June 26, 2009
Army of Two weapons design contest
Once upon a time, I thought "Army of Two" could be my game. It started off great...and after about two hours, I realized it really wasn't the game for me....
Ernst Obster, Bouna Time and RBNY notes
With the Red Bulls suffering through a 2-11-4 season, they plan on making some changes. Buying out underachieving, overpaid Argentine Juan Pietravallo was the first step, but it won't be...
METS SHUT DOWN MAINE
John Maine is being shut down, and even he admits the earliest he'll return to the Mets is after the All-Star break. Maine threw a bullpen session Wednesday, and that...
Second Mets prospect suspended
Pitcher Johan Romero today became the second Mets prospect this week to be suspended 50 games by Major League Baseball for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. Romero's suspension follows the...
Islanders select Tavares
By LARRY BROOKSThe Islanders selected forward John Tavares with the first pick in the NHL Draft.After zealously guarding the identity of the player they would select with the first selection,...
Yet another song contest
The Mets for some reason are holding another contest to decide their eighth-inning sing along song, even though current choice "Meet the Mets" is popular with fans and the team...
RBNY finally buys out Juan Pietravallo
For Red Bull fans pained at the mere thought of Juan Pietravallo's bloated guaranteed contract, it seemed the overpaid Argentine had been in New York for eternity. Today, he's history....
RUTH MADOFF AGREES TO GIVE UP 3 HOMES
She's moving on down! Ruth Madoff agreed today to give up her deluxe apartment on the Upper East Side, shortly before prosecutors recommended 150 years behind bars for her fraudster...
Report: NFL reviewing Burress case
APNFL commissioner Roger Goodell has started his review of the Plaxico Burress shooting incident under the league's personal conduct policy.The league confirmed Friday that Goodell was examining the incident in...
YANKEES' NADY DONE FOR SEASON
The Post has learned Xavier Nady's season is over and next year is in question, too. According to several teammates, the Yankees outfielder told them late Thursday night that his...
Shoulder pain shuts down Maine
John Maine will not make his scheduled rehab start for Single-A Brooklyn on Saturday and now is not expected to return to the Mets until just after the All-Star break,...
The Day After The Night Before
By FRED KERBERSo let's get those 2010 mock drafts going. Who do you think the Nets should take at one?With Thursday's trade of Vince Carter and the drafting of Louisville...
Vikings' Peterson would welcome Favre
APVikings running back Adrian Peterson finds himself awash in the ongoing soap opera over whether Brett Favre will come out of retirement for a second straight year and sign with...
Stars in the "Night"
Isaac Butler, of Critic-o-Meter and Parabasis, raised an interesting issue in an email this morning. (Don't worry, I asked him if I could discuss it here; it's not as if...
Walsh: We'll try to keep Lee, Nate
Donnie Walsh said today the Knicks' free-agency goal this offseason is to keep David Lee and Nate Robinson while saving salary for next offseason."I'm going to try to keep them...
DEALS: Mendo, she wrote...
Back in the day -- say 1984-1996 -- you couldn't drop one body without some old bag getting all up in your business. Worst of whom was Jessica Fletcher, a...
Jimmy Kimmel: 'Too Soon' For Michael Jackson Jokes?
Jimmy Kimmel was the only late-night host to joke about the death of Michael Jackson. "I got about, I don't know, 25 calls today from people asking me: 'Have you...
Jets claim receiver Urrutia
APThe Jets have claimed wide receiver Mario Urrutia off waivers from the Cincinnati Bengals. Urrutia was a seventh-round draft pick by the Bengals last year and spent the season on...
GOV. PATERSON THREATENS SENATORS' PET PROJECTS
ALBANY, N.Y. -- Gov. David Paterson says he's withholding the pork-barrel grants senators give out individually, citing their failure to go to work as he ordered for the fourth straight...
'Dream' Come True For Another 'Idol'
Syesha Mercado will become the second "American Idol" to live the "Dream" when she joins the very long list of "Idol" contestants before her by catapulting from the TV stage...
Game 72: Yankees at Mets
(UPDATED) Fresh off taking three out of four from the NL Central-leading Cardinals, the Mets turn their attention to the Subway Series tonight at Citi Field when Mike Pelfrey takes...
LAFD RELEASES AUDIO TAPE OF 911 CALL FROM MICHAEL JACKSON'S DEATH
A 911 caller seeking help for Michael Jackson told an emergency operator that only a personal physician had seen what happened, and an ambulance was urgently needed because resuscitation efforts...
Michael Jackson & Farrah Fawcett Specials, Fri-Mon
More specials have been added for the late King of Pop and the beautiful "Charlie's Angel." Find out when you can catch specials on Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett after...
JACKSON'S EX-WIFE DEBBIE ROWE 'INCONSOLABLE' OVER HIS DEATH
LOS ANGELES -- A lawyer who represented Debbie Rowe in a custody matter says the mother of two of Michael Jackson's three children is inconsolable. Attorney Iris Finsilver says she...
PRODUCER: BET AWARDS WILL HONOR MICHAEL JACKSON
An executive producer for the Black Entertainment TV Awards says Sunday night's live broadcast from Los Angeles will honor Michael Jackson. Stephen Hill said the show will be dedicated to...
NETS' PICK WANTS TO MAKE SPLASH
A day after the Nets traded eight-time All-Star Vince Carter, the team's top draft pick was asked whether he felt pressured about being thrown into the rugged waters of the...
Woody Going to Paris
Woody Allen is headed back to Europe. The actor-director plans to shoot a romantic drama in Paris, ScreenDaily.com reports. The flick will follow Allen's previously announced movie, still-nameless, to be...
HATEFUL GRAFFITI FOUND ON LES SYNAGOGUE
Police are investigating hateful graffiti discovered yesterday on the door of two prominent Lower East Side Synagogues -- one of which is State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver's house of worship....
Knicks will call Timberwolves
By MARC BERMANKnicks president Donnie Walsh said today he will call the Timberwolves to inquire about Ricky Rubio's availability in the wake of his father threatening the point-guard phenom would...
KNICKS WILL CHECK ON RUBIO
Knicks president Donnie Walsh said today he will call the Timberwolves to inquire about Rickey Rubio's availability in the wake of his father threatening the point-guard phenom would play in...
OBAMA SCOFFS AT AHMADINEJAD'S APOLOGY DEMAND
WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama scoffed at the idea that he should apologize to Iran's leaders for criticizing their violent crackdown on demonstrators and said Friday it was President Mahmoud...
'THUGS' TRY TO ROB DAYCARE CENTER
Horrified children at a Brooklyn day care center watched in fear today as cops shot and wounded a gun-toting thug who brazenly busted into the place with two cohorts to...
GOV SANFORD'S WIFE 'SHOCKED' HE WAS IN ARGENTINA
SULLIVANS ISLAND, S.C. -- South Carolina first lady Jenny Sanford says she discovered her husband's affair in January when she found a letter to the governor from his mistress. Jenny...
Report: 4th-round pick signs
NJ.com reports the Giants have signed running back Andre Brown, the team's fourth-round pick in April.The Web site says, "Brown's agent said via e-mail he and his client have agreed...
Second Careers
By the way, I'm on Twitter. Should have mentioned that earlier. Hope you come follow me.First of all, anybody see Johnny Depp on Letterman last night? Pretty funny. Basically, he...
REPORT: MICHAEL JACKSON SUFFERED A HEART ATTACK
Michael Jackson, who was with a cardiologist when he collapsed at his rented home in Los Angeles, appeared to have suffered a heart attack, a person with knowledge of the...
What Jersey 'Housewife' Danielle 'did'
For the first time all season, "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" had nothing to say. At the end of last night's Reunion Part 2, the gossipy, over-talking ladies of...
CROCKEFELLER TO FIGHT CONVICTION
BOSTON -- Lawyers for the man who calls himself Clark Rockefeller are asking a Boston judge to throw out his kidnapping and assault convictions. The defense is challenging the credibility...
NYC MAN INDICTED IN HAVARD DORM DEATH
WOBURN, Mass. -- A New York City songwriter has been indicted in the shooting death of a 21-year-old man inside a Harvard dormitory, a prosecutor said Friday. Jabrai Jordan Copney,...
WOMAN DIES IN 3-CAR ACCIDENT ON NY THRUWAY
SAUGERTIES, N.Y. -- A 25-year-old woman died in a three-vehicle accident that shut down the northbound lanes of the Thruway in the Hudson Valley for almost six hours. State police...
Report: Rubio could force trade
ESPN.com is reporting that Ricky Rubio's father "was quoted in the Spanish newspaper Marca saying it was probable Rubio would not come to the NBA this year."According to the Web...
SH-WAR-MA! RIDGE GROUP SEEKS CITY BAN ON FOOD VENDORS
Food fight! At the request of Bay Ridge merchants and neighbors, Community Board 10 is pushing the city to ban street food carts from the bustling business district on 86th...
What's Your Favorite Michael Jackson Music Video?
"King of Pop" Michael Jackson died suddenly yesterday after being rushed from his home to a Los Angeles hospital in cardiac arrest -- stunning the world and devastating legions of...
NY MAN GETS 7 YEARS FOR POINTING GUN AT POLICE
MINEOLA, N.Y. -- A Long Island man -- convicted of pointing a weapon at officers before they shot him -- has been sentenced to 7 years in prison. A Nassau...
BLOOMBERG PAYS TRIBUTE TO MICHAEL JACKSON
Count Mayor Bloomberg among the legions of fans stunned by the sudden death of Michael Jackson. "I will always be listening to his music," the mayor declared today before jumping...
Farrah Fawcett Revisited
Yesterday, Farrah Fawcett became an angel who earned her wings. After three years of battling anal cancer, the "Charlie's Angels" star died. She was 62.In honor of the beauty, who...
LEAKY CRUISE SHIP DETAINED IN NY HARBOR
A leaky cruise ship carrying 848 passengers from Iceland is being held in New York Harbor. A small hole was discovered in the ship's hull during a routine safety inspection....
Coverage in The Post
The replaceMets might have more injuries than they can count, but they also have some much-needed momentum on their side going into the Subway Series after taking three of four...
MICHAEL JACKSON'S PERSONAL DOCTOR MISSING: REPORT
Michael Jackson's personal physician, who was trying to revive the pop legend when EMTs arrived at his LA-area house yesterday, has gone missing. Authorities want to question him but can't...
EXPLOSION INJURES 2 AT COLUMBIA-PRESBYTERIAN
An explosion hit the 22nd floor of a building at the Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital campus this morning, injuring two people. Both suffered burns, according to authorities. The explosion occurred at 9:44...
SC LT. GOV: SANFORD SHOULD NOT RESIGN
COLUMBIA, S.C. -- The man who would replace South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford if he resigned over his affair with a woman in Argentina says the governor should remain in...
IRAN CLERIC: HARSH PUNISHMENT FOR PROTEST ORGANIZERS
Iran's increasingly isolated opposition leader effectively ended his role in street protests, saying he'll seek permits for future rallies. A leading cleric demanded in a nationally broadcast sermon Friday that...
FORMER HEALTH COMMISSIONER PLEADS GUILTY
Former state Health Commissioner Antonia Novello pleaded guilty this morning in Albany County Court to using a state employee as her personal chauffeur. She'll have to serve 250 hours of...
TWO IN 'SHAWSHANK' JAILBREAK SENTENCED
ELIZABETH, N.J. -- Two New Jersey cons whose jailbreak was similar to "The Shawshank Redemption" were given the maximum sentence today for their escape. Otis Blunt and Jose Espinosa received...
PETTITTE'S PRESENT AND FUTURE
Since running off four quality starts to begin the season to open 2-1 with a 2.96 ERA, Andy Pettitte has managed just three quality starts in his last 11 outings...
The Daily Whacks, Friday Edition
You can count me among the tweetin' Twitterers (or is that the Twitterin' tweeters?) now: http://twitter.com/MikeVacc*******You may say this lead-off entry isn't about sports; I'll tell you that sports and...
Mets showing toughness
From JOEL SHERMAN Here is something you haven't heard a lot in recent years, but the Mets should really be proud of the way they have plowed through this injury...
3 UP: SANTANA, PETTITTE AND NIESE
Yes, I am on Twitter.1. Here is something you haven't heard a lot in recent years, but the Mets should really be proud of the way they have plowed through...
Drama Mama: The Sookie Monster
Couldn't afford the time-share in the Hamptons this year? Neither could Drama Mama. Fortunately, there's still some good TV this week for those of us not taking the jitney out...
LaToya Scene Cut from 'Bruno'
Universal hastily cut an unfortunately-timed sequence with La Toya Jackson from "Bruno'' for the film's L.A. premiere last night, hours after the death of LaToya's brother Michael. In the scene...
NYPD DAILY BLOTTER
Manhattan A 72-year-old woman was arrested for attacking her neighbor with a metal pot in an Upper East Side senior-citizen home, police sources said yesterday. Marilyn Cooper went berserk because...
5 QUESTIONS FOR... MITCH WILLIAMS
MLB Network analyst and host of "The Pen," Mitch "Wild Thing" Williams talks with The Post's Justin Terranova about why his former team in Philadelphia cannot put away those injury...
METS, YANKEES LIMP INTO REMATCH
They can't seem to beat anybody else, so they might as well play each other.METS BLOGBOX SCORE The Yankees and Mets come into the second Subway Series trying to find...
NETS DEAL VINCE, GET CAP SPACE
So after the Nets made another draft-night trade, sending Vince Carter to Orlando, one major question emerged: Who would be their lottery pick? Next year. The Nets, again looking to...
KNICKS STILL MISSING THE POINT
COACH Mike D'Antoni, looking for the next Steve Nash to run the point for the Knicks, had the eighth pick in a draft six deep with pure one guards or...
LEE, NATE IN LIMBO WITH DRAFT ADDITIONS
David Lee and Nate Robinson, it may be time to pack your bags. With Stephen Curry off the board, taken at No. 7 by Golden State, the Knicks added to...
SUBWAY SERIES MATCHUPS
FIRST BASE DANIEL MURPHY: He's hit a little better recently -- a slew of multi-hit games in the last week and a half -- but he's still brutal defensively. Nick...
ISLANDERS READY FOR TOP PICK
The Islanders have the top overall pick in the NHL Draft for the first time since 2000, when they selected Rick DiPietro. This time around, GM Garth Snow has kept...
CLARK, GIBSON DRAFTED EARLY
Ironically, the only two first-round picks who could commute to last night's NBA Draft weren't even in the Garden. But Plainfield's Earl Clark and Brooklynite Taj Gibson celebrated just fine...
REGGIE: A-ROD PASSING ME WOULD BE REAL BLAST
ATLANTA -- Reggie Jackson hopes Alex Rodriguez tying him for 11th place on the all-time home-run list last night helps get the Yankees' cleanup hitter going. BOX SCORE "I am...
BLUES, STRIPERS SPICE WEEKEND
BLUES and stripers continue to provide the bulk of the ac tion for saltwater anglers in the metro area, followed by a nice mix of sea bass and porgies for...
LIBERTY LOOK TO BEAT FEVER
After a quick two-game road trip in which the Liberty went 1-1, but lost its last game at Minnesota, it looks to get back on the winning track tonight against...
CAPRIATI LATEST TARGET OF ABUSE BY SHOCK JOCK
WFAN's Craig Carton has a problem. He wants to make a living being a pig without ever being called one. Like most shock jocks and schoolyard bullies, Carton is extremely...
CAVALIERS ACQUIRE SHAQ FROM SUNS
CLEVELAND -- LeBron and Shaq: Two of the NBA's biggest stars are now teammates. The Cavaliers completed a blockbuster trade yesterday, bringing superstar center Shaquille O'Neal from the Suns to...
GOODELL EYES VICK FUTURE
SEATTLE -- Commissioner Roger Goodell is beginning to focus on evaluating Michael Vick's future in the NFL. That doesn't mean a decision will come any time before the 2009 regular...
DEVILS DRAFT FOR SUCCESS
Richly deserved as it is, Lou Lamoriello wouldn't have been elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame Tuesday on the strength of his drafting the past 10 years. He might...
VENUS KNEEDS 'SUPPORT' DURING EASY VICTORY
WIMBLEDON, England -- Venus Williams ambled onto sun-splashed Court 1 at Wimbledon yesterday, a slight hitch in her step and an odd-looking wrap around her left knee. White tape here,...
BRAZIL TO MEET U.S. IN FINAL
JOHANNESBURG -- Just call Daniel Alves the spoiler. Alves scored the only goal on a free kick with just two minutes left at the Confederations Cup yesterday, sending Brazil into...
DEPLETED METS DIG DEEP
That's how you go into the Subway Series with some momentum. The replaceMets might be limping thanks to a nine-man disabled list, but their heads will be high this weekend...
LUCK (AND PLUCK) FINALLY WITH SANTANA
NOWADAYS, Johan Santana stands out in the Met clubhouse like a 2009 Rolls-Royce in a used-car lot. One of the most famous players in the game often looks as if...
RANGERS LOOK TO SCORE HEATLEY ON THE CHEAP
MONTREAL -- NHL general managers arriving here for this Entry Draft weekend have been met with gridlock created by a surfeit of big-money contracts on the trade market and an...
K-ROD: BRUNEY CASE CLOSED
Francisco Rodriguez doesn't expect to be part of a Subway Series undercard this weekend. The Mets' closer divulged yesterday that he received an apology from Brian Bruney for the comments...
MURPHY LOSING OUT TO EVANS
As long as Nick Evans keeps this up, the Mets will have a platoon at first base. Depleted beyond belief by a nine-man disabled list, Jerry Manuel says he will...
THE FANS MAKE THIS A RIVALRY
THE ball was in the air and for half a heartbeat nobody was certain which side of the fence it was going to land on because nobody has quite mastered...
SUBWAY REMATCH COMES AT CRUCIAL TIME
Now the Subway Series shifts, not just to another borough but to another brand-new stadium. The Yankees and Mets will start their second three-game series of the season tonight at...
SPORTS SHORTS
MLB: Manny's PED case Major League Baseball is cooperating with a federal investigation into where Manny Ramirez got the performance-enhancing drug that resulted in his 50-game suspension. The Drug Enforcement...
SMOLTZ ROUGHED UP IN RED SOX DEBUT
Whether it was nerves, rust or age -- or a combination of the three -- John Smoltz had a rough debut inning for the Red Sox. The 42-year-old right-hander allowed...
HONDO'S FADING FAST
Hondo remained trapped in the investment death spiral yesterday, succumbing with both the Cards and Phils to lower the earnings to 125 sanfords. Tonight, he'll flail away with Johnson and...
NO SURPRISE, GRIFFIN GOES NO. 1
Knicks fans now have two California teams to hate. When NBA commissioner David Stern began last night's NBA Draft in the Garden's theater by mentioning the NBA champion Lakers, he...
KNICKS TRADE FOR MILICIC
Darko Milicic, the 7-footer who was picked second in the 2003 draft, will try to rescuscitate his busted career in New York. The Knicks finalized the Quentin Richardson-for-Milicic swap last...
NETS DRAFT WILLIAMS WITH 11TH PICK
Once Vince Carter was traded, the pick became a no-brainer. The Nets needed a wing player, preferably a do-it-all, versatile wing player. And they hope they got just that through...
A-ROD TIES REGGIE, KNOCKS IN 4
ATLANTA -- The most famous hip in New York sports history was strong enough last night to support the Yankees. Now pinstriped fingers are firmly crossed that Alex Rodriguez is...
FANS IN SHOCK AT TRAGIC LOSS
As his family rushed to be by his side in Los Angeles, Michael Jackson's tragic and untimely death sent a shock wave of grief that hit fans from Japan to...
JACKO HAS GONE TO 'NEVERLAND'
"King of Pop" Michael Jackson died suddenly yesterday after being rushed from his home to a Los Angeles hospital in cardiac arrest -- stunning the world and devastating legions of...
HE DIED IN DEBT UP TO HIS EARS
The King of Pop was a world-class pauper when he died -- he was $500 million in debt. That didn't stop him from living large -- he was staying in...
STUNNED FELLOW STARS PAY TRIBUTE
Stars from across the entertainment universe couldn't believe the news yesterday when they heard of Michael Jackson's sudden demise. JACKO HAS GONE TO 'NEVERLAND'ALL-TIME POP HITMAKER'S LIFE OF FLASH AND...
TO PUNISH IRAN
THE Obama adminstration is really playing hardball with Iran now. Faced with the regime's outrageous conduct in killing its own citizens to cow them into silence, the State Department has...
HONE$T ENGINES
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Two employees who found $40,000 in cash at a Florida car dealership have made their boss proud: They turned the money in. The money was in a...
SEE WHY THEY PROTEST
WANT a great way to beat the heat this weekend and support the brave Iranian protesters? Easy. Go see "The Stoning of Soraya M.," opening today in Manhattan and nationwide....
FED BOO$T LETS CITY HIRE MORE COPS
The city will be allowed to use federal funding to hire at least 128 new police officers under a deal brokered by Sen. Charles Schumer. The NYPD will then promote...
SCHOOLS: NOT MIKE'S BUSINESS TK
THE ISSUE: Whether mayoral control of public education has led to gains in the city's schools. *** As a former city teacher, I am appalled at the direction in which...
SENATE PLAN CUTS HEALTH-CARE BILL TO $1T
WASHINGTON -- Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) said yesterday the panel had agreed to trim the cost of its health-care overhaul plan to $1 trillion and could pay...
GREEK-OUT OVER LOUSY AIR TECH
ATHENS -- Greek air-traffic controllers went on strike yesterday over communications systems they say are so bad that songs from radio stations often interrupt conversations with pilots. They have staged...
TURNCOAT ESPADA'S BIZ HIT WITH BACK-TAX $LAP
State Sen. Pedro Espada Jr.'s Bronx health-care business owes $347,000 in back taxes -- and will have to revise a 2007 IRS filing that ignored Espada's nearly $460,000 in compensation,...
HE 'CHEWED HIS EAR OFF.' REALLY
A Brooklyn street brawler ripped a page out of Mike Tyson's handbook when he partially bit off his rival's ear, authorities said yesterday. Jaroslaw Pietraszewski, 44, was arrested Wednesday for...
FASHION FEELS FRUMPY
THE fashion magazines are thundering down the home stretch toward closing their September issues -- but it's not looking pretty. Rumors were circulating this week that Vogue, the perennial category...
AIG GIVES US SPINOFF UNITS
American International Group Inc. said yesterday it will reduce outstanding federal loans by $25 billion by giving the government a preferred stake in two units that will be spun off...
FREAK DEER SMASH-UP
POTSDAM, NY -- An upstate man was injured early yesterday when a deer hit by another vehicle crashed through the windshield of his pickup. Troopers say that Jon Huckle, of...
RUSSIANS DEAD DRUNK
MOSCOW -- Cheap and illicit alcohol kills more than half Russian men and women in their most productive years, and the government must act urgently to reverse the trend, according...
GODDESS ON WALL OF FAME
The end of Farrah Fawcett's life may have played out in the tabloids, but she belonged to us first. And by "us," I mean Generation X, generally, and the boys...
LAPTOP-HEAT ALERT FOR GUYS
Watch out, below! Guys who want to become dads should avoid resting their laptops on their laps, an infertility specialist says. "There's some concern the heat generated from laptops can...
STIFLING SCIENCE TO 'FIGHT WARMING'
THE Obama administration doesn't want to hear inconvenient truths about global warming. And it doesn't want you to hear them, either. As House Democrats rush to pass a $4 trillion,...
'JUSTICE' FOR BROWN -- BOUGHT AND PAID FOR
THE ISSUE: The court decision not to jail Chris Brown for beating ex-girlfriend Rihanna. *** Money can't buy you love, but it can get you out of jail, especially if...
BILL'S DOUBLE TALK
CITY Comptroller Bill Thompson faces nearly in surmountable odds in his race to unseat Mayor Bloomberg. But if he builds his campaign on flip-flops and distortions, Thompson might have to...
LAZIO GOV BID FOR REAL
ALBANY -- Republican Rick Lazio, who ran unsuccessfully for the US Senate against Hillary Rodham Clinton in 2000, is planning to run for governor next year, his spokesman said yesterday....
MORGY: CY MY GUY
Calling him the candidate "best qualified by his experience and views," Manhattan DA Robert Morgenthau yesterday inserted himself into the race for his replacement by endorsing Cyrus Vance Jr. "My...
NEDA'S SILENT 'WHY?'
The Iranian doctor who tried to save Neda Agha-Soltan's life said yesterday she looked down in stunned surprise as blood fatally gushed out of her chest. "I felt she was...
NEW BUST IN PITINO 'BLACKMAIL'
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Federal prosecutors have charged a Kentucky man with helping an alleged extortion attempt against University of Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino. Lester Goetzinger is charged with aiding...
BUSINESS BRIEFS
Legg Mason Legg Mason pared gains in New York trad ing after the Wall Street Journal said activist in vestor Nelson Peltz didn't raise his stake in the money manager....
COLUMBIA SCAMMER JAILED
A former Columbia University employee was sentenced to 15 months behind bars yesterday for ripping off the college to the tune of $180,000. John Bzdil III, 35, declined to speak...
THESE TRAINS 'R' SO GROSS
Rank? Rancid? Repulsive? The R train could stand for any revolting R word -- it was rated the filthiest subway line in the entire system yesterday. Only 25 percent of...
RETAILER DRESS BARN PAYS $157M FOR TWEEN
Reigniting the retail industry's dealmaking scene, women's clothier Dress Barn bought specialty retailer Tween Brands. The $157 million acquisition drew skeptics, who questioned whether Tween Brands -- which operates a...
RAPPER HELD IN STAB SLAY
A rapper once signed to a recording deal by Jay-Z was arrested for allegedly stabbing one man to death and wounding another in a Manhattan building lobby, authorities said yesterday....
JOBLESS CLAIMS UP
The number of Americans filing claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly rose last week, a reminder that companies will keep cutting staff even as the economy stabilizes. Initial jobless claims rose...
RETAIL LIFTS US STOCKS
Long-laggard retailers found themselves in the rare role of boosting stocks yesterday amid a surprisingly robust earnings report from Bed, Bath & Beyond. Housing stocks were also up on similarly...
YAHOO! TO GET A NEW HOME
Yahoo! Inc. plans to finish redesigning its home page by autumn, said Chief Executive Officer Carol Bartz, adding that some other Web sites may be closed or farmed out to...
PHONE FIRM STIFFS CITY: AUDIT
An Internet- and phone-service provider for businesses, TW Telecom, cheated the city out of close to $1 million by underreporting its revenue, Comptroller Bill Thompson announced yesterday. The company shortchanged...
BUILDING ON THE WATERFRONT
Construction will finally get under way this fall on a breathtaking waterfront site in Queens that was once supposed to serve as the Olympic Village for athletes attending the 2012...
POST ON TARGET: SERRA STEPS DOWN AT FOOT LOCKER
Foot Locker -- confirming an exclusive April 28 report by The Post -- said Chief Executive Matt Serra is stepping down, and the company is tapping JC Penney President Ken...
WALK OF SHAME
R. Allen Stanford may have proclaimed his innocence yesterday before a federal judge, but it sure looks like Uncle Sam has different ideas about the accused Ponzi schemer. With temperatures...
CART ATTACK AT QNS. LINKS
More than three dozen golf carts were torched at a public Queens course yesterday, sparking a two-alarm fire that left part of the clubhouse a charred wasteland, authorities said. The...
SLUSH-$$ GUILTY PLEAS
Two former City Council aides pleaded guilty yesterday to embezzling nearly $200,000 as part of the council "slush fund" scandal exposed by The Post. One aide, Asquith Reid, 65, also...
MIKE SEES CHAOS IN SCHOOLS
Mayor Bloomberg leveled his harshest attacks at do-nothing lawmakers yesterday -- charging city schools will be as dysfunctional as the state Senate if mayoral control isn't extended. "Just take a...
APPLE'S HOT NEW APP: LET'S JUST CALL IT IPORN
Now people are really going to be glued to their iPhones. Thanks to a new application called "Hottest Girls," tech nerds everywhere will be able to see naked women on-demand...
THE PLOT ETHIC-KENS
WASHINGTON -- Embattled Rep. Charles Rangel has new worries. The House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct -- which already is probing a number of allegations against the Harlem Democrat...
BRONX BOUNTY HUNTERS BAGGED IN 300G COKE BUST
Two Bronx bounty hunters got caught on the wrong side of the law when drug-enforcement agents found $300,000 worth of cocaine in the trunk of their car, officials said yesterday....
OSCAR GOES TO HOLLYWOOD MARKET
No matter who takes home the Oscar for best picture, the bigger pool of nominees is bound to put pressure on studios to step up their marketing efforts for the...
TRYING TIMES FOR PEDRO'S KID, TOO
A Bronx judge yesterday nixed a plea deal for state Sen. Pedro Espada Jr.'s son, who is charged with harassment and criminal mischief over an alleged scuffle with a journalist...
PINCH NOT YET OVER AT GLOBE
New York Times Co. Chairman Arthur "Pinch" Sulzberger Jr. warned that this week's pact with the Boston Globe's largest union might not spare the struggling newspaper from more cuts in...
GOV BID TO $HUT CIRCUS
ALBANY -- Gov. Paterson angrily escalated his war on the dysfunctional state Senate yesterday, directing the state treasurer not to pay per diem and travel expenses for the 62 lawmakers....
NO GENTLE WORDS FOR BEN
Federal Reserve Chief Ben Bernanke faced a barrage of questions and drew withering criticism on Capitol Hill yesterday as he defended his role in the slapdash merger of Bank of...
DESIGN ON ASIA STALLS
Waking up to the realities of the global economic crisis, the owners of Barneys New York have shelved plans to expand the chain overseas. Istithmar -- a Dubai investment firm...
TOM-TOM
Meet the new Tom -- same as the old Tom. That would be Tom Farley, Mayor Mike's replacement for ex-city Health Commissioner Tom Frieden, recently departed for the Obama administration....
ANOTHER WEEK, ANOTHER RANGEL PROBE
The House Ethics Committee has opened an investigation into free Caribbean trips by Rep. Charles Rangel and several other members of Congress that were paid for by corporate lobbyists, in...
MICHAEL JACKSON, 1958-2009
Michael Jackson was an entertainment phenomenon -- a one-time child star who became a trend-setting sensation. In his prime, he was arguably the most popular entertainer on the planet, justifiably...
LUNATIC 'SINGE'
She was a match strike away from murder. A crazed Long Island woman doused her estranged husband's infant daughter and oceanfront home with lighter fluid in a twisted attempt to...
MEET SC GOV'S NEWS BABE
The Argentinian woman who stole the heart of South Carolina's two-timing Love Gov is a raven-haired television journalist who worked as a correspondent in New York City covering the aftermath...
HEAVEN GETS AN ANGEL
Farrah Fawcett soared to stardom on the basis of a megawatt smile, open sensuality and a mane of wavy platinum tresses. But as the end drew near for the "Charlie's...
SHOWMAN FOR THE AGES
LOS ANGELES -- Michael Jackson was not of this world. He always seemed to defy gravity, as a dancer whose signature move was so incomprehensibly graceful that it earned the...
ALL-TIME POP HITMAKER'S LIFE OF FLASH & FREAKINESS
The Thriller's gone. Michael Jackson always left generations of excited fans screaming, crying and gasping for air as he brought Motown to the mainstream with flair and freakiness. PHOTOS: Michael...
MASS MOURNING RESULTS IN WEB CRASH
The shocking news of the King of Pop's sudden death yesterday sparked so much Web traffic that Google's news-link Web site had to put a temporary block on "Michael Jackson"...
WEIRD BUT TRUE
She's all that -- for a bag of chips. An Oklahoma City hooker offered her services in exchange for a bag of Frito-Lay chips after a john said he had...
Hill, Douglas, Milicic may end Lee/Nate Era
By MARC BERMANOn Draft Night, the Knicks found potential replacements tonight for free agents David Lee and Nate Robinson, whom they can either let go or work a sign-and-trade.The Knicks...
Syracuse's Jonny Flynn and Minnesota's point guard madness
By BRIAN LEWISSo Minnesota, playing mad scientist like Frankenstein, picked four point guards in last night's draft and actually kept three. With Spanish phenom Ricky Rubio and Syracuse speedster Jonny...
LET US PRAISE
SHOULD André De Shields ever tire of acting, there's another profession that beckons: preaching up a storm. In "Archbishop Supreme Tartuffe," the Classical Theatre of Harlem's wild and woolly take...
STARR REPORT
Danielle's soap past Add another weird twist to "Real Housewives of New Jersey" lightning rod Dan ielle Staub: soap actress. Staub, 46, appeared on ABC's "All My Children" in September...
DEFUSE OR LOSE
'THE Hurt Locker" hurls you into what asymmetric warfare means in Iraq: massive courage on one side, massive cowardice on the other. Despite its pumped-up admiration for our troops and...
LONG ROAD TO LYNCHIAN CAMP
JENNIFER Lynch, the spawn of David Lynch, has returned to spew "Surveillance," which is either a ludicrously bad movie or a parody of same. Either way, it's pretty funny. Julia...
COUGAR COURTESAN STALKS PREY
A radiant Michelle Pfeif fer plays an early 20th-century French cougar -- yes, the concept's been around a while, kids -- in Stephen Frears' slight but highly decorative "Chéri." The...
THIS ISN'T A KEEPER
SACRIFICIAL counter- programming against the "Transformers" juggernaut, Nick Cassavetes' "My Sister's Keeper" targets tear ducts so ruthlessly, it might as well be sponsored by Kleenex. PHOTOS: 40 Tearjerkers Which is...
SAY NOPES TO MOPES
SCOTTISH indie band Camera Obscura wad dled onto the Webster Hall stage Wednesday night for a 90-minute show that ran an hour too long -- and completely lacked charisma, allure...
BOY BACK TO BARD
HE'S long and lean -- a human string bean in a stringy blond wig. He stumbles and falls, and when he speaks, his voice rises up, valley girl-style, like an...
AN ANNE'S WORLD
'TWELFTH Night" again? We see it so often that this Shakespeare in the Park production could be retitled "112th Night." Of course, the play is a director and audience's dream,...
AFGHANISTAN'S IDOL WORSHIP
THE people of Afghani stan have survived 30 years of war and Taliban atrocities. And what is their reward? "American Idol"! Well, not the show that people in the US...
EXECUTIONER'S WRONG
'THE Stoning of Soraya M." could not have opened at a more opportune time for its director, US-born, Iranian-bred Cyrus Nowrasteh -- and a worse time for the religious zealots...
MOURNING STORY
NOBODY faces a death in the family quite like Nanni Moretti, Italy's superstar actor-director. In "The Son's Room" (2001), he coped with a loss of a son. Now, in "Quiet...
LETTERMAN EDGING OUT CONAN
THE seesaw late-night battle tilted in David Letterman's favor last week. Letterman's "Late Show" beat Conan O'Brien's "Tonight Show" in total viewers last week for the first time in over...
FARRAH REVISTED
NBC is re-broadcasting its recent documentary, "Farrah's Story," tonight at 9. The two-hour documentary was made with home video footage of her struggle with cancer. And TV Land is airing...
PIMP MY LIFE
IF HBO had made a series called "Rack" about a woman whose only asset is her giant boobs -- and thus the only thing she can market -- I think...
OPRAH STAFF CRUISE HITS TITANIC TAXES
SO what could be bad about a Mediterranean cruise with boss Oprah Winfrey picking up the tab? How about an unexpected tax bill from Uncle Sam. Oprah staffers treated to...
NEXT CHAPTER
I need to clear up a misconception. I am the author of what they call on the "Real Housewives of New Jersey" The Book, "Cop Without a Badge." MORE: Danielle...
PREVIEWS
"THE EUROPEANS": The struggle between Islam and Christianity is played out in Howard Barker's play, performed by Potomac Theatre Project. Atlantic Stage 2, 330 W. 16th St.; 212-279-4200. Previews begin...
FAIRS, FESTS, ETC...
GRAND CENTRAL FESTIVAL: Vendors will sell food, refreshments and other street fair standards on 43rd Street between Lexington and Third avenues today from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. SIXTH AVENUE...
FILM
FILM FORUM: Richard Fleischer tells the story of serial killer John Christie in "10 Rillington Place" (1971), airing through Thursday. 209 W. Houston St., west of Sixth Avenue; 212-727-8110. IFC...
DANCE
JOYCE THEATER: Keigwin + Company premieres its new work "Triptych" and restages "Natural Selection," "Love Songs," and "Bolero/NYC," which features 50 New Yorkers, tomorrow at 2 and 8 p.m. 175...
CLASSICAL
AVERY FISHER HALL: The "Summertime Classics" annual series opens with a Russian festival, featuring works by Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m. Lincoln Center; 212-875-5656....
JAZZ
BIRDLAND: John Pizzarelli is joined by his father, brother and wife to play songs from his new release, "PIZZArelli Party." Today and tomorrow at 8:30 and 11 p.m. 315 W....
POP, ROCK, FOLK
EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKY: The Texas-based band that provided the soundtrack to "Friday Night Lights" performs at Central Park SummerStage on Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. Rumsey Playfield, off Fifth Avenue...
OFF-BROADWAY
"CORALINE": ** Stephin Merritt, David Greenspan, Jayne Houdyshell: How could this musical not be good? And yet it lacks any sense of stage magic. Lucille Lortel Theatre, 121 Christopher St.;...
BROADWAY
"ACCENT ON YOUTH": * There's no accent of any kind in this flat comedy starring a badly directed David Hyde Pierce. Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, 261 W. 47th St.; 212-239-6200....
WEEKEND HOT PICKS IN ENTERTAINMENT
HOT STICKS Drummer-composer E.J. Strickland, a member of saxophonist Ravi Coltrane's quartet, brings his own quintet and music from his new album, "In This Day," to the Riverside Church's Assembly...
ONGOING MICHAEL JACKSON COVERAGE
July 9, 2009Pelosi Spikes Michael Jackson ResolutionCORPSE'S FATE A MYSTERYLIFTING THE VEIL ON JACKO'S KIDS July 8, 2009MJ MEMORIAL WATCHED BY 31.1MDAUGHTER'S LOVE TUGS AT HEARTSWHO'S WHO OF CELEBS JOINS...
Jordan Hill, meet Garden crowd
By BRIAN LEWISKnick first-round pick Jordan Hill played his college ball at Arizona, and may not have been all that familiar with the Garden crowd he'll be playing in front...
NETS DRAFT TERRENCE WILLIAMS
Once Vince Carter was traded away from the Nets, the pick became a no-brainer. The Nets needed a wing player, preferably a do-it-all, versatile wing player. And they hope they...
GRIFFIN DRAFTED NO. 1
Blake Griffin was the consensus No. 1 pick. Shaq to the Cavs was the consensus blockbuster. On a day of head-turning trades around the NBA, the Los Angeles Clippers started...
Farrah Fawcett (1947-2009)
In her big-screen debut, "Myra Breckinridge'' (1970) with Raquel Welch, Roger Herren and John Huston.
Michael Jackson (1958-2009)
In Francis Ford Coppola's "Captain EO'' (1986)
Nets draft Terrence Williams
The Nets selected Louisville forward Terrence Williams with the 11th pick in the NBA Draft. Williams played point forward for the Cardinals, which means he can probably play the point,...
Knicks take Jordan Hill
After Davidson guard Stephen Curry was taken by the Warriors at No. 7, the Knicks drafted Arizona forward Jordan Hill with the eighth pick in the NBA Draft."I think we...
JACKSON FANS MOURN HIS PASSING
Michael Jackson's death stunned fans young and old throughout the Big Apple and the world over. "I pray that he's still singing and dancing in heaven," said Kwoade Cross, 13,...