December 24, 2013
Christmas around the world
From Indonesia to Florida; Los Angeles to the troops in Kabul, Afghanistan, people all over the world are celebrating Christmas.
Judge: Teen declared brain dead can be taken off life support
OAKLAND, Calif. — A judge on Tuesday ruled that a 13-year-old Northern California girl declared brain dead after suffering complications following a tonsillectomy can be taken off life support. But...
Decision on Ryan’s future will reveal Idzik's power with Jets
Delicious holiday-season subplots await in South Florida on Sunday when the Jets play the Dolphins in their finale — and possibly Rex Ryan’s final game as their head coach. Rarely...
The best pecs on stage in 2013
Male actors taking off their clothes onstage is nothing new, but 2013 brought us some choice specimens. Hey, it’s art! David Harewood, "A Midsummer Night's Dream" As the director of...
Predicting who will bear brunt of Giants owner's letdown
You could tell John Mara was conflicted and not sure at all what to think. This was unusual for the normally clear-thinking president and CEO of the Giants. But Mara...
From anonymous Long Islander to UFC limelight
Chris Weidman used to watch UFC champions getting interviewed on television a few years ago and shudder. There was nothing he wanted more than to win a title and become...
'Christmas Story' star Dan Lauria describes his holidays in NYC
When you’ve been in show business for as long as Dan Lauria has, “home for the holidays” means many things: carving up a turkey with Fred Savage and Danica McKellar,...
Yankees set to make move as Tanaka gets posted
The Yankees and other major league teams will be allowed to pursue stud Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka. Yozo Tachinaba, the president of the Rakuten Golden Eagles, said Wednesday morning he...
The best Christmas songs for your playlist
We’ve compiled the 12 best new Christmas classics and older staples to fill your holiday playlist. Mary J. Blige, “This Christmas” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-xU_mBONM8 The R&B star is one of the biggest...
Serby's Christmas Q&A with Justin Tuck
Giants defensive end Justin Tuck tackles a Christmas Day Q&A with The Post’s Steve Serby: Q: What does Christmas mean to you? A: Christmas for me means the birth of...
Jets mark growth by last time Dolphins handed 'em their tails
The Dolphins embarrassed the Jets four weeks ago at MetLife Stadium. The Jets offense could not move the ball. The defense had a number of letdowns. Geno Smith was benched...
Queens-bound outer roadway on 59th St. Bridge to close at night
The city is closing a dangerous Queens-bound lane on the 59th Street/Koch Bridge at night after the deaths there of an off-duty cop, a pedestrian and a passenger in three...
Rangers’ Zuccarello zooming into bigger role
On the morning of March 30 of last season in Montreal, hours before Mats Zuccarello would make his 2012-13 debut for the Rangers after having spent the season in the...
Eliot Spitzer: My marriage is over
Disgraced ex-governor Eliot Spitzer has finally gotten the heave-ho from his long-suffering wife Silda. The couple — on the rocks since the 2008 hooker scandal that forced Spitzer from office...
Kenyon Martin may rejoin Knicks to face Thunder
With Metta World Peace readying for a blood-spinning procedure, the Knicks are hopeful they get back their defensive big man always ready to spill some blood — Kenyon Martin. Martin’s...
El Barrio's journey from boho to bourgeois
As noted real estate hand Bill Shakespeare once asked, “What’s in a name?” If you’re trying to sell high-end condos in East Harlem, quite a lot, apparently. In early 2012,...
A lot of living on a smaller scale
You could say Gerald Rowan knows something about small homes. The writer and architectural history professor has renovated some 60 small houses and cabins. Rowan’s newest book, “Compact Houses” (Storey),...
Jets' Winters wants the spring to fully adjust to playing guard
It’s been a rough season for Jets rookie guard Brian Winters. Inserted into the starting lineup in the fifth week of the season, Winters has been learning on the job....
Knee doctor: World Peace’s treatment is totally unproven
A leading knee specialist at Northwestern University said Metta World Peace's plan to undergo a blood-spinning procedure on his left knee Jan. 6 means he’s likely suffering from arthritis. Dr....
Paul McCartney house hunting on Fifth Ave.
Money can’t buy love, but it sure comes in handy when house hunting on Fifth Ave. Sir Paul McCartney was spotted last week holiday shopping for a new home with...
Soros' ex-wife buys Shelter Island estate
Susan Weber Soros, the ex-wife of George Soros — who’s worth an estimated $20 billion and is currently number 19 on Forbes’ 400 richest Americans list — has just purchased...
Nets' Pierce fined $15,000 for clothesline
http://youtu.be/qBsuUtbtXeg Paul Pierce did not speak to the media after Monday’s game against the Pacers nor following the Nets’ practice on Tuesday, but the veteran forward had to answer for...
Meet the Muellers, a Broadway triple treat
They're the closest thing we have to the Von Trapp family — three blue-eyed, singing siblings, now appearing on three New York stages. There’s Jessie Mueller, who stars in Broadway’s...
Dream Homes
Upper East Side $14.25 million Be the first to live in this “hallmark,” full-floor penthouse atop the boutique Touraine building on East 65th Street. At 2,832 square feet, the condo...
House of the Week
Chelsea $1.95 million | Maintenance: $1,977 Bedrooms: 2 | Bathrooms: 2 | Square feet: 1,680 Enter this full-floor co-op on West 20th Street, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues, via a...
Pope Francis' first Christmas mass
Pope Francis celebrated the Christmas Eve Mass in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Tuesday, Dec. 24.
Rocky vs. Raging Bull: Who comes out on top?
It’s the only boxing match in history that’ll have to be postponed because “Wheel of Fortune” is on. Ladies and gentlemen, let’s get ready to rum . . . —...
Pals of gal in DUI bust arrive 'drunk' to pick her up
This is why friends shouldn’t let friends drive drunk. New Jersey cops scored a drunk-driving hat trick when they busted a motorist for DUI, then pinched her two sloshed friends...
NFL Power Rankings: Don't count out the Niners
Here come the 49ers … again. It’s not often an 11-4 team can be described as having a roller-coaster season, but San Francisco certainly qualifies for that rare distinction in...
Pope calls for 'love' in first Christmas Eve mass
Pope Francis celebrated his first Christmas Eve Mass since becoming pontiff with a gesture of humility and call for universal brotherhood. Francis walked briskly up the main aisle of a...
Top 5 Nets storylines of 2013
The Nets managed to one-up their action-packed 2012 – which included their long-awaited move to Brooklyn -- with an even busier 2013. Between a blockbuster draft night trade and hiring...
Diplo pointed 'assault rifle' at girlfriend: cops
An honorary rep for the El Salvador Consulate was arrested for pointing an assault rifle at his girlfriend during a nasty argument in their posh Fifth Avenue condo, police sources...
Marine gets adopted in Christmas Eve ceremony
MINEOLA, N.Y. — Lance Cpl. Christopher Mohedano-Hernandez found special significance in being formally adopted during a Christmas Eve ceremony held in a suburban New York courtroom. The deeply religious 19-year-old...
More testosterone means weaker immune system: study
Real men get the flu. Men with higher levels of testosterone have weaker immune systems then both women and the 90-pound weaklings they stuffed into their high-school lockers, a new...
Coughlin hints at return, saying 2013 gives him 'something to prove'
As the losses have piled up and the days go by, the issue of coach Tom Coughlin’s age is mentioned more and more frequently. His response lately has been to...
Mall cleared after shoplifter kicks over rack, panicking shoppers
A Long Island mall was partially evacuated Tuesday after a fallen display made a sound similar to gun fire spooking holiday shoppers, authorities and eyewitnesses said. The Roosevelt Field Mall...
Carmelo looks like a go for Christmas; Felton out
It won’t be considered a Christmas miracle if Carmelo Anthony plays Wednesday. But it would be a Christmas miracle if the perpetually undermanned Knicks can stage an upset over Kevin...
'I don't know what we are': Nets still grasping for identity
When Mikhail Prokhorov decided to spend nearly $190 million on the Nets this season, the owner believed he was buying a winning team, perhaps even a title team. But 27...
Jerry Jones: Good thing I signed a $10M backup QB, huh?
Jerry Jones wants you to know: Hey, there's still a chance Tony Romo might play quarterback for the Cowboys in Sunday's do-or-cry NFC East duel with the Eagles, and if...
Realtors probed after 'home is overpriced to use it as sex pad'
WAYNE, N.J. — The New Jersey Real Estate Commission is investigating allegations brought by a Wayne couple that their real estate agent was using their vacant home for "sexual escapades"...
A real ugly duckling
The ugly duckling’s got nothing on this hideous baby bird! With its pink little paunch and patchy black and white feathers, the Prague Zoo’s baby Goliath Cockatoo isn’t going to...
Going ape for Christmas
Animals at the ZSL Whipsnade Zoo open Christmas presents in Bedfordshire, England.
De Blasio's daughter reveals substance abuse battle
http://youtu.be/nJKmjx1JjwI Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio’s daughter, Chiara, bares her soul about her struggle with drug abuse and depression in a candid video released by her dad’s transition team on Christmas...
Are Park Avenue’s rich NYC's worst tippers? These doormen say ‘YES’
It's a long-standing joke among the white-gloved doormen of a particularly high-end co-op in New York City that the multimillionaire doctor on the 15th floor keeps a spreadsheet of how...
'Duck Dynasty' marathon delivers green Christmas for A&E
A&E is dreaming of a green Christmas. The high-minded execs who booted “Duck Dynasty” patriarch Phil Robertson for anti-gay comments aren’t above cashing in with a Christmas Day marathon of...
Nets rewind: Paging the cardiology department
Here are my three thoughts on the Nets’ 103-86 loss to the Pacers on Monday night in Brooklyn: 1. Jason Kidd often has avoided, to a fault, criticizing his players during his...
Cops probe possible kidnapping after boy seen getting into trunk
Police are investigating a possible abduction after video surveillance captured a boy getting into a trunk in Bay Ridge before the vehicle disappeared, cops said. The boy who cops believe...
Candlestick Park closes with 49ers win, Willie Mays, 30 arrests
SAN FRANCISCO — On a night they cheered “The Catch” and all the San Francisco greats of old, the current 49ers looked ready to move that success right into the future...
FBI busts armed bandit behind East Coast bank heists
The FBI has arrested a gun-toting bandit wanted for a string of bank robberies on the East Coast, including several in the Tri-State area. Federal investigators, with the help of...
TWC, Viacom renew programming pact
TV programmers got some early presents this year — healthy fee increases from Time Warner Cable, sources tell The Post. The New York cable company — after getting strafed with...
McDonald's to workers: Don't eat our food!
McDonald’s has some healthy advice for its workers - don’t eat at McDonald’s. The fast-food behemoth recently posted the jaw-dropping tip on its Web site for employees, warning that the...
When Nets don't have Williams or Lopez (half the time), they're 32-68
Ever since the Nets traded for Deron Williams in February 2011, their plan has been to build their team around Williams and an All-Star center. At first, that center was...
Rangers on verge of a full-blown goalie controversy
So how do you go about this? How do you measure eight seasons of sustained excellence against 10 games of eye-opening superiority? How do you measure the past against the...
Bell-ringers find 2 gold rings in kettle
BILOXI, Miss. — Salvation Army bell-ringers in Biloxi collected two golden rings.
2 Pussy Riot members reunited after leaving prison
KRASNOYARSK, Russia — Two members of the Russian punk band Pussy Riot were reunited on Tuesday after spending nearly two years in prison for their protest at Moscow's main cathedral,...
President signs up for ObamaCare – but won’t use it
HONOLULU -- He won't use it, and he didn't actually sign up for it himself, but President Obama has enrolled for health coverage through the new insurance exchanges. Announcing his...
Mets pick up reliever Ryan Reid off waivers
In a search for bullpen options, the Mets claimed right-hander Ryan Reid off waivers from the Pirates on Monday. The 28-year-old Reid appeared in seven games for the Pirates last...
Hedge fund titan, giant of philanthropy leaps to his death after stroke
Multimillionaire philanthropist Robert W. Wilson, 86, took his own life Monday by throwing himself from his luxury Upper West Side high-rise apartment, just a few months after suffering a debilitating...
1 charge dismissed in NJ mall slaying
NEWARK, NJ — Federal authorities have cleared the way for one of the four men accused in a fatal carjacking at an upscale New Jersey shopping mall to be charged...
Tuition-cheat Bronx school supervisor fined
A Bronx administrator used his school as a free baby-sitting service and educational setting for his daughter — although he should have coughed up tuition, officials said Monday. PS 33...
Times Square plaza unveiled heading into NYE
Mayor Bloomberg unveiled a new plaza in Times Square on Monday, part of a larger $55 million project to create almost 150,000 square feet of pedestrian-friendly space at the Crossroads...
Snowden: 'I've won'
Document dumper Edward Snowden has declared victory, bragging that his “mission’s already accomplished,” during an interview published Monday. “I already won,” the 30-year-old NSA leaker told The Washington Post. “For...
Detective lied about dating barmaid, cuffing her boss
A NYPD detective lied about his relationship with a sexy German barmaid after she had him arrest her boss for groping her — but prosecutors went forward with the trial...
Spitzer's gal pal known for tangling up with power pols
She’s been scheming since high school to dominate the halls of power. Spitzer gal pal Lis Smith took her inspiration from Lady Macbeth, Machiavelli and Nietzsche while at tony Bronxville...
Give her the heave-ho, de Blasio
Enough! If Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio has a lick of sense in his 6-foot-5 frame, he’ll cast out of his incoming administration Lis Smith — the randy Democratic operative who’s got...
Skies play peekaboo with NYC
A blanket of dense fog covered Manhattan on Monday — leaving only the top of the Freedom Tower visible from Brooklyn as procrastinating Christmas shoppers across the city hurried through...
Pope reminds flock of Yule's true meaning
Pope Francis paid a holiday visit to his predecessor, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, Monday — after slamming Christmas commercialism. “It’s a pleasure to see you looking so well,” Francis, 77,...
Dogs getting zapped by Con Ed manholes
Con Edison set up cones and caution tape around several East Village manholes, tree pits and garden gates — but never bothered telling anyone it was because of stray voltage...
Congressman presses Kerry over Medicaid diplo 'scams'
WASHINGTON — A powerful lawmaker is demanding the Obama administration hand over information about foreign diplomats who may be illegally cashing in on US benefits, after the stunning indictment last...
Liu aide fined $4G
An aide to scandal-plagued city Comptroller John Liu was fined for working on her own campaign with city equipment during work hours. Economist Yudelka Tapia was penalized $4,480 for using...
Brooklyn hit-and-run kills man, 72
A 72-year-old man was struck and killed by a hit- and-run driver in Brooklyn Monday night, cops said. The victim was mowed down as he crossed Avenue D between East...
Silver: Buffalo lawmaker must resign if perv charges stick
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, criticized for his mishandling of the Vito Lopez sexual-harassment scandal, is ready to give an accused-perv Buffalo-area legislator the boot. Silver joined Gov. Cuomo and several...
Ethics no-no for teacher-union chief's sister
The sister of teachers-union President Michael Mulgrew was wrist-slapped Monday for operating a booming tutoring company that was awarded $40 million in work from the city while she was employed as...
Daily Blotter
The Bronx A jealous husband stabbed his wife to death in the couple’s Wakefield home after he discovered she was cheating on him, authorities said Monday. José Hernandez, 52, had...
Jos. A. Bank rebuffs Men's Wearhouse takeover bid
Jos. A. Bank Clothiers has rebuffed a $1.5 billion takeover bid by Men’s Wearhouse, prompting its larger rival to explore other ways to satisfy investors’ hunger for a merger of...
Apple has 'big plans' in China
Apple CEO Tim Cook said he’s got “big plans” for the gadget maker next year — reigniting speculation about what new products might be emerging from the pipeline. Cook didn’t...
Facebook stuffs stocking with a record high
Facebook is ending 2013 the right way — with the stock reaching for the stars. Shares of the social media giant hit an all-time high of $58.32 in intraday trading...
Ex-Microsoft CFO will join WME
Former Microsoft Chief Financial Officer Peter Klein is set to take the same position with the new William Morris Endeavor-IMG Worldwide, the company said Monday. While IMG, a sports, fashion...
Keanu's samurai film runs out of steam
Once upon a time, a small band of scrappy fighters had to forge their way through a magical landscape against incredible odds. If you didn’t get enough of that in...
'Grudge Match' has no punch
They should have called me for help with the title for the De Niro-Stallone boxing comedy “Grudge Match.” “Aging Bulls” might be too obvious, but how about “Raging Prostate”? Given...
It should have been a 'far, far better' film
That Charles Dickens had a longstanding affair with the actress Ellen Ternan, who was 28 years his junior, is widely accepted by scholars. But there’s almost no documentation; he burned...
Nick Nolte joins Fox's 'Broadchurch'
Fox’s adaptation of “Broadchurch” has added another A-list feather to its casting cap. Veteran tough-guy actor Nick Nolte has joined the cast of “Gracepoint,” an adaptation of the BBC America...
'The Doctors' star ramps up for book launch
Dr. Ian Smith (“The Doctors”) is ramping up for the launch of “Super Shred: The Big Results Diet,” the sequel to his 2012 best-seller, “Shred: The Revolutionary Diet,” which spurred...
Hallmark's Christmas B-movies are weirdly addictive
Judging from the offerings on most major networks this week, you’d think they stopped making Christmas specials decades ago. We still rely heavily on “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “Miracle on...
The 5 funniest movie moments of 2013
It wasn’t a classic year for comedy, with “The Hangover Part III” and “Scary Movie 5” clogging up screens with tired shtick, but let’s look back at the year in...
When Fed takes stock, Fed really takes stock
Back some 15 or so years ago, when I started suggesting that the stock market was being rigged, I’m sure everyone thought I was crazy. The logic behind that opinion...
Living with in-laws: It had an upside once
The Tenement Museum on the Lower East Side is in the process of raising $8 million to expand. Tourists from inside and outside the city limits just can’t get enough...
A visit from St. Nick
Clement Clark Moore was born in New York City in 1779 and, long before his death 84 years later, established a reputation as a scholar. A noted lecturer and writer,...
Mobile shopping searches peak on Christmas Eve
Procrastinators rule holiday shopping, according to a new report on mobile search. Mobile searches for store locations and gift ideas peak on Christmas Eve, not Black Friday, the so-called biggest...
Seton Hall gets verbal from Brooklyn forward
Seton Hall added to its best recruiting class in more than a decade Monday night, picking up a verbal commitment from Brooklyn small forward Desi Rodriguez. The 6-foot-6 senior joins...
NBC News boss grills 'Meet the Press' staff
Fearless NBC News boss Deborah Turness is turning her attention to her troubled Sunday talk show, “Meet the Press” — asking staff to write a mission statement and explain what...