Sandy holds back consumer spending, pay in October

WASHINGTON — Americans cut back on spending last month and saw no growth in their income, partly reflecting disruptions from Superstorm Sandy that could drag on economic growth in the final months of the year.

The Commerce Department said Friday that consumer spending dropped 0.2 percent in October. That's down from an increase of 0.8 percent in September and the weakest showing since May.

Income was flat in the month following a 0.4 percent rise in September.

The government said work interruptions caused by the storm reduced wages and salaries by about $18 billion at an annual rate. The storm affected 24 states, with the most severe damage in New York and New Jersey.

Consumers may also be scaling back on spending because they are worried about the "fiscal cliff." That's the name for automatic tax increases and spending cuts that will take effect in January if Congress and the Obama administration fail to strike a deal before then.

"The upshot is that although both incomes and spending will probably bounce back in November, the underlying trend is weak," said Paul Dales, senior U.S. economist at Capital Economics.

The depressed spending figures suggest the economy will grow more slowly in the October-December quarter. Consumer spending drives nearly 70 percent of economic activity.

Dales predicts growth will tumble from the 2.7 percent annual rate in the July-September quarter to a weak 1 percent in the October-December period. That's considered too low to lower the unemployment rate.

Even discounting the effects of Sandy, income growth would have risen a still-weak 0.1 percent. After-tax income adjusted for inflation fell 0.1 percent. And spending adjusted for inflation dropped 0.3 percent — the biggest decline in three years.

The saving rate edged up slightly to 3.4 percent of after-tax income in October, compared with 3.3 percent in September.

Many economists predict economic growth will rebound in the New Year when the rebuilding phase begins in the Northeast.

And if President Barack Obama and Congress can reach a budget deal to avoid to fiscal cliff, some analysts and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke are predicting a good year for the economy.

Still, the storm's impact has slowed sales in the nation's most densely populated region ahead of the crucial holiday shopping season.

The International Council of Shopping Centers said 18 major retailers reported sales rose 1.7 percent in November compared to the same period a year ago. The group had been expecting sales growth between 4.5 percent and 5.5 percent.

The impact of the storm may be starting to fade. Retailers are reporting solid sales over the Thanksgiving Day holiday weekend.

And applications for unemployment benefits have fallen from an 18-month high in the first week of November. The surge was driven by applications in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut.

Still, the increase in unemployment claims earlier this month will likely depress job growth for November. Many economists predict that net job growth for November will range between 25,000 and 75,000 — well below the 171,000 jobs added in October.

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Bloomberg says Con Ed is 'best utility in the country' despite widespread power outages from Sandy

He's defended Con Ed in crisis after crisis and today, despite the widespread power loss resulting from Hurricane Sandy, Mayor Bloomberg pronounced the utility the best in America.

"Con Ed did not have any real damage in underground electric. They had one sub-station (that went out)," the mayor said on his weekly radio show.

"I keep saying this and everybody wants to shoot me for it. If you look at the national statistics, this happens to be the best utility in the country."

Hundreds of thousands of Con Ed customers lost electricity when the super-storm struck last month.

Most of the affected homes were in low-lying areas.

But a large swath of Manhattan below 40th Street was also powerless for four days after the utility's sub-station on 14th Street flooded.

Bloomberg argued that Con Ed took all the precautions it could, including building a sea wall at 14th Street higher than any previous storm surge. Unfortunately, Sandy shattered historical records and tossed the East River above the Con Ed wall.

"Are they perfect. No. And it's a lot of would've, should've and could've and second-guessing," the mayor concluded. "They've done a very good job, and they did not have a lot of damage."

On a related front, Bloomberg shot down the idea of plugging subway tunnels for the next mega-storm.

"I think a legitimate question is if this happens only once every 110 years and if they did get it back as quickly as they did, is that a good use of your money?" he asked.

"You're probably better off taking those dollars and expanding the subway out to where people now live compared to when they did 100 years ago when the subways were built."

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Gerard Depardieu caught allegedly driving drunk - on a scooter

PARIS — French actor Gerard Depardieu was detained Thursday for allegedly driving drunk on his scooter, police said.

The 63-year-old actor, who has appeared in more than 150 films, was brought in to a Paris police station Thursday afternoon, an official with the Paris police department said.

The Paris prosecutor's office ordered him detained, the official said. She spoke on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to discuss ongoing investigations.

The burly actor was picked up off after he fell off his scooter in northwest Paris, the Sipa news agency reported. He failed a sobriety test and was taken to a police station, according to Sipa.

AFP/Getty Images

French actor Gerard Depardieu riding his motorbike in Paris in May.

A call to Depardieu's management company was not returned Thursday night.

Thursday's incident was one of several encounters with the law for Depardieu. He grabbed headlines when he urinated in the aisle of a plane before takeoff on a Paris to Dublin flight. He was removed from the aircraft.

In 1998, he crashed his motorcycle when his blood-alcohol limit was five times over the legal level, escaping with leg and face injuries.

Depardieu, a bon vivant who overcame a speech impediment and a childhood of neglect to become one of France's most popular and versatile film stars, was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in the 1990 film "Cyrano de Bergerac."

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Red Cross worker 'groped' Sandy victim after offering her hotel room

A Red Cross worker allegedly groped a woman who had been staying in a Sandy shelter.

The victim, who accepted a Midtown hotel room from Rodney Roy, 39, after her Rockaways home was damaged by the storm, said the offer of help soon turned into a nightmare.

The victim told Roy that she would take the Lexington Hotel room he offered but said she would be staying alone, a law enforcement source told The Post of the Nov. 23 incident.

She said that after she and Roy had dinner together in the room, he began touching her over her clothes, the source said.

She told him to stop and he apologized, the source said.

Roy was busted on Nov. 26 and faces charges of forcible touching and sexual abuse.

He is scheduled to be back in court on Feb. 7.

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Train filled with hazardous materials derails in NJ

PAULSBORO, NJ — People in three southern New Jersey towns were told Friday to stay inside after a freight train derailed and several tanker cars carrying hazardous materials toppled from a bridge and into a creek.

Emergency management officials issued the advisory to residents of Paulsboro, West Deptford and East Greenwich Township as a precaution.

SEE MORE PHOTOS HERE

At least one tanker car may contain vinyl chloride, Gloucester County Emergency Management director J. Thomas Butts told WPVI-TV.

TV helicopter footage showed at least two tankers in Mantua Creek and one hanging over a trestle, part of which is seemingly collapsed. The creek empties into the Delaware River just across from Philadelphia International Airport.

myfoxphilly.com

A derailed trained in Paulsboro, New Jersey.

The Environmental Protection Agency said short-term exposure to high levels of vinyl chloride can cause dizziness and drowsiness.

A spokesman for the state Environmental Protection Department says officials are trying to determine what the cars were carrying.

The Gloucester County Times says 18 people are reported to be having difficulty breathing.

It's not clear what caused the derailment.

Calls to Conrail have not been returned.

Philadelphia News, Weather and Sports from WTXF FOX 29

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Higher revenue from Nook offsets Barnes & Noble store declines

Barnes & Noble on Thursday said it turned a profit in its fiscal second-quarter as higher revenue from its Nook e-book and e-bookstore division offset a decline at retail stores.

The largest traditional book retailer has been fighting tough competition from online retailers and discount stores by investing heavily in its Nook e-book reader.

Sales from that division rose 6 percent to $160 million. Digital content sales rose 38 percent. Barnes & Noble introduced two new Nook e-readers, a 7-inch Nook HD and 9-inch Nook HD+, during the quarter, which began shipping just after the quarter closed.

Net income totaled $2.2 million for the three months ended Oct. 27. That translates to a loss of 4 cents per share, however, after the impact of preferred stock dividends. That matched analysts' expectations, according to FactSet..

The results compare with a prior-year loss of $6.6 million, or 17 cents per share.

Revenue was nearly flat at $1.88 billion. Analysts expected revenue of $1.91 billion.

Revenue from stores fell 3 percent to $996 million. Its college bookstores' revenue rose less than 1 percent to $773 million. Revenue in stores open at least one year, excluding sales of Nook products, rose 1.8 percent.

The metric is considered a key gauge of a retailer's fiscal health because it excludes stores that open or close during the year.

Barnes & Noble shares slipped 14 cents to $15.91 in morning trading. They have traded in a range of $9.35 to $26 over the past year.

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US economy grew at 2.7 percent rate over summer

WASHINGTON — The US economy grew at a 2.7 percent annual rate from July through September, much faster than first thought. The strength is expected to fade in the final months of the year because of uncertainty about looming tax increases and government spending cuts.

The Commerce Department said Thursday that growth in the third quarter was significantly better than the 2 percent rate estimated a month ago. And it was more than twice the 1.3 percent rate reported for the April-June quarter.

The main reason for the upward revision to the gross domestic product was businesses restocked at a faster pace than previously estimated. That offset weaker consumer spending growth.

GDP measures the nation's total output of goods and services — from restaurant meals and haircuts to airplanes, appliances and highways.

Most economists say economic growth is slowing to below 2 percent in the current October-December quarter. That's generally considered too weak to rapidly lower the unemployment rate.

Paul Ashworth, chief US economist at Capital Economics, said companies are likely restocking more slowly now. Businesses typically cut back on restocking when they think consumers will spend less. Consumer spending drives roughly 70 percent of economic activity.

Economists cite two reasons for the anticipated weakness in consumer and business spending.

Superstorm Sandy halted business activity along the East Coast in late October and November. And spending may weaken in the final weeks of the year, if lawmakers and Obama fail to reach a deal to avoid the "fiscal cliff." That's the name for sharp tax increases and spending cuts that would occur in January without a deal.

Companies are "likely thinning inventories just in case Congress fails to do its job, which is always a possibility," said Joel Naroff, chief economist at Naroff Economic Advisors.

A separate report Thursday showed the negative impact of Superstorm Sandy is starting to fade. The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell 23,000 to a seasonally adjusted 393,000 last week, the Labor Department said. It was the second straight drop after Superstorm Sandy had driven applications to 451,000 three weeks ago.

Still, consumers and businesses appeared to be more cautious over the summer, according to the GDP report.

Consumer spending grew at a weaker 1.4 percent rate in the third quarter, down from the 2 percent rate estimated a month ago and nearly in line with the 1.5 percent rate in the second quarter.

Businesses spending on equipment and software fell at an annual rate of 2.7 percent in the third quarter, the first decline since the depths of the recession in April-June 2009.

The report showed continued strength in homebuilding, which rose at an annual rate of 14.2 percent. And government spending expanded at an annual rate 3.5 percent, marking its first positive contribution to overall economic growth in two years. The increase was driven by a big jump in defense spending.

While economists predict slower growth in the final months of the year, several reports suggest economic activity picked up in October and early November. And if Congress and the White House reach agreement and avoid the fiscal cliff, economic growth could accelerate next year, many economists say.

A Federal Reserve survey released Tuesday showed improved consumer spending and steady home sales helped lift growth from October through early November in most parts of the United States. The one exception was the Northeast, where the storm led to widespread disruptions.

The Labor Department said employers added 171,000 jobs last month and hiring in September and August was stronger than previously thought.

Rising home values, more hiring and lower gas prices pushed consumer confidence in November to the highest level in nearly five years, according to the Conference Board.

A better mood among consumers appears to have encouraged businesses to invest more in October after pulling back over the summer.

There are already signs that consumer optimism is leading to more spending. A record number of Americans visited stores and shopping websites over the four-day Thanksgiving weekend, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation.

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Superstorm Sandy victims to receive aid and higher taxes

Superstorm Sandy may have one more nasty surprise still to come: higher taxes.

The math is simple and cruel. The storm left fewer properties standing, often wrecking waterfront communities that paid the highest taxes because of the desirability of living near the water.

Unless shore towns from Rhode Island to New Jersey get a big influx of aid from the state and federal governments, which are themselves strapped for cash, they will have no choice but to raise taxes on homes and businesses that survived to make up for the loss. Even with federal reimbursement of 75 percent, the towns — many of which were already struggling before the storm — could still be on the hook for tens of millions of dollars.

AP Photo/Julio Cortez

Communities like Seaside Heights, New Jersey face higher taxes as a result of their destruction during Superstorm Sandy.

"Hopefully taxes won't go up; we all have individual bills that we're going to have to worry about," said Ralph Isaacs, a 71-year-old retired teacher whose home in Long Beach, N.Y., was flooded with 18 inches of water, knocking out the electricity and heat and forcing him and his wife into a rented recreational vehicle for 17 days. "We're pretty sure the insurance money is not going to cover everything."

Toms River, where 5,000 residents are still out of their homes, recently passed a $35 million emergency appropriation; debris removal alone is costing it $1 million a week. The township's Ortley Beach section, where property values and taxes were highest, saw 225 homes destroyed. Administrator Paul Shives asked state officials this week for three to five years of extra state aid.

Right now, he said, it is impossible for towns like his to even consider formulating a budget without knowing how much tax money will be coming in. Shore towns especially are expecting a wave of tax appeals from storm-damaged or destroyed homes that will lower the towns' tax bases, though that doesn't appear to have begun in earnest yet.

The realities have touched off an intense push to get the federal government to assume the largest share of the cost. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo this week upped his state's reimbursement request from $30 billion to $42 billion; New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie asked Wednesday for $36.8 billion.

Cuomo said most of the recovery should be paid for by the federal government.

"To try to finance (recovery costs) through taxes would incapacitate this state," said Cuomo, who noted the cost of repairing just one subway station in lower Manhattan will be $600 million.

Christie — who this week announced his campaign for a second term amid high poll ratings for his handling of the storm and who is considered a leading potential Republican presidential candidate in 2016 — has told residents in storm-damaged areas to expect to pay higher taxes. This month, he told communities they can exempt storm recovery costs from a state-imposed 2 percent limit on property tax increases.

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Hostess to ask for judge's approval to give top executives $1.8M in bonuses

Hostess Brands Inc. is asking for a judge's approval to give its top executives bonuses totaling up to $1.8 million as part of its wind-down plans.

The maker of Twinkies, Ding Dongs and Ho Hos says the incentive pay is needed to retain the 19 corporate officers and "high-level managers" during the liquidation process, which could take about a year. Two of those executives would be eligible for additional rewards depending on how efficiently they carry out the liquidation. The bonuses would be in addition to their regular pay.

The bonuses do not include pay for CEO Gregory Rayburn, who was brought on as a restructuring expert earlier this year. Rayburn is being paid $125,000 a month.

AP

Hostess Twinkies

Hostess is also seeking final approval for its wind-down, which was approved on an interim basis last week.

The process includes the quick sale of its brands, which also include CupCakes, Donettes and Wonder Bread. Hostess says it has received a flood of interest in the brands, including from national packaged food makers, international companies and its own customers, which include supermarkets and big-box retailers. Hostess sales have been declining over the years, but still come in at between $2.3 billion and $2.4 billion a year, a banker for the company said in court last week.

The company's shuttering means loss of about 18,000 jobs.

In court Thursday, an attorney for Hostess noted that the company is no longer able to pay retiree benefits, which come to about $1.1 million a month. Hostess stopped contributing to its union pension plans more than a year ago.

The company's demise came after years of management turmoil, with workers saying the company failed to invest in updating its products. In January, Hostess filed for its second Chapter 11 bankruptcy in less than a decade, citing steep costs associated with its unionized work force.

Although Hostess was able to reach a new contract agreement with its largest union, its second biggest union rejected the terms and went on strike Nov. 9. A week later, Hostess announced its plans to liquidate, saying the strike crippled its ability to maintain normal production.

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Kristen Stewart flaunts bra in see-through top

Kristen Stewart flashed her black bra through a sheer white shirt at the Variety Awards Studio in LA yesterday. Just to leave a little to the imagination, she completed the look with a loose pair of plaid pants.

The actress seems to be on a racier route after wearing see-through ensembles at both the London and Hollywood premieres of "Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2."

The Variety symposium brought celebs together to talk about their on-screen projects. Kristen was among the many stars who attended, including her "On the Road" costar Garrett Hedlund. Elle Fanning, Leslie Mann, Rosemarie DeWitt, Michael Peña and Kerry Washington also attended.

WireImage

Kristen Stewart attends the Variety Awards Studio

Stewart's back in the states after spending time in the UK with on-again beau Robert Pattinson while they promote the final flick of the mega "Twilight" franchise.

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Gabriel Aubry criminal charges ‘highly unlikely’: report

Looks like Gabriel Aubry has escaped a criminal rap after his ugly Thanksgiving day brawl with Olivier Martinez.

Law enforcement connected to the case have told TMZ that it is "highly unlikely" that Halle Berry's baby daddy will be criminally charged for the brutal fight. The gossip site reports that the bloody beat down will be considered "mutual combat."

The case is due to be sent to the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office on Thursday. However police will not make a recommendation on whether Aubry should be prosecuted.

Page Six revealed that Aubry won a round after a Los Angeles judge restored parental rights for the Canadian model, who's father to 4-year-old Nahla. Lawyers for Aubry and Berry yesterday faced a family court judge behind closed doors who ruled for the embattled dad — tweaking the restraining order to allow him to see Nahla again

Richard Beetham / Splash News

Brutal injuries Gabriel Aubry claims he suffered at the hands of Halle Berry's fiance Olivier Martinez.

It wasn't clear how Aubry would be able to see Nahla because he's still under orders to steer clear of Berry and Martinez.

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Sales of new homes fall slightly in October

US sales of new homes fell slightly in October and the September sales pace was slower than initially thought.

The Commerce Department said Wednesday that new-home sales dipped 0.3 percent in October to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 368,000. That's down marginally from the 369,000 pace in September, which was revised lower from an initially reported 389,000.

Sales are still 20.4 percent higher than the same month last year. Still, new-home sales are well below the annual rate of 700,000 that economists consider healthy.

Sales fell a sharp 32.3 percent in the Northeast, but the government said Hurricane Sandy had only a minimal effect on the housing data because it hit at the end of the month.

The improvement in the new-home market this year follows other reports that show the housing market starting to recover more than five years after the bubble burst.

Home prices are rising, sales are up, and builders are starting work on more new homes and apartments.

A big reason for the rebound is that the excess supply of homes that were built during the housing boom has finally thinned out. At the same time, more people are looking to buy or rent a home after living with relatives or friends during and immediately after the Great Recession. And mortgage rates have been near record lows all year, making homes more affordable.

Though new homes represent only a small portion of the housing market, they have a disproportionate impact on the economy. Each home built creates an average of three jobs for a year and generates about $90,000 in tax revenue, according to statistics from the National Association of Home Builders.

Sales of previously occupied homes are near five-year highs, excluding temporary spikes in 2009 and 2010 when a homebuyer tax credit boosted purchases. Builders, meanwhile, are increasingly confident that the recovery has legs. A measure of their confidence rose to the highest level in six and a half years this month. And builders broke ground on new homes and apartments last month at the fastest pace in more than four years.

The Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller home price index, released Tuesday, found that prices rose in most major cities in September compared to August. They rose 3.6 percent in the third quarter compared to the same period last year.

There are still factors dragging on a housing recovery. Many Americans, particularly first-time homebuyers, are unable to qualify for a mortgage or can't afford larger down payments.

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Gazans thank Iran for help in battling Israel

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Residents of the Gaza Strip have plastered large billboards in key locations thanking Iran for its help during a recent eight-day battle against Israel.

The posters reflect the strong ties between Iran and the Hamas and Islamic Jihad militant groups in Gaza. Israel considers Iran to be its most dangerous enemy, citing Iran's support for the militants and its suspect nuclear program.

During the fighting, Gaza militants groups fired hundreds of rockets into Israel, including Iranian-made missiles reaching as far as Tel Aviv.

The posters, displayed in three locations in Gaza City, show the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, surrounded by Iranian and Palestinian flags, two hands in a handshake with the words, "Thank You Iran" in Arabic, Hebrew and Farsi.

AP

Palestinian school girls pass a billboard covered by national and Iranian flags with Arabic reading, "thanks and gratitude to Iran", in Gaza City today.

Hamas and Islamic Jihad leaders have also publicly thanked Iran.

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NJ sues more hotels and gas stations suspected of price gouging during Sandy

NEWARK — New Jersey is suing another seven hotels and three gas stations suspected of price gouging during Hurricane Sandy.

That brings to 18 the number accused of illegally overcharging and taking advantage of customers.

The attorney general's office says the hotels named in suits announced Wednesday are collectively accused of committing more than 1,000 instances of price gouging. The state alleges the hotels charged more than $400 per night in some instances, and excessively increased rates by more than 200 percent.

The three gas stations include one that allegedly raised the price of regular gasoline by 80 cents to $4.50 per gallon. That was a 22 percent increase above pre-storm prices.

Getty Images

People line up at a gas station in New Jersey just days after Hurricane Sandy hit the area.

Violators face fines of up to $10,000 for the first offense.

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GM to build third factory complex in China

DETROIT — General Motors and its joint venture partners say they will build a third factory complex in China to keep pace with rising sales.

GM China, SAIC and Wuling Motors expect to start construction on the plant in the Chongqing municipality early in 2013, with the $1 billion first phase opening in 2015. Eventually the plant will be able to build 400,000 vehicles and engines per year, the company said in a statement Wednesday.

GM wouldn't say what models the factory will build or how large it will be.

The automaker already has factories in Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and Qingdao, Shandong. The new factory will give GM factory bases in southern, northern and central China to serve the world's largest auto market. When the Chongqing factory is finished, GM and its joint ventures with the government will be able to build 2 million vehicles per year.

The joint venture has been the leading small commercial vehicle producer in China since 2006, and in 2009, it became the first manufacturer in China to sell 1 million vehicles in a calendar year, the company said in a statement.

GM and its joint ventures in China sold an October-record 251,812 vehicles. Sales are up 14.3 percent on an annual basis, as GM's major brands in China reached new highs for the month.

China's auto sales rebounded in October but Japanese brands suffered a sharp downturn amid a territorial dispute between Beijing and Tokyo. Sales rose 6.4 percent to 1.3 million vehicles, according to the government-sanctioned China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. That was a recovery from September's 0.3 percent contraction — the first monthly decline this year.

General Motors Co. shares rose 5 cents to $25.06 in morning trading. They have traded in a 52-week range of $18.72 to $27.68.

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Off-duty NYPD cop busted in alleged LES assault

An off-duty NYPD sergeant was arrested for attacking someone this morning in the Lower East Side, authorities said.

Besemah Rogers, 42, allegedly punched the victim in the face, it is not clear what sparked the fight, police sources said.

The 77th Precinct sergeant was busted on assault charges, police said.

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Angus T. Jones: the controversial pastor behind his outburst

As you probably know by now, Angus T. Jones, the "half man" on the show "Two and a Half Men" made headlines for blasting his CBS sitcom as "filth" via a 10-minute testimonial in which he says he's found God and says he no longer wants to be on the show.

But eyes are now on the man on the right of the screen: Seventh-day Adventist pastor Christopher Hudson, aka The Forerunner.

TMZ has dug up some interesting nuggets from Hudson's ForeRunner Chronicles video series, including:

— Why he believes Jay-Z is a Freemason with ties to the devil

— How he alleges Obama's pro-gay agenda has similarities to Hitler

The ForeRunner via YouTube

Angus T. Jones video testimony with Christopher Hudson

— How he claims NYC's gas crisis can lead to cannibalism

Hudson had bizarrely warned his followers that the gas crisis could turn into a food crisis, forcing women to eat their own children: "Your baby might start looking like a chicken wing."

MY SHOW IS FILTH! 'TWO AND A HALF MEN' TEEN LASHES OUT

It is unclear if Angus believes everything the pastor is saying, but in the now-viral "testimony" video, the young man only had praise for his spiritual guide. "I love watching ForeRunner Chronicles," Angus said. "All the information is so great…Your videos have no doubt been a blessing to me."

TMZ has spoken to Hudson, and he said that he and Angus have become close over the past year and share similar beliefs.

Meanwhile, the young actor's mother has spoken out, saying that she's "concerned" for her son.

Carey, 42, told Mail Online in a brief statement that she's "concerned he's being exploited by the church."

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Brad Pitt wedding will be ‘soon’

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie might hear wedding bells soon.

At the New York junket for his film "Killing Them Softly," Pitt shared to People about his much-anticipated nuptials.

"The time is nigh….it's soon," the actor said. "I got a good feeling about it."

Surprisingly, it's the young Jolie-Pitt brood who's pushing for the wedding. "I am getting more pressure from my kids, and it is something I want to do within their lifetime, but I also feel like the time has come," the actors explained.

Pitt he popped the question to Jolie in the spring after seven years dating and raising six children together. Even with so much history between them, Pitt still finds tying the knot meaningful.

WireImage

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie attends "In The Land Of Blood And Honey" Los Angeles Premiere on December 8, 2011

"We've had a family, we've raised the kids," he said about Maddox, 11, Pax, 8, Zahara, 7, Shiloh, 6, and 4-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne. "I am surprised how much [marriage] meant to me once you had that."

The pair have famously put their marriage plans on hold until the legalization of same-sex marriage. Perhaps Brangelina's wedding might happen sooner than we think.

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Gabriel Aubry seeking to lift order of protection: report

He's not giving up without a fight.

Halle Berry's baby daddy Gabriel Aubry is rushing to family court today, seeking to lift the order of protection that prohibits him from seeing his 4-year-old daughter Nahla, reports TMZ.

The gossip site reports that the actress' lawyers will be in court this morning to oppose her ex's motion.

Berry had obtained the emergency order of protection after his bloody Thanksgiving brawl with Olivier Martinez. The Canadian model is to stay at least 100 yards away from her, Nahla and Martinez. The order is in effect until Dec. 3.

Fern / Splash News

Nahla and her father Gabriel Aubry head to a Halloween festival in Studio City

Yesterday, Aubry was granted an emergency restraining order against Martinez even though he was the one arrested after fighting with French actor.

Tension between Martinez and Aubry has soared since Berry tried to take Nahla to France to live with her and Martinez.

Aubry went to court and got an order stopping her.

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Godfather of baseball free agency Miller dies at 95

Marvin Miller, the most influential labor leader in sports history who ushered free agency into baseball, has passed away at the age of 95.

The Major League Baseball Players Association this morning confirmed Miller's death.

Miller was the MLB Players Association chief from its inception in 1966 until 1983. He successfully challenged MLB's "reserve clause" which had previously tied players to their original teams with virtually no bargaining power.

When the reserve clause was busted, it essentially opened baseball's modern era of free agency.

In a prepared statement, the MLBPA hailed Miller for "transforming the association first into a bona fide labor union then gradually into one of the strongest collective bargaining units in the United States."

AP

Marvin Miller, former executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, died at the age of 95.

The labor economist came to baseball through the United Steelworkers of America, and he gradually nudged players into believing they had a right to bargain for salaries and their place of employment.

Even before busting the reserve clause, Miller is credited for boosting MLB's player minimum wage from $6,000 to $10,000 in 1968. Miller also won players the right to arbitration to settle disputes, a tool he used to score the union's greatest gains.

Miller's grand slam came in 1975 when he convinced Baltimore pitcher Dave McNally and Dodgers hurler Andy Messersmith to play out their contracts and ask an arbitrator for freedom.

The ensuing ruling by arbitrator Peter Seitz set them free and ended the reserve clause.

Now all players are enjoy free agency after six years of MLB service time.

Miller agreed to the long waiting time, knowing players salaries would be driven up, if the number of available free agents on the market were kept to a relative minimum.

The players' hard-won rights often came at a terrible price to the game. Miller oversaw player strikes in 1972, 1979 and 1981, in addition to management lockouts in 1973 and 1976.

Miller was never inducted to baseball's Hall of Fame, much to the chagrin of players and union supporters.

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Serbian man sentenced in Binghamton bar brawl released from jail

BELGRADE, Serbia - A former Serb college basketball player serving a two-year prison sentence for beating an American into a coma in New York state has been freed about two months early.

Miladin Kovacevic was sentenced by a Serb court for his attack on fellow Binghamton University student Bryan Steinhauer of Brooklyn in 2008 in a barroom brawl.

The Serb's early release Monday is part of a government amnesty including over 1,000 prisoners sentenced for lesser crimes.

After the brawl, Kovacevic jumped bail in the U.S. and fled to Serbia, which refused to extradite him, angering Washington.

AP

Miladin Kovacevic.

The Serb government eventually paid $900,000 to Steinhauer's family as part of an agreement that also included putting Kovacevic on trial in Belgrade.

The Obama administration and Steinhauer's family both called Kovacevic's sentence too lenient.

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Rihanna goes topless after sharing pic of half-naked Chris Brown

What a pair. After raising more than a few eyebrows tweeting a shirtless pic of Chris Brown sprawled on her bed on Saturday, Rihanna posted her own topless shot the day after.

In the black-and-white pic, the singer provocatively poses with her back to the camera, wearing nothing besides black pants and sneakers. Along with the photo, she tweeted "#LondonNightLife."

The controversial duo have yet to confirm their relationship status, based on reports they have spent the better part of the holiday weekend together in Europe.

Like a fly to honey, Rihanna jetted off to see her controversial flame all the way in Berlin pretty much the minute after her 777 tour ended. She attended Brown's Carpe Diem concert in the German capital and joined him at an after-party at a night club on Thanksgiving. They were then spotted exiting the club and leaving in the same car.

Rihanna via Instagram

Chris Brown sprawled on Rihanna's bed

Rihanna via Instagram

Rihanna in London

Rihanna is currently in London where she made an appearance on the live results show on the UK version of "The X Factor."

The pair, who duet together in Rihanna's song "Nobody's Businesses," insist they are not romantically linked.

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Double-oh dolts: UK gov't official job's website seeks next 007

Anyone who ever dreamed of becoming James Bond had their chance last night on the official job website for the United Kingdom's government.

The job posting on the government-run UK job center saught a "Target Elimination Specialist" for the "Secret Intelligence Service" who would "remove people whose continued existence poses a risk to the effective conduct of public order," according to theverge.com.

To drive home the job's James Bond like quality the post listed the job's equiment which included the notorious secret agent's signiture gun, the Walther PPK, as well as special watches, jet packs, and mini-submarines.

©Columbia Pictures/courtesy Ever

Daniel Craig as James Bond in "Skyfall."

And of course, the job's reference code was, "007," and extra points would have been given to candidates who liked "their martinis shaken and not stirred."

Unfortunately for would be secret agents, the post was a hoax by mi6recruitment@hotmail.com and has since been taken down.

The job website has apparently been criticized in the past for cost overruns and inaccuracies.

A screenshot of the job posting for a Jame Bond style secret agent on the UK's government-run job's website.

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Defenders getting physical with Giants' Nicks, Cruz

Remember all that talking and squawking about how cornerbacks and safeties have no chance to cover all the talented receivers in the NFL because the rules favoring the offensive players make it impossible to do so? Perhaps there's not as much validity to that claim as there once was.

The Giants certainly will attest to a not-so-subtle change in the way they have been yanked at and pulled at and impeded by opposing defenses. Once upon a time this season, Eli Manning was at the helm of a high-flying passing attack but the air show has been grounded for a month. Failing to produce big plays was a main reason why the Giants went into last night's important NFC battle with the Packers riding a two-game losing streak.

The breakdowns were not triggered exclusively by failures in the way Manning was delivering the ball. His receivers, notably Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks, were often not able to escape the clutches of defenders who would rather take their chances on a penalty than risk a huge play down the field.

"Actually overall the defensive back play this season has been very physical, not just with Victor, but with all of the receivers, the entire crew,'' Giants receivers coach Kevin M. Gilbride said. "That's something that we now are starting to overcome a little bit. We're starting to understand how to play through some of that contact, whether it's right at the line of scrimmage or further down the field.''

The success of the entire operation depends on turning that understanding into action. Gilbride after serving as an offensive assistant the past two years is in his first season as the receivers coach and the quicker he can get his guys in gear the better it will be for his father, Kevin Gilbride, who is in his sixth season as the offensive coordinator.

Watching Manning have his way in the passing game through the first six games started the conversation that perhaps he should be in the MVP picture. That conversation has been muted as the passing attack has faltered, badly. Manning hasn't thrown a touchdown pass in three straight games. Cruz has 60 receptions in 10 games, but only 10 in the past three games. His longest reception in that span is 26 yards.

Nicks, slowed by foot and knee problems all season, missed three consecutive games in late September and early October and has been stuck on one touchdown catch since the second game. He's slowly healing from his ailments, taking a regular turn in practice and two weeks ago broke out with a nine-catch performance in an otherwise dreary 31-13 loss in Cincinnati.

Along the way, Cruz and Nicks have been knocked around by defensive backs who are adopting a "more physical the better'' approach. Neither starting receiver is a physically-dominant player, though Cruz is strong and Nicks often looks like a basketball player rising for a rebound the way he elevates to get the ball in his huge hands. The deep ball hasn't been there for either player. Plus, the execution in the short-passing game leaves plenty to be desired.

"I think based on what defenses try to do, they can take away certain things, and I think that's really what has happened,'' the younger Gilbride said. "In the Pittsburgh game, we had a couple opportunities on some deeper balls that for whatever reason we didn't quite connect on. On two of those plays, we ended up getting a penalty called on the defense anyway and got that chunk of yardage, but we couldn't capitalize on the top ends of those drives, which we needed to in order to give ourselves a chance to win. When a defense is taking things away from you, then you do have to adjust and usually it's built within each play to try to take advantage of the underneath coverage if they're playing with extended coverage over top.''

All three players vying for the No. 3 receiver role — Domenik Hixon, Ramses Barden and rookie Rueben Randle — have had eye-opening games, but none have been able to break away from the pack. Hixon's sprained ankle kept him out of the game against the Packers, giving Randle the opportunity to show that his big game (six catches, 82 yards) seven weeks ago against the Browns wasn't a fluke.

The Giants don't care which receiver rises to the top, just as long as one of them does.

"As teams have started to play certain ways against us, and really it's not just against us, it's across the NFL, those are the adjustments you have to make,'' Gilbride said. "Not any particular week, but I think we're starting to understand that it's happening and make the proper technique adjustments.''

paul.schwartz@nypost.com

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Chris Brown quits Twitter after vulgar attack on Jenny Johnson

Chris Brown deleted his Twitter account yesterday after a vulgar exchange of tweets with comedian and TV producer Jenny Johnson.

It began when Brown tweeted a photo of himself with the caption, "I look old as [bleep]! I'm only 23." Johnson, who has previously taken shots at Brown for his 2009 assault on on-off girlfriend Rihanna responded, "I know! Being a worthless piece of [bleep] can really age a person."

The hot-headed singer shot back, calling Johnson obscene names and told her to do a sex act, "Take them teeth out when u Sucking my [bleep] HOE." Johnson then corrected Brown's typo, tweeting, "It's 'HO' not 'HOE' you ignorant [bleep]."

Jenny Johsnon via Twitter

Jenny Johsnon

Jen Lowery / Splash News

Chris Brown at the 40th Anniversary American Music Awards

The conversation spiraled downward as Brown made crude oral sex jokes and Johnson aimed at Brown's mother, "Your mom must be so proud of you."

Brown then responded, "Mom says hello ... " followed by as series of other un-publishable threats.

At one point, Johnson included a link to an online report that detailed Brown's assault on Rihanna on February 8, 2009.

Johnson ended the exchange with, "YOU FLIRT!" with Brown getting a final shot in by typing, "Let me leave this [bleep] alone ... it's good to know my worth by listening to a [bleep] that is worthless! #win #bushpigswag."

The comedian wrapped up her comments by writing, "Okay. I'm done. All I got from that exchange with Chris Brown is that he wants to [bleep] and fart on me ... I have zero respect for a person who seems unapologetic for the terrible crime he committed and shows no signs of changing."

Brown's Twitter has since been deleted, however the exchange included a cryptic comment. "Don't run for support now ... Lol. Ur a comedic writer!!!" He added, "Just ask Rihanna if she mad??????"

The controversial duo have yet to confirm their relationship status, but they have spent the better part of the holiday weekend together after Brown's concert in Berlin. Rihanna also tweeted a shirtless pic of Brown sprawled on her bed on Saturday.

Brown has quit Twitter under a different handle before. Back in 2009, he took aim at Walmart and other retailers for allegedly not stocking his album "Graffiti."

Meanwhile, Johnson just posted, "It's alarming how many death threats I'm receiving via @ replies. I encourage everyone, including @Twitter to look through them. Not cool."

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Pope elevates six new cardinals

VATICAN CITY — Six new cardinals on Saturday joined the elite club of red-robed churchmen who will elect the next pope, bringing a more geographically diverse mix into the European-dominated College of Cardinals.

Pope Benedict XVI presided over the ceremony in St. Peter's Basilica to formally elevate the six men, who hail from Colombia, India, Lebanon, Nigeria, the Philippines and the United States. As Benedict read each name aloud in Latin, cheers and applause erupted from their friends and family members in the pews.

The ceremony was both joyful and emotional: Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle, seen by many to be a rising star in the church, visibly choked up as he knelt before Benedict to receive his three-pointed red hat, or biretta, and gold ring, and wiped tears from his eyes as he returned to his place.

AP

Newly elected Cardinal, Ruben Salazar Gomez of Colombia, right, receives the red three-cornered biretta hat from Pope Benedict XVI during a consistory inside the St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican today.

Abuja, Nigeria Archbishop John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan, meanwhile, seemed to want to sit down and chat with each one of the dozens of cardinals that he greeted in the traditional exchange of peace that follows the formal elevation rite.

Benedict has said that with this "little consistory," he was essentially completing his last cardinal-making ceremony held in February, when he elevated 22 cardinals, the vast majority of them European archbishops and Vatican bureaucrats.

Benedict said Saturday that the new cardinals represent the "unique, universal and all-inclusive identity" of the Catholic Church.

"In this consistory, I want to highlight in particular the fact that the church is the church of all peoples, and so she speaks in the various cultures of the different continents," he told the crowd, which included Lebanese President Michel Suleiman, the vice president of the Philippines Jejomar Binay and lawmakers from India and Nigeria.

The College of Cardinals remains heavily European even with the new additions: Of the 120 cardinals under age 80 and thus eligible to vote in a conclave to elect a new pope, more than half — 62 — are European. Critics have complained that the "princes of the church" no longer represents the Catholic Church today, since Catholicism is growing in Asia and Africa but is in crisis in much of Europe.

The issue of numbers is significant since these are the men who will elect the next pope from among their ranks: Will the next pontiff come from the southern hemisphere, where two-thirds of the world's Catholics live? Or will the papacy return to Italy, which has 28 voting-age cardinals, after a Polish and German pope?

The new cardinals do make the papal voting bloc a bit more multinational: Latin America, which boasts half of the world's Catholics, now has 21 voting-age cardinals; North America, 14; Africa, 11; Asia, 11; and Oceana, one.

Among the six new cardinals is Archbishop James Harvey, the American prefect of the papal household. As prefect, Harvey was the direct superior of the pope's former butler, Paolo Gabriele, who is serving an 18 month prison sentence in a Vatican jail for stealing the pope's private papers and leaking them to a reporter in the greatest Vatican security breach in modern times.

The Vatican spokesman has denied Harvey, 63 from Milwaukee, is leaving because of the scandal. But on the day the pope announced Harvey would be made cardinal, he also said he would leave the Vatican to take up duties as the archpriest of one of the Vatican's four Roman basilicas. Such a face-saving promotion-removal is not an uncommon Vatican personnel move.

Harvey's departure has led to much speculation about who would replace him in the delicate job of organizing the pope's daily schedule and arranging audiences.

Aside from Harvey, Tagle, and Onaiyekan, the new cardinals are: Bogota, Colombia Archbishop Ruben Salazar Gomez; the Patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites in Lebanon, His Beatitude Bechara Boutros Rai; and the major Archbishop of the Trivandrum of the Siro-Malankaresi in India, His Beatitude Baselios Cleemis Thottunkal.

Cardinals serve as the pope's closest advisers, but their main task is to elect a new pope. And with Benedict, 85, slowing down, that task is ever more present. For the second time, the consistory ceremony was greatly trimmed back, lasting just over an hour to spare the pope the fatigue of a lengthy ceremony.

He will, however, celebrate Mass on Sunday with them.

While Benedict didn't mention the cardinals' primary task in his remarks, he did remind them that the scarlet of their cassock and hat that they wear symbolizes the blood that cardinals must be willing to shed to remain faithful to the church.

"From now on you will be even more closely and intimately linked to the See of Peter," he said.

The six new cardinals are all under age 80. Their nominations bring the number of voting-age cardinals to 120, 67 of whom were named by Benedict, all but ensuring that his successor will be chosen from a group of like-minded prelates.

Saturday's consistory marks the first time in decades that not a single European or Italian has been made a cardinal — a statistic that has not gone unnoticed in Italy. Italy still has the lions' share of cardinals, though, with 28 voting-age "princes" of the church.

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Israel eases Gaza border restrictions after truce

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Gaza residents said Saturday that Israel has eased some border restrictions as part of its truce with the Palestinian territory's Hamas rulers, allowing farmers to visit land near its security fence and letting fishermen head further out to sea.

The Egyptian-brokered cease-fire ended eight days of cross-border fighting that claimed 166 Palestinian and six Israeli lives, according to health officials.

As part of the deal, Israel and Hamas are now to negotiate a further easing of the Gaza border blockade, first imposed by Israel and Egypt after the Hamas takeover of Gaza in 2007.

Also Saturday, tens of thousands of Gaza children returned to school for the first time since fighting ended late Wednesday. About half of Gaza's 1.6 million people are children.

In 245 UN-run schools, the day was dedicated to letting children share what they experienced, in hopes of helping them deal with trauma, educators said.

In a sixth-grade class in Gaza City, boys eagerly raised their hands when asked by their science teacher to share their stories in the presence of a reporter. Mohammed Abu Sakr, 11, said that earlier this week, he witnessed an Israeli missile striking a car and engulfing it in flames. The boy said he had trouble sleeping and eating afterwards, and still feels scared.

Thirty-four children and minors under the age of 18 were among those killed in the fighting, said Gaza health officials and local human rights groups. A total of 156 Palestinians were killed during the fighting and 10 died later of their wounds, they said.

The exchanges of fire were the bloodiest between Israel and Hamas in four years. Israel launched the offensive to put an end to escalating Gaza rocket fire on Israeli towns. Israel said it reached its objectives, while Hamas claimed victory because Israel didn't make good on threats to send ground troops into the territory, as it had done four years earlier.

Israel's air force carried out some 1,500 strikes on Hamas-linked targets, while Gaza militants fired roughly the same number of rockets, including some targeting the Israeli heartland cities of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem for the first time.

The truce is to lead to a new border deal for Gaza, with Egypt hosting indirect talks between Israel and Hamas. Israel has shunned Hamas as a terrorist group and refuses to negotiate with it directly.

Israeli demands that Hamas halt weapons smuggling into Gaza, while Hamas seeks free movement for people and goods in and out of Gaza.

After the Hamas takeover in 2007, Israel and then-Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak sealed Gaza to isolate the Islamic militants and make it harder for them to govern.

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NY offers insurance help on Long Island

ALBANY — The New York Department of Financial Services says it will station representatives at four locations on Long Island over the next four days to help residents contact their insurers and get questions answered about their coverage for Superstorm Sandy.

Superintendent Benjamin Lawsky says the agency's mobile command center will be located in Nassau County this weekend, in Freeport on Saturday and in Bellmore on Sunday.

He says it will be in in Suffolk County on Monday and back in Nassau County on Tuesday in Levittown.

The department says it also offers help around the clock through a hotline at 800-339-1759 and has information on its website at http://www.dfs.ny.gov.

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Queens woman found dead in parked car in the Bronx

Police are investigating the death of a Queens woman found in a car parked in the Bronx this morning.

The woman, 22, was found unconscious at 4:30 a.m. inside a white Honda at the intersection of Bruckner Boulevard and Brook Avenue in Mott Haven by officers responding to a report of an assault.

EMS workers declared her dead at the scene.

Some blood was found coming from the woman's nose, but that was the only obvious sign of trauma, police sources said.

A 40-year-old man who was with the dead woman was taken into police custody and brought to Lincoln Hospital for an injury to his left arm, authorities said.

Cops said the two knew each other, but their relationship was not immediately clear.

The medical examiner will determine the cause of the young woman's death. Her name was not released pending family notification.

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Boxer Hector 'Macho' Camacho dies after being taken off life support

AP

Former world boxing champion Hector "Macho" Camacho is taken by paramedics inside a medical center in San Juan, Puerto Rico on Tuesday.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Hector "Macho" Camacho, a Puerto Rican boxer known for skill and flamboyance in the ring as well as for a messy personal life and run-ins with the police, was declared dead on Saturday, four days after being shot in the face. He was 50.

Shot while sitting in a parked car outside a bar Tuesday with a friend in the city of Bayamon, he was declared dead at the Centro Medico trauma center in San Juan. The friend, 49-year-old Adrian Mojica Moreno, died at the scene of the shooting. Police said Mojica had nine small bags of cocaine in his pocket and a 10th bag was found open in the car.

AP

Hector "Macho" Camacho being lifted into the air after his unanimous decision over Roberto Duran in an IBC middleweight title fight at the Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort in Atlantic City, NJ in 1996.

Originally from Bayamon, just outside San Juan, Camacho was long regarded as a flashy if volatile talent, a skilled boxer who was perhaps overshadowed by his longtime foil, Mexican superstar Julio Cesar Chavez, who would beat him in a long-awaited showdown in Las Vegas in 1992.

Camacho fought professionally for three decades, from his humble debut against David Brown at New York's Felt Forum in 1980 to an equally forgettable swansong against Sal Duran in Kissimmee, Florida, in 2010.

In between, he fought some of the biggest stars spanning two eras, including Sugar Ray Leonard, Felix Trinidad, Oscar De La Hoya and Roberto Duran.

"This is something I've done all my life, you know?" Camacho told The Associated Press after a workout in 2010. "A couple years back, when I was doing it, I was still enjoying it. The competition, to see myself perform. I know I'm at the age that some people can't do this no more."

Camacho's family moved to New York when he was young and he grew up in Spanish Harlem, which at the time was rife with crime. Camacho landed in jail as a teenager before turning to boxing, which for many kids in his neighborhood provided an outlet for their aggression.

Former featherweight champion Juan Laporte, a friend since childhood, described Camacho as "like a little brother who was always getting into trouble," but otherwise combined a friendly nature with a powerful jab.

"He's a good human being, a good hearted person," Laporte said as he waited with other friends and members of the boxer's family outside the hospital in San Juan after the shooting. "A lot of people think of him as a cocky person but that was his motto ... inside he was just a kid looking for something."

Laporte lamented that Camacho never found a mentor outside the boxing ring.

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Federal help to Connecticut for Sandy tops $7.6 million

HARTFORD, Conn. — Gov. Dannel P. Malloy says Connecticut residents have received more than $7.6 million in federal help with disaster expenses related to Superstorm Sandy.

He says 9,164 residents in Fairfield, Middlesex, New Haven and New London counties, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation and Mohegan Tribal Nation have registered for federal help.

Most of the money — about $7.3 million — has been approved for housing assistance, including short-term rental assistance and home repair costs.

In addition, 6,883 disaster loan applications have been issued by the federal Small Business Administration.

AP

Engineers stand next to the destroyed home of Benjamin Barton as they assess damage to homes from Superstorm Sandy along Fairfield Beach Road in Fairfield, Conn.

The Hartford Courant reports that William Lehman, a spokesman for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, says that when property inspections are complete and paperwork is submitted, approved residents can receive help in three to five business days.

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1 killed, 19 wounded in first violence since Israel-Hamas cease fire declared

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Israeli troops fired Friday to push back Gaza crowds surging toward Israel's border fence with the Hamas-ruled territory, killing one Palestinian and wounding 19 in the first violence since a truce between Israel and Hamas took hold a day earlier.

Hamas security tried to defuse the situation and keep the crowds away from the border, signaling the incident is unlikely to jeopardize the Egyptian-brokered cease-fire.

The truce, which calls for an end to Gaza rocket fire on Israel and Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, came after eight days of cross-border fighting, the bloodiest between Israel and Hamas in four years.

REUTERS

Palestinians stand close to the fence as an Israeli tank is seen on the border between Israel and the southern Gaza Strip today.

On Friday, hundreds of Palestinians approached Israel's border fence in several locations in southern Gaza.

In the past, Israel's military barred Palestinians from getting close to the fence, and soldiers routinely opened fire on violators to enforce a 300-meter-wide no-go zone meant to prevent infiltrations into Israel.

Since the cease-fire, growing numbers of Gazans have entered the no-go zone, testing expectations that such restrictions would now be lifted.

In one incident captured by Associated Press video, several dozen Palestinians, most of them young men, approached the fence, coming close to a group of Israeli soldiers standing on the other side.

Some Palestinians briefly talked to the soldiers, while others appeared to be taunting them with chants of "God is Great" and "Morsi, Morsi," in praise of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, whose mediation led to the truce.

At one point, a soldier shouted in Hebrew, "Go there, before I shoot you," and pointed away from the fence, toward Gaza. The soldier then dropped to one knee, assuming a firing position. Eventually, a burst of automatic fire was heard, but it was not clear whether any of the casualties were from this incident.

Most of those approaching the fence were young men, but the crowds also included farmers hoping they could once again farm lands in the buffer zone. Speaking by phone from the buffer zone, 19-year-old Ali Abu Taimah said he and his father were checking three acres of family land that have been fallow for several years.

"When we go to our land, we are telling the occupation (Israel) that we are not afraid at all," he said.

Gaza health official Ashraf al-Kidra said a 20-year-old man was killed and 19 people were wounded by Israeli fire near the border.

Israel's military said roughly 300 Palestinians approached the security fence at several locations in southern Gaza, tried to damage it and cross into Israel. Soldiers fired warning shots in the air to distance the Palestinians from the fence, but after they refused to move back, troops fired at their legs, the military said. It also said a Palestinian infiltrated into Israel in the course of the unrest, but he was returned to Gaza.

The truce allowed both Hamas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to step back from the brink of a full-fledged war. Over eight days, Israel's aircraft carried out some 1,500 strikes on Hamas-linked targets, while Gaza fighters peppered Israel with roughly the same number of rockets.

The fighting killed 166 Palestinians, including dozens of civilians, and six Israelis.

In Cairo, Egypt is hosting separate talks with Israeli and Hamas envoys on the next phase of the cease-fire — a new border deal for blockaded Gaza. Hamas demands lifting of all border restrictions, while Israel insists that Hamas must halt weapons smuggling to the territory.

In Israel, a poll showed that about half of Israelis think their government should have continued its military offensive against Hamas.

The independent Maagar Mohot poll released Friday shows 49 percent of respondents feel Israel should have kept going after squads that fire rockets into Israel. Thirty-one percent supported the government's decision to stop. Twenty percent had no opinion.

Twenty-nine percent thought Israel should have sent ground troops to invade Gaza. The poll of 503 respondents had an error margin of 4.5 percentage points.

The same survey showed Netanyahu's Likud Party and electoral partner Israel Beiteinu losing some support, but his hard-line bloc would still able to form the next government. Elections are Jan. 22.

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Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi called pharoah, violent protests erupt after he granted himself sweeping powers

Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi's decree that put his decisions above legal challenge until a new parliament was elected caused fury amongst his opponents on Friday who accused him of being the new Hosni Mubarak and hijacking the revolution.

Police fired tear gas in a street leading to Cairo's Tahrir Square, heart of the 2011 anti-Mubarak uprising, where thousands demanded Morsi quit and accused him of launching a "coup". There were violent protests in Alexandria, Port Said and Suez.

"The people want to bring down the regime," shouted protesters in Tahrir, echoing a chant used in the uprising that forced Mubarak to step down. "Get out, Morsi," they chanted.

REUTERS

Flames burn around a police vehicle after protesters threw a molotov cocktail at it during clashes at Tahrir square in Cairo today.

Morsi's aides said the presidential decree was to speed up a protracted transition that has been hindered by legal obstacles but Morsi's rivals were quick to condemn him as a new autocratic pharaoh who wanted to impose his Islamist vision on Egypt.

"I am for all Egyptians. I will not be biased against any son of Egypt," Morsi said on a stage outside the presidential palace, adding that he was working for social and economic stability and the rotation of power.

"Opposition in Egypt does not worry me, but it has to be real and strong," he said, seeking to placate his critics and telling Egyptians not to worry and that he was committed to the revolution. "Go forward, always forward ... to a new Egypt."

Buoyed by accolades from around the world for mediating a truce between Hamas and Israel, Morsi on Thursday ordered that an Islamist-dominated assembly writing the new constitution could not be dissolved by legal challenges.

"Morsi a 'temporary' dictator," was the headline in the independent daily Al-Masry Al-Youm.

Morsi, an Islamist whose roots are in the Muslim Brotherhood, also gave himself sweeping powers that allowed him to sack the unpopular general prosecutor and opened the door for a retrial for Mubarak and his aides.

The president's decree aimed to end the logjam and push Egypt, the Arab world's most populous nation, more quickly on its democratic path, the presidential spokesman said.

"President Morsi said we must go out of the bottleneck without breaking the bottle," Yasser Ali told Reuters.

TURBULENCE AND TURMOIL

The president's decree said any decrees he issued while no parliament sat could not be challenged, moves that consolidated his power but look set to polarize Egypt further, threatening more turbulence in a nation at the heart of the Arab Spring.

The turmoil has weighed heavily on Egypt's faltering economy that was thrown a lifeline this week when a preliminary deal was reached with the International Monetary Fund for a $4.8 billion loan. But it also means unpopular economic measures.

Copyright 2010 Thomson Reuters. Click For Restrictions

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Rihanna leaves party with Chris Brown in Berlin

Like a fly to honey, Rihanna jetted off to see Chris Brown all the way in Berlin pretty much the minute after her 777 tour ended.

Page Six revealed that the singer made an uncharacteristically low-key appearance at the Flatiron 40/40 club on Tuesday to celebrate the end of her dizzying concert series, but it seems she was soon back to her wild self, spending Thanksgiving partying with her controversial ex.

Rihanna attended Brown's Carpe Diem concert in the German capital and joined him at an after-party at a night club. They were then spotted exiting the club and leaving in the same car.

Merkur / Splash News

Rihanna at Chris Brown's after-party for his concert in Berlin

She posted on Instagram on Wednesday en route to Germany, "All alone in my big ole jet!!! See u soon lover." If it wasn't completely clear who her "lover" is, Rihanna tweeted a day later "#Berlin #CarpeDiem" about Brown's tour.

The pair, who duet together in Rihanna's song "Nobody's Businesses," insist they are not romantically linked.

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Katie’s first Thanksgiving without Suri

Katie Holmes flew out of LaGuardia solo yesterday to briefly visit her family for Thanksgiving in Ohio. After spending time with her family for a few hours, the single mom was spotted again heading back to NYC, as she popped up in Detroit to catch a connecting flight from Toledo. She was wearing the exact same outfit she wore earlier in the day.

The "Dawson's Creek" actress was without her daughter Suri as she checked in at the LaGuardia airport. It was a rare sighting as the 6-year-old is often seen attached to her mother's hip. Suri is believed to have left New York on Tuesday to spend Thanksgiving in the UK with her father Tom Cruise where he is filming "All You Need Is Kill" in England.

Ryan Turgeon / Splash News

Katie Holmes, wearing the same outfit from the morning, catches a flight in Detroit Michigan after spending Thanksgiving with family in Toledo, Ohio

It was Katie's first Thanksgiving away from Suri after her divorce from Cruise this summer. However, she's in good company as she shared with Jimmy Fallon on Nov. 16 that she spends the holiday participating in her family's quirky tradition, a three-mile run called the "Turkey Trot."

Holmes has been focusing on her career after finalizing her divorce in August. She currently stars in Broadway's "Dead Accounts."

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Driver killed after crash on Queens highway

A motorist was killed this morning after crashing on a Queens highway, police said.

The 53-year-old victim was driving his 2011 Honda Accord eastbound on the Grand Central Parkway, near the Jackie Robinson Parkway interchange in Forest Hills, when he lost control and slammed into a median at around 3:20 a.m., police added.

He then careened into a 2007 Pontiac sedan going in the same direction before striking a second median, police said.

The Honda driver, who identity wasn't released pending family notification, was pronounced dead at New York Hospital Queens.

The Pontiac driver was uninjured in the smash-up.

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87-year-old woman killed by raging apartment fire

An 87-year-old woman was killed early today by a raging fire that tore through her Manhattan apartment, authorities said.

The three-alarm blaze broke out around 3:27 a.m. inside the victim's 15-story building on West 190th Street, between Cabrini Boulevard and Fort Washington Avenue, in Inwood, fire officials said.

The woman, who lives alone, was discovered deceased in her bedroom, according to police sources.

The flames were bought under control by 4 a.m., said a fire department spokesman.

Fire marshals are investigating the cause of the deadly inferno, which does not appear to be suspicious, the spokesman added.

The medical examiner will determine the cause of death.

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Man struck and killed by 1-train in the Bronx

A man was struck and killed by a train in the Bronx this morning, authorities said.

He was hit by a southbound 1-train at the West 231st Street station, on Broadway, in Kingsbridge around 6:30 a.m., police and fire officials said.

The investigation is ongoing.

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Hamas leaders declare victory over Israel as truce holds

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Hamas leaders in Gaza declared victory over Israel on Thursday, and thousands of flag-waving supporters rallied in celebration as the battered territory entered its first day of calm under an Egyptian-brokered truce that ended the worst cross-border fighting in four years.

Eight days of punishing Israeli airstrikes on Gaza and a barrage of Hamas rocket fire on Israeli ended inconclusively. While Israel said it inflicted heavy damage on the militants, Gaza's Hamas rulers claimed that Israel's decision not to send ground troops into the territory, as it had four years ago, was a sign of a new Hamas deterrent power.

AFP/Getty Images

A Hamas policeman celebrates today

"Resistance fighters changed the rules of the game with the occupation (Israel), upset its calculations," Gaza Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas, who had attended the rally, said later in a televised speech. "The option of invading Gaza after this victory is gone and will never return."

At the same time, Haniyeh urged Gaza fighters to respect the truce and to "guard this deal as long as Israel respects it."

The mood in Israel was mixed. Some were grateful that quiet had been restored without a ground operation that could have cost the lives of soldiers. Others — particular those in southern Israel hit by rockets over the past 13 years — thought the operation was abandoned too quickly.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the offensive's aims of halting Gaza rocket fire and weakening Hamas were achieved. "I know there are citizens who were expecting a harsher response," he said, adding that Israel is prepared to act if the cease-fire is violated.

Despite the tough talk, the cease-fire raised hopes of a new era between Israel and Hamas. The two sides are now to negotiate a deal that would end years of Gaza rocket fire on Israel and open the borders of the blockaded Palestinian territory. Talks are supposed to begin sometime after a 24-hour period that began with the cease-fire late Wednesday.

However, the vague language in the agreement and deep hostility between the combatants made it far from certain that the bloodshed would end or that either side will get everything it wants. Israel seeks an end to weapons smuggling into Gaza, while Hamas wants a complete lifting of the border blockade imposed in 2007, after the Hamas takeover of Gaza.

Israel launched the offensive Nov. 14 to halt renewed rocket fire from Gaza, unleashing some 1,500 airstrikes on Hamas-linked targets, while Hamas and other Gaza militant groups showered Israel with just as many rockets.

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Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade brings cheer to storm-hit NY

REUTERS

The Kermit the Frog balloon floats down Central Park West during the 86th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York today.

The annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade kicked off in New York on Thursday, putting a festive mood in the air in a city still coping with the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy.

The young, and the young at heart, were delighted by the sight and sound of marching bands, performers and, of course, the giant balloons. The weather was a sunny 47 degrees. Some parade-goers had camped out to get a good spot, staying snug in sleeping bags. Others came well-prepared with folding chairs.

Getty Images

People line Central Park West for the 86th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade today.

Alan Batt and his 11-year-old twins, Kyto and Elina, took in the parade at the end of the route, well away from the crowd and seemingly too far away for a good view. But they had an advantage: Two tall stepladders they hauled over from their apartment eight blocks away — one for each twin.

"We're New Yorkers," the 65-year-old Batt said. "We know what we're doing."

With the height advantage, "I get to see everything!" Kyto said.

PHOTOS: THE MACY'S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE

Airports, train stations and highways were expected to remain busy Thursday as people made their way home to reconnect with family and friends for Thanksgiving — though some reunions might be bittersweet because of the damage and displacement caused by Superstorm Sandy.

For some, the once-sacrosanct harvest feast now starts the holiday shopping season — and store openings keep getting earlier. Black Friday now starts on Thanksgiving Day itself at many national stores, and some shoppers planned to race from their dinner tables to line up for bargains, delaying their second helpings until they've purchased the latest toys or electronic devices.

The popular Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, attended by more than 3 million people and watched by 50 million on TV, includes such giant balloons as Elf on a Shelf and Papa Smurf, a new version of Hello Kitty, Buzz Lightyear, Sailor Mickey Mouse and the Pillsbury Doughboy. Real-life stars were to include singer Carly Rae Jepsen and Rachel Crow of "The X Factor."

Other cities planned to have showy marching bands, cartoon character balloons and musical extravaganzas, as well. Chicago, Philadelphia and Detroit were among the big cities hosting parades.

Among the scheduled highlights were a Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey spectacular in Chicago; Phillies star Ryan Howard and Miss America 2012 Laura Kaeppeler in Philadelphia; and a group of 2012 U.S. Olympic champions in Detroit.

The holiday came as portions of the Northeast still were reeling from Sandy's havoc, and volunteers planned to serve thousands of turkey dinners to people it left homeless or struggling.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg was reflective Thursday as he praised police, firefighters, armed services personnel, sanitation workers and volunteers involved in the storm response. After stopping at the parade, Bloomberg was heading to a firehouse in the hard-hit Rockaways area of Queens.

Bloomberg's office was coordinating the distribution of 26,500 meals at 30 sites in neighborhoods affected by Sandy, and other organizations also were pitching in.

The Long Beach Surf Association and a charity called Surf for All were sponsoring a Thanksgiving dinner in the Long Island community of Long Beach.

Rep. Gregory Meeks, whose New York district includes the heavily battered Rockaways neighborhoods, said he planned to stop by Thanksgiving dinners at three churches and a school.

"They are still giving thanks," Meeks said of his constituents. "They are thankful that they're alive and thankful to the people who are coming to help them."

Some used social media to coordinate Thanksgiving volunteering. Elle Aichele, of Toms River, NJ, started a Facebook page called Hurricane Sandy Thanksgiving Adopt a Family for Dinner.

"Please host a family that needs something to be thankful for this Thanksgiving!" she wrote. "I have been thinking about what I can do to help and this is it!"

In Philadelphia, Doreen Queenan and 18-year-old daughter Ariana came in from suburban Norristown, Pa., to see the city's Thanksgiving parade, billed as the nation's oldest.

Ariana Queenan, home from her freshman year at Hofstra University in New York, was wearing a Yankees ski hat to keep warm during the chilly morning. That got the attention of a clown in the parade, she said.

"Somebody walked up to me and said, 'Go Phillies!'" said Ariana Queenan. She added that while her loyalties were torn, the Yankees' colors of navy and gray matched her jacket.

Her mother, meanwhile, said this Thanksgiving she is grateful for Ariana's good grades.

"I am thankful for a daughter who appreciates how much tuition is," Doreen Queenan said with a laugh. "She's taking college seriously."

THE MACY'S PARADE ROUTE:

— South on Central Park West to Columbus Circle.

— South through Columbus Circle to 59th Street

— East on 59th Street to 6th Avenue

— South on 6th Avenue to 34th Street

— West on 34th Street to 7th Avenue.

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Long Island driver killed after hitting tractor-trailer pulling out of driveway

Police say a motorist was killed after striking a tractor-trailer pulling out of a driveway on Long Island.

The driver was identified as 43-year-old Roger Coiro of Bethpage.

The accident occurred at 12:44 a.m. on South Broadway in Hicksville.

Police say a 2012 Freightliner was pulling out onto South Broadway when it was struck by Coiro's 2005 Mercury.

Coiro was pronounced dead at the scene. The truck driver was not injured.

Several hours later, at 4:50 a.m., a car struck a pole on Hicksville Road in Bethpage. The two accidents occurred about three miles apart. The driver's condition was not immediately available.

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O/U RICO

Rico had his second consecutive winning on the Overs/Unders, going 9-5 (2-1 Best Bets). The season record is 59-96-4 (11-21-1). The selections for Week 12 are:

OVERS: Cowboys/ Redskins; Patriots/ Jets; Giants/ Packers; Colts/ Bills; Broncons/ Chiefs; Falcons/Bucs; Niners/ Saints.

UNDERS: Texans/ Lions; Bears/Vikings; Bengals/ Raiders; Steelers/Browns; Seahawks/ Dolphins; Titans/Jaguars; Ravens/Chargers; Cardinals/ Rams; Eagles/ Panthers

BEST BETS: Cowboys (Over); Seahawks (Under); Niners (Over).

LEAGUE (Overs listed first)

LAST WEEK: 6-8

SEASON: 78-77-4

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WATCH: Epic seven-minute 'trailer' for 'The Hobbit'

No, the video below isn't actually an official trailer for Peter Jackson's hotly-anticipated Middle Earth epic, "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," but it is a masterful complation of every single piece of video released so far about the film.

Combining trailers, teasers, and TV spots, the fan-made 7:37 video tracks the tale of "The Hobbit" in chronological order from Gandalf's (Ian McKellen) recruitment of Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) to the reintroduction of Gollum (Andy Serkis) and his "precious" ring.

In between there are shots of fighting rock monsters, glamourous elves, and orcs of all shapes and sizes.

REUTERS

Actor Martin Freeman who plays Bilbo Baggins in "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey."

And don't worry about the "trailer" ruining December's "The Hobbit: An Unexexpected Journey," because it also contains footage from the two following films, "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" and "The Hobbit: There and Back Again" which are gonig to be released in 2013 and 2014 respectively.

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LiLo’s trashy ‘Liz & Dick’ premiere gown

Lindsay Lohan turned heads for the wrong reasons at the premiere of her Lifetime movie "Liz & Dick" in Beverly Hills last night.

LiLo, who plays screen icon Elizabeth Taylor in the flick, attempted old-school Hollywood glamour, but made a fashion miss instead with an ill-fitting Donna Dashini gown with unfortunate keyhole cuts and dangling beads on the bodice that channeled "I Dream of Jeannie." But we'll admit that besides the ensemble, the train wreck starlet did clean up well with her wavy red hair and crimson lipstick.

Some early reviews of the much-anticipated biopic have been spectacularly negative but The Post gave it three out of four stars by virtue of its guilty pleasure status. "There are so many things in this movie that are just so damned juicy that it is sure is more fun to watch than the exploits of today's orchestrated star pairings," writes Linda Stasi about Taylor and her on-and-off-screen love Richard Burton.

FilmMagic

Lindsay Lohan attends the premiere of "Liz & Dick" at Beverly Hills Hotel on November 20, 2012

Apparently, having Lohan star in the film was quite the headache for "Liz & Dick" executive producer Larry Thompson. "Producing a movie with Lindsay is not for the faint of heart," he said last week to reporters. "I turned 50 shades of white actually during the production."

"Liz & Dick" premieres Nov. 25.

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WATCH: Bon Jovi on daughter heroin bust, ‘We’ll get through it’

Rocker Jon Bon Jovi has broken his silence about his daughter's shocking heroin overdose and subsequent drug arrest.

"What I do for a living seems glitzy and glamorous but if you don't take it too seriously it's a great way to make a living," he said in an interview with LA's Fox 11. "And then life goes on. Things happen."

The singer's daughter, Stephanie Bongiovi, is recovering from the overdose, and Bon Jovi says the family will be able get through it together.

He added, "This tragedy was something that I had to face too so we'll get through it. And people's warm wishes for my family and I have been really reassuring. So, we're good."

Splash News

Jon Bon Jovi and his wife Dorothea Hurley were spotted in New York City on Tuesday afternoon

Drug charges against the 19-year-old Hamilton College student have been dropped.

Bon Jovi and wife Dorothea Hurley also have three sons: Jesse James, 17, Jacob Hurley, 10, and Romeo Jon, 8.

Los Angeles Local News, Weather, and Traffic

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Former aide to Phillipine first lady to be charged over missing paintings

A former aide to one-time Phillipine first lady Imelda Marcos is expected to be charged on today with crimes relating to paintings that disappeared after the fall of the Marcos government, according to a person familiar with the investigation.

Vilma Bautista, a New York resident and one-time secretary to Imelda Marcos, will be charged by the Manhattan District Attorney in connection with four paintings in her possession, including some by Impressionist artists, said another source.

Some of the paintings hung in a Manhattan town house used by Imelda Marcos when her husband, the late President Ferdinand Marcos, was in power, one person said.

The probe comes a quarter century after the Philippine dictator was forced out by an uprising and fled the country in 1986.

Bautista, who is in her 70s, could not immediately be reached for comment. Joan Vollero, a spokeswoman for Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., declined comment.

Imelda Marcos, known for her extravagant lifestyle and thousands of shoes, is not expected to face charges in the case. Ferdinand Marcos died in 1989.

The Philippine government filed corruption charges against the strongman and his wife in 1987, seeking tens of billions of dollars in damages for plundering the nation's wealth, including illegal expensive works of art, clothes and jewelry.

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Ariel Winter drama – now DAD wants guardianship

Another player has emerged in the increasingly dramatic family circus surrounding "Modern Family" teen Ariel Winter.

As Ariel's sister Shanelle Grey bids to become her little sister's permanent guardian, new reports have surfaced stating that her father, Glenn Workman, wants the court to "allow [him] the chance to function as a healthy parent and help Ariel through this ordeal."

In court documents obtained by E! News, Glenn, who has not been living with Ariel and her mom Chrisoula "Chris" Workman, denies Shanelle's allegation that he is estranged from Ariel and unable to properly care for her.

RICHARD SHOTWELL/INVISION/AP

Ariel Winter attends the World Premiere of "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Part 1" at The Paley Center for Media, in Beverly Hills

"I am her biological father and have always strived to be a constant in her life," Workman states. He goes on to say that he has always "loved her, cared for her, supported her, and assisted her busy lifestyle." He adds that he is willing to "move back to the family residence" in order to be with her.

Additionally, E! News reports that Ariel's older brother Jimmy Workman does not believe Shanelle is the right person to have custody. "I have NEVER seen any physical or emotional abuse in the home of my parents regarding Ariel," the actor wrote in a statement to the court.

A hearing is scheduled for today in LA to determine if Shanelle can retain custody of her little sister. She claims that her mother had been physically and emotionally abusive toward Ariel. Chris objects to the claims of abuse.

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Feds bust $250M insider trading hedge funder

Federal authorities in New York have charged a former hedge fund portfolio manager with what they call the most lucrative insider trading scheme in U. S. history, with benefits reaching more than a quarter of a billion dollars.

The charges in federal court in Manhattan were announced Tuesday against Mathew Martoma. The FBI charged him with conspiracy to commit securities fraud, saying he carried out his scheme from 2006 through July 2008 while he worked for CR Intrinsic Investors LLC.

The FBI says the insider trading scheme developed after Martoma met a doctor in Manhattan involved in an Alzheimer's disease drug trial in October 2006. The FBI says in a criminal complaint that he later obtained confidential information related to the final results of a drug trial.

Martoma's attorney did not immediately return a message requesting comment.

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Hockey Mom Madam turns self in, expected to be sprung from jail before lunchtime

She's hoping for a quick in-and-out.

Notorious Hockey Mom Madam Anna Gristina turned herself in this morning for what is basically a show sentencing to six months jail.

With time served and good behavior factored in, Gristina should be sprung before lunch, court officials and her lawyer agree. But that's only if -- and it's a big if -- federal immigration officials don't storm in and put a hold on her, as her lawyer said he fears is a possibility.

Gristina, a native Scotswoman who is a citizen of the UK, had pleaded guilty in September to felony promoting prostitution for running a $2,000-an-hour escort service prosecutors claimed made her millions over the past 15 years.

Steven Hirsch

Anna Gristina.

"Anna Gristina was a pimp," one law enforcement source noted. "It doesn't matter if you're a soccer mom; if you rent women's bodies for profit, you're a pimp."

And while that's not technically a crime of moral turpitude -- subject to immediate deportation, it is what's called an aggravated felony, subject to possible deportation.

"We expect her to be back out within the hour," defense lawyer Norm Pattis told The Post at 10:30 this morning. "But we will find out in that time whether she really gets out. The Feds could swoop in to invite her to leave the country," he said, adding, "though we've had no indication so far that they want to do that."

Gristina's sentence, executed by Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan, exonerates her $200,000 bail and also includes a five year probation stint.

Given the chance to speak before the cuffs went on for however long, Gristina hesitated, then conferred at the defense table with her lawyer.

After a long pause, Gristina -- a font of insider information on the highest echelon of the city's sex trade, and with many axes to grind given that three of her own employees had cooperated against her and no one among her black book of wealthy businessmen and entertainment executives came to bail her out during her four-month stint at Rikers -- leaned into the microphone.

"It's probably better, your honor," she told the judge, "that I don't."

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Elected pols handled Sandy like pros: poll

Approval ratings for elected officials' handling of the super-storm are sky high, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released this morning.

Mayor Bloomberg – whose overall approval rating jumped to 56 percent, from 51 in an August Q poll – handled the devastating hurricane well, according to 75 percent of city voters.

Gov. Cuomo received an 85-percent Sandy approval rating; Obama, 84 percent.

But city voters saved their biggest applause for NJ Gov. Chris Christie, who won 89 percent of their support for his response to the storm.

New Yorkers were not as forgiving of the utility companies. Only 37 percent approved of the job performed by Con Edison and LIPA, which have been skewered by Cuomo for not turning on the lights fast enough.

AP

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie comforts Kerri Berean in Little Ferry, N.J., after Superstorm Sandy.

By comparison, 58 percent gave the power companies a thumbs down.

Three-quarters of city residents approved of the MTA's response, which was generally so well received that political insiders have begun buzzing about MTA chief Joe Lhota running for mayor as a Republican.

Another star of the storm was Bloomberg's demonstrative sign language interpreter Lydia Callis, who outshone hizzoner during press conferences with her enthusiastic gestures. New Yorkers approved of her performance 53-2, with 43 percent saying they had no opinion.

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Twinkies likely to survive as Hostess heads to bankruptcy court

DETROIT — Twinkie lovers, relax.

The tasty cream-filled golden spongecakes are likely to survive, even though their maker will be sold in bankruptcy court.

Hostess Brands Inc., baker of Wonder Bread as well as Twinkies, Ding Dongs and Ho Ho's, will be in a New York bankruptcy courtroom Monday to start the process of selling itself.

The company, weighed down by debt, management turmoil, rising labor costs and the changing tastes of America, decided on Friday that it no longer could make it through a conventional Chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring. Instead, it's asking the court for permission to sell assets and go out of business.

But with high brand recognition and $2.5 billion in revenue per year, other companies are interested in bidding for at least pieces of Hostess. Twinkies alone have brought in $68 million in revenue so far this year, which would look good to another snack-maker.

"There's a huge amount of goodwill with the commercial brand name," said John Pottow, a University of Michigan Law School professor who specializes in bankruptcy. "It's quite conceivable that they can sell the name and recipe for Twinkies to a company that wants to make them."

Hostess has said it's received inquiries about buying parts of the company. But spokesman Lance Ignon would not comment on analysts' reports that Thomasville, Ga.-based Flowers Foods Inc. and private equity food investment firm Metropoulos & Co. are likely suitors. Metropoulos owns Pabst Brewing Co., while Flowers Foods makes Nature's Own bread, Tastykake treats and other baked goods. Messages were left for spokesmen for both companies on Sunday.

"We think there's a lot of value in the brands, and we'll certainly be trying to maximize value, both of the brands and the physical assets," Ignon said Sunday. He said it's possible some of Hostess' bakeries will never return to operation because the industry has too much bakery capacity.

Little will be decided at Monday afternoon's hearing before Bankruptcy Judge Robert Drain, Pottow said. The judge eventually will appoint a company that specializes in liquidation to sell the assets, and the sale probably will take six months to a year to complete, Pottow said.

Irving, Texas-based Hostess filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in January for the second time in less than a decade. Its predecessor company, Interstate Bakeries, sought bankruptcy protection in 2004 and changed its name to Hostess after emerging in 2009.

The company said it was saddled with costs related to its unionized workforce. The company had been contributing $100 million a year in pension costs for workers; the new contract offer would've slashed that to $25 million a year, in addition to wage cuts and a 17 percent reduction in health benefits.

Management missteps were another problem. Hostess came under fire this spring after it was revealed that nearly a dozen executives received pay hikes of up to 80 percent last year even as the company was struggling.

Then last week thousands of members of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union went on strike after rejecting the company's latest contract offer. The bakers union represents about 30 percent of the company's workforce.

By that time, the company had reached a contract agreement with its largest union, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which this week urged the bakery union to hold a secret ballot on whether to continue striking. Although many bakery workers decided to cross picket lines this week, Hostess said it wasn't enough to keep operations at normal levels.

The company filed a motion to liquidate Friday. The shuttering means the loss of about 18,500 jobs. Hostess said employees at its 33 factories were sent home and operations suspended. Its roughly 500 bakery outlet stores will stay open for several days to sell remaining products.

News of the decision caused a run on Hostess snacks at many stores around the country, and the snacks started appearing on the Internet at inflated prices.

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