Brooklyn College is joining the ranks of other New York academic establishments by adding a dorm next spring (something they've already started, and stopped, work on). The school has a little over 15,000 grads and undergrads, with about 99% hailing from New York and 77% from Brooklyn. The school hopes that by adding a dorm, some out-of-staters will flock to Midwood.
Brooklyn College Gets Residential
"Shots Fired!" Cop's 911 Call Played During Bell Trial
Undercover detective Hispolito Sanchez testified for a second day, with prosecutors playing the 911 call he made on November 25, 2006, the night police fatally fired at Sean Bell 50 times.
New York's Housewives Aren't Real or Iconic
Earlier this year Bravo announced their "Real Housewives" series would be moving from Orange County to The Big Apple. The show premieres tonight, and critics have already gone sour on it.
MoCADA Speaks Out About Controversial Exhibit
Yesterday, The Daily News printed an article that began, "A cop-bashing art exhibit at a taxpayer-funded museum in Brooklyn portrays the city's Finest as trigger-happy racists who have put bull's-eyes on the backs of black New Yorkers."
Driver, Others Arrested in Abandoned Baby Case
After the city was moved by the story of a baby abandoned in the backseat of a livery cab and how the driver dropped off the baby at a fire house, prompting the police and media to look for the baby's relatives, it turns out the livery cab driver was involved in the abandonment scheme. Driver Klever Sailema was arrested today, as were another man and woman. Oh, no.
Leap Year Lovers on Today
Nothing says romance like a public proposal in The Daily News. Marina Maiuri stood atop the Empire State Building (which is so "Sleepless in Seattle") to have her photo snapped by the paper on the observation deck; but she wasn't looking for love, she was looking to propose.
Subway, Bus Fare Hikes in Effect on March 2 (Sunday!)
The MTA's various fare hikes are starting to go into effect next month (aka tomorrow). Tomorrow, Long Island Railroad and Metro-North fares are going up. Bridge and tunnel tolls are going up on March 16. And the doozy will be the NYC Transit subway and bus fare hikes which go into effect on Sunday, March 2. Expect tons of confused riders and weary MTA workers on Monday and for the next few weeks.
Bloomberg Should Still Take White House, Says News
Tabloid reaction to Mayor Bloomberg’s announcement that he will not run for president is the usual study in contrasts. The Daily News’s Josh Greenman and editorial board haven’t missed a beat and are already clamoring for Vice President Bloomberg. Grossman says Bloomberg would be the perfect complement to an Obama candidacy by inspiring confidence with his unstoppable financial skills.
Pols, Wannabe Pols Get Ready for 2009 Election
Sure, the 2008 election is exciting, but hundreds of candidates are expected to run for city office next year.
Oscar Night 2008: Liveblogging the Academy Awards
At 8:30PM (following a half-hour red carpet special), the 80th Annual Academy Awards ceremony will begin, finally putting an end to the "There Will Be Oscar" or "Oscar Country for Old Men" type headlines.
Sketch of Midtown Robbery Suspect Released
The police have released a sketch of the suspect who attacked and robbed a man of $149,000 in cash on West 56th Street on Friday. The incident, which occurred around 2PM, scared Midtown pedestrians as a shot was fired. But in spite of the number of witnesses, the suspect got away.
11 Days Earlier, Doctor Said Shrink Killer "Did Not Require Further Psychiatric Treatment"
Fingers are being pointed at a Queens psychiatrist who allowed David Tarloff to be released 10 days before he killed an Upper East Side psychologist and attacked another. Tarloff had been arrested after assaulting a security guard at St. John's Episcopal Hospital, and police say Dr. Reddy Bezwada's evaluation read, "The individual does not require further psychiatric treatment at this time."
Map of the Day: Stop and Frisks on the Subway
The Daily News put together a map detailing the number of stop-and-frisks on the subway - and the racial breakdown of these stop-and-frisks. As the accompanying article makes clear (as well as interviews with people who have been stopped - 1, 2) how cops can stop anyone , though black and Hispanic riders make up about half of the subway riding population, 88% percent of the people stopped are black or Hispanic. The NYPD told the News, "Subway crime is down, in part, because of stops. Officers make stops based on reasonable suspicion, and the numbers reflect the times, places and circumstances where those observations take place."
Subway Cat Georgia Is On The Mend
Georgia, the runaway subway cat rescued by a Con Ed meter reader and two determined MTA track workers, is resting up not just from her 25 days in the subway tunnels, but from surgery yesterday to repair a fractured leg. The doctors at Fifth Avenue Veterinary Specialists waited until yesterday to perform the surgery because Georgia was dehydrated at the time of her rescue and they wanted her stabilized before they performed the procedure.
Fake Cabbie Arrested, One Victim Speaks Out
The man who attacked two women this weekend after picking them up under the guise of being a legit livery cab driver has been arrested. One of Torkieh Sadagheh's victims, Monica Maneiro of Morningside Heights, hailed his car after getting off work at Scores strip club on Saturday night; the 23-year-old recounts what happened next:
"Out of nowhere he just stopped the cab and jumped in the back seat. He grabbed me and had his hand over my face. When he was trying to restrain me I was just trying to calm him down. I didn't really fight back too much because if I would have he probably would have gotten more upset. So what I did was I was just trying to calm him down. I was trying to open the door at the same time without him seeing."The two fell out of the car when the door opened and when she saw a real cab coming by she got in, memorized Sadagheh's plate number and called the police. Just 30 minutes later Sadagheh struck again, but this time his victim, another 23-year-old, was not able to escape. After he raped the her she took down his plate number as well, linking up the two attacks.
Fake Cabbie/Real Rapist Behind L.E.S. Rapes Caught
Late last year a cabbie (or rather, fake livery cab driver) had been targeting young women outside of The Box on Chrystie Street. After two reported rapes, those heading to and from the club were on guard. Finally, now a suspect has been caught and confessed...and the ladies of New York have a Scores stripper to thank for it.
Parade of Pups at Madison Square Garden
It's that time of year again - the Westminster Kennel Club will be naming the Best in Show dog tonight. Today is day two (of two) of the Westminster Kennel Club's 132nd Dog show, and the best in group for the sporting, working and toy groups will be determined. Those dogs will face off against the winners of the herding (an Australian Shepherd), non-sporting (a standard poodle), terrier (a Sealhyam Terrier), and the hound (a beagle) groups.
Cupid Cabbie Cures NYC's Lonely Hearts
His record is pretty impressive, he's organized 70 "real dates," 19 of which turned into relationships that lasted over a year. The numbers could be higher but Ibrahim is selective on who he sets up.
He listens to their conversations, asks them a few questions and then, if he thinks they are suitable, explains his matchmaking services and asks for their number and e-mail.more ›
Victims' Relatives Welcome Charges Against 9/11 Plotters
The announcement that six detainees in Guantanamo would be charged and tried for the September 11, 2001 attacks was welcomed by a number of parties, including the families of people who died on September 11. However, some would like to see a trial in New York and not in Gitmo.
New York Gyms are Nasty
Not only are New York gyms poorly run, but the establishments that are supposed to make you healthier are doing the opposite. The Daily News reports on the germ-ridden gyms of the city in a fairly unsurprising article.
Diversity Not "In" at Fashion Week
Before the first model walked down the runway, Naomi Campbell spoke out about the lack of minorities at this year's Fashion Week. The Daily News follows up on her initial accusation as the tents emptied out this weekend, saying that "a campaign to promote diversity on the runways during New York's Fashion Week appears to have failed miserably."
Transgender Hooker Murdered by Unhappy Customer
The Daily News reports that a Bronx prostitute was killed by a john. The suspected killer reportedly didn't realize the prostitute was a transgender woman. Talib Stewart, also known as Nesha and Sanesha, was stabbed in a Belmont apartment building, and the 37-year-old killer was apprehended there as well.
Gambino Family Goes Down in Feds' Mafia Sweep
Sixty-two men associated with the Gambino, Genovese and Bonanno crime families were arrested yesterday in a federal, state and local coordinated sweep in the New York region. A number of Gambino-related arrests were also made in Italy, and authorities have described this as the biggest mob bust in decades. Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Benton Campbell said, "Our goal is and always has been simple: to dismantle the Gambino organized-crime family in a coordinated and consistent fashion."
While Crossing Delancey, Woman Fatally Struck by SUV
Late Wednesday night, an 82-year-old woman crossing Delancey Street at Allen was fatally hit by an SUV driver. The driver, who was traveling west on Delancey, stayed on the scene was not charged with a crime.
Women Raped in Brooklyn, Manhattan
The Daily News reports that two separate incidents of women being raped by strangers yesterday morning. One incident occurred around 7AM, when a NJ woman headed to a Spanish Harlem building where she works as a baby-sitter. The woman was "grabbed," "dragged" and raped in the elevator. Police are not sure if she was followed (she had taken the 6 train to 103rd Street).
Race Mentioned as an Issue in Mt. Vernon Cop Killing
Although Rev. Al Sharpton appeared with officer Christopher Ridley's family after the Mt. Vernon cop's death, advising people not to rush to judgment, questions about the shooting are turning in the direction of race and societal divisions. The Friday night shooting occurred when Ridley, off-duty police officer, tried to stop a fight and Westchester police shot at him.
Father Remembers Heath Ledger "With His Skateboard, a Canvas Bag and His Beanie"
Last night, the G'Day USA Australia Ball was held at the Waldorf Astoria hotel, concluding Australia Week festivities. But the week held sadness, after Australian actor Heath Ledger was found dead in his Soho apartment on Tuesday. At the ball, Australian Counsel-General John Olsen read an unexpected letter from Ledger's father Kim:
"Heath is, and always will be, an Australian.more ›
Urban Legend In The Making: The ESB Dead Zone
The Daily News has an entertaining story today about the possibility of the five-block radius surrounding the Empire State Building becoming a sort of Bermuda Triangle for cars. Apparently, a number of cars have to be towed from that area every day, which makes people suspicious. The common denominator: the ESB.
“We get about 10 to 15 cars stuck near there every day,” said Isaac Leviev, manager of Citywide Towing, the AAA’s exclusive roadside assistance provider from 42nd St. to the Battery. “You pull the car four or five blocks to the west or east and the car starts right up.”The News reports that people suspect that it's the presence of the multitude of radio and tv transmitters on the building's 203-foot spire. Phantom radio waves are suspected of jamming key-less locking systems and automotive disabling security systems. A local doorman says he sees it all the time and calls it the "Empire State Building Effect."
Subprime Meltdown Hits Brooklyn the Hardest
According to The Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the 11233 zip code that encompasses Bedford-Stuyvesant and Crown Heights had the highest foreclosure rates for subprime mortgages in the entire nation in October. More than one in four people, or 25.2%, with subprime loans in the zip code lost their homes to foreclosure. That's almost four times the national average of 6.9%.

