Did you know that before this week, the FBI didn't recognize that men could be raped? Since 1927, rape has been defined by the FBI as the "carnal knowledge of a female forcibly and against her will." But thanks to a new provision, that definition is finally being updated. "Rape is a devastating crime and we can't solve it unless we know the full extent of it,'' said Vice President Joe Biden, who worked closely with advocates on the issue. "This long-awaited change to the definition of rape is a victory for women and men across the country whose suffering has gone unaccounted for over 80 years." more ›

Vice President Joe Biden took time out of his busy Trans-Am polishing, endangered tortoise-hating schedule to give an interview with CNN and tease us all with the prospect of his unadulterated leadership. Replying to a query about whether or not the 69-year-old Gaffe-O-Tron 4000 will run in 2016, Biden said he'd "make up my mind on that later. We'll find out." Shouldn't Obama say the same thing when asked, "Is Biden still on the 2012 ticket?" more ›

Showing a fire that they completely lacked during the actual negotiations for a debt-ceiling deal, Vice President Joe Biden and House Democrats called tea party Republicans "terrorists" in a closed-door meeting today to rally support for the debt-ceiling compromise. According to Politico, Congressman Mike Doyle said, "We have negotiated with terrorists," referring to the fact that Democrats foolishly accepted a deal that included zero tax increases on the wealthy to make the deadline before default. Biden agreed: "They have acted like terrorists." This has been said before, but we guess the GOP was right: Democrats do negotiate with terrorists, and it's not such a good thing. more ›

Vice President Joe Biden was in town yesterday to lend his support to Rep. Tim Bishop and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. According to Newsday, he said, "This is a real important election. It's more important than the one that got Barack and me elected, it literally is. Because there, at least, we would have continued to drift another four years, which would be bad. Now at least we've stopped the drift and are starting to head in the right direction." (Biden believes the Democrats will hold onto control of Congress.) Also: "Biden stumbled over Gillibrand's name at least twice, calling her 'Kristen' instead of Kirsten." more ›

In an interview with John King on CNN last night, Bob Woodward said the Obama administration is considering shaking things up for the 2012 election. Some of Hillary Clinton's advisers say a Vice Presidential run with Obama is "on the table," and that current VP Joe Biden would take over for her as Secretary of State. "President Obama needs some of the women, Latinos, retirees that she did so well with during the 2008 primaries," says Woodward. However, Clinton doesn't seem to be on the same page, at least not publicly. more ›

Vice President Joe Biden ruins everything for visiting dignitaries! The Post reports the "motorcades for dignitaries at the upcoming UN General Assembly won't include motorcycle cops, sources said yesterday. This follows last month's accident in Queens in which two motorcycle cops suffered minor injuries as part of Vice President Joe Biden's motorcade, and an accident in November in Hell's Kitchen that left two other motorcycle cops injured, also while escorting Biden." However, when President Obama comes to visit for the UN General Assembly, he will get motorcycles in his motorcades. more ›

Yesterday, the city remembered those lost in the September 11, 2001 attacks at the World Trade Center with a ceremony at Zuccotti Park. A victims' relative said, after reading some of the victims' names, "I love you, and if love could have saved all of these people, then everybody would live forever." more ›

When Vice President Joe Biden isn't giving hot dogs out to the troops, he's making them gift packages. Yesterday morning, Biden attended the reading of the names of the 9/11 victims at Zuccotti Park, along with Mayor Bloomberg and Gov. Paterson. Afterwards, he and wife Dr. Jill Biden made a surprise visit to PS 140, where the care packages and cards were being made, as part of 911 Day of Service. Also volunteering was singer Jordin Sparks, the American Idol winner. more ›

Last night Stephen Colbert kicked off a two-part tribute to the troops who have served (and continue to serve) in Iraq. The show started with Colbert riding in a tank Armored Security Vehicle [ASV] outside the Comedy Central studios near the West Side Highway, and ended with an interview with Vice President Joe Biden, who served hot dogs to a studio audience packed with recently returned troops. Biden quipped that breaking tie votes in the Senate is only one of the vice president's constitutional duties, "the other one is giving hot dogs to returning warriors." Here's an excerpt: more ›

A few more details about yesterday's incident where Air Force 2 (carrying Vice President Joe Biden back to Washington D.C.) knocked over a plane at Gabreski Airport in Westhampton Beach: According to Newsday, "About 11 a.m., Biden's plane, a Boeing 757, was on a ramp and began a turn toward a runway when 'jet blast' caused a Piper PA-18 to flip over. The Piper was parked, tied to the ground and sustained left wing damage." No one was in the Piper, so there were no injuries. more ›

Seriously, what is with Vice President Joe Biden and transportation accidents? Biden has been vacationing in the Hamptons (and working on his tan—but, hey, it's not Spain!), but he left today. The AP reports, "Air Force Two with Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. aboard was involved in a minor accident with no injuries at a Long Island airport, the Air Force said. The jet wash from the vice president's Boeing 757 knocked over a small private plane Wednesday morning at Francis S. Gabreski Airport in Suffolk County... The unoccupied small plane was damaged." And apparently no one on board realized! Last week, after meeting with Mayor Bloomberg, his motorcade got into an accident. more ›

What's up with Vice President Joe Biden's motorcades? Last fall, a car from his motorcade (not the one he was in) got T-boned from by a cab, days after a fatal motorcade accident in DC and another accident in Albuquerque. This time—Biden was in town to chat with the Mayor and maybe work on his tan—NBC New York reports, "Two NYPD motorcycle units helping escort the veep were involved in a minor accident in Queens, police said Thursday. The officers suffered minor injuries and are being treated at Elmhurst Hospital." more ›

Today Vice President Joe Biden met with Mayor Bloomberg for a closed door meeting at Gracie Mansion. The items on the agenda remain a mystery, but judging by this photo, here's how we imagine it ended: more ›

The son of the an alleged spy told reporters that his mother and stepfather were innocent, in spite of their guilty pleas. Waldo Mariscal, whose mother Vicky Peleaz and stepfather Juan Lazaro left the country yesterday for Russia, said of Peleaz, "The only Russian thing she likes is vodka with passion fruit." And of Lazaro, who said in court that his name was actually Mikhail Vasenkov, Mariscal insisted, "I still believe Juan Lazaro is from Uruguay." more ›

Joe Biden likes to work hard/play hard. When he's not spiking the White House eggnog or washing his Trans Am in the White House driveway, he's out there appearing in photo ops at scenic locales like the Brooklyn Bridge, where he surfaced yesterday to publicize the Recovery Act funds that are being used to rehab the bridge. But just because it was a boring "official" appearance doesn't mean Amtrak Joe couldn't have little fun. more ›

Though Bloomberg previously scrapped a plan for a 7 station at 41st and 10th Avenue after extension costs became too high, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Real Estate Board members will meet with VP Joe Biden tomorrow to ask for federal funding for the project. The extension from Times Square to the Javits Center is already costing the city $2 billion, and they estimate the 41st Street station would cost an extra $500 million. REB president Steve Spinola says not building the station would be a "terrible, terrible mistake." more ›

Yesterday Joe Biden fêted his wife with a romantic lunch at Brooklyn’s River Café. "It was a belated Valentine's," said owner Michael (Buzzy) O'Keeffe. A tourist from Oklahoma chatted Jill Biden up in the lady’s room, and the two went back to her table to meet the vice-president, reports the Daily News. "I shook his hand and said, 'Don't worry. Mine are clean.' He said, 'Mine are clean, too,'" she recounted. "They were very friendly, very lovely." As the Bidens dined on pear salad, warm goat cheese, potato terrine, and sirloin steak (cooked medium well) their beefy secret service escorts ordered a pie from Grimaldi’s. more ›

As we noted yesterday, Vice President Joe Biden made the rounds on the Sunday talk shows, and though much of the banter revolved around Dick Cheney's criticism, Amtrak Joe also pushed back at Mayor Bloomberg, who's done an about face on holding the 9/11 terror trials in NYC. The city estimates that holding a multi-year terror trial could cost $200 million a year, and he wants a guarantee that Washington will cover the full cost. Yesterday Biden challenged Bloomberg's math on Face the Nation: more ›

Vice President Joe Biden appeared on morning talk shows today and hit a number of topics—including the 9/11 terror trial as well as his predecessor, Dick Cheney. Of where Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and the other alleged 9/11 terror plotters may eventually be tried, Biden said that a military tribunal has not been ruled out. Of Cheney, Biden said, "Let me choose my words carefully here... Dick Cheney's a fine fellow. He's entitled to his own opinion. He's not entitled to rewrite history. He's not entitled to his own facts." more ›

Some details on that Midtown car accident that involved an advance car from Vice President Joe Biden's motorcade around 5:40 p.m. last night. According to the Daily News, "The squad car with two detectives scouting the route for the motorcade was headed west on 49th St. when it was T-boned by a cab going north on 10th Ave." more ›

There were reports of a car accident at 49th Street and 10th Avenue and then we got word the vehicle was in the "Vice Presidential motorcade." A reader sent us this photo, adding, "Apparently a car from Biden's convoy hit a livery cab." D'oh! more ›

With it being all but official that Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney will be taking on Kirsten Gillibrand in the Democratic primary for Senate next year, now comes the tough part for Maloney—finding a base of voters while getting little to no support from Democratic big wigs up top. The Times accounts just what a mountain she's up against: receiving an Obama/Steve Israel-like call from Joe Biden, Chuck Schumer scaring away a potential campaign manager and now watching Gillibrand take credit for her WTC workers bill. Maloney said, “Here she takes my bill and introduces it." Maloney's nascent campaign is trying to build some momentum off of the presence of Bill Clinton at an upcoming fundraiser of hers, but it seems that she can't even get any love there. A Clinton spokesperson made it clear the former president was strictly attending to thank Hillary '08 supporters like Maloney and added, "The former president believes that Senator Gillibrand is doing a good job as senator and this type of thank-you event, and any other he may do, should not be read as an endorsement or un-endorsement." more ›

• Use a Queens manufacturer as an example: The NY Times reports that Crystal Window & Door System of Flushing benefited from the federal stimulus bill's "tax credit for homeowners who install energy-saving windows and doors. Last year, Crystal began improving the energy efficiency of its products, a shift that has been more effective than it could have hoped...A day after the president signed the bill, Crystal began getting calls for its products that met the standards to qualify for the tax credit." Which avoided layoffs and further reductions.
• Defend the pace of stimulus spending: Biden said, "There's been some criticism that we've not gotten enough money out so far. Well look, since I'm the guy who was put in charge of it, I want to make sure in the first 100 days we do it right...The one thing that could undermine this whole effort is if you'd read stories in the last 100 days about how this money is being wasted in the tens of billions of dollars." He did promise that spending on roads and bridges would speed up in the coming months.
• Have a bit of a gaffe: On Monday night, Biden referred to Governor Paterson as NY's "once and future" governor, which was taken as an endorsement. Biden later said, "It was a statement of friendship and admiration for the governor, and was not intended as a political statement."

Count Senator Charles Schumer amongst those who want the space shuttle Atlantis to retire at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum. Following NASA's announcement that they will send three space shuttles to institutions around the country, the Intrepid put their name in the hat. It's now being reported that "Schumer said Sunday he is supporting the Intrepid's bid for a space shuttle and he has appealed to Vice President Joe Biden to make it happen." If it all goes down, the shuttle would be housed in a glass enclosure at the end of Pier 86 around 2012. more ›

St. Francis Prep, the private school in Queens where many students came down with the swine flu, will reopen on Monday. A group of students had gone to Mexico for spring break and, in turn, infected some of their classmates. NY1 reports that most of the students have recovered or are "close to it"—and the school says its air system has been purified. more ›

Mayor Michael Bloomberg got a chance to tout his subway riding credentials during a press conference this morning. He was asked about Vice President Joe Biden's initial suggestion that people avoid time in confined spaces, like planes or subways, given the swine flu. more ›

Our Amtrak-loving vice president was his usual chatty, off-the-cuff self when speaking on the Today Show. Politico reports, "Vice President Joe Biden said Thursday that he would not recommend taking any commercial flight or riding in a subway car 'at this point' because swine flu virus can spread 'in confined places.' A little more than one hour later, Biden rushed out a statement backing off his stern warning a bit." more ›

Representatives for Radar Online, the National Enquirer and the NY Post have seen a video of a woman who, per Radar, "clearly resembles Ashley Biden, 27"—daughter of Vice President Joe Biden—"snorting several lines of cocaine.On the tape a man cuts up five lines of what is said to be cocaine. The woman who the seller says is Ashley then jokes with the man that the lines aren’t big enough." The video was shown by a lawyer representing a man who wishes to sell the tape, allegedly shot last year; the Post says it was shown "about 90 seconds of 43-minute tape" and told "it was legally obtained and that Biden was aware she was being filmed" (the lawyer referred to how Biden acknowledges the filmmaker). However, Radar reports that Biden was filmed without her knowledge. The filmmaker had wanted $2 million for the tape, but then, based on much lower offers, is willing to sell the tape for $400,000. The NY tab points out that Biden's dad coined the term "Drug Czar" in his crusade against drugs but adds, "The Post refused to pay for the video." more ›