March 19, 2016
NCAA's bracket-busting face -- and tongue -- is Internet heartthrob
Raymond Walkup, father of Stephen F. Austin’s Thomas Walkup, suddenly the most intriguing player in the NCAA Tournament, understandably was taken aback by that notion. “Well, I don’t know if...
Giants' active offseason plows ahead with low-key re-signing
Not every signing has to be a blockbuster. The Giants are making a low-key move, addressing their depth on defense by re-signing Jasper Brinkley, a fill-in starter at middle linebacker...
What we know of NHL Las Vegas framework: It shafts good teams
There is no other league in the world like this one, no other league that habitually legislates against its strongest teams the way the NHL does, and will continue to...
Two incredible goals save the Red Bulls from an 0-3 start
Two world-class goals by Felipe and a face save by Sal Zizzo in the closing seconds of injury time helped the banged up Red Bulls avoid their worst start since...
Islanders come up empty in key test versus elite Stars
DALLAS — Kari Lehtonen made 27 saves — and a strong case to be the Stars’ No. 1 goalie in the playoffs. Lehtonen had the Stars’ first shutout since December...
Meet the 10 scariest fugitives roaming the streets today
The FBI’s 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list turned 66 years old last week — and it ain’t your grandfather’s catalog of thugs and hoodlums anymore. Like crime in America, the...
Gonzaga a powerful Cinderella with lottery-pick shutdown
DENVER — The NCAA Tournament selection committee overlooked Gonzaga, but Las Vegas didn’t. The lesson, as always: Trust the bookmakers. They installed the 11th-seeded Zags as favorites all weekend, and...
MSNBC bigwigs make moves
News tattlers are wondering when new daytime boss Janelle Rodriguez is going to become the new head of MSNBC — and where MSNBC President Phil Griffin might land next. Prompting...
Devils just can't find a way to beat the Blue Jackets
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Blue Jackets trail the New Jersey Devils in the standings by nine points. It hasn't looked that way when the teams have shared the same rink,...
Why it's time for a Trump revolution
My friends are worried about me. They insist something is not right and suggest prayer, counseling, even rehab. “Take a break,” they urge. “Get away for a few days and...
Kansas avenges tourney duds with loud UConn statement
DES MOINES, Iowa — Perry Ellis and Wayne Selden Jr. never forgot what the pain felt like, they never forgot the disappointment that stained two great seasons. A 12th straight...
The last chance for Villanova seniors to shed choker label
Jalen Brunson, Villanova’s stud freshman guard and the heir apparent to Ryan Arcidiacono, knew before he played his first college game that he was going to a program burdened with...
Middle Tennessee State may have answer for Syracuse's zone
ST. LOUIS — Middle Tennessee’s Blue Raiders proved they were bracket-busters when they upset No. 2 seed Michigan State on Friday. On Sunday, they will try to be zone-busters when...
Dear John: What can I do with these Playboy stock certificates?
Dear John: I am stumped and hoping you can help explain the performance of my 401(k) portfolio. I am 44 years old and invested in 2040 target-date funds (SMTAX, TRRCX...
The hottest SXSW event was a Soul Cycle class
The parties weren’t so wild at SXSW Interactive — and the most exciting technology may have been the party invites that let you rub shoulders with the likes of model...
No surprise: No Brook Lopez, no victory for woeful Nets
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Brooklyn looked broken with no Brook. A virus kept Brook Lopez out of the Nets’ lineup Saturday against the Pistons, and Detroit took advantage, with Anthony...
These kiosks charge your phone so you can shop
A good cell phone charge is hard to come by when you’re out and about, but a growing number of retailers are offering kiosks that allow customers to charge their...
Michael Conforto on bachelor life, 'it' factor and Matz showdown
Amazin’ outfielder Michael Conforto fields some spring training Q&A from Post columnist Steve Serby. Q: What message would you give to Mets fans about how close you came to a...
The 2015-16 Knicks: officially losers
WASHINGTON — Losers! Officially now. Carmelo Anthony hid in the trainer’s room after this one — said to have developed a migraine in the first quarter and too ill to...
The uglier the better if Wisconsin wants to pull upset
ST. LOUIS — If Wisconsin gets its wish, Sunday’s matchup with Xavier for a berth in the Sweet 16 will be an ugly, grind-it-out game that will frustrate the Musketeers....
'Let me take him': UVa's Brogdon defensive lobbying pays off
RALEIGH, N.C. — There was one consistent theme to the message Virginia coach Tony Bennett delivered to his players before they played Butler in Saturday night’s NCAA Tournament second-round Midwest...
'Fingers crossed': Why Jacoby Ellsbury's injury worries Girardi
TAMPA — Watching Jacoby Ellsbury grab his right wrist and crouch in pain Saturday after getting hit by a pitch from Julio Teheran had to freeze Yankees bones everywhere. Mark...
Yanks' and Mets' safety nets for stars turned roster handcuffs
Not long ago, you could get a pretty good argument going about who was the best third baseman in New York: Alex Rodriguez or David Wright. Now, you could debate...
Paramount's Brad Grey needs big success to save his job
Tinseltown is a cruel place, and never more so than when a studio boss is on the hot seat. Folks are murmuring that Paramount Pictures boss Brad Grey may be...
You're probably losing money by overpaying taxes
Some taxpayers give until it hurts. For many Americans, taxes are their biggest expense, and yet millions continue to give much more to Uncle Sam than they must. That’s because...
How Europe's No. 1 fugitive evaded capture for months
BRUSSELS — As the net closed in around Salah Abdeslam, Europe's No. 1 fugitive was holed up, apparently anonymous, in an apartment in the place he knows best, the Brussels...
Iowa State star ends Arkansas-Little Rock’s Sweet 16 dream
DENVER — Georges Niang’s first NCAA Tournament ended in tears. His second in injury. His third in bitter disappointment. His fourth has been by far the most satisfying. Iowa State’s...
Ex-McKinsey analyst finds new path as lavish jeweler
Few jewelers — if any — can boast that a Federal Reserve honcho sits on its advisory board. But before Zameer Kassam, 36, launched his eponymous fine jewelry business in...
Calipari, Kentucky done after Indiana showdown they didn't want
DES MOINES, Iowa — Don’t expect John Calipari to start scheduling Indiana again anytime soon. In the first meeting in four years between the longtime rivals, fifth-seeded Indiana knocked off...
Voters with bad credit are supporting Donald Trump
As anger over being shut out of America’s economic recovery fuels the 2016 presidential race, a new poll pulled the curtain back on the credit profiles of potential voters. In...
Harvey, Wright take big steps toward Mets' Opening Day
PORT ST. LUCIE — The Mets open their season two weeks from Sunday in Kansas City, and though rain washed out their scheduled game against the Nationals in Viera, two...
'Garbage' Rangers point fingers at selves -- after Sather does
SAN JOSE, Calif. — This was damning in so many ways, and when team president Glen Sather walked into the Rangers locker room, he didn’t need to tell them —...
It's time for QE for the people, not the banks
The masses could use a little quantitative easing. Instead of the backdoor funding of banks, why not give Americans a tax cut to help turn the economy around? Federal Reserve...
Arnold Schwarzenegger walks out of interview over Trump question
There's one topic off limits when interviewing Arnold Schwarzenegger: Donald Trump. The former governor of California walked off the set during an interview on Australia's "Weekend Sunrise" program Saturday morning...
Adam LaRoche twist: Players complained behind his back
PORT ST. LUCIE — Adam LaRoche still is retired, but the reasoning behind his departure keeps getting more complicated. According to a USA Today report, White Sox VP Ken Williams...
Low-wage buyers might start defaulting those auto loans
The subprime economy is roaring back, but this time, instead of foreclosures, you’ll see new cars being towed away from the owner. That’s because the record US auto sales we...
Bill de Blasio's surprising Trump-envy
Mayor de Blasio may think Donald Trump is “a racist promoting pro-fascism” — but he also says he’s actually pretty sympathetic to Trump’s message, as are most Democrats. Problem is,...
After Silver-Skelos scandals, Albany's ethics Rx is: Nothing
Felonious ex-legislative leaders Sheldon Silver and Dean Skelos go before federal judges for sentencing April 13 — and a year-plus of truly eye-popping scandal may come to an end without...
Girl whose father was slain died from gunshot wounds
HOUSTON — The 14-year-old Houston-area girl whose body was found in a grassy field in west Houston died from gunshot wounds, medical examiners said in a report Saturday. Adriana Coronado,...
In My Library: Rajendra Roy
When you’re chief curator of the Museum of Modern Art’s film department, as Rajendra Roy is, you see at least 1,000 movies a year. Then again, Roy notes wistfully, he...
Duke can exhale after battle of SAT scores got dramatic
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Put that in your pipe and smoke it. In a battle of the upper crust staged in a building sponsored by a doughnut chain when a fine...
Anti-Trump activists clash with police during protest march
The NYPD pepper-sprayed and arrested unruly protesters among 700 activists who marched on Fifth Avenue and dangled from Central Park statues during an anti-Trump rally Saturday. Cops shut down several...
'I wanted to scare him': Teen says he didn't mean to kill friend
An 18-year-old Long Island man charged with killing his high school pal said he was looking to “scare him” when he pointed a loaded .22-caliber revolver at him and pulled...
Miami dances past pesky Wichita St. into Sweet 16
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Jimmy from The Bronx is going to the Sweet 16. Again. Ten years after he guided tiny George Mason to the Final Four and three years after...
Sydney among first cities to switch off lights for Earth Hour
Cities on Australia's east coast were among the first in the world to turn lights out on Saturday for the 10th annual Earth Hour, a global lights out event designed...
Jose Calderon interrupts Knicks' PG search: I want to be back
WASHINGTON — Knicks maligned point guard Jose Calderon isn’t sure he will be around next season, but he claims he would like to be, even as a backup. “For sure,...
Salah Abdeslam backed out of being Paris suicide bomber
A little serendipity and a suspicious pizza order may have led Belgian cops to the alleged mastermind of the deadly Paris terror attacks, according to a report. Salah Abdeslam, 26,...
Rutgers to hire Stony Brook's Steve Pikiell as head coach
Steve Pikiell turned Stony Brook from a punching bag to a mid-major power. That will look like a walk in the park compared to his next challenge — making Rutgers...
Hostage John Cantlie appears in new ISIS video
https://youtu.be/youYqcn6FAc Captive British journalist John Cantlie appeared for the first time in more than a year in an ISIS propaganda video released Saturday in which he mocks President Obama. The...
Cardinals scoop up Ruben Tejada for possible Mets torment
VIERA, Fla. — Ruben Tejada has a new home after signing a one-year, $1.5 million deal with the Cardinals the team announced Saturday. The shortstop was released by the Mets...
The pope is way more popular than you on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/p/BDI-e6JgQv7/?taken-by=franciscus A photo of Pope Francis kneeling in prayer created an instant sensation Saturday as the leader of the world’s 1.2 billion Roman Catholics officially launched his Instagram account. Already...
Soon you can visit Muhammad Ali's childhood home
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — As a boxer and humanitarian, Muhammad Ali stood out. So does the bright pink home in Kentucky where he shadowboxed and played pranks on his brother. The...
Yale will cover vs. Duke -- and 4 more red-hot NCAA selections
DES MOINES, IOWA – Me and Mrs. Hoops – who filled out her first-ever bracket this week – have the same number of Final Four teams remaining. And that’s all...
Philippine airliner with 254 aboard makes emergency landing
MANILA, Philippines — A Philippine Airlines plane carrying more than 250 people made a safe emergency landing in Manila on Saturday shortly after takeoff on a domestic flight due to...
How a 300-year-old violin saved dozens from the Holocaust
It was prized, stolen and disguised — after helping its owner and Albert Einstein spirit dozens of musicians out of Hitler’s Germany. No wonder Joshua Bell cherishes the 300-year-old Stradivarius...
El Chapo is getting fat in prison
MEXICO CITY — Drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is getting some self-help advice and gaining a bit of weight in prison under his new, tighter-security regime, but Mexico's formerly...
Woman lying in street fatally dragged by taxi
A woman lying on a street was dragged to her death by a yellow taxi Saturday, police sources said. Kenya Flores, 44, was in the bus lane on First Avenue...
Pizza deliveryman stabbed during fight near Penn Station
A pizza deliveryman was stabbed in the torso and slashed in the face during a fight with a man outside a pizzeria near Madison Square Garden and Penn Station Friday...
Five dead after suicide bomber attacks Istanbul shopping street
ISTANBUL -- A suicide attacker detonated a bomb on Istanbul's main pedestrian shopping street on Saturday, killing five people, the city's governor said. Turkey's health minister said 36 people were...
Captured Paris attacks suspect moved from hospital to jail
Belgian police moved Europe's most wanted man from hospital to a high-security jail on Saturday, where he will face questions about the Paris attacks and likely charges, a day after...
Dead Brussels gunman wanted to be ISIS suicide bomber
PARIS -- The Algerian gunman newly linked to the Nov. 13 attacks in Paris after being killed by police joined the Islamic State group in 2014 and told the extremists...
Drone nearly collides with plane over Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES -- A drone came within 200 feet of hitting a Lufthansa jet near Los Angeles International Airport on Friday - the latest run-in between aircraft and the increasingly...
Protesters, Trump supporters clash outside Utah rally
SALT LAKE CITY -- Protesters clashed with supporters of Donald Trump after he gave a speech in Utah on Friday, ending a day full of presidential candidate appearances that also...
Isaac Mizrahi's awesome life: RuPaul, bridge games and bearded lumberjack bears
Isaac Mizrahi — fashion designer, artist, entrepreneur, theater director, TV star — is now the subject of “Isaac Mizrahi: An Unruly History,” a career survey that just opened at the...
The Met has gone totally hipster
Oh, what a difference a da Vinci makes — and a Rembrandt, a Michelangelo and a van Gogh. A whole who’s who of old masters and impressionists is hanging on...
30,000 flowers are literally blooming inside Macy's
Three cheers for the red, white and blue ... blooms! When Macy’s unveils its 42nd annual flower show on Sunday, visitors will be treated to a plethora of patriotic blossoms....
Diners are going nuts for these adorable pig buns
You can get some of the cutest buns in the city without having to do a single squat or leg lift. Joy Luck Palace, a new Chinese restaurant on Mott...
Teen showing off gun accidentally shoots and kills friend: cops
A teen fatally shot his friend — apparently accidentally — on Long Island Friday afternoon, cops said. Nefi Reyes, 18, was showing off a gun inside his home on Great Neck...
The games to watch on Saturday, Day 3 of NCAA Tournament
The games to watch on Day 3 of the NCAA Tournament 12:10 p.m., CBS: (3) Miami vs. (11) Wichita State Saturday’s slate opens with arguably the best No. 11 seed...
'Empire' return can't come soon enough
"Empire” finally returns March 30 for the second half of its second season — and it looks like the Lyon family is once again knee-deep in drama and intrigue. When...
Kentucky-Indiana: How new players view old-school rivalry
DES MOINES, Iowa — No player on Kentucky or Indiana knows what it’s like to be part of the schools’ incredible rivalry. No player on either side knows what it’s...
Prince announces he's writing an 'unconventional' memoir
You’ve heard of purple rain, but now it’s time to get ready for some purple prose. With his career now spanning four decades, Prince announced on Friday that he is...
Meet the red-bearded upstart who knocked out West Virginia
If Merle Webb had a bushy red beard, he would be Thomas Walkup, who Friday night did it for all the small schools that never really had the chance to...
Cops on hunt for suspects who stole IDs to withdraw from ATMs
Police looking for the two ID-theft suspects, who allegedly withdrew more than $14,600 from bank ATMs in 27 incidents citywide. Cops say the pair installed skimming devices at two Manhattan...
Joe Girardi sounds like an Adam LaRoche apologist
TAMPA — Joe Girardi isn’t privy to what went down between the White Sox front office and Adam LaRoche, who retired this week instead of reducing the time his 14-year-old...
Fox News slams Trump for 'sick obsession' with Megyn Kelly
Fox News blasted Donald Trump Friday night for his “crude and sexist” tweet trashing anchor Megyn Kelly and for telling his supporters to boycott her program. The network released a...
Alex Rodriguez breaks down Yankees: Trades may be difference
TAMPA — Alex Rodriguez said his Yankees have something to prove in 2016. And that will make all the difference. “I think this team is hungry, the overall feeling is...
People who like bitter foods are bitter about life too
People who prefer bitter-tasting foods tend to be, well, bitter, a study claims. They’re also meaner and more “anti-social” than those who like sweets, according to researchers at Austria’s University...
Hulk Hogan may have just destroyed Gawker
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Gawker will have to wrestle with serious financial problems that could ultimately put it out of business, sources told The Post Friday after the Hulk Hogan...
Xavier claims anxiety-inducing double-digit win over Weber St.
ST. LOUIS — After watching Michigan State, the No.2 seed in the Midwest Region, lose to 15th-seeded Middle Tennessee on the same court earlier in the day, Xavier (28-5), seeded...
UConn knows you think it can't beat No. 1 Kansas
DES MOINES, Iowa — Connecticut has been told too many times what wouldn’t happen. In 1999 it was Duke, standing as a 10-point favorite in the way of Khalid El-Amin...
Kris Dunn spurning NBA's millions is paying off now
RALEIGH, N.C. — His father told him to go. So did his coach. But Kris Dunn had other ideas — mature ideas that surely will shape his life for the...
How Notre Dame took out football rival Michigan on hardwood
Notre Dame is famous for come-from-behind wins in football, including against longtime rival Michigan, but on Friday, the Fighting Irish pulled one out against the Wolverines’ basketball team, a 70-63...
Man amazingly escapes hail of bullets with only one wound
A 28-year-old man was wounded in a hail of bullets on a quiet Brooklyn street Friday morning. At least 10 shots were fired, but the victim, whose name was withheld...
Sounds like smokeless tobacco ban would be issue for anonymous Mets
PORT ST. LUCIE — Adhering to a proposed law that would ban smokeless tobacco for fans and players at ticketed sporting events in New York could be a challenge for...
Red Bulls, still scoreless on season, need spark vs. Houston
The Red Bulls began the season as the Supporters’ Shield holders and Las Vegas favorite to hoist MLS Cup, but they sure haven’t opened it the way they had hoped....
Law would restrict tip-hungry menaces of Times Square
A group of City Council members believe they have a solution for wrangling Times Square desnudas and other characters — giving the DOT the power to contain them in pedestrian...
In crazy NCAA tourney, Virginia could be next power to fall
RALEIGH, N.C. — While many in the college basketball world wait for Virginia to stumble on its No. 1 seed, the Cavaliers hope to validate it in Saturday night’s Midwest...
Number of store closures already set to outpace last year
The grim reaper is on a shopping binge. The number of shuttered stores this year is already outpacing last year’s rate — and showing no signs of slowing down. Last...
Staples and Office Depot slam FTC over opposition to merger
Staples and Office Depot went to war with US antitrust enforcers on the eve of a federal court hearing Monday to determine the fate of their proposed $6.3 billion merger....
De Blasio on controversial nonprofit: We followed 'broken laws'
Mayor de Blasio on Friday staunchly defended setting up a controversial nonprofit that took large contributions from special interests to advance his agenda, saying he was following the broken “laws...
Man nearly killed by falling crane sues city for $30M
Warning: Graphic content. The 73-year-old man who nearly died when a construction crane crashed onto his car on Worth Street in February plans to sue the city for $30 million...
Councilman wants closing churches converted to schools
A Manhattan legislator says the possible downsizing of Catholic churches in the Big Apple could provide desperately needed space to the public school system. City Councilman Ben Kallos fired off...
Rangers are whole: But are they good enough to win a Cup?
SAN JOSE, Calif. — These are the Rangers, for better or worse. There is no knight in shinning armor waiting to be traded for, no young stud in the AHL...
CC Sabathia is two beatdowns away from being $25M reliever
TAMPA — CC Sabathia has two more exhibition starts to instill confidence in Joe Girardi that he is worthy of being one of the manager’s five starters. Never a great...
Tim Bradley's very personal response to Manny Pacquiao
At first Tim Bradley didn’t want to address the recent comments Manny Pacquiao made saying gay people are “worse than animals.” The conference call this week was meant to promote...
Villanova -- and fiery fans -- learning other side of Cinderella
Cinderella was following the blueprint nicely. We know the script by heart. The first thing you look for is the body language: Does Cinderella look like she belongs? When the...
Wright's spring debut comes with admission of test awaiting
PORT ST. LUCIE — David Wright is every bit the happy camper for the Mets, but there is also a difference between spring training and the heat of a pennant...
This NBA star's son could be the key to Gonzaga's NCAA hopes
DENVER — Gonzaga graduated its starting backcourt and lost its top low-post presence in late November when 7-foot-1 center Przemek Karnowski went down with a back injury. March was an...
Why to root for Little Rock: bombs-away star, hand-shattering coach
DENVER — He hit The Shot Heard ’Round Little Rock And Beyond, and Josh Hagins doesn’t want it to end Saturday night against Iowa State. It was Hagins, as fearless...
Students are bringing more deadly weapons to city schools
The number of weapons seized at city public schools last year shot up 25 percent to 1,678 — including 62 Tasers and stun guns, according to data released Friday. In...
Daily Blotter
Brooklyn Police are searching for a man who robbed a bank in Flatbush-Ditmas Park this month. A suspect walked into the Chase branch on Foster Avenue near Marlborough Road at about...