Ailsa Chang

Lauren Shapiro (Photos by Stephen Nessen)

When the Brooklyn Family Defense Project started two years ago, it became one of only three publicly funded law offices in New York City that have full-time social workers and “parent ...

New York, NY —

When it comes to cases of child abuse, sympathy clearly goes first and foremost to the children. But the parents also need help. Even those who are vilified for terrible acts. There’s a little-talked-about world of lawyers who spend their days defending parents who have ...

New York, NY —

A special New York Senate committee has one of its last meetings today to consider whether Senator Hiram Monserrate should be expelled for his misdemeanor conviction in October. WNYC's Ailsa Chang reports.

REPORTER: Monserrate was found guilty of recklessly injuring his girlfriend Karla Giraldo by dragging ...

New York, NY —

As President Obama formally accepted his Nobel Peace Prize in Norway on International Human Rights Day today, immigration advocates rallied in Lower Manhattan to say the president hasn't kept his promises for immigration reform.

Sister Elizabeth Butler emigrated to the U.S. from Ireland in 1948, when ...

New York, NY —

Federal prosecutors expect to file more charges against Najibullah Zazi who's accused of conspiring to make homemade bombs as part of an alleged terror plot. They've told a federal judge in a pretrial hearing in Brooklyn, that the charges will appear in another indictment. Zazi's ...

New York, NY —

A bill to legalize same-sex marriage hit the floor of the New York State Senate for the first time in history and was roundly rejected by a vote of 38-to-24. The margin was wider than many expected. Eight Democrats voted no, and not a single ...

New York, NY —

The State Senate has begun debate on the gay marriage bill. The Assembly passed the bill for the third time late last night, and Governor David Paterson has said he would sign it into law.

Senator Eric Adams of Brooklyn supports gay marriage and, speaking on ...

In their Main Streets Project, the WNYC Newsroom is following six blocks over an entire year to track how the economic downturn is being felt at street level. Main Streets editor Karen Frillman is joined by reporters Jenna Flanagan, Lisa Chow, Richard Yeh, Brigid Bergin, and Ailsa Chang to discuss ...

New York, NY —

Police say five members of the Bloods street gang, face attempted murder charges in a Bronx shooting that caught a high school girl in the crossfire. The accused shooter is a 16-year-old boy. The others are 18 through 23. Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Junior, ...

Governor Paterson says he doesn’t expect to see any progress by the end of Tuesday on closing the state’s $3.2 billion deficit, and people watching the gay marriage bill say that means any vote on same-sex marriage is going to ...

New York, NY —

Governor Paterson is calling state senators back to Albany today, and same sex marriage is on the agenda. Many observers are convinced the bill will never reach the floor this session. But WNYC’s Ailsa Chang sat down with one gay rights activist who says this ...

New York, NY —

Former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik could be looking at 2-3 years in prison, after pleading guilty to eight felonies in federal court yesterday. The plea agreement resolves all three federal trials that were pending against him. With us to talk about the ...

New York, NY —

Former New York Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik could be looking at two to three years in prison after pleading guilty to eight felonies in federal court yesterday. The plea agreement resolves all three federal trials that were pending against him. WNYC's Soterios Johnson speaks with ...

New York, NY —

Former New York City police commissioner Bernard Kerik pleaded guilty to eight felonies in federal court in White Plains this morning. Prosecutors recommended that he be sentenced to between 27 and 33 months in jail. WNYC's Ailsa Chang reports.

REPORTER: Kerik was dressed in a dark ...

New York, NY —

New York voters approved Proposition 2 this week, by a large margin.

The measure allows the state legislature to draft a law letting prisoners do work for non-profits. Some prisoner advocates say the proposition will force inmates to work for meager wages. Others say it will ...

New York, NY —

Embattled Queens State Senator Hiram Monserrate's political life just got more complicated. Fellow Democrat, Assemblyman Jose Peralta, says he'll officially announce tonight that he's running for Monserrate's seat in next year's statewide elections.

Monserrate was convicted earlier this month of misdemeanor assault and the Senate is ...

New York, NY —

New Yorkers who leave their cars unattended with the engine running will not only risk getting them stolen, they'll now face the possibility of a bigger fine. The City Council approved hiking the fine from $5 to $250. Council Speaker Christine Quinn says five dollars ...

New York, NY —

The City Council has approved the Museum of Modern Art's expansion plans in midtown. The proposal includes a 1,000 foot tall building that will contain museum space, private residences and a hotel. Council Speaker Christine Quinn says she supports the plan, even though her local ...

Baseball's World Series is set to kick off tonight, pitting the New York Yankees against the Philadelphia Phillies. The first two games of the World Series will be played in the new Y...

New York, NY —

The first World Series in the new Yankee Stadium begins today. In the third part of our Main Street series, WNYC returns to the shopkeepers on 161st in the Bronx.

They’ve seen their businesses suffer in the shadow of the new stadium, and the playoffs didn’t ...