December 21, 2013
Santa Claus has 30% approval rating
Guess who believes in Santa? About 6 million of the Empire State’s nearly 20 million residents — a whopping 30 percent of the population — told pollsters they “believe” in...
How America worshipped — and tortured — the elephant
Ronald B. Tobias discovered the story of Topsy the circus elephant while working as a producer for the Discovery Channel — and has been haunted by the sad tale since....
Getzlaf’s hat trick sinks Islanders
Coming off a win against the Rangers Friday night, the Islanders grabbed a two-goal lead heading into the third period against the elite Ducks — and then reality struck. Ryan...
Manhattan nips Hurley’s Buffalo
There may be no reason for the Manhattan Jaspers to ever go back to The Bronx. Entering Saturday with the nation’s best road record (6-0), Manhattan continued its magical season...
Robertson: I can follow Mo
David Robertson is ready to follow in Mariano Rivera’s footsteps on and off the field. On a day Robertson helped make dreams come true for a Staten Island family devastated...
Giants’ Hill arrested, will play vs. Lions
Giants safety Will Hill was arrested Friday in New Jersey on an outstanding warrant related to child support. Despite the arrest, Hill traveled with the team Saturday to Detroit for...
Losing teams, losing owners
With suffering New York sports fans having to witness agonizing, losing performances daily by the hapless Jets, Giants, Knicks, Nets, Rangers, Islanders and Devils and little chance of a playoff...
Woodson continues to shuffle Knicks lineup
A plethora of injuries and poor play have left embattled Mike Woodson trying to juggle lineups and shuffle rotations. Playing a bigger Memphis team, he tried going big Saturday, and...
Auburn’s Mason joins his dad in mutual admiration society
Vincent Mason has spent much of his adult life performing with the popular hip hop group De La Soul around the world at sold-out arenas, rubbing elbows with the biggest...
Lopez likely lost for season, breaks right foot yet again
There seems to be no limit on the amount of bad news the Nets can get this season. An already disastrous start to what was the most anticipated season in...
Devils rally past Capitals in OT
WASHINGTON — The season isn’t quite half over, and already Devils coach Pete DeBoer might be running out ways to praise about Jaromir Jagr.Jagr had a goal and two assists,...
NHL must meet about game safety
Nine seasons later, the NHL is in need of a second Shanahan Summit. It is time for the league to convene a second congress as inclusionary and creative as the...
NYC's immigration population soars
As the poster child for the melting pot, New York City enjoys a unique ability to drive the national debate on immigration. That gives our mayor-elect a unique opportunity at...
Scott Stringer’s amicus brief against fracking
When we endorsed Scott Stringer for city comptroller over Eliot Spitzer in the Democratic primary, we did so primarily to keep Spitzer out of office — knowing the former love...
Improved placekicking changing game
Placekickers used to be a source of amusement for the real men of the NFL — never truly one of the guys. They were regarded more often than not as...
Reign of a magazine legend is ending with a Si
The transition at Condé Nast, the glitzy magazine wing of the Newhouse-owned Advance Publications, will probably go down as one of the smoothest changing of the guards in corporate history....
Persons of interest in 2013
The Year’s Most Fascinating People. Barbara Walters has long had a corner on that list and since “fascinating” means enthralling, captivating, spellbinding and gripping, it’s best to use another adjective...
Recession recovery remains uneven for NYers
Wall Street money is making a comeback, but the gap between the haves and have-nots is growing, with not all middle-class New Yorkers feeling the recovery. First the good news:...
Dear John: Cynical about Census
Dear John: I can’t believe you are so concerned about Julius Buckmon, the guy who falsified Census data. Sixty years ago, when I was in college, they were faking the...
Bernanke's rockin’ New Year’s tapering
The Fed was created Dec. 19, 1913, so it’s just turned 100. It celebrated by deciding to taper while going over the $4 trillion mark on its balance sheet. Ben...
30% of annual charitable donations made in Dec.
Never mind all the viral videos of Black Friday fisticuffs in Aisle 5. This is still the season that brings out the best in most of us. In fact, 30...
John Malone wants to be The Man of cable
“Grow big or go home” has been John Malone’s business plan since he was a cable-system operator in Denver in the 1970s. Today Malone, 72, is at the center of...
What happens when you find your missed connection online?
If Cinderella were around today, Prince Charming wouldn’t have to track her down by means of a shoe. He’d find her on Facebook in about 10 minutes. Well, maybe slightly...
Who got 50 right, and who got it horribly wrong?
Brad Pitt doesn’t mind turning 50 “a bit.” But then, you hook up with Angelina Jolie and see what it does to your outlook on life. Last week, the hunk...
Teen shot in Colo. school shooting dies
LITTLETON, Colo. — A suburban Denver high school student who was shot in the head by a classmate died Saturday afternoon, hospital officials said in a statement. Claire Davis, 17,...
Lou Reed: My New York
He's gone but definitely not forgotten. Lou Reed’s death at age 71 in October continues to produce an outpouring of emotion from the music world. In November, members of TV...
Bears the better bet to cover than home Eagles
SUNDAY Bears (+3) over EAGLES: Should Detroit lose and the Packers win, this doesn’t mean much for Chicago — though that’s a remote possibility. Still less than thrilled with Eagles’...
Harrison sets 3-point mark in St. John's win
D’Angelo Harrison set the St. John’s record for most 3-pointers on his first touch, a deep trey from the top of the arc 24 seconds after tip-off. He added to...
Yankees’ roster is one for the ages
The Yankees have accomplished the near impossible — they had the oldest player in the majors (Mariano Rivera) and the oldest starter (Andy Pettitte) retire and yet somehow have gotten...
Arians has Arizona in thick of playoff hunt
It will not happen, because he is not technically eligible, but the NFL’s Rookie of the Year award should be handed to 61-year-old Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians.It will not...
Coughlin, Ryan résumés warrant another year
As the winter of discontent lands on their respective doorsteps, the Jets and Giants find themselves at head-coaching crossroads. Rex Ryan is in more trouble than Tom Coughlin because his...
Why do so many rockers die at 27?
One night in the spring of 1968, Jim Morrison stopped by Steve Paul’s The Scene, a popular club on West 46th Street, where Jimi Hendrix was performing. The Doors’ singer,...
Giants gun for strong finish
DETROIT — At this time of year, with a team like this, the conversation always heads in this direction: Can winning the last game or two help as a springboard...
Geno evaluation focus of final weeks
Jets fans are left with a team playing out the string for the second straight Christmas. Last year at this time, the Jets started Greg McElroy at quarterback to see...
Mets tap 50 Cent for postgame concert
Does Nike make straitjackets in men’s XL? Either I’ve gone nuts or these voices in my head are starting to mess with me. Being financially partnered with Ponzi legend Bernie...
Serby’s Q&A with Willie Colon
Jets offensive lineman Willie Colon blocked out some time to tackle some Q&A with Steve Serby Q: I bet you talk trash on the field. A: (Smile) I can. I...
Families gather for Lockerbie bombing 25th anniversary
Families of some of the 270 people who died in an airliner bombing 25 years ago gathered for memorial services Saturday in the United States and Britain, honoring victims of...
Anthony: 'Some nights, we don't come to play'
He is an easy target because he makes the most money, because he takes the most shots, because he already has declared he is putting himself on the market once...
Stores staying open around the clock until Christmas Eve
If you stay open late, they will shop. That’s the hope of desperate retailers, who — after losing much traffic to snow and ice last weekend — announced overnight or...
Cam Talbot ready for call
The expectation is Cam Talbot will get the assignment in nets Sunday night when the Wild meet the Rangers at the Garden in the penultimate match of a heretofore disastrous...
Point taken as Strome makes scoresheet
The hope for the Islanders is this is the beginning for Ryan Strome, that his first career NHL point recorded in Friday night’s 5-3 triumph over the Rangers at the...
25 perfect stocking stuffers under $50
Don't forget the finishing touches! Here are 25 fun little gifts sure to make Christmas morning even merrier.
Knicks pushed around in loss to Grizzlies
On a day when the sorry Atlantic Division got even sorrier – the Nets losing All-Star center Brook Lopez for the season – the Knicks showed no signs of being...
Storm freshman Jordan sits out
Highly touted freshman Rysheed Jordan didn’t play in St. John’s 96-87 victory over Youngstown State Saturday afternoon so he could be with his ill mother, Amina Robinson. Robinson has been...
TV's hottest new shows of 2014
Although it may be hard to believe, there are other shows coming on this winter besides “Downton Abbey.” And many of them are new. After a disappointing start to the...
Choo lands with his first choice, the Rangers
The Yankees briefly flirted with the idea of a Jacoby Ellsbury-Shin Soo Choo double signing – both for seven years; Choo at $140 million. But Choo did not want to...
Don't miss: A preview of the week's top shows
Behind 'Downton' Walls If you’re a fan of the hit PBS drama “Downton Abbey,” you may wonder how the show’s global popularity has affected the real-life Highclere Castle. The special...
This week’s couple: Holi-date cheer
Planning a date around the holidays in New York City is hit-or-miss. Parties, shopping and gift-wrapping leaves little time for a break, but if we take the time to step...
Why the US needs big banks
Americans have been taught by their political leaders from both parties, and the media, to hate banks. Based on this unrestrained ire against the industry, any regulation that harms big...
How one puppy brought a family Christmas joy
Like many Christmas presents, my dog Tucker came in a box. A few years ago in Denver, three tiny newborn puppies, just hours old, were stuffed in a cardboard container...
Stop telling Abigail Breslin she's all grown up
Abigail Breslin is not all grown-up. “For the past four years, since I was like 13, every single article that has come out, it’s ‘Abigail Breslin is all grown up!’...
Obama's terrible, horrible, very bad year
When Barack Obama sings “Auld Lang Syne” on New Year’s Eve, he will have reason to think back, with a deep sense of nostalgia and not a small amount of...
Foul weather threatens holiday travel
Freezing rain. Snow. Thunderstorms. Even tornadoes. Much of the nation braced for foul weather on one of the busiest travel weekends of the year, as a wet winter storm created...
Four dead in pre-Christmas carnage across NYC
Four people were killed and at least 10 more suffered gunshot wounds in a wave of pre-Christmas carnage in the city over the weekend, authorities said. The deadly violence kicked...
Nets' Lopez likely out for season
Brook Lopez suffered a fractured fifth metatarsal in his right foot during Friday’s 121-120 loss to the 76ers in Philadelphia, the Nets announced Saturday morning. It is the same injury...
Fire-haired Southern belle seeks guy to ignite her heart
Rachael, 26, regularly catches eyes with her striking red locks — and she wants a man who will make her do a double-take herself New girl: Rachael lived in two...
Is Margo Martindale the hardest-working woman in showbiz?
It takes a mighty woman to hold her own with Meryl Streep. Margo Martindale is that woman. From the moment she appears in the film “August: Osage County” — stomping...
What's new on TV during the holidays?
As we enter the holiday dead zone, what’s left on TV that’s new — or at least new to you:“Kirstie” (Wednesday, Dec. 25, 10 p.m., TV Land)The pilot for Kirstie...
Can Taylor Kitsch make a movie that doesn’t suck?
The year 2012 was supposed to make Taylor Kitsch a star. The year after finishing his run on the cult TV series “Friday Night Lights,” the actor landed the leads...
Is Kyle Chandler Hollywood’s biggest DILF?
There is simply no denying that Kyle Chandler is a DILF. When the term was created, surely Chandler’s brooding eyes, tousled coif and rugged voice came to mind. When he...
The 8 Christmas songs we never want to hear again
For a season that supposedly lasts only a few weeks, Christmas sure does have an extensive song catalog. And each year, more tracks arrive — from pop stars, classical musicians,...
3 US military aircraft hit in South Sudan, 4 wounded
NAIROBI, Kenya — Gunfire hit three U.S. military aircraft trying to evacuate American citizens in a remote region of South Sudan that on Saturday became a battle ground between...
Nets’ Williams: Other top NBA stars should be player reps
PHILADELPHIA — Since returning to the starting lineup last week, Deron Williams has been superb for the Nets. But Williams also took a significant leadership step for the Nets off...
Air Force general loses nuke post for boozing, womanizing in Russia
A US general recently lost his job in charge of nuclear missiles after he went on a drunken bender in Russia, where he insulted his hosts and cavorted with “suspect”...
Christmas Eve scramble on for LightSquared
The tug-of-war over wireless start-up LightSquared continues to rage into the holidays. A group led by private-equity shop Fortress is seeking to raise $2 billion in debt to buy the...
News Corp. acquires Storyful for $25 million
News Corp. is paying $25 million to acquire Storyful, a social-media news agency, the company said Friday. The firm combs social-media outlets for both video and potential news stories, which...
Target data theft came from overseas: source
Investigators believe that overseas hackers were responsible for the cyber attack on U.S. retailer Target Corp that compromised up to 40 million payment cards during the first three weeks of...
Foxconn deal buoys BlackBerry
Do you know anyone who recently bought a BlackBerry? New owners of the beleaguered smartphone brand are becoming extremely rare as the company reported a loss of $4.4 billion last...
Doggone it! Man’s ex stole his best friend: suit
A Manhattan man slapped his ex-girlfriend with a lawsuit claiming she absconded to California with their mixed-breed border collie. John Lancaster, 45, claims he had a handshake agreement with former...
Pol sent staff video of 'oral sex'
Move over, Vito "Gropez" — yet another Albany politician has been accused of outlandish sexual harassment by young female staffers. Married-with-children Assemblyman Dennis Gabryszak, 62, tormented three workers with lewd...
Utah senator slashers commuter tax break for NYers
Blame Utah! Rail and bus commuters will see a tax break slashed Jan. 1 after a senator from the car-friendly Beehive State crossed them up Friday by nixing Sen. Chuck...
Daily Blotter
Queens Cops nabbed a Jamaica man under suspicion in the beating death of a woman in a bizarre love triangle gone bad, police said. Malik Wilkerson, 33, was picked up...
Mamet’s ‘7 Deadly Sins’ to Fox
The Bible is proving a hot TV property. Fox is developing a “7 Deadly Sins” miniseries with playwright and screenwriter David Mamet, Variety reports. The seven-hour limited series will tell...
Fuse to air all of Beyoncé's new videos, for free
Beyoncé stunned the music world when she dropped her latest album — all 14 tracks and 17 videos — without any warning in the early hours of Dec. 13. The...
Mumbai mob storms Domino’s over diplomat charges
Raging Indian protesters ransacked a Domino’s Pizza store in Mumbai on Friday, while a throng of equally angry domestic workers unleashed their fury on India’s New York consulate in the...
Tragic elderly man killed crossing street
An elderly man died after he was struck by two cars in Harlem Friday evening, authorities said. Antonio Escanio, 76, was crossing the street at Amsterdam Avenue and West 155th...
Anyone, anywhere can now get a 212 area code — for big bucks
Anyone from the Deep South to the West Coast can now score the once-exclusive 212 area code. New York wannabes from around the country can snag a Manhattan-esque number for...
‘Duck' clan 'serious' about leaving A&E
The wildly popular “Duck Dynasty” TV family is “serious” about leaving the network that booted its patriarch — prompting a situation stickier than a Louisiana swamp for host channel A&E....
Pain in the glass as Nets bullied on boards again
In what is becoming a recurring theme, the Nets were killed on the glass Friday night. The 76ers — who are smaller at several positions — outrebounded the Nets 49-37,...
In sorry matchup, sorriest player is Lundqvist
In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is King. If this means the Islanders represent the Battle of New York Royalty in the wake of their 5-3 victory...
Bethle-heist! LI nativity scene swiped
Unholy thieves swiped a pair of glow-in-the-dark wise men from a Nativity scene on Long Island, police said. The annual display was set up at Route 25A and Lake Avenue...
Dire ad warnings as city DWI deaths double
Drunken-driving deaths in the city have doubled this year, according to new data. So far, 36 people have been killed in 2013 from DWI-related traffic accidents — a 100 percent...
Ray Kelly reflects on his term: 'I can't see any failures'
Ray Kelly has had a long line of critics over his last 12 years as NYPD commissioner, but there’s not a single thing he would do differently, the top cop...
Busted NJ carjack suspects have long rap sheets
The four thugs accused of savagely killing a young Hoboken lawyer in a New Jersey mall’s parking garage have extensive criminal histories — and one had been released from jail...
Inside Brit theater roof-collapse hell
Almost the entire 15-member cast of an acclaimed London play was on stage at a West End theater just before pieces of wood the size of park benches and tons...
Off-duty cop cop stabbed in neck during fight
An off-duty NYPD officer was stabbed in the neck and face by a cousin after the cop asked the cousin to stop smoking pot in his Brooklyn home, cops said....
BlackRock abstains from Telecom Italia proxy vote
BlackRock on Friday abstained from voting half its shares in a nasty proxy fight involving an Italian phone company — a vote that could have ousted all but one of...
DC staff irked as NBC News eyes cuts
NBC News boss Deborah Turness is spending the last few days of the year eyeing cuts — moves that could include axing some senior on-air talent, The Post has learned....
Investors’ new Nike slogan: Just sell it
Sometimes high-priced, hot-selling sneakers aren’t enough to win the game on Wall Street. Shares of Nike dipped 1.2 percent Friday despite better-than-expected profits, which were boosted by brisk demand for...
Close call after banana peel slip sends man into train's path
A man nearly lost his life Friday afternoon after slipping on a banana peel on a Manhattan subway platform just as a train was about to arrive, authorities said. Manuel...
More than 800 trapped on broken NJ Transit train for an hour
More than 800 people were stranded under the Hudson River for more than an hour after their NJ Transit train broke down near Penn Station Friday night, authorities said. According...
ObamaCare ad reveals infantile assumptions
Pajama Boy’s place in Internet infamy was secured as soon as the insufferable man-child was tweeted out by Organizing for America. He is the face of a Web ad that...
ObamaCare’s individual mandate basically bites the dust
On Thursday, Team Obama effectively scrapped the individual mandate in the new health-care law — just four days before the deadline for signing up. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen...
New York University & the anti-Israel boycott
Don’t write off all academia just yet: The American Studies programs of at least two schools, Penn State Harrisburg and Brandeis, have now cut their ties with an academic outfit...