Arun Venugopal

New York, NY —

Yesterday's plane crash highlighted the danger birds constantly pose to aircraft. But less known is how hard scientists work to prevent bird-related crashes. WNYC's Arun Venugopal has more.

REPORTER: A big priority right now for investigators is to find out what kind of bird brought the ...

New York, NY —

Mayor Bloomberg is defending the city's spending on new stadiums for the Mets and Yankees, saying his administration fought hard to get the best deals possible.

The mayor says no one could've foreseen how much construction costs would rise.

BLOOMBERG: When those contracts were made, it was ...

New York, NY —

Mayor Bloomberg's bid for a third term has dodged a legal bullet. A federal judge threw out a lawsuit challenging the recent law extending term limits for him and other citywide elected officials.

Judge Charles Sifton says City Comptroller Bill Thompson, Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum, and ...

New York, NY —

Congressman Anthony Weiner plans to run for mayor but right now he says it's too early to be campaigning.

But that didn't stop him from taking a few digs against the incumbent, Mayor Bloomberg.

He refuted the notion that Bloomberg had been a good fiscal steward, saying ...

New York, NY —

Supporters - and critics - of Israel held rallies simultaneously yesterday in midtown Manhattan. On the West Side, below Times Square, hundreds of protesters waved red, black and green Palestinian flags while calling for an end to the Israeli offensive in Gaza. Thirteen-year-old Selay Lahori ...

New York, NY —

Lovers: looking for that perfect place to tie the knot? The city wants you to consider its brand new Manhattan marriage bureau. The lavish space replaces the old, crusty bureau in the Municipal Building, and has been designed to make the experience faster while earning ...

New York, NY —

New York City's tax revenues are likely to be sharply down this year, by some 7.5 percent and a new study by the Independent Budget Office says the city is unlikely to start seeing a turnaround until 2011, a year after the rest of the ...

New York, NY —

Scores of kings were in the streets of East Harlem today, for the 32nd annual Three Kings Parade. The event celebrates the visit of the three magi to the infant Jesus. One celebrant, Gaspar, called himself the "happy king."

GASPAR: I run around and give the ...

New York, NY —

The city's crime statistics are in for the year, and overall there's been a 4 percent drop in all major crime from 2007, including fewer incidents of felony assault, auto theft and crime in the transit system.

REPORTER: Mayor Bloomberg says given the falling economy, ...

New York, NY —

Is Adolfo Carrion set to head a new White House office of urban policy? The Bronx borough president drew attention two weeks ago when he reportedly told students he'd be heading to a new job in DC. But now he's trying to be a little ...

New York, NY —

The city's crime statistics are in for the year, and overall there's been a 4% drop in all major crime from 2007, including fewer incidents of felony assault, auto theft and crime in the transit system.

Mayor Bloomberg says along with the falling economy, maintaining the ...

New York, NY —

A jury has convicted five men of conspiring to kill soldiers at Fort Dix, in New Jersey.

That's after five days of deliberations. The men were Muslim immigrants originally from the former Yugoslavia, Turkey and elsewhere.

Sohail Mohammad is an immigration attorney in New Jersey, he says ...

New York, NY —

Queens State Senator Malcolm Smith may want to become the leader of the Senate, when Democrats take control of the body next month. But he didn't show much leadership today, as he dodged questions about major issues at a civic organization breakfast. WNYC's Arun Venugopal ...

New York, NY —

WNYC's Arun Venugopal attends the Connecticut wedding of two men who've been together for 35 years. And WNYC Weekend Edition Host Brian Zumhagen gets an update on the situation in New York from Alan Van Capelle, Executive Director of Empire State Pride Agenda.

New York, NY —

In a series of events that recall the Abner Louima brutality case, 11 years ago, an officer was accused of sodomizing a Brooklyn man on October 15. And two other officers are charged with a cover up. WNYC's Arun Venugopal has this report.

HYNES: At approximately ...

New York, NY —

If you stood in front of the Trader Joe's in Brooklyn yesterday, you might've seen dozens of locals mysteriously descend into a manhole on Atlantic Avenue. WNYC's Arun Venugopal joined them underground for a glimpse of "The Lost Tunnel of New York."

DIAMOND: This tunnel was ...

New York, NY —

Dozens of religious leaders gathered on the steps of City Hall today, calling for interfaith harmony in the wake of the deadly terrorist attacks in Mumbai.

For some Islamic leaders, it was a chance to denounce the extremism that has become associated with their faith.

Doctor Khurshid ...

New York, NY —

Governor Paterson is questioning the plan by State Senate Republicans to offer committee chairmen more funding and power. The plan could help lure Democrats who haven't pledged support for a new Senate Majority Leader.

PATERSON: Is this reform of government where we would try to diminish ...

New York, NY —

SOCCER FANS: We all hate the yellow football team, the yellow football team, the yellow football team...

REPORTER: That hated, yellow football team would be Major League Soccer's Columbus Crew, and they beat the New York Red Bulls in the championship game yesterday, leaving these fans ...

New York, NY —

City Comptroller Bill Thompson has a plan for plugging the MTA's budget hole: make car and truck owners pay hundreds of dollars more in vehicle registration fees. WNYC's Arun Venugopal has more.

REPORTER: Comptroller Thompson's payment structure is based on weight: if you own a tiny ...