Does anyone care about small businesses anymore? Or have we completely transformed into a Socialist state precisely as Brother Beck warned? First they took away the ingenious MetroCard innovator. Now, CBS reports that a 17-year-old Suffolk County girl was arrested for running a tattoo and piercing parlor out of her bedroom. Authorities are claiming that Carisma Thompson-Pike advertised her skills on Facebook, and charged $5 to $200 for her services. more ›

Are you still lamenting the stadium-less plight of the New York Majesty? Are you convinced that the Los Angeles Temptations are forming an unstoppable dynasty? Do you love women in underwear playing football? Then you are probably already a fan of the Lingerie Football League, the premiere American woman's tackle football league—whose barely-there uniforms include panties, bras and pads. Three years since its inception, the LFL has announced its intentions to launch a youth football division to give girls with pigtails a chance to throw around pigskins. more ›

Two girls, ages 16 and 17, and a 16-year-old boy were nabbed by police for climbing the Williamsburg Bridge at around 6 a.m. this morning. A rep from the NYPD tells us that the teens were "climbing high up on the beams and hanging over ledges." In all fairness, it's probably the coolest place in town to play spin the bottle. more ›

We remember that high school was tough, but even if you're not allowed to go to the prom, bringing a fake uzi to school is never a good idea (except on "Bring Your Uzi To School Day"). A freshman at Flushing High School "brandished a realistic- looking toy Uzi" and told classmates that he was going to "start shooting." After students called their parents from their cellphones, authorities "canvassed the school" and found the disgruntled kid, and The Daily News reports that cops have arrested the boy and he's being tried as a juvenile. more ›

We've all been there: your dad is the Consulate General of India and you're just minding your own business at John Bowne High School, not planning on filing any $1.5 million dollar lawsuits and then WHAM: you're locked up for sending indecent emails to your teachers! Krittika Biswas, the 18-year-old daughter of Indian Consultate General Debashish Biswas, is just going through normal, litigious growing pains. The Post reports that she was locked up on February 8, "despite her claims of diplomatic immunity," for more than 24 hours after investigators believed she was the one sending the emails. "Honest Mrs. Henderson! I'm a representative of a sovereign nation and therefore only subject to international law!" more ›

A state judge ruled that New York's juvenile corrections system regularly breaks the law by shackling young detainees any time they leave a detention center—even if the children don't pose a physical threat. According to the Times, the ruling should bring an end to a policy that mandated the use of shackles whenever detainees leave state facilities, despite other laws on the books permitting shackles only as a last resort for "youth who are out of control and dangerous, and then only for half an hour." A 15-year-old plaintiff said he was kept in feet and handcuffs connected to a belly chain for roughly 15 hours on a single day. Lawyer Nancy Rosenbloom said the case revealed "a culture of abusive practices that is not rehabilitative." She added: "We had evidence of kids not being able to drink their milk on the way to court because of the chains." more ›

On Wednesday evening, 13-year-old Miguel Saavedra was fatally stabbed with a screwdriver near his Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn home. According to WCBS 2, "The incident happened on East 15th at Avenue X. Investigators believe the screwdriver stabbing may have been the result of a weekend argument. Police say after the stabbing, the assailant hopped on a bicycle, and at least two other boys ran off." And a girl who attends I.S. 14 told the Daily News, "Some kids messed with his older brother, and the next day he went to the park alone. And that's when some kids stabbed him." The police are looking for "at least three young suspects." more ›

Forget stickball and midnight basketball: Cricket is the new sport keeping the city's youth out of trouble this summer. The NY Times reports the NYPD is expanding an effort begun last summer to sponsor a citywide youth league for cricket, a sport that is even less popular in the U.S. than, say, arena football but has major followings within the city's neighborhoods of recent immigrants. Ten teams with names like the Pak Brighton and West Indies Kings are now competing to play in the city championship game Aug. 27, and it's already winning friends for the police. Team captain Azurdeen Mohammed, 18, says, "It shows the police are interested in bringing the youths away from street life...My guys, when they see the cops, they know they help us out." The police, meanwhile, are banking on these ties to help build stronger connections in communities of Caribbean and South Asian families. Standings and schedules are posted on the league's official blog, and you can see videos of gameplay on the league's YouTube channel. more ›

The NY Times visited the corner of 61st Street and Amsterdam to find out what New York adolescent girls at the alterna-Beacon School think of "role model" Miley Cyrus. Recently the 15-year-old actress was caught flaunting her bare skin online and in print. more ›

A sonic device designed to drive off troublesome youths has been installed in one Queens building known for vandalism and drug use. It's called The Mosquito, and is produced by a British company, where more than 3,500 units of the equipment are in use. As humans age, they naturally lose some of their hearing, beginning at the higher end of the audible spectrum detectable to man. more ›

In the past few days, some young teenagers have been arrested for some alarming crimes. Yesterday afternoon, a 13-year-old girl allegedly set fire to some papers in a classroom, causing a fire that injured six people. And a few days before that, a 13-year-old and a 15-year-old were arrested for killing an 18-year-old! more ›