Breaking News - U.S. Arrests Connecticut Man in Times Square Bomb Plot by William K. Rashbaum, Mark Mazzetti and Peter Baker - NY Times

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A Connecticut woman said she sold the S.U.V. used in the failed bombing to a man she described as Middle Eastern or Hispanic.

Federal agents and police detectives Monday night arrested a Connecticut man, a naturalized United States citizen from Pakistan, in connection with the failed Times Square car bombing on Saturday night, two people briefed on the investigation said.

The man, whose name was not immediately released, was believed to be the one who recently bought the 1993 Nissan Pathfinder that was found loaded with gasoline, propane, fireworks and fertilizer in the heart of Times Square, the people said. Charges against the man, who had returned recently from a trip to Pakistan, were not announced.

The authorities began focusing on him after they tracked the vehicle to its previously registered owner in Bridgeport, Conn., who had advertised it for sale on several websites. He paid cash, and the sale was handled without any formal paperwork.

The former owner told investigators that the buyer was of Middle Eastern or Hispanic descent, but could not recall his name. It was unclear how agents from the Joint Terrorist Task Force identified him. Federal authorities Monday night provided few details about the arrest, the suspect, or the scope of any conspiracy in the failed attack.

The authorities have been exploring whether the man or others who might have been involved in the attempted bombing had been in contact with people or groups overseas, according to federal officials. The investigation was shifted on Monday to the control of the international terrorism branch of the Joint Terrorism Task Force, a multiagency group led by the Justice Departmenthttp, according to two federal officials.

Officials cautioned that the investigation of possible international contacts did not mean there was a connection to a known terrorist group, but they said they were exploring all possibilities.

"It's a prominent lead that they're following, the international association," said a senior official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a continuing investigation. "But there's still a lot of information being gathered."

On Monday, there was a sweeping response to the attempted attack in the tourist-packed city-within-a-city of Times Square — including an increased police presence, vehicle inspections and a touch of panic from veteran New Yorkers when a manhole fire flared five blocks from the scene of the failed bombing. Consolidated Edison blamed faulty wiring for the fire.

The recent sale of the Pathfinder began online. An advertisement that appears to be for the vehicle, which had 141,000 miles on the odometer and was listed for sale at $1,300 on at least two Web sites, emphasized that it was in good condition — “CLEAN inside and out!!” — with a recently repaired alternator and a new gas pump, distributor and front tires. “It does have some rust as you can see in the picture,” the seller allowed on NothingButCars.net, “but other than that, it runs great.” The other advertisement appeared on Craigslist.

In Bridgeport, the seller refused to answer questions. “You can’t interview her,” said an unidentified man at the woman’s two-story, white clapboard house. “She already talked to the F.B.I.”

The police continued sifting through footage from 82 city cameras mounted from 34th Street to 51st Street between Avenue of the Americas and Eighth Avenue, and from untold number of business and tourist cameras.

But investigators appeared to have begun to assign less significance to a man who appeared to be in his 40s who was seen on one video. That man was seen walking away from the area where the Pathfinder was parked and through Shubert Alley, which runs between 44th and 45th Streets. He looked over his shoulder at least twice and pulled off a shirt, revealing a red T-shirt underneath.

The New York police commissioner, Raymond W. Kelly, said investigators still wanted to speak to that man, but acknowledged that he might not be connected to the failed bombing. Paul J. Browne, the department’s top spokesman, said the police had stopped looking for additional video in the area that might have tracked the man’s movements.

“It may turn out that he was just somebody in the area, but not connected with the car bomb,” Mr. Browne said.

The police, though, said they might release footage of a man running north on Broadway at the time that a fire broke out in the Pathfinder, Mr. Kelly said.

Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. seemed optimistic in comments he made Monday morning. “I think that we have made really substantial progress,” he told reporters in Washington. “We have some good leads.”

The materials found in the Pathfinder were to be sent to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s laboratory in Quantico, Va., for analysis, the police said. “They’ve got the top laboratory in the world to do these sorts of examinations, and we’ll keep some samples here,” Mr. Kelly said.

Janet Napolitano, the homeland security secretary, said on the “Today” show on NBC that it was premature to label any person or group as suspect. “Right now, every lead has to be pursued,” she said. “I caution against premature decisions one way or the other.” But the White House made clear that it considered the effort an act of terrorism, whoever its authors were. “I think anybody that has the type of material that they had in a car in Times Square, I would say that that was intended to terrorize, absolutely,” said the White House spokesman, Robert Gibbs.

Michael Wilson contributed reporting.

Former Senator Monserrate To Enter Boxing Ring For Charity - 1010WINS.com

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Former New York Senator Hiram Monserrate is expected to announce Tuesday that he will enter the boxing ring to help raise money for a charity.

Monserrate will hold a news conference at Mendez gym in Manhattan to announce that he will join "The Fight for Charity" to raise money for autism and other special needs. Monserrate is expected to show off some of his boxing moves at the press conference.

Monserrate, the former state Senator for New York’s 13th district, was ousted from his seat in February after a misdemeanor conviction for dragging his girlfriend through an apartment lobby. He failed to get his expulsion blocked in federal court.

Monserrate apologized for any discredit he brought to the Senate, but said the facial cut his girlfriend suffered that night was an accident.

Why is Gov. Paterson Bashing Smart Borrowing? His Own Lieutenant Governor Understands It by Rory Lancman...

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This Op-Ed by Assemblyman Lancman in the Daily News, is in response to Governor Paterson's Op-Ed in last Sunday's NY Times...

Of all the arrows in a New York governor's quiver - and there are many, New York's governorship being one of the nation's constitutionally strongest - perhaps none flies with greater effect than the power to frame the debate, both through the budget the governor alone can propose and the bully pulpit from which the governor alone can command statewide attention.

This is why Gov. Paterson's increasingly frequent flings against the modest borrowing proposed by the state's lieutenant governor, Richard Ravitch - his own appointee - are so unhelpful. These shots are way off target, and more importantly are poisoning hopes for a speedy and rational resolution of the current state budget stalemate.

The governor has compared the state to a household or small business, arguing each faces the same strictly binary choice - "cut spending or increase revenues" - and that "borrowing accomplishes neither of those goals." The governor likens borrowing to "getting a bank loan to buy your groceries," and concludes that Ravitch's suggested borrowing will merely "delay our inevitable day of fiscal reckoning past one more November election."

However, limited borrowing has its place in our financial order, particularly as constructed by Ravitch, and particularly where, as here, the budget deficit confronting the state is not, as the governor argues, the result of "years of overspending" (another frequent fling of the governor) but instead the result of a violent economic downturn plaguing the entire nation and pushing hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers to the edge of a financial precipice of their own.

The national scope of the problem is undeniable. As detailed by the nonpartisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, at least 41 states experienced shortfalls in their 2010 fiscal year budgets, and 42 states have estimated gaps in their projected 2011 fiscal year budgets. New York's current and projected budget gaps, as a percentage of the state's overall budget, are about average as states go. This is why New York isn't contemplating the draconian cuts and sometimes wacky gimmicks being proposed in other states: Hawaii cut its school week to four days; Arizona sold its state capitol building; California . . . well where does one begin?

Because our budget deficit is demonstrably not rooted in any unique dysfunction in New York's fiscal policies or in our choices as a state to invest in our schools and health care system, the general admonition against making borrowing a part of the state's deficit reduction plan is misplaced.

We are not bailing our budget process out; we're bailing our people out. By employing restricted, short-term borrowing to cover approximately 10% of our projected four-year budget deficit, we are not aggravating a problem of our own making, but rather mitigating the already punishing impact on New York families of a national economic crisis and ongoing cuts in education, health care, mass transit, infrastructure and everything else.

The alternative? Even deeper cuts, resulting in greater pressure on local governments to raise property taxes, lay off workers and suspend capital projects. In other words, the exact opposite of what is broadly acknowledged to be necessary to pull our economy out of recession.

This is why, even in the worst of times, parents might sensibly decide to borrow for a child's college tuition while paring expenses elsewhere, and a small firm might increase its total long-term debt obligation by re-financing existing debt at lower interest rates with more manageable monthly payments.

Finally, the short-term borrowing proposed in the Ravitch plan cannot be viewed in isolation from the rest of the plan. It also includes such long-sought-after-reforms as moving the beginning of the state's fiscal year from April 1 to July 1, applying generally accepted accounting principles to the state's budgeting process, and mandating multiyear financial planning with obligatory adjustments on a periodic basis if the state budget goes off track. (The plan's creation of an appointed review board bears closer examination as a potentially unwise delegation of power to a body of people unaccountable to the electorate, but that's a different issue.)

As a whole, the plan, including its modest borrowing component, is structurally sound and puts New York on a path to fiscal stability. We owe it to future generations of New Yorkers to leave platitudes aside and make the hard, pragmatic decisions which will keep our people working and move this state forward.

Lancman is a New York State assemblyman representing Queens.

Exploding Manholes Rock New York Times Building, Midtown Manhattan - Huffington Post

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Just two days after Times Square was shut down

due to a failed car bomb attack, two manholes have exploded in Midtown Manhattan.

According to the New York Times , flames shot three stories into the air on West 40th Street after a manhole exploded, while another cover blew off.

Following the explosion, which occurred in front of the New York Times building, a firefighter reportedly yelled: "It's not Disneyland, people. Get the hell out of the way."

Less than a month ago a massive manhole fire in the same area was caught on camera.

No word yet on the cause of the explosion

Assemblyman Lancman and Councilman Gennaro Join MS 217 Students At A Tree-Giveaway Event in Jamaica Hills

Students from MS 217 in Briarwood volunteered at the free tree giveaway, more than 200 trees were given out to the community over the two day event.

Fed Probe Shows Senate President Malcolm Smith Ripped Off Elderly Couple for $60,000 by Barbara Ross, Robert Gearty and Greg B. Smith - NY Daily News

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Senate President Malcolm Smith ripped Cora Wheeling, 70, and her husband off, cheating them of over $60,000. Farriella, DelMundo for News

Senate President Malcolm Smith ripped off an elderly Queens couple he'd promised to build a dream house for in a land deal under scrutiny by the FBI, the Daily News has learned.

Cora Wheeling, 70, and her husband, Eddie, 71, wound up with no home to show for the $88,200 they put down toward a split-level Smith claimed he'd build them.

They sued in 1998; Smith still owes them more than $60,000.

"I didn't know he's a rat," an irate Cora Wheeling said. "I should have known better."

The house was supposed to be part of a subdivision Smith was trying to build on 230th St. in Cambria Heights. That deal is at the center of an expanding federal probe, sources said.

The FBI is also looking at why Smith got a steep discount from an architect hired for a job at that same address. The architect then got work at nonprofits Smith has funded with taxpayer dollars.

Investigators want to know if Smith used his influence as an elected official to benefit himself financially, a possibly criminal conflict of interest.

"Every day it's something else, but these investigators are chasing their tail," said Smith's lawyer, Gerald Shargel. "Malcolm Smith did nothing wrong."

For the Wheelings, Smith's behavior was worse than a mere conflict of interest.

In August 1997, the retired hostess from the old Shea Stadium Diamond Club and her car mechanic husband put down money she won in a medical malpractice suit toward the construction of a $316,000 split-level.

The house was to include two fireplaces, a garage and gold bathroom fixtures. Smith promised to obtain permits right away. He did nothing, and by October 1998, the couple sued.

Smith's partner and lawyer, Joan Flowers, argued the Wheelings were in breach of contract.

A judge rejected that claim. The case was settled in May 2001, with Smith agreeing to pay the Wheelings $63,000. The first check bounced.

A year later, Flowers asked to extend the repayment because, among other reasons, the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks had hurt Smith's pocketbook. The judge extended it, but upped the total to $66,000.

The Wheelings wound up buying a home on Long Island.

As of last week, Smith still owed the Wheelings more than $60,000 - which infuriates Cora Wheeling every time she hears reports about corruption in Albany.

"I get angry every time I see him on TV," she said. "I don't want to see him getting paid by taxpayers."

Architect Robert Gaskin also wound up not getting everything Smith promised on the same 230th St. subdivision - but it apparently worked out for him in the end.

Gaskin set a fee of $22,000 to draft plans to divide Smith's land into three lots. Records show Smith paid Gaskin only $10,000.

Smith may have made up for it in other ways. After winning the 230th St. job, Gaskin then got several jobs from other entities tied to Smith.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara's office has subpoenaed records of Gaskin's work on 230th St., a charter school and other properties in an ongoing criminal investigation of corruption in Queens.

The land was owned by Smith M. Realty, but Gaskin was paid through an entity called 230th Street Associates. Smith's partner, Flowers, signed the checks.

A month after getting the first check for $5,000 from 230th Street Associates on July 29, 1999, Gaskin submitted an invoice for $15,000. He received another $5,000 check from 230th, then billed for the rest.

He never got it. Gaskin was able to produce checks totaling no more than $10,000 toward the total $22,000 fee.

Gaskin claimed he did not pursue the rest because he did less work than he thought he would.

The second $5,000 check Gaskin got from Smith's firm is dated Aug. 29, 1999. He soon started getting work from other entities tied to Smith.

In June 2000, Flowers hired Gaskin to work on a building that housed her law office. It later was an address for a title company owned by Smith and a nonprofit tied to Smith, New Directions Development Corp. The estimated cost of the job was $30,000, but Gaskin said he got much less.

Gaskin also did some work for New Directions, records show, although he claims he doesn't remember that job. Smith has steered $56,000 to the nonprofit.

In March 2001, Gaskin won a more lucrative job worth $85,000 - this time turning an old bowling alley into a Queens Village charter school Smith was helping to start called the Merrick Academy.

Gaskin said he has turned over all the documents he could find on properties tied to Queens politicians, including work he did for a developer building Rep. Gregory Meeks' Queens home, Queens Borough President Helen Marshall and former congressman the Rev. Floyd Flake.

Gaskin is not the target of the investigation, and his lawyer, Brian Davis, emphasized Gaskin has not been asked to appear before a grand jury.

Gaskin insists he did no favors for any of the pols.

"We've gotten work the old-fashioned way; we are prolific at marketing," he said. "We've never gotten a job asking any political entity for work. Never, never."

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2010/05/02/2010-05-02_rat_owes_couple_60g_say_qns_pol_in_fed_probe_made_promise_to_pay.html?page=1#ixzz0mrNL6M00

The City Life - Life and Death for the Red-Tailed Hawks by Francis X. Clines - Editorial - NYTimes.com

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Watch NYC Audubon Queens Hawkcam, Live Video - Click here

Athena, a red-tailed hawk that reigned atop the towers of the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge, has died, apparently from dining on a poisoned rat snatched from below. Chief among the mourners was Jeffrey Kollbrunner, one of the city’s more dedicated trackers of raptors. He’s the sort who stops traffic on Queens Boulevard to retrieve a bewildered fledgling whose flying lesson suddenly turned pedestrian.

In the current red-tail nesting season, Mr. Kollbrunner is tracking 25 pairs in Queens County as an urban naturalist and consultant for the Audubon Society. “The first-born baby scared me the other day, teetering unattended at the edge of the nest,” he says. He watched it all on the Hawk-cam, a 24/7 Web camera he has pointed on the nest of Momma and Poppa, red tails he has monitored like family for 12 years.

Momma returned in time with tasty prey, sparing junior a 90-foot flop to the sidewalk.

Succulent pigeons can outrace red hawks in a straight line, so Momma and Poppa developed an ambush strategy. He sneaks up to roust rooftop flocks toward Momma as she flies out of the sun for a kill.

Mr. Kollbrunner, born in Queens, found his first hawk sighting so exotic that he became a wildlife photographer and a teacher of ways to track life along the skyline. For him, romance teems in the airy jungle of kestrels, peregrine falcons, coopers and sharp-shinned hawks, plus his red tails.

He cherishes Golden Boy, a prize offspring of Momma and Poppa, for a New York moment of unexpected compassion. After fully fledging the nest, Golden Boy still stayed behind to protect a weaker sibling. His first hunts were devoted to feeding the sibling. He nattered and nagged and refused to go his own way until the bird found the strength and the savvy to get up and take on the city.

New York City Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, NYC Councilmembers and NY Leaders Call Out Wall Street for Abuses...

New York Leaders Rally for Real Financial Reform, Call out Wall Street for its Abuses and Army of Lobbyists Fighting to Block Needed Protections

Today at New York City Hall, scores of community members joined elected officials and organizational leaders to rally and call on the United States Senate to stand up to Wall Street lobbyists and pass the strong financial reforms that are needed to fix our broken economy and prevent another economic crisis Big banks and Wall Street financial firms have spent more than $500 million, or $1.4 million a day, since the beginning of last year in lobbying and campaign contributions, a distorting influence that will only be worsened by the Supreme Court’s recent Citizens United ruling.

Participants in today’s rally included New York City Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, New York City Council members Jumaane Williams, Julissa Ferreras, Margaret Chin, and James Sanders, and members of the Americans for Financial Reform coalition including Demos, Make the Road NY, NEDAP, New York Communities for Change, NY Jobs with Justice, NYPIRG, and NY Citizen Action.

Public Advocate de Blasio spoke forcefully in favor of the corporate governance reform pieces of the Senate Banking Committee bill that will soon come to a floor vote “Real financial reform is not bad for businesses, it is a solid investment in the future of our economy,” said Public Advocate Bill de Blasio “I understand the critical value Wall Street provides to our City and that is exactly why I believe we need to rein in speculative financing practices. Real financial reform will create more stability in the financial system and will protect investors, government budgets, pension funds and everyday New Yorkers.”

Queens homeowner Jean Andre-Sassine described his two-year ordeal attempting to get his bank to talk with him about modifying his predatory loan “The broker and lender tricked us when we took out this loan, and it has been nothing but trouble for me and my family." said Andre-Sassine "A new Consumer Financial Protection Agency will protect families like mine from financial rip-offs and exploding mortgages If after all this pain and suffering we still cannot pass these basic reforms because of powerful bank lobbyists, I fear for our democracy itself.”

Neighborhood Economic Development Advocacy Project (NEDAP) Co-Director Josh Zinner called on the Senate to stand firm against the lobbying deluge and improve the bill on the Senate floor “The SEC’s recent action against Goldman Sachs is just the tip of the iceberg -- greed and corruption are pervasive and institutionalized in the financial services industry, and now the financial giants are using every tool in their arsenals to gut sensible financial reform,” said Zinner “Enough is enough The Senate must stand strong and resist the industry's efforts to riddle this bill with loopholes Further, the Senate should vote to make consumer protection truly independent and not subject to a veto by the same banking regulators who failed to prevent this crisis.”

Tamara Draut, Vice President of Policy and Programs for Demos, placed the financial reform bill in context of protecting and reviving a strong middle class in America “For decades, American families have been feeling the squeeze on all sides, and this crisis is the ultimate consequence of the deregulatory economic philosophy that championed the rights of predatory lenders over those of economically-strapped families,” said Draut “This financial reform package is critical to the survival of the middle class through its strong provisions that will help restore a level playing field and ending ‘Too Big to Fail’ bailouts.”

The Americans for Financial Reform coalition is specifically calling on the Senate to:

• Reform derivatives so that these complex and risky products are traded on open markets with adequate safeguards and minimum capital requirements.

• End “Too Big to Fail” banks by adopting a strong “Volcker Rule” and provide for an orderly resolution authority to make the industry and not taxpayers pay for failure.

• Create a strong and independent Consumer Financial Protection Agency without carve-out exemptions or a veto by banking interests.

• Pass strong corporate governance reforms to empower shareholders and bring transparency to corporate decisions.

• Regulate the ratings agencies and require brokers to act in the best interests of their investors.

The Senate is expected to take up the bill for debate on financial reform as well.

For more information, visit www.ourfinancialsecurity.org

Senator Addabbo Discusse New Energy Cost-Saving Initiatives for Small Businesses with Community Leaders on Earth Day...

Teams with Local Electeds, Con Ed and National Grid

On Thursday, April 22, NYS Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr., held a Roundtable discussion to inform local small businesses, civic leaders and Chamber of Commerce presidents about vital energy cost-saving strategies they can use to save thousands of dollars a year.

Lillie Manjarrez, Community Relations from National Grid, Anne Krzyzanowshi, Representative from NYS Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan; NYS Assemblyman Mike Miller and NYS Senator Joe Addabbo.

As part of a broader movement to go green this Earth Day, the Senator was joined by NYS Assemblyman Mike Miller, NYC Councilwoman Liz Crowley and representatives from Con Edison and National Grid to discuss what local businesses can do to go green and cut costs.

Today, only a fraction of eligible businesses take advantage of free Con Ed and National Grid energy surveys that can substantially reduce their energy costs, from anywhere between 8 and 40 percent. For example, of Con Ed's 280,000 eligible customers, only 21,000 have requested surveys, less than 8 percent.

Con Ed offers an expansive array of affordable energy-saving options to businesses including a free on-site energy efficiency survey and free energy savings upgrades. Additionally, they cover 70 percent of installation costs for energy-saving upgrades. Similarly, National Grid has several programs to enable businesses to reduce carbon emissions, go green, and cut costs.

Some small businesses have already taken advantage of such savings. A survey conducted by Con Edison of a catering business in Queens showed how they could easily obtain annual cost savings of $12,750 for only a one-time cost of $974.

Lillie Manjarrez, Community Relations from National Grid; Anne Krzyzanowshi, Representative from NYS Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan; NYS Senator Joe Addabbo.

“Small businesses across Queens stand to save thousands of dollars a year through taking advantage of these simple and affordable measures,” said Senator Addabbo. “We need to make an aggressive effort to assist our small businesses in our communities. Also, as we move into the 21^st century, we must continue to explore new ways to protect our planet.”

NYS Assemblyman Mike Miller said, “Every little bit helps, whether we are talking about a small business's bottom line or protecting our environment.”

"I commend Senator Addabbo and my colleagues for bringing together this important roundtable in support of our small businesses. Our City’s economic recovery will be driven in large part by our small businesses, making it in our best interest to support them," said NYC Council Member Elizabeth Crowley.

Con Ed Representative Ryan Southard said, “With Con Edison footing upwards of 70% of the tab for energy conservation measures, our Small Business Direct Install Program is a great win for small businesses and for the environment. We’re grateful to Senator Addabbo for convening the roundtable and working diligently with us to promote energy efficiency for small businesses in Queens .”

“National Grid is happy to work with businesses to help them save energy, improve efficiency and reduce the bottom line," said Joe Rende, Vice President of Energy Solutions Delivery at National Grid. "The Roundtable discussions are a great opportunity for us to provide information about energy efficiency programs and other initiatives and learn more about how we can help our customers.”

Eileen Reilly, Maspeth Town Hall; Jim O'Kane, Maspeth Chamber of Commerce; Ken Camillou, National Grid; and Lillie Manjarrez, National Grid .

Pearle Vision's owner, Anthony Presti, expressed delight with his past Con Edison energy survey. "It was seamless, they went in to survey, were out fast and it was simple. I heard about it from a nearby business owner who had big savings. Con Edison changed my light bulbs--I saved 40% or better. I saved $20,000 in 4 years. My other store in Jackson Heights is five times larger than my Ozone Park location, but now I only have a $1,100 monthly bill. I'll put my kids through college with $20K saved here and there."

Addabbo concluded, "These programs have been underutilized and we need to continue to encourage small business owners to take advantage of these free services provided by Con Ed and National Grid. There is no central place for business owners to go to research energy efficient savings measures, which is why I am hosting two informational sessions later this month.”

The Senator's two informational sessions for small businesses, where they can sign up for a free energy survey with Con Edison and National Grid, will be held on May 6 at St. Mary Gate of Heaven School Auditorium, 104-06 101 Avenue, Ozone Park, from 7-9 PM. The other will be on May 13 at Glendale Memorial Building, 72-02 Myrtle Avenue, Glendale, from 7-9 PM.

On May Day, Senator Gillibrand Blasts Arizona Law, Renews Call for Comprehensive Immigration Reform...

As New Yorkers and people across America hold May Day demonstrations, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand issued the following statement deploring Arizona’s discriminatory immigration law:

“I stand with thousands of marchers across the country today who are expressing their outrage over the abhorrent law passed in the state of Arizona.

“America, and particularly New York, was built by the contributions of immigrants, and our diversity only adds to the greatness of this country. I think that we must take action on balanced, comprehensive immigration reform that treats immigrants with dignity. Arizona’s harsh and unreasonable law seeks to criminalize undocumented immigrants and to turn local police forces into immigration enforcement agencies. This abhorrent law undermines basic civil rights by inviting profiling of both lawful immigrants and U.S. citizens. It is a step in the wrong direction for our nation and is yet another example of why we need a federal solution for our broken immigration system.

“I am committed to working with my colleagues to pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill that treats immigrants fairly, gives them a path to earned citizenship, and improves border security.”

Potential Candidates Start Their Engines by Lisa Fogarty - Queens Chronicle

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Election season is in full swing.

Despite the still-meager number of public announcements that have been made by candidates planning to run for a chance to unseat Assemblyman Mike Miller (D-Woodhaven) and state Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Howard Beach), the air is buzzing with possibility and the names of several potential contenders.

Nick Comaianni, a small business-owner and the president of Community Education Council of District 24, said he is definitely in the running to challenge Miller in the Democratic primary for the 38th District Assembly seat. Comaianni has been down this road before — he attempted to run for the position last year after disgraced Assemblyman Anthony Seminario pleaded guily in a corruption case, leaving the seat suddenly vacant. But the Queens Democratic Party chose Miller as its candidate, cutting Comaianni’s shot short.

“This time around it’s not going to be a select few people deciding for thousands,” he said. “This time let the people decide.”

Comaianni said he remains faithful to the same issues he vowed to work on last year, including helping small business owners and senior citizens and education.

“We stand to lose 8,000 teachers in New York City,” he said. “The Assembly wants to cut that to 4,000. I say there should be no cuts — education is the last thing you want to cut.”

Comaianni, a member of the West Queens Democratic Party, is being supported by Farouk Samaroo, an Army soldier who also ran for the Assembly seat and was vocal in his belief that the special election process was racially biased. Fellow Democrat Albert Baldeo, who also ran last year, could not be reached for comment.

Another familiar player, Donna Caltabiano, who was the Republican pick to challenge Miller, has officially announced her candidacy. Caltabiano is the executive director of the Forest Hills Senior Center and says she knows what the community wants, since seniors at her center hail from all over the district, and that quality of life issues are their biggest concern. “They don’t think anyone is responding to their needs,” she said.

Caltabiano added that every day she sees examples of the government’s misuse of funding. “I see five or six Access-a-Rides coming to pick up five or six seniors. There is a lot of waste.”

While the Queens GOP endorsed Caltabiano, the Queens County Conservative Party got behind Miller, something they’ve done again.

“We unanimously endorsed him in March again,” said Thomas Long,chairman of the Queens Conservatives.

As for the senatorial race, Long said he’s heard quite a few names tossed around as potential Republican candidates who may run against Addabbo, but that nothing is certain. Among them: former Councilman Anthony Como, former 30th District Assembly candidate Anthony Nunziato and Councilman Eric Ulrich.

“I have no intention of being a candidate for office this year,” said Ulrich (R-Ozone Park). “I’m very happy doing my job. I do think Joe will have a tough race — this is a swing district. It’s going to be very challenging for Democrats.”

Ulrich, who is also a local district leader, said several candidates have expressed interest in running against Addabbo and that the Queens GOP will announce a candidate shortly.

Meanwhile, Nunziato said he would keep an eye out on the field, but that he has no plans to run against Addabbo.

Como, however, was far less resistant to the idea.

“I haven’t made up my mind 100 percent, but I’m leaning toward it,” he said.

The attorney and former counsel for state Sen. Serphin Maltese won the June 2008 special election in District 30 and served as councilman until December, when he was defeated by Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village). He said that while his tenure in the council was short, he achieved a great deal.

Among his accomplishments, he said, were starting up the Ridgewood Historical Register after the project had been stalled, helping a constituent keep her home from foreclosure and securing millions of dollars to fund nearly every school in his district.

As of now, no Democratics have been named as possible candidates to challenge either Addabbo or Assemblywoman Audrey Pheffer (D-Ozone Park), according to several sources.

Long said he has heard rumors that Rockaway Republican Gerald Sullivan, who ran against Pheffer in 2008, may be interested in challenging her again. Sullivan was unable to be reached for comment or confirmation.

Shops at Atlas Park Struggles to Survive with Summer Sale and Search for Tenants by Nicholas Hirshon - NY Daily News

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Key players in Shops at Atlas Park include City Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley, attorney Paul Millus, former development director Damon Hemmerdinger and former manager Michael Mattone. Noonan, Hirshon, DelMundo for News

The Shops at Atlas Park will unleash a new weapon during its summertime battle for survival.

The foreclosed Glendale mall - which is expected to be sold at auction next month - has hired a prominent agent to lure tenants ahead of a crucial shopping season for the open-air complex.

The entry of CB Richard Ellis, one of the world's largest commercial real estate firms, ends a 14-month management by Michael Mattone of the Mattone Group, whose contract recently expired.

Next in the Atlas Park saga: a highly anticipated sale - as early as June - that could determine the long-term success of the Cooper Ave. center.

It's also possible that a pact might be struck before the auction date, as teams and players often do prior to drafts in sports leagues.

"It's kind of like the draft," said Paul Millus, the court-appointed lawyer who controls the mall during foreclosure. "Sometimes you have a deal before you start."

Millus said several people have "expressed some measure of interest" in purchasing the mall, though he would not name them.

Community leaders have long figured the mall's founders, the family of former Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chairman Dale Hemmerdinger, would bid on the mall they conceived.

Hemmerdinger's son, Damon, who was the mall's development director from its opening in 2006 through early 2009, declined comment.

A group of Israeli investors is also in the running, with hopes to shape the mall in the mold of the Tanger Outlets on Long Island, said City Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley (D-Middle Village).

Crowley herself wants the City University of New York to offer classes at Atlas Park - a spot she thinks would be convenient for students in southern and western Queens.

Crowley said she will raise the possibility with university bigwigs after the city passes its budget this summer. CUNY officials did not return calls seeking comment.

Whether CUNY would even be welcome at Atlas Park depends on the philosophy of the mall's next owner.

The Hemmerdingers initially billed Atlas Park as a "lifestyle center" with specialty retail stores that many residents bashed as too upscale for the middle-class area.

CB Richard Ellis declined comment on its approach to leasing out the mall. But Atlas Park store owners hailed the entry of the renowned firm, which was the first of its kind in the Fortune 500.

In Queens, the company once leased the Bulova Corporate Center in Jackson Heights and Gertz Plaza in Jamaica. It opened an office last year in Long Island City.

"They're very reputable," said Boris Sorin, an attorney who has represented multiple Atlas Park stores in rent negotiations. "With a new team in place, it's going to bring in new energy and vision."

Mark Gallagher, owner of the mall's Manor Oktoberfest restaurant, called the firm's introduction "absolutely the most positive thing" for Atlas Park.

Gallagher hoped that CB Richard Ellis might sign up a small department store to attract customers - who then might dine at his eatery.

Millus said he is working on bringing a supermarket and "other smaller tenants" to the mall. A Subway franchise and school uniform store are set to open soon, he added.

But the prospective co-owner of a Cuban eatery said he is pulling out after troubles with management. He said he would leave his business partner to go it alone in the critical coming months.

"It's the last chance for the mall," said Kathy Masi, president of the Glendale Civic Association. "I wish it would survive."

Police Evacuate Part of Times Square - NYTimes.com

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Crowds of tourists and theatergoers were cleared from Times Square as the police investigated a “suspicious vehicle” there on Saturday evening.

Officials were investigating a sport utility vehicle parked at 45th Street and Seventh Avenue that was emitting smoke. A bomb squad was sent to the scene.

Broadway was closed between at least 43rd and 46th Streets, and the police also appeared to be closing off part of Eighth Avenue.

Paul J. Browne, the Police Department’s chief spokesman, told Reuters that a vehicle had been left in Times Square and that a small fire was extinguished.

“We’re just trying to determine if it was anything other than a car fire,” Mr. Browne said. “We don’t know yet if it’s anything more than that.”

Onlookers crowded against the metal barricades encircling the area, taking pictures with cellphones and video cameras, although only a swarm of flashing fire trucks and police cars was visible.

Many people stayed to watch after being shut out of Broadway shows or prevented from getting back to their hotels, trading rumors about what was happening.

The Toys “R” Us, between 44th and 45th Streets, was empty.

Gabrielle Zecha and Taj Heniser, visiting from Seattle, had tickets to see “Next to Normal” at the Booth Theater on 45th Street but could not get into the 8 p.m. show because the area was blocked off. But they made the best of the spectacle. “It’s a whole different kind of show,” Ms. Heniser said, adding, “It’s almost the equivalent of a $150 show.”

In December, the police closed Times Square for nearly two hours as they investigated a suspiciously parked van, delaying the rehearsal of the New Year’s ball drop. However, the van turned out to contain nothing but clothing.

Times Square Bomb Investigation: Car Fire Prompts Emergency Response After Suspicious Package Found In Back Seat

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Times Square has been shut down and the NYPD bomb squad is investigating a suspicious package, reports WCBS.

Car and pedestrian traffic has been blocked off between 44th and 46th Streets, from Broadway to Seventh Avenue while police use a robot to inspect the package found in the backseat of a burning car.

The square was evacuated around 8 pm.

No injuries were reported.

For live footage from the scene, click HERE.

Keep checking back for more...

Thousands of Birds, Like the Hermit Thrush, Make a Pit Stop at NYC Parks During Spring Migration by Amy Sacks - NY Daily News

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A hermit thrush, one of thousands of birds migrating north for the summer, stops for rest at Bryant Park in midtown Thursday Vitalia Shklovsky

The rare sighting of a tiny yellow songbird this week gave hundreds of enthusiastic birders in Central Park something to tweet about.

"We don't get many [birds like this] so it's always very exciting," said avid birder Starr Saphir as she spied a lone prothonotary warbler by the Ramble during one of her daily early morning bird walks.

The flamboyant songbird - with blue-gray wings and tail covering a yellow belly - is among the thousands of birds making a pit stop at city parks and marshes throughout the month during their annual spring migration.

Hundreds of species of colorful birds will soar above the city and sing from the treetops as they make their way from South America to breeding grounds in the north.

Some stay for a night or two, some stay longer.

Earlier this week, naturalist and educator Gabriel Willow spotted one of his favorite birds, an American woodcock, as it hunkered down on vegetation near the Mid-Manhattan Library in Bryant Park. But the next day, the shorebird was gone.

"It was probably hunting for earthworms, and wondering where it was," said Willow, who leads free bird-watching tours for the NYC Audubon and other local bird groups.

The urban jungle is a natural attraction for birds who travel thousands of miles over water down two migratory flyways along the coast. The trip is arduous, and lush greenery in the parks and marshes lures them in, offering a rich bounty of insects, buds and seeds to feed on.

"Take a lunch break and look up," suggested Willow, who also co-created an iPhone app that tracks bird sightings available at www.thewildlab.org.

In Central Park, the varied habitats of the north end and the Ramble offer the top places to spot birds, among them hummingbirds and orioles feeding on trees, and thrushes that "sing ethereal songs from dawn to dusk," Willow said.

Brooklyn's Prospect Park has one of the city's largest populations of spring migratory birds. Also, the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge is a prime birding spot for thousands of shorebirds, waders, waterfowl and dozens of migratory songbirds that feast on the eggs of the horseshoe crab during its mating season.

Still, migration can be risky. The trip is not only exhausting, but the birds travel over unfamiliar territory, and have to endure natural and manmade threats along the way.

Backyard cats, power lines and windows pose the greatest threats - and many birds die en route.

The ever-expanding skyline also makes the journey difficult.

"The city's erection of glass buildings makes it a challenging passage and many birds collide or get confused and crash," said Rita McMahon, a wildlife rehabilitator who runs the Wild Bird Fund (wildbirdfund.org), which last year treated more than 1,000 injured birds.

New York is the only top 10 U.S. city without a dedicated wildlife rehabilitation center. Therefore, injured birds are treated at Animal General, a veterinary hospital on the upper West Side, and in McMahon's home.

McMahon and other wildlife rehabbers, however, are working hard to get funding and support to establish an independent center.

Those who find an injured bird should place it in a dark box and call the Wild Bird Fund at (646) 306-2862 or find a local rehabber at www.nyswrc.org.

For a list of birdwalking walks, bird-a-thons and bird events, go to New York City Audubon at www.nycaudubon.org.