Study: New York is the Saddest State in the Nation

WASHINGTON — People in sunny, outdoorsy states — Louisiana, Hawaii, Florida — say they’re the happiest Americans, and researchers think they know why.

A new study comparing self-described pleasant feelings with objective measures of good living found these folks generally have reason to feel fine.

First Snow falls in Brooklyn as Blizzard Bears Down on City

The first few flakes of an expected 10-inch snowstorm started falling Saturday afternoon as New Yorkers prepared for a two-day whiteout.

Snow began coming down in the outer boroughs as the storm moved into the metropolitan area from the south.

New Buses Bring Silence to the Streets

Any New Yorker who has ridden a city bus might be forgiven for believing a banshee is buried under the floorboards. Engines idle at an alarmingly high volume, and acceleration is often accompanied by a symphony of cracks and snaps, the squeals of aging machinery with little eagerness to perform its assigned task.

Video – 9/11 Terror Suspects To Plead Not Guilty

NEW YORK [NY1] — An attorney for one of the September 11th terror suspects says the men plan on pleading not guilty when their high profile trial begins in Lower Manhattan.

Attorney Scott Fenstermaker says his client, Ali Abd al-Aziz Ali, and the others will not deny their role in the attacks, but rather explain why they plotted and pulled off the attacks.

Crown Heights Dad, Two Toddlers Die In Tragic Fire

CROWN HEIGHTS, Brooklyn — There appears to be two major mistakes that could have made the difference between life and death in a Crown Heights fire that took three lives.

First, fire officials say there were no smoke detectors in the apartment and secondly, it seems it took way too long to respond.

Video – Women File Discrimination Suit Against B&H

NEW YORK (WABC) — A sex discrimination lawsuit has been filed against one of the best-known electronics stores in New York.

Four women accuse B&H Electronics of workplace promotions that were discriminatory.

9/11 Mastermind Kalid Shaikh Mohammed to be Tried on NY Soil

Gov. Paterson on Monday joined the chorus of critics questioning the government’s plan to try Kalid Shaikh Mohammed and four other accused 9/11 terrorists in New York.

“This is not a decision that I would have made,” the governor said when asked about the upcoming federal trial of KSM and his four underlings.

Bloomberg Narrowly Wins Third Term as NYC Mayor

NEW YORK, NY [AP] — Billionaire Michael Bloomberg won a third term as New York mayor Tuesday in a closer-than-expected race against a Democratic challenger who stoked voter resentment over the way Bloomberg changed term-limits law so he could stay in office.

With 99 percent of precincts reporting, Bloomberg, the richest man in New York and founder of the financial information company Bloomberg LP, defeated William Thompson Jr. 51 percent to 46 percent.

NYPD Super-Sirens get Ready to Rumble

NEW YORK — If you feel the earth move under your feet, it just might be the cops.

The NYPD is equipping its police cars with a new high-tech siren that you will not only hear but also feel.

It’s called the Rumbler, and its aim is to grab the attention of even the most distracted cellphone-yakking, text-messaging or headphone-addled pedestrian or motorist.

Mayor Bloomberg Breaks Campaign Spending Record

NEW YORK [CBS] — New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has broken his own spending record from four years ago, dropping $85.2 million so far on his campaign for a third term.

The billionaire spent $85 million on his re-election in 2005, and $74 million on his first bid for office in 2001.

Crime Down Around City, but Spiking in Crown Heights

BROOKLYN — Crime is down so far this year across the city, but some Brooklyn neighborhoods have seen a surge of shootings, NYPD statistics show.

There were 240 gunshot victims in South Brooklyn through early October, up from 179 during the same period in 2008 because of a spike in violence in Crown Heights, East Flatbush and Coney Island.

The Cost of Doing Business in NY: Dr. Calls it Quits

Dr. Jacquelline Perlman, who’s helped deliver hundreds of Brooklyn babies in her 12-year OB-GYN career, is calling it quits — and citing sky-high malpractice insurance and plunging income.

“I’ve decided to retire from obstetrics,” said Perlman, 42. “It breaks my heart. Malpractice costs are a big part of it. It’s a very sad story.

The last straw, she said, came last spring when her insurer, the Combined Coordinating Council, noting the high risk of covering obstetricians, canceled her policy and those of doctors she practiced with at Brooklyn Women’s Health Care, a New York Methodist Hospital affiliate.

Bike-Cab Jihad Jerk is a Hate ‘Pedaler’

NEW YORK — This jihadist wannabe is a “terror” on the road.

Yousef al-Khattab is a Jewish-born, Jersey-raised convert to Islam who schleps tourists on his pedicab by day and propagandizes for the terrorists he idolizes by night.

FDNY EMS to make Swine-Flu House Calls

NEW YORK — Swine flu SWAT teams would treat sick 911 callers in their homes — dialing up doctors for diagnoses and prescriptions — under a radical new plan being mulled by the city to prevent jammed emergency rooms, The Post has learned.

Officials are contemplating a new protocol that would transfer callers who report influenza-like symptoms to a special hot line manned by light-duty paramedics and a doctor, said a source with knowledge of the talks.

Sharpton, Rush in Riot Row

NEW YORK, NY [AP] — The Rev. Al Sharpton threatened to sue conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh for writing in a column that the civil rights leader played a role in two New York race riots.

In a column published by the Wall Street Journal today about his derailed bid to become part-owner of the St. Louis Rams, he accuses Sharpton and the Rev. Jesse Jackson of making comments that helped get him booted from a group that was trying to buy the NFL team.