Monday, May 19, 2025
Sunny. High 71 degrees.
The week will start warm, before rain on Wednesday and Thursday brings temperatures back down into the 50s. There is no rain forecast for the weekend.
Notices
Our calendar has lots of local events. Click on the link or the lady in the upper righthand corner to check.
Thank you everyone who took the time to lend their financial support Friday on West Side Rag’s 14th birthday. We are incredibly grateful. You can support West Side Rag by clicking — HERE.
Upper West Side News
By Gus Saltonstall
Upper West Siders are likely to know 2880 Broadway, on the corner of 112th Street, as the home of Tom’s Diner, made globally famous by its appearances in “Seinfeld.” You’d be less likely to know what goes on within the address’ upper floors.
NASA scientists have worked for nearly 60 years within the building, which is also known as Armstrong Hall, but they are now set to be displaced. The space organization has told the more than 100 people who work at the address that they have to leave by the end of May, as first reported by the New York Times.
The move stems from a Trump administration cost-cutting push connected to an executive order this April calling for a “re-examination of all leased federal office space,” especially in city centers. The Department of Government Efficiency also examined NASA’s spending in the past few months.
NASA now says it has canceled its lease with the 112th Street building, but that money won’t be saved in the process since the lease is between Columbia University and a different federal agency, meaning that the $3 million in yearly rent will still be due, regardless of whether the scientists are in the building, a Columbia official told the Times.
NASA first moved into the building in 1966 with the goal of encouraging collaboration on space research between scientists and researchers at different New York universities.
Columbia is actively looking for a new space for the NASA scientists.
You can read the full story — HERE.
A custodian at an Upper West Side synagogue was allegedly fatally stabbed earlier this month while visiting Turkey, according to multiple reports, including the New York Post.
Yitzhak “Igor” Alishayiv, 46, who has worked for years at the Congregation Heichal Moshe synagogue at 303 West 91st Street, between West End Avenue and Riverside Drive, was a visiting a remote part of Turkey to spend time in nature, when he was allegedly stabbed to death by the owner of a bed & breakfast he was staying in after the two had some sort of argument, the Post and Turkish media outlets reported.
Ismail Kara, the owner of the bed and breakfast, was arrested less than a week later, according to reports.
“We’re desperately trying to get the body back so we could properly say goodbye to him,” Sara Shulevitz Vorhand, a criminal defense attorney who also co-heads the Congregation Heichal Moshe synagogue, told the Post, while adding that Jewish law calls for immediate burials.
Details still remain unclear about the exact timing of Alishayiv’s death and what the argument was about.
You can read more — HERE.
We are now nearly a month away from the primary elections in New York City on June 24.
At the top of the ballot this cycle will be the mayor’s race, which has 12 candidates from which to choose as of Monday.
The mayoral candidates on the Democratic line are Adrienne Adams, Andrew Cuomo, Brad Lander, Jessica Ramos, Michael Blake, Scott Stringer, Whitney Tislon, Zellnor Myrie and Zohran Mamdani. The Independents are Eric Adams and Jim Walden, and the lone Republican challenger is Curtis Sliwa.
Our friends at THE CITY recently put together “The Meet Your Mayor Quiz.” The quiz provides readers with 18 questions to see how your beliefs compare with the candidate’s stances on issues. At the end of the quiz, you are presented with the candidate that most aligns with your own opinions.
You can take the quiz for yourself — HERE.
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“NASA now says it has canceled its lease with the 112th Street building, but that money won’t be saved in the process since the lease is between Columbia University and a different federal agency, meaning that the $3 million in yearly rent will still be due, regardless of whether the scientists are in the building[…]”
The Trump economic genius in a nutshell, not to mention the loss to science.
Not to ruin your day, but NASA has been a joke and a wasteful money pit for decades. Nearly all the significant space accomplishments lately have been done by the private sector. This includes the dreaded Elon Musk, and also Jeff Bezos.
Agree.
NASA has lost it’s way from its original mandate.
Who knew NASA had offices above one of the most iconic scenes in TV ?
They will need to find another place for their Wednesday pizza parties, according to the website,
Not true. The private sector has always been critical to NASA programs, and NASA programs have always emphasized allowing/requiring the private sector to do most of the work. But it is NASA funding that allows the private sector development to occur – and NASA funding that leads to the research that doesn’t have immediate commercial potential (like weather satellites, remote earth sensing and so forth, which initially were not commercial but now make billions of dollars for American private companies).
Government contracting has gotten so overburdened with different mandates that it is far from efficient. Private sector companies are able to act more nimbly and without concern for geographic or other diversity, and that lets them do many things. But the reason Space, makes so much money is because of NASA, and the reason that the American people benefit at all, as opposed to the oligarchs alone, is NASA.
Not to worry, my day is going quite well so far, thanks.
Yes, no doubt about it, NASA has squandered a downright astronomical sum, though not in comparison to, say, the military budget; how exactly this came to pass is a tangled tale unfortunately involving a lot of Washington politics. Despite that, however, it’s more than a stretch to claim “all the significant [American] space accomplishments lately have been done by the private sector”. Let’s consider 21st-Century American space probes: by my count, there have been at least *60* of them, all but a handful successful missions. And that’s not including numerous weather or Earth-observation satellites, etc. In that same period (or rather, since 2022) private concerns have greatly ramped up their efforts and put together around a dozen missions — all but a couple of them failures. It’s a tough business!
Meanwhile, what has Elon been up to? Well, in addition to developing a highly successful launch vehicle, the Falcon 9, and crew capsule, the Dragon, he launched one (1) prominent piece of space junk, a Tesla Roadster, into heliocentric orbit. Because he could. The Starship remains very much a work in progress. (All of this required massive taxpayer funding, as you know, so maybe “private” is pushing it a bit.)
As for Bezos, I’ll give him credit for advancing space tourism, including a point or two for launching Bill Shatner on a suborbital flight.
NASA still matters.
Who is the landlord?
You have reason to doubt that it’s Columbia U.?
no, but i think your question helped me answer my question.
It sounds like you are saying that FEDGOV leased the space from Columbia, paying them $3 million per year, for NASA’s benefit
I didn’t realize Columbia owned real estate so far south, and didn’t know they could in effect get into the real estate business.
had the same question
Classic Trump administration move: shoot ourselves in the foot by causing a massive disruption to scientific research and ultimately not save any money
Agree. At least the NYT gave us an Easter egg (“shrinkage”) in the title.
Science is taking an beating by people that have absolutely no business attempting to evaluate it. And they won’t even notice what they’ve done until it’s too late (and it basically IS too late at this point)… And you know which country is NOT anti-science? China. Let the recruiting begin.
My husband is a scientist so I know this story all too well.
I wouldn’t worry too much about China getting a hand on our brains. Europe and Canada are a different story
It is a concern that my husband and his peers share. This is an amazing opportunity for them and unlike European countries (which I am aware are also recruiting) they are not allies.
It’s to make sure there is no NASA and only Elon (the grifter on your tax dollars) Musk — the richest guy in the world because of our tax dollars. The entire Administration is one big scam. In 2026, vote like the country depends on it, because the country won’t exist any longer if we don’t get rid of them both.
Oh please. The Left loved Elon because of his amazing EVs when they thought he was “one of them.” It was only when he supported DJT did they proclaim their hate
That isnt an irrational change in views. You may disagree with it, but how is it irrational to think someone is good when they pursue aims that you consider worthy, and bad when they pursue aims that you consider immoral and destructive? What is weird is why you think otherwise.
I for one have been irked by Musk since 2001.
Since when has supporting THE KING not been ample reason to loathe anyone?
That’s all it takes.
The “Biden Administration “ if you can even call it that, was a criminal conspiracy from start to finish. The Country was run by corrupt faceless people who hid Biden’s diminished mental health and ran this country into the ground. The truth is coming out and Biden will be exposed for the fraud he was. Hopefully his co conspirators will get the justice they deserve.
Oh please. It was not a criminal conspiracy even if all the latest breathless rumor are true.
He should never have run again, that is clear. I disagree with many of the policies he pursued. But criminal? That is what is happening now.
Yup. Biden is to Trump as jaywalking is to genocide.
Sigh. Speaking of criminal conspiracies:
https://hartmannreport.com/p/trump-lost-vote-suppression-won-c6f
So, how’s that list of the “smart” people with whom doddering Donnie surrounds himself coming along? We’re all keen on hearing your revelations.
trump took office with unemployment at 4%. Last time an opposing party came in with lower unemployment?
Never.
First world country with the highest growth during Biden’s presidency?
The US.
Crime in 2024? Lower than when Biden took office.
Drug overdose deaths in 2024? Lower than when Biden took office.
Jobs in New York City as of Jan 2025?
Record high.
Biden’s dementia was hardly hidden.
Kind of like W’s stupidity, and Cheney’s malice.
Trump is also a scam, notice he’s not ending wars he promised to end in a day.
Yeah, his phone call with Putin yesterday went sooo well — for Putin.
And of course King Krasnov EXCELS at corruption:
https://deanobeidallah.substack.com/p/trump-is-the-most-corrupt-president (That’s over a week old, so it’s a few scandals behind.)
Off topic.
direct response to As Any
So, your refutation of as any’s statement that “The entire [Trump] Administration is one big scam” is to call the Biden administration a criminal conspiracy and fraud? Well, if that doesn’t settle the matter, what does! (Probably not more terminal whataboutism and projection.)
Stand by for a lecture about how this was “democracy” according to “high information voters”.
Oh, and that reminds me:
* “Voters who don’t know anything about Donald Trump kind of like Donald Trump” (https://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2025/05/voters-who-dont-know-anything-about-donald-trump-kind-of-like-donald-trump).
* “Trump Might Already Be Losing Low-Information Voters” (https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/trump-might-already-be-losing-low-information-voters.html). Maybe not around here, but in general.
Stand back and stand by!
Oh look, the rights only move, changing the subject from the train wreck unfolding in front of us.
Gotta say, I’ll take whoever was running the place did a bang up job compared to the clowns in charge at the moment.
Almost sounds like a virulent case of Biden Derangement Syndrome, doesn’t it? The “ran this country into the ground” part is particularly comical.
UWS Dad, for the sake of argument, IF we have iron clad proof that Biden was not making decisions and that some faceless aid was running this country for the past 4 years. I said IF but if this is true that the democrat party conspired to hide Biden’s dementia, would you still vote Democrat ?
Absolutely – I’m a policy guy and the Dems still offer the better policy agenda for our country. In every administration the staff are doing a lot of the day to day – you really think 78 year old DJT has a grip on the EOs he is signing?
I’ll pass over your question as it wasn’t addressed to me and merely point out that it’s the Democratic Party, not the democrat party. This is an oddly common mistake among the Republi.
The economy boomed under Biden after the first Trump disaster.
Trump’s first term was great up until Covid, which would have derailed any President
But speaking of COVID-19, here’s just the latest example of how THE KING’s carefully chosen cohorts continue to fight the battle — on COVID’s side:
“Trump officials set new requirements for COVID vaccines in healthy adults and children” (https://apnews.com/article/vaccines-fda-kennedy-covid-shots-rfk-trump-bb4de15b6ff955d6cd0b406aaec3cdc5). Special credit in this case goes to our health secretary, Captain Brain Worm, a man with a proven record in Samoa. Americans with the misfortune to be younger than 65 will be especially excited at this news, no doubt.
“Great” as defined in which Devil’s Dictionary?
Indeed. “The envy of the world” (https://www.economist.com/special-report/2024-10-19). Perhaps this is the “into the ground” to which OPOD refers — as opposed to that spot where some keep their heads buried.
I believe you meant “bombed”
Highly doubtful; see my comment to Tim, above.
And got us out of Covid ! The economy thrived with a 2.4% inflation rate for Biden’s last year in office. After having a 9% inflation From Covid and Putin’s War. Quite a feat! Besides, that was then, this is now. It’s Amazing how MAGA loves playing the childish game of “whataboutism” every chance they get! It’s truly sad!
Add to events calendar? Fleet Week, with parade of ships Wednesday morning (21May).
Here’s a mayoral quiz:
– Who’s the candidate who wouldn’t sign a harmless non-binding resolution condemning the holocaust?
– Who’s the candidate who last week accepted the endorsement of former Congressman and renowned anti-Semite Jamaal Bowman?
– Who’s the candidate who led a pro-intifada chant at a rally in front of the the Israeli Consulate? (Hint: He wasn’t smiling at the time like he is in all his ads.)
That would be Zohran Mamdani, the 33-year-old part-time assembly member.
Yes!
The Survey/Quiz published by The City failed to ask any questions about an issue that is of interest to Primary voters in New York City: Antisemitism. The City’s quiz didn’t even recognize the issue. According to the New York Times, it is estimated that 26% of the Democratic Primary voters in New York City are Jewish. The Times recognizes that issue in today’s paper: “Israel and Antisemitism Loom Large as Issues in the N.Y.C. Mayor’s Race.” Just how will the next mayor of the City of New York view and confront the growing presence of antisemitism in our city?
It is a question for quite a few people I have spoken to. There is an article from TheForward which I’m not sure how to link here but it is very easy to search for. It’s exactly what you mentioned: it goes through each candidate and their actions re antisemitism. Worth reading.
As expected, I matched strongly with Tilson. Unfortunately, no one knows who he is. He is a common sense Democrat – he has the values the party was built on but also wants to be fiscally responsible. I wish his campaign was getting more support. I’m glad that with ranked choice I can vote for him and not feel like it is a wasted ballot.
I am torn with the rest of my ballot but Mamdani scares me so he will not be on it. It is scary that so many people are supporting him so actively. He has some decent ideas but the bad far outweighs the good. With him as mayor this city might not exist in four years.
I too like Tilson. But yes, his campaign gets very little attention. Stringer was #2 match with the answers I clicked on.
Lander came in first for me and Tilson scored highly as well.
Mamdani isn’t my first choice but at least he lives in NYC unlike Cuomo who moved here five minutes ago. And not exist? Let’s not be hyperbolic, he can’t be worse for NYC than the corrupt clown we have currently.
The City? If centrist Democrats don’t take back control of Congress next year, the COUNTRY won’t exist in four years.
You mean rightwing Democrats like Obama, Biden, Schumer and Hillary Clinton who brought us Trump. Or do you mean even more rightist Democrats like that coal guy from WV?
What’s going to happen to the country?
Nothing is going to happen.
Nothing ever happens. Time is Fake News, like birds.
TDS remains strong with the UWS!
Trump continues to destroy scientific research. This saves no money and only hurts the US. Hopefully Columbia will find space for them on their campus and absorb all the research and scientists.
Curtis Sliwa Is a cheap fear merchant, he is a disgrace to the Republican Party. A lying opportunist and one trick pony.
Sliwa likes cats, so there’s that.
True enough, but how does this distinguish him from any other (R) candidate? He needs to stand out from the pack to get ahead.
Maybe the cat thing.
100%.with you there. I’m astonished that the Republicans are running him as a candidate. What a wasted opportunity.
Well, he’s a fraud, so he fits right in with someone like DJT.
I know who I’m NOT voting for: https://www.politico.com/newsletters/new-york-playbook/2025/05/16/mamdani-passes-on-condemning-the-holocaust-00353271?vcrmeid=0GInSDedxkmSP3TcRFWiWA&vcrmiid=vggP4PrVeU2LpeB35rM6kw
How sick is this! It’s a Damn Shame! Trump and his ridiculous Bogus DOGE is a Fraud and A Waste! Numbers on its site don’t make sense nor add up! No fine detail information included or defined!
Thank you for posting that quiz! It was quite eye-opening.
My next door neighbor, a Columbiav graduate student, worked for NASA, which was right above Tom’s. I thought that was pretty funny. I asked if she ever ate there. She said that an extremely greasy smell rose from Tom’s into NASA so she only had coffee.
Not fun to work or live right above a restaurant and its exhaust fans
The Mayoral Quiz was really helpful in differentiating among the candidates. Thanks.