September 4, 2009
Game 135: Cubs at Mets
Bobby Parnell will try to redeem himself after an ugly outing against the Cubs in Chicago and three dreadful starts overall tonight when the Mets open a three-game series with...
Devils tickets on sale Wednesday
The Devils will place individual tickets for all home games during the 2009-10 regular season on sale to the general public this Wednesday, Sept. 9, at 11 a.m.Tickets will be...
Beloved Brooklyn baby walrus dies
Akituusaq, the husky two-year-old Pacific walrus who had the heart of a borough wrapped around his diminutive flippers, died on Sept. 1 from complications from pneumonia. Born at the New...
Death becomes Al Pacino
We’ve heard that Brooklyn’s real estate market was sickly, but we didn’t think that Fillmore Real Estate felt it necessary to bring in Dr. Kevorkian!But that was the case last...
Van Jones Watch
Politico's Ben Smith on the case against (and for) Obama's 'Green' Czar
Politicizing Art
Reason's Nick Gillespie says NEA is denying and lyingAt Commentary, Michael Lewis on the art of Obama worship
Bleeding Independents
National Journal's Charlie Cook says voters fear government expansion
Drama Mama: Summer vacation ends at 'Melrose'
It's not quite the kickoff of the new season for the big guys, but the fringe networks are (as usual) getting a head start and drama lovers benefit. Here are...
Beltran plays, aims for next week
Carlos Beltran played five innings in center field Thursday night for Single-A Brooklyn and said he expects to complete his comeback from a bone bruise in his right knee by rejoining the...
Starr report
'Good' and 'Early' Sugared up: "Good Morning America's" weekend edition celebrates its fifth birthday tomorrow (9 a.m.- noon) with a celebration outside in Times Square (44th & Broadway). Anchors Bill...
Big bets on subprime numbers
THE emotional and financial pain inflicted by the subpri me-mortgage crisis has been well-documented. But here's another devastating effect, courtesy of "American Casino," by veteran husband-and-wife documentar- ians Leslie and...
Immigrant tale with Mideast spices
A Palestinian single mom goes to White Castle in Cherien Dabis' "Amreeka," a charming comedy about cultural clashes in Illinois on the eve of the US invasion of Iraq. Nisreen...
Conan catches break
THERE was some better ratings news for Conan O'Brien and his "Tonight Show" last week. While O'Brien once again was beaten by David Letterman's "Late Show" in total viewers --...
No affection for Affleck
YOU'D have to go way back to find a Ben Affleck project in which the actor's mug wasn't slapped all over the marketing materials. Probably all the way to the...
Flavor fave!
White trash meets white collar in "Extract," Mike Judge's workplace comedy -- which contains more reality than the last five documentaries I've seen. Halfway between "Office Space" and "King of...
'Prime'd for a remake
NBC is hoping to nail a "Prime Suspect" in the US. The network has commissioned a two-hour pilot remake of Helen Mirren's hit British (ITV) crime-solving miniseries for a possible...
Giant cheese
Oh, brother! Not to rush to judgment (as opposed to rushing for yardages), but when the advance DVD screener of Fox's upcoming series, "Brothers," arrived starring divorce-scarred ex-Giant/ladies' man Michael...
Tyra is a real doormat
HERE'S your chance to walk all over Tyra Banks. As if. To promote the new season of "The Tyra Show," which moves from syndication to The CW this season, the...
Calendar
"BURN THE FLOOR": **½ Broadway gives in to the craze for ballroom dancing with this plotless revue, energetically delivered by sexy and athletic -- if personality-free -- performers. Longacre Theatre,...
'Verge' of a shakeup
THE new Broadway season looks pretty well set, but there's always something out there to keep your eye on -- something that could come in at the last minute and...
A Case Against Rehab: Jaycee's Stolen Years
*** Phillip Garrido was previously "rehabilitated" by our government in one of our many correctional facilities ("Evil Lurking Behind Smiles," Sept. 2)? So is anyone surprised? We need to start...
Kid's Jell-O shot of poison for pop
LIVINGSTON, Mont. -- A 15-year-old girl has admitted trying to poison her father with tainted Jell-O. The girl put lamp oil in the Jell-O, which she thought would give him...
Elephant mangles mogul
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Silicon Valley billionaire Tom Siebel says he's recovering from broken ribs and legs after an elephant charged at him and a tour guide in the Serengeti...
Wave takes Jersey teen
SEASIDE HEIGHTS, NJ -- State Police in boats and a helicopter yesterday resumed searching for a New Jersey teenager who disappeared after being knocked down in rough surf Wednesday. Sal...
Clunker paybacks in gear
WASHINGTON -- The government has approved $500 million in reimbursements to car dealers for the Cash for Clunkers program, and dealers should be paid by late September, officials said yesterday....
High-stakes labor talks
Contract negotiations just began this week, and already, three Atlantic City casinos owners are rolling the dice -- by proposing a wage freeze for all waiters, bartenders, housekeepers and dishwashers....
Mass. AG hot for Ted seat
BOSTON -- Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley yesterday announced she'll run as a Democratic candidate in the special election to succeed Sen. Ted Kennedy. Coakley, 56, has been a prosecutor...
ObamaCare bites
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- A clash over health-care reform ended with one man biting off another man's pinky. About 100 people were rallying for health reforms Wednesday night on a...
O's Afghan test
If he wants to prevail in Afghanistan, Barack Obama needs a George W. Bush moment. He'll have to ignore the polls, brush aside doubters in his own party and reinforce...
Swine-shot breakthrough
A third company signaled yesterday that its swine flu vaccine may protect-people with just one shot instead of two -- another hopeful sign for flu-prevention efforts. Swiss drugmaker Novartis joins...
No longer 'nail'ed down
A Salt Lake City woman who held a Guinness World Record for her long fingernails before they broke off in a car crash says it was the most dramatic event...
Gramps' double-crash tragedy
JONESTOWN, Pa. -- A 3-year-old boy lost both his grandfathers on the same day in separate Pennsylvania car crashes, one of which the child himself survived. The boy was with...
Needle attacks shake China
BEIJING -- Hundreds of Chinese protested deteriorating public safety yesterday after a series of mysterious syringe-needle attacks shook residents in the western Chinese city of Urumqi, where ethnic rioting in...
Boy sues Department of Education in locker shocker
A claustrophobic Bronx boy and his mother have sued the Department of Education, charging a staffer threw him and his friend into a school locker and then tipped the locker...
Politicizing the arts
"This is the first telephone call of a brand- new conversation. We are just now learning how to really bring this community together to speak with the government. What that...
'Seals' sue feds
ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Ribbon seals should be listed as threatened or endangered because global warming is melting the sea ice they depend on, environmentalists argue in a lawsuit. The National...
Selling himself
Dick Fuld's former right-hand man at Lehman Brothers is on the prowl for a new Wall Street gig, sources tell The Post. Joseph Gregory, who was president and chief operating...
Pensions to drain more taxes
ALBANY -- Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said yesterday that state and local governments -- and their taxpayers -- will have to pay far more into the state's public-worker pension fund, which...
NYPD Daily Blotter
Manhattan Here's the latest photo of the notorious "Red Sox" bandit, who has committed 14 knifepoint subway muggings. Between Jan. 5 and Aug. 14, Rasheem Williams, 37, has threatened and...
Drivers give up in turn for worse
Insane traffic congestion has Big Apple drivers often following through on that old parental threat: "I'll turn this car right around!" Thirty percent of city motorists have decided to give...
It's hot as hail!
A taxi erupted in flames on a Midtown street yesterday, leaving stunned workers and tourists wondering if they'd wandered onto a movie set. A passenger was in the yellow cab...
Tawdry version of sex and the 'single' girl
Ashley Dupre. Eliot Spitzer. They go together. Like sex and money. Like Eliot's pasty, white legs and those kinky, black knee socks he couldn't quite lose before doing the nasty....
Arctic hit with a heat wave
WASHINGTON -- The Arctic is warmer than it's been in 2,000 years, even though it should be cooling because of changes in the Earth's orbit that cause the region to...
Shelly: He doesn't have a chance in El
Eliot Spitzer ought to shelve any thoughts about running for political office again any time soon because he can't outrun the Ashley Dupre scandal, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said yesterday....
Now, it's Time to go for Style & Design
Less than a week before the start of New York's Fashion Week, Time Inc. is pulling the plug on Time Style & Design, the publishing giant's fashion quarterly. Time blamed...
A bad case of 'Sun' burn
Larry Ellison's career swan-song hit an unexpectedly sour note yesterday after worried European regulators said they want to review his $7.4 billion takeover of American-based database giant Sun Microsystems. The...
Agony & ecstasy
Blinking back tears, an injured 17-year-old from Georgia stunned the tennis world yesterday by ousting the fourth-seeded woman and pulling off the biggest upset so far at the US Open....
Pelosi stands by her beleaguered man
WASHINGTON -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is hunkered down behind her most powerful chairman, Charles Rangel, amid new revelations about his failure to report millions of dollars in assets, income...
Brushing up on DNA
A private investigator says a toothbrush used by Diane Schuler will be used to map her DNA and find whether tests that say she was drunk were valid. Schuler killed...
Storybook ending
Finally freed after being held 18 years as a captive concubine, Jaycee Lee Dugard spent her first days back with her family losing herself in a world of fairy-tale romance....
Conge$tion out of the question
Gov. Paterson's new nominee for MTA chief promised a careful review of the agency's nearly $12 billion budget yesterday -- and said the agency would not make another push for...
NYers billed by gov's Penn. pal
ALBANY -- Gov. Paterson's longtime confidant and aide, who is registered to vote in Pennsylvania and occasionally sleeps at the Executive Mansion, has billed taxpayers for nearly $30,000 in travel...
Letter harriers
It's enough to make you go postal. Five New York City letter slingers face crazy commutes of up to seven hours a day after being transferred in July to remote...
Business briefs
Jobless More Americans than anticipated filed jobless- benefit claims last week, indicating companies re main focused on cutting expenses. Applications fell by 4,000 to 570,000 in the week ended Aug....
Cheap chic reigns as retail woes slow
Retailers may have the back-to-school blues, but some chains are seeing glimmers of hope for the holidays. August same-store sales -- or sales at stores open at least a year...
Pol's Charlie hor$e
WASHINGTON -- House Republicans demanded yesterday that freshman Rep. Mike McMahon of Staten Island return $15,000 in campaign donations from Rep. Charles Rangel, who is being probed for ethical violations....
Women lash out at Spitzer escort
Rrrrrrrrr-oww! The claws came out across New York yesterday, all thanks to high-priced Eliot Spitzer escort Ashley Dupre. The citywide catfight erupted after Dupre posted an online diatribe arguing that...
Flying nun 'toasted'
Sloshed Sister Lauren Hanley is getting absolution. The Archdiocese of Rockville Centre, LI, threw its support yesterday behind the naughty nun, who was busted on drunken-driving charges in Wantagh after...
Facebook frowns on buddy-buyer company
SAN FRANCISCO -- On Facebook, most people make friends the old-fashioned way -- by sending a request to be added to someone's posse of pals. Now an Australian marketing company...
School grades are clash act
It's a mixed message that would drive any parent crazy. Your child's school is on the state's list of "persistently dangerous" schools, a warning of violence so severe, the state...
Jets tix bidder sacked
He might have the best seats in the Jets' new stadium, but big-spending businessman David Findel no longer has a corner office to sit in. Findel -- who paid a...
'Rye' humor as judge puts down writer
A Manhattan judge yesterday threw the book at a Swedish author trying to publish a follow-up to the classic "Catcher in the Rye -- and it didn't even have anything...
FHA hit by loan losses
The Federal Housing Administration is in danger of seeing its reserves fall below the 2 percent threshold mandated by Congress, as it reels from ever-increasing mortgage-based losses -- and may...
Ford gets a big boost
As ratings go, Ford may still be a clunker. But that may just be a matter of time. The one good news story among US automakers -- both General Motors...
Schumer: Go after Ponzi scammers
Chuck Schumer wants the SEC to put its spurs on and start getting serious about crime fighting and redouble its efforts to break up Ponzi schemes like Bernie Madoff's. The...
2 NY pols make li$t
WASHINGTON -- Two New York lawmakers are among the wealthiest members of Congress, according to a report published yesterday. Rep. Nita Lowey (D-Westchester) -- net worth $14.3 million -- made...
SEC, CFTC target derivatives crooks
Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Mary Schapiro and Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman Gary Gensler said they are weighing changes to margin requirements, insider-trading rules and new financial-product approvals in...
Ruling gives a jolt to ratings agencies
McGraw-Hill Cos., the owner of Standard & Poor's, dropped the most in nine months and Moody's Corp. also fell after a US judge refused to dismiss a lawsuit against the...
Dr. Death defends Dr. Doom
Jack "Dr. Death" Kevorkian came to the defense of Michael Jackson's embattled physician. The infamous euthanasia doctor said the King of Pop's cardiologist, Conrad Murray, shouldn't be prosecuted for murder...
'Late' whistle on Jet dad
Jets tackle Kris Jenkins is getting called for more child support by his baby mama. In court papers filed in North Carolina, Shadeeka Delotch accuses Jenkins' of being almost $11,000...
Go ahead, make my high holiday
It's high noon for the high holidays. Fearing jihadists will attack synagogues during Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, a group of badass rabbis has developed a program to turn your...
Begging for urban decay
Isn't it enough that the Lower Manhattan Development Corp. has so badly bun gled Ground Zero rebuilding? Now, adding insult to injury, the LMDC is passing out grants so that...
An avalanche of A's
The city Department of Education this week released letter grades scoring each of the New York's public ele mentary and middle schools -- and it turns out that nearly every...
Housewives of New Jersey fight back
Ashley Dupre has taken a shot at the wrong housewives. The governor-groping, high-end escort caught some hell yesterday from "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" after she dissed all Garden...
Ex-Globe exec seen in lead for paper
Although the New York Times says it's in no hurry to sell the Boston Globe, pundits are already trying to handicap who will win the bidding for the money-losing paper....
Guess he wasn't part of the solution
"I didn't go out to demonstrate my beliefs. I happened to be driving by and I stopped to ask people what their purpose was. I had no signs, I was...
FDNY hosed in elephant stunt
Next time Suzie the circus elephant can go to the car wash. The Fire Department conceded yesterday that Engine Co. 245 in Coney Island was taken out of service for...
Imus debut on Fox set for October
Radio renegade Don Imus is back on TV -- in a big way. The veteran talk-show host signed a multiyear deal for his eclectic show to be simulcast on Fox...
Whalin' on each other
The sharks were on display, but it was a bloodletting outside the tank that stunned the crowd at the New York Aquarium. A Queens grandmother and a Brooklyn mom got...
Officers told: Settle civilian cop-plaints
Facing a record number of mistreatment claims from the public, the NYPD is pushing cops to settle complaints face to face with their accusers. The city's 36,000 police officers yesterday...
More time till Annie's $huttered
With a deadline to repay a $24 million loan fast approaching, legendary photographer Annie Leibovitz scored a minor victory against her creditor in court yesterday. Leibovitz had been facing a...
Liz hires adviser to cut costs
Liz Claiborne hired turnaround consultant Alvarez & Marsal, boosting fears that the struggling apparel company faces a do-or-die holiday season. The debt-ridden owner of Juicy Couture, Kate Spade and Lucky...
No pity for Citi
The head of the committee overseeing how Uncle Sam is spending its bailout dollars offered withering criticism of the feds' handling of Citigroup's rescue, blasting regulators for their lack of...
West Side celeb palace
The Apthorp apartment building on the Upper West Side -- abandoned years ago by the A-list actors and writers who made it one of the city's most prestigious addresses --...
Gibson furious Sawyer taking over: report
What's the story? ABC "World News" veteran anchor Charlie Gibson was so "livid" at the selection of Diane Sawyer as his successor that he didn't even mention her in his...
Erin go blah in ESPN return
RALEIGH, NC -- ESPN reporter Erin Andrews got back to work last night, prowling the sidelines at the North Carolina State football game -- but was clearly subdued over the...
Obama aide a 9/11 nut
An adviser to President Obama once voiced suspicion that 9/11 was an inside job by the Bush White House, it was reported yesterday. Van Jones signed a petition in 2004...
Coney dive a ringing success
A piece of Coney Island history that's been lost for nearly a century was recovered from the Atlantic yesterday. A 500-pound bell, which stood on a pier leading to Dreamland...
Ex-Met is sent to pen
MADISON, Wis.-- A federal judge yesterday sentenced Miracle Met pitcher Jerry Koosman to six months in prison for not paying his taxes. Prosecutors say Koosman, a former All-Star who helped...
FAA has high hopes for new Hudson plan
Aircraft cruising over the Hudson under the feds' revamped airspace plan will still need permission from air-traffic controllers to go to higher -- and safer -- altitudes, the Federal Aviation...
The loved one is laid to rest
Michael Jackson's closest pals -- including the intensely private Elizabeth Taylor -- bade farewell last night to the King of Pop, who was finally laid to rest 70 days after...
Sports shorts
MLB: Bosox top Rays In St. Petersburg, Clay Buchholz pitched six effective innings, Jason Bay drove in two runs and the Red Sox hurt Tampa Bay's playoff hopes with a...
Steel-in' some rest
Pittsburgh's first team defense forced a three-and-out, Stefan Logan returned a punt for a touchdown, and the Steelers' second unit made Carolina punt before Ben Roethlisberger hit the field last...
Bombers push streak to 7
TORONTO -- Biceps or bullpen? Home runs crushed by Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada last night at Rogers Centre are more seductive than solid efforts by four relievers. Nevertheless, when...
Woodhead makes major 'run' for job
Danny Woodhead ran for his life in last night's preseason finale between the Jets and Eagles at Giants Stadium. The Jets' backup running back out of tiny Chadron State in...
Sharapova cruises into third round
Maria Sharapova avoided the same fate as some of her other high-profile counterparts last night. Before she took the court, Sharapova knew that two of the top players in the...
'Joba Rules' aren't made to be broken
TORONTO -- If Joba Chamberlain's pitch count isn't either very low or alarmingly high, look for him to throw four innings tonight against the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. It...
Mo won't close 'til he's pain-free
TORONTO -- You never would have guessed Mariano Rivera's left groin was cranky while watching the closer play catch with Andy Pettitte yesterday afternoon. With Pettitte on the right-field foul...
Fisherman's calendar
The Fisherman Magazine's Annual Surf Fishing Show and Seminar, is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Huntington Hilton (quarter mile south of the LIE on Route 110)...
'Rachel' wows 'em
SARATOGA SPRINGS -- The all-conquering 3-year-old super filly Rachel Alexandra tackles her toughest task yet tomorrow, facing seven salty veteran male horses in the Grade 1, $750,000 Woodward Stakes at...
Rangers squeeze Dubinsky
First, a correction: Brandon Dubinsky's qualifying offer for the upcoming season is not $698,500 as originally reported here and subsequently repeated by all other news outlets. The qualifier, as per...
ESPN, MLB: No atoning for deceit
AS insufferable as Sunday Night Baseball is, ESPN and MLB make perfect partners. They're both full of it. This week they told a tale that would've left many kids grounded,...
Goodell sets Vick return for Week 3
At 1 o'clock, Sept. 27 in side the Linc, in The City of Brotherly Love, the disgraced Falcon who is now an Eagle will get to spread his wings and...
Mets clobber Colorado
DENVER -- In a season all but devoid of heartwarming stories for the Mets, they suddenly got two in one historic afternoon yesterday. Hard-luck left-hander Pat Misch, winless in his...
Moment not too big for young star
TWO match points were gone, a third pending. At age 17, one tends to live in the moment and, time and again, we have seen those moments become too big,...
Georgia teen upsets Dementieva
Melanie Oudin always has been a believer. Through her daunting Arthur Ashe Stadium debut, through the painful strained thigh muscle that brought her to tears and the trainer to the...
Let Mike play now
CLEARLY, there are times when Commissioner Roger Goodell has to impose penalties and suspensions to punish the conduct of certain NFL players. But benching Michael Vick for the first two...
Helmet not the Wright fit
DENVER -- It was the poor fit -- and not the relentless national ridicule -- that made him do it. That was David Wright's explanation yesterday for abandoning the comically...
Hondo's big Red pick
Hondo, who swept Wednesday, regained his form yesterday, losing with SF and Braves to thoroughly overwhelm his lone victory with the Tigers. Tonight, with the debt back in four figures...
Woodson on QB bubble
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Andre Woodson or Rhett Bomar? Or none of the above. That could be the way it shakes down when the Giants put their final roster together. They...
Manning sees Giants 'ready' for season
FOXBOROUGH -- After accomplishing exactly what he wanted in his very brief appearance last night, Eli Manning declared the preseason over and done with and pointed toward the regular season....
Sanchez short and sweet in Jets win
Mark Sanchez's NFL career, still in its infancy, took another positive step last night in the Jets' 38-27 Meadowlands win over the Eagles in the teams' preseason finale. How positive?...
St. Francis prep soccer grows up
Franco Purificato knew his St. Francis Prep boys soccer team was going to struggle last year. That's expected when eight sophomores see major minutes. But those sophomores are now juniors...
Roddick delivers another late-night special
Last week, Andy Roddick did Letterman's Late Show. This week Roddick is starring in his own show entitled "Late Night at the Open." And so far it's been smashing. On...
Liberty's task: start to rebuild
Anne Donovan didn't imagine her first season with the Liberty would be like this. She didn't see herself being named interim head coach midway through the year, following Pat Coyle's...
Blake's marathon win delays night session
This is what happens in Flushing Meadows when day meets night -- chaos. Figures James Blake was a party to the marathon day card that did not conclude until 8:10...
Jeter tries to appreciate hits record
Long before Derek Jeter ever dug into the batter's box at Yankee Stadium, raised his right hand and asked the ump for time to settle his spikes, he gave hints...
Riverdale girls rely on defense
Zoe Loveman isn't quick to point out a weakness in her Riverdale girls soccer team. "I think we are going to be a lot better than we have been," the...
All starters back for tottenville
Tottenville coach Jim Munson is a realist. He doesn't gush over his teams, however talented. He tells it like it is. So when Munson is asked about his offense, and...
Top seniors lead Bronx Science girls soccer
Josh Zuckerman compared the function of a strong midfield to that of a spine. Without it, the rest of the body cannot function properly. Luckily for the Bronx Science girls...
Joba aims for four innings tonight
TORONTO -- If Joba Chamberlain's pitch count isn't very low or alarmingly high look for him to throw four innings tonight against the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. It will...
Weird but true
We know it's easy to hate the weatherman, but this guy needs to relax. A Burbank, Calif., professor who has been hounding a weatherman for improperly using meteorological terms is...
5 questions for... Gary Danielson
CBS analyst Gary Danielson previews the college football season with The Post's Justin Terranova. Q: How surprised were you that Tim Tebow, Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy all decided to...
Irish will be older, weis-er
In a seven-part series ending tomorrow, The Post will break down the 2009 college-football season. Today, Part 6: Notre Dame. By the time Notre Dame reported for camp this summer,...
Beltran plays, aims for next week
Carlos Beltran played five innings in center field tonight for Single-A Brooklyn and said he expects to complete his comeback from a bone bruise in his right knee by rejoining...
Keepin’ it 'Real': 'Zombiegate' and the Axis of Cancun
This week’s episode had everything a guy could possibly want in “The Real World”: football, zombies, Vegas and fighting. So let’s get into it.The episode opens with CJ getting ready...