Brook Astor dies at age 105

Brooke Astor, the civic leader, philanthropist and high society fixture who gave away nearly $200 million to support New York City’s great cultural institutions and a host of humbler projects, died Monday. She was 105.

Astor, who recently was the center of a highly publicized legal dispute over her care, died of pneumonia at Holly Hill, her Westchester County estate in Briarcliff Manor, family lawyer Kenneth Warner said.

Although a legendary figure in New York City and feted with a famous gala on her 100th birthday in March 2002, Astor was mostly interested in putting the fortune that husband, Vincent Astor, left to use helping others.

Brooke Astor gave millions to what she called the city’s “crown jewels” – among them the New York Public Library, Carnegie Hall, the Museum of Natural History, Central Park, the Bronx Zoo and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where the flags were lowered to half-staff after her death.

Papers filed in July 2006 alleged her final years were marred by neglect.

In December, a Manhattan judge ruled that the claims of abuse by her son Anthony Marshall were not substantiated.

NEW YORK

Second Mattel recall expected

Less than two weeks after Mattel Inc. recalled 1.5 million Chinese-made toys because of lead paint, the toy industry is bracing for another blow that could give parents more reason to rethink their purchases just before the critical holiday shopping season.

Mattel is set to announce the recall of another toy involving a different Chinese supplier as early as today, according to three people close to the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity.

One of the three people said the toy is being recalled because its paint may contain excessive amounts of lead.

ST. LOUIS

Teen loses fight over ‘Rebel Pride’

U.S. District Judge Jean Hamilton on Monday upheld the right of the Farmington School District to suspend student Bryce Archambo for his refusal to remove clothing bearing the Confederate battle flag.

Bryce, then 14, was suspended from Farmington High School for a day Sept. 28 after a physical education teacher told school administrators that he was offended by Bryce’s clothing, which included the flag and the slogan “Rebel Pride.”

“We’re disappointed, but there seems to be a climate of scaling back the hard-won civil rights over the past 30 to 40 years,” said the family’s attorney, Robert Herman, who has represented the Ku Klux Klan and other groups on behalf of the American Civil Liberties Union. “Setbacks are to be expected in this area of the law.”

Bryce has said his decision to wear the Confederate flag clothing was not racially motivated. He said he had worn it as a symbol of his Southern heritage.

Thousand Oaks, Calif.

Man arrested in cleaver killing

Ventura County, Calif., authorities have arrested a man on suspicion of fatally attacking a 6-year-old boy with a meat cleaver, authorities said Monday.

The attack occurred about 9:30 p.m. Sunday in the courtyard of an apartment complex in the Newbury Park community near Thousand Oaks, authorities said.

The suspect, Calvin Sharp, 28, was arrested at the scene after officers shot him multiple times with a Taser, authorities and witnesses said. He is expected to be charged with one count of murder and two counts of attempted murder.

David Crawford, 21, said a neighbor who witnessed the slaying told him that the suspect was telling the boy “to die, die” as he stabbed him in the head repeatedly.

“He said he was tired of him playing video games all the time,” Crawford said. “He said his ex-wife had cheated on him and was sleeping with all his friends.”

The boy’s mother, Sandra Ruiz, 33, was trying to stop the attack when she was also stabbed.

At that point, the neighbor said, a woman who also lived in the complex ran outside and tackled the assailant, knocking the cleaver out of his hand.

As they struggled, another man ran out to help, and they pinned down the suspect until police arrived.

Ruiz was listed in critical condition at Los Robles Regional Medical Center.