July 8, 2010

Fire engulfs roof of East Village building

The roof of an East Village building burst into a massive fire today, sending waves of black smoke billowing over the neighborhood before firefighters quickly got the blaze under control....

Four people stabbed in Chelsea

A deranged man stabbed four people in an apparent random attack in Chelsea this afternoon, authorities said. “The guy was crazy, he looked like he had rabies or something,” said...

Reggie: Forget 600, A-Rod will hit 800 homers

OAKLAND, Calif. -- For years, Alex Rodriguez has been proclaimed baseball’s future home run king. He has cleared the fences at such a remarkable rate, reaching many milestones more quickly...

Gwyneth's knives come out

Having recently praised her look in "Iron Man 2," I was curious to see what Gwyneth Paltrow would dish up in the August issue of Vogue, the cover of which she's featured...

Yankees' DH Johnson 'still sore'

SEATTLE -- Yankees DH Nick Johnson is experiencing discomfort in his right wrist when swinging a bat.“Still sore when swinging,’’ Johnson reported via text message. He is in New York...

Wire problems stranding NJT passengers at Penn Station

New Jersey Transit riders are stranded at Penn Station as a a series of overhead wire problems are causing delays upwards of 60 minutes. "All of New Jersey is stuck...

Yankees' Swisher voted onto AL All-Star team

Yankees right fielder Nick Swisher was named to the AL All-Star team in the fan voting for the final roster spot. “It’s going to be great to be there, I...

Knicks get Jerome Jordan in trade with Bucks

MILWAUKEE -- The Bucks have traded the draft rights to 2010 second-round pick Jerome Jordan to the Knicks for cash considerations. The 7-1, 253-pound Jordan averaged 15.4 points and 9.4...

Moving Image reopens Jan. 15

The Museum of the Moving Image will reopen on Jan. 15 following a multi-year, $67 million project to redesign and nearly double the size of its facilities in Astoria, Queens,...

Yay for New Yorkers!

The piece I wrote for today's paper made me really happy. Too often, we forget about the hardy audience members who sustain theater in New York, so it was a...

NBC brags about Conan's Emmy nominations after replacing him with Leno

NBC-Universal bragged about the four Emmy nominations pulled in by Conan O'Brien's "Tonight Show" Thursday just months after the network controversially yanked the host in favor of Jay Leno. The...

Wannabe mobster holds gun to SI dad's head

Apparently the rotten apple doesn’t fall far from the crooked tree. A wannabe gangster looking to follow in his dead father’s Mafioso footsteps allegedly held a gun against a Staten...

Yankees' Pettitte: No way I get to 300 wins

Andy Pettitte is 11-2 and an All-Star for the third time, having one of the best seasons of his long career. He says that still won't be enough for him...

JUST BACK: Riviera Maya

Stunning flora. Sanctuaries of pink flamingos and crocodiles strolling about in their natural setting. There's nothing quite like the Mayan jungles of Mexico. Sitting right in the middle of it...

Isiah was in Ohio to make pitch for Knicks

Isiah Thomas traveled to Akron, Ohio, on Wednesday to speak with a member of LeBron James' inner circle in a last-ditch attempt to sell New York, according to a source....

Duhon: Knicks' plan made it 'kind of tough'

ORLANDO, Fla. -- It was only fitting Chris Duhon officially joined the Orlando Magic on Thursday, the same day his former team has spent two-plus seasons preparing to sign a...

Day in Photos: July 8, 2010

LeBron at Ohio camp hours before 'Decision'

CLEVELAND -- LeBron James is back at camp. The NBA’s marquee free agent showed at his basketball camp Thursday, hours before he was to announce in Greenwich, Conn., where he’ll...

Girardi leaning toward Price over Pettitte for All-Star start

Joe Girardi today would not say who the starting pitcher will be for his American League squad in Anaheim, but the Yankees manager seems to be leaning toward the Rays’...

Brown gets offensive minded as he prepares for Manhattan

Rhamel Brown’s streetball nickname is “Young Zach Randolph.” The former Transit Tech star believes he only resembles the Memphis Grizzlies center in looks not substance for now. “I don’t think...

Oscar Watch: Fincher Facebook film, with new Spidey, gets NYFF boost

Oscars, watch out! David Fincher's new movie about the founding of Facebook, "The Social Network,'' will open the New York Film Festival as a world premiere on September 24. Written...

FOX Sports: Rangers in lead for Lee

A rival general manager told FOX Sports the Rangers have taken the lead in the Cliff Lee pursuit. The report states that Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik is interested in Rangers...

Knicks coach 'shocked' by

Following today's Amar'e Stoudemire press conference, Mike D'Antoni said he was "shocked'' the club looked like it was going to lose LeBron James to Miami. D'Antoni knows the long odds....

Medvedev pardons Russians in US-Russia spy swap

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev pardoned four Russians, including arms control expert Igor Sutyagin, in a spy swap with the United States, his spokeswoman Natalia Timakova said Friday.

Cops open Mel Gibson domestic violence probe: report

Mel Gibson is being investigated over domestic abuse allegations made by the actor's estranged Russian lover, Oksana Grigorieva, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department announced Thursday. The detective overseeing the...

Ready for 'Facebook: The Movie'?

The New York Film Festival, swinging away from its artsy choices of the last couple of years, has selected a mainstream movie for its opening night on September 24. The...

2nd rooftop rape charge dropped against NYC man

Prosecutors have dropped sex charges in a second case involving a man accused of raping two woman in separate incidents on the same Manhattan rooftop. Prosecutors said Thursday they couldn’t...

911 call played in trial of Chinatown man charged with murder

Her voice is calm, almost casual, given the circumstances. "Hi, I just found a body in my son's room," a mom announces in a macabre 911 call played aloud today...

US TV host Larry King and wife number seven call off divorce

The split is off between CNN host Larry King and his seventh wife, Shawn Southwick, after the couple filed petitions to dismiss their divorce, TMZ reported Thursday. The couple's 12-year...

Three suspected al Qaeda members arrested in Norway

OSLO — Three suspected al-Qaida members were arrested Thursday in a Norwegian bomb plot linked to the same terrorist planners behind thwarted schemes to blow up New York’s subway and...

Swipe, smile, blow: Pa. has wine vending machines

HARRISBURG, Pa. -- Swipe your driver's license, look into the camera, blow into the breath sensor and - voila! - you have permission to buy a bottle of wine from...

Stoudemire ready for 'challenge' with Knicks

Amar’e Stoudemire knows he needs help with the Knicks and doesn’t seem that confident it will be coming from LeBron James. Stoudemire officially joined the Knicks today with a press...

U.S. Open will offer biggest payout in tennis history

The U.S. Open will offer the richest purse in tennis history, with its singles champions each earning a record $1.7 million. The U.S. Tennis Association said Thursday the purse for...

Goydos ties PGA record by shooting 59 at John Deere Classic

SILVIS, Ill. -- After four months of pretty lousy play on the PGA Tour, Paul Goydos managed to turn things around just a bit — he shot a 59. Out...

Underground drill slips, tears through NYC street

New York City pedestrians have to check for passing cars before crossing the street. They also need to beware runaway drills. A 15-foot drill creating a tunnel for an underground...

Barbara Walters plans return to 'The View' after heart surgery

Legendary U.S. talk show host Barbara Walters will return to "The View" Monday for the first time since she went under the knife for heart surgery, ABC announced Thursday. The...

Lohan's lawyer quits after hearing

Lindsay Lohan will start prison life with a new - very new - lawyer after she was dumped today by the attorney who represented her in court this week. Shawn...

Prosecution delays fatal booze boat collision case

Manhattan prosecutors have delayed convening a grand jury in the case of last weekend's booze-tainted, New York Harbor fatal boating collision while they investigate what role was played by a...

Miami ready to party with eyes on LeBron

The Miami Heat are ready to feast like kings! Heat players descended on the W Hotel in South Beach tonight, witnesses said, for a not-so-hush-hush team party, coinciding with LeBron...

Universal Church treasurer faces fraud charges

Ten years after a Post expose, the world's largest Pentecostal church has been called to judgement for their allegedly devilish dealings in the city. Regina DaSilva, the New York treasurer...

Martin Scorsese sued for $600k debt to jailed money manager Kenneth Starr

Legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese was sued this morning for nearly $600,000 in unpaid fees to jailed money manager Kenneth Starr. The suit was filed by the court-appointed receiver who was...

Con Ed worker helps save woman from burning building

A Con Ed worker rushed into a burning Brooklyn apartment building early this morning to evacuate sleeping tenants then miraculously helped revive a fellow Good Samaritan who was overcome by...

Stamos' sex life could be an issue at Mich. trial

MARQUETTE, Mich. — Lawyers for a Michigan couple accused of trying to extort money from John Stamos say the actor's private life should be fair game at trial next week....

Man in Newark schoolyard slayings sentenced to life in prison

NEWARK, N.J. — A judge on Thursday sentenced the first defendant convicted in the 2007 slayings of three friends in a New Jersey schoolyard to life in prison plus 20...

Nets agree to five-year deal with Outlaw

They tried for the moon — LeBron James — and now the Nets are building a team.Multiple sources have confirmed The Nets agreed to a five-year, $35 million deal with...

Court says UK must not extradite terror suspects to US

BRUSSELS — An international court on Thursday ordered Britain to hold off on extraditing four terrorism suspects to the United States, saying it must show that life terms without parole...

City gets boo$t from Fed for bus-only lanes

Call it the cash lane. The federal government is throwing $18.4 million at the city’s plan to build two separated, bus-only lanes along 34th Street from river to river, officials...

Palestinians always on offense

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a successful meeting with President Obama this week but it doesn’t look like it’s going to gain him much ground or goodwill. Netanyahu is...

LiLo suffers another court loss this week, this time with E*Trade suit

It's not a good week to be Living La Vida Lindsay. First she got sentenced to 90 days in jail and 90 days in rehab, then she got caught red-fingered...

Wife charged in NY hotel heir killing

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — The wife of a Florida travel executive who was beaten to death in a suburban New York hotel let the killers into the room and handed...

Good news for GOPers Fiorina in California and Rubio in Florida

As John McCormack details, it looks as if a couple of Senate contests in California and Florida could turn out well for Republicans. The Republican senate candidate in California is...

Tiger Woods' kids may head to Sweden with mom post-divorce: report

After her official split with golfer Tiger Woods, Elin Nordegren may be headed back to Sweden with her two kids in tow, celebrity gossip website TMZ reported Thursday.One of the...

Vary nice: 2

Charlie Chaplin became a screen legend making silent movies. Now more than 70 years after talkies took hold, Chaplin's daughter Geraldine has made a movie in which she speaks not...

Former Giants LB Pierce retires, joins ESPN

Antonio Pierce never expected last season to be his last NFL season but a bulging disc in his neck sent in motion today's news that he is retiring from football....

Fire erupts at historic B'klyn church; 4 injured

A fire erupted at a historic New York City church overnight, injuring four FDNY firefighters. Firefighters say the blaze was reported Wednesday night at the Baptist Temple church in Brooklyn....

Long Island man begins sentence in racially charged killing

A black Long Island homeowner convicted of killing a white teenager during a group confrontation surrendered today for his prison term. John White, 56, appeared this morning at criminal court...

Is case against Arizona law losing in court of public opinion?

The Denver Post has an interesting editorial today regarding the federal lawsuit against Arizona’s new immigration law. Though they aren’t in love with Arizona’s law they are heavily critical of...

Kings out again, Devils lone NHL team pursuing Kovalchuk

As the Ilya Kovalchuk Saga went through its eighth day, Lou Lamoriello said he's not irritated nor edgy about the drawn-out negotiations for the star left wing. "No. Do I...

Paterson: Lawmakers risk another cash crisis

ALBANY – Gov. Paterson warned this morning that the state could run out of cash “in a month and a half” and threatened to call lawmakers back to Albany if...

'The Pacific,' 'Glee,' top Emmy Awards nominees

LOS ANGELES -- "Glee," the spunky TV musical comedy about high school misfits and the teachers who shepherd them, was a top Emmy nominee Thursday with 19 bids, including for...

3UP: LeBron/A-Rod, Yankees plans, Mets sked

1. LeBron James is taking a lot of shots, right now, for how he has handled his free agency (there is a baseball analogy coming, just stick with me). I...

'Avatar: Special Edition' sets theatrical date

"Avatar: Special Edition'' will hit theaters on Aug. 27, Fox announced today. There will be eight minutes of additional footage in this version, which will be presented exclusively in digital...

10 Russian 'spies' plead guilty

All 10 Russian agents busted by the FBI last week pleaded guilty to conspiracy -- and revealed their real names -- this afternoon, triggering a massive spy swap. Most of...

3 arrested in Norway al-Qaida bomb plot

OSLO — Three suspected al-Qaida members were arrested Thursday morning in what Norwegian and U.S. officials said was a terrorist plot linked to similar plans in New York and England....

Nets likely out of LeBron sweepstakes

The odds of the Nets landing LeBron James appear weaker than their playoff outlook last February, but this storyline has changed by the hour. And armed with $31.9 million in...

Source: Heat favorite over Knicks, Cavaliers for LeBron

The Knicks have waited two years for this night — praying to hear LeBron James say the magic words that “The Chosen One” has chosen New York. While the Knicks...

Hope, even fleeting, good for city game

It is 33.38 miles from the fifth floor at Madison Square Garden to the front door of the Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich, Conn. The Knicks have not been...

James would just be a 'Prince' in Miami

Lebron James will enjoy his ultimate diva moment tonight when he claims an hour of prime-time television to announce his basketball future. It takes a person with a huge ego...

Hey, LeBron: Embrace the New York spotlight

This is no time for stage fright, LeBron. There comes a time when it is time to leave the nest and spread your wings and soar, to the greatest stage...

Panthers Elite garner bid to national tournament for second weekend in a row

The NY Panthers Elite travel softball earned a berth in a national tournament for the second week in a row. Last weekend, the Panthers came in second in the NJ...

Braziller's news & notes from Hoop Group Elite Camp

READING, Pa. – I had plenty of time to think about my first trip to Hoop Group Elite Camp. Not only did I have an hour-long subway trip to the...

Painting the town red

At a lunch at downtown Russian restaurant Mari Vanna last week, crisply dressed waiters served potato dumplings and cubes of sturgeon to a small party hosted by Princess Kristina Kovalenko,...

Never too young to model!

Braces and pimples be damned — they’re going to take the modeling world by storm! A bevy of teenage beauties arrived in New York this week for “Modeling Camp,” a...

Dyckman notebook: Bingo's All-Stars end Team 914's undefeated summer

Bingo Cole had a special request for Dyckman director Kenny Stevens this week. Even though his Bingo’s All-Stars were on the schedule for Friday, Cole asked for an added game...

Courtside with a streetball legend at Rucker Park

Joe (The Destroyer) Hammond is my kind of guy when it comes to basketball.The streetball legend graced Rucker Park with his presence Wednesday night. Heck they probably should have named...

Painting the town red

CK's Hunt seeing Orange, picks Syracuse

There was a lot about Syracuse University that piqued Terrel Hunt’s interest – the ability to play Big East football, that his mother liked the school on their visit in...

GNYSAA blanked by Team USA, 9-0

The score was more lopsided on Wednesday than on Tuesday, but Greater New York Sandlot Athletic Alliance manager Ken Auer was more encouraged after a 9-0 loss to the United...

Never too young to model!

'Curb' ball

Leave it to sad-sack Larry David to pick the hottest day in years to shoot some scenes for next season’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” That’s David, Rosie O’Donnell and “Curb” co-star...

Burnett gets back on track with 6-2 win as Yankees sweep A's

OAKLAND, Calif. — Mark Teixeira hit a three-run homer to help A.J. Burnett win for the first time in more than five weeks, and the New York Yankees completed a...

Afghan turnaround

Gen. David Petraeus has an unprece dented opportunity to seize back the momentum in Afghanistan: Neither President Obama nor Congress wants a confrontation with this general. During his honeymoon, he...

Blossoming Okoro honing skills on streetball circuit

David Trottman remembers a very different Kerwin Okoro from the one whose stock is surging all over the courts of New York City. The former Cardinal Hayes standout was good...

Refocused Galeano ready to move past rocky junior season

A catcher all his life, Jason Galeano has dealt with painful losses before. But nothing – absolutely, positive nothing, he said – could equate to the feeling that rushed through...

Houses of the week

Dream homes

Drama mama

Crank up the air conditioning and sample some summer TV fare: * "Memphis Beat" (Tuesday, 10 p.m., TNT) There's a game Mama likes to play with these police procedurals: Pause...

'Whale Wars' star deported from Japan

A Japanese court yester day sentenced "Whale Wars" star Pete Bethune to a two-year suspended sentence. Bethune, 45, who's been imprisoned in Tokyo since February, is being deported back to...

In it for the long run

In our age of ADD, in stant gratification still isn't fast enough and entertainment is best consumed in bite-size nibbles. Tell that to those who'll spend part of their weekend...

Wildest life

Coming at you at the speed of a charging Bengal tiger* is National Geographic's new hour-long series "Nat Geo Amazing!," an up-close, beautifully-filmed show that hits you with a new...

Dean out of hospital

Dean McDermott is out of the hospital and back home. Tori Spelling took to Twitter to proclaim that she and the couple's two kids, Liam and Stella, picked up the...

Opera wannabes leave it to diva

What should have been a dream for Martina Arroyo -- the soprano's first "Don Giovanni" at the Met, opposite legendary bass Cesare Siepi -- turned into a nightmare when she...

'Law and Order: LA' lands Skeet Ulrich

Veteran actor Skeet Ulrich will co-star on "Law & Order: LA," premiering this fall on NBC. Ulrich, who starred for two seasons on CBS' apocalyptic drama "Jericho," will play second-generation...

Tweetin' CNN editor axed

CNN has axed its senior editor of Mideast Affairs after she tweeted about the death of a controversial Hezbollah leader. Octavia Nasr was canned after she tweeted on July 4,...

Alec Baldwin done with '30 Rock'

Alec Baldwin says he's leaving NBC's "30 Rock" when his contract expires in 2012. "As much as I like acting, I know that I would love to have a different...

Ringo plays that 70 show

OMG! Ringo Starr is 70! No way. Shocking as that might be for the world's most famous drummer, it also gave shivers to most of the audience at Radio City...

iPad photos: July 8, 2010

No mistaking rude bosses

Workers treated badly or who witness colleagues being treated badly make more mistakes, experts revealed yesterday. Students insulted by a professor on the way to an exam performed worse than...

In bed with the unions

This union nonsense will continue unless New Yorkers really become annoyed with it ("Subway Workers Caught Snoozing on the Job," July 4). A person from NoHo states that it is...

They're butting heads in Albany over cig sting

New York State is so desperate for money it is squeezing one of its few profit centers -- undercover operations against cigarette bootleggers -- so hard that the operation has...

Life term for $4 Bx. robbery

A career criminal has been sentenced to 18 years to life in a Bronx court for a botched robbery that yielded a pack of cigarettes and four one-dollar bills. Keith...

Rangel eyes draft return

Rep. Charles Rangel yesterday again called for bringing back the national draft -- right at the Times Square recruiting station. For the third time since the Iraq War began, the...

DA caps $1M/yr. pill ring

The city's largest illegal prescription-pill ring -- which peddled $1 million of the drugs a year, mainly to students and yuppies -- has been busted, Brooklyn DA Charles Hynes said...

Anna Chapman's mom: My daughter 'is no Mata Hari'

She could hide secrets from her own grandparents -- but bombshell spy suspect Anna Chapman is no Mata Hari, her mom says. Irina Kushchenko told the Russian tabloid Tvoi Den...

Grisly trunk find

Authorities are trying to confirm whether the body of a woman found in the trunk of a car in Brooklyn is that of a missing Long Island woman. Rose Ormejuste...

Feds seek Dems' dirty $$

The Democratic pols who got campaign cash from crooked financier Hassan Nemazee -- including President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton -- are being...

Dodging a health-care fight

On Tuesday, the Obama ad ministration decided to do something rather peculiar, somewhat shocking and politically fascinating: It circumvented the process by which the Senate advises and consents on executive-branch...

Toy with me: pol

COLUMBIA, SC -- US Senate hopeful Alvin Greene yesterday proposed selling action figures of himself -- to help put more South Carolinians back to work. The 32-year-old unemployed veteran, who...

Tour boat in Philly crash

PHILADELPHIA -- Two people were missing after a tourist "duck boat" carrying 37 passengers was hit by a barge and overturned on the Delaware River yesterday afternoon. The Coast Guard,...

We're ignorant eaters

WASHINGTON -- Only one of every eight adult Americans knows how many calories he or she should consume in a day, while almost two-thirds recently changed eating habits, mainly to...

Thief sets barefoot in Bahamas

MARSH HARBOUR, Bahamas -- A wily young thief who hopscotched his way across the United States and fled in a stolen plane to the Bahamas lived up to his legend...

Gov ponies up $1.5M/yr. for new OTB jockey

Gov. Paterson yesterday bet a staggering $1.5 million a year on the salary of a Manhattan bankruptcy consultant to save the beleaguered city OTB -- a move one critic called...

NYPD Daily Blotter

Brooklyn A knife-wielding mother slashed her husband after catching him in bed with another woman, police sources said. Prell McDonald, 43, cut the philanderer on the arm at 2:30 a.m....

J.Lo's gig panned as a Turkey

NICOSIA, Cyprus -- Jennifer Lopez has stepped into a diplomatic minefield by agreeing to perform in Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus, stirring anger among thousands of Greek Cypriots. J.Lo is scheduled to...

Acquitted in tot mug

A man accused of an atrocious crime -- violently mugging a 3-year-old girl -- was cleared and set free by a Manhattan jury yesterday. The jury acquitted Anthony Faison, 33,...

Workers well 'fed'

WASHINGTON -- The bad economy means job insecurity and stagnant wages for most Americans -- but federal workers have been sitting pretty, with few layoffs and high pay, a new...

Edwards faces 'sex' subpoena

HILLSBOROUGH, NC -- A North Carolina judge said yesterday he's willing to order John Edwards to testify in a suit about a sex tape involving the two-time presidential candidate. Robert...

Citi exits PE

Citigroup has agreed to sell its private-equity unit to Lexington Partners for more than $900 million, PE Hub said yesterday. The portfolio includes stakes in bank-branded funds-of-funds, mezzanine and co-investment...

Geezer gangster guilty

A Brooklyn jury yesterday ensured that the underboss of the Colombo crime family will spend the rest of his life behind bars -- which might not mean much, considering that...

Monkey see, monkey wheee!

Monkeys used springy tree branches to catapult themselves over a 17-foot electric fence to freedom from a primate research center, The Japan Times reported yesterday. "Their jumping power was greater...

Stop the clock on OT abuse: Cuomo

Government employees around the state -- from commissioners to toll collectors to mechanics -- are padding their lifelong pensions by working huge amounts of overtime right before they retire, Attorney...

No, Lindsay, it's time you 'F' yourself

Enough! Blubbering, bawling mega boob Lindsay Lohan doesn't deserve a speck of your sympathy or support, nor a dollop of respect. What Linz desperately needs is a swift kick in...

Apollo's Leon Black shows debt dexterity in down market

Leon Black's Apollo Global Management has spent most of the last decade buying companies with billions of dollars in debt and selling them at a profit, but with the credit...

Shock at Park attack

A bright-eyed Barnard College freshman was showing signs of improvement yesterday as cops hunted for the hulking thug who savagely mugged her in Riverside Park, leaving her bloodied and unconscious...

Sextortion plot bared

ALBANY -- The state's scandal-plagued pension system, whose "pay-to-play" extortion practices led to several high-profile indictments, has been the target of a sex-related extortion plot involving a member of a...

Sirius is on track

Sirius XM Radio got a much-needed boost yesterday after its second-quarter subscriber additions blew past Wall Street's expectations, leading it to raise its forecast for the full year. The struggling...

PA selects Durst as WTC partner

The Port Authority yesterday picked the Durst Organization as its new partner in 1 World Trade Center under a deal that has the firm paying $100 million for the right...

Disney must pay $270M in 'Millionaire' suit

The wild success of Walt Disney's "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" could cost the company a cool $270 million from a suit it lost yesterday for stiffing the creators...

Software slows Apple

AT&T said yesterday that a software defect is slowing down the wireless connection for more than 1 million customers looking to send data from smartphones like Apple's iPhone 4. AT&T...

Terror export

The al Qaeda-linked thugs behind the New York subway bomb plot also were set to spread their reign of terror to England -- targeting prime spots there for bombings, too,...

Business briefs

Wells whack Wells Fargo plans to slash 3,800 jobs and close its consumer-finance unit, taking a charge of $185 million. It will close 638 independent consum er-finance branches and stop...

Apt. fires of hell in Queens

Two Queens fires left hundreds of people homeless yesterday as firefighters battled to get the blazes under control. "Due to the heat, firefighters can only operate for so long," said...

Bibi guns swiped

Four guns belonging to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bodyguards, which were last seen at JFK Airport, have vanished in "an incredible comedy of errors" that has deeply embarrassed US...

MTA's 'nap' commission

Naptime isn't just for preschoolers. The Lower East Side subway-maintenance facility where transit workers were found sleeping on the job has long been a popular snoozing spot for employees charged...

Dems migrating into elex danger

WASHINGTON -- President Obama's unusual challenge to the Arizona state law cracking down on illegal immigration could endanger Democratic candidates in key races around the country, experts said yesterday. "It...

A new generation of Finest

It's been nearly a quarter-century since Steven McDonald, a 33-year-old plain clothes NYPD detective, was gunned down in Central Park while frisking a teenage bicycle thief. The attack severed his...

Cameron goes wobbly

The Justice Department yesterday an nounced charges against five al Qaeda operatives in the United States and Britain -- revealing in the process that the terrorist group's plot to bomb...

A contemptible suit

The White House says President Obama had nothing to do with the Justice Department's challenge to Arizona's immigration law, insisting the decision was Attorney General Eric Holder's alone. Please. This...

Double-dippers defeated

Fifty-nine retired city employees were caught yesterday in the annual sweep of double-dippers collecting both a government pension and a government salary. Comptroller John Liu, whose office conducts the yearly...

PE racks up fee$ in bad times

Private equity can be a very profitable business -- even when it doesn't return a profit to its investors. KKR & Co. reported that last year it generated $618 million...

Baron's bail sale

Jailed former newspaper magnate Conrad Black is seeking bail now that the US Supreme Court has kicked his 2007 fraud conviction back to a lower court. Black's lawyers filed the...

Optimists lift Dow past 10K

After a rocky week for Wall Street, investors armed with more optimism heading into earnings season lifted blue-chip stocks past the psychologically important 10,000 barrier yesterday. The Dow Jones industrial...

Radical gal's writings drip with vile bile

Considering what she wrote about the United States, it's no surprise she'd switch sides. Vicky Pelaez, the Peruvian-born reporter and editor for El Diario/La Prensa best known for her aggressive...

Rob Lowe may join bid for Miramax

The Miramax story took another strange turn yesterday when actor Rob Lowe emerged as a potential player in a bid to acquire the film studio from Walt Disney Co. Lowe...

Jailed pol's 'spring' plea

Corrupt ex-politician Anthony Seminerio wants to be sprung from the slammer while he appeals his six-year stretch for influence peddling. In court papers filed yesterday, his lawyer said the former...

Asbury Park 'topless' nix

The Jersey Shore city best known for Bruce Springsteen says it doesn't need any additional exposure: Asbury Park shot down a proposal last night to allow women to go topless...

Mosque clears major hurdle

Backers of a controversial Ground Zero mosque got a boost last night from members of a lower Manhattan community board who voted to recommend against designating the 162-year-old building now...

LeBron set to make long-awaited announcement from Connecticut

That's a long way from Cleveland! If LeBron James is staying with his hometown Cavaliers instead of signing with the Knicks or Nets, King James sure picked a curious place...

Chef convicted of helping Osama escape GIs

A Sudanese prisoner accused of guarding Osama bin Laden and helping him escape US forces in Afghanistan pleaded guilty at Guantanamo yesterday, giving the Obama administration its first conviction in...

U.S., Russia eye trade to 'free' agents

It's a blockbuster deal for the cloak-and-dagger world. US and Russian officials are secretly negotiating an agreement to swap the alleged Russian spies recently arrested in the United States --...

City Parks Dept. suffers an art attack

A coalition of artists sued the city yesterday, alleging that new limits on vending in parks violate their constitutional rights. It is the second lawsuit against the Parks Department over...

Debt piles up - like vetoes

In case lawmakers didn't get the message last week when Gov. Paterson nixed hundreds of millions of dollars of their proposed spending, he delivered those vetoes right to the Legislature's...

Claiming to be King's sire

Who's your daddy? A Washington, DC, lawyer and Princeton grad is claiming to be LeBron James' father and is suing the superstar and his mom, accusing them of tampering with...

Lohan takes it to the Tweet in whiny rant

LYNWOOD, Calif. -- Falling star Lindsay Lohan took to Twitter last night to snark at American criminal justice, wagging her defiant "f - - k u" digit at a system...

Veto this bill for NY's families, Dave

New York's politicians couldn't man age to pass a budget before going on vacation for July 4, but somehow they managed to take time to pass what they euphemistically called...

A heavy price for 'cheap' mortgages

Washington's efforts to keep the housing market afloat are brew ing up another mortgage melt down -- except that this time, Uncle Sam will start off holding the bag. Mortgage...

Flagging US patriotism: a fight for a Pledge

Reading of the high school in Massachusetts that rejected its students' request to recite the Pledge of Allegiance each morning makes me sick ("Pledge of a Nation," Editorial, July 4)....

Yankees' new dimension

The Yankees are going to make history on Saturday -- but they'll be doing it in living rooms, not on the field. For the first time ever, a Major League...

Today's Sports on Air

Baseball2 p.m.Angels at White SoxMLBN7 p.m.Reds at Phillies or Twins at Blue JaysMLBN7 p.m.NY-Penn League: State College at BrooklynSNY, WKRB (90.3 FM)10 p.m.Yankees at MarinersYES, WCBS (880 AM)10 p.m.Cubs at...

The Post line

CFLFridayFavoriteCurrent (O/U)UnderdogWINNIPEG11½ (46½)TorontoSaturdayHAMILTON2½ (52)CalgaryBRIT. COL.2½ (54)Saskatch.SundayMontreal5½ (54)EDMONTONHome teams in CAPSWorld Cup SoccerFinalsSundayFavoriteFav.LineDrawUD LineUnderdogSpainEven(+225)+265NetherlandsOverO/U LineUnder+1402½-200

Jets' Ferguson gets new deal with $34 million guaranteed

D'Brickashaw Ferguson has been on quite a three-month bender. In May, the Jets left tackle was a guest at a White House state dinner, and today, Ferguson will become one...

Giants' Smith wants new deal, but won't hold out

Even though ascending receiver Steve Smith is anxious to cash in and does not want to play out the final year of his original rookie contract, he promises to be...

Sports shorts

NBA: Allen returns to CeltsRay Allen said last night he has agreed to a two-year, $20 million contract to return to the Celtics. With Kevin Garnett under contract, Paul Pierce...

Spain's Puyol heads home winner over Germany

DURBAN, South Africa -- They pressured Germany the entire match and peppered its goalkeeper so many times a score seemed inevitable. Finally, with a mighty swing of his head that...

This is one singular sensation

The Germans, who scored four goals on three different teams in this World Cup, seemed to have the numbers until again running into the country that has their number. For...

Hondo Bucs the odds

Wakefield used the occasion of Hondo's Sawx hop at the Trop last night to show he's no longer the Rays' daddy, an unfortunate development that caused the deficit to expand...

Uruguay's Forlan still has goals to achieve

Not all is lost for Uruguay striker Diego Forlan. Even after his team lost to the Netherlands in the semifinals, Forlan has something to aim for at the World Cup....

Prosecutor: Vick had spat before shooting

VIRGINIA BEACH -- Michael Vick was involved in a confrontation before the shooting following his birthday bash, the city's lead prosecutor said last night. Commonwealth's Attorney Harvey L. Bryant said...

Mets' Niese gets high marks in losing effort

With Jonathon Niese's first half now over, the Mets' young left-hander has prompted Alex Cora to compare him to one of his superb former teammates. "He's been outstanding," Cora said...

Plan B: Knicks would trade Lee to Warriors for Randolph, Turiaf

The Knicks went into free agency seeing if they could get some value out of David Lee. Now, if LeBron James does not take their second maximum contact today, the...

Mets fall three games behind Braves with loss to Reds

Who knew the Mets really had two straight off days? There is the scheduled one today, and the impromptu one that occurred last night at Citi Field, where the Mets...

Mets' Perez earns win, moves up to Triple-A

Oliver Perez is moving closer to rejoining the Mets -- literally. The left-hander was headed to Buffalo last night and is tentatively scheduled to pitch Sunday for the Triple-A Bisons....

Crucial time for team in the Citi

Listen, if there's any precept that has been reinforced over the last month, it is that pro sports are now driven by star-power and marquee attractions. The Mets, scrappy team...

Surging Serena gears for U.S. Open

When New Yorkers last saw Serena Williams on a tennis court, it was in the midst of a meltdown, a profane eruption that got her penalized a point on match...

A truly bad ‘Decision’ by ESPN, LeBron

If this weren't true, it would be funny. The following is from an ESPN press release, yesterday afternoon: "One of the most anticipated decisions in the sports world -- where...

Cavaliers fans fear James will bolt Ohio

AKRON, Ohio -- LeBron James' hometown and nearby Cleveland are bracing for the worst tonight. Fresh off word that King James will announce his free-agent choice tonight on ESPN while...

Bay shrugs off call of New York boobirds

It's moments like these that you couldn't blame LeBron James for not coming to New York. Barely three months into his tenure on a second-place team, Jason Bay, representing the...

Yankees hope rest can get Mo right

OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Yankees have their fingers firmly crossed that four days of rest and treatment will knock the demons out of Mariano Rivera's right knee and left rib...

Teixeira, Burnett help Yankees sweep A's

OAKLAND, Calif. -- All the Yankees need is for Curtis Granderson to get hot. While the Yankees cruised to the best record in baseball A.J. Burnett, Mark Teixeira, Javier Vazquez...

Yankees tell Cano to skip Home Run Derby

OAKLAND, Calif. -- By the time the Yankees faced the A's last night, Robinson Cano's status concerning Monday night's Home Run Derby was settled. Cano won't participate. A closed-door meeting...

L.A. back in Ilya hunt

Now the Kings are making the Devils wait on Ilya Kovalchuk. Undaunted by Los Angeles' return to the Kovalchuk chase, Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello yesterday told The Post, "We...

A-Rod, Teixeira on fire for Yankees

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Before the game, Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira were firming up lunch plans for Seattle, the next stop on this tour. The Yankees are no longer struggling...

Home Team Lineups

TODAYJuly 8FRIJuly 9 SATJuly 10 SUNJuly 11MONJuly 12 TUEJuly 13WEDJuly 14YankeesSeatl10:10TV -- YES NetworkRadio--WCBS 880 AMSea.10:10YESWCBSSea.10:10YESWCBSSea.4:10YESWCBSH.R.Derby8:00ESPNA.S.Game8:00ESPNNOGAMEMetsNOGAMEAtl.7:10SNYWFANAtl.4:10FOXWFANAtl.1:10WPIXWFANH.R.Derby8:00ESPNA.S.Game8:00ESPNNOGAMELibertyNOGAMENOGAMENOGAMEChi.4:00No TVNOGAMENOGAMENOGAMERed BullsNOGAMENOGAMED.C.7:30MSGWQBUNOGAMENOGAMENOGAMENOGAMEStaten Island YankeesTri-City7:00No TVTri.7:00No TVTri.7:00No TVBat.4:00No TVBat.7:00No TVBat.11 a.m.No TVJam.7:05No TVCyclonesState College7:00TV --...

Weird but true

Do they even look at their own reports? A watchdog group sent a lawyer to the Food and Drug Administration's Washington headquarters -- where he found at least three beverages...

Bird breakout

Everyone said owning chickens is great but you’ve got to watch out for predators. I took this to heart because we share our wooded mountaintop home with hawks, raccoons, foxes...

Sunny rising

The South Florida real estate ride has been a harrowing one. Back in 2004 and 2005, when money was cheap and easy, condos changed hands as fast as developers could...

Just sold!

Manhattan GREENWICH VILLAGE $1,750,000 11 Fifth Ave. Two-bedroom, two-bath co-op, 1,250 square feet, with foyer, dining alcove, eat-in kitchen, walk-in closet, two landscaped terraces and N/S/E/W exposures; building features doorman...

Oh 'tay!

Case closed: “Law & Order: SVU” beauty Mariska Hargitay has upgraded in East Hampton to an 11,000-square-foot, 11-bedroom, 6½-bathroom mansion on Cottage Lane. The three-story home, with three fireplaces, was...

Social house

You might expect Chris Santos, the executive chef and co-owner of Lower East Side hot spot Stanton Social, to live someplace gritty — maybe the East Village or Williamsburg. In...

Lingerie model reignites Paraguay's World Cup hopes

A lingerie model who promised to run naked through the streets of Paraguay if her team won the World Cup has apparently decided a quarter-final defeat is good enough, The...

Lindsay Lohan defends obscene manicure but slams 'perverted' sentencing system

Troubled Lindsay Lohan late Wednesday protested that her controversial obscene manicure "had nothing to do with court" -- as speculation mounted that the marking could lead to a separate charge...

CNN axes senior editor for complimenting Hezbollah leader: report

CNN fired a senior Middle East editor Wednesday for complimenting a Hezbollah leader from her personal Twitter account. Octavia Nasr, the U.S. cable news network’s senior editor of Mideast Affairs,...

Magnitude-5.9 quake strikes Southern California

An earthquake struck Southern California Wednesday, but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The magnitude-5.9 quake was centered 28 miles south of Palm Springs, the U.S. Geological...

Gametracker: Yankees at A's

Alex Rodriguez continues his pursuit of 600 homers on Wednesday night when the Yankees try to complete their first three-game road sweep of Oakland in over five years.