What with Paris Hilton's release earlier this week and the upcoming celebration of American Independence (sorry, Londonist!), we've been thinking a lot about freedom. Freedom to vote, freedom to choose, and most importantly, freedom to blog. Here are a few things we're happy we've been free to blog about this week. more ›

Yesterday afternoon, a burglar's ransacking of a police officer's Bayside apartment led to a police chase that culminated with the SUV crashing into a mini-school bus. The SUV and bus collided on the Douglaston Parkway near Van Zandt Avenue, and 12 people, including eight children, the bus escort and the bus driver, were taken to hospitals for injuries. The driver of the stolen SUV tried to escape on foot but was chased down by police. more ›