July 3, 2015
McCann's 12th-inning blast completes Yanks' thrilling comeback
The fireworks started early this Fourth of July in The Bronx. Brian McCann hit a game-winning three-run homer in the bottom of the 12th to beat the Rays, 7-5, on...
FDNY staffers fume as hateful son of ex-fire commish is rehired
The disgraced son of former FDNY Commissioner Sal Cassano never should have been permitted to rejoin the department after his racist Twitter rant — and was only allowed to because...
Times Square's costumed creeps are ruining your beach days now
Times Square’s costumed menaces have taken their pesky show on the road — to Coney Island. The panhandlers, griping that they are being squeezed out of Midtown by competitors and...
Robin Lopez's mom raves about Phil: Knicks are 'looking up'
Debbie Ledford’s fantasy is for her twin sons, Robin and Brook, to become NBA teammates. Instead, they will share the same city — if not the same franchise. “To be...
De Blasio camp knew no one could stand his Sharpton love-fest
City Hall was warned of grass-roots complaints last year that Mayor de Blasio was spending too much time hobnobbing with the Rev. Al Sharpton and ignoring the “little people,” internal...
Calls for Terry Collins' firing are 'grossly unfair': Alderson
LOS ANGELES — He’s safe — for now. With the Mets in the midst of a midseason swoon, manager Terry Collins isn’t in jeopardy of losing his job, general manager...
Rain won't ruin Fourth of July fireworks plans
Bring on the fireworks! Spotty showers and muggy conditions on Saturday are not expected to ruin plans for a pyrotechnics-filled night in the Big Apple this Fourth of July. Rain...
You're not the only one who can't stand the nonstop construction
No wonder it’s the city that never sleeps. The city’s round-the-clock construction boom has sent noise complaints soaring to record highs, topping 53,600 over the past fiscal year, stats show....
CC Sabathia's snippy reaction to being skipped in rotation
Don’t call it a demotion — not yet, anyway. The Yankees are skipping veteran CC Sabathia’s spot in the rotation on Sunday, with the hope a few extra days of...
Vending machine revenues crater under strict nutrition rules
Food vending machines are serving up nothing but unappetizing results for their owners these days. Once a profitable and steady business, the machines — in millions of offices, schools and...
Can Kristen Wiig save Relativity Media?
Cue the white horses. Actors Kristen Wiig and Zach Galifianakis are poised to ride to the rescue of Ryan Kavanaugh’s troubled Relativity Media studio, sources tell The Post. Creditors have...
Why departure of a NYC HS star has St. John's worried
A technicality is forcing New York City’s top high school basketball player to leave the area. Now, the question is, will he return for college? Rawle Alkins, Christ the King’s...
Finally, a video proves that hero cop did the right thing
Here’s a city cop who should actually be glad there was videotape. An NYPD officer caught on cellphone footage trying to subdue a knife-wielding Harlem man appears to have clearly...
Three teams Nets could dump Joe Johnson, Deron Williams on
After an eventful opening two days of free agency — re-signing Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young, then adding Shane Larkin and Thomas Robinson — the Nets appear to be headed...
Ellis' legacy as US coach will rest on her ability to get one more win
The narrative coming into this Women’s World Cup was that U.S. coach Jill Ellis was just a caretaker, or a steward; that this roster was so loaded all she had...
'Final disposition' of Richard Matt's body takes place
ALBANY, N.Y. — A prison inmate shot and captured after three weeks on the run in northern New York remained hospitalized Friday while the body of his fellow escapee was...
The outcast is now family: A-Rod is finally, fully a Yankee
All along, the Yankees asked Alex Rodriguez to act like a Yankee, even understanding the Derek Jeter bar was impossible for him, much less anyone, to reach. But finally, Alex...
Woman's death from measles is first in US since 2003
SEATTLE — A woman killed by measles in Washington state had been vaccinated against the disease as a child but succumbed because she had a compromised immune system, a local...
Steve Cohen considers reopening London office
Hedge fund billionaire Steve Cohen is considering a return to London after beating a retreat from the UK in the midst of an insider-trading probe 18 months ago. In November...
Brooklyn golf course seeks relief from 'crushing' water bills
A Brooklyn municipal golf course operator is drowning under jacked-up city water bills. Michael Giordano, who runs the Marine Park Golf Course, claims City Hall has reacted with glacial speed...
Tigers cut Joba Chamberlain in roster shakeup
DETROIT — The Detroit Tigers decided they needed to change things before a fifth straight division title falls out of reach. On Friday, with the team sitting at 39-39 and...
The 3 breakout, rookie pitchers to upgrade your fantasy roster
This year’s crop of rookie pitchers has yielded a mixed bag of results. There have been overlooked steady performances (Tampa Bay’s Nathan Karns has a 3.26 ERA and 84 strikeouts...
Why July 4 is the birthday of American exceptionalism
July 4 is celebrated as Independence Day — the day the 13 colonies formally declared their independence from Great Britain. In truth, that decision was made on July 2, 1776,...
The alliance that saved America in its infancy
Here in New York City, we are celebrating this Fourth of July with a commemoration of the alliance that secured America’s future. An exact replica of the ship Hermione, the...
What you never knew about 'America the Beautiful'
Katharine Lee Bates, a 33-year-old English literature teacher at Wellesley College, was on “a merry expedition up Pike’s Peak” in Colorado in 1893 when she looked out “over the sea-like...
Hillary steps up liberal rhetoric as Sanders surges in polls
HANOVER, N.H. — Hillary Rodham Clinton said Friday she takes a "backseat to no one" on championing liberal causes, presenting herself as a standard-bearer for Democrats as primary challenger Bernie...
Under-the-radar Rangers star a value play for fantasy owners
Sometimes you pick up the hot player off the waiver wire and they fizzle before you have the chance to put them on your roster. Other times, you take a...
Military recruits still not using American-made sneakers
BOSTON — New Balance thinks the U.S. military is dragging its feet. Last April, the Department of Defense announced military recruits would start using athletic shoes 100 percent made and...
Howie Rose to miss Mets' trip after emergency-landing scare
LOS ANGELES — Mets radio voice Howie Rose will miss the team’s six-game road trip after he became ill on the team’s charter flight, according to a statement released by...
San Francisco pier shooting suspect has been deported 5 times
SAN FRANCISCO — A federal agency says a man suspected in the shooting death of a woman at a busy San Francisco tourist destination has seven felony convictions and has...
Vietnam Communist Party chief to make first US visit
HANOI, Vietnam — The powerful head of Vietnam's Communist Party will travel to the United States for the first time next week, and said he expects President Barack Obama will...
Solar-powered plane breaks record for longest nonstop solo flight
KAPOLEI, Hawaii — A plane powered by the sun's rays landed in Hawaii Friday after a record-breaking five-day journey across the Pacific Ocean from Japan. Pilot Andre Borschberg and his...
Pedestrian hit by double-decker tour bus
A pedestrian is clinging to life after he was struck by a double-decker tour bus Friday afternoon in the West Village, authorities said. The victim, believed to be in his...
Yankees place Carlos Beltran on 15-day DL with oblique strain
At least Brett Gardner is healthy. The Yankees placed Carlos Beltran on the 15-day disabled list Friday with a left oblique strain. He joins Jacoby Ellsbury on the DL, with...
Couple married 75 years die in each other's arms
SAN DIEGO — Jeanette and Alexander Toczko were each 8 years old when they became smitten with one another. They married in 1940 and were rarely apart in the decades...
Knicks resort to Phil's Plan C, nab Robin Lopez, Derrick Williams
Knicks owner James Dolan hosted his lavish Fourth of July party extravaganza Friday night, but there were no fireworks on the Phil Jackson free agency front. The stars continued to...
Bra bandits pull off fourth underwear heist at same mall
WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — First they took the bras. Now they've come back for the panties. Police say 140 pairs of underwear have been stolen from a northeast Pennsylvania store that's...
Yankees, A-Rod play ball: Home-run millions going to charity
At this rate, Alex Rodriguez will have a plaque in Monument Park by the end of the weekend. On a day when the Yankees donated $150,000 to a charity so...
Ben Zobrist is the mystery hitter Mets would 'overpay' to get
Sandy Alderson recently stated he was willing to “overpay” for the right hitter to help his lineup. When he said that, he had one player in mind — Ben Zobrist,...
Wheelchair bandit busted for bank robbery
A wheelchair-bound man has been arrested for a Queens bank robbery after a surveillance photo of a rolling bandit prompted a flood of tips to a police hot line, officials...
Bring your own weed? Denver campaign wants pot in bars
DENVER — Beer? Wine? Or weed? A campaign is under way to ask Denver voters about allowing marijuana consumption in bars and other places that only allow people over 21....
Could insulin pills prevent diabetes? Big study seeks answer
CHICAGO — For nearly a century, insulin has been a life-saving diabetes treatment. Now scientists are testing a tantalizing question: What if pills containing the same medicine patients inject every...
Image released of girl found dead in bag in Boston Harbor
BOSTON — Authorities have released a computer-generated image of a young girl found dead last week inside a plastic bag along a Boston Harbor shoreline and are hoping it generates...
'See you on the outside': Killer sent letter to daughter before escape
As convicted murderer Richard Matt planned his daring escape, he planned a touching family reunion as well. The cold-blooded killer sent a letter to his daughter telling her he would...
Carmelo Anthony's biggest troll is dominating at Wimbledon
There was nothing "soft" about this win. CoCo Vandeweghe, who made waves this week when she lit into Knicks superstar Carmelo Anthony, reached the second week at a Grand Slam tournament...
Estate of 'Untouchable' Eliot Ness in legal fight
MIAMI — A legal fight is brewing in Florida between the estate of "Untouchables" Prohibition agent Eliot Ness and an Ohio company over some long-undiscovered stock that apparently belonged to...
Yankees pay $150K to ballhawk's charity for A-Rod's 3,000th
Alex Rodriguez won’t have to mug anyone to get the ball back from his 3,000th hit, after all. Rodriguez is scheduled to be presented with the keepsake by Zack Hample...
Court rejects bid by victims' kin to clear Lockerbie bomber
LONDON — Judges at a Scottish court ruled Friday that relatives of people killed in the 1988 bombing of a Pan Am jet over Lockerbie, Scotland, cannot launch an appeal...
UberPOP halts service in France after violent protests
Uber Technologies will suspend its UberPOP ride-hailing service in France, the US company said Friday, after it faced sometimes-violent protests and local authorities denounced it as an illegal taxi service....
French president denies WikiLeaks' Assange asylum
PARIS — WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has failed in a bid to win asylum in France. Assange wrote a letter to French President Francois Hollande published in Le Monde on...
Thousands truckin' to Chicago for final Grateful Dead shows
CHICAGO — The Grateful Dead is closing the lid on its storied half-century of concerts this weekend in Chicago, where a museum has captured the band's prankster heart by displaying...
Police say armed man at NC mall is soldier
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — Authorities say a Fort Bragg soldier has been charged with creating a panic at a North Carolina mall after appearing there with an assault rifle and other...
Breno Giacomini must show Jets he's not a Geno Smith liability
As the Jets get close to training camp, I am going to examine the roster and give you my top 25 players. Each weekday, we will reveal another person on...
ISIS says it destroyed artifacts from historic Palmyra
BEIRUT — Islamic State group militants have destroyed six archaeological pieces from the historic town of Palmyra that were confiscated from a smuggler, the group said. An IS statement released...
Many Greeks confused by language of referendum question
ATHENS, Greece — The brief but intense campaign in Greece's critical bailout referendum ends Friday, with simultaneous rallies in Athens supporting "yes" and "no" answers to a murky question in...
Man kills self after stuffing parents' bodies in freezer
An Oregon man accused of murdering his parents and storing their bodies in a freezer has died in a hospital after a suicide attempt in his jail cell, authorities said....
Insurer Aetna agrees to buy competitor in $37B deal
Health insurer Aetna Inc. has made a deal to buy competitor Humana Inc. in a $37 billion deal the companies say would create the second-largest managed care company. Adding Humana's...
Fireworks-filled van explodes on California freeway
IVANPAH, Calif. — Jay Rutherford and his bandmates were mesmerized by the billowing smoke and small "psychedelic explosions" emanating from the van on the side of the freeway. "We had...
Aussie Rules football coach stabbed to death in his home
ADELAIDE, Australia — Players and team officials in the Australian Football League were in shock Friday after Adelaide Crows coach Phil Walsh was stabbed to death in a domestic dispute...
TV Land's 'Dukes of Hazzard' ban drives DVD sales
TV Land’s decision to yank repeats of “The Dukes of Hazzard” over its use of the Confederate flag has backfired — with DVD sales of the Southern-themed ’80s series skyrocketing...
Reelz to air Trump's Miss USA Pageant after NBC, Univision dump
The 2015 Miss USA Pageant will now air on niche cable network Reelz — after NBC and Univision dumped the Donald Trump-owned contest following his derogatory statements about Mexican immigrants....
'Game of Thones' vet channels Charles Manson in 'Aquarius'
There aren’t many shows that can count Charles Manson as a series regular. But “Aquarius,” a “psychedelic noir” procedural that debuted on NBC last month, has been using the “Helter...
Woman fatally struck by hit-and-run garbage truck
A Brooklyn woman was fatally struck by a sanitation truck that left the scene without stopping Thursday night, authorities said. Alberta Bagu, 46, was jaywalking across Broadway near Ditmars Street...
High school to start freshman girl at quarterback
A Missouri high school quarterback is set to make history when the team takes the field at the beginning of the football season. Liberty North High School will start 14-year-old...
Son of ex-fire commish returns to FDNY despite racist and anti-Semitic tweets
Former Fire Commissioner Sal Cassano’s son — who resigned in disgrace when The Post exposed his offensive tweets — will be rejoining the FDNY. Joe Cassano, who left his job...
Daily Blotter
The Bronx Police are searching for a suspect who stabbed a man in Port Morris.The thug confronted the 22-year-old victim Tuesday at 5:10 p.m. on East 138th Street and Cypress...
Sharpton has de Blasio's back in battle with Cuomo
A state lawmaker faulted fellow Democrat Mayor Bill de Blasio for dividing the party by waging open civil war against Gov. Andrew Cuomo. “I’m perplexed why the mayor thinks this is...
Sisters jump out window to escape apartment blaze
It was the jump of their lives. Two sisters took scary leaps from the second floor of their burning apartment building in Sandy Springs, Ga., and thankfully came away with...
Greek couple stranded on NYC honeymoon
Greek newlyweds Valasia Limnioti and Konstantinos Patronis’ long-planned “dream trip” to the United States ended in New York City — where their three-week honeymoon turned into a nightmare after their...
Lookout for WTC BASE jumpers gets community service
The friend who testified against the 1 World Trade Center jumpers was sentenced Thursday to 100 hours of community service. Kyle Hartwell, 30, who served as lookout as his buddies...
Payment-by-selfie is nearly a reality
Shoppers will soon be able to pay for purchases by taking a selfie. Facial recognition software is expected to be ready by the end of the year to link your...
Fans of ex-St. Patrick's Parade leader deny ouster on Facebook
Just because he got the boot doesn’t mean ousted St. Patrick’s Day Parade chairman John Dunleavy is without supporters. A rogue member of the nonprofit behind the iconic Irish procession...
EMS head, demoted after sex abuse claims, cashing in on new post
A Fire Department EMS captain was banished to vehicle services after he was busted for molesting two boys — and he is completely cashing in on the new post by...
Woman busted for spending $12K with twin's stolen ID
A Long Island woman used her twin sister’s Social Security number to open up credit-card accounts and rack up more than $12,000 in charges, police said. Kimberlee LaClaire, 28,...
Crews, carpenters leave their jobs in city-wide walk-off
Striking carpenters halted work at more than a dozen construction sites Thursday — including the enormous Hudson Yards job — a move that contractors say is illegal and will cost...