Kim & Kanye kiddie koming

Get ready for baby Kimye.

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are expecting a child, the rapper announced last night.

West, 35, was performing in Atlantic City when he pointed out Kardashian, 32, in the crowd and announced, "Stop the music and make noise for my baby mama," The Hollywood Reporter said.

And since she's about 12 weeks along, they must have known when Kanye did this belly embrace last month.

Kim's family immediately took to Twitter.

Mom Kris Jenner tweeted, "Oh BABY BABY BABY!!" while sister Khloe wrote, "Keeping secrets is hard with so many family members! Especially when you are so freaking excited!!!!!"

FilmMagic

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West

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LI families displaced by Sandy put up in luxury apartments on Upper East Side for free

Gabriella Bass

Erin and Jim Joyce, along with their son James, were displaced from their home by Hurricane Sandy.

Hurricane Sandy moved them out — kind-hearted New Yorkers moved them on up.

Three Long Island families displaced by October's hurricane have been put up in posh Upper East Side rentals ever since — for free.

The luxury 1-bedroom digs, which typically rent for $2,500 per month, have been a godsend to the families — whose lives were derailed by flood damage.

Surge waters flooded the first floor Long Beach home of Jerry Springer Show producer Lacy Edwards and her police officer husband, Brian.

When they heard through a friend that they could stay in a luxury rental for free, they were floored.

"It was unbelievable. We couldn't pass it up and moved in right away... it really helped us a lot," said Lacy. "There are really no words to describe how it made us feel. It's overwhelming."

They're planning to rent a home in Long Beach next month so Lacy, who is expecting her third child in February, can be closer to her doctors.

"The stuff we lost were material things," she said. "At the end of the day, it can all be replaced."

Another two families stayed in the apartments only until recently, allowing them to get back on their feet.

That includes Erin Joyce, an accountant, who moved with her husband and 1-year-old son into a new Long Beach home one day before the storm — and were forced to evacuate from it the next day.

"We bought a house that didn't need any work but within a couple of days it became a fixer-upper," Joyce said.

And Antoinette Diamond and Anthony Borello lost all their possessions from their Long Beach basement rental in Sandy's storm surge — including everything they were gathering for their upcoming wedding.

"It felt so good to take a hot shower and go to sleep in a bed," Diamond said.

The pair recently moved in with Borello's grandmother.

The apartments belong to the real estate investment firm Stone Street Properties, which was founded last year by Rob Morgenstern and Jeff Kaye.

"We talked about donating – money or clothes, but what we have are bricks, heat and water," said Morgenstern. "All of a sudden that became a commodity."

Kaye's parents live in a Long Beach neighborhood that was ravaged by the flooding — which brought the plight of displaced families closer to home.

"It's like a war zone out there. People's homes were ripped to their foundations," he said.

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Anonymous person claims Newtown gunman Adam Lanza's body

HARTFORD, Conn. — The body of the man who killed 26 people at a Connecticut elementary school has been claimed for burial.

Connecticut Medical Examiner Wayne H. Carver II tells the Hartford Courant that the remains of Adam Lanza were claimed several days ago by someone who wanted to remain anonymous.

A spokeswoman at Carver's office told The Associated Press she could not release details about the status of Lanza's remains.

The 20-year-old Lanza killed 20 first-graders and six educators at the Sandy Hook Elementary School on Dec. 14. He also killed his mother in their Newtown home before going on the rampage and then committing suicide.

A private funeral was held earlier this month in New Hampshire for his mother, Nancy Lanza.

Police have not offered a motive for the killings.

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PATH train hours extended for New Year's Eve

PATH trains will be running around-the-clock on New Year's Eve, marking the first time the service has been fully operational since Superstorm Sandy.

On New Year's Eve, the PATH will run both ways between Newark and the World Trade Center, Journal Square and 33rd Street, and Hoboken and 33rd Street, from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Starting at 10 p.m. on New Year's Eve, through 5 a.m. on New Year's Day, service will run approximately every 10 minutes between Hoboken and 33rd Street, Newark and 33rd Street and Journal Square to 33rd Street. There will be no service between Newark and the World Trade Center during that time.

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3 injured in Bronx house fire

CBS2

Firefighters spent their morning battling a fire in The Bronx.

Fire officials say three people suffered minor injuries in a suspicious overnight fire at an apartment building in the Bronx.

The fast-moving fire broke out at 733 Beach Ave at 5:42 a.m. Monday and was brought under control around 7:20 a.m.

Fire officials say all three floors were involved and part of the roof collapsed.

They deemed the blaze suspicious. The cause is under investigation.

The three tenants who were injured were taken to Jacobi Hospital for treatment.

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Kim & Kanye kiddie koming

Get ready for baby Kimye.

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are expecting a child, the rapper announced last night.

West, 35, was performing in Atlantic City when he pointed out Kardashian, 32, in the crowd and announced, "Stop the music and make noise for my baby mama," The Hollywood Reporter said.

And since she's about 12 weeks along, they must have known when Kanye did this belly embrace last month.

Kim's family immediately took to Twitter.

Mom Kris Jenner tweeted, "Oh BABY BABY BABY!!" while sister Khloe wrote, "Keeping secrets is hard with so many family members! Especially when you are so freaking excited!!!!!"

FilmMagic

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West

18.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

LI families displaced by Sandy put up in luxury apartments on Upper East Side for free

Gabriella Bass

Erin and Jim Joyce, along with their son James, were displaced from their home by Hurricane Sandy.

Hurricane Sandy moved them out — kind-hearted New Yorkers moved them on up.

Three Long Island families displaced by October's hurricane have been put up in posh Upper East Side rentals ever since — for free.

The luxury 1-bedroom digs, which typically rent for $2,500 per month, have been a godsend to the families — whose lives were derailed by flood damage.

Surge waters flooded the first floor Long Beach home of Jerry Springer Show producer Lacy Edwards and her police officer husband, Brian.

When they heard through a friend that they could stay in a luxury rental for free, they were floored.

"It was unbelievable. We couldn't pass it up and moved in right away... it really helped us a lot," said Lacy. "There are really no words to describe how it made us feel. It's overwhelming."

They're planning to rent a home in Long Beach next month so Lacy, who is expecting her third child in February, can be closer to her doctors.

"The stuff we lost were material things," she said. "At the end of the day, it can all be replaced."

Another two families stayed in the apartments only until recently, allowing them to get back on their feet.

That includes Erin Joyce, an accountant, who moved with her husband and 1-year-old son into a new Long Beach home one day before the storm — and were forced to evacuate from it the next day.

"We bought a house that didn't need any work but within a couple of days it became a fixer-upper," Joyce said.

And Antoinette Diamond and Anthony Borello lost all their possessions from their Long Beach basement rental in Sandy's storm surge — including everything they were gathering for their upcoming wedding.

"It felt so good to take a hot shower and go to sleep in a bed," Diamond said.

The pair recently moved in with Borello's grandmother.

The apartments belong to the real estate investment firm Stone Street Properties, which was founded last year by Rob Morgenstern and Jeff Kaye.

"We talked about donating – money or clothes, but what we have are bricks, heat and water," said Morgenstern. "All of a sudden that became a commodity."

Kaye's parents live in a Long Beach neighborhood that was ravaged by the flooding — which brought the plight of displaced families closer to home.

"It's like a war zone out there. People's homes were ripped to their foundations," he said.

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Weird but true

She's a chicken, but she's still a hero.

When the Alma Center, Wis., home of Dennis Murawska and Susan Cotey caught fire, their pet chicken, Cluck Cluck, lived up to her name. She clucked so loudly, she woke them in time to get out safely.

"We're used to hearing about a dog or a cat or something,'' said local fire chief Jeff Gaede. "But we never hear of a chicken waking up a resident for a fire. That's pretty amazing.''

The bird lived to cluck again.

***

And now, the latest news about the fiscal cliff:

Collins Dictionary has named it one of the top words or phrases created in 2012.

Another is Zuckered — which is what happened to Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg when shares in his company plummeted off another fiscal cliff shortly after they were offered to the public.

***

Police in Ontario, Canada, have announced the winner of their silliest-excuse competition.

She's a woman stopped for speeding who explained that she stepped on the accelerator when she adjusted her seating position to fart.

***

Japanese entrepreneurs who don't think their offspring are capable of running the family business have a unique solution — they adopt a qualified heir.

Some 73,000 adults are adopted every year in the country — by far the most in the world.

That way, the business can prosper — and stay in the family.

***

Human-resources managers are more interested in acquiring a pal than a qualified worker, according to a surprising new study.

Researchers at Northwestern University found that potential employees who like the same team or the same music as the interviewer are more likely to get the job than someone with different tastes but better skills.

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Emotional farewell for upstate fire-ambush victim

WEBSTER, NY — Fellow cops and firefighters choked back sobs yesterday as they described firefighter and police Lt. Michael Chiapperini as a friend, mentor and family man at a funeral attended by first responders from across the state.

Chiapperini, 43, and fellow volunteer firefighter Tomasz Kaczowka, 19, were slain by gunman William Spengler in a fiery Christmas Eve ambush in an upstate community on the shore of Lake Ontario. Two other firefighters were wounded.

An estimated 5,000 first responders from all across the state and Canada were in town for the weekend to attend calling hours for both men Saturday at Webster Schroeder HS. At Chiapperini's funeral yesterday afternoon in the high-school auditorium, Webster Fire District Chief James Deisenroth called him a "true hero" and mentor who "gave me the courage and confidence to handle anything." As head of the local Explorer's program, Chiapperini helped many members of the Fire Department get their start.

Webster Police Chief Gerald Pickering, his voice cracking with emotion, ended his tribute with, "Car 941, you are 10-7," police code for out of service. "Your work is done. Rest in peace, my friend."

Kaczowka's funeral is this morning at St. Stanislaus Church in Rochester.

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Master rigger prepares for Times Square NYE Ball drop

They're expecting a million revelers in Times Square tonight — but for the man responsible for the New Year's Eve Ball drop, it's lonely at the top.

"It is still stressful as the first time. Each year doesn't get any easier," said Tony Calvano, the master rigger who oversees the iconic ball's 11:59 p.m. descent.

"Millions of people are watching the event. We have to have it down to a system," said Calvano, whose company, Landmark Signs, specializes in Times Square displays.

"You can hear it at 11:59 when they start screaming. But we can't see the crowds," he said. "It is very low-key for us."

Robert Miller

Tony Calvano

When Mayor Bloomberg and the Rockettes press the button to launch the new year, it will really be Calvano and crew getting the ball rolling.

Since 1988, Calvano and a team of six have been 340 feet up on the roof of One Times Square for the ball drop.

Back then, the ball was lowered by hand, and the crew looked at their watches to figure out when to start moving.

Now a computer controls the winch that lowers the 12,000-pound sphere with its 2,688 Waterford Crystal triangles down the 77 feet to hit at midnight.

Their families used to be allowed to celebrate the drop with them, but post-9/11 security restrictions keep everyone but the riggers and a few firefighters and cops off the roof.

The hair dryers in their kits aren't for looking good, either — they're there to melt icicles that can form on the sphere or cables.

chuck.bennett@nypost.com

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Serby’s Sunday Q & A with ... Mark Herzlich

Giants linebacker Mark Herzlich blocked off some time to field questions from Post columnist Steve Serby.

Q: Three dinner guests?

A: Lawrence Taylor, Abraham Lincoln, Anne Frank.

Q: Why Lawrence Taylor?

A: He's my favorite football player of all time. I read both his books. He just seemed like, "I don't care what you think of me, I'm just gonna ball out on the field."

Q: Lincoln?

A: I always respected the office of the presidency, it's probably the hardest and coolest job. I think he's probably my favorite president. He was also a guy, it didn't matter what anyone said to him, he did whatever he thought was right.

Q: Anne Frank?

A: My grandparents grew up in Germany at the time of the Holocaust, and my grandfather has told me tons of stories from that time. I guess I'd want to see her perspective and what it felt like. She was scared probably her entire life.

Q: Your grandfather and great-grandmother fled the Austrian-German border for a ship to England, but your great-grandfather had to escape the Nazis first.

A: My great-grandfather stayed behind to try and get some stuff together. Before he got to leave and take everything with him, that's when the Nazis started doing roundups. They were going through the whole town they were in in Austria. As they were going through his village, he snuck out the back. He left everything behind.

Q: Why were the Nazis looking for your great-grandfather?

A: My whole dad's side of the family is Jewish.

Q: Eventually, they all boarded a ship to New York with $10 in their pockets.

A: That's how they had to start a new life in New York. He did it by going on street corners and selling neckties. They started in New York. That's why it's kind of cool to be here.

Q: Boyhood idol?

A: I always wanted to be like my dad. He was always my coach and everything when I was little. He was always happy and funny and just got along with everyone.

Q: Talk about the support he gave you during your battle with bone cancer.

A: We were very close. We used to play board games, card games, video games together. The great thing he did was really treat me the same as he always has. That's what I looked for from my family. Everybody outside my family treated me differently. They tiptoed around the cancer, people were on edge. The one thing he would have liked to have done was be in my treatments more and be with me all the time. I knew how hard it was for him to go to work every day wondering how I'm doing in chemotherapy.

Q: New Year's resolution?

A: I think my New Year's resolution is to find more time for myself this offseason. I want to be able to have time to visit some more hospitals and see more kids who are battling cancer.

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Tebow’s time runs out today

BUFFALO — Tim Tebow's bizarre, overhyped time with the Jets will come to an end today, barring some major change of heart from the player and organization.

Tebow is expected to be traded or released sometime in the next two months. He attracted a ton of attention, played very little and then got annoyed in the season's final weeks. The question today is whether he will even play. Jeremy Kerley worked as the Wildcat quarterback in practice all week, so Tebow probably has seen his final snap as a Jet.

People around the Jets privately have started conceding the trade for Tebow was a huge mistake. Publicly, they still are avoiding saying anything too strong. The move hurt starter Mark Sanchez, created a distraction with all of the media attention he attracted and posed a question of how to use him that coaches never figured out.

Offensive coordinator Tony Sparano admitted the Jets had trouble working Tebow into the offense with the limited practice time they could use for his plays. Sparano drew a distinction between Wildcat plays and the zone-read plays the Jets tried with Tebow.

"The Wildcat and what Tim did are really two different things," Sparano said. "The Wildcat snaps that we've run this year have really been pretty productive, the Wildcat snaps. The zone-read snaps have really been hit or miss. They've either been 12-yard plays, negative-2-yard plays or 2-yard plays. I think if it's not something you do all the time where you're showing your line and you're showing your quarterbacks and your running backs those looks on a consistent basis ... and you really can't do that all the time right now with a player that's a part-time player. You can't afford to be able to do that all the time, and I think that's where maybe the lack of big plays come because you're not able to do it all the time."

* TE Dustin Keller (ankle), WR Chaz Schilens (knee) and CB Ellis Lankster (concussion) were all downgraded to out and did not make the trip to Buffalo.

This could mean the end of Keller's Jets career came against the Cardinals four weeks ago when he sprained his ankle. Keller is a free agent after this season. He has said he would like to return to the Jets, but the team decided not to give him a contract extension over the summer and he may be too costly to keep with the team having so many needs. Keller has said he does not want the team to use the franchise tag on him.

brian.costello@nypost.com

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Can’t knock Evans’ hustle for Nets

The good outweighed the not so good. By a lot. By a real lot.

By virtue of the way Reggie Evans plays for the Nets — a cross between china-shop bull and runaway train — you get hustle, energy and effort. And mistakes.

"The challenge with Reggie sometimes is figuring out whether there's more good," assessed interim coach P.J. Carlesimo after improving to 2-0 with the Nets' 103-100 win over the Cavaliers Saturday night in Brooklyn. "Reggie gives you effort plays. Sometimes they end up good, sometimes they don't. Sometimes, you've got to watch the tape and go, 'Wow, 15 good things and he did five maybe not so good.' He was way, way top-heavy with the good ones today.

"If we'd have given an MVP tonight, he'd be in the hunt."

In no small part for a stretch when the Cavaliers were rallying early in the fourth quarter. The Nets led 83-79, and Deron Williams misfired. Evans (seven points) grabbed one of his 10 rebounds and put it back for a score. Nets up six. Evans then stole from 33-point scorer C.J. Miles, got fouled and made two free throws. Nets up eight. That's a cushion.

"Just got to get something going," Evans said. "That's all part of coming off the bench. You never want to do what the first team is doing. It's all about being more aggressive. As the game goes on, you pretty much know what plays they're going to run. You can predict before they even happen. When I got the steal, [I remembered] in the first half C.J. was just shooting lights out. I wanted to be aggressive because I knew he was not going to pass the ball cause he was trying to get his numbers."

Evans lately has been getting his own numbers, and Carlesimo said the staff has urged Evans to score more.

"[They've been] telling me to put it back up," Evans said. "So I'm doing what coach is telling me to do."

Then there are the free throws. Evans, a career 52-percent free-throw shooter entering the season, has made eight of 10 in his last three games, including five of six last night. The extra work with assistant Mario Elie has paid off — as well as his own kids trash-talking him.

"I think about my kids," Evans said of what goes through his mind on the line. "My kids talk a lot of noise about the way I shoot free throws."

And Evans makes a lot of noise with the way he plays.

"There are so many intangibles about him," Brook Lopez said. "He's such a huge player for us.

"You know he is going to come out play his game, play with energy, play hard and do the things that need to be done for us."

fred.kerber@nypost.com

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One person critically injured after car flips over and lands in Queens waterway

A car flipped over and landed in a Queens waterway overnight, critically injuring one person, according to reports.

The accident happened after 4:30 a.m. along Rockaway Boulevard near Brookville Boulevard in Queens, a roadway that crosses a section of Jamaica Bay just east of JFK Airport.

CBS 2 reports that divers visited the scene, searching the water for survivors.

Four people were rescued, with one of the victims suffering from life-threatening injuries, CBS 2 reports.

Officials were also searching for two other people at the scene, but those people may have left before emergency responders arrived.

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Serby’s Sunday Q & A with ... Mark Herzlich

Giants linebacker Mark Herzlich blocked off some time to field questions from Post columnist Steve Serby.

Q: Three dinner guests?

A: Lawrence Taylor, Abraham Lincoln, Anne Frank.

Q: Why Lawrence Taylor?

A: He's my favorite football player of all time. I read both his books. He just seemed like, "I don't care what you think of me, I'm just gonna ball out on the field."

Q: Lincoln?

A: I always respected the office of the presidency, it's probably the hardest and coolest job. I think he's probably my favorite president. He was also a guy, it didn't matter what anyone said to him, he did whatever he thought was right.

Q: Anne Frank?

A: My grandparents grew up in Germany at the time of the Holocaust, and my grandfather has told me tons of stories from that time. I guess I'd want to see her perspective and what it felt like. She was scared probably her entire life.

Q: Your grandfather and great-grandmother fled the Austrian-German border for a ship to England, but your great-grandfather had to escape the Nazis first.

A: My great-grandfather stayed behind to try and get some stuff together. Before he got to leave and take everything with him, that's when the Nazis started doing roundups. They were going through the whole town they were in in Austria. As they were going through his village, he snuck out the back. He left everything behind.

Q: Why were the Nazis looking for your great-grandfather?

A: My whole dad's side of the family is Jewish.

Q: Eventually, they all boarded a ship to New York with $10 in their pockets.

A: That's how they had to start a new life in New York. He did it by going on street corners and selling neckties. They started in New York. That's why it's kind of cool to be here.

Q: Boyhood idol?

A: I always wanted to be like my dad. He was always my coach and everything when I was little. He was always happy and funny and just got along with everyone.

Q: Talk about the support he gave you during your battle with bone cancer.

A: We were very close. We used to play board games, card games, video games together. The great thing he did was really treat me the same as he always has. That's what I looked for from my family. Everybody outside my family treated me differently. They tiptoed around the cancer, people were on edge. The one thing he would have liked to have done was be in my treatments more and be with me all the time. I knew how hard it was for him to go to work every day wondering how I'm doing in chemotherapy.

Q: New Year's resolution?

A: I think my New Year's resolution is to find more time for myself this offseason. I want to be able to have time to visit some more hospitals and see more kids who are battling cancer.

18.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Tebow’s time runs out today

BUFFALO — Tim Tebow's bizarre, overhyped time with the Jets will come to an end today, barring some major change of heart from the player and organization.

Tebow is expected to be traded or released sometime in the next two months. He attracted a ton of attention, played very little and then got annoyed in the season's final weeks. The question today is whether he will even play. Jeremy Kerley worked as the Wildcat quarterback in practice all week, so Tebow probably has seen his final snap as a Jet.

People around the Jets privately have started conceding the trade for Tebow was a huge mistake. Publicly, they still are avoiding saying anything too strong. The move hurt starter Mark Sanchez, created a distraction with all of the media attention he attracted and posed a question of how to use him that coaches never figured out.

Offensive coordinator Tony Sparano admitted the Jets had trouble working Tebow into the offense with the limited practice time they could use for his plays. Sparano drew a distinction between Wildcat plays and the zone-read plays the Jets tried with Tebow.

"The Wildcat and what Tim did are really two different things," Sparano said. "The Wildcat snaps that we've run this year have really been pretty productive, the Wildcat snaps. The zone-read snaps have really been hit or miss. They've either been 12-yard plays, negative-2-yard plays or 2-yard plays. I think if it's not something you do all the time where you're showing your line and you're showing your quarterbacks and your running backs those looks on a consistent basis ... and you really can't do that all the time right now with a player that's a part-time player. You can't afford to be able to do that all the time, and I think that's where maybe the lack of big plays come because you're not able to do it all the time."

* TE Dustin Keller (ankle), WR Chaz Schilens (knee) and CB Ellis Lankster (concussion) were all downgraded to out and did not make the trip to Buffalo.

This could mean the end of Keller's Jets career came against the Cardinals four weeks ago when he sprained his ankle. Keller is a free agent after this season. He has said he would like to return to the Jets, but the team decided not to give him a contract extension over the summer and he may be too costly to keep with the team having so many needs. Keller has said he does not want the team to use the franchise tag on him.

brian.costello@nypost.com

18.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Can’t knock Evans’ hustle for Nets

The good outweighed the not so good. By a lot. By a real lot.

By virtue of the way Reggie Evans plays for the Nets — a cross between china-shop bull and runaway train — you get hustle, energy and effort. And mistakes.

"The challenge with Reggie sometimes is figuring out whether there's more good," assessed interim coach P.J. Carlesimo after improving to 2-0 with the Nets' 103-100 win over the Cavaliers Saturday night in Brooklyn. "Reggie gives you effort plays. Sometimes they end up good, sometimes they don't. Sometimes, you've got to watch the tape and go, 'Wow, 15 good things and he did five maybe not so good.' He was way, way top-heavy with the good ones today.

"If we'd have given an MVP tonight, he'd be in the hunt."

In no small part for a stretch when the Cavaliers were rallying early in the fourth quarter. The Nets led 83-79, and Deron Williams misfired. Evans (seven points) grabbed one of his 10 rebounds and put it back for a score. Nets up six. Evans then stole from 33-point scorer C.J. Miles, got fouled and made two free throws. Nets up eight. That's a cushion.

"Just got to get something going," Evans said. "That's all part of coming off the bench. You never want to do what the first team is doing. It's all about being more aggressive. As the game goes on, you pretty much know what plays they're going to run. You can predict before they even happen. When I got the steal, [I remembered] in the first half C.J. was just shooting lights out. I wanted to be aggressive because I knew he was not going to pass the ball cause he was trying to get his numbers."

Evans lately has been getting his own numbers, and Carlesimo said the staff has urged Evans to score more.

"[They've been] telling me to put it back up," Evans said. "So I'm doing what coach is telling me to do."

Then there are the free throws. Evans, a career 52-percent free-throw shooter entering the season, has made eight of 10 in his last three games, including five of six last night. The extra work with assistant Mario Elie has paid off — as well as his own kids trash-talking him.

"I think about my kids," Evans said of what goes through his mind on the line. "My kids talk a lot of noise about the way I shoot free throws."

And Evans makes a lot of noise with the way he plays.

"There are so many intangibles about him," Brook Lopez said. "He's such a huge player for us.

"You know he is going to come out play his game, play with energy, play hard and do the things that need to be done for us."

fred.kerber@nypost.com

18.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Divers search for survivors after car flips over and lands in Queens waterway

A car flipped over and landed in a Queens waterway overnight, according to reports.

The accident happened after 4:30 a.m. along Rockaway Boulevard in Queens, a roadway that crosses a section of Jamaica Bay just east of JFK Airport.

CBS 2 reports that divers visited the scene, searching the water for survivors.

There's no word at this point on any injuries – or whether this weekend's snow and rain contributed to the accident.

This story is breaking. Check back for updates.

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Ed Fountaine’s Stakes Spot Plays

Mr. Prospector

Gulfstream Park, fifth race. Grade 3. Purse: $100,000. 6 furlongs, 3-year-olds and up. Post: 2:37 p.m.

LOWDOWN

Action Andy has been on a roll of late, winning the Maryland Million Sprint at Laurel by 2 3/4 lengths, the Frank DeFrancis Memorial by a nose, and the Pelican at Tampa Bay by 2 1/4 in 1:09 flat, earning 100-plus Beyer numbers in his last two starts. He can win from on or off the pace, and today he attracts the services of Hall-of-Fame rider John Velazquez.

TV: HRTV, NYRA Channel 71.

EDDIE LOGAN

Santa Anita, sixth race. Purse: $75,000. 1 mile, turf, 2-year-olds. Post 6:05 p.m.

LOWDOWN: Rising Legend shipped to the U.S. after winning two races in England and closed a ton to finish second, beaten just a half-length, in the Grade 3 Generous going a mile on the Hollypark turf. If the son of Rock of Gibraltar can avoid the "Euro-bounce" and come close to duplicating that effort, this race is his.

TV: HRTV, TVG, NYRA Channel 71.

DAYTONA

Santa Anita, eighth race. Grade 3. Purse: $100,000. 6 1/2 furlongs, downhill turf, 3-year-olds and up. Post: 7:07 p.m.

LOWDOWN: Capital Account has been one of the year's top sprinters all year, with his only bad finish coming when he ran a no-account 12th in the Breeders' Cup Sprint on dirt at Santa Anita. Bob Baffert's 5-year-old has shown an affinity for synthetic surfaces, so he should take to the turf in his first start on turf.

TV: HRTV, TVG, NYRA Channel 71.

ed.fountaine@nypost.com

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Stella McCartney, Ewan McGregor and Higgs boson physicist among those honored by Queen Elizabeth

LONDON — Stella McCartney, who designed the uniforms worn by Britain's record-smashing Olympic team, and Scottish physicist Peter Higgs, who gave his name to the so-called "God particle," are among the hundreds being honored by Queen Elizabeth II this New Year.

The list is particularly heavy with Britain's Olympic heroes, but it also includes "Star Wars" actor Ewan McGregor, eccentric English singer Kate Bush, Roald Dahl illustrator Quentin Blake, and Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, the royal aide who helped organize the watched-around-the-world wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton.

Jonathan Short/Invision/AP

Stella McCartney

McCartney was honored with the title of Officer of the Order of the British Empire, or OBE, in part for her work creating the skintight, red-white-and-blue uniforms worn by British athletes as they grabbed 65 medals during the 2012 games hosted by London. McCartney is the designer daughter of ex-Beatle Paul McCartney and his first wife Linda, and she has moved to make the family name almost as synonymous with fashion as it is with music, setting up a successful business and a critically-acclaimed label.

Higgs' achievements, which made him a Companion of Honor, touch on the nature and the origins of the universe. The 83-year-old researcher's work in theoretical physics sought to explain what gives things weight. He said it was while walking through the Scottish mountains that he hit upon the concept of what would later become known as the Higgs boson, an elusive subatomic particle that gives objects mass and combines with gravity to give them weight.

For decades, the existence of such a particle remained just a theory, but earlier this year scientists working at the European Organization for Nuclear Research, or CERN, said they'd found compelling evidence that the Higgs boson was out there. Or in there. Or whatever.

All of Britain's gold medalists from this year's games were on the list, with cyclist Bradley Wiggins and sailor Ben Ainslie honored with knighthoods. Sebastian Coe, who masterminded the games as chairman of the London organizing committee, was made a Companion of Honor — a prestigious title also awarded to Higgs.

Honors lists typically include a sprinkling of star power, and this year was no different. Ewan McGregor, who came to public attention through his role as the heroin-addled anti-hero of British drug drama "Trainspotting," was awarded an OBE. The 41-year-old actor is also known for his turn as a young Obi-Wan Kenobi in the "Star Wars" prequels.

"Babooshka" singer Kate Bush said she was delighted to be made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire, or CBE, for a musical career which has resulted in a string of quirky hits including "Wuthering Heights," ''Cloudbusting," and "Man With The Child In His Eyes."

Other art world honorees included artist Tracey Emin and Quentin Blake, whose spiky, exuberant illustrations are best known through the work of his collaborator Roald Dahl.

Politicians, policemen, and spies got honors too. Scotland Yard chief Bernard Hogan-Howe was awarded a knighthood; former British foreign minister Margaret Beckett was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. Former Prime Minister Tony Blair's wife Cherie was made a CBE for her charity work. MI5 chief Jonathan Evans was made a Knight Commander of the Order of Bath.

Also honored was the man credited with helping pull off the wedding of the decade: Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, principal private secretary to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (as Prince William and his wife are formally known) was made a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order.

Britain's honors are bestowed twice a year by the monarch, at New Year's and on her official birthday in June. Although the queen does pick out some lesser honors herself, the vast majority of recipients are selected by government committees from nominations made by officials and members of the public.

In descending order, the honors are knighthoods, CBE, OBE, and MBE — Member of the Order of the British Empire. Knights are addressed as "sir" or "dame." Recipients of the other honors, such as the Order of the Companions of Honor given to Higgs and Coe or the Royal Victorian Order personally picked out by the queen, receive no title but can put the letters after their names.

The New Year's honors carried the usual batch of courtiers — even the royal household's switchboard operator got a medal — as well as senior civil servants, soldiers, charity executives, successful entrepreneurs, established academics, volunteers, and community workers. Some of the more eclectic honors included the OBE handed to card game columnist Andrew Michael Robson "for services to the game of Bridge," and OBE given to river conservationist Andrew Douglas-Home "for services to Fishing."

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Attackers in India rape case to face murder charge

NEW DELHI — Indian police charged six men with murder on Saturday, hours after a woman who was gang-raped and beaten on a bus in New Delhi nearly two weeks ago died in a Singapore hospital.

New Delhi police spokesman Rajan Bhagat said the six face the death penalty if convicted, in a case that has triggered protests across India for greater protection for women from sexual violence, and raised questions about lax attitudes by police toward sexual crimes.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said he was aware of the emotions the attack has stirred, adding it was up to all Indians to ensure that the young woman's death will not have been in vain.

REUTERS

Schoolgirls in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad pray to pay homage to a rape victim who was assaulted in New Delhi.

The victim "passed away peacefully" early Saturday at Mount Elizabeth hospital in Singapore with her family and officials of the Indian Embassy by her side, Dr. Kevin Loh, the chief executive of the hospital, said in a statement.

After 10 days at a hospital in New Delhi, the Indian capital, the woman was brought Thursday to Mount Elizabeth, which specializes in multi-organ transplants. Loh said the woman had been in extremely critical condition since Thursday, and by late Friday her condition had taken a turn for the worse, with her vital signs deteriorating.

"Despite all efforts by a team of eight specialists in Mount Elizabeth hospital to keep her stable, her condition continued to deteriorate over these two days," Loh said. "She had suffered from severe organ failure following serious injuries to her body and brain. She was courageous in fighting for her life for so long against the odds, but the trauma to her body was too severe for her to overcome."

The woman and a male friend, who have not been identified, were on a bus in New Delhi after watching a film on the evening of Dec. 16 when they were attacked by six men who raped her. The men beat the couple and inserted an iron rod into the woman's body, resulting in severe organ damage. Both were then stripped and thrown off the bus, according to police.

Indian police have arrested six people in connection with the attack, which left the victim with severe internal injuries, a lung infection and brain damage. She also suffered from a heart attack while in the hospital in New Delhi.

Indian High Commissioner, or ambassador, T.C.A. Raghavan told reporters that the scale of the injuries the woman suffered was "very grave" and in the end "proved too much."

He said arrangements were being made to return her body to India later Saturday.

The frightening nature of the crime shocked Indians, who have come out in the thousands for almost daily demonstrations.

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France's highest court overturns 75 percent tax on ultrarich

PARIS — Embattled French President Francois Hollande suffered a fresh setback Saturday when France's highest court threw out a plan to tax the ultrawealthy at a 75 percent rate, saying it was unfair.

In a stinging rebuke to one of Socialist Hollande's flagship campaign promises, the constitutional council ruled Saturday that the way the highly contentious tax was designed was unconstitutional. It was intended to hit incomes over €1 million ($1.32 million).

The largely symbolic measure would have only hit a tiny number of taxpayers and brought in an estimated €100 million to €300 million - an insignificant amount in the context of France's roughtly €85 billion deficit.

AFP/Getty Images

Francois Hollande

Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault was quick to respond, saying in a statement following the decision the government would resubmit the measure to take the court's concerns into account. The court's ruling took issue not with the size of the tax, but with the way it discriminated between households depending on how incomes were distributed among its members. A household with two earners each making under €1 million would be exempt from the tax, while one with one earner making €1.2 million would have to pay.

The French government approved the tax in its most recent budget, amid criticism by some that it would do little to stem the country's mounting fiscal problems and would drive away the wealthiest citizens. Hollande's popularity, meanwhile, has been tanking as the country's unemployment continued its rise for the 19th straight month.

In recent weeks, Gerard Depardieu — France's most famous actor — announced his intention to turn in his French passport and move to a village in a tax-friendly Belgium.

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Plane on fire after running off Moscow runway; all aboard rescued

MOSCOW — A passenger airliner ran off the runway at Moscow's Vnukovo Airport on Saturday, breaking apart and catching fire.

The Emergency Ministry said 12 people were aboard the Tu-204 and all were rescued but two were in serious condition, according to the state television news channel Vesti.

The channel showed a photo of the wrecked plane's fuselage with the livery of Red Wings airline. The plane's nose, including the cockpit area, appeared sheared off.

Details on the crash were not immediately clear. Initial reports said the plane crashed while attempting to land, but later reports said it had crashed while taking off. Light snow was falling in Moscow at the time.

The Tu-204 is a twin-engine medium-range jet with a capacity of 210 passengers.

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Today's Sports on the Air

Basketball Noon Santa Clara at Duke ESPN2 Noon Western Michigan at N.C. State ESPNU Noon Women's: Temple at Michigan State
BIG TEN 2 p.m. Nevada-Las Vegas at UNC ESPN2 2 p.m. Virginia Tech vs. BYU ESPNU 2 p.m. Rice at Texas LONGHORN 2 p.m. Orange Bowl Basketball Classic:
Florida State vs. Tulsa MSG 2 p.m. Hartford at Colorado PAC12 2 p.m. N.C. Central at Marquette SNY 2:15 p.m. Auburn at Illinois BIG TEN 4 p.m. Kentucky at Louisville CBS 4 p.m. Towson at Oregon State PAC12 4 p.m. Manhattan at Columbia WKCR 89.9 FM 4:30 p.m. Chicago State at Ohio State BIG TEN 4:30 p.m. Orange Bowl Basketball Classic:
Florida vs. Air Force MSG 6 p.m. Xavier at Tennessee ESPNU 6 p.m. Idaho State at Washington State PAC12 7 p.m. Central Michigan at Michigan BIG TEN 7 p.m. Hornets at Bobcats NBATV 7 p.m. Alcorn State at Syracuse SNY 7 p.m. Fordham at Georgia Tech WFUV 90.7 FM 7:30 p.m. Washington at Connecticut ESPN2 7:30 p.m. Cavaliers at Nets
YES, WFAN 660 AM/101.9 FM 8 p.m. Butler at Vanderbilt ESPNU 8 p.m. Harvard at California PAC12 8 p.m. Wizards at Bulls WGN 10 p.m. UC-Santa Barbara at Cal St. Fullerton ESPNU 10:30 p.m. Celtics at Warriors NBATV 10:30 p.m. Lafayette at Stanford PAC12 Football 11:45 a.m. Armed Forces Bowl:
Rice vs. Air Force ESPN, ESPN 98.7 FM 3:15 p.m. Pinstripe Bowl:
West Virginia vs. Syracuse ESPN, ESPN 98.7 FM 4 p.m. Fight Hunger Bowl:
Navy vs. Arizona State ESPN2 6:45 p.m. Alamo Bowl:
Texas vs. Oregon State ESPN, ESPN 98.7 FM 10 p.m. Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl:
TCU vs. Michigan State ESPN, ESPN 98.7 FM Hockey 3:30 p.m. Great Lakes Invitational:
W. Michigan vs. Michigan State MSG Plus 7 p.m. Great Lakes Invitational:
Michigan Tech vs. Michigan MSG Plus Soccer 7:30 a.m. Tottenham Hotspur at Sunderland FSC 9:30 a.m. Manchester City at Norwich City FSC 9:55 a.m. W. Bromwich Albion at Manchester Utd. ESPN2 12:30 p.m. Newcastle United at Arsenal FSC Horse Racing 12:25 p.m. Parx Ch. 71 12:30 p.m. Aqueduct Ch. 71 12:45 p.m. Gulfstream Ch. 71 3:30 p.m. Santa Anita Ch, 71 7:10 p.m. Meadowlands Ch. 71

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Ed Fountaine’s Stakes Spot Plays

Mr. Prospector

Gulfstream Park, fifth race. Grade 3. Purse: $100,000. 6 furlongs, 3-year-olds and up. Post: 2:37 p.m.

LOWDOWN

Action Andy has been on a roll of late, winning the Maryland Million Sprint at Laurel by 2 3/4 lengths, the Frank DeFrancis Memorial by a nose, and the Pelican at Tampa Bay by 2 1/4 in 1:09 flat, earning 100-plus Beyer numbers in his last two starts. He can win from on or off the pace, and today he attracts the services of Hall-of-Fame rider John Velazquez.

TV: HRTV, NYRA Channel 71.

EDDIE LOGAN

Santa Anita, sixth race. Purse: $75,000. 1 mile, turf, 2-year-olds. Post 6:05 p.m.

LOWDOWN: Rising Legend shipped to the U.S. after winning two races in England and closed a ton to finish second, beaten just a half-length, in the Grade 3 Generous going a mile on the Hollypark turf. If the son of Rock of Gibraltar can avoid the "Euro-bounce" and come close to duplicating that effort, this race is his.

TV: HRTV, TVG, NYRA Channel 71.

DAYTONA

Santa Anita, eighth race. Grade 3. Purse: $100,000. 6 1/2 furlongs, downhill turf, 3-year-olds and up. Post: 7:07 p.m.

LOWDOWN: Capital Account has been one of the year's top sprinters all year, with his only bad finish coming when he ran a no-account 12th in the Breeders' Cup Sprint on dirt at Santa Anita. Bob Baffert's 5-year-old has shown an affinity for synthetic surfaces, so he should take to the turf in his first start on turf.

TV: HRTV, TVG, NYRA Channel 71.

ed.fountaine@nypost.com

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Smith’s hot hand almost gave Knicks rally-good ‘W’

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Super-sub J.R. Smith continued his West-Coast hot hand last night, coming off the bench to almost lead the Knicks to their biggest comeback win of the season before they fell short, 106-105, against the Kings.

Smith, who was nearly unstoppable on the three-game road trip, scored a season-high 28 points to spearhead the Knicks' oh-so-close comeback attempt and capped off a dominant second half that fell just short. The Knicks trailed the Kings by 27 points late in the second quarter before Smith and company turned their fortunes around by outscoring Sacramento 55-35 in the final two quarters.

DRIVING FORCE: J.R. Smith, who finished with a game-high 28 points, drives to the hoop between the Kings' Jason Thompson (left) and James Johnson during the Knicks' 106-105 loss last night in Sacramento, Calif.

"We fought back tremendously in the second half," Smith said. "I wish we could have turned the switch on earlier instead of turning it on too late."

The Knicks comeback ended with a thud after a frenetic final Kings' possession lead to a 3-point basket by James Johnson at the buzzer.

"We messed up the first half, that's where it really took place," Smith said. "You can't have halves like that where a team scores 71 points in 24 minutes. That just can't happen."

Smith finished with 11-for-25 shooting and had seven rebounds and five assists in 43 minutes. He provided a much-needed spark for a Knicks lineup depleted of their primary players — such as Carmelo Anthony, Raymond Felton Amar'e Stoudemire and Rasheed Wallace — due to injuries.

The game-high 28 points by Smith comes on the heels of a team-high 27 points, including a buzzer beater, he buried against the Suns on Wednesday in a 99-97 victory and a 25-point performance against the Lakers on Tuesday, a 100-94 loss. It was the first time in Smith's career that he has logged three consecutive 25-point efforts.

Smith's heroics were huge for the Knicks in December. He hit a 21-foot jump-shot as the horn sounded — his second buzzer-beating shot of the month — to give the Knicks the two-point win at Phoenix.

"I've seen [the winning shot against the Suns] two or three times on replay," Smith said. "Honestly, it was a really tough shot. It looked tougher on video than it really was shooting it. I got a lot of feedback on it. Everybody loved it."

The knockout blow against the Suns was Smith's second buzzer-beater of the month. He made a similar 18-foot jumper in a 100-98 win at Charlotte on Dec. 5.

"The left side of the court is one of my best shots," Smith said. "I'm just trying to do what the team needs me to do, honestly. We are still 1-2 in those games so we've got to play better."

Unfortunately for the Knicks, the buzzer-beater last night came by the Kings' Johnson, not Smith.

"It's a bad feeling," Smith said of the way the Knicks lost. "It [leaves] a bad taste in your mouth."

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Clippers edge Jazz to extend win streak

Chris Paul scored 29 points and the Clippers rallied from a 19-point deficit in the third quarter to beat the Jazz 116-114 last night in Salt Lake City, stretching their winning streak to 16 games.

Paul scored the Clippers' final seven points, most from the free throw line, as Los Angeles extended the NBA's longest winning streak this season.

The Jazz led 74-55 with 8:08 left in the third on a pair of free throws by Paul Millsap. But the Clippers outscored Utah 29-14 the rest of the quarter to pull to 88-84 going into the fourth.

Paul led six Clippers in double figures. Blake Griffin added 22 points and 13 rebounds.

NBAE/Getty Images

STREAK LIVES: Chris Paul, left, works against Utah's Earl Watson during last night's116-114 L.A. victory, the Clippers' 16th in a row.

Ex-Clipper Randy Foye finished with a season-high 28 points for Utah.

Pistons 109, Heat 99

In Auburn Hills, Mich., Will Bynum had 25 points and 10 assists, leading another spirited performance by the Detroit bench.

Miami was without Dwyane Wade, suspended for a game by the NBA for flailing his leg and making contact with a Charlotte player Wednesday.

LeBron James had 35 points for Miami.

Nuggets 106, Mavericks 85

In Dallas, former Knick Danilo Gallinari scored a career-high 39 points and Denver spoiled Dirk Nowitzki's first home game since returning from knee surgery.

Nowitzki had five points in 17 minutes in his third game back, and the Mavericks lost their fifth straight.

Spurs 122, Rockets 116

In San Antonio, Tony Parker had 31 points and 10 assists, Tim Duncan had 30 points and five rebounds, and Manu Ginobili had a season-high 23 points as the Spurts snapped Houston's five-game winning streak.

Wizards 105, Magic 97

In Washington, Jordan Crawford scored 27 points and the worst-in-the-NBA Wizards broke an eight-game losing streak.

Pacers 97, Suns 91

In Indianapolis, George Hill scored 22 points to lead the Pacers who have won four straight.

Hawks 102, Cavaliers 94

In Cleveland, Jeff Teague scored a career-high 27 points and the Hawks scored the game's final nine points.

Raptors 104, Hornets 97

In New Orleans, DeMar DeRozan scored 30 points, Kyle Lowry had two big baskets in overtime for Toronto.

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Police in India punished after being accused of belittling, ignoring rape victims

NEW DELHI — The victim of a gang-rape in New Delhi fought for her life at a Singapore hospital Friday as officials in the Indian state of Punjab fired and suspended police officers accused of ignoring the rape of another woman, who then committed suicide.

Indian authorities have been accused of belittling rape victims and refusing to file cases against their attackers, further deterring victims — already under societal pressure to keep the assaults quiet — from reporting the crimes.

However, the gang-rape of the 23-year-old student on a moving bus in the capital two weeks ago has brought new focus on police and community attitudes toward woman in India. Demonstrators in New Delhi have demanded stronger protections for women and stronger punishment for rapists.

Authorities in Punjab took action Thursday when an 18-year-old woman killed herself by drinking poison a month after she told police she was gang-raped.

State authorities suspended one police officer and fired two others on accusations they delayed investigating and taking action in the case. The three accused in the rape were only arrested Thursday night, a month after the crime was reported.

"This is a very sensitive crime, I have taken it very seriously," said Paramjit Singh Gill, a top police officer in the city of Patiala.

The Press Trust of India reported that the woman was raped Nov. 13 and reported the attack to police Nov. 27. But police harassed the girl, asked her embarrassing questions and took no action against the accused, PTI reported, citing police sources.

Authorities in the eastern state of Chhattisgarh also suspended a police officer on accusations he refused to register a rape complaint from a woman who said she had been attacked by a driver.

Meanwhile, doctors in Singapore said the New Delhi gang-rape victim remained in extremely critical condition, had suffered a heart attack, a lung and abdominal infection and "significant" brain injury.

"The patient is currently struggling against the odds, and fighting for her life," said Mount Elizabeth Hospital chief executive Dr. Kelvin Loh.

Police have arrested six people in connection with the attack, which left the victim with severe internal injuries.

"We wish she recovers and comes back to us and that no time is lost in bringing the perpetrators of such a barbaric act to justice," said Sonia Gandhi, head of the ruling Congress Party.

Other politicians have come under fire for comments insulting the protesters and diminishing the crime.

On Friday, Abhijit Mukherjee, a national lawmaker and the son of India's president, apologized for calling the protesters "highly dented and painted" women, who go from discos to demonstrations.

"I tender my unconditional apology to all the people whose sentiments got hurt," he told NDTV news.

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Danish spy in first US interview - wants credit for role in killing al-Awlaki: report

The Danish spy who claimed to have helped the CIA target and kill al Qaeda leader Anwar al-Awlaki last year says he wants his efforts to be recognized by the CIA in his first US interview.

Morten Storm talked with CBS's "60 Minutes" reporter Lara Logan in a interview to be broadcast Sunday night.

"No. There is no doubt [my efforts led to his death]," he told Logan. "It was a lot of joyment, I say, because it's good he died anyway. It is good."

Storm, who's alleged role has been reported by the Danish media, says it was his work as a doubleagent - including finding al-Awlaki a Western wife - that brought down the American-born Muslim cleric.

CBS reported that Storm is an ex-convict who converted to Islam in a Danish prison in the 1990s and became more radicalized after a trip to Yemen. He reportedly met the terror-mastermind in 2006.

After an epiphany where he "discovered it was all fake," Storm allegedly went to Danish authorities saying, "I am no longer Muslim and I want to fight these terrorists."

Storm said this led him to become a spy inside al-Awlaki's inner circle where he grew so close to cleric that he found him a wife on Facebook.

Storm claims that once al-Awlaki and his new wife disappeared, he was the only person who was able to contact the terrorist. Storm claims he procured supplies and bomb-making materials for al-Awlaki.

He said he read about his "mission" ending in a drone strike in a newspaper.

Storm claims he made a recording with a CIA official afterwards, on which he says "The Americans have failed in every single attempt to arrest or kill Anwar al-Awlaki except when we went in. We just want gratitude from your government."

An American voice is allegedly heard assuring Storm that the US is grateful for his work and that Storm played "the highest role" in the hunt for al-Awlaki, according to the report.

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3 cops wounded by shooting at NJ police station, gunman dead: report

One officer was shot and two others were wounded today at a South Jersey police station, officials said.

Three officers were shot Friday morning inside the Gloucester Township Police Station, and the suspected shooter has been shot and killed, the Camden County Prosecutors Office confirmed to Fox 29.

Shots rang out just after 5 a.m. inside the Gloucester police house, officials told WABC.

One male officer is reported to be in surgery this morning, while injuries to the other two officers, a man and a woman, are said to be minor, according Fox 29.

Local media reports that cops said the gunman was a prisoner inside the station and was shot and killed. The shooting possibly occurred near a stairwell in the rear of the building.

A neighbor told Fox 29 she heard a lot of sirens just before 6 a.m. When she looked out her window, she saw police quickly "throw" someone into the back of an ambulance, which then left for a nearby trauma center under police escort.

Philadelphia News, Weather and Sports from WTXF FOX 29

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Man pushed to death on Qns. subway

A madwoman last night pushed a stranger onto subway tracks in Queens, where he was killed by a train, police and witnesses said.

It was the second such nightmare in less than a month.

The unsuspecting victim was waiting at the elevated 40th Street station of the 7 line in Sunnyside at 8 p.m.

"This lady, she just pushed the guy on the tracks. Then she ran away. I was screaming and closing my eyes," said witness Tenzing Tegeng, 21, one of five people on the platform.

"I knew he was gonna get hit by the train. That's why I closed my eyes. I didn't want to see it.

The suspect fleeing south down 40th Street toward 47th Avenue.

"I could see him, and I could see a train coming. And I couldn't do anything. I was so helpless. He was trying to get up. It was so fast," she said.

The assailant said nothing as she pushed the man to his doom, a law-enforcement source said, adding, "He didn't even know she was there."

The man was struck by a Flushing-bound train.

"He looked shocked. He didn't scream," Tegeng said.

The victim's mangled body was wedged underneath the second car.

Cops were hoping to obtain the victim's identity from his laptop and wallet, which were found at the scene, the source said.

Witnesses told investigators that the woman had been sitting alone on a bench, mumbling, but sometimes getting up to pace back and forth.

"She was acting weird and crazy," the source said.

After the attack, she fled down the stairs to Queens Boulevard.

"She was so fast. I was like, 'Stop the lady!' " said Tegeng, who chased the woman with several others.

Tegeng did not hear any arguing beforehand. Others also reported no interaction between the two.

"My customer came in out of breath saying, 'My God! They pushed a man in front of the subway.' It's a shame this happens right after Christmas," said local pizzeria owner Giovanni Briones.

Video cameras from his eatery show the suspect fleeing south down 40th Street toward 47th Avenue.

She was described as 5-foot-5, Hispanic, weighing about 190 pounds and between 20 and 25 years old. She has short, dark, curly hair.

Meanwhile, an hour later, a Good Samaritan kept a disturbed man from leaping in front of a Queens-bound E-train at the 50th Street Station on Eighth Avenue in Midtown — even though the would-be jumper then assaulted him, said MTA officials. The brave bystander wasn't seriously hurt.

Last night's horror was a chilling echo of an incident on Dec. 3, when drifter Naeem Davis, 30, allegedly shoved Queens dad Ki Suk Han, 58, into the path of a Q train at the 49th Street station in Manhattan. Davis is being held on murder charges.

Additional reporting by Lia Eustachewich, C.J. Sullivan, Doug Auer and Christine Parker

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Clippers win 15th straight

Matt Barnes tied his season high with 21 points off the bench, Chris Paul had 11 assists and the Clippers defeated the Celtics 106-77 last night, becoming the first team to win 15 consecutive games since Boston four years ago.

Jamal Crawford added 17 points, Blake Griffin had 15 and Caron Butler 14 to help the Clippers improve the NBA's best record to 23-6.

Kevin Garnett scored 16 points for Boston, which never led in dropping to .500 at 14-14 with its fifth loss in seven games. Boston's winning streak extended to 19 games in 2008-09.

Thunder 111, Mavericks 105

Kevin Durant scored 40 points and Russell Westbrook added eight of his 16 points in overtime to help Oklahoma City notch its 11th straight win at home.

Darren Collison scored a season-best 32 points for Dallas, which has lost seven of eight.

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Tampa-bound Southwest flight veers off taxiway and into mud at Long Island airport

It was a bad kind of thrill for the pilots — and no fun at all for their passengers.

A Tampa-bound Southwest Airlines jet skidded off a taxiway into deep mud at MacArthur Airport on Long Island yesterday morning, leading a pilot to report sardonically to air controllers:

"We just made your day very exciting — at least, ours is going to be.

"We just taxied off the taxiway into the grass," the pilot sheepishly explained, according to audio on the Web site LiveATC.net.

No one was hurt in the 6:30 a.m. incident, which occurred as Flight 4695, carrying 129 passengers, three flight attendants and two pilots, was headed to the runway for takeoff.

Victor Alcorn

As the plane was negotiating a turn from the terminal area to a rain-slicked taxiway next to Runway 6, it veered off course into some muddy grass.

"We are going to have to deplane the people and get something in here to tow the aircraft back onto the pavement," the pilot radioed.

"We skidded a little bit and it was a little herky-jerky, and the pilot got on and said something like, 'We overshot the runway,' " passenger Michael Savino told WCBS/Channel 2.

"It was bumpy, like we were in a car accident," said passenger Ben Rizzitello.

The passengers were evacuated via air stairs trucked to the jet, and bused back to the terminal.

Southwest got a spare plane, and everyone took off for Tampa about five hours behind schedule.

Airline crews were still working last night to get the Boeing 737 out of the mud without damaging its landing gear or other parts, said Southwest spokesman Paul Flaningan.

The plane sank so deeply, its engines were nearly touching the ground.

The airline and the Federal Aviation Administration are investigating the accident.

Meanwhile, an American Airlines flight returned to Kennedy Airport Wednesday night after a flight attendant severed a finger when two beverage carts banged together.

Flight 64 to Zurich, Switzerland, was nearing cruising altitude east of Massachusetts when the pilots declared an emergency. They asked for an ambulance to be waiting at the airport.

Reattachment surgery was a success, said American spokesman Matt Miller. "She's doing well," he said.

It was unclear what made the carts slam together.

However, the pilots of the Boeing 767 reported that they hit some turbulence shortly after they took off from Kennedy. Radar records show the plane very quickly lost about 100 feet of altitude.

Flight 64 arrived in Zurich about four hours behind schedule.

bsanderson@nypost.com

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Sports Shorts

NFL: Cowboys' Brent indicted

A grand jury in Texas has formally indicted Cowboys nose tackle Josh Brent on one count of intoxication manslaughter.

Brent is charged in connection with a Dec. 8 crash that killed his friend and Cowboys practice squad member Jerry Brown. Brent is out of jail on $100,000 bond.

A spokesman for the Dallas County District Attorney's Office said the indictment was returned yesterday.

Intoxication manslaughter carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Brent could be eligible for probation.

No court dates have been scheduled.

After spending the last three months fighting leukemia, Colts coach Chuck Pagano arrived early at the team complex, met briefly with his players, then stepped onto the practice field for the first time since Sept. 26.

The Eagles have placed quarterback Nick Foles on IR with a broken hand, which means Michael Vick will start the final game of the season against the Giants.

The Cardinals will give Brian Hoyer his first NFL start Sunday vs. the 49ers, less than three weeks after claiming him off waivers.

Linebacker Ray Lewis has been added to the Ravens' 53-man roster, but coach John Harbaugh said the 17-year veteran will not play Sunday. In order to be eligible for the playoffs, Lewis had to be activated by yesterday.

MLB: Bosox 'close' Hanrahan deal

The Red Sox acquired All-Star closer Joel Hanrahan from the Pirates in a six-player deal.

Boston also received infielder Brock Holt while giving up right-handers Mark Melancon and Stolmy Pimentel, infielder Ivan DeJesus Jr. and first baseman-outfielder Jerry Sands.

Former All-Star closer Ugueth Urbina was released from a Venezuelan prison after serving more than 5 1/2 years for attempted murder.

Urbina, 38, was given a 14-year sentence in March 2007 after being accused of attacking and injuring workers with machetes and pouring gasoline on them at his family's ranch in October 2005. He was released for good behavior..

Raul Ibanez's $2.75 million, one-year deal with the Mariners is official.

ETC.: Manchester U. widens lead

Javier Hernandez sent Manchester United seven points clear at the Premier League summit by pouncing in the 90th minute to clinch a 4-3 victory over Newcastle as second-place Manchester City lost at Sunderland, 1-0.

American goalkeeper Brad Friedel, 41, signed a contract through 2014 to remain with Premier League club Tottenham.

The NBA game between the Pacers and Bulls was postponed last night by a snowstorm that hit the Indianapolis area.

In Charlotte, LeBron James had 27 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists as the Heat handed the Bobcats their 16th straight defeat, 105-92.

In Denver, Corey Brewer matched his career high with 27 points and the Nuggets overcame a 40-point effort by Kobe Bryant to beat the Lakers 126-1114.

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C. Michigan tops Toppers

DETROIT — Ryan Radcliff threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Cody Wilson with 5:11 remaining to give Central Michigan the lead, and Western Kentucky was stopped on fourth down when a field goal would have tied the game in the final minute, giving the Chippewas a 24-21 win in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl last night at Ford Field.

Lance Guidry, coaching the Hilltoppers on an interim basis before Bobby Petrino takes over, decided to play for the win on fourth-and-2 from the 19 with 51 seconds left, but Kawaun Jakes threw incomplete.

Western Kentucky (7-6) fell just short in the Hilltoppers' first bowl appearance since joining college football's top tier in 2009.

Avery Cunningham blocked a punt for Central Michigan (7-6) to give the Chippewas a short field before Wilson's touchdown.

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Storm dumps snow, rain on region, flooding roadways and leaving messy travel conditions

EPA

Motorists make their way through snow fall and traffic along the Merritt Parkway in New Canaan, Connecticut Wednesday.

Whipping wind and soaking rain pounded the region overnight, flooding area roadways and leaving a messy morning commute for travelers.

The northeaster dumped a snow-rain mix on New York and New Jersey, leaving slick and sloppy driving conditions.

That storm also caused flight delays at LaGuardia, Liberty International and JFK airports, while causing MTA officials to shut down 3 Train service between 96th and 148th streets.

According to AccuWeather.com, snowfall accumulations reached eight inches in Syracuse and about 11 inches in Buffalo.

Flooding is expected during this morning's high tide cycle in low-lying coastal areas in Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island and Long Island.

Some areas in northern New Jersey are already experiencing minor flooding, including Red Bank and Neptune City in Monmouth County.

While the rain should taper by 9 a.m., the wind should remain, with the National Weather Service calling for wing gusts of up to 38 miles per hour in the city.

Tomorrow should be sunny and clear.

And then? Possibly more snow Saturday. Meteorologists are keeping an eye on this weekend's weather potential.

"It's too early to see if there will be any accumulation," AccuWeather.com forecaster Tom Kines said.

20.49 | 0 komentar | Read More

Take a flyin’ leap

Charles Gasparino

Get ready, all you "millionaires and billionaires" with kids in college and taxes to pay on your homes in and around New York City.

It doesn't matter that you bring home just $250,000 a year and have a family of four or more. President Obama thinks you're part of the evil 1 percent and you should pay higher taxes — a lot higher.

That's the unfortunate reality for many New Yorkers, no matter what happens during the fiscal-cliff negotiations designed to avert taxes going up on everyone, regardless of income, if a deal isn't reached sometime soon. Those talks have stalled, and many economists are predicting economic Armageddon unless a deal is reached that prevents massive across-the-board tax increases and budget cuts targeted at slashing the defense budget.

Going over the cliff sure won't be pretty. Even for families earning as little as $50,000 a year, income taxes are to rise from a 13 percent rate to 17 percent — an estimated increased federal income-tax burden of more than $2,000 a year if there's no cliff deal, according to the Tax Foundation. Of course, the more you make, the more you will pay. All those "billionaire" families living out on Long Island and earning $250,000 a year will pay $9,730 more, while real millionaires who earn $1 million a year will pay $50,267 more in federal income taxes.

What's so frightening about these numbers is that they don't take into account all the other taxes President Obama has in store for the country, including those to pay for his ObamaCare mandates, or even state taxes that are sure to drag an economy still fighting to recover from the Great Recession.

What's also frightening is that things won't be so great even if so-called cooler heads prevail and a deal is made so only the "rich" get screwed.

Keep in mind, ObamaCare taxes and other fees have nothing to do with the cliff talks. Even worse, the president and his supporters have a warped view on what is rich — and, as a result, on who should be paying more taxes to finance his big-government experiments.

Here in New York, we all know that families with a combined income of $250,000 are really middle class; they certainly don't live like the president's favorite billionaire, limousine liberal Warren Buffett, and when they get done paying for the area's higher cost of living, not to mention school tuition, etc., they're barely saving enough for retirement.

But using the president's twisted logic, these folks will be taxed like Warren Buffett.

HOW THE FISCAL CLIFF WILL AFFECT YOU

OBAMA BACK AS CRISIS DEEPENS

FOLKS FREAK OVER SIZE OF TAX HIKES

THESE ARE THE BREAKS - THAT EXPIRE

Bottom line: The president has never gotten over his obsession with taxing people who make $250,000, except for a brief period in 2010, when the Republicans won the House and picked up seats in the Senate.

His 50.96 percent popular-vote victory over Mitt Romney in the recent presidential election (albeit much more pronounced in the Electoral College) has emboldened him to back his original thesis on tax fairness. Sure, he offered his Republican counterpart, namely House Speaker John Boehner, a "deal" to start tax increases at $400,000, but it was an unserious offer; he offered not a single specified spending cut, aside from some cost-of-living adjustments in Social Security, and certainly not enough for Boehner to sell to his skeptical colleagues who wouldn't even consider starting the tax hikes at $1 million in income without some real spending reductions.

In other words, Obama is negotiating like he wants to drive the country off the cliff so he can get what he really wants — higher taxes, deep defense cuts and an issue to cream the Republicans with over the next four years, namely a lousy economy.

One of the great tragedies is that as New York's middle class is about to be hammered, two of our most senior elected officials have run for cover. Democratic Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand have remained oddly silent as many of their constituents are about to be crushed by Obamanomics and its bizarre notion of what is wealthy.

Schumer even proposed a millionaires tax a couple of years ago, instead of starting the increase in rates at the president's preferred level of $250,000 a year.

What a difference a 50.96 percent mandate makes. The calculus of Schumer, Gillibrand and, of course, the president might be right, and the economic pain of the fiscal cliff might just be enough to destroy the Republican Party. Or they might be wrong, and the country might ultimately see through their posturing and hold all of them accountable.

Either way, the country loses.

Thanks, Chuck and Kirsten, and, yes, President Obama.

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Teen goes missing on Upper East Side

A 15-year-old girl has gone missing from her posh Upper East Side home, police said.

Marissa Myerson, who lives in a high rise near E. 86th St. and Fifth Ave., was last seen on Wednesday around 2:30 p.m. leaving her boyfriend's place at 111th and Fifth Ave, cops said.

Police described the teen as "being approximately 110 pounds with red hair. She was last seen wearing a black sweater with blue stripes."

DCPI

Marissa Myerson

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Sports Shorts

NFL: Cowboys' Brent indicted

A grand jury in Texas has formally indicted Cowboys nose tackle Josh Brent on one count of intoxication manslaughter.

Brent is charged in connection with a Dec. 8 crash that killed his friend and Cowboys practice squad member Jerry Brown. Brent is out of jail on $100,000 bond.

A spokesman for the Dallas County District Attorney's Office said the indictment was returned yesterday.

Intoxication manslaughter carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Brent could be eligible for probation.

No court dates have been scheduled.

After spending the last three months fighting leukemia, Colts coach Chuck Pagano arrived early at the team complex, met briefly with his players, then stepped onto the practice field for the first time since Sept. 26.

The Eagles have placed quarterback Nick Foles on IR with a broken hand, which means Michael Vick will start the final game of the season against the Giants.

The Cardinals will give Brian Hoyer his first NFL start Sunday vs. the 49ers, less than three weeks after claiming him off waivers.

Linebacker Ray Lewis has been added to the Ravens' 53-man roster, but coach John Harbaugh said the 17-year veteran will not play Sunday. In order to be eligible for the playoffs, Lewis had to be activated by yesterday.

MLB: Bosox 'close' Hanrahan deal

The Red Sox acquired All-Star closer Joel Hanrahan from the Pirates in a six-player deal.

Boston also received infielder Brock Holt while giving up right-handers Mark Melancon and Stolmy Pimentel, infielder Ivan DeJesus Jr. and first baseman-outfielder Jerry Sands.

Former All-Star closer Ugueth Urbina was released from a Venezuelan prison after serving more than 5 1/2 years for attempted murder.

Urbina, 38, was given a 14-year sentence in March 2007 after being accused of attacking and injuring workers with machetes and pouring gasoline on them at his family's ranch in October 2005. He was released for good behavior..

Raul Ibanez's $2.75 million, one-year deal with the Mariners is official.

ETC.: Manchester U. widens lead

Javier Hernandez sent Manchester United seven points clear at the Premier League summit by pouncing in the 90th minute to clinch a 4-3 victory over Newcastle as second-place Manchester City lost at Sunderland, 1-0.

American goalkeeper Brad Friedel, 41, signed a contract through 2014 to remain with Premier League club Tottenham.

The NBA game between the Pacers and Bulls was postponed last night by a snowstorm that hit the Indianapolis area.

In Charlotte, LeBron James had 27 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists as the Heat handed the Bobcats their 16th straight defeat, 105-92.

In Denver, Corey Brewer matched his career high with 27 points and the Nuggets overcame a 40-point effort by Kobe Bryant to beat the Lakers 126-1114.

18.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

C. Michigan tops Toppers

DETROIT — Ryan Radcliff threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Cody Wilson with 5:11 remaining to give Central Michigan the lead, and Western Kentucky was stopped on fourth down when a field goal would have tied the game in the final minute, giving the Chippewas a 24-21 win in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl last night at Ford Field.

Lance Guidry, coaching the Hilltoppers on an interim basis before Bobby Petrino takes over, decided to play for the win on fourth-and-2 from the 19 with 51 seconds left, but Kawaun Jakes threw incomplete.

Western Kentucky (7-6) fell just short in the Hilltoppers' first bowl appearance since joining college football's top tier in 2009.

Avery Cunningham blocked a punt for Central Michigan (7-6) to give the Chippewas a short field before Wilson's touchdown.

18.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Storm dumps snow, rain on region, flooding roadways and leaving messy travel conditions

EPA

Motorists make their way through snow fall and traffic along the Merritt Parkway in New Canaan, Connecticut Wednesday.

Whipping wind and soaking rain pounded the region overnight, flooding area roadways and leaving a messy morning commute for travelers.

The northeaster dumped a snow-rain mix on New York and New Jersey, leaving slick and sloppy driving conditions.

That storm also caused flight delays at LaGuardia, Liberty International and JFK airports, while causing MTA officials to shut down 3 Train service between 96th and 148th streets.

According to AccuWeather.com, snowfall accumulations reached eight inches in Syracuse and about 11 inches in Buffalo.

Flooding is expected during this morning's high tide cycle in low-lying coastal areas in Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island and Long Island.

Some areas in northern New Jersey are already experiencing minor flooding, including Red Bank and Neptune City in Monmouth County.

While the rain should taper by 9 a.m., the wind should remain, with the National Weather Service calling for wing gusts of up to 38 miles per hour in the city.

Tomorrow should be sunny and clear.

And then? Possibly more snow Saturday. Meteorologists are keeping an eye on this weekend's weather potential.

"It's too early to see if there will be any accumulation," AccuWeather.com forecaster Tom Kines said.

18.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Famed photographer David LaChapelle sues ex-manager for $2.8M

Famed fotog David LaChapelle — who has snapped vivid portraits of Madonna, Lady Gaga and Elizabeth Taylor — is suing his former manager for allegedly cheating him out of more than $2.8 million from sales of his artwork.

LaChapelle also claims Fred Torres stiffed him on $755,000 worth of personal loans and is holding hostage more than 800 "valuable exhibition prints" that Torres has stashed in storage facilities in New York, Italy, Korea, Hong Kong and elsewhere, according to a Manhattan federal court filing.

LaChapelle — whose work has appeared in Vanity Fair and Rolling Stone — hired Torres in late 2005 to handle his "fine-art photography" under a handshake agreement.

Torres arranged exhibitions, advised LaChapelle on his career, managed his relationships with clients, galleries and museums, and oversaw the production of LaChapelle's digital photographic prints.

In addition, Torres, who also represents Courtney Love, and his company, Fred Torres Collaborations, "acted as a middle man" who "negotiated sales, sent invoices to buyers, collected the proceeds from sales, paid vendors, deducted a percentage for its services, and remitted a percentage to LaChapelle," the suit says.

Some of LaChapelle's prints have sold for more than $100,000 each. He was supposed to get between 40 percent and 75 percent within 30 days of full payment by buyers, the suit says.

But things turned sour, it says, after Torres started pressuring clients to pay for fabrication costs, which he was supposed to cover.

Last month, LaChapelle's lawyers sent Torres a letter ending their business relationship, but the suit says Torres still claims to represent the photographer, and recently "arranged and promoted an unauthorized gallery showing" of LaCha–pelle's work next year in Bigfork, Mont.

LaChapelle is seeking unspecified damages.

Torres, who runs an exhibition space in Chelsea, didn't return requests for comment.

bruce.golding@nypost.com

18.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Take a flyin’ leap

Charles Gasparino

Get ready, all you "millionaires and billionaires" with kids in college and taxes to pay on your homes in and around New York City.

It doesn't matter that you bring home just $250,000 a year and have a family of four or more. President Obama thinks you're part of the evil 1 percent and you should pay higher taxes — a lot higher.

That's the unfortunate reality for many New Yorkers, no matter what happens during the fiscal-cliff negotiations designed to avert taxes going up on everyone, regardless of income, if a deal isn't reached sometime soon. Those talks have stalled, and many economists are predicting economic Armageddon unless a deal is reached that prevents massive across-the-board tax increases and budget cuts targeted at slashing the defense budget.

Going over the cliff sure won't be pretty. Even for families earning as little as $50,000 a year, income taxes are to rise from a 13 percent rate to 17 percent — an estimated increased federal income-tax burden of more than $2,000 a year if there's no cliff deal, according to the Tax Foundation. Of course, the more you make, the more you will pay. All those "billionaire" families living out on Long Island and earning $250,000 a year will pay $9,730 more, while real millionaires who earn $1 million a year will pay $50,267 more in federal income taxes.

What's so frightening about these numbers is that they don't take into account all the other taxes President Obama has in store for the country, including those to pay for his ObamaCare mandates, or even state taxes that are sure to drag an economy still fighting to recover from the Great Recession.

What's also frightening is that things won't be so great even if so-called cooler heads prevail and a deal is made so only the "rich" get screwed.

Keep in mind, ObamaCare taxes and other fees have nothing to do with the cliff talks. Even worse, the president and his supporters have a warped view on what is rich — and, as a result, on who should be paying more taxes to finance his big-government experiments.

Here in New York, we all know that families with a combined income of $250,000 are really middle class; they certainly don't live like the president's favorite billionaire, limousine liberal Warren Buffett, and when they get done paying for the area's higher cost of living, not to mention school tuition, etc., they're barely saving enough for retirement.

But using the president's twisted logic, these folks will be taxed like Warren Buffett.

HOW THE FISCAL CLIFF WILL AFFECT YOU

OBAMA BACK AS CRISIS DEEPENS

FOLKS FREAK OVER SIZE OF TAX HIKES

THESE ARE THE BREAKS - THAT EXPIRE

Bottom line: The president has never gotten over his obsession with taxing people who make $250,000, except for a brief period in 2010, when the Republicans won the House and picked up seats in the Senate.

His 50.96 percent popular-vote victory over Mitt Romney in the recent presidential election (albeit much more pronounced in the Electoral College) has emboldened him to back his original thesis on tax fairness. Sure, he offered his Republican counterpart, namely House Speaker John Boehner, a "deal" to start tax increases at $400,000, but it was an unserious offer; he offered not a single specified spending cut, aside from some cost-of-living adjustments in Social Security, and certainly not enough for Boehner to sell to his skeptical colleagues who wouldn't even consider starting the tax hikes at $1 million in income without some real spending reductions.

In other words, Obama is negotiating like he wants to drive the country off the cliff so he can get what he really wants — higher taxes, deep defense cuts and an issue to cream the Republicans with over the next four years, namely a lousy economy.

One of the great tragedies is that as New York's middle class is about to be hammered, two of our most senior elected officials have run for cover. Democratic Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand have remained oddly silent as many of their constituents are about to be crushed by Obamanomics and its bizarre notion of what is wealthy.

Schumer even proposed a millionaires tax a couple of years ago, instead of starting the increase in rates at the president's preferred level of $250,000 a year.

What a difference a 50.96 percent mandate makes. The calculus of Schumer, Gillibrand and, of course, the president might be right, and the economic pain of the fiscal cliff might just be enough to destroy the Republican Party. Or they might be wrong, and the country might ultimately see through their posturing and hold all of them accountable.

Either way, the country loses.

Thanks, Chuck and Kirsten, and, yes, President Obama.

18.18 | 0 komentar | Read More

Weird but true

Ypsilanti Township in Michigan doesn't want its way of life to go to pot.

The township filed suit against residents of perpetually hazy homes for allegedly smoking so much marijuana that the "overwhelming" smell and contact high were making neighbors sick.

***

Would you like a side of fries to go as you go to jail?

Donald Delong, 21, allegedly pulled a pellet gun on a McDonald's drive-thru employee in St. Cloud, Fla., police said.

The worker had told Delong that the drive-thru had just closed, cops said.

The hungry alleged hoodlum was arrested at the Pizza Hut next door.

***

Volunteers are organizing cleanup efforts on beaches up and down the West Coast to pick up debris that floated east from the March 2011 Japanese tsunami.

Seasonal winds and coastal currents are likely to wash in loads of debris this winter.

"There's a bit of tsunami-debris fever. It's like an Easter egg hunt," said Charlie Plybon, Oregon's regional manager at the Surfrider Foundation.

***

The wheels of justice are rolling against a man who allegedly tried to sneak cocaine into Logan International Airport in Boston in the wheels of a wheelchair.

Emmanuelli Rojas-Moraza, of Puerto Rico, was busted in possession of 200 grams of blow, officials said.

The suspect had a cast on his leg, but X-rays later showed his "injury" was bogus, police said.

***

In August 1964, Bob and Norma Clark tied the knot — or so they thought — at a Northern California church.

But when the aging Redlands, Calif., lovebirds were putting their affairs and documents in order recently, they and the county clerk couldn't locate their marriage certificate.

So Bob and Norma finally got married, officially, with the maid of honor and an usher from the 1964 service serving as witnesses.

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NYU student stole an Apple a day: cops

An NYU student has been charged with stealing at least five Apple computers from his classmates, police sources said yesterday.

Christian Windley, 20, of Texas, went on a five-day rip-off rampage from Dec. 18 to Dec. 22, stealing thousands of dollars worth of MacBooks in study halls and dorm rooms, according to a Manhattan Criminal court Complaint.

Windley's haul also allegedly included an iPhone, a calculator, a wallet, cash and credit cards.

When the victims briefly left their property unattended, Windley allegedly grabbed their pricey toys.

"I was working on my MacBook and I got up for a second, and it was gone when I came back," said a 20-year-old student who asked not to be identified.

"NYU wouldn't tell me anything. I didn't know who the thief was."

Windley allegedly struck six times on campus before he was nailed at Hayden Hall around 4:20 a.m. Saturday, the sources said.

When cops frisked Windley, they allegdly found another student's NYU ID, a forged Connecticut driver's license, stolen credit cards — and a stash of cocaine, according to the sources.

Windley allegedly confessed and was charged with multiple counts of grand larceny as well as criminal possession of a controlled substance.

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