Arun Venugopal

Senior Reporter, WNYC News

Arun Venugopal appears in the following:

Celebrating Obama Win

Thursday, November 20, 2008

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 ...

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The Triborough Bridge Renamed after RFK

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

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 ...

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Once Again, Commuter Tax Pondered

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

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 ...

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Council Criticizes Rollback of $400 Homeowner Rebates

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

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 ...

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Pull Up Your Pants

Monday, November 17, 2008

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 ...

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Council Asks Mayor to Keep Tax Rebate Check

Monday, November 17, 2008

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 ...

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New Yorkers Travel to India to Introduce "Community Lawyering"

Sunday, November 16, 2008

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. ...

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Two Charged in Election Night Assault

Sunday, November 16, 2008

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 ...

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Exodus of Wealth?

Thursday, November 13, 2008

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 ...

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NYC Cracks Down Employment Agency Scams

Thursday, November 13, 2008

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 ...

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Stopping Term Limit Law

Monday, November 10, 2008

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 ...

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Black Churches Praise Obama's Election

Monday, November 10, 2008

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 ...

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Fewer Minority Students in Gifted & Talented Programs

Thursday, November 06, 2008

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 ...

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Staten Island Republicans Try to Hang on to Congressional Seat

Monday, November 03, 2008

One of the most closely watched races locally is in Staten Island, where Republican Bob Straniere is trying to defend Vito Fossella's seat for the GOP.

But polls suggest Councilman Mike McMahon is poised to win and that would make the city's entire congressional delegation Democratic.

Straniere, ...

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Mayor Extends Term Limits

Monday, November 03, 2008

Mayor Bloomberg signed his term limits bill into law, allowing himself and City Council members to run for a third term.

However, before the mayor signed, he got an earful from during the four-hour long public testimony. Several speakers praised the mayor, saying his financial skills ...

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The Hip Hop Vote

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Hip hop has played a visible role in presidential politics since at least the early 90s, when Bill Clinton had his Sista Souljah moment and denounced the performer's racially-charged statements.

In the last couple election cycles performers like Sean Combs, or Diddy have encouraged young people ...

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Finger Pointing Over Election Day Preparedness

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Mayor Bloomberg and the city's Board of Elections are blaming each other for what could turn out to be a very messy Election Day. WNYC's Arun Venugopal has more.

REPORTER: Mayor Bloomberg has never been a fan of the city's board of elections. But yesterday, when ...

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Can Dems Sweep New York City's Congressional Delegation?

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Republicans have held on to the Congressional seat in Staten Island for the last 28 years, but that may very well change on Election Day.

Polls suggest Democratic Candidate, Councilman Michael McMahon is likely to defeat his Republican opponent, former Assemblyman Robert Straniere.

The two are vying ...

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In Danger of a Referendum

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Despite a new Quinnipiac poll that found a vast majority of New Yorkers want to settle the issue of term limits by public referendum.

Mayor Bloomberg says having a special election would only result in prolonged litigation. And the city has enough on its plate.

BLOOMBERG: I ...

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Famed Queens Film Studio Expands

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

ELMO: Hi everybody, I'm so excited for Elmo's neighborhood Sesame Street to grow.

REPORTER: Sesame Street's Elmo yesterday helped Mayor Bloomberg break ground on a 40,000-foot expansion of the Kaufman Astoria Studios in Queens. City and state officials say a 35 percent tax credit for film ...

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