George Clooney and Rande Gerber are BFFs

This is the Pitts.

To serve as his best man at Saturday's wedding, George Clooney turned not to famous buddy Brad, but to Rande Gerber, a titan of the night-life world who really does spell his first name like that.

Gerber, who runs a string of high-end cocktail lounges, including New York's the Roof and Living Room, first met Clooney some 20 years ago at his Paramount Hotel hot spot, the Whiskey.

Gerber and his wife, supermodel Cindy Crawford, are among Clooney's closest friends, and they often vacation together. The group was on a 2002 getaway in Italy when Clooney spotted a house for sale in the Lake Como region. He later bought it.

George Clooney with his new bride Amal Alamuddin with Rande Gerber and his model wife, Cindy Crawford on a boat in Venice.Photo: AP

Not content to just travel together, Clooney and Gerber also live together — in a manner of speaking. The two own adjoining houses in Los Cabos, Mexico.

The bros also jointly own a tequila company, Casamigos. Cases of the stuff were reportedly flown to Italy for the wedding reception.

Clooney even tapped Gerber to decorate his LA house. The bar magnate tricked out the (then) bachelor pad with dark woods, chandeliers and a large photograph of Steve McQueen.

The two buds like to ride motorcycles together, and Gerber has called Clooney the funniest person he knows. Quit sucking up. He made you best man already.

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Goldman has a long, cozy history with New York Fed

So, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D- Mass.) wants Congress to investigate Goldman Sachs' relationship with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. This comes after a whistleblower tape-recorded conversations in which Fed officials seem to be treating Goldman with too much deference.

It's all words. Since Sen. Warren likes Wall Street's campaign contributions as much as the next politician, I doubt she'll follow through.

But if some miracle descended upon Washington and there actually is an investigation, I suggest Congress look at two columns I wrote.

The first, on Sept. 29, 2009, shows numerous calls between Goldman Chairman Lloyd Blankfein and Treasury Secretary (and ex-Goldman co-chair) Hank Paulson during the 2008 financial crisis.

These calls show just how well-connected Goldman was and is in Washington.

No firm should be this close to government policy makers.

The second column, which ran on Jan. 6, 2011, discloses how William Dudley, the head of the New York Fed and a former Goldman exec, was lunching with Goldman Chief Economist Jan Hatzius during a period in which Fed officials were not supposed to have contact with outsiders.

The Fed didn't seem to care when I broke that news. Neither did the politicians in Washington. And despite the noise Warren is now making, they won't care this time either.

---

Uber drivers are getting into a lot of trouble at Newark Airport. And you might be surprised at what it's costing them.

The innovative ride service hooks its drivers up with those who need a lift through a convenient app. And Uber, as you probably heard, has taken the world by storm as people in New York City and elsewhere look for a more convenient way to get from here to there rather than standing in the street trying to hail a yellow cab.

Regular Uber — using cars that have limousine license plates and commercial insurance and registrations — isn't the problem at Newark. UberX, which the company describes as a less expensive "ridesharing" service, is a different story.

Port Authority police have been stopping UberX drivers curbside at Newark and blasting them with thousands of dollars worth of tickets. And — the biggest punishments of all — they impound the cars, with the guy behind the wheel also facing a one-year suspension of his driver's license.

The Port Authority calls this crime "hustling." A spokesman says the PA doesn't keep track of tickets given out for this offense at Newark. But it does keep tabs of incidents of hustling that escalate and result in arrests. So far this year, there have been 134, compared with 110 in 2013.

How much does hustling cost the UberX driver? There's a $1,200 fine for illegally transporting passengers for hire; $1,200 for operating a limo without a special registration; $1,200 for failure to equip the car with a first aid kit and fire extinguisher; and another $1,200 for not having a two-way radio.

An Uber driver makes about $80 for a Newark Airport-to-Manhattan fare after the company gets its cut.

Let me see, that adds up to — a big operational problem for a company attempting to keep its prices competitive with yellow taxis.

An Uber spokesperson tells me, "We fully stand behind our driver partners and will cover any financial and legal costs if they are wrongly cited." And one driver who was ticketed at Los Angeles International Airport says the company did send a lawyer to fight his case.

But here's the rub: The drivers at Newark Airport aren't being wrongly cited. They are breaking the law, even if the law wasn't written for the digital age. So the drivers may be stuck for the cost despite what Uber says.

The problem apparently doesn't exist at JFK or LaGuardia because the Port Authority in New York has told Uber to take its ridesharing service and X-it. And the company apparently has taken the hint.

Uber told me it's just trying to "help administrators tackle long taxi queues … we welcome the opportunity to work together." Well, the Port Authority apparently doesn't care.

Here's how UberX drivers can avoid being hassled at Newark: They should know the full names — first and last — of the people they are picking. Someone should hop into the front seat as though he or she is family.

And a peck on the cheek wouldn't hurt since cops use a lack of apparent familiarity as a sign that the driver is doing something illegal.

One UberX driver reported being cited after he had a minor accident coming out of the Lincoln Tunnel on his way from Newark. "Why are these people in your car?" the cop asked. The driver reported on the Web site Uber Driver Diaries that he told the cop they were friends, "very new friends."

Wrong answer. Ticket, ticket, ticket, ticket.

---

I forgot to mention in my last column that the e-mail in which two Philadelphia Census Department workers discuss the more than 120 computers lost before the last presidential election is available online.

Search for my column dated Sept. 25, and you'll see how careless Census was with your personal information and how disreputable people could have messed with economic results in September 2012.

Congress is now looking into the matter.

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Judge finds Argentina in contempt of court

A Manhattan judge took the extreme and rare action of finding a sovereign nation — Argentina —in contempt of court on Monday.

Judge Thomas Griesa, acknowledging it was an unusual ruling, said 'the court holds the Republic of Argentina is in civil contempt of court" because of the nation's recent efforts to evade his earlier orders.

Argentina recently passed legislation allowing some bondholders to swap their US debt for Argentine law bonds that ostensibly avoided Griesa's order to pay back $1.6 billion owed to hedge fund mogul Paul Singer and other creditors.

"Both [bondholder groups] have to be dealt with," said Griesa.

The ruling was a big victory for the Singer group.

"This is an extreme sanction," said Argentina's lawyer, Carmine Boccuzzi of Cleary Gottlieb.

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Four spectacular outfits and a wedding for Mrs. Clooney

Modal Trigger

Over the course of her wedding weekend, Amal was spotted wearing: Giambattista Valli, Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, Dolce & Gabbana and Stella McCartney. Photo: INF ; GC Images ; Splash News (2)

Blooming Bride

Amal in Giambattista Valli CouturePhoto: Getty Images

The bride wore Oscar de la Renta for the Saturday nuptials, but her first post-wedding appearance on Sunday called for something equally exquisite. Cue this Giambattista Valli Couture dress — a structured, floral macramé-embroidered number fresh off the Italian designer's spring 2014 runway.

Fit for McQueen

Amal in Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueenPhoto: Splash News

For a Friday night pre-wedding dinner, Alamuddin stunned in a scarlet high-low gown by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen. Printed in an abstract baroque motif, the dress was a dramatic statement perfectly suited for an evening in the fabled Floating City.

La Dolce Vita

Amal in Dolce & GabbanaPhoto: Splash News

Alamuddin kicked off her enchanted weekend on Friday with a black-and-white dress by the masters of Italian glamour: Dolce & Gabbana. She accessorized the retro-inspired frock — from the designers' spring 2013 collection — with slingback heels and a hatbox lovingly monogrammed "A" and "G."

Practical Magic

Amal in Stella McCartneyPhoto: Splash News

Following the formal fête, the British barrister settled on bespoke Stella McCartney for Monday's civil ceremony. The smart-chic ensemble comprised billowing trousers that extenuated her leggy frame — paired with a matching top and wide-brim hat straight out of an Old Hollywood film.

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

All aboard the George and Amal love boat

As the sun set pink over Venice on Saturday evening, George Clooney rode up the Grand Canal in a water taxi in his last few minutes of public bachelorhood.

A very happy George Clooney during his wedding weekend.Photo: AP

The 53-year-old actor looked happy and relaxed, waving to the crowds of well-wishers who shouted "Auguri, George!" ("Congratulations, George!") as he arrived at the luxury Aman Canal Grande Resort, where the ceremony would take place.

The water taxi was dubbed "Amore."

The groom wore a classic tuxedo by Armani.

And the bride, Amal Alamuddin, wore a breathtaking Oscar de la Renta gown.

But while the ceremony itself was kept private — the couple banned cellphones during the vows because they didn't want photos appearing everywhere — Clooney and the lovely Alamuddin seemed more than happy to pose for shots during the long wedding weekend.

On Friday, high-profile guests, including actor Matt Damon and his wife Luciana Barroso, as well as night-life impresario and best man Rande Gerber and his wife Cindy Crawford, arrived in Venice.

Matt Damon and his wife Luciana Barroso board a boat while Rande Gerber and his wife Cindy Crawford wait on a balcony to join the fun.Photo: GC Images

Later, Clooney, Gerber and pals headed to Da Ivo for a bachelor party dinner, where they drank tequila and red wine. Alamuddin, dressed in a stunning Alexander McQueen number, headed to the Aman resort with her mother, sister and lawyer friends.

The main event was held on Saturday night. Guests were given preapproved cameras that routed all photos to a centralized database, according to TMZ. The party was said to last until the wee hours.

On Sunday, the couple hosted a brunch at Venice's Belmond Hotel Cipriani, emerging again on Monday for a civil ceremony held at the Venice Town Hall. Every single appearance was the epitome of style and grace: Alamuddin sported four exquisite outfits fit for a classic Hollywood movie — including a dramatic wide-brimmed hat straight out of "Now Voyager." (And at an estimated $13 million cost, the wedding had a Hollywood budget, too.)

Over the course of her wedding weekend, Amal was spotted wearing: Giambattista Valli, Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, Dolce & Gabbana and Stella McCartney.Photo: INF ; GC Images ; Splash News (2)

Clooney knows how to strike that fine balance between privacy and media participation; after all, when you're one of the world's most famous actors and you get married in Venice, you're pretty much begging the paparazzi to come along for the ride. It's tough to make a quick getaway on foot down those narrow, winding streets, and it's difficult to hide when you're waiting at your water taxi stand.

But the Oscar-winning heartthrob and his bride didn't seem to mind the attention.

George Clooney, Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber enjoyed a morning coffee date.Photo: EPA

We saw him smiling while stepping into water taxis, waving to the crowd. There was Clooney sharing a wedding-day morning coffee with Crawford and Gerber — even bantering with photographers, who shouted, "Is this really happening, George?" "Yeah, right now!" Clooney replied in mock alarm, pretending to check his watch-less wrist for the time.

Even Clooney's regular Venetian taxi driver, Alessandro Greco, had been invited to the wedding and intended to take the day off from the taxi business, leaving his assistant in charge, according to reports from Us Weekly. (Greco also reportedly acted as witness at the couple's civil ceremony on Monday.)

But in a way, it was like we were all invited. There was so much for the casual laptop observer to enjoy about the occasion, not the least of which was the fact that the dapper Clooney's new wife is a 36-year-old human rights lawyer who, by pretty much everyone's account, is a wonderful person, in addition to being incredibly intelligent and great at what she does. Seriously, I have lawyer friends who have worked with her, and they rave about her. When was the last time you heard a lawyer say something good about another lawyer — or anyone, for that matter?

Bill Murray waves to the crowd while on a boat.Photo: Splash News

But what really knocked the whole thing out of the park — the Laguna, as it were — was the fact that Bill Murray was a wedding guest.

The 64-year-old actor recently delivered fantastic love advice to a Charleston, S.C., bachelor party he crashed.

"If you have someone that you think is The One, don't just sort of think in your ordinary mind, 'OK, let's pick a date. Let's plan this and make a party and get married,' " he advised. "Take that person and travel around the world. Buy a plane ticket for the two of you to travel all around the world, and go to places that are hard to go to and hard to get out of. And if when you come back to JFK, when you land in JFK, and you're still in love with that person, get married at the airport."

We can only hope that he delivered a similarly awesome toast to Clooney and his lady, and that it will at some point (soon, please) be leaked to an eager public. Don't let us down, Bill!

Auguri, George and Amal!

Where were Brangelina?

This probably halved the catering bill. Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and their gigantic brood of children were wedding no-shows. Rumors had Clooney falling-out with his friend because Pitt's young'uns trashed his Lake Como palace.

More likely: scheduling conflicts.

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

US-led airstrikes hit four Syrian provinces

BEIRUT — U.S.-led coalition warplanes bombed Islamic State group positions overnight across four provinces in northern and eastern Syria, hitting a grain silo as well as the country's largest gas plant, activists said Monday.

Washington and its Arab allies opened their air assault against the extremist group last week, going after its military facilities, training camps, heavy weapons and oil installations. The campaign expands upon the airstrikes the United States has been conducting against the militants in Iraq since early August.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said coalition forces hit Islamic State group facilities overnight in Aleppo, Raqqa, Hassakeh and Deir el-Zour provinces. It said there were casualties, but that it did not have concrete figures.

Among the facilities hit was the entrance to Syria's largest gas plant, Conoco in Deir el-Zour province, and grain silo in the extremist-held town of Manbij in Aleppo province. It said the gas facility itself was not damaged.

Another activist group, the Aleppo Media Center, also reported the strike on the grain silo in Manbij, northeast of Aleppo city. It said the attack ignited a fire at the facility.

There was no immediate confirmation from the U.S. or its allies on the reported air raids.

More strikes Monday morning hit the town of Tel Abyad on the Syria-Turkey border, according to a resident on the Turkish side on the frontier.

Mehmet Ozer told The Associated Press by telephone that the raids hit an abandoned military base and an empty school, sending pillars of smoke and dust into the air. He said Islamic State fighters cleared out of the military about three or four months ago.

"They (the coalition) must not have fresh intelligence," Ozer said.

The Islamic State group has seized control of a huge chunk of Syria and neighboring Iraq, and has declared the establishment of a self-styled caliphate ruled by its strict interpretation of Shariah law there. Its brutal tactics, which include mass killings and beheadings, have helped galvanize the international community to go after the militants.

The U.S.-led campaign aims to roll back the extremists gains in Syria and Iraq, and ultimately to destroy the group.

The coalition includes Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Jordan. Several European countries also are contributing to U.S. efforts to strike the Islamic State group in Iraq, including France, the Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium and Britain.

The Observatory says at least 19 civilians have been killed so far in coalition airstrikes.

On Sunday, Human Rights Watch said that it had confirmed the deaths of at least seven civilians — two women and five children — from apparent U.S. missile strikes on Sept. 23 in the village of Kafr Derian in Idlib province. The New York-based group said two men were also killed in the strikes, but that they may have been militants.

It based its conclusions on conversations with three local residents.

"The United States and its allies in Syria should be taking all feasible precautions to avoid harming civilians," said Nadim Houry, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "The U.S. government should investigate possible unlawful strikes that killed civilians, publicly report on them, and commit to appropriate redress measures in case of wrongdoing."

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

SUNY offering ‘healthy breakup training’

Students at State University of New York campuses will soon be offered "healthy breakup training," while faculty will learn how to avoid sexual harassment.

The nation's largest public university system is taking a proactive approach to tackling sex crimes after 145 cases of verbal sexual harassment and 238 cases of sexual violence were reported last school year, according to an Associated Press analysis.

SUNY Delhi, for instance, saw a trend in harassment involving ex-boyfriends and girlfriends, so the campus now offers the course on breakups.

Pervy faculty at SUNY Cobleskill will get more training after too many were reported commenting on female students' cleavage or attire.

And two athletes at SUNY Plattsburgh were accused of sexual violence, prompting lessons for players and coaches.

SUNY's 29 state-operated campuses are now required to report harassment cases for the next two years to the US Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights. That's because the feds found SUNY didn't always provide prompt or equitable resolutions to such complaints under Title IX, an amendment that protects students from sexual harassment and discrimination.

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Cuomo questions spread of terrorism while in Afghanistan

• Sign in / Register
• See something newsworthy?
  Tell us about it!

  or email tips@nypost.com

  (all tips will be submitted anonymously)

September 29, 2014 | 5:36am

Gov. Cuomo wants to build "the most sophisticated homeland defense system ever designed" for New York, but said officials must first determine why terror networks like ISIS are growing at such an alarming rate.

Cuomo made his comments from Afghanistan, where he's visiting troops and officials until Tuesday.

"What's causing the continued growth of the source of the problem? Why is it spreading?" he asked.

Jeter goes 2-for-4 and ties a season high with three runs scored in a 6-1 victory over the Blue Jays in Toronto.

With your existing account from...

{* loginWidget *}

Use an account with your email address

{* #userInformationForm *} {* traditionalSignIn_emailAddress *} {* traditionalSignIn_password *}

{* traditionalSignIn_signInButton *}{* traditionalSignIn_createButton *}

{* /userInformationForm *}

Welcome Back, {* welcomeName *}

{* loginWidget *}

Welcome back!

{* welcomeName *}

{* #userInformationForm *} {* traditionalSignIn_emailAddress *} {* traditionalSignIn_password *}

{* traditionalSignIn_signInButton *}

{* /userInformationForm *}

{* #registrationForm *} {* traditionalRegistration_emailAddress *} {* traditionalRegistration_password *} {* traditionalRegistration_passwordConfirm *} {* traditionalRegistration_displayName *} {* traditionalRegistration_captcha *} {* traditionalRegistration_ageVerification *} By clicking "Create Account", you confirm that you accept our

terms of service

and have read and understand

privacy policy

.

{* /registrationForm *}

Don't worry, it happens. We'll send you a link to create a new password.

{* #forgotPasswordForm *} {* traditionalSignIn_emailAddress *}

{* /forgotPasswordForm *}

We've sent an email with instructions to create a new password. Your existing password has not been changed.

{* #tradAuthenticateMergeForm *} {* traditionalSignIn_emailAddress *} {* mergePassword *}

{* /tradAuthenticateMergeForm *}

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

New Afghan president sworn in

KABUL, Afghanistan — Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai was sworn in Monday as Afghanistan's new president, replacing Hamid Karzai in the country's first democratic transfer of power since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion toppled the Taliban.

Moments after Ghani Ahmadzai took the oath, he swore in his election challenger, Abdullah Abdullah, as chief executive, fulfilling a political pledge he had taken to share power and defuse election tensions that had threatened to spark violence between the country's north and south.

In his first speech, Ghani Ahmadzai called on the Taliban and other militants to join the country's political process and lay down their weapons. However, extremist violence Monday killed at least 12 civilians and police officers as foreign forces prepare to withdraw from the country at the end of the year.

"We are tired of war," Ghani Ahmadzai said in a televised address. "Our message is peace, (but) this doesn't mean we are weak."

Ghani Ahmadzai, a former World Bank official and Afghan finance minister, wore a dark black turban popular in the country's south as he swore in his two vice presidents and then Abdullah.

Abdullah, a former foreign minister, spoke first and thanked Karzai for his service and the people of the country for casting votes in the millions despite the threat of attack from Taliban militants who tried to thwart the election process.

"We are committed as one in the national unity government," Abdullah said. "Our commitment will be fulfilled together as unified team to create national unity."

Ghani Ahmadzai then congratulated Karzai for a peaceful and democratic transition of power, and he thanked Abdullah for making the national unity government possible. The new president also promised to confront the country's endemic corruption.

"We want to be held accountable. I am your leader but I am no better than you. If I make mistakes, you should hold me accountable," Ghani Ahmadzai said.

Karzai — the only president Afghanistan and the West have known since the invasion — wore a wide smile as he greeted his presidential guards upon entering the palace. Karzai has said he is glad to be stepping down after more than a decade of what the U.S. ambassador recently said was one of the most difficult jobs in the world.

The inauguration caps a nearly six-month election season that began when ballots were first cast in April. A runoff election in June between Ghani Ahmadzai and Abdullah stretched on for weeks as both sides leveled charges of fraud. The United Nations helped carry out what it said was the most thorough recount in its history, a count that reduced Ghani Ahmadzai's vote percentage from 56 percent to 55 percent, but still gave him the win.

But the real power struggle was taking place in marathon talks between the two sides, often brokered by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and other U.S. officials. The political deal the sides agreed to created the new position of chief executive that Abdullah will now fill.

The inauguration took place eight days after the political deal was signed between Ghani Ahmadzai and Abdullah. Though Kerry played a big role in the political deal, the short notice of the inauguration date and events elsewhere in the Middle East did not allow him to attend. Instead, the U.S. was represented by John Podesta, counselor to President Barack Obama. Other notable guests included Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain and Indian Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari.

U.S. officials have said they expect Ghani Ahmadzai to sign a security agreement with the U.S. shortly after his inauguration to allow about 10,000 American troops to stay in the country after the international combat mission ends on Dec. 31.

Even as the inauguration unfolded in the heavily guarded presidential palace, two bomb attacks took place on the road connecting the country's main airport with the palace. One roadside bomb did not result in any deaths or injuries, but a second attack about a kilometer (half mile) from the airport by a suicide bomber killed six or seven people, police officer Abdul Latif said.

A bigger attack took place in the eastern province of Paktia. Police Capt. Mohammed Hekhlas said that a car bomb exploded near a government compound as gunmen attacked, sparking a gun battle that killed seven Taliban militants. Another police official, who gave his name as Azimullah, said four police officers and two civilians also were killed.

For Afghans watching the inauguration, that threat of violence and insecurity remained one of their top concerns.

"I hope Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai can bring peace and the rule the law in Afghanistan as former Afghan President Hamid Karzai could not bring peace," said Abdul Rahman, a 30-year-old police officer. "Our people have been suffering from the instability and poverty."

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

More bodies found after volcano erupts

KISO, Japan — Five more bodies were found near the summit of a Japanese volcano on Monday, bringing the total presumed dead to 36, police said, as toxic gases and ash from the still-erupting mountain forced rescue workers to halt efforts to recover the victims.

Eight more bodies were airlifted off Mount Ontake before work on the ash-blanketed peak was called off around 1:30 p.m., said Naofumi Miyairi, a spokesman for the Nagano prefecture police.

Together with four victims brought down on Sunday, 12 bodies have now been recovered, leaving 24 near the summit. Exactly how they died remains unclear, whether from gases, suffocating ash, falling rocks or other causes.

Police said the latest victims were found near a shrine at the summit, the same area where other victims were reportedly found.

Japanese TV network TBS showed soldiers carrying yellow body bags one-by-one to a military helicopter that had landed in a relatively wide-open area of the now bleak landscape, its rotors still spinning.

The bodies were flown to a nearby athletic field, the surrounding forested hills contrasting with Mount Ontake's ash-gray peak in the background, a reduced plume still emerging from its crater.

The bodies were then taken to a small wooden elementary school in the nearby town of Kiso, where they were being examined in the gymnasium.

Family members of the missing waited at a nearby municipal hall.

More than 200 soldiers and firefighters, including units with gas detection equipment, were part of the search mission near the peak, said Katsunori Morimoto, an official in the village of Otaki.

The effort was halted because of an increase in toxic gas and ash as the volcano continued to spew fumes, he said.

"It sounds like there is enormous ash fall up there," he said.

The rescuers reported a strong smell of sulfur, Morimoto said.

Saturday's eruption was the first fatal one in modern times at the 10,062-foot mountain, a popular climbing destination 130 miles west of Tokyo. An eruption occurred in 1979, but no one died.

Japanese media reported that some of the bodies were found in a lodge near the summit and that others were buried in ash up to 20 inches deep.

The mountain erupted shortly before noon at perhaps the worst possible time, with at least 250 people taking advantage of a beautiful fall Saturday to go for a hike. The blast spewed large white plumes of gas and ash high into the sky, blotted out the midday sun and blanketed the surrounding area in ash.

Hundreds were initially trapped on the slopes, though most made their way down by Saturday night.

About 40 people who were stranded overnight came down on Sunday. Many were injured, and some had to be rescued by helicopters or carried down on stretchers.

Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency tallied 40 people who were injured, including three seriously, and said it was trying to determine if any people were still missing.

Survivors told Japanese media that they were pelted by rocks from the eruption. One man said he and others went into the basement of a lodge, fearing that the rocks would penetrate the roof. He said he covered himself with a thin mattress for protection.

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

There’s something in the water at Charli XCX’s hometown

Charli XCX is prepping her concert tour and new album release, so we thought we'd do some digging into the "Boom Clap" singer's pop credentials. It turns out there's something in the water in her hometown of Bishop's Stortford in the UK.

The punky princess, who wrote Icona Pop's "I Love It," attended the same college as Ed Sheeran's manager, Stuart Camp, and Adele's producer, Paul Epworth, and Katy Perry's ex-husband, Russell Brand.

Bubbly Charli described the village to On the Money, "It's cool — a small town north of London. It's kind of quiet, with a few pubs you can play music in."

Her tour kicks off this weekend in Florida and the album, "Sucker," drops on Dec. 16 via Atlantic/Neon Gold, which is under Warner Music.

"I'm so excited for the US tour," she says, adding, "It's going to be punk Barbie girl." Interpret that as you will.

There may also be something in the water at Atlantic. The label has fielded a host of No. 1 albums in recent months, from Wiz Khalifa to Coldplay, Ed Sheeran and Trey Songz.

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Raúl De Molina: Networks need to pay attention to Hispanics

Univision TV host and former paparazzi photographer Raúl De Molina was in town last week, drawing a parade of fans of his afternoon show as he visited restaurants across the city.

Bon viveur De Molina treated "On the Money" to breakfast at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel's Asiate.

His show, "El Gordo y La Flaca" (The Fat and the Skinny), is a variety show focused on fun and food, but he's serious about the mainstream media's lack of awareness about the power of the Hispanic viewer.

Cuban-born De Molina is an AT&T spokesman but adds, "We have come a long way from the days the networks didn't even know the Hispanic market existed, but we still have work to do to get major networks to pay attention to Hispanic stars that compete in ratings with the top American shows. Now people know we're here, but they don't know how to use us."

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Developer in battle over landmarked buildings

A developer claims it is being forced to keep two landmarked but "architecturally insignificant" Upper East Side apartment buildings because of "anti-developer political animus," according to a lawsuit.

For years, The Stahl Organization has sought to tear down the two buildings at 429 East 64th St. and 430 East 65th St., which it claims are hopelessly out of date and "simply unfit for modern living."

Stahl bought the century-old buildings in 1977.

In 1990, the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission decided to landmark similar buildings nearby, but declined to extend the special status to the two on 64th and 65th.

But in 2006, when the developer sought to tear down the structures and replace them with a "modern, mixed-income condominium tower" it says would be worth $200 million, the LPC changed course and landmarked the buildings anyway.

Stahl is now suing the city and the LPC in state and federal courts in Manhattan to overturn the landmark status.

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Recent White House intrusion wasn’t even the worst of it

The recent White House security lapse, in which a crazed man with a knife to scale a fence and waltz through the unlocked front door, is nothing compared to a terrifying incident three years earlier, it was reported Saturday.

The Washington Post disclosed an incredible series of Secret Service screw-ups, surrounding gunman Oscar Ramiro Ortega-Hernandez.

The Idaho man, 21, who had been lurking in DC blending in with Occupy Washington protesters, opened fire on the mansion with a rifle from his parked car on Nov. 11, 2011.

At least seven of his bullets hit the White House.

President Obama and his wife were out of town, but daughter Sasha and the first lady's mother were inside. Daughter Malia was expected home shortly.

When shots rang out, Secret Service agents rushed to respond. One drew a handgun as they frantically searched for the shooter.

Suddenly, the newspaper said, a supervisor ordered the agents to stand down — because he believed the sound was a construction vehicle backfiring.

By the end of the night, the agents had decided it really was gunfire, but assumed the shots hadn't been aimed at the White House. They thought local gangbangers were firing at one another from two cars.

They didn't realize bullets had hit the mansion until four days later, when a housekeeper found broken glass and a chunk of cement on the floor. The president and first lady were livid when they learned of the incident, the report said.

The gunman, who caused $97,000 worth of damage, was busted Nov. 16 and is serving 25 years.

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Rob Ford makes first appearance since cancer hospitalization

TORONTO — Embattled Toronto Mayor Rob Ford has jumped back into the spotlight for the first time since being hospitalized for cancer, receiving a boisterous welcome.

Rob Ford speaks at his first public event since being released from the hospital where he was undergoing cancer treatment.Photo: Reuters

Supporters chanted "Rob, Rob," as he took the stage Saturday at an annual family barbeque.

Ford told supporters that he loves them and vowed to beat the cancer he was diagnosed with earlier this month.

Ford refused to step down as mayor despite months of scandal and an admission he used crack cocaine while in a "drunken stupor."

But he bowed out of the race for re-election after doctors detected a tumor in his abdomen. Ford is still running for a seat on the city council. The mayor's brother, Doug, entered the race to replace him.

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Rutgers’ Flood: We’re not looking past Tulane

PISCATAWAY, N.J. — With a four-game test of Michigan, Ohio State, Nebraska and Wisconsin looming on the horizon, Rutgers' game against non-Power 5 doormat Tulane on Saturday (noon, ESPNews) looks like the proverbial trap game, the quintessential underdog that could bite them in the rear.

Even if Rutgers coach Kyle Flood insists he doesn't believe in trap games, he is determined to make sure his Scarlet Knights (3-1) don't stumble all the same.

"Whether you want to consider it fortunate or unfortunate, I was here in 2010 when Tulane came up here and whooped us in our own stadium,'' Flood said. "The opportunity to be 1‑-0 [Saturday] in our home stadium in a major college game, that's enough of a challenge for me. We have a really well-coached team … coming in here. It's going to take all our focus and energy to be 1‑-0 on Saturday.''

Rutgers has exceeded expectations — a win Saturday would match the four-victory total that Las Vegas oddsmakers had predicted for them — and is not surprisingly a double-digit favorite.

Tulane (1-3) has struggled mightily, losing all three games it has played against FBS foes by a combined 123-65 score.

Still, the Scarlet Knights have lost two of their three home games against Tulane, including that 17-14 defeat in 2010 that saw Rutgers QB Tom Savage get injured and Homecoming get spoiled.

"I don't know that it'll be a talking point. … This is a different team, a different coaching staff. I was here, but the coaching staff wasn't. This group of players on defense is completely different — none of them were a part of that game,'' Flood said. "[But] to me I don't know that you have to go back that far to really see every week teams that don't come to play in major college football get beat.''

If Rutgers gets beat, it may well be because of turnovers. Gary Nova has thrown six interceptions — five against Penn State — and Tulane is eighth in the country with six picks. Tulane QB Tanner Lee is a strong-armed redshirt freshman, while RBs Sherman Badie and Lazedrick Thompson are dangerous.

The Green Wave have some pedigree as well. Sophomore linebacker Nico Marley is the grandson of reggae icon Bob Marley and son of ex-Miami LB Rohan Marley, and backup QB Nick Montana is the son of NFL Hall of Famer Joe Montana. Still, the pedigree of RU's upcoming foes implies it can ill afford to lose Saturday.

Starting with next weekend's game against the visiting Wolverines, the games against Michigan, at Ohio State, at Nebraska and finally Wisconsin represent the meat of Rutgers' first-ever Big Ten schedule. Reaching six victories in their debut season — and becoming bowl eligible — would be a huge accomplishment, and that likely will require avoiding an upset Saturday.

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Rod Stewart look-alike runs amok in New York City

Some guys have all the pluck.

At least one phony Rod Stewart with spiked blond locks and a cockney accent is duping star-struck fans and restaurant owners across the city into thinking he's the legendary crooner, The Post has learned.

The bogus Brit, who bears a striking resemblance to the "Maggie May" singer, has been spotted riding the subway, partying in the Meatpacking District, crashing World Cup soccer bashes and even loitering near a schoolyard, sources said.

Desperate to impress the ­"celebrity," shop owners are showering the sham Stewart with free cocktails and meals across Manhattan, sources said.

In July, he attended the Hublot World Cup viewing party at Bagatelle for the Germany-Brazil game, where he duped event organizers into giving him endless booze.

An Instagram user posted a possible cellphone pic of the impostor — officially dubbed "Rockaway Rod" for his random New York City cameos — sitting on a subway train as it passed over the Manhattan Bridge this month.

"Wait, is that Rod Stewart?" the poster wrote of the bespectacled man sporting a blond rooster mane.

Whoever he is, the Stewart look-alike has the aging-rock-star look down — sporting accessories including four beaded bracelets on his wrist and a gold chain around his leathery neck.

The genuine rocker's longtime manager, Arnold Stiefel, confirmed this man is a fake.

"The real Rod has seen the [subway] picture, and he thought it was funny, but he said, 'Please let people know it isn't me,' " Stiefel told The Post.

It's unclear whether sporadic Stewart sightings are the work of a lone con man or several — or if the man in the subway pic is even one of the impostors.

"This has been going on for years," Stiefel told The Post.

Additional reporting by Selim Algar

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Why Nick Faldo called Sergio Garcia ‘useless’

GLENEAGLES, Scotland — Former Ryder Cup star and 2008 captain Nick Faldo, speaking on NBC Friday, ripped Sergio Garcia, calling him "useless" in the 2008 Ryder Cup because of a "bad attitude."

Faldo, the only European captain to lose since 1999, made his comments about García following the Spaniard's opening fourballs loss with Rory McIlroy Friday. He essentially accused Garcia of letting him down as a captain.

"That's unfortunate,'' Garcia said when the Faldo comments were read to him. "I guess he doesn't feel European. That's the only thing I can think of. You know, there's a lot of things I could say about Nick Faldo, but I'm not going to put myself down to his level.''

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Top local hoop stars still playing football

The high school season bleeds into the frenetic AAU year which then leads into fall ball. Basketball prospects get no break — it's a 365 days a year grind.

Three highly thought of prospects from Long Island are saying enough is enough.

Long Island Lutheran trio Devonte Green, Chris Atkinson and Marvin Prochet — all Division I prospects with a variety of options — are taking a much-needed breather from hoops this fall and playing football instead, returning to the gridiron after their Pop Warner days.

There is risk involved, most notably injury. One college coach involved thinks its "crazy" to take a such a chance, but he said he does believe it is wise to take a break from basketball in the fall. LuHi basketball coach John Buck said he hasn't heard much from college coaches about it one way or another.

He isn't concerned. In fact, Buck sees it as a worthwhile gamble. A college basketball player at Wake Forest in his day, Buck recalled some of his fondest high school days came on a baseball diamond, not a basketball court.

"I anticipate these guys coming back to basketball refreshed mentally," Buck said. "It just feels right. The school loves it, the kids are loving it. They're having fun. The mental aspect is so important."

Said Green: "It makes you miss and value playing basketball."

The football team is 2-0, thanks in part to the three basketball players. They have gotten to meet a new section of the school because of their involvement, Buck said, and it has put a smile on their faces.

Of the three, Green, the younger brother of Spurs guard Danny Green is the highest-rated prospect. High major programs such as Maryland, Seton Hall, Arizona, Oklahoma and Cincinnati are recruiting the talented 6-foot-2 junior, who is playing running back and defensive back for the LuHi football team. Atkinson, a blur of a 5-foot-9 point guard, counts Iona, Central Connecticut State and Iona among his suitors, while the 6-foot-6 Prochet is hearing from Richmond, Towson and St. Bonaventure.

"Some coaches think I'm crazy, because I may get hurt, and some don't really think much of it," Green said. "They think it's cool we play for fun. … If you like football, then I would suggest it. You get a break from basketball. You can still play basketball whenever you want. It's something different, something to have fun with."

Fun, huh? Imagine that, high school athletes not obsessing over rankings and recruiting, and enjoying themselves, getting to be actual teenagers. Maybe Green, Atkinson and Prochet have started a trend. Less, after all, can sometimes be more.

---

St. John's Midnight Madness event on Oct. 17 just became very important. The Red Storm will host their top three high school targets — forward Cheick Diallo of Our Savior New American (L.I.), point guard Isaiah Briscoe of Roselle Catholic (N.J.) and shooting guard Brandon Sampson of Louisiana — all of whom will be taking official visits that weekend.

St. John's coach Steve Lavin saw junior target Temple Gibbs of Seton Hall Prep (N.J.) and JUCO wing Luis Montero of Westchester Community College on Monday. He plans to have an in-home visit with five-star guard Antonio Blakeney, a former Louisville commit, this week.

Long Island Lutheran junior forward scored his first high-major scholarship offer from Seton Hall on Wednesday.

Highly recruited junior guard Rawle Alkins of Christ the King received a visit from Cincinnati head coach Darren Savino on Wednesday and Louisville's Rick Pitino on Thursday.

Syracuse and Villanova visited with Archbishop Stepinac sophomore wing Jordan Tucker on Thursday.

Tottenville senior forward Nakye Sanders took an unofficial visit to Towson on Thursday. He received a visit from Temple head coach Fran Dunphy on Tuesday and Duquesne assistant coach Brian Nash on Wednesday.

Fordham landed Canadian Joseph Chartouny, a 6-foot-3 guard, on Friday. He is a member of head coach Tom Pecora's 2015 recruiting class.

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Derek Jeter to finish career as DH against rival Red Sox

BOSTON — Derek Jeter wants to watch the replay of his emotional and scintillating final game at Yankee Stadium because he admitted his mind wasn't always right during the evening that pebbled a lot of flesh.

Nevertheless, when the retiring shortstop views the historic game, there will be a degree of emptiness because a game-winning hit in the bottom of the ninth against the Orioles that will be celebrated forever came in the second straight season the Yankees won't be playing in October.

"Of course, that's why you play, you play to go to the playoffs and have an opportunity to win a championship,'' a tired looking Jeter said before watching the Yankees' 3-2 victory over the Red Sox to open a meaningless three-game series against at Fenway Park on Friday night. "And that is not happening this year.''

The Yankees long ago lost touch with the Orioles, who ran away with the AL East. On Wednesday, they were eliminated from the race for the second wild-card spot. Yet the scene at Yankee Stadium late Thursday night looked and sounded as if the Yankees won their 28th World Series title.

On Friday, reality began to settle over the Yankees' universe.

Jeter, for the first time ever in a big league game, told manager Joe Girardi he didn't want to play, and didn't. The plan is for Jeter to be the designated hitter in the final two games of his Hall of Fame career because what he wanted to take from Yankee Stadium was a vision of him playing shortstop in the home pinstriped uniform.

In fact, if the Yankees were not in New England's living room, Jeter said Thursday night would have been the final game ever.

"If it was anywhere else, I don't know if I would be playing,'' said Jeter, who explained that due to his respect for the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry, the Red Sox organization and Red Sox fans, his career won't end in The Bronx.

Talking at a podium, Jeter looked like the guy who said he got two hours of sleep after the Yankees arrived at the team hotel in the wee hours of Friday morning.

"It was a wide range of emotions,'' Jeter said. "I couldn't think of a better way to end a career at Yankee Stadium.''

The home portion of his career entered the history books in dramatic fashion with Jeter admitting there were times during the long day and night he came close to breaking down in front of teammates and fans.

The road part and his legendary career ends sometime late Sunday afternoon at a ballpark, where many games of baseball's bitter rivalry have occurred.

As he said in the days leading to the farewell in The Bronx, Jeter explained he couldn't describe what Sunday will be like.

"I don't know, I can't imagine it like being in New York,'' Jeter said. "That has nothing to do with where I am. That pretty much is as good as it gets.''

Girardi offered Jeter the option of playing another position and Jeter rejected that. A lot of teams, when there is nothing on the line, turn to a veteran to manage the final game of the season. Girardi gave Jeter that option and was turned down, too.

So, he arrived as a skinny shortstop nobody knew would develop into what he did. Jeter leaves Sunday as a lean, 40-year-old DH in a park where he was a central figure in the best rivalry baseball has to offer.

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

India’s PM sued for genocide in US court

The Prime Minister of India is being sued for genocide, according to court documents filed Thursday in Manhattan federal court.

The American Justice Center filed a complaint on behalf of anonymous plaintiffs against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is currently in the city ahead of the United Nations General Debate.

It alleges that under Modi's leadership, "thousands were killed and thousands more were displaced."

The plaintiffs are seeking monetary damages and a judgment that Modi's conduct was "genocide."

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

More undocumented immigrants can join military: Defense Dept.

More undocumented immigrants will be eligible to join the US military, the Defense Department announced Thursday.

The Pentagon is expanding a program that now allows recruiters to target skilled undocumented immigrants with expertise in ­areas such as rare foreign languages.

The program, called Military Accessions Vital to the National Interest, will now be available to any illegal immigrants who came to the country when they were under age 16 with their parents, ­regardless of skill.

The new policy could provide a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Bahamas beachfront battle heats up between tycoons

A battle over beachfront property in the Bahamas is heating up — and this time it's billionaire hedge fund mogul Louis Bacon who is getting sand kicked in his face.

Bacon, caught in a nasty spat with Canadian clothing magnate Peter Nygard, his neighbor in a tony Bahamas neighborhood, told an employee to find a way to burn down Nygard's house, according to explosive court papers filed in a Los Angeles courthouse.

The founder of New York hedge fund Moore Capital Management was moved to torch the extravagant estate five years ago after Nygard refused to sell him the prized parcel, court papers allege.

In a fit of pique, Bacon ordered an employee to "find a way to burn Mr. Nygard's '****ing house' down," according to the lawsuit, which cites a conversation between employees of the two testy tycoons.

The allegations by Nygard are his first major legal salvos in the US as the long-running feud spills onto domestic shores after burning through the Bahamian courts.

Earlier in the feud, Bacon accused Nygard of creating an environmental disaster by enlarging his extravagant estate with illegal sand dumps. Nygard countered by alleging that Bacon is simply throwing a tantrum because Nygard has long refused to sell him his prized parcel.

While Nygard admits in court papers "[t]he cause of the fire is unknown," a Bacon representative, two weeks after the flames were doused, said to one of Nygard's employees, "See what I told you," court papers allege.

While the two were firing off claims in a Bahamas court, Bacon installed four "large, military-grade" speakers at the property line and pointed them at Nygard's bedroom nearby, blaring "ear-piercing noises" whose aim was "solely to annoy Mr. Nygard and embarrass him in front of his guests," court papers allege.

"There, that's a message from Mr. Bacon," one of the hedge fund mogul's assistants yelled after one punishing noise session, according to the suit.

He then shouted: "Don't ** with Louis."

Responding to Nygard's Los Angeles legal salvo, California In a y rebuttal this week, however, Bacon's lawyers noted that amid leveling such accusations, Nygard failed to deny many of the sensational charges that were leveled against him in a lawsuit filed in New York last month.

Those include allegations that Nygard orchestrated an elaborate campaign to smear him as a racist before local residents in the Bahamas.

In July, for example, Bacon alleges that Nygard paid dozens of protesters to march through the streets of Nassau carrying signs that linked Bacon to the Ku Klux Klan.

Bacon also says Nygard used his private jet to fly Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan to the Bahamas, where he spoke at a rally denouncing Bacon as a racist.

"Tellingly absent from their brief is any denial that Mr. Nygård was involved in the smear campaign or the unlawful destruction of the Bahamian environment."

At issue now is a trove of video footage that Bacon says will prove his allegations of Nygard's elaborate smear campaign.

Last week, Nygard sued to block the release of the video footage, taken by former employee Stephen Feralio.

Some of the videos, posted on YouTube, have titles like "Is Louis Bacon Racist?" and "Is Louis Bacon a Murderer?"

Another video edited Bacon's image into an ABC News report titled "The New KKK."

Nygard alleges that Feralio is looking to sell the footage to Bacon following a dispute over an incident this past February, in which, against Nygard's advice, Feralio attempted to film his company's Times Square headquarters.

Feralio got into trouble with law enforcement as a result, and got mad when Nygard refused to bail him out.

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Sears Canada braces for possible bankruptcy as CEO leaves

Sears Canada is beginning to brace itself for a possible bankruptcy.

The cash-strapped department-store chain has begun to reach out to top law firms in Canada in a desperate search for restructuring advisers as it weighs a potential Chapter 11 filing, The Post has learned.

A bankruptcy filing isn't imminent or even certain, sources cautioned.

Plus, the money-losing chain likely has enough inventory to get through the holiday season.

At the same time, billionaire Eddie Lampert — who as chairman of Sears Holdings controls Sears Canada through a 51-percent equity stake in the company — hasn't yet given up on turning around the ailing chain, which has seen sales decline in each of the past six years.

Still, a bankruptcy law firm in Canada has received an inquiry from Sears Canada about being retained, sources close to the matter said.

Asked by The Post on Thursday about Sears Canada's recent talks with bankruptcy lawyers, company spokesman Vincent Power said, "There is no truth to this."

Lampert has tried — unsuccessfully so far — to sell Sears Canada. The investor is now scrambling to sell more of the chain's best locations to raise cash outside of a court proceeding, sources said.

But with Sears Canada's prospects as a business in doubt, the prospect of a piecemeal selloff of the retailer looks less lucrative.

As reported by The Post earlier this week, an auction by Chicago-based Sears Holdings of its 51-percent stake in Sears Canada failed to attract any bids in its second round.

That's because prospective bidders in the auction run by Bank of America got spooked after getting a look the company's fast-deteriorating financials, sources said.

Now, it's suppliers that are growing skittish about Sears Canada's ability to pay its bills through the cash-intensive ramp-up to Christmas.

While the timing of any possible bankruptcy filing remains uncertain, insiders are increasingly concerned it could come at the start of the new year.

It didn't help Thursday when Sears Canada said CEO Douglas Campbell will leave the company no later than Jan. 1 so that he can "tend to personal family issues."

Lampert's habit of selling off Sears Canada's assets, including the sale of five top locations for $400 million last fall to landlord Cadillac Fairview, has put the chain in an increasingly tight position.

In its announcement of Campbell's resignation, Sears Canada said it "remains committed to continue the strategy of optimizing productivity, realizing value from desirable assets, and creating a highly relevant retailer in Canada with a focus on rural and suburban locations."

The company added that its board "is focused on maximizing total value. At the end of the year, the Board will review the appropriate level of cash for the Company, and any potential return of capital to shareholders, based on the performance of the company during the holiday season and the prospects for the business going forward."

Separately Thursday, Fairholme Capital Management, one of Sears' largest shareholders, said it was unable to reach a deal with real estate firm St. Joe to participate in a $400 million loan to Sears Holdings.

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Wall Street scared new Attorney General could be Preet

Attorney General Eric Holder is heading to the exit door — and that's making Wall Street nervous.

Executives in the financial services industry see Manhattan US Attorney Preet Bharara as a possible successor — and with his tough-on-corporate-crime history believe a renewed focus Wall Street could be coming to Washington.

Holder, after six years atop the Justice Department, is seen as not interested in highlighting white collar crimes.

"[Holder] was pretty easy on Wall Street," Marc LoPresti, a corporate and securities lawyer in New York, told The Post.

"It's glaring that past financial debacles have led to prosecutions of high level executives but we have seen almost no prosecution of individuals involved in wrongdoings of financial institutions related to the 2007-2009 financial crisis," said Anat Admati, a professor of finance at Stanford's graduate school of business and author of "The Bankers' New Clothes: What's Wrong With Banking and What to Do About it."

Holder announced on Thursday that he'll step down from his position once Congress approves a successor nominated by President Obama.

"It's probably going to be the Southern District attorney as a direct response to what is the perception of Holder's lack of aggressive prosecution of financial services executives," LoPresti added.

Bharara, who has held his position since 2009, has successfully prosecuted more than 80 insider-trading cases, including former Galleon Group head Raj Rajaratnam, ex-SAC Capital trader Matthew Martoma, and forced a guilty plea from SAC Capital itself.

The US attorney has previously dodged questions about his next career moves.

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hustler founder is taking the porn empire public

Larry Flynt is making noises about taking his Hustler porn empire public.

The 71-year-old porn king, who has expanded well beyond his monthly magazine into Web sites, casinos, a TV network and a licensing division, thinks the business could be worth as much as $500 million.

The Los Angeles-based company is already working with "high-powered" firms to consider an initial public offering, Flynt told the Cincinnati Enquirer in a recent interview.

The IPO could come to Wall Street within 12 to 18 months, the founder and chairman of the 40-year-old publication said.

Back in 1974, Hustler magazine joined Playboy and Penthouse in a newsstand competition for male adolescent eyeballs across the nation.

The competition served all three publications well for years, but when the market turned south in the late 1990s, Flynt had the foresight to diversify.

There are now more than 60 adult Web sites under the Hustler corporate umbrella, Flynt said in the interview.

His LFP also includes such legacy assets as Hustler magazine, a strip club and adult-film production companies.

While never straying far from porn, Flynt's immersion in different media and other outlets has spared the company from the bankruptcies that have hit rivals.

Today, just 5 percent of Flynt's profits come from print — while 25 years ago that total was closer to 85 percent, he said in the interview.

"We've changed the whole economics of our company, [but] we're more sound than we were before," Flynt said.

Flynt's leading role in pornography may have set up an equally enduring legacy as a proponent of free speech.

His many battles to protect the First Amendment in the 1970s are depicted in the 1996 biopic "The People vs. Larry Flynt."

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Blouin files counterclaim to ex-employees’ backpay suit

The Red Queen is striking back.

Seven months after former Art + Antiques publisher Kate Shanley and former Associate Publisher Wendy Buckley filed a joint lawsuit claiming they were owed back pay and expenses totaling more than $250,000, Louise Blouin, the CEO of Louise Blouin Media, has filed a counterclaim in Manhattan state court.

In it she claims the duo disparaged her company, sold ads at prices below the published rate card and bartered ad space for airline tickets.

"LBM's counterclaims arise out of Shanley and Buckley's disloyalty and self-dealing in violation of their duties at LBM," legal papers claim.

In addition, Shanley diverted payments from ad clients to her own company, ArtMedia Co. , it is alleged.

Wendy Stryker, the lawyer for Shanley and Buckley at Frankfurt Kurnit Klein and Seltz, commented,
"The substance of these claims amounts to nothing.

"They are designed to distract from the real issue — her failure to pay workers what they are owed," Stryker said.

The lawyer said the bartered airline tickets were used to fly Shanley to art fairs in Europe working for Blouin, not for personal vacations.

Blouin's lawyer did not return a call seeking additional comment.

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Allergan must prove it isn’t thwarting acquisition: expert

Botox maker Allergan has its work cut out for it.

The company, which is looking to fend off a hostile bid by Valeant and billionaire Bill Ackman, must clear this bar: it has to prove the principal reason for its offer to buy smaller rival Salix Pharmaceuticals isn't to thwart the acquisition, according to a merger law expert.

Allergan is reportedly nearing an all-cash deal to buy Salix, a move that would make it more difficult for the bid by Ackman and Canada-based Valeant to win the day.

"Allergan cannot buy another company to make themselves a less attractive takeover target for the sole purpose of thwarting this bid," said Jonathan Macey, a law professor at Yale University.

On Tuesday Ackman — the company's biggest shareholder with a 9.7 percent stake — said he will sue Allergan if it attempts to acquire Salix without a shareholders vote.

"By undertaking an acquisition without a shareholder vote, with the purpose and desired effect of frustrating a Valeant transaction, you are breaching your commitment that shareholders would have a vote on the value proposition offered by Valeant," he wrote in a letter to the Allergan board.

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Lane Bryant’s stock plummets after disappointing sales

For Wall Street, betting on the plus-size fashion market can be treacherous.

Shares of Ascena Retail Group, whose chains include Lane Bryant and its smaller plus-size operation, Catherine's, plummeted 17 percent Tuesday, their biggest one-day drop since 1987, after the company disclosed disappointing sales and profits.

Results were dogged partly by sluggish trends at Lane Bryant, the nation's biggest plus-size chain, where a multiyear turnaround effort has yet to materialize.

Lane Bryant's second-quarter comparable sales dipped 2 percent to $284.3 million amid inventory snafus and lackluster demand, the company said.

That's despite the fact that plus-size women are among the fastest-growing shopping demographics in the US, fueling a market for larger apparel sizes that grew 3 percent last year to nearly $18 billion.

"We have yet to see sustained evidence of market improvement, and as a result, are maintaining a conservative outlook as we enter the fall season," Ascena CEO David Jaffe said, warning that full-year results will miss analysts' expectations.

Ascena shares lost $2.78 to close at $13.75, their lowest levels in nearly four years.

The woes at Ascena aren't just because of problems in the plus-size market.

Indeed, most of the recent disappointment was chalked up to shortfalls at the company's tween-focused Justice chain.

Still, the results highlight challenges that retailers have experienced catering to plus-size apparel shoppers.

At Lane Bryant, results are being squeezed by "weak traffic, markdowns and lack of inventory depth in key opening-point price categories," FBR Capital Markets analyst Susan Anderson wrote in a research note.

In the language of retail, "opening-point price categories" typically means bargain-priced basics.

Indeed, critics note that higher-priced designs, a controversial mainstay at Lane Bryant, can be a tough sell for plus-size shoppers, who tend to focus on value.

As if to prove the point, Catherine's, a lower-priced chain, saw its comparable sales surge 7 percent during the quarter, to $91.1 million.

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Kohl’s parkas ‘faux-fur’ found to be real

When it comes to fur, Kohl's keeps trying to pass off the real thing as fake.

The department store's Web site on Tuesday was selling a parka with a "faux-fur" trimmed hood, but an investigation by the Humane Society of the US found otherwise.

In fact, the garment's own inner tag indicated that the fur was "raccoon" from China, the group noted. But testing by the Humane Society's labs found that the trim was harvested from a raccoon dog.

The cute, fluffy, fox-like species was at the center of a 2005 furor after animal groups filmed Chinese farmers skinning them alive. Nevertheless, the raccoon dogs continue to be a favorite faux-fur replacement, said the Humane Society's PJ Smith.

"We're trying to tell Kohl's that it's not worth being associated with cruelty and misrepresentation," Smith said.

Last December, the Humane Society caught Kohl's advertising a faux-fur-trimmed bag that was, in fact, trimmed with rabbit, it said.

Kohl's officials didn't respond to requests for comment, but the retailer removed the offending jacket from its site late Tuesday afternoon.

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Lopez says he can’t pay any potential settlement money

Disgraced former state Assemblyman Vito Lopez is waving a tin cup, saying he can't find a job — and can't pay any potential settlement in a pending federal sexual-harassment lawsuit accusing him of groping two former underlings.

His claim, if true, could leave Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, who is also named in the suit for allegedly allowing Lopez's behavior to continue unchecked, on the hook for any settlement or award, the plaintiffs' lawyer said Monday.

Lopez lawyer Laura Sack told Manhattan federal Judge Michael Dolinger in court that the former Brooklyn Democratic boss and power broker "is not in a position to contribute" to any settlement in the lawsuit by two former Assembly aides Victoria Burhans and Chloe Rivera.

Lawyer Kevin Mintzer, representing Burhans and Rivera, told Dolinger he had not contacted Lopez's lawyers with an offer because "the gist of it is that Mr. Lopez has no ability to pay."

So any potential liability, Mintzer added, could fall directly on Silver, who is also named in the suit as an "aider and abettor" of Lopez's alleged serial-perv behavior in Albany.

Mintzer during the hearing also reiterated some of his clients' allegations against Lopez while working for him in 2012, including that he had them "massage his hands while driving," attempted to stick their hands by his private parts and would routinely request that they "not wear a bra at work."

Silver lawyer Bettina Plevin said she believes "liability falls exclusively" with Lopez because "it is not Silver's job to investigate complaints."

Mintzer disagreed, saying Silver should be held liable "because he has hiring and firing power in the Assembly."

Lopez reportedly hasn't paid a $330,000 fine the state Legislative Ethics Commission hit him with last year for sexually harassing staff members.

As of his July filings, he had $65,571 on hand in a state campaign fund but owed $9,806 from his fund for a failed campaign last year to be elected to the City Council. He also receives a $64,000 government pension.

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Preet Bharara threatens legal action over jail conditions

Manhattan US Attorney Preet Bharara on Monday threatened to take legal action against the city for failing to reform the problem-plagued jail on Rikers Island.

He said "questionable promotions" of officials there and the alleged withholding of information about violence against adolescent inmates have him concerned that the de Blasio administration is snubbing his demand to fix what he's called a "broken institution."

"If, as has been reported, incomplete and inaccurate information has been provided to us, and questionable promotions may have occurred, it does not instill confidence in us that the city will quickly meet its constitutional obligations," he said.

Bharara made the threat following a New York Times report claiming the city failed to provide the feds accurate information about adolescent inmate fighting on the advice of two managers, who were then promoted to senior posts.

In August, Bharara gave the city 49 days to develop remedial measures or face a Justice Department lawsuit. The city Law Department did not return requests for comment.

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Fiscal Policy Institute proposes tax on luxe pied-á-terres

Left-wing allies of Mayor de Blasio have come up with a new way to tax the rich by going after nonresidents who buy expensive co-ops and condos that they seldom use.

The liberal Fiscal Policy Institute on Monday proposed a tax of up to 4 percent on 1,556 pied-á-terres worth more than $5 million each. The tax would generate $665 million a year, the group said.

The mayor's office quickly said it was "reviewing" the proposal.

De Blasio's previous attempt to increase taxes on the city's wealthiest residents was shot down in Albany, which would also have to approve the condo-tax plan.

But the new targets of the tax hikers include many foreigners who don't vote.

The graduated tax would start at 0.5 percent for properties valued at $5 million to $6 million, and max out at 4 percent for units valued at more than $25 million.

State Sen. Brad Hoylman (D-Manhattan) is introducing a bill to enact the tax Tuesday.

In his report, institute director James Parrott said absentee owners of expensive condos and co-ops should be targeted because they don't pay local income tax.

"The owners bid up the price of New York City residential real estate, and since they don't spend much time in these use units, contribute little to the local economy compared to full-time residents," he said.

Brooklyn City Councilman Brand Lander, the deputy policy leader, embraced the tax on "extremely wealthy foreigners," saying many use their properties as "tax havens."

The powerful Real Estate Board of New York, which represents the city's largest developers, denounced the idea as an "administrative nightmare."

"It raises serious legal questions and ignores the potential impact of taxing apartment owners an additional $1 million to $2 million annually on top of their existing real-estate taxes and maintenance costs," said board president Steven Spinola.

But in a surprising development, the city's most influential business group, the New York City Partnership, said it was open to the tax as part of overall tax reform.

City officials are concerned that the government could lose revenues in the tax overhaul, Patnership CEO Kathryn Wylde said, adding that "the pied-á-terre tax would be a source of revenues that could be used to bridge any shortfall the city might experience as a result of conforming."

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Queen of Spain visits Washington Heights school

The queen of Spain wants New York City students to explore a new world.

Queen Letizia was deluged by questions from excited youngsters at Dos Puentes Elementary School in Washington Heights on Monday in her first official visit to New York as head of state.

"They asked 'Do you have any children?' 'Where do you live in Spain?' and 'What was it like to be queen?' " said Principal Victoria Hunt. "She seems very pleased to be the queen."

The queen celebrated the school's membership into the International Spanish Academy, a network of about 100 schools across the United States and Canada that offer dual language programs that the queen urged them to explore.

Her Majesty hammed it up with one kindergarten student who said, "I cannot believe this." Another managed to take an awkward selfie with the queen.

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hamas suspects in slaying of Israeli teens killed

JERUSALEM — Israeli special forces stormed a West Bank hideout early on Tuesday and killed two Palestinians suspected in the June abduction and slaying of three Israeli teenagers, a gruesome attack that had triggered a chain of events that led to the war in Gaza this summer.

The deaths of the two suspects, identified by the Israeli military as well-known Hamas militants, ended one of the largest manhunts conducted by the Israeli security forces.

Eyal Yifrah, 19, Gilad Shaar, 16, and Naftali Fraenkel, a 16-year-old with dual Israeli-American citizenship, were abducted on June 12 while hitchhiking home in the West Bank and killed soon afterward.

Eyal Yifrah (from left), 19, Naftali Fraenkel, 16, and Gilad Shaar, 16Photo: AFP/Getty Images

The teens' abduction and slaying prompted a large Israeli crackdown on the Islamic militant Hamas group and set off a chain of events that led to a 50-day war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

In an operation codenamed "Brother's Keeper," Israel dispatched thousands of troops across the West Bank in search of the youths, closed roads in the Hebron area and arrested hundreds of Hamas operatives throughout the territory.

The search ended July 1, when the bodies were found under a pile of rocks in a field north of the West Bank city of Hebron. Officials later said it was believed the three had been killed shortly after the abduction.

Israeli forces had been pursuing the suspects, Amer Abu Aisheh and Marwan Qawasmeh, since the abductions, said Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, an Israeli army spokesman.

Lerner told reporters that there was a recent breakthrough in the search that led the Yamam, a special police counter- terrorism unit, to the hideout in an area of Hebron about a week ago.

Early on Tuesday, the Israeli special forces entered the ground floor of the two-story building and killed two Hamas operatives after coming under fire, Lerner said.

The military believes both men were killed, though troops confirmed the killing of only one suspect. Lerner said the second suspect fell backward in a hail of fire and is presumed dead, though the body has not yet been recovered.

Lerner noted the two men had been identified as the suspects early in the search, their Hamas connections were well known, and Hamas has repeatedly tried to abduct Israeli civilians and soldiers. Another three members of one the Qawasmeh family were arrested, he said.

"We were determined in bringing the ruthless murderers of Gilad, Eyal and Naftali to justice," Lerner said. "Today's successful mission brings the long-term search to an end, and the perpetrators of the crime no longer pose a threat to Israeli civilians," he said.

In Qatar, Hussam Badran, a spokesman for top Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal, praised the two militants on his Twitter account. "The martyrdom of Marwan Qawasmeh and Amer Abu Aisheh came after a long life full of jihad sacrifice and giving. This is the path of resistance, which we all are moving in," he said.

Hamas denied involvement for weeks after the teens were abducted. However, during the Israel-Hamas war, an exiled Hamas leader responsible for West Bank operations acknowledged his group had been responsible for the abduction and killing of the teenagers.

In the days leading up to the start of the Gaza war in early July, a Palestinian youth was also abducted and killed in east Jerusalem by Israeli extremists in an apparent revenge attack over the teens' slaying.

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Meeks’ Iraq trip nixed over fellow lawmaker’s ban from country

WASHINGTON — Rep. Gregory Meeks got bumped from a taxpayer-funded trip to northern Iraq because his travel companion and fellow lawmaker had been banned from the country.

"They did not let us go," Meeks (D-Queens) told The Post after a lawmaker raised concerns about the trip at a classified briefing.

The State Department says the trip was canceled because the Iraqis had banned Meeks' travel companion, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.), from visiting since 2011, when he remarked that Iraq should repay the US for its 2003 invasion of the country.

Dana RohrabacherPhoto: AP

"Security is not the issue here," a State Department official told The Post. "The real issue is the fact that Representative Rohrabacher had been expelled from the country. We're not going to fly him there if he can't get into the country."

The pair, both on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, still went on with their taxpayer-funded two-week tour with stops in Russia, Israel, Kazakhstan, Hungary and Austria.

Meeks hobnobbed with business leaders and was lauded in the local press and publicly asked to set up a meeting between a Kazakh bigwig and Mayor Bill de Blasio. The mayor's office said it wasn't aware of such a request.

Meeks and Rohrabacher brought a delegation of US business powerbrokers to Kazakhstan, The Astana Times reported.

While Meeks' visit was axed, the State Department did sign off on Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) traveling to Irbil, in northern Iraq. The Armed Services chair received a warm welcome from Kurdish leaders and thanks for US support.

Rohrabacher had been asked to leave Iraq during a visit in 2011, when he publicly called on Baghdad to repay funds the US spent on the 2003 invasion.

Separately, a Rohrabacher-led delegation was banned from Afghanistan in 2012 after he questioned President Hamid Karzai's trustworthiness.

Rohrabacher's office said it was shocked to hear that Levin got in, because it had assumed no Congress members had gotten the State Department's blessing to visit.

As for the Iraq ban, his office said it had assumed it had expired with the new Iraqi government.

"[It's] always security," Rohrabacher grumbled to The Post. "I don't buy it at all. I think it's control of information that flows here so we cannot make up our minds independently."

Meeks also seemed unaware of his companion's travel troubles and blamed the State Department for putting up roadblocks.

"The State Department has not made it easy for individuals to get inside northern Iraq," he said.

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Cabs are key to saving MTA money with Access-A-Ride

The MTA is saving millions of dollars a year — by putting people in cabs.

Users of the MTA's Access-A-Ride service were diverted to taxis for 2 million trips, or 30 percent of the time, last year — largely with low-cost cab vouchers issued by the agency.

In 2011, only 1.5 million trips, or 23 percent, were shifted to cabs by the program, which serves commuters with disabilities.

Each subsidized cab trip saves the MTA $34.50, officials said. The MTA normally pays an average of $67.33 per trip with Access-A-Ride, which uses contractors to drive customers in vehicles outfitted with wheelchair lifts.

Access-A-Ride customers have to pay only the cost of a subway fare, while the MTA shells out the rest.

The Americans with Disabilities Act requires transit alternatives be offered to people unable to take the subway or bus, but the feds don't subsidize the service.

Access-A-Ride cost the MTA about $450 million in 2013. It is expected cost $382 million in 2014.

Meanwhile, the number of wheelchair-accessible cabs continues to rise and will hit 50 percent by 2020 as part of a federal class-action lawsuit settlement.

There are now 631 yellow cabs and almost 800 outer-borough green cabs that are wheelchair accessible.

Last year, there were 231 wheelchair-accessible yellow taxis. Green cabs were not introduced until 2013, when only a handful were wheelchair-friendly.

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

More parents join suit to overturn tenure laws

The parents of two Queens students who say they were abused by their science teacher have joined a lawsuit to overturn New York's tenure laws.

Laurie Townsend and Christine Grendeau — whose kids attend PS 101 in Forest Hills — became plaintiffs after the Department of Education sent Richard Parlini back to the school despite investigators finding he used corporal punishment.

"It's an outrage," said Townsend, whose son, Nakia, is a sixth-grader. "He's afraid of [Parlini]."

She said that when Nakia was in second grade, Parlini pushed him.

"It's crazy that he could get away with this and still teach," she said.

Grendeau said Parlini teased her son, Leo Christopher Memoli, now a fourth-grader, about his stuttering in front of his classmates.

She said he made Leo write "um" numerous times to make fun of his impediment.

The DOE confirmed it substantiated claims of verbal abuse and corporal punishment against Parlini. He was fined $2,500 and attended a training course.

Campbell Brown, founder of the Partnership for Educational Justice, said, "These two cases make it crystal clear that New York state's teacher-discipline system is in desperate need of an overhaul."

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Roosting on Riis’ piece at Tribeca’s Church Street Tavern

Tribeca's Church Street Tavern is a long way from that neighborhood's humble beginnings.

The restaurant, at 313 Church St., will open its doors this week, along with Bandit's Roost, the exclusive lounge downstairs, Side Dish has learned.

The latter was named after the famous photograph taken by crusading social reformer Jacob Riis, who documented the city's dangerous, poverty-stricken tenements in "How the Other Half Lives."

It's safe to say that both spaces, from Tribute Hospitality Group, are a step up from the city's slum days.

The restaurant will serve classic modern American fare like crispy artichokes with lemon-tarragon yogurt and Rock Hen with sherry reduction, as well as an extensive raw bar. Chef De Cuisine Chris Burke has worked alongside notable chefs David Bouley, Daniel Boulud and Gordon Ramsey.

The 2,000 square-foot space will seat 70 people in long, black leather banquettes, along with tables and hightops near the bar.

Downstairs is a tony 1,000 square-foot space for 100 "VIP" guests that will be open from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

Riis' photo from 1888, "Bandit's Roost," depicts the then mob-riddled Mulberry Street. The lounge is modeled after a speakeasy from that era with large photos from the period.

Weekly codes will be emailed to "select VIP guests" to grant them entry to private events and parties, said Jon Behling of Tribute Hospitality Group.

---

We hear…

That top NYC restaurants are on board for the first annual "Dine Out for Heroes" to support injured veterans and the Bob Woodruff Foundation. Participating restaurants — including Blue Fin, BLT Steak, Carbone, Casa Nonna, Daniel and Le Bernardin — are pledging $1 per patron for the Nov. 5 event…

That Montreal's New Asian Kyozon Bar and Kitchen, with interiors by Andres Escobar, is looking at spaces to open in downtown Manhattan…

That Strip House steakhouse has partnered with Schmidt Brothers Cutlery to create a co-branded "Strip House Knife," with a set of four for $120 through BR Guest…

That Sant Ambroeus Soho has commissioned 30 one-of-a-kind designer plates. Manager Alireza Niroomand had the restaurants' patrons to include Brian Atwood and Jonathan Adler create the plates, which are now hanging above the restaurant's bar…

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Biz mag giants size up power players for fall

Power is an elusive thing. Everyone wants it, but few have it. And those who do have power, be it financial or military or cultural, end up losing it in one way or another. In some ways it's like Justice Potter Stewart's description of obscenity: "I know it when I see it." And these mags are the best at that particular type of know-how.

Fortune's Most Powerful Women

Fortune's Most Powerful Women magazine is pretty uninspiring. It names Ginni Rometty, chair and CEO of IBM, as the biggest deal in business, but doesn't do a lot to show what she's done. Mary Barra gets credit as the chief executive trying to change General Motors' fossilized culture, but she's still tarnished by the myriad defects and recalls that have hurt the American auto industry as of late. Susan Cameron, chief of cigarette maker Reynolds, gets lauded for borrowing a lot of money and buying a company as she casually tells a reporter that her products "kill people." And Janet Yellen, the Federal Reserve head, gets a rightly deserved nod in an evenhanded profile, but isn't found anywhere on the actual list.

Bloomberg Markets

Bloomberg Markets takes a different tack selecting its elite, choosing "influencers" for what they're doing now rather than past achievements or future hopes. That list has some crossover — Barra, Yellen — and notably leaves off Rometty. Still, 10 of its 50 are women. In its features, New York Department of Financial Services Superintendent Ben Lawsky gets treated like the Bruce Wayne of bank regulators in a piece that gleefully recounts all his triumphs. A profile of Floyd Wilson, CEO of fracker Halcon Resources, is made out to be a tough guy — his first quote is an expletive — who's ultimately a loser in the booming natural-gas business.

Bloomberg Businessweek

The former New York mayor's other magazine, Bloomberg Businessweek, has Apple boss Tim Cook on its cover for the bazillionth time in a fawning profile of the guy who runs the world's most valuable company. It's fine, but it doesn't break new ground in covering the tech giant or its leader, except to report that Steve Jobs' old office is kept as-is — a kinda-creepy detail. Felix Goulette and Ira Boudway rightly take NFL commissioner Roger Gooddell to task for mismanaging the most popular sports league in the US. Goodell, of course, gets credit for expanding the NFL's business so much. But the article puts the brakes on the assumption that he's good for all the teams and shows that he could be more vulnerable than he appears.

Forbes

Forbes has a fascinating, if overplayed, profile of Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, the surgeon-cum-entrepreneur. It turns out that the brilliant drug developer is also a blowhard who can't help hyping his inventions. There's also serious debate in the medical community about how much he's actually helped people. The magazine's other big profile, on how cities are swapping their old streetlights for LED bulbs, takes what could be a mind-numbingly boring topic and makes it compulsively readable. You'll be spouting out obscure statistics to your friends about light pollution and costs. Struggling writers out there may want to avoid the list of highest-paid authors, unless you want to know that James Patterson made $90 million last year.

New Yorker

We were struck to see the New Yorker's Jeffrey Toobin — a tireless and vocal critic of Edward Snowden — declare in an article about Google that in the US, "the press has a nearly absolute right to publish accurate, lawful information." Surrounding this apparently bland, but actually quite sneakily worded (lawful?), assertion is a shamelessly bold and incoherent shill for Google's stance against the "right to be forgotten" in Europe. We're not saying that Google's case isn't a tangled web, but we're wondering why the likes of Toobin are suddenly getting choked up about the potential "balkanization" of Google searches at the hands of governments looking to assert their authority over information. Far better is Dexter Filkins' latest dispatch from Iraq, which points out the uncomfortable fact that the Kurds don't want to fight ISIS to save the government of Iraq, but rather to establish their own country.

New York

New York's cover story about student backlash against campus rape at Columbia hails a "brilliantly plotted movement" headed by student Emma Sulkowicz, who has attracted attention for dragging her mattress around campus in protest. Beginning on the next page, we get another eight-page spread, this time on Airbnb. In typical fashion, it begins with a puffy profile of the founders, politely burying the rather irksome and pressing question of whether the service is raising rents for New Yorkers.

Time

The football season is in full swing, and so is the controversy. Amid the headlines about domestic violence and child abuse in the NFL, Time has a cover story about Chad Stover, a 16-year-old high-school defensive back who died of a brain injury last year after what seemed a routine tackle. What's striking is the reaction of his family, which hasn't begun campaigning against football. Instead, they're campaigning for awareness about the risks, especially for younger players. Elsewhere, a roundup of John Kerry's recent efforts to cobble together a coalition against ISIS features a shot of him at a desk inside the hold of a massive military transport plane. Sorry John, but Hillary already milke d that one for all it's worth.

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More

Fresh ‘Once Upon a Time in America’ cut worth every second

Sometimes even a masterpiece can get better — as audiences at the New York Film Festival will discover when a new, extended restoration of Sergio Leone's enigmatic gangster epic "Once Upon a Time in America" makes its American debut Saturday.

At 4 hours and 16 minutes, that's 27 minutes longer than the acclaimed 229-minute version that showed at the 1984 NYFF — which, in turn, was 90 minutes longer than the butchered general-release version.

That widely panned 139-minute travesty rearranged a complex and elusive story — about a pair of criminals from Williamsburg (brilliantly played by Robert De Niro and James Woods) that weaves back and forth over five decades — into a strictly chronological, gap-filled narrative.

While the longer version that's circulated for the last 30 years is brilliantly crafted — it's one of my favorites from the era — there's always been a sense that pieces are missing.

Before Leone — the Italian auteur best known for the "Fistful of Dollars" trilogy — died in 1989, at the age of 60, he claimed to have shot 10 hours of film for a longer version.

The director also encouraged speculation by critics that the film's decidedly weird sequences set in 1968 are actually an opium-induced hallucination experienced in 1933 by De Niro's character — who believes he is responsible for the death of his friend, Max, played by Woods.

This odd interpretation is supported by some of the sequences that were added into the new restoration, out on Blu-ray Sept. 30.

The most surreal of the new scenes features Louise Fletcher (unseen in previous cuts) as a cemetery manager who, in 1968, informs De Niro's character, Noodles, that "he" paid for a new mausoleum supposedly containing the remains of Woods' Max and two others.

At the end of the scene, there's a shot of a black limousine that we later learn belongs to the disgraced secretary of commerce. As in the previously seen versions, this character turns out to be Max, who stole Noodles' money and faked his own death.

Unless, and this seems more likely than ever, it's all part of the guilty Noodles' dreams in a Chinatown opium den — like another odd new scene where a corrupt union leader (Treat Williams) explains why he will have to die rather than go to jail. Or the even weirder sequence where Noodles watches the love of his life (played by Elizabeth McGovern) perform on Broadway.

There are also a couple of intriguing new scenes set in 1933, bookending the horrific scene where Noodles rapes McGovern's character after she turns down his offer of marriage. Preceding it is a conversation about the rise of the Nazis in Germany between Noodles and his chauffeur; and afterward, there's Noodles' tender encounter with a prostitute named Eve (Darlanne Fluegel), who pops up without explanation as his girlfriend in the previous versions.

Longer isn't always better: "Heaven's Gate," another epic flop of the era that was drastically cut and later restored, remains an incoherent, self-indulgent bore. But adding 25 minutes to "Once Upon a Time in America" only enhances Leone's brilliant saga of guilt and betrayal.

17.08 | 0 komentar | Read More