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07 May 2010 13:38

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U.S.: Times Square evacuation false alarm: Go about your business

  • It was a bunch of water bottles, guys. Six days after the last incident, and just a couple of days after a false alarm involving the RFK bridge, part of Times Square was evacuated again because of a package that arrived about an hour ago. Sorry for the rough week, New Yorkers. We’ll keep you posted. (Update: CNN is reporting that the incident, much like the RFK bridge incident, was a false alarm. Whew. Between this and the stock market, our blood pressure has been going way up lately.) source

06 May 2010 00:09

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U.S.: There’s a U-Haul truck hanging out on the RFK Bridge right now

  • It has Arizona plates; no #(&@, Sherlock, it’s a U-Haul. Just when we needed another terrorism scare in New York City, here we go. Somebody ditched a U-Haul about 1,000 feet from a toll booth. The bridge is currently shut down and everyone’s on their Ps and Qs. Please not be a bomb, please not be a bomb … (Update: Reuters says it’s not a bomb. Just a scare, nothing more.) source

05 May 2010 20:01

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U.S.: Pssh, tourist. Times Square suspect has been to Times Square before

Faisal Shahzad went with his family and a bunch of other blurry people. In other news, his tie to the Taliban is becoming a little more plausible. source

03 May 2010 09:52

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U.S.: NYC mayor Bloomberg: Don’t assume it’s al-Qaeda or Taliban yet

  • There are hundreds of videos we haven’t seen all of them. We’ll look at each one many times, with experts… So far there’s no legitimate evidence that al-Qaeda or the Taliban or anyone else had anything to do with this – no matter what the Taliban says.
  • New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg • On whether the evidence suggests that terrorist groups had anything to do with the attempted Times Square attack. Yesterday, the Pakistani Taliban took credit for the car bomb, but Bloomberg is clear that it’s still early and that there’s no evidence that even the “person of interest” is the one responsible for the attempted bombing of Times Square. source

01 May 2010 08:53

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Culture: Cup designer famous enough to get his own obit

  • The Cup’s history Leslie Buck, a Holocaust survivor from Czechoslovakia (now Ukraine), immigrated to the U.S. and eventually did marketing for Sherri Cup. He designed the “Anthora Cup,” named for its Greek-style border design, himself in the early 1960s. Buck died Monday at age 87.

    The cup’s popularity Somehow the cup became a staple of New York City life, selling 500 million in 1994 alone as it was used in Greek diners citywide. The cup was often seen in film and television, including “Law and Order.” In the wake of Starbucks, the cup’s popularity tapered off, but it can still be custom-ordered. It was a good cup that served its purpose well. source

12 Apr 2010 11:13

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U.S.: In Manhattan, a huge blaze leaves a neighborhood reeling

  • seven alarms on the massive Lower East Side fire
  • 250 firefighters were needed to put the blaze out
  • 60 families no longer have a home this morning source

07 Apr 2010 10:57

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U.S.: Random French tourist: I’m not a hero. I just wanted to help.

  • I don’t really think I’m a hero. Anyone would do the same thing. … I was just happy that I was able to help her, and I am just happy that the family has been reunited.
  • Julien Duret • Regarding a crazy rescue he played a part in over the weekend, where he jumped into NYC’s East River to save Bridget Sheridan, a toddler who had fallen in. And just as quickly as he rescued her (but fortunately not before the New York Daily News caught video of his rescue), he disappeared. Dude was on vacation and it was his last day in NYC. He didn’t realize he was a hero until he got back to France. But he seemed modest about his feat. source
 

19 Mar 2010 11:35

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Offbeat: Police keep messing with old couple because their computers suck

If this woman seems annoyed, it’s because she is. NYC police have raided her house 50 times since 2002 for no good reason other than a computer error. source

15 Mar 2010 10:39

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Offbeat: Beekeeping in NYC? It’s illegal. But it may not be soon.

Apparently, New York City is one of the few cities in the country that labels beekeeping as illegal. But that might change. This guy might get stung. source

12 Mar 2010 18:27

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U.S.: Ever think you were overcharged in a NYC cab? You’re probably right

  • 1.8
    million
    the number of trips that were charged by a higher non-city rate
  • $8
    million
    the amount the overcharging made by over 3,000 sketchy cabbies source