• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: an unstable building on 41st Ave. in Queens, a pedestrian struck on 33rd St. and 8th Ave. in Manhattan, and a double stabbing on East 188th St. and Webster Ave. in the Bronx.
• The New York Post flew a Jessica Simpson lookalike to Dallas and got her seats behind the Cowboys' bench in an effort to distract Dallas quarterback Tony Romo.
• Has anyone lost a camera in a cab lately? Recognize any of the people pictured? An interesting version of Lost & Found

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a bank robbery on 1st Ave. in Manhattan, a possible abduction at 183rd St. and Webster Ave. in the Bronx, and a homicide on Cedarcroft Rd. and Home St. in Queens.
• A student at Stony Brook University was arrested for falsely reporting to police that he had been robbed at knife point on the Suffolk County school's campus.
• The newborn found by skateboarding teens on a Queens dumpster has been found a foster home for Christmas by the Administration for Children's Services. 'Christina Noel' was three hours old when discovered naked and stuffed in a paper bag with her umbilical cord still attached.
• Former State Attorney General and current Governor Eliot Spitzer issued the first pardon of his tenure in order to prevent the deportation of a man who was convicted and served time for robbing a payroll office. Gov. Pataki only issued one pardon his entire 12 years in office, and that was to comedian Lenny Bruce, after Bruce was dead.
• A stenographer reading back testimony in the case of a black man accused of killing a teenager he feared was going to lynch him or his son, had to leave a court room in tears. Deliberations in the racially charged trial continue with the jury saying it is deadlocked and the judge is threatening to to hold over the 12 through Christmas day.
• Dozens of buildings have to be re-inspected because city officials found that there were cracks in a pair of plumbers' resumes. The two men overstated their qualifications to install life-saving sprinkler systems.
• Profits may be down because of the sub-prime mortgage meltdown (excluding Goldman Sachs) and investment firm stocks may be in the toilet, but Wall St. bonuses are up 14% from last year. Bear Stearns CEO Jim Cayne didn't even bother showing up for an investor conference call, however, after he gave up his bonus for the firm's not-so-hot performance.
• The lawyer who is auctioning off one of the Knight Rider cars identified as KITT, suspended the auction because he found the interest overwhelming. Tasked with ameliorating the car's owner's debts, it was his first foray with eBay.

Two veteran detectives, Daniel Rivera and William Gonzalez (both 41 years old), were grazed by gunfire early this morning. One detective was wounded in the forehead and the other in the leg, during a shootout in the East Tremont section of the Bronx at Webster Ave. and 188th St. around 5:30 a.m. The two cops were in the process of serving an arrest warrant to 20-year-old Jermaine Taylor for questioning related to a Bronx bodega shooting. In the course of serving that warrant, gunfire was exchanged, the detectives were grazed, and Taylor was seriously wounded. more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: a double shooting on Webster Ave. in the Bronx, fatal person under a 4 train at 125th St. and Lexington Ave. in Manhattan, and a pedestrian struck at East 17th St. and Ave. I in Brooklyn.
• Conspiracy theorist/media activist Alex Jones was arrested Saturday night while addressing a crowd with a bullhorn in front of the Fox News studio in Manhattan. Jones is the head of a group who believes that the U.S. government planned the 9/11 attacks.
• The City shut down three adjacent and illegal hostels operating out of single resident occupancy buildings. The owners were charging $50 to $150 a night for rooms to European visitors, who would keep the legitimate permanent residents up at night with their revelry.
• Neighbors get restive over the absence of the four-faced clock atop the Williamsburg Savings Bank in Brooklyn, even if it did often give the wrong time.
• Have you finalized a divorce recently and are unsure what to do with that wedding ring? How about a nice miniature casket to symbolize your dead marriage.
• The city has launched a website called 9/11 Health to track the health effects of exposure to the World Trade Center site following its collapse. It also has links to health providers, financial aid providers, social services, and environmental groups.
• Streetsblog looks at what auto organization AAA has to say about pedestrian safety.
• Hotel Chelsea déjà vu: longtime haven for artists, The Breslin Hotel on Broadway near 28th St. is being converted to a luxury hotel.

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: an escaped prsioner at East Fordham Rd. and Webster Ave. in the Bronx, a gas leak on Main St. in Queens, and a pedestrian struck on East 55th St. and 2nd Ave. in Manhattan.
• FEMA toured parts of Staten Island to determine if any homeowners were entitled to federal aid following last week's tornado and torrential rainstorms.
• Mayor Bloomberg shared some tips on how to be more environmentally friendly in his radio address today. The city is forming a partnership with G.E. and ConEd to make compact flourescent bulbs more affordable.
• A man is hospitalized in stable condition today after being shot by police in Brooklyn. Police officers were flagged down and had their attention directed to a gun-wielding man shooting at a group of people before firing at the cops.
• DUMBO residents are objecting to a planned development that could block views of the Brooklyn Bridge. The 7- to 16-story apartment house would include retail stores and a middle school.
• U.S. Senator from NY Chuck Schumer doesn't care if Karl Rove resigned or didn't. The Senator plans on continuing a probe into U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez and Rove's role in the DC affair.
• Curbed passes along some tips for first-time property buyers in NYC.
• The New York Times' City Room blog advises passengers to get a receipt when in a taxi, but otherwise informs readers that the chance of one ever recovering property left in a cab is pretty slim.