Photo by Raymond Haddad, at flickr Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a pedestrian struck on Broadway and 231st St. in the Bronx, an aircraft alert at JFK at Queens, and a person fatally struck by a train at 57th St. and 8th Ave. in Manhattan. Entries for the NYC Half-Marathon will start being accepted at 11:59pm on May 29th. Details. And the Design Trust for Public Space is accepting submissions for its Grand Army......

Photograph John McCain surrounded by New York Republicans by Kathy Willens/AP John McCain's Straight Talk Express headed into Manhattan today, taking him to Grand Central Terminal where he got the endorsement of former governor George Pataki. McCain, along with wife Cindy, appeared with Pataki, Alphonse D'Amato, Joseph Lieberman and Rudy Giuliani as the Republican candidate appears to be leading in many Super Tuesday polls over rivals Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul. Pataki,......

On The Square, by Ade in New York at flickr Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: shots fired by police at Blake and Vermont in Brooklyn, an escaped prisoner at East 112th St. and Madison Ave. in Manhattan, and a person under a train at Central Park West and 60th St. in Manhattan. Hassan Askari was invited to the State of the Union Address as the guest of Queens Congressman Rep. Joseph Crowley. Askari came......

Even though speculation is running high/wistful on a Michael Bloomberg presidential candidacy (maybe because all the other confirmed candidates are boring - or reporters are bored of covering the other candidates), the Post resurrects a rumor from earlier this year: Bloomberg wanting to run for governor against Spitzer in 2010. Back in May, the Post claimed the Mayor had discussed running for governor on two occasions, but the Mayor said the reports were completely made......

NY state officials are expected to release the draft scope for the Moynihan Station's environmental impact statement today, which the NY Sun calls the "Spitzer administration's first public display of forward progress" on the project. The redevelopment of Penn Station into a Moynihan Station at the James Farley Post Office building on Eighth Avenue has been in the works for years. In fact, it was October 8 five years ago that the state officially acquired......

Okay, we give up. The whole Governor Spitzer-Senate Republican animosity thing has become totally and utterly insane. Someone left a crazy message for Spitzer's father, the wealthy (and 83-year-old) real estate developer Bernard Spitzer. And call has been traced to the apartment of a GOP adviser to State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno! This is a message for Bernard Spitzer. You will be subpoenaed to testify in front of the Senate committee on investigation on......

We were skimming 1010WINS when we saw this headline Spitzer Energy Adviser Resigns Amid Threat Investigation. What? An energy adviser was involved in the plot to discredit State Senator Joseph Bruno? But actually it's something nuttier:Energy adviser Steven Mitnick confirms that he has resigned from his position in the Spitzer administration. In April, a PSC member appointed by former Republican Gov. George Pataki said Mitnick had threatened her in an effort to get her......

A Harlem Assemblyman is so unhappy with Governor Spitzer that he's laying down what the Post calls Spitzer's "DEBUT DEM DISS." Keith Wright, who is a Democrat, told the Post, "He’s acting like a Democrat Giuliani - it’s either his way or no way. I’m not a big fan. I had a better relationship with [Republican former Gov.] George Pataki.” Ouch! That's a double diss - to bring up Giuliani AND to say Pataki was......

Governor Eliot Spitzer is cleaning house in Albany every which way. The latest thing to get the Steamroller Spruce Up? The state's I Love NY tourism campaign. Spitzer announced that advertising agency Saatchi & Saatchi would work on the campaign - and that the "I Love NY" logo would not change. Spitzer wasted no time in blaming former Governor Pataki for "under-managing" the brand. From the Daily News:"I don't want to be critical of anybody,......

MTA Chairman Peter S. Kalikow announced that he is stepping down from his position as chairman of the MTA. Kalikow, who was appointed by then Governor George Pataki back in 2001, was reappointed to a 6-year term last summer, which suggested there might be battles ahead between him and new governor Eliot Spitzer. But at the end of 2006, Kalikow said he would step down during the second quarter of this year, after finishing up......

It's a holiday weekend for the NY Times Weddings Announcements! Total Number of Weddings: 9 (including Vows column) Total Number of Same-Sex Weddings: 0 Youngest Bride: 25 Oldest Bride: 51 Youngest Groom: 28 (two grooms) Oldest Groom:52 Biggest Age Difference: 17 years Number of Couples Where Bride and Groom Are the Same Age: 0 Number of University of Arizona Graduates Married: 2 (to each other) Number of Dartmouth Graduates: 1 Number of Yale Graduates......

After his appointed MTA executive director Elliot Sander suggested that a subway and bus fare hike may be possible in 2008, Governor Eliot Spitzer takes up the topic. And the Steamroller says he will do “everything possible” to avoid a hike. Spitzer is not suggesting black magic to help ease an $800 million deficit but - wait, it's a novel idea - to have the state put in more money! He says, "We will......

Yesterday, Arizona Senator John McCain announced he was running for president in 2008. It was shocking only because we thought that was a given all this time. McCain revealed the news on the Late Show with David Letterman, and said he'd give a formal speech in April to explain that. Any opportunity to stump, we suppose! McCain also appeared at the Irish-American 10th Annual Awards last night, where former Governor George Pataki introduced him. The......

Governor Eliot Spitzer announced a new plan to overhaul the state's workers' compensation program. Joined by smiling Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Senate Leader Joseph Bruno, Spitzer called the deal "a remarkable win-win situation for both workers and employers." The deal will increase weekly benefits for workers' comp, eliminate lifetime payments for "permanent partial disabilities" and allow the state to reform the system as well (like looking for people faking disabilities). About $1 billion......

- Brooklyn Papers talks to Brooklyn Beep Marty Markowitz who tells them they are biased about the Atlantic Yards project and updates them on his diet - An eighth grader tells The Politicker's Azi Paybarah that Eliot Spitzer's inauguration speech was positive but "mean" to George Pataki. How naive the young are - wait till you pay taxes, kid! - Speaking of Spitzer, good luck to him on trying to introduce gay marriage proposals......

Yesterday afternoon, Governor Eliot Spitzer spoke to the people of New York State during his inaugural address and claimed, "Like Rip Van Winkle, New York has slept through much of the past decade while the rest of the world has passed us by." That's some ouchie for outgoing governor George Pataki! Or is that a rebuke on State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, under federal investigation for dealings with a business partner, who said, "I......

Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: white powder found at the U.N., a bank robbery on Bowery, and a jumper up on 45th and 10th. The Post has followup on the New Jersey legislature's decision to legalize civil unions: "among the benefits gay couples would get under New Jersey's civil union bill are adoption rights, hospital visitation privileges and inheritance rights." The governor hasn't said when he'll sign the bill. Sheldon Silver and George Pataki......

The bottom line from the latest Quinnipiac poll? Mayor Bloomberg is enjoying some of the the highest approval numbers of his mayorship, but New Yorkers don't want him in Washington. Mayor Bloomberg has an approval rating of 70% - a far cry from his numbers in November 2003, which had two-thirds of New Yorkers saying they wanted a different mayor. But as much as they like him now, only 35% would vote for him if......

After months of negotiating and rumors and worries, it's official: The federal and NY State government will lease 1 million square feet in Freeom Tower. The NY Times reports Mayor Michael Bloomberg, NY Governor George Pataki and NJ Governor Jon Corzine will announce the "tentative" agreement for an anchor tenant to occupy 38% of the space today. Some interesting facts:- The agreement has agencies paying $59/square foot - Though the Port Authority is happy with......

After surveying flood damage around the region, Governor George Pataki came to Manhattan with good news: The U.S. Customs and Border Protection office will lease 600,000 square feet in Freedom Tower. At a rate of $40-50 per square foot, this is considerably less than midtown rents which are around $75 per square foot (the agency has a few offices around town), but they won't be able to move in for five or so years.......

At the MTA board meeting, Chairman Peter Kalikow said there "probably" won't be a monthly Metrocard fare hike next year. But the "probably not" is contingent on the MTA having another surplus year, which could be possible, if they played their real estate cards right. The MTA has assumed fare increases for next year (and other years), and while Gothamist would hate an increase, we do understand that it might have to happen, what with......

On Sunday's Gothamist publishes opinions submitted to us by readers, in this case Andrew Bast. These opinions do not necessarily represent those of Gothamist LLC or its editors. Almost two years ago, Governor George Pataki helped to lay the 20-ton, Adirondack granite cornerstone for the Freedom Tower. And it wasn't until just this past month that the financial bickering between Larry Silverstein and the Port Authority were finally sorted out so construction could begin in......

Senator John McCain is facing a very tough crowd outside of the Beltway. Students and professors alike at the New School are upset over his selection as the commencement speaker. New School president, fellow Vietnam vet, and former McCain colleague Bob Kerrey selected McCain as a commencement speaker because he's "one of the world's most important leaders," as Kerrey explained to the Times. But a lot of the student and faculty population feels differently, as......

When we were little our parents would often tell us the same terrifying bedtime story: An old woman walks into a lawyers office demanding that they help her sue the criminals who have taken away all of her savings. The concerned lawyer asks the woman who could have done this to her so that he can help. She explains that she spent every one of her pennies on the Lotto because she had to......

Over the weekend, Governor George Pataki had to stay an extra day at a Peekskill hospital, which made him miss a New Hampshire political event, but doctors said that was normal for anyone who had appendectomy surgery. But now the truth is out: A doctor said, "His bowels have not started moving as we expect them to — and as we would like them to. So we are going to have to keep him." Dr.......

Siena College conducted a survey that shows most New York residents do not trust the state government. Gothamist could have conducted a survey using photographs of George Pataki, Joseph Bruno, and Sheldon Silver and asking little kids what they thought and we suspect we would have gotten the same findings ("he doesn't look like someone that would approve my allowance"), though less statistically significant. The Siena College findings go on to that it seems like......

There are a lot of reasons why George Pataki will never be president-- his stunning dullness, for instance, or his suspiciously Greek-sounding last name (until Guiliani is elected president, we're going to assume any name ending in a vowel lowers your appeal in the South by 50%). But let's get real here: the number one reason that he'll never get elected is his hair. When we were watching his state-of-the-state address on Wednesday we......

It was a day many New Yorkers have been waiting for: Governor George Pataki gave his last state of the state address. There were a couple of proposals that sound good - tax cuts, more focus on stopping crime, more support for education, some environmental initiatives, eliminating CUNY and SUNY tuitions for math/science majors who will teach in NY - thanks in part to a projected $2 billion budget surplus. The big thing is that......

Just days after trouncing Fernando Ferrer in the mayoral election, Mike Bloomberg's approval rating is at an all time high. A new Quinnipiac poll has Mayor Bloomberg's approval rating at 75%! 3 in 4 New Yorkers approve of Bloomberg, we wouldn't have known by reading reader comments on this site. The approval rating is close to the high of 79% set by Rudy Giuliani after 9/11. Clearly, a lot of the feelings can be attributed......

The moment people who are dying for some sort of royal-related mishap have been waiting for has come: Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, have arrived in New York on their first visit to the colonies. Apparently, the British idea of a memorial for the British citizens who died at the World Trade Center is some sort of engraved gong. But Camilla did look right at home in this AP photo, as she has......