Arun Venugopal

New York, NY —

WNYC's Arun Venugopal attends the Connecticut wedding of two men who've been together for 35 years. And WNYC Weekend Edition Host Brian Zumhagen gets an update on the situation in New York from Alan Van Capelle, Executive Director of Empire State Pride Agenda.

New York, NY —

In a series of events that recall the Abner Louima brutality case, 11 years ago, an officer was accused of sodomizing a Brooklyn man on October 15. And two other officers are charged with a cover up. WNYC's Arun Venugopal has this report.

HYNES: At approximately ...

New York, NY —

If you stood in front of the Trader Joe's in Brooklyn yesterday, you might've seen dozens of locals mysteriously descend into a manhole on Atlantic Avenue. WNYC's Arun Venugopal joined them underground for a glimpse of "The Lost Tunnel of New York."

DIAMOND: This tunnel was ...

New York, NY —

Dozens of religious leaders gathered on the steps of City Hall today, calling for interfaith harmony in the wake of the deadly terrorist attacks in Mumbai.

For some Islamic leaders, it was a chance to denounce the extremism that has become associated with their faith.

Doctor Khurshid ...

New York, NY —

Governor Paterson is questioning the plan by State Senate Republicans to offer committee chairmen more funding and power. The plan could help lure Democrats who haven't pledged support for a new Senate Majority Leader.

PATERSON: Is this reform of government where we would try to diminish ...

New York, NY —

City Comptroller Bill Thompson has a plan for plugging the MTA's budget hole: make car and truck owners pay hundreds of dollars more in vehicle registration fees. WNYC's Arun Venugopal has more.

REPORTER: Comptroller Thompson's payment structure is based on weight: if you own a tiny ...

New York, NY —

SOCCER FANS: We all hate the yellow football team, the yellow football team, the yellow football team...

REPORTER: That hated, yellow football team would be Major League Soccer's Columbus Crew, and they beat the New York Red Bulls in the championship game yesterday, leaving these fans ...

New York, NY —

MoveOn says its members raised $88 million towards Barack Obama's win.

Now it intends to maintain the momentum. MoveOn's executive director, Eli Pariser, says tonight's gatherings will help set the progressive agenda.

PARISER: The parties are going to be a launching pad for what we hope is ...

New York, NY —

A day before what would have been his 83rd birthday, New York paid a huge tribute to the late senator, Robert F. Kennedy, in concrete and steel. The Triborough Bridge was renamed after the slain senator, in a ceremony at a Queens park at its ...

New York, NY —

Plenty of attitude was in the air as members of the City Council faced off against Mayor Bloomberg's budget director at a council finance hearing yesterday. WNYC's Arun Venugopal has more.

REPORTER: The hearing was meant to be about the city's looming budget deficit, but Council ...

New York, NY —

It's been nine years since the state legislature put an end to the tax on out-of-towners, but could the commuter tax have a second life? That was a question posed by the council finance committee yesterday.

Here's how the mayor's budget director, Mark Page responded.

PAGE: I ...

New York, NY —

Brothers should pull up their pants. That's the advice of President-elect Barack Obama who was recently asked by MTV how he felt about the style favored by some young African-Americans of wearing their pants well below the waist. WNYC's Arun Venugopal headed out to Fulton ...

New York, NY —

Plenty of attitude was in the air as members of the City Council faced off against Mayor Bloomberg's budget director at a council finance hearing today. Arun Venugopal has more.

REPORTER: The hearing was meant to be about the city's looming budget deficit, but council members ...

New York, NY —

Five New York City lawyers and other legal professionals arrived in the city of Pune, India Saturday, hoping to expand access to the courts for those who can't afford lawyers.

REPORTER: The initiative was established by the Community Legal Resource Network, or CLRN, based at CUNY. ...

New York, NY —

Two Staten Island men have been charged with hate-crimes after allegedly beating a young African man in the hours following Barack Obama's election. The Staten Island District Attorney claims the two assaulted the victim Ali Kamara with a pipe and baton because they wanted to ...

New York, NY —

Governor Paterson has said he's reluctant to raise taxes on the wealthy because it might cause them to pack up and leave.

But at least one member of that tax bracket takes issue with his logic, Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

BLOOMBERG: I can only tell you, among my ...

New York, NY —

The city's department of consumer affairs has shut down three employment agencies and issued fines to others after conducting an 18-month-long investigation into what it calls "predatory practices." Consumer Affairs Commissioner Jonathan Mintz says people seeking employment should beware.

MINTZ: If you're going to sign a ...

New York, NY —

Sunday services were extra special for many of the city's black congregations celebrating the historic election of Barack Obama. WNYC's Arun Venugopal went to church in Jamaica, Queens, at the Greater Allen AME Cathedral.

FLAKE: Our topic this morning, at last: the Promised Land.

REPORTER: The Reverend ...

New York, NY —

This time, they're filing their lawsuit in federal court, claiming the mayor and speaker Christine Quinn acted illegally when they changed the term limits law by legislation, and not a voter referendum.

Attorney Norman Siegel says legal precedent supports their case, that elected officials cannot act ...

New York, NY —

Two City Council members are demanding changes in the city's new admissions policy for gifted and talented programs in its public schools, following news that the change did not bring more students in, or make the programs more ethnically and racially diverse.

Councilman Lew Fidler says ...