January 2, 2014
Joe Johnson, Nets shock Thunder with buzzer-beater
OKLAHOMA CITY — After playing alongside Joe Johnson for the last year and a half, Deron Williams knew exactly who should get the last shot for the Nets against the...
Shumpert's career high helps Knicks hold off Spurs
SAN ANTONIO — Miracles do happen. Carmelo Anthony made a grand return, but Iman Shumpert became the irreplaceable sidekick with the kind of monster night the Knicks have needed all...
Brandon Jacobs retires
There was never a dull moment around Brandon Jacobs, the over-sized running back with the body of a defensive end and, at times, the temperament of a raging bull. His...
Okposo comes up big in OT as Isles top Blackhawks
The Islanders were smiling, no question, because whether they want to admit it or not, this was as close as they have looked to last year’s team all season. That...
Peyton Manning on a mission to erase playoff demons
The year was 1967. Joe Namath became the first quarterback in professional football history to throw for 4,000 yards. The year was 1984. Dan Marino became the first quarterback to...
Instagram star has an enviable rear — and 1.3M followers
It was a 30-degree December day, but to the 25 bystanders shoving their iPhones 3 inches away from Jen Selter’s butt, it was hot hot hot. Selter, a 20-year-old Instagram...
Police arrest suspect in California priest killing
EUREKA, Calif. — Police arrested a suspect Thursday in the killing of a respected priest and educator who was found dead on New Year's Day in a church rectory in...
J.R. Smith 'over' frustration of Knicks cutting brother
SAN ANTONIO — J.R. Smith broke his silence on the Knicks' release of his brother, Chris Smith, saying he "wasn’t happy" but is "over it." J.R. said Thursday he and...
'Cops beat, illegally arrested me' on OWS anniversary: suit
The Occupy Wall Street suits against cops keep coming. A Queens-born journalist is claiming city cops beat and illegally arrested him while he was covering, not the Occupy Wall Street...
Breaking down the wild-card matchups
Colts vs. Chiefs (Saturday, 4:30 p.m.. NBC) Colts offense vs. Chiefs defense QB Andrew Luck (23 TDs, nine INTs, 60.2 completion percentage) is the focal point of the Indianapolis offense....
After backing out of Rutgers, NJ lineman has shot at BCS title
Josue Matias could be in Piscataway, not Pasadena. As a prized offensive line prospect at Union City (N.J.) High School, Matias appeared to be following the tradition of the city’s...
NYC pol Stevenson used 'bribe' money on car: prosecutors
Indicted Assemblyman Eric Stevenson forked over $2,900 in down payments for a sweet ride -- only days after allegedly pocketing a $10,000 bribe, prosecutors revealed on Thursday. Assistant US Attorney...
Hooters to hot dogs: 10 celebrity pre-fame gigs
Paul Rudd may be killing it as Brian Fantana in “Anchorman 2” — and just about everything else the 44-year-old comic actor has ever appeared in — but before he...
ACLU appealing NY judge's ruling that NSA call-tracking is legal
The American Civil Liberties Union on Thursday filed papers saying it plans to appeal a recent court ruling that found the National Security Agency’s controversial telephone data-collection program is legal....
Chill of victory for Packers, Eagles
Including the 1997-2012 season in The Post, Cat’s record in print stands at 480-408 (54 percent) against the spread. SATURDAY EAGLES (-2 ½) over Saints: Saints endured more challenging schedule,...
Dave Blezow's wild-card round picks
THE Post Bettor’s Guide regular-season champion really deserves a bye in the first round of the playoffs. But that’s not the way it works, so here we go for Wild-Card...
Hondo's wild-card round picks
HONDO, rounding into playoff form, closed out the regular season with a 9-7 record that put his picking average above .400 (you just can’t keep a crafty veteran handicapper like...
Colts well-prepared for playoff success
Football expert Phil Steele is the owner and publisher of Phil Steele’s College Football Preview, regarded as the college football bible. Get in-depth coverage of college and pro football 24/7/365...
O/U Rico - Wild-card round
Rico went 8-8 (0-3 Best Bets) last week on the Over/Unders. The league finished with 6 Overs and 10 Unders. Rico’s final season record is 128-120-8. The final best bet...
The day in photos
Daredevils ring in the New Year in Italy, violence in Lebanon and cold weather pummels the north east.
Nation keeps eye on the potential for a snowy Super Bowl
INDIANAPOLIS — And so it begins, indoors in Indiana and outdoors in Philadelphia, Cincinnati and Green Bay, a month of frantic football, a month in which everyone will channel their...
NYPD nabs Harlem traffic-stop fugitive in Pennsylvania
A prisoner who escaped from police during a traffic stop in Washington Heights has been captured in Pennsylvania, sources said. Members of the Manhattan Violent Felony Squad tracked William Monge-Betancourt,...
Red Bulls part ways with defender Holgersson
The Red Bulls have parted ways with defender Markus Holgersson, with both sides agreeing to tear up his contract. The big Swede still had one year left on his current...
50 cent faces lawsuit for sex tape with rival's ex
A Manhattan judge says rapper 50 Cent can be sued for posting a sex tape to his web site featuring the former girlfriend of a rival. Judge Paul Wooten said...
Tiger Woods loses out to Adam Scott in player of year voting
KAPALUA, Hawaii — Masters champion Adam Scott narrowly beat out Tiger Woods as the male player of the year in voting by the Golf Writers Association of America. The GWAA...
Judge tosses police unions' suit over Breathalyzer tests
A Manhattan judge has tossed a lawsuit by police unions complaining that mandatory Breathalyzer tests for officers who had used their guns violated collective bargaining agreements. Judge Paul Wooten wrote...
Live coverage of Hercules: East Coast digs out after blizzard
Winter Storm Hercules dumped more 6-11 inches of snow on the city Friday morning, shuttering schools, airports and highways. - At least eleven deaths have been blamed on the storm in...
China Wal-Marts recall donkey meat -- because it contains fox
Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's largest retailer, has recalled donkey meat sold at some outlets in China after tests showed the product contained the DNA of other animals, the US company...
Under-fire Giants coordinator Gilbride retires
For the past few years, Kevin Gilbride was living alone in a hotel when he wasn’t calling the plays and running the show for the Giants as their offensive coordinator....
Kluwe: 'Bigot' booted me off Vikings for pro-gay stance
In a scathing first-person account, former Vikings punter Chris Kluwe contends his public support of gay marriage cost him his job and accuses Minnesota special teams coach Mike Priefer of...
The East Village is just a click away for online shoppers
Now you can shop the East Village from anywhere on the planet. Everything from cupcakes to classic guitars are up for grabs on E.Vil Mall, a new website that features...
The deadly Russian 'black widow' cult
They are young, female, and in love - and they are the doomed followers of a man known as Russia's Osama bin Laden. They are the "black widows" of Russia's...
Peering into the crystal ball for a Super Bowl champ
The Serby crystal ball, which first foresaw McGovern over Nixon, has been returned from the crystal ball shop polished and waxed and rebooted. It is ready to work its magic...
Blast in Hezbollah-run area of Beirut kills 5
BEIRUT — An explosion tore through a crowded commercial street Thursday in a south Beirut neighborhood that is bastion of support for the Shiite group Hezbollah, killing at least five...
What will Tom Brady do next? And other playoff storylines
Can anyone unseat the No. 1 seeds? The Broncos and Seahawks, the two No. 1 seeds with home-field advantage as long as they’re alive, have looked borderline invincible at home....
A-Rod verdict remains days away: sources
Alex Rodriguez's fate probably won't be known until next week. According to industry sources, arbitrator Fredric Horowitz likely will wait at least a few more days before issuing a ruling on...
Dee Milliner ends rocky rookie season with award
Dee Milliner ended his rookie year with a flourish. The Jets cornerback was named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month for December on Thursday. Milliner started the month by...
Carmelo: 'Donut' diss at angry fan was a joke
SAN ANTONIO -- Blame me. Carmelo Anthony, who will make his return from a three-game absence Thursday night against the Spurs, said he fully expects frustrated Knicks fans to blame him...
MetLife Stadium's massive Super Bowl makeover
Even if Super Bowl XLVIII isn’t blasted by a blizzard, you probably won’t recognize MetLife Stadium come the night of Feb. 2. Though every stadium that hosts the Big Game...
Islanders' Okposo hears 'U-S-A' serenade after Olympics snub
Resentment is not an emotion Kyle Okposo wears well, so forgive him if he was polite on Thursday night after spending an entire game against the defending Stanley Cup champion...
Lawyer fined for outing Rowling as thriller writer
LONDON — A lawyer who let slip J.K. Rowling's secret thriller-writer identity has been fined 1,000 pounds ($1,645) for breaching client confidentiality rules.Chris Gossage of London law firm Russells Solicitors...
Mental fitness of psychiatrist ‘slasher’ to be reviewed
The issue of whether a paranoid schizophrenic who admitted to killing a well-like psychiatrist with a meat cleaver can stand trial is under scrutiny yet again. The mental fitness of...
Bill Bratton returns as top cop: 'Who says you can't come home?'
Hailed as a conquering hero who once tamed the city’s wild streets, crime fighter Bill Bratton was sworn in today’s as New York’s new police commissioner. Bratton, who served in...
Boomer Esiason: Eli needs a new offensive coordinator
CBS NFL analyst Boomer Esiason explains to The Post’s Justin Terranova why the Packers can be this year’s Ravens, why Kevin Gilbride has to go and why the Jets made...
Regular season dominance could hurt Florida State vs. Auburn
Florida State dominated opponents over 13 games this season, pummeling them by a winning margin of more than 42 points per game. What were they thinking? The fact the Seminoles...
NFL playoff games (even Lambeau!) struggling to sell out
The Frozen Half-Empty Tundra of Lambeau Field? The Green Bay Packers -- the venerable franchise known for its diehard fans' insatiable demand for tickets -- is one of three home...
Court interpreter attacked, robbed in three-man ambush
A Manhattan Criminal Court interpreter was attacked and robbed by three men who ambushed her from behind as she headed home from work early Thursday morning. Margarita Martinez, 59, was...
Dog lover working to find homes for rescued chihuahuas
A Long Island dog lover is trying to find homes for 20 abandoned chihuahuas. The tiny canines were taken in recently from other shelters by no-kill Precious Pups Rescue in...
Bill O'Brien's exit plunges Penn State back into chaos
There’s disarray within the football program at State College again. The departure of head coach Bill O’Brien to the NFL's Houston Texans could greatly diminish Penn State’s recruiting class, and...
The 5 best wild-card games in NFL history
Heart-racing finishes, wild comebacks, the start of miraculous Super Bowl runs — wild-card weekend traditionally has it all. Some of the most memorable playoff moments come on these two days,...
Aide defends Bloomberg after verbal attacks during de Blasio inauguration
A top deputy to former Mayor Bloomberg took to the airwaves Thursday to push back against attacks leveled at his former boss during Mayor de Blasio’s inauguration ceremony. Howard Wolfson...
NYPD union lawyers seek quicker stop-frisk appeal ruling
Forget about the new mayor having a grace period with the NYPD. Lawyers representing the city’s police unions have filed legal papers asking the US Second Circuit Court of Appeals...
Bears put future in Cutler's hands with 7-year deal
LAKE FOREST, Ill. — The Chicago Bears signed Jay Cutler to a seven-year contract Thursday, ending speculation that they might make a change at quarterback after five seasons. The deal...
NBA Power Rankings: Raptors can win Atlantic, but do they want to?
In the opening weeks of the season, the exact same phrase came up multiple times when discussing the Raptors with executives around the league. “It’s just a matter of time...
NHL Power Rankings: Resolutions for all 30 teams
With the New Year upon us, The Post is providing resolutions for all 30 teams with our weekly rankings: 1. Ducks (1): More home games. The Ducks still haven’t dropped...
Macy’s, Martha Stewart Living reach settlement
Macy’s and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia have reached a settlement agreement related to a breach-of-contract lawsuit involving JCPenney. Macy’s and MSLO each said Thursday that the settlement terms are confidential...
Two high school kids burned in lab accident
Two 10th-graders at Manhattan’s award-winning Beacon School were injured Thursday morning when a routine lab experiment went horribly awry, leaving one boy with serious burns. Chemistry teacher Anna Poole had...
Crack mayor Rob Ford running for re-election
TORONTO — Toronto Mayor Rob Ford has put his name on the ballot to run for another term. Ford was the first candidate to show up at City Hall when...
Actors barely save military sitcom 'Enlisted'
I didn’t have high hopes for “Enlisted,” premiering as a midseason entry on Fox’s winter schedule. There’s usually a reason that new shows aren’t included on a network’s fall slate,...
Unemployment claims fell to 339K last week
The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits dipped by 2,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 339,000, evidence that layoffs are low and hiring will likely remain steady. The Labor...
‘Elementary,’ ‘Parenthood’ return with new episodes
Can’t take another rerun or marathon? Emerge from the TV coma with shows that are jumping into the new year with new episodes. “Elementary” (Thursday, 10 p.m., CBS) Natalie Dormer...
Porsche speeds to New York's Auto Row
Porsche is joining the souped-up car-dealership lineup along Auto Row, The Post has learned. Porsche Cars North America, a US unit of the German sports car maker, has leased 711...
Dream Homes
Tribeca $7 million Only three stories above Washington Street, between Canal and Watts Streets, you will nevertheless get “surprisingly impressive,” protected views of the Hudson River and Hudson Park throughout...
Queens pair are first New York City murders of 2014
Two Queens residents on Wednesday became the city’s first murder victims of 2014. The first was Julio Mora, 22, of Ozone Park, who was shot dead at a wild St....
Event planner Preston Bailey talks plants & parties
PANAMA-born, New York-based Preston Bailey has made a career out of transforming everyday spaces into true showplaces for his elegant events and unique floral designs. Having created fabulous fetes for...
Some ObamaCare plans slow to kick in
WASHINGTON — Sorry, you don’t have health insurance. That’s the startling message awaiting some people when they try to pay for medical care with a new ObamaCare plan. Coverage for...
Near-tragedy as subway drags New Year’s reveler
A New Year’s Eve reveler — running next to a moving 1 train at Times Square — slipped and got his legs caught between moving cars on Wednesday, officials said....
At least 2 killed during morning commute
At least two people died in accidents during Thursday's rush-hour commute, authorities said. A man walking at the intersection of Seventh Avenue and 65th Street in Bay Ridge was killed...
NY furniture shops offer designs with a twist
New York City, and the people who live here, are our inspiration for home design. So we tracked down some true New York originals who recently opened home design stores:...
Snapchat hacked, 4.6M users' info posted online
Hackers broke into Snapchat, the hugely popular mobile app, accessing the phone numbers and usernames of 4.6 million users and publishing them online. The numbers were partially masked when they...
Terror lawyer gets compassionate prison release
Terror-loving lawyer Lynne Stewart arrived in New York on Wednesday afternoon, soaking in the newfound freedom she’s gained from a compassionate prison release. Stewart had been locked up since 2009...
Spitzer gal pal Lis Smith, de Blasio split
Eliot Spitzer’s gal pal Lis Smith won’t be sticking with Team de Blasio, sources told The Post Thursday. Smith, the new mayor’s spokeswoman following his come-from-behind primary campaign and during the transition,...
'Breaking Bad' fan contest winner in massive drug bust
In a case of life imitating art, a Florida man who won a contest to watch the “Breaking Bad” series finale with cast members was busted - for operating a...
Metcalf set to fly CBS pilot
Laurie Metcalf is set to star in a comedy pilot for CBS, deadline.com reports. The “Roseanne” alum would star opposite Jack McGee and Joey McIntyre in “The McCarthys” which revolves...
Supersize markups on Super Bowl tickets
Super Bowl tickets will start trickling out to the marketplace this week, and sports fans are likely to covet them like insider shares of a hot IPO. On the eve...
Times claims Benghazi attack not carried out by al Qaeda
The New York Times says al Qaeda was not involved in the Benghazi attack that killed four Americans. In sharp contrast, two key members of the House Intelligence Committee, one...
Riding to Utopia...
Who would have anticipated the day when the most moderate elected official in city government would be Scott M. Stringer — the Upper West Side uber-liberal and protégé of left-wing...
Newark superintendent pushes charter school reforms
Here in New York, we’re all waiting to see what the incoming mayor and his schools chancellor will mean for charter schools. While we’re waiting, it may be worth looking...
Bill de Blasio takes office as NYC’s 109th mayor
Now it’s official: After two swearings-in — one at midnight New Year’s Eve at his home in Brooklyn, one the following noon by Bill Clinton on the steps of City...
The bang for NYC school bucks
Whether to award billions in back pay to teachers seems to be one of the central education decisions that face Mayor de Blasio. Before retroactively doling out this taxpayer’s dough,...
Freshman Etou’s late heroics fuel Rutgers
PISCATAWAY — If there was one word that could be used to best describe Rutgers’ conference opener against the Temple Owls, it would be “new.” Wednesday marked the first day...
Lies the left & right tell themselves
The Beltway consensus seems to be that 2013 was a bad year for the same reasons as nearly every other recent year: polarization and partisanship. I can think of plenty...
Celebs reveal their New Year's resolutions
Celebs and New York movers and shakers reveal what they'll be doing differently in 2014.
Steampunk fashion will gear you up for a reimagined past
While most fashion aficionados are currently looking to CBGB and the 1970s for style inspiration, a different set of “punks” are eyeing H.G. Wells and the 1870s. They’re called steampunks,...
East meets zest at uptown American bistro
When “downtown fixtures make the move uptown,” as East Pole’s publicity trumpets, it usually guarantees a “For Rent” sign in the window within a year. But East Pole has conquered...
Cuomo punts on labor scrap
Gov. Cuomo has turned to a legislative loophole to buy himself more time to make a tough decision on a labor issue that has been vexing him for more than...
Troops out of harm's way despite Feinberg's contractor woes
Stephen Feinberg’s troubled military-facilities contractor, IAP Worldwide Services, tripped a debt covenant on Jan. 1 and could soon be taken over by creditors — but a move by the Pentagon...
Free those 401(k)s
I’m going to start the year off with what I think is my most creative contribution to economic thought — the idea of changing the tax laws on personal retirement...
Indie artists are new No. 1 in music industry
The growth of streaming music services and shared playlists, and the continued strength of YouTube, unleashed new forces on the music business last year — catapulting independent artists onto the...
Here are the big losers in ObamaCare
New York’s small-business owners, seniors and doctors are among the big losers as President Obama’s prescription for health-insurance reform takes effect. The National Federation of Independent Businesses, an organization that...
Hercules hits NYC; grounds hundreds of flights
The city’s first major winter storm stranded thousands of air travelers, shut down highways and caused mass-transit disruptions as it dumped a blanket of snow overnight on the Big Apple....
Exhale spa chain founder selling Shelter Island estate
Annbeth Eschbach, the founder and owner of the Exhale spa chain, and her husband, Patrick Parcells, are selling their Shelter Island estate for $6.27 million. The six-bedroom, 6½-bath, 5,015-square-foot home,...
How to decode your NYC-themed dreams
New York is a city of big dreamers — people come here from all over the world to start their lives or reinvent themselves.It’s so vibrant that you can’t even...
Daily Blotter
A thirsty drunk stabbed a clerk during a robbery at a Borough Park deli on New Year’s Eve, police said. The thug (pictured above) entered the Yossi and Y liquor...
Pope calls for tolerance and peace in new year
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis, laying out his hopes Wednesday for the new year, urged people to work for a world where everyone accepts each other’s differences and where enemies...
Legal pot a hit in Colorado as other new laws take effect
Colorado residents fired up bongs and cheered through clouds of pot smoke on the first day of the state’s legal sale of recreational marijuana. Business was brisk, with thousands of...
Bloomberg blasted at de Blasio swearing in
Don’t let the door hit you on the way out! Mayor de Blasio’s inaugural guests took turns beating up on former Mayor Mike Bloomberg at City Hall Wednesday — even...
About that shrine: Flap threatens US-Asia hopes
Encouraging Asian democracies to jointly stand up for themselves against China turns out to be trickier than we’d hoped, as fast-chilling relations between South Korea and Japan demonstrate. On Tuesday,...
City leaders excoriate a good man in Bloomberg
During his 12 years as mayor, Michael Bloomberg provoked in me admiration and anger, passionate support and dismissive ridicule. But never once did I feel sorry for him. Until yesterday....
Bortles, UCF stun Baylor in Fiesta Bowl
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Blake Bortles rolled right, crashed into two defenders and floated a pass to an open receiver just before going down. The two players who had a beat...
Passengers rescued from icebound Antarctic ship
CANBERRA, Australia — A helicopter rescued all 52 passengers from a research ship that has been trapped in Antarctic ice since Christmas Eve after weather conditions finally cleared enough for...
Rangers' U.S. Olympians excited and 'concerned'
Derek Stepan had spoken about how his audition for the U.S. Olympic team was more than just the first 41 games he played for the Rangers this season — that...
Clutch stop earns Michigan State 1st Rose Bowl in 26 years
PASADENA, Calif. — When Kyler Elsworth soared over the pile to deliver the final hit of Michigan State’s season, the storybook ending came with a moral. After so many years...