Now that Paterson’s reputation is totally shot, aides felt free to dish about their boss to the Post. Most noticeable in their reports was the governor’s shocking and previously observed laziness. Though, sources say, he’s sometimes unreachable for three days and usually leaves work at 4 p.m., when he is in the office he runs a tight ship. He makes everyone (including disgraced aide David Johnson) call him Governor, and won’t be disturbed during his lunch hour. Other derogatory descriptions of Paterson: “very detached” with a very light schedule, a “baby” and “insanely mercurial.” more ›

Obama had his first physical since taking office and the docs say he’s "fit for duty." But because health care will actually never pass if Obama dies, we the public get to know his vitals: “At 6-feet,1-inch (1.85 meters), weighs 180 pounds (82 kilograms) in shoes and exercise clothing. His pulse rate is 56, which is very good, as is his blood pressure — 105 over 62…vision was 20/20 in both eyes for both distance and near vision,” said the report. According to WCBSTV Bam’s cholesterol has gone up, so if he’s still sneaking smokes, he should cut that out. It’s been revealed that Obama uses a "nicotine replacement therapy” (maybe nicotine gum). more ›

Depress yourself about the state of the state of New York some more by reading the NY Times' feature on accidental lieutenant governor Richard Ravitch! Basically, it boils down to the problem of having an apparently competent and respected person in Albany...but without any power to do anything. Ravitch himself says, "You could say, ‘Ravitch isn’t relevant to anything,’ and that wouldn’t be totally inaccurate either." more ›

More than a month after 7-year-old Patrick Alford disappeared from a Brooklyn foster home, police are running out of leads to follow. Originally they suspected the birth mom, but she’s been cleared since passing a lie detector test. The foster parents were a dead end too, as were canvases of the area and thousands of interviews. Even a $12,000 has failed to turn up the lost boy, leaving investigators and relatives to fear the worst. "The boy's not here - he's not here!" yelled Alford’s aunt, who’s been visited by detectives nine times. "I wish he was." more ›

Of the four “major” sports, the NHL is clearly the forgotten member of the group. While it has a passionate group of followers, the NHL's numbers are small in the U.S. compared to the other major sports. That’s why it is vital for hockey to do everything it can to promote the sport, including stopping the season for almost three weeks to let its athletes compete in the Olympic Games. more ›

Thanks to a growing scandal, Saturday Night Live brought back Fred Armisen's Governor Paterson character is back on Weekend Update. And Armisen-as-Paterson (hereafter referred to as "Paterson") relished the return, "Congratulations, NY Times, you snared the elusive David Paterson. Finding something wrong with my administration is like finding a needle in the needle store. You found out I was a bad governor. Who tipped you off—everyone?" more ›

When an engagement doesn’t follow its due course, who gets custody of the ring? The question is central in a lawsuit filed by a man who says his onetime fiancée “rushed” him into marriage, all the while planning to drop him and keep the rock. Rena Hope Friedman and Roger Adler were introduced by their mothers at a Hamptons Labor Day Party. Friedman fell hard for the clinical ophthalmologist, or so he thought, and just six weeks later he spent $58,000 on a ring to mark their engagement. Twelve days after that the whirlwind romance spun to a stop, but Friedman held on to her diamond. Adler thinks he should it get it back; not only that, he accuses his former love of pulling the same scam on other would-be husbands. more ›

In a scene reminiscent of one of Calvin's snowmen massacres, reader Kelley snapped this photograph at McCarren Park on Friday. She wrote, "I don't know who made this scene but I invite anyone to make up their own story," adding, "About 30 minutes after this photo was taken, around five or six random kids made off with the snowman heads and poof! the scene was gone..." more ›

Yesterday, the Reverend Al Sharpton convened a meeting of Democratic leaders at Sylvia's restaurant in Harlem to discuss the Governor Paterson situation. Their stance: they should support Paterson to serve out the rest of his term. State Senator Eric Adams said, "We had a president that was able to lead in 50 states while he was being in a grand jury, while he was being under impeachment proceedings. If he can lead 50 states, then surely our governor can lead one state." more ›

Instead of helping a Pee Wee football league buy helmets and pom poms, a charity founded by two Queens Democrats spent $400,000 on salaries, “expenses,” consultants and meals, paperwork shows. The Rosedale Jets Football Association submitted an application to New Directions, hoping to receive some of its funding for community outreach. "They said they never received our application," said Gerald Karikari, an immigration lawyer and the team's chief financial officer. more ›

Harry Markopolos, who told the SEC that Bernard Madoff was a fraud in 2000 only to be ignored, is the subject of a NY Times Magazine Q&A—and he really hates the SEC. He calls them a "bunch of idiots," says their changes are really a "redisorganization," and points out, "The five commissioners of the S.E.C. are securities lawyers. Securities lawyers never understand finance. They don’t have the math background. If you can’t do math and if you can’t take apart the investment products of the 21st century backward and forward and put them together in your sleep, you’ll never find the frauds on Wall Street." In his new book, he also reveals he was prepared for a standoff if the SEC came to his Boston-area home. more ›

According to CBS2, a woman with a similar sounding name had passed away earlier that morning, leading to the mix-up and the trauma that ensued. Goodwin says she’s still in shock from the incident and the family may file charges. "We looking at emotional duress, emotional stress - you know, that's basically what our issue is," said her mother, and Abrams’s granddaughter, Tracie Covington. The hospital is investigating and says it "deeply regrets" the incident. more ›

Jets coach Rex Ryan discussed two of his big off-season moments—Flipping the bird while in Miami and showing off his belly while at a hockey game—at the NFL Scouting Combine yesterday. "I am no Boy Scout and I don't pretend to be. But I am certainly trying to mature a little bit more," he said. more ›

The priest and lawyer who advised Biurny Peguero Gonzalez both say she acted courageously by coming forward to clear the name of a jailed man she falsely accused of rape. "She's the hero, not me," said the priest who urged the 27-year old to find legal counsel after hearing her confession. Gonzalez told him the story of how she’d accused William McCaffrey—who’s now been released after four years behind bars—of sexually assaulting her in order to get sympathy from friends, reports the Post. But sources say that though she wanted the construction worker freed, she may not have been aware that coming forward would result in a prison term of her own. more ›

Long-time Harlem Democrat Rep. Charles Rangel said yesterday that he’ll seek reelection, amid calls to resign. Rangel joined the House in 1970, and if he wins, he’ll serve out his 21st term, reports the Daily News. But despite his long record, peers have indicated they want him to step down, at least from his post on the House Ways and Means Committee, since an ethics panel found that he took a trip to the Caribbean paid for by corporate sponsors like AT&T. "Washington must be held to the highest ethical standards. Regrettably, with the finding of ethics violations, Charlie Rangel should step down from his leadership position,” said one Democrat, Rep. Paul Hodes from North Carolina. more ›

After an 8.8 earthquake struck off Chile's coast yesterday, a tsunami warning was issued around the Pacific. Though there were fears that waves as high as 6 to 10 feet could hit the Hawaiian islands—prompting residents and tourists to flee to higher ground—there were only "erratic surges in the sea." more ›

Heavy snow and ice caused the glass ceiling at the Sony Building's atrium to fall, injuring 10 people who were there for a Purim party. Luckily, the injuries were described as minor—and the Daily News headlined its story, "'Jersey Shore's' Snooki and Chris Noth escape injury as Sony Plaza's roof collapses during party." Yes, Snooki and Mr. Big were in the same place! more ›

Ok, so maybe it isn’t a “miracle” but when you are 5-52, beating Boston in Boston is a pretty special moment. And, after the first few minutes, it looked like they would be heading to another loss as they dropped to a 12-2 deficit. But, they closed out the quarter with a 27-15 run and never looked back. Brook Lopez had 25 points and Devin Harris added 23 as the Nets had their best day of the year. more ›

The San Gennaro Festival, the Romania Day Festival and the 6th Avenue Summerfest could all fall under Bloomberg’s latest category of cuts. To save the considerable cost of manning city street fairs with NYPD officers (last year there were 321 fairs costing $4 million in overtime) the mayor wants to reduce their numbers. Bloomberg is a long-time fair opponent—he’s said that they’re too numerous and they they’re all the same—but others argue the festivals are integral to city life. “Festivals give people an opportunity to take back the streets so they can walk, listen to music, see their neighbors and buy something if they want," argued fair producer Mort Berkowitz. more ›

For a victim of domestic abuse, harassment, rape or stalking filing an order of protection (aka restraining order) can be as simple as filling out a form, but actually ensuring that it does anything is another matter. Last year 262,327 orders of protection were issued in NY state. Some, like the one handed to former Sen. Hiram Monserrate, did the job, but statistics aren’t kept on how many failed to be successfully served. One that never did reach its recipient was obtained against David Johnson, a close aide to Gov. Paterson, whose domestic abuse has recently come to the light. Turns out recipients can easily avoid the orders of protection by simply not answering a knock on the door or, as in Johnson’s case, by being out of town. When a judge asked Johsnon’s alleged victim whether she had served him with the papers, she said: “No ma’am, he refused to. He avoided it.” more ›

A level three sex offender who served 14 years for sexually abusing girls ages five to seven no longer holds the keys to 50 Manhattan apartments. Shortly after his release from prison in 2001 William Barnason was hired as the super for several Upper West Side buildings, where female tenants complained he tried to coerce them into sex-for-rent arrangements, but now he’s gotten the boot. “Mr. Barnason is no longer employed as the superintendent and will be moving out of the building he lives in the near future," said a lawyer for the child rapists’ employer. more ›

More disturbing details about the State Police's involvement in an alleged domestic abuse incident concerning a close aide to Governor Paterson. The NY Times reports that the aide, David Johnson, "reached out to the commander of the governor’s State Police detail the day after an altercation with his girlfriend and asked the commander to call the woman, according to a person briefed on the commander’s actions." The commander, Major Charles Day, was authorized by his superior "to contact the woman, the person briefed on the sequence of events said, and Major Day did so on at least three occasions." more ›

Besides the thousands of people he cheated, Bernie Madoff has a secondary set of victims—the innocent folk how share his now-notorious last name. Madoff’s daughter-in-law is trying to change hers, and now others Madoffs are coming out of the woodwork. One says the family moniker has become a daily burden: “I eat out a lot, but I stopped using the name Madoff for reservations altogether,” Harriet Madoff told the Times, adding that “My last name has become ‘Madoff-Not Related.’” She’s not the only one to repeat that refrain. more ›

A financial firm once headquartered in the World Trade Center is seeking to commodify its loss of employees from the 9/11 attacks. Cantor Fitzgerald’s death toll after the terrorist attack was around 650 (about two-thirds of its work force), and it says that the slashed personnel has had severe financial repercussions. It's requesting $1 billion extra in damages from American Airlines, whose plane crashed into the WTC's north tower. (Originally it requested just $102.5 million to make up for lost profit, but upped the number last year, according to a filing in Manhattan federal court.) The Post reports that American Airlines will fight the “dramatic increase” on the ground that it’s a "disguised wrongful death claim" with no basis in law. more ›

Now that Gov. Paterson is out of the race, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo will have to drop his “coy” act and start answering questions, experts say. Yesterday Cuomo announced he’d wait for the “appropriate time” (March, reports the Daily News) to confirm his run for the governorship, but according to an anonymous adviser, “You sort of see some running room now. There’ll be a not-so-subtle change in the discussion, from this whole ‘Stay cool’ approach to ‘O.K., guys and gals, let’s get ready for a campaign and hopefully we’ll have a candidate in the next month or so.’” But once he stops playing hard to get, will voters still want him? more ›

Are you over the snow yet? Yesterday's storm, coupled with the month's earlier ones, has made February 2010 one for the history books: With 36.9 inches of snow this month, it's the snowiest February ever, since records began in 1869. more ›

The unwelcome houseguest accused of stabbing his Hell’s Kitchen host to death then taking off with his credit card, comes off as callous and unrepentant in interviews with cops. Justin Waller has pleaded not guilty to killing 41-year-old events planner John Lea, but according to recently released statements he told police “I just did it. I started sticking him with the knife. He didn't say anything to me, so I just covered him with the comforter and the pillows," explaining that "I didn't want to look at him. And I didn't want him looking at me." more ›

White House social secretary Desiree Rogers told Chicago Sun-Times reporter Lynn Sweet she was stepping down from her position because "As we turn the corner on the first year, this is a good time for me to explore opportunities in the corporate world," adding that it was "an honor and a privilege to serve this president and First Lady, in what has certainly been a historic presidency." more ›

The 46-year-old pedestrian who was struck and killed by a 100-pound tree branch in Central Park emigrated ten years ago from Albania and is survived by a wife and two kids. Relatives and police think Elmaz Qyra was just getting off his shift working behind the bar at the New York Athletic Club when he became the victim of the “freak accident.” "It was his dream to come to America and buy a home and provide a better life for his family," said his supervisor Cesar Zuzunaga. "He was always talking about his family and he was family to us here." more ›

A Queens man says his landlady tried to smoke him out of his apartment using a dangerous bug bomb—now he’s suing for $1 million. According to Dharmendra Persaud, Lisa Mongel let herself into his home and set off cans of Real-Kill Indoor Fogger 5. Worst of all, she did it completely without warning, when he was in the apartment, reports the Post. "She never called on the phone, never rang the doorbell. She just opened the chemical," he told the tabloid. According to his lawyer, his client not only inhaled toxic fumes, but tumbled down the stairs as he tried to escape. Right after, she filed the papers to evict the tenant and his children. Mongal wouldn’t discuss the allegations of chemical warfare, but said Persaud was “a liar.” more ›

At 1:34 a.m. EST, an 8.8 earthquake was registered along the cost of Chile, 70 miles from Concepcion and 200 miles from the capital of Santiago. CNN reports numerous aftershocks—some as big as 6.9. Seventy-eight people are dead, but Chilean President Michelle Bachelet thinks the toll will be greater, adding, "We are taking all the necessary measures at this time." According to CBS News, the earthquake prompted the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center to issue a "tsunami warning — its highest alert — for Hawaii... A warning was also in effect for Guam, American Samoa and dozens of other Pacific islands. The first waves were expected to arrive in Hawaii at 11:19 a.m. Saturday (4:19 p.m. EST)." Hawaiian residents are being evacuated and sirens will be sounded. more ›

Despite admonishment by an ethics committee for taking a corporate sponsored trip to the Caribbean, flouting House rules barring gifts worth more than $50, Congressman Charlie Rangel says he won’t resign from his powerful post on the House Ways and Means Committee. "Why don't you ask me if I'm going to stay chairman of the committee in light of the fact that we're expecting heavy snow in New York?" he quipped to reporters yesterday. Still, four fellow Dems called for him to step down and President Obama reprimanded him. According to White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs Obama stressed that "rules are put in place for a reason and that those rules can and must apply to each and every person." more ›

Sure, Governor Paterson announced he wouldn't seek election this year in the wake of the scandal involving abuse accusations against his aide—and his own and the State Police's involvement in speaking with the accuser—but is that good enough? A number of other politicians called for him to resign; City Comptroller John Liu, who called Paterson a friend, said, "We have a $4.1 billion budget deficit to grapple with in New York City and cannot make real progress until the State budget is resolved on time one month from now. In order for this to happen, we need Governor Paterson to step down now." more ›

In some ways they saved the worst for last, but the Knicks still managed to squeak out a 118-116 win over Washington in overtime Friday. David Lee’s layup with 1.6 seconds left put an end to New York’s eight-game losing streak. Curiously, Tracy McGrady had 23 points, but he was pulled late in the third quarter and didn’t return to the game. Al Harrington added 37 points off the bench and two key free throws in OT. more ›

An FDNY fire prevention inspector has been accused of claiming he was inspecting boilers when he was really just sitting in his car. Robert Stewart, 40, has been hit with 38 counts of falsifying records for lying about examining boilers in 19 Queens residences when he would actually just fill out the necessary paperwork without leaving his vehicle. more ›

Immediately after Governor Paterson exited the room where his press conference was held today, New York State Democratic Chairman Jay Jacobs seized the moment and held his own press conference, for the purposes of crowning Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. "Andrew Cuomo is going to be our nominee," Jacobs said, according to Politico. "I would suspect there will be rapid movement to Cuomo. I will be endorsing him. He's the natural choice." So natural, so organic, the way the Democrats finally separated Paterson from his gubernatorial ambition and hoisted Cuomo on their shoulders—with Paterson probably still within earshot! But Cuomo's still acting coy. Or is classy the right word? He issued this statement today: more ›

What a doozy—today's winter storm has dropped just under 21 inches of snow in Central Park! And NYC is supposed to see another one to three inches! Earlier today, Sanitation Commissioner John Doherty said, "Our plan today is to get into the secondary and tertiary streets. Don't rush us, we are going to get there. We know we have to clear them. The plows are out, we are going to bring in extra equipment to help us out where needed." But given that the snow is unstoppable, we hope people aren't snowed in too badly. more ›

Security cameras at Newark Liberty International Airport are being equipped with alarms that will sound if the cameras stop working. More than 30 cameras at nine security checkpoints will be connected to alarms, according to 1010WINS. The planned fail-safe measure comes after a man brought air travel to a halt when he bypassed security to say goodbye to his girlfriend. Following that breach, authorities realized airport cameras had not stored images for days, and were forced to obtain backup footage from security cameras operated by Continental Airlines. Since then, security at Newark has been breached by wine bottles and an obese cat. more ›

After Arizona decided it didn't want to host the Superbowl due to security concerns, the Meadowlands has become the front-runner for 2014's big game. According to the Post, the new Giants and Jets facility is now the leading contender because "Tampa and South Florida—which held the past two Super Bowls—are the only other bidders." more ›

A custodian at Kings County Hospital Center has been arrested on charges of sexually assaulting a deaf, mute and mentally disabled psychiatric patient as he took a shower. The Daily News reports that 30-year-old Larry Taylor has been accused of attacking a 28-year-old patient on Feb. 11, and has been charged with first-degree criminal sex act and third-degree sexual abuse—both felonies, according to the Times. more ›

After no small degree of dread was endured by those who rely on the G and F to get around Brooklyn, the big snow storm has come through with a reprieve this weekend. The MTA has announced that "due to inclement weather, all weekend subway work has been canceled. All lines will operate according to the usual weekend schedule." Shuttle buses were to have replaced the F train between Jay Street and Church Avenue, and the G line was to have been divided up into trains, single-track shuttle trains, and the F shuttle buses. But the best laid schemes of rats and MTA went askew, thanks to the snowacane. Even the 7 train's running between Manhattan and Long Island City! Oh MTA, you're going to spoil us! more ›

Governor Paterson has announced he will, as expected, that he will not run for governor this year, "Today I'm announcing I'm ending my campaign for the governor of New York. I cannot run for office and manage the state's business at the same time. Right now New York State needs a leader full-time." However, he did not resign, pointedly saying, "There are 308 days left in my term—I will serve every one." Below, liveblog of his press conference. more ›

In its semi-final game in the Olympics, the United States Men's Hockey Team defeated Finland, 6-1. Team USA's first goal was scored by Ryan Malone just two minutes into the game after some poor puck handling by Finland goalie Miikka Kiprusoff. Zach Parise and Erik Johnson both added power play goals before Patrick Kane added a 4th goal shortly after the 10 minute mark. Kiprusoff was pulled from the game after allowing four goals on seven shots. Niklas Backstrom replaced Kiprusoff, but didn't fare much better, allowing two more goals. Patrick Kane scored a second time and Paul Stastny added a goal for the quick 6-0 lead. The United States scored the last two goals in 15 seconds and scored 5 goals in less than 6.5 minutes. more ›

After shutting out the U.S. women's hockey team 2-0 and winning the gold medal, the Canadian women's hockey team celebrated their victory by—what else—breaking out beer, champagne and cigars on the rink's ice. Photographs of the revelry were taken and it did not please the International Olympic Committee. The AP apparently told the IOC's executive director of the Olympic Games, Gilbert Felli, who said that an investigation would be conducted, "[This is] not what we want to see... I don't think it's a good promotion of sport values. If they celebrate in the changing room, that's one thing, but not in public. We will investigate what happened." more ›

The wet snow that has been blanketing the city is so heavy it knocked a "healthy branch" from a "healthy tree," killing a pedestrian who was walking in Central Park yesterday afternoon, according to Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe. "These trees are probably among the best cared for trees in the country—carefully monitored for disease and removed if there is any hint of disease," said Benepe of the American elms, which line both sides of the park's Literary Walk. "And that was apparently a healthy branch and a healthy tree." more ›

Two days after being found guilty of faking concrete and steel strength tests at Yankee Stadium, the Freedom Tower, hospitals and schools, Reddy Kancharla, the president of the ironically named Testwell Laboraties, attempted suicide. Kancharla was looking at up to 25 years in prison if convicted of the top charge, enterprise corruption, and he believed that the jury would send back a guilty verdict on that, too—which they did on Wednesday. He slit his wrists and swallowed sleeping pills at his offices last Friday, but was found by his secretary and survived. Kancharla's lawyer says he's recovering and vowed to appeal. more ›

The drug-dealing spawn of actor Michael Douglas, 31-year-old Cameron, will remain behind bars until his sentencing in April. He faces up to ten years in prison after pleading guilty to dealing crystal meth and cocaine. A Manhattan federal judge denied bail yesterday saying he couldn't be trusted on house arrest (last time they tried that his girlfriend delivered him heroin in an electric toothbrush). more ›

At 3 p.m. today, Governor Paterson will give an address from midtown Manhattan. It's unclear exactly what's on his mind, but analysts expect the Governor to weigh in on this season's Lost, the women's figure skating finals, and the bizarre 50 Cent sex tape cameo. Oh, and he's also expected to throw in the towel on his ill-fated election bid because he got caught interfering with a woman's domestic violence suit against his close aide. The government will be streaming it live; just click this link at the appointed hour to watch our second governor in a row flame out ignominiously! (The state should really start selling ad space on these webcasts.) more ›

How many expensive bottles of champagne do you have to order before the M2 Ultra Lounge staff become suspicious? According to the NY Post, two "wanna-be players" rang up a $28,500 tab at the nightclub before the waitstaff wondered how they were going to pay for it. more ›

Over the past 13 days, eight people have been struck by subway trains—a tally that matches the number of New Yorkers struck during the average month. Union officials say train crews had actually noticed a surge in such incidents, dubbed "12-9s," starting late last year. "It's the most I can recall, and I've been a train operator for 26 years," said Steve Downs, union chairman of the train operators division. more ›

Those NYPD-issued parking placards are GOLD, Jerry, pure GOLD! Although Mayor Bloomberg has cut back on the number of placards issued to city employees, drivers still cling to the precious perk, which lets them park for free at meters and many off-limits areas. On Wednesday CBS2 noticed funnyman Jerry Seinfeld getting dropped off at his studios on West 57th Street. His driver, retired narcotics officer Sgt. Timothy Gallagher, parked the car and escorted the Bee Movie star inside to work on his new program, The Marriage Ref. And the vehicle was left behind with an expired parking placard in the window—which never even belonged to Gallagher in the first place. (And yes, Seinfeld's driver really is named Gallagher!) more ›

Finally, real snowstorm! The 17 inches of snow in Central Park so far has this storm knocking on the list of ten greatest snowfalls recorded in the park since 1869. As commenter MT wondered earlier, this storm gives the city its first ever snow triple-double -three snowstorms with at least ten inches of snow in a season. Another 5-10 inches of snow could fall by tomorrow morning. Final fun fact: Only ten more inches is needed to for this storm to be NYC's snowiest ever. more ›

Now that Governor Paterson is expected to drop his 2010 gubernatorial bid (though it's unclear when and if he will have a press conference) after news of abuse accusations against his aide were revealed—as well as his own and the State Police's involvement in with the accuser—the next question is whether he should remain installed as governor. The local papers are, at best, skeptical and, at worst, angry. more ›

With the snow really socking it to the city, the Mayor had a press conference to discuss the snow situation. He was pretty touchy when he was asked why the public schools' snow day was announced so late! more ›

A 71 year-old man and his 36 year-old roommate are going to prison for hiring a 6-foot-5 inch, 350 lbs thug to strong-arm their building manager. You may recall that last year police arrested elderly architect Ekkehart Schwarz and his roommate Vassileios Giamagas, after they threatened "death and torture," against the manager when he tried to collect $265,000 in back rent on their unfinished restaurant on West Third Street. They forced him at gunpoint to sign a waiver excusing them from the rent; later, they kidnapped him and threatened him with fake guns, pliers, a screwdriver, and forced sodomy from "a giant guy with an Eastern European accent." more ›

Possible Senate candidate Harold Ford has been bashed by his likely rival for not disclosing whether or not he received a "taxpayer-backed bonus" from his job at Merrill Lynch. Turns out he didn't really need a bonus, because his unusual Wall Street contract promised him at least $2 million per year, regardless of his performance. more ›

Tiger Woods is scaremongering PETA with his team of lawyers, and it's working. The animal rights group has put a halt on releasing their latest billboard campaign featuring a photo of the golfer; it reads: "Too much sex can be a bad thing," and encourages pet owners to spay and neuters their animals. The organization told TMZ: "In light of conversations we have had with Mr. Woods' attorneys, plans to run our billboard are on hold at this time." more ›

A legless man in a wheelchair planted explosives in the 125th Street Metro-North station yesterday, according to police. Trains were rerouted and the Harlem station was evacuated while officers tried to make sure that the "pyrotechnic" device, which consisted of M-80 fireworks and shotgun shells, didn't detonate. more ›

Governor Paterson will drop his election bid, according to the AP's Democratic sources, and is expected to make an announcement later this morning. But during a short press conference last night (video below), Paterson insisted he has no plans to step down or suspend his campaign in light of Wednesday night's revelation that he interfered in an aide's domestic violence imbroglio. Explaining that the matter is now in the hands of Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, the governor declined to answer any specific questions about allegations that he called the ex-girlfriend of aide David Johnson the day before she dropped her legal action against him. But Paterson told reporters he is "talking to a number of elected officials around the state" to seek "their opinion." That opinion is not specifically too good: more ›

Last night, one of the Winter Olympics' marquee events, the women's figure skating final, took place and Kim Yu-Na of South Korea won the gold medal with a world record score. After facing intense pressure and expectations from her country to bring them their first gold in a sport other than speedskating, Kim, 19, said, "I still can't believe it. I waited a long time for the Olympics, and it feels like a large weight has been lifted off." more ›

Take that, Snowmageddon! On February 10, ten inches of snowfall were recorded in Central Park. Now, according to NBC New York, there's 16.9 inches in the park (Bronx: 14"; College Point: 14"; Laguardia Airport: 10.2"). And there may be 17 inches, when the day is through! more ›

After a lengthy investigation, a House ethics panel ruled that Rep. Charlie Rangel violated congressional rules by traveling to the Caribbean on corporate junkets in 2007 and 2008. The Harlem Democrat said he had been "admonished" by the committee, which has not yet announced its findings regarding allegations of improper fundraising, tax evasion on property in the Dominican Republic, and his use of four rent-stabilized apartments in Manhattan despite House rules barring gifts worth more than $50. more ›

The woman whose Acura Legend was involved in a Brooklyn hit-and-run that injured two women—one seriously—spoke at a press conference yesterday, emphatically stating that she was not the driver. Cindy Jasmin said, "I am the owner of the vehicle involved in the accident. My sister was the driver of the car involved in the accident." more ›

Snow day! For New York City Public Schools, anyway (and colleges and universities—Columbia, NYU, New School, SVA are closed!). After previously saying that NYC public schools would be open today despite the snow, the Department of Education has changed course and closed schools for the day. After school activities and all PSAL events are also canceled. It's the second time schools have been closed for snow this month.Time to pull out that snow gear again for some more fun in the parks (which are dangerous)! City offices, however, will remain open. more ›

After a pedestrian was killed by a falling tree in Central Park and other incidents of downed trees (including a few on Fifth Avenue), the city's Office of Emergency Management relays this message: "The Parks Department is advising people to avoid public parks this evening and use caution near street trees. Report fallen trees to 311." more ›

The hits keep coming for Governor Paterson today! Besides NY1 reporter Josh Robin Tweeting that Paterson's aides couldn't find the governor (spokesman says that Paterson was in NYC) and Rep. Nita Lowery (D-Westchester) saying that he should resign, now the Staten Island Advance says that it's been weeks since Lieutenant Governor Richard Ravitch has spoken with Paterson. more ›

There's already talk that the MTA will raise fares by more than the expected 7.5 percent next year—but now transit experts say the cash-strapped agency might increase the cost of commuting before the end of 2010. With a budget shortfall that's only gotten worse in recent weeks, MTA chairman Jay Walder told the Times: "[I]t has been my intent to hold to that scheduled increase...I believe that having regularly scheduled increases is preferable to increasing fares and tolls in other circumstances, and we're trying very much to stay in that mode." But trying very much doesn't necessarily mean will, according to insiders. "He very consciously did not rule it out," warned one transit watchdog. more ›

A Queens man was arrested and charged with coercion and harassment after holding his ex-girlfriend's Facebook profile hostage. Paul Franco changed Jessica Zamora-Anderson's sexual preference on her page, and then demanded cash if she wanted to regain control of her account. And it turns out Franco has a history of being a totally weird, manipulative guy. more ›

Last Saturday a group of feminist protesters stood strong outside of an American Apparel store in NoHo, chanting things like, “Women’s bodies are a battleground,” “Women as sex toys—no more!” and “We need total revolution!” The rally was part of “From the Burkha to the Thong: Everything Must, and Can Change—We Need Total Revolution,” Sunsara Taylor's speaking tour, which was just at NYU. more ›

At an appearance last night at the Time Warner Center, actor Alec Baldwin held forth on nuclear power, family law, and politics. The event, sponsored by Fordham University and moderated by novelist Thane Rosenbaum, focused mainly on Baldwin's history playing lawyers in films and his activism. Baldwin responded to a question about whether he might run for public office with "maybe," while conceding, "If I did that, it would be a whole other chapter in my life." He also revealed that he almost went into law instead of acting. Then Rosenbaum asked if his brothers would have followed him into law had he become a lawyer, and Baldwin replied: ''God, no. I would be representing them.'' more ›

Now that Bloomberg won't help Stuy Town residents buy the foreclosed complex, hedge fund Appaloosa Management is taking a stab. The Times reports that the New Jersey based fund, led by David Tepper, filed a legal challenge yesterday against CW Capital Management, the company currently overseeing the Stuy Town and Peter Cooper Village complexes on behalf of the lenders. Appaloosa says CW has acted “irrationally and imprudently." more ›

Democrats, Republicans, and President Obama are having their little health care summit today, but it's just too boring for some people. So let's take a little stroll down memory lane to a more dramatic exchange on health care. The year was 2010, the day was yesterday, and Representative Anthony Weiner was rocking the House like a Snowacane. "Anthony, go for it... Weiner!": more ›

In the past year we've seen a Ralph Lauren model get warped into a bobblehead; Demi Moore get part of her hip shaved off; a Real Houswife get a digital face transplant; and in a rare reverse-distortion, Christina Hendricks was called a "big girl" in a NY Times article which ran an enlarged image of the actress. Most recently, a size 4 model spoke out in hopes of the fashion industry changing their ways and embracing healthier images. more ›

[UPDATE BELOW]: A man was killed "after a tree fell on top of him" in Central Park near the corner of East 69th Street and Fifth Avenue, according to police scanner reports. The victim was found dead at some time before 3:35 pm, and police and emergency workers have been dispatched to the scene. Last year, a man suffered brain damage and spinal injuries after a large tree branch fell more than 30 feet and struck him near West Drive and 63rd Street in Central Park. He has filed suit against the city and the Central Park Conservancy for neglect. Last summer, a willow tree fell into the Pool in Central Park. more ›

On Tuesday Miss Heather at New York Shitty noticed that the Ghost Bike memorial for Solange Raulston, who was fatally sideswiped by a truck in Greenpoint in December, was gone. The memorial, a tragically common reminder that a cyclist died near a particular spot, was attached to a lamppost at the intersection of McGuinness Boulevard and Nassau Avenue. We've been unable to find out who removed the bike, or why, but there are a couple of clues. more ›

A hospital employee is being investigated for allegedly raping a male patient a the shower in the psychiatric unit of Kings County Hospital Center—where a 49-year-old woman died in a waiting room after being repeatedly ignored by staffers. The victim, described in the Daily News as "developmentally disabled, deaf and mute," reported the attack to relatives two weeks ago. After scanning surveillance footage and conducting forensic tests, police are reportedly nearing an arrest. more ›

In the wake of the NY Times' article about the Governor's and State Police's possible interference in an abuse claim against an aide to Governor Paterson, state Commissioner of the Division of Criminal Justice Services and Deputy Secretary for Public Safety Denise O'Donnell turned in her resignation today. O'Donnell, who oversaw many agencies including the State Police, now says she was misled by about the alleged interference: Back in January, "I was assured by Superintendent Corbitt that the State Police were not involved." more ›

Stephanie Madoff may be married to Ponzi schemer Bernard Madoff's son Mark, but she sure doesn't want to be saddled with the infamous last name. The Post and Daily News report on how she applied to change her and her children's last names because of the "embarrassment, harassment and endangerment associated with the name." more ›

As was expected, admitted terrorist plotter Najibullah Zazi implicated his high school pals in his planned attack on the New York subway system. Former classmates Adis Medunjanin and Zarein Ahmedzay were arraigned before a Brooklyn Federal Judge today on new charges [PDF] of plotting three coordinated bombings on rush hour subways in Manhattan. more ›

Earlier this month we looked at a whole bunch of state parks on the chopping block due to budget cuts, but we just got word that Williamsburg's East River State Park is safe... thanks to the hipsters. Or Senator Schumer. Or indie rock or something. more ›

[UPDATE BELOW] Representative Steve Israel of Long Island, a longtime friend of Governor Paterson’s who was high in the running to fill Hillary Rodham Clinton’s Senate seat, personally called Paterson this morning to implore him to abandon his election campaign in light of today's news. Israel would not reveal Paterson's response, but he tells City Room, "I think it’s become apparent that he should not seek re-election and should announce it soon. Look, sometimes friends have to speak unpleasant truths, and as a friend, I told the governor there is life after Albany." Paterson has had trouble building support in the Democratic party for his campaign, and now it seems that his allies are taking the opportunity to jump ship. more ›

Same-sex marriage advocates, outraged at the State Senate's rejection in December, are planning to spend in the high six figures range to influence the State Senate races this year. Their first target: Hiram Monserrate, the Queens Democrat trying to reclaim the seat he lost after the Senate expelled him because he slashed his girlfriend's face with broken glass. In the three weeks leading up to the special election, the group, called Fight Back New York, will send out upwards of 100,000 pieces of mail in Monserrate's district, the Times reports. "Politicians who deny gays and lesbians basic equality should be thrown out of office, starting with convicted criminal Hiram Monserrate," warns Bill Smith, and adviser to philanthropist Tim Gill, a major backer of the Fight Back PAC. more ›

Will unisex bathrooms on planes soon vanish into thin air? CNN is reporting that Japanese airline All Nippon Airways is introducing women-only lavatories on its international routes starting next week, though they have no plans to designate men-only facilities. The move came after many customers spoke up asking for the separation, but the airline says there are exceptions—such as when a restroom is required for safety reasons or "when there are very few female passengers." A poster at FlyerTalk said, "The lavatories are scarce enough already. The last thing we need is more restriction of choice." more ›

Though the "Snowacane" is in full effect, New York City public schools will be open tomorrow, according to Mayor Bloomberg. After preemptively closing schools before the "Snowpocalypse"—awarding students their third snow day in the past six years—Bloomberg announced this afternoon that city schools will remain open on Friday. In a statement to 1010WINS that leaves just enough doubt for students to feel disappointed right now, and again tomorrow morning, he said: "My hope is that the snow will stay to the north and west of us and we'll just have rain, our kids need another school day ... We will cancel school only if it really would be dangerous to get the kids into school and get them home." more ›

Someone in the NYPD bureau responsible for preventing police corruption leaked the identity of an officer who told investigators about a Bronx lieutenant's alleged shady doings, according to the cop's lawyer. After officer and former police union rep Frank Palestro sent what were supposed to be anonymous tips to Internal Affairs, he found a mousetrap with his name on it in the 42nd Precinct and an Internal Affairs call log containing his cellphone number in his locker. "The log was sent back to the precinct by [Internal Affairs] and I think it was done deliberately," said attorney Eric Sanders. more ›

Under what circumstances should a cabbie stop their meter? This past Wednesday night a 29-year-old Park Slope man threw up in the back of a cab while traveling down 4th Avenue in Brooklyn. He told the cabbie he'd clean up his sickly mess, at which point the driver pulled the car over on 14th Street so his passenger could presumably throw up some more, outside of the vehicle. more ›

Possible Senate candidate Harold Ford Jr. was booed and heckled by a gay Democratic club for his past record on same-sex marriage. Since voting twice to amend the Constitution to ban gay marriage as a Congressman in Tennessee, Ford claims he has come to support marriage equality. But that wasn't enough to win over the Stonewall Democrats in the West Village. more ›

On Tuesday, former WABC 7 sportscaster Marvell Scott pleaded not guilty to charges including statutory rape of a 14-year-old girl, with his lawyer claiming that he had been set up by a child prostitute and a pimp. Now Scott is speaking out, telling the Post, "I will definitely be vindicated in court. I have no doubt in my mind." more ›

President Obama is meeting with both Democrats and Republicans at a health care summit today. You can see live video of the talks after the jump, but to bring you up to speed, the NY Times reports that Obama, in his opening remarks (which came from a teleprompter-less table), "called on the two parties to abandon their talking points and engage in a real unscripted discussion." Republican Senator Lamar Alexander asked Obama to abandon "reconciliation" and start over while House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D) said there's no time to start over. more ›

A thief unsuccessfully attempted to extort a Swedish military official and his elderly father for $40 using a widely known scam, Lt. Cmdr. Peter Palm testified in court yesterday. According to the Swedish intelligence commander, career criminal Louis Parson tried to pull a "broken bottle scam"—which closely resembles a "broken glasses scam"—on him and his father in a Midtown hotel. more ›

Police may need to run DNA tests on blood found inside an Acura Legend that struck two pedestrians in Brooklyn, injuring both, at Flatbush and Prospect Place. The car's owner Cindy Jasmin was suspected as the hit-and-run driver involved in the incident, but Jasmin claims her sister was actually driving the car. more ›

A Florida woman, Lastonia Leviston, has sued rapper 50 Cent in Manhattan for editing himself—wearing a curly wig—into her personal sex tape. This is definitely better than the time he was embroiled in an 400,000,000 cent lawsuit against Taco Bell! more ›

After a jury acquitted all three cops accused of participating in the sodomy of a Brooklyn man during his arrest in 2008, Officer Richard Kern—who faced the most serious charge of aggravated sexual abuse—told reporters, "I hope to get back on the street and do what I love to do: protect the people of Brooklyn." But it's going to be quite some time before that happens, if it happens at all. As the Times reports today, the three officers still face legal challenges within the Police Department, as well as the possibility of prosecution on the federal level. more ›

The woman whose false rape accusations put an innocent man in prison for four years wouldn't have admitted her story was a lie if she knew she was pregnant at the time, according to court documents. Biurny Peguero Gonzalez told investigators she wouldn't have come forward during confessional with her priest if she knew she was going to have a child. "She said that had she been aware of her pregnancy, she probably would not have confessed when she did," the papers state. more ›

Just after 6 a.m., three FDNY firefighters surrendered to the Brooklyn DA's office to face assault charges stemming from an epic bar brawl at the Salty Dog in Bay Ridge on January 30th. Firefighters Ryan Warnock, Michael Reilly and Christopher Emmel were caught on the bar's surveillance video throwing punches during the melee, which involved at least a dozen active and retired firemen. The DA had considered charging the whole lot with gang assault charges, but it seems the prosecution has honed in on these three. The brawl reportedly erupted after a 21-year-old man spilled a shot on a firefighter; it's unclear who threw the first punch, but the man's cousin suffered a broken eye socket and other injuries during the ensuing pandemonium. more ›

Did the NY Times's Governor Paterson "bombshell" finally explode? Last night the paper dropped a long article about how a Bronx woman accused her companion, Paterson's longtime aide David Johnson, of abuse—but then abandoned legal action after she was allegedly harassed by state troopers, and received a personal phone call from the Governor. The assault allegedly occurred in the unidentified woman's apartment, which she shared with her 13-year-old son, on Halloween night 2009. The Times had mentioned the attack in their first piece, but now we get the full, appalling reveal: more ›

As we mentioned yesterday, it's a mess out there today. Rain has turned into snow, and there are winter storm warnings in effect for all of New York City, all of NJ and eastern Pennsylvania. Hell, there's talk of "snowacane"-like conditions in some areas that are supposed to be hit hard! In the words of Storm Field, "It’s coming, it’s coming, white death from the sky!" more ›

Thanks to two goals by Zach Parise, the U.S. men's hockey team beat Switzerland 2-0 and advanced to the semi-finals. It wasn't until the third period, during a power play, when Parise was able to score the first goal against Swiss goalie Jonas Hiller, who made 42 saves (U.S. goalie Ryan Miller only faced 19 shots on goal). Parise, who plays for the NJ Devils, also made an empty net goal with 11 seconds left in the third. more ›

Thanks to Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, Toyota will provide NYC drivers with a service that picks up recalled vehicles to get them fixed, reimburses them for transportation costs and hands out free rental cars during the repair period (more info at www.nytoyotahelp.com). It's the first agreement between the beleaguered automaker and an attorney general, though it doesn't signal that Cuomo will call off investigations of the company. In NY, 500,000 vehicles have been recalled, reports the AP. “It is unacceptable that New York consumers should face additional burdens when dealing with a safety problem that is Toyota’s responsibility,” Cuomo said in a statement. more ›

A therapist told Officer Frank Chiafari to "politely decline" when asked to tell the awful story of the day Travis the chimp mauled Charla Nash in CT, ripping off her hands and face, but recently he made an exception. According to the officer—who's been denied Workers Comp for a PTSD claim after shooting the animal—it all started with a "humorous-sounding" call across the radio early last year. “[It] came over as ‘monkey attacking someone,’" he told the Times. But as he drove to scene he thought “Wait a minute, that’s Travis.” He'd met the "friendly" chimpanzee before: Travis's owners had a towing company and would sometimes bring him along when police called them to move vehicles. Chiafari pulled up he saw what looked like a pile of clothes. “Then I realized it’s a human being,” he said. “It was all ripped apart.” That's when Travis began bashing the window of his cruiser. more ›

Indicted Councilman Larry Seabrook won't quit. The Bronx Democrat accused by federal prosecutors of taking part in real estate scams, soliciting a $50,000 bribe, and doctoring a $7 receipt for a bagel and a drink so he was reimbursed $177, says he won't resign. When asked by the Post if he took a bribe in exchange for getting a boiler company a gig at Yankee Stadium, Seabrook reportedly said "absolutely not" four times and laughed. He vowed to fight the charges, and claimed a close reading of the 66-page indictment against him reveals he's innocent. "I think if you read it, you'll see for yourself from that," he said. more ›

Yesterday the jury made a quick decision at Natavia Lowery's trial, charging her with the second-degree murder of her former boss Linda Stein, in 2007. Upon hearing the verdict, which could land her behind bars for life, Lowery was expressionless, according to the NY Times, and then "turned toward her family, smiled and mouthed: 'You O.K.? You O.K.?' 'We good, we good,' her mother, Lottie Lowery, responded, smiling." more ›

The list of possible candidates considering challenging Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand keeps on growing. Dan Senor—a former advisor to Pres. Bush and a one-time spokesman for Iraq's provisional government—is reportedly "very interested" in running on the Republican ticket. more ›

Apparently the city's safety zone is between 5th and Park Avenues, from 77th to 84th Street. The patch of space was just deemed the safest neighborhood in the city, according to a WalletPop.com survey. They note that there's a 1 in 625 chance of becoming a victim here, and the Daily News points out that the area has the highest median home prices in the country, with an average household earning around $5 million. One resident told the paper, "I always find it very safe. I even have a uniformed police officer in my building 24 hours a day, seven days a week because an ambassador lives in my building." Well la-di-da. And of course when there is a crime in the neighborhood, it's going to be high profile. more ›

Judges squabbled over what to do with 70-year-old civil rights lawyer Lynne Stewart, who's been convicted on charges of helping a jailed client communicate with his followers after he plotted to bomb NYC, but faces a resentencing in April. All wanted a lower-court judge to extend her sentence, but, unusually, each issued a statement criticizing how the others had handled the case. According to the AP, Chief Judge Dennis Jacobs said the judge should start his sentence from scratch since Judge John Koeltl didn't take into account the terrorist consequences of Stewart's case, but another judge fired back. more ›

The push to shut down a little-known immigrant jail in the West Village has been complicated due to the poor health of detainees—some of whom allege their medical problems have been overlooked by jail officials. Though Friday marks "the official end of detention operations" at the Varick Federal Detention Facility with the scheduled transfer of the remaining 300 detainees to New Jersey, authorities have struggled to find new places to hold non-citizens with illnesses and mental problems, the Times reports. And more detainees are arriving every day. more ›

A wealthy Icelandic couple is being sued for installing a cheap Ikea kitchen in their Gramercy Park Hotel pad. According to the Daily News, Jon Asgeir Johannesson and Ingibjorg Palmadottir own two apartments in the building, a full-floor co-op and the duplex penthouse above it. The duo rented out the 16th floor to the Paramount Realty Group last year, and now that group is suing them for $52,000, in part because of the "ugly kitchen." more ›

The G train weekend suspensions, which were originally supposed to last for four weekends, will happen again later this year, with at least two more rounds of suspensions lasting at least a month each, according to Assemblyman Joe Lentol, who's pressuring the MTA to do a better job communicating with riders. To that end, NYC Transit spokesman Paul Fleuranges has emailed us to announce that this weekend the G will finally be running again—but just between Court Square and Bedford-Nostrand. more ›

After chest pains sent him into a D.C. hospital on Monday, former vice president Dick Cheney is "feeling good" according to his office. This morning, Cheney was released from George Washington Hospital, which treated him for this "mild heart attack"; it was Cheney's fifth heart attack, so maybe he is a "veritable poster boy" for progress in cardiovascular health. Former president George W. Bush as well as Vice President Joe Biden called Cheney while he was in the hospital—and don't worry, he's expected to resume his normal schedule of slamming the Obama administration shortly. more ›

When model and "wannabe-socialite" Kashmir Snowdon-Jones committed thousands of dollars worth of credit card fraud "to get back at" a friend her peers predicted she'd get out of charges using her feminine wiles and upper Manhattan fortunes. But now, charged with grand larceny and identity theft, it seems unlikely she'll be able to completely evade the consequences of her unauthorized purchases. According to the victim Jennifer Hirsch, "I told my parents that it wasn't going to end. She is going to get away with it like she always does with everyone else's money. I didn't want her to hurt anyone else as she had done to me. So that's when l said, let's go to NYPD." more ›

Delaware police have tentatively ID'd a little girl found Sunday in a men's bathroom stall at a Shell station in Delaware. They believe she's about 2 years old and that she comes from New York or New Jersey, but haven't released other details. According to the Daily News, the child's hair was "pulled up on top of her head, and she was wearing a puffy tan winter coat over a purple shirt with small flowers printed on it. She also was wearing blue jeans with pink, white and purple sneakers with purple laces and white ankle socks." The AP says she's been placed in foster care family while police search for her family. more ›

About a month after Coney Island buffs called attention to the significance of this 19th century building, the city began demolishing it this week. The small structure sits on property that used to be Astroland Park, but long before that it was the kitchen for Charles Feltman's popular restaurant. Feltman (1841-1910), a German butcher who's credited with the idea of selling pork sausages on a warm bun, popularized the hot dog, and one of his employees was none other than Nathan Handwerker, who slept on the kitchen floor before going onto start Nathan's Famous! But all we are is crumbs in the wind, and the city is tearing it down as part of a major redo of the amusement district. Also lost to the wrecking ball is this mural, painted on one wall by artist Rita Ackermann in 2004. [Via Curbed/Coney Island Message Board] more ›

An Upper East Side building houses two seemingly segregated elementary schools: one for mostly black and Latino kids, one for mostly white and Asian kids. Since 1959 it's been home to P.S. 198 (aka Straus), a school that serves local children—24 percent are black and 47 percent are Latino. But go in the front door and you'll find yourself in the reportedly "serene" hallways of the Lower Laboratory School (P.S. 77), a gifted and talented program where 69 percent of the student body is white or Asian. The old sign for Straus hangs out front, but kids from that school enter through the back door. more ›

A Pakistani deli worker in Staten Island is accused of trying to buy the identity of a dead child from the boy's mother. Rizwan Ahmed, 24, allegedly promised to pay $10,000 to obtain a birth certificate and social security card that belonged to Michael Keller, an 8-year-old who died of respiratory arrest in 1996. But he was busted when he tried to get a state ID under the new name. more ›

Gov. Paterson should be investigated for possibly misusing $1,800 in campaign funds at a Florida Ritz Carlton, a good government group alleges. According to the Daily News, the New York Public Interest Research Group wants the Board of Elections to study campaign credit card charges made at the resort in 2008 and determine if they were "personal in nature and not appropriately expensed to the campaign." In a long-awaited Times story on Paterson's purported laziness, the Governor said he went to Florida to meet with possible campaign donors, but added: "I have a cousin who's ill in Sarasota. I went down to see my cousin." He also said he spent time poolside, and noted it "was kind of vacation-oriented." more ›

Right around Christmas last year, there was a fire at the Macy's in Herald Square... and now it's happening again! We just got word over the newswire that the store, at 151 West 34th Street, has been fully evacuated and power has been "removed." Last year's fire began on an escalator, and this time around it's in the sub-basement; CityRoom reports it has not reached the retail part of the store. There are no reported injuries, and as of 1:15 p.m. "all visible fire" has been put out. more ›

It's been nearly a week since Denise Albert unleashed her mommy rage onto the pages of the internet for all to see, and now she's back, apologizing, and burdened by a slight case of post-traumatic writer shock. more ›

Toll collectors on the New Jersey Turnpike were the subject of 550 letters of complaint in 2008 and 2009, including one from a woman who was told she'd have to be cuffed and strip searched after getting in the wrong lane and another driver who was told to "get on the road and die" by an attendant after attempting to pay his toll with a $20. Numerous collectors allegedly preferred a silent attack: spitting on their fingers before handing back change. more ›

As you could probably tell by all those fliers piling up in your vestibule, the Census is ready to take your info. But apparently they've been having a hard time finding everyone in the city. The New York Times reports that the Census has discovered nearly 300,000 people they missed the last time around because they didn't have their addresses. more ›

Wednesday is turning out to be a day of rest between storms. Just over 1.5 inches of precipitation fell yesterday and last night. More is expected tomorrow! Today we'll just see drizzle and clouds with a high near 40 degrees. more ›

Last night marked the official start to the long, eight month public review process for the mixed-use residential and retail development proposed at Williamsburg's old Domino Sugar Refinery. As the Brooklyn Paper reports, it did not go so well for the developer behind the $1.2-billion project, which would transform the vacant 11-acre industrial site into a complex with 2,200 apartments, 30% of which would be set aside for low- and moderate-income families, plus a waterfront esplanade. more ›

Real estate billionaire and Daily News publisher Mort Zuckerman has reportedly been contacting state Republican leaders in an effort to win their backing as he plots a possible Senate campaign. Zuckerman, 72, is not registered with a party in New York, and he would need the approval of the state's GOP committee in order to run on the Republican line against Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. more ›

Former WABC 7 sportscaster Marvell Scott pleaded not guilty to second-degree rape yesterday, claiming he was the victim of a "ruse." His attorney Richard Portale said, "This case boils down to an attempt to shake down Dr. Scott by a pimp and his two prostitutes. And now Dr. Scott is forced to defend himself in court.” more ›

Officer Frank Palestro, the latest cop to call foul on corruption in the NYPD, has gotten serious flak from his fellow police and the union, though he maintains he was just doing his duty. The union delegate and nine-year police veteran was outed after secretly reporting Lt. Susana Seda for behavior such as telling cops to write summonses for traffic violations they didn't witness, refusing to take complaints and tampering with a gun at a crime scene. Since then, he's been transferred so he won't have to deal with the wrath of his peers in the precinct. "I was the [Patrolmen's Benevolent Association] delegate, and now I'm labeled a rat for doing what I was supposed to do," said Palestro. "This will stay with me for the rest of my career." more ›

The latest Newark Airport security breacher? A kitty! The 25-pounder lodged itself under a bomb-detection machine yesterday morning, causing other passengers to be directed to a different security screening area. more ›

The off-duty Jersey City cop who killed a woman and injured her boyfriend while driving drunk has been sentenced to 3.5 to 10.5 years in prison. "There's not a day that goes by that I wish I could trade my life for the victim's," said Martin Abreu, 26. "Everyday I live this. I'm going to live it for the rest of my life." more ›

Now that Najibullah Zazi has admitted he planned to attack NY's subway system in federal court, his high school pals are likely to face additional charges when they take the stand tomorrow. When questioned today whether Zazi planned to carry out his attack with the help of two other suicide bombers, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly responded, "The information will be coming out, but I think that's fair to say, yes." Both Adis Medunjanin, originally from Bosnia and Zarein Ahmedzay, originally from Afghanistan, are already charged in connection with their friend's sojourn in a Pakistani Al Qaeda training camp, but now that Zazi is talking, it's unclear exactly what other accusations will be piled on. more ›

The woman whose false rape claims put an innocent man behind bars for nearly four years was sentenced to one to three years in prison on perjury charges. After pleading guilty to making up a story that she was gang raped in Upper Manhattan in 2005 to elicit sympathy from friends, Biurny Peguero Gonzalez was hit with jail time. "I question myself every day as to how I could have done this," she told the judge at her sentencing hearing. more ›

An off-duty police officer has been suspended without pay after being charged with vehicular assault and operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. 27-year-old officer Roniel Dilone, a four year veteran, was off-duty when he smashed his Nissan Altima into a parked Subaru early Sunday in Throgs Neck. The crash sent the Subaru into a tree and the Altima onto the curb. Dilone was not seriously injured, but his passenger, Allan Reyes, sustained a fractured leg, shoulder and bruised ribs. Dilone told an EMT at the scene he had earlier consumed four beers. more ›

ESPN blabbermouth Tony Kornheiser has talked himself into a two week suspension after derisively mocking colleague Hannah Storm's ensemble. Kornheiser, the host of "Pardon the Interruption," tore into Storm on his radio show last week, scornfully picking apart Storm's fashion sense with all the devastating ruthlessness of a gum-snapping teenage cheerleader. Storm, the SportsCenter anchor, had sported a red V-neck sweater, a short tartan skirt and red stiletto boots that morning. To be fair, it was a lot of red, and Kornheiser charged at her like an enraged bull: more ›

The woman who owns the car that struck two young women in a Prospect Heights hit-and-run—leaving one with a broken collarbone and the other with severe brain injuries—told police that her sister was the driver. Cindy Jasmin was questioned by police yesterday and WCBS 2 reports, "Jasmin told detectives she wasn't behind the wheel, her sister was, and that this sister is so distraught that she checked herself into a psych ward at this hospital in White Plains." more ›

Early this morning, a three alarm fire broke out in the basement of a building on Cliff Street in Manhattan's Financial District. According to WABC 7, a bartender at Ryan Maguire's Ale House "smelled smoke just after 2:30 a.m." The fire, which reportedly started in an outlet in a closet, spread to the first floor, seriously damaging the restaurant and bar, while smoke reached the apartments above it (residents were treated for smoke inhalation). The FDNY is investigating the cause. more ›

Despite facing a Celtics team without Paul Pierce, the Knicks fell for the eighth straight time. Every Celtics starter scored in double figures as Boston shot 55.7 percent from the floor. David Lee had 28 and Sergio Rodriguez had 18 -- including three 3-pointers. Eddie House, playing against his former team, managed four points in 27 minutes and went 0-for-5 from downtown. The Knicks, 0-3 since acquiring Tracy McGrady last week, travel to Washington on Friday. more ›

[UPDATE BELOW] Natavia Lowery's trial has come to a close after four weeks, and the jury is currently deliberating where this young lady will go next! In 2007 she was accused of killing her boss—real estate agent to the stars and former manager of the Ramones—Linda Stein. Since then it's been a long road that's included confessions, retracted confessions, yoga sticks, ninjas, and so much more. more ›

After nearly a century in Brooklyn Heights, Jehovah's Witnesses are abandoning their official headquarters in favor of new digs upstate. Currently the offices of the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society occupy two large buildings at 25 and 30 Columbia Heights, right by the promenade. Their new property will hold 850 people, and it will be Green! “Yes, it will be sustainable. In fact, we’re shooting for a LEED Gold designation on this one,” Richard Devine, the religious group's real estate manager told the Eagle. But what about all that other property Jehovah's Witnesses own in Brooklyn Heights? more ›

The merger of the Bronx criminal and supreme courts has been deemed unconstitutional by an appeals court, raising doubts about the validity of thousands of misdemeanor convictions. In a ruling that could turn out overturning every misdemeanor conviction in the courthouse since 2004, the state Appellate Division determined that a judge didn't have the authority to make the merger, according to the Daily News. more ›

Okay, so maybe not all Wall Street types are fat cats—but it was certainly a fatter year, as NY State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli revealed that bonuses for 2009 were 17% higher, at $20.3 billion. His office press release states, "Total compensation at the largest securities firms grew even faster and industry profits could exceed an unprecedented $55 billion in 2009, nearly three times greater than the previous all-time record. In 2008, the industry lost a record $42.6 billion." more ›

A man found guilty of multiple rapes and robberies in Brownsville was sentenced to 430 years in prison today. Boker Thomas received the four-century sentence after being found guilty of trailing seven women as they walked into elevators, stairwells and apartments in public housing projects and raping them or robbing them, according to the Daily News. more ›

DMV employees in NYC made over $1 million issuing fake identification to convicted criminals, including one man who appeared on "America's Most Wanted." Cops cuffed six members of the ID operation today, including its suspected ringleader Wilch DeWalt. According to Manhattan US Attorney Preet Bharara more than 200 people were sold stolen identities for $7,000 to $10,000 apiece. [PDF] "The fraud ring's client base was essentially a rap sheet," he said, adding that "The integrity of any security system, no matter how elaborate or expensive, is only as good as the integrity of the people who carry it out." more ›

After a two day manhunt, the missing owner of the Acura Legend that struck two women in Prospect Heights has come forward. Cindy Jasmin, 31, consulted with lawyers earlier today and is meeting with investigators this afternoon, the Post reports. Police believe Jasmin ditched the Acura immediately after Sunday's gruesome accident, which left Alma Guererro, 23, with a broken collarbone and her friend Erinn Phelan "clinging to life." Surveillance video taken at a livery car service after the hit-and-run shows a woman believed to be Jasmin. Watch below: more ›

Not only is former state Sen. Hiram Monserrate running for his seat again after getting expelled for a misdemeanor conviction—this time he's doing it under the name of a made-up political party. Monserrate filed the needed petitions yesterday in order to get his name on the ballot for the March 16 special election, but since he's been disowned by the Democratic Party after being caught on video dragging his girlfriend down a hallway he decided to run on the "Yes We Can" party line. more ›

Mayor Bloomberg announced today that starting April 1st, all parades must shorten their traditional routes by 25% and keep the festivities under five hours. The Daily News reports that this is a cost cutting measure, which would save the police about $3.1 million and keep them from cutting counterterrorism measures. Plus we're sure anyone living on 5th Avenue will be glad for some peace and f&#*ing quiet. more ›

Months after it barred schools from holding most food fundraisers, the city says bake sales can go on—as long as no homemade treats with undisclosed calorie counts grace the fold-out tables. The new regulation, designed to combat ever-increasing childhood obesity, limits bake sales to "fresh fruits and vegetables, or one of 27 specific packaged items" that include low-fat Doritos, Nutri-Grain Cereal Bars (blackberry only) and Linden’s Cookies (butter crunch, chocolate chip or fudge chip cookies in two cookie packs) among other things. The city has also recently slapped health regulations on school vending machines and is considering a "Meatless Monday" school lunch program. more ›

Are there fight clubs for 5 year olds now? A Brooklyn kindergarten student, Jazmin Lovings, was allegedly tormented by bullies, who even went so far as to cut her hair off! The Daily News reports that the incidents, happening at P.S. 161 in Crown Heights, began last October—and the tot is traumatized by them. more ›

The woman whose false rape accusations sent an innocent man to prison for nearly four years claims she was so drunk that night that she started to believe her own lies. Lawyers representing Biurney Peguero Gonzalez—who is currently facing jail-time on perjury charges—say she was so inebriated when she falsely accused William McCaffrey of raping her in a van in Upper Manhattan in 2005 that she lost all memory of the incident and came to believe her own story. more ›

Former WABC 7 sportscaster Dr. Marvell Scott was charged with second-degree rape for an "alleged encounter with a 14-year-old prostitute" in 2008. According to the Journal News, Scott turned himself into the Manhattan DA's office and will be arraigned later. His lawyer says that Scott has been cooperating with the prosecutors, adding, "This is nothing but a shakedown by the prostitute and her pimp." more ›

Last November a 24-year-old Bay Ridge nursing student, Vivian Tran, helped save a man after he collapsed on a subway platform. The 63-year-old John McDermott suffered a stroke and was allegedly dehydrated from chemotherapy for cancer—Tran revived him when she noticed he had no pulse. Apparently looking to get on the subway hero reunion track, the Daily News has now introduced the two to each other, months later. McDermott—a security guard for the Metropolitan Opera—tells them, "God, I was lucky. She's my guardian angel. I had a funny feeling someone did something." Handing Tran flowers, he told her, "I never knew you existed. Thank you." more ›

Today a judge overturned the conviction of a landlord whose illegally subdivided Bronx building caught fire in 2005, killing two firefighters as they struggled to find an exit. The firemen's widows were enraged by the decision, reports the Daily News. "The scar has just been opened up again and again and again," said Jeanette Meyran, whose husband died on what's come to be known as Black Sunday. "It's such an abuse of the system." more ›

It's a nightmare over in Long Island City for residents who live near the cacophonous MTA exhaust fans that clear air from the 7 train tunnel when work's being done. And there is a lot of work to be done, now and forever—there's not even any 7 train service between Queens and Manhattan for the next billion weekends because of the repairs. People complain they can't sleep because of the fans, which sound like a jet engine before takeoff or, as the Times puts it, "a giant rattle shaken at great speeds." more ›

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver won't approve the controversial selection of a politically-linked casino company to operate slot machines at the Aqueduct Racetrack until state officials conclude their investigation of the deal. Without Silver's signature, the project is on hold. "[E]verything should wait until that information is available," he told the Daily News. "[W]hat's important is we know we're signing on to something that's appropriate, and if not, we're not going to." It's unclear when the state inspector general will finish his probe of the Aqueduct deal, which is also being investigated by federal authorities. Any delays could cause the state to miss out on $300 million needed to close the growing budget gap. more ›

After it was reported that a juror felt intimidated to convict Astor heir Anthony Marshall, the juror accused of the intimidation has gone to the press: Yvonne Fernandez tells the NY Times that even though she yelled at fellow juror Judith DeMarco, "she and the other woman made up, hugged and cried together in the bathroom." more ›

According to a new poll just 19 percent of New Yorkers would vote for Paterson in an upcoming race for the governorship. Still, the troubled governor wants the public to see the numbers through his rose colored glasses: "Obviously, like a lot of other governors, my poll numbers aren't that great, but when the elections come and we get to go to the public and explain why we had to make the difficult choices that we made ... they will hear that message," he told MSNBC. more ›

It's common practice for certain disreputable bicycle shops to purchase stolen bikes from thieves and then resell them. But it's rare that the police take action, which makes the recent crackdown on the Busy Bee Bike Shop on East Sixth Street so special. Streetsblog reports that the NYPD's Civil Enforcement Unit has shut down the shop pending "an ongoing investigation." The crusty, punky, DIY-ish bike shop was a good source for air and cheap U-locks, but it always did seem a little sketchy. (As one Yelper puts it, "If you want to pay too much for a bike of sketchy quality sold to you by a guy that probably lied to you about the bike, then this is the place!") Now two employees have been arrested. more ›

If the increasingly hostile tone between Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's campaign and possible candidate Harold Ford Jr.'s campaign is any indication, New York voters are in for an ugly Democratic primary. After Ford criticized Gillibrand for holding a fundraiser with "party bosses" including President Obama's campaign manager David Plouffe, the Paterson appointee told the Daily News: "Harold Ford's attacks on President Obama and his agenda sound much more like [they are] coming from Sarah Palin than from a New York Democrat who is proud of his President." Awwwwww snap! more ›

Decontamination efforts are well underway for a toxic Gowanus site, slated to house Brooklyn's first Whole Foods. But though the hole should be contaminant-free by April, the upscale grocery purveyor won't confirm its move to the neighborhood. “Everything I know is that Whole Foods is committed to building on that site,” said John Bogdanski, an environmental consultant for the store. “Still, there is always the option to sell the property.” more ›

Alongside other cost-cutting moves that will eliminate subway and bus lines, nix free student MetroCards, and reduce service, the MTA has announced that it will fire more than 1,000 workers. In an effort to save a projected $50 million, the agency will lay off more than 600 unionized and non-unionized administrative workers, cutting 15 percent of the MTA's administrative payroll. The agency will also deliver pink slips to up to 500 NYC Transit station agents, who are represented by the Transport Workers Union. more ›

Cops have arrested the two diamond sellers who allegedly staged a $4 million heist, in which thieves dressed as Hasidic Jews pretended to clean out their safe at gunpoint. In reality, the owners of the Midtown wholesaler had stolen their own jewels and are now charged with grand larceny and falsifying business records! One of the hired thieves is in custody too, while one remains at large. "The whole thing was set up," one source said. It was also stolen from a popular crime flick. more ›

After pleading guilty last month to aggravated assault in the 2002 death of limo driver Costas Christofi, former Nets player Jayson Williams was sentenced today to five years in prison. Williams, who was recently charged with drunk driving after crashing his Mercedes SUV into a tree near the FDR, will have to serve a minimum of 18 months in prison before he is eligible for parole, and then do a year for DWI if the Manhattan DA has his way. Before his sentencing today, the former NBA star reportedly offered a teary apology: more ›

A mentally disturbed man with bad B.O. and a penchant for exposing himself is ruining the Forest Hills Starbucks for paying customers, but apparently nobody can do a damn thing about it. The guy has been frequenting the establishment, which is connected to the Barnes & Noble, for several weeks now, and employees insist they're not allowed to eject him, because only the managers have that authority. He became "belligerent" when confronted by a reporter last week, and has been scaring the elderly and young with his smelly Johnson. more ›

Mayor Bloomberg says he won't dig into the city's wallet to help tenants of Stuyvesant Town take ownership of the foreclosed complex, saying he'd rather the deal go elsewhere. "That's not what we're here to do. We want to make sure that whomever does take it over has a profitable deal," he said. But the Daily News reports that residents think he's judging them unfairly. According to City Councilman Daniel Garodnick, who lives in Stuy Town, "the mayor should not underestimate what the city can do." more ›

According to Department of Consumer Affairs, over 2.5 million New Yorkers paid to have their taxes done in 2007. This year the city is offering a free online tax service for anyone earning under $58,000/yr. As part of the Annual Tax Credit Campaign, New Yorkers can file online through the One Economy Corporation via nyc.gov/OnlineFreeTaxPrep. The city estimates that over 2.7 million New Yorkers qualify for the service. We just wish we knew about it before we went ahead and filed our returns early like suckers. more ›

It's raining, it's still February, and a car alarm has been bleating outside our windows forever. So let's just focus on this beautiful photo of the Wonder Wheel and remind ourselves that someday this winter's gonna end, and the Coney Island amusement district will be functioning on some level. There's a news peg, too: The Wonder Wheel (which became our favorite ride after realizing that the Cyclone can really mess you up) is going green! more ›

Just months before high-school administrator Dionne Coy-Bailey and her two teenage daughters were found murdered in their Queens home, the assistant principal said she didn't feel safe since her husband had bought a gun. Coy-Bailey even moved out of the 230th Place residence for a few weeks in December with her younger daughter because her husband wouldn't get rid of the high-powered assault rifle. Officials say Mark Bailey used that kill his wife and children yesterday before shooting himself once in the forehead. more ›

Yesterday accused terrorist Najibulllah Zazi pleaded guilty, describing his motives and plot in detail. His confession confirmed much of what investigators suspected, but the candor with which Zazi describes his negative feelings towards the U.S.—his "unapologetic, matter-of-fact manner"—was surprising. "I would sacrifice myself to bring attention to what the United States military was doing to civilian in Afghanistan by sacrificing my soul for the sake of saving other souls," Zazi explained to the judge. more ›

Police are looking for the owner of an Acura Legend and suspect she may have struck two women in a Prospect Heights hit-and-run early Sunday morning . Alma Guererro, 23, was left with a broken collarbone while Erinn Phelan (pictured), 22, is "clinging to life" with severe injuries. more ›

After three police officers were acquitted yesterday on charges that they participated in the sodomy of a Brooklyn man during his arrest in 2008, jury forewoman Jamie Dove (a photographer) explained the verdict: "It was just reasonable doubt. Things weren't consistent. Stories were changing from the grand jury testimony to what he said he saw... He used different words. He went from 'rammed' to 'side to side.' So he wasn't sure about what was done to him." And another juror, Stevan L. Miller, told the Times the prosecution's case had "so many holes" that "the defense didn’t have to do anything." more ›

According to Pentecostal minister and state Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr., Gov. Paterson's campaign isn't in trouble because he's unpopular and has no money. Diaz claims that the Governor is in trouble because of gay marriage. "Where is the gay community now that the Governor needs them?" asked Diaz, who did everything he could to defeat same-sex marriage legislation last year. more ›

WTFYI: Due to ongoing signal problems at the Kings Highway Station, there are delays in F train service in both directions at this time. (Same as it ever was.) And due to a smoke condition at the 168th Street Station, there are delays in South Ferry-bound 1 train service (as of 8:13 a.m.). By the way, if you're involved in the Twitter fad, the NYC Transit Subway Scoop Twitter is actually a great way to get up-to-the-minute info like this. Plus trivia! more ›

Isn't the Knicks' offense supposed to be good? It wasn't Monday in an 83-67 loss to Milwaukee at home. The 67 points represented the lowest Knicks point total in more than two years. They had 26 (!) points in the second half Andrew Bogut's 24 points and 20 rebounds proved way more than the Knicks could handle. Tracy McGrady had 15 points in 29 minutes to lead the Knicks, who have now lost seven straight and two straight since acquiring McGrady and others at the trade deadline. This was not the way to honor the 1970 championship team that was in attendance. more ›

Former vice president Dick Cheney was hospitalized with chest pains at George Washington Hospital in Washington D.C. The AP reports, "Cheney assistant Peter Long issued a statement that the 69-year-old Cheney was resting comfortably and his doctors were evaluating the situation." Cheney has had four heart attacks, including a quadruple bypass surgery, and he was given a pacemaker in 2001. The former vice president has been busy lately, blasting the Obama administration about the terror trials and appearing at the CPAC meeting while defending Bush administration decisions. more ›

Last night, 60 Minutes aired its segment about the lack of progress at the World Trade Center site, noting, "This was the year that Ground Zero was supposed to be transformed into a soaring statement of American spirit... So we wondered: why is Ground Zero still a hole in the ground?" more ›

As the search for Marion McCleneghan continues, more details surrounding the 40-year-old Park Slope woman's disappearance are coming to light. She was allegedly at her local deli a full day after fighting with her boyfriend at his home. The owner of La Dolce Vita told McCleneghan's mother this morning that her daughter came in on February 8th at 7 p.m. In tears, she told him, "Goodbye—you won’t be seeing me anymore." She said she was going to Long Island. more ›

Thanks to some emergency work on the NJ Turnpike, the outbound Lincoln Tunnel is closed until further notice. According to WABC 7, "Only buses are being let out of the city at the Lincoln Tunnel" as crews try to fix a hole in the road "on the southbound side of the NJ Turnpike eastern spur near Exit 15X." There are 20-minute delays at the Holland Tunnel. The George Washington Bridge is supposed to be better, but there are delays on the northbound West Side Highway between the 50s and the bridge. more ›

Gov. Paterson's controversial selection of a politically-connected casino company to operate slot machines at the Aqueduct Racetrack could delay a payment of $300 million to the state—widening the Albany budget shortfall to more than $2 billion as the fiscal year nears its end. "For at least five years, the state has counted on revenue from an Aqueduct deal to balance the budget," said Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli. "We're still waiting to collect." more ›

With millions of cars recalled, Toyota has played the model apologist, but new documents suggest the auto giant has been putting profit before safety. In papers released today, company officials boast about having saved $100 million by bargaining with the government to recall only a limited number of floor mats in Camrys and Lexuses. It also lists millions saved "by delaying safety regulations, avoiding defect investigations and slowing down other industry requirements," according to the Daily News. more ›

NYU students love swilling the glass of controversy, whether they're going on food stamps, bugging Jude Law or paying tuition with part-time porn work. But this time they've gone too far, and one professor will not stand by idly! more ›

It's hard enough to motivate to go to the gym, nevermind trying to scam a free workout every time you need to feel the burn. 24-year-old Columbia Law student Julia Neyman (pictured) has dedicated herself to scoring a full year of free workouts, however—and of course, she's blogging about it. more ›

UPDATE BELOW: Former airport shuttle driver Najibullah Zazi—who's accused of plotting a 9/11-type attack on the city using homemade bombs—is set to plead guilty today in Brooklyn Federal Court, law enforcement officials say. According to the AP, there may be a plea deal, and better yet he's cooperating with investigators. Three anonymous sources say the 24-year-old volunteered information during a recent interview with his lawyer and federal prosecutors. more ›

Fake cops in Ft. Greene pulled their victim over, cuffed him, then mugged him on Feb. 21. The victim was driving Sunday morning around 4 a.m. when he noticed a gray minivan hot on his tail, reports the Brooklyn Paper. While he was stopped at the corner of Fulton Street and Carlton Avenue, two men hopped from the car bearing fake badges, then began berating him for not stopping earlier. They cuffed the duped man and took him back to their vehicle, then spun him around neighborhood. It wasn't until they released him that the victim realized he'd been taken for a ride: the unofficial officers had stolen all of his money. more ›

Marred by scandals both real and hyped, community organizing group ACORN has suspended most operations nationwide, effective today. In September, Congress voted to cut funding for the group, which came under investigation last year because some employees were accused of submitting false voter registration forms with names such as "Mickey Mouse." (ACORN had received $53 million in taxpayer funds since 1994, according to Nebraska senator Mike Johanns.) The vote came in the midst of the infamous "undercover pimp/prostitute" videos, which were carefully edited by a young conservative gadfly to suggest that an ACORN employee in NYC was advising a young woman how to hide prostitution money from the IRS. (Before all that, there was the embezzlement of funds by the group's founder, and, as Norman Oder recalls, the shady acceptance of $1.5 million bailout from Atlantic Yards developer Bruce Ratner.) more ›

After getting expelled from the state Senate following his conviction for attempted assault, Hiram Monserrate is preparing to run for his seat again. The former legislator—who was found guilty of dragging his girlfriend down a hallway but acquitted of more serious felony charges—needs to submit a petition with 3,000 signatures by midnight if he wants his name on the ballot in next month's special election. So Monserrate is hitting the seniors centers. more ›

On Staten Island a young man was allegedly caught with homemade bombs under his winter coat, and officials want him and all the other bomb hobbyists out there to know that's not OK. "I made it," John McCloskey told cops, according to the Staten Island Advance. "I'll show it to you. I'm going to prank my friend with it." The 19-year-old allegedly claimed that video tutorials showed him how to make a bomb out of wire, nails, metal and gunpowder. At his arraignment today, McCloskey will be charged with first-degree criminal possession. “Although this defendant claims that the [device] he manufactured was intended as a prank and not to be used, this was clearly a dangerous situation with the capacity to injure many people,” said DA Daniel Donovan in a press release. “There is nothing humorous about attempting to manufacture a bomb." more ›

Rather than building new affordable homes in the city, Bloomberg now wants to spruce up those that already exist. His revamped plan will cost $8.5 billion and seeks to preserve 165,000 units by 2014. One Bed-Stuy housing development would have been a good candidate for the program, until it called a press conference to address its long list of complaints and the repairs were miraculously completed. “I’ve never seen anything like this in my life,” said Cassandra Harrell, the president of the Bed-Stuy Rehabs’ resident association, who has lived in the project for 27 years. “They put up Sheetrock, they painted the walls, they knew the press was coming.” more ›

The double homicide that took the lives of a Marine Park husband and wife remains unsolved, but authorities are expected to arraign four individuals for money scams connected with the 2008 execution-style killings. So far, no one has been indicted for shooting and killing lawyers Christina Petrowski-Schwartz, 48, and Mark Schwartz, 50, in their Brooklyn home—but investigators believe the killings were connected with "wide-ranging financial scams" that might have involved the deceased attorneys. more ›

It's a shame to see a perfectly pristine bike lane go to waste without anybody parking in it, so kudos to the NYPD for setting a fine example in Windsor Terrace, where the DOT recently added a green bike lane to the rotary at the Southwest corner of Prospect Park. The tipster who took this photo tells us "the trucks have been there about a month, since before the 1st big snow storm." Of course, this isn't the first time the NYPD's turned bike lanes into parking lots, and we suspect it won't be the last. The familiar sight goes a long way toward explaining why civilian motorists throughout the city routinely block bike lanes without fear of punishment. "With one hand the City giveth, with the other, it taketh away," says Wiley Norvell, spokesman for Transportation Alternatives. "This brazen illegal parking throws cyclists into moving traffic lanes, to say nothing of undercutting the City's efforts to make Park Circle safer." more ›

Remember those students from Queens who were returning from a college visit when they were pulled over, searched, and cuffed by New Jersey state police officers—sparking allegations of racial profiling and excessive force? Cops denied that the students' skin color had anything to do with the Jersey Turnpike traffic stop, insisting that they only pulled over the van because they received a 911 call warning them that van passengers were carrying guns. Well, it turns out one of the students in the van made that 911 call, according to officials. more ›

Back in 1983, the Post penned its most famous headline of all time, "Headless Body in Topless Bar," but to this day the man incarcerated for the humorously described crime claims innocence. For the third time in his 27 years behind bars, Charles Dingle asked for parole, claiming he wasn't responsible for the blood bath in a Queens strip club, where one man was decapitated, a stripper was raped, and several women were robbed and held hostage. For the third time he was denied. "They expect you to come in and plead guilty and take responsibility for the crime," he said of the parole board. "I can't do it because I didn't do it." A gruesome flashback follows the break. more ›

The charity accused of fleecing Hurricane Katrina victims out of over $30,000 never gave survivors "a dime," according to a New Orleans local tapped with finding the neediest storm victims. "These people came down here, sold a good story and didn't deliver," said Louis Rainey. "We didn't get the funds ... We never got a dime." more ›

Gov Paterson isn't the only one with aides who act out—this week the Rev. Al Sharpton's number one helper was arrested for assaulting another woman in the home of her boyfriend, Hassaun McFarlan. Rachel Noerdlinger, media strategist for Sharpton, fought with her boyfriend's ex-flame, who her lawyer says is "delusional in that she’s told police that she’s dating Hassaun." But police reported that Noerdlinger was at fault: "There was pushing and shoving, and [Layne] fell to the ground there was cursing back and forth —‘You’re a bitch.’ ‘You’re a ho’—all that nonsense. Rachel was the primary aggressor ... It was a cheesy catfight." more ›

The verdict from the five month long Astor trial last year may be challenged by the defense, as the NY Times reports, "A holdout juror...has told defense lawyers that she voted to convict him and an estate lawyer for crimes she did not believe they committed out of fear for her safety." Why was she so scared? Because another juror allegedly flashed gang signs at her! more ›

Ugh, this forecast is an ugly mess. Hope you enjoyed the sun this morning as we probably won't be seeing that gaseous yellow orb again until next weekend. The weather situation for the next few days is almost ridiculously complicated but it can be distilled down to three words: rain and snow. The rain may begin as soon as this afternoon but definitely by tonight, at which time it will likely be a mix of rain and snow. More of the same is expected tomorrow as an upper-level trough of low pressure deepens over the Midwest. No snow accumulation in the city as temperatures will stay above freezing. more ›

Gov. Paterson has sunk expectations so low that getting a 200 person turnout at a Buffalo campaign event Sunday was seen by some as a positive. "For this governor, getting more than 100 people to show up, it is a sign of strength, so, in fact, he is beating expectations," said Democratic strategist Hank Sheinkopf. "For somebody else, it would have been a disaster," he added. "Somebody would have been fired." Much of the crowd was made up of members of a local union, and not many of Paterson's fellow Democrats showed up in support. "I think people are waiting to see how things work out," said the ever-hopeful official. more ›

This was a weekend of shuttle bus shenanigans, as commuters on both the G and the F were herded onto ground transportation because of track work and other maintenance (like asbestos removal!). While some riders say they prefer the shuttle buses because they operate more frequently than the trains, it seems the service changes contributed to some unhappy run-ins with the law. One tipster shares her annoying and expensive encounter with cops after walking through an open emergency exit gate at the Jay Street Borough Hall Willoughby Street entrance: more ›

The three police officers accused of sodomizing a man inside a Brooklyn subway station were found not guilty this morning by a Brooklyn jury, the Post and City Room are reporting. Despite testimony from a transit cop who says he witnessed the assault, Officer Richard Kern has been acquitted on all counts of sexually assaulting Michael Mineo with his police baton during an arrest in a Brooklyn subway station in 2008. Two other officers, Andrew Morales, 27, and Alex Cruz, 28, were found not guilty of helping cover up the crime. more ›

A Queens man murdered his wife and daughters before committing suicide in their Brookville home, according to police. Investigators found four people dead with gunshot wounds to the head in the 230th Place residence this morning, and recovered a suicide note on the kitchen table signed by the father stating: "I am sorry." more ›

A thug in Williamsburg was incited to violence when a man brushed up against his car earlier this month. Dominck Auricchio, a 49-year-old from Manhattan, got out of his car near the Brooklyn Brewery and yelled to his 30-year-old victim, "I'm going to kill you!" reports the Post's police blotter. As he was screaming he punched the man in the face. Worst of all, he was wearing a metal ring! After the beating, which took place on North 11th Street near Wythe Avenue at 9:55 p.m., he fled in his vehicle, but police tracked him down and arrested him on charges of assault Thursday. His victim was taken to the hospital where he required 11 stitches for a cut on his face. New York: Still the #1 city for meathead road rage! more ›

As the MTA faces a crushing financial shortfall that could cause service cuts and fare hikes, the new president of MTA NYC Transit revealed his plans to repaint and refurbish eight recently-renovated subway stations that he says have fallen into disrepair. "I don't want to say that because of our budget issues, we can't make improvements," said Thomas Prendergast. "There's room for improvement, and I honestly think we can do it." more ›

Despite his newly minted status in the party (before 2007 he was a Republican, before 2001 a Democrat), Independents want Mayor Bloomberg as their presidential candidate in 2012! The chairman of the party's Minnesota branch—the very same that helped raise WWF champ Jesse "the Body" Ventura to the governorship—has asked that the NY mayor give "serious consideration" to a White House run. "The two-party system has catastrophically failed America," said Jack Uldrich. "America needs a serious, credible independent to right our sinking ship and get it back on track to a prosperous future." more ›

Starting today, cameras installed in four cars on one E train will begin digitally videotaping straphangers. The "unobtrusive" cameras (four in each car) will roll for the next 12 months as part of a pilot program to "aid in the investigation and prosecution of criminal activity." If deemed a success, NYC Transit may expand surveillance to the entire fleet. But officials caution that the footage is not being monitored in real time—there is one DVR for each set of cameras and four NCUs (Network Controller Units) for transmitting the video signals between cars—which are also retrofitted with rush hour flip-up seats! more ›

Like jaywalking on city streets, it seems that the anti-bird feeding rules in city parks aren't enforced. According to the NY Post, the people who are supposed to enforce park rules only gave out five $50 tickets last year for bird feeding... out of 18,876 summonses and violations issued in total. And the Parks Department allegedly told the paper, "It's OK to feed the pigeons as long as there are no signs saying you can't." more ›

Last night police officers shot and killed a man in his Bronx apartment to stop him from beating his mother with a frying pan. Relatives of the 61-year-old woman had called 911 to say they were "concerned," and when police arrived at around 11 p.m. at 3055 Third Avenue, they heard the disturbance from within the apartment. The superintendent unlocked the door, but it was chained shut on the inside; through the opening, they saw an unidentified 32-year-old man standing over the injured woman, City Room reports. more ›

A 22-year-old Bloomberg administration employee is brain dead after yesterday morning's hit-and-run on Flatbush Avenue and Prospect Place in Brooklyn, while her 23-year-old friend was left with a broken collarbone. The police are looking for the driver of a green 1993 Acura Legend that was abandoned blocks away from the scene. more ›

Last night's win by the U.S. Olympic hockey team over the favored Canadian team might indeed be a "Minor Miracle on Ice", as the Post puts it. The NY Times said of the win, "With a hard-earned, thrilling victory Sunday, the United States surprised Canada, both the hockey team and the nation." more ›

A New York Hasidic woman passed away last month leaving behind 15 children, over 200 grandchildren and enough great-grandchildren to bring her total number of living family members to around 2,000. Yitta Schwartz—who lived to the old age of 93 outlasting her husband by 34 years—was productive even among her community of Satmar Hasidic Jews for whom having kids is a tribute to God. So much so that she spent much of her time attending various events—brises, first haircuts, bar mitzvahs, etc., reports the Times. “She would appear like the Prophet Elijah,” said her eldest living daughter who is 64. “Everybody was fighting over her!” more ›

From around the -ists, SFist witnessed a hipster eviction house party and took in another bus fight caught on tape, LAist was among thousands who checked out the Street Food Festival, Torontoist hears that a concert during this summer G20 summit claims it will be the "largest event in the forty years since Woodstock" and much more. more ›

More trouble with the racino project in Queens, this time involving Paterson’s bud Jay-Z who also has stakes in the Aqueduct Entertainment Group, the company that's set to run slot machines there. According to the Post, AEG—the group that was controversially awarded the multi-billion dollar deal to run slot machines—was going after Jay-Z as an investor when he and the governor were just becoming friends. Now, some question whether it courted Paterson's pal to make its bid for the project more appealing. more ›

News flash from the NY Post: Nicholas Minucci, aka "Fat Nick" who is serving 15 years for a hate crime, and Peter Braunstein, the fashion writer who kidnapped and tortured a former colleague, are apparently "best friends" at the Clinton Correctional Facility. Not only do they both really love "Gossip Girl," Brauntsein said, "[Nick]'s a good kid. He's one of the few people I enjoy talking to here," while Minucci returns the compliments, "Pete's just a witty guy." more ›

Alleged subway sodomy victim Michael Mineo worries his case will end with a hung jury. Already, he says he’s scared to “go out.” Jurors for his case have proved hard to handle—some didn’t understand what constituted “reasonable doubt” and one was booted after she told the group he’d heard one of Mineo’s accused assailants had prior convictions for police brutality. According to the Daily News, Mineo aired his fears at Rev. Al Sharpton’s rally yesterday and got support from the minister/talk show host. more ›

The Daily News reports that, after studying about the Holocaust, nine black and Latino students at High School for Law Advocacy and Community Justice are raising money for a European tour of death camps and other WWII spots. One sophomore told the News she used to laugh at Hasidic Jews on the subway, but no more: "I learned about the Holocaust and I know what they went through... I never made fun of Jews again." Their teacher added, "Our students are inner-city minorities... For them to see the oppression of other groups, especially a white group, it is an eye-opener for them." They still need to raise $17,000 by March 15. more ›

If you are a Knicks fan, Wednesday was the best day you have had in a long time. By getting rid of Jared Jeffries and Jordan Hill, the Knicks have probably cleared enough cap room to sign two max-contract free agents this summer. But there are a few important caveats. more ›

Yesterday Joe Biden fêted his wife with a romantic lunch at Brooklyn’s River Café. "It was a belated Valentine's," said owner Michael (Buzzy) O'Keeffe. A tourist from Oklahoma chatted Jill Biden up in the lady’s room, and the two went back to her table to meet the vice-president, reports the Daily News. "I shook his hand and said, 'Don't worry. Mine are clean.' He said, 'Mine are clean, too,'" she recounted. "They were very friendly, very lovely." As the Bidens dined on pear salad, warm goat cheese, potato terrine, and sirloin steak (cooked medium well) their beefy secret service escorts ordered a pie from Grimaldi’s. more ›

Most people think teachers are underpaid and poorly provided for, but not all of them are. Records show that 738 former NYC educators get city pensions of more than $100,000/year (that includes some from city institutions of higher education). In total retired teachers get $3.8 in pension money, making them the biggest recipients of all of the cash-strapped city’s pension programs. "All the pension funds are ticking time bombs," said E.J. McMahon, a senior fellow with the Manhattan Institute think tank. more ›

The Conservative Political Action Conference wound down its gathering yesterday with speeches from Ann Coulter, Newt Gingrich and key-note speaker Glenn Beck, who faulted Republicans for not paying attention to conservative principles, comparing them to alcoholics, "I have not yet heard people in the Republican Party admit they have a problem. I have not seen a come-to-Jesus meeting.... 'Hello, my name is the Republican Party and I've got a problem. I'm addicted to spending and big government.' ... They need that moment." more ›

Subway ridership dropped last year but the Staten Island ferry had people hanging off the railings. Passenger numbers set an all-time record: more than 21 million people rode the ferry in 2009, reports the Staten Island Advance. During rush hours sleepy commuters couldn’t catch a nap since all the seats were taken; they couldn’t get a pick-me-up since the concessions line took almost as long as the ride. "Ferry riders tell us we're on the right track and we will continue to look for new ways to make their rides as safe, comfortable and attractive as they can be,” said DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan. more ›

A fancy Upper East Side girls’ school is mad a two grandmas, who it says are standing in the way of its expansion to a neighboring building. Both older women live in cheap rent-controlled apartments in 28 E. 92nd Street, and have for forty years. Nightingale-Bamford wants them out, and the women’s lawyer says it’s using mean girl tactics. "They are harassing two elderly women and trying to drive them out of their homes," said David Rozenholc. "I really believe they're heartless. They knew these elderly people lived there when they bought the building. I think it's terrible." more ›

With Gov Paterson accused of improper conduct regarding the Aqueduct slots, his top personal aide—who was recently a subject of the Times’ “Bombshell” expose—is struggling to explain a football vacation funded by an NYC businessman. According to the Post David Johnson’s hotel bill, tickets to a Giant-Cowboy game and plane trip to Dallas (he flew coach) were all paid for by affordable-housing developer Jonathan Coren. By law, elected officials and their staff aren’t allowed to accept gifts from parties who seek their good graces. more ›

Last night a woman clung to an air conditioner to escape the fire that was ravaging her Bronx apartment. After climbing out onto the unit she lost her hold and fell, but survived with a broken leg. "She was hanging on to the air conditioner and she lost her grip," said a neighbor who witnessed the amazing escape. "She did not scream. She hit the steps and bounced." The woman was still conscious when firefighters arrived at her side. “'There's somebody else up there,” she told the FDNY’s Rocco Cocciolillo, who fought the “real big blaze.” more ›

Around 4:30 a.m. this morning, two pedestrians were struck by a hit-and-run driver at Flatbush Avenue and Prospect Place in Brooklyn. According to WCBS 2, the victims were two women in their 20s, "When rescuers arrived at the scene, one woman was unconscious, the other was lucid." more ›

Taking a cue from Flatbush Avenue’s Dollar Vans, some yellow cabs will begin running on routes with predetermined stops where passengers can get on and off. Best of all, the credit card swipe for these “group rides” will be significantly less costly than in a single-payer situation. In Midtown Manhattan the group rides will be available during the morning rush hour from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. "The concept really boils down to: take less money out of passengers’ pockets, put more money in drivers’ pockets, put less pollution in the air, and give passengers more transportation options," said outgoing Taxi and Limousine Commission chief Matt Daus. more ›

On Friday night gunmen were firing all over the city. Police reported three fatal shootings over the course of just five hours, the first stemming from an argument at a Crown Heights party. Ahmed Hoyt, a 31-year-old from Queens, was out in Brooklyn when a fight inside the Troy Avenue apartment was taken to the sidewalk. He was shot in the head at 10:26 p.m, reports the Post. Back in Queens 22-year-old Kalif Canady was also shot in the head, but he was close to home, police say. At 1:17 a.m. he was at his car near the Astoria Houses, when he met his killer and his maker. The last shooting of the night was Kevin Grant, also 22. He was shot and killed during a 3:30 a.m. bar fight on White Plains Road in the Bronx. more ›

Tracy McGrady impressed in his Knicks debut, but he -- and few players in the NBA -- can hold a candle to Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant. Durant had 36 points and a game-tying 3-pointer at the end of regulation to help hand the Knicks their sixth straight loss. McGrady, acquired in a salary-dump deal before Thursday's trade deadline, had 26 points in 32 minutes. Eddie House, another new addition, had 24 points off the bench. But the Knicks' inability to handle Russell Westbrook's penetration ended up killing them. He had 31 points and 10 assists more ›

Relatives say a Bensonhurst baby who fractured her skull when her mother threw her from the window of a flaming building is getting better and expected to survive. Three-month old Maria Maura Chan has had a series of operations and will undergo therapy for her sight and hearing, reports the AP. Her 2-year-old big brother is unharmed, since he was caught by a neighbor, however the mother Maria Chan was one of five Guatemalan immigrants killed in the fire. Demon-hearing, vodka-loving building resident Daniel Ignacio is accused of starting the blaze intentionally with lighter fluid and a roll of toilet paper, though he claims it was an accident. more ›

Not only does Susan Sarandon have an Oscar, she knows how to be vommed on with grace. The star, who recently parted ways with Tim Robbins and who’s been seen around town with a ping-pong club proprietor some thirty years her junior, was spotted last night at a third anniversary party for The Box burlesque in NoHo. According to the Post Sarandon was seated in a precarious place near the stage when transsexual entertainer Rose Wood threw up directly on her. One witness said she was calm about it and even seemed to be enjoying herself: "She was laughing while a bunch of guys came over to towel her off," said the partygoer. more ›

Today at Gov. Paterson’s campaign kickoff the (perhaps overly) confident-seeming official announced that he’s in it for another four years. "There is one rumor that I will confirm: I am running for governor this year—and I will win this year," Paterson said to about 400 people gathered at Hofstra University. "They haven't knocked us down yet and they never will,'' he added, addressing rumor-mongers who’ve spread talk of sex and drug scandals in the build-up to the announcement. more ›

A Manhattan court will hear cases of a dozen firefighters, cops, ConEd and MTA employees who say working amid contaminants from Ground Zero is slowly killing them. The cases were chosen from a pool of more than 10,000 health complaints, all claiming illness after work at the WTC Manhattan site or at Fresh Kills on Staten Island. One man, firefighter Raymond Hauber, actually contracted esophageal cancer and died after 90 days of labor in the rubble, reports the Daily News. The city is treating these first cases—to begin on May 18—as test runs for others, and it’s cracking down on fakers. Many dubious cases are being thrown out like that of a Diabetic ConEd employee who weighed 400 lbs. and had heart problems prior to the WTC attacks. more ›

A few weeks ago the Times reported on two mostly-white Bronx communities that are accused of plotting to keep black families out, but inside the developments many think the charges are “baloney.” They say their co-op boards are picky, but according to Richard Ardisson, a firefighter who lives in Silver Beach Gardens, “That’s what keeps it nice. Everybody’s got a good job. No one wants garbage in here.” more ›

Yesterday, the Justice Department released tons of materials related to its investigation of the 2001 anthrax letter attacks as it closed the books on the case. According to the Washington Post, "The records offer substantial support for the FBI's contention that biologist Bruce E. Ivins single-handedly prepared and mailed deadly anthrax spores that killed five people and terrorized a nation still reeling from the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington... [The documents] starkly portray the mental unraveling of the deceased Army scientist accused of committing the worst act of bioterrorism in U.S. history." more ›

Yesterday when 20-year-old Caleb Lacey was convicted of setting a fire that killed a mother and three children, he tried to flee from the premises and was pushed to the ground by court officers, who yelled for quiet in the courtroom. The former-volunteer fireman was found guilty on four counts of murder while committing arson, as well as manslaughter and reckless endangerment. more ›

The NY Times takes a look at former federal prosecutor Andrew C. McCarthy, who has been voicing his objections to trying Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his co-horts in civilian court in NYC. At a protest late last year, he said, "A war is a war. A war is not a crime, and you don’t bring your enemies to a courthouse." Regarding the Christmas Day bombing attempt he's written, "Will Americans finally grasp how insane it is to regard counterterrorism as a law-enforcement project rather than a matter of national security?" One critic said, "When I read his stuff, I say, ‘Is he running for office, or does he want a show on Fox?’" but McCarthy told the Times, "It just seemed to me like since 9/11 we’ve been drifting away and away from the moment of clarity we had." more ›

Recently Black and Hispanic firefighters have cried foul on the FDNY’s allegedly discriminatory hiring policies, now it’s the ladies’ turn. "Don't let a girl do a man's job," read placards during a demonstration after a 1983 court decision to change a screening test, to give females a better shot at fire department jobs. Before 1977 women weren’t even allowed to be firefighters. But despite some changes, today there are just 32 women in the department (you don't see any bikini shots in NY's hunky calendars). "Women are even more underrepresented in the FDNY than minority male firefighters," president of the United Women Firefighters Regina Wilson wrote in a letter to Judge Nicholas Garaufis, who's ruled in favor of minority firefighters in previous lawsuits. more ›

While it seemed like golf superstar Tiger Woods included everyone under the sun in his apology yesterday, some notables say they were left out. Like Playboy model and alleged call girl Loredana Jolie Ferriolo, who told the Post, "He didn't mention anything about the girls [he had trysts with]. It seems like he was just brushing it off and not getting into it. I think he should've mentioned something in regards to the girls -- an apology or something." Yeah, that would have gone over well with Elin! more ›

A released Riker’s Island inmate, who claims a correction officer brutally beat him for taking three crackers from the mess hall, wants $5 million from the city. Michael Carey was serving a short 90 day sentence for petty larceny when he grabbed the snacks from the dining area of the jail where rapper Lil Wayne looks forward to be incarcerated. According to the Daily News, he claims an officer, last name of Mack, “punched him in the face, neck and ear until he fell to the ground bleeding.” Afterward, he required 11 stitches for his wounds. more ›

Officials have confirmed that human error was to blame for a mis-dispatched ambulance whose would-be passenger died while waiting for its arrival Thursday. At 9:04 a.m. Mariela Lazaro called 911 and said her son’s nose was bleeding, but she was too upset to give her exact cross streets. While searching for the address in the database a 911 worker hit the wrong key and located Avenue C in Brooklyn, though Lazaro was actually calling from Avenue C in Manhattan’s Stuyvesant Town. An emergency crew rushed to the outer boroughs address, but quickly realized something was wrong. Less than twenty minutes after the original call another crew found its way to the correct home, but by then it was too late, the boy was dead. more ›

The search for Marion McCleneghan continues, after the 40-year-old Park Slope woman disappeared nearly two weeks ago. She was allegedly last seen at 2 a.m. on February 7th leaving her boyfriend's home, just eight doors down from her own apartment. more ›

Mayor Bloomberg, the richest New Yorker and 8th richest American (according to Forbes), is moving his billions to a new place: The NY Times reports that Bloomberg "decided to remove his fortune from a private equity firm founded by his longtime friend, 10 months after that firm became embroiled in a scandal involving the state pension fund." more ›

Toronto 106 Nets 89: They are moving to Newark next season so the question is- will the Nets set a futility record in their last season at the Meadowlands? Brook Lopez had another fine game, but the Nets fell behind by 15 at the half and couldn't get back into the game. Once again the defense was lacking as Toronto shot almost 60% from the field. more ›

An Upper East Side community group voted unanimously against a plan that would have allowed a cold-weather tennis bubble to operate year-round inside a tiny park tucked beneath the Queensboro Bridge. After a reportedly contentious hearing in which tennis players who supported the plan argued with baseball and softball players who said it would privatize public land, Community Board 8's Parks Committee voted en masse against the proposal. more ›

lazyshells (but no bombshells), there's really only one person who can feel Gov Paterson's pain and frustration, and help guide him through these times: the Spitzinator. more ›

A rabbi known as the "Brooklyn Bundler" for his ability to raise campaign money for (mostly) Republican candidates was charged on Thursday with trying to extort $4 million from a Connecticut hedge fund. Rabbi Milton Balkany, who serves as the dean of the Bais Yaakov day school in Borough Park, allegedly dreamed up the scheme after becoming a "spiritual adviser" to a federal inmate who told him about a Connecticut hedge fund that had used inside information in stock trades. Prosecutors say Balkany told lawyers at the hedge fund that unless they handed over $4 million ($2 million of which would go to Bais Yaakov), he'd instruct the inmate to rat them out. But Balkany insists he's just being punished for doing a mitzvah! more ›

Under a new plan, some cops accused of wrongdoing won't face internal NYPD reviews, but prosecution from outside attorneys who specialize in police misconduct. According to the Daily News, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said the Civilian Complaint Review Board now has authority to charge and prosecute officers in some cases when civilians file complaints. The Times reports that the board currently investigates cases and refers them to police for prosecution, though the NYPD only prosecutes some cases. The New York Civil Liberties Union says the new policy isn't "real reform" and could be "an empty gesture" because civilian lawyers will only be able to "prosecute a small number of cases handpicked by the NYPD." more ›

The Kosciuszko Bridge, one of the worst bridges in all of New York State—and the worst in New York City, is getting redesigned. Last night four possible designs for the bridge, which goes over Newtown Creek and connects Brooklyn and Queens, were unveiled by the DoT for residents to review and critique. The renderings are even accompanied by this amazingly soundtracked simulation video! more ›

The wife of an Upper East Side hedge fund billionaire grabbed a homosexual worker's privates and told him he needed a "good f---" to make him straight, according to a sexual harassment suit filed by the former employee. William Gamble, 47, accused Lisa Maria Falcone of trying force herself on him—then punching him in the gut when he said no. more ›

The New Jersey Nets will no longer have to lose to home crowds at the Meadowlands' Izod Center: The team has made a deal to move to the Prudential Center in Newark for two years. The Star-Ledger reports, "After months of wrangling, a deal was struck Thursday to allow the Nets to buy their way out of their lease at the Izod Center in the Meadowlands... The Nets will pay $4 million to the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority — which could be offset in part by advertising, suite revenues and other credits." more ›

[UPDATE BELOW] Oh why even bother anymore? It looks like this weekend's G train suspension is starting the weekend early (does this mean we can start the drinking early?). A tipster writes: "My girlfriend just informed me via text that there's a broken track somewhere on the G line and they just got let out at the Bedford-Nostrand stop with no signs of shuttle-buses or other replacement-service options. Looks like the G will never run again at this rate." And the MTA website confirms: more ›

LaGuardia and Newark both rank dead last in a survey of customer satisfaction at airports nationwide. Travelers say LaGaurdia is the most dissatisfying medium-size airport, while Newark is absolutely the worst big airport. The survey, conducted annually by market researcher J.D. Power & Associates, rates airports based on a variety of factors. JFK ranked 15 out of 19 large airports surveyed. (A large airport serves at least 30 million passengers a year, while a medium-size airport handles between 10 million and 30 million.) more ›

After a costly four-year legal battle with NYC Transit, suspended conductor Jack Grissett (not pictured) can finally come back to work and start crackin' skulls again! The whole saga started back in April 2006 at the Queens Flushing-Main Street terminal, where 21 year MTA vet Grissett decided to put the hurt on some punk who was hating on the 7 line. more ›

With his department under scrutiny for allegedly falsifying crime statistics, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly is still landing high approval ratings, besting Mayor Bloomberg and matching the top cop's highest figures of all time. A new study found that 70 percent of New York voters approve of Kelly's performance, while earlier this week researchers revealed that only 60 percent approve of Bloomberg. Does that mean Kelly's could be a contender for Mayor in the next election? more ›

A Manhattan man is suing the makers of Zicam for $75 million after their Cold Remedy Nasal Spray stole his sense of smell and taste. Or so he claims. The lawsuit comes from Paul Buck Jr., who was the director of operations for an organization called Art Food LLC at the Metropolitan Museum of Art—a job that required impeccable senses! In the lawsuit he says he used the over-the-counter spray from 2006 to 2009, and now suffers anosmia as a result; he claims the company should have known that there were studies dating back to 1937 that show a topical application containing zinc ions (like Zicam) could "produce permanent anosmia." But how much spray was this guy using?! more ›

On January 29th, TLC agents began enforcing strict new laws and penalties for cab drivers who use hand held electronic devices and cell phones—even hands-free! Since the crackdown began, the city has ticketed 704 taxi drivers, with the first offense carrying a hefty $200 fine. But has the ticket blitz gone too far? more ›

A federal judge rejected former state Sen. Hiram Monserrate's attempt to block his expulsion, clearing the way for a March 16 special election to decide who will hold his now-vacant seat. In a 24-page ruling, Judge William Pauley III wrote: "The question of who should represent the 13th Senatorial District is one for the voters, not this court." more ›

In a move opposed by detectives unions but celebrated by those who accuse the NYPD of coercing confessions out of innocent people, the police department will soon begin videotaping interrogations. Supporters of the new policy—which will first be implemented as a pilot program at one high-crime precinct in the Bronx and one high-crime precinct in Brooklyn—say recording interrogations from start to finish will protect people from confessing to crimes they didn't commit. more ›

[UPDATE BELOW] Yesterday was the first full day of deliberations in the trial of three NYPD officers accused of participating in the sodomy of a man during his arrest in a Brooklyn subway station in 2008. And it doesn't look like this verdict is going to come smoothly; at the end of the day the jurors asked to be "educated" about what constitutes "reasonable doubt." And earlier one of the jurors was schooled for telling the others that Officer Richard Kern, who's accused of aggravated sexual abuse and assault, had prior convictions for police brutality. more ›

Yesterday around 1:45 p.m. a man was walking through this archway under the Manhattan Bridge in DUMBO when, according to his wife, he was jumped by "a huskier, young guy (probably late teens), african american, wearing a tan jacket," in an unprovoked attack. "Unfortunately that was all my husband was able to see as the guy came up to him from behind and broke his glasses as he punched him. He didn’t demand money or anything, so don’t know if it was an attempted mugging or the guy was just mentally unstable." more ›

A four-alarm fire ripped through a SoHo loft building early this morning, leaving three families homeless. The fire began just before 4 a.m. inside 82 Greene Street and spread quickly, causing a section of the second floor to collapse atop firefighters who were trying to put it out the blaze. more ›

World Trade Center developer Larry Silverstein is trying to make nice with the Port Authority—and win the agency's okay—by offering new financing plans for towers at Ground Zero. And it looks like he's willing to sacrifice Norman Foster-designed Tower 2 in the process. more ›

The squeeze is on! What squeeze? Well, the low that gave the city snow earlier in the week has gotten stuck over the Canadian Maritimes. Meanwhile, high pressure is slowly arriving from the west. New York and New England will be stuck in the middle as the high tries to displace the low. The big squeeze is going to make for a breezy weekend. Look for a windy day today and tomorrow with highs both days in the lower 40s. The sun may make make itself known this afternoon, but it will definitely be around all day tomorrow. more ›

The infant held outside a fifth-story window during a Bronx apartment fire escaped the blaze unscathed. "My baby is doing fine," said Saschelle Hewitt, whose cousin dangled her 7-month-old daughter Zaniyah Alexander out a window so the child wouldn't suffocate. "She's the only one without bumps and bruises." more ›

Last night, American Evan Lysacek won the gold medal for men's figure skating (the first American gold in the competition since Brian Boitano in 1988). The 2006 Olympic champion Yevgeny Plushenko skated a less-than-clean performance and settled for silver even though he completed a difficult quadruple jump and he said of Lysacek's triple-filled program, "If the Olympic champion doesn't know how to jump a quad, I don't know. Now it's not men's figure skating. It's dancing. Maybe figure skating needs a new name." more ›

Apparently some Chinatown residents believe that black workers have been invading their neighborhood and stealing their jobs. The slogan "Black Workers Go Home" has been scrawled along Bayard and Mulberry Streets at least three times this month, and the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating. One local black worker, Colin Parther, tells the Daily News, "I feel threatened. Maybe they think an Asian should have my job." (He works for the Chinatown Manpower Project.) And a local merchant, Ed Xu at the great Mott Street Optical, observes, "There aren't that many black people in Chinatown. I am surprised to see it." more ›

A sad story comes over the Craigslistwire, where a poster says a 19 month old English Bulldog died on a Delta flight Wednesday night. They posted photos of the dog, postmortem, and say the NY ASPCA refuses to get involved, claiming it's a civil matter and they don't handle airport deaths. The dog was found dead, allegedly having froze to death, after the plane landed at JFK airport. more ›

A contrite Tiger Woods addressed the public for the first time today in the wake of his scandal, making many tearful apologies to his family, business partners, employees, and fans, "Everyone has good reason to be critical of me. I want to say to each of you simply and directly I'm deeply sorry for my irresponsible and deeply selfish behavior... I am so sorry... I have let you down... I have a lot to atone for." He angrily denied that wife Elin Nordegren attacked him, saying there was no reason to mention domestic violence, "She has shown enormous grace and poise. She deserves praise not blame," as well as admitted that he had been in rehabilitation and would return to rehab. He also asked that people find in their hearts "to one day believe in me again." Here's video; transcript below: more ›

Post columnist Cindy Adams paid a visit to corrupt former NYPD commissioner Bernie Kerik at his New Jersey home, just days before yesterday's sentencing. It's pretty engrossing stuff, especially if you enjoy reading about arrogant, self-serving public officials brought to their greedy knees. To pass the time during home confinement, Kerik's been working on a novel (with a ghost writer) about terrorists. And when he gets out of prison he plans to "maybe try counseling. Teaching that the lessons learned are you can't cut corners." Perhaps the hardest part about all this is the way people he thought were his friends, like Rudy Giuliani, have completely abandoned him: more ›

Unsurprisingly, there is more to the story of the missing Park Slope woman. The NY Post delves deeper into the disappearance of 40-year-old Marion McCleneghan, coming out with a noteworthy bit of information: she has a boyfriend, and she was seen having a loud fight with him the night she allegedly went missing. more ›

Since being convicted of misdemeanor assault for dragging his girlfriend down a building hallway last October, expelled state Sen. Hiram Monserrate has skipped all three court-mandated domestic-violence counseling sessions and hardly started his obligatory 250 hours of community service. "He was told, 'This is serious,'" a source told the Post. "It was made clear, 'If you miss again, violation is next.'" more ›

A six-year-old died yesterday after firefighters and paramedics were routed to 277 Avenue C in Brooklyn, instead of 277 Avenue C in Manhattan. The boy's family called 911 at 9:03 am to report their child was suffering cardiac arrest, but by the time responders arrived at the address in the proper borough 19 minutes later he had perished. more ›

Using surveillance video from that epic bar brawl at the Salty Dog in Bay Ridge, prosecutors have identified 11 people, including active and retired firemen, who may face some pretty serious charges. One captain and one lieutenant have been identified, and the Brooklyn DA's office is considering "slapping" the whole crew with gang assault charges, sources tell the Post. However, some prosecutors "are concerned that a gang-assault rap might lead to expectations of identical charges in future cases." It's true; once the public gets a taste of that sweet gang-assault justice, they'll never stop craving it! more ›

For the second time this week, the New York Times has published a long, unfavorable look at Governor Paterson. Again, there are no reports of Paterson doing coke off strippers' tramp stamps during Executive Mansion swinger parties, but today's profile is actually quite damning in its own way, painting a portrait of a lazy, careless politician who's basically out to lunch. The low points: more ›

Wait, if you haven't left for work already be advised there are problems with the F and V trains this morning, so if you live along that line in Brooklyn or downtown, you may want to consider alternative modes of transport, like skipping or flying or praying. Gothamist's Ben Muessig is currently cooling his heels on the F train at Smith & Ninth Street; the conductor says they're holding the F at all of the stations "for a while." And this was posted to the MTA site about ten minutes ago: "Due to switch problems at the West 4th Street-Washington Square Station, Queens-bound F and V trains are running express from the Broadway-Lafayette Station to the West 4th Street-Washington Square Station." The D is also experiencing delays. PLEASE BE PATIENT. more ›

The Barnes & Noble on Broadway and West 67th finally got wise to a regular customer giving himself a 5-finger-discount. After noticing a large number of "lost" books, the Lincoln Center store got the NYPD involved, who set up an undercover sting operation this past Sunday! What they found was 36-year-old Gowan Johnson going aisle to aisle, filling a duffel bag with heavy books (a routine that employees didn't spot earlier?). Later he delivered them to Mark Yearwood and Leonaora Richards, who in turn gave him cash and allegedly planned to sell the books at marked down prices. more ›

Federal investigators are trying to convince the casino operators who were snubbed by Gov. Paterson in favor of a politically-connected bidder to cooperate in a probe of the Aqueduct Racetrack deal. "The [Manhattan U.S. Attorney's office] said, 'We're contemplating a further inquiry into the racino bid process: If we go ahead with that, would you guys be willing to cooperate with us?'" a bidder, whose company's slot machine plan was rejected, told the Daily News. "We said that it wasn't much of a process, but, yes, if you ask us to, of course we'd cooperate." more ›

Possible Senate candidate and former Tennessee Congressman Harold Ford Jr. called his likely rival a "hypocrite" and a "tobacco apologist" in an open letter. According to the Post, the Merrill Lynch executive—who has come under fire for tax discrepancies and not disclosing if he received a "taxpayer-backed" bonus—demanded Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand release her tax records. "Why won't you release your tax returns from when you defended big tobacco companies?" more ›

The Knicks made a number of deals before the NBA trade deadline today, but none of them are about this season. Despite what Donnie Walsh may claim, the trade that brought the Knicks Tracy McGrady is not going to help the Knicks to get into the playoffs this year. The trade is all about clearing more cap space by deleting the contract of Jared Jeffries from next year’s payroll. With Jeffries’ salary off the books, the Knicks have a legitimate shot at landing two top-tier free agents in July. more ›

Coco Rocha, the size 4 model who made it to the cover of the Daily News, is speaking out. The words that loomed over her photo in that issue, read: "Is She Too Fat To Be A Runway Model?" The article went on to claim that she's no longer in demand for the runway, but Rocha says the story was spun, and "there has been quite the commotion... as only a few select statements of mine were printed." more ›

A year after carousel operator New York One LLC abandoned the Queens Forest Park merry-go-round, claiming there wasn't enough foot traffic, the Parks Department has terminated their contract to run the famed Central Park Carousel. They told the NY Post the operator has failed to mainten and clean the ride up to their standards. The company will be out by Monday, and they may not have anyone else to run it for another month. more ›

If you're one of those frustrated, embittered souls who endure the G train, you no doubt recall that service on the green line was "only" supposed to be suspended on weekends through February 8th. But then the MTA panicked about the nosnowpocalypse, preemptively canceling the suspension on what was ostensibly the final weekend of work (to remove asbestos from the Greenpoint Ave station, among other things). So we weren't shocked to see the G suspended again last weekend, and assumed it was just to "make up" for the lost weekend. But surely the G is finally crawling back this weekend? more ›

Full body scanners, we hardly knew you. An Obama administration official has reportedly stated that hand-swabbing will be the latest anti-terrorism technique put into use at airports nationwide. more ›

Former NYPD detective Brian Tuitt, who once tracked down pedophiles online, is doing time for molesting over half a dozen young girls. But that didn't stop Tuitt from trying to sue the city over the post-traumatic stress disorder he claims afflicts him because of the months he spent working at Ground Zero after the 9/11 attack. Tuitt says he wasn't properly diagnosed with PTSD until late 2008, while he was being held at Rikers Island, thus causing him to miss a three-year deadline to state his intention to sue for personal injuries. Getting busted for pedophilia does tend to disrupt one's life! But Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Eileen Rakower has ruled that a deadline's a deadline, and found no evidence that Tuit suffers from PTSD anyway. more ›

Now that the F is down in Brooklyn on certain, unspecified weekends—it's the perfect time to shut down a bridge in the same area. According to the Brooklyn Paper, the Union Street Bridge will be closed for repairs the next four Saturdays. Workers will be fixing the drawbridge, but note that the Third Street and Carroll Street bridges are nearby, should you begin to feel trapped. more ›

It's a ruff world out there for a big dog owner! Cabbies won't stop for you and your best friend, everyone makes the same plus-size dog wisecrack, and most New York apartments aren't equipped with stables. Kidding! But to get through it all, a group of Brooklyn big dog owners have joined together in solidarity. Their pets may be big, but that doesn't mean they should be treated like animals. Here's the manifesto from their website: more ›

The MTA isn't the only transit agency pondering fare hikes. According to WCBS, NJ Transit officials claim they might need to increase fares if Gov. Chris Christie moves forward with his plan to cut $32 million in funding. Facing a $2.2 billion budget deficit, Christie says he has to reduce funding and suggested NJ Transit negotiate with unions before upping fares. NJ Transit executive director James Weinstein told ABC: "I pledge to our fareholders that we will look at everything possible on the cost side of the equation before we talk about imposing burdens on the riders of our system." The fare hike would be agency's the second in three years. more ›

In an attempt to navigate the state through a budget crunch at the end of the fiscal year, Gov. Paterson might delay $500 million in state tax returns. The state had set aside $1.75 billion to pay tax returns, but Paterson is hoping to use half a billion of that money to ease cash flow problems—meaning some taxpayers might receive their checks weeks or months late. more ›

Yankee Stadium: the perfect place to hold your concert, sporting event, or Bar Mitzvah. Honestly, after once seeing the Knicks City Dancers perform at a Bar Mitzvah, no degree of extravagance could surprise us. And yet... this does raise the bar pretty high. Jonathan Ballan, the lead bond lawyer for the financing of Yankee Stadium, has booked the place for his son’s Bar Mitzvah in June. All of his son's buddies must be pretty pumped—they'll basically be getting the run of the place, with access to all the VIP lounges and control of the scoreboard for 30 minutes. (Control of the scoreboard... so important.) There's just one little snag. more ›

While the NYPD continues to rely on old-fashioned stop-and-frisks, the department is also fighting crime with a high-tech computer database that parses through police records, accident reports and other documents to quickly find the identities of suspects and victims. In a room that reportedly "resembles a Las Vegas sports book" or a set from Judge Dredd, detectives search through databases of tattoos, birthmarks and scars, missing teeth and gold teeth, limps and their severity, and skin blotches. more ›

Earlier this week it was reported that Lenox Hill Hospital surgeon Mitchell Roslin was booted off a Spirit Airlines flight (along with his family) after demanding water for his pregnant wife during a delay on the tarmac. He told the NY Post that they denied his request, saying it was against corporate policy. He declared: "I refuse to accept that people can't have a moral compass to give out water." more ›

Tiger looked more like the elusive Cheshire Cat in the Wall Street Journal today when the paper's print edition edited out the golf pro from a photo accompanying an article about his big media appearance. The original photo depicts Tiger Woods jogging with some unidentified white guy, but in cropping the photo, the Wall Street Journal kept the black man down on the cutting room floor. The caption? Tiger Woods jogs Wednesday near his home in Isleworth, Fla. BatteryPark.tv, which spotted the gaffe, notes that at least the online version of the article previously featured the correct entire photo with Tiger "and this anonymous jogging companion." Oh no Tiger, not another "anonymous companion"! more ›

Members of the state Assembly called the MTA "disgusting and immoral" for planning to eliminate free student MetroCards as part of a package of transit cuts intended to plug a major budget shortfall. "Simply stated, we ask that you immediately withdraw the threat to student fares," wrote Assemblyman Richard Brodsky (D-Westchester) and 18 other politicians in a letter sent to the MTA board. more ›

If you wondered how the U.S. might become embroiled in the controversy over a Hamas leader's assassination, wonder no more: The Wall Street Journal reports, "Authorities in the United Arab Emirates are probing five U.S.-issued credit card accounts, which officials say were used by five of the 11 suspects in the January killing of a top Hamas leader in Dubai, according to a person familiar with the situation." more ›

[UPDATE BELOW] Former NYPD Commissioner Bernard Kerik has been sentenced to four years in federal prison. The sentence is significantly longer than what Kerik had hoped for when pleading guilty to lying on his application to be the director of Homeland Security, lying to the feds, tax fraud, and accepting $250,000 in renovations to his Bronx apartment, provided by a company accused of having mob ties. As part of the plea deal, prosecutors recommended that Kerik serve 27 to 33 months in prison. But judge Judge Stephen C. Robinson was not bound by that, and he previously warned Kerik that he would sentence the disgraced commissioner to a term that he deemed fit. more ›

Facing some 9,000 lawsuits from ground zero responders who say they became ill after working at the 9/11 site, the city wants a judge to toss 17 "baseless" suits. According to 1010WINS, city attorneys urged a judge to dismiss cases involving a firefighter who blames breathing problems on 9/11 dust despite being put on disability for the same ailments in 1999, and a Staten Island construction worker who blames 9/11 for a medical condition despite filing a malpractice suit linking some of the ailments to a gastrointestinal disease in the 1990s. Prosecutors—who insist the cases are valid—and city attorneys are expected to take several cases to court, and use those verdicts to determine settlements for the rest of the suits. more ›

The parents of a 2-year-old girl have charged a Jersey City daycare center with reckless endangerment after their child got left behind during a field trip to MSG. "Our Little Rugratz" daycare took a group of children to see "Elmo Live" last Friday, but ended up losing track of little rugrat Emily Grogan. more ›

A small plane crashed into a building in Austin, TX at 9:30 a.m. The building does not contain an FBI office; the FBI has an office at another building in the same complex. According to Austinist, "There's some wild speculation flying around Twitter that the crash was intentional. Statesman reports eyewitnesses stating that the plane approached the building at 'full throttle.' One nearby eyewitness described the plane's trajectory as 'very controlled.'" Update: "12:42 p.m.: The pilot of the plane had set his house on fire beforehand, stole the plane and crashed it intentionally, a federal official told CNN." more ›

If you think getting stuck behind a stroller being carried up subway stairs is annoying, then just wait til you hear how annoyed the person lugging around that stroller is at you. The tables are turning! One mom takes to the pages of Metro to vent about non-breeders and her own self-described "mommy rage." Playing chicken with a double stroller just got serious. more ›

The NJ State Police are continuing their search for three-month-old Zara Malani-Lin Abdur-Raheem, whose father claimed he threw her off the Driscoll Bridge after abducting her from her maternal grandmother's home in East Orange, NJ. Shamsid-Din Abdur-Raheem, who has been charged with kidnapping and attempted murder, allegedly punched and choked the grandmother on Tuesday while Zara's mother was reportedly at the Essex County Courthouse getting a restraining order. While there are no witnesses who saw Abdur-Raheem throw the child in the river, the police consider his confession "credible." more ›

Governor Paterson is savoring his sense of vindication after the Times "nonshell" story blew by without causing much damage. (Though, when you think about it, wouldn't it be Jedi if someone in Paterson's camp had started the salacious bombshell rumor so that when the Times finally ran their story—about how the Governor's right-hand man has a history of assaulting women—it would seem tame by comparison?) Paterson took to the airwaves again after the hotly-anticipated article ran and had this to say: more ›

Police found the stolen Greyhound bus that disappeared from a Manhattan maintenance facility last weekend—but the discovery of the 45-foot coach only raised more questions. "Who would want to steal a Greyhound?" asked Jose Martinez, 42, who works in East Elmhurst, Queens, where the vehicle was found. "It's not like you can sell it or hide easily." more ›

A Queens man and his dog are the latest victims of stray voltage. According to WPIX, 52-year-old James Evans was walking his dog Max in Far Rockaway at 2 p.m. yesterday when he felt a shock. Max managed to pull away after a few yelps, but Evans says he couldn't move. more ›

The announcement that golf superstar Tiger Woods will be speaking publicly for the first time tomorrow since his car accident-turned-extra marital affair-scandal has sent the media into a new frenzy. Woods' agent Mark Steinberg said, "While Tiger feels that what happened is fundamentally a matter between him and his wife, he also recognizes that he has hurt and let down a lot of other people who were close to him. He also let down his fans. He wants to begin the process of making amends, and that's what he's going to discuss." more ›

The Daily News stopped Catholics outside of St. Patrick's Cathedral yesterday to ask them what they are giving up for Lent. (Archdiocese of NY explains, "Lent is a penitential season of preparation for the commemoration of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus. It leads to Easter Sunday, which will be celebrated this year on Sunday, April 4, 2010.") Some of the answers/wishes: "Yelling at my children, foul language and drinking," Facebook because it's "addictive," and "road rage...The only time I tailgate is when I have to prove a point." Which makes us wonder: Will there be more road rage incidents once Lent is over, because points are meant to be proven, right? more ›

Tests show that former Nets player Jayson Williams's blood alcohol level was twice the legal limit after he crashed his Mercedes SUV into a tree in Manhattan last month. After his blood was finally tested at Bellevue, the results came back at 0.19 (it was previously rumored to have been .24, thrice the legal limit). But still, driving drunk at twice the legal limit is enough to double his trouble—the DA wants Williams, 41, to serve a year in jail, the maximum DWI punishment, after he does time for his other crimes. more ›

Yikes. A 40-year-old Park Slope woman has gone missing. Marion McCleneghan was last seen leaving a party at 14th Street and 7th Avenue on February 6th, according to the Brooklyn Paper. Friends and family haven't seen her since, and an NYPD detective says "the case is a priority." more ›

Former president Bill Clinton has a lot of admirable qualities—his charisma, his intelligence, his saxophone... his role in facilitating CIA gun and cocaine smuggling into Arkansas (says Penthouse!). But after dodging a heart attack last week, Bubba has made his first remarks to the media, and used the opportunity to warn the youth of America not to emulate his unhealthy eating habits. more ›

The Transportation Security Administration says that a security breach that closed down Newark Airport for one hour on Monday was caused by a passenger with suspicious objects in his bag who managed to bypass a second round of screening and apparently board his plane. The Star-Ledger reports, The man, who was never located, had what appeared on the X-ray to be wine bottles." more ›

The raccoons in Manhattan must have heard about the vaccination traps set up in Central Park, because they're on the move to Brooklyn! Well, at least one rabid raccoon was discovered in the borough—the Department of Health confirmed this week that they captured one in Boerum Hill. more ›

Some numbers: That's now five straight losses for the Knicks, who blew a 15-point lead. Three Knicks players had 20 or more points -- and Danilo Gallinari had 19 -- but that didn't matter. The Bulls shot 33 free throws -- to the Knicks' 16 -- and made 26 of them. This completed a Bulls' home-and-home sweep of the Knicks. more ›

The Knicks have agreed in principal to trade three-time slam dunk champion Nate Robinson to the Boston Celtics for backup guard Eddie House, who previously played for Coach Mike D'Antoni in Phoenix. Robinson was an at times electric and mostly well-liked player with the New York fans, but had been butting heads with Coach D'Antoni all season, resulting in a prolonged banishment on the Knicks bench for much of December. more ›

A 2004 lawsuit that claimed Salvation Army tried to spread its Evangelical message through government-funded socials services came to a settlement today. From now on NY City agencies will monitor the organization to make sure it's maintaining proper church-state separation. “This agreement protects the religious freedom of all New Yorkers who rely on faith-based organizations for crucial government-funded social services,” said Donna Lieberman, executive director of the NY Civil Liberties Union, the group that brought the suit. “No one should be subject to proselytizing because they need foster care, adoption, child care or H.I.V. services.” more ›

A reputed former boss of the Genovese crime family was indicted in Manhattan federal court today on charges of racketeering, including the murder of another former mobster. Arthur Nigro, also known as "short guy" and "little guy," is currently in jail for extortion charges, but could face the death penalty if he's found guilty in the death of Adolfo "Big Al" Bruno, who was shot in 2003. Previously, a Genovese family associate Frankie Rouche pleaded guilty to being the "triggerman" in the whacking, and claimed it was because Bruno was not "sending sufficient tribute payments to New York." But it was revealed in today's indictment that Bruno was actually in communication with investigators. We wonder if anyone will be getting any strongly worded letters about gonads over this. more ›

A pair of tiny southeastern Queens neighborhoods have finally been linked to the city's sewer system, meaning the water that goes down residents' drains will no longer be dumped directly into a creek that terminates in Jamaica Bay. "When I first moved here, they told me, 'You're all getting sewers soon,'" said Lenny Zamiello, 88, a retired carpet and linoleum installer. "That was 60 years ago." more ›

Not only did PETA set up shop outside of the Westminster Dog Show at MSG again this year, with the Grim Reaper making an appearance—but they even got inside and nearly stole Sadie the Scottie's thunder! What did sweet Sadie ever do to PETA? more ›

All State Senator Pedro Espada wanted to do today was announce his proposal to finance a rent freeze on some rent-regulated apartments by helping landlords get out of rent regulation. But as you can see, some protesters had to come along and steal his thunder! Activists from the Tenants & Neighbors group and other critics say Espada's proposal is actually more of a sweetheart deal for property owners than for tenants. One protester managed to get behind Espada at City Hall, holding this sign as TV cameras were rolling, and WNYC describes what happened next: more ›

Almost a year after a 200-pound chimpanzee named Travis mauled Charla Nash, the cop that shot the violent creature has been denied a claim for workers comp for post-traumatic stress disorder. Why? Because the law was made for officers who shoot people, and doesn't extend to the rest of the animal kingdom, the AP reports. But for the anniversary of the chimp's death, a Connecticut state senator wants to amend it to include police who fire at animals, at least those "required to use deadly force on animals that attempt to injure them." (How about rabid raccoons?) Meanwhile Nash—who lost hands, lips, nose and eyelids when the animal attacked—is in the process of suing the state for $150 million. more ›

An Upper East Side woman named Anna Dove loves birds. How much? She had her last name changed to Dove, from Kugelmas (she's also behind National Pigeon Day). That much. But while the 63-year-old Dove may love birds, her fellow humans don't love her. In fact, a neighbor recently caught her feeding pigeons near his apartment on East 93rd Street and became so enraged that he grabbed her bag of seeds and tossed it; the confrontation was allegedly violent enough for a passerby to call 911. more ›

East Side residents are accusing the city of trading a precious bit of green space for a little bit cash. The Parks Department is considering allowing a winter-time tennis bubble to operate year-round in the tiny Queensboro Oval at the corner of 59th Street and York Avenue—meaning neighbors wouldn't be able to access the park tucked beneath the Queensboro Bridge unless they paid a fee. more ›

Storefront psychics are a notoriously sketchy lot, but that doesn't stop some people from enjoying visiting one for a bit of fun. But you know you've probably stepped over a line when you start filling jars with cash just because one tells you to. That's what happened to Dane Chan, who is suing Greenwich Village fortune teller Sylvia Mitchell, of "Zena Psychic." Chan claims that Mitchell conned her out of nearly $10,000 in late 2008, while Chan was going through personal problems, such as a recent breakup, under the guise of "cleansing" rituals to rid her of "impurities." And nothing filthier than lucre! more ›

Even wildly popular parks like Jones Beach and Niagara Falls could be among the state parks facing closure due to funding cuts, officials tell the AP. Last year, 100 of New York's 178 state parks and 35 historic sites had to cut services and reduce hours. This year, closures are "unavoidable" because of a multibillion-dollar budget deficit. "It's going to be pretty bad. As bad as I've ever seen it," predicts Robin Dropkin, executive director of Parks & Trails New York. more ›

A one night stand in Hell's Kitchen proved particularly unsatisfying when a thug stopped mid-coitus to rob his partner of a BlackBerry and $40. The two had just met and went back to the victim's place on 43rd Street near Ninth Avenue at 7:15 p.m., according to the Post's police blotter. They were going at it when all of a sudden the thief took out a knife, grabbed the 34-year-old victim's valuables and left. Before even finishing! Scant information on this one, unfortunately: no mention of the victim's gender or where the thief kept his knife (was he wearing a holster?). But then again, you might not want to reveal the juicy details to a cop either. more ›

We originally thought this Craigslist ad threatening to poison area dogs was a cruel joke, but could there be a real-life Cruella behind it? The listing was put up earlier this month, warning, "I am hiding dog poison at dog runs," and has since been removed—but the NY Post reports that the city’s Parks Department is taking it seriously, and has put dog owners on notice in all five boroughs. more ›

The Bronx is the least healthy county in the state, according to a new study. By examining "health outcomes" including length of life and quality of life, as well as "health factors" like habits, environmental quality, social status, education, income, and access to care, researchers from the University of Wisconsin determined that the Bronx ranked at the bottom of the list, according to Bloomberg. NY1 reports that Bronx residents were found to have the state's highest rates of premature death and poor quality of life. Nassau County and Westchester County—which shares a border with the Bronx—reportedly topped the list. Last month, a study revealed that the Bronx has the nation's highest rate of hunger. more ›

After two days of closing arguments from defense lawyer Richard Murray (during which the judge asked him to stop rambling), prosecutors are closing out the trial of three officers accused of participating in the sodomy of a man during his arrest in 2008. Prosecutor Charles Guria insisted this afternoon that Michael Mineo is the victim here, and derided the defense's claim that he self-inflicted his anal injuries in order to sue the city. "Before there were lawsuits, Michael Mineo was showing blood on his hands," Guria reminded jurors today, City Room reports. more ›

It's no surprise why TV news divisions love winter weather events like Snowmageddon/Snowpocalypse 2010—keep hyping it, viewers keep tuning to see what will unfold! Storm Field, weather man (and son of Dr. Frank!) tells the NY Times, "There was a point — I think this goes back 20 years or more — when you had consultants coming in, telling stations weather was something important and you should move it up in the show.... I had these moments where I thought they wouldn’t be happy if I didn’t get on the air like Crazy Eddie and scream, ‘It’s coming, it’s coming, white death from the sky.’" Wait, like this infamous AccuWeather.com guy? more ›

After a week's deliberation union workers at the twice-bailed out St. Vincent's voted to take a ten percent pay cut while the hospital tries to revive itself. "In today’s difficult economic climate for working families, our members’ vote to accept the wage reduction is a testament to how committed they are to the work they do, their passion in providing quality care and their dedication to the patient community they serve. We salute their courageous sacrifice to keep St. Vincent’s hospital open," the union said. Still, the decrease agreed to by the union is half or less of those handed to non-union employees last week: doctors' salaries were slashed by 20 percent and executive pay rates were scaled back 25 percent. more ›

The politically-connected casino operator chosen to bring slot machines to the Aqueduct Racetrack beat out its rivals by claiming the other bidders would cater to crowds that were too young or too classy for Queens. Documents released to the public in an effort to quell the controversy surrounding Gov. Paterson's selection of the Aqueduct Entertainment Group also reveal that the company was picked even though it initially said it would net the least amount of money for the state. Paterson has been accused of choosing the group to win the political support of AEG shareholder Rev. Floyd Flake. more ›

The Kensington Stables owner, Walker Blankinship, is speaking out some more prior to finding out if his business will need to meet new regulations instituted by the Department of Health. The new rules may cost him too much money to keep horseback riding available in Prospect Park, and he recently told the NY Post, "If I have to go to box stalls, I have no intention of maintaining any horseback riding in Prospect Park. If I’m putting a two-foot-high pony in an eight-foot-high stall to appease animal rights activists, then I’m not wanted here. I’m going to leave.” Just like the new rules proposed for Central Park's carriage horses, other costly changes would include a sprinkler system and a 5-week vacation for horses. His fate will be sealed at a meeting in March, stay tuned... more ›

A new poll rated Mayor Bloomberg's job approval at 60 percent, down from 70 percent last year and the lowest it's been since 2005. After eight years, has the tender love affair between New Yorkers and their mayor turned to tepid mutual appreciation? Even if it has, "a lot of politicians would kill for that kind of number," observed pollster Maurice Carroll. more ›

Are baby bans seeping over the Park Slope line and into Windsor Terrace? According to Courier-Life, Double Windsor owner Jeff Switzer says their policy of no babies after 5 p.m. has been in effect for a few months now, and was instituted after some feedback from patrons. He says, “It’s more of an issue between people that live in the neighborhood than it is with us. Most people who come to the bar would prefer not to have babies in the bar.” And the debate rages on! more ›

A day after federal investigators announced that there is "insufficient evidence" to pursue a civil rights case against the officers who shot and killed Sean Bell, relatives of the 23-year-old said they are after the officers' badges. "Myself and my family are going to do everything possible to see that these police officers are fired," said Bell's fiancee, Nicole Paultre-Bell. "There is a history of black men being killed by police officers, and something needs to be done ... We're hoping to eventually meet with President Obama, and that he'll do something, because this is a national problem." more ›

After a study and testimonies suggested this month that NYPD stats are all but made up, a cop-friendly civic group says the force needs to win back the public's trust. The Citizens Crime Commission commended the NYPD for its "terrific work" but urged it to release internal audits that they hope will prove CompStat departments aren't staffed with fiction writers. "There is no doubt that crime is way, way down," said Richard Aborn, president of the group. "But why have this cloud hanging over the department?" more ›

[UPDATE BELOW] Thieves stole a Greyhound bus from a West Side maintenance facility and have been spotted driving the vehicle around the city. After heisting the empty coach from a lot at the corner of 12th Avenue and West 30th Street on Feb. 14, the vehicle was reportedly spotted heading towards LaGuardia airport today, a police source said. more ›

Cops are looking for the boyfriend of Rev. Al Sharpton's daughter, who allegedly punched her and pushed her from a parked car as the two argued about their relationship yesterday. Last year Rev. Sharpton defended his 23-year-old daughter Dominique via Twitter and other outlets when she and her mother were arrested for swearing at cops while stopped at a Harlem traffic light. But now it seems like the verbally aggressive daughter has found herself a physically abusive mate! The Post reports that the boyfriend, Latrelle Peeks, fled the scene while the young Sharpton was taken to Harlem Hospital around noon for treatment of a split lip. more ›

Five inches of snow fell on Central Park yesterday. Enough to cover a giraffe and push the seasonal total to 30.5 inches. That makes this the snowiest winter in four years and puts the city within striking distance of the magical 40-inch mark. The low that brought yesterday's snow isn't done with the city and may indirectly bring more snow today. more ›

In a move that may or may not distract voters from his role in the Senate coup and the ongoing investigation into his shady non-profit groups, State Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada will introduce a bill today that would freeze the rent for nearly 300,000 low- and moderate-income households in rent-subsidized apartments in all five boroughs. The program, if approved by the full Legislature, would be funded through landlords, not city or state funds, the AP reports. But the devil is in the details, and the bill is just as sweet, if not sweeter, for the property owners Espada has consistently gone to bat for. more ›

Police stopped and questioned more New Yorkers last year than ever before, and 87 percent of those stopped were black or Latino. The NYPD used the controversial policing technique to question 575,304 people in 2009—an uptick of 8 percent from the short-lived 2008 record of 531,159, according to the Daily News. more ›

One of Borough Park's Yeshiva school buses struck and killed a young Orthodox boy today, after he slipped and fell on an icy patch of pavement. Different sources have reported his age to be either 4 or 7, but according to one witness he was tiny. "The child was so small," said Rocco Botta, who who was working on a construction site nearby. "The person who hit him may have thought it was snow and just kept going." more ›

Yesterday afternoon cops busted a corrections officer who was caught cruising in Queens with eight ounces of heroin. Police came up flashing behind Marco Villacris's tan Chevy van when he ran a red light, but when they pulled him over they noticed an open baggie and smelled "the strong odor of the heroin," reports the Post. (What does heroin smell like, you ask? Google says Cheerios, tar, rancid ketchup or vinegar.) The 42-year-old Rikers Island guard—who'd been working for the Corrections Department since 2008—was charged with criminal possession and will be terminated from his job. more ›

The Times business reporter who resigned yesterday after the Wall Street Journal accused him of lifting copy from their articles has come clean about the situation. 31-year-old Zachery Kouwe tells the Observer that when his editors told him about the allegations, he "was in complete shock. Then I started worrying and started thinking, how the fuck did this happen?" Apparently, it happened because Kouwe, in his rush to crank out content, forgot that some of the information he was piecing together was other people's writing, not his own: more ›

A sour new press release sent from Senator Kirsten Gillibrand's campaign minutes ago is titled "Simple Yes or No Question: Did Harold Ford Jr. Dodge NY Taxes to Claim His Merrill Lynch Bonus in Tennessee?" But back in 2006, she was faced with a similar question, and gave no simple answer. Her Republican opponent for a seat in Congress asked her to release her tax records, but the Democrat put her foot down, saying she refused to be "bullied," reports the Post. Sounds familiar. more ›

Last April Merrill Lynch hired stock broker Steven Mandala, giving him a $780,000 loan to lure him away from Maxim Group, where he was, they believed, a hot-shot partner who managed $300 million worth of assets. But now the firm says Mandala, 29, ran a savage burn on them, giving them forged pay stubs and tax returns to seem more successful than he was. Then, a week after depositing the loan into his parents' bank account, he bought a red Ferrari for $245,580. And as if the sight of an unscrupulous Wall Street guy throwing money away on a car wasn't shocking enough, Mandala "frequently did not show up at his new job and brought in only two or three clients with assets of about $20,000," says the Manhattan DA. more ›

A Coney Island grandmother is facing criminal charges after an 11-year-old autistic boy who was left home alone perished in a fire yesterday. Investigators believe Melinda McLain was at the store when Tavon Turpin began playing with matches or a lighter in a closet of their 15th-floor apartment and set the fire that took his life. more ›

Last night, Sadie the Scottish Terrier won the Westminster Kennel Club's 134th Best in Show. The four-year-old pup was favored to win it all, since she won the American Kennel Club/Eukanaba Championship and the National Dog Show in the past few months. Her handler Gabriel Rangel said, "She was perfect. I couldn't ask for anything more." more ›

Two Con Ed workers were injured when a manhole exploded at Broadway and Hart Streets in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn. According to MyFoxNY, "one worker was struck in the head by the manhole cover after the explosion." He is in critical condition; both workers are at Kings County Hospital. WABC 7 says they "were working on a nearby service box when the explosion sent the manhole flying into the air." more ›

The Times has at last published its hotly anticipated bombshell exposé anticlimactic profile on Governor Paterson, and, as it turns out, the piece contains no salacious details on the rumored "drug fueled swinger parties" in the Executive Mansion. Instead, the article mainly focuses on Paterson's longtime right-hand man, David Johnson, and his shady past selling crack and (allegedly) beating women. Paterson and others call him D.J., and colleagues say that because he's 6-foot-7, with a booming voice, he makes the legally blind Governor feel safe. And when arguments with constituents got heated in Paterson's former Harlem office, one source explains, "It was good to have a big guy in the office." more ›

Would you rather have a Walgreens or a Duane Reade on every block? Word is that the former is buying the latter for around $1.075 billion. While there aren't too many details yet (a press conference is being held today), the Duane Reade name will remain in place—so when the switch officially happens around August, you won't feel a thing. more ›

• Nets 103 Charlotte 93: It was the third quarter that did it as New Jersey surged to its fifth win of the year. Devin Harris had 17 points and nine assists while Courtney Lee added 21 points.
• Chicago 118 Knicks 85: Don't be fooled by any of the trade rumors, the Knicks still can't compete in the NBA. Defense would help as New York allowed the Bulls to shoot 60% and pull down 11 more rebounds. Either way, this looks like another season where the Knicks head to the lottery- too bad they don't own their own pick.

A 38-year-old man was shot in the head and killed in his Queens Village residence this morning in what police believe was a home invasion robbery. A gunman murdered Leslie Huggins, a father of three, just after 11:30 am in his house on Francis Lewis Boulevard. "The wife came here and said that her husband was laying on the ground bleeding from his head," said Dave Brown, the owner a nearby barbershop. more ›

The long-awaited and long-delayed World Trade Center transit hub is running behind schedule again. According to a Federal Transit Administration report, the $3.2 billion train station only has a 25 percent chance of being finished by its mid-2014 deadline—a date set when it became clear the project couldn't be finished by its intended 2011 deadline. more ›

An 11-year-old boy perished in a high-rise fire in Coney Island on Tuesday when he was left alone in his family's apartment. The fire broke out on the 15th floor of the Ocean Towers building on W. 24th street at around 12:15 pm, according to the Daily News. The boy's grandmother had left the apartment to go to the store just before the blaze broke out, and reportedly "broke down and wept when she returned home and saw the boy's lifeless body." The boy's name has not yet been released. "They were pumping his heart," witness Elphine Ahrendts, 14, told the tabloid. "His eyes were red [and] he only had on underwear ... He wasn't breathing ... They couldn't help him." more ›

After the NY Times published a "Fashion Diary" entry on model Coco Rocha, who dared to be a size 4 in a size 0 world, the Daily News posed the above question on their front page today: "Is she too fat to be a runway model?" To back up, in the Gray Lady's piece, the model asks" “Everybody knows that a fashion model needs to be skinny, but how skinny is too skinny?” She says she's no longer in demand for shows, and that she's even "been told to lose weight when I was really skinny." The model maintains a healthy attitude, however, saying that 21-year-olds should be able to have a hamburger when they want one, and 14-year-olds shouldn't starve themselves and curb their appetites through Adderall addictions and smoking habits. Indeed. more ›

In a curt message to the isolated island natives, Roosevelt Island Operating Corporaton President (RIOC) Steve Shane made the following announcement about a major impending pain in the ass: "Tram: All on schedule for March 1 shutdown. Please familiarize yourself with alternate transportation options. See RIOC's website and posted materials. Less than 3 weeks to go. None should be surprised." According to New Yorkology, the oft-delayed project, expected to last until August 31st, is part of "a major modernization project." Does that mean the tram's being turned into a monorail?! more ›

A day after Vice President Biden called out Mayor Bloomberg for inflating the cost of trying Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other suspected 9/11 plotters in a Lower Manhattan courtroom, Bloomberg said the Veep doesn't know what he's talking about. The Mayor—who wants a guarantee that the federal government will pick up the tab for the terror trial—insisted that his estimate of $200 million per year is "reasonable." more ›

A lost—and possibly kidnapped—bulldog/ basset hound named Sugar has been returned to its Park Slope family after nearly a week's absence. Last Wednesday after losing her dog in Prospect Park, Drucie Belman got a call from unknown number, demanding money in exchange for the dog's safe return. But when she failed to offer enough, the canine's captor hung up and didn't reach her again. She and her family had all but lost hope when this morning she got a more auspicious call. "[A man] said [Sugar] was tied to a bush and that she is very cold, shaking with fear," Belman told the Daily News. She and her family immediately took off for the park. "My two kids, my husband, we all ran. I kept thinking as we were running, 'this is a hoax, this is a hoax." Sugar was dehydrated and had been bitten by another dog, but was otherwise unharmed.
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Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was posed this question while at a town hall meeting in Saudi Arabia: "Does the prospect of [former Alaska Governor] Sarah Palin one day becoming president maybe terrify you? And if so would you consider emigrating to Canada or possibly Russia in the event of this happening?” more ›

Early this morning another fire in Queens took the life of a 60-year-old grandma who was unable to escape before firemen arrived and doused the flames. Deborah Kelly lived on the 17th floor of a Lefrak City building on 57th Avenue. Around 3 a.m. neighbors smelled smoke and went to investigate, reports the Daily News. "[The neighbor] went up to Deborah's door and felt the heat so he knew it was coming from there," said Loretta Henderson, who lives on the same floor. "He knocked, but didn't get an answer. So, he called 911." The FDNY arrived in three minutes and got the the fire under control in under an hour, but for Kelly it was too late. "They opened up the door, a lot of thick, black smoke blew out," said Henderson. "That's when they went in and found her."
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A federal judge ruled today that the NYPD did not violate the Constitution by requiring cyclists to file for parade permits when riding in groups of 50 or more. Two years ago, the NYPD began enforcing the controversial new rule, which gave legal legitimacy to a police crackdown on the monthly Critical Mass bicycle rides in Manhattan, which have been a source of tension between cyclists and cops ever since the Republican convention in 2004. more ›

The forthcoming "Luna Park at Coney Island" will supposedly miraculously open in time for Memorial Day Weekend with 19 new rides, including one, Air Race, that will make its worldwide debut! And according to Mayor Bloomberg's office, by summer 2011, the "Scream Zone at Coney Island" will provide additional attractions, including two custom roller coasters, a human slingshot ride, and go-karts. All in all, the city and its partners Central Amusement International (CAI) and renowned ride designer Zamperla, will install 23 new rides by 2011. more ›

The mother accused of killing her 8-year-old son in a botched murder-suicide attempt in a Midtown hotel pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder charges today. Speaking in what was described as "a mousy voice," socialite and pharmaceutical executive Gigi Jordan made the plea via video from her bed in Elmhurst Hospital, where she has been held since she was discovered "babbling incoherently" beside the body of her child earlier this month. more ›

Bank robber Robert Krieg and his 32-year-old accomplice John Gregg rode in cabs to some of the banks they held up, and had drivers run the meter while they made off with the money. Taking cabs allowed them to get around town fast and made for a quick getaway but, at least for Krieg, it ultimately led to arrest after a cabbie commandeered his ID and described him to the cops. more ›

Today the Times crunches the numbers on New Yorkers whose deaths are ruled accidental, noting that although there has been a significant drop in homicides and fire fatalities in recent years, there has not been a similar drop in death by oops. According to a recently released report [pdf], in 2008, 54,193 people died in NYC, and 1,044 deaths (excluding drug overdoses) were classified as accidental. It was an 8.8 percent decline from 1998, but homicides fell 17.5 percent in that same period. Why can't the government save us from accidents? more ›

Did the coyote and bald eagle sightings keep you from thinking about all of those rabid raccoons roaming around Central Park? Well, they're still there—however, the city plans to vaccinate all Upper Manhattan raccoons against rabies so that we don't get some sort of I Am Legend/Cujo hybrid scenario on our hands. more ›

Rev. Al Sharpton said today that federal prosecutors will not pursue a civil rights case against the police officers who shot and killed Sean Bell in a barrage of 50 bullets outside a strip club on the day of his wedding. According to 1010WINS, after reviewing the shooting, federal attorneys decided against pressing charges. Though the police officers involved in the incident were acquitted of manslaughter charges in 2008, friends and family of Bell—who recently had a street renamed in his honor—urged authorities to take the cops to court for violating the 23-year-old's civil rights. But Sharpton said Bell's family has been informed that there will be no federal case. more ›

A few months back the city confirmed its plans to turn its central post office into an extension of Penn Station, and now Sen. Charles Schumer says it's got a backer. The federal government is putting up $83.3 million for the conversion from mail center to rail center, which has been in the works for more than 15 years. According to the AP, the funds for Moynihan Station, as it's to be called, come from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act. Schumer expects the project to create thousands of jobs and rev up the economy on Manhattan's west side. more ›

In a new Gallup poll that rates states in terms of population well-being, New York lands pretty much dead center. But that's a 0.3 "point" raise from last year, so nice work everybody. New York got a 65 on the "Well-Being Index Score," which calculates evaluations of citizen's lives from across the country. Factors include emotional and physical health, work environment, and access to basic things like food and water. more ›

A Queens Congressman says some of the criticism regarding the selection of a politically-connected casino operator to run slot machines at the Aqueduct Racetrack has been sparked by racism. Rep. Gregory Meeks claims Aqueduct Entertainment Group shareholders and community liaisons Rev. Floyd Flake and Darryl Greene have been targeted by project opponents because they are black. "The only two people who come from the community and the only two people of color are singled out." more ›

Who doesn't love a good subway hero story? The two real-life leading roles this time around are played by 18-year-old Rosie Rittenbery and 23-year-old Lance McGraw. Though the two had never seen each other before, even though they're practically neighbors, he saved her life last Thursday morning. more ›

Cops have arrested a 17-year-old in connection with the killing of Brooklyn security guard Anthony Blair, who died Sunday on Atlantic Avenue. Alexander Singh, Blair's stepson and housemate, is in custody for the early morning neck stabbing of the 44-year-old Guyanese immigrant, reports the Daily News. According to a source the two men, who lived in Bed-Stuy, quarreled about Singh's mother before Blair was found dead near a Getty gas station. more ›

Since launching several months ago, the website I Just Made Love has documented almost 80,000 instances of intercourse around the world, from NYC to Outer Mongolia. Today the Daily Beast offers an intimate look at the site's exploding popularity, which should come as no surprise, because naturally every single detail of our lives must be shared on the Internet—or it didn't really happen. Somewhere, some bright entrepreneur has just secured the domain for ijustfarted.com. more ›

Testing of Greenpoint's groundwater has revealed contamination by dry cleaning chemical, with alarmingly high levels found under the corner of Kingsland and Norman Avenues, right by McGolrick Park. Investigators started testing the area in 2008, and despite resistance from homeowners, they traced the pollutants and are naming names: They say former businesses in the area, including Spic and Span Cleaners, Klink Cosmo Cleaners, and current businesses ACME Metal Works and ACME Steel and Brass Foundry are to blame. But what's a Greenpointer to do? more ›

Uptown on the A and C lines, the MTA is testing out convenient countdown clocks like the ones used in L train terminals. "I think it's great," said Richard Lehman at 145th St. "I never understood why they didn't do it before." The answer? Because they're expensive and the authority has cash-flow problems—in recent days it's been criticized for its constant and unpredictable service cuts and changes. Timers at four stations—145th, 155th, 163rd and 168th streets—cost $20,000, and and though expansion of the system may be more of a band-aid than a solution, passengers are grateful nonetheless. "It's good to know how long it's going to be because you have other options, different choices," said another rider at a newly-equipped terminal. more ›

Yesterday's announcement from Senator Evan Bayh (D-Indiana) that he would not seek a third term stems from his unhappiness with the rancor in D.C.—and has now raised questions about whether the Democrats can hold onto its majority in the Senate, given the uncertainty of other races. Building on his statement yesterday, "To put it in words most Hoosiers can understand: I love working for the people of Indiana, I love helping our citizens make the most of their lives, but I do not love Congress, "Bayh said on Good Morning America today, "There's just too much brain-dead partisanship, tactical maneuvering for short-term political advantage rather than focusing on the greater good, and also just strident ideology." more ›

There's a fascinating article in the Times Science section today about an ambitious project currently underway to examine the effects of environmental influences on the development of 100,000 children across America, following them from before birth until age 21. The study, which is expected to cost about $6.7 billion, relies on mothers to voluntarily offer their "vaginal fluid, toenail clippings, breast milk, placenta and even her baby’s first feces for scientific posterity." Naturally, the government scientists are meeting some resistance as they go door to door searching for volunteers. more ›

Unless lawmakers can come up with new ways to fund the MTA, the transit agency might be forced to raise its base fare to $2.60 and increase the cost of unlimited monthly MetroCards to more than $100, according to a new study. The report reveals that even if the MTA implements far-reaching service cuts this year and ups fares by the planned 7.5 percent next year, it would still fall short of balancing its budget without additional funding. more ›

By the time you read this, it may already be too late, but be Forewarned: "Due to a signal problem at the Bergen Street Station, there is no F train service in both directions between the Delancey Street Station and the Church Avenue Station." Incidentally, the J train stopped abruptly for a good ten minutes halfway into the platform at Marcy Ave at 7:40 this morning. Finally an MTA worker appeared with a wooden pole and poked at a white pile of plastic on the tracks. He held it up for the train operator to see, then dropped it back on the tracks. And when the train at last proceeded, a woman's earbuds could be heard blasting the Shirelles' "Mama Said." more ›

The tenacious Gov. Paterson says he's charging ahead with his electoral campaign, but with so many officials failing to RSVP, he may have to cancel his kick-off event on Saturday. The governor—who is as short on funds as he is on official and voter support—planned to launch his run at his alma mater Hofstra University, where his campaign manager said he would take "his case directly to the people." But some prominent Democrats don't want to show their faces. more ›

A fire ripped through a Bronx public housing project yesterday afternoon, forcing a woman to dangle a baby out of a fifth-story window while she waited for rescuers to arrive. The blaze broke out at around 2 pm inside a closet in an apartment in the Pelham Parkway Houses and quickly spread through the three-bedroom residence, sending victims to the windows gasping for air. more ›

No matter how deserted your subway train may be, you can't still afford to get comfortable by putting your feet up: It seems that transit police have not eased up on their late night ticket blitz against any rider occupying more than one seat. Last year saw a 17% spike in tickets for that crime, and it looks like the trend continues in 2010. One of the more recent violators is a 17-year-old Stuyvesant HS student who got a $50 ticket two weeks ago on his way home from a birthday party. It was 2 a.m., and there were four people other in the subway car when he dared rest his feet on the edge of an empty seat. more ›

A small plane broke apart during an aborted landing at Monmouth Executive Airport yesterday afternoon, killing all five on board. Witnesses sledding on a nearby hill say the plane, a Cessna 337 Skymaster, did not have its landing gear down and it appeared the pilot had been coming in for a landing, then tried to abort. One bystander says that as the plane pulled up, the tail of the plane broke off, the right wing dipped, and the main body of the Cessna rolled before crashing upside down into a snowy field by the runway, scattering debris over 200 feet. more ›

Do these two things look the same to you? Glassblower Tom Patti filed suit against Sean "Diddy" Combs last year for copyright infringement, claiming Combs stole the design for his Unforgivable fragrance bottle from his 1981 glass piece. The 65-year-old explained, "Everywhere I went, people started congratulating me on the success of my fragrance container. I didn't know what they were talking about. Eventually, I realized that Combs had replicated my work." more ›

Other than the fact it might have been illegal, was the expulsion of disgraced state Sen. Hiram Monserrate a bad idea? Voting to kick out Monserrate following his misdemeanor conviction for domestic assault leaves Democrats with a precarious 31-30 majority in Albany, where a 32-vote quorum is needed to pass any legislation. more ›

Get a load of Lotto's new look! This is not your grandmother's cluttered blue and green scratch-off—no, this is the new, sleeker, hipper, black-label version: the New York Lottery Black scratch-off ticket. With the economic downturn in full thrust, ticket sales dwindled for the New York State Lottery. But a silver lining emerged: the chance for Gordon Medencia, the envelope-pushing, Mad Men-esque renegade director of the NY Lotto, to push for his minimalist black design, "against the advice of vendors and his own sales staff" no less! He told the Times, “The black American Express card, Johnny Walker Black: These were all the images we were trying to get in our mind.” more ›

A fire broke out in a Bronx public housing project this afternoon, leaving residents "hanging from the windows" until firefighters arrived. According to police scanner reports, the blaze erupted in a building in the Pelham Parkway Houses near the corner of Pelham Parkway and Wallace Avenue. The scanner indicates the fire injured nine people, one of them seriously. ABC reports the fire started on the fifth floor at around 2 pm and injured five people, though none of them suffered life threatening injuries. more ›

The percentage of black students at New York City's best high schools has fallen over the past seven years, since the Mayor took control of public schools. Fewer black students attend seven of the eight public high schools that require entrance exams for admittance, while the number of African American students has stayed the same or fallen at 10 of the 12 schools where more than 90 percent of students graduate with Regents diplomas. more ›

As part of the Million Trees program the city is training young adults to care for its tall leafy greens. First step? Learn how to climb one. Using ropes and harnesses the twenty-somethings—many of whom have had trouble getting jobs and come from underprivileged families—do practice drills like dodging branches to ring bells hidden around the tops of trees, reports the Times. They're trained by the very best: “Spider-Man!” and “Beast!” shouted students as their instructor—tree-climbing champ Mark Chisholm— scaled an 80-foot sycamore (video here). And they get paid $11/hour for this?! The program is in its second year; previously, about half the students (this year's group is 33 people) got jobs at places like the Botanical Gardens, Wave Hill , the Prospect Park Alliance and the Central Park Conservancy. Sounds pretty nice, hopefully it won't end in a lawsuit. more ›

Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli thinks he's found a hidden pocket of funds that may help solve city schools' financial woes—problem is the money's locked away tight where no one can get to it. An audit revealed $615 million reserved for school employees to get accrued sick and leave time when they leave their jobs that, through some sort of mix-up, can't be accessed. more ›

Ah marone, this low-budget video promoting a new bus tour of Manhattan Mafia spots is so full of Italian-American mob cliches the only thing missing is a bloody horse head. In fact, it's so hilariously awful it actually makes us want to get on the bus—and we're not just saying that because some goomba's got a telephone cord wrapped around our necks. more ›

The staff of an embattled Queens nonprofit overlaps closely with the payroll of state Sen. Malcolm Smith, one of the charity's founders. At least four workers at the New Direction Local Development Group—which is under federal investigation and allegedly fleeced Hurricane Katrina victims out of about $30,000 raised on their behalf—have also worked for Smith at a time when the politician gave the organization about $56,000 in state funds. more ›

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Harold Ford Jr., her likely opponent for the Democratic seat, have engaged in unrestrained bad-mouthing and name-calling, yet at a dinner for Black and Puerto Rican lawmakers yesterday they were able to act like adults for once. The two shook hands warmly, as Gillibrand whispered "Welcome" and "Good to see you," into Ford's ear. Ford thanked her, and came close to giving a hug to the woman who he's previously called a "parakeet," “the unelected senator” and a “tobacco lawyer” (referring to her work as a corporate lawyer). For her part, a ruffled Gillibrand twittered recently: “I wouldn’t let my 6-year-old to engage in this kind of name-calling. And HF thinks he should be senator?” more ›

With fires breaking out right and left—including one that originated in a furniture shop and wiped out a row of beloved mom-and-pop stores this weekend—Queens lawmakers are now saying there may not be time to make massive cuts to the FDNY. Mayor Bloomberg had previously proposed getting rid of 20 fire companies around the city, as well as those quaint street fire alarm boxes. According to NY1, Councilman Daniel Dromm and Assemblyman Jose Peralta say the Queens fire "proves the city needs to find a way to keep all of its firehouses open." Demolition crews are clearing out what's left of the eight businesses that were destroyed in Jackson Heights. Meanwhile, the city's other recent fire victims, especially those of a Brooklyn fire that killed five, continue to mourn and recoup from their losses. more ›

After increasing the cost of pooper scooper fines from $100 to $250, city inspectors issued far fewer tickets to dog owners who didn't pick up after their pooches last year. The number of pooper scooper violations plummeted from 903 in the fiscal year of 2008 to just 580 in 2009—but experts say the decline in tickets has nothing to do with the higher cost of the violations. more ›

The sunny start to President's Day will soon give way to clouds and snow as a storm moves eastward from the Ohio Valley. Before the clouds arrive this afternoon look for a high in the mid 30s. more ›

The owner of the Hampton Luxury Liner bus fleet has filed a lawsuit claiming an MTA tax is unconstitutional, because by shelling out, he's being forced to bolster the competition. "This is the first time that I ever had to pay a subsidy directly to my competitor," William Schoolman tells City Room. "That’s the thing that really bothers me." Sure, businesses including his have paid money to the authority for years, but a new payroll tariff has the 64-year-old transportation veteran red in the face. "Boy, it makes me angry to give extra money to the M.T.A," Schoolman gripes. more ›

After weeks of wild speculation about a rumored "bombshell" article to be published about Governor Paterson in the NY Times, yesterday the paper's public editor, Clark Hoyt, weighed in on the non-scandal, and whether the Times was right to wait several days before clearing the air. Times executive editor Bill Keller told Hoyt that addressing rumors just "spreads them and gives them an aura of credibility, even if the intent is the opposite. For The Times to issue a statement saying, ‘We are not investigating rumors about the sex life or drug use or financial shenanigans of Public Figure X’ doesn’t clear the good name of Public Figure X. It simply announces that we’ve heard the rumors and for some reason chose not to look into them." more ›

A candidate for Governor of West Virginia has threatened to make Mayor Bloomberg's out-of-state gun busts illegal. State Sen. Jeffrey Kessler says Bloomberg has gotten too involved in West Virginia politics, so he wants to pass a bill that would ban the Mayor from using private investigators to catch Mountain State gun dealers who violate federal laws by selling firearms to unqualified buyers. more ›

This is really creepy, and extremely disturbing... but sadly, not that shocking. Mortuary technicians have been caught playing with the dead—and they even documented their deeds on Polaroid. According to the NY Post, the photos that have been released—allegedly by someone who was trying to blackmail the employees—were taken around 2004. more ›

Prompted by Toyota's recall of millions of cars (as well as other recalls: baby carriages, children's jewelry, etc.) Sen. Chuck Schumer proposed that a comprehensive list of all recalled products be posted online, reports the AP. It seems incredibly obvious, but according to the Democrat, under the current laws businesses aren't required to tell customers that an item has been recalled. Really, people should be alerted if a stroller is likely to sever an appendage or if a car is likely to drive itself into a synagogue. "To be forewarned is to be forearmed," Schumer said. "New Yorkers should know what they're getting." more ›

As we noted yesterday, Vice President Joe Biden made the rounds on the Sunday talk shows, and though much of the banter revolved around Dick Cheney's criticism, Amtrak Joe also pushed back at Mayor Bloomberg, who's done an about face on holding the 9/11 terror trials in NYC. The city estimates that holding a multi-year terror trial could cost $200 million a year, and he wants a guarantee that Washington will cover the full cost. Yesterday Biden challenged Bloomberg's math on Face the Nation: more ›

In a show of transparency intended to quell the controversy surrounding his selection of a politically-connected company to operate slot machines at the Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, Gov. Paterson promised he would release documents regarding the bidders to the public. But before disclosing the documents, Paterson told the casino operators that they can "black out" anything they'd like. more ›

At least twelve children had fingers cut off by Maclaren strollers before the company announced in November a "voluntary recall" of all their strollers sold since 1999. None of those 12 were in NYC, but earlier this month it was revealed that a Brooklyn child has joined their unhappy ranks. The parents of Shannon Windram, who was 2½ at the time of the accident in March 2004, have filed the first NYC lawsuit against Maclaren. And now the Sunset Park family has shared their traumatic experience with the media. more ›

As a Spirit Airlines flight was delayed on the tarmac yesterday at LaGuardia Airport, a Lenox Hill Hospital surgeon—Mitchell Roslin (pictured)—requested some water for his pregnant wife. You know where this is going... more ›

Last night a fire killed a woman at the Harlem apartment complex that's home to many politicians including Gov. Paterson and Rep. Charles Rangel. Firefighters found the 50-year-old victim lying dead on the bathroom floor of her 16th floor apartment, according to the Daily News. They said she was hard to reach because her living space was cluttered with junk, what they called "Collyers' mansion" conditions (referring to the famous booby-trapped Harlem house where two pack-rat brothers died among over 100 tons of stuff including books, newspapers, trash and clocks). more ›

"In a number of business articles in The Times over the past year, and in posts on the DealBook blog on NYTimes.com, a Times reporter appears to have improperly appropriated wording and passages published by other news organizations," reports the NY Times in an editor's note today. Although the Times doesn't drop the P-word, that's essentially what reporter Zachery Kouwe is accused of doing. His thieving was brought to the Times's attention by the Wall Street Journal, which noticed that Kouwe repeatedly recycled language just like we did above, but without the all-important quotation marks or attribution, which are really the easiest things in the world to use. For instance, the Paper of Record also reports: more ›

A 16-year-old graffiti tagger was hit by a train in a Brooklyn subway tunnel Saturday night, tagging with two friends. As of yesterday the NY Times reports that Jose Juarez, of Sunset Park, is in critical but stable condition—however, his right leg was severed. more ›

Erik Christensen had two goals and an assist in the Rangers' come-from-behind win against the Lightning. Two Lightning goals in a 1 1/2-minute span in the first period didn't shake New York, which scored four times in the second period. Sean Avery, Vinny Prospal and Chris Drury had the other Rangers goals. With the Olympic break here, the Rangers will carry a two-game winning streak for the next two weeks. more ›

Early this morning a security guard was stabbed to death in Brooklyn as he was returning home from a night out. Anthony Blair was walking on Atlantic Avenue (recently named the outer-boroughs’s deadliest street) near Hunterfly Place when he was knifed in the neck near a Getty gas station. Cops haven’t yet said if there’s a motive in the killing of the 44-year-old from Guyana, according to the Daily News. As of this afternoon police haven’t made any arrests, but gas station clerks are looking through security footage to find a suspect. more ›

From the -ists near and far: Londonist marveled at a Lego model of St. Pancras, LAist wondered about a local "proud racist," DCist rolled its eyes as Maryland resident Chris Matthews' complaining about DC's snow storm response, and much more. more ›

Nine years ago Allan Houston and Latrell Sprewell took the floor with the New York Knicks in the All-Star Game. Tonight, David Lee will become the first Knick since Houston and Sprewell to make an All-Star appearance. In those intervening nine years, the franchise has plunged to the depths of the NBA and become a laughingstock. Let’s look back at all the “fun”. more ›

The NY Times has a feature on Bloomberg News's attempt to get the Federal Reserve to disclose information about exactly who was helped by the bailout—and how much they got. The Fed never responded to Bloomberg News's Freedom of Information Act request from September 2008, so the company sued. The lawsuit said, "The documents that Bloomberg seeks are central to understanding the government’s response to the most cataclysmic financial crisis in America since the Great Depression." According to the Times, one of the Fed's worries is that "savvy traders could quickly get their hands on such data in the future and use it to their advantage even as the government was trying to stabilize the markets." The issue is at the appeal courts now. more ›

Like a plotline out of “Gossip Girl” a 21-year-old model and “wannabe socialite” allegedly stole her best friend’s credit card and committed thousands of dollars worth of fraud after the two fought. Among other things Kashmir Snowdon-Jones—who claims Eric Clapton is her godfather— bought an $800 pair of leggings, bathing suits, ballet flats and flowers that she sent to addresses in California. She must have a high metabolism, since she also picked up junk food like burritos and Domino’s pizza. The name on the card was that of Snowdon-Jones’s old friend Jennifer Hirsch; the two had attended private school together but had a falling out in the Hamptons, when according to friends Snowdon-Jones acted “manipulative and negative.” "I made the credit-card charges to get back at my friend," she told cops plainly, according to the Post. more ›

Because fighting crime is a dirty job, beat cops and school safety officers are now being equipped with cute little bottles of liquid-sanitizer that clip onto their belts. "A police precinct is like a petri dish, with all the cops coming from the street with every bacteria," said a cop in lower Manhattan. The carrying cases (which look suspiciously like Sigg bottles) are stamped with “NYPD” in blue and can be refilled at precincts. A memo says it’s the commanding officers’ job to "ensure an adequate supply of sanitizer is maintained to refill." According to the Post, it also warned cops not to hook the hand sanitizer onto their firearm trigger guards, radio antennas and expandable batons. It’s good news for preventing sickness (swine flu in particular), but bad news for back pain: even with the “optional” hand sanitizer bottle, the average police belt—which contains handcuffs, keys, radio, bullets, pistol, pepper spray, flashlight and baton—weighs 16 pounds. more ›

Last night, at the American Airlines Arena, Nate Robinson became the first player to win the slam dunk contest three years in a row at the NBA All Star festivites. He won 51% of fans' votes over DeMar DeRozan with a dunk. Here it is: more ›

Early yesterday morning, off-duty police officer Raphael Ospina was charged with driving while intoxicated and vehicular assault after crashing his car into a private sanitation truck and then into Tiffany's on West 57th and Fifth Avenue. When asked whether Ospina had driven drunk before, his 19-year-old brother helpfully said, "I'm sure he has. He must have. I don't know for a fact." With a brother like this, who needs a keeper? more ›

Better watch your gym socks! Across the city at least 41 thieves have been cleaning out health club lockers, where security cameras dare not film. Over the holidays there was a marked increase in gym locker break-ins, after which the NYPD released a poster bearing the faces of the suspected thieves. At least one of them has a gym membership (others buy day passes with stolen credit cards), and they’re expert lock-pickers, reports the NY Post. One woman who was caught demonstrated her ability to break open ten lockers in three minutes. Hardest hit have been NYC’s Equinox and NYSC franchises. In addition to cash and cards, "they go for high-end items like Rolexes, and they work all over town," a police source said. more ›

In its latest assault on the Department of Education’s Rubber Room (a long-term city holding area for bad teachers) the NY Post has published a list of its top offenders. That is, those who have been there the longest, get paid the best and have committed the most disgusting and reprehensible crimes (fondling, lewd comments, sexual assault, etc.). One put his hands down the pants of a special-ed student in 2003. One impregnated a student, who he met when she was 13. And we all know Rubber Room poster boy Alan Rosenfeld, who loves looking at his students’ rears. All get generous salaries and don’t work at all; in total they cost the city $540,000 each year. With out further ado, the “dishonor roll” as well as comments from the Schools Chancellor and Teachers Union President are after the break. more ›

Mom-and-pop stores are the main casualty of a huge blaze that overtook a block in Queens Saturday morning. It took 168 firemen to calm the four-alarm fire, which was under control by 1:30 pm. Meanwhile 54 apartments were evacuated in a nearby building. The fire got going at Acme Furniture in Jackson Heights around 10 am, reports NY1; people as far away as Long Island City could see the billowing smoke. It quickly spread down a row of shops on 37th Street to a dry cleaner, a shore repair shop, a liquor store, an art supply store, a packaging store and a purveyor of beauty supplies. "You have a lot of that wood furniture, finishings on the furniture. As it extended to the other stores, other materials got involved and let the fire escalate quickly," said New York Fire Department Deputy Assistant Chief Robert Maynes. more ›

Vice President Joe Biden appeared on morning talk shows today and hit a number of topics—including the 9/11 terror trial as well as his predecessor, Dick Cheney. Of where Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and the other alleged 9/11 terror plotters may eventually be tried, Biden said that a military tribunal has not been ruled out. Of Cheney, Biden said, "Let me choose my words carefully here... Dick Cheney's a fine fellow. He's entitled to his own opinion. He's not entitled to rewrite history. He's not entitled to his own facts." more ›

Happy Valentine's Day animal rights activists! The city has evicted the historic Shamrock Stables on West 46th Street. According to the NY Post, owner Ian McKeever was handed the eviction notice last week and ordered to appear in court this coming Wednesday. The city hopes to take possession of the building, which houses 26 carriage horses; they are planning a residential and commercial building, as well as a school expansion on that block. McKeever's lease wasn't renewed last November, and he was supposed to vacate in December; he says, "The city is leaving us out in the cold this Valentine's Day, and we hope they have a change of heart. Where is the love?" Currently he has nowhere else to set up shop. more ›

A family is searching for its lost French Bulldog Sugar—and they think they know who has her. After the pet ran away in Prospect park they received a mysterious phone call from a gruff-voiced man, demanding money in exchange for their dog’s safe return. According to the Brooklyn Paper, when Drucie Belman, a Brooklyn resident, failed to offer a sufficient sum, the man hung up and he hasn’t reached her since. Now Belman has put a call out to the neighborhood and a local dog organization asking for help finding Sugar. "I just love this dog," she said. more ›

Yesterday morning cops cuffed a serial thief who’s suspected in seven bank robberies—two committed just minutes before his arrest. Most amazing was that a policeman recognized Robert Krieg—who was calmly sipping coffee when he was confronted—despite the blonde wig he wore during his stick-ups (most of the papers skirt the question of the wig, but it seems as though he wasn’t wearing it when he was nabbed at Penn Station). "He fit the description," said sharp-eyed Captain Edward Winski. more ›

Islanders 5 Tampa Bay 4: Marty Biron made his 2010 debut in goal for the Isles and turned in an outstanding performance. Biron’s last appearance was Decemeber 27th, but he wasn’t rusty, stopping 38 shots and recording an assist to earn only his third win of the year. Richard Park led New York with two goals, the second coming late in the third period to put the Isles up for good more ›

After a long fight with cancer, Cynthia Wood, the 72-year-old co-owner and creator of Bed-Stuy’s one-of-a-kind Broken Angel House died recently. There’s a memorial with a note outside the landmark, that shares beautiful details about Wood’s life. Among other things it describes her “purple hair and dynamic energy” and the circumstances under which the idea for the house was born. Wood was walking with her husband Arthur when she found an angel figurine in the gutter. At home they rebuilt it, making it "better than the original," the same way they would later rebuild the house. The full text of the note is after the break. more ›

In the early morning hours, an off-duty police officer crashed his car into the midtown location of Tiffany, at Fifth Avenue and West 57th Street. WABC 7 reports, "The driver of this car flipped over, snapped a tree in half, and crushed a trash can before coming to a stop on the Fifth Avenue sidewalk," adding, "Investigators are still trying to piece together what happened." WCBS 2 offers, "The vehicle ended up on its side after colliding with a private sanitation truck on 5th Avenue." Update: Now it's suspected that the off-duty cop was...driving while intoxicated. more ›

A Queens Chinese deliveryman is dead after being struck on his scooter yesterday by the drunk driver of an SUV. After hitting Jiangiu Chen, the motorist Richard Conreras allegedly sped off, and dragged the man briefly. Cops found the 28-year-old driver—who was previously arrested for DWI in September—on Greenpoint and Bradley avenues near his home. "I know I hit someone. I was in a vehicle accident, and I’m on my way home," he said at his arraignment today. more ›

What’s worse than texting while driving? Texting at all! Doctors (not just one) have named a new affliction caused by constant mobile messaging: it’s called text neck. According to WCBSTV, symptoms of text neck can include headaches, neck pain, shoulder pain, gastrointestinal issues, loss of lung capacity, pinched nerves, and spine degeneration. "I personally feel that this is going to be the next epidemic, because mobile technology is advancing and everybody, from the youngest to the oldest, is using some sort of handheld device," said Dr. Dean Fishman. To avoid neck stain lift your phone to eye level, and only text for five-minute interval (as if!). Or try using a pay phone. more ›

In our advanced age, street pay phones are often thought of as grimy relics of a bygone era—something between a public toilet and a closet-sized museum. Still, measured up against touch-screens and T9, they seem incredibly romantic. One pay phone outside of a Queens courthouse still swallows its fair share of quarters, and a Times reporter spent a week eavesdropping from the sidewalk. As one might expect, lots of people called after their run-ins with the law. “I do drugs,” said one man. “I got caught with them.” Others conduct their shady dealings. “Nah,” one young man said after hanging up, “you didn’t see me use that phone.” “Loneliness, loneliness, loneliness,” responded another man when asked why he was calling. He'd tried to reach his son, but was met by an automated response. See a map of the city’s payphones by zip code after the break. more ›

After undergoing angioplasty surgery and having two stents placed into a clogged artery, former president Bill Clinton is resting back in Chappaqua, NY. But yesterday afternoon he found time to chat with reporters who were camped outside his home—one reporter said Clinton told them that he came outside because he was concerned about them waiting in the cold. Bubba's feeling journalists' pain! more ›

While Kim Basinger's father says his daughter "couldn't care less what Alec Baldwin does or doesn't do... [and] wouldn't embarrass him," the actor's friends are siding with him, suggesting the ex has a vendetta. On Thursday morning Baldwin was taken to Lenox Hill Hospital after his daughter feared he was going to kill himself. Allegedly the two were on the phone, and Baldwin suspects Basinger put their 14-year-old up to placing the emergency call. more ›

After record numbers of scheming motorists beat, jammed and otherwise vandalized NYC parking meters last year, the number of operational meters is at an all-time low. Officials say some drivers are mad about increased parking fees, and take it out on the meters. Others jam things (not money) in the slots in order to take advantage of a new law that says cars parked at broken meters won’t be ticketed for as long as the time-limit allows. According to the NY Post, 83.9 percent of the 55,000 on-street meters were working from July 1 to Oct. 31, 2009. Why not just turn them all into into bike racks! more ›

Harold Ford Jr.—the probable opponent for Kirsten Gillibrand’s senate seat—likes to say he’s no carpetbagger, but he forgot to tie up a few loose ends when he left his home state of Tennessee. “I am a New Yorker, I am a New Yorker,” he repeated mantra-like on MSNBC, and yet he’s never filed a tax return for his Wall Street job in the state. Not just that, he still owns a condo in Memphis. According to his web site, he splits his time between New York and Tennessee. Need more damning facts? He has a Tennessee driver’s license (which is actually illegal for a New York resident it turns out) and has never voted in New York. more ›

Bread Stuy, a Bed-Stuy purveyor of lattes, Panini and time-wasting WiFi came this close to closing recently (the place was saved grace of three customer-run fundraisers), but does that really mean that gentrification in the neighborhood is failing? In an area that houses a good number of cafes, but also its fair share of bodegas and bullet-proof Chinese, Bread Stuy somehow became the ultimate symbol of the neighborhood’s efforts to nice-up. “It’s no longer just a place for people to go in and drink their coffee — it’s part of the fabric of the community,” said Crystal Bobb-Semple, whose own a nearby store, Brownstone Books. “It’s all about creating a better neighborhood.” more ›

Even with another $6 million bail-out from the state and lenders, the prognosis for St. Vincent’s is not sunny. This week the hospital—which is $700 million in debt and losing more—laid off over 300 employees including 32 doctors. A 38-year-old technician and air-conditioning engineer who’d worked at the hospital for 18 months, was one of the unlucky set. “They gave me a letter,” he told the NY Times, adding that he felt sorry not only for himself, but because “there’s a lot of history here.” In a statement, the vice-chair of the board of directors, said that those losing their jobs “have done absolutely nothing wrong.” more ›

The death of luge athlete Nodar Kumaritashvili was caused by error on the part of the Georgian, not by the track, Olympic officials say. The Olympic organizing committee's statement said, “It appears after a routine run, the athlete came late out of curve 15 and did not compensate properly to make correct entrance into curve 16. This resulted in a late entrance into curve 16 and although the athlete worked to correct the problem he eventually lost control of the sled resulting in the tragic accident. The technical officials of the FIL were able to retrace the path of the athlete and concluded there was no indication that the accident was caused by deficiencies in the track.” more ›

A Buildings Department investigation into the Bensonhurst tenement where a fire killed five has proved what many suspected—that the building was an illegally subdivided death-trap, where escape was nearly impossible. The Daily News says as many as 15 people—all Guatemalan immigrants—were crowded onto its third floor thanks to three illegally-built walls. Since fire escapes were blocked for some units, the only exit was the smoky collapsing stairwell, where the fire was set, allegedly by second-floor resident Daniel Ignacio. more ›

Cops have arrested the “person of interest” suspected in a heist that left the 71-year-old owner of an upper Manhattan jewelry store dead. On Wednesday police found 37 pieces of jewelry in Edmond Alma’s apartment including 14 rings, seven necklaces and some bracelets, earrings and charms. They also found a bullet-resistant vest and 9 mm bullets—the very same type used to shoot the shop's proprietor. Against all that evidence Alma’s lawyer said "My client is not the shooter, he was not in that jewelry store." more ›

• Rangers 3, Penguins 2 (OT): The scoreline could also read Rangers 3, Sidney Crosby 2. The Penguins star has 41 goals on the season after lighting the Rangers up twice. But Olli Jokinen scored just over a minute into overtime to give the Rangers the much-needed win. With Marian Gaborik's playing only 4:02 and Michael Del Zotto's sustaining a "significant laceration," the Rangers must feel fortunate to get a win over the defending champs.
• Devils 5, Predators 2: Ilya Kovalchuk finally scored -- drawing a barrage of hats on the ice -- and broke the 2-2 tie to give the Devils the lead they would never relinquish.Travis Zajac, Patrik Elias and Zach Parise had the other goals for New Jersey and Jamie Langenbrunner had an empty-netter.
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Another unofficial candidate is considering vying for Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's seat. Real estate billionaire and Daily News owner Mort Zuckerman is apparently thinking about running against the Paterson appointee. Though he's a registered Democrat, the 72-year-old reportedly thinks Gillibrand is weak, and is considering entering the race as a Republican or an independent candidate so he doesn't have to take part in a primary. more ›

Teachers are protesting a city proposal to use standardized test scores to determine which public school educators will earn tenure this year. Based on improvements in state test scores, the Department of Education wants to classify educators as either "tenure likely" or "tenure in doubt" — a plan the teachers union might sue to stop. more ›

Notable consultant-for-hire and possible amnesiac Rudy Giuliani has bought a little $1.4 million place for himself and the wife in Florida. The condo is located in a "swanky" Palm Beach building called the Southlake. The Guliani's also own a Palm Beach Towers condominium, which they bought in 2004 for $410,000. Although Giuliani has not said anything about retiring from his lucrative consulting gig (and numerous television appearances), we kind of imagine it'll be like that episode of Seinfeld where Kramer retired to Florida and runs for condo board president of Del Boca Vista phase III. more ›

On Tuesday Google launched this new social interaction feature called Buzz. No one fully understands it yet, but basically it lets Gmail users create sort of a one-stop Twitter/Facebook/Misc. interface (and bypass your employer's social media blocks). Or something. Some say it's the DEATH of Facebook, while others are vowing to "buzz your Gmail inboxes so hard they're going to explode!" But the exciting new what-have-you has also spread fear, because when you activate it, the default setting automatically lets all your Gmail contacts (like your wife) see the people you IM and e-mail most (your ex-wife!). Take it away, irate Buzz user: more ›

Another day, another elementary school fight club: A school aide at the Parkway School in Crown Heights has been accused of siccing a bully on a fourth-grader, and another aide is accused of videotaping it on her camera phone! Seriously, what is up with the recent spat of elementary school violence? more ›

While facing criticism for being a carpetbagger, former Tennessee congressman and likely Senate candidate Harold Ford swore he was an authentic New Yorker based on his taxes: "I pay taxes there, and once you pay taxes there, you feel like a New Yorker." But records show that Ford has never filed a tax return in New York state. more ›

City Council passed legislation creating a specific crime classification for gang initiations—but opponents say the new bill could put innocent kids behind bars and lead them toward gangs. Gotham Gazette reports that the bill establishes a misdemeanor offense for gang initiations that prosecutors can use as an additional charge against suspects. Prosecutors don't need to demonstrate that someone was hurt in an initiation to use the new law, meaning they won't need a victim's testimony to prove a crime occurred. Critics say that's a loophole that could allow police to arrest innocent people with little evidence. Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. (D-Queens) disagrees: "You can't pull anyone off the corner with this law ... That's ridiculous." more ›

First rule of secret hipster trailer park living? Don't invite the FDNY over. To go back in time, in December some alternative-living enthusiasts touted their trailer park paradise housed in a 6,500-square-foot former nut roasting factory in Bushwick. Several media outlets picked it up, and now NY Mag is reporting that earlier today the FDNY busted up the joint. more ›

In a move that seemingly acknowledges the growing backlash against the plan to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other suspected 9/11 plotters in a Lower Manhattan courthouse, President Obama has said he will play a bigger role in the selection of a venue for the trial. The Washington Post reports that after initially tapping Attorney General Eric Holder to determine the site of the trial, Obama himself will become more involved so he can secure congressional funding for the case before opponents launch efforts to strip the trial of financing. more ›

Last night Rachel Maddow interviewed the NYPD detective and photographer whose stunning photos of the 9/11 attack on the WTC were recently released. Asked about his feelings on the images being made public after all these years, retired Detective Gregory Semendinger told Maddow, "I think they should have been out a long time ago... We were the only ones there, and I was fortunate to be there and take photographs... Something like this is monumental. If we can record it and get it on film, then it's a true record of what happened... It gives us a historical time timeline of the events that occurred, and it's something we should never forget." more ›

To clear snow from outdoor subway lines during this week's winter storm, the MTA brought out the heavy artillery: A five-car diesel train outfitted with a high-powered snow blower than can launch snow as far as 200 feet from tracks. Using a six-foot cylindrical brush, the train sweeps snow into a metal tube and hurls it out of a chute so it doesn't block the tracks, according to the Daily News. "It's like your household snow blower but a million times bigger," said agency engineer Edward Macina. more ›

In announcing his decision to make permanent a pilot program that transformed seven blocks of Broadway in Times Square and Herald Square into pedestrian oases, Mayor Bloomberg emphasized one favorable data set, culled from G.P.S. info from more than 1 million taxi trips, showing an overall seven percent increase in vehicle speeds. But another study, conducted by drivers the DOT hired to travel straight on a selection of streets, told quite a different story. more ›

Ever wonder what the scribes behind the articles you read in the papers every day look like... with their shirts off? Well, one Daily News reporter (Rich Shapiro—pictured!) was spotted in Union Square last year and promptly whisked away to Paris, where he stripped down, lathered up, and posed for a new ad campaign for Dove for Men. Today he recounts his story, just as the product line launches. He begins the tale, saying: "There I was, standing half-naked in a French chateau with a makeup artist applying lotion to my nipples. For a moment, I savored the absurdity of the scene: a Parisian makeup artist tending to my nipples." Read on. Somewhere, Justin Rocket Silverman is burning with envy. more ›

In case you missed it, we had some real fun with snow this week. Schools were canceled, slush was trudged through, and a new rivalry may have been born. But the fun's over now: it's time to start shoveling or else. more ›