Rochester

Megan Merkel, Woman Who Killed Teacher Before Telling World To "Suck A ___," Now Blames "Retard" Ex-Boyfriend For Deadly Wreck

Some people just don't know when to shut their stupid mouths. Megan Merkel, 23, the Upstate woman who (allegedly) drunkenly killed a teacher in a tragic car wreck over the weekend, certainly fits that mold.On Sunday, just hours after killing 40-year-old teacher Heather Boyum -- a mother of two child ... More >>

Megan Merkel, Upstate Woman Blamed In Death Of Teacher, Wants Haters To "Suck A ___ And Choke On It"

After allegedly mowing down a teacher while driving drunk, nothing (ahem) screams "class" more than taking to Facebook to declare your innocence -- and tell the "haters" to "suck a dick and choke on it."That's what an Upstate woman did over the weekend after allegedly killing a high school biology t ... More >>

Serial Foot-Licker Anthony Parri Claims Barack Obama Set Him Up

Grab your tinfoil helmets, birthers: there's a new Barack Obama conspiracy theory to wrap your heads around -- this one involves an alleged serial foot-licker and the president's plan to set him up.An upstate man was arrested yesterday after he allegedly licked the feet of two young girls at a libra ... More >>

Andrew Cuomo: "Extreme" GOPers Will Have To Answer to Voters For Killing "Public View" Marijuana Bill

As we reported yesterday, State Senate Republicans killed a bill proposed by Governor Andrew Cuomo that would further decriminalize marijuana in the Empire State by closing a loophole that makes having weed in public a misdemeanor, while possessing weed in private is only a violation.No skin off the ... More >>

Q&A: Jason Crane Takes The Jazz Session On the Road With The "Jazz Or Bust" Tour

Jason Crane is the creator, producer, distributor and host of The Jazz Session, an excellent in-depth interview show. This summer, Crane's taking the show on the road with the "Jazz or Bust" tour, a jaunt that, he told SOTC, was inspired by his wandering spirit, his desire to see jazz musicians in t ... More >>

Kiddie-Porn Suspect Faces More Prison Time Than A "Depraved Sex Fiend" Who Sexually Assaulted 85-Year-Old Woman

The United States Attorney's Office just sent us the criminal complaint for a man who was arrested this morning after federal agents found several images and videos of kiddie porn on his computer. If convicted, the suspect, 55-year-old convicted sex offender Jay Kroll, faces a mandatory minimum sent ... More >>

Upstate Woman Witnesses Soldier Husband's Death During Skype Chat

Governor Andrew Cuomo has directed that flags be flown at half-mast following the death of a New York soldier killed in Afghanistan on Monday. Adding to the tragedy, the soldier's wife apparently witnessed her husband's death as the two were chatting on Skype.The governor's office says Captain Bruce ... More >>

Shamed Former Congressman John Sweeney's Back! And He Wants George Maragos' Money

If you're running for one of the highest political offices in the country, you'd probably be advised to avoid certain unsavory characters who could potentially derail your campaign. You might want to avoid hiring a former congressman who was arrested for DUI (twice) and "had a woman on his lap when ... More >>

GOP Convention Underway: Meet Your "Extreme" Candidates For Senate Right Here

​New York's GOP convention kicked off today in Rochester, and state Dems are using the occasion to sling a little mud at the three Republican candidates for Senate -- and by "mud," we mean facts.Three GOP hopefuls for the Senate seat held by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand are Manhattan attorney Wendy ... More >>

Congressman Bob Turner Wants To Be Senator Bob Turner

​Queens Congressman Bob Turner -- who replaced disgraced former Congressman Anthony Weiner after winning a special election in September -- has been in office for what seems like all of 30 seconds...and he's already seeking higher office.Turner announced this afternoon that he'll seek the Republic ... More >>

Fall Arts: Juan Puntes Likes to Poke at Things Inside the White Box

National Organization for Marriage to Protest Same-Sex Weddings Statewide this Sunday

C.S. MuncyBrian Brown (right), the President of NOM, marching with Sen. Ruben Diaz ​This whole week, we at Runnin' Scared are happy to bring you stories in our "Countdown to SSM" series, as we talk to New Yorkers leading up to the big day when marriage equality comes to all. Yesterday we share ... More >>

Gay Marriage in New York: Over the Hump Today?

​Today could be the day when gay marriage equality passes its biggest hurdle in New York State yet and actually achieves something it never has before: likely passage in the state senate. With 31 of the necessary 32 votes already publicly announced, the effort only needs one GOP senator for th ... More >>

Carl Kruger, Two Other Dems Now Reportedly Support Gay Marriage

Three more votes have reportedly been secured for gay marriage legislation working its way through the New York Senate, including Brooklyn Democrat Carl Kruger, who was formerly staunchly anti-gay but was recently outed. Three Democratic senators who voted "no" last time — Joseph Addabbo Jr. ... More >>

New York May Get State Dog, Can We Keep Him?

via _jennieMarie​Lawmakers are introducing legislation tomorrow that would give New York an official state dog. Assemblyman Micah Kellner and State Senator Joseph E. Robach are partnering up to give the honor to rescue dogs, as in dogs who are rescued and put up for adoption in shelters. Sure, ... More >>

Ask the Critics: Where Can I Take Someone Who Likes Chain Restaurants?

​Jacob B. asks: Where would you take someone who seems to generally prefer chain (or mini-chain) restaurants? Ideally on the Upper West Side, but I'm open to elsewhere in the city. Dear Jacob: A better question: Why does your friend like chain restaurants? Sure, maybe portion sizes are large ... More >>

Garth Fagan and His Veteran Dance Troupe Celebrate Four Decades

The Joyce hosts a welcome anniversary

A Brief History of Vijay Iyer

The jazz pianist's new Solo details a lifetime of out-of-body experiences

New York City Really Sucks for Quality Affordable Childcare

​New Orleans is the only city that out-did New York's dire childcare situation, according to a study by website Care.com. New York City closed many subsidized daycare centers this summer to narrow budget gaps, and childcare elsewhere in the city can cost more than rent, making a significant d ... More >>

Rick Lazio 7 Points Ahead of Soon-to-Be-Ex-Governor Paterson: Poll

Governor Paterson launched his election campaign this weekend in a whirlwind tour of Rochester, West Seneca, and Manhattan. Thus buoyed, he told Arnold Schwarzenegger in D.C. today that "I'm the Teflon Governor." You know the poor man can't get away with that kind of good cheer without something ba ... More >>

David Paterson's Latest Bombshell: He Talks to Eliot Spitzer

​The latest New York Post bombshell on Governor Paterson -- coming hard on the heels of the explosive New York Times revelation that Paterson had sex with multiple partners in closets has an aide who fought with his dates -- is that he talks to Eliot Spitzer. The disgraced ex-Governor, say unn ... More >>

Massa Pushes Bill to Kill Tiered Internet Pricing

New York Democratic Congressman Eric Massa (pictured) is grabbing headlines while the grabbing's good. The recent pirate story gave him a chance to talk about his "Days of Patroling for Pirates" as a sailor. And Time Warner's threat of tiered internet service -- offering lower prices to light users, ... More >>

Bloomberg Asks Gov for Money; Other Mayors Content with Taxes, Fines

After the "withdrawal" of Bloomberg ally Caroline Kennedy, and slightly in advance of leaks that Kirsten Gillibrand would go to the Senate instead, Governor Paterson caught some flak from Mayor Bloomberg. Bloomberg complained about the $646 million that the Paterson cut from state funds to the city, ... More >>

Tale of Two Cities, Three Changes, and Anger/Nation Try to Relive What Other Artists Once Did

Grated expectations

Recalling A Wilder City In NYC Vigilantes Series

Citizen vengeance, in all its scummy glory at Anthology Film Archives

NY's Highest Court Upholds Lesbian Couple's Canadian Marriage

First Lady Paterson Greens the Mansion, Enjoys Thai Food

State Senate Plays Politics with Pay Equity

The London Blitz

Plague! Arson! Smut! A visit to Britain’s classy theater.

From Sound to Color

Applause for Rouben Mamoulian

Spying on Big Brother

Now you can find out if you're being surveilled by the FBI or the NYPD.

Gay Marriage "Inevitable": Rally in Sheridan Square

Drunk and Disorderly: A First-Time Director's Bawdy Goblet of Dire

Hop State Pride

A roundup of New York's great microbreweries

Beyond the Melting Pot

Vijay Iyer and Rudresh Mahanthappa sure are tough-minded—and also Indian Americans

Dance Deluge

Coming attraction: Great dance, five different troupes nightly for six nights at a tiny price

Despite Star's Best Efforts, Corny Thriller Goes off the Depp End

More Sins of the Fathers

Catholic Women Blast Sex Abuse and Sexism

Intensive Spanish

Learning by Teaching and Dancing

Tiger Balm

Three Takes on Taming Wildness

The Choices They Made

Fear the Cheaper

Kingpins

At Brooklyn’s Bedford Bowl, the Stakes Are High and the Obsessions Run Deep

NY Mirror

Art and Industry

Fops and Robbers

Hype and Glory

Dissecting scientific promise from reality

Lion's Share

Black Concert Dancers Storm Broadway

Pataki's Pap

The make-believe governor spins his boomtime fantasy

On the Mark

Green's populist campaign appeals to Hollywood and Harlem