• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a North Fork Bank was robbed on Union St. in Queens, a Sovereign Bank on Ave. A in Manhattan was also robbed, and a stabbing on Chauncey St. in Brooklyn.
• A man and his cow return to New York City after 68 years (it's a different cow).
• Al Sharpton doubts that poor minorities would be let out of jail on request, and is upset that Paris Hilton is getting preferential treatment.
• A red Jeep Cherokee with Florida license plates rear-ended a silver sedan stopped at a red light on Queens Blvd. in Sunnyside, Queens, sending the latter car headlong into a group of pedestrians crossing the Blvd. at 46th St. Five people, four of them pedestrians, were injured and a 16-year-old boy will likely lose both of his legs. The Jeep driver fled the scene in his car.
• The cop shot four months ago, while sitting in an unmarked police van with two other officers, returned to work at the 78th Precinct this week. He has still not recuperated enough to return to full active duty, but it's reported that he's happy to be back at work.
• Criss Angel's Times Square encasing-himself-in-concrete stunt was dedicated to Cameron Diaz, who he described as beautiful, talented, and smart.
• Unable to find any children that hang out in bars, Charles Schumer vowed to block OTB terminals in drinking establishments to protect the college students, who he likened to children.
• Streetsblog reports that parking spaces in Williamsburg, Brooklyn are being eliminated to make way for bike parking.

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: A stabbing at Canal and Broadway, a naked EDP in Brooklyn, and a car into scaffolding at 54th and 8th in Manhattan
• Interesting story about the state NOW endorsement for the Democratic candidate and the city NOW endorsement for the Republican candidate in today's special election for an Upper East Side Assembly seat
• The soaking NYC got from tropical storm Barry may have caused a wall collapse in Staten Island
• A twenty-something pair of designers (one from Japan, one from Brooklyn) won the competition for Gateway National Recreation Area's new design
• Would you pay $25,000 for Assembly Leader Sheldon Silver's fund-raiser?
• A new online magazine for the hip New Yorker who likes to fish (literally), aptly named This is Fly [Via Complex]
• A Brooklyn resident who recently graduated with honor from John Jay College has vanished in Florida
• Criss Angel emerged from his cement box in Times Square; eh, Blaine there, done that

We can't listen to Criss Angel (pictured..."levitating") speak for more than two seconds without thinking of the Human Giant sketch, Illusionators, so it will be hard to take his latest stunt very seriously. more ›