NJ Governor Chris Christie has a farewell message for outgoing NY Governor David Paterson. Okay, it's more of a F-U: Discussing how he will not allow the Tappan Zee Bridge to be added to the Port Authority, Christie said, "I can't make this any clearer to New York than this: stop screwing with us. You're not going to come and pick our pockets. New Jersey is not going to permit it anymore." more ›

Lest you think NJ has all the good vanity license plates, a reader sent in the above picture with this tip: "Lamborghini Countach driving up the west side highway in NYC Sunday a.m." Checkmate, Jersey. But hey, you can always disavow vanity license plates just like you disavowed the "low-lifes" of the Jersey Shore. And don't worry, you'll always have Bruce Springsteen, Jim McGreevey, cheap gas and classy bears! more ›

A recent nationwide round-up of metropolitan commutes placed NYC's sort of near the top of the list, at sixth place. But of the area's highways and byways, the Cross Bronx Expressway is a standout for congestion, reported the Daily Beast. “There’s an old phrase that we used to have: too many cars and not enough roadway, and that fits the Cross Bronx to a T,” said Tom Kaminski, traffic reporter for WCBS 880. “There’s no room to expand, there’s no way to throw in an additional lane or an additional shoulder—people have started changing their driving habits whenever they can.” more ›

New Jersey voted yes to medical marijuana for those suffering from chronic illnesses this week, but promised to make laws governing the drug the least chill in the nation. This means no home growing, no driving high and no more than two ounces per month. The marijuana will only be available at state-regulated dispensaries, which may be expensive to open and operate. With the red tape piling up, will all these restrictions keep weed from those in need? more ›

Five-term Connecticut Democrat Chris Dodd is holding a press conference today to announce his decision not to seek re-election. Dodd's exit highlights the challenges Democrats face winning votes from amnesiac Americans blaming them for the Bush administration's wreckage. But Dodd was facing a tough re-election battle against a super-rich Republican named Linda McMahon, and Democratic party insiders had privately hoped he would step aside. The state’s highly popular attorney general, Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat, is expected to run, the Times reports. But Dodd isn't the only Democrat calling it quits. more ›

Have some Kleenex handy; grotesque demagogue Rush Limbaugh announced this week that he's turning his back on New York City because of "ridiculous" income tax increases on those who make over $500,000. Though Limbaugh's presence in New York is minimal—he only uses his Fifth Avenue penthouse to take refuge from hurricanes in Florida—the news of his withdrawal came as a relief to many New Yorkers, including Governor Paterson. Asked about Limbaugh's decision this morning, Paterson told reporters, "If I knew that would be the result, I would’ve thought about the taxes earlier." more ›

One of the best reasons to check out newly opened restaurants is that eateries still awaiting liquor license approval often let patrons bring their own bottles of wine and beer at no charge. But now here comes the State Liquor Authority to throw a wet blanket on the custom; SLA Commissioner Jeanique Greene (remember her?) says next week the agency will begin holding seminars for restaurant owners to remind them, among other things, that the practice is illegal. Unless a restaurant seats less than 20 diners, BYOB is prohibited, and Greene tells Crain's that if a new restaurant is applying for a liquor license, the owner is taking a big risk by letting diners drink: "We would look negatively at that." And Scott Wexler, executive director of the Empire State Restaurant & Tavern Association, reveals that the biggest whiners about BYOB restaurants are other restaurant owners with liquor licenses: "They feel it’s an unfair advantage or competition." more ›

The gripping saga of the giant truffle that came to New York City from Italy with stars in its eyes has come to a modest end in the Second City. After being jerked around by just about every hot shot restaurateur in town, the massive 2.15 lbs white truffle packed its bags and set sights on Chicago, where the Four Seasons decided to give the kid a shot. Tyler Gray, the truffle's business manager, tells us he inked a contract last week for "our regular price for large truffles, $3,200 per pound." We hear the talented tuber is really making a go of it over there, and was recently spotted canoodling with Oprah Winfrey's noodles. more ›

Oh, remember how this time last year Le Cirque owner Sirio Maccioni thought nothing of dropping $7,000 on a 1.1 pound white truffle? Those were the days. Now, with Wall Street rapidly turning into Skid Row, it's hard out there for a truffle. more ›

You'll recall how excited everyone was—EVERYONE—last October when Le Cirque owner Sirio Maccioni bought a "perfectly round, pristine" 1.1 pound white truffle for $7,000. Child's play! Behold the 2.15 lbs white truffle that has just arrived on our shores from Alba, Italy. It's been acquired by Mikuni Wild Harvest, whose representative Tyler Gray writes:

A very excited Italian gentleman named Francesco the Forager stumbled / sprinted out of the forest mid afternoon in a haze of deliria and joy, grasping tightly to his most precious find ever...a 2LB WHITE ALBA TRUFFLE....2.15 lbs to be exact & by far the largest White Truffle to land in the USA in the last 3 years. more ›

Frank Bruni, the senior restaurant critic at the most influential paper in America, has submitted to a loooong Q&A from Times readers. Some fun revelations: His biggest tab was probably at Per Se, somewhere in the neighborhood of $1,300 for a party of four. He says there was "a Jeopardy answer/question thingie that said something like, 'Frank Bruni spends $325,000 annually on his beat.'" Not true; it's way less than that. He eats out at least six nights a week, and on the rare occasion he eats at home, Bruni orders a "messy, sloppy, undistinguished Chinese delivery. There's nothing as thrilling as refined, accomplished, superbly prepared food. But there's also fun in uneventful food." Also, "some restaurants are so ludicrously loud that no more than 15 percent of their customers could possibly want it that way, and the servers must be in aural and vocal and psychic agony by night’s end." more ›

In two hours, the state of California will start issuing licenses for same-sex marriages. more ›

The California Supreme Court struck down the gay marriage ban and legalized gay marriage. The decision will go into effect in 30 days. more ›

The Gray Lady slums it out to far East Williamsburg to report on the hipster bohemian squalor of the sprawling McKibbin Street “dorms;” two hulking buildings converted from garment factories to lofts in the late nineties by a trio of savvy Stuyvesant alums. It’s since become a filthy, bed-bug ravaged rite of passage for the young DIY arts set, who pile on top of each other in warren-like lofts more crowded than one of Dan Deacon’s dance-a-thons. more ›

NJ Governor Jon Corzine spoke out against NYC's congestion pricing plan, citing the Port Authority's proposed $1 billion worth of involvement to sweeten the deal. more ›

Today the alternative weekly New York Press announced the resignation of their new sex columnist, Claudia Lonow, after her debut column – and the cover story, no less – was found to have used some questions from old Dan Savage advice columns. The answers were her own, but, as Jezebel discovered, not questions like the one seeking advice about [paraphrasing] ‘what to do when you walk in on your girlfriend canoodling with her noticeably erect brother?’ more ›