December 18, 2009
Phillies keep Rollins through 2011
PHILADELPHIA -- Jimmy Rollins’ $8.5 million club option for 2011 was exercised Friday by the NL champion Philadelphia Phillies. The 2007 NL MVP will make $7.5 million next year, the...
Pursuit of perfection
With the season almost over, there's one main topic of discussion -- the possible perfect regular seasons of the Colts and Saints.The Colts survived an upset scare against the Jaguars...
DEALS: British Columbia
What's that? All you want for Christmas is a winter vacation to Canada? That's so crazy, it just might be ... Really Friggin' Crazy! We here at NYP Travel like...
Mets sign pitcher Everts
The Mets have added another young pitcher, agreeing to a one-year contract with right-hander Clint Everts. The 25-year-old right-hander, the fifth overall pick in the 2002 amateur draft, was a...
Holmgren says Browns are 'wonderful opportunity'
BEREA, Ohio -- Mike Holmgren looked for houses during his recent trip to Cleveland, which may soon be his new NFL home. Terming a chance to assume control of the...
Bloomberg decides against big inauguration bash
After springing for more than $102 million to win a third term, Mayor Bloomberg has decided to shut the cash spigot -- he's not holding a reception after his inauguration,...
Tag Heuer dumps Tiger Woods from US ad campaign
Swiss watchmaker Tag Heuer plans to drop Tiger Woods from its American ad campaigns, the company announced Friday. The luxury watchmaker said it would maintain its support of Woods’ charitable...
GOP threatens to delay health care vote with bill read-a-thon
WASHINGTON — Republicans threatened to delay Senate business with a health care read-a-thon this weekend as Democrats searched for 60 votes to advance President Barack Obama's signature issue. A forecast...
Box Office: $3.5M midnight for 'Avatar'
"Avatar'' grossed a relatively modest $3.5 million from midnight showings in North America last night, the L.A. Times reports. Compare that with the record $26.7M in midnight tickets sold for...
CHSAA boys basketball roundup: Aguilar heats up for Mount
Christmas has come early for Pete Aguilar. The Mount St. Michael swingman is enjoying his most productive stretch of his high-school career. On Sunday, the 6-foot-2 junior from The Bronx...
Storm to dump up to a a foot of snow on NYC area
New Yorkers better stock up on groceries, winter gear and last-minute gifts -- a massive winter storm is set to bear down on the city tomorrow, dumping nearly a foot...
Updated South Shore Invitational schedule
South Shore coach Anwar Gladden had to alter the schedule for his South Shore Invitational to help accommodate Mount Vernon with snow expected in the area on Saturday. Here is...
Documents reveal PSAL transfer inconsistencies
The PSAL and Department of Education have shown multiple inconsistencies in their handling of cases regarding the eligibility of transfer student-athletes, The Post has learned. This week, PSAL eligibility coordinator...
The weekly wrap-up, December 18
This week we learned that...... Cadman Plaza has had more facelifts than Donatella Versace. Hey! (We'll be here all week.) [The Real Deal]... Some people are not impressed with Trump...
UGG! Sanchez gets special cold-weather helmet
Mark Sanchez will wear a special cold-weather helmet to play his first career game in temperatures under 40 degrees.“We put some of the UGG boot stuff in his helmet, so...
Bikers in the buff to protest demise of bike lane
Bicyclists planning a protest ride through Brooklyn are calling it their “Freedom Ride” — free of clothing, that is. The activists want to go topless during Saturday’s ride. MORE: Cover...
Solar power car guy is just waiting for customers
Finally there’s a way to get around town without polluting or burning anything.The Beautiful Earth Group, a Columbia Street “green” energy company, has set up Brooklyn’s first solar power array...
Rangers coach: Attitude 'stinks around here'
John Tortorella benched a pair of Rangers veterans last night, and don’t expect them to be the last moves he makes. Today, the coach blasted the “entitlement” that surrounded the...
Worse Defense Than Nets
TORONTO – So the locals won't be out yelling obscenities at Vince Carter tonight. But they might be screaming at their own team for its defensive silliness. Not that the...
It's officially Sanchez for Sunday
As if we all didn't know this announcement was coming, Rex Ryan finbally ended what little suspense there was in the Jets quarterbacking situation and said today that Mark Sanchez...
Ashanti's alleged stalker takes stand in Manhattan court
Pay no attention to his actual lack of a recording career. Sex-obsessed Ashanti fan Devon Hurd took the stand in Manhattan this morning, describing himself as a self-described rap label...
Drama Mama: The 10 Most Dramatic Moments of the ’00s
Is the decade over already? Say what you want about the era of crappy reality TV, there was still plenty of jaw-dropping, tear-jerking, spine-tingling drama to be found in the last...
Obama's Copenhagen Speech
If the Guardian didn't like it he must have done something right (Little Green Footballs)
Mangini happy with job he's done
BEREA, Ohio -- Browns coach Eric Mangini know his fate could be tied to Mike Holmgren -- or whomever owner Randy Lerner hires. To this point, Mangini’s first season in...
Of course we know how to reduce costs
John Steele Gordon disputes David Brooks' assertion about health care reform (Commentary)
Giants' Ross sits out with injured hamstring
The beleaguered Giants secondary may have to turn to one of its forgotten men against the Washington Redskins on Monday night: veteran Kevin Dockery. Dockery, who has been somewhat in...
Cover up! Bike advocacy group calls for no topless ride on Bedford tomorrow
Transportation Alternatives, the advocacy group, just sent over this statement, urging people to keep their tops on if they truly support the reinstallation of the cycle path between Flushing Avenue...
Sanchez will start for Jets on Sunday
Rex Ryan made it official today, naming Mark Sanchez the Jets starting quarterback for Sunday's game with the Falcons. Ryan had been coy all week, waiting to say whether Sanchez...
Damon moving on after Yankees give Johnson one-year deal
Nick Johnson is back and Johnny Damon said so long, explaining he and the Yankees couldn’t get together on a two-year deal. The Yankees agreed with Johnson on a one-year...
3 alleged al-Qaeda members arrive in NY to face charges
Three accused terrorists arrested in Africa arrived in Manhattan today to face charges that they plotted to fund al-Qaeda by smuggling thousands of pounds of cocaine into Europe. Oumar Issa,...
Inside the deal where Tiger posed for mag cover in exchange for silence
The Wall Street Journal has more details about a story that didn't get too much attention in the wake of the Woods' sex scandal: In 2007, Tiger Woods posed for...
'Army of Two' 2 demo: get some
Stop, demo time! EA's put out a free demo for their upcoming "Army of Two: The 40th Day." Check it out on Xbox Live and PlayStation Network. (PSP users, alas,...
Tiger Woods 'wants to save marriage'
Tiger obviously has been doing a good job at not reading newspapers, celeb magazines, news web sites, blogs or watching TV, because he somehow things there's a way to repair...
Tiger Woods wants to save his fragile marriage
Tiger Woods has never given up on the golf course and apparently that determination is carrying over into his personal life. Woods is “doing everything he can to save his...
DC mayor signs gay marriage bill
WASHINGTON -- The mayor of Washington has signed a bill legalizing gay marriage in the nation's capital, but it won't go into effect just yet. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty signed...
US, Russia fail to reach new nuclear-arms deal
COPENHAGEN -- President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev failed to reach an agreement on a new nuclear-arms control accord during talks on the sidelines of the Copenhagen climate summit...
Big money could 'PAVE' the way for new Red Hook school
That fear reached a fever pitch last week when the Department of Education released an “educational impact statement” that declared the school building capable of accommodating PAVE, which opened in...
NY’s felony DWI law takes effect today
Driving while intoxicated with a child in the vehicle is now a felony in New York. The state’s new Child Passenger Protection Act, called Leandra’s Law, takes effect today. The...
State looks into Turnpike stop of 11 Queens teens
TRENTON, N.J. — New Jersey’s Attorney General’s Office says it’s investigating a traffic stop on the New Jersey Turnpike. Eleven Queens teenagers returning from a visit to Howard University ended...
Former Marine pleads guilty in road-rage shooting
PHILADELPHIA — A former Marine faces more than 60 years in prison for the road-rage shooting of a motorist whose 8-year-old daughter was in the back seat. Thirty-four-year-old Christian Squillaciotti...
Police continue search for missing Newburgh boy, 4
NEWBURGH, N.Y. — Dozens of officers from several police agencies continue to scour the city of Newburgh looking for a 4-year-old boy who went missing Monday. Police say Marc Anthony...
Cat-killer Petcka sentence to community service
Notorious "self defense" cat bludgeoner Joseph Petcka finally got his kitten-sweet sentence today. The D-list actor and former Mets minor league pitcher walked out of Manhattan Supreme Court with no...
Report: Jon and Kate officially divorced
Jon and Kate Gosselin, whose cable television series broadcast their cratering marriage in nearly real-time, are now officially divorced. America's most famous parents of eight will split their assets, with...
On this day...
Good morning to Wall Street and Main Street.Birthday greetings go out this morning to Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones, film director Steven Spielberg and movie critic Leonard Maltin. So,...
Doctor's lawyer: no link to Tiger Woods
TORONTO — The lawyer for a sports doctor who has treated Tiger Woods says the superstar golfer is in no way linked to the drug-related conspiracy charges Dr. Anthony Galea...
GM to stop Saab production
General Motors Co. said Friday it will shut down Saab after talks to sell the brand to Dutch carmaker Spyker Cars collapsed, marking the third time this year that a...
Iraqi official: Iran seized Iraqi oil well
BAGHDAD — Iranian troops have crossed into Iraqi territory and seized an oil well that lies in a disputed area along the two countries' southern border, Iraq's deputy foreign Minster...
Doctors extract needles from toddler in Brazil
BRASILIA, Brazil — Doctors began emergency surgery Friday to remove four sewing needles lodged in a Brazilian toddler’s lungs and near his heart that allegedly were inserted by his stepfather...
Specter, Toomey Tied
New poll shows Pennsylvania matchup looks close (Hotline)
Best of 2009, part 1
The best part of the year has finally come: It's time to make lists! Below are my ten favorite shows; I'll get to fave performances, moments and other sundries in a subsequent...
Dems got the Stimulus Cash
Mark Hemmingway reports that GOP districts got less of the money (Washington Examiner)
Frum vs. Klein
Healthcare reform debate from Time's Joe Klein and David Frum (Bloggingheads TV)
Iranian Scorecard
Obama administration doesn't support bipartisan sanctions (Wall Street Journal)
Vac's Friday Whacks: On Peyton the Great, the Coach Who Roared and a Darn Good Read
I never saw Johnny Unitas play. His last year, 1973, was the first year I came to sports, and my very first pro football memory -- I swear this is...
Jungers' aunt: Jamie has naked photos of Tiger
Jamie Jungers's aunt said the Las Vegas cocktail waitress bragged about her relationship with Tiger four years ago, and said she had naked photos of the golfing great.Susan Minor told...
Diplomatic frenzy as world leaders try to climate deal
COPENHAGEN — A diplomatic frenzy enveloped the final scheduled day of the U.N. climate conference Friday, with President Barack Obama twice meeting privately with China's premier as world leaders pressed...
Twitter hacked by 'Iranian Cyber Army'
Social media website Twitter was hacked late Thursday by a group calling itself the “Iranian Cyber Army”, US tech blogs reported. The hackers were said to have broken through Twitter’s...
Dave's Big Gamble
Is Governor Paterson getting traction? (Syracuse Post-Standard)Chris Cillizza on Paterson's prospects (Washington Post)
Cyberpeace is Not Russia's Goal
Partnership for a secure Europe? (Across the Aisle)Don Reisinger says a US-Russian cybersecurity deal is scary prospect (Internet Evolution)
OyPhone! Thieves are picking Apples right out of people's hands!
She never saw it coming — but now she’s sounding the alarm. Park Sloper Alex Beers became the latest victim of a new breed of criminal — the silent iPhone...
Key quotes from Obama's speech to the UN climate conference
COPENHAGEN - U.S. President Barack Obama on Friday addressed a UN conference on climate change. The following are key quotes: -- "I'm confident that America will fulfill the commitments that...
Copenhagen ends with a deal surrounded by confusion
COPENHAGEN — The United Nations climate change summit at Copenhagen drew to a close Friday night with negotiators securing a non-binding agreement between the developed and developing nations. President Barack...
Infamous Auschwitz sign stolen
An infamous sign reading "Arbeit Macht Frei" or "Work makes you free" has been stolen from the Auschwitz memorial site in Poland. Polish police announced the sign — made by...
Kingsbridge Commissar
Eliot Brown on New York Wage Wars (New York Observer)Diaz calls Monserrate inquiry racist (Legislative Gazette)
The Left Revolts
David Waldman says no public option, no mandate (Daily Kos)No Mandate for Government Health Care (Washington Times)
Twitter briefly blocked by hackers
Hackers briefly blocked access to the popular Internet messaging service Twitter, steering traffic to another Web site where a group reportedly calling itself the “Iranian Cyber Army” claimed responsibility. Users...
Ashanti anguish
A sex-crazed fan made Ashanti's manager-mother "terrified" for her daughter's safety, the R&B star's mom told a Manhattan jury yesterday. "I'm thinking, in my mind, rape," Tina Douglas testified on...
PSAL boys basketball roundup: Clarida's free throw sinks Edison
Sasha Clarida scored 33 points, including the game-winning free throw, as Campus Magnet (2-4) picked up its second league win, 78-77, over Thomas Edison in Queens AA action Thursday evening....
Granderson: I’ll be all right vs. lefties
Asked about his struggles against left-handed pitchers, Curtis Granderson instantly smiled and gave a reason he might bat better than the .183 he did last season. "I don’t have to...
Rangers' Drury snaps scoreless streak
Add general manager Glen Sather to the cast of thousands who share the belief that Chris Drury is often his own worst enemy. "Chris puts too much pressure on himself,"...
'Ava'-stars are shining
They have seen the future — and it’s a winner. Zoe Saldana and “Avatar” co-star Michelle Rodriguez, here at the space epic’s Hollywood premiere, are all smiles about its sci-fi...
The Post's All-City boys soccer honors
Familiar faces hoisted crowns and took victory laps in 2009. Martin Luther King Jr. won its 12th PSAL Class A title in 14 years while Archbishop Molloy became the first...
YES shakeup? Maybe
Something's on the shake over at YES. David Cone’s deal with the network is up. YES wants him back to work Yankees telecasts, but Cone hasn’t yet given YES his...
Minaya looking for relief
While the Mets continued to play the waiting game with Jason Bay and Bengie Molina, GM Omar Minaya was busy on another front yesterday -- fortifying the team's bullpen. At...
A-Rod avoids second hip surgery, cleared for workouts
Alex Rodriguez is done sweating -- so now he can begin sweating. The Yankees third baseman nervously awaited the results of an MRI exam earlier this week that revealed no...
New CF:
Asked about his struggles against left-handed pitchers, Curtis Granderson instantly smiled and gave a reason he might bat better than the .183 he did last season. “I don’t have to...
Johnson's likely return to Yankees puts squeeze on Damon
The Yankees and Nick Johnson are close to agreeing on a one-year deal for the left-handed hitter to be the club’s designated hitter. "Not at this moment," GM Brian Cashman...
As Yankees welcome Curtis,
The words tumbled off Brian Cashman’s lips shortly after Hal Steinbrenner said he would never slam the budget door in the GM’s face, making Yankee fans immediately fantasize about slugging...
CHSAA/Private girls basketball roundup: Hill rallies past Sea
St. Joseph Hill scored nearly as many points in the fourth the quarter as it had the rest of the game. The Hilltoppers exploded for 27 points in the the...
Brown's blocks boost Transit Tech against Jefferson
Rhamel Brown is trying to become a more complete player, attempting to assert himself offensively. But if he can dominate defensively like he did late in the game Thursday, Transit...
Falcons shot down by Iona Prep
Over the past two seasons, Iona Prep and Bishop Ford had three classic encounters in front of overflow crowds, splitting the last two CHSAA Class A intersectional titles and playing...
PSAL girls basketball roundup: Ward, Wings beat Columbus
Latasia Ward had 20 points and nine assists to lead Wings Academy to a 57-42 win against host Columbus in PSAL Bronx A girls basketball Thursday. Monique Samuel had 11...
Poly's Wheeler to Stony Brook
When it comes to Poly Prep two-way star Devante Wheeler, Hofstra’s loss is most certainly Stony Brook’s gain. Wheeler said he was close to choosing Hofstra, but was stunned when...
Lincoln claims latest saga in rivalry
It was a white-knuckler with plenty of momentum shifts. A brief skirmish broke out afterward. A celebrity, Los Angeles Clippers guard Sebastian Telfair, was in the crowd. Basically, it was...
Questions surround Francis Lewis boys hoops forfeit
The Francis Lewis boys basketball team’s first loss is a case of he said, they said. On Tuesday afternoon, the Patriots were issued a forfeit after their game at Newtown...
Boys & Girls falls short in Coney Island yet again
Mike Taylor left the dingy classroom in the bowels of Lincoln with that "not again" look on his face. It’s a look many Boys & Girls players have etched across...
Stanners lack shooting touch, late hustle in loss to Ford
Kyra Aloizos didn’t paint a rosy picture. The Archbishop Molloy forward watched her team settle for jump shots, commit costly turnovers and get outhustled at key moments by Bishop Ford....
O/U Rico
Rico went 8-7-1 (2-1 Best Bets) on the Over/Unders last week bringing the season record to 93-111-4 (16-25-1). The selections for Week 15: OVER: Colts / Jaguars; Saints / Cowboys;...
Miss Charleen
LAST NIGHT: Jaguars (L) TOMORROW: Cowboys SUNDAY: Jets, Titans, Bills, Cardinals, 49ers, Ravens, Browns, Texans, Packers, Bengals, Raiders, Buccaneers, Vikings MONDAY: Giants BEST BETS: Titans, Ravens, Raiders
Tim Sullivan
LAST NIGHT: Colts (W) TOMORROW: Cowboys SUNDAY: Jets, Dolphins, Bills, Cardinals, Eagles, Ravens, Chiefs, Texans, Packers, Bengals, Raiders, Seahawks, Panthers MONDAY: Giants BEST BETS: Eagles, Seahawks, Giants
Hondo’s just an average kind of guy
Hondo didn’t bounce back from his 3-13 disaster in Week 13, but there was a slight carom as he went 7-9 in the compulsories and 2-for-3 in the BBs, which...
Big & easy enough
The Saints insist they’re going hard for 16-0 and there’s no reason to doubt them. Off two lackluster road games in which the unbeaten mark was put in jeopardy, they...
Weekend Calendar
18 MUSIC THE JACKSON THRIVE Michael Jackson claimed he was “really, really bad.” The consortium of local performers known as Losers Lounge is really, really good and they’ll be playing...
Giants — as 'MNF' has — need to return to roots
Monday night is just about the football now — the Giants, the Redskins and a good, old-fashioned NFC East rivalry. It wasn’t always that way at ESPN. When the cable...
Weekend Guide: Music
POP, ROCK, FOLK ?UESTLOVE: The Roots drummer, style icon and deejay plays his annual year-end party. Tuesday at 8 p.m. at S.O.B's, 204 Varick St.; 212-243-4940. INGRID MICHAELSON: This sweet-voiced...
Weekend Guide: Theater
BROADWAY "BURN THE FLOOR": **½ A plotless revue, energetically delivered by sexy and athletic (if personality-free) performers. Longacre Theatre, 220 W. 48th St.; 212-239-6200. Closes Jan. 3. "BYE BYE BIRDIE":...
Suit: Church used its 'Vito' power
Aretakis also claims that Lopez is lying about his involvement.“[Lopez] engaged in illegal quid pro quo with [the church], where DiMarzio would [support] Vito’s slate of candidates,” alleged Aretakis, a...
Bridge 'Park' directors accept Jane's Carousel
A DUMBO real-estate titan and his wife’s dream of donating her lovingly restored, 1920s-era carousel to the Brooklyn Bridge Park waterfront development was finally realized on Thursday when state officials...
5 reasons 'Vampire Diaries' is better than 'Twilight'
Listen up, Twi-hards! "Twilight" may get all the headlines ("New Moon" Crosses $200 Mil Mark!" "Kristen Stewart: 'I'm So Not Bella!'"). But "The Vampire Diaries," also a tale of the...
Starr report
Departures . . . "Access Hollywood" co-anchor Nancy O'Dell is leaving after 13 years. Her last show is tonight (7:30/ Ch. 4). O'Dell leaves with two years left on her...
Low-tech wackiness lassos high level of fun
A TOWN CALLED PANIC *** High-tech animated films are all the rage, with producers trying to out-awe each other. So it's pleasant to come across "A Town Called Panic," an...
Thunder before Victoria's reign
Granite-hipped, toad- faced and as stern as her scepter, Queen Victoria was born to be a statue. But what if she wasn't? Covering the years just before and just after...
Entertaining story's waiting in the wings
Up in the sky! Is it a bird? A plane? No, it's Ricky the flying baby! The kid looked normal when he was born to Katie (Alexandra Lamy), single mom...
The wild Hugh yonder
They're going to have to strike "Hugh Grant Westerns" from the list of most unlikely "Jeopardy" categories. "Did You Hear About the Morgans?" finds His Royal Hughness prancing forth in...
Actors Guild is 'Up'
'UP in the Air," "Pre cious" and "Inglouri ous Basterds" continued to gain Oscar momentum yesterday, leading nominations for the Screen Actors Guild Awards with three apiece. "Up in the...
Give 'Home Cycle' a spin
Horton Foote's "Or phans' Home Cycle" is an oxymoron: an intimate, sprawling piece. It's made up of nine plays spread over 26 years, with a cast of characters hanging from...
'Nine' doesn't add up
The musical “Nine” is ostensibly based on Federico Fellini’s autobiographical masterpiece “8 1/2.” But in the clumsy hands of director Rob Marshall, this tacky, all-star botch more closely resembles a...
Mel sells Brooks box; cooks, rocks!
Watching the nine classic comedies (plus lots of extras) in the new Blu-ray box set "The Mel Brooks Collection" -- including "Blazing Saddles," "Young Frankenstein," and "Spaceballs" -- the best...
'Real World' returning to New Orleans
Looks like MTV's "The Real World" is heading back to New Orleans. The veteran reality show's ninth season (2000) was set in New Orleans, and it now appears that MTV...
Martha & Snoop pot luck
Martha Stewart is getting baked with Snoop Dogg. The domestic diva invited the marijuana aficionado and rapper onto "The Martha Stewart Show" to bake -- what else? -- brownies today....
'The Beautiful Life' will live on YouTube
'The Beautiful Life" flopped on the CW, but Ashton Kutcher is hoping that it gets a second wind on the Internet. The series about the modeling industry, starring Mischa Barton,...
Three of a kind
It's a scientific fact -- no one knows why the Kardashians are famous. No one can tell you why they are fascinating or even what it means to keep up...
No jewels in these clowns
'The Addams Family," which opened last week in Chicago, needs a fair amount of retool ing before hitting Broadway in the spring. And I'm hearing rumors that a new director...
Weekend Guide
LONG-RUNNING BILLY ELLIOT: THE MUSICAL": **** Imperial Theatre, 249 W. 45th St.; 212-239-6262. "CHICAGO": **** Ambassador Theatre, 219 W. 49th St.; 212-239-6200. "HAIR": **** Hirschfeld Theatre, 302 W. 45th St.;...
Get ready to be $oaked
Get set for a 148 percent increase in water bills over 10 years -- unless the city builds a new filtration plant. Then bills would soar 171 percent. That was...
CyberPeace is not Russia's goal
A recent front-page New York Times article painted a picture of peace-loving Russians finally persuading the evil Americans to pursue disarmament in cyberspace. The paper hasn't pushed the Kremlin's line...
Democrats on a plane: women & voters beware
THE ISSUE: Sen. Schumer's comment when a flight attendant requested he shut his phone off. *** Sen. Chuck Schumer is nothing but an arrogant bore, and his latest antics on...
Free after 35 yrs.
BARTOW, Fla. -- James Bain made his first-ever cellphone call yesterday, dialing his elderly mother to tell her he had been freed after 35 years behind bars for a crime...
Greenspan backing a debt-defying act
WASHINGTON -- Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan yesterday endorsed a proposed bipartisan commission to help make the tough calls needed to get the record US debt under control. Testifying...
Brooklyn's Madoff lite
An alleged Ponzi schemer dubbed "the Brooklyn Madoff" was in court yesterday to face charges that he scammed 800 investors out of $45 million. Several irate investors also showed up...
Dave's big gamble
Andrew Cuomo may not be able to waltz into the governorship after all. For the better part of the year, New York's political world has operated under the assumption that...
Our doctor, the government
Forget the public option, abortion and all the other divisive questions in the health-care debate: The most important issue for patients and their doctors is the transfer of decision-making power...
Bernanke wins 2nd Fed nod
Ben S. Bernanke won backing for a second term as chairman of the Federal Reserve yesterday in a 16-to-7 vote by the Senate Banking Committee. The nomination -- which came...
The left revolts
Keith Olbermann is ready to go to jail over it. Markos Moulitas is pre pared to see the health-care bill die over it. Howard Dean is assaulting the White House...
NYPD Daily Blotter
Staten Island -- Do you know who I am?! (Yeah, we do.) A retired Emergency Medical Service captain tried to pull rank with sheriff's officers repossessing his car in Oakwood...
Silvio says cia-OW!
Silvio Berlusconi left a Milan hospital and spent three hours with his dentist yesterday as he made a slow recovery from a savage attack by a mentally ill man at...
Health aide helped herself
A Brooklyn home health aide is accused of really cleaning up. Kereem Hibbert, 26, allegedly called up the woman for whom she was caring and confessed to stealing $2,500 from...
Hou$ing ax freezes out 3,000 poor families
More than 3,000 of the city's poorest families face a cruel Christmas because Section 8 vouchers they were given to find apartments are being abruptly yanked under a budget squeeze,...
Take-Two loss widens
Video-game publisher Take-Two Interactive's net loss worsened in the fiscal fourth quarter on disappointing sales and high costs, as the company prepared for another challenging year. The results for the...
RIM surges on expectations; Palm reports loss
Research In Motion Ltd., maker of the BlackBerry, surged in late trading after forecasting sales and profit for the current quarter that beat analysts' estimates. Sales in the three months...
Sony, News Corp. set e-reader deal
Ramping up the battle with Amazon's Kindle, Sony struck a deal with News Corp. and some of its publications to offer custom content and subscriptions for its line of electronic...
Ex-newspaper union head faces charges
THE feds are closing in on a former newspaper union official who's been charged with embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars during his final two years running a Communications Workers...
Layoffs are in play: gov
ALBANY -- Layoffs could be back on the table if tax collections take another dive, Gov. Paterson warned yesterday in an interview with The Post. "If we [see] another serious...
Business briefs
Turnaround GM is finishing the year in a slightly stronger position than government officials expected and is on track to return to the stock markets in the sec ond half...
Teamster trouble
First it was the politicians, then the public -- and now it's the rowdy Teamsters that are riled at Goldman Sachs and its CEO Lloyd Blankfein. Wall Street's richest firm...
Feel the 'Bern'
Nobody's going to be pushing Bernard Kerik around in the prison yard. The fallen former NYPD police commissioner looks as if he's been hitting the gym hard, as he gets...
Cadbury craving
There may be a horse race for British candy maker Cadbury after all. Although Kraft officially remains the only company with an offer on the table to buy Cadbury, Italian...
Bail cut: $500M to 50G
A Long Island judge reduced bail from an unheard of $500 million to $50,000 for a Bayport businessman who allegedly threatened to shoot state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo on the...
Dubai out of danger: minister
The economic crisis in Dubai is "over" and should no longer be a cause for alarm, said the foreign minister of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al...
Feds bid to shell ACORN
The feds want permission from a Brooklyn federal judge to strip ACORN of funding -- and their request comes just as officials revealed yesterday that the US General Accounting Office...
Thousands of 'secret funds' uncovered
Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau wasn't the only government official who maintained bank accounts that the city didn't know about. A review by the Finance Department has turned up a...
Bloomy nixes pols' shop chop
Mayor Bloomberg yesterday made good on his pledge to veto the City Council's overwhelming rejection of a deal that would have transformed the long-shuttered Kingsbridge Armory in The Bronx into...
Dad's setback in Brazil battle
RIO DE JANEIRO -- Brazil's Supreme Court yesterday delayed the return of a 9-year-old boy to his dad, just hours after he arrived from New Jersey in hopes of taking...
Labor big scolds O: Keep your promises
Andrew Stern, the labor powerhouse and frequent White House visitor who helped President Obama get elected, was on the verge of walking away from the health-care fight yesterday after a...
Stanford trial set for 2011
R. Allen Stanford's trial on allegations that he led a $7 billion fraud scheme will begin in January 2011 in Houston federal court, US District Judge David Hittner ruled. Stanford's...
Citi share slam
Citigroup's shares continued to get hammered yesterday after a botched equity offering forced the bank to offload billions in shares at a deeper discount than expected and triggered calls for...
It's quiet a ride
Time to quiet down, cabbies. Taxi officials approved a sweeping crackdown of cellphone usage for hacks yesterday, promising an end to dangerous chatty drivers once and for all. After the...
Dollar shines as stocks take a pummeling
Yesterday, the it was all about the greenback and Uncle Sam. For once, the US dollar didn't take a drubbing, and instead rose amid fears the global economic recovery may...
Wanted: 'Taxi of Tomorrow'
Goodbye, old yellow cabs. The city is on the lookout for a taxi model to replace its 13,000-car fleet by 2013, according to a request for proposals called the "Taxi...
Steven Cohen's ex-wife dished to FBI
Hedge-fund billionaire Steven Cohen's ex-wife Patricia Cohen alerted the FBI of his alleged trading shenanigans more than two years before filing her explosive lawsuit accusing him of profiting from nonpublic...
Dictators' toxic spew at summit
WASHINGTON -- The UN climate-change meeting in Copenhagen has gone from summit to sideshow for strongmen. World leaders aren't making much headway on an accord to curb emissions, but the...
Palin 'brims' with Mac pride
Sarah Palin took her hat off to Sen. John McCain, and said she wasn't going rogue when she blacked out his name on her sun visor. The failed vice-presidential candidate...
Lewis girds for fight in backing Moynihan
Bank of America CEO Ken Lewis signaled he's expecting a fight against those who would object to the bank's selection of Brian Moynihan as his successor, rallying employees to "circle...
$2M for swindle busters
Honesty pays. Two whistleblowing New Yorkers -- one of whom was canned for speaking out -- will take home nearly $2 million as a reward for exposing tens of millions...
'Hubby-slash' shrink cops plea
An Upper West Side marriage therapist charged in a wacky case of decidedly nontextbook dispute management -- for allegedly slashing her hubby with knives -- is off the hook. Accused...
Clear Channel lenders balk
Clear Channel's effort to lighten its debt load hit a snag yesterday when a group of bondholders claimed a plan to raise $750 million in debt without their permission effectively...
Crocodile whines
Teachers unions, school-board officials and their allies in the state education cartel are predictably enraged over Gov. Paterson's holding back $667 million in school aid. They've sued the governor, claiming...
Kingsbridge Commissar
Mayor Mike yesterday vetoed that City Council measure killing a proposal to develop the Kingsbridge Armory in The Bronx. The council is poised to override the veto, so it's unlikely...
More lies from the loon
The Copenhagen Clown, er, Climate Conference winds down today, leav ing Al Gore with egg on his puss. Gore was addressing the assembled big-wigs earlier this week when he declared...
TCW defections reach 40
TCW Group has lost at least 40 employees to DoubleLine LLC, the Los Angeles-based firm started by its ousted investment chief Jeffrey Gundlach, two people familiar with the matter said....
Apple's fright riders
New Yorkers scrambled yesterday to deal with promised transit cuts a day after the MTA approved a crushing "doomsday" budget that would batter straphangers, students and disabled riders. In almost...
Homes for holidays in foreclose freeze
Scrooge and Marley, check with Freddie, Fannie and Citicorp to see how the holidays are done. America's biggest mortgage lenders said yesterday they won't evict anyone from their homes for...
Tweet sorrow
A mother obsessed with posting her daily life's minutiae on Twitter was busy tweeting about the birds in her back yard five minutes before her toddler drowned in the family...
Oh, brothers! Book suit slams Wayans
Now that's golddigging. A former personal assistant for three of the Wayans brothers claims the comedic siblings ripped off his book idea. Jared Edwards, who worked for Keenan Ivory, Shawn...
Bill cites '94 fiasco as he backs O
WASHINGTON -- Bill Clinton yesterday rode in with an 11th-hour attempt to save the sputtering Senate health-care bill, as liberal backlash threatened to torpedo President Obama's top domestic priority. Clinton...
US scrapes up big $$ for climate aid
WASHINGTON -- A day after starkly warning that the country would go "bankrupt" without health-care reform, the Obama administration offered yesterday to shovel tax dollars into a decade-long fund totaling...
Massacre on the UWS
The holiday-season cheer of the trendy Upper West Side was shattered yesterday when a career criminal slaughtered three members of a family in their apartment -- then plunged to his...
Tiger's lonely days of cereal, 'toons - and night golf
After all that time cavorting with an endless stream of floozies, Tiger Woods is now just a sad lone wolf. The golf great has been spending his days in seclusion...
Cougar taught Tiger everything
Here's the cougar who claims she taught Tiger how to be an animal in bed. Theresa Rogers, 48, is the latest of the 14 women who have come forward with...
Kid $queeze on Edwards
If John Edwards ever admits he fathered a love child, it's going to cost him. Edwards' former mistress reportedly filed court documents indicating she's looking for almost $18,000 a month...
Gov gives Andy b'day surprise
Surprise! Gov. Paterson made an attention-grabbing appearance last night at a birthday-bash fund-raiser for his political rival, state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo -- the likely 2010 Democratic nominee for governor...
Wayne's late TD keeps Colts perfect, helps Jets
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Peyton Manning completed every pass early and one big one late, exactly what the Colts needed to stay unbeaten. Manning threw for 308 yards and four touchdowns,...
Knicks shoot team-record 47 three-pointers, lose to Bulls
CHICAGO -- The Knicks blew up last night because of their love of the 3-point shot. They blew a 17-point lead and the Nate Robinson controversy is on the verge...
Giants defense may 'Corey' on minus Webster
There has to be plenty of healing between now and Monday night in order for the Giants' struggling defensive backfield to avoid facing the Redskins without starting cornerback Corey Webster....
Bengals' Henry dead at 26 after fall from truck
The troubled life of Bengals receiver Chris Henry came to a tragic end yesterday morning in North Carolina. Henry, 26, died at 6:36 a.m. He had fallen out of the...
Lemaire: 'Z' change is necessary for Devils
It's the recent results, or more precisely, the lack of them that prompted coach Jacques Lemaire yesterday to break up his Z-men -- Zach Parise and Travis Zajac. Whether he...
The Post Line
NFLTomorrowFavoriteOpening Current(O/U) UnderdogSAINTS 7 7½(53½)CowboysSundayJETS66(40)FalconsSTEELERS 1 2 (40½)PackersTITANS33(41)DolphinsPatriots 7 7 (40½)BILLSCardinals10½12 (47) LIONSEAGLES 8 8½(42½)49ersRAVENS10 11 (40½)BearsCHIEFS 2½ 2 (37) BrownsTexans1111(43)RAMSCHARGERS 6½ 6½(43½)BengalsBRONCOS11½14 (37) RaidersSEAHAWKS 8½ 6½(39) BuccaneersVikings 7½ 9...
Sunday's Best
The experts make their picks:THE LINEGREG GALLOSTEVE SERBYMARK CANNIZZAROPAUL SCHWARTZTIM BONTEMPSRICOColts 3 (43) JAGUARS (Colts 35-31)Jaguars (L)Jaguars (L)★ Colts (W)Colts (W)★ Colts (W)Colts (W)SAINTS 7½ (53½) Cowboys (Tomorrow, 8:20, NFLN)SaintsCowboysSaintsCowboysCowboysCowboysJETS...
Eli on spot for Giants faithful
DEAR ELI: As members of Giants Nation, we never thought we'd ask this of you, kid. Never thought we'd have to send out an S.O.S. to you. But desperate times...
Nets' scorers finding shots hard to make
Nets interim head coach Kiki Vandeweghe says there are two types of players in the NBA: scorers and shooters. In the midst of this infamous season, asking which the Nets...
Never-shy Ryan out-coaching Coughlin
Coaching is about getting the most out of the talent that is in front of you. Though the Jets and Giants are 7-6, and it's more likely the Giants are...
Giants, Jets plan Super Bowl bid for stadium
Can you imagine a Super Bowl in New Jersey at the new soon-to-be completed football stadium at the Meadowlands? We can't either. But you never know. The NFL yesterday gave...
Sanchez likely to play vs. Falcons
There still is no official word on who will start at quarterback for the Jets against the Falcons on Sunday at Giants Stadium. Mark Sanchez, who missed last week's game...
Kobe & Co. take show on the road
The date was Sunday, Jan. 9, 1972. The Los Angeles Lakers, winners of 33 consecutive games, meandered into Milwaukee Arena, where Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the defending champs were waiting. For...
Ryan: Revis best defensive player in NFL
Rex Ryan couldn't help himself. As he answered a question about the Jets defense yesterday, Ryan turned the conversation into a significant plug for cornerback Darrelle Revis to be named...
Yankees say there's no money for Holliday
The words tumbled off Brian Cashman's lips shortly after Hal Steinbrenner said he would never slam the budget door in the GM's face, making Yankees fans immediately fantasize about slugging...
Lee wanted to stay with Phillies
SEATTLE -- Cliff Lee thought he was staying in Philadelphia -- for the rest of his career. The Phillies' postseason star proposed a routine counteroffer on a contract extension Wednesday,...
D'Antoni would play Satan, but not Nate
CHICAGO -- Was that Mike D'Antoni comparing Nate Robinson with Satan? Not exactly, but the coach, disputing that Robinson's banishment is personal, said he would play "Satan" if it helped...
Sports shorts
NASCAR: Patrick to make debut after Daytona Danica Patrick will not make her NASCAR debut at Daytona International Speedway, and instead will wait one week and attempt to race in...
Rangers show life as crybaby Redden sits
Yes, Virginia, there is a Glen Sather, and he is the Rangers' GM this morning, just as he will be tomorrow morning, and the morning after that and the morning...
Tortorella's tirade lights fire under Rangers
Maybe John Tortorella should rip his team more often. A night after the Rangers coach tore into his players' pitiful effort after a 2-1 Garden loss to the Islanders, the...
Giants rookie Beatty must find Will to win
The Giants can help Will Beatty every minute of every day, study with him, give him advice, pump him up and let him know that he's not out there by...
Fisherman uniting to fight government regulations
In an unprecedented and historic show of solidarity, recreational and commercial fishermen will protest on the steps of the Capitol the restrictive regulations that has a strangle hold on the...
Weird but true
How cheesy! An Ohio restaurant specializing in grilled cheese sandwiches is offering a lifetime discount to any customer willing to get a grilled cheese tattoo. The display of love will...
5 questions for: Fran Fraschilla
Fran Fraschilla is returning to his East Coast roots and calling Big East games for ESPN this year. The former St. John's and Manhattan coach talked about the resurgent Red...
Iona improving under young coach
Right now, he's the third youngest coach in NCAA Division I with the 19th youngest team. And three years ago, when Kevin Willard accepted the head coaching job at Iona,...
Senior duo shoots Ford past Molloy
Kelly Guerriero threw an errant pass across the top of the key to Marielle Duryea, who then found herself in a foot race for the loose ball with Bishop Ford’s...
Deng, Salmons lead Bulls to 98-89 win over Knicks
Luol Deng scored 24 points, John Salmons added 20 and the Chicago Bulls rallied from 17 down to beat the New York Knicks 98-89 Thursday night for their third win...
Manhattan names soccer coach
Manhattan College named longtime New Jersey club coach Ashley Hammond head men’s soccer coach today. “I am very excited with this terrific opportunity at Manhattan College. And am very impressed...
Rangers respond to benchings with rout of NYI
Henrik Lundqvist stopped 35 shots and made coach John Tortorella's decision to bench a pair of veteran players look smart as the New York Rangers snapped a five-game losing streak...
Fidler tix troubles
Fidler tix troublesAll the dramatic rhetoric generated by members of the City Council about out-of-control ticketing by city agencies isn’t just an abstraction any more for City Councilmember Lewis Fidler,...
F express boon to some
Transit officials last week promised to study whether to reinstitute express service along the F line, but said the initiative might hold more benefit to residents living south of tony...
“As The World Turns” to leave Brooklyn
“As The World Turns” is preparing for its final spin.The long-running soap opera has been cancelled and will leave its Midwood studio in nine months.“I’m sad to see it go...
NY mom charged with leaving kids in car to shop
A Long Island mother is being accused of leaving her two young children in a car in the freezing weather while she went shopping at a mall. Tanasia Perry, of...
Police: Brazil boy stuck with needles in rituals
The stepfather of a 2-year-old boy found with 42 sewing needles in his body confessed to jabbing them into the toddler during a month of rituals with a lover who...
Facebook follies over coupling Madison teachers
When the scandal broke about two foreign language teachers tongue wrestling in a classroom last week, students at James Madison High School learned a lot, but it wasn’t all sex...
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...
Obama to meet Chinese Premier for one-to-one climate talks
President Barack Obama is to meet Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao for bilateral talks in Copenhagen, the White House has announced. The meeting - scheduled for after the President's arrival in...
Knicks' Jordan to D-League?
CHICAGO – Mike D'Antoni said there was a chance Knicks rookie power forward Jordan Hill could be sent to the Knicks' D-League affiliate in Springfield later this season if they...