July 28, 2009
COPS HUNTING CREW OF MASKED CROOKS
Police are hunting for a crew of masked crooks wanted for a string of brazen, daytime stick-ups in Staten Island, including one caught on camera. A chilling video released today...
B TRAIN TO SLOW IN SEPTEMBER
The silver bullet will soon be unceremoniously transformed into a sterling snail. The B express train, which transports riders from Brighton Beach to Manhattan and the Bronx at breakneck speed,...
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 questions,...
Brett Favre staying retired
APMINNEAPOLIS -- Brett Favre won't be coming out of retirement to play for Minnesota.Vikings coach Brad Childress confirmed to The Associated Press in a text message Tuesday that the three-time...
FAVRE FLIP-FLOPS OVER TV IN AD
Packers, Jets, Vikings, retirement -- when retail giant Sears needed a celebrity who personified 'indecision' there was only one man for the job, Brett Favre. This fall, the legendary quarterback...
Would Katie Holmes do a Broadway musical?
A few days ago, Katie Holmes bravely paid tribute to Judy Garland on "So You Think You Can Dance." She wasn't all that bad -- but she wasn't all that...
LATE AFTERNOON TRADE CONF., JULY 28
More news, notes and rumors from around the game:--With Adam LaRoche going to Boston and Ryan Garko going to San Francisco, an AL executive said, "Where does (Washington's) Nick Johnson...
USSF president Sunil Gulati speaks
Follow the Post's soccer coverage on Twitter!U.S. Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati met the media today, and talked about a myriad of topics. Here are some of the highlights, from...
MURDERED NYPD OFFICER TIMOSHENKO, PARTNER YAN HONORED BY GOV
Murdered NYPD Officer Russel Timoshenko and his partner Herman Yan were honored today by Gov. Paterson as "Police Officers of the Year" for their bravery and valor. "My respect for...
Mets have 31 of 49 picks signed
You can now follow Beating the Bushes on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NYP_Bushes**********With less than three weeks to go until the end of the signing period for players taken in June's First-Year Player...
Yankees have 20 of 49 picks signed
You can now follow Beating the Bushes on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NYP_Bushes**********With less than three weeks remaining until the end of the signing period for selections from June's First-Year Player Draft, the...
PHONE CALL COULD COST RISING-STAR COP CAREER
It was a phone call any sister would make if her brother was in trouble -- but now, it could cost a woman her career as a rising-star cop. At...
GIANTS OWNER BACKS PIERCE
Giants owner John Mara backed Antonio Pierce today, saying in a statement: "We cannot understand the DA's position that Antonio is subject to criminal charges" in the Plaxico Burress shooting...
Game 99: Rockies at Mets
Winners of three in a row, the Mets look to keep their hot streak going tonight when Mike Pelfrey takes on the wild-card leading Rockies at Citi Field. Pelfrey has...
ULTIMATE CHALLENGE: ALL THE CANDIDATES IN THE 40TH AND 45TH DISTRICT HAVE TO DEFEND THEIR PETITIONS
It looks like the City Council fights in Flatbush and East Flatbush's 40th and 45th districts may be decided in the courtroom rather than a voting booth. All of the...
GATEWAY REC AREA WORKING ON NEW MASTER PLAN
National Park Service employees were in front of the Aviator Sports complex last week at Floyd Bennett Field seeking the public's input into how they want to see the Gateway...
ELECTION FOR DISTRICT 20'S 'ILLEGAL' CEC
Even though School District 20's Community Education Council (CEC) doesn't legally exist, it was business as usual at the group's meeting last week. "We did it with the thought in...
FANS STORM STAGE, STORMS STORM FANS
Inclement weather cut short a raucous performance at the East River Pool Parties, where fans climbed onto the stage during the latter part of a Black Lips set. Several fans...
Red Sox trade Kotsay to White Sox for Anderson
APThe Boston Red Sox have traded outfielder Mark Kotsay and cash to the Chicago White Sox for outfielder Brian Anderson.Both teams were in second place in their divisions when they...
SURVIVOR FEELS 'LUCKY' AFTER HORRIFIC TACONIC CRASH
One of the survivors of a horrific car crash that killed eight people on a Westchester highway said today that he feels "lucky" he wasn't killed and credited his airbag...
FATHER: MOTHER OF MY DEAD BABY SHOULD BE EXECUTED
SAN ANTONIO -- The father of a newborn baby who authorities say was mutilated, killed and cannibalized by his mother said Tuesday he wants to see her executed. Scott W....
NBC Responds to GLAAD Putdown
In its third annual Network Responsibility Index, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) gave NBC an "F" for its lack of gay characters.NBC's response?"We couldn't be more gay,"...
NYC CHECK-CHASHING COMPANIES CHARGED IN TOWER SCAM
Authorities say the investigation into a contaminated skyscraper at ground zero has turned up an elaborate money-laundering scheme. Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau announced a 186-count indictment Tuesday against the...
'Lost' Launches Web Series
Here's a chance to brush up on your Dharma knowledge.ABC has announced the air dates for "Lost's" five-part Web series dedicated to the ever-elusive and always confusing Dharma Initiative.The network...
ASTOR FAILED DEMENTIA TEST IN 2001
The hands of time were not gentle to socialite Brooke Astor. Astor's neurologist Dr. Norman Relkin testified today about how Alzheimer's-addled she was -- saying she failed a common mental...
STATE SEN. KEVIN PARKER ARRAIGNED FOR ALLEGEDLY HITTING POST PHOTOGRAPHER
No deal. Anger-prone state Sen. Kevin Parker is still facing seven years in jail for allegedly battering a Post photographer - despite frantic efforts by his legal team to cut...
Blue Jays need to cut costs
APTORONTO -- The company that owns the Toronto Blue Jays says it needs to control costs.Rogers Communications remains committed to the Blue Jays, CEO Nadir Mohamed said Tuesday on a...
It was a dark and stormy night
And day. And month. And summer.And I am so over it.Plus it's such a disaster getting dressed every morning. Maxi dresses get gross wet hems, it's too hot for jeans...
O'Malley Goodbye Episode DOA
Last week, T.R. Knight spilled to EW the several reasons he decided to walk out the doors of Seattle Grace Hospital (mainly a lack of fulfillment and a disconnect with...
PLAXICO BURRESS TO TESTIFY WEDNESDAY BEFORE GRAND JURY
Plaxico Burress' lawyer said today that the former Giants wide receiver will testify tomorrow before a grand jury hearing arguments on his gun charges. Burress' attorney, Ben Brafman, hopes that...
Toronto: Coens, Barrymore's Bow
Drew Barrymore's directorial debut "Whip It'' with Ellen Page and Joel and Ethan Coen's "A Serious Man'' will have their world premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival. A release...
Garko trade emphasizes need for minors depth
You can now follow Beating the Bushes on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NYP_Bushes**********At the face of it, I'm sure most fans of New York baseball barely noticed yesterday's trade between the San Francisco...
MIDDAY TRADE CONFIDENTIAL, JULY 28
News, notes and rumors from around the league:--In the late afternoon on Monday, the Rangers were convinced they were the front-runners to get Ryan Garko from the Indians. They were...
Fox Rushes 'Glee' Premiere
Fox must be bursting at its seems with "Glee," because the network is pushing up the premiere for its most-anticipated fall series. Originally announced to premiere Sept. 16, "Glee," along...
Notes from RBNY & MLS: Goldthwaite back, OZ not after Metro gig, Ricardo Clark to Serie A
Follow the Post's soccer coverage on Twitter!Lots of notes from Red Bull and around MLS.The Red Bulls get back Kevin Goldthwaite for this game and maybe Carlos Johnson for the...
MICHAEL JACKSON'S DOCTOR'S LAS VEGAS HOME, OFFICE SEARCHED
A law enforcement official with knowledge of the investigation into Michael Jackson's death says the singer's doctor told investigators he administered the powerful anesthetic that authorities believe killed the pop...
Knicks might be worse
Help me reach my modest goal of 100 10 followers on twitter.By JUSTIN TERRANOVAThe one rumor that is tough to deny is if the Knicks want be a factor in...
SENATE PANEL APPROVES SUPREME COURT NOMINEE SONIA SOTOMAYOR
WASHINGTON -- The Senate Judiciary Committee has voted to approve Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor to be the first Hispanic justice. The committee voted 13-6 Tuesday morning to send Sotomayor's...
HULK HOGAN, WIFE SETTLE TERMS OF DIVORCE
CLEARWATER, Fla. -- Hulk Hogan and his wife have finally reached a settlement in their divorce case. The 55-year-old celebrity wrestler - whose real name is Terry Bollea - said...
PUBLICIST: MISCHA BARTON 'OUT OF THE HOSPITAL'
LOS ANGELES -- Mischa Barton is out of the hospital and plans a return to work almost two weeks after Los Angeles police say they escorted her for an undisclosed...
JUDGE ORDERS GUARDIAN FOR OCTUPLETS' FINANCES
ORANGE, Calif. -- A California judge appointed a lawyer Monday to oversee the estate of Nadya Suleman's octuplets, saying he wanted to ensure they weren't exploited by reality television shows,...
4 CHARGED WITH DEFRAUDING BANKS
The Brooklyn district attorney's office says four people have been indicted in an alleged $700,000 bank fraud. Authorities say they opened large bank accounts -- then claimed someone had used...
Burt back again?
"Variety" reports that there's a strong chance that Burt Bacharach and Hal David's 1968 musical "Promises, Promises" will be back on Broadway in the near future. Neil Simon, who wrote...
Coverage in The Post
Did the Mets play a game Monday night?It was hard to tell amid all the nonsense involving Omar Minaya, Jeff Wilpon and Tony Bernazard, but yes, Jerry Manuel's club did...
DEALS: Book a $49 Virgin!
'Bout time Sir Branson earn that dopey honorific of his. He's dropping the cost to fly Virgin America on over a dozen domestic routes into bus fare territory. Take your...
BILL ENCOURAGES BIKING TO WORK
These officials got the wheels in motion early. Proponents were celebrating in advance Tuesday over the expected passage of New York City's bicycle access bill. It comes before the City...
UPDATING THE HALLADAY TALKS
The latest I have learned from talking to officials who are involved in the Halladay negotiations:--After their latest round of meetings, Toronto officials are more dug in than ever that...
Where Are They Now?
Viewers haven't seen this type of reality TV love story since "Bachelorette" Trista fell for now-husband Ryan Sutter back in 2002. But the Sutters, who tied the knot for all...
NYC POLL: THOMPSON GAINS GROUND ON BLOOMBERG FOR MAYOR
The Democrat hoping to challenge Mayor Michael Bloomberg in the general election has gained some ground against the billionaire Republican-turned-independent. A new Quinnipiac University poll shows City Comptroller William Thompson...
Queens man claims $133M Mega Millions prize
The city has a new millionaire. A Queens man who spent just $2 on a Mega Millions ticket was presented with a $133 million over-sized check this morning. Aubrey Boyce,...
The Daily Whacks, Tuesday Edition
You can count me among the tweetin' Twitterers (or is that the Twitterin' tweeters?) now: http://twitter.com/MikeVacc*******world, to go all Sonny Corleone on Carlo in front of a bank of cameras...
Report: Red Sox make offer for Halladay
Yahoo! Sports reports the Red Sox have offered "at least three players -- pitcher Clay Buchholz, Triple-A pitching prospect Michael Bowden, and top outfield prospect Ryan Westmoreland -- to the...
FEDS: NORTH CAROLINA MAN LED GROUP PLOTTING TERRORISM
RALEIGH, N.C. -- A North Carolina father who led an unobtrusive rural life as a drywall contractor had militant roots dating back to 1980s Afghanistan and Pakistan and secretly led...
STRINGER AIDE RESIGNS AFTER CALLING PRESIDENT 'O-DUMB-A'
An aide to Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer has resigned after reportedly posting comments on her Facebook account defending racial profiling in the recent arrest of a Harvard professor and...
3 UP: BERNAZARD AND THE METS FOLLIES
Yes, I am on Twitter.1. The Mets have the uncanny ability to care abundantly about how they are portrayed in the media and yet still botch just about every media...
DOCTOR'S SHOT 'KILLED' MICHAEL JACKSON
Michael Jackson's personal doctor shot him full of the powerful, hospital-grade sedative that likely killed him, a law-enforcement source said yesterday. The revelation that Dr. Conrad Murray allegedly administered a...
ATLANTIC YARDS LITE
Oh, what a difference three years makes. Renderings of Bruce Ratner's embattled Atlantic Yards project in Brooklyn commissioned by the Municipal Art Society portray how the $4.9 billion project is...
HONDO HAS HIS PHIL
Colleague Howie "Summer Hoops" Kussoy hit nothing but nyet with his 'Stros tout last night, which caused Hondo's deficit to balloon to 465 klippsteins. Tonight, he'll try to heat up...
ALL 'KOZY AFTER HEALTH SCARE
PARIS -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy was discharged yesterday from the hospital where he spent the night after collapsing while jogging. Doctors said his illness was due to heat and...
CELL TO CELL IN 800G HEIST
A brazen thief who loaded more than $800,000 worth of equipment onto a van outside a West Village salon was nabbed after cops traced cellphone calls he made from the...
A CLOSER LOOK AT THOSE GREAT HOUSING FIGURES
VIVA, housing?! If you look at the numbers now coming out of Washington, you might want to go with the exclamation point at the end of my first sentence. Housing...
FACING THE MUSIC
BOSTON -- Lawyers are to begin formally presenting their case in a music downloading lawsuit filed by the recording industry against a Boston University student. The industry accuses Joel Tenenbaum,...
EX-SEN. CRAIG IN NEW CAREER
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho -- Scandal-scarred ex-US Sen. Larry Craig has opened a consulting firm he says will focus on energy issues. The Idaho Republican, who served 18 years in the...
STARBUCKS WILL PAY ITS 401(K) MATCH
Starbucks Corp., the world's largest coffee-shop operator, will match US employees' contributions to their 401(k) retirement plans after earnings improved, Chief Executive Officer Howard Schultz said in a memo. The...
R. ALLEN STANFORD NOT HAPPY IN JAIL
Alleged scammer R. Allen Stanford is steaming mad about the steamy conditions of his jail cell -- complaining that it lacks air conditioning, suffers frequent power outages and is packed...
NYPD DAILY BLOTTER
Manhattan Two teens were arrested after they smacked a woman with an umbrella in Greenwich Village, police sources said yesterday. Daniel Butler and Shamikah Baldwin, both 16, came up from...
BUSINESS BRIEFS
Verizon earns Verizon Communica tions reported a 21 per cent drop in second- quarter profit and an nounced 8,000 more job cuts by the end of the year. Verizon earned...
SHEL JUDGE AND PANEL 'SLUG' IT OUT
An upstate judge is in hot water for calling Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver a "slug" in The Post's pages. The state Commission on Judicial Conduct last week hauled Cattaraugus County...
NEW HOME SALES SOAR
Purchases of new homes in the US climbed 11 percent in June, the biggest gain in eight years, underscoring evidence that the deepest housing slump since the Great Depression is...
MIKE COOL ON THE GRILL
A "dismissive" and "disinterested" Mayor Bloomberg endured a second round of deposition yesterday in the pregnancy-discrimination case against his financial-news company, a lawyer involved in the questioning said. Bloomberg remained...
UNREALITY-BASED
BARACK Obama raised near-millennial expectations last year. If elected, he'd transform the dreary realities of Washington with his blazing freshness. He'd win over Republicans with his engaging post-partisanship. He'd solve...
'CAVE' DRUG CASE GROWS
ALBANY -- The state probe of the "man cave" drug den allegedly maintained by at least two state workers widened yesterday as Attorney General Andrew Cuomo prepared to submit the...
TAPES BARE TENSE PROF.-BUST DRAMA
The white Massachusetts cop who busted a prominent black scholar in his own home while investigating a possible break-in told the dispatcher to "keep the cars coming" because the man...
CHARLENE RIPS THAT 'BITCH'
The trial of socialite Brooke Astor's son is getting bitchy! Charlene Marshall -- wife of accused estate thief Anthony Marshall -- muttered, "What a bitch" after hearing damaging testimony from...
BUMBLING BIKINI BANDIT
If you're pretending to be an armed robber, it's probably a good idea to wear something other than a bikini. A 24-year-old woman, dressed only in a bathing suit that...
WRONG NUMBER
The law firm that drew up a contract now at the center of a dispute between the residents and developers of a new apartment tower finds itself in hot water...
TRAGIC DOVES LEFT AT ALTAR
It's the forgotten flock of Flushing Meadow Park. More than two dozen helpless albino ringneck doves -- presumably released into the wilds of Queens as part of a wedding celebration...
COP-SHOOT CHARGES
An ex-con from Queens was charged yesterday with possession of an illegal handgun and assaulting a cop after the revolver went off and struck the officer. Edwin Santana, 33, was...
NEW SEC RULES ON SHORT SALES
The US Securities and Exchange Commission will require additional public disclosure of bets that share prices will fall after lawmakers said short-sellers exacerbated the financial crisis by targeting banks. Self-regulatory...
TRAITOR POL'S SUITE NEW DEAL
ALBANY -- Newly minted state Senate Majority Leader Pedro Espada is getting dramatically larger office space along with his new title. "We have more responsibilities so we'll have more employees...
GILLY JOINS 'DON'T ASK' BAN WAGON
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand did an about-face yesterday announcing that, at her urging, the Senate will hold a hearing on repealing the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. The move comes...
CONCERT TIX DEAL REVIEW
Sen. Herb Kohl (D-Wis.), and a bipartisan group of House members asked the US Justice Department to determine whether combining Ticketmaster Entertainment Inc. and Live Nation Inc. would lead to...
SILVER INTO GOLD
Only Ben Silverman could parlay a two-year hitless streak as NBC's chief programmer into a new gig that gives him total control and $100 million in development money. That's the...
SUBWAY'S SPY CAMS TO SEE ALL
Straphangers will soon have a watchful eye over them as they ride the rails. In a groundbreaking security initiative, MTA will begin running one subway train with security cameras in...
FACTS AND FANTASIES ABOUT THE NEW YORK MARKET
LOOK at the Manhattan real estate scene and what do you find? Disconnects of all kinds: Illogical development and leasing patterns. Crazy visual inconsistencies. Breakdowns between what people in the...
AT &T SIDESTEPS A HACK ATTACK
AT&T may have just barely averted an all-out war with a bunch of Internet hackers yesterday after it said that its controversial decision to block parts of a Web site...
SUIT: LETTER IS JUST NOT KOSHER
Now, that takes chutzpah! A Manhattan dietary-supplement company duped drugmaker Pfizer into buying an antioxidant ingredient that it falsely claimed to be kosher, a lawsuit charges. Marco Hi-Tech allegedly used...
ONE LAST FASTBALL
"The Republican Party needs more people with strong principles and convictions that can stand up to the temptations of political power that have engulfed so many of our leaders after...
HOW CLOWNS BREAK A DEAL
Well, that didn't take long. Days after inking an agreement with Mayor Bloomberg to renew mayoral control of city schools, some Senate Democrats seem to be trying to throw a...
MIKE & FOE $ADLY AGREE
Anyone anticipating that the sparks would fly at yesterday's annual meeting of the state Financial Control Board -- where Mayor Bloomberg and Democratic challenger Bill Thompson both spoke -- was...
NY IS TOPS IN US SCHOOL SPENDING
New York is head of the class -- in spending. For the third straight year, the state led the nation in public education payments in 2007 -- shelling out nearly...
IT'S NOT WORTH THE WEIGHT: OBESITY'S TOLL ON US BUDGET
WASHINGTON -- As President Obama moves to overhaul the health-care system, a new study reveals that fat Americans are taking a super-sized bite out of the nation's budget. A crisis...
PARALYZED LIGHTNING VICTIM FIGHTS FOR SURVIVAL
The immigrant cricket player hit by lightning in Brooklyn Sunday can neither speak nor move the left side of his body but is trying desperately to communicate, his best friend...
EQUITY FUND IS BATTERED
Just when private-equity firm Brynwood Partners was thisclose to getting out from under its troubled investment in Stella D'Oro Biscuit Co., its ongoing fight with the union repping its workers...
PREZ AND PALS ARE IN THE BEST OF HEALTH CARE
'THIS isn't about me," President Obama allows. "I have great health care." So the president should -- but Obama's checkups aren't the problem. It's the fact that our nation's entire...
CONGRESS DEBATES ONUS FOR GOLDMAN BONUS
Goldman Sachs' uncanny ability to make money during the recession has drawn the attention of a bipartisan group of House members who suggest the investment bank took taxpayer dollars and...
AOL BUYBACK UNDER $5.66B
Time Warner bought back Google's 5 percent stake in AOL in a transaction that values the Internet unit at less than $5.66 billion. The $283 million purchase price also includes...
SCULPTOR FOUND DEAD IN BROOKLYN
A Polish-born sculptor who crafted a magnificent statue of Pope John Paul II for St. Stanislaus Kostka Church in Greenpoint was found dead yesterday near a Brooklyn marina where he...
ANTONIO PIERCE FACING INDICT
Bad news, Giants fans. Antonio Pierce is now facing a gun-possession indictment in the Plaxico Burress club shooting -- charges that could sideline him for the coming season and ultimately...
AUTHOR'S 'RYE' DENIAL
Holden Caulfield would probably call this guy a "phony." In court papers filed yesterday, Swedish author Fredrik Colting claimed that his Mr. C character "is not substantially similar" to the...
POLS WEIGH 'NIP & TAX' PLAN
WASHINGTON -- Call it the "Bo-tax." Lawmakers have discussed slapping a 10 percent excise tax on cosmetic surgeries such as face-lifts, tummy tucks and hair transplants to help foot the...
PLAYING LITIGATION LOTTO
Need some quick cash? Here's an idea: Sue the city. You might strike it rich. Indeed, thousands sue every year. And, as Angela Montefinise recently reported in The Post, more...
TAXI BLAZE A FRIGHT AT THE PLAZA
A disaster was averted yesterday when a taxi caught fire outside The Plaza hotel, sending flames shooting 10 feet into the air as people strolling through the jampacked block near...
BUS-SUBWAY JOBS BEING CUT
About 360 maintenance, cleaning, painting and managerial positions will be eliminated in 2010 as part of NYC Transit's yearly cost cutting. That means 63 of 1,201 subway-car cleaners and 25...
LOAN OFFICER: DODD KNEW HE GOT VIP DEAL
Despite his denials, Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd knew from the start he was getting a VIP mortgage break from a major lending group, an official involved in the loan testified...
'POSTIE PUNCHER' POL TO GET OFF EASY
Short-fused state Sen. Kevin Parker could wind up getting nothing more than a wrist slap for allegedly assaulting a Post photographer. Shutterbug William Lopez yesterday said a Brooklyn assistant DA...
MEGA MOMENT TODAY
The city's newest multi-millionaire will end three weeks of secrecy and speculation today, finally coming forward to collect on a $133 million lottery win. The Mega Millions winner, who has...
NY FEDS TO PROBE 'SCAM' VS. NHLERS
Federal prosecutors in New York are investigating a golf-resort developer who's been accused of bilking more than $25 million from NHL players and blowing it on porn-star parties for his...
CRASH PILOT FELT TOO SICK TO FLY
The inexperienced co-pilot of doomed Continental Connection Flight 3407 didn't feel well enough to fly, but she refused to take a sick day -- because her airline would stick her...
WRONG-WAY SHOCK RIDDLE
The death ride was 1.7 miles long. As terrified drivers swerved around her, a Long Island mom with five kids in her minivan barreled down a Westchester highway -- oblivious...
GREAT BALLS AFIRE!
A Queens nurse allegedly channeled Lorena Bobbitt as she exacted revenge yesterday on her hubby for his infidelity. The woman, feeling burned over her husband's cheating, woke him up by...
DC'S APPLE COP-OUT
No good deed goes unpunished -- at least when it comes to federal money for crime-fighting. New York has been squeezed out of any of the $1 billion economic-stimulus money...
JPMORGAN WINS AUCTION FOR DELPHI
Auto parts maker Delphi says its creditors have won out over a California private-equity firm in an auction for the company's assets as it moves to emerge from bankruptcy protection....
STOOLIE IS 'DEAD' TO HIS DADDY
A lot of people might like to wring his neck, but the sleazy real-estate mogul who ratted out everyone from politicians to rabbis in a massive corruption case is apparently...
RESTAURANTS ARE GOING UNCHECKED
The Health Department did not inspect all of the city's licensed restaurants last year and during the first half of this year, an audit says. The findings were issued yesterday...
A SCHOOL CHALLENGE FOR NY
ON Friday, President Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced a new set of Race to the Top grants -- $4.35 billion for states willing to innovate in their schools....
THE DEAL IRAN THINKS WE'RE OFFERING
AS the Obama administration intensifies its diplomatic moves in the Mid dle East, Tehran's possible misreading of its signals may doom its hopes of "positive engagement" with the Islamic Republic....
HE'S NOT LAUGHING NOW
LONDON -- A British teenager who made a drunken prank call to the White House and claimed there was a bomb in Madison Square Garden escaped jail yesterday. Thomas Hutchinson,...
CUBA TICKER TURNOFF
HAVANA, Cuba -- The United States has turned off a news ticker at its mission in Havana that had long irritated the Cuban government, diplomats said yesterday. Text The 5-foot-tall...
WEED IT AND WEEP
An abandoned mine in northern Canada may lose its role as the country's only government-sanctioned marijuana farm. Production at the mine -- deep under the tundra at Flin Flon, Manitoba...
DUMPING ON ISRAEL
YOU'VE sacrificed all your family had to build your modest dream home by a lake. Now a wildfire races toward you. A former friend phones from his mansion across the...
STIRRING THE RACIAL POT: NOT A JOB FOR THE PREZ
Obama's comments and the current analysis of the Henry Gates vs. cop confrontation is patently wrong: The argument is based on the incorrect assumption that the initial call to police...
WEIRD BUT TRUE
The minor-league Myrtle Beach Patriots have acquired a loyal new fan -- for a mere $14.99. Brad Davis of Ohio faithfully rooted for the Pittsburgh Pirates through 17 losing seasons,...
STILL B-B-B-BAD TO HIS OLD BONES
DESPITE George Thorogood's crotchety hold on the past, the 58-year-old blues rocker and his Destroyers earn their "world's best bar band" title with this driving record that flips from rock...
WESTWARD HO!
ALL Points West (a k a the Coachella of the East) had its share of problems last year. From transportation to the venue to buying a beer and ultimately finding...
INVITING RUDENESS
'YOU'RE invited to Charlie's 30th Birthday Bash," the Evite reads. How exciting! If only you knew who the hell Charlie was. In the world of online invitations, nothing is sacred....
A POST-OP STEAK, HOLD THE SALAD
YOU'D never stumble upon an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in a bar or a Gamblers Anonymous get-together at the Sands, but a certain group of obese and formerly obese people ventured...
GONE TO THE DOGS
IT'S a dog-eat-dog city, and New York's newest breed of dog walkers -- the recently unemployed -- are discovering the business can get downright catty. As the economy continues to...
AT HIS MERCE
MY fondest memory of Merce Cunningham was seeing him at age 79 spoofing Burgess Meredith's role in "Rocky" for a skit at a friend's birthday party. I have no idea...
COMEBACK KID
CYBILL Shepherd sees a parallel between her real life and that of her on-screen alter ego, Alice Washington, in Hallmark Channel's "Mrs. Washington Goes to Smith." "We don't have a...
KELSEY SISTER KILLER KEPT BEHIND BARS
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- A man convicted of kill ing the sister of "Frasier" star Kelsey Grammer in 1975 was denied parole yesterday. Grammer was scheduled to attend the parole...
'LOST' & FOUND
SEVERAL "Lost" characters are finding their way back to the final season of ABC's sci-fi series. Fertility specialist Dr. Juliet Burke (Elizabeth Mitchell) and physicist Daniel Faraday (Jeremy Davies) are...
KERRY'S IN THE SWIM WITH DISCOVERY
SEN. John Kerry is diving into Discovery Channel's "Shark Week" coverage. Kerry (D-Mass) has announced he's partnering with Discovery to help end the illegal practice of "shark finning" and to...
JILLIAN PICKS ED
JILLIAN Harris handed her final rose to Ed Swiderski III on last night's season finale of "The Bachelorette" -- despite a last-minute marriage bid from a dismissed bachelor. Jillian's parents,...
YANKEES NOT DESPERATE AT DEADLINE
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Never mind the big fish in the trade pond, the Yankees don't have much of an interest in the shallow end of the water, either. TONIGHT'S...
YANKEES STAY RED HOT
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The nightmares have been replaced by sweet dreams. Until A.J. Burnett donned pinstripes, Johnny Damon was like a lot of AL hitters on the eve of...
'RACHEL' HAS LAST TUNEUP
Rachel Alexandra, who stamped herself the leading contender for Horse of the Year when she became the first filly to win the Preakness Stakes in 85 years, had her final...
VICK HAS 2ND CHANCE FOR SUCCESS
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell threw Michael Vick a bone yesterday, a carefully crafted method for re-instating the convicted felon back into the National Football League. Now it's up to Vick...
ROY-TO-PHILLIES PERFECT DEAL FOR BOTH TEAMS
PHILLIES executives have told rivals they are out on Roy Halladay unless Toronto changes its demands. Blue Jays officials insist they will be overwhelmed or they will retain their ace....
BELTRAN INCREASES WORKOUTS
Tired of waiting for his right knee to get better, Carlos Beltran has increased his workouts in an effort to return to the Mets sooner. Beltran said yesterday the bone...
METS FIRE VP TONY BERNAZARD
Omar Minaya finally sent his old friend Tony Bernazard packing yesterday, after a week of reports that the former vice president of player development had gotten into numerous confrontations with...
LOOK IN THE MIRROR, OMAR
BAD enough that Omar Minaya was, at best, indifferent, and, at worst, clueless to the prolonged bullying of his right-hand man. Yesterday, in shooting the messenger, the clumsy Mets GM...
MINAYA: REPORTER ANGLED FOR JOB
In the middle of announcing the firing of Mets vice president of player development Tony Bernazard, general manager Omar Minaya went out of his way to call into question the...
SPORTS SHORTS
MLB: Willingham hits 2 slams In Milwaukee, Washington's Josh Willingham hit two grand slams in a 14-6 win over the Brewers, becoming the 13th major leaguer to do it and...
NETS EYE DAVIS TRADE; KNICKS, NATE IN LIMBO
If the Nets want to pursue Celtics restricted free agent power forward Glen "Big Baby" Davis, they may have to do so in a sign-and-trade scenario that involves a third...
TATIS' GRAND SLAM CAPS COMEBACK
On a day filled with head-scratching moments at Citi Field, the toughest one to believe came at the end -- a Met actually came up with a clutch hit. Fernando...
U.S. SOCCER TEAM PLOTS PAYBACK VS. MEXICO
President Obama hosted FIFA president Sepp Blatter at the White House yesterday, stumping for a U.S. World Cup bid. Once can only wonder if Obama had his chops busted about...
Kerry's in the swim with Discovery
SEN. John Kerry is div ing into Discovery Channel's "Shark Week" coverage. Kerry (D-Mass) has announced he's partnering with Discovery to help end the illegal practice of "shark finning" and...
HOT DEALS!
ARIZONA $149 and up midweek at the Four Seasons Resort & Spa --- yes, that Four Seasons --- in Scottsdale. Through 9/13 (fourseasons.com).AUSTIN, TX $160 and up midweek, at Barton...
NEWS + NOTES
PLAN AHEAD WINTER may seem far away, but JetBlue's fall sale reminds us not to get too complacent. Buy a ticket to Barbados or St. Lucia by Aug. 5 and...
50 STATES: Kansas
A DUSTY Ford pickup slowed in front of us as we crossed the road in Osawatomie, a small town in Eastern Kansas. "You from New York?" drawled the driver. "How...
BELLY UP
IF folks around town seem a little chunkier, a little belchier than usual, it's not just because it's tourist season -- blame it on the annual NYC Restaurant Week, which...
BURNETT SHINES IN YANKEES ROUT OF RAYS
A.J. Burnett allowed two hits in seven innings and Nick Swisher homered twice Monday night, leading the New York Yankees to an 11-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. The...
TATIS HAD PINCH-HIT SLAM TO LIFT METS OVER ROCKIES
Fernando Tatis hit a pinch-hit grand slam in the eighth inning, and the New York Mets salvaged an otherwise miserable day by rallying for a 7-3 victory over the Colorado...
RBNY vs. W Connection: This is our season
Follow the Post's soccer coverage on Twitter!From sporting director Jeff Agoos to beleaguered coach Juan Carlos Osorio to the players that'll face W Connection on Thursday, the Red Bulls know...
U.S. looking forward to Mexico rematch
Follow the Post's soccer coverage on Twitter!President Barack Obama hosted FIFA president Sepp Blatter at the White House today, stumping for a U.S. World Cup bid. Once can only wonder...
QUEENS OFFICER SHOT ON RIDGEWOOD STREET
A 104th Precinct police officer was recovering from a gunshot wound Monday and his alleged attacker was awaiting assault charges after a domestic violence call turned ugly in Ridgewood last...