Press Clips has returned, or rather a short, bastardized version of Press Clips has returned, special for today. There's a fair bit of media news today, most of it involving highbrow New York news startup Capital New York. It's gaining some new staff members and also $1.7 million from an angel investor, and generally having a good day. First, non-CNY-related news: 
• The 50 remaining workers at the Fukushima nuclear plant were evacuated, reportedly "briefly," as radiation levels surged yesterday. A plan for a helicopter to drop water on the reactor failed, and the police are expected to try to use a water cannon as a cooling mechanism. After a fire in a fourth reactor, there are signs that the entire facility may be on the verge of overheating, and a second reactor may have ruptured, making "nuclear meltdown" suddenly all too real a phrase.
Elaine Kaufman, referred to by the New York Times as the "salty den mother" of exclusive New York City restaurant Elaine's, died on Friday in Manhattan at the age of 81. The cause of death, perhaps darkly appropriate with regards to the period of New York City that Kaufman represented, was complications from emphysema. If that seems brash, recognize that this is a woman who once spent a night in jail for shoving a customer. When asked if she had fought any other patrons since, she told Vanity Fair, "Time was when men were men. Now they call a lawyer and sue you." After the jump, the locals and the regulars remember:
More »
The re-election campaign of Pedro Espada Jr. -- the New York state senator who made Albany go haywire when he betrayed the Democrats to go Republican only to betray Republicans to be lured back as an exponentially more powerful Democrat -- was just profiled by Nick Rizzo for Capital New York. In it, there's a pretty unbelievable anecdote about one of Espada's canvassing teams that makes the entire thing worthwhile. Ask yourself if this sounds legal, or at the very least, even remotely ethical:
We've come a long way from Talk Magazine, back when a bunch of writers doing something new meant a Robert Isbell-planned party on Liberty Island and George Plimpton drunkenly screaming at Salman Rushdie while he was busy trying to close on Padma. Yet, now, in an era when "editorial launch" means The New York Times finally gets on Tumblr, it's not that there isn't any excitement. No! It's that there simply isn't much new stuff out there to get excited about. And that changes today. 
Beloved New York Observer editors Tom McGeveran and Josh Benson left the paper late last year to go work on a secret, hush-hush project. This was after Jared Kushner -- the son of a disgraced Jersey real-estate scion and now Ivanka Trump's husband -- purchased the legendary pink paper (whose legacy he compared to reading "homework"), proceeded to layoff popular Observer writers, and then oversaw the resignation of legendary Observer editor Peter Kaplan. The question of what the former Observer talents were getting into remained to be seen. Until it teased New York by poking its head out last week. 
Well, Capital New York is finally here. Kinda. Updated!
More »
Not since Gawker acquired and then did basically nothing with CityFile The Awl came along last April has an editorial unveiling been so anticipated! Capital New York -- the brainchild of former New York Observer editors Tom McGeveran and Josh Benson -- is basically going to be the New Order to the Observer's Joy Division. And it said hello to the media universe today very quietly -- and very awesomely -- via Twitter. IT'S ALIVE!
Find everything you're looking for in your city
Find the best happy hour deals in your city
Get today's exclusive deals at savings of anywhere from 50-90%
Check out the hottest list of places and things to do around your city
Email to Friend
Write to Editor
Print Article
