June 3, 2009
TOXIC TOWER
The New York City fire department says smoke seen at a condemned tower across from ground zero was due to a welder's torch. A Fire Department spokesman says that a...
CITY POISED TO SEIZE LAND AT WILLETS POINT
The city will formally kick off plans to seize control of the remaining privately owned land at Willets Point this month, an announcement that left shocked property owners scrambling for...
BAYSIDE CAR DEALER CLOSES AS GM GOES BANKRUPT
As a prelude to General Motors Corp.'s filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection from its creditors Monday, a Bayside division of the automaker had shuttered its doors in May. Bayside's...
MONSERRATE WANTS CHARGE TOSSED OVER COP CONFLICT
A police officer from the same precinct that arrested state Sen. Hiram Monserrate (Dâ'East Elmhurst) on suspicion of slashing his girlfriend's face during a fight in December was part of...
GROUP OPPOSES WASTE STATION
U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman (Dâ'Bayside) has mounted a vocal effort to halt city plans for a waste transfer station in College Point during the last two years, but an even...
HOSPITALS OVERLOADED: STUDY
City Comptroller William Thompson and Borough President Helen Marshall pleaded with the state and city Monday to provide Queens' overcrowded hospitals with more resources in order to combat serious health...
NC COPS SAY HUSBAND ARRANGED WIFE'S RAPE ONLINE
North Carolina police have arrested a man and accused him of using the online advertising service Craigslist to enlist another man to rape his wife. The 25-year-old Kannapolis husband faces...
Shep breaks it down on RBNY
Photo from Miramax "The ability to make the play when it counts, for me, really makes the difference. And the Red Bulls, they're the worst. The D.C. United game, the...
R. Martinez latest to the DL
PITTSBURGH -- Adding to the Mets' already bloated disabled list, backup infielder Ramon Martinez will miss at least six weeks after undergoing surgery on his dislocated left pinky today. Martinez...
RYAN: JETS ARE NO 'PAT'SIES
With Tom Brady returning to the Patriots they are everybody's favorite to win the AFC East this season. Well, almost everybody. "I never came here to kiss Bill Belichick's rings....
SLAIN COP GETS PROMOTION
Officials say an NYPD officer killed by friendly fire is in line for a promotion to detective. The posthumous honor is expected to be announced Thursday at the Brooklyn funeral...
Reyes suffers setback
PITTSBURGH -- Jose Reyes suffered a setback with his ailing calf during an extended-spring game today in Florida. Reyes is returning to New York to be examined by team doctors...
A look ahead to Red Bulls at D.C.
"Now we're going to play our two biggest rivals on the road, D.C. and New England in a must-win situation. We know we've got to find a way to win,''...
Robbins needed microfracture surgery
By PAUL SCHWARTZTwo starting defensive tackles, Fred Robbins and Barry Cofield, underwent knee surgery following last season and both are being held out of the Giants Organized Team Activity practices...
BOUNCER FOUND GUILTY OF CO-ED'S MURDER
Now he can rot in prison for the rest of his life. The burly nightclub bouncer accused of brutally raping and strangling grad student Imette St. Guillen was convicted today...
GOV. PATERSON VETOES GENEROUS COP AND FIREFIGHTER PENSION BILL
ALBANY -- In a move that will affect future cops and firefighters across the city, Gov. Paterson announced today that he vetoed a generous pension bill for newly hired recruits....
This week's calendar, June 4-10
No need to be stuck inside on a beautiful June evening -- we've got plenty of outdoor events, from rooftop parties to courtyard dancing to cocktails on the Hudson --...
Beltran returns to action
PITTSBURGH -- Mets center fielder Carlos Beltran has recovered from the stomach ailment that sidelined him the past three games and will be in the lineup for the Mets here...
PRANKSTER BUSTED FOR 911 'COP SHOT' CALL
A prankster with a grudge against the NYPD dialed up a whole lot of trouble after he was busted for making anonymous 911 calls claiming a police officer had been...
DEBRIS' LOCATION IMPLIES PLANE EXPLODED IN MID-AIR
The Air France jet that vanished over the Atlantic with 228 on board probably broke up in mid-air, it was reported today. The huge area over which debris has been...
Next Wave 2009
BAM has just announced the lineup for this year's Next Wave Festival. The season is particularly heavy on dance and there's only two big theater offerings: Robert Lepage's "Lipsynch" and...
Sterling blows home run call
I really don't like picking on John Sterling, but he just makes it so darn easy sometimes.Here is Sterling's home run call on Hideki Matsui's three-run blast in the fourth...
WOMAN SUES OVER 'BRUNO'
A woman is suing NBC Universal and comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, claiming a bit for Cohen's upcoming film, "Bruno," left her disabled. Richelle Olson claims she was severely injured after...
Game 52: Mets at Pirates
(UPDATED) PITTSBURGH -- After back-to-back painful losses here, the patchwork Mets are counting on Mike Pelfrey to turn the tide when he takes the mound tonight against the Pirates at...
NFL rankings this decade
SI.com ranked the NFL teams from this decade today and put the Giants at five and the Jets at 15.The Patriots deservedly led the pack with their three Super Bowl...
RONALD REAGAN STATUE UNVEILED IN CAPITOL ROTUNDA
WASHINGTON -- Nancy Reagan watched with delight as a bronze statue of former President Ronald Reagan was unveiled in the U.S. Capitol. A blue cloth cover was pulled from the...
Taming of the Shrew
Speaking of movie cliches, "The Hangover" has one egregious one, and it doesn't have anything to do with debaucherous Vegas bachelor parties. In a bit part as Ed Helms' nag...
SI FERRY CRASH VICTIM DEFENDS LAWYER'S HEFTY FEE
A Staten Island Ferry crash victim came to his lawyer's defense today inside a Brooklyn courtroom -- saying his attorney deserves millions of dollars for helping him win his civil...
QUEENS TEEN SENTENCED
A pill-popping, weed-smoking Queens teen who killed a married couple last year in a high speed car crash was sentenced today to 2½ to 7½ years behind bars and forced...
'BRUNO' ACTOR SUED FOR CAUSING MELEE AT BINGO HALL
A woman claims that she has been confined to a wheelchair after she was allegedly attacked and left "crippled" by actor Sacha Baron Cohen at a Bingo hall in 2007,...
Red Bulls' Jorge Rojas to face D.C., Mac Kandji questionable
The slumping last-place Red Bulls will have midfielder Jorge Rojas available for tomorrow's game at D.C. United. That should at least help offset Mac Kandji's left hamstring woes a bit,...
LAWYER ACCUSED OF FORGING JUDGE'S SIGNATURE IN REAL-ESTATE SCAM
A lawyer in the city Corporation Counsel's office was busted for allegedly forging a judge's signature as part of a brazen real-estate fraud scheme. Ironically, the high-stakes fakery took place...
DEALS: TGIF + Country Inns & Suites
You might be a redneck if all a hotel needs to do to lure you in is throw in a couple of TGI Friday's coupons. So fine, I'm a redneck...
Belmont posts and odds
They drew the post positions for the 141st Belmont Stakes this morning. Kentucky Derby-winner and favorite Mine That Bird drew the 7th position and is 2-1.Read full AP Story here,...
ALLEGED TERRORIST DROPS PANTS IN COURT
An alleged homegrown terrorist struggled to keep his pants on in court today while telling the judge he was also struggling to comprehend the charges against him. Ex-con Laguerre Payen,...
The Mets' MVP and LVP So Far
From a viewing standpoint, I'm still a little disappointed that the Cavs are out, just because now we can't see LeBron vs. Kobe. If Cleveland had beaten the Magic, that...
SWINE FLU KILLS TWO MORE IN THE CITY
Two more people have died from the H1N1 flu in New York -- bringing the city's death toll to seven from the virus that has infected thousands around the world,...
SHRINK: PHONY ROCKEFELLER IS 'DELUSIONAL'
BOSTON -- A psychologist testifying for the defense in the kidnapping trial of the man who calls himself Clark Rockefeller said today that the man is "completely deluded" and not...
SENATE GRILLS AUTOMAKERS ABOUT CLOSING DEALERSHIPS
WASHINGTON -- Top executives from General Motors and Chrysler face tough questions from lawmakers about sweeping plans to close hundreds of car dealerships as the auto companies undergo government-led bankruptcies....
Chandler surgery today
By MARC BERMANLOS ANGELES - The Knicks will now have their last two draft picks rehabbing this summer from surgery.As I reported in yesterday's editions of The Post, Wilson Chandler...
AIG SELLING NYC HEADQUATERS
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The embattled insurer American International Group Inc. is selling its headquarters building in New York and a nearby building in a deal expected to close at the...
Chat rewind: June 3
Click on the replay arrow in the graphic below to revisit my hour-long live chat on the Mets:Mets chat with Bart Hubbuch
NY CONTRACTOR CHARGED WITH WAGE VIOLATIONS
A construction company that did work on subway stations has been indicted on charges that it underpaid its workers by hundreds of thousands of dollars. The Manhattan district attorney has...
Montag, Pratt (Almost) Run For 'The Hills'
We think even Paris Hilton could have fared better than "Hills" duo Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt. Reality TV's notorious famewhores jumped at the opportunity to further promote themselves on...
'Hamlet,' The Next Generation
Emile Hirsch will star in a contemporary thriller version of "Hamlet'' directed by Catherine Hardwicke for Overture Films. The two last worked together on "The Lords of Dogtown.'' It seems...
BURGER KING
CRITICALLY acclaimed chef, author and TV personality Bobby Flay is set to bring his unique culinary skills to the Mohegan Sun this summer with the opening of his newest eatery,...
JUMP ON THE MONEY TRAIN
Even riding the rails between Manhattan and Atlantic City on weekends will be a little less expensive this summer, thanks to a special All Afford! Promotion for the Atlantic City...
Paul McCartney playing Citi
A press release from the Mets ...Rock legend Paul McCartney will perform the historic first concerts at Citi Field on Friday, July 17, and Saturday, July 18. Tickets go on...
LET'S GO BETS!
Thanks to a multiyear marketing and promotional partnership involving Harrah's Entertainment and the New York Mets, fans can cheer the team on in style at the new Caesars Club at...
TWITTER THIS
Social networking sites bring gambling lovers together After building a presence on two popular social networking sites, Twitter and Facebook, Resorts Casino Hotel here launched its own social online community,...
Coverage in The Post
PITTSBURGH -- As if the Mets didn't have enough craziness and injuries to deal with, they're now in the middle of a swine-flu scare after SNY producer Dan Barr --...
SURF'S UP
TRUE to the city's marketing tagline, "Always Turned On," the Atlantic City Convention and Visitors Authority teamed up with FreeFi Networks, a Los Angeles-based company that offers content and advertiser-supported...
HOT TO TROT
EMPIRE City at Yonkers Raceway put their best hoof forward in its latest ad campaign. The innovative spots from ad agency DDB Worldwide features the one thing that sets Empire...
LIST OF US NUKE PLANTS ACCIDENTALLY POSTED ON WEB
WASHINGTON -- The government accidentally posted on the Internet a list of government and civilian nuclear facilities and their activities in the United States, but a U.S. official said Wednesday...
JACKPOT!
CONNECTICUT * Foxwoods -- Rooms from $67 a night, midweek, through June 16 ([800] 369-9663; foxwoods.com). * Mohegan Sun -- Rooms from $99 a night, including a $25 food-and-beverage credit...
OBAMA TREATED LIKE KING IN SAUDI ARABIA
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- From the moment Barack Obama stepped off Air Force One, his first visit to Saudi Arabia as president was filled with, well, pomp and pageantry fit...
FUN IN THE 'SUN'
FINE quality and service, a trademark of Connecticut's Mohegan Sun, made a seamless trip into Pennsylvania when the Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs opened back in 2006 as the Keystone...
LOW STAKES
WITH the economy tightening faster than your belt at the casino buffet, savvy gaming establishments are stepping up their efforts to draw visitors to the gambling floor. For example, low-limit...
The Daily Whacks, Wednesday Edition
Yep, you can count me among the tweetin' Twitterers (or is that the Twitterin' tweeters?) now: http://twitter.com/MikeVacc*******fan will be the most creatively wonderful obsessive-compulsive site you've ever seen. Johan Santana...
A SANDS CASTLE
IT TOOK Las Vegas Sands Corp. two-and-a-half years to open the $743 million Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem, Penn., but company officials will tell you it was worth the wait....
OSAMA SAYS OBAMA, BUSH 'PLANTED SEEDS OF HATRED'
DUBAI - Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden said U.S. President Barack Obama had planted the seeds of "revenge and hatred" toward the United States in the Muslim world and...
Nicholson Returning For Brooks Rom-Com
Jack Nicholson, who won two of his three Oscars ("Terms of Endearment,'' "As Good as it Gets'') under the direction of the once-great James L. Brooks is apparently coming to...
TEEN KILLED IN QUEENS CAR CRASH
A 17-year-old was killed and two others injured early today in Queens after the car they were riding in slammed into a pillar.Get the full story and a video report...
3 UP: JETER'S TERRIFIC RUN
Yes, I am at twitter.1. There are so many reasons that the Yankees have won 16 of their last 20 and soared to the AL's best record. There is Mark...
3 UP: JETER, PUTZ AND NFL DRUGS
Yes, I am at twitter.1. There are so many reasons that the Yankees have won 16 of their last 20 and soared to the AL's best record. There is Mark...
HEIDI AND SPENCER QUIT 'CELEBRITY'
Heidi and Spencer Pratt said they're bailing, and they like really, really mean it this time. At least twice already, they had quit and un-quit "I'm a Celebrity ... Get...
BAM: MY BOUTS VS. LYING BILL
WASHINGTON -- President Obama admits in a new book that he became absorbed during the Democratic primary playing mind games with former President Bill Clinton, whom Obama accuses of lying...
BIDEN BID TO BURY BONER
WASHINGTON -- Gaffe-prone Vice President Joe Biden backtracked yesterday from comments he made at a Democratic fund-raiser in Manhattan that were widely viewed as an endorsement of Gov. Paterson's re-election....
NYC 'SUITS' VEEP JUST FINE
Vice President Joe Biden didn't just talk about the economic stimulus here yesterday -- he did his part by spending $2,400 on a designer suit at Barneys! Biden -- who...
FEDS IN BIG NUKES OOPS
A "sensitive" government report divulging a host of information about nuclear sites and programs was accidentally made public, The Wall Street Journal reported last night. The Obama administration insisted the...
FIRST THINGS FIRST, WITH JETER ON TOP
THE Yankees played their ugliest game in weeks and won by nine runs against the AL West leaders. Maybe that says something about the state of the AL West. Or...
HALLADAY K'S 14, NOTCHES 9TH WIN
Roy Halladay struck out a career-high 14 to win his major league-leading ninth game, Alex Rios backed him with a home run and the Blue Jays beat the Angels 6-4...
TIGER, PHIL WON'T BE PAIRED AT BETHPAGE
Don't look for Phil Mickelson to be paired up with Tiger Woods when the U.S. Open tees off on June 16 at Bethpage Black. Mike Davis, the USGA official in...
HONDO EYES TIGERS
The Bosawx took advantage of Porcello, that poor fellow, but Hondo bounced back late last night in San Diego with Antonio, that Bastardo, so the beefy bankroll grew slightly to...
BASKET CASES
FOR a romantic date or party with friends, head to the park armed with these grab-and-go options:DOWNTOWN * Russ & Daughters 179 E. Houston St.; 212-475-4880 Taking al fresco noshing...
SPENDER IN THE GRASS
C'MON, just chill out. It's a beautiful day and you don't have to work -- so why are you schlepping sandwiches to Central Park? Because if there's one thing New...
MENU A MENU
BREAK out the Brunello and Barolo -- the Great Recession's over. Party like it's 2007 at Marea and Montenapo, two spanking-new Italian restaurants that never heard about Lehman Brothers or...
TINSELTOWN TITLE
POINT GUARDBERMAN'S TAKE Derek Fisher proves you don't need a very good point guard to win a title. His postseason shooting (35 percent, 23 percent 3s) hasn't hurt. His intangibles...
STARR REPORT
'8' is enough "Jon & Kate Plus 8" continues to score big numbers on TLC. Monday's two half- hour episodes averaged a combined 11.5 million viewers, a week after the...
WISH YOU WERE HEAR
THERE'S this guy, see, who can hear voices. Not like crazy psycho voices that tell him to kill small farm animals or anything, but telepathic voices that reveal to him...
BALLS BUSTED
TALK about shattered expect-ations -- and really dropping the ball. "Dancing With the Stars" winners Shawn Johnson and dance partner Mark Ballas returned home to find that their trophies, which...
ZEN MASTERY IS HIS UNIVERSE
I want to report a case of child abuse. A 4-year- old boy has been carried away by a man in red robes, has had all his hair shaved off...
CONAN HOLDS HIS OWN
CONAN O'Brien got off to a respectable start on his first day as the new host of "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien." Nearly twice the usual "Tonight Show" audience...
SPEIDI TO STAY ON 'GET OUT OF HERE'
Spencer Pratt and wife Heidi Montag were on the verge of leaving NBC's "I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!" late yesterday. Or, then again, maybe not. VIDEO: Watch...
TONY SQUEEZES OUT DRAMA
AFTER years of pretending to "honor excellence in the theater," Tony officials are finally coming clean about their true calling: making money for the backers of big musicals -- and...
WITH BURNETT, PAYBACK IS A PITCH
A.J. Burnett described it as "a fastball in." But it certainly looked like more than that. After Mark Teixeira was hit by Vicente Padilla for the second time in four...
GETTING HIT TWICE LIGHTS MARK TEIXEIRA'S FIRE
FOR 51 games, Mark Teixeira had offered a condensed version of his tremendous offensive and defensive prowess. And then in Game 52, Teixeira showed us he has emotion, as well....
YANKEES MAKE RANGERS PAY FOR PLUNKINGS
It was a response through lumber. Last night Mark Teixeira was drilled twice -- on consecutive pitches -- by the Rangers' Vicente Padilla, plunkings that certainly seemed to be intentional....
YANKEES' ERRORLESS STREAK COMES TO AN END
The Yankees' lone misplay last night was their lone misplay in the last 19 games. Jorge Posada committed a fourth-inning throwing error on a stolen base attempt in the Yankees'...
MONTAUK FISHERMEN GRAB BASS
THE striped bass action off Montauk has been impressive for so early in the season, especially for those working the surf. We heard of a 57½-pound striper taken on Friday...
MARIA'S RETURN IS SHARAP-OVER
PARIS -- The final score of Maria Sharapova's stunning loss in the French Open quarterfinals yesterday did not look quite as embarrassing as it nearly did: Her opponent led 6-0,...
ZITO IS BACK WITH A PAIR
IF American horseplayers at this time of the year look at trainer Nick Zito as if snake-bit, who can blame them? Nick has rocked 'em on their heels. It began...
WHAT A DREAM THIS HAS ALL BEEN
Bennie "Chip" Woolley Jr., 45, trains Kentucky Derby winner Mine That Bird, a fast-closing second in the Preakness, and the favorite for Saturday's Belmont Stakes. This week Woolley shares his...
JOCKEY REPEATS HIS GUARANTEE
Calvin Borel wants to win one for the Chipper. On Monday the 42-year-old Cajun, who became the toast of the racing world by riding Mine That Bird to win the...
MADDEN IN DEVILS' LIMBO
Less than a month from unrestricted free agency, Devils center John Madden told The Post there has been "zero, nada," discussion with New Jersey on a new contract. The four-time...
VAN GUNDY ROOTING FOR BROTHER, MAGIC
Jeff Van Gundy admitted to being so awkward about doing color commentary for the Magic-Lakers Finals with his brother Stan as a participant that he approached ABC officials to see...
CALVIN TAKES IN BIG APPLE
Jockey Calvin Borel has one word to describe New York City: "Awesome!" On a week-long visit here for Saturday's Belmont Stakes, the bayou country boy from St. Martin's Parish in...
SWINE FLU SCARE FOR METS, BELTRAN
PITTSBURGH -- The Mets were on high alert here yesterday after a producer on their SNY broadcast crew was sent back to New York and put in isolation with a...
ANDY PETTITTE NOT AFRAID OF YANKEE STADIUM
Andy Pettitte hasn't lost yet at the new Yankee Stadium, but that doesn't mean things have gone all that well for him at the team's new address. Despite being 2-0...
SHOT PUTZ MAY LOSE SET-UP ROLE
PITTSBURGH -- J.J. Putz appears on the verge of losing his eighth-inning role after Monday night's implosion. Jerry Manuel said he plans to talk to the struggling reliever today to...
SPORTS SHORTS
SPORTS SHORTSMLB: Longoria injures hamstring Tampa Bay third baseman Evan Longoria left last night's game against Kansas City because of tightness in his left hamstring. Longoria has 13 homers and...
TROUBLES ADD UP; METS FALL AGAIN
PITTSBURGH -- What's next for the Mets, the bubonic plague? A 3-1 loss to the Pirates last night appeared to be the least of Jerry Manuel's worries in light of...
GONCHAR'S GOAL KEEPS PENS ALIVE
PITTSBURGH -- Sergei Gonchar said it once, then repeated it again a few seconds later as he tried pumping some confidence into some discouraged teammates: It's not over. Thanks to...
NY MA'S CRASH ANGUISH
Without fail, Charles Chen would call his mom on the Upper East Side every morning from his home in Rio de Janeiro, and they'd talk for about half an hour....
THE 'NEW' MSG
Madison Square Garden will be rebuilt on its current site over Penn Station at cost of more than $500 million. All that will remain the same are the exterior walls...
LEFT EXPLOITS DOC'S SLAY TO SILENCE FOES LIKE ME
THE liberal outcry over the murder of George Tiller, the late-term abortion doctor from Kansas, demonstrates exactly where American discourse is going. Shot dead in a church by an anti-government...
NYPD DAILY BLOTTER
Manhattan This suspected gun-toting thief (above) is wanted for twice robbing the same Midtown bank. He allegedly struck at the Sovereign Bank on Eighth Avenue near West 52nd Street last...
9/11 MEDALS
The Midtown firefighters who rescued 16 people from a horrific crane collapse will be the first recipients of a medal named in honor of FDNY members killed in the 9/11...
THIS STORY REALLY HAS LEGS
Not even Stephen King could make this look scary. Model Bar Refaeli's curvaceous body serves as a page for King's latest short story, "Morality," on the cover of July's Esquire...
ANTI-ABORTION ZEALOT CHARGED WITH MURDER
WICHITA, Kan. -- An activist abortion opponent was charged yesterday with first-degree murder in the death of late-term abortion provider Dr. George Tiller. Scott Roeder, 51, was shown via a...
CHARTER STUDENTS 'DIVIDE' & CONQUER
A record 90.7 percent of students in the city's charter schools aced this year's state math tests -- a rate nearly 9 percentage points higher than the city's traditional public...
JUDGES ORDER OWN $$ HIKE
All those in favor of giving yourself a raise, say "aye." A state appeals court yesterday ordered legislators to give New York's 1,250 judges a raise within 90 days, saying...
CITY WINS HEALTH-BENEFIT CONCESSION
The city yesterday won the right for the first time to impose co-payments on municipal workers who receive selected medical treatments -- a move officials hailed as a breakthrough that...
KORAN: CHARITY PUTS YOU ON ROAD TO HEAVEN
"Every good act is charity." It's a quote attributed to the Prophet Mohammed in the Koran -- and clearly followed by devout Muslim and Long Island shop owner Mohammad Sohail....
NY SAFEST OF ALL BIG CITIES
One small thing about the Big Apple is the crime rate -- New York is America's safest big city by a mile, new FBI crime stats show. New York has...
THAT $UCKING SOUND IS THE MTA
Nearly $1.5 billion in revenue from a new payroll tax that's supposed to be set aside for capital projects will likely have to be used to plug holes in the...
CONTROL FOES SEE THE LIGHT
Some state lawmakers who proposed legislation to gut mayoral control of schools are changing their tune after seeing a significant boost in the number of kids in their districts passing...
RADAR RIDDLE HINDERS JET-HORROR PROBERS
BRUSSELS -- Before it vanished, Air France Flight 447 was flying hundreds of miles beyond the scope of the nearest radar station, just as scores of commercial flights do every...
BODEGA MAN'S AMAZING GRACE
The thief was wearing a menacing mask and wielding a bat -- but to a Long Island store owner, he was simply a charity case. In an amazing act of...
MALCOLM DISHES 'PAY' DIRT ON SHEL
ALBANY -- Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver yesterday came under new pressure to disclose his controversial -- and long-secret -- law-firm income, when Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith unexpectedly said legislative...
I FELL FOR HIS CROCK
BOSTON -- Just because you're brilliant doesn't mean you're not stupid. So says the Stanford- and Harvard-educated ex-wife of the con man who claimed he was a member of the...
ASTOR'S LAWYER BOOSTS HER BELEAGUERED SON
Brooke Astor's accused-swindler son had a good day in court yesterday when a witness testified that his mother mulled multiple big-bucks bequests to her only child years before she got...
TAX THREAT VS. BISHOP
ALBANY -- The Brooklyn bishop who's threatening to close churches and schools in districts of lawmakers backing a sex-offender law might be risking his diocese's tax-exempt status, the legislation's sponsor...
TV'S REAL SNOTTY HOTTIES
Call it lifestyles of New York's rich and bratty. The Big Apple's underaged and over-privileged teenagers whine and dine on camera in a new reality show that rips a page...
FATAL MISTAKE
Off-duty cop Omar Edwards was not wearing an NYPD-mandated holster when he was fatally shot by another police office -- which could explain why his gun was in his hand...
ARK. 'KILLER' HAD NY PICS
An armed-to-the-teeth Muslim convert on a killing mission at an Arkansas recruiting station had a computer photo of a similar facility in Times Square. Abdulhakim Muhammad is accused of opening...
RAPIST HITS TWICE IN ONE NIGHT
A young fiend raped one woman and attacked another in a two-hour terror spree in a Richmond Hill, Queens, park, police said yesterday. The rape victim, a 47-year-old woman, told...
SHORN & FORLORN OVER SCHOOL 'BOOT'
A Staten Island middle-schooler caused a full-blown controversy by getting half a haircut. Dennis Reynolds, 14, claims he was sent home from IS 24 in Great Kills Monday because he...
JAILS BOSS TO JOHN JAY
Martin Horn, who heads both the city departments of Correction and Probation, is resigning to become a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, The Post has learned. Mayor...
NO BOY FROM BRAZIL
So close -- and still so far away. A New Jersey dad who'd traveled to Brazil to bring his 9-year-old son home for the first time in five years was...
SNAKE TERROR IN BX. APT.
Yesterday began on a hiss-terical note for a Bronx family when a little boy went for a drink of water -- and saw a 4-foot snake coiled under the living-room...
DAD LOSES LEG IN CAB SMASH
A Brooklyn father lost his leg last night after he was hit by a livery cab swerving to avoid another car, authorities said. The victim and a woman identified by...
WEIRD BUT TRUE
Meet the most honest man in New York state. David Jenks, of Syracuse, was walking out of his antique shop when he spotted what he thought were bags of trash....
OBAMA'S JALOPY CO.
DETROIT THE Obama administration has tried to convince tax payers that taking control of General Motors in bankruptcy is essential for saving the economy from catastrophe. While that may be...
OBAMAS TAKE BROADWAY, LEAVE BILL FOR BROKE US
THE ISSUE: The Obamas' NYC date of dinner and a play, paid for, in part, by taxpayers. *** America is coming to see that the rules against conspicuous consumption that...
DOUBLE STANDARD
WHEN a right- wing Christian vigilante kills, millions of fingers pull the trigger. When a left-wing Muslim vigilante kills, he kills alone. This is the narrative in the Sunday shooting...
TREASURY POPS PPIP PLAN
The US plan to rid toxic loans from banks' balance sheets has been put on hold as lenders successfully raise capital, a person familiar with the matter said, suggesting the...
A 'HOMES RUN' IN THE MAKING
The number of Americans signing contracts to buy previously owned homes climbed 6.7 percent in April, the fourth increase in five months, as lower prices attracted buyers. The index gain...
BUSINESS BRIEFS
Mortgages Delinquencies on US commercial and apart ment mortgages sold as securities climbed to 1.85 percent in the first quar ter, the highest level since the 2001 recession, the Mortgage...
RAPTOR FUND IS GROUNDED
James Pallotta is closing down Raptor Global Fund, which was spun off from Tudor Investment Corp. Raptor will return money to investors at the start of next month, Pallotta said...
EX-TV GUIDE CHIEF LAUNCHES 'NUCLEAR' MISSIVE
BOMBS away! Scott Crystal, the TV Guide CEO who resigned over the weekend after weeks of mounting tension with the magazine's new owners, has fired off an e-mail to his...
BRONFMAN POPS ACROSS THE POND
London's calling -- at least it is for Warner Music CEO Edgar Bronfman Jr. Bronfman, his wife and their children plan to move across the pond before the end of...
MAKING NICE WITH THE MULLAHS
President Obama headed off to the Mid dle East last night by dangling yet an other carrot in front of the mullahs: He endorsed Iran's "legitimate aspirations" to nuclear power....
DEPENDENCY REDUX
Welfare as we once knew it may be headed for a New York comeback. And along with it, the social ills -- shattered lives and endless dependency -- that attended...
HUMMER GOES TO CHINA
Now that China can claim the title as the world's industrial heavyweight, it's getting the keys to the car company that best illustrates the point. A privately held Chinese industrial...
IT'S A PLANE DIFFICULT SALE FOR AIG
See HQ sale, p. 32 American International Group's efforts to sell its massive aircraft-leasing business are running into headwinds and may need a little extra thrust, courtesy of Uncle Sam,...
AIG NEARS HQ SALE FOR $100M
AIG may have finally signed a contract to sell its dual building headquarters at 70 Pine and 72 Wall Street. Sources advised that the overseas buyers will pay around $100...
A ROCKY REFORM LOOPHOLE
Weakening New York's supposedly "draconian" Rockefeller-era drug laws was always a risky proposition. At best, the reforms to the drug code signed by Gov. Paterson in April -- which go...
GEITHNER COULDN'T SELL HOME
The real estate market's troubles are hitting close to home for Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. After reducing the price on his house in a tony New York City suburb to...
PITY CITI AS TARP ORPHAN
As the government inches toward becoming Citigroup's largest shareholder, there are lingering concerns in Washington about how long Wall Street's problem child will remain the financial ward of Uncle Sam...
INCENTIVES DRIVE 13% RISE IN MAY CAR SALES
Consumers trickled back into auto showrooms in May for one of the year's busiest months for deals, helping reverse the long slump that's wrecked Detroit and rattled Tokyo. US sales...
PLEASE, JUST DON'T CALL IT 'SOCIALISM'
THE government effectively owns General Motors and controls Chrysler. Uncle Sam owns majority stakes in American International Group, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and controls large chunks of the banking industry....
GUCCI BAG BEEF
Gucci wants $4 million in damages from the Bank of China for allegedly covering up the sale of counterfeit handbags over the Internet. The state-owned bank agreed to fork over...
TEIXEIRA SLIDE SPARKS YANKS IN 12-3 WIN OVER TEXAS
Mark Teixeira sparked the Yankees with a takeout slide at second base after being hit with pitches twice, Hideki Matsui and Jorge Posada hit three-run homers and New York beat...
BRAZIL SUSPENDS NEW JERSEY DAD'S CUSTODY OF BOY
A Brazilian supreme court justice has suspended a court order granting custody of a 9-year-old boy to his U.S. father. The decision by Justice Marco Aurelio was in response to...
DUKE LEADS PIRATES PAST METS
Zach Duke pitched seven effective innings and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat Johan Santana and the New York Mets 3-1 on Tuesday night. Jason Jaramillo hit his first major league homer...
BOOK: OBAMA MARRIAGE WASN'T ALWAYS PERFECT
Before they were the First Couple, Barack and Michelle Obama had their share of tough times at home. A new book by Richard Wolffe, who covered the election for Newsweek,...
Another injury strikes the Mets
PITTSBURGH -- Add another injury to the Mets' mile-long list: Replacement shortstop Ramon Martinez dislocated his left pinky finger here tonight and had to leave the game against the Pirates....
Live chat: 11 a.m. Wednesday
I will be holding another of my weekly, hour-long blog chats on the Mets tomorrow (Wednesday) at 11 a.m. EST. So be sure to check back then and have your...
Putz in line for demotion
PITTSBURGH -- J.J. Putz appears to be on the verge of losing his eighth-inning role after Monday night's implosion here. Jerry Manuel said he plans to talk to the struggling...