The silliest stories of 2010

Where to begin?

The Quran burning. After every media person in America dumped on Florida pastor Terry Jones for being a dangerous clown, and after two Quran-loving protesters died in Afghanistan, Jones didn't deliver on his threat to burn a Quran on the anniversary of 9/11. Yet a Nexis database search on "Terry Jones" and "Quran" shows the non-event generated more than 2,900 articles.

Any story about Sarah Palin. She's not Alaska's governor anymore. She's not a declared candidate. She is a genius at getting on cable TV.

Palin understands the trigger words - for instance, when she told supporters in April, "don't retreat, reload" - that can turn a Facebook post into a three-day, 24-hour debate. If she tweets, it's national news. When it became apparent her daughter Bristol couldn't dance, "Dancing with the Stars" became a news story.

If the right person dishes Palin - be it Oprah, Joy Behar, Andrew Sullivan or any other lib whom you'd expect to sneer at Palin - somehow that's news, too.

Few expect Palin to run for president. But all she has to do is tease the press with the possibility that she might run in 2012, and she is rewarded with priceless book-promoting publicity. If she does run, only amateurs think she has a snowball's chance in Florida of winning the GOP nod. But it seems TV news producers - and Palin haters eager for another fix - just can't help themselves. It's like an addiction.

The incestuous relationship between "The View" and Fox News' Bill O'Reilly. "The View" ladies regularly scold O'Reilly; he airs video of what they said. Sometimes he invites a she-critic on his show; they bicker, then make nice. Both sides manage to come across as preachy, insincere and smarmy.

Larry King's retirement. How can you tell?

Note to CNN execs: King's ratings were in the toilet before he announced in June he was retiring. So why did you devote hours of air time covering the exit of a talk show host - whom Americans stopped watching because he was boring - surrounded by the usual sycophants who made the show so irritating? Why treat his retirement as if it were (a) important and (b) tragic? CNN's indulgent send-off to King wasn't news. It was self-promotion, and wrong-headed self-promotion at that. Any ratings gain from the last night is more than offset by the news network's nosedive in the credibility department.

Delaware Tea Party candidate Christine O'Donnell. She never had a chance to win Veep Joe Biden's former Senate seat. But national news outlets were desperate for any hook to justify their excessive post-primary coverage of the gaffe-prone "I am not a witch" Republican, so they tried to make it look as if O'Donnell had a shot. When she was "just 10 points behind" Democrat Chris Coons in the polls, National Public Radio reported a "surge" of voter support, with O'Donnell closing the gap.

Glenn Beck's "Restoring Honor" rally and Comedy Central's counter-rally. Attendees from both sides told TV news crews that they showed up to prove they're not crackpots or extremists. Didn't work.

Stories about Twitter. Anything over 140 characters is too long.

TSA pat downs. Or, as I like to call them, freedom fondles. (Just kidding.)

Start with an absurd premise that TSA screeners want to get up close and personal with your average airline passenger.

Then add the new national desire of partisans to paint themselves as victims. You just knew some camera-phone-toting wannabe-oppressed person would pick a fight and start talking up his "junk." Presto: The sound bite that made Monica Lewinsky jokes seem quaint.

Also predictably, some guy on the Internet urged the flying public to refuse body scans, which would subject them to time-consuming pat downs and thereby jam security lines on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. He proclaimed his stunt "National Opt Out Day." Huge story that never happened. The flying public opted for security.

The Obama comeback. I'm not saying it won't happen; it well may. But can't the pundits who wrote about the Dems' shellacking a month ago at least wait until the next Congress convenes before they declare President Obama this year's political winner? Can't the chattering class wait until major polls show that Obama's approval rating is above 50 percent? Are we boardwalk fortune-tellers, or can we wait for something to happen, or at least appear likely to happen?

You know the answer, and it's not pretty.

E-mail Debra J. Saunders at dsaunders@sfchronicle.com. You can catch her "Token Conservative" blog at sfgate.com/blogs/debra-saunders.

This article appeared on page G - 3 of the San Francisco Chronicle

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UC regents brace for more bad news on budget

"I think the emphasis is much more on making cuts," said Blum, who chaired the board until recently. "I think the last thing we want to do is touch student fees, but that depends on what they do to us."

Blum said most of the newly approved 8 percent tuition hike will be used to cover the system's massive pension bill - about $175 million for this year alone.

Blum said he had spoken to his friend Jerry Brown recently, but the governor-elect didn't tip his hand about what he'll be announcing in the coming weeks to deal with the state's $28 billion deficit.

The big question for UC is whether the state will, as promised, restore the $450 million it stripped from this year's budget.

As for what options UC has if Sacramento pulls the financial rug?

"Try to run the place more efficiently," Blum said.

Judged: Nobody wants to talk about it, but privately, colleagues of U.S. District Judge James Ware express some uneasiness over his promotion to be the court's chief judge in San Francisco next month - not because of any misconduct on the bench, but because he once lied about his past.

In 1997, Ware made headlines when he asked President Bill Clinton to withdraw his nomination to the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco because Ware stated in interviews, as well as during speaking appearances, that a group of white teenagers had chased down and killed his teenage brother at the height of the civil rights movement. Ware is African American.

As it turned out, 13-year-old Virgil Lamar Ware was shot and killed in Birmingham, Ala., on Sept. 15, 1963 - but he was the brother of another James Ware, not the judge.

"It was a mistake, and I don't choose to revisit it," Ware told us the other day.

"I'm hoping people will judge me on my performance as chief judge, as they have on my performance as a district judge."

By virtue of his age and seniority, Ware is scheduled to take over Jan. 1 for retiring Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker, who grabbed headlines in August when he struck down California's voter-approved ban on same-sex marriages.

Some colleagues privately say Ware's big fib damages the court's reputation, and the issue is only accentuated by his pending promotion.

"Of course we are sensitive to that, but there isn't anything that can be done about it," said one fellow judge, who asked not to be named in the interest of court harmony. "It's up to him, and no one talks about it."

Ticket tax: The state is adding another $3 charge to parking fines.

For Oakland, that means starting Jan. 3 the average fine for overstaying a meter will go up to $58.

"It's depressing, but we have no choice," Oakland City Councilwoman Pat Kernighan said. "The state already takes $10 for every ticket."

The hike was part of the latest budget passed by state lawmakers. It's up to cities whether to pass on the extra charge to drivers who receive parking fines.

"If we don't pay, then we have to come up with something like $900,000 a year, which would pay for about five cops," Kernighan said.

San Francisco, on the other hand, has decided not to hike ticket prices, opting instead to just pay the fee.

"Over the years we've been raising fines and were trying our best to avoid raising them again," said Metropolitan Transportation spokesman Paul Rose.

But then, S.F. tickets are already $65.

And finally: Word that the new Clipper Card allows some passengers to exit BART stations without paying their full fare prompted a sharp critique from BART board President James Fang.

"Maybe what we should do is encourage more people to do this, so they fix it," Fang said.

He's angry at the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, which put out the fare card that riders can use on a number of Bay Area public transit systems.

Scott Haggerty, chairman of the commission and an Alameda County supervisor, shot back a letter calling Fang's comment "grandstanding."

He reminded Fang of the commission's bailouts for BART extension projects to Antioch and Warm Springs, plus "our thoroughly enjoyable experience with the Oakland Airport Connector."

"I suggest that you consult a dictionary for the meaning of a word entirely missing from BART's interactions with MTC," Haggerty wrote. "That word is: gratitude."

EXTRA! Catch our blog at www.sfgate.com/matierandross.

Chronicle columnists Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross appear Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays. Matier can be seen on the KPIX-TV morning and evening news. He can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Got a tip? Call (415) 777-8815, or e-mail matierandross@sfchronicle.com.

This article appeared on page C - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle

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GOP takeover of House to shift immigration debate

In a matter of weeks, Congress will go from trying to help young, illegal immigrants become legal citizens to debating whether children born to parents who are in the country illegally should continue to enjoy automatic U.S. citizenship.

Such a hardened approach - and the rhetoric certain to accompany it - should resonate with the GOP faithful who helped swing the House in Republicans' favor. But it also could further hurt the GOP in its effort to win a large enough share of the growing Latino vote to win the White House and the Senate majority in 2012.

Democrats ended the year failing for a second time to win passage of the Dream Act, which would have given hundreds of thousands of young illegal immigrants a chance at legal status.

House Republicans will try to fill the immigration reform vacuum left by Democrats with legislation designed to send illegal immigrants packing and deter others from trying to come to the United States.

Legislation to test interpretations of the 14th Amendment as granting citizenship to children of illegal immigrants will emerge early next session. That is likely to be followed by attempts to force employers to use a still-developing Web system, dubbed E-Verify, to check that all of their employees are in the United States legally.

Democrats, who will still control the Senate, will be playing defense against harsh immigration enforcement measures, mindful of their need to keep on good footing with Latino voters. But a slimmer majority and an eye on 2012 may prevent Senate Democrats from bringing to the floor any sweeping immigration bill, or even a limited one that hints at providing legal status to people in the country illegally.

President Obama could be a wild card. He'll have at his disposal his veto power should a bill denying citizenship to children of illegal immigrants make it to his desk. But Obama also has made cracking down on employers a key part of his administration's immigration enforcement tactics.

Latino voters and their allies will look for Obama to broker a deal on immigration as he did on tax cuts and health care. After the Dream Act failed in the Senate this month, Obama said his administration would not give up on the measure. "At a minimum we should be able to get Dream done. So I'm going to go back at it," he said.

This article appeared on page A - 5 of the San Francisco Chronicle

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Sen. Lisa Murkowski foe won't block certification

Miller's announcement late Sunday paves the way for Murkowski - a write-in candidate after losing the Republican nomination to Miller - to eventually be declared winner of the race.

Election officials determined Murkowski had the most votes in the November election but were barred from certifying a victory by a federal judge, who issued a stay to give the courts time to rule on Miller's claims the vote count was mishandled. Sunday's decision means Miller won't file any motions to stop the court from lifting the stay.

Miller said he wants to ensure Alaska has full representation when senators are sworn in for the new term of Congress on Jan. 5.

U.S. District Judge Ralph Beistline, who is hearing Miller's federal court challenge, must still decide whether to lift his stay before the state can move ahead with certification. There was no immediate word on when that might occur.

Unofficial results showed Murkowski leading Miller by 10,328 votes, or 2,169 if ballots challenged by Miller observers during a weeklong hand count were excluded. She has declared victory, and called on Miller to concede.

The law calls for write-in ballots to have the ovals filled and the candidate's last name or name as it appears on the declaration of candidacy written in. Miller believes the state should be held to a strict reading of that law, and his attorneys argued that spelling mattered.

The state, pointing to precedent, used discretion in determining voter intent and allowed for ballots with misspellings to be counted toward Murkowski's tally.

For more election-related news and information, visit our California Elections 2010 page.

This article appeared on page A - 8 of the San Francisco Chronicle

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New GOP majorities could repeal fresh legislation

In January, the statutes will kick in just as freshly elected governors and legislators arrive for work. And if new GOP majorities succeed in getting legislation repealed, the result may be sudden U-turns on issues that were only recently debated.

Before the November election, Democrats controlled legislatures in 27 states, with Republicans in charge of just 14. But after the nationwide Republican sweep, the GOP will soon control 26, the Democrats only 17. Control of others is split between the parties. The election also increased the number of Republican governors from 23 to 26.

With the switch in party control could come changes in the way some states handle government regulation, privatization and other matters.

In Wisconsin, where power in the statehouse will shift wholesale from Democrats to Republicans, incoming Republican Gov. Scott Walker would like to head off a law that makes it tougher for payday loan companies and auto lenders to do business in the state.

Until Democrats pushed the law through the Senate and House in 2010, Wisconsin was the only state that did not regulate those industries, and consumer advocates complained that lenders were exploiting poor people by charging exorbitant interest rates.

Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle shepherded the bill into law. But Walker said that the new regulations go too far and that the outright ban on loans secured by an auto title isn't what many legislators want.

In New Hampshire, Republicans hope to shoot down a new gun law they say doesn't do enough to protect private property and gun owners' rights. The GOP won the legislative majority from Democrats in the midterm election.

For more election-related news and information, visit our California Elections 2010 page.

This article appeared on page A - 7 of the San Francisco Chronicle

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Russia to pay over 700 million euros for first Mistral helicopter carrier - source

Russia will pay France approximately 720 million euros for its first Mistral-class helicopter carrier for its Navy, a source close to the negotiations process told RIA Novosti on Thursday.

At the initial stage, two Mistral-class helicopter carriers will be built jointly by France and Russia at the STX shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France. Another two will be constructed later at the Admiralty Shipyards in St. Petersburg.

"The cost of the first ship will be 720 million euros, the second will cost 650 million euros," the source said.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy last week over the phone that France had won the tender to build amphibious assault ships for Russia. The winner is a consortium comprised of French DCNS and Russia's United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC), the Kremlin press service said.

The first Mistral-class ship is expected to be built within 36 months after Russia makes an advance payment scheduled for January 2011.

Russia had previously held talks with France on the purchase of Mistral-class warships on a 2+2 scheme whereby Russia would buy one or two French-built Mistrals and build another two under license at home.

A Mistral-class ship is capable of transporting and deploying 16 helicopters, four landing vessels, up to 70 armored vehicles including 13 battle tanks, and 450 personnel.

MOSCOW, December 30 (RIA Novosti)

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Online viewers prosecuted for not paying TV licence

As more viewers take to watching programmes through internet services such as the BBC’s iPlayer and the ITV Player, concern has grown that the new technology could be used as a loophole to avoid paying the licence fee of £145.50 a year.

According to TV Licensing, a licence is required to watch television “as it’s being broadcast” – even if the viewer is using a computer, laptop or mobile phone.

However no licence is required for viewers who are only using “catch-up” services online to watch programmes that have already been broadcast.

This fine distinction led to suspicions that it would be difficult to gather evidence to catch and punish online pirates.

However in response to questions from the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport committee, BBC management has now said that prosecutions for online viewing have already started.

“There have been successful prosecutions of people watching online without a licence,” said the corporation’s written response to the MPs.

But the BBC poured cold water on suggestions that the increasing use of different gadgets to watch television would lead to the existing TV licensing regime becoming unfair and obsolete.

“The question of whether such viewing should result in a licence being levied on devices other than TV sets is a matter for the government,” said the corporation’s response.

“Given that only 0.3 per cent of people consume TV only via the internet in a week, and across a year that number is virtually zero, we think it unlikely that online and mobile television viewing is a significant threat to the licence fee at present.”

The BBC also pointed out that 97 per cent of households still own a television set.

In June the culture secretary, Jeremy Hunt, said that technological developments could eventually render the TV licence obsolete.

“We support the principle of the licence fee and always have done,” said Mr Hunt. “But we also recognise, as technology changes, we may need to adapt the way it’s collected. It is not going to be possible to have a tax every time anyone buys a computer.”

Watching TV without a valid licence is a criminal offence punishable by a fine of up to £1,000.

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Time change protest in Russia’s Far East draws over 3,000

More than 3,000 people attended a protest rally in Russia’s Far East city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky on Saturday over plans to further cut the time difference between the region and Moscow.

As part of plans for President Dmitry Medvedev’s reform of the country’s time zones, the Kamchatka region did not switch over to summer time earlier this year along with the rest of Russia. As a result, the time difference with Moscow was cut to eight from nine hours. It is expected that the difference will be shortened by one more hour.

Despite the bad weather, protestors flocked to the city’s central square, chanting slogans such as “Give us our time back!

The changes have already meant that it begins to get dark in the middle of the day in the region in the winter months. Opponents of the reforms say the changes have an adverse effect on the health of local residents.

PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY, December 11 (RIA Novosti)

 

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Ministers to encourage inclusion of children in amateur dramatics

The Government is to review the 40-year old child performance laws and want more children to benefit from the extra confidence and skills they gain from acting.

Some local authorities are currently insisting that amateur dramatic groups obtain a licence for each child performing in each play or musical. This has led some groups to restrict their casts to adults only.

However, the Government will today advise local authorities that they only need one licence per dramatic group which will cover all children appearing in all their productions.

Tim Loughton, the Children’s Minister, said: “We have a great tradition of amateur theatre in this country, especially at this time of the year when the local pantomime or Christmas show brings local communities together. It is crazy that some children are being denied the chance to perform in local shows.

“Performing gives children fantastic skills and helps them build their confidence. The law needs reviewing to ensure children are not denied the opportunities of performing in an amateur or professional capacity. But there is also agreement that we must keep children safe from potential exploitation and make sure their education doesn’t suffer.”

In the New Year, the Government will convene a working group including theatre groups, broadcasters and child psychologists to consider more fundamental reforms to the system of licensing child performers.

The amateur sector may be excluded from the regulations altogether in future – with only children appearing in “long-running” television series or theatre productions required to obtain licences.

These children may receive greater protection and safeguards amid fears over psychological damage and other problems associated with some child stars.

Sir Ian McKellen, the actor and patron of the Little Theatre Guild, which represents amateur theatre groups, said: “I am delighted that the Children’s Minister is to facilitate a working group to consider future arrangements within amateur theatre to safeguard youngsters.

“Any additional burden on amateur companies would be regrettable as existing provisions can be improved. The sort of rules, necessary within the professional theatre, inhibits the Guild’s honourable and long-standing tradition to introduce children to theatre, within a safe and enjoyable environment.”

Earlier this year, the last Government appointed Sarah Thane, the former chair of the Royal Television Society, to review the treatment of child performers.

She recommended that there should be more flexibility on the working hours of children and an improvement in education for professional child performers. Mrs Thane also backed an increased role for “chaperones” to protect children.

The review was ordered amid concerns over the treatment of children on reality television shows such as Britain’s Got Talent.

Last year, Hollie Steel, 10, broke down in tears after struggling to complete a song on Britain’s Got Talent. Natalie Okri, another 10-year-old singer who appeared in the first semi-final heat, was distraught after Simon Cowell rejected her in favour of a rival act.

However, the Government has ruled out a ban on children appearing in the shows.

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Elizabeth Hurley: Elton John Will Be a 'Wonderful' Dad

Four-day-old Zachary Furnish-John has already got a famous fan who can't wait to meet him.

The son of Elton John and David Furnish, who was born via surrogate on Christmas Day, was the topic of a Tweet from John's pal Elizabeth Hurley on Tuesday.

"Can't wait for my first cuddle," Hurley Tweeted on Tuesday. The actress also told PEOPLE exclusively that she knows the singer and his partner will make great parents.

"Elton and David have been wonderful godfathers to my son and I know they will be wonderful parents," she says. "I couldn't be happier for them."

"Zachary is healthy and doing really well," the couple said in a statement. "We are very proud and happy parents."

See what other readers have to say about this story – or leave a comment of your own

PHOTOS: Best of 2010 12 months of babies and the most stylish moms-to-be!

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Alicia Keys shows off post-baby body only six weeks after giving birth

Alicia Keys looks no worse for wear only six weeks after giving birth to her first child.

The "No One" singer showed off her post-baby figure Wednesday, where she wore a tight, little black dress at an NYC screening of the new Javier Bardem film "Biutiful."

The 29-year-old welcomed son Egypt on Oct. 14 with her rap producer husband Swiss Beatz. Keys is stepmom to Beatz's three other kids from prior relationships.

The happy new mom tweeted two days after Egypt's birth, "There is no word to properly describe LOVE, to describe BLISS, to express a FEELING like this!!! Thank U 4 your love, support & prayers!"

Perhaps her new bundle of joy will be inspiring some upcoming hits for the singer/songwriter, who gushed about her new addition on her blog.

"The most perfect eyes and beautiful nose, the sweetest lips and skin so soft and kissable!" she wrote in October. "...Oooh! I feel a song coming on..."

But, for now, the singer will remain silent - at least on social networking sites. The AIDS activist is currently participating in the Digital Life Sacrifice campaign, for her foundation Keep a Child Alive.

Keys has vowed to remain off Twitter and Facebook until $1 million is raised for the charity.

"As a human being, you deserve to have a chance at life," she said when announcing the project.

Keys had her digital death on Wednesday. (Keep A Child Alive)

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Katie Holmes Goes Children's Clothes Holiday Shopping

With days before Christmas, Katie Holmes dropped into a favorite French-based children's clothing boutique in Beverly Hills recently to pick out gifts for six children – including 4-year-old daughter Suri.

"Her tastes were very classic," another customer, who was inside the Bonpoint shop on Brighton Way at the same time, tells PEOPLE. "Very practical."

Among the purchases: sweaters in caramel and grey for a 10-year-old girl and a jacket and slacks outfit for a very young boy.

Other selections were a bit more "fanciful," the source says, including "a princess dress for a girl [of] about 8 or so."

Holmes also picked out a short gold dress and ruby red shoes, described as "very red carpet," as well as some beach-ready shoulder-strapped sundresses.

Like husband Tom Cruise, Holmes is spotted regularly at the upscale shop, which scents and color-codes its packages: pink for girls, khaki for boys. Other celebrity clients of the brand include Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Julia Roberts, Salma Hayek and Jessica Alba.

PHOTOS: Best of 2010 It's over! The year's 30 most shocking breakups

See what other readers have to say about this story – or leave a comment of your own

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Amid new safety vows, 'Spider-Man' returns to Broadway

"Spider-Man" limped back to Broadway Thursday night amid growing safety concerns over the death-defying production.

Just three days after a stunt man was severely injured in a plunge into the orchestra pit, the $65 million accident-prone show went off without a hitch.

"I was scared for them," Pia Fleming, 55, of midtown said after the show. "It makes you nervous every time they fly."

Ticket-holders sounded as if they weren't sure whether they were about to witness high art or more mayhem as they entered the Foxwoods Theater. No one dared utter the show biz idiom: "Break a leg."

"I thought they were great," said Heather Amabile, 23, of midtown. "Broadway is never going to be the same."

"I got whiplashed," she said, describing looking up at the flying actors.

Perry Kuehn, 39, of upstate Roscoe said the accidents were unfortunate.

"They're learning as they go along," he said.

He attended the performance with his 11-year-old daughter, Libby, who said she worried the show would be canceled following Monday night's debacle that left stunt man Christopher Tierney, 32, hospitalized.

"I'm really excited to see 'SpiderMan,'" Libby said.

The boyfriend of one of the main characters - Arachne - was thrilled the show went off without any problems.

"It's an amazing show," said the boyfriend of actress T.V. Carpio. He declined to give his name.

Texan Lori McDowell, 47, feared she and her 6-year-old son, Hunter, would have to leave the city without seeing the show, directed by Julie Taymor with the music of U2 rockers Bono and The Edge.

"We're from Houston, so we're glad it's going on," McDowell said.

Producers scrapped Wednesday's performance to implement safety measures ordered by the state Labor Department to prevent another show-stopping fall.

Tierney plunged 30 feet off a ramp and into the orchestra pit when his safety harness snapped. He underwent back surgery at Bellevue Hospital on Wednesday.

Producers said last night that Tierney came through the surgery "with flying colors" and is heading to rehab.

He was the fourth member of the cast to be hurt since previews began last month.

"Workplace safety can't be achieved by a process of trial and error," Assemblyman Rory Lancman (D-Queens) said at a press conference yesterday.

Lancman said he feared the show's producers were pushing the envelope with some of the most risky stunts in Broadway history.With Oren Yaniv

whutchinson@nydailynews.com

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Conan O'Brien apologizes to Jimmy Kimmel for Palin gag

Late-night talk show hosts are known for slinging insults at each other on a fairly frequent basis.

But an apology? That's rare – and it's what Conan O'Brien did Thursday, after he admitted a recent bit was awfully similar to one featured on "Jimmy Kimmel Live."

In an online-only clip, O'Brien started his speech saying he had "something important to talk about."

"Last night on our show, we aired a piece that our staffers put together and it showed Sarah Palin shooting Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer," he explained. "Well, we come in this morning and find out that Jimmy Kimmel did the same idea two weeks ago and, so of course, we apologize for that."

"The staff member responsible for the piece has been fired and immediately rehired by Jimmy Kimmel so I think everything worked out," O'Brien joked.

The comedian went on to note that, "It also turns out my sidekick, Andy Richter, was once a sidekick on another show," as a years-old picture of the two on his old NBC set flashed on the screen.

"Look at that!" O'Brien exclaimed, before the camera zoomed out to show Richter sitting beside him. "Andy, why didn't you tell me?

"That show was such a piece of crap, I didn't feel like it was worth mentioning," Richter replied.

After a few more jokes, O'Brien again extended "our apologies to the gang at Kimmel" and said he hoped "this clear things up."

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Gillette won't renew Tiger Woods' contract

Procter & Gamble Co. is letting Tiger Woods drive off into the sunset.

The company will not renew its endorsement deal with the philandering golf great when it expires at the end of this year--an indication that Woods' tattered reputation still needs some rehabilitation.

Woods was once one of the featured athletes in commercials for the company's Gillette razors, joining sporting superstars Roger Federer, Lionel Messi and Derek Jeter.

Although Woods remained under contract with Procter & Gamble throughout 2010, the company started phasing him out  earlier this year as the scandal mushroomed.

The split, announced Thursday, comes more than a year after the Thanksgiving car wreck that started an avalanche of allegations about Woods and his myriad affairs.

The winner of 14 golf majors quickly became an advertising pariah, with Accenture LLP, AT&T and Gatorade dropping Woods as their spokesman.

Before his sexual shenanigans became public, Woods was the most popular product pitchman in all of sports - becoming the first to earn more than $1 billion in endorsements.

lmcshane@nydailynews.com

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Kelsey Grammer trying to block ex-wife Camille's access to accounts

Kelsey Grammer's contentious divorce just got a bit more complicated.

The actor, who is in the process of divorcing "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star Camille Donatacci, is restricting his estranged wife's access to certain funds.

In documents filed in Los Angeles Superior Court earlier this month and obtained by RadarOnline.com, 55-year-old Grammer requested several joinders to make his pension plans and business accounts part of his divorce proceedings.

By doing so, both he and Donatacci can't make any unauthorized withdrawals from his Equity League 401(K) trust fund, Screen Actors Guild Producers pension plan or American Federation of Television and Radio Artists health and retirement funds, among others.

Also included is the Grammnet, Inc. profit sharing plan. Grammnet, which is the former "Frasier" star's production company, is reportedly half-owned by Donatacci, 47.

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Reek Da Villian: From ex-con to budding rapper

An ex-con has a budding rap career--thanks to a lucky break four years ago when he went into a store for a t-shirt and came out with a record deal.

Tariek Williams - known as Reek Da Villian in the hip hop world - bumped into rap mogul Busta Rhymes in 2006 inside a clothing shop in Uniondale, L.I.

Williams, now 28, kept his cool and freestyled on the spot for five minutes straight.

Two days later, Williams was a part of Flipmode, Rhymes' label at the time. "I called his ass and he hung up on me," Rhymes joked. "He thought I was a prank caller!"

"The Gift," Williams' 10th mixtape, was released Friday under The Conglomerate record label headed by Rhymes, who celebrated alongside Williams at HK Lounge Thursday night.

Life wasn't always so glittering for the rising star.

Born and raised in Roosevelt, L.I., Williams lost his father at the age of 9 and was incarcerated for gun possession in 2003.

"Jail was the best thing that happened for me," Williams said.

"When you go to jail it's just you, you're by yourself," he said. "You have to meet new people, learn how to become friends with strangers and pick out who's good and bad, and overall it just turned me into a man and it showed me what I didn't want to do. "

After his release in 2004, he finished his bachelor's degree in communications from Nassau Community College and began recording again.

"I ain't let it slow me down. I came out, I got right back into school and I graduated," he said.
Rhymes recalled the day he first heard his protege rap.

"He didn't come off to me like the regular - you hear a lot of dudes all the time," he said. "He made sure the impression he left was an everlasting one - and that's how I felt."

The hottest track on the new mixtape, "Mechanics Remix" - which features heavy-hitters Swizz Beats, Cam'Ron, Vado, Method Man, Nelly and Rhymes--has already created a lot of hype and anticipation for Williams' first studio album, which is in the works.

"The jail and losing my dad so young made me realize I need to cherish everything," Williams said.
"This is only the beginning."

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Huff: All about New Year's Eve

Hanging out on New Year's Eve hasn't been in Nancy O'Dell's game plan for much of the last decade.

As one of the regular hosts of the Tournament of Roses Parade coverage in Pasadena, Calif., on New Year's Day for the past decade, O'Dell was often fast asleep the night before, just as many Americans were ramping up their partying.

That's going to change this time around: O'Dell is hosting Fox's "New Year's Eve Live," which begins at 11 p.m.

"I'm just going to be super excited because I haven't brought New Year's Eve in in so long," O'Dell said. "So I'm really looking forward to being part of it. Yes, I've not been able to watch that, but in my mind, I was so jealous that they all get to bring in New Year's."

She'll have some competition for viewers on Friday night. In addition to Fox, which will base O'Dell in Las Vegas, ABC will air "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest," getting underway at 10 p.m. Jenny McCarthy will be on hand to report from Times Square, Fergie will host segments from L.A., and Clark will do the countdown from ABC's studios. Ke and Taio Cruz will be among the performers.

NBC will air "New Year's Eve with Carson Daly" starting at 10 p.m., with performances by Nicki Minaj, My Chemical Romance and Lil Wayne. The "Today" show's Natalie Morales and Amy Robach will also be joining Daly.

Bravo will ring in the new year starting at 10:30 with "Watch What Happens Live: Andy's New Year Party," hosted by Andy Cohen and featuring guests Sandra Bernhard, Megan McCain, "Real Housewives" stars Tamra Barney, Lisa Vanderpump and other celebrities.

Megyn Kelly and Bill Hemmer will host the Fox News Channel's celebration, starting at 11 p.m. in Times Square and featuring performances by Katharine McPhee and Rick Springfield.

Anderson Cooper and the controversial comic Kathy Griffin will be in Times Square again for CNN, with coverage starting at 11 p.m. Each year they've hosted, Griffin has slipped and said something that offends some.

"Once again, I'm terrified to be co-hosting CNN's New Year's Eve show with Kathy Griffin," Cooper said in a statement. "It's often bitterly cold, and yet after being with her for a few minutes on live television, I find myself drenched in sweat."

Speaking of dangerous, MTV has tapped comic Whitney Cummings to host its New Year's Eve show, which starts at 10:30 and will feature the cast of  "Jersey Shore," including a moment when Nicole (Snooki) Polizzi will be dropped in a ball.

"Pauly D will DJ the night," Cummings says. "It's the only job he can spell."

"They want to bring a roast element," she adds. "This year is going to be so insane. I'm going to be bashing everyone."

The hosts of MTV's "The Seven," Kevin Manno and Julie Alexandria, will be reporting on the festivities in Times Square. There will also be a performance by Flo Rida.

As for O'Dell, hosting a New Year's Eve show has been one of her career goals, and it's one more step in what's looking to be a good year for her. She's also been named to replace Mary Hart on "Entertainment Tonight" when Hart steps away at the end of the season, and she's got a show on Oprah Winfrey's new OWN cable channel.

"I just think there's something very magical and special about a New Year's Eve show," O'Dell says. "It's celebrating a new year, a new life, something different, a chance for renewal, all about resolutions."

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Main news of December 22

WORLD

* The United States Senate ratified a new nuclear arms reduction pact with Russia, with a vote of 71 for and 26 against

* Russia is disappointed that the United States voted against a draft resolution condemning the glorification of Nazism, and a number of states, including all members of the European Union, abstained from voting on the draft, the Russian Foreign Ministry said

* Sunday's presidential elections in Belarus were marred by mass violations of electoral procedures, with more than 800 serious fraud cases registered by international observers, an official monitor from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said

* Russia "doesn't give a damn" about the assessments of the country's domestic affairs expressed in Wikileaks's revelations, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said

* Russia has demanded the release of all Russian nationals detained in the Belarusian capital of Minsk during riots after the country's presidential elections on Sunday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement

* Ukrainian opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko, who has been charged with misusing state funds during her term as prime minister, said she was prepared for tougher restraint measures

* Increased cooperation between Russia and Japan will help build a solid base for negotiations on the long-standing dispute over the Kuril Islands, Deputy Russian Foreign Minister Alexei Borodavkin said

* Seventeen people, including six Belarusian presidential candidates, are facing lengthy jail terms for spearheading protests against the re-election of long-standing President Alexander Lukashenko

RUSSIA

* Russia has demanded the release of all Russian nationals detained in the Belarusian capital of Minsk during riots after the country's presidential elections on Sunday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement

* Moscow residents have sent a few thousand questions to Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, some of which he will answer live during the new Our City program on the state-run TV Center channel on Wednesday, Sobyanin's spokeswoman Gulnara Penkova said

business

* Turkmenistan has obliged Barash Communications Technologies, Inc. (BCTI), a local subsidiary of one of Russia's top three mobile operators, Mobile TeleSystems, to terminate contracts with its subscribers before the end of the year, MTS head Mikhail Shamolin said

* Russia's second largest airline Transaero will receive 12 Boeing 747-400s in twin-class configuration by the end of 2012, the company said

* Global miner Rio Tinto may buy 50% minus 1 share in Russia's Severalmaz, part of the country's diamond monopoly Alrosa, for $250 million and invest $135 million in the development of the Lomonosovsky deposit, Vedomosti business daily said

SPORTS

* Russia's first and only Formula One driver, Vitaly Petrov, will remain with Renault for another two seasons after he signed a new contract with the team, the official F1 Website reported

Read more: News

President Medvedev welcomes START treaty ratification by U.S. Senate

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev welcomes the ratification of a new U.S.-Russian arms reduction deal by the U.S. Senate but believes it could take some time for the Russian lawmakers to study the amendments to the treaty.

The United States Senate ratified on Wednesday the new START treaty with Russia, with a vote of 71 for and 26 against. The agreement will come into force after ratification by both houses of the Russian parliament.

"President Dmitry Medvedev was satisfied with the news that the U.S. Senate had ratified the new START treaty and expressed hope that Russia's State Duma and the Federation Council would be ready to review and ratify this document," the Kremlin spokeswoman Natalya Timakova said on Thursday.

However, the president believes that "the Russian parliament could need some time to study the legal aspects of the ratification by the Senate prior to making its own decision," Timakova said.

MOSCOW, December 23 (RIA Novosti)

 

Read more: News

Russian Press at a Glance, Thursday, December 23, 2010

POLITICS

Leaders of the Belarusian opposition went on a hunger strike to protest against accusations that they organized mass riots in the capital, Minsk, following the recent presidential elections. Their supporters appealed to Russia for help, which Moscow is unlikely to offer. (Vedomosti, Kommersant)

The U.S. Senate ratified a new strategic arms reduction treaty with Russia scoring a major foreign policy victory for the Obama administration. (Rossiiskaya Gazeta, Kommersant)

ECONOMY & business

Plans to plug a budget gap by raising the value added tax level and pension age are “unacceptable,” says Economic Development Minister Elvira Nabiullina, reopening a war of words with Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin. (Moscow Times, Vedomosti, Kommersant)

Reports published by the Economic Development Ministry shed light on Russia’s business activities in Asia and North Africa. Energy projects predominate, but some interesting niche opportunities are emerging, including logging with North Korea. (Moscow Times)

United Company RusAl hired Bank of America Merrill Lynch to value its 25 percent stake in Norilsk Nickel, as pressure grows on the heavily indebted firm to sell. (Moscow Times)

Russia’s $4.2 billion television advertising market is entering the new year with two more players to comply with antitrust rules, but industry powerhouse Video International will dominate the business at least for the near future. (Moscow Times)

An international arbitration tribunal has ruled that the actions of the Russian authorities led to the demise of Yukos oil company and ordered Russia to pay $3.5 mln in compensation for a former minority shareholder of the company. (Vedomosti)

SOCIETY

The surge of xenophobia, racism and neo-Nazism in Russia forces the authorities to set up special police units to fight race-hate crimes. (Nezavisimaya Gazeta)

Former spy Anna Chapman has formally joined the ranks of the youth arm of Russia’s ruling United Russia party in an apparent attempt to launch a promising political career. (Moscow Times, Kommersant)

The head of Interpol's office in Russia Timur Lakhonin has delivered a report on the agency’s activities in Russia. The situation around the extradition of Akhmed Zakayaev and Boris Berezovsky from Britain remains unresolved, he said. (Rossiiskaya Gazeta)

Moscow police chief supports Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s view on introducing stricter registration rules for migrants who come to live in the Russian capital. (Nezavisimaya Gazeta, Rossiiskaya Gazeta)

DEFENSE

The Russian Defense Ministry’s budget ambitions for the next five years might be far from reality. (Nezavisimaya Gazeta)

SPORTS

Russia’s energy giant will become the main sponsor of the Russian national team at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. The sponsorship could cost the company $130 million. (Vedomosti)

For more details on all the news in Russia today, visit our website at http://en.rian.ru.

Read more: News

President Obama signs bill ending 'Don't ask, don't tell'

WASHINGTON - President Obama hailed the military service of gay Americans Wednesday while signing the landmark bill allowing gays to serve openly in uniform.

"I am proud to sign a law that brings an end to 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,'" Obama said. "No longer will tens of thousands of men and women be asked to live a lie."

But Obama also warned gays in the ranks to stay closeted for a 60-day waiting period until the Pentagon "certifies" that the new policy can be implemented.

Until then, "the old policy remains in effect," Obama said.

At a signing ceremony in the Interior Department, gay rights advocates and gays who had been drummed out of the military under DADT gave prolonged applause to Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Mullen had called scrapping the old rule "the right thing to do."

Obama said Mullen "had spoken from the heart. He said what he believed was right."

The military is expected to take up to a year to work out details on implementing the new law, but Mullen has already said that there will be no separate housing, barracks or showers.

Obama noted that gays had served in silence on their sexual identity from the Revolution through the current fighting in Afghanistan.

Despite some opposition in the top ranks, including Gen. James Amos, commandant of the Marine Corps, Obama predicted that the military will quickly adapt to gays serving openly.

Obama said "People will look at this moment and remember -- why was this ever a source of controversy in the first place?"

Read more: News

Kate Middleton to play a large part in Diamond Jubilee

A source told the Mail On Sunday: "After her marriage in April, Kate will really start to sort out her future role. The queen and Camilla will take an active interest and offer advice.

"The plan is for Kate to help pep up the Jubilee's youthful and glamorous face, while also underlining the continuity of the monarchy."

Although 28-year-old Kate's inclusion in the celebrations to mark the monarch's 60-year reign was Queen Elizabeth's idea, it is believed both William and Kate are delighted to have the opportunity to prove her credentials.

Kate has been criticized in the past for her lack of direction after she quit a job at fashion chain Jigsaw to work for her parents' party planning company.

The source added: "Kate is keen to dispel the image of her being workshy and William believes that

he can make the public see her as he does: as a caring woman of substance."

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Backers of 9/11 health bill rally

Sponsors and supporters of the James Zadroga 9/11 health and Compensation Act were in Washington, D.C. today to urge the U.S. Senate to get past partisanship and pass the measure that will bring permanent healthcare and compensation to the approximately 20,000 Americans who are suffering from illnesses contracted while working at Ground Zero in the weeks following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan.

 

The bill, named for an NYC police detective believed to be the first person to die from working on the pile, passed the House of Representatives in September.

The measure was blocked in the Senate in early December. Needing 60 votes to clear a procedural hurdle and come to the Senate floor for a vote, the effort required at least two Republicans to vote with Democrats. None did.

Senate Republicans had vowed to stand firm and block all measures from coming to a vote until Democrats agreed to pass an extension of the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, and not only for the middle class. Democrats have since relented and passed the extension. Zadroga bill backers believe that now they can get the necessary GOP votes to win passage.

Senate Majoirty leader Harry reid has said he will bring the Zadroga bill up again once the Senate addresses a Continuing Resolution to keep the government funded, and the START Treaty for nuclear arms reduction with Russia.

The CR passed the Senate earlier today, and the START Treaty is likely to be voted on tomorrow or possibly tonight.

Backers know that if the Zadroga bill does not pass this Congress, it will be more difficult to get the next Congress, which will contain more Republicans members, to consider it.

"It's the ninth inning and we need a good closer to win the game," U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney told the bill's supporters at their rally at the Capital Visitors Center, and she called upon President Obama to use his clout to sway Republican Senators.

 "Mr. President, please step up to the mound for those who worked on the pile," said Maloney who, with Reps. Jerrold Nadler, D-NY and Peter King, R-NY, sponsored the House version. "We need to work together to rescue the 9/11 rescuers.  Let's do the right and patriotic thing and pass the Zadroga bill now."

The bill would provide for permanent healthcare and compensation for the responders made ill while doing recovery and clean-up at Ground Zero. Supporters of the bill say that at least 900 first responders have died from illness contracted at Ground Zero since 2001.

The measure that passed the House provided $7.4 billion, but the Senate version, co-sponsored by Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer, both D-NY, cuts that amount to $6.2 billion, because of a separate settlement reached with many ailing Ground Zero workers last month. 

Additionally, in response to concerns raised by Senate Republicans, Gillibrand and Schumer unveiled a new way of paying for the bill. Instead of relying on the House-passed offset that closed foreign tax loopholes, the new Senate bill would impose a 2-percent excise fee on certain foreign companies that receive U.S. government contracts. This raises roughly $4.5 billion over 10 year. To offset the remaining cost of the 9/11 measure, the bill includes two other revenue-raising measures that have passed the Senate either unanimously or on a broad, bipartisan vote.

"It has taken us nine years to get to this point and my hope is that these men and women here today are going to put us over the finish line,' Gillibrand said today. "The men and women here today are just a few of the tens of thousands of first responders all over the country that came to our nation's rescue after September 11th. When Senators hear their stories and learn about the horrible diseases they are suffering from, then I know we can come together and fulfill the undeniable moral obligation we have as a nation to provide health care and compensation to these heroes."

If the Senate passes the bill, it would have to return to the House, where it would almost certainly pass and go on to the President for his signature, which he has promised.

Gillibrand said today that she believes there are enough Republicans onboard to pass the measure.

Insiders close to the issue are, however, saying that Republicans, if they see the bill has enough support for passage, may try various other delaying tactics to run out the legislative clock on Democrats and, effectively, kill the bill for the foreseeable future.

Republicans have called the measure a healthcare fund for New Yorkers and that the rest of the nation should not be saddled with it. Supporters point out that the terrorist attacks were upon the nation, not just New York, that the Bush administration lied to Ground Zero workers that the air was safe to breath, and that first responders came from every state in the union.

"To those who vote against us, I can only say I hope you get coal in your stockings for Christmas, and that you truly are the least American people I know of," said John Feal, a demolition worker injured at Ground Zero and the founder of the FealGood Foundation for Ground Zero workers and their families.

"And to the American people, I say please pray for 9/11 responders this holiday season," Feal said.

Read more: News

O'Hurley: Dogs & 'Dancing' similar breeds

John O'Hurley says Thursday's "The National Dog Show" (NBC, noon-2 p.m.), which every year becomes a little more of a Thanksgiving TV tradition, has a lot in common with "Dancing With the Stars."

O'Hurley, who won "Dancing" in 2005 and has hosted "The National Dog Show" for nine years, says both put elegance on display.

"I love watching the Irish setters come into the ring," he says. "With their graceful stride and their coats flying. To me, they represent the best of what dogs are."

The big difference between the dogs and "Dancing," he says, is that the dogs often get a fairer shake when it comes to assessing performance.

"Viewers don't get to vote" on the dog show, he notes, because the judges make all the decisions. "So the results are based on a breadth of knowledge and fairness. Reality shows tend to be more popularity-based."

He adds that this isn't a knock on "Dancing," just another reason why the dog show, which is sponsored by Purina, has become a popular Thanksgiving Day transition between the Macy's parade in the morning and the blitz of football later in the day.

Compared to television's other major dog event, February's Westminster Kennel Club Show, "The National Dog Show" feels like it moves on fast-forward. Where Westminster takes six hours over two nights, this Philadelphia-based show whips through 150-plus breeds - including six new ones this year - in two hours.

But that's fine, says David Frei, who does the TV commentary for Westminster and co-hosts with O'Hurley here as well. All the breeds get their moment, and he gives concise descriptions.

"David is here because he's the expert and I'm here because I'm not," says O'Hurley.

O'Hurley, whose family has three dogs, says one of his greatest pleasures at the show is taking off the microphone and going backstage. Like Westminster, "The National Dog Show" is a "benched" show, which means all the dogs remain on the premises throughout the show and spectators can wander back to mingle.

"That was the most fun for me," he says. "That's how you get a real sense of the dogs - which is the most important thing for people who are thinking of acquiring one. They don't always get the right match, which is why rescue shelters are so overcrowded."

O'Hurley declines to pick a favorite breed. Frei isn't so reticent.

While he's "come to love all the breeds," he says, he can't help rooting for the dogs he raises himself, which used to be Afghan hounds and now are Brittany and Cavalier King Charles spaniels.

"My own dogs would never speak to me again if I rooted for another breed," he says.

Since the show is taped, Frei says both he and O'Hurley are back home with their families when it comes on TV.

"We sit and watch it like everyone else," he says. "I always like to see who's going to win."

dhinckley@nydailynews.com

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BoE panel still split three ways over monetary policy

Members of Bank of England's (BoE) policy panel continue to be split three ways over new policies to contain inflation and spur economic growth, according to the minutes released by the Monetary Policy Committee on Wednesday.

The minutes of the meeting on 3rd and 4th December, in which the BoE decided to continue to maintain the bank rate and the asset purchase program in its current state, were released on Wednesday.

Seven of the nine members of the committee stuck to their view that both the bank rate and the asset purchase should be maintained in its present condition. Two other members, Adam Posen and Andrew Sentance, continued to oppose the view.

Posen continues to believe that a further expansion in the Committee's program of asset purchase is necessary to prevent further inflation undershooting the 2 percent target in the medium term.

"...recent inflation outturns could be explained by the various price level shocks that had occurred and contained little news about inflation in the medium term," the report said, stating views of Posen.

He expects consumption growth to likely low, partly due to the impact on fiscal consolidation.

"It was likely that there was a significant margin of spare capacity and that this would persist for some time.  In this member's view, that would probably act to push inflation well below target in the medium term in the absence of further measures to stimulate demand," the report said.

Another member continued to take the view that it was appropriate to begin to withdraw some of the exceptional monetary stimulus that had been provided by raising bank rate to 0.5 percent alongside the Committee's program of asset purchases, the minutes said of Sentence's view.

Recent economic developments such as a rise in commodity prices justified a gradual withdrawal of monetary stimulus, which would also help to reinforce the expectation that inflation would fall back to target.

Fighting the high inflation rate has been the BoE's main concern over the last few months.

Inflation was 3.3 percent in November, remaining above the 2 percent threshold for the eighth month in a row, mainly spurred by higher food prices. Meat prices saw the steepest hike in 5 years, as higher feed costs led to higher costs of production.

A survey by the BoE released last week stated that more Britons expect 2011 to be more expensive.

Poultry prices are expected to shoot up over the next few months. Wheat and corn prices have been rising on speculation that the U.S. government could pass a tax credit for corn-based ethanol production, putting pressure of poultry farmers.

A separate report on U.K.'s economic growth showed that the third quarter saw a weaker performance than originally announced, and the estimate was revised down to 0.7 percent growth, from the previous 0.8 percent.

The GDP report will cause further concern if the U.K. economic recovery is indeed slowing down.

Read more: News

NRC: Make Nuclear Plants Tough Enough For Planes

A decade after the Sept. 11 attacks, future nuclear power plants could be required to be built to withstand an airplane hit.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved a proposed rule that says advanced boiling water reactors must be built to withstand aircraft impacts similar to the one that brought down the World Trade Center.

An advanced boiling water reactor is a new design that moves much of the water pumping apparatus inside the reactor vessel, as well as simplifying the cooling system.

STP Nuclear Operating Company submitted an application in June 2009 to amend their reactor design. The comapny had originally applied to build a reactor in Texas, but in 2009 the NRC said that builders had to assess how well a plant could withstand a hit from a commercial aircraft. STP had to file a revised application.

The new rule will certify that STP accounted for an aircraft impact properly. That means  if a plane were to hit the reactor vessel or outlying buildings, it should take only minimal work from the operating technicians to ensure the reactor remains cool and that the pool for spent fuel remains intact. STP plans to build a reactor in Texas.

"Should such an unlikely event take place at a new plant designed in accordance with the new rule, the NRC expects the plant would be better able to withstand such a crash than the same design without changes resulting from the rule," the Commission said in its statement.

Infrastructure attacks have been a recurring issue in the discussion of terrorist threats, especially the fears of an attack on a nuclear power plant. That said, there has been only one other attempt to drive a plane into a building since 2001, a pilot in a small aircraft who crashed into a Texas office building used by the Internal Revenue Service.

Most nuclear reactor containment buildings are large concrete structures, so it is unclear whether any airplane could bring them down. However, the outlying buildings that contain the control and support for the reactor itself are more vulnerable, the NRC says.

Read more: News

Bleak health care scenario on retirees

A new report from the controller's office shows the city has an unfunded health care liability of $4.36 billion. That means it'll cost that much to pay the promised health care benefits for every current employee and retiree - and that number will keep growing as health care costs rise. By 2033, the tab will be a whopping $9.7 billion.

Guess how much the city has saved to pay down the costs so far? You guessed it. Nuthin'.

Controller Ben Rosenfield pointed out that cities up and down the state are in the same quandary and that there is a solution. Rather than just paying current-year health care costs, the city could set up a system similar to the way it pays pensions, paying into a trust fund that accumulates interest.

But to solve the problem, the city would have to start paying 15.4 percent of its salary costs toward health care every year. With a salary base of $2.4 billion annually, that would mean contributing $370 million a year. Remember, the city already has a deficit of nearly $400 million for next year.

And actually, this bleak scenario could have been a lot worse if voters hadn't passed Proposition B in 2008, which raised the vesting schedule for new employees to 20 years rather than five and required them to contribute 2 percent of their salaries into a health care fund.

Guess it's time for the mayor and supervisors to write some really nice, pleading letters to Santa.

- Heather Knight

Power plays: San Franciscans don't know who their next mayor or district attorney will be, but it's becoming clear who won't be taking the helm at City Hall and the Hall of Justice.

State Assemblyman Tom Ammiano politely declined to become interim mayor last week. Now we've learned that Judge Katherine Feinstein may not be eligible to be appointed district attorney - even if she wanted the position.

A confidential memo from the city attorney's office, obtained by The Chronicle, cites a part of the state Constitution, which states: "A judge of a court of record may not practice law and during the term for which the judge was selected is ineligible for public employment or public office." The section makes an exception for part-time teaching and goes on to say that a judge, "may, however, become eligible for election to other public office by taking a leave of absence without pay prior to filing a declaration of candidacy." We also got a peek at another opinion from a private attorney that says basically the same thing.

From what we hear, the memos are being interpreted by city leaders as saying that Feinstein could resign and run for district attorney next fall but cannot be appointed to the position.

- Marisa Lagos

Closing time: Any 2:30 a.m. park joggers out there might want to get ready to switch to midnight.

Mayor Gavin Newsom has introduced legislation that would set hours of operation for Golden Gate Park and McLaren Park, restricting access to the two largest city-owned parks after 1 a.m.

The mayor's administration says the effort targets crime and vandalism in city parks and is not a move to crack down on homeless campers.

"Camping is already illegal. This actually aims to address those people who are not camping but are up to no good," Newsom spokesman Tony Winnicker said. "If you're lurking in a park at 3 a.m., the chances are you're up to no good."

If passed by the Board of Supervisors, the proposed ordinance would close those two city parks from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. and authorize the Recreation and Park Commission to set hours for other properties it oversees.

- John Cotй

On a roll: Vendors who operate bike-share programs will make their equipment available for test rides in San Francisco today and Saturday. The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency is hosting the demonstration project at Civic Center Plaza on both days between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

The city is preparing to participate in a regional bike-share program with San Mateo and Santa Clara counties that will launch late next year or early 2012 in which members pay a fee to check out the communal bikes.

- Rachel Gordon

E-mail the City Insider team at cityinsider@sfchronicle.com.

This article appeared on page D - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle

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Ivory Coast leader orders U.N. peacekeepers out

The move was the latest act of political defiance by Gbagbo, who has been in power since 2000 and maintains he is the rightful winner of last month's runoff vote in the West African nation despite growing international pressure on him to concede defeat.

The statement read on state television came just two days after as many as 30 people were killed in street violence in Ivory Coast. Earlier Saturday, masked gunmen opened fire on the U.N. base; no one from the United Nations was harmed in the attack.

Gbagbo's spokeswoman said Saturday that the U.N. mission known as UNOCI has not remained neutral in the election dispute and accused it of arming the New Forces rebels allied with opposition leader Alassane Ouattara.

The United Nations certified results showing that Ouattara had won by "an irrefutable margin." The United Nations had been invited by the country itself to supervise the vote and certify the outcome following a peace accord after Ivory Coast's 2002-03 civil war.

"The state of Ivory Coast considers that the UNOCI has shown itself to be guilty of serious misconduct, which indubitably proves that it is an agent of destabilization and contributes to the further division of the Ivorian people," the spokeswoman said.

Nick Birnback, spokesman for the U.N. Peacekeeping Department, stressed that "the mission will continue to do everything possible to execute its Security Council-given mandate." That mandate includes protecting civilians under imminent threat, U.N. staff and facilities.

There are about 9,000 U.N. peacekeepers in the country, and about 800 of them have been protecting the compound from which Ouattara is trying to govern the country.

Gbagbo also called for the departure of about 900 French forces who have been supporting the U.N. peacekeepers.

While the United States, France and the African Union have endorsed Ouattara as the rightful winner of the election, Gbagbo maintains control of both the military and state media.

This article appeared on page A - 8 of the San Francisco Chronicle

Read more: News

Bank of America shuns WikiLeaks

With its announcement, the Charlotte-based bank joins a fray that has increased financial pressure on the website that released thousands of secret U.S. diplomatic cables but has also prompted cyber attacks on businesses that cut ties with the activist site.

The move comes as WikiLeaks says it's preparing a release of information on banks, which could include documents it says it has on Bank of America.

The bank released a statement Saturday saying it will no longer process any transactions that it believes are intended for the site.

"This decision is based upon our reasonable belief that WikiLeaks may be engaged in activities that are, among other things, inconsistent with our internal policies for processing payments," the bank said.

Other Internet companies and financial institutions- including MasterCard Inc., Visa Inc., PayPal Inc. and Amazon.com - also have cut ties with WikiLeaks, hurting the site's ability to accept donations and support publishing efforts.

The websites of some companies perceived as trying to stifle WikiLeaks have come under cyber attack in recent weeks by hackers who support its mission. WikiLeaks has said it does not sanction the hackers' work, which has caused some sites to temporarily go out of service.

WikiLeaks responded to Bank of America's announcement with a Twitter message urging supporters to stop doing business with the bank.

"We ask that all people who love freedom close out their accounts at Bank of America," WikiLeaks said in its posting Saturday. It also called on businesses to switch funds from the bank.

In an interview with CNBC on Friday, the founder of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, said his organization has plans to soon release information about banks, and he told Forbes magazine last month that the data would show "unethical practices."

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has said a criminal investigation of WikiLeaks is under way. Assange said Friday he fears that the United States is preparing to indict him.

This article appeared on page A - 12 of the San Francisco Chronicle

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Haiti leader urged to delay reporting vote results

Final results from the Nov. 28 first round - showing which of the top three quarreling candidates would go on to a January runoff - were expected Monday.

Holding off an announcement would postpone conflicts between supporters, which resulted in riots and deadly clashes this month. But the panel of up to five electoral, legal and information-technology experts has not even been formed, and waiting for its review could drag into the new year.

"To be honest I'm not sure how long it will take," OAS Assistant Secretary-General Albert Ramdin said in an interview. "This is a very difficult time to put a team together. ... Many experts are going home for Christmas to see their families."

OAS chief Jose Miguel Insulza asked Preval for the delay.

Preval agreed to submit the request to Haiti's provisional electoral council after "intense discussions" among the OAS, electoral officials, business leaders, observers, the head of the U.N. peacekeeping mission, and resident ambassadors in Haiti, the OAS said in a statement.

The first round of the election suffered from low turnout, fraud, rampant disorganization, violence and voter intimidation. Nearly 4 percent of polling place tally sheets used to calculate the results were thrown out for alleged fraud at the tabulation center, Ramdin said.

Rioting followed preliminary results that showed carnival singer Michel "Sweet Micky" Martelly eliminated in favor of ruling-party candidate Jude Celestin by less than 1 percent. Former first lady Mirlande Manigat was in first place. There were 19 candidates on the ballot, all of whom received votes and nearly all of whom called for the election to be thrown out.

This article appeared on page A - 8 of the San Francisco Chronicle

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'Don't ask, don't tell' repeal celebrated in S.F.

One by one, they listened as 96 names were called in a room 2,800 miles away. As ayes were tallied, shouts of "Yes!" could be heard, followed by whoops and hollers.

When the final 65-31 Senate vote repealing the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy was finally announced, the group erupted in shouts of joy. Zoe Dunning began to cry.

Dunning, a retired Navy commander and a lesbian, has been waiting, and advocating, for the change for 17 years. She came out in 1993 and was one of the first people to be challenged under the policy implemented by then-President Bill Clinton.

Dunning won, but her defense strategy was later deemed unacceptable by military leaders, meaning she remained in the service but others were unable to use the same defense. Until her retirement three years ago, she was thought to be the only openly gay person serving in the U.S. military.

"I'm living proof that the presence of a gay person doesn't damage unit cohesion or morale," she said. "I've seen 14,000 people discharged since then - 14,000 lives that were changed or altered or sometimes destroyed. ... After 17 years of work on this, I am witnessing the end of this destructive policy. These are tears of joy."

The group celebrating the repeal also included San Francisco Supervisor Bevan Dufty. After the vote, he turned to the crowd and asked a favor.

"Could we say the Pledge of Allegiance?" said Dufty, who is also gay. "For those of us who have felt cut out of the Constitution, it's just an opportunity for us to reflect on the fact that we are patriotic."

Everyone was beaming as they said the pledge, but it was when they got to the last line - "With liberty and justice for all"- that the group really came alive.

"This is a watershed moment for the 20th century civil rights struggle: LGBT equality," Dufty said later. "Today, we planted a seed that is going to grow."

Dufty and others predicted that the change in military policy will lead to other advances for gays and lesbians in the United States. Bob Dockendorff, a retired Navy captain, noted that the Pentagon will now have to tackle how to provide housing and benefits for domestic partners. And Dunning said that no other country has allowed same-sex marriage without first allowing gay members of the military to serve openly.

Gay advocates and former military members were not the only ones happy. At Bisou restaurant on Market Street, San Francisco residents Greg Richardson, Dana Chrisler and Rob Finley said they received a text from a friend who serves in the Coast Guard as soon as the vote was complete.

Richardson said he remembered when the policy was implemented and that its repeal shows that "people were willing to accept it then, but they aren't now."

"I think it's a way to get a foot in the door to get rights for other areas of our lives - I don't (care) about being able to join the military, but it's about equality," Chrisler added.

E-mail Marisa Lagos at mlagos@sfchronicle.com.

This article appeared on page A - 21 of the San Francisco Chronicle

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Senate OKs major overhaul of food-safety laws

After a weekend of negotiations, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., reached a deal with Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., that the GOP would not filibuster.

Without notice and in a matter of minutes Sunday evening, the Senate approved the bill by unanimous consent, sending it to the House, where passage is expected. President Obama has said he would sign the legislation, which would give the government far-reaching authority to set and enforce safety standards for farmers and food processors.

The measure was pushed by a coalition of food-safety groups. It passed the House more than year ago, and it cleared the Senate three weeks ago. But the day after the Senate vote, House leaders flagged a problem - the Senate version appeared to violate a constitutional provision that requires new taxes to originate in the House rather than the Senate. The mistake essentially nullified the Senate vote.

Besides toughening rules for keeping food safe, the bill would give the Food and Drug Administration the authority to recall food; now, the agency must rely on food companies to voluntarily pull products off the shelves.

This article appeared on page A - 11 of the San Francisco Chronicle

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Malia Cohen, ranked-choice winner, in crucial spot

First, they are calling her the "accidental supervisor," because her meager first-place vote totals in her district added up to such a small percentage of the overall vote. And second, they say she won't have much influence on the board because she doesn't come in with a mandate.

Neither theory is right. Cohen may not have rung up a huge vote total, but given the ranked-choice voting system, she played the percentages to perfection - broadening out her support, pulling in second- and third-choice preferences, and getting a boost as other candidates were eliminated.

As far as being marginalized by the board, the opposite is true. Like Jane Kim in District Six, she will take office in January unencumbered by political IOUs. She can make her own deals, carve out her own niche, and be a critical swing vote.

"Yeah," Cohen said. "But the downside is, I can only be unencumbered once."

She's right. Soon enough she'll have to pick her causes, align herself with people and groups, and lay down a voting record. Every group will make an offer, and every supervisor will have a pitch. The battle for Cohen's political soul has begun.

Personally, I'd go with local political pollster and moderate campaign director David Latterman, who worked with Scott Wiener in District Eight. After watching the far-left supervisors beat up on Board of Supervisors President David Chiu - formerly their ally - Latterman thinks it is time for Chiu to man up and cut the ties.

Far-left supervisors "have never been his friends," Latterman said. "They used him. David has always been reluctant to control his own destiny, but his natural place is in the middle."

That's where Cohen comes in. Generally considered moderate, she could align herself with Chiu - the only sitting supervisor to endorse her - and Kim, an old friend of Chiu's. With four moderates to their right and four far-left supes on the other side, they'd be the make-it-or-break-it bloc for every issue. It is a powerful place to be, and one that could do a lot for the chronically overlooked Bayview-Hunters Point area.

"We've got the most room to build, and the amount of land development that is going to take place (a proposed 10,000 homes) is huge," Cohen said. "But we also have the highest unemployment. That's the best part about this, the influence we will have for District 10."

That's if Cohen is considered a true representative of the district. Frankly, this election, with the ranked-choice confusion, raises questions. After no candidate could be declared a winner when first-place votes were counted, it took 19 runs of redistributing second and third choices to declare Cohen the winner. But she had just 4,173 of the 19,669 votes cast, or 21 percent. In other words, 79 percent of the ballots in the district did not even include her name.

"I do believe the District 10 race will be a great case study for some policy school," Cohen said. "I can't wait for the Harvard Review to weigh in. But I play with whatever system we have."

As Latterman points out, Cohen carried the day because she did a good job of getting second- and third-choice votes across the district. Tony Kelly, one of the early leaders, was very strong in Potrero Hill, but not in Hunters Point.

"What we quickly realized was that District 10 was very balkanized," Latterman said. "Malia got a little play in a lot of places as opposed to getting a lot of play in a few places."

That support, combined with the boost when African American candidates DeWitt Lacy and Lynette Sweet were dropped from the ranked-choice count, put Cohen over the finish line. Now the question is: Will she fall on the left or on the right?

"Are you kidding?" she said. "You think I am going to tell you and ruin all the shock and awe when I declare? I'm going to let you speculate."

Along with everyone else in City Hall.

C.W. Nevius' column appears Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. E-mail him at cwnevius@sfchronicle.com.

For more election-related news and information, visit our California Elections 2010 page.

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Look what we've done to save auto industry, Obama boasts

WASHINGTON - President Obama and Vice President Biden returned to the Rust Belt on Tuesday to crow over the government's job-saving rescue of the auto industry.

"There were those who were prepared to give up on Kokomo and our auto industry. There were those who said it was going to be too difficult, or that it was bad politics, or it was throwing good money after bad," Obama told Chrysler workers in hard-hit Kokomo, Ind.

"We made the decision to stand with you ... and today we know that was the right decision."

The visit coincided with Chrysler's not-so-coincidental announcement to pump $843 million more to build front-wheel-drive transmissions in three Kokomo plants.

Kokomo's unemployment surged to 20% before dropping to a still-brutal 12%, and Obama's visit was aimed at trying to convince Americans his policies have saved jobs.

A White House source acknowledged the days of the soft sell are over - Obama won't take for granted anymore that Americans get the message his policies will save jobs "in the long term."

"I'm not saying we would have reversed the tide, but think about how the election might have gone if we were making these announcements on Oct. 23 instead of Nov. 23," the source said.

To drive home the point, Obama and Biden took a side trip to a firehouse and met three firefighters who were laid off, then rehired with federal grants.

kbazinet@nydailynews.com

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Bob Geldof, Harvey Goldsmith - and the truth about Live Aid

In 1985, two globally televised all-star concerts in Wembley and Philadelphia were watched by 1.5 billion people and raised around $80 million (£45 m) for famine relief in Ethiopia. This has become such an iconic moment in rock history it is hard to imagine a world before Live Aid. These days, pop stars are a de facto branch of the international emergency services, offering a swift response to major natural disasters with charity singles and concerts. By dramatically reconstructing the build-up to Live Aid, When Harvey Met Bob – a one-off drama on BBC Two on Boxing Day – amusingly and movingly demonstrates just how unlikely the whole thing actually was.

The Harvey in the title is concert promoter Harvey Goldsmith, played with a kind of confounded toughness by Ian Hart, reluctantly dragged into the fanciful schemes of Bob Geldof, brilliantly impersonated by Domhnall Gleeson as a bad-tempered force of nature. “If we’re going to work together you have to learn to be a realist,” asserts Goldsmith, with the understated threat of a man used to getting his way. “No I don’t,” retorts Geldof, as he charges on, co-opting superstar headliners, lying to BBC executives and pitting sponsors Coke and Pepsi against one another, sowing havoc in his angry wake for the increasingly weary Goldsmith to sort out. At its heart, this is a buddy movie, an Eighties bromance, in which two ill-matched alpha males bond over a crisis, despite being only able to show affection by being rude to each other.

Actually, Geldof is rude to just about everybody in the film. Which is fair enough, because as anyone who has crossed his path knows, Geldof is indeed extremely rude, or at least so brusque and free of bulls--- that he flattens social convention with breathtaking directness. This is a star-making performance from Gleeson, who looks as though he could be shaping up to rival his father Brendan as Ireland’s greatest living thespian. As with a lot of dramatisations based on pop culture events, the biggest leap required for viewers is accepting an actor whose features don’t quite match an exceedingly famous face, but Gleeson has Geldof’s voice and mannerisms down pat, and adds a kind of surly vitality that just sweeps objections away.

The story opens with a rather too swift condensation of events leading up to Geldof’s conversion from fading pop star to shining campaigner. With barely a change in his perpetually grumpy expression, Geldof switches from haranguing record company executives for failing to sell the latest Boomtown Rats single to challenging Mrs Thatcher for failing to transport the European butter mountain to Ethiopia. The most clunking moment is an attempt to illustrate the exact moment of transition. Watching the news footage of the famine that set him on his quest, director Nick Renton cuts to Geldof’s miserable face as newsman Michael Buerk utters the phrase, “suffering, confused, lost”.

Geldof’s psychological motivation was surely more complex than simply switching his career drive from a selfish to selfless goal. A speech at his old school, Blackrock College in Dublin, comes closer to articulating his rebellious instincts, although it is chiefly memorable for his final line, “Oh s---, did I say f---?” Screenwriter Joe Dunlop’s policy is to mute Geldof’s favoured f-word to less incendiary bloodys but it is still among the most foul-mouthed productions ever to bear the BBC imprimatur.

It is really quite incredible to consider that a famine on the scale of Ethiopia in 1985 would never be allowed to unfold without intervention again, thanks in large part to the belligerent persistence of one man, bullying his way towards greatness. “I’m pushy,” snaps Geldof, when Goldsmith berates him for the umpteenth time. “I push myself.” When it ends with Bowie’s Heroes playing over the credits, you feel like cheering the ordinary heroes behind Live Aid, pushed by this most anti of heroes into achieving things none of them would have dreamed possible on their own.

- When Harvey Met Bob is on BBC Two on Boxing Day at 9.15pm

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Marvel miniseries has superheroes threatened by modern terrors

In these tough times of record unemployment, terror alerts, oil spills, mortgage foreclosures and partisan politics that have torn a rent down the middle of this country, Americans have good reason to be living in fear.

Now, it turns out super heroes aren't immune either.

Marvel Comics announced Tuesday that it is launching "Fear Itself," a seven-issue mega-event series starting in April, which taps into all the malaise gripping the company's readers. In the fictional universe of Spider-Man and Iron Man, however, that panic is stoked by the villainous God of Fear instead of television pundits and Internet-savvy fundamentalist clerics.

"The climate in the world today was certainly the inspiration for this as we started to think about the bigger stories for the Marvel Universe," Marvel editor in chief Joe Quesada said at a press conference at Midtown Comics in Manhattan. "You will absolutely see the real world inject itself into this story because it's undeniable that there's a certain something in the air right now…we tend to tap into that whether consciously or unconsciously and it effects all our stories."

The company had great sales success three years ago with its "Civil War" series, which similarly mined real world events to tell the story of a division in the ranks of super heroes in the battle between personal liberties and security.

That storyline ended in the death of Captain America -- as first reported by the New York Daily News – which many conservative commentators interpreted as a political shot aimed at the Bush Administration.

"My personal nervousness over the state of things today lies draped over "Fear Itself," like a great, anxious, quilt just a little bit too small," series writer Matt Fraction told the News. "And the punchline in the Marvel Universe is the same as it is for us in the real world: no heroes can help us; we're going to have to save ourselves.

"Which is of no comfort at all."

There is grumbling among some fans, however, in these scary economic times that last thing they want to do is spend more money on comic book tie-ins on big events that come like clock-work every summer from Marvel and rival publisher, DC Comics.

"Marvel has played the 'Law & Order', ripped from the headlines card for a while now," says Nick Purpura, manager at Jim Hanley's Universe comic store in Manhattan. "It's their jobs to keep [readers'] asses in seats if you would."

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'Spider-Man' show trapped in web of investigators after latest accident leaves stuntman hurt

The star-crossed "Spider-Man" show will go on Wednesday - despite an accident that sent their top stuntman to the hospital.

The producers of the seemingly cursed Broadway spectacle agreed on Tuesday to "additional safety protocols" a day after a cable holding actor Christopher Tierney snapped and sent him plunging 30 feet from a platform into a pit below the stage.

The Wednesday matinee performance was postponed but the evening show will "proceed as scheduled," said Rick Miramontez, spokesman for "Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark."

The decision was reached after a lunchtime meeting of the producer, investigators for the state Labor Department and federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration and a union rep from the Actors' Equity Association.

Tierney, a 30-year-old New York-based actor and dancer who hails from Portsmouth, N.H., was in serious condition with cracked ribs and other injuries at Bellevue Hospital.

Meanwhile, state labor investigators were spotted at the Foxwoods Theater on W. 42nd St., where the accident happened about seven minutes before the close of the Tuesday night show.

Tierney got a shout-out of support from the star of the show, Reeve Carney, who plays Peter Parker.

"Chris Tierney, you are my hero," Carney said on Twitter. "Your fearlessness, inspiring talent, and shining spirit are lights to us all. We love you so much man."

Castmate Natalie Mendoza, who plays the spider-goddess Arachne, also weighed in on Twitter.

"Please pray with me for my friend Chris, my superhero who quietly inspires me everyday with his spirit," she wrote. "A light in my heart went dim tonight."

Mendoza suffered a concussion during the show's Dec. 2 performance.

Tierney is the show's main aerialist. In addition to doing Carney's stunts, he performs the stunts for the villains Meeks and Kraven.

An experienced hoofer, Tierney danced with the Hubbard Street Dance Company in Chicago from 1999 to 2006. He also danced in the 2007 movie "Across the Universe," according to IMDB.com.

Tierney took a tumble at the point in the preview performance when Spidey's love interest, Mary Jane, runs up a ramp followed by a stunt double in a Spider-Man costume.

Both jumped. But while Mary Jane's harness held, Tierney's didn't. And the audience was left gaping in stunned silence as the empty harness swung over the first few rows.

Then the screaming started as somebody under the stage began yelling, "Call 911!," witnesses said.

The $65 million production is the most expensive Broadway show in history and features complex aerial stunts and visual effects.

This was the fourth serious accident to hamper "Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark," due to officially open Jan. 11. One of the aerialists, Kevin Aubin, broke his wrists last month. Another actor injured his foot during rehearsals.

The musical also had to delay its first preview performance by two weeks and the opening was pushed back from Dec. 21.

With Oren Yaniv, Edgar Sandoval, Erin Einhorn, Lukas I. Alpert and Rocco Parascandola

csiemaszko@nydailynews.com

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