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The City Council says it will hold a hearing this week on the new 911 system that cost $88 million and has been criticized for several technical glitches. The Wall Street Journal reports that the hearing comes after a 4-year-old girl at a hospital Tuesday after a four-minute delay in sending an ambulance to help the child, who had been struck during a police chase.

Former Congressman Anthony Weiner, a mayoral candidate, made a campaign appearance at the Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network in Harlem Saturday morning, where he talked about stop-and-frisk, among other matters. Politicker reports that Sharpton was unimpressed. "I'm not hearing enough ideas," the civil rights activist told the site.

The New York Post reports that funds paid by political action committees to state Sen. John Sampson's campaign filings have gone missing. Sampson was recently accused of embezzling tens of thousands from escrow accounts he was overseeing as a court-appointed referee.

Other Stories We're Following

Reforms To Handling Of Foreclosure Lawsuits Spurred By Embezzlement Arrest (NY Post)

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Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s administration created a nationally heralded blueprint five years ago to steer the city toward a more sustainable future.

The mayor now says the city is on track to meet all the goals set forth in that plan.

A new report shows that the city has made significant progress on 100 of the 132 initiatives outlined in the city’s PLaNYC blueprint for sustainability.

The initiatives touch on areas including transportation, parks and open space and housing.

The report highlights last month’s launch of Citi Bike, which is the largest bike share program in the nation; the addition of 300 acres of new parkland; and the rezoning of 119 neighborhoods to allow taller buildings for housing or office space and to create pedestrian plazas.

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Tagged in: environment PlaNYC

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Two female Assembly staffers have filed federal and state lawsuits against Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and former Assemblyman Vito Lopez. The women allege that Lopez repeatedly made unwanted sexual advances. In one case Lopez reportedly told a staffer she should have sex with a Cuomo administration official to get a housing bill passed. The lawsuits allege that Silver provided "assistance" to Lopez that allowed him to continue harassing the women. Silver came to a secret settlement with two other women who Lopez harassed and allowed Lopez to hire the two staffers who have since brought other sexual harassment claims and these two lawsuits. The incidents have shined a spotlight on the culture of sexual harassment in Albany. Lopez resigned his seat after intense pressure and facing a vote that would have expelled him. He is still likely to face over $300,000 in fines from the legislative ethics board. Silver has apologized for his handling of the incident but has brushed off calls for his resignation. 


Other Stories We're Following

Council Bill Would Cut Down on Adult Day Care Centers (NY Times)

Report: Pot Arrests in New York Vary By Race (Democrat and Chronicle)

Finger-Pointing On Stalled BIlls (Albany Times Union)

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Bill Thompson isn't scared by poor showings in recent polls.

In recent polls from both Quinnipiac and Marist College, the former comptroller and second-time mayoral candidate has stayed in the low double digits while former Congressman Anthony Weiner creeps up and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn tumbles downwards.

"I've yet to see the polls be particularly accurate," Thompson said. "They've been inaccurate through most of my career and many of the elections that I've seen, they've been incredibly inaccurate. This is about Sept. 10 and the primary. That'll be the great indicator."

Whether or not the polls are inaccurate, Thompson continues to shore up support from both Latino elected leaders and long-time New York political stalwarts. The latest came earlier today from former Congressman Herman Badillo.

Badillo was the first Puerto Rican to serve as Bronx borough president and as U.S. House representative. He also served as a deputy mayor to former Mayor Ed Koch. The 83-year-old joined Thompson in East Harlem today to announce his endorsement.

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Two female Assembly staffers have filed a lawsuit against Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and former Assemblyman Vito Lopez.

The lawsuit claims that Lopez sexually harassed both women and that Silver provided "assistance" that allowed the harassment to continue. 

Silver's office reached a secret $103,000 settlement with two former Lopez staffers who accused him of sexual harassment but Silver did not stop Lopez from hiring more female staffers. The two women who Lopez fired have since come forward to detail their harassment and have now filed this suit. They are listed as current employees of the Assembly in the lawsuit.

The Joint Commission on Public Ethics issued a report last month that detailed a littany of alleged sexual misbehavior by Lopez but the panel did not look into Silver's role in keeping them out of public view.

Silver has apologized for his handling of the matter but has dismissed calls for his resignation. Calls to his office have not been returned. The incident has shined a spotlight on Albany's culture of sexual harassment

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