December 20, 2013
Phil Robertson's ostracization is 'ducking' the issue
Let’s start with the obvious: Phil Robertson’s suspension from “Duck Dynasty” is not a violation of the First Amendment. A&E is perfectly within its rights not to put him on...
When the President rewrites the laws
“To contend that the obligation imposed on the president to see the laws faithfully executed implies a power to forbid their execution is a novel construction of the Constitution, and...
The vicious 'tolerance police'
Phil Robertson of “Duck Dynasty” is not alone. He’s the latest in a long, long lineup of politically incorrect targets of the left’s sensitivity mob. Founded in 1985, the Gay...
Hoops scion Vaughn making a name for himself
Vaughn is a household name in New York City basketball circles. Linzell Vaughn Sr. was a playground legend, nicknamed “Predator.” His daughter, Kia Vaughn, enjoyed a standout career at Rutgers...
Pajamas in public? Put some clothes on
I saw one at the airport on Monday and then another in the elevator on Wednesday. I see them on the street, at coffee shops around town, often at the...
Backed into the corner: Season not going as Cromartie planned
As much as receiver Hakeem Nicks has defined the word enigmatic this season for the Giants, Antonio Cromartie has cornered that market for the Jets. Just as this was supposed...
Greenberg's attorney flip-flops: 'There was no witness tampering'
Maurice “Hank” Greenberg has a new nemesis: His lawyer. In a bizarre turn of events, Greenberg's attorney, David Boies, shot down assertions by his client on Friday that a top aide...
Sixers stun Nets in overtime
PHILADELPHIA — The Nets have seemingly been searching for rock bottom all season long. They found it Friday night. Evan Turner’s driving layup as time expired gave the 76ers —...
Devils dropped by Ducks in OT
The Devils had a chance for a third consecutive win, but were stopped by a New Jersey native. Kyle Palmieri, from Montvale, N.J., scored at 2:37 of overtime on Friday...
Islanders rise up to top Rangers, make Garden groan
They might have downplayed it, might have said all the right things about looking forward and staying focused, but it was utterly clear on Friday night in the visitors’ dressing...
Trying times for 'pathetic' Giants
Regardless of the dead-end circumstances — a 5-9 record and eliminated from playoff contention with two games still to play — the goal for the Giants remains the same: Play...
Newlyweds plead not guilty in Craigslist murder
A Pennsylvania newlywed couple on Friday pleaded not guilty to charges they killed a man after luring him to a rendezvous through an online dating advertisement, strangling him and stabbing...
Abigail Breslin goes from geeky to glam
You remember Abigail Breslin as a charmingly geeky movie moppet. Now a graceful 17, she's ready to celebrate the holidays in glammed-up style.
Coach expects Cruz to be 'stronger than ever' in '14
Tom Coughlin wasn’t thrilled Victor Cruz needed knee surgery this week, but the Giants coach liked the timing of it. Cruz underwent an arthroscopic debridement Thursday in Florida, ending the...
Same-sex couples marry in Utah hours after ban struck down
Utah, one of the most conservative states on the issue of gay rights, found itself the latest front in the battle over same-sex marriage when a federal judge Friday struck...
Jets special teams coach eyes top spot at Army
Jets special teams coordinator Ben Kotwica — who is in his seventh season with Gang Green — will interview with Army about the Black Knights' vacant head coaching position. The...
Mob boss' grandson arrested for illegal waste carting
The grandson of “Big Paul” Castellano, the former kingpin of the Gambino crime family, was arrested in Staten Island for illegal waste carting, authorities said. Paul Castellano, 39, named after...
New York's most amazing holiday windows
If you haven't had a chance to check out the amazing holiday displays that appear this time of year in the windows of New York's department stores, here's what you've...
Jets' Nelson hosting foster kid who made headlines
David Nelson needed to do something as soon as he heard Davion Only's story. The New York Jets wide receiver was blown away, just as so many others around the...
Resurgent Harrison keys St. John's offense
D’Angelo Harrison talked a lot during the preseason about the lessons he learned from last season’s suspension and, in turn, applied once he returned to the team over the summer....
He's no Rueb: Randle has shot to gain Giants' trust
It was barely a month ago the Giants looked as if they might have found the perfect low-cost replacement for Hakeem Nicks — if they wanted one — in Rueben...
The day in photos
Dennis Rodman chats with North Korean basketball players, farmers hurl oranges at police, a baby tiger feasts, Santa Claus hits the beach, and more.
Writer who penned novel about depression jumps to his death
A Brooklyn writer whose suicide-themed first novel was turned into a Hollywood flick killed himself by jumping from a window at his parents’ home near Grand Army Plaza Thursday, authorities...
Amar'e says he'll play against Memphis
For Amar’e Stoudemire, “a while” means one game. So Stoudemire said “without a doubt” he will play Saturday against Memphis after he sat out one game. That rest Wednesday in...
Brooklyn man flees cops across rooftops
A Brooklyn man fled cops Friday by hopping from rooftop to rooftop following a dispute with his girlfriend, witnesses and police said. The wannabe Spider-Man climbed onto utility wires connected...
Jeter's lineup spot a mystery and touchy subject
The Yankees lost their best hitter, but very probably improved their lineup. Robinson Cano exited, but the additions of Jacoby Ellsbury, Brian McCann and Carlos Beltran should bring length and...
No more a laughingstock, NJIT just needs a home
Jim Engles has never taken a win for granted. Now, he’ll never take a schedule for granted, either. Following another unbearable season of conference realignment — resulting in the disintegration...
Man feared to be John Wayne Gacy victim found alive
A missing man whose family feared he'd been murdered in the 1970s by serial killer John Wayne Gacy is alive and living in Montana — and has been reunited after...
Accused heroin kingpin extradited to NY
An accused Colombian drug kingpin and his cohort have been extradited to New York after allegedly smuggling millions of dollars in heroin -- including some sewn into couches -- into...
Ex-LIRR union boss in 'gravy train' pension scheme gets 8 years
Next stop on the Long Island Rail Road for this former union honcho: Prison! Joseph Rutigliano, a former LIRR union president and railroad-retiree consultant, was sentenced Friday to eight years...
Desperate Yankees convinced Pettitte done 'for good'
The Yankees need a high-end starting pitcher desperately. Andy Pettitte has come out of retirement once before. So would the Yankees — in their time of need — call to...
Slain toddler's aunt rages at accused accomplice in court
The aunt of a Brooklyn toddler gunned down in gangland crossfire as he sat in his stroller erupted in anger Friday when one of the thugs accused of the shooting...
Knicks face Grizzlies, hope to reverse noon-game woes
The Knicks might be in line for those little mints on their pillows, maybe even a free breakfast. Anything to avoid the outcomes of their last two noontime games. One...
Aggravated Ed Reed sounds off on media 'critics'
Jets safety Ed Reed lambasted the press Friday, accusing it of not understanding the game, trying to stir controversy and tear the Jets apart. In short, he was full of...
Bet you can guess J.R. Smith's favorite celeb to party with
J.R. Smith is rarely shy, whether it's chucking up 17 3-pointers in a single game or brazenly uttering the one word that's been known to get him in trouble: Rihanna....
British noble pens defense for rhino-horn smuggler
From Downton Abbey to Brooklyn Federal Court.A British aristocrat who counted late Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher as a pal and hosted George Bush Sr. at his 17th century manor has...
Mayor christens first city-funded subway extension in 60 years
Mayor Bloomberg, accompanied by his daughters and officials, took a 7 train to the far west side of the city Friday in the first city-funded subway extension in more 60...
Former Ray Kelly attorney stoked firm's power struggle: suit
The former top lawyer for NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly plotted to oust the head of a Manhattan security-services firm and replace him with her ex-NYPD buddy — and when that...
Obama: 'We screwed it up' on healthcare launch
President Obama is calling the botched rollout of ObamaCare his worst mistake of the entire year. “Since I’m in charge, obviously, we screwed it up,” he admitted Friday when asked...
Why your dog appreciates all of your silly selfies
His master’s voice? Maybe. His master’s face? Definitely. Dogs can spot their owners’ faces not only in person but in photographs, too, according to a new study that scratches another...
Top 5 Jets storylines of 2013
A new general manager, a new quarterback, a new young star on defense, same coach ... and, to many, same old Jets. From the front office to the personnel, there...
Packers rule out Rodgers for Sunday's must-win
GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Packers have ruled out Aaron Rodgers for Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. It will be Green Bay's seventh straight game without Rodgers since the...
DWI-related deaths up a staggering 100% in 2013
Boozed-up drivers have killed so far this year double the number of people they did last year, according to new city data. So far in 2013, 36 people have lost...
Yankees hoping for closure on A-Rod
Alex Rodriguez remains on top of the Yankees’ payroll as he waits to hear his fate next month. “We are keeping [Rodriguez] in the budget here until there are changed...
Don't sit Patriots running back after last week's dud
The late-season addition of Shane Vereen has paid off for those fantasy owners who started him in Week 14. Last week, not so much. But that is not reason enough...
Local college rankings: Red Storm is finally upon us
Here are this week’s local college basketball rankings: (Last week's rankings in parentheses) 1. St. John’s (1) Record: 7-3, 0-0 Up next: Saturday (2 p.m.) vs. Youngstown State The team...
5 real people who have fallen in love with machines
In the Spike Jonze movie “Her,” which opened this week, Joaquin Phoenix falls in love with his computer’s operating system (voiced by Scarlett Johannson). Seems farfetched, right? Maybe not. Love...
Beltran joins Yankees, still bitter how Mets 'hurt' his family
Had Carlos Beltran known he was going to be ridiculed by the Mets he might have changed his mind following the 2004 season and signed with the Yankees instead. Beltran...
Jon Stewart defends 'Duck Dynasty' patriarch
“Daily Show” comedian Jon Stewart defended homophobic “Duck Dynasty” patriarch Phil Robertson in a segment cheering freedom of speech and poking fun at loudmouth TV personalities -- like himself. "I...
Charges set to be reduced against SUV biker bash thugs
The gang of bikers charged with viciously attacking a dad in front of his terrified wife and toddler in a road-rage incident are getting the charges against them reduced —...
Evan Turner is the prince of Philly -- but for how long?
The career of Evan Turner was at a crossroads. A new regime was taking over in Philadelphia, led by a general manager in Sam Hinkie whose plan was to tear...
Worst sports injuries of 2013
‘Tis the season for recalling the year’s most vicious injuries.
ObamaCare site down again - 3 days before key deadline
The Obamacare Web Site went down again Friday morning – three days before a key enrollment deadline. The agency responsible for the HealthCare.gov site said it was taken down at...
Deutsche Bank in $1.9B settlement with FHFA
Deutsche Bank will pay $1.9 billion to settle a lawsuit with the the Federal Housing Finance Agency over mortgage-backed securities, part of the bank’s efforts to resolve a long list...
After Rihanna arrives, clubgoer puts on a spectacle outside Marquee
Rihanna showed up at the night club around 3 am. Shortly after, a man came out, stripped down in the freezing cold and put on a show.
Nets giving Kevin Garnett a rest day vs. Sixers
PHILADELPHIA – Kevin Garnett will sit out Friday night's game against the Sixers as a rest day. Garnett is averaging 6.5 points and 7.2 rebounds in 22.1 minutes in 23...
American fathers taking on more parenting responsibilities
CHICAGO — The detached dad, turning up his nose at diapering and too busy to bathe, dress and play with his kids, is mostly a myth, a government survey suggests....
First Super Bowl forecast: Low of 18 and 'chance' of snow
Since we all know the weatherman never makes a mistake, it looks as if Super Sunday is safe. Accuweather.com’s 45-day forecaster has come in range of Feb. 2, 2014, the...
‘How I Met Your Mother’ to end in March
Fans of “How I Met Your Mother” will bid a fond farewell to the long-running sitcom in March. CBS on Thursday announced that the “HIMYM” series finale will air on...
The 5 worst celebrity Christmas albums
The only thing worse than getting coal in your stocking is getting a CD of Christmas music sung by celebrities. Almost every year, there is at least one star looking...
Tips for victims of Target’s credit card breach
Holiday shopping just got more dangerous: Roughly 40 million credit card and debit card accounts may have been comprised following a data breach at Target stores. The breach is the...
Blackberry strikes Taiwan manufacturing deal after revenue dip
BlackBerry reported a massive $4.4 billion loss in the third quarter and 56 percent drop in revenue in its first results under new Chairman and interim Chief Executive John Chen....
2 brothers dead after Bronx fire
A pair of brothers are dead after a fatal fire in a Bronx apartment building Thursday night, authorities and sources said. The deadly blaze started at approximately 10:46 p.m. in...
Mike and the Mad Dog reunited in final parody
http://youtu.be/eJBde7b41xI Well, at least he’s going out on top. Long Islander Bill Buchanan produced his third and final Bizzaro Zaun parody of Mike Francesa this week. And this time, the...
Boy dies after being hit by truck of man with suspended license
An 8-year-old boy walking to school with his older sister was fatally struck on Friday by a tractor trailer driven by a Newark man with a suspended license, police said....
Bloomberg: I failed to bring non-partisan elections
Mayor Bloomberg said Friday that his biggest regret after 12 years in office was his inability to bring non-partisan elections to the overwhelmingly Democratic city. Hizzoner’s admission came while he was waxing...
Politician claims kids in school-lunch program should sweep floors
ATLANTA — Rep. Jack Kingston is coming under criticism for comments suggesting that poor students who are part of the nation’s school-lunch program should sweep cafeteria floors. Kingston (R-Ga.) made...
Aging London theaters 'still safe' after collapse injures 79
LONDON — Authorities sought to reassure theatergoers Friday that London's elegant but aging venues are safe after chunks of ornamental plaster fell from a ceiling of the Apollo Theater, showering...
Senate leader Harry Reid released from hospital
WASHINGTON – Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid spent much of Friday in a hospital while suffering from exhaustion. He went home after doctors cleared him to return to work, his...
'Harry Potter' prequel headed to stage
LONDON — Harry Potter has traveled from page to screen — and now to stage. J.K. Rowling said Friday she is working on a play about the boy wizard's life...
9 ways to wear white for Christmas
Whether it’s a snow globe-inspired clutch, chandelier-shaped earrings or snowflake-printed knits, trim your look in the season’s most festive hue: White! Dress: Ditch the cold shoulder in favor of a...
Judge orders mental evaluation of Gitmo 9/11 defendant
GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba — A military judge on Thursday ordered a mental competency evaluation for a Guantanamo prisoner charged in the Sept. 11 attacks who has repeatedly disrupted...
Sean Landeta: Jets can determine Rex's fate in final weeks
Retired NFL punter and WFAN/FOX 5 contributor Sean Landeta talks with The Post’s Justin Terranova about the unfair treatment of Tony Romo, the Patriots without Rob Gronkowski and Rex Ryan’s...
Avery Johnson knows challenges Mike Woodson faces to keep job
Avery Johnson knows the singe of the holiday hot seat better than most and is hoping Mike Woodson can avoid what he endured last season. Johnson, now an analyst with...
The Selfish Giant
This melancholy indie is both an adaptation of an Oscar Wilde fairy tale and a gritty look at the lives of working-class kids in Northern England. It is admirably unsparing...
HBO honoring James Gandolfini with tribute
It’s been six months since the death of “The Sopranos” star James Gandolfini, who passed away last June at the age of 51 while on vacation in Italy. To mark...
Digital books not a ‘Bad’ read
For those of you who just can’t let go of “Breaking Bad,” there’s some good news on the horizon — Sony Television is releasing, via the eBook format, scripts from...
Teen dies, sisters hurt in Brooklyn blaze horror
A 16-year-old girl is dead and her two sisters are fighting for their lives after a fire tore through their Brooklyn house — which had no working smoke detector, fire...
Army delays court-martial for general’s sex assault charges
RALEIGH, NC — A court-martial for a US Army general facing sexual-assault charges has been postponed for a third time. The trial for Brig. Gen. Jeffrey A. Sinclair — scheduled...
'Paradise: Hope' best of trilogy
With the last installment of his “Paradise” trilogy, rigid Austrian schoolmaster-cum-director Ulrich Seidl unbends, just a little. This is, by some distance, the best movie of the three, and it...
Carole King loves 'Beautiful' but it's too painful to watch
You’ll find Carole King’s life onstage in “Beautiful,” now in previews at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre. But don’t look for King herself anywhere in the house. The reclusive “Tapestry” singer-songwriter...
President opens ObamaCare loophole
Americans whose individual policies have been canceled due to ObamaCare can now buy bare-bones, catastrophic-coverage plans or go without insurance entirely under a “hardship exemption” announced by the administration Thursday....
Sampson aide charged in fraud
A former top aide to indicted state Sen. John Sampson was indicted himself Thursday on a host of fraud and tax crimes — including charges that he defrauded the state...
NY judge jabs the real JAG
On TV, JAGs always “get their man” — but in real life, the military investigators “talked the talk” but “did not walk the walk,” says a Manhattan federal judge. Judge...
Clock ticking for Cuomo to weigh on delivery drivers
Gov. Cuomo in the next few days will either be delivering for the Teamsters or employee-owned UPS. He has until the end of the year to sign the Teamsters-supported Fair...
Jones Group to be sold to Sycamore
Wall Street finally got the Seventh Avenue deal it was jonesing for. Jones Group, whose brands include Nine West, Anne Klein and Stuart Weitzman, announced a long-anticipated agreement to go...
Duck Dynasty clan may quit the show
A&E was hit by a 12-gauge “Duck Dynasty” backlash Thursday as religious and conservative groups denounced the network for suspending the reality show’s gay-bashing star — whose family suggested it could be the end. Supporters of show patriarch Phil Robertson — who in...
9/11 victims OK to sue Saudi government
Victims of the 9/11 attacks will have another chance to sue the Saudi Arabian government after a federal appeals court ruled Thursday that the original dismissal of the case was an “error of law.” A three-judge panel for the...
Queens Spy Shop suspected of making fake city parking passes
A Queens surveillance-equipment store is suspected of making bogus city parking passes, according to papers filed in Brooklyn federal court. The owner of the Queens Spy Shop in East Elmhurst...
See the show, hit the shops: Creative gifts at NYC museums
You're probably feeling malled out by now, and maybe a tad resentful — all that holiday shopping’s left you with very little free time. We can fix that. Why not...
Demi Lovato flees 'Factor' as Harry Connick Jr. talks 'Idol'
The revolving door of Fox singing competition show judges continues to spin. “The X Factor” judge Demi Lovato is leaving the series — while Harry Connick Jr. talked Thursday about...
What we watched in 2013
Not everyone watched NFL football this year — it just seems that way. NFL telecasts dominate Nielsen’s list of 2013’s top TV broadcasts, both in single-telecast viewership and regularly scheduled...
Obama frees 21 jailed on 'unfair' drug laws
WASHINGTON — President Obama commuted the sentences of eight drug offenders and pardoned 13 others — blasting the system that sent them away for lengthy terms as “unfair.” “Commuting the...
Daily Blotter
The Bronx A thief snuck into a Belmont apartment building and stole electronics and power tools, authorities said. The burglar (at right) climbed over an iron gate leading to the...
Misty-eyed Quinn's Council farewell
Speaker Christine Quinn was moved to tears at her final City Council meeting Thursday when a close political ally took to the floor to praise her. “You are smart, you...
NY Apple thefts eyed in Target’s nationwide credit breach
NYPD detectives are investigating the theft of Apple electronics from several New York-area Target stores for a possible link to a major hack that compromised the credit and debit cards...
Indian foreign minister won't take Kerry's call
John Kerry’s India counterpart won’t even take his phone call. The secretary of state had hoped to talk Thursday to Foreign Minister mid an escalating diplo-war over the female Indian...
Porn king Al Goldstein wished me dead. I win!
One night in 1986, Screw magazine publisher Al Goldstein, who died Thursday at 77, condemned me to death on his “Midnight Blue” cable TV porn show — not once, but...
Inmate: I forgive judge in unjust slay rap
If forgiving is divine, then this guy’s a real saint! A white Brooklyn man who has spent 14 years behind bars for killing a black man because a judge used...
Alarmed residents flooding 911 over movie shoots
Big action movie and TV shoots on the city streets, including running gun battles and controlled explosions, have local residents flooding 911 with calls — and ducking for cover, The...
Bronx pol gets death threat over Council speaker race
A Bronx councilman received several mysterious letters calling for him to drop out of the hotly contested City Council speaker’s race — or be murdered, police sources said Thursday. James...
Network suits shooting down free speech
The duck with them! What to do when a redneck TV star speaks — loudly, unfiltered and with a deep sense of Christian morality about gay sex acts he finds...
Neck stiffness unlikely to sideline Lundqvist
Apparently, neck stiffness isn’t anything Henrik Lundqvist can’t play through. The Rangers franchise goaltender might not have taken part in an optional practice on Thursday, but coach Alain Vigneault is...
The odd case of the Indian diplomat
One wonders why there is so much outrage about the alleged treatment of the Indian national accused of perpetrating these acts but precious little outrage about the alleged treatment of...
Bloomberg's warning on the labor-electoral complex
In one of his last public services to this city, Mike Bloomberg used his farewell mayoral address to underscore a grave threat to Gotham’s future. He called it the labor-electoral...
Three cheers for the No. 7 extension
Only 10 years ago, you’d have been medicated if you’d said a whole new neighborhood could be shoehorned into Midtown Manhattan. But at noon on Friday, Mayor Bloomberg will take...
New York now the worst town for sports fans
Well, we were due for a day like this, right? Call it an early Christmas present, a morning when we wake up in the greatest city in the world, this...
A visit from St. Bill
’Twas the night before Christmas, when all through Manhattan, Not an ego was stirring, not even Bill Bratton’s. Bloomberg was packing; the banks heaved a sigh, in hopes St. Bill’s...
John Kerry’s crazed Mideast quest
As Secretary of State John Kerry gets ever deeper in the weeds of an Israeli-Palestinian process that he alone believes will lead to peace in our time, the omens suggest...
‘Duck Dynasty’: Unreal outrage
So rednecks need to be politically correct now? Wait, before the National Association of Rednecked Persons attacks me, let me be clear that I don’t mean “redneck” as an insult....
Zuckerberg tops CEO list with $3.3B pay
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is about to break his own record set last year as highest paid CEO — ever. Zuckerberg in 2012 earned a whopping $2.3 billion, mostly in...
NYT set to launch native ads
The New York Times is going “native.” Times publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. sent a letter to staffers on Thursday acknowledging that the native ads can be controversial but said the...
Darden not Alpha enough to nail Maxim mag
Negotiations by Darden Media to buy Maxim and its parent, Alpha Media, have collapsed, sources tell Media Ink. Cerberus Capital Management, Alpha’s majority owner, has now turned to the No....
Mag publishers await outcome of USPS rate hike request
Magazine publishers along with mailers everywhere are anxiously awaiting the outcome of the exigency rate hike request that the ailing United States Postal Service filed in a bid to raise...