Rachel O'Brien
The Archive
Citi Bike station on sidewalk squeezes pedestrians
Citibike has crossed the line, according to angry East Village residents who say a new station was installed last week on the sidewalk of First Avenue, pinching pedestrian space to...
Guardian Angels begin Morningside Park patrols after Tessa Majors' death
Would-be criminals in Morningside Park are seeing red -- the crimson jackets and berets of the Guardian Angels, who began patrolling the increasingly violent green space Saturday. The stabbing death...
DMV sees spike in driving permits thanks to undocumented immigrants
New York State saw a 133 percent surge in new learner permits issued Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday as undocumented immigrants were able to apply for licenses for the first time....
Flooded roads, railways threaten Christmas travel in England
Southern England has battled floodwaters from heavy rain for two days, with nasty weather sparking 101 flood warnings and another 256 flood alerts.
Startling new details emerge about Jayme Closs abduction
Jayme Closs' kidnapper spent nearly three months sleeping in the same bed as the 13-year-old — but was too guilty to have sex with her, according to a trove of...
PG&E offers $13.5B settlement with wildfire victims
PG&E's proposed $13.5 billion payment to California wildfire victims has been sweetened, now offering cash upfront after California Gov. Gavin Newsom rejected the original agreement. The new settlement deal with...
Local Dems in pro-Trump districts face impeachment-vote minefield
The freshman House Democrats who gave House Speaker Nancy Pelosi her gavel by flipping Trump districts in 2018 are now in the impeachment hot seat.
Military man heads up NYC's storm prep
This gives a whole new meaning to s--t storm. Joshua Rapp, the city Office of Emergency Management’s first-ever staff meteorologist, is keeping one eye on a wet weather system tracking...
Florida man charged for sexually assaulting stuffed Olaf from 'Frozen' toy
A Florida man got hot and heavy with a "Frozen" toy, cops said. Cody Christopher Meader allegedly had his way with the stuffed snowman Olaf, from the popular Disney flick,...
Critics skeptical Venice's anti-flooding system will work
Critics of a huge underwater barrier system being built to protect Venice from flooding pooh-poohed recent tests of the project, which has been plagued by corruption and cost overruns. The...
Jeff Bezos wants Amazon to get more Pentagon contracts
Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos said the company won’t shy away from the business of warfare -- and aims to compete for more defense contracts.
Australian cop who stoned wombat to death in viral video won't be charged
An off-duty Australian cop who was filmed stoning a wombat to death won’t face any criminal charges or disciplinary action. A petition to fire Waylon Johncock garnered thousands of signatures...
Staten Island wants to leave liberal NYC
Republican Assemblyman Michael Reilly is sick of NYC’s high taxes and liberal policies and is hoping the northernmost reaches of the Empire State would annex Staten Island as part of...
AOC claps back at Amazon critics: 'Let’s clear up some GOP disinfo'
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez argues that Amazon's initial job estimates were a "fantasy."
Foul-mouthed judge accused of sexism and racism could face barring
A Kansas judicial panel will decide next week if a foul-mouthed judge accused of bigotry and sexism should be barred from the bench. The Kansas Commission on Judicial Conduct will...
'Peloton wife' drinks away her troubles in new ad, thanks to Ryan Reynolds
In Peloton’s infamously ridiculed TV ad, actress Monica Ruiz -- who appeared on television shows like "About a Boy" and "The Exes" -- plays the already-thin-and-fit wife whose clueless husband...
Biden: All-white Dem debate stage not reflective of party
The Democratic Party isn't as white as it seems on the debate stage — but there's not much the candidates can do about it, Joe Biden says. The six Democratic...
Hong Kong police to take 'flexible' approach to protesters
Hong Kong's new police commissioner says his team will take a flexible approach when it comes to policing pro-democracy demonstrations Sunday. Top cop Chris Tang told reporters in Beijing his...