Yesterday news got out that a former NYU professor, José Angel Santana, had filed a lawsuit against the university, claiming he was fired after giving super famous student James Franco a "D" in his class. Does James Franco get special treatment in life because he appears in movies with adorable little primates and because he can probably hypnotize people with that smile? Yes, that's all true. But NYU is insinuating that Santana's time up at the school had nothing to do with him not treating the actor to the grades he's entitled to. more ›

Mayor Bloomberg, who apparently harbors a dirty water habit himself, thinks the city's street food vendors should be subject to the same letter grading system as brick-and-mortar restaurants—but the Health Department isn't so sure. more ›

It's not just the fact that Obama was born outside the United States and therefore ineligible to be president, but his whole academic career is a total fictional lie, asserts human paraquat Donald Trump. Appearing on Fox News Good Day NY this morning, our future president tried to wake America up to the fact that our current president was a dumb student and probably got into Harvard because of affirmative action, thus benefiting from opportunities The Donald never got when he was pulling himself up by his bootstraps. Where's De Niro with a telephone cord when you need him? Quoth The Donald: more ›

This week, the Department of Consumer Affairs announced the very disconcerting results of the latest fall supermarket inspections, and it turns out we're all getting ripped off: compliance rates have hit an all-time low of 33 percent, and there have been more than 750 charges against supermarkets in the last four months alone. They found that the most common violation was for a lack of item pricing, which according to the DCA resulted in city inspectors getting overcharged a third of the time (it's like their very own mini taxi overcharging scandal!). So in light of that, some are wondering if it's time supermarkets started getting letter grades. more ›

How smart do you think you are, college kids? A new website that insists it is not a gambling website could pay you for that self-awareness, provided it's backed up by some actual knowledge. Ultrinsic allows students at 36 colleges, including NYU and Columbia, to bet money on their own grades. But do they really know what the odds are? more ›

Sure, all the fancy brick-and-mortar restaurants in the city will be posting letter grades from the DOH, but what about this roasted pig? City Council member Dan Garodnick has introduced legislation that would make street vendors publicly display letter grades so consumers know just how clean that hot dog is, whether they want to or not. On his website, Garodnick says, "Whether it’s a falafel, a taco — or even a hot dog — consumers deserve to know that the food that they are eating has been prepared and handled properly, no matter where they buy it." more ›

A new report [pdf] from the NYC Health Department and Department of Education finds that physically fit students tend to outscore their less-fit peers on academic tests. During the 2007-2008 school year, students who scored in the top 5% on their fitness tests outscored the bottom 5% by an average of 36 percentile points on standardized academic tests. But it's also possible overweight kids score poorly on those tests because bullies are constantly kicking the backs of their chairs. The new report further examines childhood obesity in NYC and finds that 21% of kindergarten through eighth grade students are obese, and nearly 40% of all students are overweight or obese. In a statement, NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley said, "When four out of 10 school kids are overweight or obese, the city has a problem." Part of that problem is that 14% of middle- and high-school students hadn't even been offered a physical-education class this school year, according to a recent survey cited by the Post. more ›

As the Department of Health starts moving toward a new restaurant inspection system requiring eateries to display letter grades, the Times tags along with one DOH inspector as he gives a deli buffet in the Financial District the white glove treatment. Inspector Corey Williams explains, "Nobody is glad to see us... You name it, and I’ve seen it. I’ve even seen managers panic and try to take moldy food out the back door while I’m watching." Also lots of rats, both living and dead. During the inspection, owner Peter Kim tells the Times, "My heart is racing. They are so strict. They cost me, $2,000, $3,000, easy, each time they come." Luckily, Williams finds no vermin and Kim squeaks by with a score of 21, the equivalent of a B grade under the new system, which goes into effect in July 2010. That's assuming the restaurant industry, which put up such a fight over the calorie rules, doesn't stop it. One of the industry's main complaints is that although the letter grades must be displayed immediately, restaurateurs still have to wait three weeks to challenge a finding. more ›

Good news for metro mammals; the New York City tap water is still safe to drink, according to a report card released yesterday by Riverkeeper and the Clean Drinking Water Coalition. The longstanding environmental advocacy group gives our water system A grades for reducing fecal coliform from waterfowl, managing stormwater runoff and waterborne disease risk assessment. High-five! more ›