Results tagged “thewashingtonpost”

Top aides with the Giuliani for President campaign are declining January paychecks, while insisting that it's not because the former Mayor's organization is strapped for cash. Rudy Giuliani is currently stumping in Florida after very lackluster performances in the Iowa and New Hampshire primaries. Iowa was not a surprise; Giuliani had written off the midwestern state as a poor use of time and resources. A very poor performance in New Hampshire had to have been a blow to his campaign though, as he campaigned extensively in the Granite State, although in fits and starts, which may have turned voters off.

Rudy Giuliani's good financial fortune derived from the formation of Giuliani Partners is leading to political misfortune, as yet another piece of lucrative business he conducted in the private sector has come back to haunt his candidacy. Recently, his involvement with Purdue Pharma--the producers of the painkiller OxyContin--has come under scrutiny.

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a shooting on Flatbush Ave. in Brooklyn, a high-angle rescue on West 18th St., in Manhattan, and a multi-vehicle accident on Farmers Blvd. and the South Conduit in Queens.
• Hoboken mayor David Roberts was apparently prescient to ask how many stops his SWAT team made on the trip back north--fearing more embarrassing photos of his police force as they returned from relief efforts after hurricane Katrina. Additional pictures of misbehavior have surfaced, this time featuring the town's police chief cavorting in Louisiana.
• Brooklyn native and former heavyweight boxing champ Mike Tyson was sentenced in an Arizona court to 24 hours in jail and three years probation for drug possession and DUI.
• The 2nd Ave. subway got a boost from $1.7 billion in federal funding earmarked for the project over the next seven years.
• New Yorkers aren't just cooler and better looking than the rest of the country, they make a lot more money. The average Manhattanite made more than $2,800 a week in the first quarter of this year.
• Former mayor Rudy Giuliani recommended securing the U.S.-Mexico border via a "virtual" system that would alert authorities of crossings.
• The Washington Post has a guide on how to get to NYC that includes more than "practice, practice, practice." It could be valuable for people wanting to get back to NYC.
• A very helpful guide to long- and short-distance runs in Brooklyn from the Brooklyn Road Runners Club.

Rudy Giuliani has a new 1-minute ad proclaiming his credentials to run the country by way of his leadership in NYC. A full transcript of the ad is after the jump but the gist is that Giuilani turned New York City from an "unmanageable, ungovernable" economically depressed crime-ridden hellhole into "the safest large city in America," "the best example of conservative government in the country." Interestingly enough, there's no mention of 9/11. And at...

Hundreds of Virginia Tech alumni, NYU students and other New Yorkers gathered for a candlelight vigil in Washington Square Park last night. Rabbi Yehuda Sarna, who had traveled to Virginia Tech earlier in the week, brought back a candle from a vigil there and used it to light candles last night. And today, many people are also wearing orange and maroon, Virginia Tech's colors, for "Orange and Maroon Effect" day to show support for the school.

Yesterday, NBC News revealed that Virginia Tech shooting gunman Cho Seung-Hiu sent them a package of photographs, writings, and video - a "multimedia manifesto." The network turned over the materials to the authorities but also shared the package's contents during the evening news last night and on its website.

With March Madness behind us and baseball upon us (Mets' home opener in progress!), a smoothing transition between basketball and baseball is necessary: like beer bracketology. The Washington Post conducted a tournament of head-to-head, single elimination, blind taste tastings over four weeks, in order to distinguish one beer above all other contestants as an MVB.

It's been a tough week for Bernie Kerik. The former NYPD commissioner who had his bid to head up Homeland Security unceremoniously thwarted in 2004 amid allegations of shady dealings is now facing serious federal charges. The Washington Post reports today that federal prosecutors have informed Kerik that he is likely to be charged with multiple felonies, including tax evasion and conspiracy to commit wiretapping. This comes two weeks after Kerik refused a plea deal offered by prosecutors that would have required the former police commissioner to serve some time in prison. The wiretapping charge stems from an incident that would seem to straddle the categories Very Dumb and Plain Crazy, when Kerik and Westchester County District Attorney Jeanine Pirro were overheard planning to wiretap Pirro's husband in order to catch him engaging in an extramarital affair. Ironically, this conversation took place over a line that federal law enforcement had legally wiretapped.

After two days of deliberations, a federal jury sentenced Ronell Wilson to death for the 2003 killings of undercover detectives James Nemorin and Rodney Andrews. When the verdict was read, Wilson rolled his eyes and stuck his tongue out at Nemorin's widow Rose. This is the first death penalty sentence for a federal case in NY State in over 50 years.

Well-known radical lawyer Lynne Stewart was sentenced today to 28 months in prison. In February 2005, she found guilty of terror charges - she had smuggled messages from terrorist Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman to his followers in defiance of prison rules. Stewart had been pleading for leniency, as she was diagnosed with breast cancer last year, and before the sentencing, Stewart's lawyer Elizabeth Fink said, "If you send her to prison, she's going to die. It's as simple as that." The AP reported that Stewart smiled when she heard 28 month sentence; she had faced a maximum of 30 years in prison. The NY Times mentions that Judge Koetl acknowledged that there was "'no evidence that any victim was in fact harmed' by her actions" and noted her career as a "lawyer to the poor and the unpopular." Stewart will be appealing.

As we sat down to write this week's Best of the -ists post, a car blaring "21 Questions'" passed by our house. And that started us thinking about how some of the best -ist posts out there have at their hearts questions, some of which are answered, and some of which are left open. Check out the Best of the -ists from this week, and see if you agree.

- This weekend the Central Park Zoo, which just got a new curator, had its 15 millionth visitor!

Brooklyn's own Senator Charles Schumer is supporting the effort to eliminate foreign ethanol tariffs to alleviate rising gas prices. While gas prices would only be lowered by 8 cents if it went through, he said, "But with prices as high as they are, every nickel helps." That's true, but if you can't even find a gas station, then you're using up gas to find one. The Washington Post problem of 830,000 cars and only 54 gas stations in Manhattan, as gas stations are going bye-bye as the land is snapped up by developers. The city's planning office is looking at ways to make sure gas stations can remain, such as special zoning for gas stations and repair shops. Hmm, might a gas station be deemed a landmark at a point?

Phillyist notes a fistfight between local pols that leaves one man down for the count. Jehovah's Witnesses get a Philly contributor out of bed, things get a little geeky with a film festival and geeky gets taken to a whole new galaxy when they talk with the Dragon Queen of the Dark Kingdom.

Marcia Baczynski and REiD MiHalko, Cuddle Party Founders

Gothamist was a little upset today when we opened our New York Times to see sumo wrestlers. No, we weren't upset with their massive bellies, but with the fact that they were in Las Vegas and not here in New York. It was the first time the Grand Sumo Championships were staged in the US in 20 years. The Times reports over 25,000 fans took in the three day competition, but we think New York could do better. Why not have them compete in the "world's most famous arena," where American wrestling legends like the Ultimate Warrior and Hulk Hogan "competed."

The Washington Post had an article about Miers earlier this summer: "low-key but high-precision style." And in other Supreme Court news, Justice Antonin Scalia will lead next Monday's Columbus Day Parade here in NYC; Scalia was born in Queens.

William Hubbs Rehnquist, the 16th chief justice of the United States Supreme Court, died last night of thyroid cancer. He was 80. While his death does not come as a huge surprise, he has been visibly ailing for months now, that he died days before confirmation hearings begin for John Roberts does turn things around a bit. Rehnquist, who was appointed to the court in 1971 by Richard Nixon, was made Chief Justice in 1986. He oversaw some major decisions in his court, ranging from flag burning (Texas v. Johnson) to election recounts (Bush v. Gore). The Washington Post has a good breakdown of his key decisions. In fact, the obits are already pouring in, so rather than regurgitate them, we'll just point you in their direction.

Jessica Cutler, ex-blogger, author, The Washingtonienne

Though it was the Washington Post's biggest story, the NY media suckerpunched the Post by running the revelation that former FBI No. 2 man, Mark Felt, was Deep Throat, the shadowy informant who helped reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein reveal the Watergate scandal. Felt, now 91, confessed after the urging of his family, catching Woodward and Bernstein off-guard (Woodstein probably were probably planning a book to be published as soon at Felt died). Gothamist, who had been obsessed with wondering who Deep Throat was, thanks to American History classes and Alan Pakula's brilliant depiction of the Washington Post's investigation in All the President's Men, loves this story and has been reading all we can about it: Here's coverage from the Washington Post and the NY Times, plus the NY Post's and NY Daily News's excited coverage.

Susan Shapiro, author, Lighting Up and Five Men Who Broke My Heart: A Memoir

The game may have been bad, but it was nowhere as bad as the game they had against the Blazers earlier this season. On the bright side, Jason Kidd, who has been out since off-season surgery, is scheduled to practice Friday and may play as soon as Saturday. It could serve as a much spark for the Nets, but the wise Richard Jefferson said, "Just because it's close to happening, Jason's not going to solve all our problems. We still have a lot of problems on this team we need to fix."

Today, the President goes to the U.N. amidst Secretary General Kofi Annan's claim that the war in Iraq is illegal. The Washington Post says the President is looking for a bounce; a former Reagan official says it's a "great visual" for Bush, as the other world delegates will applaud (not boo) "because they're well-mannered folks." And Senator Kerry was at Late Show with David Letterman last night; check here for a clip and the top ten list. And Kerry was walking around Midtown because his car was stuck in traffic (traffic he and the President probably caused); Gothamist liked this photo of him in front of "The Phantom of Broadway" sign.

For our money, we're enjoying the pictures of Ron Reagan, who interviewed Michael Moore, taking the future of America on a pub crawl, via MSNBC's Hardblogger. Gothamist is sure someone is live-blogging the convention. Also, since Gothamist thinks it's going to be a little slow in NY, news-wise, for the next month, as everyone gears up for the Republican National Convention, so expect more posts on animals!

My Life is #1 on Amazon. More on William J. Clinton Jr. at his official site, where you can see video of his remarks at the Chicago Book Expo. And Clinton was on 60 Minutes last night and is on the cover of Time magazine.

In NY, the network airs on WLIB 1190AM (LA: KBLA 180AM; Chicago: WNTD 950AM). The Washington Post's Howard Kurtz looked at Air America a few weeks ago. Jeff Jarvis has been listening and says, "." Well, the station probably doesn't want to be confused with Air America, the airplane pilot "comedy" with Mel Gibson and Robert Downey Jr.

Another sad thing is the Gray's wife, Kathleen Russo, found out about the body that had been found near the North 10th Street Pier off Greenpoint only when an AP writer contacted her. Then, she learned that the medical examiner's office confirmed the body was Gray's by watching the news. "It's just horrible," Vass said. "The whole thing is just dreadful. There's just so much upset in all of this and so much sadness."

The Washington Post has more details on pandas. Check out Cow Parade NY and D.C.'s old art public art project, Party Animals.

Books: Interpreting dreams book, books of Arabic poetry, Crime & Punishment

The Washington Post had a field day when White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan told the White House press corps, "Good morning. The president had his usual briefings this morning and just recently completed an interview with the Sun, for a discussion of his upcoming visit to the United Kingdom." Yes, THE SUN, Gothamist's favorite British tabloid, which is where we find out everything we want to know about Kylie, Liam, Posh'n'Becks, Sadie'n'Jude, Chris'n'Gwyneth, Madge'n'Guy... The WP's Dana Milbank reports that a British reporter of a reputable journalistic outlet asked McClellan, "Just to clarify, why has the president chosen to do an interview with the Sun? It's a newspaper which publishes daily pictures of topless women." After detailing the Sun's bread and butter (not just naked ladies - there are stories about natives eating someone's ancestor and "German saboteurs plotted to bomb Palace with peas in WW2"), Milbank notes McClellan's answer, "It has a large readership." Notably, Bush hasn't given one-on-one interviews to publications like the NY Times, WSJ, Washington Post, Time or Newsweek this year (and hasn't given solo interviews to LA Times, Chicago Tribune, and Boston Globe ever). Hypothesis: Rupert Murdoch is a billionaire, The Sun-owning media baron and Bush is running for re-election next year. Ta-da, Bush interviews with Trevor Kavanagh.