Reuters: Bomb Scare Closes Times SquareOnly because it would be selfish not to share our brief moments of paranoia, we’ll point out that Reuters is reporting there’s currently a bomb scare in Times Square. A “suspicious item” — perhaps a red bag — was found, and the southwest part of the square, in front the Reuters HQ, is apparently closed. Interestingly, no other news org seems to be reporting this, which makes us doubt the significance of this bulletin a bit. But, hey, you know the mantra of post-9/11 news editing: We saw something, so we’re saying something.
Update: Reuters is now reporting that the “suspicious item” was just “forgotten luggage.” So whoever left a red bag full of clothes on Seventh Avenue, please visit the lost and found at the Midtown South Precinct house.
Part of NYC’s Times Square Shut Down in Bomb Scare [Reuters]
NYC’s Times Square Reopens After Security Scare [Reuters]
the morning line
We’re All Going to Die, B-Movie Style
• A man carrying a rare, lethal, and contagious form of tuberculosis was thrown into an “isolation unit” at Bellevue after jetting to Paris, Prague, and Montreal despite a CDC order not to travel. [NYDN]
• Rudy Giuliani celebrated his 63rd birthday the way presidential candidates do — with a bunch of fund-raisers (in Queens, the Bronx, Staten Island, and Brooklyn but, oddly, not Manhattan). September 11 victims’ families jeered him at two of the events. [NYP]
• After Reuters fetched $17 billion, rumors swirl that Mayor Mike may be putting Bloomberg LP on the block. Of course, that would fit well with the presidential- ambitions theory. A tiny side note: Fox News confuses “eponymous” with “euphonious.” [Fox News]
• We’re familiar with the outrage that Martha Stewart’s attempt to trademark “Katonah” caused in the eponymous (watch and learn, Fox News) village, but what about the people the village is named for, Native Americans? Surprise: They’re pissed off, too. [NYT]
• And, forget that Park Slope brownstone — what you should have invested in ten years ago was a taxi medallion. The price of the thing tripled in the last six years, hitting $600,000 and likely heading for the $1 million mark. [Metro NY]
company town
Anyone Else Want to Acquire a Media Property?MEDIA
• Thomson agreed to buy Reuters for $17 billion, creating the largest financial-news service and the first major rival to Bloomberg LP. [Reuters via CNNMoney]
• Murdoch offered the Bancrofts a seat on the News Corp. board and asked to meet with the family personally. After an internal conference call, the Bancrofts seem unmoved. [NYT]
• Ron Burkle bought the Primedia Enthusiast unit for $1.2 billion and now owns 70 titles like Dressage Today and Popular Hot Rodding. [NYP]
