April 17, 2015
Man sues NYPD for false arrest -- and for insulting his Jordans
A Brooklyn electrician is demanding $28 million from the NYPD because a cop falsely arrested him — and called his pricy pink Michael Jordan sneakers “fake,” a new lawsuit claims....
Hedgies whose convictions were overturned are set free -- for now
After months in legal limbo, two hedge fund managers whose convictions were overturned in December are officially free men — at least for now. The convictions of Todd Newman and...
Michael Jackson's money man also has Sony/ATV side gig
The man who holds the purse strings to Michael Jackson’s estate has also managed to carve out a lucrative side gig at the late singer’s music publishing company. John Branca,...
One teen dead, another wounded in housing-project shooting
A 16-year-old Brooklyn boy was fatally shot and his 13-year-old cousin was wounded Friday night when bullets started flying at a Bedford-Stuyvesant housing project. Dantee Bascom died at Kings County...
A complete guide to the Western Conference playoffs
The NBA has always been criticized for lacking the thing that has made the NFL into the juggernaut of the American sporting landscape: parity. Unlike football, with 53-man rosters and...
A-Rod blasts two HRs in Yankees win, 2 away from tying Mays
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Alex Rodriguez made his bed several times when it comes to performance-enhancing drugs, so feel free to speculate why at a very advanced baseball age with...
Brook Lopez holds key to the Nets' best chance against the Hawks
Sunday’s opening game of the first-round series between the Nets and Hawks in Atlanta will mark the first time Brook Lopez has played in a playoff game since Brooklyn lost...
Calderon vows 180s for himself, Knicks: 'Good part is coming'
Knicks point guard Jose Calderon is considered one of the most likable players in the NBA. After his underwhelming first season in New York, he took ownership of his struggles...
Nets' Teletovic shocks, returns to practice -- but will he play?
The Nets got some welcome and unexpected news Friday when Mirza Teletovic, who has been out since January after blood clots were discovered in his lungs, was cleared to return...
Hedgies’ mortgage bond profits fall to near zero
Wall Street fat cats, who since 2009 have been pocketing billions of dollars in profits off the backs of beleaguered homeowners and their delinquent mortgages, could be facing the end...
Bartolo Colon propels Mets to sixth consecutive victory
The scary part is the Mets won’t unveil their big guns until Saturday and Sunday. It’s Jacob deGrom and Matt Harvey in succession for the Mets, and suddenly it seems...
8 surprisingly fun adventures at the end of NYC's subway lines
"This is a Bronx-bound 6 train to Pelham Bay Park.” An announcement like this one (sometimes a bit garbled) is what New York straphangers hear on a daily basis. Perhaps...
Outplayed Isles blow 2-goal lead as Capitals tie series
WASHINGTON — Just when it seemed as if the Islanders were on their way to a commanding lead in their first-round playoff matchup, they coughed up a two-goal lead in...
Bryant Gumbel can't recall details of HBO ball 'expose'
The host of HBO’s “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel” isn’t big on details. Gumbel could recall almost nothing about the child labor exploitation report that aired on his show and...
Where train cars go to die
Out-of-service trains are left to rot in a train graveyard in Purwakarta, Indonesia.
The day in photos
Beer bellies as art in Germany, a soldier goes for a bike ride in Ukraine and more.
Red Bulls ride high-energy offense to rout of Earthquakes
Coming into Friday’s game, the Red Bulls cautioned against getting complacent and overconfident from their fast start. And after the most dominant performance of the Jesse Marsch era — a...
Silencing skeptics
How long will this country remain free? Probably only as long as the American people value their freedom enough to defend it. Meanwhile, attempts to shut down people whose free...
GOP's 2016 Landmine
Republicans lost the 2012 presidential election during their primaries. By the time Mitt Romney secured his party’s nomination, the seeds of his defeat had already germinated. The challenge for Republicans...
Calling her ‘Hillary’ is now ‘sexist’
Now that Hillary is officially in the running, prepare to start hearing the s-word. Don’t like her politics? Sexist! Disagree with her positions? Sexist! Still have issues with Benghazi? Sexist!...
Rent destabilization
Now that his appointees dominate the Rent Guidelines Board, Mayor de Blasio plainly means to win what he sought last year — a freeze on rent hikes for the city’s...
Pakistan's perfidy
It’s been nearly seven years since Pakistani terrorists’ four-day assault across Mumbai, India. Now a Pakistani court has freed the operational mastermind of those bloody attacks on just $3,000 bail....
Broken Windows 101
Good thing cops weren’t listening to Melissa Mark-Viverito when they arrested Damien Brunson for jumping a Brooklyn subway turnstile. The City Council speaker is a big critic of the Broken...
McVeigh regarded bombing that killed 168 people a failure
AUSTIN, Texas — Timothy McVeigh considered the bombing of the Oklahoma City federal building 20 years ago somewhat of a failure, viewed himself as a "Paul Revere-type messenger" and even...
Teen found guilty in cowardly murder of baseball player
DUNCAN, Okla. — An Oklahoma teenager whose attorney said he only meant to scare an Australian college baseball player by firing a shot at him was convicted Friday of first-degree...
Stephon Marbury's newest Chinese honor: a stamp
Stephon Marbury has a statue in front of the arena, a play based on his life, three Chinese Basketball Association titles and now will have a postage stamp named in...
'Orphan Black' should stop cloning around
At the very beginning of “Orphan Black,” it felt as if its appeal was in its concept. One word: clones. Really, how cool is that? But it quickly became obvious...
Univision ending 'Sabado Gigante' after 53-year run
Legendary Spanish-language TV star Don Francisco and his variety show, “Sabado Gigante,” are calling it quits after over five decades on the air. “Sabado Gigante” (“Giant Saturday”) will air its...
Comcast's TWC tie-up looks less likely amid antitrust rumblings
Comcast’s chances of a Time Warner Cable takeover are growing dimmer. Shares of both companies slumped Friday on word that antitrust watchdogs are leaning against the $45 billion merger between...
Truck gets stuck under low-clearance subway overpass
A delivery truck became the latest casualty of low clearance and poor signage at a subway overpass in the South Bronx when emergency crews were called to dislodge the vehicle....
‘Naked and Afraid’ features its first New York survivalist
The new season of Discovery Channel’s “Naked and Afraid” (premiering Sunday at 10 p.m.) is promising its harshest challenges yet — so who better to take those on than its...
Did ‘Scandal’ just kill off Jake Ballard?
Five months after Rowan Pope (Joe Morton) ordered a hit on Jake Ballard (Scott Foley), it seems as though Papa Pope finally got his wish. Fans were stunned when Ballard...
The Force is strong with this airline's R2-D2-themed plane
But can it jump to lightspeed? A Japanese airline has given Star Wars fans yet another reason to rejoice this week after revealing a first-of-its-kind "R2-D2" plane. The Boeing 787-9...
Saddam deputy who allied with ISIS is believed to be killed
BAGHDAD — Iraqi officials said Friday they believe that government forces killed Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, the former deputy of Saddam Hussein who for over a decade was the top fugitive...
Be like ’94? Rangers need to unleash killer instinct
Somehow, it always seems to circle back to 1994. It was 1994 when the Rangers won their last Stanley Cup. You may even have heard about that. It was 1994...
Couple overdosed on heroin while giving son bath: cops
MANCHESTER, N.H. — Police say the parents of a 3-year-old boy have been charged with endangering his welfare after they overdosed on heroin while giving him a bath in New...
Pacquiao-Mayweather an impossible ticket with 'bizarre' holdup
LAS VEGAS — Don't expect to snag a $1,500 nosebleed ticket — or any other ticket — at the box office for the fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny...
An Adam Sandler movie inspired an idea to soothe Alzheimer's patients
Caregivers are creating videos for Alzheimer's patients based on an unlikely source: the 2004 Adam Sandler movie "50 First Dates," in which a brain-injured woman played by Drew Barrymore loses...
Charlie Hebdo editor had penned vigorous attack on Islamophobes before his murder
PARIS — The late former editor of French weekly Charlie Hebdo condemns "Islamophobia" as thinly disguised racism in a posthumously published book that was completed two days before he was...
Truck spills 13.7M bees onto highway
LYNNWOOD, Wash. — A semi truck carrying millions of honeybees overturned on a highway north of Seattle early Friday, scattering hives and sending white-suited beekeepers scrambling to save as many...
Olivia and Dianna hit the white note, while Alessandra’s a boho bust
Note to self: Intricate beading, high collars and feathers are classy; a suede, fringe-trimmed bikini top is not. Fashionistas clashed this week when it came to style choices, as some...
Mississippi State's sneaky, vulgar message for rival Ole Miss
https://twitter.com/myfox8/status/589104878221406208 The hatred runs so deep between in-state college rivals Mississippi State and Ole Miss that the Bulldogs' baseball team slapped an expletive on a flashy commemorative t-shirt in the...
7 burning questions about the new 'Star Wars' trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngElkyQ6Rhs Star Wars fans were still rejoicing Friday, a day after the second trailer for "The Force Awakens" was finally revealed with a more in-depth look into the latest chapter...
A complete NBA Eastern Conference playoff breakdown
The NBA has always been criticized for lacking what has made the NFL into the juggernaut of the American sporting landscape over the past 25 years or so: parity. Unlike football,...
Teen who accused NYC cop of rape lied about age: lawyer
The teen who accused a Bronx cop who doubles as a preacher of raping her admitted she lied about her age and was old enough to consent to sex when...
Russian women throw a pothole pool party to protest bad roads
Pothole pool party! A bunch of Russian women threw on their favorite bikinis and brazenly hit the streets to have themselves a bit of fun in a strange attempt to...
Artist uses 10,000 peanuts to create J.Law portrait
But how many did he eat? An artist in Kentucky has constructed an epic, yet very bizarre, portrait of Jennifer Lawrence using only peanuts — 10,000, to be exact. "She's from...
Selfies are officially banned from the Cannes red carpet
Attention celebs: When packing for this year’s Cannes Film Festival, leave your selfie sticks at home. Festival director Thierry Frémaux is cracking down on the annoying red-carpet habit. Meanwhile, NYC’s...
Get ready for 'Archie vs. Sharknado'
Forget Batman vs. Superman -- the people want Archie vs. SHARKNADO! Comic book fans will get to see an unexpected battle unfold in Riverdale, USA, this summer as everyone's favorite...
Rangers' Girardi 'ready to go' after puck scare
The Ironman remains in one piece. Rangers defenseman Dan Girardi returned to practice on Friday afternoon, a day after he took a puck in the face near the end of...
Truck strikes school bus, injuring multiple children
A rental truck struck a school bus and then crashed into a Queens market on Friday — injuring several children and adults, including one customer left trapped beneath the large...
Father who molested son gets 76 years in prison
The Brooklyn sicko convicted of molesting his own young son was sentenced to 76 years in prison Friday after the boy’s mother bitterly denounced her perverted husband — who didn’t even...
ESPN was totally wrong to suspend Britt McHenry
There’s another side to Britt McHenry's recorded rant — and it’s a lot more interesting than “pretty woman yells at maybe-not-so-pretty woman.”
Griffin's Citadel cements comeback with Bernanke
More than six years after the Crash of 2008, the remarkable comeback of Ken Griffin’s $25 billion Citadel hedge fund culminated Thursday in the hiring of former Fed Chairman Ben...
Illinois college offering 'Game of Thrones' course
DEKALB, Ill. — Northern Illinois University is offering a course this semester on the HBO series "Game of Thrones." The University Honors Program calls the class "Game of Thrones, Television...
Nets' Teletovic takes surprising step toward playoff return
In a stunning turn of events, the Nets have cleared Mirza Teletovic for basketball-related activities, and to practice fully with the team Friday ahead of their first round series against...
The 10 best celebrity braids you should rock this season
From messy updos to French braids with a twist, boldfacers are stepping out in the season's hottest 'do.
ESPN reporter's Twitter crucifixion takes a surprise twist
Britt McHenry's social media crucifixion took a turn after several sympathizers spoke out about their horrible experience at Advanced Towing.
David Hasselhoff’s new video is what ’80s dreams are made of
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTidn2dBYbY Vikings, dinosaurs and mullets, oh my! David Hasselhoff gave the Internet an even greater gift than the new “Star Wars” trailer on Friday with the release of his glorious,...
First thoughts (and one big second-guess) after NHL playoff openers
It has taken one game in each series for that annual reminder that no one has any idea what’s going to happen in the NHL playoffs. And that includes me....
Hercules is just another white boy who can't dance
Gregory E. Miller and Lauren Tousignant catch you up on the must-talk-about moments from the past week in TV, including Chris Soules and Witney Carson's Herculean two-step, a really bad...
The second lives of 'Game of Thrones' killed-off actors
Death never takes a holiday on HBO’s “Game of Thrones.” Karma is real and the Grim Reaper can jet from Meereen to King’s Landing and Braavos and back again —...
Apologetic Manziel pleads for privacy in post-rehab statement
Johnny Manziel is out of a rehab and trying to get back in the Browns’ good graces. The troubled quarterback released a lengthy statement through the team Friday in which...
Cowboys doing awful job of hiding interest in Adrian Peterson
Should we or shouldn’t we? The Cowboys posted two stories on their team site on Thursday — a point and counterpoint — debating whether the team should make a push to acquire...
China builds airstrip on contested island
Recent satellite images published on Thursday show China has made rapid progress in building an airstrip suitable for military use in contested territory in the South China Sea's Spratly Islands...
5 found dead in Phoenix home after family business dispute: cops
PHOENIX — Five adults were found dead inside a Phoenix home after a shooting in a suspected dispute over the family's business, police said. Police said Thursday the three men...
South Africa seeks help for 'demon' of anti-immigration riots
South Africa sought diplomatic support from countries across the continent Friday to defeat the "demon" of anti-immigrant violence in which at least four people have been killed over the past...
Soda spill may have caused Bloomberg blackout
https://twitter.com/greenbalbo/status/588975257819611136 The more than two-hour blackout of a “significant” number of Bloomberg data terminals in Europe and Asia wasn’t caused by terrorism or a natural disaster — but possibly by...
Cubs' Kris Bryant gamble worked to perfection
The Cubs' Kris Bryant controversy is over and it couldn't have gone better for the team. Multiple outlets reported Thursday night that the stud prospect will be called up before Friday's...
‘Batman v. Superman’ trailer leaks
Now that you’ve gotten your “Star Wars” fix, here’s another teaser for you to spend the rest of the day dissecting. A low-quality trailer for the superhero smash-up “Batman v....
Intersex surgeries spark move away from drastic treatment
CHICAGO — She was born to a young Chicago couple, named Jennifer, and grew into a beautiful long-lashed child with wavy dark hair, big brown eyes and a yearning, youthful...
North Korea warns slashed ambassador of 'bigger mishap'
A North Korean propaganda unit said the US ambassador to South Korea could face a "bigger mishap" than the knife attack to his face last month if he does not...
Bloomberg terminals go down for over 2 hours
https://twitter.com/greenbalbo/status/588975257819611136 LONDON — Bloomberg's trading terminals, which are used by most of the world's biggest financial firms, went down for two and a half hours on Friday due to apparent...
Boston cops arrest infamous 'tree ninja'
BOSTON — Boston police say they have arrested a 65-year-old man they believe is the infamous "Brighton Tree Ninja." For several years a vandal has been damaging newly planted trees...
Obama to meet with Italian prime minister
WASHINGTON — Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi is set to meet with President Barack Obama. Obama is hosting Renzi at the White House on Friday to compare notes on a...
Pope Francis considers visit to Cuba during US visit
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis is considering adding a stop in Cuba to his US trip in September but no decision has been made, the Vatican said Friday. Francis has been...
Selfie sticks banned at Kentucky Derby
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — For the 160,000 people crammed into Churchill Downs on Derby Day, picture-taking can run neck-and-neck with betting and sipping mint juleps amid a winning field of photo...
Google to use 'mobile-friendly' browsing on mobile devices
SAN FRANCISCO — Google is about to change the way its influential search engine recommends websites on smartphones and tablets in a shift that's expected to sway where millions of...
Three things Nets must do to upset top-seeded Hawks
Here are the three things the Nets need to do if they want to pull off an upset over the top-seeded Hawks in their first-round playoff series: 1. Establish Brook...
Rangers power play comes up big when it matters
The Rangers entered their opening playoff series with numerous advantages over the eighth-seeded Penguins, a team that barely made the playoffs, playing without multiple, key, injured players. In Game 1...
Woman who accused Jameis Winston of rape files lawsuit against him
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A former Florida State University student on Thursday filed a lawsuit against top NFL prospect Jameis Winston, saying he assaulted and raped her at an off-campus apartment...
'I was stupid': Dillon Gee regrets mistake pitch to Giancarlo Stanton
Dillon Gee was a little too stubborn for his own good. In evaluating his performance against the Marlins on Thursday, the Mets right-hander regretted the approach he took with Giancarlo...
Rangers' Dan Girardi visits dentist after taking puck to the face
With one regular defenseman already slow to return, the Rangers can ill afford to lose Dan Girardi. The stalwart blueliner took a deflected Chris Kunitz shot to the right side...
Brett Gardner expects to return to Yankees lineup
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Yankees weren’t holding their breath, concerned there was something more than a bone bruise in Brett Gardner’s right wrist. They were reasonably sure the X-ray...
Bar 'rapist' lived with 13 sex offenders near private school
There is a $27,000-a-year private school a block away, along with nearby parks filled with playing children and condos with sky-high rents and river views. But none of that has...
Hero who pulled man from dangling SUV reveals identity
An Idaho man saved an accident victim’s life by pulling him out of an SUV as it dangled on the edge of a cliff — but didn’t stick around to...
Sidney Crosby's excuse for Penguins' slow start vs. Rangers
For the first time in a long time, the Penguins entered the playoffs without the burden of expectation, having nearly missed the postseason for the first time in nine years....
Swanky eatery serves up online discounts
Le Cirque is now le bargain. One of the city’s most iconic eateries is serving up cut-rate meals through discount sites like Amazon.com and Groupon. The swanky Midtown eatery —...
Pair of bald eagles make historic New York City nest
The eagles have landed. Two trailblazing lovebirds touched down in the Big Apple last week to start a family — making them the first bald eagles to nest in the...
City Council passes bill blocking employer credit checks
The City Council on Thursday passed the most restrictive prohibition in the nation against employers seeking to check the credit histories of job applicants. Supporters of the bill, which requires...
Veterans groups say de Blasio has ignored their needs
Mayor Bill de Blasio has shown a “tone-deaf disregard” for veterans since taking office, they charged at City Hall on Thursday. Representatives from more than two dozen veterans organizations said...
Board of Elections fails to close LLC donation loophole
The state Board of Elections failed Thursday to close a loophole allowing donors to bankroll candidates with large donations through limited-liability companies. The four-member board deadlocked along political lines over...
Modeling game after John Tavares, this young Isles star thrives
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Ryan Strome may be a playoff neophyte, but his performance in Wednesday’s 4-1 win over Washington in the Islanders’ first-round series opener wasn’t all that surprising. The...
'Cannibal cop' dishes on his 'deviant' cybercommunity
He’s hungry to tell his side of the story. “Cannibal Cop” Gilberto Valle has spoken out publicly for the first time, describing in a documentary how he became a member...
Much-maligned Wilmer Flores finally makes major contribution
Wilmer Flores quieted his many doubters — for one night at least. The Mets shortstop delivered one of the biggest swings of the night — a monstrous three-run, fifth-inning homer...
After lengthy delay, review on play at plate correct
Thursday night’s instant replay review certainly didn’t help the pace of play problem Major League Baseball is trying to address. After Ichiro Suzuki was called out on a play at...
Teacher allegedly 'knocked out cold' by student's mom
A teacher was allegedly attacked by a parent in the hall of a Long Island middle school — and in a disturbing surveillance photo can be seen knocked out cold....
Model sues agency for $30,000 in back wages
A L’Oréal model who has appeared in Elle and Essence magazines wants to join the ranks of burger-flippers and parking-lot attendants — and earn a minimum wage along with her...
Patients shocked by arrest of 'plotting' cardiologist
Patients of the Long Island cardiologist accused of plotting to kill his former business partner say they’re sick over his arrest. Longtime patient Joan Curatola said she knew there was...
Cabby who fatally hit child caught break with DMV delay
The yellow cabbie who hit and killed a 9-year-old Manhattan boy didn’t just get off easy with the Manhattan D.A. — he caught a break with the blundering DMV, The...
We're finally seeing the real Terry Collins ... and it looks good
This is Terry Time. This is Terry’s Team. As long as it keeps winning. No one needed a fast start more than Terry Collins. A slow start would have meant...
Royal flop flips Hondo
Hondo plunged deeper into the red Thursday when Jason Vargas and the Royals provided no afternoon delight in Minnesota, which put the negative number at 95 wigginses. Friday: Mr. Aitch...
Skelos probe threatens GOP control of state senate
Republicans can wave goodbye to control of the state Senate if Dean Skelos gets busted in a corruption scandal heading into a presidential-election year, sources said. The GOP holds a...
Feds subpoena top LI politicians in Skelos probe
Nassau County’s highest-ranking official and nearly all of Long Island’s state senators have been subpoenaed as part of a federal grand-jury probe targeting state Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos and...
No shirt, no problem: NYCFC veteran deserved big celebration
On a night when so much was going wrong for New York City Football Club — its star and leading scorer, David Villa, was subbed out in the second half...
There may actually be a rent freeze in the city this summer
New York City tenants might be enjoying a freeze this summer for the first time in history — in their rent. The Rent Guidelines Board released a report Thursday showing...
Businessman hit with 147 summonses in an hour
One city worker apparently didn’t get the memo from the boss — Mayor de Blasio. A city Environmental Control Board employee blitzed a Washington Heights print-shop owner with 147 individual...
Ex-AIG CEO Greenberg faces potential fraud trial
Eric Schneiderman has Maurice “Hank” Greenberg in his sights. Greenberg, the former CEO of insurance giant AIG, failed to get a 10-year-old accounting fraud charge against him tossed, setting the...
Humble hero Jordan Spieth a real ‘par’-agon of virtue
This one’s for Ellie. The professional sports world has a new rock star, a handsome, humble young Texan who’s ruled not by lust, greed or epic neediness, but by the...
Uber accused of encouraging reckless driving
Uber’s hacks are a “pack of predatory drivers racing to win fares with their eyes on their phones instead of the road,” according to a new lawsuit filed against the...
How the Rangers won this one the old-fashioned way
The Penguins had taken away the tic-tac-toe rush plays and the pace off the quick turnaround that so often define the Rangers and forced Game 1 of the 2015 playoffs...
Daily Blotter
Brooklyn Police say the suspect pictured above stole electronics from the Williamsburg branch of the Brooklyn Public Library. He entered the library building on Division Avenue at about 1:30 p.m. on...