March 30, 2009
Takahashi signs minor deal
PORT ST. LUCIE -- The Mets signed reliever Ken Takahashi to a minor-league contract today after the Japanese left-hander was released earlier in the day by the Blue Jays. Takahashi,...
Agent files complaint against RBNY's Carlos Johnson, rips sporting director Jeff Agoos
Jack Bell across town at the New York Times has an interesting story on the former agent for Carlos Johnson filing a complaint with FIFA against Red Bull fullback. Jan...
S.I. WOMAN FOUND STRANGLED BY HAIR DRYER CORD
An aspiring Staten Island teacher was found lying dead in her apartment today, strangled by a cord from a hair dryer, police sources said. Caroline Wimmer, 26, was discovered on...
PETTITTE SHARP IN YANKEES' WIN
DUNEDIN, Fla. --- Andy Pettitte pitched into the seventh inning, Mark Teixeira drove in two runs, and the Yankees beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-1 today. Pettitte allowed one run...
Spotted: Vinny and His 'Entourage'
The "Entourage" boys are back in town.Adrian Grenier, Kevin Connolly, Kevin Dillon and Jerry Ferrara started filming the HBO show's sixth season at Urth Cafe in LA. More photos after...
Hernandez named No. 5 starter
PORT ST. LUCIE -- After playing coy the past week, Jerry Manuel gave into the obvious today and named veteran right-hander Livan Hernandez as the Mets' No. 5 starter. Hernandez,...
Murphy now in No. 2 hole
PORT ST. LUCIE -- Jerry Manuel said today that Daniel Murphy is very likely to bat full-time in the No. 2 spot in the order, bumping Luis Castillo all the...
Preseason schedule set
The NFL released the Jets' preseason schedule today.SEE IT HERE
Preseason schedule set
The NFL released the Giants' preseason schedule today.SEE IT HERE
SYRACUSE LOOKS FORWARD TO FUTURE
SYRACUSE -- Jim Boeheim will have to wait until fall to notch the 800th victory of his stellar coaching career at Syracuse. With a solid nucleus of players set to...
STOCKS TUMBLE AS AUTOMAKER PLANS REJECTED
Wall Street's big March rally is officially on hold after the White House rejected turnaround plans from General Motors Corp. and Chrysler and gave investors a reality check on the...
AMERICAN JOURNALISTS ARRESTED IN N. KOREA TO GO ON TRIAL
Two American journalists - including the sister of former "View" gabber Lisa Ling - who were detained at North Korea's border with China earlier this month will be indicted and...
O's announcers pass the buck
PORT ST. LUCIE -- Following up on my note about the Orioles' radio crew jumping ship on the broadcast during yesterday's rain delay with the Mets in Fort Lauderdale, the...
Grapefruit: Orioles at Mets
PORT ST. LUCIE -- Oliver Perez makes his first start since last week's controversy over his conditioning when the Mets play host to the Orioles here tonight in Grapefruit League...
JOSH HARTNETT HOSPITALIZED WITH STOMACH TROUBLE
Josh Hartnett's publicist says the 30-year-old actor has been taken to a Los Angeles hospital with gastrointestinal problems. Publicist Susan Patricola says Hartnett was transported by ambulance at 1:45 a.m....
PLAXICO LOOKING FOR PLEA DEAL
Plaxico Burress will return to court Tuesday in his gun possession case as his lawyers and prosecutors haggle over a plea deal and what punishment the Giants star should face...
SEX ABUSE ROCKS OPRAH'S SOUTH AFRICAN SCHOOL
'O' no! Oprah Winfrey's boarding school for girls in South Africa has been rocked by another sex scandal - the second in nearly two years - and has resulted in...
SEN. SCHUMER PUSHES FOR BABY BOTTLE CHEMICAL BAN
GARDEN CITY, N.Y. -- New York's senior senator is seeking a nationwide ban on a controversial chemical used to manufacture baby bottles and other products for toddlers. Sen. Charles Schumer...
JURY SELECTION BEGINS IN TRIAL FOR ASTOR'S SON
Jury selection has begun in New York City for the trial of Anthony Marshall. He's accused of looting the $198 million estate of his mother, the late philanthropist Brooke Astor....
Andy is Dandy, Flashing the Leather,
Yankees just made three tremendous plays here in Dunedin. Brett Gardner threw out a runner at third, a high throw that Cody Ransom jumped high in the air to snag...
D'Antoni from 1 to 10
By MARC BERMANSALT LAKE CITY - Mike D'Antoni waxed on at the morning shootaround today about dealing with one of the few losing seasons in his long coaching career.D'Antoni averaged...
NFL announces preseason schedule
The NFL announced it's preseason schedule today and the Giants and Jets will continue their tradition of playing each other Week 3. It will be the final preseason matchup between...
Six Games to Go, Two Points Above Ninth
The Rangers were tied in points with the Penguins a few games back. Sitting still in 7th place, if the season ended today the Blueshirts would take on New Jersey...
Cutler forfeits $100,000 bonus
The Denver Post reports that Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler "forfeited his $100,000 workout bonus as he already missed more than 10 percent of the sessions."The paper says Cutler is scheduled...
Orioles announcer explains
Here is the statement from Orioles radio announcer Joe Angel sent to the Baltimore Sun explaining the decision made to abandon the game broadcast against the Mets on Sunday:"To ALL...
PATERSON UNVEILS NEW BUDGET
ALBANY - Gov. Paterson and legislative leaders unveiled their spending plan today for the fiscal year that begins on Wednesday. The $131.8 billion budget relies on federal stimulus money and...
ORIOLES RADIO TEAM RAINED OUT
FORT LAUDERDALE -- Take me out of the ballgame ... The Orioles' flagship radio team of Joe Angel and Fred Manfra quietly left the stadium during a Mets-Orioles game here...
Chat rewind, March 30
Click on the rewind button in the graphic below to revisit my hour-long live chat on the Mets:Mets chat with Bart Hubbuch
TYRA'S GIFT
The controversial, first transgender contestant on "America's Next Top Model" visited "The Tyra Banks Show" today to reveal all about her sex reassignment surgery and new life as a woman....
CITY UNVEILS PROJECTS GETTING FEDERAL STIMULUS MONEY
If you can't toll it, at least paint it! Six infrastructure projects across the city -- including the famed Brooklyn Bridge and -- will get $261 million in stimulus funds,...
OBAMA TO AUTOMAKERS: TRY AGAIN
It's do-or-die time for Detroit. President Obama said today that neither GM or Chrysler submitted acceptable plans to receive more federal cash - and called on the car companies to...
Some thoughts from the weekend
Tiger's BackTiger Woods was doing that clutch thing again -- this time at Bay Hill. Woods rallied from a five-shot deficit in the final round against Sean O'Hair. Woods finished...
Tribeca: Levinson Political Doc Added
"Pollywood'' a Barry Levinson doc about "the collision and collusion between politics and Hollywood,'' will have its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival as a special event, reports Peter...
Fallon to 'Saved by the Bell': Reunite!
Late-nite host Jimmy Fallon wants to do the impossible and reunite the cast of '90s hit TV show "Saved by the Bell."Dennis Haskins, who played principal Belding, popped in to...
Bruney one key to Yanks season
By JUSTIN TERRANOVAYou probably haven't heard Brian Bruney's name mentioned much this spring training.And why would you, with so much else going on?There has been the ongoing Alex Rodriguez saga,...
ERIC DAMAN
ERIC Daman must feel at times like he's living in a rerun. As the costume designer for the TV show "Gossip Girl," he designs wardrobe for stars like Blake Lively...
The cover comes off Citi Field
PORT ST. LUCIE -- I was in sunny (but very windy) Fort Lauderdale on Sunday still following the Mets in spring training, but they lifted the cover off new Citi...
PAKISTAN OVERPOWERS MILITANTS IN LAHORE
LAHORE, Pakistan -- Pakistani security forces have overpowered militants who seized a police academy in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore early Monday. Six people have been arrested. Home Secretary...
Pulse Sales: Alice + Olivia
ALICE + OLIVIA80 W. 40th St., between Fifth and Sixth avenues; 212-840-0887Sale: March 31-April 3. Tues.-Fri., 8 a.m.-7 p.m.Boyfriend blazers for $149.SALON 9241 W. 37th St., between Seventh and Eighth...
WEEKLY 'IDOL' ODDS
Each week, Post oddsmaker David K. Li brings you 'Idol' odds. Read Li's reactions each week on Live: The TV Blog and get complete 'Idol' coverage here.
MADONNA'S ADOPTION DECISION DELAYED UNTIL FRIDAY
LILONGWE, Malawi -- A Malawian judge held a closed-door hearing Monday on Madonna's application to adopt a second child from this southern African nation but delayed ruling on the matter...
3 UP: THE YANKEE CF SITUATION
1. Brett Gardner was named the Yankees' center fielder on Sunday over Melky Cabrera. It was not a surprise. Cabrera was terrible for the final five months last year. Gardner...
3 UP: GARDNER, CABRERA AND ALBALADEJO
1. Brett Gardner was named the Yankees' center fielder on Sunday over Melky Cabrera. It was not a surprise. Cabrera was terrible for the final five months last year. Gardner...
The Daily Whacks, Monday Edition
Good for Brett Gardner, who hit the second pitch he saw at spring training over the fence in Dunedin against the Blue Jays, who can be every bit the pest...
Sherlock Holmes on Crack?
Exactly what is Robert Downey Jr. supposed to be smoking in that pipe he's enjoying so much in this poster for Guy Ritchie's Christmas release unveiled at ShoWest? That flash...
DVD Extra: The Mysterious Provenance of 'Tea for Two'
This was the third screen version of "No, No Nanette'' first filmed in two-tone Technicolor by Warners under the First National label in 1930. That version is lost, but the...
FRENCH ASTAIRE
GILLES Marini isn't just the guy from "Sex & the City" with the nice package anymore. The my-God-he's-handsome French actor is the reigning favorite to win "Dancing With the Stars"...
ABC TO GO HULU?
TALKS to put ABC shows on the TV Web site Hulu -- alongside Fox and NBC -- are getting "serious," according to a report over the weekend. The addition of...
CHINESE OPRAH COMES TO US
THE TV host they call the "Chinese Oprah Winfrey" is coming to the US. Yang Lan, whose show draws nearly 200 million viewers a month, has signed with the Hollywood...
'NEW YORK' IS BACK
"NEW York" is not going to fade away. Tiffany Pollard -- the reality TV show star otherwise known by the name of her hometown -- has been given yet another...
PRIMA DONNA
SNEAK PEEK: First Look at Donna Martin on '90210' DONNA Martin may have graduated years ago, but Tori Spelling is finally heading back to "90210." Next month, the bubbly blonde...
STARR REPORT
Do the write thing Fans of celebrity-authored books can consider "GMA" one-stop shopping, starting today and lasting all next month -- with visits from, among others, Mary Tyler Moore (today),...
EAGLES SOAR TO VICTORY
GLENS FALLS -- Jennifer O'Neill knew the reputation St. Michael's has had for the past few years, when the Eagles started to rise to prominence in the city. "I think...
THE PATERSON PAY-OFF: TAXES, TORTS & TIMIDITY
* Your editorial on the corrupt bargain between New York and the tort lawyers over medical malpractice reminds me of the French political thinker Alexis de Tocqueville ("Daddy's Pride and...
IT'S TIME FOR 'QUALITY'
A few years ago we never would have considered putting a horse like Quality Road atop the Derby Dozen. For one, the winner of last Saturday's Florida Derby only raced...
DUHON: KNICKS NEED STABILITY
SALT LAKE CITY -- Knicks point guard Chris Duhon said he believes more stability and less in-season trades will boost the Knicks' chances of making the playoffs in 2009-2010. Knicks...
OMAR BACKS OFF DEAL FOR STOKES
FORT LAUDERDALE -- The Mets had a change of heart with reliever Brian Stokes last week. In a move first reported by the Detroit Free Press, GM Omar Minaya was...
AFTER 12 YEARS, JERSEY STILL AHEAD OF BLUESHIRTS
Shakespeare wrote "Twelfth Night." One more point, like tonight at the Garden, and the Devils will have produced Twelfth Year, a stunning dozen straight seasons of finishing ahead of their...
CURTAIN RISES ON AMAZIN' NEW BALLPARK
The outfield fences are black, topped by orange trim, and both dugouts are green. The lights were shining, and the giant red Pepsi-Cola sign sat beyond the right-field porch. Citi...
BRODEUR FACES OFF AGAINST RANGERS' OWN LITTLE DEVIL
THIS is the night for Picture-in-Picture. This is the night on which anti-hero meets hero. This is the night on which Sean Avery the Ranger faces Martin Brodeur for the...
SPEEDY GARDNER NAMED STARTER IN HALLOWED CENTER FIELD
TAMPA -- The most hallowed patch of real estate in New York sports history is ready to welcome a neophyte. Move over Joe D, The Mick and Bernie. Say hello...
ALBALADEJO COULD GET FINAL SPOT
TAMPA -- Center field is no longer a position without a starter since Brett Gardner has beaten out Melky Cabrera. That leaves Joe Girardi with two other areas to fill...
BURNETT THE PITTS VS. PIRATES
TAMPA -- When Adam LaRoche lined out to second baseman Robinson Cano to lead off the top of the second inning yesterday at Steinbrenner Field, A.J. Burnett walked off the...
PELFREY'S COME VERY LONG WAY IN JUST A YEAR
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- The incredible contrast wasn't lost on Mike Pelfrey. When the Mets' big right-hander last pitched at decrepit Fort Lauderdale Stadium, a despondent Pelfrey figured he was...
FOURTH STRAIGHT LOSS LEAVES CARTER FUMING
MINNEAPOLIS -- After forcing LeBron James and the Cavs on them twice, then Kobe and the Lakers once, the basketball gods finally smiled on the Nets. They sent them here...
A CASE OF MARCH BADNESS
BUSY week. Let's get right to it, shall we? * We keep trying to tell Gus Johnson that on Knicks radio broadcasts he can present bad guesses as facts; who...
LOU SABAN DEAD AT 87
Lou Saban, who coached O.J. Simpson in the NFL and ran the Yankees for George Steinbrenner during a well-traveled career that spanned five decades, died yesterday in North Myrtle Beach,...
WOODS ROARS BACK FOR 1-STROKE VICTORY
ORLANDO -- The clutch shots. The late charge. An electric birdie putt on the 18th hole at Bay Hill. Yep, Tiger Woods is back. With those familiar back-nine heroics and...
SPORTS SHORTS
TENNIS: Roddick advances to fourth round In Key Biscayne, Fla., Andy Roddick is into the fourth round at the Sony Ericsson Open with a 7-6 (9), 6-2 victory over Dmitry...
CAVALIERS SNAG 60TH VICTORY
The Cavaliers turned 60 and didn't mind one bit. LeBron James scored 24 points with 12 assists as the Cavaliers made more history with a 102-74 win over the Mavericks...
SCOTT, RICE WORK OT FOR STATE TITLE
GLENS FALLS -- Down three with 15 seconds to go in the fourth, Durand Scott didn't hesitate. He got the ball after Kadeem Jack collected an offensive rebound from Jermaine...
A DAY TO REMEMBER
BRIAN Kemp probably will never play in the major leagues. But sometimes timing can supersede talent and create a big-league moment that will last beyond his years on earth. Kemp,...
HISTORIC LOSS FOR RED STORM
St. John's could have used John Franco for more than a ceremonial first pitch yesterday. After the former Met reliever and St. John's alum threw out the first pitch in...
SCRAPPY SPARTANS SOLDIER ON TO MOTOWN
INDIANAPOLIS -- The last seconds were ticking away, but this was unlike all those countless joyous moments when Louisville had imposed its will, subdued its opponent and waltzed off the...
IZZO WILLS MSU TO ANOTHER FINAL FOUR
INDIANAPOLIS -- Tom Izzo made a promise to his Michigan State club. "He said 'You get me through Friday, I'll do my best to get you through Sunday,' " recalled...
LOUISVILLE CAN'T COMPLETE '85 REPEAT
PHOENIX -- So the Huxtables will stay right where they are, in the provinces of our memory. So will the kids from "The Breakfast Club" and "Raspberry Beret" and all...
RIP SOONERS, RETURN TO FINAL FOUR
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- North Carolina is two steps away from confirming what everyone thought when the season started in November -- the Tar Heels are the best basketball team in...
UNC EXPECTS TOUGH TEST FROM 'NOVA
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Ty Lawson knows what to expect in Detroit. The North Carolina point guard anticipates seeing a team similar to his own when the Tar Heels face Villanova...
CHILL FACTOR
Top music downloads 1. Dead And Gone, T.I. 2. Kiss Me Thru The Phone, Soulja Boy 3. Let It Rock, Kevin Rudolf 4. Turnin' Me On, Keri Hilson 5. Mad,...
PULSE SALES
SALON 9 241 W. 37th St., between Seventh and Eighth avenues; 212-354-9220 Sale: March 30-April 3. Mon-Fri., 11 a.m.-7 p.m. 75 off swimwear from Zimmermann, Red Carter and Brette Sandler....
MEET GOV'S BUREAUCRAT BONEHEADS
THIS is Gov. Pater son's wrecking crew of Democratic operatives and bureaucratic functionaries who helped New York's accidental governor betray his core promise of fiscal prudence and government downsizing. This...
MARKET WON'T SOLVE IT: TIM
WASHINGTON -- Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner defended his approach to fixing the country's economic mess yesterday, saying "the market will not solve this," while disclosing that a bailout fund for...
BUSINESS BRIEFS
Peugeot CEO France's biggest car maker, Peugeot-Citroen, ousted CEO Christian Streiff yesterday, saying "exceptional difficulties" confronting the auto in dustry require new man agement at the top. Streiff will be...
STAR POWER DIMMING AT SOME STREET FIRMS
Some of Wall Street's harshest analysts -- and, as it turns out, most prescient -- are discovering that there's a steep price for being honest. A growing number of analysts...
OBAMA READY TO WOO EUROPEANS
WASHINGTON -- Barack Obama will take the world stage as president for the first time this week, jetting to Europe with hopes of using his international popularity to convince skeptical...
WHAT DEMS ARE 'UP' TO -- $132B
ALBANY -- Open your wallets extra-wide, New Yorkers. Democratic leaders yesterday released details of a state budget deal that would push spending to a staggering $132 billion next year --...
OBAMA 'FIRES' GM BOSS
President Obama fired his first CEO last night -- forcing Rick Wagoner to step down as head of General Motors. Wagoner, who had been at the helm of the automaker...
TODAY'S TARGET: DETROIT
The White House is playing serious hardball for the first time with its recovery cash. The Obama administration auto task force today rejected the turnaround plans of General Motors and...
OZ FEST
SOMEWHERE over the rainbow -- or in your closet -- are clothes that will get you to the Emerald City and back. Think: sweet blue and white gingham party dress,...
GO TO GREG
Q: I was laid off six months ago, and I still haven't found a job. With the media bombarding us daily with grim employment reports, it's difficult to maintain an...
DREAM JOB
ERIC Daman must feel at times like he's living in a rerun. As the costume designer for the TV show "Gossip Girl," he designs wardrobe for stars like Blake Lively...
HIGH ON THE BLOG
JONATHAN Butler does the same thing millions of other Americans do -- only he gets paid for it. Two years ago, Butler, the editor of Brownstoner.com, left a VP position...
PROMISE ISN'T FULFILLED
A play about a young Catholic Pole who risked everything to help a dozen Jews during WWII is slip pery ground for a critic -- espe cially when it's based...
GRIEF FOR KIDS IN MOM'S TRIAL
First, their fire marshal father was gunned down in his sleep and then their mother was charged with his murder. Things seemed as though they couldn't get any tougher for...
TEACHERS IN BID TO EXPEL UNION
Charter-school teachers to their union: Butt out. The educators, at two city charter schools, have filed for permission from the state to cut their ties with the United Federation of...
PA BIRD BRAINS
The Port Authority misled the public about the growing threat that birds pose to aircraft before Canada geese forced down US Airways Flight 1549, according to secret government figures. Information...
SPAIN PROBES BUSH BIGS ON GITMO
MADRID -- Spanish prosecutors may decide this week whether to press ahead with a probe into six former Bush administration officials in connection with the torture of detainees at Guantanamo...
JURY SELECT KICKS OFF ASTOR SWINDLE TRIAL
Brooke Astor's son, Anthony Marshall, is finally getting his long-awaited day in court to battle charges that he swindled millions from his beloved philanthropist mother. Jury selection is slated to...
BAM BACKS MIKE SCHOOL RULE
President Obama's education czar is urging Albany to keep Mayor Bloomberg in control of New York City's schools -- citing "real progress" under Hizzoner and his handpicked chancellor, Joel Klein....
FIT 'COKE' GALS: COPS SEDUCED US
Mickenzie Dippenworth and Christine Scafa were Fashion Institute of Technology roommates -- barely out of their teens -- who longed to party like celebrities. Undercover No. 5732 and Undercover No....
US WON'T HIT N. KOREA'S NEW MISSILE
WASHINGTON -- The United States has no plans to shoot down a missile North Korea plans to launch in a test Washington sees as a step toward developing an intercontinental...
'PERV PRIEST' WORKS AT HS
A man defrocked as a priest in 1993 -- and who later was sued for allegedly molesting a former student at a Catholic high school -- is now working at...
NYPD DAILY BLOTTER
Brooklyn A Bed-Stuy man was arrested for shooting his father after arguing with his mother, police sources said yesterday. Cory Lopez, 22, clashed his with 48-year-old mother in her bedroom...
YOU PAID BIG SALARY HIKES TO VITO'S CREW
WASHINGTON -- Former Staten Island Rep. Vito Fossella rewarded several of the congressional staffers who stuck with him when he was shamed out of office last year with massive, taxpayer-funded...
COMMUTER TAX-AID HIKE
New York commuters are eligible for an expanded tax break that may help cushion the blow of any MTA fare increases, Sen. Chuck Schumer said yesterday. The TransitBenefit, which allows...
'BLIND' RAGE AT HBO
Linda Pugach, blinded by a suitor she later married, says HBO is cheating her out of a fee for a new film based on her life. Linda and Burt Pugach,...
'THUG' TAKES $HOT AT GUN GRANNY
This pistol-packing granny, who shot a man she accused of mugging her in her wheelchair, wishes she had finished the job -- because now, he's suing her for millions. "I'm...
MONSTER TAKE FOR 'ALIENS'
The sci-fi comedy cartoon "Monsters vs. Aliens" overcame mixed reviews to conquer the box office, with weekend sales of $58.2 million, according to estimates. Industry analysts had expected DreamWorks' first...
ANDREW FLEMING DIES
Andrew J. Fleming, father of Post reporter Kirsten Fleming, died on Friday. He was 65. The Bronx native was a high school football official at the Jersey Shore and a...
RAISING THE BAR
Customers, local business owners and residents band together yesterday (right) to help a popular Brooklyn wine bar relocate after losing its lease. After 2½ years at 414 Van Brunt St....
BRIDGET WHO? STEPMA GISELE SAYS TOM'S TOT IS 'MINE - 100%'
Supermodel Gisele Bundchen says she feels that Tom Brady's love child with actress Bridget Moynahan is "100 percent" hers and, "It's not like because somebody else delivered him, that's not...
DEPRESSED TEEN TESTS
CHICAGO -- An influential government-appointed medical panel is urging doctors to routinely screen all American teens for depression -- a bold step that acknowledges that nearly 2 million teens are...
SUIT SLAMS 'PONZI' PAIR
Two Long Island real-estate Ponzi schemers took $70 million from investors, then sold the properties or took out multiple mortgages and made off with the cash, a federal lawsuit alleges....
KLEIN RAISED NONPROFIT CASH ON CITY TIME
Schools Chancellor Joel Klein has used taxpayers' time to raise $1.5 million for a national nonprofit he co-founded last year -- with the blessing of the city's ethics board, The...
CORRECTION
The Post mistakenly published a photo of Assemblyman Ruben Diaz Jr., instead of his father, state Sen. Ruben Diaz, in a story about MTA fare hikes in Friday's paper. We...
A FIELD DAY FOR NY FANS
If you build it, they will come -- but they might not watch the game. Baseball fans visiting the new Citi Field yesterday were more interested in the ballpark than...
FARGO AVOIDS MASS FLOODING
FARGO, ND -- The Red River briefly breached a dike yesterday, pouring water onto a school campus. Crews managed to largely contain the flooding, preventing greater damage. The city had...
AFRICAN SOCCER PANIC KILLS 22
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast -- A stampede at a World Cup qualifying soccer match in the Ivory Coast killed at least 22 people and wounded 132 yesterday, an official announced. Minister...
WATER BILLS $OAK NYERS
New Yorkers are pouring money down the drain by paying excessive rates on their water bills, Comptroller Bill Thompson charged yesterday. "Rate payers are being gouged," he said. Last year,...
MADGE'S ADOPT IS A 'STEAL'
Madonna today will ask a Malawian judge to let her adopt a 4-year-old girl -- despite objections from the child's grandmother, who is accusing the Material Mom of "stealing" the...
DEM HOLDS SMALL EDGE IN RACE FOR GILLIBRAND SEAT
A special election will be held tomorrow to fill the upstate congressional seat held by now-Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. On the GOP side is Assembly Minority Leader Jim Tedisco. The Democrats...
PROPERTY-TAX PROTESTS GAIN NEW 'APPEAL'
The city's Tax Commission has been swamped with appeals this year from major property owners hoping to lower their tax bills, The Post has learned. Officials said 44,488 appeals were...
Mike opens third-term race space
Mayor Bloomberg opened campaign offices in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Staten Island yesterday as he touted the city's accomplishments under his leadership and explained why he wants another term. "We're going...
ISRAEL: HAMAS REARMING GAZA
JERUSALEM -- A top Israeli official says Hamas has smuggled nearly 70 tons of bomb-making material into Gaza since Israel ended its military offensive in January. That assessment, by Yuval...
BLOODY CHAOS AT CLUBS
Last call at a Chelsea club triggered a knife attack on four workers, while gunplay at a Staten Island bar left five people wounded, police said yesterday. In Chelsea, the...
FIEND SLAYS 2 KID SISTERS
MILTON, Mass. -- A crazed man fatally stabbed his 17-year-old sister and beheaded his 5-year-old sister, then was shot dead by cops as he turned his knife on his 9-year-old...
Ashley Biden's past is full of weed and wild parties
A decade before a friend came forward trying to sell a video that he claimed showed her snorting cocaine, Vice President Joseph Biden's daughter was busted for pot possession. Ashley...
WEIRD BUT TRUE
Maybe she was looking for some cheese to go with the wine. A Wisconsin tourist was busted three times in three days for DWI. The 60-year-old Washington state woman was...
THAT'S USING THE OLD NOODLE
THERE aren't a lot of men in Eliot Feld's Mandance Project. Then again, there isn't any ballet in his new "The Spaghetti Ballet," either -- though there is spaghetti. Besides...
SEN. DODD'S CAVALCADE OF SCANDAL
IT'S been a rotten year for Chris Dodd. Time and again, the Connecticut senator has been caught both doing favors for heavy hitters and receiving them -- and then lying...
THE 'BLAME BIBI' CHORUS
WITH Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu set to be sworn in as Israel's prime minister tomorrow, Western capitals are in a dither about the irrelevant question of Israel's commitment to the vaunted...
GEITHNER SEES MORE RESCUES
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said some financial institutions will need substantial government aid, while warning against any attempt to tax investors who join a federal program to buy tainted assets...
MORE CUTS DUE AT UBS: NEWSPAPER
Switzerland's UBS is expected to announce more writedowns and job cuts, Swiss newspaper Sonntag reported yesterday. Shares of the world's largest wealth manager in terms of assets fell 7 percent...
FORGET 'FREEDOM'
ON Feb. 7, 2007, I wrote on this page that it was "finally time to drop 'Freedom Tower' and call it by its rightful name: 1 World Trade Center." That...
OBAMA'S IMPRIMATUR
Mayoral control of the New York City public schools now has the imprima tur of the Obama administration. As well it should -- if, for no other reason, than that...
STAIRWAY TO HELL
Spring is usually a time of renewal -- that is unless music publishing is your thing. Exhibit A is Blender, the one-time cool title that is now dead cold. The...
SHELLY'S SPENDING SPREE
Lord Mayor of Albany Sheldon Silver and his pliant handmaidens, David Paterson and Malcolm Smith, used the cover of weekend darkness to deliver a state budget that raises spending by...
OBAMA'S MOST PERILOUS LEGAL PICK
JUDGES should interpret the Constitution according to other nations' legal "norms." Sharia law could apply to disputes in US courts. The United States constitutes an "axis of disobedience" along with...
THE POST SEARCHES FOR 'PARANORMAL'
A few weeks ago, you may have read about me catching a rapist with the U.S. Marshal's from A&E's "Manhunters." (THE POST GOES ALONG FOR BRONX 'MANHUNT') Tonight, you can...
Feelin' Groovy: Queensboro, Bridge of Many Movies, Marks Centennial
Happy 100th Birthday today to the Queensboro Bridge, which I'm pretty sure has appeared in more movies than any other span. It may not be as beautiful as the Brooklyn...
Box Office: Did 'Monsters' Under-Perform?
Jeffrey Katzenberg and DreamWorks Animation will never, ever admit it, but I'd wager they're somewhat disappointed with the $58.2 million opening of "Monsters vs. Aliens,'' which the studio claims cost...