News: April 2009 Archives

After outcry from the Jets and their Jewish fans, the NFL agreed to move the time of their September 27 game from 4:15 p.m. to 1 p.m. This way, fans will be able to get home before sundown and the start of Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement. Some fans may be atoning for attending the September 20 afternoon game—which falls during Rosh Hashanah! The Giants are playing on the road during the two holidays, after the NFL agreed to Big Blue's request to avoid playing during Jewish holidays at home (the NY market has a lot of Jewish fans); the NFL, however, admitted it made a mistake scheduling the Jets to play at home even though the team requested otherwise. The 9/27 game time change means that the Jets' game against the Titans will be airing on TV against the Giants-Bucaneers game.

Since February the DOT has been busy changing parking meters from 25 cents for 30 minutes to just 20 minutes for a quarter. It's the first such change on low-rate meters since 1995, and the Bloomberg administration expects it to yield an additional $16.8 million. All 17,842 meters in Queens have been changed, and the process is underway in The Bronx, to be followed by Brooklyn, Staten Island, and finally upper Manhattan in June. Of course, drivers and retailers are hopping mad about this, and the Post is savoring the populist fury. Queens florist Mathew Xenakis declares, "It's bad timing, it's a bad economy, and we're trying to survive." Brooklyn mechanic John Zarro opines, "Everybody is broke—the city should take away some meters to give people a break." And likely mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner sees a dark conspiracy at play, "In Queens, people woke up one morning and found that parking meters increased in the cover of night." But Ian Dutton of Manhattan's Community Board 2 posits that higher parking meter rates are good for business, because "the more cars we get to turn over, the more we get shoppers running quick errands into the stores."

General Growth Properties, the 2nd largest mall operator in the country, and city officials tell the NY Times that GGP's bankruptcy filing will not affect the South Street Seaport. However, GGP "is not rushing forward with its redevelopment plan for the South Street Seaport or with a planned $700 million project in East Harlem"; its CEO Adam Metz said, "We think South Street is terrific, but ultimately, it has to make good business sense.” Funny, industry watchers tell the Star-Ledger part of GGP's problem is that it never paid down the debt from borrowing $7 billion to buy the company operated the South Street Seaport and Boston's Faneuil Hall—and then the credit markets froze! At any rate, Metz said of the ambitious seaport plans, "It has the potential to be something fabulous. We’re trying to figure out what makes most sense and what’s the right timing.”

Politico tackles former governor Eliot Spitzer's recent forays back in the public and declares, "If there’s a textbook for scandal-scarred politicians on the art of the recovery, Spitzer has surely read it; if there isn’t, he might consider penning one." A Democratic consultant, Celinda Lake, explains, "The American public really believes in second chances [as long as you] don’t argue with them about the fact that you are guilty — and you pay a price," while Republican strategist Mark McKinnon says, "The truth is, voters are actually pretty forgiving. As long as you fall on your sword, crawl over broken glass and wear black for a year." Eh, maybe, but Hookergate aside, there was still Troopergate.

Guardian Angel founder Curtis Sliwa has sparked outrage among some Bronx residents who think his new "Underbelly Tour" of their borough presents their home in a bad light. On the tour's website, Sliwa promises a safe glimpse of street corners where "Uzi-toting, dope-sucking, psychopathic killing machines" loiter, but Rafael Salaberrios of the Bronx Tourism Council says that's just an attempt to "capitalize on the worst stereotypes about the Bronx." And Roberto Garcia, chairman of Community Board 2, tells the Daily News, "What does 'underbelly' mean? We have three billion worth of capital projects. We have come a very long way, and what we should do is celebrate the achievements in a positive way." Garcia thinks the tour should instead feature visits with community groups, charter schools, and include educational programs about how to increase home ownership. Which sounds like a blast, but Sliwa insists he's offering more than just a ghetto safari: "We're visiting people in homes, stopping in restaurants, going to stores, visiting projects, which they would never visit on their own. They see it still has problems, but in many ways they see the rebirth, the rejuvenation." And they pay him about $5,000 every time.

When you've got free Yankees tickets and you're handing them out in Times Square, it's only fair to expect a mess, right? The Daily News and Post report that Pepsi's giveaway of Yankees tickets was short-lived: The News lists mistakes like not having the "promised" opening day tickets (most were for June), not letting people meet Goose Gossage (he only waved) and changing locations, "forcing fans who had staked out spots to make a mad dash across Times Square." According to the Post, those gathered started yelling "Pepsi sucks! Pepsi sucks!" and "cracked open cans of the soft drink and poured it onto the pile of swag, sending cops racing to the scene." Pepsi said, "All we wanted to do was make fans part of the celebration, giving away free Yankee tickets and Pepsi-Cola products, but we blew it. The wrong information got out about the tickets being offered and we didn't have the right permits to distribute them. Although we eventually gave away more than 200 free tickets, some particularly passionate fans got angry with us, and we don't blame them. We're very sorry for upsetting or inconveniencing anyone."

If your weekend plans include swinging by a "Pumping Party," the NYC Health Department thinks you really ought to reconsider. What's a Pumping Party, you ask? You know, that's when people get together for do-it-yourself silicone injections, taking turns shooting the stuff into each other's breasts, thighs, or buttocks. According to the Times, the injections are popular among Latina women and transgenders "who may be unable to afford conventional plastic surgery." Industrial-grade silicone is available at most hardware stores, but one E.R. doctor says substitutes like castor oil, mineral oil, petroleum jelly and even automobile transmission fluid have been used, if you're in a pinch. Last month a Bronx mom died after getting silicone injections from a non-licensed friend, and the city’s poison control center reports an increase in patients with silicone poisoning. The FDA is now considering launching criminal investigations, and in recent years there have been a number of prosecutions nationwide. Dr. Nick Gorton tells the Times, "It’s a big temptation, especially among young people who, when you’re 20, you’re not thinking about your own mortality...If you go to a pumping party, you can have it tonight. "

Earlier this week, the NYPD told the established press who have desks and office space at Police Headquarters (1 Police Plaza) that they'd need to vacate by July 31, due to construction and renovations. A few hours after that notice, the NYPD then decided the press could still file stories from a little-used conference room but would no longer have the desks. When asked about the decision, Mayor Bloomberg said, "This is not a First Amendment issue; this is a construction issue. We just don't have enough room." Though the NYPD says it will try to find the press permanent desk space in two years, the NYCLU accuses the department of trying to control the media; NYCLU spokesman Christopher Dunn told Newsday, "There's no question that the press is much better able to report on the Police Department if they can actually have their offices inside of police headquarters."

A nattily-attired thief stole $50,000 in jewelry from a University Place apartment on Monday afternoon. According to the NY Post, Linda Kaplan, 76, entered her apartment and found a "thief — decked out in a black suit and tie... She demanded to know what he was doing, and he responded, 'I'm with the Fire Department,' according to cops. When Kaplan demanded to see ID, the 6-foot-2 bandit threw her down." Kaplan had left her apartment unlocked when she was "check[ing] in on a 102-year-old neighbor" and apparently the thief seized the opportunity. She screamed for help and one of the people who ran to her apartment was a painter who also saw the thief in another apartment: "Minutes earlier, the thief had poked his head in that unit but fled when he saw the worker." Police told the Post that the thief was like an "office creeper," dressed to fit in with surroundings while stealing objects.

A Queens community voted to name a block after the man who was killed there in a hail of police gunfire. NY1 reports that "Liverpool Street between 94th and 95th Avenue [will be] 'Sean Bell Way.'" Sean Bell had been celebrating the night before his wedding at a strip club-lounge when he and his friends were caught in a confusing confrontation with police—undercover cops thought Bell and his friends had a gun (they were unarmed) while Bell and his friends thought the cops were trying to carjack them—that left Bell dead and his friends injured. (The cops were later found not guilty.) Bell's family was happy with the decision; his mother told NY1, "It was one good stepping stone, because my son's name will be seen out there on the street," while his fiancee Nicole Paultre Bell said, "I just want people to realize the person who Sean was, and he was a great man. And this tonight proves that there are people who do understand. And do realize that he was a great man, a great role model."

A former Miss Oklahoma is suing a Flatiron District strip club because owners have been using a photo of her in those advertising cards street hawkers shove at passers-by. Laci Kay Scott, 22, says she's never been a stripper or even posed nude—such activity would disqualify her from the pagaent circuit—and has had to repeatedly deny her presence on the pole to friends, family and colleagues. Most of her fashion modeling consists of posing in prom dress ads targeting teens, and the photo on the cards distributed by Ten's Gentlemen's Club depicts her in a backless, gold-trimmed gown. One designer predicts the false stripper connection "would reflect unfavorably" on future jobs, and Scott describes the impact as "personally distressing and embarrassing" in court papers. Of course, her lawyer sounds even more appalled, telling the Post, "It is absolutely offensive that Ten's would steal the image of a young woman and use it to attract men to the private rooms and what we can only imagine goes on back there."

Residents and businesses near the 27 West 60th Street post office can put off having a cow for now: The post office will stay open for another year. According to the West Side Spirit, the USPS was considering closing the location (perhaps moving it) when the lease was up at the end of the month, because "the landlord was reportedly asking for more than twice the current rent of about $400,000 month." However, both sides came to an agreement for at least a one year reprieve (details are not disclosed as this point). Rep. Jerrold Nadler said, "This is great news for the West Side. I’m very pleased that the Columbus Circle Post Office was able to successfully renegotiate its lease. This means that neighborhood residents won’t have to travel far afield to do their basic postal errands.” Nadler is also working on trying to work with the USPS on the Prince Street post office, where the lease is up in July.

Feel better, American taxpayers: Citigroup, which received $45 billion in bailout money, has reported a first quarter profit of $1.6 billion. However, Dealbook reports, "The earnings were helped by an accounting change that allowed the bank to post a one-time gain of $2.5 billion... Under the rule, companies are allowed to record any declines in the market value of their debt as an unrealized gain." ( You may remember that besides a $20 billion infusion from the government in November, it was only in February when the U.S. increased its stake in Citi to about 36%.) Some analysts are still worried about the financial firm's ability to retain top executives as well as their credit-default swaps. Citi's stock is up in pre-market trading.

San Diego 6 Mets 5: They had Jake Peavy on the ropes, but they couldn’t deliver the knockout blow. Up 3-0 after one, the bats went silent and John Maine got in trouble. By the time the away half of the third was over, it was 5-3 and the Padres never looked back. New York rallied in the 8th, thanks to a Castro home run, but they couldn’t get a big hit in the ninth.

With the fate of the MTA up in the air—sure, the agency did pass the "doomsday" fare hikes and service cuts, but the State Legislature still has the opportunity to provide a bailout—there's another try for a rescue plan that will appeal to enough State Senators to break the stalemate. According to the Post, "Gov. Paterson is again on board with a plan that would toll 13 now-free East and Harlem River bridges at the cost of a subway ride for all drivers -- but the latest twist would exempt those crossing the spans for business or medical purposes.... [There would also] be 5 to 10 percent tax increase on all non-city residents who use long-term garage parking spaces in Manhattan and a 50-cent "dropoff" surcharge on every taxi ride." Richard Ravitch, author of the first plan that included bridge tolls, supports this revision, telling the Daily News, "The modification is intended to deal with what many people thought were the most legitimate objections to tolls." However, Senators are kinda meh to outraged about the amended fees—Sen. Pedro Espada (D-Bronx) said, "It just fundamentally wrong. It is anti business. It is anti small business." So, do we get ready for fare hike number 2?

A woman, whose leg was amputated after a city bus hit her in 2005, was given a $27.5 million award from a jury today. Gloria Aguilar was crossing West 50th Street at 10th Avenue on November 4, 2005 when a bus hit her. Per the AP, "Bellevue Hospital doctors amputated the leg above the knee, said her lawyer Ben Rubinowitz. Rubinowitz said transit lawyers argued that the janitorial worker was outside the crosswalk and had walked into the side of the bus." The lawyer added that the $27.5 million award "was the largest ever for a lost leg." The MTA plans to appeal the decision.

After rumors, the NY Times has confirmed that it will be cutting a few sections as part of its cost-saving measures. According to the Observer, "The City section, the regionals and the Escapes section will be eliminated as stand-alone sections in The Times. Instead, they'll just use material that may have appeared in those sections in a Sunday metro report." Times executive editor Bill Keller told employees, "We will consolidate Sunday Metro area coverage in a new Sunday feature section, which will be a showcase for news and features from the city and beyond. (Metro area breaking news will be incorporated into the A-book.)" Also, the Sunday Times Magazine will no longer have fashion spreads—they'll be going into the T magazine.

Last night, the NY Republican State Committee's dinner featured keynote speaker Newt Gingrich. That's right, the former Speaker of the House wasn't just in town for tea bagging! PolitickerNY reports that Gingrich was hyping up a Republican dream team for 2010: "“I think if we had Mayor Giuliani for governor, and we had Governor Pataki as senator, we would be in a large step towards the tidal wave to make 2010 comparable to 1994. And I think that should be our goal." Gingrich also believes the state GOP will be facing Andrew Cuomo in 2010, "So, you got to design a campaign that beats Cuomo, because the fact is, Democrats aren’t insane. When a member of the Democratic Party becomes too weak to reelect, they tend to cannibalize them before we get to them."

Sorry, 24-hour party people in need of late-night/early-hour postal workers: The Daily News reports that the 24-hour retail window at the James A. Farley Post Office will close starting May 9. The new hours: Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-10 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m.-9 p.m.; and Sunday 11 a.m.-7 p.m. The Farley post office's lobby will remain open 24 hours a day, so customers can access their P.O. boxes and use the automated machines. Regarding the possible closings of Manhattan branches, USPS spokesman George Flood said discussions were ongoing and other locations for the branches were also being considered.

You didn't think they were just going to disappear into their dorms, did you? New School students, faculty, and supporters plan to hold a rally near Union Square tonight to protest last week's protest, particularly how cops "brutally beat" a student outside the school as the NYPD ended the short-lived occupation. The beating in question was caught on tape, and though it looks more like a smack in the face as payback for yelling "Shame!" at the cops, the New School in Exile group says the student "sustained a concussion and serious wounds to his head and face." They held a press conference yesterday to decry the university's "repression," demand that all suspended students be reinstated, and insist upon the immediate removal of President Bob Kerrey, VP John Murtha, and other officials. Here's video of the presser with more details on the demands that must be met before protesters will even think about hanging up their Keffiyah scarves. Details on tonight's rally are here.

Jewish pigskin lovers in the area might undergo a conversion this season—from Gang Green to Big Blue. With Jewish high holy days falling on consecutive weekends this September, the NFL consented with the Giants' request that they play on the road while Rosh Hahanah and Yom Kippur were being observed. But somehow a similar request by the Jets got lost in the mail. A team VP said, "The Jets are hearing from their fans. There was miscommunication between the Jets and the NFL office, for which I take full responsibility. All we can continue to do is look and see if there is a solution to this." The 9/27 game during Yom Kippur could be atoned by simply switching its 4:15 start time with the Giants 1:00 game in Tampa Bay—the holiday begins that evening at sundown). But there may be no repentance for the previous week's 1 p.m. home opener against the Patriots—Rosh Hashanah concludes that Sunday at sundown, so only a switch to Sunday night could make amends. Neither team can play Monday or Thursday night games at home this season due to construction of their new stadium.

The remaining 71 cats were removed from a Chester, NJ home yesterday, where the NJSPCA originally found 93 cats living in squalid conditions—rooms filled with garbage and feces. The Star-Ledger reports that Morris County Emergency Management Coordinator Rick Loock praised the homeowner, Wanda Oughton, for being helpful, "These are healthy cats, you could even say fat cats. They did not seem to be suffering from any abuse. The lady (Oughton) seemed to be feeding them well. And I want to emphasize that she was unbelievably cooperative today, helping us catch the cats and put them in travel carriers."The cats are being housed in a temporary shelter and will soon be examined; it's hoped they can be adopted out to new homes (the NJSPCA website will have photos of adoptable cats). Oughton faces 186 counts of animal cruelty in both criminal and civil summonses.

From the NY Post: "A man died after he was hit by a drunk driver in Harlem last night -- and his ambulance got into an accident while rushing him to a hospital, officials said. The 20-year-old victim was struck at West 120th Street and Seventh Avenue at around 10:30 p.m. His ambulance, en route to St. Luke's Hospital, collided with a car at Cathedral Parkway and Manhattan Avenue." He was pronounced dead at the hospital. The Post adds that the driver in the initial crash was arrested for DWI.

Patience is a necessary virtue when it comes to the World Trade Center site: According to the Daily News, a new study says "the World Trade Center won't be fully rebuilt and occupied until 2037 - a full 36 years after terrorists reduced it to rubble." The Port Authority commissioned the study from Cushman & Wakefield, which also predicts: 1) "Freedom Tower, won't be filled with tenants until 2019"; 2) it may take "12 years to fully lease [Larry] Silverstein's Tower 2" which might be "finished in 2014, but it won't be filled until 2026"; and 3) that Tower 3 construction won't start until 2026 with completion in 2030 and "full leasing in 2037." The Port Authority has control of Freedom Tower, while the three other towers at the site are being developed by Silverstein; Silverstein's company told the News, "The Port Authority's position seems to be based on a totally pessimistic attitude about New York's economic future. Our view is that New York will bounce back strongly over the next five years while we are building these buildings." Well, we can't wait until the Port Authority next timeline—see this one from last October for fun.

Having failed to sell the nation's largest federally subsidized complex for big profits, Starrett City Associates have settled on a proposal to refinance the 140-acre Brooklyn complex for a profit of $200 million, far less than the $1.3 billion offered by one buyer in 2007. (That deal was shot down by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.) Under the new plan, the owners would refinance the complex for roughly $500 million, or 80% of its value. About half of that sum would be used to pay off the owners' interest-free mortgage and other fees, while some $40 million would go toward capital improvements. Senator Chuck Schumer called the proposal "a way out of the woods" for Starrett City's 14,000 tenants and promised it would keep the 5,881 apartments at affordable rates for at least the next 30 years. Ismene Speliotis at community group New York Acorn expressed "cautious optimism" about the plan, but told the Times yesterday, "I’m hopeful we’ll get there so that this can be a model for preserving affordability at Mitchell-Lama buildings throughout the state. But we’re not there yet."

NJ Governor Jon Corzine signed a bill requiring teen drivers to have decals identifying themselves as probationary drivers starting next year. The decals will probably be attached to the front and rear license plates; the bill, the first of its kind in the country, also includes an earlier curfew, prohibiting the use of cell-phones (even hands-free ones) and passenger restrictions until they get full licenses. Assemblywoman Pamela Lampitt (D) said, "This package will help reinforce the message to teens that driving is a privilege, not a right," but teens worry it'll be a field day for cops. One told the AP, "They see that sticker on the car, they're just going to be pulling us over for no reason. Are there drugs in the car? That's the first thing they're going to think, because we're teenagers." The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety offers these factoids: 61% of 2007 teenage passenger deaths "occurred in vehicles driven by another teenager" while 20% of "all passenger deaths occurred when a teenager was driving."

Governor David Paterson is expected to introduce same-sex marriage legislation today. On Tuesday, when word leaked of his plans, he said, “The timing was always right. It’s just who is willing to take that step. And I am.” (Of course, the NY Times notes that the "move allows him to lead on an issue that could prove defining in his governorship, which has so far been marked by political missteps and the crumbling economy.") But don't expect Albany to do anything about the bill anytime soon—though the Assembly has previously passed same-sex marriage legislation, it will probably be stalled in the State Senate. State Senator Ruben Diaz (D-Bronx) is convening a meeting to block the bill. Diaz also thinks it's "disrespectful" to introduce such legislation when Archbishop Dolan is being installed this week.

General Growth Properties, the country's 2nd biggest mall operator, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in a New York court today. Bloomberg News called the filing the "biggest real estate bankruptcy in U.S. history after amassing $27 billion in debt." Dealbook explains that GGP "has been severely wounded by the recession, which has wreaked havoc upon the retailers who inhabit its more than 200 malls in 44 states. Many stores have shuttered, depriving mall operators like General Growth of revenue." The company, which points out some subsidiaries aren't part of the bankruptcy filing, will spend the time to restructure its debt and points out on its website, "Our properties will continue to operate, our employees will continue to come to work and get paid, and shoppers will continue to shop." Last December, GGP considered selling the South Street Seaport, if there was interest.

Last night, the police shot and wounded a man who apparently pointed his gun at them. The AP reports that plainclothes police officers heard or saw a shooting near DeKalb Avenue in Brooklyn's Clinton Hill neighborhood: "Police say the officers confronted the suspect, ordered him to drop his weapon and chased him as he ran off. They say the officers fired after he turned toward them with his gun in his hand." The suspect is in the hospital—and in police custody—while the victim of the earlier shooting is also in the hospital.

Yankees' starting right fielder Xavier Nady might be seeing his playing days as a Bomber come to a close before they've barely begun. The team is about to put Nady on the DL since an MRI today on his elbow was "not good" after injuring it in last night's game against Tampa Bay. Even worse, it appears that he'll be on the shelf for the season since it looks like he'll need Tommy John surgery for the second time in his career. He said, "I've been down this road before and I was hoping not to do it again. Surgery wasn't fun years ago. I would prefer not to go down that road again." Nady has only been a Yankee since being acquired just before last year's trade deadline and is up for free agency after this season. With him on the shelf, offseason acquisition (and star of the book Moneyball) Nick Swisher will step in as the everyday starter.

City and State were at odds last night at a public forum held in Carroll Gardens regarding the cleanup of the Gowanus Canal. It's being reported that the Bloomberg Administration is "opposing a proposal by the federal Environmental Protection Agency to add Brooklyn’s Gowanus Canal to the agency’s list of Superfund sites, arguing that the designation could jeopardize planned development for the area and the city’s own cleanup efforts." Daniel Walsh, director of the Mayor's Office of Environmental Remediation, noted that "Of the 1,500 federal Superfund sites to date, no river cleanup has been successfully completed." Because the Superfund solution would require finding responsible parties for past contamination, the city fears that the effort would take up to 20 years, "putting at risk more than $400 million of private investment already committed to the area for housing and other development," as well as the city's own cleanup efforts. The E.P.A. officials will make a final decision following a 60-day public comment scheduled to end June 6th.

DJ Honda is known for giving famous rappers a mean scratch, but apparently his pitbulls have a reputation of possessing a nasty bite. The Japanese turntablist and Lower East Side resident is accused of letting one of his unleashed pit bulls eat the face off of a fluffy Yorkshire terrier named Bebe—an injury that required $4,000 in surgery to repair. Bebe's owner, Christine Chin, a celebrity facialist whose clients include Kate Moss and Penelope Cruz, told the Post, "I feel so bullied and so helpless. I said to my husband, 'Should we get a gun now?'" Neighbors of Honda's say that this wasn't an isolated incident, one couple recounting one of the DJ's three pitbulls biting their dog on the neck as he trailed "in pajama trousers with no shirt on." Honda's dog walker denies that the pooches are violent and gives her own account of the Bebe skirmish claiming, "(Bebe's owner) said, 'Is it OK if Bebe says hello to the dogs?' One of my babies said hello and then Bebe snapped and started growling. Then my baby bit her. If Bebe didn't start growling, my dog wouldn't have bit her."

We're getting word that, as of around 5:15 p.m., there was a whale spotted off the coast of Coney Island (near Nortons Point) headed westbound towards the Verrazano Bridge. Last week a humpback whale (perhaps the same whale?) took a similar journey before escaping New York unharmed. We'll update when we find out more about this latest sighting.

Starting today, extremely overweight passengers on United Airlines may be forced to buy an extra seat to accommodate their extra padding. A spokeswoman for the airline tells Bloomberg News the policy is being implemented in response to "hundreds" of complaints, and that until today more svelte customers had no choice but to "share their seat with the oversized guest." According to the new rules, an obese flier may be required to pay for an extra seat if he or she can't buckle the seatbelt (even using the seatbelt extender) or can't put the armrests down when seated. If the flight is not fully booked and two empty adjacent seats are available, flight attendants will relocate the passenger, free of charge. But if the flight is full, the passenger could be bumped to another flight or charged for an upgrade. Similar policies are already in effect at eight other domestic airlines, including Delta and Southwest. But up in ever-courteous Canada, the Supreme Court ruled that airlines must provide an extra seat for wide ends free of charge.

The way a list of potential witnesses for the Brooke Astor estate trial reads, it might just be the trial of the century. Names include—for both the prosecution and defense—Henry Kissinger, Barbara Walters, David Rockefeller, Annette de La Renta, Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter, former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, New York Public Library president Paul LeClerc, Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum. One potential juror told the Daily News, "If you bring Henry Kissinger and Kofi Annan and Barbara Walters in here, the whole thing is surreal." Prosecutors say that Astor's son Anthony Marshall tried to steal his mother's estate by forcing his senile mother to change her will. And Carter told the NY Times he regularly had lunch with the late philanthropist, "I assume they’re going to want to ask my opinion about what I thought her mental state was in the last 10 years of her life," and said of being on the list of luminaries, "I feel very privileged. I think it’s just an accident."

Isiah Thomas isn't just leaving the Knicks to coach basketball at Florida International University—he's coaching at FIU for free. The AP reports, "Thomas said his salary the first year from the Golden Panthers will be donated back to the school's athletic department... FIU athletic director Pete Garcia said that when Thomas learned about layoffs and budget cuts, he told the university president that the school should keep his salary." Of course, the Knicks still owe him $12 million for the rest of his contract. Thomas told reporters, "I like rolling up my sleeves. I like taking some from the bottom and building it to the top. There's a lot of risk in that and there is also a lot of reward in that. But that's how I grew up." Remember when Isiah said he would bring a championship to the Knicks? Good luck, FIU.

Governor Paterson has discovered the gift of charity in his first year as the state's head honcho. Yesterday Paterson's tax returns were made public, showing that he and his wife Michelle got a $4,300 refund for the over $61,000 in federal taxes they had paid and owed another $182 on top of the $27,000 plus in state and local taxes paid out. Some of that federal refund can be attributed to the $11,000 the Patersons donated this past year. Soon after taking over for Eliot Spitzer last year, it was revealed that the only donation that came out of the nearly $270,000 in income the couple earned in 2007 was a $150 worth of clothes they gave to The Salvation Army. This year The Sal made out like bandits with the Patersons donating over $1,400 in used clothing. Other beneficiaries of the couple's charity included the National Federation of the Blind; City Meals; 100 Black Men; Hadassah; the American Foundation of the Blind; League of the Hard of Hearing; Hispanic Federation; and WNYC Hear It Now.

Changes intended to control motor vehicle traffic in Prospect Park have infuriated some members of Brooklyn's Community Board 7, which includes the neighborhood of Windsor Terrace, bordering the south end of the park. The DOT is planning to close the entrance and exit to the park at Third Street in Park Slope, and also eliminate the exit-only roadway at 16th Street. For years now, locals have been divided over the issue, with some pushing for a completely car-free park, and others predicting a traffic nightmare should vehicles be pushed out into the surrounding neighborhoods. CB7 District Manager Jeremy Laufer is particularly peeved because, he says, the board was not consulted in this recent decision to reduce motor vehicle access. Laufer tells the Brooklyn Paper, "No one was contacted on this before it was a done deal." A DOT spokesperson declined to address the planning process, but says, "The changes to Prospect Park will reduce conflict between motor vehicles and neighborhood residents crossing to and from the park." As it stands now, traffic is only permitted in Prospect Park on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Woody Allen, Dov Charney and young women go together like legwarmers, metallic spandex tights and a deep v-neck tee, yet the battle between Woody Allen and American Apparel continues! After the company used the director's image (without permission) on one of their billboard campaigns, he filed a $10 million lawsuit saying it damaged his reputation. He called the company "sleazy" amongst other things, and the company retaliated noting that he already tarnished his image when he married his young stepdaughter, Soon-Yi Previn. WCBS now reports that "Lawyers for American Apparel have complained that Allen has refused to turn over much of the information they have demanded to prepare for trial. Among their demands were documents concerning any endorsement requests that were withdrawn after the sex scandal with Farrow and Previn became public." The request included nude photos Allen allegedly took of Soon-Yi Previn—but don't get your hopes up Charney, his lawyers say that request is not relevant to the case.

WARNING: This is really, really gross and disturbing. From the Daily News: "A convicted child molester was found naked and bleeding behind a Brooklyn building - a victim of sexual self-mutilation, police sources said... Damiene Iriarte, 26, was found in Fort Greene with the tip of his penis bitten off... 'How he did it? Limber, I guess. Not the work of a sane mind,' a police source said."

Project Runway finalist Kenley Collins pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct, avoiding jail time. Last month, Collins was arrested after allegedly attacking her now ex-fiance with a laptop, water, apples and their cat. She initially faced a felony assault charge, but the Brooklyn DA's office found that Collins' ex Zak Penley didn't need treatment and that the cat wasn't injured (Collins claimed she "gently tossed" the cat onto their bed). E!Online reports the fashion designer "was sentenced to a $120 fine and a two-year protection order barring her from having contact with Penley. The incident will remain sealed and not appear on her criminal record." Collins told the Post, "I went through hell and back over this."

What's a rumor in Page Six without a Daily News source disputing it? Yesterday, the NY Post's gossip column suggested that disgraced former governor Eliot Spitzer was considering running for Attorney General (again) in 2010 since his AG reign was all about going after Wall Street fat cats and wasn't marred by a prostitution scandal. Now the Daily News reports that Spitzer's "comeback will not include a run for office in 2010, according to a source familiar with Spitzer's thinking. The source shot down a published report yesterday that Spitzer is planning to run for attorney general next year, saying there's no chance he'll seek that seat or any other next year." Stay tuned for the next volley from the Page Six!

Yesterday, Bloomberg News reported that Lehman Brothers Holdings was "sitting on enough uranium cake to make a nuclear bomb as it waits for prices of the commodity to rebound, according to traders and nuclear experts," leading to jokes about "NUKE WA$TE" and "(Literally) Radioactive Assets." Apparently, just before the bank filed for bankruptcy, it started traded in uranium ore and has about 500,000 pounds of uranium-oxide concentrate, aka yellowcake. A source tells the Post, "[Lehman] can't get rid of the ore, because with the possible exception of North Korea, nobody is willing to cough up the price it wants -- because the uranium market has tanked." Another fun yellowcake fact: 500,000 pounds is about enough to make a bomb or to power a nuclear power plant for a year.

Last night around 7:15 p.m., a boy died after falling from a housing development in Crown Heights. His body was found in a lot near the Albany Houses on Bergen Street. The boy was between the ages of 9 and 12, and neighbors were stunned; one told the Daily News, "I can't get over this. It is unbelievable." The police are investigating what happened: While there was an open window on the 5th floor, the NY Post reports, "It wasn't immediately known where he fell from, but cops believe it's more likely the roof of the 13-story building rather than one of the apartments." If he did fall from the roof, police will also try to determine if the boy jumped, fell or was pushed. Update: It appears the 9-year-old jumped from the roof using a "makeshift parachute" of a plastic bag and strings.

Newark Mayor Cory Booker is not happy with plans to improve the Izod Center at the Meadowlands. According to the Star-Ledger, Booker sent a letter to NJ Governor Jon Corzine, "Should the Nets not build their project in Brooklyn, the Nets' long-term home in New Jersey cannot be Izod. It must be Newark." The NJ Sports and Exposition Authority's CEO says that it has received plans for renovations and said he'd be happy if the Nets remained. However, Booker said in his letter, "This expenditure would clearly cause injury to Newark, further divide our state against itself and undermines current good faith efforts by Newark and the (authority's) leadeship to craft a larger vision for the Meadowlands/Newark region. I urge you to more actively join us in pursuit of such a win-win, NOT to add fuel and fire to the continued cannibalization of New Jersey venues to the detriment of two worthy communities."

If you want to sigh just a little more about the development of the World Trade Center site, here you go: The Daily News reports, "The Port Authority is paying Larry Silverstein $21.5 million to develop the Freedom Tower - even though he has absolutely no role in building the 1,776-foot icon." Even though Silverstein handed over control of the building site to the Port Authority, the agency has been paying him $500,000/month in "development fees" and will keep receiving them until the middle of next year, which the News helpfully points out is the equivalent of "2.7 million George Washington Bridge tolls or 12.3 million PATH fares." The fees were written into the 2006 agreement, which also says the Port Authority can request Silverstein's company's help, but the News says the agency has never done so. The Port Authority says it's siply abiding by the contract, while Silverstein's spokesman told the paper, "We believe our expertise in office tower construction would be of tremendous value in getting the 1 World Trade Center project back on schedule, and our team remains at the Port's disposal."

After saying he would renew the push for same sex marriage in the Legislature last week, sources tell CityRoom that Governor Paterson will introduce legislation on Thursday: It "reflects the governor’s desire to press the issue with lawmakers in Albany as other states move ahead with efforts to grant more civil rights to homosexuals... [However] The fact that Mr. Paterson is introducing a bill does not, however, mean that action in the Legislature is imminent. It could take months — even longer — before the bill makes its way through the appropriate committees and onto the floor of the Senate and the Assembly." The State Assembly has previously passed a gay marriage bill in 2007, but it stalled in the Republican-controlled Senate. Though the Senate is now controlled by Democrats, the majority is fractured and Senate Majority leader Smith's spokesperson said last week, "Currently, there are not sufficient votes in the Senate to pass the marriage equality bill." Photo of Paterson at last year's Gay Pride parade: Boss Tweed on Flickr

Like other expensive American cities, New York seems to be home to a higher proportion of post-graduate adult roommates than suburban areas. In NYC, sharing a home with a stranger or friend is seen not so much as a sign of utter incompetence as it is a consequence of the obscene rental market, which has compelled people to share for far longer than they had ever anticipated. Who among us has not inserted earplugs to drown out the sounds of roommate fornication, while dreaming of liberation from cohabitation? However, judging by the increasing numbers of elderly people looking for roommates, that dream may be considerably deferred. According to City Room, a home sharing program run by the New York Foundation for Senior Citizens has been inundated with elderly applicants seeking apartment shares because of lost jobs or rent increases. Of course, the silver lining, should you find yourself trolling Craigslist for shares in your golden years, is that you'll probably be so hard of hearing you won't even notice your roommate's drum and bass marathons.

Questions, comments, complaints? Just create a high-tech cyber worm! One 17-year-old Brooklynite has copped to creating two "worms" in order to draw attention to some holes over at Twitter. NBC reports that over the weekend Michael "Mikeyy" Mooney created the worms "because he was bored and wanted to draw attention to the Twitter flaw." The worms posted messages via different user accounts about a similar site, StalkDaily, as well as other unwanted messages like "Twitter please fix this, regards Mikeyy." He told CNET he would like to get a job as a security analyst at the site, but also added, "I'm done with Twitter. I've been getting too much attention lately."

The Isiah Thomas era at the Knicks is over: Florida International University confirmed that the player-turned-coach/management executive accepted a position coaching there. Thomas's reign at the Knicks has been disappointing and troubled, but last month he told reporters he was looking forward to helping Knicks president Donnie Walsh with the draft. Newsday reports, "From the day Thomas was stripped of his titles and responsibilities with the Knicks - who are owned by Cablevision, which also owns Newsday - Walsh gave him permission to seek other opportunities." Thomas issued a statement, "Coming back to the college game has always been a dream of mine, and I didn't want to pass up an opportunity to go somewhere where we can build a basketball legacy together."

A type of Guyanese finch called Towa Towa is prized by New York’s Guyanese community for singing competitions; people place bets on two birds to see which can sing the longest and most beautifully. (Here’s YouTube video of a Towa Towa singing.) But the problem is getting the finches into New York; Guyana's Wild Bird Protection Act prohibits finch exports. Top birds can sell for more than $5,000, which might explain why 36-year-old Guyanese-born nursing home worker Terrence McLean was busted at JFK in 2006 with 13 Towa Towas hidden inside plastic hair curlers. Yesterday McLean admitted guilt in not declaring the birds to customs and faces a possible $25,000 fine. But he's due back in court today to fight a second charge of smuggling because, according to his lawyer, "He is absolutely innocent of the charge of knowingly violating of Guyanese law." McClean could be fined an additional $25,000 if a jury finds him guilty on that charge.

Last week, the state's largest union rejected Governor Paterson's offer, raising the possibility he might make good on his threat to cut almost 9,000 jobs if unions didn't make concessions in contract negotiations. Now the NY Times reports on how the union is pressing forward: "They produced television commercials and newspaper ads with photos of Mr. Paterson sticking his fingers in his ears above the words 'Why aren’t you listening?' The president of one of the unions variously accused the governor last week of union busting, putting people’s lives in danger, and drug use." The unions were looking to drive Paterson's numbers down, but Paterson's approval ratings are already pretty much rock bottom, and the Times points out, "the ferocity of the attacks has only stiffened Mr. Paterson’s resolve." As for one union's claim that reopening the contract would "set a precedent," a Paterson spokesperson scoffed, "What is the precedent exactly? That every 80 years, when there’s a historic economic and fiscal crisis, the state work force might only get half its planned raise?”

If it's April 14, it means people are scrambling to get their taxes mailed in time for tomorrow's deadline. A tipster tells us he went to a post office (Ansonia Station, at Columbus and 68th in Manhattan) at 7:50 a.m., 10 minutes before opening: "The facility was open, but the postal worker windows weren't opened, so we could line up. I ended up being ninth in line (two postal workers were available). By the time I left, there were 50 people in line for three postal workers." Here's the USPS's branch locator—the Farley post office on 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets across from Penn Station, is open 24 hours.

Penis puns work overtime in the Post's leading Page Six item: "Behind Eliot Spitzer's flaccid attempt at re-erecting his public persona is a plan to run for state attorney general in 2010." Apparently the former governor, who writes for Slate and has been appearing on TV lately (even being lampooned for his comeback on SNL), think Andrew Cuomo will probably run for governor in 2010, prompting the supposed socks-on john to allegedly tell people, "My record as governor was disappointing, but the voters will remember my excellent two terms as attorney general," when he crusaded against Wall Street. But an observer points out the obvious to Page Six, "The whole idea of returning to Albany is preposterous. You can't go home again. He's a pariah. It wasn't just the prostitutes -- there was also Troopergate." In other Hookergate news, Emperors Club VIP manager Cecil Suwal is trying to interest publishers in a book where she'll reveal "the frequency with which [Spitzer] used the agency, the amounts of money he spent, and some of the details of the various encounters he had with the girls."

A letter laced with rat poison was sent to a St. John's University law student yesterday. A St. John's spokesperson told the AP a "suspicious-looking" letter was received at the Queens campus on Monday: "The university was closed for Easter break, but some workers were there and accepted the envelope." Apparently NYPD "determined the substance was rat poison and didn't pose any direct danger to the workers." The investigation is ongoing.

Standing on the steps in front of St. Patrick's Cathedral with a Bible in his hand, incoming Archbishop Timothy Dolan spoke to reporters for the first time since arriving into town. Dolan did not waste any time addressing hot button topics for the church, such as the possibility of New York legalizing gay marriage. He said, "If we let that definition of marriage go and begin to include other relationships, it will be to a detriment to the civilization." But Dolan tried to stay positive saying that "we support them...(and) will defend their rights." He also plans to fight the popular notion that the church is unenlightened saying, "I think we Catholics just need to stand up and say, 'we're above the times, we're timeless in our beliefs in our values and in our ethics and in our morality, and we don't take our cue from the winds and the trends of the day." Dolan will be installed as archbishop Wednesday afternoon at St. Patrick's. When asked about the responsibility of leading 2.5 million Catholics, he said, "I hope at my core, I hear Jesus say, 'Timothy be not afraid.'"

From making a round of appearances at black churches to taking calls from listeners of KISS-FM, Governor Paterson is doing everything he can to reclaim the support of African-American voters that he appears to be losing. A poll last week saw Paterson's support among blacks drop below 50 percent, a "desperation line" pollsters say. The Times says that the low numbers in minority communities may stem from his controversial proposed health care cuts. But some African-Americans believe that the perception of the governor is being distorted by overwhelmingly negative press and poll numbers. The president of New York's branch of the NAACP told the Times, “I think the polls are not reflecting David’s standing in the community." But City Councilman Charles Barron thinks that the abandoning of Paterson is legitimate. He said, “There is some letdown from people who were so proud of his ascension. People have to realize that when we invest our aspirations in you, we expect more. We expect better.”

Two Fire Island police officers have been acquitted of most of the charges against them stemming from a 2005 incident that left a tourist with a burst bladder. While the jury remains deadlocked on a lesser charge of third-degree assault, a misdemeanor with a maximum sentence of a year in jail, they have found Police Chief George Hesse and Officer Arnold Hardman not guilty of first-degree gang assault, as well as other charges. The two were accused of beating a drunken marketing exec named Sam Gilberd at the Ocean Beach police station after arresting him for littering. The beating allegedly occured after an irate Gilberd kicked the station door after he was initially released; he says the cops then pulled him back inside and beat him senseless. According to Newsday, the officers' lawyers may now try to get the other charge dismissed, but Gilberd's still proceeding with his civil lawsuit, seeking $22 million in damages.

The NY Times article about Skadden Arps' program allowing associates to take a year off—no strings attached (just a suggestion to do good works, but no requirement) and their jobs in tact when they get back—and get paid $80,000 is attracting envy from others (perhaps those who didn't put in the hours to become an associate, whose base pay is closer to $240,000, at the competitive law firm). Skadden's strategy is to save money in these tough times—here's the memo outlining the "Sidebar" program—and Above the Law gives an assessment: "In a normal economy, mid-level and senior associates who aren't likely to make partner would be leaving the firm for less intense pastures. But because of the market meltdown, those people have been desperately trying to hang onto their jobs... Instead of forced attrition, Skadden's program starts to look like a mercy killing. Skadden is giving people who want to get out an opportunity to leave in spite of the terrible economy."

The locally-grown produce movement has apparently reared its head into the marijuana trade. The DEA has broken up five hydroponic set-ups around town in the last couple of months, an equal number to those recorded for the previous fiscal year in its entirety. The five raids in total have netted 830 pounds of pot, worth $4.15 million on the street. Four of the five setups were uncovered throughout The Bronx last week, but no arrests were made. The fifth raid was the Queens basement belonging to a city firefighter who was growing over 100 plants under high-intensity discharge lights. The Post says that "with the nation's fiscal health in the tank, homegrown marijuana operations have soared by 60 percent." The paper adds that growing pot hydroponically leads to such strong weed that its value ends up being anywhere from three to ten times the amount that Mexican imported grass goes for.

The MTA's $133 million project to (finally) connect the uptown 6 train at Bleecker Street with the B, D, F and V lines at Broadway-Lafayette is angering local business owners who say their customers are being driven away by all the construction. With the sidewalk gone on the east side of Lafayette between Houston and Bleecker, pedestrians must navigate a maze of fencing and heavy machinery if they wish, for instance, to patronize Mexican restaurant Pinche Taqueria, where manager Yasue Yang tells the Daily News, "It's killing us. We're losing one-quarter of our normal business." To help mitigate the damage, the MTA has at least put up signs listing the shops that are still open on the other side of the labyrinth, but Racked reports that some retailers are encouraging customers to access them through the rear doors on Mulberry Street. The work on Lafayette is expected to continue through at least the end of the year, but the director of the NOHO Business Improvement District says it will all be worth it for retailers once the extension is complete... and people no longer have to go above ground?

Say "cheese," NYPD! The NY Post reports that the department is finally schooling officers on photography rights, releasing an order stating, in part, "Photography and the videotaping of public places, buildings and structures are common activities within New York City... and is rarely unlawful." It continues on to clarify that cops have no right to demand photos be destroyed or deleted, or request to view photos taken by an individual. Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne noted that they're attempting to balance their efforts to stop possible terrorist activity while keeping in mind the First Amendment—but will this reminder help people like Arun Wiita? His was just one of the many incidents where the long arm of the law attempted to stop an innocent photographer; most recently an MTA worker was given a summons for not having permits to photograph underground—something that you actually don't need a permit for! While it's a good sign the NYPD is getting a reminder, you still may want to carry around a copy of the photographer's bill of rights with you.

The past couple months have seen no shortage of cocaine and food combos; there was the Bronx pizza parlor busted for offering blow on the menu, and at the beginning of March, Queens produce shoppers found bags of cocaine inside peppers purchased at an Ozone Park shop. Now it's come to light that at the same time that coke was found in the peppers, yet another Queens market was selling produce with white powder inside. An NYPD spokesman has not yet confirmed that it was cocaine, but on March 7th and 8th, police received several calls about little bags of powder found inside bitter melons purchased at a Richmond Hill grocery. Two dozen cops raided the produce store, Banana Country on Liberty Avenue, and cut open the melons, but nothing unusual was found inside. Owner Tae Hyun Kil assures the Times, "No problems with bitter melons since then." But when informed about the incident, one shopper seemed inspired: "Hey, that’s a good way to smuggle!"

The Bernard Madoff scandal has so shaken up his niece, who worked as a compliance office for the "investing" firm, that she has—according to Post sources—"contacted a consultant who teaches white-collar criminals how to survive in federal prison and secure early release." Shana Madoff, 38, once featured in New York magazine as a clotheshorse, may be the female Madoff relative who is taking Larry Levine's "Fedtime 101 crash course." Levine, who served time for counterfeiting securities, tells the Post, "I give people a wakeup call," and his website says he offers tips on things like "Dealing With Gang Members," "Defusing A Confrontation," and "Prison Slang & Lingo." Meanwhile, wife-of-Bernie Ruth (pictured) was banned from the Pierre Michel hair salon because other customers are victims of the wide-reaching, multi-billion-dollar Ponzi scheme, so a rep explained, "Therefore Pierre Michel didn't feel comfortable having her in the salon."

With the Democrat-controlled State Senate holding up any hope of an MTA bailout, it may come down to the Republicans in the Senate to help out. Naturally, though, the NY Times reports that Republicans senators want highway and bridge projects financing. Sen. Thomas Libous (R-Binghamton) told the paper, "To just ignore the highway, road and bridge plan and go to trying to negotiate a schedule for a new M.T.A. capital plan was just not the right thing to do." While Republicans have been letting their Democratic counterparts fight out the bailout proposal, some would be affected if the MTA is stranded without some form of support—for instance, contracting jobs would be lost upstate. Still, they are happy to blame the dysfunction on the whole Paterson administration; Sen. Better Little (R-Queensbury) tells Newsday, "It's interesting that they're reaching out to us now, not when they were constructing a plan" (she also suggested the administration was "New York City-oriented").

In what's sure to be the classiest courtroom battle, a Juilliard-trained composer is suing the Brooklyn Philharmonic for butchering his piece back in 2004. The NY Post reports that Nathan Currier paid over $70,000 to have the troupe perform his two-hour-long magnum opus, only to have the musicians stop short and exit the stage. CEO Catherine Cahill had told him during an intermission that they were in danger of going over and incurring overtime fees due to union rules. After frantically editing down the piece so it wouldn't be a total disaster, the orchestra ended up ignoring the new version and simply stopped short when someone signaled the time limit. He told the paper, "It had a huge impact on me, both psychologically and in a very direct, nuts-and-bolts way. I moved out of New York to write this thing, and assumed it would change my life when it got put on. But it was like the kiss of death to my career." Indeed, the NY Times declared the piece to be nothing more than "dreadful music." Meanwhile, Currier says he would drop the suit if they would play it again.

Yesterday morning, police killed a Bronx man who had been threatening to kill his family, allegedly saying, "I have to kill the children and my wife and send them to heaven. I don't care about killing myself and going to hell." Mauricio Jacques, 35, had been holding his wife with one hand while a 10-inch knife was in the other; their three children, ages 5 to 11, were also present. Cops had tried to negotiate with him for an hour; WCBS 2 reports that Jacques agreed to surrender but " then lunged with a 10-inch knife at officers, who tried to subdue Jacques with a stun gun and rubber pellets. Undeterred, he stabbed an officer in the abdomen of his protective vest and slashed another's vest near the neck." The cops used the Taser on him again, but that didn't stop him, so one cop grabbed his wife while two others fired six shots at Jacques. Last week, the police fatally shot a woman who slashed a police officer.

"The taxes are insane!" cried East Village resident Jessica Porter to the Post about her three-line "family plan" cell phone bill, which comes with a tax rate of over 30%. All those vague little taxes can currently add as much as 33%, with eleven federal, state and city levies combining to give New Yorkers the fourth-highest cellphone taxes of any state. And the wireless tax in the latest state budget will likely make us number one! Today the tabloid of record looks with signature disgust at the taxes, which include the state's $1.20 per-month 911 charge. After complaints that only a fraction of the tax went to 911 service, the State Legislature recently changed the name to a "public-service fee" instead. Much better! Bushwick's Danny Schluck tells the Post, "If there was a $5 monkey fee, even if they couldn't explain it, you would still have to pay." Economist Scott Mackey explains that politicians like taxing cell phones because most folks skip the fine print: "There's a tendency to feel no one is going to notice this little tax. They can do this without a lot of pushback from their constituents."

Little is publicly known about 34-year-old Ashish Shah of Jersey City at this time, but police say his life ended Sunday morning in the trash compactor of The Olivia, a luxury apartment building near Penn Station. A building employee tells the Post that for the second time in as many days, Shah had arrived outside The Olivia in a taxi and ran inside without paying. Police believe Shah had been "drinking for several hours" before his death, and It's unclear who, if anyone, Shah knew in the building. But just before 6 a.m. he was observed dashing past the doorman to the elevators. Cops say he took an elevator to the 36th-floor roof level, but after his attempt to get to the sun deck tripped an alarm, Shah took the stairs down to the 35th floor, where he somehow fell into a narrow garbage chute, plummeting to the garbage compactor 28 stories below. One resident tells the Daily News, "It's amazing that someone could fit in that hole."

Two female employees with the city's Department of Environmental Protection are suing the department on federal discrimination charges. The Daily News reports, "Lillian Padilla and Magda Rodriguez say they get the hardest and dirtiest jobs, are routinely threatened and insulted, and are denied showers or changing rooms after working in sewage." The pair say they've had pornography put in their trucks, been called "bitches" and "dykes" (they are lesbians) and been threatened when they've complained. They also claim that other female employees have left due to the atmosphere—out of the 426 DEP laborers, five are women—with Padilla adding, "I once had a supervisor telling me that he would never have a woman telling a man what to do." The DEP said it is investigating the complaint, which has been filed with the EEOC. Rodriguez said, "I just want the policies changed so that women have equal rights. I have no shower. She has no shower. We work in sewage. That's what we do all day."

According to the NY Times, "The Treasury Department is directing General Motors to lay the groundwork for a bankruptcy filing by a June 1 deadline, despite G.M.’s public contention that it could still reorganize outside court." President Obama's auto task force, which is continuing talks with GM, wants to make sure a "bankruptcy filing is ready should the company" in case they cannot work out a deal with bondholders to "exchange roughly $28 billion in debt into equity in G.M. and with the United Automobile Workers union, which has balked at granting concessions without sacrifices from bondholders." The Times reports that one idea is to create a company that buys the "good assets" of a bankrupt GM, which lost nearly $31 billion last year (and received $13.4 billion in federal aid), while the "bad assets" are liquidated. This news is currently dragging Dow futures down.

Besides saying that she supports the Beatrice Inn (run by her brother Paul), actress Chloe Sevigny discussed the East Village with the Observer (while hosting a party for Kiehl's) last week. She summed up how the neighborhood has changed, "Oh, you know, it's bank, nail salon, bank, nail salon, bank, nail salon. The Subway across the street from Veselka, it's just an eyesore. The bigger chains coming in everywhere, it's depressing. You know what really bugs me about the neighborhood, actually? The students! The N.Y.U. kids and they've opened an SVA dorm near my house, so now it's even more." The Big Love wife says that if she did move from the EV, she'd go back to Gramercy Park. [Via EV Grieve]

Just because the city has blacklisted construction and utility companies due to their alleged ties to organized crime hasn't kept the Mets and Yankees from using them in putting together their new ballparks. The Times reports on the use of companies Petrocelli Electric and Interstate Industrial, brought on to work on Yankee Stadium, and Breeze National, hired to do demolition for Citi Field. Executives of the companies have done time for bribery charges in the past, prompting the city to avoid doing business with them. An NYU law professor told the paper, “We’re talking about the nature of the whole construction industry, which affects public construction, private construction, not-for-profit construction and the whole economic viability of the city. So there ought to be a commitment to do what we can to purge corrupt influences out of that industry.” But a Mets marketing VP stood by the selection of the controversial company. He said, “The deconstruction was done on time, on budget and without incident or injury.”