MR GRADY'S DAILY BLOG: AMERICAS NEWS

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

AMERICAS NEWS

'America's Sweetheart is a B----!!': Julia Roberts' half-sister found dead in bathtub of apparent overdose weeks after slew of angry Twitter posts aimed at famous kin

Julia Roberts'’ half-sister was found dead Sunday in a bathtub at a Los Angeles home where she had been pet-sitting, and authorities discovered evidence of drug use. Nancy Motes, 37, long struggled with being overweight, and had a rocky relationship with her Academy Award-winning sister, who canceled a scheduled appearance Monday on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” due to the tragedy. read full story »

Ban 'em and Bailey's: Rights group pushing for animals to be removed from circus

The circus is coming to town — and some advocates want it to be for the last time. NYCLASS, the animal rights group that’s been the key player in pushing for a ban on Central Park horse carriages, says it also wants the city to bar the use of animals in circuses — one item on an expanded agenda it plans to pursue this year.

Thousands of Sochi stray dogs saved from pre-Olympics killings need homes

Animal lovers saved thousands of adorable stray pups that were slated to be killed to clear the streets of Sochi for the Winter Games.

Prosecution rests in trial for Michael Dunn in Fla. killing over loud music

Character witnesses for a Florida man charged with fatally shooting a teen after an argument over loud music say they never knew him to be violent, as prosecutors rested their case.

Nevada to drop defense of state's same-sex marriage ban

Nevada's attorney general and governor said Monday that they won't defend the state's gay marriage ban when it goes before a federal appeals court, saying that a recent court decision makes the state's arguments supporting its constitutional amendment "no longer defensible."

Rap mogul starts trial in G-Unit member’s murder

Jurors heard the inside dope on the beef between hip hop mogul James (Jimmy Henchman) Rosemond and rapper 50 Cent's crew G-Unit as Rosemond's murder-for-hire trial got underway Monday.

EXCLUSIVE: Bieber ponders suit against former housekeeper over tell-all drug tales

SEE IT: Sacramento cop takes out perp trying to flee officers on a bicycle

It takes more than a bike to flee a Sacramento cop. A suspect trying to make a break through a police barricade near William Land Park in the northern California city hopped on a two-wheeler and started pedaling away - before he was tackled by a boy in blue.

Copenhagen Zoo receives death threats after killing healthy giraffe in front of children

Copenhagen Zoo workers are now receiving death threats after they shot dead a healthy giraffe named Marius on Sunday. The six-month-old giraffe was leaning down to eat rye bread, one of his favorite snacks, when the vet pulled the trigger of a rifle.

Sam a top story at NFL combine, but maybe not top prospect

Michael Sam’s landmark announcement that he’s openly gay has captivated the sports world. But before all that, he was struggling to captivate the NFL.

Icon Shirley Temple dead at 85

Shirley Temple, whose charming smile and cheerful voice made her a superstar before she was 10, died Monday at the age of 85, her agent said in a statement.

Raissman: Yankees Cashman can’t dim Tanaka spotlight

In a gallant effort to lower expectations for his $155 million man (and not hurt CC Sabathia’s feelings by prematurely dumping him as ace of the staff), Brian Cashman said he views Masahiro Tanaka as a No. 3 starter. Number three in the mind of the GM until further notice.

Wife of former Poland dictator seeking divorce over his affair with nurse: report

The wife of the last communist dictator of Poland is reportedly threatening to slap him with divorce papers for romancing a nurse nearly half his age.

Bondy's Winter Olympics Diary: Money problems, awkward chairs keep Sochi challenging

Because Nate Vinton took a thousand rubles from me to support his gambling habit, I ran out of money and needed cash from the ATM. Then I made a rookie mistake: I asked for 5,000 rubles, instead of 4,000. The machine spat out a single 5,000 note (about $145) which of course nobody will accept.

State senator wants Queens library head to quit

A New York state senator wants to close the book on the Queens Library boss and his sky-high salary, expensive office renovations and secret side job.

Uncle Ben’s rice recalled after school kids fall ill

The FDA is warning against eating Uncle Ben’s rice products served at schools, restaurants, hospitals and other food service institutions after children in three states had skin reactions and other symptoms that were linked to the rice.

Man sentenced to 30 years in border agent’s death

TUCSCON, Ariz. — A man convicted in the shooting death of a federal Border Patrol agent during a firefight that revealed the government’s botched gun-smuggling investigation known as Operation Fast and Furious was sentenced Monday to 30 years in prison.

Lovett: Cardinal Dolan backs state DREAM Act for financial aid

Timothy Cardinal Dolan and the state's Catholic bishops have come out strongly in favor of creating a state DREAM Act allowing state financial aid to go to the college kids of undocumented immigrants.

Ice-T's wife Coco flashes NYC photogs

Special ops leader ordered Osama Bin Laden death photos destroyed

A newly-released email shows that 11 days after the killing of terror leader Osama bin Laden in 2011, the U.S. military’s top special operations officer ordered subordinates to destroy photographs of OBL.

Carnal cravings quiz ‘Cannibal Cop’ cohorts trial

Potential jurors in the Feb. 24 trial of two men busted in connection with the "Cannibal Cop" investigation may be asked about their web surfing habits and deepest carnal cravings.

SWEET POISON: Forget cocaine! Sugar is the most addictive and dangerous white substance on earth

Sugar: It’s the new tobacco. Worse, it’s the secret destroyer. Unlike cigarettes, the warnings about sugar are mere whispers at best.

'Larger than life': Designers looking to set trends by thinking big

Blasts rock New Hampshire Ball Bearings plant

A massive explosion wounded several people at a manufacturing plant in southwestern New Hampshire Monday afternoon. Emergency crews including about 100 firefighters from several towns rushed to the New Hampshire Ball Bearings in Peterborough, N.H.

Disney World PUSHes talking trash can out

A popular animatronic named PUSH the Talking Trash Can was pushed from Walt Disney World. Disney confirmed parting with the popular radio-controlled robot Monday just three days after reportedly saying it was staying put.

New Jersey's largest paper 'blew' its endorsement of Christie during 2013 re-election bid

The Newark Star-Ledger, New Jersey’s largest newspaper, “blew” its endorsement of Gov. Chris Christie’s 2013 re-election campaign, according to a member of paper’s editorial board.

Lawyer stole nearly $2M from NYC cemetery after taking over for swindling bookkeeper: officials

A lawyer who took over for a crooked bookkeeper that scammed a Staten Island cemetery out of money was charged with bilking nearly $2 million from the graveyard’s funds, officials said Monday.

Illinois gubernatorial candidate grabbed male employee's genitals: suit

A former employee in Illinois Treasurer Dan Rutherford's office filed a federal lawsuit Monday claiming the Republican gubernatorial candidate made inappropriate sexual advances and regularly forced him to do political work on state time, allegations Rutherford has strongly denied.

Lupica: Texas Tech 'superfan' Jeff Orr was a super jerk for inciting Marcus Smart

A college basketball player named Smart wasn’t Saturday night. Marcus Smart got himself good and insulted by a loser behind the basket at a Texas Tech-Oklahoma State basketball game, shoved the guy, now gets a three-game suspension that he absolutely earned.

SEE ITLOOKING FOR LOVE: Woman puts up posters in subway cars to find man she fell for on train

Just in time for Valentine's Day, a New York lady put up posters in subway cars looking for a man she fell for while riding the A line toward Brooklyn in November.

Lunch at 9 a.m.? Packed city schools forcing midday meals on students early due to lack of cafeteria space

Tens of thousands of city students are forced to eat lunch at outrageous hours — including some as early as 9 a.m. — thanks to citywide shortage of cafeteria space in public schools.

Ponzi staffers set to say they got Bernied by Madoff

Blame Bernie. That’s the strategy five former Bernard Madoff office workers are likely to employ starting this week, as their lawyers take the reins in a Manhattan fraud trial that began in October.

AG to take 'zombie property' problem, knock it on the head

State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is ready to take on zombies — properties, that is.

TOP TRENDING VIDEOS

Amy Adams blasts Valentino stunt on day of Hoffman wake

EDITORIAL: Queens Library chief's massive $392G salary too hefty for taxpayers

The trustees of the Queens Library system are standing by their $392,000-a-year director who moonlights as a highly paid consultant to a Long Island school district. Of course they are.

Bronx girl, 14, kept as sex slave in Queens is rescued

A teen runaway has been rescued in Queens from captors who repeatedly beat her, pimped her out and raped her, cops said Monday.

Many in Bed-Stuy say they are unhappy and worried about affordable housing, new report reveals

An astounding 45% of Bedford-Stuyvesant residents say that their ability to lead the life they want is “getting worse,” according to a Talking Transition survey conducted by a group of nonprofits right after the mayoral election. BEDFORD-STUYVESANT residents are among the least happy in the city, according to a new report.

North Korea to U.S.: Forget about talks over Kenneth Bae release ... again

North Korea has rescinded an invitation for a senior U.S. official to visit Pyongyang to seek the release of imprisoned U.S. missionary Kenneth Bae.

Oopski! Speed skater unzips skintight uniform prematurely

Readers help City Harvest get record 1.6M pounds of food

Daily News readers helped City Harvest reap a record-breaking amount of food last year for its annual drive.

Iraqi extremists accidentally set off own car bomb, 21 killed

Insurgents accidentally set off their own car bomb Monday at a training camp in an orchard in a Sunni area north of Baghdad, leaving 21 dead and some two dozen arrested, Iraqi officials said.

New $6M outreach program aims to combat growing homeless problem in subway stations

The homeless population in the subway has soared 90% in recent years, prompting an ambitious new effort to get the troubled riders assistance and off the rails, city officials said.

SEE IT: Minnesota family builds luge track in backyard

This Minnesota family has got the Sochi bug real bad. While most Winter Olympics fans are happy to watch their heroes from the comfort of their couches, the Schmiegs decided to go one step further.

De Blasio gives 1st State of City

In his first state of the city speech, Mayor de Blasio Monday outlined his progressive vision — advocating expanding living wage laws, pushing Albany to allow the city to raise the minimum wage and providing municipal ID cards to non-citizens.

Julia Mancuso wins bronze, scores US its’ first Alpine skiing medal in Sochi

Julia Mancuso won the United States its first Alpine skiing medal at the Sochi Games on Monday, taking bronze in women's super combined and underscoring her reputation as a versatile racer who comes through when the stakes are high.

Heartless IOC stops Olympian from honoring fallen friend

The Olympics must have a smiley face on them at all times, according to the International Olympic Committee, which means there can be no mourning for lost comrades on the playing fields.

Florida county rejects atheist monument next to Ten Commandments structure

The Levy County Commissioners in Florida rejected a proposal by the Williston Atheist to build a structure outside of the county's Courthouse near monuments of the Ten Commandments and a veterans memorial.

Down Under! Mel B shares cheeky vacation pic from Sydney

SPORTS

Another day, another 40-point beating for Sixers

Marreese Speights scored a career-high 32 points to hand his former team a near-record setback, leading the Golden State Warriors past the woeful Philadelphia 76ers 123-80 on Monday night.

Sam Tough Fit on Field: Rush job to find right position

Michael Sam, the Missouri pass rusher who intends to become the first openly gay player in the NFL, may have more trouble fitting in on the field than in the locker room.

Kansas State upsets No. 7 Kansas behind Foster's freebies

Marcus Foster scored 20 points, including two free throws in the closing seconds of overtime, and Kansas State held on to beat No. 7 Kansas 85-82 on Monday night. Will Spradling added 15 points for the Wildcats (17-7, 7-4 Big 12), who blew a nine-point lead with less than 2 minutes left.

Bondy: Big ice, bigger expectations for Team USA

Ryan Callahan got off the charter flight around 11 a.m., wacky Sochi time, and was on the ice for practice less than 11 hours later. Not just ice. Big ice. An Olympic-sized sheet, at the Bolshoi Arena. A lot of cold ground to cover.

AUTOS

2014 Chicago Auto Show: Highlights from the Windy City

From the 2015 Kia Soul EV to the Nissan Frontier Diesel Runner, automakers are showing off a whole slew of new models at this year's Chicago Auto Show.

LATEST AUTOS REVIEWS

Lupita Nyong’o adjusts to new fame

Ex-Gen. David Petraeus says Hillary Clinton would ‘make a tremendous president’

Former Army Gen. David Petraeus , who has traditionally stayed away from political endorsements, appears to be eager to support a Hillary Clinton candidacy, a new book alleges.

Buy now pay later? Sen. Chuck Schumer proposes passing immigration reform now but waiting until 2017 to enforce it

New York Sen. Chuck Schumer proposed on Sunday an unusual solution to get Congress over its immigration reform impasse -- pass the law now but wait to implement it until after President Obama leaves office.

SEE IT: Minnesota family builds luge track in backyard

This Minnesota family has got the Sochi bug real bad. While most Winter Olympics fans are happy to watch their heroes from the comfort of their couches, the Schmiegs decided to go one step further.

The Senate's most controversial freshman: A Daily News interview with Ted Cruz

Cruz has been a senator for 13 months but may be the body's most notable, controversial freshman. The brainy and seemingly fearless Tea Party favorite agrees with Gillibrand and is one of the few Senate Republicans to do so. I tracked him down, included a few comments in the column, but felt the entirety of the chat was worth reprising:

Kristen Stewart: ‘I stand by every mistake I’ve ever made’

Police shoot man who threatened officers with a bayonet

A California man wanted on domestic violence charges was killed by police after threatening officers with a nearly 20-inch bayonet, the Stockton Police Department said.

UFC fighter charged with threatening to shoot estranged wife

Thiago Silva, an Ultimate Fighting champion, was held in a Florida jail Saturday, accused of threatening his wife with a gun, authorities said.

New York Fashion Week 2014: More kids are modeling, styling

New York Fashion Week boasts more than 300 shows by the biggest names from the old guard — but the buzz is actually being made by tiny trendsetters decades younger.

Surfer cheats death by punching shark during attack

A British surfer is lucky to be alive after he punched a great white shark in the face to stave off a terrifying attack. Darren Mills was catching waves off the coast of New Zealand Friday when the 9-foot-long beast chomped down onto his leg.

FOXY KNOXXXY? Amanda Knox offered $20G by California porn company to do adult film

A California porn company wants to turn Amanda Knox into Foxy KnoXXXy. Monarchy Distribution has offered the 26-year-old murder case cause célèbre $20,000 to do a naughty-nudey flick.

State senator blasts sexting male colleagues

A state senator has a Valentine’s Day message for sext-happy male colleagues: Keep it in your pants! The Facebook warning from Sen. Diane Savino (D-Staten Island) came after the chairman of the Orange County Republican Party, Robert Krahulik, was forced to take a leave of absence after fessing up to sending provocative photos of himself over social media.

California man Tasered in genitals by police, lawsuit claims

Los Angeles County man claims sheriff deputies Tasered him in the sensitive area after his family got into an argument with the officers over cigarette thrown onto the ground.

Michelle Obama tweets support for gay college football player

Michelle Obama broadcast her support for college football player Michael Sam after he announced he was gay on Sunday in the lead-up to the NFL draft. Taking to Twitter on Monday, the First Lady declared Sam was "an inspiration to all of us."

Boxing: Fashion Week models' secret to getting in shape

COMICS & GAMES

Rock and Roll Crosswords: Play Now! »

Pickles: Read Now! »

Stone Soup: Read Now! »

Daily Jigsaw: Play Now! »

WHATS THE FLAP ABOUT? Creator of massively addictive 'Flappy Bird' mobile game says he can't handle the success — yanks popular app from online stores

Flappy Bird's wings have been clipped for good. The brain behind the sensationally successful — and incredibly addictive — cellphone game has removed it from all online stores.

VIDEO: Pet squirrel tries to bury nut in bemused dog's coat

Wally just wanted to keep his food warm and dry. But the cheeky pet squirrel mistakenly tried to hide his food inside a dog's fur. Adorable footage shows the scallywag desperately trying to stash an acorn in the tufts of Burmese mountain dog Jax's hair.

Barbaric Brooklyn dad beat and killed baby for laughing, fed remains to a pit bull in effort to hide evidence: sources

Serenity Brown, just shy of her second birthday, was possibly beaten to death by her father, then sliced up and fed to a pit bull in July 2006, according to law enforcement sources and documents.

Army of Lovers plans Valentine's Day offensive

Scores of Cupid commandos will fan out across the city on Valentine’s Day, deploying hundreds of homemade love notes to conquer crankiness on the annual Hallmark holiday.

EDITORS'PICKS

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Daily News Front Cover

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HOTTEST GALLERIES

TAKE OUR POLL

In your opinion, increasing the minimum wage:

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AUTOS GALLERIES

2014 Chicago Auto Show: Highlights from the Windy City

VIEW GALLERY

RETRO PHOTO GALLERIES

Beatles 50th anniversary in America

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Celebrity photos of the week: Week of February 3

VIEW GALLERY

AD 'America's Sweetheart is a B----!!': Julia Roberts' half-sister found dead in bathtub of apparent overdose weeks after slew of angry Twitter posts aimed at famous kin

Julia Roberts'’ half-sister was found dead Sunday in a bathtub at a Los Angeles home where she had been pet-sitting, and authorities discovered evidence of drug use. Nancy Motes, 37, long struggled with being overweight, and had a rocky relationship with her Academy Award-winning sister, who canceled a scheduled appearance Monday on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” due to the tragedy. read full story »

Ban 'em and Bailey's: Rights group pushing for animals to be removed from circus

The circus is coming to town — and some advocates want it to be for the last time. NYCLASS, the animal rights group that’s been the key player in pushing for a ban on Central Park horse carriages, says it also wants the city to bar the use of animals in circuses — one item on an expanded agenda it plans to pursue this year.

Thousands of Sochi stray dogs saved from pre-Olympics killings need homes

Animal lovers saved thousands of adorable stray pups that were slated to be killed to clear the streets of Sochi for the Winter Games.

Prosecution rests in trial for Michael Dunn in Fla. killing over loud music

Character witnesses for a Florida man charged with fatally shooting a teen after an argument over loud music say they never knew him to be violent, as prosecutors rested their case.

Nevada to drop defense of state's same-sex marriage ban

Nevada's attorney general and governor said Monday that they won't defend the state's gay marriage ban when it goes before a federal appeals court, saying that a recent court decision makes the state's arguments supporting its constitutional amendment "no longer defensible."

Rap mogul starts trial in G-Unit member’s murder

Jurors heard the inside dope on the beef between hip hop mogul James (Jimmy Henchman) Rosemond and rapper 50 Cent's crew G-Unit as Rosemond's murder-for-hire trial got underway Monday.

EXCLUSIVE: Bieber ponders suit against former housekeeper over tell-all drug tales

SEE IT: Sacramento cop takes out perp trying to flee officers on a bicycle

It takes more than a bike to flee a Sacramento cop. A suspect trying to make a break through a police barricade near William Land Park in the northern California city hopped on a two-wheeler and started pedaling away - before he was tackled by a boy in blue.

Copenhagen Zoo receives death threats after killing healthy giraffe in front of children

Copenhagen Zoo workers are now receiving death threats after they shot dead a healthy giraffe named Marius on Sunday. The six-month-old giraffe was leaning down to eat rye bread, one of his favorite snacks, when the vet pulled the trigger of a rifle.

Sam a top story at NFL combine, but maybe not top prospect

Michael Sam’s landmark announcement that he’s openly gay has captivated the sports world. But before all that, he was struggling to captivate the NFL.

Icon Shirley Temple dead at 85

Shirley Temple, whose charming smile and cheerful voice made her a superstar before she was 10, died Monday at the age of 85, her agent said in a statement.

Raissman: Yankees Cashman can’t dim Tanaka spotlight

In a gallant effort to lower expectations for his $155 million man (and not hurt CC Sabathia’s feelings by prematurely dumping him as ace of the staff), Brian Cashman said he views Masahiro Tanaka as a No. 3 starter. Number three in the mind of the GM until further notice.

Wife of former Poland dictator seeking divorce over his affair with nurse: report

The wife of the last communist dictator of Poland is reportedly threatening to slap him with divorce papers for romancing a nurse nearly half his age.

Bondy's Winter Olympics Diary: Money problems, awkward chairs keep Sochi challenging

Because Nate Vinton took a thousand rubles from me to support his gambling habit, I ran out of money and needed cash from the ATM. Then I made a rookie mistake: I asked for 5,000 rubles, instead of 4,000. The machine spat out a single 5,000 note (about $145) which of course nobody will accept.

State senator wants Queens library head to quit

A New York state senator wants to close the book on the Queens Library boss and his sky-high salary, expensive office renovations and secret side job.

Uncle Ben’s rice recalled after school kids fall ill

The FDA is warning against eating Uncle Ben’s rice products served at schools, restaurants, hospitals and other food service institutions after children in three states had skin reactions and other symptoms that were linked to the rice.

Man sentenced to 30 years in border agent’s death

TUCSCON, Ariz. — A man convicted in the shooting death of a federal Border Patrol agent during a firefight that revealed the government’s botched gun-smuggling investigation known as Operation Fast and Furious was sentenced Monday to 30 years in prison.

Lovett: Cardinal Dolan backs state DREAM Act for financial aid

Timothy Cardinal Dolan and the state's Catholic bishops have come out strongly in favor of creating a state DREAM Act allowing state financial aid to go to the college kids of undocumented immigrants.

Ice-T's wife Coco flashes NYC photogs

Special ops leader ordered Osama Bin Laden death photos destroyed

A newly-released email shows that 11 days after the killing of terror leader Osama bin Laden in 2011, the U.S. military’s top special operations officer ordered subordinates to destroy photographs of OBL.

Carnal cravings quiz ‘Cannibal Cop’ cohorts trial

Potential jurors in the Feb. 24 trial of two men busted in connection with the "Cannibal Cop" investigation may be asked about their web surfing habits and deepest carnal cravings.

SWEET POISON: Forget cocaine! Sugar is the most addictive and dangerous white substance on earth

Sugar: It’s the new tobacco. Worse, it’s the secret destroyer. Unlike cigarettes, the warnings about sugar are mere whispers at best.

'Larger than life': Designers looking to set trends by thinking big

Blasts rock New Hampshire Ball Bearings plant

A massive explosion wounded several people at a manufacturing plant in southwestern New Hampshire Monday afternoon. Emergency crews including about 100 firefighters from several towns rushed to the New Hampshire Ball Bearings in Peterborough, N.H.

Disney World PUSHes talking trash can out

A popular animatronic named PUSH the Talking Trash Can was pushed from Walt Disney World. Disney confirmed parting with the popular radio-controlled robot Monday just three days after reportedly saying it was staying put.

New Jersey's largest paper 'blew' its endorsement of Christie during 2013 re-election bid

The Newark Star-Ledger, New Jersey’s largest newspaper, “blew” its endorsement of Gov. Chris Christie’s 2013 re-election campaign, according to a member of paper’s editorial board.

Lawyer stole nearly $2M from NYC cemetery after taking over for swindling bookkeeper: officials

A lawyer who took over for a crooked bookkeeper that scammed a Staten Island cemetery out of money was charged with bilking nearly $2 million from the graveyard’s funds, officials said Monday.

Illinois gubernatorial candidate grabbed male employee's genitals: suit

A former employee in Illinois Treasurer Dan Rutherford's office filed a federal lawsuit Monday claiming the Republican gubernatorial candidate made inappropriate sexual advances and regularly forced him to do political work on state time, allegations Rutherford has strongly denied.

Lupica: Texas Tech 'superfan' Jeff Orr was a super jerk for inciting Marcus Smart

A college basketball player named Smart wasn’t Saturday night. Marcus Smart got himself good and insulted by a loser behind the basket at a Texas Tech-Oklahoma State basketball game, shoved the guy, now gets a three-game suspension that he absolutely earned.

SEE ITLOOKING FOR LOVE: Woman puts up posters in subway cars to find man she fell for on train

Just in time for Valentine's Day, a New York lady put up posters in subway cars looking for a man she fell for while riding the A line toward Brooklyn in November.

Lunch at 9 a.m.? Packed city schools forcing midday meals on students early due to lack of cafeteria space

Tens of thousands of city students are forced to eat lunch at outrageous hours — including some as early as 9 a.m. — thanks to citywide shortage of cafeteria space in public schools.

Ponzi staffers set to say they got Bernied by Madoff

Blame Bernie. That’s the strategy five former Bernard Madoff office workers are likely to employ starting this week, as their lawyers take the reins in a Manhattan fraud trial that began in October.

AG to take 'zombie property' problem, knock it on the head

State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is ready to take on zombies — properties, that is.

TOP TRENDING VIDEOS

Amy Adams blasts Valentino stunt on day of Hoffman wake

EDITORIAL: Queens Library chief's massive $392G salary too hefty for taxpayers

The trustees of the Queens Library system are standing by their $392,000-a-year director who moonlights as a highly paid consultant to a Long Island school district. Of course they are.

Bronx girl, 14, kept as sex slave in Queens is rescued

A teen runaway has been rescued in Queens from captors who repeatedly beat her, pimped her out and raped her, cops said Monday.

Many in Bed-Stuy say they are unhappy and worried about affordable housing, new report reveals

An astounding 45% of Bedford-Stuyvesant residents say that their ability to lead the life they want is “getting worse,” according to a Talking Transition survey conducted by a group of nonprofits right after the mayoral election. BEDFORD-STUYVESANT residents are among the least happy in the city, according to a new report.

North Korea to U.S.: Forget about talks over Kenneth Bae release ... again

North Korea has rescinded an invitation for a senior U.S. official to visit Pyongyang to seek the release of imprisoned U.S. missionary Kenneth Bae.

Oopski! Speed skater unzips skintight uniform prematurely

Readers help City Harvest get record 1.6M pounds of food

Daily News readers helped City Harvest reap a record-breaking amount of food last year for its annual drive.

Iraqi extremists accidentally set off own car bomb, 21 killed

Insurgents accidentally set off their own car bomb Monday at a training camp in an orchard in a Sunni area north of Baghdad, leaving 21 dead and some two dozen arrested, Iraqi officials said.

New $6M outreach program aims to combat growing homeless problem in subway stations

The homeless population in the subway has soared 90% in recent years, prompting an ambitious new effort to get the troubled riders assistance and off the rails, city officials said.

SEE IT: Minnesota family builds luge track in backyard

This Minnesota family has got the Sochi bug real bad. While most Winter Olympics fans are happy to watch their heroes from the comfort of their couches, the Schmiegs decided to go one step further.

De Blasio gives 1st State of City

In his first state of the city speech, Mayor de Blasio Monday outlined his progressive vision — advocating expanding living wage laws, pushing Albany to allow the city to raise the minimum wage and providing municipal ID cards to non-citizens.

Julia Mancuso wins bronze, scores US its’ first Alpine skiing medal in Sochi

Julia Mancuso won the United States its first Alpine skiing medal at the Sochi Games on Monday, taking bronze in women's super combined and underscoring her reputation as a versatile racer who comes through when the stakes are high.

Heartless IOC stops Olympian from honoring fallen friend

The Olympics must have a smiley face on them at all times, according to the International Olympic Committee, which means there can be no mourning for lost comrades on the playing fields.

Florida county rejects atheist monument next to Ten Commandments structure

The Levy County Commissioners in Florida rejected a proposal by the Williston Atheist to build a structure outside of the county's Courthouse near monuments of the Ten Commandments and a veterans memorial.

Down Under! Mel B shares cheeky vacation pic from Sydney

SPORTS

Another day, another 40-point beating for Sixers

Marreese Speights scored a career-high 32 points to hand his former team a near-record setback, leading the Golden State Warriors past the woeful Philadelphia 76ers 123-80 on Monday night.

Sam Tough Fit on Field: Rush job to find right position

Michael Sam, the Missouri pass rusher who intends to become the first openly gay player in the NFL, may have more trouble fitting in on the field than in the locker room.

Kansas State upsets No. 7 Kansas behind Foster's freebies

Marcus Foster scored 20 points, including two free throws in the closing seconds of overtime, and Kansas State held on to beat No. 7 Kansas 85-82 on Monday night. Will Spradling added 15 points for the Wildcats (17-7, 7-4 Big 12), who blew a nine-point lead with less than 2 minutes left.

Bondy: Big ice, bigger expectations for Team USA

Ryan Callahan got off the charter flight around 11 a.m., wacky Sochi time, and was on the ice for practice less than 11 hours later. Not just ice. Big ice. An Olympic-sized sheet, at the Bolshoi Arena. A lot of cold ground to cover.

AUTOS

2014 Chicago Auto Show: Highlights from the Windy City

From the 2015 Kia Soul EV to the Nissan Frontier Diesel Runner, automakers are showing off a whole slew of new models at this year's Chicago Auto Show.

LATEST AUTOS REVIEWS

Lupita Nyong’o adjusts to new fame

Ex-Gen. David Petraeus says Hillary Clinton would ‘make a tremendous president’

Former Army Gen. David Petraeus , who has traditionally stayed away from political endorsements, appears to be eager to support a Hillary Clinton candidacy, a new book alleges.

Buy now pay later? Sen. Chuck Schumer proposes passing immigration reform now but waiting until 2017 to enforce it

New York Sen. Chuck Schumer proposed on Sunday an unusual solution to get Congress over its immigration reform impasse -- pass the law now but wait to implement it until after President Obama leaves office.

SEE IT: Minnesota family builds luge track in backyard

This Minnesota family has got the Sochi bug real bad. While most Winter Olympics fans are happy to watch their heroes from the comfort of their couches, the Schmiegs decided to go one step further.

The Senate's most controversial freshman: A Daily News interview with Ted Cruz

Cruz has been a senator for 13 months but may be the body's most notable, controversial freshman. The brainy and seemingly fearless Tea Party favorite agrees with Gillibrand and is one of the few Senate Republicans to do so. I tracked him down, included a few comments in the column, but felt the entirety of the chat was worth reprising:

Kristen Stewart: ‘I stand by every mistake I’ve ever made’

Police shoot man who threatened officers with a bayonet

A California man wanted on domestic violence charges was killed by police after threatening officers with a nearly 20-inch bayonet, the Stockton Police Department said.

UFC fighter charged with threatening to shoot estranged wife

Thiago Silva, an Ultimate Fighting champion, was held in a Florida jail Saturday, accused of threatening his wife with a gun, authorities said.

New York Fashion Week 2014: More kids are modeling, styling

New York Fashion Week boasts more than 300 shows by the biggest names from the old guard — but the buzz is actually being made by tiny trendsetters decades younger.

Surfer cheats death by punching shark during attack

A British surfer is lucky to be alive after he punched a great white shark in the face to stave off a terrifying attack. Darren Mills was catching waves off the coast of New Zealand Friday when the 9-foot-long beast chomped down onto his leg.

FOXY KNOXXXY? Amanda Knox offered $20G by California porn company to do adult film

A California porn company wants to turn Amanda Knox into Foxy KnoXXXy. Monarchy Distribution has offered the 26-year-old murder case cause célèbre $20,000 to do a naughty-nudey flick.

State senator blasts sexting male colleagues

A state senator has a Valentine’s Day message for sext-happy male colleagues: Keep it in your pants! The Facebook warning from Sen. Diane Savino (D-Staten Island) came after the chairman of the Orange County Republican Party, Robert Krahulik, was forced to take a leave of absence after fessing up to sending provocative photos of himself over social media.

California man Tasered in genitals by police, lawsuit claims

Los Angeles County man claims sheriff deputies Tasered him in the sensitive area after his family got into an argument with the officers over cigarette thrown onto the ground.

Michelle Obama tweets support for gay college football player

Michelle Obama broadcast her support for college football player Michael Sam after he announced he was gay on Sunday in the lead-up to the NFL draft. Taking to Twitter on Monday, the First Lady declared Sam was "an inspiration to all of us."

Boxing: Fashion Week models' secret to getting in shape

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WHATS THE FLAP ABOUT? Creator of massively addictive 'Flappy Bird' mobile game says he can't handle the success — yanks popular app from online stores

Flappy Bird's wings have been clipped for good. The brain behind the sensationally successful — and incredibly addictive — cellphone game has removed it from all online stores.

VIDEO: Pet squirrel tries to bury nut in bemused dog's coat

Wally just wanted to keep his food warm and dry. But the cheeky pet squirrel mistakenly tried to hide his food inside a dog's fur. Adorable footage shows the scallywag desperately trying to stash an acorn in the tufts of Burmese mountain dog Jax's hair.

Barbaric Brooklyn dad beat and killed baby for laughing, fed remains to a pit bull in effort to hide evidence: sources

Serenity Brown, just shy of her second birthday, was possibly beaten to death by her father, then sliced up and fed to a pit bull in July 2006, according to law enforcement sources and documents.

Army of Lovers plans Valentine's Day offensive

Scores of Cupid commandos will fan out across the city on Valentine’s Day, deploying hundreds of homemade love notes to conquer crankiness on the annual Hallmark holiday.

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