We're not gonna lie, these girls have a lot of work to do, but Franny and Sofia are probably only like, what, 7? 8-years-old? So let's cut 'em some slack. Plus, what they don't deliver in on-air smoothness, they deliver in adorableness. And they're broadcasting straight out of Brooklyn, no less! Here they are giving us the weather, and reporting on that whole billboard incident on the BQE (with custom illustrations!): more ›

After last week's debacle in Washington, the Giants desperately need a win before facing Philadelphia next week. Unfortunately, most of the injury problems that plagued them last week are still there and some new ones have sprung up. Justin Tuck is questionable as he is still trying to get over his sprained neck. To make matters worse, Hakeem Nicks has a bruised knee and has been barely able to practice all week. But, the Rams have injury problems of their own. Their star running back, Steven Jackson, is questionable with a thigh injury and their best receiver, Danny Amendola, is doubtful with an elbow injury. more ›

Good news everyone: Arthur Chi'en, who was severely injured by some idiot in a clown costume last November, is about to go back on the air. Chi'en told The Daily News that he felt almost 100 percent, a tremendous statement considering what he had been through. more ›

Yankees 6 Tampa Bay 2: The six-game losing streak is history thanks to some timely pitching and some clutch hitting. Alex Rodriguez got the scoring started with two solo homers that gave New York leads of 1-0 and 2-1. Ivan Nova pitched into the sixth, but ran out of gas and was replaced by David Robertson with the bases loaded. Robertson was great in the inning, getting two strike outs to close the inning without damage. Robertson left with two-on and two-outs in the 7th, but Joba Chamberlain got the final out of that frame. Meanwhile, the Yankee bats opened things up with two runs in the 7th and two in the 9th as they cruised home with a much-needed win. more ›

Mets 4 Colorado 3: New York jumped out to a 2-0 lead thanks to an Ike Davis single. Mike Pelfrey made that hold up and added to it with his own two-rbi double. K-Rod recorded the final three outs for his 10th save. more ›

The Giants desperately need a win, but the schedule is not doing them any favors. Coming into Meadowlands Stadium are the Jaguars, a team that has turned their season around over the last three games. Add in all the injuries the Giants have suffered and New York faces a stern test this week. more ›

Feeling depressed about NY Times publisher Arthur Sulzberger's pronouncement that the Times will stop printing a physical edition sometime in the future? Down in the dumps because of another news story predicting the ever-imminent death of print and magazines? Well, take some comfort: you can still get your news printed the old fashioned way, on T-shirts! more ›

Former WPIX news director Karen Scott has slapped the station with a $4.5 million lawsuit, claiming she and some of the station's biggest names were all victims of age discrimination. The 60-year-old claims she was let go because of her age, not because of bad ratings (which was WPIX's explanation). She also blames station manager Betty Ellen Berlamino for pushing former sports anchor Sal Marchiano out, and trying to get rid of Marvin Scott and Kaity Tong. Uh oh, Mr. G is getting up there... more ›

Asylum released these fun new pie charts today showing how depressing local news is in America. Conclusion? It's all pretty damn depressing. Their misery index separates the news into ten categories, then ranks them in order from heartbreaking (accidents) to harmless (weather and travel.) Based on how much airtime each category was given, they calculated who wins for the most depressing city. The amount of coverage dedicated to sports at the expense of other news is in itself depressing. But how did we score? more ›

NY1 has fired embattled newsman Dominic Carter following his conviction for attempted assault against his wife — and his job anchoring "Inside City Hall" is already up for grabs for those with "strong news judgment" and "strong knowledge of NYC, politics, events and history." more ›

The public will no longer be able to visit the Mayor's Office of Film, Theater and Broadcasting to parse through a weekly stack of film shoot permits. Instead, those interested in leafing through the pile of city paperwork (i.e. the paparazzi) will be forced to file for the data under the Freedom of Information Law. more ›

ABC has announced that Charlie Gibson will retire in January, to be replaced by Diane Sawyer as anchor of the ABC World News evening broadcast. The two had worked together closely since reviving Good Morning America in 1998; Gibson left that program in 2006 to take over ABC World News after Bob Woodruff was injured in Iraq and the network decided to replace his co-anchor, Elizabeth Vargas. Sawyer has long sought the anchor chair, so this must be exciting for her, though ABC now has some big shoes to fill at GMA. In email to his staff, Gibson wrote, "I love this news department, and all who work in it, to the depths of my soul... I have received much comment, and quite a few emails and letters referring to the signoff Eddie Pinder convinced me to use—wishing that everyone has had a good day. But the proudest part for me has been saying '...for all of us at ABC News...', since those words signify in my mind that I have been in a position to speak for an entire news department that I consider second to none." And, after the jump, video of a very giddy Sawyer the day after President Obama's inauguration: more ›

Don Hewitt, the CBS news producer who created 60 Minutes and worked with Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite, passed away at age 86, due to pancreatic cancer. CBS News calls him the "father of modern television news" and points out he "played an integral role in all of CBS News' coverage of major news events from the late 1940s through the 1960s, putting him in the middle of some of history's biggest events, including one of politics’ seminal moments: the first televised presidential debate in 1960" between Nixon and Kennedy. In its obituary, the NY Times writes, "Hewitt also claimed credit for creating, at least in part, such innovations as putting headsets on newsmakers at events like political conventions so they might be interviewed by remote; displaying type, such as a subject’s name, on screen...and even the word 'anchorman,' which referred, he said, not to the anchor of a ship but the final runner on a four-person relay team — the person who, in effect, would carry the news home, and receive the most attention in the process." more ›

Walter Cronkite, known as the "most trusted man in America" as CBS News anchor, died at age 92 last night. The NY Times' obituary states, "From 1962 to 1981, Mr. Cronkite was a nightly presence in American homes and always a reassuring one, guiding viewers through national triumphs and tragedies alike, from moonwalks to war, in an era when network news was central to many people’s lives." His son told the Times that the cause of death was complications from dementia, while the AP reports, "Cronkite’s longtime chief of staff, Marlene Adler, said Cronkite died at 7:42 p.m. at his Manhattan home surrounded by family. She said the cause of death was cerebral vascular disease." more ›

Water Taxi Beach is dropping more details about its expansion to the South Street Seaport and Governors Island. Down at the Seaport, set to open in early June, the boozy sandbox and seafood shack will emphasize a family-friendly feel with miniature golf, skeeball and ping pong; come nightfall, the DJs take over for the grown ups. The Governors Island location, opening July 4th weekend, will host beach volleyball, basketball, two restaurants, and live concerts every weekend presented by The Highline Ballroom. Meanwhile, visitors to the flagship Long Island City beach, which boasts 44,000 square feet of sand, will be lured with free Water Taxi Beach shuttles from East 35th Street in Manhattan every Friday and Saturday night. But the best news is that for the first time New York Water Taxi will operate ferries to actual beaches where swimming is allowed. On weekends, service from Pier 11 at Wall Street will whisk ocean-lovers to their choice of two locations: the Rockaways' Jacob Riis Park, and the more remote Sandy Hook on the Jersey shore, which Florent Morellet highly recommends. more ›

Everyone is getting ready today's inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States, least of all the residents and visitors in Washington D.C. The Swearing In begins at 11:30 a.m.: Vice President-elect Joseph Biden will be sworn in around 11:46 a.m. and Obama will be sworn in ten minutes later, according to the NY Times' cool interactive graphic showing the events—and schedule—happening tomorrow. more ›

It’s hard to guess how the Giants will play their game on Sunday against Minnesota, but last year’s season finale offers some clues. In that game the Giants had nothing to play for, having clinched a playoff spot the previous week, yet went toe-to-toe with the undefeated Patriots. Though they lost 38-35, most people see that game as the spark the impetus for their Super Bowl win. more ›

The Dow and the S&P 500 both closed down about 5% today in a day of heavy losses. The Dow was down 443 points and closed below 9,000 amidst fears of a prolonged recession that even superhero President-elect Obama may be not be able to turn around. "Everything is so dismal right now, it's just an endless flow of bad news and no one wants to buy," despaired equity trader Dave Rovelli, who could really benefit by reading today's heartwarming good news about the Starbucks wedding proposal! CNN reports that investors are fearful about tomorrow's big monthly jobs report. Also, too, October retail sales from the chain stores were mostly "abysmal," the housing market is still collapsing, and even the recent dip in gas prices has not improved consumer spending. "People are realizing that the recession is going to drag on until at least the end of 2009," Rovelli whines. LA LA LA LA Can't hear you, Rovelli! Starbucks wedding proposal! Doggie costumes! Sasha and Malia get a puppy! more ›

It was announced today that the upcoming Broadway revival of Guys and Dolls will star Gilmore Girls actress Lauren Graham! She'll be making her Broadway debut as Miss Adelaide, the fiancée of Nathan Detroit, to be played by Oliver Platt. The Frank Loesser musical originally debuted in 1950; it'll be back in February. In other Broadway casting news, Michael Cerveris and the Off Broadway favorite Paul Sparks have joined the cast of Christopher Shinn's "new interpretation" of Henrik Ibsen's Hedda Gabler at the Roundabout in January. Mary-Louise Parker will play the title role, with Cerveris as her boring husband and Sparks as his academic rival. Also, the less boldface casting was just announced for the anticipated revival of West Side Story in February. more ›

has 97 career shutouts. That is six shy of the record set by Terry Sawchuk. more ›

The exhaustive coverage of today's Red Hook Ikea opening here and elsewhere around the web was the inevitable climax of a perfect storm of storylines: Rough-edged neighborhood with a lot of history gets another turn in the spotlight – or are those cross hairs? Has Red Hook now sacrificed too much of the charm that made its sleepy waterfront streets so appealing to artists? Or is the arrival of big retail business just what the neighborhood needs to help the lower-income locals – whose streets are hardly sleepy – rise out of poverty? more ›

While shoppers' enthusiasm for the new Brooklyn Ikea has been well documented today, opinion was decidedly mixed among residents who skipped the festivities at the new 346,000 square foot store. Jennifer Cohen, a Red Hook resident for the last eight years, voiced the most common concern, that the neighborhood's streets and buses would be overly taxed by thousands of shoppers descending on the store, which is far from the subway. more ›

Six of the twenty-two acres of land that Ikea occupies in Red Hook have been turned into a park and waterfront esplanade, built by the big box retailer as a deal-sweetener for their wary neighbors. You don’t need to buy any Swedish meatballs to hang out by the water, and the free Water Taxi service arranged by Ikea might make it an appealing weekend destination in its own right. more ›

After nearly six years of controversy, construction, worry and anticipation, the first Ikea in New York City opened in Red Hook, Brooklyn this morning. By the time the doors opened at 9:00 a.m., hundreds of shoppers had gathered on line outside the popular Swedish retailer. A festive atmosphere prevailed without any of the community dissent that had threatened to stymie the project from the beginning. more ›

As the world waits in hushed anticipation for tomorrow morning’s grand opening of the Red Hook Ikea, many eager shoppers are agonizing over the best route in and out of the relatively inaccessible neighborhood. So Ikea has been making a big effort to lure customers and appease locals fretting about the traffic with some complimentary transportation alternatives:
• New York Water Taxi is operating free ferry service from Pier 11 in Manhattan directly to Ikea five times an hour through June 23rd, after which a somewhat less frequent schedule will be in effect.
• Ikea will be running free shuttle buses every 15 minutes from three subway stations: 4th Avenue/9th Street, Court Street/Borough Hall, and the Smith and 9th Street Station, which will unfortunately be closed for an extensive renovation at a time TBD.
• Two MTA buses, the B77 and B61, will stop directly in front of IKEA on Beard Street.

With the 346,000 square foot Ikea poised to open in Red Hook Wednesday morning, the Times fans out into the neighborhood to measure public opinion about the big Swedish store, which has come into being after vocal opposition from some local residents. The most commonly-voiced concern is about the traffic that will clog Red Hook’s streets; estimates vary from a few thousand visitors on weekdays to more than 14,000 cars a day on weekends. more ›

The repo man says business is booming in a Channel 11 news report about the rise and tide of auto repossession -- the segment even features a cameo by Lil' Kim! Seems the rapper fell behind on at least four payments and when she refused to give up the keys to the $250K car, it was loaded onto a flatbed truck. She gave the repo men (who say the car is "not hers") about the same respect she gave the reporters on her doorstep, who she told to "get the f--- outta here. You are so f---ing ridiculous." more ›

The charges have been dropped against the two men who were arrested for trying to cash a dead man’s $355 social security check. Back in January, David Daloia and James O'Hare made headlines with their foiled scheme to capitalize on O’Hare’s roommate’s death by pushing his corpse in an office chair up to a Pay-O-Matic check cashing joint in Hell’s Kitchen. They were arrested en route after a detective spotted the visibly deceased third man. more ›

Last year Mayor Bloomberg announced a $3 billion plan to seize 61 acres of the Willets Point district next to the forthcoming Citi Field in Queens through eminent domain, raze it, and construct 5,500 units of housing, a hotel, convention center and over 2 million square feet of office space, restaurants and retail shops. But business owners in the target zone have been fighting it, saying their ‘hood, dubbed the Iron Triangle for its chop shops and scrap yards, just needs repair, not total eradication. Sound familiar? more ›

Television coverage of Governor Spitzer's scandal has been relentless. From extra newscasts from most of the stations and WNET/ Thirteen's special Monday night report (the only one that seemed to gauge statewide reaction) to leading all the local newscasts, but the networks, local stations throughout the country and even the BBC World News. more ›