Brody (, , , Yiddish: בּראָד, translit. ''Brod'') is a city in the Lviv Oblast (province) of western Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Brody Raion (district), and is located in the valley of the upper Styr River, approximately 90 kilometres northeast of the oblast capital, Lviv. As of 2004, its population is 23,239.

Brody is the junction of the ''Druzhba'' and ''Odessa-Brody'' oil pipelines.

History

The first mention of a settlement on the site of Brody is dated 1084 (Instructions by Volodymyr Monomach). It is believed to have been destroyed by Batu Khan in 1241.

From 1441 Brody was the property of different feudal families (Jan Sieniński, from 1511 - Kamieniecki).

Brody was granted Magdeburg rights and city status in 1546. At this time it was known under the name Lubicz (Любич, ) that gave name to the Lubicz Coat of Arms of the owner, Stanisław Żółkiewski (not to be confused with Lubech, ''Lubecz'').

Since the 17th century, the city has been populated not only by Ukrainians and Poles, but also a significant number of Jews (70% of the town's population), Armenians, and Greeks . From 1629, the city became the property of Stanisław Koniecpolski, who ordered the construction of Brody Castle (1630–1635). The castle, or rather the fortress, was designed by the French military engineer Guillaume Le Vasseur de Beauplan. In 1648, the castle took 8 weeks for Bohdan Khmelnytsky to capture it. Notably Jewish population was spared after the sack. The Jews of Brody were judged and "deemed as not engaged in maltreatment of the Ruthenians" and were only required to pay a tribute in "textiles and furs".

In 1704, Brody was purchased by Potocki family. In 1734 the fortress was destroyed by Russian troops and replaced by Stanisław Potocki's palace in the Baroque style. In 1772, Brody became a part of Habsburg Empire (from 1804 - Austrian Empire). In 1812, Wincenty Potocki was forced by the Austrian government to remove the city's fortifications.

A crossroads and a Jewish trade center in the nineteenth century, the city is considered to be one of the shtetls. It was particularly famous for the ''Brodersänger'' or Broder singers, who were among the first to publicly perform Yiddish songs outside of Purim plays and wedding parties.

The promulgation of the May Laws, and the massive exodus of Russian Jews which was its result, took the leaders of Western Jewry completely by surprise. Throughout 1881, hundreds of immigrants kept arriving in Brody daily. Their arrival placed Austrian and German co-religionists in a quandary. The comfortable middle-class Jewish community of Central and Western Europe looked instinctively to the Alliance Israélite Universelle, the world's largest and most respected Jewish philanthropic agency, to bring order out of chaos, to cope with the huge influx of newcomers. (Howard M. Sachar) {| cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" width=250 align="right" rules="all" style="margin: 1em; background: #ffffff; border: 2px solid #aaa; font-size: 100%;" |- bgcolor=#DDDDDD | colspan=8 align="center" | Jews in Brodyaccording to Austrian-Hungarian Census |- bgcolor=#f0f0f0 align="center" ! Year ! total pop. ! Jews ! Share |- align="right" | align="left" | 1869 || 18.700 || 15.138 || 80,9 % |- align="right" | align="left" | 1880 || 20.000 || 15.316 || 76,3 % |- align="right" | align="left" | 1890 || n. a. || n. a. || n. a. |- align="right" | align="left" | 1900 || 16.400 || 11.854 || 72,1 % |- align="right" | align="left" | 1910 || 18.000 || 12.150 || 67,5 % |} The town was the site of heavy destruction by both Polish and Russian forces in the Polish-Soviet War of 1920, and is described extensively in stories of the Red Cavalry by Isaac Babel. After the conflict, it became part of Second Polish Republic and was located in the Tarnopol Voivodeship. Brody was an important military base, with the Kresowa Cavalry Brigade headquarters established there.

After the outbreak of World War II in September 1939, Brody was occupied by the Red Army. Between June 26 and June 30, 1941 a tank battle was fought nearby between the German Panzer Group 1 and five Soviet mechanized corps with heavy losses on both sides.

Holocaust in Brody

When German troops occupied the city on July 1, 1941 the Jewish population of some 9,000 was forced to wear an arm-band with the yellow badge. 250 intellectuals were arrested on July 15, 1941 and shot two days later at the Jewish cemetery, after being brutally tortured. Encouraged by German occupation authorities, the Ukrainian population started a pogrom in August 1941, looting Jewish possessions. The Judenrat had to provide labor for repairs and maintenance on the roads and bridges as well as for work in army depots. From December 1941 young people were arrested on the streets and sent to forced labor camps in the vicinity.

In September 1942 the ''Aktion Reinhardt'' started in Brody leaving 300 people dead. 2,000 people were deported to Belzec where they would be murdered in the gas chambers. In December 1942 the German occupiers forced the Jewish population to resettle in a ghetto inside the town, where 6,000 people lived in January 1943. During 1943, ''Aktion Reinhardt'' was continued with thousands being killed in the nearby woods in March and April, the Ghetto being liquidated on May 21, 1943. More than 3,000 inhabitants were deported, presumably to Maidanek, but hundreds had already been killed in the Ghetto. Many houses were set on fire to drive out those who had remained hidden there.

Liberation

During July–August 1944, Brody and nearby areas saw the battles of the strategically important Lvov-Sandomierz Operation (a.k.a. ''Brodovkiy Kotel'') where the Soviet army successfully encircled and destroyed German forces.

During the Cold War, Brody air base served Soviet Air Force regiments, while the city was noticeably militarized. Parts of the city to this day are being referred to as Bili Kazarmy (the White Barracks) and as Chervoni Kazarmy (the Red Barracks).

The Brody museum of history and district ethnography was founded in 2001.

Famous People associated with Brody

Throughout centuries of Jewish life in Brody until the muderous events of the Holocaust, Jews and Gentiles lived a mostly segregated life, with distinct and separate social as well as religious life. Therefore, the division of the following list between Jews and Non-Jews reflects the actual social reality in which the people concerned lived.

Non-Jews

Józef Korzeniowski (1797–1863), famous Polish writer

Ivan Trush (1869–1941), famous Ukrainian artist.

Stan Jouk (1985-), Ukrainian American fashion model.

Myron Tarnavskiy (1869–1938), general of Ukrainian Galychina Army

Feliks West (1846–1946), Polish publisher

Petro Fedun-Poltava (1919–1951), ideologist of Ukrainian national liberation fight 1940–50 years.

Jews

Adolph Baller, pianist

Iuliu Barasch, physician

Berl Broder (Berl Margulis), singer

Oscar Chajes, chess player

Zvi Hirsch Chajes, rabbi and talmudist

Leo Kanner, Austrian psychiatrist and physician known for his work related to autism.

Hans Kelsen (father's birthplace)

Nachman Krochmal, philosopher

Yechezkel Landau, rabbi

Max Margules, meteorologist

Jacques Mieses (parents from Brody; he was born in Leipzig

Amalia Nathansohn-Freud (1835–1930), mother of Sigmund Freud

Jacob Orchudesch Banker until around 1885 then emigrated via Vienna to Amsterdam

Joseph Ludwig Raabe, mathematician

Jakob Rosanes, mathematician

Joseph Roth (1894–1939), writer

Dov Sadan (1902–1989), scholar of Yiddish literature, Hebrew Literature and Jewish Folklore

Daniel Abraham Yanofsky, chess player. ''See German-language article''.

Israel Zolli, former Chief Rabbi of Rome who converted to Catholicism

Nearby towns

Zolochiv

Oles'ko

Pidhirtsi (Szwaby, Schwabendorf), German settlement

Busk

Pidkamin

Zboriv

References

Howard M. Sachar, ''The Course of modern Jewish history''. Vintage Books (a division of Random House) Chapter 15

Kuzmany, Börries: Die Stadt Brody im langen 19. Jahrhundert – Eine Misserfolgsgeschichte? (PhD, University of Vienna, University Paris Sorbonne, 2008)

External links

Brody in the Encyclopedia of Ukraine

Brody in the Geographical Dictionary of the Kingdom of Poland (1880) About Brody museum Brody site ShtetLinks Site for Brody Brody under Austrian Rule: Brody - Броди - בראד Photo Gallery of Brody (1.03.2008, 51 photos)

Category:Brody Category:Cities in Ukraine Category:Galicia (Eastern Europe) Category:Jewish Russian and Soviet history Category:Shtetls Category:Lviv Oblast

ar:برودي br:Brody bg:Броди cs:Brody de:Brody (Ukraine) es:Brody eo:Brodi eu:Brody fr:Brody (Ukraine) it:Brody (Ucraina) he:ברודי nl:Brody (Oekraïne) ja:ブロディ pl:Brody (Ukraina) crh:Brodı ro:Brodî ru:Броды tr:Brodi uk:Броди

birth date	April 14, 1973
birth place
occupation	Actor
years active	1988–present
spouse	}}

Adrien Brody (born April 14, 1973) is an American actor and film producer. He received widespread recognition and acclaim after starring in Roman Polanski's ''The Pianist'' (2002). Winning the Academy Award for Best Actor in 2003 at age 29, he is the youngest actor to do so. Brody is also the only American actor to receive the French César Award.

Early life

Brody was born in Woodhaven, Queens, New York, the son of Sylvia Plachy, a photojournalist, and Elliot Brody, a retired history professor and painter. Brody's father is of Polish-Jewish descent; Brody's mother – who was raised Catholic – was born in Budapest, Hungary, the daughter of a Catholic Hungarian aristocrat father and a Czech Jewish mother. Brody was raised "without a strong connection to" Judaism or Catholicism. As a child, he performed magic shows at children's birthday parties as "The Amazing Adrien". He attended the I.S. 145 Joseph Pulitzer middle school and New York's Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts (famous as the inspiration for television's ''Fame''). His parents enrolled him in acting classes to distance him from the dangerous children with whom he associated. He attended summer camp at Long Lake Camp for the Arts in the Adirondacks in upstate New York. Brody attended New York's Queens College from 1991 to 1993, majoring in Performance Art, but left to pursue an acting career.

Career

Taking acting classes as a youth, by age thirteen, he had done an Off-Broadway play and a PBS television film. Brody hovered on the brink of stardom, receiving an Independent Spirit Award nomination for his role in the 1998 film ''Restaurant'' and later praise for his roles in Spike Lee's ''Summer of Sam'' and Terrence Malick's ''The Thin Red Line''. He received widespread recognition when he was cast as the lead in Roman Polanski's ''The Pianist'' (2002). To prepare for the role, Brody withdrew for months, gave up his apartment and his car, was left by his then-girlfriend, learned how to play Chopin on the piano, and lost 29 lbs (13 kg). The role won him an Academy Award for Best Actor, making him, at 29, the youngest actor ever to win the award, and to date the only winner under the age of 30. He also won a César Award for his performance. He is also widely known for giving presenter Halle Berry a back-breaking kiss before accepting his Best Actor Oscar, and as the spokesman for fashion brand Ermenegildo Zegna.

Brody appeared on ''Saturday Night Live'' on May 10, 2003, his first TV work, but he was banned from the show after giving an improvised introduction while wearing faux dreadlocks for Jamaican reggae musical guest Sean Paul (the show's producer, Lorne Michaels, is notorious for hating unscripted performances). However, the unscripted intro remains in reruns of the episode. Other TV appearances include NBC's ''The Today Show'' and on MTV's ''Punk'd'' after being tricked by Ashton Kutcher. After ''The Pianist'' Brody appeared in four very different films. In ''Dummy'' (released in 2003 but originally shot in 2000, just prior to his work in ''The Pianist'') he portrayed Steven Schoichet, a socially awkward aspiring ventriloquist in pursuit of a love interest (his employment counsellor). He learned ventriloquism and puppetry for the role (under the tutelage of actor/ventriloquist Alan Semok) convincingly enough to perform all of the voice stunts and puppet manipulation live on set in real time, with no subsequent post dubbing. He played Noah Percy, a mentally disabled young man, in the film ''The Village'', by M. Night Shyamalan, shell-shocked war veteran Jack Starks in ''The Jacket'', writer Jack Driscoll in the 2005 ''King Kong'' remake, and father-to-be Peter Whitman in ''The Darjeeling Limited'' by Wes Anderson. ''King Kong'' was both critical and box office success; it grossed $550 million worldwide and is Brody's most successful film to date in monetary terms. Additionally, Brody played a detective in ''Hollywoodland''. He has also appeared in Diet Coke and Schweppes commercials as well as Tori Amos' music video for "A Sorta Fairytale".

On January 5, 2006, Brody confirmed speculation that he indeed was interested and very willing to play the role of The Joker in 2008's ''The Dark Knight''. However, Christopher Nolan and Warner Bros. decided instead to cast Heath Ledger in the role. He was also in talks with Paramount to play Spock in J. J. Abrams ''Star Trek XI'', but it ultimately went to Zachary Quinto. Brody starred with Mark Ruffalo as gentlemen con men in Rian Johnson's ''The Brothers Bloom'', released in May 2009. Also in 2009 was the box office release of ''Splice'', a science fiction film written and directed by Vincenzo Natali. Originally a Sundance film, ''Splice'' was adopted by Dark Castle Entertainment and distributed by Warner Bros. Most recently, he played the star role of Royce in ''Predators'' (a sequel to the original ''Predator''), directed by Nimród Antal and produced by Robert Rodriguez.

In 2011, Brody starred in a Stella Artois beer ad called "Crying Jean," that premiered right after half-time of the Super Bowl XLV as part of Stella's "She Is a Thing of Beauty” campaign.

Personal life

In 1992, Brody was seriously hurt in a motorcycle accident in which he flew over a car and crashed head-first into a crosswalk. He spent months recuperating. He has broken his nose three times doing stunts. His nose was broken once again during the filming of ''Summer of Sam''.

Filmography

{|class="wikitable" border="2" cellpadding="4" background: #f9f9f9; |- align="center" ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Film ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Role ! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Notes |- |1988 | ''Home at Last'' | Billy | |- |1989 | ''New York Stories'' | Mel | |- |1991 | ''The Boy Who Cried Bitch'' | Eddie | |- |1993 | ''King of the Hill'' | Lester Silverstone | |- |rowspan=3|1994 | ''Angels in the Outfield'' | Danny Hemmerling | |- | ''Jailbreakers'' | Skinny | |- | ''Natural Born Killers'' | one of Gale's cameramen | |- |rowspan=3|1996 | ''Nothing to Lose '' | Ray Diglovanni | aka ''Ten Benny'' |- | ''Solo'' | Dr. Bill Stewart, Solo's Designer | |- | ''Bullet'' | Ruby | |- |rowspan=2|1997 | ''The Last Time I Committed Suicide'' | Ben | |- | ''Six Ways to Sunday'' | Arnie Finklestein | |- |rowspan=3|1998 | ''The Thin Red Line'' | Cpl. Fife | |- | ''The Undertaker's Wedding'' | Mario Bellini | |- | ''Restaurant'' | Chris Calloway | Nominated – Independent Spirit Award for Best Lead Male |- |rowspan=3|1999 | ''Oxygen'' | Harry | |- | ''Liberty Heights'' | Van Kurtzman | |- | ''Summer of Sam'' | Richie Tringale | |- |rowspan=2|2000 | ''Bread and Roses'' | Sam Shapiro | |- | ''Harrison's Flowers'' | Kyle Morris | |- |rowspan=2|2001 | ''The Affair of the Necklace'' | Count Nicolas De La Motte | |- | ''Love the Hard Way'' | Jack Grace | VFAA Award for Best Actor |- |rowspan=2|2002 | ''Dummy'' | Steven | |- | ''The Pianist'' | Wladyslaw Szpilman | |- |2003 | ''The Singing Detective'' | First Hood | |- |2004 | ''The Village'' | Noah Percy | |- |rowspan=2|2005 | ''The Jacket'' | Jack Starks | |- | ''King Kong'' | Jack Driscoll | |- |2006 | ''Hollywoodland'' | Louis Simo | |- |rowspan=3|2007 | ''The Tehuacan Project'' | Narrator | |- | ''Manolete'' (The Passion Within) | Manuel Rodríguez Sánchez "Manolete" | |- | ''The Darjeeling Limited'' | Peter Whitman | |- |rowspan=2|2008 | ''The Brothers Bloom'' | Bloom | |- | ''Cadillac Records'' | Leonard Chess | Black Reel Award for Best Ensemble Cast |- |rowspan=3|2009 | ''Splice'' | Clive Nicoli | |- | ''Giallo'' | Inspector Enzo Lavia | Also Producer |- | ''Fantastic Mr. Fox'' | Rickity | Voice |- |rowspan=3|2010 | ''High School'' | Psycho Ed | ''post-production'' |- | ''The Experiment'' | Travis | |- | ''Predators'' | Royce | |- |rowspan=3|2011 | ''Wrecked'' | Man | Also Executive Producer |- | ''Midnight in Paris'' | Salvador Dalí | |- |''Detachment'' | Henry Barthes |Ubl|''post-production''|Also Executive Producer}} |- |}

References

External links

Category:1973 births Category:Actors from New York City Category:American Academy of Dramatic Arts alumni Category:American film actors Category:American voice actors Category:Best Actor Academy Award winners Category:César Award winners Category:Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School alumni Category:American Jews Category:American people of Czech-Jewish descent Category:American people of Polish-Jewish descent Category:American people of Hungarian descent Category:American people of Polish descent Category:American people of Hungarian descent Category:Jewish actors Category:Living people Category:People from Queens

ar:أدريان برودي an:Adrien Brody ast:Adrien Brody bs:Adrien Brody bg:Ейдриън Броуди ca:Adrien Brody cs:Adrien Brody co:Adrien Brody da:Adrien Brody de:Adrien Brody es:Adrien Brody eu:Adrien Brody fa:آدرین برودی fr:Adrien Brody gl:Adrien Brody hr:Adrien Brody id:Adrien Brody it:Adrien Brody he:אדריאן ברודי csb:Adrien Brody hu:Adrien Brody nl:Adrien Brody ja:エイドリアン・ブロディ no:Adrien Brody nds:Adrien Brody pl:Adrien Brody pt:Adrien Brody ro:Adrien Brody ru:Броуди, Эдриен simple:Adrien Brody sk:Adrien Brody sr:Адријен Броди fi:Adrien Brody sv:Adrien Brody tl:Adrien Brody th:เอเดรียน โบรดี tr:Adrien Brody uk:Адріен Броди vi:Adrien Brody yo:Adrien Brody zh:阿德里安·布罗迪

name	Murphy Lee
background	solo_singer
birth name	Torhi Harper
birth date	December 18, 1978
origin	St. Louis, Missouri, United States
genre	Hip hop
occupation	Rapper
years active	2000–present
label	UC-Me EntertainmentDerrty Ent.Universal Records
associated acts	Nelly, Jermaine Dupri, Da House, P. Diddy
website	Official site }}

Torhi Harper (born December 18, 1978 in St. Louis, Missouri, United States), better known by his stage name Murphy Lee, is a Grammy Award-winning American rapper, best known as a member of the hip hop group St. Lunatics. Lee is also the chief executive of his own label, U C Me Entertainment. He and his wife Melissa Garcia currently reside in St. Louis, MO.

Career

Murphy Lee formed the St. Lunatics with fellow rappers Nelly, Ali, Kyjuan, City Spud and Slo'Down. They scored a regional hit with the song "Gimmie What You Got", but the crew found it hard to get a record deal. Nelly secured a deal as a solo act, and released ''Country Grammar'' in 2000. After his appearances on ''Country Grammar'', the St. Lunatics released their debut album ''Free City'' in 2001. A second St. Lunatics ''Who's The Boss'' was released in 2006. It is not supported by the members as the music recording studio Fast Life released the CD because they owned the music. It is a CD of the group's 1996 songs, which are raps over the music of popular 90s songs. In 2002, he was featured on Jermaine Dupri's hit single "Welcome to Atlanta" remix. In 2003, his biggest hit came with "Shake Ya Tailfeather," featuring Nelly and P. Diddy, which appeared on the ''Bad Boys II'' soundtrack. That song would later win him a Grammy. Riding the success of "Shake Ya Tailfeather," Murphy Lee released his debut album ''Murphy's Law'' later that year. Murphy Lee released his second studio album, ''You See Me'', on December 16, 2009 via his website "murphderrty.com".

Discography

Studio albums

Year	Title	Peak chart positions		RIAA certifications
		!width=40 align=center	!width=40 align=center
	align="left"	*Released: September 23, 2003	Derrty Entertainment/Universal Records>Universal	*Format: CD, digital download
2009	align="left"	*Released: December 16, 2009	*Label: UCME Entertainment	*Format: CD, digital download

Singles

Year	Song	!align="center" valign="top" width="40"	!align="center" valign="top" width="40"	!align="center" valign="top" width="40"	Album

Featured singles

Year	Song	!align="center" valign="top" width="40"	!align="center" valign="top" width="40"	!align="center" valign="top" width="40"	Album
	align="left" valign="top"
					align="left" valign="top"

Guest appearances

2001: "Batter Up" (Nelly featuring Murphy Lee & Ali)

2001: "Thicky Thick Girl" (Nelly featuring Murphy Lee & Ali)

2001: "Steal the Show" (Nelly featuring Ali, Murphy Lee, & Kyjuan)

2001: "Wrap Sumden" (Nelly featuring Ali, Murphy Lee, & Kyjuan)

2002: "Dem Boyz" (Nelly featuring Kyjuan & Murphy Lee)

2002: "Oh Nelly" (Nelly featuring Murphy Lee)

2002: "Air Force Ones" (Nelly featuring Ali, Murphy Lee, & Kyjuan)

2002: "Roc the Mic [Remix]" (Nelly featuring Freeway, Murphy Lee, & Beanie Sigel)

2002: "CG 2" (Nelly featuring Kyjuan & Murphy Lee)

2002: "Boughetto" (Ali featuring Murphy Lee)

2003: "Welcome to Atlanta [Remix]" (Jermaine Dupri featuring P. Diddy, Murphy Lee, & Snoop Dogg)

2003: "Drop Dead Gorgeous" (Kanye West ft. Murphy Lee)

2004: "Tipsy" (Remix) (J-Kwon ft. Chingy, Murphy Lee and DJ Clue)

2004: "River Don't Runnin'" (Nelly featuring Murphy Lee & Stephen Marley)

2004: "Getcha Getcha" (Nelly featuring Ali, Murphy Lee, & Kyjuan)

2007: "Work Dat, Twerk Dat" (Ali & Gipp ft. Murphy Lee and DJ Speedy)

2007: "Throw Some D's" (Remix) (Rich Boy ft. Lil' Jon, Andre 3000, Jim Jones, Nelly, Murphy Lee and The Game)

2009: "Think About It" (Darren B ft. Murphy Lee & Gena)

2010: "Sell Out Everything" (DJ Freddy Fred ft. Young Buck, Murphy lee & Gunplay)

2010: "k.I.s.s" (Nelly ft. Diddy-Dirty Money & Murphy Lee)

Collaborations with St. Lunatics

2001: ''Free City'' (with St. Lunatics)

2006: ''Who's The Boss'' (with St. Lunatics)

2010: ''City Free'' (with St. Lunatics)

References

External links

Official Site

Official MySpace

Official UC-Me Entertainment Myspace Page

Category:African American rappers Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Rappers from St. Louis, Missouri Category:St. Lunatics members Category:American vegetarians Category:1979 births Category:Living people

de:Murphy Lee es:Murphy Lee fr:Murphy Lee it:Murphy Lee sv:Murphy Lee

name	Christina Hendricks
birth name	Christina Rene Hendricks
birth date	May 03, 1975
birth place	Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S.
occupation	Actress
years active	1999–present
spouse	Geoffrey Arend (2009–present)
known for	Role as Joan Holloway
height
website	}}

Christina Rene Hendricks (born May 3, 1975) is an American actress known for her role as Joan Holloway in the AMC cable television series ''Mad Men'', and as Saffron in Fox's short-lived series ''Firefly''. Hendricks was named "the sexiest woman in the world" in 2010 in a poll of female readers taken by ''Esquire'' magazine.

Career

Hendricks has made a number of guest television appearances, starting as a regular in the series ''Beggars and Choosers''. Since then, she has starred in the series ''The Big Time'' and ''The Court'', opposite Sally Field and Craig Bierko, as well as the legal drama ''Kevin Hill''. She has also had recurring roles in ''ER'' and ''Firefly'' and guest-starred in episodes of ''Angel'', ''Miss Match'', ''Tru Calling'', ''Presidio Med'', ''Without a Trace'', and ''Las Vegas''. Hendricks starred opposite Kip Pardue in ''South of Pico''. ''La Cucina'', an award-winning indie film, premiered on Showtime in December 2009 and stars Hendricks as a sexy writer opposite Joaquim de Almeida. She has appeared in four episodes of the NBC TV show ''Life'' in the recurring role of Olivia, detective Charlie Crews' soon-to-be stepmother and Ted Earley's love interest. She also starred in music videos for "The Ghost Inside" by Broken Bells, and Everclear's "One Hit Wonder".

Her best-known role is that of Joan Holloway on the award-winning AMC series ''Mad Men''. Hendricks' character is the office manager of advertising agency Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce (SCDP), providing mentoring to a group of women who must deal with the come-ons and callousness of professional advertising executives.

She is set to appear in a new action-thriller directed by Nicolas Winding Refn called ''Drive'' alongside Carey Mulligan and Ryan Gosling.

Cultural influence

Hendricks, who in July 2010 was a U.K. size 14, has received considerable positive attention due to her voluptuous figure. She has been credited as a role model for full-figured women and was nicknamed the "sexiest woman in the world" in 2010 in a poll of female readers taken by ''Esquire'' magazine.

British Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone praised Hendricks' hourglass figure as an ideal shape for women, saying "Christina Hendricks is absolutely fabulous... We need more of these role models. There is such a sensation when there is a curvy role model. It shouldn't be so unusual." Hendricks commented in September 2010 that the media is too focused on women's bodies and not their actual talents, "I was working my butt off on the show [''Mad Men''] and then all anyone was talking about was my body." A study by the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons attributed a 10% rise in 2010 of the number of British women receiving breast augmentation surgery in part to Hendricks' influence.

''Los Angeles Times'' television critic Mary McNamara says her portrayal of Joan Holloway has revolutionized perceptions of beauty on television. She has been called the "new modern ideal of Hollywood glamour—full figured, voluptuous; a throwback to the days of Marilyn Monroe, Jane Russell and Veronica Lake." British designer Vivienne Westwood selected her to represent its "Get A Life" Palladium jewelry collection in March 2011. Westwood described Hendricks as "the embodiment of beauty."

Personal life

Hendricks is a natural blonde and began coloring her hair red at the age of ten. She began acting in children's musical theater productions in Twin Falls, Idaho. On October 11, 2009, Hendricks married actor Geoffrey Arend.

Awards and nominations

Won the 2006 SyFy Genre Awards for Best Special Guest/Television for the ''Firefly'' episode "Trash".

Nominated for the 2008 Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series for ''Mad Men'' (2007) shared with Bryan Batt, Anne Dudek, Michael Gladis, Jon Hamm, January Jones, Vincent Kartheiser, Robert Morse, Elisabeth Moss, Maggie Siff, John Slattery, Rich Sommer and Aaron Staton.

Won for the 2009 Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series for ''Mad Men'' (2008)

Won the 2009 Best Actress—Drama Series for ''Mad Men'' at the Monte-Carlo Television Festival

Voted Best Looking American Woman by ''Esquire'' magazine in 2010. Nominated for the 2010 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for ''Mad Men''.

Tied with Margo Martindale for the Critics' Choice Television award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.

Nominated for the 2011 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for ''Mad Men''.

Filmography

! Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
1999	''Sorority''	Fawn
1999	''Undressed''	Rhiannon	TV series
2000		Bar Maid
2000–2001		Kelly Kramer	19 episodes
2001	''Thieves''	Sunday	Episode: "Casino"
2002		Joyce Westlake	4 episodes
2002	''''	Betsy Tyler	TV series
2002	''''	Audrey Drummond	TV movie
2002			Episode: "Our Mrs. Reynolds"
2003		Saffron / Bridget / Yolanda
2003	''Miss Match''	Sarah	Episode: "The Price of Love"
2003	''Hunger Point''	Frannie Hunter	TV movie
2003	''Presidio Med''	Claire	Episode: "Suffer Unto Me the Children..."
2004	''Tru Calling''	Alyssa	Episode: "Murder in the Morgue"
2004–2005	''Kevin Hill''	Nicolette Raye	22 episodes
2005		Esther 'Legs' Davis
2006	''Jake in Progress''	Tanya	3 episodes
2006		Connie
2006	''Without a Trace''	Rachel Gibson
2007		Lily
2007	''South of Pico''	Angela
2007	''Notes from the Underbelly''	Holly	Episode: "First Night Out"
2007–2008			4 episodes
2007–present	''Mad Men''	Joan Holloway	52+ episodes
2010	''''	Alicia
2010		Catherine
2010		Alison Novack
2011	''Body of Proof''	Karen Archer	Episode: "Dead Man Walking"
2011		Lois Lane (voice)	Animated Film
2011		Ms. Madison	Post-production
2011		Blanche	Post-production
2011	''I Don't Know How She Does It	Allison	Post-production
2012		April

References

External links

Christina Hendricks Gallery

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Order	108th Mayor of New York City
Term start	January 1, 2002
Predecessor	Rudy Giuliani
Successor	Incumbent
Birth name	Michael Rubens Bloomberg
Birth date	February 14, 1942
Birth place	Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Occupation	Businessman, politician, philanthropist
Party	Democratic Party (until 2001)Republican Party (2001–2007)Independent (2007–present)
Partner	Diana Taylor
Residence	Upper East Side, Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S.
Alma mater
Religion	Reform Judaism
Blank1	Net worth
Data1	US$22 billion (2012)
Signature	Michael Bloomberg Signature.svg
Website	}}

Michael Rubens Bloomberg (born February 14, 1942) is the current Mayor of New York City. With a net worth of $19.5 billion in 2011, he is also the 12th-richest person in the United States. He is the founder and 88% owner of Bloomberg L.P., a financial news and information services media company.

A Democrat before seeking elective office, Bloomberg switched his registration in 2001 and ran for mayor as a Republican, winning the election that year and a second term in 2005. Bloomberg left the Republican Party over policy and philosophical disagreements with national party leadership in 2007 and ran for his third term in 2009 as an independent candidate on the Republican ballot line. He was frequently mentioned as a possible independent candidate for the 2008 presidential election, which fueled further speculation when he left the Republican Party. There was also speculation that he would run as a vice-presidential candidate. Bloomberg did not, however, seek the presidency nor was he selected as a running mate by any of the presidential candidates.

In the fall of 2008, Bloomberg successfully campaigned for an amendment to New York City's term-limits law, in order to allow him to run for a third term in 2009. Bloomberg won the election on November 3, 2009.

Early life

He was born at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in the Brighton neighborhood of Boston on February 14, 1942. His family was Jewish. His father, William Henry Bloomberg (1906–1963), was a real estate agent, and the son of Alexander "Elick" Bloomberg, an immigrant. His mother, Charlotte Rubens Bloomberg, was born on January 2, 1909, in New Jersey, the daughter of a Russian-born immigrant and a New Jersey–born mother. She died, aged 102, on June 19, 2011.

The family lived in Allston, Massachusetts, until Michael Bloomberg was two years old; they then moved to Brookline, Massachusetts, for the next two years, finally settling in Medford, a Boston suburb, where he lived until after he graduated from college. Bloomberg is also an Eagle Scout..

Bloomberg attended Johns Hopkins University, where he joined Phi Kappa Psi, worked as a parking lot attendant to pay his tuition, and graduated in 1964 with a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering. Later he received his Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School.

Business career

In 1973, Bloomberg became a general partner at Salomon Brothers, a bulge-bracket, Wall Street investment bank, where he headed equity trading, and later, systems development. In 1981, Salomon Brothers was bought, and Bloomberg was fired from the investment bank and given a $10 million severance package. Using this money, Bloomberg went on to set up a company named Innovative Market Systems. His business plan was based on the realization that Wall Street (and the financial community generally) was willing to pay for high quality business information delivered as quickly as possible and in as many usable forms as technically possible (such as graphs of highly specific trends).

In 1982, Merrill Lynch became the new company's first customer, installing 22 of the company's Market Master terminals and investing $30 million in the company. The company was renamed Bloomberg L.P. in 1986. By 1987, it had installed 5,000 terminals. Within a few years, ancillary products including Bloomberg Tradebook (a trading platform), the Bloomberg Messaging Service, and the Bloomberg newswire were launched. As of 2009, the company had more than 250,000 terminals worldwide. His company also has a radio network which currently has its flagship station as 1130 WBBR-AM in New York City. He left the position of CEO to pursue a political career as the mayor of New York. Bloomberg was replaced as CEO by Lex Fenwick. The company is now led by president Daniel Doctoroff, a former deputy mayor under Bloomberg.

As the mayor of New York, Bloomberg declines to receive a city salary, accepting remuneration of $1.00 annually for his services. He maintains a public listing in the New York City phone directory, residing not in Gracie Mansion – the official mayor's mansion – but instead at his own home on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, at 17 East 79th Street between Madison and Fifth Avenues. He owns additional homes in London, Bermuda and Vail.

Bloomberg says that he frequently rides the New York City Subway, particularly in the commute from his 79th Street home to his office at City Hall. An August 2007 story in ''The New York Times'' asserted that he was often seen chauffeured by two New York Police Department-owned SUVs to an express train station to avoid having to change from the local to the express trains on the Lexington Avenue line.

Bloomberg wrote an autobiography, with help from a ghost writer, called ''Bloomberg by Bloomberg'' (1997, ISBN 0-471-15545-4).

Wealth

In March 2009, Forbes reported Bloomberg's wealth at $16 billion, a gain of $4.5 billion over the previous year, enjoying the world's biggest increase in wealth in 2009. At that time, there were only four fortunes in the U.S. that were larger (although the Wal-Mart family fortune is split among four people). He moved from 142nd to 17th in the ''Forbes'' list of the world's billionaires in only two years (March 2007 – March 2009). In March 2011, his total wealth had increased to $19.5 billion, ranking 12th in the Forbes 400 and 30th in the world.

Philanthropy

Bloomberg's personal net worth, in addition to aiding his political career, has allowed him to engage in substantial philanthropic endeavors, including the donation of over $300 million to Johns Hopkins University, where he served as the chairman of the board from 1996 to 2002.

According to the ''Chronicle of Philanthropy'', Bloomberg, through his Bloomberg Family Foundation, donated and/or pledged $138 million in 2004, $144 million in 2005, $165 million in 2006, and $205 million in 2007, making him the seventh-largest individual contributor to philanthropy in the U.S. for 2007. 2006 recipients include the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; World Lung Foundation and the World Health Organization. In 2008, Bloomberg's website announced a combined donation of $500 million with Bill Gates to help governments in developing countries with tobacco control.

According to ''The New York Times'', Bloomberg has been an “anonymous donor” to the Carnegie Corporation each year for the last several years, with gifts ranging from $5 to $20 million. The Carnegie Corporation has distributed this contribution to hundreds of New York City organizations ranging from the Dance Theatre of Harlem to Gilda's Club, a non-profit organization that provides support to people and families living with cancer.

In 1996, Bloomberg endowed the William Henry Bloomberg Professorship at Harvard with a $3 million gift in honor of his father, who died in 1963, saying, "throughout his life, he recognized the importance of reaching out to the nonprofit sector to help better the welfare of the entire community." Bloomberg also endowed his hometown synagogue, Temple Shalom, which was renamed for his parents as the William and Charlotte Bloomberg Jewish Community Center of Medford.

Bloomberg reports giving $254 million in 2009 to almost 1,400 nonprofit organizations, saying, "I am a big believer in giving it all away and have always said that the best financial planning ends with bouncing the check to the undertaker."

On July 21, 2011, Bloomberg announced that he would donate $50 million to Sierra Club's “Beyond Coal” campaign, the grassroots organization’s efforts to close older coal plants and prevent new ones from being built. The gift, spread out over four years, will come from Bloomberg Philanthropies.

Awards and honors

At the 2007 commencement exercises for Tufts University, Bloomberg delivered the commencement address. He was awarded an honorary degree in Public Service from the university. Likewise, Bloomberg delivered the 2007 commencement address at Bard College, where he was also awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters. In February 2003, he received the "Award for Distinguished Leadership in Global Capital Markets" from the Yale School of Management. Bloomberg was named the 39th most influential person in the world in the 2007 Time 100. In September 2007, ''Vanity Fair'' ranked him #9 in its "Vanity Fair 100: The 2007 New Establishment."

In May 2008, Bloomberg was awarded an honorary doctorate of laws from the University of Pennsylvania, where he delivered the commencement speech to the class of 2008. Bloomberg also delivered the commencement address to the class of 2008 at Barnard College, located in New York City, after receiving the Barnard Medal of Distinction, the College's highest honor.

It was announced on January 14, 2011, that Bloomberg had been selected as the speaker for Princeton University's 2011 baccalaureate service.

Bloomberg was also awarded a tribute award at the 2007 Gotham Awards, a New York-based celebrator of independent film. On November 19, 2008, Bloomberg received The Hundred Year Association of New York's Gold Medal "in recognition of outstanding contributions to the City of New York." Additionally, he was awarded an honorary doctorate at Fordham University's 2009 commencement ceremonies.

In 2009, Bloomberg received a Healthy Communities Leadership Award from Leadership for Healthy Communities – a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation national program – for his policies and programs that increase access to healthful foods and physical activity options in the city. For instance, to increase access to grocery stores in underserved areas, the Bloomberg administration developed a program called FRESH that offers zoning and financial incentives to developers, grocery store operators and land owners. His administration also created a Healthy Bodega initiative, which provides healthful food samples and promotional support to grocers in lower-income areas to encourage them to carry one-percent milk and fruits and vegetables. Under Bloomberg's leadership, the city also: passed a Green Carts bill, which supports mobile produce vendors in lower-income areas; expanded farmers' markets using the city's Health Bucks program which provides coupons to eligible individuals to buy produce at farmers' markets in lower-income areas; and committed $111 million in capital funding for playground improvements. New York also was one of the first cities in the nation to help patrons make more informed decisions about their food choices by requiring fast-food and chain restaurants to label their menus with calorie information.

Harassment controversies

Bloomberg has previously been accused of sexually harassing women under his employment, which he has denied. In 1997, a former Bloomberg L.P. employee who became pregnant while employed filed a lawsuit accusing Bloomberg of saying, "Kill it!" and "Great, No. 16," which may have been a reference to the number of pregnant women in the company. In December 2008, ''Conde Nast Portfolio'' published a story – "Mayor Bloomberg's Delicate Condition" – which reported that in September 2007 the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a class-action lawsuit against Bloomberg's company on behalf of three women who worked on the business side, plus a group of women who worked at Bloomberg's company between 2002 and the present. The article said the plaintiffs "now total 72, out of about 500 women who took maternity leave during that time, a high percentage, according to the agency".

Elections

2001 election

In 2001, the incumbent mayor of New York, Rudy Giuliani, was ineligible for re-election, as the city limited the mayoralty to two consecutive terms. Several well-known New York City politicians aspired to succeed him. Bloomberg, a lifelong member of the Democratic Party, decided to run for mayor as a member of the Republican Party ticket.

Voting in the primary began on the morning of September 11, 2001. The primary was postponed later that day. In the rescheduled primary, Bloomberg defeated Herman Badillo, a former Congressman, to become the Republican nominee. Meanwhile, the Democratic primary did not produce a first-round winner. After a runoff, the Democratic nomination went to New York City Public Advocate Mark J. Green.

In the general election, Bloomberg received Giuliani's endorsement. He also had a huge spending advantage. Although New York City's campaign finance law restricts the amount of contributions which a candidate can accept, Bloomberg chose not to use public campaign funds and therefore his campaign was not subject to these restrictions. He spent $73 million of his own money on his campaign, outspending Green by five to one. One of the major themes of his campaign was that, with the city's economy suffering from the effects of the World Trade Center attacks, it needed a mayor with business experience.

In addition to serving as the Republican nominee, Bloomberg had the ballot line of the controversial Independence Party, in which "Social Therapy" leaders Fred Newman and Lenora Fulani exert strong influence. Some say that endorsement was important, as Bloomberg's votes on that line exceeded his margin of victory over Green. (Under New York's fusion rules, a candidate can run on more than one party's line and combine all the votes received on all lines. Green, the Democrat, also had the ballot line of the Working Families Party. He also created an independent line called Students First whose votes were combined with those on the Independence line). Another factor was the vote in Staten Island, which has traditionally been far friendlier to Republicans than the rest of the city. Bloomberg handily beat Green in that borough, taking 75 percent of the vote there. Overall, Bloomberg won 50 percent to 48 percent.

Bloomberg's election marked the first time in New York City history that two different Republicans had been elected mayor consecutively. New York City has not been won by a Republican in a presidential election since Calvin Coolidge won in 1924. Bloomberg is considered a social liberal, who is pro-choice, in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage and an advocate for stricter gun control laws.

Despite the fact that 68 percent of New York City's registered voters are Democrats, Bloomberg decided the city should host the 2004 Republican National Convention. The Convention drew thousands of protesters, many of them local residents angry over the Iraq war and other issues. The Police Department arrested approximately 1,800 protesters, but according to ''The New York Times'', more than 90 percent of the cases were later dismissed or dropped for lack of evidence.

2005 election

Bloomberg was re-elected mayor in November 2005 by a margin of 20 percent, the widest margin ever for a Republican mayor of New York.

Bloomberg spent over $1 million on his campaign by late October 2005 and was projected to exceed the record of $74 million he spent on the previous election. In late 2004 or early 2005, Bloomberg gave the Independence Party of New York $250,000 to fund a phone bank seeking to recruit volunteers for his re-election campaign.

Former Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer won the Democratic nomination to oppose Bloomberg in the general election. Thomas Ognibene sought to run against Bloomberg in the Republican Party's primary election. Bloomberg's campaign successfully challenged enough of the signatures Ognibene had submitted to the Board of Elections to prevent Ognibene from appearing on ballots for the Republican primary. Instead, Ognibene ran only on the Conservative Party ticket. Ognibene accused Bloomberg of betraying Republican Party ideals, a feeling echoed by others.

Bloomberg opposed the confirmation of John Roberts as Chief Justice of the United States. Though a Republican at the time, Bloomberg is a staunch supporter of abortion rights and did not believe that Roberts was committed to maintaining Roe v. Wade.

In addition to receiving Republican support, Bloomberg obtained the endorsements of several prominent Democrats: former Democratic Mayor Ed Koch; former Democratic governor Hugh Carey; former Democratic City Council Speaker Peter Vallone, and his son, Councilman Peter Vallone, Jr.; former Democratic Congressman Floyd Flake (who had previously endorsed Bloomberg in 2001), and Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz.

2009 election

On October 2, 2008, Bloomberg announced that he would seek to extend the city's term limits law and run for a third mayoral term in 2009, arguing that a leader of his field is needed during the Wall Street financial crisis. "Handling this financial crisis while strengthening essential services ... is a challenge I want to take on," Bloomberg told at a news conference. "So should the City Council vote to amend term limits, I plan to ask New Yorkers to look at my record of independent leadership and then decide if I have earned another term". On October 23, 2008, the City Council voted 29–22 in favor of extending the term limit to three consecutive four-year terms, thus allowing Bloomberg to run for office again. After two days of public hearings, Bloomberg signed the bill into law on November 3.

Bloomberg's opponent was Democratic and Working Families Party nominee Bill Thompson, who had been New York City Comptroller for the past eight years and before that President of the New York City Board of Education. Bloomberg defeated Thompson by a vote of 50.6 percent to 46.0 percent.

After the release of Independence Party campaign filings in January 2010, it was reported that Bloomberg had made two $600,000 contributions from his personal account to the Independence Party on October 30 and November 2, 2009. The Independence Party then paid $750,000 of that money to Republican Party political operative John Haggerty Jr.

This prompted to an investigation beginning in February 2010 by the office of New York County District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr. into possible improprieties. The Independence Party later questioned how Haggerty spent the money, which was to go to poll-watchers. Former New York State Senator Martin Connor contended that because the Bloomberg donations were made to an Independence Party housekeeping account rather than to an account meant for current campaigns, this was a violation of campaign finance laws. Haggerty also spent money from a separate $200,000 donation from Bloomberg on office space.

Mayoralty

thumb|Bloomberg attending the opening night of the 2011 Tribeca Film FestivalBloomberg assumed office as the 108th Mayor of New York City on January 1, 2002. He won re-election in 2005. As mayor, Bloomberg initially struggled to gain high approval levels from the public; however, he subsequently developed and maintained high approval ratings.

Bloomberg's re-election means the Republicans have won the previous four mayoral elections (although Bloomberg's decision to leave the Republican Party and be declared an independent on June 19, 2007, resulted in the Republican Party's losing the mayor's seat prior to the expiration of his second term). Bloomberg joins Rudy Giuliani and Fiorello La Guardia as re-elected Republican mayors in this mostly Democratic city. (John Lindsay was also elected mayor of New York twice while a registered Republican; however, Lindsay did not receive the Republican Party nomination during his 1969 campaign for re-election but ran successfully on the Liberal ticket and joined the Democratic Party during his second term.)

Bloomberg has said that he wants public education reform to be the legacy of his first term and addressing poverty to be the legacy of his second. Some have alleged that he made certain decisions regarding the closure of seventeen day-care centers across the city for political reasons. According to the National Assessment of Educational Performance, fourth-grade reading scores from 2002 through 2009 rose nationally by 11 points. However, on May 10, 2010, ''The New York Times'' reported:

"According to the test [NAEP], New York City eighth graders have shown no significant improvement [in math or reading] since they began taking it in 2003, mirroring the largely flat performance of American eighth graders as a whole during that period. In the city, the lack of improvement held true across ethnic groups and also among lower-income students."

The annual New York City Department of Education Budget noted that spending for education was $12.5 billion in 2002 and $21 billion in 2009.

Bloomberg has chosen to apply a statistical, results-based approach to city management, appointing city commissioners based on their expertise and granting them wide autonomy in their decision-making. Breaking with 190 years of tradition, he implemented what ''New York Times'' political reporter Adam Nagourney called a "bullpen" open office plan, similar to a Wall Street trading floor, in which dozens of aides and managerial staff are seated together in a large chamber. The design is intended to promote accountability and accessibility. Some have seen this approach to the New York education system as largely unsuccessful because of skewed numbers. Under the reformed approach, a school must do better than the previous year to receive funding. Because of this requirement, many successful schools were closed for being "unsuccessful" because of their inability to raise test scores, even though they were the top performing schools, while many unsuccessful schools received the bulk of funding for simply raising their scores slightly.

Political stands

Some of the policies Bloomberg advocates parallel those of either the Democratic or the Republican party platform. He is socially liberal, supporting abortion rights, gay marriage, gun control, and amnesty for illegal immigrants, for example. On economics, foreign, and domestic issues, Bloomberg tends to be conservative. He opposed a timeline for withdrawal from the Iraq War, and criticized those who favored one. Economically, he supports government involvement in issues such as public welfare and climate change, while being strongly in favor of free trade, pro-business, and describing himself as a fiscal conservative because he balanced the city's budget. Bloomberg has been cited for not allowing many emergency officials at the 10th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks to attend the tenth anniversary observation of this day. He also is at odds with many around the United States for not allowing prayer at the ceremony marking the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

Social issues

Bloomberg supports abortion rights, stating: "Reproductive choice is a fundamental human right and we can never take it for granted. On this issue, you're either with us or against us." He has criticized pro-choice politicians who support pro-life candidates.

Bloomberg supports governmental funding for embryonic stem cell research, calling the Republican position on the issue "insanity". He also supports same-sex marriage with the rationale that "Government shouldn't tell you whom to marry."

Bloomberg supports the strict drug laws of New York City. He has stated that he smoked marijuana in the past, and was quoted in a 2001 interview as saying "You bet I did. I enjoyed it." This led to a reported $500,000 advertising campaign by NORML, featuring his image and the quote. Bloomberg stated in a 2002 interview that he regrets the remark and does not believe that marijuana should be decriminalized.

On November 15, 2011, some Occupy Wall Street protesters in Zucotti Park were arrested after Bloomberg ordered sanitation crews to go in and clean up the park. Protesters were told they could return after the park was clean, but without sleeping bags, tents, or tarps.

Domestic issues

On crime, Bloomberg opposes the death penalty, stating, "I'd rather lock somebody up and throw away the key and put them in hard labor, the ultimate penalty that the law will allow, but I'm opposed to the death penalty." As mayor he increased the mandatory minimum sentence for illegal possession of a loaded handgun. In regard to the change, Bloomberg commented, "Illegal guns don't belong on our streets and we're sending that message loud and clear. We're determined to see that gun dealers who break the law are held accountable, and that criminals who carry illegal loaded guns serve serious time behind bars."

Bloomberg replaced the school board set up by the state with direct mayoral control over public education. He raised the salaries of teachers by fifteen percent while the test scores of students in the city and the graduation rate rose as well. He is opposed to social promotion, i.e. the promotion of students to the next grade level for strictly social reasons, stating that students should be promoted only when they are adequately prepared for the next grade level. He favors after-school programs to help students who are behind. As mayor, Bloomberg strengthened the cell-phone ban in schools.

In dealing with global warming and New York's role in it, he has enacted a plan called ''PlaNYC: A Greener, Greater New York'' to fight global warming, protect the environment and prepare New York for the projected 1 million more people expected to be living in the city by the year 2030. Bloomberg has been involved in motivating other cities to make changes, delivering the keynote address at the C40 Large Cities Climate Summit and stating, "[W]e now know beyond a doubt that global warming is a reality. And the question we must all answer is, what are we going to do about it?" Bloomberg also talked about how he would go about fighting climate change by reducing carbon dioxide emissions, using cleaner and more efficient fuels, and encouraging public transportation. His ideas have occasionally suffered setbacks, such as the New York State Assembly's rejection of his idea for applying congestion pricing below 60th Street in Manhattan.

On issues of domestic and homeland security, Bloomberg has attacked social conservatives on immigration, calling their stance unrealistic, "We're not going to deport 12 million people, so let's stop this fiction. Let's give them permanent status." He supports a federal ID database that uses DNA and fingerprint technology to keep track of all citizens and to verify their legal status. Bloomberg has held that illegal immigrants should be offered legalization and supported the congressional efforts of John McCain and the late Ted Kennedy in their attempt at immigration reform in 2007. Regarding border security, he compared it to the tide, stating, "It's as if we expect border control agents to do what a century of communism could not: defeat the natural market forces of supply and demand... and defeat the natural human desire for freedom and opportunity. You might as well as sit in your beach chair and tell the tide not to come in. As long as America remains a nation dedicated to the proposition that 'all men are created equal, endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness', people from near and far will continue to seek entry into our country." In 2006, Bloomberg stated on his weekly WABC radio show that illegal immigration does not strain the financial resources of New York City, since many immigrants are hard working and "do not avail themselves of services until their situation is dire".

Bloomberg believes that the September 11, 2001 attacks were not intended to be solitary events. When he assumed office, he set up a Counterterrorism Bureau which works along with the NYPD intelligence division to gather information about terrorism affecting New York worldwide. He believes that funding for Homeland Security by the federal government should be distributed by risk, where cities that are considered to have the highest threat for a terrorist attack would get the most money. Bloomberg is also a supporter of the USA PATRIOT Act.

Economic issues

Bloomberg characterizes himself as a fiscal conservative for turning the city's $6 billion deficit into a $3 billion surplus; however, conservative PAC Club for Growth has criticized him because he increased property taxes and spending while doing so.

Bloomberg has expressed a distaste of taxes, stating, "Taxes are not good things, but if you want services, somebody's got to pay for them, so they're a necessary evil." As mayor, he did raise property taxes to fund budget projects; however, in January 2007 he proposed cuts in property taxes by five percent and cuts in sales taxes, including the elimination of taxes on clothing and footwear. Bloomberg pointed to the Wall Street profits and the real estate market as evidence that the city's economy is booming and could handle a tax break.

Bloomberg's self-described fiscal conservatism also led him to eliminate the existing $6-billion deficit when he assumed office. Bloomberg balanced the budget of New York City by raising property taxes and making cuts to city agencies, excluding the police and fire departments.

Bloomberg is in favor of providing tax breaks to big corporations for the good of the whole community. As mayor, Bloomberg lobbied the CEO of Goldman Sachs to establish its headquarters across from Ground Zero by promising $1.65 billion in tax breaks. Regarding this deal, Bloomberg stated, "This [New York City] is where the best want to live and work. So I told him [CEO of Goldman Sachs], 'We can help with minimizing taxes. Minimizing your rent. Improving security. But in the end, this is about people.'"

Bloomberg has had a less cordial relationship with unions as mayor. In 2002, when New York City's transit workers threatened to strike, Bloomberg responded by riding a mountain bike through the city to show how the city could deal with the transit strike by finding alternate means of transportation and not pandering to the unions. Three years later, a clash between Bloomberg and the New York City Transit Authority over wages and union benefits led to a full blown strike that lasted three days. Negotiations led to the end of the strike in December 2005, but controversy exists over Bloomberg's handling of the situation.

Bloomberg is a staunch advocate of free trade and is strongly opposed to protectionism, stating, "The things that we have to worry about is this protectionist movement that has reared its head again in this country...." He worries about the growth of China and fears the lessening gap between the United States and other countries: "The rest of the world is catching up, and, there are people that say, surpassing us. I hope they are wrong. I hope those who think we are still in good shape are right. But nevertheless, the time to address these issues is right now."

Bloomberg has placed a strong emphasis on public health and welfare, adopting many liberal policies. As the mayor he made HIV, diabetes, and hypertension all top priorities. He extended the city's smoking ban to all commercial establishments and implemented a trans fat ban in restaurants. Bloomberg has been a strong supporter of the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation – the largest urban healthcare agency in the United States – serving over 1.3 million New Yorkers, and has touted its use of information technology and Electronic Health Records to increase efficiency and enhance patient care. He launched a program called Opportunity NYC which is the nation's first-ever conditional cash transfer pilot program designed to help New Yorkers break the cycle of poverty in the city. He instituted a $7.5 billion municipal affordable housing plan, the largest in the nation, that is supposed to provide 500,000 New Yorkers with housing.

Bloomberg has expressed concern about poverty and growing class divisions stating, "This society cannot go forward, the way we have been going forward, where the gap between the rich and the poor keeps growing."

Foreign policy

As mayor, Bloomberg made trips to Mexico, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Israel in the first four months of 2007. In late 2007 he conducted an Asia trip that brought him to China, where he called for greater freedom of information to promote innovation. He attended the United Nations Climate Conference in Bali.

Initially, Bloomberg strongly supported the war in Iraq and the rationale for going in. He stated, "Don't forget that the war started not very many blocks from here" alluding to Ground Zero. In regard to the global War on Terrorism including Iraq he said, "It's not only to protect Americans. It's America's responsibility to protect people around the world who want to be free." During the 2004 presidential election campaign, New York City hosted the Republican National Convention at which Bloomberg endorsed President George W. Bush for President of the United States.

His enthusiasm seemed to have lessened somewhat over the course of the war. In August 2005 he said, "I think everybody has very mixed emotions about the war that was started to find weapons of mass destruction and then they were not found." Bloomberg expressed criticism of Democrats in Congress who wanted to set a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq calling them, "irresponsible".

Preservation and development issues

Bloomberg is a proponent of large-scale development. He has repeatedly come down in favor of projects such as the Atlantic Yards mega-development, the Hudson Yards redevelopment, and the Harlem rezoning proposal. This support has led to a negative response from the preservationist community. On smaller-scale issues, Bloomberg usually takes the side of development as well. He favors the demolition of Admiral's Row in order to build a supermarket parking lot. However, Bloomberg has occasionally come down on the side of preservation, most notably in vetoing landmark revocation for the Austin Nichols warehouse. This move was widely applauded by architectural historians. The City Council overruled the veto shortly thereafter, however.

2008 presidential campaign speculation

On February 27, 2008, Bloomberg announced that he would not run for president in 2008, and that he would endorse a candidate who takes an independent and non-partisan approach. He had also stated unequivocally, live on the ''Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve'' TV show, December 31, 2007, that he was not going to run for president in 2008. Despite prior public statements by Bloomberg denying plans for a presidential run, many pundits believed Bloomberg would announce a campaign at a later date. On January 7, 2008, he met at the University of Oklahoma with a bipartisan group, including (now former) Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel and former Georgia Senator Sam Nunn, both of whom had been frequently mentioned as possible running mates – to pressure the major party candidates to promote national unity and reduce partisan gridlock. Speculation that Bloomberg would choose this forum to announce his candidacy proved to be unfounded. Other purported signs that he planned to run included:

In summer 2006, he met with Al From of the Democratic Leadership Council, a centrist group, to talk about the logistics of a possible run. After a conversation with Bloomberg, Republican Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska suggested that he and Bloomberg could run on a shared independent ticket for the presidency.

On ''This Week'' on June 10, 2007, anchor George Stephanopoulos included panelist Jay Carney, who mentioned a conversation between Bloomberg and top staffers where he heard Bloomberg ask approximately how much a presidential campaign would cost. Carney said that one staffer replied, "Around $500 million." According to a ''Washington Post'' article, a $500 million budget would allow Bloomberg to circumvent many of the common obstacles faced by third party candidates seeking the White House. On June 19, 2007, Bloomberg left the Republican Party, filing as an independent after a speech criticizing the current political climate in Washington. On August 9, 2007, in an interview with former CBS News anchor Dan Rather that aired on August 21, Bloomberg categorically stated that he was not running for President, that he would not be running, and that there were no circumstances in which he would, saying, "If somebody asks me where I stand, I tell them. And that's not a way to get elected, generally. Nobody's going to elect me president of the United States. What I'd like to do is to be able to influence the dialogue. I'm a citizen."

Despite continued denials, a possible Bloomberg candidacy continues to be the subject of media attention, including a November ''Newsweek'' cover story. During a private reception in December 2007, Bloomberg conducted a version of bingo in which guests were to guess the meaning of the numbers on a printed card. When Bloomberg asked the significance of 271, one guest answered correctly: the number of electoral votes received by George W. Bush in 2000. In January 2008, CNN reported that a source close to Bloomberg said that the mayor had launched a research effort to assess his chances of winning a potential presidential bid. According to the report, the unidentified source also stated that Bloomberg had set early March as a timetable for making a decision as to whether or not to run. On January 16, 2008, it was reported that Bloomberg's business interests were placed in "a sort of blind trust" because of his possible run for the presidency. His interests were put under the management of Quadrangle Group, co-founded by reported Bloomberg friend Steven Rattner, though Bloomberg would ''"continue to have control of and access to certain investment decisions"''.

On January 18, 2008, the Associated Press reported that Bloomberg had a meeting in Austin, Texas, with Clay Mulford, a ballot-access expert and campaign manager for Ross Perot's third party presidential campaigns. Bloomberg denied that the meeting concerned a possible presidential campaign by him, stating "I'm not a candidate — it couldn't be clearer. Which of the words do you not understand?" On February 28, 2008, Bloomberg stated "I am not – and will not be – a candidate for president." He added that he is "hopeful that the current campaigns can rise to the challenge by offering truly independent leadership. The most productive role that I can serve is to push them forward, by using the means at my disposal to promote a real and honest debate.

At the same time that the presidential run was being considered, there was also some speculation that Bloomberg could be a candidate for the vice presidency in 2008. In a blog posting of June 21, 2007, The Politico's Ben Smith asked the question of whether a vice-presidential candidate can self-finance an entire presidential ticket. Many believed that Bloomberg would in fact be legally permitted to self-finance a campaign as the vice-presidential candidate.

Adding more fuel to the speculation that Bloomberg might consider a VP slot were a series of meetings he had in mid-August 2007 with former Georgia Senator Sam Nunn and later with Barack Obama on November 30, 2007. A May 17, 2008, breakfast meeting with John McCain led to speculation that Bloomberg might be on McCain's short list of possible VP candidates.

Rumored gubernatorial campaign

On November 6, 2007, the ''New York Post'' detailed efforts by New York Republicans to recruit Bloomberg to oppose then-incumbent Governor Eliot Spitzer in the 2010 election. Early polls indicated Bloomberg would defeat Spitzer in a landslide. (The potential 2010 match-up became moot when Spitzer resigned on March 17, 2008.) A March 20, 2008, poll of New York State voters had the Mayor topping newly ascended Governor David Paterson and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani for the 2010 gubernatorial election. Bloomberg denied plans to run for the governorship in 2010, and did not seek the nomination.

2012 presidential campaign speculation

In March 2010, Bloomberg's top political strategist Kevin Sheekey resigned from his mayoral advisory position and returned to Bloomberg LP, Bloomberg's company. It is speculated that the move will allow Sheekey to begin preliminary efforts for a Bloomberg presidential campaign in the 2012 election. An individual close to Bloomberg said, "the idea of continuing onward is not far from his [Bloomberg's] mind".

In October 2010, The Committee to Draft Michael Bloomberg – which had attempted to recruit Bloomberg to run for the presidency in 2008 – announced it was relaunching its effort to persuade Bloomberg to wage a presidential campaign in 2012. The committee members insisted that they would persist in the effort in spite of Bloomberg's repeated denials of interest in seeking the presidency.

While on the December 12, 2010, episode of ''Meet the Press'', Bloomberg ruled out a run for the Presidency in 2012, stating: "I'm not going to run for president," further adding "I'm not looking at the possibility of running, (...) no way, no how."

On July 24, 2011, in the midst of Democrats' and Republicans' inability to agree on a budget plan and thus an increase in the federal debt limit, the ''Washington Post'' published a blog posting about groups organizing third party approaches. It focused on Bloomberg as the best hope for a serious third party Presidential Candidate in 2012.

Personal life

Bloomberg married Yorkshire-born Susan Brown in 1975. Together, they had two daughters: Emma (b. ca. 1979) and Georgina (b. 1983), who were featured on ''Born Rich'', a documentary film about the children of the extremely wealthy. Bloomberg divorced Brown in 1993 and is currently living with former New York state banking superintendent Diana Taylor.

Bloomberg pilots an AW109 helicopter, and is near the top of the waiting list for an AW609 tiltrotor aircraft.

His younger sister, Marjorie Tiven, has been Commissioner of the New York City Commission for the United Nations, Consular Corps and Protocol, since February 2002.

See also

List of people from Boston

List of Harvard University people

List of Johns Hopkins University people

List of mayors of New York City

List of richest American politicians

List of philanthropists

References

;Notes

Further reading

Brash, Julian. ''Bloomberg's New York: Class and Governance in the Luxury City'' (University of Georgia Press; 2010) 344 pages. Uses anthropology and geography to examine the mayor's corporate-style governance, with particular attention to the Hudson Yards plan, which aims to transform the far West Side into a high-end district.

External links

mikebloomberg.com, Bloomberg's official website

nyc.gov/mayor, official mayoral website

Profile at ''Bloomberg Businessweek''

#23 Michael Bloomberg at ''Forbes'' list of 2010 world's billionaires

Issue positions and quotes at On The Issues

Michael Bloomberg collected news and commentary] at the New York ''Daily News''

Michael Bloomberg collected news and commentary] at ''Newsday''

Biography at the Encyclopaedia Britannica

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