December 15, 2009
Cuban phenom Chapman impressive in workout
Cuban left-hander Aroldis Chapman impressed a crowd of 50 scouts at a workout in Houston on Tuesday.MLB.com reports the 21-year-old, who defected in November, threw for 15 minutes in Houston...
Atlantic Yards passes funding obstacle, clearing way for Brooklyn Nets arena
The last major hurdle to bring the New Jersey Nets to Brooklyn cleared today when developer Bruce Ratner and a state-created local development corporation were able to sell more than...
Beauty faces peephole predator, says she's 'been humiliated'
LOS ANGELES — Brave ESPN beauty Erin Andrews faced down her peephole predator today before the creepy perv pleaded guilty to one count of stalking. The sideline hottie — her...
Foer vows: I will return to fiction
Don’t worry, fiction fans — Jonathan Safran Foer says his journey into journalism is over.The author of the outstanding novels “Everything is Illuminated” and “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” said...
Places for non-meat treats? Here are five from Foer
He’s a vegetarian and a Brooklynite — which means novelist Jonathan Safran Foer has pretty strong opinions about the best places to avoid eating animals.“I’m a vegetarian, but I never...
Emptying the notebook
Scattered news and notes from the Mets after covering their annual Christmas party for local schoolchildren today at Citi Field: * The Mets are closing in on a two-year deal...
Collapsing Cowboys 'down ... not out'
IRVING, Texas -- Maybe the Dallas Cowboys’ two straight losses in December have nothing to do with the calendar. Maybe they just aren’t very good. That’s one of the theories...
Evangelist Oral Roberts dead at 91
TULSA, Oklahoma — Oral Roberts, a pioneer in televangelism who founded a multimillion-dollar ministry and a university that bears his name, died Tuesday. He was 91. Roberts died of complications...
Mets have interest in Wang
Could Chien-Ming Wang be moving across town?The Mets plan to monitor the former Yankee's recovery from shoulder surgery this winter and wouldn't rule out an eventual offer if they are...
FDNY has quicksilver like response over mercury scare
Talk about getting the lead out...Bay Ridge firefighters were quick to respond to a 911 call about a mercury scare at the NYC transit facility on Fourth Avenue and 64th...
No. 5 Syracuse 'a very confident team'
SYRACUSE -- Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim sat at the postgame interview table, his right hand massaging his furrowed brow, as always trying not to sound too optimistic about his...
Setting sale
James Cameron’s latest 3-D movie, "Avatar," which comes out this week, is his biggest gamble yet. It cost hundreds of millions of dollars to make, but also has the best...
Port Authority uploads photos, video of WTC rebuilding
New pictures and video showing the rebuilding at the World Trade Center site are now on two social networking sites. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey says...
Reyes predicts full recovery
Jose Reyes looked about as good today as a rehabbing baseball player can look in mid-December. Making his first public appearance since right hamstring tendon surgery in mid-October, the Mets’...
Wall Street boosts Nets arena with bond buys
A developer’s plan to move the New Jersey Nets to Brooklyn has gotten a boost from Wall Street. Investors quickly bought out $511 million in tax free bonds that went...
Feds asking WFP for 'information'
The feds are joining the numerous investigations of the Working Families Party. Dan Cantor, the party's executive director, disclosed today that it has "received requests for information" from the U.S....
Federal grand jury indicts Galleon founder Rajaratnam
A Federal grand jury in Manhattan indicted Galleon Group Founder Raj Rajaratnam and New Castle Partners trader Danielle Chiesi, a person familiar with the matter said Tuesday. The indictment charges...
7-Eleven u'slurps' Manhattan
Three 7-Eleven stores have popped up in Manhattan, the first batch of a planned 100 outlets across the borough over the next five years. The 103 West 14th Street, 140...
Minaya talks, asks for patience
Omar Minaya emerged from his Citi Field bunker this morning to plead for calm from angry Mets fans. One day after enduring the double whammy of his No. 1 free-agent pitching...
Accused Letterman blackmailer thought Dave might kill him
The CBS producer accused in a $2 million shake down of David Letterman was so paranoid, he thought the talk show host might get him fired, burn his house down,...
From Week 14 of the NFL season
The Jets and Giants are both 7-6, but the similarities end there.The Jets have won three in a row and have re-discovered the formula that made them successful earlier this...
Obama: Health care is near after closed-door meeting
Speaking after a closed door meeting with bickering Senate Democrats, President Obama this afternoon said they are on the verge of an agreement on health care but that more work...
Report: Yankees ask about Bay
BostonHerald.com reports the Yankees have contacted the agent for former Red Sox left fielder Jason Bay. The report says Bay "expects to make a final decision in the next couple...
Cardinals offer Holliday $130M; Yankees ask about Bay
The Cardinals have offered free agent left fielder Matt Holliday an eight-year contract worth close to $130 million, according to a published report.Stltoday.com says, "General manager John Mozeliak and agent...
Cards offer Holliday; Yanks on Bay?
The Cardinals have offered free agent left fielder Matt Holliday an eight-year contract worth close to $130 million, according to a published report.Stltoday.com says, "General manager John Mozeliak and agent...
Gentile wins dreidel spinning tournament
John “Johnny Hei’z” Heywood is your 2009 Major League Dreidel champion, and he didn’t even get bar mitzvahed!With drama lurking behind every turn, Heywood outlasted his rival, three-time finalist and...
'Goodfellas' inspiration Henry Hill in drunken hotel scuffle
ST. LOUIS — A gangster-turned-FBI informant whose exploits were the basis of the 1990 Martin Scorsese mob film "Goodfellas" said Tuesday his struggles with alcohol again are to blame for...
New Tiger cougar: I taught him how to be a great lover
One of the latest women to be identified as a mistress to Tiger, Theresa Rogers, is apparently a cougar who claims to have taught everything he knows in the bedroom.A...
More Little Night Music
Our revival of "A Little Night Music" isn't so hot, which makes me even more curious about the one opening at Paris' Théâtre du Châtelet in February: It stars Kristin...
FIELD TRIP: Tropicana
Hey yo, Jerseyites -- maybe take a break from landing shin shoryukens on your womens and instead direct some of that energy toward supporting your homestate Scarlet Knights this Saturday at Tropicana...
Diner dash
84th PrecinctBrooklyn Heights–DUMBO–Boerum Hill–DowntownHefty tipA couple of crooks pilfered $4,000 in an elaborate scheme to steal from a Court Street restaurant overnight on Dec. 13.The diner’s owner told cops that...
Study: Most trafficked areas have highest pollution
New York City is studying its air quality and the first findings show the highest levels of pollution in neighborhoods with more traffic. Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s administration is collecting air...
Both sides may have had knives in deadly falafel fight
Hungry Ziad Tayeh's death knife may not have been the only serious cutlery at a fatally-popular Midtown falafel stand, a Manhattan jury learned today. In fact, both sides in a...
Police arrest man who lost girlfriend's son, 4
NEWBURGH, N.Y. — Police searching for a missing 4-year-old boy have charged a Hudson Valley man with allowing the child to wander off while in his care. Newburgh city police...
Torre on panel to review replay, pace of games
With critics calling for expanded video review of umpires’ calls and some players pushing to expand the first round of the playoffs, baseball commissioner Bud Selig established a committee of...
StuyTown Lease Freeze Continues
It’s been more than a month since the New York State Court of Appeals ruled that owners of Manhattan apartment complexes Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village have been illegally...
Mangini meets with Holmgren
CLEVELAND -- The Browns may have finally found their leader. Former Seattle and Green Bay coach Mike Holmgren, with one Super Bowl title and success brimming from his NFL resume,...
Jets sign RB off Cowboys' practice squad
The Jets have signed RB Chauncey Washington -- a former USC teammate of Mark Sanchez -- from the Dallas Cowboys practice squad. Washington spent time on the Cowboys active roster...
Judge bans 'homeless' group from street solicitations
A Manhattan judge put a lid on the United Homeless Organization today with an injunction forbidding the group to collect spare change. Starting immediately, the UHO and its army of...
Rolling crime scene
The victim told police that he was idling on Pitkin Avenue in East New York when the gunman stormed up to him and opened fire into his passenger side window.While...
Boeing's 787 Dreamliner finally takes flight
EVERETT, Washington — Boeing's new 787 jetliner finally got airborne Tuesday, the long-delayed inaugural flight of the world's first commercial plane constructed with half its components made from lightweight composite...
Mysterious van still sought in hit and run
Police are continuing to look for the driver of a white van that nearly ended the life of a 12-year-old girl.Officials said that the van struck young Destiny Camacho as...
Report: Nets, Devils fans could face ticket surcharge
It might cost even more to watch the Nets, if you can believe that.Northjersey.com reports New Jersey is considering "a new surcharge of up to $3 for Izod and Prudential...
Ex of Tiger Woods' mistress Cori Rist loses custody bid
The ex-husband of a lingerie model linked to Tiger Woods lost his bid yesterday to win full custody of their 7-year-old son.Despite the timing of a scandal that could not...
Woods regularly paid women for their silence: report
Tiger Woods was willing to shell out big bucks to keep his harem of women quiet, according to a new report. Several women who said they were involved with the...
Bender won't play, Curry won't play much for Knicks tonight
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Newly signed Jonathan Bender won't dress tonight vs. Charlotte and Mike D'Antoni admitted he is leery of expanding Eddy Curry's role despite having two more practices under...
Nets bond with sirloins
CLEVELAND – Everyone had been to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. A lot. And it was something they wanted to do so why not do it in Cleveland?...
Moving van shows up at Tiger Woods' house
A moving truck showed up at Tiger Woods' Florida mansion today and began carting off some wrapped up art, according to a new report. Then two utility trucks showed up...
Kids' swine flu vaccine recalled
ATLANTA — Hundreds of thousands of swine flu shots for children manufactured by French drug company Sanofi Pasteur have been recalled because tests indicate the vaccine doses lost some strength,...
Gov supports raising cap on charter schools
In a dramatic reversal, Gov. Paterson this morning called on state lawmakers to raise the cap on charter schools and implement a host of other education changes needed to compete...
Civic calendar
Sun, Dec. 2076th Precinct. Have your car, truck, bike or electronics etched for security purposes. Free. 6-9 pm. 76th Precinct stationhouse [191 Union St., between Henry and Hicks streets in...
Serial burglar on the loose?
68th PrecinctBay RidgeBay break-inCops are investigating if a series of similar break-ins indicates that a serial burglar is on the loose. Here’s how the crimes went down:• A thief sneaked...
Design the new 'NYC Condom' wrapper
New York City’s official condom is getting a makeover and City Hall is trying to make it exciting with a contest to design the new wrapper. The “NYC Condom” is...
Houston's Holden could snub Europe move for tenfold raise
Looks like Don Garber wasn’t blowing smoke when he talked about the need to keep the best young Americans in MLS. After Houston's Stuart Holden seemed destined to move to...
How much would you pay for Charles Dickens' toothpick?
An unusual piece of Charles Dickens memorabilia is being auctioned in New York City: his ivory and gold toothpick. It’s up for sale Tuesday at Bonhams New York. Heirs to...
Hudson Yards project moves forward
A plan to develop a swath of Manhattan’s west side waterfront with towers and apartments is set to be considered by the City Council next week. The rezoning plan for...
Report: $75G for woman Tasered by cop
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — A woman who was Tasered by a sheriff’s deputy in front of her two children is expected to get a $75,000 settlement from an upstate New York...
Tiger's doctor in HGH probe
The FBI is investigatin Dr. Anthony Galea, a Candadian sports medicine specialist suspected of giving athletes performance-enhancing drugs, according to reports.No one is saying the doctor ever gave Tiger anything...
Exclusive: Tiger's in agony, 'on the edge'
Tiger Woods is on the brink.The shamed golfer is terrified that his wife is going to divorce him over his sexcapades and make his life miserable by moving to Sweden...
Lil Wayne heads to NY jail in February
Lil Wayne is being sent to jail in his New York gun case just days after his next album comes out. The rap star’s Feb. 9 sentencing date was set...
Manhattan's East Side one of city's most polluted neighborhoods
One of the city's wealthiest neighborhoods -- the East Side of Manhattan -- is also one of the most polluted, according to a Health Department survey released today. Using data...
Michael Lohan arrested after calling estranged girlfriend
SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — Authorities on Long Island say Lindsay Lohan’s father is accused of violating an order of protection by calling his estranged girlfriend. Suffolk County prosecutors say Michael Lohan...
U.S. to face Honduras Jan. 23...yet again
The U.S. National Team will cap next month's training camp with a friendly against CONCACAF rival Honduras on Jan. 23 at the Home Depot Center (6 p.m., FSC). “Obviously we...
Poll: Tiger Woods hits record low
Tiger Woods’ popularity remains in freefall, according to a new poll that says golf’s one-time king of the hill is languishing under a mountain of bad publicity. According to a...
Choked for a phone
94th PrecinctGreenpoint–WilliamsburgiPhonedTwo crooks stole an artist’s iPhone after putting him in a choke hold outside his Norman Avenue studio on Dec. 8.The 41-year-old victim told cops that he was accosted...
Hey! Ho! Let's go!
Like a sea of scarlet waves with white caps crashing against an indifferent gray shore, a tide of 3,000 Santas descended upon Williamsburg last weekend, leaving only a frothy trail...
As Giants defense sputters, Eli's offense is thriving
Sadly, after Domenik Hixon scampered into the end zone to put the Giants up 31-30 in the third quarter on Sunday, Eli Manning said he and the Giant offense knew...
Defenseless Nets gear up for LeBron, Cavaliers
CLEVELAND – When they were receiving national attention as the NBA's all-time worst team to start a season, the Nets at least defended. They yielded 97.9 points, not exactly Piston...
Holly Sampson: Night with Woods was 'amazing'
Holly Sampson, the porn star who says she had sex with Tiger Woods, is describing the encounter with the world’s best golfer, calling the 45-minute session “amazing.” "He has a...
True to his word, Tortorella leans heavily on Rangers' top-six forwards
Following both Sunday's practice and yesterday's morning skate, head coach John Tortorella declared his intention to lean heavily on his top forwards, stating that he believed it vital to, "show...
Satmar Night Live
Satmar Night LiveIt was a case of mistaken location during the Satmar Hasidic celebration of Kuf Alef Kislev, the anniversary of the day when the Satmar Grand Rebbe Joel Teitelbaum...
Deprivation Be Gone: Brooklyn Entrepreneurs Offer High Quality Gluten-Free Goodies
Among the little miracles of nature is the action of gluten. A component of wheat flour, it gives dough made with it elasticity and aids in rising, yielding baked goods...
Obama = Cicero?
Simon Schama explains pre-Oslo Obama and post-Oslo Obama (Financial Times)
Manhattan Beach private security teeters on edge of closure
A longtime neighborhood security patrol is threatening to silence its sirens if Manhattan Beach residents don’t cough up more money by the end of the year.Beachside Neighborhood Patrol (BNP) board...
Immigration Debate Out in the Open
Target asks employees to prove eligibility, 40 quit (Diggers Realm)
Detainees Coming to Illinois
Jennifer Rubin explains why costs are just too high (Commentary)
Sacrificing for the Unions
Non-Union employees face pay cuts (2nd Ave Sagas)
3UP: Matsui, Damon and Halladay
Just started a stretch of vacation time, but yesterday felt like one of those days that was too big to ignore, so here are five thoughts on the day: 1....
Vac's Tuesday Whacks, on Mets' Blue Monday, Knicks' Optimistic Tuesday and warning Sheridan off the fishing boat
Mets fans aren't going to like this, mostly because so many of them have taken full advantage of their First Amendment right the past 24 hours or so to express...
Car hungers for Chinese takeout
This is taking the phrase “fast food” a bit too far.A woman was driving along Flatbush Avenue near Avenue S last week when her car suddenly had a hankering for...
Porn star gets 3 years in prison for burglary
CAMDEN, N.J. — A man known to police as ’Spider-Man’ for his daring escapes and who has starred in gay porn videos with his twin brother has been sentenced to...
Ambulance strikes, kills pedestrian in Brooklyn
An elderly woman was killed this morning when an FDNY ambulance transporting a patient to a hospital hit her as she crossed a street in Brooklyn, officials said. The pedestrian,...
New Yorkers want restrictions on state lawmakers outside work
ALBANY – Nearly two-thirds of New Yorkers want to change the rules that allow state lawmakers hold lucrative side jobs, according to a Siena poll released this morning. The survey...
Golden Globe nominations: 'Up in the Air' leads
Predictably, early Oscar leader "Up in the Air'' was out in front in this morning's Golden Globe nominations with six of them, including best picture in the Globes' drama category. Perhaps...
Nightmare scenarios haunt states
Daniel Vock reports on worsening budget deficits around the country (Stateline.org)
Full list of Golden Globe Nominations
1. BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA a. AVATAR, Lightstorm Entertainment; Twentieth Century Fox b. THE HURT LOCKER, Voltage Pictures C/O 42West; Summit Entertainment c. INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS, The Weinstein Company; The...
GOP has to be 'Alternative Party'
Newt Gingrich handicaps 2010 elections (The Weeek)
Death of the Public Option
Ezra Klein explains what happened to kill the deal (Washington Post)
Oscar Watch: Latest predictions
As promised in my early predictions for the expanded Best Picture category in today's print edition, here are my current forecasts in the other top categories, somewhat updated from the ones I...
Reality TV Tryouts: 'Design Star'
TODAY "Design Star" Do your star ambitions run toward showing your audience how to make over their bathroom? Then season 5 of HGTV's "American Idol" for designers is for you....
Liberals' Weaselly Panic
John Nichols says Reid gave up on reform (The Nation)Megan McArdle says there is no 60th vote (The Atlantic)
On this day ...
Good morning to Wall Street and Main Street.President Obama’s pay czar Ken Feinberg continues to ponder how large a pay day to award middle management at banks that received TARP...
Poll: Thompson tops Gillibrand in Senate race
ALBANY – Lame duck city Comptroller Bill Thompson would trounce rookie Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand in a potential primary battle next year, according to a new poll out this morning. Thompson...
Don't Trust the Regents
The Regents talk Race for the Top strategy (Gotham Schools)Explaining value-added to Tisch and Steiner (Education Notes Online)
'Up in the Air' nabs 6 Golden Globe nominations
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — The recession-era tale "Up in the Air" led Golden Globe film contenders Tuesday with six nominations, among them best drama and acting honors for George Clooney,...
'Avatar' stardom Worthington the wait
SAM Worthington may not be a household name today — but he soon will be. He’s the actor who carries the weight of the most expensive movie ever made on...
The Two Face of O
Amity Shlaes says White House and Banks need truce (Bloomberg)Eliza Carney says Banks are Flexing their considerable muscle again (National Journal)
Why The Rush?
Nirit Weiss says a half-baked plan could be hazardous to health (Forbes)Harry Reid's Medical Malpractice (Weekly Standard)
Spotlight shines on Minaya’s failures
The Season of Heartbreak never ends for the Mets and their fans. The Yankees took it on the chin a little bit too yesterday, but the Mets were knocked out...
Gift to Yankees: Halladay out of AL East
The talent price on Cliff Lee was jaw-droppingly steep. The Blue Jays weren’t dealing Roy Halladay inside the AL East. John Lackey upgrades the Red Sox rotation, but the Yankees...
Halladay to Phillies, Lackey to Red Sox puts pressure on Minaya
The heat is on Omar Minaya to respond after a flurry of high-profile moves around baseball yesterday — none of them good for the Mets. Just hours after word broke...
Bergtraum Holiday Classic schedule
While the Big Apple Recruiting Christmas Classic at Bishop Ford features a bunch of teams from up and down the East Coast and a laundry list of games per day,...
PSAL girls basketball roundup: Petrides wins third straight
Elizabeth Fabozzi and Carlee King each had 16 points to lead Petrides to a 53-47 win against host New Dorp in PSAL Staten Island A girls basketball Monday. Alyssa Benigno...
Cropper carries Jefferson in defeat
Alicia Cropper could have thrown her teammates under the proverbial bus. Thomas Jefferson’s Providence-bound star guard had 25 points, carrying the Orange Wave on her back in a 56-51 loss...
Transit Tech's Bovell ready to make debut after lengthy wait
After two weeks of waiting, two weeks of standing on the sideline, two weeks of hoping his phone would ring with the good news, Deylon Bovell will join his Transit...
Lewis outlasts Jefferson in pivotal early-season game
The score was tied with 2:39 left against a strong opponent. Last year, that would have been a recipe for disaster for the Francis Lewis girls basketball. The 2008-09 Patriots...
CHSAA/Independent girls basketball roundup: Smith leads CK past Kearney
Bria Smith and Christ the King had a bounce-back performance after its loss to Bishop Ford last Monday. Smith, who scored just four points against the Falcons, poured in a...
Top shows of Oh-Ohs
The Oh-Ohs gave us a lot of memorable TV — and here’s what a lot of it looked like, by the numbers. For the first time, people started watching whole...
Always ladies’ night at new club
Drinking might be bad for your health, but now it’s at least good for your complexion. With a full menu of $22 cocktails made with Borba cosmetics (the beautifying crystals...
Big third quarter helps Molloy tame Lions
Archbishop Molloy played the way Loughlin wanted them to in the first half, the same way that got them into trouble in the second half of the team’s first meeting....
Card snarks
We all know the drill with greeting cards: open envelope, remove card, shake card upside down, scan floor for cash, throw away card, open present. But when that handcrafted note...
The 10 nominees are...
The last time there were 10 nominees for Oscar’s Best Picture, Franklin Roosevelt was president, movie tickets cost 30 cents — and the Hollywood studio system was at its peak,...
Batter's box as symbol
The opening moments of Roger Guenveur Smith's new solo show have all the subtlety of a baseball bat to the face: A dizzying video montage depicts the violence and turmoil...
12 discs of Christmas
Tired of the same old Christmas soundtrack you hear at Duane Reade? Here are 12 CDs of Christmas to put the jolly back in your holly. We rate them from...
Poetic justice
Dylan Thomas was obsessed with death -- it was, after all, the subject of many of his most renowned works. So it's only fitting he return from the great beyond...
NY critics echo LA, hail 'Hurt Locker' as best film
The Iraq war thriller "The Hurt Locker" gained Oscar momentum yesterday when it was chosen best picture by the prestigious New York Film Critics Circle. The nation's oldest critics' group,...
Oprah- Obama big hit
Oprah Winfrey's "Christmas at the White House" brought some Yuletide cheer to ABC Sunday night. The special, in which Winfrey interviewed President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama in...
Camelot told as a tale of Corleones
Camelot is making History. Cable channel History is making an ambitious, eight-part miniseries about the Kennedy clan. "The Kennedys" will cover the years 1960-1968 -- from John F. Kennedy's election,...
Cannon shot
Nickelodeon has set a Feb. 21 premiere date for the Nick Cannon-directed movie, "School Gyrls." The movie, also written by Cannon ("America's Got Talent"), will feature teen popsters the School...
An office comedy with benefits
It's not often I go back and review something that's not only in its second season, but on the second episode of its second season. But since "Better Off Ted"...
Scaredy Tiger now 'on edge'
Tiger Woods is on the brink. The shamed golfer is terrified that his wife is going to divorce him over his sexcapades and make his life miserable by moving to...
Teens in a drug daze
DETROIT -- Smoking marijuana is becoming more popular among US teens, even as they cut down on cigarettes, binge drinking and methamphetamine use, according to a federal survey released yesterday....
Safety in the City: The hustlers are back
* "Shooting From the Lip" (Editorial, Dec. 12) raises a great point about the work that remains to be done in New York City when it comes to our quality...
Spitzer gal's new line of work
* Ashley Dupre as a columnist ("Ask Ashley," Dec. 13)? This is absurd, not to mention hypocritical. It makes an abominable statement about young women in our country: Sell your...
More pain from the Cash for Clunkers program
SOME people are still making a fortune off the Cash For Clunkers program and -- you might have already guessed this -- it's not us, the taxpayers. I think stories...
Aiden & Madeline are 'named' No. 1 for kids
Do you know a child named Aiden or Madeline? Chances are you will -- they're the top names for boys and girls in 2009, while Jacob and Emma were the...
Escape claws
WASHINGTON -- Every so often in the Washington Metro subway system, a foot gets caught in an escalator. Yesterday, it was a bird's talon. Benning Road station employees shut off...
Abu Dhabi puts up $10B aid to Dubai
Debt-plagued Dubai was spared from a bond default yesterday thanks to a $10 billion last-minute lifeline from its oil-rich Emirates neighbor, Abu Dhabi. The rescue touched off a rally on...
Why the rush?
Last week, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) announced that he was working on yet another version of health reform, incorporating tweaks such as a huge expansion of Medicare, a...
The two faces of O
In public, President Obama is on a tear against Wall Street. In private, not so much Over the weekend, Obama attacked fat-cat investment bankers, telling "60 Minutes" he didn't become...
A Bronx bummer
The City Council yesterday rejected a major development plan at the Kingsbridge Armory in The Bronx, in a big blow to Mayor Bloomberg over one of his pet projects. It...
Tavern's goose may be cooked!
TIME is running out on Tavern on the Green -- not just on lame-duck operator Jennifer LeRoy, but on the last knife and fork. The train wreck of a "deal"...
The liberals' weaselly panic
Harry Reid can rightly claim to be making history. If he passes health-care re form, he'll depend on a series of historic "firsts." It'd be the first time Congress had...
Raid on US 'Qaeda' inn
KARACHI, Pakistan -- Police here yesterday seized luggage and a cellphone from a hotel where three of five Americans arrested on suspicion of militant links stayed, while a court ruled...
15,000 will die from CT scans
CHICAGO -- Radiation from CT scans done in 2007 will cause 29,000 cancers and kill nearly 15,000 Americans, researchers said yesterday. The findings, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine,...
Engineer 'faked' building OK
A Queens engineer faked certifications for balconies in a Brooklyn building where a firefighter miraculously escaped death fighting a blaze in 2008, authorities charged yesterday. Officials said that Vasilios Kourkoumelis,...
Silvio's lament: Why do they hate me so much?
"Why do they hate me so much?" a shocked and bloodied Silvio Berlusconi asked doctors after a rage-filled man broke the Italian premier's nose and two teeth with a jagged...
A revolutionary plan for NY schools
In a marathon meeting, the state Board of Re gents approved dozens of education-reform measures. It adds up to a sweeping plan to put New York in shape to score...
Liu's staff out of Comptrol
About 60 managers in the city comptroller's office have been notified that they won't be kept on when John Liu takes over next year from Bill Thompson, The Post has...
Cuomo's big lead on gov
ALBANY -- Attorney General Andrew Cuomo maintains a huge lead in a potential 2010 primary fight to be the Democratic candidate for governor, despite a slight uptick by Gov. Paterson,...
Green's Mad. loan
If SL Green's recent pur chase of the construction loan on Macklowe Properties' 510 Madison Ave. is a step toward wresting control of the nearly finished office tower at East...
Smith's big tip of cap
ALBANY -- The push to raise the cap on charter schools got a big boost yesterday as Senate President Malcolm Smith announced a bill to double the number allowed statewide....
Low blow to prez
The Democrats could be facing serious problems in next year's congressional races. President Obama's approval rating dipped to an all-time low, 44 percent, according to the daily Rasmussen Reports Presidential...
Diamond polishes tax flap
Barclays Capital CEO Bob Diamond yesterday tried to tamp down escalating worry among his employees about getting whacked by the UK government's plan to tax bonuses at a 50 percent...
Vegas thiefs bag $1M - uh, sort of
LAS VEGAS -- A team of robbers ambushed an armored car in the parking lot of a Las Vegas casino yesterday and scored a $1 million moneybag -- which included...
Fortune $miles on StuyTown, Cooper tenants
Oh, Santa -- it's perfect! Thousands of residents of Peter Cooper Village and Stuyvesant Town got every New Yorkers' dream Christmas gift yesterday when it was announced their rents would...
NYPD Daily Blotter
Brooklyn -- What a holy terror! Angelica Otiti, 20, was busted at church after she attacked her lesbian lover's pregnant teen sister in Brownsville, authorities said yesterday. Otiti argued with...
'Sorry' mistress: Woods duped me
Tiger Woods' busty former-lingerie-model mistress yesterday detailed the steamy hotel trysts she had with the golfer during his wife's first pregnancy -- and tearfully apologized for the sex romps. "According...
Christmas lotto bonus
Santa Claus paid an early visit yesterday to six New York Lottery winners at Central Park's Wollman Rink -- and they'll no longer be skating on thin financial ice. The...
'Jersey Shore' joker KO'd in cage match
The New York City schoolteacher who drunkenly sucker-punched a "Jersey Shore" TV hottie couldn't last half a minute fighting a real man. Brad Ferro, 24, of Deer Park, LI, participated...
Rihanna bares her, um, soul
Rihanna says she's baring her body and soul in order to change the subject -- from her beating by Chris Brown to the release of her new album, "Rated R."...
Business briefs
Cadbury BlackRock and Eton Park LLP were among US investors to disclose pur chases of Cadbury Plc shares as the company said a hostile approach from Kraft Foods "sub stantially...
Raj seeks cut in bail
Arguing that their client is a good citizen and that the government's case against him is flawed, lawyers for Raj Rajaratnam, the hedge-fund trader at the center of a widespread...
Oracle's 'Sun'day
Larry Ellison's Oracle won an all-clear from Europe's top antitrust official to proceed with its $7.4 billion purchase of Sun Microsystems after reaching a verbal agreement to protect a piece...
Rapist sues over jail bash
A convicted rapist filed a lawsuit against the city and several jail guards yesterday, claiming he was brutally beaten for blowing a kiss at a female correction officer. Larry Johnson,...
Shel says Gov's cash cutoff OK
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver yesterday gave a shot in the arm to Gov. Paterson's move to withhold $750 million in local aid, saying the governor and his budget director can...
A job 'well done'
Her "home" was her castle -- for 67 years. Elaine Miseta, 87, retired Friday from her job at White Castle's home office in Columbus, Ohio, where she'd been working since...
Just win, baby! (Even if the people lose)
WASHINGTON -- This is what happens when the soaring promises of Hope and Change give way to old-style political prostitution on the Potomac. President Obama won last year vowing to...
MTA doomsday right on track
Straphangers came one stop closer yesterday to a drastic package of service cuts that will hit students and disabled riders especially hard. In a heated meeting, the MTA's finance committee...
Big energy merger fuels banks' profits
ExxonMobil's $31 billion deal to control America's biggest source of natural gas proved once again how fast Wall Street banks rake in big bucks even in a recession. On one...
Sign of the Times
What had been a gentlemen's rivalry between The Wall Street Journal and the New York Times morphed into full-fledged skirmish yesterday after a column criticizing the Journal's news coverage triggered...
iPhone app's a meter beater
Finding a parking spot with a broken meter may be the New York equivalent of hitting the jackpot -- but, thanks to a new iPhone application, everyone can now be...
Fala-full of lies
An eyewitness to a falafel-rage killing in Midtown was forced to eat his words on the witness stand yesterday -- admitting that he lied to cops about what happened during...
Citi's withdrawal pains
Citigroup's long-awaited plan to pay back Uncle Sam was unveiled yesterday -- but investors weren't impressed. Put off by the threat of seeing their stakes in the embattled bank diluted...
BoNY's Kelly denies he's jumping to BofA
CHARLOTTE, NC -- Bank of New York Mellon Chief Executive Bob Kelly said in a memo to employees late yesterday that he was not leaving the bank, squashing speculation he...
Cement 'nixer'
A fraud investigator testified yesterday that he saw firsthand that mandated concrete-safety tests weren't being performed at the new Yankee Stadium. Thacher Associates investigator Jim Murphy said a Testwell Laboratories...
Activists win round vs. cops
The New York Civil Liberties Union won a round in its legal battle with police yesterday, when a federal judge ordered the NYPD to turn over 2,000 pages of documents...
Gotbaum's patronage pals
Hey, New York! It seems that departing Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum actually did something with the office she held for eight years. She turned it into a patronage dump. Gotbaum,...
Sacrificing for the unions
The MTA yesterday proposed major service cuts. Today, Gov. Paterson begins freezing $750 million in state aid to localities. In other words, the budget chickens are preparing to roost. But,...
Don't trust the regents
Time will tell whether the seemingly sweeping school-improvement program adopted by the state Board of Regents yesterday will do the job. But there's room for doubt. To be sure, the...
Wells Fargo is last bank to return cash
Determined not to be the odd-bank out, Wells Fargo yesterday outlined plans to return $25 billion in bailout cash just hours after Citigroup announced it would pay back its billions...
Brooklyn eyed for terror trial
WASHINGTON -- Federal prosecutors are considering sending Guantanamo Bay detainee Majid Khan, who grew up in Maryland before allegedly joining al Qaeda, to face trial in Brooklyn, a source said...
The people's convention
The first of a series of public hearings has been scheduled for tomorrow in an effort to hold a "people's constitutional convention" designed to change how the state government operates....
School folks in space war
Parents at a Lower East Side charter school are slamming the city for pitting a slew of public-school parents against them in a battle over scarce building space. Parents of...
Hudson's ab-ulous workout
Here's a window into Kate's workout! While Yankee boyfriend A-Rod was gallivanting around Miami (See Page Six) with a string a beautiful babes, telling everyone, "I'm definitely single," Kate Hudson...
Slay caddy convicted
A Long Island golf caddy has been convicted of first-degree manslaughter in the choking death of a Suffolk County correction officer who was moonlighting as a nightclub bouncer. Prosecutors had...
Al sparks ice storm
Al Gore claimed yesterday that the Arctic polar ice cap could melt away during the summer months in as little as five years -- which he insisted bolsters the case...
Health Dems drop Medicare option
WASHINGTON -- Senate Democrats last night dropped a key Medicare expansion plan from the proposed health-care bill in a major last-minute concession to save the legislation from going under. The...
Soda video lard to swallow
A city Health Department video warning people away from sugar-sweetened drinks hit YouTube yesterday. It shows a man pouring a can of soda into a glass -- but what comes...
'Kill Mike' threat
A wacky conspiracy theorist repeatedly drove from Philadelphia to Manhattan to make death threats against Mayor Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly via pay phones, officials said yesterday. Jeffrey Fisher,...
Somalia stoning horror
In a scene straight out of the Dark Ages, this Somali man accused of adultery was stoned to death by Islamic thugs while horrified villagers were forced to watch. Mohamed...
Barack & Buffett kin really relate
President Obama and Warren Buffett are not only ideological buddies, they also have a common blood relative. Mareen Duvall -- a "country gentleman" Frenchman who came to America in the...
Oh, boy! Cell bill hits 22G
The father of a 13-year-old California boy had been expecting a higher cellphone bill this month after adding his son to the plan -- but not one for $21,917. Ted...
'30 Rock' star needs kidney
LOS ANGELES -- Actor Grizz Chapman of "30 Rock" said yesterday he needs a kidney transplant and wants to raise awareness of the dangers of high blood pressure, which led...
Subway train kills cell chatter
A man who'd been talking on his cellphone -- and then apparently tried to retrieve something he'd dropped on the tracks -- was struck and killed by a train as...
Gaborik's shootout miss keeps Rangers' slide alive with loss to Thrashers
Marian Gaborik, who may have the most gifted hands in the NHL, scored his league-leading 23rd goal in last night's third period, but despite receiving a salary of $7.5 million,...
Cardinals fail to clinch NFC West
SAN FRANCISCO -- The Cardinals threw away a chance to clinch a second straight NFC West crown. Alex Smith threw touchdown passes after two of Arizona's seven turnovers, Frank Gore...
Nets need ammo vs. James Gang
CLEVELAND -- When they were receiving national attention as the NBA's all-time worst team to start a season, the 2-22 Nets at least played defense. They yielded 97.9 points, not...
The Post Line
NFLThursdayFavoriteOpening Current(O/U) UnderdogJAGUARSOFFOFF(OFF)ColtsSaturdaySAINTS 7 7 (53) CowboysSundayJETSOFFOFF(OFF)FalconsSTEELERS 1 Pick(39½)PackersTITANSOFFOFF(OFF)DolphinsPatriots 7 7 (40½)BILLSLIONSOFFOFF(OFF)CardinalsEAGLESOFFOFF(OFF)49ersRAVENS10 10 (40½)BearsCHIEFS 2½ 2 (36½)BrownsRAMSOFFOFF(OFF)TexansCHARGERS 6½ 6½(44) BengalsBRONCOS11½12½(37) RaidersSEAHAWKS 8½ 7 (39½)BuccaneersVikings 7½ 7 (42½)PANTHERSMondayGiants 2½ 3 (42)...
Turf Paradise Analysis
Today's analysis.1. 6f; $5,900; cl($3,500); 3upBRITE BENTON closed to finish second by a length this level while going shorter in second start off the layoff. FUTURE EX showed some closing ability...
Sheridan on Giants' hot seat due to Swiss cheese defense
There will be no immediate change of the man calling the shots for the pathetic Giants defense, but if this keeps up there will be no playoffs and most likely...
Giants dropped ball when they didn't pick it up
The Shrill cries of anguished Giants fans for Tom Coughlin to dump defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan before the final wild-card playoff push will fall on deaf ears. Coughlin, asked yesterday...
Giants' McKenzie to miss at least two weeks
The offensive line is no longer intact. If the Giants are going to gather themselves for a playoff push, they are going to have to do it without right tackle...
Jones, defense -- not QB -- will carry Jets
This was an NFL front-office executive from an out-of-contention team speaking yesterday morning after spending a good portion of his Sunday night watching tape of the Jets' 26-3 rout of...
Beware of Memphis' hotshots
MIAMI -- Apparently the only thing that can slow Memphis down is The Lord ordering Allen Iverson back there. Yours truly took one for the team Sunday night, staying for...
Jets' Sanchez on track to return
Rex Ryan said yesterday that he "feels good" about Mark Sanchez playing Sunday after Sanchez sat out the win over the Buccaneers with a sprained right knee. But Ryan said...
Playoffs still in sight for Jets
There's a palpable energy surrounding the Jets now, one that's been buoyed by possibilities that seemed preposterous to fathom just three weeks ago. Having won their third consecutive game with...
Knicks' Bender might suit up
Jonathan Bender practiced for the second straight day yesterday after he signed with the Knicks over the weekend. The former No. 5 overall pick by Toronto in the 1999 NBA...
Knicks stay cool on hot streak
One thing you can't accuse the Knicks of being is overconfident after their recent run. The Knicks are in the midst of one of their best stretches in recent memory,...
Report: Six teams eye Wang
According to Chien-Ming Wang's agent, six teams -- three from the American League, and three from the NL -- have expressed interest in signing the former Yankee right-hander. Wang's agent,...
Sports shorts
COLLEGE: Report: USF coach hit player in face The University of South Florida plans to look into a report that football coach Jim Leavitt struck one of his players in...
Patriots come to Moss' defense
Patriots coach Bill Belichick fired back yesterday at two Carolina defenders who criticized the effort of wide receiver Randy Moss. Belichick, who rarely rips opponents, said, "My response would be...
Yankees-Red Sox open season April 4
The Yankees will play the Red Sox in the major league Sunday night opener on April 4 in Boston. The game will be televised on ESPN2 nationally but will be...
Panthers hand Islanders worst drubbing of season, 7-1
The Islanders searched for words to describe how bad they were last night against the Panthers. Defenseman Mark Streit's final ones did nicely: "We were just awful." During the 7-1...
Matsui signs with Angels
From Yankees World Series MVP in early November to gone 11 days before Christmas. That's the road Hideki Matsui has traveled. According to several sources, Matsui and the Angels have...
Weird but true
The North Face is suing South Butt. The giant clothing company, known for its ubiquitous winter fashions, has asked a federal court in St. Louis to order its tiny new...
CHSAA boys basketball rankings
The entire CHSAA was in action this week, with the exception of Christ the King, which will finally take the court Friday in the first of three games in three...
PSAL boys basketball rankings
It’s been just three weeks, and already we have changed teams atop our rankings three times. It’s going to be that kind of season. Jefferson returns to that lofty perch...
Torrealba grievance Wednesday
A hearing on catcher Yorvit Torrealba's longstanding grievance against the Mets will be heard Wednesday, according to mlb.com. Torrealba claims the Mets created the false impression he was an injury risk...
PSAL boys basketball roundup: Waney helps Hunter remain undefeated
Kyle Waney scored 23 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, Cole Garson added 18 points and 13 rebounds and Jasper Lee hit three 3-pointers and had 14 points for Hunter, which...
NYC boys basketball rankings
The basketball season has gotten off to a flying start. While The Post’s NYC basketball top 10 has few changes – such as St. Raymond replacing Xaverian – that is...
City Design Commission puts Coney amphitheater vote on hold
The city’s Design Commission today opted to hold off a key vote for Coney Island’s $64 million amphitheater project after irate opponents gave commissioners an earful over the controversial plan....
Journal's Deogun leaves for CNBC
Nik Deogun, The Wall Street Journal's deputy managing editor and international editor, is leaving the paper to become managing editor of CNBC, ending a 15-year run at the Journal.As part...
Editors' picks
FridayDecember 18 In-VINCE-ableAdrian Grenier and his other entourage will hit Williamsburg’s most-eclectically decorated bowling alley tonight. The versatile HBO star (“Entourage”) not only plays a drummer in the new-wave folk band...
Autumn Vegetables Star in Quick Main Dish Pasta
With pasta and canned tomatoes in the pantry, and some fresh vegetables and herbs in the crisper, dinner is always close at hand.Even when time is as limited as the...
Tony Disco at it again
You may know him as Tony Disco. Now get ready to meet Tony Mambo.Gravesend resident Tony Ferrante made it to the small screen this past summer, showing off his dance...
Enforcement Against Illegally Parked Trucks Continues in Canarsie
The streets near Canarsie Cemetery continue to be haunted by tractor-trailers parked illegally at the curb overnight.“It seems like they are always there. It’s an embarrassment,” contended area resident Frank...
Insurance industry seeks to profit from Tiger scandal
With everyone associated with the Tiger Woods scandal trying to profit from the sensational story, it was probably only a matter of time before companies with no ties to the...
Report: Escobar offered minor deal
The Mets offered veteran right-hander Kelvim Escobar a minor-league contract today, according to Venezuelan newspaper El Nacional. Escobar, 33, is 101-91 in 12 seasons but made just one appearance for the Angels...
Moves put the heat on Minaya
The heat is on Omar Minaya to respond after a flurry of high-profile moves around baseball today -- none of them good for the Mets. Just hours after word broke that...
Bloggers continue banging Brooklyn’s Atlantic Yards
As Brooklyn’s biggest project, it is no shock that Atlantic Yards is by far the borough's most blogged subject. In fact, one blogger, Norman Oder, has reported the subject to...