In terror-wary NYC, security tight for Thanksgiving parade

NEW YORK — Sand-filled sanitation trucks and police sharpshooters will mix with glittering floats and giant balloons at a Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade that comes in a year of terrible mass shootings and not even a month after a deadly truck attack in lower Manhattan.

New York City's mayor and police brass have repeatedly stressed that layers of security, along with hundreds of officers, will be in place for one of the nation's biggest outdoor holiday gatherings, and that visitors should not be deterred.

"We had a couple of tough months as a nation," Police Commissioner James O'Neill said. "We won't ever accept such acts of hate and cowardice as inevitable in our society."

A posting last year in an English-language magazine of the Islamic State group, which took credit for the Oct. 31 truck attack that killed eight people, mentioned the Thanksgiving parade as "an excellent target." Authorities say there is no confirmation of a credible threat.

"I want to assure the people that we swore to protect that anytime something happens anywhere in the world, the NYPD works with our law enforcement partners and studies it and we learn from it and it informs our decision making going forward," O'Neill said.

This year's security plan includes dozens of city sanitation trucks, which weigh about 16 tons empty and up to twice that with sand, that will be lined up as imposing barriers to traffic at every cross street along the 2 ½-mile parade route stretching from Central Park to Macy's flagship store on 34th Street.

In addition, officers with assault weapons and portable radiation detectors will walk among the crowds, and sharpshooters on rooftops will scan building windows and balconies for anything unusual.

New York officials are also asking the tens of thousands of spectators to be alert for anything suspicious.

"There will be a cop on every block," said NYPD Chief of Patrol Terence Monahan. "Go to that cop and say something."

The 91st annual parade begins at 9 a.m. and will be broadcast live on NBC. Smokey Robinson, Jimmy Fallon, The Roots, Flo Rida and Wyclef Jean will be among the stars celebrating, along with performances from the casts of Broadway's "Anastasia," ''Dear Evan Hansen" and "SpongeBob SquarePants."

New balloons added this year include Dr. Seuss' Grinch, Olaf from the smash movie "Frozen," and a puppy called Chase from Nickelodeon's "Paw Patrol."

Beyond the pageantry, police say they have been working on security for the parade since the moment last year's parade ended. It's a plan that got renewed attention after a terror attack in lower Manhattan Oct. 31, when a man in a rented truck barreled onto a crowded bike path near the World Trade Center, killing eight people.

Authorities said the 29-year-old suspect operated from a playbook put out by the Islamic State group. Sayfullo Saipov, an Uzbek immigrant, was charged with federal terrorism offenses that could qualify him for the death penalty.

According to a criminal complaint, he made statements about his allegiance to the Islamic State group.
The first major event since the attack — the New York marathon, which drew tens of thousands of spectators and 50,000 runners from around the world — went off with no problems.

"We said right away New York's response is to remain strong and resilient," Mayor Bill de Blasio said. "We do not back down in the face of terror threats. The city is filled with resolve."

source: philstar.com

Autopsy set for actor Philip Seymour Hoffman

NEW YORK - An autopsy on the body of Oscar-winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman was to take place in New York on Monday, a day after he was found dead in his Manhattan apartment of a suspected heroin overdose.

The sudden death of the 46-year-old, hailed as the finest character actor of his generation, has shocked Hollywood. He was discovered with a syringe lodged in his arm and surrounded by envelopes of what appears to have been heroin.

The alarm was reportedly raised when Hoffman failed to turn up on Sunday to collect his three children from their mother, who called a friend to go and check on him.

Police say his death seems to have been the result of an overdose but refused to release further details until the New York medical examiner's office conducts the autopsy.

Hoffman mesmerized filmgoers with his portrayal of some of the most repellent and yet electrifying characters of the silver screen.

He won an Oscar for his performance as Truman Capote in the 2005 film "Capote" and was nominated for three further Academy Awards as a supporting actor in 2008, 2009, and 2013.

But for all his success, Hoffman struggled in the limelight and with addiction. He spoke less than a year ago about a recent heroin relapse, having been sober for two decades.

Celebrity website TMZ reported that Hoffman admitted in May to falling off the wagon more than a year previously, starting with prescription pills and escalating to snorting heroin.

At the time he said the heroin binge had "lasted a week or so" and that he checked himself into a rehab center for 10 days.

He credited what he called "a great group of friends and family" for helping him, and continued to work on film projects.

But in August he dropped out of shooting the spy thriller Child 44 for "undisclosed reasons" and was replaced by Vincent Cassel, sparking rumors about his health.

The last time he was seen at an official event was the Sundance Film Festival in the US state of Utah in mid-January, where he appeared pale and gaunt.

'Tragic and sudden loss'

Since his death it has emerged that he was recently living apart from his long-time girlfriend and their three children, in the rented apartment where he died near the family home.

In an earlier interview with the CBS show "60 minutes" he said he had been sober since he was 22.

Talking about his addiction at the time to drugs and alcohol, he said: "I was 22 and I got panicked in my life."

His family has released a brief statement asking for privacy to mourn their "tragic and sudden loss."

Tributes have poured in from fellow celebrities and actors.

"I feel so fortunate to have known and worked with the extraordinary Philip Seymour Hoffman and am deeply saddened by his passing," said Julianne Moore, who co-starred with Hoffman in "Boogie Nights," "Magnolia," and "The Big Lebowski."

George Clooney, who appeared alongside Hoffman in "The Ides of March," said: "There are no words... it's just terrible."

"This is a horrible day for those who worked with Philip. He was a giant talent," Tom Hanks said. Hanks starred with Hoffman in "Charlie Wilson's War."

Born Philip Hoffman in July 1967 in New York state, he earned a drama degree from New York University in 1989.

In 1997, he made waves as a closeted gay crew member in Paul Thomas Anderson's porn industry tale "Boogie Nights," followed by a quirky turn in the Coen brothers' "The Big Lebowski" (1998).

In Anthony Minghella's thriller "The Talented Mr Ripley," he stole the show from co-stars Matt Damon and Jude Law with his supporting role as slippery and duplicitous preppie Freddie Miles.

The late Minghella once said that Hoffman was an extraordinary actor "cursed, sometimes, by his own gnawing intelligence, his own discomfort with acting."

In one of his most recent roles, Hoffman played game master Plutarch Heavensbee in the second installment of the blockbuster "Hunger Games" franchise.

He had been cast in the final two takes of the series, and industry publication Variety said the films would be released in November 2014 and 2015 as planned.

source: interaksyon.com

Real Estate Brokers Predict a Tough Time for Buyers

With inventory at near-record lows and prices inching up, all signs are pointing toward a seller’s market for Manhattan real estate this spring.

The number of apartments for sale dropped 34.4 percent to 4,960 listings in the first three months of the year — the largest year-over-year decline in 12 years, according to a report by the Douglas Elliman brokerage firm. At the same time, the number of sales went up 6.3 percent to 2,457 and prices increased across all categories, with the median sales price at $820,555, up 5.9 percent, according to the report. 

With the exception of the second and third quarter of 2010, when prices were buoyed by the homeowners’ tax credit, “that is the largest year-over-year increase since Lehman fell” in 2008, said Jonathan J. Miller, the president of the appraisal firm Miller Samuel and the author of Douglas Elliman’s report. “If you choke supply by the throat,” he added, the inevitable outcome is that “prices rise.” 

All of this means a tough time for those looking to buy. “The demand is across the board from studios to $50 million apartments, and there is not enough supply,” said Pamela Liebman, the chief executive of the Corcoran Group, which reported the median price was stable for the first three months of the year compared with the same period in 2012. “There are more bidding wars. There’s more frustration.” 

While the average price was down 10 percent, Corcoran attributed that dip to a shift in market share toward smaller apartments and resale co-ops as more entry-level buyers, enticed by low mortgage rates, decided to buy. 

Reports by Brown Harris Stevens and Halstead Property, however, showed the median price down by 5 percent to $780,000 in the first quarter of 2013 compared with the same period the previous year, a decrease that the firms consider an aberration caused by a rush of high-end closings at the end of 2012 in anticipation of changes to tax laws. 

“All these deals that normally would have closed in January, February and March were pushed forward,” said Hall F. Willkie, president of Brown Harris Stevens Residential. “As a firm, our closings were three times what our high had ever been in the month of December,” he added. 

Average prices skewed lower as well, down 16 percent to $1,252,081, in part because last year’s average was inflated by an $88 million closing at 15 Central Park West. Looking ahead, Mr. Willkie noted, “Our new deals are considerably above where they were in the first quarter of last year, which was our record year.” 

Overall, there were 3,066 new contracts signed in the first quarter, up 15 percent compared with the first three months of 2012, according to StreetEasy.com. The Web site’s analysis also showed prices going up 26.8 percent in the first quarter compared with last year, and a 41.3 percent drop in price cuts. 

Strong demand for new apartments means many new developments are selling inventory based on floor plans, before the buildings are completed. The sales center at 56 Leonard Street, a new luxury tower in TriBeCa, opened in February, and half the building is already sold, with more than $450 million in signed contracts. The median price of new development units also jumped 37 percent to $1.3 million in the first quarter from the same period last year, according to Corcoran. 

And with construction costs high, new development is meant to attract luxury buyers, offering little relief to the rest of the market. 

Brokers expect supply to begin to loosen up as prices rise, because homeowners with little or negative equity who have been holding back may finally put their homes up for sale as prices appreciate. “People are looking to move on with their life,” said Diane M. Ramirez, president of Halstead Property. “I think we’ll see more resale product come on in a more normal way.” She added, “I’m optimistic the balance will not get too much worse.” 

But buyers who wait could face higher prices as mortgage rates and prices are expected to rise. “You might have more inventory to look at next year, but financing costs might be higher and home prices will certainly be higher than right now,” said Stan Humphries, the chief economist of Zillow.com. 

While all of this means sellers currently have the upper hand, brokers caution against raising prices too quickly. “We hope that we don’t see crazy price increases,” said Dottie Herman, the chief executive of Douglas Elliman. “You want them to rise in a smart way and not just based on a shortage of inventory,” she continued. “You want them to rise in a fashion that doesn’t create a bubble.” 

source: nytimes.com

Dindi Gallardo sues comic book legend Frank Miller, girlfriend

Former actress and beauty queen Dindi Gallardo has filed a wrongful termination lawsuit with the Manhattan Supreme Court against her employer, legendary comic book creator Frank Miller, the New York Post reported Wednesday (Thursday Manila time).

The report said the former Binibining Pilipinas-Universe, now 41 and using her real name
Joanna Gallardo-Mills, is “seeking unspecified monetary damages from Miller and his
much younger actress girlfriend Kimberly Cox for discrimination and mental anguish.”

Dindi singled out Cox who “smeared her work area with feces, destroyed her printer with a hammer, threw phones at her, and even left a used feminine hygiene pad by her desk.”

In an earlier interview with Cristina DC Pastor of the Philippine Daily Inquirer only last May,
Dindi proudly disclosed that she has been living in New York for the last 10 years and last year married restaurant consultant Eric Mills.

She also said she “works for a famous artist whose blockbuster movies many of us are familiar with.”

Due to a confidentiality clause in her contract, she could not disclose the details of her
employment, including her employer’s identity which turned out to be Miller, the revered comic book writer considered to be in the same league as Neil Gaiman (“Sandman”) and Alan Moore (“Watchmen”) and is responsible for bestselling graphic novels such as “Batman: The Dark Knight Returns,” “Sin City” and “300,” all of which were adapted for the big screen.

The Post report said that Dindi was hired as an executive coordinator back in 2008.

“I love New York. I love my job. I can’t get into major details. My boss—he’s pretty big. I’m
like his right-hand person. I work with his team of lawyers, agents, accountants. I’ve been with him 3.5 years,” Dindi said in the same Inquirer interview in reference to her current life and work.

Unfortunately, there’s at least one person in the workplace who didn’t like her and that was Cox, who apparently also works in the same office. The Post report also revealed that the latter had issues with Dindi’s “funky” English accent and continued to make life difficult as they shared the same Hell’s Kitchen living/work space.

When Dindi finally complained to Miller, the report said “he eventually agreed to let her work out of her home to keep her away from Cox.” Miller has yet to react to the lawsuit.

Dindi’s lawyer, Matthew Blit who is described by the Post “as a high-powered employment attorney” commented that “Nobody should have to work under those conditions.”

Cox claims in the same report that Dindi was already offered “a very heavy settlement” but
declined to accept it.

Most of the comments in the news item were sympathetic to Dindi and scornful of Cox.

“The Cox woman seems jealous of pretty exotic ex beauty queen Joanna to the point of paranoia and considered Joanna a threat to her cosy situation with Miller. Good luck Joanna,” said Facebook user Beaudine de Massy.

“Joanna Gallardo-Mills was a former Ms. Philippines who represented the country in the Miss Universe Pageant 1993 in Mexico City. Ms. Cox, ugly as she is in her photo and in her attitude, should really feel insecure,” Richard Caballero weighed in.

“That’s very un humanitarian. It doesn’t matter if Joanna Gallardo-Mills was from the
Philippines. I do believe that NO ONE, no matter what country they came from should be treated like the way she was treated. I hope she’ll get the justice that she deserves,” posted Carina S. Gardow.

source: interaksyon.com

Lady Gaga's high-end Manhattan resto hit over filthy habits

LONDON -- The high-end Manhattan restaurant owned by pop star Lady Gaga and her family has been slapped after the Dept. of Health uncovered violations.

Joanne Trattoria on the city's West Side restaurant was smacked with a shameful 'C' grade, the lowest possible rating.




This, after health officials uncovered its filthy habits, reported Daily Mail online.

They did not say what these habits were.

source: interaksyon.com

Supermodel, billionaire settle child-support dispute

NEW YORK – Canadian supermodel Linda Evangelista and French billionaire Francois-Henri Pinault reached a child-support settlement on Monday following two days of tense, often personal court testimony last week in Manhattan.

Lawyers for both parties declined to disclose the settlement. A lawyer for Evangelista called media reports that she sought $46,000 a month as a misunderstanding, but acknowledged she was seeking a “substantial” sum to raise their 5-year-old son.

Both parties agreed to return to court on Tuesday to finalize the agreement.

“Everybody’s glad, for the sake of the child, that it’s done,” David Aronson, attorney for Pinault, told reporters outside of court.

The model and Pinault walked out of the courtroom together, whispering. The scene was a stark contrast to last week’s trial, when Evangelista barely acknowledged Pinault and shot him icy glances during opening arguments.

Evangelista, 46, and Pinault, 49, had been embroiled in a contentious child-support trial over their son Augustin, conceived during a brief liaison in late 2005.

Pinault testified to ending the relationship after learning Evangelista was pregnant in early 2006. He denied a charge he had asked her to terminate the pregnancy.

Augustin was born in October 2006. Within a year, Pinault would father a child by actress Salma Hayek, named Valentina. Hayek and Pinault married in 2009 in Paris, on Valentine’s Day.

Pinault is chief executive of PPR, a multinational firm that owns luxury brands including Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent. He is worth about $3 billion, according to Aronson.

Last week, Evangelista’s attorney, William Beslow, grilled Pinault over his finances, the amount he spends on his other children and about the gifts he’d given Augustin. Beslow had argued Augustin was entitled to financial support on par with Valentina.

Pinault acknowledged he had put his $12 million Los Angeles home in a trust for Valentina to “reassure” Hayek that she and their child would be taken care of should anything happen to Pinault or to their relationship. Pinault fathered two children by a previous wife before meeting Evangelista.

Last week’s courtroom drama included a series of contentious exchanges, including Pinault’s acknowledgements that he “didn’t even know (Evangelista) very well” when she became pregnant. Evangelista also gave a detailed account of her rise from a 50-cent-a-basket cherry picker in her Canadian hometown near Niagara Falls to one of the most photographed faces in the world.

source: interaksyon.com

U.S.-backed battery firm Ener1 seeks Chapter 11 bankruptcy

U.S. government-backed battery supplier Ener1 has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the third U.S.-backed energy company to file in as many months.

Ener1 posted a notice today stating that it "has reached agreement with its primary investors and lenders on a restructuring plan that will significantly reduce its debt." This action will pave the way for up to $81 million for recapitalization, the company said.

A "pre-packaged" Chapter 11 case was filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Southern District of New York. Ener1 is planning to complete the restructuring process within 45 days.



"This was a difficult, but necessary, decision for our company," Ener1 CEO Alex Sorokin said in a statement. "Our business plan was impacted when demand for lithium-ion batteries slowed due to lower-than-expected adoption for electric passenger vehicles," he added.

Its already precarious position was exacerbated when it lost a major customer, Think Global, which filed for bankruptcy in June 2011. "For which we were exclusively providing commercial lithium-ion battery packs," Sorokin said.

Ener1 has also had trouble competing with battery companies in China and South Korea, where manufacturing costs are lower, according to a report. That is not unlike statements solar system manufacturer Solyndra made when it filed for bankruptcy in August.

And U.S.-based energy storage company Beacon Power filed for bankruptcy in November. Both Solyndra and Beacon Power received loans through the Department of Energy's Loan Guarantee program, though Beacon still has a shot at emerging from Chapter 11.

Ener1 is the parent of a company that received a $118 milliont U.S. Energy Department grant to make electric-car batteries.

The New York-based company listed assets of $73.9 million and debt of $90.5 million as of December 31 in Chapter 11 papers filed today in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan, according to Bloomberg.

In the State of the Union speech Tuesday night, President Obama said "some companies will fail" but promised he would "not walk away from the promise of clean energy."


source: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-57367210-64/u.s.-backed-battery-firm-ener1-seeks-chapter-11-bankruptcy/?tag=mncol