February 7, 2014
'Open' mayor meets with Pussy Riot, shuts out the press
To Russia’s rabble-rousers, with love — but not transparency. Mayor de Blasio welcomed two members of the Russian punk protest band Pussy Riot to City Hall on Friday and praised...
De Blasio taps donor for Conflicts of Interest Board
He’s keeping his friends close. After tapping his campaign treasurer to serve as the city’s top investigator, Mayor de Blasio nominated another campaign supporter to serve on the city’s five-member...
Taliban: Dog POW demands the best food, bed
This ain’t no scrap-eating, junkyard dog. The NATO military dog captured by the Taliban in a fierce firefight won’t eat the gruel that local Afghan mutts wolf down. So his...
January jobs numbers rarely please
Another crappy employment report! Who’d have guessed it? Well, I did — in last Thursday’s column. The Labor Department announced Friday that only 113,000 jobs were created in January. Wall...
Melo-led Knicks beat Nuggets, easing pressure on Woodson
Disaster averted — for now. Embattled Knicks coach Mike Woodson called the season “a disaster’’ on Thursday with his job on the line. But Carmelo Anthony made sure the Knicks...
Rangers sink Pitt, go into Olympics on high note
PITTSBURGH — This was one the Rangers can look back upon with satisfaction and pride throughout the Olympic break. For this 4-3 shootout victory over the Penguins that ensures the Blueshirts...
Nets turn in dismal effort in loss to Pistons
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Kevin Garnett watched the Nets play the Pistons Friday night from back in New York, after coach Jason Kidd decided to give him the night off....
Devils top Oilers in OT on Merrill's first career goal
With the Devils fighting for a playoff spot, Jon Merrill picked the perfect time to score his first NHL goal. The rookie defenseman connected 2:34 into overtime, and the Devils...
Fairway shares sink amid CEO exit
Fairway plunged $3.24, or 29 percent, to $8.11 after reporting a loss in its fiscal third quarter and said its CEO is stepping down. The grocery store chain, which went...
Google outperforms Exxon, is 2nd largest US company
Google’s stock is a gusher, and even Exxon can’t cap it. The fast-growing tech juggernaut briefly nudged past Big Oil’s biggest player on Friday to become the second-largest US company...
World Peace open to being traded by Knicks
Metta World Peace is in Knicks coach Mike Woodson’s doghouse and he’s unsure why. After returning from a blood-spinning procedure on Jan. 24, World Peace has seen little time in...
Hofstra lands star Queens recruit Malik Nichols
Hofstra’s on-court slump hasn’t extended into recruiting. The Pride have excelled there since Joe Mihalich came to Long Island from Niagara in the offseason. That continued last week when Queens...
The keeper of the Korner
Long before there was ESPN and its glitzy interview shows, New Yorkers had “Kiner’s Korner,” the Mets’ televised post-game program on WOR/Channel 9. There, broadcaster Ralph Kiner would hold court...
Cops nail scammer accused of tricking elderly
Police collared a Manhattan man who ripped off two elderly Brooklyn men in separate robberies by convincing them his apartment had leaked water down into theirs, cops said Friday. Salvador...
Horace Mann bans registered sex offender dad
Scandal-plagued Bronx private school Horace Mann — still smarting from allegations that it harbored sexual molesters on its staff for years — has barred from campus a third-grader’s father who...
Biden bites dog
Man bites dog is news. But Biden bites dog is even bigger news. And we don’t mind saying for all to hear: The vice president got one right this week....
Progressive punishment
In theory, Mayor de Blasio’s progressivism is embodied in his slogan: “One New York, Rising Together.” In practice, we’re learning de Blasio-style progressivism is more about punishment: punishing the wealthy...
My time with Ralph Kiner, one of the best storytellers there was
Tim McCarver worked alongside Ralph Kiner on Mets television broadcasts for 16 years, from 1983 to 1998. Here, he tells Post readers some of his favorite stories and memories about...
Republicans foolishly give up on immigration reform
Like Hamlet pacing the stage in angst-ridden doubt, Speaker John Boehner this week delivered the message that immigration reform is dead for 2014. It’s not that he doesn’t realize the...
Failure—how Americans learn to succeed
America succeeds because Americans fail and forgive. That’s the intriguing message — or part of it — of Megan McArdle’s new book “The Up Side of Down: Why Failing Well...
Gambler on win streak jumps to his death
A gambler who spent his day playing the slot machines at the Resorts World Casino in Queens leaped head-first to his death from atop an escalator inside the Aqueduct casino...
Yanks GM hesitant to call Sabathia an ace
If CC Sabathia needs extra motivation heading into spring training for the Yankees, he might want to consider how the organization now views him. Speaking to The Post on Friday,...
Lefty valentines for terror enabler Lynne Stewart
What are you doing for Valentine’s Day? Bleeding-heart progressives across the country are raising money for “an evening of music, song and sharing love for recently released People’s Lawyer Lynne...
Islanders reactivate Hamonic, expect him in lineup Saturday
Islanders defenseman Travis Hamonic was activated off injured reserve on Friday and likely will be in the lineup for the first time since Jan. 12 when his team faces the...
Comedy duo says The Beatles owe them a dime
Charlie Brill has a message for Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. “You owe me a dime,” he wants the remaining Beatles to know. With interest, it might be a bit...
His scorched-earth tack a failure, Rodriguez slinks away
By comparison, Seahawks-Broncos was a competitive contest compared to Alex Emmanuel Rodriguez v. Major League Baseball. Rodriguez spent a fortune, lost any lingering credibility he had and became even more...
Fox cancels 'X Factor'
Fox has cancelled Simon Cowell's "The X Factor" after three low-rated seasons. The network made the announcement late Friday afternoon. "I've had a fantastic time over the last 12 years,...
When it came to finally telling the truth, A-Rod struck out
Boil everything else down. Let all the nonsense fall away, put on noise-reducing headphones and focus simply on what matters when it comes to Alex Rodriguez. Here is what matters:...
It's a game they should win, but don't tell Army that
They will throw the records away Saturday as they always do whenever Army and Navy tussle, regardless of sport, regardless of season. For the past 12 years, that has been...
MTA promises to ease crowding on bus line
The MTA will change the only speedy city bus service in Brooklyn after residents said it didn’t have enough stops, stranded riders, and caused overcrowding on local buses. Select bus...
Stars check out New York Fashion Week
Celebs flock to the Big Apple to check out the scene at New York Fashion Week 2014.
De Blasio welcomes Pussy Riot to City Hall
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is welcoming the Russian protest punk band Pussy Riot to City Hall. Maria Alekhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova are on a tour of New...
Jewish scholar's cry: TSA thugs stopped me, but not a Muslim
A renowned Jewish scholar was stopped at JFK Airport by suspicious TSA screeners who interrogated her and searched her bags after they saw her reading a Jewish periodical with a...
George's sister nursed him back to health for Beatles' US TV debut
Of course there were the thousands of screaming teenage girls who loved them — yeah, yeah, yeah. But when the four Beatles first landed in New York in early February...
A-Rod surrenders! Slugger drops suits against MLB, union and Selig
A-Rod has raised the white flag. Yankees beleaguered superstar Alex Rodriguez on Friday dismissed his lawsuit against Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association, thereby concluding his longshot battle to...
2014 Sochi Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony
The 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics kicked of with its opening ceremony in Sochi, Russia on Friday. There will be more events in this highly anticipated Winter Olympics than ever before...
Penguins star Letang suffered stroke, out at least 6 weeks
PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang will be out for at least six weeks because of a stroke. Penguins general manager Ray Shero announced Friday that Letang had a...
Bridgegate mayor had lunch with Gov. Christie years before scandal
The Fort Lee mayor who Gov. Chris Christie said he wouldn’t be able to pick “out of a lineup” shared a steak lunch with the governor three years before the...
Matthew McConaughey’s amazing on-screen evolution
All right all right all right. Matthew McConaughey, that one-time king of the cheesy rom-com, has done it: He’s now considered the man to beat in the race for Best...
Viral outbreak forces Catskills resort to shut for sterilization
NEW PALTZ, NY — A historic Catskill mountain resort has decided to close for the week leading up to Valentine's Day after a virus left hundreds of guests and employees...
Famed Chinese director pays $1.2M fine for having 3 kids
BEIJING — Famed film director Zhang Yimou and his wife paid more than $1.2 million in fines Friday for having three children in violation of China's strict family-planning rules. A...
Local college rankings: Big test ahead for St. John's
St. John's still likely isn’t making the NCAA Tournament as an at-large, but the Red Storm are making things interesting. At the very least, they've provided some very entertaining basketball...
Leno’s ‘Tonight Show’ farewell draws largest audience in 15 years
Jay Leno’s final “Tonight Show” earned its best ratings in more than 15 years, averaging 14.6 million viewers on Thursday. The farewell telecast delivered the NBC late night show’s largest...
Couple sues film company over 'Seinfeld-esque wedding video'
A Brooklyn couple were completely screwed over by the company that made their wedding video, with the filmmakers piping in sitcom-style clap tracks, missing key moments in the ceremony and...
Nets rewind: The key to Alan Anderson's breakout game
Here are my three thoughts on the Nets’ 103-89 win over the Spurs Thursday night: 1. Alan Anderson’s big night helped carry the Nets to a win over a depleted...
Jeter hits on rehab and whether this is his final season
TAMPA — Derek Jeter has made more progress than anyone knows as he recovers from a Lost Season of leg and ankle injuries. In fact, he’s on the run. “I’ve...
Silk Road ‘operator’ denies brokering $1B drug, hacking deals
The alleged operator of the notorious illegal-drug-peddling website Silk Road pleaded not guilty on Friday to charges that he brokered more than $1 billion in criminal transactions using the controversial...
Marla Maples stalker admits sending crude emails
Infamous Marla Maples stalker and shoe fetishist Chuck Jones copped to sending Donald Trump’s ex a barrage of crude emails and possessing a stun gun in a Manhattan court Friday...
'Real Housewives of NYC' dish on Ramona Singer's divorce
The divorce of Ramona Singer, of “The Real Housewives of New York,” is a hot topic at Fashion Week. Countess LuAnn de Lesseps says she’s reached out to her castmate...
Oscar de la Renta loves Pinterest
Erika Bearman, the woman behind @OscarPRGirl, Oscar de la Renta’s sassy twitter account, may be in charge his social media. But she says the elegant old-school designer, who favors handwritten...
Target vendor was possible door to massive data breach
The hackers who stole millions of debit and credit card numbers from Target's computer systems may have gained access by first infiltrating the network of a western Pennsylvania heating and...
Who hasn't Mike Woodson had a conflict with this season?
As another losing streak is in full swing, Knicks coach Mike Woodson finds himself on the hot seat yet again and he even dubbed the season "a disaster from a...
Massage kept Skylar Grey from Super Bowl moment
Singer Skylar Grey had one of the biggest moments of her career during the Super Bowl when Budweiser aired an ad featuring her song, “Coming Home, Part 2,” a stand-alone...
Family, stars say goodbye to Hoffman at private funeral
Cate Blanchett read from the bible, struggling against tears. Michelle Williams wiped her eyes in grief outside the church. And three young children cried for their father. Five days after...
Attempt to hijack Turkish plane to Sochi foiled
A Ukrainian man tried to hijack a Turkey-bound flight to Sochi, Russia, as the Winter Olympics were kicking off Friday, but the pilot tricked him and landed in Istanbul instead,...
Anna Kendrick's secret to staying warm on set: ThermaCare
At the Marc Jacobs Daisy pop-up shop party on Thursday, “Twilight” star Anna Kendrick shared her creative cold-weather hack with Buzz: “ThermaCare heat packs! I wear them in most movies...
Booze bandit hijacks Heineken truck in Chelsea
This could drive a trucker to drink. A booze-loving bandit swiped a Heineken truck in Chelsea -- making off with enough kegs to intoxicate an entire college dorm -- after...
Woman takes $1000 cab ride, then says she can't pay
A woman hailed a yellow cab at JFK to take her 200 miles to her suburban Boston home — then stiffed the driver on the $980 fare, authorities said Friday....
Celebs go red at Fashion Week
The annual Go Red for Women / The Heart Truth Red Dress Collection fashion show is supposed to raise awareness for women’s heart health, but the stunning celebrities who walked...
Sochi Olympics open with four ring fail
It’s a four ring circus in Sochi. The five Olympic rings were reduced to four at the Sochi opening ceremony on Friday, when a technical glitch meant the fifth ring...
Apple buys back $14B of its stock
Apple has repurchased $14 billion of its stock in the two weeks after its first-quarter financial results and second-quarter revenue outlook disappointed investors. Its shares rose almost 2 percent in...
Russia tries to put controversy in past with grand opening ceremony
SOCHI, Russia — A crowning achievement of Vladimir Putin's Russia kicked off Friday with a celebration of its past greatness and hopes for future glory, most especially for a raucous...
Yogurt spat throws off routines of US Olympians
SOCHI, Russia — U.S. Olympians will have to make do without the team's official yogurt — depriving them of a source of protein and potentially disturbing their daily routines as...
Leno’s ‘Tonight Show’ farewell draws best ratings in 5 years
Jay Leno’s final “Tonight Show” earned its best overnight ratings in nearly five years. The Thursday telecast averaged a 9.2 rating in the 56 metered markets, according to Nielsen, the...
Union may not continue support for Rangel's re-election run
In a major blow to Rep. Charles Rangel, a powerful union that helped him get re-elected in a tight race two years ago says it may not do so again...
Players most likely to be dealt at NBA's trade deadline
We’re now officially within two weeks of the NBA Trade Deadline, which will arrive at 3 p.m. on Feb. 20 and could bring a lot of action with it. With...
Lindsey Vonn hits runway instead of Sochi slopes
On Thursday night, gold medal-winning downhill skier Lindsey Vonn was supposed to be in Sochi preparing to compete in the Winter Olympics. Instead, she was on the runway at New...
Lindsey Vonn takes on the catwalk
Lindsey Vonn boldly hobbled down the runway on crutches at the Heart Truth Red Dress fashion show in New York City late Thursday. The dynamite skier tore her ACL, which...
2 shot outside Flatiron social club
Cops raided a social club after two men were shot outside the Flatiron after-hours joint, police sources said. A small group of pals were inside the club around 6:30 a.m....
Group suing art collector to keep Picasso at Four Seasons
A conservation group is hauling art collector and real estate kingpin Aby Rosen to court Friday to prevent him from tearing an iconic Picasso painting off the wall of the Four Seasons hotel....
US skier tears ACL in warmups, asks dad if she's still an Olympian
KRASNAYA POLYANA, Russia — American Heidi Kloser had to pull out of the Olympics after injuring her right leg during a training run before moguls qualifying. Kloser tore knee ligaments...
Mets broadcaster Ralph Kiner dead at 91
Ralph Kiner, who slugged his way into the Baseball Hall of Fame and enjoyed a half-century career as a beloved Mets broadcaster, died Thursday at his home in Rancho Mirage,...
AOL chief slammed for ‘distressed babies’ remarks
AOL CEO Tim Armstrong is getting no “benefit” of the doubt after telling staffers Thursday that the company paid nearly $1 million each to care for two staffers’ “distressed babies”...
Only 113K jobs added in January, sparking fears of slowing economy
Hiring was surprisingly weak in January for the second straight month, likely renewing concern that the US economy might be slowing after a strong finish last year. The Labor Department...
US diplomat on Ukraine unrest: 'F--k the EU'
WASHINGTON — A top Obama administration official dropped the F-bomb dissing the European Union in a bugged phone call. Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland was recorded saying, “F--k the...
Crack Mayor Rob Ford declares Bob Marley Day
Toronto’s crack-smoking, reggae-loving mayor, Rob Ford, officially declared Thursday Bob Marley Day. In his official proclamation, Ford called Marley one of the greatest ambassadors of peace the world has seen....
Nearly 13M watch ‘Criminal Minds’ 200th episode
‘Criminal Minds” saw a ratings bump for its milestone 200th episode Wednesday night. The long-running CBS procedural averaged 12.8 million viewers at 9 p.m., its largest audience since May 2012...
Group pushing for Pre-K are de Blasio insiders
The nonprofit that is leading a so-called “grass-roots campaign” to support Mayor de Blasio’s universal pre-K plan was launched by three of his high-level campaign staffers, public records show. The...
Seth Rogen's new AMC drama
AMC is developing a new drama based on the ’90s comic book series “Preacher” written by Seth Rogen. The series follows Rev. Jesse Custer, a tough Texas preacher who has...
Hot Picks: Fest for Beatles Fans celebrates band's USA debut
If you’re a Beatles fanatic, you’ll be in good company this weekend. Fifty years worth of good company, in fact. The Fest for Beatles Fans hits town today, celebrating the...
Camp run by ex-Jet Fiedler sued in 'sex abuse'
A Westchester teen is suing a sports camp run by former Jets quarterback Jay Fiedler, alleging a counselor sneaked into his bed while he was sleeping in 2006 and sexually...
Ring stolen in 1988 returned after pawn bust
A 50-year-old Brooklyn woman was reunited with her long-ago-stolen high-school class ring after cops arrested a man trying to pawn it Wednesday in Brooklyn, police say. Belinda Alston’s Norman Thomas...
Tea Party: IRS still on vendetta
WASHINGTON — The IRS and other Obama administration agencies are still targeting conservative groups, Tea Party advocates told a House panel Thursday. Catherine Engelbrecht, founder and president of a Tea...
Daily Blotter
Brooklyn A man is wanted for smashing the window of a parked minivan in Bedford-Stuyvesant before burglarizing the vehicle last fall, authorities said. The suspect shattered the driver’s side window...
Vacation on table in Daily Beast union talks
One of the things that Newsweek left behind when it was sold by Barry Diller’s IAC/InterActiveCorp was a rarity for a Web-only operation — a unionized work force at the...
Sites worry over Spin Media change
Many of the smaller websites that were gobbled up by Spin Media and its predecessor company Buzz Media over the years are worried that they will be left with nothing...
Council Speaker Mark-Viverito coy on charter cuts
Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito backed a city program last year that provided $32.5 million in city funds so a charter school in her East Harlem district could build a new home....
Obama has power to delay LIRR strike until July
By the time LIRR workers are allowed to go on strike, it will be beach weather outside. The railroad’s largest union voted 500-to-0 to walk off the job at 12:01...
Bronx pols vow to fight de Blasio over charter school
Bronx lawmakers threatened to mount an all-out war Thursday if Mayor de Blasio tries to block the expansion of a high-performing all-girls charter school in their borough. “The mayor of...
NBC hopes prime-time delay doesn't doom Sochi
NBC might be feeling nostalgic for the days when holding events for prime time was the biggest controversy surrounding the Olympics. The Winter Games in Sochi, which officially begin Friday...
Judge in bribe case compares Assembly to 'boil' in need of lancing
A federal judge on Wednesday compared the corrupt clowns running rampant in Albany to a “boil” that needs to be lanced, adding that the bribery scheme that brought down former...
'Bronx Bombers' play fails to hit it out of the park
There’s a reason sports shows are rare: Not only are they tough to stage, but theater and jocks rarely share the same playing field. Yet writer Eric Simonson has found...
Internet sensation Lil BUB ready for her closeup
At a recent red carpet event in midtown Manhattan, a Sundance Film Festival star makes her grand entrance. The throng of photographers and journalists gasp and drop to their knees,...
Bitcoiners build Apple boycott
Tech-savvy supporters of cyber currency bitcoin on Thursday were urged to boycott Apple. The move comes one day after Apple booted the last remaining bitcoin wallet app from its App...
Obama offers to help Democrats by staying away
WASHINGTON — President Obama is offering to help Senate Democrats get re-elected — by staying as far away as possible. The president broached the sensitive topic of his political toxicity...
De Blasio appoints wife to head Mayor’s Fund
Chirlane McCray won’t have an office in City Hall — but the city’s first lady will be only steps away from her adoring hubby with an official title and a...
Corrupt payments made assemblyman's mistress 'hot'
Brooklyn Assemblyman William Boyland Jr.’s scheming mistress told an undercover agent that payola makes her purr. “You just, like, made me hot,” Ry-Ann Hermon cooed when an agent peeled off...
Gal cuffed in Hoffman drug raid: 'This is retarded'
A young couple rounded up in the hunt for Philip Seymour Hoffman’s heroin dealer appeared in court Thursday, but insisted they had no connection to the tragic actor. “I’m so...
Three years after deal: Did Knicks win the Carmelo trade?
Nearly three years have elapsed since our Great New York MeloDrama Nightmare ended. Three teams, 13 players, four draft picks plus the right to swap a fifth and $6 million...
Knicks’ Woodson: Felton has work to do
Mike Woodson sat Raymond Felton for the fourth quarter of the Knicks’ loss to the Trail Blazers on Wednesday, and the coach acknowledged his point guard’s struggles on Thursday. He...
You dirty dog! Hunt on for renegade food vendor
He’s the most-wanted hot-dog peddler in town. A renegade Manhattan food cart vendor is on the lam after accumulating a stomach-churning $330,000 in unpaid fines, The Post has learned. Ehab...
It’s time for Mia Farrow to let go of hatred for Woody
It’s time to leave Woody Allen alone. “What's your favorite Woody Allen movie?’’ This was the pointed question — fighting words, really — that kicked off an open letter written...
Times wrong to revive Farrow claims
It was wrong for New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof to publish a one-sided, decades-old, discredited claim of child molestation against Woody Allen. This yellow journalism may harm the fight...
Making kids shovel-ready: the Dante de Blasio challenge
Forget whether the Upper East Side was plowed. Never mind that the city is apparently in the midst of a road salt shortage. Bill de Blasio has already pulled off...
Fallacies of the ‘Iran deal’ fantasy
As Iran and the 5+1 “big powers” prepare for a new round of nuclear negotiations, Tehran is attracting new support from unexpected quarters in Washington. The lobbyist-in-chief is President Obama...
Leno's last, tearful laugh in 'Tonight' farewell after 22 years
Jay Leno ended his storied “Tonight Show” run Thursday with his chin held high, lots of laughs and a few heartfelt tears. Leno, who inherited “Tonight” in May 1992 from...
ObamaCare freeing the job-locked poets?
‘Job-lock!” It’s only February, but it’s already my favorite word — or phrase, I guess — of the year. It’s not euphonious or edgy, but it does offer insight into...
Horse hockey
If Mayor de Blasio insists on destroying a world-renowned tourist attraction that provides livelihoods for a few hundred workers, the least he can do is act openly and through the...