August 5, 2010
Pound Ridge food writer tries to off himself to avoid jail
A creepy Westchester food writer, who allegedly sexually assaulted young women he lured to his home from overseas with the false promise of work, tried to kill himself when he...
Some Stuyvesant renters in illegally deregulated apts entitled to retroactive rent rollbacks
In a decision that could line the pockets of tens of thousands of well-heeled tenants city-wide -- and sock their landlords hard in the wallets -- a Manhattan judge has...
Biden motorcade involved in accident in Queens
Part of a motorcade escorting Vice President Joe Biden was involved in a minor accident Thursday while traveling in Queens, N.Y., WNBC-TV reported. Two officers with the New York Police...
Top 2 only certainties in draft disarray
With the NFL season fast approaching, it’s time to get prepared for your fantasy draft, and the Fantasy Tracker is here to help you assemble your team. In the first...
Giants' Steve Smith makes name for himself
ALBANY -- Maybe it’s time to stop referring to Steve Smith of the Giants as the other Steve Smith. Sure, Steve Smith of the Carolina Panthers is a four-time Pro...
Margaret Russell named new editor-in-chief at Architectural Digest
Margaret Russell, is the new editor-in-chief of Architectural Digest, replacing the industry legend Paige Rense. Russell, currently vice president and editor-in-chief of Elle Decor, owned by Hachette Filipacchi Media, will...
Red Sox will work out Delgado after losing Youkilis: report
BOSTON -- The Red Sox have interest in former Mets first baseman Carlos Delgado after losing Kevin Youkilis for the season, the Boston Herald reports. "According to a source with...
Conn. gunman claims he was 'treated badly' in 911 call to police after shooting spree
MANCHESTER, Conn. -- After brutally murdering eight people, crazed gunman Omar Thornton called 911 and confessed to the crime, saying he "took things into his own hands" before killing himself,...
Playboy posts slimmer losses, but revenue slips
Playboy reported a narrower second-quarter net loss Thursday but a 10 percent slide in revenue as losses in the division that includes the flagship magazine offset growth in the company's...
Jewish activists support Ground Zero mosque
A group of Jewish activists and community leaders voiced their support for a planned mosque near ground zero and said opponents, including the nation’s leading Jewish civil rights group, are...
Multiple women join in accusing alleged Riverside Park rapist
The Russian tourist who says she was brutally date raped by a charming "French journalist" in Riverside Park last week had plenty of company in the grand jury this week...
Senate confirms Kagan as 112th justice
WASHINGTON — The Senate has confirmed Elena Kagan as the 112th justice and fourth woman to serve on the Supreme Court. The vote was 63-37 for President Barack Obama's nominee...
Knicks' target Brown signs with Lakers
LOS ANGELES -- Shannon Brown is returning to the Los Angeles Lakers, turning down more lucrative offers for a shot at a third straight championship. Brown’s agent, Mark Bartelstein, told...
Mafia II: impressions and tech trailer
A litltle while ago, I had the opportunity to check out Mafia II at a press event (along with Civilization V, which I'll post later) and, bottom line, I was...
Kovalchuk hearing over, decision by Monday
The arbitration hearing on the status of Ilya Kovalchuk's contract with the Devils has ended and a decision is expected by Monday, NHL.com reports. "(Arbitrator Richard) Bloch spent the last...
MLS boss Garber on Rafa Marquez: Probably no player can do more for us
Since its inception in 1996, MLS has seen a host of world-famous stars, from Lothar Matthaus to Carlos Valderrama, David Beckham to Thierry Henry. The latest is new Red Bull...
Reputed Gambino boss John "Jackie the Nose" cuts three-year plea bargain
The reputed boss of the Gambino crime family plea-bargained to an assault charge today in an alleged 1989 murder plot against a suspected informant. John "Jackie the Nose" D'Amico faces...
Bloomberg: 'Sympathy' for Giuliani family following daughter's arrest
Mayor Bloomberg today said “every parent has an enormous amount of sympathy” for the Giuliani family after daughter Caroline’s arrest yesterday. "You always worry about your kids and when your...
NYC to aid cleanup of contaminated properties
New York City officials hope to spur the redevelopment of hundreds of mildly polluted properties by offering incentives to builders who participate in a city-run cleanup. Mayor Michael Bloomberg said...
Jordanian group completes NYPD visit
A law enforcement delegation from Jordan has completed a fact-finding mission on domestic violence in New York City. Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly honored the 16 visitors on Thursday. They completed...
Yankees back in first place after Rays' strange loss
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- This popup took a bad hop. Jason Kubel’s two-out pop clanked off a catwalk high above Tropicana Field and fell behind the pitcher’s mound for a...
Arrest made in Atlanta toe typist burglary
Police made an arrest Thursday in the case of an Atlanta woman who was tied to her bed by a burglar but managed to type a help message on her...
Fox confirms Nigel Lythgoe to make 'American Idol' return: report
Nigel Lythgoe will return to “American Idol” as executive producer, two seasons after he departed from the show he helped create, Fox confirmed Thursday. “AMERICAN IDOL became a juggernaut of...
Nicks ready to return to Giants practice
ALBANY – The two words Hakeem Nicks used to describe his feelings on the knee injury that he sustained and avoided were "blessed'' and "happy.'' The Giants feel the same...
NJ court: Nazi-naming parents shouldn't get kids
TRENTON, N.J. — A New Jersey couple who gave their children Nazi-inspired names should not regain custody of them, a state appeals court ruled Thursday, citing the parents’ own disabilities...
Pedro turned down chances to return, could be finished
Pedro Martinez’s phone has been ringing during the last two weeks. Several major league teams — the three-time Cy Young Award winner won’t say which ones — called the former...
'Middle Men,' 'Flipped' get limited releases
Back in the day, the major studios often opened film in limited release, hoping word of mouth would help it find a larger audience. These days, that approach -- known...
Pentagon to WikiLeaks : Return unpublished documents to US
The Department of Defense on Thursday demanded that whistleblower website WikiLeaks immediately return all classified documents it has not yet released to the U.S. government. Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell emphatically...
Knicks on verge of signing Spurs' Mason: source
With Shannon Brown headed to the Lakers, the Knicks were finalizing a one-year, $1.4 million deal for Spurs combo guard Roger Mason, according to an NBA source. The Knicks envision...
Ex-NYPD Community Affairs cop gets five years prison for sex attacks
A judge had harsh words today for a disgraced ex-NYPD community affairs cop convicted in a spree of on-the-job sex abuses, giving him five years prison, and a lecture for...
From Giants camp: Defensive secondary stars
ALBANY -- The hands and feet of the defensive backs were busy on a hot, steamy morning, with interceptions, deflections and ball-hawking the dominating theme at Giants training camp.Safety Antrel...
Conn. shooting survivor feels 'lucky' following massacre
MANCHESTER, Conn. -- The vice-president of the beer distributor where eight people were massacred said today he felt "lucky" to be alive -- denying that the gunman was ever a...
High school overcrowding dropped between '04 and '09, but still affects 50 percent of all high school kids
Overcrowding in high schools has dropped by 15 percentage points since the 2004-2005 school year — but half of city high schoolers still attended overcrowded buildings in 2008-2009, according to...
MUSIC: Caramoor Jazz Fest
If you haven’t gotten your cultured behind up to Katonah this summer for the Caramoor International Music Festival, you still have one weekend left. The Caramoor Jazz Festival, now in...
Jury finds Karen Sypher guilty of extorting Rick Pitino
Slammer dunk. A jury today found Karen Sypher guilty of extorting former Knicks coach Rick Pitino. Sypher was on trial for demanding $10 million, college tuition for her children, and...
Ex-Hoboken mayor gets 2 years in corruption case
NEWARK, N.J. — Hoboken's former mayor was sentenced to two years in prison Thursday for accepting bribes from a federal informant posing as a corrupt developer. Peter Cammarano III pleaded...
Namath: Jets 'suited' for Super Bowl
CORTLAND -- Joe Namath is all for the constant refrain at SUNY Cortland that it’s Super Bowl or bust for the 2010 Jets. “(It’s) justified,” Namath said this morning when...
Tila Tequila denies porn film deal: report
Tila Tequila vehemently denied reports that she will star in a porn film, PopEater reported Thursday. "I finally got online and saw that there are FALSE RUMORS that I made...
Young Inwood kingpin cops to guns and drugs ring
A 22-year-old drug kingpin whose guns and cocaine ring terrorized an Inwood neighborhood pleaded guilty today to trafficking charges that will put him in prison for 14 years. Marcel Navarro's...
At least two killed, several injured in Missouri school bus crash: report
GRAY SUMMIT, Mo. — Two buses carrying high-school band students to an amusement park were involved in a freeway wreck involving a tractor-trailer Thursday that left two people dead and...
Mets owner: Minaya will be back as GM
The Mets’ reign of error is set to continue into 2011.The team’s principal owner, Fred Wilpon, on Thursday said he is planning to stick with general manager Omar Minaya beyond...
Two Brooklyn men sentenced to life for hate-crime slay
Two Brooklyn men will spend life behind bars for brutal beating an Ecuadorean immigrant to death after mistaking him and his brother for a gay couple. Keith Phoenix was convicted...
MTA doesn't control OT millions: audit
The MTA has little to no control over the nearly $600 million in overtime it pays workers each year, an audit found. As The Post first reported in May, scores...
Should Will Ferrell get political?
I don't object to Will Ferrell turning political. He's been "doing" George W. Bush for a decade or so, at first in a largely apolitical way, but his new movie...
Wyclef resigns from charity before Haiti campaign
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Wyclef Jean has stepped down as leader of the embattled aid group he founded as he prepares to formally declare his candidacy for the Haitian presidency. The...
Shaq challenges ESPN’s Rome to a fight
This would be fun to watch. The newest Celtic Shaquille O'Neal asked ESPN host Jim Rome to square off at the sports network’s studios. Rome slammed Boston for bringing the...
4-Down Territory: Dumervil & Revis, Favre's fibs, Osi, 'changed' Ben
1. Reports out of Denver this morning say Broncos Pro Bowl defensive end Elvis Dumervil might have suffered a torn pectoral muscle – a definite season-ending injury. If that’s the...
'Harry Potter' star Emma Watson replaced as face of Burberry: Sky News
"Harry Potter" star Emma Watson has been replaced as the face of fashion house Burberry for a forthcoming advertising campaign, Sky News reported Thursday. The move comes despite the fact...
Today's Yankees coverage
The Yankees salvaged the final game of the series with the Jays, and you might have heard there was a big home run hit in the game.Joel Sherman writes A-Rod...
Revival circuit: Fox anniversary gets short shrift at Lincoln Center
I can't imagine that Darryl F. Zanuck would be happy about the lame 75th anniversary tribute to 20th Century Fox being mounted next month at Lincoln Center. It's only 13...
Feds to announce arrests of 14 Somali-Americans linked to terrorism
Marking the latest in a growing number of terrorism cases involving an al Qaeda-linked group in Somalia, the U.S. Justice Department Thursday charged 14 individuals in at least two U.S....
Lightning forces Jets to cut practice short
CORTLAND -- The Jets got some hard-hitting, goal-line practice in Thursday morning. Then, the heavy rains came and the session was cut short after 70 minutes because of a lightning...
NY state pension Pay to Play scandal heads toward spring trial
The state pension "Pay to Play" scandal may go before a Manhattan jury as early as the spring. Accused mastermind Henry "Hank" Morris -- a former top consultant and confidant...
BP starts using cement to finish up 'static kill'
NEW ORLEANS — BP pumped cement into its blown-out oil well in the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday, hoping to start sealing it for good a day after it forced...
Kobayashi out of hot water over July 4th arrest
Famed hot-dog eater Takeru "The Tsunami" Kobayashi is is out of hot water -- for now. A Brooklyn judge said today that the case will purged from Kobayashi’s record if...
Central Park mugger busted
A teenager armed with a gun was busted early today after allegedly robbing three people inside Central Park, police said. Jesse Wasserman, 17, of Scarsdale, was arrested along Park Avenue...
Whoopi Goldberg clashes with WH gatecrasher after 'The View'
"The View" host Whoopi Goldberg was unrepentant Thursday about her backstage spat with Michaele Salahi, telling viewers how she had "choice words" for the reality TV star. The two women...
Strange Bedfellows
It's an interesting conundrum for a future Republican president: Who do they look as a role model for making judicial appointments? The name that comes to the mouth of most...
Sentencing for 2 convicted in hate crime death
Two men are scheduled to be sentenced after they were convicted of beating an Ecuadorean immigrant to death. Hakim Scott was convicted of manslaughter but acquitted of a more serious...
Boxing legend Mike Tyson sued for $115M: report
A retired boxer is attempting to sue sporting great Mike Tyson for $115 million, claiming that Tyson stole his nickname "Iron Mike" more than two decades ago, gossip website TMZ...
L.I. man shot by police is arrested
WEST BABYLON, N.Y. — A man shot by police for intervening as officers attempted to calm down his agitated girlfriend has been arrested. Police say officers went to the Dunkin’...
3UP: A-Rod, Pelfrey and Jeter
1. One of the tenets of journalism is to observe and report the story, but stay out of it. Even as my business changes and more people in the media...
Paterson threatens to force Assembly session
ALBANY - Gov. Paterson this morning continued to threaten a political showdown with Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver as he vowed once again to force the Assembly back into session to...
Tommy Hilfiger's son arrested on drug charges in Los Angeles
Richard Hilfiger, son of noted clothing designer Tommy Hilfiger, was arrested for possession of marijuana in Los Angeles, gossip website TMZ reported Thursday. Richard, a 20-year-old rapper known as Rich...
Bomb at Philippines airport kills one, wounds 12
One person was killed and at least 12 others were injured when a bomb exploded Thursday at an airport in the restive southern Philippines, authorities said. An improvised explosive device...
Initial US jobless claims jump 19,000 to 479,000
The number of people applying for initial unemployment benefits climbed by 19,000 to 479,000 in the latest week, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The four-week average of initial claims --...
Majority of NY-ers oppose Ground Zero mosque: poll
ALBANY - New Yorkers overwhelmingly oppose the controversial Cordoba House mosque near Ground Zero by a massive 61-26 percent, a new poll out this morning found.The Siena College survey of...
NY couple escapes burning boat on Hudson River
TROY, N.Y. — Officials investigating the cause of a fire that destroyed a 34-foot pleasure boat and forced its owners to jump into the Hudson River at Troy to escape...
Drama Mama: 'Lights' out for the season
Just waiting by the phone to find out if you’re the next “American Idol” judge? Mama has a few suggestions to pass the time: “Friday Night Lights” (Friday, 8 p.m.,...
Pennsylvania 'Idol' hopeful arrested after paying a woman with learning disabilities for sex
CLIFTON, N.J. — Authorities say a Pennsylvania man paid a woman with learning difficulties for sex while he was in New Jersey auditioning for “American Idol.” Joshua Heintzelman of Halifax,...
Upstate NY man dies after being struck by sheriff's car
GREENWICH, N.Y. — Authorities say a man has died after being struck by a sheriff’s department patrol car on a street in an eastern New York village. Cambridge-Greenwich Police Chief...
Lily Allen announces she's pregnant
LONDON — Lily Allen has a new reason to smile: She is expecting a baby. In a statement, the singer and boyfriend Sam Cooper say they are “very happy to...
Embattled state Sen. Pedro Espada Jr. caught on tape throwing money at protestors (VIDEO)
Embattled state Sen. Pedro Espada Jr. threw money at a group of housing protestors outside the capitol Wednesday, New York's CBS 2 reports. The crowd was chanting “Hey he ho...
Senate confirms Kagan as 112th justice
WASHINGTON — The Senate has confirmed Elena Kagan as the 112th justice and fourth woman to serve on the Supreme Court. The vote was 63-37 for President Barack Obama's nominee...
Naomi Campbell testifies at blood-diamond trial, says she was given rocks
Supermodel Naomi Campbell Thursday complained that testifying at the war crimes trial of Liberian leader Charles Taylor was a “big inconvenience” and denied flirting with him before receiving a gift...
At blast, A-Rod gets his milestone
Buy your Yankees tickets now for Aug. 4, 2013. Alex Rodriguez drilled his 600th home run yesterday, three years to the day after he hit his 500th — and ending...
A-Rod can’t alter past, but he can change image
Alex Rodriguez never is going to be fully a Yankee. He never is going to be fully appreciated as a clean homer giant. He never is going to be beloved...
Security guard returns 600th home run ball
The Yankees discovered their most loyal employee yesterday, and it is not Derek Jeter. It is security guard Frankie Babilonia, who is in his second season with the club. The...
As A-Rod goes, so do Yankees
The truth is the Yankees are lucky to have Alex Rodriguez. And so are the fans. It’s easy to make him out to be the bad guy, the steroid cheater,...
Pregame chat puts 600 in perspective for A-Rod
Alex Rodriguez pointed from across the room. I was standing near the doorway of the Yankees’ clubhouse with Jack Curry and Mike Kay of YES, when A-Rod asked me where...
Bonds congratulates Rodriguez, wishes him luck in HR chase
Alex Rodriguez has Barry Bonds’ support. Bonds, the former Giants and Pirates slugger who holds the mark for career home runs, congratulated Rodriguez for hitting his 600th home run and...
Blue Jays’ Marcum shrugs off milestone moment
Shaun Marcum went into the record books as a goat, but the Blue Jays right-hander thinks he will end up a footnote. Marcum served up Alex Rodriguez’s 600th career home...
Highlights from Camp Cortland
FEAT OF THE DAY Proving that it is possible to escape “Alcrotraz,” Jets wide receiver Braylon Edwards made a one-handed, leaping catch over cornerback Antonio Cromartie on the right sideline...
Showdown at Saratoga
Post handicappers John DaSilva, Ed Fountaine and Vic Cangialosi challenge defending champion steeplechase jockey, backstretch insider and co-publisher of the Saratoga Special, Sean Clancy, as they battle for bragging rights...
Gisele's a babe mama
Looking at this sizzling new photo of supermodel Gisele Bundchen, you’d never guess she gave birth to a baby boy just eight months ago. The sexy snapshot is part of...
Nolan Ryan's investment group wins auction for Texas Rangers
FORT WORTH, Texas — Hall of Fame pitcher and Texas Rangers president Nolan Ryan has won the high-stakes bidding war for the team. Officials in federal bankruptcy court in Fort...
Talk of the townhouse
When it comes to ubiquitous plays, “Hedda Gabler” takes the cake. Not a season goes by without Henrik Ibsen’s neurotic anti-heroine popping up in New York (the past five years...
How dare this woman tell us how to raise our children
Hey, Gisele Bundchen, thanks for declaring there should be a “worldwide law” requiring new mothers to breastfeed for six months after they give birth. Because guess what? Moms think there...
Starr report
“America’s Most Wanted” shuttered its West Coast bureau yesterday, with the LA office falling victim to budget cuts. The move was confirmed by a Fox spokeswoman. It’s not known how...
Brand recognition
Even celebrities have budgets — and do their real estate homework. Comedian/actor Russell Brand, bruised but out and about after his $238,000 Lamborghini crash, and his pop-star fiancée, Katy Perry,...
Party planning
‘It sounds like you’re planning a bat mitzvah,” my friend Monica said when I described the surprise party I was throwing for my soon-to-be 8-year-old. “Oh no,” I assured her,...
Just sold!
Manhattan CLINTON $1,800,000 310 W. 52nd St. Two-bedroom, two-bath duplex penthouse condo, 1,062 square feet, with 11½-foot ceilings, Poggenpohl kitchen, bath with glass-tiled walls and two juliet balconies; building features...
Write stuff
Jonathan Ames speaks in a subdued murmur that might lead you to believe that he’s bored to death. It’s fitting, then, that that’s the name of the hit sitcom he...
Brooklyn stars
I believe in real estate miracles,” says “Talk Stoop” host Cat Greenleaf. “If you believe in it, it can really happen.” Greenleaf (whose NBC-produced show airs every weeknight on New...
Brooklyn’s walk of fame
If you thought you saw the ghost of cartoonist Harvey Pekar shuffling past you on Montague Street in Brooklyn Heights, it was probably Paul Giamatti. If the woman on Atlantic...
Vacca Volunteers clean Pelham Parkway
Councilman Jimmy Vacca’s volunteer corps has completed yet another community project, cleaning away debris and weeds along Pelham Parkway South with over 30 community members that came out to help.Vacca...
Sneaker fans go nuts over Bronx shoe
You’d be surprised by how many Bronxites spent a recent Saturday waiting to buy sneakers. And everyone was buying the same exact pair.A new line of Nike Air Force 1...
Homeowner traps wild raccoon
A raccoon that was tearing up pool equipment and patio furniture in Pelham Gardens is no longer on the loose.Animal control took the animal away after it was humanely trapped...
New park honors old printing press
The Parks Department hasn’t forgotten Richard March Hoe, and they’re making sure the next generation of kids won’t forget him, either.Printer’s Park, a new park and playground, pays tribute to...
BCA kicks off lunchtime concert series
For the next couple Thursdays, you could head to lunch at the Hutch Metro Cafe and get your ears fed along with your stomach.The Bronx Council on the Arts kicked...
After slew of vandalism, building gets Clean Halls
Residents of Janel Towers, a large Westchester Square apartment complex, are excited to learn that they may soon have cleaner halls.The building, which is at 801 Neill Avenue, has just...
Riders outraged by proposed MTA fare hikes
The MTA will be raising fares for the subway, bus, and tolls by January of 2011, and though hearings are still to come that will determine by how much, Bronx...
Fort Schuyler House gets some summer cleaning
Residents of a senior citizen residence and senior center were tired of constantly looking at garbage dumped across the street from their building, and it seemed like no one they...
Morris Park café hopes to attract families
Two Morris Park family men weren’t big fans of their local café. So they opened up their own instead.Tony Signorile and his newphew, Pino Guida, celebrated a grand opening of...
MTA considers new Bx8 route
Residents and merchants are cautiously optimistic after meeting with the MTA to discuss the new Bx8 bus route.The MTA has agreed to look at issues brought up by the community...
Wheelchair dispute leaves teen waiting
The condition of a Country Club teenager suffering from a terminal illness has worsened, creating the need for a new wheelchair. But the girl waits in vain while her mother...
Traffic light woes
A new traffic light installed at the intersection of Balcom Avenue and Bruckner Boulevard has drivers coming to a screeching halt. But they aren’t just confused or surprised; many are...
Couric's Palin vid leaked
The high-stakes feud between Katie Couric and Sarah Palin took another ugly turn yesterday when a leaked video of the CBS anchorwoman mocking the names of Palin's children went viral...
Nigel back to 'Idol'
Nigel Lythgoe's return to "American Idol" is expected to be officially announced today. Lythgoe will return as an executive producer only -- and not as a judge, as has been...
No-class acts
The newest city to be humiliated by the bottom feeders known as "Real Housewives" is Washington, DC. But, as low on the social scale as they already are, this latest...
'Fairly' freaky
'T he Fairly Odd Parents" is coming to life -- and the results may take some getting used to. Here's a look at Jason Alexander and Cheryl Hines as fairy...
Drama mama
Just waiting to find out if you're the next "American Idol" judge? Mama has a few suggestions to pass the time: * "Friday Night Lights" (Friday, 8 p.m., NBC) The...
'Jersey Shore' is NY's most-watched
Love it or hate it, "Jersey Shore" is a genuine hit. A huge hit. And nowhere is it more of a big deal than in New York. The Season 2...
Probst Emmy Snub
'Survivor " host Jeff Probst is shunning the Emmys this year after hearing the award for Best Reality Show Host has been moved off the Aug. 29 telecast. Probst has...
Arcade on Fire
Arcade Fire couldn't get much hotter than they were last night at Madison Square Garden. At the first of two sold-out concerts at the cathedral of rock, the Canadian ensemble...
The people speak: Keep Bush tax cuts
Americans by a wide majority want to extend former President George W. Bush's tax cuts, and more than half believe that letting them expire will further hurt the country's shaky...
O hails Queens hero to hungry
A Queens bus driver who donates homemade food to homeless people was among 13 American heroes honored by President Obama yesterday with a Presidential Citizens Medal. Jorge Muñoz, 46, of...
A CTO for Condé Nast
Condé Nast yesterday tapped Joe Simon, the former chief technology officer at Viacom, to fill the same position at the publishing giant. The hire marks a pair of firsts: Simon...
News Corp. buoyed by ads, cable
News Corp. reported quarterly results that beat Wall Street expectations, boosted by the strength of its cable networks and an advertising recovery. Chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch said that while...
Burkle's books
Wall Street skeptics may think Barnes & Noble is a bum steer, but Ron Burkle believes it could be a cash cow. The Los Angeles billionaire -- who amassed most...
Changing their stripes
Goldman Sachs is weighing unwinding or offloading one of its most profitable specialty trading units in the wake of sweeping new rules that prohibit Wall Street banks from using their...
Jail 'appeal' pol, feds say
Crooked ex-pol Anthony Seminerio should be locked up while he mounts an appeal of his corruption conviction, the feds say. The disgraced Democrat's claim that he's covered by a recent...
'Very sick' AOL sees some relief
AOL, the embattled Internet company spun off from Time Warner, reported a second-quarter net loss on goodwill impairment costs tied to a decline in its stock price since April. The...
School-aid loss
The city Department of Education lost out on its bid for $40 million in competitive federal funds to open 150 new small schools in the coming years, officials said yesterday....
Judge's heat on 9/11 att'y loans
Lawyers for thousands of sickened Ground Zero workers must justify making their clients cover the cost of loans that helped finance their suits, a Manhattan federal judge ordered yesterday. The...
Heroics on highway
A high-ranking city official transformed into a superhero yesterday while trying to break up a domestic dispute in Grand Central Parkway traffic -- subduing a suspect even after the official...
The old gray 'nightmare'
A former copy editor at the Daily Racing Form, claims he was canned last year because he was the oldest worker at the paper. Michael DelNagro, 63, alleges in court...
Strong 2Q for Sirius
Subscribers and revenue at Sirius XM Radio jumped in the second quarter, fueled by improving demand in the auto sector and the pay-radio service customers' desire for premium programming. Sirius...
'Sponge' duo indicted
Former highflying penny-stock operators Steve Moskowitz and Michael Metter were indicted by a Brooklyn federal grand jury yesterday on securities fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering and perjury charges The...
Gunman 'in daze' on day of slays: gal
A murderous Connecticut beer-truck driver was acting "strangely" and "seemed like he was in a daze" when he kissed his girlfriend goodbye and headed off to gun down eight co-workers,...
Bad to worse
A half-dozen middle schools whose performance was so abysmal that the city wanted to close them -- but couldn't -- have hit rock bottom, new data show. Among the lowlights...
Desperate 911 calls released from inside race-rampage warehouse
"He's killing . . . people! Hurry -- pleeeease!" That panicked, chilling plea from a terrified man was among the nearly two dozen calls for help to 911 after an...
E. Side death plunge
A 36-year-old woman plunged to her death last night from her 14th-floor East Side apartment, police said. The woman, whose name was withheld pending family notification, landed on the sidewalk...
Dems get dodgy on Rangel
Two of New York's top statewide Democratic office holders dodged questions yesterday on whether they would attend the 80th-birthday fund-raiser for Rep. Charles Rangel, who is facing ethics charges. Both...
'Safety woe' at mosque
The 152-year-old building slated to become a mosque and Islamic cultural center near Ground Zero has been used for weekly prayer services by up to 450 people without a new...
Antitrust resolution for Intel
Intel has agreed to stop using threats and unfair discounts to block its rivals, resolving a costly, high-profile legal battle over accusations it illegally smothered competition for over a decade....
Widow of terror-victim rabbi can stay in US
The Israeli widow of a Brooklyn rabbi executed during the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai has finally won the right to legally remain in the United States. Frumet Teitelbaum, 37,...
NY jet smoke scare
An LA-bound American Airlines flight from New York was diverted to Albuquerque yesterday after passengers smelled smoke. An Albuquerque airport spokesman said the FBI was questioning a passenger. "Apparently he...
Ryan gets Rangers
A Pittsburgh businessman and baseball Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan early today reportedly won the right to buy the Texas Rangers, bidding $385 million cash. After a knock-down, drag-out, 15-hour...
Moore out of Time
The reign of Queen Ann is coming to an end at Time Inc. Ann Moore, CEO of Time Inc., the publishing division of media giant Time Warner, which includes People,...
Central Park robbery spree
Two teenagers armed with at least one gun committed four robberies in and around Central park between midnight at 12:30 a.m. today, cops said. The suspects, 17 and 19, were...
Trial set for shrink's cleaver killer
Two and a half years after admittedly slaughtering an Upper East Side psychiatrist with a cleaver, paranoid schizophrenic David Tarloff is set to stand trial for her murder. Tarloff, 41...
Booted state Sen. Hiram Monserrate still using NY-issued pass to park wherever
Hiram Monserrate is a wanted man. Again. Former state Sen. Monserrate (D-Queens) is still using his state-issued parking placard -- six months after he was booted out of the Legislature...
Street vendor sues hosp
A coffee vendor is suing Queens Hospital Center for refusing to allow him to operate his cart on the street outside -- claiming the city-owned hospital booted him to make...
Number six hundred
With a mighty blast into Yankee Stadi um's Monument Park, Alex Rodri guez yesterday joined one of baseball's most exclusive clubs, hitting his 600th career home run -- the youngest...
A State budget deal -- alas
Four months after the deadline, and this is what lawmakers come up with? A $134 billion budget that hikes spending 4 percent -- more than double inflation -- and socks...
Subway cell-icide
Just because subway platforms -- and, someday, the trains themselves -- can be wired for cellphone service, does that mean that they should be? As if rats, garbage, off-key buskers...
Hospital dropped the 'ball,' says suing patient
A Queens man charges that a hospital that's part of the New York-Presbyterian health-care system, along with a team of doctors, caused him to lose a testicle. Manuel Quelle, who...
Pol slapped for his poke
City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez was found guilty of poking a staffer in the chest, in a unanimous ruling yesterday by the Council's Ethics Committee. It recommended that the full council...
A 'T' party for A-Rod's 600
It was the shirt heard 'round the world. Just moments after Alex Rodriguez clocked his 600th home run yesterday, Yankee Stadium vendors went into overdrive selling the official $25 commemorative...
DC coming to NY's re$cue
WASHINGTON -- Cash-poor New York state got a step closer yesterday to pocketing some emergency money from Uncle Sam. The US Senate broke a monthlong Republican filibuster to advance a...
God knows who's right
He was the biggest fish caught in the net ensnar ing New York's suspected pedophile priests. Soon, Monsignor Charles Kava nagh may swim free. The affable, popular priest was the...
iPhoning in payments
Ready to pay your parking ticket? Get out your iPhone. Deputy Mayor Stephen Goldsmith, assigned to streamline and restructure the sprawling city government, said he intends to have a system...
'Munster' mash note brings love
Forty-five years after a Pennsylvania woman sent a fan letter to her favorite TV star, they've made a Munster match. Donna McCall, 55, was a 10-year-old with a crush on...
Curbing NYC's bikers -- or spinning wheels?
Kudos to Steve Cuozzo for taking on out-of-control bicyclists and the city for its failure to enforce the cycling laws ("Blame the City for 'Cycles' of Violence" July 30). Pedestrians...
Unions $hare
Instead of talking about "union greed" in his July 28 column, Michael Goodwin should be saying thank you ("Union Singing Same Tune: Me, Me, Me"). He conveniently forgets that, last...
Feds' food fog
As government agencies in places like New York seek a greater hand in shaping diets, the next set of federal nutrition guidelines, to be published this year, could prove controversial...
Aural sex
LONDON -- Too shy to read the Kama Sutra on the train during rush hour? Just take out your headphones. The ancient sex guide dating back 1,600 years has been...
Blame Albany for crime wave
A Man shot five times in the head on a quiet, residential block in Astoria. Two women brutally attacked in Riverside Park. A be loved Bronx grandfather beaten to death...
The poetic logic of summer stock market rallies
Bad is good. Even if good is better. Buy stocks now. Before the bad weather. These four nearly poetic lines sum up the convoluted investment logic of stock market investors...
Rector Square to exit foreclosure
The long, painful nightmare of Rector Square, the 303-unit Battery Park City condo at 225 Rector St., looks like it is about to end. The remaining 230 unsold units are...
Did well? Do good
That'll be a hell of a write-off. Forty American billionaires, including Mayor Bloomberg, publicly pledged yesterday to donate at least half of their fortunes to charity. Led by the two...
NYPD Daily Blotter
Queens A woman was busted in Ridgewood for threatening to kill a foe who allegedly had been harassing her, cops said. Wielding a knife, Shalisa Richardson, 19, approached the victim...
Glimmer of hope as jobs report looms
Investors are still waiting for a clear sign that the economy is recovering despite hints of improvement ahead of tomorrow's closely watched July jobs report. Two employment previews yesterday offered...
SEC sets father & son show
A former Deloitte and Touche LLP partner and his son were charged with insider trading in securities of Best Buy, Sears and other companies, the Securities and Exchange Commission said...
'Murph' cop mob shock
The retired NYPD detective who won acclaim for helping bust the notorious jewel thief known as "Murph the Surf" in the 1960s has been accused of laundering about $200,000 in...
Crime pays for Dems in budget
ALBANY -- Democrats could get a boost in future battles for the state Legislature thanks to a little-noticed provision buried in the final budget bill, officials said yesterday. The measure...
Gay-nups ban nixed in Calif.
SAN FRANCISCO -- A federal judge yesterday overturned California's gay-marriage ban with a scathing ruling that could eventually force the US Supreme Court to confront the question of whether same-sex...
A 'terminal' case
The former Pan Am terminal at JFK Airport, with its signature saucer-shaped roof, is soon to go the way of its namesake airline, as the Port Authority is poised today...
Oil nightmare nears end
WASHINGTON -- No more oil is likely to leak into the Gulf of Mexico now that efforts to plug the blown-out well are succeeding, the government declared yesterday, as a...
$ettling into Yank seats
Season-ticket holders peeved that the seats they purchased from the old Yankee Stadium were not identical to the ones they sat in can return them for a full refund under...
Judge nixes new 'biased' FDNY test
A Brooklyn federal judge yesterday blocked the city from hiring 300 new firefighters, ruling that the current test of 195 multiple-choice questions still discriminates against blacks and Hispanics. "The city...
Lay day was just payday
The woman accused of blackmailing former Knick coach Rick Pitino is a shakedown artist who "believed she was entitled to something for nothing" after a hurried, one-minute stand, prosecutors said...
Polo profit soars 57%
Polo Ralph Lauren posted a better-than-expected 57 percent jump in quarterly profit as shoppers splurged on its pricey preppy fashions despite a weak economy. The New York-based clothing empire said...
Rudy Giuliani's daughter busted for shoplifting at Sephora
The daughter of former tough-on-crime Mayor Rudy Giuliani was busted yesterday for pilfering products from a trendy cosmetics store near her Upper East Side home, police said. Caroline Giuliani, 20,...
W. House: Andy health pitch stays
WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration yesterday dismissed calls by Republicans to halt its $700,000, tax-funded Andy Griffith ad campaign aimed at lifting dismal public approval of health-care reform, even as...
Business briefs
RIM shot Research In Motion, whose BlackBerry smart phone faces a growing number of bans in emerg ing markets, risks losing out on expansion after saying it won't reveal pri...
Strahan: Giants could use Plaxico
ALBANY -- Count former Giants defensive end Michael Strahan among those who believe the Giants should pursue re-signing Plaxico Burress when he is released from prison. "I think the Giants...
Pelfrey, Mets' defense off mark in 8-3 loss to Braves
ATLANTA -- Remember those positive vibes from Jeff Francoeur's game-winning homer on Tuesday night? They lasted until about 7:30 last night, and were no match for another ugly start from...
Giant relief: Nicks' knee 'is fine'
ALBANY -- Exhale. That's what the Giants did yesterday upon hearing that Hakeem Nicks, their dynamic second-year receiver, isn't hurt seriously and might not even miss any practice time. Nicks...
Umenyiora says he doesn't have to start for Giants
ALBANY -- Osi Umenyiora at varying times during the offseason has sounded militant, disgusted, contrite, irrational, sensible, agreeable and contradictory about his relationship with the Giants, his desire to stay,...
Mets will keep Beltran in center
ATLANTA -- Torii Hunter may be moving to right field in Anaheim, but don't expect Carlos Beltran to head to a corner outfield position anytime soon. "I think there will...
Quality Road 2-5 in Whitney Handicap
SARATOGA SPRINGS -- It's not often, if ever, that you see a horse as low as 2-5 on the morning line for a Grade 1 race, especially when he's giving...
Win some scratch on Sheppard
SARATOGA SPRINGS -- This just in. The horse I wanted to bet, the one with value and upside in today's A.P. Smithwick Memorial, will be scratched. Rats. Drat. And any...
Brown plans to pass on Knicks for Lakers return
The Knicks' chances of landing free-agent shooting guard Shannon Brown are just about over. Mark Bartelstein, Brown's agent, told The Post the Lakers guard is "leaning" toward returning to the...
Ex-Jet Leon to Darrelle: Don't be victim like me
CORTLAND -- From some 2,500 miles away on the other side of the country, there was a vibrant sense of energy and enthusiasm emanating from Leon Washington's voice over the...
Nets' Lopez off Team USA
Nets center Brook Lopez was bed-ridden with mononucleosis throughout the postseason, so ill that he could not attend any of brother Robin's playoff games with the Suns. He dropped more...
The Post line
CFLTomorrowFavoriteCurrent (O/U)UnderdogMONTREAL5½ (60½)Saskatch.EDMONTON5½ (51½)TorontoSaturdayHAMILTON2½ (53½)WinnipegCalgary3 (48½)BRIT. COL.Home Teams in CAPS
'Chucky' is Hambo fave
Lucky Chucky is the horse to beat in the $1.5 million Hambletonian at The Meadowlands on Saturday. Lucky Chucky was made the 5-2 favorite in a field of 10 3-year-olds...
Hondo still barking
Hondo hit a bomb in Boston last night, scoring with the Tribe to negate losses with the Giants and 'Stros and reduce the deficit to 1,250 monges. Today, he'll continue...
Cromartie enjoying life with the Jets
CORTLAND -- Antonio Cromartie isn't longing for a return to San Diego. "Playing a defense that [limits] the secondary like that, why would you have fun?" he said yesterday. "It's...
Rex expecting Revis to answer opening bell
CORTLAND -- One day after it was revealed that the Jets had reached out to Darrelle Revis' representatives, there was no movement on the contract dispute yesterday. Revis, who is...
Sports shorts
NFL: Goodell wants HGH test Commissioner Roger Goodell said the NFL wants to test players for human growth hormone "to protect the integrity of our game." The NFL currently does...
Holmes returns to Jets after his son's surgery
CORTLAND -- Santonio Holmes carried emotional baggage this time into Jets training camp, dropped it off at his dormitory long enough to put on a show in his first practice...
Favre may return after all
The interminable Brett Favre saga did an abrupt about-face yesterday. After letting reports of his impending retirement swirl for nearly 24 hours, Favre yesterday said he plans to play this...
Mets find new way to sink to mediocrity
ATLANTA -- The arithmetic doesn't lie, because it never does. After 54 games this season, the Mets were 27-27. Across the next 54 games -- which ended with last night's...
Weird but true
All you need to know you learned in kindergarten -- but two California women apparently need a refresher course. They showed poor kindness skills when they got into a fight...
Yes, UConn! Edsall has Huskies on the rise
NEWPORT, R.I. -- Randy Edsall rarely allows himself to wander off course. So the question had to take him out of his realm, take him to a place ruled by...
Security scare on American Airlines flight caused by passenger smoking
A security scare on an American Airlines flight from New York to Los Angeles on Wednesday was caused by a passenger allegedly smoking, authorities said. Flight 117 was diverted to...
Crown Heights rapist convicted
A 23-year-old Brooklyn man was convicted today of committing a series of brutal attacks in Crown Heights in which he sexually assaulted three women and robbed two. Erick Lewis accosted...