If there's no such thing as bad press, it's a good week for rats in New York City.

"I am a life-long resident of Bushwick, Brooklyn - a beautiful community besieged by gun violence" - Jesus Gonzalez.

*Mr. Gonzalez will be live chatting about gun control and school safety with Radio Rookies and Youth Radio from 1-2pm.

The city's largest police union rolled out an ad campaign last week to focus on the more heroic aspects of the work cops do. Union officials said Hurricane Sandy presented the NYPD with a unique opportunity to counteract some of negative press over the past year.

Just 51 percent of New Yorkers speak only English at home, according to recent data from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey. As for the other 49 percent, well, the languages span the globe.

Eric Lipton, Washington correspondent for The New York Times, discusses the government effort to provide housing assistance for those displaced by Sandy. Then, WNYC reporter Cindy Rodriguez talks about local aid for the displaced. 

Three cheers for another successful year! Bravo to our youth organizers who did an incredible job of creating what is a now a great tradition of bringing together youth, youth media enthusiasts and media professionals! 

A task force investigating a spike in thoroughbred deaths at the Aqueduct track last winter is calling for tighter rules and better regulation of drug use, particularly corticosteroids that can mask injuries.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is under fire this week for saying he doesn't have any hopes of winning the votes of the 47-percent of Americans who don't pay income taxes. Just who are the 47 percent in New York City, and do they really not pay taxes?

The Nashville-bred New York-based singer and songwriter (and son of troubadour Steve Earle), last joined us with his critically acclaimed 2010 album, "Harlem River Blues." His latest release has hints of Memphis soul, and is called "Nothing’s Gonna Change the Way You Feel About Me Now." Justin Townes Earle joins us for a live acoustic performance. Plus – he records a song with The 78 Project.

100 years ago today, the Titanic was in the midst of its ill-fated voyage across the Atlantic. As the centennial of the ship sinking disaster approaches, we listen back to songs inspired by the event - from Blind Willie Johnson's "God Moves On The Water" to the Dixon Brothers' "Down With The Old Canoe." Joining us to discuss is Grammy-winning engineer and producer of the "People Take Warning" compilation set, Christopher King.

Pity riders of the C train, named by the Straphangers Campaign as New York's worst subway line for the third year in a row. But the C train was not alone — it tied with the No. 2 train for last place.

Researchers have been studying whether New Yorkers have been fleeing the Big Apple for Philadelphia in search of a cheaper, more accessible urban dream.

Thirty-four troubled New York City schools will find out Friday whether they'll get extra help next fall to improve, or if they'll eventually face more drastic changes.

The schools are on the state's list of “persistently low achieving schools” and qualify to receive about $2 million each, annually, in federally funded ...

It’s officially summer. But New York City’s public schools don’t get out until Monday. That makes this last full week of class a long one for restless students. And a creative challenge for teachers.

On a hot summer day, with the ice cream truck beckoning outside, it might seem like torture ...

The state budget crisis, of course, won’t spare city services. One that may take a big hit is public libraries. Forty branches could be closed if funds aren’t restored -– under a worst-case scenario. But with so much up in the air and a good deal of politicking, it's hard ...

For the first time after two sold out seasons, the Tribeca New Music Festival moves to uptown host Merkin Hall with a series of performances presented by the New York Art Ensemble. But the festival will keep its downtown feel, featuring the JACK Quartet performing an eclectic concert of six composers, New York Art Ensemble Monsters! performing a work by Phillip Glass, new media artist Luke Dubois collaborating with vocal quartet New York Polyphony, Pamela Z and Bora Yoon and a night of exciting composer/performer acts.

As New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the City Council negotiate next year's budget, advocates are raising the alarm about deep cuts to libraries. Mayor Bloomberg's spending plan would reduce aid to libraries by $74 million.

The Queens Borough Public Library says it could close up to 14 ...

Gov. David Paterson's proposal to keep all New York's 213 parks and historic sites funded and open starting Memorial Day weekend has hit resistance from lawmakers and environmentalists because it's embedded in a broader measure to reduce dedicated environmental spending.

Paterson initially said the bill would take $6 million from an ...

New York City released new figures today in the ongoing taxi overcharging scam, showing that 45 drivers overcharged passengers more than a thousand times each. The No. 1 offender overcharged passengers 4,683 times, according to the Taxi and Limousine Commission.

Some 600 of the worst offenders will lose their licenses. Others ...