News

Today the NY Post profiled two teachers who educated their students in carnal knowledge, and paid for it. Well, sort of. One—former high school chem teacher Lindsay Dunaj—locked lips with a student in front of seniors and staffers on a prom booze cruise. Another, suspended Queens teacher Alan Rosenfeld, made lewd comments to eight-graders and “stared at their butts.” Yucky. And he still collects his salary! more ›

A Bronx man who filed a lawsuit demanding clarification of the mysterious circumstances of his dog’s death at an ASPCA hospital received word recently that employees saw a vet kicking and punching his pet Rottweiler before it died. The bereaved owner, 58-year-old Rafael Lopez, began sobbing when he learned of the allegations against the doctor, John Morehead. "They are more [like] animals than the animals in there," he said of the ASPCA. more ›

The heroic mom who tossed her two children out the window rather than let them perish in the flames, was one of the five fatalities of a three-alarm fire in Brooklyn yesterday. Fire officials are now saying the blaze—which also hospitalized 13 firefighters—could be a case of arson. The two-month old girl who was thrown by her mother from a third-floor window fractured her skull, but is expected to survive. Her brother escaped from the fire unscathed. more ›

The Yankees signed Randy Winn this week, a move that put an end to Johnny Damon’s career in pinstripes. Hopefully it doesn't mean Damon will leave New York, because he would be a perfect fit for the other club in town — the Mets. more ›

Brooklyn’s newest invasive species carries with it a unique threat: unlike bedbugs Pentatomoidae don’t bite and don’t carry a health risk, but they do stink! Commonly referred to as stink bugs, they smell a bit like rotting or sweaty feet, if you will. In your tub-in-the-kitchen studio, maybe that’s worse. more ›

Karen Schmeer, the longtime Errol Morris editor who was hit and killed Friday night by a frenzied getaway driver, has been called “one of the greatest editors of her generation.” The industry professional, who edited "The Fog of War" and many other documentaries, was crossing W. 90th Street yesterday when she was struck down by a car fleeing from the police. Its driver and passengers had just robbed over-the-counter allergy medicine from a local CVS, and fled on foot from the scene of the accident with cops giving chase. more ›

Last week we told you about NY's filthiest hotel, Times Square's New York Inn. Based on user-reviews from TripAdvisor.com, it was ranked sixth skeeziest guest house in the nation and our city’s very worst. The Post took us on a tour of the rickety old building, some highlights—which you can see after the break—include “stained sheets, a mysterious blood stain, a dangerous looking radiator, holes in the bedspread, a shower curtain suspended by twine and a general appalling level of filth in the bathroom.” more ›

Sources are divulging that at a private Saturday night meeting, a majority of upstate Democratic leaders voiced support for Attorney General Andrew Cuomo as the party’s nominee for governor, and some even called for Gov. Paterson to drop out of the race. According to one report, 15 of the 17 Dems present said they either supported Cuomo outright, or will support him when he officially declares his candidacy. "It's not working. Paterson's a decent man, but there's a question as to whether the leadership qualities are there," one attendee, Vincent Monte, chairman of the Rockland County Democratic Committee, told the Times Union. "With Cuomo, there's no question. I'm very supportive of his candidacy." more ›

The NYPD has suspended the highway patrolman whose idling vehicle was stolen yesterday morning while he sat in a Bronx diner. Officer Nelson Robles stepped into the breakfast joint at 7 am, and just two minutes later his car went screeching from the lot, with Anibal Lugo—a batty local—behind the wheel. Both men now face the consequences of their brainless acts. more ›

A rotten first period and the Rangers down by three goals. A silent second period seemed to spell their doom. But Marian Gaborik and Sean Avery scored two minutes, eight seconds apart in the third period to give the Rangers life. Alas, the third goal was never found. The Rangers have now lost five straight games, and the eight goals from their last win are three more than they've had during their losing streak. more ›

From stroller recalls to toxic baby bling, it’s been a bad few months for children’s products—that’s why Toys “R” Us wants to give back. From now until February 20 the mega-retailer for all things kiddy is holding a massive trade-in event for those many items that may have proved hazardous to your child’s health. NY1 reported that during this year’s “Great Trade-In” event customers are urged to hand over their strollers, cribs and other baby items in exchange for a 25 percent discount (personally I would ask for a full refund). Eddie Bauer, Evenflo, Graco and Jeep have all volunteered to take part in the promotion, but do they have a choice, really? more ›

[UPDATE BELOW] "From shoplifting to murder. How stupid is that?" said one witness of a fatal collision between a getaway car and woman carrying groceries across West 90th Street. Three thieves had just taken packages of allergy medication from an Upper West Side drug store and were being followed by police, when they made a U-turn straight into the 39-year-old victim. Witnesses told the press that the sound of the crash was deafening, and that food items and milk covered the hood of the car. more ›

More proof that NY is just as seen on Seinfeld: Residents of an Upper West Side co-op fought to get a chair for their trusted but tired doorman, and after three months they finally won! The saga began last year when members of the board at 650 West End Avenue got rid of the building’s desk and chair while it was remodeling. It reasoned that the doorman would be quicker and more alert from a standing post, but after months watching him suffer upright, residents protested. "We believe that it is inhumane to require that our doormen must stand during an eight-hour shift without a break," they wrote in a petition. "We do not feel that they would slack off or do their jobs less efficiently." The board acted quickly, saying the doorman didn’t have to stand—however it was too stingy to actually offer him a seat. Funds have yet to be allocated for the purchase of a new stool, reported the NY Post. more ›

An unapologetic prankster heisted a cop car that was left running and unattended outside a greasy spoon in Morris Park early this morning. The officer didn’t even have time to order his breakfast before realizing the highway patrol vehicle was gone, and with it his loaded rifle. "All of a sudden I see a cop come out of the restaurant running. He was going crazy," said Sammy Obaid, an employee at a deli across the street from the Lydig Coffee House. "He was on the phone, making calls. He was freaked out." more ›

Yesterday's new statewide crackdown on cell phone use among taxi drivers had city cabs very very quiet. The expensive new penalty for use of a mobile phone (even with a hands-free attachment) or other personal electronic gadget including a gaming device and music player is $200. Most weren’t willing to risk it; by Friday afternoon traffic cops had dispensed just 13 summonses and passengers were pleased about the quiet new riding environment. But city cabbies were saying it was a bad call. more ›

What with being slammed as racist and losing funding for 16 fire houses the FDNY is having a tough year so far and street alarm boxes are next up on the chopping block. Bloomberg’s rationale? "In the days where everybody has cell phones ... the city would be just as safe without them." The mayor might have a point: 85 percent of the time people use the street boxes to make prank calls and out of 26,666 structural fires last year, only 140 were reported from the phones, reported the Daily News. Getting rid of them would also save the department $2.5 million (still only half of what Anderson Cooper’s historic fire house cost). Other cities like Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Chicago have already trashed their boxes, so what’s stopping New York? Before eradicating the outdated system it will have to come up with a new way for the deaf to quickly contact authorities. more ›

We knew Jon Corzine was being immature and plain-old mean when he attacked opponent Chris Christie’s weight last year, but new research shows the jab was bad politics too. According to another “no fair” new study voters prefer their male politicians tubby, though they like their female ones slender. Results showed voters think heavy men are more reliable and sometimes more inspiring than their skinny counterparts. more ›

An out-of-control fire at a Bensonhurst apartment building killed five, and caused a mother to throw two children out a window early this morning. "It was not a normal fire," said FDNY Deputy Assistant Chief John Sudnik. According to the Daily News the blaze, that firefighters battled for over three hours, started at a first-floor restaurant, though the exact cause is unknown. more ›

Back in December the Department of Health issued an alert regarding rabid raccoons taking over Central Park. Their warning stemmed from having serious intel on at least three rabid raccoons in the area. They warned New Yorkers to stay away from any raccoons, skunks, bats, stray dogs and cats—because the rabies could be spreading and we'd pretty much be looking at an I Am Legend scale outbreak if it crossed over to humans. (The last human case of rabies in the city was back in 1953.) more ›

After dispensing high marks to 97 percent of the city’s elementary schools last year, the Department of Education is determined to be a tougher grader. It’s instating a new cut-throat system in which schools will be ranked against one another, and no good grades will be given for “effort”: only 25 percent of schools will get A’s, 30 percent B’s, 30 percent C’s, 10 percent D’s, and the bottom 5 percent of schools will get F’s. Like any grading curve, this one is already being called unfair and is sure to be unpopular, but will it slim down the previous bloated system or just confuse it? more ›

Distressed Haitian immigrants will be able to get help at a resource center that's opening up on Monday. Gov. Paterson and Mayor Bloomberg have designated the National Guard Armory in Crown Heights as the go-to location for Haitians living in New York City. The "epicenter of New York's Haiti relief effort" will provide earthquake-related grief counseling and assist Haitian immigrants in applying for temporary protective status to allow their stay in the states. Located on 1579 Bedford Ave., The center will be open from 10am to 8pm on weekdays and from 10 a,m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays starting next week. more ›

It's Census time, and come March, the US Postal Service will flood the streets with all the tools you need to get your census on before Census Day on April 1st (April fools!?). Those poor souls who forget, refuse, or are unable to fill out the proper forms will then have to answer to the army of enumerators who will go door to door kicking ass, and taking names. Mostly taking names though. And this time around, the Census Bureau is looking at you, Canarsie. more ›

An Obama official confirmed rumors yesterday that the administration is dropping Manhattan as the trial site for alleged terrorists who helped plan 9/11. The wind-down began earlier this week when Mayor Bloomberg started whining about the cost of the trials, while simultaneously announcing massive cuts to the city’s budget including to its jobs sector. The trials—which he once hailed as a powerful symbol for New Yorkers—would cost $1 billion, more than the cash-strapped city can afford. Soon, community boards, downtown residents and Gov. Paterson all withdrew support, and now Obama lackeys say he’s “considering other options.” more ›

Earlier this week Natavia Lowery's trial began—the former personal assistant of Linda Stein was charged with second-degree murder after her boss was found dead in her Upper East Side apartment in 2007. more ›

Devils 5 Toronto 4 (OT): New Jersey took a 3-1 lead midway through the second period, but Toronto battled back. Colton Orr (can you believe that Rangers’ fans?) started the comeback and Matt Stajan tied things up with under two minutes left. But, New Jersey took adavantage of a power play in overtime and Travis Zajac put home the game-winner more ›

[UPDATE BELOW] On Monday Bucky Turco at Animal New York published this photo he took at La Guardia airport, showing a Transportation Security Administration agent apparently napping. Now the unidentified worker is under investigation and has been reassigned to desk duty. High-five? A TSA spokesman tells the AP she may have been on break, but whatever, we certainly wouldn't want her sharp and well-rested while on the job, and the rules require her to rest in the designated TSA break room. Turco acknowledged that, "to be fair," she may have been on break, but he still got an earful from one Animal New York commenter: more ›

A sad day for energy companies and minor league ball clubs alike: the Brooklyn Cyclones ballpark lost its name today. The Cyclones and National Grid, the company who has sponsored the fledgling ballpark for the past decade, ended their naming-rights agreement. The 7,500-seat Coney Island home of the Mets minor league affiliate will go without a name for the time being, until a new partner can be found. As the national economy has tanked, so too has the stadium-naming economy. According to Robert Boland, an NYU sports professor, part of the problem now is that the naming rights are worth around $100,000, and the Cyclones are "probably selling it for $750,000.” Hopefully the Cyclones will be able to find some silver lining out of this. more ›

Gov. Paterson's plan to balance the budget by allowing no-holds-barred cage fighting is surprisingly unpopular with voters, according to a recent study. A new Marist poll indicates that 68 percent of voters oppose the plan to legalize ultimate fighting, which Paterson believes will bring in an estimated $2.1 million in tax revenue. more ›

The 19-year-old driver who hit and killed a 47-year-old man at a Staten Island bus stop pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide and will serve a maximum of six months in jail. Joseph Catrama admitted he ran a red light and was speeding when he turned from Seaview Avenue onto Capodanno Boulevard last February, lost control of his 2008 Hyundai Sonata, and pinned Nathan Pakow between the car's bumper and metal post displaying bus route information. According to the Advance, Catrama will be stripped of his drivers license and will face a minimum of five years probation. "This plea guarantees that the defendant is held accountable for his actions and avoids the uncertainty of a jury trial," said a spokesman for the Staten Island District Attorney's Office. more ›

Attorney General and likely gubernatorial candidate Andrew Cuomo has been netting huge contributions from major real estate interests — a group that some allege Cuomo's office has been hesitant to prosecute. Over the past three years, Cuomo has bolstered his substantial warchest by $18 million with money from land holders and developers including Stuyvesant Town defaulters Tishman Speyer, Atlantic Yards planner Bruce Ratner, and embattled builder Shaya Boymelgreen. But some say he's been less than responsive when faced with complaints against real estate interests. more ›

If Gov. Paterson's proposed budget is approved and Mayor Bloomberg is unable to negotiate pay concessions from the teachers' union, city educators may face significant layoffs for the first time since 1976. About 11,000 of the city's 79,000 teachers might be fired, and others might be shuffled around the city to different schools, the Mayor said. more ›

Even though he hasn't officially declared his Senate candidacy yet, Harold Ford has been on a very strange charm offensive the past couple weeks, with a bonanza of increasingly weird insults and interviews alike. Following "his handlers" trading jabs with potential rival Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Ford sat down with the Post's own Woodward-in-residence Cindy Adams for a brief chat in a Brooklyn coffeehouse, in which the "New Yorker at heart" told her "New York is a city of transients," and described some of he and his wife's favorite haunts: "And we both love our neighborhood. Places like Rosa Mexicana, Starbucks, BLT Fish or, after church, First Presbyterian on 12th and Fifth, it's Big Daddy's on Park and 20th. They do great fried chicken." Jeez, I wonder if he travels to Starbucks via helicopter too. more ›

Ever since the Metropolitan Transportation Authority installed new tracks on the elevated portion of the D train line in Bensonhurst, neighbors have been complaining of loud grinding noises and a constant rumbling sound that has hurt businesses and allegedly caused hearing loss. "I've been here 30 years. It used to be noisy, but livable. Now, it's killing me," said Hilna Motors owner Louis Gellman, whose auto repair shop is beneath the D train at 86th St. and Stillwell Ave. "I can't even talk to people outside. I have to bring my customers into my office." more ›

James O’Keefe, the twenty-something conservative gadfly, has issued a statement explaining why he, with three others, were arrested for posing as telephone workers in Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu's office on Monday. O'Keefe, who got famous after he punk'd some workers at community organizing group ACORN last September, says that contrary to "the false claims being repeated by much of the mainstream media," they were not trying to bug Landrieu's phones. Oh no, they were just trying to verify why her "constituents were having trouble getting through to her office." While O'Keefe admits he could have "used a different approach," he expects the media to apologize "for their journalistic malpractice" at once! In the meantime, he's charged with "entering a federal property on false pretenses with the purpose of committing a felony," which is how latte-swilling Obama elites treat Real Americans who are only trying to help. more ›

You can take the orgy out of the Calvin Klein billboard, but you'll still be left with a one-man sex show. The latest image in the company's rotating ad space above Houston Street is pictured above, and Copyranter reports back saying, "His name is David Agbodji, and he's part of the new Calvin Klein Spring/Summer 2010 Collection ad campaign... I'm thinking five-story Mr Agbodji is going to light up the switchboard!" But this man is neither under-aged nor involved in an orgy with anyone under-aged... so maybe the downtown prudes will give it a pass? more ›

Around 2 a.m. Wednesday, one Joseph Boyd, 46, sat down across from an unidentified teenager on the No. 2 train, exposed himself, and commenced masturbating, cops say. The gender of his 19-year-old witness hasn't been disclosed, but this person was uncomfortable with Boyd's indiscreet onanism, and voiced an objection. According to one account, Boyd fired back with the riposte, "I'm doing my business, you do yours!" Lazy kids. How would they like it if Boyd showed up at whatever fast food chain they work at and barked orders at them? The situation escalated when the pair exited the train at the Flatbush Avenue station, and Boyd allegedly threatened the teen with a pocketknife. But there happened to be a cop nearby, and he was swiftly arrested on charges of public lewdness and menacing. At press time, it was unclear whether his business was ever taken care. more ›

One Park Slope family is fretting after losing one of their chickens. According to the Brooklyn Paper, Rebecca Lax and her two daughters just procured two of the feathered friends to provide them with fresh eggs from their backyard on 6th Avenue and 1st Street—but upon getting them home, one flew the coop! more ›

Investigators have been searching for 7-year-old Patrick Alford since he vanished from foster care in East New York last Friday, and they think his mother knows where he is. So a judge ordered that 23-year-old Jennifer Rodriguez be detained at Rikers Island on contempt charges until the boy turns up. "I have the authority to hold her pending compliance with the court's order," said Staten Island Family Court Judge Terrence McElrath. "Did she comply with order to produce the child? No." more ›

Investigators have found "credible evidence" that a 14-year-old boy was the victim of "sexual abuse, sodomy, assault and violence" committed by an employee and another patient at a state-run psychiatric hospital. "He was being threatened [by his attackers] not to say anything and finally he couldn't take it anymore," said a lawyer representing the teen's mother, who intends to file a $20 million lawsuit against the state today, according to the Daily News. The teen—who is no longer a patient at the Bronx Children's Psychiatric Center—was admitted to the facility in June by his mother and reported the attacks in August. NY1 reports he has since been "transferred to a different location." more ›

In two caverns 150 feet deep below Grand Central Terminal, work is underway on a project to connect the Long Island Rail Road to Grand Central Terminal. Contractors are removing enough dirt to fill 13,000 Olympic-sized pools, to make room for platforms and tracks underneath the lower level of Grand Central. And a new LIRR concourse is being built under Metro-North Railroad's upper level, which will provide commuters with 91,000 square feet of public space, including shops and pathways to Grand Central, the subway system and the street above. It's a big, difficult job, as the MTA explains: more ›

Hold on to your hat! Better yet, wrap it in a scarf or two. Yesterday's Arctic front abruptly ended the two-week long warm spell. The temperature dropped ten degrees between six and eight Thursday evening. Cold air is still pouring into town today. Today's high will only reach 25 degrees and the gusty winds will make it feel like the single digits through at least tomorrow morning. more ›

The husband of a Queens woman who was killed and mutilated said police didn't do enough to protect his wife from a stalker who had harassed her for years. "Whatever happened before the murder, they could have handled better," said Yung Wei Guo, whose wife, Qian Wu, was found Tuesday stabbed, bludgeoned, and missing her heart and lungs. Police have arrested Huang Chen, who reportedly started threatening and intimidating Wu after he tried to find work through her employment agency, and after she turned down his romantic advances. more ›

The League of Humane Voters of New York City, who have long been lobbying to ban carriage horses from Central Park, has just suffered a bit of an upset. The animal-rights group has just been handed a $104,290 fine for not filing lobbying reports with the city clerk. more ›

Ladies, pay no attention to this unflattering mugshot. (The lighting makes his neck look fat!) 57-year-old Solomon Nasser is quite the catch: He is a multi-millionaire with a private jet, he graduated with a PhD from MIT at age 22, he was a former CIA agent and advisor to President Bush, as well as a Navy admiral and an inventor with 80 patents. And look at that lush head of hair! Some lucky young lady's going to snatch him up any second unless you act now and help him out of his messy divorce. He just needs $125,000 or so. Any takers? more ›

Shocking. Con Ed reportedly charges the highest residential rates of any major utility in the 48 contiguous states. The only people who pay more live in Alaska, Hawaii, Fishers and Block Islands. more ›

Finally, disgraced former governor Eliot Spitzer has responded to allegations that he kept his socks on during sex with prostitute Ashley Dupre. In a series of video interviews with Big Think, the Luv Gov opined on the financial crisis, politics, and the meaning of true love. Yes, really. "It's one of these feelings that you sense when you meet somebody and there is a response that is different and is unique and is palpable," Spitzer declared. "And it then changes over time." It also changes over scandal, like when your wife finds out you've been cheating with prostitutes and then you lose your high-profile job. Anyway, consider this Spitzer's Valentine's Day gift to you: more ›

The robber who killed a 71-year-old man in an Upper East Side jewelry heist stole so many valuables that investigators believe he threw away a Fabergé-style egg during his escape. According to law enforcement sources, the gunman who shot Henry Menahem in the R.S. Durant shop on Madison Avenue on Wednesday grabbed more than 700 items worth nearly $1 million, then dumped the decorative egg, valued at between $100 to $1,000, in a bag next to a trash can at the northwest corner of Lexington Avenue and 73rd Street. more ›

Well there's good news... and there's heart-wrenchingly awful news. WABC reports that Saturday night two 6-week-old puppies journeyed from Mexico City to New York City inside a cargo bay on an aircraft bound for JFK. But during their flight the temperature dropped and when they landed, Customs and Border Protection officers received a call saying they appeared to be dead. more ›

Oh, look who BLINKED! [UPDATE BELOW: Or did he?!] If we learned one lesson from Sarah Palin and George W. Bush, it's that a leader must never blink and must keep his or her eyes permanently unmoistened, using those Clockwork Orange eyelid clamps if necessary, while blundering forth on whatever path was haphazardly decided upon, no matter how catastrophic or costly things get. Today both tabloids run identical cover story headlines—BAM BLINKS—as news breaks that the White House has instructed the Justice Department to consider other places to try the 9/11 terror suspects. more ›

For the second time this month, video has surfaced showing NYPD officers beating men who appear to be prone and defenseless. Last week two officers were suspended after a witness came forward with video showing them beating a handcuffed man, and now a surveillance video shows three cops punching and kicking a man during an arrest in Bed-Stuy on New Year's Day. The most violent part is probably seen at the 44 second mark: more ›

After hearing that 6-year-old Jasmina Anema had succumbed to her leukemia weeks after they met, President Obama took time to extend his condolences to her family yesterday. In a statement, he said Jasmina "showed tremendous bravery in the face of adversity, and her ability to stay positive throughout her battle was an inspiration to me and to all those she touched." more ›

A 16-point lead in the first quarter didn't help the Knicks. Toronto, led by free-agent-to-be Chris Bosh and his 27 points, came back to win. David Lee, fresh off his All-Star snub, had 29 points and 18 rebounds. Danilo Gallinari had 18 and Al Harrington had 20, but he also committed an offensive foul on the last possession. The Knicks have lost seven of their last 10. more ›

AT&T has realized that the first step towards recovery is admitting it has a problem. The phone giant has confessed that its New York City iPhone service is not up to par, according to a presentation slide published on Tom's Guide noting that the company's 3G Voice Composite Quality in the New York metro area—particularly in Manhattan—is below its performance objective. more ›

The Obama administration will not support funding a 9/11 health bill intended to pay for medical treatment for those who have become sick in the aftermath of the attack. The news apparently came as a surprise to New York Democrats, who learned Thursday that the President won't back the bill, which would dole out $11 billion over 30 years to care for the people who have gotten ill after working at Ground Zero, and compensate families for their losses, the Daily News reports. more ›

Attempted murder suspect Aafia Siddiqui spoke in her own defense today — and this time she wasn't thrown out of court. Though her attorneys have argued the outburst-prone Pakistani neuroscientist suffers from "diminished capacity," exhibits "conduct [that] cannot be contained" and would use her time on the stand to "turn the proceeding into a spectacle," the judge allowed her to take the stand in a hearing to determine if certain evidence will be admissible in court, and if she is fit to testify in front of jurors. more ›

In a stunning reversal, New York City has lost its claim to the title of #1 filthiest hotel in America (based on TripAdvisor traveler reviews). Last year Hotel Carter in Times Square placed #1, with an unstoppable combination of rats, mice, horrible smells, dirty sheets, horrifying bathrooms, outlets that hang out of walls, and a dead body under a bed. more ›

Get your minds in the gutter, New York. Upper Green Side points out the problem of waste water and storm runoff in our surrounding waterways, noting that our "century old sewer system combines the rainwater that runs off paved surfaces such as roadways and sidewalks with the same pipes that carry our sewage." And when our treatment plants get overloaded, the excess spills from the pipes into our waterways. According to Solar One, this happens regularly year-round, and "negatively impacts the water quality of our harbor, compromises ecosystems, and limits healthy human use of the estuary." more ›

Under Mayor Bloomberg's proposed budget, 20 fire companies would close, 834 city workers would lose their jobs, and thousands wouldn't get raises. The Mayor's budget calls for shutting down four more firehouses than he requested to close last year (City Council rescued them last year) and firing 299 libraries employees, 186 workers at cultural institutions, and 141 Health Department staffers. Police, firefighters, sanitation workers or corrections department workers would be spared from layoffs. more ›

A transgender New Yorker has filed a $10 million lawsuit against former NFL cornerback Eric Green, accusing him of sexual assault in early 2009. According to the lawsuit, Green met Angelina Mavilia, 38, in a casino in Phoenix when Green was still on the Arizona Cardinals. Green allegedly took Mavilia back to his condo and forcibly sodomized her, then told her, "This never happened. You'd better not tell." Mavilia is also suing NYC over a separate incident that occurred after she was arrested for trespassing in a Manhattan housing complex on Oct. 30, 2008. more ›

New Yorkers love their Yorkies—according to the American Kennel Club, they're the most popular pure breed in the city, for a second year in a row. (Certainly Schmitty has something to do with this.) A spokeswoman for AKC says of the small dogs, "It just reinforces the fact that New Yorkers live a busy, fast-paced lifestyle and need their portable pooches." A breeder of the pups told the Daily News: "They are certainly good city dogs, and sometimes they can be better watchdogs than much bigger breeds." more ›

Prosecutors may drop the most serious charge against a Harlem man who admitted to killing a motivational speaker in his car last July. Ex-con Kenneth Minor has claimed all along that he stabbed Jeffrey Locker to death only because Locker requested the service. The motive first sounded ludicrous, but one source in the DA's office tells the Post "it makes sense now" because "[Locker] was deeply in debt. The guy had bought like $18 million worth of life insurance. He was researching Jewish funerals and cemeteries." According to Minor, Locker drove to East Harlem and approached Minor at random, saying, "I want to do a Kevorkian." Minor's account of the actual deed is chilling: more ›

Despite their best efforts, a coalition of homeless people and community activists failed to arrest Atlantic Yards developer Bruce Ratner. Though the man behind the $4.9 billion plan to move one of the worst teams in NBA history to Brooklyn isn't facing an indictment and there are no warrants out for his arrest, the demonstrators planned to lock him up over allegations of bribery at a widely publicized rally they held in front of his Downtown Brooklyn building. more ›

All has been quiet on the James Madison High School front since three teachers were put in the rubber room last year for various sex scandals... until now. The Brooklyn school that the press has endearingly dubbed "Horndog High" is back in the spotlight after 37-year-old gym teacher Lisa Guttilla felt up a 14-year-old female student. more ›

Media mogul Rupert Murdoch, who owns both the NY Post and the Wall Street Journal, has been been put in the humiliating position of asking for a favor from his competitors. The Journal has been getting ready to launch a new edition in April, with an NYC metro section intended as a tough competitor to the Times. Meanwhile, Murdoch’s News Corporation is upgrading the Post’s printing plant in the South Bronx so that it can print the Journal and the Post. But there have been major delays on that, and now Murdoch needs to outsource some of The Post’s printing, so he's been reduced to begging his enemies for help. We do believe a HA-HA is in order. more ›

Gov. Paterson has added his name to the growing list of New Yorkers who oppose President Obama's plan to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other suspected 9/11 plotters in a Lower Manhattan courthouse. "What we really might think about are some suitable alternatives that would fall within the court's jurisdiction but for the public at large would be a better place to hold the actual trial," he said. more ›

M2 Ultra Lounge may not get a second chance from the DOH. After yesterday's tribunal hearing, the city is vowing to close at least one of the five clubs brought forth to defend themselves for violating the Smoke-Free-Air Act. Lawyer Thomas Merrill told the Daily News "We made it clear we will go forward and we are not interested in making a deal." Though all five clubs are in danger of getting their licenses revoked, M2 is apparently the worst violator. more ›

The era of cabbies loudly yammering on their cell phones should officially end tomorrow, with the enforcement of the TLC's new penalties beginning for any driver caught using electronic devices. Any driver not legally parked and found using any electronic device—iPods, cellphones, satellite radios and GPS devices—will be fined $200 and be sent to a "rules refresher" course. A second infraction means a suspended license, and a third gets it revoked. So what will this mean for passengers? more ›

Remember Kisha Jones — the Brooklyn wife accused of trying to kill her husband's out-of-wedlock baby by tricking the mother into taking an abortion-inducing medicine then attempting to poison the infant with tainted breast milk? Prosecutors now allege that after the baby's birth, she posed as a hospital administrator in an unsuccessful attempt to have the infant taken off its respirator! more ›

A Queens man is accused of ripping out a woman's heart and lungs after she turned down his romantic advances and didn't find him a job, according to investigators. After harassing 46-year-old victim Qian Wu for years, 47-year-old suspect Huang Chen is accused of bludgeoning and stabbing her to death and removing her organs, which have not been recovered. more ›

Yesterday we received this photo from a concerned reader who told us: "Saw some Amtrak workers checking out the mess under the Hell Gate bridge.. not sure the bridge is going to make it through the day!" But as it turns out, the workers were simply fixing the leak that caused the bridge to be built in the first place! more ›

Free Williamsburg found this YouTube video taken by a UFO enthusiast, supposedly from his back yard in Williamsburg. Does it show an alien ship with pretty changing colors, or is this how a star looks when a stoned scenester messes with the auto-focus? It's difficult to tell from this vantage point whether the alien star people will kill the hipsters or merely enslave them, but one thing is certain: there is no stopping them. And we here at Gothamist would like to welcome our new alien overlords, and remind them that we can be helpful in rounding up others to work in their underground ironic T-shirt factories. more ›

New York City's own Jasmina Anema, the 6-year-old who bravely fought her leukemia and got thousands to donate bone marrow, died last night at NYU's Langone Medical Center. She was admitted Monday after her mother noticed a fever and shortness of breath—at that point she was diagnosed with pneumonia and the Daily News reports her condition quickly deteriorated. more ›

An outraged group of Wall Street brokers are finally fed up with feeling the government's oppressive boot on their necks, and they're getting organized to fight for their rights. Yesterday over two dozen brokers and traders held a rally to announce their new organization, Restore Wall Street, which is devoted to "bringing the pride back into Wall Street." You've got it all, Wall! Can a Fun Run be far behind? The rally/publicity stunt was held during lunch on the 23rd floor of 14 Wall Street, because, as one executive simply put it, "It’s cold out." more ›

More details have emerged about the Upper East Side jewelry store robbery that left a 71-year-old man dead. The gunman entered the R. S. Durant shop on Madison Avenue at around 12:20 pm yesterday, tossed canvas bags at victim Henry Menahem and another 49-year-old worker, and told the employees to stuff the bags with jewelry. When both workers refused, the perp popped the magazine out of his 9-milimeter semiautomatic pistol and showed them that the weapon was loaded, the Times reports. "You think I'm kidding? This is real," he said, according to NYPD spokesman Paul Browne. more ›

Six members of the Sigma Gamma Rho sorority at Rutgers have been arrested on charges of aggravated hazing. One unidentified woman tells the Star-Ledger she was struck 201 times with a wooden paddle during pledge week, and "on the eighth day—unable to sit, her buttocks covered with blood clots and welts—she went to the hospital." The woman says, "They told us there was no hazing, that they didn’t believe in it." But then the paddles came out, each one a foot long and six inches wide. Police say at least three women reported injuries and bleeding, but one pledge puts the number at seven. In response, Rutgers immediately suspended Sigma Gamma Rho, an African-American sorority founded in 1922. more ›

Howard Zinn, an author, teacher and political activist whose book A People’s History of the United States taught millions of teenagers how to infuriate their parents during dinner, died yesterday of a heart attack in in Santa Monica, Calif, where he was traveling. Zinn was born in NYC in 1922; the son of Jewish immigrants, he was educated in public schools and worked at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. After serving as a bombardier in WWII, Zinn attended NYU on the GI Bill while working in warehouses, then earned doctoral degrees in history from Columbia, going on to be a political science professor at Boston University. In the '70s, university president John Silber accused Zinn of arson (later retracting the charge) and cited him as a prime example of teachers "who poison the well of academe." more ›

Last night, President Obama zeroed in on the country's economic recovery while speaking to Congress and the nation in his first State of the Union address. He touted what the Recovery Act had done—tax cuts for "for 95 percent of working families.. for small businesses...for first-time homebuyers..."—but acknowledged, "I realize that for every success story, there are other stories, of men and women who wake up with the anguish of not knowing where their next paycheck will come from; who send out resumes week after week and hear nothing in response.  That is why jobs must be our number-one focus in 2010... I want a jobs bill on my desk without delay." more ›

This win could be huge if the Nets plan on avoiding the record for fewest wins in a season. (That's nine, by the 1972-73 76ers.) Win No. 4 came in a rout against the Clippers, who, despite a sorry history, are only five games under .500 in the tougher Western Conference. Kris Humphires had 25 points off the bench, Brook Lopez had 19 points and nine rebounds. This win is even more impressive because it came without Devin Harris, who was out with an injured wrist. more ›

Today's afternoon linkage: the John Edwards and wife get separated, Saved By The Bell reveals its horrible dirty secrets, Ugly Betty got cancelled, and a grifter got caught. Plus more! more ›

With cuts for 16 fire houses, the mayor's budget is expected to leave many firefighters out in the cold—but newsman Anderson Cooper is just moving in. The NY Post reported that Cooper will soon take up residence in the century-old Greenwich Village fire house he purchased in September. With the help of conversion architect Cary Tamarkin, the globe-trotting CNN anchor will have the place homey in no time, though he plans to keep its brass poles and historic facade. No projections have been made of how much the residential conversion will cost, but the building's original price tag was $4.3 million. Now how many actual fire houses could that fund? more ›

A man hired to prevent looters from ransacking Shea Stadium while it was being demolished has pleaded guilty to looting the ballpark. So long as he pays $842.50 in restitution, Gerald Tacopino, 44, will only be fined $500 for heisting memorabilia from the stadium that he was supposed to protect as a security guard, according to 1010WINS. Investigators recovered Mets security jackets, shirts, and seat bottoms and backs from his Brooklyn apartment. He was also ordered to stay away from the Mets new stadium, Citi Field, for one year. In 2008, two men were arrested when they tried to steal a seat from Shea Stadium on opening day. more ›

Today prosecutors called officer Noel Jugraj to testify in the trial of three other NYPD officers accused of participating in or covering up the sodomy of a Brooklyn man in the Prospect Park subway station in October 2008. Jugraj is not charged in the case, but he is the partner of one of the accused cops, Officer Alex Cruz. It's unclear if his testimony will help the prosecution much, because Jugraj claims he did not see his colleagues pull down Michael Mineo’s pants or sodomize him with a retractable police baton during his arrest. He also thinks that when Mineo screamed that cops violated him, he didn't mean physically. more ›

Months after an anonymous pamphleteer tossed hundreds of copies of an anti-Obama poem from the top of a Downtown Brooklyn building, someone has reportedly thrown copies of the same obscene verse from the top of a building near the corner of 68th Street and Broadway. A Gothamist tipster writes: more ›

A Queens resident was arrested today in connection with the killing of his neighbor who had tried unsuccessfully to help him find employment. The victim, Qian Wu, 46, ran an employment agency with her husband, and was found stabbed to death Tuesday in her apartment on 40th Road in Flushing, after a neighbor reported that blood had flowed under her door into the hallway. She had sought nine orders of protection against Huang Chen, 47, the most recent one filed last Friday. (Chen had previously served 30 days in prison in 2006 for assaulting the woman.) Police found him at New York Hospital Queens with blood on his shoes, and otherwise clean clothing. They questioned him, and later spotted him on a security tape leaving the apartment building soon after the crime with a bag. When they recovered the bag from a nearby park, it contained a knife, hammer and bloody clothes. more ›

Asylum released these fun new pie charts today showing how depressing local news is in America. Conclusion? It's all pretty damn depressing. Their misery index separates the news into ten categories, then ranks them in order from heartbreaking (accidents) to harmless (weather and travel.) Based on how much airtime each category was given, they calculated who wins for the most depressing city. The amount of coverage dedicated to sports at the expense of other news is in itself depressing. But how did we score? more ›

Today during Natavia Lowery's trial, the defense showed a video that the NY Post says "bags" her as the killer of Linda Stein. In it, she passes through the lobby of her boss's apartment several times on the day of her murder. She's holding a red bag with something heavy in it, and a green bag belonging to Stein. more ›

In his latest bust of online foul play, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has issued subpoenas to Pizza Hut, Orbitz, Barns & Noble and other big online retailers that give sketchy discount clubs easy access to their customers' billing info. Three marketing companies pay for space on the sites, and then trick visitors into sharing their stored credit card information through a single mouse click. "We want it stopped. We believe it is a classic consumer fraud,'' said Cuomo. Over the course of a decade Affinion, Vertue and Webroyalty have taken $1.4 billion from customers, and reports show they knew full well what they were doing. more ›

Has the Age of the Hipster come to an end? And if so, will "helpster" be the next word that everyone calls other people, but no one uses to describe themselves? That's the question raised in this New York Press article, which details the rise of "helpsters" — socially conscious cool kids who have stopped acting like "disaffected aesthetes with nihilistic tendencies" and started becoming "motivated and committed Samaritans." more ›

Mayor Bloomberg spoke out today against having the upcoming terror trials in NYC, although he seems more concerned about the expense than the safety issues. “It would be great if the federal government could find a site that didn’t cost a billion dollars, which using downtown will,” Bloomberg told reporters. The Mayor said he'd be "very happy" if they could find another location for the trials, and joins an increasing number of people against having the trials here. Previously, the Mayor had been in support of the trials, and even called the trials proximity to the WTC "fitting." more ›

Last night ABC News and Nightline delved into the dark world of "tail docking"—which is the practice of cutting off dairy cows' tails. The disturbing and unnecessary procedure is happening in our own backyard, and the program featured undercover footage of New York State’s largest dairy farm and a major supplier of milk to NYC. more ›

An ex-con charged with brutally murdering and robbing a Long Island life coach is using a fictitious sounding "assisted suicide" defense—the strangest part is he may be telling the truth. "This man came to Harlem looking for a person to take him out. This man was asking everyone in Harlem to kill him," the defendant's sister told the Daily News last year. Now, as the court finds more and more evidence to support the unlikely story, charges against Kenneth Minor may be downgraded. more ›

Staten Island may be known best known for its guido culture, but the Staten Island Advance reports today on a little something that may just help shed that stigma: a gallery of adorable images of a seal basking in the sun! They say that every day this seal "can be found enjoying the early morning sunlight in Annadale," spotted most mornings on a rock in the waters off Lipsett Avenue (unlike other locals who can be found at Hollywood Tans). One woman delcares: "I've never seen anything like that on Staten Island." more ›

Greenwich Village's financially ailing hospital has a potential buyer, but West Side politicians are calling the proposed deal "unacceptable." A takeover by Continuum Health Partners would mean a significant scaling down of St. Vincent's facilities, especially its ER, and would turn the city's last Catholic general hospital into a meager outpatient facility. Depending on how Continuum was able to re-structure St. Vincent's giant debt—estimated at $700 million—it might even opt to sell the valuable property instead of taking on its thousands of patients. more ›

Another explosion allegedly happened in Brooklyn last night—at Metrotech around 6:30 p.m. to be exact. Word is a transformer blew up, at which point one young lady started filming the aftermath—watch the series of events, fully narrated, go down on YouTube. At around 12 seconds in this video there seems to be another little burst: more ›

Cameron Douglas, the 31-year-old son of actor Michael, is a big time crystal meth dealer—just last year being busted with half a pound of the stuff at the Gansevoort Hotel (where he was living on his father's tab). Originally placed under house arrest, he was brought behind bars once his girlfriend Kelly Sott was caught smuggling heroin to his home in an electric toothbrush. Now the actor/deejay is readying for his sentencing on April 27th—the NY Post reports he faces a minimum 10 years behind bars. Is life imitating art for Michael Douglas? Can he expect to find bunnies boiling in his brownstone next? more ›

The FBI has gone after school pals of alleged terrorist bomber Najibullah Zazi, and today sources revealed they have his uncle too. They arrested Naqib Jaji secretly on a single felony charge (the exact nature of the crime remains undisclosed) and arraigned him in Brooklyn two weeks ago, reported the NY Post. Jaji—Zazi's uncle by marriage—gave the accused Qaeda plotter a warm bed and hot meals when he first moved from Queens to Denver and later said it was "impossible" his nephew was a terrorist. But Jaji maligned his house guest too: “He’s very greedy,” he told the Denver Post back in September when the case was just getting underway. “He lived with me for six months and never gave me a penny.” more ›

Poster Boy, real name Henry Matyjewicz, is up to his old tricks again. According to the NY Post, while he has been making good on his community service after pleading guilty to defacing subway ads—he's started up at his old tricks again! more ›

A gunman shot the owner of a Madison Avenue jewelry store in the chest during a brazen robbery this afternoon. The perp fired at the victim at around 12:25 pm before fleeing the R.S. Durant shop, which is on Madison Avenue between East 75th and 76th streets. The Times reports that it's unclear what, if anything was taken, though the police scanner indicates the "PERP FLED WITH 80% OF THE MERCHANDISE" and MyFoxNY notes the crook escaped with "a significant amount of jewelry." The victim was taken to Lenox Hill Hospital, where he is reportedly in serious condition. Police called for a high-level mobilization to track down the suspect, who "is described as a black male, 5'10" tall and wearing a black wool hat." more ›

The increasingly bizarre and still unofficial race between Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and former Tennessee lawmaker Harold Ford Jr. just keeps getting stranger. After Ford escalated his attacks against the appointed Senator by calling her a "parakeet," Gillibrand called up the Post to rant about her possible rival. "I really don't know who Harold Ford thinks I am but I'm not gonna be pushed aside [by] his banker buddies," she said in what the tabloid described as an "unsolicited phone call." She added: "Him calling me names doesn't hurt me but it affects New York because it distracts from issues." more ›

New York City's transformation from affluent global capital to agrarian provincial backwater continues apace: Now people are packing into the subway with their barnyard animals. Last night blogger "Kylie" was riding the 6 train with a chicken and the man (Borat?) who loves it. Oh, horse apples, the guy's even wearing an MTA shirt! Good thing there weren't any hamsters on board, or things really would have gotten crazy. Kylie tells us: more ›

A Queens priest is under federal investigation for viewing child pornography on the Internet. Monsignor Michael Dempsey, 77, of Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church in Forest Hills was placed on administrative leave, barred from publicly acting as a priest, and asked to leave his on-site residence, where he has lived since 1961, according to the Post. Dempsey served as the executive director of pastoral communications from 1978 until his retired last year. This is the second time in recent years that Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Church has been hit with a sex scandal; in 2003, a priest was accused of fondling an altar boy in the priest's residence in the 1980's. more ›

After weeks of speculation, rumor and innuendo, Steve Jobs introduced the newest product in the Apple line this afternoon: the iPad. The new tablet-like hand held portable device was designed to bridge the gap between a laptop and smartphone. “That’s a tall order — better than a laptop at browsing the web? Enjoying and sharing photos, videos, enjoying music, playing games, reading e-books,” said Steve Jobs at the unveiling. The anorexically thin notepad has a large touch screen that is manipulated with your fingers. Engadget and gdgt live are liveblogging the gadget's debut. This thing better be a hit, because Jobs stayed up all night building it!
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A 35-year-old man was killed by a No. 5 train just before 10 a.m. this morning, according to City Room. The victim was pinned between the train and the tracks at Brooklyn's Atlantic Avenue station, where police say there was no evidence of foul play. EMS was called, and power was cut to the tracks but by the time the man could be transported to Brooklyn Hospital Center, he was already in grave condition. Doctors pronounced him dead on arrival. more ›

NY traffic casualties are down to their lowest since 1910, but watch out if you drive a Toyota (or are walking near one). Sticky gas pedals are causing the cars to speed out of control—now, after two recalls in the past two months the car company says it will stop making and selling eight models including favorites like the Camry and Corolla. The world's top automaker will temporarily halt operations at five plants "to assess and coordinate activities." Meanwhile, there are 2.3 million vehicles that need to be recalled. Toyota's vice-president called the action "necessary," adding that he's "making every effort to address this situation for our customers as quickly as possible." more ›

At four Bronx churches on Saturday, NYPD officials handed out $184,000 in exchange for 1,186 guns over the course of six hours. What does the government plan to do with all that firepower? Well, one day you may pick one of them up at the dry cleaner; they're being melted down to make coat hangers. "Much better use of them," remarked NYPD commissioner Ray Kelly. It was a record-setting cash-for-guns haul, besting last April's gun swap meet, when the city paid for 987 guns, turned in with no questions asked. Those who hand over their firearms receive a $200 prepaid bank card. more ›

Yesterday a group comprised of community leaders and elected officials got together to discuss small business owners going green. NY1 reports that the meeting took place in front of Camilo Grocery store in Washington Heights—one of the many businesses that could benefit in the long run from becoming more energy efficient. Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer said, "We need to make sure that people who fed our city for generations get to have the economic benefit of turning green." Congressman Steve Isreal has introduced legislation that would provide funding to help businesses like bodegas reach a greener goal—this would help with their own skyrocketing electricity costs, as well as be beneficial to the environment. Now, how about getting rid of those plastic bags? more ›

Since it was proposed in 1929, the long-awaited Second Avenue subway line has been knocked off track by two financial crashes and one world war. Now, the massive transit project is facing another formidable adversary: residents of an Upper East Side co-op who have filed suit over the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's controversial plan to construct above-ground ventilation structures, which some say will blight the neighborhood and lower property values. more ›

Following his interview with Ecorazzi, Gov. David Paterson's stance on carriage horses has caught the attention of PETA, who gave it a Purr in their "Purrs & Grrs" print column. Paterson says the industry needs to treat the horses better, or the tourist trap should be phased out completely—his spokeswoman explained that the horses often suffer under difficult work and stable conditions... but also acknowledges that they are important to tourism and the "fabric of New York City's culture." more ›

A storefront pastor has been sentenced to two to six years in prison after swindling more than 100 immigrants with promises of U.S. visas and green cards. Gregorio Gonzalez, 57, was sentenced on Tuesday after pleading guilty to collecting more than $840,000, mainly from Ecuadorian immigrants who visited him at the Iglesia Pentecostal Roca de Salvacion Eterna in Corona, according to 1010WINS. "He took our money," 27-year-old office cleaner Viviana Ordonez told the Daily News. "He took our trust in him. We right now have nothing. We don't have hope. We want justice." After Gonzalez gets out of prison, he will face deportation proceedings. more ›

Early this morning the city's Panel for Education policy voted to close 19 under-performing schools, despite eight hours of protest by thousands of teachers, parents and staffers. The hearing—which was scheduled to take place in Staten Island, but was moved to Brooklyn Tech's high school to accommodate the mob of onlookers—began Tuesday night and ran until 3 a.m. "The sad reality is that the schools we must close tonight are not meeting the standards," said Schools Chancellor Joel Klein. According to the NY Times, he quieted down after the crowd began booing him, chanting "Racist Joel Klein" and "Where's Joel Klein?" whenever he left to go to the bathroom or make a phone call. more ›

Well, it seems the DOH's crackdown on clubs that allow smoking is more than just a routine ticketing blitz. Five nightclubs are scheduled to appear today before a city tribunal that will attempt to take away their food and beverage permits as punishment for ignoring the smoking ban. Department lawyer Thomal Merrill told the Daily News "We think we have a good case. I think we will shut them down." more ›

Sad weather news comes to light this morning: The US no longer holds the distinction of having the windiest place on earth. Mt. Washington's 231 mph gust in 1934 was bested by a 253 mph breeze on Barrow Island, Australia. That's not the saddest part of the story. The saddest part is that it took 14 years for anyone to care! The tremendous gust was caused by Cyclone Olivia in 1996 but the record didn't grab any attention until a recent review. Ah well, at least we still have the record for longest transport of tornado debris (223 miles!). more ›

Remember that conservative kid who punk'd the community organizing group ACORN with a hidden camera, fueling a right-wing backlash against the organization that contributed to Congress cutting their funding? We don't want to disillusion you or anything, but it turns out he's kind of shady. On Monday, James O'Keefe and three pals—all 24 years old—were arrested in New Orleans trying to bug the phones of Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu's office. Naturally, O'Keefe videotaped the whole thing, so there's that to look forward to. more ›

Even though Mayor Bloomberg says he might be forced to lay off 18,500 city workers—including 8,500 teachers, 3,150 police officers, and 1,050 firefighters—he has hired 15 members of his campaign staff. The Times notes that as the Mayor calls for "a leaner government that reflects the economic downturn, he is finding money in the budget for those who engineered his unexpectedly close re-election," paying many of the City Hall newcomers six-figure salaries and allowing several other city workers who left their jobs to work on the campaign to return to their posts with higher pay. more ›

On January 7th, Weatherproof Garment Company got their money's worth from a billboard they put up in Times Square which featured a photograph of the President in one of their jackets, and received lots of press. It wasn't Photoshopped, Obama actually wore their jacket on a trip to the Great Wall in China, and the company later got the rights to a photograph from that trip. However, they didn't get any sort of blessing from the White House to use Obama's image to hock their product. more ›

People move to the suburbs because of the schools and the back yards and the "safety"—and besides, when they did live in the city, they spent every night snuggling on the couch with Netflix anyway. Towns like Greenburgh (right by Dobbs Ferry, and... Irvington) are just a short Metro North ride away, and you can always make plans to come into town to meet old friends for dinner and then cancel at the last minute. But don't be fooled! The suburbs aren't as safe as your traitorous married friends claim: Last year there was a panther roaming the Hudson town of Sneden's Landing (still at large!) and yesterday a coyote attacked a 56-year-old Greenburgh woman, who is now hospitalized in stable condition. Later—just to make sure everybody got the message—the coyote bit a pit bull. It wouldn't dare pull this shit in Carroll Gardens. more ›

A Rockaway Park mom was so furious that her 3-year-old had soiled himself that she held him in scalding water for several minutes, burning the child so badly his skin began falling off his body, Queens DA Richard Brown alleges. Regina Cooper, 30, "got upset" when she came home yesterday and was told that her son, Barkim Owens, had soiled his pull-ups. According to the DA, she "cursed at her son, stripped him of his clothing and placed him in the bathtub without testing the temperature of the water. She allegedly held him submerged in the water for several minutes while the child screamed, cried and pleaded with his mother to take him out." more ›

Knicks 132 Minnesota 105: Nothing beats having the Timberwolves come to town when you need a win. Somewhat surprisingly, the Knicks took advantage of it and blew the doors off Minnesota. As usual, David Lee had another double-double while Al Harrington added 26 points off the bench more ›

Following New Jersey's decision to legalize medical marijuana, New York cannabis activists say now is the time to push for similar legislation in the Empire State. Though New York City might be the marijuana arrest capital of the world, the state has "relatively liberal possession laws and actually passed a medical-marijuana law in 1980 but never put it to use," according to the Times. And considering the fact that 14 other states have already given medical marijuana the greenlight, Assemblyman Richard Gottfried (D-Manhattan) says there's no reason why it shouldn't be New York's turn. more ›

The MTA says its biggest security overhaul in history "is taking too long, costing too much" and now it's running out of money. The agency has only $59 million left in the bank for the program—not nearly enough for the installation of motion sensor cameras and other high-tech gadgets at every subway station. more ›

A state judge ruled that New York's juvenile corrections system regularly breaks the law by shackling young detainees any time they leave a detention center—even if the children don't pose a physical threat. According to the Times, the ruling should bring an end to a policy that mandated the use of shackles whenever detainees leave state facilities, despite other laws on the books permitting shackles only as a last resort for "youth who are out of control and dangerous, and then only for half an hour." A 15-year-old plaintiff said he was kept in feet and handcuffs connected to a belly chain for roughly 15 hours on a single day. Lawyer Nancy Rosenbloom said the case revealed "a culture of abusive practices that is not rehabilitative." She added: "We had evidence of kids not being able to drink their milk on the way to court because of the chains." more ›

Finally! After grammatical errors and charges of lesbianism, Alexia Moore has been found not guilty of prostitution, according to the Post. Moore and fellow dancer Falynn Rodriguez (whose prostitution charges were thrown out on Sunday) were accused of offering more than just lap dances at Big Daddy Lou's Hot Lap Dance Club. more ›

Yet another former employee of the NY Post has filed a lawsuit against the tabloid, making this the billionth staffer to add his or her brushstroke to a work-in-progress portrait of the Post as a racist, sexist, alpha male locker room. The latest salvo comes from former Post photographer Mary McLoughlin, who claims she was pushed out of her job because the fratastic editors only want sexy young ladies toddling around the office. One editor, David Boyle, even referred to his young female assistants as "David's Harem," and hired a make-up artist to do them up for the holiday parties, the suit alleges. Then they dirty danced the night away, with Boyle allegedly grabbing their pelvises and "bumping" and "grinding" in an obscene way that was "unprofessional and offensive to those who had to watch this spectacle." Still, we'd like to see some photos. (tips@gothamist.com!) more ›

This is just sad. The Bronx neighborhoods of Morrisania, Mott Haven and Bedford Park have a larger percentage of households suffering from hunger than any other urban area in the nation, according to a new study [PDF]. Researchers also determined that a swath of Brooklyn consisting of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brownsville, Canarsie and East New York has the country's sixth highest rate of hunger. more ›

If you're a Whole Foods employee who's been stocking up on the 365 brand quinoa and tofu, then you're in luck. The grocery chain has just introduced a "weigh less, pay less" discount plan that will allow the company's healthiest employees to knock an additional 10 percent off of in store purchases in an attempt to "encourage and reward Team Members for making healthy, positive lifestyle changes and to reduce the costs of our health plan." more ›

Basking in the spotlight today, Mayor Bloomberg said he has "no plans" to run for president, despite having hired Howard Wolfson, Hillary Clinton's former campaign media strategist. When a reporter questioned the mayor's presidential aspirations Bloomberg responded, "I can't believe you're even asking," with an oh-so innocent smile, "There's no other political reason for him, whatsoever." But AP reported that Bloomberg "appeared to enjoy the speculation," which may even be why he brought Wolfson on to begin with. As he did during the mayor's 2008 election campaign, Wolfson will dazzle and distract us, just when we were losing patience with the calorie counts and agency swaps. more ›

Today, for the first time, defense attorneys for three NYPD officers accused of participating in the sodomy of a Brooklyn man in the Prospect Park subway station got to cross-examine the alleged victim. During his second day of testimony, Michael Mineo reportedly became irate and emotional on the witness stand, and tempers flared from the very first question posed by defense lawyer Stuart London: "Good morning. You didn’t get stoned today before you came to court, did you?" more ›

Sure, Harold Ford's having a hard time making friends in the Democratic Party, but who needs liberals when you've got buddies like Stephen Colbert. The Comedy Central host honored the former Tennessee lawmaker and Senate hopeful by dubbing him the "Alpha Dog of the Week" and praised him for his changing perspectives on same-sex marriage and abortion. "He believes that every American has the right to choose—when it is politically expedient to be pro life," said Colbert. more ›

An 18-month investigation has ended in arrests for seven members of a Long Island drug ring that dealt the horse tranquilizer Ketamine. The network contained six men, two of whom—James V. Parrino and John T. DiPaola—were charged as major traffickers or "drug kingpins." The remaining four, along with a single female member of the crew were charged with selling or possessing the "makes you feel like you're dead" drug, also known as K or Special K, if you're not into the whole brevity thing. more ›

We're halfway through the G train's month-long disappearance on weekends, and naturally there have been horror stories of inconvenient commutes by shuttle bus to under-served parts of Brooklyn and Queens. That Greenpoint blog New York Shitty published a photo series of forsaken commuters waiting for the shuttle bus in Williamsburg, calling it "Waiting for G(odot)," with a dedication to the MTA. And another blogger described an annoying ride on packed shuttle that passed her usual stop by half a block. Nightmare! But not everyone misses the G train, and some wish it would stay disappeared for good. more ›

Thanks a lot, Times. It seems that since they blew the lid on smokeasies a few weeks ago, there has been serious re-cracking down on Bloomberg's smoking ban. The Times reported that bars like GoldBar and the Libertine freely allowed bar-goers to smoke inside, and some even hired cigarette girls to hand out free smokes. But Steve Lewis of BlackBook has seen a change since the piece was published: "Nightclubs are being inspected by teams of cops and health department mercenaries constantly and it’s beginning to get ugly. An operator has told me that you can expect a visit at least every other day." Well, it was fun while it lasted. Just nobody tell the Times about all those old-timey salteasies that have been popping up in Brooklyn! more ›

Lower Manhattan residents who are fearful of the plan to host the trial of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and four other accused 9/11 plotters in a Foley Square federal courthouse have urged the city to relocate the legal proceedings to Governor's Island. And if that doesn't work, they've drafted a shortlist of other locations including White Plains, West Point, Stewart Airport, and Orange County. more ›

A one-stop gynecology/plastic surgery clinic in Jackson Heights is under investigation after a woman died from complications during a routine abortion. The 30-year-old victim is believed to have visited the A-1 Medical clinic at 95-45 Roosevelt Avenue for an abortion on Monday, but things went wrong when an artery was severed during the operation. Bleeding profusely, she was rushed to Elmhurst Hospital where she was pronounced dead, reports 1010WINS. The second-floor physician's office, whose sign advertises gynecology and plastic surgery, actually specializes in laser wrinkle surgery, skin depigmentation and liposuction. more ›

When Tyra sent her would-be top models out on the streets to pose as part of the homeless masses, never did we think the Gray Lady would follow her lead. But last night, the NY Times's Natasha Lennard went into the night to pose as a homeless person, as did 200 others, to test the system. Would she and her fellow faux-hobos get counted by the Homeless Outreach Population Estimate (HOPE) census takers? The count takes place one winter night a year... and (spoiler alert) she was counted by the organization (at which time she told them she was a decoy). more ›

It's been six months since an artist installed a plywood sculpture in front of the Bronx River Art Center that resembles a "14-foot-tall tagger's dream" — and the artwork is still graffiti-free. Even after the Daily News gave some ink (and seemingly jinxed) Diego Medina's geometric sculpture "Aurora," the unpainted structure has remained unpainted. So in a News follow-up, the artist tells the tabloid the experience "renews my hope in the public and the community." He added: "It reaffirms my good spirits in the way that the community appreciates art." What are the chances this is all an elaborate plot by the vandal squad to lure graffiti writers to into a trap in West Farms Square? more ›

In the annals of police Taser porn, this series of short videos can't possibly compete with the naked wizard Coachella Tasering, to say nothing of the trailblazing "Don't Tase me, bro!" Nevertheless, to bring things full circle, we have a duty to publish these clips, showing a Jets fan getting arrested and supposedly Tasered at a tailgate party outside Indianapolis stadium Sunday. (Despite the absence of frothing or whimpering, it's still video a Jets fan getting arrested, so you can't complain.) Patrick Mallon, a 26-year-old Garden State construction worker, was ultimately charged with disorderly conduct and public intoxication, and missed watching his precious Jets lose to the Colts. Here's how it started: more ›

The Italian amusement company reportedly tapped to turn the city's controversial Coney Island redevelopment plan into a reality will name its plot "Luna Park" after the legendary Coney Island amusement park. "The park will be called, Luna Park, like the first, the only, the inimitable one, the one created by Frederic Thompson and Elmer 'Skip' Dundy," Alberto Zamperla — President and CEO of Zamperla — apparently told the Italian newspaper Il Giornale di Vicenza. If that's the case, Zamperla will have some pretty big shoes to fill. more ›

Campaign consultant Howard Wolfson once called Mayor Bloomberg "out of touch," but now the sweater-clad, indie rock loving ex-Clinton strategist is ready to join the administration, sources say. Wolfson—who worked on Bloomberg's reelection campaign in 2009—will now take a $300,000 pay-cut to leave national politics and come serve the city he grew up in. more ›

To keep tickets rolling out, NY off-track betting has tried appealing to the state and even hired sexy dancers—still, unless its bid for bankruptcy is approved the organization says it will be done for by the end of March, leaving 1,400 unemployed. The New York Racing Association, for whom OTB is an important customer, says it's "monitoring the situation closely" but another organization has dismissed the announcement as a "hollow threat." "NYC OTB used the same trick in 2008, the last time they went bankrupt," said New York Thoroughbred Breeders Executive Director Jeffrey Cannizzo. But Robert Garry, the OTB's chief financial officer, insists his organization will be broke by early April and in heavy deficit mid-month, reported the NY Daily News. This means the ticket stoopers might have to find real jobs, too! more ›

The NY Times reported that though the default is bad for Tishman Speyer, it's not fatal. “This is a big black eye for them,” said John McIlwain, a senior fellow for housing at the Urban Land Institute. “But it’s not the end of Tishman. They own a lot of property. It’s a dent, but not the end.” Those who really stand to lose are the investors: Fortress Investment Groups, the Church of England and the nation of Singapore (which could be in the hole for $775 million) just to name a few. more ›

A crash between a tractor-trailer truck and a sanitation truck left one dead this morning in Queens. The Daily News reports that the Mack truck turned onto Ditmars Blvd. at 35th St just before 8 a.m., hitting the sanitation truck and killing Frank Justich, who was riding on the back of the truck. Justich was pronounced dead at Elmhurst Hospital, but investigators do not suspect any criminality on behalf of the Mack truck driver. Justich had worked for the Sanitation Dept. for 11 years, and has been the tenth worker to die on-duty since 2003, according to the Uniformed Sanitationmen’s Association. more ›

The teenage son of a school safety officer was fatally shot last night while walking his dog in East Flatbush. A gunman approached Pharley Petigny, 19, from behind while he walked his pit bull-Rottweiler mix along Beverley Road near East 31st Street around 7 p.m. and fired a single gunshot into his head. more ›

After laying off 180 employees in December, St. Vincent's Hospital in the West Village may be in even further danger of closing. The Post reports today that Continuum Health Services—which operates Beth Israel, St. Luke's and Roosevelt Hospital—has proposed a plan to take over St. Vincent's. GE Capital and TD Bank hold $300 million of the hospital's current $700 million debt, and both allegedly support the Continuum takeover. But the new ownership would come at a considerable cost to hospital care. more ›

Natavia Lowery, the alleged slayer of real estate agent to the stars, Linda Stein, is officially on trial. Lowery is believed to have murdered Stein, her boss, in October of 2007—something she confessed to, though her lawyers later said she was coerced. She has admitted to stealing money from Stein, though (to the tune of $30K). more ›

Last month the MTA announced plans to cut service to the handicapped and elderly by $40 million this year, and yesterday officials explained in part how they'll do it. They say they'll reduce eligibility and service for the disabled and the elderly and crack down on those riders who are abusing the system (and not just by getting rides to casinos). For one, the agency wants to enforce regulations for a certain class of handicapped and elderly riders that is supposed to get rides only in extremely cold or hot weather, but under the current system, gets them when it pleases. more ›

A judge threw out the fixed price rent hikes the Rent Guidelines Board imposed on New Yorkers who live in rent-stabilized apartments — meaning that some 300,000 rent-control tenants who have been overpaying for the past two years might be reimbursed. The far-reaching ruling is a big victory for tenants and tenants advocates, and it could turn out costing landlords tens of millions of dollars. more ›

At least 32 pairs of nesting red-tailed hawks have been identified across the city since 2007, and lately the Lower East Side has been captivated by a pair that have settled on a fifth-floor air-conditioning unit at Public Schools 9-4/188 on East Houston Street. "They come down and they eat squirrels, rats, birds," 18-year-old local resident Johnny Reyes, who calls them "the sky beasts," tells the Daily News. "People who walk their little dogs are always looking out for the hawks." And for good reason—they'll steal your lunch, too! "In recent memory, there have never been more hawks than there are now in the most unusual of places," says city Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe. Urban hawks—how many is too many? more ›

There was a 17% spike last year in the number of summonses issued to subway riders who occupy more than one seat. Between January and November 2009, transit police issued 8,700 tickets to commuters who exceeded their legally mandated one seat allotment, either through reclining or foot-propping or bag-resting. That's 1,300 more tickets than they issued for the offense in the same time period in 2008, and it stands in contrast to a decline or plateau in subway summonses in every other category. Seat hogging is punishable by a $50 fine, but many commuters say they're being ticketed during late-night commutes in mostly empty trains. more ›

A telltale hickey has made things sticky for the coach of a girls volleyball team at Poly Prep Country Day School, a fancy private school in Dyker Heights. Coach Lisa Guttilla, 37, has been charged with misdemeanor sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of child, an unidentified 14-year-old girl on her team. Their affair was discovered after the girl's mother demanded to know the origins of a hickey on her neck, and the girl confessed. Guttilla, a part time employee at Poly Prep whose photo we're still trying to find, "engaged in sexual conduct" with the girl on at least three occasions, police sources tell the Post. more ›

Hotly-anticipated peace talks between supporters and opponents of the recently-erased Bedford Avenue bicycle lane fell short last night when both parties left a discussion at Pete's Candy Store in Williamsburg with the same seemingly irreparable differences that they brought to the table. Supporters of the Bedford Avenue lane insisted that a biking path on Brooklyn's longest road is necessary for both transportation and safety, while a community activist representing South Williamsburg's Hasidic Jewish residents expressed concerns about dangerous biking etiquette. more ›

Just when the Rangers had some momentum, they let it slip away in a 4-2 loss to the Penguins. Artem Anisimov's second goal of the game halfway through the third period gave the Rangers a 2-1 lead, but the Penguins responded with two goals in the next 91 seconds. The Rangers failed to score in a double-minor in the third and on another two-minute penalty that followed immediately after. So they had almost a six-minute power play and couldn't take advantage. But hey, at least they scored. Anisimov's first goal ended a drought of 156 minutes, 32 seconds. more ›

Today the trial began for a young volunteer firefighter suspected of setting fire to a building, causing four deaths. The 20-year-old from Long Island—who experts say started the fire so that he could be a "hero"—faces charges of arson and second-degree murder. But in court today, the defendant's lawyer argued that police investigated the wrong man. more ›

Opponents of the Atlantic Yards project have tried to halt the mega-project with murals, lawsuits, and protests. On Wednesday, they'll try a new technique: arresting Atlantic Yards developer Bruce Ratner. Following the closure of a Prospect Heights homeless shelter last week to make room for the $4.9 billion arena and high-rise development, a group of anti-Atlantic Yards activists announced that they will make a citizen's arrest of Ratner, according to Curbed. more ›

Mayor Bloomberg announced today that city residents are living longer than ever! The average life expectancy is 82 years for women, and 76.3 years for men born in 2007, a gain of a year and seven months since 2001 and five months since 2006. In addition, the citywide death rate fell to 6.5 per 1000 people in 2008, 20 percent lower than the national death rate. And as Vulture points out, it isn't like the Mayor's health campaigning ends there—nay, he won't stop until we're all as old and healthy (though not necessarily as rich) as him. Of course, that might not work out so great if we all get laid-off in the meantime. more ›

Since February 2009 Live Nation and Ticketmaster have been trying to get their bear paws on each other and today they finally got the OK. I know what you're thinking—now that the two monster entities have joined forces, ticket prices and surcharges will go from just exorbitant to totally obscene. Well actually, by suggesting a merger the two companies brought the heat: artists, anti-trust agencies and competitors protested, and the Dept of Justice investigated. Now they'll be allowed to go through with the deal, but with all the requirements being imposed, AP reported they may actually bring ticket prices down. more ›

Once again, the Al-Qaeda-tied scientist accused of shooting at U.S. personnel in Afghanistan was thrown out of a Manhattan courtroom for disrupting legal proceedings. This time, Aafia Siddiqui — who has already been tossed from the courtroom three times — interrupted the testimony of a chief warrant officer who was speaking about being wounded in Afghanistan. According to the Post, she shouted: "I feel sorry for you ... Don't do that. It will make America look weak in international court." Two jurors were also tossed from the jury and replaced with alternates, according to 1010WINS. The judge ejected the jurors after they "interacted" with a spectator, who was arrested. "They felt they would no longer be fair," the judge told the Daily News. Before the trial began, Siddiqui requested the use of genetic tests to keep Jews off the jury. more ›

Those wanting to bring trolley service back to our streets suffered an upset this month when construction workers tore up some old rails in Brooklyn. And according to the NY Post, they aren't the only ones upset. Fulton Ferry landing preservationists are up in arms about losing the piece of history (dating back to the 20s) that was at the entrance to Brooklyn Bridge Park. To their credit, the workers did consult archaeologists and city landmarks officials before tearing up the tracks. more ›

Here are some things that Albany lawmakers might cut under Governor Paterson's proposed budget: free student MetroCards, the W train, 18,500 New York City jobs, $101 billion in school funding, and $1 billion in health care funding. Here's one thing that's not at risk: a $5.2 million renovation of hearing rooms for Albany lawmakers. According to an Associated Press report, the renovations include new 3- by 5-foot television screens, better lighting and technology for TV coverage, new carpets, refurbished seats, and "more prominent name plates for lawmakers." According to a spokesman, this is the first major renovation of the hearing rooms in 35 years and it will improve "the openness of the Legislature's work and make the rooms more accessible for the disabled." more ›

Despite approval from the local Community Board, the DOT has not moved forward with plans to install a two-way, parking-protected bike lane on the east side of Prospect Park West in Park Slope. The DOT had planned to begin work on the bike lane last September, and would have cut one lane of car traffic from the one-way, three lane road between Grand Army Plaza and 15th Street, moving a lane of parked cars off the curb, and installing a bike lane where the parked cars used to be. But it appears the plans were quietly put on the back burner because of opposition from Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz. more ›

We're always hearing about manhole explosions, but have you ever seen one? One captivated duo caught an exploding one on 29th Street, noting: "Firefighters closed down the street and moved a car parked within 20 feet of manhole cover." Check out the footage, taken from a safe distance: more ›

Ladies and Gentleman, the "Nääpper". [via Laura Holder] more ›

In his still unofficial Senate campaign, former Tennessee Congressman Harold Ford Jr. called his likely rival Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand a "parakeet" and blasted her for her ties to high-ranking Democrats. Ford — who once donated money to Gillibrand's campaign — lashed out against the Senator in an interview with Fred Dicker, noting that candidates need "to be more independent" and "understand that you're not elected to the United States Senate to be a parakeet or to take instructions from the Democratic leadership." more ›

The New Haven woman who was brutally mauled by a friend's chimpanzee last year is out of luck again—a hospital has told her it can't perform transplants on her badly disfigured face and hand. The injuries were sustained in March 2009 when Charla Nash's friend asked her to help get her perturbed pet chimp back into the house. The 200-pound animal, who went by Travis, then went berserk. He was shot by local police, but not before ripping off Nash's hand, nose, lips and eyelids leaving her permanently blind. more ›

In this week's New Yorker, the Department of Investigation (D.O.I.), the city's "secret police," gets the patented sprawling New Yorker treatment. And it turns out that secret police, like Rodney Dangerfield, have a hard time getting any respect. more ›

This isn't really as exciting as the recent MIdtown macaw rescue, but last week the Brooklyn Paper spread the word that an African Grey Parrot had gone missing near Flatbush Avenue in Park Slope. The bird—named Gracie—belonged to Lora Myers, who kept him as a pet for 12 years. more ›

For hundreds of transgender people trying to establish new identities, Manhattan courts have played a crucial role. Nearly 400 transgender people have sought and been granted name changes either from male to female, female to male or ambiguous, making New York a name change capital of the country. They've enlisted the help of city advocates who specialize in the emerging field of transgender law—now the network is almost 200 lawyers strong. more ›

Mayor Bloomberg blasted Governor Paterson's proposed budget as overly harsh on New York City and urged Albany to give "New York City a fair deal." Under Paterson's $134 billion budget, Bloomberg says the city would have to fire 18,500 employees including 8,500 teachers, 3,150 police officers, and 1,050 firefighters. "Such budget cuts would inevitably damage the quality of life in the city that drives the economy of the entire state. It's in your power to prevent many of those dire consequences—simply by giving the people of New York City a fair deal," Bloomberg said. more ›

The 25-year-old man who says NYPD officers sodomized him with a police baton after he resisted arrest in a Brooklyn subway station in October 2008 testified today. Two officers are accused of helping to cover up the brutality of another officer, Richard Kern, who is charged with aggravated sexual abuse and assault. In court this morning, the alleged victim, Michael Mineo, acknowledged he was a former gang member and said he ran from police who caught him smoking pot after they told him he was going to be arrested. Mineo's account of what happened when they caught up to him in the Prospect Park subway station is harrowing: more ›

Finally, New Jersey corruption lawsuits are poised to get underway! Jury selection has begun for the first trial of suspended Jersey City Deputy Mayor Leona Beldini, arrested six months ago when feds made massive raids and arrests. The former burlesque dancer will take the stand and defend herself against charges of extortion and bribery, while informant Solomon Dweck will give his much-awaited account of how he secretly recorded hours of incriminating evidence in restaurants, diners, meetings and parking lots. more ›

Law enforcement agencies throughout the state will soon be allowed to use partial DNA matches to track down criminals—or people who are related to criminals, according to opponents of the new rules. Under the old rules, police could only pursue a suspect using DNA found at a crime scene if the recovered DNA is an exact match with one of the 343,000 genetic profiles contained in a state database of convicts. But starting this spring, police will be allowed to pursue suspects if DNA found at a crime scene is a partial match with someone already on file, meaning that innocent people whose relatives are in the database could come under investigation. more ›

For almost four decades, Carolyn Klass toiled in a lab at Cornell University identifying insects. For a $25 dollar fee, people from all over the world would send her pests they wanted identified, and in recent years business was booming because of the bedbug renaissance. Klass would examine each specimen and reply back with a thoughtful note, such as: more ›

Some elected officials use sirens and flashing lights to avoid traffic — even though such devices are only permitted in emergency vehicles. Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz's SUV was spotted running red lights in Flatbush last week, but the Windsor Terrace resident insists his lights and sirens are "appropriate." A spokesman told the Post: "They are only used with great discretion ... In this instance, he was on his way to an event with the mayor and the governor addressing the Haitian crisis and calling for emergency aid to those suffering in Haiti as well as their families here, the majority of whom live in Brooklyn." more ›

For years now, pot smokers with a bankroll have known about Al's Limo, a disco-themed stretch with a driver who delivers passengers anywhere in the city, while also delivering some potent reefer. One fratastic lifestyle guide wrote about Al's back in 2005, and it's been an open secret that a call to Al's can get you and your bros into Al's rolling hotbox for $100 an hour. But now that Al's mobile speakeasy has been outed by a local tabloid, the high times are probably cashed. more ›

Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour is simply not pleased with a developer's plan to build a condo in her Greenwich Village neighborhood. She put pen to paper (official Vogue letterhead, to be exact) and wrote a letter to the Landmarks Preservation Commission, calling the project "a totally out-of-scale, inappropriate eight-story building" and an "unwelcome intrusion." According to the NY Post she wrote the letter in February 2009, but just last week sent an appeal to City Council Speaker Christine Quinn. more ›

Attorney General Andrew Cuomo—who's widely believed to be ramping up to challenge Gov. Paterson in a September primary—has been seen all over town shaking the hands of black civic leaders and clergymen. Taking on New York's first black governor, Cuomo is building a defense against critics who'll say he's derailing the career of a prominent African American politician. more ›

If you get caught red-handed with your feet up on the subway seats, you have less than a one-in-five chance at winning your case in a hearing. more ›

Former figure skater Nancy Kerrigan—whose bruised kneecap made headlines and SNL skits in 1994—has more blood in the family. Today her troubled older brother Mark was taken in on charges of giving their father a beating that caused his death. more ›

Hey, hey it's a rainy day. A big low pressure system located over northern Ontario pulled a warm front through town last night and is giving much of the northeast a rainfall wedgie today. Look for a windy, rainy first day of the work week. Today's high temperature will be near the record of 60 degrees set in 1967. more ›

A 22-year-old man who died of stab wounds outside the China Club early Saturday morning was caught up in an altercation over a woman. Kenyatta Cotterell, the father of a 3-year-old son, was fatally stabbed in the chest after one of his friends flirted with the girlfriend of another man. During the altercation that erupted outside the service entrance to the nightclub around 4 a.m., Cotterell was stabbed in the chest, and two other unidentified men were stabbed. Cotterell's brother tells the Daily News, "It was really pointless. We were fighting over nothing." more ›

Today's windy weather has blown debris from an unfinished Frank Gehry skyscraper in Lower Manhattan. Materials started falling from the 76-story Beekman Tower this morning, causing police to close off the "area between Gold Street, Ann Street and Park Row" to cars and pedestrians. The NotifyNYC service sent out an initial warning at 8:05 am urging New Yorkers to "[a]void the area near Spruce Street between Williams Street and Park Row," then followed up with another message at 10:04 am noting that "[d]ebris is falling because of the high winds." more ›

The NYPD has been cracking down on bike riders who pedal on sidewalks in Chelsea and Gramercy. They issued 43 summonses in those neighborhoods during the last month, and about 90 percent of those ticketed were restaurant deliverymen, a police source tells the Post. The fine for riding on a sidewalk is $100. more ›

Four years after buying the middle-class housing complex in what was deemed the most expensive deal in real-estate history, the owners of Stuyvesant Town/Peter Cooper Village are giving it over to their investors. Tishman Speyer and BlackRock Realty bought the 11,227 apartment development in 2006 for $5.4 billion, but since then its value has decreased to a third of that, estimates the Wall Street Journal. Facing bankruptcy, the real-estate giants see no option but to hand the keys to their investors. more ›

What happens in Vegas may stay in Vegas, but what happens on your flight there will end up in the papers! The Daily News reports that passengers on a United Airlines flight bound for Sin City had to tackle a New York man who approached the cockpit door with a large bag while in the air on Saturday. Six passengers restrained him after he tried to open a side exit door, and then started banging on the cockpit door. Around 5 p.m. the flight made an emergency landing in Denver, where the unruly man was arrested and interviewed by the FBI — he is currently undergoing medical evaluation. more ›

The demonstrators who fought for the right to rally in front of Mayor Bloomberg's townhouse claim the NYPD violated legal guidelines by taking photographs of them during the demonstration. Parents, students, and teachers who gathered in front of the Mayor's Upper East Side home to protest school closures allege that the NYPD's use of photography violated the Handschu agreement — a longstanding set of legal standards drafted to protect protesters from police intimidation. more ›

Because of the city's budget crisis, the FDNY is facing the prospect of severe cuts and even firehouse closures. "Everything is in play," Commissioner Salvatore Cassano tells the Daily News. "We've received no assurances that anything is safe. Everything is up for discussion." Cassono is expected to meet with again with Bloomberg's staffers as the mayor prepares to release his budget plan on Thursday. But because the FDNY's budget mostly covers the department's basic day-to-day operations, any significant cuts could hinder their ability to fight fires. "Our budget is 90% on the operations side. So when the mayor says to make cuts, it stands to reason that operations will be looked at," says Cassano. Looks like they're going to need to move a lot more calendars. more ›

It's bad enough that yesterday's loss to the Colts brought an abrupt end to NYC's dream of living vicariously through New Jersey, but for one poor Jets fan, the agony of defeat was prefaced by the sting of electricity. There is no video (yet), but police say Patrick Mallon, 26, was belligerent and threw beer at Colts fans outside Indianapolis stadium. He was charged with disorderly conduct and public intoxication at a tailgate party, which is like getting a speeding ticket at the Indy 500. But witnesses say cops used excessive force, and Mallon's father is a criminal defense lawyer, so you can guess where this is going. more ›

Despite their high hopes and even higher opinions of themselves, the Jets will not play in their first Super Bowl since the 1968 season. Rex Ryan's talkative bunch blew a 17-6 lead against Peyton Manning and squandered a chance at the Super Bowl. Things looked bright in the second quarter after Mark Sanchez found Dustin Keller for a nine-yard touchdown and the 11-point lead. But the Jets, who lost Shonn Greene to a rib injury in the third quarter never scored again. Manning led a four-play, 80-yard drive to cut the lead to four entering the half and the wheels began to fall off. more ›

A 7-year-old boy threatened to run away from his East Brooklyn foster family, and on Friday night he went through with it. Patrick Alford had been taken from his parents just days before, and badly wanted to go home. At around 9 pm he accompanied his new foster mom outdoors to the trash compactor, and slipped away while her gaze was averted. "She goes back inside, and the boy's not with her," a police source told the NY Daily News. "She goes back out, but he disappeared." His 4-year-old sister J.J. was in the care of the same family and told the NY Post she wishes "he would come back." He was last seen in a red T-shirt, jeans and black sneakers. more ›

Two different chemicals are causing concern at schools citywide. One comes from inside the schools—it’s a toxin found in the window caulking of older buildings. The other is a chemical brought in by workers to strip the paint from school windows. more ›

Since winning a case for a woman who demanded to know who was calling her a “first class skank” online, a Manhattan lawyer has been approached by numerous clients who want him to beat up their cyber-bullies. More and more, lawyers like Steven Wagner will push Google to reveal the names of their faceless web maligners. more ›

According to everyone involved, yesterday’s gun buyback in the Bronx was a marvelous success! Four churches collected 1,216 firearms in a limited-time, no-questions-asked cahs4guns event. “In the fight against gun violence, everything helps, and I am proud that we were able to take so many guns out of circulation,” said Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. in a statement. Gun relinqhishers can use the money to feed their families and pay their mortgages—or just blow it all on drugs and knives. more ›

For nearly two months now pooch owners at a Park Slope dog run have lived in fear of the eggs that fall from the windows above. At least three eggings have occurred so far behind the newly-built Novo Condominiums, provoked by nighttime dog barking. The identity of the egg tosser remains secret, but probably not for long. more ›

To herald today's big—and unexpected—AFC Championship Game between the Jets and the Indianapolis Colts, the Post puts its sex columnist on its cover, wearing only a Jets number 6 (for quarterback Mark Sanchez, natch) jersey. Of course, the fact that the columnist is Ashley Dupre, also known as the expensive hooker embroiled in former governor Eliot Spitzer's downfall, makes it more...Post-y. more ›

NYPD detectives tracked down the man accused of murdering his party planner boyfriend in Hell’s Kitchen by following purchases he made using his dead lover’s credit card. In the Vermont town of Manchester they cuffed Justin Waller with help from local police. The 31-year-old will be arraigned on Monday on charges of brutally murdering John Lea, ten years his senior. more ›

A New Jersey woman narrowly avoided a fiery death in yesterday’s crash on the Long Island Expressway, thanks to an anonymous Good Samaritan. On Saturday morning a gasoline tanker clipped Marie Medina’s Dodge Neon when she stalled on the L.I.E. near exit 48. The truck flipped on its side and exploded into a giant fireball that killed driver Mujahid Shahin, a Brooklyn man in his fifties, according to the NY Post. But someone pulled Medina from her vehicle before she became the accident's second casualty. "He saved me. I kept thanking him," said the woman, who has only minor injuries. Just this morning, officials re-opened eastbound lanes on the expressway, reported AP. more ›

The big-bucks creative director who took on design and photography for Shakira’s new album says the she wolf’s record label paid him only half of what he’s due. Now the designer has filed a lawsuit against Sony in Manhattan Supreme Court alleging he's owed $64,000. more ›

Sources say popular Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is set to run for governor, but is “playing it smart” by waiting to announce his intentions. "He will make an announcement at the end of March. And what he will say is that he intends to run for governor. ... He thinks there are a lot of problems in the state and he thinks he can help solve them," one insider told the NY Daily News. more ›

In his first address of the year Osama Bin Laden took credit for the failed Christmas day underwear bombing of Northwest flight 253 over Michigan, and warned that more attacks on our country are imminent. "The United States will not dream of enjoying safety until we live it in reality in Palestine," threatened the 9/11 mastermind, via the Arabic-language news site Al-Jazeera. more ›

It took over a year, but the Devils beat the Islanders at Nassau Coliseum. In addition to breaking their own streak, New Jersey ended the Islanders six-game home win streak. Bryce Salvador scored the go-ahead goal with less than seven minutes left in the game before the Zach Parise added an empty net goal for his second score of the game. more ›

A week and four days after a huge and destructive earthquake hit the island of Haiti, the nation’s government has called off search and rescue efforts. This means foreign and local teams will no longer look for survivors in the rubble of the country’s collapsed buildings and infrastructure. Nonetheless, rescuers were able to squeeze in one last success story. more ›

Their fans wrote them off. Their coach said they were out of the playoffs after a late-season loss. Yet with a win in Indianapolis against the Colts, the Jets can advance to their second Super Bowl in franchise history and their first since the 1968 season. more ›

This morning at 8 a.m. a tanker hauling a cargo of gasoline sideswiped a car while changing lanes, causing the truck to roll and burst into flames. Its driver perished on the Long Island Expressway and another person was injured. The wreck occurred near the Nassau-Suffolk County line and as of this afternoon the road was still closed on both sides near Melville, reported the NY Post. The truck’s combustion caused a giant fireball that could be seen for miles, and also felled a large highway sign, blocking the road in both directions. This afternoon rescuers were still trying to pull the driver’s body from truck. more ›

A Manhattan judge decided he believes at least one of two strippers from Big Daddy Lou's Hot Lap Dance Club who say they’re “just selling fantasy.” He threw out prostitution charges against one woman allegedly caught selling sex to an undercover cop. A decision is expected Tuesday on the fate of a second showgirl—porn star Cassandra Malandri. On Friday she took the stand and gave all the dirty details more ›

Hats, boots and sneakers aren’t allowed inside the exclusive China Club, but apparently knives are—three partiers at the Times Square night spot were stabbed early this morning, and one is dead from his wounds. No details yet about what sparked the knife violence, but police believe a fight broke out on the sidewalk when crowds of inebriated clubgoers spilled out onto the street at closing time. more ›

Oracle exec Charles Phillips picked the wrong woman to two-time when he took up with billboard mistress Yavaughnie Wilkins. New information shows that the public embarrassment she inflicted on her former beau was payback for big lies he told during the 8 1/2 years they dated seriously. "They lived together for the majority of their relationship. She thought she was in a long-term, monogamous relationship," said Wilkins's cousin Misha Davila. "It never occurred to any of us that he was still married." more ›

Two week after his arrest Adis Medunjanin, the Queens College grad and friend of alleged subway bomber Najibullah Zazi, has told Feds all about his own terrorist actions and those of his co-conspirators. A letter filed by prosecutors says the loose-lipped suspect—who is himself charged with getting Qaeda training and conspiring to murder American soldiers—provided investigators with “very detailed information” about “terrorist-related activities.” Meanwhile, Medunjanin’s lawyer Robert Gottlieb continues to argue that the FBI held and questioned his client illegally. more ›

Jason Katanic didn’t have a clean record when he was hired as a firearms instructor for the NY Correction Department, but he definitely had experience with guns. The city is now investigating how the ex-con—who as a teen went on a robbing and shooting spree that left one of his pals dead—got the job in the first place. more ›

In light of H&M and the city recently trashing perfectly good items that could have gone to charity, one blogger at Tree Hugger digs deeper to find out how Urban Outfitters handles their unwanted goods. She happened to stumble upon a bunch of boxes outside of their 14th Street and 6th Avenue store, all taped up with the words "broken" adorning them. more ›

The police arrested 24-year-old Jermaine Ruiz for the murders of his 22-year-old girlfriend and her two children. After receiving a tip, cops found Ruiz in an East Flatbush apartment yesterday, covered in blood and apparently preparing to get rid of the bodies. more ›

If it's the day before the Jets-Indianapolis Colts AFC Championship Game, it's time to examine the meaning of Mark Sanchez's t-shirts! (Because the beard is old news.) The rookie Jets quarterback sported a "Wonderboy" shirt yesterday and Sanchez explained, "I’ve had it for a while. I’m wearing everything that could bring a little something good.” more ›

Since a police officer got into a deadly shootout with a Times Square CD peddler, cops have been issuing more tickets to the over-eager salesman. In fact, they've given out 45 misdemeanor charges for "aggressive solicitation" in the past six weeks. As a result, CD sellers have nearly been wiped clean from the city's central hub, but is the eradication fair or legal? more ›

Two sweet-toothed men are bitter after being mistakenly arrested for possession of crack cocaine. "I spent five days in jail for possession of coconut candy," said 33-year-old dad Cesar Rodriguez, who works as a plumber's assistant. Now he and his friend want their just desserts--they're planning a $2 million lawsuit against the NYPD, who their lawyer say was careless and didn't follow protocol. more ›

Kobe Bryant was in town, but he wasn't able to deliver his usual stellar performance at The Garden. Bryant, who had a 61-point outing in his last visit to New York City, finished the game with a measly 27 points. New York actually had a one-point lead entering the 3rd quarter, but unfortunately for the Knicks, the Lakers started the 4th quarter with a 20-9 run. Kobe was able to score 13 points in the 4th quarter to help the Lakers to victory. David Lee led the Knicks with 31 points and 17 rebounds while Wilson Chandler scored 28 points in the loss. more ›

A week after the city was found to be at fault for discriminating against blacks and Latinos who wanted to become firefighters, a Brooklyn federal judge ruled that the city must pay damages to thousands of black and Latino applicants, and give jobs and retroactive pay to 293 others. more ›

The Associated Press was given a demonstration today in the Brooklyn Navy Yard of one corner of the waterfalls that will eventually be used for the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. The waterfall is part of "Reflecting Absence," designed by memorial architect Michael Arad. Builders have been tinkering with the project, which consists of two waterfalls and their pools, in anticipation of moving it to the Twin Towers site by the tenth anniversary of the attacks next year.
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The woman on trial for allegedly shooting at U.S. personnel in Afghanistan was thrown out of the courtroom again today. Aafia Siddiqui — who has urged a judge to use genetic testing to keep Jews off the jury and has repeatedly disrupted the case with dramatic outbursts — got the boot for shouting that her lawyers won't let her testify. more ›

As you may have heard by now, Air America has gone bankrupt, having announced on their website yesterday that they'd be ceasing live programming operations immediately. The progressive radio station's chairman explained in his statement: "The very difficult economic environment has had a significant impact on Air America's business. This past year has seen a 'perfect storm' in the media industry generally. National and local advertising revenues have fallen drastically, causing many media companies nationwide to fold or seek bankruptcy protection." more ›

Mayor Bloomberg reacted harshly to President Obama's bank plan plea yesterday, and countered with a plan of his own. On Thursday, Obama proposed legislation that would place curbs on the growth of the market share of liabilities at the biggest firms, and prohibit bank holding companies from owning, investing in or sponsoring hedge fund or private equity funds or engaging in proprietary trading more ›

Last September WPLJ deejay Blake Hayes (pictured left), and cabaret and Broadway performer Danny Calvert were attacked outside of McCoy's Bar in Hell's Kitchen, along with their friend Alec Bell. They claimed a man flicked a cigarette at them while saying, "Keep moving, faggots." When the trio quipped about the man's bald head, he became enraged, physically assaulted them, and said, "Die of AIDS, you fucking queers." more ›

Is this further proof that Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's investigation into State Senator Pedro Espada Jr. is heating up? Yesterday Cuomo's office served Espada's son, Pedro G. Espada, and two other employees of Espada's for-profit company with subpoenas to force them to testify before investigators next week. Cuomo is investigating whether Espada used money from the non-profit to help finance his political campaigns. Pedro G., who manages one of the non-profits, was also the guy Espada tried to install in a vague $120K Senate Job back in August, a move that swiftly ended in Pedro G.'s resignation after a public outcry. A source in the AG's office tells the Post, "Espada claims to be cooperating, but there are problems every step of the way." Why are we not surprised? more ›

[UPDATE BELOW] A woman who reportedly had an eight-and-a-half year affair with the married head of a major technology company purchased at least three Manhattan billboards in an attempt to shame the man. Ads showing Oracle President Charles Phillips posing with his mistress YaVaughnie Wilkins with the quote "'You are my soulmate forever!' - cep" have been posted at the corners of 45th Street and Third Avenue, 49th Street and 7th Avenue, 52nd Street and Broadway, as well as locations in Atlanta and San Francisco. more ›

Investigators believe a 24-year-old fatally stabbed his girlfriend and her two young daughters in a Flatbush residence, then told a relative he had committed the crime. After getting a tip from the relative, police arrived at the home on Rogers Avenue at around 1 pm today and the suspect — identified as Jermaine Ruiz — reportedly opened the door in clothing "splattered in blood." The Times reports that when officers from the 67th Precinct entered the home they found the bodies of Rogers' 22-year-old partner, as well as her daughters, ages 2 and 5. According to 1010WINS, the bodies were found in the kitchen. Law enforcement sources said the suspect might have been putting the children into plastic garbage bags, and noted: "We think they have been dead for a couple of days." more ›

Just call him Senator Get-'er-Done: between beseeching JetBlue to stay in NY and saving Bannerman Castle, Senator Chuck Schumer announced today that the Department of Homeland Security has approved funding for a program to protect NYC against a nuclear attack, calling the program "an indispensable tool used to protect the population, transit hubs, and commercial centers of New York City from the possibility of a devastating nuclear or dirty bomb attack." Another triumph for the Patron Saint of Pool Parties? more ›

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has revised its proposed plan for "Doomsday" service cuts, potentially rescuing nighttime service on several crosstown buses, saving the Z train, and ensuring that trains run every 20 minutes, not every 30 minutes, late at night. The MTA's new proposed cuts no longer threaten the M79 and M96 buses, and nighttime service on Eighth Avenue's M10 bus would be preserved. The M train would still be cut, though the V train — which currently terminates in the Lower East Side — would extend into Brooklyn to cover its stops in Williamsburg and further east. Though the W train would still be eliminated, Q trains would extend into Queens and N trains would run local in Manhattan to cover its stops. more ›

Who knew there was so much to say about Staten Island. Slate writer Jonah Weiner has written a breathless piece on The Island of Self-Identifying Guidos — tying it all together with three central characters: Angelina, Vinny and The Situation. That's right, three Jersey Shore cast members are, unsurprisingly, from there (if you can even count Angelina, who left the show early due to a sudden case of being terrible). The author notes that while Staten Island can be a historical haven for mobsters, "it is best known today as Planet Guido," and nothing we've seen on the big or small screen has done anything to negate that image. While other boroughs can lure city folk to their far-off corners, Staten Island has had less success — being "politically, culturally, and sociologically the strangest bedfellow in the city's ménage à cinq." But who's to blame — has pop culture single-handedly created the stigma the island can't seem to shake? [via Curbed] more ›

At the well-attended pep rally for the Jets in Times Square yesterday, Mayor Bloomberg announced that Manhattan Island would be (unofficially) re-named "Revis Island" as long as the Jets were still in the playoffs. It's named after the All-Pro cornerback who has stifled and overwhelmed the league's top wide receivers this year (including twitter-enemy Ochocinco), and who the Mayor called "the NFL defensive player of the year, as far as I'm concerned." (You can see the sign hanging in Times Square above, along with some other creative "Revis Island" designs.) more ›

The 35 cats that were taken from one crazy cat lady's apartment are now up for adoption! The NY Post reports that you can have the pick of the litter. The ASPCA has been working with the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals, as well as other groups, to get the cats healthy and into forever homes. Cats and kittens were transported by the Mayor’s Alliance to organizations around the city, and you can check here to find the closest to you. In related cat news: we couldn't find Art on the ASPCA's adoption site anymore — so it looks like someone took him in! (He had suffered injuries after riding 2-miles in the engine of a car in the Bronx.) more ›

The airline that diverted a flight when a Jewish passenger started praying said it was forced to treat the incident as a bomb scare because the teen didn't clearly explain why he had strapped his tefillin — two small black boxes worn by Orthodox Jews during weekday morning prayers — to his head and arm. According to Chautauqua Airlines, which was operating the US Airways Flight from LaGuardia to Kentucky, "[w]hen our crew tried to discuss the issue with the passenger, they did not receive a clear response." more ›

Just weeks after trouncing Councilman Charles Barron (D-East New York) to be re-elected as Council Speaker, Councilwoman Christine Quinn (D-Chelsea) stripped Barron of his position chairing the Higher Education Committee. In a near repeat of the 48-1 vote in the Speaker race, the Council voted 47-1 to demote Barron. In both instances, Barron cast the only vote in his favor. more ›

Yesterday afternoon a cab burst into flames on Cadman Plaza West in Brooklyn! Sure, we've seen cabs on fire before — but we still want answers as to why the Crown Victorias seem to be spontaneously combusting. The Brooklyn Eagle reports on yesterday's incident, noting it only took a few minutes before the car was engulfed in flames and charred. The driver told them he was driving two passengers over the Brooklyn Bridge when he noticed there was smoke coming out of the hood. He recalls, "It was just a little smoke. I pulled over and told the passengers to get out. When I opened the hood, I saw it was on fire so I called 911." Neither the passengers nor driver were injured. more ›

Although it seems like every day is a no-good day for our permanently embattled Governor, today is maybe extra-bittersweet. This morning, top strategist and chief spokesman for Gov. Paterson's election campaign Tracy Sefl announced her sudden resignation. In her statement, Sefl said it was a "privilege" to work under the Governor, and her decision was a "business one;" and City Room confirms from insiders that she left of her own accord. Could it all be so simple for Paterson's bad luck express? more ›

There are plenty of alternative living situations in New York City, particularly for those who are brave and/or not picky — there's a trailer park, tent city and shipping containers, to name a few. But remember those kids who lived on a houseboat in the Bronx? Sure, their boat wasn't a perfect solution nor an ideal living situation — but what if a better floating abode were available? The Daily News takes a look at the appealing option, which can often be cheaper than living on the land... and can even look like a city apartment. more ›

It's the low pressure system that can't! If you look on the radar you'll see a storm trying to move up the coast. However, high pressure centered over Hudson Bay has taken offense to this incursion and is saying "No way, Mr. Storm, you are not going to rain on the Big Apple." Mr. Storm will offer a weak protest in the form of a few clouds, but will otherwise move out to sea in shame. Look for a slightly warmer than normal day, the ninth in a row, with a high in the lower 40s. More of the same, but with fewer clouds, is expected tomorrow. more ›

With the G train out of commission for four straight weekends, some crafty commuters in the Greenpoint area had relied on the 7 train—just on the other side of the Pulaski Bridge—to get into Manhattan. Well, so much for that stratagem. Starting next weekend, there will be no 7 train service between Grand Central and Queensboro Plaza. And no service for the next 10 weekends after that. Please be patient. more ›

A Queens man was sentenced to 15 years in prison for stealing a car and hitting and killing two pedestrians when he was drunk and on pills. Kenneth Guyear pleaded guilty to vehicular manslaughter yesterday in the deaths of Robert Ogle, 16, and Alex Paul, 20, who were killed in Middle Village in February, according to the Post. The judge sentenced Guyear to the maximum prison term for the offense after he confessed to having five or six drinks and consuming two Xanax pills before stealing a car that was idling in front of a deli and striking the victims. Guyear — as well as the man whose car was stolen and the parents who allowed the underage victims to drink at their home before the incident — still face a civil suit from Ogle's parents. more ›

This is going to make an amazing roadside attraction one day (or perhaps an eatery in Hell's Kitchen?). The aircraft that Capt. Sullenberger gracefully landed in the Hudson River a year ago is now for sale at auction! more ›

The trial of three NYPD officers accused of covering up one officer's alleged sodomy of a drug suspect in the Prospect Park subway station got underway yesterday. In opening arguments, lawyers for the cops portrayed Michael Mineo, 25, as an opportunistic scam artist who inflicted the wounds on himself to sue the city for millions. "He's trying to scam the people of New York City," said John Patten, the lawyer for Officer Richard Kern, who is accused of sodomizing Mineo with his retractable police baton. According to Patten, Mineo injured himself while handcuffed: "He was digging, digging, digging into his backside" and may have caused a "superficial laceration to his rear end." more ›

Is Mischa Barton running out of Marissa Cooper money? She hasn't had much steady work since playing that character on The OC, which ended in 2006, and now word is she's not paying her rent. more ›

After video surfaced yesterday showing two NYPD officers beating a handcuffed man in the Bronx, a second man has come forward to say cops beat him even more viciously, after slapping the cuffs on him. Unfortunately for him, no one was there to videotape his beating. 22-year-old Louis Miranda and his uncle own the pit bull that police say pounced at them during a round-up of drug suspects at a Bronx housing complex on January 5th. Two officers were wounded when a third officer shot at the dog, sending a bullet ricocheting in the narrow hallway. But Miranda denies siccing his dog on the cops. more ›

The man suspected of fatally stabbing a friendly 41-year-old corporate events planner was a "down on his luck" freeloader who'd overstayed his welcome with the victim, friends say. Co-workers of John Lea became worried on Wednesday when he didn't show up for work at the New York Society of Security Analysts, and yesterday they led police to his apartment. The door was locked, so cops broke in via the fire escape and found Lea's body under a pile of clothes, wearing only his underwear, with his throat slashed, a massive gash on his head, and "several defensive wounds" on his hands. more ›

The Rangers had 14 goals in two games. Now they have 14 goals in three games. Ray Emery shut the door this time. A breakaway goal put the Flyers in front, and then the Rangers let one in with three seconds to go in the second period. The Rangers, who had 24 shots on goal, visit Montreal on Saturday night. more ›

Brooklyn-bound 4 and 5 trains were halted at the Bowling Green station this afternoon when a woman got stuck between the platform and the train in Borough Hall. An MTA Transit spokeswoman told Gothamist that "a customer slipped and they got their leg wedged between the train." The incident occurred at some time before 5:45 pm and rescuers turned off the power on the line so they could extricate the woman. She was rescued and service resumed at 6:03 pm, according to the spokeswoman. more ›

New York City's community boards are known for being thorns in the side of city government, lobbying, often effectively, to influence the policy of councilmembers and city agencies. But it's rare to see a community board — by design the lowest wrung of municipal government — challenge the President of the United States. And it's even rarer to see them making headway. more ›

The concrete-and-granite bollards designed to ward off terrorist attacks at the newly-opened Atlantic Terminal Pavilion have been panned for being excessive — but who would have thought they exceeded even the NYPD's anti-terrorism guidelines? StreetsBlog reports that the barriers are both bigger and closer together than the security measures suggested in the NYPD's report "Engineering Security: Protective Design For High Risk Buildings." more ›

The city has been busting up the counterfeit shops of Canal Street for a little while now, and the NY Press is wondering how the disappearance of the peddlers is now taking its toll on legit businesses. The locals there are declaring that "Canal Street will join Times Square, Astor Place, the Lower East Side, the Garment District and all the other former centers of down-and-dirty capitalist grit that have been safely gentrified." One watch seller in the area told the paper, “It was a nice hustle while it lasted," but soon franchises and fancy hotels will take over the spots where independents used to operate out of (Starbucks just offered one man $12,000 a month for his corner storefront). [via Curbed] more ›

New research contends that it's not just the Lower East Side's distinctive architecture and character that are in danger — but also the neighborhood's unique dialect. Younger LES residents whose families have lived in the neighborhood for decades no longer speak with the recognizable inflection of older generations, according to a New York University linguistics student. more ›

After a long day bracing yourself from the wind and layering up until you can barely move, isn't it nice to come home to a warm apartment and melt next to your radiator? Not anymore! The Times is calling the newest trend of the season: voluntarily going without heat. It turns out that plenty of New Yorkers have decided to keep their layers on all winter... without even the prompt of a double-dog dare. more ›

This week EphemeralNY recalled the New York City earthquake of 1884. That's right, we're not immune to natural disasters. On August 10th of that year, an earthquake estimated to be at a magnitude of 5.5 hit — it was believed to be centered off Far Rockaway or Coney Island. more ›

The Long Island mother accused of torturing and killing cats and dogs and forcing her children to take part in the abuse might plead not guilty by reason of insanity. After getting hit with additional felony charges of animal cruelty and child endangerment yesterday, the lawyer representing Selden resident Sharon McDonough said he is "considering an insanity defense" for his client, who so far has pleaded not guilty, according to 1010WINS. Investigators uncovered the remains of 42 animals in her backyard after her son alerted authorities, claiming his mother "would buy the dog, treat it like it was the greatest dog in the world for a few days, then they would sit in the cage until she decided to kill them." more ›

Remember Monday's Brooklyn Heights electrical fire, with the gas leaks and the exploding manhole covers and the power outage and the subway shutdowns and the evacuations? We reported that it was caused by a contractor working for National Grid, who hit an underground MTA electrical line while installing gas service to a home on Willow Place. It turns out the contractor did everything he was supposed to do, including making the required "call before you dig" query, which every contractor must do before ripping into city streets. So what's to stop this from happening again? more ›

Earlier this month the co-president of NYCLASS, Steve Nislick, joined the ASPCA and a panel of experts to discuss the welfare of horses today. Naturally, the discussion turned to New York's carriage horse industry, which they would like to replace with a fleet of antique electric cars. On the state of the horse's welfare, Nislick said: "They provide them with no protection. If I don't give a horse water for 12 hours, I've done nothing wrong. The minimum requirement in NY State is you have to give a horse water once every 12 hours. Does that make sense to anybody?" They're calling for a three year phase out — and they claim if this change was made, the economic benefit would double. Watch the video of their speech here. more ›

A Queens mother is suing the city because her daughter was killed by a drug-addled driver when she was supposed to be in foster care. Algerlin Willis announced on Wednesday that she intends to file a $10 million suit against the Administration for Children's Services and Little Flower Children's Services of New York for the October death of her 15-year-old daughter, Katherine, who perished when a woman who had smoked crack, used heroin, and drank alcohol earlier in the day drove a van full of foster children into oncoming traffic. more ›

Jets rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez was feted in a glossy GQ spread before the season began, but these days, he's looking a little less slick, thanks to superstitions. Showing off his beard, the 23-year-old told reporters during a press conference, “Why change now? We’ve gotten into a little routine thus far these last couple weeks and we’ve been on our game as a team. Nobody wants to change. I sure don’t." more ›

This whole business of charging readers for access to the New York Times website got us thinking about a slight ethical dilemma we ignore every Sunday afternoon while liberating a fat, neglected copy of the Times from some out-of-towner's stoop. How early is too early to steal someone's Sunday Times? For guidance, we asked a couple NY Times reporters. (They don't get free subscriptions!) One veteran staff reporter, who agreed to speak anonymously, is surprisingly brazen: more ›

Last year Vespa drivers were removing their license plates and scratching off their VIN numbers in order to avoid getting ticketed for illegally parking. Now the NY Post reports that motorcycle and scooter enthusiasts have formed a task force! more ›

The city EMTs accused of ignoring a dying pregnant woman while they were buying breakfast in a Downtown Brooklyn cafe called the allegations against them "lies and fabrications." Queens residents Jason Green and Melissa Jackson — whose 30-day suspensions end today — said they did everything they could on the morning of Dec. 9, when Eutisha Revee Rennix collapsed in a backroom of an Au Bon Pain and later died of an asthma attack. Her unborn child also perished. more ›

It's been a couple of days since we pointed out that the Gray Lady ran an altered image of Christina Hendricks at the Golden Globes, in an article where writer Cathy Horyn used an anonymous quote to call the actress "big." Since then, the story has made the rounds, and the Paper of Record has printed an explanation, of sorts, saying: "The photo was slightly distorted inadvertently due to an error during routine processing. The photograph has been replaced." more ›

According to WCBS 2, "A small plane landing at Teterboro Airport with three people on board skidded off the runway and became stuck in mud... The plane, a Gulfstream 200 owned by BB & T Finance Corp. out of Charlotte, N.C., made its descent over Teterboro around 9:45 Thursday morning." The three passengers appear to have been uninjured. Back in 2005, a private plane taking off from the NJ airport skidded across a highway and crashed into a warehouse. more ›

Strippers are on trial, so the tabloids are all over it. But the prosecution of two female employees at Big Daddy Lou's Hot Lap Dance Club is turning out more baffling than bawdy. Earlier this week, lawyers for defendants Cassandra Malandri (aka porn star Alexia Moore) and topless dancer Falynn Rodriguez tried to get the case tossed because of what they said was a semantic error in the prosecution's court filing. See, the prosecution wrote "engage, offer and agree" to prostitution, when the state's penal code specifies "or," not "and." (The judge wasn't buying that.) But wait, it gets steamier stupider, and there's a lesbian angle, too! more ›

Reports started coming across the wire earlier this morning that a flight out of LaGuardia Airport was being diverted to Philadelphia due to a bomb scare involving a passenger "who has wires strapped to his head and fingers." Turns out, there wasn't really a bomb on board, instead the plane was diverted because "an orthodox Jewish male put on customary 'tefilin' (sic) straps for his morning prayers." more ›

An 8-year-old was arrested yesterday after he tried to show a classmate a loaded gun he carried into a Long Island school. A third-grade teacher overheard the student bragging about the weapon and confiscated a semiautomatic handgun from the adolescent's desk, according to cops. more ›

Last year a "coyote hybrid" was spotted in Queens, and now residents in Harlem have their own wily creature roaming the streets. CNN reports that Wednesday morning, around 9:30 a.m., some frightened locals called in a sighting to the NYPD. An emergency service unit was sent to track the animal down, and they cornered her in Trinity Cemetery on 155th and Broadway, where she was tranquilized. more ›

Goldman Sachs announced record earnings today: According to the NY Times, "The bank said that for 2009, it earned a profit of $13.4 billion on revenue of $45.2 billion," and 4th quarter earnings of $8.20/share, beating estimates of $5.20/share. But the bigger news may be the fact that the bank started to slash its bonus pool. more ›

A rookie Bronx cop and a second officer have been suspended and may face criminal charges after video surfaced showing them assaulting a handcuffed man on January 5th. The beating took place after two cops were wounded by a ricocheting bullet fired by a third officer chasing a drug suspect, whose pit bull had pounced at them. An area resident took the video (below) from a nearby apartment, but maybe it's nothing to get worked up about, because one NYPD source says, "It wasn't as bad as Rodney King." more ›

Finally! Former senator and presidential and vice-presidential candidate John Edwards has admitted to fathering a child with mistress Rielle Hunter. After denying he ever had a love child, now Edwards tells NBC News in a statement, "I am Quinn’s father... It was wrong for me ever to deny she was my daughter and hopefully one day, when she understands, she will forgive me." more ›

A little after 5 p.m. yesterday we got word over the newswire of a "Secret Service involved MVA" on the BQE by 39th Street, where a US Secret Service vehicle was hit by a tractor trailer. Today the NY Post has more details, saying an off-duty Secret Service agent was cut off by an 18-wheeler, whose tires flattened the front of his vehicle and caused him "to spin around and slam into a concrete barricade." Another agent had been nearby, and pulled the truck over — but the driver wasn't charged. While the car was totaled, the agent declined medical attention and is reportedly unharmed. more ›

Devils 2, Panthers 0: Martin Brodeur's 108th career shutout came easy. He needed to make only 22 saves to help the Devils end their three-game losing streak, their longest of the season. Travis Zajac had the go-ahead goal late in the second period. The Devils didn't look great, but they looked much better than they did during the road trip that finished with a dud and a 4-0 loss at the Islanders on Monday. The Devils face the Canadiens on Friday before a rematch at the Islanders on Saturday night. more ›

You've heard of slush funds, but what about lulus? Lulus are stipends given to members of City Council who lead committees, allowing politicians to take on a little extra responsibility and take home as much as $28,000 per year in extra cash on top of their $112,500 salaries. Critics say the money is really a payout to those who are loyal to Council Speaker Christine Quinn. more ›

Verizon announced today that it will waive long-distance fees on all calls to Haiti. That means that whomever you're calling—rescue workers, earthquake victims, or Scientologists—you won't have a hefty phone bill. "We want to help alleviate some of the agony being experienced by our customers trying to reach loved ones in Haiti," said Susan Retta, a Verizon executive, in a statement. The offer works on both cell phones and landlines, and the phone company will even give refunds for past calls after January 12th. Okay, it's only good up until the end of the month, but Haiti's sure to be back on its feet in a couple weeks, right? more ›

In a State of the City address crafted for a recession era, Mayor Bloomberg said he will reduce government spending, streamline city agencies, and assist debt-ridden New Yorkers by establishing a $10 million fund to help refinance mortgages, and starting a new banking program that will offer accounts with no minimum balances or hidden fees. "The city can't manage anyone's personal finances but we can make it easier for New Yorkers to manage their own — and we will," he said. more ›

Feds are moving to keep the Burmese python and eight other large slithering species out of the United States, and specifically out of JFK. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar says the airport ban is important since New York is the biggest entry point to the U.S. for imported wildlife, reported AP. People bring snakes in as the pets, but often end up releasing them into the wild where they wreak havoc on delicate ecosystems like Florida's Everglades. Also on the chopping block are Indian pythons, Northern African pythons, Southern African pythons, reticulated pythons, boa constrictors and four species of anacondas. Before a final decision is made, the proposal will be open to a public hearing. more ›

It's usually fun when old people get to a certain age and they just don't give a damn anymore, but one of the elderly men in this story just sounds like an all-ages asshole. Gersh Gofman, 83, was arrested Monday afternoon after beating up 99-year-old Steve Pulwers, who ended up with a broken nose and broken ribs thanks to Gofman. Pulwers lives above a doctor's office in Borough Park, and when he saw that Gofman's car was blocking the driveway, Pulwers knocked on Gofman's window to get him out of the way. Because these are the small but noble tasks that fill your day when you're old—unless you're old like Gorfman and you go around beating up even older people! more ›

Remember the Brooklyn woman who ended up with 37 cats in her one-bedroom apartment? Thirty-five of them were confiscated by the ASPCA, and soon one can be yours! "It was costing me a lot of money. I didn't want to throw them out in the street," 53-year-old Kima Brown told the NY Post. "Everyone in the complex has a kitten from me." Animal care agencies are still checking out the cats, but so far they all seem healthy. Just two were returned to their owner, who was happy to have a reprieve, most of all from the sound of cats screeching. "No more," said Graham. "That is it for them. I'm getting too old for this." more ›

Though early reports indicated the windows of a Clinton Hill nightclub might have been shattered in a shooting, the real cause of the crime was strict enforcement of the city's smoking ban, the Local reports. According to an employee at Waverly Avenue's Loft 45, a "kid was smoking in the bathroom and the bouncer threw him out." Once outside, the smoker and his friends broke five of the venue's windows. The incident comes at a time when many New Yorkers apparently thought it was safe to start smoking in clubs again. more ›

According to the Brooklyn Paper, a Park Slope youth dance troupe (sounds like Sparkle Motion to us!) had their airfare money stolen by a crooked travel agent. The two dozen or so teens had been selected to perform at an international competition and following the incident feared they may have to skip it. more ›

Ushering in a more touchy-feely approach to juvenile delinquency, Mayor Bloomberg will make the city's Department of Juvenile Justice part of its child welfare agency. The announcement, which came in this afternoon's state of the city address, signals that the new administration intends to put fewer kids behind bars. more ›

After being thrown out of a Manhattan courtroom for calling a witness a liar yesterday, attempted murder suspect Aafia Siddiqui promised to behave herself. "I'm going to be quiet," said the MIT- and Brandeis-educated scientist, whose courtroom antics have so far included outbursts and pleas for the use of genetic tests to keep Jews off her jury. "It doesn't mean I agree." more ›

For 41 years now, Jets fans have been dreaming of another Superbowl title. But one man from Chappaqua decided to actually do something about it. Tom Schonberg decided to name his son "Jake Edward Thomas Schonberg," or J.E.T.S. And hey, look at that, the Jets are one game away from the Superbowl. more ›

We all know PETA loves to drape naked ladies all over their billboards. But lately, has it gotten a little bit out of hand? Today we got a press release pointing us to a fully naked "State of Union Undress," which features a vegetarian PETA member performing a sultry striptease in front of an American flag. And she's like, all the way naked. You can watch it here — there's even a SFW version. more ›

A federal judge has issued a $6.8 million judgment against a Russian immigrant suspected of murdering two lonely NY women for their insurance money. In both cases he may have killed them using an undetectable fatal drug, a technique he described in a self-published work of fiction. more ›

A team of New York City police officers and firefighters saved two children who had been buried beneath the debris of a two-story building since a devastating earthquake struck Haiti last week. After being flagged down by passersby, members of the 76-person NYPD/FDNY Urban Search and Rescue Task Force pulled an 8-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl — believed to be brother and sister — from the wreckage yesterday at around 9:15 pm, according to the Daily News. That account corresponds closely with the above picture, posted today on the NYPD's Twitter page. According to an NYPD spokesman, the children received treatment at an Israeli tent hospital and were reunited with their parents, who had escaped the building collapse. "They were extremely dehydrated," the spokesman noted. more ›

Well here's an important study. Apparently some company did some sort of scientific purse study and found out that purses are getting lighter, down to almost 3 lbs from a whopping 8 lbs just two years ago. This may have to do with lighter gadgets — it would be interesting to find out how much purses weighed when we were all carrying around Zack Morris phones and walkmans! more ›

Tomorrow, in between Rex Ryan's totally normal 7,000 calorie meals, Mayor Bloomberg and Times Square will be hosting a pep rally for the overachieving Jets. The Mayor will be in attendance, along with Jets greats past-and-present. Only a game away from the Super Bowl, anticipation for this Sunday's AFC Championship match-up with the Indianapolis Colts is reaching a boiling point, with some calling the underdog Jets the "team of destiny," and David Letterman alternatively offering his "Top 10 Signs the New York Jets Are Getting Too Cocky." The pep rally will be held on Broadway between 44th and 45th streets from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Participators and observers should send any photos to photos(at)gothamist(dot)com. Watch Letterman's Top Ten segment below: more ›

The Daily News reports that the city and the state used to cover the cost of providing free transit to students, but former Mayor Giuliani and former Gov. Pataki cut contributions to $45 million each, covering about two-thirds of the cost of the program. As the service grew more expensive, neither the city and the state increased the funding, and the state reduced its contribution to $25 million, then again to $6 million. Even though Paterson's proposed $25 million contribution isn't nearly enough to preserve student MetroCards, his budget "characterizes the student funding as an increase over last year — but that's only because the program was slashed nearly to extinction last year," according to the tabloid. more ›

Back in 2007, rapper Ja Rule was arrested on West End Avenue, where he and his crew were pulled over for speeding. However, the cops found a .40-caliber pistol in the car (which ended up having a trace amounts of Ja Rule's DNA on it). According to the Post, Ja Rule and his lawyer argued this morning that cops had no cause to search his car, but Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Richard Carruthers denied the motion. He did, however, say that the weed the rapper admitted to having on him that night won't be used against him. He's free on bail right now, but his next court date is March 3rd, and he faces a minimum of 3.5 years in prison. more ›

One and a half million Graco strollers sold at Wal-Mart, Target and other large retailers have been recalled after they guillotined the fingers of five children and cut two others. The Graco disaster comes in the wake of another stroller situation—just three months ago Maclaren carriages were recalled for causing 12 similar fingertip amputations. more ›

As promised in his inaugural address, Mayor Bloomberg is ordering top deputies at city agencies to participate in a three-week inter-agency swap. According to the plan—which found its inspiration in the mayor's financial days, not in key parties of yore—each deputy will spend the time improving management practices at their host agency. This could get ugly! more ›

Five middle school and high school students are suing the Police Department over allegations that cops and school safety officers wrongfully arrested them and used excessive force. The plaintiffs in the class-action case — who range in age from 13 to 15 years old — say that "inadequately trained and poorly supervised police personnel engage in aggressive behavior toward students when no criminal activity is taking place and when there is no threat to health and safety," and often "confront and arrest students over minor disciplinary infractions such as talking back, being late for class or having a cell phone in school." more ›

NY pot smokers are already rubbing their hands together in anticipation of bridge and tunnel medical marijuana trafficking, but there's one group that's not happy about New Jersey's new law—pot dealers! "As I smoker, I think it's great. But from a business aspect, it's going to cut a lot of people," said one illegal purveyor of the drug. more ›

Last year, 72-year-old songwriter, film director and one-time Oscar winner (for penning "You Light Up My Life"), Joseph Brooks was charged with a 91-count indictment after luring girls to his apartment via Craigslist ads. He conned many into taking cross country trips to his casting couch, with promises of stardom and a part in his next movie. Except there was no movie, and when the young girls would arrive he would allegedly sexually assault and rape them. more ›

Those Canadians and their high pressure systems will give New York clear skies through tomorrow. Plenty of sunshine is on tap for today and Thursday. Look for highs in the lower 40s and lows near freezing for both days. more ›

The off-duty cop who successfully stalled a blood alcohol test for seven hours after fatally running over a woman in Brooklyn last September is going on the offensive. It's come to light that the victim, minister's daughter Vionique Valnord, 32, had blood alcohol levels of .22 percent in the blood, .23 percent in the eye fluid and .28 percent in the urine, according to a toxicology report. Valnord was trying to hail a cab in the rain after leaving a wedding when she was struck and killed by off-duty officer Andrew Kelly, who smelled of alcohol and appeared drunk, first responders say. (When a court-ordered blood test was finally administered, he scored a perfect zero.) more ›

Ever since construction work began in a nearby park, skunks have brought a noxious odor and a pervasive sense of fear to a Bronx public housing complex. It's gotten so bad that residents of the Throggs Neck Houses are horrified to leave their apartments after dark. "If it was just rats and roaches, I could take care of it myself," said Maxine Breeden, 44. "But these are wild animals. Lots of 'em." more ›

The city has selected a new amusement park company to operate rides in Coney Island. Following its purchase of a large chunk of Coney Island land, the city has tapped Zamperla USA to kick off its controversial plan to revitalize the neighborhood by bringing new amusements to the area between KeySpan Park and the former Astroland amusement park. more ›

The free ride's over (again) at the New York Times website. As expected, the Gray Lady's going to start making bitches pay for her services on the side of the information superhighway. Today the Times announced the details on its upcoming website pay wall; starting in 2011, visitors to NYTimes.com will get a certain number of articles free every month, then they'll be required to pay a flat fee for unlimited access. (Subscribers to the newspaper’s print edition will receive full access to the site.) According to this article on the Times website (copied and pasted below for you to read for free), the whole fate of the paper is riding on this one: more ›

Sorry to disillusion you, but Cash4Gold, the company that targets poor, desperate late-night TV watchers with endorsements by equally cash-strapped celebrities, is a scam! Okay, maybe you already knew that. But unless you're one of the poor chumps who dialed their 1-800 number, you don't know how they fleece customers—4 Cash!—or what the state plans to do about it. more ›

Does last night's big Massachusetts victory for the tea-bagging right have you contemplating jumping off a bridge? Be careful how you time it, because you might end up landing in a delicious vat of chocolate and peanut butter (instead of dead). It happened to the guy in this video, who appears to be jumping off the Brooklyn Bridge just for the hell of it, and certainly not for some kind of stupid advertising stunt. Corporate America really missed a great opportunity here, because this would have been such a clever way to subtly promote all sorts of products, and then get the Internets to spread brand awareness for free! more ›

Do you recognize this man? If you live in Dongan Hills on Staten Island, you may have seen him in the past week or so, but only now would you realize you crossed paths with a would-be sexual predator, wanted for trying to rape a 22-year-old domestic worker as she walked to work on the morning of January 12th. The incident happened near the Staten Island Academy and the Richmond County Country Club, and now some local residents are up in arms, because the police didn't start notifying them until yesterday. more ›

The U.S. Geological Survey says that a 6.1-magnitude aftershock hit 35 miles west-southwest of Port-au-Prince, Haiti this morning. The NY Times reports there were "shaking buildings and... screams of terror from the thousands of residents who have been camped outside since last week’s powerful earthquake"—this was the largest aftershock to hit the region so far. The latest earthquake comes as the U.S. military tries to open up more airports to receive aid. more ›

In an ironic twist, formerly-obscure Republican Scott Brown won the Massachusetts Senate seat occupied by the late Ted Kennedy from 1962 until his death in August, throwing into jeopardy Congress's most recent attempt to pass some kind of health care reform, Kennedy's most beloved cause. Brown's decisive 52-47 percent victory over Attorney General Martha Coakley has Republicans giddy and Democrats panicked—Brown doesn't think waterboarding is torture, opposes a federal cap-and-trade program to reduce carbon emissions, and posed nude for Cosmo. more ›

Rangers 8 Tampa Bay 2: Granted Montreal and Tampa are hardly powerhouses in the NHL, but this offensive explosion from the Rangers is impressive. Following Sunday’s six-goal effort, New York netted eight goals on Tuesday. Sixteen different Rangers recorded at least a point with Marian Gaborik getting four, all assists. A different Ranger scored each of the goals and five players had two points each. It was an easy night for Henrik Lundqvist who stopped 21-of-23 shots. more ›

According to Boston.com, Scott Brown, the Republican candidate for the Massachusetts Senate seat, has 53% of the vote in the special election. Hope you like your health insurance— because you probably aren't going to be getting any help with that for quite some time! Update: the Brown campaign is saying that Coakley, the Democratic candidate, has already called to concede. more ›

A man who's committed a string of armed robberies at cafes, shops and boutiques in the Village reminded a victim of someone—with a thin, pale face, sunken cheeks and piercing eyes, he was the spitting image of Beat writer and classy junkie William S. Burroughs. more ›

Albany lawmakers missed the 4:30 deadline today to agree on a plan that would allow more charter schools in New York, hurting the state's chances to win up to $700 million in federal education funds, the Post reports. "It's dead in the state Assembly," said pro-charter Assemblyman Michael Benjamin (D-Bronx). more ›

The first of several charges have been filed against Adis Medunjanin, 25, a Queens College graduate who allegedly traveled to Pakistan in 2008 with subway bomb suspect Najibullah Zazi. Today federal prosecutor James P. Loonam told a judge that while in Pakistan, Medunjanin attended an Al Qaeda training camp and conspired to kill American service members in Afghanistan. Loonam's office expects to seek additional charges against Medunjanin, who has not (yet) been charged with participating in Zazi's alleged subway bomb plot. more ›

Remember when the two families of swans (apparently named the Monsters and Honeybears) living in Prospect Park became territorial and waged war upon each other? Well now they're playing nice! The Brooklyn Paper has a report from the lake, saying they've welcomed two new swans to the flock. One regular visitor of the feathered friends opines, “They’re just trying to make the best of the winter. They’re in it together.” While this might be the most amount of swans that have ever peacefully lived in the lake together, the paper notes "the highest population on record from 1900 to present day in Prospect Park was in June of last year, when both the Honeybear and Monster families still had their broods intact." more ›

Here's a way to find out if your neighborhood is kid-friendly. The website PlayaroundNYC has assembled a map charting the locations of playgrounds and their distances from major and minor truck routes. The areas that are darker in color have greater access to playgrounds that aren't surrounded by truck routes than the areas that are lighter in color. Though the map doesn't account for other variables impacting playground quality — like quality of play equipment, population density, or the availability of park restrooms — it's an interesting way to see how different parts of the city cater to children. According to the folks responsible for the map, "[i]t's unfortunate that the easiest locations to place playgrounds are on land left over from major highway construction rather than locations that are more appropriate for supporting young New Yorkers." more ›

One kid brought some edge back to SoHo today by covering the windows of Chanel in hot pink spray paint, and Nylon will not stand for it! Despite covering their pages with street art and neon colors, they turned red upon finding out this hoodlum would disrespect one of their houses of worship like that. They report back from the scene of the crime saying the kid hit everything he could before "a police officer tackled him, and he burst into tears" — and that, despite the pink squiggles, "Chanel can make anything look good." Right, everyone will look good in that cardigan/leotard combo. more ›

After a disastrous Q and A with the Times in which former Tennessee Congressman Harold Ford Jr. revealed he officially moved to New York last year, gets chauffeured to work, and has only visited Staten Island by helicopter, the likely Senate candidate tried to prove he's a real New Yorker in an interview with the Daily News. "I love New York, I love the smell of New York. ... I love the subway," said Ford, who listed his hobbies as walking down Fifth Avenue at sunrise with a cup of coffee, strolling in Central Park, and jogging along the Hudson River. (Gawker has drafted a handy map so you can track Ford's appearances around the city). more ›

Not since we found out that coffee will prevent us from committing suicide have we been so shocked by a study. Bloomberg News finally sifted through that report that's been going around and pulled out this gem: sitting down will kill you. Are you sitting down right now? Well, hopefully you are drinking coffee to counteract it, and not watching television (which will also kill you). more ›

As expected, Wall Street will resume giving its brokers and bankers big fat bonuses this year. A report from the state budget division estimates that $64.2 billion in bonuses will be handed out in 2010—that's $57 billion more than last year, though still $19 billion less than in 2008. But the crafty financial institutions have adopted an array of creative tactics to quell public outrage over bonuses: the latest strategy is to pay their workers in stock, reports Reuters, that way it won't show up on the tax bill until five years later. Also, guns! (Okay, fine, rumors of guns.) more ›

A recent nationwide round-up of metropolitan commutes placed NYC's sort of near the top of the list, at sixth place. But of the area's highways and byways, the Cross Bronx Expressway is a standout for congestion, reported the Daily Beast. “There’s an old phrase that we used to have: too many cars and not enough roadway, and that fits the Cross Bronx to a T,” said Tom Kaminski, traffic reporter for WCBS 880. “There’s no room to expand, there’s no way to throw in an additional lane or an additional shoulder—people have started changing their driving habits whenever they can.” more ›

The Long Island woman accused of torturing at least 42 cats and dogs and burying them in her backyard has been indicted on four additional felony counts of animal cruelty — as well as dozens of counts of child endangerment for allegedly forcing her kids to take part in the abuse. Sharon McDonough, 43, is expected to be arraigned on the new charges on Thursday. She has already been indicted on felony charges of aggravated cruelty to animals, and misdemeanor charges of torturing and injuring animals and endangering the welfare of a child. Her attorney told Newsday that "she continues to stand by her not guilty plea." The Post reports that McDonough remains in jail with bail set at $100,000. McDonough's son has said she ran a "concentration camp for the animals." more ›

As 200,000 people are estimated dead from Haiti's 7.0 earthquake last week, Royal Caribbean cruise line defends its right to ferry vacationers to private beaches on the island. This weekend thousands of passengers boozed, para-sailed and sunned themselves just an hour's drive from the earthquake's epicenter. And other ships are scheduled to arrive! more ›

NYC's drinking water is touted as some of the cleanest in the nation, and Attorney General Andrew Cuomo wants to keep it that way. He's reached "groundbreaking" settlements with five facilities who were dumping and flushing their unused painkillers, antibiotics, anti-depressants and hormones down sinks and toilets that led to the NY City watershed. Two hospitals and three nursing homes are now being forced to dispose of their pharmaceutical waste properly, and pay to increase public awareness on the issue of water contamination. more ›

Even though every subway car is equipped with an emergency brake, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority says the brakes shouldn't be used during most emergencies. If there's a crime, fire, or medical emergency, straphangers shouldn't yank on the emergency brake cord. In fact, the first instruction on the "Emergency Instructions" placard tells commuters: "Do not pull the emergency cord." So, what's it good for? more ›

Now that Senator Schumer is well on his way to saving the Pool Parties, he's set his sights off the coastline and is asking for federal funds to help restore Bannerman Castle. more ›

Taxpayers still own 7.7 billion Citigroup shares since the government bailed out the bank as part of the Troubled Asset Relief Program. So as a valued shareholder, you might be interested to know that Citigroup lost $7.77 billion in the fourth-quarter, or 33 cents per share. Citigroup says $6.2 billion of the loss was tied to a $20 billion fourth-quarter repayment on some $45 billion in government bailout money. (The bank also shed 100,000 jobs during the year.) "The environment continues to be challenging," said Chief financial officer John Gerspach in a statement worthy of the Understatement Hall of Fame. more ›

The faint stink of desperation has come to Gov. Paterson's adamant denial of charges he was getting intimate with a young lovely—not his wife—over lunch. Hedged by his spouse, he again publicly refuted claims he cuddled a married mother at a New Jersey steakhouse. "The portrayal of that incident was such an outrageous lie," he stated during a Harlem news conference. "I'm really not going to give it any more oxygen than it has." A fellow diner, who claims she witnessed neck-kissing, nuzzling and cuddling sparked the rumor by summoning the NY Post to the scene. Meanwhile, Paterson's approval ratings are lower than a limbo pole at a flea circus. 60 percent of voters surveyed want a new governor, while just 31 percent think he is doing an excellent or good job as governor. more ›

The MIT- and Brandeis-educated neuroscientist accused of attempted murder for shooting at U.S. personnel in Afghanistan was thrown out of court just 90 minutes into her trial when she interrupted testimony with a rant. Aafia Siddiqui — who has already been reprimanded for her courtroom etiquette and once urged a judge to use genetic tests to make sure her jurors wouldn't be Jews — shouted: "I was never planning to bomb [New York]. You are lying." more ›

The Parks Department may need a refresher course in their own rules and regulations. After one of the snowfalls in December, some park rangers tossed a few snowboarders out of Fort Greene Park, even though it's totally legal to snowboard there. The incident was captured on video, circulated around the internet, and now hits the Daily News. In the below video, the rangers say it's illegal to snowboard in city parks, but that they'll "look the other way" as long as no more "ramps" are built... and if they don't comply, they'll be on the receiving end of a $350 fine. more ›

According to new census data, men profit financially from tying the knot, where forty years ago, they lost out. The findings reflect a change in marital attitudes over the last 40 years—where once women sought to find a rich guy and live off his wad, working wives are the trend of today. The takeaway: In today's desperate economy, men should spend less time sending out resumes and more time applying for well-compensated positions as husbands. more ›

Gov. David Paterson unveiled a $134 billion proposed budget today that would impose new taxes on sugary drinks and cigarettes and cut school aid and health care spending by $1.1 billion and $1 billion, respectively. "The mistakes of the past — squandering surpluses, papering over deficits, relying on irresponsible fiscal gimmicks to finance unsustainable spending increases — have led us to a financial breaking point," Paterson said. "There are no more easy answers." more ›

A judge has refused to throw out the criminal case against a TV producer who is accused of trying to blackmail David Letterman. Robert "Joe" Halderman, the former CBS News producer, had allegedly demanded $2 million from Letterman in exchange for keeping quiet about a film script that dramatized Letterman's affairs with staffers. A lawyer for Halderman had argued that "his client simply had valuable information and wanted to get paid for it." In ruling against Halderman, Justice Charles Solomon wrote, "Defendant argues that the statute is overbroad as it applies to him because he has a constitutionally protected right to write a book or screenplay about a public figure. Since the defendant is not being prosecuted for authoring either a book or a screenplay, his constitutional right to free speech is not been impacted." more ›

Every year, New York City drivers lose about 44 hours of their time and $1,900 of their money to poorly maintained roads, according to a new study. The average motorist pays $638 to repair automotive damage caused by shoddy streets, while the rest of the money goes towards "wasted gas, medical fees and lost productivity," the reports indicates. more ›

Approximately 200,000 people were killed, 250,000 were injured and 1.5 million were made homeless in the earthquake that devastated Haiti one week ago, according to new estimates from the European Commission. As the last of the survivors are pulled from the rubble, U.N. peacekeeping forces are fanning out in the capital of Port-au-Prince in an attempt to control the desperate masses. Though looting has been reported, some observers wonder whether stealing food after a disaster of this magnitude should really be characterized as looting. But U.N. troops don't seem to be giving that question much thought—yesterday Jordanian, Pakistani and Indian forces, who were unable to speak Creole, English or French, were caught on camera swinging night sticks at Haitians and firing rubber bullets into crowds. (Video below.) more ›

Former New Jersey Governor John Corzine's hand must be cramped—on his last day in office he signed 54 bills into law, including one to legalize medical marijuana. And though he's letting state residents with chronic illnesses toke up, he also wants to discourage the munchies. Yesterday he followed New York's lead in making calorie postings mandatory at fast-food restaurants. more ›

Former Knicks albatross Stephon Marbury has signed a contract to play professional basketball in China. The 32-year-old Coney Island native will become the highest profile American player to make the jump to Asia when he joins the Chinese Basketball Association's Shanxi Zhongyu team. more ›

First birds, now cranes: On January 8th, pilots trying to land at La Guardia had to work around a giant crane on a barge in the middle of Flushing Bay, 2,000 feet from the runway. The crane is being used to build a controversial trash-transfer station in College Point, which critics predict will attract thousands of additional birds, like the ones that brought down U.S. Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River. While construction cranes are permitted near airports, ideally they're not supposed to get between planes and the runway. An FAA spokesperson tells the Post some flights had to be diverted until the barge was moved out of the flight path. more ›

The 19-year-old son of an NYPD detective was fatally shot in broad daylight yesterday near a playground at the Marcy Houses in Bedford-Stuyvesant. Sean Hayes, 19, was struck in the chest around 2:30 p.m. by the Flushing Avenue playground, where children were playing on their day off from school for the Martin Luther King Day. "When I heard the shots I ran," one 10-year-old boy told the Daily News. "That's what you're supposed to do." more ›

Pirates are so over... now it's all about the comeback of the gypsy. The NY Post reports that a troupe of gypsies has been posing as utility workers to scam their way into Bronx apartments. In September they sweet talked their way into six — and once making their way inside, they robbed their victims clean of thousands in cash and jewelry. Two suspects have been identified as John George and Steven Demetro, though no arrests have been made. Authorities say, "These two individuals are part of a team of gypsies that target elderly homeowners with the ruse that there is a leak in the home." more ›

Knicks 99, Pistons 91: It was a good day for Nate Robinson. LeBron James is out of the slam dunk contest and Robinson, a two-time champion, scored 27 points to lead the Knicks past the Pistons. Al Harrington and Wilson Chandler also had 17 points off the bench. The Knicks had lost two straight, including one against these same Pistons on Saturday. more ›

Commuters who ride the Staten Island Railway will no longer be able to beat the fare by skirting the St. George ferry terminal station — which for more than a decade has been the only stop where fares were collected. Ever since the Metropolitan Transportation Authority eliminated fare collectors on Staten Island trains as a cost-cutting measure, commuters have been getting off the train at the Tompkinsville stop and hoofing it six blocks to the ferry terminal, or walking the six blocks from the terminal to the Tompkinsville station before boarding the train, the Advance reports. But as of Wednesday, the MTA's $6.9 million renovation of the Tompkinsville station will be complete, and straphangers will have to pay. The agency expects to net an additional $702,000 each year in added revenue — so long as commuters don't start schlepping an addition 3/4 of a mile down the line to the Stapleton stop. more ›

Remember "nutcracker" — the bootleg concoction of booze and fruit juice sold in barbershops and bodegas uptown? Did you know you can make $20,000 a year selling it? A man who has mixed and distributed the sugary street cocktail for the past six years sat down with the Manhattan Times and described the trade. more ›

Last year homelessness in the NY school system was on the rise, but at 19 schools slated for closure because of poor performance, rates were especially high. "Lots of students think of this school as a home, but for some, it's more of a first home than a second home," said English teacher Christine Rowland. With their schools poised for shutdown, will homeless kids be out on the street again? more ›

Just one week after a bizarre Q and A in which he revealed he has only been to Staten Island by helicopter and has only been a full-time New York resident for a year, former Tennessee congressman and likely Senate candidate Harold Ford Jr. sat down with the Daily News — and refused to talk about the issues. In an interview "granted under the condition that the questions be limited to his rationale for running, and not issues," Ford blasted Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand as "weak in many places across the city and the state." more ›

Over the past three months, Gov. David Paterson has become more and more popular among New York State voters. Unfortunately for him, the vast majority of New Yorkers still want someone else in office, according to a new Siena College poll. The study [PDF] reveals that although voters might agree with Paterson's positions on a number of issues, many think he's doing a bad job. more ›

Authorities commandeered 35 felines from a Brooklyn cat lady today. The woman, who lived in a one-bedroom apartment, said the population grew exponentially after two initial cats started breeding. According to ASPCA spokesman Tim Rickey, veterinarians are assessing the 25 adult cats and 10 kittens she handed over. Most appear to be in good health and will soon be available for adoption. The feline enthusiast was allowed to keep just two cats and was required to have them spayed and neutered, according to the AP. She has not been charged with a crime, and ABC says officials are calling the woman an "overwhelmed caregiver." They urged anyone in a similar situation to contact the ASPCA. more ›

[UPDATE BELOW] We're getting reports that a possible gas leak and/or explosion has prompted the evacuation of buildings in Brooklyn Heights near Borough Hall and Court Street. According to some reports, at least five manhole covers have blown, and subway stations at Borough Hall and Court Street in Brooklyn have been evacuated and closed. One reader just sent us this email: more ›

Former newsman Dominic Carter will serve his full 30-day jail sentence for abusing his wife, but his lawyers will continue to fight to clear his name. His attorney told the Post that "Dominic is confident that at the end of the entire legal process he will be exonerated" and that he decided against seeking bail as he awaits his appeal "in order to put this chapter behind him and immediately move forward with his life and career." The 45-year-old was locked up on Thursday for "punching, choking, and kicking" his wife during a 2008 dispute. On top of the jail sentence, Carter was ordered to stay away from his wife for two years "unless a psychiatrist assures the trial judge that the journalist is not a threat to her." His lawyer said the unemployed anchor plans to bring the case to a higher court "to raise multiple errors made by the [trial] judge that deprived Dominic Carter of a fair trial." more ›

Members of NY's Urban Search and Rescue team used power tools to help pull four Haitians from the rubble of Port-au-Prince this weekend. Among them was a young girl who survived four days trapped in a grocery store. Another group, the Church of Scientology, used the texts of L. Ron Hubbard in their rescue efforts. more ›

Mayor Bloomberg has been a vocal supporter of charter schools, but he says a new bill that would double the number of charter schools allowed in the state is "a wolf in sheep's clothing." Though the new legislation would increase the number of charter schools permitted in New York from 200 to 400, it would also add restrictions that would require greater openness from charter schools, bar for-profit corporations from opening them, and give public school parents the power to stop charters from moving into public school buildings — restrictions the Mayor claims would halt their expansion. more ›

Marty Markowitz and The Department of Transportation got another wake-up call on Sunday when a Brooklyn man died after hitting a giant pothole. The 32-year-old driver of a packed Honda Odyssey was thrown from his side window after hitting the hole and then slamming into a telephone pole. He ended up on the pavement near the corner of Kings Highway and Tilden Avenue in East Flatbush, and the car landed on top of him. He died at Brookdale University Hospital shortly after the crash at 3:30 a.m. "The van was on top of the driver," one witness told the NY Daily News. "They had to jack up the vehicle to get it off him." His five passengers, who told officials they were coming from a nearby club, were injured but are expected to survive. "It's crazy—I'm absolutely shocked," said another witness. "I've never seen an accident this bad." more ›

Street basketball legend Joe "The Destroyer" Hammond has filed a $5 million lawsuit against Nike and Footlocker for putting his name on t-shirt without asking his permission. Hammond — who never played pro-ball but earned his reputation at Rucker Park on 155th Street in the 1970s — claims the sneaker maker "put a shirt of mine in Foot Locker with no contract." Adding insult to injury, they didn't even spell his name right. more ›

It's beginning to look like the glitzy, upscale Plaza Hotel may go the way of Tavern on the Green. After a century in the business, the landmark hotel and playground to Eloise is losing its cache, and its profits too. Where the Plaza's gilded halls are concerned, do New Yorkers want in with the new, out with the gold? more ›

Even though texting while driving is now illegal, government agencies continue to send text messages to motorists. In what the Daily News calls "an ironic communication breakdown," thousands of New York drivers receive texts about traffic and road conditions from government agencies despite a statewide ban on checking and sending texts while behind the wheel. more ›

It's desperate, it's risky, and it's an eleventh hour guilt-by-association Hail Mary, but panicked Democrats are hoping that a video showing an off-color remark at a political rally yesterday will derail a looming Republican Senate win in Massachusetts. Yesterday some yahoo at a rally for Republican Scott Brown yelled, "Shove a curling iron up her butt!" The comment was a reference to Brown's opponent, Attorney General Martha Coakley, who was criticized for not aggressively pursuing a child rape case in 2005. In the video below, Brown does not say anything in response to the remark, but he appears to smile in response! It's not quite a Macaca moment, but for Democrats, it'll have to do. more ›

There's some mighty nice weather out there for this Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Look for the sunny skies to continue and for the high to top out in the mid to upper 40s, about ten degrees above normal. Speaking of normal, this is the week New York bottoms out on the annual temperature curve. On average highs start their long climb toward summer on the 21st while lows begin creeping up on the 23rd. more ›

Though Gov. Paterson has denied allegations he was kissing and cuddling a young woman at a New Jersey steakhouse on Saturday, his colleagues are outraged by the lunch date. The governor should be putting his energies towards the state of NY—now is not the time for nuzzling, they say from behind their cozy veil of anonymity. more ›

We're guessing NYC Transit can't really afford to be fined right now... but they just were, by a Brooklyn judge. The Daily News reports that the agency has sat on a request to turn over info regarding a fatal subway accident for three years. more ›

A Prospect Heights homeless shelter that housed about 80 families was itself made homeless over the weekend, to make room for the controversial Barclay's Center/Atlantic Yards project. Thirty-five families have been moved from the Pacific Dean Annex shelter to permanent housing, and 45 to other shelters, over the protest of local politicians and pop singer Crystal Waters, whose 1990s hit song “Gypsy Woman” is about a homeless woman that sings for her supper. Waters joined Council Member Letitia James and other community activists Saturday night at a protest rally at Freddy's Bar, which is also slated for demolition. In a statement, James blasted the Atlantic Yards project: more ›

Whoa, Nellie! There's another lawsuit against one of New York's finest... horses. Last year a New Jersey woman sued after being bit by one member of the force's furry fleet, and now the NY Post reports that one of the NYPD's own is filing suit after being bucked off her horse. more ›

Three years before voting to rename a street in of honor an unarmed 23-year-old who was killed in a barrage of police bullets, a Queens Community Board rejected an application to rename a street in honor of a police officer killed in the line of duty. So following the board's controversial vote in favor of "Sean Bell Way," the family of deceased officer John Scarangella has again applied for a street renaming to memorialize the slain cop. But the chairwoman of Community Board 12, Adjoa Gzifa, opposes the renaming. "For every police officer that puts on a uniform and carries a gun, if they should perish in the line of duty, does that mean we have to rename a street for them?" more ›

A Staten Island man celebrating his 22nd birthday died in the back seat of a car during a beer run early yesterday morning. Derrick Moore, 22, was in the rear of a borrowed Cadillac Catera driven by 24-year-old Darrin Siler around 6 a.m. Sunday when the car hit a light pole, a fire hydrant and a tree, then flipped onto its side. Investigators say Siler, who suffered minimal injuries, was not drunk, but may have been speeding. Moore, Siler, and another man who broke his leg in the crash had been out partying when they met a 19-year-old girl, who later drove them in her mother's Cadillac to an "after-party" at a friend's apartment. "The girl admits to loaning her car out to somebody she doesn't even know," a source tells the Staten Island Advance. more ›

The Haitian evacuee who caused a massive meltdown at JFK Saturday afternoon when he strolled through a door into a secure area says he was "lost" and "just looking for a cab." Jules Bouloute told police he didn't see the no entry sign. "I was looking for the entrance to find a taxi [and] somebody told me to go through the door," he said, according to court papers. "I went through and the alarm went off." Bouloute—who escaped from earthquake-devastated Haiti via the Dominican Republic—may have been a bit distracted, but should he pay for the cost and inconvenience he inflicted on passengers, staff and the state? more ›

Over the summer, NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly pulled the plug on a program that required "house cat" cops, who normally spend their days doing paperwork, to also conduct street patrols on a regular basis. Supposedly, Kelly axed the plan after two weeks because Chief of Patrol Robert Gianell tried to implement it without consulting him, and because some thought it "was just window dressing." But now the desk jockeys are riding again! more ›

An elderly Bronx woman with Alzheimer's who had been missing for over 36 hours was finally found Sunday morning—dead on the fire escape two stories below her apartment. Lucia Rodriguez, 79, disappeared Friday night, and her son Miguel spent Saturday searching local hospitals and shelters, hoping to find her alive. Investigators are trying to figure out how Rodriguez got onto the fire escape and what the cause of death was; her corpse was spotted by a neighbor at 8 a.m. Sunday. "I don't know what I'm going to do now without her," 73-year-old Marcelino Ayala, her longtime live-in companion, tells the Daily News. more ›

• Jets 17, San Diego 14: You gotta believe was the rallying cry of a different team, but it seems appropriate now that the Jets borrow it. Down 7-3 in the fourth quarter, New York drove for two-straight touchdowns to take a 17-7 lead and held on for the victory. The first touchdown came in the form of a two-yard reception by Dustin Keller, but Shonn Greene had the big play. Greene busted a 53-yard carry for a TD and put the Jets up by 10. New York survived a late Chargers’ rally, but held San Diego off after a third missed field goal by Nate Kaeding. Now they're headed to the AFC Championship in Indianapolis in a rematch of the game that ended the Colts' unbeaten streak.
• Rangers 6, Canadiens 2: The Rangers fell behind 2-0 after one period, but managed to score three goals in the 2nd and 3rd periods for the win.

An Upper West Side woman has had it up to here with the operatic couple that lives in the next building over—now she wants a judge to tell them to control their vocal chords. Elizabeth Connors says that she and her young son have lost sleep because of "disturbing" opera singing and piano playing "at all hours of the day and night." But world-renowned baritone Stephen Kechulius says he and his wife are quiet and conscientious neighbors. more ›

It seems that Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand does not know how to make friends or influence people, and her political career may suffer as a result. Sources say that since being appointed to Hillary Clinton’s old seat in January 2009 Gillibrand has failed to connect with voters and colleagues. Her lack of charisma, which makes her vulnerable to potential opponents, may be part of the reason her supporters have tried to scare Congressman Harold Ford Jr. out of the race. more ›

Upper West Siders don’t know whether to stay or go since crosswalk markers started malfunctioning in record numbers. According to the NY Post, at least 13 of the conflicting white "crossing man" and red "flashing hand" signals were counted in the neighborhood by City Councilwoman Gale Brewer's office. Brewer is concerned about the peril the mixed signals present to pedestrians, especially senior citizens. "We worry about them even if we have signals that are functioning properly," she said. "Now that they're not, it's even more of a worry." But what is the city going to do about it? more ›

With donations rolling in after last week’s massive earthquake, aid organizations are negotiating how best to implement their rescue missions to devastated Haiti. Individual success stories abound, but rescue workers and survivors must operate amidst the violence, danger and scarcity of resources that’s resulted from the natural disaster. more ›

Sources say the Times is poised to reinstate its online paywall as a metered system where readers begin paying once they exceed a certain quota of articles viewed. According to NY Magazine, “One personal friend of [NY Times Chairman Arthur] Sulzberger said a final decision could come within days.” The move to make readers pay for content has been long in the making, but was made more pressing by the drop in online advertisement caused by last year’s financial crisis. The meter system—in which big readers pay while casual readers may browse for free—beat out two other options: a model like the old TimesSelect where some parts of the site are free and some are paid and an NPR totebag-for-donation model. more ›

Grammy-winner Wyclef Jean is “disgusted” by allegations he’s personally profited from his Haiti foundation, Yele. In a YouTube address the singer said he’s contributed $1 million of his own money to Yele and asked the public to wait for proof of the organization’s activities—forthcoming in future videos—and then judge if "Wyclef is the truth or not." However, he couldn’t explain away the inconsistencies for which he’s come under fire. more ›

Police are looking for the driver of a BMW SUV who careened into a 58-year-old woman yesterday evening, tearing off part of her leg. Her 14-month-old grandson sustained cuts and bruises to the head. The woman was getting out of her car on West 139th Street near Fifth Avenue when, at about 6:30 pm, the hit-and-run driver mowed her down. According to the NY Post “the impact sent the woman flying with her shoes landing about 20 feet away.” Her son-in-law, who was getting the toddler out of the car, was knocked to the ground. He was treated and released but the woman remains in critical condition. more ›

Today's morning linkage: a new skate spot in Brooklyn, a beautiful school that might be knocked down, inside the School of Practical Philosophy, the last 9/11 family to settle with the airlines, and Montel Williams' crappy family life. Plus more! more ›

A Haitian evacuee has been arrested for shirking security protocol at JFK, causing hours-long delay in terminal 8. Yesterday afternoon 57-year-old Jules Bouloute walked through a door that led to a restricted area, setting off an alarm. The terminal was evacuated and passengers waited for hours to be re-screened. Bouloute, who narrowly escaped Haiti after Tuesday’s earthquake, is now facing threats of a legal nature. more ›

Gov. Paterson was seen nuzzling and kissing a young woman yesterday afternoon. The kicker? He and the woman, described as a “leggy Latina,” were seated at a New Jersey steakhouse frequently patronized by disgraced former-governor Eliot Spitzer. "He was laying up against her . . . they were up against each other in every intimate way,” said Sharon Farrell, a lawyer who spotted the pair at the River Palm Terrace in Edgewater. After the near-scandals of this past week, what could the married governor possibly have to say for himself? more ›

• Islanders 3 Buffalo 2 (Shootout): The Islanders took it to the limit, blowing a 2-0 lead and prevailing in the eight round of the shootout. New York built a two-goal lead 15 minutes into the second period, but Buffalo cut that deficit in half 21 seconds later. They added a goal midway through the third period to tie things up and eventually the game went to overtime. And that’s where Trent Hunter proved to be the hero with his goal in the eighth round. Rick DiPietro earned his first win of the year with 31 saves.
• Colorado 3 Devils 1: The Devils kept shooting, but Craig Anderson was ready. Anderson stopped 37-of-38 shots, allowing only a goal to Rob Niedermayer as the Devils fell in Colorado.
• St. Louis 4 Rangers 1: Brian Boyle scored on a bad Blues’ turnover, but that was all the scoring the Rangers could do (again). St. Louis netted three in the third for the win.

Today's afternoon linkage: sad lawyers, an Obama mural destroyed, arson in the Bronx, and new rules at the Staten Island Ferry terminal. Plus more! more ›

President Barack Obama has tapped his two predecessors to lead major fundraising efforts for Haiti. "Presidents Bush and Clinton will help the American people to do their part, because responding to disaster is the work of all of us," Obama said in a speech. "In these difficult hours, America stands united." Meanwhile former-presidential daughter Chelsea Clinton has “spun” up her own creative way to help the victims of the earthquake. more ›

This is the game to stop the doubters. If the Jets can go into San Diego and take down the Chargers in Sunday's AFC divisional playof they have to be acknowledged as a true force. Right now, they're only a cute story. Sure, they have beaten the Colts when they lay down, and they have punished Cincinnati two straight weeks. But now they draw the Chargers, who have won 11 straight games and have the best passing attack in football. more ›

A terminal at JFK airport has been evacuated due to a security breach similar to the one at Newark Airport last week. NBC reported that at 4 p.m. today a passenger was able to enter a secure area without being properly screened. Steve Coleman, a spokesman for the Port Authority, said that Terminal 8 was shut down and all passengers were forced to leave and go through screening again, according to AP. He didn’t describe details about the breach. One of our readers, at the airport, told us: "Exiting terminal at JFK due to security breach. Heard flight attendant say 'he got on the plane.'" more ›

Equinox gym has taken down the illegal and controversial ads that papered its Greenwich Village building. The advertisements—which pictured women and men in various stages of undress—spurred an immediate uproar when they were pasted up a week ago. Community members filed more than 80 complaints with the Department of Buildings and, since the Equinox in question is located in the Greenwich Village Historic District, the Landmarks Preservation Commission got involved. The upscale fitness center was threatened with $5,000 a day in fines if the ads weren’t removed. To the delight of the neighborhood, the giant, unwholesome images have now been peeled down — Curbed has before and after photos. more ›

There have been plenty of ATM skimmers ripping New Yorkers off, but would you be able to spot one? Boing Boing shows you what they call a "chillingly well-camouflaged" skimmer, with a design much less crude than previously seen ones. The devices capture card numbers while secretly filming you punching in your PIN number — Krebs Security notes that this one may have been purchased from an online criminal forum. They say: "Some of the skimmers sold on these forums are extremely sophisticated, incorporating features such the ability to send an SMS text message to the thieves’ mobile phone whenever a new card is swiped." Just check out this insane photo showing the cell phones hooked up inside the ATM. Keep your eyes peeled for pinhole cameras and ears alert for peculiar ringtones coming from the money machines! more ›

Gov. Paterson continued his losing streak, appointing a 29-year-old with no managerial experience and no workers’ comp experience to oversee the $210 million budget of the Workers’ Compensation Board. Jeffrey R. Fenster, the agency’s new executive director, is a lawyer who chose the vocation in order to “help people” and worked briefly in litigation to pay off student loans. What qualifies him for the board’s highest-paying position remains unclear. more ›

Rick’s Cabaret on 33rd Street is claiming two of its former dancers lack the "moral character" to head a $5 million-plus class-action lawsuit against the nudie bar. More than 200 strippers say that Rick’s short-changed them while they worked there and are demanding it pay up. Now the club is launching its own attack on the two women who represent the pole-dancing army. more ›

Today's morning linkage: Buddah goes to jail, the gold-lady gets sentenced, inside NYC's most liberal radio station, Gisele gives to Haiti, and Wall Street fatcats will have to take the 6 train. Plus more! more ›

After being released from prison in December, the infamous mobster John Jr. Gotti says he's done with crime, and he’ll try his hand at writing. The NY Daily News reported that at a celebratory dinner with lawyers in Long Island he mourned the hardships of his mafia upbringing and announced his plans for a brighter future. "Trials. Properties are gone. Lost houses. Children in counseling," Gotti said. "I want to try my hand at writing. I want to write about facts—possibly true crime." He also revealed that he’s planning to quit the big apple and head south to Maryland, Virginia or the Carolinas. "I think it's better for everybody if I just do move on. Out of sight. Out of mind." more ›

Thousands are being buried in mass graves after Tuesday’s earthquake in Haiti. While foreign aid trickles to the island amid chaos New Yorkers are mourning the dead and celebrating those who survived. more ›

Have you taken the new B62 lately? Are you sure? Because the MTA doesn't think it exists! A reader tells us he was trying to find B62 schedule info on the new mobile site and it was nowhere to be found. Clearly an innocent glitch, however, he continues saying: "I emailed their tech folks about this only to be informed that the B62 route doesn't exist, which raises serious metaphysical questions about how I got home yesterday." more ›

A new campaign finance report shows that Mayor Bloomberg spent a whopping $108 million to beat Bill Thompson in his third-term election. Bloomberg ran the most expensive personally-financed campaign in U.S. history, spending twelve times as much as his opponent. Of the campaign tab, large chunks of money went to rather unexpected places. And not just pizza! more ›

• Toronto 112 Knicks 104: The Raptors nailed a three-pointer to start the game and they kept going from there. Toronto opened up a 19-point lead by the end of the first quarter and while the Knicks recovered to make it interesting, they were never really in it. David Lee had another monster game with 25 points and 14 rebounds and Al Harrington added 31 points, but the defense took the night off with Toronto shooting 53% from the field.
• Indiana 121 Nets 105: The Pacers are not a good team, but they certainly didn’t have any problems with New Jersey. Indiana did its damage from behind the arc, going 13-23 from three-point range. Brook Lopez had 27 points for the Nets who dropped to an astounding 3-36.

A judge ruled that a group of demonstrators have the right to protest directly in front of Mayor Bloomberg's Upper East Side townhouse. The city initially rejected the protesters' application to rally against school closures and charter schools in front of the Mayor's East 79th Street home, but the demonstrators won the fight in court. more ›

History nerds, rejoice. The Downtown Express has a neat little article on a recent finding in the Battery Park City landfill recently. Construction workers there uncovered a historic concrete bulkhead, which is actually on the State Register of Historic Places (this wasn't the first time a part of the wall has been exposed). It was put in place over 100 years ago when Civil War Gen. George McClellan launched the project "because silt and refuse was building up along the Hudson River shoreline and rotting piers, preventing ships from landing." Historic archeologist Joe Sopko allowed the workers to remove part of the slab, noting: “It’s just concrete." However, he points out it was one of the first examples of a large amount of concrete used in a construction project. [via Curbed] more ›

In the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti on Tuesday, former Fugees star Wyclef Jean has emerged as one of the most prominent advocates for charitable giving in his home country. His nonprofit, Yele Haiti Foundation, has already netted more than $2 million in contributions via text messages. But that charity has a "lackluster history of accounting for its finances," and it has paid at least $410,000 to businesses tied to Jean in past years, The Smoking Gun reports. more ›

Attorney General Andrew Cuomo just keeps rolling along; between going after State Sen. Pedro Espada and considering a run for the Governorship, he also helped shut down United Homeless Organization's scam operation last month. Now, he's filing suit against two nonprofit immigrant services organizations—International Immigrants Foundation and International Professional Association—for allegedly scamming immigrants by making false promises of citizenship and charging exorbitant fees. Cuomo said, ""People don't want to come forward. Well, we have an executive order. I know, technically we have an executive order. People feel—my luck, I'll be the one, I'll call, I'll get into trouble. Because it's remarkable: years and years, thousands of people victimized. Nobody came forward." more ›

The State Department has given Osama bin Laden, 52, an extreme makeover, updating a 1998 file photo of the suspected terrorist and digitally altering it to account for a decade of age and possible changes in his facial hair. (Somewhere, Nick Nolte's frantically trying to call in a favor at the State Department.) Which look do you prefer? more ›

While a new Checker cab hasn't rolled off the line for nearly 30 years, and the iconic NYC symbols haven't actually been a part of the taxi fleet for nearly 10... the company has still been operating. CityRoom notes that they transformed into a manufacturer of car parts for General Motors, but this week, Checker Motors has called it quits after going bankrupt. 78-year-old owner David Markin told them: “It’s finished. Our family is very distressed about the closing of the company. But it became inevitable." His father Morris, a Russian immigrant, started the company in 1922. more ›

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is leading former Tennessee Congressman and likely Senate candidate Harold Ford by 19 points, according to a Marist Poll. In a survey that doesn't look particularly good for either Senate hopeful, 43 percent of Democratic voters favor Gillibrand and 24 percent favor Ford — who after announcing his interest in running has come under fire from the Democratic establishment. more ›

Today, NY1's Pat Kiernan excitedly recalls the first time seeing his name printed in the phone book... but that was then. Now, he asks, "Why is the phone company still delivering so many phone books to my apartment building?" In the age of Google, it's unlikely anyone uses these anymore — in fact, only two were taken from the giant stack in his lobby. more ›

They're really going through with this thing! After auctioning off everything that wasn't nailed down, and chasing away the vultures, crews are busy demolishing the old home of the Bronx Bombers, piece by piece. For the Yankee Stadium demolition completist, there is a whole website dedicated to the topic. But for the layperson and the casual destructoporn enthusiast, perhaps these recent aerial shots from WCBS's helicopter will suffice. Do these images make you nostalgic, or make you wish you were licensed to operate a wrecking ball? The sooner we get this thing down, the sooner the Bronx gets another park!
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A "meticulous" cat burglar was apprehended in Queens last week, and police believe he may have been on a month-long burglary spree. Gilbert Loo, 49, was collared as he left a Bayside home last Friday morning after looting the residence for about 30 minutes as the owner slept, authorities said. more ›

As the Metropolitan Transportation Authority considers far-reaching service cuts that could eliminate free Metrocards for students and nix entire subway lines, the MTA's chairman unveiled a series of agency-wide goals intended to make commuting easier. MTA Chair Jay Walder said the city's public transit needs a "top-to-bottom overhaul" because "many service improvements are long overdue and ... customers are tired of hearing excuses." more ›

Last year the state's budget crisis held Governors Island hostage, making it difficult for the island to plan events because the state didn't commit funding until the last minute. The island is controlled and financed jointly by the state and city, but last year Mayor Bloomberg made a move to cut the state out entirely, and also take over Brooklyn Bridge Park. In exchange, the city would end its partnership with the state in the long-delayed Javits Center expansion, and use that $300 million to fund the parks. The idea was not exactly embraced by Paterson, but apparently it's still got legs; the Villager reports that Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver is supportive. And The Governors Island Alliance, which manages the island, is also on board, though executive director Rob Pirani would also like as many details in writing as possible: "As much as I trust this mayor, he's not going to be mayor forever—at least I assume not." more ›

There is good news and no news today for New Yorkers with relatives still missing in Haiti following Tuesday's devastating earthquake. Two NYU doctoral students who arrived just a day before the earthquake have been located, following several tense days of waiting. Nathalie Pierre, 24, of Brooklyn and Greg Childs, from South Carolina, were found safe, and flown from Port-au-Prince to the Dominican Republic by the US Coast Guard. And Brooklyn cab driver Pierre Coimin, who had been agonizing over the fate of his 4-year-old daughter, finally heard word from his daughter through the NY Post, which sent a reporter to Coimin with a photo of the girl, her mother, and the message, "Tell Daddy I love him." Others were not so lucky. more ›

If you live on Union Street in Carroll Gardens, you may have a holiday card coming to you. That is, if the dreaded Williamsburg Post Office ever figures out that the 11215 ≠ 11211. The envelope above, sent in by a Gothamist reader, was apparently mis-scanned by the post office and then delivered to the same wrong address four times. One theory by the 11211 recipient is that the bar code is causing the envelope to be sent to the wrong address again and again. But, as it turns out, the letter was delivered to the same address a fifth time even after the bar code was blacked out. Clearly, there was some sort of error in the complex USPS sorting process. Quick, cue Elvis! more ›

When police broke up a sex trafficking ring in Sunset Park back in November, they discovered the body of an infant encased in cement, sealed inside a Rubbermaid storage unit. At the time, police believed the infant died from lack of medical care denied by his mother's pimps. Today, the News reports that the boy was beaten to death. more ›

The troupe of A-listers fighting against dirty, smelly trash coming to their pristine neighborhood have hit a bump in their road to a reek-free corner of Manhattan. The group — which includes celebs like Jennifer Connelly, Kirsten Dunst, Michael Stipe, James Gandolfini, Lou Reed and John Slattery — has been fighting against a new sanitation garage in SoHo. They filed a lawsuit against the city's plan, and the NY Post reports that this week the judge has tossed it out with the trash, allowing the city to start work on the $400 million garbage garage. The residents are still deciding if they'll file an appeal, and are still hoping for a better alternative. more ›

The terror suspect who demanded potential jurors take genetic tests to make sure they aren't Jews was thrown out of court yesterday for ranting that she had "nothing to do with 9/11." Aafia Siddiqui — a 37-year-old Pakistani neuroscientist accused of "trying to kill American soldiers and FBI agents" in Afghanistan — was hauled out of the courtroom by US marshals following her outburst. more ›

January 15th is either the best or the worst day to fly. Last year on this day, the United Airways Flight 1549 flight landed in the Hudson River (no serious injuries thanks to the smooth flying of Sully!)... and we just got word that an aircraft has crash landed in a Staten Island Landfill. Word is that the "Piper Cub" landed safely, and the pilot is now outside of the aircraft and walking it off. According to reports coming over the newswire, the emergency landing was due to a mechanical failure, and the police are stating there is "debris or the banner the plane was towing down on the N/B Shore Expwy." more ›

Johnson & Johnson is dealing with a major headache; for the second time in a month the company has had to recall some of its over-the-counter medication because they smell moldy, musty or "like mildew." The company says no customers have complained about products included in the wider recall, but that not-so-fresh smell can cause nausea, stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhea. Small amounts of a chemical associated with the treatment of wooden pallets is to blame for the smell, according to Johnson & Johnson. But now the FDA has blasted the company for moving too slowly. more ›

The city and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority unveiled plans for an expansive overhaul of First and Second avenues intended to make commuting by bus and bicycle faster and safer. The proposed redesign stretches from Houston Street to 125th Street, and it calls for so-called select protected bike lanes, pedestrian refuges, and the implementation of so-called select bus service and other bus improvements planned to reduce travel times by 20 to 25 percent. more ›

This will likely freak out tourists, but the Daily News is reporting that sometime today the FBI will unveil a massive digital billboard in Times Square dedicated to getting the faces of fugitives out there. more ›

Today's morning linkage: drugs on the space shuttle, a fireball on the Grand Central Parkway, fastest texters in the world, free wifi at Mickey-Ds, and Midtown Lunch opens a new branch downtown. Plus more! more ›

Two men have been charged with hate crimes in the brutal beating of a gay man that was caught on tape in College Point last October. A grand jury indicted 21-year-old Daniel Rodriguez and 26-year-old Daniel Aleman on 14 counts of assault and robbery as a hate crime, Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown announced yesterday [pdf]. The two men allegedly attacked 49-year-old Jack Price after he left a deli around 4:30 a.m. on October 8th. Aleman and Rodriguez are accused of "shouting anti-gay slurs at him" before the assault, which left Price hospitalized for three weeks with a broken jaw, several broken ribs, two collapsed lungs and a lacerated spleen. more ›

Hey, yesterday was four degrees warmer than normal! Today will be even warmer. It's a heat wave! Okay, not really, but the warmth should be enough to put a smile on the faces of everyone but the bitter Calvinist commenters who think winter was made for us to suffer. Assuming the morning clouds dissipate, today's high should reach the mid 40s for the first time in 2010. more ›

Since Plum Island gave us the Montauk Monster (unsubstantiated!), it's only fair that they get something in return. On that note, the Daily News reports that a tall, white male with extremely long fingers has washed up on the medical testing site's shore. A security guard discovered the partially decomposed body yesterday in a restricted access area, and an autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death, but no trauma was noticed. Conspiracy theorists: maybe the long-fingered man didn't wash up on the shore, maybe he was trying to escape! more ›

Attorney General Andrew Cuomo doesn't just lead Gov. David Paterson by a ratio of 4:1 at the polls — he's also ahead of Paterson by a ratio of 5:1 at the bank. Though he hasn't formally announced his candidacy, Cuomo has already pulled in more than $16 million, while Paterson has just over $3 million in his war chest. more ›

A Columbia University social scientist was called to testify yesterday in the high-profile federal trial to decide if Proposition 8 violates the U.S. Constitution. For the past decade, Ilan Meyer has studied the effects that public health issues have on the mental health of minority populations. Yesterday Meyer testified that California's voter-enacted ban on same-sex marriages amplified the social stigma that makes homosexuals more susceptible to depression, suicide and substance abuse. When asked if mental health outcomes for gay and lesbian in CA would improve if Prop. 8 were not law, Meyer said: more ›

While awaiting jury selection to be completed for her trial, Natavia Lowery is getting into more trouble behind bars. The NY Post reports that she now faces felony charges for tossing a large container of urine (and "some solid material") in the face of a Rikers correction officer. more ›

Two men were found shot and killed on Thursday in a Queens basement in what investigators believe was a double homicide. The victims — who were not immediately identified — were both shot multiple times in the head at around noon near the corner of 111th Avenue and 156th Street, according to NY1. Neighbors were shocked by the slayings, which took place on a block that one passerby called "quiet." "Double homicide? Ain't nothing really happen around here. I've been over here working at this church for eight years. Ain't no killings over here." more ›

Today JPMorgan Chase is reporting that last year it doubled its profits over 2008, earning $11.7 billion, and generated record revenue, hauling in $3.3 billion in the fourth quarter alone. It's also reporting that it's earmarking $26.9 billion to compensate its workers, much of which will now be paid out as bonuses. You're welcome, America! The news comes as a Wall Street Journal analysis found that major U.S. banks and securities firms are on pace to pay their top employees a record sum, about $145 billion for 2009, nearly 18% more than they did in 2008—and slightly more than in the record year of 2007. But mean old President Obama wants to take that hard schemed earned money away, and that makes Bloomberg scared! more ›

We'd love to tell you what happened last night... but all we can say is that it was ALL CAPS IMPORTANT. Caption contest? more ›

When doing an armed robbery, it's often useful to wear a mask, or come in drag. The mask is the simpler option, but the thing about that is it only works when it's covering your face. Yesterday the NYPD released this surveillance video of three men robbing a Kew Gardens deli. The perp who pulls the gun on the clerk gets so caught up in the excitement that he initially forgets one teensy detail. more ›

A first-grade boy from Brooklyn, who suffers from a seizure disorder, took a tumble after being hit by a fellow student on his school bus this week... only to receive no help from the driver. According to the Daily News, the driver never even called for help when Armani Baker was clearly injured. Instead he kept driving and dropped the crying boy off at his stop, as he was bleeding from his head. more ›

Senators 2, Rangers 0: That's now twice in a a row the Rangers have been shut out. This time it was Mike Brodeur, a distant relative of Martin Brodeur, having the honors. The Rangers didn't allow a goal until one minute, 14 seconds remained, but that still cost them a point. That snapped a seven-game streak of earning a point and put the team's scoreless streak at 144 minutes. more ›

The main morgue in Port-au-Prince is completely full, and hundreds of bodies are piled up outside and abandoned. It's been two days since Haiti's devastating earthquake, and power is still out in the capital and much of the country, food and water supplies are running out, the Haitian National Police have virtually disappeared, and looting is being reported. Ships can't deliver supplies into Haiti’s damaged port, the airport is barely functional, and roads are impassible. But don't worry Haiti, master of disaster George W. Bush has agreed to help! more ›

What's to be done about the Gowanus Canal? Any ideas? If so, the Department of Environmental Protection wants to hear them. The DEP sent out a notice indicating it is seeking proposals for how best to remove storm water from the sewer system and how best to treat it before it is discharged back into the Gowanus Canal watershed and Flushing Bay. The agency plans to award grants totaling $2.9 million to the potential projects, equally divided between the two areas. You better hurry though, because a retired engineer, Bart Chezar from Park Slope, thinks he has a plan that "will not only prevent raw sewage from continuing to foul the already polluted waterway, but also modify the behavior of local residents so that they do their part to keep the waterway clean." more ›

After being convicted of attempted assault against his wife, political reporter Dominic Carter has been sentenced to one month in jail and barred from seeing his spouse for two years. Ramapo Town Justice Arnold Etelson called the former NY1 anchor "the classic case of a domestic abuser" after citing a record of domestic violence police calls going back 13 years. more ›

You know what doesn't help out Newtown Creek's reputation right now, while being considered for Superfunding? The Greenpoint commercial building owner who has been dumping sewage into the body of water. Reportedly Jose Torres, the owner of the properties at 251, 257 and 259 North Henry Street, was charged in an 81-count indictment this week. "Authorities said that instead of being hooked up to the sewer system, the commercial buildings had their toilets and sinks connected directly to a storm-water drainage system underground." Torres faces a fine of nearly $2 million. more ›

Last month 33-year-old Brit-born Brooklynite Solange Raulston was struck and killed by a truck while biking on Nassau Avenue (at the intersection of McGuinness Blvd) in Greenpoint. more ›

After Gov. Paterson announced his plan to implement far-reaching ethics reforms in Albany, the state Senate released its own pared down ethics reform proposal yesterday. The lawmakers' plan would create a new office for investigating ethics violations in legislature and would require elected officials to disclose how much money they earn from outside jobs, according to NY1. But the proposal wouldn't institute statewide campaign finance reform or initiate term limits, like Paterson had suggested. more ›

You may remember last March when we reported on a 70 year-old man and his 35 year-old roommate threatening to do nasty things to their landlord after he tried (unsuccessfully) to get some of his $250,000 in back rent. Well, nearly a year later, the now 71-year-old Ekkehart Schwarz and 36 year-old Vasileios Giamagas have somehow gotten out of the charges, leaving some mysterious third man to take the brunt of it. According to the Post the building manager of this never-opened Third Avenue bar and lounge, Niroo Yavari, 48, was involved in several instances for more than a year, where he was allegedly kidnapped and threatened with fake guns, pliers, a screwdriver, and forced sodomy by what he described to cops as "a never-identified giant guy with an Eastern European accent." more ›

It's not all doom-and-gloom for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The MTA has released its route and schedule information, potentially allowing developers to create apps with accurate subway, commuter train, and bus timetables without facing as much of a risk of legal action from the agency. more ›

Is there any fabulous left in Park Slope? Was there ever? Did it end when Amy Sohn referred to the neighborhood as Park Slob? Those are the questions, for some. FIPS posts an open letter to the neighborhood written by what they call a "fur-wearing breeder." The letter was originally posted on Park Slope Parents, and read, in part:

I recently moved here from Santa Monica California. Why I don't think I belong here in Park Slope… I think fur is fabulous (please don't yell at me this isn't about PETA). And I believe that being fabulous is FUN. Apparently, I'm the only one in Park Slope who wants to stay warm…and fabulous at the same time. I'll be wearing my JCrew turtleneck sweater, jeans and uggs. I'll sit at the playground with all the other kids who are cold and have running noses. And I'll stand there while the moms with the hipster combat boots, and knit caps don't talk to me. But I'll know that I'm still fun and fabulous...I'll be wearing the inappropriate fur. So my question Ladies is… is there no fabulous left in Park Slope?

The 15 Chihuahuas that travelled across the country to find homes with New Yorkers were met by the dog-loving masses yesterday. Reportedly more than 100 people lined up outside the Manhattan ASPCA office for a chance to give one of the furry friends a forever home. The love was briefly interrupted by a passing bus driver, however, who yelled through his window, "I can't stand Chihuahuas! Go get a pit bull!" more ›

Earlier today, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn sent out an email blast encouraging New Yorkers to donate relief supplies to help the people of Haiti. But someone in her office pulled a major boner and forwarded a letter Quinn previously sent in 2008, seeking help for Haiti's hurricane victims. Oh, fiddlesticks. Shortly thereafter, Quinn's office fired out a new letter, seeking help for victims of the current tragedy. more ›

Two men have been sentenced to two years in prison each for participating in a brutal beating that left a Binghamton University student in a coma and damaged relations between the United States and Serbia. Edin Dzubar, 25, and Sanel Softic, 22, apologized and pleaded guilty to felony assault for kicking Bryan Steinhauer during a Binghamton bar in May 2008 that left the Brooklyn-native in a coma for months, according to the Post. Their sentencing comes after the alleged primary assailant, 23-year-old basketball player Miladin Kovacevic, fled to Serbia to avoid trial in the United States. The Serbian government paid the victim's family $900,000 in a deal to prosecute Kovacevic in his home country. more ›

We've been getting some inquiries about when this year's Ringling Bros. Elephant Walk may be (it's usually at the end of March)... but before you get all amped up to see the mammals march through Manhattan, PETA has put a nice, big reminder in the NY Times today. The full page ad shows images of elephants being treated poorly, with the words "an elephant never forgets." It was last summer that the organization released incriminating video of animal abuse at Ringling, so it'll be interesting to see if that effects the turnout for this year's walk. more ›

Eating animals is apparently hip again. The ever-growing bacon trend coupled with the rising popularity of meat-loving chefs means that vegetarianism and veganism are out, according to a lengthy New York Press article. Meat is getting so popular that some formerly vegan eateries have even started serving it. more ›

Gee, this sucks: Starting, um, tomorrow, the G train will be suspended on four consecutive weekends, from 10:30 p.m. on Friday until 5 a.m. on Monday, during January 15-18, January 22-25, January 29-February 1 and February 5-8. But don't despair, there will be free shuttle buses! Weeee! And if you're stuck in Long Island City or Greenpoint (there are worse fates) you've also got the fancy new B62 bus at your service. But why mercilessly yank the G now, in the dead of winter, MTA? more ›

Reports of suspicious packages and bomb scares come over the police scanner so frequently that they've become almost routine, so we weren't even going to bother you with this latest scare, which briefly shut down a small area of midtown outside the Sheraton Hotel on the corner of 53rd and Seventh. But then a reader (who requests anonymity) sent us these stellar photos, so here you go: a fairly up-close look at how a suspicious package becomes an innocuous pile of crap. Or maybe this is all just part of some viral marketing Oscar campaign for The Hurt Locker? Either way, could everybody please stop leaving their stuff lying around so we don't have to bring the city to a screeching halt every hour?
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A woman accused of trying to kill American soldiers and FBI agents in Afghanistan begged a Manhattan federal judge to give jurors genetic tests to make sure they aren't Jews. "If they have a Zionist or Israeli background...they are all mad at me," said Aafia Siddiqui. "I have a feeling everyone here is them — subject to genetic testing....They should be excluded if you want to be fair." more ›

We know what city noises can keep you awake at night... but is it your neighbor whose causing you to lose sleep? The Brick Underground did an unscientific study which resulted in a list of the 8 worst neighbor types ever. It includes: amateur gourmets (read: smelly!), hoarders, nasty drunks, the Brady Bunch (read: too many kids), trust funders, smokers and tokers, musicians, and insecure rescue dogs. Surely they missed some... what about crazy cat lady or that guy who just got a fresh supply of speed and a subwoofer surround sound system? Not that we're speaking from experience. more ›

This week 17-year-old Jason Barry, who we can only imagine is a disgruntled PC user, has been busted after threatening to blow the Staten Island Apple Store to bits. The NY Post reports that he typed a letter and signed it with his friend's dad's name on Monday, leaving it in the store, and warning that he would bomb the shop with C4 on January 17th. more ›

The body of officer Angel Brito lay in the morgue of Bellevue Hospital, where he worked, for two months until fellow officers finally claimed it yesterday. Brito, 49, had no family, so when he died in his East Village apartment of natural causes on November 4th, his body was sent to the hospital he had spent the last 14 years protecting. more ›

After letting her powerful Democratic friends try to scare former Tennessee Congressman Harold Ford Jr. out of running for office in New York, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand lashed out against her potential rival for the first time yesterday — mainly because he wrote her a letter. Gillibrand took Ford to task for a note he penned urging Senators to oppose the health care reform bill to "protect hardworking New Yorkers from paying the additional fees and taxes." more ›

A gang of drug dealing thugs known as "Murder Set" or "Money Comes First" used MySpace to brag about their exploits—and help police round them up in a bust announced yesterday. NYPD and District Attorney detectives seized 190 grams of crack, 60 grams of cocaine and 51 glassines of heroin, with a street value of about $20,000, a source tells the Daily News. The gang allegedly terrorized the Grant Houses and schools near the Grant Houses in Morningside Heights. The investigation, dubbed "Grant Denied," began ten months ago, and resulted in 11 arrests and some heavy felony indictments. more ›

It may be 2010, but the Mets have not left the medical miseries of 2009 behind in the old year. Carlos Beltran underwent surgery on his right knee in Colorado last night, apparently without the team’s permission. The prognosis for Beltran is that he may miss up to 12 weeks rehabbing from the surgery. That puts Opening Day in jeopardy, but also raises some important questions. How did it take this long to get Beltran the procedure he needed when he was placed on the DL seven months ago? And, if Beltran did indeed go ahead with the procedure without the Mets’ doctors permission, what does that tell you about the players’ faith in the Mets’ medical staff? more ›

NY1 has fired embattled newsman Dominic Carter following his conviction for attempted assault against his wife — and his job anchoring "Inside City Hall" is already up for grabs for those with "strong news judgment" and "strong knowledge of NYC, politics, events and history." more ›

Tuesday night NYU computer science professor Sam Roweis jumped to his death from his 16th floor balcony at 1 Washington Square Village. The 37-year-old had allegedly been arguing with his wife about how to care for their 15-month-old "sickly" twins. Police say this triggered his suicide. more ›

It's believed that this video shows buildings collapsing and the earth shaking during the 7.0 quake that devastated Haiti Tuesday. It took just 30 seconds to knock the indigent country into an even lower ring of hell than it was before. There is no official estimate on the number of dead, but it's been said it may be in the six figure range. Appearing on Morning Joe, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that 3 million people, about a third of Haiti’s population, had been affected by the quake. Over 100,000 Haitian-Americans live in NYC, and many of them are desperately awaiting contact from their loved ones. more ›

After 40 were on the chopping block, word now is there will be no Brooklyn post offices closing anytime soon — which can only help the insufferable longs lines and customer service provided at various branches... right? more ›

A Columbia University educator accused of punching a female coworker after a racially-heated argument skipped his court appearance on Monday. After failing to appear in court, a bench warrant has been issued for the arrest of associate urban-planning professor Lionel McIntyre, and a judge ordered that his parole be revoked, according to the Columbia Spectator. more ›

Mikey Hicks, an 8-year-old Cub Scout from Clifton, NJ, dreads flying out of Newark because airport security is always pulling him aside for frisking and interrogation, explaining that his name is "on the list." He was first patted down at the age of 2, and cried like a baby. His mother would like everyone to feel sorry for him, but the other passengers probably felt a lot safer knowing no surprises were waiting inside his Pampers, hey-o. more ›

Demonstrators are suing the city after the NYPD rejected their application to protest charter schools and school closings directly in front of Mayor Bloomberg's Upper East Side townhouse. The plaintiffs claim the NYPD "unconstitutionally and without any legal basis" denied their application to march single file on both sides of 79th Street between Fifth and Madison Avenue on Jan. 21. "Our voices haven't been heard, so we thought that the best way for the mayor to hear us would be for us to take our voices to his block," said protester Julie Cavanagh. more ›

Knicks 93, 76ers 92: The Knicks do not win often in Philadelphia. In fact, they had lost nine straight games dating back to Dec. 17, 2004. But David Lee's layup with 13.3 seconds remaining snapped that streak and salvaged the finale of a three-game road trip. Those two points were two of 24 by Lee, who was backed by 18 by Wilson Chandler and 17 from Al Harrington. The Knicks made 31 of their 61 two-point field-goal attempts but only five of the 19 3-pointers. more ›

Officials are predicting that deaths from the 7.0 earthquake that rocked Haiti yesterday may be in the hundreds of thousands. "I hope that is not true, because I hope the people had the time to get out," Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive told CNN. Haiti’s president told the Miami Herald that the toll was “unimaginable” and reports say that the scene in Port-au-Prince is truly horrifying; most of the city is leveled to the ground, and bodies litter the streets. As many as three million may be left homeless, reported the Red Cross. more ›

Following a fourth mistrial in early December, federal prosecutors announced that they will not be seeking a fifth trial for the Teflon Don on charges of racketeering. A statement released by U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said: "In light of the circumstances, the government has decided not to proceed with the prosecution against John A. Gotti... The prosecution of the case has ended." Which leaves him more time to pose in velour tracksuits. more ›

The city is fighting to keep private the suicide note penned by an NYPD lieutenant who shot himself after ordering the use of a Taser on emotionally disturbed man. Facing a $10 million lawsuit from the family of Iman Morales — who died after being shot with the Taser and falling from a second-story roof ledge — the city is trying to withhold Lt. Michael Pigott's suicide note, which attorneys representing Morales' family say is a necessary part of their case the Post reports. more ›