Obamacare rollout makes the case for small government

This is smart government?

In the days after the 2008 election, when Barack Obama was putting together his team, the president-elect declared that "what the American people want more than anything is just common sense, smart government." He repeated this theme in his first inaugural, when he promised "government that works."

We thought of these words as we watched the president's Health and Human Services secretary, Kathleen Sebelius, flounder her way through even the most basic questions about ObamaCare.

How many people had signed up? Not sure, because the data isn't reliable. Weren't you warned about problems? Yes, but no one had any idea they were this serious. What about the security? Well, we really can't say for certain. As if to underscore the debacle, the HealthCare.gov Web site was down during most of her testimony.

The question is, why? Remember, this rollout was put together by the smart people. They had Silicon Valley at their disposal. They had the elite universities. They were hailed for their innovative use of social media during their campaigns.

Yet when it came to the signature issue of the Obama presidency, with years to prepare, they put up a Web site that has more bugs than a Brazilian rain forest.

Today, President Obama, Sebelius and their team are no longer telling us how smart they are. They have now switched to saying how dumb you are to fixate on the president's repeated promise, that if you liked your health-care plan and your doctors, you could keep them. Apparently, you are way too stupid to appreciate that ObamaCare is giving you something better.

Be thankful for inadvertent blessings. For a president and health and human services secretary who came to office promising smart government are now doing more to advance the conservative argument for smaller, more limited government than Republicans could ever hope to.

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Mayoral race draws ‘Rocky IV’ comparisons

So much for loyalty.

Democratic mayoral nominee Bill de Blasio dodged and weaved rather than defend his former boss, Mayor David Dinkins, when it came to comparing him to former Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

During the third and final televised debate, de Blasio, who had been a low-level aide during the Dinkins administration, evaded the question when asked whether voters would prefer a Dinkins or Giuliani era.

"I think voters are looking ahead," said de Blasio, the public advocate. "I think they're not caught up in what the city was like 20 years ago — they want to talk about solutions today."

Lhota, who was deputy mayor for Giuliani, didn't hesitate to draw a distinction between the two leaders — pointing to a reduction in crime rates and an enhanced quality of life in the city under Giuliani.

"I'll take the Giuliani years over the Dinkins years anytime," said Lhota, who has been warning of a return to the high crime rate of the 1980s if de Blasio wins City Hall. "There's no reason to go back to that period of time — which was a horror."

The 90-minute debate saw the candidates get into fewer testy exchanges than in the two prior meetings, but Lhota predicted that he'd score a surprise knockout in Tuesday's election.

"These comments about attaching me to the national Republican Party, it reminds me of that boxing match between Rocky and Drago," said Lhota, referring to the hero and villain in the film "Rocky IV."

"I mean, quite honestly, we know what happened in that match — the underdog won," said Lhota, just hours after a Quinnipiac Poll showed him down 39 points among likely voters.

"New York City loves an underdog. I am that underdog."

Moments later, Lhota's campaign tweeted a picture of de Blasio's head superimposed on Drago's body — sporting red, Soviet shorts.

After the debate, de Blasio lightheartedly gave his best Rocky rebuttal.

"I'm a big [Sylvester] Stallone fan, so I personally relate more to the Rocky character," he said.

"I started out as the underdog for sure," de Blasio added of the Democratic primary, where he had initially polled in fourth place. "I was the underdog for a long time."

During a lightning round of questions, Lhota and de Blasio each estimated that their families spent $400 to $450 on groceries per month — a small amount for families of three and four, respectively.

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The Post endorses John Burnett for city comptroller

The city comptroller is at once New York's most important and least understood office.

It's important because the comptroller oversees audits of city agencies as well as the city's $140 billion in pension funds. It's not well understood because most of the comptroller's work is done behind the scenes, where the billions in pension dollars gives him significant leverage over decisions by both the private and public sectors.

Earlier this year, The Post helped fend off a grave threat to the city's future when we supported Scott Stringer over Eliot Spitzer in the Democratic primary. We made that choice primarily because Stringer has none of the pathologies that made the prospect of a Comptroller Spitzer so menacing. For that worthy goal — keeping Spitzer safely out of power — we were glad to support a conventional liberal such as Stringer.

Today The Post endorses his Republican rival, John Burnett, in the general election. Like Stringer when we supported him, Burnett today finds himself down in the polls. But on principle, he is the superior candidate.

In this race, he's emphasized all the right things — primarily, his fiduciary obligations to taxpayers and pensioners who depend on him to get good value for their money. He also has the right financial experience for the job. On top of it all, Burnett has a personal story — that of an African-American who rose from the projects to make it on Wall Street — that is itself a message of hope about what hard work and good values can accomplish.

We'd like to see more New York Republican candidates in the Burnett mold — and better support from the party when they run. So we urge New Yorkers who care about this city's future to pull the lever for John Burnett on Election Day.

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Bidding for Banksy ‘Nazi’ painting reaches $300G

The high bid on a Nazi-themed painting donated by Banksy to a charity auction topped $300,000 Wednesday — with another 24 hours left before the clock runs out.

"It's easily a record. We just couldn't be more thrilled," said Rebecca Edmondson, spokeswoman for Housing Works, which will get 100 percent of whatever the artwork brings in.

The oil-on-oil painting appeared in the window of the charity's thrift shop on East 23rd Street in Gramercy Tuesday, as Banksy headed into the last leg of his monthlong "Better Out Than In" New York City tagging tour.

After the piece was authenticated, Housing Works — which focuses on homelessness and HIV-AIDS issues — wasted no time putting it up for sale.

Banksy aficionados predicted the art would fetch at least $1 million.

Meanwhile the artist's latest piece popped up in The Bronx Wednesday night.

A man in an inflatable suit poses in front of Banksy's latest piece.

A stenciled work of a spotted cat called "Bronx Zoo" was displayed on the wall of an abandoned building across from Yankee Stadium.

His monthlong New York "residency" is expected to end Thursday.

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Shrink faces 10 years in jail for Medicare fraud

A crooked Brooklyn shrink faces a decade in jail after pleading guilty Wednesday to lying about treating veterans while he was actually vacationing in China — bilking Medicare out of more than $1 million.

Dr. Mikail Presman, who was fired from his full-time job at the Brooklyn VA Hospital, copped to the charges in Brooklyn federal court, and faces $3.6 million in fines and restitution in addition to potential prison time, prosecutors said.

Presman, 56, claimed to have treated a steady parade of patients at his home between 2006 and 2013, billing Medicare for millions, according to court papers.

But many of the visits never happened, and investigators discovered that he was gallivanting around China with his family during some of the phantom treatments.

"Dr. Presman was hired and paid by the taxpayers to treat those who sacrifice so much for our country — our injured veterans," said US Attorney Loretta Lynch. "As alleged, by defrauding the Medicare program, he betrayed the trust placed in him and stole from the very taxpayers who paid his salary. Far from honoring their sacrifice, Dr. Presman used our veterans as a cover for deceit and fraud."

Presman, who is free on bond, would not comment as he walked out of court with his wife and daughter.

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

‘Made in Jersey’ actress moves to ‘Salem’

Janet Montgomery has been cast as the lead in WGN America's upcoming drama series "Salem," about the Massachusetts town's infamous witch trials.

Montgomery, who toplined last fall's short-lived CBS drama "Made in Jersey," will play Mary Sibley, the ruthless yet vulnerable wife of one of the wealthy town selectmen.

The British actress previously co-starred in "Dancing on the Edge" (Starz), "Entourage" (HBO) and "Human Target" (Fox).

The 17th century-set "Salem" is WGN America's first scripted series and hails from creators Brandon Braga ("24") and Adam Simon and studio Fox21 ("Homeland"). The network has ordered 13 episodes to premiere in 2014.

Xander Berkeley ("Nikita") has also joined the cast as a regular in the role of Magistrate Hale, one of Salem's selectmen.

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Craig Ferguson to host syndicated game show

'Late Late Show" host Craig Ferguson is spreading his TV wings.

Starting next fall, Ferguson will host a syndicated half-hour game show called "Celebrity Name Game," developed by ex-"Friends" star Courteney Cox and her former husband, David Arquette.

The show, produced by FremantleMedia North America and Debmar-Mercury ("The Wendy Williams Show," "Family Feud"), will feature Ferguson teaming with celebrity contestants to identify famous names from all facets of life (including cartoon characters).

It's the second of Debmar-Mercury's game shows to feature a talk-show host; "Family Feud" is hosted by Steve Harvey, who also hosts the syndicated "Steve Harvey," now in its second season.

Ferguson, 51, has hosted "Late Late Show" on CBS since January 2005.

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

‘Dexter’ headed to Netflix

Netflix has struck a deal to begin streaming "Dexter," which ended its eight-season run on Showtime late last month.

Under the new deal with CBS Corp., the first four seasons of "Dexter" (Michael C. Hall) will be available on Netflix beginning this Thursday, Halloween.

Seasons 5-8 will be available on Neftlix beginning Jan. 1.

Hall earned a Golden Globe for his role as Dexter Morgan, a Miami forensics expert who moonlights as a serial killer.

The series premiered on Showtime in 2006.

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

TV specials, promotions commemorate Kennedy death anniversary

The onslaught of TV specials and related events commemorating the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's assassination (Nov. 22, 1963) will begin shortly — with Nat Geo first out of the gate.

The network is promoting its upcoming movie "Killing Kennedy" (starring Rob Lowe as JFK) with a '60s-style newsstand showcasing iconic magazine covers from 1957-63 encompassing both JFK and his assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald. The newsstand — on display here next week — will also include front-page newspaper headlines from Nov. 23, 1963, the day after JFK's assassination in Dallas. The newsstand will be at Penn Station next Tuesday, Nov. 5, at Herald Square (Nov. 6) and at Columbus Circle (Nov. 7) — with people dressed in '60s-era garb passing out reproductions of the newspapers as well as real JFK half-dollar coins. "Killing Kennedy" premieres Nov. 10 (8 p.m.), with co-stars Will Rothhaar (Oswald), Ginnifer Goodwin (Jackie Kennedy) and Michelle Trachtenberg (Marina Oswald).

Belushi: Maybe this time?

Here: Don't know about you, but I'd file this one in the "just a wee bit disturbing" folder: 85-year-old Dr. Ruth Westheimer — better known as "Dr. Ruth" — is returning to the land of TV with a new talk show. Granted, "The Wisdom of Dr. Ruth Westheimer" will be only 15 minutes long (airing weekly) and granted, it will air on niche network Shalom TV (premiering Nov. 18), but still . . .

And there: Emile Hirsch, who's playing Clyde Barrow in A&E's upcoming miniseries "Bonnie & Clyde," has been cast as John Belushi in Steve Conrad's biopic of the hard-charging TV and movie star ("Saturday Night Live," "Animal House") who died in 1982 at the age of 33. Hopefully Hirsch, 28, will have better luck than a pre-"Commish"/"The Shield" star Michael Chiklis who, back in 1989, played Belushi in the big-screen stinker, "Wired," based on Bob Woodward's best-seller. That movie was pilloried by Belushi's widow, Judith; this one's based on her book, "Belushi: A Biography." So there.

Last, but not least . . .

Armand Assante will be at Sterling Gardens (Matawan, NJ) this Saturday for a dinner/cigar-sampling (Ora Vivo cigars). Call (732) 758-8126 for information . . . Ch. 4's Bruce Beck emcees Wednesday's President's Dinner (St. John's) at the Waldorf . . . Sunday's episode of "The Simpsons" will include a tribute to Marcia Wallace, who died last Friday at 70 and played Edna Krabappel. She's best-known to older TV viewers as Carol, Bob Newhart's secretary on "The Bob Newhart Show" . . . John Gabriel is joined by his old pal Charles Grodin for a night of comedy and song Dec. 8 at The Metropolitan Room (West 22nd) . . . MSG "Halls of Fame" host Fran Healy at Flex Mussels Restaurant (82nd St.)

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

ABC apologizes for ‘Kill everyone in China’ remark on Kimmel

After more than a week of escalating criticism, ABC is apologizing for a segment of "Jimmy Kimmel Live" in which a child joked about killing Chinese people.

The network said the offensive skit will be edited out of the late-night talk show's episode for future airings or any other distribution, including online.

The controversy erupted after an Oct. 16 comedy bit in which Kimmel asked a "Kids Table" of youngsters to comment on recent news events, such as the federal government shutdown. At one point, Kimmel asked the kids what the United States should do to end its growing debt to China.

"America owes China a lot of money, $1.3 trillion," he said. "How should we pay them back?"

"Kill everyone in China!" a 6-year-old boy exclaimed.

Kimmel joked, "That's an interesting idea" and laughed.

Another panelist suggested, ironically, that China should be separated from the rest of the world by a large wall.

Later Kimmel asked the youngsters, "Should we allow the Chinese to live?" The four kids, aged 6 and 7, were divided.

A video excerpt of the skit quickly went viral and prompted bloggers to wonder why ABC was shrugging off an attempt at humor that might have annoyed one billion people.

The segment also triggered an online petition to President Obama demanding that ABC "cut the show" and issue a formal apology for the skit they said bore a resemblance to Nazi treatment of Jews.

"The kids might not know anything better," the petition said. "However, Jimmy Kimmel and ABC's management are adults. They had a choice not to air this racist program, which promotes racial hatred."

More than 60,000 people had signed the petition within nine days of its posting on the White House "We The People" Web site. The demand also called for an investigation of the show.

ABC responded in an Oct. 15 letter, disclosed Monday, to a group called 80-20 that identifies itself as a pan-Asian-American political organization.

"We're writing to offer our sincere apology," the letter began. It said the network "would never purposefully do anything to upset" the Chinese, Asian or other communities.

"Our objective is to entertain," the letter added.

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

TV specials, promotions commemorate Kennedy death anniversary

The onslaught of TV specials and related events commemorating the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's assassination (Nov. 22, 1963) will begin shortly — with Nat Geo first out of the gate.

The network is promoting its upcoming movie "Killing Kennedy" (starring Rob Lowe as JFK) with a '60s-style newsstand showcasing iconic magazine covers from 1957-63 encompassing both JFK and his assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald. The newsstand — on display here next week — will also include front-page newspaper headlines from Nov. 23, 1963, the day after JFK's assassination in Dallas. The newsstand will be at Penn Station next Tuesday, Nov. 5, at Herald Square (Nov. 6) and at Columbus Circle (Nov. 7) — with people dressed in '60s-era garb passing out reproductions of the newspapers as well as real JFK half-dollar coins. "Killing Kennedy" premieres Nov. 10 (8 p.m.), with co-stars Will Rothhaar (Oswald), Ginnifer Goodwin (Jackie Kennedy) and Michelle Trachtenberg (Marina Oswald).

Belushi: Maybe this time?

Here: Don't know about you, but I'd file this one in the "just a wee bit disturbing" folder: 85-year-old Dr. Ruth Westheimer — better known as "Dr. Ruth" — is returning to the land of TV with a new talk show. Granted, "The Wisdom of Dr. Ruth Westheimer" will be only 15 minutes long (airing weekly) and granted, it will air on niche network Shalom TV (premiering Nov. 18), but still . . .

And there: Emile Hirsch, who's playing Clyde Barrow in A&E's upcoming miniseries "Bonnie & Clyde," has been cast as John Belushi in Steve Conrad's biopic of the hard-charging TV and movie star ("Saturday Night Live," "Animal House") who died in 1982 at the age of 33. Hopefully Hirsch, 28, will have better luck than a pre-"Commish"/"The Shield" star Michael Chiklis who, back in 1989, played Belushi in the big-screen stinker, "Wired," based on Bob Woodward's best-seller. That movie was pilloried by Belushi's widow, Judith; this one's based on her book, "Belushi: A Biography." So there.

Last, but not least . . .

Armand Assante will be at Sterling Gardens (Matawan, NJ) this Saturday for a dinner/cigar-sampling (Ora Vivo cigars). Call (732) 758-8126 for information . . . Ch. 4's Bruce Beck emcees Wednesday's President's Dinner (St. John's) at the Waldorf . . . Sunday's episode of "The Simpsons" will include a tribute to Marcia Wallace, who died last Friday at 70 and played Edna Krabappel. She's best-known to older TV viewers as Carol, Bob Newhart's secretary on "The Bob Newhart Show" . . . John Gabriel is joined by his old pal Charles Grodin for a night of comedy and song Dec. 8 at The Metropolitan Room (West 22nd) . . . MSG "Halls of Fame" host Fran Healy at Flex Mussels Restaurant (82nd St.)

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Craig Ferguson to host syndicated game show

'Late Late Show" host Craig Ferguson is spreading his TV wings.

Starting next fall, Ferguson will host a syndicated half-hour game show called "Celebrity Name Game," developed by ex-"Friends" star Courteney Cox and her former husband, David Arquette.

The show, produced by FremantleMedia North America and Debmar-Mercury ("The Wendy Williams Show," "Family Feud"), will feature Ferguson teaming with celebrity contestants to identify famous names from all facets of life (including cartoon characters).

It's the second of Debmar-Mercury's game shows to feature a talk-show host; "Family Feud" is hosted by Steve Harvey, who also hosts the syndicated "Steve Harvey," now in its second season.

Ferguson, 51, has hosted "Late Late Show" on CBS since January 2005.

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

‘Dexter’ headed to Netflix

Netflix has struck a deal to begin streaming "Dexter," which ended its eight-season run on Showtime late last month.

Under the new deal with CBS Corp., the first four seasons of "Dexter" (Michael C. Hall) will be available on Netflix beginning this Thursday, Halloween.

Seasons 5-8 will be available on Neftlix beginning Jan. 1.

Hall earned a Golden Globe for his role as Dexter Morgan, a Miami forensics expert who moonlights as a serial killer.

The series premiered on Showtime in 2006.

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

‘Made in Jersey’ actress moves to ‘Salem’

Janet Montgomery has been cast as the lead in WGN America's upcoming drama series "Salem," about the Massachusetts town's infamous witch trials.

Montgomery, who toplined last fall's short-lived CBS drama "Made in Jersey," will play Mary Sibley, the ruthless yet vulnerable wife of one of the wealthy town selectmen.

The British actress previously co-starred in "Dancing on the Edge" (Starz), "Entourage" (HBO) and "Human Target" (Fox).

The 17th century-set "Salem" is WGN America's first scripted series and hails from creators Brandon Braga ("24") and Adam Simon and studio Fox21 ("Homeland"). The network has ordered 13 episodes to premiere in 2014.

Xander Berkeley ("Nikita") has also joined the cast as a regular in the role of Magistrate Hale, one of Salem's selectmen.

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

ABC apologizes for ‘Kill everyone in China’ remark on Kimmel

After more than a week of escalating criticism, ABC is apologizing for a segment of "Jimmy Kimmel Live" in which a child joked about killing Chinese people.

The network said the offensive skit will be edited out of the late-night talk show's episode for future airings or any other distribution, including online.

The controversy erupted after an Oct. 16 comedy bit in which Kimmel asked a "Kids Table" of youngsters to comment on recent news events, such as the federal government shutdown. At one point, Kimmel asked the kids what the United States should do to end its growing debt to China.

"America owes China a lot of money, $1.3 trillion," he said. "How should we pay them back?"

"Kill everyone in China!" a 6-year-old boy exclaimed.

Kimmel joked, "That's an interesting idea" and laughed.

Another panelist suggested, ironically, that China should be separated from the rest of the world by a large wall.

Later Kimmel asked the youngsters, "Should we allow the Chinese to live?" The four kids, aged 6 and 7, were divided.

A video excerpt of the skit quickly went viral and prompted bloggers to wonder why ABC was shrugging off an attempt at humor that might have annoyed one billion people.

The segment also triggered an online petition to President Obama demanding that ABC "cut the show" and issue a formal apology for the skit they said bore a resemblance to Nazi treatment of Jews.

"The kids might not know anything better," the petition said. "However, Jimmy Kimmel and ABC's management are adults. They had a choice not to air this racist program, which promotes racial hatred."

More than 60,000 people had signed the petition within nine days of its posting on the White House "We The People" Web site. The demand also called for an investigation of the show.

ABC responded in an Oct. 15 letter, disclosed Monday, to a group called 80-20 that identifies itself as a pan-Asian-American political organization.

"We're writing to offer our sincere apology," the letter began. It said the network "would never purposefully do anything to upset" the Chinese, Asian or other communities.

"Our objective is to entertain," the letter added.

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hynes used government e-mail to discuss campaign: report

Brooklyn District Attorney Charles Hynes used his government e-mail to chat with pals about campaign strategy against his political opponent, Ken Thompson, according to a report.

A half-dozen e-mails leaked to the Web site BuzzFeed include a reply apparently from former state Chief Justice Sol Wachtler that contains a racial slur.

Wachtler allegedly wrote the word "schwarze," a derogatory Yiddish term for African-Americans.

It wasn't clear why the term was used or whether it was aimed at Thompson, who is black.

Wachtler, who spent 13 months in prison in the 1990s for harassing his mistress, strongly denied sending the message.

"That is a fraudulent and libelous, and we are getting to the bottom of it now," Wachtler told The Post.

A spokesman for Hynes said the DA's staff was investigating the alleged Wachtler message and insisted Hynes never saw it. Spokesman Jerry Schmetterer said other e-mails may have been doctored as well.

He also downplayed the exchanges, saying they were simply "e-mails between friends."

"They have no role in the campaign," Schmetterer said. "They were just talking about what was going on in the primary."

It is a violation of campaign rules for a candidate to use public e-mails to run for office.

Among the e-mails was one in which Hynes gives his take on former Gov. Eliot Spitzer's run for city comptroller.

"Interesting. Spitzer might win," Hynes wrote.

After losing the Democratic primary to Thompson, Hynes, 78, is running in the general election on the Republican and Conservative Party lines.

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Cardinals miss chance to bury Boston

ST. LOUIS — And the Cardinals trail this World Series, two games to two.

OK, that's of course not technically accurate. After the Red Sox prevailed in Sunday night's Game 4, 4-2 at Busch Stadium, we're actually, in the Fall Classic, guaranteed a return to Fenway Park for Game 6 Tuesday night. Furthermore, we've learned repeatedly over the last few years that it would be folly to declare this St. Louis club down for the count.

Nevertheless, the Cardinals, after failing to come through in clutch situations, making at least one questionable managerial decision and ending the game in hair-pulling fashion, have to be kicking themselves right now. As well as wondering where they would be if not for the grace of two horrible Red Sox throws from behind home plate over their third basemen's heads, which have led directly to the Cardinals' two victories this past week.

"We weren't able to put together a good rally," Carlos Beltran said. "… We just couldn't put anything together."

When the Cardinals prevailed in Game 3, 5-4 thanks to the correct obstruction call on Red Sox third baseman Will Middlebrooks (which resulted from one of those poor throws to third, this one by Jarrod Saltalamacchia), the Red Sox looked to be in serious trouble. The Cards had a chance to wrap this up at home with two more victories, and Boston desperately needed a solid outing from its ailing right-hander Clay Buchholz who has been battling shoulder tightness.

Instead, Buchholz, despite throwing the ball with diminished velocity — his fastball hovered in the high 80s, rather than the standard 91 or 92 mph range — hung in there for four innings, allowing just one run and stranding five Cardinals baserunners. Left-hander Felix Doubront, who contributed two shutout innings on Saturday night, came right back and delivered another 2²/₃ solid innings, allowing just one run. Doubront became the winner when feisty yet slumping Red Sox outfielder Jonny Gomes crushed a sixth-inning, three-run homer over the left-field wall, against just-inserted reliever Seth Maness, to break a 1-1 tie and get Boston right back into this Series.

So the Red Sox have regained the home-field advantage and go with their ace, Jon Lester, against Cardinals ace, Adam Wainwright, in Monday night's Game 5 at Busch. This represents a rematch of Game 1 at Fenway Park, in which Lester and the Red Sox dominated Wainwright and the Cardinals, 8-1.

For sure, the Red Sox no longer look like surprise finalists whose tanks are running low. And the Cardinals no longer appear to be a dynasty getting ready for the next parade.

"We didn't have a lot of movement," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. "We didn't get a lot going, and didn't have any momentum offensively."

As Buchholz, who seemed like a crisis waiting to happen, hung around to keep the Red Sox in the game, Boston knotted the score at 1-1 in the fifth. When Dustin Pedroia lined a two-out single to left-center field in the sixth inning, Matheny kept his starter, Lance Lynn, in the game to face David Ortiz. Even though the ridiculously dangerous Ortiz already had a single and double on the day, and even though Cardinals lefty specialist Randy Choate was warming up in the bullpen.

Choate was ready, Matheny confirmed, and added, "We just weren't going there." Ortiz hit a single off Choate in Game 3.

So Lynn threw around Ortiz, walking him, and then Matheny went to Maness to pitch to Gomes, who entered the at-bat 0-for-9 with a walk in this Series.

"With Seth, he's been a guy who's been able to help us out and do an incredible job in that situation all season long," Matheny said. "He's been able to come in and get the big out when we needed it, and we wanted to give him a shot. And it just didn't work out tonight."

At 2-and-2, Maness said, he wanted to pitch a fastball away. Instead, he explained: "Fastball down the middle up. Wasn't the spot I was looking for."

Gomes delivered his homer, and the entire tenor of the series changed. And when pinch-hitter Allen Craig blasted a long single with one out in the ninth and Matt Carpenter popped out to second base, the game was up to Beltran, exactly the guy the Cardinals would want up. Except that Red Sox closer Koji Uehara picked Craig's pinch-runner Kolten Wong off first base, giving this series the second straight wacky last play.

"I knew I was dead once I went to plant and push off, and I felt nothing go," Wong told reporters. "My foot slipped out and I was done.''

Photo: Gifdsports

"We talk very clearly about a very good pick-off move," Matheny said. "He was reminded once he got on base, and also he was reminded that run didn't mean much. 'Be careful. Shorten up.' "

The Cardinals have slipped, for sure. Are they done? Not yet. Yet they have made their task considerably harder than it could have been.

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Gomes’ blast leads Red Sox to Game 4 victory

ST. LOUIS — Jonny Gomes was guilty as charged of obstruction Sunday.

The Red Sox outfielder took one big swing in the sixth inning and effectively obstructed the Cardinals from running away with this World Series.

There would be zero controversy on this night, only a sigh of relief for the Red Sox that a sense of normalcy had returned with their 4-2 victory in Game 4 of the World Series before 47,469 at Busch Stadium.

Gomes' three-run homer against Seth Maness helped ensure the Series, now tied at 2-2, will return to Boston on Wednesday. First there is the matter of Monday's Game 5, with aces Jon Lester and Adam Wainwright set for a rematch from the opener.

A night after Will Middlebrooks was hit with a controversial obstruction call at third base that allowed Allen Craig to score the winning run in the ninth inning, order was restored. And the Red Sox got the big hit for which they had been searching in recent days.

Gomes, a late addition to the lineup after Shane Victorino was scratched because of lower-back tightness, slugged a 2-2 fastball from Maness into the visitors' bullpen in the sixth and trotted around the bases as if he were auditioning for a spot on "Dancing with the Stars."

"When they brought Maness in, I'm just a right-handed, hard-swinger guy," Gomes said. "I don't think there's too many matchups to stay away from. If I'm fortunate enough to get a mistake, the bat's going to come through the zone hot, and it worked out."

The Cardinals took their best shot at regaining control in the seventh. But after Matt Carpenter delivered an RBI single against Craig Breslow to pull the Cardinals within 4-2, the Red Sox turned to Junichi Tazawa, who retired Matt Holliday with the tying runs on base. After John Lackey pitched a scoreless eighth, Koji Uehara worked the ninth for the save. The right-hander picked off pinch-runner Kolten Wong at first base to end the game, leaving Carlos Beltran at the plate.

"This is consistent with the way we've responded to a tough night the night before," Red Sox manager John Farrell said. "We came in today fully expecting a very good game to be put together. That's just who these guys are, and they've shown it many times over."

David Ortiz continues to soar. The Red Sox slugger finished 3-for-3 with a walk and is 10-for-13 (.769) in the series.

Sloppy defense had contributed to the Red Sox losing the previous two games, but they survived two errors Sunday, one of which led to the Cardinals scoring an unearned run.

Lance Lynn surrendered three earned runs on three hits and three walks over 5 2/3 innings. With the score 1-1, the right-hander got two quick outs to begin the sixth, but never completed the inning. Dustin Pedroia singled before Ortiz walked on four pitches, and Lynn was removed for Maness, who surrendered the blast to Gomes.

"Seth has been a guy who has been able to help us out and do an incredible job in that situation all season long," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. "He's been able to come in and get the big out when we needed it, and we just wanted to give him a shot. And it just didn't work out tonight."

Ortiz's double leading off the fifth led to the Red Sox tying the game at 1-1, but the damage could have been more severe for the Cardinals. Lynn walked Gomes and Xander Bogaerts to load the bases following Ortiz's double and Stephen Drew's sacrifice fly made it 1-1. But Lynn then struck out David Ross and retired pinch-hitter Mike Carp to end the threat.

Clay Buchholz, recently bothered by shoulder tightness, pitched four innings and allowed an unearned run on three hits with three walks and three strikeouts before he was removed for the pinch hitter in the fifth. A night earlier, the Red Sox received only four innings from starting pitcher Jake Peavy.

Beltran's RBI single gave the Cardinals an unearned run against Buchholz in the third. The RBI was Beltran's 14th this postseason and second in the World Series. Beltran also had an RBI single as part of the Cardinals' Game 2 victory at Fenway Park.

Carpenter singled to begin the rally and raced to second after Jacoby Ellsbury booted the ball. Beltran followed with the RBI single and Buchholz retired the next two batters to make the run unearned.

Lynn was dominant early, facing the minimum 12 batters through four innings. Ortiz singled off Lynn's left heel leading off the second, but was erased when Gomes hit into a double play.

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

City’s final fleet of Crown Victoria taxis destroyed by Sandy

Hurricane Sandy destroyed everything in her path — including dozens of the city's last new Crown Victoria cabs.

Scores of the new cabs were ruined by floodwaters as the vehicles sat in a Hoboken, NJ, lot awaiting shipment to a Manhattan dealership.

The new cabs would have been some of the last of the iconic model, which Ford stopped producing in 2011.

Two hundred of the vehicles in the lot were lost in the storm.

"When I first started seeing the pictures, I was on vacation in the Dominican Republic," said Ralph Sibbio, 50, head of Manhattan Ford's taxi division. "That one photo sums it all up . . . and it's all you needed to know."

Sibbio said that in addition to the Crown Victorias, the dealership lost 75 other cabs — totaling $4 million in losses.

"It was devastating to see," he said. "It really was a tragedy."

Although the insurance company paid Manhattan Ford for the cabs, Sibbio said, the company still took a major loss given its deductible. He added that cab owners suffered as well.

"It was devastating to us, not only financially, but to clients," he said, noting that the car was popular because it rarely broke down.

"They wanted the last of the stronghold of the Crown Victoria, the car that can handle the mean streets of New York City."

Taxi and Limousine Commission chief David Yassky said the photo of the flooded cabs captured much of the suffering throughout the industry. Many owners lost their cars and suffered through a gas shortage.

"The photo became emblematic of the storm in general, but it really illustrated the impact on [the industry],'' Yassky said.

Richard Wissak, who co-owns the 55 Stan Garage in Long Island City, said his family taxi business struggled after the storm.

The company lost 28 cabs entirely and dozens more were damaged as saltwater corroded their engines. He watched it through their surveillance cameras.

"We saw through the cameras the water rising and rising, and then at a certain level, it all went black," he said.

"We have hundreds of drivers that rely on this job to feed their families. To come to work and not be able to go work was frustrating for them, and for me."

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Mayoral debate rescheduled to avoid Sandy anniversary

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By Beth DeFalco

October 28, 2013 | 12:41am

The Campaign Finance Board has postponed Tuesday's planned mayoral debate until Wednesday so it won't conflict with the anniversary of Hurricane Sandy.

Democrat Bill de Blasio and Republican Joe Lhota put out an unusual joint statement asking for the move, saying Tuesday "should be marked with solemn reflection."

The 90-minute debate will air at 7 p.m. on WNBC/Channel 4.

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Snowden NSA leak may expose foreign spies’ work with US

WASHINGTON – Two Western diplomats say U.S. officials have briefed them on documents obtained by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden that might expose the intelligence operations of their respective countries and their level of cooperation with the U.S.

Word of the briefings by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence comes amid questions swirling around overseas surveillance by the National Security Agency, which has angered allies on two continents and caused concern domestically over the scope of the intelligence-gathering.

The two Western diplomats said officials from ODNI have continued to brief them regularly on what documents the director of national intelligence believes Snowden obtained.

The diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the intelligence briefings publicly.

The Washington Post, which first reported on the matter Thursday evening, said some of the documents Snowden took contain sensitive material about collection programs against adversaries such as Iran, Russia and China. Some refer to operations that in some cases involve countries not publicly allied with the United States.

The Post said the process of informing officials about the risk of disclosure is delicate because in some cases, one part of the cooperating government may know about the collaboration, but others may not.

Meanwhile, the government of Germany said Friday that German officials will travel to the U.S. "shortly" for talks about spying allegations, including whether Chancellor Angela Merkel's cellphone was monitored by the NSA.

The heads of Germany's foreign and domestic intelligence agencies will participate in the talks with the White House and NSA, government spokesman Georg Streiter said — though he later said the exact composition of the team had yet to be determined.

He did not give a specific date for the trip, saying it was being arranged on "relatively short notice."

Lisa Monaco, assistant to the president for homeland security, wrote in a USA Today op-ed published Friday that "no one disputes the need for careful, thorough intelligence gathering. Nor is it a secret that we collect information about what is happening around the world to help protect our citizens, our allies and our homeland. So does every intelligence service in the world."

"Today's world is highly interconnected, and the flow of large amounts of data is unprecedented," Monaco wrote. "That's why the president has directed us to review our surveillance capabilities, including with respect to our foreign partners. We want to ensure we are collecting information because we need it and not just because we can."

"An ongoing review is the right approach because at the end of the day you want to make sure your resources are being used where you need them the most," Sen. Marco Rubio( R-Fla.) said on CNN Friday.

"These leaders are responding to domestic pressures in their own country," said Rubio, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee. "

… Everyone spies on everybody. That's just a fact. Whether they want to acknowledge that publicly or not, every country has different capabilities but at the end of the day, if you are a U.S. government official traveling abroad, you are aware anything you have on your cell phone, iPad, could be monitored by foreign intelligence agencies, including that of your own allies."

"A lot of what you're seeing is for the domestic consumption of their own public," the senator said. "But at the end of the day, everyone knew there was gambling going on in Casablanca.."

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Brett Favre admits suffering from ‘scary’ memory loss

Brett Favre will go down as one of the toughest quarterbacks to play the game, but even he admits being frightened about the memory loss he is experiencing in retirement.

"I think after 20 years, God only knows the toll," Favre, who played for the Falcons, Packers, Jets and Vikings, said in an interview with 570 Sports Talk in Washington on Thursday.

Favre's fears about brain trauma put another face on the concussion concerns that are rocking the NFL. The league recently settled a $765 million lawsuit with former players dealing with post-concussion issues, but still many viewed that as not doing enough for men whose health was ruined by football.

Favre is not at that point, but he has legitimate concerns about how his playing career will affect his life.

"I don't remember my daughter playing soccer, playing youth soccer, one summer," Favre told the station.

"I don't remember that. I got a pretty good memory, and I have a tendency like we all do to say, 'Where are my glasses?' and they're on your head. This was pretty shocking to me that I couldn't remember my daughter playing youth soccer, just one summer, I think. I remember her playing basketball, I remember her playing volleyball, so I kind of think maybe she only played a game or two. I think she played eight. So that's a little bit scary to me. For the first time in 44 years, that put a little fear in me."

Brett Favre lays on the turf after suffering a concussion on the final play of his career in 2010.Photo: AP

Favre won a Super Bowl with the Packers and played an astonishing 297 consecutive games in a row, but he was sacked 525 times, according to CBS News. Many of those occurred while the NFL was still in the dark ages of concussion treatment. Players now are likely to miss at least one game when they suffer a concussion; in the previous era, players might miss only a play or two before trotting back onto the field.

"When I first started playing, those first 10 years, they didn't keep a log like they do now, so there's no telling," said Favre, who said there was "no way in hell" he would return to the NFL after the quarterback-less Rams reached out to him this past week.

The NFL's answer to the concussion crisis has been to call penalties on plays in which a defender leads with his helmet, but most realize this is not a cure-all. And for Favre and countless other retired players, the increased safety standards are coming far too late.

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Yankees, Mets must weigh Drew’s playoff slump

Three thoughts on World Series Game 2, a 4-2 Cardinals win over the Red Sox:

1. The Mets and Yankees are going to have to ask themselves how much this postseason matters for player of interest Stephen Drew because his offensive performance is ranking among the worst ever.

He is 4-for-42 with one extra-base hit (a triple), one walk and 15 strikeouts. He is hitting .095, making Nick Swisher look productive at this time of year. Also, Drew is about to become more important to the Red Sox lineup, which is likely to lose Mike Napoli (so David Ortiz can play first) in Games 3-5 in the NL city St. Louis.

Boston manager John Farrell could switch Xander Bogaerts from third to short and re-insert Will Middlebrooks at third. But I don't think he will do that because St. Louis has an all-righty rotation (and Drew hits lefty). But mainly because whatever his offensive faults, Drew has not taken them into the field. I have been at every Red Sox game this postseason and one of my "I didn't know that" realizations is just how good a defender Drew is. Which is something else the Mets and Yankees must consider.

Drew has terrific hands and an accurate arm and way more range than I was anticipating for someone who missed the second half of the 2011 season and the first half of 2012 after fracturing his right ankle.

He positions himself well, but he also has good range both ways and an accurate arm. Drew produces a couple of plays a game that makes you take notice, that make you put a star in your scorebook.

Drew is a free agent this offseason. He turns 31 in March, and after hitting 13 homers and producing a .777 OPS this year to go along with the strong defense, the expectation is the Red Sox will put the $14.1 million qualifying offer on him and probably would like to keep him.

He is looking at a three- or four-year contract in the $12-million-per-year territory. The Mets are looking to replace Ruben Tejada, but might not want to allocate those kind of funds for Drew.

The Yanks need insurance on both Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez — when I ask Red Sox people, they believe Drew could handle third base. The Yanks are trying to get under the $189 million luxury-tax threshold for next season, and who else takes – or doesn't take – their money will motivate how hard they push on Drew.

2. Michael Wacha gave up two runs in six innings in Game 2. Just to accentuate how great he has been in this postseason, that was one more run than he had given up in his first three starts, covering 21 innings.

Still, he was impressive against the best lineup in the majors, getting through the Boston order the first time with mainly his fastball and changeup before mixing in his curve. He improved to 4-0 in four postseason starts this October. Yes, the Cardinals have won eight games in these playoffs, and a kid with nine career regular-season starts has half of them.

At 22 years, 114 days old, he became the youngest righty to start and win a World Series game since Cleveland's Jaret Wright (21 years, 297 games) won Game 4 of the 1997 Fall Classic against the Marlins. He is the youngest Cardinal to win a World Series game since rookie Paul "Daffy" Dean earned the victories in Games 3 and 6 (22 years and 55 days old in Game 6) to help the Gashouse Gang beat the Tigers in 1934. His older brother, Dizzy, produced the other two St. Louis wins in the Series.

"[Wacha] continues to impress," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. "I don't know what else you can say."

Eighteen teams passed on Wacha in the first round of the 2012 draft. Among them were the Mets, who with the 12th pick selected high school shortstop Gavin Cecchini. He is just 19, but has yet to play above short-season Single-A at Brooklyn.

3. Ortiz did not hit a postseason homer in his first 14 games and 50 at-bats, a period in which he played in October for the Twins and Red Sox and hit .200.

But in his past 64 playoff games, Ortiz has hit 17 homers. He is kind of the anti-A-Rod: He has essentially skated on associations with illegal performance-enhancers, and there is a perception that all he hits is big homers, especially at this time of year.

He hit another huge one in World Series Game 2, the two-run shot off Wacha that gave Boston a 2-1 lead in the sixth. That was the ninth of the 17 homers that have either tied the score or put the Red Sox ahead. Actually, only one tied the score: his two-out, eighth-inning grand slam off Tigers closer Joaquin Benoit in Game 2 of this year's ALCS.

Ortiz has two walk-off blasts. The first, a two-run shot off Jarrod Washburn in the 10th inning, clinched the 2004 Division Series sweep of the Angels. In the 2004 ALCS, he hit a two-run homer off Paul Quantrill in the 12th inning of Game 4, which would be the first of four straight Boston wins en route to ending The Curse.

The next night he would homer leading off the eighth to pull Boston within 4-3 and get the walk-off single against Esteban Loaiza to win Game 5.

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Yankees target Tanaka puts 30-game win streak on line

TOKYO — Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka will be aiming to extend one of the most successful runs in the history of professional baseball when he takes the mound for the Rakuten Eagles in Game 1 of the Japan Series on Saturday.

The 24-year-old Tanaka went a record 24-0 this season and will be looking to extend his consecutive win streak in the best-of-seven series against the Yomiuri Giants.

Japan's version of the World Series pits Japan's oldest, most established team against the upstart Eagles, who have only been around since 2005.

The Eagles are based in Sendai and represent the Tohoku region, which was devastated by the March 11, 2011, earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crises.

In September, Tanaka notched his 21st straight win to break Japan's previous record of 20 in one season set by Kazuhisa Inao in 1957.

Going back to Aug. 19, 2012, the last time he lost a game, Tanaka has won 30 games in a row, including two wins in the playoffs this year.

All the success this season has raised Tanaka's profile among teams in Major League Baseball, making him the most sought-after Japanese import since Yu Darvish.

According to media reports, at least seven major league teams, including the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, are expected to enter the Tanaka sweepstakes once the season ends.

Tanaka isn't eligible for free agency, but it's expected he will be made available via the posting system that allows MLB teams to bid for the negotiating rights to Japanese players.

Darvish, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Ichiro Suzuki all went to the majors under the same system.

A first-round draft pick for the Eagles in 2006, the 6-foot-2, 205-pound Tanaka is a right-handed power pitcher with a high three-quarters delivery.

With a fastball in the mid-90s, Tanaka has impressed major league scouts. He also throws a splitter with downward movement, a slider and the occasional curveball.

Like Darvish and Matsuzaka, Tanaka was a standout at Japan's high school baseball tournament known as Koshien. He struck out 459 batters over three seasons, surpassing Matsuzaka's mark of 423.

In addition to Tanaka, the Eagles will be counting on two former major leaguers in the Japan Series.

Former Yankees outfielder Andruw Jones batted .243 with 26 home runs and 94 RBIs in 143 games to help the team to its first Pacific League pennant.

Also making a major contribution is former major league infielder Casey McGehee, who batted .292 with 28 home runs and 93 RBIs.

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

’99 grand jury indicted Ramseys for fatal child abuse

Three years after the brutal killing of pint-sized beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey, her parents were indicted for being complicit in her murder, newly unsealed court papers revealed.

John and Patsy Ramsey put their 6-year-old in a dangerous situation and helped her killer, according to Colorado grand-jury documents released Friday.

The panel voted in 1999 to charge the couple in separate but identical indictments with one count of child abuse resulting in death and one count of accessory to a crime.

JonBenet RamseyPhoto: ZUMAPPRESS.com

The long-sealed paperwork did not indicate who might have murdered JonBenet, whose bludgeoned and strangled body was found in the basement of the family's ­Boulder home on Dec. 26, 1996.

The little girl was found with duct tape covering her mouth, a cord around her neck and evidence that she had been garroted and sexually tortured.

The documents were ordered released Friday by a Colorado Superior Court judge in response to a lawsuit brought by a Boulder ­reporter and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.

The child-abuse indictments state that John and Patsy Ramsey "unlawfully, knowingly, recklessly and feloniously" allowed their daughter to be "unreasonably placed in a situation which posed a threat of injury to the child's life or health" and which "resulted in the death of JonBenet Ramsey."

According to the accessory indictments, the Ramseys "render[ed] assistance to a person" in an effort to hinder or prevent the discovery of with intent to hinder, delay and prevent the discovery, detention, apprehension, prosecution, conviction and punishment of such person for the commission of a crime, knowing the person being assisted has committed and was suspected of the crime of murder in the first degree and child abuse resulting in death."

The district attorney at the time, Alex Hunter, refused to sign the indictment papers and declined to prosecute, citing a lack of evidence.

JonBenet's murder made worldwide headlines as glam photos and videos of the little girl dressed in adult makeup and suggestive poses were released in the media.

In 2008, new DNA evidence showed that JonBenet's killer was an unknown male.

In that same year, the Ramseys and all immediate family, including JonBenet's brother, Burke, were exonerated by Boulder District Attorney Mary Lacy.

John Ramsey had asked the court to release all of the grand jury report, rather than just the unprosecuted indictment portion released Friday. He argued that a partial release would give a skewed view of the case.

Patsy, who died in 2006, and John always maintained their innocence.

Boulder Police Chief Mark Beckner said the case remains open but not active and said the release of the indictments likely won't change anything.

"Given the publicity that's been out there, many people have formed their opinions one way or another," he said.

With AP

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Snowden NSA leak may expose foreign spies’ work with US

WASHINGTON – Two Western diplomats say U.S. officials have briefed them on documents obtained by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden that might expose the intelligence operations of their respective countries and their level of cooperation with the U.S.

Word of the briefings by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence comes amid questions swirling around overseas surveillance by the National Security Agency, which has angered allies on two continents and caused concern domestically over the scope of the intelligence-gathering.

The two Western diplomats said officials from ODNI have continued to brief them regularly on what documents the director of national intelligence believes Snowden obtained.

The diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the intelligence briefings publicly.

The Washington Post, which first reported on the matter Thursday evening, said some of the documents Snowden took contain sensitive material about collection programs against adversaries such as Iran, Russia and China. Some refer to operations that in some cases involve countries not publicly allied with the United States.

The Post said the process of informing officials about the risk of disclosure is delicate because in some cases, one part of the cooperating government may know about the collaboration, but others may not.

Meanwhile, the government of Germany said Friday that German officials will travel to the U.S. "shortly" for talks about spying allegations, including whether Chancellor Angela Merkel's cellphone was monitored by the NSA.

The heads of Germany's foreign and domestic intelligence agencies will participate in the talks with the White House and NSA, government spokesman Georg Streiter said — though he later said the exact composition of the team had yet to be determined.

He did not give a specific date for the trip, saying it was being arranged on "relatively short notice."

Lisa Monaco, assistant to the president for homeland security, wrote in a USA Today op-ed published Friday that "no one disputes the need for careful, thorough intelligence gathering. Nor is it a secret that we collect information about what is happening around the world to help protect our citizens, our allies and our homeland. So does every intelligence service in the world."

"Today's world is highly interconnected, and the flow of large amounts of data is unprecedented," Monaco wrote. "That's why the president has directed us to review our surveillance capabilities, including with respect to our foreign partners. We want to ensure we are collecting information because we need it and not just because we can."

"An ongoing review is the right approach because at the end of the day you want to make sure your resources are being used where you need them the most," Sen. Marco Rubio( R-Fla.) said on CNN Friday.

"These leaders are responding to domestic pressures in their own country," said Rubio, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee. "

… Everyone spies on everybody. That's just a fact. Whether they want to acknowledge that publicly or not, every country has different capabilities but at the end of the day, if you are a U.S. government official traveling abroad, you are aware anything you have on your cell phone, iPad, could be monitored by foreign intelligence agencies, including that of your own allies."

"A lot of what you're seeing is for the domestic consumption of their own public," the senator said. "But at the end of the day, everyone knew there was gambling going on in Casablanca.."

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Brett Favre admits suffering from ‘scary’ memory loss

Brett Favre will go down as one of the toughest quarterbacks to play the game, but even he admits being frightened about the memory loss he is experiencing in retirement.

"I think after 20 years, God only knows the toll," Favre, who played for the Falcons, Packers, Jets and Vikings, said in an interview with 570 Sports Talk in Washington on Thursday.

Favre's fears about brain trauma put another face on the concussion concerns that are rocking the NFL. The league recently settled a $765 million lawsuit with former players dealing with post-concussion issues, but still many viewed that as not doing enough for men whose health was ruined by football.

Favre is not at that point, but he has legitimate concerns about how his playing career will affect his life.

"I don't remember my daughter playing soccer, playing youth soccer, one summer," Favre told the station.

"I don't remember that. I got a pretty good memory, and I have a tendency like we all do to say, 'Where are my glasses?' and they're on your head. This was pretty shocking to me that I couldn't remember my daughter playing youth soccer, just one summer, I think. I remember her playing basketball, I remember her playing volleyball, so I kind of think maybe she only played a game or two. I think she played eight. So that's a little bit scary to me. For the first time in 44 years, that put a little fear in me."

Brett Favre lays on the turf after suffering a concussion on the final play of his career in 2010.Photo: AP

Favre won a Super Bowl with the Packers and played an astonishing 297 consecutive games in a row, but he was sacked 525 times, according to CBS News. Many of those occurred while the NFL was still in the dark ages of concussion treatment. Players now are likely to miss at least one game when they suffer a concussion; in the previous era, players might miss only a play or two before trotting back onto the field.

"When I first started playing, those first 10 years, they didn't keep a log like they do now, so there's no telling," said Favre, who said there was "no way in hell" he would return to the NFL after the quarterback-less Rams reached out to him this past week.

The NFL's answer to the concussion crisis has been to call penalties on plays in which a defender leads with his helmet, but most realize this is not a cure-all. And for Favre and countless other retired players, the increased safety standards are coming far too late.

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Yankees, Mets must weigh Drew’s playoff slump

Three thoughts on World Series Game 2, a 4-2 Cardinals win over the Red Sox:

1. The Mets and Yankees are going to have to ask themselves how much this postseason matters for player of interest Stephen Drew because his offensive performance is ranking among the worst ever.

He is 4-for-42 with one extra-base hit (a triple), one walk and 15 strikeouts. He is hitting .095, making Nick Swisher look productive at this time of year. Also, Drew is about to become more important to the Red Sox lineup, which is likely to lose Mike Napoli (so David Ortiz can play first) in Games 3-5 in the NL city St. Louis.

Boston manager John Farrell could switch Xander Bogaerts from third to short and re-insert Will Middlebrooks at third. But I don't think he will do that because St. Louis has an all-righty rotation (and Drew hits lefty). But mainly because whatever his offensive faults, Drew has not taken them into the field. I have been at every Red Sox game this postseason and one of my "I didn't know that" realizations is just how good a defender Drew is. Which is something else the Mets and Yankees must consider.

Drew has terrific hands and an accurate arm and way more range than I was anticipating for someone who missed the second half of the 2011 season and the first half of 2012 after fracturing his right ankle.

He positions himself well, but he also has good range both ways and an accurate arm. Drew produces a couple of plays a game that makes you take notice, that make you put a star in your scorebook.

Drew is a free agent this offseason. He turns 31 in March, and after hitting 13 homers and producing a .777 OPS this year to go along with the strong defense, the expectation is the Red Sox will put the $14.1 million qualifying offer on him and probably would like to keep him.

He is looking at a three- or four-year contract in the $12-million-per-year territory. The Mets are looking to replace Ruben Tejada, but might not want to allocate those kind of funds for Drew.

The Yanks need insurance on both Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez — when I ask Red Sox people, they believe Drew could handle third base. The Yanks are trying to get under the $189 million luxury-tax threshold for next season, and who else takes – or doesn't take – their money will motivate how hard they push on Drew.

2. Michael Wacha gave up two runs in six innings in Game 2. Just to accentuate how great he has been in this postseason, that was one more run than he had given up in his first three starts, covering 21 innings.

Still, he was impressive against the best lineup in the majors, getting through the Boston order the first time with mainly his fastball and changeup before mixing in his curve. He improved to 4-0 in four postseason starts this October. Yes, the Cardinals have won eight games in these playoffs, and a kid with nine career regular-season starts has half of them.

At 22 years, 114 days old, he became the youngest righty to start and win a World Series game since Cleveland's Jaret Wright (21 years, 297 games) won Game 4 of the 1997 Fall Classic against the Marlins. He is the youngest Cardinal to win a World Series game since rookie Paul "Daffy" Dean earned the victories in Games 3 and 6 (22 years and 55 days old in Game 6) to help the Gashouse Gang beat the Tigers in 1934. His older brother, Dizzy, produced the other two St. Louis wins in the Series.

"[Wacha] continues to impress," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. "I don't know what else you can say."

Eighteen teams passed on Wacha in the first round of the 2012 draft. Among them were the Mets, who with the 12th pick selected high school shortstop Gavin Cecchini. He is just 19, but has yet to play above short-season Single-A at Brooklyn.

3. Ortiz did not hit a postseason homer in his first 14 games and 50 at-bats, a period in which he played in October for the Twins and Red Sox and hit .200.

But in his past 64 playoff games, Ortiz has hit 17 homers. He is kind of the anti-A-Rod: He has essentially skated on associations with illegal performance-enhancers, and there is a perception that all he hits is big homers, especially at this time of year.

He hit another huge one in World Series Game 2, the two-run shot off Wacha that gave Boston a 2-1 lead in the sixth. That was the ninth of the 17 homers that have either tied the score or put the Red Sox ahead. Actually, only one tied the score: his two-out, eighth-inning grand slam off Tigers closer Joaquin Benoit in Game 2 of this year's ALCS.

Ortiz has two walk-off blasts. The first, a two-run shot off Jarrod Washburn in the 10th inning, clinched the 2004 Division Series sweep of the Angels. In the 2004 ALCS, he hit a two-run homer off Paul Quantrill in the 12th inning of Game 4, which would be the first of four straight Boston wins en route to ending The Curse.

The next night he would homer leading off the eighth to pull Boston within 4-3 and get the walk-off single against Esteban Loaiza to win Game 5.

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Yankees target Tanaka puts 30-game win streak on line

TOKYO — Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka will be aiming to extend one of the most successful runs in the history of professional baseball when he takes the mound for the Rakuten Eagles in Game 1 of the Japan Series on Saturday.

The 24-year-old Tanaka went a record 24-0 this season and will be looking to extend his consecutive win streak in the best-of-seven series against the Yomiuri Giants.

Japan's version of the World Series pits Japan's oldest, most established team against the upstart Eagles, who have only been around since 2005.

The Eagles are based in Sendai and represent the Tohoku region, which was devastated by the March 11, 2011, earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crises.

In September, Tanaka notched his 21st straight win to break Japan's previous record of 20 in one season set by Kazuhisa Inao in 1957.

Going back to Aug. 19, 2012, the last time he lost a game, Tanaka has won 30 games in a row, including two wins in the playoffs this year.

All the success this season has raised Tanaka's profile among teams in Major League Baseball, making him the most sought-after Japanese import since Yu Darvish.

According to media reports, at least seven major league teams, including the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, are expected to enter the Tanaka sweepstakes once the season ends.

Tanaka isn't eligible for free agency, but it's expected he will be made available via the posting system that allows MLB teams to bid for the negotiating rights to Japanese players.

Darvish, Daisuke Matsuzaka and Ichiro Suzuki all went to the majors under the same system.

A first-round draft pick for the Eagles in 2006, the 6-foot-2, 205-pound Tanaka is a right-handed power pitcher with a high three-quarters delivery.

With a fastball in the mid-90s, Tanaka has impressed major league scouts. He also throws a splitter with downward movement, a slider and the occasional curveball.

Like Darvish and Matsuzaka, Tanaka was a standout at Japan's high school baseball tournament known as Koshien. He struck out 459 batters over three seasons, surpassing Matsuzaka's mark of 423.

In addition to Tanaka, the Eagles will be counting on two former major leaguers in the Japan Series.

Former Yankees outfielder Andruw Jones batted .243 with 26 home runs and 94 RBIs in 143 games to help the team to its first Pacific League pennant.

Also making a major contribution is former major league infielder Casey McGehee, who batted .292 with 28 home runs and 93 RBIs.

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’99 grand jury indicted Ramseys for fatal child abuse

Three years after the brutal killing of pint-sized beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey, her parents were indicted for being complicit in her murder, newly unsealed court papers revealed.

John and Patsy Ramsey put their 6-year-old in a dangerous situation and helped her killer, according to Colorado grand-jury documents released Friday.

The panel voted in 1999 to charge the couple in separate but identical indictments with one count of child abuse resulting in death and one count of accessory to a crime.

JonBenet RamseyPhoto: ZUMAPPRESS.com

The long-sealed paperwork did not indicate who might have murdered JonBenet, whose bludgeoned and strangled body was found in the basement of the family's ­Boulder home on Dec. 26, 1996.

The little girl was found with duct tape covering her mouth, a cord around her neck and evidence that she had been garroted and sexually tortured.

The documents were ordered released Friday by a Colorado Superior Court judge in response to a lawsuit brought by a Boulder ­reporter and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.

The child-abuse indictments state that John and Patsy Ramsey "unlawfully, knowingly, recklessly and feloniously" allowed their daughter to be "unreasonably placed in a situation which posed a threat of injury to the child's life or health" and which "resulted in the death of JonBenet Ramsey."

According to the accessory indictments, the Ramseys "render[ed] assistance to a person" in an effort to hinder or prevent the discovery of with intent to hinder, delay and prevent the discovery, detention, apprehension, prosecution, conviction and punishment of such person for the commission of a crime, knowing the person being assisted has committed and was suspected of the crime of murder in the first degree and child abuse resulting in death."

The district attorney at the time, Alex Hunter, refused to sign the indictment papers and declined to prosecute, citing a lack of evidence.

JonBenet's murder made worldwide headlines as glam photos and videos of the little girl dressed in adult makeup and suggestive poses were released in the media.

In 2008, new DNA evidence showed that JonBenet's killer was an unknown male.

In that same year, the Ramseys and all immediate family, including JonBenet's brother, Burke, were exonerated by Boulder District Attorney Mary Lacy.

John Ramsey had asked the court to release all of the grand jury report, rather than just the unprosecuted indictment portion released Friday. He argued that a partial release would give a skewed view of the case.

Patsy, who died in 2006, and John always maintained their innocence.

Boulder Police Chief Mark Beckner said the case remains open but not active and said the release of the indictments likely won't change anything.

"Given the publicity that's been out there, many people have formed their opinions one way or another," he said.

With AP

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Grim map shows subway deaths and injuries

A grim new map showcased the dark side of the rails Thursday, plotting the city's subway deaths and injuries over three years.

Crowded, heavily-used stops like the 42nd Street-Port Authority, Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center and Union Square stations had the highest incident rates, according to the interactive Gothamist map.

The Times Square station had twelve deaths and injuries between 2010 and 2012– including an elderly man who leaped in front of an E train, and a woman who fell from the platform and died after she was struck.

Union Square had ten– such as an octogenerarian who lost his toes after he wandered onto the tracks of the 4 train.

The map displays some of the MTA's abbreviated notes about the incident. The authority noted this about a man who was killed in Queens last December after he was thrown in front of the 7 train by a deranged woman:

"12/27/12 19:45 MALE CUSTOMER WAS PUSHED F/O A NB TRAIN BY AN EMOTIONALLY DISTURBED FEMAEL. BODY WAS RECOVERED FROM UNDER THE SECOND…"

The MTA has said they are considering adding platform sliding doors on some subway lines to keep passengers from going on the trains.

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FDIC may leap on JPMorgan settlement

Yet another Washington regulator is looking to get a piece of Jamie Dimon's JPMorgan Chase, The Post has learned.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., a tertiary regulator, is mulling whether it wants to jump aboard JPMorgan's $13 billion mortgage bond settlement, sources said Thursday.

The late arrival of the FDIC, which is primarily an insurer safeguarding bank deposits, has bogged down the settlement talks, sources said. Once thought ready to be signed this week, the JPMorgan-regulator settlement is now not expected until next week.

The FDIC, which has about $3 billion or $4 billion at issue with JPMorgan, was brought into the negotiations at the "11th hour," said sources familiar with the situation.

Regulators and agencies already in on the settlement talks include the Justice Dept., the Securities and Exchange Commission, the New York and California state Attorneys General, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

The FDIC was invited to review the tentative settlement terms either Monday or Tuesday and is said to be weighing whether it wants to be party to the agreement, a source said.

A FDIC spokesman declined to comment, as did a spokesman at JPMorgan.

The FDIC's dispute with JPMorgan harks back to the sprawling bank's crisis-era acquisition of Washington Mutual.

The FDIC may be owed billions of dollars tied to mortgage backed securities originated by WaMu and shopped to a number of banks that eventually failed, including Montgomery, Ala.-based Colonial Bank, Macomb, Ill.-based Citizens National Bank and Louisville, Ken.-based Irwin Union Bank & Trust Co.

The FDIC has been looking for JPM to cover losses to creditors related to mortgage bonds those banks acquired from WaMu and Bear Stearns.

Also under dispute between the federal agency and JPM is whether the FDIC should indemnify Dimon's bank against losses from other toxic assets it inherited when it acquired the WaMu in 2008.

JPM has argued that it should be given credit for helping the government during the financial crisis and taking over troubled financial institutions like WaMu and Bear Stearns.

In a 4-year old suit, Deutsche Bank, acting as trustee for purchasers of mortgage bonds, sued JPMorgan and the FDIC, claiming that it is owed as much as $10 billion for the shoddy loans originated by WaMu.

The FDIC claims that JPMorgan should be responsible for the troubled debt and that it should be dismissed from any lawsuits.

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Brain-challenged ‘Bad Grandpa’ shockingly dull

So the five professional writers of "Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa" sat down to think up ways for Johnny Knoxville, in the guise of an 86-year-old man with an 8-year-old boy by his side, to outrage America. They came up with: Invading the floor of a strip club and letting a rubber dingle-dangle fall out of his shorts. Stuffing a loaf of bread down his pants at a grocery store. Volcanically emptying his colon on the wall of a diner.

Fellas: You could have saved a lot of money by asking some fifth-graders to name the funniest things they could imagine. This whole movie is pretty much a mental colon blow.

Knoxville, as " Irving Zisman," tries to hold together this series of candid-camera sketches about a grandfather on a road trip through the middle of the country to return his grandson (Jackson Nicoll) to the boy's daddy.

The movie is interesting only by accident, such as when Irving wanders into a bar packed with a sexagenarian biker gang of toughs wearing "G.O.C." gear. "G.O.C."? "Guardians of the Children," a hulking man-bear replies. "We're a biker organization and we help abused kids, man." The G.O.C. sounds a lot more compelling than Johnny Knoxville in the dairy aisle drinking a bottle of chocolate milk he hasn't paid for.

There's a problem with the spectacle of a Hollywood zillionaire coming down from the mountain trying to get a rise out of working-class America. The Jackass boys picked an amazingly good-humored and tolerant country. About the worst they can get out of people is restrained gasps. Nobody orders Knoxville whipped with a flame-broiled piece of barbed wire. Only once or twice does he even get yelled at.

Johnny needs to raise the stakes a little. How about some Jackassery in a place notable for its lack of a sense of humor, like Saudia Arabia? Sudden-onset diarrhea on a Koran in a public square in downtown Riyadh: Now that would be inappropriate. It might even be edgy.

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Could things possibly get worse for Greg Schiano?

Right about now Greg Schiano might be wishing he had never left Piscataway.

The former Rutgers coach, who graduated to the NFL when he signed a big-money contract with the Buccaneers before the 2012 season, is under fire, literally, for the team's 0-6 start. Radio station 102.5 The Bone in Tampa bought 19 "Fire Schiano" billboards to decorate the city.

"The 'Fire Schiano' billboard is simply a reflection of the Tampa Bay community's opinion of the Buccaneers' head coach," Michael Sharkey, the station's program director told Pro Football Talk.

"Our listeners have voiced their opinion that they are tired of a team, that on paper, should have a winning record. This billboard isn't a message to the Buccaneers as much as it is a message to our listeners that we are right there with them."

Greg SchianoPhoto: Zumapress.com

The station isn't the only one voicing displeasure over Schiano.

Michael Bennett, who left the Bucs for the Seahawks this offseason, said the frustration over Bucs defenders diving on kneeling quarterbacks spread to Tampa Bay's locker room.

"People just really hate it when you have to dive at people's legs," Bennett told NFL.com.

"At the end of the day, we've got to keep going and move onto the next game and try to make a living. Some of these guys [on other teams] are our friends."

The Buccaneers executed that desperate end-of-game play against Eli Manning's Giants and Peyton Manning's Broncos.

"Peyton cussed him out," Bennett said. "And I ain't never heard Peyton cuss."

The week that started with fans showing up at the team's headquarters, upon defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan's suggestion, to give their ideas on how to use Darrelle Revis. They were turned away, but their frustration is still being heard.

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He’s the last guy they wanted falling on their property

The city's king of slip-and-fall lawsuits, Court Street lawyer Sanford Rubenstein, has himself for a client after taking a spill on some mop water in the lobby of a Downtown Brooklyn office building, court papers say.

The colorful lawyer, whose firm Rubenstein & Rynecki boasts on its website that its lawyers "have more than three decades of experience helping victims of slip and fall accidents, said an MRI revealed he suffered two tears to his meniscus and a hematoma in his quadriceps.

"There was an employee of the building who was mopping the lobby floor of the building, unbeknownst to me because there were no signs or warnings. I took a horrible fall and fortunately it was captured on the building surveillance video," Rubenstein told The Post of his lawsuit filed in Brooklyn Supreme Court.

"It certainly puts me in the shoes of the victim as opposed to representing the victim," said Rubenstein, 69, who acknowledged the irony in filing for himself the kind of suit he has filed for countless clients.

"If you slip and fall on New York premises, it costs nothing to schedule a free consultation with an injury lawyer at Rubenstein & Rynecki to discuss your case and learn how we can help," Rubenstein's website exhorts potential clients.

"While the plaintiff, Sanford Rubenstein was walking in the interior of the aforesaid premises … was caused to slip and fall due to an accumulation of water and/or liquid thereat," the suit states.

Rubenstein's firm has won some big-bucks awards for clients, including $3 million for a slip-and-fall suit filed by a Federal Express deliveryman who fell on a wet floor outside a Broadway producer's office, according to his website.

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Planned Texas A&M campus in Israel ‘historic’

AUSTIN, Texas — Gov. Rick Perry on Wednesday lauded as "historic" plans to create a Texas A&M University campus in Israel while again trumpeting the impact of his business-recruiting travels during a 10-day overseas trip.

Making what he said was his fourth trip to Israel since 1992, Perry said the visit was a chance to "open discussions" with businesses that might be considering global expansion, but he didn't mention specific companies. He also visited London on the trip.

Perry is famous for his job-poaching trips beyond Texas, but the longest-serving governor in state history has been particularly well-traveled lately as his time in office draws to a close. Perry, who is not seeking re-election in 2014 and is mulling another run for president in 2016, had already been to six states in seven months even before going to London and Israel.

He described this latest trip as a chance to remind the countries of Texas being a heavy hitter in global trade.

"This trip provided an excellent opportunity to spread the word about Texas' world-class economic climate," said Perry, speaking to reporters on a conference call from Israel.

His trip also included the announcement this week that Texas A&M University, Perry's alma mater, is planning to open a "peace university" in Nazareth, Israel's largest city. A&M Chancellor John Sharp said this week the location was chosen after consulting with Israeli President Shimon Peres.

The campus will feature a combination of Arab, Jewish and international students. Many American universities have collaborative relationships with Israeli universities. But branch campuses have been rare.

"We want to see the Nazareth branch as a means to move the peace process forward and build understanding between cultures," Perry said.

Critics dispute the impact of Perry's far-flung sales pitches to lure new employers to Texas. On Wednesday, the Washington-based nonprofit Good Jobs First that tracks state economic development subsidies issued an updated report that raises skepticism about public-private partnerships launched in the name of job creation.

TexasOne, which pays for Perry's business-recruiting trips, uses no state tax dollars. Members of TexasOne include local economic development councils that do, however, receive local tax funding.

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De Blasio hedges on pedestrian malls

Just weeks after calling the city's pedestrian plazas a wild success, Bill de Blasio left the door open to yanking them out.

The Democratic mayoral hopeful d who has been hot and cold on transportation issues such as bike lanes and pedestrian malls, isclosed for the first time this week that he's up in the air on the tourist-friendly plazas.

"I have profoundly mixed feelings on this issue," de Blasio said when asked about the Times Square and Herald Square plazas during Tuesday's televised debate with GOP nominee Joe Lhota.

"I'm a motorist myself, and I was often frustrated — and then I've also seen on the other hand that it does seem to have a positive impact on the tourist industry," de Blasio added. "So for me, the jury's out on that particular question."

He said he wants to study the impact of the public malls on traffic and local businesses before reaching a conclusion. "I would keep an open mind," he concluded.

De Blasio earlier also walked back a commitment to banish horse-drawn carriages from Central Park during his first week in office, noting for the first time that such a move would require City Council approval.

An official with the city's Transportation Department said the agency doesn't comment on campaign statements.

But he pointed to a handful of studies and reports to argue that the impact of the plazas, including less traffic and increased retail rent in Times Square, is well documented.

Polls have also shown widespread public approval for the dozens of roadway carve-outs throughout the city, which debuted in 2009.

There are currently 54 in design or construction or that have been completed, city officials said.

De Blasio spokesman Dan Levitan said that while the candidate is committed to examining the streets to boost safety, "Pedestrian plazas are, and will remain, a part of [de Blasio's] approach."

Republican Joe Lhota has also been neutral on public malls, saying he'd like to study their impact.

But drivers who have to get around the plazas said their impact is clear: They make traffic a mess.

"It's killing us. The pedestrian mall has locked up traffic; it screws everything up," said Mike Olszewski, a 40-year-old motorist from Long Island. "I would reopen it. It would help the flow of traffic."

John Smith, 63, who drove in Wednesday from northern New Jersey, had similar gripes.

"It's harder to get around now. You can't go around the block in two minutes anymore — it takes 20 minutes," he said of Times Square. "They may as well make the city all bike lanes and pedestrian malls."
Others, who were lounging on chairs in the pedestrian plazas, saw things differently.

"Before, there was so much traffic and the sidewalks were so crowded," said Luis Meneses, a 39-year-old security guard from Washington Heights.

"It should stay the way it is. It's more friendly now for people to visit."

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Wall Street brawler dodges jail time

A Wall Streeter accused of breaking a man's eye socket during a brawl at the ritzy New York Athletic Club has taken a no–jail plea, officials said.

Colin Drowica, who socked another man at the club in April 2012, copped to misdemeanor assault in July, according to statements at a court appearance Wednesday.

During the Manhattan Criminal Court hearing, Drowica, 30, said he has satisfied the conditions of the July plea deal. He served nine days of community service and coughed up $12,588 to victim Andrew Haesler for medical costs.

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Lawyer rips fighting Jets fan: ‘a cowardly act’

A lawyer for the woman slugged in the face by a burly Jets fan at MetLife Stadium called the hulking ex-con who hit her a coward.

Joseph Cataldo, attorney for New England Patriots fan Jaclyn Nugent, said his petite client was pounced on numerous times by Kurt Paschke in the slugfest, which was caught on video.

"That's a cowardly act for a man of his size to punch a female," Cataldo told The Post Wednesday. "For somebody of his size to wind up and clock her the way he did, I think that's a fair statement."

Both Nugent and Paschke were charged with assault in the melee Sunday after the Jets' 30-27 overtime win against the Pats.

Paschke's lawyer said that name-calling was not going to further anyone's interest in the case.

"Her gender and size does not excuse her misconduct," said the attorney, Bruce Barket.

Two other Patriots fans were charged in the battle royal, which left one of Paschke's friends with a concussion.

A law-enforcement source told The Post that the Patriots fans were the aggressors.

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‘Man of steal’ find his true calling — pickpocketing

To Pierre Ginet, this fall day in Times Square must look like an ATM machine — lots of clueless tourists wandering around, their wallets stuffed with money, their bags loaded with valuables, their attention focused elsewhere.

Could the master pickpocket rob them? "Yes."

Would the master pickpocket rob them? "No."

These days, the Frenchman plies his trade in the Big Apple Circus, which opens its 36th season Friday at Lincoln Center's Damrosch Park. The show is called "Luminocity," and it's set at the (well-illuminated) Crossroads of the World, Times Square.

Ginet, 43, will be entertaining with his sleight-of-hand act, pulling circusgoers onto the stage and basically robbing them while the crowd looks on.

"It's like a high-wire act," he says. "There's lots of tension."

Who makes a good mark? Ginet can never be 100 percent certain what someone will or won't have in their pockets to steal, but a few factors come into play.

First, his mark is always a man. There's too much patting down, reaching into pockets and touching to perform on a woman. Second, Ginet looks for someone wearing a jacket, which increases the chances there will be something in the pockets. Glasses or a tie are also a plus. He can steal those as well.

He also wants someone with a friendly demeanor, because his act is comedic.

"People with facial hair are very good," he says. "They take care of themselves, they're more fragile somehow."

Ginet is from Paris and was originally studying at the Sorbonne to become a lawyer when he discovered magic. He began performing while in college.

"One day I stole a watch [in my act] and thought that was the coolest thing ever," he says. "I decided to push it further."

He worked on his thievery skills, eventually landing in shows around the world, including Cirque du Soleil.

Working on stage is actually more difficult than working on the streets.

"Once I take someone on stage, I have to deal with them," Ginet says in accented English. "In the streets, you can choose not to do it. You make an approach, you see it's not possible, so you give up and go to someone else."

A French jewelry store once hired him to lecture on ways to decrease shoplifting. His simple tip to avoid having your wallet or merchandise stolen: "Be careful."

He says New York's subways are a pickpocket's dream: When straphangers hold onto the high bars, they leave their jackets hanging open and their bags exposed.

The less scrupulous might distract you with a question or ask for directions on a map. And then your phone or money would be gone.

And so it's a bit unnerving when, after a demonstration, Ginet asks with a sly smile, "Do you have everything?"

I have to check twice.

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New law aims to protect underage models

Models under 18 will be subject to sweeping new state labor law protections under legislation quietly signed into law by Gov. Cuomo Monday night.

The new regulations could have a huge impact on February's New York Fashion Week, where designers employ numerous under-aged catwalkers to show off their latest and hottest styles.

The legislation, sponsored by state Sens. Jeffrey Klein and Diane Savino, had been approved by lawmakers in June and was awaiting Cuomo's signature.

Until now, models under 18 were not covered by the child-labor laws that govern other young performers, such as actors and actresses.

Among the new regulations on catwalkers:

• Models cannot work earlier than 5 a.m. and no later than 10 p.m. on schools nights; and no later than 12:30 a.m. on non-school nights.
• An adult must be in the room, at all times, with any model under 16.
• The child's parent and guardian must set up a trust fund, where employers will have to directly contribute at least 15% of gross earnings.
• A nurse with a background in pediatrics has to be on hand at all times.
• Employers have set aside time and space for their young models to do school work.
• Parents or guardians must receive a detailed work schedule for days the young beauties work.

The look of New York Fashion Week could be getting a radical facelift because of these regulations, according to Sara Ziff, leader of the child-model advocacy group Model Alliance.

Ziff estimated that nearly half the models on the Fashion Week catwalk in recent years have been under 18.

"I think the number of models who are 18 on a [Fashion Week] runway are going to be few and far between," Ziff said.

"I just think it'll be much easier to hire an 18-year-old than a 15-year-old."

Advocates for the new regulations said they're not out to put young models out of business – but just want to make sure they're protected.

"Most models begin their career around the age of 13, sacrificing their education, health and financial security to model without the basic protections they deserve under New York's current law," said Savino (D-Staten Island/Brooklyn).

"By making this legislation the law in New York, we have brought an end to the rampant exploitation and sexual abuse of child models by giving child models the critical protections they've been denied for too long."

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