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Steven Slater’s Mom Wants Him To Get Counseling

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 20:31:00 +0000

Photo via the AP Steven Slater , the former JetBlue flight attendant who exited his job by pulling the emergency slide on an aircraft last month, is fighting for a plea deal. Slater is a recovering alcoholic, who is also HIV positive, and has been taking care of his sick mother—she told the Daily News , “I certainly don’t want him to go to jail. If he could get some counseling instead, that would be terrific. He’s a busy boy. But he takes care of his dear old mom. ” Slater was charged with trespassing, reckless endangerment and criminal mischief, and will be back in court on October 19th, where he’ll face Queens District Attorney Richard Brown, who told the press, “I have said from the beginning that I’ve been very much troubled by the fact that both the defendant and the media have been trivializing that which occurred. Deploying an emergency escape chute on an aircraft filled with passengers is no laughing matter.” Brown says they are evaluating alternative sentences for Slater, however, which would keep him out of jail. He noted that option is usually reserved for people with mental or substance abuse issues and added that he believes Slater is “indeed taking it more seriously than he has in the past.”

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Steven Slater’s Mom Wants Him To Get Counseling

Drunken Man Takes Leisurely Drive On Queens Boardwalk

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:31:36 +0000

Rockaway Boulevard A Queens dad was arrested this week under Leandra’s Law after cruising down the pedestrian-only Rockaway Beach Boulevard completely drunk with six kids in tow. Doesn’t he know one should always hitch a ride to Rockaway Beach? Renato Bernal, 41, had almost one-and-a-half times the legal alcohol limit when he drove the kids down 30 blocks on the Boardwalk. One woman sounded perversely impressed: ” That was pretty bold. He could have hit anybody walking ,” said neighbor Marguerite Young, 33. Of course, Bernal nearly did hit James Beatty, who was walking on the Boardwalk near Beach 73rd St. around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday. When cops caught him 35 blocks away at Beach 108th St., he told them, “I was not driving anywhere near the Boardwalk. I didn’t have anything to drink.” But prosecutors say Bernal had bloodshot eyes, booze on his breath and registered a 0.122 on a blood-alcohol test. “It’s a miracle that no one was injured or killed,” said Queens District Attorney Richard Brown. Among the six kids in the car were Bernal’s two daughters, 16 and 14 , and two 7-year-old nephews. Under Leandra’s Law , it is a felony to drive drunk with children in the car; Bernal faces up to seven years in prison if convicted. A mother in upstate NY was also arrested under Leandra’s Law this week , for driving while drunk with six children in the car.

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Drunken Man Takes Leisurely Drive On Queens Boardwalk

Rupert Murdoch Loves A "Fat Pig"

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:24:50 +0000

When you’re done reading the Lindsay Lohan cover story, you can also read about Rupert Murdoch vs. Arthur Sulzberger media war in Vanity Fair. According to a summary of the story , VF reporter Sarah Ellison spoke to Andrew Neil, who was editor of Murdoch’s Sunday Times. Neil says, “Americans have this patrician attitude that they have a God-given right to produce these boring newspapers and not be challenged to do it. The New York Times really thinks it’s the BBC…the PBS of newsprint… So, that’s what gets Murdoch’s juices going. He sees [dramatic pause here] a fat pig there for the taking.” There are also bitchy comments from Wall Street Journal and NY Times executives.

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Rupert Murdoch Loves A "Fat Pig"

Hurricane Earl Heads Closer, Tropical Storm Watch In Effect

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:11:02 +0000

A man fishing off a pier in North Carolina today (AP) New York City, Long Island, and southern Westchester County are under a tropical storm watch , which means we could see 39- to 73 mile per hour winds, as Hurricane Earl heads closer to the U.S.. Winds of 100 mph are expected to hit the Outer Banks in North Carolina tonight, and then Earl will continue north. Hurricane warnings was issued for Massachusetts and Connecticut was issued a tropical storm warning . On Long Island, the Red Cross is prepping shelters while Long Island Power Authority is “bringing in 1,600 line workers from out of state to supplement its own force of 500 workers.” One LIPA official explained to the WABC 7 why it’s hard to bring back power when it goes out, “The electric system is what we call radial. In other words, there’s not an opportunity to have a lot of redundancy in the electric system because it’s a peninsula on an island.” And on the Jersey Shore, waves are getting rough , but there are no plans to evacuate. Of course, the prospect of Earl excites some people: Surfers . Those catching waves at Rockaway Beach yesterday told the Daily News, “It’s gonna be double overhead on Friday – double your height!” and “Somewhere between New Jersey and Montauk, it’ll be good. As the storm gets closer, the waves will definitely get bigger.”

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Hurricane Earl Heads Closer, Tropical Storm Watch In Effect

Happy 90210 Day, New York

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 16:56:51 +0000

Valerie hailed from Buffalo, NY and smoked pot We may be in New York City, but it’s still September 2nd, 2010 here—which means we can still celebrate 90210 day. There are some New York ties during the original series: Brandon Walsh eventually works for the New York Chronicle (D.C. branch), and on top of that, every deadbeat character on the show was originally from New York! Remember when Kelly has an internship in the city and meets artist Colin Robbins? He then moves to L.A. to be with her and quickly drags her down with his drug-using ways; she battles a temporary addiction to cocaine because of him. His ex, and the Walsh family’s friend, Valerie Malone, is also from New York… and during her first episode is shown smoking a joint in Brenda Walsh’s bed; this is the least evil thing she’ll do during her time on the show. Well, even if the writers of the show associated New Yorkers with manipulative, evil, drug addicts, at least celebrating 90210 Day gives us heathens a reason to drink. So with that, tonight the Roosevelt Hotel (at 46th and Madison) is celebrating starting at 9:02:10 p.m., and they ask that you dress as your favorite Beverly Hills alum (from the original series) and enjoy $9.02 drinks (each named after the original characters). Until then, enjoy New Yorker’s Brendan and Jackson Kenny’s rendition of the 90210 theme song:

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Happy 90210 Day, New York

Paterson May Face Charges For Yankees Tix Testimony

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 17:22:00 +0000

A new report released today about whether Governor Paterson perjured himself over free Yankees tickets concluded the matter “warrants consideration of possible criminal charges.” Sigh, Albany. Judith Kaye, the former top NY Judge appointed as the independent counsel to investigate the case by Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, decided that Paterson’s testimony was “inaccurate and misleading” and called on the Albany County DA David Soares to decide whether or not to prosecute the Governor. You may recall that Kaye also gave Paterson his oath of office back in 2008. Last fall, Paterson and his aides allegedly solicited five free tickets to the Yankees World Series games. The tickets had a face value of $425 each, but last week the state’s Commission on Public Integrity suggested that the outgoing governor pay a $93,000 fine . The Paterson-World Series tickets saga has involved apparently forged backdated checks (by aide David Johnson, who is facing his own legal problems ) and suggestions that the Yankees only offered the governor tickets to the playoffs .

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Paterson May Face Charges For Yankees Tix Testimony

Investigation Turns Up Porn On Judge’s Computer

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 16:59:23 +0000

Judge Gibbons, right, in a sketch from the Tarloff trial Manhattan Criminal Court Judge James D. Gibbons, who was appointed under Giuliani, resigned abruptly on Aug. 17. Today, the circumstances around the resignation were revealed: Gibbons had a possibly conflict-ridden relationship with a female Legal Aid attorney, who he had a child with. Then in the course of that inquiry, investigators discovered pornography on his work computer. Gibbons worked as a city prosecutor for 14 years under DA Robert Morgenthau, and was appointed to the Brooklyn bench in December 2001, moving to Manhattan Criminal Court in 2003. Gibbons presided over several high profile cases, including the prosecution of cleaver-wielding David Tarloff , and Naomi Campbell , for whom Gibbons nearly issued a bench warrant when she missed a court date in 2006. The Gibbons investigation began after rumors started circling about his extra-curricular activities socializing with Legal Aid lawyers. The Post’s source said : “They were interested in him because he was spending a lot of time hanging out drinking with them… It was only after one of them got pregnant, and it came out that he was the father, that they began investigating him for possibly not recusing himself ,” in cases where the girlfriend may have stood before his bench. “Then Bam! They come across pornography.”

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Investigation Turns Up Porn On Judge’s Computer

NY Times Endorses Schneiderman For Dem AG

Sat, 21 Aug 2010 11:20:25 +0000

There are five contenders vying for the Democratic nomination to run for NY State Attorney General. The race has drawn limited interest of voters—last month, a poll found that 81% of Democrats had no idea who they would vote for—but now the NY Times has entered the fray with its endorsement of State Senator Eric Schneiderman , “because of his sound judgment, legal expertise, political independence and long history of fighting for government reform… During his 12 years in the Senate, he championed important laws protecting women’s rights and repealing the overly harsh Rockefeller-era drug laws, and he challenged his party’s leaders when they chose expedience over conviction.” The Times note they were concerned about Albany’s dysfunction and “whether any member of the Legislature could be entrusted with this job,” but “Mr. Schneiderman has demonstrated beyond a doubt his commitment to cleaner and more transparent government.” Schneiderman’s spokesman James Freedland said, “We are humbled and absolutely honored that the New York Times has endorsed Eric Schneiderman for his lifelong record of fighting for progressive justice for all New Yorkers. As Attorney General, Eric will be a true reformer who will deliver change to our state government and ensure that our justice system will be both color blind and fair.” The Times give runner-up honors to Eric DiNallo, a former state insurance superintendent as well as former assistant attorney general under Eliot Spitzer but he “has yet to demonstrate the muscular public advocacy we have seen from Mr. Schneiderman.” As for the campaign cash frontrunner , Kathleen Rice, the Times calls her a “credible” Nassau County DA “but her grasp of the challenges and opportunities facing the next attorney general is too limited. Her failure to vote until 2002, when she was 37 , is also troubling.”

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NY Times Endorses Schneiderman For Dem AG

K-Rod Suspended For Two Games, Barred From Own Home

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 17:30:36 +0000

Photograph of Francisco Rodriguez being escorted by cop by Jason DeCrow/AP Meet the Mess! Francisco Rodriguez, the Amazin’s’ closer, was suspended for two games and arraigned on third-degree assault charges for allegedly attacking his girlfriend’s father at Citi Field last night. Plus orders of protection were issued for girlfriend Daina (or Diane?) Pena and her father Carlos. The judge allowed Rodriguez to go back to his Long Island home—but only to retrieve his belongings with the police present. The prosecution said K-Rod had “a history of violence” and his family was “very concerned” about his returning home and wanted bail set at $5,000, but Newsday reports that his attorney pointed out that Rodriguez was not a flight risk, given his job, “If the Mets are playing… all you have to do is look in the bullpen,” so no bail was set. The criminal complaint says that Pena told police that Rodriguez entered the Family Lounge. He “instructed her to step outside to the hallway… the defendant told her to bring her father out into the hallway, and that thereafter she observed the defendant pin her father against the wall, and punch her father multiple times in the face and head.” The Daily News’ sources say there were “ongoing” tension between Carlos Pena and Rodriguez and the pitcher claims the 53-year-old threw the first punch. The Post claims that the fight started because Carlos Pena told K-Rod stop talking down to his daughter, “You can’t talk to my daughter that way.” Mets owner Jeff Wilpon said, “Ownership and the organization are very disappointed in Francisco’s inappropriate behavior and we take this matter very seriously.” And Jose Reyes said his wife and daughter saw the altercation, “You don’t want to see that, especially at the ballpark. Guess something happened there. Don’t know what the problem was. It’s disappointing.” K-Rod is next due in court on September 14.

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K-Rod Suspended For Two Games, Barred From Own Home

Rangel Rallies Birthday Party Invitees With Robo Calls

Sat, 07 Aug 2010 16:40:38 +0000

Because his House Ethics violations are scaring away invitees to his big birthday party-fundraiser at the Plaza next week, Rep. Charles Rangel (D-Harlem) has taken to calling his guest list to prod them to come. Actually, he’s making robo-calls: Capitol Tonight has audio of the call , which features Rangel saying, “Hi. This is Charlie Rangel. I’m sorry I missed you, but I’m calling to let you know that there’s a birthday party. It’s going to be on Wednesday, August the 11th at the Grand Ballroom of the Plaza Hotel. If you can be with us, please call 212-862-4990. It’s going to bne a terrific party and we want you there. Again, the number is 212-862-4990. Please try to make it. I’ll be looking to meet you.” Political consultant Hank Sheinkopf explains , “They want Charlie to appear as strong as possible. If the room is not full, it will appear that Charlie is weak.” While Governor Paterson (his dad is a good friend of Rangel’s) and Mayor Bloomberg are attending, gubernatorial candidate Attorney General Andrew Cuomo and Senator Chuck Schumer haven’t committed —at least not in the press—to attending. Babara Kamen, who with her husband former MetLife CEO Harry Kamen donated $11,600 to Rangel in the past, told the Daily News that they won’t be going to the bash, “We just don’t think he is such a terrific guy any more. We do think some of the allegations are true. I don’t believe in him any more.”

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Rangel Rallies Birthday Party Invitees With Robo Calls