Tuesday, June 4, 2013

NYT and NYP Did Not Cover the Brooklyn DA Debate Last Night “Nasty Campaign”

Flack George Arzt 
Hynes Flack Earned His Pay Last Night

How can the campaign be Nasty if the voters don't know about it because the papers won't cover it?
After writing several articles about not covering sexual abuse, ignoring Innocent people in jail and imprisoning a witness in a hotel room, the NYT did not send a reporter to cover the debate.  Good work permanent government lobbyist political consultant George Arzt. NYP and local papers all also stayed away from the debate.

Brooklyn district attorney forum gets nasty as Abe George calls Charles Hynes a 'liar' -- and Hynes calls George 'rude'(NYDN) Third candidate for top law enforcement job, Kenneth Thompson, stays out of the fray. Hynes, under fire, is seeking a seventh-term. The first debate in the heated race for Brooklyn district attorney was more schoolyard fight than a political forum Monday night as hostile hecklers and bickering between the candidates dominated the hour-long matchup. The topic of wrongful convictions gave Hynes the biggest trouble of the night, as several hecklers interrupted the discussion.

Orthodox Jewish advocate Mark Appel screamed “resign” as Hynes detailed how his office sprung convicted murderer David Ranta, 58, from prison. Ranta was released in March after serving nearly two-decades for killing a Williamsburg rabbi. Prosecutors later found that cops coached witnesses and committed other mishaps in the case -- yet Hynes still got a murder conviction. Opponents of Hynes typically seize on the Ranta exoneration as evidence that Hynes' office is out of control In the wake of the Ranta release, Hynes' office admitted it is reviewing 50 convictions obtained with the help of a now-retired NYPD detective, Louis Scarcella, whose motives have come under scrutiny.  George, a former Manhattan assistant district attorney, sparked Hynes’ ire calling him “a liar” after the veteran law official told the hundred-plus crowd of onlookers that his office doesn’t prosecute people caught carrying small amounts of marijuana. “I must say how rude you are,” Hynes shot back. *  Brooklyn DA Establishes That Rival is 'Rude' -- Daily Intelligencer(NY Mag) * Ken Thompson runs against Joe Hynes at a good time
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Mayoral Campaign

Experiences as Students and Parents Shape Candidates’ Views on Schools(NYT)The 11 contenders, who have a mix of backgrounds in private and public education, have made standardized testing and arts classes familiar issues in the campaign. 

  Catsimatidis  Keeps Placing Adds in the NYP Also

Catsimatidis is Buying the Local Papers $$$

Republican mayoral candidate John Catsimatidis is advertising on local newspapers. [Azi Paybarah] 

Republican mayoral candidate Joe Lhota was endorsed by the Conservative Party, which "could turn off liberal voters in November.*  New York City mayoral hopeful John Catsimatidis is touting his support from the Republican establishment in a new mailer.
Conservative Party backs Lhota for mayor (NYP) Republican mayoral candidate Joe Lhota picked up the Conservative Party nod yesterday, despite splitting with the group on social issues — including same-sex marriage and legalizing marijuana. * Conservative Party Endorses Lhota for Mayor(NYT) * Lhota Accepts Conservative Party Endorsement (WSJ)


4m
Excellent story about 's business dealings


Weiner Won't be Pinned Down on New Tobacco Proposal(WSJ)
Anthony Weiner Is Already Over These Mayoral Forums (NY Mag)Anthony Weiner reportedly looked bored at last night’s mayoral forum but denied it afterwards “You looked more bored than I did. Stop breaking my chops,” he insisted. “I did not look bored. How do you think you looked? You were really bored. Journalist, heal thyself. You were bored too!”* Christie Calls Election in October to Fill Senate Seat(NYC)



Bill de Blasio’s Family Makes Its Own Cheerios Commercial(NYO)
Another endorsement for de Blasio(NYDN)
Anthony Weiner complained about the state of job creation in the city, which he said seems bent on building more “Red Lobsters.”

Qualified support for the controversial stop-and-frisk procedure
Thompson picks up a pair of key endorsements(NYDN) Former New York City mayor David Dinkins and Rep. Charles Rangel endorsed Thompson for mayor and voiced their support for stop-and-frisk policing, with Dinkins saying that he “trusts” Police Commissioner Ray Kelly * Thompson, Quinn Land Mayoral Endorsements From Major Harlem Lawmakers(NY1) * Democratic New York City mayoral candidate Bill Thompson kicked off a five-borough tour yesterday, hoping to make himself more visible to voters who don’t know him despite nearly winning the 2009 election, The Wall Street Journal reports: http://on.wsj.com/18Oz8sT * "Greeting voters at senior centers in the Bronx on Monday, he sometimes neglected to mention that he was running for mayor, simply saying, 'Hi, I'm Bill Thompson.'" [Andrew Grossman] * Bill Thompson Leaps Into Election Season With Pseudo-Campaign Launch(NYO) * What does it say about the state of 's press coverage that we even published this story?

Thompson Never Saw Citytime Scandal - Largest in City History
"Bill Thompson argued that as comptroller, the reason he failed to uncover the CityTime scandal was because his office lacked the 'subpoena power' of federal prosecutors." [Ari Paul]


While Thompson stays mum on alternative garbage sites
In the debate over the reopening a garbage plant on East 91st Street and York Avenue, the rhetoric of the mayoral candidates has overshadowed the substance of the argument.
Council Speaker Christine Quinn, who backs the opening of the Upper East Side waste-transfer facility as part of a citywide plan to share out the burden of trash disposal more evenly, used the phrase "environmental racism" to describe the historically outsized burden borne by communities of color in this context. Bill Thompson, the only black candidate in the race, who now opposes the Upper East Side plant, objected strongly to her use of the phrase, which he said amounted to calling him a racist.  (For the record, Thompson didn't register any objection when Quinn used the phrase in March, at a debate which he attended and at which he spoke immediately after she used the phrase.) Thompson, so far, has declined to suggest any alternative site for the planned Upper East Side waste-transfer facility.

Kellner Wants the Dump Out of His Hood On the Westside
 Eddie Bautista of the Environmental Justice Alliance rejects Assemblyman Micah Kellner's argument against the East 91st Street garbage facility in favor for one on the West Side, because it won't reduce truck traffic through residential neighborhoods. [NY1]
 





Class Warfare: Teachers’ Union Boss Michael Mulgrew Claims He Can Crown the Next Mayor(NYO)


Labor Support Over Hyped
LABOR’S BIG LIFT: What is a union’s support for a New York City mayoral candidate actually worth? Not always what you’d think, The New York World reports: http://bit.ly/11evX4N

Quinn's Petition Kick Off
Kicking off petitioning in BK w/ & vols- this race starts w/ you taking action for the future of NYC
Quinn's Committee 2 Fill Vacancies: Markowitz, Rep. Maloney, Rep. Crowley Jackie R Adams, BP Marshall, Annabel Palma, St sen Rivera, 
New York City Council Lawmaker Bottles Up Speaker Quinn(WSJ)
New York City Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. is blocking Council Speaker Christine Quinn from holding a vote for a bill that would open state courts to claims of racial profiling by not allowing it to be voted out of committee * Christine Quinn Accuses Opponents of Pandering on Wide Range of Issues(NYO)

A Voice From Beyond

Koch’s Sister to Amplify His Support for Quinn(NYT) 

Ask the Next Mayor a Question(NYT)
New York City voters are invited to submit questions for the mayoral candidates. The best questions will be asked at the endorsement interviews conducted by the editorial board of The Times.
Ray Kelly, New York City Police Commissioner, Says He's Not Running For Mayor (Huff Post)

. has useful tools for NYC political watchers. Union strength: Candidate positions:
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Campaign 2013

Councilman and Queens borough president candidate Leroy Comrie Jr. said, "Soccer shouldn't happen in Flushing Meadows Park."
NY1 Online: Leroy Comrie Chats About His Run For Queens BP


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VOTING AND THE BOE

Why did the BOE Buy the New Scanners?

Source: lever machines for nyc election are a done deal. Silver bill to be introduced today or tomorrow
Candidates Start Collecting Signatures To Get On City Primary Ballot(NY1)
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NY Corrupt Pols Never Die

Walking Dead Castro and Espada


A man of singular distinction(NYP)
Word is that ex-Assemblyman Nelson Castro won’t let a little thing like perjury interfere with his political ambitions. Quite the contrary, he’s now considering running for his old Bronx seat. As part of a non-prosecution deal he struck after he was indicted for lying about several voters found to be registered at his apartment, Castro in April stepped down from the seat he won in 2008. Prosecutors had also required he wear a wire — an arrangement that would result in the indictment of Assemblyman Eric Stevenson on bribery and related corruption charges. Former state Sen. Pedro Espada filed a motion seeking a new trial for charges of embezzling money from a nonprofit he ran, alleging that the presiding judge, Frederic Block, coerced the jury into reaching a consensus *
Ex-Sen. Pedro Espada says new evidence proves innocence(NYDN) * With Sentencing Near, Espada Seeks a New Trial(NYT) Pedro Espada Jr., a former New York State senator who was found guilty of theft, accused the trial judge of improperly pressuring jurors to reach a verdict. * Bloomberg Meets With Dad of 11-Year-Old Girl Paralyzed By Stray Bullet (DNAINFO)


Vito Lopez and the 6 Figure Fine $300,000
Legislative ethics panel eyes six-figure fine for ex-Assemb. Vito Lopez
    1. 11m
      Pervert Vito Lopez slapped with Massive $300,000 Fine by Legislative Ethics Commission It's largest fine ever issued
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NYS Government

 What is Left to Do In Albany
The Daily News’ writes that Cuomo has been quiet on several pieces of legislation that remain on his agenda, including codifying abortion rights, legalizing casino gambling, and public campaign financing: Cuomo hasn't released copies of the bills he's pushing. The result? "This is a lousy, undemocratic process that reduces rank-and-file lawmakers to rubber stamps and, more troubling, denies the public a fair chance to weigh in." [Bill Hammond]

Women and Abortion Rights 
In the Times Union, Mylan Denerstein, counsel to Gov. Cuomo, summarizes the governor’s 10-point Women’s Equality Act, which will be introduced today: http://bit.ly/13ioi9H
In the lead up to Cuomo introducing the WEA, his counsel Mylan Denerstein pens an op/ed in the Times Union to insist the move is not to expand abortion rights, but simply update the state’s existing laws. * The release of the bill will coincide with a pretty busy lobby day on the women’s agenda, which will include actress Cynthia Nixon. * Catholic groups are already blasting the provision, with Catholic League President William Donohue who warned of “political suicide” if Cuomo goes through with it. * Zack Fink takes note of the myriad obstacles facing the abortion plank. * Cuomo To Propose Bill Allowing For Later-Term Abortions(WCBS) * Cuomo publishes op/ed outlining his women's agenda in Huffington Post * Senate GOP Sees Politics In Cuomo’s Abortion Provision(YNN) * Cuomo Campaign Emails On Women’s Agenda(YNN) * Abortion Takes Center Stage(YNN) * Cuomo Unveils Women’s Agenda Bill Language(YNN) * Stewart-Cousins: Vote On The Entire Agenda(YNN) * Cardinal Dolan Decries ‘The Most Radical Abortion Proposals of Any State’(NYO) * Andrea Miller of NARAL Pro-Choice New York called the Senate GOP’s position on the abortion provision in the women’s agenda “bizarre.”


GOP political consultant Bill O’Reilly in Newsday: “If this Albany tragedy were a Tarantino screenplay, there’d be an iron with a capital “H” warming somewhere in the capital basement. The “H” would mark the hypocrites too cowardly to challenge Silver and too obtuse to recognize their absurdity in heralding the Women’s Equality Act at the same time.”Kirsten Gillibrand is fighting institutionalists in the Defense Department to take sexual assault cases out of the chain of command. [Darren Samuelsohn and Juana Summers] * Sen. Gillibrand: 'Not every commander can distinguish between a slap on the ass and rape'

Albany Pot Bill DOA in the Senate
Lawmakers in the Assembly once again approved legislation to legalize medical marijuana, but its chances of passage in the Senate remain in doubt.

MMA
Female supporters of mixed-martial arts pushed the issue in Albany, but assemblywomen remain opposed. A mixed-martial arts commentator seems certain the only way to get the sport legalized in New York is if Speaker Sheldon Silver stepped down.

Judges 
Too Old to Judge? Albany Reconsiders(NYP)

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Mayoral Candidates Ignore Shootings


Bloomberg: You Have the Right to Live in Bed Stuy And Be Safe
A taste of our future(NYP)Latest shootings & NYPD critics After Shootings, City Police Add Patrols(NYT) After a weekend in which more than two dozen people were shot, the department announced it was increasing it presence in certain neighborhoods. * New York City's Weekend of Violence Is an Exception(WSJ)

A Post columnist warns that safe neighborhoods like Brownstone Brookllyn will see more violence if a federal judge overseeing the stop-and-frisk trial rules against the NYPD
The Post’s Bob McManus argues that if a federal judge rules against stop-and-frisk policing by the NYPD the decision could have consequences, pointing to the spate of gun violence over the weekend * A NEW SIGN OF HOPE: Mayor Bloomberg vows to end gun violence as girl, 11, feared paralyzed by stray bullet moves arms(NYDN) * NYPD Steps Up Patrols, Resources After 22 Shot in 3 Day NBC)

Teen-shoot suspect got gun-rap bail(NYDN)The 15-year-old boy shot in Brooklyn during a frightening spate of weekend violence was the victim of a teen out on bail for an illegal gun.

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No More Special Elections in NY Either


 Christie Opposition to Special Elections Means that 2016 Cuomo Will Never Call One Again in NY
Christie to hold special election to fill Lautenberg's Senate seat(NYP)
Chris Christie calls a special Senate election, ducks a Cory Booker problem *Christie Calls Election in October to Fill Senate Seat(NYT)  "'I don't know what the costs [of holding a special election] are, and frankly I don't care,' Christie said."


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Protecting Liberty


U.S. Drops Plan on Screening of Statue Visitors(NYP)
Interior Secretary Sally Jewell announced that the National Park Service would resume monitoring in Battery Park, rather than move it to Ellis Island. * Liberty without death(NYDN Ed)




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Sandy

If there's another hurricane, we're screwed(Queens Crap)

From NY Magazine: There was a time, not so long ago, when hurricane season had little to do with New York City. Then Hurricane Irene hit in 2011, as did Hurricane Sandy in 2012, with devastating consequences. It's impossible to know if New York will find itself staring down another major storm this summer, but NOAA has already predicted that hurricane season — which officiallly began Saturday — will be unusually strong this year. "The outlook calls for a 70% chance of an above-normal season, a 25% chance of a near-normal season, and only a 5% chance of a below-normal season," a recent NOAA report warned.  So here's the $19 billion question: Are we ready for the next Sandy? And here's the answer: It depends, obviously, on what aspect of storm preparedness you focus on. But in general? No. Not really.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that New Yorkers with homes damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Sandy can get new help, including payments for turning their property over to the city, NY1 reports: http://bit.ly/10MyxDD

Recovery Specialists Available Under "Build It Back" Program(NY1)

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Education

Tough love for teachers(NYDN Ed)
The Daily News applauds state Education Commissioner John King’s plan for a teacher evaluation system in New York City and questions whether the next mayor will have “enough spine” to see the plan through:
Schools Chancellor Spars With City Council Committee Members At Budget Hearing(NY1)
Council asks Walcott to testify under oath, then calls for a breather (Capital)
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Bike Share
Angry tenants trash Citi Bike racks — literally  (NYP) Residents of one Brooklyn apartment building are trashing the Citi Bike program — with real garbage.  Tenants at 150 Joralemon St. in Brooklyn Heights over the weekend tossed bags of refuse and recycling debris on a rack of blue Citi Bikes as an..

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Moose and Squirrel Street?


A Renewed Effort to Rename a Street Honoring a Soviet Spy(NYT)

A woman hopes to persuade the city to rename the block named for Samuel Dickstein, a congressman and Soviet spy, after Lillian Wald, the nurse who founded the Henry Street settlement house.






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Foreign Affairs

We Like to See More Of
Top secret assets: Scantily clad Israeli soldiers disciplined after racy photos of underwear and combat gear leak online(NYDN)

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Sugar Highs


City Hall launched a $1.4 million ad buy to warn the public about some supposedly healthy drinks which are really worse than soda.
Sugar smack! City ads target drinks  (NYP) There’s no fizz in the Bloomberg administration’s latest assault on sugary drinks. Building on its war against calorie-laden sodas, the city Health Department yesterday launched a $1.4 million TV and bus ad campaign warning of the dangers of...

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Environment

New York City Will Invest to Clean Up Waterways(WSJ)
* Advocates and opponents of hydraulic fracturing drilling for natural gas say they’re becoming increasingly frustrated with the health review process by the state, accusing the Cuomo administration of lacking transparency, Gannett Albany reports: http://on.rocne.ws/11zBvGV

Cowardly senators introduce parkland alienation bill without sponsor(Queens Crap)

From A Walk in the Park:
With just ten days left in the State Senate and Assembly session, "no name" proponents quietly introduced legislation this afternoon to alienate parkland for the United State Tennis Association expansion NYC Park Advocates has learned. And we mean quietly. The Bill, S 5663, was introduced without a sponsor, a distinction reserved for legislators unwilling to take responsibly for the legislation.  "That seems like a way around accountability," commented one chief of staff for an Assembly member. So everyone has come out in favor of the USTA plan, but no one wants to put their name on the bill?Simply amazing. But not all that surprising.

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Media
The evolution of the political-snark blog Wonkette.

MSNBC Chief: 'We're Not The Place' For Breaking News(Huff Post)


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Washington


Christie Has A Big Decision

Christie has big decision in replacing Lautenberg (NYP)  New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie suddenly has to make some of the toughest decisions of his political career. The death of New Jersey Sen. Frank Lautenberg, a Democrat, has put the Republican governor on the spot to name a short-term replacement and...* After Lautenberg(NYP Ed) * Death of Senator Places Christie in Difficult Spot(NYT) * Frank Lautenberg, 89, New Jersey Senator In His 5th Term, Dies(NYT) * Senator's Death Sparks Partisan Fight(WSJ) * Odds Reshuffled for Booker(WSJ) * Frankly speaking(NYDN Ed) * In replacing Frank Lautenberg, Chris Christie will have to balance the political imperatives of 2013 and 2016. [Reid Pillifant]* VP Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton To Attend Lautenberg's Upper East Side Funeral (NY1) * Cory Booker’s unexpected sprint for Senate, via :

Cancer
Long Island Rep. McCarthy has lung cancer  (NYP) WASHINGTON — Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-LI), one of the leading advocates in Congress for stricter gun control, revealed yesterday that she has lung cancer.  McCarthy, 69, said the disease is in a treatable form and she has mapped out a medical..* Representative Faces Treatment For Lung Cancer(NYT) * Cancer Sidelines
U.S. Rep. McCarthy(WSJ)
GOP Accuses First, Asks Questions Later - Dana Milbank, Washington Post
Why the Obama Scandals Matter - John Feehery, The Hill
Obama's Economic Triumph - Michael Tomasky, The Daily Beast
Manufacturing Declines to 4 Year Low - Michael Fletcher, Washington Post
Obama Still an Amateur President - Edward Klein, FOX News
Frank Lautenberg: The Last "Swamp Dog" - Patrick Murray, CNN
Pick Could Help Christie Mend GOP Ties - Scott Conroy, RealClearPolitics
The ObamaCare Blame Game - Tevi Troy, Commentary
Democrats' 2014 Strategy: Own ObamaCare - Alex Isenstadt, Politico
Oppose ObamaCare? You're a Racist - Dennis Prager, Townhall
DNA Ruling Brings US Step Closer to 'Gattaca' - Noah Feldman, Bloomberg
Turkey: Think Tehran '09, Not Arab Spring - Dirk Matten, Globe & Mail
Moving Beyond Abstractions on Immigration - Thomas Sowell, IBD
Behind the Rise in Home Prices, Wall St. Buyers - Nathaniel Popper, NYT
Central Bank QE On the Wane? Doubt It - Jeremy Warner, Daily Telegraph
Just Wait, the Clinton Haters Will Be Back Soon - Charles Pierce, Esquire
The Fierce Urgency of $$$: Obama Aides Cash In - Walter Shapiro, Yahoo!

Editorials

The Truth About Those Rate Increases in OR & CA - Wall Street Journal
Turkey's Authoritarianism - Washington Post
Senator Lautenberg Was a Fighter - New Jersey Star-Ledger
Obama Is Fully in Charge, Except When He Isn't - The Oklahoman
Lautenberg’s Death Adds to Democrats’ Legislative Diffi (NYT)
Condoleezza Rice Pushes For Intervention In Syria On CBS: ‘U.S. Doesn’t Have An Option Of No Action’
Bill Clinton Earning $11,111 a Minute for Birthday Speech(NY Mag)
Jon Stewart Enjoys The Delicious Irony Of The IRS Under Scrutiny: ‘Where’s Your Receipts, A*sholes?’

NYPD gives the green light to Southwest Brooklyn security cameras (Home Reporter)


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Law and Order


Why the Court Was Right to Allow Cheek Swabs(NYT)
In his unusual alliance with three liberal justices, Antonin Scalia misread the meaning of the Fourth Amendment.* DNA and Suspicionless Searches(NYT Ed)
The Supreme Court decision to permit DNA collection from people who have been charged but not yet convicted severely undermines fundamental Fourth Amendment principles.

NYPD questions person of interest after body found(WSJ)
Boy, 9, Fights Armed Home Invaders, Grabs Gun: Cops(NBC)
Boy shoots at armed robbers(Fox 5)
Gun kid, 10, foils home
invaders (NYP) A fearless 10-year-old fought off two home invaders in Brooklyn last night, disarming one of the men — and then firing a shot at him with the thug’s own gun, cops said.  The brave boy escaped to his bedroom after the two men, posing as FedEx...
Police: Boyfriend Of Slain Brooklyn Woman Implicated Self In Note

Queens brothel suspect faked cancer: prosecutors(NYP)

NYPD gives the green light to Southwest Brooklyn security cameras (Home Reporter)

Suspect Faces Attempted Murder Charges In Connection With Triple Brooklyn Shooting(NY1)


Man, Woman Found Beaten, Dead in Queens Home(NBC)
Young Victim Was Drawn By Street Fight, Jury Is Told(NYT)
Tayshana Murphy, a high school basketball star, had been with young male friends from the Grant Houses, who had been fighting all day and night with young men from the Manhattanville Houses
Woman found stabbed inside Brooklyn apartment(Fox 5)

Surveillance Photos Show People Of Interest In Midtown Anti-Gay Attack(NY1)

  • Cops capture man suspected in teen bus slay(NYP)  A heavily-armed team of federal agents and NYPD detectives took a man wanted in the slaying of a 14-year-old girl on a city bus into custody this morning, authorities said. Kevin McClinton, 22, was sleeping at a relative’s house in Cayce, South... 

Tot killed after allegedly struck by teen driver trying to flee copshospital with serious head and neck burns, authorities said.(NYDN)

Tot killed after allegedly struck by teen driver trying to flee cops


Killer gets life for executing 16-year-old girl(NYP)
New images released in attack on gay couple near Madison (WABC)

Girl, 4, Fatally Struck by a Car Fleeing the Police(NYT)


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Terrorism


Statements by Detained Terror Suspect Are Focus of Sentencing, and of Debate(NYT)
The accounts of an Egyptian who lawyers said had most likely been tortured were unreliable, the defense counsel of a former Brooklyn man said.