Many Yankee fans in their 30s probably had the famous Don Mattingly “Hit Man” posters on their walls in tribute to the former Yankee first baseman’s dominant seasons in the mid-1980s.

Wednesday’s doubleheader will be their chance to express appreciation for Mattingly in a setting other than Old-Timer’s Day as he returns to the Bronx for the second time since leaving with Joe Torre following the 2007 season.

Appropriately enough, Mattingly’s pregame press conference on Tuesday lasted 23 minutes and while heavy rains fell, a montage of his highlights played on the scoreboard.

“Obviously, it’s good to come back,” he said. “I always really enjoy coming back into the city. … It’s always been, for me, great. You don’t quite understand the relationship, honestly. I came from a small town, loved playing, came here and just played. I pretty much tried to keep it as simple as that, and they seemed to appreciate that. It was nice for me, because I didn’t have to do anything except play.”

This time it was as manager of the Dodgers, who became the last NL team to visit any version of Yankee Stadium since interleague play started in 1997. The last time Mattingly visited was in 2010 with Joe Torre at a ceremony unveiling a monument for George Steinbrenner.

“I’m excited to see him,” manager Joe Girardi said. “I had a chance to work alongside him; obviously I’m a big fan of his. He’s been such a great part of Yankee history, the way he played the game. I’m anxious to hear who gets the loudest cheer today, him or Mo [Rivera] if he comes in the game. So I think that’s probably the only one who can measure up and he deserves that.”

Despite his team being well under .500 and facing speculation about his job security, Mattingly is a beloved figure in the Bronx. Along with Bobby Murcer, he might be the most popular Yankee to never win a World Series.

Mattingly pointed out that despite the different stadium and facility upgrades, he still saw most of the same people from across the street.

“It’s not the building,” he said. “It’s the people. What makes it is the people; it feels like the same.”

Mattingly’s debut came in 1982 after the Yankees lost the World Series in six games to the Dodgers. Steinbrenner took out an ad in newspapers apologizing for the loss and claimed to have punched fans in a Los Angeles elevator.

Before reaching the playoffs during his final season in 1995 under Buck Showalter, Mattingly played for eight managers. His debut came under Gene Michael and Mattingly performed well in three of the five managerial stints of Billy Martin.

After coaching with the Yankees during the latter years of the Torre regime, Mattingly was considered a sentimental favorite to be the successor. Instead, it went to Girardi, who had managerial experience from one year with the Marlins in 2006.

Mattingly often has said that not getting that position was a blessing as it gave him time to attend to a personal matter. It also gave him a chance to experience the National League in an organization with similar history to the Yankees.

Interleague play began in 1997 and the current version where teams rotate opponents started in 2002. In the first year, the Yankees had home games with San Francisco and Arizona, which were appealing matchups based on World Series history.

Perhaps the most appealing one against an NL West opponent is the Dodgers, who lost to the Yankees five times in the World Series before finally winning it all in 1955 with Jonny Podres pitching a shutout in Game 7 at Yankee Stadium.

The Dodgers have had better championship success since moving the Los Angeles with titles in 1959, 1963, 1965, 1981 and 1988 to go along with World Series appearances in 1966, 1977 and 1978.

The Yankees visited the Dodgers in 2004 and 2010 and nearly played them in the 2009 World Series.

Follow Yankees beat writer Larry Fleisher on Twitter @LarryFleisher.

The post Yankees welcome Don Mattingly back to the Stadium with the Dodgers appeared first on Metro.us.

When the Yankees signed Kevin Youkilis in December in the wake of Alex Rodriguez’s hip injury, they liked how he hit left-handed pitchers and grinded out at-bats.

They also were aware of his recent back troubles.

General manager Brian Cashman said Tuesday Youkilis has a herniated disk in his back discovered after an MRI during a visit to Dr. Robert Watkins in southern California. The injury will require surgery on Thursday and will keep Youkilis out for 10 to 12 weeks.

“It’s not how you draw it up,” Cashman said. “There’s no doubt about that. Kevin is a helluva player when healthy. And he just hasn’t been in a position to show in season what he’s capable of doing because of the back.

“He looked great in the spring. We had high hopes. He obviously did so much for Boston over the years, and he’s the type of player that if you could draw it up that’s the type of player we would want — a gamer with power and plate discipline.”

Youkilis could return in September, but by then one of three things could happen — Rodriguez will have returned, a trade will be made or rookie David Adams will seize the opportunity.

For now, the job belongs to Adams since Rodriguez is progressing slowly. He was expected to face live pitching soon, but the team has not placed a timetable on a return.

As far trades go, the market is usually quiet after the draft, but often picks up after the All-Star break.

Adams will have about a month to improve on a .213 batting average mainly been caused by a 3-for-21 showing this month.

“We’re always looking to upgrade if we can, regardless of position,” Cashman said. “But you have to keep in mind too we expect to get Alex back. So as of right now, we’re going with what we have. And if we ever run into something that makes sense, then we’ll look at that. But we’ll keep going with what we got.”

Teixeira lands back on DL

When he hit three home runs against the Indians two weeks ago, Mark Teixeira sounded upbeat about the condition of his wrist.

“That first week I felt great,” Teixeira said. “You don’t look at stats too much in the beginning of the season, but I was like, ‘Man, I’ve been playing a week and I’ve got three home runs and 12 RBIs, I want to keep this pace up.’ [During the] middle of the Seattle series, I didn’t feel like I could finish my swing.

“Because of that I just tried to swing too hard. I was striking out way too much. Even swinging at good pitches [and] in Oakland and Seattle, I didn’t have carry; I flew out to the warning track twice, lazy flyballs, lazy popups. Because of that, I was like all right [hitting coach] Kevin [Long], maybe mechanically we can fix this. So we did some tee work, and not even at 100 percent it flared up on me.”

Two weeks later, following a 4-for-35 road trip, the good feelings have dissipated as the Yankees placed him on the disabled list with inflammation in his right wrist. The belief among the Yankees is that the injury will keep him out for two weeks.

“I think that when he started, he did [feel good],” manager Joe Girardi said. “I believe he was healthy when he came back. It could have just been the swings, the game got to him a little bit. But it’s inflammation, so inflammation didn’t cause it. It’s some sort of a weakness. As time goes on, the more inflamed you get, the harder it’s going to be, but when he came back he didn’t have that.”

Teixeira reinjured himself during the early innings of Saturday’s loss in Anaheim.

“On Saturday, I tried to take a few extra swings just to see if I could hit off a tee,” Teixeira said. “During the game, it just didn’t feel right. After the second at-bat, I told Kevin I can’t really swing right now. I was worthless to the team right there. I said we have to get it looked at. The MRI showed what I thought it was going to show.”

Teixeira’s first two weeks back from a torn sheath sustained during spring training produced mixed results. While he had two home runs and eight RBIs from the left side, he hit just .088 (3-for-35) compared with .278 (5-for-18) from the right side.

Until he starts a minor-league rehab assignment, Teixeira will stay with the team to work with Long. He said he adjusted mechanics to compensate for a wrist that was not 100 percent and the hope is he can solve those issues before returning.

Follow Yankees beat writer Larry Fleisher on Twitter @MetroNYSports.

The post Yankees Notebook: Youkilis to undergo back surgery, Teixeira to DL appeared first on Metro.us.

Final updates to New York City’s hurricane evacuation zones were announced by the city on Tuesday and the new maps now include 600,000 more residents that weren’t covered under the old zoning system.

The updated zone system now places a full 37 percent of New Yorkers in an emergency evacuation zone. It also swaps out the old alphabetical zoning system in favored of a numbered system.

“The new zones incorporate the best-available data and will help the City to more effectively communicate to those most at risk depending on the characteristics of a particular storm,” said Deputy Mayor Cas Holloway.

The zone updates use more extensive details about the city’s geographic and weather profile, such as barometric pressure, storm surge and improved elevation data, to better monitor both large and small storms.

“The expanded zones will provide more New Yorkers with a better understanding of how disasters might impact their communities and neighborhoods,” said Gary Bagley, Executive Director of New York Cares.

To support the recent zoning updates, the city has also upgraded its Hurricane Evacuation Zone Finder to support mobile phones, which will help residents know their evacuation zone using GPS technology.

The updates to the city’s evacuation plan could prevent future damages from storms like Hurricane Sandy, which left 42 New Yorkers dead and millions of dollars worth of destruction in its aftermath.

“Being prepared for any emergency is the best way to keep you and your family safe – know your hurricane evacuation zone number,” said Bruno.

The post Hurricane evacuation maps place 600,000 more New York in zones appeared first on Metro.us.

Matt Harvey carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning, and the Mets bullpen just managed to hang on for a 4-3 win over Atlanta in the first game of a day-night doubleheader yesterday.

Harvey lost his no-hitter on an infield hit by Jason Heyward in which Lucas Duda didn’t cover first, but he was sterling as usual in earning his sixth win this season. He finished with a line of seven innings, three runs and a career-high 13 strikeouts.

All three runs scored in the eighth inning after he had been removed with the bases loaded. LaTroy Hawkins and Scott Rice allowed the inherited runners to come in.

Bobby Parnell shut things down in the ninth inning to earn his 10th save.

John Buck got off the schneid with his first home run since May 24, though he still leads the team. Marlon Byrd continued his hot hitting with two hits, an RBI and a run scored.

Rookie Alex Wood, one of the Braves’ top pitching prospects and just 22 years old, lasted just three innings and 73 pitches in his first career start.

Zack Wheeler, the top pitching prospect in the Mets system, will make his major-league debut in the second half of Tuesday’s doubelheader.

Follow Metro New York Sports Editor Mark Osborne on Twitter @MetroNYSports.

The post Harvey, Mets eek out victory in opening game of doubleheader appeared first on Metro.us.

Celebrities like Moby who, in a video posted yesterday to his site MobyGratis.com, invited aspiring indie, student, and otherwise less-than-financially flush filmmakers to dip into his catalog to soundtrack their films. The recording artist created the site back in 2008 to these ends and has just recently updated the site’s wealth of — totally free and up-for-grabs music — to include 150 cuts and previously unreleased tracks. Not just limited to feature-length films, Moby specified that his music is available to “anyone in need of free music for their independent, non-profit film, video or short.”

If you want to use his music in a commercial project, you’ll have to pay. However, Moby won’t pocket a penny. Instead, the well-known animal rights activist says, all proceeds he makes off of tracks bought for commercial projects will be donated in full to the Humane Society. Good man.

The post [VIDEO] Moby invites indie and student filmmakers to use his music, for free appeared first on Metro.us.

New York City unveiled the first of 25 free solar charging stations for mobile phones on Tuesday, installed in response to Superstorm Sandy, which wiped out power and forced residents to walk miles to charge their phones.

The Street Charge stations are New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s latest answer to flaws in infrastructure and operations exposed by the historic storm that ripped into the East Coast in October 2012 and left about 900,000 New York City dwellers and millions of others in the region without power.

Located throughout the city’s five boroughs, the charging stations are part of a public-private partnership with AT&T, according to a news release. Powered by solar panels, they will work day or night, in sun or shade, the statement said.

Six ports in each station will allow the public to charge phones, tablets and other devices even if the city’s power is out, the statement said. 

In the first days after the storm, some of the city’s residents walked miles to line up and charge their electronic devices. The city then set up mobile charging stations and generators in the blacked-out areas of New York, which inspired the idea of creating solar-powered charging stations for everyday use.

Street Charge units were put to work this week in Union Square in Manhattan, Fort Greene Park in Brooklyn and on Governor’s Island, with more opening by the end of the summer, the statement said.

AT&T is paying for the 25 stations, with the city bearing no cost, Marissa Shorenstein, president of AT&T’s New York office, told Reuters.

Sandy brought a record 14-foot storm surge to lower Manhattan and inflicted an estimated $19 billion in damages on the city. The storm, which claimed more than 130 lives in the United States and Canada, left more than 8 million homes and businesses along the East Coast in the dark.

(Editing by Barbara Goldberg and Dan Grebler)

The post Months after Sandy, solar chargers for mobile phones debut in NYC appeared first on Metro.us.

The American Civil Liberties Union, the New York Civil Liberties Union and other legal organizations filed a lawsuit against the city today on behalf of New Yorkers who say they were targeted by the NYPD’s Muslim surveillance program.

Attorneys bringing the lawsuit allege the the program is unconstitutional because it targets certain groups without cause.

“When a police department turns law-abiding people into suspects because they go to a mosque and not a church or synagogue, it violates our Constitution’s guarantees of equality and religious freedom,” said ACLU National Security Project director Hina Shamsi.

This landmark lawsuit comes on the heels of a high-profile trial brought against the city over another controversial NYPD practice, stop-and-frisk, which lawyers opposing the city allege is being carried out in a manner that is similarly unconstitutional, targeting specific groups without reason.

That lawsuit was not calling for a complete end to stop-and-frisk, only changes to the way it is practiced. 

Conversely, attorneys bringing this case against the city want the Muslim surveillance program to be shut down entirely, and ban any new religion-based surveillance “in the absence of individualized suspicion of criminal activity.”

They are also moving for the records of all of the plaintiffs established as a result of the program to be wiped clean, and are pushing for a monitor over of the NYPD to ensure these demands are carried out.

One of the plaintiffs in this suit is a 20-year-old college sophomore in Brooklyn, Asad Dandia, who co-founded a student group called Muslims Giving Back.

The group was infiltrated by an FBI informant, according to the NYCLU, who went over to Dandia’s house for dinner, met his parents and even once spent the night. 

Once the informant revealed himself, the group lost their meeting location and saw a drop in donations and membership, Dandia said. He said the discovery caused him to change his behavior as well.

“I am constantly frightened,” Dandia said. “What if I say the wrong thing?”

Another plaintiff is the spiritual leader at a Brooklyn mosque, Masjid Al-Ansar, which has reportedly been under surveillance by the NYPD since 2008.

Imam Hamid Hassan Raza lives with his wife and child in Brooklyn.

The Masjid Al-Ansar mosque in Brooklyn has reportedly been under NYPD surveillance dating as far back as 2008. Credit: NYCLU

Raza said he has been visited by plainclothes officers on several occasions without reason, prompting him to stop discussing current events or mentioning any potentially controversial topics in his sermons and to urge congregants to do the same. He said attendance at the mosque has also dropped off because of the surveillance program.

“The surveillance program has prevented me from fulfilling my duty as an imam,” Raza said. “I cannot believe this has happened in the country that I know and love.”

The suit names the city of New York, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly as defendants, as well as Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence David Cohen.

City attorney Celeste Koeleveld defended the Muslim surveillance program, citing the Boston Marathon bombing as evidence of “the critical importance of ‘on-the-ground’ research.” 

“Police need to be informed about where a terrorist may go while planning or what they may do after an attack, as the Boston Marathon bombing proved,” Koeleveld said. “Cities cannot play catch-up in gathering intelligence about a terrorist threat.”

The Boston Marathon bombing suspects were apprehended four days after the attack, in the culmination of a chase that resulted in the deaths of a security guard and one of the suspects, Tamerlan Tsarvaev. The city and surrounding areas were on lockdown as police pursued the second suspect, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who was eventually located in a boat in the backyard of a suburban home.

NYPD Deputy Commissioner of Public Information Paul Browne reported that this morning at a conference, Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis briefed a coalition of counterterrorism agencies on the Boston Marathon bombings.

“Commissioner Davis’ briefing served as a reminder for law enforcement to remain vigilant against terrorist attacks, and the important of understanding where and how terrorists operate, whether directed from overseas or self-radicalized lone wolves operating locally,” Browne said.

Browne also cited the federal Handshu guidelines, a set of rules that outlines the extent of the NYPD’s allowable access in surveillance. The guidelines permit visiting any place or event open to the public and conducting internet research of publicly available content, including visiting forums that are open to the public. The NYPD is also allowed to “prepare general reports and assessments…for purposes of strategic or operational planning,” he said, which he believes includes creating maps of specific neighborhoods.

He accused critics familiar with the guidelines of “intentionally obfuscating their meaning.”

“Those criticisms, whether ill-informed or calculated, will not deter the NYPD from fully respecting the Constitution and protecting the public from those intent on killing more New Yorkers,” Browne said.

Follow Danielle Tcholakian on Twitter @danielleiat

The post Legal groups to sue city, NYPD over Muslim surveillance appeared first on Metro.us.

The Knicks hosted another closed workout on Tuesday with specific needs in mind.

Now that both Jason Kidd and Rasheed Wallace have retired, and Pablo Prigioni is still debating whether to return to the team or go back to Argentina, there are a couple of voids at two of the most important spots on the roster — backup point guard and depth in the post.

The Knicks’ workouts have been big man and guard-oriented so far, and Tuesday was no different. Among the notable names in the workout were Louisville center Gorgui Dieng and South Dakota State point guard Nate Wolters.

The latter will most certainly be available by the time the Knicks select with their No. 24 pick, but since most credible mock drafts have him ranked somewhere in the mid-30s, the Knicks could still get their backup point guard should they trade down. The Knicks have no second-round pick.

Dieng, however, is a rising commodity and may not be there by the time the Knicks are on the clock. But if his name slips past teams like the Nets, Bulls, Pacers and Jazz — all teams who like to stockpile as many bigs as possible and all teams directly ahead of the Knicks — New York may be the destination for the former Louisville pivot.

“I played for a coach who was really demanding and I came from a winning program. All I care about is winning and whatever it takes, so I don’t think I’ll see a coach again that’ll drive me like him,” said Dieng. “Wherever I go I won’t have a problem to fit in.”

Dieng noted that he likes the possibility of calling New York home, even if Knicks head coach Mike Woodson favors veterans. The 6-foot-11 Dieng said former college coach Rick Pitino has properly prepared him for any situation in the NBA, so no role will be too big or small for him.

Where exactly Dieng will fit in is still in question, as most mocks don’t have him lasting past the Bulls’ No. 20 pick. Chicago is a model franchise and like the Knicks, have a storied history. And for Dieng that’s all that matters.

He even went as far to allude that he’d rather fall to a good and stable franchise than a perennial lottery team, because he wants to stick in the league as long as possible.

“[Pitino] said I can go anywhere from 12 to 20, [but] when it comes to draft pick, I don’t really care. I just want to go to a [good] team,” Dieng said. “When it comes to the draft, you can last only two years or 10. If you have the same talent [coming] out of college and go to a bad team, you can only last two years. But you can go to the right team out of college with the same talent and last 10 years. … To me, I don’t care where I’m going. I just want to be a first-round pick and go to the right team and I’ll take care of the rest.”

Wolters is hoping to just have the chance to take care of the rest, as the sharp-shooting point guard isn’t as highly regarded as Dieng. Wolters is a bit of a mystery because he was an under-the-radar high school player who wasn’t prominent on the AAU circuit, and then went to a mid-major program.

But Wolters feels he has a lot to offer the Knicks should they shock the league and grab him at No. 24 — or manage to get back into the second round and use their pick on him.

“I’ve watched [the Knicks] a lot because they were on national TV a lot, and they definitely need a point guard. They like to spread the floor out and shoot a lot of 3s, so I think I’d fit in perfectly,” Wolters said. “This would be a great fit. Jason Kidd just retired and Raymond Felton is a solid point guard, so I definitely feel I can add to it. Hopefully I get the opportunity. … I’m really good with the pick-and-roll game and I know they run a ton of pick-and-roll. I can also spread the floor and get it to shooters. I know I can also be a facilitator.”

Follow Knicks beat writer Tony Williams on Twitter @TBone8.

The post Knicks host Gorgui Dieng, Nate Wolters ahead of draft appeared first on Metro.us.

The video above is newly released surveillance footage of the suspect or suspects. The agencies have also released new photos. FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge George Venizelos said the video and photos ”could be the key to breaking the case.”

“Someone, somewhere, knows something about a bomber who’s still on the run,” Venizelos said. “Today we’re asking for the public’s assistance in finding those responsible and encouraging the public to look closely at these photos and video.”

The 2008 bombing damaged an army recruiting station in Times Square. Credit: FBI

The FBI believes the person or people responsible for this bombing may also have been behind two other bombings in New York City: one in 2005 at the British consulate and another in 2007 at the Mexican consulate.

The FBI and the NYPD will be using the hashtag #BikeBomber to release information about the attacks and solicit information via Twitter.

The surveillance video and photos are being displayed on digital billboards throughout the northeast, including in Times Square.

The new photo shows part of the explosive device used in the attack, the FBI said. The ammunition used in the device was typical for the warfare in Iraq and Afghanistan. Authorities say it was filled halfway with black powder, detonated using a time fuse and could have caused serious casualties if people had been nearby.

The FBI says this is military-grade ammunition can was used in the 2008 bombing in Times Square. Credit: FBI

The bombing occurred in the early morning hours of March 6, 2008. The consulate bombings that the FBI suspects could be related also occurred in the early morning hours, between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m.; those bombs were also set by a person on a bicycle.

According to the FBI, on that morning in 2008, the suspect rode a blue Ross bicycle west on 37th Street, took a right up Sixth Avenue, and made a left on 47th Street before turning left down Seventh Avenue and getting off his bike at West 43rd Street and Seventh Avenue.

The suspect then apparently placed a bomb at the Army recruiting station, lit a fuse, and fled on the bicycle south on Broadway before turning left on 38th Street. The bike was reportedly found in a dumpster near Madison Avenue and 38th Street.

The FBI says this is the bike the suspect rode away on after bombing an Army recruiting station in Times Square in 2008. Credit: FBI

The suspect on the bicycle was last seen wearing a gray sweatshirt and pants of an unknown color, the FBI said. The height, weight, age, sex and race of the suspect are still unknown.

While the suspect appears to be working alone, the FBI said it’s possible there were as many as five other people working as lookouts or a surveillance team in Times Square at the time of the bombing.

The investigation is being carried out by FBI agents, NYPD detectives, and members of more than 50 local, state and federal agencies who are all part of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in Manhattan. The team is being assisted by prosecutors from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.

Authorities are urging anyone with information to call the FBI at 212-384-1000. Callers can remain anonymous.

Follow Danielle Tcholakian on Twitter @danielleiat

The post $65,000 offered for information on 2008 Times Square bomber appeared first on Metro.us.

The 89-year-old son of late New York socialite Brooke Astor on Monday lost a final plea that because of old age and illness he should avoid prison time for his conviction on charges he cheated his ailing mother before her death.

Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Kirke Bartley declined the defense request to throw out Anthony Marshall’s 1- to 3-year sentence, noting that a higher court, the state Supreme Court’s Appellate Division, already rejected Marshall’s argument that he should be spared prison because of his age and illness.

Marshall’s lawyer portrayed him as a frail man who would likely die if incarcerated. He was expected to report on Thursday to begin his prison term.

Marshall and his codefendant, Francis Morrissey, 72, a lawyer, were convicted in 2009 of grand larceny and other charges for keeping Marshall’s mother in squalid conditions in her final years and of taking advantage of his mother’s deteriorating mental state for financial gain. Morrissey was also due to start serving his 1- to 3-year sentence on Thursday.

The defense attempt to keep Marshall out of prison marked the latest development in a case that has shed a rare light on New York’s high society and a family closely associated with “old money.”

Astor was an heir of John Jacob Astor, who built a fortune on fur trade in the early 19th century. An active philanthropist, she was worth an estimated $200 million when she died in 2007 at age 105.

Last week, Marshall’s attorney asked Bartley to throw out Marshall’s 2009 conviction and grant a retrial after a juror recanted her guilty vote in a sworn statement. The judge was expected to decide Thursday whether to grant a new trial.

Marshall suffers from a heart condition and is bound to a wheelchair, defense lawyer Kenneth Warner told the court on Monday.

Marshall’s inability to walk or feed himself makes him too frail for incarceration, and he would likely die if sent to prison, Warner said.

“It would be a cruel and unusual punishment to be sentenced to jail at his age, in his condition,” Warner said. “The reality is that … he is a feeble and frail 89-year-old.”

Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Loewy, chief of the Elder Abuse Unit, opposed the defense motion to keep Marshall out of jail.

“I feel compassion about Mr. Marshall’s age,” Loewy said. “But after he decided to steal thousands of dollars from Ms. Astor, after you commit such a crime, just because you’re elderly, you don’t throw your hands up and say, ‘Show me mercy; I’m elderly.”

The post Astor’s son, 89, going to New York jail after losing mercy plea appeared first on Metro.us.

The Manhattan District Attorney’s office announced Tuesday an indictment in the fatal shooting of 32-year-old Mark Carson in Greenwich Village last month.

Police reported that Carson was shot by a suspect who made anti-gay comments to him. The fatal shooting was the most violent of several alleged hate crimes reported last month.

“This young man’s tragic death serves as a reminder of the discrimination that many of our family members, coworkers and friends still face,” said Manhattan D.A. Cyrus Vance. “Mr. Carson was murdered as he walked through a neighborhood that has long been a center of the gay rights movement and home to many LGBT New Yorkers.”

“By instilling fear, hate crimes tear at the very fabric of our communities,” Vance added.

The alleged shooter, Elliot Morales, is charged with one count of murder in the second degree as a hate crime, five counts of criminal possession of a weapon and two counts of menacing, including one count of menacing a police officer.

According to Vance, statements made on the record in court describing the May 17 incident indicate that after being chastised by a restaurant worker for urinating outside the restaurant, Morales confronted employees inside the restaurant, barking anti-gay comments, displaying a gun and threatening to shoot patrons in the restaurant.

Morales then allegedly left the establishment and ran into Carson walking with another male, and made further anti-gay comments to them.

He ran into them again shortly thereafter and again made anti-gay comments, before shooting Carson point-blank in the head, according to police.

Vance said an NYPD officer tracked Morales down a few blocks away and when confronted, Morales pointed his gun at the officer. When Morales fumbled, the officer seized the opportunity to tackle him and was able to wrest the gun away.

Morales is facing a possible sentence of 25 years to life in prison for the most severe of the charges against him, murder as a hate crime.

Vance encouraged New Yorkers who experience or witness hate crimes to call his office’s hotline at (212) 335-3100, provided it is not an emergency. If a crime is in progress, witnesses should call 911.

Follow Danielle Tcholakian on Twitter @danielleiat

The post Indictment in Greenwich Village hate crime killing appeared first on Metro.us.

Most of us don’t like asking for help at work, even when we’re overwhelmed. We fear it makes us look weak. In fact, it can bring huge benefits.

Last year I was interviewing a successful small business owner when she mentioned one thing that had initially held her back: feeling she had to do everything herself and do it perfectly.

But she soon realized her male counterparts were asking other entrepreneurs for help and advice all the time, and that this actually played a significant part in their success. She let her guard down and began following in their footsteps. She now advises all the women she mentors to do the same.

I spoke to leadership coach Henna Inam recently about a few of the reasons why women in particular are so squeamish about asking for help.

Fear of rejection. We tend to take “no” very personally. We need to take a step back and realize it’s not always about us. “If we decide not to take it personally, the way we ask becomes different,” Inam says.

I hate bothering people. To turn this perception around, think instead about how you’d feel if someone asked you for help or advice. Most of us, Inam points out, would feel flattered in that situation: “The ego feels good. You’re able to give someone something they need and want.” So don’t hold back.

It makes me look like I can’t do it myself. There are two sides to this one. First, there’s you grappling with your own ego, the stubborn inner child that insists you don’t need help to achieve this thing. That’s easily dealt with – just tell the child to pipe down. Less easy, as I put it to Inam, is dealing with the fact that surely some colleagues or managers actually will see you as weak if you ask for help. She admits there is no good answer to this question. Yes, maybe they will. But she is against the idea of women living their lives in fear of what someone else may think about them. “If [never asking for help] becomes an unconscious habit, that’s when it becomes dangerous,” she says.

In other words, by all means be judicious about who and when you ask, but if you need help, ask.

Ashley Milne-Tyte is a radio producer and reporter based in New York City. She hosts a bimonthly podcast called “The Broad Experience” about women in the workplace. 

The post The Broad Experience: Asking for help at the office appeared first on Metro.us.

Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes announced on Monday the indictment of a man accused of training pit bulls to fight.

Leslie Alexander, 39, of Brooklyn faces more than two dozen charges in connection with dogfighting.

Hynes slammed animal fighting as “a barbaric and inhumane practice.”

“Animal fighting is not a ‘sport,’” he said.

Hynes noted that breeding and training animals for fighting is a felony under New York state law and can bring a sentence of up to four years in prison and a $25,000 fine. Many activities connected to animal fighting are felonies under federal law as well.

NYPD officers were granted a warrant to search Alexander’s home for guns and drugs, but when they executed the search on May 24, they reportedly found seven pit bulls and equipment used to train dogs for dogfighting, including 25 dog kennels, devices to strengthen the dogs’ jaws, syringes, two dog treadmills and a “breaking stick” to be used to break a dog’s grip on an animal or other object.

Additionally, Alexander’s garage had allegedly been converted to a dogfighting arena.

Hynes said a handgun and multiple boxes of ammunition were also found at the house.

Animal Care and Control officers impounded the dogs, which Hynes said appeared malnourished and had scars and signs of recent trauma that appeared to have come from dogfighting.

Alexander is being charged with 22 counts of animal fighting; seven counts of overdriving, torturing and injuring animals; criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree; criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree; and unlawful possession of ammunition.

If convicted, he could face up to seven years in prison. His arraignment is set for June 2.

Hynes urged people who hear of any plans for dogfights or anything that sounds like dogfighting, or see animals who appear wounded as a result of fighting, to call his office, Animal Care and Control or the ASPCA.

Follow Danielle Tcholakian on Twitter @danielleiat

The post Brooklyn man indicted for allegedly training dogs to fight appeared first on Metro.us.

New York City has settled a lawsuit in which the federal government accused it of improperly reducing retirement benefits for current and former police officers who served in the military after Sept. 11, 2001.

The settlement announced by attorney Preet Bharara in Manhattan calls for pension benefits to be calculated in accordance with a 1994 federal law designed to protect the rights of civilian employees who are called to active duty.

The settlement requires court approval.

The post New York City settles lawsuit over police pension benefits appeared first on Metro.us.

The first 3,000 Empire Club Members to earn 5 Empire Points between 9am and 7pm will receive a FREE GIFT. Qualifying members visit a Promotions Kiosk to receive a coupon that can be redeemed at the promotions table located near the Entertainment Lounge.
Any remaining merchandise can be purchased for 300 Empire Points by visiting a Promotions Booth from 7:30pm until midnight.

Event Venue : Empire City Casino

For further information click here

The post Free Gift Fridays on June 28 appeared first on Metro.us.

Yonkers Raceway, founded in 1899 as the Empire City Race Track, is a one-half-mile standardbred harness racing dirt track and New York state-approved slots racino located at the intersection of Central Park Avenue and Yonkers Avenue in Yonkers, New York near the New York City border.

Event Venue : Empire City Casino

For further information click here

The post Live Racing 5 Nights a Week on June 28 appeared first on Metro.us.

Event Venue : Empire City Casino

For tickets click here

For further information click here

The post Summer Concert Series on June 30 appeared first on Metro.us.

Yonkers Raceway, founded in 1899 as the Empire City Race Track, is a one-half-mile standardbred harness racing dirt track and New York state-approved slots racino located at the intersection of Central Park Avenue and Yonkers Avenue in Yonkers, New York near the New York City border.

Event Venue : Empire City Casino

For further information click here

The post Live Racing 5 Nights a Week on June 29 appeared first on Metro.us.

Brooklyn has the highest rate of traffic deaths in the city, and an alarming number of motorists drive faster than the speed limit in the borough, a new study shows.

According to the report by the advocacy group Transportation Alternatives, a total of 79 Brooklyn residents were killed in traffic crashes in 2011, and 23,000 others were injured.

Queens followed with 67 fatalities in 2011, the Bronx had 65, Manhattan had 45 and Staten Island only had 12 fatalities.

The group tracked the speed of drivers in Bay Ridge, Canarsie, Greenpoint and Midwood, and found 88 percent of surveyed motorists drove at unlawful speeds, and 30 percent of those drivers traveled at 10 miles per hour or more over the posted 30 mph limit.

“With speeding motorists driving the number of traffic deaths in Brooklyn ahead of every other borough, the need for speeding enforcement cameras is clearer than ever,” said Paul Steely White, executive director of Transportation Alternatives.

The group said that it clocked more speeding drivers in a 12-hour period than the police department ticketed in all of 2011. Brooklyn precincts issued 2,093 speeding violations in 2011, according to Transportation Alternatives.

According to the group, speeding is the leading cause of fatal crashes and kills more New Yorkers than drunk drivers and drivers on cell phones combined.

The post Study: Brooklyn has most traffic deaths in the city appeared first on Metro.us.

New York City teachers are invited to attend “TEACHERS NIGHT OUT,” a free teachers-only dance party to celebrate the end of the school year at Element Night Club on the Lower East Side. “Teachers Night Out” was organized by Jason Gordon, who simply wanted to say thank you to his wife, a teacher, her colleagues and the rest of the amazing educators in New York City. Working with the great people at Element, the club enthusiastically volunteered to open its doors for a very special after-school dance party on June 21st, where teachers could celebrate the end of another amazing school year.

Teachers will be treated to a free dance party where DJ Matte (Resident DJ at Pianos and Gin Palace) will be spinning everything from Top 40 hits to 80’s and 90’s favorites.

Don’t forget to RSVP and for more information, contact Jason at jasongordon77@gmail.com

The post Teachers Night Out appeared first on Metro.us.

Award-winning guitar slinger, passionate vocalist and gifted songwriter Joe Louis Walker, touring in support of his Alligator Records debut, HELLFIRE, will give a live performance at Terra Blues in New York . The Wall Street Journal celebrates HELLFIRE’s “appealing immediacy” and says, “Walker’s raspy, powerhouse voice is out front while his stinging guitar cuts through the uncluttered arrangements.” Walker has been releasing groundbreaking music since 1986 and has toured — and continues to tour — worldwide. The Blues Foundation inducted Walker into the 2013 Blues Hall Of Fame on May 8, 2013. He has won four Blues Music Awards and also recorded as a guest with some of the blues world’s best-known artists, including appearances on Grammy-winning records by B.B. King and James Cotton.

Event Venue :Terra Blues

For further information click here

The post Joe Louis Walker at Terra Blues appeared first on Metro.us.

An eastbound Long Island Rail Road train carrying nearly 1,000 passengers derailed in the East River Tunnel on Monday, delaying trains during the Monday evening and Tuesday morning rush hours.

A total of 35 out of 144 morning trains were canceled or diverted Tuesday, according to the MTA.

Two cars of a 10-car Hempstead-bound train derailed shortly after 6 p.m on Monday as it left Penn Station and entered the tunnel. No one was injured, and most passengers were led onto a rescue train.

The derailed train was removed from the tunnel early Tuesday morning, an MTA spokesman told CBS News. There is no word yet on how the afternoon commute will be affected.

The cause of the derailment is under investigation.

The post LIRR train derailment causes delays appeared first on Metro.us.

Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius will be performing. This is a 21 and over venue. Admission is free, and a tip jar will be passed around.

The web site is http://www.shrinenyc.com/

Stratospheerius members are Joe Deninzon-electric violin/mandolin/vocals), French guitarist Aurelien Budynek (Cindy Blackman, Vernon Reid), bassist Jamie Bishop (The Syn, Francis Dunnery), and drummer Lucianna Padmore (praised by Modern Drummer Magazine for her “Deep grooves and serious fusion chops.”

Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius call themselves a “Rock group,” with a musical range that combines jam, fusion, rock, progressive, virtuoso, singer-songwriter, jazz and metal.

Event Venue : Shrine

For further information click here

The post Stratospheerius appeared first on Metro.us.

Yonkers Raceway, founded in 1899 as the Empire City Race Track, is a one-half-mile standardbred harness racing dirt track and New York state-approved slots racino located at the intersection of Central Park Avenue and Yonkers Avenue in Yonkers, New York near the New York City border.

For further details click here

The post Live Harness Racing appeared first on Metro.us.

For further details click here

The post Summer Concert Series appeared first on Metro.us.

Asphalt Orchestra: www.asphaltorchestra.com

Bang on a Can’s radical marching band Asphalt Orchestra returns to Lincoln Center Out of Doors to give the world premiere of Asphalt Orchestra Plays the Pixies: Surfer Rosa, commissioned by Lincoln Center and honoring the groundbreaking album’s 25th anniversary, on Sunday, July 28, 2013 at 6:30pm at Lincoln Center’s Damrosch Park Bandshell. Parade sets by Asphalt Orchestra and Jacob Garchik’s The Heavens start at 6 pm on Josie Robertson Plaza and Hearst Plaza. The program also includes performances by the Kronos Quartet with special guests Dan Deacon and Jherek Bischoff, as part of a weeklong celebration, KRONOS at 40, co-curated by Lincoln Center and Kronos Quartet.

Asphalt Orchestra is a radical street band that brings ambitious processional music to the masses. Created by the founders of the “relentlessly inventive” new music presenter Bang on a Can (New York Magazine), Asphalt Orchestra unleashes innovative music from concert halls, rock clubs and jazz basements and takes it to the streets and beyond. The band brings together some of the most exciting rock, jazz and classical players in New York City who The New York Times called “12 top-notch brass and percussion players.”

Event Venue : Lincoln Center Out of Doors

For further information click here

The post Asphalt Orchestra Plays the Pixies appeared first on Metro.us.

Yonkers Raceway, founded in 1899 as the Empire City Race Track, is a one-half-mile standardbred harness racing dirt track and New York state-approved slots racino located at the intersection of Central Park Avenue and Yonkers Avenue in Yonkers, New York near the New York City border.

For further details click here

The post Live Harness Racing appeared first on Metro.us.

Yonkers Raceway, founded in 1899 as the Empire City Race Track, is a one-half-mile standardbred harness racing dirt track and New York state-approved slots racino located at the intersection of Central Park Avenue and Yonkers Avenue in Yonkers, New York near the New York City border.

For further details click here

The post Live Harness Racing appeared first on Metro.us.

Maggie O’Farrell (INSTRUCTIONS FOR A HEATWAVE) and J. Courtney Sullivan (THE ENGAGEMENTS) read from and discuss their recent novels.

Event Venue : McNally Jackson

For further information click here

The post Novel Discussions appeared first on Metro.us.

High school graduation rates in the city dropped slightly for the first time in a decade — falling to 60.4 percent from 60.9 the previous year, according to data released by state officials on Monday.

The graduation rate for students who graduate in August also dropped slightly to 64.7 percent from 65.5 percent last year. Across the state, the graduation rate held steady at 74 percent.

This is the first year since Mayor Michael Bloomberg took office that graduation rates have slipped, but Bloomberg said on Monday that current standards for graduation are much higher.

“The standards are going up. The state wants to raise them, we’ve always been in favor of raising them,” Bloomberg said at a news conference on Monday. “This is showing improvement, not decline, no matter how you want to spell it.”

For the first time this year, students were required to score a 65 or higher on all five core subject Regents exams, the mayor’s office noted. The 2011 standards allowed students to graduate with a 65 or higher on four exams and a 55 or higher on one exam.

The graduation rate is 14 percentage points higher than it was in 2005, according to the data from the city’s Department of Education.

“We continue to raise the bar and our students continue to rise to the challenge,” said Schools Chancellor Dennis M. Walcott in a statement.

Dropout rates have also decreased in the city, from 22 percent in 2005 to 11.4 percent in 2012, according to the mayor’s office.

“For some students, achieving higher standards takes more time — and I’m proud that more students than ever before are staying in school and graduating after five or six years,” Walcott said.

The post City high school graduation rates drop slightly appeared first on Metro.us.