January 23, 2015
Ernie Banks, legendary Chicago Cub, dead at 83
CHICAGO — Hall of Fame slugger Ernie Banks, the two-time MVP who never lost his boundless enthusiasm for baseball despite years of playing on losing Chicago Cubs teams, died Friday...
Sheldon Silver's arrest sends Albany into a state of panic
Albany is terrified and in disarray after Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver’s arrest, with lawmakers and insiders fearing he’ll turn on them to save himself. “People are scratching their heads and...
Silver's scandal complicates Malcolm Smith's bribery trial
Sheldon Sliver’s corruption case cast a shadow over former Sen. Malcolm Smith’s bribery trial on Friday — as defense attorneys complained that publicity about the scandal would rob the Queens...
How great is the Legion of Boom? Ask Giants CB, an ex-Seahawk
Walter Thurmond still owns a house in Seattle, and he visited the Pacific Northwest this past week, checking in on his former Seahawks teammates, guys with whom he won a...
NBC, Spike TV set to roll out prime-time boxing series
Boxing fans already have had a better 2015 than they did in 2014 and January isn’t even over yet. Deontay Wilder’s unanimous decision over Bermane Stiverne last week in Las...
De Blasio rallies behind Obama's executive action on immigraton
Mayor de Blasio on Friday joined nearly 30 big-city mayors from around the country to support President Obama’s executive action on immigration reform. At the US Conference of Mayors meeting...
De Blasio still standing by embattled Sheldon Silver
Mayor de Blasio is standing by his man — Sheldon Silver — despite a growing chorus demanding the Assembly speaker step down while facing federal corruption charges. “In terms of...
'True Story' fails to make an impression
The slow-burning, pretentious and mostly insufferable Fox Searchlight drama “True Story” reeks of a film made for Oscars that simply isn’t good enough to make much of an impression (it’s...
Who are these guys! Galloway, Thomas lead Knicks to 3rd straight
Down the stretch Friday night at the Garden, in this bizarre turn of the Knicks’ season, dawned “The Lance and Langston Show.” If he has said it once, Knicks coach...
Time Inc. wields a heavy ax in latest round of cutbacks
Publishing giant Time Inc. has axed the editor and publisher at All You and sacked at least 12 staffers at Sports Illustrated and six at InStyle in a new round...
Convicted Galleon trader Zvi Goffer denied bail
There will be no jail break for convicted insider trader Zvi Goffer. The former trader, serving a 10-year sentence as part of Raj Rajaratnam’s Galleon Group network of fraudsters, was...
Trump rails on Romney as possible 2016 contender
DES MOINES – Donald Trump is back on the stump – and he’s taking a blowtorch to the GOP presidential field. Speaking at a land investment expo at a Des...
Mets see an Amazin’ jump in ticket sales
Their first home game is nearly three months away, but by two measures the New York Mets are already amazin’. Overall ticket sales for the 2015 regular season are running...
Revis: I'm glad Brady talked to team and deflated controversy
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Tom Brady cleared the air with his Patriots teammates about Deflategate this week, and Darrelle Revis appreciated it. The former Jets All-Pro cornerback applauded Brady on Friday...
For NBA coaches, selecting All-Star reserves not always easy
SALT LAKE CITY — With the All-Star starters for both conferences now official ahead of the NBA descending on the Big Apple in a few weeks, the task of filling...
TPG Capital 'took a long look' at buying Herbalife
Private equity giant TPG Capital seriously considered buying Herbalife last year — as part of an ongoing interest in the multi-level marketing industry, The Post has learned. “They took a...
Corporate creditors want Bill Erbey to pay his $925M debt
Mortgage-service mogul Bill Erbey made millions of dollars over his career collecting mortgage debt — but now his corporate creditors are calling for him to pay up. Hedge fund BlueMountain...
Friend, lobbyist helped feds take down Sheldon Silver
A veteran lobbyist with longstanding ties to Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver helped the feds bust the powerful pol in a multimillion-dollar bribery and kickback scheme, sources told The Post on...
Famed doctor at center of Silver bribery case loses job
The top oncologist at the center of disgraced Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver’s corruption case has been given the boot from his job as head of a non-profit research center. Dr....
Cops hunt for man who tossed malnourished dog in dumpster
Police are looking for the coldhearted creep who sealed this severely malnourished pit bull inside a suitcase and tossed it into a Bronx dumpster. A local made the heartrending discovery...
Restaurant to serve $4,900 Super Bowl wing special
A Manhattan restaurant is serving up a chicken wing special for the Super Bowl that’s so pricey it could make even the richest football fan squawk. The Old Homestead Steakhouse...
Man busted for drugs after shooting at bouncer in club
What a dope. A reveler ejected from a Queens club early Wednesday vented by shooting at a bouncer — within earshot of two uniformed cops who quickly made the collar...
Minimum logic
Of all the ideas Gov. Cuomo proposed in his State of the State on Wednesday, one of the most dubious has been given the least attention: the governor’s pitch to...
1001 Arabian frights
As if the Middle East wasn’t engulfed in enough turmoil, the death of Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah on Thursday probably couldn’t have come at a worse time. By Saudi standards,...
Fariña’s leap backward
With Gov. Cuomo outlining a bold education-reform agenda and Albany focused on the stunning arrest of Speaker Sheldon Silver, Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña has just made a bold move herself...
Democrats revolt on Iran
In one of the most stunning rebukes of a sitting president by a member of his own party, Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) accused President Obama of taking his talking points...
The president's foolish Gitmo fixation
President Obama’s State of the Union Address was an advertisement for his ideological fixity, and so he reiterated his unbending determination to close down the prison facility at Guantanamo Bay....
Rick Owens sends penis-flashing models down the runway
Show ’em what you got, baby. That was the style edict of Rick Owens, who turned his Paris runway into a sartorial performance of Puppetry of the Penis. The edgy...
The day in photos
Freaky fashions take over Paris, a soldier has a happy homecoming, a polar bear plays goalie and more.
'Veep' star Anna Chlumsky joins the funniest show on Broadway
As soon as it opened back in September, “You Can’t Take It With You” became the funniest show on Broadway. The wildly talented ensemble took hold of Kaufman and Hart’s...
New York City FC adds midfielder Kwadwo Poku
New York City FC added to a deep midfield Friday by acquiring Ghanaian midfielder Kwadwo Poku on a transfer from the Atlanta Silverbacks of the NASL. “Joining New York City...
Former NFL GM questions Patriots 'culture of cheating'
Not a day has gone by in the nearly 11 years since Carolina lost a nail-biter to New England in Super Bowl XXXVIII that former Panthers general manager Marty Hurney...
Todd Bowles hires defensive and special teams coordinators
Just two days after being formally introduced as the Jets’ newest head coach, Todd Bowles on Friday came close to filling out his coaching staff, hiring 10 assistants. The headliners...
'100 percent joke': Manziel confirmed Browns' worst fears
Reports out of Cleveland question Johnny Manziel’s maturity, preparation and work ethic, claiming he’s more committed to nightlife than to the NFL. One player told ESPN that, throughout the entire...
The eerie 'Witch' leaves plenty of haunts and chills
The eerie, chilling period film "The Witch," set in 1630s Massachusetts, falls uneasily between psychological drama and horror, so its commercial prospects seem limited. Nevertheless, it's a directorial calling card...
This 'Walk in the Woods' doesn't have much to offer
It was just a few weeks ago that we all enjoyed a movie about a soul-searching thousand-mile hike. This time the same story is fodder for a comedy, but the...
'The Bronze' is a witless, mean-spirited satire
Sundance’s unlovely tendency to empty the lavatories in First Class at 30,000 feet over Flyover Country is in evidence with “The Bronze,” a mean-spirited and largely witless satire of an...
Add Phil Simms to list of players who don’t buy Tom Brady's story
The quarterbacking Simmses – Giant Super Bowl winner Phil, and his son Chris – say they don’t buy Tom Brady’s professed innocence about "DeflateGate,’’ and that the NFL could come...
NYC hit with messy winter storm
HARTFORD, Conn. -- Residents of several major Northeast cities are experiencing a fast-moving coastal storm that is bringing a mix of sleet, rain and snow to areas along the busy...
Sports, sure. Illustrated, not so much
Sports Illustrated has laid off its entire six-person photo staff. The surprise move, which comes just over a week before the Super Bowl, the premier sporting event in the US,...
Bernie Madoff wracked with grief over unforgiving sons
Ponzi schemer Bernie Madoff is wracked with grief that his two late sons never forgave him for pulling off the multibillion dollar scam -- but he still maintains they had...
Billionaire sues after murder, drugs, racism allegations
A billionaires’ brawl in the Bahamas has become a high-dollar court battle. New York hedge-fund tycoon Louis Bacon has slapped Canadian fashion magnate Peter Nygard with a $50 million defamation...
Judges free 70-year-old wrongly convicted of murder 40 years ago
WHITEVILLE, N.C. — A 70-year-old man wrongly convicted of the 1976 stabbing deaths of a mother and daughter walked out of prison Friday, saying he was looking forward to sleeping...
The favorite cuisine of New York City rats
Rats in the Big Apple prefer American cuisine, according to city data. New York health inspectors found evidence last year of disease-riddled rodents at 1,111 locations across the five boroughs,...
Over 600 Indian workers hand-scrub streets ahead of Obama visit
India is going all out in primping for President Obama’s three-day visit next week, including dispatching more than 600 workers to hand-scrub the streets near the Taj Mahal. The workers...
The players who deserve to be added to All-Star team
With the announcements of the starting fives for both the Eastern and Western Conferences for next month’s All-Star Game in the Big Apple, the countdown to the game is officially...
Catholic nun complaining of 'stomach cramps' gives birth
A Catholic nun in Italy has given birth to a baby boy — despite living in an all-female community and taking vows of "chastity, poverty and obedience." Women at the Santa...
Terrorist buried near Paris after Mali rejects corpse
The jihadi terrorist who killed a cop and four hostages at a kosher grocery store was buried Friday near Paris after his native country of Mali rejected his body. Amedy...
The 5 best bits from Larry Wilmore’s first ‘Nightly Show’ week
New talk shows often take awhile to gel, but in Larry Wilmore’s first week hosting “The Nightly Show” on Comedy Central, he seems to have found an early groove. “The...
NFL, Goodell sound ready to punt on DeflateGate
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The NFL took the Patriots’ underinflated balls and punted Friday. Claiming it doesn’t yet know why the footballs used by New England in the first half last...
Rihanna’s hot fuzz, while Katy and Kris cough up fur balls
It’s the perfect time to bust out your winter fur — but only if you know how to style it appropriately. Resident bad girl RiRi nails it (per usual) with...
Suit takes on machete-wielding jewel thief
Harrowing video footage shot in England shows a Good Samaritan going toe-to-toe with a machete-wielding jewel thief as he attempted to make his getaway. The hair-raising moment was caught on...
Time for Lou Lamoriello to give up on season -- here's where to start
This is a question that Lou Lamoriello has had to deal with way too often recently: When is a season lost, and when is the future more important than the...
The 15 craziest (and rudest) things ever said to flight attendants
If there’s any group of people who have seen and heard everything, it’s flight attendants. Maybe it’s the recycled oxygen, the access to booze, or the cabin pressure, but air...
Bloomberg told Sulzberger he wanted to buy The New York Times
Mike Bloomberg is looking to expand his resume as media mogul – by snapping up the New York Times. The former mayor – who founded financial news agency Bloomberg News...
Bharara: NYers should be outraged over corrupt politicians
Get angry, New York. In a rousing speech made one day after the bust of state Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Manhattan US Attorney Preet Bharara urged state residents to voice...
NYC fitness buffs can now sweat it out in a former church
Nearly 19 years after club kid Michael Alig famously murdered Angel Melendez, their old haunt the Limelight on 20th Street and Sixth Avenue has been transformed once again — this...
NYC animal rescue agency getting $8M face lift
New York City's animal rescue agency is getting a face lift that will provide its furry visitors with improved services and better care under a host of initiatives announced Friday...
3-foot-11-inch woman found life and love stripping
http://youtu.be/G2VrL5MkyKQ This tiny dancer found her confidence on the stripper pole. There's a 3-foot-11 stripper from Ohio who earns over $1,500 a week — and she claims one twirl on the...
Paula Abdul's 7 wackiest moments from 'American Idol'
The news that Paula Abdul is returning to television — as a judge on Season 12 of Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance” — is good news for her...
New GM trying to mend Jets' rift with Mike Francesa
Could the hiring of new Jets GM Mike Maccagnan thaw the ice between Gang Green and WFAN host Mike Francesa? The radio host has had a longstanding feud with the...
Meet Budi, the adorable baby orangutan rescued from a chicken cage
http://youtu.be/Wgnr_ftHhUw Meet Budi: the baby orangutan who beat the odds and survived living inside a chicken cage for more than 10 months. "We cannot even imagine how much pain this...
Kendall Jenner goes digital for Estée Lauder
Model du jour Kendall Jenner gets her first digital ad campaign thanks to Estée Lauder, in which she demonstrates the brand’s new Little Black Primer. Meanwhile, new CEO Paula Schneider...
Nets' Teletovic out for season after blood clots discovered
SALT LAKE CITY — Mirza Teletovic will miss the remainder of the season because of multiple blood clots in his lungs, removing a rotation player from the Nets roster and...
In-flight catalog SkyMall lands in bankruptcy court
SkyMall has been grounded. The kitsch-filled in-flight catalog that has entertained idle passengers for 25 years filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Thursday. The company has lost its once-captive audience...
DeflateGate is the Patriots' gift to the Internet
The Internet cannot get enough of DeflateGate and here's the best we could find on how folks are reacting to the Patriots' controversy. The Pinocchio Division We're giving edge to...
DNA ties prisoner to California serial killings after 40 years
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. — DNA evidence linked an Oregon prisoner to at least two of the six serial killings of young women, known as the Gypsy Hill murders, that terrified...
Sony blames hack attack for earnings delay
Hackers have put a halt to Sony’s earnings report. Sony said Friday it will ask regulators for permission to delay its earnings release and blamed the massive cyber attack last...
The best American destinations for pot tourists
With the legalization of marijuana in four US states (Colorado, Washington, Oregon and Alaska) and the recreational use of it currently allowed in the first two, buying weed is becoming...
Eugenie Bouchard's funny solution to 'twirling' controversy
MELBOURNE, Australia — Eugenie Bouchard — the unwitting protagonist of an Australian Open saga that has been dubbed "TwirlGate" — would prefer if people just focused on her tennis. For...
Kids flee car, report mom for 'drunk driving'
A Florida mom was reported for drunk driving by her own son and three of his friends — and now she faces child neglect and drug charges, authorities said. Angela...
Apple boss sees 2014 pay package double to $9.2M
Apple CEO Tim Cook got a hefty cash bonus that brought his total compensation to $9.2 million last year. That’s more than double what he received the previous year, as...
Japanese mom makes teary plea for son held hostage by ISIS
A Japanese mom choked back tears Friday as she pleaded for her son’s life — as a ransom countdown clock ticked toward his and a fellow hostage’s execution at the hands...
Nasty women's basketball brawl ends with three ejected
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Three players were ejected after a fight broke out at the women's basketball game between Auburn and Alabama on Thursday night. With 1:14 left in the first...
Breaking Media gains health care news with MedCity deal
Breaking Media, the owner of b-to-b sites Dealbreaker, Above the Law and Fashionista, gobbled up MedCity Media as it branches into the health-care arena. “It’s our second acquisition in two...
Why snowboarding is fading in popularity
KILLINGTON, Vt. — Aging athletes, new skis and a lack of snow are ganging up on the once-edgy sport of snowboarding, which has seen a marked drop in participation over...
Israeli makes 'magic' yarmulke to protect Jews from attacks
REHOVOT, Israel — An Israeli barber has fashioned what he calls "magic" yarmulkes out of hair, designed to allow religious Jews to cover their heads without attracting unwanted attention from...
Pope to families: Put down iPhones and talk
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis is urging families to put aside their iPhones and Twitter feeds and learn to talk to one another again. In his annual message for the...
NY panel urges feds to probe death of sexually mutilated Rikers inmate
NEW YORK — Federal prosecutors should launch a civil rights probe into the 2013 death of a mentally ill Rikers Island inmate who was locked in his cell for six...
New Saudi king moves fast to name second-in-line to throne
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia's new king moved swiftly Friday to name the country's interior minister as deputy crown prince, making him the second-in-line to the throne, as he...
Town of polygamist leader who sexually assaulted girls divided
HILDALE, Utah — As polygamist leader Warren Jeffs awaited his fate in a Texas prison, he sent an order to his followers on the Utah-Arizona border: Build me a new...
6 shocking predictions that came true from a New York psychic
Suzan Saxman sees dead people. At least, that’s what the popular Woodstock psychic with a robust roster of nearly 500 clients claims. The petite 53-year-old says she has seen the spirits...
Was the new ISIS hostage video shot indoors?
NEW YORK — The video of two Japanese hostages being held by the Islamic State group seems, like past IS videos, made in an arid, desert setting. But suspicions are emerging...
Nina Simone's complex life riveting in new Netflix documentary
Nina Simone was a flinty, complex, exasperating woman and her life proves as riveting as her songs in the Liz Garbus-directed Netflix documentary “What Happened, Miss Simone?” which opened the...
Cashman spied on emails, tried to have mistress committed: suit
Yankees GM Brian Cashman is being sued by his alleged former mistress, who claims he hacked into her emails and conspired with her mother to try to have her committed...
Jewish mom desperate for divorce breaks down on stand
An Orthodox Jewish woman, desperate to obtain a religious divorce, broke down and sobbed on the witness stand Thursday as she accused her husband of raping and starving her. “The...
Prisoner’s girlfriend in fight with his baby mama at courthouse
A Brooklyn courthouse turned into the set of “The Jerry Springer Show” Thursday when the girlfriend of a crook got into a knockdown brawl with his baby mama. Whisper Binks-Carter,...
#Flexball: The unwelcome hashtag that appeared behind Belichick
The Patriots can’t seem to catch a break — even from their business partner Gillette. Patriots coach Bill Belichick — under fire since the discovery of at least 11 underinflated...
Short of breath, Nets' Teletovic taken to hospital during game
LOS ANGELES — Nets forward Mirza Teletovic was taken to the hospital during Thursday night’s 123-84 loss to the Clippers inside Staples Center after experiencing shortness of breath. “He told...
Garnett: Doc Rivers molded Celtics into championship team
LOS ANGELES — Kevin Garnett has become one of the most celebrated leaders in the NBA over the past two decades as he’s forged his Hall of Fame career with...
Struggling Dreamworks to cut employees — and movies
The dream at DreamWorks Animation just got smaller — as in fewer movies produced each year and a reduced workforce. The 20-year-old studio, which had been turning out three animated...
Leftists take cheap shots at 'American Sniper's real-life hero
"American Sniper" is by far the best film I’ve seen in years. But don’t tell that to Hollywood’s leftist wusses who have tried to turn the public against Chris Kyle,...
PBA president contender faced gender-discrimination suit
PBA presidential candidate Brian Fusco, who has two running mates under criminal indictment, was a defendant in a federal gender-discrimination lawsuit that was settled in 2009, The Post has learned....
ESPN decides bowling more entertaining than the Knicks
The Knicks’ scheduled nationally televised games are falling like bowling pins. A matinee clash with the Lakers Super Bowl Sunday on ESPN was pulled by the network -- not for...
Fury at Fariña's push for enhanced superintendent power
Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña announced a plan Thursday to restore a centralized system and give more power to superintendents that critics immediately slammed as lacking accountability. “What is she and...
Is Brady the new Bill Clinton? 6 famous phony denials
If Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and the Patriots turn out to be lying about their knowledge of the underinflated footballs used in the AFC title game, their denials Thursday could...
A double dose of snow makes its way toward NYC
Snow is headed to New York. The Big Apple is being targeted for white stuff on Saturday before a heavier storm blasts commuters Monday morning, forecasters said. About 3 inches...
Sheldon Silver a ‘grubber’ who played games with his money
ALBANY — There’s a little known anecdote about Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver that reveals a lot about why the state’s second-most powerful Democrat is facing five federal corruption charges that...
Magic forward has Knicks atop free agency list
Long Island’s Tobias Harris will face the Knicks on Friday at the Garden as a member of the Orlando Magic, but it won’t be nearly as emotional as Thursday night...
How Silver's arrest threatens Cuomo
Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s decision to pull the plug on his corruption-fighting Moreland Commission will have repercussions far beyond Thursday’s indictment of Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, insiders said. The move, some...
The first sign Roger Goodell is dropping ball on Deflategate
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — While the storm circled around Tom Brady, some of the attention turned to the NFL as Brady said Thursday afternoon he had yet to talk to —...
Seahawks DB rips Gronkowski: 'Don't think he's that good'
Not to be outdone by Deflategate, the Seahawks are trying to steal some of the media attention that has been fixated on Foxborough, Mass. Jeremy Lane, Seattle’s nickelback, had some...
Gus Johnson calling Coach K's historic bid with dreams of Okafor to Knicks
Mike Krzyzewski will be going for his 1,000th win and St. John’s will be going for that elusive résumé-building victory that would take them off the NCAA Tournament bubble for...
Sheldon Silver’s alleged back deals with NYC real-estate interests
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver abused his power over rent-control regulations and real-estate tax abatements to secretly pocket at least $700,000 from a law firm run by his former Assembly counsel,...
Overmatched Nets get absolutely throttled by Clippers
LOS ANGELES — There are schedule losses for every team in the NBA, and having to play a rested Clippers team on the road after playing the night before definitely...
Silver and top cancer doc worked together in 'kickback scheme'
Sheldon Silver funneled $500,000 in state slush funds to a leading Manhattan oncologist in exchange for a steady stream of asbestos-related cancer cases, which he then fed to a personal-injury...
Charity with ties to Sheldon Silver puts out a call for help
A charity with ties to disgraced Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver sent out an SOS Thursday — just hours after the powerhouse politician was arrested on corruption charges. The Metropolitan Council...
Silver canceled traditional buffet lunch day before arrest
Albany watchers knew something was wrong with Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver when his traditional buffet lunch on the day of the State of the State speech was canceled Wednesday. “Everyone...
Sheldon Silver's wealth a well-kept secret
You’d have never known Shelly Silver had any money. While the disgraced Assembly speaker is accused of raking in millions of dollars in bribes and kickbacks, he’s lived a low-key,...
Butch Goring: The great relief of the Islanders finally being 'back'
MSG Network analyst and Islanders great Butch Goring talks with The Post’s Justin Terranova about his former team’s stunning first half and looks forward to the second half, which starts...
After taking down Wall Street, Preet sets his sights on Albany
Attention, Albany: There’s a new sheriff in town. US Attorney Preet Bharara — who has carved a name for himself by posting an 85-1 financial-crimes conviction record since 2009 —...
Hope Solo's husband driving team car at time of arrest
Jerramy Stevens, the husband of U.S. national team goalkeeper Hope Solo, was driving a team vehicle when he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence earlier this week,...
Four Democrats who could replace Sheldon Silver as speaker
There are at least four veteran Assembly members ready to run for speaker if Sheldon Silver resigns to fight federal corruption charges, sources said. Potential candidates include Manhattan Democratic Party...
Daily Blotter
Manhattan Cops are asking for the public’s help identifying two suspects in the shooting of a Harlem man. The duo are believed to have shot a 42-year-old man in the back...
Here's why Kidz Bop is becoming a star factory
The stars of tomorrow have to start today, and in days of yore, a good place for talented kids to get their first exposure was on “The Mickey Mouse Club.”...