December 23, 2014
Barclay hotel looks to make it a suite stay for president, VIPs
“Obama slept here” may not be a big tourist draw just yet, but it’s key for one of only two hotels where the sitting president can stay when he’s in...
NYC’s victory over lawlessness being reversed by anti-cop mayor
It would not be accurate to look back with nostalgia at the period before last Saturday as a time of innocence. New York was being roiled daily by anti-police mobs,...
Gunmaker staring down $1B in debt as gun sales slump
Cerberus Capital Management’s bet on America’s biggest gunmaker has backfired. After rolling up several famous firearm makers and rebranding them as Remington Outdoor Co., Cerberus will have trouble unloading its...
Mighty MetLife in talks to consolidate at namesake tower
When your name is splayed in 15-foot-high letters across the top of a significant Midtown building, it’s hard to give it up. We’ve now learned that mighty MetLife is considering...
Family that launched Jordache jeans buys $90M Miami hotel
The Nakash family has signed a contract to buy the swanky Setai Hotel in Miami Beach for close to $90 million, The Post has learned. “It’s the jewel of Miami...
Reeling Devils fall to Hurricanes in shootout
It’s a poor trifecta for the Devils — they still are struggling to score goals, still struggling in shootouts and still struggling to win at home. Chris Terry scored the...
Cotillard shines in compassionate 'Two Days, One Night'
In the latest movie from Belgian directors Jean-Luc and Pierre Dardenne, Marion Cotillard plays a worker at a solar-panel plant whose depression has kept her from work for months. To...
Islanders' winning streak snapped by Canadiens
The Islanders can’t win them all. Carey Price held the fort, and Andrei Markov and Brendan Gallagher scored second-period goals as the Canadiens cooled off the Islanders with a 3-1...
Plumlee propels Nets to come-from-behind win over Nuggets
Mason Plumlee isn’t ready to give up his spot in the starting lineup. Continuing his excellent play since moving into the starting five two weeks ago, Plumlee finished with 19...
Red-hot Rangers clip Capitals for seventh straight win
The Rangers had dominated, dictated and led the Caps 2-0 through two periods Tuesday night, during which Marc Staal would later say, “They weren’t giving us much, to be honest.”...
George H.W. Bush hospitalized as 'precaution'
HOUSTON — Former President George H.W. Bush was admitted to a Houston hospital Tuesday evening after experiencing shortness of breath, a family spokesman said. Bush, 90, was taken by ambulance...
Kim Dickens takes lead in ‘Dead’ spinoff ‘Cobalt’
"The Walking Dead” spinoff has found its leading lady. Kim Dickens has been cast opposite Cliff Curtis in “Cobalt,” which will be set in LA at the outbreak of the...
Hulu's 'The Wrong Mans' offers more double trouble for Season 2
Mathew Baynton and James Corden have taken another “Wrong” turn. The British actors are back with a four-episode installment of their BBC dramedy “The Wrong Mans,” available Wednesday on Hulu....
Gang members threaten to shoot up NYPD station house
The NYPD set up SWAT teams at two Bedford-Stuyvesant police precincts Tuesday night — after a confidential informant told cops about overhearing a gang plot to “shoot it out” at...
Game-breaker or pricey puzzle? Jets' offseason may hinge on this call
It appears John Idzik is in his final days as general manager of the Jets. With Woody Johnson out hiring consultants, no one around the league expects Idzik to return....
The biggest surprise youngster to enter Giants' 2015 plans
The youth movement was born out of necessity, coincided with a serendipitous drop in the level of competition and arrived with the Giants already out of reasonable playoff contention. So...
Giants star rookie Odell Beckham Jr. named Pro Bowl alternate
No Giants player was voted into the 2015 Pro Bowl but figure rookie Odell Beckham Jr. will find his way into the game. Beckham in voting results revealed Tuesday night...
De Blasio and Dinkins: When cops and mayors feud
Bill de Blasio is fortunate in one way and one way only this week. Unlike New York City’s last Democratic mayor, who found himself at cross purposes with his own...
Unexpected Christmas miracles
Dad used to tell us his favorite Christmas story. In the boiling Pacific of World War II, Dad was on USS Cleveland and saw the intensity of naval warfare at...
Christians at risk: Will Lebanon go way of region?
As Christmas nears, this column takes an annual look at the plight of Christians under assault around the world. The Muslim-dominated Arab Mideast, where Christian populations dwindle faster than January...
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,...
Angelina Jolie’s ‘Unbroken’ is a pointless torture-a-thon
“Unbroken” is a cinematic scrapbook, a collection of well-composed scenes practically cut and pasted from “Memphis Belle,” “Chariots of Fire,” “Life of Pi” and “The Bridge on the River Kwai.”...
Anti-cop protesters march in defiance of de Blasio's appeal
More than 1,000 anti-cop protesters defied Mayor Bill de Blasio and flooded Manhattan on Tuesday evening, marching through the Fifth Avenue shopping district before heading uptown. “The mayor says stop...
Tim Burton’s ‘Big Eyes’ is a winsome comedy about kitschy Keane paintings
Who gets to say what art is? Does honest emotion count for more than cold abstraction? If Andy Warhol likes it, does that make it OK? “Big Eyes” toys with...
Ex-porn star gets life in prison for killing and dismembering lover
TORONTO — A Canadian man was sentenced to life in prison Tuesday for killing and dismembering his Chinese lover and mailing the body parts to schools and political parties across...
Wahlberg’s ‘The Gambler’ a good bet for filmgoers
I wish I’d been present at the meeting where someone suggested Mark Wahlberg as a college literature professor steeped in Camus and Shakespeare. Can we also look forward to Michael...
Robber strikes two Upper West Side banks
A robber barged into two Upper West Side banks within a half-hour of each other and demanded cash Tuesday morning, cops said. The first crime occurred at 9:45 a.m. at...
‘American Sniper’ is the year’s most extraordinary film
There is a class of men in whom is contained a distilled essence of the American spirit. Sturdy, taciturn and mysterious, these men tend to come from places like Virginia,...
6 reasons North West's Christmas is going to be better than yours
It’s not her fault her first residence was the womb of one of the world’s most sought-after women. Nor is it a coincidence that her father’s résumé lists him as...
Powerful allegory in 'Leviathan' explores Putin's corrupt Russia
Kolya is an itinerant mechanic with a house overlooking a prime patch of Russia’s northern coast. That house is coveted by the local mayor, who’s more mob boss than politician....
Six things to know about TV’s ‘Yule Log’
For decades, Christmas time has meant the return of that quintessential holiday TV program, “The Yule Log.” The static image of a wood-burning fireplace — accompanied by a holiday soundtrack—...
Navy investigating SEAL who killed bin Laden
The ex-Navy SEAL who went on a publicity tour claiming he gunned down Osama bin Laden during a raid on the terror chief’s hideout is now in hot water for...
Brilliant ‘Selma’ shines a light on Martin Luther King Jr.
Brilliantly acted and directed, Ava DuVernay’s towering "Selma" is Hollywood’s definitive depiction of the 1960s American civil rights movement — as well as perhaps the most timely movie you’ll see...
Red Bulls' new GM is MLS veteran Ali Curtis
The Red Bulls moved on from the Andy Roxburgh era by hiring new sporting director Ali Curtis on Tuesday. It remains to be seen if they have moved on from...
Rex Ryan: I'll win Super Bowl as a coach, I'm that good
Rex Ryan probably won’t have a job Monday, but he’s still confident he will guide a team to a Super Bowl victory. “I see myself winning it as a head...
The niche dating sites to find a bearded man or the clown of your dreams
Sure, Tinder and OkCupid give you access to a general pool of singles — but what if you don’t have time to sift through all of that to find, say,...
Woman who makes $6K a month off Airbnb rental ordered to stop
A woman has been “profiteering” from her government-subsidized, rent-controlled Central Park duplex by renting out bedrooms through Airbnb, a Manhattan judge said, ordering her to stop immediately. Manhattan Supreme Court...
Man exhibiting Ebola-like symptoms rushed to Bellevue
A man suffering from Ebola-like symptoms was rushed from an Upper West Side apartment building to Bellevue Hospital on Tuesday — but officials determined that he did not have the...
Mets' L.J. Mazzilli banned 50 games for second failed drug test
One of the Mets’ better prospects, and a link to the organization’s past, suffered a significant setback Tuesday. L.J. Mazzilli, a second baseman, has been suspended for 50 games after...
They’re back! First ‘Entourage’ trailer drops
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vz2HyCgUWh4 Welcome back, guys. After saying goodbye to the small screen in 2011, the boys from “Entourage” are back — only this time, they plan to take the actual box...
Let's watch Noah Syndergaard lift in a goofy Christmas onesie
What has top Mets prospect Noah Syndergaard been doing this winter, apart from being tossed into the slow-burn Troy Tulowitzki trade discussions? Well, from the Instagram looks of it, the...
The 14 most cringe-worthy moments of 2014
As hard as it is to believe, another year has swiftly gone by. And while 2014 has brought us some incredible moments — Derek Jeter’s swan song, the royals invading...
Who is Kanye’s latest fashion inspiration?
Kanye West isn’t the kind of guy who just throws something on before he leaves the house. Every time he appears in public, the Chicagoan knows all too well that...
Operation 'Bad Gifts' seizes counterfeit goods at JFK airport
Holiday gift-givers avoided a Christmas calamity this year thanks to Operation "Bad Gifts" — a US Customs and Border Protection probe that led to the seizures of hundreds of bogus designers...
Famous actors and their famous scars
Michael K. Williams, who will appear in "The Gambler," (out Dec. 25), isn't the only Hollywood actor with a famous scar. Here are 14 other stars who are notable for...
NFL power rankings: Can the Bengals do the unthinkable?
It might be time to take the Bengals seriously. Of course, not as seriously as “they might win the Super Bowl,” because the road to Glendale in the AFC is...
The best way to start the day: breakfast with a giraffe
It’s a rare feeling in life when something not only lives up to your expectations but also wildly exceeds them. Walking on the grounds of Giraffe Manor on the outskirts...
The forbidden Cuban cigars you need to get your hands on
The news that the U.S. and Cuba agreed to seek to reestablish diplomatic relations stunned the world. Reactions varied depending on one’s political bent, but cigar smokers are ever hopeful....
Airline baggage handler arrested for trafficking guns to NYC
ATLANTA — An Atlanta airline baggage handler suspected of helping smuggle firearms onto passenger jets to New York City has been arrested by federal agents, authorities said Monday. An FBI affidavit...
Classic Camaro swiped from Long Island garage
Have you seen this hot rod? A crook with good taste in classic cars swiped an old-school Camaro right from someone’s garage in Long Island. The bitchin' 1971 Chevy Camaro...
US moves to allow blood donations from gay men
Federal health officials are recommending an end to the nation's lifetime ban on blood donations from gay and bisexual men, a 31-year-old policy that many medical groups and gay activists...
New Jersey man found fighting for ISIS
A German journalist who was embedded with ISIS fighters in Iraq and Syria for 10 days said he met more than a dozen Americans among the terrorists’ ranks — but was...
Michael Grimm pleads guilty to tax evasion
Amid a drumbeat of calls for his resignation, Rep. Michael Grimm pleaded guilty to felony tax evasion Tuesday and then vowed to hold on his Staten Island congressional seat. Wearing...
I found my 3-year-old son in ISIS propaganda
An anguished mother says a terror tyke seen in ISIS propaganda sporting a black headband and a tiny AK-47 is her son – and she's pleading for help in getting...
J.R. Smith doesn't mince words: Knicks season 'a nightmare'
J.R. Smith said what all Knicks fans are feeling 30 games into this disaster of a season. “It’s a nightmare,” Smith said after practice Tuesday. “We just got to wake...
Yankees' cold-blooded A-Rod approach was missing with Jeter
The organization that talks more about winning-or-bust than any other — maybe more than all the others combined — last year prioritized Derek Jeter’s farewell tour over victories. Let us count the...
The tsunami disaster area 10 years later
A decade has passed since a tsunami devastated Banda Aceh, Indonesia. See photos from the initial disaster and its aftermath and the region's recovery 10 years later.
9/11 charity to help families of executed cops
A charity created in the wake of 9/11 will take over the mortgage payments for the families of slain Police Officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos, it was announced Tuesday....
Gucci addresses worker-exploitation accusations
Italian fashion house Gucci announced it will strengthen control of the brand’s suppliers after a TV program uncovered Chinese employees working 14 hours a day to assemble Gucci’s famous handbags...
Meet the fairy tale greats of ‘Into the Woods’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Byk9Is3TjY With Disney’s big-screen adaptation of the Stephen Sondheim musical “Into the Woods” hitting theaters Thursday, buzz surrounding the fantasy flick is at an all-time high. Starring Meryl Streep, Johnny...
Here's some 'Man Candy' with cupcakes
What’s more delicious: a homemade cupcake — or a shirtless hunk prepared to present one to you? Thanks to Babe Scott’s new cookbook, “Man Candy and Cupcakes,” you can feast...
Planes collide on LaGuardia runway
Two airplanes collided on the runway at LaGuardia on Tuesday-- and one clipped its wing, according to witnesses. The top of the wing of a Southwest plane fell off after an...
NFL's dirtiest player unrepentant for f-bombs, stomps
Violent with opponents and vile with fans, Dominic Raiola is cementing his reputation as the NFL's dirtiest player — but try convincing him he's done anything wrong. The longtime Lions center...
Kermit: Muppet movie star
See Kermit the Frog showing his star power in a variety of classic films.
Indie theaters to show 'The Interview' Christmas Day
“The Interview’’ will finally hit a handful of US movie theaters Christmas Day — if anyone still wants to see it. Sony Pictures on Tuesday announced a limited release of...
Man jolts back to life minutes before cremation
A man in India believed to be dead gave his loved ones the shock of a lifetime when he suddenly woke up during his funeral. Just moments before his resurrection,...
'SNL' channels 'Love Actually' with cut Amy Adams sketch
http://youtu.be/NzTSyzjclck It’s been more than 10 years since “Love Actually” was released — but its cultural relevance perseveres, as seen in this sketch that was cut from last weekend’s “Saturday...
Carlo Pazolini, Reformation among hottest sales of the week
Aeropostale.com Sale: Dec. 26-Jan. 5. Get $10 off purchases of $40 or more. BaubleBar.com Buzz: BaubleBar, the on trend jewelry site, has recruited Jiff the Pomeranian, to model the newest category...
De Blasio and McCray visit memorial for executed cops
Mayor Bill de Blasio and his wife, Chirlane McCray, laid a bouquet of white flowers at the Bed-Stuy street memorial where two police officers were executed on Saturday. De Blasio...
LI security guard arrested for sex with minor
A former Long Island school security guard, who also worked as a contractor for Stony Brook University, was arrested early Tuesday and charged with multiple counts of criminal sex acts...
Cowboys linebacker's mansion engulfed in 'suspicious' blaze
https://twitter.com/joshg_TV/status/547261742624309248 TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — A witness reported seeing a car speeding away from the exclusive neighborhood where a suspicious fire gutted a mansion owned by Dallas Cowboys linebacker Rolando McClain,...
See this woman bend her body in impossible ways
Talk about flex appeal! Zlata, a German contortionist, has bent herself into a dozen nearly back-breaking positions for a 2015 calendar. Dressed in a gold body suit, bendy world record-breaker...
Rex Grossman choosing kite surfing over Browns is so Cleveland
Just three weeks ago, the Browns were seconds away from a win over the Colts and an 8-5 record. Then they remembered they were in Cleveland. The Browns' season has spiraled...
The likely contenders for Josh Smith after Detroit debacle
An NBA coach marches into his general manager’s office and says, “Get rid of this guy!” OK, happens all the time. But the coach has the power and the general manager...
The year's 10 craziest sports stories you've never heard of
The 2014 year in sports was full of great games, inspirational moments and utter wackiness. Metta World Peace released panda bear sneakers, Luis Suarez bit a guy at the World...
Seahawks' dilemma on beastly, crotch-grabbing Marshawn Lynch
As talented as Marshawn Lynch is, it still bears watching whether the Seahawks think he’s worth all the headaches once this season is over. Lynch was tremendous once again Sunday...
Sony threatens Twitter with legal action over hacked documents
Sony’s high-powered lawyer is threatening to sue Twitter if it doesn’t stop users from posting documents stolen by hackers. David Boies, who represents Sony Pictures Entertainment, sent a letter on...
Sisters entered suicide pact rather than become ISIS sex slaves
Two Yazidi sisters decided to take matters into their own hands when they were in the clutches of ISIS terrorists — trying to strangle each other to death rather than being...
Bad Santa shoots two men during fight over Mrs. Claus
A 26-year-old man dressed as Santa Claus shot two men after an early-morning confrontation in Detroit. An argument over a woman quickly escalated into gunplay at a gas station in...
Cops hunt bird-napped pigeon worth $184,000
BERLIN -- Police in Germany are looking for a missing pigeon, and any finder could be in line for a 10,000-euro ($12,250) reward. Duesseldorf police said Tuesday that the 6-year-old...
Cop-killer was loaded with cash when he executed two officers
Crazed cop-killer Ismaaiyl Brinsley was loaded with cash when he executed two Brooklyn officers over the weekend, New York’s top cop said Tuesday. NYPD detectives are hot on Brinsley’s money...
Jameis Winston testimony: 'Moaning' was consent
Jameis Winston answered three questions at his Florida State student code of conduct hearing earlier this month, according to a newly published transcript, in testimony that ultimately resulted in the star...
Keurig recalls more than 7 million brewers after burn reports
Keurig Green Mountain said it would recall about 7.2 million hot beverage-brewing machines that could overheat and cause injury by spraying hot liquids on users. The affected machines are Keurig...
BBC reporter accidentally gets high from pile of burning heroin
http://youtu.be/eyi0fXdFyiw The BBC’s Middle East correspondent has revealed the perils of reporting while standing next to a pile of burning heroin. Quentin Sommerville posted a link to a video showing...
Dante's real danger isn't the NYPD
Mayor Bill de Blasio has spoken of conversations with his son, Dante, about the “dangers he may face” from the police. Like so many other assertions connected with the cases...
North Korea back online after Internet outage
North Korea, at the center of a confrontation with the United States over the hacking of Sony Pictures, experienced a complete Internet outage for hours before links were restored on...
Daily Blotter
Staten Island A knife-wielding man broke into his mother’s Mariners Harbor apartment and held her and her two other children hostage before trying to set the building on fire, law-enforcement...
North Korea web crash may be hack reprisal
North Korea got a taste of its own medicine Monday when its limited Internet access was cut off just days after the United States accused it of being behind the...
Scores dancers share remedies for ailing Atlantic City
Unless something is done very soon, this gambling town in southern New Jersey will have a new name: Atlantic Shoddy. A couple of weeks ago, I wrote that AC needed...
Community Board calls for redesign of One Vanderbilt
Manhattan Community Boards 5 and 6 have introduced a new dimension to the boards’ supposedly “advisory” role involving land-use issues: they’re trying to redesign a proposed new 67-story office building....
Hedgies go private ahead of possible Uber IPO
A savvy hedgie who set up a fund solely to invest in China’s Alibaba before its blockbuster IPO this year is making a similar bet on Uber Technologies. Paul Hudson...
Cuomo to consider improved aid for slain cops' families
Gov. Cuomo said Monday that he would consider measures to protect police and help families of slain cops as the city mourns the two cops assassinated Saturday. Cuomo and state...
Violent crime hits a high as 2014 comes to a close
Murders and shootings soared in the city in the past four weeks compared with the same period last year — with 10 slayings alone just last week, NYPD stats show....
Tattoos, foot fetishes, guarantees: We'll miss you, Rex
We will miss Rex Ryan when he’s gone. To some, of course, the imminent end of his tenure as HC of the NYJ will be good riddance to a buffoon...
New York airports to offer more free Wi-Fi
New York’s airports are finally catching up to the rest of the world — and offering more passengers free Wi-Fi. Fliers can surf online free for 30 minutes at JFK’s...
Taser stocks surge amid body-cam talk
Even the darkest clouds have silver linings as witnessed by the 8.6 percent jump in Taser International stock Monday. Taser — best known for its stun guns used by police,...
Sony faces pressure to release 'The Interview'
After caving to hackers, Sony is feeling heat from all sides to release controversial comedy “The Interview” — somehow and soon. President Obama called the studio’s decision to shelve the...
Wrongfully-jailed man wins $4.75 million from state
A New York man won a record $4.75 million settlement from the state after serving 18 years in jail for a murder he didn’t commit. The historic Court of Claims...
After creating a 'Little Apple' Cubans yearn to visit the real thing
HAVANA — They ♥ New York! Cubans are so obsessed with the Big Apple and the freedom it represents that they have created their own mini-New York in Havana —...
A father’s dark reminder of sacrifice as tragedy revisits the 84th
I took down my Christmas lights on Sunday. Seven days after my wife, May, and I were guests at the 84th Precinct holiday party, filled with happy, friendly, decent, honorable young...
Coughlin, NFL greats weigh in on Beckham's dancing: Be 'careful'
First things first. Tom Coughlin does not think Odell Beckham Jr. went overboard by spinning the football in the end zone after scoring his first touchdown Sunday against the Rams....
Reverend calls for de Blasio apology to cops
A prominent black preacher says the mayor should apologize for failing to adequately support the NYPD. “The mayor needs to say, ‘I know you guys are working hard . . . If...
Cop's widow pours heart out in teary thanks to New York
The newlywed widow of slain Officer Wenjian Liu wept Monday while thanking the city for its support, as the family of his murdered partner focused on the two sons he...
San Diego State star has frightening mid-game collapse
Former St. John’s forward Dwayne Polee II of San Diego State collapsed during a game against UC Riverside on Monday night and was rushed to the hospital, according to the...
Yankees' hitting coach search further postponed
Having spent November and December attempting to improve the Yankees’ roster via trades and free-agent signings, Brian Cashman will tackle two vacancies on the coaching staff in January. “I am...