Friday, June 14, 2013

True News Wags the NYP On the Rick Perry Effect On NY Economy

Yesterday True News Reported On Texas Gov Raiding NY For Business While Some Mayoral Candidates Were Supporting Higher Taxes. Today the NYP Has An Editorial On the Same Issue

True News
 Another Tail of Two Cities Which the Media Ignores
De Blasio pushes tax hike, subsidy cut | Crain's New York Business
As Texas Raids New York Businesses and Jobs

Howdy, cowboy(NYP Ed)
A Texas-sized burr has just landed under the saddle of Andrew Cuomo. Its name is Rick Perry. On Sunday, the Texas governor will kick off a five-day visit with a message he’s already running in local media:  If you’re tired of the same old recipe of over-taxation, over-regulation and frivolous litigation, get out before you go broke. Texas is calling . . . your opportunity awaits. pointing out the many advantages of Texas: no state income tax, light regulation and a whole lot more jobs and opportunity. Not that Cuomo’s rolling over. To the contrary, he’s been trying to use the zero income-tax rate in Texas as a reason New York’s Legislature should pass his plan to create tax-free zones around mostly upstate universities.

Give the governor credit for recognizing what so many others in Albany do not: We must compete with other states and other countries for capital and enterprise. Unfortunately, the tax-free zones touted by Cuomo only highlight the merits of Perry’s argument. While New York politicians finagle with the tax code to carve out special treatment for favored enterprises, the whole state of Texas is a tax-free zone. Maybe that’s why $1.6 billion in adjusted gross income relocated from New York to Texas from 1992 to 2010, according to Travis Brown’s “How Money Walks.”Richard Kirsch, senior fellow at the Roosevelt Institute, pans Cuomo’s Tax Free-NY plan, saying it won’t boost the economy and will undermine public institutions.


Blame Mayoral Debate Moderators Like Errol Lewis For Economic Disney Land
Facing NYC’s fiscal nightmare(NYP)  Listening to some mayoral candidates, you’d think that New York City’s biggest challenge was how to spend billions of dollars in spare revenue. But no matter how big the spending dreams, the city’s next mayor may well face a fiscal nightmare.  Spending from city revenues has risen from $28.9 billion when Bloomberg took office to $47.5 billion in fiscal year 2012; it will be an estimated $50.2 billion in 2013. Much of this spending has gone to rising compensation, and especially benefits, for city employees. The annual price of financing workers’ pensions grew from $1.8 billion in Bloomberg’s inaugural budget to $8 billion in 2012. The tab for workers’ and retirees’ health care nearly doubled.   The city’s debt has also soared. According to the Citizens Budget Commission, total city debt hit $105 billion last year — almost double what it was when Bloomberg entered City Hall.  As a result, pensions, health care and debt service alone now take more than 40 cents out of every dollar in taxes and fees city residents pay.

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TV News Keeping Public Dumb

Keeping the Public Uninformed While Racking In the Millions

WNBC TV reported today on a lawsuit on the ownership of the song Happy Birthday, not on the lawsuit of lawsuit against NYS Assembly Speaker Silver for Covering Up Sexual harassment by Vito Lopez. After a year of study, a Federal Communications Commission special report, “The Information Needs of Communities,” says there is a lot of journalism out there, just not much “accountability reporting” of local and state government. Cuomo and his supporters spent over $10 million last year to gain public support to push through his agenda. Union and business interest like the pro fracking interest are also spending millions on ads to local stations. * Birthday Song’s Copyright Leads to a Lawsuit for the Ages


Will These Be Real Debates or More of the Same Crap That Allows Candidates to Says Anything Crap They Want
City Schedules Debates for Mayoral Candidates(NYT) * Mayor's Race Debates Set(WSJ) * City Campaign Finance Board Sets Schedule For Debates(NY1)

ALBANY — The taxpayers want their money back, Shelly. An Albany activist is suing Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver over the $103,000 secret settlement he authorized to pay off two former female staffers who accused pervy ex- Assemblyman Vito Lopez...More on the lawsuit that seeks to have Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver personally repay the state the $103,000 that the legislature paid to some of Vito Lopez's accusers. [Beth DeFalco] * The suit calls for Silver to repay the full sum, plus 10 percent interest, dating to June 2012, “directly from his personal funds” within 20 days. It also asks the court for unspecified punitive damages to serve as a deterrent to stop other legislators from making future secret settlements.* ‘Thank God for Shelly Silver’: Speaker Receives a Little Love in Queens(NYO)
* State Assembly Speaker Faces Second Lawsuit In Handling Of Vito Lopez Scandal(NY1)
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Would Dromm support Silver covering for & enabling a member to make gay slurs and assault gay men? via


Fix JCOPE
The Times Union calls for more transparency from the state’s Joint Commission on Public Ethics, blaming a flawed infrastructure set up by Cuomo and the State Legislature

Goodbye Small Man Pedro

The Group Think Media Has Little Idea How Clueless New Yorkers Are Over the Mayor's Race
 
Blame the media that New Yorkers have no idea who is running for mayor. A recent report by the New York Observer showed most of the cities residence had no idea who was running for mayor.  Let alone what they stand for.  Oh they knew Weiner and Kardashian





Lopez Bitch Steps Down

 CB1 chairman to step down(NYDN) The chairman of Community Board 1 in Williamsburg — long linked to disgraced pol Vito Lopez — is leaving the powerful neighborhood position



Keith Wright and NYC is bizarre fight over poster fines
Pol, city in stalemate on poster fines(CrainsNY)
Assemblyman Keith Wright, a Harlem Democrat who owes the city almost a quarter of a million dollars in fines for illegally hanging campaign posters, says he's eager to settle the issue by negotiating a lower fine, as the city has allowed other elected officials to do over the years.

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Mayoral Campaign


NYP Follows the NYT Weiner Obamacare Hit
Weiner’s wacky BamCare boast (NYP) Who’s running Anthony Weiner’s campaign, Al Gore?  The Twitter-failing former congressman became an online laughingstock yesterday after a report came out quoting him as taking credit for the term “ObamaCare.”  “[It’s] a term, by the way, that I... * Aide Clarifies Weiner’s Claim on Coining of ‘Obamacare’(NYT) * Anthony Weiner’s Three-Pronged Salad-Throwing Defense(NY mag)  “I mean, I’m a much mellower person than I was when the salad did or did not wind up on the wall,” he explained. “The salad story’s apocryphal,” he further insisted. “I don’t do salad. That’s the other thing about the story. I don’t do salads.”

Weiner Cannot Hit Crowley Back He Needs His Support for the Runoff
Joe Crowley says he might not play better baseball than Weiner, "but is definitely going to use the Internet better” And Congressman Joe Crowley, everybody: “Roll Call asked if he would play better than the last congressman to wear a full Mets uniform in the game, current New York City mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner, Crowley brought the quintessential Empire State lawmaker sass. ‘I don’t know that I’m going to play better than him, but I’m definitely going to use the Internet better than him,’ Crowley said.”

The context of Anthony Weiner‘s “coined” Obamacare claim does seem to clarify what he meant: “…a term, by the way, that I coined and used proudly, long before the administration decided it was a good idea. And I got yelled at by the White House for using it, and then they eventually reached the place where they used it.” That didn’t stop the tabloids from piling on, of course. It’s also not clear that he was the first Democrat to embrace the term.Weiner says he "doesn't do" salad So the salad in this photo is definitely Huma's?
47s
Weiner: "I'm a much mellower person than I was when the salad did or did not wind up on the wall."

Quinn Whacks the  Weiner 
Asked about Weiner's record in Congress, Quinn said, "What New Yorkers must have in a mayor isn't somebody who just makes promises…"
Quinn Charges at Her Top Mayoral Rival, Anthony Weiner
New York City mayoral candidate Christine Quinn directly criticized her closest competitor in the polls, Anthony Weiner, for the first time yesterday, taking a shot at Weiner’s lackluster legislative record in Congress, The Wall Street Journal writes:  * Christine Quinn Says ‘Establishment’ Label Is Totally Unfair(NYO) * Quinn Picking Up Endorsements In Queens In Mayor's Race (NY1)



Quinn Defends Event Reimbursment by PAC(WSJ)
Democratic mayoral candidate Christine Quinn defended her efforts to comply with New York City's campaign finance laws on Thursday.

de Blasio Begs the Mulgrew

 De Blasio in UFT bidIn a push to woo the teachers union, mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio yesterday denounced high-stakes tests and endorsed several other union platforms.







 Pushing Out Small Apartment Owners
At Hearing, 3 Mayoral Candidates Advocate Rent Freeze(NYT)
Christine C. Quinn, Bill de Blasio and John C. Liu spoke at an emotional hearing on proposed increases in New York City that pitted tenants against landlords.

Stop and Frisk
How the mayoral candidates and others are reacting to U.S. Attorney Eric Holder's support for an outside monitor to oversee the NYPD. [Azi Paybarah]* Bratton says is "out of his mind" to say he'll end .

Harlem Debate
Four Mayoral Candidates Participate In Harlem Debate


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Brooklyn DA

Brooklyn D.A. candidate Ken Thompson wants more transparency about how the incumbent is investigating 50 murder convictions from a once-celebrated detective
DA rival wants questionable conviction cases revealed(NYDN)A challenger to Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes wants the top prosecutor to identify 50 cases under review by his office after questions arose regarding the conduct of homicide detective Louis . . .  “There is no excuse for the District Attorney to keep secret these questionable murder convictions, including the 50 cases that he says are being reviewed,” said former prosecutor Kenneth Thompson, who’s vying for Hynes’ seat in the Sept. 10 Democratic primary. The show "Brooklyn DA" is moving to Saturday night "after three low-rated episodes." [Rick Kissell]

Hayes For President RT : Brooklyn DA misspelling his own name in campaign lit via

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Almost A State Budget
For 3 Years Now Cuomo Has Waited to the Last Minute, To Make the Final Deals and Bring the Budget Together Ontime.  With Three Men in A Room


19m
ICYMI: ‘Historic day’ as casino feud is settled via View photo
* NY Post's Bob McManus says Cuomo’s reform record “has been more rhetorical than real.” 

Abortion
In order to make the Women’s Equality Act more palatable, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and a coalition of women’s groups amended the bill to prohibit partial-birth abortions, though Senate Republicans killed the amendment, the Times Union writes * The Times criticizes state lawmakers who are trying to water down the proposed Women’s Equality Act by removing crucial provisions, saying that the entire bill deserves passage * Cuomo Changes Abortion Language In Proposed Women's Equality Act(NY1) * The suit calls for Silver to repay the full sum, plus 10 percent interest, dating to June 2012, “directly from his personal funds” within 20 days. It also asks the court for unspecified punitive damages to serve as a deterrent to stop other legislators from making future secret settlements.  Abortion amendment plan fails(TU)

Gambling
After four years of name calling and legal wrangling, Cuomo and Seneca Nation President Barry Snyder agreed to give the tribe exclusive casino rights in Western New York in exchange for revenue sharing payments to Albany, The Buffalo News reports:  * Seneca Tribe Reaches Deal With Cuomo on Gambling(NYT) * Casino Options Narrowed by Deal(WSJ) * Under the deal Cuomo cut with the Senecas, the racinos at Finger Lakes, Batavia, and the harness track at Hamburg in the Buffalo suburbs face new marketing restrictions. They can no longer call themselves “casinos” on signs or advertisements or refer to VLTs as “slot machines.” No state legislative approval is needed for the agreement, but the Seneca Nation’s council must OK it, and some members of the tribe have expressed preference for sticking with the arbitration process.* UPDATE Cuomo Confirms: Now Four Upstate Casinos(YNN) * Bonacic Still Wants Five Casinos Upstate(YNN)  * EJ McMahon explains how Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s casino bill is a “gift” to labor unions.



Disabled $$$ Safe
Cuomo Agrees Not to Lower Pay Rates for Groups That Serve Disabled(NYT)
Cuomo reached a deal with lawmakers on legislation that would protect nonprofit organizations that provide services for people with developmental disabilities from possible cuts to their reimbursement rates * Pols to restore $90M for developmentally disabled on Staten (SI Advance)

NYCHA Board 
The State Legislature approved a bill that would eliminate the New York City Housing Authority’s full-time board positions along with their six-figure salaries and private chauffeurs, with the bill set to go to Cuomo for final approval, the Daily News writes * NYCHA Budget Cuts Could Lead To 500 Jobs Lost, Section 8 Rent Hikes(NY1)


Decriminalize Pot
Cuomo’s inability to deliver on a proposal to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana has rankled black and Hispanic Democrats, who believe the governor is not expending enough political capital to get the legislation passedCuomo's Marijuana Decriminalization Push Likely Dead for This Year(WSJ)

The Poor
Cuomo announced that roughly 215,000 families who live at or below 185 percent of the federal poverty level will be eligible to receive $24 in checks to buy fruits and vegetables at farmer’s markets this summer, Gannett writes:

Cuomo Reforms Questioned
The Post’s Bob McManus dismantles Cuomo’s claim of being a true reformer, calling his record “more rhetorical than real”, citing his refusal to push Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver from his leadership post: While the governor's campaign finance reform bill is debated by the legislature, why doesn't he voluntarily abide by the donation limits in the bill?

Novelty Cigarette Lighters that look like toys may soon be illegal to sell in New York, thanks to a bill banning them that was passed by the Senate and is expected to be approved by the Assembly next week.

Voting Machines invented in 1897 (which was when CU was founded) is not the way to go.
 
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Education

Principal at Bronx High School of Science Is Leaving(NYT)
Valerie J. Reidy, 64, cited her age and family concerns in her decision to retire from the school, which is being investigated over accusations of hazing on the boys’ track team.


CUNY Leader’s Retirement Comes With Paid Sabbatical and Teaching Job(NYT)

Chancellor Matthew Goldstein will get his full salary during his first year off and for five months of unused sick time, and then he will have a $300,000 job at CUNY.


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911 Emergency Call System Corruption 

Bloomberg's administration was forced to release a report about the 911 emergency call system which described a "dysfunctional relationship" in the program. [Tina Moore, Erin Durkin and Ginger Adam Otis]

City Finalizing Plan For Changes To 911 System
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Stop and Frisk


‘Frisk’ slam on Bam (NYP) Mayor Bloomberg slammed the Obama administration yesterday for its support of a federally appointed monitor to oversee the NYPD’s controversial stop-and-frisk policy, saying it was playing with lives. The mayor, who has steadfastly defended the...
 Bloomberg Calls Court Monitor for Police a ‘Terrible Idea’(NYT)
A Loud Message to the N.Y.P.D.(NYT Ed)  Federal officials finally spoke out on stop-and-frisk and urged use of an independent monitor if the program is found unconstitutional.  The Times reinforces the Justice Department’s case for establishing an independent monitor of the New York Police Department, explaining that similar models have been successful in other cities * More Scrutiny for NYPD(WSJ) * Bloomberg Slams Justice Dept. Supporting Federal Monitor Of NYPD(NY1) * Rep. Peter King of Long Island, a vocal supporter of Kelly, said Holder should fix problems at the Justice Department before telling the NYPD what to do. U.S. Attorney Eric Holder's brief was "an expression of ideology built on distorted facts," because it relied on data from Columbia University professor Jeffrey Fagan. [Daily News] * Another editorial page asks why Bloomberg, Ray Kelly or the new mayoral administration isn't given a chance to fix the NYPD's stop-and-frisk tactics. [amNew York] * Bloomberg said an outside monitor "would be even more disruptive than an I.G." [J. David Goodman] * Quinn and de Blasio came out in support of it. [Sally Goldenberg] * Mike Lupica accuses US AG Eric Holder of insulting NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly by endorsing the idea of a federal monitor for the department thanks to its stop-and-frisk policy. Vallone says Holder monitoring NYPD would result in more teens killed on the streets  * Ray Kelly blasts Obama administration over stop-frisk stance(NYP)



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Sandy

Bloomberg Seeks to Redo Building Code in Sandy’s Wake(NYT)
Bloomberg announced a proposal for major changes to New York City’s building code, with new regulations largely affecting new construction and sizable renovations on existing buildings


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A Costly Subway Stop for What?
$4 Billion for A Subway Stop With Sunlight?

How About Using That Money to Keep the Fares Down
Sunlight in Store for Downtown Subway Crossing(NYT)
A huge artwork incorporated in the dome of the Fulton Center subway hub under construction in Lower Manhattan will let in daylight in distinct ways and help define the station.




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Killing Black Art

CUNY to destroy mural by famous black artist

From the Daily News: A sprawling mosaic that has long been a symbol of City Tech in downtown Brooklyn will be destroyed when the Klitgord Auditorium gets torn down sometime this summer. The massive mural, built on the Jay St. theater in 1962 by famed African-American sculptor Nathaniel Choate, will make way for a $400 million educational complex expected to open in 2016. School officials said only part of the mural — the school crests flanking the main artwork, but not the six figurines celebrating sports, recreation, health, competition, drama and music — could be salvaged.
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Media 
 
Bloomberg Reporters’ Practices Become Crucial Issue for Company
Many people claim the company encourages its news operation and business side to work together.

How Rupert Murdoch is shaking up his newspapers with layoffs and buyouts. [Joe Pompeo]

CBS News confirms Sharyl Attkisson's computer accessed by intruder
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Washington




‘Red line’ crossed (NYP) WASHINGTON — The Obama administration will provide military aid to the Syrian rebels after finding conclusive evidence that dictator Bashar al-Assad killed as many as 150 of his own people with chemical weapons, the White House said yesterday. The..

‘Erotic’ past of CIA pick (NYP) David Petraeus wrote sexy e-mails as CIA chief — but the agency’s new No. 2 hosted readings of steamy works at her bookstore on “Erotic Nights.” Avril Haines, 43 — President Obama’s choice to become deputy director of the spy agency — will be the...

Mayor Bloomberg’s Political Blindness(NYT Ed)
By punishing Democrats who voted against background checks, he could set back the effort to reduce gun violence. * Schumer criticized Bloomberg’s ad campaign targeting Democratic senators who blocked federal gun control legislation in April, saying the ads were not “effective” and forcing the mayor on the defensive, the Post writes: * Bloomberg responds to complaints about his gun control ads from Senator Chuck Schumer. [Sally Goldenberg and S.A. Miller]  *
Gabby Giffords wrote an op-ed for
Sympathy for the Luddites - Paul Krugman, New York Times
We're Losing More Than Privacy - Peggy Noonan, Wall Street Journal
U.S. to Provide Syrian Rebels Military Support - Alexis Simendinger, RCP
The Media and Obama: All In the Family - Matthew Continetti, Free Beacon
On IRS, Elijah Cummings Fights Back - Michael Tomasky, The Daily Beast
The Cincinnati Lie - Rich Lowry, National Review
After Newtown, Gun Control Makes Gains - Thomas & Leftwich, LA Times
On Immigration, It's 1986 All Over Again - Daniel Horowitz, RedState
Markey in Driver's Seat as Special Election Nears - Scott Conroy, RCP
The Sickening Snowden Backlash - Kirsten Powers, The Daily Beast
Pushing the Envelope, NSA-Style - Charles Krauthammer, Washington Post
Tech Firms Work Closely With Government - Michael Riley, Bloomberg
Obama's Real NSA Antagonist Is Glenn Greenwald - Carl M. Cannon, RCP
Why Is the Supreme Court in Such a Hurry? - Linda Greenhouse, NY Times
ObamaCare Has Federal Work Force Panicked - Charles Hurt, Wash Times
Why Farm Subsidies Survive - Robert Samuelson, Washington Post
Facing New York City's Fiscal Nightmare - Steven Malanga, New York Post

The Supreme Court Frees Your Genes - USA Today
Naomi Wolf Thinks Edward Snowden and His Sexy Girlfriend Might Be Government Plants(NY Mag)

#nofilter (Screengrab: Twitter)Your Cool Aunt Hillary Clinton Just Took Her First Selfie(NYO)
So Why Didn't NSA Catch Tsarnaev Brothers? - Investor's Business Daily
For U.S. Military, an Enemy Within - Philadelphia Inquirer
End Racial Preferences in College Admissions - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
U.S. Agencies Said to Swap Data With Thousands of Firms(Bloomberg)
Hillary Clinton is getting a helping hand with her upcoming memoir from her husband’s former speechwriter, Ted Widmer, who also worked for her at the State Department.
Peggy Noonan: NSA Surveillance Making It Harder To Love America
Bill Clinton doesn’t know what his wife’s next move will be, but expects to support it – whatever it is.
Snowden’s Leaks on China Could Affect Its Role in His Fate
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Law and Order
The ‘hood’ book(NYP)
A Manhattan thug gave new meaning to “Bible belt” when he beat up an elderly man and took off with his Holy Scriptures. The suspect, armed with a pair of scissors, followed Ricardo Velez, 92, out of the rain and into his West 18th Street home Monday..
Cop’s next stop is jail (NYP)  A veteran NYPD detective, once assigned to protect the mayor and his family, got seven years in the slammer yesterday for shooting his girlfriend’s former beau in the buttocks. Convicted shooter Leopold McLean, 49, also got a verbal spanking from...

Five women in New York City’s Emergency Medical Service have settled a gender discrimination suit against the city for $1 million.
Cash and crash(NYP)
A stickup artist who once knocked over five banks in a day finally ran out of luck yesterday when he was collared during a foot chase at the Lincoln Tunnel, law-enforcement sources said.  Maverick Madore, 20, of New Hampshire allegedly attempted...
 
Cabby fatally stabbed in eye with umbrella was a dedicated family man from Nigeria(NYP)
 The livery driver gruesomely murdered with an umbrella was a hardworking father-of-five who emigrated from Nigeria for his kids.  “He came to get a better life. He didn’t go to university and he... Cabby is slain with umbrella(NYP)
A cabby died a gruesome death in Brooklyn yesterday when a passenger fatally stabbed him through the eye with an umbrella during a robbery, law-enforcement sources said.  After getting gored, the cabby continued to drive for about a block before. Cabdriver Fatally Stabbed by Passenger in Brooklyn(NYT) * Livery Cab Driver Stabbed in Eye Crashes, Dies: Cops(NBC)
NYPD: Passenger Fatally Stabbed Livery Driver With Umbrella (NY1)
'His face was just exploded with blood': Cops hunt for suspects who fatally stabbed cabbie in the eye with an umbrella as family mourns dedicated father of five who came to the U.S. to give family 'a better lifes(NYDN)

* Paralyzed Girl, 11, Hit by Stray Bullet Sits Up for 1st (NBC)

Police Investigate Death Of Livery Cab Driver In Brooklyn

Former bodyguard to Mayor Bloomberg sentenced to 7 years (NYP)
 
Arrested After His Vulgar Response to Traffic Ticket, Man Files Suit(NYT)
Willian Barboza, 22, who was arrested after he mailed a profanity-laced letter with his payment for a traffic ticket in upstate New York, is suing over the right to free speech.
Dad Holding 8-Month-Old Girl Sold Heroin on Street Corner(NBC)
Cops: teen carrying gun busted at subway(NBC)The NYPD says a 15-year-old was caught on a subway with a .22-caliber firearm in his waistband.







  • ‘I thought they were going to ...attack my wife’(NYP) He says his family was under siege — so he grabbed his rifle. A Brooklyn dad on trial for shooting at a pack of rowdy teens with his assault rifle testified yesterday that he opened fire only because he was terrified for the lives of his wife and...  
3 Punched, Robbed in Astoria; Suspects Sought(NBC)
Authorities Allegedly Seize $8 Million Heroin Stash(NY1)
Accused Bank Robber Captured After Midtown Chase(NBC)
Man Allegedy Robs Four Banks, Tries to Run Through Lincoln Tunnel(NY Mag)
Road-rage chase through Brooklyn ends in crash into building, driver beaten  (NYP)A man drove into a Brooklyn building this afternoon while trying to escape another driver, authorities and witnesses said. The driver smashed his red Lincoln Navigator into a Bedford-Stuyvesant building on Marion Street near Howard Avenue about 2...