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Power Plays: New Bloomberg Threat and This Time It's To Cuomo

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 09:50:05 -0500

On a panel last night discussing the city's new political landscape, Times columnist Clyde Haberman suggested to the crowd at the Baruch College School of Public Affairs that the signs so far from...

Continue reading "New Bloomberg Threat and This Time It's To Cuomo" > [...]

StreetsBlog: Quote of the Day

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 09:42:44 -0500

The Daily News captured this off-the-cuff comment from Mayor Bloomberg on Albany's sudden failure to deliver more than $350 million to New York's transit system:

"I don't know why anybody is surprised at what is happening to the MTA," he said. "It's a piggy bank that keeps' [...]

Politicker NY: Lieberman: Enough Already?

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 09:37:00 -0500

Mention Joe Lieberman's name to a Democratic activist these days and you'll probably hear some variation of the question: This is what we get for letting him keep his chairmanship? It was last November, you'll remember, that Senate Democrats opted to hand Lieberman - who had just spent [...]

Gawker: Before You Even Knew It, All the Tiger Woods Ads Were Gone [Sponsorships]

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 09:34:01 -0500

Number of comments: 2
Funny little thing that Tiger Woods would probably get a chuckle out of, if he wasn't in such a bad mood these days: The more we see Tiger's face on TV, the less we see him in TV commercials. Relief!...

' [...]

City Room: New Jersey Transit to Approve Tunneling Contract

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 09:30:16 -0500

The imminent construction of the tunnel is the biggest public works project under way in the country, with an estimated total cost of $8.7 billion. [...]

FishBowlNY: Google New Chief Swears Platform Will Not Steal Your Content

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 09:30:00 -0500

For the past month, Rupert Murdoch's little kerfuffle with Google has been the center of a heated debate about how content should be aggregated.

First, the News Corp. boss grouchily warned that his newspapers' content would be pulled from Google's news feed, then' [...]

Power Plays: Go To Prison, Get A Nightline Puff Piece? Does Ted Koppel Know About This?

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 09:27:04 -0500

Here's a challenge: try to imagine a major network television news program -- one with a long, storied reputation for hard-hitting journalism -- assigning a reporter to follow around OJ Simpson's ...

Continue reading "Go To Prison, Get A Nightline Puff Piece? Does Ted Koppel Know" [...]

albany project: Servant of Two Masters

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 09:23:37 -0500

Joe Bruno's recent conviction points up the need for serious change in the laws covering our legislators' behavior. Three years ago, I wrote the following piece; it turns out to have been ahead of its time.

Read on...
The recent FBI investigation of Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno' [...]

Gothamist: Mother Outraged After Austistic Son Sent Home on Wrong Bus

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 09:20:00 -0500

A 5-year-old autistic boy was sent home on the wrong school bus on Monday, and his mom is on the warpath. Helen Morell says she was worried sick when her son Elijah didn't emerge from the bus outside her Highland Park home after school, and' [...]

Atlantic Yards Report: As challenge to MTA deal awaits a judge, did Forest City Ratner really have the MTA over a barrel, or was it the other way around?

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 09:05:00 -0500

All the legal papers have been filed in the case challenging the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's revision of the Vanderbilt Yard deal with Forest City Ratner. As we await a decision by the judge--no oral argument is expected, and a decision could take weeks--two things must be kept in mind.First, as [...]

StreetsBlog: Today’s Headlines

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 09:03:12 -0500

Number of comments: 1
Daily News: NYC Transit Riders Victimized By Albany Incompetence MTA: Service Cuts "Are Certainly on the Table" (AMNY)
Bedford Avenue Bike Lane: The Saga Continues (Gothamist, NY1, Post, City Room, HuffPo) Satmar Hasids Turn Kent Ave Protected [...]

City Room: Bruno Case Reveals Failure of State Ethics System

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 09:02:33 -0500

Also in Morning Buzz: the mysterious surge in Independence Party activity; pet stores in apartment buildings; and other headlines from local papers. [...]

Gothamist: Parking Ticket Grace Period Vetoed by Bloomberg

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 08:55:00 -0500

Last week a Bronx motorist threw a ticket agent's hand-held computer to the ground during an angry dispute over a parking ticket issued minutes after his Muni-Meter expired. "I get a five-minute grace period. It was in the media, today on the news," George [...]

Power Plays: Daily News Enlivens Morning with Lesbian Sex Teacher Story

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 08:49:29 -0500

We hope the PC scolds out there are happy. For years they've clucked their tongues every time a female teacher was found having sex with a male student. And now look what's happened: the frustrate...

Continue reading "Daily News Enlivens Morning with Lesbian Sex Teacher Story"' [...]

Gawker: The Death of Healthcare Reform [Front Pages]

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 08:35:00 -0500

The public option is dead — even though some papers report the weasel words senators are using to hide this fact. And the Washington Post has the most hypocritical front page in recent memory....

[...]

FishBowlNY: The FishbowlNY Newsstand: Your Morning Glance

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 08:30:00 -0500

continued...

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

[...]

Capitol confidential: A.M. Roundup

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 08:17:00 -0500

Number of comments: 2

Good morning, folks. Here’s the news…

Federal prosecutors ask for more jail time for former Judge Thomas Spargo, who was convicted of attempted bribery and attempted extortion. (TU)

Use those gift cards, or you may lose them… to the state. (TU)

Former Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno leaves CMA Consulting [...]

Albanysinsanity: Former Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno convicted on 2 felonies

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 08:07:27 -0500

This should send a load message to all our politicians. Time to straighten up and do your job. I have always had a feeling in my gut that Bruno was corrupt. Just as I do now for Silver. I was disgusted to read some of the testimony of different people. [...]

Gawker: Google News Boss: We Are Your Friends, Newspapers [Media]

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 08:00:13 -0500

Number of comments: 2
The man who helps run Google News thinks all this antagonism with the print media is just silly. And says they get on great with Rupert Murdoch, despite that silly man's silly talk of removing his...

[...]

Gothamist: Miserable Wednesday Morning Commute

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 07:57:00 -0500

Inside the city, it's pouring and windy (your umbrella may be battered by the time you get to work!). Outside the city, it's raining and snowing. According to 1010 WINS, motorists are confronting a "wintry mix of rain, sleet and snow across the region." [...]

GothamSchools: NEWS: Rise & Shine: D.C. schools the big exception to flat NAEP scores

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 07:52:57 -0500

Number of comments: 1
The city’s math NAEP scores are either up a little or not. (GothamSchools, Times, Daily News, Post, NY1) NAEP math scores were flat in most cities, with Washington D.C. the big exception. (Wall Street Journal) D.C. (non-charter) schools were alone in posting a significant jump in [...]

Gawker: Uganda wants to impose the death penalty ... [Sad]

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 07:49:17 -0500

Number of comments: 17
Uganda wants to impose the death penalty for being gay.

[...]

Atlantic Yards Report: Pro hockey at the Atlantic Yards arena? It looks doubtful

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 07:39:00 -0500

Number of comments: 0
In a long post on his Noticing New York blog, Michael D. D. White makes a strong case that the Ellerbe Becket arena design could not accommodate professional hockey and that any intimation in the bond offering that the Atlantic Yards arena could host the New York Islanders is a [...]

Dave Lucas: Snuh-oh!

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 07:35:00 -0500

Alert / Warning

Meteorological

..........THIS IS AN ACTUAL EVENT..........

Issued By:NWSAffected Jurisdictions:Albany, Columbia, Fulton, Greene, Herkimer, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Ulster, Warren, Washington CountiesHeadline:(EXTENSION - area) URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGEDescription:URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY 805 AM EST WED DEC 9 2009 MAZ001-025-NYZ032-038>041-043-047>054-058>061-063-064-083-084- 092115- /O.UPG.KALY.WW.Y.0016.000000T0000Z-091210T0000Z/ /ORTHERN BERKSHIRE-SOUTHERN [...]

City Room: A Rousing Celebration for a Curmudgeonly Columnist

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 07:30:30 -0500

Number of comments: 1
Jimmy Breslin, 79, the Pulitzer-winning newspaper columnist, was celebrated by former colleagues at New York University on Monday. [...]

Gawker: Buy Levi Johnston's Playgirl Outfit [Playgirl]

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 07:24:50 -0500

The man who lent Levi his hockey gear for the big day is selling off the pads, pants, gloves and — so you can make jokes — the stick and helmet on eBay. A hockey enthusiast called Josh...

[...]

Politicker NY: Get Me Epi-Pen! Upper Crust Snuffs Out Food Allergies at Big Ball

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 06:54:02 -0500

"I have the strangest allergy I’ve only discovered in the last couple years,” revealed petite wealth manager and socialite Alexandra Lebenthal, arriving Monday, Dec. 7, for the 12th annual Food Allergy Ball at the Waldorf. “I’m allergic to tomatoes. But not in the way other" [...]

rochesterturning.com: Wednesday Wingnut Watch

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 06:43:39 -0500

Obama wants us to lose. That’s why he refused to use the word “win” during his Afghanistan Speech. Apparently when he talked about wanting to “end this war successfully, that was liberal left-wing code for “losing.”

At the same time he was trying to lose the war in [...]

BuffaloPundit: Generalissimo Chris Collins’ Bloodless Coup

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 06:43:31 -0500

Number of comments: 5

I could go into paragraphs’ worth of pop psychology as to why regular people – in particular consumers of mainstream news in this town – buy into Chris Collins’ style of neo-dictatorship, but that’s not the point of this post. Buy into it they do, and I [...]

Gawker: Hugh Grant Cops a Feel of Sarah Jessica, Causing Her Breasts to Fly Out of Her Dress [Gossip Roundup]

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 06:33:16 -0500

Number of comments: 9
That's the normal reaction when Hugh Grant touches your butt, right? Rachel Uchitel finally goes to the press, Rihanna wants to make out with Megan Fox, Ben and Jen mate like bunnies. Wednesday...

[...]

Dave Lucas: Turn Up The Radio!

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 06:27:00 -0500

One of the greatest things about living in New York State is RADIO!

In Albany, there are many many stations to choose from, especially on the AM dial. I have one of those little wind-up radios that I usually have with me at night [...]

Gawker: Stroller-gate: it was a Conspiracy [Off With Their Fingers]

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 06:08:39 -0500

Number of comments: 2
Remember those strollers that kept slicing off the fingers of children? Well now the manufacturer, Maclaren, is being sued over claims it knew its products were evil digit-guillotines but failed to...

[...]

Gawker: Sarah Palin's Washington Post Op-Ed Debunked [Liars]

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 05:55:57 -0500

Number of comments: 13
The Washington Post has run another Sarah Palin op-ed. And this time it's worse than ever — it's about the myth of global warming and how she is the true defender of science because she kills...

[...]

Gawker: Rush Limbaugh Drops the Other Shoe on Inevitable Tiger Woods-Inspired Racism [Shut Up, Racist]

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 04:37:45 -0500

Number of comments: 12
Just when you thought America was too busy ogling Elin Nordegren's boobs to turn the Tiger Woods sex scandal into racist propaganda, good ol' Rush Limbaugh sweeps onto the scene to explain how "the...

'" [...]

Gawker: Anti-Gay Republican Leader's Safe Word: 'Green Balloons' [Show Me State]

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 03:54:43 -0500

Number of comments: 40
Former Missouri Speaker of the House and opponent of "deviate sexual intercourse" Rod Jetton is facing felony charges for an S&M session gone horribly wrong, because a drunk lady never said "green...

" [...]

Gawker: Larry Flynt Accuses Prodigal Porn Nephews of Hawking 'Inferior Products,' 'Vanilla Sex' [Legacy]

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 02:51:25 -0500

Number of comments: 5
Larry Flynt holds his smut to the highest of lecherous standards, which is why he is suing his lazy, good-for-nothing nephews for attaching their family's good name to shoddy, amateurish products....

[...]

Gawker: Notably Dishonest Tycoon Conrad Black Uses 'Honest Services' Clause to Plead for Freedom [Loophole]

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 02:49:23 -0500

Number of comments: 2
He bragged about beating the system, and here's his chance: The Supreme Court will consider an appeal from imprisoned media mogul Conrad Black, who says a legal clause about "honest services" means...

[...]

Inland Z: If you smoke, don't apply for a job in Amherst, NY

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 01:53:00 -0500

Number of comments: 0
Well,. I smoked for for 18 years - age 16 to age 44 - quitting in 1982. When I had a heart attack in 1999, chest x-rays still showed damage to the lower lobes of my lungs. A reminder of...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my [...]

Power Plays: Andrew Breitbart Responds to Our Coverage (and the Whole, Rotten MSM's) of the ACORN Story

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 01:09:08 -0500

Image (cc) shalf. Andrew Breitbart of Big Government, the web site that ran the ACORN pimp/prostitute videos, leading to the investigation that cleared ACORN of illegal activity in the events t...

Continue reading "Andrew Breitbart Responds to Our Coverage (and the Whole, Rotten MSM's) of the ACORN'" [...]

Power Plays: This Week in the Voice

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:51:10 -0500

Like to gamble online? Political odd couples like Barney Frank and Al D'Amato are fighting for your right to do so. Meanwhile James Giordano made millions via internet gambling, and wound up in pr...

Continue reading "This Week in the Voice" > ' [...]

Gawker: 'Good Morning America': Now With 100% More Minorities! [Trade Roundup]

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:09:47 -0500

Number of comments: 10
Well, after a week of is-he-or-isn't-he, it looks like that, no, Chris Cuomo will not be taking over for Diane Sawyer on ABC's "Good Morning America". George Stephanopoulous is. And JuJu Chang will...

' [...]

Gothamist: Last Night's Action: A Win Away From Home

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:03:00 -0500

Photograph of the Chicago Bulls' Joakim Noah blocking the Nets' Brook Lopez by Jim Prisching/AP

Nets 103, Bulls 101: Devin Harris hit a running floater with 15 seconds left to put the Nets on top to stay. They watched a fourth-quarter lead [...]

Making Light: Arctic Blast from the Past

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:01:00 -0500

With the first major snowstorm of the winter bearing down on us, it's time to list some of the cold-weather... [...]

albany project: NY-Sen: 'The Advocate' names Gillibrand a 'Person of the Year'

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 23:53:51 -0500

National GLBT magazine/newspaper/website The Advocate has named Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand a "Person of the Year" in the public servant category (h/t Liz Benjamin).

For a freshman appointed Senator, Gillibrand has been remarkably outspoken on GLBT issues.

Details, below.
The Advocate story about this starts at the [...]

Left at the Gate: Honestly

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 23:48:00 -0500

With Albany still absorbing and evaluating the effect of the verdict which made Joe Bruno a convicted felon, the constitutionality of the "honest services" law under which he was prosecuted was argued in the Supreme Court on Tuesday. And apparently, not very well for the federal government. The 21-year-old statute, [...]

rochesterturning.com: Eric Massa on Hardball

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 23:19:07 -0500

Here’s the video:

[...]

Power Plays: Jockbeat: Curtis Granderson Traded to the Yankees -- Is It A Good Deal?

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 23:15:00 -0500

So how does the deal for Curtis Granderson shape up for the Yankees? Pretty good, we think. The Yankees lose Ian Kennedy, who never struck us as much with a 6.03 ERA in 14 major league games, all...

Continue reading "Jockbeat: Curtis Granderson Traded to the" [...]

Gawker: Rachel Maddow vs. The Man Who Claims He Can Make Her Straight [Showdown]

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 22:40:10 -0500

Number of comments: 84
Whoo boy: Things got steamy on the Rachel Maddow Show tonight, as Maddow faced off with Richard Cohen, the "ex-gay" "psychotherapist" who claims gays can choose to be straight. It's the heavy-weight...

[...]

Inland Z: Contact Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand about supporting the Public Option

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 22:38:00 -0500

Number of comments: 0
Dear MoveOn member, It's straight out of a movie: The villains are holding the public option hostage, and the clock is ticking down. Conservative Democrats are about to kill the public option once...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and [...]

Inland Z: Sen. Mark Begich (D-AK) Supports Lowering Costs, Improving Access in Health Reform Joins other freshmen in supporting consumer-friendly amendments

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 22:33:00 -0500

Number of comments: 0
In the continual effort to make health care and health insurance more affordable and accessible for Alaskans and other Americans, U.S. Sen. Mark Begich today joined a group of eleven freshmen ...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! [...]

Albanysinsanity: LEFFLER: When ‘the majority’ is just wrong

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 21:54:53 -0500

I happy that Scott is so dam happy with A. Thompson, me? I have never been more disgusted with the man. He ran for election and said outright that he was against gay marriage and even said it in a Church. So just like the rest, he is a lying [...]

GothamSchools: NEWS: Remainders: Spinning the NAEP scores

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 21:26:18 -0500

Number of comments: 2
Did Bloomberg’s NAEP prediction come true? Beth Fertig looks at whether the success is “real.” Flypaper looks at Cleveland, which really bombed the NAEP test. If you’re looking for NAEP sparknotes, they’re on the Core Knowledge blog. Defective test booklets have D.C. students retaking high school admissions tests. A [...]

In da Buff (Buffalo, New York): Byrd Tweets for 2009-12-08

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 21:25:00 -0500

Must see a game @ [www.lambeaufield.com] before I leave the planet… # How may more pass interference calls will happen in Green Bay tonight??? Crazy… # @BfloBlog You don't… in reply to BfloBlog # Off to Saint Stan's in a bit… #

[...]

rochesterturning.com: Breaking: Dems have tentative deal to drop public option

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 21:23:15 -0500

Big surprise, right? From Yahoo News:

In place of the public insurance option that Reid inserted into the bill earlier, Democrats are considering a plan for the Office of Personnel Management to oversee private insurance, much as it does for federal employees and lawmakers.

[snip]

There were few details available of the [...]

Gawker: The Public Option is (Tentatively) Dead [Breaking]

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 21:11:11 -0500

Number of comments: 125
The quiet death of the public option is quiet no longer. The Times is reporting that Democrats have reached a "tentative deal" to drop the public option from the Senate health care bill. Well,...

[...]

Inland Z: Received from the President - paid for by "Organizing for America"

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 20:42:00 -0500

Number of comments: 0
Mike -- As we head into the final stretch on health reform, big insurance company lobbyists and their partisan allies hope that their relentless attacks and millions of dollars can intimidate us...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] [...]

Gawker: Sen. Orrin Hatch Expresses Love of Jews Through Terrible Song [War On Christmas]

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 20:25:50 -0500

Number of comments: 45
If you were weirded out by Bob Dylan's Christmas album, avert your ears: Senator Orrin Hatch, a Mormon Republican from Utah, has given Jews a "gift" by writing them a Hanukkah song. What is Yiddish...

[...]

Politicker NY: Dorrian's Last Stand

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 20:03:36 -0500

The fashionable thing to say, especially among those who haven’t been around long enough to know what they’re missing, is that New York has lost all its old charm. The wondrous character-driven businesses that once populated the magical, uneven checkerboard that was Old New York have all been' [...]

Politicker NY: The House That Goldman Built

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 20:01:26 -0500

"It's just a building when it comes right down to it,” 91-year-old George Doty, the former Goldman Sachs managing partner, said last month. His firm had just started moving out of 85 Broad Street, its headquarters for the past three decades, and into a shiny new West Street" [...]

Inland Z: Corning (NY) Republican Mayor Tom Reed votes against constituents benefiting from Recovery funds after voting to support it

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 19:50:00 -0500

Number of comments: 0
Mayor opposes $210,000 for American-made buses after fighting to receive a $1.18 million grant for his own private property CORNING, N.Y. - Last night trial attorney, professional...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]] [...]

Gawker: Bringing Scandal to Sesame Street [Twitterati]

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 19:48:07 -0500

Number of comments: 11
Nicole suggested sexing up Sesame Street; Debbie Gibson LOLed at a Krispy Kreme employee; and Susan Orlean's mind was controlled through the mail. The Twitterati got their kicks, one way or another....

[...]

Power Plays: We See Invictus, The Lovely Bones, and A Single Man So You Don't Have To

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 19:39:04 -0500

Have you heard? It's Oscar Season! That couple of weeks at the end of the year when the studios put away all their horror and Gerard Butler films and instead release The Good Movies. And one af...

Continue reading "We See Invictus, The Lovely Bones, and" [...]

City Room: St. Vincent's to Lay Off 180 Employees

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 19:28:36 -0500

Those being laid off range from administrative workers to support workers in food service, housekeeping and clerical jobs. [...]

Politicker NY: Landlords Have a Party

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 19:25:34 -0500

To anyone closely watching the recent City Council elections, a small set of races took an interesting turn in the summer. The Independence Party of New York, typically something of a passive player in city politics, suddenly became actively involved in outer-borough contests, pushing hard for four or [...]

GothamSchools: NEWS: Klein spotlights shrinking city-state gaps and need to raise standards

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 19:18:22 -0500

Number of comments: 4

Schools Chancellor Joel Klein defended the city's results on the NAEP math exams this afternoon at Tweed Courthouse.

Frustrated with criticism that city students made no progress on a national math [...]

albany project: FDL Action Health Care Update: Tuesday (12/8/09)

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 19:16:26 -0500

Here are the FDL Action health care reform highlights for Tuesday, December 8.

1. Marta Evry reminds everyone that doing a "One Voice for Choice" phone bank is "easy, it's fun, and best of all, you will make a difference." What more can you ask for? :)

2. [...]

Politicker NY: Moby Wants to Go Back to the Melody

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 19:08:18 -0500

For a while there, it seemed as though every time you turned on a Toyota commercial or ate vegan food downtown, you couldn’t help but hear an atmospheric synthesizer and processed vocals telling you “we rock the party” or whatever. This was thanks to Moby. [...]

Gawker: What's in #tips Today? [Tiplist]

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:55:23 -0500

We get lots of suggestions of what to post on Gawker every day. Let's take a look at what came in through the #tips page: college kids are never trustworthy, a Tiger Woods prediction, plus Ann...

[...]

Gothamist: Extra, Extra

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:48:00 -0500

Photograph by Richard Greene Photography on Flickr
From the Gothamist Newsmap: An armed robbery at Broome St in Manhattan, a perp search at 31st St & Astoria Blvd in Queens and a pedestrian struck at Nelson Ave & Amboy Rd in [...]

Politicker NY: Between Andrew Cuomo and a Balanced Ticket

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:46:34 -0500

ALBANY-Tom DiNapoli is in a bad place.

It's not the fact that, as state comptroller, he's forced to preside over a state pension fund spiraling down with the overall stock market. Or that a recent poll showed that voters are inclined to pick "someone else" over him for a [...]

Politicker NY: Artless in Miami

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:38:45 -0500

Want to know what the scene was like at Art Basel Miami Beach this year? The answer can be summed up in one word: bloated.

The fair has been running for seven years, and its success has paralleled the contemporary art boom. The fair allows foreign dealers from all [...]

Gothamist: Senate Rejects Abortion Amendment In Health Care Bill

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:38:00 -0500

CNN reports: "The Senate on Tuesday rejected an amendment to tighten restrictions on federal funding for abortion in the health care bill," in a 54-45 vote. "Rejection of the amendment means the Senate health bill, if approved with the current abortion language, would differ" [...]

FishBowlNY: Saul Hansell Leaves New York Times For AOL

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:35:00 -0500

Today is just the day for former print people to move on over to the other (digital) side: first was MaryAnn Bekkedahl from Rodale Inc., and now New York Times tech writer Saul Hansell is leaving his Bits blog behind to be the [...]

Politicker NY: The Man at Google News Just Wants to Help

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:30:10 -0500

Last week, Josh Cohen, Google News' senior business project manager, was in Washington, D.C., at a Federal Trade Commission-organized workshop titled "How Will Journalism Survive the Internet Age?" He appeared onstage before a crowd of journalists, entrepreneurs and F.T.C. policy lawmakers in a slate-colored jacket, white shirt and' [...]

Gothamist: Muslim Cultural Center Headed To Ground Zero?

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:22:00 -0500

An Imam has turned an abandoned department store just two blocks away from ground zero into a place where hundreds Muslims gather for prayer every week — and he dreams of converting into a full-fledged Islamic cultural center.

After paying 4.85 million this summer to purchase [...]

Gawker: AOL News Borg to Be Ruled by Former New York Times Reporter [Journalismism]

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:21:02 -0500

Number of comments: 6
AOL roped New York Times tech reporter Saul Hansell into heading up "Seed," the ominous project to churn out news stories in response to what people type into search engines. Can Hansell make this...

[...]

Albany Media Bias: How Much More Blatant Can He Get?

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:15:00 -0500

Well, this is certainly an interesting headline...

New Obama plans: 'spend our way out' of downturn

For the sake of delicate eyes I'll insert a fold here before I insert completely vile language that I have thusfar avoided...

We're fucked.

Sorry, no other way to [...]

Gawker: Riverside Dive [Pic Of The Day]

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:07:20 -0500

Number of comments: 3
[It may have been June when these ladies were jumping for joy on the Chelsea Piers, but the weather looks familiar. Image via Kharied's Flickr]

[...]

Gothamist: Quinn "Optimistic" She'll Survive Speaker Challenge From Barron

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:07:00 -0500

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn isn't sweating Councilman Charles Barron's announcement that he's running against her for Council Speaker. The Daily News reports that Quinn said, "I take all races seriously, but I am very, very optimistic that I will be reelected in January'" [...]

Gawker: The Gawker Post That Cost a State Department Contractor $189 Million [Gawker Gets Results]

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:04:39 -0500

Number of comments: 40
On the afternoon of September 1, 2009, Gawker launched a wide-ranging, multi-front investigation into the hazing practices of a State Department contractor in Kabul. About an hour later, we published...

[...]

Politicker NY: Once Comcast Owns NBC, Who's the Boss of Whom?

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:01:59 -0500

Ted Harbert knows what it feels like to miss out narrowly on a top entertainment job at NBC.

In the winter of 2000, Mr. Harbert was running NBC Studios in L.A. when network bosses passed him over (along with a field of other strong potential candidates) [...]

FishBowlNY: "GMA" Names New Newsreader|Living Stories|Hachette Works With MSN On New Lifestyle Site|Good Housekeeping Digs Up Archives|Huffington Criticizes Times Reporter

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:00:00 -0500

TVNewser: Juju Chang has been picked to be the new "Good Morning America" newsreader. She will replace Chris Cuomo, who is in negotiations to become co-anchor of "20/20" and to report for other ABC News broadcasts.

New York Times: Google, The New York Times and [...]

City Room: Guilty Plea in Check-Cashing Fraud

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:46:05 -0500

Number of comments: 8
The owner of an architecture and design firm pleaded guilty to evading taxes by using a commercial check cashing business to hide his profits, the district attorney said. [...]

Gawker: Leo Wolinsky, a former Los Angeles Times ... [The Trades]

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:44:57 -0500

Number of comments: 2
Leo Wolinsky, a former Los Angeles Times executive editor, hired as editor of Daily Variety.

[...]

Gothamist: After Hours, Man Freed From Long Island Cesspool

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:41:00 -0500

Photograph from 1010WINS Around 11:30 a.m. this morning, a worker was trapped in a cesspool in East Hills, Long Island—and it took four hours of rescue efforts from numerous emergency responders to get him out. WCBS 2 reports, "Assistant Roslyn Fire" [...]

The Wonkster: Bloomberg, Liu, Thompson Staffers Dish on Campaign

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:40:59 -0500

So what does a behind the scenes look at the campaigns for comptroller and mayor reveal?

For one, John Liu’s campaign staff was never aiming for the endorsements of the city’s three major dailies, they were, at times, trying to separate the campaign from its Working Families [...]

The Wonkster: Bloomberg, Liu, Thompson Staffers Dish on Campaign

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:40:59 -0500

So what does a behind the scenes look at the campaigns for comptroller and mayor reveal?

For one, John Liu’s campaign staff was never aiming for the endorsements of the city’s three major dailies, they were, at times, trying to separate the campaign from its Working Families [...]

Capitol confidential: Sanders from Crane Sanders to Malkin & Ross

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:39:14 -0500

Number of comments: 2

Former Assembly Education Chairman Steve Sanders is moving from the Crane Sanders lobbying firm to Malkin & Ross.

Making the move with the former Manhattan Assemblyman is George Penn, who was Sanders’ top staffer on the Education Committee before coming with him to Crane Sanders .

As he’s been doing, Sanders [...]

Power Plays: The Best Fake Twitter Accounts: Fake Rahm Emanuel, Fake Christopher Walken, Fake AP Stylebook, and More

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:37:50 -0500

There are currently more than 120 Joe Jonases, at least 45 George Bushes, and exactly 13 Octomoms on Twitter. And while fake social networking profiles have been around since the dark ages of Fr...

Continue reading "The Best Fake Twitter Accounts: Fake Rahm Emanuel, Fake Christopher" [...]

Albany Media Bias: Fraud In The News

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:35:00 -0500

Not going to waste much of my time on this, you can easily put it all together.

MRC:NBC's Anne Thompson, on Monday's Today, covered the Climategate story only to essentially dismiss it in a nothing-to-see here, move along fashion...

Thompson went on to air criticism from Professor [...]

FishBowlNY: Rodale Group Publisher Bekkedahl Decamps For Digital Pursuits

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:35:00 -0500

MaryAnn Bekkedahl, the EVP/group publisher at Rodale Inc., today announced plans to leave the publisher after 17 years. Rodale said Bekkedahl was departing "in order to pursue digital and new media opportunities," although any specific plans weren't mentioned.

"While I've enjoyed participating in this whirlwind of" [...]

Power Plays: Lindsay Lohan Nude Comeback Improved with Simulated Sex

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:31:10 -0500

We thought Lindsay Lohan had retired from show business or taken an extended break to go to Yale like Jodie Foster, but here she is in a Muse magazine photo shoot, not only appearing topless but...

Continue reading "Lindsay Lohan Nude Comeback Improved with Simulated Sex" [...]

Atlantic Yards Report: FCE anticipates "groundbreaking in the fourth quarter" (could be January); AY mortgage delayed (hard bargain or cash-flow problem?)

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:31:00 -0500

Number of comments: 1
Forest City Enterprises (FCE) , parent of Forest City Ratner, today announced third quarter earnings--up 24% from the same period of time last year--and decreased losses--$0.03 per share, compared with $0.19 per share in the third quarter last year.There were two statements asserting that Atlantic Yards was on track, citing [...]

Gawker: Bob Dylan Gives the World an Acid Trip for Christmas [Holidaze]

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:29:57 -0500

Number of comments: 33
This, the A-Ha-ish second video from Bob Dylan's alternately charming/grating/fun Christmas Album, helped us distill the folksinger's vision of the holiday season: As a sort of extended LSD trip. The...

[...]

Gothamist: Is IKEA to Blame For B61 Backup?

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:23:00 -0500

The B61 has a lot of unhappy customers — something the NYC Transit folks are very well aware of, as they plan to split the line next year. But before the B62 takes to the streets, there will surely be more trash talk [...]

City Room: City Explores Deal With Google to Digitize Tax Photos

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:20:27 -0500

Number of comments: 4
The pictures that would be digitized are from two series of straightforward photos taken of every building in New York City for taxation purposes. [...]

Gawker: Tradition of Reporters Sleeping with Sources Still Alive and Well at the New York Times [Conflicts Of Interest]

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:13:56 -0500

Number of comments: 24
Former New York Times editor Abe Rosenthal famously said, "I don't care if my reporters are fucking elephants, as long as they aren't covering the circus." Someone tell Raymond Hernandez, who covers...

[...]

albany project: Bruno Guilty. Senate Rules should be Named Co-conspirator

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:07:30 -0500

Yesterday, Joe Bruno, former Republican Senate Majority Leader, was found guilty on two counts of essentially taking payola money from a business associate in return for favors and contracts. He was acquitted on five other felony charges and one where they just couldn't decide.

The details brought out' [...]

The Wonkster: Brooklyn Bridge Park: The City Steps In

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:07:14 -0500

Gotham Gazette parks topic page writer Anne Schwartz filed this post.

Promising to spend an additional $55 million on the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge Park, the city is proposing to take over responsibility for the project from the financially strapped state. Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe discussed the proposal at a [...]

The Wonkster: Brooklyn Bridge Park: The City Steps In

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:07:14 -0500

Gotham Gazette parks topic page writer Anne Schwartz filed this post.