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By Hunter Walker 3/19 7:09pm

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Jose Canseco Portrait Session And Book Signing At Book Soup

Jose Canseco Is Ready to Work With Mayor Bloomberg to Fight Sugar

After traveling to Albany last month to support State Senator Jeff Klein’s push to ban the nutritional supplement DMAA, baseball great, reality television star, MMA fighter, admitted steroid user, author and social media enthusiast Jose Canseco’s latest cause seems to be the number of deaths linked to sugary drinks. After Mr. Canseco took to Twitter this evening to urge the president to “declare war on sugar,” Politicker asked whether he’d be interested in teaming up with a man who is perhaps the nation’s most high-profile anti-sugar crusader–Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Read More

By Hunter Walker 11/26/12 5:18pm

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Jumaane Williams (Photo: Facebook)

Jumaane Williams Describes How He ‘Grappled’ With Whether To Be a Knicks or Nets Fan

Brooklyn Councilman Jumaane Williams is one of the biggest Knicks fans in City government and, though he said he had a personal “struggle” over whether to back the newly-arrived Brooklyn Nets, he’s sticking with his team. Mr. Williams revealed his decision to Politicker when we asked him about Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz’s statement earlier today that Brooklynites who “support, cheer or root for the Manhattan Knicks” are “treasonous.”

“It’s something I’ve grappled with….It’s very, very tough, but I think I’m Brooklyn enough. Nobody can question my Brooklyn-ness, not even Marty Markowitz,” Mr. Williams said. “I’ve decided this fall to take my talents back to the Garden.” Read More

By Colin Campbell 11/06/12 4:42pm

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(Photo: Getty)

Obama Wins His Pre-Election Basketball Game

President Barack Obama has a pre-election ritual where he plays a friendly game of basketball as the votes are cast. Today was no exception and the president hit the court this afternoon as voters across the country cast their ballots in what he has referred to as “my last election.”

According to tweets from Alexi Giannoulias, a longtime friend of Mr. Obama’s and a former Illinois State Treasurer, Mr. Giannoulias and Chicago Bulls great Scottie Pippen joined the president’s team to face off against former Obama body man Reggie Love and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. Read More

By Hunter Walker 11/01/12 12:51pm

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Domenic Recchia Jr. (Photo: NYC Council)

Councilman Calls for Cancellation of NYC Marathon

In spite of the impact of Hurricane Sandy still being felt around the city, the New York City Marathon is still scheduled to proceed as planned on Sunday. However, you can now add Councilman Domenic Recchia to the growing list of critics who disagree with Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s contention the race won’t disrupt emergency workers from their vital post-storm duties. In a statement released a few minutes ago, Mr. Recchia, who represents Coney Island, Gravesend, Bensonhurst and Brighton Beach, which were all hit hard by the storm, called continuing with the marathon “just wrong.”

“To host the New York City Marathon in the middle of what is complete devastation and a crisis in parts of this City is just wrong. There are people in Coney Island, Sea Gate, and Brighton Beach who are without food, water, and electricity. This crisis is expected to continue through the weekend and into next week,” Mr. Recchia said. Read More

By Colin Campbell 10/24/12 3:10pm

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Islanders Owner Charles Wang speaking in Barclay's Center.

The Islanders Are Coming to Brooklyn and Bloomberg Is (Sort of) Rooting for Them

Standing inside the entrance of the recently-unveiled Barclay’s Center, Mayor Michael Bloomberg joined developer Bruce Ratner, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz and Charles Wang, the owner of the New York Islanders, to announce the hockey team will relocate to Brooklyn starting for the 2015 season. The Islanders, who will keep their name, join the Brooklyn Nets in the Prospect Heights arena.

‘”It’s a great day for our city,” Mr. Bloomberg declared. “Not long ago, I think it’s fair to say the idea of a big league sports team coming to Brooklyn was considered little more than a pipe dream. Now, not only does Brooklyn have that NBA team it is also about to get a NHL team and we couldn’t all be more excited.”

Mr. Bloomberg next decided to play the role of a stand-up comedian, of sorts. Read More

By Hunter Walker 10/16/12 8:24pm

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John Kerry (Photo: Getty)

John Kerry on the Red Sox and Mitt Romney

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. — Massachusetts Senator John Kerry, who served as a stand-in for Mitt Romney during President Barack Obama’s debate prep sessions, stopped by the media filing room to talk with reporters ahead of tonight’s clash between the two candidates. Mr. Kerry wouldn’t discuss his strategies for impersonating Mr. Romney, but he gave his thoughts on the former Massachusetts governor’s record in the Bay State and another important New England issue–the Boston Red Sox’s horrendous 2012 season.  Read More

By Hunter Walker 10/01/12 12:39pm

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Dale Stephanos

Jets Owner Is More Worried About Mitt Romney Than His Football Team

The New York Jets suffered an embarrassing 34-0 defeat at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers Sunday that has many observers wondering if the team is doomed this season, however Jets owner Woody Johnson is apparently more concerned about Mitt Romney defeating President Barack Obama than he is about his team’s prospects. Mr. Johnson, who is the chairman of Mr. Romney’s campaign in New York, discussed his priorities this morning in an appearance on Bloomberg TV’s Market Makers.

“I think you always have to put country first so I think it’s very, very important that for–not only for us but for in particular our kids and grandkids that this election come off with Mitt Romney and Ryan as president and vice president,” Mr. Johnson said when the show’s hosts asked him whether he’d prefer a winning season for the Jets or a victory for the Republican ticket. Read More

By Hunter Walker 7/26/12 9:10am

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Jerry Sandusky at a preliminary hearing in his trial for child sexual abuse. (Photo: Getty)

Major Figure in PA GOP Worked With Penn State Sex Offender’s Charity

An interesting article that appeared in yesterday’s print New York Post, but somehow hasn’t made its way online, details a major GOP donor’s ties to the Penn State sex scandal. The story, written by Carl Campanile, noted Lance Shaner, who gave the maximum donation of $2,500 to the Romney campaign and $100,000 to Mr. Romney’s super PAC Restore Our Future, served on the board of convicted child molester and retired Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky’s charity, Second Mile. Mr. Shaner also donated $155,550 to Republican Pennsylvania Tom Corbett’s gubernatorial campaign and the Pennsylvania Republican Party headquarters was named after him.  Read More

By Hunter Walker 4/26/12 1:52pm

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Bruce Ratner (Photo: Getty)

Bruce Ratner on Naming The Nets

Real estate developer Bruce Ratner, one of the co-owners of the soon-to-be Brooklyn Nets, appeared with Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz at a press conference today to announce a plan to fill 2,000 jobs at the team’s future Kings County home, the Barclays Center. The Politicker took the opportunity to ask Mr. Ratner why he chose to stick with the same name the team had during its years in New Jersey and Long Island rather than coming up with a Brooklyn-specific moniker. We also asked Mr. Markowitz, Brooklyn’s most visible booster, whether he was disappointed the team wasn’t getting a new name in honor of the borough. Mr. Markowitz literally leapt behind the podium before Mr. Ratner had a chance to answer.

“I’ll answer the first part, as long as the first part of the name is Brooklyn the rest of it …” Mr. Markowitz said giving a dismissive gesture with his hand.  Read More