After four decades controlling the New York State Senate, political analysts expect Republicans to lose their majority to Democrats this November. And that possibility has real estate executives “really scared,” as one Manhattan developer told the Times, because most Senate Democrats support changes to the rent laws, which were diluted by Republicans in 1997 to favor landlords. Now the real estate industry is scrambling to get the Democrats in their pockets by throwing lots of......

The CW has turned all of the criticisms of their last ad campaign, into pull quotes for their latest one. With a new season of Gossip Girl coming up soon, and their new posters proclaim the show is "Mind-blowingly Inappropriate." The quote isn't from an entertainment rag, but rather the Parents Television Council watchdog organization. The NY Post gets credit for another ad, which takes their quote that calls the show: "a nasty piece of......

Rapper 50 Cent has filed a federal lawsuit against Taco Bell, claiming the fast food chain used his name without permission in an ad campaign that asks him to change his name to 79 Cent, 89 Cent or 99 Cent. The ad is part of their "Why Pay More?" campaign, and a Taco Bell rep addressed the debacle, saying, "We made a good faith, charitable offer to 50 Cent to change his name to either......

Chai Park and Jin Hee Lee, a law student and a lawyer, were stuck on line at a Manhattan Pinkberry last summer when they spotted the product seen here, an Alessi “Mandarin Citrus Juicer” that the frozen yogurt chain sells at some locations. They found the designer’s characterization of Chinese men as smiling toadies whose heads are great for squeezing juice a tad offensive. Though the Korean owners of Pinkberry insist the juicer has offended......

Would an anti-groping ad campaign provoke more frequent bad behavior in New York's pervy subway sleezes? Following last year's study by Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, transit officials began working on a public awareness campaign to stop the offenders; the study found 63% of respondents have been sexually harassed and 10% reported having been sexually assaulted in the subway system. The NY Post reports on concerns that have stalled the campaign.Anti-groping campaigns have been launched......

Earlier, Brownstoner pointed towards a Benches for Barack Craigslist ad that offers up handmade benches built from Douglas Fir wood. From the $40 price tag, $25 goes to the cost of building the bench, while $15 is donated to the Obama campaign. Brownstoner's post noted that the twosome behind the benches are "neighborhood kids, 18-year-old high school grads Harry Fishbein and Emma Dillon," and that they work out of Harry's basement in Cobble Hill. The......

Barack Obama and his erstwhile Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton will be in New York City this week to host three fundraisers, with the joint purposes of getting Obama elected President and paying off Clinton's campaign debts. Get out those checkbooks because both will be pricey endeavors. Two of the fundraisers will be held on Wednesday night. One will raise funds for the general election and the other will be to pay down Clinton's debts. It's......

Photograph by Sacha Lecca, which Gothamist published in 2006. Today it’s on the cover of amNY. Flooding. Crowding. Filth. These are just a few of the “ten plagues” being visited daily upon New York commuters, according to transit activists at the Straphangers Campaign. Unlike the ten plagues that cursed the commute of ancient Egyptians, New Yorkers have – so far – been spared swarms of locusts on the L; though bed bugs have been......

Are Americans misogynistic? Elton John thinks so, and he thinks it may be hurting his friend Hillary's shot at the Oval Office. He addressed the problem to over 5,000 Clinton supporters at Radio City Musical Hall last night, saying, “I’ve always been a Hillary supporter. There is no-one more qualified to lead America. I’m amazed by the misogynistic attitudes of some of the people in this country. And I say to hell with them... I......

Barack Obama's campaign organization is in hot water with Joel Klein, the NYC School's Chancellor, after it produced a short film (it runs about 13 minutes) starring Bronx public high school students and teachers discussing race issues and Obama's campaign. The video was distributed online to generate revenue for the candidate's campaign and the page where the video is located features a prominent "DONATE NOW" button. The teacher prominently featured in the film is......

Tabloid reaction to Mayor Bloomberg’s announcement that he will not run for president is the usual study in contrasts. The Daily News’s Josh Greenman and editorial board haven’t missed a beat and are already clamoring for Vice President Bloomberg. Grossman says Bloomberg would be the perfect complement to an Obama candidacy by inspiring confidence with his unstoppable financial skills. Greenman also writes Bloomberg’s partisan flexibility, impressive resume, track record in New York and, last but......

A lawsuit filed Monday against the City Campaign Finance Board seeks to overturn a recently enacted funding law that opponents assert will just make the City Council richer - and whiter. The recently-enacted campaign finance restrictions reduces the contributions from companies who do business with the city by a whopping 92%. Translation: In a mayoral race, the individual limit on giving is now $400, versus $4,950; in City Council races, it's $250, down from $2,950.......

Queens Councilman Hiram Monseratte is alleging dirty tricks in regards to the burglary of his office late this week. While the Councilman and his staff were at a community meeting Thursday evening, someone broke into Monseratte's office. It wasn't a regular break in--all that was taken was a laptop belonging to his chief of staff containing campaign information and a box of envelopes labeled with Monseratte's imprimatur. The fact that no other valuable items were......

Mayor Bloomberg may be finding that coy flirtation can be cute at first, but quickly becomes old and aggravating if carried on for too long. The New York Times has a story today describing a growing backlash against a Mayor who seems preoccupied with something big, but it's something big that he won't discuss, or even acknowledge. With the City on the verge of a fiscal meltdown and several controversial proposals like congestion pricing in......

Former New York City Mayor and Presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani is finding that his campaign for highest office is foundering in Florida--the state that his campaign has identified as a crucial crucible. The primary vote in the Sunshine State will occur on Jan. 29, and with approximately six weeks to go, Rudy's trailing competitors Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee. According to a survey conducted by pollster Scott Rasmussen, Romney is tallying 27% support, followed by......