Sheldon Silver

The Big Lobbyist Battle For Medical Reefer in New York Begins

New York has had the whole medical marijuana conversation for a while (end result: fail) and legalizing marijuana, if only for medical purposes, has its twists and turns here. Even with the roll back of the draconian Rockefeller drug laws by Cuomo, being the world capital of weed arrests sure doesn' ... More >>

Last Night's Dispatches From The New York Democrats' Viewing Party on Election Night 2012

When it was called that President Obama had won a second chance in the Oval Office, the entire ballroom exploded in emotion. Chants of "We Love You, Obama," rang through the air, a gay couple next to me celebrated with a kiss and a hug, three African-American women next to me cried tears of joy and ... More >>

Senate Candidate/Former Assembly Staffer: "Nobody Listens" To Complaints Of Sexual Harassment In Silver's "Boys Club"

New York Post scribe Fred Dicker supposedly is the "dean of the Albany press corp." When he's not puckering up to the rump of Governor Andrew Cuomo, Dicker is pegged with the task of weeding out scandals and corruption at the highest levels of state government. That said, you'd think that if a forme ... More >>

Shelly Silver Wants Pervy Assemblyman Vito Lopez To Call It A Career

In an apparent attempt to save a little face, Democratic Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver says he's asked disgraced Assemblyman Vito Lopez to quit his job in the wake of the ongoing sex scandal that's plaguing both pols.Lopez, as you know, has a habit of allegedly sexually harassing young, female sta ... More >>

Ladies, Assemblyman Vito Lopez Would Prefer You Not Wear A Bra To Work

Former female staffers of shamed Assemblyman Vito Lopez are coming out of the woodwork to give accounts of what it's like working for the now former chairman of the Brooklyn Democratic Party.Here's the gist of their accounts: Lopez likes short skirts, "well endowed" women, and -- apparently channeli ... More >>

Deadly Delancey: What To Expect With The Street Safety Plan

In January, 12-year-old Dashane Santana was struck and killed by a car as she crossed Delancey, at Clinton Street. Santana was not the first pedestrian to perish on the busy road: Other walkers and many cyclists have died on Delancey. At the intersection of Delancey and Essex, for example, Transpo ... More >>

Mixed-Martial Arts Still Banned, Headlines Containing 'KO' Ensue (Just Like This One!)

Albany pols announced yesterday that a bill legalizing mixed-martial arts wouldn't even make it to the Assembly floor for a vote, as detailed by the Wall Street Journal (H/T City & State.) MMA has been banned in New York since the mid-1990s and the sport's boosters have since worked to overturn th ... More >>

Governor Andrew Cuomo Delivers His State of the State Address [Live Video]

Watch live streaming video from newyorkstateofficeofthegovernor at livestream.com Here is live streaming video of Governor Andrew Cuomo's State of the State address from Albany. 1:45 -- Lt. Governor Bob Duffy (who, the last time we saw him in person, was introducing Governor Cuomo prior to the sign ... More >>

Occupy Wall Street is Getting Bathrooms

​One of the most contentious issues that's affected Occupy Wall Street's relationship with the surrounding community has been bathrooms. At multiple Community Board 1 meetings, downtown residents have complained that OWS' lack of facilities has lead to some pretty negative consequences, the gr ... More >>

New York State Assembly Passes Gay Marriage for a Fourth Time

​The New York State Assembly passed the Marriage Equality Bill yesterday, the fourth time that chamber of the state legislature has done so. The bill passed overwhelming, 80-63, but still, it had the lowest margin of victory the issue has ever had in the Assembly. (A number of "yes" votes had ... More >>

The Peggy Lipton Affair Takes Down Another Albany Big Shot

​We got yet another fascinating look inside the Albany favors factory yesterday when Andrew Cuomo released his latest revelation in the state pension fund scandal. Pat Lynch, the uber-lobbyist and close friend and ally of Sheldon Silver, was slapped with a half-million-dollar fine and banned f ... More >>

Carl Paladino, Angry Man, Beats His Own Party

​No matter what your politics you have to admit Republicans yesterday went for the guy with a lot more pop in his bat -- literally. Just three months ago, all Carl Paladino, the wealthy gun-slinging landlord from Buffalo who will now carry the GOP banner for governor, could muster at the Repub ... More >>

Muslim Cab Driver Stabbed by Passenger: Is This Really Happening?

​The controversy over the mosque that's not really at Ground Zero continues, and it seems that there are some people in the city who've taken the "difference of opinion" (i.e., outright religious intolerance) as an excuse to go around behaving like complete and total racist assholes. Which, le ... More >>

State Assembly Lion Richard Brodsky Sharpens His Claws

He wants to roar as attorney general

Andrew Cuomo's Pledge Proving Tricky for Fellow Dems

By Gavin Aronsen Andrew Cuomo, New York's likely next governor, has made it known that fellow Democratic office seekers should sign onto a single-page pledge to reform Albany if they expect to win his endorsement for this fall's election. But only two of his hopeful AG successors, Nassau County DA ... More >>

Carl Paladino Fires Up Charter Review Meet, Dubs Levy 'Pretty Boy'

​ The reward for sitting through two hours of the first hearing of the new city Charter Review Commission last night was the late arrival of Carl Paladino. The gray-haired real estate mogul from Buffalo with a voice like gravel and dark pouches of worry below his eyes is a Tea Party dream come ... More >>

Aqueduct Racino Deal Collapses

​Well, there goes the AEG Aqueduct deal. Albany has withdrawn its support for the Aqueduct Entertainment Group bid that earlier this year won the "racino" video gaming concession at Aqueduct Raceway. Today the state Division of the Lottery announced it "has concluded that it cannot issue a g ... More >>

Governor Paterson Vetos Ethics Bill, Says It "Does Not Go Far Enough"

People were very excited when the state legislature finally passed a government ethics bill. After all, the Republicans had been blocking such a bill, and it's nice to see the Democratic majority delivering an actual change -- even though good government groups were lukewarm at best about the resul ... More >>

Primary Culler: Incumbent Gerson Battered in Council District 1

The primary's a week away -- we know, it snuck up on us too -- so we figured we'd look at the state of play in some of the races. Today it's the 1st City Council District. Incumbent Alan Gerson is back on the ballot after a petition snafu. He's got a ton of endorsements, including those of Sheldon ... More >>

Coup in Review: 10-Minute Session Accomplishes Nothing (Update: 3rd Special Session Called)

Paterson got his second special session -- all ten minutes of it. The Democrats went it alone, and without Espada and the Republicans had no quorum to conduct business. (Why, it's as if no one respects him!) In fact, no one knows whether the bills "passed" in the chaos of yesterday's session are e ... More >>

Cheek, in Review: 7 Days of Runnin' Scared

The Albany Coup, Week 2: It started with a shock twist as Hiram Monserrate rejoined the Democrats, putting the state senate in a 31-31 deadlock. The Dems optimistically declared new leader John Sampson the president pro tem. (Just to be on the safe side they sued, but were rejected.) The Republica ... More >>

Monserrate Flips, Dems Allegedly Have 31-31 Split in Senate

Yeah, by now we're not sure what it means anymore either, but Hiram Monserrate tells the Daily News "I'm coming home" to the Democratic Party. Both he and Albany coup leader Pedro Espada Jr. have been saying they're still loyal Dems since this whole thing started last Monday, but Monserrate means h ... More >>

Coup de Villains: The Albany Takeover So Far

Dear Leader: misty watercolor memories of Pedro Espada Jr. here. Malcolm Smith says he's still in charge, but he hasn't been able to achieve much over the past five months of Democratic rule in the state senate, and we doubt he has the resources to overturn the overthrow of his leadership today. ... More >>

Paterson Presents Senator Gillibrand

Your new Senator with Al D'Amato (l.) "So it's August the 14th, 2003," says Governor Paterson, "and I am going to meet a lawyer who is going to be meeting me in an office building in Manhatan." (He wanted her not to run for Congress in '04, as she had planned, but the state senate.) "All the light ... More >>

We're saved! Yankees bail out New York City!

Skelos Calls His Own Damn Session

Cougarrific! Assembly Candidate Pursues Unusual Web Strategy

National Pigeon Day and Today's Best Headlines

Congestion Pricing Faces Albany Gridlock

Joe Bruno Hits Back at NY Mag

Gangbanger as 'Terrorist'

A 9/11 anti-terror law turns out to be handy against small-time hoods

The 'Sure Thing' Stakes: Spitzer vs. Spitzer

Preparing for a Higher 9-11 Toll

Honorary Jew

Hillary Clinton becomes kosher for a community that had its doubts

Close-Up on Two Bridges, Manhattan

Olympic fallout: Spreading the 2012 blame

New Yorkers didn't 'let down' anybody

The Hucksters

The people who tried to sell you the world's most expensive stadium

Shelly Sacs the Stadium

Close-Up on the Lower East Side

Close-Up on South Street Seaport

Hiphop Takes Stock in 'Drop the Rock'

Coalition Sets Deadline for Repealing Rockefeller Drug Laws

Close-up on Chinatown

Lobbying for Leniency

Scandal-Scarred Adult Homes Buy Pataki Protection

Street Hassle

New Skool Versus Old School in Greenwich Village

Elephant Hunters

New Green Party Leaders Learn Some Old Tricks

Imagining the Public Advocate

Five Visions for a Young Office

Gotta Be in It to Win It

Newcomers Bid for 2001 Council Seats

Letters

Green vs. Green

A Bitter Struggle in New York City Splits the Sierra Club

Let the games begin