Margot Adler

Court Case Winds Down In New York's Stop-And-Frisk Challenge

Margot Adler — Mon, 20 May 2013 11:59:00 +0000

Closing arguments are set to take place Monday in the federal class action trial involving New York City's stop-and-frisk policy. The trial has been going on for two months in Manhattan.

Plaintiffs in Floyd v. City of New York claim the New York Police Department, its supervisors and its union pressured police officers to stop, question and frisk hundreds of thousands of people each year, even establishing quotas.

Times Square's Naked Cowboy Wrangles Some Co-Workers

Margot Adler — Sat, 04 May 2013 20:52:00 +0000

In the bustle and craziness of New York's Times Square on a busy afternoon or night, you will see scores of costumed figures: Batman, Elmo, the Statue of Liberty.

But for more than a dozen years, arguably the most original of these is the Naked Cowboy. His fame has now spawned a franchise, with eight different cowboys and cowgirls.

Almost anytime you go to Times Square, you will see the original Naked Cowboy in a white cowboy hat, white boots and white underwear briefs, with the words "Naked Cowboy" written across his butt.

New York: A Concrete Jungle And 'City Of Trees,' Too

Margot Adler — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 22:13:00 +0000

You expect to find great trees in city parks and botanical gardens. But you might not expect to find ancient or unusual trees in the inner city or smack dab in the middle of a highway.

Benjamin Swett has a love of trees so deep that he's written pamphlets about them, created photo exhibits and now has a new book, New York City of Trees.

You Can't Put A Headline On William Klein

Margot Adler — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 17:45:00 +0000

Try to put him in a box and he'll find his way out. Still working at nearly 85 years old, William Klein has gone rogue in at least four different fields: abstract painting, photography, filmmaking and commercial copy writing.

Klein now lives in Paris but I caught up with him in New York City — the place where he was born, but no longer has much affinity for. He's just here to promote a new book, William Klein ABC.

When I ask him what he thinks about the city, he says:

"One thing that annoys me is the talk. I went into Starbucks, and I wanted tea — and there was a cookie.

At 'Stop-And-Frisk' Trial, Cops Describe Quota-Driven NYPD

Margot Adler — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 21:01:00 +0000

Police officers testifying at a federal trial challenging New York City's stop-and-frisk policy say they were ordered to increase their number of arrests, summons and 250s — the code for stop, question and frisk.

Some 5 million street stops of mostly black and Latino men have taken place in the city in the last decade.

The city contends that the policy has helped make New York safer, leading to record-low crime rates, and that stop-and-frisks take place in areas where crime is often minority on minority.

Once On Death Row, He Now Fights To Defeat The Death Penalty

Margot Adler — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 21:01:00 +0000

Maryland is about to become the 18th state to abolish the death penalty.

A bill has passed the state Senate and is expected to pass the House of Delegates easily with the governor's ardent support. The strongest advocate to end the death penalty in Maryland is Kirk Bloodsworth, who was convicted of murder in that state in 1985 and was the first person in the U.S. to be sentenced to death row then exonerated by DNA evidence.

When you meet Bloodsworth, he comes across as the kind of guy you might want to go for a beer with.

NYC Labor Chorus Tries To Hit Right Note, Attract New Voices

Margot Adler — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 11:24:00 +0000

Union membership is at its lowest point since the 1930s. New figures show a drop, and only about 11 percent of workers belong to unions today.

But these numbers don't deter the New York City Labor Chorus, which has been singing in praise of unions for more than 20 years.

Jana Ballard, the choral director of the labor chorus, is one of the youngest in the group. She's 38. The average age of the 80 members is about 65.

Ballard grew up in Kentucky and now teaches voice and chorus at La Guardia High School — often called the Fame school — in New York City.

Federal Aid For Religious Institutions In Murky Waters After Sandy

Margot Adler — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 08:29:00 +0000

More than 200 houses of worship damaged in Superstorm Sandy have applied for aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

In Lower Manhattan, Sandy Still Keeping Businesses Dark

Margot Adler — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:12:00 +0000

When compared with its neighbors Coney Island and the Rockaways, Manhattan seemed hardly touched by the waters and winds of Superstorm Sandy in late October. But almost three months later, areas of lower Manhattan are still laboring to recover.

Earlier this month, a museum devastated by Sandy finally reopened. About 800 people packed the lobby and upstairs galleries of the South Street Seaport Museum in lower Manhattan as Mayor Michael Bloomberg addressed the crowd.

"The best days are yet ahead," he said, pulling out various sailing references.

U.N. Agency Watches Out For Domestic Workers

Margot Adler — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 09:46:00 +0000

The International Labor Organization, the U.N. agency that deals with labor issues, has released a report on the growing number of domestic workers around the globe, and their lack of legal and worker protections. There are almost 53 million domestic workers and 83 percent are women. They have often been ignored by policy makers.

Pulling Together, Newtown Celebrates Holiday 'As Best We Can'

Margot Adler — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 20:51:00 +0000

The days leading up to Christmas are typically bustling in Newtown, Conn. But given the depth of grief in this community since the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School, preparations for the holiday began very late.

Local shopkeepers say Saturday was the first day many people came out for holiday shopping since the tragedy.

Free Toy Shop Brings Cheer To Sandy's Displaced Families

Margot Adler — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 22:06:00 +0000

The New York borough of Staten Island was hard-hit by Hurricane Sandy. Almost two months after the storm hit, many residents will not be back in their homes by the Christmas holiday.

One organization is trying to make the season a bit brighter for uprooted families with a free toy store on the island.

Letters From 'Peanuts' Creator Reveal Bittersweet Romance

Margot Adler — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 08:25:00 +0000

On Friday, Sotheby's is putting up for auction 44 letters and 35 drawings from Charles Schulz, the creator of Peanuts, to a young woman he was courting.

The letters were written during an eight-month period starting in 1970 when Schulz's first marriage was deteriorating and before he met his second wife. During this time, Schulz, 48, wrote Tracey Claudius, 25, poignant, funny, even innocent notes in pictures and words, often using Charlie Brown to stand in for himself.

"On April 22 you squeezed my hand in the dark, remember?" reads one on blue construction paper.

Post-Sandy, Newly Unemployed Struggle To Stay Afloat

Margot Adler — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 23:29:00 +0000

Hurricane Sandy's effect on the nation's unemployment figures was less pronounced than expected. The reasons are complex, but one thing is clear: Thousands of victims are still struggling to rebuild their lives and get back to work.

Danielle Siekierski was tending bar at a restaurant in Manhattan's Meatpacking District before Sandy hit. When the restaurant was damaged in the storm, the workers were told it might be a week before it reopened.

Two weeks later, it closed for good.

Mystery On Fifth Avenue: A Constant Line Outside Abercrombie & Fitch

Margot Adler — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 19:28:00 +0000

Every day I walk down Fifth Avenue on my way to work. I pass glittering holiday store windows, the Salvation Army ringing its bells and the sparkling tree at Rockefeller Center.

But for months I've noticed a mystery: Only one store has huge lines outside before it opens: Abercrombie & Fitch.

Perhaps 90 people stand on line every day before opening, rain or shine.