July 16, 2009
WITNESS DOING BOOM BOOM DIDN'T HEAR BANG BANG
A witness to decades-old mob murder testified that he got more action than he'd planned for when he hit the sheets with his first love at a New Jersey motel...
Wh-wh-where's Waldo the game
Wow, remember "Where's Waldo?" Man, that was fun, wasn't it? Spending hours staring at a big page of teeny tiny little people trying to find a wee little man in...
'Frenchy' and Church talk trade
ATLANTA -- Jeff Francoeur and Ryan Church sounded like they were reading from the same script here tonight. The two right fielders featured in last Friday's trade between the Mets...
Tony Romo pokes fun at himself
APTony Romo would love to be a Super Bowl-winning quarterback like Peyton Manning. Romo might be after some of Manning's thespian accomplishments, too.The Dallas Cowboys quarterback is starring in an...
FUGITIVE WALL STREET BROKER CAUGHT
A former Wall Street broker who fled to the southern coast of Spain to avoid facing trial for fraud allegedly traveled with two bulky body guards and used multiple aliases...
MTA BOARD MEMBERS, ADVOCATES WANT WALDER CONFIRMED
Two MTA board members and transit advocates are asking lawmakers to put Gov. Paterson's pick for MTA chief on the express track. A letter sent to Senate leadership urges key...
NY LAWMAKERS BAN USE OF ELECTRONICS WHILE DRIVING
Keep your thumbs on the wheel! Albany lawmakers agreed today to zap motorists for using any electronics devices -- including iPods -- while their cars are in motion. "The iPod...
FREE AGENTS COULD END SUSPENSE
LeBron James was more Don King than King James as he faced the cameras to promote the huge event planned for next summer. "I think July 1, 2010, is a...
SUSPECT IN CLEANING WOMAN'S MURDER TAKEN FOR FINGERPRINTING
Cops hauled a Staten Island goon to a police station house yesterday to be fingerprinted in connection with the murder of Manhattan cleaning lady. Joseph Pabon, 25, was packed into...
Thomas underappreciated
Starting in Las Vegas summer league, you can follow me with updates on Twitter.By MARC BERMANOne of Donnie Walsh's bigger regrets last season was trading Tim Thomas for Larry Hughes...
LOCALS JEER UNWELCOME DAY CARE CENTER
The potential arrival of a day care center on East 38th Street in Marine Park isn't child's play "" it's an unwelcome intrusion on this otherwise quiet block, wary residents...
BUSHWICK BANDITS CAUGHT ON TAPE
A trio of thugs were caught on camera during a stick-up at a Bushwick grocery shop. The bandits were caught on tape inside the convenience store at the B.P gas...
ONCE-'HERO' CABBIE PLEADS GUILTY TO ATTEMPTED RAPE
The hero-to-zero cab driver who once helped dump a baby at a Queens firehouse pleaded guilty to the attempted rape of a passenger, authorities said today. Klever Sailema attacked the...
DISTRICT 15 CEC BLASTS UNCIVIL DEPARTMENT OF ED.
School District 15's Community Education Council (CEC) lashed out at city Education Department (DOE) officials for abandoning "common civility." Since the end of mayoral control also stripped CECs of their...
NEAR ABDUCTION AT MARINE PARK
It's every parent's fear come to life: A six-year-old boy was nearly abducted from the Marine Park playground last weekend during a brief confrontation with a crazed adult. The boy's...
SIX BUSTED FOR $47M MEDICAID SCAM
It was one sick scam. Six people have been busted for running a massive $47 million Medicaid scheme that involved filing bogus claims with the state, authorities announced today. Over...
Leo Krupnik cleared for Red Bulls v Galaxy
Get Red Bull and other soccer updates on Twitter!Leo Krupnik's ITC card has come through, and the 29-year-old centerback will be able to play in the Red Bulls' game against...
MAN FOUND DEAD ON MANHATTAN STREET
A 52-year-old man was found dead today in his parked car on an East Harlem Street, police said. The victim, who was not immediately identified, was found behind the wheel...
GO FOR THE GOLD AT THE BOARD GAME OLYMPICS
Spend most Saturday nights in trivial pursuit? Sinking battleships? Connecting four? Well, head on over to Union Hall on July 27 to test your smarts, and try your luck, at...
Injury update is not good
ATLANTA -- Omar Minaya provided updates on the Mets' lengthy injury list today, in the process revealing that outfielder Fernando Martinez will miss at least six weeks due to surgery...
Doubting Thomas
By FRED KERBERBe honest. When you saw a headline saying Thomas could rejoin Knicks, did you for a moment think "Isiah"?But it's Tim Thomas and the northern New Jersey product...
Game 88: Mets at Braves
(UPDATED: 5:55 P.M.) ATLANTA -- The Mets open the second half here tonight hoping to pick up where they left off when Oliver Perez takes on the Braves at Turner...
PLANNED LICH, SUNY MERGER TOUTED AS A WIN-WIN
Solving the business problems of financially beleaguered Long Island College Hospital will enable its medical services to ultimately thrive, those supportive of its partnership with a state institution said this...
Sullivan named assistant coach
From the RangersThe Rangers announced today that the club has named Mike Sullivan assistant coach.Sullivan, 41, begins his first season as an assistant coach with the Rangers after spending the...
T'wolves to visit Rubio's Spanish team
By JON KRAWCZYNSKI, APMINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Timberwolves cannot do much financially to help Ricky Rubio with a multimillion-dollar buyout of his contract with DKV Joventut in Spain.So team president...
CITY UNEMPLOYMENT RATE SKYROCKETS TO 9.3 PERCENT
The city's unemployment rate skyrocketed to a whopping 9.3 percent last month -- almost double the jobless rate compared to the same month last year, according to data released today....
NASA RELEASES NEW VIDEO OF MOON-LANDING
WASHINGTON -- With the help of Hollywood, those historic, grainy images of the first men on the moon never looked better. NASA unveiled refurbished video Thursday of the July 20,...
Marte throws 12 pitches
APReliever Damaso Marte, sidelined for 2½ months with weakness and tendinitis in his pitching shoulder, allowed one run and two hits over one inning in his first injury rehabilitation outing...
Berroa promoted for A. Reyes
ATLANTA -- As expected, the Mets called up newly signed infielder Angel Berroa today to take the roster spot of fellow backup infielder Argenis Reyes.Reyes had been demoted to Triple-A...
MAN ACCUSED OF KILLING WIFE ON CRUISE SHIP
SAN DIEGO -- Carnival Cruise Lines says a man has been arrested for investigation of murdering his wife on a cruise to Mexico. A company statement Thursday says a man...
ORLANDO BLOOM'S HOUSE ROBBED
LOS ANGELES -- "Pirates of the Caribbean" star Orlando Bloom's California home was burglarized while he was away, police said Thursday. Officers were called to Bloom's home in Los Angeles...
LI 'BISHOP' ARRESTED FOR PERFORMING A SEX ACT ON A TEEN
A Long Island man who claims to be a bishop but has no affiliation with the Roman Catholic church has been busted for allegedly performing a sex act on a...
Two New Yorkers at WSOP final table
Two New Yorkers will be among the final nine players battling it out for $5.18 million at the World Series of Poker's Texas Hold em main event.Steven Begleiter, a former...
LI MAN GETS 35 YEARS FOR ABUSING YOUNG GIRLS
RIVERHEAD, N.Y. -- A Long Island man convicted of sexually abusing three young girls has been sentenced to 35 years in prison. Thomas Green was known in his Selden neighborhood...
International League takes Triple-A ASG
You can now follow Beating the Bushes on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NYP_Bushes**********Thanks in part to the contributions from the Scranton/Wilkes Barre Yankees and Buffalo Bisons, the International League defeated the Pacific Coast...
RETURNS MAY NOT HELP METS
The return of Jose Reyes would make the most difference to the Mets, but even if he, Carlos Beltran and Carlos Delgado all were back from injury tonight, the team's...
WEST NILE VIRUS DETECTED IN NYC MOSQUITOES
The Health Department has detected West Nile virus in New York City mosquitoes for the first time this season. The mosquitoes were collected from Ferry Point Park in the Bronx....
AUXILIARY COP ARRESTED
An auxiliary NYPD officer assigned to a public housing precinct was arrested yesterday for stealing bullet proof vests and trying to sell them, police said today. Koppel Zimmerman, 43, was...
WITNESS: CHARLENE MARSHALL SCOLDED BROOKE ASTOR FOR HIP FRACTURE
Brooke Astor's cold-hearted daughter-in-law cruelly scolded the dying socialite while as writhing in pain after breaking her hip, jurors heard today. In some of the most damaging testimony yet in...
SOME OF NY'S STIMULUS FUNDS REMAIN UNTOUCHED
ALBANY, N.Y. -- Even as New York rushes to spend hundreds of millions of dollars in federal stimulus money for roads and bridges, billions more awarded for education, energy conservation...
How the Mets make the playoffs
By JUSTIN TERRANOVAThe Mets are 6½ games out of first place in the NL East and also 6½ back of the Giants in the wild-card standings.The first half was one...
Report: Phillies torn on Halladay
Dan Graziano of NewJerseyNewsroom.com says the Phillies' front office is having a philosophical debate about trading for Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay.Graziano writes, "Some want to push hard for Halladay,...
Report: Heat want Boozer in trade
The Knicks may have a competitor for the services of Carlos Boozer.Yahoo! Sports reports the Miami Heat have "hatched a three-way proposal with the Utah Jazz and Memphis Grizzlies to...
Doctors not to blame for prosepct's death
An Associated Press report says team doctors are not to blame for the death of former Rangers first-round pick Alexei Cherepanov, who collapsed during a Continental Hockey League game last...
HEALTH-REFORM MALPRACTICE
With unemployment rapidly approaching 10 percent, one would think it would be a priority for Congress to make it easier for businesses to hire workers. But the health-care bill unveiled...
LUCKY NO. 7 IS CITY'S BEST SUBWAY: STRAPHANGERS
The Straphangers Campaign has bestowed its best−of−all subway−lines distinction on the No. 7 train. The C train came in dead last. The transit advocacy agency said the No. 7, which...
UK Champs Highlight 'Super' Tourney
Champions from United Kingdom add sizzle to Super Middleweight Tournament.By GEORGE WILLISThe wisest thing Showtime boxing boss Ken Hershman did in putting together the World Boxing Classic super middleweight tournament...
EMMY NOD FOR FARRAH FAWCETT
Farrah Fawcett received a posthumous kudo today as nominations were announced for the 61st Emmy Awards. Fawcett, the former "Charlie's Angels" icon who died June 25, received a nomination (Outstanding...
TALIBAN THREATENS TO KILL CAPTURED US SOLDIER
KABUL -- Local Taliban commanders threatened Thursday to kill a captured American soldier unless the U.S. military stops operations in two districts of southeastern Afghanistan. The Taliban claimed last week...
Keeping It 'Real': Growing, Making and Hooking Up
By Anthony Sulla-HeffingerLast episode, Ayiiia became Public Enemy Number One when her sporadic personality alienated her from the rest of the house.Tensions were still riding high between Ayiiia and Emilee,...
Jimenez leads Watson, Curtis by 1
By MARK CANNIZZAROTURNBERRY, Scotland -- A player with the initials "TW'' charged to the early British Open lead today at Turnberry.And his name wasn't Tiger Woods.Tom Watson, at age 59...
EX-COUNCILMAN PLEADS GUILTY IN FEDERAL COURT
A former Manhattan councilman pleaded guilty this morning to charges involving the misuse of $100,000 in taxpayers money through a City council slush fund. Miguel Martinez resigned Tuesday in a...
NY GALLERY RESUMES SALE OF WARHOL'S JACKSON PAINTING
EAST HAMPTON, N.Y. -- An Andy Warhol portrait of Michael Jackson is back on the auction block at a New York art gallery. The Vered Gallery in East Hampton, N.Y.,...
Coverage in The Post
Fresh on the heels of Larry King's revelation that Fred Wilpon lost $700 million in the Bernie Madoff scandal, colleague Joel Sherman wonders if the Mets and GM Omar Minayaare...
DOT FINISHES 200-MILE BIKE PATH PROJECT
The Department of Transportation topped off a 3-year program that installed 40 miles of bike paths across Bronx streets, and 200 miles around the city, on the Grand Concourse on...
'NO' TO STREET SCAPE
Merchants of Allerton Avenue cry out against proposed alterations to the strip, which may deter customers. In a Community Board 11 committee meeting held on Tuesday, July 7, representatives from...
SOTOMAYOR ON WAY TO SUPREME COURT CONFIRMATION
WASHINGTON -- Republicans cleared the way Thursday for a Senate vote next month to confirm Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, placing her firmly in line to become the first Hispanic...
Watson was expecting to be in contention
Tom Watson was asked for his opening thoughts at the start of an ABC conference call previewing the British Open on Tuesday."I hope not to be broadcasting on Saturday and...
WHIRLWIND OF DIVINITY SWEEPS THROUGH FLUSHING
For a brief series of moments on Monday, a small slice of Queens was bathed in Hindu ritual and pageantry courtesy of a frenetic collection of sights, sounds and an...
FIRE CLOSES DOWN THROGS NECK BRIDGE
The fire that closed the Throgs Neck Bridge for hours Friday and ensnarled thousands of drivers in major traffic jams throughout the borough was caused by a construction worker's blow...
REUNITED DEMS TALK CHANGE
As the state Senate shakily returned to business last week after a month of accusations and stalemates, the Queens senator who helped incite the chaos June 8 defended his actions....
JAMAICA HOSPITAL MUM AFTER SEMINERIO PLEA
As former state Assemblyman Anthony Seminerio awaits sentencing in October after setting up a fake consulting company that took in nearly $1 million in corrupt payments, it remains unclear whether...
VACANT STORES ON THE RISE IN THROGGS NECK
With the number of retail and commercial vacancies increasing at the intersection of Bruckner Boulevard and E. Tremont Avenue, business leaders from the past and present are eying strategies to...
KLEIN REMOVES SECOND-STORY GRAFFITI SCRAWL
Residents of Pelham Bay can start to look up without disgust, with over 20 second story graffiti locations wiped clean this week. Keeping true to his promise to reinvigorate Pelham...
BRONX HISTORIANS HONOR BASEBALL'S CATHEDRAL
There are Yankee fans and then there are Bronx Yankee fans. The former worship the Bombers from afar, cloak the ball club in myth and visit the ballpark on vacation....
The Daily Whacks, Thursday Edition
You can count me among the tweetin' Twitterers (or is that the Twitterin' tweeters?) now: http://twitter.com/MikeVacc*******To paraphrase a time-honored corporate slogan: winning has its privileges. Imagine, if you will, if...
5 OFFICERS SHOT, 2 SUSPECTS DEAD IN NJ SHOOTOUT
Eight police officers -- including five who sustained gunshot wounds -- were injured today in Jersey City during an early morning shootout, authorities said. The suspects, identified only as a...
Today's Haute
Click through to read the full version...
TOM WATSON, 59, TAKES LEAD AT BRITSH OPEN
TURNBERRY, Scotland -- Tom Watson has shot a 5-under 65 to claim the lead at the British Open.Follow the Action Live The 59-year-old Watson, a five-time Open champion, posted his...
3 UP: PEDRO, ALL-STAR GAME, MO
Yes, I am on Twitter.1. Pedro Martinez is fascinating again. What we don't know is if he is actually still a quality major league pitcher. And that only helps fuel...
GIAMBI WANTS BETTER 2ND HALF WITH A'S
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Jason Giambi's first half was forgettable to say the least. Back in the place where he began his career, Giambi is frustrated with his offensive woes for...
CHURCH FACING METS IN FIRST ATLANTA GAME
ATLANTA -- Ryan Church knew he wouldn't have to wait long for his reunion with his former Mets teammates when he left New York last week. CHAT REWINDNEW PHILLIE PEDRO...
REPORT: CLEMENS PROBE TURNS TO EX-GYM OWNER
A former gym owner in the Houston area reportedly has been issued a subpoena by the Washington grand jury investigating whether Roger Clemens lied to Congress about using performance-enhancing drugs....
HONDO NOT API CAMPER
Hondo went for broke yesterday, but his horses -- Interference and Api Mohkat at Belmont, and Lucilu Hanover at the Big M -- went for naught, so the earnings fell...
SPORTS SHORTS
FOOTBALL: Suggs snags record deal Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs signed a six-year, $63 million contract yesterday, making him the highest-paid linebacker in NFL history. Had Suggs not signed, he would...
FAVRE: DECISION BY CAMP
HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- Brett Favre acknowledged he's "running out of time" to decide whether he'll play for the Vikings this season. GIANTS NFC FAVORITESFAVRE BLAMES INJURY AGAIN The quarterback told...
MATT HOLLIDAY SLUMBER SHOWS GM OMAR MINAYA'S FAILURES
I HEARD something last week that I just could not believe and so I checked it out with Omar Minaya and -- to my astonishment -- it was true: The...
L.I. GEEZERS SHOW METS HOW IT'S DONE
Jerry Manuel's coaching staff just got a lot bigger. Boasting more than a millennium's worth of experience, a feisty group of elderly Long Island softball players filmed an instructional video...
FRANCOEUR ADDS TWIST TO METS-BRAVES RIVALRY
Are the Mets mad as hell -- and not going to take it anymore? Or are they just bad as hell? Jeff Francoeur maybe had the right idea for the...
MIDSUMMER REPORT CARD: METS
Despite the highest payroll in the National League ($143 million) and more All-Stars (four) than any team in the Senior Circuit, the Mets entered the break in fourth place in...
TIGER, TOP STARS OUT TO JOIN WATSON, SHARK AND PRICE
TURNBERRY, Scotland -- Perhaps more than in any other major championship in golf, the British Open tests the players' willingness to strategize their way around links courses. There are more...
PERRY GLAD HE CHOSE CUP OVER JUG IN '08
TURNBERRY, Scotland -- Kenny Perry was skewered last year for not competing in the British Open, and this week he still is offering no apologies for his absence. Perry continued...
WINNER IN B'KLYN 'FLEA'-FOR-ALL
It's a tale of two new Brooklyn flea markets - one chic, the other just cheap. In DUMBO, tourists and local hipsters are now spending their Sundays at the Brooklyn...
FAMILY GUY DUVAL HAS OPENED EYES
TURNBERRY, Scotland -- David Duval reintroduced himself to the world of golf last year at Royal Birkdale, when he was well in the mix for the Claret Jug through 36...
CROOKED POL OFF TO PRISON
No summer break from jail for crooked ex-pol Brian McLaughlin. The former Democratic assemblyman from Queens yesterday failed to put off his 10-year term for stealing $3.1 million from an...
CHURCHIN' URCHINS
Michael Jackson was a lapsed Jehovah's Witness, but now that his holyroller family has the kids, they're making sure they get some religion. Jacko's 11-year-old daughter, Paris, and her brothers,...
AN E-MAIL SLAM DUMP!
Former Net star Richard Jefferson admitted yesterday that he told his beautiful bride-to-be that their wedding was off in an e-mail -- stunning her just days before their planned posh...
BUENOS BEAUTY LIES LOW
Here's the sexy siren who lured South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford into a steamy, yearlong affair that imploded when the lovesick pol ditched his wife and four boys -- and...
NEW PHILLIE PEDRO STILL 'LOVES' METS
PHILADELPHIA -- Pedro Martinez insists he doesn't want to face the Mets or see them fail.CHAT REWIND Rather, the newest Phillie admitted yesterday that he wanted to pitch for the...
YANKEES, RED SOX VEGAS FAVORITES
The Yankees and Red Sox are not just 1-2 in the AL East standings, the two teams are also viewed as the favorites to win the World Series this fall...
BECKHAM BOOSTS MLS FANBASE, AND BAD BLOOD
LANDON Donovan says he "knows what he was doing," but nevertheless regrets calling out David Beckham for his indifference to their Los Angeles Galaxy. This is a team to which...
BECKHAM RETURNS VS. RED BULLS
Tonight at Giants Stadium, Galaxy stars David Beckham and Landon Donovan will take the field for the first time since the release of Grant Wahl's book "The Beckham Experiment," play...
'FIGHT CLUB' BABY BOOMER
A "Fight Club"- obsessed Chelsea teen was arrested yesterday for using the movie's message as an excuse to set off the Memorial Day blast outside a Starbucks on the Upper...
TOTS ORPHANED AS 'OLDEST' MA DIES
MADRID, Spain -- A Spanish woman believed to have become the world's oldest new mother when she gave birth at 66 has died at 69, leaving behind twin toddlers, it...
RUSSIA HERO MURDERED
MOSCOW -- A prominent Russian activist who investigated abductions, killings and other human-rights abuses in Chechnya was shot to death yesterday, found lying on a road with two bullet wounds...
NINJA-SLAY PROBE BREAK
PENSACOLA, Fla. -- Eight people have been charged in a precisely executed, deadly break-in at a Florida Panhandle home, but authorities are still seeking at least one more accomplice who...
IMPASSE IN WTC $$ FIGHT
The Port Authority's latest offer to increase its financial support for Larry Silverstein's World Trade Center office towers by $1.2 billion doesn't go far enough for the developer -- making...
HILL BLAME GAME
WASHINGTON -- Two days after she rapped the White House for stalling appointments, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton also blamed her ex-Senate colleagues. "I had no idea when I...
MAN OF SPIEL REARRESTED
Look, up in the sky! It's a bird -- a jailbird! Superman -- whose alter-ego is not-so-mild-mannered street artist Maksim Katsnelson -- was busted Tuesday night in Columbus Circle, where...
NYC'S OTHER OUTDOOR CONCERT SCENE
* JellyNYC Pool Parties The dodge-ball games and music have relocated from McCarren Park to the "Williamsburg Waterfront" -- a k a East River Skate Park. The Dirty Projectors play...
SEASIDE ALIVE WITH THE SOUND OF MUSIC
CONEY Island doesn't just have hot-dog eating contests and a stomach-churning roller coaster. It has mega musical stars, and for the same price as walking on the boardwalk: free, making...
SUMMER LOVIN'
DON'T get Zooey Deschanel started on the Los Angeles haters. "It's so annoying! Everyone secretly wants to live here, that's why so many people are so adamant about hating it,"...
HAUTE LIST
Lately our shorts mantra has gone from tight and short to loose and slouchy. Think cutoff denim and easy boyfriend-fit bottoms for that comfy worn-in look we're feeling right now....
JONAS BROTHERS
When the recorded drum beats of Queen's "We Will Rock You" began to hammer, thousands of schoolgirls leapt out of their seats and united in a single boy-hungry scream. At...
CAT (WALK) CLUB
AS if the world weren't already their clubhouse, members of the city's best-looking profession have a new ultra-exclusive place to kick back. If you are a tall, svelte and beautiful...
HEP C ALERT AT HOSPITAL
A Westchester hospital is notifying 2,700 patients of possible exposure to hepatitis C after learning that an ex-employee is suspected of exposing nearly 6,000 patients in Colorado to the disease...
168 KILLED IN IRAN JET HORROR
TEHRAN, Iran -- A Russian-made jetliner carrying 168 people nose-dived into a field after takeoff yesterday in a fiery crash that killed everyone aboard. Witnesses said the plane's tail was...
WATT'S THAT?
While the rest of the car industry is reeling, electric carmaker Tesla Motors is rolling into New York. The company behind the $109,000 Roadster unveiled its 4,700-square-foot showroom on 25th...
XXX RUB & 'ROB'
An exotic dancer who advertised erotic massages on Cragislist was robbed at her Queens home by two men posing as police officers, police said yesterday. The phony cops handcuffed the...
A LUCKY 7 IN SUBWAY RANKINGS
Finally, there's a winner coming out of Citi Field. The No. 7 train has scored big as the city's top subway line -- with some of the cleanest cars, clearest...
POT SWEDENER
After months of mudslinging, the Countess and the Mogul have halted their lurid divorce trial and are on the brink of settling. Early reports from sources who've been briefed on...
TALE OF THE THUG'S TAIL
Day or night, rain or shine, wherever he goes, cops are right behind him. Authorities have kept a 24/7 watch on Joseph Pabon since the body of downtown office cleaner...
CY'S 100G ADVANCE
Manhattan district attorney candidate Cyrus Vance Jr., dipped into his personal piggy bank to donate $100,000 to his campaign, according to campaign-finance records. The former prosecutor, whom retiring DA Robert...
TO HEIRE$$ IS HUMAN
PARIS -- A French court will examine whether the elderly heiress to the L'Oréal fortune, Europe's richest woman, was in her right mind when she lavished gifts worth close to...
GROCERY-EXEC 'PERV' BAGGED
A bigwig at the Gristedes supermarket chain was charged with trying to have sex with a person he thought was a 14-year-old girl he met online -- but who turned...
MAKE ROOM, BERNIE
Bernard Madoff's longtime accountant agreed yesterday to waive his right to have a grand jury hear charges he covered up the fraudster's misdeeds for years, setting the stage for a...
'COKE' RAP KISSED OFF
LONDON -- Top tennis player Richard Gasquet escaped a lengthy doping ban yesterday when officials ruled that he inadvertently took cocaine by kissing a woman in a nightclub. The Frenchman,...
B'KLYN CONDOS RI$ING
Finally, a glimmer of hope in Brooklyn's reeling real-estate market. Although sale prices across the borough remain down compared to the prior year much like the rest of the city,...
RANGEL'S LEGAL BILL HITS 723G
WASHINGTON -- Embattled Harlem Rep. Charles Rangel, who is the subject of an ever-broadening congressional ethics investigation, has paid out more than $723,000 in legal fees so far this year,...
THOMPSON'S SPENDING SPREE
City Comptroller Bill Thompson spent three times as much as he raised in the past two months in his effort to unseat billionaire Mayor Bloomberg, records released yesterday show. Thompson,...
DEM HEALTH RX A POI$ON PILL IN NY
Congressional plans to fund a massive health-care overhaul could have a job-killing effect on New York, creating a tax rate of nearly 60 percent for the state's top earners and...
MIKE: DETENTION FOR OUT-OF-CONTROL BOZOS
Here we go again. A furious Mayor Bloomberg yesterday called on Gov. Paterson to keep do-nothing senators in Albany as plans to renew the city's expired school-governance law crumbled while...
BOY, 13, STABBED TO DEATH
A 13-year-old boy was stabbed to death with a screwdriver after a confrontation with a group of teens on a Brooklyn street last night, police sources said. Miguel Saavedra was...
OUI TO SUNDAYS
PARIS -- French legislators yesterday approved a divisive bill allowing more stores to stay open on Sundays. The law fulfills a pledge from President Nicolas Sarkozy to give the French...
WEST POINT TRIAL A LOT OF HOOP-LA
A federal judge in White Plains is trying a First Amendment case brought by civilians ousted from a West Point basketball game for wearing anti-war T-shirts. Together, they spelled out...
RELIC'S NEW 'SHELF' LIFE
LONDON -- A church is donating a rare 1502 hymnal to a Manchester University library, where church members say it can receive better care. The Latin hymnal was published in...
SCHOOL WARRIOR
Former Secretary of State Colin Powell joined an NAACP panel of civil-rights giants yesterday and urged a new generation of leaders to declare war on failure in America's schools. "There's...
MORE JAIL FOR FAKE SUICIDE
Hedge-fund crook Samuel Israel III was slapped with an extra two years behind bars yesterday for staging a "brazen" phony suicide to avoid 20 years in prison. Judge Kenneth Karas...
NYPD DAILY BLOTTER
Brooklyn A 24-year-old mother was fatally shot during an apparent dispute with her child's father, law-enforcement sources said yesterday. Greyssel Gomez, 24, was killed at about 8:15 p.m. Tuesday at...
AMPUTEE COP SPIRITS LIFTED
An NYPD cop who lost his leg in an off-duty motorcycle accident three years ago made a heartfelt hospital visit to a Brooklyn narcotics officer just hours after his leg...
RUSH TO FILL 'SLUSH' SEAT
With federal charges staring him in the face, just-resigned City Councilman Miguel Martinez fled the city to avoid the media while Mayor Bloomberg's immigration chief stepped down so he could...
O-NAMED SCHOOLS HAVE YES WE CAN-DO SPIRIT
Here's one way to hail the chief. Schools named in honor of President Obama are popping up with increasing frequency these days -- with two city and two New Jersey...
JARRING ASTOR'S MEMORY
Brooke Astor was so Alzheimer's-addled after turning 100 that she often asked for a page of her own autobiography to be read out loud to her just to recall "names...
CASH BASH AS ANDY KOS GOV
ALBANY -- Attorney General Andrew Cuomo trounced Gov. Paterson by 2-1 in the race to raise the most money for a 2010 gubernatorial run, and also has twice as much...
SONIA DODGES ABORT DEBATE
WASHINGTON -- Sonia Sotomayor yesterday insisted President Obama never asked her where she stood on abortion before he tapped her for the Supreme Court, as she dodged efforts from senators...
SOBERING RULING FOR 'ENTRAP' COP
MADISON, Wis. -- A teen knew he was too drunk to drive home after a concert south of Milwaukee. So he fell asleep in his car, only to be awoken...
CAT KILLER MEOWTRAGE
The fur started flying in a Bronx courthouse yesterday when a teenager charged with baking her ex-girlfriend's cat in an oven taunted animal-rights activists after pleading guilty to animal cruelty....
FIT SUSPECT VANISHES
One of two men who accompanied a beautiful FIT student to a party the night she was murdered has disappeared, and is now the target of a police manhunt, sources...
SLEDGEHAMMER HIT TO CRUMBLING EMPIRE STATE
NEW YORK'S economy and tax base, already sagging in a deep recession, would take another huge hit under Rep. Charles Rangel's plan to impose a surtax on high-income households to...
WEIRD BUT TRUE
Crystal meth is a hell of a drug. A Prunedale, Calif., man was busted for allegedly getting hopped up on drugs, getting naked and chasing his landlady around his apartment...
HARRY'S MAKER
WATCHING tonight's ABC's special, "J.K. Rowling: A Year In The Life," a day after seeing "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," felt almost like being a wizard with precognitive talents....
'LOST' OPERA AMID A HIDDEN GARDEN
ON muggy summer nights, the Caramoor Festival offers an escape that's both cool and cultural. Set amid the luxurious Caramoor estate in Katonah, a little more than an hour north...
OVERLONG, PADDED GRAY AREA
NO matter how abstract, a dance inhabits a world that it creates. It seems Emanuel Gat's world is gray. Gat, an Israeli modern dance choreographer, brought his company to the...
'MOTHER' OF ALL FAILURES
THERE are mysteries our puny brains sim ply cannot solve. What happened to the people of Roa noke Island? Who created Stonehenge? How did Holland Taylor and Buck Henry end...
STAR HOMER
A close finish helped Tuesday's All-Star game hit a home run. The game, a 4-3 American League victory, averaged 14.6 million viewers on Fox -- up from 14.5 million who...
SMARTER THAN MALIA?
SHE'S out of fifth grade now, but that didn't stop the producers of "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?" from inviting Malia Obama to be on the show next...
DISHING IT OUT
THE chefs are fighting back this season on Fox's "Hell's Kitchen." The sixth season of Gordon Ramsay's cooking competition series kicks off Tuesday and, for the first time ever, a...
TAKE TWO ON TWITTER TV SHOW
TWITTER nation is tweeting about an other proposed TV show based on the popular social networking site. This time it's a reality series called "Final Tweet" -- and this time...
TAVARES TO FACE PENGUINS IN OPENER
John Tavares officially became an Islander yesterday, signing a three-year entry level contract. And the NHL isn't wasting any time putting the current No. 1 pick on display. REPORT: Devils'...
TORTORELLA: YOUTH WILL SERVE RANGERS
As usual, it appears as if the Rangers will begin training camp with essentially every spot on the depth chart filled by free-agent and trade acquisitions. But head coach John...
TIM THOMAS COULD JOIN KNICKS FOR 3RD TIME
LAS VEGAS -- A third Knicks' stint for Tim Thomas? It could happen. Team president Donnie Walsh is investigating the possibility of signing the 6-foot-10 Thomas, likely for the veteran's...
CASHMAN QUIET ABOUT HALLADAY
TRENTON -- Brian Cashman said nothing about Roy Halladay yesterday, citing Major League Baseball tampering policy -- but also nothing that would lead you to believe the Yankees are out...
AGENT: DEAL DELAY NOT LEON'S FAULT
Leon Washington's agent says a contract extension with the Jets is being delayed by the team, not the running back. Alvin Keels used his Twitter page yesterday to reveal, "I...
NETS' HILL CAN TALK WITH PISTONS
The man who gave Lawrence Frank his NBA coaching start, Nets assistant Brian Hill, can talk with the Pistons about joining coach John Kuester's staff. "Brian is a very good...
FEDS NIX CIT AID; FACE LOSS
The Obama administration drew a line in the sand on financial bailouts last night by denying emergency aid to CIT Group, which could cost it $3.2 billion in TARP funds....
REGULATORS LET SPECULATORS TRADE WORTHLESS GENERAL MOTORS STOCKS
A roll of Charmin and General Motors stock are similar in two ways -- first, they both cost about 50 cents and second, each is good for only one thing....
USED PARTS DEPT.
Ron Bloom, the head of President Obama's auto task force, is defending one of his lieutenants, who is facing questions about a potential conflict of interest in the government-brokered sale...
VERIZON OFFERS SOCIAL SERVICES
Verizon, in another move to differentiate itself from its cable and satellite television competition, announced two new applications for its FiOS TV service that aim to capitalize on the popularity...
GEITHNER: BUCK IS STABLE
United Arab Emirates Central Bank Governor Sultan bin Nasser al-Suwaidi said that US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner reassured him regarding the stability of the dollar during his visit to the...
SECURITY 'TWEETED'
For such a sophisticated and secretive company, Twitter is proving to be an awfully easy target for computer hackers. A hacker swiped hundreds of confidential documents about Twitter and its...
TZOLOV CAUGHT HIDING IN SPAIN
Julian Tzolov, a former Wall Street broker who's been the subject of an international manhunt since he disappeared in May, was arrested on the southern coast of Spain yesterday, paving...
BUSINESS BRIEFS
Eddie auction Eddie Bauer Hold ings, which filed for bankruptcy last month, received bids for its as sets from Iconix Brand Group Inc. and VF Corp., according to two people...
BING SETS ITS SIGHTS ON YAHOO!
Microsoft's new Bing search engine grabbed market share at the expense of Yahoo! rather than Google, ComScore said. Microsoft's share of US searches rose to 8.4 percent in June from...
GETTING 'TRUMPED'
Donald Trump's bid to silence an author who claims the developer is worth far less than the billions he claims was dealt a major blow after a New Jersey judge...
FED LACKS CREDIBILITY FOR OVERSIGHT: REPORT
A group of prominent investors and ex-regulators are opposing the Obama administration's plans to give the Federal Reserve the authority to regulate the nation's financial risk, saying the Fed's credibility...
PAULSON THREATENED LEWIS OVER BLOCKING BOFA-MERRILL MERGER
Hank Paulson yesterday acknowledged for the first time that he did in fact bully Bank of America chief Ken Lewis with threats of a federal seizure of his boardroom if...
GREEN SHOOTS ABOUND IN GLOBAL STOCK RALLY
A welcome spate of economic recovery signs ignited a global stock rally yesterday. Federal Reserve officials got the ball rolling with a rosy forecast in its minutes that the recession...
APPLE HANGS UP ON PALM'S PRE
SAN FRANCISCO -- Apple Inc. has shut down one of the most compelling features on Palm Inc.'s rival Pre smart phone, crippling the Pre's ability to act like an iPod....
NY TIMES PINCHED BY CARLOS SLIM
New York Times Co. CEO Arthur "Pinch" Sulzberger Jr. yesterday acknowledged that the company is paying a sky-high interest rate to borrow millions from Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim, but argued...
NEIMAN MARCUS' NEW CREDIT
Neiman Marcus -- confirming an exclusive May 15 report by The Post -- that said it has entered into a $600 million amended-credit agreement. The Dallas-based luxury retailer, which also...
GOOD TO B. HOME
When lifestyle guru B. Smith entered the Central Park South apartment that would eventually become her home, two thoughts were immediate. The first was that she and her husband, Dan...
THE FIX IS IN
LAST October, Lucia Matioli wanted to renovate the prewar one-bedroom co-op that she had just bought on the Upper West Side. When she began running numbers with her contractor, she...
HELPING HANDY
The classic wisdom about a big, splashy renovation is that it can boost the resale value of your home. But in 2009, a renovation can be more like a requirement...
LONE STARS
THE cheapest of all renovations is the do-it-yourself renovation. And there are many relatively easy jobs you can do to add flash and value to your apartment -- even if...
TWO FOR THE MONEY
The most money ever for a two-week East End rental will be paid for a fortnight in August: an eye-popping $425,000. And the home isn't even near the ocean. The...
JUST SOLD!
Manhattan CHELSEA $2,675,000 155 W. 15th St. Four-bedroom, four-bath duplex loft co-op, 3,140 square feet, with kitchen with Sub-Zero and Viking appliances and Bisazza tiles, renovated bath, fireplace, laundry room,...
SOHO
Bedrooms: 2 Bathrooms: 2½ Square feet: 1,815 Maintenance: $2,746 -- Not only is this co-op duplex on West Houston Street located at the "convenient" crossroads of the Village and SoHo,...
FLUSHING, QUEENS
Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 2½ Lot square feet: 1,463 -- Don't be surprised if you get attached to this "totally renovated" attached brick Tudor, built in 1945. It boasts a sunken...
CHAPPAQUA, NY
Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 4 Square feet: 4,212 -- Almost paradise? Touted as "your very own Shangri-la," this "exceptional" center-hall Colonial sits on 2 landscaped acres that include a "magnificent" 46-foot-long...
EAST VILLAGE
Bedrooms: 1 Bathrooms: 1 Square feet: 680 Maintenance: $704 -- The mix you want: prewar details, modern appliances and full service. This "elegant and chic" corner co-op in a doorman...
BAY RIDGE, BROOKLYN
Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 4 Square feet: 2,500 Maintenance: $1,400 -- This gut-renovated co-op on Shore Road was combined from two apartments, then refurbished to "absolute perfection" -- with herringbone floors,...
BOWERY
The Bowery really isn't what it used to be -- down-and-out has given way to "downtown urban chic." That's the calling card of this "luxury boutique condo" -- the "tallest"...
UPPER WEST SIDE
The Donald has always liked to do things big, and it shows with this "extraordinary" private-floor condo, 29 stories up the Trump Place on Riverside Boulevard. Among the nearly 3,000...
HILL'S DIPLO HANDOUT: A SNUB TO NEW YORK
Should we be surprised that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is letting these foreign consulates off the hook for not paying taxes to New York City to the tune of...
OBAMA'S NEXT LABOR OF LABOR-LOVE
HOW does the Obama administration love organized labor? Let us count the ways it uses power to repay unions for helping to put it in power. It has given the...
THESE PLANS WILL REDUCE YOUR CHOICE
AT the White House's urging, Congress is going to try to overhaul Ameri ca's health-care system -- a sixth of the entire US economy -- in the next three weeks....
LEFTY KINGMAKERS?
THE tiny, leftist Working Families Party may in effect choose the next Man hattan district attorney -- one of the most important law-enforcement posts in the nation. The successor to...
HERE COMES OBAMACARE
It's full steam ahead for ObamaCare -- the radical health-care "reform" pack age that Congressional Democrats are trying to steamroll to passage by the end of the summer. And now...
THE WORST SHOW ON EARTH
The state Senate faced its first serious test yesterday since supposedly end ing the month-long, 31-31 partisan stalemate. It failed. Spectacularly. Democratic rats Carl Kruger and Ruben Diaz Sr. jumped...
COUNTESS VS. MOGUL DIVORCE CASE HEADED FOR SETTLEMENT TALKS
After months of mudslinging, the Countess and the Mogul have halted their lurid divorce trial and are on the brink of settling, according to sources who've been briefed on the...
Knicks lay an egg
Starting in Las Vegas summer league, you can follow me with updates on Twitter.By MARC BERMANLAS VEGAS - This was one was ugly. Maybe even alarming. They didn't guard and...
Merritt on the hook
You can now follow Beating the Bushes on Twitter, including live coverage of tonight's Eastern League All-Star Game in Trenton: https://twitter.com/NYP_Bushes**********Roy Merritt looks like he's going to take the loss...
Update on local players in EL All-Star Game
You can now follow Beating the Bushes on Twitter, including live coverage of tonight's Eastern League All-Star Game in Trenton: https://twitter.com/NYP_Bushes**********Here's how all of the local talent in the Eastern...