Over the years we've had lots of reasons to love the folks over at the Red Cross, but this map is a great example of just how much the organization does for our fair metropolis. more ›

A video taken by a passenger of the wrecked Italian cruise ship Costa Concordia shows a member of the ship's staff asking everyone to remain calm and return to their cabins or remain in the lounges. The announcement, which came 40 minutes after the ship hit rocks off the coast of the island of Giglio, is designated as being "from the captain," and the woman stresses that "everything is fine." more ›

The captain of the Italian cruise liner who crashed the boat into rocks off the Tuscan coast last Friday, killing 11 and leaving 28 more missing, claimed at a hearing yesterday that he "tripped" into a lifeboat. more ›

Staying holed up in your apartment for 24 hours watching 30 Rock reruns just so you can fill out your OK Cupid profile is just as bad (or worse) than braving Hurricane Irene. Fortunately, there are establishments across town that have refused to buckle under pressure and let storm-terrorists win. Here are a few places that claim they'll be open during the deluge. more ›

Governor Cuomo announced that he was deploying an additional 1,000 New York National Guard soldiers to bolster the state's response to Hurricane Irene, bringing the total number of troops on state active duty up to 1,900. "It is important to take every precaution as we prepare for the impact of Hurricane Irene," Cuomo said. "Stay indoors during the course of the storm." more ›

Today's lesson in what not to post on the internet is provided by our trusted friends at FEMA. For years the organization says it gave out thousands of copies of "A Scary Thing Happened" around the globe without a single complaint about the coloring book designed to help children cope with tragedy. But now FEMA has pulled it only a week after putting it up on its homepage due to complaints about color-in depictions of the 9/11 attacks. Upon seeing what the Daily News calls a "stomach-churning image," one local man told the paper, "I feel disrespected. I feel like I should punch the person who did this in the face." It turns out the person wants to deck is Marlys Jentoft, a 68-year-old grandmother of 10, who volunteers for the Red Cross, church and crime victims groups. She told The Smoking Gun, "I feel like it was happening in the world and kids saw it. It is life." more ›