Fear not people who like to drink until 8 am — the state has extended the deadline for bars looking to push back the last call on New Year's Eve. After only 165 bars applied for the special "night permit" that allows them to keep serving booze for four additional hours after last call on New Year's — a 60 percent drop from last year — the State Liquor Authority extended the deadline for the second year in a row. Bars looking to obtain the permit have until next Monday, the New York Times reports. Nightlife insiders initially said the low number of applicants was due to the poor economy and the early deadline. more ›

It seemed like Gov. Paterson had managed to cobble together a deal for the State to take over NYC OTB yesterday afternoon and prevent its closing. A state takeover would require a vote by the legislature Monday, but Sheldon Silver and Joseph Bruno both seemed amenable to the idea. Mayor Bloomber, however, is holding fast on his insistence that he is going to close all of the city's OTB parlors tomorrow. more ›