Copyright 2008 The New York Sun Sun, 28 Sep 2008 23:09:24 -0400 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Benjamin Sarlin :: Stories from The New York Sun http://www.nysun.com/authors/Benjamin+Sarlin istoll@nysun.com (Ira Stoll) webmaster@nysun.com en-us BENJAMIN SARLIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/quinn-touts-the-benefits-of-tenants-protection-law/86770/ Mon, 29 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST Battling opposition to a new city law giving tenants the power to sue landlords on grounds of harassment, the City Council speaker, Christine Quinn, is pointing to a group of Brooklyn tenants who are among the first to file suit. The tenants of 64 Troutman St. in Bushwick claim in the suit that their landlord, Heskel 1 LLC, tore up the stairwells, left trash throughout the halls, and even dropped a sack of dead cats in a vacant apartment to rot for weeks. All, they claim, was an attempt to... BENJAMIN SARLIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/budget-woes-beget-talk-of-commuter-tax/86696/ Fri, 26 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST City and state lawmakers, on the hunt for new revenue sources to balance an increasingly tight budget, are calling for a revival of the commuter tax. Mayor Bloomberg issued a full-throated call for the tax to be reinstated yesterday, after the speaker of the Assembly, Sheldon Silver, reportedly said he was open to reviving the measure, which some supporters estimated could bring the city $500 million a year. Several City Council members also are pushing for a return to the commuter tax, saying... BENJAMIN SARLIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/president-clinton-calls-bloomberg-one-of-citys/86667/ Fri, 26 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST President Clinton heaped praise on Mayor Bloomberg yesterday, calling him an exceptional candidate for any job in the nation. Mr. Clinton's support boosts the mayor's résumé at a time when observers have discussed him as a potential Cabinet choice for either Senator McCain or Senator Obama. At the 2008 annual meeting of the former president's humanitarian foundation, the Clinton Global Initiative, Mr. Clinton described Mr. Bloomberg as "one of the greatest mayors that this city or any city ever... BENJAMIN SARLIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/council-bill-would-urge-days-off-for-two-muslim/86577/ Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST City Council members are calling on the state to give New York City children the day off from school on two Muslim holidays. On Friday, the council will debate a resolution urging the state Legislature to pass a law declaring the Muslim holidays of Eid ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Adha to be observed holidays in the city's public school system. According to the resolution's sponsor, Council Member Robert Jackson of Manhattan, the issue is a matter of fairness, as Muslim students make up a significant... BENJAMIN SARLIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/five-charged-in-gun-sting/86522/ Wed, 24 Sep 2008 16:22:33 EST Five men are being charged with illegally selling dozens of firearms to undercover police officers in Brooklyn and Queens, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly announced today. Four of the five men – Thomas Suarez, 26, Ali Hassan, 42, Scott Kwaak, 21, and his brother, Clinton Kwaak, 24 – have been apprehended by city police. A fifth individual, Ali Kabeer, 25, has been located in Florida and is expected to be extradited or to return to the city voluntarily to face charges. According to police, the... BENJAMIN SARLIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/google-says-its-new-program-may-boost-transit/86492/ Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST A new Google program detailing the city's public transportation system could increase ridership and help New York's economy, one of the search engine's co-founders, Larry Page, said yesterday. Google Transit, which is powered by data supplied by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, allows Google Maps browsers to click on subway and bus stops to get detailed information on routes and schedules. Users can also search for the best way to get from location to location using public... BENJAMIN SARLIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/mayor-city-drives-drop-in-us-murder-rate/86396/ Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST The drop in the nation's homicide rate can be attributed to homicide statistics in New York City, Mayor Bloomberg and the police commissioner, Raymond Kelly, said yesterday. Referring to an annual FBI report detailing crime rates around the country, Mr. Kelly said that without New York's record low murder rate last year, the overall national homicide rate would not have declined in 2007. "Without the 17 percent decline in murders in New York City, murder nationwide would have been flat, not... BENJAMIN SARLIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/candidates-forced-to-reassess-because-of-term/86386/ Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST Some candidates running for City Council in 2009 are saying that a push to extend term limits has left them in uncomfortable limbo, as they wait to learn if they face an entrenched incumbent instead of competing for an open seat. Earlier this month, Council Member Oliver Koppell directed staff to draft legislation that would extend to three from two the number of terms lawmakers would be allowed to serve, under which he and 34 other city legislators currently barred from running for re-election... BENJAMIN SARLIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/bomb-scare-causes-terminal-closing-at-newark/86293/ Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST Officials at Newark Liberty International Airport closed down a terminal and blocked a runway after a bomb scare yesterday. The false alarm centered on an unattended package that police discovered in Terminal B of the airport, officials from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey said. After a bomb-sniffing dog indicated that the package contained explosive materials, officials evacuated the terminal and closed the runways outside to incoming and outgoing traffic at about 3 p.m... BENJAMIN SARLIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/term-limits-talk-spurs-campaign-finance-board/86317/ Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST As Mayor Bloomberg and the City Council toy with the possibility of lengthening term limits, the city's Campaign Finance Board is working to find a way to resolve the snarl of regulatory issues that a change to the law would create. The agency is taking seriously the possibility that the council might vote to extend term limits and is crafting a detailed contingency plan, a spokesman for the Campaign Finance Board, Eric Friedman, said. "We have a lot of people looking at this question," he said... BENJAMIN SARLIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/regarding-iran-clinton-says-all-options-must-be/86248/ Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:55:55 EST Days before President Ahmadinejad arrives in New York to address the United Nations, Senator Clinton is warning that Iran's quest for nuclear weapons and its anti-Israeli rhetoric makes it a danger to the world. At the annual Israel Bond Dinner yesterday in Manhattan, Mrs. Clinton said America "cannot take any option off the table" in dealing with Iran. She said such measures could include "engaging Iran in ways that might possibly lead to changes in behavior," a position that Senator Obama has... BENJAMIN SARLIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/gifford-millers-campaign-fined-for-violations/86198/ Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST The city's Campaign Finance Board is ordering a former City Council speaker, Gifford Miller, to pay $13,835 in fines for violations incurred during his unsuccessful mayoral run in 2005. The bulk of the penalties, announced yesterday, stem from a fine for violating campaign spending limits. Mr. Miller did so by $10,410, and will now have to pay the same amount in fines. In addition to that penalty, Mr. Miller was issued violations for improper post-election expenditures ($750), for accepting... BENJAMIN SARLIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/25-year-old-suit-ends-with-deal-on-legal-right/86106/ Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST The city has reached a settlement with the Legal Aid Society to end a 25-year-old lawsuit over homeless services. In agreeing to end its suit, the Legal Aid Society secured formal assurances from the city that it would recognize a legal right to safe emergency shelter for homeless families with children who have nowhere else to turn. Mayor Bloomberg said yesterday that the deal would allow the Department of Homeless Services to operate more efficiently and independently because it ends court... BENJAMIN SARLIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/new-report-highlights-citys-good-bad-and-ugly/86118/ Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST Crime is down in the city, but construction accidents and syphilis are on the rise, according to the 2008 Mayor's Management Report, released yesterday. The annual report tracks each city agency's performance through 1,219 indicators, providing the public with a broad snapshot of city government each fiscal year. This year's report includes about 200 new indicators, such as the average time to fill a pothole or the number of children eligible for adoption who find homes. According to the... BENJAMIN SARLIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/take-two-expansion-is-sought-of-film-production/86011/ Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST City and state legislators are calling for an expansion of the city's film tax credit and the creation of a postproduction tax credit as a means to bring more movie industry jobs to the city. Council Member David Yassky, a likely candidate for city comptroller, said yesterday that expanding the credit to 15% from 5% could help bring in more business and mitigate the loss of jobs caused by Wall Street's recent decline. "I think now more than ever we got to be focused on having a diverse New York... BENJAMIN SARLIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/rent-guidelines-board-faces-lawsuit-over-rent/86027/ Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST Rent increases approved by the Rent Guidelines Board violate state law by overcharging renters, tenant groups say. The Legal Aid Society and Legal Services of New York filed a lawsuit yesterday in response to a vote by the Rent Guidelines Board in June to add a supplemental rent hike for tenants who have lived in a rent-stabilized apartment for more than six years and who pay $1,000 or less a month in rent. The suit alleges that the supplemental monthly increases of $45 for one-year renewals... BENJAMIN SARLIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/congestion-pricing-is-popular-among-ideas/85907/ Tue, 16 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST Business leaders, academics, and activists are offering up a range of suggestions — which include reviving congestion pricing, selling city bridges, and eliminating subway fares altogether — on how the Metropolitan Transportation Authority should handle its looming shortfalls. During a Ravitch Commission hearing yesterday at New York University, a former city transportation commissioner, Luicius Riccio, said yesterday that the city should consider selling the Williamsburg and Manhattan bridges... BENJAMIN SARLIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/poll-shows-new-york-is-possible-presidential/85853/ Tue, 16 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST New York is on its way to becoming a battleground in this year's presidential election, with Senator McCain rapidly dissolving Senator Obama's lead in the Empire State, according to a new poll. The poll by Siena Research Institute, conducted between September 8 and 10, found that Mr. Obama holds a 46% to 41% lead among likely voters, barely outside the survey's 3.9% margin of error. This represents a decline for Mr. Obama, who led by 8% in the same poll in August, 13% in July, and 18% in June... BENJAMIN SARLIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/ad-sales-seen-as-answer-to-citys-economic-woes/85818/ Mon, 15 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST As the city struggles to close a growing budget gap, lawmakers are proposing selling advertising rights to garbage bins, scaffolding, and even city park facilities, efforts they say could bring millions of dollars a year to city coffers. Council Member David Yassky of Brooklyn is calling for the city to begin allowing advertising on municipal trash cans and suggested that such a move, which he estimated could bring $2.5 million in revenue, would help during difficult economic times. "We need to... BENJAMIN SARLIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/lawmakers-see-progress-toward-gay-marriage/85814/ Mon, 15 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST City lawmakers are raising their voices in support of gay marriage, joining hundreds of New Yorkers yesterday in a march across the Brooklyn Bridge to boost awareness about the issue. The marchers wore stickers bearing an equal sign, and the crowd cheered as lawmakers talked up the prospect of legal gay marriage in New York State. Speakers at the event included Comptroller William Thompson Jr., Manhattan's president, Scott Stringer, and the city's first gay City Council speaker, Christine Quinn... BENJAMIN SARLIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/police-search-for-suspects-in-bronx-murder/85725/ Fri, 12 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST Police are turning to the public for help tracking two men in connection with the fatal shooting of a man in the Bronx earlier this week. On Tuesday at around 7 p.m., police responding to a 911 call reporting shots fired arrived at East 167th Street and Sheridan Avenue and found Amaou Fall, 32, with a single gunshot wound to the head. He was several blocks from his home on Grand Concourse, near Claremont Park. Emergency medical workers examined Fall and pronounced him dead at the scene of the... BENJAMIN SARLIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/officer-shot-in-the-leg-on-staten-island/85727/ Fri, 12 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST Police are searching for suspects after a police officer was shot in Staten Island yesterday during an apparent robbery. According to police, an off-duty officer, Damion Lawrence, 27, was in a parked car with two individuals at 195 Trantor Place in Staten Island when three robbers, all armed with guns, surrounded the car from the sides and rear. One of the robbers then opened the door, reached in to search Mr. Lawrence, and, after detecting that the officer had a firearm, shot him twice in the... BENJAMIN SARLIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/lawmaker-moves-to-block-changes-to-term-limits/85739/ Fri, 12 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST As the battle over term limits heats up in the City Council, one legislator is drafting a bill that would prevent the council from overturning the current law. Council Member Tony Avella, who represents parts of Queens, said yesterday that he has directed the council's legal division to draft the legislation, which would require that any changes to term limits be enacted through a voter referendum. Earlier this week, Council Member Oliver Koppell, who represents parts of the Bronx, asked that... BENJAMIN SARLIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/mayor-criticizes-congress-over-homeland-security/85628/ Thu, 11 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST Congress is failing to protect New York City from large-scale terrorist attacks, putting the lives of the city's 8 million residents at risk, Mayor Bloomberg told a federal panel yesterday in Lower Manhattan. "The people we send to Washington have been too busy spreading homeland security funds around based on votes, not threats, and that is a phenomenally dangerous thing for our country," he said. In testimony before the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation... BENJAMIN SARLIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/police-new-yorkers-can-help-solve-crimes-using/85557/ Wed, 10 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST New Yorkers' cell phones and PDAs can now be used for police surveillance, thanks to new technology that allows people to send pictures and video to detectives from electronic devices. Police said the new technology will help them to identify and track suspects and that the images also could be helpful as evidence in criminal prosecutions. At a press conference introducing the new technology at 1 Police Plaza yesterday, Mayor Bloomberg said New Yorkers could help police by photographing a car... BENJAMIN SARLIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/schumer-calls-america-dangerously-vulnerable/85423/ Tue, 9 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST America is "dangerously vulnerable" to a potential terrorist attack, Senator Schumer says. In an annual report released yesterday, Mr. Schumer gives the Bush administration a C- for its homeland security efforts, down from a C last year, and warns that the nation's ports in particular require urgent action to prevent the smuggling of nuclear weapons into America. "To beat terrorism you not only need a good offense, you need a good defense," Mr. Schumer said yesterday at a press conference in... BENJAMIN SARLIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/political-effects-of-term-limits-law-ripple-well/85350/ Mon, 8 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST Term limits may sit well with the voters, but right now they are causing problems for state Senator Kevin Parker. Two of 35 council members being forced out by term limits in 2009, Simcha Felder and Kendall Stewart, are running in the Democratic primary tomorrow for Mr. Parker's Brooklyn seat in the 21st District, which includes parts of Borough Park, Kensington, and Flatbush. The race is one of several competitive state and congressional primaries taking place as New York City's voters go to... BENJAMIN SARLIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/report-tallies-attack-related-health-problems/85275/ Fri, 5 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST Thousands of New Yorkers have suffered from asthma, respiratory problems, and post-traumatic stress disorder related to the collapse of the World Trade Center after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, according to a report released by city officials yesterday. The report comes from the WTC Medical Working Group, which was appointed by Mayor Bloomberg in 2007 to provide an annual assessment of the city's September 11-related health services. Among its findings are that 25% of... BENJAMIN SARLIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/diversity-day-in-brooklyn-is-reaction-to-hate/85257/ Fri, 5 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST Brooklyn residents of all races and genders — and even species — are invited this weekend to Celebrate our Diversity Day, an event organized by state Senator Eric Adams. The day is designed to "observe and honor the multiplicity of ethnicities, cultures, religions, and lifestyles that make up our great borough," Mr. Adams said. It will bring together residents for a community dog run in Prospect Park on Saturday morning and a bike ride later through several neighborhoods, including... BENJAMIN SARLIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/lawsuits-against-cigarette-sellers-will-go-forward/85094/ Wed, 3 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST A set of city lawsuits against online vendors who sell tax-free cigarettes will move forward after a federal court yesterday reversed earlier decisions by lower courts to dismiss them. The city filed the four lawsuits in 2003 that argue that the owners of a group of Web sites that sell cigarettes violated the Jenkins Act, which requires that businesses report out-of-state tobacco sales to state tax authorities, by marketing their product as tax-free. In a 2-1 opinion, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court... BENJAMIN SARLIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/a-climber-supports-effort-to-ground-daredevils/85097/ Wed, 3 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST A bill that would land daredevils who climb or jump off city buildings in jail has gained an unlikely supporter: David Malone, who scaled the New York Times building in July, says he backs the legislation proposed by Council Member Peter Vallone Jr. "I think certainly it's a dangerous activity to climb most buildings and could be deterred by having a law in place that specifies the exact penalties," Mr. Malone, 29, said in an interview yesterday. "I think that's a very good idea." Three people... BENJAMIN SARLIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/comptroller-scores-mayor-on-term-limits/85001/ Tue, 2 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST Mayor Bloomberg's newly ambiguous position on term limits is drawing the ire of one of his potential successors, Comptroller William Thompson Jr., who is demanding that Mr. Bloomberg make his intentions on the issue known. "If the mayor's position has changed on term limits, then I think he needs to be honest and direct with the voters," Mr. Thompson, a candidate for mayor in 2009, said yesterday in an interview. "I think the public is owed an explanation now — and quickly." Mr. Thompson... BENJAMIN SARLIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/city-smiles-as-cool-crowds-out-bermuda-high/84903/ Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST When New Yorkers look back on August 2008, they may recall the Beijing Olympics or the Democratic National Convention in Denver as highlights, but the month could also be remembered for something that occurred in the city: the beautiful weather. With little rain or humidity and temperatures hovering between the mid-70s and mid-80s, local parks this month have drawn droves of sunbathers, Frisbee throwers, and workers on lunch breaks. Only once has the temperature risen to 90 degrees — on August... BENJAMIN SARLIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/city-taps-another-strength-wins-drinking-water/84802/ Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST New York City, already the financial and cultural capital of the state, can add one more achievement to the list: It has the best-tasting tap water. The city beat out 150 other communities around the state to win the annual tap water taste test at the New York State Fair in Syracuse yesterday. Mayor Bloomberg praised the city's Department of Environmental Protection, which manages the city's water supply, and credited it with the victory over the second-place finisher, Pulaski, a town in Oswego... BENJAMIN SARLIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/mayor-term-limits-length-is-a-question-for-debate/84705/ Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST Mayor Bloomberg's dance around the city's term limits law shows no signs of ending, as he said yesterday that the question of allowing a third term is one that is worthy of debate. While Mr. Bloomberg said he agreed with term limits in general and that he is not trying to overturn them, he offered no clear support for the current two-term length. "I think you can debate how many years it should be," Mr. Bloomberg said at a press conference in Manhattan. He repeated the opinion a second time at... BENJAMIN SARLIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/markowitz-calls-for-ending-term-limits/84607/ Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST While some likely 2009 mayoral contenders, such as Rep. Anthony Weiner and Comptroller William Thompson Jr., are condemning the idea that the City Council may attempt to legalize a chance for Mayor Bloomberg to seek a third term, Brooklyn's president, Marty Markowitz, says he would support efforts to extend or eliminate entirely the city's term limit laws. "New York City has always had term limits: They're called elections," Mr. Markowitz said yesterday in an interview at City Hall, where he... BENJAMIN SARLIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/increasing-revenue-loss-seen-for-city-due/84440/ Fri, 22 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST Online shopping sites are costing the city tens of millions of dollars a year in lost revenue by not paying state and city sales taxes, and the figure is likely to increase in coming years, according to a report by the Independent Budget Office released yesterday. While popular sites that also have physical stores in the city, such as CompUSA or Barnes and Noble, have to collect sale taxes on Internet purchases, purely online companies such as Amazon.com are not required to do so. This leaves... BENJAMIN SARLIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/cuomo-event-ups-speculation-on-his-future/84348/ Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST Boosting speculation about his political ambitions, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo hosted a community forum Wednesday on Manhattan's Upper West Side, accompanied by a diverse group of federal, state, and local elected officials from the area. The fate of the 2009 mayor's race, though, was unclear even yesterday, as rumors swirled around City Hall that Mayor Bloomberg and the City Council speaker, Christine Quinn, were holding high-level meetings to talk about extending term limits to three terms... BENJAMIN SARLIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/environmental-concerns-raised-about-brooklyn-con/84349/ Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST Williamsburg residents are protesting the ongoing demolition of an abandoned power plant by Con Edison, saying the company has failed to address concerns about potential health hazards created by the operation. According to Council Member Eric Gioia, who led a rally of neighborhood residents and community leaders yesterday to call for a halt to the demolition, Con Edison has refused to supply the community with requested information regarding the operation's environmental impact. At issue are... BENJAMIN SARLIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/child-animal-abuse-linked-under-albany-bill/84230/ Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST Social workers examining the treatment of children could face charges of negligence for failing to report animal abuse under legislation in Albany. Council Member Sara Gonzalez of Brooklyn has introduced a resolution in support of the bill, which would require any official investigating allegations of child abuse to report suspected animal abuse and any official investigating allegations of animal abuse to report suspected child abuse or be civilly accountable for damages. A spokesman for Ms... BENJAMIN SARLIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/a-new-web-site-makes-state-salaries-public/84176/ Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST The salaries of hundreds of thousands of state employees can now be searched through an online database set up by a private institution. The Web site, SeeThroughNY.net, is the creation of the Manhattan Institute's Empire Center for New York State Policy, and allows users to search state payroll records, contracts, and expenditures, as well as legislators' member items, commonly referred to as "pork." According to a senior policy analyst for the Empire Center, Lise Bang-Jensen, the Web site is... BENJAMIN SARLIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/deutsche-bank-building-firefighters-honored/84077/ Mon, 18 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST Two firefighters killed fighting a blaze at the Deutsche Bank building in Lower Manhattan will be memorialized today as a plaque in their honor is placed at a firehouse in the West Village. Lieutenant Joseph Graffagnino was 35 when he was trapped on the 14th floor of the burning 130 Liberty Street along with Firefighter Robert Beddia, who was 53. The two suffered smoke inhalation leading to fatal cardiac arrest. Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau is reportedly considering charging... BENJAMIN SARLIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/push-to-limit-parking-may-slow-development/84084/ Mon, 18 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST Critics are warning that a push by environmental groups to limit residential parking in New York could depress property values and slow development. A report released yesterday by a coalition of environmental and urban planning advocates, including Transportation Alternatives, the New York League of Conservation Voters, and the Environmental Defense Fund, suggests that Mayor Bloomberg's PlaNYC 2030 initiative could be weakened by zoning laws that are seen to encourage car ownership. "As the... BENJAMIN SARLIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/mayor-downplays-chances-for-treasury-secretary/83941/ Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST Mayor Bloomberg is tamping down speculation that he might be chosen to lead the nation's Treasury Department. "It's not a job that I would be considered for, and I honestly don't think I'm suited to do that," Mr. Bloomberg said yesterday at a press conference in Midtown. The mayor added that his expertise is in "more hands-on kind of management." Mr. Bloomberg praised the current secretary of the treasury, Henry Paulson, as well as several of the most recent heads of the department, including... BENJAMIN SARLIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/mayor-endorses-three-state-democrats/83761/ Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST Mayor Bloomberg is making his mark on the upcoming state Democratic primaries, issuing endorsements in three Senate and Assembly races. Mr. Bloomberg announced yesterday that he is supporting Council Member Simcha Felder, who is running to unseat state Senator Kevin Parker, who represents parts of Brooklyn. He also handed out an endorsement to Daniel Squadron, who is challenging incumbent state Senator Martin Connor, who represents parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn. And the mayor endorsed... BENJAMIN SARLIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/warnings-about-choking-may-be-required-in-stores/83697/ Tue, 12 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST Popcorn, pistachios, Tic Tacs, and Skittles are the latest threat to local children that the City Council is moving to neutralize. Council Member Domenic Recchia, who represents parts of Brooklyn, has introduced a bill that would require store owners across the city to put up signs or labels warning that certain bite-size foods could endanger the lives of children under the age of 5. While the city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene would determine the list of foods requiring labels, Mr... BENJAMIN SARLIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/mayor-voices-support-for-airport-slot-auctions/83579/ Mon, 11 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST Mayor Bloomberg is calling on the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to implement a Bush administration plan that would auction off landing slots at Newark, John F. Kennedy, and La Guardia airports. In a letter sent yesterday to Transportation Secretary Mary Peters and the executive director of the Port Authority, Christopher Ward, the mayor said the city would like to develop a pilot program similar to the federal government's proposal in an effort to unclog airports' busy runways. The... BENJAMIN SARLIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/officials-all-city-buildings-must-be-subject/83586/ Mon, 11 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST Elected officials and family members of a firefighter killed in a fire in the former Deutsche Bank building last August are calling for city buildings outside local jurisdiction to be brought under the city's recently revised fire code. More than 800 buildings owned by the Port Authority, the state or federal government, the United Nations, and other institutions are not included under the city's fire code and are not subject to inspections by the city's fire and building departments. At a... BENJAMIN SARLIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/mayor-gears-up-for-manhattan-car-free-saturdays/83476/ Fri, 8 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST New Yorkers will be able to walk, bike, and jog across a seven-mile stretch of Manhattan free of cars for three Saturdays this month as part of Summer Streets, an event organized by the city government to encourage alternative transportation. On August 9, 16, and 23, between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m., the car-free route will begin at the Brooklyn Bridge and run along Lafayette Street, Fourth Avenue, and Park Avenue up to East 72nd Street. Rest stops along the way will provide water, and organized... BENJAMIN SARLIN http://www.nysun.com/new-york/council-member-wants-olympic-balance-from-nbc/83314/ Thu, 7 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST Elected officials and activists are challenging NBC to take a critical look at China's human rights record as the TV network broadcasts the Olympic Games from Beijing this month. The major American television networks have not give adequate coverage to China's role in the ongoing violence in the Darfur region of Sudan, Council Member Eric Gioia said yesterday, noting that China sells weapons to the Sudanese government and is the country's largest purchaser of oil. "NBC does not stand alone in...