The first African-American judge elected to the Brooklyn Surrogate Court—Diana Johnson—was the subject of graffiti found spray painted inside the Brooklyn Courthouse this morning, confirmed a spokesman for Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz.

The graffiti, found inside an elevator in the courthouse, referenced Johnson and the n-word, according to two readers.

Al Sharpton, Johnson, Markowitz, and others are planning to hold press conference at Borough Hall in Brooklyn at 2 p.m.  read more »

Michael Bloomberg interrupted his own speech at the Harlem headquarters of Al Sharpton's National Action Network, turned to Sharpton and said, "Don't you interview candidates for higher office [here]?"

"Pick a number," replied Sharpton.

Bloomberg responded by telling Sharpton he is not a candidate for higher office.

Eliot Spitzer said he would put "more money into education than any governor or lieutenant governor [in New York's history]” during his speech at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Public Policy Forum at the Harlem headquarters of Al Sharpton’s National Action Network today.

The statement was a preemptive response to critics of his anticipated budget plan, which will not give as much money to education as the governor had previously pledged.  read more »

Barack Obama kept the truce with Hillary Clinton intact when he called into Al Sharpton’s radio show just now. In fact, during the approximately six minute interview the Illinois senator spoke about economic issues and didn’t mention Clinton.

In introducing Obama, Sharpton—who hasn’t endorsed a candidate yet—said, “I have developed a very good working relationship with him. He and I do things differently, we play different roles. We’ve gained a respect for each other during this process, I certainly respect what he’s trying to do.”

Obama reiterated his position that most millionaires pay a lower tax rate than their secretaries, and said he wants to “restore that sense of balance that’s been missing from our economic policies. And it’s going to get worse right now. As you know, we got a recession. And when America gets a cold, black America gets pneumonia.”  read more »

“It’s going to be ethnic politics as usual,” said Al Sharpton during a commercial break from his radio show on Tuesday afternoon, a few minutes before Bill Clinton called in to defend his wife’s campaign, once again, against allegations of racial insensitivity. “The beyond-racial candidates are having the biggest racial attack I’ve seen in a long time.”

“All of a sudden,” Mr. Sharpton added, “we are back in The Bonfire of the Vanities, with a new cast and the same old script.”  read more »

Bill Clinton just called into Al Sharpton’s radio show to explain what he meant when he referred to Barack Obama’s campaign as a fairytale.

“First of all, that’s not true,” Clinton said. “It’s not a fairytale. He might win. I think he’s a very impressive man and he’s run a great campaign. I was addressing a specific argument [Obama made] that had never been brought up in the debate.”  read more »

Tonight, I'm going on New York 1 News' reporters roundtable for, among other things, a look back at the major news stories of 2007.

I discussed this with a few readers at a bar not long ago, and there was some debate as to which was a bigger story: the ongoing problem of Alan Hevesi's financial indiscretion or Eliot Spitzer's eventful first year in Albany.

But there are other possibilities: Michael Bloomberg leaving the Republican Party, inciting speculation about a presidential campaign; Tom Suozzi's affection; Spitzer's quest for humility; Andrew Cuomo's investigations; Al Sharpton's continued relevance; a New York Post reporter quitting her job to cover the war in Iraq.

Personally, I'm still awed by Mathieu Eugene winning three elections in a single year.

So, what were the biggest, most memorable, must-remember stories of 2007?

Your nominees?

A snarky report in on Page Six of Wednesday's New York Post claimed that CNN publicists were scrambling this week to convince B-list guests to attend the network's first ever "Hero's Tribute," which took place last night at the Museum of Natural History, after first choices like Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt did not confirm attendance.

Still: The show—hosted by Anderson Cooper and Christiane Amanpour, and designed to honor some 18 "ordinary people" who, the network says, have helped change our world for the better—must go on! Tyra Banks was on the red carpet, in a Pamela Roland gown and vintage jewelry. "I didn't want to be too trendy," she said. "Anderson's here! I thought I had to look White House-ey!"  read more »

In case you didn’t know, it’s the “Day Out Against Hate,” a string of events Christine Quinn organized to raise ideas for combating the reported 20 percent rise in hate crimes.

The Speaker was joined in Brooklyn this morning by a number of people, inlcuding Al Sharpton and Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, who made the most far-reaching proposal. Markowitz suggested, rather strongly, that city public school students be required to make field trips to institutions like the L.G.B.T. center in lower Manhattan.

More after the jump.  read more »

Al Sharpton’s lawyer Sanford Rubenstein is saying that the FBI thinks that "a dangerous substance" may have been sent to Sharpton's New York headquarters.

Here's a statement he just sent out:  read more »