Put on Your Best Clothes Before Going Out: Google’s Camera Car May Cross Your Path

NEW YORK, NY — Smile, New York — it’s time for your close-up.

In the past few days, a gray four-door sedan with 360-degree panoramic cameras on its roof has been roaming the city’s streets, photographing sidewalks and buildings. It is on a mission for Google, creating a virtual streetscape for Street View, a feature of the Google Maps Web site.

Video – NYPD Beefs Up Security at New York Shuls

NEW YORK, NY [CBS] — New York City synagogues are stepping up security in the aftermath of this week’s terror plot arrests. Even with the suspected mastermind and three others behind bars, police aren’t taking any chances.

Cop Gives Bystander Gun as he Cuffs Perp

NEW YORK, NY — Struggling to subdue a crazed suspect, an NYPD cop broke a cardinal rule of law enforcement and handed his gun to a Manhattan janitor, telling his stunned new deputy, “I need some help here,” The Post has learned.

Even though his idea of backup usually involves clogged drains, Placido Contreras, 51, said he took hold of the weapon and pointed it at the floor after the cop told him, “Keep your eyes on him and shoot him if you have to.”

New York Driving Course Goes Online

NEW YORK — New York drivers now have the option of taking defensive-driving courses over the Internet to qualify for auto insurance discounts and point reductions on their driving records.

Boruch Dayan Emes – Jew First New Yorker to Die from Flu

QUEENS, NY — The Queens assistant principal stricken with swine flu succumbed to the deadly virus today, the first person to die in the city from the disease, hospital officials said.

“We were treating him very aggressively,” said Flushing Hospital spokesman Ole Pedersen. “Unfortunately, he did expire at 6:17 p.m. this evening.”

The sick man, Mitchell Wiener, 55, an assistant principal at IS 238 in Jamaica Estates, first fell ill more than a week ago, but didn’t seek help at the hospital until his symptoms became severe early Wednesday morning.

Since that time, he’s been in a medically induced coma, on a ventilator.

New York City’s Emergency Text Alerts In the Spotlight

NEW YORK — A warning would have been welcome when an Air Force jet flew unannounced over the New York Harbor weeks ago and sent frightened workers in lower Manhattan into a tizzy. (When it turned out the flyover was for an expensive photo op, the White House official who approved it resigned from his post over the scandal.)

B’klyn Gas Stop a Kosher Delight

BOROUGH PARK, Brooklyn — It’s a fill-up with a schmear.

A gas station in one of Brooklyn’s Orthodox Jewish communities is offering up more than just candy and soda — it’s also peddling hearty stews, bagels with lox, challah and homemade gefilte fish for commuters hankering for an old-country nosh.

“People fill up on gas and fill up on food at the same time,” said Sam Kay, 50, as he munched on goodies at Rio gas station in Borough Park. “It’s good, Jewish and tasty.”

Don’t Linger in Statue of Liberty’s Crown

NEW YORK — Welcome to the Statue of Liberty, and enjoy the view – quick.

A new safety report obtained by the Daily News recommends once Lady Liberty’s crown reopens on July 4 that only up to eight people enter at a time and that they shuffle out after spending no more than five minutes admiring the vista.

Sen. Schumer Asks For Probe Into Cell-Phone Scam

NEW YORK [CBS] — Sen. Charles Schumer is asking for an investigation into the scam phone calls pitching bogus car warranties that many Americans receive several times a day.

He says the scam artists are using random call generators allowing them to call people who are on the “do not call” list.

War Against Black Market of Cigarettes Burned Out

NEW YORK — Despite its having been touted as a way to close budget gaps, city and state officials have backed off plans to crack down on the $1.6 billion black market for cigarettes.

The sole city unit targeting illegal tobacco full time has been reassigned, and a new law aimed at Indian reservations — the prime source of the butts — hasn’t been enforced.

Just What the Doctor Ordered

NEW YORK — A city doctor who tried to help uninsured patients by charging them a low monthly fee might get some help from Albany.

State Sen. Andrew Lanza introduced a bill allowing physicians like Dr. John Muney to charge patients a flat fee.

City Unveils Faster 911 System

NEW YORK — The city debuted its new 911 dispatching system this week with hopes that a new streamlined system will reduce response times to emergencies, officials said Tuesday.

The new system – which went into effect Monday at 5 a.m. – will funnel all calls to NYPD operators so a caller to 911 would only have to describe an emergency once before help is dispatched, officials said.

Raccoon Ringworm Disease Hits Brooklyn Teen and Baby

BROOKLYN, NY — A rare, deadly disease that has left an infant brain damaged and a teenager blind in one eye, has been detected in Brooklyn, the Daily News has learned.

The city’s Department of Health is on alert for Raccoon Ringworm, a disease contracted through contact with raccoon feces. It can cause permanent nerve damage and death.

NY Governor Wants Immediate Vote On MTA Bailout

ALBANY, NY [NY1] — Governor David Paterson wants the state Legislature to vote Monday on his plan to bail out the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

The plan still calls for a payroll tax to raise more than a billion dollars for the agency and stave off huge fare hikes and deep service cuts.

Report: Few NYC Drunken Drivers Do Jail Time

NEW YORK [CBS] — The numbers could be enough to drive someone to drink.

New York City police made nearly 10,000 drunken-driving arrests last year, but of the more than 6,000 cases that have gone through the courts so far, only 187 offenders have landed behind bars. That’s according to the state Division of Criminal Justice Services.

Paranoia: City ERs Flooded With Swine Flu Fears

NEW YORK [CBS] — New Yorkers were able to breathe a breath of fresh air Friday when Mayor Michael Bloomberg said there were no new confirmed cases of the swine flu, or what officials calling the H1N1 virus. Yet plenty of people are still afraid the virus is spreading, causing a paranoia that’s clogging up the system at local hospitals.