Free Republic

Even though Mayor Michael Bloomberg has championed the micro-unit, some experts are concerned that living in 250 to 370 feet spaces could be risky. “Sure, these micro-apartments may be fantastic for young professionals in their 20’s,” Dak Kopec, director of design for human health at Boston Architectural College, told The Atlantic. “But they definitely can be unhealthy for older people, say in their 30’s and 40’s, who face different stress factors that can make tight living conditions a problem.” According to Mr. Kopec, the space-saving trend of tiny apartments can lead to increased claustrophobia, domestic abuse, and alcoholism.

Three people died and at least three others suffered gunshot wounds as a wave of pre-Christmas carnage swept the city on Friday night and Saturday morning, authorities said. The violence kicked off in the Bronx around 7:30 p.m. when 19-year-old Edward Melina was killed by a gunshot wound to his torso. Melina was shot in a dispute that unfolded on East Tremont Avenue near Crotona Avenue. He was rushed to St. Barnabas Hospital but could not be saved. The bloodshed continued in Brownsville, Brooklyn when police found a 36-year-old man shot to death at the Kingsborough houses at around 2...

At the end of one of the gun control movement’s most active year in recent history, two of its most high-profile organizations are joining forces. Billionaire and outgoing New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s Mayors Against Illegal Guns and Moms Demand Action announced Thursday that they were merging. “We started this movement as just 15 mayors committed to protecting our cities – and we’ve since been joined by more than 1,000 mayors and more than 1.5 million Americans from big cities, small towns, and all different walks of life,” Bloomberg said in a statement. “Gun violence is, unfortunately, an issue...

More intensive screening to identify firearm owners among individuals who are subject to domestic violence restraining orders, and streamlining processes to recover guns at the time those restraining orders are served could help enforce existing laws that prohibit these offenders from having firearms, a pilot study conducted by violence prevention experts at the University of California, Davis, and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health has found. SNIP "This study represents a step in the right direction, but larger-scale studies will be needed to determine optimal procedures for screening and recovering firearms, assessing the incidence of adverse events and...

Mayor Bloomberg on Friday defended the new city mandate that kids under five who attend pre-school or daycare get annual flu shots -- a rule critics say is just another nanny-state move by Hizzoner. Opponents of the compulsory shots -- including autism activists suspicious of vaccination complications -- protested on the steps of City Hall Tuesday, calling the requirement intrusive and absurd. As for parents who say it's their call as to whether kids should get the flu jab, Bloomberg said, "Your kid can impact other kids by transferring a disease and bringing it home...

In his final weeks as mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg is getting his last word in on local legislation, from tobacco sales to public Wi-Fi. Bloomberg has a few words left for Washington, too. The mayor called on Congress to "end the national epidemic of gun violence" during a Thursday press conference, two days before the one-year anniversary the Sandy Hook shooting in Newtown, Conn., that claimed innocent 26 lives. "It's important that we remember all those that we lost and their families. The anniversary will obviously be a very painful time for them and a painful time,...

Autism advocates are set to protest tomorrow against a quiet effort by Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s administration to require annual flu vaccinations for all New York City schoolchildren.On Wednesday, with just three weeks to go until he leaves office, Mr. Bloomberg’s controversial Board of Health is set to vote on new rules that would force children as young as six months old to be immunized each year before December 31 if they attend licensed day care or pre-school programs.“Young children have a high risk of developing severe complications from influenza. One-third of children under five in New York City do not...

The final numbers are in for the 2013 ballot initiatives and, surprise!, the pro-Amendment 66 campaign spent a ridiculous amount of money. But, they raised less than what they hoped as some cited $12 million as a target. They raised (and presumably spent nearly all) $11,079,408 to garner only 496,151 votes or 35% of the votes. That’s $22.33 per vote, which is more than either of the presidential candidates in the 2012 election. Not shocking, but the largest contributors to the effort were the Colorado Education Association and the National Education Association (aka the teachers unions). Each contributed two million...

New York City Mayor and gun control advocate Michael Bloomberg sure knows how to get his way. This week the NFL, after featuring anti-gun ads during the last two Super Bowls, it decided that an ad offering the opposite point of view in the upcoming Super Bowl XLVIII on February 2 was just too much. The NFL turned down an ad from a company called "Daniel Defense" which sells guns and outdoor gear that discussed "personal protection and fundamental rights." It featured a former Marine talking his family's safety, noting that he is ultimately responsible for their protection. Unlike Bloomberg’s...

Mayor Michael Bloomberg was in Bermuda on Sunday when a train derailed in the Bronx, the most recent time that the mayor has been out of town when a major incident in New York City occurred, a person familiar with the matter said. -snip- Mr. Bloomberg was golfing in the early morning and did not leave the course until roughly 1 p.m, the person said. Bermuda is one hour ahead of New York time. -snip- When asked Sunday night by reporters why he wasn’t at the scene, Mr. Bloomberg replied, “What can I do? I’m not a professional firefighter or...

Where’s Bloomy? While Gov. Cuomo, NYPD commissioner Ray Kelly and FDNY commissioner Sal Cassano rushed to the deadly Metro-North crash in the Bronx, lame duck Mayor Bloomberg was nowhere to be found. It took five hours for Bloomberg’s office to tweet: “Thoughts and prayers with those impacted by today’s train derailment. If you are looking for a loved one who was onboard, call 311.” It’s not known where Bloomberg was on Sunday morning, and City Hall staffers declined to reveal their boss’ whereabouts.

UPDATE: The rape survivors who testified against a bill that would ban concealed carry on college campuses and who were disrespected by Hudak in the process reacted to the news that Hudak had resigned: “I am pleased that the people of Senate District 19 put enough pressure on Senator Hudak to cause her to resign her Senate seat. Her treatment of me and other women in March demonstrated Senator Hudak’s belief that she knows better than the women of Colorado how they should best defend themselves. My sincere hope is that the Democrats consider, in their replacement choice, that the...

New York City Major Michael Bloomberg is claiming one more casualty before he officially ends his reign as overreaching “Nanny,” with the City Council debating a ban on plastic-foam takeout containers. The City Council’s sanitation committee is gearing up for a hearing on the future of the takeout containers set to take place Monday, The Associated Press reported. Members of the board are contemplating proposals to either ban the containers outright or explore options to recycle them.

Terry McAuliffe won't take his place as the Governor of Virginia until January, but he isn't wasting any time when it comes to getting ahead on his anti-gun agenda. During the campaign, McAuliffe advocated for a ban on semi-automatic rifles and standard capacity magazines. Now, he's hired Lori Haas, the Virginia State Director of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence [CSGV], to help with his transition team. Haas' daughter was shot during the Virginia Tech massacre in 2007. More from the DC: Despite claiming support for the Second Amendment, Haas’s appointment to this position to help assemble his Administration sends...

This is a link to a John Stossel report on fox news. This appears to be only a sample, but it gives a good overview of the start of trying to get a pistol permit in New York: Link to Stossel Video

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg planned to sign landmark legislation banning the sale of tobacco products to anyone under age 21, making the Big Apple the first large city or state in the country to prohibit sales to young adults. City health officials hope that raising the legal purchase age from 18 to 21 will lead to a big decline in smoking rates in a critical age group. A majority of smokers get addicted to cigarettes before age 21, and then have trouble quitting, even if they want to do so. …

Pandemonium broke out in the heart of Manhattan on Saturday when two men were shot on the ice at the popular Bryant Park skating rink just after 11 p.m., the police said. One man was shot in the torso and one in the leg. Both were recovering at Bellevue Hospital Center. A skater, Francis, 17, who gave only his first name, said he was behind one of the victims when the shots were fired. He said the shooter was standing among tourists who were taking pictures outside of the rink. Then he pulled a gun. “He took out a gun...

Progressive liberals just can't help themselves. They're so wise and all-knowing that us common peasants need them to come down from their elated heights to make decisions for us. The nanny state mentality is one that is a core component of the progressive liberal psyche, and while they cloak it with talk of good intentions, it's all about controlling every aspect of your life. Sadly, the nanny state is going national. I never worried about Nanny Bloomberg's crazy edicts as I don't live in New York City, but his trans fat madness is now being picked up by the FDA....

Nearly 10 percent of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s anti-gun group Mayors Against Illegal Guns retired from their job or were sacked in Tuesday’s elections, including the organization’s two leaders: Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino. Some 95 key members of the group that targets and criticizes lawmakers backed by the National Rifle Association are losing their title of “mayor.” According to an election review of Bloomberg's membership list of about 1,000, three quit the group, 69 retired from their jobs, and 23 were rejected by voters.On the retirement list: Bloomberg and Menino.Among the defeated members of Mayors Against Illegal...

As Michael Bloomberg prepares to leave office, Glamour magazine sat down with his youngest daughter, Georgina Bloomberg, to reflect on what it’s like being the daughter of a billionaire mayor who isn’t shy about speaking his mind. And Ms. Bloomberg, who is currently expecting Mr. Bloomberg’s first grandchild–a son, due on Christmas Day– revealed that that’s actually one of the things she respects most about him. “My father lacks a filter, and it’s gotten him in trouble—a couple of years ago, he gave a speech at the Nathan’s hot dog eating contest at Coney Island. It was badly written and...