Matt Taibbi, Griftopia (Random House 2010) By Stephen Witt. For many years, Matt Taibbi was the heir apparent to the gonzo tradition of Hunter S. Thompson. He called people names, took vicious potshots at his fellow members of the press corps, snuck into a Promise Keepers convention under a false identity, and dropped acid on...
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December 1, 2010December 2, 2010Brooklyn Life
Locked-Out Workers Picket Flatbush Gardens Slumlord
By Stephen Richard Witt Pouring sheets of rain and 40 mile-an-hour gusts of wind were not enough to stop locked-out union workers from picketing for a third day against a pay cut at the Flatbush Gardens housing complex in Brooklyn today. More than two dozen maintenance men and janitors, clad in bright yellow disposable parkas,...
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November 10, 2010November 11, 2010Brooklyn Life
High Price of Gold Freezes Brooklyn Bling Trade
by Stephen Richard Witt Wall Street is gripped by gold fever. The price of the metal topped $1,400 per ounce this month, the highest price in a generation, leading gold owners across the country to melt down their coin collections and family heirlooms. But the high demand from global markets means scarcity here at the...
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October 28, 2010October 29, 2010Live Wire
Judge declares mistrial in murder of WABC newsman
The murder trial against John Katehis, 18, was declared a mistrial today by Judge Neil Jon Firetog. The jury remained at a deadlock after three days. Katehis was accused by prosecutors of murdering WABC journalist George Weber, 47, in March 2009 during an S&M scene. Weber solicited Katehis through a Craigslist ad. The prosecuting and...
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October 28, 2010October 28, 2010Live Wire
Hackers Converge in Brooklyn for NYU Computer Contest
Student hackers and computer security pros from around the country are converging in Downtown Brooklyn today for NYU Poly’s seventh annual Cyber Security Awareness Week. The competition brings together the country’s best college and high school hackers, who are tasked with managing and defusing a series of simulated computer crises. The students are also tasked...
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October 28, 2010October 28, 2010Live Wire
Brooklyn DA Starts Hotline for Anti-Gay Hate Crime
Brooklyn DA Charles Hynes today announced the creation of a task force to fight the rising trend of anti-gay hate crime. The task force will provide a hotline out of his office staffed with dedicated LGBT counselors, the Post reports. The alternate channel is provided for members of the LGBT community who may not be...
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October 28, 2010October 28, 2010Live Wire
Brooklyn Mom Pleads Not Guilty in Child Starvation Case
Carlotta Brett-Pierce, the Brooklyn mother whose four-year-old daughter weighed 18 pounds at the time of her death, pleaded not guilty to assault charges at the New York State Supreme courthouse today. Her daughter Marchella was found dead in September. Prosecutors say Brett-Pierce had abused the child, tying her to a bed and beating her with...
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October 28, 2010October 28, 2010Live Wire
‘Rent Is Too Damn High’ Candidate Immortalized with Action Figure
Jimmy McMillan, a fringe candidate for governor from the ‘Rent Is Too Damn High’ party, has been given his own action figure. A Connecticut company is selling 12-inch tall dolls modeled after the eccentric Brooklyn politician, according to NY1. The action figure is capable of repeating McMillan’s signature catchphrase: “The Rent Is Too Damn High.”
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October 28, 2010October 28, 2010Live Wire
Williamsburg Whistle Blower Suing DOE for $15M
Brian Ross, a gym teacher at PS 132 in Williamsburg, is suing the city’s Department of Education for $15 million, claiming he was discriminated against after filing an OSHA complaint. The complaint alleged that the building designated for the school’s temporary gym was unusable, with mold, peeling paint, and rodents, according to the Post. Ross...