Sinkhole that swallowed Tampa man in bedroom grows deeper

APJeff Bush's family and friends hug outside of the house where a sinkhole swallowed Bush in his bedroom.SEFFNER, Fla. — Engineers worked gingerly Saturday morning to find out more about a slowly growing sinkhole that swallowed a Florida man in his bedroom, believing the entire house could eventually succumb to the unstable ground.Jeff Bush, 37, was in...

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Odds against him, Obama still betting on big deal

AFP/Getty ImagesThe US Capitol in Washington, DC on Thursday night.WASHINGTON — President Obama met with congressional leaders at the White House Friday, hours before a series of mandatory budget cuts start to kick in, for intense talks where Democrats and Republicans were most likely to stake out fiscal positions with the threat of a government shutdown...

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Still no strip clubs for 'Big Daddy' boss: judge

No lap dances for you!A former strip club impresario who made his hooker dancers call him "Big Daddy" had a big disappointment today -- a Manhattan judge slapped down his bid to be sprung early from probation, effectively barring him from even setting foot inside a wiggle joint for another two years.Lou Posner is a model probationer -- but officials still...

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Jury in alleged Zumba prostitution case can see some explicit images: judge

REUTERSAccused madame Alexis Wright 29, of Wells, Maine is pictured during an arraignment hearing at Cumberland County Superior Court.ALFRED, Maine — A Maine judge says she's not going to let prosecutors introduce almost 600 sexually explicit images at the trial of a man charged with helping a fitness instructor run a prostitution business from her Zumba...

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Pistorius plans his own service for slain girlfriend

JOHANNESBURG — Oscar Pistorius is planning a personal memorial service for Reeva Steenkamp, the 29-year-old model he shot at his home on Valentine's Day.The service was planned for late Tuesday at the Pretoria home of his uncle Arnold, where the Olympic athlete has been staying since he was released on bail awaiting trial on a premeditated murder charge.Pistorius' reputation management firm said Pistorius...

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Man fatally gunned down in Brownsville

A man was gunned down in Brooklyn this morning, authorities said.The 21-year-old victim was shot in the chest at 9 a.m. on Chester Street in Brownsville, police said. He was rushed to Brookdale Hospital where he died from his injuries, police said.It was not immediately clear what sparked the violence. ...

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Elderly man fatally shot in Brooklyn home

An elderly man was shot and killed inside a home in Brooklyn this morning, police said.The 72-year-old man suffered a single gunshot wound to the neck and was discovered inside the Gates Avenue building in Bushwick around 2:25 a.m., cops said.The victim was rushed to Woodhull Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.The man, whose name has not been released,...

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Cobble Hill woman dies after being found with head trauma

A Cobble Hill woman died early today after being found yesterday with head trauma, police said.The 55-year-old was discovered unconscious in a Clinton Street residence near Sackett Street about 10:33 p.m., cops said.She died at Long Island College Hospital about 4:30 a.m.The medical examiner will determine the cause of death. ...

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Bloomberg says NYC must press for 'real' teacher evaluations

Mayor Michael Bloomberg says the $250 million New York City schools stand to lose amid a standoff on teacher evaluations is important, but the city "cannot compromise on having a real evaluation system."The mayor spoke on his WOR-AM radio show Friday. On Thursday, a judge blocked the state from withholding the money, at least for now.The judge froze any...

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Rhode Island police charge two Queens residents with credit card fraud

WEST GREENWICH, RI — Rhode Island State Police have charged two New York City residents with obtaining credit cards through fraudulent means after finding dozens of cards in their vehicle.Col. Steven O'Donnell said 22-year-old Emendjer Mathurin and 37-year-old Abdul Springer, both of Queens, NY, were arrested this week after a trooper stopped them for speeding...

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Pope Benedict XVI may enact law governing upcoming conclave to elect new pope

VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI may enact a new law governing the upcoming conclave to elect a new pope amid continued uncertainty over when the voting can begin.The Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said Wednesday that he didn't know for sure if the new law under consideration would address the timing of the conclave following Benedict's...

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'30 Rock' co-star says Baldwin should 'apologize' if he used racial slur against Post photographer

Splash NewsAlec Baldwin returns home with pregnant wife Hilaria Baldwin amid reports that the NYPD Hate Crime Task Force has launched a probe into his alleged racist remarks earlier this week.Alec Baldwin’s “30 Rock” co-star Tracy Morgan today demanded that the hot-headed actor apologize, if he lobbed a nasty — and outdated — racial slur against a Post...

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Reeva Steenkamp’s mother grieves, ‘Why my little girl?’

Gallo Images/startraksphoto.comReeva Steenkamp and Oscar Pistorius at the Feather Awards on November 4 in Johannesburg.JOHANNESBURG — A devastated June Steenkamp, mother of slain model Reeva Steenkamp, is demanding answers as mystery shrouds the Valentine's Day shooting horror.Mrs. Steenkamp was quoted by the Times newspaper in South Africa in a front page...

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Pistorius may have beaten girlfriend with bat before shooting her: report

“Blade Runner” Oscar Pistorius may have beat his girlfriend with a cricket bat before shooting her to death in his South Africa home, according to a new report.Pistorius, who gained fame by using carbon fiber prosthetics to compete on the world stage against able-bodied runners, was arrested last week and charged with murder for shooting his model girlfriend...

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Woman's badly decomposed body washes up in Breezy Point

A woman’s body was discovered in Queens this morning, police said.She was found shortly before 8:40 a.m. by a passerby in Breezy Point, washed up near Bayside Avenue, cops said.The body was badly decomposed, and only part of her skull was there, according to a police source. But she was clothed, and there were no obvious signs of trauma. The woman has not...

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NYC teachers' pension fund divests from gun makers

The pension fund for New York City schoolteachers has sold its stock in companies that make guns and ammunition.City Comptroller John Liu said Friday that the move came after a thorough review of the fund's exposure to such investments.Teachers union head Michael Mulgrew said selling the stock was "the right thing to do" after the school shootings in Newtown,...

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Rector of Manhattan's Trinity Church to step down

The embattled head of Manhattan’s Trinity Church is stepping down, giving church leaders two years notice.The Rev. James Cooper, 68, who heads one of the richest parishes in the Anglican world with Manhattan land holdings of at least $1 billion, sparked a revolt in 2011 over his dictatorial leadership style and his grandiose development plans.Nearly half...

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LIRR running extra eastbound trains ahead of tonight's potential snowstorm

The Long Island Rail Road is offering eight extra eastbound trains for people trying to get home before the next snowstorm.The extra LIRR service will run from roughly 2 to 4 p.m. Wednesday.The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory starting at 5 p.m.It says another 3 to 5 inches of snow could fall on eastern Long Island.Some parts of Long Island are still digging out from the...

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Feminists in topless pope protest at Paris' Notre Dame

AFPActivists from the women's rights organization Femen protest in front of Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral in Paris today.PARIS — Topless women activists have pounded a huge church bell in Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris to "celebrate" the pope's resignation.The nine women from Ukrainian feminist group Femen had their chests and backs emblazoned with the...

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Village 'bomb ma' pleads not guilty to explosives, drugs charges

The accused Greenwich Village "Bomb Mom" took a whirl-wind tour of Manhattan Criminal Court today, visiting judges in two courtrooms for her ongoing explosives, grand larceny and heroin possession cases.Park Avenue-raised oncologist's daughter Morgan Gliedman, 27, pleaded not guilty this morning to a scary, headlines-making cache of explosives powder and...

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