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July 06, 2008 | 75°F haze

News

The Aspen Ideas Festival

Past and Future

The Brian Lehrer Show

Airs weekdays at 10AM
We continue our coverage from the 2008 Aspen Ideas Festival with a special Fourth of July panel. What can our next president learn from previous ones - most notably maverick and war hero Theodore Roosevelt?

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A cancer group takes a novel look at life, art and illness by reading Philip Roth's latest work, "Exit, Ghost."

Parsing the Prostate

by Fred Mogul

July 1, 2008
In the latest novel by Philip Roth, the main character grapples with the ravages of prostate cancer. The disease gives him incontinence and impotence -- and amplifies his reflections on aging. A prostate cancer group at Holy Name Hospital in Teaneck gathered to discuss the novel, called "Exit, Ghost," and compare their experiences with those of Roth and his character.

Pit Bulls Get Bad Rap After Attacks

WNYC Newsroom

July 3, 2008
Two separate, vicious attacks by pit bulls this week is again shining a harsh spotlight on the breed.

Still from the surveillance video showing a woman dying on the floor

Community and Government React to Hospital Death

by Fred Mogul

July 2, 2008
Many of us have seen the dramatic video released this week: A woman lying on the floor in an emergency room in Brooklyn who collapsed and died after staff members apparently ignored her for about an hour. Fred Mogul discusses what the city is doing about Kings County Hospital.

A Breezy Commute

by Matthew Schuerman

July 2, 2008
A new ferry service for commuters to Manhattan started in Rockaway, Queens, in mid-May. It's the first of several ferry routes that Mayor Michael Bloomberg has pledged to subsidize. WNYC’s Matthew Schuerman looks at how it's been going.

Willets Point Redevelopment Crosses First Hurdle

by Matthew Schuerman

July 1, 2008
A Queens community board narrowly voted in favor of Mayor Bloomberg's plan to redevelop Willets Point. The roll call was 21 to 15 and came after midnight this morning.

Port Authority Revising WTC Reconstruction Schedule, Calls Current Plan “Unrealistic”

by Matthew Schuerman

June 30, 2008
After months of excavation delays and fines, the Port Authority finally conceded that its property, the World Trade Center site, is seriously behind schedule, so much so, that the agency is throwing out a schedule it announced less than two years ago.

Sikh Community March in Queens Against Hate Crimes

by Sandhya Dirks

June 30, 2008
Members of New York City's Sikh community marched this afternoon to protest an attack on a 12-year-old girl who had her long hair cut off by a fellow student. The hair cutting, which violates Sikh religious beliefs, was the second time this month that a Queens Sikh student was the victim of a bias crime.

Fleeting Expletives

On The Media

Airs Saturdays at 7AM and Sundays at 3PM on AM 820 and Sundays at 10AM on 93.9 FM
When comedian George Carlin died last Sunday, most remembrances focused on his infamous "Seven Dirty Words" routine. Miami Herald television critic Glenn Garvin says America is divided over indecency, and past guests weigh in on broadcast obscenities.

Local Struggle to Help Those Suffering in Zimbabwe

by Marianne McCune

June 26, 2008
Members of Zimbabwe's opposition party are boycotting the run-off election scheduled for today. And here in New York, a newly formed branch of the party is trying to send aid to activists and family members who've been tortured or run out of their homes.

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Olafur Eliasson's The Waterfalls on the Brooklyn Bridge, The Public Art Fund

Artful Artificial Waterfalls Flow Along East River

by Pejk Malinovski

June 26, 2008
Today, 4 monumental, man-made waterfalls open to the public along the East River. They were created by the Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson, in conjunction with the Public Art Fund.
Video: Eliasson talks about his waterfalls

WNYC Says 'Goodbye' to a City Landmark: The Municipal Building

by Kathleen Horan

June 20, 2008
At the intersection of Centre and Chambers streets in lower Manhattan, near the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge, stands the Municipal Building. For eighty four years, WNYC has broadcast from studios on the 25th floor.
Audio Slideshow: The Municipal Building

Ikea Comes to Red Hook

In three weeks, the Swedish furniture giant Ikea will open its first store in New York City. Though millions of New Yorkers know Ikea from trips to outlets in the suburbs, WNYC’s Ilya Marritz reports this store will be different.

City Pays Kids for Good Grades

by Cindy Rodriguez

April 24, 2008
New York City recently began using cash to try to motivate kids to get better test scores. So far, more than $800,000 has been distributed to about 5,300 4th and 7th graders. The city sees this as a bold experiment. Others question whether it will only drive kids for the short term. WNYC’s Cindy Rodriguez talked to students about how things are going so far.

Radio Rookies: Legal Emancipation

Teenagers are famous for getting into conflicts with their families over independence. But Radio Rookie Jordan Teklay didn't want to be a part of anybody else's family. He sought his freedom through the courts and became a legally emancipated minor.