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If you've had to step over discarded Christmas trees on a city sidewalk lately, you might be pleased to know they won't end up in a landfill. The Sanitation ...

A bill to legalize gay marriage was defeated in New Jersey's state Senate on Thursday. The vote, 14 for and 20 against, is a blow to gay marriage advocates, who were trying to get the measure passed before Gov.-elect Chris Christie, an opponent of gay marriage, takes office on January ...

The MTA is beginning to straighten out the confusing maze of ramps at the Fulton and Nassau subway stations downtown. That means over the next two weekends some riders will have to exit and re-enter the complex to make the ...

By Robert Hennelly
WNYC Political Reporter

Paterson grabbed the headlines but Cuomo commands the spot light. Standing in the midst of the crowd around Cuomo at the State House it was clear he really generates the kind of excitement you saw around a Kennedy in the days of old. His measured tones, verbal precision, and forceful physical presence inspire people. Many of those who swarmed him yesterday seemed to see him AS THE MAN to fill a void in state and even national leadership.

For Paterson's part he really pulled off a fast break that left his legislative colleagues in the dust when it comes to claiming the mantle of reform. They all grumbled bitterly yesterday that they had also had versions of the Reform Albany Act that were 'so close to gelling' but 'still in process'. (And there was the smarty pants Governor with his fancy booklet spelling out his utopian reform vision with the state seal on it..........)

Now Paterson, pushing term limits and every other reform ever imagined, can run as an anti-Albany reformer despite the historical fact he has been an Albany fixture for a generation.

The governor says his reforms are necessary to create jobs and bridge looming budget deficits.

When a city high school graduates fewer than half of its students in four years, one could argue major changes are needed. That’s exactly what’s happening at Jamaica High. It’s one of 20 schools the city wants to phase out for low performance while opening smaller new schools in the ...

The famed Tavern on the Green, which has filed for bankruptcy and shut its doors on New Year's Eve, is auctioning off its goods next week. Thousands of items will be available throughout the three-day auction including crystal chandeliers, paintings, and dinnerware.

Also today the restaurant delivered 2,000 pounds of ...

Rev. Al Sharpton (L) and Jesse Jackson (R) shake hands while Rev. James Forbes ...

Below is Gov. David Paterson's second State of the State speech delivered today in Albany:

Here is an analysis with WNYC's Bob Hennelly in Albany, and Amy Eddings:

Gov. David Paterson plans to introduce what aides say will be the most comprehensive ethics reform package in state history. Under the so called 'Albany Reform Act,' which Paterson will announce in his State of the State Address Wednesday, ...

Gay marriage advocates in New Jersey are preparing for a last-ditch attempt to pass a bill legalizing same-sex marriage.

The redevelopment of Domino Sugar's plant at 316 Kent Avenue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, is beginning its board approval process.

He's the first new D.A. the borough has had in 35 years.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg is defending a Health Department pamphlet for heroin users that shows how to shoot up properly and avoid infection.

(Volker Hartmann/AFP/Getty Images)

Temperatures are expected to remain around feezing with wind chills in the teens for the rest of the week. As the winter chill sets in, here is some advice from fellow WNYC ...

In 1966 Mao Zedong took a legendary swim in the Yangtze river. The famous swim came on the eve of the Cultural Revolution and was meant to show that Mao was still a leader with great vitality and strength, and among other things, vigorously healthy. And here in ...

(From \'Take Charge, Take Care\')

The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene printed about 70,000 copies of a guide to safe heroin use called 'Take Charge, Take Care.' The New York City-funded booklet for ...

The number of tourists visiting New York City fell by nearly 4 percent last year. City officials say 45.2 million people visited the Big Apple last year, down 3.9 percent from 2008. Tourism officials say the decline was less than they had expected. Even with the drop in visitors, New ...

(Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

With temperatures dipping below freezing and wind-chills dropping into single digits, New York City officials are ramping up their efforts to get homeless people off the streets and out of the cold.

With overnight lows last ...