New York news stories on Newser

'Lost, Alone' Mary Kennedy Hanged Herself

Mary Papenfuss — Thu, 17 May 2012 05:02:00 CDT

Robert Kennedy Jr.'s estranged wife was a "lost, alone" woman who ended her life at the end of a noose in a suicide in her barn behind her Westchester home, reports the New York Daily News . The body of Mary Kennedy, 52, the mom of four children ages 11...

New Theory on Mystery Tic Illness: Blame Facebook

Dustin Lushing — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:05:03 CST

Erin Brockovich is testing soil samples to see whether there might be a toxic link to a mysterious illness hitting teens in upstate New York, but a neurology professor has a different culprit in mind: Facebook and other forms of social media. He thinks the victims—more than a dozen...

Cemetery Worker Breaks Legs Tumbling Into Grave

Neal Colgrass — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:43:59 CST

Mourners at a funeral in New York were shocked to see a cemetery worker plunge into a grave today and break both his legs, DNAinfo reports. The 49-year-old "was removing the strap from the casket at that time," says a cemetery official who suspected the man only hurt a knee....

Calif., NY May Sign On to Robo-Signing Settlement

Kevin Spak — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:25:08 CST

California and New York are close to signing on to the Obama administration's multibillion dollar mortgage robo-signing settlement, significantly expanding the deal, the New York Times reports. If California signs on, the settlement total will jump from $19 billion to $25 billion. In exchange, the states want measures to help...

New York's State Bug Reappears

Matt Cantor — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 08:11:35 CST

It had been almost 30 years since anyone had seen New York’s state bug in New York—so long that legislators almost changed the official insect. But on July 30, a volunteer with the “Lost Ladybug Project” discovered a nine-spotted ladybug in Amagansett. Now, enough have been found to start...

7 Little-Known National Parks

Evann Gastaldo — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 10:51:05 CST

If you’ve seen enough of Old Faithful and the Grand Canyon, CNN has an idea for you: Why not visit another of the country’s 397 national parks and monuments, like one of these seven you’ve probably never heard of? Dry Tortugas : You have to seriously want to make it all...

NY Politician Explains Nude Web Pics: 'They're Art'

Mary Papenfuss — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 02:30:00 CST

Here's a new defense of naked photos by a politician. "They're art," says upstate New York Democratic county legislator C. Stephen Eckel, who also works as a photographer and has taught photography. Eckel, who last week yanked a pair of full frontal shots from his own website, calls the controversy...

1.5M Lose Power in Storm; Thousand Flights Snarled

Neal Colgrass — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 17:26:53 CDT

A rare October snowstorm has rolled up the East Coast and knocked out power to some 1.5 million people, MSNBC reports. The snowfall and ferocious winds have also delayed flights in Newark, New York, and Philadelphia—some by up to 6 hours. One live tracking site has tweeted more...

Goldman-Occupy Battle Heats Up Over Dinner Invitation

Neal Colgrass — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 13:27:32 CDT

Ask Goldman Sachs to fund an event honoring "Occupy Wall Street," and what do you get? Lost funds, nasty emails, and a fresh look at the debate raging between bankers and protesters. It all started earlier this month when a New York credit union, known for lending to the poor,...