there on Tuesdays. But now the restaurant has discontinued the promotion because of multiple shootings and a stabbing involving adolescents who descended upon the establishment Tuesday night. Thanks a lot, minors! more ›

A doctor based in Greenwich, Connecticut lost his New York medical license after admitting to using the wrong sperm to impregnate a woman who subsequently gave birth to twins. But Ben Ramaley is still permitted to practice gynecology and obstetrics in Connecticut, though perhaps not for much longer. After agreeing to pay a $10,000 fine to the couple and refrain from performing artificial inseminations, the case was sealed. But now Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal caught wind of it, and he's considering prosecuting Dr. Ramaley. more ›

Investment bank Goldman Sachs is being its own Scrooge this year: Apparently the bank, which is rolling in the dough AND saving kitties AND doing God's work, is not having a Christmas party this year, because of populist outrage. Also: "The investment bank is also prohibiting employees from funding their own parties, an insider at the firm told InvestmentNews." We suppose they'll just have "gatherings" to count their bonus money. more ›

For well over two years now, Bronx gym teacher and coach Dan Smith has been sidelined in one of the Department of Education's infamous "rubber rooms," thanks to an allegation of sexual misconduct in March 2007. But while other teachers (over 600 hundred of them!) use their rubber room time to play Sudoku and nap, Smith has been hatching a plan to get out. more ›

Today's weather is courtesy of a classic air battle. To the north is a high pressure system centered over New Brunswick. Off Cape Hatteras is a low pressure system that used to be hurricane Ida. In between is the Atlantic Coast from Maryland to Massachussetts where the fringes of ex-Ida are bashing into the calm Canadian. The pressure gradient between the two means the Jersey Shore is taking a pounding. Sustained, gale force, onshore winds are responsible for coastal flood warnings in New Jersey and coastal flood advisories for much of Long Island Sound and city's Atlantic beaches. more ›

Yesterday morning an amateur surfer died in the storm-fueled waves off the Rockaways. The NY Post reports that the 36-year-old male's leash became tangled to a jetty, where a wave had knocked him and his board — he then allegedly suffered a heart attack. Police say he was only a few feet off short when they found him at 9:25 a.m., and was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. WCBS reports that surfers have been attracted to the waves Hurricane Ida is sending, but one said of the novice: "It wasn't the right day to practice for him." more ›

The two state workers busted for turning a parking garage storage area into a makeshift drug-fueled rec room pleaded guilty yesterday. Gary Pivoda, 40, a former custodian for the state’s Office of General Service, and his supervisor, Louis Marciano, 50, both admitted to defrauding the government, and Pivoda also pleaded guilty to grand larceny. He'll do a year in prison for dealing drugs out of the so-called man cave, while Marciano got five years’ probation and has to perform 250 hours of community service. Both men must pay thousands of dollars restitution to the state for the time spent sleeping, playing board games, watching TV, and doing drugs while on the clock. more ›

Yesterday, the CDC said that about 3,900 Americans have died from the swine flu while 22 million had become sick from it in the past six months. The Washington Post reports that the new estimates are based on "detailed surveillance and record-checking in 10 states." Unlike the seasonal flu, in which 90% of the deaths are of people 65 and over (and many are very sick), for the swine flu, "The vast majority of deaths -- about 2,920 -- have been in people age 18 to 64." more ›

Even though there's a stall in the Superfund debate, the EPA is moving forward with their work surrounding the Gowanus Canal. The Daily News now reports that they're pointing fingers at four more alleged polluters, all of whom could eventually have to help pay for the cleanup of the Canal. And they are (drumroll please): the U.S. Navy, Con Edison, chemical maker Chemtura, and... the city of New York! more ›

After previously filing forfeiture action on 650 Fifth Avenue, claiming it was owned by a company laundering money for Iranian terrorists, federal prosecutors have move to seize the 36-floor skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan as well as properties in Queens—including a mosque— owned by the Alavi Foundation. Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said, "The Alavi Foundation has effectively been a front for the government of Iran." said Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, who sued to grab more than $500 million in assets. more ›

As if watching NFL football wasn't torture enough, a Bronx man claims he was literally tortured by his guests at his Super Bowl party last year. Michael Terry, 40, says he invited his drug-dealing neighbors over to watch the big game, but after the Giants defeated the Patriots, his guests overstayed their welcome, and used his apartment to sell drugs to other buyers. When he tried to throw them out, Terry says they handcuffed him to a chair and put him through hell. more ›

After their horrendous season, the Mets said they would cut ticket prices (with respect to the economy, not just their fans' suffering). The Post reports that the "the team promised ticket prices would drop by an average of 10 percent. But when season-ticket holders received their bills this week for 2010, many were incensed to discover the price cut was as little as a 1 percent." One fan, whose "Promenade Reserve Infield" tickets were $4,050 for two seats last season and are now $3,955," said, "Wow, what a discount." The Mets shrugged, "Obviously, the 'average' means there is some higher and some lower, but the average is 10 percent. We haven't heard outrage about this." more ›

Because kids respond to safety pitches only when there is an MC Skat Kat-esque mascot involved, the Department of Buildings is using "Safe-T Rider," the elevator safety cat (courtesy the Alabama-based Elevator Escalator Safety Foundation) to emphasize elevator—and escalator and moving walkway—safety to young New Yorkers during Elevator Safety Week! more ›

Yesterday, former governor Eliot Spitzer spoke at Harvard University's ethics center to discuss big business and government, much to the dismay of one of the madams he used for his dalliances with escorts. He mostly discussed the economic crisis, but he did answer a question about the prostitution scandal that brought down his poltiical career. According to the NY Times, a man "with a long gray ponytail sticking out of his baseball hat," began, "I may sound like a conspiracy theorist," and then asked if there were "'ulterior motives' behind the timing of the disclosure of the prostitution ring that he said was leaked to the news media." more ›

A motorcyclist caught driving with a suspended license at the Bronx-side entrance to the Throgs Neck Bridge decided to jump rather than face arrest yesterday. Rocky Sanchez, 43, has had his license suspended 17 times, and when MTA Bridges and Tunnels Officer Charles Luce pulled him over by the toll plaza, Sanchez wasn't about to go down without a fight. First he sped away from Luce, then abandoned his motorcycle, ran across six lanes of traffic, climbed over the wall and jumped about 30 feet! more ›

The United States will try September 11 attacks mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, as well as four other 9/11 terror plotters, in New York City. Federal sources say that U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder will make the announcement today; President Obama didn't confirm the details, but did say from Japan, "I am absolutely convinced that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed will be subjected to the most exacting demands of justice." more ›

With an "upper-level trough on top, a surface high pressure system on the bottom, and the remnants of Ida" in between, the weather was extremely blustery and rainy yesterday and is expected to continue today. 1010WINS reports that some southern NJ towns have declared state of emergency and "The Coast Guard halted the search for three missing New Jersey fishermen whose boat sank in rough seas Wednesday night." One surfer surveying the Jersey shore told WCBS 2, "As you can see behind me the ocean is pretty much one big rip current right now, just sucking out to sea. So anybody caught going out there right now is not gonna be too safe so I'd avoid all water contact." more ›

• Thrashers 5, Rangers 3: Henrik Lunqvist returned, but it wasn't enough for the Rangers, who lost without Chris Drury and Brandon Dubinsky. The former has a concussion and the latter has a broken hand. Not good. Artem Anisimov and Marian Gaborik helped erase two one-goal deficits, but the Rangers wilted after that. This was their first game back after a long road trip to Canada, and they've lost eight of 11 (with one shootout loss.)
• Devils 4, Penguins 1: That's nine straight road wins for the Devils, and that's one shy of the record to start the season. Niclas Bergfors had a goal and two assists. The Devils have now tied for the best record in the Eastern Conference. The Capitals also have 26 points. Zach Parise had a goal and Travis Zajac had three assists.
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The 22-year-old former ESPN production assistant whose affair with former Mets GM and baseball analyst Steve Phillips hit the front pages of the tabloids was on Good Morning America today. Brooke Hundley said, "I did things I regret, obviously. People make mistakes at 22. That's what I was trying not to do originally, was hurt anybody else or affect anybody else's lives negatively. But I did things and I thought about things just as an avenue to get people to pay attention, to start asking the right questions, to get me out of a bad situation." more ›

They finally did it; they finally killed those weird and almost iconic asphalt mounds in Washington Square Park, destroying them with the cool efficiency of a doctor lancing a boil. Which they most certainly were not—they were mysterious '70s-era tributes to the city's ever-imperiled idiosyncrasy. They'll be replaced with safety-first fake-turf clones, as part of the city's multi-million dollar renovation of the park. Curbed reports that the entire southwest quadrant is now "quiet as a crypt, the silence broken only by the scrounging of squirrels." Goodnight, sweet mounds, may flights of angels sing thee to thy rest! more ›

Naturally, not many people are happy with the state's decision to change license plates and charge $25 in the process. Governor Paterson said he'd nix the fee—if there was some other way to generate $129 million, "I'm optimistic I can find a way to replace the $129 million hole -- and I'll reconsider it. I'll go back and take a look at the license plates because it has upset so many people... What I would like is help figuring out how to replace it." So, we guess that the DMV's explanation that the license plates had to be changed for safety reasons is BS, then? more ›

When word got out that some kittens born at Goldman Sachs' Battery Park City headquarters were essentially abandoned by the firm—the bank allegedly reneged on earlier promises to have its employees adopt the kitties and pay for vet bills—the bank scrambled to set the story straight. A spokesperson said, "To be clear, we never abandoned the kittens. Every kitten has been adopted. The vet bills were requested several times and they were paid as soon as we received them," and said downtown newspaper The Downtown Express "reported the story inaccurately." So, Goldman Sachs—really rich but not kitten lovers-and-leavers. more ›

The father of a 14-year-old Connecticut girl filed a missing persons report with police after his daughter left the house Saturday morning and didn't come home that night. The unidentified girl wasn't answering her cellphone, but police were able to track her down using her the phone's signal, finally locating her Sunday afternoon in a room at the Belleclaire Hotel on the Upper West Side. Inside the room, police found condoms, a vibrator, and an 18-year-old Belgian man named Anthony Freson, who swears the girl told him she was 18 when they "met" in a Yahoo chat room in April. more ›

The mystery is being lifted little-by-little around James Jackson, whose tombstone was recently unearthed in Washington Square Park. In under a week it was theorized that Jackson resided at 19 East George Street (the former name of Market Street), and was a watchman and grocer. more ›

Yesterday, a truck hit a Chinatown business near the Manhattan Bridge—and it was the second time this year wireless store has been hit. The Post reports that a "runaway cement truck" which "apparently lost its [brakes] at about noon on Canal Street near the Manhattan Bridge, careen[ed] out of control along the busy street" and "sideswiped half a dozen cars -- including one filled with children -- and then crashed through the front of a wireless-phone store." (See this picture.) One witness said of the scared children, "They were very distraught. It was traumatic. The truck was bearing down on them. They were both crying." Ten people (no pedestrians) had minor injuries; no criminality was involved. more ›

If you spend enough time riding a bike around New York, you learn to steer clear of those insane Access-A-Ride drivers, who are employed by NYC Transit to provide transportation for people with disabilities who can't take the subway or bus. In our experience, Access-A-Ride drivers are maniacs, and in recent years, the drivers have been in some high-profile accidents, including a fatality and a hit-and-run. more ›

Yesterday, Mayor Bloomberg met with a number of Islamic leaders from around the city to discuss the Fort Hood shooting and the Muslim community. It turns out that one of the invitees was Brooklyn imam Siraj Wahhaj—who, the Daily News reports, "was named an unindicted co-conspirator in the [1993] World Trade Center bombing - meaning he was never charged but the feds believe he had some connection." An aide seemed to admit it was a mistake, saying, "If we were aware of his full background, it would have been done differently." more ›

The city bus driver who stuck and killed 22-year-old Seth Kahn last week... will be ticketed. The Daily News reports that Jeremy Philhower will only receive a summons for failing to yield to a pedestrian, which is a noncriminal violation. This means he'll pay up to $150 or spend 15 days in jail (the latter is an unlikely outcome). more ›

There were some initial reports of a parachuter who was at the Liberty State Park at Liberty Island, which piqued our curiosity. The U.S. Parks Police tells us that it wasn't a parachuter but a surfer with a parachute (kite-surfing!), trying to take advantage of today's blustery winds. Apparently the wind died down, so he lost control of the surfboard and ended up at the rocks near where the flags are at the park. The surfer is apparently doing fine and the Liberty State Park Police took over. more ›

For at least five years, popular stroller company Maclaren knew that children had been losing fingers in their stroller hinges, but the UK-based company did not inform the public or issue a recall until federal regulators all but forced it to do so. At least twelve children have had fingers cut off by Maclaren strollers, and earlier this week the company announced a "voluntary recall" of all their strollers sold since 1999. But the Consumer Products Safety Commission [CPSC] may still come down hard on the company. more ›

The Daily News reports on a disturbing CUNY report: "During their first math class at one of CUNY's four-year colleges, 90% of 200 students tested couldn't solve a simple algebra problem...Only a third could convert a fraction into a decimal. The lack of math skills means the CUNY students - nearly 70% of which come from city schools - could struggle to keep up with peers, fail classes or even drop out, the professors charged." City College Professor Stanley Ocken said, "These results are shocking. They show that a disturbing proportion of New York City high school graduates lack basic skills." more ›

The Colorado parents who apparently orchestrated a massive hoax involving a runaway helium balloon and their young son last month will plead guilty to charges, according to their lawyer. A statement from lawyer David Lane said, "Richard and Mayumi Heene will enter pleas of guilty in Larimer County Court.... Mayumi Heene will plead guilty to False Reporting to Authorities, a class 3 misdemeanor (the lowest level misdemeanor in Colorado law) with a stipulated sentence of probation. Richard Heene will plead guilty to Attempting to Influence a Public Servant, a class 4 felony. The prosecutor has stipulated to a sentence of probation." more ›

Ladies, as you may know, Alaskan meathead heartthrob Levi Johnston is in town, and will be disrobing somewhere in New York today or tomorrow for Playgirl magazine. Last night the hunky father of Sarah Palin's grandson surfaced at The Box to accept a Fleshbot award for crossing over from pop culture "star" to sex star. When a reporter told him that Palin had reportedly declined to "trash" him during a soon-to-air interview with Oprah Winfrey, Johnston remarked, "She's being smart. She knows what I got on her." Do tell!!! more ›

This is why we can't have nice things, or dogs in bars: An elderly Queens man says his sex life was ruined (and so was his knee) after he tripped over an "unleashed and unrestrained" dog in a Kew Gardens pub in April. Irving Grossman, 81, is suing Austin's Steak and Ale House, which is popular with gamblers because it has its own Off-Track Betting window. That's exactly where Grossman was headed on that fateful spring day when his luck took a turn for the worse. more ›

Another powder freakout, though this one is very tame: According to 1010WINS, a NJ Transit train that left NYC at 7:01 a.m. for Long Branch was stopped when a suspicious powder was found on the floor around 7:41 a.m. "Police say a suspicious substance found on an NJ Transit train was Ultra Slim-Fast. Spokesman Dan Stessel says the diet supplement was found on the floor of the sixth car of Train 3221... Stessel says about 200 passengers were transferred to the next train. The spokesman says no one complained of any health problems." It was taken seriously by authorities—check out the hazmat suit! more ›

Thousands of people gathered along Fifth Avenue for the 90th annual Veterans Day Parade. The Daily News reports it was the largest turnout for the parade in years; a 64-year-old Vietnam vet from Queens said, "I'm sure it means a lot to the troops to see this turnout. I think people are finally realizing they have an obligation to come out and support the troops." more ›

A Bensonhurst man was arrested on Wednesday for selling a dark green liquid mixture of alcohol and marijuana. Yes, liquid marijuana! It's news to us, and Capt. Gerard Dowling of the Manhattan South narcotics division says "it has not been seen around here before." The suspect, 32-year-old Anthony Briordy, told cops a four-ounce dose of it was stronger than one "marijuana cigarette," as the Times daintily puts it. more ›

It's unclear what, if anything, this has to do with rescuing the princess, but the Super Mario Bros. roughed up a cab driver on Staten Island on Halloween. They were caught on video by a gas station surveillance camera, and the whole thing would be a lot more amusing—the Post calls it a "joystick-up"—if these bastards weren't actually, you know, beating somebody up. (Or if the driver was dressed like a turtle.) more ›

Today is the 8th anniversary of Flight 587, the American Airlines flight that crashed into Belle Harbor, Queens in 2001. The flight had taken off from JFK Airport, on its way to the Dominican Republic; turbulent air led the co-pilot to use the rudder to keep the plane up, but the rudder broke off. All 260 people on board—251 passengers and 9 crew members—were killed, as were five people on the ground. There is a memorial service, with Mayor Bloomberg speaking, this morning. more ›

Today, former governor Eliot Spitzer will be at Harvard, speaking at the Edmond J. Safra Foundation Center for Ethics, discussing, "What Should Be the Rationale for Government Participation in the Market?" But given Spitzer's past, from Troopergate to Hookergate, one person is very upset—a madam who had Spitzer as a client. In a letter to Professor Lawrence Lessig, Kristin Davis wrote, "For nearly 5 years, I supplied Mr. Spitzer with high priced escorts while he was both Attorney General and Governor. For this crime, I served four months on Rikers Island, had all of my assets confiscated and am now considered a sex offender on 5 years probation. Mr. Spitzer broke both state and federal laws and walked away free." more ›

CNN anchor Lou Dobbs resigned last night, telling the audience, "Over the past six months it’s become increasingly clear that strong winds of change have begun buffeting this country and affecting all of us, and some leaders in media, politics and business have been urging me to go beyond the role here at CNN and to engage in constructive problem solving as well as to contribute positively to the great understanding of the issues of our day. And to continue to do so in the most honest and direct language possible...." more ›

The Health Department's first weekend of H1N1 vaccine clinics weren't very well attended, prompting officials to open up the clinics—originally just for students—to people in other priority groups on Sunday. This weekend, the Health Department will continue its program offering the free vaccine in the five boroughs to people in these groups: Pregnant women; Anyone 4 years through 24 years of age; Persons 25 through 64 years of age who have underlying health conditions that increases risk of severe illness or complications* ; and anyone who lives with or cares for children less than 6 months old. more ›

A tourist injured herself yesterday when she fell eight feet into an "amphibious assault vehicle" on display aboard the USS New York. The woman was visiting the newly commissioned warship — which is forged out of steel salvaged from the remains of the World Trade Center — when she tumbled into a smaller vessel like those "that carried soldiers before they stormed the beaches of Normandy during World War II," the Post reports. The victim was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where she is in stable condition. The naval ship will leave its dock at Pier 88 tomorrow and sail to Atlantic Fleet headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, where it will begin active duty, according to the boat's website. more ›

The story of the 13-year-old who jumped to his death from his Mosholu Parkway apartment building keeps getting more tragic. The Bronx teen's mother — who was cooking dinner for her son when he took his own life — saw him take his fatal leap, the Daily News reports. more ›

Following a local's video footage of unsafe work going down at the spot that used to house St. Saviour's Church (it was relocated to another space), the Daily News takes a look at the mess in Maspeth. A chain link fence and partial stop work order have appeased the situation for now, but what's in store for the future? more ›

Imagine if the most important sentence you ever wrote was a Facebook status update that goes something like this: "ON THE PHONE WITH THIS FAT CHICK......WHERER MY IHOP." Now you know how it feels to be 19-year-old Rodney Bradford, who used that all-caps message to keep himself out of prison. more ›

Aggravating—the State Legislature failed to pass the bill that would make it a felony for drunk drivers to have passengers under 16. The Observer reports, "[State Senator Charles] Fuschillo and State Senator Martin Malave Dilan are standing by a bill that would make it a felony to drive with a B.A.C. of over .08 with a child in the car. A spokesman for Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said yesterday that chamber would consider (and most certainly pass) a bill where felony penalties kicked in at a BAC of .18, and kept a misdemeanor charge for anyone blowing .08 to .18." Though there was allegedly a deal, the Senate then walked away from the deal and apparently couldn't pass the original bill (felony at .08) because Paterson had to send the bill down... so now it's stalled. more ›

With the latest proof that sometimes poverty can't even pry the Gingerbread Lattes out of peoples hands, it seems that many victims of the economy are just now learning the severity of 10.2% unemployment, as they're beginning to reach the bottom of their severance packages. How did they learn? Well, it turns out that spending as much money as you did when you had a job just doesn't work the same way when you don't have one. more ›

The public will no longer be able to visit the Mayor's Office of Film, Theater and Broadcasting to parse through a weekly stack of film shoot permits. Instead, those interested in leafing through the pile of city paperwork (i.e. the paparazzi) will be forced to file for the data under the Freedom of Information Law. more ›

A week after Mayor Bloomberg's narrower-than-expected victory, Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Brooklyn/Queens) has come out of the woodwork claiming that he could have defeated the incumbent. The Congressman — who abandoned his short-lived Mayoral campaign in May — claims that in order to win, Bloomberg would have needed to spend at least $150 million (about $50 million more than the Mayor's record-breaking campaign expenditures). more ›

In the market for an arch? Who isn't. And now the historic Seaman-Drake arch at 5035 Broadway in Inwood is for rent. The Manhattan Times reports that the marble arch has been partially buried behind storefronts, but it was once the gateway to a hilltop estate owned by the well-to-do Seaman then Drake families in the 19th Century. The Inwood Journal provides some more history: more ›

How come Times Square gets all of the perks? First it got all of those free chairs, then it got free bathrooms, now it gets free WiFi! From now through next year, Yahoo will provide free wireless internet service to those who visit the pedestrian island on Broadway between 43rd and 44th streets. Passersby who aren't carrying their computers can even borrow laptops on a first-come, first-served basis, according to the Daily News. Two years ago, CBS launched a similar promotion in a wider swath of Midtown — minus the free computers.
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On today's Oprah, the talk show host's interview with the Connecticut chimp mauling victim will be aired. Oprah Winfrey spoke to Charla Nash, whose eyelids, nose, lips and hands were torn off by her friend and employer's 200-pound chimp, at the Cleveland Clinic yesterday; it was Nash's 56th birthday. Winfrey said of their exchange, "I will have to say I've never seen anything quite like what's happened to her, and also never felt a spirit like that that has such resolve to get better and such a sense of resilience. It really made me think that I'll never complain about another thing ever again." more ›

When news broke Monday that popular stroller company Maclaren would recall all the strollers they've sold since 1999, the eyes of the world turned to Park Slope. Would there be panic in the streets, stroller bonfires, and children reduced to walking? Naturally the Times was on the scene (the paper's Metro editor Joe Sexton is a life-long Park Sloper, which some say results in myopic Slope-centric news coverage) and found "a palpable sense of anxiety." more ›

The clouds may be gloomy but kinky weather pr0n fans should take cheer, there's a twisted meteorological three-way going on outside. An upper-level trough on top, a surface high pressure system on the bottom, and the remnants of Ida trying to wedge itself between the two will determine the weather for the rest of the week. The trough is providing the energy to make the atmosphere unstable, Ida's leftovers are providing the moisture and the high pressure will mostly prevent anything from happening. more ›

The AP reports that Bronx resident Florian Penev was arrested by Connecticut police who say he "offered strangers paid sex with his wife in an Internet ad has been fined $2,000... Norwalk police say they arrested Penev and his wife, 36-year-old Zdravka Zotkova, in June after officers responded to their Craigslist ad, which offered sex with Zotkova at a Norwalk hotel." Penev pleaded guilty to misdemeanor prostitution conspiracy charge and paid a fine, while his wife "was allowed into a court program that will result in prostitution charges against her being dismissed if she completes it." And why was Penev advertising his wife? He said he lost his job as a graphic designer. more ›

The Bloomberg administration will spend $95.7 million in taxpayer money to purchase 6.9 acres of land in the Coney Island amusement district from millionaire developer Joe Sitt. The deal, which will be officially announced tomorrow, marks the end of a long stalemate between the city and Sitt, who is widely reviled in Coney Island for buying up property, evicting longtime tenants, and letting prime real estate remain vacate as way of essentially blackmailing the city into meeting his demands. Sitt had originally proposed a $1.5 billion Las Vegas style resort, with condos and shopping, but the Bloomberg administration had plans of their own. more ›

An Australian businessman was arrested at The Standard Hotel Saturday after allegedly trying to rape a chambermaid. The unidentified 28-year-old woman claims the assault occurred after she began cleaning Matthew Moorhouse's $400-a-night room at 4:25 p.m. "He just asked me, 'Where are you from? How long have you been here?'" Then Moorhouse, 42, allegedly asked her if she had a boyfriend. When she said no, "He asked me, 'Do you think I'm handsome?' He went to hug me. And then he pushed me onto the bed." more ›

The NYC Transit bus driver who struck and killed 22-year-old Seth Kahn last week is probably regretting some previous Facebook status updates. Following the accident last Wednesday, it came out that Jeremy Philhower had been suspended previously for texting and updating his Facebook while on the job. more ›

After pushing through an electricity rate hike earlier this year, now Con Ed is setting its sights on gas customers. The Post reports the utility "is seeking to raise the price of gas for residents by 6 percent a year for three years, saying skyrocketing costs have left the utility in the hole, according to recently filed documents In the filings with the state Public Service Commission, Con Ed says it must make up for a shortfall of more than $160 million and is seeking permission from the board to raise residential gas prices 6 percent annually beginning in October 2010." FWIW, Con Ed reported that its 3Q profits rose 85% earlier this month. more ›

The State Senate failed to vote on a measure legalizing same-sex marriage yesterday, but after a two hour closed door meeting with Democratic Conference Leader John Sampson, Senate President Malcolm Smith, and bill sponsor Thomas Duane, Governor Paterson finally emerged to tell reporters that an up-or-down vote on same-sex marriage will be held "at a date not certain between now and the end of the year." Earlier, when pressed about the bill's chances in the Senate, Paterson said, "I can't explain the dynamic of the Senate, because nobody can." more ›

Two shootings and a stabbing in Fort Greene yesterday "were the result" of a cheap chicken wing event at a nearby eatery, according to the commanding officer of Brooklyn's 88 Precinct. High school students from across the borough flocked to a 40-cent wing promotion at Buffalo Wild Wings on Atlantic Avenue — then things got dicey. Here's how NYPD Captain Anthony Tasso described the crimes to the Times blog The Local: more ›

The Observer has compiled a list to compile a masthead for the New Yorker's massive staff, though noting, "Keep in mind that because of the unique, internal logic of the magazine, job titles are a strange thing—someone who may be a staff writer may have only contributed a single piece in the last few years." Gawker did some counting: "Total Number of 'Critics': 11; Total Number of Staff Writers: 66(!); Total Number of 'Editors' of One Sort or Another: 31..." The New Yorker has been generally exempt from Conde Nast's cost-cutting. more ›

Disgraced former NYPD Commissioner Bernard Kerik was released from jail last night on $1.5 million bond and placed under house arrest as he awaits his February sentencing on various federal crimes. For the next few months, Kerik must wear an electronic monitoring bracelet and is not allowed to set foot outside his $2.5 million home in Franklin Lakes, N.J., except to visit lawyers, his church, and a hospital emergency room, if necessary. He's also allowed to meet with accountants fixing his fraudulent tax returns, but yesterday a judge denied Kerik's request to walk his children to school, telling him, "This is not home confinement with morning strolls and afternoon strolls." more ›

The Columbia University professor suspected of punching a female colleague in the face in an argument over "white privilege" has been banned for life from the bar where the fight occurred. The Post reports that Lionel McIntyre, the 59-year-old associate architecture professor implicated in the racially-heated fight on Friday, will not be allowed to return to the Broadway bar Toast, where he was once a regular. The scuffle left Camille Davis, a production manager in Columbia's theater department, "with bruising and redness in the right eye," police reports indicated. more ›

Two graffiti taggers who have been leaving their mark all over Brooklyn Heights have been caught by the coppers. The Brooklyn Paper reports that “Rex” and “Guder” have been hitting the area for months, with one local saying it "makes you feel like your neighborhood hasn’t been maintained, like back in the 1970s.” Fear not graf-phobes, earlier this week "Officer Freddy Ahmetaj of the 84th Precinct collared the painters outside a building on Henry Street at Clark Street." more ›

The Long Island woman suspected of forcing her children to help kill 20 dogs and bury them in her backyard lost custody of her kids yesterday. A family court judge ordered that Sharon McDonough's children be turned over to foster care or to the suspect's 21-year-old son, Douglas McDonough, who first alerted the anti-animal-abuse TV show "Rescue Ink" of the "concentration camp" for animals. more ›

In the courtroom, Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy is all about the First Amendment, but freedom of speech flies out the window when a high school newspaper wants to write about him. On October 28th, Kennedy gave a talk at the fancy Upper East Side Dalton School, and naturally the school's paper, The Daltonian, sent a reporter to cover the event. But Kennedy's handlers insisted on approving the article before it was published, and the article didn't make it into that week's edition, forcing The Daltonian to print an embarrassing editor's note: "We are not able to cover the recent visit by a Supreme Court justice due to numerous publication constraints." (Luckily for them, they weren't scooped by their competitors at Loyola's paper, The Blazer!) more ›

Even though Bernard Madoff's Montauk home went for above its asking price, the U.S. Marshals decided to lower the price of the Ponzi schemer's Manhattan penthouse by $1 million to $8.9 million. The U.S. Marshals said, "Based on the current market and out of the better interests for the sale of the property, it was reduced," and Bloomberg News notes it had been on the market for 59 days. The home is a duplex on East 64th Street and neighbors include Matt Lauer—maybe some Wall Street bonus baby will want to trade up to a den of infamy! more ›

Perhaps nostalgic for the license plates of yore as well as being desperate for revenue, NY State rolled out a new license plate redesign that will be required for pretty much all vehicles, new and old, starting next year. The "Empire Gold" license plate, in gold with dark blue lettering, will replace the current white plate with the Niagara falls and city skyline elements and the cost will be another $25 for registration renewals and new registrations. Plus, if you want to your current letter and number license combination, that'll be another $20! more ›