December 17, 2013
Cuomo sued over fracking report
Norse Energy has followed through on its threat — filing suit against Gov. Cuomo and two state agencies to force them to finalize their fracking report. The suit, filed by...
SEC collects record $3.4B in sanctions
The Securities and Exchange Commission said on Tuesday it levied a record $3.4 billion in sanctions in enforcement cases in the latest fiscal year, up 10 percent from the previous...
Road warrior Jaspers roll South Carolina
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Manhattan has proved to be a true road warrior in the early portion of the season. The Jaspers have only played at home three times in their...
2 winners in $636M Mega Millions drawing
DES MOINES, Iowa — Lottery officials say winning ticket tickets have been sold in California and Georgia for the $636 million Mega Millions jackpot, the second-largest lottery prize in U.S....
Proton fusing in East Harlem
The Proton Center may have finally found both cheap power and a solid foundation in Harlem after a series of other deals went bust. We’ve learned that the center, which...
30 cars snarled in Gowanus pileup
Authorities say eight people suffered minor injuries in a chain reaction pileup in Brooklyn that involved at least 30 vehicles. Fire officials say the accident on the Gowanus Expressway near...
How the budget deal helps Obama
The Senate yesterday followed the House of Representatives in approving a bipartisan budget deal that came about in a relative rush for Washington. The deal is very small beer in...
Ergen wins latest round of LightSquared battle
He’s up! He’s down! He’s out — but maybe not! As so with a couple of heavyweight boxers trading blows into the late rounds, Charlie Ergen and Phil Falcone’s long,...
Bearcats escape Pitt at Garden on late bucket
Kenyon Martin can’t help the Knicks these days, but the veteran forward made a difference for his alma mater. Prior to Cincinnati’s matchup with Pittsburgh at the Garden in the...
'Walking Dead' creator sues AMC
The real monster of the hit zombie-apocalypse series “The Walking Dead” is AMC, the series’ creator and former showrunner claims in a lawsuit accusing the network of stiffing him on...
Islanders fall apart late in shootout loss
How to begin to describe this feeling of loss, that in one moment seemed as utterly impossible as it was predictable. The Islanders, fate’s whipping boy now and for the...
Jury still out on SAC’s Steinberg
Jurors in the federal insider-trading trial of SAC Capital moneyman Michael Steinberg ended their first day of deliberations without a verdict. They will resume Wednesday at Manhattan federal court. Steinberg...
Cardinal Dolan’s ObamaCare victory
For a while it looked as though the president had got the best of the cardinal. Two years ago, Timothy Cardinal Dolan left an Oval Office meeting believing he had...
Leadership — what we'll miss most from Mayor Mike
World: Are you ready for the Nanny Monologues? Mayor Mike pilfered a third tour in City Hall from an otherwise term-limited town, which should have been enough for anybody —...
Gang that can't scapegoat straight
In the matter of the American Studies Association’s just-ratified boycott of Israeli academic institutions, one must be thankful that the group’s president, Curtis Marez, is something of a dolt. What...
Will insurers ever fight Bam’s blame game?
When will the insurers revolt? It’s a question that’s popping up more and more. On the surface, the question answers itself. We’re talking about pinstriped insurance-company executives, not Hells Angels....
Cops ticket unsafe drivers in holiday crackdown
The NYPD launched a special five-day crackdown against bad drivers last week to protect pedestrians from heavier holiday traffic — and wound up issuing nearly 7,500 summonses. Officers targeted major...
Push for free WiFi at area airports
The City Council will call on the Port Authority to offer free WiFi at its metropolitan airports on Wednesday. A hearing will be held on a resolution introduced by Manhattan...
Snakebit Knicks can’t wallow in tale of woe
MILWAUKEE — OK. We can start with the good news, and this won’t take long. There is Tyson Chandler, likely due back Wednesday night when the Knicks play the Bucks...
Derek Stepan key in Rangers wins
It’s no secret who the MVP and backbone of the Rangers is, and he wears No. 30. But the player who has contributed the most offensively in Rangers victories isn’t...
Ulf Samuelsson glad to face, not coach, his son
Rangers assistant coach Ulf Samuelsson was in Pittsburgh Monday night, but spent less time scouting the Blueshirts’ next opponent on Wednesday and more time watching his son, Philip, make his...
Johnnies show ‘signs of progress’
St. John’s had a chance for a season-defining win, perhaps a season-changing win. Heading into the highly-anticipated game against No. 2 Syracuse at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, junior and...
Chandler: ‘No pressure’ to save Woodson's job
The man who can save Mike Woodson’s job may begin that task Wednesday. The Knicks had so few bodies at practice Tuesday, Tyson Chandler wasn’t able to go through with...
HLN secures Nancy Grace's services through 2017
Nancy Grace isn’t going anywhere, contrary to reports. The host of HLN’s long-running “Nancy Grace” has just inked a new, multi-year deal to remain the centerpiece of the network’s prime-time...
Rex Ryan could be victim of early success
Maybe Rex Ryan just needs to slow down. The job status of the Jets coach is going to be debated non-stop until a puff of smoke comes from Woody Johnson’s...
Giants face tough offseason decisions in-house
The Giants will finish in third place in the NFC East this season no matter what they do in the final two games, and playing essentially, if not mathematically, the...
Kathy Griffin sets stand-up record in new comedy special
Comedian Kathy Griffin isn’t just a ball-buster; she’s a record-buster, too. During her touring show performance last month in San Antonio, Texas, Guinness World Records honored the tart-tongued Griffin for...
Gunman kills 1, then himself at Reno hospital
RENO, Nev. — A suicidal gunman opened fire at a Reno hospital campus Tuesday, killing one person, wounding two others and sending police on a door-to-door search within the facility...
Obama picks openly gay athletes for U.S. Olympic delegation
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama named openly gay athletes to the delegation that will represent the U.S. next year at opening and closing ceremonies for the Winter Olympics in Sochi,...
Kidd simplified Nets defense after 'long-winded' Frank demoted
Sometimes less is more, and simpler is better. At least, that’s the case with the Nets’ scaled-back schemes that — at least appear to have — helped spark their recent...
Nets' Lopez questionable to play vs. Wizards
Nets center Brook Lopez is listed as questionable — again. Let’s see if Wednesday goes any better than Monday. “He’s questionable,’’ coach Jason Kidd said. “He did everything [Tuesday], so...
Sabathia: Healthy Jeter will put the Yankees atop the AL East
CC Sabathia likes the moves made by the Yankees, but believes Derek Jeter could be the catalyst to propel the Yankees to the top of the AL East. The Yankees’...
Saving for Tanaka, Yankees add Roberts, Thornton
With Masahiro Tanaka pushing to cross the Pacific Ocean, the Yankees are saving up for their next big pursuit by going bargain-shopping in other aisles. On Tuesday, they plugged holes...
L.I. thug to face charges in seven 'knockout' attacks
A Long Island man will be charged with punching out seven men as part of the “knockout” game, according to a spokesman for the Suffolk County Prosecutors office. Darryl Mitchell,...
Woodson digs at Carmelo: Joe Johnson never needed a timeout
Knicks coach Mike Woodson was hoping Carmelo Anthony would turn into Joe Johnson, the current Nets guard who has a reputation for taking and making game-winning shots. Woodson, who coached...
Wine 'faker's secret stash a myth, prosecutor says
An accused wine counterfeiter duped his deep-pocketed clientele into thinking he had uncovered a “magic wine cellar” in Europe — but in reality mixed a “witches’ brew” of cheap French...
Top 5 Yankees storylines of 2013
Though there's work left to be done in assembling the 2014 roster, it's time to look back at an eventful year in the Yankees universe. The boldest-faced names of this...
NBC to resurrect 'The Bible' with 'A.D.'; new series expected in '15
Mark Burnett’s "Bible” sequel “A.D.” is officially a go at NBC. The network — which acquired the rights to the miniseries last July — on Tuesday ordered 12 hour-long episodes...
Wall Street firm gets $135M from American Airlines over 9/11 case
The Wall Street firm that lost the most employees during the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks will collect $135 million through a settlement in its longstanding federal negligent lawsuit against...
Student trapped in school shooting terror scrawled note goodbye
A terrified teen who thought he was going to die in last week’s Colorado high-school shooting scribbled a heart-wrenching goodbye to his family on the only thing available at the...
Another bad-policing lawsuit against 'rap cop'
The hits keep coming for this NYPD cop. A controversial officer accused of forcing a man to belt out a rap tune in exchange for his freedom in 2011 has...
Bloom-ing 'hoods and preserved treasures — all thanks to Mike
New York City comprises five very different boroughs, but Michael Bloomberg dreamed of a single, shimmering metropolis — one of skyscrapers where none stood before; of desolate neighborhoods brought back...
Corey Webster on IR, Giants career likely over
Some would say Corey Webster’s 2013 season never really began, considering he played in only four games because of groin and then ankle injuries. He has not appeared in a...
"The mayor changed my life!"
“I eat much less now” Kristine Storie, 39, of Brooklyn Heights, owner of the Brooklyn Heights Xtend Barre studio, says: “Even a fitness buff like me loves to indulge. Usually,...
Alderson: Mets could bring Ike Davis to spring training
The Mets continue to shop Ike Davis, but there’s no guarantee he will be moved before spring training. The task of finding a taker for the slugger who had a...
Mayor Bloomberg ushered in a Golden Age of Gotham
As he geared up for his first City Hall run in 2001, Michael Bloomberg released a campaign-style autobiography to introduce himself to voters. His book, “Bloomberg by Bloomberg,” sketched a...
NFL Power Rankings: Dolphins refuse to be sunk
Not many teams could survive having their locker room blown to smithereens out of nowhere in the middle of a season, but the Dolphins certainly have. Miami isn’t just surviving...
Nets rewind: Deron's been the difference
Here are my three thoughts on the Nets’ 130-94 win over the Sixers Monday night in Brooklyn: 1. The Nets have looked like a totally different team with Williams healthy...
Murder suspect called 911 to report missing girl
The disappearance of a 9-year-old girl later found strangled and dumped in a trash bin was reported in a 911 call by the man now charged with killing her. Authorities...
Special forces not involved in Princess Diana's death: police
British police have ruled there was no "credible evidence" to support a theory that the SAS, the UK's equivalent to the Navy SEALs, were involved in the death of Diana,...
Other TV characters brought back from the dead
“Family Guy” averted tragedy by bringing back beloved talking pooch Brian in Sunday’s episode after Stewie went back in time to save him from being hit by a car. Some...
What to binge-watch on your holiday break
You’ve made it clear to grandma there’s no “someone special” in your life you want to talk to her about. You’ve told dad that, no, you don’t think you should...
Katy Perry and John Mayer get intimate in new music video
http://youtu.be/nSRCpertZn8 Did you know John Mayer and Katy Perry love each other? Because they do — they love each other so much, they’re going to declare it in a music...
The day in photos
North Koreans pay tribute, a new Miss International is crowned, Australians celebrate a win, baby lion cubs make their debut, and more.
Amanda Knox emails Italian court: 'I didn't kill Meredith'
FLORENCE, Italy — US student Amanda Knox declared her innocence in her roommate's brutal 2007 murder in a highly unusual email submitted Tuesday to the Italian court hearing the case...
Caseworkers avoid jail in tortured toddler case
The two ACS workers charged with criminally-negligent homicide for the death of a tortured 4-year-old Brooklyn girl will receive no-jail plea deals Tuesday, one of their lawyers said. Caseworker Damon...
Amar'e, Woodson at odds over knee 'shutdown'
Mike Woodson said Amar’e Stoudemire will be out “a while’’ because of knee swelling. Stoudemire denied the assertion and tweeted he’s not even injured and his “knees feel great.’’ The...
If Jets fire Rex Ryan, 5 possible replacements
Rex Ryan thinks he is the man for the Jets job, but will GM John Idzik and owner Woody Johnson agree? Here are five options if the Jets do decide...
Lincoln standout Thomas Holley picks Penn State
It became clear months ago, as Thomas Holley piled up scholarship offers, that the defensive tackle’s decision to focus on football rather than basketball was a wise one. On Tuesday morning,...
14 celebrities on Santa's naughty list
He sees them when they’re twerking. He knows when they’re awake at 4 a.m. These celebrities better watch out, ’cause Santa Claus is coming to town! Find out below who’s...
Feds target corrupt politicians' pensions
The feds are going after the pensions of four corrupt politicians who failed to forfeit ill-gotten gains after they were convicted. US Attorney Preet Bharara announced Tuesday that his office...
Biden's wild-child niece in rehab after meltdown
Vice President Joe Biden’s wild-child niece entered an out-of-state rehab program shortly after her September meltdown when she allegedly went berserk in a door-pounding yelling confrontation with her roommate over...
6 Americans killed in Afghanistan helicopter crash
WASHINGTON — Six U.S. service members were killed Tuesday when a helicopter crashed in southern Afghanistan, U.S. and NATO officials said. One person on board the Black Hawk UH-60 was...
Knicks rewind: How everything went wrong in final 24 seconds
http://youtu.be/NDNKH8vc2_4 The irony of the Knicks’ 24.5 seconds of hell that ended their heartbreaking 102-101 Washington loss is it began with a fortuitous break. Beno Udrih got a bailout call...
'Wolf of Wall Street' a dubious investment of your time
Naked Hookers! Cocaine! Quaaludes! Hookers and cocaine! Quaaludes and hookers! Dwarf tossing! Naked Leonardo DiCaprio with a candle in his butt! Leo snorting coke from a hooker’s butt! Rinse, repeat...
Government's wasteful spending includes $385G duck penis study
WASHINGTON – While the White House and Congress griped this year about the pain of automatic budget cuts, the federal government still managed to spend billions of dollars on seemingly frivolous projects...
Blind man, guide dog run over by subway and live
A brave seeing-eye dog loyally leaped to the subway tracks when his owner tumbled off a Harlem platform Wednesday — and they both survived getting run over by a train,...
London traders plead 'not guilty' to Libor manipulation charges
The three traders British prosecutors have charged with crimes related to alleged Libor interest-rate manipulation have entered "not guilty" pleas at a London court hearing Tuesday, kicking off what is...
JPMorgan clamps down on trader chat rooms
JPMorgan — the biggest US bank by assets — is telling its traders on the trading desks to nix the use of multi-dealer online chat rooms, a person familiar with...
'Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues'...but the laughs don't
"Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues” means to send up the early days of CNN, but I couldn’t help thinking of the launch of MSNBC. That network’s revolutionary idea when it...
Tanaka ready for MLB, but might be stuck in Japan
Masahiro Tanaka’s desire to face MLB hitters in 2014 is strong. The chances of that happening are controlled by the Rakuten Golden Eagles. "I informed my team that I would...
The Post's DVD holiday gift guide
For this year's last DVD extra column, a round-up of recent titles, including some with holiday themes, that any classic movie buff would like to find under their tree: "The...
India demolishes US embassy barriers after diplomat's arrest in America
India removed security barriers from the US Embassy in New Delhi and its lawmakers lobbed other threats Tuesday in retaliation for the arrest of a diplomat in Manhattan for allegedly...
Paul McCartney really wants a Nets T-Shirt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpv7nboAgVQ Money can't buy Paul McCartney love, nor can it buy the thrill of a free T-shirt. The near-billionaire was at Barclays Center on Monday, watching the Nets play the...
Celebs and cell phones top New York Google searches
New Yorkers were more interested this year in learning about the latest iPhone than the Boston Marathon bombing, according to the latest list of hot Google searches. The Web giant...
Wait, multivitamins don't work?
WASHINGTON — There's more disappointing news about multivitamins: Two major studies found popping the pills didn't protect aging men's brains or help heart attack survivors. Millions of Americans spend billions...
Yankees agree to deals with Brian Roberts, Matt Thornton
The Yankees and free-agent second baseman Brian Roberts agreed on a one-year contract for $2 million with incentives, pending a physical, and came to terms with lefty reliever Matt Thornton on...
Will Ferrell talks meeting 'sweaty' Rob Ford
http://youtu.be/2clthNGId5g In the lead up to the release of “Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues,” Will Ferrell has spent more than his fair share of time in the guise of the movie's...
Snowden to Brazil: I'll help you take on NSA
RIO DE JANEIRO -- National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden wrote in a lengthy "open letter to the people of Brazil" that he's been inspired by the global debate ignited...
Boston bombing victim to wed his rehab nurse
From tragedy comes love. Boston Marathon bombing survivor James Costello - whose body was badly burned and shredded by shrapnel in the blasts - will soon marry a nurse whose...
World's cheapest tablet goes on sale for just $50
The world's cheapest tablet has gone on sale and it'll set thrifty consumers back just $50. It's called the Datawind UbiSlate 7Ci and it's a basic 7-inch device that was originally launched...
Cops nab OWS rapist on return to city
A dimwitted former Occupy Wall Street protester who apparently didn’t know the movement had died was busted near Union Square Monday after hitchhiking cross-country to try to rejoin his buddies...
Pope bounces anti-gay cardinal
ST. LOUIS — Pope Francis announced changes in the influential Vatican office that evaluates and nominates candidates for bishop around the world. Cardinal Donald Wuerl of Washington was appointed Monday...
Couple finds military rocket in their new apartment
A Manhattan couple got a bombshell surprise when they moved into their apartment on the Lower East Side Monday. They discovered a large military-style rocket in the closet as they...
Snotty French whine: Paris becoming the Bronx
Bronx jeers are flying in Paris, where a heated mayoral race is raging. “Paris resembles The Bronx!” one election operative was recently quoted as sniffing, touching off what one publication...
NYC ads target reckless drivers with tragic images
The city is targeting reckless drivers with an ad campaign featuring two heartbroken New Yorkers standing where their loved ones were struck and killed. The DOT campaign, which comes after...
Whitewater rafting firm fined $25G for unlicensed guide
ALBANY — An upstate whitewater-rafting company has been fined $25,000 for sending boats down the Hudson River in the Adirondack Mountains with an unlicensed guide after a judge told the...
Bidding for Zimmerman painting nears $100G
A painting by George Zimmerman is going for nearly six-figures on the online-auction site eBay. Florida’s infamous neighborhood watchman is trying to pull himself out of debt by selling his...
Leaked manual tells ObamaCare 'navigators' to smile, even on the phone
WASHINGTON — Smile, you’re an ObamaCare navigator. A confidential training manual for the government’s health-plan “navigators” has been posted online, revealing such secret instructions such as “smile” and “listen.” The...
Endangered turtles born at Prospect Park Zoo
Five endangered turtles have been born at the Prospect Park Zoo in Brooklyn. The Chinese big-headed turtles, born in November, are the first of their kind to be conceived in...
Cuomo pushes property-tax break for NY renters
ALBANY — Gov. Cuomo is supporting the minority position of his own tax commission when it comes to providing a property-tax credit to renters across the state, with most of...
Study: 4 in 10 finish college where they start
WASHINGTON — Fewer than half of all students who entered college in 2007 finished school where they started, and almost a third are no longer taking classes toward a degree...
Iraq terror attacks kill 34 Shiite pilgrims
BAGHDAD — A double car bombing and a shooting killed 34 Shiite Muslims on pilgrimage in Iraq on Monday, the deadliest in a wave of attacks across the country that...
Lawyer asks court to convict Amanda Knox
FLORENCE, Italy — A lawyer urged an Italian appeals court on Monday to convict Amanda Knox of murdering British student Meredith Kercher and denounced as "unbearable" that the American was...
Queens woman's hot dog truck goes up in flames
A Queens woman who has been driving a hot-dog truck for more than 30 years watched her business go up in flames Monday. Marie Emmi had just pulled her truck...
Al Pacino, Regis Philbin and other celebs talk The Bronx in new book
Al Pacino, Carl Reiner and Regis Philbin are among dozens of Bronx natives who will share childhood memories for an upcoming book. Henry Holt and Company announced Monday that it...
'The Rock' is Hollywood's top money-maker
Forbes magazine pegged former pro wrestler Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as Hollywood’s top money-making actor of 2013, thanks to box-office hits like “Fast & Furious 6” and “G.I. Joe: Retaliation.”...
FDA wants soap-makers to come clean
WASHINGTON — After more than 40 years of study, the US government says it has found no evidence that anti-bacterial soaps prevent the spread of germs — and regulators want...
1940s film noir actress Audrey Totter dies at 95
LOS ANGELES — Audrey Totter, the radio actress who became a silver screen star by playing femme fatales in 1940s film noir including "Lady in the Lake," has died. Totter's...
CCRB in first stop-frisk trial
The Civilian Complaint Review Board is prosecuting an NYPD cop in a stop-and-frisk case for the first time, claiming he unfairly targeted a black Brooklyn man. The watchdog panel is...
Americans blaming Obama for rising health-care costs
WASHINGTON — Americans who already have health insurance are blaming President Obama's health care overhaul for their rising premiums and deductibles, and overall 3 in 4 say the rollout of...
'Fake label' exposed counterfeit wine
An accused wine swindler once tried to pawn off a counterfeit vintage 1929 French Burgundy — using a label made more than five decades later on a printer from Indonesia,...
Study shows the benefits of nighttime truck deliveries
A study that paid cash to city retailers to do their restocking late at night cut truck delivery times by up to 75 percent — and could pave the way...
Joaquin Phoenix explores a new kind of computer dating in 'Her'
It's an old, sad story: Morose guy on the rebound from a busted marriage meets another woman, they fall heads over heels for each other — but will he change...
The 10 biggest celebrity beauty transformations of 2013
Any way you cut it, 2013 was the year of hair: Dye jobs, bobs, bangs and the triumph of the pixie cut proved that a new ’do can spark more...
This week's hottest fashion sales in the city
Botkier 225 Fifth Ave., between 26th and 27th streets Sale: Dec. 19-22. Thurs.-Sun. 10 a.m.- 7 p.m. Discounts on stylish handbags from the holiday/resort 2013 collection up to 75 percent...
Friends and family honor Lou Reed
He was the poet of New York and on Monday night, friends and family gathered at an invite-only memorial at the Apollo Theater to hear Lou Reed's words one last...
Hero cop nabs cell phone thief
A hero transit cop, who was shot in the back in January, made a dramatic arrest of a cell phone thief in Brooklyn on Monday. Saved by his vest, Michael...
Ravens win eliminates Jets from playoff hunt
DETROIT — The defending Super Bowl champion Ravens moved a step closer toward having a shot at defending their title. Justin Tucker had a lot to do with that. Tucker’s...
Prigioni out two weeks after breaking toe
Knicks owner James Dolan may need to use the roaming function on his cell phone and call Canada again to ask about point guard Kyle Lowry of the Raptors. Already...
J.R. Smith shows life in loss
Mike Woodson is more concerned with J.R. Smith’s physical state than mental state, again saying the guard’s sore knee could be responsible for his dud of a season. But Smith...
Fed's problem is lack of interest
As they meet on Tuesday and Wednesday, policymakers at the Federal Reserve have a major problem. There’s nothing the central bankers would like to do more than scale back on...
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony headed to Barclays
The Barclays Center is set to host the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on April 10, marking the event’s first visit to Brooklyn, reps for the Cleveland...
Try these stocking stuffers
The best things can come in small packages. As we get closer to the holiday season, we'd like to remind you that you can't just pre-order that one big gift...