February 23, 2014
Nets triumph over Lakers in Collins’ debut
LOS ANGELES -- On a night when the focus was on everything but basketball for the Nets, they managed to come up with a crucial victory. Behind big games from...
RFK Jr. goes to bat for sister ahead of trial
You’ve been warned: The fate of the planet hangs in the balance if Kerry Kennedy is convicted of drugged driving in a New York trial that gets under way Monday....
How long will it take for Collins to be just another player?
So maybe there was a greater purpose at hand when the Nets were constructed as they were, a significance that lies somewhere beyond whatever hopes remain they can make an...
Knicks may turn to Diogu
The Knicks are mulling whether to use one of their two roster spots on power forward Ike Diogu, who impressed the team during training camp but was released, according to...
Ike Davis kept Mets in dark over injury during 2013 struggles
PORT ST. LUCIE — Ike Davis concealed an oblique injury from Mets officials for most of last season because of bad timing and the fact he was struggling and didn’t...
Fast times: WRs crush clock at NFL combine
INDIANAPOLIS — For teams in need of wide receivers — and we’re looking especially at you, Jets — Sunday’s proceedings here at NFL Scouting Combine must have felt a bit...
Holocaust survivor, subject of Oscar-nominated film dies at 110
LONDON -- Alice Herz-Sommer, believed to be the oldest Holocaust survivor, died at age 110 on Sunday, a family member said. The accomplished pianist's extraordinary story of surviving two years...
Gardner deal is the most sensible of Yankees offseason
TAMPA — From desperation and emotionalism to vision and proactivity. Should we credit the warmer weather down here for helping the Yankees see the light? Brett Gardner and the Yankees...
Jeter rounds bases, ‘good shot’ to start Grapefruit opener
TAMPA — Unless something happens between now and Thursday, expect to see Derek Jeter in the Yankees’ lineup against the Pirates at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Jeter ran the bases...
Piers Morgan stepping down from prime-time
CNN’s Piers Morgan says he’ll be stepping down from his ratings-challenged talk show, noting that his show has “run its course.” The former London newspaper editor bluntly said that his...
Why Dolan has held off on firing Woodson
While the Nets are making history, the Knicks are making a mess. It’s all over but the “Fire Woodson’’ chants. Those surely will make a return Monday at the Garden...
Mets' Flores taking grounders at shortstop
PORT ST. LUCIE — Wilmer Flores is looking forward to showing the Mets he can play his old position. The rookie infielder has been taking grounders at shortstop since arriving...
Islanders' Vanek: 'Ridiculous' reaction to Olympic partying
Thomas Vanek certainly enjoyed his time in Sochi, just as he is enjoying his time with the Islanders — and both situations will be short-lived. It’s inevitable that by the...
Walters hoping to find role in Mets’ bullpen
PORT ST. LUCIE — Lots of names are being thrown around this spring with all the Mets’ strong, young arms in camp. Remember this one: Jeff Walters. The right-handed reliever...
Rangers get no traction on Callahan-St. Louis swap: sources
Reigning Art Ross Trophy winner and Canadian gold medal winner Martin St. Louis’ name has been in and out of play with the Rangers since Jan. 7, when he was...
2014 Sochi Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony
Russia celebrated 17 days of sport-driven global unity on Sunday night with a farewell show that hands off the Winter Games to their next host, Pyeongchang in South Korea.
The day in photos
Parades in Spain, the Sochi closing ceremony and the aftermath of the opposition movement in Ukraine.
Victim ID'd in fatal garbage truck accident
A man studying to be a rabbi was fatally run over by a city sanitation truck while crossing the street in Crown Heights on Sunday, sources said. Gedalia Gruntzweig, 25...
Faulty pipe behind deadly carbon monoxide leak on Long island
A faulty flue pipe from a hot-water heater was behind the carbon-monoxide leak that killed a manager at a Long Island eatery and hospitalized more than two dozen others, including...
Celebrities flaunt hot bikini bods
Leave winter behind and get ready to suit up for summer—just like these stars who sizzle in barely-there bikinis.
Cashman good on his word to Gardner with 4-year contract
TAMPA — In December Brian Cashman informed Brett Gardner’s representatives the Yankees were interested in retaining the speedy outfielder with a contract extension despite having signed Jacoby Ellsbury to a...
Protesters take over Ukrainian president's vacation palace
Protesters took over Ukrainian President Yanukovych's countryside residence in Mezhyhirya. While some stood guard outside the palace, others toured the grounds while some even sat on the president's old toilet.
St. John's rewind: Harrison made right play at wrong time
St. John’s winning streak came to an end Saturday afternoon in Philadelphia at the hands of ninth-ranked Villanova. The shorthanded Johnnies dropped a hard-fought 57-54 decision at Wells Fargo Arena,...
US to Putin: Don't send troops into Ukraine
WASHINGTON — President Obama’s national security adviser warned Russian President Vladimir Putin that it “would be a grave mistake” to send troops into Ukraine. “It’s not in the interests of...
NBA’s 1st openly gay player takes the court
LOS ANGELES -- Jason Collins made history Sunday, signing a 10-day contract with the Nets and becoming the first openly gay player in any of the four major American professional...
Samsung unveils fitness tracking smartwatches
BARCELONA, Spain — Samsung unveiled two new computerized wristwatches on Sunday, this time including health sensors and related fitness features to give people a reason to buy one. Samsung's first...
Garbage truck strikes, kills pedestrian
A person was killed by a city sanitation truck in Brooklyn Sunday morning, officials said. The unidentified victim was crushed by the garbage truck’s wheels at around 9:15 a.m. near...
Microsoft to release major Windows update in spring
BARCELONA, Spain — Microsoft will update its Windows system this spring to address some of the gripes people have had when they use devices without touch capabilities. Windows 8 and...
Silver-winning Lundqvist must now guide Rangers to playoffs
Henrik Lundqvist comes home from Sochi on top of his game if not the hockey world, with his first Olympic silver medal rather than his second gold, facing the mundane...
Costliest Olympics ever end with nod to own failure
SOCHI, Russia — Flushed with pride after a spectacular showing at the costliest Olympics ever, Russia celebrated 17 days of sport-driven global unity on Sunday night with a farewell show that...
Put world's worst drug lord in US prison: Congressman
WASHINGTON – A top lawmaker Sunday called for the extradition to the United States of drug kingpin Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, who was captured in Mexico but has a history...
What happened to the First Lady of Scientology?
The Church of Scientology has many mysteries. The true motivations of its founder, science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard, and the creation myth, which is supposed to involve an alien...
Emotionally disturbed man killed when running across highway
An emotionally disturbed man dressed only in his underwear was killed when he dashed across a busy Queens highway and was hit by an airport shuttle van, authorities said. The...
Canada wins gold with 3-0 win over Sweden
SOCHI, Russia — Jonathan Toews scored in the first period, captain Sidney Crosby scored his first goal of the tournament and Canada defended its Olympic men's hockey title Sunday with...
City's jobless rate is higher than rest of the nation's
The Big Apple’s recovery is rotten. New York City is falling behind, crushed by a middle-class economic rut of low-wage job growth and widening poverty, according to an alarming new...
Babe Ruth's 1923 World Series gold watch sold for $717K
A 14-carat gold watch presented to Babe Ruth for helping the Yankees win the 1923 World Series sold at auction in Manhattan on Saturday for $717,000. Heritage Auctions — which...
Burglar steals Breeder's Cup trophy from Aqueduct
A burglar broke into Aqueduct and raced off with a Breeder’s Cup trophy and expensive electronics, cops said. The thief struck Thursday night when the track was closed, breaking into...
There’s no end to this Knicks nightmare
ATLANTA — How bad? This bad: The Knicks won’t even get you out of February, and that’s almost impossible to believe given the level of expectations attached to this team,...
This week's couple: Puff love
One would think that two people game to go on a blind date are up for trying new things. We put that theory to the test when we sent Laura,...
Cuddly cutie seeks a lady who loves to kick up her heels
Marcus, 28 Enjoys moving to the music — but can the Bronx-bred creative consultant find a woman to be his dance partner? House shoes: Marcus has a thing for women...
Hedgehogs popularity soaring as household pets
It all started with a Google search. Amanda Munz, 23, of Lindenhurst, LI, was Googling “weird animals” with her little brother, when she came upon the humble hedgehog. Enthralled by...
New company lets ladies rent guys for dates, handyman tasks and more
A couple Mondays ago, Anne, a fashion manager from Brooklyn Heights, had a mini panic attack. Her boss extended an 11th-hour invite to an event and told Anne she could...
Meet the 'human canvases' of TV's 'Ink Master'
The night before Tracy Grazianno was scheduled to get tattooed by a stranger in front of television cameras, her boyfriend of a few months was walking home on Long Island...
5 suprising facts about musician Neneh Cherry
At the end of the 1980s, Neneh Cherry’s vibrant hip-hop sound was all over MTV and radio, as her song “Buffalo Stance” stormed up the charts (peaking at No. 3...
Park Slope couple put a new spin on New York's classic bagel
It's a sad truth: Adorable mini things typically don’t taste nearly as good as their full-size counterparts — as evidenced by Costco products and many a wedding reception hors d’oeuvre....
One dead after carbon monoxide leak at Long Island mall
The manager of a Long Island restaurant was killed and 27 others were sickened by carbon monoxide that leaked into the eatery’s basement in the Walt Whitman Shopping Center on...
'Walking Dead' star: 'I don't like confrontation'
On “The Walking Dead,” Norman Reedus plays Daryl Dixon, a rough-around-the-edges hick with a heart of gold — and a penchant for employing a crossbow to shoot zombies in the...
Alderson happy with Young in OF over Cruz
PORT ST. LUCIE — Nelson Cruz was there for the taking, but the Mets weren’t biting. The veteran outfielder Cruz agreed to a one-year deal with the Orioles worth $8...
Nets rewind: Brooklyn needs to win tough games ahead
OAKLAND – Here are my three thoughts on the Nets’ 93-86 loss to the Warriors on Saturday night: 1. If the Nets were going to come away from this six...
Garnett pitches Brooklyn to Glen Davis
OAKLAND, Calif. — For years, Doc Rivers and Kevin Garnett were fighting side-by-side. Now the Clippers coach and Nets big man are fighting each other — for the right to...
Ex-Madoff employee will take stand in her own defense
A longtime secretary and top confidante to Bernie Madoff accused of helping pull off his epic $17 billion Ponzi scheme plans to break her silence by testifying before a Manhattan...
Daily blotter
Manhattan Next time, mind your own business! A man who jumped into an argument on a Greenwich Village street got stabbed for his trouble, police sources said. Joseph Grey, 22,...
De Blasio still owes onmayoral campaign stop parking ticket: report
Mayor de Blasio doesn’t just get in trouble when he moves — he gets in trouble when he stops, too. The mayor’s car was slapped with a $115 parking ticket...
De Blasio bishop a Brooklyn powerhouse despite money, legal woes
How can a pastor who doesn’t pay his bills or file tax returns become one of Brooklyn’s most influential power brokers? If he’s Bishop Orlando Findlayter — the man Mayor...
City Council weighs ban on pet stores buying from unlicensed breeders
A bill that would bar city pet stores from buying cats and dogs from unlicensed breeders is set to be introduced to the City Council this Wednesday. Pet stores would...
Woman sexually abused during massage in spa: lawsuit
A day meant to be filled with serenity and relaxation turned into a nightmare for a Long Island woman who says she was sexually assaulted at a lower Manhattan luxury...
Author cheated Bronx dog trainer out of book profits: lawsuit
A Bronx dog trainer says she has been cheated over a kids’ storybook about how to meet dogs. Eve Demian says prolific children’s book author Stephanie Calmenson used her ideas,...
Suspect son cannot collect on murdered mom's life insurance: court papers
A Brooklyn man can’t collect on his mother’s insurance because the NYPD hasn’t cleared him in her stabbing death eight years ago, according to court papers. Jian Liang Dong’s mother,...
Rikers guard paid woman's bail for sex behind bars: court papers
A Rikers Island guard paid an inmate’s bail in exchange for sex, she says in a shocking legal claim. Latasha Goldsmith, 31, says correction Officer Rene Alvarez Jr. gave her...
Brooklyn boy beaten by school bullies: lawsuit
A Brooklyn sixth-grader was assaulted by classmates while staffers at IS 104 in Bay Ridge looked the other way, a lawsuit alleges. The boy, then 12, was repeatedly “punched in...
LOVE-sculpture leaper smashed man into sidewalk: lawsuit
One man took a leap for love — and landed right on an octogenarian, according to a lawsuit. Upper East Sider Raymond Wolff says he was walking past the LOVE...
DA wants court to decide who gets Marcos valuables
It’s a stash worthy of a first lady. The Manhattan DA’s Office is sitting on more than $15 million in cash, as well as 52 paintings and 114 pieces of...
Yankee statue destroyed -- for the metal
Now, this is bush league. Thieves destroyed a statue of former Yankee pitcher Cory Lidle in California last week in an attempt to steal the bronze and copper it’s made...
Teens defend 'fail factory' school in error-filled letters
These kids should learn write from wrong. Earlier this month, The Post exposed a scheme at Manhattan’s Murry Bergtraum HS for Business Careers in which failing students could get full...
Troubled Harlem housing provider to get windfall for debts
A politically connected Harlem housing provider is set to sell a vacant plot of land for $1.2 million — but critics doubt the windfall will actually help needy tenants. The...
Mayor’s entourage faster than cabs: Post radar-gun survey
Mr. Mayor, taxis are going slower than you! At the same time de Blasio’s entourage was spotted speeding through Queens, The Post found cabs were treading lightly on the gas...
Warner Bros.ripped off Brooklyn filmmaker's script: suit
It’s a plot straight out of a Hollywood whodunit: high-tech sleuths hunting for clues in computer disks, ballpoint ink and UPC codes. But these are plot twists in a very...
Cops shoot knife-wielding woman after allegedly tackling officer
Cops shot a knife-wielding Brooklyn woman in the hip after she tackled an officer to the ground inside her family’s Bedford-Stuy- vesant apartment, police sources said. The woman’s parents called...
Protesters demand Puerto Rican Parade leaders clean up act
No más secrets! Dozens of protesters stormed the National Puerto Rican Day Parade headquarters in The Bronx on Saturday to demand newly appointed organizers end “cronyism and political favors” and...
De Blasio, wife overlooking parents in pre-K push
She calls universal pre-kindergarten “the defining issue of our times” and the “civil-rights issue of our times.” She invokes Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr., Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth and Thurgood...
Nets fall as Warriors use size to dominate inside
OAKLAND – The Nets had spent the past three days prior to Saturday’s game against the Warriors talking about their need to add another big man, after failing to acquire...
McConaughey's climb from rom-coms to acting greatness
Don’t call it a comeback — it’s The McConaissance. Best known for Chicklet teeth, washboard abs and two-dimensional roles in dishwater rom-coms, Matthew McConaughey has transformed himself — or, more...
Corrupt ‘Kids for Cash’ judge ruined more than 2,000 lives
Hillary Transue, 14, created a fake, humorous Myspace page about her school’s vice principal. Justin Bodnar, 12, cursed at another student’s mother. Ed Kenzakoski, 17, did nothing at all. It...
Texas teacher dodges jail, gets probation for sex with student
A Texas high-school teacher who bedded a 16-year-old student dodged jail time because she wrote an apology to his mother. Nikki Scherwitz, 25, will get 10 years’ probation in exchange...
Bieber dodges jail time in reported plea deal
Beliebers rejoice! Teen idol Justin Bieber will avoid jail under a plea deal reportedly offered for his drunken-driving charge in Florida. The 19-year-old singer — who was cuffed in Miami...
The week's must-read books
Wonderkid by Wesley Stace (Overlook) Stace, who used to record as John Wesley Harding, takes on the burgeoning world of kiddie music in his new novel. Brit rocker Blake Lear...
In My Library: Jane Pauley
In her nearly three decades at NBC, Jane Pauley interviewed a lot of achievers — people with purpose and passion. Indeed, she married one: Garry Trudeau, a man with whom...
Taxi TV's Sandy Kenyon shares his favorite movie cab scenes
Since 2008, when he started reviewing movies for Taxi TV — his old-timey newsman voice booming from the back seat of cabs around the city — Sandy Kenyon has become...