February 4, 2017
Strippers flock to Houston to make bank off Super Bowl fans
It’s the Stripper Bowl! Exotic dancers from all over the country have descended upon the Super Bowl’s host city, Houston, to shake their moneymakers for football fans. “There are supposed...
Carmelo Anthony glum after MSG boos his Kevin Love duel
If the Cavaliers needed further confirmation why they don’t need to swap Kevin Love for Carmelo Anthony, they got it at the Garden on Saturday. With Anthony suffering through a...
All this losing is taking its toll on the Nets
After Brooklyn had suffered its eight straight loss on Friday night, Brook Lopez intimated the Nets were lacking belief and might be suffering a crisis of confidence. And as they...
Devils can't win at home, but can't lose on the road
COLUMBUS, Ohio — If only the Devils could replicate this level of play in New Jersey, their playoff aspirations might not seem so bleak. Taylor Hall scored twice, Travis Zajac...
Enigmatic St. John’s is so far away after Villanova destruction
PHILADELPHIA — Maybe one day, St. John’s and Villanova will be on even footing. Maybe one day, the two programs can consider one another rivals. Maybe one day, Villanova won’t...
LaDainian Tomlinson on Hall, Spygate and how Jets messed up Mark Sanchez
NFL Network analyst and former Chargers and Jets running back LaDainian Tomlinson, who was picked for the Hall of Fame on Saturday, found some time to run through some Q&A...
Islanders buckle in OT after series of comebacks
The last time the Islanders faced the Hurricanes, it resulted in an ugly loss that helped seal Jack Capuano’s fate, who was fired less than a week after the defeat....
Trump defends 'killer' Putin: 'You think our country's so innocent?'
President Trump seemed to give Russian President Vladimir Putin a pass on state-sanctioned murder in a TV interview that will air Sunday afternoon. Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly asked Trump why...
Rangers standout ponders life after NHL as concussions mount
Of course Marc Staal has thought about life after hockey. But right now, the Rangers’ 30-year-old defenseman is cleared to play, and is trying to regain his form as he...
Eli Manning shares the NFL Man of the Year Award
HOUSTON — Plenty of times, Eli Manning requests there be no cameras, no advance publicity. He has been around hospitals enough to realize his visits with sick children usually work...
Tom Brady posts loving proof that his mom has made it
One of the storylines out of the New England Patriots leading up to the Super Bowl was whether Tom Brady’s mom would be able to attend the game in Houston...
How human beings evolved from this disgusting creature
Meet the Saccorhytus, your oldest ancestor and your newest nightmare. This week a team of paleontologists described a new link in the chain of human evolution — and it isn’t...
Why this Super Bowl will be so painful for the Browns
HOUSTON — The Browns never have been to a Super Bowl, but they have plenty of ties to Super Bowl LI. There are five former Cleveland players on the Patriots...
How Dellin Betances is fixing his throwing-to-bases problem
A third straight All-Star selection and sterling numbers regarding strikeouts and hits to innings pitched didn’t lead to Dellin Betances not trying to improve on the 2016 season. Having experienced...
Rob Manfred opens up on how MLB is trying to shorten games
Major League Baseball is speaking with the Players Association about playing-rule changes, as it does annually. Those changes “almost exclusively” concern pace-of-play issues, commissioner Rob Manfred said this past week...
Police catch suspect after DNA is linked to slain jogger scene
Cops caught a suspect Saturday in the murder of Karina Vetrano, the beautiful jogger whose brutal strangulation last summer — in the high weeds of Spring Creek Park in Queens...
Matt Ryan pretty happy with 'Greatest Show on Turf' comp
HOUSTON — The 1999 Rams scored an NFL-high 526 points, an average of 32.9 points per game, well-deserving of the moniker the "Greatest Show on Turf.’’ Seventeen years later, the...
When Carmelo owned NY: Remembering chaos of Knicks debut
HOUSTON — As we speed inevitably and inexorably toward the exit ramp, perhaps it is not such a terrible idea to remember when things around the Knicks were perfectly juxtaposed,...
Tomlinson, Terrell Davis and Warner headline Hall of Fame class
HOUSTON — The running backs were known simply by their initials: LT and TD. The quarterback served as ringmaster for “the Greatest Show on Turf.” All unstoppable in their own...
Super Bowl betting: The points and Tom Brady won't stop
Patriots (-3) over Falcons / OVER 58 ¹/₂ (at Houston): The Seahawks franchise won’t be striving for its second Super Bowl championship Sunday, but its immediate spiritual descendants are here in...
Justice Dept. appeals to reverse judge's order halting travel ban
The Justice Department has appealed a judge's order temporarily blocking President Donald Trump's refugee and immigration ban, saying it's the "sovereign prerogative" of a president to admit or exclude aliens...
Terrell Owens rages over Hall of Fame snub: 'Total joke'
Terrell Owens is Hall fed up. The wide receiver great erupted on Twitter after stating he did not make the Hall of Fame, which was to announce its inductees this...
How a classic Super Bowl can rewrite the doomsday NFL fears
HOUSTON — Hey, so you might have heard about this: NFL television ratings are down. I know, I know. Knock you over with a feather. There has been a lot...
Columbia party animal falls down seven stories in dorm air shaft
A party animal desperate for food and booze became unhinged during a “wild” night of ragers at a Columbia University dorm, plummeting seven stories down an air shaft early Saturday,...
Premature court-stormers make thrilling win an unthinkable loss
SAINT BONAVENTURE — Mo Alie-Cox scored 20 points, JeQuan Lewis sank a clutch free throw to force overtime and VCU unbelievably slipped past St. Bonaventure in the extra period for...
What a healthy super-rotation would mean to Jacob deGrom
PORT ST. LUCIE — Jacob deGrom is smiling again — ear to hair. This could be his biggest year yet on the mound. That is saying something. What really brought...
What makes Tom Brady vs. Matt Ryan so beautiful
HOUSTON — Tom Brady has waited what feels like an eternity for this night, when he gets to march toward history, toward a record fifth Lombardi Trophy, toward his tormentor,...
How a suburban boy's demonic possession inspired 'The Exorcist'
The horror began in January 1949 with a dripping sound — a faint trickle of distant water somewhere behind the walls of the Cottage City, Md., house. Soon, a crucifix...
Sorry dudes, California ain't seceding from the US
California is thinking about leaving us. The “Calexit” movement got underway less than a week after the inauguration of President Trump, when a group called Yes California started gathering signatures...
How long will Hornacek put off the Joakim Noah inevitable?
Knowing his four-year, $72 million contract is untradable, Joakim Noah is viewed by management as the backup center for next season, according to a source. Whether that backup status is...
Joint-smoking subway rider was once a millionaire
The viral video showed a legless woman sitting on the floor of a subway platform, wheelchair beside her, belongings scattered. She had just smoked a joint on the M train,...
This invasive aquatic weed is creeping across the US
MINNEAPOLIS — An aquatic weed is creeping across the Great Lakes region that grows really fast and is very hard to kill. Scientists don't know a lot yet about starry...
The stars who won't get old explain how Tom Brady does it
HOUSTON — Tom Brady still looks like the youngest guy in the room. Even at age 39. Stand the Patriots quarterback next to Matt Ryan, his Falcons counterpart in Super...
Parents of basketball girl who sued school are teaching her narcissism, not justice
Actions have consequences. And legal actions can have big consequences. That’s the lesson that Sydney Phillips and her family got this week when she and her younger sister were expelled...
Darrelle Revis can revive his career by emulating 'Mr. Patriot'
HOUSTON — Devin McCourty learned early in his career that change is sometimes a good thing. McCourty, who was drafted by the Patriots out of Rutgers seven years ago as...
Feds want to foreclose on Bonanno mobster's house
He lost his freedom, and now a convicted mobster might lose his Queens house. The US Attorney’s office wants to seize the Howard Beach home of Bonanno soldier Ronald Giallanzo,...
Grayson Allen's trips are cleaner than ever
Yes, it was a trip. But this one seemed more innocent! Grayson Allen was whistled, yet again, for tripping an opponent on Saturday. During Duke's 72-64 win over Pittsburgh at...
Wilmer Flores cashes in and beats Mets in arbitration
Wilmer Flores handed the Mets their first loss of 2017 on Saturday. The versatile infielder won his arbitration case, extracting $2.2 million from the Mets. It was the club’s first...
Trump-hating Pats fans launch hashtag and pledge to keep rooting
How do you reconcile your favorite sports team being intertwined with a politician you despise? You start a (small) movement. For many Patriots fans, supporting the team has felt like...
Flynn's plan to beat radical Islam starts with schools and social media
President Trump’s national security adviser wants to fight not just Islamic terrorists but the “radical ideology of Islam,” and he plans to do it from the grass roots up, starting...
NASA debunks bogus Trump tweet sent from 'ISS'
Houston, it's not a problem. When Donald Trump tweeted Friday night, “We must keep ‘evil’ out of our country,” an account claiming to be the International Space Station replied, “We...
Meet the real Ty Kelly: Guitarist, screenwriter and occasional Met
Ty Kelly is enjoying another warm winter day in San Diego. He has lived in too many places to count on his hands, and life isn’t always so generous. Sometimes,...
Priest accused of stashing kiddie porn, drugs in church residence
A Long Island priest was busted for hoarding child pornography and drugs in his parish residence, police said. Cops found five vile videos of children on Christopher King's computer while...
Trump keeping close ties to his business empire
President Donald Trump’s ties to his business empire are still tight -- and still raise conflict-of-interest concerns, critics charged Saturday. Trump has placed his business operations in a trust controlled...
Buzzfeed sued by firm named in Trump dossier
Buzzfeed was sued by the Russia-tied tech firm named in the dossier that contained unsubstantiated allegations against President Trump for including “libelous, unverified” information about the company, McClatchy reported Friday,...
Homeland Security stops flagging travelers from countries banned by Trump
The Department of Homeland Security will stop flagging travelers from certain countries targeted by an executive order from President Donald Trump, a spokeswoman said on Saturday, in order to comply...
Louvre reopens as Egypt identifies machete attacker
PARIS — The Louvre Museum reopened to the public Saturday morning, less than 24 hours after a machete-wielding assailant shouting "Allahu akbar!" attacked French soldiers guarding the sprawling building and...
State Department reverses Trump's visa cancellations
The State Department on Saturday reversed President Trump's cancellations of visas from seven predominately Muslim countries, in accord with a judge's order that the cancellations were illegal. Visa holders impacted...
China lashes out after Mattis backs Japan in islands dispute
BEIJING -- The U.S. is putting regional stability in East Asia at risk, a Chinese spokesman said Saturday following remarks by President Donald Trump's defense secretary that a U.S. commitment...
Fender bender leads to deadly brawl
A fender bender escalated into a road-rage-fueled brawl in Queens on Saturday — leaving an Ozone Park resident dead. The senseless violence unfolded at around 4:20 a.m. along the Grand...
Trump slams 'so-called' judge who blocked travel ban
President Trump vowed Saturday to get his controversial travel ban reinstated after a federal judge struck it down. “The opinion of this so-called judge, which essentially takes law-enforcement away from...
I rented my apartment on Snapchat
Felipe Ros, a 23-year-old investment banker, was nearing the end of his Nolita apartment sublet and still hadn’t found a new place to live. “I was in a bit of...
Thousands in London protest Trump's refugee ban
Several thousand people demonstrated outside the U.S. embassy in London on Saturday against President Donald Trump and his temporary ban on refugees and nationals from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering...
Man shoots himself after stealing car with baby inside
DEVILS LAKE, N.D. — A crime spree by a man who fired at a state trooper and then stole a car with a baby inside it is over. The baby...
Good Samaritan was unwitting getaway driver for alleged bank robber
A Pennsylvania man who thought he offered a tipsy stranger a ride home from a bar actually served as an unwitting getaway driver for a bank robber, according to reports....
Troy Aikman: Falcons must clear these hurdles, or it's over
HOUSTON — From FOX analyst Troy Aikman’s perch, the Falcons could be at their most vulnerable early in Super Bowl LI. “There is an element when you’re playing the Patriots...
McDonald's reveals five new Shamrock Shake flavors
SAN FRANCISCO — Participating McDonald's restaurants are rolling out five different variations of the Shamrock Shake next week. Their McCafé menu will feature the original Shamrock Shake, a Chocolate Shamrock...
Patriots MVP could be a coach who couldn't stay retired
HOUSTON — The MVP of the 2016 Patriots just might be a gray-haired grandfather who probably won’t get any camera time during Sunday’s Super Bowl. Dante Scarnecchia returned to New...
Pro golfer plays in tourney hours after extreme DUI arrest
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — PGA Tour player Steven Bowditch was arrested on suspicion of extreme DUI early Friday, getting out of jail soon enough to play in the Waste Management Phoenix...
Iran responds to US sanctions with military exercise
Iran responded to US sanctions by announcing a military exercise on Saturday. In a show of defiance, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it will hold an "exercise" that includes deployment of...
Patriots can't say enough good things about their unsung hero
HOUSTON — No player on the Patriots embodies the Bill Belichick “Do Your Job’’ mantra more than Matthew Slater. Slater is listed on the New England depth chart as a...
NJIT transcendent star's career ends on cruel twist of fate
Damon Lynn never missed a game. It wasn’t a concern. There was no pain he hadn’t been able to play through. As a sophomore at NJIT, he suffered a stress...
Nets youngsters overwhelmed in miserable outing
The Nets’ youth movement was in full swing, with first-round pick Caris LeVert getting his first NBA start on Friday night. He was in the lineup with fellow rookie Isaiah...
Falcons somewhat optimistic about their banged-up center
HOUSTON — Falcons coach Dan Quinn said he was “concerned” about center Alex Mack on Thursday, but sounded way more optimistic after Friday’s practice. Mack was limited again with a...
White House to investigate leaks of Trump's calls to Mexico, Australia
The White House is looking into how embarrassing details of President Donald Trump's recent tense phone conversations with his counterparts in Australia and Mexico were leaked to news organizations, White...
Trump scales back banking regulations with executive order
President Trump on Friday began scaling back banking regulations that reshaped the financial industry after the 2008 financial collapse. The president signed an executive order directing a sweeping review of...
Ocean may one day swallow Trump's 'Winter White House'
President Trump's "Winter White House" may one day be partially engulfed by the ocean. Climate scientists predict that his Mar-a-Lago property in Palm Beach, Fla., will be impacted by sea...
The fight going on outside the ring for Wladimir Klitschko fight
There will be plenty at stake when Anthony Joshua defends his IBF heavyweight championship against former long-time title holder Wladimir Klitschko April 29 at Wembley Stadium in London. The fight...
Six signees can be instant studs for NCAA football powers
For all the hype and headlines that Wednesday’s National Signing Day brought, most of the prospects will be forgotten by next fall. Many will redshirt, others will serve as backups,...
State lawmakers to vote on delaying city's 5-cent bag fee
ALBANY — State lawmakers within days plan to vote on a bill that would postpone the city’s 5-cent plastic-bag fee for a year. The fee, passed last year by the...
NYC should expose and shame those using a concert to praise North Korea
North Korea is a horrible dictatorship ruled by a family of psychopaths that shows no respect for human rights. So why is Manhattan-based Ureuk Symphony Orchestra celebrating North Korea’s Kim...
Judge's blocking of travel ban sets stage for epic court battle
A federal judge in Seattle Friday struck down a week-old executive order that barred all refugees and travelers from seven Muslim-majority nations from entering the United States — a dramatic...
De Blasio found a way to marginalize drunk driving
We’re still hoping City Hall and the Trump administration can come to some compromise on the whole “sanctuary city” thing — but this past week didn’t provide much cause for...
More (worthless) diplomas: City Hall's pathetic claim to Renewal School success
Team de Blasio regularly runs the troubled Renewal Schools program through the wash, rinse and spin cycles to wring out something resembling good news — but the reality remains stained...
Team Trump starts to get tough on Iran
Iran just got a loud — and long overdue — wake-up call from the Trump administration that its rogue and destabilizing behavior will no longer be tolerated. Two days after...
Why scared Democrats need to back Neil Gorsuch
If President Trump is a budding authoritarian, as his critics allege, one of the safeguards is Judge Neil Gorsuch. For all that Trump has flouted norms and gotten off to...
Investing in STEM programs will produce Trump's 'great American' workers
President Trump appears to be getting set to roll back the number of foreign workers high-tech companies can hire for well-paying scientific and engineering jobs here in America. If he...