Joel Rose

Documentary Shows George Plimpton's Best Story Was His Own

Joel Rose — Wed, 22 May 2013 21:20:00 +0000

Transcript

ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:

George Plimpton boxed with Archie Moore, played quarterback for the Detroit Lions, and played percussion for the New York Philharmonic. He did these jobs, and many others, as an amateur. Plimpton was a professional writer.

Boston Bombings Prompt Fresh Look At Unsolved Murders

Joel Rose — Fri, 17 May 2013 21:02:00 +0000

An unsolved triple murder in the Boston suburbs is getting a closer look in the wake of the marathon bombings. One of the victims may have been a friend of bombing suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev. That's prompting authorities to revisit the 2011 case.

The murders took place in Waltham, Mass. On Sept. 12, 2011, police responded to a house in the leafy suburb a few miles west of Boston.

"They went to the second floor and saw a very graphic crime scene — three dead bodies in the apartment," said Gerry Leone, who was then district attorney for Middlesex County.

Cyber Criminals Drain $45 Million From ATMs Around The World

Joel Rose — Fri, 10 May 2013 09:43:00 +0000

Transcript

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

All right, prosecutors are calling it the biggest bank heist in New York City since the 1970s. They say a gang of cybercriminals drained $45 million from ATMs around the world.

Here's NPR's Joel Rose.

JOEL ROSE, BYLINE: United States Attorney Loretta Lynch says the eight men charged in New York were able to withdraw $2.8 million in cash in just one day, in February.

LORETTA LYNCH: This was a 21st century bank heist.

New York Tobacco Regulations Light Up Public Health Debate

Joel Rose — Thu, 02 May 2013 07:02:00 +0000

If you're under 21, you may soon have a hard time lighting up in New York City.

NYC's Fast Food Workers Strike, Demand 'Living Wages'

Joel Rose — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 22:35:00 +0000

Fast-food restaurants were a little bit slower Thursday in New York City. Hundreds of workers staged a one-day strike in what organizers are calling the biggest job action ever in that industry. It's a growing segment of the economy, but workers complain that fast-food jobs don't pay enough to survive in New York City.

The current minimum wage in New York is $7.25. That's what many fast-food workers in the city earn, including Joseph Barrera, who works at a KFC restaurant in Brooklyn.

Self-Taught Architect Behind Brooklyn's 'Broken Angel' Faces Eviction

Joel Rose — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 20:46:00 +0000

A New York landmark of sorts is in danger of being wiped off the map. The building now known as Broken Angel was an ordinary 19th-century brick structure until self-taught artist and sculptor Arthur Wood started building on top of it in the late 1970s.

The 'Ancient Vibration' Of Parlor Music, Revived By Two Generations

Joel Rose — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 21:19:00 +0000

Sometime in the mid-1960s — no one's really sure when — Lena Hughes walked into a recording studio, probably in Arkansas. What we do know is that she recorded 11 tunes on the guitar.

"It's kind of like listening to 1880," folklorist Howard Marshall says. "You kind of get a wonderful, ancient vibration."

Marshall wrote a book about traditional music in Missouri, called Play Me Something Quick and Devilish.

"It's quite simple, which always mystifies people," Marshall says. "How can it be so simple and sound so good? Well, I think there's a message in that.

Famed N.Y. Pizzeria Among Businesses Struggling To Reopen After Sandy

Joel Rose — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 11:52:00 +0000

It's been more than three months since Hurricane Sandy crashed ashore, and many family-owned businesses in New York and New Jersey are still struggling to get back on their feet.

One of those businesses is Totonno's in Coney Island, where generations of pizza lovers have made the pilgrimage for a slice of New York City history.

Before the storm, you could literally see that history on the walls in the yellowed newspaper clippings and framed photographs of the politicians and celebrities who've eaten there.

Ed Koch, Outspoken Mayor Who Brought N.Y. Back From The Brink, Dies

Joel Rose — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 11:40:00 +0000

Former New York City Mayor Ed Koch, whose larger-than-life personality was well-suited to the nation's biggest city but could also get him in trouble, has died. He was 88.

His spokesman, George Arzt, says Koch passed away early Friday from congestive heart failure.

Koch was famous for asking his constituents this question: "Hey! How'm I doing?" He insisted this was more than just shtick. He told NPR in 1981 that he really wanted to know.

"Some people have said that's a mark of insecurity. Gee, I have to be patted on the back, how'm I doing," he said.

New York Murder Rate Plummets, But Who Should Get The Credit?

Joel Rose — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 21:20:00 +0000

By most measures, New York City is safer than it's been in a half-century. The city recorded just 418 murders in 2012 — the lowest total since record keeping began in the early 1960s. But there's some debate about where to place the credit for that drop.

No part of New York saw a more dramatic decline in murders last year than the 61st Precinct in South Brooklyn. Two years ago, there were 14 murders in the precinct. Last year, it had only three.

'More Cops, More Safety,' Says One Resident

"I live alone here.