(CNN) - Democratic incumbent Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand has won New York's special election for U.S. Senate, CNN projects, beating out Republican Joe DioGuardi. Gillibrand will serve out the rest of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's term. Projections are based on CNN analysis of exit poll data.
Democratic incumbent Sen. Chuck Shumer has won his bid for re-election to a third term, CNN projects, defeating GOP opponent Jay Townsend, a political consultant. Projections are based on CNN analysis of exit poll data.
Washington (CNN) - British Prime Minister David Cameron has offered to meet with four U.S. senators Tuesday to discuss the 2009 release of a Libyan man convicted of playing a role in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland.
"The prime minister recognizes the huge strength of feeling on this issue and has immense sympathy for the families - American, British and others - affected by the Lockerbie atrocity," said Martin Longden, the press secretary at the British Embassy. "The PM has personally asked to rearrange his program in Washington to enable him to meet with the four senators and discuss their concerns directly."
It was not immediately clear if the four senators from New Jersey and New York - Robert Menendez, Frank Lautenberg, Kirsten Gillibrand and Charles Schumer - would be able to accept Cameron's invitation to meet with him at the British ambassador's residence in Washington Tuesday evening.
Washington (CNN) - Four U.S. senators have requested a formal meeting with British Prime Minister David Cameron during his visit to the United States this week to discuss the 2009 release of a man convicted of playing a role in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland.
The 1988 bombing killed 270 people, most of them Americans.
The Scottish government released Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi on compassionate grounds last August after doctors said he had terminal prostate cancer and just three months to live. But al-Megrahi is still alive, and news reports in recent days have questioned whether he was as sick as depicted. Questions also have been raised about whether a deal was cut to release him to protect British business interests in Libya.
(CNN) - New York Sen. Charles Schumer on Thursday called Apple's suggestions for remedying a widespread issue with the iPhone 4 "insufficient" and urged the company to come clean about a problem that has many iPhone 4 customers up in arms. Schumer made the comments in an open letter written to Apple CEO Steve Jobs.
"I ask that Apple provide iPhone 4 customers with a clearly written explanation of the cause of the reception problem and make a public commitment to remedy it free-of-charge," Schumer writes in the letter, obtained by CNN. "The solutions offered to date by Apple for dealing with the so-called 'death grip' malfunction – such as holding the device differently, or buying a cover for it – seem to be insufficient."
"While I commend Apple's innovative approach to mobile technology and appreciate its service to millions of iPhone users nationwide, I believe it is incumbent upon Apple to address this flaw in a transparent manner," Schumer writes.
The issue, considered by some experts to be a critical design flaw, occurs when users of the phone hold it in such a way that bridges the gap between the two antennas by connecting a small black strip located on the metallic band around the phone. The band acts as a series of antennas for the phone and users have reported mild to complete degradation of their signal when the strip is covered.
Read Schumer's full letter after the jump:
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(CNN) - New York Sen. Charles Schumer on Tuesday released the following statement regarding the death of New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner:
“Like New York and like the Yankees, George Steinbrenner was a champion. He was someone about whom you can truly say that there will never be another one like him. When he bought the Yankees in 1973 the franchise was moribund and he quickly restored them to greatness. I, along with millions of Yankees fans, am thankful for the countless hours of joy we have experienced watching his team at the Stadium or following them on television and radio. He was a true New York icon. My condolences and best wishes go out to the Steinbrenners and the entire Yankee family.”
Washington (CNN) – Senate Judiciary Committee staffers met Wednesday with two Facebook executives to discuss the social networking site's controversial decision to allow third-party sharing of users' information.
Sens. Chuck Schumer of New York, Michael Bennet of Colorado, Mark Begich of Alaska and Al Franken of Minnesota, urged Facebook earlier this week to change its privacy policy.
"While he appreciates the tremendous value Facebook and other social networking sites provide to their users, the senator feels strongly that these sites should establish an opt-in policy for sharing users private data with third party companies and the default setting should always be more restrictive, not less," Brian Fallon, a Schumer spokesman, said in a statement to CNN. The Judiciary staffers work for Schumer, a member of the committee.
Andrew Noyes, a Facebook spokesperson who participated in the meeting via telephone, sought to emphasize the common ground between the senators and Facebook.
"We share the goal of user trust, the importance of innovation on the Internet, and how innovation can create better experiences for users," he said. "We talked about the success of the personalization announcements we made last week and the measurable benefits users and our Web partners have experienced. At the same time, we recognize that some users have concerns and we discussed ways to address them."
Washington (CNN) - Sen. Charles Schumer announced Sunday that several major airlines have promised not to charge passengers for carry-on baggage.
Schumer, D-New York, said he personally contacted officials at American Airlines, Delta Airlines, JetBlue, United Airlines and US Airways, and secured commitments from all five companies.
Two weeks ago, local carrier Spirit Airlines became the first in the United States to propose charging passengers $45 to store luggage in overhead bins.
"In the last week we have gained tremendous momentum in our effort to keep carry-on bags free," said Schumer. "We have begun to put the brakes on runaway and out-of-control airline fees. I am pleased some of the major carriers have responded to our efforts and have agreed not to charge for something that has always been free."
On Wednesday, Schumer introduced a bill that would amend the tax code to eliminate a loophole that he and four other senators say allows airlines to avoid taxes on certain fees. That effort came a day after two other senators put forward a bill that would change how the Federal Aviation Administration regulates carry-on baggage fees.
FULL POST
Washington (CNN) – Attorney General Eric Holder said Wednesday that the Obama administration would likely decide within weeks where the accused 9/11 conspirators will go on trial.
Holder told the Senate Judiciary Committee that his original decision to hold the trial in a New York City civilian court remains "on the table,"
despite pressure against that venue from Republicans and New York officials.
When confronted later at the hearing by Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York, who opposes a New York trial, Holder said the concerns of city residents and officials would be taken into account.
After the hearing, Schumer issued a statement rejecting Holder's New York option.
New York (CNNMoney.com) – Senate Democrats are taking aim at carry-on baggage fees after Spirit Airlines became the first U.S. carrier to propose charging passengers to store luggage in overhead bins.
On Wednesday, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-New York, introduced a bill that would amend the tax code to eliminate a loophole that he and four other Senators say allows airlines to avoid taxes on certain fees.
"This latest fee crosses the line and is a slap in the face to travelers," Schumer said in a statement. "Our legislation will rein in the airlines and keep air travelers from being gouged every time they board a plane."
That effort comes one day after two other Senators put forward a bill that would change how the Federal Aviation Administration regulates carry-on baggage fees.
From CNN Politics
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