January 29, 2010
Jets coach only sorry for trash-talking Crowder
Rex Ryan made plenty of bombastic comments this year. But after looking back on all of them, there was only one the Jets head coach regretted. “Well, probably the Channing...
All in the family: Obama related to Scott Brown
President Barack Obama can add a new name to the list of things he calls Scott Brown: cousin. Genealogists at the New England Historic Genealogical Society said Friday that the...
Plane from NJ diverted to Florida after passenger scare
A Continental Airlines flight from Newark, New Jersey to Bogota, Colombia was diverted to Jacksonville, Florida, on Friday because a passenger was an "apparent match" to a name on the...
Pols pressuring B’klyn Hts Montessori to keep its Little Room open
A group of Brooklyn-based elected officials are trying to use their political clout to stop a prominent preschool for special needs children from closing. State Sen. Daniel Squadron, Assemblywoman Joan...
Update: Wang three months from major-league mound
Chien-Ming Wang is being watched closely by the Mets, according to ESPN Insider, but he liekly won't be ready until well after the season starts.Wang's agent told the Web site...
Fashion designer faces assault charges
Celebrity fashion designers are always jetting coast to coast -- just not in handcuffs. Anand Jon Alexander -- whose Indian-inspired frocks have been worn by Paris Hilton, Oprah and Janet...
LI Congressman Bishop collapses on plane
Long Island Congressman Tim Bishop had a scare on a flight from Florida today when he collapsed briefly, an aide confirmed. Bishop, who has challengers including state GOP chairman Ed...
Blue Jays have interest in Damon, Delgado
New York castoffs Johnny Damon and Carlos Delgado could wind up across the border in Toronto.Blue Jays GM "Alex Anthopoulos admitted that the club has had internal discussions about pursuing...
NYPD defends New Year's Day 'beat' video
The NYPD defended itself today against charges of police brutality on New Year’s Day as yet another video tape surfaced of cops beating a man in cuffs ��� insisting the...
Knicks' Jeffries, Harrington questionable for Saturday's game
Forwards Jared Jeffries and Al Harrington are questionable for the Knicks’ game at Washington on Saturday. Jeffries missed the second half of the Knicks’ 106-104 loss to Toronto on Thursday...
Report: Twins' talks with Mauer going great
Contract negotiations between the Twins and Joe Mauer "couldn't be going better," according to manager Ron Gardenhire.USA Today baseball writer Bob Nightengale wrote today on his Twitter page, "Twins manager...
Mauer laughs at report of 10-year deal with Twins
Joe Mauer finds reports that he and the Twins have agreed to a 10-year contract kind of funny.USA Today baseball writer Bob Nightengale used his Twitter page today to report...
The weekly wrap-up, January 29
This week we learned that...... The notion of securitizing subprime mortgages has a long and proud history. [Mother Jones]... It is essential that someone do this. [NY Times]... REBNY is upset that the Times'...
Nets Go For TWO!
Two is better than one. Especially when one is the only thing you know in terms of winning. But as unlikely as it would have seemed back in October –...
Fight over 'American Idol' leads to brutal stabbing
And you thought Simon Cowell was the one with the killer putdowns. A Florida woman took an argument over the hit TV show "American Idol" a little too far when...
Ferrara exit highlights weakness of rookies
Clubs will be more wary about appointing inexperienced big names as managers after Juventus's Ciro Ferrara became the latest rookie manager to be sacked on Friday.Barcelona's Pep Guardiola is a...
White House drops bid for NYC 9/11 trial
The Obama administration on Friday abandoned its plan to hold the terror trials of alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed and other plotters in a Manhattan courtroom, the New York...
Ford Jr. to meet with Bx. Dem leader
Harold Ford Jr's listening tour is bringing him to The Bronx later today, as he is set to sit down with the county's Democratic leader, Assemblyman Carl Heastie, The Post...
Body in backyard is missing Fla. lottery winner’s
PLANT CITY, Fla. — A body found buried in a backyard was identified Friday as missing Florida lottery winner Abraham Shakespeare. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s office said the remains were...
Pregnant Jersey woman disappears days before due date
JERSEY CITY, N.J. — Authorities in northern New Jersey are searching for a pregnant woman who disappeared just days before her due date. Jersey City police say 27-year-old Aileen Cepeda...
Former Giants QB Warner retires
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Kurt Warner has called an end to one of the great storybook careers in NFL history. The 38-year-old quarterback, who played for the Giants in 2004, announced...
Defense tries to blame 'relative' for Stein murder
The second daughter of murdered Realtor to the Stars Linda Stein took the witness stand today, like her sister, enduring a defense onslaught of dirty laundry questions about the family's...
Red Bulls trade top allocation spot to Union for allocation cash and No. 6 slot
The Red Bulls and Philadelphia completed a swap today, with New York sending the top spot in the allocation order down the Turnpike in exchange for the Union's sixth spot...
Henin in Australian final, first tournament back
MELBOURNE, Australia -- One of Justine Henin’s favorite moments at a Grand Slam comes right before she walks onto center court for the final, when the locker room is nearly...
Cyclones changing name of ballpark
Keyspan Park is losing some of its electricity — at least in name. The Brooklyn Cyclones said Friday they have agreed to end their naming rights deal with National Grid...
Giants QB coach Palmer leaves for UFL
Just as the Giants were announcing that the man who was instrumental in the development of Eli Manning, quarterbacks coach Chris Palmer, was retiring, word came out yesterday that Palmer...
PATH service restored after broken rail repair
HOBOKEN, N.J. — PATH service is back to normal after repairs were made to a broken rail between New Jersey and New York City. Port Authority spokesman Ron Marsico says...
US announces $6B arms deal with Taiwan
WASHINGTON -- In a move sure to aggravate China, the Obama administration announced on Friday plans for more than $6 billion in arms sales to Taiwan, the self-governing island the...
City opens Haitian resource center in Brooklyn
Haitians living in New York City can now get help related to the earthquake in a centralized location. Gov. David Paterson and Mayor Michael Bloomberg say the National Guard Armory...
Obama to GOP: Work with Democrats
BALTIMORE — In a face-to-face encounter, President Barack Obama chastised Republican lawmakers Friday for opposing him on health care, economic stimulus and other major issues. Republicans pushed back on taxes...
Staten Island Rep. McMahon rakes in the $$
Staten Island Rep. Mike McMahon has raked in over $1 million in his bid to get re-elected to the congressional seat he won after Vito Fossella stepped down - and...
Exclusive: Paterson gives 'racino' contract to AEG
ALBANY – Gov. Paterson could as soon as this afternoon announce his decision to award a lucrative management contract for a Queens "racino" to the Aqueduct Entertainment Group, two sources...
DVD Extra: 'The Last Flight' landing at Warner Archive
William Dieterle's extraordinary "The Last Flight'' (1931) will be available on DVD next Tuesday at the Warner Archive Collection. I reported this tantalizing, never-on-video rarity was in the pipeline after an interview with...
Bail reprieve for Oscar-winning songwriter
The Academy Award-winning songwriter of "You Light Up My Life" has gotten a slight reprieve in his bid to stay free while fighting charges of sexually assaulting would-be actresses who...
HAIKU-PON: Florida
No man, plan, canal. No McCain afterbirth. A better Panama.--Florida's Panama City Beach is hoping you'll rely on pure reason (there = sunny awesomeness; here = icy death) and pure cheapiosity to come on...
Lehman author slams Paulson
Former Lehman Brothers banker Larry McDonald has some choice words -- which he shared with The Post -- about former Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson's new book "On The Brink." The...
'Terror mom' learned how to shoot guns in college: witness
Accused "terror mom" Aafia Siddiqui learned how to shoot a pistol while a student at MIT during the early 1990s, a shooting instructor testified this morning. Gary Woodworth, a member...
'Geezer Bandit' strikes 6th San Diego County bank
SAN DIEGO — The FBI says the so-called “Geezer Bandit” has struck again in San Diego. The FBI says a frail, elderly man gave a clerk a note demanding money...
Damon says he may not be done with Yankees
Not so fast. Johnny Damon says he could be playing for the Yankees again, if not this season then maybe next year. "I'm not ruling out not being in New...
'Princess and Frog' pendants recalled for toxicity concerns
Federal consumer safety regulators on Friday announced the recall of “The Princess and The Frog” pendants because of high levels of the toxic metal cadmium, an unprecedented action that reflects...
Jury rules for shareholders in Vivendi suit
A New York jury has decided in favor of U.S. and European shareholders who claimed the Vivendi media group lied to the public about it shaky finances. The verdict reached...
Mets GM claims he has 'full autonomy'
Omar Minaya is still running the Mets, no matter what you might hear elsewhere. In a "Hot Stove" interview with SNY on Thursday, the Mets GM declared he still as...
Thierry Henry: "Nothing concrete w/ NY.I'm linked w/ Barcelona to 2011"
To all the overzealous fans penciling in Thierry Henry into the Red Bulls' lineup as soon as this summer's World Cup ends, the French superstar has a message: Slow your...
Man found guilty in murder of Kansas abortion doctor
A jury in Witchita, Kansas found Scott Roeder guilty of first-degree murder Friday for killing a prominent abortion doctor in 2009. The jury deliberated 37 minutes before notifying the court...
New Face on Supreme Court?
Paul Mirengoff on replacements for when Stevens retires (Powerline)
'When in Rome' vs 'Three Coins in the Fountain'
It's hard to believe that somebody involved with Disney's excruciating "When In Rome'' didn't see "Three Coins in the Fountain'' (1954), most likely under the influence of a controlled substance....
Federer reaches Australian final
MELBOURNE, Australia -- In command on the court and cracking jokes afterward, Roger Federer advanced to the Australian Open final with a 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 victory over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on...
ACORN foe: Phone scheme was to ensare senator
NEW ORLEANS — A conservative activist accused of trying to tamper with Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu’s phones said he and three others facing federal charges in the incident wanted to...
The Speech Had Potential
Leslie Gelb says he'll wait to see if Obama sticks to foreign policy plans (Daily Beast)
44 suspected militants killed in Pakistan
KHAR, Pakistan -- Pakistan security forces battled militants close to the Afghan border Friday in fighting that has killed 44 suspected insurgents over the last three days, a government official...
Voters oppose lifting MMA ban
ALBANY – Is Gov. Paterson's bid to bring Ultimate Fighting to New York headed for a knock out?A Marist poll out this morning found 68 percent - or more than...
Israel 'definitely not' running for Senate
Despite a growing call for him to jump in, Rep. Steve Israel will definitely not switch course and throw his hat into the ring against Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand in a...
Box Office: Can Mad Mel depose 'Avatar'?
"Edge of Darkness,'' Mel Gibson's first starring role in eight years, is rated by box office experts as having a shot at displacing "Avatar'' from the No. 1 spot in its seventh...
Toyota finds fix for gas pedals; update due Friday
DETROIT — Toyota Motor Corp. has told employees that it has figured out how to fix a problem with sticking accelerator pedals and will brief them on the details on...
NJ man arrested on Amtrak train after alleged threat
LA JUNTA, Colo. — An Amtrak passenger who alarmed fellow passengers in Colorado by talking about terrorist threats on a cell phone was pulled from the train and faces a...
City helps raise $1.2M for Haiti earthquake relief
The city’s Haiti Relief Fund has received over $1.2 million in donations, officials said today. More than 3,400 people and community groups have contributed to the fund since the earthquake...
Bloomberg: Feds should do 'right thing' and move 9/11 trial
President Obama should "do the right thing" and move the Sept. 11 terror trials out of Manhattan, Mayor Bloomberg urged this morning. "This is the federal government's call -- plain...
'My Son John,' the woman's angle
There's been a lot of bloggage about Leo McCarey's "My Son John,'' the 1952 movie that had only its second U.S. TV showing (the last was in 1970) the other night on...
Obama, Sen. Brown are 10th cousins: genealogist
BOSTON — It was bad enough that President Barack Obama lost his filibuster-proof margin in the U.S. Senate to a Republican. Now it turns out he also lost it to...
America's Bungling U.N. Ambassador
Are Susan Rice and President Obama too cuddly with UN? (Reuters)Matthew Russell Lee says Rice defends Obama's Sudan omission (Inner City Press)
Smith HS auto program escapes axe
Alfred E. Smith Career and Technical High School senior Jordan Lopez was happy to hear that the Department of Education won’t phase out Smith’s successful auto program.Trouble is, Lopez belongs...
Noisy teens wreak havor
Shhhhh! An increase in noisy teens in and around the Morris Park Public Library is upsetting its patrons and neighbors.Representatives from the Morris Park Community Association, Community Board 11, the...
Student collects coins for Haiti
A 12-year-old M.S. 101 student has taken the initiative to raise hundreds of dollars for Haitian earthquake victims.On Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend, Wilcox Avenue resident Adam Israfil knocked...
CB10 teens receive Yankees Youth Leadership awards
The New York Yankees celebrated a handful of exceptional teens on Tuesday, January 19 at a Community Board 10 youth committee meeting. Five super students dedicated to the community accepted...
DOT drops banner fee
Merchant leaders and Business Improvement District executive directors are breathing a sigh of relief. The Department of Transportation has backed away from an idea to tax the groups that fly...
John Edwards' ex-mistress wants sex tapes back
Disgraced former presidential contender John Edwards and his former mistress made a sex tape together while she was pregnant -- and now the baby mama's trying to get those steamy...
New Iran Sanctions
Senate passes new stick for President Obama to use against Tehran (Washington Post)
Is Obama Bored?
Byron York wonders if the President has had enough of the job (Washington Examiner)
Mike's Risky Path
Bloomberg's budget takes the axe to fire department (Firefighter Hourly)Staten Island politicians want to fight Bloomberg budget (Staten Island Live)
Jacko doctor may be charged next week: reports
Dr. Conrad Murray could be charged "as early as next week" over the death of pop legend Michael Jackson, TMZ reported Friday. Murray hired Hollywood lawyer J. Michael Flanagan earlier...
'Not True' Sums it Up
Peggy Noonan on the Obama Contradiction (Wall Street Journal)
Chaos as women raped in Haiti earthquake camps
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Bandits in Haiti are preying on vulnerable earthquake survivors, even raping women, in makeshift camps which were set up in the capital of Port-au-Prince after the disaster....
Bill Gates donates $10B for vaccines
Bill Gates, the Microsoft founder and philanthropist, is to make the largest ever single charitable donation with a pledge of $10 billion for vaccine work over the next decade, it...
Economy soars at 5.7 percent pace in 4th quarter
WASHINGTON -- The economy grew at a faster-than-expected 5.7 percent pace in the fourth quarter, the quickest pace in more than six years, as businesses reduced inventories less aggressively, the...
Bin Laden: Global warming is US' fault
Osama bin Laden has raised the terror warning level to green. In a message that would make Al Gore proud, the man behind the Sept. 11 attacks called for the...
3UP: Minaya, Tatis and Girardi
1. Speaking on SNY’s "Hot Stove" show, Omar Minaya insisted that he has “full autonomy” over baseball decisions with the Mets. So that leads me to pose one of my...
Blair: No secret deal with Bush in Iraq War
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair insisted to the official Iraq war inquiry Friday that the British government’s post-war planning was “perfectly adequate,” dismissing claims it had not conducted sufficient...
How a Real Senator Sounds
Richard Fernandez says Justice's plan is half baked souffle -- collapsing (Pajamas Media)
Drama Mama: 'Small'-time heroes
Mama has spring fever. But should a certain groundhog see his shadow next week, she has some trusty dramas to sustain her through the dark, cold nights: "Smallville" (Friday, 8...
Manhattan security blanket
Lower Manhattan will be in a state of lockdown not seen since 9/11 when accused mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed goes on trial in federal court for that attack. Police dogs,...
Even Colts can’t figure out Peyton
INDIANAPOLIS — Peyton Manning can play mind games all day. In the battle of brains that gets played out on a football field, the Colts’ quarterback usually comes out on...
Perry good choice to restore pride to Giants
If you listen to the men who played for him, and the man who coached him back at South Point High in Belmont, N.C, then there is no doubt that...
Decisions Giants need to make
Now that Tom Coughlin and Jerry Reese have the Giants’ staff in place, culminating in the introduction of defensive coordinator Perry Fewell yesterday, it’s time to focus on Big Blue’s...
Fiery Fewell ready to do whatever it takes to improve Giants defense
The immediate trouble on the tracks should have been a sign of a train wreck was coming. Not long after Bill Sheridan was hired last year as the Giants defensive...
Steroids make mockery of mid-’80s MLB Draft
Certain history, as Winston Churchill never said, is like toilet paper stuck to the bottom of your shoe; no matter how hard you try to shake free, it’ll follow you....
Mounting losses take their toll on Nets
Chris Carrino’s Fordham education prepared him for his future job as the radio voice of the Nets in more ways that one. “When Fordham switched over from Division III to...
'44 inch chest'
Even a great British cast and obscenity-laden gangland dialogue aren't enough to make what amounts to an extended acting exercise into much of a movie. The great Ray Winstone plays...
Brooklyn Cyclones’ ballpark now nameless
Here’s a shocker – say goodbye to KeySpan Park.The Brooklyn Cyclones and energy giant National Grid, which took over the former Key Span Energy Corp, said today that they’ve agreed...
'North face' of vertical Swiss mountain
There are multiple ways to get high, with the method chosen by two heroic young men in the German adventure "North Face" being one of the most deadly. In a...
'Off and Running'
'Off and Running" is a warm and tender documentary about an adopted teen's efforts to find her birth mom. The African-American girl, Avery Klein-Cloud, lives in a comfortable Brooklyn apartment...
Weekend calendar
PHOTO FINISH Last chance to catch the wonderful photo exhibit “Who Shot Rock & Roll,” which closes at the Brooklyn Museum (200 Eastern Parkway, Prospect Heights; 718-638-5000, brooklynmuseum.org) on Sunday...
Weekend Guide
CABARET ALGONQUIN HOTEL: Steve Ross debuts his new show, "Puttin' on the Ritz," a tribute to dancing great Fred Astaire. Tonight and tomorrow night at 8:30 and 11, and Tuesday...
Weekend Guide: Music
POP, ROCK, FOLK DOOM: This rapper, who performs wearing a metal mask, is joined by Mos Def. Tomorrow at 9 p.m., Nokia Theater, 1515 Broadway; 212-930-1950. LES SAVY FAV: These...
TV’s MSG Guy is regular Ridgite
The TV spots are a mere 60 seconds in length.But, Peter D. Michael, AKA MSG Guy, is easily recognizable.Take the Brooklyn Bridge away, and substitute Third or Fifth Avenue in...
Tribute to jazz great Joe Maneri
This February 9, the Irondale Center will hold a tribute to Joe Maneri, a Williamsburg-born jazz musician and composer who died this past summer due to complications of heart failure.The...
EPA: Superfunded Gowanus won't discourage lending
There’s plenty of indication in and around the Gowanus Canal that designating the fetid waterway a Superfund site will have little impact on the ability to secure a mortgage, the...
Healthy Steps to Albany: First Lady’s Challenge
Be healthy, kids! Intermediate School 68 students received a lesson on how to jumpstart and maintain their personal wellness all the way from Albany when First Lady Michelle Paige Paterson...
Martial Arts masters honored
The titan of fightin,’ who “turned martial arts into a form of entertainment,” shared the spotlight at Madison Square Garden with Brooklyn’s beasts from the northeast and other masters of...
Canarsiens urged to be counted in 2010 Census
Canarsiens count, and they need to be counted when the next Census is taken, later this year.The neighborhood has lost millions of dollars in funding that could be used for...
Fulton takes a bite out of crime
Crime has been on the decline in North Brooklyn for the past year, but Deputy Inspector Dennis Fulton wants community members to take crime prevention into their own hands. Well,...
Downtown street closures explained at cop meeting
With construction of the Barclays Center arena underway, developer Forest City Ratner and the city continued their outreach to the community regarding parking and traffic changes. Both were explained at...
Car stop leads to cop shooter
Sometimes a car stop ends with a warning or a traffic ticket, but other times cops get a whole lot more than they bargained for.Such was the case for Police...
Starr report
Morning TV: The Saturday "Early Show" (Erica Hill, Chris Wragge) is up 14 per cent in "boomers" (adults 35-54) vs. last year. And "Good Morning Amer ica" is set for...
'Saint John of Las Vegas' hardly a divine comedy
An indie road-trip movie that steers straight down Loser's Lane, "Saint John of Las Vegas" stars Steve Buscemi as (what else?) a luckless nobody at an insurance company who gets...
Bomb fails but sparks fly in Israeli film
The Israeli feature "For My Father" is a rarity indeed: A sweet, sentimental movie about a suicide bomber. Don't get me wrong, director Dror Zahavi doesn't condone terrorism; in fact,...
Shellshocked lovers in mental minefield
Sarah Goodwin: Could there be a more perfect name for a character played by Laura Linney? You just know Sarah wears her blond beauty unassumingly, and her bone structure and...
Mel-bent on revenge
No matter what you think of “Mad” Mel Gibson’s exploits as an alcoholic bigot and wacko director, he remains an actor to be reckoned with in the rousing revenge melodrama...
Report: Go ahead, get the big TV
Consumer Reports has some very unscientific advice for TV buyers: get the biggest-size screen you can afford. Forget all those expensive bells-and-whistles you probably won't use anyway -- go for...
'I was devastated'
Jay Leno says it "broke my heart" when NBC told him five years ago he was being replaced by Conan O'Brien. In an unusually candid interview, the late-night host told...
Fiddling while 'Rome' burns
January isn't even over and already we have a strong contender for the worst movie of the year. The atrocious romantic comedy "When in Rome" plumbs new depths for ineptitude...
Fast Lane to a better play
At "The Addams Family," when Nathan Lane snaps, every body jumps. Broadway's top musical star is, I'm told, pretty much calling the shots on this $15 million musical, which staggers...
'Bachelor' backlash
Don't hate "The Bachelor," hate the player. Something odd is happening on the granddaddy of dating shows. Suddenly. the supposed star of the series -- the Bachelor himself -- is...
'Dance' over for Harris
'Dancings With the Stars" co-host Saman tha Harris is leaving the show after eight seasons. ABC isn't saying yet who'll replace Harris opposite Tom Bergeron when the show kicks off...
Weekend Guide: Theater
PREVIEWS “CLYBOURNE PARK”: Bruce Norris’ new play about gentrification in America. Starring Annie Parisse and Frank Wood. Playwrights Horizons, 416 W. 42nd St.; 212-279-4200. Opens Feb. 21. “THE HIDDEN SKY”:...
Holding out for justice: AG's pro-terror staff
THE ISSUE: Justice Dept. officials who previously represented or advocated on behalf of terrorists. *** "Come Clean, Mr. Holder" is right on the mark (Editorial, Jan. 27). But what makes...
O hails tragic cancer kid
President Obama has extended his condolences to the family of a 6-year-old New York City girl who died from a rare form of leukemia just weeks after they met. Jasmina...
New pill tops Plan B: study
LONDON -- A new morning-after pill is more effective than the most widely used drug at preventing pregnancies in women who had unprotected sex, and also works longer, for up...
'Phantom' firm got $$ in re-elex
A $750,000 payment from Mayor Bloomberg's campaign was delivered to a mysterious Albany company that wasn't even created until one month after the November elections, The Post has learned. In...
'Catcher in the Rye' writer dies at 91
J.D. Salinger, the legendary author, youth hero and fugitive from fame whose "The Catcher in the Rye" shocked and inspired a world he increasingly shunned, has died. He was 91....
NYPD Daily Blotter
Brooklyn--"I'm doing my business, you do yours!" That was the barking order of an alleged subway pervert, who became enraged when a straphanger told him to stop pleasuring himself. Joseph...
Brolly good new$
An elderly British couple who used their blue and white Chinese vase as an umbrella stand is getting showered with good fortune -- the vase turns out to be a...
'Not true' sums it up
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito let a pained expression cross his face and muttered, "Not true." He was reacting to President Obama's description of the high court's ruling in the...
Mike's risky path
In announcing his proposed $66.5 billion spending plan for the fiscal year that starts in July, Mayor Bloomberg yesterday got the destination right -- but he's charting a long and...
Moo & improved
Don't cry over skimmed milk. City public-school students were spared 4.6 billion calories and 422 grams of fat last year by the replacement of whole milk with lower-fat options on...
'Old-digger' takes flight
The gold-digging woman accused of preying on elderly men is now on the lam. Cher Thompson, 27, showed up yesterday at 10 a.m. to face charges that she ripped off...
America's bungling UN ambassador
Some UN diplomats are starting to wonder: Does Susan Rice, the US ambassador, really care much about the United Nations? The job was plainly a consolation prize for the woman...
Microsoft net soars
Microsoft Corp., the world's largest software maker, reported second-quarter profit that topped analysts' estimates after Windows 7 spurred the first sales increase in a year. Second-quarter net income rose 60...
Nancy's 'killer' bro jealous
"Nancy, Nancy, Nancy." Ice princess Nancy Kerrigan's brother Mark jailed for a brawl with their father that led to the elderly man's sudden death, was jealous of her Olympic fame...
Banker gives son's teacher bad apple
Score one for deep-pocketed bankers with time to kill. After one of Wall Street's highest-paid bankers sparred with a teacher at his son's liberal Texas school, a principal has resigned....
'Pimp' bid to mock senator
NEW ORLEANS -- Four young men charged with trying to tamper with Sen. Mary Landrieu's phones -- including a conservative activist known for targeting ACORN -- hoped to record embarrassing...
Man-kiss ad isn't gay-OK with CBS
CBS wants to keep one team from scoring on Super Bowl Sunday. The network refuses to say if it will allow an ad for a gay men's dating service to...
Cop 'sodomy cover-up' tix
Three cops on trial for their roles in the alleged sodomy by police baton of a fleeing perpetrator let him off with a summons despite the fact that he was...
Mayor Mike plans to cut 1,300 cops in new budget
The city's police force would be slashed by nearly 1,300 cops -- to its lowest level in two decades -- under a $63.6 billion spending plan Mayor Bloomberg released yesterday...
Business briefs
Economy The Commerce De partment said durable goods orders rose 0.3 percent last month. The Labor Department re ported initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 8,000 to 470,000 last...
Stanford's daughter loses $1.3M condo
The daughter of jailed Texas businessman R. Allen Stanford has dropped her fight to stay in a $1.3 million Houston condominium, her attorney said yesterday. Randi Stanford's decision came hours...
Mike, state in park push-pull
A turf war between the Bloomberg administration and the state over who will control two highly touted waterfront parks is causing even more holdups for both already-long-delayed projects, sources told...
Trump says he'll jump at StuyTown takeover
If Donald Trump has his way, orphaned Manhattan apartment complex Stuyvesant Town-Peter Cooper Village could one day be called TrumpTown. The Post has learned that the real estate mogul and...
Got rollover minutes?
Maybe she had a flip phone. Ronni Macklowitz, 60, of New Jersey makes a call yesterday after rolling her SUV on an icy New Jersey Turnpike overpass in East Brunswick....
'Sex' flier warns of you-know-Who
A child advocate is blitzing Miami with warnings for parents and kids to steer clear of rock legend Pete Townshend. Protect Our Children mailed a "Sex Offender Advisory" to homes...
Upstaters' terror-ific idea: Host evildoers and profit
Bring it on! The mayor of upstate Newburgh said yesterday he wants to host the trial of 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed and other terrorists. Nicholas Valentine -- whose small...
Client 9 now stupid cupid
There's one four-letter word that makes Eliot Spitzer very uncomfortable: L-O-V-E. A slightly squirmy Spitzer drifted into deeply personal territory on the latest stop of his redemption tour, telling an...
Curtain comes down on Miramax
It's the saddest of endings for Miramax. The pioneering art-house studio behind "Pulp Fiction," "Shakespeare in Love" and "The Piano" officially shut its doors yesterday, after three decades as a...
Lady Qaeda case chilling view of circus to come
Imagine this nightmare courtroom scenario: Un hinged Jew-bashing, open mockery of American soldiers, juror intimidation and coldly calculated exploitation of US constitutional protections by a suspected al Qaeda defendant. Well,...
City agencies set for a 'fee'-for-all
Get ready to shell out more money to park at a muni-meter in Manhattan, request to do business with the city or apply for a construction permit. City agencies, ordered...
Top P.I. draws a blank
This never would have happened to Magnum, P.I. Celebrity private eye and ex-NYPD detective Bo Dietl told cops this week that someone stole nine handguns and a shotgun from his...
Broadcom co-founder escapes drug charges
Talk about a case going up in smoke. Federal prosecutors yesterday got the second part of a one-two punch when a federal judge tossed out felony drug charges against Broadcom...
AT&T pays a price
US consumers' obsession with using smartphones like iPhones, to find restaurants, surf the Web and navigate city streets helped propel a 26 percent rise in AT&T's fourth-quarter profit -- but...
Random House, McGraw-Hill miss Apple launch
TWO publishers were conspic uously absent from the launch of Apple's new tablet yesterday -- but for very different reasons. CEO Steve Jobs' presentation included a slide touting Penguin, Hachette,...
A perpetual campaign? Yes, he can
'What frustrates the American people," President Obama declared Wednes day, "is a Washington where every day is Election Day," adding, "We can't wage a perpetual campaign." It was a welcome...
Stand tough, Mr. Mayor
New Yorkers can breathe easy: Mayor Bloomberg won't raise any major taxes -- but instead plans to plug a $5 billion budget hole with a modest haircut to the city's...
Liz met love tot and split
John Edwards' long-suffering wife finally pulled the plug on their marriage after a bizarre Christmas meeting with his love child, family members said. Elizabeth Edwards asked to meet Frances Quinn,...
Deutsche dumps Jon Vaccaro
Real estate investment big Jon Vaccaro has been nudged from his post at Deutsche Bank because of deals that went south in the credit crisis, sources said. Among the financing...
Zell eyeing Rivertower
Harry Macklowe is trying to finalize a deal to sell his Sutton Place luxury residential rental, Rivertower, to Sam Zell's Equity Residential. Sources tell The Post that Zell has kicked...
Senate votes: It's Ben again
That was close. With just three days to go before his current term ended, the Senate voted to confirm Ben Bernanke as chairman of the Federal Reserve, given the brainy...
Burkle makes bid for Barneys' stake
Ron Burkle has offered to take a majority stake in Barneys as the luxury icon's Middle Eastern owners scramble under a crushing debt load. The Los Angeles billionaire, who scooped...
'Missing' kid's ma is jailed
A Family Court judge is convinced a Staten Island woman knows the whereabouts of her missing 7-year-old son -- and is keeping her in jail until she delivers some details....
AIG exec's big loan from Blankfein
Call them the friends of Lloyd Blankfein. Months before the government negotiated a cushy deal in which the hobbled American International Group paid several banks top dollar for esoteric securities...
YouTube cable 'thief' busted
A man who allegedly posted YouTube videos showing how to steal high-speed Internet access was busted yesterday on charges of selling "hacked" cable modems, authorities said. Matthew Delorey, 26, is...
Pelosi vow for all-out health war
WASHINGTON -- Despite polls showing adamant voter opposition to Democratic health-care legislation, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said yesterday she's determined to jam a bill through Congress. "You go through the...
O bids to increase aid to 9/11 heroes
President Obama plans to ask Congress for $150 million for medical treatment for 9/11 first responders -- more than double last year's allocation, a congressional source told The Post. The...
Hoops shot at O
He had a stunning knockout win in the Massachusetts Senate race, and now Scott Brown is ready to take on President Obama -- on the basketball court. In an appearance...
Mass. kid on the record
In that awkward moment when Massachusetts Sen.-elect Scott Brown called his daughter Ayla "available" during his victory speech, maybe what he was really talking about was her just-released record, "Circles."...
LIRR now a 'low rider'
It's getting a lot easier to find a seat on the LIRR. In 2009, the nation's busiest commuter railroad saw the largest year-to-year drop in ridership since the 1970s. Its...
Con Ed wallet shock
Eskimos, hula dancers and lobstermen are about the only Americans who pay more for electricity than Con Ed customers. Con Ed again charged the highest residential rates of any major...
Madison Ave. killer tossed Faberge egg in jewel heist
A robber who coldly murdered an elderly Madison Avenue jewelry-store worker ran off with so many diamonds, emeralds and sapphires that he couldn't be bothered with a decorative Fabergé egg...
Rutgers gal's cruel haze ritual
When the lights went down, the paddles came out. Six members of Sigma Gamma Rho at Rutgers University -- an 88-year-old national Greek organization -- allegedly subjected one pledge to...
How a real senator sounds
Sen. Dianne Feinstein came out yesterday against President Obama's decision to try 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mo hammed & Co. in lower Manhattan -- and guess what: The White House...
Obama eyes 9/11 trial shift
Bending under enormous bipartisan pressure, the White House yesterday told US Attorney General Eric Holder to consider moving the trial of 9/11 monster Khalid Sheik Mohammed and other terror plotters...
Cop 'beat' video of B'klyn man
A lawyer is accusing NYPD officers of roughing up his client in Brooklyn. The incident was captured on a videotape -- which has been turned over to the Brooklyn District...
Losses can't dim Lee's 'Star'
DAVID Lee, going against taller player almost every night, is averaging 19.4 points, 11.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game, but it wasn't good enough to make him an All-Star,...
Knicks fall to Raptors after Lee snubbed by All-Star team
David Lee lost the All-Star vote yesterday, the Knicks lost a heartbreaker and might have lost two key players to mysterious knee injuries. Lee will not be in Dallas for...
Knicks' Jeffries fears bad injury
Jared Jeffries pulled himself out of the game yesterday, missing the entire second half with what the Knicks called a hyperextended right knee, and the forward is fearful he may...
Aqueduct Analysis
Today's analysis.1. 6 fur; $22,000; clm($25,000); 4up(f)SUNDAY IN MALIBU comes in with a bullet work and drops in class after having the lead and tiring to third at Laurel. RAVENOUS drops...
'York', 'Lucky' lead way on Experimental 'Cap
The top two finishers in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile share the highweight assignment on the 2009 Experimental Free Handicap, a hypothetical ranking of last year's 2-year-olds based on handicapping for...
5 questions for ... Dan Marino
Dan Marino got the Dolphins to a Super Bowl in his second year in the NFL and, next Sunday, he'll be back in south Florida as part of CBS's coverage....
Henin, Serena rivalry is final-ly renewed
MELBOURNE, Australia -- Even Serena Williams likes the story of Justine Henin's comeback. It's an "amazing" tale, Williams said. Only two tournaments into her return from a 20-month retirement, Henin...
Hitting coach plans to get Mets' Wright back in swing
PORT ST. LUCIE -- David Wright's swing was all wrong last season. Here's the plan to make it right. Hitting coach Howard Johnson says the Mets' key hitter can overcome...
Devils' Martin holding out hope for Olympics
The timing is tight with no room for another setback, but Devils defenseman Paul Martin said he believes he can return from his broken arm in time to play for...
Rangers face tough West Coast trip
The good news for the Rangers? They can't hear boos from the Garden faithful for another six days. After losing four straight games in regulation -- the first time that's...
GM shouldn't sacrifice future for No. 8 seed
THE fear factor as it applies to the Rangers is that Glen Sather will respond to the team's latest string of crash-and-burn by making risky trades in order to acquire...
Tatis' deal dooms Delgado with Mets
The Mets will have a familiar face returning to first base on a part-time basis next season, and it won't be Carlos Delgado. Fernando Tatis agreed to a one-year deal...
Lagat goes for extra 'Mile'
Last year, Bernard Lagat won his record-tying seventh Wanamaker Mile, matching Irish legend Eamonn Coghlan for the most in Millrose Games history. Tonight in the Garden (8:00, ESPN2), Lagat will...
Mickelson 6 shots off lead
Scott Piercy had the best score yesterday at Torrey Pines because he made nine birdies. Robert Allenby might have had the best round because he made no bogeys. Adding to...
Jets QB's left leg, not right, needs surgery
Mark Sanchez -- the Sanchise -- appears to be headed for knee surgery. In a curious twist, however, it's the Jets quarterback's left knee that would be operated on, not...
Mark's only move is to get this done
After playing 15 of 16 regular- season games and leading the Jets to the AFC Championship game, quarterback Mark Sanchez is poised to make his first important call of the...
Last spring A-Rod thought career could be over
Bo knew athletic stardom -- and early retirement. Last spring, Alex Rodriguez thought he would be this millennium's Bo Jackson. In an interview that aired last night on YES, the...
CC empathizes with Nets
CC Sabathia sympathizes with the Nets. He went through losing in Cleveland -- granted, never losing on a biblical 4-40 scale like this season's squad -- but losing all the...
Cod fishing thriving in Montauk
Cod fishing along the South Shore continues to provide exciting action for saltwater anglers. Montauk offers the best of the fishing, with a number of cod over 20 pounds taken...
Rangers GM shouldn't sacrifice future for No. 8 seed
THE fear factor as it applies to the Rangers is that Glen Sather will respond to the team's latest string of crash-and-burn by making risky trades in order to acquire...
Newest Net finally seeing minutes
When 6-foot-9 forward Kris Humphries came out of Minnesota as a 19-year-old in 2004, he was drafted by Utah and saw opportunity. For about a month, that is. The Jazz...
Yankees to take trophy to Asia
The Yankees are taking the World Series trophy to Tokyo, Beijing and Hong Kong on a six-day Asia tour starting next week. The trophy will accompany a delegation of Yankees...
Sports shorts
NFL: Warner to discuss future The Cardinals and Kurt Warner have scheduled a news conference for 1 p.m. today amid widespread speculation that the 38-year-old quarterback will announce his retirement...
Knicks' Harrington needs treatment
The Knicks' 106-104 loss last night ended with Al Harrington sprawled on the Garden floor and splayed over Toronto's Jarrett Jack as an official called a charge. It was a...
Islanders' skid hits three in Carolina
RALEIGH, N.C. -- Whether it’s a coincidence or not, Eric Staal has been seemingly unstoppable since becoming captain of the Carolina Hurricanes. Whatever the reason, Staal has been on an...
Knicks' Duhon sets up visit with Obama
While the Lakers got the White House treatment earlier this week for winning the NBA title, the Knicks soon will be getting some presidential props -- for being teammates with...
Williams sisters snag doubles title
MELBOURNE, Australia -- Venus and Serena Williams won their fourth Australian Open women's doubles title, beating Cara Black and Liezel Huber 6-4, 6-3. The Williams broke Huber's serve to open...
Knicks losses can't dim Lee's 'Star'
David Lee, going against taller player almost every night, is averaging 19.4 points, 11.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game, but it wasn't good enough to make him an All-Star,...
50-game Arenas ban not enough
Because I almost care, who do you think feels worse right about now -- Gilbert Arenas, Javaris Crittenton, the pistol-whipped Wizards, the Nail Clippers or David Stern? Age before unsightliness,...
Rhodes looks clear for return to Jets
When coach Rex Ryan was cryptic when asked about the status of Kerry Rhodes at the beginning of the week, it sparked speculation the safety would not return to the...
Weird but true
Some thugs needs heavy weaponry to pull off their heists. Gino Conti needed only a fork. The 31-year-old Pennsylvania man used the kitchen cutlery to hold up a gas station...
St. John's comes up short vs. No. 17 Pitt
The shots weren't dropping and No. 17 Pittsburgh was being pushed around inside by unranked St. John's. A two-game Panthers losing streak was starting to look as if it might...
Love at first sight: Timmins picks Rhode Island
Before he met Rhode Island’s coaching staff or its players, before he toured the scenic campus, saw the cafeteria, dorms or the library, James Timmins was sold the Newport, R.I.,...
Diamond in the rough in Downtown Brooklyn
Sara Mitchell didn’t know much about the New York City girls basketball hierarchy when she enrolled at George Westinghouse three years ago. Heck, she didn’t even know if she was...
Blossoming Lily: Poly junior ahead of schedule
When Lily Donahue enrolled back at Poly Prep last year after spending her freshman season at The Lawrenceville School (N.J.), coach Mike Junsch was intrigued. Donahue stood 6-foot-4 – she...
Staal, Ward lead Hurricanes to 3rd straight win
Cam Ward made 26 saves, and new captain Eric Staal scored his third goal in two games as the Carolina Hurricanes won their third straight by beating the New York...
Bosh leads Raptors past Knicks
All-Star Chris Bosh had 27 points and 15 rebounds, Hedo Turkoglu set season highs with 26 points and 11 rebounds and the Toronto Raptors rallied to beat the New York...
The Butler Did It
On Sunday, Adelphi University will host seven high school basketball games, several pitting Long Island teams against their New York City counterparts. The 12-hour hoops smorgasbord is known as the...
White House seeking alternative 9/11 trial sites
Bowing to intense and deepening bipartisan opposition to conducting the criminal trials for the 9/11 hijackers in the heart of New York City, the Obama White House has begun discussing...
Michael Lohan cuffed for calling ex-gf: reports
Michael Lohan, father Lindsay Lohan, was arrested Thursday for violating a restraining order by contacting his ex-girlfriend Erin Muller. He allegedly phoned Muller at work on January 21 in breach...
Croc goes for fisherman's shark, gets whack on the head instead (video)
Five fishermen in Australia fought off a hungry crocodile to keep a shark they caught on a beach in the Northern Territory, it emerged on Thursday. A video of the...
Lawmakers concerned about 9/11 trial in NYC
A group of eight New York lawmakers have written to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder expressing concern about plans to prosecute the alleged mastermind of the September 11, 2001 attacks...
Marchiano marches to his own beat
At St. Edmund’s Prep, a small co-ed high school on Ocean Ave. in South Brooklyn, there is no question who the big man on campus is. “Everyone knows who Vinny...
Gholston still in Jets' plans
One of the compelling players on the Jets in terms of the future is disappointing second-year linebacker Vernon Gholston, who’s cashing in some $21 million in guaranteed money yet still...
Injured Shockey plans to play in this Super Bowl
METAIRIE, La. -- Jeremy Shockey is headed back to Miami, where the flamboyant tattooed bachelor with long blond locks is no stranger to the South Beach social scene. The New...
Giambi signs 1-year deal with Rockies
DENVER -- Jason Giambi’s $1.75 million, one-year contact with the Colorado Rockies was finalized Thursday. a deal that allows Giambi to spell Todd Helton at first base and serve as...
Tannenbaum: We expect Kerry to return
During a state-of-the-union address following the Jets’ magical run that ended in the AFC Championship last week, Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum today addressed a number of offseason issues facing...