BlogNetNews.com » New York

Capitol confidential: This just in: Gay marriage on tap in Senate

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 10:33:04 -0500

Senate Democrats have just put out a notice: yes they do plan to debate the same-sex marriage bill — passed again by the Assembly last night — today.

They will vote on the DRP, Tier V pension plan, public authority reform and marriage equality.

These have all passed in the Assembly and [...]

Capitol confidential: Holding back payments to localities: more detail

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 10:26:35 -0500

We have a story in today’s TU about how plans to slow or hold back local aid payments will impact some cities across the state.

It’s particularly challenging from some municipalities which get the bulk of their AIM payments this month.

Here’s a handy spread sheet courtesy of the Conference of Mayors [...]

Power Plays: Have You Seen... Traffic Patrol Tire-Slasher

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 10:23:56 -0500

About 50 seconds into this surveillance video, you can see somebody slashing the tires of an NYPD Parking Enforcement vehicle on St. Raymond Avenue in The Bronx on Monday. He hit four in all. Gu...

Continue reading "Have You Seen... Traffic Patrol Tire-Slasher" > [...]

StreetsBlog: Happy Birthday, Streetsblog Network

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 10:17:16 -0500

One year ago today, we announced the launch of the Streetsblog Network -- a national and international network of blogs covering transportation policy, sustainable planning, smart growth and active transportation. We conceived of the network as a way to get people who are passionate about these issues literally [...]

Power Plays: Murdoch Forces Google to Change "First Click" to "First 5 Clicks" Free

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 10:03:27 -0500

Looks like Rupert Murdoch is getting some traction in his quest to keep "kleptomaniacs" like you and us from getting his content for free. Google senior Business Product Manager Josh Cohen says at...

Continue reading "Murdoch Forces Google to Change "First Click" to "First 5 Clicks"" [...]

Gawker: Which Singer Laughs at the Handicapped? [Blind Items]

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 10:00:20 -0500

Number of comments: 6
'Tis the season for giving, but not for this country star who picked on a wheelchair-bound fan or a celeb babymomma who is looking for charity. Along with a frisky Oscar winner and a role-playing...

' [...]

albany project: NY-Sen: CQ reviews Gillibrand's chances

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:55:42 -0500

As a January appointee with middling poll numbers, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand has attracted a lot of notional challengers, in both parties, who have not yet pulled the trigger.

With the primary nine months away and the general 11 months away, time's awasting for serious challengers, Emily Cadei of CQ-Roll [...]

rochesterturning.com: City’s Urban Action Page

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:54:13 -0500

All kinds of things going on this week if activism is your passion. Especially poignant, in view of the president’s Afghanistan surge, are the rally against the surge and the peace vigils.

Thank you to City News.

Capitol confidential: Details of the DRP, text of bills

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:49:33 -0500

Early this morning, the Assembly passed a DRP that fills more than $2.7 billion of the estimated $3.2 billion budget deficit.

The bills can be found online here and here.

“We have reached consensus with the Governor and Senate to close a $2.7 billion gap in this year’s budget. Although [...]

Gothamist: Deer Swims From Jersey To Governors Island

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:49:00 -0500

Yesterday a deer was spotted in the water off Governors Island. Apparently the young buck was fleeing New Jersey, according to the Daily News. The paper reports that he swam around 2,000 yards — first spotted roaming downtown Jersey City, and then on the rocks off of Governor's' [...]

Atlantic Yards Report: Ratings agency Moody's, asked why it assumes 225 events a year at the AY arena, won't discuss it

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:46:00 -0500

Given that a Moody's analyst told the Bond Buyer that its just-above-junk rating for $500 million in Barclays Center PILOT bonds depended in part on 225 events a year, I thought it was worth following up.Noting that the arena sponsors most recently predicted 200 events a year (an 11% difference), [...]

City Room: Fewer Officers, More Lawsuits

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:41:32 -0500

Also in Morning Buzz: a full-throated shouting match at a CUNY ceremony; three half-million-dollar City Council races; and other headlines from local newspapers. [...]

Capitol confidential: Assembly passes Tier Five Pension Reform

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:40:22 -0500

The Assembly passed Tier Five pension reform before concluding its special session early this morning, as was discussed by state leaders late last night.

According to the Assembly press release, the measure provides a new tier of pension benefits for all new employees who are members of the New York [...]

Politicker NY: Thompson's Options: Senator (Risky), Comptroller (Safer), Mayor (TK)

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:36:36 -0500

On Election Night, I called Bill Thompson the Christie Whitman of New York politics, since his startlingly narrow, 4.6-point loss to Mayor Bloomberg represented perhaps the biggest near-miss shocker since a then-unknown Whitman came within two points of unseating Bill Bradley in 1990.

And now he's doing exactly what [...]

FishBowlNY: Daily Deal: Get $75 Off When You Sign Up For Short Story Writing Course Today

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:35:00 -0500

Throughout the month of December, mediabistro.com is offering daily deals on a slew of its courses starting in January. Today's deal is one we think FishbowlNY readers will really enjoy.

Power Plays: Crime Beat: Subway Motorwoman Faces Firing for Being a Hero

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:34:07 -0500

A subway motorwoman who tackled a threatening lunatic last October on the 1 train could actually lose her job, the Post reports this morning. How could Adeline Bayne-Goody get railroaded? She lef...

Continue reading "Crime Beat: Subway Motorwoman Faces Firing for Being a Hero" > [...]

Gawker: God Damn Neal Boulton Somehow Co-Opts Tiger Woods Publicity [Media]

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:26:43 -0500

Number of comments: 14
Who is the big winner in this Salacious Tiger Woods Sex Scandal? Self-promoting pansexual former gay magazine editor Neal Boulton. Neal Boulton is the upstanding one here, see? He was forced, forced...

[...]

Gothamist: Midweek Special: NYC Restaurant Review Roundup

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:22:00 -0500

SD26 (Sparkyluck's Flickr) This week Sam Sifton at the Times tosses one measly star to SD26, the big glitzy Flatiron district reboot of San Domenico, which used to operate on Central Park South. Given the restaurant's lofty ambitions, one star is [...]

Gothamist: Man To Be Charged In Rockland County Teacher's Slaying

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:10:00 -0500

Clarkstown police will reportedly charge Eric Lau in connection with the killing of his neighbor, Suffern teacher Jami Erlich. Police had sought Lau for questioning since discovering Erlich's body, which was beaten and stabbed, on Sunday. The Journal News reports that the 32-year-old, [...]

Power Plays: Gov Says "Roadblocks" Cleared, But Still No Albany Gay Marriage Vote

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:07:53 -0500

Though the tone of much coverage has been hopeful ("The Senate appears to be on the brink of a vote on marriage equality... they reconvene at 9 pm," said Towleroad), the state senate hasn't done a...

Continue reading "Gov Says "Roadblocks" Cleared, But Still No Albany'" [...]

Power Plays: Crime Beat: Brooklyn Dog-Killer's Plea Deal is Killed. (And Michael Vick Wants to Have Dogs Again.)

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:05:13 -0500

Scumbag dog-killer Fabian Henderson won't get off easy with probation after all, it seems. The Brooklyn teen threw his pit bull, Oreo, off the roof of Red Hook Houses last July, and the poor do...

Continue reading "Crime Beat: Brooklyn Dog-Killer's Plea Deal is Killed. (And'" [...]

StreetsBlog: Today’s Headlines

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:00:11 -0500

Number of comments: 6
Upstate Counties Would Love to Trade MTA Payroll Tax for NYC Bridge Tolls (Times-Herald) Holy Bike Lane Violation: NYPD Lets Brooklyn Heights Parishioners Park in Green Stripe (Gothamist) Cleveland BRT Attracts Development to Euclid Ave (Plain Dealer) In Philly, Bike Safety Campaign Morphs [...]

Capitol confidential: A.M. Roundup

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 08:46:38 -0500

Number of comments: 2

Good morning, everyone. Here are today’s stories…

A federal jury has reached verdicts in two counts against former Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, but is deadlocked on six others. (TU)

“We have reached a unanimous verdict on two counts,” the note said. “We cannot reach a unanimous verdict on the [...]

Room Eight - New York Politics: Report from Kabul Hill

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 08:38:40 -0500

GATEMOUTH (4/14/06): In the end, I want a member of Congress who’s wrestled with, and lost sleep over the question of under which circumstances the deployment of American forces in battle is justified. “Just say no” is not an adequate answer...

GATEMOUTH (1/20/09): I am thankful to those on the [...]

Atlantic Yards Report: Ex-Net Jason Kidd 'fesses up: AY is "about a real estate play" (not "doing the right thing")

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 08:38:00 -0500

Nets point guard Jason Kidd, at an 8/23/06 press conference event before the Empire State Development Corporation's public hearing on the Atlantic Yards Draft Environmental Impact Statement: "Getting to know Brooklyn and getting to know the community has proven to me that [Nets principal owner] Bruce [Ratner] is doing the" [...]

Gothamist: State Legislature To Pass $2.8 Billion Deficit Reduction Plan

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 08:34:00 -0500

The State Assembly passed a $2.8 billion deficit reduction plan last night and, according to the Times Union, "The Senate is expected to pass the bills with bipartisan support in a session scheduled for 10 a.m. today." Of course, this is not the [...]

FishBowlNY: The FishbowlNY Newsstand: Your Morning Glance

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 08:32:00 -0500

continued...

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

[...]

Gawker: Obama Pledges 30,000 More Troops for Afghanistan [Front Pages]

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 08:30:24 -0500

The President gave some speech about troops in some country. But mainly the Post kills it on the Tiger Woods story. There are puns galore: birdies, sex drive, paws. To steal their line, they're all...

' [...]

Atlantic Yards Report: On blight, the Court of Appeals vs. New York magazine's "Approval Matrix"

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 08:05:00 -0500

Number of comments: 0
From New York magazine's weekly Approval Matrix, locating last week's Court of Appeals decision on eminent domain at the extreme intersection of "Highbrow" and "Despicable." [...]

The Community Alliance: A Cool(ing) Tower Grows In Hempstead Town

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 07:59:00 -0500

Pssst. It's Not The Lighthouse

A tower is set to rise in Westbury off the Merchant's Concourse. A monument to a "cool downtown," perhaps? No, more like an additional cooling tower for the Covanta "waste-to-energy" (read as, incinerator) facility, that now boasts the tallest structure [...]

Atlantic Yards Report: How the BALDC seemingly flouts the state Open Meetings Law, and why it probably doesn't scotch the AY bond deal

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 07:51:00 -0500

Number of comments: 0
When the Brooklyn Arena Local Development Corporation (BALDC) adopted several resolutions in September--including a predicate to the issuance of tax-exempt arena bonds--without a public meeting, it seemingly violated the state's Open Meetings Law.However, that seeming violation likely had no impact on the issuance of those bonds because another clause in [...]

GothamSchools: NEWS: Rise & Shine: Extra-budget boosts for three high-tech schools

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 07:43:47 -0500

Three “21st-century schools” got big budget boosts outside the normal budgeting process. (Daily News) A angry mother was arrested after hitting the principal of Brooklyn’s Art and Design High School. (Post) The city is building five new schools in Queens for next fall, but some wonder if it’s enough. ([...]

Monroerising.com: “We have to deny al’Qaeda ’safe haven’”

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 07:35:54 -0500

This will not be a popular post, so let’s clear the air first.

No I am not a ‘crazy liberal’ protester, unless by crazy you mean parent of a teenager and by liberal you mean Jeffersonian to the core!

No I do not, nor have I ever supported either the war in [...]

City Room: A Hotel Where Guests May Be War Weary

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 07:30:47 -0500

A training session for desk clerks at the Soldiers', Sailors', Marines', Coast Guard and Airmen's Club.' [...]

Gawker: Another Republican Financier Bites the Dust [Gop]

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 07:25:01 -0500

Number of comments: 10
Last week playboy Republican scumbag Tim Durham's offices were raided by the FBI. Today another Ferrari-driving friend of the GOP, Florida lawyer Scott Rothstein (pictured with Governor Charlie...

[...]

Gawker: Casey Johnson's Used Vibrator Victim Says Heiress Is Broke, Abandoned Baby [Rich People]

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 07:21:18 -0500

Number of comments: 29
There is something awkward about a single-source story wherein the source's accusation that the subject stole her panties and discarded a used vibrator in her bed never comes up. Sometimes it's worth...

[...]

rochesterturning.com: Wednesday Wingnut Watch

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 07:00:29 -0500

Number of comments: 1

Wheeee - Hawww!!! We gonna have us a National Tea Party in Nashville! Grass roots is where it’s at, buddy! Can I pay my $549 registration fee with American Express? sarah_palin_makeup1 2010’s Wingnut party to end all wingnut parties will feature conservative heartthrobs Michele Bachmann and Sarah [...]

BuffaloPundit: Open Thread

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 06:58:24 -0500

Number of comments: 2

Because the best thread is an open one.

[...]

Atlantic Yards Report: The slippery, risky Atlantic Yards bond deal

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 06:57:00 -0500

Number of comments: 0
Did you notice that the Atlantic Yards financing deal keeps changing and has some very unclear numbers?No infrastructure bondsIn September, the Brooklyn Arena Local Development Corporation (BALDC) agreed that it was willing to authorize up to $400 million in tax-exempt bonds for Atlantic Yards infrastructure. Now that plan is off [...]

BuffaloPundit: Afghanistan as Choice

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 06:55:33 -0500

Number of comments: 8

Afghanistan has been at the center of larger geopolitical struggles essentially since before its creation as a distinct nation-state. It has been essentially ungoverned and ungovernable since a coup in 1973 deposed King, and the political situation led to the Soviet invasion in 1979. The United States [...]

Albany Media Bias: Liberals Are Perfect

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 06:50:00 -0500

Have you noticed the overwhelming trend in editorials and op/ed writers' columns? Whenever they have 'advice' for someone, or need to 'explain' why someone is wrong, or 'justify' their dissatisfaction with someone, or 'mourn' with crocodile tears the death of someone's group...it's always "conservatives".

They never seem to write' [...]

Atlantic Yards Report: Ratings agency Moody's says its estimates are based on 225 events a year at the Brooklyn arena, but that total's overblown

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 06:34:00 -0500

Number of comments: 0
An updated article in the Bond Buyer, headlined Atlantic Yards Debt Gets Rated, quotes a ratings agency analyst explaining why the PILOT bonds for the planned Barclays Center got an investment grade.But the number of arena events is inflated: Out of the 225 days a year the arena is expected [...]

Gawker: Rihanna Says All Girlfriends Owe Their Abusive Boyfriends Nudie Pics [Gossip Roundup]

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 06:31:06 -0500

Number of comments: 38
"I feel bad" for boyfriends whose girlfriends don't send them XXX self-portraits, says Rihanna; Tiger Woods' sexy texts messages are out; LiLo and SamRo make nice. Wednesday's gossip is one nip slip...

' [...]

Gawker: Ex-LA Times Journalists Not Doing So Well [Eek]

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 06:16:55 -0500

Number of comments: 7
Thinking about taking a buyout, or leaving your media job to pursue your organic restaurant/piano teacher dreams? Read this depressing survey of 75 ex-Los Angeles Times journalists first. It's not...

[...]

Gawker: The Recovery is Here! [Vroom]

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 06:03:59 -0500

Number of comments: 3
Well Porsche sales were up 18% from last November anyway. But mainly because more people are buying the smaller and cheaper Cayman coupe. The things people do to survive these days... [AP]

[...]

Gawker: Wal-Mart starts another price war — ... [Consumed]

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 06:00:35 -0500

Number of comments: 2
Wal-Mart starts another price war — this time it's over video games.

[...]

Dave Lucas: The Carpenter

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 06:00:00 -0500

Tags: Joseph Nazareth Religion Jesus prophet Christmas
Sleep, so angels may come to you in your dreams.

Christmas is coming, along with stories and myths and motion pictures involving the ancient known as Joseph of Nazareth, a [...]

Gawker: 'Sex is Life. Professional Pornography is Just Capitalism [Olivier Zahm]

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 05:52:57 -0500

Number of comments: 7
Last night French lothario and self-confessed amateur pornographer Olivier Zahm had a gallery opening. We went to look at the pictures of naked ladies in the bath, on tables and peeing outside...

[...]

Gawker: Party Crashers' Charity Was Hundreds of Thousands in Debt, and Other Tragic Bafflements [Group Psychosis]

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 04:24:01 -0500

Number of comments: 22
Tareq and Michaele Salahi's "signature social event," the Land Rover America's Polo Cup, was neither sponsored by Land Rover nor as profitable as it claimed. Do these people have any grasp on...

[...]

Gawker: Bill Clinton on the Time Two Ladies Gave Him a Happy Ending in Korea [Pun Alert]

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 03:08:29 -0500

Number of comments: 6
Why, oh, why did Newsweek allow Bill Clinton to a feature called The Decade's Happiest Endings? Sure, he saved a pair of truth-seeking reporters from the hellish nightmare that is a lifetime of hard...

[...]

Atlantic Yards Report: Paterson meets with Atlantic Yards opponents, promises "objective and fair hearing" (but what does that mean now?)

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 02:22:00 -0500

Number of comments: 1
So, as the Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC) moves forward with Atlantic Yards, can the man in charge of the agency, Governor David Paterson--once a public opponent of eminent domain (as DDDB's Daniel Goldstein reminds us), now a tacit supporter of Atlantic Yards--do anything?Well, at least he's listening. Last night, [...]

Atlantic Yards Report: So, are tax-exempt bonds for infrastructure ruled out forever? Where would infrastructure funds come from?

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 01:57:00 -0500

Number of comments: 0
So, have the Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC) and Brooklyn Arena Local Development Corporation (BALDC) ruled out the use of tax-exempt bonds for Atlantic Yards infrastructure, though the BALDC is authorized to issue $400 million in such bonds?Well, yes--but not definitely.Scenario not foreseenThe ESDC said Monday that it ultimately "decided" [...]

Atlantic Yards Report: Times roundup on bonds, court case adds some important context but gets basic issues wrong

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 01:54:00 -0500

Number of comments: 0
A roundup story in the New York Times on arena bonds and more, headlined online New Nets Arena Wins Another Court Challenge, adds some important context--the bond ratings issued yesterday are no different from those assigned to bonds for the Yankees and Mets stadiums this year and in 2006. And [...]

Gawker: Marilyn Monroe's Doobie in Rediscovered Pot-Smoking Video Looks Suspiciously Like a Cigarette [Trailblazer]

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 01:52:39 -0500

Number of comments: 3
An old lady has unearthed a home video she says depicts the original bombshell blazing with some girlfriends. It's most definitely Marilyn, and they're definitely smoking, but is it really pot? The...

[...]

Power Plays: Clip Job: Three Homosexuals In Search of a Drink

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 01:51:57 -0500

Clip Job: an excerpt every day from the Voice archives. May 5, 1966, Vol. XI, No. 29 Three Homosexuals In Search of a Drink By Lucy Komisar It was a Greek scene in more ways than one. Three he...

Continue reading "Clip Job: Three Homosexuals In Search of a Drink" [...]

RAGGED THOTS: W.O.W. (Wanda On Woods)

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:41:00 -0500

The local cops in Florida could have saved themselves so much time by just checking out Wanda Sykes' version of Tiger Woods' accident:This skit/stand-up is a great example of what the late improv master Del Close called "truth in comedy." Even though this was a staged bit, it's absolutely hilarious [...]

Left at the Gate: Big A Up (Almost) Next?

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:39:00 -0500

Governor Paterson now says that he will reluctantly accept the $2.8 billion dollar deficit reduction plan that legislative leaders claim he agreed to on Monday. But don't call it a deal. "I would not describe it as a deal, Ken. Because a deal means that all parties accept the'" [...]

Gawker: 'Jersey Shore' Star Defends Show Against Racism Charges in Characteristically Italian Manner [Trade Roundup]

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:23:46 -0500

Number of comments: 13
So this Italian-American advocacy group, right? It says to MTV: "Hey, I think your show 'Jersey Shore' is racist against Italians." And MTV says, "Oh yeah? Why don't you come over and talk to one of...

'" [...]

Gothamist: Obama's Afghanistan Plans: 30,000 More Troops, Withdraw By June 2011

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:03:00 -0500

President Obama outlined his plans for the war in Afghanistan during speech given at West Point, saying that 30,000 more U.S. troops would head to the region next year and, conditions permitting, withdrawal will begin 18 months later, [...]

Gothamist: Last Night's Action: Role Reversal

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Who had the Knicks as the first team to hold the Suns under 100 points? Mike D'Antoni's squad did just that against the coach's former team in a 126-99 rout of the Suns at Madison Square Garden. This is probably the best game the' [...]

SpeakUpWNY.com: TOWNSEND OPPOSES DEFICIT REDUCTION PLAN

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Lawmaker calls Albany shell game a phony fix for what ails state. [...]

Gawker: Financial Reporter Jokes With Matt Lauer as Dubai Crumbles [The Daily Show]

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 23:39:54 -0500

Number of comments: 14
Tonight on "The Daily Show", Jon Stewart picked on one of his favorite targets: financial reporters. We get a double dose of schadenfreudey laughs—from both Dubai's spectacular downfall and the...

[...]

Power Plays: Obama: 30,000 More Troops to Afghanistan; Not "Another Vietnam"

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 23:21:46 -0500

"If I did not think that the security of the United States and the safety of the American people were at stake in Afghanistan," said President Obama last night in a speech at West Point, "I would ...

Continue reading "Obama: 30,000 More Troops to Afghanistan; [...]

Gawker: Crazy Peruvian Fat Killers Were Fake [Fat Killers]

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 23:13:36 -0500

Number of comments: 12
Remember that twisted story of the Peruvian gang which supposedly killed obese people and sold their fat for use in cosmetics? It was made up by an investigator. Thank God. [BBC]

[...]

Gawker: Doctors Told Not to Use Facebook to Get Ass [Sexual Healing]

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:27:45 -0500

Number of comments: 10
When you poke your hot gastroenterologist on Facebook and get no response, don't worry: He's trying to be professional. The UK's largest medical professional organization has warned doctors not to...

' [...]

Power Plays: This Week in the Voice

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:08:30 -0500

Rats, drug dealers, hookers, a gambling "casino' in one of the apartments: 2320 Aqueduct Avenue in the Bronx sounds like a terrible building. It used to be bad when one of the Voice's perennial "1...

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

Gawker: Obama's Afghanistan Speech: More Poetry, Less Terror [Speeches]

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:08:10 -0500

Number of comments: 30
It was easily one of the 50 most important speeches Barack Obama will ever give: Tonight, he made the case for why he's sending 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan. (Oh, and terrorists? They still want...

[...]

Left at the Gate: Two Down, Six To Go

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:37:00 -0500

The early speculation that the jury would return a quick verdict on Joe Bruno has proven to be totally off base. “After careful consideration, we have come to a consensus on two counts. We cannot come to a decisionn on the other six counts. Could you please provide us with [...]

Albany Watch: Senate Delays Vote, Assembly Presses On

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:26:49 -0500

Because of a delay in bill printing on the budget, the state Senate tonight postponed a vote on the deficit-reduction plan, while the Assembly was set to reconvene at 10 p.m. with the hope of passing the bills, reports Gannett’s Cara Matthews. It was unclear whether the Assembly would also seek [...]

Politics on the Hudson: Senate Delays Vote, Assembly Presses On

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:26:12 -0500

In da Buff (Buffalo, New York): Byrd Tweets for 2009-12-01

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:25:00 -0500

Snow in da B-lo! [tweetphoto.com] # @AmandaPunaro M e o w in reply to AmandaPunaro # OBAMA BUMPS CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS [tinyurl.com] Obama will use teacher's voice from CB—-> [bit.ly] # RT @blogTO: RT @anthonynacc Turn your tweets red today by adding #red [...]

Gawker: Charity Campaign Confuses Charity Reporter [Twitterati]

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:18:08 -0500

Number of comments: 3
A New York Times reporter was oddly bewildered; an Onion editor was oddly enterprising and Kevin Smith was oddly seductive to a far-right evangelical wingnut. The Twitterati were surprising. The New...

[...]

Albanysinsanity: The ongoing saga of a Senator and a NYSTA board member

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:14:22 -0500

While Albany is burning Antoine Thompson and Donna Luh are out shaking down donors.

Tonight while negotiations were hot and heavy in Albany Senator Antoine Thompson decided to say enough with Albany and headed to Buffalo to attend the fundraiser Donna Luh worked on putting together for him.

In a time [...]

Capitol confidential: Assembly staying put, voting on DRP

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:03:50 -0500

Number of comments: 4

The Assembly plans to stay to vote on the DRP bills tonight, according to a member.

Members adjourned from conference not too long ago with plans to reconvene at 10 p.m.

It is unclear how late they will be in — the bills are still being drafted (staff only started at 7 [...]

albany project: Marriage Equality Debate And Vote Tonight: Will It Pass?

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 20:54:33 -0500

UPDATE: Senate adjourned until tomorrow morning at 10 a.m.

All signs are pointing to the New York State Senate voting on the Marriage Equality Act (S4401) tonight. The debate and vote won't take place until late tonight, but multiple sources are telling me it is going to happen.

(You can' [...]

Capitol confidential: No DRP or gay marriage tonight (Senate)

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 20:21:54 -0500

Number of comments: 3

Senate spokesman Austin Shafran just announced that the Senate will not take up the DRP or any other legislation (read: gay marriage) tonight. Staff only began drafting the bill at around 7 p.m. tonight.

The Senate will reconvene at 10 a.m. tomorrow. Going over to the Assembly to hear their plans.

[...]

Gawker: Blogger Disclosure Tuesday a Small Storm of Sad [Blogging For Dollars]

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 20:07:05 -0500

Number of comments: 8
FTC regulations on blogger payola and freebies went into effect today, and bloggers have gotten busy disclosing their "material connections" to the people and companies they write about. Most of...

[...]

GothamSchools: NEWS: Remainders: Arne Duncan weighs in on class size

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 20:01:34 -0500

Number of comments: 3
Frederick Hess argues that current teacher pension plans make it more difficult to boost teacher quality. Richard Whitmire defends college admissions processes that favor boys, athletes and children of donors. At a district rezoning meeting, a DOE official insisted that there are enough seats in District 2 schools. Gordon Macinnes [...]

Albany Media Bias: Climate Criminals And Coups?

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:42:00 -0500

A couple of unrelated issues I'm forcing into one post since I'm sourcing IBD and their always-handy summaries. First up, you may have seen in the paper news that Honduras recently voted for a new President. You'll recall that their last leader went all socialist on them and tried to' [...]

Politicker NY: As Times Staff Shrinks, Blogs Will Be 'Pruned'

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:35:49 -0500

Early last month, when Times executive editor Bill Keller hosted a “Throw Stuff at Bill” chat soon after announcing 100 newsroom job cuts, he assured staffers that executives would be proceeding carefully.

“What you can do with less, is less,” said Mr. Keller. “But if you are smart and [...]

Albany Media Bias: Isn't It Ironic? Well? Isn't It?

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:35:00 -0500

Maybe 'irony' isn't the word I'm looking for, but this definition sort of makes me think it might be: "incongruity between the actual result of a sequence of events and the normal or expected result".

What the heck am I talking about? I'm talking about the latest ridiculous' [...]

Politicker NY: Watch Out, Times! Murdoch Plans $15 M. N.Y.C. Edition

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:32:18 -0500

"Good journalism is an expensive commodity,” said Rupert Murdoch at a Federal Trade Commission conference in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Dec. 1.

We’ll say!

Mr. Murdoch is ready to roll out a budget of $15 million for his new New York edition of The Wall Street Journal, an insider familiar" [...]

Politicker NY: Who Knew Del Posto, Purveyor of Lardo, Was So Eco?

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:14:15 -0500

Del Posto, the three-star Italian restaurant co-owned by Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich, has a green side—and we’re not talkin’ about all the dough they’re raking in from the $28 spaghetti!

The 2002 Ford Excursion in which Mr. Bastianich commutes every morning from Greenwich, Conn., has a converted diesel [...]

The Daily Gotham: LIVE LINK TO NYSENATE VIDEOSTREAM: Will New York be the next state to vote for same-sex marriage today?

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:13:50 -0500

New York Senate livestream

Looks like DC beat New York State to the gay-marriage punch on a technicality : D.C. Council votes to legalize same-sex marriage - washingtonpost.com
After months of debate, the council passed the bill 11 to 2. It still must take a second vote in two [...]

albany project: Escalator In Chief

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:06:19 -0500

(Note: Cross-posted on my website.)

In the hours leading up to President Obama's formal announcement of his plan for how to deal with Afghanistan, I have decided that it is possible that he could convince me that his escalation of American involvement in that civil war is a good idea. [...]

GothamSchools: NEWS: Conflict could exclude this year’s tests from tenure decisions

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:02:50 -0500

A schedule conflict could mean that students’ scores on this year’s state standardized tests may not play a role in whether their teachers get tenure. Nevertheless, if the city does use the scores, it could land in court with the union on the other side.

Citing a loophole in state law, [...]

The Daily Gotham: Escalator In Chief

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:01:12 -0500

(Note: Cross-posted on my website.)

In the hours leading up to President Obama’s formal announcement of his plan for how to deal with Afghanistan, I have decided that it is possible that he could convince me that his escalation of American involvement in that civil war is a good idea. [...]

Politicker NY: Rrrowl! Beware Cougar's Young Niece, the Cheetah

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:50:59 -0500

It was 2:30 a.m. on a school night about a year ago when Seth, Joel and Dana left the party and headed into the rain. The party had been unremarkable, only this time Seth had allowed the open bar to get the better of him. He knew he [...]

Gothamist: Extra, Extra

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:47:00 -0500

Photograph by tellzoe on Flickr
From the Gothamist Newsmap: A missing EDP at E 18th St & 1st Ave in Manhattan, a pedestrian struck on the Williamsburg Bridge in Brooklyn and a shooting on Kelly St in the Bronx. President Obama will [...]

Transit Blogger: Tree Lighting Ceremony Affects Service

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:41:07 -0500

It is once again that time of year when the unofficial holiday season really kicks into gear with the lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. As one should expect, service in & around the area will be affected due to the ceremony. Here is the official word on what [...]

Politicker NY: Hey, Are Those The Real Yogurt Caps?

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:40:21 -0500

Earlier this fall, Ann Temkin, the chief curator at the Museum of Modern Art’s department of painting and sculpture, was working on the checklist for the upcoming Gabriel Orozco retrospective (opening Dec. 13) when it occurred to her that one of the pieces she wanted to include in [...]

FishBowlNY: Gibson Set To Leave "World News" Dec 18|Reader's Digest Looks To Exit Ch. 11|Huffington Takes On Murdoch Before FTC|NatGeo Puts Adventurer On The Block

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:30:00 -0500

The Daily Show With Jon StewartMon - Thurs 11p / 10cMaziar Bahari www.thedailyshow.com Daily Show
Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Crisis

TVNewser: Charlie Gibson will sign off from "World News" on December 18.

Politico: Layoffs hit USA TODAY as the national paper looks to cut [...]

Gothamist: New CUNY Hall's Ceremony Disrupted By Barron, Trustee

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:27:00 -0500

In a ceremony earlier today, Mayor Bloomberg and other officials hailed the rebuilding of CUNY's Fiterman Hall, a Borough of Manhattan Community College building on West Street, which was badly damaged on September 11, 2001. However, more people may remember it for the part [...]

Gawker: Warner Bros. Luring Media to Hangover DVD Junket with Promise of Vegas Hi-Jinx [Junketeers]

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:21:20 -0500

Number of comments: 9
It's almost too easy. Picture the nation's reporters in these dying days of media, toiling away in crumbling newsrooms where no sunlight has penetrated since before basic cable. Suddenly in their...

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Gothamist: No Gospel Love For Glenn Beck

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:20:00 -0500

The Harlem Gospel Choir canceled a holiday performance on television host Glenn Beck's conservative talk-show—but for financial reasons! While Color for Change's James Rucker, who has previously encouraged several advertisers to withdraw from Beck's show, tells the [...]

Gawker: Phone Home [Pic Of The Day]

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:18:15 -0500

Number of comments: 24
[Someone takes shelter in what must be one of Manhattan's last remaining phone booths. Image via Sondergaard's Flickr]

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City Room: Former Acorn and Schools Employee Accused of Fraud

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:05:30 -0500

Number of comments: 9
Investigators charged that a bookkeeper and community organizer for Acorn improperly received $500,000 in merchandise for a corporate rewards program with Verizon through a fraud scheme that went on for more than four years. [...]

Gothamist: Judge: NYPD Officers Commit "Widespread Falsification"

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:04:00 -0500

A Brooklyn federal judge declared that NYPD officers regularly fabricate criminal charges and lie under oath — and the city condones it. Judge Jack Weinstein said "there is some evidence of an attitude among officers that is sufficiently widespread to constitute a custom or policy" [...]

Politicker NY: With Negotiations Stalled, Broadcast Union Launches Site on 'The Grinch at NBC'; Theatens to Disrupt NBC's Annual Holiday Telecast

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 18:03:48 -0500

Happy holidays, NBC!

Today, National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians (NABET-CWA) Local 11, which represents several thousand employees at NBC Universal, announced that they are celebrating the holidays at NBC by launching a web site, http://NBCStoleChristmas.com, highlighting "the 'Grinch' within NBC" and threatening to disrupt the network's 12th [...]

Gawker: Why Simon Doonan Will Not Be Telling You to Buy Stuff You Can't Afford This Year [Holidaze]

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:52:50 -0500

Number of comments: 5
New York Observer columnist Simon Doonan writes truth: "People HATE gift guides, universally."

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