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The New York Observer

Paterson Campaign Calls It Like They See It

The uneasy detante between David Paterson and Andrew Cuomo is over. After months of stories about how badly the White House would like Mr. Paterson to stand down, and months of polls showing how badly...

By Reid Pillifant | November 20, 2009 | 6:19 pm
Mean Jude.

Items! 'God's Work,' Even More on the Hipster Grifter

A grad student surprisingly acquired a large sum of money; unsurprisingly, he lacked the steely real-world survival instincts to keep it. A.P. writers used spy tactics to get hold of Going...

By Molly Fischer and Reid Pillifant | November 20, 2009 | 6:12 pm

The A.P. at Last Stand

Gawker's Hamilton Nolan owned the week's A.P.-layoffs story, and this morning he took an elegiac tone: "We hope you will all receive much grander tributes to your individual careers than a single line in a Gawker post....

By Molly Fischer | November 20, 2009 | 6:07 pm

More Local News, Just Not Here

Bloomberg reports today on the local news battlegrounds that The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times are currently staking out. Both papers are exploring regional editions in places like the Bay Area and Chicago, to...

By Molly Fischer | November 20, 2009 | 4:11 pm
James Murdoch.

As Goes Oprah, So Goes News Corp.

Public figures of all kinds are aflutter after Oprah Winfrey's dramatic announcement that she's switching to cable. CNN did the thing where someone hands an urgent piece of paper to the anchor, the Daily Beast seems to...

By Reid Pillifant | November 20, 2009 | 4:06 pm

'optimism.' Oh.

The MTA has been printing the word "optimism" on MetroCards since September, but no one seems to have noticed until The Times did, extensively, this...

By Molly Fischer | November 20, 2009 | 1:26 pm
The Great Chef.

Schumer Likes What Harry Reid's Cooking

Chuck Schumer continued his exuberant cheerleading for Harry Reid yesterday, in keeping with his insistence that he doesn't have designs on Mr. Reid's majority leader post. On Morning Joe, he called the Senate Majority Leader "a great,...

By Reid Pillifant | November 20, 2009 | 12:24 pm
Things are looking up for Gehry.

Frank Gehry Will Wait to Ascend His Own Tower

At a topping-off ceremony for his Beekman Tower yesterday, 80-year old architect Frank Gehry took to the podium and made one of those slightly randy jokes that men can get away with when they're 80. Mr. Gehry...

By Reid Pillifant | November 20, 2009 | 10:50 am

Crime Waves: Saunas and Sexual Harassment

During a joint hearing yesterday, the City Council's Transportation, Women's Issues, and Public Safety committees concluded that sexual harassment is the "number one quality of life offense on the subway." Some patterns emerged in the discussion of the...

By Molly Fischer | November 20, 2009 | 9:10 am

Today in Local Sports Coverage: The Answer Raises a Question

The back covers this morning prompt a question: Which tabloid do you trust? They both have Allen Iverson, but the Daily News tell us "TIME OUT: Dolan has reservations," while the Post feels so confident it's actually happening...

By Reid Pillifant | November 20, 2009 | 9:07 am
Gehry.

Items! Bad Jokes, Good Books

Did Frank Gehry make a Viagra joke at a topping-off ceremony? The Blind Side movie made Ken Starr all teary-eyed. Colum McCann's Let The Great World Spin won the National Book...

By Molly Fischer and Reid Pillifant | November 19, 2009 | 5:54 pm
I want to care about you, and I don't.

Twilight Confessionals

Because all other vampire angles are exhausted on this, the eve of the second Twilight movie's release, today's hot topic is old and/or smart people who like Twilight in spite of themselves. The Washington Post writes that "good,...

By Molly Fischer | November 19, 2009 | 5:02 pm

Giuliani News Is News to Ed Koch

What does Ed Koch think about the Times' report that Rudy Giuliani won't be running for...

By Reid Pillifant | November 19, 2009 | 3:35 pm

Special Times: 'The Business of Green'

Not infrequently, The New York Times supplements its regular offerings with a "special section," a home for special content on special topics or special events-and for the advertisers who want to read about these topics! We will...

By Molly Fischer | November 19, 2009 | 3:30 pm

Murdoch Apologizes, Post Attack$

Not to worry. Everything is "fine" between your governor and your media emperor. David Paterson insisted this morning that there weren't any hard feelings about Rupert Murdoch calling him "a very nice and honest man who's blind and...

By Reid Pillifant | November 19, 2009 | 2:09 pm