Bronx gun violence fuels a more local debate
Briefing: Bloomberg and Kelly. Azi Paybarah via flickr
7:14 am Jul. 23, 2012
An A1 story in the Times bluntly describes the ease with which Colorado gunman James Holmes acquired his deadly stockpile of weapons online, noting it took "a few keystrokes" and "was pretty much as easy as ordering a book from Amazon."
It's more grist for a national debate about what can and should be done by the government to stop the next James Holmes, as were Michael Bloomberg's comments following the shooting, in which he demanded that the candidates for president articulate constructive positions on guns rather than just offer their condolences.
But it wasn't long after the massacre in Aurora that New York had its own gun-related tragedy: A four-year-old was killed last night in the crossfire of a "wild shootout."
The event was quickly integrated into a more distinctly local debate.
Here's how the Post, whose editorial page sort of questioned the legitimacy of selling militarized accessories but mostly urged respect for the Second Amendment in regard to potential new gun control measures after Colorado, reported what happened next in the Bronx: "State Assemblyman Eric Stevenson, who rushed to the scene, said the tragedy forced him to rethink his criticism of the NYPD’s policy of stop-and-frisk.'There is a 4-year-old dead. Now we should really consider not stopping stop-and-frisk,' Stevenson said."
In Other News
A reader emails to report receiving a call Sunday from Braun Research Inc., which was conducting a lengthy telephone survey. "About 50 questions in total, mainly focusing on New York City issues: ending stop-and-frisk, closing low-performing schools, mandating paid sick leave, and having the state raise the minimum wage. While they did not mention any names, they did ask if a mayoral candidate who supported or opposed these issues would make me more or less likely to vote for him or her."
Quote
Eliot Spitzer: "The fed has been, to use the vernacular, in bed with Wall Street." ["Up Close with Diana Williams"]
Events
Andrew Cuomo is in New York City and has no public schedule.
8:15 a.m. Michael Bloomberg discusses the Colorado shooting on MSNBC's Morning Joe.
9 a.m. Bloomberg has a Q&A after making an announcement with 1199 SEIU president George Gresham at 279 East 3rd Street.
3 p.m. Bloomberg and other officials participate in a meeting of the New York City Financial Control Board, at 633 3rd Avenue (38th floor).
2012
Carl Forti, the political director of the pro-Romney PAC American Crossroads, will oversee $400 million in expenditures, more than John McCain's campaign spent in 2008. [Nicholas Confessore]
"The president, along with his Republican challenger, Mitt Romney, suspended all campaigning for the weekend. Mr. Romney, speaking at a fund-raiser in San Fransisco Sunday night, praised Mr. Obama’s decision to travel to Aurora." [John Eligon, Serge F. Kovaleski and Marc Santora]
The Obama administration's push to restrict a Guantanamo Bay detainee's access to a lawyer is "spiteful." [New York Times]
"His father's taxes are a picture of progressive taxation, a society where the wealthy are bound to everyone else. His own taxes, from what we've seen, are a snapshot of what our tax regime looks like under conditions of encroaching oligarchy." [Up with Chris Hayes]
Aurora
"With a few keystrokes, the suspect, James E. Holmes, ordered 3,000 rounds of handgun ammunition, 3,000 rounds for an assault rifle and 350 shells for a 12-gauge shotgun — an amount of firepower that costs roughly $3,000 at the online sites — in the four months before the shooting, according to the police. It was pretty much as easy as ordering a book from Amazon." [Jack Healy]
"Assault rifles like one used by the killer in Colorado are too readily available, as are high-capacity ammunition clips." [New York Times]
"[W]hile a case can be made for stronger national gun laws, it needs to be advanced with profound respect for the constitutional issues involved."[New York Post]
"[T]he presidential takeaway should have been a drive for strengthened gun control, if only for the assault weapons ban." [Daily News]
Rupert Murdoch: "We don't need AK47s to defend ourselves. Nobody does." [Twitter]
Rage at Obama, Romney, the N.R.A. and "Second Amendment extremism." [Daily News]
2013
Jill Colvin: "You talk to people on the street and there is still there is a shockingly large amount of support for [Anthony Weiner]." ["Inside City Hall"]
Quinn has to show "more leadership than risk avoidance." [Chris Smith]
Albany
A top aide in Governor Cuomo's office vets paperwork in Cuomo's AG archives before(and after) reporters are allowed to see it. [Jimmy Vielkind and James Odato]
Cuomo "might" block a proposed 45 percent toll hike on New York State thruways, but that could lead to a downgrade in bonds issued by the Thurway Authority if new revenue sources aren't found. [Fred Dicker]
One day earlier, a front page headline in Democrat and Chronicle: "We'll all pay for Thruway toll hike." [Justin Murphy and Jon Campbell]
A front-page story in the Buffalo News about Cuomo's fund-raising: A $15,000 donation from Howard Zemsky was refunded after Cuomo nominated him for a position on a regional economic committee. The $40,000 from Zemsky's wife was not. [Tom Precious]
Campaign finance numbers show that the gamble that is the four-member Independent Democratic Caucus "has apparently paid off." [Michael Gormley]
What do incumbent legislators with no opponents spend their campaign money on? [Jessica Alaimo]
Senate Republicans are spending money with an ad firm with ties to the Tea Party. [Ken Lovett]
City Hall
The Bloomberg administration got approval to build a waste transfer facility at East 91st Street, a key component to their revamping of how the city disposes of its garbage. [Sally Goldenberg]
Assemblyman Micah Kellner is suing the administration in State Supreme Court; the plan is supported by Council Speaker Christine Quinn. Public Advocate Bill de Blasio and City Comptroller John Liu voted for it when they were in the Council. [Kate Taylor]
Councilwoman Jessica Lappin said she's "disappointed" the plans are moving ahead: "This facility will obviously harm marine life in the East River, our air quality, and our densely populated residential neighborhoods." [Anjali Athavaley]
Randi Weingarten and Michael Mulgrew: "Bloomberg’s agenda has disrupted school communities, alienated parents and destabilized neighborhoods." [Daily News]
A four-year-old was shot and killed "during a wild shootout on a Bronx basketball court." [Edgar Sandoval and Joe Kemp]
Assemblyman Eric Stevenson: "There is a 4-year-old dead. Now we should really consider not stopping stop-and-frisk." [Larry Celona, Kenneth Garger and Tim Perone]
Taxi fares are going up "immediately after Labor Day." [Jennifer Fermino]
City Council
Gloria Steinem's push for Council Speaker Christine Quinn to bring the Paid Sick Day legislation up for a vote gets noticed. [Up with Chris Hayes]
Councilman Peter Vallone Jr.'s law requiring solid roll-down gates be replaced with ones that are more transparent has an unintended consequence: murals in Harlem are vanishing. A petition will be sent to the Council. [Kia Gregory]
Anthony and Huma
The Weiners got police and federal security after Huma Abedin was threatened by a Muslim man following Rep. Michelle Bachmann's rant. [Larry Celona]
State Senator Diane Savino said it's "too soon" for Weiner to return to public office and that "It must be killing him." [Tom Wrobleski]
Local
Rochester police used pepper spray and riot gear to break up crowds after the Puerto Rican Day parade. [Justin Murphy]
In Manhattan's 19th Police Precinct: "In the past two years, rapes have climbed by 50 percent, assaults by 36 percent and grand larceny by 9 percent. Overall crime is up 8.5 percent in the 19th Precinct since 2010." [Kirstan Conley, Kevin Fasick, and Jennier Fermino]
Orthodox Jews store owners in Williamsburg are refusing to allow women in sleeveless shirts or with "low cut necklines" into their stores. Also: "On the B110, a privately operated public bus line that runs through Orthodox Williamsburg and Borough Park, women are told to sit in back, also in accordance with Orthodox customs." [Gary Busio]
Media
National Journal bars "quote approval" from sources. [Jeremy Peters]
"NY Times Drops Mother of All Gentrification Stories on Greenpoint." [Christopher Robbins]
On Air
Robert George: "[G]un control is an issue that even the Democrats have given up on, basically." [Inside City Hall]
Spitzer on Cuomo: "I think he stumbled on the redistricting." [Up Close]
Spitzer on Weiner: "Certainly if you look at him you get the sense that he's just dying to get back in." [Up Close]
Front Pages
