Mayor Bloomberg tried to rally hopes for a happy ending to the saga of the West Side rail yards by telling reporters, "The plan isn’t dead by any means. Hudson Yards is the most exciting opportunity New York has.” On Thursday night, the MTA issued a statement saying that negotiations wit developer Tishman Speyer had "reached an impasse" and that Tishman "no longer" had "development rights" to the 26 acres a few blocks west......

London mayor-elect Boris Johnson and Mayor Bloomberg have gift time Mayor Michael Bloomberg met with London's mayor-elect Boris Johnson yesterday, and the pair shared pleasantries and some gifts, one of which was maybe not so pleasant. Mayor Bloomberg gave Boris Johnson the standard Tiffany crystal apple (we suspect it's this $100 paperweight). In turn, Johnson, the Tory who beat Mayor Ken Livingstone by a sizable margin last month, gave the billionaire mayor a button-down......

Photograph of Mayor Bloomberg during a visit to Walworth Academy school in London by Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP Though a huge development project near and dear to his heart suffered a major blow, Mayor Bloomberg is rallying the city's fortunes by visiting Europe. Yesterday, the mayor was in Belfast, visiting the Titantic Quarter and mixing up City Council Speaker Christine Quinn's family history (he said her mother--when it was actually her grandmother--who survived the Titanic, which......

Mayor Bloomberg presented a $59.1 billion budget for the 2009 fiscal year, with spending essentially remaining flat (the increase is just 0.1%). While he said the faltering economy means we should all "pray Wall Street does well" given the "scary" reality, Bloomberg did say the city could afford a property tax rebate and property tax rate cut. The new budget would, as the NY Times puts it, "virtually halt the growth in city spending for......

If you think a 66-year-old billionaire gets nervous about posing in trees for Time magazine's 100 influential people issue, think again! The Post reports Mayor Bloomberg "happily" posed in a tree outside City Hall (he didn't climb - he got a ride from a cherry picker) and no "dive-bombing birds" were present. Naturally, there was a security guard was at the base of the tree. The only thing that's missing is a cute City Hall......

The 144,160 parking placards registered in the city inventory have been reduced by over 25,000, Deputy Mayor Edward Skyler announced yesterday. The cutbacks are targeted at what many frustrated drivers see as an abuse of a system that lets police, teachers and civil servants park for free at meters and many off-limits areas. Initial cuts have focused on the 80,770 placards issued to 68 city agencies, exempting the 63,390 placards used by the Education Department.......

Well, this has gotta hurt the Columbia students who were complaining about having Schools Chancellor Joel Klein as their Class Day Speaker: Yesterday afternoon, BWOG reported Barnard College finalized its Class Day speaker line-up, which will feature New Yorker editor David Remnick, tennis icon Billie Jean King, Harlem Head Start organizer Thelma C. Davidson Adair, and Mayor Michael Bloomberg. One BWOG commenter wrote "Columbia College = completely buttzowned." Barnard students, though, had very mixed reactions.......

Photograph of damaged building from the 303 East 51st Street construction site's crane by John Zwinck on Flickr During a press conference yesterday, Mayor Bloomberg said, "I don’t think anybody should be fully satisfied with the Department of Buildings’ performance. Whether somebody could have done a better job — I’m trying to — whether they could have done a better job I just don’t know." The Mayor's criticism lies squarely with his hire, architect turned......

Is the new "in" sport speculating about Mayor Bloomberg's future? Some think he'll run for governor, or even a third term as mayor. Newsweek thinks he's going to buy the NY Times, and now it seems there was an attempt to make Bloomberg the new president of his alma mater, Johns Hopkins University. The NY Sun reported that professor emeritus Matthew Crenson drafted a letter asking the presidential search committee to put Bloomberg on the......

Newsweek has a feature on Rupert Murdoch and his desire to take on the NY Times with his new purchase, the Wall Street Journal. But more interesting for media watchers might be the end of the fourth paragraph, where Newsweek reports:"The fight could escalate in unknown ways if billionaire New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg ends up acquiring the Times. As NEWSWEEK has learned, top associates of the onetime information executive are encouraging him to do......

Should Mayor Bloomberg consider acting after leaving City Hall? He's appeared on Law & Order (twice), he's supposed to be appear in the upcoming Sex and the City movie, and he just had a cameo on a 30 Rock. The 30 Rock cameo is pretty hard to beat, as Bloomberg presents a medal to a subway hero--recalling how he honored actual subway hero Wesley Autrey--except the show's subway hero is the sleazy Beeper King......

Mayor Bloomberg threw a zing at the White House when discussing the 2008 Election. When telling reporters that he would endorse the most straightforward candidate, he added, "at least we'll have an adult in office who can lead and can accomplish something." Yesterday, the Mayor co-hosted a lunch with his soul mate, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and they spoke to business and political bigwigs. The Mayor also distributed the NYC Card, which has "easy-to-reference talking......

Photograph of Prime Minister Brown, Mayor Bloomberg and Deputy Mayor Ed Skyler by Jason DeCrow/AP Mayor Bloomberg may be a lame duck mayor, but he's super busy. Earlier this week, he recommended to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that the United State should open its markets. Yesterday, he met with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and showed off his open-cubicle bullpen (and huge plasma TV). And today, besides hosting the 2008 New York City Luncheon......

Everyone's favorite potential candidate for something, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, tried to quiet rumors of more years in public office by telling reporters, "One of the things I would love to do is spend some time traveling the state. There are some wonderful places all through the state. I used to be a Boy Scout. I used to really spend a lot of time outdoors. I'd love to do that again, but not as a candidate,......

Is Mayor Bloomberg tired of being called a lame duck? A source says the billionaire may consider asking that term limits be revised so he could run for a third time. The sources says Bloomberg is "50-50" on that idea, which would involve the City Charter being revised. But past talk--from Rudy Giuliani after September 11--of ending term limits has been unpopular. And mayoral spokesman Stu Loeser said, "The mayor is absolutely not seeking a......

Photographs of Senator McCain at Verrazano Pizzeria by Mary Altaffer/AP Senator John McCain headed visited New York today. He stopped off to appear on The View in Manhattan and discussed a homeowner aid plan in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. And while in Bay Ridge, he went to Verrazano Pizza on 4th Avenue and 91st Street and bought a $3 slice of pepperoni pizza. He told the counter worker to keep the change from a $20,......

Bigger isn't always better, warned Governor David Paterson. Yesterday, Albany lawmakers passed a $121.7 billion budget, which is 6% bigger than last year. The Times Union calls it a "Budget built on borrowing, fees." Paterson says the slowing economy will require a "change in culture and a change in course of where this state's priorities are...We're running out of time thinking we can tax our way into the future." But State Senate Majority Leader Joseph......

Last year Mayor Bloomberg announced a $3 billion plan to seize 61 acres of the Willets Point district next to the forthcoming Citi Field in Queens through eminent domain, raze it, and construct 5,500 units of housing, a hotel, convention center and over 2 million square feet of office space, restaurants and retail shops. But business owners in the target zone have been fighting it, saying their ‘hood, dubbed the Iron Triangle for its chop......

Photograph of Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, announcing congestion pricing was rejected, by Mike Groll/AP Mayor Bloomberg didn't appear in public after Assembly Leader Sheldon put a nail in congestion pricing's coffin. But Bloomberg did issue an angry press release. The full text is after the jump (and he does thank many politicians who helped), but here's where he lets loose, after noting that while Washington D.C. was willing to give NYC $354 in federal......

The fate of the controversial plan to charge drivers entering Manhattan below 60th Street lies with Albany, as state legislators must decide whether to approve the plan by midnight tonight. But Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said last night, "There isn't a groundswell of support for it" among other Assembly members. But most papers are saying the plan is effectively dead. If Albany can approve congestion pricing today, then the city is eligible for $354 million......

Democratic lawmakers in Albany seem poised to block Mayor Bloomberg’s congestion pricing plan, which attempts to reduce traffic by charging drivers $8 to enter Manhattan below 60th Street during peak hours. Though the plan was approved by the City Council on Monday, a “lively, sometimes emotional” meeting between state lawmakers yesterday ran over three and a half hours, and approximately 30 of them expressed opposition to the plan, with only four or five in favor.......

NJ Governor Jon Corzine spoke out against NYC's congestion pricing plan, citing the Port Authority's proposed $1 billion worth of involvement to sweeten the deal. The City Council approved the plan on Monday night, and now the State Legislature will decide. If passed without the Port Authority's involvement (and $1 billion), NJ drivers would face an additional $3-4 toll when crossing over into Manhattan below 60th Street. Corzine issued a statement: "I am dismayed at......

Mayor Bloomberg was beaming when he, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and other City Council members gathered for a press conference to hail the Council's approval of congestion pricing last night, 30 votes in favor to 20 against. Bloomberg, who introduced the idea of charging drivers entering Manhattan (at 60th street or below) a fee, said, "The sun is shining on New York City's future today." He also lavished praise on Quinn, noting her "principled......

Mayor Bloomberg appears to have the necessary votes to get congestion pricing passed in the City Council, because the Council scheduled a vote on the matter for this afternoon. The fact a vote has been suddenly scheduled is interpreted as a sign that fellow supporter Council Speaker Christine Quinn has enough votes for approval. The Mayor must have spent his weekend bending ears and twisting arms! A critical amendment was made to the statewide version......

As the deadline nears for NYC and NY State approve congestion pricing and qualify for $354 million in federal money, the anti-congestion pricing contingent is working hard to convince constituents it's not a good idea. Streetsblog reveals there are automated robocalls asking New Yorkers to oppose congestion pricing. A Streetsblog commenter transcribed part of the call:"[Do you trust the MTA]...the council members who support congestion pricing do. Every dollar in fees goes to the MTA.......

Later today ABC will join together Barack Obama with the ladies of The View. While they tell us the main focus of their interview segment is on the "controversial remarks of Reverend Jeremiah Wright" (something that Elizabeth Hasselbeck has slammed him for in the past), one of the clips shows Barbara Walters telling Obama he is, "very sexy looking." At which point the presidential candidate needs to fan himself from the 78-year-old news legend's......

Governor David Paterson has officially announced his support of congestion pricing, "Congestion Pricing addresses two urgent concerns of the residents of New York City and its suburbs: the need to reduce congestion on our streets and roads, and thereby reduce pollution and global warming; and the need to raise significant revenue for mass transit improvements." He has introduced a bill that follows the recommendations of the NYC Traffic Mitigation Commission made in January (zone......

Mayor Bloomberg's fight against the gun industry has now crossed over into the world of custom weaponry. The Daily News points out that a Wisconsin company is touting a new line of paints, "The Bloomberg Collection." Lauer Custom Weaponry offers DuraCoat Firearm Finishes, which are "extremely easy" for an "average gun owner" to apply (Lauer also offers DuraCoat workshops). There's the "Bloomberg Collection EZ Camo Kit," where you can pimp your weapon with the......

Although the stock markets didn't tank yesterday (the Dow was up 21 points), it was a volatile day as Wall Street reacted to the bargain basement sale of Bear Stearns to JP Morgan. Naturally, this means the first lawsuit has been filed on behalf of shareholders who claim the investment bank "made false statement about the firm's financial condition." The employees are feeling the brunt of the pain: Besides their Bear Stearns stock plummeting in......

Photograph of Hillary Clinton by HansPennink/AP, photograph of Michael Bloomberg by Tim Roske/AP If it's St. Patrick's Day, it's time for politicians to break out green accessories! At Governor Paterson's swearing-in, Senator Hillary Clinton wore a green shamrock scarf while Mayor Michael Bloomberg wore a green striped tie. It's unclear what kind of socks the Mayor was wearing, but he usually coordinates for March 17 by wearing green socks. But it was a mixed......