NEW YORK — President Obama, delivering a commencement address to nearly 600 female graduates of Barnard College, urged young women Monday to strive for leadership positions and become more politically involved. Read full article > >

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Obama hones message to women in commencement speech

The recession has not stopped luxury shopping and ostentatiousness from thriving, and few experiences in New York exemplified this more than the Luxury Review trade show.

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Big City: Still Flaunting the Luxe Life

A lack of inventory is largely responsible for a decline in incentives to buy into new developments in New York.

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Developers Cease to Offer Condo Incentives

A charter school in Brooklyn is indicative of a larger problem in New York City’s public school system, one of the most segregated in the nation.

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A System Divided: At Explore Charter School, a Portrait of Segregated Education

The Committee to Save New York, an advocacy group, spent millions to advance Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s agenda last year, but most of the money came from a small number of wealthy donors.

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$12 Million to Help Cuomo Came From Just 20 Donors

Inspired by the lives of her own grandparents, who came to America from northern Italy in the early 20th century, Adriana Trigiani’s “ The Shoemaker’s Wife ” might be considered the ur-story behind her string of heartwarming family sagas. Free from the high-fashion brand names that infested the past couple of novels, this one is an old-fashioned, romantic tale of two star-tangled lovers, Enza Ravanelli and Ciro Lazzari. Beginning in the Italian Alps, the story travels by various routes to New York’s Little Italy, a Hoboken factory, backstage at the Metropolitan Opera, Minnesota’s Iron Range and the trenches of France. A love story, yes, but also a paean to artisanal work, food, friendship and family. Read full article > >

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Book World: Romantic journey with ‘The Shoemaker’s Wife,’ by Adriana Trigiani

Trivia question: Name this forgotten man, the subject of Ross Melnick’s eye-poppingly informative new book, “ American Showman ”: He was the most creative and most popular independent exhibitor of silent films at a series of movie palaces (seating up to 6,000 people) in New York during the 1920s. Read full article > >

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Book World: ‘American Showman’ by Ross Melnick

The Andy Warhol classic painting “Double Elvis (Ferus Type)” sold Wednesday at Sotheby's in New York for $33 million, the auction house said.

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Warhol’s Elvis painting fetches $37M

A work by Pop Art icon Roy Lichtenstein sells for a record $45 million at a New York auction that also sees an Andy Warhol portrait of Elvis Presley go under the hammer.

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Lichtenstein sale sets new record

Porcelain sunflower seeds created by the artist Ai Weiwei have been sold at Sotheby’s in New York.

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VIDEO: Ai Weiwei seeds sell for $782,000

The Washington Capitals have found their identity this spring in being able to respond to tough losses and adversity with aplomb. On Wednesday night, facing elimination against the top-seeded New York Rangers, they came through again, this time with arguably their most dominant performance of the postseason. Read full article > >

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2012 NHL playoffs: Alex Ovechkin scores as Capitals force Game 7 against Rangers

The Washington Capitals have found their identity this spring in being able to respond to tough losses and adversity with aplomb. On Wednesday night, facing elimination against the top-seeded New York Rangers, they came through again, this time with arguably their most dominant performance of the postseason. Read full article > >

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2012 NHL playoffs: Alex Ovechkin scores as Capitals force Game 7 against Rangers

Some energetic New Yorkers, many professionals with full-time jobs, are fitting in multiple workouts a day at separate studios.

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New Yorkers Who Fit In 2 or 3 Workouts a Day

At this point in the playoffs, there’s no doubt about the Washington Capitals ’ ability to play smothering defense and contain the opposition. As they seek to even this second round series against the New York Rangers in Game 4, however, the question remains whether the offense can produce consistently enough to fuel an extended run in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Read full article > >

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2012 Stanley Cup playoffs: Washington Capitals’ offense is struggling entering Game 4 against New York Rangers

Foie gras: it's French for ‘fatty liver,’ and it's produced by deliberately overfeeding ducks or geese. The birds' livers become enlarged up to ten times their normal size and the result is many a chef’s delight: a rich, creamy delicacy enjoyed the world over. Foie gras can be seared like a steak or smoothed into a pâté, and it's at the center of a major legal flap between California chefs and animal rights activists. The process of feeding the birds to enlarge their livers is called gavage. The ducks or geese are force-fed more food than they would usually eat, and therein lies the controversy. Opponents claim that the process of force-feeding the fowl is detrimental to their health and well-being. Foie gras enthusiasts argue that ducks and geese, which don't have a gag reflex, are used to swallowing fish whole and putting on weight for migratory flights. In California, the practice of force-feeding was banned more than 7 years ago, but producers of the delicacy were given a grace period during which they could come up with a more humane way to feed the birds. In fact, the sole producer of foie gras in California endorsed the bill. The grace period is up on June 30. On July 1, it will be illegal in California to sell products that are made as a result of force-feeding animals. San Francisco-based chef and restaurateur Chris Cosentino is one of the most outspoken voices opposing the looming ban on foie gras. “Foie is low hanging fruit for attack,” he says. “It’s very frustrating as chefs and producers to be so lambasted.” Cosentino has joined about 100 other notable California chefs and culinary professionals, including Thomas Keller, Michael Chiarello and Tyler Florence, who have formed the Coalition for Humane and Ethical Farming Standards , or CHEFS. They’re advocating humane feeding methods that produce a high quality product and “support a broader standard for ethical treatment of animals and humane farming practices,” according to their website. To some, their efforts seem too little too late. As the deadline nears, tempers are starting to flare. Cosentino has received death threats against himself and his family, and protesters have picketed outside his restaurant. Tensions are clearly running high. Cosentino thinks this is part of a larger debate. “[Animal rights activists] have an agenda for a vegan country,” he says. “Once this goes through, they’re going on to the next meat item they deem unfit.” He would prefer that the activists go after factory farming of other animals: “We’re pumping the food we eat with antibiotics. Let’s focus on those big pictures.” Paul Shapiro, the Vice President of Farm Animal Protection for the Humane Society points to a “whole host” of animal protection projects he’s working on, and rattles off laws the state of California has passed protecting cattle, chickens, pigs and sharks . Of this current battle, he says, “How much suffering are we willing to inflict on animals who stand completely helpless before us? Shoving a pipe down a bird’s throat multiple times a day is cruel, and the state had a right to ban it.” Shapiro points to studies that say the mortality rate is 10 to 20 times higher for force-fed ducks. He says, “The ducks display really serious fear and aversion. They huddle in a corner. They have to be caught by hand and dragged to have this pipe shoved down their throats.” Cosentino has been to Hudson Valley Foie Gras in New York, one of four farms in the U.S. which produces foie gras. “I found very comfortable living environments,” he says. As for the ducks huddled in the corner, he rebuts, “It’s the same concept as if you put on a monster outfit and walked into a preschool.” “It’s OK to have disagreements, but to ban something outright doesn’t work,” Cosentino finds. “Let’s focus on making something right.” As it stands, CHEFS needs a Californian legislator to introduce a repeal bill. So far, no one has offered to do so. Senate President Pro Tem and Democrat Darrell Steinberg told reporters yesterday, “I'm not going to allow an issue like that to preoccupy the Legislature.” If foie gras fans did find someone to introduce legislation on their behalf, the state would likely take up the bill. But, it’s unsure if they’ll find someone to swallow their 11th hour appeal. Take Our Poll

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Foie gras laws causing a flap with California chefs