Those lucky Staten Island residents that take the Victory Boulevard bus route have scored a victory. Starting next month, 300 buses on the route will be outfitted with special transmitters that can turn traffic lights from red to green. The transmitters will send signals to receivers on a 2.3 mile stretch of Victory from Forest Ave to Bay St that includes 14 traffic lights. more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: A murder-suicide on East 176th Street in the Bronx, a confined space rescue at 680 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan and a sexual assault at Victory Blvd & Bay St. in Staten Island
• Breaking: The city and families of September 11 victims have worked out a compromise for this year's anniversary events; the city will allow families to enter the pit at Ground Zero.
• The Dow dropped 387 points today - causes included worries about funds and subprime lending.
• Lenora Fulani repudiates her 1989 remarks calling Jews "mass murderers of people of color" and thinks about running for mayor in 2009.
• After three women rejected three Staten Island guys, the guys allegedly bashed in the ladies' car windows, possibly confirming why the women rejected them in the first place.
• The John Travolta connection to yesterday's tornado.
• Yankee pitcher Roger Clemens is being suspended for five games, after intentionally drilling a Toronto Blue Jays player. Question 1 : Will the Yankees have to pay him for those missed games? Question 2: Did you see him on Mythbusters' Baseball Myths show last night?
• Since the Money Honey loves the fur coat she wears in More magazine, PETA calls her "morally bankrupt"
• Police arrested the man accused of stabbing a Brighton Beach father on his way home from buying milk.

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a shooting at Edwards Ave. in the Bronx, a disorderly crowd at Bay St. and Richmond Ave. on Staten Island, and a bank robbery near Bowling Green (that's why the 4/5 is passing Bowling Green).
• The New York Sun thinks the Live Earth concerts over the weekend were pompous, middle-aged and lame.
• Real estate group Pinnacle is accused of racketeering for siccing lawyers with eviction notices on thousands of tenants.
• Toys 'R' Us is being sued for $400 million by two women who were asked to show their sales receipts before leaving one of the chain's stores. They allege it is because they are black.
• Tenants sue their landlord for racketeering and corporate slumlording!
• The new bike racks at North 7th and Bedford have been installed by the Department of Transportation...
• ...and bike lanes on Tillary and Henry Sts. in Brooklyn have been painted green by the Dept. of Transportation in an effort to increase driver awareness.
• Getting struck by lightning is bad, but is even worse when one is struck by lightning while listening to an iPod.

Sen. Chuck Schumer appeared in Red Hook yesterday to support the plight of the vendors that serve the people who come to watch and play sports at the Red Hook ballfields. The vendors have been cooking up ethnic food that appeals to their mostly Hispanic clientele for several years under a series of temporary permits from the city. The Parks Dept. wants to put an official vending permit up for bidding, and the current vendors who sell relatively low-priced food to their customers are not assured of winning the contest over a business catering to newer and more well-heeled Red Hook residents. more ›

ART: Check out Pale and Blue at 14 tonight at Giant Robot New York. Jeana Sohn’s paintings are a testament to the bond between humans and nature. Meanwhile, The Village Voice is calling Giant Robot New York, “Best New Gallery/store For Big Kids Who Still Like To Play With Toys.” Closing January 3rd. - Stephanie Nikolopoulos more ›

Imagine a place where you could choose amongst authentic Mexican, Honduran, Colombian, Guatemalan, Dominican, and Salvadoran food. A place where you and a friend wouldn't need to spend more than $10 to stuff yourselves on everything from Guatemalan tamales to Mexican huaraches, Salvadoran pupusas to Dominican plantains--all while enjoying the beautiful summertime weather. more ›