The results of a preliminary necropsy on a carriage horse named Charlie who collapsed and died in Midtown last Sunday show, "Charlie was not a healthy horse." According to the ASPCA, who performed the necropsy at Cornell, Charlie's cause of death is still uncertain, but he "was likely suffering from pain due to pronounced chronic ulceration of the stomach and a fractured tooth." Dr. Pamela Corey of the ASPCA says in a release, "We are very concerned that Charlie was forced to work in spite of painful maladies." more ›

Rest well, residents of the #1 and/or #7 city for bed bugs, because Governor Paterson just signed a law that will help protect you from the critters. Or it just may make you want to move out altogether. The governor just signed New York State Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal's "Bedbug Disclosure Act" into law. Rosenthal said in a statement, “Nothing is more horrifying than signing a lease after a lengthy apartment search only to discover that your new apartment is bedbug-infested. By requiring landlords to disclose infestations before the lease is signed, people will have a means of guarding themselves against exposure to this plague." more ›

Yesterday, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal called upon the Department of Transportation to stop dragging its feet and "implement a swift solution to the public safety hazard at a dangerous 'bow-tie' intersection at West 71st Street at Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue." Last year, there were 25 accidents (including a taxi cab that crashed into a West 72nd Street subway station head house) and eight this year—just a few weeks ago, another cab crashed into a pedestrian island, injuring a woman. Should get pretty interesting when the Trader Joe's opens on Broadway between 71st and 72nd! more ›

Fashion Week is in full effect and The Humane Society of the United States is watching out for our furry friends, as usual. This morning the organization led a press conference with NY State Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal following an investigation that uncovered some big NYC retailers selling unlabeled fur-trimmed garments in violation of state law (which requires that all apparel with real or fake fur be labeled as such, giving shoppers access to product information). All the big names were on their list, including Bloomingdale’s, Bergdorf Goodman and Saks Fifth Avenue. Footage of the investigation shows what may happen to confused customers: more ›