More details have emerged about the U.S. soldier accused of killing 16 Afghan civilians, including nine children, last week. According to the AP, 38-year-old father of two Robert Bales had, "joined the Army after a Florida investment job went sour, had a Seattle-area home condemned, struggled to make payments on another and failed to get a promotion or a transfer a year ago." more ›

The soldier who allegedly shot or stabbed 16 Afghan civilians—including nine children—has been identified as Staff Sgt. Robert Bales. He is being held in a cell at Fort Leavenworth's military prison, where he is awaiting possible criminal charges. The murders, which occurred last Sunday, have further pushed Washington's relations with Afghanistan into crisis-mode. more ›

If there is one thing Jon Stewart loves, it is to mock Fox News. And boy howdy did he have fun with the network last night regarding contributor Liz Trotta's interesting views on the recently reported 64 percent rise in violent sexual assaults in the military. You will be "horror-tained" as Stewart responds to Trotta's comments—"What did they expect? These people are in close contact."—with zingers like, "You know what they say, you can't make a co-ed omelette without raping a few eggs." more ›

The NYPD committed a Virginia man claiming to be a Navy SEAL to a psych ward, and later found out that he was in fact a Navy SEAL. It makes us wonder: how many times does the NYPD get the "I'm in an elite military unit, you can't arrest me," excuse? more ›

Texas Governor Rick Perry may be completely irrelevant, but he still has money and thus we should care about his opinion on the disturbing video released last week showing U.S. Marines urinating on the corpses of recently killed combatants. "These kids made a mistake, there's not any doubt about it," he said. "[They] shouldn't have done it, it's bad—but to call it a criminal act, I think is over the top," Perry said on CNN today. "Obviously 18, 19-year-old kids make stupid mistakes all too often and that's what's occurred here." more ›

The last U.S. soldiers left Iraq ten days ago, as the nine-year, $800 billion-dollar war that cost hundreds of thousands of lives ended quietly. Days later, the country's fragile government threatened to collapse and bombs allegedly detonated by an al-Qaeda affiliated organization killed at least 65 people in Baghdad. Considering the elusiveness of "victory" in the war, the country's enduring turmoil, and the current war in Afghanistan, should there be a parade for the veterans of the Iraq War? more ›

Last December our President signed into law a repeal of the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. But despite that the policy hasn't actually gone away. Until now. Tomorrow the U.S. Army will become the first branch of the military to officially do away with the policy. For all those worried that something was going to suddenly appear on the horizon and end the march of progress, well, breathe easy. Looks like we're in the clear. The full text of the announcement, after the jump. more ›

Just three weeks after its University Senate voted to allow ROTC back, Columbia University is officially recognizing the Naval Reserved Officers Training Corps. Columbia President Lee Bollinger said in a statement, "Repeal of the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell law provided a historic opportunity for our nation to live up to its ideals of equality and also for universities to reconsider their relationships with the military..." more ›

Columbia University may see the return of the Reserve Officers Training Corps, which was forced off campus after the heated student protests during the 1960s sparked partly by the school's relationship with the Vietnam War>. The University Senate voted 51-17 (with an abstention) to approve a resolution which states, "Columbia University welcomes the opportunity to explore mutually beneficial relationships with the Armed Forces of the United States, including participation in the programs of the Reserve Officers Training Corps." more ›

Last year Prince Harry made the rounds in New York City during his weekend visit, but this year it seems he's starting off his trip to the States at West Point (they really like to make sure he doesn't party when he visits!). more ›

In case you're wondering what those fighter planes are doing flying over the city today, it's just your tax dollars blowing over Yankee Stadium on opening day. According to the Office of Emergency Management, low-flying planes will blast over the stadium at 1 p.m.; they're from the Fighter Squadron Composite Twelve (VFC-12), a U.S. Navy Reserve fighter squadron. Major League Baseball's website adds that "franchise icons" Whitey Ford and Yogi Berra will also be in attendance to hand out the Yankees World Series Rings. And if you're going to the game, you should probably get a move on; they say it's going to be a total mob scene. (NYC Transit recommends using the special events stairs at the rear of the uptown 4 train platform.) more ›

The Obama administration is reportedly working on a deal with senators that would shut down the prison at Guantanamo Bay and make Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other accused 9/11 planners stand trial in a military court—not a civilian court. Although President Obama had initially supported Attorney General Eric Holder's plan to try the suspects in a Lower Manhattan federal courthouse, the administration began distancing itself from the proposed New York trial after Republicans and local electeds including Mayor Bloomberg spoke out against it. more ›

A thief unsuccessfully attempted to extort a Swedish military official and his elderly father for $40 using a widely known scam, Lt. Cmdr. Peter Palm testified in court yesterday. According to the Swedish intelligence commander, career criminal Louis Parson tried to pull a "broken bottle scam"—which closely resembles a "broken glasses scam"—on him and his father in a Midtown hotel. more ›

An Al Qaeda-linked neuroscientist has been convicted of attempting to kill American personnel while she was being detained in Afghanistan. After two days of deliberations, a Manhattan jury found the 37-year-old guilty of seven counts of attempted murder for grabbing an M-4 rifle and opening fire on U.S. soldiers and FBI agents who wanted to question her about her possession of bomb-making notes and a list of potential terror targets, according to the Post. She was not charged with any terror-related offenses. more ›

Gov. Paterson has pardoned a solider whose earlier conviction on gun possession charges barred had barred him from fulfilling his lifelong goal of joining the New York Police Department, the Times reports. In only his second pardon since taking office, Paterson granted clemency to Osvaldo Hernandez — a former paratrooper with the Army's 82nd Airborne Division — who was arrested in 2002 when police found a semiautomatic pistol beneath his car seat. more ›

While President Obama's proposal to increase the number of troops in Afghanistan by 30,000 is taking heat from both Republicans and Democrats, Rep. Mike McMahon (D-Staten Island and Brooklyn) told Gothamist that he strongly supports the plan. more ›

Tomorrow around noon expect to see a lot of action in the sky — a military flyover is scheduled! You'll see ospreys and harrier jets over the Hudson River from the Verrazano to the George Washington Bridge. But have no fear, it's all in celebration of the USS New York commissioning ceremony. If you get any good shots of the flyover action, send us your photos! more ›

North Korea claims a Sunday rocket launch was its successful attempt to put a satellite into orbit, but U.S. and South Korea officials disagree, saying that nothing entered space. North American Aerospace Defense Command's statement: "Officials acknowledged today that North Korea launched a Taepo Dong 2 missile at 10:30 p.m. EDT Saturday, which passed over the Sea of Japan and the nation of Japan. Stage one of the missile fell into the Sea of Japan. The remaining stages along with the payload itself landed in the Pacific Ocean. No object entered orbit and no debris fell on Japan." (For a successful launch, the third stage would enter orbit.) The U.S., Japan and S. Korea condemned the launch, which is believed to "be cover for a long-range missile test"; Russian agencies confirm N. Korea's claim that it was a successful satellite launch. The U.N. Security Council has convened an emergency meeting; President Barack Obama said, "With this provocative act, North Korea has ignored its international obligations, rejected unequivocal calls for restraint, and further isolated itself from the community of nations." more ›

Reader Daniel pointed our attention to this photograph of a military trailer, carrying Humvees and headed towards Manhattan on Flatbush. He noticed that the center one was "outfitted with the so-called non-lethal Active Denial System." more ›

Five years ago today, the United States became involved with the Iraq War. While many Americans are unhappy with the war, per the Washington Post, "For the Bush administration, however, it is the first anniversary of an Iraq strategy that it believes has finally started to succeed." Today President Bush is expected to say, in a speech at the Pentagon, "Removing Saddam Hussein from power was the right decision, and this is a fight America can and must win." Almost 4,000 U.S. soldiers have died in the past five years, while almost 30,000 have been wounded. Here's a list of military casualties. more ›

Some dogs traveling to the U.S. from Iraq weren't dogs of war or trained to sniff explosives. Instead, they provided a little comfort and unconditional love to soldiers stuck in a war zone. With the help of the International SPCA's Baghdad Pups program, two dogs named Liberty and K-Pot have been adopted by soldiers' families. more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a ceiling collapse at Franklin Ave. and Union St. in Brooklyn, a pedestrian was fatally struck on Queens Blvd. in Woodhaven, Queens, and an unusual rescue on the south bound tower of the Throgs Neck Bridge in Queens.
• An undercover cop forgot to turn off the wire he was wearing while discussing 11 bags of cocaine he seized in a Brooklyn bust that were never turned in. He was also sure to repeatedly refer to black people using the "N-word." [No link yet, but we saw the story on NY1.]
• The mother of an escaped convict is telling him through the press to keep running, and knows some day he'll be exonerated of his crime. We foresee either a one-armed man eventually brought to justice or subsequent imprisonment in a South American jail.
• Civil disobedience on 5th Avenue. We did not realize this, but the city has offered free vendor licenses to military veterans since the Civil War. Dan Rossi is protesting the curtailment of the practice by parking his hot dog cart right in front of The Metropolitan Museum.
• There's an interesting installation at the Gavin Brown Enterprise on Greenwich St. created by artist Urs Fischer, who's dug a hole in the ground. It is an absolutely enormous hole in the ground.
• Michael Douglas is the new announcer for the NBC Nightly News. Anderson Cooper responds that he would also consider a celebrity announcer, like Fran Drescher, Clint Eastwood, Paul Reubens, or Cher.
• Macy's is going to stay open 24 hours a day until Christmas Eve. Those are going to be some tired elves.
• A siamese cat named Yoda was bludgeoned to death in an Upper East Side doorman building. Sarah Favorite, the girlfriend of Yoda's owner, was arrested and is being charged with aggravated animal cruelty.

Come next year, when you're flying in and out of JFK, your flight may be slightly less delayed than it's been in the past. U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters announced a plan today to reduce the number of hourly flights at JFK International Airport to 82 or 83 flights, depending on the time of day. That would be down from 95 this past summer and what would have been 104 an hour next summer. Secretary Peters' agreement with the major airlines flying out of JFK will start on March 15th, 2008 and be in place for 2008 and 2009. By shifting flights from peak times of day to off-peak times, the number of daily flights at the airport would actually increase by 50. Currently, there are nearly 100 flights an hour, causing delays that affect the rest of the nation's air traffic. more ›

Joseph Jirovec and Kimberly Babajko are two of ten people arrested in an attack that was initiated by a friendly greeting of "Happy Channukah!" aboard a Q train in Brooklyn last week. Both Jirovec and Babajko have criminal records for assaulting minorities and could face hate crime charges in their latest brush with justice. Both are scheduled to appear in Brooklyn Criminal Court today for the vicious beating they allegedly administered to Walter Adler, who was on his way home from a holiday dinner. Adler and his girlfriend were spared further injury when a complete stranger, Hassan Askari, intervened at his own physical expense. The young Muslim man was beaten alongside Adler. more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: an armed robbery on Washington Ave. in the Bronx, a bank robbery on 18th Ave. in Brooklyn, and a pedestrian struck on 69th St. and Queens Blvd. in Queens.
• Amidst "barbs and accusations," talks between studios and the writers guild appear to have broken down. Repeats will continue, as will Seth Meyers' long circular picketing sojourn.
• Animals at the Queens City Zoo will be receiving special holiday culinary treats to chow down on every weekend this month.
• Some news outlets use the word "reorganized," but three more city schools are being closed due to disappointing performance. The total is now 13.
• Tomorrow is a great opportunity to visit five historic homes in Flushing, Queens that are generally not open to the public, as part of a holiday tour.
• NBC is refusing to air an ad asking viewers to remember and thank members of the military for their service because it refers to the spot's sponsor's web site, which it deems too political.
• Police are searching for someone who shot a woman in Queens late yesterday. The victim was shot in the chest and found clutching a knife in her hand.
• SantaCon was today; we'll have extended coverage of the bearded bacchanal tomorrow.

A deal with an undercover operative quickly turned deadly yesterday for a man looking to sell a hand grenade in the Bronx. Federal agents and an NYPD detective were monitoring a conversation being held in a car yesterday between the grenade seller and operative. It was not expected the seller would have the grenade on him at the time, so when he produced it, agents rushed the scene in the interest of public safety. The... more ›

The Thanksgiving Day and Thanksgiving Day Eve have emerged as some of the busiest travel days of the year. While the media shows shots of crowded airports and train stations on the Wednesdays before Thanksgiving (like today), the Bureau of Transportation Statistics says that when personal vehicle travel is included into calculations, "Thanksgiving Day is actually a heavier long-distance travel day [to and from a destination more than 50 or more miles away] than... more ›

Realizing that air traffic congestion is terrible and will be even worse next week during Thanksgiving holiday, President Bush announced that the FAA is working on new ideas, plus military airspace will be opened up for five days to civilian planes. If using military airspace (the "Thanksgiving Express Lane") works well this time around, it may reopened for the Christmas holidays. The other measures the President announced were: FAA will focus on preventing delays... more ›