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New York City Mayor Michael Blomberg today said split-second decisions contributed to the survival of all 155 passengers and crew members plucked from the icy water after a Charlotte-bound US Airways jet landed in the Hudson River Thursday.

"We saw a lot of heroism in the Hudson yesterday," Bloomberg said during a a ceremony to acknowledge all those who responded to the crash . "This is a story of heroes. Something straight out of a movie script. But if it was a movie, no one would believe it." Continue reading "Bloomberg thanks many heroes in Hudson River rescue of US Airways jet" »

Circuit City Stores, the nation's second-biggest consumer electronics retailer, reached an agreement with liquidators today to sell the merchandise in its 567 U.S. stores after failing to find a buyer or a refinancing deal.

The company, which employs more than 30,000 employees, said in court papers it has appointed Great American Group LLC, Hudson Capital Partners LLC, SB Capital Group LLC and Tiger Capital Group LLC as liquidators.

Continue reading "Circuit City plans to liquidate after failing to find buyer" »

A relieved Wall Street advanced in early trading today as investors focused on big banks' plans to fix their balance sheets and took in stride billion-dollar losses reported by Bank of America Corp. and Citigroup Inc.

Investors shook off the big banking companies' multibillion dollar fourth-quarter losses and focused on actions that will affect their future profitability.

Continue reading "Stocks post gains as traders focus on big bank moves" »

Artist Andrew Wyeth, who portrayed the hidden melancholy of the people and landscapes of Pennsylvania's Brandywine Valley and coastal Maine in works such as "Christina's World," died early Friday. He was 91.

Wyeth died in his sleep at his home in the Philadelphia suburb of Chadds Ford, according to Hillary Holland, a spokeswoman for the Brandywine River Museum.

Continue reading "Artist Andrew Wyeth dies at 91" »

A record plunge in gasoline prices pushed overall consumer prices down for the third straight month in December, closing out a year in which the change in inflation was the smallest in more than a half-century.

Concerns remain low about possible deflation, but represent a marked change from just six months ago when soaring energy prices threatened to trigger a widening inflation problem that many analysts believed the Federal Reserve would have to fight by raising interest rates.

Continue reading "Consumer prices plunged in December, up just 0.1 percent in '08" »

NY Waterway ferry service is not running to the World Financial Center this morning, due to the investigation of the US Airways jetliner that landed in the Hudson River Thursday.

Ferry service is running to Pier 11/Wall St during the morning commute and connecting bus service is being provided.

State Senate President Richard Codey Thursday questioned the viability of the Xanadu project, givendelays in its opening and the downturn in the national economy, according to a report in the Record.

The report said Codey said people soon might be calling the Xanadu project "the mistake at the Meadowlands." His comments came as part of a roundtable discussion with two other former governors -- Jim Florio and Donald DiFrancesco -- celebrating the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission's 40th anniversary.

Temperatures in the teens and single digits around New Jersey combined with the wind are making it feel like it's well below zero.

The National Weather Service said the bitterly cold air mass will remain over the state through Saturday before temperatures return to closer to normal for January. Until then, officials saidy people should bundle up before heading out.

Continue reading "Bitter cold retains its grip on N.J." »

Citigroup said it is splitting up into two businesses as it sustains its fifth straight quarterly loss.

One business, Citicorp, will do traditional banking, and the other, Citi Holdings, will hold the company's riskier assets.

Continue reading "Citigroup plans to divide into two companies" »

They strutted to the center of the school gym today in sharp white jackets with new drums, and proceeded to rock the house packed with more than 300 well-wishers.

The Bonnie Brae Knights Drum Corps -- six weeks ago the untrained underdogs in the world of marching bands -- declared with a hip-hop beat crackling with firecracker snaps and thundering rolls they were ready to represent the state of New Jersey in the 2009 Inaugural Parade in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday.

Continue reading "Somerset County drum corps prepares for Obama inauguration" »

A hearing to determine custody of three Hunterdon County children with Nazi-inspired names was postponed Thursday, court officials said, according to a report in the Express-Times.

Heath and Deborah Campbell were to appear Thursday at the Hunterdon County Justice Center. No reason was given for the postponement and no date was released for a new hearing.

Continue reading "Custody hearing is postponed in Nazi-inspired kids names case" »

WASHINGTON -- This is a city preparing for an historical moment -- and not just a date, the inauguration of the first African-American president, to be noted in books. It's too easy to say it's the moment slavery or the Civil War or Jim Crow ended.

"The narrative of America changes," says Kobina Aidoo, a young filmmaker and public policy analyst from here, co-editor of the African Policy Review at Harvard.

Continue reading "Washington's African immigrants see Obama redefining race" »

Wall Police Capt. Bernard Sullivan, who was charged in 2007 with drunken driving, but later cleared, agreed to resign in exchange for a $500,000 settlement of his false-arrest lawsuit against the township, according to a report in the Asbury Park Press.

The report said Sullivan's resignation takes effect March 1, just in time for Sullivan to acquire 25 years on the job toward his retirement pension. Before the arrest and lawsuit, Sullivan had been selected as the township's next police chief.

Gov. Jon Corzine said Thursday has not changed his plans to retain e-mails he exchanged with his union leader ex-girlfriend, saying he fought on principle to keep them confidential.

Corzine told The Associated Press he welcomes an appeal to the state Supreme Court by Republican State Committee Chairman Tom Wilson, who has sued the governor seeking to make the e-mails public. "I want to make sure, as I have from the beginning, that the principle that private conversations of the governor -- not just me, but future governors -- are firmly established to be protected under executive privilege," Corzine said.

Continue reading "Corzine welcomes appeal seeking his Katz e-mails" »

The national economic picture may be gloomy, but a poll finds New Jerseyans' confidence in their own financial prospects is at a three-year high.

The annual consumer survey conducted for Fairleigh Dickinson University's Silberman College of Business found 46 percent of respondents believe their personal financial well-being will improve during the next 12 months. Twenty-five percent believe they will be worse off and 16 percent say things will stay about the same. Thirteen percent weren't sure.

Continue reading "N.J. consumer confidence rebounds, survey shows" »

Forty-three percent of those responding to a Monmouth University/Gannett New Jersey poll out today said they approve of New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine's job performance.

That's the best showing for the Democratic governor in more than a year.

Continue reading "Poll finds improved ratings for Corzine" »

Asian stocks rebounded today from the previous day's rout, with Tokyo's index gaining nearly 3 percent, as the U.S. bailed out Bank of America again and a weaker yen lifted exporters like Toyota Motor Corp.

After a tumultuous week that saw markets fall sharply, early trade was cautious but picked up later in the day as investors snapped up beaten down shares.

Continue reading "Asian stocks rebound on news of funds for Bank of America" »

After they were rescued from the plane in the freezing waters of the Hudson River, several passengers expressed one common refrain: They wanted to thank the pilot.

He was the man of the moment yesterday as officials, passengers and new online fans praised Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger III for safely landing the US Airways Airbus A320 filled with 155 passengers and crew, who all survived.

Continue reading "US Airways pilot Sullenberger praised for efforts in Hudson River crash" »

It looked like they were walking on water.

For several pulse-stopping minutes yesterday afternoon, passengers from U.S. Airways Flight 1549 were perched on the wings of their half-submerged jet in the middle of the Hudson River, praying for a hero.

Continue reading "In cold, panicked moment, US Airways saviors arrive" »