March 9, 2010
Powell vs Towns, take three
Is three times the charm for Powell?Political activist, writer and entertainer Kevin Powell will make a third attempt to unseat 24-year incumbent Rep. Edolphus Towns in Brooklyn’s 10th Congressional District,...
Rhodes rips Jets on radio
Kerry Rhodes, traded to the Cardinals on Saturday for two low-round draft picks, ripped the Jets today on ESPN 1050 radio. “Does (the trade) make sense? Evidently for them it...
Aliens vs. Predator: interspecies relations
Aliens vs. Predator is, more than anything else, a game for fans. And, as a fan, I had a lot of fun with it.I almost feel as though this review...
K-Rod: I have no idea who Gossage is
PORT ST. LUCIE --- Goose who? Francisco Rodriguez is just fine with Goose Gossage's assessment of him.Gossage referred to K-Rod as a "clown" in a recent interview, citing Rodriguez's penchant...
Yankees' Cervelli says he's fine after beaning; Park throws
Francisco Cervelli came through several activities Tuesday and declared himself fully recovered from a concussion suffered Saturday.“I caught in the bullpen, hit in the cage, did agility running and worked...
Massa denies he sexually groped staffer
Former New York Congressman Eric Massa, who resigned from Congress amid sexual harassment allegations, acknowledged Tuesday groping a staffer but denied it was sexual. "It doesn't make any difference what...
Report: Pool, Jackson to visit Jets; Murrell signs with Patriots
Browns free agent safety Brandon Pool will visit the Jets tomorrow as they search for a replacement for Kerry Rhodes, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.Pool visited the Rams on Monday,...
Zombie love
If you follow mainstream theater, you know that there's a lot of hoopla around "Love Never Dies." It's Andrew Lloyd Webber's sequel to "Phantom of the Opera," and it opened tonight in...
Unholy accident: Woman killed outside church
Congregants at a small Gravesend church are still reeling from the harrowing accident that followed Sunday services — a motorist’s simple mistake that led to one worshipper’s death and several...
Impending reforestation for Fresh Creek Preserve
Change is coming soon to the Fresh Creek Nature Preserve.The New York City Department of Parks & Recreation will kick off a reforestation project at the preserve this spring, with...
Guild president honored by CB 10
For many Ridgites, the Guild for Exceptional Children is the face of developmental disability in the community.The organization -founded over half a century ago by a group of parents who...
Few clues in Bklyn hit and run
Three days after she was left to die in the street, investigators have few clues about the motorist now being sought for running down a 37-year-old Dyker Heights resident as...
Molotov menace hits local home
Home firebombedSome gang payback and a few bottles of booze led to a dangerous conflagration at a local home this week.Officials said that three people threw Molotov cocktails — liquor...
CAI buckles up in Coney Island
Get ready to ride, Brooklyn. In just a few short weeks, new thrill machines from Italian manufacturer Zamperla will start appearing in Coney Island.Central Amusements International (CAI), an off-shoot of...
Snowbound outer boroughs should be treated differently, says legislator
With snow removal treated vastly differently in Manhattan and the outer boroughs, one local legislator has a modest proposal for the city administration: Delay the return of alternate side parking...
Four 76th Precinct cops receive high praise, awards
On Jan. 11, officers Damien Clarke and Jesse Zhong were on routine patrol when they heard a crash in the vicinity of 276 Van Brunt Street. The cops, according to...
UConn could turn down NIT
After sitting through today’s 73-51 shellacking at the hands of St. John’s in the first round of the Big East tournament, Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun wouldn’t say that his team...
Man who caused Newark airport security breach pleads guilty
NEWARK — A graduate student from China who slipped under a rope barrier at Newark Liberty International Airport to say goodbye to his girlfriend, prompting a security breach and leading...
Bishop Loughlin's Frazier will go to Hofstra
Bishop Loughlin standout Branden Frazier has verbally committed to Hofstra University. The 6-foot-4 senior shooting guard, who averages 14.7 points per game, chose the Pride over Southern Illinois, LaSalle, Quinnipiac...
Michelle Obama still seething at Frenemies
You’d think Michelle Obama’s pals would be just a tad more grateful after sponging up all the best ducats and party invites for Barack Obama’s historic inauguration. But apparently some...
Robert Halderman's statment in pleading guilty to extorting David Letterman
"In September of 2009, I attempted to extort two million dollars from David Letterman by threatening to disclose personal and private information about him, whether true or false. "On the...
State 'cages' key Atlantic Yards holdout
Daniel Goldstein feels he’s being treated like an Enemy of the State.Goldstein – the public face of an opposition group that nearly killed Brooklyn’s Atlantic Yards project through mounting litigation...
Albany legislators not sweet on soda tax
Forty-eight hours after coming out in support of a tax on drinks with sugar, Mayor Bloomberg indicated today that state legislators are reluctant to swallow the proposal."When I talk to...
CC admits 'I was terrible' in loss to Pirates
TAMPA -- What’s up with CC?Sabathia struggled again today at Steinbrenner Field in a 12-7 loss to the Pirates and doesn’t look right. Perhaps he just needs to build up...
Star, goat and quote of the day from the Big East Tournament
Player of the day: Sean Evans -- In a game where D.J. Kennedy and Anthony Mason Jr. combined for 11 points, St. John’s needed someone to step up. Evans was...
Former Jets RB Jones joining Chiefs
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Kansas City Chiefs have signed free agent running back Thomas Jones, who led the Jets to the AFC Championship game last season and was the...
Bloomberg on WTC: 'We have to bail out America'
A furious Mayor Bloomberg demanded today that the Port Authority help fund the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site, declaring: "We have to bail out America."The mayor was reponding...
St. John's crushes UConn by 22 at Big East tournament
St. John’s ran away from Connecticut 73-51 on Tuesday, beating the Huskies for the first time since February 2002, a stretch of nine games. Sean Evans had 19 points and...
Champions League: Arsenal routs Porto to advance
Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner atoned for a poor performance over the weekend to score a hat trick in a 5-0 win over FC Porto for the Gunners to advance to...
Pennsylvania woman known as 'Jihad Jane' charged in terrorist plot
A Pennsylvania woman was charged Tuesday with plotting to provide material support to terrorists and conspiracy to kill in a foreign country. An indictment unveiled Tuesday by the U.S. Attorney...
This week's calendar, March 11 to 17
Thursday, March 11 Urban Land Institute Panel This panel will address the current status of the residential and commercial markets in the New York metropolitan area and the nation and...
Lox of luck to not being kosher
A Brooklyn bris without a lox plate is like Coney Island without the ocean.Thus Brooklyn businesses that specialize in serving lox to Orthodox Jews bristled at the notion that smoked...
Get ready! Here’s your chance to become a Beach Bum
Hey ladies! It’s time to get in touch with your inner beach bum.Open tryouts have been scheduled for the Coney Island Beach Bums, the dancers/cheerleaders who keep fans fired up...
Johnson hits two homers for Yankees
TAMPA -- Nick Johnson’s back looked completely healed today when the Yankees’ DH homered twice against the Pirates at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Johnson, who was scratched from a game...
Corbitt's successor quits as State Police chief
ALBANY --- A week after State Police Supt. Harry Corbitt abruptly quit amid a widening scandal in which the State Police were allegedly used to pressure a Bronx woman not...
Theaters will show Final Four in 3-D
The Final Four will be shown in 3-D in movie theaters around the country. CBS announced Tuesday that the men’s basketball national semifinals April 3 and the championship game two...
Browns release QB Anderson
CLEVELAND -- Quarterback Derek Anderson’s uneven five-year stint with the Cleveland Browns is over. The team released the one-time Pro Bowl quarterback Tuesday, one day after the Browns acquired backup...
Whatever happened to Leona Helmsley's dog?
News that the estate of real-estate baroness Leona Helmsley signed a $170 million deal to sell one of its trophy properties–the Helmsley Carlton House on Manhattan’s East Side Tuesday raises...
DiNapoli proposes reform of NY budget process
ALBANY, N.Y. -- New York state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli has proposed major reforms in the state budget process. He says structural changes are needed to avoid routine multibillion dollar deficits...
NYC graduation rate up 2.6 points to 59 percent
NEW YORK -- New York City's four-year high school graduation rate has risen to 59 percent. The state education department released new figures showing the city's rate is up from...
Fantasy spring training: At the warning track
Some people may overlook outfielders when drafting a team. Many owners will wait on grabbing a big-name outfielder because they assume that there is a plethora of talent at the...
Fantasy spring training: Throwing your weight around
The baseball season really never ends. From the minute the World Series is over until Opening Day, the baseball world is in full gear with the hot stove, spring training...
Feds charge 8 with extortion at WTC site
NEW YORK -- Eight people linked to the Colombo organized crime family have been charged in a federal case involving bribery and extortion at the World Trade Center site. An...
StuyTown tenant leaders to residents: Sign here
The Tenants Association at beleaguered Stuyvesant Town-Peter Cooper Village is is handing out documents asking residents to pledge their support to whatever action to association takes to gain control of...
White people have less sex than other Americans: study
White people report having less sex than members of other races, according to a study released Monday on ethnicity and sleeping habits in America. However, they don’t have the least...
UPDATE: W Vieques
Things moved a lot faster on Vieques back when the US Navy was busy test firing uranium bullets and sinking radiation-exposed ships off shore. But now that the heavy metals have (mostly) been cleaned...
ROTC may return to Stanford
And now for a good news story: Stanford University is considering allowing ROTC to return to its campus for the first time since 1970. Of course it isn’t all good...
Madoff whistleblower needs anger management: Jon Stewart
We’ve heard the angry rants of famed Madoff whistleblower Harry Markopolos too many times to count since the scheme was uncovered in late 2008. But now that the former Wall...
Hilary Duff to write young adult book series
Simon & Schuster Books for Young readers said Tuesday actress-singer Hilary Duff will work on a series of young adult novels that starts with "Elixir," to be published in October....
DEP opens microbiology lab at Newtown Creek plant
City officials today announced the opening of a new $2.3 million microbiology laboratory that will improve operational efficiency and enhance monitoring of local waterways. The new lab, located at Newtown...
South Florida defeats DePaul in Big East opener
Dominique Jones had 20 points and nine rebounds, and South Florida beat DePaul 58-49 in the Big East tournament opener Tuesday for its fourth straight victory. Mike Mercer added 14...
Mets' Pelfrey throws with sore leg; K-Rod back
PORT ST. LUCIE -- Mets right-hander Mike Pelfrey returned to the mound Tuesday after being sidelined by a sore right leg. Pelfrey was struck on the outside of the knee...
MTA supervisor stole $150G, handed out contracts: prosecutors
An MTA supervisor accused of ripping the agency off for nearly $150,000 not only used her position to approve buddies as outside contractors, but then signed off on fraudulent or...
GOP vice chairman says he won't be backing Levy
The first review is in from Democratic Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy's audition with the nine GOP regional vice chairmen -- and it is not a rave. Don Leonard, a...
Strasburg makes debut with Nationals
VIERA, Fla. -- Top prospect Stephen Strasburg made his spring training debut on Tuesday, pitching two scoreless innings in the Washington Nationals’ 9-4 loss to the Detroit Tigers. Strasburg threw...
Hempstead fire chief arrested
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. — Hempstead’s fire chief has been arrested on charges he and two men armed with shotguns stopped and searched a pedestrian on a village street before letting him...
Malignaggi to fight Khan, May 15 at Garden
Amir Khan is ready to make a splash in the United States. The exciting British silver medalist from the 2004 Olympics will defend his WBA 140-pound title against former champion...
Woman charged with killing son wants to go to his funeral
The pharmaceutical exec charged with murdering her own little boy inside the Peninsula Hotel last month begged to be taken in handcuffs to his funeral -- insisting through her lawyer...
Yankees trade Ramirez to Rangers for cash
SURPRISE, Ariz. -- The Yankees have traded right-hander Edwar Ramirez to the Rangers for cash. Ramirez was designated for assignment by the Yankees on Feb. 28 to make room for...
Toyota says 2004-09 Priuses will be recalled
Toyota Motor Corp. said Tuesday that the Prius involved in a highly publicized acceleration incident on a California freeway along with hundreds of thousands of others will be recalled to...
Doug Hoffman to run again in New York's 23rd district
Doug Hoffman, the conservative who threw the U.S. political landscape into turmoil last November with an insurgent candidacy in a special House race, announced he is mounting another campaign to...
St. John's crushes UConn by 22 at Big East tournament
St. John's defeated Connecticut, 73-51, in the first round of the Big East tournament today at the Garden and will face Marquette tomorrow.St. John's vs. Connecticut Big East Tournament
Mets' Santana hit hard by Astros
PORT ST. LUCIE -- Johan Santana struggled in his first game since August, allowing four runs on six hits in 1 2/3 innings, and the Mets lost to the Astros...
Judge may jail ex-Edwards aide over sex tape
PITTSBORO, N.C. — A judge said Tuesday he is considering whether to send a former John Edwards aide to jail for contempt over his handling of a purported sex tape...
No NASCAR suspension for Edwards
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Sticking with its “boys, have at it” attitude, NASCAR placed Carl Edwards on probation for three races Tuesday for deliberately wrecking Brad Keselowski’s car last weekend in...
QB Sorgi signs with Giants after all
Jim Sorgi was signed to a one-year contract by the Giants to do for them what he previously did for the Colts: Serve as backup quarterback to a Manning."I am...
Yankees exec says no exceptions on extensions
Hal Steinbrenner reiterated today the Yankees' policy for people whose contracts are about to run out: No extensions, no exceptions.However, the Yankees executive did say he has reached out to...
Workers rally at WTC, urge quick rebuilding
Construction workers hoping to speed up the rebuilding of the World Trade Center site chanted “Build it now!” at a rally Tuesday to urge quicker movement on the project. Construction...
Cindy Crawford blackmailer jailed in Germany
A German man who tried to blackmail Cindy Crawford over a photograph showing the supermodel's young daughter gagged and bound was sentenced Tuesday to two years behind bars. Edis Kayalar,...
Will 'Green Zone' blow itself up?
I have an op-ed in today's Post in which I write about how the Matt Damon flick "Green Zone" rewrites the most basic facts of the Iraq War to suit...
Giuliani to headline Grimm fundraiser
Rudy Giuliani is set to headline a fundraiser next week for Michael Grimm, the Republican he's backed in the GOP primary on Staten Island to compete against Rep. Mike McMahon....
Pope’s brother: I slapped pupils in the face
BERLIN — The pope’s brother said in a newspaper interview published Tuesday that he slapped pupils as punishment after he took over a renowned German boys’ choir in the 1960s....
Annie Leibovitz reaches debt deal to keep her portfolio
NEW YORK — Annie Leibovitz, the photographer who mismanaged her fortune so badly that she faced losing legal rights to some of pop culture’s most enduring images, has reached a...
Long convinced Levy isn't running
Conservative Party chairman Mike Long came away from a quick meeting with Democrat-who-might-run-as-Republican-for-governor Steve Levy last night "unchanged" in his conviction that he's not really running - and predicting a...
MTA cuts No. 7 suspension by 3 weekends
Here’s some relief for No. 7 riders. There will be three fewer weekends during which service between Queensboro Plaza and Grand Central will be suspended, the MTA said. Although it’s...
Flake, Jay Z drop out of AEG as gov threatens to kill Aqueduct deal
It’s a bad bet!The controversial plan to open 4,500 casino slots at Aqueduct Race track is falling apart — with Gov. Paterson’s office threatening to disqualify winning bidder AEG and...
Twins closer Nathan has ligament tear in elbow
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Twins suddenly have a glaring concern about closing games for the first time since Joe Nathan took over in 2004. Tests on Nathan’s right throwing elbow...
Pinstripe Bowl scheduled for Dec. 30 at Yankee Stadium
The first Pinstripe Bowl will be played at Yankee Stadium on Dec. 30 and will be televised by ESPN. The game will include the No. 3 team in the Big...
Farm fire kills 30 to 40 cows
WESTMORELAND, N.Y. — Authorities say a barn fire that killed more than two dozen cows at a central New York dairy farm doesn’t appear to be suspicious. Firefighters and farm...
Police chase ends when truck crashes into home
BATAVIA, N.Y. — A 19-year-old man is hospitalized after authorities say he led police on a chase that ended when his pickup truck slammed into a western New York house,...
3 teens hurt during private party at state prison
BEACON, N.Y. — Authorities are investigating a fight that broke out at a private party being held at a state prison in the Hudson Valley. Officials say two teenagers were...
CBS producer pleads guilty in Letterman extortion case
A former top CBS journalist who was driven into a jealous fury after learning his girlfriend was sleeping with her boss -- "Late Show" host David Letterman -- pleaded guilty...
Continental CEO vows to cancel flights to avoid fines for delays
DALLAS — Continental Airlines plans to cancel flights rather than risk stiff fines under new federal rules designed to punish carriers for delaying passengers. CEO Jeff Smisek said Tuesday the...
A taste of excitement at Oscars dinner
The full Oscar experience may require a trip to Los Angeles, but that doesn’t mean Academy members in the Big Apple went without a taste of the excitement Sunday night....
Power symbol wins NY condom design contest
An electric power button symbol inched past other entries to win New York's condom wrapper design contest, the city said Tuesday. The winning design shows the familiar "on" symbol found...
'Hurt Locker' Oscars may double box-office sales
"The Hurt Locker" DVD sales spiked after the film won best picture at the Academy Awards, and analysts said its six Oscars may help double box-office revenue for distributor Summit...
No legalization, no reelection
Expectations were high among immigration rights groups that once President Obama got into office, legislation to legalize some 12 million undocumented residents would quickly be signed into law. Now, the...
Cuomo's popularity slips amid Paterson scandal
ALBANY – Has Attorney General Andrew Cuomo become the latest victim of Gov. Paterson problems?Marist pollster Lee Miringoff – unveiling the latest poll results this morning on Fred Dicker's Talk...
A-Rod still not talking about Canadian doctor; Hal not talking about A-Rod
TAMPA — Alex Rodriguez refused to get into how Dr. Anthony Galea treated him while he was recovering from last spring’s hip surgery which leaves the feeling that Rodriguez and...
Bogus Web site tries to swindle Madoff victims -- again!
Talk about adding insult to injury. A bogus Web site is targeting victims of Bernard Madoff's record Ponzi scheme in an apparent identity-theft scam, the Securities Investor Protection Corp warned...
Woman gives birth 3 hours after learning she was pregnant
Stunned British woman Belinda Waite became a mother for the first time just three hours after doctors discovered she was pregnant, The Sun reported Tuesday. The 21-year-old had been in...
Furniture fiend
Furniture fiendCops are looking for the gun-toting goon who held up National Furniture, 2378 Flatbush Avenue, Sunday afternoon.Police were told that the unidentified male rushed into the store on March...
Tiger back on the green with swing coach
Tiger Woods is getting back into the swing of things.He's back on the greens with swing coach Hank Haney, according to Golf.com.Haney showed up on Sunday afternoon in Florida and...
Illicit homosexual sex continues to plague Plumb Beach
The Plumb Beach rest stop may be desolate and littered with used condoms, but federal police Monday denied doing a massive sting targeting alleged illicit homosexual behavior to bolster their...
Hot wheels! Fire claims truck in Mill Island
Photo by Steve Solomonson ttracy@cnglocal.com
Doused with acid
Doused with acidA man walking his dog was splattered with sulfuric acid Wednesday -- possibly because his four-legged companion was barking too loudly.Officials said that the 29-year-old victim was walking...
They do have the votes. No they don't
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) tells a Kansas City radio station that House Democrats don’t have the votes to pass health care reform. “We need 217 votes to win in the...
Pinstripe Bowl scheduled for Dec. 30 at Yankee Stadium
The first Pinstripe Bowl will be played at Yankee Stadium on Dec. 30 and will be televised by ESPN. The game will include the No. 3 team in the Big...
7 suspects held in Ireland over plot to kill Swedish cartoonist
Irish police arrested seven Muslims suspected of conspiracy to murder Tuesday over a reported plot to kill a Swedish cartoonist who drew the Prophet Mohammed with the body of a...
China agrees to sign Copenhagen climate accord
China formally added its name Tuesday to the UN climate accord agreed at the Copenhagen summit, the last of the major emerging nations to do so. A spokesman for the...
No bank loans a myth
In late January, President Obama accused banks of holding up the recovery by “claiming that they can’t lend to small businesses.” But according to Daniel Fisher at Forbes, the supposedly...
Feds to investigate latest run-away Prius incident
EL CAJON, California — Federal officials are sending two investigators to California to determine what caused a Toyota Prius to race out of control on a San Diego-area freeway. A...
Class-action lawsuit could cost Toyota $3 billion
MIAMI — Toyota owners claiming that massive safety recalls are causing the value of their vehicles to plummet have filed at least 89 class-action lawsuits that could cost the Japanese...
NYC's oldest dies at 111
New York City's oldest resident, Staten Island supercentenarian Jane "Jenny" E. Gilsenan, died yesterday in the Presentation Convent Mother House in Woodrow. She was 111. Gilsenan was one of the...
Vac's Tuesday Whacks on Roethlisberger's pickle, no to Coles and another New York-free NCAA
This was a few springs ago, when Darryl Strawberry first started coming back around spring training at Port St. Lucie. Strawberry was swapping tales about the old days, when baseball...
Seagate identity thieves nabbed for murder
Swiping Irina Malezhik and Viktor Alekseyev’s identities wasn’t enough.Dimitry and Julia Yakovlev had to take their lives as well, federal prosecutors announced last week when they filed murder and fraud...
Reality TV Tryouts: 'America's Next Top Model'
"America’s Next Top Model" It’s round 15 of this battle of the beauties. Most of the casting calls are out west, but when you look this good, the rest of...
Elin, Tiger caught kissing by neighbor: report
After more than three months of the cold shoulder, things are finally heating up between Tiger Woods and wife, Elin.The pair were caught kissing in their neighborhood, according to a...
Ford to say thank-you to would-be supporters of campaign-that-wasn't
Harold Ford Jr.'s brief foray into New York politics was ultimately the campaign-that-wasn't, but the would-be Senate hopeful will hold a "thank-you" event for various supporters tomorrow at the Four...
Saujani rakes in cash for Maloney challenge
Reshma Saujani is pressing on with her campaign to take on Rep. Carolyn Maloney, hauling in tens of thousands of dollars at a morning women's fundraiser yesterday at the Sheraton...
Morning buzz
Gov. David Paterson resumes his "all business" posture today, with the budget talks that just began between the governor and the legislature continuing in Albany. The chief executive is trying...
Ohio State shooting leaves 1 worker dead, 2 wounded
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A new Ohio State University custodial employee who received a bad job evaluation shot two co-workers in a campus maintenance building, killing one of them, and then...
Aide follows Murtha
The former district director for the late Rep. John Murtha will be the Democratic nominee to fill out his term. Mark Critz won 46 of 83 votes cast and will...
Democracy triumps
Robert Kagan has a great story to tell about the recent attempt of Colombian president Alvaro Uribe to extend his presidency by a third term, prohibited by law in that...
Mets closer K-Rod back after illness
JUPITER, Fla. — The Mets are finally ready to get an eyeful of Francisco Rodriguez. The All-Star closer returned to camp yesterday after an eight-day absence while battling pinkeye. Rodriguez...
Pain-free Maine reason for Mets to hope
JUPITER, Fla. — The trick, at this point, is swimming through the muck in order to reach the cooling waters, clawing through the clouds in order to find the sun,...
Manuel gushing; Mets' Mejia hasn’t allowed run yet
JUPITER, Fla. — Jerry Manuel might have to trade in his windbreaker for a straitjacket before spring training concludes. A few more dominant performances from rookie Jenrry Mejia will have...
Letters to Jackie
‘Dear Mrs. President.” “Dear Jackie.” “Dear Beloved One . . .” An estimated 1.5 million letters flooded the White House following the Nov. 22, 1963, assassination of John F. Kennedy,...
'I'm queen of the world!'
Kathryn Bigelow sounds less like a director and more like a hero from a 1930s pulp novel. She has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in freezing temperatures. She once went diving in...
CHSAA boys basketball rankings
A pair of CHSAA teams – both from Westchester County – have posed with championship plaques at Rose Hill Gymnasium already for the league’s lower level divisions, but the big...
Cryptic tale not just another fish story
The first 45 minutes of Andrew Bovell's "When the Rain Stops Falling" are disconcerting. The play starts off with a lengthy monologue that establishes we're in a future where fish...
They're toons in tune
GORILLAZ "Plastic Beach" ***½ DON'T go bananas figuring out Gorillaz. It's simple: The group, featuring Blur frontman Damon Albarn, writes and performs behind the anonymity of cartoon characters in music...
Jacko guards talking
MIichael Jackson was a deadbeat when it came to paying his credit card bills, his former bodyguards say in a revealing interview. "We were asked to leave hotels because the...
41 mil for Oscars
Over 41 million viewers watched ABC's Academy Awards telecast Sunday night -- up 5 million viewers over last year's ceremony. It was also the biggest audience to watch an Oscars...
Betty White heads to 'SNL'
Betty White says she's definitely doing "Saturday Night Live." She just doesn't know when or what she'll be doing. She confirmed at an Oscar party Sunday night that she'd been...
'Bad's' Skyler has nowhere to go
'Br eaking Bad" star Anna Gunn is aware the show's fans have waited 10 months for the brutally bleak drama to return for its third season. But she says it'll...
Tim vs. Kim
Tim Gunn has turned his critical eye towards the Kardashian sisters' fashion sense. The style guru, who is usually polite and soft-spoken outside the confines of "Project Runway," appears to...
Booze gals slimmer
A study has found that women who enjoy one or two drinks a day are 30 percent less likely to gain weight than teetotalers. Most women pack on pounds as...
New Damon flick slanders America
After all of Hollywood's Iraq movies have flopped (even the Oscar-garlanded "The Hurt Locker" earned only $15 million at the box office), one studio thinks it has the following secret...
Time to 'adopt' reform
It is remarkable, in an era that claims to prize family connections, adult adoptees and birth parents are told they are being kept apart for their own good ("New Fight...
'No' to a Billion-Dollar class of cops
While I've authorized hiring 70 new police officers this year, Suffolk legislators are pushing to add 200. The problem is the staggering cost -- more than $1 billion over the...
Ballots beat bombs
Threats, bombs and at least 36 dead didn't stop Iraqis from voting on Sunday. But the harder part -- forming a new, more inclusive national government -- lies ahead. Formal...
How the Labor Dept. finessed the jobs report
Brilliant! It was absolutely brilliant! As you know by now, the Labor Department last Friday announced that the country had lost another 36,000 jobs in February. Sure, that's a lot...
Gold medal for Silver: tops in Albany swamp
"The Shadow King" (Maureen Callahan, PostScript, March 7) is a great column about a not-so-great man. To be the successful leader of a pack, you have to be more wily...
Ad firms face problems on 'guarantees'
Ad firms desperate to win business are making promises to clients that could come back to haunt them. Media shops, already reeling from cost-cutting demands from clients and the deepest...
Placido on mend
Opera great Placido Domingo underwent surgery last week at Mount Sinai Hospital to remove a cancerous polyp from his colon, but is expected to make a full recovery, his spokeswoman...
It won't be over
Even Nancy Pelosi's harshest GOP critics don't doubt her ability to wrangle votes. She has a chance to pass ObamaCare again through the House in a bout of arm-twisting so...
'Smoke' signals
WASHINGTON -- Nicotine builds up gradually in smokers' brains rather than spiking after each puff, according to a recent study. The finding may help point to new ways to get...
NY-Israel connection in Dubai hit
A New York-based firm that provided suspects in the assassination of a senior Hamas commander in Dubai with credit cards has ties to former Israeli military officials, according to new...
Oldest dies at 114
WESTMORELAND, NH -- Mary Josephine Ray, the Canadian-born New Hampshire woman certified as the oldest American, died Sunday at a nursing home in Westmoreland. She was 114 years, 294 days...
NYPD Daily Blotter
Bronx A 17-year-old boy was fatally struck yesterday by a car whose driver fled on foot, police said. Nedd Keon was hit by a 1996 green Honda Accord at White...
Captive not Qaeda big
An al Qaeda member captured in a terrorist lair in Pakistan is an American but not the turncoat Californian who has a $1 million price on his head, officials said...
Iraq PM leads vote estimate
BAGHDAD -- Early estimates from a range of Iraqi parties yes terday predicted a coalition led by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al- Maliki would take the lead in the parliamentary...
Toyota's electrical storm
WASHINGTON -- Toyota gave detailed evidence yesterday that it says disproves claims that electronics may cause the unwanted acceleration that led to the recall of more than 8 million cars...
Dems' sick plot sunk me: 'harass' pol
WASHINGTON -- Steamed upstate Rep. Eric Massa, who quit Congress yesterday amid allegations he sexually harassed a male staffer, said he was "set up" by Democratic leaders because he opposed...
'Worst shoes ever'
If you want to step out with a big-bucks look, these gaudy stilettos are right on the money. A 3½-inch-tall dollar sign encrusted with Swarovski crystals embellishes the 4 1/3-inch...
True love at last for Simon gal
The love of Simon Cowell's life couldn't be any happier planning a huge summer wedding she hopes will ease painful memories of her previous journey down the aisle. Makeup artist...
Lindsay Lohan wants $100M over E-Trade ad
The world revolves around Lindsay. Lindsay Lohan is suing the financial company E-Trade, insisting that a boyfriend-stealing, "milkaholic" baby in its latest commercial -- who happens to be named Lindsay...
'ABC' of TV battle: Time Warner Cable
In the long run, Disney's feud with Cablevision over what the Long Island-based cable operator pays to carry ABC's signal may have less to do with Cablevision than sending a...
Madoff case claims sped
The judge overseeing the bankruptcy of Bernard Madoff's defunct business is allowing investors to immediately appeal his order that lets the liquidator reject years' worth of fake profit when calculating...
Bandits not so card sharp
The bandits behind a poker-tournament heist in a Berlin hotel displayed "new depths of stupidity" by executing the holdup before dozens of cameras, the head of the German police union...
Lame duck Dave ducks scandal queries
What, me worry? An embattled Gov. Paterson attempted to save his sinking administration yesterday as he ducked questions about scandals and hurried to Albany to reinsert himself in budget talks....
Lonesome Gov's sad solo act
This is how an administration dies. A slow, painful and agonizing demise. Gov. Lame Duck waddled into the ornate Downtown Brooklyn ceremonial courtroom without a single close aide, confidant, minister...
Business briefs
MetLife buy MetLife pursued AIG's foreign life insurance business, Alico, for two years before finally clinching a $15.5 billion purchase yesterday.Triple team General Growth Prop erties' largest creditor, Fairholme Capital...
Meeks ducks TV storm
Less than a week after embattled Queens Rep. Gregory Meeks said he was eager to go on TV to discuss his Hurricane Katrina charity's federal investigation, he pulled the plug...
Cuff luck, Wayne
Rapper Lil Wayne traded gold bling for stainless- steel cuffs as he turned himself in to begin a year long stint behind bars for the gun cops seized from his...
DA: NY aids Medicaid fraud
Nassau County DA Kathleen Rice charged yesterday that state policies are impeding local prosecution of Medicaid fraud and even making it easier for scammers to apply for benefits. Rice slammed...
A pro-taxpayer NY pol
Here's something you don't see every day: A New York elected official taking on a public-employee union that's bleeding his constituents dry. So, all the better that the official, Suffolk...
Hollywood gets it right
Further evidence that the progress in Iraq is real came from a most unlikely direction Sunday -- from Hollywood. Not one, but three golden statues at Sunday's Academy Awards --...
Democracy in Iraq
It will be several more days before the official results of Iraq's second national parliamentary elections are known -- which, in itself, is a sign of remarkable political progress. In...
Vendor tails teen: cops
A creepy coffee-cart vendor with a long rap sheet was busted after he followed a 14-year-old schoolgirl near Columbus Circle and tried to lure her into his van, police said...
Greenberg testifies to Cuomo about AIG
Former American International Group boss Hank Greenberg hopes to toss out his last bag of rubble remaining from his five-year war with Eliot Spitzer. Greenberg, a founder and former chairman...
Wife's baby milk in chef's cheese recipe
This Chelsea restaurant has gone from brasserie to brassiere. Chef Daniel Angerer is letting diners at Klee Brasserie munch on cheese made from his wife's breast milk. "It tastes like...
What's two cents worth?
Call it the 2-cent turn around. According to Ken McCarthy, Cushman & Wakefield's New York-area research chief, the average Manhattan office building asking rent increased in February by 2 cents...
Perv rabbi convicted
An Orthodox rabbi repeatedly sexually abused his son's 16-year-old classmate, a Brooklyn jury ruled yesterday. The 10 women and two men deliberated less than half a day before finding Rabbi...
Sex.com $ells
The question of how much is someone willing to pay for sex during a recession is about to be answered. After coughing up a reported $14 million for the sexy...
Obama group tells Hiram: No, you can't
O, no, you don't! Former state Sen. Hiram Monserrate is getting heat from President Obama's grass-roots political organization for using the president's well-worn logo and slogan in his bid to...
Studio splices IPO
The Film Department attempts to go public: take three. The struggling independent movie studio founded by Warner Bros. and Miramax veterans Mark Gill and Neil Sacker is slashing the amount...
Sister sues the !@#$ out of Ringling bro for shiva boot
Step right up folks, for "The Worst Shiva on Earth!" What was supposed to be a fond remembrance of a beloved aunt turned into a three-ring rumble when the man...
Google dish-in' tv ads
Google wants to bring its search expertise to the boob tube. The tech giant is reportedly testing a search service with Dish Network, the No. 2 satellite-TV provider, that would...
Dave & Mike in 'vitch $lap
Gov. Paterson and Mayor Bloomberg each unloaded yesterday on Lt. Gov. Richard Ravitch's plan to use borrowed funds to close part of the state's $9 billion deficit. "Deficit borrowing is...
Queens bones 'not human'
Bone fragments unearthed yesterday at a Queens plumbing-supply store aren't human, investigators said, as cops continued searching the site for the remains of a Baruch College student who vanished in...
'Tweeted' like queen by Conan
When Conan O'Brien lost his TV show, a Michigan teen hit the jackpot. With time on his hands, the former "Tonight Show" host set up a Twitter account and declared...
Knocked-up advice guru is suing lover
The author of the self-help book the "Prince Harming Syndrome" is fighting back against the cad she says royally hosed her. Karen Salmansohn, the writer of "How to Make Your...
Bam is Dr. Desperate
WASHINGTON -- A "fired-up" President Obama yesterday took the fight of his political life out of the Capitol's intractable committee rooms and into the heartland -- staging a desperate campaign-like...
'Stake' house view a Benihana riddle
Apparently price is no object for the management of Japanese steakhouse Benihana. The restaurant chain recently rejected an offer from a New York investment firm that wanted to buy it...
Portugal's Socrates rethinking debt load
A man named Socrates is trying to keep Greece's debt-bubble tragedy from spreading into Portugal. Portugal's Socialist prime minister, Jose Socrates -- named after the Greek philosopher who espoused, "He...
Giving city a 'lego' up
The city's infrastructure is crumbling, and there are few funds for repairs, but one artist may have a solution: Legos. Two weeks ago, German artist Jan Vormann and a team...
Cops kill man who pulled a fake gun
A cop shot and killed a 22-year-old man who pointed an imitation handgun at him outside a Brooklyn elementary school yesterday, police said. "The cop said, 'He pulled a gun...
WTC hardhat injured at site
A construction worker at the World Trade Center site fell from the fourth floor of 1 WTC yesterday. José Jerez, 29, apparently lost his footing and fell 14 feet onto...
'Spam-extorter' pays premium
Maybe he thought their slogan changed from the company you keep to the company you cheat. A broke former New York Life employee was busted on charges he tried to...
Eau, no! 3rd cop busted
A third rogue NYPD cop was nabbed in Yonkers yesterday in connection with a million-dollar perfume heist in New Jersey that unraveled when authorities traced rented trucks to police officers...
Stray bullet hits girl, 10
A 10-year-old Brooklyn girl playing outside her home was shot in the arm last night and a 24-year-old man was killed when bullets started flying on a Bedford-Stuyvesant street. Dalila...
Big Ben hires big gun in sex case
NFL star Ben Roethlisberger has hired a high-profile lawyer with a history of representing bad-boy pro athletes to defend him against claims that he sexually assaulted a college student in...
Slay raps in crane catastrophe
The owner of a tower crane that collapsed on the Upper East Side, killing two construction workers, was hit with charges of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide yesterday, along with...
Douglas adds spark off Knicks' bench
With Tracy McGrady missing last night's game against the Hawks, minutes were available for someone on the Knicks' bench to take advantage of. Coach Mike D'Antoni gave Toney Douglas a...
Former Knick Crawford feels pain of fans
As sixth man for the playoff-bound Hawks, Jamal Crawford will soon lose the not-so-coveted title of being the active NBA leader in career games without a playoff appearance. But Crawford...
Testy rivals' wreck a test for NASCAR
CHARLOTTE -- The boys sure backed NASCAR into a corner on this one. Determined to give drivers more leeway this season when it came to policing each other on the...
'Rachel' rolls in final workout
Rachel Alexandra, 2009 Horse of the Year, turned in her final workout yesterday for her 2010 debut in Saturday's $200,000 New Orleans Ladies at the Fair Grounds, breezing four furlongs...
Philadelphia Park Analysis
Today's analysis.1. 1m&70y; $25,000; mdn cl($25,000); 3YOSUNSHINE NED drops in class for route debut after finishing fourth in his last two starts. LAKE TEXOMA finished third in the mud at this...
Urgency sets in for Rangers
For lack of big-time players, the Rangers have to do the little things. "The way we are trying to approach it is to make sure we are doing the right...
Islanders try to break Flyers hex
For a team trying to right itself, a trip to Philadelphia may be the worst thing the Islanders could hope for. They haven't beaten the Flyers in over two years...
Giants pass on Sorgi as backup QB
Jim Sorgi will not be doing for the Giants what he did with the Colts: back up a Manning at quarterback. Sorgi paid a visit to the team yesterday, but...
Jets GM open to Coles return
It appears the interest between the Jets and wide receiver Laveranues Coles is mutual. Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum yesterday sounded amenable to the possibility of re-signing Coles, who left...
Post-deadline Mavs have new look
It would be a sacrilege not to begin today's blather with doubly dangerous Dallas. Winners of 12 straight, the Mavericks, strictly offensive a moment ago, are No. 2 in the...
New attitude for Yankees' Vazquez
TAMPA -- Much has been made of how CC Sabathia altered the culture of the Yankees’ clubhouse with his outgoing personality and by treating everybody with respect. So you can...
Yankees wonder why A-Rod was treated by Canadian doctor
TAMPA -- Dr. Anthony Galea's admission yesterday that he gave Alex Rodriguez anti-inflammatory medication -- but not human growth hormone -- raised more questions than it answered. If Galea, who...
A-Rod close again with old pal Jeter
BRADENTON, Fla. -- The bond of winning a championship together has created a tighter bond between Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter. They drove here together yesterday from Tampa for the...
Yankees' Aceves razor sharp
BRADENTON, Fla. -- If Alfredo Aceves continues to pitch like he did yesterday, the Fight for Fifth is going to be a knockout. Aceves was perfect over four innings against...
Knicks earn victory as Hawks' 'winner' is too late
Last night was the Knicks' most frantic ending of the season. First, with the Knicks clinging to a one-point lead over the Hawks in the final seconds, Wilson Chandler blocked...
Hawks' Johnson: Knicks an option, if ...
Joe Johnson spent a brief time in Boston to start his NBA career, but beyond that, hasn’t played in a major market. The Hawks star hails from Little Rock, Ark.,...
Sports shorts
NFL: Eagles to pay Vick Michael Vick will receive a $1.5 million roster bonus today from the Eagles, a person with knowledge of the contract said. Paying Vick the bonus...
Can't blame Knicks' Lee for wandering eye
Maybe he was just saying the politically correct thing, which is what David Lee normally has done during his four years with the Knicks. Despite playing on a series of...
Nets' rally falls short against Grizzlies
MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- A visit from the team with the worst record in the NBA helped end Memphis’ home skid. But the Grizzlies almost gave it away on Monday night....
Weird but true
Scratch off one brain-dead bandit. A Florida man was busted for ripping off $70 worth of scratch-off lottery tickets -- after he returned to the store in Bartow where he...
St. John's pride intact after disappointing season
In his last press conference before today's Big East Conference Tournament at the Garden, St. John's coach Norm Roberts offered up impassioned praise for his players -- for their blood...
Big East tournament loaded with intrigue
Around here, the Big East Tournament is much more than a mere March Madness appetizer for a basketball-starved city. This is the week when the Garden rocks again, when electricity...
UConn's motivated for a win
Jim Calhoun didn't win two national championships and six Big East Tournament titles without the ability to motivate. And of all his traits, it's that skill that you're likely to...
Rutgers coach faces up-Hill battle to keep job
PISCATAWAY -- As Rutgers prepares to open the Big East Tournament tonight in the Garden, embattled coach Fred Hill Jr. insists he's still never thought about the possibility of getting...
Seton Hall's Gonzalez: Conference tourney's a real Beast
Seton Hall coach Bobby Gonzalez took over an NCAA tournament team when he replaced Louis Orr four years ago, and openly embraced the expectations of getting back to the Big...
Siena marches to third straight tourney bid with OT win over Fairfield
Edwin Ubiles scored 27 points and Alex Franklin added 22 points and 12 rebounds as Siena rallied from a double-digit halftime deficit and beat Fairfield 72-65 in overtime last night...
NYC boys basketball rankings
The PSAL crowned a new city champion Saturday afternoon, and for the first time in four years, the game lived up to the hype. Boys & Girls rallied to knock...
PSAL boys basketball rankings
The wacky and unpredictable PSAL Class AA boys basketball season ended with a heartfelt celebration that just felt right. After 17 years, Boys & Girls coach Ruth Lovelace had her...
Grizzlies slip past Nets 107-101
Mike Conley and Rudy Gay had 21 points each, and Marc Gasol added 19 points and 13 rebounds and the Memphis Grizzlies withstood a second-half rally to defeat the New...
Ford wins first CHSAA JV city title
Add another historical accomplishment to a list of them for the Bishop Ford girls basketball program this season. On Monday night, the host Falcons junior varsity beat St. Joseph Hill,...
Knicks edge Hawks as Horford's shot ruled too late
The New York Knicks beat the Atlanta Hawks for the third time this season, 99-98 Monday night when video replay showed Al Horford's basket came after the buzzer. Wilson Chandler...
Levi Johnston ordered to pay Bristol Palin more than $21K in child support: Report
Bristol Palin has won a legal battle in Alaska over claims her son’s father Levi Johnston lied about his income to avoid paying enough children support, TMZ reported Monday. Palin...
Cops kill Gerritsen Beach youth
A Gerritsen Beach man armed with a fake pistol was shot and killed during a harried standoff with police Monday afternoon, officials said.Cops said they got a 911 call about...
Powell vs. Towns, round three
Is three times the charm for Powell?Political activist, writer and entertainer Kevin Powell will make a third attempt to unseat 24-year incumbent Rep. Edolphus Towns in Brooklyn’s 10th Congressional District,...
The high cost of teenagers
I ask this question to parents of teenage children - does the shopping, spending and needing ever end? Just when I thought my husband and I were home free and...
Suburban NY mayor says 'SNL' got her city wrong
A suburban New York mayor wants to correct the record after "Saturday Night Live" made fun of her city. First, Peekskill isn't upstate. Second, it's not a hellhole. The city...
No rush to sweeten Domino development's transit improvements
North Brooklyn residents say they’re sour over a $1.2 billion plan to bring 2,200 new apartments to the former Domino Sugar factory site in Williamsburg – especially how it could...
Burnett bash: Two injured as truck meets light pole
Two people were hospitalized early Saturday after their red pick-up truck slammed grill-first into a light pole.Witnesses told authorities that the pick-up truck was traveling at a high rate of...
Sure and begorrah - if it isn't time to celebrate St. Patrick's Day!
The sons and daughters of the Emerald Isle will take to the streets later this month as Brooklynites come out to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.As in past years, the borough...
Wild possums loose in Brooklyn
and Tony CellaWild possums are destroying Brooklynites’ gardens, threatening small dogs and terrifying teenage girls.“Last year, while walking around the [Dyker Beach] golf course at dusk, my daughter and I...
Paterson comes to Brooklyn Borough Hall
Embattled Governor David Paterson came to Borough Hall Monday to talk budget, amid continued questions of his alleged misconduct.Along the way, Paterson appeared to sidestep Atlantic Yards while addressing such...
Grandma's going home, in victory over unscrupulous landlord
An elderly Holocaust survivor is going to be returning to her Bensonhurst apartment, and her family is vowing to do something to help other people who, like her, have been...
Some wary about Superfunded Gowanus
Barely a Superfund site a week, and the Gowanus Canal has already vanquished one developer, and is causing problems for another.Dolly Williams, a former member of the City Planning Commission,...
Man killed in Ave. D collision
One person was killed early Sunday following a harrowing collision at the corner of Utica Avenue and Avenue D in East Flatbush.Police said that a 1993 Honda was traveling eastbound...
Local CERT term trolling for new members
A local volunteer group is looking for new recruits.The Community Emergency Response Team that serves Canarsie is in need of new members, said its leader, the Reverend Edward Kane, speaking...
Muslims may come to their senses, yet!
It took eight years to address a wrong?A prominent Muslim theologian has slapped Islam’s terrorists with a 600-page “fatwa”, or legal pronouncement, urging imams to denounce “unbelievers” — without any...
Wanted by Third Avenue residents: A good night's sleep
Area residents continue to be up in arms over late-night noise emanating from a pair of local watering holes.The most recent meeting of the Community Board 10 Police and Public...