How New York Elected Officials Spend Their Day
On Trial Court Told of Payments to Councilman Seabrook(NYT) An associate of Larry B. Seabrook testified on Thursday that the councilman regularly asked a political organization that he was affiliated with to reimburse him for a variety of expenses. Bronx businessman, Arlington Leon Eastmond, who secured a contract to install boilers at Yankee Stadium after Mr. Seabrook recommended him testified in court on Wednesday and Thursday that he had not donated to the political club as part of a quid pro quo, saying that he believed the money Mr. Seabrook had requested for the club would go to community projects. Mr. Low testified, however, that as checks from Mr. Eastmond were deposited into the political club’s account, other checks written from that account were made out to Mr. Seabrook or to his credit card company, many of them presented as reimbursements. There were also receipts that prosecutors said appeared to be altered, including one from Bit, Bites and Baguettes, a cafe near City Hall, for a bagel sandwich and a soda in the amount of $177.* Bronx Councilman Faces Allegations Over Expense Reports In Corruption Trial(NY1)
azipaybarah Azi Paybarah (Twitter) item Some of the Hospitals That Boyland Was Seeking Funds For Was Outside His District, But the Jury Could Not Connect the Dots
Not Guilty Jury Acquits Assemblyman of Conspiring to Take Bribes(NYT) Most jurors felt that Mr. Boyland “clearly did things wrong,” the juror said, citing evidence that he lied on disclosure forms about his work for MediSys, and that he had a no-show job. But even though these were “bad acts,” the juror added, “they did not add up to the two federal crimes that he was accused of.” “We could not connect the dots,” the juror said. “We could not say that because he got the money, he advocated for MediSys. We just couldn’t do that. We couldn’t do that beyond a reasonable doubt.”* Prosecutors Lose Corruption Case(WSJ) * Assemblyman William Boyland Jr. 'not guilty' of pay-to-play scheme: federal jury * Brooklyn Assemblyman Acquitted In Corruption Trial(NY1) * It was a rare loss for US Attorney Preet Bharara. He was disappointed, but accepted the verdict and said: “We remain absolutely committed to pursuing public corruption in Albany and elsewhere.”
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City Hall News' WINNERS & LOSERS: Election Day always has its fair share of real winners like Steve Bellone, Mark Poloncarz and Mike Spano – and real losers like Angie Carpenter, Chris Collins and John Murtagh. But we prefer to shine a light on a different cast of characters: the operatives who engineered the races, the officials whose endorsements (or non-endorsements) made a difference, and the party officials who bet big. Gov. Andrew Cuomo loomed large over these races, but this list is for the background players:
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What is Happening to Bloomberg's Legacy as NY's Education Mayor?
1/3 NYC Schools are Failing
State says one-third of city schools failing (NYDN) A record 1,325 public schools in New York, or about one in four, needs to improve under the federal No Child Left Behind law.
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City Retreats For Not From Pushing Homeless Out of Shelters
The New York City Housing Authority should terminate its computerized rent-collection program, which can take months to process paperwork and has delayed rent subsidies, writes the News’ Juan Gonzalez: http://nydn.us/rQgW40 * Under pressure from the NYC Council and the threat of a lawsuit from homeless advocates, the Bloomberg administration postponed until next month the imposition of tighter rules for homeless people seeking shelter. * City Delays Tighter Rules for Homeless People Seeking Shelter(NYT) * City Delays New Policy for Homeless(WSJ) * City Agrees To Delay New Homeless Shelter Policy(NY1)
Occupy China Moves to Wall Street
Chinese immigrant's unlikely path from Tiananmen Square to NYC tech entrepreneur to Occupy Wall Street leader
Protest Finds Unlikely Father Figure Shen Tong, a former Chinese democracy activist who helped lead the Tiananmen Square protests, is putting his work on hold at a software firm he founded in New York to devote all his time to the Occupy Wall Street protests. * A Petri Dish of Activism, and Germs(NYT) Volunteers at a medical tent and on a sanitation team are trying to combat the conditions at Zuccotti Park, which have left Occupy Wall Street demonstrators susceptible to viruses.
Stephen Colbert Mocks U.C. Berkeley Campus Police For Attacking Occupy Protesters * National OWS movement rocked by two shootings(NYDN) * Occupy Wall Street Protesters Drum Up Demands During "Think Tank" Session(NY1)* Vet Shoots Self at Occupy Burlington (The Daily Beast) * Second Fatal Shooting Near an Occupy Protest Won't Be Good for PR (Gawker) * Colin Powell: Occupy Wall Street Demonstrations Are 'As American As Apple Pie'(Huff Post) * Occupy Brooklyn storms back with a weekend of action in Downtown (Brooklyn Paper) * Republican Senate Candidate: Gap Between Rich and Poor "Should Be Wider"(Mother Jones) * Brookfield chief says city enforces the law at Zuccotti Park, not them(NYP)* For Joan Baez, Another Protest(NYT)
NYP Continues to Blast OWS
Mike is blowing it No leadership amid Zuccotti mess(NYP) * Scammers raked in $200 a day using same plea at OWS protest * Steve Cuozzo rips into “chicken” Mayor Bloomberg for failing to roust the “campaign of civic terrorism” from Zuccotti Park.* NY Post blames Occupy for 9/11 memorial vandalism(Salon)
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3Bike Group Says Occupy the Community Boards
Influence-pedalers’ community-board bid Occupy the community boards! Pro-biking group Transportation Alternatives wants its members to peddle their influence by joining their local community(NYP)
Rick Perry gets laughs with Top 10 list on Letterman's show(NYDN) * Video of Top Ten Reading by Perry * The Other Problem With Perry’s ‘Oops’ Moment(NYT) * Rick Perry Damage Control Tour Makes a Pit Stop at Letterman (Gawker) * Perry’s better ‘late’ than never(NYP) * Jon Stewart’s Epic Take Down Of Rick Perry’s Gaffe: ‘It’s Over…Romney Wins!’
10. "Actually, there were three reasons I messed up last night. One was the nerves, and two was the headache, and three ... oops."
9. "I don't know what you¹re talking about - I think things went well."
8. "Hey, I was up late last night watching Dancing with the Stars."
7. "I thought the debate was tonight."
6. "Hey listen. You try concentrating with Mitt Romney smiling at you. That is one handsome dude."
5. "Uh, El Nino?"
4. "I had a five hour energy drink, six hours before the debate."
3. "You know, I really hoped it would get me on my favorite talk show, but instead I ended up here."
2. "I wanted to help take the heat off my buddy Herman Cain."
1. "I just learned Justin Bieber is my father."
Inside the Hunt For MF Global Cash(WSJ)
BreakingNews Breaking News (Twitter) Just in: MF Global's 1,066 brokerage employees have been fired*MF Global fires 1,000 workers(NYP)
Three torched cars, anti-Semitic slurs shock Brooklyn community(NYP) * Cars Burned and Swastikas Scrawled in Brooklyn Jewish Area(NYT)
GMA Interviews Mother Of “Victim #1″ In Penn State Rape Scandal: ‘He’s A Brave Kid’
Officers Disciplined After Detaining City Officials(WSJ) * Councilman Says NYPD Officers Disciplined Over Parade Scuffle(NY1) * NY1 Online: Inside City Hall Takes A Closer Look At NYPD Oversight * Wrist slap for council-cuff cops(NYP)
Cops: The Good Majority
NYPD Scandals Obscure the Decency of the Majority, Cops Say (The Daily Beast) Conor McDonald is a fourth-generation New York City policeman. His father is a quadriplegic shot by a teenage gunman. In the midst of news about scandals enveloping the department, they reflect on the meaning of public service.
Nassau Lab No CSI
Nassau County must hold people responsible all along the chain of command to prevent the substandard work that was exposed at a county police crime laboratory, says Newsday * IG Ellen Biben released a lengthy report about problems at the Nassau County crime lab. * The report spreads considerable blame around for the lab’s failings.
Recounts in Nassau and Suffolk counties.
5-Year Term for Woman Who Killed Her Husband(NYT)
Mercy Not Sought or Given, Killer of Four Is Sentenced(NYT)
Two Suspects Sought In Bronx Armored Truck Robbery Attempt(NY1)
Law and Order
A Crime Unfolds, Explodes and Ends, All in 7 Minutes(NYT) * Dad who turned fire on thug who shot son could face charges(NYDN) * Blind shot hits bus in Bronx(NYP) * Officer in DWI bust(NYP) * Granny guilty of tot’s slay(NYP) * Suicide’ cop’s in a pixel (NYP) * The former cop who made dozens of crank calls to NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly, ex-NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani and other officials has paid $8,000 in restitution.* Child Sex Arrests Spike. Or Do They? Brooklyn Prosecutor Says 89 Charged But Withholds Details (Forward)
World War II vet set to receive Legion of Honor is part of three generations of Brooklyn veterans(NYDN) * Saluting those who served(NYDN Ed)
Richard Nixon’s Watergate testimony released publicly by the National Archives (NYDN)
