Douglas Kennedy was in court yesterday for a session about harassment and child endangerment charges stemming from when he fought with maternity ward nurses over his newborn baby. Kennedy, who insists that the nurses were the aggressors, said to reporters, "My father was taken away from me when I was a baby. The only thing I wanted to do that night was to be with my son and hold him in my arms." That's right, he invoked his father's assassination. more ›

The fight between Douglas Kennedy and the maternity ward nurses at Northern Westchester Hospital continues, though without the apparent physical confrontation. Kennedy, the youngest son of Robert F. and Ethel Kennedy, claims that he had permission to take his two-day-old baby for a walk outside the hospital (the newborn was not yet discharged) but the nurses claim that no supervising nurse signed off on the jaunt. And now the hospital is supporting the nurses. more ›

After the revelation that Douglas Kennedy, youngest son of Robert F. and Ethel Kennedy, was charged with harassment and child endangerment after an apparent confrontation with maternity ward nurses, the husband of the nurse allegedly kicked in the crotch spoke out to the Daily News, "Her comment to me that night was, ‘I was assaulted tonight and could you believe it, it was a Kennedy who did it?'" more ›

The youngest son of Robert F. Kennedy was arrested last month after an altercation with maternity nurses at the Westchester hospital where his wife had just a baby boy. NBC New York reports, "Douglas Kennedy, 44, took his baby from the newborn unit of Northern Westchester Hospital on Jan. 7, against the instructions of hospital staff who told him the infant needed to stay there. Kennedy was quietly arraigned on misdemeanor charges"— harassment and endangering the welfare of a child—"Thursday night." more ›

Yesterday, the Triborough Bridge was renamed the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge to honor former Attorney General and Senator from New York. Former president Bill Clinton, Mayor Bloomberg and Governor David Paterson joined RFK's children and widow, Ethel Kennedy, for the event. Paterson said, "Robert F. Kennedy was a champion of social justice and human rights and his spirit is kept alive by his family’s continued commitment to those causes. I am particularly pleased to have had the opportunity to sign this bill into law, making possible the renaming of the Triborough Bridge as the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge, which is a fitting tribute to the man and his legacy.” The idea was proposed earlier this year by former governor Eliot Spitzer. more ›

Finally, the day has arrived...at a ceremony this morning the Triborough Bridge will officially become the Robert F. Kennedy bridge, one day before what would have been his 83rd birthday. Former President Bill Clinton, Governor David Paterson, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Kennedy's widow, Ethel, are all expected to be on hand at the official dedication, taking place at Astoria Park in Queens. After the signs are up and formalities are done with, will anyone actually call it the RFK? Even Google is still calling it the Triborough. Newsday reminds us that the (ironic and expensive) "renaming of the bridge was the brainchild of former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer." Enough said? more ›

There's been many opinions tossed around regarding the name change of the Triborough Bridge to the Robert F. Kennedy bridge, but like it or not it's all goin' down on November 19th. NYMag notes that there's a bit of irony surrounding the change, however, saying "there’s no reason to think Kennedy, an environmentalist before his time, would have wanted his name associated with the notorious bottleneck site." Columbia University's Kenneth T. Jackson says, "with the MTA facing a billion-dollar deficit, I think Bobby Kennedy would be calling for us to find ways to save the planet and run more buses and subways rather than spend money to change signage." Maybe that's all just more opinion, but he goes on to say that RFK "believed, appropriately, that cars didn’t belong in New York." Even RFK, Jr. agrees that there's some irony surrounding the naming, but says his father would have appreciated the honor nonetheless. The $4 million honor. more ›

In January former Governor Spitzer addressed the idea of former New York senator Robert F. Kennedy claiming name to the Triborough Bridge. It immediately rose questions about RFK's carpetbagger status, and his importance (or lack thereof) to New York's history. more ›

Earlier this month we tried to look at the Triborough Bridge as the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge when Governor Spitzer brought the name change up for consideration. While RFK supporters toss around the obvious "he built bridges" metaphor, The NY Times would like to point out that he also burned them. They suggest that the city stop looking for big names to attach to their structures and streets, and instead look at who built them. As such, they nominate Andrew Haswell Green, "a giant of 19th century urban planning who has been almost entirely forgotten." Since he's not in the running yet, it looks like we're left with a yay or nay vote, so what do you think? more ›

Would a bridge by any other name, bring you to JFK Airport just as smoothly as the Triborough? In all likelihood, yes, but the big question here is should it be renamed after JFK's younger brother, former New York senator Robert F. Kennedy. more ›