July 21, 2009
JUDGE BLOCKS NY'S LT GOV APPOINTMENT
A judge has issued an order blocking the appointment of the man New York Gov. David Paterson had named as his lieutenant governor. State Supreme Court Justice William LaMarca in...
Jays' GM Moves Up Halladay Deadline
APBlue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi still hasn't received an appropriate trade offer for Roy Halladay, and has set a July 28 deadline to complete a deal for the 2003...
'The Saboteur' does Paris: that's hot
Pandemic Studios has announced that their latest open-world sandbox action game, "The Saboteur," will hit stores on Dec. 8.According to the release put out by EA - the umbrella company...
RATHER'S SUIT AGAINST CBS COMES BACK TO LIFE
If you believe Dan Rather's lawsuit against CBS is close to finished, folks, you'll believe rocks can grow. The anchor's $70 million lawsuit against his former employers got a new...
Leon: I want to stay with Jets
Leon Washington sounds like a guy who will be at training camp.Washington, frustrated at the lack of a contract extension, has threatened to sit out the mandatory camp starting July...
Maine, Reyes in PSL simulation
WASHINGTON -- The Mets finally got some good news on the injury front today when John Maine threw a 65-pitch simulated game in Port St. Lucie.The Mets remain hopeful that...
DL trip possible for Sheffield
WASHINGTON -- Gary Sheffield is not in the Mets' lineup again here tonight and appears likely to go on the disabled list Friday if his ailing right hamstring doesn't show...
DEVELOPER THREATENS CITY'S CONEY ISLAND PLANS
A developer who owns much of the land the city needs to redevelop Coney Island threatened today to kick sand on Mayor Bloomberg's 47-acre rezoning plan for the rundown seaside...
WILLOW SMITH FASHIONS 'TRUE' TV DEBUT
"TRUE Jackson, VP" is getting some Will Smith action -- Willow Smith, that is. The 8-year-old budding actress, daughter of Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, is lending her comedic chops...
CIAO BLOOMBERG!
The sweet smell of fried zeppole and the delirious fun of gravity-defying rides of the 2009 Giglio Festival, entertaining thousands of Brooklynites for the past two weeks, attracted one more...
COMMUNITY STALWART ROSEMARIE O'KEEFE DIES
Rosemarie O'Keefe, the firebrand activist whose civic career took her from her quaint Bay Ridge block to the city's rarefied halls of power, died July 17 at Calvary Hospital's Brooklyn...
LOCALS NOT SOLD ON DAY CARE
An alfresco meeting last week did little to sway Marine Park residents that a day care facility would be an appropriate addition to their quaint block. According to those in...
LAST SMASH FOR BK RACQUET CLUB
It was game, set and match for the Brooklyn Racquet Club this week, which shuttered its doors after nearly four decades of serving the borough. The club, located at 2781...
BROOKLYN DREAMS FACES FIGHT IN DISTRICT 22
Brooklyn Dreams Charter School has no place in School District 22, parents say. A public hearing last week brought out a few dozen parents, educators and politicians opposed to the...
'MIKEY CIGARS' CONVICTED OF RACKETEERING, CLEARED OF MURDER
A Genovese capo who spent nearly 11 years on the lam to avoid arrest for a decades-old mob rubout was convicted of racketeering today, but cleared of the murder. Michael...
QUEENS PERVERT ARRESTED AGAIN FOR MOLESTING TWO MORE CHILDREN
A Queens school bus aide accused of sexually abusing a young boy was re-arrested at court today for allegedly molesting two other children, authorities said. Darnell Washington, 20, was arrested...
DUO SUSPECTED OF ROBBING MAN IN WHEELCHAIR
Two crooks claiming to be cops broke into the Long Island home of a wheelchair-bound man who lost both legs in a car accident and ran off with his jewelry,...
Opening doors in Harlem
The Kalahari, a new building in HarlemIf you have a hankering to live in Harlem, here's a good way to check out what the neighborhood has to offer in terms...
42 CHARGED IN LI CONTRACTING SCAM
Nearly four dozen unlicensed Long Island contractors were more skilled at pulling in thousands of dollars for jobs -- than actually doing the work, officials said today. Nassau DA Kathleen...
SECOND AVENUE SUBWAY LINE HIT BY DELAYS
Yet more delays on the MTA's two largest subway projects will cost a total of up to another $1.3 billion and leave straphangers without the improvements for at least more...
RBNY's Ernst Obster has P-1, flying to U.S.
Follow the Post's Red Bull coverage on Twitter!Newly-signed Red Bull winger Ernst Obster has physically received his P-1 visa in the mail, and is en route to the U.S.The 25-year-old...
MARC ANTHONY BECOMES DOLPHINS MINORITY OWNER
NEW YORK -- Singer Marc Anthony is the latest music star to join forces with the Miami Dolphins. The team announced Tuesday that he will become a minority owner. Singer...
CHANNEL ONE NETWORK TO TEAM UP WITH CBS NEWS
NEW YORK -- Channel One Network says it will be teaming up with CBS News to produce its daily newscast for teens. Starting this fall, CBS News Productions will co-produce...
Game 93: Mets at Nationals
(UPDATED: 3:20 P.M.) WASHINGTON -- Oliver Perez will be in search of his third consecutive respectable start since coming off the disabled list when the Mets take on the last-place...
FREDDIE MAC NAMES NEW CEO
WASHINGTON -- Charles "Ed" Haldeman Jr., a former mutual fund executive, will take the helm of Freddie Mac next month, the mortgage finance company said Tuesday. Three weeks ago, Haldeman,...
TALIBAN BOMBERS HIT TWO AFGHAN CITIES
GARDEZ, Afghanistan -- Suspected Taliban militants launched near-simultaneous assaults Tuesday on Afghan and U.S. facilities in two eastern cities in attacks that killed six Afghan police and intelligence officers as...
POT-GROWING 'POTTER' ACTOR GETS COMMUNITY SERVICE
LONDON -- A judge has sentenced a cast member of the "Harry Potter" films to 120 hours of community service for growing marijuana. Twenty-year-old Jamie Waylett, who plays school bully...
THROGS NECK BRIDGE TO BE 'NEAR NORMAL' AUG. 10
Officials say repairs will return the Throgs Neck Bridge to "near normal" by Aug. 10 -- a month after a construction fire that has caused traffic chaos. The Metropolitan Transportation...
JUDGE RULES LAW FIRM CAN USE TRUMP'S NAME
There was one place Donald Trump didn't like seeing his name - but he's gotten over it. Trump had sued the prestigious law firm of Morrison Cohen last year for...
Video: Ryan O'Neal Talks Farrah Fawcett
For the first time since her death, longtime partner Ryan O'Neal is speaking about Farrah Fawcett."Her eyes were open for the last three weeks of her life, watching us," O'Neal...
DEALS: Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans
Are you a fresh-out-of-high-school 18-year-old who's thinking about enlisting in the army? Don't let your sobbing Mom dissuade you -- the perks, however few, rule. Not only are you able...
Jeanne Moreau in New York?
Who's bringing Jeanne Moreau to the New York stage? The French actress just starred in a show directed by Israeli filmmaker Amos Gitai ("Kadosh," "Kippur") at the Avignon Festival. Titled...
SENATE VOTES TO HALT F-22 RAPTOR PRODUCTION
WASHINGTON -- The Senate voted Tuesday to halt production of the Air Force's missile-eluding F-22 Raptor fighter jets in a high-stakes, veto-laden showdown over President Barack Obama's efforts to shift...
WHITE PLAINS MAN GETS 25 YRS FOR BEATING GIRLFRIEND TO DEATH
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- A man who beat his girlfriend to death with a metal baseball bat in their suburban home has been sentenced to at least 25 years in...
YONKERS MOM CHARGED WITH LEAVING 3 KIDS ALONE
YONKERS, N.Y. -- Authorities say a Yonkers woman faces charges of child endangerment after her three young children were found home alone at 1 a.m. Police Capt. Daniel Daly says...
MURDER SUSPECT MISTAKENLY RELEASED IS RECAPTURED
VALHALLA, N.Y. -- Officials say a murder suspect that was mistakenly released from a jail in suburban New York has been recaptured. The Westchester County Department of Corrections says 21-year-old...
Nets interested in Celtics' Davis
The Nets have expressed interested in signing Celtics' restricted free-agent Glen Davis along with a slew of other players, a team source confirmed.But the Nets, who have their $5.8 million...
THROGS NECK TO BE REOPENED TO TRUCKS JULY 25 AFTER FIRE
Transit officials said Tuesday they plan to re-open the fire-damaged Throgs Neck bridge to most trucks July 25 and restore the span to near normal by Aug. 10. "We are...
THOMPSON SAYS BLOOMBERG INFLATED GRADUATION RATES
Mayoral candidate Bill Thompson Jr. today said the Bloomberg administration inflated graduation rates by letting students graduate without finishing all their requirements. But Mayor Bloomberg's campaign said graduation rates rose...
Mets don't have much to sell
By JUSTIN TERRANOVAIn less than three weeks the Mets have dropped from one game out in the NL East to nine games behind the Phillies.And unless the rest of the...
CHARGES DROPPED AGAINST HARVARD PROFESSOR HENRY GATES
Charges against a famed black Harvard scholar arrested in his own home were dropped today. The city of Cambridge, Mass., issued a statement saying the arrest of Henry Louis "Skip"...
NO BIDDERS FOR WATERGATE HOTEL
WASHINGTON -- The Watergate Hotel, part of the complex made famous by a presidential scandal, has failed to attract any bids at auction and has been taken back by the...
FED CHAIRMAN BEN BERNANKE SAYS ECONOMY IS IMPROVING
WASHINGTON -- Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke on Tuesday said the outlook for the long-suffering U.S. economy was improving but that supportive policies would be needed for some time to...
JOE BIDEN GOES TO KIEV, STICKS FOOT IN MOUTH
WASHINGTON -- Wherever Joe Biden goes, so does his mouth. Meeting today with Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko in Kiev, the vice president lived up to his reputation for loose lips...
OBAMA DEFENDS WEARING JEANS AT ALL-STAR GAME
WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama acknowledges "I'm a little frumpy," and says he's not worried about it. Asked in an NBC "Today" show interview about the well-worn bluejeans he wore...
NY TEAMS STILL NOT PURSUING HALLADAY
A Blue Jays official involved in the Roy Halladay discussions told The Post that both New York teams are not serious pursuers of the ace right-hander.The official confirmed what several...
Coverage in The Post
WASHINGTON -- While Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel were confirming that their jobs are supposedly safe, the Mets and Livan Hernandez went out Monday night and did what they were...
MAN SHOT WITH TASER IN AUSTRALIA BURSTS INTO FLAMES
Western Australia's top cop has defended the use of a Taser gun on a man who burst into flames after allegedly running at police with fuel and a cigarette lighter....
NASSAU COUNTY EXPECTS TO AVOID LAYOFFS
Nassau County believes it can avoid layoffs despite a fat budget gap. A negotiated cut in the number of workers, pared with other cost-cutting moves, should enable the county to...
The Daily Whacks, Tuesday Edition
You can count me among the tweetin' Twitterers (or is that the Twitterin' tweeters?) now: http://twitter.com/MikeVacc*******It really is some kind of interesting world, isn't it, when Joe Girardi is put...
Knicks in Session
Starting in Las Vegas summer league, you can follow me with updates on Twitter.By MARC BERMANSteve Nash decided to take the money now and sign a contract extension. Grant Hill,...
AUTHOR HOSTS GOTH TEA PARTY IN BROOKLYN GRAVEYARD
The author of "Gothic Charm School," Jillian Venters, says one doesn't have be an anti-social twerp to be a part of the dark, goth culture. To prove the point, the...
SCORES DEAD IN PAKISTAN CLASHES
PESHAWAR, Pakistan -- Three days of clashes between security forces and militants in northwest Pakistan near the Afghan border left more than 56 militants and six soldiers dead, the military...
3 UP: MINAYA/MANUEL JOB SECURITY, YANKEE HRS AND ROTATION DEPTH
Yes, I am on Twitter.1. There are no surprises that Jeff Wilpon has given a vote of confidence to Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel when it comes to this year....
Did Mets reject Halladay deal?
SI.com reports the Mets have turned down a trade proposal for Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay.Toronto requested outfielder Fernando Martinez, pitcher Bobby Parnell, pitcher Jonathan Niese and shortstop Ruben Tejada.The...
JERSEY CITY COP DIES AFTER WILD SHOOTOUT
JERSEY CITY, NJ - Officer Marc DiNardo, who was shot in a wild shootout last week in Jersey City, died this morning after he was taken off life support. Meanwhile,...
Report: Devils, Zajac bound for arbitration
NJ.com reports Devils center Travis Zajac "and general manager Lou Lamoriello are headed for Friday's arbitration hearing, a process that is often nasty."Lamoriello says the team has not decided whether...
Dept. of Dubious Projects: Diaz, Cage Latest Bad Omens for 'Hornet'
So how much much of the special effects budget for "The Green Hornet'' going to be spent making the aging bad actress Cameron Diaz a credible love interest for the...
DVD Extra: Hitchcock Goes Blu-ray
Warner Home Video's long-awaited 8K restoration of "North by Northwest'' is set to arrive on Blu-ray and a two-disc special edition DVD on Nov. 3. Hitchcock's most entertaining flick and...
DIET SODA DIATRIBE
COKE is apparently not It in Venezuela. The government there recently took the step of banning Coke Zero "to preserve the health of Venezuelans," as a government minister put it,...
REELIN' IN THE YEARS AT THE BEACON
THERE aren't many bands from the Jurassic rock era who've held onto their fans and their musical integrity as well as Steely Dan, which starts an eight-night residency at the...
TOP 40 LEER-ICISTS
HEY, Mr. Singer. Yeah, you, the guy with the mike. There's something you should know: There are very few songs that will make a girl whip off her clothes and...
KEEPING THE FAITH AFTER INFIDELITY
INFIDELITY is often treated as the atom bomb of marriage problems. When an affair is discovered, many people assume the only solution is divorce. But it doesn't need to mean...
SOMETHING STRANGE IS AFOOT
LOOKING for a new sole mate this summer? Vibram's new FiveFingers shoes (right) make an interesting statement -- if you're strong enough to brave the skeptics who will stare at...
LOVE AT FIRST SITE
DATING without ever leaving the house? You better believe it. From video-chat leader Skype to upstart "social dating" sites like Zoosk (essentially, an application that turns your MySpace or Facebook...
RESTAURANTS BITING IT
The recession has taken a bite out of the Big Apple's restaurants. During the second quarter of the year, the number of independently owned restaurants in the city shrank by...
BROOKE ASTOR PLEADED FOR DEATH: NURSE
"They took away everything and they want me dead," poor Brooke Astor wailed to her nurse after signing over her fortune to her alleged swindling son, the failing philanthropist's nurse...
RECESSION TAKES 'TOLL'
Here's good news for people looking to hit the road for a summer vacation -- there are fewer drivers jamming up the city's bridges. For the 19th month in a...
TRAIN TO GAMES
Giant and Jet fans can now avoid game-day gridlock on the way to the gridiron. A new NJ Transit Meadowlands line from Hoboken and Secaucus to the stadium will open...
THE WEATHER CHANNEL GETS CEO
After screening more than 50 candidates over the course of nearly eight months, the owners of The Weather Channel have finally agreed on a CEO for the network, former Time...
'PERFECT' POL'S GRIPE
A City Council member with a perfect attendance record yesterday said his deadbeat colleagues need to get to work. Reacting to an attendance report in yesterday's Post, Councilman Tony Avella...
IF YOU WISH FOR PEACE ...
EDITOR'S NOTE: Two Australian warships, HMAS Sydney and HMAS Ballarat, are to finish their New York visit tomorrow, having docked here to mark the 100th anniversary of the Great White...
'BOMBER' GETS ANKLET
The "Fight Club"-obsessed teen charged with setting off an explosive outside an Upper East Side Starbucks is following in the footsteps of Martha Stewart and Bernie Madoff. Kyle Shaw, 17,...
BUSINESS BRIEFS
Marts gain The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 1.1 percent to 951.13 -- its highest level since November. Goldman Sachs boosted its year-end target for the index 15 percent...
LEHMAN BROS' RAINY DAY SALE OF UMBRELLAS, CAPS
The investment bank may be long gone, but Lehman Brothers' name may still have some value. At least that's the bet the fallen financial firm is making as it ramps...
OVER THE MOON
WASHINGTON -- Hailing the Apollo 11 astronauts as "three genuine American heroes," President Obama said yesterday that exploration spurs ingenuity and inspires students in math and science. In an Oval...
WOMAN DODGES DEATH IN CRASH
A livery cab yesterday was struck by a van in Washington Heights and sent careening into a florist shop, narrowly missing a woman on the street, witnesses and police sources...
'PORK'-BARREL STIMULUS: MILLION$ FOR HAM
WASHINGTON - The feds are going on a deli-run of gigantic proportions using economic stimulus cash -- spending $28 million on ham and cheese alone, government documents reveal. In a...
FEDS: 'CIGARS' BLOWING SMOKE
Reputed Genovese capo Michael "Mikey Cigars" Coppola spent nearly 11 years on the lam rather than let a jury decide his fate over an old mob hit -- but now...
DEUTSCHE BUTT
The Deutsche Bank demolition project, where two firefighters died in a 2007 blaze ignited by a dropped cigarette, was issued a Buildings Department violation after a cigar butt was found...
BANKER BEAUTY IN 'INSIDE JOB'
A Chase Bank investment adviser and admitted hard-partying night crawler has been charged with looting $110,000 from a millionaire's private account in Manhattan, The Post has learned. Robin Katz --...
A NEW LEASE FOR LEHMAN
LEHMAN Brothers lives! Sort of, at least. Believe it or not, the bankrupt entity known as Lehman Brothers Holding Inc., which is effectively controlled by restructuring firm Alvarez & Marsal,...
US OFFICIAL SEES $23.7 TRILLION RESCUE TAB
Just as the economy seems to be stabilizing, the price tag of the government's rescue could hit an eye-popping $23.7 trillion -- double what many analysts thought. The sobering assessment,...
SEN. RIPS MAYOR'S 'NAZI' WAR OF WORDS
A fuming state Sen. Carl Kruger and other city pols yesterday demanded that Mayor Bloomberg apologize for referring to the failed policy of appeasing the Nazis when he was describing...
O FOES WIELD HEALTH 'CLUB'
WASHINGTON -- The barbs over health-care reform turned sharp as a scalpel yesterday as Republicans denounced President Obama's plan as socialism, while the White House lashed back at critics. More...
GOV POKES LARRY ON WTC
Taking his first major step into the World Trade Center morass yesterday, Gov. Paterson convinced developer Larry Silverstein to give negotiations with the Port Authority one last chance before heading...
NEW 'KID' ON THE BLOCK
If Children's Place wins a battle with dissident shareholders, some of the retailer's key executives may pick up their toys and go home. Current and former senior-level employees complain that...
CITY PAYS SHOT COP
An NYPD sergeant crippled more than a decade ago when one of his own officers shot him in the back during a Brooklyn drug "buy and bust" operation settled his...
FARRAH'S LAST BRAVE HOURS
Farrah Fawcett fought for life to the bitter end and even managed a smile during her final, excruciating hours, long-time boyfriend Ryan O'Neal said. The "Charlie's Angels" star died from...
SLAIN AS HE SAVES HIS BRO
A beloved and "brilliant" Bronx businessman was shot dead trying to protect his older brother from an armed mugger, police and witnesses said yesterday. The tragedy unfolded Sunday night after...
THE NAKED COWBOY'S HAT IN RING
"The Naked Cowboy" plans to run against Mayor Bloomberg on a platform of "bringing transparency to a whole new level." A fixture in Times Square for a decade, Robert Burck...
SEA POWER AND WORLD POWER
A century ago this year, 16 US battle ships, dubbed the Great White Fleet, completed a historic round-the-world voyage -- steaming into Australian ports along the way. Sunday, the Australian...
PROBE THE CLOWNS' PORK
Gee, aren't New York's state senators tough. They prance out of Albany without renewing the school-gover nance law -- thumbing their noses at the city, Mayor Bloomberg and the families...
BITTER PILL FOR NATION'S GOVS
'I'm personally very concerned about the cost issue," said New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, referring to Congress' health-care plans. It's "the mother of all unfunded mandates," fumed Tennessee Gov. Phil...
BOSTON GLOBE PAY CUTS OK'D BY UNION
The Boston Globe's largest union voted to approve a $10 million package of wage and benefit cuts by a wide margin yesterday, ending months of labor unrest and removing an...
BOTCH COSTS HOSP $19M
A jury has awarded $19.2 million to a Bronx man left paralyzed when doctors at Montefiore Hospital failed to promptly detect and treat a spinal-cord abscess caused by an infection....
CONDÉ NAST HIRES CONSULTING FIRM
Anna Wintour might have to start doing her own hair. That could be one of several changes coming to Condé Nast now that Chairman S.I. Newhouse Jr. has called in...
TYLER GETS IN SWIM FOR KIDS
Hollywood heavyweight Tyler Perry is paying for 65 children from a Philadelphia day camp to go to Disney World after allegations a swim club had shunned them because of racism....
JUPITER JOLTED
PASADENA, California -- Astronomers say Jupiter has apparently been struck by an object, possibly a comet. Images taken by NASA early Monday show a scar in the atmosphere near the...
SANIT FIREMEN
Two of the city's Strongest proved to be among the bravest as well yesterday, dousing a roaring kitchen fire on their route. Sanitation men Eric Guanco and David Vargas saw...
WEALTHY FACE ADDED 440G HIT
Well-off Americans could see their personal income taxes skyrocket by anywhere from $30,000 to $440,000 thanks to a double-whammy hike to pay for a health-care overhaul, a new report found....
VOTERS NOT AMUSED BY BOZOS: NEW POLL
ALBANY -- Voters are seething over the Senate stalemate -- and vowing that, come Election Day next year, they'll remember the names of clowns who turned the statehouse into a...
IDLE SENS. FOUND TIME FOR MONEY
ALBANY -- New York's do-nothing state senators padded their campaign accounts by a jaw-dropping $1.6 million during the five-week leadership feud in which they failed to pass a single uncontested...
CAN YOU HEAR MIKE NOW?
You'd think cellphone dead zones wouldn't be a problem for Mayor Bloomberg, who travels at all times with all sorts of sophisticated communications gear. But it is. "I keep losing...
SENATE 'RACE' SNAFU
WASHINGTON -- New York Rep. Carolyn Maloney said yesterday she was sorry for using the "n-word" when she was talking to a reporter about Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. "I apologize for...
TOMBSTONE PUZZLE SOLVED
The partially engraved Jewish tombstones used to shore up a Long Island golf course were donated by two former members roughly 50 years ago, according to the club's president. The...
SCHOOLS' TOT TESTS TO TARGET KIDS AT 5
Calling all baby Einsteins. City education officials are raising the bar -- and lowering the age -- with an expanded testing program for schoolkids as young as 5, The Post...
VICK AN ALL PROBATION
HAMPTON, Va. -- Suspended NFL star Michael Vick ended his federal dogfighting sentence yesterday, freeing him to lobby for a return to the field. Vick's attorney, Lawrence Woodward, said outside...
PROF RAGES AT'RACIST' COPS
A famed black Harvard scholar has blasted Cambridge, Mass., cops as racist for arresting him after he forced open a jammed front door -- at his own home. "This is...
EATERY BOSS' BASHING BUST
The owner of a posh Manhattan restaurant yesterday was busted for allegedly assaulting his ex-girlfriend, police said. Giuseppe Tuosto, 46, who co-owns trendy Via Dei Mille on West Broadway, turned...
BEASTIE HAS CANCER
In an upbeat video, Beastie Boy Adam "MCA" Yauch announced via the group's Web site that he has a "very treatable" cancerous tumor in his salivary gland and a nearby...
'BUILDING' A GOOD CASE
She was a rare female in the male-dominated construction industry -- but the hard hats turned out to be hard-hearted, she claims in a lawsuit. Former safety coordinator Bianca Wisniewski...
NEW OLDEST MAN
GREAT FALLS, Mont. -- A 112-year-old Montana man has become the world's oldest living man after 113-year-old Henry Allingham of England died Saturday. Walter Breuning was born Sept. 21, 1896....
THEY'RE CHEATING KIDS -- LET'S SHOW WHO'S BOSS
The Democrats in New York are holding up the vote on mayoral control of the schools, which has proven to be a success ("The Clowns Skip Town," Editorial, July 18)....
IT'S DEFY-ATOLLAH!
TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran's supreme leader issued a tough warning yesterday to the opposition to back down after a pro-reform ex-president called for a referendum on the government's legitimacy, a...
BRIDE-BILK PHOTO FINES
Hundreds of bilked brides, cheated out of wedding photos when studios in Queens and Long Island abruptly shut down, will share $250,000 in restitution, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo announced yesterday....
HEALTH WIN = DISASTER FOR DEMS
IF the Democrats obey President Obama's command and pass a health-care bill by the August recess, they'll be committing partisan suicide. Obama's insistence that we completely remake our health-care system...
ED DOIN' WELL AFTER SURGERY
Former Mayor Ed Koch has had his gallbladder removed. Spokesman George Arzt says the surgery yesterday was successful and Koch is recovering well. On June 19, the 84-year-old Koch underwent...
RECKLESSLY FAST
WHEN Barack Obama pilfered Martin Luther King Jr.'s line about the "fierce urgency of now," he wasn't kidding. The line has come to define his presidency. His legislative strategy moves...
PAULSON'S '07 TRUE CONFESSIONS NEED CLOSER LOOK
HANK Paulson must have been feeling a little guilty on Aug. 21, 2007, when he made a startling and unprompted confession on live television. Speaking with Larry Kudlow, CNBC's clueless...
EXXON MOBIL FACES $1B FINE
Exxon Mobil faces up to a $1 billion fine over allegations it sabotaged Texas oil wells it leased but no longer wanted by plugging them with cement, trash and dynamite...
O'S UNWISE LINE IN THE MIDEAST SAND
IN insisting that Israel reverse its settlement poli cies, President Obama has clearly decided to raise a marginal Middle East issue above all others, at least for now: The policy...
CIT BONDHOLDERS LENDING $3 BILLION
CIT Group Inc., the 101-year-old commercial finance company seeking to ward off bankruptcy, agreed to a $3 billion loan for 2.5 years from a group of its bondholders, according to...
ESPN HOTTIE ERIN ANDREWS IN PEEP SHOCKER
Sexy ESPN sportscaster Erin Andrews was the target of a peephole pervert who surreptitiously shot a video of her walking around her hotel room naked -- and posted it on...
NYPD DAILY CRIME BLOTTER
Brooklyn A thug was busted for threatening to shoot up a Crown Heights club, sources said yesterday. A boozed-up Kamone Hector, 28, and a pal started arguing at The Base...
MIKE TO BE QUIZZED ON PREG BIAS
Mayor Bloomberg faces a second round of grilling next week over allegations that his financial-news company discriminates against pregnant workers. Bloomberg is set for 3½ hours of sworn testimony at...
NOT 'A'GAIN! ARMSTRONG STANDS BY HIS WORD
WASHINGTON -- When Neil Armstrong first spoke from the moon, he said one thing and people on Earth heard another. What the world heard was "That's one small step for...
WEIRD BUT TRUE
In October, Kelly Hildebrandt will vow to share her life with someone who already shares her name. Kelly Katrina Hildebrandt, 20, and Kelly Carl Hildebrandt, 24, will become man and...
RACHEL ENJOYS BREEZE
Rachel Alexandra put her second consecutive bullet on the workout tab yesterday morning, breezing her third work in Saratoga since her 19-length victory in the Mother Goose at Belmont on...
GET SPA TREATMENT FROM POST
Get ready for another summer at the "Spa" by joining Post ace handicapper John DaSilva today at noon at Gallagher's Steak House for a preview of the annual Saratoga Race...
TOM'S LOSS LATEST TO ECLIPSE MAJOR WIN
TURNBERRY, Scotland -- What's in store for the next major of the 2009 golf season? Jack Nicklaus playing in the PGA Championship next month in Minnesota and losing in a...
HONDO'S VERY SORRY
Hondo wishes to apologize to the handicapping gods. Whatever he did, he promises he'll never do it again. Mr. Aitch, who hasn't won since the All-Star Game, went draino with...
SMOLTZ CLOBBERED; MANNY PASSES MICK
Texas catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia grew up watching John Smoltz pitch, then began his major-league career on the same team. While Saltalamacchia never got to catch Smoltz in a game before...
SUPER BOWL QB BEN ROETHLISBERGER NAMED IN SEX SUIT
RENO, Nev. -- In a shocking civil lawsuit, Pittsburgh Steelers star quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is accused of sexually assaulting a Nevada hotel employee. Andrea McNulty, who works at a Harrah's...
IRISH, ARMY READY TO BATTLE IN BRONX
The Notre Dame football team met at Charlie Weis' house Thursday night for a cookout, softball game and some unspoken reassurances that the days of losing to Navy and Syracuse...
MISCHA SHOW DELAYED
PRODUCTION on troubled star Mischa Barton's new series is being pushed back a week. Work on the CW's glossy new modeling drama, "The Beautiful Life," executive produced by Ashton Kutcher,...
TW CHANNEL SHUFFLE
TIME Warner Cable is shuffling its channel lineup effective Aug. 19. Chief among the changes, posted on TW Cable's Web site, are Oxygen moving to Ch. 12 -- replacing chief...
PAULA'S BIG TWEET
'AMERICAN Idol" fans have launched a "Keep Paula" campaign on Twitter and "Idol" message boards in the wake of reports that Abdul might not return. Abdul's $5 million-a-year contract expires...
FARCICAL 'WEDDING' NEEDS GROOMING
IF a play's quality depended on the total number of doors slammed, "Perfect Wedding" would be golden. This knockabout comedy -- which would be more aptly titled "Bedroom Farce" if...
THE BUILD UP
AS if Discovery Channel's new reality show, "The Co lony," wasn't derivative enough, there's even a [pixillated] naked guy in tonight's premiere -- flashbacks to Richard Hatch on the original...
PADMA COOKS UP COMEDY
'TOP Chef" host Padma Lakshmi is looking to stir up laughs on network TV. Lakshmi will parlay her culinary savvy into a half-hour sitcom as part of a production deal...
BOYLE'S BACK
SCOTTISH singing sen sation Susan Boyle says all the attention suddenly lavished on her last spring was like being hit with a "giant demolition ball." "Anyone who has that kind...
KNICKS PREPARE OFFER FOR BUCKS GUARD
With Steve Nash out of the picture for 2010 after he agreed to a two-year contract extension with the Suns, Knicks president Donnie Walsh is again zeroing in on young...
JETS, GIANTS HAVE 'NO INTEREST' IN VICK
If Michael Vick manages to get reinstated into the NFL, don't expect to see him playing for either local team. Both John Mara and Woody Johnson shot down any possibility...
VICK'S SENTENCE COMPLETE, NFL SHOULD LET HIM PLAY
I APPLAUD the hard-line stances Roger Goodell has taken with misbehaving players since becoming the commissioner of the NFL. As quickly as fame and fortune can be gained by being...
GALLINARI READY FOR CLOSE-UP WITH KNICKS
If Knick fans think LeBron James -- or even Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh -- is the savior of their franchise, head coach Mike D'Antoni has charged Danilo Gallinari and...
CONTADOR, LANCE EYE FINAL CLIMB
SION, Switzerland -- The tension with Lance Armstrong is all but gone in the crisp mountain air and the line of authority is clear. Now, Alberto Contador wants to concentrate...
OMAR: JERRY AND I TOLD WE'RE SAFE
Omar Minaya last night confirmed a Post report that Mets COO Jeff Wilpon met with the GM and manager Jerry Manuel two weeks ago to assure them their jobs are...
SPORTS SHORTS
NBA: Nash signs extension Steve Nash and the Suns have agreed on a two-year, $22 million contract extension, his agent said. Bill Duffy confirmed the agreement, which will keep the...
LIVAN HERNANDEZ BOUNCES BACK; JEFF FRANCOEUR BREAKS OUT IN METS WIN
WASHINGTON -- The worst-in-baseball Nationals were the perfect tonic both for the Mets and Livan Hernandez last night. While the Amazin's were jumping on a rookie starter making his big-league...
HAL STEINBRENNER ISN'T BITING ON TORONTO'S HALLADAY SALE
Hal Steinbrenner isn't ruling anything out and has concern about the back of the Yankees' rotation, but he doesn't sound like a man lusting after Roy Halladay. Talking yesterday at...
FOR NOW, YANKEES SEEK HELP FROM WITHIN
ROY HALLADAY is not walking through the Yankees' door. But tonight, Sergio Mitre is. General manager Brian Cashman would not discuss Halladay directly. Yet he revealingly said, in an interview...
WANG HITS BUMP IN REHAB ROAD
Chien-Ming Wang felt pain in his shoulder during a throwing session at the Stadium yesterday, suffering a setback in his rehab. "It's not exactly the news I wanted," manager Joe...
MATSUI'S HOMER PUTS YANKEES IN TIE FOR FIRST
If the Yankees don't help themselves before the trading deadline Hal Steinbrenner believes there is enough talent to bring a World Series title to The Bronx. "I think we have...
THIGH TEAR KOS NIEVE SIX WEEKS
WASHINGTON -- The Mets' disabled list is back to nine players after starter Fernando Nieve was sidelined for at least six weeks yesterday by what the team says is a...
PETTITTE FINALLY PITCHES WELL AT YANKEE STADIUM
On Sunday at Old-Timers' Day, Andy Pettitte asked Mike Mussina how he was enjoying retirement. That's because Pettitte figures that, after the season, he still will be weighing whether he...
HOT DEALS!
LONDON $599/pp for RT airfare on Virgin from NYC and 6 nights at the My Place Hotel, for travel 11/1-12/20. Book by the end of this month (virgin-vacations.com). MONTEGO BAY...
WHAT'S UP, DOCK
IN times of great crisis, the brave look to the boat -- from Noah's Ark and the Mayflower to the Orca in "Jaws." Small wonder, then, as consumers continue to...
THE HILLS ARE ALIVE
CAN an entire town moonlight? Carved into the Ozark hills in Northwestern Arkansas, the citizens of Eureka Springs double up on a lot of their gigs. MORE PHOTOS The mayor...
Yankee prospect Marshall to DL
You can now follow Beating the Bushes on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NYP_Bushes**********One of the Yankees top picks in the 2008 First-Year Player Draft, right-hander Brett Marshall, has been placed on the disabled...
MATSUI HOMER GIVES YANKEES 2-1 WIN OVER ORIOLES
Hideki Matsui homered off Jim Johnson in the ninth inning Monday night, giving the streaking New York Yankees a 2-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. Matsui lined a a 2-2...
HERNANDEZ HELPS METS BEAT NATIONALS 6-2
Livan Hernandez threw seven solid innings and Jeff Francoeur hit his first homer with the Mets, leading New York to a 6-2 victory over the Washington Nationals on Monday night....
Reality TV Tryouts: Beyond reality
How to get your 15 seconds of fame."Teen Choice Awards"It isn't a reality show, but it is your chance to make your voice heard -- if you're between the ages...
Minaya: Major trades doubtful
WASHINGTON -- Jerry Manuel said before tonight's game that he didn't expect any outside help before the July 31 trade deadline, something that GM Omar Minaya confirmed in a later...
Minaya confirms job assurances
(UPDATED: 11:40 P.M.) WASHINGTON -- Omar Minaya tonight confirmed that Mets COO Jeff Wilpon met with Minaya and Jerry Manuel last month at Yankee Stadium to assure them that their...