Teddy Roosevelt: One of New York's Finest

Theodore Roosevelt was born in what is now the Gramercy section of New York City in 1858. As a child Roosevelt was sickly, suffering from asthma and other ailments. He enjoyed natural history and studied fervently, even writing a paper titled “The Natural History of Insects,” at the age of 9. Roosevelt was homeschooled before attending Harvard College where he excelled in science, philosophy and rhetoric. He studied the role the U.S. Navy played in the War of 1812 while at Harvard, publishing a book on the subject after he graduated.

After graduating in 1880, Roosevelt learned he had a heart condition. Instead of following the doctor’s suggestion to find a desk job, Roosevelt embraced an active lifestyle. He attended Colombia Law School, but dropped out when offered the opportunity to run for New York Assemblyman. Roosevelt served as New York Assemblyman before retiring to his ranch in the Dakota Territory. He returned to New York in 1887 after a brutal winter wiped out his cattle along with his $60,000 investment and entered the political arena once again.

During the Spanish-American War, Roosevelt gathered a group of cowboys from the Western territories to form the First U.S. Volunteer Cavalry Regiment, which the newspapers dubbed the “Rough Riders.” The Rough Riders were made famous by their charges up San Juan Hill and Kettle Hill. Roosevelt was nominated for a Medal of Honor for his actions during the war, however, he was not awarded the medal until 2001.

Roosevelt was elected governor of New York in 1898 and was selected as McKinley’s running mate in the 1900 presidential election. McKinley was assassinated on September 6, 1901, making Theodore Roosevelt the 26^th President of the United States. Roosevelt went on to serve one additional elected term as President. In March 1909, Roosevelt embarked on a safari through east and central Africa. Roosevelt and his hunting party killed and trapped more than 11,000 animals, ranging from insects and rodents to larger game, including elephants, rhinoceroses and hippopotamuses. The salted animals and their skins were shipped to Washington where the skins were mounted and put on display at the Smithsonian and the American Museum of Natural History.

Roosevelt was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1906 for the negotiations that ended the Russo-Japanese War. He is the only U.S. President to be awarded a Medal of Honor and a Nobel Peace Prize.

Anne Hathaway to Play Catwoman in Next Batman Movie

Anne Hathaway was born in Brooklyn in 1982 to Gerald Thomas Hathaway, a lawyer, and Kathleen Ann McCauley Hathaway, an actress who inspired her daughter to pursue acting. After performing in a range of plays, Hathaway was cast in the Fox television show "Get Real" when she was 16. Two years later, she was cast in her first movie role in the Walt Disney drama “The Other Side of Heaven.” Before production could begin, Hathaway auditioned for and won the lead role in Disney’s “The Princess Diaries,” beating out 500 other girls for the chance to play Princess Mia Thermopolis.

Since then Hathaway has starred in a wide range of comedic and dramatic roles in such movies as “The Devil Wears Prada,” “Alice in Wonderland,” “Becoming Jane,” and “Brokeback Mountain.” She plays Catwoman and Selina Kyle in latest Batman movie, “The Dark Knight Rises,” due out later this year. Hathaway is also stepping into the role of Fantine in the film adaptation of the musical “Les Miserable,” which is based on the epic Victor Hugo novel.

New York Health Insurance with a Purpose

Finding affordable health insurance that meets your own unique needs does not have to be a lifelong pursuit or an exercise in futility. Could the multitude of options, restrictions, limitations, co-this, and supplemental-that be more confusing? New York-based PJP Health Agency Inc. is on a mission to educate consumers and simplify the process of finding the right policy. Established in 2008 and headquartered in Garden City, the nationwide company consists of expert licensed agents and forward-thinking executives who have discarded the traditional business-as-usual approach to streamline the process of buying medical insurance and make it decidedly more customer friendly.

By visiting PJP Health University, consumers can learn everything they always wanted to know about health insurance. Rather than just listing policy choices, the site explains major medical plans, supplemental major medical options, and various types of deductibles, benefit periods, and limits. It discusses covered expenses and the differences between HMO, PPO and POS plans, and explains co-payments, coinsurance, and maximum out-of-pocket expenses, giving concrete examples. The site also describes the new federal mandates for health insurance and their impact on individuals.

Once a customer understands the healthcare choices available through the firm, he or she can speak to a licensed agent for a free quote. PJP then assists the individual in enrolling in a plan. The Cadillac of plans, comprehensive major medical coverage, provides the most protection for the greatest number of possible scenarios, so it should be the first choice in most cases. When that is not possible for various reasons, including cost, PJPHealth Agency finds the next best option. The company sums up its goal as “inform, advise, and execute.” Its ultimate mission is to find every American affordable health care.

Rudolph Giuliani: The Man Who Restored New York's Hope

New York native Rudolph Giuliani was born in 1944 into a working-class family. He earned his undergraduate degree from Manhattan College in the Bronx and received his law degree from the New York University School of Law in Manhattan, graduating with honors. Giuliani served as a clerk for Judge Lloyd McMahon, a United States District Judge in New York before joining the U.S. Attorney’s office in 1970.

In the ensuing years, he worked his way up, taking on a variety of positions both in New York and Washington, D.C., before being appointed the Associate Deputy Attorney General in 1975. Giuliani returned to New York City in 1977 and practiced law at Patterson, Belknap, Web and Tyler for five years.

After serving as the Associate Attorney General, Giuliani was appointed the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, where he was effective in jailing drug dealers and fighting organized crime, as well as fighting the corruption in government and prosecuting white-collar criminals. He was responsible for 4,152 convictions during his term with only 25 reversals, a record that few U.S. Attorneys in history could beat.

Giuliani first ran for mayor of New York City in 1989, but lost to David Dinkins. In 1993, he ran again with a campaign centered on quality of life, reducing crime and improving business and education. He was elected the 107^th mayor of New York City and served two terms.

While Giuliani was mayor, he reduced overall crime by 57 percent and murder by 65 percent. He also reduced taxes by more than $2.5 billion and helped more than 640,000 New Yorkers get off welfare and become financially self-sufficient.

After his two terms as mayor, Giuliani remained politically active. In 2008, he competed in the New Hampshire primary as well as several other primaries, but after poor results, he withdrew from the presidential election and endorsed John McCain. Although there were rumors about Giuliani running for president in 2012, however, Giuliani announced he would not run in October of 2011.

Jay-Z Making Headlines

Rapper Jay-Z is one of the more successful rappers in the U.S. He is also a successful entrepreneur, record producer and actor with a net worth of more than $450 million. The rapper has received 13 Grammy Awards and has sold more than 50 million albums. Born Shawn Corey Carter in Brooklyn, New York, Jay-Z is part owner of the New Jersey Nets basketball team, owns the 40/40 Club and created the clothing line Rocawear.

In 2008, Jay-Z married R&B star Beyoncé Knowles. Time magazine named them the most powerful couple in 2006 and Forbes named them the top-earning couple in Hollywood with a combined income of $162 million. To honor the birth of their daughter, born on January 7, 2012, Jay-Z released the song, "Glory." The song reveals some of the struggles the couple encountered during pregnancy. Their two-day old daughter's cries are included at the end of the song. The power couple, who named their daughter Blue Ivy Carter, have recently made headlines because of their attempt to trademark their daughter's name. Trademarking Blue Ivy Carter will prevent other companies from profiting off the name, which some consumers may assume is connected to the child.

Vera Wang: Designer Extraordinaire

From couture wedding gowns and eveningwear to t-shirts and nightgowns, Vera Wang has the fashion world covered. The fashion designer also designs shoes, handbags and women's accessories, along with china and bed and bath linens. Prior to beginning her illustrious career as a fashion designer, Wang worked as a senior fashion editor at Vogue for 17 years and worked as a design director for Ralph Lauren for two years. She opened her first design salon in 1990in the Carlyle Hotel in New York City.

Wang was born and raised in New York City. She started figure skating at the age of 6 and competed at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in 1968 with partner James Stuart. Wang did not make the U.S. Olympic figure skating team, so she decided to enter the fashion industry instead. After graduating from The Chapin School, Want attended the University of Paris and received an art history degree from Sarah Lawrence College.

In addition to designing a full range of women's clothing from casual attire to ball gowns, Wang has designed figure skating costumes for several famous skaters, including Michelle Kwan and Nancy Kerrigan. She also designed the uniforms currently being worn by the Philadelphia Eagles cheerleaders.

Many celebrities and political figures have chosen Vera Wang wedding gowns and eveningwear, including Chelsea Clinton, Avril Lavigne, Maria Carey, Sharon Stone, Kate Hudson and Kim Kardashian. The First Lady Michelle Obama has also worn Wang's evening gowns.

While the award-winning designer is famous for her wedding gowns, she expanded her offerings in recent years by launching her Simply Vera Vera Wang line, sold exclusively through Kohl's department stores. This line includes casual yet sophisticated clothing and accessories for everyday wear as well as fragrances, jewelry, eyewear and a full home collection.

Wang has appeared in several movies and television series. She also released a book in 2001 titled "Vera Wang on Weddings." Her awards include a CFDA Womenswear Designer of the Year award in 2005 and the André Leon Talley Lifetime Achievement Award. She was inducted to the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 2009 for her costume designs.

Rosie O'Donnell Plays Matchmaker

Rosie O’Donnell played matchmaker this past weekend while at the Super Bowl. While conducting an interview with Jenny McCarthy for XM/Sirius Satellite radio, Jenny admitted she had a crush on Tim Tebow. When O’Donnell discovered that Tebow was also in the building for an interview, she took McCarthy to meet him. O’Donnell first introduced herself, then McCarthy. She stated that she thought the two of them would be perfect together. McCarthy and Tebow were able to chat for a few minutes before Tebow’s interview, and the pair did exchange phone numbers.

O’Donnell, a New York native, has worked as a comedienne, actress and talk show host over the years. She currently hosts a talk show on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). The show is filmed in the same Chicago studio where The Oprah Winfrey Show was filmed. In addition to hosting her own talk show, O’Donnell blogs, is a LGBT activist and a television producer.

Lady Gaga: Born This Way

Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta was born in New York in 1986. While you’ve probably never heard of her, you have no doubt heard of Lady Gaga, which is her stage name. She signed on as a songwriter with Streamline Records in 2007 after withdrawing from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. While working as songwriter, recording artist Akon took note of her vocal talent and signed her to his record label. Her first album, which included the hits “Poker Face” and “Just Dance,” came in 2008 and was an instant success with critics and listeners alike. Lady Gaga’s 18-month second tour, The Monster Ball Tour, kicked off in 2009 and is one of the top grossing concerts of all times. The tour promoted her second album The Fame Monster, which boasted the hits “Bad Romance” and “Telephone.”

Her third album, released in 2011, included the hit “Born this Way.” She is known for her outlandish outfits and unique hair and make up. Lady Gaga is also an advocate of tolerance and actively speaks out on bullying. She announced at the end of 2011 that she will launch the Born This Way Foundation this year. According to a press release, the foundation will “explore the best ways to reach youth and create a new culture of kindness, bravery, acceptance and empowerment.” The foundation launches on February 29, 2011 and will work in partnership with The Berkman Center at Harvard as well as their Graduate School of Education, the John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and several other organizations. The purpose of Gaga’s foundation is to promote self-confidence and well-being through mentoring, advocacy and career development, as well as to promote anti-bullying. The foundation kick-off includes a day of events designed to promote awareness of these issues at Harvard University.

Donald Trump Endorses Mitt Romney

The Donald held a press conference earlier today to declare his endorsement of Mitt Romney for the 2012 presidential election. The event took place inside Trump Towers in Las Vegas. After making the announcement, the New York native stated, “Mitt is tough. He’s smart, he’s sharp. He’s not going to allow bad things to continue to happen to this country that we all love. So Gov. Romney, go out and get ‘em. You can do it.” Trump’s announcement comes two days before the Nevada caucuses where Romney is the favorite, according to the polls. Several news sources, including the Associated Press, originally reported that Trump would endorse Newt Gingrich.

While Romney left the stage just moments after the announcement was made, Trump lingered and welcomed questions from the press. When questioned about the endorsement for Gingrich, Trump stated that the two were friends and that he knew Gingrich wanted his endorsement. When the press asked Trump’s thoughts about Ron Paul, he answered in true Donald fashion, saying, “He’s just got no chance of being elected. Personally, I think he’s wasting a lot of time.”