Individuals employed around the world by a sophisticated cyber crime ring stole $45 million from thousands of bank automated teller machines within a matter of hours, using hacked debit-card data, U.S. prosecutors said on Thursday.

Members of the global criminal organization hacked into two credit card processors and used stolen data to make more than 40,500 withdrawals in 27 countries, during... » more

Tickets for the July 4 reopening of the Statue of Liberty went on sale Wednesday, as the monument will finally be back in service after its island sustained major damage from Superstorm Sandy.

The statue itself remained mostly unscathed from Sandy, but the superstorm ravaged the rest of the island, destroying docks and its plumbing and electrical systems.

"We are delighted that... » more

A new sentencing alternative provided by Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes and the Women's Prison Association will allow 45 city moms facing felony charges to serve out their sentences at homes while retaining custody of their kids and undergoing intensive supervision and treatment.

The mothers, who must be assessed as not presenting a risk to their communities, will be selected for... » more

After four years of negotiations and stalls, the City Council passed its paid sick leave bill Wednesday.

The 45-3 vote on the Earned Sick Time Act guarantees that the Council can override the expected veto from Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Under the bill's rules, businesses with 20 or more employees must provide at least five paid sick days starting April 1, 2014. Eighteen months later,... » more

A Columbia University football player was charged Wednesday for allegedly assaulting a fellow student while using racial slurs.

Chad Washington, 19, allegedly assaulted an Asian student outside a Columbia building on West 113th Street.

Washington, who is black, allegedly grabbed the victim by his collar and pushing up against the wall.

The victim didn't suffer any injuries, police... » more

The cliche of total strangers in an urban crowd who wind up madly in love is the staple of romcom movies, countless "Sex and the City" episodes and schmaltzy songs.

While most people meet their mates in school, at work, on line, through a shared activity or via mutual friends, the density of our pedestrian-friendly city ups the odds that you could fall in love with a stranger here,... » more

An Arizona jury found Jodi Arias guilty on Wednesday of first-degree murder in the death of her ex-boyfriend in a capital trial that riveted America for months with graphic sexual evidence and bizarre testimony.

Arias, who could face the death penalty as her case goes into the penalty phase of the trial, has admitted to shooting 30-year-old Travis Alexander, whose body was found in the shower... » more

Cleveland resident Ariel Castro was charged on Wednesday with raping and kidnapping three women who were rescued on Monday after nearly a decade in captivity at his house.

Castro's two brothers Pedro and Onil, originally arrested in the case, were not charged, said prosecutor Victor Perez at a news conference.

The charges came as two of the newly freed victims, Amanda Berry, now 27,... » more

The teen pregnancy rate in the city saw a significant decrease in the last decade and the city's health department is hoping its new app will help keep those numbers keep going down.

Between 2001 and 2011, the rate of births for those between ages 15 and 19 in the city decreased from 98.7 pregnancies per 1,000 females to 69.2 pregnancies per 1,000 females, the health department said Wednesday.

Health... » more

The biggest cruise ship ever to call New York City home was christened Wednesday, as Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Cardinal Timothy Dolan and the Rockettes were on hand to celebrate the Norwegian Breakaway.

The 18-deck ship will dock at Pier 88 and make seven-day trips to Bermuda in the summer and the Bahamas and Florida in the winter. Bloomberg said Wednesday it will play a major part in... » more