WNYC News

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Former Head of NYC Film Office Dies

Monday, September 03, 2007

The former head of New York City's film office has died. Nancy Littlefield, who headed the city's Office of Motion Pictures and Television for five years under Mayor Edward Koch, died Thursday of cancer in Florida. She was 77.

REPORTER: Littlefield helped make it easier for ...

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Taxi Drivers Prepare for Strike

Monday, September 03, 2007

A group of about 7,000 New York City taxi drivers is vowing to go ahead with a strike this week to protest new rules requiring GPS and credit card systems in cabs. It's unclear how many members of the group will participate. Members of the ...

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Housing Complex May Leave Subsidy Program

Thursday, August 30, 2007

The owners of Brooklyn's Starrett City housing complex are signaling they may leave a state rent-subsidy program. Many of Starrett City's 6,000 apartments are rent-subsidized under the state's Mitchell-Lama program.

REPORTER: Tenants are receiving letters saying that the owners have filed papers with the state to ...

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Mayor Launches New Tourism Campaign

Thursday, August 30, 2007

In an effort to have visitors to the city feel more at home, Mayor Bloomberg wants to recruit all 8 million residents as on-the-spot guides. The city has launched a new campaign - "Just Ask the Locals." The mayor says New Yorkers are up to ...

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City Orders Halt to Repair Work to Deutsche Bank Building

Monday, August 20, 2007

City buildings officials have issued an order to halt all work at the former Deutsche Bank Building, except repairs to keep the building safe, as fire officials continue their investigation into what started the fire that killed two firefighters.

REPORTER: Fire marshals are conducting interviews of ...

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Investigations Continue into Bank Fire; Residents Concerned About Safety

Monday, August 20, 2007

Fire marshals are questioning witnesses, and gathering evidence, at the scene of Saturday's deadly blaze at the former Deutsche Bank building. They're also inspecting the standpipe, which failed to pump water up to firefighters battling the fire on the upper floors of the abandoned building.

REPORTER: ...

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City Council Helps Spare Subsidized Apartments From Foreclosures

Monday, August 20, 2007

With help from the city council, some 500 federally-subsidized apartments are being spared from foreclosure, and auction. The council is spending $14 million to help tenants and local non-profits take over from private landlords who are facing foreclosures.

REPORTER: Sean Donovan, commissioner of the city's Department ...

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Some Brooklyn Residents Return to Houses After Tornado

Saturday, August 11, 2007

Ten Brooklyn homes damaged by Wednesday's tornado are now safe enough for their owners to move back in, according to buildings officials.

REPORTER: Some 20 homes still remain unsafe and cannot be occupied. Deputy Commissioner Robert Limandri says each property has different problems.

LIMANDRI: In some cases, ...

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Advocates Take Issue with New Randalls Island

Friday, August 03, 2007

Randalls Island is undergoing renovations that will add 34 softball fields and 29 football fields. Its Sports Foundation has decided to allow 20 private schools to use the new facilities for after school sports and activities.

REPORTER: Yesterday, the non-profit group NYC Park Advocates protested a ...

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New York Bridges Eyed

Friday, August 03, 2007

Following the deadly bridge collapse in Minneapolis, Governor Spitzer is asking state agencies to examine the 49 bridges in New York with designs similar to the one that collapsed into the Mississippi River.

REPORTER: The state agencies will also review inspection standards and are to report ...

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Kinks in Homeland Security Program

Friday, August 03, 2007

The General Accounting Office says a Homeland Security computer system used to screen incoming foreigners does not have the sufficient security controls to prevent hacking.

REPORTER: The US-VISIT program was put in place after 9/11 to help prevent dangerous people from entering the country. Robert Mocny ...

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City, Union Work to Improve Conditions for Track Workers

Friday, August 03, 2007

New York City Transit and the union representing subway workers say they're making improvements in the wake of new internal reports that found several communication failures led to the deaths of two track workers in April.

REPORTER: Noisy generators are supposed to be kept quiet, so ...

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Another Investigation into Spitzer

Thursday, August 02, 2007

A criminal prosecutor will review reports about a scheme involving two of Governor Spitzer's aides who used state police to track a political rival.

REPORTER: State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo found no crimes were committed. But Albany County District Attorney David Soares has decided to review ...

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Hurricane Warning for Long Islanders

Thursday, August 02, 2007

The Long Island Power Authority has a grim warning for Long Islanders. The company says the smallest category of hurricane would knock out power to more than a half-million customers and it could leave Long Islanders in the dark for as long as nine days.

REPORTER: ...

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Governor Vetoes Welfare Bill

Thursday, August 02, 2007

Governor Spitzer has vetoed a bill that would have forced welfare agencies to steer people on welfare into higher paying jobs. Spitzer said the bill "ignores the realities of the marketplace." He said low wage jobs, combined with education and training, offer welfare recipients a ...

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City Murder Rates Continues to Fall

Thursday, August 02, 2007

The city's murder rate is continuing its historic decline. WNYC's Bob Hennelly has more on the latest numbers.

REPORTER: By July 1st of 2006, there had been 273 murders. But by the same time this year, the city logged 233 homicides. While the murder rate continues ...

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Jamaica Bay Salt Marshes Threatened

Thursday, August 02, 2007

The salt marsh islands in Jamaica Bay could disappear by 2012, 5 years earlier than previous estimates. A new study out today cites two likely culprits are nitrogen pollution from the city's sewage treatment plants and a decline in sediment reaching the base of the ...

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New Feature on MTA Web Site

Thursday, August 02, 2007

People who use elevators to access public transportation can now check whether those elevators are in service on a new MTA Web site. Michael Harris, Executive Director of the Disabled Riders Coalition, says the new website is clearer and more efficient than the old hotline.

HARRIS: ...

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Some Offices Remain Closed Following Steam Pipe Explosion

Thursday, August 02, 2007

While most of the area around last month's steam pipe explosion has reopened, some businesses still remain closed. Steve Mandel is a divorce lawyer and tenant of 370 Lexington Avenue, his building was heavily damaged by the blast.

MANDEL: My personal office is covered under 4 inches of ...

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Report on Subway Deaths Released

Thursday, August 02, 2007

New York City Transit says flawed safety procedures and a lax organizational culture are to blame for the deaths of two subway workers in April.

REPORTER: A report from the Transit Authority details the safety failures that led deaths of 41-year-old Daniel Boggs and 55-year-old Marvin ...

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