Results tagged “newyork”

In a new Gallup poll that rates states in terms of population well-being, New York lands pretty much dead center. But that's a 0.3 "point" raise from last year, so nice work everybody. New York got a 65 on the "Well-Being Index Score," which calculates evaluations of citizen's lives from across the country. Factors include emotional and physical health, work environment, and access to basic things like food and water. more ›

[UPDATE BELOW] The rumor mill is churning right now about a "big, damaging" New York Times "bombshell" story that supposedly features some ruinous dirt about the personal life of Governor David Paterson. Elizabeth Benjamin at the Daily News hears it "will be far worse than his acknowledged extramarital affair with a former state employee." Remember when you first heard about Eliot Spitzer's involvement with prostitutes, and everyone was like, "Okay, so who the hell is David Paterson?" Well, let's get to know current Lieutenant Governor Richard Ravitch! (We would link to his official New York State website, but, heh, that doesn't even exist.) more ›

Voters across New York State are overwhelmingly in favor of ending prohibition on medical marijuana, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today. 71 percent of those polled said medical marijuana is a "good idea," with the poll finding support "among all political, racial and regional groups." Even a majority of Republicans (55 - 41) are in favor of turning on medicinally. "Voters of every age have entered the Age of Aquarius," said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "It hasn't attracted a lot of attention, but New York State voters would like to emulate their New Jersey neighbors and approve medical use of marijuana." So what the hell's stopping us from biting Jersey's style? more ›

This rather mesmerizing little video was made "using a digital stills camera to create a stop motion animation." Most of the images depict NYC from the land, air, or water, but there are some other urban areas mixed in there, too. (Anybody know where they are?) There's not much more to add here, except to caution that what you are about to see has the serious potential to trigger a potent acid flashback, so have a beanbag chair and a copy of Meddle cued up. [Via Kottke] more ›

Click on the film stills for details and reviews on this week's new releases and repertory screenings, which include The Book of Eli, The Spy Next Door, Fish Tank, Carmel, Our Daily Bread, Hausu,Labyrinth, and Showgirls. more ›

There is good news and no news today for New Yorkers with relatives still missing in Haiti following Tuesday's devastating earthquake. Two NYU doctoral students who arrived just a day before the earthquake have been located, following several tense days of waiting. Nathalie Pierre, 24, of Brooklyn and Greg Childs, from South Carolina, were found safe, and flown from Port-au-Prince to the Dominican Republic by the US Coast Guard. And Brooklyn cab driver Pierre Coimin, who had been agonizing over the fate of his 4-year-old daughter, finally heard word from his daughter through the NY Post, which sent a reporter to Coimin with a photo of the girl, her mother, and the message, "Tell Daddy I love him." Others were not so lucky. more ›

Happy New Year, New York City! We hope you had a fun, safe New Year's celebration and wish you a great 2010. Here are some photos from Times Square and video of the ball drop is below: more ›

Governor Paterson's security force has doubled from 100 to 200 officers since he took office in March 2008, and some critics say he's expanded the detail just to make himself look more important. "The governor wants to have an entourage—three or four cars—wherever he goes because he thinks it makes him look more gubernatorial, it helps him politically," one unidentified "senior official" tells the Post. Now the State Troopers Police Benevolent Association is calling Paterson out for draining police manpower at a time when he's cut the state police force to battle the budget monsters. more ›

Governor Paterson and Mayor Bloomberg both criticized the Senate health care reform bill yesterday, because they say the bill gives goodies and funding to states that currently offer weak assistance to poor sick people, while penalizing New York. "We are in a sense being punished for our own charity," Paterson told reporters. The Governor is reportedly upset that states like Massachusetts and Vermont got last-minute deals that erase their extra costs, and other states whose senators were holdouts got cash incentives. Nebraska, for instance, will have 100% of its Medicaid costs covered by the Senate bill, while New York will continue to cover half on its own. more ›

Deborah Yannicelli of Long Island and Maurice Keshner of Brooklyn, will walk away with $1.6 million and over $250,000 respectively after blowing the whistle on three city-based home health-care companies who were fraudulently collecting government money for uncertified home health aides. The reward money is part of the $24 million recovered from the companies after the two finked. Yannicelli's lawyer, Timothy McInnis said: "She's delighted. She's been waiting for a long time for this." more ›

The city will debut a special limited-edition condom package next fall, and the Health Department is holding a contest to pick the new look. They're calling for designs that reflect NYC's "distinctive culture and style while also promoting safer sex." As they put it on the website, "Maybe you’ve admired the NYC Condom’s sleek package design. Maybe you even own one or two of the 41 million the Health Department gave away last year. We’re not about to abandon the now-iconic package, but we want to keep things interesting." (But "not raunchy"!) So what does the winner get? more ›

Investigators have previously said that "everyone's hand was out" for bribes at SLA, and now two women have been caught planning to bribe liquor authority officials to help speed up a booze license approval. A court ordered wiretap allegedly found that Annie Guerrero, the owner of El Nido Del Aguila, in Inwood, and Maria Elena Nunez, the owner of an expediting company that represents businesses applying for liquor licenses, colluded to bribe an SLA official with $5,000, in hopes of avoiding a full SLA review. more ›

It it's December, it must be time to visit Dyker Heights, that Brooklyn neighborhood famous for its transcendent Christmas light displays. The spectacle draws onlookers from around the world, and was immortalized in a truly hilarious documentary called Dyker Lights, which takes a priceless "behind-the-scenes" look at the predominantly Italian-American families during preparations for the annual festivities. (PBS will be broadcasting Dyker Lights again this year on Christmas Eve and Christmas day—it's not to be missed.) more ›

The rhetoric is ratcheted up to 11 after last week's overwhelming rejection of same-sex marriage in the state Senate, which left gay-rights activists reeling. "It's going to be a bloodbath," one gay "operative" tells the Daily News. "We're going to use every single weapon in our quiver to take these people out. We either need to replace them or scare the hell out of them so they do the right thing." Activists say they'll focus their efforts on the Democrats who they feel betrayed them, and number one on the list is Senator Joseph P. Addabbo of Queens. more ›

Yesterday City Council Speaker Christine Quinn urged angry New Yorkers to keep the blame focused on the politicians who voted down a bill legalizing gay marriage in the Senate Wednesday. But blame is a burning thing and it makes a fiery ring, and at the center is Governor David Paterson, a longtime supporter of same-sex marriage. Some Democratic party officials believed that Paterson, with his basement-level approval ratings, didn't have any leverage to apply to swing-vote Senators. But others, like suddenly known Staten Island Senator Diane Savino, thinks he could have made the difference. more ›

In the wake of the State Senate's 38-24 rejection of a bill legalizing same-sex yesterday, advocates of gay unions will hold a rally on the north side of Union Square tonight at 6 p.m. Demonstrations are also expected in Albany and other cities, as people vent their frustration at the latest in a series of setbacks in the campaign for gay marriage equality around the nation. more ›

After a lengthy debate, the New York State Senate voted 38-24 against a bill to legalize same-sex marriage. The Marriage Equality Act was finally brought to the floor for an up or down vote today after overcoming legislative roadblocks from opponents. During the emotional debate, one of the bill’s sponsors, State Senator Thomas K. Duane of Manhattan, who is gay, said, "This legislation would merely provide me and tens of thousands of other New Yorkers with equal rights in New York State. It would make me equal in every way to everyone else in this chamber." more ›

In a 4-3 decision, New York State's highest court rejected a Christian legal group's argument that same-sex marriage was akin to incest and polygamy, and should therefore be denied government benefits for spouses. But the court's narrow ruling did not address the broader question of whether same-sex marriages performed in other states should be recognized in New York. The minority vote came from judges who argued that the case should have been tossed altogether, "on the ground that same-sex marriages, valid where performed, are entitled to full legal recognition in New York." more ›

Check out the lipstick on this pig factory farm cow: McDonald's Corp. spokeswoman Danya Proud says this McDonald's location on Sixth Avenue between 14th and 15th streets is the first in the nation to get a so-called "urban redesign." It has free Wi-Fi and laptop outlets, upholstered vinyl chairs instead of seats bolted to the floor, subdued lighting, and all-black uniforms for employees. The metrosexual look is, naturally, de rigueur in Europe, but like something out of another world for us boorish Americans. One customer tells the Associated Press it's "beautiful" and more "like a lounge"—but with the same revolting "food." more ›

Ah, fresh meat! After pleading guilty to staging their ridiculous hoax involving their 6-year-old son Falcon and a runaway helium balloon, fame-hunters Richard and Mayumi Heene were granted permission by a Colorado judge to visit New York City. The purpose of their trip? An unspecified "employment opportunity." See? Exploiting your children and deceiving an entire nation pays! more ›

Click on the images for the scoop on Bar Henry, Sushi Uo, Mermaid Oyster Bar, Manhattan Inn, Northern Spy Food Co., and Má Pêche. more ›

It's getting increasingly difficult to hide from the tax man in New York State, thanks to improved automation, more efficient use of third-party data and tougher disclosure laws. Tax revenue obtained through "enforcement actions" has increased 40 percent during the past six months, bringing in an extra $185 million, and crushing some small businesses along the way. In fact, the Empire State is getting so good at shaking down taxpayers that one analyst tells the Times other states "envy" New York! more ›

One of the staunchest opponents to same-sex marriage is a Bronx state senator with two gay brothers, a gay grandchild, and a gay chief counsel. Democrat Ruben Diaz, Sr., a Pentecostal minister, has been a die hard foe of any bill that would legalize gay marriage in New York State, despite his supposedly convivial relationship with many homosexuals. "I love them. I love them," says Díaz, who grew up one of 17 children in Puerto Rico. "But I don’t believe in what they are doing." more ›

Some "hidden rich people" were recently profiled by the New York Post, and now we regret not considering a different career path. A limo driver, for instance, makes $250,000 a year/up to $20,000 a day driving around celebrities. A personal trainer pulls in $300 an hour and between $200,000 and $250,000 a year, and Soho dog walker Eddie Bimonte earns about $4,000 a month, $230 a day. "My job is to make sure they pee and poop," he explains. "I love it when they poop!" more ›

The author of the new book Save the Deli has declared that LA has better Jewish delis than NYC, but he only says such hurtful things because he wants to see New York do better. We haven't read David Sax's heretical book, but the LA Times did, and of course they're gloating over there, because Sax says, "The [delis] that are most inspiring, the ones that people cling to, the ones that people enshrine for years and years are the traditional Jewish delis. And Los Angeles just happens to have more of them than any city I've been to." How can that be?! more ›

In December, Governor Paterson floated the idea of an 18% tax non-diet soft drinks, as part of a plan to close the $3 billion budget gap and perhaps influence New Yorkers to choose healthier beverages. Then the beverage industry opened up a can of whoop-ass, and Paterson backed off, explaining that "often publicity is as important as legislation." Now, perhaps inspired by a 3 cent tax on soda being considered in Washington, Paterson has revived his own soda tax dreams. more ›

Allen Weber says he went to Pittsburgh last month to photograph the street protests at the G20 summit, but police say he behaved like just another anarchist. According to Pittsburgh police Officer Brian Nicholas, Weber was one of hundreds of demonstrators gathered in a plaza on the evening of September 24th, after police had ordered everyone to disperse. Nicholas was in the front seat of an armored SWAT truck, and he dropped a smoke grenade from the truck, about 15 feet from the crowd. more ›

This morning Rep. Anthony Weiner met former New York Lieutenant Governor (and current insane person) Betsy McCaughey on MSNBC's Morning Meeting to debate yell about health care. Though Weiner and McCuaghey had their moments, most of the horn-locking happened between her and host Dylan Ratigan, who would not stop demanding she answer his question: How do you get insurance companies to compete instead of monopolizing markets with antitrust exemptions. Or, as Ratigan puts it, how do we "put an end to corporate communism?" Skip ahead to the four minute mark, when the fireworks get started. more ›

On November 1st, a new law banning texting or using electronic devices like iPods and laptops while driving goes into effect in New York State. But Senator Chuck Schumer announced yesterday at one of his patented Sunday press conferences that he's pushing for a nationwide ban on texting. Schumer cited data showing that text-messaging while driving has resulted in almost 100 teen deaths over the last five years in the city and on Long Island. more ›

After a two year study, a commission evaluating the State Liquor Authority has concluded that the SLA is highly dysfunctional. It's no shocker; the SLA has been mired in scandal forever, with investigations into alleged bribery and questionable favors doled out by the Governor to the top commissioners. In May, SLA chairman Daniel Boyle was ousted, weeks after the SLA Harlem office was raided by investigators on orders from the state Inspector General. more ›