Thought Governor Eliot Spitzer and Senator Hilary Clinton appeared at a press conference to discuss health coverage of New York children, they had to answer questions about campaign donations they accepted from fugitive apparel executive Norman Hsu. Clinton received $23,000 from Hsu and announced that she would donate the money to charity after revelations that Hsu has been wanted in California for defrauding California investors since 1991. Hsu has fled to Hong Kong but......

There are lots of great stories about how couples meet. Kindergarten, the Peace Corps, a subway platform, by chance at a bar, you name it. But we love this Daily News story about how one couple met, because it appeals not only to the romantic in us, but to our respect for jury duty: Traci Nagy and Jonathan Cinkay met while serving on the same jury during a Queens murder trial. A fellow juror told......

Peace activist Cindy Sheehan was found guilty, along with three other women, of trespassing at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations. In March, Sheehan and three other women, Melissa Beattie, Susan Benjamin and Patricia Ackerman, were arrested after they tried to deliver a petition to Peggy Kerry (yes, sister of Senator John Kerry), who is the liaison for NGO's. Kerry refused to meet with them, believing their tactics, which included appearing with 100 members,......

The State of the Union Address was given by President Bush last night (text here). Gothamist decided to take a pass on watching, because we were worried about hurting the TVs. As far as we know, adjusting the payroll tax is not what the President wants to do with Social Security - he wants to make sure we work longer. Or something. And our country is confident blah blah blah. And forget about the Democratic......

New Yorkers were in a daze yesterday, after the long and steady stream of of election returns, electoral map math and finally news that Senator John Kerry conceded the election to President Bush. New Yorkers voted 2-to-1 in Kerry's favor, with Bush getting only 17% of the vote in Manhattan and the Bronx, though there were some who supported the President. The NY Times speaks with many people who marvel at the difference between New......

Senator John Kerry called President Bush to concede the election. Reports say Kerry will give a speech at 1PM this afternoon.......

'Tis the season for presidential endorsements. The city's paper of record, The New York Times, bestowed an endorsement of Senator John Kerry for President yesterday, describing him as a man with a "strong moral core" and "not just a modest improvement on the incumbent," closing with: We look back on the past four years with hearts nearly breaking, both for the lives unnecessarily lost and for the opportunities so casually wasted. Time and again,......

With the election just over 42 days away, President Bush and Senator John Kerry make their way to NYC today, for fundraisers and a piece of the media spotlight. Bush has fundraiser tonight at the Sheraton at 53rd and 7th Avenue tonight and will speaking at the UN General Assembly tomorrow; Kerry is speaking at NYU and has a fundraiser at the Hilton on 6th Avenue and 53rd Street after an appearance on Late Show......

Apparently, it's all the rage to have a manservant. The photograph of Marvin Nicholson, Senator John Kerry's chief of staff, in the Times today is kind of disturbing (check out Wonkette's take on the dynamic) and funny, and the article is kind of great, noting that Nicholson tried to re-attach a button to Kerry's clothes with a stapler. But the most telling quote was: "Here in Youngstown on Tuesday morning, as rain threatened an outdoor......

stereogum points to a fabulous prank by zug where adult John Hargrave posed as a 10 year-old boy, writing to U.S. Senators for their favorite jokes (click letter at right). The Senator Prank shows that Senator Ernest Hollings won't commit to a joke, that having someone write a handwritten response counts, and Senator Ben Nelson will share a sophisticated and unfunny Senator joke. Senator John Kerry sends in a joke too, and Senator Chuck......