Arun Venugopal

The New York Police Department has told the federal government that it will need more money to protect the city during the trial of alleged terrorist Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.

New York, NY —

The NYPD has told the federal government it'll need more money to protect the city during the trial of alleged terrorist Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.

Police commissioner Ray Kelly says the department has sent in a request for federal funding but wouldn't specify how much. He simply ...

New York, NY —

With just a few days to go, 2009 is on pace to be the safest year in city history -- at least since reliable records were kept. Overall, crime has dropped by 11 percent since last year. Mayor Michael Bloomberg says that, since 2002, the ...

Good cheer was in the air in Brooklyn today as an estimated 2,000 New Yorkers in need showed up for a free hot lunch at an event billed as the city's largest Christmas-day feast.

In addition to hot turkey meals and desert, attendees at the annual lunch at the Prospect ...

New York, NY —

It's billed as the largest Christmas-day meal in town -- a hot turkey dinner with fixings and dessert, served at the YMCA in Park Slope. Organizers say they expect 2,000 hungry New Yorkers -- far more than previous years -- but they also saw a ...

New York, NY —

As the state's Congressional delegation celebrates the Senate's passage of healthcare reform, Mayor Bloomberg and Governor Paterson continue to voice concerns. They say the bill as it's currently written will hurt the state by depriving it of hundreds of millions of dollars in Medicaid funds. ...

New York, NY —

City firefighters joined with Citymeals on Wheels to deliver lunches to the homebound elderly on the Upper East Side today. Bearing meals and flowers, three firefighters in full uniform made their way up to the 102nd Street apartment of 82-year-old Mamie Williams and her 100-year-old ...

New York, NY —

'Tis the day before Christmas, and for some New Yorkers, that means last-minute shopping, airport delays and hectic trips out of town. But for the 212 Mormon missionaries who call this city home, this is a season of intense faith, and a chance to bring ...

New York, NY —

Gov. David Paterson is standing by his decision to withhold state funding from New York's public schools in order to keep the state solvent through the end of the year. Education groups are suing the governor over the payments. Paterson filed a separate brief in ...

New York, NY —

The City Council overrode a mayoral veto to grant drivers a five-minute grace period for many parking violations. As Danny Ng hopped out of his car and into a restaurant near Canal Street yesterday - he said the new law is needed.

NG: Because a lot ...

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New York, NY —

Gov. David Paterson has signed an executive order protecting transgender state workers from discrimination in the workplace. The order is limited because it doesn't provide protection for those in the private sector. But the governor says today's signing should be seen as a stepping stone ...

New York, NY —

School parents and elected officials are holding rallies across the city today in protest against the MTA's plan to eliminate free student MetroCards. Council member Gale Brewer was at a demonstration on the Upper West Side and says that in addition to burdening parents with ...

New York, NY —

Gov. David Paterson is unilaterally reducing $750 million in state payments due tomorrow, and schools are set to be hit the hardest.

The governor says the measures are needed because of the failure of the legislature to adequately address the $3.2 billion state deficit. With ...

It's the first day of a trial of a concrete testing company, accused of faking results for some of the city's biggest construction projects.

New York, NY —

A jury has heard opening statements in the trial of a concrete testing company accused of faking results for some of the city's biggest construction projects. WNYC's Arun Venugopal was at the Criminal Court downtown.

REPORTER: Testwell Laboratories allegedly cut corners by fabricating test results used ...

New York, NY —

Brooklyn councilman Charles Barron says he's challenging Christine Quinn for the title of Council Speaker, while hoping to reform the position. WNYC's Arun Venugopal has more.

REPORTER: Barron and Quinn have clashed before, namely when she fired his aide for making inflammatory remarks about another council ...

New York, NY —

Members of the city council are expressing extreme skepticism about the NYPD's statistics on gang activity. A police official who spoke at a hearing today says gang activity is down 57 percent since last year. But city council members say it is not.

The hearing was ...

New York, NY —

The City Council will be holding hearings this morning on legislation meant to crack down on street gangs. WNYC's Arun Venugopal has more.

REPORTER: One of the bills under discussion would make it illegal to encourage someone to join a criminal gang, or to discourage them ...

New York, NY —

Starting today the city's Fire Department will be cutting staff size at about a quarter of its engine companies. The cuts are due to a higher medical absentee rate, which has cost the city increased overtime. Mayor Bloomberg defends the cuts.

BLOOMBERG: The fire department believes ...