The Reverend Al Sharpton has vowed to find out who killed 56-year-old Denise Gay, an innocent bystander who was shot and killed in a fierce Crown Heights shootout on Labor Day. "We don't know where the bullet was from," Sharpton said as he stood with the Gay family on Friday, "We know where it wasn't from—the guy at the shootout. We will not give up until we find out what happened to Denise." more ›

During an intense shootout in Crown Heights Monday night that left two dead, police fired 73 bullets in their attempts to subdue gunman Leroy Webster, who shot and killed Eusi Johnson and injured two police officers. Authorities say that Webster also killed innocent bystander Denise Gay as she sat on her stoop with her daughter, but the Times reports that "a ballistics analysis had yet to conclude where the bullet came from." Gay's cousin tells the paper, "She was well known on this block. You could say her name and people know exactly who she is, what she stood for. She was an awesome person, with an awesome spirit." Gay, who told others she was afraid for her safety, died in her daughter's arms after being shot in the head. more ›

After the extensive damage Irene levied on New Jersey, 850,000 customers were left without power and 15,000 residents were in shelters. Now, with only 40,000 customers without power and 450 people in shelters, Governor Chris Christie rescinded last week's directive to "Get the hell off the beach" with an appropriate rejoinder at a press conference yesterday: "Get the hell back on the beach!" Damn! Hell! Bastard! Casual swearing doesn't have to mean casual governing. more ›

Just in time for your big Labor Day cookouts, Martha Stewart-on-crack expert Amy Sedaris stopped by Jimmy Fallon last night to show him and buddy Will Forte how to cook hotdogs with a rake ("because some people can't afford sticks."). Jimmy has some trouble shimmying his dogs onto the rake, but Amy give him a hands-on lesson in the proper technique, proving that is never not funny to watch a woman manhandle wieners. Is there anything this woman cannot do? Behold: more ›

Back in September, 10 people filed a $50 million lawsuit against the city, accusing the NYPD of using excessive force when breaking up a Labor Day party in East Flatbush. They say cops maced guests, called in a helicopter, and left many attendees with serious injuries, like James Hill here, who's got a nasty scar on his face. Now the Daily News reports that the Brooklyn DA is investigating claims that cops roughed up the revelers without provocation. more ›

This may be the most boring forecast ever.  With high pressure overhead we've got us a clear, dry and mellow Labor Day.  Look for a high around 80 degrees.  Perfect for the parade! That high pressure system will slide eastward overnight.  The resulting wind shift should warm the city into the mid 80s tomorrow. more ›

Today is Labor Day, hich was first celebrated in NYC 128 years ago, and is, as the Department of Labor says, "dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers." Local, state and federal government offices are closed, as are post offices and financial markets, and mass transit is on holiday or weekend schedules. The NY Times' editorial notes that in 1882, "This was a country of about 51 million people, and New York a city of about two million" (it was also the year that "the first commercial electric plant lit Lower Manhattan"), before deciding that it's nice to have a holiday that needs no preparation (unlike annoying Thanksgiving)! more ›

This week the city's public school students will come back for just one day of school, and parents say the awkward schedule is throwing a wrench in their vacation plans. Students are expected to show up for school on Wednesday, September 8th after celebrating Labor Day, but have Thursday and Friday off for Rosh Hashanah. To protest, they've turned to Facebook. more ›

Coming back from a relaxing summer, kids will have one day of school, followed by an extended long weekend, according to the Daily News. That's because Rosh Hashanah—the Jewish New Year and first day of the High Holidays—falls on Thursday and Friday this year, with classes scheduled to begin on Wednesday. Why not move the first day back? Teachers need Tuesday to prepare, and Monday is Labor Day. "It just makes no sense," said Nick Comaianni, president of the parents council in southeastern Queens. "For the one day? Just let it go, leave it alone and start it the next week." more ›

Along with many of us it appears that Mother Nature is also taking a lazy, long holiday weekend. Onshore winds circulating around a high pressure system centered near Nova Scotia will keep the high to around 75 today. There will be a mix of high clouds as a storm off the Carolina coast shoots some moisture northward, but no rain is expected. Perfect for a Carnival! more ›

Today is Labor Day, which was first celebrated in NYC 127 years ago, and is, as the Department of Labor says, "dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers." Government buildings and post offices, financial markets and banks are all closed. Alternate-side-of-the-street parking is suspended and there is no garbage or recycling collection. Mass transit is running on a Sunday schedule. The first Labor Day was celebrated on September 5, 1882 in New York City, after the Central Labor Union decided to hold a demonstration and picnic (it became a national holiday in 1894). The NY Times has an editorial where Labor Day falls in the year between two political conventions, while the Daily News' editorial notes how many workers are cheated out of overtime pay and the Post revisits songs from the Workers of the World. more ›

Today marks the start of the long Labor Day weekend. The AAA thinks 39.1 million travelers nationwide will make a trip of 50 miles or more, which is a 13.3% drop from last year. Why? Because Labor Day is occurring later than usual (and in other states, their school years start in August) and that probably means many people are staycationing! The later Labor Day is a mixed blessing: One retail worker told the NY Times, "My personal reaction is, it’s more time to enjoy summer. But my business reaction is that it will make the fall tough," while a high schooler said, "Very few people want to go back to school. It gives us more time to dread it." Are you staycationing (the West Indian American Day Parade is on Monday!) or really vacationing? And remember, you can wear white after Labor Day (or so we hear). more ›

Very recently Thor Equities' Joe Sitt shut down Dreamland, Coney Island’s biggest amusement park, after a rent dispute with the park’s operator Anthony Raffaelle. Sure, half a million dollars is nothing to scoff at, but the summering masses want their amusements! So Councilman Domenic M. Recchia, Jr. has stepped in, and his intervening has gotten the padlocks taken off the site. In a statement we received this afternoon, he says, “Dreamland provided jobs to the community and was a big attraction for visitors. After discussing the issue with Thor, they agreed to reopen for the Labor Day weekend. I would like to thank Thor recognizing the importance of Dreamland in Coney Island. Thor and the site’s operator have agreed to work out their rent issues in the coming weeks." Upon the closure, Raffaelle had told NY1, "First of all they came down here, they quadrupled everybody's rent in Coney Island. Nobody in Coney Island can pay their rent now." more ›

Not only is it the first day of September, it's also Labor Day. Government buildings and post offices, financial markets and banks are all closed. Alternate-side-of-the-street parking is suspended and there is no garbage or recycling collection. Mass transit is running on a Sunday schedule. The first Labor Day was celebrated on September 5, 1882 in New York City, after the Central Labor Union decided to hold a demonstration and picnic (it became a national holiday in 1894). The NY Times has an editorial about how Labor Day is a respite between two political conventions, while the Post blasts unions. more ›

Like many, whenever we traverse any streets along Grand Army Plaza, we basically run (or bike) for our lives. more ›

A spectator at Fenway Park in Boston took to the field and interrupted the game during last night's Red Sox-Yankees rubber match. With the game still tied 1-1 at the bottom of the 7th inning, Boston first baseman Eric Hinske was leading off for the Sox and was the first batter to face pitcher Joba Chamberlain, who relieved Roger Clemens. Hinske managed a double to left field after facing a full count at the plate and was practically chased to second base by an idiot who leapt to the field and raced to high-five the Boston baserunner. more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: Airmail in Brooklyn, truck vs train overpass in 31st St & 20th Ave in Queens, an amputation at Grant St & St Pauls Ave in Staten Island and a bomb scare at Broadway and Mercer (NYU) in Manhattan.
• A former deputy mayor under Rudy Giuliani is now an "ambassador" for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign. But it's not that shocking, since Fran Reiter had lead the Liberal Party before joining the Giuliani administration...or is it?
• Who decides how subway posters are hung, because this is another example of great subway-poster-juxtaposition?
• A piece of the Willamette Meteorite, which is at the American Museum of Natural History, is being auctioned off. And, no, the museum is not selling it - the private meteorite collection who they traded the 28-pound piece (getting a piece of Mars in return) is behind the sale.
• One man has been arrested in the Labor Day weekend bias attack of Top Chef Season 2 contestant Josie Smith-Malave. The attack was outside a Sea Cliff, Long Island bar; Smith-Malave said that about 12 people punched and kicked her and two of her friends and that the bar's employees, who went outside to watch the attack, didn't do anything.
• The NYPD's new headquarters for the towing division are in the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
• Staten Island DA Daniel Donovan is warning residents about the fake IRS "Customer Satisfaction Survey" scam because taxpayers aren't really customers anyway.
• Speaking of taxes, John Gotti Jr. may head to prison because he hasn't paid $220,00 in back taxes.
• The Eldridge Street Synagogue's rose window returns in time for Rosh Hashanah.

There was very little else for Londonist to be concerned with when the threat of a Tube strike became a very unpleasant reality. The inconvenience was extreme: there aren't many alternatives to the Tube in London despite the best efforts of the Londonist team to get everyone from A to B. Brighter news came in the form of the first ever female Yeoman Warder, or Beefeater as the position is more commonly known, and several smiles as well as lots of cash were raised by some plucky urban ironing. London is apparently full of lies and whales: one of these things is true. We leave that up to you to figure out. more ›

A fine way for the Seaport Music Festival to send off the summer, with two of the year's biggest breakout bands on a lovely evening. We were taking in both Battles and Dearhunter for the first time last Friday and were massively impressed by both bands. Deerhunter, down a man and with their usual shtick toned down, sounded like a young Sonic Youth or stripped down Broken Social Scene. A much lighter and more accessible experience that we had prepared for by listening to their thumping album. Battles was more what we expected, playing a hypnotizing hybrid of Math-Metal and some Jammy-Groove stuff that somehow works. Stereogum has some pretty pics. more ›

Police are investigating the death of a woman found in her apartment. A roommate of the 36-year-old woman found her alone in the Crosby Street (at Grand) apartment - with two stab wounds. The roommate had been away over the Labor Day weekend and apparently neighbors had noticed a smell. more ›

The weather has gotten into the Labor Day spirit and decided not to work this week. Tomorrow will be a near-repeat of today. A weak cold front will cool us down slightly midweek. Highs on Wednesday and Thursday will be in the upper-70s. It should be warmer by the end of the week when the center of a high pressure system sits to our east. The National Weather Service says it will warm up to 90 on Friday and Saturday. Gothamist has no idea why they think it will get that warm. The Weather Channel's low-80s by Friday prediction seems more realistic to us. All in all an excellent week for the U.S. Open. more ›

We’re not going to spend this space waxing poetic about the farewell to summer and how sad we all are to say goodbye. Folks tend to be so negative on Labor Day – it’s not like the summer immediately ends on the 4th of September. But if this “impending doomsday to summer” is enough to get people to party like they mean it, then we fully support the cause. more ›

Happy Labor Day! Today, government buildings and post offices, financial markets and banks are all closed. Alternate-side-of-the-street parking is suspended and there is no garbage or recycling collection. Mass transit is running on a Sunday schedule. There a number of events today (though we think that the West Indian American Day Carnival is the best bet) and it's also the last day of the year that city beaches and pools will be open. more ›

The NY Times has a slide show of assorted items that could be perfect wedding gifts for book lovers. Suggestions range from whimsical bookshelves to personalized book plates. more ›

With Labor Day weekend well under way, the season of block parties is about to come to an end. The NY Times has a story today on 4 of the 225 block parties that took place in the city last weekend (overall most take place in Brooklyn). more ›

WCBS reports that, according to an Animal Department Supervisor at the New York Aquarium, the shark was a thresher shark, not known for attacking humans. Its attempts to swim onto shore are considered abnormal so the shark could have been sick. In fact, a 10-year-old witness said, "It was like freaking out. Its tail was flopping everywhere...Maybe it got separated from its family. It looked sick." more ›

Happy first weekend of September - and happy Labor Day weekend, too, for our American cities! Let's take a look at what's been happening around the Ist-a-verse. more ›

A terrible accident in the Bronx: Police believe that an SUV on East Tremont was speeding around 4AM when it crashed into a telephone pole and flipped over. 1010WINS says the vehicle was "ripped apart" at Commonwealth Avenue. Three men were ejected from the SUV and pronounced dead at the scene. A fourth passenger, a woman, died at Jacobi Hospital. more ›