Ailsa Chang

Photos by Ailsa Chang

The Yankees will play their first World Series in their new stadium this week . In the third installment of our Main Street series, WNYC returns to the shopkeepers on 161st Street in the Bronx, where many ...

New York, NY —

A special state senate committee will investigate whether senator Hiram Monserrate should be expelled, censured or sanctioned for his misdemeanor assault conviction last week. The committee will consider precedent and senate rules before making its recommendation.

Democratic Senator Eric Schneiderman will chair the 9-person committee, which ...

New York, NY —

State Senator Hiram Monserrate was convicted of misdemeanor assault for causing injury to his girlfriend by dragging her through the lobby of his apartment building.

WNYC's Amy Eddings and Ailsa Chang discuss the verdict.

New York, NY —

The verdict in the domestic violence trial of state senator Hiram Monserrate is expected to be delivered tomorrow. WNYC's Ailsa Chang sat in on closing arguments yesterday and has this report.

REPORTER: After nearly six hours of closing arguments, it's now up to Justice William Erlbaum ...

New York, NY —

The domestic abuse trial of Queens State Senator Hiram Monserrate is drawing to a close. Both sides made their closing arguments before a judge, who will deliver his verdict Thursday on whether Monserrate intentionally slashed Karla Giraldo with a broken glass or whether it was ...

New York, NY —

A new poll by the American College of Emergency Physicians shows nine out of ten ER doctors don't think their departments are fully prepared to care for a surge in swine flu patients.

Doctor Stuart Weiss, the organization's Chairman of Disaster Medicine, says people with regular ...

New York, NY —

Democratic mayoral candidate Bill Thompson is once again taking on Mayor Bloomberg on education. Thompson stood outside Public School 147 yesterday to repeat his position that Bloomberg pressures administrators to change grades and promote students.

The Queens school is under investigation for allegedly inflating grades. Mayor ...

New York, NY —

The defense continues bringing witnesses to the stand today in the domestic violence trial of New York State senator Hiram Monserrate. Monserrate's lawyers began presenting his case yesterday, and WNYC's Ailsa Chang was there.

REPORTER: The first witness up was a Jackson Heights lawyer named Jesus ...

New York, NY —

The domestic violence trial for State Senator Hiram Monserrate continues in state supreme court in Queens. Monserrate declined a jury trial, so Justice William Erlbaum has been hearing the case and will decide the verdict alone.

Monserrate's lawyer says he expects to start presenting the defense's ...

Representative Charles Rangel of Harlem is getting heat from House Republicans to step down by the end of this week from his chairmanship of the Ways and Means Committee. The GOP says he shouldn't be leading the tax-writing committee while the ethics committee investigates him for an alleged pattern of ...

New York, NY —

The defense is expected to start presenting its case this week in the domestic violence trial of state senator Hiram Monserrate. Last week, alleged victim Karla Giraldo [hiraldo] testified her face was cut by accident. As WNYC's Ailsa Chang reports, domestic violence prevention advocates are ...

New York, NY —

The woman state senator Hiram Monserrate is accused of attacking is staunchly defending him in court. WNYC's Ailsa Chang has more on yesterday's testimony.

REPORTER: Karla Giraldo praised Monserrate for quickly taking her to the hospital the December night her face was cut with glass. "Thanks ...

Prosecutors called State Senator Hiram Monserrate's girlfriend to the stand today in his assault trial. Monserrate has pleaded not guilty to charges that he smashed Karla Giraldo in the face with a water glass during an argument. Giraldo now says it was an accident. WNYC's Ailsa Chang says Giraldo, under ...

New York, NY —

Prosecutors called New York State Senator Hiram Monserrate's girlfriend to the stand today in his assault trial. Monserrate has pleaded not guilty to charges that he smashed Karla Giraldo in the face with a water glass during an argument. Giraldo now says it was an ...

New York, NY —

New York smokers looking for cheap cigarettes might be looking a little harder this week. A Federal court barred at least five shops on Long Island's Poospatuck Reservation from selling tax-free cigarettes to anyone who isn't a member of the tribe.

The city's Law Department says ...

New York, NY —

As US Marshals fly terrorism suspect Najibullah Zazi to New York City, to face charges of conspiring to blow up bombs, another man caught up in the investigation of Zazi is free on one and a half million dollars bail. Queens Imam Ahmad Afzali faces ...

New York, NY —

The Queens imam accused of lying to counter-terrorism investigators was released on one and a half million dollars bail yesterday.

REPORTER: Ahmad Afzali is accused of tipping off Najibullah Zazi, whom authorities say is at the center of one of the most significant terror investigations in ...

One of the most famously congested and crowded spots in the world is Times Square in New York City. Starting today, segments of its main thoroughfare, Broadway, will be closed to ca...

The Atlantic hurricane season starts June 1st, with forecasters predicting a near-normal hurricane season. Statistically speaking, "normal" translates into a 70 percent chance of four...

After the U.S. Navy rescued the captain of the Maersk Alabama (he was being held hostage by Somali pirates), one lone pirate survived. The teenager, Abduhl Wali-i-Musi, is being indic...