Ever wonder who your favorite celebrities vote for? The Daily News got a look at some Federal Election Campaign files, and saw some pretty big names on the campaign donation lists. Rep. John Hall apparently got $500 from Chevy Chase and $2,400 from Bonnie Raitt for his last campaign, and Anthony Weiner got support from Donald Trump and designer Lisa Perry (not to mention all those foreign models). But Brooklyn Rep. Ed Towns' opponent Kevin Powell may have the most talented supporter, with Chris Rock donating $2,400. That donation was matched by designer Mark Ecko and Chicago Bears player Julius Peppers. more ›

Staten Island's Danielle Masseria (MySpace) says her "whole life changed" in June 2007 while working at an Ecko Unlimited outlet store in the Jersey Gardens mall in Elizabeth. In a sexual harassment lawsuit filed last week against the company, she says that she was humiliated by store manager Kirk Rummer, who sneaked up behind her and allegedly stuck his hands into the back of her pants. The suit says, "He then grabbed and pulled her panties and jeans away from her body and threw a fistful of coins down into the crack of her buttocks." Masseria's co-worker allegedly chimed in by shouting, "Jackpot! Jackpot!" Now Masseria says, "I don't trust anyone." Speaking to the Post—which went with the headline GAL TAKES A CRACK AT SUING OVER 'COINS DOWN BUTT'—the coworker says, "The way it's portrayed in the complaint is completely untrue." Maybe you had to be there? more ›

Two deliverymen-turned-thieves ripped off a shipment of Apple iPhones headed for Hong Kong, and traded in their loot for matching maroon cars and "diamond stud Yankee earrings." Really! more ›

THEATER: Described as Damn Yankees meets Ed Wood, the screwball musical LOST IN HOLLYWOODLAND is a goofy retelling of the Faust myth, with a lowly production assistant’s assistant standing in for the good doctor. (Naturally, a film producer serves as the devil.) The fun begins when the peon signs away his soul for fame and fortune. Having killed ‘em in Buffalo, the production now takes Manhattan via the New York Fringe Festival. - John Del Signore more ›

After months of silence, it looks like Shepard Fairey's recent work on the streets of New York has brought the Splasher out of retirement. Not clear yet if this is related to last week's stinkbomb arrest. Matt Barber writes:

Was down on Wooster today at the candy factory building and snapped this photo, the wheatpaste and paint look pretty fresh to me, Shep just put the same poster up near my house last week so thought it may be new, hit me back if you know if it is new or not.

Up until now, the only way for a graffiti artist to get charged with a crime was to actually be caught in the act-- painting a piece, putting up a poster, or catching a tag. Even the most prolific all-city vandals could only be charged for the pieces they were doing while arrested-- which meant that serious jail-time was generally not a risk. For instance, after a five-borough graffiti spree in 1995, Cost was busted for putting up a sticker in Queens, but only got 200 days of community service. more ›

U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff will hear Marc Ecko's lawsuit against the city today at 3PM. Ecko sued NYC last week because his permit for a party where graffiti artists would decorate fake subway cars (we're talking facades of subway cars) was revoked over concerns that the party would encourage graffiti. Newsday has an interesting excahnge from Friday's court hearing:

Paula van Meter, a city attorney, argued in court that painting subway replicas is not protected speech because it "necessarily simulates a criminal act." more ›

After the city has decided to revoke the permit for the launch party of his new graffiti video game, designer Marc Ecko is doing the next best thing: Suing the city. And the NYCLU is getting involved, joining Ecko in a press conference yesterday asking the mayor to reinstate the permit. Animal Magazine publisher and graffiti enthusiast Bucky Turco was at the press conference gave us his report, with including Ecko's invitation for the Mayor:

His lawyer, Daniel M. Perez stated, "Mark Ecko will be filing a lawsuit in NY Federal Court." They have enlisted the help of the NYCLU who wrote and sent a letter to the Mayor today. Arthur Eisenberg, the legal director, cites a Supreme Court Case, Brandenburg v. Ohio, that set a precedent to protect the exhibit Ecko is hosting. The Ecko people have also determined that If they can't get the permit they plan on canceling the event. Mark Ecko mentioned "I don't condone illegal graffiti, but I don't condone censorship either." more ›