Gotham Gazette

The Place for New York Policy and politics

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An explosion in East Harlem yesterday killed at least six people and leveled two buildings. Nine people are still missing. Neighbors reported smelling gas, and the explosion is suspected to have been caused by a leak. Century-old cast iron piping, which is prone to leaks and that ConEd had been replacing, is a possible cause. A new gas line was installed in one of the buildings a few months ago. Acrid smoke has made recovery difficult and nearby residents have been stocking up on face masks. The explosion prompted a call for increased infrastructure spending and for the mayor to speed up his appointment of a Department of Buildings commissioner. Authorities renewed their appeals to the public to report possible gas leaks immediately.

News From Gotham Gazette: Our New Executive Editor!

Gotham Gazette is happy to announce the hiring of Ben Max as Executive Editor. Ben begins work at Gotham Gazette this week after leading comprehensive coverage of the 2013 New York City election cycle at DecideNYC.com, a website he began early last year. Ben is being accompanied to Gotham Gazette by some of his Decide NYC team and some of their most recent content. Reach Ben at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Find more information on Ben's joining Gotham Gazette here.

Ben will also be writing at Gotham Gazette, starting with a two-part interview with former congressman and mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner. Part One of this series is focused on policy and is live this morning at Gotham Gazette:
The 'Imperfect Messenger': Anthony Weiner on Policy and Politics

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More City Teachers Fleeing To Suburbs: Union (Daily News)

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Study Looks At What Makes Pre-K Successful (NY Times)

Senate Makes Bid To Undo Mayor's Charter Moves (NY Post)

Elderly Jaywalker Hurt By Cops Still Faces Charges (NY Post)

How A Taxi Share System Could Transform The City (The Atlantic Cities)

Senate Budget May Not Include ‘Specific Number’ For Pre-K (Capital)

Cops Hand Out Fake Warning Notices To Jaywalkers (StreetsBlog)

John Liu Files Suit Against Campaign Finance Board (Wall Street Journal)

Critics Fault Cuomo's Bank Tax Proposal (Associated Press)

Cuomo's Juvenile Justice Reform Falls Short Of Goals (City Limits)