Click here to listen to our full broadcast from Friday, February 24, 2012:

BY WILL SLOAN Opening statements were made today in the trial of Dharun Ravi, a 19-year-old former Rutgers student who illicitly recorded roommate Tyler Clementi having sexual relations with another man. Clementi committed suicide after Ravi posted information about the recording online. Cassandra Cicco, who lived in Riva’s dorm, was a defense witness: “He said [...]

For three years, New York City evaluated its public school teachers with “value-added” ratings system. These ratings  were kept private from general public until now.  After much anticipation and controversy, the city released the individual ratings of about 18,000 teachers to the public, and response has been mixed. BY JACKIE MADER The week long February [...]

Earlier this month, city and state leaders announced that popular grocery delivery service, Fresh Direct, would relocate to a new water-front location in the Bronx. But several residents want this space for other uses such as a “green space”, and feel left out of the deal. BY ACACIA SQUIRES  There’s one hundred acres in the [...]

Syria has been a dangerous place for journalists since the government began cracking down on Arab Spring demonstrations last year. Long Island native and veteran war reporter Marie Colvin died on Wednesday when an artillery shell hit a makeshift press center in Homs. French photographer Remy Ochlik died along side her. Homs has been under heavy [...]

There are an estimated 345,000 homes in foreclosure or delinquent status in New York State alone. But a new $25 million dollar settlement between federal and state governments and five major banks  could provide mortgage relief to many of these home owners, if they can figure out how to get it. BY NAT HERZ The [...]

BY ANDREW PARSONS The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan has ordered troops not to retaliate for the death of two American soldiers. The two were killed yesterday in riots over the burning of Qurans at a U.S. air base in Bahgram. President Obama apologized for the burnings but protests continue, leaving at least 7 dead. [...]

New Jersey officials are angry over a recent NYPD report detailing extensive surveillance, by the law enforcement organization,  on the Muslim community in Newark. Mayor Michael Bloomberg defended the report Friday morning saying it was both “appropriate” and “constitutional”. BY CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN On Feb. 24, Mayor Michael Bloomberg defended a secret NYPD report on the [...]

  Gas prices continue to rise. According to AAA, today’s national average price for a gallon of regular unleaded is $3.65. In New York City, the average is even higher – closing in on nearly five dollars.  Fuel prices like these affect everything New Yorkers buy. Even people who don’t drive are feeling the pinch. [...]

The 84th annual Academy Awards will take place this Sunday in Los Angeles. The broadcast attracts millions of viewers each year, and the nominees and winners stand to make more money at the box office. Village Voice film critic Aaron Hillis has been covering the Oscars for years. He doesn’t think the awards represent the [...]

One of the least talked about categories at the Oscars is the one set aside for foreign language films. But in a year where two of the nominated films are from countries on the brink of war, maybe we should pay it a bit more attention. BY RUSS FINKELSTEIN Yesterday, Israeli President Shimon Peres said [...]