Sunday, December 2, 2012

The Dysfunctional Road to City Hal - A New True News Feature

Mayoral Candidates Attend New York City Independence Party’s  “13th Annual Anti-Corruption Awards” 

Quinn, Smith and Carrion Anti-Corruption?

Will the Cult Party Continue to on to the Next Mayor?

Three mayoral hopefuls—Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Queens state Sen. Malcolm Smith and former Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrión—are expected to attend the New York City Independence Party’s “13th Annual Anti-Corruption Awards” ceremony this Sunday. This party is being run by the late Fred Newman and Lenora Fulani wing of the Independence Party. Mayoral hopefuls court city Independence Party (CrainsNY). 

For those unfamiliar with Newman and his many groups, there are ample sources to consult. There is his own basic text, Let's Develop!: A Guide to Continuous Personal Growth, which includes his prescription for what he calls "friendosexuality." Roughly translated, this means that mental health can be reached by sleeping with your friends.  There is also a tape of a marvelous interview conducted by NY1's Rita Nissan in 2005 in the midst of the controversy over the party's support of Bloomberg in the last re-election drive. Nissan spoke to Newman in the Bank Street townhouse that he shares with Salit and several other men and women. Newman collected some of these housemates, he acknowledged, after they sought him out as a therapist. Many who joined Newman's program after seeking therapy later fled, insisting that his operation is little more than a cult. Bloomberg's Loyal Cult: The Independence Party (Tom Robbins, Village Voice 2009)
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Thanks to A 2006 Court Decision A Cult that Masquerades As A Political Party May Pick the Next Mayor

Must has been written over the last 25 years how the Fred Newman and Lenora Fulani wing of the Independence Party. Little has changed over the years.  Newman has died but his cult groups and party continue in his foot steps. The Fulani faction is a major player in NYC because of a court decision that gave them the sole power to grant Wilson Pakula's to NYC citywide candidates.  In 2009 Bloomberg already had a non profit they created to provide jobs to their members on both the city and private payrolls .Mr. Bloomberg supported the Independence Party’s goal of nonpartisan municipal elections and gave the party more than $650,000 of his own money. His administration arranged millions of dollars in bond financing in 2002 and 2006 for a building for Mr. Newman’s nonprofit All Stars Project, which uses the performing arts to help low-income children. The nonprofit group that received $9.5 million in tax-free bonds from the city with Bloomberg's support after his 2001 election.  Bloomberg also payed off Fulani's opponents in the party led by Frank Mackey.  Mackey party pocketed 100,000 from the same deal that sent Haggerty to jail.*Kelly, cop critic Fulani seal deal with kiss - New York Daily News


 This years mayoral candidates are caughting the party because they know that in both  2001 and 2009 the Independence Party provided this margin of victory for Bloomberg.  In 2001 Bloomberg beat Green by 35,489 votes with 59,091 coming from the Independence Party.  In 2009 Bloomberg beat Thompson by 50.597 votes with 150,073 coming from the Independence Party and Jobs and Education Party. Most voters vote for the name of the party independence, having no idea who runs the party and what they are doing with it.  So attending this years Independence Party “13th Annual Anti-Corruption Awards” is Slush Fund Quinn and  Senator Smith who is part of a large federal investigation involving several Queens pols and  AEG and New Directions probes, and former Bronx Borough President Carrión who received a $10,000 fine for violating city conflict-f-interest rules.). This year the Independence Party leaders are not expecting the big check unless bloomberg pays for Quinn.  What the party wants to do is keep their All Star jobs programs going. Their is no hope for cleaning up the Independence Party. Their opponents led by Frank Mackay are just as corrupt. Indy Party chief in jam over wife loan - NY POST.comThe wife of the chairman of the state Independence Party solicited and received a $10,000 business loan from a candidate who got the party's coveted endorsement days later *  Bloomberg appears by video at Independence Party event, congratulating Jackie Salit. #2013 Marty Golden ran an advertisement in Indpendence Party Dinner Journal


Malcolm Smith Gets the Independence Party Dinner's Community Service Award - He Edged Out Huntley

Smith's Pro  History of Investigations Against Him

Links Between Charity and State Senator's Staff - The New York Times * Federal grand jury probes real estate and nonprofit deals for Malcolm Smith, other Queens pols (NYDN) * Local pols under fire - Crain's New York Business(Crains NY) * When pols profit from charities | Crain's New York Business (CrainsNY) * Malcolm on the Muddle | City & State(City and State) * FEDS PROBE NEW YORKERS ORGANIZED TO ASSIST HURRICANE ...(NYP) * MALCOLM'S SECRET 500G LAND DEALS - NYPOST.COM (NYP) * FEDS PROBE SEN. SMITH GRANTS TO FIRM HE FOUNDED * SENATOR MALCOLM SMITH RECEIVED $5.7M IN GRANTS DURING 2009 ...(NYP) * SEN. SMITH SAYS HE KNOWS NOTHING ON MISSING KATRINA FUNDS ...(NYP)*  $$ LINKS OF MENTOR FLAKE & PUPIL SMITH - NYPOST.COM * WHAT NEW YORK'S POLITICAL SCANDALS HAVE IN COMMON ...(NYP)


A Mayoral Campagin About Nothing 
Not one question about those running the Independence Party
At an awards ceremony hosted by the Independence Party on Sunday afternoon, former White House Urban Affairs Director and potential mayoral candidate Adolfo Carrion declared he had left the Democratic Party and is now not enrolled in any party, saying he has "declared my independence" and "it feels good."  "I've been independent for a long time, so I'm good with it," Quinn said. "I'm 46, I've been independent for a while so I don't need any declarations." I tried asking Quinn how she would rate Mayor Michael Bloomberg, the long-time Democrat-turned-Republican-turned-independent in bringing about a more independent climate in the city, but she cut me off, laughed out loud and said, "Are you out of your mind, Azi? We're walking out of a holiday party. I'm not going to give you some big...answer about the mayor."





Cuomo Bloomberg Sandy Press Conference Bitch Fight
Andy, Mike fight for spotlight(NYP)They’re getting high marks for their responses to Superstorm Sandy, but there have been some tensions along the way for Gov. Cuomo and Mayor Bloomberg.With the stakes so high and their careers on the line, both men either held daily press conferences or issued daily press releases to demonstrate they were on top of the situation and were taking all possible steps to get things back to normal. But there were few joint appearances.

13m . This is an absolutely inaccurate tweet. No one ever told me not to appear with the Mayor. No one*  "2 sources said a state elected [was] rebuked by an aide 2 the gov 4 [going 2 a] storm-related event w/ the mayor"

Bloomberg Pushes Sandy Agenda Disagrees With Cuomo
Charged-up Mike praises Con Ed effort(NYP) * Mayor Says Rebuilt Boardwalk in Rockaways Won’t Be Wooden(NYT) * Bloomberg, Cuomo Disagree On How To Use Federal Aid For Mass Transit(NY1)* FEMA Says It Won't Pay Full Cost Of Rapid Repairs Program(NY1) Bloomberg said it would * Bloomberg defends ConEd over Sandy criticisms(NYDN)* VIDEO: Bloomberg Praises Occupy Sandy During Surprise Trip to the Rockaways(DNAINFO)

 
Cuomo Heads to Washington
Cuomo Plans Trip to Washington to Press for Disaster Aid(NYT) * Cuomo to Lobby for Sandy Funds in Washington (WSJ)

The NYT Pushes for Campain Financial Reform Again
Mr. Cuomo’s Next Big Task(NYT Ed) Gov. Andrew Cuomo should use his political stature to keep promises on campaign finance reform.

 Book: “The Power of the Mayor: David Dinkins, 1990-1993”
Rating a Mayor of New York (NYT) Books on former Mayor David N. Dinkins, biking in the boroughs and the evolution of mass transit in the city.New Yorkers have an uncanny knack for electing the right mayoral candidate at the right time. In the racially charged urban climate agitated by a bombastic Edward I. Koch, the balm-throwing David N. Dinkins presented himself in 1989 as an ideal alternative: a black politician campaigning for conciliation.






Stringer Dropping to Contoller Not Only Increases Quinns Manhattan base vote, It will Also the Manhattan BP A Strong Base to Run On

 

No Show MTA Board Members Paterson
MTA bigwigs ignored the little people who pay their salaries(NYDN Ed) Board members skipped fare-hike hearings.  MTA board members Mark Lebow, Andrew Saul and former Gov. David Paterson each attended only a single hearing, with a Paterson aide offering as an excuse that hearing times conflicted with his radio program. Answer: Call in a substitute host or give up one of the gigs. Charles Moerdler, caught recently abusing an MTA parking placard, turned up just twice to hear out people who actually ride the subways. Well known for pomposity, Moerdler blamed — who else? — straphangers for causing him to be a no-show. He declared the hearings to be a waste of time because few people showed up to testify. Gee, wonder why.
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.NYC's War on the Middle Class and Poor
Fair and Toll Hikes is Just One Way NY Punished the Poor and Pushes the Middle Class, Business and Jobs Out of the City
Fare and Toll Hikes
No Debate on Effects  

Toll-hike hell for NJ-NY drivers(NYP) Driving from New Jersey to New York is about to get even more expensive, thanks to the cash-sucking Port Authority. 74,000 more New Yorkers fell into poverty last year. *Report: NYC's Middle Class Shrinking Like Kids In A Rick Moranis ...
 
Poll: 47 Percent Of New Yorkers Are Worse Off Financially Than They Were 4 Years Ago(WCBS) * The new jobs New York City is expecting to gain are mostly low-paying and in the service industry.  *Escape from New York A new poll last week showed that more than one of every four New Yorkers is headed for the exits. Detroit lost a quarter of its population between 2000 and 2011; absolutely, it could happen here. (NYP) *  Wall Street Wielding the Ax The trading slump on Wall Street has battered profits and is about to cost some people their jobs.(WSJ) *  NY lost 1.6 million people to other states from 2000 – 2010 (Gannett Albany) *  Study Finds More New Yorkers Leaving State(NYT) * Census Shows New York Exodus(WSJ) * New York's Economic Melt Down, No Clown Affair * Welfare Rolls in New York City Begin to Rise, Belatedly - NYTimes.com * City nixes 3,000 Section 8 vouchers  * City faces middle-class exodus - Crain's New York Business  *City ZIPs zapped by taxes * NY ranks 49 in business tax climate * In 2008 20% of the city's taxes come from the financial community. Today it is down to 15% according to the comptroller.*  Escape from NY II Pensioners fleeing city -  31 percent of NY's pensions, went to addresses outside New York state. (NYP) *New York's high taxes are driving residents to other states(NYP) * State and local taxes highest in New York, lowest in Alaska - Yahoo * Joe Lhota, wartime M.T.A. chairman(Capital)* Port Authority Bridge, Tunnel Tolls Increase * Drivers Grumble Over Increased Tolls For Port Authority Bridges, Tunnels (NY1) * Queens unemployment rate rose in October 8.2%, NYC 9.3%
Recent Taxi Incresase Also New York Taxis to Start Charging Increased Rates - NYTimes.com(Sept)
 
Where Are the Pols and Women Groups to Stop the Blackmail and Intimidation Aimed At Sexual Abuses and Their Families in Brooklyn?
  
The Shame of New York is how sexual abuse is ignored when the powerful are involved
Can it the high turn voter turn outs of Nechemya Weberman (on trial for sexual abuse) friends intimidate the pols from speaking out? We wonder what they think of women forced to wear a burka?
Court shutterbugs blasted  (NYP) What a bunch of shmucks.  Members of Brooklyn’s Orthodox Jewish community lashed out yesterday at the gang of creeps who allegedly tried to intimidate a young sex-abuse accuser by snapping her picture in court as she testified against a powerful Hasidic leader.* Girl’s ‘sex abuse’ silence(NYP)   “Now we have to take all their phones, just like in a gang trial,” a law-enforcement source told The Post. “It’s the same thing you have with the Bloods or the Crips.”
A challenge for Joe Hynes(NYP Ed) Four thugs came to a Brooklyn courtroom this week to try to bully a 17-year-old girl into silence as she testified about years of sexual abuse she says she suffered at the hands of a prominent leader of the ultra-Orthodox community. It was an outrageous violation of decency, custom and law — and Brooklyn District Attorney Joe Hynes’ duty is clear: The four must be punished to the max. * Accuser in Orthodox Abuse Trial Testified out of 'Responsibility' (WSJ) * Orthodox Men Charged With Snapping Court Pics Arraigned on Sabbath(DNAINFO) *I had to reenact porn, Hasidic leader's alleged sex abuse(NYDN) * About Those Criminal Orthodox Jews of Brooklyn (http://gestetnerupdates.com)

Is the Redistricting Commission Taking A Dive on the Lopez District to Protect Quinn? . . .  New Yorkers Will  Never Know the Press Boycotts Story Today
There are some who think the commission change it mind to avoid Quinn embarrassment. They think most of the councilmember like their new district and support lopez.

 Banana Republic Redistricting
4 Days Ago To quash 'Vito seat,' council must reject all lines - Crain's New York ...(CrainsNY) Panel had told Quinn it lacked power to alter lines

Friday  chair says in letter "there is no legal impediment preventing the Commission from withdrawing the plan."

* Districting Commission To Chris Quinn: We'll Vote On Pulling Back Those New Map(NYDN) * Panel had told Quinn it lacked power to alter lines (CrainsNY) The NYC Districting Commission will hold a vote on whether to withdraw, update and resubmit the maps – as requested by Quinn. (This appears to be an about-face for the commission).* Outside In (NY Mag) To become mayor, Bill de Blasio has to harness the energies of the outer-boroughs—and paint Christine Quinn as a Bloomberg clone.


Innocent NYT Leaders Creditability Is Being Hurt By Slime Shady Thompson
 New York Times executive editor Jill Abramson says she and new Times CEO Mark Thompson have a strong relationship, and that in meetings, Thompson “seems full of energy and ideas.” She added that she has “every confidence [in Thompson] as CEO.” Abramson made the comments at the Business Insider Ignite conference in New York.
 A ‘smoking gun’ (NYP) New evidence reveals that Mark Thompson, the former BBC director-general who now heads The New York Times Company, was personally e-mailed about a scandal at the British broadcaster. Thompson was alerted several months before he left the corporation. correspondence released under Freedom of Information laws shows that in February two e-mails about the claims were sent to an address reserved for matters requiring his personal attention.* News Corp confirms News Intl CEO Tom Mockridge, brought in after hacking scandals, steps down; Rupert Murdoch says "entirely" his choice

Ms. Quinn and Messrs. Smith and Carrión (who have all at various times been the subject of unflattering headlines) are not getting anti-corruption awards. (Ms. Quinn endured the council slush fund scandal, and Mr. Smith the AEG and New Directions probes, though both pols have so far emerged relatively unscathed. Mr. Carrión, meanwhile, received a $10,000 fine for violating city conflict-of-interest rules.)

Read more: http://mycrains.crainsnewyork.com/blogs/insider/2012/11/mayoral-hopefuls-court-city-independence-party/#ixzz2DkCQDc2

Campaign 2013 7th CD City Council candidate Thomas Lopez Pierre discusses his candidacy, and his recent comments about District Leader Mark Levine  * NYC2013: Two Obama 2012 Staffers Joining Bill de Blasio   * In grand NY politics tradition, mayoral contender creates 2013 campaign comm for unspecified office

Only the SFGate Published Update of NY State Senate Fight for Control  AP: NY Senate leadership still in doubt, could end up being a turning point in bipartisanship, or "Lord of the Flies. Mike Gormley on the ongoing battle for control of the state Senate: “(W)hether its plot mirrors the productive, if messy, politics portrayed in ‘Lincoln’ or the gangland of ‘Lord of the Flies’ won’t be clear for weeks.”



Keeping the Public Uninformed While Racking In the Millions

This Is What WCBS (2) Calls Informing the Public
6:00  Weather, 02  NFL murder suicide, 04  Local:  Toll Hike, 07  Gun battle in Afghanistanm, 08  Highway tunnel collapses in Japan, 09  National: Fiscal Cliff, 10  Sandy Aftermath  Long Beach hires back 5 firefighters,  12  Commercials,  14  Smokestack demolition on a construction site in NJ, 15  Storms in Northern California,  16  Weather, 18  Great water debate:  How much water should we drink, 21  Commercials,  22  Sports,   25  Commercials, 27  Holiday celebration in Rio, 28  Story about a chocolate company that spends more on chocolate to help the nation of East Congo. Ben Afleck was part of the story with in insolvent with the country.
 



A New York Hospital Crisis - Does Anyone Notice?
Metropolitan Hospital Struggles To Handle Influx Of Displaced Patients(NY1) * Access to VA Hospital in Brooklyn becomes even more of an SI Advance)




Another Hospital in Trouble
Brooklyn Hospital Plans to Declare Bankruptcy (NYT) Interfaith Medical Center serves a largely African-American and Caribbean niche of central Brooklyn.


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Education
DOE, Teachers Still At Odds Over EvaluationsDOE, Teachers Still At Odds Over Evaluations(NY1)
The Department of Education and the teachers' union must reach a deal on teacher evaluations by Jan. 17 or the DOE will lose $300 million from its coffers.* Parents to pick school of their choice for children(NYDN) * Money’s not everything (NYDN Ed) The Campaign for Fiscal Equity is way off base in threatening a new lawsuit * Columbia’s Gang Scholar Lives on the Edge(NYT) * Students In Poor Districts Will Gain Better Access To Advanced  Placement(WCBS) * Choosing best for kids(NYDN Ed) A revolution is brewing in the South Bronx and in Ocean Hill/Brownsville, Brooklyn, as parents there can now declare independence from some of the city’s worst-performing elementary schools. The local Community Education Councils have empowered mothers and fathers of incoming kindergarten students to choose the schools that offer their children the districts’ best opportunities for education.Two high-needs school districts let families vote with their feet for quality education Eliminating zoning will allow moms and dads to choose the best schools for their kids * State education department have informed school districts there will be enough time to receive approval if their teacher evaluation plans are filed by Dec. 1. The official deadline is Jan. 17, or districts risk losing a 4 percent aid increase.





Spirit of giving (NYP) The city’s homeless experienced a boost in random acts of kindness yesterday as people were inspired to do good by the story of the hero NYPD cop who bought boots for a barefoot, shivering homeless man. * Family shocked to learn that homeless man who received boots is their relative(NYP)




Sandy Santa
Hugs for ‘$anta’ (NYP) The Secret Santa who generously gave out $100 bills to Staten Islanders suffering from the catastrophic aftermath of Hurricane Sandy says he was in awe of neighbors helping each other.


[image]Gear Repairs Raise MTA's Storm Toll(WSJ)

Feds' secretary to oversee response to Hurricane Sandy vows not to let New York down(NYDN)

An About-Face, From Expanding to Rebuilding(NYT) * Chairman of Utility Under Fire Resigns(NYT) * Long Island Power Chief Steps Down(WSJ) * Shoring Up N.J. Tourism(WSJ) * Manhattan Piers Rebuild After Sandy(WSJ) * SI Residents Still Have Many Questions After Town Hall Meeting(NY1) * NYCHA promises to hold off evictions until Feb.(NYDN) * Hurricane Sandy Heroes Honored At Halftime Of Knicks Ga (WCBS) * Toll collection resumes on bridges after Sandy(WABC) * Doctors check up on Red Hook(Brooklyn Paper) * Water worries: Flooded Gowanus residents fear for their health(Brooklyn Paper) * . and the Queens Pastors Network offer help to the needy of Far Rockaway 
= * "The White House will unveil its request for recovery funds this week .."
* Bloomberg says Sandy’s economic impact may be less than once feared because city tax revenue projections do not appear to have fallen.  * Several Staten Island elected officials have rethought their opposition to FEMA trailers for Sandy victims.  
Knocked up & kicked out (NYP) A pregnant Hurricane Sandy victim was booted from her hotel room yesterday and forced to hunt for a place to stay because FEMA dropped the ball on her reservation. Keri Christian, 27, was living at Brooklyn’s Nu Hotel with her daughter, Serafina, 2
Throne of ‘Cleopatra’ (NYP) Hail to the chief! During Hurricane Sandy, EMS commander Marylou Aurrichio was carried out of a deluged Lower East Side station by four underlings holding her above the floodwaters in a patient-carrying chair — even though she was not injured.* Was she or wasn’t she?(NYP Ed) if Sandy is deemed a hurricane, homeowners have to pay higher deductibles when filing insurance claims.* One Sandy disaster after another for Staten Island fami WABC) * Iconic Coney Island Eatery Reopens Following Storm-Related Repairs (NY1) *  MTA Once More Charges Drivers, Including Volunteers, To Cross Rockaways Bridges (NY1) * Some Staten Island Railway Service to Resume Monday * Far Rockaway Church Services Go On Despite Storm Damage  * Cabinet Secretary Chosen to Oversee Federal Response to Hurricane Sandy Is a New York Native(NY Mag) * New Yorkers In Storm-Damaged Areas Urged To Be Wary Of Crooked Contractors(NY1) *Search On For Police Impersonator Who Robbed, Shot Man In The Bronx  

The train makes stops at a limited number of the peninsula’s stations.The train makes stops at a limited number of the peninsula’s stations. A Forlorn Shuttle Points to Progress in the Rockaways (NYT) For an area that remains isolated from many critical resources one month after Hurricane Sandy, the free H train shuttle service is a welcome signal of relief.
 
 



Statue of Liberty Was Unscathed by Hurricane, but Its Home Took a Beating(NYT)
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Fracking Update

DEC Releases New Set Of Hydrofracking Regulations(NY1) * "Gov. Cuomo can put 25,000-plus people to work right now if he okays "-- editorial
The Daily News employs the dreaded “Hamlet on the Hudson” phrase in describing Cuomo’s fracking decision delay.




Tenants: Asbestos Scare Cost Co-op City Tenants $20 Million
Asbestos flub costs Bx. tenants $20M (NYP) Is the city sniffing glue? In 2005, a city Department of Environmental Protection inspector took a tile from a vacant Co-op City apartment to a lab for testing. A trace of asbestos was discovered in the 40-year-old adhesive. A tenant lawsuit claims 86,000 air tests conducted so far show no airborne asbestos before, during or after flooring work. They blame the phony scare on overzealous city inspectors and want their money back.


 Bloomberg's Concrete Boardwalks Hit Just As Hard as the Wood

Boardwalk reconstruction: wood vs. concrete

From the NY Post: It’s going to be a lot harder to lumber along a rebuilt Rockaways boardwalk if Mayor Bloomberg has his way. With most of the 5.5-mile walkway reduced to rubble by Hurricane Sandy, the mayor says it’s time to end the fierce debate over whether to switch from wood to a more durable concrete at all city beaches. “I guess this settles the issue of wooden boardwalks versus concrete boardwalks,” Bloomberg declared during a visit to the offices of The Wave, the 119-year-old local newspaper. “There will be no more wooden boardwalks in Rockaway or anywhere else.” “When there were no rock jetties, the boardwalk was 100 percent removed from its foundation. When there was, the small concrete section maintained itself in position.” Above are 2 sections of boardwalk right next to each other that were destroyed. The concrete is on the left, wood on the right. Here are more photos from A Walk in the Park: * There will be no more wooden boardwalks in Rockaway or anywhere else,” said Bloomberg, who has been trying to replace the Coney Island and Rockaways boardwalks with sturdier materials for years.

Sleepy Bus Driving
Push to Prosecute Drowsy Driving May Hinge on Its Definition(NYT)



 

 

 

Huge Hudson Yards project to break ground on Tuesday (NYDN) After nearly a decade in the making, construction workers will finally break ground Tuesday on the Hudson Yards project, the city’s largest privately-funded development project since Rockefeller Center


 Battery Center Skating Rink
Ice Skating Rink Coming to Lower Manhattan's Wagner Park(DNAINFO)




 

South Street Seaport redevelopment on hold after storm (Fox 5)

 

 

Homeless Pig 
Queens co-op residents trying to get NYC to evict pet pig(NYP)

 


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The End of The Johnny Carson Sandwich Era

Say Goodbye to the Stage Deli, a Midtown Staple Since 1937(NYT) *Stage Deli serves last overstuffed sandwich(NYDN) * Iconic deli closes after 75 years(Huff Post)




Crowded Racing
A Run on Spots in Some Race(WSJ)






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Washington 
In Showdown on Budget, Trusted Obama Aide Faces Test(NYT) Quiet, religious and fiercely meticulous, President Obama’s chief of staff, Jacob J. Lew, may be the most unassuming power broker in Washington, but the year-end fiscal talks are testing his reputation for budgetary deal-making.  * The Empty Promise of Tax Incentives(NYT * Geithner predicts GOP will cave on tax hikes * "We're nowhere," says Speaker Boehner, on status of "fiscal cliff" negotiations with WH.  * On Geithner says of 2011 debt ceiling fight: "We're not prepared to go through that again." * Boehner to Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday, re talks: "We're nowhere -- period...White House has spent three weeks doing basically nothing" Follow the Sunday shows with POLITICO's and * Timothy Geithner: White House Willing To Go Over The Cliff If Republicans Don’t Agree To Raise Tax Rates (Video) * John Boehner 'flabbergasted' by Geithner's proposal (Politico) * Geithner: No deal without higher tax rates on rich (USA Today) * Cokie Roberts -- tackles Grover Norquist, "Emperor has no clothes"/ But owners of GOP--Koch Bros,Chamber,billionaires-- remain same.... Bob Schieffer says thickening plot of DC's "fiscal cliff" drama needs some serious rewrites via

TV SoundOff: Sunday Talking Heads(Huff Post)

Defining the Obama Presidency - David Shribman, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Emboldened Obama Even More Reckless - Michael Goodwin, New York Post
After Defeat, GOP Retreats Deeper Into Bubble - Joshua Holland, Salon
The Not-So-Liberal American Future - Michael Medved, The Daily Beast
On Budget, the Republican Party Is Tone-Deaf - Ilyse Hogue, CNN
Spending Is the Root Cause of Our Problems - Nick Gillespie, Reason
The Casualties of Austerity Economics - Robert Reich, Salon
Americans' Expectations for Obama 2.0 Plunge - Andrew Malcolm, IBD
Romney Now a Man Without a Plan - Philip Rucker, Washington Post
How Taxpayers Bankroll Corporations - Louise Story, New York Times
Small-Business Owners Pessimistic Post-Election - Dennis Jacobe, Gallup
Ongoing Conservative Delusions - Paul Waldman, The American Prospect
The Sebelius Coverup - Jeffrey Anderson, Weekly Standard
Redrawing the Mideast Map - Thomas Friedman, New York Times
Colleges Have Free Speech on the Run - George Will, Washington Post
After a Billion, What's Next for Facebook? - Jessica Guynn, LA Times
John McAfee Plays Hide-and-Seek in Belize - David Segal, New York Times
Sen. Lindsey Graham Reacts To Obama's Proposal To GOP: 'I Think We Are Going Over The Cliff' (VIDEO)
Time for Obama to Lead - San Francisco Chronicle
Egypt Is Collapsing as Obama Embraces Muslim Brotherhood - IBD
Inching Toward Immigration Reform - Washington Post
Affirmative Action and the Law - Los Angeles Times
Grover Norquist On NBC: 'Tea Party 2 Is Going To Dwarf Tea Party 1 If Obama Pushes Us Off The Cliff' 
Sen. McCaskill: Senate Republicans Looking For A 'Scalp', Scapegoating Susan Rice
Obama's Missed Opportunities - Conn Carroll, Washington Examiner
Republicans, Welcome to Reality - Gary Younge, The Guardian
When Government Gets It Right - Jared Bernstein, Huffington Post
Dystopia at the End of the Blue Model - Walter Russell Mead, Am. Interest
GOP Must Fight Corporate Welfare - Milton Wolf, Washington Times
Hillary the Survivor - Maureen Dowd, New York Times
New World of American Energy Independence - Tom Keane, Boston Globe
The Birthrate and America's Future - Ross Douthat, New York Times
Why Won't Morsi Back Down? Read His Resume - Eric Trager, TNR
Sunday Roundtables: Meet the Press | FOX News Sunday | This Week

PAPER: Hillary Prefers Kerry Over Rice as Replacement... 
Hillary Clinton has asked key members of her fundraising and support group in the Irish American community to accompany her to Ireland next week – an unprecedented move seen as a sign she’s running for president in 2016.  
Susan Rice Keystone Pipeline Connection Could Present Big Conflict Of Interest
Now leading POLITICO: The cold, hard realities behind Medicare cuts --
 


Bam bares his ‘Claus’(NYP) Playing St. ‘Nix’ over fiscal-cliff compromise * Mitt’s Oval Office Moment(NYT) * Republicans Take Aim at Entitlements(WSJ) * Report: Major Obama Cabinet Picks Could Come Next Week(Huff Post)
New York Times: “In Latest Campaign, Obama Takes Deficit Battle to the Public”
Washington Post: “Obama Seeks August 1 Deadline for Tax Reform”
Wall Street Journal: “GOP Takes Aim at Entitlements”
Associated Press: “Pressure Mounting on Obama Over Pipeline Decision”
Politico: “Obama Presidential Library Campaign Begins”
The Hill: “Democrats: We’re Not Overreaching in Debt Talks”
The Drawn-Out Crisis: It's the Obama Way - Peggy Noonan, Wall St. Jrnl
Obama to GOP: I'm Done Negotiating With Myself - Ezra Klein, Wash Post
A New, Tougher Obama? - Robert Kuttner, The American Prospect
Republicans Have a Lot of Leverage - Keith Koffler, White House Dossier
The Disastrous Reality of ObamaCare - Richard Ralston, OC Register
Senate Democrats' Unified Coalition - Ronald Brownstein, National Journal
A Teachable Moment for Republicans - Ben Domenech, Ricochet
Zucker: CNN Needs "More Passion" - Howard Kurtz, The Daily Beast
When Are We Going to Means-Test Government? - Matt Welch, Reason
The Science Behind Those Obama E-Mails - Joshua Green, Bloomberg BW
Video Highlights: Obama | Gingrich | Dean | Krauthammer | More
Give Spending Cuts a Chance - Veronique de Rugy, Washington Examiner
Nothing Like Being Re-elected - Michael Tomasky, The Daily Beast
Obama, Democrats Are Over-Playing Their Hands - David Gergen, CNN
A Nation of Singles - Jonathan Last, Weekly Standard
The Ecstasy & Agonies of a Permanent Majority - John Judis, New Republic
Could ObamaCare Go the Way of McCain-Feingold? - David Catron, TAS
Mitt Romney's Oval Office Moment - Gail Collins, New York Times
The Muslim Brotherhood Delusion - Rich Lowry, National Review
A New Egypt Must Learn Political Compromise - Jane Harman, CNN
The Republican Party's "Black Friends" - Bob Cesca, Huffington Post
The Crisis of American Self-Government - Harvey Mansfield, WSJ
Obama's Ambitious, Progressive Budget Plan - Steve Benen, MSNBC
If Obama Won't Cut Spending, What's the Point? - Mark Steyn, OC Register
U.S. Birthrate Plunges to Record Low - Tara Bahrampour, Washington Post
The Bad Luck of Winning the Lottery - Joe Nocera, New York Times
The Shame of American Universities - Michael Barone, DC Examiner
Reforming Teachers--and Unions - Michael Stryer, Washington Post
Nate Silver looks at campaigns' internal polls and the strong bias they show for their candidates.
Obama's Real Fiscal Problem - Wall Street Journal
How to Fix Medicaid - Washington Post
The U.N. Votes to Repudiate Its Principles - New York Post
Public Should See Rules for Targeted Killings - New York Times
Political Opponents Defend Their Stands on Fiscal Crisis(NYT)
Tim Geithner Says Fiscal Cliff Negotiations Are 'Getting There'; John Boehner Says They're 'Nowhere'
 




Piers Morgan Phone Hacking Testimony Called 'Utterly Unpersuasive' In Leveson Report(Huff Post)





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Middle East
Israel Housing Move Seen as Setback for Two-State Plan(NYT) * Syrian Rebels Find Skype Useful, but Dangers Remain(NYT) * Egypt Constitution Sparks Outrage(WSJ) * Israel Approves West Bank Homes(WSJ) * Israel vows to continue settlements (CNN) * Israel rejects UN's endorsement of an independent state of Palestine(NYP) * After UN vote on observer status for , Abbas gets hero's welcome on return to West Bank.









Law and Order
Stop and Frisk Up to Judge
The blindfold slips(NYP Ed)The fate of one of the most effective tactics in controlling violent crime in New York City is now in the hands of one demonstrably biased jurist.
Last Tuesday, plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit against the city’s stop-and-frisk policy chose to have the case decided solely by Manhattan Judge Shira Scheindlin — instead of by a full jury.


Hubby taken into police custody(NYP)

 Fake cop shoots Bronx man(NYDN)

Man who killed his wife and himself found with weapon:(NYDN)
Cops: Woman Fought Off Would Be Rapist In Harlem(NYDN)




Triple trial of agony (NYP)  Now their pain is tripled. The grieving daughters of slain hero cop Peter Figoski are going to have to endure three separate trials for the men charged with his murder,

Mob-trial uproar over juror’s last-sec ‘guilty’ flip(NYP) * Chelsea rape arrest(NYP) *A Boy Who Loved Cars, Now a Man Accused of Stealing 30 in 75 Days(NYT) * Judge Says Man Who Set Woman Ablaze Must Be Examined Before Sentencing(NYT) * Mob men walk free in stunning verdicts(NYDN) * NYPD: Suspects Savagely Attacked Elderly Man In Queens After (WCBS) * Police: NYC couple dead in seeming murder-suicide(Fox 5)* Brooklyn couple dead in apparent murder-suicide: Police say Elsie and Peter Jones' bodies were discovered around...(ABC)
* Woman grazed by bullet after shots fired near Chelsea nightclub(NYP)
* Manhattan college student raped and sodomized by thug waiting in shadows as she returned to her Chelsea apartment(NYP) *Man Allegedly Impersonates Police Officer, Shoots Bronx Resident(NY1)

Basket-bawler (NYP) He went from being a big man on campus to a big baby in the slammer. “I’m sorry. I just want to go home,” bellyached Hofstra hoopster Jimmy Hall in a brief jailhouse interview after his arrest with three teammates on charges of swiping thousands of...


Alleged graffiti artist 'LEWY' has brush with the law(NYDN)

RT : NYPD Narcotics Detective Admits Cops Regularly Plant Drugs On Perps




 Model Convicted of Killing His Lover(NYT)

    • 20m
    My analysis of 2 Mob acquittals and an interview with a criminal defense attorney. Listen here.

     Federal prosecutors are questioning Sandy Annabi’s self-professed addiction to Xanax and said any decision on the former Yonkers councilwoman’s request for drug treatment is best left to prison officials after she is jailed on her corruption conviction.
    Grisly find in Brooklyn: Man, apparently beaten to death, found inside shopping cart(NYP)
    2 Are Charged With Extortion and Abduction(NYT) *
    Students In Poor Districts Will Gain Better Access To Advanced(WCBS)
    Music-biz wannabes shook down partner for iPads and laptops(NYP)
    Police hunting for Bronx murder suspect(WCBS)
    Police impersonator assaults man in the Bronx(Fox 5)
    Man arrested in rape of Manhattan college student(Fox 5)* Staten Island man in custody after wife beaten to death (NYP)

    Jolting Con Ed bill after slay is zapped(NYDN) *
    Bronx cab driver shot while on the job