January 18, 2014
Balance transfers gain new footing
It’s holiday-shopping hangover season, and balance-transfer credit card offers are back — in a big way. But consumers may be newly wary of all credit cards in the wake of...
ObamaCare, ‘paper jam’ could stall small business
For small business owners not up to date on new rules and regulations, 2014 could be a nightmare. That’s because they will be contending with new ObamaCare rules as well...
California dreaming on education reform
We don’t usually associate California with the phrase “education reform.” But a new lawsuit filed by nine students there may have implications for the Empire State. The case is Vergara...
Dear John: What’s normal? Who knows?
Dear John: The December unemployment report brings up a nagging question I’ve been thinking of for some time. The unemployment rate has been dropping steadily for the last couple of...
Aging financial industry creates need for young pros
Wall Street is getting a little long in the tooth. So many of its multimillion-dollar “producers” are hedging that brokerage firms run the risk of losing billions of dollars as...
Breaking Bill de Blasio's windows
Ray Kelly fixed stop-and-frisk. That’s the word from his successor, Bill Bratton, our new police commissioner. In remarks at a conference at the Ford Foundation on Wednesday, Bratton said “the...
Ben Bernanke's final grades
Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke made his final planned appearance on Thursday, so now is the perfect time to give him his report card on his tenure — and he’s...
Devils can’t overcome slow start, fall to Coyotes
GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Coyotes gave coach Dave Tippett his 450th career victory, and the Devils gave theirs a headache. A strong third period could not save a sluggish first...
Mom allegedly killed her kids during 'exorcism'
GERMANTOWN, Md. — Police charged two women on Saturday in the deaths of two children in Maryland, saying the women believed they were performing an exorcism. Montgomery County Police charged...
Brooklyn teacher sues over sex abuse allegations
A former gym teacher accused of groping a student claims the city Department of Education decided she was guilty without evidence. Lisa Guttilla was a gym teacher at James Madison...
Kevin Garnett: Good to see ‘little bro’ back
LONDON — After nearly a year away from the court, Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo made his season debut against the Lakers inside TD Garden in Boston on Friday night,...
In Seattle, fans’ voices still carry
SEATTLE — One of the beauties of this NFC Championship is we already know one of the …Wait, you can’t hear me? Hang on.SEATTLE — One of the beauties of...
Brain surgery motivates Manhattan recruiting ace
Rasheen Davis feels fortunate to be alive. But there’s nothing fortunate about the Manhattan College assistant coach’s rapid ascension in the business — just a case of an honest and...
Practice makes perfect for Vigneault’s Rangers
So in New York, the Rangers work on their power play at every practice, and in Vancouver, the Canucks have Kevin Bieksa in front of the net. What? You thought there...
49ers rise with improving Colin Kaepernick
SEATTLE — Here’s a frightening thought: The game is slowing down for Colin Kaepernick, the fastest quarterback in the NFL. That’s what veteran wide receiver Anquan Boldin sees heading into...
McAdoo will have Giants adopt version of West Coast offense
Ben McAdoo has never, ever called a play, not a single one, in the National Football League. He never has designed his own offense. Never been employed for a day...
St. John’s handles Dartmouth, 69-55, to snap five-game skid
JaKarr Sampson described the last three weeks as being in a “dark place.” Saturday night offered Sampson and his St. John’s teammates a reprieve into the light in the form...
Peyton must top Brady to redefine legacy
DENVER — Win this game, Peyton Manning. Losing this game to Tom Brady, to Bill Belichick, is not an option for you anymore. Not here. Not now. Not two months...
Islanders grounded by Flyers in final road-trip game
PHILADELPHIA — Even the Broad Street Bullies weren’t as resilient as this group of Flyers. Michael Raffl scored the go-ahead goal with 4:15 left, and the Flyers rallied to beat...
Epic battle could be QBs' last head-to-head
DENVER — So they meet again, perhaps even for good. Just like (recent) old times, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady will square off Sunday afternoon for the right to represent...
NBA’s Euro trips could lead to expansion overseas
LONDON — The Dream Team captured the world’s imagination and became the story of the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. The result was an explosion of basketball’s popularity around the globe and...
Serby’s Sunday Q&A with Earl Thomas
Seahawks safety Earl Thomas covered some Q&A with Post columnist Steve Serby before Sunday’s NFC title clash with the 49ers. Q: How much did the doubters drive you over the...
Broncos' lack of defense will let Patriots keep it close
Patriots (+5 ½) over Broncos, over 56 These Broncos are a better version of the Don Coryell-Dan Fouts Chargers, featuring a top-drawer quarterback boasting multiple field-stretching weapons ... but burdened...
Marv says Holzman would have sat Smith, too
The legendary Marv Albert said he believes Hall of Fame Knicks coach Red Holzman would have benched J.R. Smith after his shoelace charades ... but may not have needed to....
Lost and found: Iman searching for form
When the Knicks journeyed through Texas just over two weeks ago, one of the standout story lines was Iman Shumpert. Shumpert torched the Spurs for a career-high 27 points in...
Jets lock up coaches after Rex Ryan extension
Now that the Jets have signed coach Rex Ryan to a contract extension, they have turned their focus to his assistants — and retained nearly everyone from the 2013 staff....
Senators get physical but can't overcome Rangers
OTTAWA — The Rangers have grown to understand when they come north into this building, the Senators are going to try and be physical and bully them. So it was...
Fans sound off on A-Rod, Bud Selig
Alex Rodriguez is going to lose a full season of his salary, but how much is commissioner Bud Selig going to lose? He was making more than $20 million per...
Dennis Rodman checks into rehab
Dennis Rodman has checked into an undisclosed alcohol rehabilitation center to treat his long-time struggle with alcoholism, his agent says. Darren Prince declined on Saturday to say which facility will...
Pirates' posting suggestion now threatens Yankees' $189M goal
By 5 p.m. Friday, we’ll learn where Masahiro Tanaka will take his talents in 2014, then we can fully sort out the winners and losers of this sweepstakes. Already, though,...
Childhood struggles help Moreno overcome NFL setbacks
At its surface, Knowshon Moreno’s story as a football player is a cliché. Talented running back gets drafted as 12th overall pick in the first round. He overcomes a season-ending...
Brady psyched up for contest against Del Rio
DENVER — Tom Brady’s dominance of Peyton Manning is kid stuff compared with what he’s done to Jack Del Rio. Brady might be 10-4 all time against Manning, but there...
Cuomo, Schneiderman duke it out over $600 million fund
Gov. Cuomo was hit from the left on Saturday when the Working Families Party sided with state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman in a boiling dispute over who gets to spend...
MLB freezes out fans with 8 p.m. start times
Bud Selig’s last season on the job will begin as has every season since 1992, when he was handed the keys and told by his empowering team owners that the...
Niners' face tough challenge on Seahawks' terf
SEATTLE — One team has been here before, lost and won here before and anything other than success here must be considered a setback. That team is the 49ers, and...
Report: At least 5 in Tanaka signing derby
With just six days left until Masahiro Tanaka has to decide where he’s going to pitch this season, at least five teams made offers to the Japanese right-hander by Thursday,...
Nets trade Shengelia for Bulls' Teague
LONDON — The Nets made a pair of trades Saturday, sending Tornike Shengelia to Chicago for point guard Marquis Teague, and Tyshawn Taylor and cash to New Orleans for a...
Seahawks' defense sounds ready
SEATTLE — Sure it’s noisy at CenturyLink Field, and the ear-splitting racket created by the fans — who refer to themselves as the 12th Man — causes plenty of havoc...
Mets sign lefty Lannan to minor league deal
The Mets signed left-hander John Lannan to a minor league deal Saturday with an invitation to major league camp, as they attempt to fortify their rotation with veterans to compete...
Rangers' good tidings continue in win over Ottawa
OTTAWA — When the puck hit the far post then barreled into the back of the net in the waning moments of the second period, the ring echoing through the...
Why did the president outsource ObamaCare?
President Obama spent $831 billion of taxpayer money on a stimulus plan for the economy. He gave nearly $50 billion in aid to GM to keep it afloat. He lost...
France's first lady discharged after 'drug overdose'
France’s first lady, Valerie Trierweiler, left the hospital Saturday after spending a week recovering from what the European press described as a drug overdose. Her stay at La Pitie-Salpetriere hospital...
Zach Braff wins with 'Wish I Was Here' at Sundance
PARK CITY -- It's easy to make fun of Zach Braff's "Garden State," which The Onion memorably labeled "Some Poor F---'s Favorite Movie," and it'll be even easier to mock...
NJ mayor: Christie aides held Sandy money hostage
The mayor of Hoboken claims senior aides to Gov. Chris Christie withheld hurricane relief funds because she wouldn’t approve a development project he supported. Democrat Dawn Zimmer said yesterday that...
2nd boy surrenders after two shot at Philadelphia school
PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia police say a boy charged with aggravated assault has surrendered in connection with a shooting that wounded two students inside a high school gymnasium. Police say another...
Odd-ball flick 'Frank' brings heart to Sundance
PARK CITY - One of the more tantalizing offerings at this year's Sundance Film Festival promised to bring us one of today's hottest actors -- and then conceal him behind...
New year's resolutions, as guided by TED talks
The flip of the calendar is a chance to hit the personal reset buttons. This is the year we’re all going to read more, travel more, eat better, lose 15...
Sundance: 'Star Trek''s Sulu Slams Utah Governor on Gay Marriage
PARK CITY - Utah residents set phasers for stunned when a guest at the state's Sundance Film Festival attacked their governor, and implicitly the whole state, for not backing gay...
Don't miss: A preview of the week's top shows
Sister From Hell When Caroline (Gaby Hoffman), Adam’s (Adam Driver) eccentric and emotionally draining sister, shows up unannounced at his apartment, Hannah (Lena Dunham) offers her a place to stay,...
Kevin Bacon gets his mojo back in Season 2 of 'The Following'
"The Following” creator Kevin Williamson is remarkably candid — remorseful, even — about criticism of the serial-killer drama’s first season. While the series was a hit for Fox, critics complained...
Closing up shop: Tune in to this week's season finales
We’ve barely gotten back from the holiday break, and already there are shows closing shop for the winter. Finales worth checking out: “Dracula” (Friday, 10 p.m., NBC) After a promising...
'Downton Abbey' actor Gary Carr shrugs off criticism of Jazz singer character
Long before Season 4 of “Downton Abbey” went into production, creator Julian Fellowes spoke of introducing a recurring character of color. His invention, a famous Chicago-based jazz singer named Jack...
Seahawks' Smith hopes to follow big brother's footsteps to Super Bowl
RENTON, Wash. — You tell him the details, the exploits from that incredible night, how his older brother grew up right there on the biggest stage of all, how he...
The road to blond -- and back
Last year, a Starbucks barista didn’t ask me my name when I ordered a latte. He simply wrote “Blondie” on my cup.“Who the hell is he calling ‘Blondie’?” I thought....
How Kate Moss has influenced fashion forever
Kate Moss’ status as a style icon is part of fashion history. She inspires everyone, from designers like John Galliano, Marc Jacobs and Vivienne Westwood to Hollywood stylists and buyers...
Inside Kate Moss's first ever photo shoot
Catching sight of the gigantic Calvin Klein billboard on Houston Street in 1992, my initial reaction as a professional photographer visiting New York City from London was: “How on Earth...
Man dead, another critical in Flatbush drive-by
A man was killed and another critically wounded in a drive-by shooting in Brooklyn, police said. The two victims were in a 2011 Toyota Camry when the 23-year-old driver took...
Baby-faced teen's malware eyed in Target data breach
This baby-faced teen is a key suspect in developing the software that was used in the massive security breach that hit as many as 110 million Target shoppers last holiday...
Indian Point bosses say plant will run even in a strike
The owner of the upstate Indian Point nuclear power plant says managers will keep it running even if its largest union goes on strike or is locked out. But the...
Doctor: Martoma feigned concern to get drug info
Accused inside-trader Mathew Martoma was like a shark sizing up its prey. Over the course of two years, the former SAC Capital Advisors portfolio manager slowly closed in on Dr....
New website to help ease Super Bowl gridlock
New Jersey State Police have launched a new website to provide one place for residents and visitors to check on all traffic and transit issues in the run-up to the...
3 Americans killed in Kabul attack
Three Americans were among the 21 killed in a commando-style attack by Taliban insurgents on a popular Kabul restaurant, officials said Saturday. The dead from Friday’s assault in Afghanistan —...
Man busted for stealing defibrillator in PATH station – again
A determined thief was busted a second time for attempting to steal a defibrillator from a PATH station, officials said. Michael Howard, 20, was discovered with the stolen life saving...
Reforms pledged after death of 4-year-old
Mayor de Blasio identified a handful of changes to child protective services practices Friday in the wake of the brutal death of a 4-year-old boy at a midtown Manhattan apartment....
Cops nab Bronx rape suspect in New Orleans
The sicko who allegedly raped a 7-year-old girl in the Bronx last month was busted as he tried to flee to New Orleans, cops said. NYPD detectives and New Orleans...
Daily Blotter
Brooklyn Authorities have identified the gun-toting thug who fired at cops in Bushwick as he was being pursued for allegedly dealing drugs, authorities said. Narcotics officers approached Darren Moore, 25,...
'Octomom' pleads not guilty to $30,000 welfare fraud
LOS ANGELES — “Octomom” Nadya Suleman pleaded not guilty Friday to charges of failing to report $30,000 that authorities say she was earning when she applied for public-assistance benefits. The...
Men’s Wearhouse, Jos. A. Bank mired in lawsuits
The mudslinging has gotten worse between Men’s Wearhouse and Jos. A. Bank — and the suits at an activist investment firm just got dirty. Jos. A. Bank on Friday rejected...
Retail brokerage helps Morgan Stanley profit beats estimates
Morgan Stanley posted stronger-than-expected fourth-quarter results, as its retail brokerage and asset management businesses won more assets from clients and benefited from rising stock markets. The bank’s retail brokerage business,...
Networks vie for Thursday NFL games
Fox, CBS and ESPN have submitted bids for the rights to broadcast as many as eight Thursday night National Football League games, three people familiar with the bidding process told...
Mark Wahlberg working ‘Highway to Heaven’ remake
Mark Wahlberg, who’s always kept his hand in the TV producing pie, is working on resurrecting “Highway to Heaven,” which starred Michael Landon as an angel on probation and aired...
Ellen’s tops in TV: poll
Ellen DeGeneres is America’s favorite TV personality for the second year in a row, according to a recent Harris Interactive poll. DeGeneres — who will host the Oscars in early...
Stars Mark, Donnie can’t flip ‘Wahlburgers’
Even the most casual TV viewer can recite the familiar reality-show tropes: forced drama/comedy, contrived situations and the requisite “types” — The Good One, The Bad One, The Bossy One,...
Bonkers for boinking beasts in 'Green Porno'
In her live show “Green Porno,” Isabella Rossellini talks about the birds and the bees . . . and the snails, the whales, the spiders and the dragonflies. Based on Rossellini’s series...
Sundance is about film -- and money
PARK CITY, Utah — Don’t let the long lines outside the movie houses here fool you. While people may leave Robert Redford’s Sundance Film Festival talking about the films, they...
Can’t blame J.R. Smith for latest Knicks debacle
For once, it wasn’t J.R. Smith’s fault. The problematic shooting guard, who was benched in two of the Knicks’ previous five games by coach Mike Woodson, actually was a bright...
Victim of motorcyle gang beating sues city, biker cops
The lower Manhattan father who was swarmed and beaten up by a raging motorcycle gang last fall plans to sue the city and two of his alleged attackers, NYPD cops...
Jets’ Wilkerson praises coach Ryan’s contract extension
Jets coach Rex Ryan’s contract extension was a popular move with the players, at least according to star defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson. “I was happy, definitely,” Wilkerson told The Post...
Colts' DB Butler: Seahawks' Wilson more dangerous QB
The Colts played each of the four teams who will be fighting Sunday to get to the Super Bowl. So The Post asked two Colts for their expert insight on...
49ers WRS: We don't fear Seahawks’ physical secondary
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The 49ers insist they aren’t going to be one of those teams that gripes about the physicality of the Seahawks’ secondary. At least that’s what they...
Nets start calendar year on a roll
It wasn’t long ago — just over two weeks — that the Nets were coming off an embarrassing blowout in San Antonio to close the opening two months of the...
Patriots' Aqib Talib ready for Broncos' Peyton Manning
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Even Peyton Manning with his 55 regular-season touchdown passes is unlikely to test Aqib Talib on Sunday. Few quarterbacks have since Talib has emerged as the bedrock...
Rutgers product McCourty excelling as Patriots safety
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — No one embodies the Patriots’ remarkable resiliency on defense this season better than Devin McCourty. The Rutgers product is only in his fourth NFL season, but McCourty...
Serby's NFL playoff Q&A with Demaryius Thomas
Q: How often do you speak to your mother, and when was the last time you spoke to her? A: She calls me [from Federal Correctional Institute prison in Tallahassee,...
Gov. Cuomo to conservatives: Leave NY!
Gov. Cuomo has a message for conservative Republicans — you don’t belong in New York. Cuomo said Friday that members of the GOP with “extreme” views are creating an identity...
Malcolm Smith to run for re-election despite bribery rap
Mr. Smith wants to go back to Albany — even though he’s under indictment. Queens state Sen. Malcolm Smith announced Friday that he’s running for re-election this year despite facing...
De Blasio’s sick-day plan will hurt small businesses: foes
Steamed politicians slammed Mayor de Blasio Friday as he moved to make good on a campaign promise to require even the city’s smallest businesses to foot the bill for employees’...
Avonte may have drowned after running from dog: sources
He may have died facing his two greatest fears — dogs and water.Missing autistic teen Avonte Oquendo was seen running from a dog at a nearby park right after he...
'School of No' principal refuses to hire subs
Days after city officials descended on the “School of No,” Principal Marcella Sills is still flouting the rules — refusing to hire substitutes for absent teachers as part of a...
De Blasio's wife wants office, role at City Hall
Mayor de Blasio’s wife, Chirlane McCray, wants her own office inside City Hall — and to play a hands-on, policy-setting role in her husband’s administration, sources told The Post. Officials...
UN ignores starvation of Palestinians by Syrian regime
Palestinian refugees are being systematically starved to death and denied medical care and humanitarian relief. And yet the United Nations is totally silent: no protests, no condemnations, no resolutions. Dr....
Sheldon Silver discovers democracy
You’re welcome, Sheldon Silver. The Assembly speaker took issue with The Post’s editorial Thursday, which suggested that he saw no urgency in holding special elections for the state Legislature’s 11...