Newscore

http://www.nypost.com Newscore http://www.nypost.com/rw/SysConfig/WebPortal/nypost/images/rss_nyp_logo.jpg http://www.nypost.com 120 18 National Fri, 11 Jan 2013 22:26:06 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/pick_you_kanye_ew1MKKxuyaoF0C5bZvkqcM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=National http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/pick_you_kanye_ew1MKKxuyaoF0C5bZvkqcM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=National 5.11.970562285 -1 false By BRIAN COSTELLO Jets

There will be no Ryan brothers reunion in New York.

The Rams are planning to hire Rob Ryan as their new defensive coordinator, according to a source.

Another source said the deal is not done yet, but the team is expected to hire him.

The Cowboys fired Rob Ryan earlier this week, creating speculation that Rex might hire his brother for his staff. But Rob Ryan landed in St. Louis where he will work under Jeff Fisher.

Ryan has been the defensive coordinator for the Raiders, Browns and Cowboys before this.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 22:14:10 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/rob_ryan_hired_as_rams_defensive_qOlkVuNkzOQa54Kuxy4DTO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Jets http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/rob_ryan_hired_as_rams_defensive_qOlkVuNkzOQa54Kuxy4DTO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Jets 5.11.968369505 -1 false ASSOCIATED PRESS National

AP

WASHINGTON — NBC journalist David Gregory won't face charges for displaying a high-capacity ammunition magazine on his "Meet the Press" news program last month, District of Columbia prosecutors announced Friday.

The city's Office of the Attorney General, which handles low-level crimes, said criminal charges wouldn't serve the public's best interests even though possession of the magazine — capable of holding up to 30 rounds of ammunition — was clearly against local gun laws.

"Influencing our judgment in this case, among other things, is our recognition that the intent of the temporary possession and short display of the magazine was to promote the First Amendment purpose of informing an ongoing public debate about firearms policy in the United States, especially while this subject was foremost in the minds of the public" after the Connecticut school massacre and President Barack Obama's address to the nation, D.C. Attorney General Irvin Nathan wrote a lawyer for NBC.

Still, Nathan said, there were other legal ways to prove the point and that "there is no doubt of the gravity of the illegal conduct in this matter, especially in a city and a nation that have been plagued by carnage from gun violence." He said it was a "very close decision" to not bring charges.

Firearms laws in the nation's capital generally restrict the possession of high-capacity ammunition magazines, such as the one Gregory said he was holding up during a Dec. 23 interview, regardless of whether they're attached to a firearm. Punishment can carry up to a year in jail or a $1,000 fine.

D.C. police say NBC asked for permission to use the clip during a segment and was advised that it would be illegal, though NBC has said it received conflicting guidance from other law enforcement sources.

Gregory held up the magazine as a prop during an interview on gun control with Wayne LaPierre, the executive vice president of the National Rifle Association.

"Here is a magazine for ammunition that carries 30 bullets. Now, isn't it possible that if we got rid of these, if we replaced them and said, 'Well, you can only have a magazine that carries five bullets or ten bullets,' isn't it just possible that we could reduce the carnage in a situation like Newtown?" Gregory asked, referring to the Dec. 14 school shooting in Newtown, Conn., in which a gunman killed 20 children and six adults.

LaPierre replied: "I don't believe that's going to make one difference. There are so many different ways to evade that even if you had that" ban.

Police began investigating after the program aired and recently referred its findings to the attorney general's office.

The NRA couldn't immediately be reached for comment Friday.

However, NRA president David Keene told CNN last month that he didn't believe Gregory should be prosecuted for what he called a "silly felony."

"I do think it illustrates the craziness of some of these laws," Keene said at the time.

Gregory, a longtime correspondent, was named "Meet the Press" moderator in 2008. The program is generally taped in Washington.

"Meet the Press" issued a statement Friday that said: "We displayed the empty magazine solely for journalistic purposes to help illuminate an important issue for our viewers. We accept the District of Columbia Attorney General's admonishment, respect his decision and will have no further comment on this matter."

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 19:09:18 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/no_charges_for_nbc_host_david_gregory_GC7CW5JjjHm7mwNmBqmHAI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= National http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/no_charges_for_nbc_host_david_gregory_GC7CW5JjjHm7mwNmBqmHAI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= National 5.11.963693015 -1 false AP Manhattan

An 18th century cannon was found loaded with gun powder and a cannon ball Friday during a routine cleaning at the Central Park Conservancy.

Residual gun powder was spotted after a piece of rust was removed from the cannon, exposing the cannon ball, New York City Police said. Authorities were summoned to remove the gun powder and make the cannon safe for public display. The cannon came from a British Royal Navy Ship, the HMS, circa 1763 to 1780.

"We silenced British cannon fire in 1776 and we don't want to hear it again in Central Park," NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said.

Packing material, gun powder and a cannon ball are occasionally found inside cemented cannons when they are X-rayed during routine cleaning. A spokeswoman for the Central Park conservancy had no comment.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 19:05:09 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/blast_from_central_past_cleaners_auSVCn3DlWLqJN4JoGF6kK?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Manhattan http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/blast_from_central_past_cleaners_auSVCn3DlWLqJN4JoGF6kK?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Manhattan 5.11.963692620 -1 false Page Six

Britney Spears has broken up with her agent-turned fiancé and co-conservator, Jason Trawick, Page Six has confirmed.

According to TMZ, the pair, who have been engaged since 2011, "grew apart," and the split is "friendly." Sources tell us the split comes while Jason is in New York visiting friends and family, and the singer is in LA plotting the next move in her career.

"Britney Spears and Jason Trawick have mutually agreed to end their one-year engagement," her rep Jeff Raymond said in a statement

"As two mature adults, they came to the difficult decision to go their separate ways while continuing to remain friends."

"Jason and I have decided to call off our engagement," Spears told People. "I'll always adore him and we will remain great friends."

Adds Trawick: "As this chapter ends for us a new one begins. I love and cherish her and her boys and we will be close forever."

Lawyers for the conservatorship are in court today working things out.

Spears seems to be making some major changes lately. She recently changed agencies, moving from Trawick to CAA, and has quit her job as a judge on "X Factor."

Reports state she could be heading towards headlining a Vegas show. "Britney did decide, and is in fact not returning to 'X Factor,'" read a statement issued by her rep earlier today.

The singer herself added: "I've made the very difficult decision not to return for another season. I had an incredible time doing the show and I love the other judges and I am so proud of my teens but it's time for me to get back in the studio," said Spears. "Watching them all do their thing up on that stage every week made me miss performing so much! I can't wait to get back out there and do what I love most."

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 19:29:39 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/britney_spears_and_jason_trawick_CCqRSVtYrzuRC4GZ2UsPmJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/britney_spears_and_jason_trawick_CCqRSVtYrzuRC4GZ2UsPmJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six 5.11.963693314 -1 false Page Six

Joan Rivers has some choice words for Lady Gaga after the singer posted an open letter claiming her hit show, E!'s "Fashion Police" "breeds negativity."

"Anyone that would wear a pastrami dress or sit in an egg should know about humor," Rivers tells Page Six. "She knows exactly what's she's doing. She's not selling. We haven't been talking about her until now."

Joan's daughter, Melissa, reveals, "Kelly [Osbourne] was receiving these horrible threats from Gaga's fans and they did communicate privately about it. Months later she responds publicly? Our show is comedy. It's satire in the truest form. So many horrible things are going on in the world; we all need to laugh."

Joan chimes in, "It's time to start laughing. We've been doing this for fifty years. Tell Lady Gaga to worry about the maggots in her brain from the meat dress! But I told Kelly that it's all good because it means Lady Gaga watches 'Fashion Police'!"

And she'd be welcome there any day. Executive Producer Melissa insists, "We'd love to have her as a guest!"

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 18:33:29 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/joan_and_melissa_rivers_lady_gaga_ygnu0CDjoolml7rlG8e7RP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/joan_and_melissa_rivers_lady_gaga_ygnu0CDjoolml7rlG8e7RP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six 5.11.960933760 -1 false By REBECCA HARSHBARGER Local

Police have nabbed a suspect wanted for New York City's first murder this year in Ohio, law-enforcement sources said today.

Raymond Mayrant, 25, will be extradited back to New York for the murder of a Bronx school crossing guard, sources said.

Mayrant was dating her daughter, and allegedly shot them both in a confrontation at a Soundview apartment on Jan. 3.

Elzina Brown, 59, was shot in the chest, while her daughter was shot in the nose, authorities said.

It was not immediately clear why he went to Ohio after the slaying.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 17:21:10 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/suspect_in_city_first_murder_nabbed_0jKR3HSAylX2mxZnAqdo1O?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/suspect_in_city_first_murder_nabbed_0jKR3HSAylX2mxZnAqdo1O?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Local 5.11.959828810 -1 false Entertainment

The night has finally arrived! Follow Post film, fashion and television experts live as the drama unfolds on the red carpet and on the big stage at the Golden Globe Awards.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 21:56:11 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/follow_the_golden_globes_live_AlmU7ELFk1ralKhg7v0nZM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Entertainment http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/follow_the_golden_globes_live_AlmU7ELFk1ralKhg7v0nZM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Entertainment 5.11.959525530 -1 false Page Six

There he is! Adele has kept her baby boy under wraps since giving birth in October, but allowed fans a tiny glimpse of the tot when she landed in Los Angeles on Thursday night. She hasn't even released the name of the child, who close friend Alan Carr revealed is "such a cutie."

The new mom, 24, made the transatlantic flight to appear at the Golden Globes on Sunday, where her Bond theme "Skyfall" will be up for the title of "Best Original Song" against some stiff competition: Taylor Swift, for "Safe and Sound" from "Hunger Games," Jon Bon Jovi for "Not Running Around Any More" from "Stand Up Guys," and "Suddenly" from "Les Miserables," by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schoenberg.

But win or lose, Adele is already feeling like a winner. "Oh my god I feel like Meryl Streep!" she Tweeted the day the nominations were announced.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 16:25:49 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/here_comes_the_son_adele_shows_off_kfCgLYarJOEvDlfnrk6bEJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/here_comes_the_son_adele_shows_off_kfCgLYarJOEvDlfnrk6bEJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six 5.11.957986319 -1 false By MICHAEL BLAUSTEIN International

REUTERSThe red dust storm heading towards the Australian town of Onslow.

As Australia braced itself for the first hurricane of the year a gigantic wall of dust slammed into the north-eastern part of the country.

Images of the terrifying red storm were caught by tugboats near the town of Onslow, according to the Daily Mail.

On a beautifully clear day the storm could be seen looming on the horizon miles before it reached shore but once it hit visibility was reduced to around 300 feet and 7 foot waves lashed the shoreline.

Dust storms are a common weather occurrence in deserts but are rarely seen in such dramatic circumstances over open ocean.

REUTERSThe red dust storm heading towards the Australian town of Onslow.

The dust storm is the latest cataclysmic natural event to hit Australia in recent weeks.

SEE: SEE HARROWING SCENE FROM WILDFIRES TERRORIZING AUSTRALIA

Wildfires have ravaged the south east while a record heat wave blanketed the entire country. On Monday a record was set for the highest ever recorded national average temperature of 104.59 degrees.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 16:27:23 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/international/see_tsunami_of_red_dust_eefqnZg1otvJPB0CLiZfQN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= International http://www.nypost.com/p/news/international/see_tsunami_of_red_dust_eefqnZg1otvJPB0CLiZfQN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= International 5.11.957986178 -1 false Page Six

The epidemic sweeping the nation has hit Hollywood: Betty White has the flu.

The ninety-year-old "is on the mend," her rep told People.

White has been busy lately, filming her prank show, "Betty White's Off Their Rockers" with celebrities like Kim Kardashian. The second season of the show just debuted on Tuesday night, and she's prepping for her 91st birthday on Tuesday.

And up until recently, she was feeling great. "I can't get over that at this age, I don't feel this age," she said in a recent interview. "I'm not trying to be any younger … I'm just at one of those good times in one's life. I'm at one of the high spots. I'm healthy enough to enjoy it."

White, however, is just the latest of countless Americans to be struck by the illness. According to CNN, 20 people under 18 and likely dozens of adults have died. Best wishes to Betty for a speedy recovery.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 16:01:50 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/betty_white_has_the_flu_AzBaJMfQHhlLsiYRnCR1hN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/betty_white_has_the_flu_AzBaJMfQHhlLsiYRnCR1hN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six 5.11.957039696 -1 false Page Six

Days after her racy GQ spread leaked on the Internet, Beyonce shows off a softer side in a new photo she posted on her infectious Tumblr.

Mama Bey holds onto one-year-old Blue Ivy's hands as a sparkling blue ocean glimmers in the background.

The singer shows off her enviable abs in a printed two piece with generously cut boy shorts. As for her daughter's outfit of choice? A simple diaper.

Jay-Z's better half opened up about being one of the hardest-working moms in the music industry.

"I love my job, but it's more than that: I need it. Because before I gave birth, it was the only time in my life, all throughout my life, that I was lost," she admitted to GQ. "But I've sacrificed a lot of things, and I've worked harder than probably anyone I know, at least in the music industry. So I just have to remind myself that I deserve it."

She's got some busy days ahead.

Just one day after she announced Destiny's Child would be releasing their first new material in eight years, US Weekly reports that the group is set to reunite for the first time in six years during the Super Bowl halftime show.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 16:00:48 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/photo_beyonce_plays_with_blue_ivy_INSLWrdAL8z6mMOK3tcqRN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/photo_beyonce_plays_with_blue_ivy_INSLWrdAL8z6mMOK3tcqRN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six 5.11.957039578 -1 false ASSOCIATED PRESS National

WASHINGTON — President Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Friday they have agreed to speed up slightly the schedule for moving Afghanistan's security forces into the lead across the country, with US troops shifting fully to a support role. The leaders also said Obama agreed to place battlefield detainees under the control of the Afghan government.

Obama, appearing in the East Room of the White House with Karzai at his side, said accelerating the transition to Afghan security control this spring would set the stage for further withdrawal of US and other foreign forces, although he did not say how quickly a US drawdown would be carried out this year and next. There are now 66,000 US troops there.

"Starting this spring our troops will have a different mission: training, advising and assisting Afghan forces," Obama said. "It will be a historic moment."

He added later that even in a backup role he could not rule out that US troops could be drawn into combat. But he emphasized that their main role would be support, such as training and advising.

Karzai said he was pleased by the agreement, in part because it means that by spring there will be no foreign troops in Afghan villages.

Asked about the decision to accelerate the transition to Afghan security control — a shift that previously was scheduled to happen this summer — Obama said it was not yet clear what it would mean for the pace of US troop withdrawals this year. He said that was "something that isn't yet fully determined" and is awaiting further internal deliberation.

Casting the move in a positive light, Obama said plans remain on schedule to have Afghan forces fully responsible for security nationwide by the end of December 2014 — with no backup, theoretically, by US or other international forces — at which point, "this war will come to a responsible end."

The capabilities of the Afghan army are "exceeding initial expectations," the two said in a joint statement released after their private White House meeting and working lunch and in advance of a joint news conference. As a result, Obama said he acceded to Karzai's desire to put Afghan forces in the combat lead across his country this spring, rather than wait until summer.

In their statement the leaders said they discussed the possibility of a continued US troop presence beyond December 2014, when the US and allied combat mission is to end. But they did not settle on any specifics.

The US now has 66,000 troops in Afghanistan.

US commanders in Afghanistan have proposed keeping 6,000 to 15,000 US troops after 2014 to continuing pursuing terrorists and training Afghan security forces. But the White House, which tends to favor lower troop levels than the generals do, says Obama would be open to pulling all US forces out of Afghanistan at the end of 2014.

"We wouldn't rule out any option," Ben Rhodes, Obama's deputy national security adviser, said earlier this week. "We're not guided by the goal of a certain number of US troops in the country. We're guided by the objectives that the president set — disrupt, dismantle, defeat al-Qaida."

Friday's meeting was the first between Obama and Karzai since November's US presidential election. Heading into his second term, Obama is shaking up his national security team, including key players who deal with Karzai and the war.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta are both expected to leave their posts within weeks. The president nominated Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., as the nation's top diplomat and former Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., to lead the Pentagon.

Both Kerry and Hagel are likely to favor a more rapid withdrawal of US forces.

After Karzai met Thursday with Clinton and Panetta, the Pentagon chief offered an upbeat assessment of the war's progress.

"After a long and difficult path, we finally are, I believe, at the last chapter of establishing an Afghanistan, a sovereign Afghanistan, that can govern and secure itself for the future," Panetta said.

The US-led NATO coalition is aiming to turn all combat missions over to Afghan forces by the end of this year. The 66,000 US forces still there are already turning over territory or handing off many combat missions to the Afghans.

Still, the war's endgame is punctuated with uncertainty, beginning with doubts about whether the Afghan government can build legitimacy by credibly serving its population. Also in question is whether Afghan security forces will be capable of holding off the Taliban after international forces leave.

Panetta told a news conference that he and Karzai had laid the groundwork for the Afghan leader's White House meeting.

"We made very good progress on, you know, the kind of equipment that we would try to make available to them," to enable the Afghans to not only secure their borders but also prevent a Taliban takeover, Panetta said.

Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the same news conference that US and Afghan officials are developing a common assessment of threats Afghanistan is likely to face in the future. Conclusions from that study will help determine the full range of Afghanistan's military requirements, he said.

Karzai was greeted at the Pentagon by a ceremonial honor guard, and at a photo-taking session in Panetta's office, the Afghan leader said he could assure the American people that his country "will not ever again be threatened by terrorists from across our borders" — an allusion to the al-Qaida leaders hiding in Pakistan. It was from Afghanistan that Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaida operatives plotted the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 15:41:12 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/obama_karzai_agree_to_speed_military_aiIdRWK8JJujQypbnC5cAP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= National http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/obama_karzai_agree_to_speed_military_aiIdRWK8JJujQypbnC5cAP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= National 5.11.956526258 -1 false Page Six

Former Jets player Scotty McKnight has more to moan about as his ex-girlfriend, Hayden Panettiere, is reportedly rekindling her relationship with Wladimir Klitschko.

It's been barely a month since the "Nashville" beauty split with the wide receiver who she dated for a year, and she's now jumped headfirst into Round 2 with the 6'6" boxing champ.

The pair, who dated for a year and a half starting in late 2010, have spent almost the past two weeks together.

On New Year's Eve, they were spotted in Dubai partying at the "Cirque du Soir" nightclub where the 5"2' Panettiere (hilariously) stood on a couch for most of the night so her boyfriend could hear what she was shouting in his ear.

"They came together and were hanging all over each other all night," an eyewitness told the German newspaper Bild.

The petite Panettiere, clad in an asymmetric black mini, "kept caressing his butt," according to the source. "He kept grabbing her in bear hugs. He never let her out of his sight."

They were back together in Florida, where he lives, by January 4.

TMZ reports that Klitschko also dropped off his love at the Sunshine State airport today. Once she landed in LA, cameras caught the actress giggling like a schoolgirl when asked about the relationship. She and Klitschko are "just good buddies."

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 16:00:47 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/round_for_hayden_panettiere_wladimir_c5Z2MqfjbVsAkDdIYTM1DO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/round_for_hayden_panettiere_wladimir_c5Z2MqfjbVsAkDdIYTM1DO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six 5.11.955664054 -1 false Page Six

It's official: Britney Spears is leaving "The X Factor."

Amid reports she was set to leave the judges' panel, the pop princess tells Page Six, "I've made the very difficult decision not to return for another season. I had an incredible time doing the show and I love the other judges and I am so proud of my teens but it's time for me to get back in the studio. Watching them all do their thing up on that stage every week made me miss performing so much! I can't wait to get back out there and do what I love most."

Now, buzz is growing that she could next appear on stage in Las Vegas, as headliner for a big Celine Dion-style show. "She is very interested in a Vegas residency, and is in serious talks with one of the major casino groups," a source close to Spears confirms to Page Six.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 15:30:26 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/britney_spears_confirms_she_quitting_IT7SQdCR5HFVdb9jS7wmNI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/britney_spears_confirms_she_quitting_IT7SQdCR5HFVdb9jS7wmNI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six 5.11.954972890 -1 false ASSOCIATED PRESS International

LONDON — Patients in hospital beds; star-struck teenagers in a TV show audience; pupils at a school for troubled girls; a 10-year-old autograph hunter.

All fell victim to the late British entertainer Jimmy Savile, police said, describing him Friday as a sexual predator who used his fame to find victims and deliberately targeted individuals who would not speak out against him.

A three-month police investigation yielded a staggering litany of sexual crimes: 214 offenses, including 34 rapes, over more than half a century, the majority of the victims under 18. Police say they expect the number of offenses to rise as more allegations are investigated.

A police report published Friday describes a "prolific, predatory sex offender" whose celebrity unlocked the doors of institutions across Britain, from hospitals where he served as a charity fundraiser to schools whose pupils eagerly watched his television programs — and even to the prime minister's country house, where he dined with Margaret Thatcher.

"It could be said that he groomed a nation," said Cmdr. Peter Spindler, head of the Metropolitan Police specialist crimes unit. "He was hiding in plain sight, but none of us were able to do anything about it."

The catalog of abuse provides the fullest accounting yet of the allegations against Savile, a cigar-chomping, platinum-haired TV and radio personality who died in October 2011 at age 84. Savile's elaborate funeral reflected his status as a popular entertainer and tireless charity worker, but a documentary broadcast late last year pulled the mask away, claiming that he was a serial sex offender who traded on his celebrity to prey on vulnerable children.

The subsequent police investigation more than bore out those allegations. Detectives initially believed there were between 20 and 25 victims. So far, 450 have come forward with claims against Savile — a scale of abuse police called "unprecedented in the U.K."

Child welfare experts say Savile's fame helped him achieve that grim distinction.

"Savile cunningly built his entire life around gaining access to vulnerable children," said Peter Watt of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.

Savile set himself up as a sinister Pied Piper; children came to him. He hosted the long-running BBC music show "Top of the Pops," which saw everyone from the Rolling Stones to the Sex Pistols perform before an audience of excited young people. Police say victims were assaulted in dressing rooms or groped during filming breaks. One victim was a teenager who said she was assaulted at the last-ever recording of the show in 2006, when Savile was nearly 80.

Savile also hosted "Jim'll Fix It," a BBC TV show on which he granted the wishes of young viewers who wrote in with cherished plans. Police said Savile would sometimes visit the letter-writers' schools, and some of the offenses took place there.

"He could do anything he wanted," said Detective Supt. David Gray, who led the police investigation. "He could turn up at a school and say 'Is anyone interested in meeting me?'"

He often visited a school for troubled girls, where pupils were allegedly offered cigarettes and trips in Savile's car in return for sex. The flamboyant star often drove a convertible Rolls-Royce.

"He only picked on the most vulnerable," Gray said. "He was clever enough to know the ones less likely to speak out against him."

Savile also was a fundraiser for hospitals, including Leeds General Infirmary in his northern England home town and the Stoke Mandeville spinal injuries center in southern England. Police said he committed 50 assaults at 14 medical establishments, including a cancer hospice and several psychiatric hospitals. Among his victims were ill youngsters confined to bed.

Savile's charitable work raised his profile and credibility. Recently released records show he lobbied Thatcher for government donations and tax breaks for charities.

"I find it quite scary that people who had the power to stop him didn't use that power ... and he went on to do the most horrific things to people in the most awful circumstances," said Caroline Moore, who says Savile abused her as she recovered from a spinal operation at Stoke Mandeville in 1971.

Some Savile victims did speak out. Several women went to police to report Saville in 2003, 2007 and 2008, and senior prosecutor Alison Levitt said Friday that the entertainer could have been brought to justice while he was alive, if officials had pursued the allegations more vigorously.

The BBC — which has been strongly criticized for dropping an investigation into Savile's crimes shortly after this death — and several health bodies are holding their own inquiries into how Savile was able to get away with decades of abuse.

Peter Saunders of the National Association for People Abused in Childhood said authorities must be more prepared to listen to children who say they have been abused.

"I want us to forget Jimmy Savile. He is not worthy of memory," Saunders said. "But I want us to remember his many victims."

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 15:59:27 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/international/jimmy_savile_targeted_vulnerable_QPLmZv6vS3B3F3R0QAe7AI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= International http://www.nypost.com/p/news/international/jimmy_savile_targeted_vulnerable_QPLmZv6vS3B3F3R0QAe7AI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= International 5.11.954972795 -1 false By BILL SANDERSON Local

A flu shot might not keep you from getting sick, government doctors admitted today.

This year's vaccine is effective in about 62 percent of cases, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.

And this year's vaccine appears least effective in the elderly or people with other health problems — the very folks who need flu shots the most.

Getting a flu shot is still a good idea, said CDC director Thomas Frieden.

"The flu vaccine is far from perfect. But it is still by far the best tool we have to prevent the flu," Frieden, a former New York City health commissioner, told reporters.

Scientists haven't figured out how to make a vaccine that protects against more than three strains of the flu.

So before flu season begins, vaccine makers have to figure out which three will be most prevalent, and formulate the vaccine accordingly, doctors explained.

Vaccine makers appear to have made the right choices this year, Frieden said. But there are other strains of the flu out there not covered by the vaccine.

Drug makers are working on vaccines that can protect against four or more strains.

It's possible tens of thousands of people will die from the flu this year — but final estimates on the death toll won't be available for months, the CDC says.

So far this flu season, the government has counted 20 flu-related deaths among children under age 18. The CDC says it closely tracks pediatric flu deaths.

In New York, about 5 percent of emergency room visits are flu-related, city health officials report. That's up from 2 percent during last year's flu season.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 14:42:46 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/no_relief_flu_vaccine_only_effective_kJbwqiLmOHhAWd16ijSpJO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/no_relief_flu_vaccine_only_effective_kJbwqiLmOHhAWd16ijSpJO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Local 5.11.954070218 -1 false By JOSH SAUL Brooklyn

Reuters Jerome Isaac is seen in surveillance photos dousing a woman with gasoline before setting her alight inside an elevator on Dec. 19, 2011.

The evil firebug who burned an elderly woman to death in her Brooklyn elevator will spend the rest of his life in prison, ruled a Brooklyn Supreme Court judge who called the attack "one of the most horrific crimes I've ever seen."

Jerome Isaac, 48, admitted in a plea deal that he ambushed Dolores Gillespie, 73, in 2011 by spraying gasoline on her, lighting her aflame with a barbeque lighter, then throwing a Molotov cocktail on her as her screams echoed through the building.

"He will die in jail," Gillespie's daughter said in a statement read by prosecutors. "While my authentic feeling continues to be anger, ultimately, we believe that you fight fire with water … not fire. So may God have mercy on his soul."

The judge, prosecutors, and defense attorney all agreed the attack that the video of the attack – captured by a surveillance camera in the elevator – was among the worst sights they had ever seen.

"I would have thought after 30 years in this business very little would have shocked me," said ADA Mark Hale.

"I was wrong. It's a permanent part of my dreamscape. I have nightmares and that tops the list."

The judge and both attorneys praised the plea deal and how it ensures neither the victim's family nor the jury will be forced to watch the horrific video.

"It does in fact spare the family and the public the trauma of seeing the video," defense attorney Howard Tanner said. Tanner also said his client – a Rastafarian – requested that the Department of Corrections not cut his hair.

Isaac's sentencing in November was postponed because he told probation officials "the devil tells him what to do." Judge Vincet DelGiudice ordered a psyche evaluation and postponed sentencing until today, when it was revealed Isaac had been found fit to be sentenced.

DelGiudice sentenced Isaac to 50 years to life on counts of murder and arson and said, "I can't conceive of any right-minded individual allowing Mr. Isaac to rejoin the public."

Gillespie had hired Isaac for odd jobs but fired him when he stole her kitchenware and DVD player, which made Isaac so angry he planned the attack.

jsaul@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 16:41:21 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brooklyn/elevator_arson_killer_will_most_OO9dGECHuccI6FfH6TIocJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Brooklyn http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brooklyn/elevator_arson_killer_will_most_OO9dGECHuccI6FfH6TIocJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Brooklyn 5.11.954070063 -1 false Page Six

Penelope Cruz's beautiful younger sister Monica turned to an anonymous sperm donor to get pregnant.

The 35-year-old lingerie model shared the happy news on her blog for the Spanish publication El País: "I am going to be a mother! I have managed to fulfill the dream of a lifetime."

She added, "I want to share with all of you this special journey and to be able to tell you about all my experiences during this fascinating time."

Monica admitted she was worried that she wouldn't find the perfect man in time to start a family, so sought help through artificial insemination.

"[I want to] show my thanks to all those anonymous men that help to give many women like me, the dream of their lives."

A celebrity in her native Spain, the brunette decided to announce her pregnancy before the flood of inevitable questions she would get about the identity of the father. "'I wanted to avoid, above all, that they spoke about possible fathers or the possible candidates to be it."

Monica initially felt uneasy about hiding her method to get pregnant but is now happy to help make the topic less taboo for other women. "If with this I can help others who have doubts, then here you have me if you need me."

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 14:37:30 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/penelope_cruz_sister_monica_pregnant_UV5q4jgDjVXAqzA8uKlbdP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/penelope_cruz_sister_monica_pregnant_UV5q4jgDjVXAqzA8uKlbdP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six 5.11.954069790 -1 false Page Six

More great news for Destiny's Child fans: Just one day after Beyonce announced the group would be releasing their first new material in eight years, US Weekly reports that the group is set to reunite for the first time in six years during the Super Bowl halftime show.

Beyonce will start the show solo, according to the mag, before bandmates Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams join her to perform a short medley of the group's mega-hits. They'll then segue into their new single, "Nuclear," before Beyonce performs a solo single from her upcoming fifth album.

The group's new release, "Love Songs," is a compilation album of romantic hits with "Nuclear" being the only new material. Originally recorded between 1997 and 2004, the album will be released on January 29 – just in time for Valentine's Day.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 14:09:41 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/destiny_child_to_reunite_at_super_ERjIT8LVrHO7XUhIeWAR6I?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/destiny_child_to_reunite_at_super_ERjIT8LVrHO7XUhIeWAR6I?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six 5.11.952954200 -1 false Page Six

It really would be a problem if your significant other woke up next to George Clooney.

A lot of attractive people are found sleeping in bed together in a new ad that features Clooney and Rande Gerber with their main squeezes, Stacy Keibler and Cindy Crawford.

The short flick, titled "It Could Happen, Please Drink Responsibly," was written and produced by the "Ocean's Eleven" star and Grant Heslov.

In the video, Gerber finds the actor sleeping next to his wife after a night of drinking. Later, Clooney finds Keibler curled up with Crawford. Finally, the supermodel walks in to find her husband in bed with Clooney.

The starry mini-movie was even shot on location at one of Clooney's homes, and sources told Page Six it's "loosely based on a true story," which involves the stars hopping into bed in various odd couplings.

<iframe width="325" height="250" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/6w0KjBr4Gss" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 13:52:41 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/watch_george_clooney_in_bed_with_qOssWjOURvmRaFKzlH6k7L?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/watch_george_clooney_in_bed_with_qOssWjOURvmRaFKzlH6k7L?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six 5.11.952027360 -1 false ASSOCIATED PRESS Local

Newark Mayor Cory Booker has filed paperwork allowing him to raise money to run for the US Senate in 2014, setting up intrigue over his political future and that of 89-year-old Frank Lautenberg, who currently holds the seat.

Booker made the filing Tuesday with the Federal Election Commission. The prolific social media user has not tweeted about it or made any public announcements about the filing.

But it came as no surprise. Booker, perhaps New Jersey's highest-profile Democratic politician, announced last month that he would not challenge Republican incumbent Chris Christie and run for governor in 2013. Instead, Booker said, he was looking at a run for the Senate next year.

US Rep. Frank Pallone, a Democrat from central New Jersey, has also expressed interest in the seat.

The interest puts some pressure on Lautenberg, the oldest member of the Senate.

When Booker said he might run for the seat, he praised Lautenberg for his service, but said he had not spoken with him about his plans. Through a spokesman, Lautenberg declined to talk about his political future.

But so far, he has not given any indication that he would like to retire.

And Booker has not said whether he would be willing to take on Lautenberg in a primary run if the senator tries to keep his seat.

Spokesmen for Pallone, Lautenberg and Booker did not immediately return calls to the Associated Press.

In 2008, New Jersey's Democratic establishment decided that Lautenberg was not too old to serve.

US Rep. Rob Andrews challenged him a primary. Most of the state's Democratic leaders stood with Lautenberg, who won handily then retained his seat in the general election.

Booker has 1.3 million Twitter followers and is known for responding to constituent complaints sent to him electronically. During Superstorm Sandy, he invited residents to charge their cellphones at his house. In April, he let the world know through Twitter that he rushed into his neighbor's house and rescued her from a fire. During a snowstorm, he helped shovel people out. And he recently finished spending a week living on a food stamps-level food budget as part of a challenge that came from a Twitter follower.

He was elected mayor of Newark in 2006 with 72 percent of the vote, four years after narrowly losing a bruising battle against longtime Mayor Sharpe James. The race was chronicled in the 2005 documentary "Street Fight." He was re-elected in 2010 with about 60 percent of the vote

A Stanford-educated Rhodes Scholar who grew up in suburban Harrington Park, NJ, Booker is the son of civil rights activists who were among the first black executives at IBM. He got his law degree from Yale Law School, then moved to one of Newark's most notoriously violent housing projects.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 13:31:14 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/newark_mayor_cory_booker_files_paperwork_kZ7mtDetMSty3wPZPzTx7N?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/newark_mayor_cory_booker_files_paperwork_kZ7mtDetMSty3wPZPzTx7N?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Local 5.11.951368690 -1 false Page Six

Looks like La La Anthony hasn't turned sour during the whole "Honey Nut Cheerios" controversy.

The reality star took to Twitter to write a light-hearted response: "Not for nothing,but we ALL deserve a check or some free cereal 4all the publicity we've given Honey Nut Cheerios! LOL #cantbelieveeverything" She also posted a photo of the tweet on her Instagram.

La La was referring to how husband Carmelo Anthony was set off by the Celtics' Kevin Garnett for allegedly saying La La "tastes like Honey Nut Cheerios." The incident, which included the two having to be separated outside the Cetlics' bus where Anthony was waiting for Garnett, led to 'Melo being suspended for Thursday night's loss to the Pacers.

Speculation over infidelity flew.

Though she did not confirm or deny rumors, General Mills might be the only one winning in this situation.

Sources told Page Six this week that Carmelo and La La have been living separately, but friends close to the Knick's wife say she'll stand by her man and won't split from the NBA star.

"It is true they haven't seen much of each other in the past few months," says a friend of the couple. "She's been away a lot filming her show, 'La La's Full Court Life,' in London, New York and LA. They are not separated and are still together. She and Melo have a house in LA — so she's always there when she's doing auditions."

But others say they've been going through a more rocky period. "They have been living separately for several months now," says a source. "She's been living in LA while Carmelo has been in New York." The source added, "La La used to go out to the games and wanted to be seen . . . now she's always off doing her own thing."

At least KG didn't say she tasted like porridge.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 13:57:13 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/la_la_anthony_responds_to_honey_GuxaESzlUQfTtU7MiyPfSM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/la_la_anthony_responds_to_honey_GuxaESzlUQfTtU7MiyPfSM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Page Six 5.11.951368458 -1 false Page Six

Jonah Hill and Leonardo DiCaprio's fun in the sun is over, but Hill is has officially become a member of his "Wolf of Wall Street" co-star's entourage. After partying in Sydney over the holidays, the odd couple were spotted having dinner at The Lion in NYC Thursday night with a group of seven other guys, a source tells Page Six. As the group sampled the warm mushroom salad, truffled burrata, and ricotta gnudi with truffles, Hill and DiCaprio were overheard discussing the possibility of working together again after "Wolf" wraps.

They then took the party to Avenue nightclub before finishing up the night at 1oak, where they met up with Chace Crawford and surrounded themselves with a posse of supermodel types. Leo, clad in a pageboy cap, managed to go somewhat undercover. "Chace and Jonah, weirdly enough, were getting the most attention," a fellow partier tells Page Six.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 13:25:06 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/leonardo_dicaprio_and_jonah_hill_i8jzCZRp0o85pc6Dgzq07O?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/leonardo_dicaprio_and_jonah_hill_i8jzCZRp0o85pc6Dgzq07O?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six 5.11.950800559 -1 false Page Six

After two years of dating, Jennifer Lawrence and Nick Hoult have split.

"In Touch" reports, however, that the breakup is amicable.

The "Hunger Games" actress and the "About a Boy" star met on the set of "X Men" in 2010, and enjoyed a mostly under-the-radar relationship ever since.

PHOTOS: JENNIFER LAWRENCE

"He's my favorite person to be around and makes me laugh harder than anybody," Lawrence, 22, told Elle back just weeks ago in the Dec. 2012 issue.

But as she filmed "Catching Fire" alone in Hawaii, only her brother, Blaine, was by her side. Hoult, 23, is meanwhile gearing up to do publicity for his own film, "Warm Bodies," which comes out in February. And when he skipped the People's Choice Awards on Wednesday, where Lawrence won "Favorite Movie Actress," "Favorite Face of Heroism," and "Favorite On-Screen Chemistry," the writing was on the wall.

With her "Silver Linings Playbook" co-star Bradley Cooper recently single as well, however, Lawrence isn't likely to be lonely on the red carpet the rest of awards season.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 13:18:43 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/jennifer_lawrence_and_nicholas_hoult_W6ZZM3dfTObywsaRfsaaaM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/jennifer_lawrence_and_nicholas_hoult_W6ZZM3dfTObywsaRfsaaaM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six 5.11.950136742 -1 false By REBECCA HARSHBARGER and KATE KOWSH Brooklyn

William Miller Police at the scene in Bed-Stuy where ABC set designer Ivan Giovanettina (r.) was shot dead during an apparent robbery.

A former Brooklyn café owner who now works on the set of a TV cooking show was shot dead last night in an apparent robbery attempt, the man's friends and authorities said.

The victim, Ivan Giovanettina, 41, was gunned down just after 9:30 pm on Macon Street in Bedford-Stuyvessant, authorities said.

Witnesses said Giovanettina was approached by two men, and at one point he was seen running after the men. There was a gunshot, Giovanettina fell to the ground and the men ran away, according to witnesses.

Cops arrived to find Giovanettina bleeding from a gunshot wound to the stomach. He was rushed to Kings County Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

No arrests have been made.

Giovanettina once owned a Bed-Stuy coffee shop, Blu York Café, friends said. He now works as a scene designer on the set of ABC's daytime cooking talk show, "The Chew," his roommates told The Post.

"We are shocked and saddened to learn of Ivan Giovanettina's untimely death," ABC said in a statement. "He was a beloved member of our team and we extend our deepest sympathies to his family and friends."

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 14:07:09 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brooklyn/abc_set_designer_shot_dead_in_bed_4ZMfWcepB8O5Xf4hn1iZcO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Brooklyn http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brooklyn/abc_set_designer_shot_dead_in_bed_4ZMfWcepB8O5Xf4hn1iZcO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Brooklyn 5.11.950107023 -1 false ASSOCIATED PRESS National

CENTENNIAL, Colo. — A judge on Friday delayed the arraignment of the man charged with the Colorado theater shooting until March despite objections from prosecutors and most of the victims and their families.

District Judge William Sylvester ruled Thursday night that prosecutors had presented sufficient evidence at a preliminary hearing to proceed toward trial on charges that James Holmes killed 12 people and injured 70 others at a suburban Denver movie theater on July 20.

Holmes, who is charged with multiple counts of first-degree murder and attempted murder, won't have to enter a plea until March 12 after the judge granted a defense motion to delay that proceeding.

A murmur of disbelief rippled through the courtroom when the defense said it wouldn't be ready until March. Then, at the end of the hearing, the father of Rebecca Wingo, who was killed in the shooting, shouted "Rot in hell Holmes."

The judge reconvened the proceeding to talk to Steve Hernandez, who apologized and promised there would be no more outbursts. The judge was sympathetic.

"I am terribly sorry for your loss and I can only begin to imagine the emotions that are raging," Sylvester told him.

Sylvester had asked Holmes if he objected to the delay and defense attorney Tamara Brady answered for him, saying he did not. Defense lawyers didn't say why they wanted to delay entering a plea.

One possible reason could be to seek a mental health evaluation by a doctor of their choosing. Lawyers for Holmes have said he is mentally ill, raising the possibility of an insanity defense.

If Holmes had entered an insanity plea on Friday, an evaluation would be done by state doctors.

Prosecutors objected to the delay and said they were ready to move ahead.

Sylvester said he understood their position but wanted to make sure he did not do anything that could lay the grounds for an appeal.

"We want to avoid at all costs doing anything improper," the judge said.

Following the hearing, District Attorney George Brauchler, who took office this week, didn't specifically address the delay but said he wanted to "protect the interests of all involved in this case."

If Holmes, 25, is convicted of first-degree murder, he could face the death penalty. Prosecutors have not said whether they would pursue that sentence.

The hearing capped an emotional week in which the public, including victims and their families, got the first look at evidence gathered against Holmes and heard police officers describe attempts to save the wounded.

During the preliminary hearing, witnesses testified that Holmes spent weeks amassing an arsenal and planning the attack at a midnight showing of "The Dark Knight Rises," and that he took photos of himself hours before the shooting, including one that showed him grinning with a handgun.

They also detailed an elaborate booby trap set up at Holmes' apartment designed to explode at the same time the theater attack occurred several miles away.

Prosecution witnesses testified that Holmes began acquiring weapons in early May, and by July 6 he had two semi-automatic pistols, a shotgun, a semi-automatic rifle, 6,200 rounds of ammunition and high-capacity magazines that allow a shooter to fire more rounds without stopping to reload.

Holmes' lawyers called no witnesses during the hearing.

Another possibility in the case is that either side could argue that Holmes is not mentally capable of assisting in his own defense. If that happens, the judge would order a mental competency evaluation. Sylvester also can order an evaluation if he has his own questions about Holmes' competence.

In the case of the Tucson, Ariz., shooting that killed six people and wounded 13, including then-Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, Jared Loughner was initially ruled incompetent to stand trial. However, after a year of treatment, Loughner was ruled competent, the case proceeded, and he entered guilty pleas.

If Holmes ends up pleading not guilty by reason of insanity, Sylvester would also order a psychiatric evaluation by doctors at the state hospital. A jury would consider that evaluation, along with testimony by expert witnesses, any other court-ordered evaluations and other evidence, in deciding at a trial whether Holmes is or is not guilty by reason of insanity.

If found not guilty by reason of insanity, Holmes would be committed to the state mental hospital for treatment. His case would be reviewed every six months. He conceivably could be released if he ever is deemed no longer insane.

"Insanity is what this case is going to turn on," said Denver criminal defense attorney Dan Recht. "This is not a whodunit case."

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 15:55:46 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/judge_delays_arraignment_march_dark_AtaignA4XZwFaoZ4j9fqyI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= National http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/judge_delays_arraignment_march_dark_AtaignA4XZwFaoZ4j9fqyI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= National 5.11.949304023 -1 false By MICHAEL SHAIN TV

Regis Philbin coming back to host "Who Wants to be a Millionaire"?

He's thinking about it. Hard.

Philbin woke up this morning to the unexpected news that Meredith Vieira, who has hosted the daytime-version of "Millionaire" for 11 years, was quitting at the end of this season when her current contract expires.

She will leave the show that pays her an estimated $12 million a year in May to work more regularly for NBC News, according to reports.

"That's a total surprise," Philbin told The Post from his home in Connecticut. "I thought she loved doing the show."

Would he want to return to the show he made famous in primetime?

"Maybe. I'd have to think about it," he said.

Philbin left his morning show, "Live," after 30 years in 2011. Since then, his only regular TV job has been as a monthly co-host on "Rachael Ray."

"I get up late now," he says. "And I love lounging around."

But Regis admits that the thought of getting back on TV every day has its draw.

"I do feel that I'm not doing everything I should," he confesses. "I'm not accomplishing anything."

Regis hosted a primetime version of the game show from 1999 to 2002, when it was a rating phenomenon.

ABC asked him to take over the daytime show too when it first considered taking it daily in 2002.

"Back then, it took a lot longer to tape the show," he says. "The computers [that selected questions and tabulated results] would go out all the time and they had to stop while they fix it.

"I told them back then: 'No, I can't do it anymore.' "

Vieira's decision to walk away from the game show was completely unexpected.

She had finished taping all the shows for the season last November — and will continue to be seen on the show through next summer.

She did not tape a goodbye to the viewers, officials said yesterday.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 18:05:21 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/tv/regis_considering_return_to_who_GCLsh0sh8p6bNDBIYuLTIN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=TV http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/tv/regis_considering_return_to_who_GCLsh0sh8p6bNDBIYuLTIN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=TV 5.11.949121021 -1 false ASSOCIATED PRESS Local

NEWARK — Full NJ Transit rail service from New Jersey into New York City will resume Monday, 11 weeks after Superstorm Sandy caused extensive damage to the agency's equipment and infrastructure.

NJ Transit executive director James Weinstein said Friday that rail service into the city will be restored to pre-Sandy levels. Service into Hoboken continues to run on a reduced schedule due to electrical problems caused by flooding from the storm, with the Gladstone branch of the Morris & Essex line the most affected.

Weinstein said full electric power at the Hoboken station should be restored by March.

"The full restoration of our New York Penn Station rail service marks another important milestone for NJ Transit and our customers, the majority of whom commute to and from midtown Manhattan," Weinstein said.

Service levels on the North Jersey Coast Line, which sustained extensive track damage, will reach 96 percent when nine trains are added to the line starting Monday. Two of the trains will be electric and operate between Long Branch and New York's Penn Station.

The remaining seven trains will either originate or terminate in Bay Head. Four of those trains will resume service between Bay Head and Hoboken.

NJ Transit says rail operations system wide will reach 94 percent of its pre-Sandy service level on Monday, with 658 of the 700 weekday trains scheduled prior to the storm operational.

More than 300 rail cars and locomotives were damaged in the storm when rail yards in Hoboken and Kearny flooded, prompting criticism that NJ Transit should have moved them to safer locations. Weinstein told a Senate transportation subcommittee that that damage will cost the agency $100 million.

On Friday, Weinstein said NJ Transit is seeking alternate sites to house the cars and locomotives. The agency said 51 of 261 damaged cars and 21 of 62 damaged locomotives have been repaired. Weinstein said he believed the equipment costs would be covered by insurers combined with federal disaster aid.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 13:31:14 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/nj_transit_C0ZWZY68mXpZsODXwbSv1K?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/nj_transit_C0ZWZY68mXpZsODXwbSv1K?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Local 5.11.949096253 -1 false ASSOCIATED PRESS Local

It's a heartfelt public art installation: A Valentine's Day sculpture will be made with New York and New Jersey boardwalk planks damaged by Hurricane Sandy.

A Brooklyn-based design firm, Situ Studio, has won the annual Times Square Valentine Heart Design competition.

The artists used boards salvaged from Long Beach and Long Island in New York and from Sea Girt and Atlantic City in New Jersey.

It'll be in place in Manhattan's Duffy Square from Feb. 12 until March 8.

The illuminated installation is called "Heartwalk." Two ribbons made of wooden boards lift from the ground to form a heart-shaped enclosure.

Visitors will be able to walk around and inside the installation.

The competition is sponsored by the Times Square Arts and the Design Trust for Public Space.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 12:26:03 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/valentine_day_heart_sculpture_hurricane_Q9gH2LdEtEnTPwrpOaE8jN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/valentine_day_heart_sculpture_hurricane_Q9gH2LdEtEnTPwrpOaE8jN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Local 5.11.948729347 -1 false By MITCHEL MADDUX National

Good luck trying to blend in.

A tattooed man who has acted in a Martin Scorsese feature film is now being hunted as an international fugitive for committing a violent armed assault in a Canadian nightclub in 2009.

Ziad Akl, 38, is believed by authorities to be on the run in the US after he was declared a wanted man by police in Quebec. Akl has gained attention as an actor and has landed feature roles in at least two studio-produced Hollywood films.

In Scorsese's taut psychological thriller "Shutter Island," Akl played an inmate dubbed "The Tattooed Man."

He also portrayed an inmate in David O. Russell's "The Fighter."

Police in Laval, Quebec say they believe Akl and his brother, Elias Akl are involved in drug trafficking and they are cautioning members of the public to contact law enforcement authorities if they see either man.

"We think they could be armed and dangerous," Laval police Constable Nathalie Lorrain told The Post.

Canadian authorities issued a wanted notice for the Akl brothers today after investigators decided they had hit a dead-end in determining their whereabouts.

In the 2009 incident at the Red Lite - a popular nightclub that draws crowds from the Montreal metropolitan area - Ziad Akl, his brother and several friends, were ejected by bouncers after they tried to sell drugs to bar patrons, officials said.

"The group the two brothers were with were trying to control drug trafficking inside the club," Lorrain said.

Investigators "definitely" believe that Ziad Akl and his brother are involved in drug dealing, she said.

As they were being escorted out of the club, one of the brothers' friends pulled out a knife and stabbed a bouncer.

When the bouncer fell to the floor, Ziad Akl continued the assault, Lorrain said.

"Ziad kicked the victim while the victim was in the floor - kicked him in the face," she said.

"He is seen by the [nightclub's] surveillance camera hitting and kicking him," she said.

After the group fled, the bouncer was hospitalized and treated for stab wounds and for injuries from the beating, she said.

A court convicted the man who stabbed the bouncer and he served several years in prison for the assault, officials said.

Ziad Akl disappeared soon after the incident, police say, and investigators suspect that he's living somewhere in the US - possibly in the Northeast or New England, where he has relatives.

Some of his relatives live outside Boston in the historic town of Salem, investigators say.

"We think he's been in the States all this time," Lorrain told The Post.

Police suspect that Ziad's 40-year-old brother, Elias, may be living in Costa Rica.

mmaddux@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 15:14:05 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/tattooed_shutter_island_actor_violent_E9ZyyVFUwJ3yegCQml5nTI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=National http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/tattooed_shutter_island_actor_violent_E9ZyyVFUwJ3yegCQml5nTI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=National 5.11.948314920 -1 false Page Six

Evan Rachel Wood and Jamie Bell are certainly good at keeping secrets. After denying just weeks ago that Wood was pregnant, they confirmed today that she is carrying their first child.

The "thrilled" couple "are expecting their first child later this year," a rep for the couple told US Weekly.

The super-private stars had also managed to keep their wedding under wraps when they tied the knot back on October 30 in California, only tipping off the world when they appeared days later at LAX wearing wedding rings.

Wood, 25, and Bell, 26, met back in 2005 when they both appeared in Green Day's "Wake Me Up When September Ends" video. They split the next year, and Wood famously went on to date and get engaged to Marilyn Manson. After breaking up with the rocker, she and Bell reunited in summer 2011. Bell proposed the next year.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 12:21:13 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/evan_rachel_wood_and_jamie_bell_2Ac7fj6FbKuOQx5dUJpGCI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/evan_rachel_wood_and_jamie_bell_2Ac7fj6FbKuOQx5dUJpGCI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six 5.11.948314825 -1 false Entertainment

Some men are braving the cold with a weapon women have had for years — leggings, or in this case, "meggings."

The male tights have been around for years. But the term meggings may be recent terminology for the snuggly-fitted items for men's legs seen on fashion runways and, now, on the streets.

Upon first hearing about meggings, Jake Dobkin, a "stunt journalist" and publisher at Gothamist.com, bravely tried wearing the tights for a day in DUMBO, Brooklyn.

"It's kind of tight and kind of [gets] hot downstairs, if you know what I'm saying," Dobkin quipped.

In Manhattan, fashion store owner Jimmy Webb adds a little flair to the risky look. Technically, Webb wears pants, since his pair has pockets. But his pants are like a second layer of skin.

"This is what we've been doing for 37 years," describes Webb. "It's not that serious."

Are meggings right for the year 2013? Men will have to decide.

"You don't rock a pair of pants," explained Webb. "You feel a pair of pants."

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 12:45:14 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/leggings_for_men_IrFpEHjW42xzGOJaqVPTwK?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Entertainment http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/leggings_for_men_IrFpEHjW42xzGOJaqVPTwK?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Entertainment 5.11.948314424 -1 false ASSOCIATED PRESS Bronx

A man who jumped into a tiger den at the Bronx Zoo and was mauled by a 400-pound animal told police, "Everyone makes choices," a court complaint says.

David Villalobos, 25, of Mahopac, was arraigned Friday in a Bronx courthouse and pleaded not guilty to trespassing charges. He returns to court March 12.

On Sept. 21, Villalobos jumped from a monorail train that tours the zoo's Wild Asia exhibit. He cleared a 16-foot-high fence and was attacked and dragged by a Siberian tiger named Bashuta.

Villalobos suffered bites on his arms, legs, shoulders and back. He also had a broken right shoulder, right rib, right ankle and pelvis and a collapsed lung.

In the complaint, police Sgt. Peter Monopoli says that when Villalobos was asked why he jumped, he said, "Everyone makes choices and we have our reasons in life why we do things."

He told another investigator, "I was testing my natural fear, you would not understand," the complaint says. "It is a spiritual thing, I wanted to be at one with the tiger."

Villalobos was alone with the tiger for about 10 minutes before he was rescued by workers who used a fire extinguisher to chase the animal away.

Zoo director Jim Breheny said at the time: "The tiger did nothing wrong. ... somebody was deliberately trying to endanger themselves."

A call to Villalobos' attorney, Corey Sokoler, was not immediately returned.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 12:21:35 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/bronx/guilty_trespassing_jumped_into_tiger_yIfAU634RqVFuB9mmg59cK?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Bronx http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/bronx/guilty_trespassing_jumped_into_tiger_yIfAU634RqVFuB9mmg59cK?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Bronx 5.11.948178035 -1 false Page Six

"1600 Penn" – NBC's new sitcom about a dysfunctional First Family – gets a thumbs-down from Patti Davis, who was there for eight years when her father Ronald Reagan was president.

Davis -- who tried to sell a similar TV show last year titled "Ribbon," her Secret Service code name – posted on Facebook today: "This industry doesn't want authenticity, they want stupidity."

The 60-year-old writer said her show was "about a reluctant and rebellious First Daughter who then finds herself pregnant out of wedlock. While the pregnancy part didn't happen to me, the show was based on my experience and knowledge of actually being a First Daughter."

"And oh, what a surprise, the First Daughter in the show is pregnant!" David continued. "I hope next time a project of mine is rejected I can be more gracious, but this time I can't be."

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 13:25:06 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/patti_davis_rips_penn_stupidity_eIixZqeNHHKmxsrWCEwhUJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/patti_davis_rips_penn_stupidity_eIixZqeNHHKmxsrWCEwhUJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six 5.11.948177820 -1 false By ANTHONY SULLA-HEFFINGER and MICHAEL BLAUSTEIN News

Brian Zak The Twinkie alternatives on the market right now: Little Debbie Cloud Cakes, Mrs. Freshley's Dreamies Creme-Filled Cakes, Blue Bird Bakeries Bingles, Weight Watchers Golden Sponge Cake and Tastykake Krimpets.

When news broke in November that Hostess was bankrupt, people all over the country rushed to stock up on the famous brand's most cherished treat: the venerable Twinkie. Soon stocks were depleted and now the only place one can find the original and best cream-filled snack cake is on eBay. But with prices rising on the online marketplace, a savvy snacker might turn their attention to alternatives in order to get their sugary fix.

Here you will find five "faux Twinkies" reviewed based on three criteria — texture, flavor and authenticity — as well as each confections' calorie count and cost per cake.

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Brian ZakLittle Debbie Cloud Cakes

Cloud Cakes

Texture: 2Flavor: 2Authenticity: 4Final score: 8

Would you buy it again? YesCalories per cake: 150Price per cake: $.30

Review: The cream-filling is too tangy and the texture of the cake is neither light nor moist, which makes the Cloud Cake a bit off in almost every way possible. Where Twinkies were a sweet, vanilla flavored cake, Cloud Cakes are tangy white cake flavor. Where Twinkies had a deliciously whip creamy center, Cloud Cakes have an almost sour buttermilk center. And where Twinkies left your mouth feeling satisfied, the Cloud Cake left our taster wanting more. But Cloud Cakes have one thing going for them: they look like Twinkies, they are packaged like Twinkies and by all accounts they are trying to be Twinkies. So they have that going for them, which is nice.

Brian ZakMrs. Freshley's Dreamies Creme-Filled Cakes

Dreamies

Texture: 1Flavor: 3Authenticity: 2Final score: 6

Would you buy it again? NoCalories per cake: 130Price per cake: $.50

Review: Gooey, greasy and grainy seem like characteristics that couldn't possibly happen in one cake and yet Dreamies accomplished the impossible. They glistened with grease while nestled in their package and stuck to their wrapper when being extracted, these cakes had very little going for them other than flavor. With the right cream to cake ratio and non-cloyingly sweet vanilla flavor, if you closed your eyes you could convince yourself that a Dreamie was just a very bad Twinkie. If you could get the Dreamie to your mouth that is. Our test cakes fell apart under their own weight in the short journey from the plate to our tester's mouth and and were so gooey that they stuck to the top of the taster's mouth like plaster.

Brian ZakBlue Bird Bakeries Bingles

Bingles

Texture: 5Flavor: 4Authenticity: 4 Final score: 14

Would you buy it again? YesCalories per cake: 140Price per cake: $.33

Review: Now this is more like it. Moist and packed with sweet vanilla goodness, Bingles were an immediate hit with our taste tester. Finding the perfect balance between cream and cake, these snack cakes were the closest thing to a Twinkie you're likely to find. The only downside of the Bingle is that, where the Twinkie is light and fluffy, the Bingle is dense and moist. But those qualities aren't exactly a bad thing where you're talking about cream-filled cake.

Brian ZakWeight Watchers Golden Sponge Cake

Weight Watchers

Texture: 0Flavor: 2Authenticity: 2Final score: 4

Would you buy it again? NoCalories per cake: 90Price per cake: $1.00

Review: With its low-calorie count proudly displayed on its box, it'd be natural to conclude that Weight Watchers have created a healthy version of a faux Twinkie. There's only one problem: each Weight Watchers cake is almost half the size of its competition -- a Bingle, for example, weighs 1.4 oz per cake while the Weight Watcher cake weighs .9 oz. So the calories you save are just from a smaller portion size, which is completely besides the point when it comes to a sweet snack time treat like the Twinkie. Given that the calories saved from eating the Weight Watcher cake are largely a myth, and the fact that the product has the texture of raw sugar and a flavor that could only be described as generic vanilla it is easy to see why these cakes tied for the worst score in our test.

Tastykake Krimpets

Tastykake Krimpets

Texture:2Flavor: 2Authenticity: 0Final score: 4

Would you buy it again? NoCalories per cake: 120Price per cake: $.50

Review: Tastykake Krimpets were at a disadvantage from the get-go because at the most fundamental level they are not like Twinkies — instead of a creamy center they are a solid mini-pound cake with frosting on top. That said, when Twinkies ruled the snack cake landscape, Krimpets had a fervent cult following that made them the go-to alternative. Unfortunately, the Krimpets we tried were dry and mealy and there just wasn't enough frosting to make up for the lack of a cream filling.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 15:21:47 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/the_great_fake_twinkies_taste_test_WUutwvIoGPJKT3soimPFWL?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=News http://www.nypost.com/p/news/the_great_fake_twinkies_taste_test_WUutwvIoGPJKT3soimPFWL?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=News 5.11.947206476 -1 false ASSOCIATED PRESS International

GENEVA — International envoy Lakhdar Brahimi expressed little hope for a political solution for Syria anytime soon after meeting Friday with senior Russian and U.S. diplomats trying to bring an end to the civil war, which has claimed tens of thousands of lives.

Brahimi, who is the joint U.N.-Arab League envoy for Syria, spent the day at the United Nations' European headquarters meeting with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns.

"We are very, very deeply aware of the immense suffering of the Syrian people, which has gone on for far too long," Brahimi told reporters. "And we all stressed the need for a speedy end to the bloodshed, to the destruction and all forms of violence in Syria.

But he acknowledged that "if you are asking me whether a solution is around the corner, I'm not sure that is the case."

Brahimi had led them off to lunch after more than an hour of closed discussions, with Bogdanov and Burns talking among themselves as they and their entourages navigated the U.N. corridors. But after meeting for about four hours, the talks ended Friday mid-afternoon without any apparent deal. Bogdanov and Burns left without making any public comment.

Russia has blocked several U.N. resolutions aimed at pressuring Syrian President Bashar Assad, but Moscow says it is not propping up his regime. Recently, top Russian officials have signaled they are resigned to Assad eventually losing power.

But Brahimi defended Moscow's role.

"I'm absolutely certain that the Russians are as preoccupied as I am, as preoccupied as the Americans are, by the bad situation that exists in Syria and its continuing deterioration," he said. "And I am absolutely certain that they would like to contribute to its solution."

Brahimi said the foundation for a political solution continues to be the agreement reached among major powers in Geneva in June, which called for creation of a new governing body for Syria that would "exercise full executive powers" during an unspecified transition period.

"And we agreed that full executive powers means all the powers of state," Brahimi said of Friday's discussions. "I will continue to engage all Syrian parties as well as other stakeholders in the region and internationally."

The conflict began in March 2011 with peaceful protests against Assad's family dynasty, which has ruled the country for four decades, but the intense crackdown on the uprising and armed rebel opposition soon became a civil war.

The U.N. says at least 60,000 people have been killed in the war and millions have fled their homes. So far, all international efforts to end the fighting have failed. Syria has complained that Brahimi exhibited "flagrant bias" after he called for real, not cosmetic, change in Syria and said Assad was resisting the aspirations of his people.

The U.N. refugee agency said Friday that it is concerned about the severe winter conditions faced by about 612,000 Syrian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt, and there has been no letup in the flow of thousands of people a day across the borders.

"Many of those arriving have been barefoot, with their clothing soaked, and covered in mud and snow," agency spokesman Adrian Edwards told reporters in Geneva, referring to new refugee arrivals in Jordan.

Friday's meeting coincided with ground action in Syria during which Islamic militants took full control of a strategic northwestern air base. Activists said the militants seized helicopters, tanks and multiple rocket launchers from the base, which has been the biggest staging area for the government to distribute supplies to its troops and to bomb rebel-held areas in Syria's north.

The seizure was part of the rebels' campaign to topple the Syrian government's air supremacy. The base is near a highway between the capital, Damascus, and the northern city of Aleppo, a major front in the civil war.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 11:58:16 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/international/syria_talks_end_in_geneva_without_4dqrjn0LANNEeWqe7w0RCJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= International http://www.nypost.com/p/news/international/syria_talks_end_in_geneva_without_4dqrjn0LANNEeWqe7w0RCJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= International 5.11.947206104 -1 false Page Six

Quentin Tarantino has had enough with reporters trying to connect the violence in his films to real-life violence.

The quirky auteur blew up during a recent sit-down with Krishnan Guru-Murthy of Britain's Channel 4 when the question came up.

"Why are you so sure that there's no link between enjoying movie violence and enjoying real violence?" Guru-Murthy asked the director, who was in London for the British premiere of "Django Unchained."

Tarantino quickly rebuffed, "Don't ask me a question like that. I'm not biting. I refuse your question."

"I'm not your slave and you're not my master," Tarantino snapped. "You can't make me dance to your tune. I'm not a monkey."

To his credit, Guru-Murthy pressed on, asking over and over why Tarantino wouldn't respond to the question.

"It's none of your damn business what I think about that!" Tarantino exclaimed.

"Well, it's my job to ask you why you think that because…"

Tarantino retorted, "And I'm saying no! And I'm shutting you down."

The issue of violence in movies has come under increased scrutiny since last month's tragedy in Newtown, Conn.

But Tarantino, who's behind shoot-'em-up fare like "Reservoir Dogs," "Pulp Fiction" and the "Kill Bill" films, has repeatedly said he believes there's no connection between violent films and real-life shootings.

In a recent interview on NPR's "Fresh Air" he said it was "disrespectful" to the 20 kids and 6 adults who were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School last month to continue investigating that issue.

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Fri, 11 Jan 2013 11:51:56 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/watch_tarantino_snaps_during_interview_I1AKVCZpjYc8WMPjWsxFdO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/watch_tarantino_snaps_during_interview_I1AKVCZpjYc8WMPjWsxFdO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six 5.11.947205917 -1 false Page Six

Demi Lovato has been staying in a sober living facility for more than a year in her effort to stay on the straight and narrow, Page Six has confirmed.

The former Disney star famously suffered an emotional breakdown in 2010 and checked herself into rehab to cope with bipolar disorder, bulimia and a struggle with cutting. She also admitted to abusing cocaine in the past, claiming that club promoters supplied her with the drug as well as alcohol.

According to reports, after Lovato exited rehab, she initially felt better but later decided she needed more support and especially from people who understood her situation.

Even though the "X Factor" judge has her own home, TMZ reports she's been staying in a "spartan living facility" in Los Angeles where she resides with other recovering addicts and receives guidance from counselors.

Sources told the gossip site that during the entire season of "X Factor" Lovato felt it was necessary to come home to the facility so she wouldn't slip back into her old ways.

It is unclear how long she will stay at the facility.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 11:45:07 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/demi_lovato_living_in_sober_house_eeDgRfzsbHG6dyw6m9T26O?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/demi_lovato_living_in_sober_house_eeDgRfzsbHG6dyw6m9T26O?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six 5.11.947205480 -1 false ASSOCIATED PRESS National

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is drawing an A-list of performers for his inaugural festivities, including a massive ball expected to draw more than 35,000 revelers.

Katy Perry, Smokey Robinson, Usher, Alicia Keys and Brad Paisley are among the stars announced Friday to sing at Obama's inaugural balls Jan. 21 and a children's concert on Jan. 19. Also signed up are Marc Anthony, Stevie Wonder, John Legend and the cast of "Glee."

The concert and the two official inaugural balls are being held at the Washington Convention Center over the Martin Luther King holiday weekend when Obama begins his second term. The performers join Beyonce, Kelly Clarkson and James Taylor, already announced for Obama's signing ceremony Jan. 21 on the West Front of the Capitol.

Other event performers include pop-rap foursome Far East Movement, Grammy-nominated pop-rock trio fun., R&B boy band Mindless Behavior, rapper Nick Cannon and youth gospel choir Soul Children of Chicago. Inaugural organizers aren't saying yet which performances will be at which convention center event.

Robinson told The Associated Press he'll be at The Inaugural Ball with his own band, but he isn't sure yet which songs he'll sing. Robinson said he's always happy to perform when the president asks because he's so proud of the first family.

"I've been in the White House many, many, many times for many presidents and this is the first time for me that it's really felt like when I go to the White House or something like that, it feels like you're going to your family's," Robinson said. "It feels like you're going home because that's how they treat me and that's how they treat my wife."

While Obama has cut the number of inaugural balls lower than any president since Dwight Eisenhower was first sworn into office in 1953, the two celebrations will be elaborate. The larger of the events, simply called The Inaugural Ball, is expected to draw more than 35,000 in a reflection of the quadrennial demand in Washington to toast the president in person on such a historic day.

The Inaugural Ball is being held across all 700,000 square feet of the Washington Convention Center's five exhibit halls, which four years ago held six separate balls.

The second gala is the Commander In Chief's Ball, a tradition started by President George W. Bush to honor the military. Doubling in size from four years ago to about 4,000, it's being held on the third-floor ballroom of the convention hall a mile from the White House. Tickets are free for invitees, including active-duty and reserve troops, Medal of Honor recipients and wounded warriors.

Demand has been high for entry to the two official affairs. Inaugural planners offered a limited number of tickets to The Inaugural Ball for sale at $60, and they sold out quickly Sunday night when Ticketmaster accidentally sent out an email ahead of time announcing they were available. Inaugural organizers are trying to stop a swift scalping business for the tickets, which have been cropping up for sale online.

That's even though city officials are predicting a drop in attendance to 600,000 to 800,000 for the inauguration this year compared with 2009, when a record 1.8 million crowded onto the National Mall to see the first black president sworn into office.

Those who can't get into the convention hall with the Obamas can still carouse into the night at several unofficial balls across Washington, including some drawing their own celebrity entertainment. Charity group Musicians On Call, when sends performers to play bedside for hospitalized patients, is being headlined by chart-topping singer Ke$ha.

Those who work for Obama will get their own chance to celebrate with the president, with a staff ball planned for the day after the inauguration. That celebration is kept private, but last year was reportedly quite a bash, according to one attendee, with rap star Jay-Z singing a riff on one of his hit songs, "99 problems but George Bush ain't one," to the delight of the throngs of young staffers who worked so hard to turn the White House Democratic.

More tickets to The Inaugural Ball will be on sale, but not to the general public. They will go to campaign volunteers, community leaders, elected officials and other invitees, as well as donors being asked to contribute up to $250,000 individually or $1 million from corporations to pay for the festivities. Invitees will be sent an email in the next few days with personalized Ticketmaster account information they can use to purchase up to two tickets.

The Inaugural Ball's halls extend across two floors, so the president and first lady plan to spin on the dance floor of each level. At the Commander In Chief's Ball, the president and first lady plan to continue the tradition of dancing with members of the military.

Inaugural planners said the cut in the number of balls was to reflect tough economic times and minimize the burden on law enforcement, other security personnel and Washington residents. But could it also be an effort to give the president some relief from having to dance to the same song over and over again all across town on an already exhausting day?

President George W. Bush didn't hide his annoyance after his second inaugural at having to repeatedly sashay around to a musical medley that included "I Could Have Danced All Night." Could have, but did not: He and first lady Laura Bush danced for a cumulative total of just 8 minutes, 54 seconds across 10 galas.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 15:20:04 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/top_talent_lined_up_for_obama_inaugural_gX3IxIwQHmIaC9vtjBX70I?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=National http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/top_talent_lined_up_for_obama_inaugural_gX3IxIwQHmIaC9vtjBX70I?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=National 5.11.946664796 -1 false By JESSICA SIMEONE and GEORGETT ROBERTS Manhattan

Michael Hicks Wei Chu Wu is accused of setting the fatal SoHo fire following a fight with his wife.

The madman who allegedly set a deadly blaze at a SoHo apartment building last night after attacking his wife in a domestic dispute — and then fought with a cop and a firefighter trying to save lives in the inferno — was charged with murder and arson today.

Wei Chu Wu, 45, was charged with second-degree murder and first-degree arson. Wu was also rapped for assaulting a cop and resisting arrest.

Wu told investigators that he "was pissed at his wife, thought she was cheating," a law enforcement source told The Post today.

Wu later "showed no remorse for the fire," the source said.

Through a translator, Wu told authorities, "I burned down a building," according to a source.

Wu, 45, allegedly told a roommate, "We're all gonna die," after setting ablaze the kitchen of his apartment on the second floor of 41 Spring St., sources said.

The fire, which expanded to five alarms, took 2 1/2 hours to bring under control, killed one unidentified person, whose badly charred body was found on a third-floor fire escape, cops said.

The body was so badly burned that a gender ID wasn't immediately possible.

A man was seen carrying groceries on the sidewalk and yelling for his wife but it is not known if she was a victim of the fire.

"The fire encompassed all of the floors," said FDNY Chief of Operations James Esposito. "The building is essentially destroyed. It was an extremely intense operation."

Christopher Sadowski More than 200 firefighters battled Thursday's blaze.

Mary Delgado, 23, was leaving her job as a bank teller saw Wu with police after the fire.

She said he was barefoot and looked upset as he was being taken into custody.

Delgado said two men were shouting "he did it, he did it."

More than 200 firefighters battled the blaze, which broke out at about 6:40 p.m. Seven were injured.

The domestic dispute that sparked the fatal inferno began when Wu argued with his wife, Yan He Zheng, the mom of his 13-year-old son. The argument grew heated and he cut the 41-year-old woman on the hand, sources said.

Zheng and the boy then fled the building. A short time later, the roommate confronted Wu, who issued his chilling prediction.

The roommate then saw the kitchen was ablaze and ran, with Wu following.

Christopher Sadowski One person died and seven were injured in the SoHo apartment fire.

After exiting the building, Wu brawled with a cop and a tourist and even a firefighter from California, as would-be rescuers tried to enter.

"We came out of the restaurant and saw two men arguing. We saw flames in the window," said Noemi Gutierrez, whose LA firefighter husband, Vincent, scuffled with Wu. She and her husband were dining at nearby Lombardi's when flames erupted.

"My husband went into the building and came out saying the whole second floor was engulfed in flames," she said.

The 33-year-old cop, Paul Rao, a nine-year veteran officer assigned to the Fifth Precinct, suffered a hand injury and was treated at New York Hospital, police sources said.

Wu was arrested for disorderly conduct and assaulting an officer, police sources said. He was led into the Fifth Precinct in handcuffs late last night, sporting a black eye and appearing dazed.

"I saw the guy with a bloody shirt, a black eye and no shoes. The cops were leading him away in handcuffs. I figured he started the fire," said neighbor William Bray. "My son plays with [Wu's] son in the park. They seem like a normal family."

Residents of the building, whose neighborhood is also referred to as NoLita, were devastated.

"The Fire Department just told me I no longer have an apartment. I lived on the fourth floor and everything I own is gone," said a resident.

Samuel Perez, general manager of the Pinkberry yogurt shop on the ground floor of the building, said the business is imperiled.

"There's smoke and water damage," he said. "We're probably going to have to replace most of the things in the store."

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Additional reporting by C.J. Sullivan, Kathryn Cusma and Daniel Prendergast

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 18:18:43 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/firebug_charged_apartment_murder_U51Ft88jFPoYHpB2cDIYnN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Manhattan http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/firebug_charged_apartment_murder_U51Ft88jFPoYHpB2cDIYnN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Manhattan 5.11.946199543 -1 false MELISSA CRONIN Page Six

Spoiler alert! "Bachelor" fave Kacie Boguskie is still vying for Sean Lowe's roses on TV, but behind the scenes, Page Six can exclusively confirm that she's already moved on to another man: "Bachelorette" alum Ty Brown.

Boguskie, who fans may also remember as the brunette baton-twirler from Ben Flajnik's season, has apparently made the franchise her dating pool, and has been hooking up with Brown for several months, an insider reveals. The couple have had several low-key dates in their shared hometown of Nashville, and even went public at a charity event in Philadelphia on August 27, before Boguskie left to film the show.

They were scheduled to make yet another appearance together at an event last Monday at Nashville's Cabana Restaurant for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee, but Brown had been travelling and his flight home to Nashville was delayed due to inclement weather, an insider tells Page Six. (Or perhaps they thought it might be unwise for Boguskie to show up to a "Bachelor" viewing party with another man.)

But she won't have to hide her romance for long: Spoiler king Reality Steve claims Lowe will eliminate her in the third episode.

Also at the event was "Bachelorette" alum Charlie Grogan, from Emily Maynard's season, who debuted his own new girlfriend: Liz Davis of "The Voice." The blonde, who made a memorable debut on this past season of the show singing "Here for the Party," excitedly tweeted about attending the event – which raised more than $1,700 for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee.

"It's early days and under the radar, but all of his friends are saying that he really likes her," a down-south insider tells Page Six exclusively. And while she might not end up with his final rose, the source says, "They're having fun for now."

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 12:57:00 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/bachelor_contestant_already_dating_whadRhdfFHp4qNePvd7VIJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/bachelor_contestant_already_dating_whadRhdfFHp4qNePvd7VIJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six 5.11.946199223 -1 false By ANTHONY SULLA-HEFFINGER TV

Robert Miller

Mick Foley will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame this April, The Post has learned.

According to sources, Foley, a three-time WWE Champion, will be honored at the company's annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony which is held the night before Wrestlemania.

This year's ceremony will be held at Madison Square Garden on Saturday April 6 with Wrestlemania 29 taking place at MetLife Stadium the following evening.

The Long Island resident debuted in 1986 and while not having the typical wrestler physique that other superstars of his era had, was a crowd favorite. Foley often switched between his three wrestling personas, Cactus Jack, Dude Love and Mankind during his career and is most famous for his no-holds-barred mentality in and out of the ring.

Some of his most memorable moments came during the WWE's "Attitude Era" where he won the WWE Championship three times, the Hardcore Championship once and the Tag Team title eight times. Foley's partnership with The Rock produced three of those tag team titles and the duo became a hit among fans by creating the "Rock and Sock Connection."

Foley's most memorable moment came at the King of the Ring in 1998 when he wrestled The Undertaker in a Hell in a Cell match. During the bout Foley was tossed from the top of the cage and crashed through the Spanish announce table in one of the most-jarring moments of any match. Foley has admitted that he was knocked unconscious during the match where he was also chokeslammed through the cage.

Foley lost the match but it is regarded as one of his best and was named the Match of the Year for 1998 by Pro Wrestling Illustrated.

The WWE will announce the rest of the Hall of Fame inductees leading up to the ceremony. Tickets for the Hall of Fame Induction at MSG go on sale Saturday Jan. 12.

asulla-heffinger@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 12:35:01 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/tv/mick_foley_to_be_inducted_into_wwe_M30U31alOUWaxmsjYsFVVO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= TV http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/tv/mick_foley_to_be_inducted_into_wwe_M30U31alOUWaxmsjYsFVVO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= TV 5.11.945118489 -1 false Page Six

Lady Gaga is a "desperate" "publicity-seeking hypocrite" and "bully," according to Sharon Osbourne. The Osbourne family matriarch released a scathing open letter to the Born This Way singer on her facebook page Thursday night, after Gaga dared to criticize Osbourne's daughter Kelly in an open letter of her own.

Gaga had kicked things off earlier on Thursday when she posted a letter to Kelly on her website littlemonsters.com, criticizing the star for her work on "Fashion Police." "Your show breeds negativity and over the years has even become comedic in nature," she said in the 478-word rant. "It glorifies you and Joan Rivers pointing in the camera, laughing and making jokes about artists and celebrities as if we are zoo animals." Insisting she had "empathy" for the star for choosing "a less compassionate path," Gaga urged her "to take responsibility and accountability."

(Gaga had previously been one of Kelly's targets herself, when the star insisted she was looking pregnant back in September.)

Mom Sharon, however, was quick to come to her daughter's defense. "I am perplexed as to why you would go public with an open letter," she began, calling it "hypocritical and full of contradictions."

"When I see you wearing fur and using it as a fashion statement," Sharon wrote, "the fact that defenseless animals have been killed so you can get your picture in the press is abhorrent to me."

"By your actions to Kelly right now, you have shown me you are nothing more than a publicity seeking hypocrite and attention seeker," she continued. "…Are you so desperate that you need to make this public?"

Sharon also revealed that Gaga's letter was a response to an email she had recently sent Gaga's rep, Vince Hebert, asking him to have Gaga work to end her fan's criticism of Kelly. She cited one tweet where a Gaga fan called her "an ugly whore" who "deserves to be hit by a car and die of AIDS."

While Sharon said she welcomed a response from Gaga, calling herself "an open playing field," Gaga reacted more quietly, deleting her Twitter link to the original piece.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 11:45:07 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/sharon_osbourne_lady_gaga_is_desperate_0zwkJrMguivCcZy0T44jwO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/sharon_osbourne_lady_gaga_is_desperate_0zwkJrMguivCcZy0T44jwO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six 5.11.945117873 -1 false Page Six

The sky is blue, grass is green, and Lindsay Lohan causes trouble on movie sets – at least that's the obvious takeaway from an article that chronicled the madness during filming of "The Canyons."

Most of the revelations are already Lohan lore: She shows up late (or not at all); she parties and she can rack up a pricey bill.

PHOTOS: LINDSAY LOHAN

Still, the article makes pretty bold claims, including how she was fired and rehired by "The Canyons" director Paul Schrader and that she drank during her four-way sex scene with three porn stars and then got behind the wheel of a car afterward.

When reached for comment, Lohan told Page Six the article in The New York Times Magazine was "Bull[bleep]."

Interestingly, the starlet admitted to TMZ that while most of the stories in the piece are true (she was late, she was argumentative), the drunk driving incident is false. She's not that stupid and irresponsible, she told TMZ.

The actress also told the Web site she is not mad about the article and still has a good relationship with everyone she worked with during filming.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 10:52:46 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/lilo_canyons_article_is_bull_bleep_ai0JKjTXjklQu6uBYpjSJN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/lilo_canyons_article_is_bull_bleep_ai0JKjTXjklQu6uBYpjSJN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six 5.11.944594082 -1 false ASSOCIATED PRESS Business

Wells Fargo, the country's biggest mortgage lender, reported record earnings for the fourth quarter on Friday, beating analysts' expectations for both profit and revenue. The bank made more loans, gained deposits and enjoyed above-average returns from the investments made by its private equity business.

In a call with analysts, bank officials also sounded a positive note on their crucial mortgage unit. The housing market, said CEO John Stumpf, began "a steady rebound" in 2012. "There is no doubt," he added, "that a corner was turned."

But investors found the results underwhelming and sent Wells Fargo's stock lower. Although the bank is still funding more mortgages than at any time in 2011, investors were disappointed that the numbers had slipped compared to the previous quarter. Wells Fargo's stock was down 50 cents at $34.90 in midday trading.

As the first major bank to report earnings, San Francisco-based Wells Fargo sets the tone for the rest of the industry. And as the biggest mortgage lender by far — it makes about 30 percent of U.S. mortgage loans, according to the trade publication Inside Mortgage Finance — it's a bellwether for the overall housing market.

Wells Fargo said it funded $125 billion in mortgages in the fourth quarter, up from $120 billion in the same period a year ago. However, that was down from the record $139 billion it did in the third quarter. Mortgage applications were down over both the year and the quarter.

"The absolute levels of each of these data points remains relatively healthy," Stifel Nicolaus analyst Christopher Mutascio wrote in a note to clients, "but they are showing indications that the refinance boom is losing steam."

Seventy-two percent of the fourth-quarter mortgage applications came from customers who wanted to refinance their current mortgages, rather than buy new homes. Refinancing requests have made up at least 70 percent of the bank's mortgage applications in five of the last six quarters.

That's because the Federal Reserve is keeping interest rates extremely low, a move that it hopes will boost the economy by encouraging individuals and businesses to borrow money and spend. Mortgage rates continue to creep lower. The average interest rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage in December, the close of the fourth quarter, was 3.35 percent, according to Freddie Mac. In September, the close of the third quarter, it was 3.47 percent.

It's difficult to predict how long the low interest rates will last, which makes it difficult to predict how long refinancing can power mortgage results.

"Could it last a couple more quarters? Sure, it could," chief financial officer Tim Sloan said in a call with analysts. "Could it last through the end of the year? Your guess is as good as mine, but there is a lot of opportunity out there."

Wells Fargo's dominance in mortgages has helped it emerge from the financial crisis with a reputation as one of the strongest banks in the country.

But the strategy also makes Wells Fargo a target for lawmakers, regulators and customers who blame risky mortgage lending for the 2008 global financial crisis. The latest example came Monday, when Wells Fargo and nine other banks agreed to spend a combined $8.5 billion to settle the government's charges that they had wrongfully foreclosed on some homeowners. Wells Fargo said it would pay $766 million and set aside an extra $1.2 billion for "foreclosure prevention actions," such as modifying mortgages for struggling homeowners.

No one knows what other regulatory fines could be waiting for the banking industry. For some analysts, that makes the industry's future earnings a wild card.

When Jefferies analyst Ken Usdin asked on a conference call how much more the bank might have to spend on buying back soured mortgages from investors, CFO Sloan replied: "The biggest mistake anybody in this industry can make is predict when that is going to end."

When Deutsche Bank analyst Matt O'Connor asked if there were "other skeletons in the closet" in the mortgage unit, CEO Stumpf said he couldn't predict what might come up. But, he added: "I can tell you I am pleased that we are this far through the process and we have gotten a lot of big things behind us."

In an interview, Sloan acknowledged that legal and regulatory fees are unpredictable. He pointed to the bank's record earnings as proof that it could handle them.

"What we need to do is say, 'Look, we understand there are headwinds, some of them are legal and regulatory, how do we deal with them, how do we grow despite those?'" Sloan told The Associated Press. "Other institutions may not be able to address those as well as we can."

For the quarter, revenue rose 7 percent, to $21.9 billion, beating the $21.3 billion expected by analysts polled by FactSet. Wells Fargo increased its business in credit cards, wealth management and other units, and charged more in fees.

The bank earned $4.9 billion after paying dividends on preferred stock, up 25 percent from $3.9 billion a year ago. That amounted to 91 cents per share, more than the 87 cents per share analysts were expecting, and up from 73 cents last year. Revenue and earnings were also up for the full year.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 15:14:05 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/wells_fargo_reports_percent_increase_U5VzUgq2LufFVRF429MOyK?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Business http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/wells_fargo_reports_percent_increase_U5VzUgq2LufFVRF429MOyK?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Business 5.11.943405066 -1 false ASSOCIATED PRESS National

LAS VEGAS — Win or lose Saturday, Miss America contestant Allyn Rose will have conveyed a message about breast cancer prevention using her primary tool as a beauty queen: her body.

The 24-year-old Miss DC plans to undergo a double mastectomy after she struts in a bikini and flaunts her roller skating talent. She is removing both breasts as a preventative measure to reduce her chances of developing the disease that killed her mother, grandmother and great aunt.

"My mom would have given up every part of her body to be here for me, to watch me in the pageant," she said between dress rehearsals and preliminary competitions at Planet Hollywood on the Las Vegas Strip Wednesday. "If there's something that I can do to be proactive, it might hurt my body, it might hurt my physical beauty, but I'm going to be alive."

If crowned, the University of Maryland, College Park politics major could become the first Miss America not endowed with the Barbie silhouette associated with beauty queens.

Rose said it was her father who first broached the subject, during her freshman year of college, two years after the death of her mother

"I said, 'Dad I'm not going to do that. I like the body I have.' He got serious and said, 'Well then you're going to end up dead like your mom.' "

She has pondered that conversation for the past three years, during which she has worked as a model and won several pageants, including Miss Maryland USA, Miss Sinergy and the Miss District of Columbia competition, which put her in the running for Saturday's bonanza.

With her angular face, pale blonde hair and watchful blue eyes, Rose is unusually reserved. She acknowledged that she comes off as more of an ice-queen than a girl next door

"You have to block out everything and I think sometimes that makes me appear a little cold," she said. "But it's because I had to be my own mentor, I had to be my own best friend."

She measures her age by the time of her mother, Judy Rose's, first diagnosis, at age 27.

"Right now, I'm three years away," she said.

Judy had one breast removed in her 20s, but waited until she was 47 to remove the other one, which Rose's father had called a ticking time bomb.

"That's when they found she had a stage three tumor in her breast," Rose said. "And that's why for me, I'm not going to wait."

She plans to have reconstructive surgery, but said the procedure has complications and there is no guarantee that she will regain her pageant-approved bust.

Preventive surgery is a "very reasonable" choice for someone with Rose's family history and a genetic predisposition, said Patricia Greenberg, Director of Cancer Prevention at the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center in Los Angeles.

"I've seen young women have it done, and they have great peace of mind," she said, adding that the alternative is repeated mammograms and physical exams, which detect but do not prevent cancer from developing.

The number of women opting for preventive mastectomies increased 10-fold between 1998 and 2007, as genetic testing and reconstructive surgery options improved, according to a 2010 study published last year in Annals of Surgical Oncology.

Art McMaster, CEO of the Miss America Organization, called Rose an "incredible example" of strength and courage.

The Newburg, Md. native said she has received letters from supporters all over the country, including from fellow "previvors" who say they have been inspired to undergo their own preventive surgeries. The Wynn sports book gives her 25 to 1 odds of winning the Miss America crown, making her a moderate favorite.

But her decision is drawing criticism as well as praise in the staged-managed world of pageants, where contestants regularly go under the knife for a very different reason.

She also receives hate mail from beauty circuit die-hards who write to insist that she continue filling out her bikini.

"You have people who say, 'Don't have the surgery. This is mutilating your body. You don't have cancer.' They want to pick apart every little thing," she said. Some have even accused her of faking the make herself a more media-friendly candidate.

This kind of pre-emptive surgery has divided the medical community as well. For someone in her early 20s to have the procedure is "very unusual," said Todd Tuttle, chief of surgical oncology at the University of Minnesota.

Sandra Swain, medical director of Washington Cancer Institute in Washington, DC, fears that women who have lost family members to breast cancer could take Rose's example too literally.

"We're seen a rise in prophylactic mastectomies and a lot of it is not for a medical reason; it is because of fear and anxiety," she said.

Rose does not carry the "breast cancer genes" BRCA1 and BRCA2, but she did inherit a rare genetic mutation which might predispose her to the disease.

Her brother, who works for an oncology association, said he sees the irony in a beauty queen choosing to give up her breasts but supports his sister's choice.

"For me what trumps everything is her living, hopefully to a ripe old age, as opposed to any ancillary things that she might lose from potentially winning Miss America," said Dane Rose, 31.

Rose initially said that if she won the crown, she would postpone her surgery until after her year as a title-holder. But while shopping for earrings to match her black velvet pageant gown Wednesday, she said she was now considering having the surgery during her reign as a way of inscribing her platform of breast cancer prevention on her body.

"I've been thinking how powerful that might be to have a Miss America say, 'I might be Miss America but I'm still going to have surgery. I'm going to take control of my own life, my own health care,' " she said. "So I guess it's up to what happens on Saturday night."

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 15:20:04 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/miss_america_contestant_pursuing_mOXX7CNNr6uIoqVmgFfOcP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=National http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/miss_america_contestant_pursuing_mOXX7CNNr6uIoqVmgFfOcP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=National 5.11.943404966 -1 false Page Six

The first official portrait of the Duchess of Cambridge has been unveiled by Britain's National Portrait Gallery and opinions are divided on the painting.

The portrait shows the Duchess in a somber background with a serious but smiling expression. There are shadows and creases under her eyes and her normally shiny brunette tresses look slightly dull.

Kate and her hubby Prince William spent some 10 minutes viewing the portrait this morning in London before it went on display for the public in the afternoon, the Telegraph reports. Wills called it "just beautiful." Kate said it's "absolutely brilliant."

But not everyone loves it. Robin Simon, editor of the British Art Journal and a Daily Mail art critic, said "Fortunately, the Duchess of Cambridge looks nothing like this in real life. I'm really sad to say this is a rotten portrait."

Many Twitter users have also been harsh with their reactions. "That new portrait of Kate Middleton is awful — they've aged her 20 years!" one commenter wrote. (Kate just celebrated her 31st)

The painting was done by Paul Emsley, the 2007 winner of the Gallery's BP Portrait Award competition.

"The Duchess explained that she would like to be portrayed naturally — her natural self — as opposed to her official self," Emsley said in a statement.

He added, "She struck me as enormously open and generous and a very warm person. After initially feeling it was going to be an unsmiling portrait, I think it was the right choice in the end to have her smiling -- that is really who she is."

According to reports, Kate took part in an initial meeting to talk through the process of the painting. This was followed by two sittings, in May and June 2012, at the artist's studio in the West Country, England and Kensington Palace.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 15:13:24 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/duchess_of_cambridge_first_portrait_EP6MbUIkBbWVd0bv6JiMyN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/duchess_of_cambridge_first_portrait_EP6MbUIkBbWVd0bv6JiMyN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Page Six 5.11.943404286 -1 false By JESSICA SIMEONE Queens

A knife-wielding hothead stabbed his older brother to death in Far Rockaway this morning after a fight over food, witnesses and authorities said.

Jose Romero, 27, and his 23-year-old brother got in a heated argument yesterday on Beach 17th Street near the boardwalk around 2 a.m., police said.

The two had spent all day yesterday drinking at a funeral, sources said.

The spat quickly turned violent and the knifeman turned the blade on his brother, stabbing him several times, cops said.

The victim's girlfriend called 911 but EMS workers were unable to save the man, cops said.

The perpetrator was taken into police custody and charges against him are still pending, police said.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 09:39:13 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/queens/queens_an_stabs_older_brother_to_s38ADoTC9HKEkzyrkkmIHL?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Queens http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/queens/queens_an_stabs_older_brother_to_s38ADoTC9HKEkzyrkkmIHL?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Queens 5.11.941700995 -1 false ASSOCIATED PRESS Local

ALBANY — Greek yogurt served at the president's inauguration will be from upstate New York.

Sen. Charles Schumer says that Fage and Chobani brand Greek yogurts will be served to guests before the Presidential Inaugural Luncheon. Fage is made in Fulton County west of Albany and Chobani is made in Chenango County southeast of Syracuse.

Schumer says the yogurt will be available throughout the Capitol in the hours leading up to the ceremony on Jan. 21.

Vanilla and plain yogurt will be served with strawberries, pineapples, pears and granola toppings.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 08:39:06 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/greek_yogurt_from_upstate_ny_to_4vXx5hYLSILCDI51AS1AgP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/greek_yogurt_from_upstate_ny_to_4vXx5hYLSILCDI51AS1AgP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Local 5.11.939375397 -1 false ASSOCIATED PRESS Local

One of northern New Jersey's primary routes into New York City will be closed to inbound traffic for two years while it undergoes a major overhaul, New Jersey transportation officials announced Thursday.

Some work has already begun on the Pulaski Skyway, the hulking, 80-year-old elevated roadway that runs from Newark to Jersey City and carries thousands of vehicles daily to the Holland Tunnel and into New York.

The replacement of the roadway deck will begin in late 2013, but the closure of inbound lanes will begin in early 2014, state Department of Transportation officials said Thursday. The work is expected to take about two years. During that time, two outbound lanes will be open.

The DOT estimated that closing the inbound lanes during the deck replacement phase, rather than restricting work to nights and weekends, will save four years of construction time and more than $200 million in costs. The project is expected to cost about $1 billion.

The lane closures are expected to have a heavy impact on nearby roads such as Routes 1 & 9, the Newark Bay-Hudson County Extension (I-78) and Route 7. Transportation officials said they will hold a series of meetings and have forms on their website for public input on commuting alternatives.

"We are announcing these construction plans a full year before the serious impacts will be felt because we welcome and value input from commuters, emergency service providers, local officials, residents and business owners," DOT Commissioner James Simpson said in a statement. "The comments and suggestions we receive will help us focus on travel routes, travel modes and other options that will best serve the public and help mitigate the anticipated significant traffic impacts associated with this essential and necessary work."

AP Vehicles commute on the Pulaski Skyway. Transportation officials say the major northern New Jersey roadway will be shut down beginning February 2014 for a two-year renovation.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 08:34:52 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/highway_headache_pulaski_skyway_i4NF0P1erdFYEEPvJgKY1K?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/highway_headache_pulaski_skyway_i4NF0P1erdFYEEPvJgKY1K?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Local 5.11.939206122 -1 false ASSOCIATED PRESS Local

A group of low-income New Yorkers affected by Sandy have filed a lawsuit against the city.

They accuse the Bloomberg administration of denying them access to food-stamp benefits designed to assist disaster survivors.

The city Human Resources Administration administers the program. In December, it said residents in 10 ZIP Codes and parts of two others would be eligible for the program. The zone was much smaller than the 82 ZIP Codes the city designated for a similar program in November.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the lawsuit claims the city "limited the program to those included within some arbitrary line on the map." It says "tens if not hundreds of thousands" of people have been excluded from the benefit.

The HRA said the city will contest the suit.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 08:32:39 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/food_income_sandy_survivors_suing_EPikbpjIqikkpXyzqtt90I?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/food_income_sandy_survivors_suing_EPikbpjIqikkpXyzqtt90I?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Local 5.11.939205806 -1 false By PHIL HELSEL Local

An off-duty Suffolk County cop was killed early today when he crashed into a garbage truck that backed out of a parking lot and into oncoming traffic on Long Island, police said.

Officer Patrick Curley, 40, a 17-year veteran of the department, was pronounced dead on the scene after his SUV collided with the Winters Brothers rig as it backed out of a business on Route 25 in Commack at 3:33 a.m., police said.

The garbage truck, a huge front-end loader driven by 59-year-old James Jarosch, had room to pull a U-turn and exit the Arirang House Korean restaurant front-first, but instead backed out into the roadway where he may not have been able to see oncoming cars, Suffolk County Detective Lieutenant James Rooney said.

"[Front-first] would have been the safe way to do it," Rooney said.

Jarosch was issued summonses for unsafe backing and an equipment violation, which are traffic violations. He was not injured in the crash.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 16:11:17 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/dead_in_garbage_truck_car_crash_ScLfjJX3xMwHfSFpqeS8rL?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/dead_in_garbage_truck_car_crash_ScLfjJX3xMwHfSFpqeS8rL?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Local 5.11.938850632 -1 false ASSOCIATED PRESS Local

HARTFORD, Conn. — Connecticut's chief medical examiner says he doubts toxicological tests and genetic analysis of the body of the gunman who fatally shot 20 children and six educators at an elementary school will explain his actions.

The Hearst Connecticut Media Group reported Friday that Dr. H. Wayne Carver II, who autopsied the body of the gunman Adam Lanza, said an examination of Lanza's brain showed nothing unusual.

"It's a fishing expedition," he said. "I don't think we'll find answers. But that doesn't mean you don't look."

Carver said Lanza's brain showed no tumor or gross deformity, though he didn't expect to find a gross deformity.

"That would be associated with very severe disabilities," he said.

People who suffer from such deformities usually require a "custodial" setting, Carver said.

The toxicology exam, which could take several weeks, involves testing body fluids for psychiatric medications or illegal substances. Carver said the result could provide "potentially valuable information" in creating a full picture of Lanza.

Lanza fatally shot himself after the Dec. 14 shooting spree.

Lanza's body was claimed by his father on Dec. 27 and the public may never know what happened with the remains.

While still in the possession of the medical examiner, Lanza's body may have been the subject of interest beyond medical reasons. An employee was accused of showing the body to her husband, who is not a state employee, just days after the shooting.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 10:21:52 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/newtown_shooting_motive_unlikely_CaqDQ2LfnTvjJcl0ywdgiO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/newtown_shooting_motive_unlikely_CaqDQ2LfnTvjJcl0ywdgiO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Local 5.11.938850290 -1 false ASSOCIATED PRESS National

WASHINGTON — Looking for broader remedies to gun violence, Vice President Joe Biden is reaching out to the video game industry for ideas as the White House seeks to assemble proposals in response to last month's massacre at a Connecticut elementary school.

Biden is scheduled to meet with video game representatives Friday as the White House explores cultural factors that may contribute to violent behavior.

The vice president, who is leading a task force that will present recommendations to President Barack Obama on Tuesday, met with other representatives from the entertainment industry, including Comcast Corp. and the Motion Picture Association of America, on Thursday.

Friday's meeting comes a day after the National Rifle Association rejected Obama administration proposals to limit high-capacity ammunition magazines and dug in on its opposition to an assault weapons ban, which Obama has previously said he will propose to Congress. The NRA was one of the pro-gun rights groups that met with Biden during the day.

NRA president David Keene, asked Friday if the NRA has enough support in Congress to fend off legislation to ban sales of assault weapons, indicated it does. "I do not think that there's going to be a ban on so-called assault weapons passed by the Congress," he said on NBC's "Today."

In previewing the meeting with the video game industry, Biden recalled how the late Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan of New York lamented during crime bill negotiations in the 1980s that the country was "defining deviancy down."

It's unclear what, if anything, the administration is prepared to recommend on how to address the depiction of violence in the media.

White House press secretary Jay Carney last month suggested that not all measures require government intervention.

"It is certainly the case that we in Washington have the potential, anyway, to help elevate issues that are of concern, elevate issues that contribute to the scourge of gun violence in this country, and that has been the case in the past, and it certainly could be in the future," Carney said then.

In a statement, a half dozen entertainment groups, including the Motion Picture Association of America, said they "look forward to doing our part to seek meaningful solutions."

On gun control, however, the Obama administration is assembling proposals to curb gun violence that would include a ban on sales of assault weapons, limits on high-capacity ammunition magazines and universal background checks for gun buyers.

"The vice president made it clear, made it explicitly clear, that the president had already made up his mind on those issues," Keene said after the meeting. "We made it clear that we disagree with them."

Opposition from the well-funded and politically powerful NRA underscores the challenges that await the White House if it seeks congressional approval for limiting guns and ammunition. Obama can use his executive powers to act alone on some gun measures, but his options on the proposals opposed by the NRA are limited without Congress' cooperation.

Obama has pushed reducing gun violence to the top of his domestic agenda following last month's mass shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn., where a gunman slaughtered 20 children and six adults before killing himself. The president put Biden in charge of an administration task force and set a late January deadline for proposals.

"I committed to him I'd have these recommendations to him by Tuesday," Biden said Thursday, during a separate White House meeting with sportsmen and wildlife groups. "It doesn't mean it's the end of the discussion, but the public wants us to act."

The vice president later met privately with the NRA and other gun-owner groups for more than 90 minutes. Participants in the meeting described it as an open and frank discussion, but one that yielded little movement from either side on long-held positions.

Keane told NBC there is a fundamental disagreement over what would actually make a difference in curbing gun violence.

Richard Feldman, the president of the Independent Firearm Owners Association, said all were in agreement on a need to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill. But when the conversation turned to broad restrictions on high-capacity magazines and assault weapons, Feldman said Biden suggested the president had already made up his mind to seek a ban.

"Is there wiggle room and give?" Feldman said. "I don't know."

White House officials said the vice president didn't expect to win over the NRA and other gun groups on those key issues. But the administration was hoping to soften their opposition in order to rally support from pro-gun lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

Biden's proposals are also expected to include recommendations to address mental health care and violence on television, in movies and video games. Those issues have wide support from gun-rights groups and pro-gun lawmakers.

As the meetings took place in Washington, a student was shot and wounded at a rural California high school and another student was taken into custody.

During his meeting with sporting and wildlife groups, Biden said that while no recommendations would eliminate all future shootings, "there has got to be some common ground, to not solve every problem but diminish the probability that our children are at risk in their schools and diminish the probability that firearms will be used in violent behavior in our society."

Several Cabinet members have also taken on an active role in Biden's gun violence task force, including Attorney General Eric Holder. He met Thursday with Wal-Mart, the nation's largest firearms seller, along with other retailers such as Bass Pro Shops and Dick's Sporting Goods.

The president hopes to announce his administration's next steps to tackle gun violence shortly after he is sworn in for a second term. He has pledged to push for new measures in his State of the Union address.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 08:18:39 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/biden_seeks_video_game_industry_MtNT14Qj5HwjNksSVIigLJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= National http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/biden_seeks_video_game_industry_MtNT14Qj5HwjNksSVIigLJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= National 5.11.938187144 -1 false More Sports

Wesley Matthews hit a 3-pointer to put Portland in front with 26.9 seconds left and the Trail Blazers hung on to beat the Heat 92-90 last night in Portland for their fourth straight win and ninth straight at the Rose Garden.

The Blazers held LeBron James to 15 points, snapping his 54-game streak with at least 20 points that dated back to last season.

Chris Bosh had 29 points for the Eastern Conference-leading Heat, who dropped their second straight game. Miami has lost five of eight.

Mavericks 117, Kings 112 (OT)

In Sacramento, O.J. Mayo had 24 points and 10 rebounds, Vince Carter scored 23 points off the bench and the Mavericks rallied from 17 points down to beat the Kings in overtime.

DeMarcus Cousins had 29 points before getting ejected in overtime for elbowing Carter in the face.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 03:52:53 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/blazers_shut_down_lebron_hot_streak_OQEwa0pxpOy0hofSAJckbO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/blazers_shut_down_lebron_hot_streak_OQEwa0pxpOy0hofSAJckbO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports 5.11.924079549 -1 false By LOU LUMENICK National

Talk about your emancipation proclamations!

It's now extremely difficult to imagine a scenario where Steven Spielberg's historical drama "Lincoln'' — which led the field with 12 Oscar nominations yesterday — doesn't go home with Best Picture on Feb. 24.

That's because in one of the biggest shockers of recent years, the academy's directors branch yesterday KO'd what were widely considered the Spielberg film's strongest competitors by denying them crucial nominations.

Only three films in 83 years have won Best Picture without a Best Director nomination, none since the 1990 film "Driving Miss Daisy."

"Argo,'' "Les Misérables'' and "Zero Dark Thirty,'' along with the more problematic "Django Unchained," failed to receive Best Director nods — voted on strictly by the directors branch — to go with their Best Picture nominations, bestowed by the academy's entire membership (which votes on virtually all awards on the final ballot).

It was a huge surprise because on Tuesday, all of the above films, except "Django Unchained,'' received nods from the Directors Guild of America Awards, long considered the most accurate predictor of the Oscars.

While there's some overlap between the two groups, the DGA voters also include directors and assistant directors who work exclusively in TV.

The directing Oscar snubs for Ben Affleck ("Argo'') and recent winners Kathryn Bigelow ("Zero Dark Thirty'') and Tom Hooper ("Les Misérables'') were still close to inexplicable, especially in the first two cases.

"Zero Dark Thirty'' has generated controversy because of its depiction of using torture to interrogate suspected terrorists, while Hooper's use of extreme close-ups and live performances in musical numbers has polarized audiences.

Instead, the Oscar nods for Best Director went to helmers responsible for the other Best Picture nominees: Austrian Michael Haneke, for the French-language end-of-life drama "Amour,'' the biggest surprise of the bunch; Benh Zeitlin, for the no-budget bayou fantasy "Beasts of the Southern Wild,'' a somewhat milder surprise; Ang Lee, for the mystical adventure "Life of Pi''; and David O. Russell, for the quirky comedy "Silver Linings Playbook.''

It's the latter two titles that have the slightest prayer of pulling off an upset, since they share with "Lincoln'' nominations for Best Film Editing — and no film has won Best Picture without a nod in that category since 1980's "Ordinary People."

"Playbook'' has struggled to find box-office success commensurate with its glowing reviews and popular stars Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence. Both received lead-acting nominations yesterday, along with supporting nods for Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver, as well as for "Playbook" director Russell's adapted screenplay.

Another surprise yesterday was a Best Actor nomination for Joaquin Phoenix — who has expressed disdain for the Oscars in interviews — for his alcoholic sailor in "The Master.''

At the same time, the actors branch snubbed John Hawkes, widely considered a shoo-in for his performance as a polio-stricken poet trying to lose his virginity in "The Sessions.''

The prohibitive favorite for Best Actor remains Daniel Day-Lewis of "Lincoln,'' whose only possible obstacle might be a reluctance by Oscar voters to make him the first-ever three-time winner of this coveted prize.

That's not a problem with his director, Spielberg, who's positioned to cop Oscar No. 3 — following in the footsteps of three-time winners Frank Capra and William Wyler. (John Ford holds the record, with four.)

The oddest category is Best Actress, where the oldest-ever nominee, Emmanuelle Riva, 85, as a dying woman in "Amour,'' will be competing with the youngest-ever nominee, 9-year-old Quvenzhané Wallis, the wild child of "Beasts of the Southern Wild."

The real showdown in this category, however, is between Jessica Chastain of "Zero Dark Thirty'' and Lawrence.

The latter holds an edge, thanks to her film's strong showing yesterday — and because Lawrence's flamboyant performance as a randy widow fits the Oscar pattern more closely than Chastain's more restrained work as a CIA analyst tracking down Osama bin Laden.

lou.lumenick@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 11:05:23 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/twelve_score_for_can_lose_lincoln_wlWkePU6WEy7OVMsRumLnJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=National http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/twelve_score_for_can_lose_lincoln_wlWkePU6WEy7OVMsRumLnJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=National 5.11.924871733 lou_lumenick.png true By LARRY CELONA, JAMIE SCHRAM and KIRSTAN CONLEY Local

Michael Hicks Wei Chu Wu is accused of setting the fatal SoHo fire following a fight with his wife.

A madman set a deadly blaze at a SoHo apartment building last night after attacking his wife in a domestic dispute — and then fought with a cop and a firefighter trying to save lives in the inferno, police sources said.

Wei Chu Wu, 45, allegedly told a roommate, "We're all gonna die," after setting ablaze the kitchen of his apartment on the second floor of 41 Spring St., sources said.

The fire, which expanded to five alarms, took 2 1/2 hours to bring under control, killed one unidentified person, whose badly charred body was found on a third-floor fire escape, cops said.

The body was so badly burned that a gender ID wasn't immediately possible.

A man was seen carrying groceries on the sidewalk and yelling for his wife but it is not known if she was a victim of the fire.

"The fire encompassed all of the floors," said FDNY Chief of Operations James Esposito. "The building is essentially destroyed. It was an extremely intense operation."

Mary Delgado, 23, was leaving her job as a bank teller saw Wu with police after the fire.

She said he was barefoot and looked upset as he was being taken into custody.

Delgado said two men were shouting "he did it, he did it."

More than 200 firefighters battled the blaze, which broke out at about 6:40 p.m. Seven were injured.

Christopher Sadowski More than 200 firefighters battled Thursday's blaze.

The domestic dispute that sparked the fatal inferno began when Wu argued with his wife, Yan He Zheng, the mom of his 13-year-old son. The argument grew heated and he cut the 41-year-old woman on the hand, sources said.

Zheng and the boy then fled the building. A short time later, the roommate confronted Wu, who issued his chilling prediction.

The roommate then saw the kitchen was ablaze and ran, with Wu following.

After exiting the building, Wu brawled with a cop and a tourist and even a firefighter from California, as would-be rescuers tried to enter.

"We came out of the restaurant and saw two men arguing. We saw flames in the window," said Noemi Gutierrez, whose LA firefighter husband, Vincent, scuffled with Wu. She and her husband were dining at nearby Lombardi's when flames erupted.

"My husband went into the building and came out saying the whole second floor was engulfed in flames," she said.

Christopher Sadowski One person died and seven were injured in the SoHo apartment fire.

The 33-year-old cop, Paul Rao, a nine-year veteran officer assigned to the Fifth Precinct, suffered a hand injury and was treated at New York Hospital, police sources said.

Wu was arrested for disorderly conduct and assaulting an officer, police sources said. He was led into the Fifth Precinct in handcuffs late last night, sporting a black eye and appearing dazed.

"I saw the guy with a bloody shirt, a black eye and no shoes. The cops were leading him away in handcuffs. I figured he started the fire," said neighbor William Bray. "My son plays with [Wu's] son in the park. They seem like a normal family."

Residents of the building, whose neighborhood is also referred to as NoLita, were devastated.

"The Fire Department just told me I no longer have an apartment. I lived on the fourth floor and everything I own is gone," said a resident.

Samuel Perez, general manager of the Pinkberry yogurt shop on the ground floor of the building, said the business is imperiled.

"There's smoke and water damage," he said. "We're probably going to have to replace most of the things in the store."

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Additional reporting by C.J. Sullivan, Kathryn Cusma and Daniel Prendergast

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 11:06:33 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/soho_firetrap_2A89CIWxAnUT3q5fwZZlIM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/soho_firetrap_2A89CIWxAnUT3q5fwZZlIM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.924079908 -1 false By JULIA MARSH Local

He's a soon-to-be millionaire — and he wants Medicaid benefits.

Manuel Alberto Martinez Fernandez, 53, will inherit a portion of a $10 million payout that the Libyan government awarded him for his father's death in a terrorist attack in Israel in 1972.

Fernandez, who lives in Midtown, is ineligible for health insurance because he suffers from "depressive disorder," his Manhattan Supreme Court filing states.

So he wants the court to put his inheritance in a trust in order to make him eligible for government-funded health care. Otherwise, he fears, the funds would be "substantially dissipated" if he has to pay out of pocket.

His father, Manuel Enrique Martinez Rivera, of Puerto Rico, was killed in a shooting at Tel Aviv's Lod Airport.

So far, Fernandez has $400,000 of his inheritance in an escrow account, according to the lawsuit. The US State Department handles the distribution of the settlement.

Fernandez did not answer calls to his apartment.

A spokesperson for the city's Human Resources Administration, which oversees Medicaid benefits, declined to comment on Fernandez's case, but said that inheritance only determines eligibility if it generates income.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 16:21:18 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/medicaid_rich_irony_wR8IiY3vATw2VHIfB8pSuK?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/medicaid_rich_irony_wR8IiY3vATw2VHIfB8pSuK?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.924079694 -1 false By BRUCE GOLDING Manhattan

She'll drink to that!

A judge has nixed a class-action suit over the ingredients in lovelorn ex-"Real Housewife" Bethenny Frankel's "Skinnygirl" pre-mixed Margaritas.

Plaintiff Christopher Rapcynski claimed he and countless others got ripped off because the drink contains low-grade tequila and not the Blue Agave on the label.

But Manhattan federal Judge Paul Oetken said that since Rapcynski admitted he'd have bought the booze "whatever the price"— because his wife liked it — the case would focus solely on the "particularities" of his purchase.

His lawyer said they were eyeing "all our options."

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 05:38:45 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/housewife_booze_suit_ko_EZ7co0FG7IfMRNVHdxBhxJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Manhattan http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/housewife_booze_suit_ko_EZ7co0FG7IfMRNVHdxBhxJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Manhattan 5.11.924079623 -1 false AP International

MOSCOW — The Russian government says a child-adoption deal with the United States will remain valid up until Jan. 1, 2014, despite a new law it imposed that bans the practice.

The Russian move came in response to a new American law targeting Russians deemed to be violating human rights.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 02:34:55 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/international/adopt_reprieve_Kus42XngKLgYEedqcUDgQJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=International http://www.nypost.com/p/news/international/adopt_reprieve_Kus42XngKLgYEedqcUDgQJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=International 5.11.924079609 -1 false More Sports

MLB: Upton's no-trade clause nixes deal to M's

Justin Upton used the no-trade clause in his contract to reject a proposed deal that would have sent the Diamondbacks outfielder to the Mariners, sources said. Upton's contract allows him to block deals to four teams -- Seattle, Toronto, Boston and the Cubs.

Left-hander Chris Narveson and the Brewers agreed to an $840,000, one-year contract. Milwaukee also OK'd a deal with 36-year-old right-hander Kelvim Escobar, who last pitched in the majors in 2009 with the Angels. ... Infielder Luis Valbuena agreed to a $930,000, one-year contract with the Cubs.

HOOPS: High-scoring hotshot done for season

Jack Taylor, the Grinnell College (Iowa) hotshot who set the NCAA scoring record with 138 points in a game in November, is out for the season after breaking his wrist Wednesday night during a 119-117 win over Cornell (Iowa). Taylor likely will have surgery within a week and be out 2-3 months, costing the sensational sophomore the rest of the season. He was averaging 36.3 points for the Division III Pioneers (9-3).

TENNIS: Aussie Open draw favors Serena

Serena Williams and defending champion Victoria Azarenka are in the same half of the draw at next week's Australian Open, meaning they could meet in the semifinals. Top-ranked Azarenka has lost 11 of her 12 matches against Williams, the No. 3 seed who increased her career haul to 15 Grand Slam titles last year by winning at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.

No. 2-ranked Maria Sharapova is on the other half of the draw and could meet Venus Williams in the third round. Novak Djokovic's bid for a third consecutive Australia Open title got a boost when Roger Federer and U.S. Open champ Andy Murray in the other half of the draw.

Top-seeded David Ferrer beat Gael Monfils 6-1, 6-2 today to reach the final of the Heineken Open in Auckland, New Zealand. Ferrer will meet Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber in tomorrow's final. ... Juan Martin del Potro beat Marcos Baghdatis 6-4, 6-1 to set up a final against Lleyton Hewitt at the Kooyong Classic in Sydney, Australia

FOOTBALL: Sandusky bids for new trial

Jerry Sandusky emerged from prison to attend a hearing in Bellefonte, Pa., at which his lawyers argued he deserves a new trial on child molestation charges because they didn't have enough time to prepare for the first one.

Mario Cristobal is returning to Miami as the Hurricanes' associate head coach. He was fired by Florida International last month after six seasons.

DeAndre Hopkins, Clemson's record-setting receiver, is heading to the NFL and skipping his final season of college. Also turning pro is Joseph Randle, Oklahoma State's All-Big 12 running back.

SOCCER: KC lands MLS All-Star Game

MLS commissioner Don Garber announced that Kansas City, Kan., will play host to the league's All-Star Game on July 31 game between MLS All-Stars and an international club still to be determined.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 03:51:58 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/sports_shorts_wdi8qTzBoCr6FV1xCqdOsO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/sports_shorts_wdi8qTzBoCr6FV1xCqdOsO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports 5.11.924079563 -1 false & - doubleheader More Sports

TODAYJan. 11SATJan. 12SUNJan. 13MONJan. 14TUEJan. 15WEDJan. 16THUJan. 17KnicksChicago8:00MSG , ESPNESPN 98.7 FMNO GAMEN.O.NoonMSGESPNNO GAMENO GAMENOGAME*Det. 3:00MSGESPNNetsPhoenix7:30YES NetworkWFAN 660 AM/ 101.9 FMNO GAMEInd.6:00YESWBBRNO GAMETor.7:30YESWFANAtl.7:30YESWFANNO GAMESt. John'sNOGAMEG'Town11:00ESPN2WBBRNO GAMENO GAMEND7:00ESPN2WBBRNO GAMENO GAME

HOMEAWAY

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 02:32:17 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/home_team_lineups_mICidA8vyCJdJDig5phiMO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= More Sports http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/home_team_lineups_mICidA8vyCJdJDig5phiMO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= More Sports 5.11.924079535 -1 false By BRIAN COSTELLO Jets

"Salary cap hell."

That is how one league source described the Jets' current salary cap situation. That may be an overstatement, but it is going to be one of the new general manager's immediate challenges.

ESPN reported yesterday the Jets are $19.4 million over the projected 2013 salary cap, the most in the NFL, and the perception of the situation may be scaring GM candidates away.

League sources said at least two people have turned down the chance to even interview with the Jets because the salary cap situation scared them away. As much as has been made of the new GM being forced to keep Rex Ryan as head coach, the team's salary cap health appears to be the bigger challenge.

Former Browns GM Tom Heckert canceled his interview because of concerns over the cap, according to a source. The Jets have also seen Dave Caldwell (Jaguars) and Tom Telesco (Chargers) pick other teams over them.

The Jets had three interviews yesterday with Dolphins assistant GM Brian Gaine, Steelers director of football and business administration Omar Khan and former Bears GM Jerry Angelo, according to sources. All have experience dealing with the cap.

Today, the Jets will have three more interviews with Seahawks vice president of football administration John Idzik and two candidates whose names are not known, but are both former GMs in the league, according to a source.

The Jets' cap situation is not as bad as it appears on the surface, though. They carried $3.4 million over from 2012, ESPN reported.

The Jets can easily maneuver their way under the cap by releasing linebacker Bart Scott, linebacker Calvin Pace, tackle Jason Smith and safety Eric Smith next month. That would save them $30.7 million. You can add another $1.5 million if they release quarterback Tim Tebow, as expected. Those moves would put them $12.8 million under the cap.

The problem for the Jets is that leaves them with only 10 players who were starters this year under contract — QB Mark Sanchez, C Nick Mangold, T D'Brickashaw Ferguson, WR Santonio Holmes, WR Stephen Hill, NT Sione Po'uha, DE Muhammad Wilkerson, LB David Harris, CB Antonio Cromartie and CB Darrelle Revis. They will probably tender tackle Austin Howard, who is a restricted free agent, to bring the number to 11.

Then, the Jets would have to hope some of their unproven draft picks from the last few years can step into starting roles. Backups such as RB Bilal Powell, DL Quinton Coples and G Vlad Ducasse may become starters in 2013. The Jets also may hope either Antonio Allen or Josh Bush can grab one of the safety spots.

brian.costello@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 09:56:35 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/jets_cap_number_scares_off_gms_s53xzVOSy7F60IEiLpHQ6O?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Jets http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/jets_cap_number_scares_off_gms_s53xzVOSy7F60IEiLpHQ6O?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Jets 5.11.923448204 -1 false By BILL SANDERSON Local

A ferocious flu "epidemic" has New Yorkers rushing to doctors, hospitals and drug stores — with emergency-room visits up 150 percent over last year, city health officials said yesterday.

"It's a bad year. We've got lots of flu," said city Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley, who noted influenza-related cases spiked from 2 percent of all emergency-room visits for the peak of last year's flu season to 5 percent this year.

This year's strain is a nasty one, Type A-H3N2, similar to a bug that stung the city hard in 2004. Type A-H3N2 "tends to be a little more severe," said Farley, who cautioned, "We're having our flu epidemic now, and it's a bad year. So we're seeing plenty of cases of flu and plenty of people sick with flu."

City health officials' observations are in line with national trends reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nationwide, about 6 percent of all emergency-room visits are flu-related.

The nastiness of the outbreak is confirmed by Google, which tracks national flu trends according to the number of times people ask about the flu. Based on that criteria, Google rates the current outbreak as "intense."

Gov. Cuomo underscored the problem by getting his flu shot during a press conference yesterday. Afterward, state Health Commissioner Nirav Shah gave him a lollipop.

Dr. Farley's advice: Get a flu shot if you haven't already. And if you're feeling woozy or sneezy or otherwise a bit off, stay home and rest.

Only the most severely sick people should seek flu treatment in hospital emergency rooms, Farley said. "For the most part, you're going to get well on your own, so just stay at home or go to your regular doctor," he added.

Flu can be deadly for young children, the elderly or people who already suffer from severe illness. This year's outbreak hasn't hit historical highs, but doctors and druggists say it's worse than recent outbreaks.

"It's been pretty much nonstop," said Eli Kim, who owns Raysol Pharmacy on Lexington Avenue at East 116th Street.

Kim said there's a severe shortage of the liquid form of Tamiflu, a prescription influenza medicine often given to children who can't swallow the capsule form of the drug. "The liquid form of it is just completely out of stock. Nobody has it," he said.

NyQuil, DayQuil, Sudafed and other popular over-the-counter remedies ease symptoms and may even shorten the time you're sick by a day or two, but time and rest are the only real cures.

"For the average person who doesn't have other medical problems . . . staying home and treating the symptoms is going to do the trick," said Dr. Jay Varma, the city Health Department's deputy commissioner for disease control.

Additional reporting by Erin Calabrese

bsanderson@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 08:12:54 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/city_flu_anguish_UtbvdBDeD51IsvdqsP1uOO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/city_flu_anguish_UtbvdBDeD51IsvdqsP1uOO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.923448086 -1 false By YOAV GONEN Local

Teachers who got bad-performance ratings in the past school year were likelier to be teaching in high-poverty schools or in schools with high percentages of black, Hispanic or low-achieving students, a new analysis found.

The StudentsFirstNY report on the roughly 3 percent of teachers who were rated "unsatisfactory" — known as a "U-rating" — for the 2011-12 school year found that they were distributed unequally throughout the system.

The top 10 percent of schools — 77 of the 1,509 in the study — had nearly 19 percent of teachers rated unsatisfactory. On the other hand, nearly half of principals didn't issue a single U-rating.

The analysis concluded that students in high-poverty schools were at least three times more likely to be taught by a U-rated teacher than were students in low-poverty schools.

"A concentration of ineffective teachers serving specific student populations is an injustice," said StudentsFirstNY executive director Micah Lasher. The group advocates for increased teacher quality and school choice.

United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew and a number of education advocates said the main solution was greater support of teachers in challenging schools.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 02:13:19 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/poor_hoods_have_lousy_teachers_Ydkk9sCWYBytoklOd4h9HJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/poor_hoods_have_lousy_teachers_Ydkk9sCWYBytoklOd4h9HJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.923447557 -1 false By YOAV GONEN Local

A Brooklyn school aide tried to bust a move on a female student using the age-old ruse of stardom — by asking if she'd help him launch a career making porno flicks, city investigators said.

Former Juan Morel Campos Secondary School worker Michael Alberti asked the teen via Facebook to be his porn-industry agent — and to start her career by making a triple-X movie with him, according to a report.

It said the 31-year-old aide even suggested the girl tell her boyfriend — a mutual acquaintance — she had to see "how good her client was" before representing him, the Special Commissioner of Investigation found.

Alberti wrote to her a week later to say he "made a nudie movie last night lol," the report found.

Alberti, who could not be reached for comment, apologetically told investigators he had been joking around.

He was fired in September, according to the DOE.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 02:12:18 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/porn_ploy_by_school_fool_Ef206up1g5MAQ3IFmlvWBI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/porn_ploy_by_school_fool_Ef206up1g5MAQ3IFmlvWBI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Local 5.11.923447543 -1 false By DAVID SEIFMAN City Hall Bureau Chief Local

Abuse of painkillers has reached such shocking proportions that emergency rooms in the city's municipal hospitals are going to restrict patients to a three-day supply of the addictive pills, officials announced yesterday.

Lost, destroyed or stolen prescriptions won't be refilled by the ERs.

"This is a problem across the country all of a sudden," Mayor Bloomberg said at Elmhurst Hospital in Queens. "It's really on a lot of people's minds."

Dr. Thomas Farley, the city health commissioner, said 2 million prescriptions for opioid painkillers are written here each year, a startling number in a population of 8 million.

"Make no mistake," Farley said. "These are dangerous drugs. It's best to think of them as heroin in pill form."

He said three-quarters of abusers obtain pills from unthinking relatives and friends, who frequently get more than they need when visiting a doctor or hospital.

Municipal emergency rooms had been dispensing seven-day supplies.

Dr. Lewis Nelson of the non-municipal NYU Medical Center, a member of a painkiller task force appointed by the mayor last year, said that's excessive.

"Most acute pain — from an ankle injury to a headache, whatever you'd like to pick — lasts two to three days," he noted.

The task force reported that the number of painkiller-related emergency-room visits shot up 143 percent between 2004 and 2010. Related deaths reached 173 in 2010.

Staten Island District Attorney Dan Donovan, also a member of the task force, said one person dies of a painkiller overdose every 13 days in his borough.

Bloomberg openly worried about the violence associated with those desperate to get their hands on prescription drugs.

Four people were killed — including the pharmacist — when a gunman who stole thousands of pain pills opened fire in a Medford, LI drugstore in June 2011.

The new guidelines are voluntary and doctors still have the discretion to prescribe whatever they feel is necessary in individual cases.

The city doesn't have the power to impose restrictions on non-municipal hospitals.

But at least one facility said it already has a three-day supply policy in place and officials said they hoped other hospitals would follow the city's lead.

Doctors are sometimes faced with hard choices when patients turn up in ERs pleading for painkillers for ailments when it's not obvious that they're needed, such as a toothache.

"It's very hard to determine whether they're seeking drugs for their addiction or drugs for pain," said Dr. Nelson.

david.seifman@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 03:42:59 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/mike_cracks_down_on_painkiller_pills_4hWeqDu0ZGMb1dpqsDfyuN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/mike_cracks_down_on_painkiller_pills_4hWeqDu0ZGMb1dpqsDfyuN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Local 5.11.922829692 -1 false By DAVID SEIFMAN and ERIK KRISS Local

It wasn't just a roll of the dice that led Gov. Cuomo to propose the state's first three casinos be located upstate and not in New York City.

Cuomo said yesterday that if casino operators had a chance to open in the city, they would write off the upstate market.

"If there was going to be one in the city, then that would be the option that most operators would want to bid on," Cuomo said.

"What we're trying to do is to take that off the table to begin with. And then the interest goes to upstate."

Mayor Bloomberg, who has never been a fan of government-sponsored gaming, didn't seem to have a problem with that.

"The governor is trying to do something for upstate in terms of encouraging people to go upstate and [boost] economic activity where it is sorely needed," he said.

"I'm a citizen of New York State and have an obligation to support the governor and trying to help all parts of the state."

Bloomberg said he wasn't sure casinos were "appropriate" for the city in any case.

That's a 180-degree flip from his position last summer, when the mayor demanded: "If you're going to have it, I think you should have it in the city. And I think we should have it every place. Why should the people of Staten Island not have a casino?"

If state lawmakers approve casino gambling, it in New York State would be placed on the November ballot for voter approval.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 04:38:16 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/upstate_casinos_losing_bet_if_city_ei3bUYlNpCED7ix9jiOZoL?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/upstate_casinos_losing_bet_if_city_ei3bUYlNpCED7ix9jiOZoL?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.922829414 -1 false By CARL CAMPANILE National

When Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton leaves her post as the nation's top diplomat this year, she will step into a new role: presidential front-runner.

Clinton is the leading contender to win the presidency in 2016 should she decide to run, but New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is the one Republican with a shot at defeating her, according to a new poll.

Clinton leads Christie 44-42 percent, the Public Policy Polling survey found.

Clinton, 65, who was recently hospitalized with a blood clot near her brain, trounces all other GOP contenders.

In early hypothetical match-ups, she leads Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, 53-39, and both Jeb Bush and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, 51-37.

Clinton is also favored to win the Democratic Party nomination, with 57 percent of primary voters in her corner. Only Vice President Joe Biden also hits double digits, at 16 percent.

Gov. Cuomo, who delivered a State of the State speech Wednesday that touted liberal proposals, received just 4 percent.

Cuomo does better if Clinton and Biden decide not to run in an open race, getting the backing of 19 percent of Democrats, compared with 16 percent for Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren. No one else breaks 10 percent, and 40 percent of Democratic primary voters are undecided.

More than half of primary voters said they know of Cuomo.

The poll found a Clinton-Christie contest would be "the most epic possible."

But the cantankerous Christie would have a tough time winning the GOP primary to face off against Clinton.

"The independent streak that makes Christie such a strong potential general-election candidate also hurts him with GOP primary voters," the PPP analysis said.

Rubio leads the GOP field, with 21 percent to 16 percent for Ryan, 15 percent for Mike Huckabee, 14 percent for Christie and Bush and 5 percent for Sen. Rand Paul.

Christie polls at 32 percent among moderate Republicans as their top choice, but only 4 percent among voters who describe themselves as "very conservative."

"That further right wing of the party has become more and more powerful in party primaries over the last few years, and it would be hard for Christie to win the GOP nomination without getting more support there," the analysis said.

Clinton returned to work this week after her nearly month-long absence after first coming down with a stomach virus and then suffering a concussion after fainting in her home.

The most traveled secretary of state in US history, Clinton will step down from the post after her likely replacement, Sen. John Kerry, is confirmed by the Senate.

Yesterday, she met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai at her State Department office, followed by a working dinner.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 05:29:15 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/hillary_vs_chris_an_epic_prez_race_yUFyBayXIFEmrbS6OaVqAL?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=National http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/hillary_vs_chris_an_epic_prez_race_yUFyBayXIFEmrbS6OaVqAL?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=National 5.11.922829384 -1 false Local Fri, 11 Jan 2013 01:59:33 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/python_flying_circus_quSNdLDYhJkZp3DQJbCPuJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/python_flying_circus_quSNdLDYhJkZp3DQJbCPuJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.922829001 -1 false Local Fri, 11 Jan 2013 01:55:14 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/and_the_nominees_are_MX6PFYyxOA4yX6mGeGxt0M?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/and_the_nominees_are_MX6PFYyxOA4yX6mGeGxt0M?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.922303332 -1 false By BRIAN LEWIS Nets

Nets interim coach P.J. Carlesimo hasn't altered much from former coach Avery Johnson's system, the one star point guard Deron Williams ripped right before Johnson was fired. But the Nets have clearly responded to Carlesimo — none more than Williams himself.

"He's been great for us so far, and I think all the guys responded well to him. I think all the guys like him. He's done a great job coaching us,'' said Williams, who is averaging 20 points per game and 8.8 assists during the Nets' four-game winning streak heading into tonight's game against the Suns at Barclays Center. "We lost a head coach, but then we gained another one. He's coached a lot of teams in this league as a head coach. Like I said, he's doing a great job.''

Williams had taken shots at Johnson's system, and the latter was fired soon after. Other than having Williams run a few more pick-and-rolls with Brook Lopez, Carlesimo hasn't changed much. But the Nets are 6-1 under him and averaging 102.9 points per game, after going 14-14 under Johnson and averaging 94.5.

"They just have different styles, different coaches, different ways they like to do things,'' Williams said. "Our system hasn't changed much, our defensive principles haven't really changed much. It's just how we practice and how we prepare is just a different style.

"P.J. and Avery have different personalities. ... [Carlesimo] gets after it. He's yelling all practice, all game. But I think guys respect it because he's a straight shooter. ... He's pretty hilarious. When he's yelling, it's still funny. [But] he does a great job of balancing it. It's not like he's just screaming all the time. He's doing a good job of teaching us as well.''

For his part, Carlesimo insists he has changed as little as possible, for continuity's sake.

"I think you kind of get a trickle down as you go forward. You make little tweaks here or there,'' Carlesimo said. "The system is a very good system that Avery put in, that some of these guys have been running for a couple of years.

"One of the strengths of San Antonio for years and the teams that were really good for a long time, the rosters didn't change that much. We had the same 10 or 11 of the 14 or 15 coming back every year. [Spurs coach Gregg Popovich] had an expression, he called 'corporate knowledge.' We're just developing corporate knowledge. ... I'm a big fan of that same continuity. I like less changes and more continuity.''

* After missing the last two games, Jerry Stackhouse practiced and Carlesimo said he expects him to be available tonight unless he's sore. The Nets had listed his absence for personal reasons, but Stackhouse said it was just a hamstring injury and he's "doing a lot better."

"I'll see how I feel [today]. I had a real light practice and I felt really good,'' Stackhouse said. "I was having a little issue with my hamstring since the Milwaukee game. I was trying to play around with it, and took a few days off trying to get it right. But hopefully I'll see how shootaround feels [today] and how I recovered, and go from there.''

Mirza Teletovic didn't practice (illness), and is questionable for tonight.

brian.lewis@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 09:56:35 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/nets/deron_buying_into_style_SG0zuQz24mXyhJDCVKHUcN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Nets http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/nets/deron_buying_into_style_SG0zuQz24mXyhJDCVKHUcN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Nets 5.11.922302871 -1 false More Sports

Post sports columnist Mike Vaccaro has been named New York's 2012 sportswriter of the year by the National Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association, sharing the award with Ian O'Connor of the website ESPN New York.

It is the first NSSA award for Vaccaro, 46, who was raised in West Hempstead and joined The Post in 2002. He is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University.

"I'm humbled by this recognition, but the real reward is working with the writers and editors who make The Post the most fun newspaper a guy could ever write for," Vaccaro said.

Bruce Beck of Channel 4 and Gary Cohen of SNY shared New York sportscaster of the year honors. It is the sixth NSSA award for Beck and the first for Cohen.

The four, along with sportswriters and sportscasters from across the country, will be will be honored as part of the organization's Awards Weekend, June 8-10 in Salisbury, N.C.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 14:16:10 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/post_vac_top_sportswriter_Y9CxMOUcMaFZb7hto1mcuL?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/post_vac_top_sportswriter_Y9CxMOUcMaFZb7hto1mcuL?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports 5.11.922302710 -1 false By DAN MARTIN Mets

Sandy Alderson isn't making any promises about making any significant additions before Opening Day, but he also didn't give a ringing endorsement of Frank Francisco as the Mets' closer this season.

When asked yesterday if he was confident in Francisco going forward finishing games, the Mets general manager paused before answering.

"Confident? I'm willing," Alderson said. "There's still a lot out there and we're looking."

Several experienced — if fading — closers remain on the market. Jose Valverde and Francisco Rodriguez are included in that group, and Alderson chose not to comment on either.

His trepidation regarding Francisco is understandable, considering how poorly the 33-year-old performed last season after signing a two-year, $12 million deal. He had a 5.53 ERA and his season ended prematurely because of elbow inflammation.

Francisco underwent surgery to remove a bone spur in his right elbow last month and is expected to be healthy for the upcoming season.

Of course, with the way the team looks right now, there might not be many opportunities for any closer to pick up a lot of saves.

But Alderson and the rest of the organization have made it clear this offseason has been more about positioning itself for the future beyond the 2013 season.

"We want to go to spring training with the best possible roster," he said. "If that includes signing a major league free agent, so be it. So far, we've been unwilling to overpay for what's available."

After signing David Wright to an extension and sending R.A. Dickey to Toronto for a package of younger players, Alderson has been looking for help in the outfield and in the rotation, as well as the bullpen.

"We still have money to spend," Alderson said. "We just haven't seen anything that we need that's at the right value for us."

Alderson also said the team isn't waiting on Scott Hairston before it makes other moves.

"There's not one player whose time line is dictating what we do," Alderson said. "We're just monitoring the market. Things have a tendency to change as time goes on."

The Mets have little choice but to hope he's right.

dan.martin@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 09:56:35 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/mets/alderson_francisco_the_closer_for_6KyWEP3VGb8azCnWqAS9DK?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Mets http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/mets/alderson_francisco_the_closer_for_6KyWEP3VGb8azCnWqAS9DK?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Mets 5.11.922302478 -1 false Basketball

E.j. Singler scored 14 points and host Oregon overcame a slow start to beat No. 4 Arizona 70-66 last night, handing the Wildcats their first loss of the season.

Dominic Artis, Carlos Emory and Tony Woods had 10 points apiece for the Ducks (13-2, 2-0 Pac-12), who have won 17 straight home games, including all 11 this season.

Mark Lyons scored 21 and Solomon Hill added 16 points to lead the Wildcats (14-1, 2-1), who entered as one of three undefeated teams (Duke and Michigan are the others) in the country.

Iona 86, Marist 82

In Poughkeepsie, Lamont Jones scored 26 points, Sean Armand added 19 more and Iona (10-6, 4-1) pulled out a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference victory over Marist (4-12, 1-4).

Jones, who entered fourth in the NCAA with 22.7 points per contest, was 10-of-17 shooting with three 3-pointers, six assists and five rebounds.

Rider 69, Manhattan 60

In Riverdale, Daniel Stewart scored 22 points and grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds to lead Rider (8-9, 3-2 MAAC).

Shane Richards scored 18 points to lead the Jaspers (4-11, 2-3), making 6 of 13 shots from 3-point range.

St. Francis 70, Mt. St. Mary's 56

In Brooklyn, Ben Mockford scored 19 points as the Terriers (6-8, 2-1 NEC) dominated the second half and beat Mount St. Mary's (6-8, 1-2).

Mockford was 6-of-9 shooting, including 5 of 6 from 3-point range.

Robert Morris 88, FDU 54

Coron Williams scored a season-high 27 points as visiting Robert Morris (9-7, 1-2 NEC) overwhelmed Fairleigh Dickinson (6-9, 1-2).

Michigan St. 62, Iowa 59

Branden Dawson scored a career-high 17 points, including a late steal and tiebreaking dunk that helped No. 22 Michigan State (13-3, 2-1 Big Ten) hold off the host Hawkeyes (11-5, 0-3).

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 03:51:17 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/college/basketball/ducks_hit_zona_with_first_defeat_ishmOVQIHwrSuMFA9gLowJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Basketball http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/college/basketball/ducks_hit_zona_with_first_defeat_ishmOVQIHwrSuMFA9gLowJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Basketball 5.11.922302450 -1 false By KIRSTAN CONLEY NYPD Blotter

Brooklyn

***

A woman foiled an armed robbery in Park Slope by asking a bank teller to call 911, sources said.

Tyshawn Warren and Kevin White allegedly approached the 29-year-old victim at around 3:30 p.m., Monday near the corner of Smith and Warren streets, asking if she was married.

The woman tried to ignore them and walk away, but one of the men allegedly grabbed her, and the other put a weapon to her back, threatening to shoot if she didn't withdraw $500 from a nearby Chase Bank branch.

"If you try anything, I will shoot the whole bank," Warren allegedly snarled.

The woman walked inside and pleaded with a teller to dial 911, sources said.

Cops responded and used the victim's description to cuff the two men, who allegedly were found in possession of marijuana, cocaine and a loaded .380 semiautomatic gun.

Both men were charged with criminal possession of a weapon, attempted robbery, menacing, attempted petit larceny and harassment.

Warren was also charged with possession of a controlled substance, while White was charged with pot possession.

***

A school safety agent has been charged with patronizing a prostitute in East New York, police said.

Ronald Kingwood, 37, was arrested near the corner of Pitkin and Georgia avenues at 7:45 p.m., Wednesday, cops said.

He has been suspended from the NYPD without pay, according to police.

Kingwood was hired to keep order in Coney Island schools in 2005, sources said.

As a safety agent, he was not issued a gun, the sources added.

Queens

***

Three teens robbed a straphanger in Far Rockaway, and then shoved a second person to the ground when he tried to intervene, police said.

The suspects allegedly grabbed a 24-year-old woman's cellphone on a Manhattan Brooklyn-bound A-train, then tried to flee, at around 9:15 p.m. on Dec. 18.

A 20-year-old man tried to stop the duo, but was thrown to the floor by the fleeing suspects, who are believed to be between 16 and 18 years old, police.

They are both described as being between 5-foot-8 and 5-foot-10.

Staten Island

***

A man was busted on charges of cocaine and marijuana possession after cops, executing a search warrant in Mariners Harbor, allegedly found more than dozen plastic bags in his butt.

Jerome Role, 23, was cuffed at around 8:25 p.m., Tuesday, after cops found drugs inside a home on Richmond Terrace and several more bags stashed where the sun doesn't shine, according to court papers.

He was charged with nine counts of possessing a controlled substance and one count of pot possession, court records say.

Role also racked up a charge of obstructing governmental administration, when, according to police, he refused to go downstairs inside the 120 Precinct station house, kicking his legs and trying to prevent cops from putting him in a cell.

***

A man trying to get a woman's attention got plenty from police because of his kooky ploy, sources said.

Elliot Brathwaite, 22, didn't want to be ignored by a female friend who refused to return his calls, so he called her mother at 5:45 a.m., Sunday, pretending to be a Staten Island cop, and claimed in a voicemail that the young woman was wanted for a crime, court papers say.

"Call me and we can work something out," he allegedly stated in the recorded message.

The target of Brathwaite's affections recognized the caller's voice and reported the incident to police, records show.

Brathwaite allegedly confessed to calling the woman's mother and sister "because when I called their daughter directly, she never answered."

"After I called her mom and sister saying something ridiculous, her daughter would without a doubt call me shortly after," he allegedly confessed.

Brathwaite was charged with criminal impersonation, and now has a date — with a judge.

***

A 3-year-old found wandering the streets of Port Richmond was scooped up by city workers and safely returned to her parents, authorities said.

The little girl was walking in her PJs near the intersection of Port Richmond and Orange avenues at around 10 a.m. yesterday, when a witness flagged down sanitation workers, officials said.

The workers, Richard Nichilo and Doug Berinelli, wrapped the child in a jacket and put her in their truck, called 911 and knocked on doors in the neighborhood to find the girl's home, officials said.

They eventually found the child's parents, who had been looking for her and who went to the hospital to meet her, police said.

"The little girl was healthy," Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said.

"There was no injury or damage to the girl."

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 03:03:03 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/nypd_blotter/nypd_daily_blotter_Wg03rMZaEpZ2iBprqSbBmJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=NYPD Blotter http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/nypd_blotter/nypd_daily_blotter_Wg03rMZaEpZ2iBprqSbBmJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=NYPD Blotter 5.11.921663417 -1 false By MARK SCOLFORO AP National

BELLEFONTE, Pa. — Jerry Sandusky's lawyers argued yesterday that he deserves a new trial because his defense lacked sufficient time to prepare for the first one. Prosecutors countered by showing most of the documents cited were not relevant to trial.

Judge John Cleland did not immediately rule after an hour-and-a-half hearing.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 01:35:32 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/sandusky_appeal_g5WffRtoNqMin2ZALxRLvO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=National http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/sandusky_appeal_g5WffRtoNqMin2ZALxRLvO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=National 5.11.921663173 -1 false By CHUCK BENNETT National

Now that's some interagency cooperation.

At least one of the dozen randy Secret Service agents caught carousing with Colombian hookers during President Obama's trip to Cartagena last April got help arranging a sleazy liaison from Drug Enforcement Agency officers, according to an NBC report.

The unnamed Secret Service agent was partying with a DEA officer stationed in Cartagena when a second DEA officer helped "facilitate" and then pay for his massage and sex romp, a Justice Department probe found.

Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, the ranking Republican on the Senate Homeland Security Committee, called the findings "deeply troubling." The DEA said it is reviewing the report.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 04:34:52 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/men_on_sleaze_team_oDhBk8N0vlX5z2nyVvOtNO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=National http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/men_on_sleaze_team_oDhBk8N0vlX5z2nyVvOtNO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=National 5.11.921663159 -1 false By KIERAN CROWLEY Local

Relatives of a Nassau County district-attorney employee were found dead in their Long Island home yesterday, authorities said.

A 73-year-old North Lynbrook woman was discovered dead in her bed — apparently of natural causes — and her husband, 70, shot himself shortly after, authorities said.

The pair had been married for more than 20 years, and were related to a staffer for Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice, officials said.

A teary-eyed Rice spoke to investigators at the scene yesterday, a witness said.

The names of the deceased were not immediately released.

Cops were called after a home health-care aide, unable to get in, called a relative with a key who went in and realized "something was wrong," a law-enforcement source said.

The medical examiner will perform autopsies on the deceased.

The woman was wheelchair-bound and relied on a ramp to get outside of her home, cops said.

Neighbors said she was rarely seen outside.

"It's horrible,'' said Diane Macchia. "I knew his wife was very sick. It's so sad.''

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 01:34:32 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/da_weeps_at_tragedy_uKN2EGjouGZ9kIysS5h1pN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/da_weeps_at_tragedy_uKN2EGjouGZ9kIysS5h1pN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.921663145 -1 false By LARRY CELONA, JAMIE SCHRAMAND AARON FEIS Local

A toddler and his father were shot in a Brooklyn park yesterday by a gunman who believed he was avenging an attack on his brother, sources and witnesses said.

"You're the one who shot my brother!" he yelled before opening fire at around 2 p.m. in Herbert Von King Park in Bedford-Stuyvesant, according to a witness, an EMT who was off-duty.

Quadire Simon, 2, was grazed in the arm, while his father, Lorenzo Simon, 38, was hit in the right side of his torso and hand. Both were rushed to Kings County Hospital and were expected to survive.

Cops were questioning a 19-year-old man suspected in the shooting and were looking for a second suspect, sources said.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 01:33:24 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/tot_and_dad_shot_in_park_KExd4QYwqsGUBL6VssE2aM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/tot_and_dad_shot_in_park_KExd4QYwqsGUBL6VssE2aM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.921663131 -1 false By JAMIE SCHRAM, JESSICA SIMEONE and LAURA ITALIANO Local

The Nazi-loving junkie busted along with his Dalton-grad baby mama for allegedly having bombmaking explosive powder and shotguns in their Greenwich Village apartment told pals he planned to blow up the Washington Square Arch, police said yesterday.

In sinister test runs, Aaron Greene, 31 — the privileged son of a millionaire architectural restorer — would walk around Washington Square Park sprinkling explosive powder on the sidewalk, friends told NYPD investigators.

Greene would then set off mini-explosions by hitting the powder with a rock.

"I think you should always take a statement like that seriously," Police Commissioner Ray Kelly told reporters yesterday about Greene's alleged threats against the treasured marble arch, erected in 1892.

"Particularly when in that person's apartment there were manuals that talked about explosives and demolition," the commissioner said, a reference to terrorist literature allegedly found in the posh West Ninth Street home Greene shared with Morgan Gliedman, 27. "There also was 'The Terrorists Encyclopedia.' "

Other titles included, "FM 5-25 Explosives and Demolition," "FM 5-31 Booby Traps," "Improvised and Modified Firearms: Deadly Homemade Weapons," and "The Do It Yourself Submachine Gun," police have said.

"There were two shotguns," Kelly added. "There were high-capacity magazines. I think that gives us pause for thought as to whether or not we should pay attention to the statement about whether or not someone is going to blow up anything.

"He also had a quantity of HTMD in his possession, so yeah, we take that statement seriously," Kelly said of the seven grams of high-grade hexamethylene triperoxide diamine explosive powder allegedly recovered from the couple's apartment.

The evidence continues to build against the alleged arch-enemy, who has been held without bail since he and Gliedman — both described as heroin addicted, and the parents of a newborn daughter — were busted at their apartment Dec. 29.

Greene had told investigators that he kept a cache of weapons at the Rockland County home of a pal — a clue that led investigators to the Orangeburg home of Greene's correction-officer pal, Daniel Whittaker, 33.

Investigators raided that address Wednesday, finding 21 guns, including an Uzi 9mm submachine gun. They also found two stun guns, brass knuckles and a switchblade.

Gliedman went into labor with Greene's child — whom they named Melody Sunshine, and who was described by sources as healthy and not drug addicted — the day of her arrest.

She remains free on $150,000 bail bond, and is in a court-mandated, 30-day in-patient drug treatment at a facility in the city.

The couple's next court date is Jan. 29.

The baby is being cared for by Gliedman's parents.

Her father, Dr. Paul Gliedman, is the head of radiation oncology at Beth Israel Brooklyn. Her mother is Realtor Susyn Schops Gliedman.

"Greene told his girlfriend's parents that his grandfather was a Nazi during World War II," one law-enforcement source told The Post.

And Greene liked to sign the bottom of letters with the lightning-bolt symbol commonly associated with Hitler's SS.

In one missive, he repeatedly used the word "kill" and the phrase "kill them all," sources said.

The ownership of the guns recovered from Whittaker's home is still under investigation, authorities said. Whittaker, meanwhile, has additional legal troubles — he is on trial for heroin possession and a bar stabbing, authorities said.

Greene told The Post in an exclusive jailhouse interview from Rikers Island last week that the explosives powder was merely "a very small amount of experimental fireworks."

Asked about the shotguns, he said, "I'm a sportsman, an outdoorsman. Hunting and fishing."

litaliano@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 05:29:15 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/arch_nemesis_C4ZJ55Hv2apfKVMX6FME1L?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/arch_nemesis_C4ZJ55Hv2apfKVMX6FME1L?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.921917269 -1 false By BRUCE GOLDING Local

A judge yesterday cut off debate over implementation of the city's circumcision law.

Manhattan federal Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald ordered that Orthodox rabbis who engage in a controversial ritual of sucking blood from the area around a baby's freshly snipped foreskin must first obtain consent from his parents acknowledging that city officials warn the practice can give the child herpes.

Buchwald lifted a voluntary stay of last year's Board of Health directive requiring written consent for the procedure, and denied a request for a preliminary injunction barring enforcement by the city Health Department.

She said the "ample medical evidence that direct oral suction places infants at a serious risk" outweighed the ability to perform it "uninhibited."

City officials have said 11 babies have contracted herpes after undergoing "metzitzah b'peh" since 2000, and two of them have died.

Plaintiffs had sued to block the warning, saying it would violate rabbis' First Amendment rights of freedom of speech and religion.

Reps for the plaintiffs didn't return a request for comment.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 17:22:03 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/circumcise_alert_ok_GQcxrf7OalZ30i0IFbv1NK?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/circumcise_alert_ok_GQcxrf7OalZ30i0IFbv1NK?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.921917163 -1 false By AMBER SUTHERLAND, LARRY CELONA and REBECCA HARSHBARGER Local

The vicious robber who killed an elderly travel agent in Brooklyn stole the wedding ring from the victim's hand as he lay dying, police sources said.

Dressed all in black and wearing a ski mask, the thug threw Jesus Morales, 67, to the ground at about 7:20 p.m. Wednesday on 18th Street in South Slope and fled with the victim's ring, watch and wallet.

"It was a robbery gone bad," said a law-enforcement source.

Morales was walking home from his business, Ramirez Travel, on Fifth Avenue when he was attacked, according to his daughter.

His head hit the sidewalk with such force that a witness heard the thump and turned around.

The assailant, who had lifted his mask, quickly put it back on and yelled at the woman to look away, said Police Commissioner Ray Kelly.

The gunman went through the victim's pockets, stealing a wallet and watch — and a gold ring from Morales' finger.

The assailant fled toward Sixth Avenue, sources said.

Cops rushed to the scene and administered first aid until EMS arrived, sources said.

Morales was lying motionless on his back, bleeding from the back of his head on the sidewalk.

Cops initially thought he might survive, police sources said, but he was pronounced dead at Lutheran Medical Center shortly before 9:30 p.m.

Kelly said the victim had been targeted randomly, and that cops are searching for neighborhood surveillance video that might have captured images of the killer.

A police source said Morales typically didn't carry much cash.

Cops are offering a $12,000 reward for information that leads to the killer's capture.

Morales, who lived with his wife in Merrick, LI, had a business in South Slope for decades.

"He's been on this street for 27 years. It's very overwhelming," said daughter Madeline Herrera, who lives in Connecticut.

"Police are exhausting every avenue they can. They're being extremely helpful. You can just imagine how horrible it's been."

Additional reporting by Jessica Simeone

rharshbarger@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 05:29:15 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/yn_cruelest_mugger_mW12wy6rF4Rj9bRC4vvUkJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/yn_cruelest_mugger_mW12wy6rF4Rj9bRC4vvUkJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.921663076 -1 false Local Fri, 11 Jan 2013 03:45:42 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/you_lion_dog_SIJLJQm9jBxW5CWTtrvPUO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/you_lion_dog_SIJLJQm9jBxW5CWTtrvPUO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.921662645 -1 false Local

The Post reported yesterday that former Rep. Anthony Weiner had landed a job as a consultant with Concept Capital Markets, a brokerage firm. This is incorrect. The firm has not employed Weiner in any capacity.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 01:25:25 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/correction_G40rjZ5MT6PVktmwHSCghL?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/correction_G40rjZ5MT6PVktmwHSCghL?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.921662607 -1 false By SELIM ALGAR Local

A popular Long Island organic farmer — who co-owns her business with the onetime executive chef of Manhattan's Le Bernardin — won a grant from a taxpayer-funded group where she serves as an official adviser, records show.

Paulette Satur, who owns Satur farms with husband Eberhard Muller in Cutchogue, won the $120,000 grant through the New York State Regional Economic Development Council.

Satur said she applied online and recused herself from any role in lobbying for or approving the cash for her farm that grows leafy veggies and herbs.

But some critics still ripped the grant. "It's disgusting. She gets money from a group that she advises?" said neighbor Jim Best, who has complained about Satur's machinery in the past.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 01:25:06 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/growing_ire_at_conflict_Y1iprCJf4RIE2AFgL9QbML?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/growing_ire_at_conflict_Y1iprCJf4RIE2AFgL9QbML?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.921662593 -1 false By JULIA MARSH Local

This model is no cheap trick.

Yuliana Bondar, 26, is suing her former agency, saying it used her image to sell $8 lipstick without her permission.

Bondar posed for LASplash, a drugstore cosmetics company, during a 2010 shoot in SoHo, according to the suit filed yesterday in Manhattan Supreme Court.

A booker for her New York-based agency, Major Model Management, signed her up for the ad campaign, her attorney said.

"She's a high-fashion model, with all due respect to LASplash and their drugstore cosmetics campaign," scoffed Carolos Carvajal, Bondar's attorney. "She was under the impression that it was a product test and wouldn't be for advertising."

The Ukrainian-born Bondar has graced the pages of Elle and French Vogue and worked with designers Marc Jacobs, Diane von Furstenberg and Vera Wang.

Bondar is suing for $300,000 in damages for breach of contract, among other allegations.

A spokeswoman for Major Model Management confirmed that Bondar once worked at the agency, but otherwise declined to comment.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 01:24:27 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/model_not_cheap_w7DhOatw4tTehPP9ifE3dK?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/model_not_cheap_w7DhOatw4tTehPP9ifE3dK?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.921611347 -1 false By DANIEL PRENDERGAST Brooklyn

A man was gunned down in Bedford-Stuyvesant Thursday night, according to police.

The man, described by cops as a white male in his 30s, was shot in the torso near the corner of Macon Street and Throop Avenue at around 9:30 p.m., authorities said.

He was transported to Kings County Hospital where he later died.

Police are still investigating. No arrests have been made.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 01:07:43 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brooklyn/man_gunned_down_in_bed_stuy_ErqlnoKvLF0ypz8LUJRVjO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Brooklyn http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brooklyn/man_gunned_down_in_bed_stuy_ErqlnoKvLF0ypz8LUJRVjO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Brooklyn 5.11.920412020 -1 false By CHUCK BENNETT and KEVIN FASICK Local

Officials yanked the license of the operator involved in Wednesday's crane collapse at a condo building site in Queens, after a probe found he was trying to lift too much lumber, authorities said.

A preliminary investigation by the Department of Buildings determined that operator Paul Geer was at fault in the accident, which left seven workers injured at the Long Island City project, said Buildings Commissioner Robert LiMandri.

"It appears that the operator was attempting to lift a load of 23,900 pounds — more than double the weight capacity for this particular crane," he said. "The preliminary investigation also shows that the operator was unable to see the materials being lifted."

Despite the city findings, workers at the site defended Geer.

"They punched the load into the [crane's] computer. It checked . . . but collapsed anyway," said one worker.

The crane is owned by New York Crane, the company that provided the crane in a 2008 collapse that killed two workers.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 04:33:50 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/qns_crane_collapse_operator_at_fault_0PgpHBwUYqgiTuSfn7gtDP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/qns_crane_collapse_operator_at_fault_0PgpHBwUYqgiTuSfn7gtDP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.920411527 -1 false By ANDY SOLTIS International

Paging Samuel L. Jackson.

Sleepy passengers aboard an early-morning flight from Australia yesterday had their own "snakes on a plane" experience when a 10-foot-long python hitched a ride on a wing.

About 20 minutes into Qantas Flight 191 from Cairns for Papua New Guinea, a female passenger spotted the scrub python, the longest of the species in Australia.

"There's a snake on the wing. There's its head, and if you look closely, you can see a fraction of its body," she said.

The snake apparently crawled into a landing bay before takeoff, but was forced out of its cozy spot in flight.

"There was no panic," another passenger, Robert Weber, told the Sydney Morning Herald. "At no time did anyone stop to consider that there might be others on board" — as in Jackson's 2006 high-altitude horror flick, "Snakes on a Plane."

The fascinated passengers watched as the snake rolled up tightly until a strong wind caught its tail "pulling him straight out," Weber said.

Both pilots took turns visiting the rear of the plane to watch the snake struggle against winds of about 250 mph.

"He should be dead," one pilot said, according to Weber.

The snake was also battling an outside air temperature of 10 degrees.

It held on for the entire one-hour, 50-minute flight, but when the plane landed in Port Moresby, the land crew found it had died.

"We have never heard of this happening before," the airline said.

andy.soltis@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 05:38:45 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/international/python_flying_circus_GgcJFT0NZijucLbB5flrmN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=International http://www.nypost.com/p/news/international/python_flying_circus_GgcJFT0NZijucLbB5flrmN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=International 5.11.920411410 -1 false By BRIAN COSTELLO Jets

Tim Tebow was the hottest name in the NFL a year ago. Now, he can't even find a job.

The Jets are expected to release Tebow next month after one disappointing season with the team. Many thought his hometown Jaguars would pick him up.

Guess again.

New Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell dropped a bombshell at his introductory press conference Thursday when asked about Tebow.

"As far as Tim goes, he is a member of the New York Jets. I can't imagine a scenario where he would be a Jacksonville Jaguar," Caldwell said.

A stunned silence fell over the media before a reporter shouted: "Say that again?"

"I can't imagine a scenario where he would be a Jacksonville Jaguar," Caldwell repeated.

"Even if he's released?" a reporter asked.

"Even if he's released," Caldwell said.

Jaguars owner Shad Khan, who made a run at Tebow last year, said it was Caldwell's call.

"It's not my decision," Khan said. "I want to do whatever to help this team win. Who the players are is really the general manager's and coach's — it's a football-side operation decision. It's really not my decision."

What has changed for Khan in the 10 months since he wanted Tebow?

"I'm telling them to take a look at Tebow and they're saying, 'We're going to go in a different direction,' " Khan said. "That's the difference."

Unbelievably, Tebow's future in the NFL is now very much in question. He became a national sensation in 2011 when he became the Broncos starting quarterback and led several dramatic comebacks, including a memorable one over the Jets. The Broncos made the playoffs and Tebow led Denver to an overtime win over the Steelers in the first round.

The Broncos decided to sign Peyton Manning in March and the Jets and Jaguars were the only serious trade partners Denver could find for Tebow, who is scheduled to make $2.5 million next season and the Jets could save $1.5 million against cap by releasing him. The Broncos allowed Tebow to pick where he wanted to go and he picked the Jets, who traded a fourth-round draft pick for him.

Tebow's one season with the Jets was a total mess with him barely playing and never getting a chance to start at quarterback despite starter Mark Sanchez's struggles.

The Jets plan on releasing Tebow next month, according to multiple sources. ESPN reported last month it was a "virtual certainty" Tebow would land in Jacksonville. He grew up nearby and played high school football there. He became a legend just down the road at the University of Florida, where he won the Heisman Trophy and two national championships. Tebow's immense popularity there would help the team sell tickets.

If the Jaguars don't want Tebow, it is fair to question whether any NFL team will take a shot on him. There has been speculation Tebow may have to play in the Canadian Football League next year.

* ***

* Caldwell interviewed twice with the Jets before taking the Jaguars' job.

Caldwell said Thursday Khan "made" Caldwell travel to New Jersey on Tuesday for the second interview to make sure he knew exactly what he wanted.

— With AP

brian.costello@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 10:53:49 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/no_time_for_tebow_EH05898jncRbGIzBkvVkGN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Jets http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/no_time_for_tebow_EH05898jncRbGIzBkvVkGN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Jets 5.11.920411210 -1 false By STEVE SERBY More Sports

Here they come again, first Peyton Manning tomorrow, then Tom Brady Sunday, the The Quarterback Duel and Ratings Bonanza For The Ages, Big Brother Manning versus Brady in Denver in nine days for the right to go to Super Bowl XLVII.

Armageddon again.

The two legendary quarterbacks of this generation. The forever poster boys of the NFL. The matchup America craves. An AFC Championship Game that will have more appeal than Super Bowl XLVII.

Manning, back with his new team, virtually all the way back from four neck fusion surgeries and a year away from the game he loves, back against the one quarterback who owns him (9-4) more than any other quarterback in the big games.

Manning must get past Ray Lewis and the Ravens first, of course, and Brady must get past J.J. Watt and the Texans first, of course, but is anyone outside Baltimore whacko about Joe Flacco's chances to win a shootout in Peyton's Place, and is anyone outside Houston crazy about Matt Schaub's chances to overcome Brady (and Bill Belichick) in Foxborough?

Brady versus Manning is coming, to a television near you.

No one around the Patriots, least of all Belichick and Brady, dares dream past the opening coin toss against the Texans, but we're allowed, and we're allowed to ponder how badly Brady and Belichick burn to exorcise the Ghost of Mannings Past.

So here they come again, The Hoodie and The Pretty Boy, The Spy and The Apple of Gisele's Eye, stalking that Lombardi Trophy with the same obsession that has made them the greatest head coach-quarterback union of this generation.

Belichick left the Jets under far different circumstances than Vince Lombardi left the Giants, but it is our misfortune and, especially in the case of the Jets, that he became a legendary champion elsewhere.

Brady is the quarterback the Jets — and everyone else except Colts fans who worshipped Peyton — wish they could have called their own over the past dozen seasons.

If not for Eli Manning and Tom Coughlin, Belichick and Brady would have an historic five Super Bowl crowns together, one more than Chuck Noll and Terry Bradshaw and the Steeler Curtain.

Belichick remains the diabolical football monk burning the midnight oil, chasing a fourth championship like a football Charlie Hustle. It was Pat Riley who informed us there's winning or misery, and Belichick's joyless public face and pronouncements provide undeniable evidence he subscribes to the mantra.

Brady remains the modern-day Joe Montana, and those who choose to liken Belichick to Darth Vader will be quick to argue Brady wouldn't be a first-ballot Hall of Famer without him.

But as they wait in ambush for Watt and the Texans, Belichick and Brady confront a cruel and humbling reality: They haven't won a Super Bowl since Feb. 6, 2005. And they haven't won a Super Bowl since Spygate.

Whether they like it or not, there is an elephant in their trophy-filled room until they shoot it dead.

And with Brady turning 36 in August, the clock is ticking on them.

How is it possible that Belichick and Brady are burning to scratch an eight-year itch?

LEADERSHIP: The departures of Mike Vrabel, Rodney Harrison, Tedy Bruschi, Richard Seymour and Troy Brown were significant.

ASSISTANT COACHES: The Patriots' 24-21 victory over Donovan McNabb and the Eagles marked the end of the Belichick-Charlie Weis-Romeo Crennel troika. Then Woody Johnson and Mike Tannenbaum came calling two years later for Eric Mangini.

THE DRAFT: Some will cite general manager Scott Pioli leaving for Kansas City, but Belichick has always been hands-on with final say. His efforts at rebuilding his defense in the salary cap-era were temporarily derailed by high picks such as Darius Butler, Terrence Wheatley, Tyrone McKenzie and Shawn Crable. And 2006 No. 1 choice Laurence Maroney failed to give Brady a balanced attack.

THE MANNING BROS.: Peyton finally broke through against his tormentor Belichick when he stormed back from an 18-point deficit for a 38-34 victory in the 2006 AFC Championship Game at the RCA Dome that propelled him to Super Bowl XLIII, where he beat the Bears and slayed his personal dragon.

A year later, it was little brother Eli shocking the Perfect Patriots with a two-minute drive for the ages, highlighted by David Tyree's Catch 42. Then came more Manning magic four seasons later.

BRADY'S HUMAN: His threepeat dreams were shattered in Denver when Champ Bailey returned a game-changing interception 100 yards in the playoffs.

Sept. 7, 2008, a date that will live in New England infamy — Brady crumbled with a torn ACL when Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard levelled him and missed the rest of the season.

Brady was rattled by Steve Spagnuolo's relentless pass rushers in Super Bowl XLII.

Brady, with a hobbled Rob Gronkowski, was a mere mortal against Perry Fewell's relentless pass rushers in Super Bowl XLVI.

BELICHICK'S HUMAN: How else can you explain covering Plaxico Burress one-in-one with munchkin Ellis Hobbs at the end of Super Bowl XLII?

Best weekend of the NFL season this weekend.

Brady-Manning next weekend.

steve.serby@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 04:09:35 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/coming_soon_brady_vs_manning_sjwbn71RXAd74b8WngCKsL?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/coming_soon_brady_vs_manning_sjwbn71RXAd74b8WngCKsL?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports 5.11.920427888 steve_serby.png true By MARK CANNIZZARO More Sports

The euphoria from Ray Lewis' glorious victory lap around M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday to commemorate the Ravens' wild-card playoff win over the Colts in the final home game of his career had barely worn off before Lewis' mind began to wander to his next conquest: Peyton Manning.

Outside of a potential Manning showdown with Hall of Fame quarterback counterpart Tom Brady in next week's AFC Championship Game, should the Broncos beat the Ravens tomorrow and the Patriots beat the Texans Sunday, this is about as good as matchups get.

Manning versus Lewis, the Ravens venerable and violent middle linebacker, is the ultimate on-field offense-defense chess match. It pits perhaps the smartest offensive quarterback in the game against perhaps the smartest defensive quarterback in the game.

"One is on offense and one is on defense,'' Broncos coach John Fox said. "Your middle linebacker is kind of the quarterback of your defense and obviously the quarterback on offense is a pretty centrally located to the guys on the field. There's no doubt that [matchup] can raise all hopes."

For those who thought Manning was done after all those neck surgeries ended his brilliant Colts career, his performance this season leading the Broncos to a 13-3 record (they've won 11 in a row) and the No. 1 seed in the AFC exposed that as a gross misjudgment. Manning completed 68.6 percent of his passes for 4,659 yards and 37 touchdowns.

And, for those who thought Lewis was returning from 10 missed games with a torn right triceps to play a ceremonial final game or two before retiring, that, too, was an errant judgment. Lewis led all defenders with 13 tackles against the Colts last week in his first game back since his injury in October.

So this sets the stage for the chess match: Manning doing all those real and feigned checks at the line of scrimmage and Lewis, in charge of making the Ravens' defensive calls, counteracting what he believes Manning is doing.

"They are always classic,'' Lewis said of his showdowns against Manning. "It's just one of those chess matches. He knows me very well. I know them very well. He is dealing with a lot of different new pieces out there, but they are doing a heck of a job adjusting to his scheme and getting to playing real fast out there.''

Manning has gotten the best of Lewis and the Ravens in his career. In 11 games against Baltimore, Manning is 9-2 and has completed 241-of-377 passes (63.9 percent) for 2,893 yards, 20 touchdowns and 8 interceptions with a 96.2 rating.

Manning has defeated the Ravens the last nine times he has played against them after losing the first two meetings. In the last game, a 34-17 Denver win three weeks ago in Baltimore, Lewis did not play because he was still out with the triceps injury.

His past success against Lewis and the Ravens, though, is hardly something Manning is taking for granted.

"I'm sure you guys have lots of old notes from all the times I played against the Ravens and my feelings on Ray Lewis — great player,'' Manning said. "You definitely can just see from watching the TV [of last week's] game that he brought a boost to that team now that he's back. Obviously, it's very impressive that he's back from that injury."

Asked if he puts in more study time when facing Lewis, Manning said: "I'm a big believer in the cerebral part of the game. Anytime you take a guy like Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, their physical abilities combined with their attention to detail and their film study, that's why they are such special players. Ray has done it all in 17 years as a linebacker. I had a lot of games against him, and he's just a great player."

It's fitting that Lewis is facing the possibility of this being the final game of his 17-year career and it is against Manning.

mark.cannizzaro@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 03:51:17 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/battle_of_wits_SiKve4EvOM7098uVLpVTaL?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/battle_of_wits_SiKve4EvOM7098uVLpVTaL?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports 5.11.920427865 -1 false By RICH CALDER Local

Welcome to no-hipsterville.

A group of Bay Ridge neighbors has started a petition to put the kibosh on plans for a beer garden expected to draw teeming hordes of Pabst Blue Ribbon-loving, knit-cap wearers from Williamsburg and other parts of North Brooklyn.

Residents living near the planned Lock Yard on Fifth Avenue between 92nd and 93rd streets fear a noisy nightmare of indie music fans.

Had they known the outdoor bar would feature music, neighbors say they would have raised objections before Community Board 10 approved Lock Yard's liquor license.

"Why would they want to be where there are so many seniors?" said Marisa Falero, whose home borders the site where the bar is set to open in late June.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 24:55:52 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/bay_ridge_bar_hipsters_kz0CMpgFYWgcT5RnbR8ehK?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/bay_ridge_bar_hipsters_kz0CMpgFYWgcT5RnbR8ehK?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.920427759 -1 false By LAURA ITALIANO Manhattan

Hedge-funder Todd Meister — the ex-husband of Nicky Hilton — has a Valentine's date in court with his accused embezzling "personal" assistant.

A Manhattan judge yesterday set Feb. 14 as the trial date for Ukranian beauty Renata Shamrakova, accused of ringing up $900,000 in expenses on Meister's credit card.

Shamrakova claims that, hired to be Meister's very personal assistant, he let her run up the card as a gift during the course of their romantic relationship.

Overwhelmed by "1.75 terabytes" of evidence to sort through, Shamrakova may seek a delay, her lawyer, Joshua Kirshner, told Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Jill Konviser, who still called the Feb. 14 court appearance necessary.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 04:33:29 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/nicky_ex_thief_on_dock_K0XsC3gDyjqPRRU7wslV1J?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Manhattan http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/nicky_ex_thief_on_dock_K0XsC3gDyjqPRRU7wslV1J?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Manhattan 5.11.920411104 -1 false By BART HUBBUCH More Sports

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The Gamble gets its first true test Saturday night.

Colin Kaepernick might have seven starts by now, but Jim Harbaugh's midseason decision to bench Alex Smith and put the 49ers' legitimate Super Bowl hopes in the hands of what amounted to a rookie quarterback finally faces a litmus test — the playoffs.

Should Kaepernick lead San Francisco to the NFC Championship Game with a divisional win over Aaron Rodgers and the Packers at Candlestick Park this weekend, Harbaugh's gutsy roll of the dice will be instantly redeemed.

But should the Niners falter against Green Bay, especially if Kaepernick plays a key role in their demise, then Harbaugh can expect a long, loud and heavy dose of second-guessing.

Even Kaepernick appeared to realize that this week leading up to the most important game of his — and his head coach's — NFL career.

"I'm trying to approach it as just another game, but there's a lot more at stake," Kaepernick said.

And not just for the option-running quarterback from Nevada who made such a splash on national TV against the Bears in place of the injured Smith and ended up winning five of his seven regular-season starts.

Harbaugh has even more at stake tomorrow night because there's no going back to Smith, who is expected to depart after the embarrassment of losing his job due to injury despite leading the Niners to a 6-2-1 start this season and an NFC title-game appearance last year.

But if you think Harbaugh still harbors any second thoughts that he's willing to admit publicly, well, you don't know Harbaugh.

"[After Kaepernick's first two starts], he was the healthier of the two quarterbacks and had played well," Harbaugh said this week. "And then after that I saw enough really good things that I wanted to have the same faith and trust in Colin that we had shown in Alex."

Harbaugh might have faith in Kaepernick, but he hasn't been able to show any proof just yet that breaking one of the NFL's unwritten codes — a player shouldn't lose his job solely to injury — was worth it.

That's because the Niners lost just as many games with Kaepernick under center — two — as they did with Smith this year. Not only that, but Smith also was playing some of the best football of his career at the time of his unceremonius benching (a 70 percent completion rate with 13 touchdown passes and just five interceptions).

And while Kaepernick's dangerous ability as a runner (a trait Smith lacks) helped make him a sensation early on as San Francisco's starter, defenses appeared to adjust as the season went on.

Kaepernick didn't complete better than 57 percent of his passes in any of his final three starts while rushing for a total of just 64 yards, a sign that the second-year pro isn't catching anyone off-guard the way he did the Bears on "Monday Night Football" two months ago.

Even more worrisome for the Niners, one of those three starts was a 42-13 destruction by the NFC West-rival Seahawks — a team San Francisco could very well face next week should Harbaugh's team make it back to the conference championship.

But you'll hear nothing but raves about Kaepernick from the 49ers camp this week, most of them centered on the calm and self-assured attitude he appears to be taking into tomorrow's showdown.

"For Colin, it's [just] another game, and I think the way he handles it day-to-day has been very mature," San Francisco offensive coordinator Greg Roman said. "I don't think we're going to see any big eyes. He's very businesslike day-to-day. Not concerned."

Added Harbaugh: "His focus has been good. Very good."

That's in large part because Kaepernick doesn't consider himself a second-year pro.

"This is my 17th year of football," he said. "Football is football once you get on the field. You just have to raise your level of play [in the playoffs]."

For Harbaugh's sake, Kaepernick needs to turn that talk into action tomorrow night.

bhubbuch@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 03:26:40 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/gut_check_8BnTqqo3oVvo9NWO2D0EeJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/gut_check_8BnTqqo3oVvo9NWO2D0EeJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports 5.11.920044239 -1 false Wire Services Weird But True

Say cheese, dummy!

Cops in Kershaw County, SC, had an easy time tracking down a 19-year-old suspected convenience-store robber . . . because he allegedly left a trail of spilled Cheetos leading from the store to his home.

Austin Presler also allegedly stole beer, cigarettes and Slim Jims — so let's say it was a pretty jerky theft.

***

A 70-year-old Iowan who spent 65 years looking for his sister finally found her with the help of an 8-year-old neighbor, who with lightning speed located her via the Web.

Chicago foster-home officials in 1948 separated Clifford Boyson, 70, of Davenport, and his sister, Betty Billadeau.

When Boyson's young neighbor, Eddie Hanzlin, learned of the hunt, the kid worked his search magic and found Billadeau living in Florissant, Mo.

***

World War II history is in the bag.

Indiana resident William Kay-Dahr, a 90-something veteran who fought the Nazis in France, lost his Army duffel bag 70 years ago when he was captured and put in a POW camp.

He came home alive and forgot about that inconsequential piece of equipment — until a French teen going through his grandfather's attic recently found it with Kay-Dahr's name and ID.

A military museum located the old soldier and gave him back the artifact.

***

It's a cat-and-mouse game between Japanese authorities and a cyber-criminal threatening to plant bombs.

Cyber-detectives with the Japanese National Police thought they were about to collar the fiend at a secret location — but instead found a feline with a computer memory card dangling from its collar.

***

A Dutch space organization is planning a reality-TV show to select a crew of a manned mission to the Red Planet by the year 2023.

The winners will need to commit to eight years of training.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 03:55:38 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/weird_but_true/weird_but_true_uCZ07SK8ilksXDUyfNkAeI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Weird But True http://www.nypost.com/p/news/weird_but_true/weird_but_true_uCZ07SK8ilksXDUyfNkAeI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Weird But True 5.11.920044101 -1 false By PAUL SCHWARTZ More Sports

"Certain guys,'' Matt Ryan said this week, use the glaring and repeated playoff failures of the Falcons as motivation, firing themselves up to make sure it doesn't happen again this year.

"Whatever you use as motivation, I think is a good thing,'' Ryan said.

It's a good thing for certain guys, Ryan says, but not him.

Not him?

It would seem as if Ryan would be at the top of the list when it comes to finding Falcons players desperately seeking success in the postseason. As the quarterback and in many ways the symbol of the Falcons, Ryan carries the 0-3 playoff record around like an anvil, weighing down his otherwise sterling resume. He just completed his fifth NFL season and no one would argue he's one of the league's best.

Ryan's career totals dwarf those Eli Manning put up in his first five years with the Giants. Ryan's winning percentage as a starter is 71.8, he has completed 62.7 percent of his passes and has 127 touchdown passes and 60 interceptions. Manning (circa 2004-08) does not compare: .592 winning percentage, 59.2 percent completions, 98 touchdowns and 74 interceptions. Yet Manning won a Super Bowl in his fourth season. In Ryan's fourth season, he was overwhelmed by the Giants 24-2 in last year's NFC divisional playoff round. On Sunday, he gets another shot at claiming that elusive first postseason victory when his No. 1 seed Falcons face the surging Seahawks inside the Georgia Dome.

"There's really no sense in worrying what happened in the past,'' Ryan said. "I think you learn from it and you make adjustments. You try and use it in a positive light, but we talk about it all the time — what you did the week before, what you did the year before, has no bearing on what you're going to do the next time out. You need to prepare yourself and you need to focus in that way. In a way you learn from your mistakes, but you don't dwell on them."

Ryan doesn't want to dwell on past failures, but they might as well be attached with Velcro to his legacy. As a rookie following the 2008 season, he lost in Arizona to the Cardinals 30-24 in the playoffs. After the 2010 season he lost at home in Atlanta to the Packers 48-21. There was last year's 24-2 offensive no-show at MetLife Stadium. Ryan has not been terrible in his three playoff games (63.9 percent completions, three TDs, four INTs) but he hasn't cracked 200 yards in any game and he wasn't handed any favors by his own defense.

"You learn from those four or five plays that changed the outcome of those games," Ryan said. "The intensity is probably a little bit [higher]. The quicker that you can settle yourself down and start trying to execute, the better."

The pressure ratchets up every week. As the Falcons rested, the Seahawks traveled to Landover, Md. and eliminated the Redskins 24-14. Led by rookie quarterback Russell Wilson, the No. 5 seed Seahawks are the trendy pick in this game and if they pull off the upset it will deal another huge blow to the credibility of Ryan and his team. The Falcons rolled through the season, went 13-3 without really trying in their regular-season finale and exiting without at least one postseason victory will tarnish all they've done.

And they know it.

"[Ryan's] doing an excellent job," receiver Roddy White told the Atlanta Journal Constitution. "He's been mentally prepared throughout the whole season for this stretch run. He knows we have to win a playoff game. Everybody kind of knows that. Not to put any extra pressure on him, but I just think that at this point in the season, everybody knows that they have to play their best football right now."

"With the team that we have now, and all of the guys that have been around each other, with him leading us a group, and knowing that everybody is on the same page, it's going to be a different outcome.''

paul.schwartz@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 11:17:00 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/ryan_focused_on_getting_st_postseason_G4yQ8mQPf5dM1DO6u5lOXI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/ryan_focused_on_getting_st_postseason_G4yQ8mQPf5dM1DO6u5lOXI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports 5.11.920044051 -1 false By JEANE MACINTOSH Local

He paid her $93,000 a year — and, he claims, she still robbed him blind.

William Salomon, the 98-year-old scion of venerable Salomon Brothers trading house, told a federal judge this week he "implicitly" trusted former secretary Karen Febles, and had no idea she'd allegedly bilked him of more than $1.3 million.

"There's no reason to have a personal secretary if you can't trust her," said the frail Salomon in Newark federal court in testimony against Febles, who is charged with bank fraud and money laundering in an alleged four-year scam to skim Salomon's dough.

Salomon, whose father founded the former trading powerhouse, said Febles would have him sign checks for petty cash and other expenditures, only to deposit them in her bank account.

Febles, of Palisades Park, NJ, at one point allegedly had $400,000 in cash plus nearly $500,000 in checks from Salomon's accounts in her own bank account.

She also used siphoned funds on luxuries that included a $53,000 Range Rover, a $34,650 Mercedes-Benz, $45,000 in vacation cruises, and more than $100,000 on real estate, prosecutors said.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 03:42:59 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/salomon_rips_aide_in_scam_6eChUljpuRGiZVz9t9WdiO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/salomon_rips_aide_in_scam_6eChUljpuRGiZVz9t9WdiO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.920043992 -1 false AP National

In a 1992 column in his college newspaper at Stanford University, now-Newark, NJ Mayor Cory Booker wrote that he was "disgusted by gays" before a transformative experience with a gay-peer counselor changed his views.

Booker said the counselor's stories of discrimination reminded him of how his grandparents endured racial prejudice.

The Stanford Daily republished the piece as part of an archival series.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 24:50:41 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/cory_gay_epiphany_iWwJPCDSPGT1HRt1RGlwqM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=National http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/cory_gay_epiphany_iWwJPCDSPGT1HRt1RGlwqM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=National 5.11.920043854 -1 false By BRIAN LEWIS and DAN MACLEOD Local

The stripper who claims she was sexually assaulted in a Brooklyn Net's hotel suite said the hoopster watched the attack and did nothing to stop it.

"He peeked in the room," the alleged victim said of forward Andray Blatche. "He just didn't . . . when he came in, he didn't have intercourse with me."

The 21-year-old woman told Philadelphia's ABC 6 that Blatche knew exactly what was happening to her but never tried to help.

"He was not oblivious. He was aware the whole time," she said on camera, with her face silhouetted.

She said she met up with the baller and his entourage at Delilah's, a Philly strip club, and they partied there before going back to Blatche's Four Seasons hotel suite.

She told the station she believes she was drugged at the club.

"I felt strange," she said.

She collapsed on a bed in the hotel just before the first alleged attack.

"It was like I was asleep, but I was still conscious. I heard everything that was around me, but I couldn't, I couldn't move," said the college student.

"And not long after that, that was when the first guy came in. It was like he rolled me over and had his way," the student said.

Blatche and at least one of his pals watched the attack from the doorway, she said.

"And then the other guy came in, the short one with the dreads, and then he had his way," she said.

"It was like they kept peeking in. He went to the door a few times, opened the door, and then they were all three at the door."

She never claimed that Blatche assaulted her.

Blatche didn't seem worried yesterday.

"When the truth comes out, then everybody will realize what really happened," he said at the team's practice. "In the meantime, I can't really have too much comments on it.''

The hoopster, who has a history of brushes with the law, denied that he runs with a bad crowd.

"No, I'm telling you — y'all will hear the truth sooner or later. It's just a bad situation . . . but trust me, no. When the time comes and I can talk about it, then everybody will realize that it's not what you think.''

Philadelphia cops yesterday said no one was in custody and no charges had been filed.

The city's police commissioner, Charles Ramsey, has questioned the validity of the woman's claims because of her intoxication and said it would be a tough case to make.

dmacleod@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 05:29:15 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/et_sex_twist_sJVQVZejrs29oVlh2TCADM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/et_sex_twist_sJVQVZejrs29oVlh2TCADM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.920043831 -1 false By BARRY WILNER AP More Sports

Junior Seau, one of the NFL's best and fiercest players for two decades, suffered from a degenerative brain disease often associated with repeated blows to the head when he committed suicide last May, the National Institutes of Health said in a study released yesterday.

The NIH, based in Bethesda, Md., said Seau's brain revealed abnormalities consistent with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE. It said the study included unidentified brains, one of which was Seau's, and the findings on Seau were similar to autopsies of people "with exposure to repetitive head injuries."

Seau's family requested the analysis of his brain.

The 43-year-old star linebacker played for 20 NFL seasons with the Chargers, Dolphins and Patriots before retiring in 2009. He died of a self-inflicted shotgun wound.

He joins a list of several dozen football players who were found to have CTE. Boston University's center for study of the disease reported last month 34 former pro players and nine who played only college football suffered from CTE.

"I was not surprised after learning a little about CTE that he had it," Seau's 23-year-old son Tyler said. "He did play so many years at that level. I was more just kind of angry I didn't do something more and have the awareness to help him more, and now it is too late.

"I don't think any of us were aware of the side effects that could be going on with head trauma until he passed away. We didn't know his behavior was from head trauma."

That behavior, according to Tyler Seau and Junior's ex-wife Gina, included wild mood swings, irrationality, forgetfulness, insomnia and depression.

The NFL faces lawsuits by thousands of former players who say the league withheld information on the harmful effects of concussions. According to an AP review of 175 lawsuits, 3,818 players have sued. At least 26 Hall of Fame members are among the players who have done so.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 01:09:55 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/study_nfl_seau_had_brain_disease_OooCpKxzyXCVEx5mt72aXK?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/study_nfl_seau_had_brain_disease_OooCpKxzyXCVEx5mt72aXK?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports 5.11.920038162 -1 false By KEN DAVIDOFF Yankees

PARADISE VALLEY, Ariz. — With Camelback Mountain presenting a breathtaking backdrop at the Sanctuary resort, Hal Steinbrenner stopped for a couple of reporters before departing the Major League Baseball owners' meetings, and painted a prettier picture than many Yankees fans are envisioning.

The Yankees' managing general partner expressed faith in his team's offseason activity to date and in its ability to contend, starting in 2014, with a diminished payroll. He also offered a tiny escape hatch to those who are consumed by that falling payroll:

"All I can continue to tell everyone is our commitment to the fans is never going to change. We will always field a championship-caliber team," Steinbrenner told The Post and the Wall Street Journal Thusday — in his first interview since before the 2012 playoffs began. "Is our goal [a $189 million payroll] next year? Yes. But [we'll go that low] only if I'm convinced if the team I see, that we've put together, is a championship-caliber team."

For those who saw an opening, a retreat, team insiders remain steadfast in their belief that, a year from now, the Yankees' payroll will indeed sit beneath $189 million, even if the team misses the playoffs in 2013.

There is unusual unrest among Yankees fans, a notion of which Steinbrenner admitted he was not fully aware.

"I'm surprised to hear that there's anger, if you see what we've done this offseason," he said. "We've signed three or four of the top free agents that were on the market, because we're going to continue to field a championship-caliber team."

He was referring to Hiroki Kuroda, Andy Pettitte, Ichiro Suzuki and Kevin Youkilis, although he also said, "We've got some work to do, still. We need another bat. We're not done yet."

The Nationals' Michael Morse, whom Washington could trade, interests the Yankees, but there aren't too many other intriguing hitters available.

The key for both 2013 success and 2014 budget-meeting, Steinbrenner stressed, was the team's younger players.

"The young players that have stepped up are going to have to continue to do so," Steinbrenner said, "and some of the ones that haven't yet are going to have to."

He mentioned pitcher David Phelps as an example of the former group and pitchers Manny Banuelos and Michael Pineda, both of whom experienced disastrous 2012 campaigns, as part of the latter group.

The $189 million goal came from the collective bargaining agreement that went into effect last season. The raising of the luxury-tax threshold to $189 million for 2014 means that the Yankees could pay no extra fees next year, then reset their tax to a considerably lower level (17.5 percent, as opposed to 40 percent) for 2015 and beyond.

But Steinbrenner said $189 million is not a one-year goal.

"I believe that you don't have to have a $220 million payroll to win a world championship," he said. "And you shouldn't have to."

Citing the team's considerable expenses, from a revenue-sharing bill to debt service and the bonds around new Yankee Stadium, plus the payroll, he said the team wants to increase its profit. Nevertheless, Steinbrenner reiterated, "We're always going to be in the top of the rung when it comes to player payroll, as we always have been."

What else? Steinbrenner expressed little concern over the highly publicized abundance of unoccupied seats at Yankee Stadium last October: "The empty seats in the playoffs were due to a variety of reasons, quite frankly. The schedule, Stub Hub, things like that. A lot of tickets being available shortly before the game. We didn't know we were going to be in [the ALCS]. Obviously we went to Game 5 in the first series [against Baltimore]. You've got the next game the day after. It was challenging. It was concerning but challenging to get through."

He said there has been "no real, significant dialogue" between the Yankees and Robinson Cano concerning an extension; Cano can become a free agent after this season.

"I'm not a big believer in extensions, but there are exceptions to every rule," Steinbrenner said. "So we'll see what happens."

The same policy applies to manager Joe Girardi, who is entering the last year of his deal. Nevertheless, Steinbrenner expressed no displeasure with his manager.

"Last year, nobody's happy with the end result," Steinbrenner said of the team's ALCS sweep at the hands of Detroit. "But we still had a hell of a record and a hell of a season, in my opinion. And I'm proud of that. But I'm not proud about where we ended up, believe me."

On that last sentiment, Yankees fans will agree.

* Also at the owners' meetings, commissioner Bud Selig announced the owners and players have agreed to intensify the game's drug-testing program. Players now will be tested for human growth hormone during the season, and all players will have their Testosterone/Epitestosterone ratio measured regularly, to better detect testosterone usage.

kdavidoff@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 09:55:52 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/yankees/hal_is_just_number_wL7L17QWkLKFpPTJ37ERkJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Yankees http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/yankees/hal_is_just_number_wL7L17QWkLKFpPTJ37ERkJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Yankees 5.11.919760690 ken_davidoff.png true By PHIL STEELE More Sports

Football expert Phil Steele is the owner and publisher of Phil Steele's College Football Preview, regarded as the college football bible. Get in-depth coverage of college and pro football 24/7/365 at PhilSteele.com.

BRONCOS (-9 1/2) over Ravens: The Broncos went into Baltimore just a few weeks ago and scored a dominating 34-17 win. Now they had a week of rest while Baltimore played Sunday, must travel and play the first game on Saturday while also dealing with the altitude issues. The Ravens will not be able to come close to matching the emotion Ray Lewis brought to last week's game.

Packers (+3) over 49ERS: The 49ers gave the Packers their only home loss of the season. In the rematch, Aaron Rodgers gets to face the same defense again while Colin Kaepernick faces the Packers blitzing defense for the first time. The Packers also love the underdog mentality. When they are getting up to 3 1/2 points, they are 8-2 against the spread and have pulled the outright upset six times. Make it seven!

LAST WEEK (NFL): 2-0. SEASON: 23-11-2.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 01:08:41 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/end_of_the_road_for_ray_ravens_MJdstOOZku8JQDMjx8czsI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/end_of_the_road_for_ray_ravens_MJdstOOZku8JQDMjx8czsI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports 5.11.919760676 -1 false By THE WILDCAT More Sports

Including his 1997-2011 seasons in The Post, Cat's record in print stands at 454-393 (53.6 percent) against the spread.

TOMORROW

Packers (+3) over 49ERS: This is set to be tougher than the NFC Championship matchup, which aids Packers focus ... as will Green Bay's opening-week loss to Frisco (and Alex Smith ... hmmm) in Lambeau. Given that Green Bay doesn't get mad, it gets even (13-1 on scoreboard in most-recent 14 revenge shots), that bodes well. This also represents homecoming for sizzling Aaron Rodgers (out of Chico, and a Cal Bear product), who got tabbed 23 spots behind Smith in the '05 draft.

Yes, Candlestick's a house of horrors for visitors, but Colin Kaepernick against Packers' ballhawking defensive backfield is fraught with danger, especially because Kaepernick is no longer able to access such weapons as Mario Manningham and Kyle Williams. Jim Harbaugh employs a very tight rotation on defense, including recovering defender Justin Smith (triceps tendon), and they could be worn down (having yielded 34 to the Patriots, and that fat 42 to the Seahawks). Packers (+3) getting back, for one unit.

LAST WEEK: 0-2. Oklahoma (minus one unit). Redskins (minus one unit).

SEASON: 23-13.

To contact Cat, write P.O. Box 739, Hightstown, N.J. 08520, or visit www.playbook.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 04:22:53 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/vengeful_pack_is_pick_at_stick_2IQZyNputX5LYUlclTUUjI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/vengeful_pack_is_pick_at_stick_2IQZyNputX5LYUlclTUUjI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports 5.11.919760662 -1 false By HONDO More Sports

Hondo started slowly on wild-card weekend with the Bengwads and the over, but then found his stride and hit five of the next six points, sweeping the spreads and cashing on two-of three of the totals.

The highlight, of course, was his smack-dab, right-on-the-money, honey, 24-14 prediction of Seahawks over Redskins, which bodes well for his Divisional forecasts:

Ravens-Broncos: The joint will be jumping, but then again the joints are always jumping in Colorado these days. Count on the Broncos, who haven't lost since Oct. 7 in Foxborough, to make it 12 straight as Peyton's smoking offense exposes an agin' Raven D that's going to pot. To be perfectly blunt: Broncos 31-14

Packers-49ers: It's all about the Niners' defense, which is wicked at Candlestick (as their 13.8 PA per game attests). If you're wondering how Air Aaron, who was the league's top-rated QB this season, manages to stay grounded, it's because he endured a league-high 51 sacks this season. So figure on Rodgers to do a lot of sittin' by the dock of the bay. 49ers 27-14

Seahawks-Falcons: Negative energy is swirling in Atlanta. Matty Ice and coach Mikey Ice are a cool 0-3 together in the playoffs, while Tony Gonzalez is 0-for-his-life. And here come the big bad Seahags, sans DE Chris Clemons. It doesn't help that the Falcons give up a league-worst 4.8 yards per against the run, death against a team rushin' to New Orleans. Seahawks 24-17

Texans-Patriots: Free money in Foxborough, folks! The Texans, who would be watching this game if Andy Dalton could complete a 35-yard pass to an open receiver, have no shot. They proved that in Week 14 when they were thoroughly thumped by the Gronk-less Pats 42-14. He's back so it'll be worse. Patriots 45-10

As for the other areas of interest to HondoNation:

Redskins' coach Mike Shanahan doesn't understand why Seattle's Chris Clemons isn't suiting up in Atlanta. After all, the only thing bothering him is a torn ACL and meniscus.

Coming attractions: A movie called "Rodham," which is about Hillary Clinton before she became famous. Hondo hears there's also one in the works about Bill called "Ride 'Em!"

According to emauler Ed Buckmir, Hillary Clinton's stay in the hospital messed up Bill's New Year's Eve plans so much that all he could say to her was: "Thanks a clot."

Props to Bill Clinton, who was been named Father of the Year for 2013 by the National Father's Day Council. The former Horndog-in-Chief won a tight race by narrowly beating outJohn Edwards, Tiger Woods, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Anthony "Ridiculous Bulge" Weiner and Eliot "John" Spitzer.

Speaking of Spitzer, the former N.Y. Guv and Client 9 of Ashley Dupre, has stepped down as the host of Current TV's "Viewpoint" now that Al "Big Oil" Gore has sold out to Al Jazeera. Spitzer swears that's it, he's finally done with whores.

You would think that Al Goreera, who had so much trouble with the dangling chad, might have sold to a buyer that wasn't the favored network of terrorists' responsible for beheading Chad.

With the sale to Al Jazeera, Big Oil Gore finally has found a new mantra. It's no longer "count all the votes," it's "count all the money."

We interrupt this HondoNation mirth-fest with some tragic news. Current TV slug David Shuster was asked last week about Gasbag Olbermann and reported: "The days of hearing from Keith Olbermann are not over." So sad!

Jersey Senate President Stephen Sweeney charged that Chris Christie prayed for Sandy to hit so it would cover up his failed policies. Sweeney must have been confused. It was Chris Matthews who prayed for Sandy because it "brought in possibilities for good politics" for Obama.

Speaking of storms, Al Roker is amazed he's in the middle of a fecal-matter storm after revealing that on a trip to the White House in 2002 he pooped his pants. He has to understand; even a little brown-out is big news if it happens at the White House.

With Rex Ryan and Woody Johnson obviously committed to their bromance, consultant Jed Hughes has had to alter the criteria in his search for a Jets GM. He's now looking for a seasoned and knowledgeable football man who not only will defer to Rex on all football decisions, but also be willing to be thrown under the bus next year when the season goes into the toilet.

BarkingMut of SoBe says Rex, in order to fulfill his guarantee of bringing his Super Bowl winning Jets to the White House to meet Obama, had better hope N.Y. Congressman Jose Serrano's attempt to eliminate presidential term limits somehow passes.

More Mut: Since Rex Ryan now says he wants a mulligan for the last four years, how about Woody gives fans one, too, by refunding all the ticket and PSL money that was collected during that time period.

ESPN apologized for B rent Musburger gushing about the beauty of A.J. McCarron's girlfriend during the BCS Title Game. What's the big deal? It's not like Brent said she looks like she tastes like a heart-healthy breakfast cereal.

Brian "Mr. Laughs" Williams, continuing to grow his comedy portfolio, played himself on "Family Guy" Sunday night. It would have been a nice gesture if the NBC anchor, who lamented the "optics" of the Republican party's all-white male Congressional leadership (while presiding over virtually all white "Rock Center") had turned down the "Family Guy" gig so that a person of color could have improved the "Family Guy" optics.

Elsewhere on the optic topic, K-Dog of Md. points out Obama has now tapped John Kerry (white male) for State, Chuck Hagel (white male) for Defense, and Jack Lew (white male) for Treasury. It seems Obama's cabinet also is starting to develop some optics issues.

Then again it could be that Obama has binders full of white men.

Obama had 10 galas when he celebrated his first election, but there is far less enthusiasm this time around. In fact, it won't be long before and Obama will have something in common with Chaz Bono: Two inaugural balls.

hondo@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 07:53:18 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/hondo_knows_the_score_K6wFfk50DlkOMEE3XFj1YI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/hondo_knows_the_score_K6wFfk50DlkOMEE3XFj1YI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports 5.11.919760597 -1 false More Sports

Baltimore at Denver

Mostly cloudy with snow showers, 22, winds 7 mph

Green Bay

at San Francisco

Mostly cloudy with shower possible late in game, 47, winds 4 mph

Seattle at Atlanta

Indoors

Houston at New England

Partly cloudy, 55, winds 5 mph

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 01:32:52 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/football_forecast_4rHmzdpUgkUR8OJdDDWJyH?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/football_forecast_4rHmzdpUgkUR8OJdDDWJyH?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports 5.11.919760491 -1 false By DAVE BLEZOW More Sports

Ray Lewis ran onto the field as the deep back in Victory formation last Sunday, then did his last dance in full view of all the fans in Baltimore he had thrilled for 17 seasons.

Say what you want about Lewis hogging the spotlight after what had been a solid team win for the Ravens over the Colts. He surely deserved those last few seconds of adulation. But in terms of what happens next, it makes you wonder if that was the final bow for Lewis and these 2012 Ravens.

Their degree of difficulty climbs dramatically when they take on the Broncos in Denver tomorrow. Instead of facing rookie phenom Andrew Luck on friendly ground, they have to cross the country to take on legend Peyton Manning, who:

* Threw for 4,659 yards and 37 touchdowns in his first year as a Bronco.

* Directed a 34-17 whipping of the Ravens in Baltimore on Dec. 16, a game that was 31-3 after three quarters.

* Is 9-2 in his career against the Ravens, including 2-0 in the playoffs.

Yes, there are a few reasons to consider taking the Ravens with this hefty spread well north of a touchdown. Lewis did not play in that first meeting, and his return gave a clear boost to a Ravens' defense that gave up 350 yards per game this season. Joe Flacco may look like an Average Joe most of the time, but he is the first quarterback in the Super Bowl era to win a playoff game in each of his first five seasons. In Ray Rice, they have a reliable runner who has had great moments in the postseason.

Still, they don't seem equipped to match scores with Manning, and if the Ravens get behind, Flacco will have to deal with sackmen Von Miller (18.5) and Elvis Dumervil.

The picks: Broncos -9 1/2 and Under 46

Broncos, 30-13

49ERS (-3) over Packers; Under 45: It has been a strange season for the 49ers, who have had some eye-popping wins (Opening day in Green Bay; Dec. 16 in New England; a back-to-back 71-6 dismantling of the Jets and Bills; a 25-point rout of the Bears) but also some head-scratching performances (26-3 loss to the Giants; 0-1-1 record vs. the Rams; 42-13 loss at Seattle with a chance to clinch).

Moreover, the heat's on coach Jim Harbaugh, who Wally Pipp-ed Alex Smith in favor of the hand-picked Colin Kaepernick.

Smith last year had the 49ers in overtime of the NFC Championship Game. They have some huge obstacles to even get back to that point, let alone get to and win a Super Bowl. Clearly this is a gamble that can backfire big time on Harbaugh.

Many are wowed by the fact the Packers come in having won nine of their last 11 with a former Super Bowl winning quarterback who threw 39 touchdown passes and a defense that has gotten its stars healthy. But the Packers had some bad moments, too (the sackfest in the first half of the Fail Mary game in Seattle and the 38-10 loss at the Giants), and the run defense isn't so hot (as Adrian Peterson showed).

The expectation here is the 49ers defense (with 19.5 sackman Aldon Smith, Patrick Willis and Dashon Goldson) will dictate the tempo and they will survive in a tough, ugly game.

49ers, 20-16

SUNDAY

FALCONS (-2 1/2) over Seahawks; Over 46: Seems like the whole world has jumped on the Seattle bandwagon, citing Russell Wilson's amazing play, the notion the Seahawks have the cornerbacks to shut down the Falcons wideouts, and the fact Atlanta hasn't won a playoff game in the Mike Smith/Matt Ryan regime.

Yes, Seattle has outscored its opponents 217-74 on its current six-game winning streak, but also remember the Seahawks were down 14-0 last week before Robert Griffin III re-injured his right knee; they are taking their third cross-country flight in a week, and Ryan is 33-6 lifetime at home including playoffs.

It's easy to fall in love with the Seahawks story and players, but if you have forgotten how good the Falcons are, just ask the Giants.

Falcons 31-21

PATRIOTS (-9 1/2) over Texans; Over 47 1/2: Said here last week the Texans look like a team that peaked too early and their lackluster first-round win over the Bengals didn't change that opinion.

They will do better than the 42-14 massacre the Patriots put on them on Dec. 10 in Foxborough without Rob Gronkowski, a game the Texans entered with an 11-1 record, but not enough to warrant a pick against Tom Brady and Bill Belichick here.

Patriots 34-17

LAST WEEK: 1-3 game selections, 2-2 Over/Under

LOCK OF THE WEEK: Patriots (Locks 7-11 in 2012).

dblezow@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 04:02:39 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/pey_day_in_denver_Yhu2QYxsfzGAnq8iJnNYKP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/pey_day_in_denver_Yhu2QYxsfzGAnq8iJnNYKP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports 5.11.919760298 dave_blezow.png true By LEONARD GREENE With Post Wire Services National

And the nomination for snarkiest Academy Awards host goes to . . . Seth MacFarlane.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences can't say it hasn't been warned after MacFarlane dropped a few jaws with off-color jokes about Adolf Hitler and producer Harvey Weinstein.

The academy made the rare choice this year of having the host also announce the Oscar nominees, giving viewers a preview of the Feb. 24 show.

After announcing the Best Supporting Actress nominees — Sally Field, Anne Hathaway, Helen Hunt, Amy Adams and Jacki Weaver — MacFarlane joked about film heavyweight Weinstein.

"Congratulations," MacFarlane said. "You five ladies no longer have to pretend to be attracted to Harvey Weinstein."

After MacFarlane and actress Emma Stone unveiled the foreign-language film nominees, MacFarlane said, "I read 'Amour' was co-produced in Austria and Germany, right? The last time Austria got together and co-produced something it was Hitler, but this is much better."

MacFarlane also received a nomination — an original-song nod from his movie "Ted" — and quipped it will get him a free pass to the ceremony, which, of course, he is already scheduled to host.

As for the festivities, "Lincoln" grabbed a leading 12 nominations, including Best Picture and Director (Steven Spielberg), as well as acting nods for Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones.

"Life of Pi" was second, with 11 nominations, ahead of "Zero Dark Thirty" and "Les Misérables," which had been considered front-runners before yesterday's announcement.

leonard.greene@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 09:39:23 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/jokester_seth_the_host_with_the_E9vZU7XyFdGu0th9smkZwO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=National http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/jokester_seth_the_host_with_the_E9vZU7XyFdGu0th9smkZwO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=National 5.11.919760097 -1 false More Sports

The lineBRIANCOSTELLOSTEVESERBYMARKCANNIZZAROPAULSCHWARTZDREWLOFTISJUSTINTERRANOVAMS.CHARLEENBARTHUBBUCHRICOBRONCOS 9 1/2 Ravens (Tom., 4:30, CBS)BroncosRavensRavensBroncosRavensBroncosBroncosBroncosBroncosOver/Under (46)OverUnderUnderUnderOverOverUnderOverUnder49ERS 3 Packers (8:00, Fox)PackersPackers49ersPackersPackers49ersPackers49ers49ersOver/Under (45)UnderOverUnderUnderOverOverOverOverOverFALCONS 2 1/2 Seahawks (Sun., 1:00, Fox)FalconsFalconsSeahawksFalconsSeahawksFalconsFalconsSeahawksSeahawksOver/Under (46)OverOverUnderOverUnderUnderUnderUnderUnderPATRIOTS 9 1/2 Texans (4:30, CBS)PatriotsPatriotsPatriotsPatriotsPatriotsTexansPatriotsPatriotsPatriotsOver/Under (47 1/2)OverUnderUnderOverOverUnderUnderOverOver

Home Team in CAPS

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 24:45:15 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/sunday_best_2a7Wi2hUl05qKdveCqWqjO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= More Sports http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/sunday_best_2a7Wi2hUl05qKdveCqWqjO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= More Sports 5.11.919759991 -1 false Associated Press More Sports

A person familiar with the decision says the Cleveland Browns have hired Carolina offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski as their new coach.

Chudzinski will become the Browns' sixth full-time coach since 1999, said the person who spoke to the Associated Press last night on the condition of anonymity because the team has not yet announced the hiring. Chudzinski, 44, has spent the past two seasons with the Panthers. He also has had two stints with the Browns as an assistant coach.

The Browns have been searching for a coach since firing Pat Shurmur on Dec. 31 after a 5-11 season.

JAGUARS: Jacksonville fired coach Mike Mularkey after just one 2-14 season, the worst in franchise history.

New general manager David Caldwell made the announcement two days after he was hired, giving him a clean slate heading into 2013. Caldwell said he wants to immediately explore every avenue possible to turn the Jaguars around.

49ERS:David Akers is keeping his job as San Francisco's starting kicker.

Jim Harbaugh made the announcement after practice, two days ahead of the San Francisco's NFC divisional playoff game against the Packers.

EAGLES:Lovie Smith interviewed with the Eagles as the team continued its search to replace Andy Reid, who was fired after a 4-12 finish.

Smith is the seventh candidate to meet with owner Jeffrey Lurie, general manager Howie Roseman and president Don Smolenski. The Eagles haven't announced who they plan to interview next, but they received permission to speak to three assistant coaches.

CARDINALS: Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden is the latest to interview for the vacant head coaching job with Arizona.

Gruden, younger brother of former Oakland and Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden, said his interview with the Cardinals was his first for a head-coaching job with any NFL team.

STEELERS: Rookie running back Chris Rainey has run out of chances with the Pittsburgh.

The Steelers cut the troubled 24-year-old following his arrest on a battery charge in Gainesville, Fla., the latest in a series of off-the-field incidents that have threatened his career.

VIKINGS: Minnesota linebacker Chad Greenway has been added to the NFC Pro Bowl team as an injury replacement for DeMarcus Ware of the Cowboys.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 01:04:53 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/source_browns_hire_chudzinski_ETM4d2zXXFSgaP1GbdVyEO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/source_browns_hire_chudzinski_ETM4d2zXXFSgaP1GbdVyEO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports 5.11.919759977 -1 false By PAUL SCHWARTZ Giants

If there is any downside to winning two Super Bowls in a five-year span, it's the price for success. Keeping the team together and continuity are more valued and as a result, players get rewarded for being part of the fun.

Given the money the Giants had to distribute, they are not in terrible shape when it comes to gearing up for the 2013 season, but at the moment, they are $4.7 million over the projected salary cap, according to ESPN. It means the Giants have plenty of work to do in the coming months, especially because they have 22 of their own free agents to consider.

It is going to cost to secure Victor Cruz, who probably is looking for a contract that will pay him in the high-rent neighborhood of $10 million per season. There's also got to be money set aside to re-sign their left tackle, Will Beatty, who is coming off a solid season at a position where young talent gets big bucks.

The Giants also will consider their other free agents which include guard Kevin Boothe, tight end Martellus Bennett, safety Stevie Brown and kicker Lawrence Tynes.

There's little doubt a few contracts are going to have to be adjusted and it will not be surprising if a pricey veteran or two gets cut.

Linebacker Michael Boley is scheduled to make $4.25 million in 2013 and he is coming off a so-so season in which he saw his playing time diminish in the last few weeks. Defensive end Justin Tuck ($4.5 million) did not have a strong season, but he's entering the last year on his contract and is expected to be back. Because of coach Tom Coughlin's desire to have two or three capable running backs, it is doubtful Ahmad Bradshaw ($3.75 million) is in any danger.

Atop the list of players likely to be asked to accept a salary adjustment is cornerback Corey Webster, who has one year at $7 million left on his deal and is coming off a sub-par season. Other contracts that might have to be adjusted in order to save precious salary cap space include defensive tackle Chris Canty ($6.25 million), guard Chris Snee ($6.45 million), center David Baas ($4.25 million) and maybe safety Antrel Rolle, who has two years and $14 million left on his contract.

Elsewhere in the NFC East, the Cowboys ($18.2 million over the cap) are in the worst shape and the Eagles ($5.2 million under) are in the best shape. The Redskins are $4 million over the cap.

paul.schwartz@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 04:08:26 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/giants/giant_calls_to_come_on_own_free_oFMgjT8yUhixULdbqFme4N?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Giants http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/giants/giant_calls_to_come_on_own_free_oFMgjT8yUhixULdbqFme4N?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Giants 5.11.919759954 -1 false By BRUCE GOLDING Bronx

All it was missing was an ejector seat — to jail.

A brazen band of robbers who allegedly posed as cops to rip off drug dealers got busted in The Bronx with a fake unmarked police car sporting a "James Bond"-style device to hide its license plate.

The Ford Crown Victoria, which also has low-profile flashing lights, has a special button that lets the driver activate a retractable piece of steel to cover its rear plate, a source told The Post.

The car was among a huge stash of phony law-enforcement gear seized during the take-down, including a police badge, four shirts emblazoned with the word "POLICE," two tactical vests like cops wear, a set of metal handcuffs and multiple plastic zip-tie handcuffs, a hydraulic battering ram and a "rabbit pump" that cops used to break down doors.

The haul of dozens of items, which also included six loaded handguns, is believed to be the largest of its kind ever recovered from a theft crew of fake cops.

Manhattan DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian Crowell called the crooks "extremely violent, armed and sophisticated," saying they "tried to conceal themselves as cops to rob, steal and plunder.

"They were the drug world's version of a James Bond-style robbery crew," Crowell added.

"This is yet another investigation epitomizing the extreme violence that surrounds drug trafficking and I commend the men and women of our task force from the NYPD, the New York State Police and the DEA for steadfastly wading into harm's way to protect our citizens."

A source told The Post the DEA is investigating whether a New Jersey cop is tied to those arrested. Court papers say 16 ring members were nabbed Tuesday night following a sting operation in which a confidential informant duped alleged ringleader Javion Camacho, 26, into thinking they could intercept and steal a massive shipment of heroin.

During a Dec. 17 meeting in a Manhattan restaurant, Camacho, a reputed Latin Kings member from New Jersey known as "King Kong," told the informant he had a "crew of police impersonators who would be able to carry out the robbery," according to the Manhattan federal-court complaint.

During another meeting at the restaurant on Jan. 2, the informant said the drug shipment could total 40 kilos, prompting Camacho's older brother, Julio -- also a reputed Latin King known as "King Honesty" -- to allegedly remark that they could "take over Jersey City" with that much heroin.

Julio, 27, also asked the informant if it was OK if the intended robbery victims "got 'laid out'"-- meaning killed -- the complaint says.

On Tuesday night, Javion allegedly told the informant "that there was a police officer on the robbery crew in case they needed to shoot someone," but the feds said none of those arrested were actually cops.

After he was arrested, Javion -- who in 2007 was convicted on a reduced charge in the fatal shooting of his cousin -- admitted he had been caught "red-handed," court papers say.

bruce.golding@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 11:34:41 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/bronx/bronx_drug_world_8NLmKv1O0dMWWopRx7Ik2L?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Bronx http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/bronx/bronx_drug_world_8NLmKv1O0dMWWopRx7Ik2L?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Bronx 5.11.919759818 -1 false By BRETT CYRGALIS Islanders

Brad Boyes hasn't had an in-depth conversation with anyone in the Islanders organization yet, but he is still fully aware of why he is here.

Boyes is trying to rediscover a player who hasn't been seen in almost five years, one who knows how to score goals and is willing to do what it takes to get them. That's the player general manager Garth Snow hoped he would be getting — at least in some part — when he signed the 30-year-old winger to a one-year, $1 million deal this offseason.

"I know I've slid a little bit," Boyes said Thursday, his first day on Long Island skating with 10 other teammates at IceWorks in Syosset. "[The goal is] getting back to those days of feeling good, not thinking about anything, just going and having fun."

The Islanders are expected to open training camp with physicals Sunday and then begin skating Monday, all dependent on the Players' Association ratifying the new collective bargaining agreement by tomorrow. And when the team does start up, Boyes will be leaned on not just for a touch of veteran leadership, but for a scoring touch that seems to have disappeared.

"I know what I do well and what I don't," Boyes said. "Offense is something that has always been part of my game. I have to get back to that to help here."

In the 2007-08 season, while playing for the Blues, Boyes established himself as a serious scoring threat, tying for fifth in the league with 43 goals. Behind him on that list were some of the superstars of the game — Marian Gaborik, Rick Nash and Jason Spezza.

But instead of excelling like those players, Boyes signed a four-year, $16 million contract and wilted. He scored 33 goals the following season, but then had seasons of 14 goals, 17 (combined between the Blues and the Sabres, to whom he was traded mid-season) and eventually eight last year, when he missed 15 games with injury.

The final two games of the season, with the Sabres' playoff hopes on the line, he was a healthy scratch.

"Just to be involved and be consistent," Boyes said of what he wants out of this season. "I think that is something that's important, to be consistent and be relied upon."

Boyes' unceremonious end in Buffalo also finished off his streak of 513 consecutive games played, setting him up for a summer of free agency — coupled with the almost-four-month lockout — with few probable suitors and a lot to prove.

Snow signed him quickly on July 1, seeing a situation that was low-risk, high-reward. Boyes skated during the lockout with other NHL players outside of Toronto, and appears determined to shed the label of a player who doesn't go to the dirty areas of the ice and shies away from contact.

In getting a chance with the Islanders, a team that finished third-to-last in the league with 2.43 goals per game, Boyes will be leaned on for a scoring punch.

When asked if he thinks he was brought in by the Islanders to score goals, Boyes said, "I hope they did."

"I hope they didn't bring me here to block shots and chip the puck in," he added. "Then it might be a long year."

bcyrgalis@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 12:39:03 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/islanders/isles_hope_boyes_rediscovers_his_UlRa2e3hCslRJ5XuiFhR0L?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Islanders http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/islanders/isles_hope_boyes_rediscovers_his_UlRa2e3hCslRJ5XuiFhR0L?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Islanders 5.11.919369822 -1 false By GERRY SHIELDS National

WASHINGTON — President Obama nominated his chief of staff, Jacob "Jack" Lew, for treasury secretary yesterday, immediately throwing him into the front line of federal budget wars with congressional Republicans if confirmed.

Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) blasted the nomination, pointing to congressional testimony in which Lew, Obama's former budget director, said the 2011 budget would not add to the national debt.

Lew will face tough sledding during his confirmation hearings before the Senate Budget Committee.

"Jack Lew must never be secretary of the treasury," Sessions, the lead Republican on the panel, said in a statement.

Lew, a Queens native, is a veteran of budget battles, having served as a staffer to former House Speaker Tip O'Neill, who negotiated a rescue of Social Security with then-President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 24:39:26 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/budget_brawl_looms_for_lew_A1imNhIvRGTCgx7GSJ0rOI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=National http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/budget_brawl_looms_for_lew_A1imNhIvRGTCgx7GSJ0rOI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=National 5.11.919369716 -1 false Associated Press Golf

Scott Langley made a rookie debut on the PGA Tour he won't soon forget.

Russell Henley wasn't too shabby, either.

Langley thrived on a penetrating ball flight and a pure putting stroke Thursday for an 8-under 62, giving him a one-shot lead over Henley in the Sony Open in Honolulu.

Henley played in the same group with Langley, and they put on a remarkable show along the back nine at Waialae Country Club. Henley made five birdies on the back nine, but couldn't keep up at the end when he misplayed a chip on the par-5 18th.

Langley, a former NCAA champion from Illinois, played bogey-free and made a couple of long putts — including a 55-footer for eagle on No. 9.

Scott Piercy and Tim Clark were at 6-under par after a pair of 64s.

VOLVO CHAMPIONS

Thongchai Jaidee shot a 7-under 65 to take a three-stroke lead on the opening day of the Volvo Champions in Durban, South Africa.

Thongchai birdied six of his first 10 holes to end the day three shots ahead of two of South Africa's major winners, Ernie Els and Louis Oosthuizen.

Els, a two-time South African Open winner on the same Durban Country Club course, showed his fondness for the layout on the Indian Ocean shoreline with birdies on his first three holes.

Then he double-bogeyed the fourth and finished with a 4-under 68. Oosthuizen finished with three birdies in his 68.

Retief Goosen, who lost in a playoff a year ago, returned to competition after a five-month layoff following back surgery to shoot an even-par 72.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 03:49:51 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/golf/langley_leads_sony_open_qoVoJvRb1LwsPPBXEUzu4H?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Golf http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/golf/langley_leads_sony_open_qoVoJvRb1LwsPPBXEUzu4H?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Golf 5.11.919369702 -1 false TV Fri, 11 Jan 2013 24:38:59 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/tv/who_zooming_who_41oU5YtdyAaIhJuBtzIpiP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=TV http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/tv/who_zooming_who_41oU5YtdyAaIhJuBtzIpiP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=TV 5.11.919369684 -1 false By ANTHONY SULLA-HEFFINGER More Sports

A rare baseball card from 1865 of a Brooklyn baseball team is expected to fetch at least six-figures when it goes up for auction next month.

The 148-year-old card, which features the Brooklyn Atlantics amateur baseball club, was discovered by a man while he was searching for antiques at a yard sale in Maine near the Canadian border.

According to Troy Thibodeau, who works at Saco River Auction Co. in Biddeford, Maine, the card is just one of two in existence and should draw bids of at least $100,000 when it is put on the block on Feb. 6, but it is impossible to put an accurate price tag on it.

"There hasn't been another one that's sold," Thibodeau told the Associated Press. "When there are only two known in the world, what's it worth?"

The same auction house sold a Michael "King" Kelly baseball card from 1888 last summer for $72,000.

The rare item differs from the standard format for baseball cards that was implemented in the 1880's and features nine members of the Atlantics team and its manager. The actual card is an original photograph of the team mounted on a card.

The seller, whose name was withheld for privacy purposes, happened to find the card by chance after he purchased a photo album, several old Coke bottles and a couple of oak chairs for under $100 at the yard sale. The card was found inside the photo album and the man mailed it to Saco River Auction.

The only other known copy of the card is owned by the Library of Congress, which has it on display in its book "Baseball Americana" and identifies it as the first dated baseball card. The cards were handed out to supporters of the Atlantics and, in a bold move by the team, to its opponents.

Sportscard Guaranty LLC has authenticated the card, but it is not the rarest one in existence.

A Casey Stengel card that was part of a 1923 promotional set of 30 cards, including Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb, holds that honor. There was only one Stengel card produced and it currently sits in Cooperstown at the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

asulla-heffinger@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 03:03:53 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/take_that_topps_6KWKnWwEmT9jLAyGxBgSVP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/take_that_topps_6KWKnWwEmT9jLAyGxBgSVP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports 5.11.919369615 -1 false By S.A. MILLER Post Correspondent National

WASHINGTON — President Obama's gun-control plan is almost ready to aim and fire.

Vice President Joe Biden yesterday promised he would finish proposals for tough new gun laws by Tuesday, and said they likely will include expanded background checks on firearms buyers and a ban on high-capacity ammunition clips.

Biden provided a glimpse of the plan as he prepared to meet with the National Rifle Association.

After the White House meeting, the NRA blasted what it described as the administration's attempt to trample the Constitution's Second Amendment, which provides the right to bear arms.

"We were disappointed with how little this meeting had to do with keeping our children safe and how much it had to do with an agenda to attack the Second Amendment," the NRA said in a statement.

Biden, who is spearheading Obama's push for more firearms restrictions in response to last month's shooting massacre at a Connecticut school, suggested the proposals would include "universal background checks."

Meanwhile, Gov. Cuomo vowed to push forward with state gun control as the NRA and several Republican lawmakers yesterday accused him of trouncing the constitutional rights of gun owners.

But Albany insiders say any attempts to block gun control won't succeed, with a deal possible as early as Monday.

Additional reporting by Erik Kriss and Carl Campanile

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 04:33:05 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/biden_aims_for_gun_control_plan_szSu6BIfratDwqT0yEyUOP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=National http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/biden_aims_for_gun_control_plan_szSu6BIfratDwqT0yEyUOP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=National 5.11.919369509 -1 false By REUVEN FENTON, REBECCA ROSENBERG and DAN MANGAN Manhattan

A Wall Street trader and father of two was the most severely injured passenger in a Seastreak ferry's terrifying crash into a lower Manhattan dock.

"He's in bad shape over there, but he's getting better," said Donald Urbanowicz, whose son, John, 39, remained in critical condition from Wednesday's collision, which sent him and others flying across the deck.

"A ventilator's on him. From what had happened until now, he hasn't been awake. He's been knocked out and he's still knocked out," said Donald of his son, who's at New York Hospital with a head injury. "They did a couple of surgeries on him."

Donald told The Post, "The response team was fantastic. They got him to the hospital fairly quick."

John Urbanowicz, of Red Bank, NJ, works as a trader on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange for Barclays.

He was one of 93 people hurt when the 141-foot Seastreak Wall Street slammed into the dock at Pier 11 at the South Street Seaport at 8:41 a.m.

Federal investigators said the vessel, whose trip had originated at Highlands, NJ, crashed seconds after veteran Seastreak Capt. Jason "Jay" Reimer was unable to put the boat into reverse for docking.

"The captain reported that the vessel would not respond to his reverse-thrust commands as anticipated," said National Transportation Safety Board member Robert Sumwalt.

"He described this as happening very fast and somewhere during the sequence he reported that both diesel engines shut off."

Sumwalt described Reimer and the first mate as "shaken and very concerned about the accident." Sumwalt added, "They've been very forthright and cooperative with our investigators."

Authorities believe that John Urbanowicz either was tossed down a staircase on the catamaran or into a glass door by the crash, which occurred with 326 passengers aboard.

Red Bank neighbor Theresa Yurik, 27, called sports-fan Urbanowicz "very outgoing, a great dad" to his two kids, Stella and Charlie, with whom he lives with wife Janet.

"Very active with the kids. Very helpful. When he comes home, it doesn't matter when, he's with the children. He does a lot around the house," Yurik said.

"It's unfortunate that this happened to him. He was at the wrong place at the wrong time. I hope he's OK."

Sumwalt, of the NTSB, said investigators will travel today to New Jersey to test the control systems of the damaged ferry and to question other crew members.

He said investigators want to know whether any crew members had reported problems with the Seastreak Wall Street after it was overhauled last summer, when its water-jet propulsion system was replaced by a propeller propulsion system to save fuel.

Additional reporting by Georgett Roberts and Frank Rosario

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 08:09:29 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/ferry_dad_placed_on_ventilator_6mouYohiG4zQp1proYIymO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Manhattan http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/ferry_dad_placed_on_ventilator_6mouYohiG4zQp1proYIymO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Manhattan 5.11.919369495 -1 false By JAMIE SCHRAM Local

He jumped from the Bronx Zoo monorail into a tiger's den, and has been lapping up the attention ever since.

"This is a good thing that happened; maybe I can make some money, write a book," jumper David Villalobos told workout buddies yesterday at the Westchester gym where he's doing physical therapy after his Sept. 21 leap into a tiger enclosure at the zoo.

Villalobos, due in Bronx Criminal Court today on trespassing charges, admitted he was worried about losing his real-estate license because of the stunt, said a source at the Club Fit gym in Jefferson Valley.

But he was also bragging, saying that the media won't stop calling him, according to a source, adding, "He said he gets calls from people all over the world."

He doesn't remember much about the attack, but seemed pleased that cops and hospital personnel referred to him as "Tarzan," said a source.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 05:29:15 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/tiger_buy_the_tale_QzN2b0ThfFjbEQbXruGtmN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/tiger_buy_the_tale_QzN2b0ThfFjbEQbXruGtmN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.919369472 -1 false By MARC RAIMONDI More Sports

Being Tiger Woods apparently isn't as valuable as it used to be.

A European PGA Tour event official said yesterday Woods was "not worth" his $3 million appearance fee on the same day Tiger announced he will make his U.S. PGA Tour debut in two weeks at California's Torrey Pines golf course, according to Bloomberg.

Qatar Golf Association president Hassan al Nuaimi said paying Woods' appearance fee didn't make sense considering the prize money for his event, the Qatar Masters, is less than the golfer's asking price.

"Tiger Woods demands $3 million just for an appearance if he were to compete in the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters, which is not worth paying for a tournament of $2.5 million prize money," al Nuaimi told Doha News.

Wood's agent Mark Steinberg told Bloomberg Tiger was "never contemplating Qatar."

Woods is playing in next week's HSBC Golf Championship in Abu Dhabi and was invited to play at the Qatar Masters for the first time. Appearance fees are banned in the U.S., but allowed at European Tour events.

Wood finished third in last year's Abu Dhabi tournament, two shots behind winner Robert Rock.

The Qatar quotes come just one month after a resort owner at the Australian PGA said he didn't want Woods at his event because he's "an emotional wreck" and "not a good example for kids."

The Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines runs Jan. 24-27, while the Qatar event goes from Jan. 23-26. Woods, the third-ranked player in the world, has won the PGA Tour event at Torrey Pines six times.

Woods, 37, captured the U.S. Open at the La Jolla, Calif. course in 2008, defeating Rocco Mediate in a 19-hole playoff for his 14th and most recent major.

mraimondi@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 01:00:55 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/qatar_golf_prez_tiger_not_worth_w7h2P9DKTrxeWJVhJG37JN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/qatar_golf_prez_tiger_not_worth_w7h2P9DKTrxeWJVhJG37JN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports 5.11.919369366 -1 false By JESSICA SIMEONE and LEONARD GREENE Local

She remembers every story about her slain cop dad, each tale of sacrifice and support.

They're what make her want to wear the badge.

"I was 9 when he died," Katrina Narvaez says, the childhood memory seared in her soul.

Narvaez, now 25, says "died," as if her dad, an NYPD lieutenant, had a heart attack. But Federico Narvaez was murdered.

He was shot in the face, killed in the line of duty 16 years ago while helping a woman in Brooklyn who was being harassed by a menacing stalker.

"I don't remember seeing him as a police officer," says Narvaez, who was introduced yesterday with a new class of academy recruits.

"He was just my dad. It's more about the stories that they told about him, how he would support them. I just wanted to be like him. They always told stories. That one time or two he helped them or backed them up."

Like the time a couple of officers stopped a suspect, and the lieutenant had to set them straight.

Narvaez's father pulled the officers aside and asked them if they had remembered to search the suspect. They hadn't. It turned out he had a gun. He may have saved all their lives that day.

"I just hear so many stories, because I know a lot of cops," Narvaez says.

"So I just hear so many nice things. It seems like the good times outweigh the bad, and I am really looking forward to that. I'm just looking forward to being a part of something."

But first, she had to win her mother over.

"Basically, she was very worried," Narvaez says. "Once I told her it was what I want, she got on board."

Narvaez's father was gunned down on East 17th Street by Harvey Richardson, 61, a career criminal, after a woman flagged down the cop's car begging for help.

Minutes later, the gunman was killed in a wild shootout with police in the lobby of an apartment building a block away.

"I can't tell you how much I admire your bravery and your willingness to serve," Mayor Bloomberg told her at the ceremony.

"As the father of two daughters, I can tell you I know your father is looking down right now and he's so proud of you."

Narvaez says she feels her father's presence and cherishes her fondest memory of him.

"We went to Coney Island one day and just spent the whole day at the aquarium and we went on the Cyclone," she recalls.

"It was my first roller coaster.I had never been on one and he bought me a little stuffed dolphin and it fell off the roller coaster. But he was so nice. He went back and got me a new one. I still have it."

Narvaez says she would like to wear the badge number her father, a 16-year veteran, wore before he became a lieutenant. In the meantime, she has the stories to keep him close to her heart.

"Every year, we go to the [70th] Precinct on the anniversary of his death," Narvaez says, "They have a ceremony at the precinct, usually during roll call. They review what happened. They tell the story about how he went, how he was shot.

"They have a priest, Father Perry. He always says a prayer. It's really nice to know that he wasn't forgotten. It's not just like he gave his life and that was it."

Additional reporting by David Seifman

jsimeone@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 05:16:06 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/slain_cop_girl_to_don_nypd_blue_IRsBZEkLunoJPe5ZUtYxoJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/slain_cop_girl_to_don_nypd_blue_IRsBZEkLunoJPe5ZUtYxoJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.919369336 -1 false Horse Racing

FIRST: mile trot; $12,500; Super Bowl

8WherToHnovr(DMllr)2.402.102.107La Hollywood (E Carlson)10.605.209Church St Boom R (Y Gingras)3.60

* Exacta (8-7) $26.80 * Trifecta (8-7-9) $90.60Winner picked by Bill Smith

SECOND: mile trot; $12,500; Super Bowl

7JoyeuxDrem(TTetrck)4.603.602.808ForGoodnessLindy(CManz)24.4011.204Swiss Lightning (D Miller)4.20

* Exacta (7-8) $87.60 * Trifecta (7-8-4) $344.80 * Daily double (8-7) $7.60Scr: Swinging Nadine.

THIRD: mile pace; $9,500; cond

3Wilcox (Y Gingras)5.202.602.404I Do Hanover (A Miller)17.209.402Tonights The Night (J Meittinis)5.40

* Exacta (3-4) $89.40 * Trifecta (3-4-2) $501.00

Winner picked by Bill Smith

FOURTH: mile trot; $12,500; Super Bowl

1Helios (A Miller)5.203.002.606NoLessThanMagic(DMiller)3.603.205Morey (T Tetrick)3.20

* Exacta (1-6) $17.80 * Trifecta (1-6-5) $64.60 * 10 Cent superfecta (1-6-5-7) $11.01 * Pick 3 (7-3-1) $38.50Winner picked by Bill Smith

FIFTH: mile trot; $10,000; cond

9Grey Ice (Y Gingras)32.2015.606.606The TripleLindy(JCampbell)7.403.805Cameron Chip (J Meittinis)2.60

* Exacta (9-6) $203.00 * Trifecta (9-6-5) $802.20 * 10 Cent superfecta (9-6-5-1) $151.35 * 50 Cent pick 5 (8-1,7-3-1-9 4 of 5) $4.05 * 50 Cent pick 5 (8-1,7-3-1-9 5 of 5) $306.25

SIXTH: mile pace; $8,500; claiming

8Get It Now (A Miller)5.003.002.603Cane Ridge (Y Gingras)4.203.006Beau Rivage N (E Abbatiello)3.40

* Exacta (8-3) $20.20 * Trifecta (8-3-6) $84.00 * 10 Cent superfecta (8-3-6-5) $16.70 * Pick 3 (1-9-8) $219.50 * Early pick 4 (3-1-9-8) $366.30

SEVENTH: mile pace; $10,000; cond

5AutumnMagc(DMller)5.204.003.006Marie's Z Tam (PLachance)11.004.809Cruise Queen (Y Gingras)3.40

* Exacta (5-6) $51.60 * Trifecta (5-6-9) $266.40 * Pick 3 (9-8-5) $160.90Scr: Summer Hope.Winner picked by Bill Smith

EIGHTH: mile pace; $8,000; cond

2GetJzzed(JBongorno)15.607.004.401Taxed (M MacDonald)8.205.208Sky Tantrum (T Tetrick)3.60

* Exacta (2-1) $92.20 * Trifecta (2-1-8) $431.60 * 10 Cent superfecta (2-1-8-4) $345.92 * Pick 3 (8-5-2) $79.80

NINTH: mile trot; $12,500; Super Bowl

5Wisenheimer(DMller)3.002.402.408Take It To Nine (JCampbell)4.203.009Majestic Stone (T Tetrick)3.40

* Exacta (5-8) $15.00 * Trifecta (5-8-9) $53.60 * 10 Cent superfecta (5-8-9-6) $11.03Winner picked by Bill Smith

TENTH: mile pace; $8,800; cond

4Lzze'sDrem(TTetrck)4.202.802.6011Joyful Years (E Carlson)13.207.806Carolstern (D Miller)4.00

* Exacta (4-11) $113.00 * Trifecta (4-11-6) $714.80 * 10 Cent superfecta (4-11-6-8) $413.47 * Late double (5-4) $8.00 * Pick 3 (2-5-4) $43.40 * Late pick 4 (5-2-5-4) $170.50

Attendance-1,592. Total Handle-$1,837,170.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 24:33:30 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/meadowlands_results_SgdliNbC3jLE93kzzvwSjJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/meadowlands_results_SgdliNbC3jLE93kzzvwSjJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing 5.11.918835429 -1 false Horse Racing

FIRST-6 fur; $32,500; alw; 3YO

1 Prima Zip (Lopez) 11.80 5.20 6.40 3 Defend (Monterrey,Jr.) 7.00 11.40 7 Song Forever (Zayas) 20.40

Scr: Gold Mate.

* Exacta (1-3) $77.40 * $1 Superfecta (1-3-7-2) $1,376.20 * $1 Trifecta (1-3-7) $414.30

SECOND-6 fur; $17,500; clm($12,500); 4up

11 Arthur (Saez) 4.60 3.00 2.20 8 Lakota Brave (Pizarro) 7.00 4.00 2 Miura (Trujillo) 2.60

* Double (1-11) $37.80 * Exacta (11-8) $39.80 * $1 Trifecta (11-8-2) $52.40

Winner picked by DaSilva

THIRD-1m(T); $30,700; clm($30,000); 4up

4 Top Strkr (RoccJr.) 6.40 3.40 2.80 7 Aussi Austn (Castellano) 3.00 2.40 6 All for the Trip (Rosario) 4.20

Scr: Redwood Man, Dan and Sheila, Managed Account, Sinorice, Reflejo.

* Double (11-4) $18.20 * Exacta (4-7) $21.00 * $1 Trifecta (4-7-6) $82.50

Double picked by DaSilva

FOURTH-1 mile; $18,750; clm($6,250); 4up

3 Strshp Cut (Snchz) 4.40 2.60 2.20 4 Temple Lion (Bocachica) 3.00 2.40 1 Sacred Desire (Monterrey,Jr.) 3.20

Scr: Bob's Jawbreaker.

* Double (4-3) $18.80 * Exacta (3-4) $12.00 * $1 Trifecta (3-4-1) $15.60

FIFTH-1m(T); $32,500; clm($25,000); 3YO

2 Analogy (Sanchez) 9.40 5.40 3.40 7 Dimples (Rocco,Jr.) 12.00 6.40 9 Jesse Can Mambo (Castellno) 3.00

Scr: Vipera.

* Double (3-2) $21.40 * Exacta (2-7) $146.80 * $1 Trifecta (2-7-9) $227.20

Winner picked by DaSilva

SIXTH-1 mile(T); $52,500; mdn; 4up(f)

2 Why Kthrn (Cstlln) 13.60 5.80 3.80 1 Spring Reason (Rosario) 3.80 2.40 7 Flower Mart (Lezcano) 2.40

Scr: Unbridled Ella, Mine Own.

* Double (2-2) $88.00 * Exacta (2-1) $48.60 * $1 Trifecta (2-1-7) $51.80

SEVENTH-6 fur; $52,500; mdn; 3YO

7 Integrty (Cstellno) 7.40 4.00 3.20 3 Jagger M (Husbands) 5.80 4.00 4 Ruffalex (Rosario) 4.40

Scr: Tiz for Tat.

* Double (2-7) $58.00 * Exacta (7-3) $54.60 * $1 Trifecta (7-3-4) $111.40

EIGHTH-6 fur; $54,500; alw; 4up(f)

2 Magcl Ct (Torres) 24.00 11.40 9.00 3 Lotta Distinction (Jara) 5.00 4.80 8 City Trip (Sanchez) 8.40

Scr: Backstage Magic.

* Double (7-2) $88.80 * Exacta (2-3) $146.00 * $1 Trifecta (2-3-8) $409.60

NINTH-5 fur(T); $54,500; alw; 4up

4 Tz n Court (Santn) 8.20 4.00 2.80 2 The Chll Zon (MontrryJr.) 25.00 9.00 5 Ari's Pride (Torres) 2.80

Scr: Exfactor, Strike the Tiger.

* Double (2-4) $135.20 * Exacta (4-2) $170.40 * $1 Trifecta (4-2-5) $268.20

TENTH-6 fur; $18,750; clm($6,250); 4up

12 Strshp Vlr (Cstlln) 3.80 3.00 2.80 5 Thsonesforruthe (Snchz) 18.80 11.60 4 Personal Good (Santana) 17.00

Scr: FiveAfternoons,TiznowMytime,NmoLndn.

* $1 Trifecta (12-5-4) $873.40 * Double (4-12) $18.00 * Exacta (12-5) $95.20

Winner picked by DaSilva

Attendance 1,965. Track Handle $468,610.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 24:33:20 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/gulfstream_results_SkPh89ZmxACvXnNGuv5YYJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/gulfstream_results_SkPh89ZmxACvXnNGuv5YYJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing 5.11.918835415 -1 false By JOHN DASILVA Horse Racing

Post Time: 12:45 p.m.

FIRST-1 mile; $23,750; clm($25,000); 4up

UNBRIDLED ELLA third going shorter in last start on dirt. MINE OWN drops in class after finishing fourth. NAHEELAH goes turf to dirt.

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3Odds1 TwistinStorm(L)123JSnchz4-6-66-12 Naheelah(L),123LNelsn5-10-48-13 Deb's Trip(L),123L Saez6-3-44-14 UnbridledElla(L)123FMysnt3-3-33-15 WesternCharmL121PMntrJ8-7-x20-16 GenerationsY(L)114EZayas6-10-430-17 SouthernHghtsL123JCstlln6-4-x5-28 Mine Own(L),123E Prado4-7-74-1

SECOND-1 mile; $17,500; clm($12,500); 3YO

CLASSY AND SERENE adds blinkers after being placed second last out. CAPTIVAS CALLING chased the pace and tired this level. WINDSOR GARDEN finished second then disqualified.

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3Odds1 JohannesboomL122L Saez8-6-95-12 RepentlessLdyL122JSnchz9-x-x6-13 WindsorGardnL117JChamf4-7-43-14 ClassyandSernL122ETrujill2-3-24-15 CaptivasCallngL122JDelgd6-2-28-16 Wheelmyway(L)122LNelsn8-x-x12-17 Vaz Hope(L),122OMlngs8-6-630-18 AlexandraNtlnL122J Rios9-8-x10-19 Blondie Jo(L),122PLopez4-3-78-110 D' Time(L),115EZayas5-7-620-111 FormalRuckus(L122J Kenny10-7-515-1

THIRD-6 1/2 fur; $22,500; clm($10,000); 4up

SAPPHIRE COUNTY drops in class after winning while going longer at Tampa Bay. LORD CHELSIE finished first then disqualified and placed third. BURNING MANDATE second as favorite versus cheaper and was claimed.

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3Odds1 StormCldsAhdL119J Rios3-5-110-12 Jordan'sImageL119JRoccJr3-5-715-13 Don Misil(L),119LPanici4-4-66-14 Cover Price(L),119CLaneri2-6-14-15 BurningMandtL119OBcchc2-1-38-16 Lord Chelsie(L),119DCohn3-6-56-17 SapphireContyL123JCstlln1-3-35-18 BarbarosRevngL123ETrujill1-3-33-19 LongerTrmsDgL119F Jara1-1-48-1

FOURTH-6 1/2 fur; $17,500; clm($10,0); 4up

STARSHIP TACTICAL goes turf to dirt and returns to sprint. PYRITE MOON chased the pace and tired last out. JEREZANA drew rail.

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3Odds1 Jerezana(L),121LCntrrs2-7-312-12 TheRightButtnL121G Bain4-8-520-13 StarshipGalctcL114EZayas4-7-115-14 StarshipTacticlL121J Leyva12-2-15-15 Flopodopolus(L)123JCstnn1-5-x6-16 WildcatHoney(L121FTorres3-1-34-17 It'saD'wildcat(L121JRoccJr8-5-512-18 Miss Julia(L),121JCstlln2-2-15-29 Mia's Double(L),121WHnry7-4-220-110 Pyrite Moon(L),121LPanici5-2-815-111 RootfortheCat(L121PMntrJ5-6-620-112 MisspartypntsL121PLopez2-1-68-1

FIFTH-1 1/16m(T); $33,100; clm($50,0); 4up

HORVAT CLAN finished fourth then disqualified and placed seventh. RODGERSON broke maiden this distance last out. BUZZ THE DEPUTY set pace and tired most recent.

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3Odds1 BuzztheDeputyL120LCntrrs5-2-98-12 Winter'sFury(L),120CLaneri3-1-25-13 MajesticMan(L),120PHsbnd5-4-115-14 Avenged(L),120JRosari5-7-16-15 Mornin Brew(L),120JRoccJr1-5-x15-16 Rodgerson(L),123JLezcn1-2-25-27 Horvat Clan(L),120JCstnn7-3-24-18 TouchedthCldsL120L Saez5-3-76-19 RuleNumberSxL120J Leyva4-3-28-1

SIXTH-6 fur; $18,750; clm($6,250); 4up

SHIMMERING TINA gate to wire winner this price three back. SI SENORA third when dropped to this level. PHOEBE MOON closed to finish second in last two starts.

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3Odds3 SweetandVicisL112EZayas6-7-630-14 KathysRibbonsL119DGomz8-9-230-15 Altamar(L),109HCabllr8-6-530-16 SweetLikeSugrL119JAlvarz6-7-312-17 Elsie'sPrincessL116CNavrj8-7-115-11 a-MissyMiner(L116JChamf1-5-65-28 ShimmeringTinL112MArgut11-3-112-19 Kristina'sSlew(L114HSnchz4-4-510-12 b-ThePiaAngelL119PMntrJ9-5-46-110 Adela's Song(L),119OBcchc5-8-38-111 PhoebeMoon(L)119MAgulr2-2-54-112 Si Senora(L),119LCntrrs3-8-45-11 a-Bon Bon(L),119PLopez3-3-55-22 b-Mezuman(L),121PMntrJ5-5-16-1

SEVENTH-5 fur(T); $54,500; alw; 3YO(f)

THE ROYAL BOOT was placed second last out. BROWN EYES BLUE makes turf debut after finishing third. HEIRESSOFTHECROWN drew rail for turf debut after finishing second.

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3Odds1 HeirssfthcrwnL118PLopez2-3-18-12 Devil's Cave(L),122JVelzqz1-5-x4-13 BrownEyesBluL118JCstlln3-6-13-14 HappyVoyage(L122J Bravo1-3-58-15 Papa'sForest(L),118L Saez5-1-212-16 Rosie Red(L),118ETrujill3-6-26-17 SilverSandles(L)118LCntrrs6-5-220-18 BelieveinCharliL118M Cruz4-10-512-19 Phyllis Ann(L),118ENunez1-6-88-110 TheRoyalBoot(L118JRoccJr2-4-45-111 Barisoff(L),118JRosari1-x-x5-2

EIGHTH-1 mile; $52,500; mdn; 3YO(f)

ANTIPATHY drew rail for local and route debut. PEARLS FOR GIRLS third going shorter last out. MAJESTIC RIVER races with Lasix .

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3Odds1 Antipathy ,122JRosari5-x-x6-12 Pearls for Girls ,122JRoccJr3-2-x10-13 Bien Roulee(M),122JCstllnx-x-x3-14 DiamondMakerL122M Cruz4-3-220-15 Dreamlicious(L)122LPanici4-5-38-16 MajesticRiver(M122JVelzqzx-x-x5-27 E B Ryder(L),122L Saez5-3-24-18 GoodNewsTdyL122E Prado3-x-x6-1

NINTH-1 1/16m(T); $33,100; cl($50,0); 4up

PARTY JUDGE drops in class for local debut for new barn. STEAL THE DANCE closed to finish third as favorite. MYTHICAL BRIDE removes blinkers after third on dirt.

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3Odds1 StealtheDanceL120JRosari3-5-45-12 Parranda(L),120J Rios6-5-410-13 CypressPond(L)120JRoccJr1-2-412-14 Party Judge(L),120AGarci3-8-46-15 Double Berg(L),120PLopez7-4-66-16 LongingforQuitL118E Prado3-1-1012-17 MythicalBride(L120FTorres3-7-820-18 StarshipGmblrL123M Cruz1-2-212-19 Fog Happens(L),120JLezcn4-8-17-210 Marie'sMusic(L)120ENunez2-6-18-111 Dreamingly(L),120JCstnn8-8-612-112 ImperialStrike(L116JDelgd3-9-410-1

TENTH-1m(T); $38,800; clm($75,000); 3YO

AMEN KITTEN drops in class after closing to finish third. TENFORTHEMONEY comes in with a bullet work and stretches out. MAKE IT GOLD races with Lasix for career debut.

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3Odds2 HappyRunner(M122J Riosx-x-x10-13 Amen Kitten(L),122JRoccJr3-8-24-14 MakeaDecisinM122JVelzqzx-x-x6-15 ShenandohBndL120LPanici9-7-x20-16 Narwhal(L),117JChamf5-x-x15-17 TrumpetrSwnM122L Saezx-x-x10-11 a-MusicCritik(M122ETrujillx-x-x10-18 Make ItGold(M),120JCstllnx-x-x7-29 DecisiveDavid(L113EZayas11-3-612-110 Lotta Heat(M),122JRosarix-x-x5-111 Callmeback(L),122J Leyva10-7-320-112 LastingImpact(L120PLopez5-6-x12-113 TenforthemnyL122JRoccJr6-7-x6-114 Sky Lover(L),122JLezcn7-x-x12-115 SweetRocktMnL120PMntrJ3-x-x8-11 aBranchingOtM122ETrujillx-x-x10-1

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 24:32:44 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/gulfstream_analysis_8L47JxilP3QD9cvQA8POtI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/gulfstream_analysis_8L47JxilP3QD9cvQA8POtI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing 5.11.918835401 -1 false By VIC CANGIALOSI Horse Racing

Post Time: 4:00 p.m.

FIRST-6 1/2 fur; $30,000; alw; 4up(f)

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3Odds3 CuveeExchangL123T Baze1-x-x8-52 Oscillator(L),120EMldnd2-2-39-51 MissdangSallyL120JTalam6-1-25-14 OneFastFrog(L),120MPedrz5-1-54-15 SweetNectar(L),120VEspnz5-6-98-16 Briteness(L),120MGtrrz3-7-118-1

SECOND-6 1/2 fur; $23,000; cl($30,0); 3YO

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3Odds9 I'm Not Gray(L),121EMldnd8-x-x8-51 MajesticDesertL121EFlores6-5-x5-12 Tricky Shane(L),121MGtrrz7-x-x5-13 Mentalize(L),121MGarci8-x-x8-14 Kirkoroth(L),121OMojic7-7-x8-15 TribalMoney(L),121AQnnz4-x-x5-16 ShakerattlenrlL121T Bazex-x-x12-17 CaesarSunday(L121DFlores7-8-x15-18 NuestraSenor(L121JTalam8-11-x6-1

THIRD-6 1/2 fur(T); $56,000; mdn; 4up(f)

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3Odds2 Saturday'sGirl(L122RBejrn3-3-54-111 Swingaway(L),122T Baze3-2-35-21 ReadyforhrclspL122GStvns9-4-612-13 CorinthinMldyL122JVldvJr5-5-29-24 Lady Now(L),122MGtrrz7-2-612-15 Scat Patty(L),122EMldndx-x-x5-16 Miss Malibu(L),122DFlores2-3-114-17 LittleUnusual(L)122OMojic5-3-612-18 As Usual(L),122ABisonx-x-x12-19 Bromelia(L),122JLeparx5-2-47-210 NospghtntnddL122MSmth6-x-x8-112 Villefranche(L),122JLeparxx-x-x6-1

FOURTH-6 1/2 fur; $32,000; clm($25,0); 4up

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3Odds1 RoarBabyRoar(L121RBejrn2-7-53-16 Hout Bay(L),121T Baze6-1-27-22 SiempreEsprnzL121EMldnd1-1-29-23 YouCanDream(L121ADlgdll8-5-98-14 Town Belle(L),121JTalam2-1-45-15 Risky Art(L),121MGtrrz6-8-1012-17 AppealingRsmL121AQnnz2-4-26-18 Freewayracer ,121KKriggr6-1-720-19 YourSpecialDyL121CNaktn2-6-89-2

FIFTH-5 1/2 fur; $19,000; clm($20,000); 4up

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3Odds4 DobldwnOnTnL122MGarci5-4-59-512 AnShanachie(L)122OMojic11-5-22-11 Bull Time(L),122MPedrz2-4-59-22 Mayan Eyes(L),122AQnnz6-5-815-13 Karaiskakis(L),122IPuglisix-x-x30-15 PrinceBandini(L122EKubnv9-8-830-16 QuickCenizas(L)122S Arias8-2-1012-17 San Savino(L),122EMldnd6-x-x8-18 StorminArvin(L)122ABison10-8-920-19 BlindedbyFamM122MGarci14-x-x50-111 Dynagain ,122EFlores9-10-1030-113 Balladero(M),122LGnzlz6-x-x20-114 Mr.CappuccinoL122ADelgd8-11-630-1

SIXTH-5 1/2 fur; $30,000; alw; 3YO

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3Odds2 HesNottoShbyL118RBejrn1-2-x5-27 Derringer(L),121MGarci1-12-63-11 TheWholeDealL118EMldnd3-1-65-13 SacredOvationL118KKriggr1-3-14-14 Hunger(L),118VEspnz2-2-55-15 CaribooRoad(L),118MGtrrz2-4-112-16 RomarSuccessL118OMojic2-4-54-18 Shoer Hugh(L),118S Arias7-1-730-1

SEVENTH-1 mile(T); $58,000; alw; 4up

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3Odds5 UnusualBeam(L119CNaktn8-2-15-22 MotownMen(L),119RBejrn7-2-42-11 Kessabtsi(L),119MPedrz10-5-620-13 Don'tRockMe(L)119JTalam1-1-23-14 Syncobeat(L),119MGtrrz9-4-115-16 Tizpat(L),119KKriggr10-8-18-17 Unusual Jazz(L),119T Baze3-5-35-2

EIGHTH-5 1/2 fur; $19,000; clm($20,0); 4up

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3Odds5 Pastoria(L),122JTalam6-7-x5-26 MadelinespcknL122JVldvJr9-4-x7-22 Hello Walls(L),122EKubnv8-7-830-13 MyYammyHetL122ABison5-7-56-14 WarrensGussieL122EMldndx-x-x9-27 Mass Effect(L),115VBednr11-4-930-18 Night Teller(L),122T Baze5-4-56-19 Act Sweet(L),122MLinrs11-9-950-110 ParalyzingEyes122OMojic11-5-920-111 SmartSuzzet(L),122R Guce14-x-x50-112 CherryOnthCkL122EFloresx-x-x4-1

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 24:32:32 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/santa_anita_graded_entries_U3glKIUyLFUp0rXRw3OSgI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/santa_anita_graded_entries_U3glKIUyLFUp0rXRw3OSgI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing 5.11.918835387 -1 false By BILL SMITH Horse Racing

Post Time: 7:15 p.m.

Best Bet: Stormin Rustler (10th)

FIRST: mile pace; $16,000; Clyde Hirt

1 Vodka Is Terror(TTetrick)9-1-13-15 Star Chaser(YGingras)3-1-15-28 ConneryBlueChip(Bongiorn)1-4-14-12 Upfront Ticket(BSimpson)10-1-612-13 Kings Point Grad(Ginsburg)1-1-28-14 Bestjetyet(ECarlson)3-5-79-26 El Bravo(RPierce)5-6-520-17 Intervention(MMiller)8-6-215-1

SECOND: mile pace; $16,000; Clyde Hirt

2 One Through Ten(DMiller)1-1-18-54 Defying Gravity(TTetrick)2-1-13-18 Ethan Hanover(YGingras)3-3-19-21 My Last Tri(ECarlson)7-2-28-13 My Sugar Daddy(JCampbell)5-1-712-15 Prince Sharka(AMiller)6-2-620-16 Rockweiller(RPierce)2-4-612-17 Evergreen Power(Callahan)9-6-710-19 Man He Can Skoot(SAllard)1-9-76-1

THIRD: mile pace; $16,000; Clyde Hirt

3 Shaws Creek Buff(DMiller)6-2-25-15 Cee Pee Panic(YGingras)6-5-15-22 Mr Dennis(MMiller)10-1-39-21 The Green Knight(ECarlson)1-6-415-14 Dial A Win(RPierce)2-7-18-16 ArtsIdealHanover(Bouchrd)9-1-27-27 Varsity Hanover(JCampbell)7-2-212-18 Big Red(TTetrick)3-3-28-1

FOURTH: mile trot; $12,000; cond

10 Real Babe(DMiller)1-4-86-18 Dw's Ny Yank(YGingras)1-7-23-13 Macho Lindy(AMiller)3-5-77-21 Stretch Limo(ECarlson)1-4-58-12 As Ya'll Like It(JCampbell)6-4-115-14 Stand Guard(SAllard)9-7-612-15 R Sam(SBouchard)6-8-620-16 Ringside Lauryn(CCallahan)5-8-715-17 My Leap Of Faith(TTetrick)3-7-39-29 Tasty Max(RPierce)5-1-410-1

FIFTH: mile pace; $16,000; Clyde Hirt

4 Holdingallthecards(Tetrick)1-2-19-51 Ringo(CCallahan)1-1-13-15 Arthur(TButer)1-1-39-22 Yankee Doodle Jim(AMiller)6-1-512-13 Eyes OnlyForYou(Campbell)2-2-18-16 Bullet Bob(BSimpson)4-5-210-17 Who Dat Love(YGingras)8-6-715-18 Tiger In The Tank(DMiller)4-8-820-19 Screen The Call(RPierce)1-5-26-1

SIXTH: mile trot; $20,000; cond

6 Rose Run Hooligan(SAllard)2-3-83-13 Harbor Point(RPierce)10-1-17-25 Speculation(AMiller)2-3-16-11 Equity(YGingras)4-5-64-12 Lucky Roll(DMiller)2-3-46-14 Bad Boy Billy(SBouchard)3-1-315-17 Stir Me Up(CCallahan)8-4-112-18 Celtic Merchant(ECarlson)5-8-420-19 Waldorf Hall(JCampbell)1-1-78-110 Chick N Tell(TTetrick)1-4-215-1

SEVENTH: mile pace; $20,000; cond

4 Chief Karen(CCallahan)2-1-13-13 ArgumentHanover(YGingrs)1-6-54-15 Mj's Bid(DMiller)5-1-18-11 Cuz She Can(AMiller)9-4-115-12 MojarraHanover(JBongiorn)1-2-410-16 Rhapsody Rose(JCampbell)7-1-820-17 All About Kisses(RPierce)8-8-220-18 Rub Thing(SAllard)9-1-58-19 Queen Of Royalty(ECarlson)2-7-45-110 Mystical Victress(MMiller)1-3-27-2

EIGHTH: mile pace; $14,000; cond

8 Delightful Diva(DMiller)1-4-63-17 Honey DoJigtime(CCallahan)1-1-58-19 Go On Bb(YGingras)7-5-59-21 Synergy Seelster(ECarlson)4-7-412-12 Shaky Hanover(TTetrick)10-5-610-13 Nite Games(JCampbell)8-1-615-14 Grounded(BSimpson)10-3-112-15 Reilly's Daughter(MMiller)5-3-77-26 Sleazy Does It(SBouchard)6-8-312-110 One Night(RPierce)5-2-46-1

NINTH: mile trot; $14,000; cond

6 Flashy Lady(BSimpson)1-2-23-17 Mohegan Hanover(AMiller)2-4-77-29 Tsmlil Orphan Andy(DMiller)1-7-412-11 Jl Rockin Jake(RPierce)8-4-115-12 Spice It Up Lindy(JMeittinis)2-5-36-13 Long Story Short(SAllard)1-2-29-24 Proud Moment(CCallahan)5-2-56-15 Rev It Now(TTetrick)4-2-510-18 Jon Win(JCampbell)2-8-112-110 Shanty Irish(YGingras)4-7-915-1

TENTH: mile pace; $11,550; claiming

7 Stormin Rustler(JCampbell)1-2-53-11 Western Tsunami(DMiller)4-5-36-18 DreamzzzzRForU(Callahan)1-4-54-12 Image Of Dawn(JBongiorno)1-1-18-13 Power Surge(SBouchard)4-7-220-14 Lady's Bag Man(SAllard)4-6-625-15 Nf Independence(ECarlson)6-7-525-16 Four Starz Alex(AMiller)9-4-415-19 Betterthanlynx(TTetrick)1-1-115-110 Wisher(YGingras)5-4-39-211 Time Stood Still(RPierce)6-1-312-112 Ya Gotta Go(VGinsburg)3-4-812-1

ELEVENTH: mile pace; $12,000; cond

9 Miss Sand Creek(SAllard)4-1-23-18 Real Ravishing(AMiller)8-5-78-12 Love You Bye(ECarlson)3-3-58-11 Fox Valley Swift(TTetrick)3-5-16-13 Runaway Tray(JCampbell)8-4-412-14 Sadies Place(RPierce)6-5-315-15 Gordyyy's Pet(DMiller)1-7-712-16 Hostess Lisa(CCallahan)9-1-415-17 Runaway Rose(BSimpson)3-1-47-210 Tykesa Moon(YGingras)10-3-49-2

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 24:32:23 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/meadowlands_graded_entries_UlJAr25u1mBUOOGNUJZ0VI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/meadowlands_graded_entries_UlJAr25u1mBUOOGNUJZ0VI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing 5.11.918835373 -1 false By VIC CANGIALOSI Horse Racing

FIRST-7 fur; $14,000; clm($25,000); 4up

1-Barrio Baby 8-55-Hillbilly Trick 12-12-Ardency 5-26-MemrysNDres10-13-Royalsantjmes20-17-It'zaSharpWind5-14-ArchboldOrnge7-2

SECOND-6 fur; $20,000; mdn; 3YO(f)

3-Putitinmypcket8-55-Diana's Daisy 5-11-Lori's Store 3-16-K. O.'s Touch 6-12-Barksdale 15-17-Magic Charm 9-24-Katze 10-1

THIRD-6 fur; $14,700; clm($16,000); 4up

2-Chelsea Brook 2-15-Grande Shores 7-21-Hope Defered 15-16-It Takes Heart 6-13-GibsonCntyLne3-17-PepermntPrnce9-24-Holy Highway 12-1

FOURTH-6 fur; $9,000; clm($5,000); 4up

1-Regina Twain 2-15-GetYorShneOn20-12-Mis Max 8-16-Repent's Gem 12-13-Connie'sJneMn8-17-Bobby's Bell 5-24-Lawyer Jen 7-28-EssenceofTme10-1

FIFTH-6 fur; $10,000; clm($8,000); 4up

2-Time Tix Ahead9-26-This Guy 4-11-Ynot Gray Boy10-17-Aldanitykaha 3-13-Amaicing Gerry5-18-Golani Rules 8-14-Belmont Road 6-19-TheGretZmbn10-15-Dewest 20-1

SIXTH-1 1/16m(T); $20,000; mdn; 4up(f)

9-Bonjour Belle 4-17-Gossip Line 10-11-Abitya 15-18-Katelyn Lima 30-12-Single 5-210-TakeWhtYCn15-13-Fast and Strong6-111-Rokeby Baby 20-14-Three G Speed30-112-Why Not More 5-15-Homestead 7-213-Wheat Cat 20-16-ChneltheGreen9-214-CrimsonSpire 12-1

SEVENTH-5 1/2 fur; $12,000; cl($6,25); 4up

9-Tripp O Steel 5-25-DreamofAtlants7-21-RoylRedSecret20-16-Hiyaben 15-12-LonesomeStrm6-17-Mr. Green 8-13-Onesteptogo 5-18-Banyan 15-14-Saucy's Got It 9-2

EIGHTH-1m(T); $17,000; clm($25,000); 4up

5-World Tour 7-28-El Gator 15-11-Tazz Time 15-19-I. E. Flash 5-12-Jewelin'nRses12-110-Lake Nona 12-13-Oncenmylfete8-111-Cocodimama 5-24-CosmotheCmet6-112-CncrdeExpress8-16-Joropo 3-113-Hov Lane 5-17-Santonio d'Oro 6-114-WintersCmng10-1

NINTH-1m&40yds; $12,000; clm($6,25); 4up

8-Skip totheNorth2-15-Fu Pegs Baby 20-11-BrothersOutlaw9-26-Wildcat Prince12-12-Longhammer 4-17-PoliticalPassin12-13-Holiday Boy 20-19-Stayonit 20-14-Noroamin 20-110-Preacher Buck 7-2

TENTH-5 fur(T); $20,200; alw; 4up(f)

4-Falconess 5-18-L D's Galaxy 12-11-SimpleExchnge7-29-CountessEmm30-12-Buleria 3-110-Venus de Milo 6-13-Deneslldremer10-111-Island Style 20-15-Christina d'Oro 8-112-No Contest 15-16-Royal Promise 5-113-Aquinnah 10-17-Carolyn M. 20-114-JudysReflectn20-1

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 24:32:16 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/vic_cangialosi_at_tampa_bay_graded_MlBZ22sV5kOOlExCbL65NI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/vic_cangialosi_at_tampa_bay_graded_MlBZ22sV5kOOlExCbL65NI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing 5.11.918835359 -1 false Horse Racing

January 10th, 2013

Clear and Fast

©2013 Equibase. All Rights Reserved

FIRST-6 fur; $31,000; clm($20,000); 4up

Off: 12:30. Good. press 2p, drifted out

Time: 23.49, 46.94, 58.9, 1:11.57.

Trainer: Linda Rice

Winner: GR/RO G, 6, by Holy Bull-Petite d'Accord

HorseWt.PP1/41/2Str.FinJockeyOddsCatalan113 4 2 2 2 1 1/21 hdOrtiz3.65Ultimo Principe118 1 1 1 1 12 1 1/2Velasqez1.25Classic R and B118 3 4 5 5 13 hdDomngez2.80Sensational Slam118 7 3 3 4 14 noCastro6.40Free Brave118 2 6 4 3 hd5 1/2Morales31.00Writingonthewall118 6 5 6 6 1 1/26 nkSmith13.50Buckeye Heart118 5 7 7 77Hill27.50

4-Catalan9.303.602.501-Ultimo Principe2.702.103-Classic R and B2.50

* Exacta (4-1) $20.20 * Superfecta (4-1-3-7) $152.50 * Trifecta (4-1-3) $46.20 *

SECOND-1m&70yds; $24,000; mdn clm($16,000); 3YO

Off: 12:58. Good. 3w 3/8,asked 1/4-1/16p

Time: 23.71, 48.37, 1:14.42, 1:4.4, 1:44.78.

Trainer: Nicholas Esler

Winner: DK B/ C, 3, by Student Council-Lucky Pipit (GB)

Scr: Got a Hunch, More Falling Star, Grantiggan.

HorseWt.PP1/41/2Str.FinJockeyOddsDenn Piper120 2 5 4 1 11 9 1/2Domngez2.25Proud Day Indeed115 3 1 1 2 52 2 1/4Ortiz0.85Spirit of Peace113 1 2 2 3 43 7Coa5.90Shadon120 4 3 3 4 244Castro5.00Transit Blues120 5 4 5 5_Davis21.30

4-Denn Piper6.502.502.405-Proud Day Indeed2.302.102-Spirit of Peace2.80

* Daily Double (4-4) $35.40 * Exacta (4-5) $11.60 * Quinella (4-5) $6.10 * Trifecta (4-5-2) $27.80 *

Winner picked by Debbie L.

THIRD-6 fur; $40,000; mdn clm($50,000); 4up

Off: 1:26. Good. pressed 3w, drew clear

Time: 23.33, 47.08, 59.32, 1:12.1.

Trainer: Mark Hennig

Winner: B C, 4, by Indian Charlie-Royal Cheer

Scr: Excess Liquidity.

HorseWt.PP1/41/2Str.FinJockeyOddsDattts Happy121 4 3 2 1 1 1/21 3 1/4Domngez1.15Artist Colony119 5 5 5 4 2 1/22 1 1/2Alvarado7.00Demon's Deputy121 3 2 1 2 hd3 3/4Luzzi2.70Economic Forecast121 2 4 4 3 2 1/24 8Castro2.55Imreloaded114 1 1 3 55Rodrgez17.60

4-Dattts Happy4.302.602.105-Artist Colony5.102.503-Demon's Deputy2.10

* Pick 3 (4-4-4) 3 Correct $70.00 * Daily Double (4-4) $12.80 * Exacta (4-5) $20.40 * Trifecta (4-5-3) $49.00 *

Double picked by Debbie L.

Winner by DaSilva, Fountaine, Vic C., Consensus

FOURTH-6 fur; $48,000; alw; 3YO

Off: 1:54. Good. 3w,with something left

Time: 23.04, 47.05, 58.66, 1:11.42.

Trainer: Rudy Rodriguez

Winner: DK B/ C, 3, by Successful Appeal-She's Roughin It

Scr: Money in Return, Readysetketch, Summer Revival.

HorseWt.PP1/41/2Str.FinJockeyOddsThe Truth and K G115 5 2 1 1 61 6 3/4Ortiz0.45Mr. Lit120 3 5 4 2 12 5 1/4Alvarado4.50Tweet Me118 2 1 2 3 23 1Domngez3.75Mayberry Madness118 1 3 3 4 1 1/24 1/2Velsqez10.80Iron Dale Al118 4 4 5 55Luzzi21.70

8-The Truth and K G2.902.302.105-Mr. Lit3.202.104-Tweet Me2.30

* Pick 3 (4-4-8) 3 Correct $19.20 * Daily Double (4-8) $7.00 * Exacta (8-5) $5.90 * Quinella (5-8) $5.90 * Trifecta (8-5-4) $12.00 *

Double picked by Fountaine, Vic C, Consensus

Winner by Affrunti

FIFTH-1m&70yds; $50,000; hdcp; 4up(f)

Off: 2:22. Good. ease 3p 5/16, handily

Time: 23.15, 47.37, 1:13.31, 1:38.76, 1:43.16.

Trainer: John Parisella

Winner: B F, 4, by Malibu Moon-Penny Marie

HorseWt.PP1/41/2Str.FinJockeyOddsCentrique124 4 4 3 1 71 6 1/4Domngez0.90Floating Alone116 5 5 5 2 hd2 4 1/2Castro18.40Sheza Heartbreaker117 3 3 4 3 1/23 hdOrtiz6.40Quite a Feat112 6 7 7 5 104 2 3/4Lezcano86.25Freud's Notebook119 7 2 2 4 25Luzzi6.80Private Councel113 1 6 6 6_Rodrgez66.00Pleasantfriday122 2 1 1 __Velasqez2.00

4-Centrique3.802.802.105-Floating Alone9.604.503-Sheza Heartbreaker3.40

* Pick 4 (4-3/4/7-2/3/7/8-4) 4 Correct $53.50 * Pick 3 (3/4/7-2/3/7/8-4) 3 Correct $12.80 * Daily Double (8-4) $6.10 * Exacta (4-5) $40.60 * Superfecta (4-5-3-6) $1,199.00 * Trifecta (4-5-3) $158.00 *

Pick Three picked by Fountaine, (Best Bet), Vic C. (Best Bet), Consensus (Best Bet)

Double by Affrunti (Best Bet)

Winner by DaSilva, Debbie L. (Best Bet)

SIXTH-6 fur; $35,000; mdn clm($35,000); 3YO

Off: 2:51. 6. stumbled st, drew clr

Time: 23.4, 47.9, 59.69, 1:12.61.

Trainer: Gary Gullo

Winner: DK B/ C, 3, by Read the Footnotes-Highly Capable

Scr: Ride'em Cowboy, Burning Flame.

HorseWt.PP1/41/2Str.FinJockeyOddsReadthesmokesignal120 2 1 1 1 41 6 1/2Luzzi1.95Ask About Me120 5 2 2 2 4 1/22 4Domngez2.75Belief System120 6 3 6 5 1 1/23 1Velasqez2.05Unbridled Band120 4 5 4 3 hd4 2 3/4Castro5.70You Tarzan120 1 4 3 4 3 1/25 2Ortiz13.70Augie Dawgie120 3 6 5 66Smith19.50

3-Readthesmokesignal5.903.202.207-Ask About Me4.002.508-Belief System2.10

* Pick 3 (2/3/7/8-4-1/3/4) 3 Correct $22.80 * Daily Double (4-3) $13.80 * Exacta (3-7) $21.00 * Superfecta (3-7-8-6) $128.00 * Trifecta (3-7-8) $39.20 *

Double picked by DaSilva

SEVENTH-1m&70yds; $59,000; alw; 4up

Off: 3:18. Good. angle off rail 1/4pl

Time: 24.38, 49.64, 1:14.52, 1:38.43, 1:42.25.

Trainer: Chad Brown

Winner: B G, 4, by Read the Footnotes-Near Bethany

Scr: Rocky World, Quiet Favorite.

HorseWt.PP1/41/2Str.FinJockeyOddsReadtheprospectus123 3 3 3 2 31 nkDomngez1.80Readthebyline120 1 1 1 1 1 1/22 6 1/2Hill1.90Bigger Is Bettor118 4 6 6 5 1 1/23 1/2Castro2.65Parachute Coney111 5 2 2 3 1/24 1/2Coa9.30Thunder Chief118 2 5 5 4 1/25 3 1/4Velsqez16.00Take a Walk113 6 4 4 66Ortiz12.80

3-Readtheprospectus5.603.002.501-Readthebyline3.102.504-Bigger Is Bettor2.40

* Pick 3 (4-1/3/4-3/6/8) 3 Correct $34.00 * Daily Double (3-3) $15.60 * Exacta (3-1) $14.80 * Superfecta (3-1-4-5) $77.00 * Trifecta (3-1-4) $27.40 *

Winner picked by Fountaine, Affrunti, Debbie L., Consensus

EIGHTH-6 fur; $64,000; alw; 4up

Off: 3:49. 2. vie 2p,brisk hand ride

Time: 23.66, 47.65, 58.16, 1:1.23.

Trainer: Rudy Rodriguez

Winner: GR/RO H, 5, by Rockport Harbor-Dontgetinmyway

Scr: Straight Fax, Crown the Chief.

HorseWt.PP1/41/2Str.FinJockeyOddsSinai118 5 2 1 1 11 1 1/4Velasqez1.95He's So Chic118 1 6 5 4 1/22 2 1/4Alvarado1.25Dr Disco118 4 1 2 2 23 1 1/2Hill10.30Itsagoodtendollars118 6 4 3 3 hd4 1 1/4Domngez3.15Rich Hero111 3 3 4 5 85 16 1/4Coa48.75Yield Bogey118 2 5 6 66Castro13.40

5-Sinai5.902.902.301-He's So Chic2.602.104-Dr Disco2.70

* Pick 3 (1/3/4-3/6/8-5/6) 3 Correct $41.80 * Grand Slam (3/4/5-1/3/4/7/8-1/3/4/6/8-5) 4 Correct $10.80 * Daily Double (3-5) $16.60 * Exacta (5-1) $9.50 * Superfecta (5-1-4-7) $79.50 * Trifecta (5-1-4) $44.60 *

NINTH-6 fur; $30,000; clm($20,000); 4up

Off: 4:18. Good. pace ins, edged clear

Time: 23.18, 47.57, 58.81, 1:11.68.

Trainer: Linda Rice

Winner: B G, 5, by Yes It's True-Vision Quest

Scr: Reggie D.

HorseWt.PP1/41/2Str.FinJockeyOddsIt's Truly Ahvee120 6 1 1 1 21 2Velasqez6.70Lost Decade120 5 5 2 2 22 1 1/4Morales2.50Bos'n Alwyne113 2 3 4 3 2 1/23 3 1/2Coa9.30Torment120 1 8 7 7 1 1/24 1/2Domngez2.05War Hitch115 4 6 6 5 1/25 1Ortiz3.80Our Eli120 7 7 8 8 36 3/4Alvarad14.70Think I'm Hooked120 9 2 3 4 1 1/27 1 3/4Castro17.80Rkatsiteli120 3 4 5 6 1/28 hdPerez58.75Tycoon Cat120 8 9 9 99Lezcano62.50

6-It's Truly Ahvee15.407.804.605-Lost Decade4.502.802-Bos'n Alwyne4.90

* Pick 6 (2/3/7/8-4-1/3/4-3/6/8-5-6) 6 Correct $1,608.00 , 5 Correct $24.60 * Pick 4 (1/3/4-3/6/8-5-6) 4 Correct $335.00 * Pick 3 (3/6/8-5/6-6/7) 3 Correct $123.00 * Superfecta (6-5-2-1) $1,156.00 * Daily Double (5-6) $37.60 * Exacta (6-5) $68.00 * Trifecta (6-5-2) $378.00 *

Attendance 2,481.

Track Handle $625,040.

Total Handle $5,055,098.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 24:32:08 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/aqueduct_charts_EX89q1d1YS48BfzSRWa8EI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/aqueduct_charts_EX89q1d1YS48BfzSRWa8EI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing 5.11.918835345 -1 false Horse Racing

WEATHER Clear TRACK Fast

FIRST-mile; pace; $3800; cond

OFF: 12:29 TIME: 1:59.0

1Urban Art(WParkerJr)15.206.103.704Mc Dragon (M Merton)4.203.102Needles and Pins (K Dibenedetto)3.40

* Exacta (1-4) $56.50 * Trifecta (1-4-2) $21.00 * Superfecta (1-4-2-7) $916.00

SECOND-mile; trot; $3000; cond

OFF: 12:49 TIME: 2:03.1

3FlrtngDuezy(JTggrtJr)12.604.804.307B Twenty Nine (R Harp)14.2010.401Costner Blue Chip (K Switzer Jr)7.90

* Exacta (3-7) $182.50 * Trifecta (3-7-1) $751.00 * Daily double (1-3) $105.50 * Superfecta (3-7-1-5) $2,345.00

Winner picked by Little

THIRD-mile; pace; $3800; cond

OFF: 1:10 TIME: 1:59.2

4Lexus Artist(JDevaux)6.804.603.005Dianas Jewel (R Vinci)33.6012.002Home Wrecker (J Taggart Jr)2.90

* Exacta (4-5) $164.50 * Trifecta (4-5-2) $603.00 * Pick 3 (1-3-4) $268.00 * Superfecta (4-5-2-9) $3,897.00

FOURTH-mile; trot; $2200; cond

OFF: 1:30 TIME: 2:03.1

7Getthemony(JMrohn)5.103.203.003Tornado Alley (C Poynton)11.007.001Kash Now (J Devaux)3.40

* Exacta (7-3) $30.40 * Trifecta (7-3-1) $111.50 * Pick 3 (3-4-7) $153.50 * Superfecta (7-3-1-2) $324.50

FIFTH-mile; pace; $3100; cond

OFF: 1:48 TIME: 2:01.1

4HD Santorino(MForte)7.004.403.807Leroy Jack (K Switzer Jr)27.008.605Seth First (R Dane Jr)13.60

Scr: Chester Hanover.

* Exacta (4-7) $161.50 * Trifecta (4-7-5) $1,398.00 * Pick 3 (4-7-4) $223.50 * Superfecta (4-7-5-6) $6,597.00

Winner picked by Little

SIXTH-mile; pace; $3800; cond

OFF: 2:05 TIME: 1:57.4

2GallcWarror(JDevaux)2.702.302.104Mcmarvel (M Merton)2.802.601Yes Your Mattjesty (J Marohn)3.80

* Exacta (2-4) $8.60 * Trifecta (2-4-1) $25.00 * Daily double (4-2) $14.60 * Pick 3 (7-4-2) $46.40 * Superfecta (2-4-1-8) $234.00

SEVENTH-mile; pace; $3000; cond

OFF: 2:27 TIME: 1:59.2

1CnneRocky(GMerton)3.402.602.303ComeHomHony(KDbndtto)3.102.602Look Sharp Jack (M Merton)10.40

* Exacta (1-3) $11.60 * Trifecta (1-3-2) $67.00 * Pick 3 (4-2-1) $32.00 * Superfecta (1-3-2-9) $452.50

EIGHTH-mile; trot; $3800; cond

OFF: 2:46 TIME: 2:00.3

5RebelPrince(JDevaux)20.208.804.703StrikngForever(JTaggartJr)2.802.504Tas Avance (P Beeler)2.80

* Exacta (5-3) $66.50 * Trifecta (5-3-4) $235.00 * Pick 3 (2-1-5) $62.00 * Superfecta (5-3-4-2) $1,264.00

NINTH-mile; pace; $3100; cond

OFF: 3:09 TIME: 1:58.2

2IGetAround(JTggrtJr)4.803.102.403Make It Kate (M Forte)4.202.904Dolly Dagger (K Dibenedetto)2.80

Scr: Markin My Teritory.

* Exacta (2-3) $18.00 * Trifecta (2-3-4) $43.00 * Daily double (5-2) $64.50 * Pick 3 (1-5-2) $197.50 * Superfecta (2-3-4-1) $235.00

TENTH-mile; pace; $4000; cl($2600)

OFF: 3:28 TIME: 1:59.1

2EssntlSgns(GAnnloro)9.205.003.001BehndEnemyLnes(JDevux)3.002.308Briars Return (J Taggart Jr)2.70

* Exacta (2-1) $28.80 * Trifecta (2-1-8) $291.00 * Pick 3 (5-2-2) $429.50 * Superfecta (2-1-8-9) $498.00

ELEVENTH-mile; pace; $3800; cond

OFF: 3:46 TIME: 2:00.2

1Myynkeegrl(JMrohn)20.407.208.802FrustrtedFrn(CHuckbonIII)5.904.205Moving In Together (M Forte)9.70

* Exacta (1-2) $112.00 * Trifecta (1-2-5) $584.00 * Pick 3 (2-2-1) $300.00 * Superfecta (1-2-5-3) $1,315.00

TWELFTH-mile; trot; $2600; cond

OFF: 4:04 TIME: 2:02.3

2Strongbow(JTaggrtJr)7.803.503.606R Moni Girl (A Buttitta)3.802.401Spicy Caviar (C Poynton)3.70

Scr: Righteous.

* Exacta (2-6) $36.60 * Trifecta (2-6-1) $116.00 * Pick 3 (2-1-2) $174.00 * Superfecta (2-6-1-8) $1,006.00

THIRTEENTH-mile; pace; $4000; cl($2600)

OFF: 4:24 TIME: 1:59.2

2Amazida (J TaggartJr)10.604.304.505Quiet Hero (W Parker Jr)5.904.208River Waltz N (K Switzer Jr)7.00

* Exacta (2-5) $61.50 * Trifecta (2-5-8) $524.00 * Pick 3 (1-2-2) $789.00 * Superfecta (2-5-8-7) $2,412.00 *

HANDLE $696,042.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 24:31:59 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/monticello_results_4REnZlbL8vLhNmE4Orvo4H?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/monticello_results_4REnZlbL8vLhNmE4Orvo4H?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing 5.11.918835331 -1 false Horse Racing

All horses appear in post position order

FIRST-5 1/2 fur; $23,000; mdn clm($16,000); 3YO(f)

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3TrainerOdds2 Shiksa Goddess ,115J Ortiz8-12-xContess12-13 Westerday(L),120CVelasquz2-3-9Galluscio9-54 Dixie Sparkle ,120M Studartx-x-xFriedmn15-11 a-See See See(L),113A Battula6-7-6Aquilino20-11 a-Deferral(L),113GRodriguz9-7-7Aquilino20-15 Ivory Lightning(L),120J Davis9-x-xContess20-16 TaylorsGoldnEy(L),120A Lezcano6-x-xGranvlle30-17 Boldchildsrvng(L),113K Coa5-5-7B Brown8-58 Contraindicatn(M),120E Castrox-x-xRyerson6-19 Myopia(L),120J Alvarado4-2-3D'Alessn8-1

SECOND-1 1/2 miles; $75,000; 4up

COYOTE LAKES STAKES

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3TrainerOdds2 Our Entourage(L),124J Alvarado6-7-1Jacobson8-53 Rocky World(L),119GRodriguz3-4-3Metivier20-14 Charlie's Quest(L),119CVelasquz4-2-1R Dutrow5-15 Wayward Sailor(L),119J Ortiz1-4-6Cannizzo7-21 a-Ea(L),119RDomingz2-4-4Jacobson5-21 GuyanaStarDwj(L),119SCamchJr4-5-3Shivmngl6-16 a-Punster(L),119C DeCarlo5-2-7Jacobson5-2

THIRD-6 fur; $25,000; clm($12,500); 4up

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3TrainerOdds1 LilO'sExpressin(L),111GRodriguz7-6-8Barrera30-12 Al's Lark(L),118CVelasquz1-1-5Levine3-13 Gimmenthrwnk(L),118L Perez4-5-5Grusmrk15-14 Hold ThatBroad(L),115J Ortiz1-2-3Galluscio8-55 Dorian Will(L),118P Fragoso5-2-7Englehart6-16 Starforaday(L),120RDomingz5-3-1Sacco2-1

FOURTH-1 mile; $65,000; mdn; 3YO

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3TrainerOdds2 Chambers Bay(M),120E Castrox-x-xHennig20-13 Freight(L),120J Alvarado4-x-xMott6-14 Revocation(L),120RDomingz3-3-xColetti2-11 a-Incognito ,120M Luzzi5-x-xMcLghln12-15 Bellamy Beach(L),120CVelasquz3-4-xPletcher4-11 a-Telegraph Hill ,115K Coa5-8-xAlbertrn12-16 Prince Curlin(L),113P Tomas6-7-xPersaud30-17 Buddy's Tiz(L),115J Ortiz5-x-xLevine6-18 Elnaawi ,120C Hill3-x-xMcLaghln5-2

FIFTH-1m&70yds; $23,000; clm($12,500); 4up

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3TrainerOdds1 Willy Pay(L),120CVelasquz2-3-2Guerrero2-12 HopeStllSprngs(L),113K Coa7-9-8B Brown7-23 KevinSilverlasp(L),113A Battula7-2-7Shvmngl15-14 Winter Now(L),120J Davis7-8-5Contessa8-15 FreudianTherapist,113GRodriguz10-9-4Barrera30-16 Out ofYourMind(L),120SCamchJr10-12-6Sciacca50-17 Ess Shape(L),115J Ortiz8-5-7Reynlds20-18 Know Sense(L),120J Alvarado1-2-4Zito10-19 HandsomeHrbr(L),120P Morales5-3-4Schsberg5-210 BulldogOnaBon(L),113P Tomas6-3-4Aquilino20-1

SIXTH-6 fur; $23,000; clm($12,500); 4up

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3TrainerOdds1 Settle forMedal(L),118M Luzzi6-4-7Grusmrk8-12 Chasin the Cash ,118S Jimenez4-7-1Lotrugli30-13 PocketCowbys(L),118A Lezcano3-6-7Jacobson6-14 Taproot(L),118P Morales6-1-2Ness2-15 Galaxy Kat(L),118SCamchJr7-7-5Aquilino12-16 AmericanBuffal(L),118L Perez7-9-1Gullo10-17 Hurricane Heat(L),111K Coa8-8-8Sciacca50-18 VictoriousLeadr(L),111P Tomas4-9-4LO'Brien15-19 Brooklyn Red ,118RDomingz9-8-8Contessa8-110 W.W.'sLdy'sMn(L),118M Studart9-6-7Barker5-111 Flo's Greatness(L),118A Smith8-2-6Iselin8-112 D' Sauvage(L),118J Davis9-7-5Chtterpl30-113 Afternoon Treat(L),118E Castro4-2-3Rodrigez5-214 MadmanDiaries(L),113J Ortiz2-4-2Guerrero9-515 TemeculaCreek(L),118CVelasquz5-8-4Rice7-216 SunshineValntn(L),118CVelasquz5-3-3Englehrt10-1

SEVENTH-6 fur; $52,000; alw; 4up

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3TrainerOdds1 RockStarCharli(L),113J Ortiz2-10-2Rice5-12 Ginger's Joe(L),108D Davis8-7-7Held50-13 Iron Lou(L),118P Fragoso7-3-1Englehart6-14 Wishingonastar(L),118C DeCarlo10-3-5Barker12-15 Toninthirteen(L),111GRodriguz4-6-4Rojas20-16 Maggie'sHaddr(L),118CVelasquz2-3-1Galluscio2-17 Southbechsndy(L),118E Castro6-4-6Rice8-18 Thor's Mjolnor(L),118J Davis3-8-5Contessa8-19 Junior Officer(L),120RDomingz1-3-6Rodrigez3-1

EIGHTH-6 fur; $75,000; 3YO(f)

RUTHLESS STAKES

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3TrainerOdds1 Kiss the Lady(L),116J Ortiz6-1-5Rodrigez4-12 Kimono(L),116RDomingz2-3-1Pletcher3-13 Little Rocket(L),118M Luzzi1-1-xHushion5-24 My Kinda Party(L),118CVelasquz1-2-1A Dutrow4-15 Lady Banks(L),116E Castro1-2-xLawrence7-26 Railtown Girl(L),116J Alvarado1-x-xMcLghln12-1

NINTH-1m&70yds; $55,000; mdn; 3YO

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3TrainerOdds3 Chrisandlrspss(L),120CVelasquz2-5-5J Jerkens5-21 a-He HasCharm(L),120C Hill2-8-xZito10-14 Night Editor(L),120RDomingz2-4-8R Dutrow5-15 Everydghshsdy(L),120J Davis3-3-7Contess12-16 Sunnyinseabrk(L),115GRodriguz4-x-xGyarmat30-12 b-GhostlyVision(L),115J Ortiz3-x-xSchettino2-17 Wise Guide(L),120P Morales6-x-xKimmel12-18 Can'tCtchMNw(L),120A Smith4-6-3Gullo15-19 Front(L),120J Alvarado3-3-5J Jerkens8-110 Big Breesy(L),113K Coa7-x-xViolette15-111 Privatize(L),113GRodriguz8-x-xGyarmat30-112 CallfortheClock(L),120E Castro5-7-xHennig15-113 HereCmsTmmy(L),120M Luzzi4-4-2Morrison8-12 b-CieloSoleggit(L),120C Hill2-x-xSchettino2-11 a-Everythrdyhr(L),120J Alvarado9-3-6Zito10-1

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 24:31:50 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/tomorrow_aqueduct_entries_MHQUCxoAzGJixEOZH7qAiP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/tomorrow_aqueduct_entries_MHQUCxoAzGJixEOZH7qAiP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing 5.11.918835317 -1 false AP Soccer

BARCELONA, Spain — David Villa scored twice to raise his season total to 10 goals and Alexis Sanchez got his second and third goals of the season to lead defending champion Barcelona over Cordoba 5-0 last night and into the Copa del Rey quarterfinals.

Resting Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez, Barcelona won the total-goals series 7-0 and will play against Malaga in the next round. Barcelona also plays at Malaga in the Spanish league on Sunday.

Thiago Alcantara put Barcelona ahead in the 17th minutes and Villa, who missed the second half of last season after breaking a leg, added goals in the 21st and 26th.

Atletico Madrid tied Getafe 0-0 and advanced 3-0 to a quarterfinal against Betis, which beat Las Palmas 1-0 on Ruben Castro's 85th-minute goal for a 2-1 aggregate win.

The other quarterfinals are Real Madrid-Valencia and Zaragoza-Sevilla.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 02:33:05 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/soccer/villa_scores_twice_to_lead_barcelona_SGqaEMx4kepgakwGthdbLP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Soccer http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/soccer/villa_scores_twice_to_lead_barcelona_SGqaEMx4kepgakwGthdbLP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Soccer 5.11.918835303 -1 false Horse Racing

DaSilvaFountaineAffruntiDebbie L.Vic C.Consensus46/143 $300.5039/144 $183.4042/143 $217.4045/143 $267.8040/143 $236.3044/143 $218.301Cool N QuietCool N QuietCool N QuietSaturday AppealCool N QuietCool N Quiet21Saturday AppealSaturday AppealIm StokedDanceteriaSaturday AppealSaturday Appeal15Im StokedIm StokedSaturday AppealCool N QuietIm StokedIm Stoked62Pleasant PrinceLate StarterLate StarterPleasant PrincePleasant PrincePleasant Prince21Best ActorPleasant PrinceBest ActorBest ActorLate StarterLate Starter14Late StarterBest ActorPleasant PrinceIdle AmericanBest ActorBest Actor113BeelinerBeelinerBeelinerEl Oh ElBeelinerBeeliner23El Oh ElEl Oh ElEl Oh ElBeelinerEl Oh ElEl Oh El17DeterrentStart JumpingStart JumpingStart JumpingHoppy DoStart Jumping34Winning PalWinning PalWinning PalSuilleabhainLone Star GoldWinning Pal21Lone Star GoldKing KeeneKing KeeneWinning PalWinning PalLone Star Gold10Cameron CanyonCameron CanyonLone Star GoldLone Star GoldDry HumorKing Keene65HackletonHackletonHackletonHackletonHackletonHackleton28DendriteDendriteDendriteDendritePromised DestinyDendrite13Promised DestinyPromised DestinyPromised DestinySuperiorityDendritePromised Destiny66Skiddles N BobSuperstitious LoveSuperstitious LoveSkiddles N BobBlondecatSuperstitious Love19Superstitious LoveSummer FlickKarma PoliceSuperstitious LoveSuperstitious LoveSkiddles N Bob11Karma PoliceKarma PoliceSkiddles N BobBlondecatBeppjBlondecat67Untapped SecretTrue FortuneTrue FortuneTrue FortuneUntapped SecretTrue Fortune21True FortuneUntapped SecretE Street BourbonUntapped SecretTrue FortuneUntapped Secret16Gee LinzE Street BourbonGee LinzE Street BourbonGee LinzE Street Bourbon58Warrior UpFortitudeFortitudeSnap CallWarrior UpWarrior Up16Audies ChampWarrior UpWarrior UpFortitudeFortitudeFortitude16Roaring ConquestAudies ChampAudies ChampAudies ChampSnap CallSnap Call69Victoryat LastI Dreamt I WasMollies PrizeI Dreamt I WasVictoryat LastI Dreamt I Was19I Dreamt I WasMollies PrizeI Dreamt I WasVictoryat LastI Dreamt I WasVictoryat Last15Mollies PrizeVictoryat LastVictoryat LastBeautiful RiskMollies PrizeMollies Prize10TwillerbeeMy Unbridled StormTwillerbeeTwillerbeeMy Unbridled StormBeautiful Risk1

Records reflect winners, starters and $2 win-bet total on top selectionConsensus is based on 5-3-1 point system. Extra point given for BEST BET.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 24:31:17 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/post_experts_pick_the_winners_kPCIZwzn4jshyVlUaBP3xO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/post_experts_pick_the_winners_kPCIZwzn4jshyVlUaBP3xO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing 5.11.918835273 -1 false By JOHN DASILVA Horse Racing

Post Time: 12:30 p.m.

All horses appear in post position order

1. 5 1/2 fur; $50,000; mdn; 3YO

COOL AND QUIET switches to Junior after setting the pace and tiring going longer when making career debut. SATURDAY APPEAL cuts back to sprint after tiring badly last out. IM STOKED by good first out sire and races with Lasix while drawing the rail for career debut.

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3TrainerOdds1 I'm Stoked(M),120C Hillx-x-xHushion7-22 My Teddy Bear(M),115J Ortizx-x-xSciacca8-13 Danceteria(M),120C Velasquezx-x-xRice4-14 Cool and Quiet(L),120J Alvarado5-x-xBaker2-15 The Spotted Wonder ,113P Tomasx-x-xL O'Brien12-16 Saturday Appeal(L),120R Dominguez6-2-6Schosberg3-1

2. 1 1/8 miles; $67,000; alw; 4up

PLEASANT PRINCE stretches out and switches to Ramon after closing to be beaten three lengths. BEST ACTOR goes turf to dirt and stretches out after winning first start since September. LATE STARTER drew off to an impressive victory versus claimers while going shorter.

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3TrainerOdds1 Idle American(L),120E Castro4-6-1P Kelly10-12 Late Starter(L),113J Ortiz1-6-8R Dutrow2-13 Pleasant Prince(L),118R Dominguez5-4-2B Brown8-54 Best Actor(L),123C Velasquez1-3-3Servis3-15 Citizen Wells(L),118J Alvarado1-2-5Weaver5-1

3. 6 fur; $43,000; mdn clm($60,000); 3YO

BEELINER comes in with a bullet work and faces maiden claimers for the first time after finishing third in both career starts. EL OH EL from good first out barn and races with Lasix while working well for career debut. DETERRENT adds blinkers and drops in class for return to sprint after tiring in recent starts.

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3TrainerOdds1 Hoppy Do ,118C Hillx-x-xDonato12-12 El Oh El(M),120R Dominguezx-x-xR Dutrow5-23 Deterrent(L),111K Coa7-8-9Hennig6-14 Start Jumping(M),120I Ortiz, Jrx-x-xSacco5-15 Beeliner(L),120J Alvarado3-3-xKenneally2-16 S'maverlous(M),118M Luzzix-x-xMcLaughlin4-1

4. 6 fur; $23,000; mdn clm($16,000); 4up

WINNING PAL drops in class after finishing third at this distance in his last two starts. LONE STAR GOLD drops in class for first start since tiring in May in first start for a tag. CAMERON CANYON drew the rail after being a beaten favorite this distance and level.

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3TrainerOdds1 Cameron Canyon(L),121I Ortiz, Jr8-2-6Galluscio4-12 Suilleabhain(L),116J Ortiz4-4-4Sciacca10-13 Lone Star Gold(L),121M Luzzi5-9-3Gyarmati4-14 Two Blue(L),114K Coa7-x-xYounghans15-15 Dry Humor ,121J Alvaradox-x-xReed7-26 Winning Pal(L),121C Velasquez3-3-6Rice5-27 Bwana Booyah(L),114G Rodriguez9-5-10Rojas20-18 King Keene(L),121J Davis4-9-10Contessa6-1

5. 1m&70yds; $24,000; mdn clm($16,000); 4up

HACKLETON drops in class and switches to Ramon after finishing second in local and dirt debut while being claimed last out. DENDRITE stretches out after finishing third this level in return to dirt. PROMISED DESTINY stretches out after closing to finish second.

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3TrainerOdds1 Wildhaassseee(L),121C Velasquez8-3-4Balsamo8-12 Hackleton(L),121R Dominguez2-5-xAsmussen1-13 Promised Destiny(L),121J Alvarado2-7-3Hennig3-14 Onewildriver(L),121P Morales2-5-5Antonucci12-15 Komisarek(L),121S Camacho, Jr8-5-7Sciacca30-16 Dendrite(L),121J Ortiz3-2-3C Martin5-17 Superiority(L),114A Battula2-5-5Persaud8-1

6. 6 fur; $23,000; clm($12,500); 4up(f)

SKIDDLES N BOB probable main speed of race makes third start off layoff after finishing third in last two starts. SUPERSTITIOUS LOVE drops in class after setting the pace and tiring to fourth as the favorite. KARMA POLICE drops in class after being a beaten favorite in first off claim.

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3TrainerOdds1 Beppj(L),111A Battula10-10-12Sciacca50-12 Blondecat(L),118C Velasquez4-2-3Galluscio4-13 Skiddles n' Bob(L),113J Ortiz3-3-2Gullo7-24 First Penny(L),118R Silvera5-8-6Sciacca30-15 Bay Head Beauty(L),118S Camacho, Jr5-4-2Rodriguez6-16 Superstitious Love(L),118R Dominguez4-2-9Jacobson5-27 Summer Flick(L),120E Castro4-1-6C Martin8-18 Smarty Bull(L),118I Ortiz, Jr10-8-5Servis6-19 Karma Police(L),118M Luzzi8-2-2DiPrima8-1

7. 6 fur; $52,000; alw; 3YO(f)

UNTAPPED SECRET stretches out for local debut after gate to wire victories at Finger Lakes in both career starts. TRUE FORTUNE comes in with a bullet work after fourth as the favorite this distance and level. GEE LINZ won as favorite versus cheaper and was claimed.

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3TrainerOdds2 Flattermewithroses(L),113J Ortiz5-6-8Antonucci20-11 a-Star Black(L),111K Coa4-5-1Persaud12-11A a-Gee Linz(L),111K Coa1-7-12Persaud12-13 E Street Bourbon(L),118E Castro2-5-5C Martin12-14 Untapped Secret(L),118C Velasquez1-1-xEnglehart8-55 Carameaway(L),118J Alvarado2-5-6Friedman5-16 True Fortune(L),118R Dominguez4-3-1Weaver2-17 Keep Bustin(L),120I Ortiz, Jr1-x-xLevine8-1

a-Coupled

8. 1m&70yds; $57,000; alw; 4up

WARRIOR UP stalked the pace and finished third at this distance and level last out. AUDIES CHAMP chased the pace and tired this distance and level when making local return. ROARING CONQUEST chased the pace and tired in an off the turf race.

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3TrainerOdds2 Stormy Success(L),111K Coa5-10-7Donato30-13 Roaring Conquest(L),118C Velasquez7-7-10Englehart5-11 a-Snap Call(L),113J Ortiz4-2-4Schwartz6-14 Suspicious U(L),120I Ortiz, Jr1-2-3D'Alessandro6-15 Warrior Up(L),118E Castro3-2-4Ubillo7-26 Audies Champ(L),120M Luzzi6-1-2Galluscio4-17 Jackin My Style(L),111A Battula9-9-4Persaud30-18 Fortitude(L),118R Dominguez8-6-6Schosberg5-21A a-Ali's Winner(L),118J Alvarado9-2-8Schwartz6-1

a-Coupled

9. 1m&70yds; $24,000; clm($12,500); 4up(f)

VICTORYAT LAST drops in class after stalking the pace and finishing second at this distance. I DREAMT I WAS returns to claiming ranks after running evenly when going turf to dirt. MOLLIES PRIZE steps up in class for local return while seeking fourth consecutive victory. TWILLERBEE drew rail after defeating cheaper at Penn.

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3TrainerOdds1 Twillerbee(L),118J Davis1-2-2Coffey15-12 Mollie's Prize(L),118C Velasquez1-1-1Englehart5-23 Mon Rose(L),118M Studart6-3-6Persaud20-14 Legions Star(L),111A Battula9-11-12Scott50-15 Beautiful Risk(L),111K Coa9-3-5Badgett12-16 My Unbridled Storm(L),118M Luzzi5-5-8Gyarmati6-17 I Dreamt I Was(L),118R Dominguez6-3-5Asmussen2-18 Victoryat Last(L),113J Ortiz2-6-9B Brown7-29 Wise Choice(L),113G Rodriguez4-6-5Sciacca20-110 Newtie(L),120L Perez7-1-2Englehart10-1

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 24:30:50 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/aqueduct_analysis_yW2Aa7NRvQ6ZUtE75NDmcO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/aqueduct_analysis_yW2Aa7NRvQ6ZUtE75NDmcO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing 5.11.918835133 -1 false By ED FOUNTAINE Horse Racing

Dr. Michael Kotlikoff, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University who was appointed by the New York Racing Association's new chairman, David Skorton, to serve as Special Advisor for Equine Health and Safety, better get on the next Amtrak to Penn Station, then take the A train to Aqueduct. That's because the mission statement adopted by the new NYRA board when they met for the first time a month ago — "Meeting the highest standards in thoroughbred racing and equine safety" — has gone badly off the rails after the fourth catastrophic breakdown at the track in the past three racing days.

In yesterday's fifth race, a starter handicap for fillies and mares at a mile and 70 yards for a $50,000 purse, the Linda Rice-trained 5-year-old mare Pleasantfriday — 2-1 after she was beaten a nose for a 30G claiming tag coming off a five-month layoff Dec. 26 — was turning for home after setting the pace when she broke down badly in her right front and was pulled up by Cornelio Velasquez.

It was the 19th start for Pleasantfriday, of which she had won seven, earning $243G. After a splint was put on the injured limb, she was vanned off and later euthanized — the third dead horse in three days of racing.

On Sunday, the claiming horse Bomber Boy fractured his ankle, was pulled up, vanned off and later euthanized. A half-hour later, the 4-year-old filly Wildcat's Smile was on the lead in the Cat Cay when she shattered her leg and fell in mid-stretch. She was put down on the track. On Wednesday, the 4-year-old filly Bobby Zapper fractured her sesamoids and was pulled up in mid-stretch. She will undergo surgery to try to save her life.

This recent carnage recalls the rash of fatal injuries a year ago over Aqueduct's inner dirt track, which led to Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordering NYRA to form an independent committee, the New York Task Force on Equine Health and Safety, to investigate the breakdowns — most of which, unlike this year, involved the cheapest claiming horses on the grounds.

After spending months and thousands of dollars, the Task Force issued its report and recommendations last October. But it appears more work needs to be done, and quickly, because no one wants to sit through another winter like the last one.

PICK SIX

Winning numbers:

8-4-3-3-5-6

17 winners (6 of 6)

Each paid $1,608

369 consolation (5 of 6)

Each paid $24.60

No carryover

ed.fountaine@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 24:59:20 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/through_the_binocs_kRvMI2GPlR4Bc9BO38NeSO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Horse Racing http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/through_the_binocs_kRvMI2GPlR4Bc9BO38NeSO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Horse Racing 5.11.918835047 -1 false Horse Racing

FIRST-1m(T); $30,000; str alw; 3YO

2 Grly Awsm (Gtrrz) 7.60 2.80 2.40 3 Tiz a Minister (Baze) 2.10 2.10 1 Ebony Gold (Delgado) 3.00

* $1 Exacta (2-3) $5.80 * $1 Superfecta (2-3-1-6) $44.50 * $1 Trifecta (2-3-1) $24.60

SECOND-6f; $21,000; cl($12,500); 3up; (f&m)

1 Quck Wmpm (Flrs) 8.00 3.80 2.40 5 J nd S Express (Guterrez) 4.60 3.00 2 Indycat (Bisono) 3.60

Scr: Ebo's Love.

* Daily Double (2-1) $36.60 * $1 Exacta (1-5) $23.10 * $1 Superfecta (1-5-2-3) $261.60 * $1 Trifecta (1-5-2) $100.80

Winner picked by Vic C

THIRD-6f; $56,000; mdn spcl wt; 4up

3 Parlmentrn (Tlmo) 4.20 3.00 2.20 8 Russel's Run (Kubinova) 6.00 3.40 6 Valley of Kings (Baze) 2.10

Scr: More Champagne.

* $1 Pick 3 (2-1-3) 3 Correct $51.40 * Daily Double (1-3) $29.00 * $1 Exacta (3-8) $12.40 * $1 Superfecta (3-8-6-1) $176.90 * $1 Trifecta (3-8-6) $29.90

FOURTH-6f; $23,000; cl($16,000); 4up

1 Hard Bill (Talamo) 7.20 4.80 3.80 7 Cabo Chico (Garcia) 8.20 6.60 3 Honour the Deputy (Krigger) 7.00

* $1 Pick 3 (1-3-1) 3 Correct $78.30 * Daily Double (3-1) $19.80 * $1 Exacta (1-7) $35.60 * $1 Superfecta (1-7-3-6) $1,305.50 * $1 Trifecta (1-7-3) $288.80

FIFTH-6f; $45,000; cl; 4YO

10 Belle Pss (Espnoz) 5.00 3.20 2.40 1 Funny Belle (Leparoux) 8.00 5.00 2 Song Girl (Flores) 4.40

Scr: Thermal Nermal, Forbidden City, Suances Vixen, River Kiss.

* $0.5 Pick 5 (2-1/8-3/5-1-3/8/9/10) 5 Correct $610.35 * $0.5 Pick 4 (1/8-3/5-1-3/8/9/10) 4 Correct $143.85 * $1 Pick 3 (3-1-10) 3 Correct $45.60 * $1 Trifecta (10-1-2) $103.90 * $1 Superfecta (10-1-2-4) $405.00 * Daily Double (1-10) $34.00 * $1 Exacta (10-1) $20.30

Exacta picked by Vic CSIXTH-5f; $58,000; alw opt cl; 3YO

6 Trbal Gal (Pedroz) 11.80 7.40 4.00 3 Awesome Annie (Mojica) 11.40 6.80 1 Funny Gal (Hernandez) 3.00

* $1 Pick 3 (1-10-6) 3 Correct $131.60 * Daily Double (10-6) $44.60 * $1 Exacta (6-3) $54.80 * $1 Superfecta (6-3-1-5) $1,001.40 * $1 Trifecta (6-3-1) $195.10

SEVENTH-mile; $65,000; alw opt cl; 4up

7 Akkadian (Gomez) 12.40 7.20 4.80 3 Clubhouse Ride (Gryder) 7.00 4.40 6 Golden Itiz (Talamo) 13.00

* $1 Pick 3 (10-6-7) 3 Correct $211.80 * Daily Double (6-7) $110.40 * $1 Exacta (7-3) $50.80 * $1 Superfecta (7-3-6-5) $3,087.80 * $1 Trifecta (7-3-6) $979.20

EIGHTH-mile; $19,000; mdn cl; 4up

12 Holdy Ros (Lprux) 25.20 9.80 6.20 3 Pure Blush (Talamo) 4.80 3.00 2 Mending Wall (Maldonado) 3.60

Scr: Zerbinetta, Spacecoast, Thunderella Run, Raisin' Cain, Fire in the Foyer.

* Pick 6 (3/5-1-3/8/9/10-6-7-12) 6 Correct $21,852.00, 5 Correct $479.60 * $0.5 Pick 4 (3/8/9/10-6-7-12) 4 Correct $1,533.90 * $1 Pick 3 (6-7-12) 3 Correct $634.90 * $1 Consolation Pick 3 (6-7-7) 3 Correct $42.10 * $1 Trifecta (12-3-2) $258.40 * Daily Double (7-12) $142.80 * $1 Exacta (12-3) $56.50 * $1 Superfecta (12-3-2-10) $1,232.30 * Consolation Double (7-7) $10.20

Attendance: 3,033

Handle: $609,605

Total Handle: $5,753,138

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 24:30:13 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/santa_anita_results_8BVwtQTrOAcAnWRTNXItwN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/santa_anita_results_8BVwtQTrOAcAnWRTNXItwN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing 5.11.918834977 -1 false By BRUCE GOLDING Local

"Spider-Man: The Lawsuit" is getting an extended run in Manhattan federal court.

Four months after announcing "an agreement in principal" to settle her $1 million wrongful-termination lawsuit, ousted director Julie Taymor has still not clinched a settlement with the musical's producers, leading a judge yesterday to set a May 27 trial date.

Talks, however, are still ongoing, and both sides hope a pretrial settlement is possible.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 04:38:16 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/pidey_web_in_tangle_uEeE49QYdUHbs00IH1xUyM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/pidey_web_in_tangle_uEeE49QYdUHbs00IH1xUyM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.918834963 -1 false By BILL SMITH Horse Racing

Post Time: 7:10 p.m.

Best Bet: Celebrity Bluechip (8th)

FIRST: mile pace; $9,000; claiming

1 Delco Rocknroll(GBrennan)2-7-56-13 Lookettejasper(JBartlett)5-4-14-12 Tatoos N' Scars(LStalbaum)1-1-29-54 Sams Treasure(EGoodell)4-7-210-15 Ab's Attack(MMacDonald)2-5-85-16 Iconic Style(JStratton)8-6-412-17 Ideal Michael(BSears)3-5-48-18 Tinys Million(JPantaleano)4-5-98-1

SECOND: mile trot; $18,000; cond

5 Mugshot Jess(CManzi)2-3-78-57 Baby Boy Grin(LStalbaum)5-5-54-11 Hoboken Sonny(JBartlett)6-4-46-12 Trottin Troy(JPantaleano)8-5-55-13 Special Eddie(JGregory)6-2-58-14 Ridethewind-Chrys(DiStefn)1-7-115-16 Conway Cruiser(BSears)5-1-88-18 Free Rollin(JStratton)1-4-710-1

THIRD: mile pace; $13,000; claiming

1 Last Conquest(JBartlett)5-1-38-15 Artic Blue(GBrennan)1-2-63-12 Sansome Hanover(BSears)2-3-44-13 AbominableSnwpn(MKkley)1-6-66-14 Forever Good(EGoodell)6-8-710-16 LiterateHanover(Stalbaum)5-6-56-17 WindsongFortune(BHolland)3-4-65-18 Pan Grad(MMacDonald)8-5-615-1

FOURTH: mile trot; $18,000; cond

1 Coach Fox(LStalbaum)8-4-73-15 ForYouAlmostfree(GBrennn)2-8-54-14 Aruba Vacation(MKakaley)4-2-75-12 Donnamom(BSears)5-4-88-13 Over And Out(MMacDonald)2-3-48-16 Sarkozy(JStratton)8-3-16-17 WorthTheMoneyAs(JBrtlett)2-3-86-18 Gelato Man(JGregory)7-8-720-1

FIFTH: mile trot; $21,000; cond

2 AlternatThursdays(Bartlett)3-1-44-15 Speed Bomb(MKakaley)2-2-89-51 HighPanTolerance(LStalbm)5-5-18-13 MarionMonaco(MacDonld)4-2-215-14 Holly Hill Master(EGoodell)1-7-410-16 Buckeye Man(BSears)4-3-25-17 Super Manning(GBrennan)2-4-28-18 Pio Power(BHolland)8-8-812-1

SIXTH: mile pace; $35,000; Open

5 Don't BlameHer(JBongiorno)1-2-39-51 Red Star Hottie(MKakaley)5-1-34-14 Sir Jillian Z Tam(PLachance)2-3-56-12 SouthwindJazmin(GBrennn)2-2-45-13 OceansMotion(MMacDonld)8-1-78-16 Arctic Fire N(EGoodell)3-7-38-1

SEVENTH: mile pace; $13,000; claiming

1 Cooperstown Kid(JBartlett)1-1-28-55 Irish Elitist(JStratton)3-2-25-16 Cutty Shark(BSears)4-6-15-12 Pams Legacy(EGoodell)6-4-68-13 Chang Dynasty(MKakaley)4-1-110-14 Cheyenne Jeffrey(Brennan)4-8-38-17 Great Soul(BHolland)5-1-36-18 Mixed Media(LStalbaum)1-8-610-1

EIGHTH: mile trot; $35,000; Open

2 CelebrityBluechip(MKakley)2-2-58-54 Master Pine(JPantaleano)3-1-48-13 Affirmed Action(CManzi)1-2-14-11 GreatEmancipator(JStrattn)5-7-410-15 Enrico As(GBrennan)2-3-210-16 SugarQueenGbby(McDnld)1-1-35-17 Looking Hanover(BSears)3-5-16-18 Mymomsablizzard(LStalbm)8-1-112-1

NINTH: mile pace; $21,000; cond

2 Warrawee Koine(JBartlett)2-2-49-51 Artsy Princess(MKakaley)3-4-55-14 Fox Valley Sage(CManzi)2-6-84-13 Nora Lee(JStratton)2-6-210-15 QuicksilvercandyA(LStalbm)7-7-48-16 Hula's Z Tam(PLachance)3-2-56-17 Babe's Bistro(JBongiorno)2-5-620-18 Stormunn(GBrennan)5-3-612-1

TENTH: mile trot; $21,000; cond

7 Jessesjo(MKakaley)3-5-33-18 Calchips Brute(GBrennan)9-7-15-12 NotoriusBluestone(JGregry)1-4-28-11 Fuel Cell(BSears)4-1-35-13 WhateverLolawants(BHllnd)8-5-16-14 Armbro Casino(SVallee)4-1-74-15 Force Nine(EGoodell)3-2-112-16 Playa Tulum(LStalbaum)7-5-210-1

ELEVENTH: mile trot; $24,000; cond

5 Likeabatoutahell(GBrennan)9-6-63-14 Perfect Picture(JStratton)3-4-56-17 Monsignor Flan(MKakaley)5-2-56-11 Marcus Bi(JPantaleano)10-4-28-12 Lightning Storm(BSears)1-3-15-13 PembrokePrayer(MMcDnld)8-6-24-16 MagnumKosmos(LStalbam)10-2-15-18 Political Desire(JBartlett)3-6-48-1

TWELFTH: mile pace; $24,000; cond

2 Ace Of Pace(JStratton)4-2-18-51 Summer Snow(BSears)4-4-65-13 Don't Point At(JGregory)3-5-28-14 By All Means(JBartlett)2-1-710-15 Lillywhites(MKimelman)7-3-36-16 Cowboys Dreamer(Goodell)1-2-56-17 Diamond Tiara(GBrennan)6-6-64-18 Cat Cora(LStalbaum)4-4-610-1

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 24:28:59 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/yonkers_graded_entries_MhPxwlTnEZQMCE3uBvezbM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/yonkers_graded_entries_MhPxwlTnEZQMCE3uBvezbM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing 5.11.918834949 -1 false By ZACH BRAZILLER Basketball

If not for the green road uniforms Wagner wore, it would have been difficult to identify the home team at the WRAC in downtown Brooklyn Thursday night.

Shooting a high percentage, taking advantage of transition opportunities, playing at a high tempo and lighting up the scoreboard like a Christmas tree, Wagner looked more like LIU than LIU.

The result was a commanding 86-75 victory and the end of the Blackbirds' 31-game win streak at the WRAC.

"It's definitely a stepping stone for us," junior guard Latif Rivers said after Wagner made nine of its 10 3-point attempts and shot 59 percent from the field in snapping a four-game losing streak to LIU, the two-time defending Northeast Conference champion. "Since I've been here, we haven't beaten them. To be able to come in and beat a good team who is really good at home, its definitely big for us."

Wagner remained unbeaten in the NEC, tied with Bryant atop the league at 3-0. With the impressive victory, the Seahawks have won fourth straight and seven of eight games despite the absence of key players sprinkled in each contest.

"We got some guys who have same toughness about them in big moments," Wagner coach Bashir Mason said.

Wagner (9-5, 3-0 NEC) ripped off a 22-6 run to close the first half and never looked back. Point guard Kenny Ortiz, continuing his lights-out shooting of late, had 19 points, 11 assists and four steals. Sophomore forward Mario Moody got the better of all-NEC performer Jamal Olasewere, to the tune of 19 points and nine rebounds.

Rivers poured in a game-high 20 points in his finest performance yet in what has been an injury-riddled season.

Ortiz hasn't missed any time, and has begun to emerge on the offensive end. Last Thursday in a win over Monmouth, the junior made his first 3-pointer, then hit both of his attempts from beyond the arc Saturday against FDU and each of his two tries last night.

"It just opens up the game more, it's something I've been working on," Ortiz said. "Hopefully I can keep it going. It's just confidence. I've been getting more confident in my jump shot. The more I make it, the more confident I get."

Thursday, leading scorer Jonathon Williams wasn't available because of injury. Rivers replaced Williams' production with the best game of his junior season. He sank all four of his 3-point attempts and seemed comfortable after a shaky performance against FDU.

LIU (5-10, 0-3) was within striking distance much of the second half despite falling behind by 15 points, but when Olasewere (16 points) fouled out by earning a technical after arguing a foul call, the Blackbirds didn't have the horses for one final push.

"I thought we lost our poise," LIU coach Jack Perri said. "We have some temperamental guys and they haven't had a lot of adversity the last few years. ... Jamal's got to be smarter, he has to be better, he has to figure it out."

zbraziller@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 09:56:35 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/college/basketball/wagner_shows_liu_who_boss_qUbsfXDtkljgkRoZ8WZxTM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Basketball http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/college/basketball/wagner_shows_liu_who_boss_qUbsfXDtkljgkRoZ8WZxTM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Basketball 5.11.918834935 -1 false POST STAFF REPORT Basketball

Representatives from the Catholic 7 held discussions in New York on Wednesday that included potential future commissioners of the league as well as its television deal, sources said.

According to ESPN.com, Fox officials at the meeting reaffirmed a $500 million rights fee offer that would be predicated on a 12-year deal with the Big East Catholic schools — St. John's, Seton Hall, DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, Villanova — adding five additional teams to a newly formed league.

Assuming the Fox bid wins out, the bulk of the games would air on Fox Sports 1, which will replace the Speed Channel in August.

Fox's plan, sources said, would be to sub-license the rights to games it was not broadcasting to other interested parties.

The Big East's current basketball media rights deal with ESPN and CBS expires after the 2012-13 academic year. The Big East's current six-year media rights deal is worth $3.12 million annually for each of the eight full members and $1.5 million annually for each of the eight non-football members. The eight football members split $13 million; the 16 basketball members split $24 million.

Although the teams can leave the Big East without any exit fees at the end of June 2015, they hope to leave much sooner.

The names of potential commissioner candidates discussed weren't immediately available.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 11:17:00 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/college/basketball/catholic_talk_tv_deal_eyvxbO2fD0oBEtbT37GIIM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Basketball http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/college/basketball/catholic_talk_tv_deal_eyvxbO2fD0oBEtbT37GIIM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Basketball 5.11.918834921 -1 false By JULIA MARSH Local

An art-gallery owner is crying foul over city approval for hotelier Ian Schrager's plan to build a 25-story building on Chrystie Street, saying the tower would darken her space and should have to pass a city environmental review first, according to court papers.

"The New Tower would block light and air to a building and [Sperone Westwater] gallery of contemporary art . . . and it would be more than double the height of surrounding buildings," Angela Westwater says in her suit against Schrager and the city.

Schrager, who co-founded Studio 54, is known for splashy projects like the refashioned Gramercy Park Hotel. His reps declined to comment.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 24:26:50 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/building_resentment_SsPNvJIogFjIS9Lrr7VcGK?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/building_resentment_SsPNvJIogFjIS9Lrr7VcGK?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.918834907 -1 false Local Fri, 11 Jan 2013 03:49:43 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/kerr_car_has_lotta_leg_voom_ey9A1vDQodOaGYbMb9FdzJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/kerr_car_has_lotta_leg_voom_ey9A1vDQodOaGYbMb9FdzJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.918834810 -1 false By RITA DELFINER Local

We'd be lion if we said this wasn't a dog.

Panicked residents of Norfolk, Va., called 911 after spotting this roaming, 3-year-old Labradoodle — a Labrador-poodle mix — that had been groomed to look like the king of the jungle.

But it wasn't a big cat, just a pooch named Charles, here in Times Square yesterday, enjoying his 15 minutes of fame.

"There was a lion that ran across the street. A baby lion. It was about the size of a Labrador retriever,'' HamptonRoads.com reported one caller telling 911 Tuesday.

"I just saw a baby lion,'' another anxious caller reported. "I don't think it has caused any problem so far."

Even police dispatchers bit.

"OK. You think it's looking for food?'' the police employee asked.

"I don't know.''

Cops reached out to the Virginia Zoo — but both its lions were accounted for.

It turns out that Charles, who enjoys the occasional pizza handout at the parlor near Old Dominion University, belongs to Daniel Painter, who runs a local lawn and garden business.

He had Charles shaved to look like Old Dominion's costumed lion mascot.

"I tell people he's a Lab-a-lion, and half the people believe that,'' Painter chortled.

rita.delfiner@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 05:38:45 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/you_lion_dog_crmOhVxi7u7GroYvsV3CjJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/you_lion_dog_crmOhVxi7u7GroYvsV3CjJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.918834699 -1 false By JUSTIN TERRANOVA Devils

Nbc Sports play-by-play man Mike "Doc" Emrick talks about what he did during the lockout, what to expect from the shortened season and the Rangers' addition of Rick Nash with The Post's Justin Terranova.

Q: You kept busy during the lockout?

A: We went to Troy in Michigan ... it was under-12 girl's hockey and they are doing a piece for it on Rock Center. It was really interesting to be around girls of that age and to hear all about their ambitions in life and watch them go out and play a game. I got to do figure skating and am assigned to do more. The college game is fun just because of the atmosphere.

Q: What will make the strike-shortened season interesting?

A: There's not going to be any dog days this season. With a 48-game schedule, winning two is like winning four and losing two is like losing four. It puts so much importance on every game. The coaches will have some pressure on them and the players will have even more, because you can get out of the running pretty fast.

Q: Any team get an advantage from the lockout?

A: Los Angeles. The Stanley Cup hangover is gone. Normally you go into October and you are still thinking about bringing the Cup to your parents' home or whatever. That isn't the case this year. They have all their guys back. There's no reason they can't pick up where they were at the final third of last season.

Q: How much will the addition of Rick Nash help the Rangers?

A: It's going to make them so much more exciting to watch. This was a team that was 11th in offense, and they are going to be so much better. You can add 30-35 goals to his overall production. And think how Nash is going to be when he has somebody to play with. ... The defense is fine, the goaltending is first-rate, so there's no reason they wouldn't be in the Top 8.

Q: With such a young team, could the Islanders take advantage of so many games being played in a short period?

A: The downside is that Lubomir Visnovsky decided to stay back in the KHL, and Mark Streit is coming off (shoulder) surgery. Up front they are going to be fine, and I think their depth on the team is better than it has been before. But they lose the experience Visnovsky was bringing and that will hurt them.

jterranova@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 11:17:00 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/devils/doc_emrick_2wK0QCXZMHh2BppPJN2P9H?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Devils http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/devils/doc_emrick_2wK0QCXZMHh2BppPJN2P9H?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Devils 5.11.918834582 -1 false By RITA DELFINER Local

When single New York women fantasize about the perfect guy, they rank physical fitness first — and green eyes also turn them on — according to a new survey.

WhatsYourPrice.com, a dating- auction Web site, surveyed 9,345 of its female members in the Big Apple to get New York's definition of "The Perfect Man.''

Asked to rank their priorities from a choice of seven physical and other attributes, New York women gave top billing to body type, and said they preferred an athletic build over "slim,'' "average'' or "overweight.''

Next, they valued education, and preferred a graduate degree. Income was ranked third, with women hoping for men who earned $150,000 to $200,000.

Rounding out the profile of perfection, guys should be green-eyed, brown-haired, be social drinkers and nonsmokers.

A man with all those attributes is virtually "guaranteed'' a first date, said Leroy Velasquez, spokesman for WhatsYourPrice.com, a Web site where male members pay female members to go out on a first date.

"It gives generous members the opportunity to date attractive members who may not even give them a chance on a traditional dating site if they're not as attractive or as outgoing as another suitor,'' he said.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 04:38:16 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/perfect_ny_male_somebody_uQWrXjz7qGnxZXUz4NwOvO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/perfect_ny_male_somebody_uQWrXjz7qGnxZXUz4NwOvO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.918834476 -1 false By JUSTIN TERRANOVA Giants

What makes this weekend great, could spoil next Sunday.

Last year the Giants shocked the football world by knocking off the 15-1 Packers on their way to a Super Bowl championship. This season the double-digit underdogs reside in the AFC, and the Texans and Ravens are trying to ruin everyone's — everyone outside of Houston and Baltimore, that is — dream of a Tom Brady-Peyton Manning AFC Championship Game.

"New England and Denver are clearly the favorites and for a reason. But, my gosh, we see so many upsets in the playoffs, it's endless," said CBS analyst Phil Simms, who will be calling the Patriots-Texans game on Sunday.

Green Bay beat the Giants last year late in the regular season, but that did not compare to the beat downs dished out by the Broncos (34-17 in Week 15) and Patriots (42-14 in Week 14) to their respective opponents this weekend. But there is a danger of that playing against the AFC's top seeds, though.

"No matter what New England and Denver says to themselves they beat those teams earlier in the year, and it wasn't that long ago and they beat them soundly," Simms said. "You can't wipe that from the memory bank. ... But you have to get to the point where there's zero complacency. And that's the challenge for Denver and New England. .... They are two teams that understand these things, and they probably have a good chance as any team in the NFL at making sure that situation doesn't happen to them."

Simms admits it is hard to resist the lure that would come with Brady and Manning meeting once again for a spot in the Super Bowl. This one would come in Mile High, after Manning and the Colts parted ways this offseason. Manning had to sit out last season after several career-threatening neck surgeries and Indianapolis was on the verge of selecting Andrew Luck with the No. 1 pick.

"I'm a fan first, there's no doubt about it," the former Giants quarterback said. "I was glad to be there with Ray Lewis for his last game in Baltimore as a broadcaster and a fan. I've done the Peyton-Brady matchups before and if we do get that, yeah, it's going to be huge. I know the focus is going to be incredible and it'd be good to be part of that."

But first the Broncos must get by Lewis and the Ravens, and the Patriots have to beat the Texans in their first postseason game since losing to the Giants in Super Bowl XLVI. When asked about the Giants' late-season struggles this season, Simms pointed to the grind of coming back after reaching a Super Bowl forces your season into February. That, in Simms' mind, makes the Patriots' run all the more noteworthy.

"It's such a culture up there that it just doesn't change. The coach and the quarterback are so strong mentally, and personality-wise I would say that the biggest reason they don't have down years," Simms said of Brady and Bill Belichick.

"They get it done. It's the toughest combination in history. Tom Brady is never satisfied, and we see Bill Belichick, too. He never gets tired of what's going on.''

jterranova@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 24:58:00 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/giants/spoiler_alert_cHGLHrZzECem72k2hUWZRO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Giants http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/giants/spoiler_alert_cHGLHrZzECem72k2hUWZRO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Giants 5.11.918834453 -1 false By KAJA WHITEHOUSE Business

Turns out, the house doesn't always win.

Hedge-fund high rollers who bet big on a comeback for Atlantic City's casinos are watching their gambling profits dwindle.

The city's casino industry suffered its sixth straight decline last year, with winnings down 8 percent to $3.05 billion, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement said in its latest annual report, released yesterday.

Even before Sandy laid waste to the city's famed boardwalk and emptied its casinos, the gaming industry was down 4.8 percent through September, the regulator said.

The numbers suggest the odds are increasingly stacked against deep-pocketed backers who play a key role in reviving the city's fortunes.

They include Marc Lasry's $12 billion Avenue Capital, a big investor in Trump Entertainment, which owns Trump Taj Mahal and Trump Plaza.

Lasry led a group of investors who brought Trump Entertainment out of bankruptcy in 2010.

Billionaire investor Carl Icahn owns Tropicana Casino and Resorts, which he bought out of bankruptcy in 2010.

Lasry's Trump Taj Mahal saw casino winnings fall 15 percent last year, while Trump Plaza was down 25 percent, according to yesterday's report.

Icahn's Tropicana fell 9.8 percent.

Lasry and Icahn didn't respond to requests for comment.

Meanwhile, a handful of hedge funds, including Canyon Capital, have plowed money into Revel — the first new Atlantic City casino in 10 years — only to be disappointed since the $2.4 billion resort opened its doors in April. The report didn't include an annual figure for Revel.

Late last month, investors coughed up another $150 million to keep Revel open through summer.

The beachfront property lost $37 million in the quarter ended in September, on top of a $35 million loss in the previous quarter.

Revel's woes are a major blow to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who granted $261 million in tax rebates to get the stalled casino project going again after Morgan Stanley abandoned it.

"At some point it looks like a car going in slow motion and heading into a brick wall," said Richard Bronson, a gaming expert and founder of US Digital Gaming.

"They're trying, but its very difficult when you've been a monopoly and suddenly everyone around you is in the business," he said.

Indeed, competition is rising. Neighboring Pennsylvania legalized gambling, starting with slot machines, in 2004. New York's Aqueduct casino in Queens opened in late 2011.

Yesterday's report shows declines for every casino, except for the Golden Nugget, which opened in March 2011. The Las Vegas-based chain saw an increase of 67 percent in 2012.

The last time New Jersey's gaming division reported a gain for AC was 2006, when revenues rose 4 percent to a record $5.2 billion. Slot machine revenues alone were $3.8 billion — more than last year's total casino winnings.

kwhitehouse@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 09:08:15 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/hedgies_crap_out_yoDwN7ywhyVbmZDj93uFbP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Business http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/hedgies_crap_out_yoDwN7ywhyVbmZDj93uFbP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Business 5.11.918277575 -1 false By GARETT SLOANE Business

Facebook's Instagram continues to slide after an Internet uproar last month over policy changes to the photo-sharing service, new data show.

Instagram has shed nearly half its daily active users — the highest frequency group — since the fiasco over its terms of use, according to AppStats. Its figures show that Instagram's active daily users dropped to 8.42 million this week, from 16.35 million on Dec. 17, the day the controversial news broke.

"The main loss will be most likely due to the terms of service changes, given how much attention and controversy the terms of service change has brought, and seeing how clearly the Instagram app dropped after the terms of service change," said AppStats CEO Sebastian Sujka.

Instagram, which Facebook acquired in a deal worth $1 billion in April, sparked anger with terms of use suggesting it could sell users' photos to advertisers. Instagram called it a misunderstanding and reverted to its old terms of use.

AppStats is one of several services that measure app usage, along with rival AppData. Both track only users who are logged into Instagram through Facebook.

AppData also showed a 25 percent drop in Instagram's active daily users, to 12.4 million, from 16.4 million from Dec. 19 to 26. After The Post published those figures last month, Facebook called the data "inaccurate."

Facebook insists that Instagram continues to "see strong and steady growth in both registered and active users" but declined to provide any metrics.

This week Facebook told developers it is moving away from the daily statistics of the sort that showed Instagram's slip in favor of less detailed rankings.

Joaquin Ruiz, CEO of Catalog Spree, said the change helps smooth out blips in traffic, which can fluctuate due to glitches in the data collecting. "Still, it will mask out daily changes that would otherwise be useful," he said.

The move also buries legitimate material changes in usage, according to Frank O'Brien, the founder of marketing firm Convoagency, who criticized the lack of transparency.

"This won't bode well for developers," he said.

gsloane@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 10:22:39 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/bad_insta_karma_4ZENrwZVX2byVMQxK045rN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Business http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/bad_insta_karma_4ZENrwZVX2byVMQxK045rN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Business 5.11.917765915 -1 false By MICHELLE CELARIER Business

Herbalife CEO Michael Johnson better have a Plan B.

After an impassioned two-and-a-half hour defense of his company before roughly 100 investors — and a rapt Wall Street watching live streaming of the meeting — Johnson couldn't convince skeptical shareholders.

Shares of Herbalife — which spiked about 7 percent as the meeting climaxed — fell 1.8 percent at the 4 p.m. close of trading.

Johnson called the meeting in hopes of clearly and indisputably rebutting claims of activist hedge fund investor Bill Ackman that Herbalife — a distributor of nutritional supplements and weight loss shakes — is a classic pyramid scheme.

The Dec. 20 attack by Pershing Capital founder Ackman — who said the 32-year-old company deserved a regulatory beat down — sent Herbalife shares tumbling.

The certainty of Ackman's claims — plus his $1 billion short of Herbalife's shares — caught the attention of Wall Street.

When, days later, rival hedgie Dan Loeb amassed a $270 million long position and trashed Ackman's thesis, it turned Herbalife into the most watched and talked-about company on the Street.

One of the two is going to lose a lot of cash over distinctly different opinions on the $4 billion company.

After the meeting at the Midtown Four Seasons Hotel, Ackman said Johnson "distorted, mischaracterized and outright ignored" the heart of his attack.

Ackman promised to release a "detailed" series of questions in the near future.

Those questions may very well end up being bandied about in court as rumors swirled that Herbalife, which has retained famed litigator David Boies, was ready to sue Ackman.

Boies attended the meeting, as did Third Point's Dan Loeb, who has taken an 8 percent stake in the company.

Ackman, too, has lawyered up — and is almost egging Herbalife to sue him.

Ackman feels Herbalife is unwilling to open up that can of worms because it would have to divulge dicey financial data, sources said.

Herbalife was non-committal on its plans.

"We're exploring all our options," Herbalife president Des Walsh told The Post in an interview.

"When we use the term that we believe there were gross misinterpretations, that represents our thinking," he said.

If Herbalife could prove facts were willfully misconstrued and that it lost business as a result of Ackman's campaign, it could have a case for defamation, slander and tortious interference, said sources.

"Many are questioning, 'How could Ackman, after purportedly spending a year on the research, have gotten so much, so wrong? Well, one possible answer would be that he did it on purpose," said Robert Chapman of Chapman Capital and one of the most outspoken Herbalife bulls. "If his research was 100%, 'best-idea-ever' thorough, it couldn't have been by accident."

"Herbalife did not respond to our identification of overstatements and inaccuracies in the company's earnings statement for distributors, which among other deceptions, excludes the 93 percent of distributors that have zero gross earnings," said Ackman in his statement.

"We cannot give an exact breakdown in terms of the percentage of sales in terms of distributor versus nondistributor customers," Walsh told The Post. "We don't have that visibility."

"They could, if they wanted to," said Douglas Brooks, a lawyer who has led three class-action suits against Herbalife.

"Contractually they require distributors to keep sales records. Why not ask them to send in sales receipts?" he asked.

mcelarier@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 10:22:39 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/fighting_bad_ItUMql2kGBn96pjWUpTFNJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Business http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/fighting_bad_ItUMql2kGBn96pjWUpTFNJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Business 5.11.917907364 -1 false Page Six Fri, 11 Jan 2013 24:03:45 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/celeb_name_KiM5zCfo8EGHldpvgNb4WI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/celeb_name_KiM5zCfo8EGHldpvgNb4WI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Page Six 5.11.917754220 -1 false Page Six

William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman almost didn't make it to the premiere of HBO's "Girls" Wednesday night after their limo was hijacked by an imposter. The couple waited, and waited, for their car outside The London NYC Hotel, only to discover an imposter had earlier climbed in, claimed to be Macy and sped off. The limo thief then made multiple stops around town, we're told. Left in the dust, Macy and his wife finally grabbed a cab. Star Lena Dunham meanwhile is proudly showing more skin in the second season of "Girls." After screening three new episodes of the show, which starts Sunday, at NYU's Skirball Center, Dunham joked, "My boobs were never supposed to be seen on that big a screen." Surrounded by family and friends at a Cinema Society after-party at Capitale, she added of the event, "The last season premiere was like my wedding, this season it's like my funeral, but with less speeches." Dunham — in a Valentino jumpsuit — told us she was calling it an early night to head to the Golden Globes the next morning, where she's nominated. By Dunham's side was her boyfriend, fun. guitarist Jack Antonoff, who revealed how they maintain their relationship: "We work next to each other," he said. "It's our version of relaxing." Co-star Allison Williams' boyfriend, College Humor co-founder and Barry Diller protégé Ricky Van Veen, waited on the carpet for her for more than an hour. Also there was her father Brian, Jonah Hill, Gabourey Sidibe, Michael Stipe, Diane von Furstenberg, Paulina Porizkova, Gayle King, Solange Knowles and HBO's Richard Plepler.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 10:10:36 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/girls_gone_wild_ride_G08yCcziCytKfWV7ABY5jP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/girls_gone_wild_ride_G08yCcziCytKfWV7ABY5jP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six 5.11.917754173 -1 false Page Six

Australian supermodel Miranda Kerr put on a brave face Wednesday night as she faced reporters amid rumors of marital troubles with her actor husband Orlando Bloom. The brand ambassador for Aussie airline Qantas told of their son Flynn's recent second birthday party, which featured a bouncing castle, bubble machine and a vegan cake. The boy is true to his maternal roots. "He likes Vegemite and he says, 'G'day mate!' " Kerr told The Post's Richard Johnson on the red carpet at the Montage Beverly Hills hotel. But Kerr seemed pained when asked about having another child, and she barely mentioned Bloom, even when she was asked what the key to a happy marriage is. "Communication, honesty and patience, " the Victoria's Secret Angel replied. Bloom, who was spotted hopping on a private plane with his snowboard, doused the rumors last week when he was photographed kissing Kerr as he picked her up from a workout in Hollywood and gallantly opened the car door for her. But yesterday a carefree Bloom, on a boys' ski trip, was spotted shirtless, sunning himself in the snow, amid the wealthy crowd at Aspen Highlands mid-mountain restaurant Merry-Go-Round.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 08:46:23 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/embattled_beauty_miranda_keeps_her_igxRQm6TN0kLQgZhzcHA2O?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/embattled_beauty_miranda_keeps_her_igxRQm6TN0kLQgZhzcHA2O?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Page Six 5.11.917754058 -1 false Page Six

Rapper Rick Ross is being sued by the drug trafficker Rick Ross for allegedly stealing his name to forge a career — and top music industry execs are being handed subpoenas for the trial. Rapper Rick, whose real name is William Roberts, is said to have adopted his stage name from the former cocaine kingpin, infamous for running a drug empire in LA in the 1980s. Drug dealer Ross, who went to jail in 1996 and got out in 2009, says his name has been "exploited and misused since he went to prison and . . . [the rapper] made millions off Ross' name." The trial is set for LA in August, and ex-Warner honcho L yor Cohen, current CEO Stephen Cooper and Warner director Edgar Bronfman Jr. are expected to testify.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 10:10:36 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/rick_vs_rick_sBNa5IUgibTzmx7w3vfyqO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/rick_vs_rick_sBNa5IUgibTzmx7w3vfyqO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six 5.11.917753943 -1 false Page Six

Michael Caine and his wife, Shakira, celebrated 40 years of marriage over dinner at Prime 112 Steakhouse in Miami. The couple dined Tuesday with a group of 15 that included their daughter Natasha, Blaine Trump, Joan Collins and her husband, Percy Gibson. A witness told us, "Michael looked elated to be celebrating 40 years with his beautiful wife. When the desserts came out, they were smiling and sharing from the same spoon." The acting legend met Shakira after spotting her in a TV ad, and he calls her his "soul mate."

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 10:10:36 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/years_of_bliss_UlLDsqvwCXJNdYay3S7dXO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/years_of_bliss_UlLDsqvwCXJNdYay3S7dXO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six 5.11.917753828 -1 false Page Six

Bert Fields, longtime lawyer for Tom Cruise and the Church of Scientology, doesn't think much of the new book "Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief" by Pulitzer Prize-winning Lawrence Wright. The Knopf book, excerpted in the Hollywood Reporter, states that church leader David Miscavige viewed Nicole Kidman as "a gold digger who was faking Scientology," whom the church branded a "suppressive person." It also claims Kidman happily conducted the search for her successor, who turned out to be Katie Holmes. But Fields told Page Six yesterday: "The chapter about Tom is based on provable lies by a bunch of bitter ex-Scientologists. The book itself is boring."

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 10:10:36 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/cruise_hits_back_OOrKnjEnQB9Lj4CNPAySEO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/cruise_hits_back_OOrKnjEnQB9Lj4CNPAySEO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Page Six 5.11.917765642 -1 false Page Six Fri, 11 Jan 2013 24:01:37 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/celeb_name_U5PW5BMHdIpSBCXkp0mA0N?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/celeb_name_U5PW5BMHdIpSBCXkp0mA0N?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Page Six 5.11.917765450 -1 false By MARK DeCAMBRE Business

Cheap home loans and a recovering US housing markets are expected to produce solid fourth-quarter profits for Wells Fargo, analysts said.

The San Francisco bank is the No. 1 US mortgage lender and boasts a commanding 30.3 percent market share.

The US housing market could also blow wind into Wells Fargo's sails for 2014, analysts added.

The bank, run by Chief Executive John Stumpf, will report fourth-quarter and full-year results today.

Wells and other banks have been enjoying bargain basement interest rates on 30-year loans, which hit an all-time low of 3.31 percent in late November, according to Freddie Mac data.

Indeed, more than 70 percent of the $1.8 trillion in home-loan activity last year was related to refinancings, according to Guy Cecala, editor of Inside Mortgage Finance.

Total origination also was up 20 percent from last year's 1.5 trillion, Cecala noted.

That mortgage boom is expected to help drive Wells' revenues of more than $21 billion and profits of about 89 cents a share.

Wells has continued to make hay in mortgages while its once formidable competitors, including JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America, have either reverted primarily to refinacings or have all but sworn off the mortgage business.

While Wells dominates the home-lending game, some analysts warn that new capital requirements and tougher mortgage regulations coming out of the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau could make the mortgage business way less profitable.

That said, some analysts are still forecasting a rosy outlook for Wells despite the potential headwinds.

"We think that refinancing activity will continue well into 2014 and that will be a big benefit to Wells because its [rivals] have been reluctant mortgage lenders," said FBR Capital Markets bank analyst Paul Miller.

mark.decambre@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 09:59:18 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/us_loan_rustlers_SmYvfOy9pczFjgn9DUtxmN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Business http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/us_loan_rustlers_SmYvfOy9pczFjgn9DUtxmN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Business 5.11.917765265 -1 false Page Six

The stage is set for the trial for the epic brawl between beefy New York businessman Adam Hock, Monaco's Pierre Casiraghi and his pals, including Stavros Niarchos — and it's appropriately timed. The trial concerning February 2012's infamous "Battle Royale" at trendy club Double Seven will kick off Feb. 4 in Manhattan Criminal Court, three days before the start of New York Fashion Week — which is handy, since Hock claimed the fight started when he was "defending the honor" of the women he was with — a bevy of supermodels. We're told some of these beauties may even have to step off the catwalk to testify, including Natasha Poly, Valentina Zalyaeva — who were at Hock's table — and on the other side Jessica Hart, the model girlfriend of Niarchos. Also expected to be called is New York nightlife guru Jeffrey Jah. His lawyer Terrence A. Oved said, "It remains to be seen whether the models will appear on the DA's or the defense's witness list." Hock denies attacking Casiraghi, the grandson of Grace Kelly, Niarchos and their pals.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 14:37:29 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/catwalk_week_court_clash_6qU7W5bFYWPk9AHxxRDyUN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/catwalk_week_court_clash_6qU7W5bFYWPk9AHxxRDyUN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Page Six 5.11.917753515 -1 false Page Six

Robert Redford's Sundance Film Festival is hatching a plan to expand to Brooklyn.

The annual Park City, Utah, indie-movie mammoth is in talks to create a large-scale New York festival, sources exclusively tell Page Six. We hear organizers are discussing plans with top Brooklyn real estate developers — as well as film industry insiders, politicos and retailers — to launch a Sundance initiative that would take place in DUMBO and could rival Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal's annual Tribeca Film Festival.

According to a source, one space under the Brooklyn Bridge has already been scouted as a potential headquarters for the event. The festival has hosted a "Sundance Institute at BAM" screening series in Brooklyn since 2006.

The Sundance Brooklyn buzz arrives on the heels of the city's October announcement of a Made in New York Media Center in DUMBO, backed by Mayor Bloomberg and designed to be a "Silicon Alley" incubator for advertising, film, media and video-game development. The Independent Filmmaker Project will manage the center at 20 Jay St., due to open this spring.

Sundance and the IFP are in "very early conversations" about doing a project together, an IFP rep said. Sources say the possibilities range from a screening series to a full-blown festival.

Sundance is about to kick off its main Utah event Thursday, with films starring Daniel Radcliffe, Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Shia LaBeouf and Amanda Seyfried.

Redford's fest last year alone brought $80 million to Utah, and 46,000 attendees. It's recently expanded with screening series in 10 cities, including its BAM program, which starts Jan. 31 with "Kill Your Darlings," starring Radcliffe.

A Sundance rep said: "2013 will mark the fourth year of our Sundance Film Festival USA initiative, which brings films . . . to regional art-house theaters immediately following their premieres. We are pleased to have a presence in the New York area, and we continue to seek new programmatic opportunities in regions across the country and internationally."

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 03:51:17 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/sundance_expands_to_klyn_kdRi6nffsVM26UnqhliVGN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/sundance_expands_to_klyn_kdRi6nffsVM26UnqhliVGN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Page Six 5.11.917462656 -1 false Page Six

Not only is May Anderson engaged to artist Julian Schnabel, she's expecting his child, we can exclusively reveal. The model turned art gallery assistant director is three months pregnant with her first child. Anderson, 30, posed for Playboy last May and has been dating Schnabel, 60, since April. They got engaged in November, at about the time she would have found out she was pregnant. Schnabel has five children from two previous marriages. His son Vito was at one time a close friend of Anderson's. Mazel tov!

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 14:24:59 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/baby_on_the_way_mM4EBqLg933SFvukoXcENM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/baby_on_the_way_mM4EBqLg933SFvukoXcENM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six 5.11.917462425 -1 false http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Copyright 2009

http://www.nypost.com Newscore http://www.nypost.com/rw/SysConfig/WebPortal/nypost/images/rss_nyp_logo.jpg http://www.nypost.com 120 18 National Fri, 11 Jan 2013 22:26:06 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/pick_you_kanye_ew1MKKxuyaoF0C5bZvkqcM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=National http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/pick_you_kanye_ew1MKKxuyaoF0C5bZvkqcM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=National 5.11.970562285 -1 false By BRIAN COSTELLO Jets

There will be no Ryan brothers reunion in New York.

The Rams are planning to hire Rob Ryan as their new defensive coordinator, according to a source.

Another source said the deal is not done yet, but the team is expected to hire him.

The Cowboys fired Rob Ryan earlier this week, creating speculation that Rex might hire his brother for his staff. But Rob Ryan landed in St. Louis where he will work under Jeff Fisher.

Ryan has been the defensive coordinator for the Raiders, Browns and Cowboys before this.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 22:14:10 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/rob_ryan_hired_as_rams_defensive_qOlkVuNkzOQa54Kuxy4DTO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Jets http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/rob_ryan_hired_as_rams_defensive_qOlkVuNkzOQa54Kuxy4DTO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Jets 5.11.968369505 -1 false ASSOCIATED PRESS National

AP

WASHINGTON — NBC journalist David Gregory won't face charges for displaying a high-capacity ammunition magazine on his "Meet the Press" news program last month, District of Columbia prosecutors announced Friday.

The city's Office of the Attorney General, which handles low-level crimes, said criminal charges wouldn't serve the public's best interests even though possession of the magazine — capable of holding up to 30 rounds of ammunition — was clearly against local gun laws.

"Influencing our judgment in this case, among other things, is our recognition that the intent of the temporary possession and short display of the magazine was to promote the First Amendment purpose of informing an ongoing public debate about firearms policy in the United States, especially while this subject was foremost in the minds of the public" after the Connecticut school massacre and President Barack Obama's address to the nation, D.C. Attorney General Irvin Nathan wrote a lawyer for NBC.

Still, Nathan said, there were other legal ways to prove the point and that "there is no doubt of the gravity of the illegal conduct in this matter, especially in a city and a nation that have been plagued by carnage from gun violence." He said it was a "very close decision" to not bring charges.

Firearms laws in the nation's capital generally restrict the possession of high-capacity ammunition magazines, such as the one Gregory said he was holding up during a Dec. 23 interview, regardless of whether they're attached to a firearm. Punishment can carry up to a year in jail or a $1,000 fine.

D.C. police say NBC asked for permission to use the clip during a segment and was advised that it would be illegal, though NBC has said it received conflicting guidance from other law enforcement sources.

Gregory held up the magazine as a prop during an interview on gun control with Wayne LaPierre, the executive vice president of the National Rifle Association.

"Here is a magazine for ammunition that carries 30 bullets. Now, isn't it possible that if we got rid of these, if we replaced them and said, 'Well, you can only have a magazine that carries five bullets or ten bullets,' isn't it just possible that we could reduce the carnage in a situation like Newtown?" Gregory asked, referring to the Dec. 14 school shooting in Newtown, Conn., in which a gunman killed 20 children and six adults.

LaPierre replied: "I don't believe that's going to make one difference. There are so many different ways to evade that even if you had that" ban.

Police began investigating after the program aired and recently referred its findings to the attorney general's office.

The NRA couldn't immediately be reached for comment Friday.

However, NRA president David Keene told CNN last month that he didn't believe Gregory should be prosecuted for what he called a "silly felony."

"I do think it illustrates the craziness of some of these laws," Keene said at the time.

Gregory, a longtime correspondent, was named "Meet the Press" moderator in 2008. The program is generally taped in Washington.

"Meet the Press" issued a statement Friday that said: "We displayed the empty magazine solely for journalistic purposes to help illuminate an important issue for our viewers. We accept the District of Columbia Attorney General's admonishment, respect his decision and will have no further comment on this matter."

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 19:09:18 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/no_charges_for_nbc_host_david_gregory_GC7CW5JjjHm7mwNmBqmHAI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= National http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/no_charges_for_nbc_host_david_gregory_GC7CW5JjjHm7mwNmBqmHAI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= National 5.11.963693015 -1 false AP Manhattan

An 18th century cannon was found loaded with gun powder and a cannon ball Friday during a routine cleaning at the Central Park Conservancy.

Residual gun powder was spotted after a piece of rust was removed from the cannon, exposing the cannon ball, New York City Police said. Authorities were summoned to remove the gun powder and make the cannon safe for public display. The cannon came from a British Royal Navy Ship, the HMS, circa 1763 to 1780.

"We silenced British cannon fire in 1776 and we don't want to hear it again in Central Park," NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said.

Packing material, gun powder and a cannon ball are occasionally found inside cemented cannons when they are X-rayed during routine cleaning. A spokeswoman for the Central Park conservancy had no comment.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 19:05:09 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/blast_from_central_past_cleaners_auSVCn3DlWLqJN4JoGF6kK?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Manhattan http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/blast_from_central_past_cleaners_auSVCn3DlWLqJN4JoGF6kK?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Manhattan 5.11.963692620 -1 false Page Six

Britney Spears has broken up with her agent-turned fiancé and co-conservator, Jason Trawick, Page Six has confirmed.

According to TMZ, the pair, who have been engaged since 2011, "grew apart," and the split is "friendly." Sources tell us the split comes while Jason is in New York visiting friends and family, and the singer is in LA plotting the next move in her career.

"Britney Spears and Jason Trawick have mutually agreed to end their one-year engagement," her rep Jeff Raymond said in a statement

"As two mature adults, they came to the difficult decision to go their separate ways while continuing to remain friends."

"Jason and I have decided to call off our engagement," Spears told People. "I'll always adore him and we will remain great friends."

Adds Trawick: "As this chapter ends for us a new one begins. I love and cherish her and her boys and we will be close forever."

Lawyers for the conservatorship are in court today working things out.

Spears seems to be making some major changes lately. She recently changed agencies, moving from Trawick to CAA, and has quit her job as a judge on "X Factor."

Reports state she could be heading towards headlining a Vegas show. "Britney did decide, and is in fact not returning to 'X Factor,'" read a statement issued by her rep earlier today.

The singer herself added: "I've made the very difficult decision not to return for another season. I had an incredible time doing the show and I love the other judges and I am so proud of my teens but it's time for me to get back in the studio," said Spears. "Watching them all do their thing up on that stage every week made me miss performing so much! I can't wait to get back out there and do what I love most."

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 19:29:39 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/britney_spears_and_jason_trawick_CCqRSVtYrzuRC4GZ2UsPmJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/britney_spears_and_jason_trawick_CCqRSVtYrzuRC4GZ2UsPmJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six 5.11.963693314 -1 false Page Six

Joan Rivers has some choice words for Lady Gaga after the singer posted an open letter claiming her hit show, E!'s "Fashion Police" "breeds negativity."

"Anyone that would wear a pastrami dress or sit in an egg should know about humor," Rivers tells Page Six. "She knows exactly what's she's doing. She's not selling. We haven't been talking about her until now."

Joan's daughter, Melissa, reveals, "Kelly [Osbourne] was receiving these horrible threats from Gaga's fans and they did communicate privately about it. Months later she responds publicly? Our show is comedy. It's satire in the truest form. So many horrible things are going on in the world; we all need to laugh."

Joan chimes in, "It's time to start laughing. We've been doing this for fifty years. Tell Lady Gaga to worry about the maggots in her brain from the meat dress! But I told Kelly that it's all good because it means Lady Gaga watches 'Fashion Police'!"

And she'd be welcome there any day. Executive Producer Melissa insists, "We'd love to have her as a guest!"

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 18:33:29 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/joan_and_melissa_rivers_lady_gaga_ygnu0CDjoolml7rlG8e7RP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/joan_and_melissa_rivers_lady_gaga_ygnu0CDjoolml7rlG8e7RP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six 5.11.960933760 -1 false By REBECCA HARSHBARGER Local

Police have nabbed a suspect wanted for New York City's first murder this year in Ohio, law-enforcement sources said today.

Raymond Mayrant, 25, will be extradited back to New York for the murder of a Bronx school crossing guard, sources said.

Mayrant was dating her daughter, and allegedly shot them both in a confrontation at a Soundview apartment on Jan. 3.

Elzina Brown, 59, was shot in the chest, while her daughter was shot in the nose, authorities said.

It was not immediately clear why he went to Ohio after the slaying.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 17:21:10 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/suspect_in_city_first_murder_nabbed_0jKR3HSAylX2mxZnAqdo1O?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/suspect_in_city_first_murder_nabbed_0jKR3HSAylX2mxZnAqdo1O?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Local 5.11.959828810 -1 false Entertainment

The night has finally arrived! Follow Post film, fashion and television experts live as the drama unfolds on the red carpet and on the big stage at the Golden Globe Awards.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 21:56:11 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/follow_the_golden_globes_live_AlmU7ELFk1ralKhg7v0nZM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Entertainment http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/follow_the_golden_globes_live_AlmU7ELFk1ralKhg7v0nZM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Entertainment 5.11.959525530 -1 false Page Six

There he is! Adele has kept her baby boy under wraps since giving birth in October, but allowed fans a tiny glimpse of the tot when she landed in Los Angeles on Thursday night. She hasn't even released the name of the child, who close friend Alan Carr revealed is "such a cutie."

The new mom, 24, made the transatlantic flight to appear at the Golden Globes on Sunday, where her Bond theme "Skyfall" will be up for the title of "Best Original Song" against some stiff competition: Taylor Swift, for "Safe and Sound" from "Hunger Games," Jon Bon Jovi for "Not Running Around Any More" from "Stand Up Guys," and "Suddenly" from "Les Miserables," by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schoenberg.

But win or lose, Adele is already feeling like a winner. "Oh my god I feel like Meryl Streep!" she Tweeted the day the nominations were announced.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 16:25:49 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/here_comes_the_son_adele_shows_off_kfCgLYarJOEvDlfnrk6bEJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/here_comes_the_son_adele_shows_off_kfCgLYarJOEvDlfnrk6bEJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six 5.11.957986319 -1 false By MICHAEL BLAUSTEIN International

REUTERSThe red dust storm heading towards the Australian town of Onslow.

As Australia braced itself for the first hurricane of the year a gigantic wall of dust slammed into the north-eastern part of the country.

Images of the terrifying red storm were caught by tugboats near the town of Onslow, according to the Daily Mail.

On a beautifully clear day the storm could be seen looming on the horizon miles before it reached shore but once it hit visibility was reduced to around 300 feet and 7 foot waves lashed the shoreline.

Dust storms are a common weather occurrence in deserts but are rarely seen in such dramatic circumstances over open ocean.

REUTERSThe red dust storm heading towards the Australian town of Onslow.

The dust storm is the latest cataclysmic natural event to hit Australia in recent weeks.

SEE: SEE HARROWING SCENE FROM WILDFIRES TERRORIZING AUSTRALIA

Wildfires have ravaged the south east while a record heat wave blanketed the entire country. On Monday a record was set for the highest ever recorded national average temperature of 104.59 degrees.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 16:27:23 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/international/see_tsunami_of_red_dust_eefqnZg1otvJPB0CLiZfQN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= International http://www.nypost.com/p/news/international/see_tsunami_of_red_dust_eefqnZg1otvJPB0CLiZfQN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= International 5.11.957986178 -1 false Page Six

The epidemic sweeping the nation has hit Hollywood: Betty White has the flu.

The ninety-year-old "is on the mend," her rep told People.

White has been busy lately, filming her prank show, "Betty White's Off Their Rockers" with celebrities like Kim Kardashian. The second season of the show just debuted on Tuesday night, and she's prepping for her 91st birthday on Tuesday.

And up until recently, she was feeling great. "I can't get over that at this age, I don't feel this age," she said in a recent interview. "I'm not trying to be any younger … I'm just at one of those good times in one's life. I'm at one of the high spots. I'm healthy enough to enjoy it."

White, however, is just the latest of countless Americans to be struck by the illness. According to CNN, 20 people under 18 and likely dozens of adults have died. Best wishes to Betty for a speedy recovery.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 16:01:50 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/betty_white_has_the_flu_AzBaJMfQHhlLsiYRnCR1hN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/betty_white_has_the_flu_AzBaJMfQHhlLsiYRnCR1hN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six 5.11.957039696 -1 false Page Six

Days after her racy GQ spread leaked on the Internet, Beyonce shows off a softer side in a new photo she posted on her infectious Tumblr.

Mama Bey holds onto one-year-old Blue Ivy's hands as a sparkling blue ocean glimmers in the background.

The singer shows off her enviable abs in a printed two piece with generously cut boy shorts. As for her daughter's outfit of choice? A simple diaper.

Jay-Z's better half opened up about being one of the hardest-working moms in the music industry.

"I love my job, but it's more than that: I need it. Because before I gave birth, it was the only time in my life, all throughout my life, that I was lost," she admitted to GQ. "But I've sacrificed a lot of things, and I've worked harder than probably anyone I know, at least in the music industry. So I just have to remind myself that I deserve it."

She's got some busy days ahead.

Just one day after she announced Destiny's Child would be releasing their first new material in eight years, US Weekly reports that the group is set to reunite for the first time in six years during the Super Bowl halftime show.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 16:00:48 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/photo_beyonce_plays_with_blue_ivy_INSLWrdAL8z6mMOK3tcqRN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/photo_beyonce_plays_with_blue_ivy_INSLWrdAL8z6mMOK3tcqRN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six 5.11.957039578 -1 false ASSOCIATED PRESS National

WASHINGTON — President Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Friday they have agreed to speed up slightly the schedule for moving Afghanistan's security forces into the lead across the country, with US troops shifting fully to a support role. The leaders also said Obama agreed to place battlefield detainees under the control of the Afghan government.

Obama, appearing in the East Room of the White House with Karzai at his side, said accelerating the transition to Afghan security control this spring would set the stage for further withdrawal of US and other foreign forces, although he did not say how quickly a US drawdown would be carried out this year and next. There are now 66,000 US troops there.

"Starting this spring our troops will have a different mission: training, advising and assisting Afghan forces," Obama said. "It will be a historic moment."

He added later that even in a backup role he could not rule out that US troops could be drawn into combat. But he emphasized that their main role would be support, such as training and advising.

Karzai said he was pleased by the agreement, in part because it means that by spring there will be no foreign troops in Afghan villages.

Asked about the decision to accelerate the transition to Afghan security control — a shift that previously was scheduled to happen this summer — Obama said it was not yet clear what it would mean for the pace of US troop withdrawals this year. He said that was "something that isn't yet fully determined" and is awaiting further internal deliberation.

Casting the move in a positive light, Obama said plans remain on schedule to have Afghan forces fully responsible for security nationwide by the end of December 2014 — with no backup, theoretically, by US or other international forces — at which point, "this war will come to a responsible end."

The capabilities of the Afghan army are "exceeding initial expectations," the two said in a joint statement released after their private White House meeting and working lunch and in advance of a joint news conference. As a result, Obama said he acceded to Karzai's desire to put Afghan forces in the combat lead across his country this spring, rather than wait until summer.

In their statement the leaders said they discussed the possibility of a continued US troop presence beyond December 2014, when the US and allied combat mission is to end. But they did not settle on any specifics.

The US now has 66,000 troops in Afghanistan.

US commanders in Afghanistan have proposed keeping 6,000 to 15,000 US troops after 2014 to continuing pursuing terrorists and training Afghan security forces. But the White House, which tends to favor lower troop levels than the generals do, says Obama would be open to pulling all US forces out of Afghanistan at the end of 2014.

"We wouldn't rule out any option," Ben Rhodes, Obama's deputy national security adviser, said earlier this week. "We're not guided by the goal of a certain number of US troops in the country. We're guided by the objectives that the president set — disrupt, dismantle, defeat al-Qaida."

Friday's meeting was the first between Obama and Karzai since November's US presidential election. Heading into his second term, Obama is shaking up his national security team, including key players who deal with Karzai and the war.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta are both expected to leave their posts within weeks. The president nominated Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., as the nation's top diplomat and former Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., to lead the Pentagon.

Both Kerry and Hagel are likely to favor a more rapid withdrawal of US forces.

After Karzai met Thursday with Clinton and Panetta, the Pentagon chief offered an upbeat assessment of the war's progress.

"After a long and difficult path, we finally are, I believe, at the last chapter of establishing an Afghanistan, a sovereign Afghanistan, that can govern and secure itself for the future," Panetta said.

The US-led NATO coalition is aiming to turn all combat missions over to Afghan forces by the end of this year. The 66,000 US forces still there are already turning over territory or handing off many combat missions to the Afghans.

Still, the war's endgame is punctuated with uncertainty, beginning with doubts about whether the Afghan government can build legitimacy by credibly serving its population. Also in question is whether Afghan security forces will be capable of holding off the Taliban after international forces leave.

Panetta told a news conference that he and Karzai had laid the groundwork for the Afghan leader's White House meeting.

"We made very good progress on, you know, the kind of equipment that we would try to make available to them," to enable the Afghans to not only secure their borders but also prevent a Taliban takeover, Panetta said.

Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the same news conference that US and Afghan officials are developing a common assessment of threats Afghanistan is likely to face in the future. Conclusions from that study will help determine the full range of Afghanistan's military requirements, he said.

Karzai was greeted at the Pentagon by a ceremonial honor guard, and at a photo-taking session in Panetta's office, the Afghan leader said he could assure the American people that his country "will not ever again be threatened by terrorists from across our borders" — an allusion to the al-Qaida leaders hiding in Pakistan. It was from Afghanistan that Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaida operatives plotted the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 15:41:12 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/obama_karzai_agree_to_speed_military_aiIdRWK8JJujQypbnC5cAP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= National http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/obama_karzai_agree_to_speed_military_aiIdRWK8JJujQypbnC5cAP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= National 5.11.956526258 -1 false Page Six

Former Jets player Scotty McKnight has more to moan about as his ex-girlfriend, Hayden Panettiere, is reportedly rekindling her relationship with Wladimir Klitschko.

It's been barely a month since the "Nashville" beauty split with the wide receiver who she dated for a year, and she's now jumped headfirst into Round 2 with the 6'6" boxing champ.

The pair, who dated for a year and a half starting in late 2010, have spent almost the past two weeks together.

On New Year's Eve, they were spotted in Dubai partying at the "Cirque du Soir" nightclub where the 5"2' Panettiere (hilariously) stood on a couch for most of the night so her boyfriend could hear what she was shouting in his ear.

"They came together and were hanging all over each other all night," an eyewitness told the German newspaper Bild.

The petite Panettiere, clad in an asymmetric black mini, "kept caressing his butt," according to the source. "He kept grabbing her in bear hugs. He never let her out of his sight."

They were back together in Florida, where he lives, by January 4.

TMZ reports that Klitschko also dropped off his love at the Sunshine State airport today. Once she landed in LA, cameras caught the actress giggling like a schoolgirl when asked about the relationship. She and Klitschko are "just good buddies."

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 16:00:47 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/round_for_hayden_panettiere_wladimir_c5Z2MqfjbVsAkDdIYTM1DO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/round_for_hayden_panettiere_wladimir_c5Z2MqfjbVsAkDdIYTM1DO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six 5.11.955664054 -1 false Page Six

It's official: Britney Spears is leaving "The X Factor."

Amid reports she was set to leave the judges' panel, the pop princess tells Page Six, "I've made the very difficult decision not to return for another season. I had an incredible time doing the show and I love the other judges and I am so proud of my teens but it's time for me to get back in the studio. Watching them all do their thing up on that stage every week made me miss performing so much! I can't wait to get back out there and do what I love most."

Now, buzz is growing that she could next appear on stage in Las Vegas, as headliner for a big Celine Dion-style show. "She is very interested in a Vegas residency, and is in serious talks with one of the major casino groups," a source close to Spears confirms to Page Six.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 15:30:26 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/britney_spears_confirms_she_quitting_IT7SQdCR5HFVdb9jS7wmNI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/britney_spears_confirms_she_quitting_IT7SQdCR5HFVdb9jS7wmNI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six 5.11.954972890 -1 false ASSOCIATED PRESS International

LONDON — Patients in hospital beds; star-struck teenagers in a TV show audience; pupils at a school for troubled girls; a 10-year-old autograph hunter.

All fell victim to the late British entertainer Jimmy Savile, police said, describing him Friday as a sexual predator who used his fame to find victims and deliberately targeted individuals who would not speak out against him.

A three-month police investigation yielded a staggering litany of sexual crimes: 214 offenses, including 34 rapes, over more than half a century, the majority of the victims under 18. Police say they expect the number of offenses to rise as more allegations are investigated.

A police report published Friday describes a "prolific, predatory sex offender" whose celebrity unlocked the doors of institutions across Britain, from hospitals where he served as a charity fundraiser to schools whose pupils eagerly watched his television programs — and even to the prime minister's country house, where he dined with Margaret Thatcher.

"It could be said that he groomed a nation," said Cmdr. Peter Spindler, head of the Metropolitan Police specialist crimes unit. "He was hiding in plain sight, but none of us were able to do anything about it."

The catalog of abuse provides the fullest accounting yet of the allegations against Savile, a cigar-chomping, platinum-haired TV and radio personality who died in October 2011 at age 84. Savile's elaborate funeral reflected his status as a popular entertainer and tireless charity worker, but a documentary broadcast late last year pulled the mask away, claiming that he was a serial sex offender who traded on his celebrity to prey on vulnerable children.

The subsequent police investigation more than bore out those allegations. Detectives initially believed there were between 20 and 25 victims. So far, 450 have come forward with claims against Savile — a scale of abuse police called "unprecedented in the U.K."

Child welfare experts say Savile's fame helped him achieve that grim distinction.

"Savile cunningly built his entire life around gaining access to vulnerable children," said Peter Watt of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.

Savile set himself up as a sinister Pied Piper; children came to him. He hosted the long-running BBC music show "Top of the Pops," which saw everyone from the Rolling Stones to the Sex Pistols perform before an audience of excited young people. Police say victims were assaulted in dressing rooms or groped during filming breaks. One victim was a teenager who said she was assaulted at the last-ever recording of the show in 2006, when Savile was nearly 80.

Savile also hosted "Jim'll Fix It," a BBC TV show on which he granted the wishes of young viewers who wrote in with cherished plans. Police said Savile would sometimes visit the letter-writers' schools, and some of the offenses took place there.

"He could do anything he wanted," said Detective Supt. David Gray, who led the police investigation. "He could turn up at a school and say 'Is anyone interested in meeting me?'"

He often visited a school for troubled girls, where pupils were allegedly offered cigarettes and trips in Savile's car in return for sex. The flamboyant star often drove a convertible Rolls-Royce.

"He only picked on the most vulnerable," Gray said. "He was clever enough to know the ones less likely to speak out against him."

Savile also was a fundraiser for hospitals, including Leeds General Infirmary in his northern England home town and the Stoke Mandeville spinal injuries center in southern England. Police said he committed 50 assaults at 14 medical establishments, including a cancer hospice and several psychiatric hospitals. Among his victims were ill youngsters confined to bed.

Savile's charitable work raised his profile and credibility. Recently released records show he lobbied Thatcher for government donations and tax breaks for charities.

"I find it quite scary that people who had the power to stop him didn't use that power ... and he went on to do the most horrific things to people in the most awful circumstances," said Caroline Moore, who says Savile abused her as she recovered from a spinal operation at Stoke Mandeville in 1971.

Some Savile victims did speak out. Several women went to police to report Saville in 2003, 2007 and 2008, and senior prosecutor Alison Levitt said Friday that the entertainer could have been brought to justice while he was alive, if officials had pursued the allegations more vigorously.

The BBC — which has been strongly criticized for dropping an investigation into Savile's crimes shortly after this death — and several health bodies are holding their own inquiries into how Savile was able to get away with decades of abuse.

Peter Saunders of the National Association for People Abused in Childhood said authorities must be more prepared to listen to children who say they have been abused.

"I want us to forget Jimmy Savile. He is not worthy of memory," Saunders said. "But I want us to remember his many victims."

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 15:59:27 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/international/jimmy_savile_targeted_vulnerable_QPLmZv6vS3B3F3R0QAe7AI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= International http://www.nypost.com/p/news/international/jimmy_savile_targeted_vulnerable_QPLmZv6vS3B3F3R0QAe7AI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= International 5.11.954972795 -1 false By BILL SANDERSON Local

A flu shot might not keep you from getting sick, government doctors admitted today.

This year's vaccine is effective in about 62 percent of cases, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.

And this year's vaccine appears least effective in the elderly or people with other health problems — the very folks who need flu shots the most.

Getting a flu shot is still a good idea, said CDC director Thomas Frieden.

"The flu vaccine is far from perfect. But it is still by far the best tool we have to prevent the flu," Frieden, a former New York City health commissioner, told reporters.

Scientists haven't figured out how to make a vaccine that protects against more than three strains of the flu.

So before flu season begins, vaccine makers have to figure out which three will be most prevalent, and formulate the vaccine accordingly, doctors explained.

Vaccine makers appear to have made the right choices this year, Frieden said. But there are other strains of the flu out there not covered by the vaccine.

Drug makers are working on vaccines that can protect against four or more strains.

It's possible tens of thousands of people will die from the flu this year — but final estimates on the death toll won't be available for months, the CDC says.

So far this flu season, the government has counted 20 flu-related deaths among children under age 18. The CDC says it closely tracks pediatric flu deaths.

In New York, about 5 percent of emergency room visits are flu-related, city health officials report. That's up from 2 percent during last year's flu season.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 14:42:46 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/no_relief_flu_vaccine_only_effective_kJbwqiLmOHhAWd16ijSpJO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/no_relief_flu_vaccine_only_effective_kJbwqiLmOHhAWd16ijSpJO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Local 5.11.954070218 -1 false By JOSH SAUL Brooklyn

Reuters Jerome Isaac is seen in surveillance photos dousing a woman with gasoline before setting her alight inside an elevator on Dec. 19, 2011.

The evil firebug who burned an elderly woman to death in her Brooklyn elevator will spend the rest of his life in prison, ruled a Brooklyn Supreme Court judge who called the attack "one of the most horrific crimes I've ever seen."

Jerome Isaac, 48, admitted in a plea deal that he ambushed Dolores Gillespie, 73, in 2011 by spraying gasoline on her, lighting her aflame with a barbeque lighter, then throwing a Molotov cocktail on her as her screams echoed through the building.

"He will die in jail," Gillespie's daughter said in a statement read by prosecutors. "While my authentic feeling continues to be anger, ultimately, we believe that you fight fire with water … not fire. So may God have mercy on his soul."

The judge, prosecutors, and defense attorney all agreed the attack that the video of the attack – captured by a surveillance camera in the elevator – was among the worst sights they had ever seen.

"I would have thought after 30 years in this business very little would have shocked me," said ADA Mark Hale.

"I was wrong. It's a permanent part of my dreamscape. I have nightmares and that tops the list."

The judge and both attorneys praised the plea deal and how it ensures neither the victim's family nor the jury will be forced to watch the horrific video.

"It does in fact spare the family and the public the trauma of seeing the video," defense attorney Howard Tanner said. Tanner also said his client – a Rastafarian – requested that the Department of Corrections not cut his hair.

Isaac's sentencing in November was postponed because he told probation officials "the devil tells him what to do." Judge Vincet DelGiudice ordered a psyche evaluation and postponed sentencing until today, when it was revealed Isaac had been found fit to be sentenced.

DelGiudice sentenced Isaac to 50 years to life on counts of murder and arson and said, "I can't conceive of any right-minded individual allowing Mr. Isaac to rejoin the public."

Gillespie had hired Isaac for odd jobs but fired him when he stole her kitchenware and DVD player, which made Isaac so angry he planned the attack.

jsaul@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 16:41:21 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brooklyn/elevator_arson_killer_will_most_OO9dGECHuccI6FfH6TIocJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Brooklyn http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brooklyn/elevator_arson_killer_will_most_OO9dGECHuccI6FfH6TIocJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Brooklyn 5.11.954070063 -1 false Page Six

Penelope Cruz's beautiful younger sister Monica turned to an anonymous sperm donor to get pregnant.

The 35-year-old lingerie model shared the happy news on her blog for the Spanish publication El País: "I am going to be a mother! I have managed to fulfill the dream of a lifetime."

She added, "I want to share with all of you this special journey and to be able to tell you about all my experiences during this fascinating time."

Monica admitted she was worried that she wouldn't find the perfect man in time to start a family, so sought help through artificial insemination.

"[I want to] show my thanks to all those anonymous men that help to give many women like me, the dream of their lives."

A celebrity in her native Spain, the brunette decided to announce her pregnancy before the flood of inevitable questions she would get about the identity of the father. "'I wanted to avoid, above all, that they spoke about possible fathers or the possible candidates to be it."

Monica initially felt uneasy about hiding her method to get pregnant but is now happy to help make the topic less taboo for other women. "If with this I can help others who have doubts, then here you have me if you need me."

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 14:37:30 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/penelope_cruz_sister_monica_pregnant_UV5q4jgDjVXAqzA8uKlbdP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/penelope_cruz_sister_monica_pregnant_UV5q4jgDjVXAqzA8uKlbdP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six 5.11.954069790 -1 false Page Six

More great news for Destiny's Child fans: Just one day after Beyonce announced the group would be releasing their first new material in eight years, US Weekly reports that the group is set to reunite for the first time in six years during the Super Bowl halftime show.

Beyonce will start the show solo, according to the mag, before bandmates Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams join her to perform a short medley of the group's mega-hits. They'll then segue into their new single, "Nuclear," before Beyonce performs a solo single from her upcoming fifth album.

The group's new release, "Love Songs," is a compilation album of romantic hits with "Nuclear" being the only new material. Originally recorded between 1997 and 2004, the album will be released on January 29 – just in time for Valentine's Day.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 14:09:41 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/destiny_child_to_reunite_at_super_ERjIT8LVrHO7XUhIeWAR6I?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/destiny_child_to_reunite_at_super_ERjIT8LVrHO7XUhIeWAR6I?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six 5.11.952954200 -1 false Page Six

It really would be a problem if your significant other woke up next to George Clooney.

A lot of attractive people are found sleeping in bed together in a new ad that features Clooney and Rande Gerber with their main squeezes, Stacy Keibler and Cindy Crawford.

The short flick, titled "It Could Happen, Please Drink Responsibly," was written and produced by the "Ocean's Eleven" star and Grant Heslov.

In the video, Gerber finds the actor sleeping next to his wife after a night of drinking. Later, Clooney finds Keibler curled up with Crawford. Finally, the supermodel walks in to find her husband in bed with Clooney.

The starry mini-movie was even shot on location at one of Clooney's homes, and sources told Page Six it's "loosely based on a true story," which involves the stars hopping into bed in various odd couplings.

<iframe width="325" height="250" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/6w0KjBr4Gss" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 13:52:41 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/watch_george_clooney_in_bed_with_qOssWjOURvmRaFKzlH6k7L?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/watch_george_clooney_in_bed_with_qOssWjOURvmRaFKzlH6k7L?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six 5.11.952027360 -1 false ASSOCIATED PRESS Local

Newark Mayor Cory Booker has filed paperwork allowing him to raise money to run for the US Senate in 2014, setting up intrigue over his political future and that of 89-year-old Frank Lautenberg, who currently holds the seat.

Booker made the filing Tuesday with the Federal Election Commission. The prolific social media user has not tweeted about it or made any public announcements about the filing.

But it came as no surprise. Booker, perhaps New Jersey's highest-profile Democratic politician, announced last month that he would not challenge Republican incumbent Chris Christie and run for governor in 2013. Instead, Booker said, he was looking at a run for the Senate next year.

US Rep. Frank Pallone, a Democrat from central New Jersey, has also expressed interest in the seat.

The interest puts some pressure on Lautenberg, the oldest member of the Senate.

When Booker said he might run for the seat, he praised Lautenberg for his service, but said he had not spoken with him about his plans. Through a spokesman, Lautenberg declined to talk about his political future.

But so far, he has not given any indication that he would like to retire.

And Booker has not said whether he would be willing to take on Lautenberg in a primary run if the senator tries to keep his seat.

Spokesmen for Pallone, Lautenberg and Booker did not immediately return calls to the Associated Press.

In 2008, New Jersey's Democratic establishment decided that Lautenberg was not too old to serve.

US Rep. Rob Andrews challenged him a primary. Most of the state's Democratic leaders stood with Lautenberg, who won handily then retained his seat in the general election.

Booker has 1.3 million Twitter followers and is known for responding to constituent complaints sent to him electronically. During Superstorm Sandy, he invited residents to charge their cellphones at his house. In April, he let the world know through Twitter that he rushed into his neighbor's house and rescued her from a fire. During a snowstorm, he helped shovel people out. And he recently finished spending a week living on a food stamps-level food budget as part of a challenge that came from a Twitter follower.

He was elected mayor of Newark in 2006 with 72 percent of the vote, four years after narrowly losing a bruising battle against longtime Mayor Sharpe James. The race was chronicled in the 2005 documentary "Street Fight." He was re-elected in 2010 with about 60 percent of the vote

A Stanford-educated Rhodes Scholar who grew up in suburban Harrington Park, NJ, Booker is the son of civil rights activists who were among the first black executives at IBM. He got his law degree from Yale Law School, then moved to one of Newark's most notoriously violent housing projects.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 13:31:14 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/newark_mayor_cory_booker_files_paperwork_kZ7mtDetMSty3wPZPzTx7N?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/newark_mayor_cory_booker_files_paperwork_kZ7mtDetMSty3wPZPzTx7N?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Local 5.11.951368690 -1 false Page Six

Looks like La La Anthony hasn't turned sour during the whole "Honey Nut Cheerios" controversy.

The reality star took to Twitter to write a light-hearted response: "Not for nothing,but we ALL deserve a check or some free cereal 4all the publicity we've given Honey Nut Cheerios! LOL #cantbelieveeverything" She also posted a photo of the tweet on her Instagram.

La La was referring to how husband Carmelo Anthony was set off by the Celtics' Kevin Garnett for allegedly saying La La "tastes like Honey Nut Cheerios." The incident, which included the two having to be separated outside the Cetlics' bus where Anthony was waiting for Garnett, led to 'Melo being suspended for Thursday night's loss to the Pacers.

Speculation over infidelity flew.

Though she did not confirm or deny rumors, General Mills might be the only one winning in this situation.

Sources told Page Six this week that Carmelo and La La have been living separately, but friends close to the Knick's wife say she'll stand by her man and won't split from the NBA star.

"It is true they haven't seen much of each other in the past few months," says a friend of the couple. "She's been away a lot filming her show, 'La La's Full Court Life,' in London, New York and LA. They are not separated and are still together. She and Melo have a house in LA — so she's always there when she's doing auditions."

But others say they've been going through a more rocky period. "They have been living separately for several months now," says a source. "She's been living in LA while Carmelo has been in New York." The source added, "La La used to go out to the games and wanted to be seen . . . now she's always off doing her own thing."

At least KG didn't say she tasted like porridge.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 13:57:13 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/la_la_anthony_responds_to_honey_GuxaESzlUQfTtU7MiyPfSM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/la_la_anthony_responds_to_honey_GuxaESzlUQfTtU7MiyPfSM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Page Six 5.11.951368458 -1 false Page Six

Jonah Hill and Leonardo DiCaprio's fun in the sun is over, but Hill is has officially become a member of his "Wolf of Wall Street" co-star's entourage. After partying in Sydney over the holidays, the odd couple were spotted having dinner at The Lion in NYC Thursday night with a group of seven other guys, a source tells Page Six. As the group sampled the warm mushroom salad, truffled burrata, and ricotta gnudi with truffles, Hill and DiCaprio were overheard discussing the possibility of working together again after "Wolf" wraps.

They then took the party to Avenue nightclub before finishing up the night at 1oak, where they met up with Chace Crawford and surrounded themselves with a posse of supermodel types. Leo, clad in a pageboy cap, managed to go somewhat undercover. "Chace and Jonah, weirdly enough, were getting the most attention," a fellow partier tells Page Six.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 13:25:06 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/leonardo_dicaprio_and_jonah_hill_i8jzCZRp0o85pc6Dgzq07O?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/leonardo_dicaprio_and_jonah_hill_i8jzCZRp0o85pc6Dgzq07O?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six 5.11.950800559 -1 false Page Six

After two years of dating, Jennifer Lawrence and Nick Hoult have split.

"In Touch" reports, however, that the breakup is amicable.

The "Hunger Games" actress and the "About a Boy" star met on the set of "X Men" in 2010, and enjoyed a mostly under-the-radar relationship ever since.

PHOTOS: JENNIFER LAWRENCE

"He's my favorite person to be around and makes me laugh harder than anybody," Lawrence, 22, told Elle back just weeks ago in the Dec. 2012 issue.

But as she filmed "Catching Fire" alone in Hawaii, only her brother, Blaine, was by her side. Hoult, 23, is meanwhile gearing up to do publicity for his own film, "Warm Bodies," which comes out in February. And when he skipped the People's Choice Awards on Wednesday, where Lawrence won "Favorite Movie Actress," "Favorite Face of Heroism," and "Favorite On-Screen Chemistry," the writing was on the wall.

With her "Silver Linings Playbook" co-star Bradley Cooper recently single as well, however, Lawrence isn't likely to be lonely on the red carpet the rest of awards season.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 13:18:43 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/jennifer_lawrence_and_nicholas_hoult_W6ZZM3dfTObywsaRfsaaaM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/jennifer_lawrence_and_nicholas_hoult_W6ZZM3dfTObywsaRfsaaaM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six 5.11.950136742 -1 false By REBECCA HARSHBARGER and KATE KOWSH Brooklyn

William Miller Police at the scene in Bed-Stuy where ABC set designer Ivan Giovanettina (r.) was shot dead during an apparent robbery.

A former Brooklyn café owner who now works on the set of a TV cooking show was shot dead last night in an apparent robbery attempt, the man's friends and authorities said.

The victim, Ivan Giovanettina, 41, was gunned down just after 9:30 pm on Macon Street in Bedford-Stuyvessant, authorities said.

Witnesses said Giovanettina was approached by two men, and at one point he was seen running after the men. There was a gunshot, Giovanettina fell to the ground and the men ran away, according to witnesses.

Cops arrived to find Giovanettina bleeding from a gunshot wound to the stomach. He was rushed to Kings County Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

No arrests have been made.

Giovanettina once owned a Bed-Stuy coffee shop, Blu York Café, friends said. He now works as a scene designer on the set of ABC's daytime cooking talk show, "The Chew," his roommates told The Post.

"We are shocked and saddened to learn of Ivan Giovanettina's untimely death," ABC said in a statement. "He was a beloved member of our team and we extend our deepest sympathies to his family and friends."

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 14:07:09 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brooklyn/abc_set_designer_shot_dead_in_bed_4ZMfWcepB8O5Xf4hn1iZcO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Brooklyn http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brooklyn/abc_set_designer_shot_dead_in_bed_4ZMfWcepB8O5Xf4hn1iZcO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Brooklyn 5.11.950107023 -1 false ASSOCIATED PRESS National

CENTENNIAL, Colo. — A judge on Friday delayed the arraignment of the man charged with the Colorado theater shooting until March despite objections from prosecutors and most of the victims and their families.

District Judge William Sylvester ruled Thursday night that prosecutors had presented sufficient evidence at a preliminary hearing to proceed toward trial on charges that James Holmes killed 12 people and injured 70 others at a suburban Denver movie theater on July 20.

Holmes, who is charged with multiple counts of first-degree murder and attempted murder, won't have to enter a plea until March 12 after the judge granted a defense motion to delay that proceeding.

A murmur of disbelief rippled through the courtroom when the defense said it wouldn't be ready until March. Then, at the end of the hearing, the father of Rebecca Wingo, who was killed in the shooting, shouted "Rot in hell Holmes."

The judge reconvened the proceeding to talk to Steve Hernandez, who apologized and promised there would be no more outbursts. The judge was sympathetic.

"I am terribly sorry for your loss and I can only begin to imagine the emotions that are raging," Sylvester told him.

Sylvester had asked Holmes if he objected to the delay and defense attorney Tamara Brady answered for him, saying he did not. Defense lawyers didn't say why they wanted to delay entering a plea.

One possible reason could be to seek a mental health evaluation by a doctor of their choosing. Lawyers for Holmes have said he is mentally ill, raising the possibility of an insanity defense.

If Holmes had entered an insanity plea on Friday, an evaluation would be done by state doctors.

Prosecutors objected to the delay and said they were ready to move ahead.

Sylvester said he understood their position but wanted to make sure he did not do anything that could lay the grounds for an appeal.

"We want to avoid at all costs doing anything improper," the judge said.

Following the hearing, District Attorney George Brauchler, who took office this week, didn't specifically address the delay but said he wanted to "protect the interests of all involved in this case."

If Holmes, 25, is convicted of first-degree murder, he could face the death penalty. Prosecutors have not said whether they would pursue that sentence.

The hearing capped an emotional week in which the public, including victims and their families, got the first look at evidence gathered against Holmes and heard police officers describe attempts to save the wounded.

During the preliminary hearing, witnesses testified that Holmes spent weeks amassing an arsenal and planning the attack at a midnight showing of "The Dark Knight Rises," and that he took photos of himself hours before the shooting, including one that showed him grinning with a handgun.

They also detailed an elaborate booby trap set up at Holmes' apartment designed to explode at the same time the theater attack occurred several miles away.

Prosecution witnesses testified that Holmes began acquiring weapons in early May, and by July 6 he had two semi-automatic pistols, a shotgun, a semi-automatic rifle, 6,200 rounds of ammunition and high-capacity magazines that allow a shooter to fire more rounds without stopping to reload.

Holmes' lawyers called no witnesses during the hearing.

Another possibility in the case is that either side could argue that Holmes is not mentally capable of assisting in his own defense. If that happens, the judge would order a mental competency evaluation. Sylvester also can order an evaluation if he has his own questions about Holmes' competence.

In the case of the Tucson, Ariz., shooting that killed six people and wounded 13, including then-Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, Jared Loughner was initially ruled incompetent to stand trial. However, after a year of treatment, Loughner was ruled competent, the case proceeded, and he entered guilty pleas.

If Holmes ends up pleading not guilty by reason of insanity, Sylvester would also order a psychiatric evaluation by doctors at the state hospital. A jury would consider that evaluation, along with testimony by expert witnesses, any other court-ordered evaluations and other evidence, in deciding at a trial whether Holmes is or is not guilty by reason of insanity.

If found not guilty by reason of insanity, Holmes would be committed to the state mental hospital for treatment. His case would be reviewed every six months. He conceivably could be released if he ever is deemed no longer insane.

"Insanity is what this case is going to turn on," said Denver criminal defense attorney Dan Recht. "This is not a whodunit case."

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 15:55:46 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/judge_delays_arraignment_march_dark_AtaignA4XZwFaoZ4j9fqyI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= National http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/judge_delays_arraignment_march_dark_AtaignA4XZwFaoZ4j9fqyI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= National 5.11.949304023 -1 false By MICHAEL SHAIN TV

Regis Philbin coming back to host "Who Wants to be a Millionaire"?

He's thinking about it. Hard.

Philbin woke up this morning to the unexpected news that Meredith Vieira, who has hosted the daytime-version of "Millionaire" for 11 years, was quitting at the end of this season when her current contract expires.

She will leave the show that pays her an estimated $12 million a year in May to work more regularly for NBC News, according to reports.

"That's a total surprise," Philbin told The Post from his home in Connecticut. "I thought she loved doing the show."

Would he want to return to the show he made famous in primetime?

"Maybe. I'd have to think about it," he said.

Philbin left his morning show, "Live," after 30 years in 2011. Since then, his only regular TV job has been as a monthly co-host on "Rachael Ray."

"I get up late now," he says. "And I love lounging around."

But Regis admits that the thought of getting back on TV every day has its draw.

"I do feel that I'm not doing everything I should," he confesses. "I'm not accomplishing anything."

Regis hosted a primetime version of the game show from 1999 to 2002, when it was a rating phenomenon.

ABC asked him to take over the daytime show too when it first considered taking it daily in 2002.

"Back then, it took a lot longer to tape the show," he says. "The computers [that selected questions and tabulated results] would go out all the time and they had to stop while they fix it.

"I told them back then: 'No, I can't do it anymore.' "

Vieira's decision to walk away from the game show was completely unexpected.

She had finished taping all the shows for the season last November — and will continue to be seen on the show through next summer.

She did not tape a goodbye to the viewers, officials said yesterday.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 18:05:21 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/tv/regis_considering_return_to_who_GCLsh0sh8p6bNDBIYuLTIN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=TV http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/tv/regis_considering_return_to_who_GCLsh0sh8p6bNDBIYuLTIN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=TV 5.11.949121021 -1 false ASSOCIATED PRESS Local

NEWARK — Full NJ Transit rail service from New Jersey into New York City will resume Monday, 11 weeks after Superstorm Sandy caused extensive damage to the agency's equipment and infrastructure.

NJ Transit executive director James Weinstein said Friday that rail service into the city will be restored to pre-Sandy levels. Service into Hoboken continues to run on a reduced schedule due to electrical problems caused by flooding from the storm, with the Gladstone branch of the Morris & Essex line the most affected.

Weinstein said full electric power at the Hoboken station should be restored by March.

"The full restoration of our New York Penn Station rail service marks another important milestone for NJ Transit and our customers, the majority of whom commute to and from midtown Manhattan," Weinstein said.

Service levels on the North Jersey Coast Line, which sustained extensive track damage, will reach 96 percent when nine trains are added to the line starting Monday. Two of the trains will be electric and operate between Long Branch and New York's Penn Station.

The remaining seven trains will either originate or terminate in Bay Head. Four of those trains will resume service between Bay Head and Hoboken.

NJ Transit says rail operations system wide will reach 94 percent of its pre-Sandy service level on Monday, with 658 of the 700 weekday trains scheduled prior to the storm operational.

More than 300 rail cars and locomotives were damaged in the storm when rail yards in Hoboken and Kearny flooded, prompting criticism that NJ Transit should have moved them to safer locations. Weinstein told a Senate transportation subcommittee that that damage will cost the agency $100 million.

On Friday, Weinstein said NJ Transit is seeking alternate sites to house the cars and locomotives. The agency said 51 of 261 damaged cars and 21 of 62 damaged locomotives have been repaired. Weinstein said he believed the equipment costs would be covered by insurers combined with federal disaster aid.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 13:31:14 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/nj_transit_C0ZWZY68mXpZsODXwbSv1K?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/nj_transit_C0ZWZY68mXpZsODXwbSv1K?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Local 5.11.949096253 -1 false ASSOCIATED PRESS Local

It's a heartfelt public art installation: A Valentine's Day sculpture will be made with New York and New Jersey boardwalk planks damaged by Hurricane Sandy.

A Brooklyn-based design firm, Situ Studio, has won the annual Times Square Valentine Heart Design competition.

The artists used boards salvaged from Long Beach and Long Island in New York and from Sea Girt and Atlantic City in New Jersey.

It'll be in place in Manhattan's Duffy Square from Feb. 12 until March 8.

The illuminated installation is called "Heartwalk." Two ribbons made of wooden boards lift from the ground to form a heart-shaped enclosure.

Visitors will be able to walk around and inside the installation.

The competition is sponsored by the Times Square Arts and the Design Trust for Public Space.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 12:26:03 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/valentine_day_heart_sculpture_hurricane_Q9gH2LdEtEnTPwrpOaE8jN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/valentine_day_heart_sculpture_hurricane_Q9gH2LdEtEnTPwrpOaE8jN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Local 5.11.948729347 -1 false By MITCHEL MADDUX National

Good luck trying to blend in.

A tattooed man who has acted in a Martin Scorsese feature film is now being hunted as an international fugitive for committing a violent armed assault in a Canadian nightclub in 2009.

Ziad Akl, 38, is believed by authorities to be on the run in the US after he was declared a wanted man by police in Quebec. Akl has gained attention as an actor and has landed feature roles in at least two studio-produced Hollywood films.

In Scorsese's taut psychological thriller "Shutter Island," Akl played an inmate dubbed "The Tattooed Man."

He also portrayed an inmate in David O. Russell's "The Fighter."

Police in Laval, Quebec say they believe Akl and his brother, Elias Akl are involved in drug trafficking and they are cautioning members of the public to contact law enforcement authorities if they see either man.

"We think they could be armed and dangerous," Laval police Constable Nathalie Lorrain told The Post.

Canadian authorities issued a wanted notice for the Akl brothers today after investigators decided they had hit a dead-end in determining their whereabouts.

In the 2009 incident at the Red Lite - a popular nightclub that draws crowds from the Montreal metropolitan area - Ziad Akl, his brother and several friends, were ejected by bouncers after they tried to sell drugs to bar patrons, officials said.

"The group the two brothers were with were trying to control drug trafficking inside the club," Lorrain said.

Investigators "definitely" believe that Ziad Akl and his brother are involved in drug dealing, she said.

As they were being escorted out of the club, one of the brothers' friends pulled out a knife and stabbed a bouncer.

When the bouncer fell to the floor, Ziad Akl continued the assault, Lorrain said.

"Ziad kicked the victim while the victim was in the floor - kicked him in the face," she said.

"He is seen by the [nightclub's] surveillance camera hitting and kicking him," she said.

After the group fled, the bouncer was hospitalized and treated for stab wounds and for injuries from the beating, she said.

A court convicted the man who stabbed the bouncer and he served several years in prison for the assault, officials said.

Ziad Akl disappeared soon after the incident, police say, and investigators suspect that he's living somewhere in the US - possibly in the Northeast or New England, where he has relatives.

Some of his relatives live outside Boston in the historic town of Salem, investigators say.

"We think he's been in the States all this time," Lorrain told The Post.

Police suspect that Ziad's 40-year-old brother, Elias, may be living in Costa Rica.

mmaddux@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 15:14:05 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/tattooed_shutter_island_actor_violent_E9ZyyVFUwJ3yegCQml5nTI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=National http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/tattooed_shutter_island_actor_violent_E9ZyyVFUwJ3yegCQml5nTI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=National 5.11.948314920 -1 false Page Six

Evan Rachel Wood and Jamie Bell are certainly good at keeping secrets. After denying just weeks ago that Wood was pregnant, they confirmed today that she is carrying their first child.

The "thrilled" couple "are expecting their first child later this year," a rep for the couple told US Weekly.

The super-private stars had also managed to keep their wedding under wraps when they tied the knot back on October 30 in California, only tipping off the world when they appeared days later at LAX wearing wedding rings.

Wood, 25, and Bell, 26, met back in 2005 when they both appeared in Green Day's "Wake Me Up When September Ends" video. They split the next year, and Wood famously went on to date and get engaged to Marilyn Manson. After breaking up with the rocker, she and Bell reunited in summer 2011. Bell proposed the next year.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 12:21:13 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/evan_rachel_wood_and_jamie_bell_2Ac7fj6FbKuOQx5dUJpGCI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/evan_rachel_wood_and_jamie_bell_2Ac7fj6FbKuOQx5dUJpGCI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six 5.11.948314825 -1 false Entertainment

Some men are braving the cold with a weapon women have had for years — leggings, or in this case, "meggings."

The male tights have been around for years. But the term meggings may be recent terminology for the snuggly-fitted items for men's legs seen on fashion runways and, now, on the streets.

Upon first hearing about meggings, Jake Dobkin, a "stunt journalist" and publisher at Gothamist.com, bravely tried wearing the tights for a day in DUMBO, Brooklyn.

"It's kind of tight and kind of [gets] hot downstairs, if you know what I'm saying," Dobkin quipped.

In Manhattan, fashion store owner Jimmy Webb adds a little flair to the risky look. Technically, Webb wears pants, since his pair has pockets. But his pants are like a second layer of skin.

"This is what we've been doing for 37 years," describes Webb. "It's not that serious."

Are meggings right for the year 2013? Men will have to decide.

"You don't rock a pair of pants," explained Webb. "You feel a pair of pants."

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 12:45:14 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/leggings_for_men_IrFpEHjW42xzGOJaqVPTwK?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Entertainment http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/leggings_for_men_IrFpEHjW42xzGOJaqVPTwK?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Entertainment 5.11.948314424 -1 false ASSOCIATED PRESS Bronx

A man who jumped into a tiger den at the Bronx Zoo and was mauled by a 400-pound animal told police, "Everyone makes choices," a court complaint says.

David Villalobos, 25, of Mahopac, was arraigned Friday in a Bronx courthouse and pleaded not guilty to trespassing charges. He returns to court March 12.

On Sept. 21, Villalobos jumped from a monorail train that tours the zoo's Wild Asia exhibit. He cleared a 16-foot-high fence and was attacked and dragged by a Siberian tiger named Bashuta.

Villalobos suffered bites on his arms, legs, shoulders and back. He also had a broken right shoulder, right rib, right ankle and pelvis and a collapsed lung.

In the complaint, police Sgt. Peter Monopoli says that when Villalobos was asked why he jumped, he said, "Everyone makes choices and we have our reasons in life why we do things."

He told another investigator, "I was testing my natural fear, you would not understand," the complaint says. "It is a spiritual thing, I wanted to be at one with the tiger."

Villalobos was alone with the tiger for about 10 minutes before he was rescued by workers who used a fire extinguisher to chase the animal away.

Zoo director Jim Breheny said at the time: "The tiger did nothing wrong. ... somebody was deliberately trying to endanger themselves."

A call to Villalobos' attorney, Corey Sokoler, was not immediately returned.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 12:21:35 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/bronx/guilty_trespassing_jumped_into_tiger_yIfAU634RqVFuB9mmg59cK?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Bronx http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/bronx/guilty_trespassing_jumped_into_tiger_yIfAU634RqVFuB9mmg59cK?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Bronx 5.11.948178035 -1 false Page Six

"1600 Penn" – NBC's new sitcom about a dysfunctional First Family – gets a thumbs-down from Patti Davis, who was there for eight years when her father Ronald Reagan was president.

Davis -- who tried to sell a similar TV show last year titled "Ribbon," her Secret Service code name – posted on Facebook today: "This industry doesn't want authenticity, they want stupidity."

The 60-year-old writer said her show was "about a reluctant and rebellious First Daughter who then finds herself pregnant out of wedlock. While the pregnancy part didn't happen to me, the show was based on my experience and knowledge of actually being a First Daughter."

"And oh, what a surprise, the First Daughter in the show is pregnant!" David continued. "I hope next time a project of mine is rejected I can be more gracious, but this time I can't be."

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 13:25:06 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/patti_davis_rips_penn_stupidity_eIixZqeNHHKmxsrWCEwhUJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/patti_davis_rips_penn_stupidity_eIixZqeNHHKmxsrWCEwhUJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six 5.11.948177820 -1 false By ANTHONY SULLA-HEFFINGER and MICHAEL BLAUSTEIN News

Brian Zak The Twinkie alternatives on the market right now: Little Debbie Cloud Cakes, Mrs. Freshley's Dreamies Creme-Filled Cakes, Blue Bird Bakeries Bingles, Weight Watchers Golden Sponge Cake and Tastykake Krimpets.

When news broke in November that Hostess was bankrupt, people all over the country rushed to stock up on the famous brand's most cherished treat: the venerable Twinkie. Soon stocks were depleted and now the only place one can find the original and best cream-filled snack cake is on eBay. But with prices rising on the online marketplace, a savvy snacker might turn their attention to alternatives in order to get their sugary fix.

Here you will find five "faux Twinkies" reviewed based on three criteria — texture, flavor and authenticity — as well as each confections' calorie count and cost per cake.

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Brian ZakLittle Debbie Cloud Cakes

Cloud Cakes

Texture: 2Flavor: 2Authenticity: 4Final score: 8

Would you buy it again? YesCalories per cake: 150Price per cake: $.30

Review: The cream-filling is too tangy and the texture of the cake is neither light nor moist, which makes the Cloud Cake a bit off in almost every way possible. Where Twinkies were a sweet, vanilla flavored cake, Cloud Cakes are tangy white cake flavor. Where Twinkies had a deliciously whip creamy center, Cloud Cakes have an almost sour buttermilk center. And where Twinkies left your mouth feeling satisfied, the Cloud Cake left our taster wanting more. But Cloud Cakes have one thing going for them: they look like Twinkies, they are packaged like Twinkies and by all accounts they are trying to be Twinkies. So they have that going for them, which is nice.

Brian ZakMrs. Freshley's Dreamies Creme-Filled Cakes

Dreamies

Texture: 1Flavor: 3Authenticity: 2Final score: 6

Would you buy it again? NoCalories per cake: 130Price per cake: $.50

Review: Gooey, greasy and grainy seem like characteristics that couldn't possibly happen in one cake and yet Dreamies accomplished the impossible. They glistened with grease while nestled in their package and stuck to their wrapper when being extracted, these cakes had very little going for them other than flavor. With the right cream to cake ratio and non-cloyingly sweet vanilla flavor, if you closed your eyes you could convince yourself that a Dreamie was just a very bad Twinkie. If you could get the Dreamie to your mouth that is. Our test cakes fell apart under their own weight in the short journey from the plate to our tester's mouth and and were so gooey that they stuck to the top of the taster's mouth like plaster.

Brian ZakBlue Bird Bakeries Bingles

Bingles

Texture: 5Flavor: 4Authenticity: 4 Final score: 14

Would you buy it again? YesCalories per cake: 140Price per cake: $.33

Review: Now this is more like it. Moist and packed with sweet vanilla goodness, Bingles were an immediate hit with our taste tester. Finding the perfect balance between cream and cake, these snack cakes were the closest thing to a Twinkie you're likely to find. The only downside of the Bingle is that, where the Twinkie is light and fluffy, the Bingle is dense and moist. But those qualities aren't exactly a bad thing where you're talking about cream-filled cake.

Brian ZakWeight Watchers Golden Sponge Cake

Weight Watchers

Texture: 0Flavor: 2Authenticity: 2Final score: 4

Would you buy it again? NoCalories per cake: 90Price per cake: $1.00

Review: With its low-calorie count proudly displayed on its box, it'd be natural to conclude that Weight Watchers have created a healthy version of a faux Twinkie. There's only one problem: each Weight Watchers cake is almost half the size of its competition -- a Bingle, for example, weighs 1.4 oz per cake while the Weight Watcher cake weighs .9 oz. So the calories you save are just from a smaller portion size, which is completely besides the point when it comes to a sweet snack time treat like the Twinkie. Given that the calories saved from eating the Weight Watcher cake are largely a myth, and the fact that the product has the texture of raw sugar and a flavor that could only be described as generic vanilla it is easy to see why these cakes tied for the worst score in our test.

Tastykake Krimpets

Tastykake Krimpets

Texture:2Flavor: 2Authenticity: 0Final score: 4

Would you buy it again? NoCalories per cake: 120Price per cake: $.50

Review: Tastykake Krimpets were at a disadvantage from the get-go because at the most fundamental level they are not like Twinkies — instead of a creamy center they are a solid mini-pound cake with frosting on top. That said, when Twinkies ruled the snack cake landscape, Krimpets had a fervent cult following that made them the go-to alternative. Unfortunately, the Krimpets we tried were dry and mealy and there just wasn't enough frosting to make up for the lack of a cream filling.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 15:21:47 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/the_great_fake_twinkies_taste_test_WUutwvIoGPJKT3soimPFWL?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=News http://www.nypost.com/p/news/the_great_fake_twinkies_taste_test_WUutwvIoGPJKT3soimPFWL?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=News 5.11.947206476 -1 false ASSOCIATED PRESS International

GENEVA — International envoy Lakhdar Brahimi expressed little hope for a political solution for Syria anytime soon after meeting Friday with senior Russian and U.S. diplomats trying to bring an end to the civil war, which has claimed tens of thousands of lives.

Brahimi, who is the joint U.N.-Arab League envoy for Syria, spent the day at the United Nations' European headquarters meeting with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns.

"We are very, very deeply aware of the immense suffering of the Syrian people, which has gone on for far too long," Brahimi told reporters. "And we all stressed the need for a speedy end to the bloodshed, to the destruction and all forms of violence in Syria.

But he acknowledged that "if you are asking me whether a solution is around the corner, I'm not sure that is the case."

Brahimi had led them off to lunch after more than an hour of closed discussions, with Bogdanov and Burns talking among themselves as they and their entourages navigated the U.N. corridors. But after meeting for about four hours, the talks ended Friday mid-afternoon without any apparent deal. Bogdanov and Burns left without making any public comment.

Russia has blocked several U.N. resolutions aimed at pressuring Syrian President Bashar Assad, but Moscow says it is not propping up his regime. Recently, top Russian officials have signaled they are resigned to Assad eventually losing power.

But Brahimi defended Moscow's role.

"I'm absolutely certain that the Russians are as preoccupied as I am, as preoccupied as the Americans are, by the bad situation that exists in Syria and its continuing deterioration," he said. "And I am absolutely certain that they would like to contribute to its solution."

Brahimi said the foundation for a political solution continues to be the agreement reached among major powers in Geneva in June, which called for creation of a new governing body for Syria that would "exercise full executive powers" during an unspecified transition period.

"And we agreed that full executive powers means all the powers of state," Brahimi said of Friday's discussions. "I will continue to engage all Syrian parties as well as other stakeholders in the region and internationally."

The conflict began in March 2011 with peaceful protests against Assad's family dynasty, which has ruled the country for four decades, but the intense crackdown on the uprising and armed rebel opposition soon became a civil war.

The U.N. says at least 60,000 people have been killed in the war and millions have fled their homes. So far, all international efforts to end the fighting have failed. Syria has complained that Brahimi exhibited "flagrant bias" after he called for real, not cosmetic, change in Syria and said Assad was resisting the aspirations of his people.

The U.N. refugee agency said Friday that it is concerned about the severe winter conditions faced by about 612,000 Syrian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt, and there has been no letup in the flow of thousands of people a day across the borders.

"Many of those arriving have been barefoot, with their clothing soaked, and covered in mud and snow," agency spokesman Adrian Edwards told reporters in Geneva, referring to new refugee arrivals in Jordan.

Friday's meeting coincided with ground action in Syria during which Islamic militants took full control of a strategic northwestern air base. Activists said the militants seized helicopters, tanks and multiple rocket launchers from the base, which has been the biggest staging area for the government to distribute supplies to its troops and to bomb rebel-held areas in Syria's north.

The seizure was part of the rebels' campaign to topple the Syrian government's air supremacy. The base is near a highway between the capital, Damascus, and the northern city of Aleppo, a major front in the civil war.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 11:58:16 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/international/syria_talks_end_in_geneva_without_4dqrjn0LANNEeWqe7w0RCJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= International http://www.nypost.com/p/news/international/syria_talks_end_in_geneva_without_4dqrjn0LANNEeWqe7w0RCJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= International 5.11.947206104 -1 false Page Six

Quentin Tarantino has had enough with reporters trying to connect the violence in his films to real-life violence.

The quirky auteur blew up during a recent sit-down with Krishnan Guru-Murthy of Britain's Channel 4 when the question came up.

"Why are you so sure that there's no link between enjoying movie violence and enjoying real violence?" Guru-Murthy asked the director, who was in London for the British premiere of "Django Unchained."

Tarantino quickly rebuffed, "Don't ask me a question like that. I'm not biting. I refuse your question."

"I'm not your slave and you're not my master," Tarantino snapped. "You can't make me dance to your tune. I'm not a monkey."

To his credit, Guru-Murthy pressed on, asking over and over why Tarantino wouldn't respond to the question.

"It's none of your damn business what I think about that!" Tarantino exclaimed.

"Well, it's my job to ask you why you think that because…"

Tarantino retorted, "And I'm saying no! And I'm shutting you down."

The issue of violence in movies has come under increased scrutiny since last month's tragedy in Newtown, Conn.

But Tarantino, who's behind shoot-'em-up fare like "Reservoir Dogs," "Pulp Fiction" and the "Kill Bill" films, has repeatedly said he believes there's no connection between violent films and real-life shootings.

In a recent interview on NPR's "Fresh Air" he said it was "disrespectful" to the 20 kids and 6 adults who were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School last month to continue investigating that issue.

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Fri, 11 Jan 2013 11:51:56 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/watch_tarantino_snaps_during_interview_I1AKVCZpjYc8WMPjWsxFdO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/watch_tarantino_snaps_during_interview_I1AKVCZpjYc8WMPjWsxFdO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six 5.11.947205917 -1 false Page Six

Demi Lovato has been staying in a sober living facility for more than a year in her effort to stay on the straight and narrow, Page Six has confirmed.

The former Disney star famously suffered an emotional breakdown in 2010 and checked herself into rehab to cope with bipolar disorder, bulimia and a struggle with cutting. She also admitted to abusing cocaine in the past, claiming that club promoters supplied her with the drug as well as alcohol.

According to reports, after Lovato exited rehab, she initially felt better but later decided she needed more support and especially from people who understood her situation.

Even though the "X Factor" judge has her own home, TMZ reports she's been staying in a "spartan living facility" in Los Angeles where she resides with other recovering addicts and receives guidance from counselors.

Sources told the gossip site that during the entire season of "X Factor" Lovato felt it was necessary to come home to the facility so she wouldn't slip back into her old ways.

It is unclear how long she will stay at the facility.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 11:45:07 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/demi_lovato_living_in_sober_house_eeDgRfzsbHG6dyw6m9T26O?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/demi_lovato_living_in_sober_house_eeDgRfzsbHG6dyw6m9T26O?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six 5.11.947205480 -1 false ASSOCIATED PRESS National

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is drawing an A-list of performers for his inaugural festivities, including a massive ball expected to draw more than 35,000 revelers.

Katy Perry, Smokey Robinson, Usher, Alicia Keys and Brad Paisley are among the stars announced Friday to sing at Obama's inaugural balls Jan. 21 and a children's concert on Jan. 19. Also signed up are Marc Anthony, Stevie Wonder, John Legend and the cast of "Glee."

The concert and the two official inaugural balls are being held at the Washington Convention Center over the Martin Luther King holiday weekend when Obama begins his second term. The performers join Beyonce, Kelly Clarkson and James Taylor, already announced for Obama's signing ceremony Jan. 21 on the West Front of the Capitol.

Other event performers include pop-rap foursome Far East Movement, Grammy-nominated pop-rock trio fun., R&B boy band Mindless Behavior, rapper Nick Cannon and youth gospel choir Soul Children of Chicago. Inaugural organizers aren't saying yet which performances will be at which convention center event.

Robinson told The Associated Press he'll be at The Inaugural Ball with his own band, but he isn't sure yet which songs he'll sing. Robinson said he's always happy to perform when the president asks because he's so proud of the first family.

"I've been in the White House many, many, many times for many presidents and this is the first time for me that it's really felt like when I go to the White House or something like that, it feels like you're going to your family's," Robinson said. "It feels like you're going home because that's how they treat me and that's how they treat my wife."

While Obama has cut the number of inaugural balls lower than any president since Dwight Eisenhower was first sworn into office in 1953, the two celebrations will be elaborate. The larger of the events, simply called The Inaugural Ball, is expected to draw more than 35,000 in a reflection of the quadrennial demand in Washington to toast the president in person on such a historic day.

The Inaugural Ball is being held across all 700,000 square feet of the Washington Convention Center's five exhibit halls, which four years ago held six separate balls.

The second gala is the Commander In Chief's Ball, a tradition started by President George W. Bush to honor the military. Doubling in size from four years ago to about 4,000, it's being held on the third-floor ballroom of the convention hall a mile from the White House. Tickets are free for invitees, including active-duty and reserve troops, Medal of Honor recipients and wounded warriors.

Demand has been high for entry to the two official affairs. Inaugural planners offered a limited number of tickets to The Inaugural Ball for sale at $60, and they sold out quickly Sunday night when Ticketmaster accidentally sent out an email ahead of time announcing they were available. Inaugural organizers are trying to stop a swift scalping business for the tickets, which have been cropping up for sale online.

That's even though city officials are predicting a drop in attendance to 600,000 to 800,000 for the inauguration this year compared with 2009, when a record 1.8 million crowded onto the National Mall to see the first black president sworn into office.

Those who can't get into the convention hall with the Obamas can still carouse into the night at several unofficial balls across Washington, including some drawing their own celebrity entertainment. Charity group Musicians On Call, when sends performers to play bedside for hospitalized patients, is being headlined by chart-topping singer Ke$ha.

Those who work for Obama will get their own chance to celebrate with the president, with a staff ball planned for the day after the inauguration. That celebration is kept private, but last year was reportedly quite a bash, according to one attendee, with rap star Jay-Z singing a riff on one of his hit songs, "99 problems but George Bush ain't one," to the delight of the throngs of young staffers who worked so hard to turn the White House Democratic.

More tickets to The Inaugural Ball will be on sale, but not to the general public. They will go to campaign volunteers, community leaders, elected officials and other invitees, as well as donors being asked to contribute up to $250,000 individually or $1 million from corporations to pay for the festivities. Invitees will be sent an email in the next few days with personalized Ticketmaster account information they can use to purchase up to two tickets.

The Inaugural Ball's halls extend across two floors, so the president and first lady plan to spin on the dance floor of each level. At the Commander In Chief's Ball, the president and first lady plan to continue the tradition of dancing with members of the military.

Inaugural planners said the cut in the number of balls was to reflect tough economic times and minimize the burden on law enforcement, other security personnel and Washington residents. But could it also be an effort to give the president some relief from having to dance to the same song over and over again all across town on an already exhausting day?

President George W. Bush didn't hide his annoyance after his second inaugural at having to repeatedly sashay around to a musical medley that included "I Could Have Danced All Night." Could have, but did not: He and first lady Laura Bush danced for a cumulative total of just 8 minutes, 54 seconds across 10 galas.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 15:20:04 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/top_talent_lined_up_for_obama_inaugural_gX3IxIwQHmIaC9vtjBX70I?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=National http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/top_talent_lined_up_for_obama_inaugural_gX3IxIwQHmIaC9vtjBX70I?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=National 5.11.946664796 -1 false By JESSICA SIMEONE and GEORGETT ROBERTS Manhattan

Michael Hicks Wei Chu Wu is accused of setting the fatal SoHo fire following a fight with his wife.

The madman who allegedly set a deadly blaze at a SoHo apartment building last night after attacking his wife in a domestic dispute — and then fought with a cop and a firefighter trying to save lives in the inferno — was charged with murder and arson today.

Wei Chu Wu, 45, was charged with second-degree murder and first-degree arson. Wu was also rapped for assaulting a cop and resisting arrest.

Wu told investigators that he "was pissed at his wife, thought she was cheating," a law enforcement source told The Post today.

Wu later "showed no remorse for the fire," the source said.

Through a translator, Wu told authorities, "I burned down a building," according to a source.

Wu, 45, allegedly told a roommate, "We're all gonna die," after setting ablaze the kitchen of his apartment on the second floor of 41 Spring St., sources said.

The fire, which expanded to five alarms, took 2 1/2 hours to bring under control, killed one unidentified person, whose badly charred body was found on a third-floor fire escape, cops said.

The body was so badly burned that a gender ID wasn't immediately possible.

A man was seen carrying groceries on the sidewalk and yelling for his wife but it is not known if she was a victim of the fire.

"The fire encompassed all of the floors," said FDNY Chief of Operations James Esposito. "The building is essentially destroyed. It was an extremely intense operation."

Christopher Sadowski More than 200 firefighters battled Thursday's blaze.

Mary Delgado, 23, was leaving her job as a bank teller saw Wu with police after the fire.

She said he was barefoot and looked upset as he was being taken into custody.

Delgado said two men were shouting "he did it, he did it."

More than 200 firefighters battled the blaze, which broke out at about 6:40 p.m. Seven were injured.

The domestic dispute that sparked the fatal inferno began when Wu argued with his wife, Yan He Zheng, the mom of his 13-year-old son. The argument grew heated and he cut the 41-year-old woman on the hand, sources said.

Zheng and the boy then fled the building. A short time later, the roommate confronted Wu, who issued his chilling prediction.

The roommate then saw the kitchen was ablaze and ran, with Wu following.

Christopher Sadowski One person died and seven were injured in the SoHo apartment fire.

After exiting the building, Wu brawled with a cop and a tourist and even a firefighter from California, as would-be rescuers tried to enter.

"We came out of the restaurant and saw two men arguing. We saw flames in the window," said Noemi Gutierrez, whose LA firefighter husband, Vincent, scuffled with Wu. She and her husband were dining at nearby Lombardi's when flames erupted.

"My husband went into the building and came out saying the whole second floor was engulfed in flames," she said.

The 33-year-old cop, Paul Rao, a nine-year veteran officer assigned to the Fifth Precinct, suffered a hand injury and was treated at New York Hospital, police sources said.

Wu was arrested for disorderly conduct and assaulting an officer, police sources said. He was led into the Fifth Precinct in handcuffs late last night, sporting a black eye and appearing dazed.

"I saw the guy with a bloody shirt, a black eye and no shoes. The cops were leading him away in handcuffs. I figured he started the fire," said neighbor William Bray. "My son plays with [Wu's] son in the park. They seem like a normal family."

Residents of the building, whose neighborhood is also referred to as NoLita, were devastated.

"The Fire Department just told me I no longer have an apartment. I lived on the fourth floor and everything I own is gone," said a resident.

Samuel Perez, general manager of the Pinkberry yogurt shop on the ground floor of the building, said the business is imperiled.

"There's smoke and water damage," he said. "We're probably going to have to replace most of the things in the store."

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Additional reporting by C.J. Sullivan, Kathryn Cusma and Daniel Prendergast

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 18:18:43 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/firebug_charged_apartment_murder_U51Ft88jFPoYHpB2cDIYnN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Manhattan http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/firebug_charged_apartment_murder_U51Ft88jFPoYHpB2cDIYnN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Manhattan 5.11.946199543 -1 false MELISSA CRONIN Page Six

Spoiler alert! "Bachelor" fave Kacie Boguskie is still vying for Sean Lowe's roses on TV, but behind the scenes, Page Six can exclusively confirm that she's already moved on to another man: "Bachelorette" alum Ty Brown.

Boguskie, who fans may also remember as the brunette baton-twirler from Ben Flajnik's season, has apparently made the franchise her dating pool, and has been hooking up with Brown for several months, an insider reveals. The couple have had several low-key dates in their shared hometown of Nashville, and even went public at a charity event in Philadelphia on August 27, before Boguskie left to film the show.

They were scheduled to make yet another appearance together at an event last Monday at Nashville's Cabana Restaurant for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee, but Brown had been travelling and his flight home to Nashville was delayed due to inclement weather, an insider tells Page Six. (Or perhaps they thought it might be unwise for Boguskie to show up to a "Bachelor" viewing party with another man.)

But she won't have to hide her romance for long: Spoiler king Reality Steve claims Lowe will eliminate her in the third episode.

Also at the event was "Bachelorette" alum Charlie Grogan, from Emily Maynard's season, who debuted his own new girlfriend: Liz Davis of "The Voice." The blonde, who made a memorable debut on this past season of the show singing "Here for the Party," excitedly tweeted about attending the event – which raised more than $1,700 for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee.

"It's early days and under the radar, but all of his friends are saying that he really likes her," a down-south insider tells Page Six exclusively. And while she might not end up with his final rose, the source says, "They're having fun for now."

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 12:57:00 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/bachelor_contestant_already_dating_whadRhdfFHp4qNePvd7VIJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/bachelor_contestant_already_dating_whadRhdfFHp4qNePvd7VIJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six 5.11.946199223 -1 false By ANTHONY SULLA-HEFFINGER TV

Robert Miller

Mick Foley will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame this April, The Post has learned.

According to sources, Foley, a three-time WWE Champion, will be honored at the company's annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony which is held the night before Wrestlemania.

This year's ceremony will be held at Madison Square Garden on Saturday April 6 with Wrestlemania 29 taking place at MetLife Stadium the following evening.

The Long Island resident debuted in 1986 and while not having the typical wrestler physique that other superstars of his era had, was a crowd favorite. Foley often switched between his three wrestling personas, Cactus Jack, Dude Love and Mankind during his career and is most famous for his no-holds-barred mentality in and out of the ring.

Some of his most memorable moments came during the WWE's "Attitude Era" where he won the WWE Championship three times, the Hardcore Championship once and the Tag Team title eight times. Foley's partnership with The Rock produced three of those tag team titles and the duo became a hit among fans by creating the "Rock and Sock Connection."

Foley's most memorable moment came at the King of the Ring in 1998 when he wrestled The Undertaker in a Hell in a Cell match. During the bout Foley was tossed from the top of the cage and crashed through the Spanish announce table in one of the most-jarring moments of any match. Foley has admitted that he was knocked unconscious during the match where he was also chokeslammed through the cage.

Foley lost the match but it is regarded as one of his best and was named the Match of the Year for 1998 by Pro Wrestling Illustrated.

The WWE will announce the rest of the Hall of Fame inductees leading up to the ceremony. Tickets for the Hall of Fame Induction at MSG go on sale Saturday Jan. 12.

asulla-heffinger@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 12:35:01 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/tv/mick_foley_to_be_inducted_into_wwe_M30U31alOUWaxmsjYsFVVO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= TV http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/tv/mick_foley_to_be_inducted_into_wwe_M30U31alOUWaxmsjYsFVVO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= TV 5.11.945118489 -1 false Page Six

Lady Gaga is a "desperate" "publicity-seeking hypocrite" and "bully," according to Sharon Osbourne. The Osbourne family matriarch released a scathing open letter to the Born This Way singer on her facebook page Thursday night, after Gaga dared to criticize Osbourne's daughter Kelly in an open letter of her own.

Gaga had kicked things off earlier on Thursday when she posted a letter to Kelly on her website littlemonsters.com, criticizing the star for her work on "Fashion Police." "Your show breeds negativity and over the years has even become comedic in nature," she said in the 478-word rant. "It glorifies you and Joan Rivers pointing in the camera, laughing and making jokes about artists and celebrities as if we are zoo animals." Insisting she had "empathy" for the star for choosing "a less compassionate path," Gaga urged her "to take responsibility and accountability."

(Gaga had previously been one of Kelly's targets herself, when the star insisted she was looking pregnant back in September.)

Mom Sharon, however, was quick to come to her daughter's defense. "I am perplexed as to why you would go public with an open letter," she began, calling it "hypocritical and full of contradictions."

"When I see you wearing fur and using it as a fashion statement," Sharon wrote, "the fact that defenseless animals have been killed so you can get your picture in the press is abhorrent to me."

"By your actions to Kelly right now, you have shown me you are nothing more than a publicity seeking hypocrite and attention seeker," she continued. "…Are you so desperate that you need to make this public?"

Sharon also revealed that Gaga's letter was a response to an email she had recently sent Gaga's rep, Vince Hebert, asking him to have Gaga work to end her fan's criticism of Kelly. She cited one tweet where a Gaga fan called her "an ugly whore" who "deserves to be hit by a car and die of AIDS."

While Sharon said she welcomed a response from Gaga, calling herself "an open playing field," Gaga reacted more quietly, deleting her Twitter link to the original piece.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 11:45:07 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/sharon_osbourne_lady_gaga_is_desperate_0zwkJrMguivCcZy0T44jwO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/sharon_osbourne_lady_gaga_is_desperate_0zwkJrMguivCcZy0T44jwO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six 5.11.945117873 -1 false Page Six

The sky is blue, grass is green, and Lindsay Lohan causes trouble on movie sets – at least that's the obvious takeaway from an article that chronicled the madness during filming of "The Canyons."

Most of the revelations are already Lohan lore: She shows up late (or not at all); she parties and she can rack up a pricey bill.

PHOTOS: LINDSAY LOHAN

Still, the article makes pretty bold claims, including how she was fired and rehired by "The Canyons" director Paul Schrader and that she drank during her four-way sex scene with three porn stars and then got behind the wheel of a car afterward.

When reached for comment, Lohan told Page Six the article in The New York Times Magazine was "Bull[bleep]."

Interestingly, the starlet admitted to TMZ that while most of the stories in the piece are true (she was late, she was argumentative), the drunk driving incident is false. She's not that stupid and irresponsible, she told TMZ.

The actress also told the Web site she is not mad about the article and still has a good relationship with everyone she worked with during filming.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 10:52:46 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/lilo_canyons_article_is_bull_bleep_ai0JKjTXjklQu6uBYpjSJN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/lilo_canyons_article_is_bull_bleep_ai0JKjTXjklQu6uBYpjSJN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six 5.11.944594082 -1 false ASSOCIATED PRESS Business

Wells Fargo, the country's biggest mortgage lender, reported record earnings for the fourth quarter on Friday, beating analysts' expectations for both profit and revenue. The bank made more loans, gained deposits and enjoyed above-average returns from the investments made by its private equity business.

In a call with analysts, bank officials also sounded a positive note on their crucial mortgage unit. The housing market, said CEO John Stumpf, began "a steady rebound" in 2012. "There is no doubt," he added, "that a corner was turned."

But investors found the results underwhelming and sent Wells Fargo's stock lower. Although the bank is still funding more mortgages than at any time in 2011, investors were disappointed that the numbers had slipped compared to the previous quarter. Wells Fargo's stock was down 50 cents at $34.90 in midday trading.

As the first major bank to report earnings, San Francisco-based Wells Fargo sets the tone for the rest of the industry. And as the biggest mortgage lender by far — it makes about 30 percent of U.S. mortgage loans, according to the trade publication Inside Mortgage Finance — it's a bellwether for the overall housing market.

Wells Fargo said it funded $125 billion in mortgages in the fourth quarter, up from $120 billion in the same period a year ago. However, that was down from the record $139 billion it did in the third quarter. Mortgage applications were down over both the year and the quarter.

"The absolute levels of each of these data points remains relatively healthy," Stifel Nicolaus analyst Christopher Mutascio wrote in a note to clients, "but they are showing indications that the refinance boom is losing steam."

Seventy-two percent of the fourth-quarter mortgage applications came from customers who wanted to refinance their current mortgages, rather than buy new homes. Refinancing requests have made up at least 70 percent of the bank's mortgage applications in five of the last six quarters.

That's because the Federal Reserve is keeping interest rates extremely low, a move that it hopes will boost the economy by encouraging individuals and businesses to borrow money and spend. Mortgage rates continue to creep lower. The average interest rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage in December, the close of the fourth quarter, was 3.35 percent, according to Freddie Mac. In September, the close of the third quarter, it was 3.47 percent.

It's difficult to predict how long the low interest rates will last, which makes it difficult to predict how long refinancing can power mortgage results.

"Could it last a couple more quarters? Sure, it could," chief financial officer Tim Sloan said in a call with analysts. "Could it last through the end of the year? Your guess is as good as mine, but there is a lot of opportunity out there."

Wells Fargo's dominance in mortgages has helped it emerge from the financial crisis with a reputation as one of the strongest banks in the country.

But the strategy also makes Wells Fargo a target for lawmakers, regulators and customers who blame risky mortgage lending for the 2008 global financial crisis. The latest example came Monday, when Wells Fargo and nine other banks agreed to spend a combined $8.5 billion to settle the government's charges that they had wrongfully foreclosed on some homeowners. Wells Fargo said it would pay $766 million and set aside an extra $1.2 billion for "foreclosure prevention actions," such as modifying mortgages for struggling homeowners.

No one knows what other regulatory fines could be waiting for the banking industry. For some analysts, that makes the industry's future earnings a wild card.

When Jefferies analyst Ken Usdin asked on a conference call how much more the bank might have to spend on buying back soured mortgages from investors, CFO Sloan replied: "The biggest mistake anybody in this industry can make is predict when that is going to end."

When Deutsche Bank analyst Matt O'Connor asked if there were "other skeletons in the closet" in the mortgage unit, CEO Stumpf said he couldn't predict what might come up. But, he added: "I can tell you I am pleased that we are this far through the process and we have gotten a lot of big things behind us."

In an interview, Sloan acknowledged that legal and regulatory fees are unpredictable. He pointed to the bank's record earnings as proof that it could handle them.

"What we need to do is say, 'Look, we understand there are headwinds, some of them are legal and regulatory, how do we deal with them, how do we grow despite those?'" Sloan told The Associated Press. "Other institutions may not be able to address those as well as we can."

For the quarter, revenue rose 7 percent, to $21.9 billion, beating the $21.3 billion expected by analysts polled by FactSet. Wells Fargo increased its business in credit cards, wealth management and other units, and charged more in fees.

The bank earned $4.9 billion after paying dividends on preferred stock, up 25 percent from $3.9 billion a year ago. That amounted to 91 cents per share, more than the 87 cents per share analysts were expecting, and up from 73 cents last year. Revenue and earnings were also up for the full year.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 15:14:05 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/wells_fargo_reports_percent_increase_U5VzUgq2LufFVRF429MOyK?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Business http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/wells_fargo_reports_percent_increase_U5VzUgq2LufFVRF429MOyK?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Business 5.11.943405066 -1 false ASSOCIATED PRESS National

LAS VEGAS — Win or lose Saturday, Miss America contestant Allyn Rose will have conveyed a message about breast cancer prevention using her primary tool as a beauty queen: her body.

The 24-year-old Miss DC plans to undergo a double mastectomy after she struts in a bikini and flaunts her roller skating talent. She is removing both breasts as a preventative measure to reduce her chances of developing the disease that killed her mother, grandmother and great aunt.

"My mom would have given up every part of her body to be here for me, to watch me in the pageant," she said between dress rehearsals and preliminary competitions at Planet Hollywood on the Las Vegas Strip Wednesday. "If there's something that I can do to be proactive, it might hurt my body, it might hurt my physical beauty, but I'm going to be alive."

If crowned, the University of Maryland, College Park politics major could become the first Miss America not endowed with the Barbie silhouette associated with beauty queens.

Rose said it was her father who first broached the subject, during her freshman year of college, two years after the death of her mother

"I said, 'Dad I'm not going to do that. I like the body I have.' He got serious and said, 'Well then you're going to end up dead like your mom.' "

She has pondered that conversation for the past three years, during which she has worked as a model and won several pageants, including Miss Maryland USA, Miss Sinergy and the Miss District of Columbia competition, which put her in the running for Saturday's bonanza.

With her angular face, pale blonde hair and watchful blue eyes, Rose is unusually reserved. She acknowledged that she comes off as more of an ice-queen than a girl next door

"You have to block out everything and I think sometimes that makes me appear a little cold," she said. "But it's because I had to be my own mentor, I had to be my own best friend."

She measures her age by the time of her mother, Judy Rose's, first diagnosis, at age 27.

"Right now, I'm three years away," she said.

Judy had one breast removed in her 20s, but waited until she was 47 to remove the other one, which Rose's father had called a ticking time bomb.

"That's when they found she had a stage three tumor in her breast," Rose said. "And that's why for me, I'm not going to wait."

She plans to have reconstructive surgery, but said the procedure has complications and there is no guarantee that she will regain her pageant-approved bust.

Preventive surgery is a "very reasonable" choice for someone with Rose's family history and a genetic predisposition, said Patricia Greenberg, Director of Cancer Prevention at the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center in Los Angeles.

"I've seen young women have it done, and they have great peace of mind," she said, adding that the alternative is repeated mammograms and physical exams, which detect but do not prevent cancer from developing.

The number of women opting for preventive mastectomies increased 10-fold between 1998 and 2007, as genetic testing and reconstructive surgery options improved, according to a 2010 study published last year in Annals of Surgical Oncology.

Art McMaster, CEO of the Miss America Organization, called Rose an "incredible example" of strength and courage.

The Newburg, Md. native said she has received letters from supporters all over the country, including from fellow "previvors" who say they have been inspired to undergo their own preventive surgeries. The Wynn sports book gives her 25 to 1 odds of winning the Miss America crown, making her a moderate favorite.

But her decision is drawing criticism as well as praise in the staged-managed world of pageants, where contestants regularly go under the knife for a very different reason.

She also receives hate mail from beauty circuit die-hards who write to insist that she continue filling out her bikini.

"You have people who say, 'Don't have the surgery. This is mutilating your body. You don't have cancer.' They want to pick apart every little thing," she said. Some have even accused her of faking the make herself a more media-friendly candidate.

This kind of pre-emptive surgery has divided the medical community as well. For someone in her early 20s to have the procedure is "very unusual," said Todd Tuttle, chief of surgical oncology at the University of Minnesota.

Sandra Swain, medical director of Washington Cancer Institute in Washington, DC, fears that women who have lost family members to breast cancer could take Rose's example too literally.

"We're seen a rise in prophylactic mastectomies and a lot of it is not for a medical reason; it is because of fear and anxiety," she said.

Rose does not carry the "breast cancer genes" BRCA1 and BRCA2, but she did inherit a rare genetic mutation which might predispose her to the disease.

Her brother, who works for an oncology association, said he sees the irony in a beauty queen choosing to give up her breasts but supports his sister's choice.

"For me what trumps everything is her living, hopefully to a ripe old age, as opposed to any ancillary things that she might lose from potentially winning Miss America," said Dane Rose, 31.

Rose initially said that if she won the crown, she would postpone her surgery until after her year as a title-holder. But while shopping for earrings to match her black velvet pageant gown Wednesday, she said she was now considering having the surgery during her reign as a way of inscribing her platform of breast cancer prevention on her body.

"I've been thinking how powerful that might be to have a Miss America say, 'I might be Miss America but I'm still going to have surgery. I'm going to take control of my own life, my own health care,' " she said. "So I guess it's up to what happens on Saturday night."

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 15:20:04 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/miss_america_contestant_pursuing_mOXX7CNNr6uIoqVmgFfOcP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=National http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/miss_america_contestant_pursuing_mOXX7CNNr6uIoqVmgFfOcP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=National 5.11.943404966 -1 false Page Six

The first official portrait of the Duchess of Cambridge has been unveiled by Britain's National Portrait Gallery and opinions are divided on the painting.

The portrait shows the Duchess in a somber background with a serious but smiling expression. There are shadows and creases under her eyes and her normally shiny brunette tresses look slightly dull.

Kate and her hubby Prince William spent some 10 minutes viewing the portrait this morning in London before it went on display for the public in the afternoon, the Telegraph reports. Wills called it "just beautiful." Kate said it's "absolutely brilliant."

But not everyone loves it. Robin Simon, editor of the British Art Journal and a Daily Mail art critic, said "Fortunately, the Duchess of Cambridge looks nothing like this in real life. I'm really sad to say this is a rotten portrait."

Many Twitter users have also been harsh with their reactions. "That new portrait of Kate Middleton is awful — they've aged her 20 years!" one commenter wrote. (Kate just celebrated her 31st)

The painting was done by Paul Emsley, the 2007 winner of the Gallery's BP Portrait Award competition.

"The Duchess explained that she would like to be portrayed naturally — her natural self — as opposed to her official self," Emsley said in a statement.

He added, "She struck me as enormously open and generous and a very warm person. After initially feeling it was going to be an unsmiling portrait, I think it was the right choice in the end to have her smiling -- that is really who she is."

According to reports, Kate took part in an initial meeting to talk through the process of the painting. This was followed by two sittings, in May and June 2012, at the artist's studio in the West Country, England and Kensington Palace.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 15:13:24 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/duchess_of_cambridge_first_portrait_EP6MbUIkBbWVd0bv6JiMyN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/duchess_of_cambridge_first_portrait_EP6MbUIkBbWVd0bv6JiMyN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Page Six 5.11.943404286 -1 false By JESSICA SIMEONE Queens

A knife-wielding hothead stabbed his older brother to death in Far Rockaway this morning after a fight over food, witnesses and authorities said.

Jose Romero, 27, and his 23-year-old brother got in a heated argument yesterday on Beach 17th Street near the boardwalk around 2 a.m., police said.

The two had spent all day yesterday drinking at a funeral, sources said.

The spat quickly turned violent and the knifeman turned the blade on his brother, stabbing him several times, cops said.

The victim's girlfriend called 911 but EMS workers were unable to save the man, cops said.

The perpetrator was taken into police custody and charges against him are still pending, police said.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 09:39:13 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/queens/queens_an_stabs_older_brother_to_s38ADoTC9HKEkzyrkkmIHL?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Queens http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/queens/queens_an_stabs_older_brother_to_s38ADoTC9HKEkzyrkkmIHL?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Queens 5.11.941700995 -1 false ASSOCIATED PRESS Local

ALBANY — Greek yogurt served at the president's inauguration will be from upstate New York.

Sen. Charles Schumer says that Fage and Chobani brand Greek yogurts will be served to guests before the Presidential Inaugural Luncheon. Fage is made in Fulton County west of Albany and Chobani is made in Chenango County southeast of Syracuse.

Schumer says the yogurt will be available throughout the Capitol in the hours leading up to the ceremony on Jan. 21.

Vanilla and plain yogurt will be served with strawberries, pineapples, pears and granola toppings.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 08:39:06 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/greek_yogurt_from_upstate_ny_to_4vXx5hYLSILCDI51AS1AgP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/greek_yogurt_from_upstate_ny_to_4vXx5hYLSILCDI51AS1AgP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Local 5.11.939375397 -1 false ASSOCIATED PRESS Local

One of northern New Jersey's primary routes into New York City will be closed to inbound traffic for two years while it undergoes a major overhaul, New Jersey transportation officials announced Thursday.

Some work has already begun on the Pulaski Skyway, the hulking, 80-year-old elevated roadway that runs from Newark to Jersey City and carries thousands of vehicles daily to the Holland Tunnel and into New York.

The replacement of the roadway deck will begin in late 2013, but the closure of inbound lanes will begin in early 2014, state Department of Transportation officials said Thursday. The work is expected to take about two years. During that time, two outbound lanes will be open.

The DOT estimated that closing the inbound lanes during the deck replacement phase, rather than restricting work to nights and weekends, will save four years of construction time and more than $200 million in costs. The project is expected to cost about $1 billion.

The lane closures are expected to have a heavy impact on nearby roads such as Routes 1 & 9, the Newark Bay-Hudson County Extension (I-78) and Route 7. Transportation officials said they will hold a series of meetings and have forms on their website for public input on commuting alternatives.

"We are announcing these construction plans a full year before the serious impacts will be felt because we welcome and value input from commuters, emergency service providers, local officials, residents and business owners," DOT Commissioner James Simpson said in a statement. "The comments and suggestions we receive will help us focus on travel routes, travel modes and other options that will best serve the public and help mitigate the anticipated significant traffic impacts associated with this essential and necessary work."

AP Vehicles commute on the Pulaski Skyway. Transportation officials say the major northern New Jersey roadway will be shut down beginning February 2014 for a two-year renovation.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 08:34:52 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/highway_headache_pulaski_skyway_i4NF0P1erdFYEEPvJgKY1K?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/highway_headache_pulaski_skyway_i4NF0P1erdFYEEPvJgKY1K?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Local 5.11.939206122 -1 false ASSOCIATED PRESS Local

A group of low-income New Yorkers affected by Sandy have filed a lawsuit against the city.

They accuse the Bloomberg administration of denying them access to food-stamp benefits designed to assist disaster survivors.

The city Human Resources Administration administers the program. In December, it said residents in 10 ZIP Codes and parts of two others would be eligible for the program. The zone was much smaller than the 82 ZIP Codes the city designated for a similar program in November.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the lawsuit claims the city "limited the program to those included within some arbitrary line on the map." It says "tens if not hundreds of thousands" of people have been excluded from the benefit.

The HRA said the city will contest the suit.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 08:32:39 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/food_income_sandy_survivors_suing_EPikbpjIqikkpXyzqtt90I?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/food_income_sandy_survivors_suing_EPikbpjIqikkpXyzqtt90I?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Local 5.11.939205806 -1 false By PHIL HELSEL Local

An off-duty Suffolk County cop was killed early today when he crashed into a garbage truck that backed out of a parking lot and into oncoming traffic on Long Island, police said.

Officer Patrick Curley, 40, a 17-year veteran of the department, was pronounced dead on the scene after his SUV collided with the Winters Brothers rig as it backed out of a business on Route 25 in Commack at 3:33 a.m., police said.

The garbage truck, a huge front-end loader driven by 59-year-old James Jarosch, had room to pull a U-turn and exit the Arirang House Korean restaurant front-first, but instead backed out into the roadway where he may not have been able to see oncoming cars, Suffolk County Detective Lieutenant James Rooney said.

"[Front-first] would have been the safe way to do it," Rooney said.

Jarosch was issued summonses for unsafe backing and an equipment violation, which are traffic violations. He was not injured in the crash.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 16:11:17 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/dead_in_garbage_truck_car_crash_ScLfjJX3xMwHfSFpqeS8rL?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/dead_in_garbage_truck_car_crash_ScLfjJX3xMwHfSFpqeS8rL?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Local 5.11.938850632 -1 false ASSOCIATED PRESS Local

HARTFORD, Conn. — Connecticut's chief medical examiner says he doubts toxicological tests and genetic analysis of the body of the gunman who fatally shot 20 children and six educators at an elementary school will explain his actions.

The Hearst Connecticut Media Group reported Friday that Dr. H. Wayne Carver II, who autopsied the body of the gunman Adam Lanza, said an examination of Lanza's brain showed nothing unusual.

"It's a fishing expedition," he said. "I don't think we'll find answers. But that doesn't mean you don't look."

Carver said Lanza's brain showed no tumor or gross deformity, though he didn't expect to find a gross deformity.

"That would be associated with very severe disabilities," he said.

People who suffer from such deformities usually require a "custodial" setting, Carver said.

The toxicology exam, which could take several weeks, involves testing body fluids for psychiatric medications or illegal substances. Carver said the result could provide "potentially valuable information" in creating a full picture of Lanza.

Lanza fatally shot himself after the Dec. 14 shooting spree.

Lanza's body was claimed by his father on Dec. 27 and the public may never know what happened with the remains.

While still in the possession of the medical examiner, Lanza's body may have been the subject of interest beyond medical reasons. An employee was accused of showing the body to her husband, who is not a state employee, just days after the shooting.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 10:21:52 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/newtown_shooting_motive_unlikely_CaqDQ2LfnTvjJcl0ywdgiO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/newtown_shooting_motive_unlikely_CaqDQ2LfnTvjJcl0ywdgiO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Local 5.11.938850290 -1 false ASSOCIATED PRESS National

WASHINGTON — Looking for broader remedies to gun violence, Vice President Joe Biden is reaching out to the video game industry for ideas as the White House seeks to assemble proposals in response to last month's massacre at a Connecticut elementary school.

Biden is scheduled to meet with video game representatives Friday as the White House explores cultural factors that may contribute to violent behavior.

The vice president, who is leading a task force that will present recommendations to President Barack Obama on Tuesday, met with other representatives from the entertainment industry, including Comcast Corp. and the Motion Picture Association of America, on Thursday.

Friday's meeting comes a day after the National Rifle Association rejected Obama administration proposals to limit high-capacity ammunition magazines and dug in on its opposition to an assault weapons ban, which Obama has previously said he will propose to Congress. The NRA was one of the pro-gun rights groups that met with Biden during the day.

NRA president David Keene, asked Friday if the NRA has enough support in Congress to fend off legislation to ban sales of assault weapons, indicated it does. "I do not think that there's going to be a ban on so-called assault weapons passed by the Congress," he said on NBC's "Today."

In previewing the meeting with the video game industry, Biden recalled how the late Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan of New York lamented during crime bill negotiations in the 1980s that the country was "defining deviancy down."

It's unclear what, if anything, the administration is prepared to recommend on how to address the depiction of violence in the media.

White House press secretary Jay Carney last month suggested that not all measures require government intervention.

"It is certainly the case that we in Washington have the potential, anyway, to help elevate issues that are of concern, elevate issues that contribute to the scourge of gun violence in this country, and that has been the case in the past, and it certainly could be in the future," Carney said then.

In a statement, a half dozen entertainment groups, including the Motion Picture Association of America, said they "look forward to doing our part to seek meaningful solutions."

On gun control, however, the Obama administration is assembling proposals to curb gun violence that would include a ban on sales of assault weapons, limits on high-capacity ammunition magazines and universal background checks for gun buyers.

"The vice president made it clear, made it explicitly clear, that the president had already made up his mind on those issues," Keene said after the meeting. "We made it clear that we disagree with them."

Opposition from the well-funded and politically powerful NRA underscores the challenges that await the White House if it seeks congressional approval for limiting guns and ammunition. Obama can use his executive powers to act alone on some gun measures, but his options on the proposals opposed by the NRA are limited without Congress' cooperation.

Obama has pushed reducing gun violence to the top of his domestic agenda following last month's mass shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn., where a gunman slaughtered 20 children and six adults before killing himself. The president put Biden in charge of an administration task force and set a late January deadline for proposals.

"I committed to him I'd have these recommendations to him by Tuesday," Biden said Thursday, during a separate White House meeting with sportsmen and wildlife groups. "It doesn't mean it's the end of the discussion, but the public wants us to act."

The vice president later met privately with the NRA and other gun-owner groups for more than 90 minutes. Participants in the meeting described it as an open and frank discussion, but one that yielded little movement from either side on long-held positions.

Keane told NBC there is a fundamental disagreement over what would actually make a difference in curbing gun violence.

Richard Feldman, the president of the Independent Firearm Owners Association, said all were in agreement on a need to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill. But when the conversation turned to broad restrictions on high-capacity magazines and assault weapons, Feldman said Biden suggested the president had already made up his mind to seek a ban.

"Is there wiggle room and give?" Feldman said. "I don't know."

White House officials said the vice president didn't expect to win over the NRA and other gun groups on those key issues. But the administration was hoping to soften their opposition in order to rally support from pro-gun lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

Biden's proposals are also expected to include recommendations to address mental health care and violence on television, in movies and video games. Those issues have wide support from gun-rights groups and pro-gun lawmakers.

As the meetings took place in Washington, a student was shot and wounded at a rural California high school and another student was taken into custody.

During his meeting with sporting and wildlife groups, Biden said that while no recommendations would eliminate all future shootings, "there has got to be some common ground, to not solve every problem but diminish the probability that our children are at risk in their schools and diminish the probability that firearms will be used in violent behavior in our society."

Several Cabinet members have also taken on an active role in Biden's gun violence task force, including Attorney General Eric Holder. He met Thursday with Wal-Mart, the nation's largest firearms seller, along with other retailers such as Bass Pro Shops and Dick's Sporting Goods.

The president hopes to announce his administration's next steps to tackle gun violence shortly after he is sworn in for a second term. He has pledged to push for new measures in his State of the Union address.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 08:18:39 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/biden_seeks_video_game_industry_MtNT14Qj5HwjNksSVIigLJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= National http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/biden_seeks_video_game_industry_MtNT14Qj5HwjNksSVIigLJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= National 5.11.938187144 -1 false More Sports

Wesley Matthews hit a 3-pointer to put Portland in front with 26.9 seconds left and the Trail Blazers hung on to beat the Heat 92-90 last night in Portland for their fourth straight win and ninth straight at the Rose Garden.

The Blazers held LeBron James to 15 points, snapping his 54-game streak with at least 20 points that dated back to last season.

Chris Bosh had 29 points for the Eastern Conference-leading Heat, who dropped their second straight game. Miami has lost five of eight.

Mavericks 117, Kings 112 (OT)

In Sacramento, O.J. Mayo had 24 points and 10 rebounds, Vince Carter scored 23 points off the bench and the Mavericks rallied from 17 points down to beat the Kings in overtime.

DeMarcus Cousins had 29 points before getting ejected in overtime for elbowing Carter in the face.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 03:52:53 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/blazers_shut_down_lebron_hot_streak_OQEwa0pxpOy0hofSAJckbO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/blazers_shut_down_lebron_hot_streak_OQEwa0pxpOy0hofSAJckbO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports 5.11.924079549 -1 false By LOU LUMENICK National

Talk about your emancipation proclamations!

It's now extremely difficult to imagine a scenario where Steven Spielberg's historical drama "Lincoln'' — which led the field with 12 Oscar nominations yesterday — doesn't go home with Best Picture on Feb. 24.

That's because in one of the biggest shockers of recent years, the academy's directors branch yesterday KO'd what were widely considered the Spielberg film's strongest competitors by denying them crucial nominations.

Only three films in 83 years have won Best Picture without a Best Director nomination, none since the 1990 film "Driving Miss Daisy."

"Argo,'' "Les Misérables'' and "Zero Dark Thirty,'' along with the more problematic "Django Unchained," failed to receive Best Director nods — voted on strictly by the directors branch — to go with their Best Picture nominations, bestowed by the academy's entire membership (which votes on virtually all awards on the final ballot).

It was a huge surprise because on Tuesday, all of the above films, except "Django Unchained,'' received nods from the Directors Guild of America Awards, long considered the most accurate predictor of the Oscars.

While there's some overlap between the two groups, the DGA voters also include directors and assistant directors who work exclusively in TV.

The directing Oscar snubs for Ben Affleck ("Argo'') and recent winners Kathryn Bigelow ("Zero Dark Thirty'') and Tom Hooper ("Les Misérables'') were still close to inexplicable, especially in the first two cases.

"Zero Dark Thirty'' has generated controversy because of its depiction of using torture to interrogate suspected terrorists, while Hooper's use of extreme close-ups and live performances in musical numbers has polarized audiences.

Instead, the Oscar nods for Best Director went to helmers responsible for the other Best Picture nominees: Austrian Michael Haneke, for the French-language end-of-life drama "Amour,'' the biggest surprise of the bunch; Benh Zeitlin, for the no-budget bayou fantasy "Beasts of the Southern Wild,'' a somewhat milder surprise; Ang Lee, for the mystical adventure "Life of Pi''; and David O. Russell, for the quirky comedy "Silver Linings Playbook.''

It's the latter two titles that have the slightest prayer of pulling off an upset, since they share with "Lincoln'' nominations for Best Film Editing — and no film has won Best Picture without a nod in that category since 1980's "Ordinary People."

"Playbook'' has struggled to find box-office success commensurate with its glowing reviews and popular stars Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence. Both received lead-acting nominations yesterday, along with supporting nods for Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver, as well as for "Playbook" director Russell's adapted screenplay.

Another surprise yesterday was a Best Actor nomination for Joaquin Phoenix — who has expressed disdain for the Oscars in interviews — for his alcoholic sailor in "The Master.''

At the same time, the actors branch snubbed John Hawkes, widely considered a shoo-in for his performance as a polio-stricken poet trying to lose his virginity in "The Sessions.''

The prohibitive favorite for Best Actor remains Daniel Day-Lewis of "Lincoln,'' whose only possible obstacle might be a reluctance by Oscar voters to make him the first-ever three-time winner of this coveted prize.

That's not a problem with his director, Spielberg, who's positioned to cop Oscar No. 3 — following in the footsteps of three-time winners Frank Capra and William Wyler. (John Ford holds the record, with four.)

The oddest category is Best Actress, where the oldest-ever nominee, Emmanuelle Riva, 85, as a dying woman in "Amour,'' will be competing with the youngest-ever nominee, 9-year-old Quvenzhané Wallis, the wild child of "Beasts of the Southern Wild."

The real showdown in this category, however, is between Jessica Chastain of "Zero Dark Thirty'' and Lawrence.

The latter holds an edge, thanks to her film's strong showing yesterday — and because Lawrence's flamboyant performance as a randy widow fits the Oscar pattern more closely than Chastain's more restrained work as a CIA analyst tracking down Osama bin Laden.

lou.lumenick@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 11:05:23 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/twelve_score_for_can_lose_lincoln_wlWkePU6WEy7OVMsRumLnJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=National http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/twelve_score_for_can_lose_lincoln_wlWkePU6WEy7OVMsRumLnJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=National 5.11.924871733 lou_lumenick.png true By LARRY CELONA, JAMIE SCHRAM and KIRSTAN CONLEY Local

Michael Hicks Wei Chu Wu is accused of setting the fatal SoHo fire following a fight with his wife.

A madman set a deadly blaze at a SoHo apartment building last night after attacking his wife in a domestic dispute — and then fought with a cop and a firefighter trying to save lives in the inferno, police sources said.

Wei Chu Wu, 45, allegedly told a roommate, "We're all gonna die," after setting ablaze the kitchen of his apartment on the second floor of 41 Spring St., sources said.

The fire, which expanded to five alarms, took 2 1/2 hours to bring under control, killed one unidentified person, whose badly charred body was found on a third-floor fire escape, cops said.

The body was so badly burned that a gender ID wasn't immediately possible.

A man was seen carrying groceries on the sidewalk and yelling for his wife but it is not known if she was a victim of the fire.

"The fire encompassed all of the floors," said FDNY Chief of Operations James Esposito. "The building is essentially destroyed. It was an extremely intense operation."

Mary Delgado, 23, was leaving her job as a bank teller saw Wu with police after the fire.

She said he was barefoot and looked upset as he was being taken into custody.

Delgado said two men were shouting "he did it, he did it."

More than 200 firefighters battled the blaze, which broke out at about 6:40 p.m. Seven were injured.

Christopher Sadowski More than 200 firefighters battled Thursday's blaze.

The domestic dispute that sparked the fatal inferno began when Wu argued with his wife, Yan He Zheng, the mom of his 13-year-old son. The argument grew heated and he cut the 41-year-old woman on the hand, sources said.

Zheng and the boy then fled the building. A short time later, the roommate confronted Wu, who issued his chilling prediction.

The roommate then saw the kitchen was ablaze and ran, with Wu following.

After exiting the building, Wu brawled with a cop and a tourist and even a firefighter from California, as would-be rescuers tried to enter.

"We came out of the restaurant and saw two men arguing. We saw flames in the window," said Noemi Gutierrez, whose LA firefighter husband, Vincent, scuffled with Wu. She and her husband were dining at nearby Lombardi's when flames erupted.

"My husband went into the building and came out saying the whole second floor was engulfed in flames," she said.

Christopher Sadowski One person died and seven were injured in the SoHo apartment fire.

The 33-year-old cop, Paul Rao, a nine-year veteran officer assigned to the Fifth Precinct, suffered a hand injury and was treated at New York Hospital, police sources said.

Wu was arrested for disorderly conduct and assaulting an officer, police sources said. He was led into the Fifth Precinct in handcuffs late last night, sporting a black eye and appearing dazed.

"I saw the guy with a bloody shirt, a black eye and no shoes. The cops were leading him away in handcuffs. I figured he started the fire," said neighbor William Bray. "My son plays with [Wu's] son in the park. They seem like a normal family."

Residents of the building, whose neighborhood is also referred to as NoLita, were devastated.

"The Fire Department just told me I no longer have an apartment. I lived on the fourth floor and everything I own is gone," said a resident.

Samuel Perez, general manager of the Pinkberry yogurt shop on the ground floor of the building, said the business is imperiled.

"There's smoke and water damage," he said. "We're probably going to have to replace most of the things in the store."

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Additional reporting by C.J. Sullivan, Kathryn Cusma and Daniel Prendergast

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 11:06:33 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/soho_firetrap_2A89CIWxAnUT3q5fwZZlIM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/soho_firetrap_2A89CIWxAnUT3q5fwZZlIM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.924079908 -1 false By JULIA MARSH Local

He's a soon-to-be millionaire — and he wants Medicaid benefits.

Manuel Alberto Martinez Fernandez, 53, will inherit a portion of a $10 million payout that the Libyan government awarded him for his father's death in a terrorist attack in Israel in 1972.

Fernandez, who lives in Midtown, is ineligible for health insurance because he suffers from "depressive disorder," his Manhattan Supreme Court filing states.

So he wants the court to put his inheritance in a trust in order to make him eligible for government-funded health care. Otherwise, he fears, the funds would be "substantially dissipated" if he has to pay out of pocket.

His father, Manuel Enrique Martinez Rivera, of Puerto Rico, was killed in a shooting at Tel Aviv's Lod Airport.

So far, Fernandez has $400,000 of his inheritance in an escrow account, according to the lawsuit. The US State Department handles the distribution of the settlement.

Fernandez did not answer calls to his apartment.

A spokesperson for the city's Human Resources Administration, which oversees Medicaid benefits, declined to comment on Fernandez's case, but said that inheritance only determines eligibility if it generates income.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 16:21:18 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/medicaid_rich_irony_wR8IiY3vATw2VHIfB8pSuK?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/medicaid_rich_irony_wR8IiY3vATw2VHIfB8pSuK?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.924079694 -1 false By BRUCE GOLDING Manhattan

She'll drink to that!

A judge has nixed a class-action suit over the ingredients in lovelorn ex-"Real Housewife" Bethenny Frankel's "Skinnygirl" pre-mixed Margaritas.

Plaintiff Christopher Rapcynski claimed he and countless others got ripped off because the drink contains low-grade tequila and not the Blue Agave on the label.

But Manhattan federal Judge Paul Oetken said that since Rapcynski admitted he'd have bought the booze "whatever the price"— because his wife liked it — the case would focus solely on the "particularities" of his purchase.

His lawyer said they were eyeing "all our options."

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 05:38:45 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/housewife_booze_suit_ko_EZ7co0FG7IfMRNVHdxBhxJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Manhattan http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/housewife_booze_suit_ko_EZ7co0FG7IfMRNVHdxBhxJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Manhattan 5.11.924079623 -1 false AP International

MOSCOW — The Russian government says a child-adoption deal with the United States will remain valid up until Jan. 1, 2014, despite a new law it imposed that bans the practice.

The Russian move came in response to a new American law targeting Russians deemed to be violating human rights.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 02:34:55 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/international/adopt_reprieve_Kus42XngKLgYEedqcUDgQJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=International http://www.nypost.com/p/news/international/adopt_reprieve_Kus42XngKLgYEedqcUDgQJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=International 5.11.924079609 -1 false More Sports

MLB: Upton's no-trade clause nixes deal to M's

Justin Upton used the no-trade clause in his contract to reject a proposed deal that would have sent the Diamondbacks outfielder to the Mariners, sources said. Upton's contract allows him to block deals to four teams -- Seattle, Toronto, Boston and the Cubs.

Left-hander Chris Narveson and the Brewers agreed to an $840,000, one-year contract. Milwaukee also OK'd a deal with 36-year-old right-hander Kelvim Escobar, who last pitched in the majors in 2009 with the Angels. ... Infielder Luis Valbuena agreed to a $930,000, one-year contract with the Cubs.

HOOPS: High-scoring hotshot done for season

Jack Taylor, the Grinnell College (Iowa) hotshot who set the NCAA scoring record with 138 points in a game in November, is out for the season after breaking his wrist Wednesday night during a 119-117 win over Cornell (Iowa). Taylor likely will have surgery within a week and be out 2-3 months, costing the sensational sophomore the rest of the season. He was averaging 36.3 points for the Division III Pioneers (9-3).

TENNIS: Aussie Open draw favors Serena

Serena Williams and defending champion Victoria Azarenka are in the same half of the draw at next week's Australian Open, meaning they could meet in the semifinals. Top-ranked Azarenka has lost 11 of her 12 matches against Williams, the No. 3 seed who increased her career haul to 15 Grand Slam titles last year by winning at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.

No. 2-ranked Maria Sharapova is on the other half of the draw and could meet Venus Williams in the third round. Novak Djokovic's bid for a third consecutive Australia Open title got a boost when Roger Federer and U.S. Open champ Andy Murray in the other half of the draw.

Top-seeded David Ferrer beat Gael Monfils 6-1, 6-2 today to reach the final of the Heineken Open in Auckland, New Zealand. Ferrer will meet Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber in tomorrow's final. ... Juan Martin del Potro beat Marcos Baghdatis 6-4, 6-1 to set up a final against Lleyton Hewitt at the Kooyong Classic in Sydney, Australia

FOOTBALL: Sandusky bids for new trial

Jerry Sandusky emerged from prison to attend a hearing in Bellefonte, Pa., at which his lawyers argued he deserves a new trial on child molestation charges because they didn't have enough time to prepare for the first one.

Mario Cristobal is returning to Miami as the Hurricanes' associate head coach. He was fired by Florida International last month after six seasons.

DeAndre Hopkins, Clemson's record-setting receiver, is heading to the NFL and skipping his final season of college. Also turning pro is Joseph Randle, Oklahoma State's All-Big 12 running back.

SOCCER: KC lands MLS All-Star Game

MLS commissioner Don Garber announced that Kansas City, Kan., will play host to the league's All-Star Game on July 31 game between MLS All-Stars and an international club still to be determined.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 03:51:58 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/sports_shorts_wdi8qTzBoCr6FV1xCqdOsO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/sports_shorts_wdi8qTzBoCr6FV1xCqdOsO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports 5.11.924079563 -1 false & - doubleheader More Sports

TODAYJan. 11SATJan. 12SUNJan. 13MONJan. 14TUEJan. 15WEDJan. 16THUJan. 17KnicksChicago8:00MSG , ESPNESPN 98.7 FMNO GAMEN.O.NoonMSGESPNNO GAMENO GAMENOGAME*Det. 3:00MSGESPNNetsPhoenix7:30YES NetworkWFAN 660 AM/ 101.9 FMNO GAMEInd.6:00YESWBBRNO GAMETor.7:30YESWFANAtl.7:30YESWFANNO GAMESt. John'sNOGAMEG'Town11:00ESPN2WBBRNO GAMENO GAMEND7:00ESPN2WBBRNO GAMENO GAME

HOMEAWAY

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 02:32:17 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/home_team_lineups_mICidA8vyCJdJDig5phiMO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= More Sports http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/home_team_lineups_mICidA8vyCJdJDig5phiMO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= More Sports 5.11.924079535 -1 false By BRIAN COSTELLO Jets

"Salary cap hell."

That is how one league source described the Jets' current salary cap situation. That may be an overstatement, but it is going to be one of the new general manager's immediate challenges.

ESPN reported yesterday the Jets are $19.4 million over the projected 2013 salary cap, the most in the NFL, and the perception of the situation may be scaring GM candidates away.

League sources said at least two people have turned down the chance to even interview with the Jets because the salary cap situation scared them away. As much as has been made of the new GM being forced to keep Rex Ryan as head coach, the team's salary cap health appears to be the bigger challenge.

Former Browns GM Tom Heckert canceled his interview because of concerns over the cap, according to a source. The Jets have also seen Dave Caldwell (Jaguars) and Tom Telesco (Chargers) pick other teams over them.

The Jets had three interviews yesterday with Dolphins assistant GM Brian Gaine, Steelers director of football and business administration Omar Khan and former Bears GM Jerry Angelo, according to sources. All have experience dealing with the cap.

Today, the Jets will have three more interviews with Seahawks vice president of football administration John Idzik and two candidates whose names are not known, but are both former GMs in the league, according to a source.

The Jets' cap situation is not as bad as it appears on the surface, though. They carried $3.4 million over from 2012, ESPN reported.

The Jets can easily maneuver their way under the cap by releasing linebacker Bart Scott, linebacker Calvin Pace, tackle Jason Smith and safety Eric Smith next month. That would save them $30.7 million. You can add another $1.5 million if they release quarterback Tim Tebow, as expected. Those moves would put them $12.8 million under the cap.

The problem for the Jets is that leaves them with only 10 players who were starters this year under contract — QB Mark Sanchez, C Nick Mangold, T D'Brickashaw Ferguson, WR Santonio Holmes, WR Stephen Hill, NT Sione Po'uha, DE Muhammad Wilkerson, LB David Harris, CB Antonio Cromartie and CB Darrelle Revis. They will probably tender tackle Austin Howard, who is a restricted free agent, to bring the number to 11.

Then, the Jets would have to hope some of their unproven draft picks from the last few years can step into starting roles. Backups such as RB Bilal Powell, DL Quinton Coples and G Vlad Ducasse may become starters in 2013. The Jets also may hope either Antonio Allen or Josh Bush can grab one of the safety spots.

brian.costello@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 09:56:35 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/jets_cap_number_scares_off_gms_s53xzVOSy7F60IEiLpHQ6O?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Jets http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/jets_cap_number_scares_off_gms_s53xzVOSy7F60IEiLpHQ6O?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Jets 5.11.923448204 -1 false By BILL SANDERSON Local

A ferocious flu "epidemic" has New Yorkers rushing to doctors, hospitals and drug stores — with emergency-room visits up 150 percent over last year, city health officials said yesterday.

"It's a bad year. We've got lots of flu," said city Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley, who noted influenza-related cases spiked from 2 percent of all emergency-room visits for the peak of last year's flu season to 5 percent this year.

This year's strain is a nasty one, Type A-H3N2, similar to a bug that stung the city hard in 2004. Type A-H3N2 "tends to be a little more severe," said Farley, who cautioned, "We're having our flu epidemic now, and it's a bad year. So we're seeing plenty of cases of flu and plenty of people sick with flu."

City health officials' observations are in line with national trends reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nationwide, about 6 percent of all emergency-room visits are flu-related.

The nastiness of the outbreak is confirmed by Google, which tracks national flu trends according to the number of times people ask about the flu. Based on that criteria, Google rates the current outbreak as "intense."

Gov. Cuomo underscored the problem by getting his flu shot during a press conference yesterday. Afterward, state Health Commissioner Nirav Shah gave him a lollipop.

Dr. Farley's advice: Get a flu shot if you haven't already. And if you're feeling woozy or sneezy or otherwise a bit off, stay home and rest.

Only the most severely sick people should seek flu treatment in hospital emergency rooms, Farley said. "For the most part, you're going to get well on your own, so just stay at home or go to your regular doctor," he added.

Flu can be deadly for young children, the elderly or people who already suffer from severe illness. This year's outbreak hasn't hit historical highs, but doctors and druggists say it's worse than recent outbreaks.

"It's been pretty much nonstop," said Eli Kim, who owns Raysol Pharmacy on Lexington Avenue at East 116th Street.

Kim said there's a severe shortage of the liquid form of Tamiflu, a prescription influenza medicine often given to children who can't swallow the capsule form of the drug. "The liquid form of it is just completely out of stock. Nobody has it," he said.

NyQuil, DayQuil, Sudafed and other popular over-the-counter remedies ease symptoms and may even shorten the time you're sick by a day or two, but time and rest are the only real cures.

"For the average person who doesn't have other medical problems . . . staying home and treating the symptoms is going to do the trick," said Dr. Jay Varma, the city Health Department's deputy commissioner for disease control.

Additional reporting by Erin Calabrese

bsanderson@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 08:12:54 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/city_flu_anguish_UtbvdBDeD51IsvdqsP1uOO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/city_flu_anguish_UtbvdBDeD51IsvdqsP1uOO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.923448086 -1 false By YOAV GONEN Local

Teachers who got bad-performance ratings in the past school year were likelier to be teaching in high-poverty schools or in schools with high percentages of black, Hispanic or low-achieving students, a new analysis found.

The StudentsFirstNY report on the roughly 3 percent of teachers who were rated "unsatisfactory" — known as a "U-rating" — for the 2011-12 school year found that they were distributed unequally throughout the system.

The top 10 percent of schools — 77 of the 1,509 in the study — had nearly 19 percent of teachers rated unsatisfactory. On the other hand, nearly half of principals didn't issue a single U-rating.

The analysis concluded that students in high-poverty schools were at least three times more likely to be taught by a U-rated teacher than were students in low-poverty schools.

"A concentration of ineffective teachers serving specific student populations is an injustice," said StudentsFirstNY executive director Micah Lasher. The group advocates for increased teacher quality and school choice.

United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew and a number of education advocates said the main solution was greater support of teachers in challenging schools.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 02:13:19 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/poor_hoods_have_lousy_teachers_Ydkk9sCWYBytoklOd4h9HJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/poor_hoods_have_lousy_teachers_Ydkk9sCWYBytoklOd4h9HJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.923447557 -1 false By YOAV GONEN Local

A Brooklyn school aide tried to bust a move on a female student using the age-old ruse of stardom — by asking if she'd help him launch a career making porno flicks, city investigators said.

Former Juan Morel Campos Secondary School worker Michael Alberti asked the teen via Facebook to be his porn-industry agent — and to start her career by making a triple-X movie with him, according to a report.

It said the 31-year-old aide even suggested the girl tell her boyfriend — a mutual acquaintance — she had to see "how good her client was" before representing him, the Special Commissioner of Investigation found.

Alberti wrote to her a week later to say he "made a nudie movie last night lol," the report found.

Alberti, who could not be reached for comment, apologetically told investigators he had been joking around.

He was fired in September, according to the DOE.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 02:12:18 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/porn_ploy_by_school_fool_Ef206up1g5MAQ3IFmlvWBI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/porn_ploy_by_school_fool_Ef206up1g5MAQ3IFmlvWBI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Local 5.11.923447543 -1 false By DAVID SEIFMAN City Hall Bureau Chief Local

Abuse of painkillers has reached such shocking proportions that emergency rooms in the city's municipal hospitals are going to restrict patients to a three-day supply of the addictive pills, officials announced yesterday.

Lost, destroyed or stolen prescriptions won't be refilled by the ERs.

"This is a problem across the country all of a sudden," Mayor Bloomberg said at Elmhurst Hospital in Queens. "It's really on a lot of people's minds."

Dr. Thomas Farley, the city health commissioner, said 2 million prescriptions for opioid painkillers are written here each year, a startling number in a population of 8 million.

"Make no mistake," Farley said. "These are dangerous drugs. It's best to think of them as heroin in pill form."

He said three-quarters of abusers obtain pills from unthinking relatives and friends, who frequently get more than they need when visiting a doctor or hospital.

Municipal emergency rooms had been dispensing seven-day supplies.

Dr. Lewis Nelson of the non-municipal NYU Medical Center, a member of a painkiller task force appointed by the mayor last year, said that's excessive.

"Most acute pain — from an ankle injury to a headache, whatever you'd like to pick — lasts two to three days," he noted.

The task force reported that the number of painkiller-related emergency-room visits shot up 143 percent between 2004 and 2010. Related deaths reached 173 in 2010.

Staten Island District Attorney Dan Donovan, also a member of the task force, said one person dies of a painkiller overdose every 13 days in his borough.

Bloomberg openly worried about the violence associated with those desperate to get their hands on prescription drugs.

Four people were killed — including the pharmacist — when a gunman who stole thousands of pain pills opened fire in a Medford, LI drugstore in June 2011.

The new guidelines are voluntary and doctors still have the discretion to prescribe whatever they feel is necessary in individual cases.

The city doesn't have the power to impose restrictions on non-municipal hospitals.

But at least one facility said it already has a three-day supply policy in place and officials said they hoped other hospitals would follow the city's lead.

Doctors are sometimes faced with hard choices when patients turn up in ERs pleading for painkillers for ailments when it's not obvious that they're needed, such as a toothache.

"It's very hard to determine whether they're seeking drugs for their addiction or drugs for pain," said Dr. Nelson.

david.seifman@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 03:42:59 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/mike_cracks_down_on_painkiller_pills_4hWeqDu0ZGMb1dpqsDfyuN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/mike_cracks_down_on_painkiller_pills_4hWeqDu0ZGMb1dpqsDfyuN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Local 5.11.922829692 -1 false By DAVID SEIFMAN and ERIK KRISS Local

It wasn't just a roll of the dice that led Gov. Cuomo to propose the state's first three casinos be located upstate and not in New York City.

Cuomo said yesterday that if casino operators had a chance to open in the city, they would write off the upstate market.

"If there was going to be one in the city, then that would be the option that most operators would want to bid on," Cuomo said.

"What we're trying to do is to take that off the table to begin with. And then the interest goes to upstate."

Mayor Bloomberg, who has never been a fan of government-sponsored gaming, didn't seem to have a problem with that.

"The governor is trying to do something for upstate in terms of encouraging people to go upstate and [boost] economic activity where it is sorely needed," he said.

"I'm a citizen of New York State and have an obligation to support the governor and trying to help all parts of the state."

Bloomberg said he wasn't sure casinos were "appropriate" for the city in any case.

That's a 180-degree flip from his position last summer, when the mayor demanded: "If you're going to have it, I think you should have it in the city. And I think we should have it every place. Why should the people of Staten Island not have a casino?"

If state lawmakers approve casino gambling, it in New York State would be placed on the November ballot for voter approval.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 04:38:16 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/upstate_casinos_losing_bet_if_city_ei3bUYlNpCED7ix9jiOZoL?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/upstate_casinos_losing_bet_if_city_ei3bUYlNpCED7ix9jiOZoL?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.922829414 -1 false By CARL CAMPANILE National

When Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton leaves her post as the nation's top diplomat this year, she will step into a new role: presidential front-runner.

Clinton is the leading contender to win the presidency in 2016 should she decide to run, but New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is the one Republican with a shot at defeating her, according to a new poll.

Clinton leads Christie 44-42 percent, the Public Policy Polling survey found.

Clinton, 65, who was recently hospitalized with a blood clot near her brain, trounces all other GOP contenders.

In early hypothetical match-ups, she leads Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, 53-39, and both Jeb Bush and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, 51-37.

Clinton is also favored to win the Democratic Party nomination, with 57 percent of primary voters in her corner. Only Vice President Joe Biden also hits double digits, at 16 percent.

Gov. Cuomo, who delivered a State of the State speech Wednesday that touted liberal proposals, received just 4 percent.

Cuomo does better if Clinton and Biden decide not to run in an open race, getting the backing of 19 percent of Democrats, compared with 16 percent for Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren. No one else breaks 10 percent, and 40 percent of Democratic primary voters are undecided.

More than half of primary voters said they know of Cuomo.

The poll found a Clinton-Christie contest would be "the most epic possible."

But the cantankerous Christie would have a tough time winning the GOP primary to face off against Clinton.

"The independent streak that makes Christie such a strong potential general-election candidate also hurts him with GOP primary voters," the PPP analysis said.

Rubio leads the GOP field, with 21 percent to 16 percent for Ryan, 15 percent for Mike Huckabee, 14 percent for Christie and Bush and 5 percent for Sen. Rand Paul.

Christie polls at 32 percent among moderate Republicans as their top choice, but only 4 percent among voters who describe themselves as "very conservative."

"That further right wing of the party has become more and more powerful in party primaries over the last few years, and it would be hard for Christie to win the GOP nomination without getting more support there," the analysis said.

Clinton returned to work this week after her nearly month-long absence after first coming down with a stomach virus and then suffering a concussion after fainting in her home.

The most traveled secretary of state in US history, Clinton will step down from the post after her likely replacement, Sen. John Kerry, is confirmed by the Senate.

Yesterday, she met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai at her State Department office, followed by a working dinner.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 05:29:15 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/hillary_vs_chris_an_epic_prez_race_yUFyBayXIFEmrbS6OaVqAL?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=National http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/hillary_vs_chris_an_epic_prez_race_yUFyBayXIFEmrbS6OaVqAL?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=National 5.11.922829384 -1 false Local Fri, 11 Jan 2013 01:59:33 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/python_flying_circus_quSNdLDYhJkZp3DQJbCPuJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/python_flying_circus_quSNdLDYhJkZp3DQJbCPuJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.922829001 -1 false Local Fri, 11 Jan 2013 01:55:14 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/and_the_nominees_are_MX6PFYyxOA4yX6mGeGxt0M?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/and_the_nominees_are_MX6PFYyxOA4yX6mGeGxt0M?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.922303332 -1 false By BRIAN LEWIS Nets

Nets interim coach P.J. Carlesimo hasn't altered much from former coach Avery Johnson's system, the one star point guard Deron Williams ripped right before Johnson was fired. But the Nets have clearly responded to Carlesimo — none more than Williams himself.

"He's been great for us so far, and I think all the guys responded well to him. I think all the guys like him. He's done a great job coaching us,'' said Williams, who is averaging 20 points per game and 8.8 assists during the Nets' four-game winning streak heading into tonight's game against the Suns at Barclays Center. "We lost a head coach, but then we gained another one. He's coached a lot of teams in this league as a head coach. Like I said, he's doing a great job.''

Williams had taken shots at Johnson's system, and the latter was fired soon after. Other than having Williams run a few more pick-and-rolls with Brook Lopez, Carlesimo hasn't changed much. But the Nets are 6-1 under him and averaging 102.9 points per game, after going 14-14 under Johnson and averaging 94.5.

"They just have different styles, different coaches, different ways they like to do things,'' Williams said. "Our system hasn't changed much, our defensive principles haven't really changed much. It's just how we practice and how we prepare is just a different style.

"P.J. and Avery have different personalities. ... [Carlesimo] gets after it. He's yelling all practice, all game. But I think guys respect it because he's a straight shooter. ... He's pretty hilarious. When he's yelling, it's still funny. [But] he does a great job of balancing it. It's not like he's just screaming all the time. He's doing a good job of teaching us as well.''

For his part, Carlesimo insists he has changed as little as possible, for continuity's sake.

"I think you kind of get a trickle down as you go forward. You make little tweaks here or there,'' Carlesimo said. "The system is a very good system that Avery put in, that some of these guys have been running for a couple of years.

"One of the strengths of San Antonio for years and the teams that were really good for a long time, the rosters didn't change that much. We had the same 10 or 11 of the 14 or 15 coming back every year. [Spurs coach Gregg Popovich] had an expression, he called 'corporate knowledge.' We're just developing corporate knowledge. ... I'm a big fan of that same continuity. I like less changes and more continuity.''

* After missing the last two games, Jerry Stackhouse practiced and Carlesimo said he expects him to be available tonight unless he's sore. The Nets had listed his absence for personal reasons, but Stackhouse said it was just a hamstring injury and he's "doing a lot better."

"I'll see how I feel [today]. I had a real light practice and I felt really good,'' Stackhouse said. "I was having a little issue with my hamstring since the Milwaukee game. I was trying to play around with it, and took a few days off trying to get it right. But hopefully I'll see how shootaround feels [today] and how I recovered, and go from there.''

Mirza Teletovic didn't practice (illness), and is questionable for tonight.

brian.lewis@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 09:56:35 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/nets/deron_buying_into_style_SG0zuQz24mXyhJDCVKHUcN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Nets http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/nets/deron_buying_into_style_SG0zuQz24mXyhJDCVKHUcN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Nets 5.11.922302871 -1 false More Sports

Post sports columnist Mike Vaccaro has been named New York's 2012 sportswriter of the year by the National Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association, sharing the award with Ian O'Connor of the website ESPN New York.

It is the first NSSA award for Vaccaro, 46, who was raised in West Hempstead and joined The Post in 2002. He is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University.

"I'm humbled by this recognition, but the real reward is working with the writers and editors who make The Post the most fun newspaper a guy could ever write for," Vaccaro said.

Bruce Beck of Channel 4 and Gary Cohen of SNY shared New York sportscaster of the year honors. It is the sixth NSSA award for Beck and the first for Cohen.

The four, along with sportswriters and sportscasters from across the country, will be will be honored as part of the organization's Awards Weekend, June 8-10 in Salisbury, N.C.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 14:16:10 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/post_vac_top_sportswriter_Y9CxMOUcMaFZb7hto1mcuL?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/post_vac_top_sportswriter_Y9CxMOUcMaFZb7hto1mcuL?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports 5.11.922302710 -1 false By DAN MARTIN Mets

Sandy Alderson isn't making any promises about making any significant additions before Opening Day, but he also didn't give a ringing endorsement of Frank Francisco as the Mets' closer this season.

When asked yesterday if he was confident in Francisco going forward finishing games, the Mets general manager paused before answering.

"Confident? I'm willing," Alderson said. "There's still a lot out there and we're looking."

Several experienced — if fading — closers remain on the market. Jose Valverde and Francisco Rodriguez are included in that group, and Alderson chose not to comment on either.

His trepidation regarding Francisco is understandable, considering how poorly the 33-year-old performed last season after signing a two-year, $12 million deal. He had a 5.53 ERA and his season ended prematurely because of elbow inflammation.

Francisco underwent surgery to remove a bone spur in his right elbow last month and is expected to be healthy for the upcoming season.

Of course, with the way the team looks right now, there might not be many opportunities for any closer to pick up a lot of saves.

But Alderson and the rest of the organization have made it clear this offseason has been more about positioning itself for the future beyond the 2013 season.

"We want to go to spring training with the best possible roster," he said. "If that includes signing a major league free agent, so be it. So far, we've been unwilling to overpay for what's available."

After signing David Wright to an extension and sending R.A. Dickey to Toronto for a package of younger players, Alderson has been looking for help in the outfield and in the rotation, as well as the bullpen.

"We still have money to spend," Alderson said. "We just haven't seen anything that we need that's at the right value for us."

Alderson also said the team isn't waiting on Scott Hairston before it makes other moves.

"There's not one player whose time line is dictating what we do," Alderson said. "We're just monitoring the market. Things have a tendency to change as time goes on."

The Mets have little choice but to hope he's right.

dan.martin@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 09:56:35 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/mets/alderson_francisco_the_closer_for_6KyWEP3VGb8azCnWqAS9DK?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Mets http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/mets/alderson_francisco_the_closer_for_6KyWEP3VGb8azCnWqAS9DK?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Mets 5.11.922302478 -1 false Basketball

E.j. Singler scored 14 points and host Oregon overcame a slow start to beat No. 4 Arizona 70-66 last night, handing the Wildcats their first loss of the season.

Dominic Artis, Carlos Emory and Tony Woods had 10 points apiece for the Ducks (13-2, 2-0 Pac-12), who have won 17 straight home games, including all 11 this season.

Mark Lyons scored 21 and Solomon Hill added 16 points to lead the Wildcats (14-1, 2-1), who entered as one of three undefeated teams (Duke and Michigan are the others) in the country.

Iona 86, Marist 82

In Poughkeepsie, Lamont Jones scored 26 points, Sean Armand added 19 more and Iona (10-6, 4-1) pulled out a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference victory over Marist (4-12, 1-4).

Jones, who entered fourth in the NCAA with 22.7 points per contest, was 10-of-17 shooting with three 3-pointers, six assists and five rebounds.

Rider 69, Manhattan 60

In Riverdale, Daniel Stewart scored 22 points and grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds to lead Rider (8-9, 3-2 MAAC).

Shane Richards scored 18 points to lead the Jaspers (4-11, 2-3), making 6 of 13 shots from 3-point range.

St. Francis 70, Mt. St. Mary's 56

In Brooklyn, Ben Mockford scored 19 points as the Terriers (6-8, 2-1 NEC) dominated the second half and beat Mount St. Mary's (6-8, 1-2).

Mockford was 6-of-9 shooting, including 5 of 6 from 3-point range.

Robert Morris 88, FDU 54

Coron Williams scored a season-high 27 points as visiting Robert Morris (9-7, 1-2 NEC) overwhelmed Fairleigh Dickinson (6-9, 1-2).

Michigan St. 62, Iowa 59

Branden Dawson scored a career-high 17 points, including a late steal and tiebreaking dunk that helped No. 22 Michigan State (13-3, 2-1 Big Ten) hold off the host Hawkeyes (11-5, 0-3).

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 03:51:17 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/college/basketball/ducks_hit_zona_with_first_defeat_ishmOVQIHwrSuMFA9gLowJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Basketball http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/college/basketball/ducks_hit_zona_with_first_defeat_ishmOVQIHwrSuMFA9gLowJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Basketball 5.11.922302450 -1 false By KIRSTAN CONLEY NYPD Blotter

Brooklyn

***

A woman foiled an armed robbery in Park Slope by asking a bank teller to call 911, sources said.

Tyshawn Warren and Kevin White allegedly approached the 29-year-old victim at around 3:30 p.m., Monday near the corner of Smith and Warren streets, asking if she was married.

The woman tried to ignore them and walk away, but one of the men allegedly grabbed her, and the other put a weapon to her back, threatening to shoot if she didn't withdraw $500 from a nearby Chase Bank branch.

"If you try anything, I will shoot the whole bank," Warren allegedly snarled.

The woman walked inside and pleaded with a teller to dial 911, sources said.

Cops responded and used the victim's description to cuff the two men, who allegedly were found in possession of marijuana, cocaine and a loaded .380 semiautomatic gun.

Both men were charged with criminal possession of a weapon, attempted robbery, menacing, attempted petit larceny and harassment.

Warren was also charged with possession of a controlled substance, while White was charged with pot possession.

***

A school safety agent has been charged with patronizing a prostitute in East New York, police said.

Ronald Kingwood, 37, was arrested near the corner of Pitkin and Georgia avenues at 7:45 p.m., Wednesday, cops said.

He has been suspended from the NYPD without pay, according to police.

Kingwood was hired to keep order in Coney Island schools in 2005, sources said.

As a safety agent, he was not issued a gun, the sources added.

Queens

***

Three teens robbed a straphanger in Far Rockaway, and then shoved a second person to the ground when he tried to intervene, police said.

The suspects allegedly grabbed a 24-year-old woman's cellphone on a Manhattan Brooklyn-bound A-train, then tried to flee, at around 9:15 p.m. on Dec. 18.

A 20-year-old man tried to stop the duo, but was thrown to the floor by the fleeing suspects, who are believed to be between 16 and 18 years old, police.

They are both described as being between 5-foot-8 and 5-foot-10.

Staten Island

***

A man was busted on charges of cocaine and marijuana possession after cops, executing a search warrant in Mariners Harbor, allegedly found more than dozen plastic bags in his butt.

Jerome Role, 23, was cuffed at around 8:25 p.m., Tuesday, after cops found drugs inside a home on Richmond Terrace and several more bags stashed where the sun doesn't shine, according to court papers.

He was charged with nine counts of possessing a controlled substance and one count of pot possession, court records say.

Role also racked up a charge of obstructing governmental administration, when, according to police, he refused to go downstairs inside the 120 Precinct station house, kicking his legs and trying to prevent cops from putting him in a cell.

***

A man trying to get a woman's attention got plenty from police because of his kooky ploy, sources said.

Elliot Brathwaite, 22, didn't want to be ignored by a female friend who refused to return his calls, so he called her mother at 5:45 a.m., Sunday, pretending to be a Staten Island cop, and claimed in a voicemail that the young woman was wanted for a crime, court papers say.

"Call me and we can work something out," he allegedly stated in the recorded message.

The target of Brathwaite's affections recognized the caller's voice and reported the incident to police, records show.

Brathwaite allegedly confessed to calling the woman's mother and sister "because when I called their daughter directly, she never answered."

"After I called her mom and sister saying something ridiculous, her daughter would without a doubt call me shortly after," he allegedly confessed.

Brathwaite was charged with criminal impersonation, and now has a date — with a judge.

***

A 3-year-old found wandering the streets of Port Richmond was scooped up by city workers and safely returned to her parents, authorities said.

The little girl was walking in her PJs near the intersection of Port Richmond and Orange avenues at around 10 a.m. yesterday, when a witness flagged down sanitation workers, officials said.

The workers, Richard Nichilo and Doug Berinelli, wrapped the child in a jacket and put her in their truck, called 911 and knocked on doors in the neighborhood to find the girl's home, officials said.

They eventually found the child's parents, who had been looking for her and who went to the hospital to meet her, police said.

"The little girl was healthy," Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said.

"There was no injury or damage to the girl."

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 03:03:03 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/nypd_blotter/nypd_daily_blotter_Wg03rMZaEpZ2iBprqSbBmJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=NYPD Blotter http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/nypd_blotter/nypd_daily_blotter_Wg03rMZaEpZ2iBprqSbBmJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=NYPD Blotter 5.11.921663417 -1 false By MARK SCOLFORO AP National

BELLEFONTE, Pa. — Jerry Sandusky's lawyers argued yesterday that he deserves a new trial because his defense lacked sufficient time to prepare for the first one. Prosecutors countered by showing most of the documents cited were not relevant to trial.

Judge John Cleland did not immediately rule after an hour-and-a-half hearing.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 01:35:32 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/sandusky_appeal_g5WffRtoNqMin2ZALxRLvO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=National http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/sandusky_appeal_g5WffRtoNqMin2ZALxRLvO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=National 5.11.921663173 -1 false By CHUCK BENNETT National

Now that's some interagency cooperation.

At least one of the dozen randy Secret Service agents caught carousing with Colombian hookers during President Obama's trip to Cartagena last April got help arranging a sleazy liaison from Drug Enforcement Agency officers, according to an NBC report.

The unnamed Secret Service agent was partying with a DEA officer stationed in Cartagena when a second DEA officer helped "facilitate" and then pay for his massage and sex romp, a Justice Department probe found.

Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, the ranking Republican on the Senate Homeland Security Committee, called the findings "deeply troubling." The DEA said it is reviewing the report.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 04:34:52 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/men_on_sleaze_team_oDhBk8N0vlX5z2nyVvOtNO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=National http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/men_on_sleaze_team_oDhBk8N0vlX5z2nyVvOtNO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=National 5.11.921663159 -1 false By KIERAN CROWLEY Local

Relatives of a Nassau County district-attorney employee were found dead in their Long Island home yesterday, authorities said.

A 73-year-old North Lynbrook woman was discovered dead in her bed — apparently of natural causes — and her husband, 70, shot himself shortly after, authorities said.

The pair had been married for more than 20 years, and were related to a staffer for Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice, officials said.

A teary-eyed Rice spoke to investigators at the scene yesterday, a witness said.

The names of the deceased were not immediately released.

Cops were called after a home health-care aide, unable to get in, called a relative with a key who went in and realized "something was wrong," a law-enforcement source said.

The medical examiner will perform autopsies on the deceased.

The woman was wheelchair-bound and relied on a ramp to get outside of her home, cops said.

Neighbors said she was rarely seen outside.

"It's horrible,'' said Diane Macchia. "I knew his wife was very sick. It's so sad.''

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 01:34:32 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/da_weeps_at_tragedy_uKN2EGjouGZ9kIysS5h1pN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/da_weeps_at_tragedy_uKN2EGjouGZ9kIysS5h1pN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.921663145 -1 false By LARRY CELONA, JAMIE SCHRAMAND AARON FEIS Local

A toddler and his father were shot in a Brooklyn park yesterday by a gunman who believed he was avenging an attack on his brother, sources and witnesses said.

"You're the one who shot my brother!" he yelled before opening fire at around 2 p.m. in Herbert Von King Park in Bedford-Stuyvesant, according to a witness, an EMT who was off-duty.

Quadire Simon, 2, was grazed in the arm, while his father, Lorenzo Simon, 38, was hit in the right side of his torso and hand. Both were rushed to Kings County Hospital and were expected to survive.

Cops were questioning a 19-year-old man suspected in the shooting and were looking for a second suspect, sources said.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 01:33:24 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/tot_and_dad_shot_in_park_KExd4QYwqsGUBL6VssE2aM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/tot_and_dad_shot_in_park_KExd4QYwqsGUBL6VssE2aM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.921663131 -1 false By JAMIE SCHRAM, JESSICA SIMEONE and LAURA ITALIANO Local

The Nazi-loving junkie busted along with his Dalton-grad baby mama for allegedly having bombmaking explosive powder and shotguns in their Greenwich Village apartment told pals he planned to blow up the Washington Square Arch, police said yesterday.

In sinister test runs, Aaron Greene, 31 — the privileged son of a millionaire architectural restorer — would walk around Washington Square Park sprinkling explosive powder on the sidewalk, friends told NYPD investigators.

Greene would then set off mini-explosions by hitting the powder with a rock.

"I think you should always take a statement like that seriously," Police Commissioner Ray Kelly told reporters yesterday about Greene's alleged threats against the treasured marble arch, erected in 1892.

"Particularly when in that person's apartment there were manuals that talked about explosives and demolition," the commissioner said, a reference to terrorist literature allegedly found in the posh West Ninth Street home Greene shared with Morgan Gliedman, 27. "There also was 'The Terrorists Encyclopedia.' "

Other titles included, "FM 5-25 Explosives and Demolition," "FM 5-31 Booby Traps," "Improvised and Modified Firearms: Deadly Homemade Weapons," and "The Do It Yourself Submachine Gun," police have said.

"There were two shotguns," Kelly added. "There were high-capacity magazines. I think that gives us pause for thought as to whether or not we should pay attention to the statement about whether or not someone is going to blow up anything.

"He also had a quantity of HTMD in his possession, so yeah, we take that statement seriously," Kelly said of the seven grams of high-grade hexamethylene triperoxide diamine explosive powder allegedly recovered from the couple's apartment.

The evidence continues to build against the alleged arch-enemy, who has been held without bail since he and Gliedman — both described as heroin addicted, and the parents of a newborn daughter — were busted at their apartment Dec. 29.

Greene had told investigators that he kept a cache of weapons at the Rockland County home of a pal — a clue that led investigators to the Orangeburg home of Greene's correction-officer pal, Daniel Whittaker, 33.

Investigators raided that address Wednesday, finding 21 guns, including an Uzi 9mm submachine gun. They also found two stun guns, brass knuckles and a switchblade.

Gliedman went into labor with Greene's child — whom they named Melody Sunshine, and who was described by sources as healthy and not drug addicted — the day of her arrest.

She remains free on $150,000 bail bond, and is in a court-mandated, 30-day in-patient drug treatment at a facility in the city.

The couple's next court date is Jan. 29.

The baby is being cared for by Gliedman's parents.

Her father, Dr. Paul Gliedman, is the head of radiation oncology at Beth Israel Brooklyn. Her mother is Realtor Susyn Schops Gliedman.

"Greene told his girlfriend's parents that his grandfather was a Nazi during World War II," one law-enforcement source told The Post.

And Greene liked to sign the bottom of letters with the lightning-bolt symbol commonly associated with Hitler's SS.

In one missive, he repeatedly used the word "kill" and the phrase "kill them all," sources said.

The ownership of the guns recovered from Whittaker's home is still under investigation, authorities said. Whittaker, meanwhile, has additional legal troubles — he is on trial for heroin possession and a bar stabbing, authorities said.

Greene told The Post in an exclusive jailhouse interview from Rikers Island last week that the explosives powder was merely "a very small amount of experimental fireworks."

Asked about the shotguns, he said, "I'm a sportsman, an outdoorsman. Hunting and fishing."

litaliano@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 05:29:15 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/arch_nemesis_C4ZJ55Hv2apfKVMX6FME1L?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/arch_nemesis_C4ZJ55Hv2apfKVMX6FME1L?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.921917269 -1 false By BRUCE GOLDING Local

A judge yesterday cut off debate over implementation of the city's circumcision law.

Manhattan federal Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald ordered that Orthodox rabbis who engage in a controversial ritual of sucking blood from the area around a baby's freshly snipped foreskin must first obtain consent from his parents acknowledging that city officials warn the practice can give the child herpes.

Buchwald lifted a voluntary stay of last year's Board of Health directive requiring written consent for the procedure, and denied a request for a preliminary injunction barring enforcement by the city Health Department.

She said the "ample medical evidence that direct oral suction places infants at a serious risk" outweighed the ability to perform it "uninhibited."

City officials have said 11 babies have contracted herpes after undergoing "metzitzah b'peh" since 2000, and two of them have died.

Plaintiffs had sued to block the warning, saying it would violate rabbis' First Amendment rights of freedom of speech and religion.

Reps for the plaintiffs didn't return a request for comment.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 17:22:03 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/circumcise_alert_ok_GQcxrf7OalZ30i0IFbv1NK?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/circumcise_alert_ok_GQcxrf7OalZ30i0IFbv1NK?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.921917163 -1 false By AMBER SUTHERLAND, LARRY CELONA and REBECCA HARSHBARGER Local

The vicious robber who killed an elderly travel agent in Brooklyn stole the wedding ring from the victim's hand as he lay dying, police sources said.

Dressed all in black and wearing a ski mask, the thug threw Jesus Morales, 67, to the ground at about 7:20 p.m. Wednesday on 18th Street in South Slope and fled with the victim's ring, watch and wallet.

"It was a robbery gone bad," said a law-enforcement source.

Morales was walking home from his business, Ramirez Travel, on Fifth Avenue when he was attacked, according to his daughter.

His head hit the sidewalk with such force that a witness heard the thump and turned around.

The assailant, who had lifted his mask, quickly put it back on and yelled at the woman to look away, said Police Commissioner Ray Kelly.

The gunman went through the victim's pockets, stealing a wallet and watch — and a gold ring from Morales' finger.

The assailant fled toward Sixth Avenue, sources said.

Cops rushed to the scene and administered first aid until EMS arrived, sources said.

Morales was lying motionless on his back, bleeding from the back of his head on the sidewalk.

Cops initially thought he might survive, police sources said, but he was pronounced dead at Lutheran Medical Center shortly before 9:30 p.m.

Kelly said the victim had been targeted randomly, and that cops are searching for neighborhood surveillance video that might have captured images of the killer.

A police source said Morales typically didn't carry much cash.

Cops are offering a $12,000 reward for information that leads to the killer's capture.

Morales, who lived with his wife in Merrick, LI, had a business in South Slope for decades.

"He's been on this street for 27 years. It's very overwhelming," said daughter Madeline Herrera, who lives in Connecticut.

"Police are exhausting every avenue they can. They're being extremely helpful. You can just imagine how horrible it's been."

Additional reporting by Jessica Simeone

rharshbarger@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 05:29:15 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/yn_cruelest_mugger_mW12wy6rF4Rj9bRC4vvUkJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/yn_cruelest_mugger_mW12wy6rF4Rj9bRC4vvUkJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.921663076 -1 false Local Fri, 11 Jan 2013 03:45:42 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/you_lion_dog_SIJLJQm9jBxW5CWTtrvPUO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/you_lion_dog_SIJLJQm9jBxW5CWTtrvPUO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.921662645 -1 false Local

The Post reported yesterday that former Rep. Anthony Weiner had landed a job as a consultant with Concept Capital Markets, a brokerage firm. This is incorrect. The firm has not employed Weiner in any capacity.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 01:25:25 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/correction_G40rjZ5MT6PVktmwHSCghL?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/correction_G40rjZ5MT6PVktmwHSCghL?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.921662607 -1 false By SELIM ALGAR Local

A popular Long Island organic farmer — who co-owns her business with the onetime executive chef of Manhattan's Le Bernardin — won a grant from a taxpayer-funded group where she serves as an official adviser, records show.

Paulette Satur, who owns Satur farms with husband Eberhard Muller in Cutchogue, won the $120,000 grant through the New York State Regional Economic Development Council.

Satur said she applied online and recused herself from any role in lobbying for or approving the cash for her farm that grows leafy veggies and herbs.

But some critics still ripped the grant. "It's disgusting. She gets money from a group that she advises?" said neighbor Jim Best, who has complained about Satur's machinery in the past.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 01:25:06 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/growing_ire_at_conflict_Y1iprCJf4RIE2AFgL9QbML?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/growing_ire_at_conflict_Y1iprCJf4RIE2AFgL9QbML?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.921662593 -1 false By JULIA MARSH Local

This model is no cheap trick.

Yuliana Bondar, 26, is suing her former agency, saying it used her image to sell $8 lipstick without her permission.

Bondar posed for LASplash, a drugstore cosmetics company, during a 2010 shoot in SoHo, according to the suit filed yesterday in Manhattan Supreme Court.

A booker for her New York-based agency, Major Model Management, signed her up for the ad campaign, her attorney said.

"She's a high-fashion model, with all due respect to LASplash and their drugstore cosmetics campaign," scoffed Carolos Carvajal, Bondar's attorney. "She was under the impression that it was a product test and wouldn't be for advertising."

The Ukrainian-born Bondar has graced the pages of Elle and French Vogue and worked with designers Marc Jacobs, Diane von Furstenberg and Vera Wang.

Bondar is suing for $300,000 in damages for breach of contract, among other allegations.

A spokeswoman for Major Model Management confirmed that Bondar once worked at the agency, but otherwise declined to comment.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 01:24:27 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/model_not_cheap_w7DhOatw4tTehPP9ifE3dK?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/model_not_cheap_w7DhOatw4tTehPP9ifE3dK?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.921611347 -1 false By DANIEL PRENDERGAST Brooklyn

A man was gunned down in Bedford-Stuyvesant Thursday night, according to police.

The man, described by cops as a white male in his 30s, was shot in the torso near the corner of Macon Street and Throop Avenue at around 9:30 p.m., authorities said.

He was transported to Kings County Hospital where he later died.

Police are still investigating. No arrests have been made.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 01:07:43 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brooklyn/man_gunned_down_in_bed_stuy_ErqlnoKvLF0ypz8LUJRVjO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Brooklyn http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brooklyn/man_gunned_down_in_bed_stuy_ErqlnoKvLF0ypz8LUJRVjO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Brooklyn 5.11.920412020 -1 false By CHUCK BENNETT and KEVIN FASICK Local

Officials yanked the license of the operator involved in Wednesday's crane collapse at a condo building site in Queens, after a probe found he was trying to lift too much lumber, authorities said.

A preliminary investigation by the Department of Buildings determined that operator Paul Geer was at fault in the accident, which left seven workers injured at the Long Island City project, said Buildings Commissioner Robert LiMandri.

"It appears that the operator was attempting to lift a load of 23,900 pounds — more than double the weight capacity for this particular crane," he said. "The preliminary investigation also shows that the operator was unable to see the materials being lifted."

Despite the city findings, workers at the site defended Geer.

"They punched the load into the [crane's] computer. It checked . . . but collapsed anyway," said one worker.

The crane is owned by New York Crane, the company that provided the crane in a 2008 collapse that killed two workers.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 04:33:50 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/qns_crane_collapse_operator_at_fault_0PgpHBwUYqgiTuSfn7gtDP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/qns_crane_collapse_operator_at_fault_0PgpHBwUYqgiTuSfn7gtDP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.920411527 -1 false By ANDY SOLTIS International

Paging Samuel L. Jackson.

Sleepy passengers aboard an early-morning flight from Australia yesterday had their own "snakes on a plane" experience when a 10-foot-long python hitched a ride on a wing.

About 20 minutes into Qantas Flight 191 from Cairns for Papua New Guinea, a female passenger spotted the scrub python, the longest of the species in Australia.

"There's a snake on the wing. There's its head, and if you look closely, you can see a fraction of its body," she said.

The snake apparently crawled into a landing bay before takeoff, but was forced out of its cozy spot in flight.

"There was no panic," another passenger, Robert Weber, told the Sydney Morning Herald. "At no time did anyone stop to consider that there might be others on board" — as in Jackson's 2006 high-altitude horror flick, "Snakes on a Plane."

The fascinated passengers watched as the snake rolled up tightly until a strong wind caught its tail "pulling him straight out," Weber said.

Both pilots took turns visiting the rear of the plane to watch the snake struggle against winds of about 250 mph.

"He should be dead," one pilot said, according to Weber.

The snake was also battling an outside air temperature of 10 degrees.

It held on for the entire one-hour, 50-minute flight, but when the plane landed in Port Moresby, the land crew found it had died.

"We have never heard of this happening before," the airline said.

andy.soltis@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 05:38:45 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/international/python_flying_circus_GgcJFT0NZijucLbB5flrmN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=International http://www.nypost.com/p/news/international/python_flying_circus_GgcJFT0NZijucLbB5flrmN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=International 5.11.920411410 -1 false By BRIAN COSTELLO Jets

Tim Tebow was the hottest name in the NFL a year ago. Now, he can't even find a job.

The Jets are expected to release Tebow next month after one disappointing season with the team. Many thought his hometown Jaguars would pick him up.

Guess again.

New Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell dropped a bombshell at his introductory press conference Thursday when asked about Tebow.

"As far as Tim goes, he is a member of the New York Jets. I can't imagine a scenario where he would be a Jacksonville Jaguar," Caldwell said.

A stunned silence fell over the media before a reporter shouted: "Say that again?"

"I can't imagine a scenario where he would be a Jacksonville Jaguar," Caldwell repeated.

"Even if he's released?" a reporter asked.

"Even if he's released," Caldwell said.

Jaguars owner Shad Khan, who made a run at Tebow last year, said it was Caldwell's call.

"It's not my decision," Khan said. "I want to do whatever to help this team win. Who the players are is really the general manager's and coach's — it's a football-side operation decision. It's really not my decision."

What has changed for Khan in the 10 months since he wanted Tebow?

"I'm telling them to take a look at Tebow and they're saying, 'We're going to go in a different direction,' " Khan said. "That's the difference."

Unbelievably, Tebow's future in the NFL is now very much in question. He became a national sensation in 2011 when he became the Broncos starting quarterback and led several dramatic comebacks, including a memorable one over the Jets. The Broncos made the playoffs and Tebow led Denver to an overtime win over the Steelers in the first round.

The Broncos decided to sign Peyton Manning in March and the Jets and Jaguars were the only serious trade partners Denver could find for Tebow, who is scheduled to make $2.5 million next season and the Jets could save $1.5 million against cap by releasing him. The Broncos allowed Tebow to pick where he wanted to go and he picked the Jets, who traded a fourth-round draft pick for him.

Tebow's one season with the Jets was a total mess with him barely playing and never getting a chance to start at quarterback despite starter Mark Sanchez's struggles.

The Jets plan on releasing Tebow next month, according to multiple sources. ESPN reported last month it was a "virtual certainty" Tebow would land in Jacksonville. He grew up nearby and played high school football there. He became a legend just down the road at the University of Florida, where he won the Heisman Trophy and two national championships. Tebow's immense popularity there would help the team sell tickets.

If the Jaguars don't want Tebow, it is fair to question whether any NFL team will take a shot on him. There has been speculation Tebow may have to play in the Canadian Football League next year.

* ***

* Caldwell interviewed twice with the Jets before taking the Jaguars' job.

Caldwell said Thursday Khan "made" Caldwell travel to New Jersey on Tuesday for the second interview to make sure he knew exactly what he wanted.

— With AP

brian.costello@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 10:53:49 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/no_time_for_tebow_EH05898jncRbGIzBkvVkGN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Jets http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/jets/no_time_for_tebow_EH05898jncRbGIzBkvVkGN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Jets 5.11.920411210 -1 false By STEVE SERBY More Sports

Here they come again, first Peyton Manning tomorrow, then Tom Brady Sunday, the The Quarterback Duel and Ratings Bonanza For The Ages, Big Brother Manning versus Brady in Denver in nine days for the right to go to Super Bowl XLVII.

Armageddon again.

The two legendary quarterbacks of this generation. The forever poster boys of the NFL. The matchup America craves. An AFC Championship Game that will have more appeal than Super Bowl XLVII.

Manning, back with his new team, virtually all the way back from four neck fusion surgeries and a year away from the game he loves, back against the one quarterback who owns him (9-4) more than any other quarterback in the big games.

Manning must get past Ray Lewis and the Ravens first, of course, and Brady must get past J.J. Watt and the Texans first, of course, but is anyone outside Baltimore whacko about Joe Flacco's chances to win a shootout in Peyton's Place, and is anyone outside Houston crazy about Matt Schaub's chances to overcome Brady (and Bill Belichick) in Foxborough?

Brady versus Manning is coming, to a television near you.

No one around the Patriots, least of all Belichick and Brady, dares dream past the opening coin toss against the Texans, but we're allowed, and we're allowed to ponder how badly Brady and Belichick burn to exorcise the Ghost of Mannings Past.

So here they come again, The Hoodie and The Pretty Boy, The Spy and The Apple of Gisele's Eye, stalking that Lombardi Trophy with the same obsession that has made them the greatest head coach-quarterback union of this generation.

Belichick left the Jets under far different circumstances than Vince Lombardi left the Giants, but it is our misfortune and, especially in the case of the Jets, that he became a legendary champion elsewhere.

Brady is the quarterback the Jets — and everyone else except Colts fans who worshipped Peyton — wish they could have called their own over the past dozen seasons.

If not for Eli Manning and Tom Coughlin, Belichick and Brady would have an historic five Super Bowl crowns together, one more than Chuck Noll and Terry Bradshaw and the Steeler Curtain.

Belichick remains the diabolical football monk burning the midnight oil, chasing a fourth championship like a football Charlie Hustle. It was Pat Riley who informed us there's winning or misery, and Belichick's joyless public face and pronouncements provide undeniable evidence he subscribes to the mantra.

Brady remains the modern-day Joe Montana, and those who choose to liken Belichick to Darth Vader will be quick to argue Brady wouldn't be a first-ballot Hall of Famer without him.

But as they wait in ambush for Watt and the Texans, Belichick and Brady confront a cruel and humbling reality: They haven't won a Super Bowl since Feb. 6, 2005. And they haven't won a Super Bowl since Spygate.

Whether they like it or not, there is an elephant in their trophy-filled room until they shoot it dead.

And with Brady turning 36 in August, the clock is ticking on them.

How is it possible that Belichick and Brady are burning to scratch an eight-year itch?

LEADERSHIP: The departures of Mike Vrabel, Rodney Harrison, Tedy Bruschi, Richard Seymour and Troy Brown were significant.

ASSISTANT COACHES: The Patriots' 24-21 victory over Donovan McNabb and the Eagles marked the end of the Belichick-Charlie Weis-Romeo Crennel troika. Then Woody Johnson and Mike Tannenbaum came calling two years later for Eric Mangini.

THE DRAFT: Some will cite general manager Scott Pioli leaving for Kansas City, but Belichick has always been hands-on with final say. His efforts at rebuilding his defense in the salary cap-era were temporarily derailed by high picks such as Darius Butler, Terrence Wheatley, Tyrone McKenzie and Shawn Crable. And 2006 No. 1 choice Laurence Maroney failed to give Brady a balanced attack.

THE MANNING BROS.: Peyton finally broke through against his tormentor Belichick when he stormed back from an 18-point deficit for a 38-34 victory in the 2006 AFC Championship Game at the RCA Dome that propelled him to Super Bowl XLIII, where he beat the Bears and slayed his personal dragon.

A year later, it was little brother Eli shocking the Perfect Patriots with a two-minute drive for the ages, highlighted by David Tyree's Catch 42. Then came more Manning magic four seasons later.

BRADY'S HUMAN: His threepeat dreams were shattered in Denver when Champ Bailey returned a game-changing interception 100 yards in the playoffs.

Sept. 7, 2008, a date that will live in New England infamy — Brady crumbled with a torn ACL when Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard levelled him and missed the rest of the season.

Brady was rattled by Steve Spagnuolo's relentless pass rushers in Super Bowl XLII.

Brady, with a hobbled Rob Gronkowski, was a mere mortal against Perry Fewell's relentless pass rushers in Super Bowl XLVI.

BELICHICK'S HUMAN: How else can you explain covering Plaxico Burress one-in-one with munchkin Ellis Hobbs at the end of Super Bowl XLII?

Best weekend of the NFL season this weekend.

Brady-Manning next weekend.

steve.serby@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 04:09:35 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/coming_soon_brady_vs_manning_sjwbn71RXAd74b8WngCKsL?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/coming_soon_brady_vs_manning_sjwbn71RXAd74b8WngCKsL?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports 5.11.920427888 steve_serby.png true By MARK CANNIZZARO More Sports

The euphoria from Ray Lewis' glorious victory lap around M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday to commemorate the Ravens' wild-card playoff win over the Colts in the final home game of his career had barely worn off before Lewis' mind began to wander to his next conquest: Peyton Manning.

Outside of a potential Manning showdown with Hall of Fame quarterback counterpart Tom Brady in next week's AFC Championship Game, should the Broncos beat the Ravens tomorrow and the Patriots beat the Texans Sunday, this is about as good as matchups get.

Manning versus Lewis, the Ravens venerable and violent middle linebacker, is the ultimate on-field offense-defense chess match. It pits perhaps the smartest offensive quarterback in the game against perhaps the smartest defensive quarterback in the game.

"One is on offense and one is on defense,'' Broncos coach John Fox said. "Your middle linebacker is kind of the quarterback of your defense and obviously the quarterback on offense is a pretty centrally located to the guys on the field. There's no doubt that [matchup] can raise all hopes."

For those who thought Manning was done after all those neck surgeries ended his brilliant Colts career, his performance this season leading the Broncos to a 13-3 record (they've won 11 in a row) and the No. 1 seed in the AFC exposed that as a gross misjudgment. Manning completed 68.6 percent of his passes for 4,659 yards and 37 touchdowns.

And, for those who thought Lewis was returning from 10 missed games with a torn right triceps to play a ceremonial final game or two before retiring, that, too, was an errant judgment. Lewis led all defenders with 13 tackles against the Colts last week in his first game back since his injury in October.

So this sets the stage for the chess match: Manning doing all those real and feigned checks at the line of scrimmage and Lewis, in charge of making the Ravens' defensive calls, counteracting what he believes Manning is doing.

"They are always classic,'' Lewis said of his showdowns against Manning. "It's just one of those chess matches. He knows me very well. I know them very well. He is dealing with a lot of different new pieces out there, but they are doing a heck of a job adjusting to his scheme and getting to playing real fast out there.''

Manning has gotten the best of Lewis and the Ravens in his career. In 11 games against Baltimore, Manning is 9-2 and has completed 241-of-377 passes (63.9 percent) for 2,893 yards, 20 touchdowns and 8 interceptions with a 96.2 rating.

Manning has defeated the Ravens the last nine times he has played against them after losing the first two meetings. In the last game, a 34-17 Denver win three weeks ago in Baltimore, Lewis did not play because he was still out with the triceps injury.

His past success against Lewis and the Ravens, though, is hardly something Manning is taking for granted.

"I'm sure you guys have lots of old notes from all the times I played against the Ravens and my feelings on Ray Lewis — great player,'' Manning said. "You definitely can just see from watching the TV [of last week's] game that he brought a boost to that team now that he's back. Obviously, it's very impressive that he's back from that injury."

Asked if he puts in more study time when facing Lewis, Manning said: "I'm a big believer in the cerebral part of the game. Anytime you take a guy like Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, their physical abilities combined with their attention to detail and their film study, that's why they are such special players. Ray has done it all in 17 years as a linebacker. I had a lot of games against him, and he's just a great player."

It's fitting that Lewis is facing the possibility of this being the final game of his 17-year career and it is against Manning.

mark.cannizzaro@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 03:51:17 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/battle_of_wits_SiKve4EvOM7098uVLpVTaL?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/battle_of_wits_SiKve4EvOM7098uVLpVTaL?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports 5.11.920427865 -1 false By RICH CALDER Local

Welcome to no-hipsterville.

A group of Bay Ridge neighbors has started a petition to put the kibosh on plans for a beer garden expected to draw teeming hordes of Pabst Blue Ribbon-loving, knit-cap wearers from Williamsburg and other parts of North Brooklyn.

Residents living near the planned Lock Yard on Fifth Avenue between 92nd and 93rd streets fear a noisy nightmare of indie music fans.

Had they known the outdoor bar would feature music, neighbors say they would have raised objections before Community Board 10 approved Lock Yard's liquor license.

"Why would they want to be where there are so many seniors?" said Marisa Falero, whose home borders the site where the bar is set to open in late June.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 24:55:52 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/bay_ridge_bar_hipsters_kz0CMpgFYWgcT5RnbR8ehK?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/bay_ridge_bar_hipsters_kz0CMpgFYWgcT5RnbR8ehK?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.920427759 -1 false By LAURA ITALIANO Manhattan

Hedge-funder Todd Meister — the ex-husband of Nicky Hilton — has a Valentine's date in court with his accused embezzling "personal" assistant.

A Manhattan judge yesterday set Feb. 14 as the trial date for Ukranian beauty Renata Shamrakova, accused of ringing up $900,000 in expenses on Meister's credit card.

Shamrakova claims that, hired to be Meister's very personal assistant, he let her run up the card as a gift during the course of their romantic relationship.

Overwhelmed by "1.75 terabytes" of evidence to sort through, Shamrakova may seek a delay, her lawyer, Joshua Kirshner, told Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Jill Konviser, who still called the Feb. 14 court appearance necessary.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 04:33:29 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/nicky_ex_thief_on_dock_K0XsC3gDyjqPRRU7wslV1J?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Manhattan http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/nicky_ex_thief_on_dock_K0XsC3gDyjqPRRU7wslV1J?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Manhattan 5.11.920411104 -1 false By BART HUBBUCH More Sports

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The Gamble gets its first true test Saturday night.

Colin Kaepernick might have seven starts by now, but Jim Harbaugh's midseason decision to bench Alex Smith and put the 49ers' legitimate Super Bowl hopes in the hands of what amounted to a rookie quarterback finally faces a litmus test — the playoffs.

Should Kaepernick lead San Francisco to the NFC Championship Game with a divisional win over Aaron Rodgers and the Packers at Candlestick Park this weekend, Harbaugh's gutsy roll of the dice will be instantly redeemed.

But should the Niners falter against Green Bay, especially if Kaepernick plays a key role in their demise, then Harbaugh can expect a long, loud and heavy dose of second-guessing.

Even Kaepernick appeared to realize that this week leading up to the most important game of his — and his head coach's — NFL career.

"I'm trying to approach it as just another game, but there's a lot more at stake," Kaepernick said.

And not just for the option-running quarterback from Nevada who made such a splash on national TV against the Bears in place of the injured Smith and ended up winning five of his seven regular-season starts.

Harbaugh has even more at stake tomorrow night because there's no going back to Smith, who is expected to depart after the embarrassment of losing his job due to injury despite leading the Niners to a 6-2-1 start this season and an NFC title-game appearance last year.

But if you think Harbaugh still harbors any second thoughts that he's willing to admit publicly, well, you don't know Harbaugh.

"[After Kaepernick's first two starts], he was the healthier of the two quarterbacks and had played well," Harbaugh said this week. "And then after that I saw enough really good things that I wanted to have the same faith and trust in Colin that we had shown in Alex."

Harbaugh might have faith in Kaepernick, but he hasn't been able to show any proof just yet that breaking one of the NFL's unwritten codes — a player shouldn't lose his job solely to injury — was worth it.

That's because the Niners lost just as many games with Kaepernick under center — two — as they did with Smith this year. Not only that, but Smith also was playing some of the best football of his career at the time of his unceremonius benching (a 70 percent completion rate with 13 touchdown passes and just five interceptions).

And while Kaepernick's dangerous ability as a runner (a trait Smith lacks) helped make him a sensation early on as San Francisco's starter, defenses appeared to adjust as the season went on.

Kaepernick didn't complete better than 57 percent of his passes in any of his final three starts while rushing for a total of just 64 yards, a sign that the second-year pro isn't catching anyone off-guard the way he did the Bears on "Monday Night Football" two months ago.

Even more worrisome for the Niners, one of those three starts was a 42-13 destruction by the NFC West-rival Seahawks — a team San Francisco could very well face next week should Harbaugh's team make it back to the conference championship.

But you'll hear nothing but raves about Kaepernick from the 49ers camp this week, most of them centered on the calm and self-assured attitude he appears to be taking into tomorrow's showdown.

"For Colin, it's [just] another game, and I think the way he handles it day-to-day has been very mature," San Francisco offensive coordinator Greg Roman said. "I don't think we're going to see any big eyes. He's very businesslike day-to-day. Not concerned."

Added Harbaugh: "His focus has been good. Very good."

That's in large part because Kaepernick doesn't consider himself a second-year pro.

"This is my 17th year of football," he said. "Football is football once you get on the field. You just have to raise your level of play [in the playoffs]."

For Harbaugh's sake, Kaepernick needs to turn that talk into action tomorrow night.

bhubbuch@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 03:26:40 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/gut_check_8BnTqqo3oVvo9NWO2D0EeJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/gut_check_8BnTqqo3oVvo9NWO2D0EeJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports 5.11.920044239 -1 false Wire Services Weird But True

Say cheese, dummy!

Cops in Kershaw County, SC, had an easy time tracking down a 19-year-old suspected convenience-store robber . . . because he allegedly left a trail of spilled Cheetos leading from the store to his home.

Austin Presler also allegedly stole beer, cigarettes and Slim Jims — so let's say it was a pretty jerky theft.

***

A 70-year-old Iowan who spent 65 years looking for his sister finally found her with the help of an 8-year-old neighbor, who with lightning speed located her via the Web.

Chicago foster-home officials in 1948 separated Clifford Boyson, 70, of Davenport, and his sister, Betty Billadeau.

When Boyson's young neighbor, Eddie Hanzlin, learned of the hunt, the kid worked his search magic and found Billadeau living in Florissant, Mo.

***

World War II history is in the bag.

Indiana resident William Kay-Dahr, a 90-something veteran who fought the Nazis in France, lost his Army duffel bag 70 years ago when he was captured and put in a POW camp.

He came home alive and forgot about that inconsequential piece of equipment — until a French teen going through his grandfather's attic recently found it with Kay-Dahr's name and ID.

A military museum located the old soldier and gave him back the artifact.

***

It's a cat-and-mouse game between Japanese authorities and a cyber-criminal threatening to plant bombs.

Cyber-detectives with the Japanese National Police thought they were about to collar the fiend at a secret location — but instead found a feline with a computer memory card dangling from its collar.

***

A Dutch space organization is planning a reality-TV show to select a crew of a manned mission to the Red Planet by the year 2023.

The winners will need to commit to eight years of training.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 03:55:38 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/weird_but_true/weird_but_true_uCZ07SK8ilksXDUyfNkAeI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Weird But True http://www.nypost.com/p/news/weird_but_true/weird_but_true_uCZ07SK8ilksXDUyfNkAeI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Weird But True 5.11.920044101 -1 false By PAUL SCHWARTZ More Sports

"Certain guys,'' Matt Ryan said this week, use the glaring and repeated playoff failures of the Falcons as motivation, firing themselves up to make sure it doesn't happen again this year.

"Whatever you use as motivation, I think is a good thing,'' Ryan said.

It's a good thing for certain guys, Ryan says, but not him.

Not him?

It would seem as if Ryan would be at the top of the list when it comes to finding Falcons players desperately seeking success in the postseason. As the quarterback and in many ways the symbol of the Falcons, Ryan carries the 0-3 playoff record around like an anvil, weighing down his otherwise sterling resume. He just completed his fifth NFL season and no one would argue he's one of the league's best.

Ryan's career totals dwarf those Eli Manning put up in his first five years with the Giants. Ryan's winning percentage as a starter is 71.8, he has completed 62.7 percent of his passes and has 127 touchdown passes and 60 interceptions. Manning (circa 2004-08) does not compare: .592 winning percentage, 59.2 percent completions, 98 touchdowns and 74 interceptions. Yet Manning won a Super Bowl in his fourth season. In Ryan's fourth season, he was overwhelmed by the Giants 24-2 in last year's NFC divisional playoff round. On Sunday, he gets another shot at claiming that elusive first postseason victory when his No. 1 seed Falcons face the surging Seahawks inside the Georgia Dome.

"There's really no sense in worrying what happened in the past,'' Ryan said. "I think you learn from it and you make adjustments. You try and use it in a positive light, but we talk about it all the time — what you did the week before, what you did the year before, has no bearing on what you're going to do the next time out. You need to prepare yourself and you need to focus in that way. In a way you learn from your mistakes, but you don't dwell on them."

Ryan doesn't want to dwell on past failures, but they might as well be attached with Velcro to his legacy. As a rookie following the 2008 season, he lost in Arizona to the Cardinals 30-24 in the playoffs. After the 2010 season he lost at home in Atlanta to the Packers 48-21. There was last year's 24-2 offensive no-show at MetLife Stadium. Ryan has not been terrible in his three playoff games (63.9 percent completions, three TDs, four INTs) but he hasn't cracked 200 yards in any game and he wasn't handed any favors by his own defense.

"You learn from those four or five plays that changed the outcome of those games," Ryan said. "The intensity is probably a little bit [higher]. The quicker that you can settle yourself down and start trying to execute, the better."

The pressure ratchets up every week. As the Falcons rested, the Seahawks traveled to Landover, Md. and eliminated the Redskins 24-14. Led by rookie quarterback Russell Wilson, the No. 5 seed Seahawks are the trendy pick in this game and if they pull off the upset it will deal another huge blow to the credibility of Ryan and his team. The Falcons rolled through the season, went 13-3 without really trying in their regular-season finale and exiting without at least one postseason victory will tarnish all they've done.

And they know it.

"[Ryan's] doing an excellent job," receiver Roddy White told the Atlanta Journal Constitution. "He's been mentally prepared throughout the whole season for this stretch run. He knows we have to win a playoff game. Everybody kind of knows that. Not to put any extra pressure on him, but I just think that at this point in the season, everybody knows that they have to play their best football right now."

"With the team that we have now, and all of the guys that have been around each other, with him leading us a group, and knowing that everybody is on the same page, it's going to be a different outcome.''

paul.schwartz@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 11:17:00 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/ryan_focused_on_getting_st_postseason_G4yQ8mQPf5dM1DO6u5lOXI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/ryan_focused_on_getting_st_postseason_G4yQ8mQPf5dM1DO6u5lOXI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports 5.11.920044051 -1 false By JEANE MACINTOSH Local

He paid her $93,000 a year — and, he claims, she still robbed him blind.

William Salomon, the 98-year-old scion of venerable Salomon Brothers trading house, told a federal judge this week he "implicitly" trusted former secretary Karen Febles, and had no idea she'd allegedly bilked him of more than $1.3 million.

"There's no reason to have a personal secretary if you can't trust her," said the frail Salomon in Newark federal court in testimony against Febles, who is charged with bank fraud and money laundering in an alleged four-year scam to skim Salomon's dough.

Salomon, whose father founded the former trading powerhouse, said Febles would have him sign checks for petty cash and other expenditures, only to deposit them in her bank account.

Febles, of Palisades Park, NJ, at one point allegedly had $400,000 in cash plus nearly $500,000 in checks from Salomon's accounts in her own bank account.

She also used siphoned funds on luxuries that included a $53,000 Range Rover, a $34,650 Mercedes-Benz, $45,000 in vacation cruises, and more than $100,000 on real estate, prosecutors said.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 03:42:59 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/salomon_rips_aide_in_scam_6eChUljpuRGiZVz9t9WdiO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/salomon_rips_aide_in_scam_6eChUljpuRGiZVz9t9WdiO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.920043992 -1 false AP National

In a 1992 column in his college newspaper at Stanford University, now-Newark, NJ Mayor Cory Booker wrote that he was "disgusted by gays" before a transformative experience with a gay-peer counselor changed his views.

Booker said the counselor's stories of discrimination reminded him of how his grandparents endured racial prejudice.

The Stanford Daily republished the piece as part of an archival series.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 24:50:41 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/cory_gay_epiphany_iWwJPCDSPGT1HRt1RGlwqM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=National http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/cory_gay_epiphany_iWwJPCDSPGT1HRt1RGlwqM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=National 5.11.920043854 -1 false By BRIAN LEWIS and DAN MACLEOD Local

The stripper who claims she was sexually assaulted in a Brooklyn Net's hotel suite said the hoopster watched the attack and did nothing to stop it.

"He peeked in the room," the alleged victim said of forward Andray Blatche. "He just didn't . . . when he came in, he didn't have intercourse with me."

The 21-year-old woman told Philadelphia's ABC 6 that Blatche knew exactly what was happening to her but never tried to help.

"He was not oblivious. He was aware the whole time," she said on camera, with her face silhouetted.

She said she met up with the baller and his entourage at Delilah's, a Philly strip club, and they partied there before going back to Blatche's Four Seasons hotel suite.

She told the station she believes she was drugged at the club.

"I felt strange," she said.

She collapsed on a bed in the hotel just before the first alleged attack.

"It was like I was asleep, but I was still conscious. I heard everything that was around me, but I couldn't, I couldn't move," said the college student.

"And not long after that, that was when the first guy came in. It was like he rolled me over and had his way," the student said.

Blatche and at least one of his pals watched the attack from the doorway, she said.

"And then the other guy came in, the short one with the dreads, and then he had his way," she said.

"It was like they kept peeking in. He went to the door a few times, opened the door, and then they were all three at the door."

She never claimed that Blatche assaulted her.

Blatche didn't seem worried yesterday.

"When the truth comes out, then everybody will realize what really happened," he said at the team's practice. "In the meantime, I can't really have too much comments on it.''

The hoopster, who has a history of brushes with the law, denied that he runs with a bad crowd.

"No, I'm telling you — y'all will hear the truth sooner or later. It's just a bad situation . . . but trust me, no. When the time comes and I can talk about it, then everybody will realize that it's not what you think.''

Philadelphia cops yesterday said no one was in custody and no charges had been filed.

The city's police commissioner, Charles Ramsey, has questioned the validity of the woman's claims because of her intoxication and said it would be a tough case to make.

dmacleod@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 05:29:15 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/et_sex_twist_sJVQVZejrs29oVlh2TCADM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/et_sex_twist_sJVQVZejrs29oVlh2TCADM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.920043831 -1 false By BARRY WILNER AP More Sports

Junior Seau, one of the NFL's best and fiercest players for two decades, suffered from a degenerative brain disease often associated with repeated blows to the head when he committed suicide last May, the National Institutes of Health said in a study released yesterday.

The NIH, based in Bethesda, Md., said Seau's brain revealed abnormalities consistent with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE. It said the study included unidentified brains, one of which was Seau's, and the findings on Seau were similar to autopsies of people "with exposure to repetitive head injuries."

Seau's family requested the analysis of his brain.

The 43-year-old star linebacker played for 20 NFL seasons with the Chargers, Dolphins and Patriots before retiring in 2009. He died of a self-inflicted shotgun wound.

He joins a list of several dozen football players who were found to have CTE. Boston University's center for study of the disease reported last month 34 former pro players and nine who played only college football suffered from CTE.

"I was not surprised after learning a little about CTE that he had it," Seau's 23-year-old son Tyler said. "He did play so many years at that level. I was more just kind of angry I didn't do something more and have the awareness to help him more, and now it is too late.

"I don't think any of us were aware of the side effects that could be going on with head trauma until he passed away. We didn't know his behavior was from head trauma."

That behavior, according to Tyler Seau and Junior's ex-wife Gina, included wild mood swings, irrationality, forgetfulness, insomnia and depression.

The NFL faces lawsuits by thousands of former players who say the league withheld information on the harmful effects of concussions. According to an AP review of 175 lawsuits, 3,818 players have sued. At least 26 Hall of Fame members are among the players who have done so.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 01:09:55 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/study_nfl_seau_had_brain_disease_OooCpKxzyXCVEx5mt72aXK?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/study_nfl_seau_had_brain_disease_OooCpKxzyXCVEx5mt72aXK?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports 5.11.920038162 -1 false By KEN DAVIDOFF Yankees

PARADISE VALLEY, Ariz. — With Camelback Mountain presenting a breathtaking backdrop at the Sanctuary resort, Hal Steinbrenner stopped for a couple of reporters before departing the Major League Baseball owners' meetings, and painted a prettier picture than many Yankees fans are envisioning.

The Yankees' managing general partner expressed faith in his team's offseason activity to date and in its ability to contend, starting in 2014, with a diminished payroll. He also offered a tiny escape hatch to those who are consumed by that falling payroll:

"All I can continue to tell everyone is our commitment to the fans is never going to change. We will always field a championship-caliber team," Steinbrenner told The Post and the Wall Street Journal Thusday — in his first interview since before the 2012 playoffs began. "Is our goal [a $189 million payroll] next year? Yes. But [we'll go that low] only if I'm convinced if the team I see, that we've put together, is a championship-caliber team."

For those who saw an opening, a retreat, team insiders remain steadfast in their belief that, a year from now, the Yankees' payroll will indeed sit beneath $189 million, even if the team misses the playoffs in 2013.

There is unusual unrest among Yankees fans, a notion of which Steinbrenner admitted he was not fully aware.

"I'm surprised to hear that there's anger, if you see what we've done this offseason," he said. "We've signed three or four of the top free agents that were on the market, because we're going to continue to field a championship-caliber team."

He was referring to Hiroki Kuroda, Andy Pettitte, Ichiro Suzuki and Kevin Youkilis, although he also said, "We've got some work to do, still. We need another bat. We're not done yet."

The Nationals' Michael Morse, whom Washington could trade, interests the Yankees, but there aren't too many other intriguing hitters available.

The key for both 2013 success and 2014 budget-meeting, Steinbrenner stressed, was the team's younger players.

"The young players that have stepped up are going to have to continue to do so," Steinbrenner said, "and some of the ones that haven't yet are going to have to."

He mentioned pitcher David Phelps as an example of the former group and pitchers Manny Banuelos and Michael Pineda, both of whom experienced disastrous 2012 campaigns, as part of the latter group.

The $189 million goal came from the collective bargaining agreement that went into effect last season. The raising of the luxury-tax threshold to $189 million for 2014 means that the Yankees could pay no extra fees next year, then reset their tax to a considerably lower level (17.5 percent, as opposed to 40 percent) for 2015 and beyond.

But Steinbrenner said $189 million is not a one-year goal.

"I believe that you don't have to have a $220 million payroll to win a world championship," he said. "And you shouldn't have to."

Citing the team's considerable expenses, from a revenue-sharing bill to debt service and the bonds around new Yankee Stadium, plus the payroll, he said the team wants to increase its profit. Nevertheless, Steinbrenner reiterated, "We're always going to be in the top of the rung when it comes to player payroll, as we always have been."

What else? Steinbrenner expressed little concern over the highly publicized abundance of unoccupied seats at Yankee Stadium last October: "The empty seats in the playoffs were due to a variety of reasons, quite frankly. The schedule, Stub Hub, things like that. A lot of tickets being available shortly before the game. We didn't know we were going to be in [the ALCS]. Obviously we went to Game 5 in the first series [against Baltimore]. You've got the next game the day after. It was challenging. It was concerning but challenging to get through."

He said there has been "no real, significant dialogue" between the Yankees and Robinson Cano concerning an extension; Cano can become a free agent after this season.

"I'm not a big believer in extensions, but there are exceptions to every rule," Steinbrenner said. "So we'll see what happens."

The same policy applies to manager Joe Girardi, who is entering the last year of his deal. Nevertheless, Steinbrenner expressed no displeasure with his manager.

"Last year, nobody's happy with the end result," Steinbrenner said of the team's ALCS sweep at the hands of Detroit. "But we still had a hell of a record and a hell of a season, in my opinion. And I'm proud of that. But I'm not proud about where we ended up, believe me."

On that last sentiment, Yankees fans will agree.

* Also at the owners' meetings, commissioner Bud Selig announced the owners and players have agreed to intensify the game's drug-testing program. Players now will be tested for human growth hormone during the season, and all players will have their Testosterone/Epitestosterone ratio measured regularly, to better detect testosterone usage.

kdavidoff@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 09:55:52 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/yankees/hal_is_just_number_wL7L17QWkLKFpPTJ37ERkJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Yankees http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/yankees/hal_is_just_number_wL7L17QWkLKFpPTJ37ERkJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Yankees 5.11.919760690 ken_davidoff.png true By PHIL STEELE More Sports

Football expert Phil Steele is the owner and publisher of Phil Steele's College Football Preview, regarded as the college football bible. Get in-depth coverage of college and pro football 24/7/365 at PhilSteele.com.

BRONCOS (-9 1/2) over Ravens: The Broncos went into Baltimore just a few weeks ago and scored a dominating 34-17 win. Now they had a week of rest while Baltimore played Sunday, must travel and play the first game on Saturday while also dealing with the altitude issues. The Ravens will not be able to come close to matching the emotion Ray Lewis brought to last week's game.

Packers (+3) over 49ERS: The 49ers gave the Packers their only home loss of the season. In the rematch, Aaron Rodgers gets to face the same defense again while Colin Kaepernick faces the Packers blitzing defense for the first time. The Packers also love the underdog mentality. When they are getting up to 3 1/2 points, they are 8-2 against the spread and have pulled the outright upset six times. Make it seven!

LAST WEEK (NFL): 2-0. SEASON: 23-11-2.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 01:08:41 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/end_of_the_road_for_ray_ravens_MJdstOOZku8JQDMjx8czsI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/end_of_the_road_for_ray_ravens_MJdstOOZku8JQDMjx8czsI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports 5.11.919760676 -1 false By THE WILDCAT More Sports

Including his 1997-2011 seasons in The Post, Cat's record in print stands at 454-393 (53.6 percent) against the spread.

TOMORROW

Packers (+3) over 49ERS: This is set to be tougher than the NFC Championship matchup, which aids Packers focus ... as will Green Bay's opening-week loss to Frisco (and Alex Smith ... hmmm) in Lambeau. Given that Green Bay doesn't get mad, it gets even (13-1 on scoreboard in most-recent 14 revenge shots), that bodes well. This also represents homecoming for sizzling Aaron Rodgers (out of Chico, and a Cal Bear product), who got tabbed 23 spots behind Smith in the '05 draft.

Yes, Candlestick's a house of horrors for visitors, but Colin Kaepernick against Packers' ballhawking defensive backfield is fraught with danger, especially because Kaepernick is no longer able to access such weapons as Mario Manningham and Kyle Williams. Jim Harbaugh employs a very tight rotation on defense, including recovering defender Justin Smith (triceps tendon), and they could be worn down (having yielded 34 to the Patriots, and that fat 42 to the Seahawks). Packers (+3) getting back, for one unit.

LAST WEEK: 0-2. Oklahoma (minus one unit). Redskins (minus one unit).

SEASON: 23-13.

To contact Cat, write P.O. Box 739, Hightstown, N.J. 08520, or visit www.playbook.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 04:22:53 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/vengeful_pack_is_pick_at_stick_2IQZyNputX5LYUlclTUUjI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/vengeful_pack_is_pick_at_stick_2IQZyNputX5LYUlclTUUjI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports 5.11.919760662 -1 false By HONDO More Sports

Hondo started slowly on wild-card weekend with the Bengwads and the over, but then found his stride and hit five of the next six points, sweeping the spreads and cashing on two-of three of the totals.

The highlight, of course, was his smack-dab, right-on-the-money, honey, 24-14 prediction of Seahawks over Redskins, which bodes well for his Divisional forecasts:

Ravens-Broncos: The joint will be jumping, but then again the joints are always jumping in Colorado these days. Count on the Broncos, who haven't lost since Oct. 7 in Foxborough, to make it 12 straight as Peyton's smoking offense exposes an agin' Raven D that's going to pot. To be perfectly blunt: Broncos 31-14

Packers-49ers: It's all about the Niners' defense, which is wicked at Candlestick (as their 13.8 PA per game attests). If you're wondering how Air Aaron, who was the league's top-rated QB this season, manages to stay grounded, it's because he endured a league-high 51 sacks this season. So figure on Rodgers to do a lot of sittin' by the dock of the bay. 49ers 27-14

Seahawks-Falcons: Negative energy is swirling in Atlanta. Matty Ice and coach Mikey Ice are a cool 0-3 together in the playoffs, while Tony Gonzalez is 0-for-his-life. And here come the big bad Seahags, sans DE Chris Clemons. It doesn't help that the Falcons give up a league-worst 4.8 yards per against the run, death against a team rushin' to New Orleans. Seahawks 24-17

Texans-Patriots: Free money in Foxborough, folks! The Texans, who would be watching this game if Andy Dalton could complete a 35-yard pass to an open receiver, have no shot. They proved that in Week 14 when they were thoroughly thumped by the Gronk-less Pats 42-14. He's back so it'll be worse. Patriots 45-10

As for the other areas of interest to HondoNation:

Redskins' coach Mike Shanahan doesn't understand why Seattle's Chris Clemons isn't suiting up in Atlanta. After all, the only thing bothering him is a torn ACL and meniscus.

Coming attractions: A movie called "Rodham," which is about Hillary Clinton before she became famous. Hondo hears there's also one in the works about Bill called "Ride 'Em!"

According to emauler Ed Buckmir, Hillary Clinton's stay in the hospital messed up Bill's New Year's Eve plans so much that all he could say to her was: "Thanks a clot."

Props to Bill Clinton, who was been named Father of the Year for 2013 by the National Father's Day Council. The former Horndog-in-Chief won a tight race by narrowly beating outJohn Edwards, Tiger Woods, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Anthony "Ridiculous Bulge" Weiner and Eliot "John" Spitzer.

Speaking of Spitzer, the former N.Y. Guv and Client 9 of Ashley Dupre, has stepped down as the host of Current TV's "Viewpoint" now that Al "Big Oil" Gore has sold out to Al Jazeera. Spitzer swears that's it, he's finally done with whores.

You would think that Al Goreera, who had so much trouble with the dangling chad, might have sold to a buyer that wasn't the favored network of terrorists' responsible for beheading Chad.

With the sale to Al Jazeera, Big Oil Gore finally has found a new mantra. It's no longer "count all the votes," it's "count all the money."

We interrupt this HondoNation mirth-fest with some tragic news. Current TV slug David Shuster was asked last week about Gasbag Olbermann and reported: "The days of hearing from Keith Olbermann are not over." So sad!

Jersey Senate President Stephen Sweeney charged that Chris Christie prayed for Sandy to hit so it would cover up his failed policies. Sweeney must have been confused. It was Chris Matthews who prayed for Sandy because it "brought in possibilities for good politics" for Obama.

Speaking of storms, Al Roker is amazed he's in the middle of a fecal-matter storm after revealing that on a trip to the White House in 2002 he pooped his pants. He has to understand; even a little brown-out is big news if it happens at the White House.

With Rex Ryan and Woody Johnson obviously committed to their bromance, consultant Jed Hughes has had to alter the criteria in his search for a Jets GM. He's now looking for a seasoned and knowledgeable football man who not only will defer to Rex on all football decisions, but also be willing to be thrown under the bus next year when the season goes into the toilet.

BarkingMut of SoBe says Rex, in order to fulfill his guarantee of bringing his Super Bowl winning Jets to the White House to meet Obama, had better hope N.Y. Congressman Jose Serrano's attempt to eliminate presidential term limits somehow passes.

More Mut: Since Rex Ryan now says he wants a mulligan for the last four years, how about Woody gives fans one, too, by refunding all the ticket and PSL money that was collected during that time period.

ESPN apologized for B rent Musburger gushing about the beauty of A.J. McCarron's girlfriend during the BCS Title Game. What's the big deal? It's not like Brent said she looks like she tastes like a heart-healthy breakfast cereal.

Brian "Mr. Laughs" Williams, continuing to grow his comedy portfolio, played himself on "Family Guy" Sunday night. It would have been a nice gesture if the NBC anchor, who lamented the "optics" of the Republican party's all-white male Congressional leadership (while presiding over virtually all white "Rock Center") had turned down the "Family Guy" gig so that a person of color could have improved the "Family Guy" optics.

Elsewhere on the optic topic, K-Dog of Md. points out Obama has now tapped John Kerry (white male) for State, Chuck Hagel (white male) for Defense, and Jack Lew (white male) for Treasury. It seems Obama's cabinet also is starting to develop some optics issues.

Then again it could be that Obama has binders full of white men.

Obama had 10 galas when he celebrated his first election, but there is far less enthusiasm this time around. In fact, it won't be long before and Obama will have something in common with Chaz Bono: Two inaugural balls.

hondo@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 07:53:18 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/hondo_knows_the_score_K6wFfk50DlkOMEE3XFj1YI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/hondo_knows_the_score_K6wFfk50DlkOMEE3XFj1YI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports 5.11.919760597 -1 false More Sports

Baltimore at Denver

Mostly cloudy with snow showers, 22, winds 7 mph

Green Bay

at San Francisco

Mostly cloudy with shower possible late in game, 47, winds 4 mph

Seattle at Atlanta

Indoors

Houston at New England

Partly cloudy, 55, winds 5 mph

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 01:32:52 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/football_forecast_4rHmzdpUgkUR8OJdDDWJyH?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/football_forecast_4rHmzdpUgkUR8OJdDDWJyH?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports 5.11.919760491 -1 false By DAVE BLEZOW More Sports

Ray Lewis ran onto the field as the deep back in Victory formation last Sunday, then did his last dance in full view of all the fans in Baltimore he had thrilled for 17 seasons.

Say what you want about Lewis hogging the spotlight after what had been a solid team win for the Ravens over the Colts. He surely deserved those last few seconds of adulation. But in terms of what happens next, it makes you wonder if that was the final bow for Lewis and these 2012 Ravens.

Their degree of difficulty climbs dramatically when they take on the Broncos in Denver tomorrow. Instead of facing rookie phenom Andrew Luck on friendly ground, they have to cross the country to take on legend Peyton Manning, who:

* Threw for 4,659 yards and 37 touchdowns in his first year as a Bronco.

* Directed a 34-17 whipping of the Ravens in Baltimore on Dec. 16, a game that was 31-3 after three quarters.

* Is 9-2 in his career against the Ravens, including 2-0 in the playoffs.

Yes, there are a few reasons to consider taking the Ravens with this hefty spread well north of a touchdown. Lewis did not play in that first meeting, and his return gave a clear boost to a Ravens' defense that gave up 350 yards per game this season. Joe Flacco may look like an Average Joe most of the time, but he is the first quarterback in the Super Bowl era to win a playoff game in each of his first five seasons. In Ray Rice, they have a reliable runner who has had great moments in the postseason.

Still, they don't seem equipped to match scores with Manning, and if the Ravens get behind, Flacco will have to deal with sackmen Von Miller (18.5) and Elvis Dumervil.

The picks: Broncos -9 1/2 and Under 46

Broncos, 30-13

49ERS (-3) over Packers; Under 45: It has been a strange season for the 49ers, who have had some eye-popping wins (Opening day in Green Bay; Dec. 16 in New England; a back-to-back 71-6 dismantling of the Jets and Bills; a 25-point rout of the Bears) but also some head-scratching performances (26-3 loss to the Giants; 0-1-1 record vs. the Rams; 42-13 loss at Seattle with a chance to clinch).

Moreover, the heat's on coach Jim Harbaugh, who Wally Pipp-ed Alex Smith in favor of the hand-picked Colin Kaepernick.

Smith last year had the 49ers in overtime of the NFC Championship Game. They have some huge obstacles to even get back to that point, let alone get to and win a Super Bowl. Clearly this is a gamble that can backfire big time on Harbaugh.

Many are wowed by the fact the Packers come in having won nine of their last 11 with a former Super Bowl winning quarterback who threw 39 touchdown passes and a defense that has gotten its stars healthy. But the Packers had some bad moments, too (the sackfest in the first half of the Fail Mary game in Seattle and the 38-10 loss at the Giants), and the run defense isn't so hot (as Adrian Peterson showed).

The expectation here is the 49ers defense (with 19.5 sackman Aldon Smith, Patrick Willis and Dashon Goldson) will dictate the tempo and they will survive in a tough, ugly game.

49ers, 20-16

SUNDAY

FALCONS (-2 1/2) over Seahawks; Over 46: Seems like the whole world has jumped on the Seattle bandwagon, citing Russell Wilson's amazing play, the notion the Seahawks have the cornerbacks to shut down the Falcons wideouts, and the fact Atlanta hasn't won a playoff game in the Mike Smith/Matt Ryan regime.

Yes, Seattle has outscored its opponents 217-74 on its current six-game winning streak, but also remember the Seahawks were down 14-0 last week before Robert Griffin III re-injured his right knee; they are taking their third cross-country flight in a week, and Ryan is 33-6 lifetime at home including playoffs.

It's easy to fall in love with the Seahawks story and players, but if you have forgotten how good the Falcons are, just ask the Giants.

Falcons 31-21

PATRIOTS (-9 1/2) over Texans; Over 47 1/2: Said here last week the Texans look like a team that peaked too early and their lackluster first-round win over the Bengals didn't change that opinion.

They will do better than the 42-14 massacre the Patriots put on them on Dec. 10 in Foxborough without Rob Gronkowski, a game the Texans entered with an 11-1 record, but not enough to warrant a pick against Tom Brady and Bill Belichick here.

Patriots 34-17

LAST WEEK: 1-3 game selections, 2-2 Over/Under

LOCK OF THE WEEK: Patriots (Locks 7-11 in 2012).

dblezow@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 04:02:39 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/pey_day_in_denver_Yhu2QYxsfzGAnq8iJnNYKP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/pey_day_in_denver_Yhu2QYxsfzGAnq8iJnNYKP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports 5.11.919760298 dave_blezow.png true By LEONARD GREENE With Post Wire Services National

And the nomination for snarkiest Academy Awards host goes to . . . Seth MacFarlane.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences can't say it hasn't been warned after MacFarlane dropped a few jaws with off-color jokes about Adolf Hitler and producer Harvey Weinstein.

The academy made the rare choice this year of having the host also announce the Oscar nominees, giving viewers a preview of the Feb. 24 show.

After announcing the Best Supporting Actress nominees — Sally Field, Anne Hathaway, Helen Hunt, Amy Adams and Jacki Weaver — MacFarlane joked about film heavyweight Weinstein.

"Congratulations," MacFarlane said. "You five ladies no longer have to pretend to be attracted to Harvey Weinstein."

After MacFarlane and actress Emma Stone unveiled the foreign-language film nominees, MacFarlane said, "I read 'Amour' was co-produced in Austria and Germany, right? The last time Austria got together and co-produced something it was Hitler, but this is much better."

MacFarlane also received a nomination — an original-song nod from his movie "Ted" — and quipped it will get him a free pass to the ceremony, which, of course, he is already scheduled to host.

As for the festivities, "Lincoln" grabbed a leading 12 nominations, including Best Picture and Director (Steven Spielberg), as well as acting nods for Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones.

"Life of Pi" was second, with 11 nominations, ahead of "Zero Dark Thirty" and "Les Misérables," which had been considered front-runners before yesterday's announcement.

leonard.greene@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 09:39:23 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/jokester_seth_the_host_with_the_E9vZU7XyFdGu0th9smkZwO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=National http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/jokester_seth_the_host_with_the_E9vZU7XyFdGu0th9smkZwO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=National 5.11.919760097 -1 false More Sports

The lineBRIANCOSTELLOSTEVESERBYMARKCANNIZZAROPAULSCHWARTZDREWLOFTISJUSTINTERRANOVAMS.CHARLEENBARTHUBBUCHRICOBRONCOS 9 1/2 Ravens (Tom., 4:30, CBS)BroncosRavensRavensBroncosRavensBroncosBroncosBroncosBroncosOver/Under (46)OverUnderUnderUnderOverOverUnderOverUnder49ERS 3 Packers (8:00, Fox)PackersPackers49ersPackersPackers49ersPackers49ers49ersOver/Under (45)UnderOverUnderUnderOverOverOverOverOverFALCONS 2 1/2 Seahawks (Sun., 1:00, Fox)FalconsFalconsSeahawksFalconsSeahawksFalconsFalconsSeahawksSeahawksOver/Under (46)OverOverUnderOverUnderUnderUnderUnderUnderPATRIOTS 9 1/2 Texans (4:30, CBS)PatriotsPatriotsPatriotsPatriotsPatriotsTexansPatriotsPatriotsPatriotsOver/Under (47 1/2)OverUnderUnderOverOverUnderUnderOverOver

Home Team in CAPS

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 24:45:15 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/sunday_best_2a7Wi2hUl05qKdveCqWqjO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= More Sports http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/sunday_best_2a7Wi2hUl05qKdveCqWqjO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= More Sports 5.11.919759991 -1 false Associated Press More Sports

A person familiar with the decision says the Cleveland Browns have hired Carolina offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski as their new coach.

Chudzinski will become the Browns' sixth full-time coach since 1999, said the person who spoke to the Associated Press last night on the condition of anonymity because the team has not yet announced the hiring. Chudzinski, 44, has spent the past two seasons with the Panthers. He also has had two stints with the Browns as an assistant coach.

The Browns have been searching for a coach since firing Pat Shurmur on Dec. 31 after a 5-11 season.

JAGUARS: Jacksonville fired coach Mike Mularkey after just one 2-14 season, the worst in franchise history.

New general manager David Caldwell made the announcement two days after he was hired, giving him a clean slate heading into 2013. Caldwell said he wants to immediately explore every avenue possible to turn the Jaguars around.

49ERS:David Akers is keeping his job as San Francisco's starting kicker.

Jim Harbaugh made the announcement after practice, two days ahead of the San Francisco's NFC divisional playoff game against the Packers.

EAGLES:Lovie Smith interviewed with the Eagles as the team continued its search to replace Andy Reid, who was fired after a 4-12 finish.

Smith is the seventh candidate to meet with owner Jeffrey Lurie, general manager Howie Roseman and president Don Smolenski. The Eagles haven't announced who they plan to interview next, but they received permission to speak to three assistant coaches.

CARDINALS: Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden is the latest to interview for the vacant head coaching job with Arizona.

Gruden, younger brother of former Oakland and Tampa Bay coach Jon Gruden, said his interview with the Cardinals was his first for a head-coaching job with any NFL team.

STEELERS: Rookie running back Chris Rainey has run out of chances with the Pittsburgh.

The Steelers cut the troubled 24-year-old following his arrest on a battery charge in Gainesville, Fla., the latest in a series of off-the-field incidents that have threatened his career.

VIKINGS: Minnesota linebacker Chad Greenway has been added to the NFC Pro Bowl team as an injury replacement for DeMarcus Ware of the Cowboys.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 01:04:53 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/source_browns_hire_chudzinski_ETM4d2zXXFSgaP1GbdVyEO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/source_browns_hire_chudzinski_ETM4d2zXXFSgaP1GbdVyEO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports 5.11.919759977 -1 false By PAUL SCHWARTZ Giants

If there is any downside to winning two Super Bowls in a five-year span, it's the price for success. Keeping the team together and continuity are more valued and as a result, players get rewarded for being part of the fun.

Given the money the Giants had to distribute, they are not in terrible shape when it comes to gearing up for the 2013 season, but at the moment, they are $4.7 million over the projected salary cap, according to ESPN. It means the Giants have plenty of work to do in the coming months, especially because they have 22 of their own free agents to consider.

It is going to cost to secure Victor Cruz, who probably is looking for a contract that will pay him in the high-rent neighborhood of $10 million per season. There's also got to be money set aside to re-sign their left tackle, Will Beatty, who is coming off a solid season at a position where young talent gets big bucks.

The Giants also will consider their other free agents which include guard Kevin Boothe, tight end Martellus Bennett, safety Stevie Brown and kicker Lawrence Tynes.

There's little doubt a few contracts are going to have to be adjusted and it will not be surprising if a pricey veteran or two gets cut.

Linebacker Michael Boley is scheduled to make $4.25 million in 2013 and he is coming off a so-so season in which he saw his playing time diminish in the last few weeks. Defensive end Justin Tuck ($4.5 million) did not have a strong season, but he's entering the last year on his contract and is expected to be back. Because of coach Tom Coughlin's desire to have two or three capable running backs, it is doubtful Ahmad Bradshaw ($3.75 million) is in any danger.

Atop the list of players likely to be asked to accept a salary adjustment is cornerback Corey Webster, who has one year at $7 million left on his deal and is coming off a sub-par season. Other contracts that might have to be adjusted in order to save precious salary cap space include defensive tackle Chris Canty ($6.25 million), guard Chris Snee ($6.45 million), center David Baas ($4.25 million) and maybe safety Antrel Rolle, who has two years and $14 million left on his contract.

Elsewhere in the NFC East, the Cowboys ($18.2 million over the cap) are in the worst shape and the Eagles ($5.2 million under) are in the best shape. The Redskins are $4 million over the cap.

paul.schwartz@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 04:08:26 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/giants/giant_calls_to_come_on_own_free_oFMgjT8yUhixULdbqFme4N?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Giants http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/giants/giant_calls_to_come_on_own_free_oFMgjT8yUhixULdbqFme4N?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Giants 5.11.919759954 -1 false By BRUCE GOLDING Bronx

All it was missing was an ejector seat — to jail.

A brazen band of robbers who allegedly posed as cops to rip off drug dealers got busted in The Bronx with a fake unmarked police car sporting a "James Bond"-style device to hide its license plate.

The Ford Crown Victoria, which also has low-profile flashing lights, has a special button that lets the driver activate a retractable piece of steel to cover its rear plate, a source told The Post.

The car was among a huge stash of phony law-enforcement gear seized during the take-down, including a police badge, four shirts emblazoned with the word "POLICE," two tactical vests like cops wear, a set of metal handcuffs and multiple plastic zip-tie handcuffs, a hydraulic battering ram and a "rabbit pump" that cops used to break down doors.

The haul of dozens of items, which also included six loaded handguns, is believed to be the largest of its kind ever recovered from a theft crew of fake cops.

Manhattan DEA Special Agent in Charge Brian Crowell called the crooks "extremely violent, armed and sophisticated," saying they "tried to conceal themselves as cops to rob, steal and plunder.

"They were the drug world's version of a James Bond-style robbery crew," Crowell added.

"This is yet another investigation epitomizing the extreme violence that surrounds drug trafficking and I commend the men and women of our task force from the NYPD, the New York State Police and the DEA for steadfastly wading into harm's way to protect our citizens."

A source told The Post the DEA is investigating whether a New Jersey cop is tied to those arrested. Court papers say 16 ring members were nabbed Tuesday night following a sting operation in which a confidential informant duped alleged ringleader Javion Camacho, 26, into thinking they could intercept and steal a massive shipment of heroin.

During a Dec. 17 meeting in a Manhattan restaurant, Camacho, a reputed Latin Kings member from New Jersey known as "King Kong," told the informant he had a "crew of police impersonators who would be able to carry out the robbery," according to the Manhattan federal-court complaint.

During another meeting at the restaurant on Jan. 2, the informant said the drug shipment could total 40 kilos, prompting Camacho's older brother, Julio -- also a reputed Latin King known as "King Honesty" -- to allegedly remark that they could "take over Jersey City" with that much heroin.

Julio, 27, also asked the informant if it was OK if the intended robbery victims "got 'laid out'"-- meaning killed -- the complaint says.

On Tuesday night, Javion allegedly told the informant "that there was a police officer on the robbery crew in case they needed to shoot someone," but the feds said none of those arrested were actually cops.

After he was arrested, Javion -- who in 2007 was convicted on a reduced charge in the fatal shooting of his cousin -- admitted he had been caught "red-handed," court papers say.

bruce.golding@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 11:34:41 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/bronx/bronx_drug_world_8NLmKv1O0dMWWopRx7Ik2L?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Bronx http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/bronx/bronx_drug_world_8NLmKv1O0dMWWopRx7Ik2L?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Bronx 5.11.919759818 -1 false By BRETT CYRGALIS Islanders

Brad Boyes hasn't had an in-depth conversation with anyone in the Islanders organization yet, but he is still fully aware of why he is here.

Boyes is trying to rediscover a player who hasn't been seen in almost five years, one who knows how to score goals and is willing to do what it takes to get them. That's the player general manager Garth Snow hoped he would be getting — at least in some part — when he signed the 30-year-old winger to a one-year, $1 million deal this offseason.

"I know I've slid a little bit," Boyes said Thursday, his first day on Long Island skating with 10 other teammates at IceWorks in Syosset. "[The goal is] getting back to those days of feeling good, not thinking about anything, just going and having fun."

The Islanders are expected to open training camp with physicals Sunday and then begin skating Monday, all dependent on the Players' Association ratifying the new collective bargaining agreement by tomorrow. And when the team does start up, Boyes will be leaned on not just for a touch of veteran leadership, but for a scoring touch that seems to have disappeared.

"I know what I do well and what I don't," Boyes said. "Offense is something that has always been part of my game. I have to get back to that to help here."

In the 2007-08 season, while playing for the Blues, Boyes established himself as a serious scoring threat, tying for fifth in the league with 43 goals. Behind him on that list were some of the superstars of the game — Marian Gaborik, Rick Nash and Jason Spezza.

But instead of excelling like those players, Boyes signed a four-year, $16 million contract and wilted. He scored 33 goals the following season, but then had seasons of 14 goals, 17 (combined between the Blues and the Sabres, to whom he was traded mid-season) and eventually eight last year, when he missed 15 games with injury.

The final two games of the season, with the Sabres' playoff hopes on the line, he was a healthy scratch.

"Just to be involved and be consistent," Boyes said of what he wants out of this season. "I think that is something that's important, to be consistent and be relied upon."

Boyes' unceremonious end in Buffalo also finished off his streak of 513 consecutive games played, setting him up for a summer of free agency — coupled with the almost-four-month lockout — with few probable suitors and a lot to prove.

Snow signed him quickly on July 1, seeing a situation that was low-risk, high-reward. Boyes skated during the lockout with other NHL players outside of Toronto, and appears determined to shed the label of a player who doesn't go to the dirty areas of the ice and shies away from contact.

In getting a chance with the Islanders, a team that finished third-to-last in the league with 2.43 goals per game, Boyes will be leaned on for a scoring punch.

When asked if he thinks he was brought in by the Islanders to score goals, Boyes said, "I hope they did."

"I hope they didn't bring me here to block shots and chip the puck in," he added. "Then it might be a long year."

bcyrgalis@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 12:39:03 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/islanders/isles_hope_boyes_rediscovers_his_UlRa2e3hCslRJ5XuiFhR0L?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Islanders http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/islanders/isles_hope_boyes_rediscovers_his_UlRa2e3hCslRJ5XuiFhR0L?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Islanders 5.11.919369822 -1 false By GERRY SHIELDS National

WASHINGTON — President Obama nominated his chief of staff, Jacob "Jack" Lew, for treasury secretary yesterday, immediately throwing him into the front line of federal budget wars with congressional Republicans if confirmed.

Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) blasted the nomination, pointing to congressional testimony in which Lew, Obama's former budget director, said the 2011 budget would not add to the national debt.

Lew will face tough sledding during his confirmation hearings before the Senate Budget Committee.

"Jack Lew must never be secretary of the treasury," Sessions, the lead Republican on the panel, said in a statement.

Lew, a Queens native, is a veteran of budget battles, having served as a staffer to former House Speaker Tip O'Neill, who negotiated a rescue of Social Security with then-President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 24:39:26 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/budget_brawl_looms_for_lew_A1imNhIvRGTCgx7GSJ0rOI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=National http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/budget_brawl_looms_for_lew_A1imNhIvRGTCgx7GSJ0rOI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=National 5.11.919369716 -1 false Associated Press Golf

Scott Langley made a rookie debut on the PGA Tour he won't soon forget.

Russell Henley wasn't too shabby, either.

Langley thrived on a penetrating ball flight and a pure putting stroke Thursday for an 8-under 62, giving him a one-shot lead over Henley in the Sony Open in Honolulu.

Henley played in the same group with Langley, and they put on a remarkable show along the back nine at Waialae Country Club. Henley made five birdies on the back nine, but couldn't keep up at the end when he misplayed a chip on the par-5 18th.

Langley, a former NCAA champion from Illinois, played bogey-free and made a couple of long putts — including a 55-footer for eagle on No. 9.

Scott Piercy and Tim Clark were at 6-under par after a pair of 64s.

VOLVO CHAMPIONS

Thongchai Jaidee shot a 7-under 65 to take a three-stroke lead on the opening day of the Volvo Champions in Durban, South Africa.

Thongchai birdied six of his first 10 holes to end the day three shots ahead of two of South Africa's major winners, Ernie Els and Louis Oosthuizen.

Els, a two-time South African Open winner on the same Durban Country Club course, showed his fondness for the layout on the Indian Ocean shoreline with birdies on his first three holes.

Then he double-bogeyed the fourth and finished with a 4-under 68. Oosthuizen finished with three birdies in his 68.

Retief Goosen, who lost in a playoff a year ago, returned to competition after a five-month layoff following back surgery to shoot an even-par 72.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 03:49:51 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/golf/langley_leads_sony_open_qoVoJvRb1LwsPPBXEUzu4H?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Golf http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/golf/langley_leads_sony_open_qoVoJvRb1LwsPPBXEUzu4H?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Golf 5.11.919369702 -1 false TV Fri, 11 Jan 2013 24:38:59 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/tv/who_zooming_who_41oU5YtdyAaIhJuBtzIpiP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=TV http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/tv/who_zooming_who_41oU5YtdyAaIhJuBtzIpiP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=TV 5.11.919369684 -1 false By ANTHONY SULLA-HEFFINGER More Sports

A rare baseball card from 1865 of a Brooklyn baseball team is expected to fetch at least six-figures when it goes up for auction next month.

The 148-year-old card, which features the Brooklyn Atlantics amateur baseball club, was discovered by a man while he was searching for antiques at a yard sale in Maine near the Canadian border.

According to Troy Thibodeau, who works at Saco River Auction Co. in Biddeford, Maine, the card is just one of two in existence and should draw bids of at least $100,000 when it is put on the block on Feb. 6, but it is impossible to put an accurate price tag on it.

"There hasn't been another one that's sold," Thibodeau told the Associated Press. "When there are only two known in the world, what's it worth?"

The same auction house sold a Michael "King" Kelly baseball card from 1888 last summer for $72,000.

The rare item differs from the standard format for baseball cards that was implemented in the 1880's and features nine members of the Atlantics team and its manager. The actual card is an original photograph of the team mounted on a card.

The seller, whose name was withheld for privacy purposes, happened to find the card by chance after he purchased a photo album, several old Coke bottles and a couple of oak chairs for under $100 at the yard sale. The card was found inside the photo album and the man mailed it to Saco River Auction.

The only other known copy of the card is owned by the Library of Congress, which has it on display in its book "Baseball Americana" and identifies it as the first dated baseball card. The cards were handed out to supporters of the Atlantics and, in a bold move by the team, to its opponents.

Sportscard Guaranty LLC has authenticated the card, but it is not the rarest one in existence.

A Casey Stengel card that was part of a 1923 promotional set of 30 cards, including Babe Ruth and Ty Cobb, holds that honor. There was only one Stengel card produced and it currently sits in Cooperstown at the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

asulla-heffinger@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 03:03:53 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/take_that_topps_6KWKnWwEmT9jLAyGxBgSVP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/take_that_topps_6KWKnWwEmT9jLAyGxBgSVP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports 5.11.919369615 -1 false By S.A. MILLER Post Correspondent National

WASHINGTON — President Obama's gun-control plan is almost ready to aim and fire.

Vice President Joe Biden yesterday promised he would finish proposals for tough new gun laws by Tuesday, and said they likely will include expanded background checks on firearms buyers and a ban on high-capacity ammunition clips.

Biden provided a glimpse of the plan as he prepared to meet with the National Rifle Association.

After the White House meeting, the NRA blasted what it described as the administration's attempt to trample the Constitution's Second Amendment, which provides the right to bear arms.

"We were disappointed with how little this meeting had to do with keeping our children safe and how much it had to do with an agenda to attack the Second Amendment," the NRA said in a statement.

Biden, who is spearheading Obama's push for more firearms restrictions in response to last month's shooting massacre at a Connecticut school, suggested the proposals would include "universal background checks."

Meanwhile, Gov. Cuomo vowed to push forward with state gun control as the NRA and several Republican lawmakers yesterday accused him of trouncing the constitutional rights of gun owners.

But Albany insiders say any attempts to block gun control won't succeed, with a deal possible as early as Monday.

Additional reporting by Erik Kriss and Carl Campanile

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 04:33:05 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/biden_aims_for_gun_control_plan_szSu6BIfratDwqT0yEyUOP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=National http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/biden_aims_for_gun_control_plan_szSu6BIfratDwqT0yEyUOP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=National 5.11.919369509 -1 false By REUVEN FENTON, REBECCA ROSENBERG and DAN MANGAN Manhattan

A Wall Street trader and father of two was the most severely injured passenger in a Seastreak ferry's terrifying crash into a lower Manhattan dock.

"He's in bad shape over there, but he's getting better," said Donald Urbanowicz, whose son, John, 39, remained in critical condition from Wednesday's collision, which sent him and others flying across the deck.

"A ventilator's on him. From what had happened until now, he hasn't been awake. He's been knocked out and he's still knocked out," said Donald of his son, who's at New York Hospital with a head injury. "They did a couple of surgeries on him."

Donald told The Post, "The response team was fantastic. They got him to the hospital fairly quick."

John Urbanowicz, of Red Bank, NJ, works as a trader on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange for Barclays.

He was one of 93 people hurt when the 141-foot Seastreak Wall Street slammed into the dock at Pier 11 at the South Street Seaport at 8:41 a.m.

Federal investigators said the vessel, whose trip had originated at Highlands, NJ, crashed seconds after veteran Seastreak Capt. Jason "Jay" Reimer was unable to put the boat into reverse for docking.

"The captain reported that the vessel would not respond to his reverse-thrust commands as anticipated," said National Transportation Safety Board member Robert Sumwalt.

"He described this as happening very fast and somewhere during the sequence he reported that both diesel engines shut off."

Sumwalt described Reimer and the first mate as "shaken and very concerned about the accident." Sumwalt added, "They've been very forthright and cooperative with our investigators."

Authorities believe that John Urbanowicz either was tossed down a staircase on the catamaran or into a glass door by the crash, which occurred with 326 passengers aboard.

Red Bank neighbor Theresa Yurik, 27, called sports-fan Urbanowicz "very outgoing, a great dad" to his two kids, Stella and Charlie, with whom he lives with wife Janet.

"Very active with the kids. Very helpful. When he comes home, it doesn't matter when, he's with the children. He does a lot around the house," Yurik said.

"It's unfortunate that this happened to him. He was at the wrong place at the wrong time. I hope he's OK."

Sumwalt, of the NTSB, said investigators will travel today to New Jersey to test the control systems of the damaged ferry and to question other crew members.

He said investigators want to know whether any crew members had reported problems with the Seastreak Wall Street after it was overhauled last summer, when its water-jet propulsion system was replaced by a propeller propulsion system to save fuel.

Additional reporting by Georgett Roberts and Frank Rosario

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 08:09:29 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/ferry_dad_placed_on_ventilator_6mouYohiG4zQp1proYIymO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Manhattan http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/ferry_dad_placed_on_ventilator_6mouYohiG4zQp1proYIymO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Manhattan 5.11.919369495 -1 false By JAMIE SCHRAM Local

He jumped from the Bronx Zoo monorail into a tiger's den, and has been lapping up the attention ever since.

"This is a good thing that happened; maybe I can make some money, write a book," jumper David Villalobos told workout buddies yesterday at the Westchester gym where he's doing physical therapy after his Sept. 21 leap into a tiger enclosure at the zoo.

Villalobos, due in Bronx Criminal Court today on trespassing charges, admitted he was worried about losing his real-estate license because of the stunt, said a source at the Club Fit gym in Jefferson Valley.

But he was also bragging, saying that the media won't stop calling him, according to a source, adding, "He said he gets calls from people all over the world."

He doesn't remember much about the attack, but seemed pleased that cops and hospital personnel referred to him as "Tarzan," said a source.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 05:29:15 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/tiger_buy_the_tale_QzN2b0ThfFjbEQbXruGtmN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/tiger_buy_the_tale_QzN2b0ThfFjbEQbXruGtmN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.919369472 -1 false By MARC RAIMONDI More Sports

Being Tiger Woods apparently isn't as valuable as it used to be.

A European PGA Tour event official said yesterday Woods was "not worth" his $3 million appearance fee on the same day Tiger announced he will make his U.S. PGA Tour debut in two weeks at California's Torrey Pines golf course, according to Bloomberg.

Qatar Golf Association president Hassan al Nuaimi said paying Woods' appearance fee didn't make sense considering the prize money for his event, the Qatar Masters, is less than the golfer's asking price.

"Tiger Woods demands $3 million just for an appearance if he were to compete in the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters, which is not worth paying for a tournament of $2.5 million prize money," al Nuaimi told Doha News.

Wood's agent Mark Steinberg told Bloomberg Tiger was "never contemplating Qatar."

Woods is playing in next week's HSBC Golf Championship in Abu Dhabi and was invited to play at the Qatar Masters for the first time. Appearance fees are banned in the U.S., but allowed at European Tour events.

Wood finished third in last year's Abu Dhabi tournament, two shots behind winner Robert Rock.

The Qatar quotes come just one month after a resort owner at the Australian PGA said he didn't want Woods at his event because he's "an emotional wreck" and "not a good example for kids."

The Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines runs Jan. 24-27, while the Qatar event goes from Jan. 23-26. Woods, the third-ranked player in the world, has won the PGA Tour event at Torrey Pines six times.

Woods, 37, captured the U.S. Open at the La Jolla, Calif. course in 2008, defeating Rocco Mediate in a 19-hole playoff for his 14th and most recent major.

mraimondi@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 01:00:55 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/qatar_golf_prez_tiger_not_worth_w7h2P9DKTrxeWJVhJG37JN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/qatar_golf_prez_tiger_not_worth_w7h2P9DKTrxeWJVhJG37JN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=More Sports 5.11.919369366 -1 false By JESSICA SIMEONE and LEONARD GREENE Local

She remembers every story about her slain cop dad, each tale of sacrifice and support.

They're what make her want to wear the badge.

"I was 9 when he died," Katrina Narvaez says, the childhood memory seared in her soul.

Narvaez, now 25, says "died," as if her dad, an NYPD lieutenant, had a heart attack. But Federico Narvaez was murdered.

He was shot in the face, killed in the line of duty 16 years ago while helping a woman in Brooklyn who was being harassed by a menacing stalker.

"I don't remember seeing him as a police officer," says Narvaez, who was introduced yesterday with a new class of academy recruits.

"He was just my dad. It's more about the stories that they told about him, how he would support them. I just wanted to be like him. They always told stories. That one time or two he helped them or backed them up."

Like the time a couple of officers stopped a suspect, and the lieutenant had to set them straight.

Narvaez's father pulled the officers aside and asked them if they had remembered to search the suspect. They hadn't. It turned out he had a gun. He may have saved all their lives that day.

"I just hear so many stories, because I know a lot of cops," Narvaez says.

"So I just hear so many nice things. It seems like the good times outweigh the bad, and I am really looking forward to that. I'm just looking forward to being a part of something."

But first, she had to win her mother over.

"Basically, she was very worried," Narvaez says. "Once I told her it was what I want, she got on board."

Narvaez's father was gunned down on East 17th Street by Harvey Richardson, 61, a career criminal, after a woman flagged down the cop's car begging for help.

Minutes later, the gunman was killed in a wild shootout with police in the lobby of an apartment building a block away.

"I can't tell you how much I admire your bravery and your willingness to serve," Mayor Bloomberg told her at the ceremony.

"As the father of two daughters, I can tell you I know your father is looking down right now and he's so proud of you."

Narvaez says she feels her father's presence and cherishes her fondest memory of him.

"We went to Coney Island one day and just spent the whole day at the aquarium and we went on the Cyclone," she recalls.

"It was my first roller coaster.I had never been on one and he bought me a little stuffed dolphin and it fell off the roller coaster. But he was so nice. He went back and got me a new one. I still have it."

Narvaez says she would like to wear the badge number her father, a 16-year veteran, wore before he became a lieutenant. In the meantime, she has the stories to keep him close to her heart.

"Every year, we go to the [70th] Precinct on the anniversary of his death," Narvaez says, "They have a ceremony at the precinct, usually during roll call. They review what happened. They tell the story about how he went, how he was shot.

"They have a priest, Father Perry. He always says a prayer. It's really nice to know that he wasn't forgotten. It's not just like he gave his life and that was it."

Additional reporting by David Seifman

jsimeone@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 05:16:06 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/slain_cop_girl_to_don_nypd_blue_IRsBZEkLunoJPe5ZUtYxoJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/slain_cop_girl_to_don_nypd_blue_IRsBZEkLunoJPe5ZUtYxoJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.919369336 -1 false Horse Racing

FIRST: mile trot; $12,500; Super Bowl

8WherToHnovr(DMllr)2.402.102.107La Hollywood (E Carlson)10.605.209Church St Boom R (Y Gingras)3.60

* Exacta (8-7) $26.80 * Trifecta (8-7-9) $90.60Winner picked by Bill Smith

SECOND: mile trot; $12,500; Super Bowl

7JoyeuxDrem(TTetrck)4.603.602.808ForGoodnessLindy(CManz)24.4011.204Swiss Lightning (D Miller)4.20

* Exacta (7-8) $87.60 * Trifecta (7-8-4) $344.80 * Daily double (8-7) $7.60Scr: Swinging Nadine.

THIRD: mile pace; $9,500; cond

3Wilcox (Y Gingras)5.202.602.404I Do Hanover (A Miller)17.209.402Tonights The Night (J Meittinis)5.40

* Exacta (3-4) $89.40 * Trifecta (3-4-2) $501.00

Winner picked by Bill Smith

FOURTH: mile trot; $12,500; Super Bowl

1Helios (A Miller)5.203.002.606NoLessThanMagic(DMiller)3.603.205Morey (T Tetrick)3.20

* Exacta (1-6) $17.80 * Trifecta (1-6-5) $64.60 * 10 Cent superfecta (1-6-5-7) $11.01 * Pick 3 (7-3-1) $38.50Winner picked by Bill Smith

FIFTH: mile trot; $10,000; cond

9Grey Ice (Y Gingras)32.2015.606.606The TripleLindy(JCampbell)7.403.805Cameron Chip (J Meittinis)2.60

* Exacta (9-6) $203.00 * Trifecta (9-6-5) $802.20 * 10 Cent superfecta (9-6-5-1) $151.35 * 50 Cent pick 5 (8-1,7-3-1-9 4 of 5) $4.05 * 50 Cent pick 5 (8-1,7-3-1-9 5 of 5) $306.25

SIXTH: mile pace; $8,500; claiming

8Get It Now (A Miller)5.003.002.603Cane Ridge (Y Gingras)4.203.006Beau Rivage N (E Abbatiello)3.40

* Exacta (8-3) $20.20 * Trifecta (8-3-6) $84.00 * 10 Cent superfecta (8-3-6-5) $16.70 * Pick 3 (1-9-8) $219.50 * Early pick 4 (3-1-9-8) $366.30

SEVENTH: mile pace; $10,000; cond

5AutumnMagc(DMller)5.204.003.006Marie's Z Tam (PLachance)11.004.809Cruise Queen (Y Gingras)3.40

* Exacta (5-6) $51.60 * Trifecta (5-6-9) $266.40 * Pick 3 (9-8-5) $160.90Scr: Summer Hope.Winner picked by Bill Smith

EIGHTH: mile pace; $8,000; cond

2GetJzzed(JBongorno)15.607.004.401Taxed (M MacDonald)8.205.208Sky Tantrum (T Tetrick)3.60

* Exacta (2-1) $92.20 * Trifecta (2-1-8) $431.60 * 10 Cent superfecta (2-1-8-4) $345.92 * Pick 3 (8-5-2) $79.80

NINTH: mile trot; $12,500; Super Bowl

5Wisenheimer(DMller)3.002.402.408Take It To Nine (JCampbell)4.203.009Majestic Stone (T Tetrick)3.40

* Exacta (5-8) $15.00 * Trifecta (5-8-9) $53.60 * 10 Cent superfecta (5-8-9-6) $11.03Winner picked by Bill Smith

TENTH: mile pace; $8,800; cond

4Lzze'sDrem(TTetrck)4.202.802.6011Joyful Years (E Carlson)13.207.806Carolstern (D Miller)4.00

* Exacta (4-11) $113.00 * Trifecta (4-11-6) $714.80 * 10 Cent superfecta (4-11-6-8) $413.47 * Late double (5-4) $8.00 * Pick 3 (2-5-4) $43.40 * Late pick 4 (5-2-5-4) $170.50

Attendance-1,592. Total Handle-$1,837,170.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 24:33:30 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/meadowlands_results_SgdliNbC3jLE93kzzvwSjJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/meadowlands_results_SgdliNbC3jLE93kzzvwSjJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing 5.11.918835429 -1 false Horse Racing

FIRST-6 fur; $32,500; alw; 3YO

1 Prima Zip (Lopez) 11.80 5.20 6.40 3 Defend (Monterrey,Jr.) 7.00 11.40 7 Song Forever (Zayas) 20.40

Scr: Gold Mate.

* Exacta (1-3) $77.40 * $1 Superfecta (1-3-7-2) $1,376.20 * $1 Trifecta (1-3-7) $414.30

SECOND-6 fur; $17,500; clm($12,500); 4up

11 Arthur (Saez) 4.60 3.00 2.20 8 Lakota Brave (Pizarro) 7.00 4.00 2 Miura (Trujillo) 2.60

* Double (1-11) $37.80 * Exacta (11-8) $39.80 * $1 Trifecta (11-8-2) $52.40

Winner picked by DaSilva

THIRD-1m(T); $30,700; clm($30,000); 4up

4 Top Strkr (RoccJr.) 6.40 3.40 2.80 7 Aussi Austn (Castellano) 3.00 2.40 6 All for the Trip (Rosario) 4.20

Scr: Redwood Man, Dan and Sheila, Managed Account, Sinorice, Reflejo.

* Double (11-4) $18.20 * Exacta (4-7) $21.00 * $1 Trifecta (4-7-6) $82.50

Double picked by DaSilva

FOURTH-1 mile; $18,750; clm($6,250); 4up

3 Strshp Cut (Snchz) 4.40 2.60 2.20 4 Temple Lion (Bocachica) 3.00 2.40 1 Sacred Desire (Monterrey,Jr.) 3.20

Scr: Bob's Jawbreaker.

* Double (4-3) $18.80 * Exacta (3-4) $12.00 * $1 Trifecta (3-4-1) $15.60

FIFTH-1m(T); $32,500; clm($25,000); 3YO

2 Analogy (Sanchez) 9.40 5.40 3.40 7 Dimples (Rocco,Jr.) 12.00 6.40 9 Jesse Can Mambo (Castellno) 3.00

Scr: Vipera.

* Double (3-2) $21.40 * Exacta (2-7) $146.80 * $1 Trifecta (2-7-9) $227.20

Winner picked by DaSilva

SIXTH-1 mile(T); $52,500; mdn; 4up(f)

2 Why Kthrn (Cstlln) 13.60 5.80 3.80 1 Spring Reason (Rosario) 3.80 2.40 7 Flower Mart (Lezcano) 2.40

Scr: Unbridled Ella, Mine Own.

* Double (2-2) $88.00 * Exacta (2-1) $48.60 * $1 Trifecta (2-1-7) $51.80

SEVENTH-6 fur; $52,500; mdn; 3YO

7 Integrty (Cstellno) 7.40 4.00 3.20 3 Jagger M (Husbands) 5.80 4.00 4 Ruffalex (Rosario) 4.40

Scr: Tiz for Tat.

* Double (2-7) $58.00 * Exacta (7-3) $54.60 * $1 Trifecta (7-3-4) $111.40

EIGHTH-6 fur; $54,500; alw; 4up(f)

2 Magcl Ct (Torres) 24.00 11.40 9.00 3 Lotta Distinction (Jara) 5.00 4.80 8 City Trip (Sanchez) 8.40

Scr: Backstage Magic.

* Double (7-2) $88.80 * Exacta (2-3) $146.00 * $1 Trifecta (2-3-8) $409.60

NINTH-5 fur(T); $54,500; alw; 4up

4 Tz n Court (Santn) 8.20 4.00 2.80 2 The Chll Zon (MontrryJr.) 25.00 9.00 5 Ari's Pride (Torres) 2.80

Scr: Exfactor, Strike the Tiger.

* Double (2-4) $135.20 * Exacta (4-2) $170.40 * $1 Trifecta (4-2-5) $268.20

TENTH-6 fur; $18,750; clm($6,250); 4up

12 Strshp Vlr (Cstlln) 3.80 3.00 2.80 5 Thsonesforruthe (Snchz) 18.80 11.60 4 Personal Good (Santana) 17.00

Scr: FiveAfternoons,TiznowMytime,NmoLndn.

* $1 Trifecta (12-5-4) $873.40 * Double (4-12) $18.00 * Exacta (12-5) $95.20

Winner picked by DaSilva

Attendance 1,965. Track Handle $468,610.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 24:33:20 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/gulfstream_results_SkPh89ZmxACvXnNGuv5YYJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/gulfstream_results_SkPh89ZmxACvXnNGuv5YYJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing 5.11.918835415 -1 false By JOHN DASILVA Horse Racing

Post Time: 12:45 p.m.

FIRST-1 mile; $23,750; clm($25,000); 4up

UNBRIDLED ELLA third going shorter in last start on dirt. MINE OWN drops in class after finishing fourth. NAHEELAH goes turf to dirt.

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3Odds1 TwistinStorm(L)123JSnchz4-6-66-12 Naheelah(L),123LNelsn5-10-48-13 Deb's Trip(L),123L Saez6-3-44-14 UnbridledElla(L)123FMysnt3-3-33-15 WesternCharmL121PMntrJ8-7-x20-16 GenerationsY(L)114EZayas6-10-430-17 SouthernHghtsL123JCstlln6-4-x5-28 Mine Own(L),123E Prado4-7-74-1

SECOND-1 mile; $17,500; clm($12,500); 3YO

CLASSY AND SERENE adds blinkers after being placed second last out. CAPTIVAS CALLING chased the pace and tired this level. WINDSOR GARDEN finished second then disqualified.

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3Odds1 JohannesboomL122L Saez8-6-95-12 RepentlessLdyL122JSnchz9-x-x6-13 WindsorGardnL117JChamf4-7-43-14 ClassyandSernL122ETrujill2-3-24-15 CaptivasCallngL122JDelgd6-2-28-16 Wheelmyway(L)122LNelsn8-x-x12-17 Vaz Hope(L),122OMlngs8-6-630-18 AlexandraNtlnL122J Rios9-8-x10-19 Blondie Jo(L),122PLopez4-3-78-110 D' Time(L),115EZayas5-7-620-111 FormalRuckus(L122J Kenny10-7-515-1

THIRD-6 1/2 fur; $22,500; clm($10,000); 4up

SAPPHIRE COUNTY drops in class after winning while going longer at Tampa Bay. LORD CHELSIE finished first then disqualified and placed third. BURNING MANDATE second as favorite versus cheaper and was claimed.

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3Odds1 StormCldsAhdL119J Rios3-5-110-12 Jordan'sImageL119JRoccJr3-5-715-13 Don Misil(L),119LPanici4-4-66-14 Cover Price(L),119CLaneri2-6-14-15 BurningMandtL119OBcchc2-1-38-16 Lord Chelsie(L),119DCohn3-6-56-17 SapphireContyL123JCstlln1-3-35-18 BarbarosRevngL123ETrujill1-3-33-19 LongerTrmsDgL119F Jara1-1-48-1

FOURTH-6 1/2 fur; $17,500; clm($10,0); 4up

STARSHIP TACTICAL goes turf to dirt and returns to sprint. PYRITE MOON chased the pace and tired last out. JEREZANA drew rail.

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3Odds1 Jerezana(L),121LCntrrs2-7-312-12 TheRightButtnL121G Bain4-8-520-13 StarshipGalctcL114EZayas4-7-115-14 StarshipTacticlL121J Leyva12-2-15-15 Flopodopolus(L)123JCstnn1-5-x6-16 WildcatHoney(L121FTorres3-1-34-17 It'saD'wildcat(L121JRoccJr8-5-512-18 Miss Julia(L),121JCstlln2-2-15-29 Mia's Double(L),121WHnry7-4-220-110 Pyrite Moon(L),121LPanici5-2-815-111 RootfortheCat(L121PMntrJ5-6-620-112 MisspartypntsL121PLopez2-1-68-1

FIFTH-1 1/16m(T); $33,100; clm($50,0); 4up

HORVAT CLAN finished fourth then disqualified and placed seventh. RODGERSON broke maiden this distance last out. BUZZ THE DEPUTY set pace and tired most recent.

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3Odds1 BuzztheDeputyL120LCntrrs5-2-98-12 Winter'sFury(L),120CLaneri3-1-25-13 MajesticMan(L),120PHsbnd5-4-115-14 Avenged(L),120JRosari5-7-16-15 Mornin Brew(L),120JRoccJr1-5-x15-16 Rodgerson(L),123JLezcn1-2-25-27 Horvat Clan(L),120JCstnn7-3-24-18 TouchedthCldsL120L Saez5-3-76-19 RuleNumberSxL120J Leyva4-3-28-1

SIXTH-6 fur; $18,750; clm($6,250); 4up

SHIMMERING TINA gate to wire winner this price three back. SI SENORA third when dropped to this level. PHOEBE MOON closed to finish second in last two starts.

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3Odds3 SweetandVicisL112EZayas6-7-630-14 KathysRibbonsL119DGomz8-9-230-15 Altamar(L),109HCabllr8-6-530-16 SweetLikeSugrL119JAlvarz6-7-312-17 Elsie'sPrincessL116CNavrj8-7-115-11 a-MissyMiner(L116JChamf1-5-65-28 ShimmeringTinL112MArgut11-3-112-19 Kristina'sSlew(L114HSnchz4-4-510-12 b-ThePiaAngelL119PMntrJ9-5-46-110 Adela's Song(L),119OBcchc5-8-38-111 PhoebeMoon(L)119MAgulr2-2-54-112 Si Senora(L),119LCntrrs3-8-45-11 a-Bon Bon(L),119PLopez3-3-55-22 b-Mezuman(L),121PMntrJ5-5-16-1

SEVENTH-5 fur(T); $54,500; alw; 3YO(f)

THE ROYAL BOOT was placed second last out. BROWN EYES BLUE makes turf debut after finishing third. HEIRESSOFTHECROWN drew rail for turf debut after finishing second.

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3Odds1 HeirssfthcrwnL118PLopez2-3-18-12 Devil's Cave(L),122JVelzqz1-5-x4-13 BrownEyesBluL118JCstlln3-6-13-14 HappyVoyage(L122J Bravo1-3-58-15 Papa'sForest(L),118L Saez5-1-212-16 Rosie Red(L),118ETrujill3-6-26-17 SilverSandles(L)118LCntrrs6-5-220-18 BelieveinCharliL118M Cruz4-10-512-19 Phyllis Ann(L),118ENunez1-6-88-110 TheRoyalBoot(L118JRoccJr2-4-45-111 Barisoff(L),118JRosari1-x-x5-2

EIGHTH-1 mile; $52,500; mdn; 3YO(f)

ANTIPATHY drew rail for local and route debut. PEARLS FOR GIRLS third going shorter last out. MAJESTIC RIVER races with Lasix .

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3Odds1 Antipathy ,122JRosari5-x-x6-12 Pearls for Girls ,122JRoccJr3-2-x10-13 Bien Roulee(M),122JCstllnx-x-x3-14 DiamondMakerL122M Cruz4-3-220-15 Dreamlicious(L)122LPanici4-5-38-16 MajesticRiver(M122JVelzqzx-x-x5-27 E B Ryder(L),122L Saez5-3-24-18 GoodNewsTdyL122E Prado3-x-x6-1

NINTH-1 1/16m(T); $33,100; cl($50,0); 4up

PARTY JUDGE drops in class for local debut for new barn. STEAL THE DANCE closed to finish third as favorite. MYTHICAL BRIDE removes blinkers after third on dirt.

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3Odds1 StealtheDanceL120JRosari3-5-45-12 Parranda(L),120J Rios6-5-410-13 CypressPond(L)120JRoccJr1-2-412-14 Party Judge(L),120AGarci3-8-46-15 Double Berg(L),120PLopez7-4-66-16 LongingforQuitL118E Prado3-1-1012-17 MythicalBride(L120FTorres3-7-820-18 StarshipGmblrL123M Cruz1-2-212-19 Fog Happens(L),120JLezcn4-8-17-210 Marie'sMusic(L)120ENunez2-6-18-111 Dreamingly(L),120JCstnn8-8-612-112 ImperialStrike(L116JDelgd3-9-410-1

TENTH-1m(T); $38,800; clm($75,000); 3YO

AMEN KITTEN drops in class after closing to finish third. TENFORTHEMONEY comes in with a bullet work and stretches out. MAKE IT GOLD races with Lasix for career debut.

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3Odds2 HappyRunner(M122J Riosx-x-x10-13 Amen Kitten(L),122JRoccJr3-8-24-14 MakeaDecisinM122JVelzqzx-x-x6-15 ShenandohBndL120LPanici9-7-x20-16 Narwhal(L),117JChamf5-x-x15-17 TrumpetrSwnM122L Saezx-x-x10-11 a-MusicCritik(M122ETrujillx-x-x10-18 Make ItGold(M),120JCstllnx-x-x7-29 DecisiveDavid(L113EZayas11-3-612-110 Lotta Heat(M),122JRosarix-x-x5-111 Callmeback(L),122J Leyva10-7-320-112 LastingImpact(L120PLopez5-6-x12-113 TenforthemnyL122JRoccJr6-7-x6-114 Sky Lover(L),122JLezcn7-x-x12-115 SweetRocktMnL120PMntrJ3-x-x8-11 aBranchingOtM122ETrujillx-x-x10-1

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 24:32:44 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/gulfstream_analysis_8L47JxilP3QD9cvQA8POtI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/gulfstream_analysis_8L47JxilP3QD9cvQA8POtI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing 5.11.918835401 -1 false By VIC CANGIALOSI Horse Racing

Post Time: 4:00 p.m.

FIRST-6 1/2 fur; $30,000; alw; 4up(f)

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3Odds3 CuveeExchangL123T Baze1-x-x8-52 Oscillator(L),120EMldnd2-2-39-51 MissdangSallyL120JTalam6-1-25-14 OneFastFrog(L),120MPedrz5-1-54-15 SweetNectar(L),120VEspnz5-6-98-16 Briteness(L),120MGtrrz3-7-118-1

SECOND-6 1/2 fur; $23,000; cl($30,0); 3YO

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3Odds9 I'm Not Gray(L),121EMldnd8-x-x8-51 MajesticDesertL121EFlores6-5-x5-12 Tricky Shane(L),121MGtrrz7-x-x5-13 Mentalize(L),121MGarci8-x-x8-14 Kirkoroth(L),121OMojic7-7-x8-15 TribalMoney(L),121AQnnz4-x-x5-16 ShakerattlenrlL121T Bazex-x-x12-17 CaesarSunday(L121DFlores7-8-x15-18 NuestraSenor(L121JTalam8-11-x6-1

THIRD-6 1/2 fur(T); $56,000; mdn; 4up(f)

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3Odds2 Saturday'sGirl(L122RBejrn3-3-54-111 Swingaway(L),122T Baze3-2-35-21 ReadyforhrclspL122GStvns9-4-612-13 CorinthinMldyL122JVldvJr5-5-29-24 Lady Now(L),122MGtrrz7-2-612-15 Scat Patty(L),122EMldndx-x-x5-16 Miss Malibu(L),122DFlores2-3-114-17 LittleUnusual(L)122OMojic5-3-612-18 As Usual(L),122ABisonx-x-x12-19 Bromelia(L),122JLeparx5-2-47-210 NospghtntnddL122MSmth6-x-x8-112 Villefranche(L),122JLeparxx-x-x6-1

FOURTH-6 1/2 fur; $32,000; clm($25,0); 4up

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3Odds1 RoarBabyRoar(L121RBejrn2-7-53-16 Hout Bay(L),121T Baze6-1-27-22 SiempreEsprnzL121EMldnd1-1-29-23 YouCanDream(L121ADlgdll8-5-98-14 Town Belle(L),121JTalam2-1-45-15 Risky Art(L),121MGtrrz6-8-1012-17 AppealingRsmL121AQnnz2-4-26-18 Freewayracer ,121KKriggr6-1-720-19 YourSpecialDyL121CNaktn2-6-89-2

FIFTH-5 1/2 fur; $19,000; clm($20,000); 4up

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3Odds4 DobldwnOnTnL122MGarci5-4-59-512 AnShanachie(L)122OMojic11-5-22-11 Bull Time(L),122MPedrz2-4-59-22 Mayan Eyes(L),122AQnnz6-5-815-13 Karaiskakis(L),122IPuglisix-x-x30-15 PrinceBandini(L122EKubnv9-8-830-16 QuickCenizas(L)122S Arias8-2-1012-17 San Savino(L),122EMldnd6-x-x8-18 StorminArvin(L)122ABison10-8-920-19 BlindedbyFamM122MGarci14-x-x50-111 Dynagain ,122EFlores9-10-1030-113 Balladero(M),122LGnzlz6-x-x20-114 Mr.CappuccinoL122ADelgd8-11-630-1

SIXTH-5 1/2 fur; $30,000; alw; 3YO

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3Odds2 HesNottoShbyL118RBejrn1-2-x5-27 Derringer(L),121MGarci1-12-63-11 TheWholeDealL118EMldnd3-1-65-13 SacredOvationL118KKriggr1-3-14-14 Hunger(L),118VEspnz2-2-55-15 CaribooRoad(L),118MGtrrz2-4-112-16 RomarSuccessL118OMojic2-4-54-18 Shoer Hugh(L),118S Arias7-1-730-1

SEVENTH-1 mile(T); $58,000; alw; 4up

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3Odds5 UnusualBeam(L119CNaktn8-2-15-22 MotownMen(L),119RBejrn7-2-42-11 Kessabtsi(L),119MPedrz10-5-620-13 Don'tRockMe(L)119JTalam1-1-23-14 Syncobeat(L),119MGtrrz9-4-115-16 Tizpat(L),119KKriggr10-8-18-17 Unusual Jazz(L),119T Baze3-5-35-2

EIGHTH-5 1/2 fur; $19,000; clm($20,0); 4up

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3Odds5 Pastoria(L),122JTalam6-7-x5-26 MadelinespcknL122JVldvJr9-4-x7-22 Hello Walls(L),122EKubnv8-7-830-13 MyYammyHetL122ABison5-7-56-14 WarrensGussieL122EMldndx-x-x9-27 Mass Effect(L),115VBednr11-4-930-18 Night Teller(L),122T Baze5-4-56-19 Act Sweet(L),122MLinrs11-9-950-110 ParalyzingEyes122OMojic11-5-920-111 SmartSuzzet(L),122R Guce14-x-x50-112 CherryOnthCkL122EFloresx-x-x4-1

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 24:32:32 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/santa_anita_graded_entries_U3glKIUyLFUp0rXRw3OSgI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/santa_anita_graded_entries_U3glKIUyLFUp0rXRw3OSgI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing 5.11.918835387 -1 false By BILL SMITH Horse Racing

Post Time: 7:15 p.m.

Best Bet: Stormin Rustler (10th)

FIRST: mile pace; $16,000; Clyde Hirt

1 Vodka Is Terror(TTetrick)9-1-13-15 Star Chaser(YGingras)3-1-15-28 ConneryBlueChip(Bongiorn)1-4-14-12 Upfront Ticket(BSimpson)10-1-612-13 Kings Point Grad(Ginsburg)1-1-28-14 Bestjetyet(ECarlson)3-5-79-26 El Bravo(RPierce)5-6-520-17 Intervention(MMiller)8-6-215-1

SECOND: mile pace; $16,000; Clyde Hirt

2 One Through Ten(DMiller)1-1-18-54 Defying Gravity(TTetrick)2-1-13-18 Ethan Hanover(YGingras)3-3-19-21 My Last Tri(ECarlson)7-2-28-13 My Sugar Daddy(JCampbell)5-1-712-15 Prince Sharka(AMiller)6-2-620-16 Rockweiller(RPierce)2-4-612-17 Evergreen Power(Callahan)9-6-710-19 Man He Can Skoot(SAllard)1-9-76-1

THIRD: mile pace; $16,000; Clyde Hirt

3 Shaws Creek Buff(DMiller)6-2-25-15 Cee Pee Panic(YGingras)6-5-15-22 Mr Dennis(MMiller)10-1-39-21 The Green Knight(ECarlson)1-6-415-14 Dial A Win(RPierce)2-7-18-16 ArtsIdealHanover(Bouchrd)9-1-27-27 Varsity Hanover(JCampbell)7-2-212-18 Big Red(TTetrick)3-3-28-1

FOURTH: mile trot; $12,000; cond

10 Real Babe(DMiller)1-4-86-18 Dw's Ny Yank(YGingras)1-7-23-13 Macho Lindy(AMiller)3-5-77-21 Stretch Limo(ECarlson)1-4-58-12 As Ya'll Like It(JCampbell)6-4-115-14 Stand Guard(SAllard)9-7-612-15 R Sam(SBouchard)6-8-620-16 Ringside Lauryn(CCallahan)5-8-715-17 My Leap Of Faith(TTetrick)3-7-39-29 Tasty Max(RPierce)5-1-410-1

FIFTH: mile pace; $16,000; Clyde Hirt

4 Holdingallthecards(Tetrick)1-2-19-51 Ringo(CCallahan)1-1-13-15 Arthur(TButer)1-1-39-22 Yankee Doodle Jim(AMiller)6-1-512-13 Eyes OnlyForYou(Campbell)2-2-18-16 Bullet Bob(BSimpson)4-5-210-17 Who Dat Love(YGingras)8-6-715-18 Tiger In The Tank(DMiller)4-8-820-19 Screen The Call(RPierce)1-5-26-1

SIXTH: mile trot; $20,000; cond

6 Rose Run Hooligan(SAllard)2-3-83-13 Harbor Point(RPierce)10-1-17-25 Speculation(AMiller)2-3-16-11 Equity(YGingras)4-5-64-12 Lucky Roll(DMiller)2-3-46-14 Bad Boy Billy(SBouchard)3-1-315-17 Stir Me Up(CCallahan)8-4-112-18 Celtic Merchant(ECarlson)5-8-420-19 Waldorf Hall(JCampbell)1-1-78-110 Chick N Tell(TTetrick)1-4-215-1

SEVENTH: mile pace; $20,000; cond

4 Chief Karen(CCallahan)2-1-13-13 ArgumentHanover(YGingrs)1-6-54-15 Mj's Bid(DMiller)5-1-18-11 Cuz She Can(AMiller)9-4-115-12 MojarraHanover(JBongiorn)1-2-410-16 Rhapsody Rose(JCampbell)7-1-820-17 All About Kisses(RPierce)8-8-220-18 Rub Thing(SAllard)9-1-58-19 Queen Of Royalty(ECarlson)2-7-45-110 Mystical Victress(MMiller)1-3-27-2

EIGHTH: mile pace; $14,000; cond

8 Delightful Diva(DMiller)1-4-63-17 Honey DoJigtime(CCallahan)1-1-58-19 Go On Bb(YGingras)7-5-59-21 Synergy Seelster(ECarlson)4-7-412-12 Shaky Hanover(TTetrick)10-5-610-13 Nite Games(JCampbell)8-1-615-14 Grounded(BSimpson)10-3-112-15 Reilly's Daughter(MMiller)5-3-77-26 Sleazy Does It(SBouchard)6-8-312-110 One Night(RPierce)5-2-46-1

NINTH: mile trot; $14,000; cond

6 Flashy Lady(BSimpson)1-2-23-17 Mohegan Hanover(AMiller)2-4-77-29 Tsmlil Orphan Andy(DMiller)1-7-412-11 Jl Rockin Jake(RPierce)8-4-115-12 Spice It Up Lindy(JMeittinis)2-5-36-13 Long Story Short(SAllard)1-2-29-24 Proud Moment(CCallahan)5-2-56-15 Rev It Now(TTetrick)4-2-510-18 Jon Win(JCampbell)2-8-112-110 Shanty Irish(YGingras)4-7-915-1

TENTH: mile pace; $11,550; claiming

7 Stormin Rustler(JCampbell)1-2-53-11 Western Tsunami(DMiller)4-5-36-18 DreamzzzzRForU(Callahan)1-4-54-12 Image Of Dawn(JBongiorno)1-1-18-13 Power Surge(SBouchard)4-7-220-14 Lady's Bag Man(SAllard)4-6-625-15 Nf Independence(ECarlson)6-7-525-16 Four Starz Alex(AMiller)9-4-415-19 Betterthanlynx(TTetrick)1-1-115-110 Wisher(YGingras)5-4-39-211 Time Stood Still(RPierce)6-1-312-112 Ya Gotta Go(VGinsburg)3-4-812-1

ELEVENTH: mile pace; $12,000; cond

9 Miss Sand Creek(SAllard)4-1-23-18 Real Ravishing(AMiller)8-5-78-12 Love You Bye(ECarlson)3-3-58-11 Fox Valley Swift(TTetrick)3-5-16-13 Runaway Tray(JCampbell)8-4-412-14 Sadies Place(RPierce)6-5-315-15 Gordyyy's Pet(DMiller)1-7-712-16 Hostess Lisa(CCallahan)9-1-415-17 Runaway Rose(BSimpson)3-1-47-210 Tykesa Moon(YGingras)10-3-49-2

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 24:32:23 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/meadowlands_graded_entries_UlJAr25u1mBUOOGNUJZ0VI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/meadowlands_graded_entries_UlJAr25u1mBUOOGNUJZ0VI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing 5.11.918835373 -1 false By VIC CANGIALOSI Horse Racing

FIRST-7 fur; $14,000; clm($25,000); 4up

1-Barrio Baby 8-55-Hillbilly Trick 12-12-Ardency 5-26-MemrysNDres10-13-Royalsantjmes20-17-It'zaSharpWind5-14-ArchboldOrnge7-2

SECOND-6 fur; $20,000; mdn; 3YO(f)

3-Putitinmypcket8-55-Diana's Daisy 5-11-Lori's Store 3-16-K. O.'s Touch 6-12-Barksdale 15-17-Magic Charm 9-24-Katze 10-1

THIRD-6 fur; $14,700; clm($16,000); 4up

2-Chelsea Brook 2-15-Grande Shores 7-21-Hope Defered 15-16-It Takes Heart 6-13-GibsonCntyLne3-17-PepermntPrnce9-24-Holy Highway 12-1

FOURTH-6 fur; $9,000; clm($5,000); 4up

1-Regina Twain 2-15-GetYorShneOn20-12-Mis Max 8-16-Repent's Gem 12-13-Connie'sJneMn8-17-Bobby's Bell 5-24-Lawyer Jen 7-28-EssenceofTme10-1

FIFTH-6 fur; $10,000; clm($8,000); 4up

2-Time Tix Ahead9-26-This Guy 4-11-Ynot Gray Boy10-17-Aldanitykaha 3-13-Amaicing Gerry5-18-Golani Rules 8-14-Belmont Road 6-19-TheGretZmbn10-15-Dewest 20-1

SIXTH-1 1/16m(T); $20,000; mdn; 4up(f)

9-Bonjour Belle 4-17-Gossip Line 10-11-Abitya 15-18-Katelyn Lima 30-12-Single 5-210-TakeWhtYCn15-13-Fast and Strong6-111-Rokeby Baby 20-14-Three G Speed30-112-Why Not More 5-15-Homestead 7-213-Wheat Cat 20-16-ChneltheGreen9-214-CrimsonSpire 12-1

SEVENTH-5 1/2 fur; $12,000; cl($6,25); 4up

9-Tripp O Steel 5-25-DreamofAtlants7-21-RoylRedSecret20-16-Hiyaben 15-12-LonesomeStrm6-17-Mr. Green 8-13-Onesteptogo 5-18-Banyan 15-14-Saucy's Got It 9-2

EIGHTH-1m(T); $17,000; clm($25,000); 4up

5-World Tour 7-28-El Gator 15-11-Tazz Time 15-19-I. E. Flash 5-12-Jewelin'nRses12-110-Lake Nona 12-13-Oncenmylfete8-111-Cocodimama 5-24-CosmotheCmet6-112-CncrdeExpress8-16-Joropo 3-113-Hov Lane 5-17-Santonio d'Oro 6-114-WintersCmng10-1

NINTH-1m&40yds; $12,000; clm($6,25); 4up

8-Skip totheNorth2-15-Fu Pegs Baby 20-11-BrothersOutlaw9-26-Wildcat Prince12-12-Longhammer 4-17-PoliticalPassin12-13-Holiday Boy 20-19-Stayonit 20-14-Noroamin 20-110-Preacher Buck 7-2

TENTH-5 fur(T); $20,200; alw; 4up(f)

4-Falconess 5-18-L D's Galaxy 12-11-SimpleExchnge7-29-CountessEmm30-12-Buleria 3-110-Venus de Milo 6-13-Deneslldremer10-111-Island Style 20-15-Christina d'Oro 8-112-No Contest 15-16-Royal Promise 5-113-Aquinnah 10-17-Carolyn M. 20-114-JudysReflectn20-1

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 24:32:16 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/vic_cangialosi_at_tampa_bay_graded_MlBZ22sV5kOOlExCbL65NI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/vic_cangialosi_at_tampa_bay_graded_MlBZ22sV5kOOlExCbL65NI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing 5.11.918835359 -1 false Horse Racing

January 10th, 2013

Clear and Fast

©2013 Equibase. All Rights Reserved

FIRST-6 fur; $31,000; clm($20,000); 4up

Off: 12:30. Good. press 2p, drifted out

Time: 23.49, 46.94, 58.9, 1:11.57.

Trainer: Linda Rice

Winner: GR/RO G, 6, by Holy Bull-Petite d'Accord

HorseWt.PP1/41/2Str.FinJockeyOddsCatalan113 4 2 2 2 1 1/21 hdOrtiz3.65Ultimo Principe118 1 1 1 1 12 1 1/2Velasqez1.25Classic R and B118 3 4 5 5 13 hdDomngez2.80Sensational Slam118 7 3 3 4 14 noCastro6.40Free Brave118 2 6 4 3 hd5 1/2Morales31.00Writingonthewall118 6 5 6 6 1 1/26 nkSmith13.50Buckeye Heart118 5 7 7 77Hill27.50

4-Catalan9.303.602.501-Ultimo Principe2.702.103-Classic R and B2.50

* Exacta (4-1) $20.20 * Superfecta (4-1-3-7) $152.50 * Trifecta (4-1-3) $46.20 *

SECOND-1m&70yds; $24,000; mdn clm($16,000); 3YO

Off: 12:58. Good. 3w 3/8,asked 1/4-1/16p

Time: 23.71, 48.37, 1:14.42, 1:4.4, 1:44.78.

Trainer: Nicholas Esler

Winner: DK B/ C, 3, by Student Council-Lucky Pipit (GB)

Scr: Got a Hunch, More Falling Star, Grantiggan.

HorseWt.PP1/41/2Str.FinJockeyOddsDenn Piper120 2 5 4 1 11 9 1/2Domngez2.25Proud Day Indeed115 3 1 1 2 52 2 1/4Ortiz0.85Spirit of Peace113 1 2 2 3 43 7Coa5.90Shadon120 4 3 3 4 244Castro5.00Transit Blues120 5 4 5 5_Davis21.30

4-Denn Piper6.502.502.405-Proud Day Indeed2.302.102-Spirit of Peace2.80

* Daily Double (4-4) $35.40 * Exacta (4-5) $11.60 * Quinella (4-5) $6.10 * Trifecta (4-5-2) $27.80 *

Winner picked by Debbie L.

THIRD-6 fur; $40,000; mdn clm($50,000); 4up

Off: 1:26. Good. pressed 3w, drew clear

Time: 23.33, 47.08, 59.32, 1:12.1.

Trainer: Mark Hennig

Winner: B C, 4, by Indian Charlie-Royal Cheer

Scr: Excess Liquidity.

HorseWt.PP1/41/2Str.FinJockeyOddsDattts Happy121 4 3 2 1 1 1/21 3 1/4Domngez1.15Artist Colony119 5 5 5 4 2 1/22 1 1/2Alvarado7.00Demon's Deputy121 3 2 1 2 hd3 3/4Luzzi2.70Economic Forecast121 2 4 4 3 2 1/24 8Castro2.55Imreloaded114 1 1 3 55Rodrgez17.60

4-Dattts Happy4.302.602.105-Artist Colony5.102.503-Demon's Deputy2.10

* Pick 3 (4-4-4) 3 Correct $70.00 * Daily Double (4-4) $12.80 * Exacta (4-5) $20.40 * Trifecta (4-5-3) $49.00 *

Double picked by Debbie L.

Winner by DaSilva, Fountaine, Vic C., Consensus

FOURTH-6 fur; $48,000; alw; 3YO

Off: 1:54. Good. 3w,with something left

Time: 23.04, 47.05, 58.66, 1:11.42.

Trainer: Rudy Rodriguez

Winner: DK B/ C, 3, by Successful Appeal-She's Roughin It

Scr: Money in Return, Readysetketch, Summer Revival.

HorseWt.PP1/41/2Str.FinJockeyOddsThe Truth and K G115 5 2 1 1 61 6 3/4Ortiz0.45Mr. Lit120 3 5 4 2 12 5 1/4Alvarado4.50Tweet Me118 2 1 2 3 23 1Domngez3.75Mayberry Madness118 1 3 3 4 1 1/24 1/2Velsqez10.80Iron Dale Al118 4 4 5 55Luzzi21.70

8-The Truth and K G2.902.302.105-Mr. Lit3.202.104-Tweet Me2.30

* Pick 3 (4-4-8) 3 Correct $19.20 * Daily Double (4-8) $7.00 * Exacta (8-5) $5.90 * Quinella (5-8) $5.90 * Trifecta (8-5-4) $12.00 *

Double picked by Fountaine, Vic C, Consensus

Winner by Affrunti

FIFTH-1m&70yds; $50,000; hdcp; 4up(f)

Off: 2:22. Good. ease 3p 5/16, handily

Time: 23.15, 47.37, 1:13.31, 1:38.76, 1:43.16.

Trainer: John Parisella

Winner: B F, 4, by Malibu Moon-Penny Marie

HorseWt.PP1/41/2Str.FinJockeyOddsCentrique124 4 4 3 1 71 6 1/4Domngez0.90Floating Alone116 5 5 5 2 hd2 4 1/2Castro18.40Sheza Heartbreaker117 3 3 4 3 1/23 hdOrtiz6.40Quite a Feat112 6 7 7 5 104 2 3/4Lezcano86.25Freud's Notebook119 7 2 2 4 25Luzzi6.80Private Councel113 1 6 6 6_Rodrgez66.00Pleasantfriday122 2 1 1 __Velasqez2.00

4-Centrique3.802.802.105-Floating Alone9.604.503-Sheza Heartbreaker3.40

* Pick 4 (4-3/4/7-2/3/7/8-4) 4 Correct $53.50 * Pick 3 (3/4/7-2/3/7/8-4) 3 Correct $12.80 * Daily Double (8-4) $6.10 * Exacta (4-5) $40.60 * Superfecta (4-5-3-6) $1,199.00 * Trifecta (4-5-3) $158.00 *

Pick Three picked by Fountaine, (Best Bet), Vic C. (Best Bet), Consensus (Best Bet)

Double by Affrunti (Best Bet)

Winner by DaSilva, Debbie L. (Best Bet)

SIXTH-6 fur; $35,000; mdn clm($35,000); 3YO

Off: 2:51. 6. stumbled st, drew clr

Time: 23.4, 47.9, 59.69, 1:12.61.

Trainer: Gary Gullo

Winner: DK B/ C, 3, by Read the Footnotes-Highly Capable

Scr: Ride'em Cowboy, Burning Flame.

HorseWt.PP1/41/2Str.FinJockeyOddsReadthesmokesignal120 2 1 1 1 41 6 1/2Luzzi1.95Ask About Me120 5 2 2 2 4 1/22 4Domngez2.75Belief System120 6 3 6 5 1 1/23 1Velasqez2.05Unbridled Band120 4 5 4 3 hd4 2 3/4Castro5.70You Tarzan120 1 4 3 4 3 1/25 2Ortiz13.70Augie Dawgie120 3 6 5 66Smith19.50

3-Readthesmokesignal5.903.202.207-Ask About Me4.002.508-Belief System2.10

* Pick 3 (2/3/7/8-4-1/3/4) 3 Correct $22.80 * Daily Double (4-3) $13.80 * Exacta (3-7) $21.00 * Superfecta (3-7-8-6) $128.00 * Trifecta (3-7-8) $39.20 *

Double picked by DaSilva

SEVENTH-1m&70yds; $59,000; alw; 4up

Off: 3:18. Good. angle off rail 1/4pl

Time: 24.38, 49.64, 1:14.52, 1:38.43, 1:42.25.

Trainer: Chad Brown

Winner: B G, 4, by Read the Footnotes-Near Bethany

Scr: Rocky World, Quiet Favorite.

HorseWt.PP1/41/2Str.FinJockeyOddsReadtheprospectus123 3 3 3 2 31 nkDomngez1.80Readthebyline120 1 1 1 1 1 1/22 6 1/2Hill1.90Bigger Is Bettor118 4 6 6 5 1 1/23 1/2Castro2.65Parachute Coney111 5 2 2 3 1/24 1/2Coa9.30Thunder Chief118 2 5 5 4 1/25 3 1/4Velsqez16.00Take a Walk113 6 4 4 66Ortiz12.80

3-Readtheprospectus5.603.002.501-Readthebyline3.102.504-Bigger Is Bettor2.40

* Pick 3 (4-1/3/4-3/6/8) 3 Correct $34.00 * Daily Double (3-3) $15.60 * Exacta (3-1) $14.80 * Superfecta (3-1-4-5) $77.00 * Trifecta (3-1-4) $27.40 *

Winner picked by Fountaine, Affrunti, Debbie L., Consensus

EIGHTH-6 fur; $64,000; alw; 4up

Off: 3:49. 2. vie 2p,brisk hand ride

Time: 23.66, 47.65, 58.16, 1:1.23.

Trainer: Rudy Rodriguez

Winner: GR/RO H, 5, by Rockport Harbor-Dontgetinmyway

Scr: Straight Fax, Crown the Chief.

HorseWt.PP1/41/2Str.FinJockeyOddsSinai118 5 2 1 1 11 1 1/4Velasqez1.95He's So Chic118 1 6 5 4 1/22 2 1/4Alvarado1.25Dr Disco118 4 1 2 2 23 1 1/2Hill10.30Itsagoodtendollars118 6 4 3 3 hd4 1 1/4Domngez3.15Rich Hero111 3 3 4 5 85 16 1/4Coa48.75Yield Bogey118 2 5 6 66Castro13.40

5-Sinai5.902.902.301-He's So Chic2.602.104-Dr Disco2.70

* Pick 3 (1/3/4-3/6/8-5/6) 3 Correct $41.80 * Grand Slam (3/4/5-1/3/4/7/8-1/3/4/6/8-5) 4 Correct $10.80 * Daily Double (3-5) $16.60 * Exacta (5-1) $9.50 * Superfecta (5-1-4-7) $79.50 * Trifecta (5-1-4) $44.60 *

NINTH-6 fur; $30,000; clm($20,000); 4up

Off: 4:18. Good. pace ins, edged clear

Time: 23.18, 47.57, 58.81, 1:11.68.

Trainer: Linda Rice

Winner: B G, 5, by Yes It's True-Vision Quest

Scr: Reggie D.

HorseWt.PP1/41/2Str.FinJockeyOddsIt's Truly Ahvee120 6 1 1 1 21 2Velasqez6.70Lost Decade120 5 5 2 2 22 1 1/4Morales2.50Bos'n Alwyne113 2 3 4 3 2 1/23 3 1/2Coa9.30Torment120 1 8 7 7 1 1/24 1/2Domngez2.05War Hitch115 4 6 6 5 1/25 1Ortiz3.80Our Eli120 7 7 8 8 36 3/4Alvarad14.70Think I'm Hooked120 9 2 3 4 1 1/27 1 3/4Castro17.80Rkatsiteli120 3 4 5 6 1/28 hdPerez58.75Tycoon Cat120 8 9 9 99Lezcano62.50

6-It's Truly Ahvee15.407.804.605-Lost Decade4.502.802-Bos'n Alwyne4.90

* Pick 6 (2/3/7/8-4-1/3/4-3/6/8-5-6) 6 Correct $1,608.00 , 5 Correct $24.60 * Pick 4 (1/3/4-3/6/8-5-6) 4 Correct $335.00 * Pick 3 (3/6/8-5/6-6/7) 3 Correct $123.00 * Superfecta (6-5-2-1) $1,156.00 * Daily Double (5-6) $37.60 * Exacta (6-5) $68.00 * Trifecta (6-5-2) $378.00 *

Attendance 2,481.

Track Handle $625,040.

Total Handle $5,055,098.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 24:32:08 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/aqueduct_charts_EX89q1d1YS48BfzSRWa8EI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/aqueduct_charts_EX89q1d1YS48BfzSRWa8EI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing 5.11.918835345 -1 false Horse Racing

WEATHER Clear TRACK Fast

FIRST-mile; pace; $3800; cond

OFF: 12:29 TIME: 1:59.0

1Urban Art(WParkerJr)15.206.103.704Mc Dragon (M Merton)4.203.102Needles and Pins (K Dibenedetto)3.40

* Exacta (1-4) $56.50 * Trifecta (1-4-2) $21.00 * Superfecta (1-4-2-7) $916.00

SECOND-mile; trot; $3000; cond

OFF: 12:49 TIME: 2:03.1

3FlrtngDuezy(JTggrtJr)12.604.804.307B Twenty Nine (R Harp)14.2010.401Costner Blue Chip (K Switzer Jr)7.90

* Exacta (3-7) $182.50 * Trifecta (3-7-1) $751.00 * Daily double (1-3) $105.50 * Superfecta (3-7-1-5) $2,345.00

Winner picked by Little

THIRD-mile; pace; $3800; cond

OFF: 1:10 TIME: 1:59.2

4Lexus Artist(JDevaux)6.804.603.005Dianas Jewel (R Vinci)33.6012.002Home Wrecker (J Taggart Jr)2.90

* Exacta (4-5) $164.50 * Trifecta (4-5-2) $603.00 * Pick 3 (1-3-4) $268.00 * Superfecta (4-5-2-9) $3,897.00

FOURTH-mile; trot; $2200; cond

OFF: 1:30 TIME: 2:03.1

7Getthemony(JMrohn)5.103.203.003Tornado Alley (C Poynton)11.007.001Kash Now (J Devaux)3.40

* Exacta (7-3) $30.40 * Trifecta (7-3-1) $111.50 * Pick 3 (3-4-7) $153.50 * Superfecta (7-3-1-2) $324.50

FIFTH-mile; pace; $3100; cond

OFF: 1:48 TIME: 2:01.1

4HD Santorino(MForte)7.004.403.807Leroy Jack (K Switzer Jr)27.008.605Seth First (R Dane Jr)13.60

Scr: Chester Hanover.

* Exacta (4-7) $161.50 * Trifecta (4-7-5) $1,398.00 * Pick 3 (4-7-4) $223.50 * Superfecta (4-7-5-6) $6,597.00

Winner picked by Little

SIXTH-mile; pace; $3800; cond

OFF: 2:05 TIME: 1:57.4

2GallcWarror(JDevaux)2.702.302.104Mcmarvel (M Merton)2.802.601Yes Your Mattjesty (J Marohn)3.80

* Exacta (2-4) $8.60 * Trifecta (2-4-1) $25.00 * Daily double (4-2) $14.60 * Pick 3 (7-4-2) $46.40 * Superfecta (2-4-1-8) $234.00

SEVENTH-mile; pace; $3000; cond

OFF: 2:27 TIME: 1:59.2

1CnneRocky(GMerton)3.402.602.303ComeHomHony(KDbndtto)3.102.602Look Sharp Jack (M Merton)10.40

* Exacta (1-3) $11.60 * Trifecta (1-3-2) $67.00 * Pick 3 (4-2-1) $32.00 * Superfecta (1-3-2-9) $452.50

EIGHTH-mile; trot; $3800; cond

OFF: 2:46 TIME: 2:00.3

5RebelPrince(JDevaux)20.208.804.703StrikngForever(JTaggartJr)2.802.504Tas Avance (P Beeler)2.80

* Exacta (5-3) $66.50 * Trifecta (5-3-4) $235.00 * Pick 3 (2-1-5) $62.00 * Superfecta (5-3-4-2) $1,264.00

NINTH-mile; pace; $3100; cond

OFF: 3:09 TIME: 1:58.2

2IGetAround(JTggrtJr)4.803.102.403Make It Kate (M Forte)4.202.904Dolly Dagger (K Dibenedetto)2.80

Scr: Markin My Teritory.

* Exacta (2-3) $18.00 * Trifecta (2-3-4) $43.00 * Daily double (5-2) $64.50 * Pick 3 (1-5-2) $197.50 * Superfecta (2-3-4-1) $235.00

TENTH-mile; pace; $4000; cl($2600)

OFF: 3:28 TIME: 1:59.1

2EssntlSgns(GAnnloro)9.205.003.001BehndEnemyLnes(JDevux)3.002.308Briars Return (J Taggart Jr)2.70

* Exacta (2-1) $28.80 * Trifecta (2-1-8) $291.00 * Pick 3 (5-2-2) $429.50 * Superfecta (2-1-8-9) $498.00

ELEVENTH-mile; pace; $3800; cond

OFF: 3:46 TIME: 2:00.2

1Myynkeegrl(JMrohn)20.407.208.802FrustrtedFrn(CHuckbonIII)5.904.205Moving In Together (M Forte)9.70

* Exacta (1-2) $112.00 * Trifecta (1-2-5) $584.00 * Pick 3 (2-2-1) $300.00 * Superfecta (1-2-5-3) $1,315.00

TWELFTH-mile; trot; $2600; cond

OFF: 4:04 TIME: 2:02.3

2Strongbow(JTaggrtJr)7.803.503.606R Moni Girl (A Buttitta)3.802.401Spicy Caviar (C Poynton)3.70

Scr: Righteous.

* Exacta (2-6) $36.60 * Trifecta (2-6-1) $116.00 * Pick 3 (2-1-2) $174.00 * Superfecta (2-6-1-8) $1,006.00

THIRTEENTH-mile; pace; $4000; cl($2600)

OFF: 4:24 TIME: 1:59.2

2Amazida (J TaggartJr)10.604.304.505Quiet Hero (W Parker Jr)5.904.208River Waltz N (K Switzer Jr)7.00

* Exacta (2-5) $61.50 * Trifecta (2-5-8) $524.00 * Pick 3 (1-2-2) $789.00 * Superfecta (2-5-8-7) $2,412.00 *

HANDLE $696,042.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 24:31:59 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/monticello_results_4REnZlbL8vLhNmE4Orvo4H?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/monticello_results_4REnZlbL8vLhNmE4Orvo4H?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing 5.11.918835331 -1 false Horse Racing

All horses appear in post position order

FIRST-5 1/2 fur; $23,000; mdn clm($16,000); 3YO(f)

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3TrainerOdds2 Shiksa Goddess ,115J Ortiz8-12-xContess12-13 Westerday(L),120CVelasquz2-3-9Galluscio9-54 Dixie Sparkle ,120M Studartx-x-xFriedmn15-11 a-See See See(L),113A Battula6-7-6Aquilino20-11 a-Deferral(L),113GRodriguz9-7-7Aquilino20-15 Ivory Lightning(L),120J Davis9-x-xContess20-16 TaylorsGoldnEy(L),120A Lezcano6-x-xGranvlle30-17 Boldchildsrvng(L),113K Coa5-5-7B Brown8-58 Contraindicatn(M),120E Castrox-x-xRyerson6-19 Myopia(L),120J Alvarado4-2-3D'Alessn8-1

SECOND-1 1/2 miles; $75,000; 4up

COYOTE LAKES STAKES

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3TrainerOdds2 Our Entourage(L),124J Alvarado6-7-1Jacobson8-53 Rocky World(L),119GRodriguz3-4-3Metivier20-14 Charlie's Quest(L),119CVelasquz4-2-1R Dutrow5-15 Wayward Sailor(L),119J Ortiz1-4-6Cannizzo7-21 a-Ea(L),119RDomingz2-4-4Jacobson5-21 GuyanaStarDwj(L),119SCamchJr4-5-3Shivmngl6-16 a-Punster(L),119C DeCarlo5-2-7Jacobson5-2

THIRD-6 fur; $25,000; clm($12,500); 4up

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3TrainerOdds1 LilO'sExpressin(L),111GRodriguz7-6-8Barrera30-12 Al's Lark(L),118CVelasquz1-1-5Levine3-13 Gimmenthrwnk(L),118L Perez4-5-5Grusmrk15-14 Hold ThatBroad(L),115J Ortiz1-2-3Galluscio8-55 Dorian Will(L),118P Fragoso5-2-7Englehart6-16 Starforaday(L),120RDomingz5-3-1Sacco2-1

FOURTH-1 mile; $65,000; mdn; 3YO

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3TrainerOdds2 Chambers Bay(M),120E Castrox-x-xHennig20-13 Freight(L),120J Alvarado4-x-xMott6-14 Revocation(L),120RDomingz3-3-xColetti2-11 a-Incognito ,120M Luzzi5-x-xMcLghln12-15 Bellamy Beach(L),120CVelasquz3-4-xPletcher4-11 a-Telegraph Hill ,115K Coa5-8-xAlbertrn12-16 Prince Curlin(L),113P Tomas6-7-xPersaud30-17 Buddy's Tiz(L),115J Ortiz5-x-xLevine6-18 Elnaawi ,120C Hill3-x-xMcLaghln5-2

FIFTH-1m&70yds; $23,000; clm($12,500); 4up

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3TrainerOdds1 Willy Pay(L),120CVelasquz2-3-2Guerrero2-12 HopeStllSprngs(L),113K Coa7-9-8B Brown7-23 KevinSilverlasp(L),113A Battula7-2-7Shvmngl15-14 Winter Now(L),120J Davis7-8-5Contessa8-15 FreudianTherapist,113GRodriguz10-9-4Barrera30-16 Out ofYourMind(L),120SCamchJr10-12-6Sciacca50-17 Ess Shape(L),115J Ortiz8-5-7Reynlds20-18 Know Sense(L),120J Alvarado1-2-4Zito10-19 HandsomeHrbr(L),120P Morales5-3-4Schsberg5-210 BulldogOnaBon(L),113P Tomas6-3-4Aquilino20-1

SIXTH-6 fur; $23,000; clm($12,500); 4up

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3TrainerOdds1 Settle forMedal(L),118M Luzzi6-4-7Grusmrk8-12 Chasin the Cash ,118S Jimenez4-7-1Lotrugli30-13 PocketCowbys(L),118A Lezcano3-6-7Jacobson6-14 Taproot(L),118P Morales6-1-2Ness2-15 Galaxy Kat(L),118SCamchJr7-7-5Aquilino12-16 AmericanBuffal(L),118L Perez7-9-1Gullo10-17 Hurricane Heat(L),111K Coa8-8-8Sciacca50-18 VictoriousLeadr(L),111P Tomas4-9-4LO'Brien15-19 Brooklyn Red ,118RDomingz9-8-8Contessa8-110 W.W.'sLdy'sMn(L),118M Studart9-6-7Barker5-111 Flo's Greatness(L),118A Smith8-2-6Iselin8-112 D' Sauvage(L),118J Davis9-7-5Chtterpl30-113 Afternoon Treat(L),118E Castro4-2-3Rodrigez5-214 MadmanDiaries(L),113J Ortiz2-4-2Guerrero9-515 TemeculaCreek(L),118CVelasquz5-8-4Rice7-216 SunshineValntn(L),118CVelasquz5-3-3Englehrt10-1

SEVENTH-6 fur; $52,000; alw; 4up

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3TrainerOdds1 RockStarCharli(L),113J Ortiz2-10-2Rice5-12 Ginger's Joe(L),108D Davis8-7-7Held50-13 Iron Lou(L),118P Fragoso7-3-1Englehart6-14 Wishingonastar(L),118C DeCarlo10-3-5Barker12-15 Toninthirteen(L),111GRodriguz4-6-4Rojas20-16 Maggie'sHaddr(L),118CVelasquz2-3-1Galluscio2-17 Southbechsndy(L),118E Castro6-4-6Rice8-18 Thor's Mjolnor(L),118J Davis3-8-5Contessa8-19 Junior Officer(L),120RDomingz1-3-6Rodrigez3-1

EIGHTH-6 fur; $75,000; 3YO(f)

RUTHLESS STAKES

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3TrainerOdds1 Kiss the Lady(L),116J Ortiz6-1-5Rodrigez4-12 Kimono(L),116RDomingz2-3-1Pletcher3-13 Little Rocket(L),118M Luzzi1-1-xHushion5-24 My Kinda Party(L),118CVelasquz1-2-1A Dutrow4-15 Lady Banks(L),116E Castro1-2-xLawrence7-26 Railtown Girl(L),116J Alvarado1-x-xMcLghln12-1

NINTH-1m&70yds; $55,000; mdn; 3YO

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3TrainerOdds3 Chrisandlrspss(L),120CVelasquz2-5-5J Jerkens5-21 a-He HasCharm(L),120C Hill2-8-xZito10-14 Night Editor(L),120RDomingz2-4-8R Dutrow5-15 Everydghshsdy(L),120J Davis3-3-7Contess12-16 Sunnyinseabrk(L),115GRodriguz4-x-xGyarmat30-12 b-GhostlyVision(L),115J Ortiz3-x-xSchettino2-17 Wise Guide(L),120P Morales6-x-xKimmel12-18 Can'tCtchMNw(L),120A Smith4-6-3Gullo15-19 Front(L),120J Alvarado3-3-5J Jerkens8-110 Big Breesy(L),113K Coa7-x-xViolette15-111 Privatize(L),113GRodriguz8-x-xGyarmat30-112 CallfortheClock(L),120E Castro5-7-xHennig15-113 HereCmsTmmy(L),120M Luzzi4-4-2Morrison8-12 b-CieloSoleggit(L),120C Hill2-x-xSchettino2-11 a-Everythrdyhr(L),120J Alvarado9-3-6Zito10-1

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 24:31:50 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/tomorrow_aqueduct_entries_MHQUCxoAzGJixEOZH7qAiP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/tomorrow_aqueduct_entries_MHQUCxoAzGJixEOZH7qAiP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing 5.11.918835317 -1 false AP Soccer

BARCELONA, Spain — David Villa scored twice to raise his season total to 10 goals and Alexis Sanchez got his second and third goals of the season to lead defending champion Barcelona over Cordoba 5-0 last night and into the Copa del Rey quarterfinals.

Resting Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez, Barcelona won the total-goals series 7-0 and will play against Malaga in the next round. Barcelona also plays at Malaga in the Spanish league on Sunday.

Thiago Alcantara put Barcelona ahead in the 17th minutes and Villa, who missed the second half of last season after breaking a leg, added goals in the 21st and 26th.

Atletico Madrid tied Getafe 0-0 and advanced 3-0 to a quarterfinal against Betis, which beat Las Palmas 1-0 on Ruben Castro's 85th-minute goal for a 2-1 aggregate win.

The other quarterfinals are Real Madrid-Valencia and Zaragoza-Sevilla.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 02:33:05 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/soccer/villa_scores_twice_to_lead_barcelona_SGqaEMx4kepgakwGthdbLP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Soccer http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/soccer/villa_scores_twice_to_lead_barcelona_SGqaEMx4kepgakwGthdbLP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Soccer 5.11.918835303 -1 false Horse Racing

DaSilvaFountaineAffruntiDebbie L.Vic C.Consensus46/143 $300.5039/144 $183.4042/143 $217.4045/143 $267.8040/143 $236.3044/143 $218.301Cool N QuietCool N QuietCool N QuietSaturday AppealCool N QuietCool N Quiet21Saturday AppealSaturday AppealIm StokedDanceteriaSaturday AppealSaturday Appeal15Im StokedIm StokedSaturday AppealCool N QuietIm StokedIm Stoked62Pleasant PrinceLate StarterLate StarterPleasant PrincePleasant PrincePleasant Prince21Best ActorPleasant PrinceBest ActorBest ActorLate StarterLate Starter14Late StarterBest ActorPleasant PrinceIdle AmericanBest ActorBest Actor113BeelinerBeelinerBeelinerEl Oh ElBeelinerBeeliner23El Oh ElEl Oh ElEl Oh ElBeelinerEl Oh ElEl Oh El17DeterrentStart JumpingStart JumpingStart JumpingHoppy DoStart Jumping34Winning PalWinning PalWinning PalSuilleabhainLone Star GoldWinning Pal21Lone Star GoldKing KeeneKing KeeneWinning PalWinning PalLone Star Gold10Cameron CanyonCameron CanyonLone Star GoldLone Star GoldDry HumorKing Keene65HackletonHackletonHackletonHackletonHackletonHackleton28DendriteDendriteDendriteDendritePromised DestinyDendrite13Promised DestinyPromised DestinyPromised DestinySuperiorityDendritePromised Destiny66Skiddles N BobSuperstitious LoveSuperstitious LoveSkiddles N BobBlondecatSuperstitious Love19Superstitious LoveSummer FlickKarma PoliceSuperstitious LoveSuperstitious LoveSkiddles N Bob11Karma PoliceKarma PoliceSkiddles N BobBlondecatBeppjBlondecat67Untapped SecretTrue FortuneTrue FortuneTrue FortuneUntapped SecretTrue Fortune21True FortuneUntapped SecretE Street BourbonUntapped SecretTrue FortuneUntapped Secret16Gee LinzE Street BourbonGee LinzE Street BourbonGee LinzE Street Bourbon58Warrior UpFortitudeFortitudeSnap CallWarrior UpWarrior Up16Audies ChampWarrior UpWarrior UpFortitudeFortitudeFortitude16Roaring ConquestAudies ChampAudies ChampAudies ChampSnap CallSnap Call69Victoryat LastI Dreamt I WasMollies PrizeI Dreamt I WasVictoryat LastI Dreamt I Was19I Dreamt I WasMollies PrizeI Dreamt I WasVictoryat LastI Dreamt I WasVictoryat Last15Mollies PrizeVictoryat LastVictoryat LastBeautiful RiskMollies PrizeMollies Prize10TwillerbeeMy Unbridled StormTwillerbeeTwillerbeeMy Unbridled StormBeautiful Risk1

Records reflect winners, starters and $2 win-bet total on top selectionConsensus is based on 5-3-1 point system. Extra point given for BEST BET.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 24:31:17 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/post_experts_pick_the_winners_kPCIZwzn4jshyVlUaBP3xO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/post_experts_pick_the_winners_kPCIZwzn4jshyVlUaBP3xO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing 5.11.918835273 -1 false By JOHN DASILVA Horse Racing

Post Time: 12:30 p.m.

All horses appear in post position order

1. 5 1/2 fur; $50,000; mdn; 3YO

COOL AND QUIET switches to Junior after setting the pace and tiring going longer when making career debut. SATURDAY APPEAL cuts back to sprint after tiring badly last out. IM STOKED by good first out sire and races with Lasix while drawing the rail for career debut.

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3TrainerOdds1 I'm Stoked(M),120C Hillx-x-xHushion7-22 My Teddy Bear(M),115J Ortizx-x-xSciacca8-13 Danceteria(M),120C Velasquezx-x-xRice4-14 Cool and Quiet(L),120J Alvarado5-x-xBaker2-15 The Spotted Wonder ,113P Tomasx-x-xL O'Brien12-16 Saturday Appeal(L),120R Dominguez6-2-6Schosberg3-1

2. 1 1/8 miles; $67,000; alw; 4up

PLEASANT PRINCE stretches out and switches to Ramon after closing to be beaten three lengths. BEST ACTOR goes turf to dirt and stretches out after winning first start since September. LATE STARTER drew off to an impressive victory versus claimers while going shorter.

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3TrainerOdds1 Idle American(L),120E Castro4-6-1P Kelly10-12 Late Starter(L),113J Ortiz1-6-8R Dutrow2-13 Pleasant Prince(L),118R Dominguez5-4-2B Brown8-54 Best Actor(L),123C Velasquez1-3-3Servis3-15 Citizen Wells(L),118J Alvarado1-2-5Weaver5-1

3. 6 fur; $43,000; mdn clm($60,000); 3YO

BEELINER comes in with a bullet work and faces maiden claimers for the first time after finishing third in both career starts. EL OH EL from good first out barn and races with Lasix while working well for career debut. DETERRENT adds blinkers and drops in class for return to sprint after tiring in recent starts.

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3TrainerOdds1 Hoppy Do ,118C Hillx-x-xDonato12-12 El Oh El(M),120R Dominguezx-x-xR Dutrow5-23 Deterrent(L),111K Coa7-8-9Hennig6-14 Start Jumping(M),120I Ortiz, Jrx-x-xSacco5-15 Beeliner(L),120J Alvarado3-3-xKenneally2-16 S'maverlous(M),118M Luzzix-x-xMcLaughlin4-1

4. 6 fur; $23,000; mdn clm($16,000); 4up

WINNING PAL drops in class after finishing third at this distance in his last two starts. LONE STAR GOLD drops in class for first start since tiring in May in first start for a tag. CAMERON CANYON drew the rail after being a beaten favorite this distance and level.

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3TrainerOdds1 Cameron Canyon(L),121I Ortiz, Jr8-2-6Galluscio4-12 Suilleabhain(L),116J Ortiz4-4-4Sciacca10-13 Lone Star Gold(L),121M Luzzi5-9-3Gyarmati4-14 Two Blue(L),114K Coa7-x-xYounghans15-15 Dry Humor ,121J Alvaradox-x-xReed7-26 Winning Pal(L),121C Velasquez3-3-6Rice5-27 Bwana Booyah(L),114G Rodriguez9-5-10Rojas20-18 King Keene(L),121J Davis4-9-10Contessa6-1

5. 1m&70yds; $24,000; mdn clm($16,000); 4up

HACKLETON drops in class and switches to Ramon after finishing second in local and dirt debut while being claimed last out. DENDRITE stretches out after finishing third this level in return to dirt. PROMISED DESTINY stretches out after closing to finish second.

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3TrainerOdds1 Wildhaassseee(L),121C Velasquez8-3-4Balsamo8-12 Hackleton(L),121R Dominguez2-5-xAsmussen1-13 Promised Destiny(L),121J Alvarado2-7-3Hennig3-14 Onewildriver(L),121P Morales2-5-5Antonucci12-15 Komisarek(L),121S Camacho, Jr8-5-7Sciacca30-16 Dendrite(L),121J Ortiz3-2-3C Martin5-17 Superiority(L),114A Battula2-5-5Persaud8-1

6. 6 fur; $23,000; clm($12,500); 4up(f)

SKIDDLES N BOB probable main speed of race makes third start off layoff after finishing third in last two starts. SUPERSTITIOUS LOVE drops in class after setting the pace and tiring to fourth as the favorite. KARMA POLICE drops in class after being a beaten favorite in first off claim.

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3TrainerOdds1 Beppj(L),111A Battula10-10-12Sciacca50-12 Blondecat(L),118C Velasquez4-2-3Galluscio4-13 Skiddles n' Bob(L),113J Ortiz3-3-2Gullo7-24 First Penny(L),118R Silvera5-8-6Sciacca30-15 Bay Head Beauty(L),118S Camacho, Jr5-4-2Rodriguez6-16 Superstitious Love(L),118R Dominguez4-2-9Jacobson5-27 Summer Flick(L),120E Castro4-1-6C Martin8-18 Smarty Bull(L),118I Ortiz, Jr10-8-5Servis6-19 Karma Police(L),118M Luzzi8-2-2DiPrima8-1

7. 6 fur; $52,000; alw; 3YO(f)

UNTAPPED SECRET stretches out for local debut after gate to wire victories at Finger Lakes in both career starts. TRUE FORTUNE comes in with a bullet work after fourth as the favorite this distance and level. GEE LINZ won as favorite versus cheaper and was claimed.

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3TrainerOdds2 Flattermewithroses(L),113J Ortiz5-6-8Antonucci20-11 a-Star Black(L),111K Coa4-5-1Persaud12-11A a-Gee Linz(L),111K Coa1-7-12Persaud12-13 E Street Bourbon(L),118E Castro2-5-5C Martin12-14 Untapped Secret(L),118C Velasquez1-1-xEnglehart8-55 Carameaway(L),118J Alvarado2-5-6Friedman5-16 True Fortune(L),118R Dominguez4-3-1Weaver2-17 Keep Bustin(L),120I Ortiz, Jr1-x-xLevine8-1

a-Coupled

8. 1m&70yds; $57,000; alw; 4up

WARRIOR UP stalked the pace and finished third at this distance and level last out. AUDIES CHAMP chased the pace and tired this distance and level when making local return. ROARING CONQUEST chased the pace and tired in an off the turf race.

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3TrainerOdds2 Stormy Success(L),111K Coa5-10-7Donato30-13 Roaring Conquest(L),118C Velasquez7-7-10Englehart5-11 a-Snap Call(L),113J Ortiz4-2-4Schwartz6-14 Suspicious U(L),120I Ortiz, Jr1-2-3D'Alessandro6-15 Warrior Up(L),118E Castro3-2-4Ubillo7-26 Audies Champ(L),120M Luzzi6-1-2Galluscio4-17 Jackin My Style(L),111A Battula9-9-4Persaud30-18 Fortitude(L),118R Dominguez8-6-6Schosberg5-21A a-Ali's Winner(L),118J Alvarado9-2-8Schwartz6-1

a-Coupled

9. 1m&70yds; $24,000; clm($12,500); 4up(f)

VICTORYAT LAST drops in class after stalking the pace and finishing second at this distance. I DREAMT I WAS returns to claiming ranks after running evenly when going turf to dirt. MOLLIES PRIZE steps up in class for local return while seeking fourth consecutive victory. TWILLERBEE drew rail after defeating cheaper at Penn.

PN Horse, Wt.JockeyLast 3TrainerOdds1 Twillerbee(L),118J Davis1-2-2Coffey15-12 Mollie's Prize(L),118C Velasquez1-1-1Englehart5-23 Mon Rose(L),118M Studart6-3-6Persaud20-14 Legions Star(L),111A Battula9-11-12Scott50-15 Beautiful Risk(L),111K Coa9-3-5Badgett12-16 My Unbridled Storm(L),118M Luzzi5-5-8Gyarmati6-17 I Dreamt I Was(L),118R Dominguez6-3-5Asmussen2-18 Victoryat Last(L),113J Ortiz2-6-9B Brown7-29 Wise Choice(L),113G Rodriguez4-6-5Sciacca20-110 Newtie(L),120L Perez7-1-2Englehart10-1

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 24:30:50 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/aqueduct_analysis_yW2Aa7NRvQ6ZUtE75NDmcO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/aqueduct_analysis_yW2Aa7NRvQ6ZUtE75NDmcO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing 5.11.918835133 -1 false By ED FOUNTAINE Horse Racing

Dr. Michael Kotlikoff, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University who was appointed by the New York Racing Association's new chairman, David Skorton, to serve as Special Advisor for Equine Health and Safety, better get on the next Amtrak to Penn Station, then take the A train to Aqueduct. That's because the mission statement adopted by the new NYRA board when they met for the first time a month ago — "Meeting the highest standards in thoroughbred racing and equine safety" — has gone badly off the rails after the fourth catastrophic breakdown at the track in the past three racing days.

In yesterday's fifth race, a starter handicap for fillies and mares at a mile and 70 yards for a $50,000 purse, the Linda Rice-trained 5-year-old mare Pleasantfriday — 2-1 after she was beaten a nose for a 30G claiming tag coming off a five-month layoff Dec. 26 — was turning for home after setting the pace when she broke down badly in her right front and was pulled up by Cornelio Velasquez.

It was the 19th start for Pleasantfriday, of which she had won seven, earning $243G. After a splint was put on the injured limb, she was vanned off and later euthanized — the third dead horse in three days of racing.

On Sunday, the claiming horse Bomber Boy fractured his ankle, was pulled up, vanned off and later euthanized. A half-hour later, the 4-year-old filly Wildcat's Smile was on the lead in the Cat Cay when she shattered her leg and fell in mid-stretch. She was put down on the track. On Wednesday, the 4-year-old filly Bobby Zapper fractured her sesamoids and was pulled up in mid-stretch. She will undergo surgery to try to save her life.

This recent carnage recalls the rash of fatal injuries a year ago over Aqueduct's inner dirt track, which led to Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordering NYRA to form an independent committee, the New York Task Force on Equine Health and Safety, to investigate the breakdowns — most of which, unlike this year, involved the cheapest claiming horses on the grounds.

After spending months and thousands of dollars, the Task Force issued its report and recommendations last October. But it appears more work needs to be done, and quickly, because no one wants to sit through another winter like the last one.

PICK SIX

Winning numbers:

8-4-3-3-5-6

17 winners (6 of 6)

Each paid $1,608

369 consolation (5 of 6)

Each paid $24.60

No carryover

ed.fountaine@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 24:59:20 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/through_the_binocs_kRvMI2GPlR4Bc9BO38NeSO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Horse Racing http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/through_the_binocs_kRvMI2GPlR4Bc9BO38NeSO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Horse Racing 5.11.918835047 -1 false Horse Racing

FIRST-1m(T); $30,000; str alw; 3YO

2 Grly Awsm (Gtrrz) 7.60 2.80 2.40 3 Tiz a Minister (Baze) 2.10 2.10 1 Ebony Gold (Delgado) 3.00

* $1 Exacta (2-3) $5.80 * $1 Superfecta (2-3-1-6) $44.50 * $1 Trifecta (2-3-1) $24.60

SECOND-6f; $21,000; cl($12,500); 3up; (f&m)

1 Quck Wmpm (Flrs) 8.00 3.80 2.40 5 J nd S Express (Guterrez) 4.60 3.00 2 Indycat (Bisono) 3.60

Scr: Ebo's Love.

* Daily Double (2-1) $36.60 * $1 Exacta (1-5) $23.10 * $1 Superfecta (1-5-2-3) $261.60 * $1 Trifecta (1-5-2) $100.80

Winner picked by Vic C

THIRD-6f; $56,000; mdn spcl wt; 4up

3 Parlmentrn (Tlmo) 4.20 3.00 2.20 8 Russel's Run (Kubinova) 6.00 3.40 6 Valley of Kings (Baze) 2.10

Scr: More Champagne.

* $1 Pick 3 (2-1-3) 3 Correct $51.40 * Daily Double (1-3) $29.00 * $1 Exacta (3-8) $12.40 * $1 Superfecta (3-8-6-1) $176.90 * $1 Trifecta (3-8-6) $29.90

FOURTH-6f; $23,000; cl($16,000); 4up

1 Hard Bill (Talamo) 7.20 4.80 3.80 7 Cabo Chico (Garcia) 8.20 6.60 3 Honour the Deputy (Krigger) 7.00

* $1 Pick 3 (1-3-1) 3 Correct $78.30 * Daily Double (3-1) $19.80 * $1 Exacta (1-7) $35.60 * $1 Superfecta (1-7-3-6) $1,305.50 * $1 Trifecta (1-7-3) $288.80

FIFTH-6f; $45,000; cl; 4YO

10 Belle Pss (Espnoz) 5.00 3.20 2.40 1 Funny Belle (Leparoux) 8.00 5.00 2 Song Girl (Flores) 4.40

Scr: Thermal Nermal, Forbidden City, Suances Vixen, River Kiss.

* $0.5 Pick 5 (2-1/8-3/5-1-3/8/9/10) 5 Correct $610.35 * $0.5 Pick 4 (1/8-3/5-1-3/8/9/10) 4 Correct $143.85 * $1 Pick 3 (3-1-10) 3 Correct $45.60 * $1 Trifecta (10-1-2) $103.90 * $1 Superfecta (10-1-2-4) $405.00 * Daily Double (1-10) $34.00 * $1 Exacta (10-1) $20.30

Exacta picked by Vic CSIXTH-5f; $58,000; alw opt cl; 3YO

6 Trbal Gal (Pedroz) 11.80 7.40 4.00 3 Awesome Annie (Mojica) 11.40 6.80 1 Funny Gal (Hernandez) 3.00

* $1 Pick 3 (1-10-6) 3 Correct $131.60 * Daily Double (10-6) $44.60 * $1 Exacta (6-3) $54.80 * $1 Superfecta (6-3-1-5) $1,001.40 * $1 Trifecta (6-3-1) $195.10

SEVENTH-mile; $65,000; alw opt cl; 4up

7 Akkadian (Gomez) 12.40 7.20 4.80 3 Clubhouse Ride (Gryder) 7.00 4.40 6 Golden Itiz (Talamo) 13.00

* $1 Pick 3 (10-6-7) 3 Correct $211.80 * Daily Double (6-7) $110.40 * $1 Exacta (7-3) $50.80 * $1 Superfecta (7-3-6-5) $3,087.80 * $1 Trifecta (7-3-6) $979.20

EIGHTH-mile; $19,000; mdn cl; 4up

12 Holdy Ros (Lprux) 25.20 9.80 6.20 3 Pure Blush (Talamo) 4.80 3.00 2 Mending Wall (Maldonado) 3.60

Scr: Zerbinetta, Spacecoast, Thunderella Run, Raisin' Cain, Fire in the Foyer.

* Pick 6 (3/5-1-3/8/9/10-6-7-12) 6 Correct $21,852.00, 5 Correct $479.60 * $0.5 Pick 4 (3/8/9/10-6-7-12) 4 Correct $1,533.90 * $1 Pick 3 (6-7-12) 3 Correct $634.90 * $1 Consolation Pick 3 (6-7-7) 3 Correct $42.10 * $1 Trifecta (12-3-2) $258.40 * Daily Double (7-12) $142.80 * $1 Exacta (12-3) $56.50 * $1 Superfecta (12-3-2-10) $1,232.30 * Consolation Double (7-7) $10.20

Attendance: 3,033

Handle: $609,605

Total Handle: $5,753,138

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 24:30:13 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/santa_anita_results_8BVwtQTrOAcAnWRTNXItwN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/santa_anita_results_8BVwtQTrOAcAnWRTNXItwN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing 5.11.918834977 -1 false By BRUCE GOLDING Local

"Spider-Man: The Lawsuit" is getting an extended run in Manhattan federal court.

Four months after announcing "an agreement in principal" to settle her $1 million wrongful-termination lawsuit, ousted director Julie Taymor has still not clinched a settlement with the musical's producers, leading a judge yesterday to set a May 27 trial date.

Talks, however, are still ongoing, and both sides hope a pretrial settlement is possible.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 04:38:16 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/pidey_web_in_tangle_uEeE49QYdUHbs00IH1xUyM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/pidey_web_in_tangle_uEeE49QYdUHbs00IH1xUyM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.918834963 -1 false By BILL SMITH Horse Racing

Post Time: 7:10 p.m.

Best Bet: Celebrity Bluechip (8th)

FIRST: mile pace; $9,000; claiming

1 Delco Rocknroll(GBrennan)2-7-56-13 Lookettejasper(JBartlett)5-4-14-12 Tatoos N' Scars(LStalbaum)1-1-29-54 Sams Treasure(EGoodell)4-7-210-15 Ab's Attack(MMacDonald)2-5-85-16 Iconic Style(JStratton)8-6-412-17 Ideal Michael(BSears)3-5-48-18 Tinys Million(JPantaleano)4-5-98-1

SECOND: mile trot; $18,000; cond

5 Mugshot Jess(CManzi)2-3-78-57 Baby Boy Grin(LStalbaum)5-5-54-11 Hoboken Sonny(JBartlett)6-4-46-12 Trottin Troy(JPantaleano)8-5-55-13 Special Eddie(JGregory)6-2-58-14 Ridethewind-Chrys(DiStefn)1-7-115-16 Conway Cruiser(BSears)5-1-88-18 Free Rollin(JStratton)1-4-710-1

THIRD: mile pace; $13,000; claiming

1 Last Conquest(JBartlett)5-1-38-15 Artic Blue(GBrennan)1-2-63-12 Sansome Hanover(BSears)2-3-44-13 AbominableSnwpn(MKkley)1-6-66-14 Forever Good(EGoodell)6-8-710-16 LiterateHanover(Stalbaum)5-6-56-17 WindsongFortune(BHolland)3-4-65-18 Pan Grad(MMacDonald)8-5-615-1

FOURTH: mile trot; $18,000; cond

1 Coach Fox(LStalbaum)8-4-73-15 ForYouAlmostfree(GBrennn)2-8-54-14 Aruba Vacation(MKakaley)4-2-75-12 Donnamom(BSears)5-4-88-13 Over And Out(MMacDonald)2-3-48-16 Sarkozy(JStratton)8-3-16-17 WorthTheMoneyAs(JBrtlett)2-3-86-18 Gelato Man(JGregory)7-8-720-1

FIFTH: mile trot; $21,000; cond

2 AlternatThursdays(Bartlett)3-1-44-15 Speed Bomb(MKakaley)2-2-89-51 HighPanTolerance(LStalbm)5-5-18-13 MarionMonaco(MacDonld)4-2-215-14 Holly Hill Master(EGoodell)1-7-410-16 Buckeye Man(BSears)4-3-25-17 Super Manning(GBrennan)2-4-28-18 Pio Power(BHolland)8-8-812-1

SIXTH: mile pace; $35,000; Open

5 Don't BlameHer(JBongiorno)1-2-39-51 Red Star Hottie(MKakaley)5-1-34-14 Sir Jillian Z Tam(PLachance)2-3-56-12 SouthwindJazmin(GBrennn)2-2-45-13 OceansMotion(MMacDonld)8-1-78-16 Arctic Fire N(EGoodell)3-7-38-1

SEVENTH: mile pace; $13,000; claiming

1 Cooperstown Kid(JBartlett)1-1-28-55 Irish Elitist(JStratton)3-2-25-16 Cutty Shark(BSears)4-6-15-12 Pams Legacy(EGoodell)6-4-68-13 Chang Dynasty(MKakaley)4-1-110-14 Cheyenne Jeffrey(Brennan)4-8-38-17 Great Soul(BHolland)5-1-36-18 Mixed Media(LStalbaum)1-8-610-1

EIGHTH: mile trot; $35,000; Open

2 CelebrityBluechip(MKakley)2-2-58-54 Master Pine(JPantaleano)3-1-48-13 Affirmed Action(CManzi)1-2-14-11 GreatEmancipator(JStrattn)5-7-410-15 Enrico As(GBrennan)2-3-210-16 SugarQueenGbby(McDnld)1-1-35-17 Looking Hanover(BSears)3-5-16-18 Mymomsablizzard(LStalbm)8-1-112-1

NINTH: mile pace; $21,000; cond

2 Warrawee Koine(JBartlett)2-2-49-51 Artsy Princess(MKakaley)3-4-55-14 Fox Valley Sage(CManzi)2-6-84-13 Nora Lee(JStratton)2-6-210-15 QuicksilvercandyA(LStalbm)7-7-48-16 Hula's Z Tam(PLachance)3-2-56-17 Babe's Bistro(JBongiorno)2-5-620-18 Stormunn(GBrennan)5-3-612-1

TENTH: mile trot; $21,000; cond

7 Jessesjo(MKakaley)3-5-33-18 Calchips Brute(GBrennan)9-7-15-12 NotoriusBluestone(JGregry)1-4-28-11 Fuel Cell(BSears)4-1-35-13 WhateverLolawants(BHllnd)8-5-16-14 Armbro Casino(SVallee)4-1-74-15 Force Nine(EGoodell)3-2-112-16 Playa Tulum(LStalbaum)7-5-210-1

ELEVENTH: mile trot; $24,000; cond

5 Likeabatoutahell(GBrennan)9-6-63-14 Perfect Picture(JStratton)3-4-56-17 Monsignor Flan(MKakaley)5-2-56-11 Marcus Bi(JPantaleano)10-4-28-12 Lightning Storm(BSears)1-3-15-13 PembrokePrayer(MMcDnld)8-6-24-16 MagnumKosmos(LStalbam)10-2-15-18 Political Desire(JBartlett)3-6-48-1

TWELFTH: mile pace; $24,000; cond

2 Ace Of Pace(JStratton)4-2-18-51 Summer Snow(BSears)4-4-65-13 Don't Point At(JGregory)3-5-28-14 By All Means(JBartlett)2-1-710-15 Lillywhites(MKimelman)7-3-36-16 Cowboys Dreamer(Goodell)1-2-56-17 Diamond Tiara(GBrennan)6-6-64-18 Cat Cora(LStalbaum)4-4-610-1

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 24:28:59 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/yonkers_graded_entries_MhPxwlTnEZQMCE3uBvezbM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/horse_racing/yonkers_graded_entries_MhPxwlTnEZQMCE3uBvezbM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Horse Racing 5.11.918834949 -1 false By ZACH BRAZILLER Basketball

If not for the green road uniforms Wagner wore, it would have been difficult to identify the home team at the WRAC in downtown Brooklyn Thursday night.

Shooting a high percentage, taking advantage of transition opportunities, playing at a high tempo and lighting up the scoreboard like a Christmas tree, Wagner looked more like LIU than LIU.

The result was a commanding 86-75 victory and the end of the Blackbirds' 31-game win streak at the WRAC.

"It's definitely a stepping stone for us," junior guard Latif Rivers said after Wagner made nine of its 10 3-point attempts and shot 59 percent from the field in snapping a four-game losing streak to LIU, the two-time defending Northeast Conference champion. "Since I've been here, we haven't beaten them. To be able to come in and beat a good team who is really good at home, its definitely big for us."

Wagner remained unbeaten in the NEC, tied with Bryant atop the league at 3-0. With the impressive victory, the Seahawks have won fourth straight and seven of eight games despite the absence of key players sprinkled in each contest.

"We got some guys who have same toughness about them in big moments," Wagner coach Bashir Mason said.

Wagner (9-5, 3-0 NEC) ripped off a 22-6 run to close the first half and never looked back. Point guard Kenny Ortiz, continuing his lights-out shooting of late, had 19 points, 11 assists and four steals. Sophomore forward Mario Moody got the better of all-NEC performer Jamal Olasewere, to the tune of 19 points and nine rebounds.

Rivers poured in a game-high 20 points in his finest performance yet in what has been an injury-riddled season.

Ortiz hasn't missed any time, and has begun to emerge on the offensive end. Last Thursday in a win over Monmouth, the junior made his first 3-pointer, then hit both of his attempts from beyond the arc Saturday against FDU and each of his two tries last night.

"It just opens up the game more, it's something I've been working on," Ortiz said. "Hopefully I can keep it going. It's just confidence. I've been getting more confident in my jump shot. The more I make it, the more confident I get."

Thursday, leading scorer Jonathon Williams wasn't available because of injury. Rivers replaced Williams' production with the best game of his junior season. He sank all four of his 3-point attempts and seemed comfortable after a shaky performance against FDU.

LIU (5-10, 0-3) was within striking distance much of the second half despite falling behind by 15 points, but when Olasewere (16 points) fouled out by earning a technical after arguing a foul call, the Blackbirds didn't have the horses for one final push.

"I thought we lost our poise," LIU coach Jack Perri said. "We have some temperamental guys and they haven't had a lot of adversity the last few years. ... Jamal's got to be smarter, he has to be better, he has to figure it out."

zbraziller@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 09:56:35 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/college/basketball/wagner_shows_liu_who_boss_qUbsfXDtkljgkRoZ8WZxTM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Basketball http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/college/basketball/wagner_shows_liu_who_boss_qUbsfXDtkljgkRoZ8WZxTM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Basketball 5.11.918834935 -1 false POST STAFF REPORT Basketball

Representatives from the Catholic 7 held discussions in New York on Wednesday that included potential future commissioners of the league as well as its television deal, sources said.

According to ESPN.com, Fox officials at the meeting reaffirmed a $500 million rights fee offer that would be predicated on a 12-year deal with the Big East Catholic schools — St. John's, Seton Hall, DePaul, Georgetown, Marquette, Providence, Villanova — adding five additional teams to a newly formed league.

Assuming the Fox bid wins out, the bulk of the games would air on Fox Sports 1, which will replace the Speed Channel in August.

Fox's plan, sources said, would be to sub-license the rights to games it was not broadcasting to other interested parties.

The Big East's current basketball media rights deal with ESPN and CBS expires after the 2012-13 academic year. The Big East's current six-year media rights deal is worth $3.12 million annually for each of the eight full members and $1.5 million annually for each of the eight non-football members. The eight football members split $13 million; the 16 basketball members split $24 million.

Although the teams can leave the Big East without any exit fees at the end of June 2015, they hope to leave much sooner.

The names of potential commissioner candidates discussed weren't immediately available.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 11:17:00 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/college/basketball/catholic_talk_tv_deal_eyvxbO2fD0oBEtbT37GIIM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Basketball http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/college/basketball/catholic_talk_tv_deal_eyvxbO2fD0oBEtbT37GIIM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Basketball 5.11.918834921 -1 false By JULIA MARSH Local

An art-gallery owner is crying foul over city approval for hotelier Ian Schrager's plan to build a 25-story building on Chrystie Street, saying the tower would darken her space and should have to pass a city environmental review first, according to court papers.

"The New Tower would block light and air to a building and [Sperone Westwater] gallery of contemporary art . . . and it would be more than double the height of surrounding buildings," Angela Westwater says in her suit against Schrager and the city.

Schrager, who co-founded Studio 54, is known for splashy projects like the refashioned Gramercy Park Hotel. His reps declined to comment.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 24:26:50 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/building_resentment_SsPNvJIogFjIS9Lrr7VcGK?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/building_resentment_SsPNvJIogFjIS9Lrr7VcGK?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.918834907 -1 false Local Fri, 11 Jan 2013 03:49:43 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/kerr_car_has_lotta_leg_voom_ey9A1vDQodOaGYbMb9FdzJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/kerr_car_has_lotta_leg_voom_ey9A1vDQodOaGYbMb9FdzJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.918834810 -1 false By RITA DELFINER Local

We'd be lion if we said this wasn't a dog.

Panicked residents of Norfolk, Va., called 911 after spotting this roaming, 3-year-old Labradoodle — a Labrador-poodle mix — that had been groomed to look like the king of the jungle.

But it wasn't a big cat, just a pooch named Charles, here in Times Square yesterday, enjoying his 15 minutes of fame.

"There was a lion that ran across the street. A baby lion. It was about the size of a Labrador retriever,'' HamptonRoads.com reported one caller telling 911 Tuesday.

"I just saw a baby lion,'' another anxious caller reported. "I don't think it has caused any problem so far."

Even police dispatchers bit.

"OK. You think it's looking for food?'' the police employee asked.

"I don't know.''

Cops reached out to the Virginia Zoo — but both its lions were accounted for.

It turns out that Charles, who enjoys the occasional pizza handout at the parlor near Old Dominion University, belongs to Daniel Painter, who runs a local lawn and garden business.

He had Charles shaved to look like Old Dominion's costumed lion mascot.

"I tell people he's a Lab-a-lion, and half the people believe that,'' Painter chortled.

rita.delfiner@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 05:38:45 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/you_lion_dog_crmOhVxi7u7GroYvsV3CjJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/you_lion_dog_crmOhVxi7u7GroYvsV3CjJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.918834699 -1 false By JUSTIN TERRANOVA Devils

Nbc Sports play-by-play man Mike "Doc" Emrick talks about what he did during the lockout, what to expect from the shortened season and the Rangers' addition of Rick Nash with The Post's Justin Terranova.

Q: You kept busy during the lockout?

A: We went to Troy in Michigan ... it was under-12 girl's hockey and they are doing a piece for it on Rock Center. It was really interesting to be around girls of that age and to hear all about their ambitions in life and watch them go out and play a game. I got to do figure skating and am assigned to do more. The college game is fun just because of the atmosphere.

Q: What will make the strike-shortened season interesting?

A: There's not going to be any dog days this season. With a 48-game schedule, winning two is like winning four and losing two is like losing four. It puts so much importance on every game. The coaches will have some pressure on them and the players will have even more, because you can get out of the running pretty fast.

Q: Any team get an advantage from the lockout?

A: Los Angeles. The Stanley Cup hangover is gone. Normally you go into October and you are still thinking about bringing the Cup to your parents' home or whatever. That isn't the case this year. They have all their guys back. There's no reason they can't pick up where they were at the final third of last season.

Q: How much will the addition of Rick Nash help the Rangers?

A: It's going to make them so much more exciting to watch. This was a team that was 11th in offense, and they are going to be so much better. You can add 30-35 goals to his overall production. And think how Nash is going to be when he has somebody to play with. ... The defense is fine, the goaltending is first-rate, so there's no reason they wouldn't be in the Top 8.

Q: With such a young team, could the Islanders take advantage of so many games being played in a short period?

A: The downside is that Lubomir Visnovsky decided to stay back in the KHL, and Mark Streit is coming off (shoulder) surgery. Up front they are going to be fine, and I think their depth on the team is better than it has been before. But they lose the experience Visnovsky was bringing and that will hurt them.

jterranova@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 11:17:00 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/devils/doc_emrick_2wK0QCXZMHh2BppPJN2P9H?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Devils http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/devils/doc_emrick_2wK0QCXZMHh2BppPJN2P9H?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Devils 5.11.918834582 -1 false By RITA DELFINER Local

When single New York women fantasize about the perfect guy, they rank physical fitness first — and green eyes also turn them on — according to a new survey.

WhatsYourPrice.com, a dating- auction Web site, surveyed 9,345 of its female members in the Big Apple to get New York's definition of "The Perfect Man.''

Asked to rank their priorities from a choice of seven physical and other attributes, New York women gave top billing to body type, and said they preferred an athletic build over "slim,'' "average'' or "overweight.''

Next, they valued education, and preferred a graduate degree. Income was ranked third, with women hoping for men who earned $150,000 to $200,000.

Rounding out the profile of perfection, guys should be green-eyed, brown-haired, be social drinkers and nonsmokers.

A man with all those attributes is virtually "guaranteed'' a first date, said Leroy Velasquez, spokesman for WhatsYourPrice.com, a Web site where male members pay female members to go out on a first date.

"It gives generous members the opportunity to date attractive members who may not even give them a chance on a traditional dating site if they're not as attractive or as outgoing as another suitor,'' he said.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 04:38:16 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/perfect_ny_male_somebody_uQWrXjz7qGnxZXUz4NwOvO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/perfect_ny_male_somebody_uQWrXjz7qGnxZXUz4NwOvO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Local 5.11.918834476 -1 false By JUSTIN TERRANOVA Giants

What makes this weekend great, could spoil next Sunday.

Last year the Giants shocked the football world by knocking off the 15-1 Packers on their way to a Super Bowl championship. This season the double-digit underdogs reside in the AFC, and the Texans and Ravens are trying to ruin everyone's — everyone outside of Houston and Baltimore, that is — dream of a Tom Brady-Peyton Manning AFC Championship Game.

"New England and Denver are clearly the favorites and for a reason. But, my gosh, we see so many upsets in the playoffs, it's endless," said CBS analyst Phil Simms, who will be calling the Patriots-Texans game on Sunday.

Green Bay beat the Giants last year late in the regular season, but that did not compare to the beat downs dished out by the Broncos (34-17 in Week 15) and Patriots (42-14 in Week 14) to their respective opponents this weekend. But there is a danger of that playing against the AFC's top seeds, though.

"No matter what New England and Denver says to themselves they beat those teams earlier in the year, and it wasn't that long ago and they beat them soundly," Simms said. "You can't wipe that from the memory bank. ... But you have to get to the point where there's zero complacency. And that's the challenge for Denver and New England. .... They are two teams that understand these things, and they probably have a good chance as any team in the NFL at making sure that situation doesn't happen to them."

Simms admits it is hard to resist the lure that would come with Brady and Manning meeting once again for a spot in the Super Bowl. This one would come in Mile High, after Manning and the Colts parted ways this offseason. Manning had to sit out last season after several career-threatening neck surgeries and Indianapolis was on the verge of selecting Andrew Luck with the No. 1 pick.

"I'm a fan first, there's no doubt about it," the former Giants quarterback said. "I was glad to be there with Ray Lewis for his last game in Baltimore as a broadcaster and a fan. I've done the Peyton-Brady matchups before and if we do get that, yeah, it's going to be huge. I know the focus is going to be incredible and it'd be good to be part of that."

But first the Broncos must get by Lewis and the Ravens, and the Patriots have to beat the Texans in their first postseason game since losing to the Giants in Super Bowl XLVI. When asked about the Giants' late-season struggles this season, Simms pointed to the grind of coming back after reaching a Super Bowl forces your season into February. That, in Simms' mind, makes the Patriots' run all the more noteworthy.

"It's such a culture up there that it just doesn't change. The coach and the quarterback are so strong mentally, and personality-wise I would say that the biggest reason they don't have down years," Simms said of Brady and Bill Belichick.

"They get it done. It's the toughest combination in history. Tom Brady is never satisfied, and we see Bill Belichick, too. He never gets tired of what's going on.''

jterranova@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 24:58:00 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/giants/spoiler_alert_cHGLHrZzECem72k2hUWZRO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Giants http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/giants/spoiler_alert_cHGLHrZzECem72k2hUWZRO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Giants 5.11.918834453 -1 false By KAJA WHITEHOUSE Business

Turns out, the house doesn't always win.

Hedge-fund high rollers who bet big on a comeback for Atlantic City's casinos are watching their gambling profits dwindle.

The city's casino industry suffered its sixth straight decline last year, with winnings down 8 percent to $3.05 billion, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement said in its latest annual report, released yesterday.

Even before Sandy laid waste to the city's famed boardwalk and emptied its casinos, the gaming industry was down 4.8 percent through September, the regulator said.

The numbers suggest the odds are increasingly stacked against deep-pocketed backers who play a key role in reviving the city's fortunes.

They include Marc Lasry's $12 billion Avenue Capital, a big investor in Trump Entertainment, which owns Trump Taj Mahal and Trump Plaza.

Lasry led a group of investors who brought Trump Entertainment out of bankruptcy in 2010.

Billionaire investor Carl Icahn owns Tropicana Casino and Resorts, which he bought out of bankruptcy in 2010.

Lasry's Trump Taj Mahal saw casino winnings fall 15 percent last year, while Trump Plaza was down 25 percent, according to yesterday's report.

Icahn's Tropicana fell 9.8 percent.

Lasry and Icahn didn't respond to requests for comment.

Meanwhile, a handful of hedge funds, including Canyon Capital, have plowed money into Revel — the first new Atlantic City casino in 10 years — only to be disappointed since the $2.4 billion resort opened its doors in April. The report didn't include an annual figure for Revel.

Late last month, investors coughed up another $150 million to keep Revel open through summer.

The beachfront property lost $37 million in the quarter ended in September, on top of a $35 million loss in the previous quarter.

Revel's woes are a major blow to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who granted $261 million in tax rebates to get the stalled casino project going again after Morgan Stanley abandoned it.

"At some point it looks like a car going in slow motion and heading into a brick wall," said Richard Bronson, a gaming expert and founder of US Digital Gaming.

"They're trying, but its very difficult when you've been a monopoly and suddenly everyone around you is in the business," he said.

Indeed, competition is rising. Neighboring Pennsylvania legalized gambling, starting with slot machines, in 2004. New York's Aqueduct casino in Queens opened in late 2011.

Yesterday's report shows declines for every casino, except for the Golden Nugget, which opened in March 2011. The Las Vegas-based chain saw an increase of 67 percent in 2012.

The last time New Jersey's gaming division reported a gain for AC was 2006, when revenues rose 4 percent to a record $5.2 billion. Slot machine revenues alone were $3.8 billion — more than last year's total casino winnings.

kwhitehouse@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 09:08:15 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/hedgies_crap_out_yoDwN7ywhyVbmZDj93uFbP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Business http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/hedgies_crap_out_yoDwN7ywhyVbmZDj93uFbP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Business 5.11.918277575 -1 false By GARETT SLOANE Business

Facebook's Instagram continues to slide after an Internet uproar last month over policy changes to the photo-sharing service, new data show.

Instagram has shed nearly half its daily active users — the highest frequency group — since the fiasco over its terms of use, according to AppStats. Its figures show that Instagram's active daily users dropped to 8.42 million this week, from 16.35 million on Dec. 17, the day the controversial news broke.

"The main loss will be most likely due to the terms of service changes, given how much attention and controversy the terms of service change has brought, and seeing how clearly the Instagram app dropped after the terms of service change," said AppStats CEO Sebastian Sujka.

Instagram, which Facebook acquired in a deal worth $1 billion in April, sparked anger with terms of use suggesting it could sell users' photos to advertisers. Instagram called it a misunderstanding and reverted to its old terms of use.

AppStats is one of several services that measure app usage, along with rival AppData. Both track only users who are logged into Instagram through Facebook.

AppData also showed a 25 percent drop in Instagram's active daily users, to 12.4 million, from 16.4 million from Dec. 19 to 26. After The Post published those figures last month, Facebook called the data "inaccurate."

Facebook insists that Instagram continues to "see strong and steady growth in both registered and active users" but declined to provide any metrics.

This week Facebook told developers it is moving away from the daily statistics of the sort that showed Instagram's slip in favor of less detailed rankings.

Joaquin Ruiz, CEO of Catalog Spree, said the change helps smooth out blips in traffic, which can fluctuate due to glitches in the data collecting. "Still, it will mask out daily changes that would otherwise be useful," he said.

The move also buries legitimate material changes in usage, according to Frank O'Brien, the founder of marketing firm Convoagency, who criticized the lack of transparency.

"This won't bode well for developers," he said.

gsloane@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 10:22:39 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/bad_insta_karma_4ZENrwZVX2byVMQxK045rN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Business http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/bad_insta_karma_4ZENrwZVX2byVMQxK045rN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Business 5.11.917765915 -1 false By MICHELLE CELARIER Business

Herbalife CEO Michael Johnson better have a Plan B.

After an impassioned two-and-a-half hour defense of his company before roughly 100 investors — and a rapt Wall Street watching live streaming of the meeting — Johnson couldn't convince skeptical shareholders.

Shares of Herbalife — which spiked about 7 percent as the meeting climaxed — fell 1.8 percent at the 4 p.m. close of trading.

Johnson called the meeting in hopes of clearly and indisputably rebutting claims of activist hedge fund investor Bill Ackman that Herbalife — a distributor of nutritional supplements and weight loss shakes — is a classic pyramid scheme.

The Dec. 20 attack by Pershing Capital founder Ackman — who said the 32-year-old company deserved a regulatory beat down — sent Herbalife shares tumbling.

The certainty of Ackman's claims — plus his $1 billion short of Herbalife's shares — caught the attention of Wall Street.

When, days later, rival hedgie Dan Loeb amassed a $270 million long position and trashed Ackman's thesis, it turned Herbalife into the most watched and talked-about company on the Street.

One of the two is going to lose a lot of cash over distinctly different opinions on the $4 billion company.

After the meeting at the Midtown Four Seasons Hotel, Ackman said Johnson "distorted, mischaracterized and outright ignored" the heart of his attack.

Ackman promised to release a "detailed" series of questions in the near future.

Those questions may very well end up being bandied about in court as rumors swirled that Herbalife, which has retained famed litigator David Boies, was ready to sue Ackman.

Boies attended the meeting, as did Third Point's Dan Loeb, who has taken an 8 percent stake in the company.

Ackman, too, has lawyered up — and is almost egging Herbalife to sue him.

Ackman feels Herbalife is unwilling to open up that can of worms because it would have to divulge dicey financial data, sources said.

Herbalife was non-committal on its plans.

"We're exploring all our options," Herbalife president Des Walsh told The Post in an interview.

"When we use the term that we believe there were gross misinterpretations, that represents our thinking," he said.

If Herbalife could prove facts were willfully misconstrued and that it lost business as a result of Ackman's campaign, it could have a case for defamation, slander and tortious interference, said sources.

"Many are questioning, 'How could Ackman, after purportedly spending a year on the research, have gotten so much, so wrong? Well, one possible answer would be that he did it on purpose," said Robert Chapman of Chapman Capital and one of the most outspoken Herbalife bulls. "If his research was 100%, 'best-idea-ever' thorough, it couldn't have been by accident."

"Herbalife did not respond to our identification of overstatements and inaccuracies in the company's earnings statement for distributors, which among other deceptions, excludes the 93 percent of distributors that have zero gross earnings," said Ackman in his statement.

"We cannot give an exact breakdown in terms of the percentage of sales in terms of distributor versus nondistributor customers," Walsh told The Post. "We don't have that visibility."

"They could, if they wanted to," said Douglas Brooks, a lawyer who has led three class-action suits against Herbalife.

"Contractually they require distributors to keep sales records. Why not ask them to send in sales receipts?" he asked.

mcelarier@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 10:22:39 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/fighting_bad_ItUMql2kGBn96pjWUpTFNJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Business http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/fighting_bad_ItUMql2kGBn96pjWUpTFNJ?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Business 5.11.917907364 -1 false Page Six Fri, 11 Jan 2013 24:03:45 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/celeb_name_KiM5zCfo8EGHldpvgNb4WI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/celeb_name_KiM5zCfo8EGHldpvgNb4WI?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Page Six 5.11.917754220 -1 false Page Six

William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman almost didn't make it to the premiere of HBO's "Girls" Wednesday night after their limo was hijacked by an imposter. The couple waited, and waited, for their car outside The London NYC Hotel, only to discover an imposter had earlier climbed in, claimed to be Macy and sped off. The limo thief then made multiple stops around town, we're told. Left in the dust, Macy and his wife finally grabbed a cab. Star Lena Dunham meanwhile is proudly showing more skin in the second season of "Girls." After screening three new episodes of the show, which starts Sunday, at NYU's Skirball Center, Dunham joked, "My boobs were never supposed to be seen on that big a screen." Surrounded by family and friends at a Cinema Society after-party at Capitale, she added of the event, "The last season premiere was like my wedding, this season it's like my funeral, but with less speeches." Dunham — in a Valentino jumpsuit — told us she was calling it an early night to head to the Golden Globes the next morning, where she's nominated. By Dunham's side was her boyfriend, fun. guitarist Jack Antonoff, who revealed how they maintain their relationship: "We work next to each other," he said. "It's our version of relaxing." Co-star Allison Williams' boyfriend, College Humor co-founder and Barry Diller protégé Ricky Van Veen, waited on the carpet for her for more than an hour. Also there was her father Brian, Jonah Hill, Gabourey Sidibe, Michael Stipe, Diane von Furstenberg, Paulina Porizkova, Gayle King, Solange Knowles and HBO's Richard Plepler.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 10:10:36 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/girls_gone_wild_ride_G08yCcziCytKfWV7ABY5jP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/girls_gone_wild_ride_G08yCcziCytKfWV7ABY5jP?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six 5.11.917754173 -1 false Page Six

Australian supermodel Miranda Kerr put on a brave face Wednesday night as she faced reporters amid rumors of marital troubles with her actor husband Orlando Bloom. The brand ambassador for Aussie airline Qantas told of their son Flynn's recent second birthday party, which featured a bouncing castle, bubble machine and a vegan cake. The boy is true to his maternal roots. "He likes Vegemite and he says, 'G'day mate!' " Kerr told The Post's Richard Johnson on the red carpet at the Montage Beverly Hills hotel. But Kerr seemed pained when asked about having another child, and she barely mentioned Bloom, even when she was asked what the key to a happy marriage is. "Communication, honesty and patience, " the Victoria's Secret Angel replied. Bloom, who was spotted hopping on a private plane with his snowboard, doused the rumors last week when he was photographed kissing Kerr as he picked her up from a workout in Hollywood and gallantly opened the car door for her. But yesterday a carefree Bloom, on a boys' ski trip, was spotted shirtless, sunning himself in the snow, amid the wealthy crowd at Aspen Highlands mid-mountain restaurant Merry-Go-Round.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 08:46:23 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/embattled_beauty_miranda_keeps_her_igxRQm6TN0kLQgZhzcHA2O?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/embattled_beauty_miranda_keeps_her_igxRQm6TN0kLQgZhzcHA2O?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Page Six 5.11.917754058 -1 false Page Six

Rapper Rick Ross is being sued by the drug trafficker Rick Ross for allegedly stealing his name to forge a career — and top music industry execs are being handed subpoenas for the trial. Rapper Rick, whose real name is William Roberts, is said to have adopted his stage name from the former cocaine kingpin, infamous for running a drug empire in LA in the 1980s. Drug dealer Ross, who went to jail in 1996 and got out in 2009, says his name has been "exploited and misused since he went to prison and . . . [the rapper] made millions off Ross' name." The trial is set for LA in August, and ex-Warner honcho L yor Cohen, current CEO Stephen Cooper and Warner director Edgar Bronfman Jr. are expected to testify.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 10:10:36 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/rick_vs_rick_sBNa5IUgibTzmx7w3vfyqO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/rick_vs_rick_sBNa5IUgibTzmx7w3vfyqO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six 5.11.917753943 -1 false Page Six

Michael Caine and his wife, Shakira, celebrated 40 years of marriage over dinner at Prime 112 Steakhouse in Miami. The couple dined Tuesday with a group of 15 that included their daughter Natasha, Blaine Trump, Joan Collins and her husband, Percy Gibson. A witness told us, "Michael looked elated to be celebrating 40 years with his beautiful wife. When the desserts came out, they were smiling and sharing from the same spoon." The acting legend met Shakira after spotting her in a TV ad, and he calls her his "soul mate."

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 10:10:36 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/years_of_bliss_UlLDsqvwCXJNdYay3S7dXO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/years_of_bliss_UlLDsqvwCXJNdYay3S7dXO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six 5.11.917753828 -1 false Page Six

Bert Fields, longtime lawyer for Tom Cruise and the Church of Scientology, doesn't think much of the new book "Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief" by Pulitzer Prize-winning Lawrence Wright. The Knopf book, excerpted in the Hollywood Reporter, states that church leader David Miscavige viewed Nicole Kidman as "a gold digger who was faking Scientology," whom the church branded a "suppressive person." It also claims Kidman happily conducted the search for her successor, who turned out to be Katie Holmes. But Fields told Page Six yesterday: "The chapter about Tom is based on provable lies by a bunch of bitter ex-Scientologists. The book itself is boring."

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 10:10:36 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/cruise_hits_back_OOrKnjEnQB9Lj4CNPAySEO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/cruise_hits_back_OOrKnjEnQB9Lj4CNPAySEO?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Page Six 5.11.917765642 -1 false Page Six Fri, 11 Jan 2013 24:01:37 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/celeb_name_U5PW5BMHdIpSBCXkp0mA0N?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/celeb_name_U5PW5BMHdIpSBCXkp0mA0N?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Page Six 5.11.917765450 -1 false By MARK DeCAMBRE Business

Cheap home loans and a recovering US housing markets are expected to produce solid fourth-quarter profits for Wells Fargo, analysts said.

The San Francisco bank is the No. 1 US mortgage lender and boasts a commanding 30.3 percent market share.

The US housing market could also blow wind into Wells Fargo's sails for 2014, analysts added.

The bank, run by Chief Executive John Stumpf, will report fourth-quarter and full-year results today.

Wells and other banks have been enjoying bargain basement interest rates on 30-year loans, which hit an all-time low of 3.31 percent in late November, according to Freddie Mac data.

Indeed, more than 70 percent of the $1.8 trillion in home-loan activity last year was related to refinancings, according to Guy Cecala, editor of Inside Mortgage Finance.

Total origination also was up 20 percent from last year's 1.5 trillion, Cecala noted.

That mortgage boom is expected to help drive Wells' revenues of more than $21 billion and profits of about 89 cents a share.

Wells has continued to make hay in mortgages while its once formidable competitors, including JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America, have either reverted primarily to refinacings or have all but sworn off the mortgage business.

While Wells dominates the home-lending game, some analysts warn that new capital requirements and tougher mortgage regulations coming out of the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau could make the mortgage business way less profitable.

That said, some analysts are still forecasting a rosy outlook for Wells despite the potential headwinds.

"We think that refinancing activity will continue well into 2014 and that will be a big benefit to Wells because its [rivals] have been reluctant mortgage lenders," said FBR Capital Markets bank analyst Paul Miller.

mark.decambre@nypost.com

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 09:59:18 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/us_loan_rustlers_SmYvfOy9pczFjgn9DUtxmN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Business http://www.nypost.com/p/news/business/us_loan_rustlers_SmYvfOy9pczFjgn9DUtxmN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Business 5.11.917765265 -1 false Page Six

The stage is set for the trial for the epic brawl between beefy New York businessman Adam Hock, Monaco's Pierre Casiraghi and his pals, including Stavros Niarchos — and it's appropriately timed. The trial concerning February 2012's infamous "Battle Royale" at trendy club Double Seven will kick off Feb. 4 in Manhattan Criminal Court, three days before the start of New York Fashion Week — which is handy, since Hock claimed the fight started when he was "defending the honor" of the women he was with — a bevy of supermodels. We're told some of these beauties may even have to step off the catwalk to testify, including Natasha Poly, Valentina Zalyaeva — who were at Hock's table — and on the other side Jessica Hart, the model girlfriend of Niarchos. Also expected to be called is New York nightlife guru Jeffrey Jah. His lawyer Terrence A. Oved said, "It remains to be seen whether the models will appear on the DA's or the defense's witness list." Hock denies attacking Casiraghi, the grandson of Grace Kelly, Niarchos and their pals.

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 14:37:29 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/catwalk_week_court_clash_6qU7W5bFYWPk9AHxxRDyUN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/catwalk_week_court_clash_6qU7W5bFYWPk9AHxxRDyUN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Page Six 5.11.917753515 -1 false Page Six

Robert Redford's Sundance Film Festival is hatching a plan to expand to Brooklyn.

The annual Park City, Utah, indie-movie mammoth is in talks to create a large-scale New York festival, sources exclusively tell Page Six. We hear organizers are discussing plans with top Brooklyn real estate developers — as well as film industry insiders, politicos and retailers — to launch a Sundance initiative that would take place in DUMBO and could rival Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal's annual Tribeca Film Festival.

According to a source, one space under the Brooklyn Bridge has already been scouted as a potential headquarters for the event. The festival has hosted a "Sundance Institute at BAM" screening series in Brooklyn since 2006.

The Sundance Brooklyn buzz arrives on the heels of the city's October announcement of a Made in New York Media Center in DUMBO, backed by Mayor Bloomberg and designed to be a "Silicon Alley" incubator for advertising, film, media and video-game development. The Independent Filmmaker Project will manage the center at 20 Jay St., due to open this spring.

Sundance and the IFP are in "very early conversations" about doing a project together, an IFP rep said. Sources say the possibilities range from a screening series to a full-blown festival.

Sundance is about to kick off its main Utah event Thursday, with films starring Daniel Radcliffe, Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Shia LaBeouf and Amanda Seyfried.

Redford's fest last year alone brought $80 million to Utah, and 46,000 attendees. It's recently expanded with screening series in 10 cities, including its BAM program, which starts Jan. 31 with "Kill Your Darlings," starring Radcliffe.

A Sundance rep said: "2013 will mark the fourth year of our Sundance Film Festival USA initiative, which brings films . . . to regional art-house theaters immediately following their premieres. We are pleased to have a presence in the New York area, and we continue to seek new programmatic opportunities in regions across the country and internationally."

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 03:51:17 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/sundance_expands_to_klyn_kdRi6nffsVM26UnqhliVGN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/sundance_expands_to_klyn_kdRi6nffsVM26UnqhliVGN?utm_medium=rss&utm_content=Page Six 5.11.917462656 -1 false Page Six

Not only is May Anderson engaged to artist Julian Schnabel, she's expecting his child, we can exclusively reveal. The model turned art gallery assistant director is three months pregnant with her first child. Anderson, 30, posed for Playboy last May and has been dating Schnabel, 60, since April. They got engaged in November, at about the time she would have found out she was pregnant. Schnabel has five children from two previous marriages. His son Vito was at one time a close friend of Anderson's. Mazel tov!

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 14:24:59 -0500 http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/baby_on_the_way_mM4EBqLg933SFvukoXcENM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/baby_on_the_way_mM4EBqLg933SFvukoXcENM?utm_medium=rss&utm_content= Page Six 5.11.917462425 -1 false http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Copyright 2009

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