By Adam Sommers

Forget about the stupid stick and that slobber-covered tennis ball, Fido may soon be able to fetch you something you can actually use - cold, hard cash.

Lawmakers in Washington are considering a bill that would give tax breaks of up to $3,500 per person for pet care costs, according to a report by ABC News.

Whether it will become part of the tax code is anyone’s guess, but the measure does have some powerful friends - at least one Hollywood tough guy and a host of animal rights groups.

Nancy Perry, vice president of government affairs at the Humane Society of the United States tells ABC they think of it as part of the overall health care debate. "It's a human health issue to ensure that pets are provided with better care because of the role they play in our families."


Read more: »www.nydailynews.com/money/2009/1···0SxuuR7

NEW YORK (AP/ 1010 WINS) -- A Queens man faces charges that he swindled immigrants out of more than $1 million by posing as a government agent.

Queens prosecutors say Shane Ramsundar flashed a badge, wore a gun and told people he was an undercover Homeland Security agent. They say he extorted $43,000 from one victim by telling him he was on a terrorism watch list and might be deported if he didn't fork over cash.

Authorities say he told others he could get them green cards for a fee.

»www.1010wins.com/DA--Queens-Man-···/5327259

By Stefanie Hoffman, ChannelWeb

8:05 PM EDT Thu. Sep.

By BEN WALKER

NEW YORK (AP) -- Sergio Mitre sure looked a little rusty at the start. He bounced a pitch to the backstop to the first batter, then did it again with the next guy.

KEANSBURG, N.J. (AP) -- New Jersey Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie says it was a mistake to speed through Lambertville in an unregistered vehicle with his wife and children in the car.

NEW YORK (AP) -- Officials are warning people to stay out of the water at scores of New York beaches because of high surf and pollution churned up by the remnants of Tropical Storm Danny.

On Long Island, Nassau County's health department closed 20 beaches Saturday because of heavy rainfall. Suffolk County closed two beaches and advised against bathing at 64 more.

Storm water runoff often leads to sewage discharges and elevated bacteria levels on Long Island sound.

Spotted here

HOGANSBURG, N.Y. (AP) -- A New York Indian tribe says it may renew its push to build a casino in the Catskills.

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) -- Two Jersey City officials were charged Thursday in the first indictments in connection with last month's corruption sweep that ensnared 44 people.

Jacksonville Journal-Courier

This week marks the 40th anniversary of the Woodstock Music and Art Fair, an event that helped define the 1960s.

The concert drew more than 400,000 people to rural Bethel, N.Y., Aug. 15-18, 1969, providing a psychedelic party for peace and anarchic release for flower children during a time of unrest over the Vietnam War.

Bands including The Who, Santana, Crosby, Stills and Nash and the Grateful Dead played to the legendary throng categorized by nudity, sex and drugs.

»www.myjournalcourier.com/news/th···ck.html

Pics here: »www.myjournalcourier.com/news/th···ock.html

BY David Hinckley - Monday, August 17th 2009, 4:00 AM

Electric guitar hero Les Paul dies at 94

"I loved Les Paul's music," says Jonathan Schwartz, daily host on Sirius XM and weekend host on WNYC (93.9 FM).

"When I was young, his music dribbled out on 78 rpm records," says Schwartz.

By Carrie Melago

The number of city bike riders jumped by 35% in a year — making some wonder if New York is big enough for 8 million people, a couple of million cars and about 185,000 cyclists.

Avid cyclists see themselves as the healthy, green, cheap future of transportation.

By Rex Nutting WASHINGTON (MarketWatch)

Business improved for manufacturers in New York in August, according to the Empire State index released Monday by the New York Federal Reserve Bank. The index rose to 12.1 from negative 0.6 in July.

Hudson County lives up to its hard-earned reputation yet again, as arrests were made this morning in political corruption cases.



• More here, here, and here.

• More here

By Ilya Marritz


Major changes are coming to New Yorkers' radio dials. In a three-party deal announced today, the city's only full-time classical radio station -- WQXR -- will be acquired by WNYC, and the New York Times will get out of the radio business.

»www.wnyc.org/news/articles/136533

By Matt Glynn

Kainos Partners, a Dunkin' Donuts franchisee that has made a push into the region over the past few years, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Delaware.

The South Carolina-based franchisee operates a total of 56 stores in New York state, South Carolina and Nevada.

By David M. Levitt

July 7 (Bloomberg) -- Deutsche Bank AG, Germany’s largest bank, plans to sell Manhattan’s Worldwide Plaza to a group of New York investors after pulling out of the transaction last month, a person familiar with the matter said.

A massive swarm of 8000 bees was corralled Sunday on Lexington Avenue. An onlooker described it:


•More here

BY Rosemary Black

The scoop on this summer's hottest ice creams? They contain nutritious ingredients like whole grains, blueberries and nut milk, and while not exactly low in calories, they're light, refreshing and guilt-free.

Some 40 percent of American eat ice cream on a regular basis, and 30 percent of ice cream eaters name vanilla as their favorite flavor, according to the International Dairy Food Association.

By VERENA DOBNIK – 1 day ago

NEW YORK (AP) — They're a bunch of regular grade school kids, but their fans include Ashton Kutcher, Tori Amos and Perez Hilton — plus millions of YouTube viewers.

A New York fifth-grade chorus that first appeared on an online video has become world-famous, a cyber-phenomenon touted by top media outlets, celebrities and politicians.