Anonymous sources tell Fox News that President Obama has decided to draw down American troops in Iraq to 3,000 soldiers at the end of the year, and senior commanders are reportedly pissed. Unidentified generals had wanted at least 27,000 soldiers to stick around and compete to be the last to die for a mistake, but Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is reportedly complying with the administration's order. And it makes sense; now that all the weapons of mass destruction have been found and the liberated Iraqis are drunk on unlimited democracy, whiskey, sexy, what more is there for our brave men and women to do? For one thing, military brass says they should stick around Iraq... in order to keep each other safe in Iraq. more ›

In an exclusive scoop, The Brooklyn Paper reports that an unidentified asshole in Williamsburg is going around squirting Krazy Glue into bike locks, because, as he puts it, "There is a bike crisis. Every pole in the neighborhood is littered with them... These Yuppies are running the whole damn city, and I’m left to my own devices." Due to the "sensitive nature of this story," reporter Andy Campbell does not identify the vandal, so it's up to the Brooklyn DA to compel the paper to turn over its source for prosecution. Is Andy Campbell Gersh Kuntzman's Judith Miller?! more ›

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The New York Times might be all about media blogs, but the new black for 2006 is definitely NYC bird blogs. We've been totally into birds for years-- many a pleasant hour we've spent up in the Central Park Ramble with our binoculars-- spotting bluejays and people having public sex. Three of our favorite birding blogs are The City Birder, NYC Bird Report, and 10000 Birds. Maybe Gawker would make more friends if it stopped reporting on Judith Miller's every move, and started tracking peregrine falcons! Go for it, Jesse! [Related: Youngna is a bird now.] more ›

- Judith Miller leaves the NY Times; Gawker has the email from boss Bill Keller more ›

Hey everyone-- more ›

Have we been reading waaaaay too much about the latest New York Times scandal, or is someone rocking a Judith Miller stencil on the streets of Brooklyn? Seriously, it looks just like her, right? Just with dramatic eye make-up or something. more ›

-A Brownsville man was found stabbed to death Thursday when his landlord and a police officer broke in to evict him. more ›

An editorial in today’s Times reminds us that prison isn’t just a plot twist in the stories of powerful people like Martha Stewart and Judith Miller; a lot of people spend a lot of time there, and we could do a better job of making that time about rehabilitation. Thanks to Lauren Cerand at Maud Newton, we see that this Sunday at Pier 63 (Hudson River at West 23rd Street) Books Through Bars is having an event to increase support for and awareness of educational resources for prisoners. Between noon and 5:30, if you donate a book you can see various panels and readings (including, at 1:30, a panel of formerly incarcerated writers who will discuss their writing lives in and out of prison; PEN sponsors an interesting prison writing program, too). more ›