December 19, 2013

Hard Rock in talks to buy troubled Revel Casino: sources

Hard Rock International is in deep talks to buy Atlantic City’s troubled Revel Casino, two sources close to the situation told The Post. The 20-month-old money-losing Revel, which has been...

Parker’s 23-point outburst fuels Duke

It finally felt like last winter at the Garden — only it was a college player doing his best Carmelo Anthony impression and a team playing the kind of winning...

Yahoo! restores small business websites -- including Santa's

Looks like Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer may make Santa’s “nice” list after all. After angering scores of small-business customers by shutting down their websites and corresponding emails over Thanksgiving weekend,...

Mornhinweg will break (or make) Rex and the Gang

If the rookie stumbles of Geno Smith and the popgun nature of an offense seemingly stuck in quicksand, devoid of identity and playmakers, screams Marty Bawl to general manager John...

Coach 'fired for being straight' defends heterosexual family life

The married-with-kids Manhattan private-school coach who says he was fired by a lesbian athletic director for being straight told The Post he wouldn’t give up his traditional lifestyle for the...

Target shoppers angered over data breach

Target customers were seeing red over the company’s data breach, venting anger online and in person on Thursday, with one suggesting a new company slogan: “Expect More. Except Security.” News...

Felton says he’ll return for Monday's tangle in Orlando

The Knicks could get an early Christmas present — their starting point guard returning to the lineup. Raymond Felton told The Post his strained left hamstring is vastly improved and...

Meet the Christmas tree hunks women are pining for

While the Christmas season brings an array of unwelcome invaders, such as tourists and yet more Times Square Elmos, there is one interloper who is most definitely embraced by the...

Rex’s 'top-five' defense is only 12th in the league

Before the season began, Rex Ryan crowed his Jets defense would be among the NFL’s best, among the top five in the league. Now as Gang Green limps toward the...

Rex hoping Holmes keeps his eyes on current season

A day after wide receiver Santonio Holmes claimed he would take a pay cut to stay a Jet in 2014, coach Rex Ryan appreciated the sentiment, but wants him to...

20-something Buffett protégé freezes paint firm pensions

It’s not just the temperatures that have dipped below freezing at Benjamin Moore headquarters. The 130-year-old paint brand, struggling under the ownership of billionaire Warren Buffett, told employees at its...

Cashman hopeful Pineda will help fill still-hazy rotation

Whether Masahiro Tanaka is coming to Major League Baseball or not, and the latest reports out of Japan indicate he will be forced to stay home, the Yankees are looking...

Gilbride: Giants' weak showing is on all of us

Kevin Gilbride opened his weekly chat with reporters on Thursday by saying, “Shoot, go ahead.” That might not have been the best choice of words for someone as under fire...

'Walking With Dinosaurs' a prehistoric snore

Prehistoric creatures migrate south, migrate back north and migrate back south again to mind-numbing effect in this BBC Nature co-production, which features photo-realistic 3-D animation against beautiful Alaskan backgrounds. What...

O/U Rico — Week 16

Rico went 10-6 (1-2 Best Bets) last week on the Over/Unders for his second straight week with 10 wins. The season record is now 111-105-8 (24-20-1). The selections for Week...

Martoma takes time off before insider trading trial

Sometimes even Yellowstone National Park can feel like a prison. Former SAC Capital Advisors portfolio manager Mathew Martoma is leaving on a family vacation Friday to Yellowstone — but instead...

Mediocre Rangers trying not to look past woeful Isles

A rivalry does not necessitate two good teams, but boy, doesn’t it deflate when two teams come in like this? When the Rangers and Islanders take the Garden ice on...

The 10 worst films of 2013

How many bad movies were there in 2013? So many that the Post's chief film critic Lou Lumenick and film critic Kyle Smith couldn’t even fit “The Smurfs 2,” “Admission,”...

Gravity defying 'Cirkopolis' unlike any other circus

There’s the circus, and then there’s Cirque Éloize. Unlike the Big Apple Circus and Ringling Bros., the Montreal-based Éloize has no animals, and it favors theaters rather than big tops...

Senate to vote on Yellen for Fed chair in January

WASHINGTON — The Senate will vote on the nomination of Janet Yellen to be the next chairman of the Federal Reserve in January. Majority Leader Harry Reid announced Thursday night...

Asghar Farhadi's mastery continues with 'The Past'

"You haven’t changed.” That’s the first line of Asghar Farhadi’s latest outing. It’s delivered in French, from behind glass and carries no subtitles. It's spoken to Marie (Bérénice Bejo) by...

Nets struggling to keep their opponents at trey

For the Nets, Wednesday’s 113-107 loss to the Wizards once again exposed the team’s vulnerability in giving up 3-pointers. Through 25 games, the Nets are the only team in the...

Have Brooklyn’s 'Girls' gone all 'Sex and the City'?

Girls Gone Styled! Those itching with anticipation for season three of “Girls” (debuting Jan. 12) can pass the time with the show’s buzzy new promo poster, which offers a sight...

Blezow's Week 16 picks

The Lions are an infuriating team to watch when you have money riding on them. Their untimely turnovers, senseless penalties and other colossal blunders are legendary. Yet this is a...

Nets, particularly Lopez, need to grab more boards

After looking at the video of Wednesday’s 113-107 loss to the Wizards, Nets coach Jason Kidd’s assessment of why his team lost didn’t change. “We’ve got to rebound the ball,”...

'Rijksmuseum' is worth the admission

‘It’s just a renovation,” quips Rijksmuseum director Wim Pijbes. “How complicated can it be?” At that point, we’re a good two hours into Oeke Hoogendijk’s two-part documentary about the 10-year...

Darden to 'sell or spin off' Red Lobster chain

Red Lobster is floundering, and the seafood chain’s owner is ready to throw it overboard. Darden Restaurants, facing heat from an activist shareholder to improve performance, said it will sell...

'Skins will show up, spoil Cowboys' plans

Including the 1997-2012 seasons in The Post, Cat’s record in print stands at 480-408 (54 percent) against the spread. REDSKINS (+2¹/₂ ) over Cowboys: Though committing seven turnovers, ’Skins didn’t...

Colts clinch helps K.C.

CHIEFS (-6¹/₂) over Colts: here is only one team that has clinched its division and I’ll play against it here. Kansas City meanwhile has rebounded off three straight losses, including...

Lower stakes won't keep Tide from rolling

Tulane (-1¹/₂) over Louisiana-Lafayette (New Orleans Bowl, Sat.): When looking at bowl games, motivation and excitement are what you start with. Tulane, which had only two wins each of the...

9/11 victims' case against Saudi Arabia restored

A U.S. appeals court on Thursday revived claims by families of victims of the September 11, 2001, attacks who alleged that Saudi Arabia provided material support to al Qaeda. Reversing...

Pigskin profit: Post's bowl guide lives on!

Are you ready for some (mostly meaningless) football? Bowl season is back — the final one without a playoff system. But don’t fret. The traditional charade of college football’s postseason...

Roosevelt Island to be site of NYC's tech school of the future

A gleaming vision of the technology school of the future was unveiled Thursday as Mayor Bloomberg officially signed over 12 acres of prime Roosevelt Island property for an innovative graduate-level...

Woodson can't solve the Bargnani riddle

Welcome to New York, Andrea! The Knicks won, but Bargnani lost Wednesday in Milwaukee. His reputation as a robotic player with a low basketball IQ has now come south across...

Gilbride offended by the injury ‘excuse’

With Victor Cruz set to miss the final two games, he becomes the fifth starting player on the Giants offense to go down and out for the season, joining linemen...

Tuck: Lots of teams will be looking to swipe Linval Joseph

It was almost biblical in the succession from Barry Cofield to Linval Joseph, as one ultra-dependable defensive tackle begot another. “I think the similarity is striking, honestly, when you think...

De Blasio's tardiness parodied on Twitter

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg had "ElBloombito," a Twitter account that parodied his flawed manner of speaking Spanish. Now Bill de Blasio, Bloomberg's soon-to-be-successor, has "HowlatewasBdB" to document the...

Why light A-Rod ban could trigger Yankees spending spree

The better the Commissioners Office does with the arbitrator in the Alex Rodriguez case, the worse the Yankees’ 2014 team will probably be. Think of it this way: If Fredric...

O'Neal can keep Warhol's Fawcett portrait

Ryan O’Neal can keep an Andy Warhol painting of his late, long-time love Farrah Fawcett, an LA jury ruled Thursday night. The artwork’s ownership had been hotly contested during a...

Hondo's week 16 picks

That’s more like it. Hondo, who had a rare dalliance with success in Week 14 when he went 10-6 overall and 3-0 in Best Bets, turned it right around last...

NYC Council OKs potential foam food container ban

Takeout-craving New York City is opening the door to outlawing plastic foam to-go cups and trays, unless a yearlong inquiry shows they can be recycled effectively. The City Council unanimously...

The day in photos

Indians protest the U.S., cyclists in London hold a die-in, Jakarta grinds to a halt, cities around the world prepare for Christmas, and more

Judge won't let mafioso attend Rangers game

He’ll have to watch the Rangers game from home. A Brooklyn federal judge swatted away a hockey-loving mafioso’s request to break the terms of his court-imposed house-arrest curfew to attend...

8 of the greatest performances you'll never see

In the new awards contender “Her,” now open in theaters, Scarlett Johansson plays a computer operating system named Samantha. Her performance has critics buzzing: The Post’s film editor Lou Lumenick...

Francesa to MSG? He and Dolan deserve each other

Kindred spirits. Bonnie and Clyde. Heckle and Jeckle. Trinidad and Tobago. Null and Void. Mike Francesa and Jimmy Dolan. If recent radio/TV form holds, Mike Francesa’s departure from YES after...

Rangers fan sues MSG; says guard pushed her over seats

A longtime Rangers season tickets holder slapped Madison Square Garden with a lawsuit Thursday -- not over the team’s disappointing performance, but because a security guard rushing to break up...

Man in murderous bus rampage gets 95 years to life

A sociopathic, cocaine-addicted murderer was slammed with a 95-years-to-life in a dramatic Queens sentencing Thursday, as the families of his three victims -- two of whom were shot on a...

Nets rewind: Deron in dangerous minutes territory

Here are my three thoughts on the Nets’ 113-107 loss to the Wizards on Wednesday night: 1. Deron Williams has been terrific since returning to the lineup last week. Through...

Cops shoot armed teen in Brooklyn

Police shot and wounded a teenager who pointed a gun at them on a Brooklyn street Thursday, authorities said. According to witnesses, a 16-year-old boy was brandishing the gun in...

Kobe has knee fracture; comeback on ice for 6 weeks

LOS ANGELES — Kobe Bryant is expected to miss about six weeks with an injured left knee, dealing the second major injury setback of the year to the Lakers’ superstar...

Nearly 90 hurt in London theater ceiling collapse

The ceiling of a packed London theater collapsed during a performance Thursday night, showering masonry and debris on terrified audience members and sending the more than 700 in attendance racing...

Victor Cruz has season-ending knee surgery

Victor Cruz traveled to Florida on Thursday to get a second opinion on his ailing left knee and did not leave until he had a procedure that will end his...

Hank Greenberg's attorney accuses AG's office of 'witness tampering'

The ethics cloud hovering over the state Attorney General’s office in the never-ending Hank Greenberg fraud case darkened Thursday, with Greenberg’s high-profile lawyer accusing the office of tampering with a witness:...

Van Gundy: Axing Woodson for timeout fail would be 'ludicrous'

Former Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy said it was “ludicrous” to think Mike Woodson should be canned over his failure to call a timeout with 6.9 seconds left Monday in...

Taxi honcho hit with huge penalty for ripping off drivers

Taxi kingpin Gene Friedman and four of his cab companies were slapped with a $1.2 million penalty by the state Attorney General for ripping off cab drivers, officials announced Thursday....

In Chelsea he thrusts

After Rihanna arrived at the Marquee night club, a clubgoer came out and put on a show

Olympics delegate Brian Boitano comes out as gay

Olympic figure skating champion Brian Boitano came out Thursday, two days after he was named to the U.S. delegation for Sochi along with openly gay athletes Billie Jean King and...

Top 10 MLB storylines of 2013

Such is the Yankees' mystique and aura that even in a year when the club missed the playoffs -- a wild, woolly and swashbuckling October that ended with a parade...

Yonkers councilwoman wants retrial in bribe scheme conviction

A former Yonkers councilwoman and her “infatuated” political mentor -- who were sent to the slammer for accepting nearly $200,000 in bribes -- are demanding a retrial, saying a key...

Top 10 grossing movies of 2013

Play it again, Hollywood. As of today, eight of the 10 top-grossing movies of 2013 in North America are sequels and/or reboots — a recurring trend in recent years. Here...

NBA Power Rankings: LeBron, Heat know Pacers legitimate threat

Recently, LeBron James caused a bit of a stir in the basketball community when he lamented that there are no more rivalries in the NBA. Then he went out Wednesday...

Manhattan crosstown buses 'slower than rowboat'

Two Manhattan buses had the lowly distinction of moving through the city slower than a wooden rowboat, according to a study by an advocacy group for riders. The M42 and...

Blind man in subway fall caught in bizarre love triangle

The blind man whose guide dog jumped onto subway tracks to save him is caught in a love triangle that got heated outside the hospital where he’s recovering. Cecil Williams’ ex-...

‘Duck’ star’s anti-gay rant divides politicians, fans

Social media was burning up like a swamp fire Thursday as everyone from politicians to average fans rushed to defend or denounce anti-gay statements made by “Duck Dynasty” patriarch Phil...

Heather Mills 'attacked Paralympic official'

She should have just let it be. Paul McCartney’s ex-wife shoved a Paralympic official and screamed, “You bitch, you bitch! Don’t you know who I am?” after learning she won’t...

Woman found dead inside parked car

A woman was found dead inside of a car parked on a Manhattan street Thursday morning, authorities said. The woman, believed to be in her 40’s, was spotted unconscious inside...

Gal gets 1-3 years for embezzling from Nicky Hilton’s ex-husband

A Manhattan judge threw the book at a gorgeous Ukrainian embezzler Wednesday, calling her “unremorseful” and her crime “disgusting” as she sentenced the woman to 1 to 3 years prison...

Family’s wealth proves to be more curse than fortune

This prosperous Upper East Side family has been dealt more than its fair share of misfortune. After philanthropist Barbara Weiden Schwartz Fischler was stabbed to death with a kitchen knife...

Mob causes mass resignations in Japan's PGA

It was an offer they couldn't refuse. The entire leadership of Japan's Professional Golf Association has resigned after two of the executives were discovered to have played golf and socialized...

Rob Ford: Women just want money

If there’s one thing that citizens of North America have learned this year, it’s that no one should ever take advice from Rob Ford. But that’s not about to stop...

Showalter: Brian Roberts will be good fit for Yankees

Since taking over on July 29, 2010, Buck Showalter has managed 582 games for the Orioles. Brian Roberts, mainly due to injury, played in fewer than one-third of them --...

Human error to blame for ambulance delay in death of girl, 4

Human error — not a computer glitch — was to blame for a four-minute delay in an ambulance reaching 4-year-old Ariel Russo, who was fatally struck by a speeding SUV...

'Helmets' for pitchers coming to baseball

Batters didn't wear helmets for decades. And to future generations, perhaps it will be equally incredible that pitchers went without them for so long. Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Brandon McCarthy said...

Corey Feldman films new music video 'Duh'

The actor channeled Michael Jackson to shoot his new song, "Duh," complete with "Corey's Angels" as backup dancers--his version of Charlie Sheen's "Goddesses."

Kerry working to quell ‘Nannygate’ scandal furor

US Secretary of State John Kerry planned to speak again to his counterpart in India Thursday to quell the growing international furor over the arrest of a female Indian diplomat...

Pastor defrocked after performing gay son's wedding

NORRISTOWN, Pa. — United Methodist church officials defrocked a pastor from central Pennsylvania on Thursday who officiated his son's gay wedding in Massachusetts, a move seen as contradictory to the...

Ranking the reactions from Knicks’ season-defining GIF

The Knicks won, but the lasting memory won't be from anything that happened in the decisive second overtime. Instead, this is the shot -- a 3-point heave from Andrea Bargnani,...

Reza Farahan staches away his trademark for charity

Bethenny Frankel shaves off the "Shahs of Sunset" star's mustache on her TV show.

Mandela interpreter committed to psych ward

WASHINGTON – The South African man who bizarrely provided fake sign language interpretation for Nelson Mandela’s memorial service has been admitted to a psychiatric hospital, the country’s Star newspaper reported....

Zuckerberg to offload Facebook shares worth $2.3B

Mark Zuckerberg is planning to “unfriend” 41 million shares of Facebook, netting the chairman and CEO about $2.3 billion, according to a company filing. The company has filed to have...

Putin to pardon jailed oil tycoon after 10 years jail

MOSCOW  — President Vladimir Putin said Thursday he will pardon jailed oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a surprise decision that will let his top foe and Russia's formerly richest man out...

Half brother writes 'correction' to Obama’s memoir

HONG KONG -- President Obama's half brother is publishing an autobiography that details the domestic abuse that served as the theme for his earlier semiautobiographical novel, which featured an abusive...

Yankees priority Tanaka won't be let go by Japanese team: reports

The key to upgrading the Yankees rotation will be pitching 6,560 miles away next season. That's according to reports out of Japan stating Masahiro Tanaka will not be made available...

Homegrown Islamists guilty of hacking UK soldier to death

LONDON — A jury on Thursday convicted two British men who considered themselves "soldiers of Allah" of murdering a serviceman who was run down with a car and stabbed to...

How wasted is Ne-Yo on New Year's Eve? Apparently very.

The Grammy-award winning artist stopped by our video studios to talk the holidays, revealing who's on his naughty list, what gifts he wants people to stop giving him and how...

Whole Foods will no longer sell Chobani

Whole Foods has lost its taste for Chobani. The natural and organic grocery chain said Wednesday that it will be phasing Chobani Greek Yogurt out of its stores in early...

Rodman back in North Korea; Executions 'nothing to do with me'

PYONGYANG, North Korea — Former NBA star Dennis Rodman arrived in North Korea on Thursday to meet leader Kim Jong Un and put the finishing touches on plans to bring...

Putin: NSA is necessary to fight terrorism

MOSCOW -- President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that National Security Agency surveillance is necessary to fight terrorism, but added that the government must "limit the appetite" of the agency with...

Fallon's 'Tonight Show' logo looks familiar

The new logo for Jimmy Fallon's "Tonight Show" recalls another TV show that was set in New York: "The Honeymooners," which aired on CBS in the late 1950s. Fallon succeeds...

USA orders reality series 'Chrisley Knows Best'

USA Network has ordered a new half-hour reality series “Chrisley Knows Best” that it will pair with repeats of “Modern Family” starting in March. The eight-episode series follows Atlanta-based self-made...

Immigrant population highest in a century

The percentage of immigrants in New York City’s population is the highest it’s been in a century. That’s according to a city report issued Wednesday. The report says there were...

Panel recommends NSA surveillance reforms

WASHINGTON — A panel of intelligence experts appointed by President Obama is recommending tough new restrictions on the National Security Agency, including how it spies on foreign leaders. The panel,...

Preet Bharara under fire in India

Crusading Manhattan US Attorney Preet Bharara is under fire in his home country of India over suggestions that he’s trying to build a political career by prosecuting fellow natives of...

Mom learned of lotto win while driving to work

One of the winners in Tuesday’s Mega Millions lottery is a 56-year-old Georgia mom who played her family’s birthdays along with her lucky number 7 to score half of the...

CNN wants to land Leno

Jay Leno could soon be cracking jokes with Wolf Blitzer, as CNN is among the networks looking to hire him after his decades-long run as host of “The Tonight Show”...

If you like your Senator ...

It’s no secret that Democrats who told us how great ObamaCare was going to be will find the 2014 elections rough-going. But a new ad from the folks at EndingSpending.com...

Snowden job

About the time Edward Snowden was making his bid to leave frigid Moscow for the sunny beaches of Ipanema, a presidential panel delivered its recommendations on the National Security Agency’s...

Government isn't always to blame

‘That’s just the way God works.” The words are Mike Bloomberg’s, issued in response to a reporter’s question about a homeless girl featured in a recent New York Times series....

Yes, Aisha, there can be a black Santa Claus

By a quirk of fate, I’ve found myself tangled up in the question of Santa Claus. Happily, some learned rabbis had once helped me sort it out. The latest uproar...

Wall Street's true wolves

I don’t plan on seeing “The Wolf of Wall Street,” Martin Scorsese’s long-awaited movie rendition of the exploits of financial fraudster Jordan Belfort. I not only saw the real thing...

Guide dogs trained in subways

New York City guide dogs are a special breed. Service dogs working in the Big Apple, like hero pooch Orlando, have to undergo rigorous training to help their masters maneuver...

Panda cub 'Bao Bao' will make public debut in January

WASHINGTON — The National Zoo’s giant panda cub Bao Bao will make her public debut Jan. 18 after her fans have watched her grow for months online. Bao Bao and...

Delta will ban calls on planes even if feds approve them

Delta Air Lines won’t let passengers make voice calls from its planes, even if regulators allow them, it said Wednesday. The airline’s frequent fliers believe that calls in the cabin...

Dutch prostitutes want same retirement benefits as athletes

They both get paid to score — so now Dutch prostitutes want the same retirement tax benefits as professional soccer players. They claim both gigs are hard “physical jobs” that...

Bloomberg tells de Blasio not to break the bank for unions

In a sobering parting speech, Mayor Bloomberg on Wednesday offered his own lesson in progressive politics to incoming Mayor Bill de Blasio: Protect taxpayers, not unions. “Labor leaders are understandably...

DeBlasio picks 'true progressive' for budget director

Describing him as a “true progressive,” Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio appointed a former top fiscal aide to Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver as the city’s next budget director. In naming Dean...

Teen killer all smiles as judge gives her 20 years

A Brooklyn judge delivered a scathing condemnation of violent street culture Wednesday as he sentenced a smiling teenage girl to 20 years to life in prison for a gang slaying....

Crony donors at Homeland Security

Harry Reid sabotaged the filibuster, and now the Democrats are running wild in Washington. We all will pay a price. Thanks to Reid’s rule change, unqualified stooges will manage the...

Only half of Americans consider Christmas a religious holiday

A new survey gives credence to those who say the religious meaning of Christmas is being lost. Only half of Americans consider the holiday religious, although nearly three-quarters said they...

NYPD Daily Blotter

Queens A deranged firebug walked into a Corona check-cashing establishment squirting lighter fluid everywhere and threatening to set the place ablaze unless employees forked over cash, cops said. The belligerent...

Henrik Lundqvist OK after scary collision

It was a scary moment, one that saw the Rangers season lying on the Garden ice in a heap. That would be franchise goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, who was part of...

Rangers fall to Penguins in shootout

The reality of the situation is there should be a sour taste on the palate after this one, a game when the Rangers deserved credit and discredit in equal measure,...

Fedex posts profit miss, offers holiday optimism

FedEx posted a 14 percent rise in quarterly profit on Wednesday on stronger margins and cost cuts, but results missed Wall Street estimates, which overshadowed the company's confident forecast for...

Pierce delivers 27 off the bench

If Paul Pierce is going to play like this as a reserve, maybe he should never start again. Pierce finished with 27 points off the bench in the Nets’ 113-107...

Queens killer rants about shot wife at sentencing

A thug refused to show remorse as he was hit with 30 years in Queens for killing his step daughter and blinding his estranged wife - and even ranted that...

Player support 'means a lot' to Jason Kidd

It’s already been an eventful first season on the sidelines for Nets coach Jason Kidd, and we haven’t even reached Christmas. But despite all of the turmoil that has surrounded...

Deron Williams rediscovers stellar form

The Nets, who couldn’t get out of their own way while Deron Williams was sidelined, have been one of the NBA’s most efficient team since his return. Their rebounding cost...

It doesn't get much uglier, but it's a win

MILWAUKEE — There comes a moment in every Knicks game when hilarity ambles over to the scorer’s table, draws a buzzer, shuffles onto the floor, and announces: “I got this.”...

How to become a trillionaire in 73 years

So who wants to be a trillionaire? While 58-year-old Bill Gates, worth $72.6 billion, has an outside chance of becoming the first person in the world with a net worth...