December 13, 2013
We have yet to see the worst of ObamaCare
‘ObamaCare was sold on a trinity of lies.” That ornate phrase, more suitable for the Book of Revelations or perhaps the next “Game of Thrones,” installment comes from my colleague...
US needs to change its policy on Americans held captive abroad
So it turns out that Robert Levinson, the ex-FBI agent held captive in Iran since 2007, was actually working as a CIA contractor at the time of his disappearance. All...
Miserable 1st period sends Devils to defeat in Pittsburgh
PITTSBURGH — The Devils played excellent second and third periods, but Penguins goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury ensured New Jersey would regret its terrible first period. Fleury made 30 of his 37...
Cop busted selling fake North Face jackets: NYPD
An NYPD cop was caught peddling shoddy counterfeit North Face jackets on eBay, authorities said. Police Officer Marc Florida, 42, advertised the outdoor gear on the auction site, where the...
Nets fall to Pistons to snap three-game win streak
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — With Brook Lopez sitting out Friday night against the Pistons due to a sprained left ankle, Nets coach Jason Kidd said his team would continue its focus...
Knicks fall apart late, lose to Celtics
BOSTON — At least the Knicks didn’t humiliate themselves for four quarters as they did Sunday against the Celtics in a 41-point loss. Friday, they only embarrassed themselves in the...
Christie appointee resigns in wake of bridge traffic probe
Gov. Chris Christie announced the resignation Friday of one of his top appointees amid an escalating probe into whether Christie loyalists deliberately created traffic jams at a bridge into New York City...
Madoff: I helped feds nab JPMorgan
Bernie Madoff, one of the world’s most reviled fraudsters, helped regulators ding JPMorgan Chase. The 75-year-old felon boasted in an email made public Friday that he provided “key information” to...
NY colleges draft rules restricting student protests
Good for Cooper Union and CUNY for insisting that protests on campus do not interfere with the rights of others. In recent months both institutions have seen student demonstrations that...
New York's homebrew crews
It’s early on a Wednesday night, and some two dozen people are chatting over drinks in the back of an establishment on Washington Avenue in Brooklyn. A pair of long...
Shotgun horror at Colorado high school
Shots fired. How terrible that we have become accustomed to hearing these words in connection with a school. And how cruel that the latest shooting — at Arapahoe High School...
Give the gift of books this Christmas
As Christmas approaches, the shopping mall can become a shopping maul. One of the ways of buying gifts for family and friends, without becoming part of a mob scene in...
Time has not healed Newtown's wounds
It was a year ago Saturday when a madman slaughtered 20 children and six adults at the Sandy Hook Elementary School — but for the grieving families it feels like...
Boehner's budget good step for GOP future
Republicans are finally looking like grownups capable of governing, and much of the credit goes to House Speaker John Boehner. After caving in to the kamikaze wing of the House...
3 injured in fire extinguisher attack at Midtown school
Three school safety agents were injured after a former student ran into a school and sprayed a fire extinguisher in Midtown, cops said. The 24-year-old man walked into Liberty High...
US freezes assets of firms that allegedly evaded Iran sanctions
The United States targeted more than a dozen companies and people on Thursday for allegedly evading sanctions against Iran, an effort by the Obama administration to show it will enforce...
'Scandal' wraps season on top
The Gladiators turned out in full force on Thursday night for the mid-season finale of “Scandal,” which was up 12 percent from last week to a two-month high, drawing 9.3...
Heisman favorite Winston: I knew I’d be ‘vindicated’
The day before Jameis Winston is expected to be awarded college football’s top honor, the redshirt freshman phenom defended himself against the allegations he sexually assaulted a former Florida State...
Stevie Brown wants to return to Giants after lost 2013
In 2012, Stevie Brown put together a near-perfect setup season, bursting onto the scene in his first go-round with the Giants to emerge as a starting safety and lead the...
Will Navy sustain its streak vs. Army?
PHILADELPHIA — The Army-Navy series has long held its lofty spot as sport’s most patriotic rivalry, with pride, prestige and the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy at stake for each service academy. Also...
Rich Kids of Beverly Hills: More obnoxious than the Kardashians?
Move over Kardashians! The E! reality series causing real buzz this holiday season is “#Rich Kids of Beverly Hills,” debuting in January, which chronicles the champagne lifestyles of the trust...
Five black female comics we'd like to see on SNL
Before the first sketch aired for this season of “Saturday Night Live,” there was already controversy surrounding creator Lorne Michaels and the lack of diversity on NBC’s legendary sketch comedy...
Sean Armand, the player nobody wanted, makes his name at Iona
Iona was in Springfield, Mass., looking to book a second straight trip to the NCAA Tournament. Preparing for the 2013 MAAC Tournament, Iona was practicing at nearby American International College,...
Take advantage of Redskins dysfunction with Cousins
If you have a fantasy team with Robert Griffin III at quarterback, and you somehow still are alive in your league’s playoffs, you likely have a solid second option that...
'Housewives' husband sued over alleged racial epithets
A waitress who worked at a catering hall featured in “Real Housewives of New Jersey” is suing the husband of cast member Caroline Manzo for abusing the staff with racial...
'Greek Freak' is the Bucks' highlight-a-minute rookie
When Bucks rookie Giannis Antetokounmpo is asked before a recent home game in Milwaukee if he is trying to create highlight plays when he goes out onto the court, he...
A-Rod, Ortiz: Yankees are going to miss Cano
PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic — Cue Aretha Franklin with, “R-E-S-P-E-C-T,’’ the Major League Baseball version. Alex Rodriguez and David Ortiz made it clear Friday the Yankees will miss Robinson Cano....
Cop gives homeless man sweatshirt off his back
“Boots cop” has some company. A warmhearted NYPD officer on patrol near the UN gave a shivering homeless man the sweatshirt off his back Friday. Carlos Ramos, who turns 29...
Hunted teacher tried to lure shooter away from school
A Colorado teen hell-bent on confronting his former debate team coach stormed his high school and shot and wounded a female student before killing himself — just eight miles from...
Cano can learn from Ellsbury on how to say goodbye
Jacoby Ellsbury showed Robinson Cano how to properly leave an organization on Friday. The newly signed Yankees outfielder began a new chapter in his career in The Bronx with a...
Feds foil plot to bomb Wichita airport; suspect in custody
WICHITA, Kan. — An avionics technician from Kansas was arrested Friday as he planned to drive a vehicle full of explosives into a terminal at Wichita's Mid-Continent Regional Airport, authorities...
The day in photos
South Africans mourn Nelson Mandela, Londoners try to break a world record, Middle East suffers from a powerful winter storm, and more.
Ohio man gets 6 years for ailing wife's 'mercy killing'
AKRON, Ohio — An Ohio man convicted of fatally shooting his ailing wife in her hospital bed was sentenced Friday to six years in prison. John Wise, 68, has said...
Local college rankings: St. John's can cement top spot
Welcome to your weekly reminder that there is an alternative to the Knicks' and Nets’ disastrous seasons. Here are this week’s local college basketball rankings: (Last week's rankings in parentheses)...
Red Bulls acquire former U.S. starter Bobby Convey
The Red Bulls acquired former U.S. national team midfielder Bobby Convey and a second-round pick (No. 21 overall) from Toronto FC for their own first-round selection (No. 15) and a...
Yankees welcome Ellsbury: 'No longer a thorn in our side'
The day after Robinson Cano was shown off in Seattle, the Yankees introduced Jacoby Ellsbury, a key piece of their plan to make up for his loss. “Early in the discussions,...
Hunt for 300 lbs. 'cod of the Amazon'
This was the second year I’ve had the chance to document the fishing of the world’s largest freshwater fish with scales, the arapaima, or pirarucu, as it’s known in the...
PG Lowry coveted by struggling NY teams
The Knicks and Nets, failing in their battle to dominate the Atlantic Division, are now in a struggle to land Toronto point guard Kyle Lowry, who is being shopped around...
NYPD boat named after slain cop
The daughter of an NYPD cop gunned down in the line of duty christened the department’s newest, sleekest harbor boat on Friday that was named for her hero dad. Dillon...
Yankees president: We treated Cano 'with the utmost respect'
When it comes to Robinson Cano, it's not a matter of no respect, Yankees president Randy Levine proposed Friday morning. It's a matter of no pinstripes. In response to Cano's comments...
A-Rod thrilled by federal judge’s ruling
Alex Rodriguez scored big in court on Friday when a federal judge dealt a blow to the 211-game doping suspension Major League Baseball hopes to slap on the embattled Yankees...
World's largest gingerbread village
GingerBread Lane, created by Chef Jon Lovitch, is on display in the New York Hall of Science in New York City. The 2014 Guinness World Records has named the 1.5-ton,...
Dead man found on morning rush-hour train
A Brooklyn conductor discovered a dead man riding a Crown Heights train during morning rush-hour, cops said. The 53-year-old man was on a 4 train near Utica Ave. and Eastern...
Cro cleared for practice, still question to play
Antonio Cromartie was limited in practice Friday and is questionable for the Jets’ game Sunday at Carolina. The cornerback has been going through the NFL-mandated concussion protocol after suffering the...
Judge laments wrongly-convicted man ‘a skeleton’ now
The former Brooklyn judge who said he wrongfully convicted a man of murder because of his own anti-white bias said Thursday that he felt “terrible” when he saw the condition...
James Bond's heavy drinking would kill him
Call it a case of “Liver Let Die.” Alcohol would have finished off super spy James Bond long before any arch villain or enemy agent, say medical researchers who tallied...
Snow storm pounds East Coast, NYC braces for 6 inches
Another blast of winter bearing down on greater New York — the second this week — could dump more than six inches of snow on the city on Saturday, blanket...
Nets rewind: Good vibes may vanish if Lopez is hurt
Here are my three thoughts on the Nets' 102-93 win over the Clippers in Brooklyn on Thursday night: 1. What a difference a week makes. This was the phrase running...
Coughlin unaware of docs advising JPP shutdown
Tom Coughlin contradicted an ESPN report Friday, saying he is unaware of any doctors telling Jason Pierre-Paul to sit out the Giants’ final three games — starting with Sunday’s matchup...
Winston accuser's lawyer says investigation was flawed
ZEPHYRHILLS, Fla. — A lawyer for the woman who accused Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston of sexual assault asked Friday for Florida's attorney general to independently examine the rape investigation,...
More purges could follow North Korea's execution of Kim Jong Un's uncle
SEOUL, South Korea — The execution of leader Kim Jong Un's uncle marks the unprecedented fall from grace of one of the most powerful figures in North Korea and the...
'Buddha's remains' stolen from shrine
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — Cambodian officials said Friday a golden urn containing what are considered to be remnants of Buddha's body has been stolen from its shrine near the capital....
Beyonce's sexy new album: Track by track
Double surprise! Beyoncé shocked the world by releasing her eponymous fifth album at midnight on Thursday, but it wasn’t just the music that surprised her fans. Also included in the...
Armstrong bribed me with $100K hidden in cake box: cyclist
Leave the bike, take the cannoli. Here's an all-time tale to add to the ledger of disgraced doper Lance Armstrong: A retired Italian cyclist alleges Armstrong gave him a $100,000...
Fake signer ‘faced rape, murder charges’
The schizophrenic sign language "interpreter" who failed to relay a single real word while standing just inches from President Obama at Nelson Mandela’s memorial has a violent rap sheet including murder,...
Coke cans heir-presumptive in consolidation move
Coca-Cola is shuffling its executive ranks and organizational structure at its North America business, which has struggled with a decline in soda sales. The world’s biggest beverage maker said Thursday...
Twitter nixes change to 'block' feature after user outcry
Twitter was forced to nix a change to its “block” feature on Thursday after attracting a wave of protest from users who said the new policy empowered perpetrators of online...
Steve Kerr: Knicks firing Woodson would be a 'disaster'
Former Suns general manager and TNT analyst Steve Kerr talks Mike Woodson’s job security, Carmelo Anthony’s shot totals and the Kyle Lowry rumors with The Post’s Justin Terranova. Q: Before...
Mike Pereira's unlikely rise at FOX
Mike Pereira has come accustomed to being recognized. “I’ve had more people come up to me and say, ‘I know you’ and then I sit there and you are flattered...
A-Rod 'very optimistic' about arbitration case
Judging by the Yankees’ spree of recent signings, the team appears hopeful Alex Rodriguez’s contract will be off the books for 2014 as he faces a 211-game, Biogenesis-related ban from...
‘X’ marks the (sales) spot
While Simon Cowell’s “The X Factor” has been a ratings disappointment, it has helped boost record sales for its contestants — especially over the past two weeks. This is the...
Disney excited for live-action 'Descendants'
Disney Channel is all atwitter over the announcement of its upcoming live-action movie directed by “High School Musical” guy Kenny Ortega. It’ll be called “Descendants” and will track what happened...
‘SNL’ adding minority cast member in Jan.?
"Saturday Night Live” is looking to add an African-American woman to its cast as soon as January, according to The Hollywood Reporter — after the long-running NBC franchise faced criticism...
Obamas' holiday card really pops
The Obamas’ annual holiday card packs a lot of pop this year. Open the card and a tasteful pop-up image of the White House appears — along with images of...
George Steinbrenner — the play! — is in the works
Tom Hanks and Nora Ephron came up winners this year with “Lucky Guy,” a play about a larger-than-life New York character, columnist Mike McAlary. Now comes word that another larger-than-life...
US 'captive' was on rogue CIA mission in Iran
WASHINGTON — An American who vanished nearly seven years ago in Iran was working for the CIA on an unapproved intelligence-gathering mission that, when it came to light inside the...
NY doctor stands up to politicians over ObamaCare
WASHINGTON — A feisty Upper East Side ophthalmologist didn’t take any guff from lawmakers Thursday when she gave congressional testimony about the ill effects of ObamaCare. Dr. Patricia McLaughlin, whose...
Beyonce's risky surprise album is sexiest yet
Everything comes to those who wait and late on Thursday night, Beyonce really did give us everything. After months of unexplained delays and rumored problems, her fifth, self-titled album is...
Former prosecutor feels heat over Russia involvement
A prominent Manhattan white-collar criminal defense lawyer is the subject of a federal court grievance complaint, The Post has learned. John Moscow, a former prosecutor now working at BakerHostetler, shouldn’t...
Hunt on for livery cab robber
Cops are on the lookout for an armed man wanted in connection with five livery cab robberies in Brooklyn. The most recent was Dec. 6 when the robber was picked...
Expert gives court fine whine over 'bogus' bottler
A French wine expert says he sniffed out that vino collector Rudy Kurniawan was a fraud trying to pawn off fake vintages long before he was busted last year. Laurent...
Daily Blotter
Brooklyn A straphanger allegedly spit in the face of a toddler and his mother, police sources said. The 26-year-old mom was with the 2-year-old boy on the northbound No. 4...
Rangers' McIlrath gets his feet wet
It wasn’t the smoothest of debuts for Dylan McIlrath, but at least it’s behind him now. The Rangers’ 21-year-old defenseman, nicknamed “The Undertaker” for his pugilistic instincts, made his first...
Psych! Fordham falsely tells 2,500 kids they made it
About 2,500 high school seniors who applied for early decision to Fordham University were told they had gotten into the competitive Jesuit college - only to learn their acceptance letters...
Decision due on A-Rod associate
A Manhattan federal judge could make a critical decision Friday morning regarding Alex Rodriguez’s appeal against Major League Baseball. Michael Sitrick, A-Rod’s former public-relations adviser, filed a response Thursday to...
Doc Rivers enjoys reunion with Garnett, Pierce
Doc Rivers is nearly 3,000 miles away from Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, but just as close as ever. He coached them for years in Boston, molded them into champions...
Lopez sprains ankle in Nets victory
Just as the Nets started to get healthy again, they suffered another injury. Brook Lopez went down with a sprained left ankle in the third quarter and sat out the...
Concussed Jets CB Cromartie back on field
Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie returned to the practice field Thursday for the first time since suffering a concussion in Sunday’s game against the Raiders. Cromartie was limited in practice and...
Woody: Ailing J.R. may not be 100% this year
BOSTON — J.R. Smith’s mysteriously wretched season continued against the Bulls Wednesday night and Knicks coach Mike Woodson acknowledged the reigning NBA Sixth Man award winner may never get back...
Cops probe rash of assaults on officers at city jails
Cops are investigating a rash of violent assaults on correction officers at city jails, sources said. Several prison guards have been attacked recently by prisoners looking to prove their toughness...
De Blasio pick disses old boss Bloomberg
Bill de Blasio appointed one of Mayor Bloomberg’s commissioners as his new deputy mayor for health and human services Thursday, and she quickly distanced herself from the administration she’s served...
Nassau police commissioner axed over 'political' bust
The Nassau County police commissioner was forced out Thursday for conducting a “politically motivated” witch hunt against a witness in an election-fraud case, officials said. Thomas Dale, who spent only...
Poll finds many confused about ObamaCare
WASHINGTON — Americans are as confused as ever about ObamaCare. People don’t know whom to trust for information, and many can’t separate real provisions from fake ones, says a Consumer...
New bill to force campuses to report rapes
A Queens assemblyman is introducing a bill that would order colleges and universities to notify cops within 24 hours of receiving a report of a violent felony or a missing...
DA to charge frat members in hazing death
A Baruch College student who died from a fraternity hazing was forced to sprint blindfolded while lugging a heavy backpack toward a member shouting his name — while others tackled...
My brush with Nelson Mandela
No one in Hollywood could have scripted this day better. At dawn, I was awoken in a tiny house in Soweto by the cries of Abigail Nyamende, 25. She was...
Women's rights lobbyist 'pays nanny $3 a hour'
A top diplomat at India’s consulate in Manhattan who lobbies for women’s rights has been busted by the feds — after allegedly mistreating her female nanny. Devyani Khobragade, India’s 39-year-old...
Super Bowl lockdown looming around Times Square
The NYPD has announced its Super Bowl security plan for Times Square, which includes a slew of anti-terror measures — and extensive street closures. The big game will be played...
Yankees make offer to 2B Infante
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The Yankees have made a three-year, $24 million offer to Omar Infante, hoping the best second baseman remaining on the free-agent market could help offset...
Yankees can still spend way back into contention
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — So this is a theory and only a theory. I repeat: a theory. The Yankees want to stay under the $189 million luxury-tax threshold because...
Mets strike gold, but Alderson knows work to be done
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Sandy Alderson has been baseball’s Charlie Bucket, forced to live in poverty for three years while his classmates frivolously throw around money. This past week,...
Big day for Pointer as St. John's takes on Syracuse
Steve Lavin has a number of nicknames for Sir’Dominic Pointer, St. John’s rugged, athletically gifted and versatile sixth man. Batman, Plumber, WD-40, Basketball Renaissance Man, Costco, are among them. Here’s...
Eli defends Gilbride, who's confident he won't be fired
When the Giants mercifully put this season to bed, and ownership and the front office sift through the rubble that was 2013, one of the first questions and one of...
The mayor-elect and the mansion
After weeks of deliberation, Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio has decided to move into Gracie Mansion after all. De Blasio says he was torn, in part because the family’s Park Slope...
ObamaCare blowin' in the wind
Back in the 1960s, the rallying cry of the counterculture was coined by Timothy Leary: “Turn on, tune in, drop out.” Today America’s young are also rebelling against the establishment....
End NYC's alms for businesses
Bill de Blasio is rarely accused of shilling for business, so maybe as mayor he’ll do New Yorkers a favor — by putting an end to City Hall’s habit of...
Lefties turn out to be not so 'reality-based' after all
The “reality-based community” isn’t what it used to be. Progressives spent much of the George W. Bush years deriding the right for disdaining reality itself and waging an associated “war...
A dad, his daughters & ‘The Sound of Music’
Oh, I am amusing, I suppose, and I do have the finest couturier in Vienna and the most glittering circle of friends. And I do give some rather gay parties....
New York Times bungles its ‘gentrification’ slap
Among the villains in this week’s endless New York Times series on 10-year old Dasani, who lives with her methadone-dependent parents and seven siblings in a decrepit shelter for homeless...
Jets must shed rep as a traveling bland
There was a time, only three seasons ago, when the Jets were Road Warriors, when they embraced Us-Against-the-World and refused to blink until the sounds of a silent stadium were...
Lundqvist at center of Rangers free-fall
It is not even the winter solstice and the Rangers are in a state of emergency. The SOS is sounding loud and clear from Manhattan Island. Only there seems to...
Beyonce drops surprise: Sexiest album yet
Beyonce shocked fans by releasing a surprise studio album on iTunes -- complete with 17 sexy new videos -- that sold a whopping 80,000 copies in the first three hours on...
Islanders lose to Coyotes for 11th flop in last 12
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Rob Klinkhammer had two goals and an assist, Mikkel Boedker scored two of Phoenix's four second-period goals, and the Coyotes beat the road-weary New York Islanders 6-3...