May 29, 2014
Honey, we shrunk the economy
When Brooklyn had its beloved Dodgers, residents coped with disappointment with this oft-repeated declaration: “Wait ’til next year!” Today’s economists have their own version. Amid a five-year economic recovery that’s...
The body-fat snake-oil racketeers
Like millions of other American parents, my husband and I received a warning letter from the Body Mass Index police last week. Our active, healthy 8th grade daughter is “very...
Killing the campuses: The intolerance menace
In a wide-ranging address at Harvard, former Mayor Bloomberg ranged from defending the right to build a mosque near Ground Zero to attacking efforts to ban federal public-health research on...
If they held an election and no one came
He’d hoped it would be a plebiscite for his military coup that toppled Egypt’s first freely elected president last year. Instead, this week’s presidential election seems to have delivered the...
Cuomo's cardinal sin: Did the governor lie to the bishops?
There’s no way around it. Someone’s fibbing. And it’s either our governor or our cardinal. Back in April, after an education-tax-credit bill failed to make it into the state budget,...
Nearly 100 Fuse jobs cut ahead of deal with J.Lo's NuvoTV
Jennifer Lopez’s NuvoTV appears to be stealthily wielding the ax at the soon-to-be-acquired music network Fuse. Around 100 of Fuse’s 200-person staff have been given pink slips in a cost-cutting...
BNP Paribas may face $10 billion fine
BNP Paribas could be facing the guillotine Eric Holder’s Justice Department is pushing the French bank to pay a criminal penalty of at least $10 billion for allegedly dealing with...
Hot Manhattan townhouse back on the market
When Julia Roberts was looking for a temporary New York City home in 2011, she rented 400 West St. Heidi Klum did the same thing in 2010. Yup, this townhouse...
After 20 years, Rangers finally back in Stanley Cup final
Twenty years. It’s been 20 years of heartbreak and folly and mismanagement. Twenty years of bad calls and close calls. Twenty years of team after team and disappointment after disappointment....
Sharp Wheeler propels Mets to third straight win
PHILADELPHIA — After weeks of grinding, Zack Wheeler took a smooth whirl through Citizens Bank Park on Thursday and reminded the Mets he’s capable of dominating a game. Marlon Byrd...
Atlantic Avenue's new bistro makes a French connection
Many Brooklyn restaurants are defined more by their nabes than by their menus. Then there’s charming little French Louie, which belongs less to neighboring Cobble Hill, Boerum Hill or downtown...
Get back in the game with one of NYC's hottest sports leagues
You don’t have to hit like David Wright or score like Carmelo Anthony to enjoy playing team sports around town — just have a desire to have fun and break...
'Reading Rainbow' Kickstarter raises nearly $2M in two days
Actor LeVar Burton is raising money for his “Reading Rainbow” business venture at warp speeds. In just two days, the former “Star Trek: The Next Generation” star has more than...
Walmart defends 'overpaid' executives
Talk about a Mexican standoff. Walmart is refusing to budge an inch after critics bashed the retail giant for overpaying its executives while they mishandled a probe into charges that...
Day in photos
A hippo says hello, a wolf pup howls, robots dance, Mayor Bloomberg is honored and more.
Top Fox TV exec is exiting network
Kevin Reilly, the top executive at Fox broadcast television, is leaving the network next month, the company said on Thursday, after Fox slumped to last place in ratings among the...
Roy Hargrove admits to cocaine possession
Grammy-winning jazz musician Roy Hargrove copped to cocaine possession Thursday in Manhattan Criminal Court in exchange for two days of community service. The 44-year-old virtuoso trumpeter, who has recorded with...
'Sons of Anarchy' casts Marilyn Manson as white supremacist
The FX biker drama “Sons of Anarchy” has cast shock-rocker Marilyn Manson in a recurring role for its upcoming season. After grabbing the attention of series creator Kurt Sutter, Manson...
12 ways to really piss off a New Yorker
We, the citizens of New York, love tourists (no, really, we do!) — you bring economic stimulus into our city and give us oodles of giggles. And we know you...
Guard in hot cell death has record of leaving post
A jail guard investigators say left her post without permission as an inmate lay dying in his 101-degree cell had been disciplined four years earlier for a similar infraction, according...
The pro-Derek Fisher bread crumbs in Phil Jackson's book
Looking for a signal on who will be the Knicks next coach? The answer possibly can be found in the pages of team president’s Phil Jackson’s most recent book, “Eleven...
Newly single Rory jumps to 3-shot lead at Memorial
DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) — Whether it’s his health or his personal life, Rory McIlroy is not easily distracted when he’s on top of his game. McIlroy made two eagles and...
Yankees not ruling out Morales, but hopeful on Teixeira
With the possibility Mark Teixeira’s surgically repaired right wrist is going to need rest throughout the season and no experienced backup first baseman on the roster, Hal Steinbrenner was asked...
The mysterious pitch that saved Dellin Betances' career
It is the unidentifiable flying object that’s impacting baseball like nothing quite else. “It’s a curveball,” said Yankees catcher Brian McCann, who has seen more of it up close than...
Returning from concussion, d’Arnaud must improve on offensive output
PHILADELPHIA — Travis d’Arnaud returned to the Mets’ lineup Thursday, but unless he begins showing dramatic improvement, that might not be such a good thing. “At this point you would...
Dempsey set to start Sunday in World Cup warmup
STANFORD, Calif. — U.S. captain Clint Dempsey’s sore left groin has improved, and coach Jurgen Klinsmann plans to start him in the Americans’ second World Cup warmup this weekend against...
Steve Ballmer to buy Clippers for $2B pending NBA approval
Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is close to completing a $2 billion deal to buy the LA Clippers from racist owner Donald Sterling, in what would be the highest price...
The coach who quietly has Columbia in baseball's NCAA tournament
For the second consecutive year, the focus of the college baseball season for the local programs has shifted to next week’s draft. Some experienced disappointing seasons, others conference tournament heartbreak....
FDA warns tanning beds hazardous to minors
WASHINGTON — Tanning beds and sun lamps will carry new warnings that they should not be used by anyone under age 18, part of a government action announced Thursday aimed...
JPP ready to put two disappointing seasons behind him
Looking leaner and more fit than he has in two years, Jason Pierre-Paul on Thursday described himself as “fully healthy and ready to go’’ as he looks to rebound from...
Army sergeant accused of sexually assaulting 12 soldiers
ST. LOUIS — A Missouri-based Army drill sergeant has been accused of sexually assaulting 12 female soldiers during the past three years, including several while he was deployed in Afghanistan....
Sudden millionaires share their heartwarming, wacky stories
A Rockefeller Center security worker may have to hire his own guard now. Rafik Sulaiman, 59, was on a coffee break from his security-guard job at Rock Center when he...
Observation glass cracks 103 flights above street and scares tourists
Four men had a terrifying few moments when the glass floor they were standing on 103 stories above Chicago in the Willis Tower observation deck appeared to develop cracks. The...
Obama: Sports concussions need more attention
WASHINGTON — Saying he wants kids to play sports but play safely, President Barack Obama called Thursday for more and better research into the effects and treatment of concussions in...
Ron Burke seeing double at Yonkers
Trainer Ron Burke looks to hit a stakes double in the $380,000 Art Rooney and $164,744 Lismore Saturday night at Yonkers Raceway. Burke, the top trainer at Yonkers as well...
Spanish forward David Villa to join NYCFC: report
New York City FC has vowed to use its three Designated Player slots and bring star talent to the city, and it reportedly has made a splash with its first...
Lost season didn’t keep Stevie Brown down
Stevie Brown held the world’s shortest pity party after tearing his ACL last August. The Giants’ playmaking safety said he only felt down about missing the entire 2013 season for...
Montreal coach's spin on Weise injury doesn't add up
There was at least one more move in the head games played between the Rangers and the Canadiens — and, more specifically, between their respective coaches, Alain Vigneault and Michel...
Hal finally has reason to rave about Yankees’ homegrown talent
Carlos Beltran has been out since May 13 and was hitting .234 when he landed on the disabled list. Brian McCann has been healthy since Opening Day and is batting...
NFL players see double standard in long wait for Irsay punishment
What if Jim Irsay were a Colts linebacker? NFL players want to know. Irsay, the Colts linebacker, was arrested March 17 on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. He faced four...
ABC found way to botch another close Indy 500 finish
How ya fixed for pity? I could use some. I now regularly have to work through the astonishment, write that what logically can’t possibly be true is, in fact, true....
Mobster gets 12 years for ordering hit during grandma's funeral
A Colombo crime family capo was sentenced to 12 years in prison Thursday for ordering a hit on a rival gangster — from his own grandmother’s wake. Theodore “Skinny Teddy”...
A beaten man with Jets, Sanchez rejuvenated with Eagles
PHILADELPHIA — Pronouns are the biggest problem for Mark Sanchez these days. As he spoke about his new team on Thursday, Sanchez kept referring to the Eagles as “they” instead...
Man struck and killed by Amtrak train
A man was struck and killed by an Amtrak train in Inwood on Thursday afternoon, authorities said. He was hit by a train heading toward Penn Station about 2:45 p.m....
David Wilson refuses to think of comeback in 'bonus' terms
No offense, but Giants running back David Wilson does not consider his return a “bonus.’’ That’s the way general manager Jerry Reese views having Wilson — his 2012 first-round draft...
Endangered falcons living on top of NYC bridges
Eleven baby peregrine falcons are taking in dramatic views of the city atop some of the area's iconic bridges, the MTA said Thursday. Four adorable chicks are now living in...
Spain star David Villa agrees to join NYCFC in 2015: report
New York City FC has vowed to use its three Designated Player slots and bring star talent to the city, and they reportedly have made a splash with their first...
Body found in river could be man who jumped in with roses
A man's naked body was found floating in the Harlem River off the shore of Roberto Clemente State Park in Morris Heights on Thursday, near where a nude guy was...
Jets' Mornhinweg weighs in: Geno has edge on Vick
Michael Vick was right. It's not a true competition. Though Rex Ryan said Wednesday there would be an open competition for the Jets starting quarterback job this season between Geno Smith...
Man convicted for killing wife who didn't make goat for dinner
The Pakistani immigrant who beat his wife to death because she cooked lentils when he "demanded that she make goat for dinner" was found guilty of murder Thursday. Noor Hussain,...
Taylor Swift needs to ditch her god-awful shoes
Really. Taylor Swift wears some clunky, cheapo, outfit-tainting, all-around awful-looking shoes! To back track, last month the good folks at People pointed out her trending preference for the lace-up oxford...
Alligator found sunbathing by pool in Brooklyn
An alligator living it up poolside in Brooklyn was carted off by cops because neighbors spotted the razor-toothed reptile and freaked out, police said Thursday. Three-foot-long, 3-year-old Dino was sunbathing...
The reason Eli Manning pushed 'far ahead' of ankle schedule
When he finally decided his left ankle was too cranky to ignore, Eli Manning realized an arthroscopic clean-up procedure was the best option to hasten the healing process. But he...
Manhattan coach Steve Masiello has finished college
Steve Masiello should soon be back at Manhattan. Masiello, the basketball coach who was placed on leave by the school in April after it was discovered he had not graduated...
This is the most important hockey game in New York in 20 years
It has been 20 years since the Rangers had a chance at home to clinch a spot in the Stanley Cup Final, 20 years since Stephane Matteau ended Game 7...
White bread is a 'bomb of sugar' that can make you fat
It’s not so Wonder-ful news. White bread is “like a bomb of sugar” and eating six or more slices a day is strongly linked to obesity, Spanish researchers said Thursday....
This baby dances better than you ever will
http://youtu.be/-g8y2_Dokck She’s the tot of twerking! An adorable chubby Korean baby gives Miley Cyrus a run for her money as she shakes her booty in the latest YouTube video to...
Young writers wanted for our Father’s Day contest
He may not be a Met or Yankee — maybe he doesn’t even play ball. But we’re pretty sure the father figure in your life has done something daring, caring...
Add this to the John Daly legend: $55 million in gambling losses
Think about how much money you may have lost gambling, and get ready to feel better about yourself. In an interview on “In Depth with Graham Bensinger,” golfer John Daly...
Killer virgin's parents: It's 'living hell' knowing what our son did
Six people were murdered in their son’s California killing spree, and life for the confused parents has been “hell on earth” ever since. “We are crying in pain for the...
The 10 best jokes from Spike TV's Don Rickles tribute
On Wednesday night, Spike TV saluted a comedy legend with the two-hour special “One Night Only: An All-Star Comedy Tribute to Don Rickles,” in which a host of comedy royalty...
Fox News will interview Hillary Clinton
Hillary Clinton has agreed to a half-hour interview on Fox News next month as she promotes her new book and prepares for a 2016 presidential run. The show is set...
Possible NYC commuter train strike called off until September
It’s good news for LIRR customers — the railroad’s unions have agreed to postpone any potential strike till September. A coalition of LIRR unions had threatened to walk off the...
Livingston played so well, now Nets maybe can't afford him
With the Nets season officially in the books, it’s time to look back at the year that was. We’ll look back at a different player each weekday, before wrapping up...
NYPD cop charged with DWI after accident
An off-duty NYPD detective with 28 years on job was caught boozing behind the wheel in Bensonhurst, cops said. Detective James Nash, 53, was on Quinten Road and West Fifth...
Chris Russo on his new show's critics and not becoming a 'carnival act'
Chris Russo had his doubts, still does. He has been on TV, but never had done a TV-only show before this year. That changed when MLB Network pegged the long-time...
Tom Ford hails Rihanna, Kendall Jenner lands Vogue Paris and more
Kendall Jenner says “oui, oui” to Vogue Paris; meanwhile, Tom Ford tells it how it is, innovative fashion stirs in London and the city’s greatest Kate (Moss) continues to rule...
Basketball insiders see many holes in Sterling's logic
Donald Sterling’s response to the NBA’s attempt to remove him from ownership of the Clippers has more than a few holes in it, according to a source with knowledge of the situation....
5 'Bachelor' couples that defied the odds
The ABC franchise “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette” has unbelievable staying power — there have been a whopping 26 seasons, plus three seasons of its spinoff “Bachelor Pad.” And ABC...
Yankees minor leaguer explains magic of his 4-homer game
There's being "in the zone," then there's the area where Mike Ford resided on Sunday. Ford, a first baseman for the Yankees' Low-A affiliate in Charleston, hit four home runs...
Lundqvist on bouncing back: 'It's not like you can snap your fingers'
Apt that it was goaltending coach Benoit Allaire making the proclamation Thursday morning. Hours before Game 6 of the Eastern Conference final at the Garden, the Rangers still were not...
Construction magnate in crane collapse wants a mistrial
The construction magnate whose crane toppled 240 feet to the ground — killing the operator and another worker in 2008 — wants a judge to declare a mistrial in the just-started civil...
Angelina Jolie soars in an otherwise muddled ‘Maleficent’
Well, there’s still no female superhero movie, but at least we have Angelina Jolie as a pissed-off fairy-tale avenging angel. It’s the role she was born to play! If only...
Steve Phillips: You can't question Wilpons' desire to win
SiriusXM's Mad Dog Sports Radio host and former Mets general manager Steve Phillips talks about the team’s recent shake-up and if fans are right to blame the owners with The...
E-cigs could save 'hundreds of millions of lives': scientists
A group of 53 leading scientists has warned the World Health Organization not to classify e-cigarettes as tobacco products, arguing that doing so would jeopardize a major opportunity to slash...
Woman killed by conductor for getting on wrong train car
NEW DELHI — A woman was crushed to death after a conductor pushed her off a moving train for boarding the wrong coach early Thursday in western India, police said....
Lance Stephenson: rising star and ear-blowing weirdo
Only from New York. Lance Stephenson spent much of the regular season proving himself as one of the NBA's most versatile players, but the "Born Ready" Brooklyn product is using...
7 essential playlists for almost every summer road trip
You only need three things for the perfect road trip: a cool car, a few good friends, and a killer playlist. And while we can’t help you with the car...
Liberty Media's Malone falls into big-is-better camp
Liberty Media chief John Malone looks as if he wants to snatch his cable crown back from Comcast’s Brian Roberts. Malone’s plans to spin off Liberty’s cable broadband holdings into...
These women are stealing the tennis show in Paris
The women's competition at this year's French Open has been turned on its head. Defending champion and world No. 1 Serena Williams was dismissed by 35th-ranked Garbine Muguruza of Spain,...
Tyson tops Pilgrim's Pride with $6.2B offer for Hillshire
Hillshire Brands has another suitor. Two days after poultry producer Pilgrim’s Pride made a $5.58 billion bid for the maker of Ball Park hot dogs and Jimmy Dean sausages, Tyson...
Indian sisters were gang-raped, strangled, then hung in mango tree
Two teenage sisters were found hanging from a mango tree in India after being gang raped and strangled by at least five men, two of which are allegedly local police...
Manny apologizes for being Manny: 'I behaved bad in Boston'
BOSTON — Manny Ramirez apologized Wednesday for his behavior with the Boston Red Sox in his first public appearance since being hired as a minor league player-coach with the Chicago...
Knicks will return to London for regular-season game
The NBA will play regular-season games in Mexico City and London as part of its extended global schedule for next season. The Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves will play at...
If you watch lots of porn, your brain will be smaller
Men who report watching a lot of pornography tend to have less volume and activity in regions of the brain linked to rewards and motivation, says a new German study....
Scout with sick wife: Dolphins fired me for working from home
A former Miami Dolphins scout has threatened a lawsuit against the franchise and the NFL alleging his recent dismissal violated the Americans with Disabilities Act. FOX Sports 1 has learned...
Missing Flight MH370 was never in main search area
The missing Malaysia Airlines plane isn't in the area thought to be its most likely resting point, lead investigators said Thursday. The 300-mile zone in the Indian Ocean that search...
Obama: Putin operating from a 'position of weakness'
WASHINGTON — President Obama doesn’t mind China being a “big dog” in Asia, and described Russian President Vladimir Putin as operating from a “position of weakness” in Ukraine. He described his...
A third of the world is fat and no country is immune
LONDON — Almost a third of the world is now fat, and no country has been able to curb obesity rates in the last three decades, according to a new...
Dish Network to accept bitcoin payments
Dish Network Corp. says it will become the largest company yet to accept payment in bitcoin. The satellite-TV company says it will begin accepting the digital coins through payment processor...
GDP contracts after US economy is battered by harsh winter
The US economy was battered even more than first suspected by the harsh winter, actually shrinking from January through March. But economists are confident the contraction was temporary. The economy...
9/11 Museum gift shop yanks USA-shaped cheese platter
A piece of questionable kitsch has been removed from the taste-challenged 9/11 museum gift store, officials said Thursday. The tacky keepsake — a cheese platter shaped like the contiguous United...
Thugs slug elderly woman, steal purse in broad daylight
A pair of heartless thieves slugged an elderly woman, knocked her down and snatched her purse as she slowly pushed a cart full of groceries to her Jamaica home, police...
Only 2% of Google employees are black
SAN JOSE, Calif. — In a groundbreaking disclosure, Google revealed how very white and male its workforce is — just 2 percent of its Googlers are black, 3 percent are...
Commercial pilot had 62 bags of cocaine in his stomach
A commercial airline pilot is recovering in a hospital after swallowing 62 bags of cocaine on a flight, only to have one break inside his stomach, forcing him to turn...
Troubled Iraq vet carrying shotgun, machete found on city bus
A troubled Iraq war veteran who believed he was trying to protect Americans from a bloody civil war was busted after riding a Brooklyn bus while carrying a 12-gauge shotgun,...
Father who drowned toddler sentenced to life in prison
A callous New Jersey father was sentenced to life in prison Wednesday for killing his 2-year-old daughter by throwing her into a creek while she was strapped in a car...
SEC’s in no rush to punish Steve Cohen
Former hedge-fund kingpin Steve Cohen could get a little more time before the Securities and Exchange Commission decides whether to bar the billionaire investor from the industry for life. Prosecutors,...
City yanks license of carriage driver who forced injured horse to work
He’s been reined in for good. A horse-carriage driver who was busted after allegedly forcing an injured horse to pull passengers in Central Park this winter has been booted from...
Former councilman facing federal corruption charges claims insanity
Former City Councilman and “pagan prince” Dan Halloran now says he’s crazy — but it’s only to stall his trial next week on charges that he aided in Rep. Malcolm...
City Council votes Thursday on bills to reduce traffic deaths
The City Council will vote Thursday on 17 “Vision Zero” bills and resolutions, as part of Mayor de Blasio's goals to end traffic deaths within 10 years. The legislation includes...
Blackhawks stave off elimination with 2-OT win over Kings
CHICAGO — Michal Handzus is every day of 37 years old and 15 seasons in the NHL. He knows he’s near the end of his career. He knows he’s slower...
Hotel founder Chatwal beats drug-trafficking case after a year of rehab
Dream Hotel founder and world-renowned playboy Vikram Chatwal has beaten the rap on his felony drug-trafficking case that could have landed him in a Florida prison for 20 years, sources...
Brooklyn pols in Twitter fight over police tactics
Former mayoral candidate Sal Albanese and Brooklyn City Councilman Brad Lander got into a fierce Twitter fight on Wednesday over the de Blasio administration’s policing tactics. Albanese, a Bay Ridge...
Carriage drivers want OK for horses as city eyes ferret ban's end
Stuff the ferrets, Mr. Mayor — and save the horses. That’s the loud-and-clear message from the city’s horse-carriage drivers, who couldn’t understand Wednesday how the de Blasio administration could consider...
George, Pacers stay alive by holding LeBron to 7 points
INDIANAPOLIS — Paul George scored 31 of his 37 points in the second half Wednesday night and almost single-handedly kept the Pacers alive in the Eastern Conference finals with a...
Hondo makes a Brave pick
Hondo brought his deficit back into three figures Wednesday night when his victories with the Marlins and Reds overwhelmed a lone loss with the Pods and lowered the dirty digits...
Yankees' Teixeira sits out third straight game
ST. LOUIS — Mark Teixeira still doesn’t believe his bothersome right wrist is a serious issue, but did admit to being disappointed the joint forced him to sit out a...
Small ball will only take resourceful Yankees so far
ST. LOUIS — Maybe those ornery Yankees fans from the Curtis Granderson/Nick Swisher years had a point, after all. Perhaps those teams really DID hit too many home runs. Nah....
Sterling changes his mind over selling the Clippers
Donald Sterling authorized his wife to sell his beloved LA Clippers — then suddenly changed his mind and blasted the NBA for trying to strip him of the team over...
Schneiderman announces charges in cocaine-ring bust
Authorities on Wednesday took down a massive cocaine ring allegedly run by a Washington Heights couple that flooded an upstate town with narcotics. State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced the...
Progressives against the press
What is it about progressives that makes them so determined to keep the public in the dark once they enter public office? Exhibit A is our own mayor. Last year,...
Shrink the Port Authority
This week the Port Authority’s board put off a vote on the $1.2 billion loan guarantee for 3 World Trade Center, the office tower being built by developer Larry Silverstein....
The long gray whine
When John Kennedy addressed West Point’s Class of 1962, he told them the burden of defending freedom “will require more from you than ever before in our history.” The nature...
Let's stop 'talking about race'
Tell us less: That seems to be the message that listeners have sent to NPR executives. “Tell Me More,” the daily public-radio newscast on racial issues and diversity, has finally...
A chance for an ally: Conservative rising in Britain
Well, well. Opportunity knocks — and with the broad smile of Nigel Farage, leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party: The UKIP has stunned just about everyone by eclipsing both...
Obama bunts for the fences in foreign policy
We can all rest easy, because yesterday, the president of the United States assured the graduating cadets at West Point and the rest of America that, despite enormous pressure, he...
Who's selling out? Cuomo, the WFP --- maybe both
New York’s Working Families Party travels to Albany Saturday to pick a candidate for governor. And to reveal its soul. Will the party designate incumbent Democrat Andrew Cuomo to head...
Rangers feel urgency: 'Anything can happen' in Game 7
It’s not so much what lies directly ahead, but what lies beyond it that should put a scare into the Rangers. There is little question the sole focus for the...
Oil tanker explodes off the coast of Japan
TOKYO — A Japanese oil tanker exploded Thursday off the country's southwest coast near Himeji port, leaving one of the eight people aboard missing, the coast guard said. Four others...