Call it Muppy love

This is brought to you by the letter "G" — for gay!

The New Yorker magazine "outed" "Sesame Street" characters Bert and Ernie on a new cover — which features the sexually ambiguous duo cuddling on a couch while watching news about this week's pro-gay-marriage Supreme Court rulings.

The cover shows Bert with his arm around Ernie, sitting in front of a TV that displays an image of the Supreme Court justices.

It's titled "Bert and Ernie's Moment of Joy," but a spokesman for "Sesame Street" was less than overjoyed to talk about it.

Philip Toscano, communications director for Sesame Workshop, declined to say whether the head-turning art is a sign the Muppets are ready to come out of the closet.

The New Yorker

WARM & FUZZY: Ernie and Bert — rumored among the public to be a gay couple despite denials by "Sesame Street" — enjoy the news on same-sex marriage via the cover of next week's New Yorker.

"Sesame Workshop is not commenting on this story," he said.

He also declined to talk about the characters' relationship, even though the company has claimed Bert and Ernie are just friends.

After a flood of press inquires, the company in 2011 posted on Facebook a statement about the characters' relationship.

"Bert and Ernie are best friends. They were created to teach pre-schoolers that people can be good friends with those who are very different from themselves," it read.

"Even though they are identified as male characters . . . they remain puppets and do not have a sexual orientation."

But that hasn't stopped fans from cheering on the puppet love — and pointing out that the pair sleeps in the same bedroom, takes baths together and sings to Liberace.

"It's amazing to witness how attitudes on gay rights have evolved in my lifetime," the cover's illustrator, Jack Hunter, told the magazine's culture blog.

"This is great for our kids, a moment we can all celebrate."

noneill@nypost.com

Read More

Chilling voice mail reveals 'murder' of Queens woman: prosecutors

The harrowing last pleas of a pretty Weight Watchers exec — who was allegedly beaten and strangled by her lawyer boyfriend — were amazingly captured in a recording when she made a cellphone call during the attack, prosecutors revealed yesterday.

"You have five seconds . . . and then I'm going to kill you," Jason Bohn seethed to Danielle Thomas, 27, in the 3 a.m. blow-up at their Astoria, Queens, apartment on June 24, 2012.

Her cries were left in a lengthy voice mail on a friend's phone — though prosecutors wouldn't say whether she accidentally or purposely dialed the woman for help.

TRAGIC: Danielle Thomas, a Weight Watchers exec, was found beaten and strangled in a bathtub full of ice in her Astoria apartment.

Ellis Kaplan

'YOU HAVE 5 SECONDS . . .' Jason Bohn in a voice mail was apparently heard threatening, beating and choking his girlfriend.

An enraged Bohn demanded to know why Thomas had called a "508" number, and prosecutors say he repeatedly choked her while she tried to fend him off.

"How does it feel?" he's heard asking. "One more time and I'm just going to go all out."

"Jason! I can't breathe," pleaded Thomas, who said "I love you" seven times during the recording.

For a moment, Bohn calmed down.

"OK. OK. You don't know? You don't know? And I believe that. I believe that," he is heard saying.

But seconds later, the Columbia University grad lashed out again and allegedly choked her to death.

In the days after her death, Bohn allegedly e-mailed Thomas' friends, masquerading as her to trick them into believing she was safe.

He called the 114th Precinct in Astoria two days after the slaying.

"I went to a house party with my girlfriend on Sunday. I got home very drunk and fell asleep. My girlfriend woke me up. I got very pissed off and threw her against the wall and she was unconscious," he told cops, according to prosecutors.

"I want someone to check on her to make sure she's all right."

Cops found Thomas' body in a bathtub filled with bags of ice at the 33rd Street apartment.

Investigators found handwritten notes in the apartment.

One note read: "It was an accident, it was an accident, it was an accident . . . I had been drinking and I was drunk when I got home . . . She was already asleep . . . I woke up and there was fighting between us . . . When I woke up again she was unconscious . . . I am sorry."

A second read: "Dani, I will love you forever."

Bohn was arrested June 29, 2012, at a Buffalo Wild Wings eatery in White Plains, where he had dined with his mother and his lawyer, Todd Greenberg.

Prosecutors plan to use the voice mail as smoking-gun evidence in Bohn's upcoming trial.

Greenberg declined to comment on the recording.

Bohn was originally charged with second-degree murder, but it was upgraded to first-degree once the voice mail revealed the alleged torture.

If convicted, he faces life without the possibility of parole.

Weeks before her death, the Danville, Ky., native got an order of protection against Bohn following an assault. Those criminal-contempt and harassment charges were consolidated with the new indictment.

Thomas had a career at Walt Disney World before moving to New York to be with Bohn.

ccarrega@nypost.com

Read More

Collins’ relievers stomped in 8th, costing brilliant Harvey 8th win

The positive vibes from a great road trip. Another dominant outing from Matt Harvey. A three-run lead with two outs in the eighth inning.

The Mets bullpen took all that and flushed it down the toilet last night, turning what should have been a great start to their homestand into a crushing 6-4 loss to the Nationals.

The Mets, coming off a four-city, 7-4 road trip, had Harvey spot them to a 4-1 lead after seven innings. But after manager Terry Collins pulled him, the bullpen coughed up three runs with two out in the eighth on Ryan Zimmerman's bases-clearing double and Bobby Parnell surrendered Ian Desmond's go-ahead RBI double in the ninth.

Bill Kostroun

AIR TIME: Eric Young Jr. lays out sliding into home, scoring on Marlon Byrd's fifth-inning double as the Mets built a lead over the Nationals they would squander.

Jayson Werth, who struck out against Harvey three times, doubled to lead off the ninth against Parnell (5-4). Desmond tied it with a double down the right-field line, and scored an insurance run on Kurt Suzuki's sacrifice fly. It made a loser of Parnell, a winner of Tyler Clippard (6-1) and the Mets wondering what went wrong.

It was not the first time they wasted a Harvey gem, just the latest and one of the most galling. The young ace allowed just three baserunners and struck out 11.

"He's special," Marlon Byrd said. "It's one of those where we expect a 'W' every time he goes out there. You make the right moves and that eighth inning, you get bailed out."

Afterward, Collins had to face questions about whether he considered leaving his ace in to pitch the eighth and his managing of that pivotal frame.

"It's easy to sit here now that we've lost the game, look back in the seventh or eighth and say you should've left him in or should've made this move or should've made that move — it's a very easy thing to say," Collins said. "I could've left him in, no doubt. I could've let him throw 150. I decided to take him out. I thought he'd had enough.''

Harvey — who lowered his ERA to an NL-best 2.00 — bolstered his case to start the All-Star Game at Citi Field July 16. Josh Satin (3-for-3, two RBIs) helped stake him to a 4-1 lead, and Collins decided to go with David Aardsma to start the eighth, pulling Harvey after 109 pitches.

"I was happy about going seven, but in my mind going eight or nine is ideal,'' Harvey said. "He said it was done. It was one of those days the pitch count was high. You don't want to go out there and have a 10-pitch at-bat and creep up to 130 pitches. I felt good, but that was his decision.''

It's one of several that cost the Mets. Aardsma surrendered a leadoff single to Roger Bernadina, but came back to strike out Kurt Suzuki and pop up Chad Tracy. Collins then chose to match up against Denard Span, pulling Aardsma for lefty Josh Edgin, who promptly gave up a double.

Then Collins pulled Edgin for Brandon Lyon, who walked Anthony Rendon to load the bases. Zimmerman unloaded them with his three-RBI double to left-center that tied the game at 4-4.

"[Lyon] just missed with that one,'' Collins said. "But then you've got to really work hard with [Zimmerman]. You can't leave something on the plate like that.''

Parnell took a loss against the Nationals for the second time this month.

"I don't know if I could've done anything different — it is what it is,'' Parnell said. "They're throwing the barrel a little bit better than other teams. I have to make some adjustments, maybe move some feet or something. That's two games in a row they've done that to me. It's time for me to make an adjustment."

brian.lewis@nypost.com

Read More

Administrators mishandled more than $2.2M for estates of people who died in Brooklyn, audit shows

They've done a ghastly job.

Public administrators responsible for the estates of people who die in Brooklyn mishandled more than $2.2 million in assets — losing a fur coat and forgetting to collect $50,000 in cash, an audit has found.

Among its missteps, the Kings County Public Administrator's Office left $50,000 it knew about sitting in a safe-deposit box for five years and failed to credit an estate after selling a six-family home for $140,000, said a report by Comptroller John Liu.

The $50,000 in cash was claimed only after auditors pointed it out.

The administrator's office, which deals with estates of those who die without wills or next of kin, also misplaced a $1,000 fur coat it had stored in a vault at the Macy's in Kings Plaza back in 2004.

When auditors asked what happened to the coat, administrator staffers frankly admitted, "We have no idea what happened regarding the fur coat."

This was the same office where a bookkeeper was indicted last year in the theft of $2.6 million from the deceased.

"The missing valuables and cash uncovered by this audit read like a blooper reel," said Liu, a mayoral candidate dogged by campaign irregularities.

"It would be funny if the Brooklyn public administrator wasn't responsible for protecting estates worth millions of dollars. They need to show they are capable of safeguarding the estates entrusted to their care."

His audit identified the mishandling of assets in more than half of the 50 estates that were examined.

But the administrator's office had been responsible for more than 3,300 estates, valued at nearly $75 million, as of June 2011.

Public Administrator Bruce Stein wrote a six-page response to Liu's audit with an item-by-item refutation of its findings.

He blasted a chart detailing the minimum $2.2 million in mishandled assets as "riddled with errors" and full of "false information."

He also charged that Liu's auditors had a "complete lack of understanding of the authority of the public administrator and our handling of estate matters."

Stein's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

But Liu's audit found plenty of other concerns with Stein's office, including its charging of excessive legal fees, poor record-keeping and slow pace at closing estate cases.

More than 92 percent of estates hadn't been fully distributed within two years.

Liu also noted that the administrator failed to deactivate information-sensitive user accounts for seven former staffers — including the one charged with swindling $2.6 million by writing fraudulent checks.

ygonen@nypost.com

Read More

Cops release sketch of pervert in South Street Seaport kid-sex attack

Police yesterday released a sketch of the creep wanted in connection with the sexual assault of a 12-year-old boy at South Street Seaport in a public bathroom Tuesday night.

The victim had been shopping with his grandmom when he went to the men's room at about 7:30 p.m., police said.

The boy was lured into a stall by a man who performed oral sex on him, fleeing before authorities arrived, police said.

Cops said the suspect is between 30 and 40 years old, 5-foot-8 with a medium complexion, graying brown hair and facial hair.He was last seen wearing a white shirt and grey sweatpants.

The victim was taken to Bellevue Hospital, cops said.

Read More

Hughes bounces back, but bats remain stuck in funk

If Phil Hughes really was pitching for his job yesterday, he picked a great time to snap out of his malaise.

Too bad the Yankees' languishing lineup didn't do the same.

Facing a pitcher they usually feast on in Derek Holland, the Bombers saw the Rangers starter pitch a complete-game 2-0 shutout. Hughes took the loss, but surely shouldn't shoulder the blame. That falls on a lineup that produced a season-low two hits, three drives to the warning track and nothing else before 42,138 at the Stadium.

"I was certainly going through a rough patch, so to have a good start is a platform. But at the end of the day you want to win,'' said Hughes, who ignored reports he was pitching for his rotation spot. "I've just been hearing it for so long that it's easy. You know what to expect, know there are going to be questions you have to answer. … I just clear my head and do the best job I can. I don't let talk [get to me].''

Anthony J Causi

BLANKS FOR NOTHING: Phil Hughes, after two rough outings that put his spot in the rotation in jeopardy, delivered one of his best starts of the season, allowing two runs in eight innings, but fell to 3-7 when the Yankees managed two hits off the Rangers' Derek Holland.

The Bombers finished their homestand just 4-5 and are in third place — 4 1/2 games behind the Red Sox, but it was hardly the fault of Hughes, who allowed just five hits and two runs in a season-high eight innings. And after Hughes pitched to a bloated 13.91 ERA in his prior three home starts, yesterday was an auspicious bounce-back performance.

"Whenever you're trying to get through some rough stretches, it helps to take a deep breath, and I felt like it did me some good,'' Hughes said. "I was just trying to keep on a better plane to home plate, [keep my] momentum going in the right direction, just stay over the rubber a little bit better.''

Despite having lost four of five games this month and with alternatives lurking — Ivan Nova pitched well in Sunday's spot start and Michael Pineda tossed six shutout frames in his most recent rehab start — Hughes (3-7) was hardly the problem yesterday.

"We know he's capable of doing it. We've seen it before. Hughes wants to pitch. He wants the ball every fifth day. He went out and got it done,'' said Joe Girardi, adding Hughes' fastball command and slider were improved. "He was really good. … I thought his slider was better, too. He got some swings and misses on that and located it better.''

Hughes made just one real mistake, a 1-1 changeup that highly touted Rangers prospect Jurickson Profar crushed deep to right field for a fifth-inning solo home run. The rookie also scored on Ian Kinsler's third-inning sacrifice fly, and that was all Hughes allowed.

But against Holland (6-4) that was enough, the Yankees getting shut out by a pitcher that previously had been 0-5 all-time against them. Holland needed just 92 pitches to finally beat the Yankees.

"He kept the ball down and we were a little too aggressive on his pitches. We didn't put any pressure on him. It's frustrating,'' said Lyle Overbay, who went 0-for-3.

Asked what was working for Holland, Vernon Wells — 0-for-3 with three strikeouts in his first start in a week — said "Everything.''

brian.lewis@nypost.com

Read More

Beltre at home in Bronx

Engel Beltre lifted his right arm in the air in triumph and bounced up and down as he waited for Jayson Nix's drive to land in his glove.

It's only June, but the final out of the Rangers' 2-0 victory over the Yankees Thursday capped a magical afternoon for The Bronx product.

The former DeWitt Clinton and James Monroe high school star, who spent his formative years a few subway stops from the Stadium, made a memorable return to The Bronx this week in front of friends and family.

The Rangers outfielder, called up on Sunday from Triple-A Round Rock when outfielder Craig Gentry was placed on the disabled list, made his major league debut Wednesday as a pinch-runner, and registered his first two hits in yesterday's Texas win.

"I always wanted to start here in the major leagues," he said. "It's a big surprise for me, to get my first hit here in New York."

Beltre, 23, could stick around for a while. Gentry is expected to be out at least a few weeks.

"He's a gamer," Rangers manager Ron Washington said of Beltre. "We've been having him in camp with us for a while and finally got an opportunity to get to the big leagues."

In the second inning, he stayed back on a Phil Hughes off-speed pitch, and laced it into right field for a single. Later, he slapped a ball the other way off third baseman David Adams' glove for an infield single. He handled all three of his chances smoothly in center, including the final out of Derek Holland's two-hit, complete game gem.

It has been a long road to the majors for the speedy outfielder, signed as a free agent by the Red Sox in 2006. Born in the Dominican Republic, Beltre moved to The Bronx when he was eight. He was acquired by the Rangers in 2007, and played for seven different minor league teams across seven seasons before finally getting the call.

"I've been waiting for that moment a lot, playing in the minor leagues and working and preparing for this," Beltre said. "I always believed and [kept] the faith. I always put in my mind just working hard and there will be a chance. So you can get your opportunity and be prepared."

Read More

Slumping Vernon fans 3 more times

Vernon Wells' three-run, game-winning double on Saturday didn't seem like a slump-buster yesterday.

Instead, it was just a momentary reprieve from the veteran outfielder's ongoing funk that has reached epic proportions.

Wells' struggles continued, as the Yankees' anemic lineup remained lifeless in a 2-0 loss to the Rangers and left-hander Derek Holland at the Stadium, the club's third setback in its last four games. Wells struck out in all three of his at-bats, extending his slump to a hard-to-fathom 11-for-99, which includes 20 strikeouts. He has just one multi-hit game since May 13, is batting .127 (8-for-66) in June and hasn't homered since May 15, a span of 119 at-bats.

Anthony J Causi

Vernon Wells

"Today was just a bad day," said the 34-year-old Wells, who has been working on shortening his swing, which he feels has gotten long since his hot start, when he hit .300 with six home runs and 13 RBIs in April. "When I got a chance to get in the lineup the last few days, pinch-hitting, I had good swings. Today was just a bad day."

That yesterday's whiffs came against a southpaw only exacerbated his deep fog. Wells was so productive over the season's first six weeks against southpaws, bludgeoning lefties as the Yankees defied the odds in hanging near the top of the AL East with Curtis Granderson, Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez on the disabled list.

The established stars are unlikely to be back soon, which means the Yankees will need Wells to find his stroke if they are going to remain within hailing distance in the division.

There was the sense Wells had snapped out of his funk on Saturday, when he ripped that three-run, game-winning double to right-center field in a victory over the Rays. But with rookie outfielder Zoilo Almonte playing so well, manager Joe Girardi stayed away from Wells against right-handers each of the previous three games, and Wells was only in the lineup yesterday because Brett Gardner was under the weather and needed a day off.

The rest didn't seem to help Wells at all. His average is down to .223, from .288 as recently as May 21, though he toed the company line about playing time and waiting his turn.

"It is what it is. You get an opportunity, you got to take advantage of it," said Wells, who came over from the Angels in an offseason trade. "That's what it comes down to."

Wells was the poster boy for the Yankees' surprising start, part of the "B-Squad" along with Travis Hafner and Lyle Overbay that kept them afloat despite a rash of injuries.

Recently, he's also symbolized their struggles.

"Keep working, that's what we do," Wells said when asked how he can rekindle his April magic. "You go through struggles. You keep working, try to get through."

zbraziller@nypost.com

Read More

Cano can’t come up small if he wants A-Rod-like megadeal

If Robinson Cano wants the Yankees to bestow him an Alex Rodriguez-like contract — a concept made all the tougher with this version of A-Rod currently bedeviling the franchise — then he is going to have to more frequently carry the team in games like yesterday's.

Instead, with the Yankees desperately in need of a matinee hero, Cano was part of the problem as Derek Holland blanked the Yanks on 92 pitches in a 2-0 Texas victory.

An AL-high-tying seventh shutout should have moved the Yanks to send this message to A-Rod: All is forgiven, come home. Quick.

Anthony J Causi

CANO GO: Robinson Cano strikes out in the fourth inning after Jayson Nix led off the inning with a walk. Cano went 0-for-2 with a walk and was thrown out at second trying to advance when a pitch got away from Rangers catcher Geovany Soto.

For this was the fewest pitches to throw a nine-inning complete game against the Yankees since Tigers right-hander Steve Sparks' 84 on June 19, 2001, according to data on baseball-reference.com, and the fewest in a nine-inning shutout since Phillies righty Mike Grace's 84 on Sept. 2, 1997. No lefty has thrown that few pitches in a complete game against the Yanks since at least 1987.

That the lefty was Holland says something about these Yankees. He entered 0-5 with an 8.85 ERA and .325 batting average against for his career vs. the Yankees. Among active pitchers with at least five starts against the Yankees, only Josh Beckett had a worse ERA and batting average.

But that was against a different Yankees team. Mark Teixeira is 7-for-23 with three homers off Holland. Derek Jeter is 12-for-22 with five doubles. A-Rod is 3-for-11 with a double, homer and eight walks.

This version of the Yankees, particularly against a lefty, goes 1-2-3 faster than anyone on "Dancing with the Stars." To call the Yankees righty bats anemic would be an insult to the anemic. Yankees righties came in with, by far, the majors' worst slugging percentage and OPS, plus the second-fewest homers. And then they went 1-for-17 against Holland.

That group was Jayson Nix, Vernon Wells (who went 0-for-3, striking out amateurishly against a slider in all three at-bats), Zoilo Almonte, David Adams, Alberto Gonzalez and Austin Romine. Still saying you don't want A-Rod back, Yankee fans? Alvaro Espinoza would laugh at that group of righties.

And that is why there is extra responsibility for Cano, the last star standing. The Yankees already know Teixeira and possibly Kevin Youkilis are not returning. Who knows what they will get from Jeter and A-Rod when and if they ever get back.

The Yankees need Cano to be their Buster Posey. He carried a Giant offense in the championship seasons of 2010 and '12, though — like Cano — he was an island of greatness surrounded by a sea of mostly lineup mediocrity.

To this point, Cano has been merely very good, but not great and at a time when his camp is trying to convince the Yankees to open their wallet wide. But here is the current reality — the Yankees' offense, attendance and TV ratings are all down quite a bit with him as the central figure.

When I asked him yesterday if he was feeling the pressure of all of that, he responded, "honestly, no, I know we don't have some of the big guys we have had before, but I am just trying to have a good day every day and help us win."

Yesterday one swing from him could have been the difference. Phil Hughes had his two familiar problems — an inability to finish off hitters and the long ball. In the second inning, after getting ahead 1-2 on both, Hughes walked No. 8 hitter Jurickson Profar and allowed a single to Engel Beltre, setting up an Ian Kinsler sac fly. In the sixth, Profar homered, the 14th this season off Hughes.

Still, those were the only two runs off Hughes. But two runs were enough as Cano failed to capitalize on his opportunities.

With Ichiro Suzuki on first and one out in the opening inning, Cano got ahead 2-0 but then grounded into a double play. With Nix on first and no out in the fourth, Cano struck out, dropping a guy who usually handles lefties well down to .230 off southpaws. Cano walked in the seventh. But he was thrown out when he tried to advance after a pitch dribbled away from catcher Geovany Soto. It looked as if he did not break hard and fast, but Cano insisted, "I got a good break, the ball just bounced right back to (Soto)."

That was the only runner the Yanks managed in the final five innings. Obviously, that is not all Cano's fault. But when you are the last star standing and want to be paid in an A-Rod kind of way, the burden falls to you in a greater way.

joel.sherman@nypost.com

Read More

Picking apart the 1st round

MOST SHOCKING PICK

Anthony Bennett, Cavaliers (No. 1)
A draft lacking a clear No. 1

pick got off to a shocking start when the Cavaliers, yet to recover from LeBron James taking his talents to Miami, selected UNLV swingman Bennett with the first pick. Bennett's reaction: "Even I don't know what to say." Join the club, Anthony. Join the club. FYI, 10 years ago, the Cavaliers used the No. 1 pick on James. No pressure.

BIGGEST TRADE

Just when all of those tourist-trap shops in the French Quarter were printing up "Twin Tower" T-shirts to celebrate the pairing of Anthony Davis and Nerlens Noel, New Orleans traded the Kentucky center who slid to them at No. 6, and its 2014 pick in 2014, to Philadelphia for the 76ers' Jrue Holiday and a second-round pick. The Pelicans now have a shooter to complement Davis. The 76ers? They got burned trading for the injured Andrew Bynum. Now they get Noel, who is recovering from reconstructive knee surgery. Maybe they should change the name to the Philadelphia MRIs?

NBAE/Getty Images

Anthony Bennett

B IGGEST ROOKIE CONTRIBUTOR

Ben McLemore,
Kings (No. 7)

The Kings need a savior. Well, actually, they need everything. It took an 11th hour deal to keep the franchise from moving to Seattle. Their most productive player, DeMarcus Cousins, also is their most dysfunctional. He was called for 15 technical fouls, ejected from four games and suspended three times. If only by default, McLemore, would have the best chance to contribute immediately. But he might have the most superstar potential of any player in this draft.

FUTURE STAR

Lucas Nogueira,
Celtics/Hawks (No. 16)

Fashion statements and atrocities are often committed at NBA and NFL drafts. But usually the buzz is about a suit or a bow tie. Lucas "Bebe" Nogueira, a wide-smiling, center from Brazil, is still trying to fit his Celtics baseball cap on top of the one greatest Afros since the '70s. Nogueira, 20, was taken with the 16th pick and then traded to the Hawks. At 7-feet tall (possibly 7-6 with the hair) and 220 pounds, Nogueira has a 9-foot-6 wingspan. First NBA stat: It took him six attempts to get the cap to fit over the Afro.

BEST PICK

Solomon Hill, Pacers (No. 23)

The Knicks and their fans will tell you that playing the Pacers is like walking the passageway that leads from the shuttle to the 1-2-3 lines in Times Square at rush hour — it's a physical grind. The Pacers beat you by beating on you behind big men Roy Hibbert, David West and Tyler Hansbrough. Enter the physically and emotionally mature Hill, a 6-foot-7, 226-pound swingman. You know Larry Bird loves his workmanlike attitude.

Read More

Mets rookie Wheeler can’t escape damage in bizarre loss to White Sox

CHICAGO — Zack Wheeler's visit to the South Side of Chicago last night, to paraphrase the late Jim Croce, ended with him resembling a jigsaw puzzle with a couple of pieces gone.

The stud Mets pitching prospect struggled early with control and never got on the kind of roll that saved him last week during his major league debut in Atlanta.

Wheeler departed after a sloppy 109-pitch performance, and the Mets wasted a ninth-inning comeback on a fluke play in a 5-4 loss to the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field.

Alexei Ramirez's RBI single in the ninth against LaTroy Hawkins ended it, after the White Sox had taken a page from the Luis Castillo playbook in the top of the inning and allowed the Mets to tie the game, sparing Wheeler his first major league loss.

Getty Images

DROP OF AGES: White Sox second baseman Gordon Beckham slams into third baseman Conor Gillaspie's backside with two outs in the ninth, allowing the Mets to score the tying run.

"I didn't throw a lot of strikes, and when I did they were bad strikes," Wheeler said after pitching 5 1/3 innings in which he allowed four earned runs on four hits and three walks with one strikeout. "The balls were up. The only thing I really had working for me was my curveball."

The White Sox fumbled a chance to finish the game in the top of the ninth. Daniel Murphy hit a popup that should have ended it, but second baseman Gordon Beckham brushed pitcher Addison Reed near the mound and then stumbled into third baseman Conor Gillaspie, allowing the ball to drop. David Wright, running from second base, scored easily to tie the game.

In the bottom of the ninth, Hawkins (2-1) allowed a leadoff single to Jeff Keppinger then bobbled Beckham's sacrifice bunt, putting runners on first and second with nobody out. Keppinger would advance to third and score the winning run on Ramirez's two-out single.

The White Sox had runners on base in five of the six innings started by Wheeler, whose only strikeout was Alex Rios in the fifth. Wheeler's fastball velocity hovered between 95 and 97 mph most of the game.

"He didn't throw a good put-away pitch, but they obviously have some good hitters that are battling," catcher John Buck said. "It was a combination of having your secondary pitches, your out pitches, up a little bit."

In his debut last week, Wheeler pitched six shutout innings against the Braves in which he allowed four hits and five walks, but made the big pitch when he needed to escape trouble.

Next stop for Wheeler is Citi Field on Sunday, when he faces the Nationals in his home debut.

"He got in a lot of deep counts, and we've got to try to eliminate that," manager Terry Collins said. "When you have good stuff sometimes it's not the fault of the pitcher when guys are fouling the ball off. But you've got to continue to pound the strike zone."

After scoring seven and eight runs, respectively, in their final two games against the Phillies over the weekend, the Mets (30-43) had early success against stud lefty Chris Sale before going silent in the later innings. Sale struck out 13 and allowed three runs on four hits and two walks over eight innings.

Wheeler's night unraveled in the fifth, when the White Sox scored twice to take a 4-3 lead. Beckham singled leading off the inning and Tyler Flowers walked — both runners then advanced on a wild pitch — before Alejandro De Aza grounded out, scoring a run, and Ramirez hit a sacrifice fly.

"You've got to get ahead of guys when you're up here and just try to put them away fast," Wheeler said. "I haven't been getting ahead of guys and I've been struggling, throwing a lot of pitches."

mpuma@nypost.com

Read More

Clues point to GWB leap

The NYPD Harbor Unit was searching for a person who may have jumped from the George Washington Bridge after a tipster spotted a cellphone and some clothes abandoned on the span last night.

There were no witnesses, but the abandoned items recalled the February death of 22-year-old Ashley Riggitano, who left behind a handbag and a note saying she had been bullied before jumping.

Read More

Mets may set it up for Harvey to get All-Star start

CHICAGO — If Matt Harvey is going to represent his franchise in the All-Star Game, potentially as the National League's starting pitcher, the Mets might have to adjust their pitching plans.

Pitching coach Dan Warthen told The Post yesterday Harvey is scheduled to pitch the Mets' final game before the All-Star break, on July 14 in Pittsburgh. If Harvey makes that start, it likely would remove him from consideration for starting the All-Star Game at Citi Field two nights later.

But before the Mets lost 5-4 to the White Sox Tuesday night at U.S. Cellular Field, manager Terry Collins said Harvey's schedule is something he isn't too concerned about at this point.

"That is [20] days away, a lot could change," Collins said, referring to postponements that could alter the rotation. "But if he gets picked to start the game, I would think we would adjust it."

All-Star rosters are set to be unveiled on July 7, but the All-Star managers typically don't announce their starting pitchers until the day before the game. That would put the Mets in the position of needing advance notice from NL manager Bruce Bochy if Harvey was going to receive the assignment. According to the collective bargaining agreement, a pitcher used on the Sunday before the break can't pitch more than an inning in the All-Star Game. Typically, the starting pitcher goes at least two innings.

"I haven't talked to Bruce — I'm sure that's the last thing on his mind right now," Collins said.

Harvey (7-1, 2.05 ERA) was told yesterday that his next turn in the rotation will come on Friday at Citi Field against the Nationals. He would then pitch July 3 at Citi Field against the Diamondbacks and July 8 in San Francisco before taking the ball in Pittsburgh on July 14.

Collins' flexibility comes from a scheduled off day on July 11. Harvey is now scheduled to pitch on five days' rest on his final start before the break, but could be adjusted to pitch on normal rest on July 13 in Pittsburgh. That would give him two days' rest between pitching for the Mets and potentially in the All-Star Game. Though not ideal, it could be enough to let Harvey throw 30-40 pitches in the All-Star game.

"I haven't even thought about it," Harvey said, referring to the Mets' rotation heading into the break. "I don't even know what date the All-Star Game is. Obviously the biggest concern is pitching every fifth day here for the Mets. We need to win as many ballgames before the break as we can and whatever they decide I'll be all for it, going out there to do everything I can."

The Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw, who is 5-5 with a 2.06 ERA, is Harvey's primary competition for the start, but with the Mets hosting the game Harvey has to be considered the favorite.

Harvey said he was glad to find out he will be pitching Friday on four days' rest this week instead of Saturday on five. He threw only 72 pitches in six shutout innings against the Phillies on Sunday.

"Everything is feeling good, the mechanics are right where I want them," Harvey said. "It was one of those where I didn't really feel like I needed the extra day. Obviously I don't make the decisions and they were going to discuss the situation [Monday] and let me know, so coming in today they told me it was Friday and I'm excited."

Read More

A Hughes concern in Start 2

CHICAGO — This probably isn't a very nice thing to say, but there's no doubt which New York right-hander Zack Wheeler evoked last night, in the second start of his major league career.

Would you believe … Phil Hughes?

"He didn't throw a good put-away pitch," Mets catcher John Buck said, after Wheeler drew a no-decision in a game won by the White Sox, 5-4 at U.S. Cellular Field with a wacky ninth inning.

"He had a lot of 3-and-2 counts where they hit a lot of foul balls," Terry Collins said. "He was trying to make pitches, but they kept fighting them off and fighting them off. We've got to figure out a way to have a little bit easier innings."

Sure sounds like the sort of stuff I've been writing about Hughes since the final lap of the George W. Bush presidency.

Of course I'm not condemning the Mets' newest phenom to the fate of being an average starting pitcher. It's preposterously early for any such declaration. Nevertheless, Wheeler reminded us last night that few are the youngsters who arrive at this level as polished as Matt Harvey did last year.

Or, as Wheeler said in a self-assessment, "I've still got a lot of work to do."

The guy who struck out seven in his successful debut last week in Atlanta, who averaged 9.7 strikeouts per nine innings during his 2010-13 climb up the minor leagues, whiffed just one White Sox batter in 5 1/3 innings last night, getting Alex Rios to chase a curveball to finish the fifth inning. He walked three and allowed four hits, whereas his White Sox counterpart Chris Sale struck out 13 in eight innings to put himself in position for the victory before the ninth inning's zaniness — an error by White Sox second baseman Gordon Beckham allowed David Wright to score the tying run, only to see the Mets lose it via sloppy play in the bottom of the frame — resulted in Addison Reed and LaTroy Hawkins getting the win and the loss.

Wheeler got 14 swings and misses against the Braves. Last night, he got just five, throwing 109 pitches in total. Fittingly, his night ended in the sixth inning when he induced two quick strikes on Conor Gillaspie, only to lose a 10-pitch battle, featuring four foul balls, with a walk.

You could understand Wheeler's minuscule strikeout count more if the White Sox deployed a deliberately aggressive strategy to keep from falling into bad counts against Wheeler, yet that wasn't the case. Wheeler faced a total of 24 batters, and he got to a two-strike count against 12. Of those 12, Wheeler got ahead by either 0-and-2 or 1-2 on eight.

This inability to stomp on guys when they're down has been a Hughes shortcoming for pretty much his entire time in the majors. So where Wheeler has to differ, in order to meet his projection, is to work through this issue, if it even rises to the level of being an "issue" at this point.

Also a problem: Wheeler has to improve at holding on runners. Three White Sox stole second base on Wheeler, one of them — Alexei Ramirez in the third inning — getting such a jump that Buck didn't even bother making a throw.

"We've also got to do a better job with the running game," Collins said. "We can't let them run wild once they get on. That was something we also picked up today. A slide step has got to be part of [Wheeler's] repertoire with guys on. He can't let them keep getting in scoring position."

A Mets team not in contention means that Wheeler will have some rope to grow and develop in the spotlight.

"No question, Zack's going to get a lot better," Collins said. "He has really good stuff. Really good stuff. ... But you've got to like what you see. Gosh. The live arm, his fastball's got life to it. His curveball today, so much better than in his last start. Now if he finds the slider along with it, you've got three pitches, you've got a lot of outs."

The first encore featured just one third strike, though, and therefore an overall shaky outing. The Mets universe will hope to see far more swings and misses when Wheeler makes his Citi Field premiere Sunday against Washington, so they can shake off visions of Hughes like a bad dream.

kdavidoff@nypost.com

Read More

Kicking it in Kansas City

A Wednesday night in March, 10:46 p.m.

March Madness had gripped Kansas City as it does every year. Teams from across the country were battling downtown at the Sprint Center. This year was particularly exciting for KU Jayhawk fans — not so much for MU Tiger fans . . .

Meanwhile, over at the opulent new Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, the Kansas City Ballet was winding up a performance of its landmark production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream." Many dance troupes dance to recorded music, but the KC Ballet performs to the accompaniment of the entire Kansas City Symphony.

courtesy of VisitKC

Kansas City comes alive at night in the Power and Light District.

At that exact same time, a pal and I were holding down two seats at the bar of the Kill Devil Club (killdevilclub.com), in the thriving Power & Light District, a couple blocks from the Sprint Center.

We had just finished our Manhattans, in honor of where I've lived the last few decades, and were launching into a house specialty called the Pendergast — named after Tom Pendergast, who ruled the area's political roost in the 1930s and '40s. His chief protégé was a young local haberdasher named Harry Truman, who becomes more revered with each passing year. Today, Truman's home and presidential library are popular attractions in nearby Independence, Mo.

At the bar, we struck up a conversation with a pretty girl who was preparing to sing with her band, Kasey Rausch & Friends, which performs there from time to time. For some reason, maybe it was the whiskey in the Pendergasts, I started waxing poetic about the 2007 movie "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford," starring Brad Pitt (another Missouri favorite son) and Casey Affleck. (The "assassination" took place a few miles north, at the James' home up in St. Joseph, Kan, which is now a museum.) That's when the singer began explaining that her great-great-great grandmother was the sister of Robert Ford's mother. She then joined the band and her first song was an original piece she had composed about her relative — Robert Ford.

Welcome to Kansas City!

The citizens of St. Louis can talk all they want but Kansas Citians know their city is the genuine Gateway to the West. Three principal trails — the California, Oregon and Santa Fe — all began here. Ruts from the wagon wheels can still be seen across the state line, in Kansas. The Pony Express began a few miles north, also in St. Joseph, and Lewis and Clark cruised by in 1804 on their way to discover the elusive Northwest Passage.

New Yorkers who have been to Kansas City almost unanimously say about the town, "It's a really cool place." If they haven't visited, they often look dumbstruck, consulting Google Maps. Let us help: In this case, we mean Kansas City, Mo.

Read More

Electric Daisy Carnival heats up Vegas

More than anywhere else in the world, people come to Las Vegas to escape themselves, to make time seem infinite, to do things they simply can't do anywhere else. And at 5:24 a.m. Saturday inside the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, tens of thousands of joyous electronic dance music fans had one of those moments they'll remember their entire lives. And what really made this remarkable was that it was something that happens every damn day: The sun rose.

Life After Dusk for Insomniac

A gorgeous crowd added to the spectacle of Electric Daisy Carnival.

But the slow-building glow of this sun was different. This was a hard-earned sun because the people who were still there at 5:24 a.m. were the ones who had made it to the Day 1 conclusion of a music festival that started early the evening before.

Sunrise DJ sets were just one of the many reasons that Electric Daisy Carnival, created by Pasquale Rotella's Insomniac Events, brought in 115,000 revelers each day. The spectacular $35 million production, which included light shows, fireworks, theme-park rides, a wedding chapel and dancing clowns who looked like they were the stars of some future fairy-tale paradise, featured DJs including Avicii, Knife Party, Nicky Romero, Steve Aoki, Nervo, Eric Prydz, Carl Cox and Fatboy Slim.

Erik Kabik/Retna

Nicky Romero proved that he was the one on the first night.

But this event, which concluded on Monday morning, was really about discovery. There were seven stages offering every kind of house music you could imagine, and set decoration was as much of an attraction as any DJ. The Kinetic Field stage boasted a 100-foot-tall owl in an Alice in Wonderland-like paradise with enormous mushrooms and similarly oversized flowers. And, of course, Rotella likes to tell the EDC crowd that, "You are the headliner." His goals are inclusion and self-expression, and you couldn't glance in any direction without seeing creative costumes or young men and women happy to have to an excuse to wear only undergarments or sleepwear.

Erik Kabik/Retna

EDC's production was truly Above & Beyond.

Point is, no DJ is bigger than the experience of EDC. And one of the joys of walking from stage to stage is hearing new talent, like Crisis Era, a duo whose hardstyle set captivated us and delayed by a good half hour our journey to see Manufactured Superstars take us into the Saturday morning sunrise.

Right before we stumbled upon Crisis Era, we had what we thought might have been our most satisfying electronic dance music moment ever. It was 3:55 a.m and Dada Life was at Kinetic Field blasting their "Happy Violence" club banger. The duo looked like tiny creatures about to be swallowed by the stage's huge owl, and gargantuan projection screens showed an animation of a finger playing each note of the song's bouncy hook. We looked around and saw thousands of people getting their fourth and fifth winds, with many of them singing along like the night was just beginning.

Erik Kabik/Retna

Come for the costume party, stay for the DJs.

But EDC's greatest trick is bringing peak after peak, and Manufactured Superstars' Beatport Brad and Beatport Shawn blew the wings off everything else we saw on Day 1. They did what they do best, and what they always seem to do: mash rock, soul and funk with the kind of rousing house moments that are in every Calvin Harris or Tiesto smash. Manufactured Superstars are from Denver, but they understand exactly why people come to Vegas. So they played "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" and "Die Young" and "Diamonds" and "We Are Young" as they reminded the crowd over and over again that the sun would rise at any moment, but also that there was no reason to do anything but keep raging until the daylight.

Read More

Indy rocks!

Indianapolis is known around the globe for the world's largest single-day sporting event, the Indy 500. And both the Colts and the Pacers have captured the national spotlight over the years.

But this Midwestern metropolis is more than just a sports town. Indianapolis is re-creating itself as a haven for artists, chefs and entrepreneurs — even creating a $955 million technology incubator that will open this year. With all of these new residents comes the potential for something else great: new visitors.

In the last four years alone, the city has invested more than $3 billion in tourism. This includes the $63 million Indianapolis Cultural Trail, financed almost equally by federal funding and private donations. Connecting downtown's five main districts, the 8-mile bike- and pedestrian-friendly path will eventually converge with the nearby Monon Trail and encompass Broad Ripple Village, a neighborhood north of downtown.

The 8-mile-long Indianapolis Cultural Trail makes it easy to navigate the city.

And the Cultural Trail is also one of the best ways to explore downtown Indy.

Wholesale District

Start your tour in downtown Indianapolis' swankiest neighborhood, where tuxedo-wearing doormen and shining marquees line the streets. Check into the new Alexander, nicknamed "the Art Hotel" (from $179; thealexander.com). The menu at the hotel's cocktail-concentric watering hole Plat 99 is a walk through boozing history, starting in 1850 with an absinthe-based recipe. Work up an appetite by browsing the hotel's 40-plus artworks, then settle in for dinner at its casual-cool restaurant, Cerulean. Here, a farm-fresh menu comes to life in the form of rhubarb-cinnamon crumble and beef short ribs with spaetzle and shallot mascarpone. In the mood for a nightcap? Cross the street to Slippery Noodle Inn (slipperynoodle.com) for some booze and blues. Slippery Noodle, which opened in 1850 as the Tremont House, is Indiana's oldest bar and once served as a stop on the Underground Railroad. The next morning, hop on one of the free bikes and nurse your hangover with a giant broken-yolk sandwich at nearby Café Patachou (cafepatachou.com) before hitting the trail.

Fountain Square

Indy's hipster hangout is a neighborhood notable for its vintage shops and funky activities like duckpin bowling at the Theatre Building. When you're done window-shopping, bond with the locals over sub sandwiches and a game of bocce at B's Po Boys (bpoboy.com) before crossing the street to New Day Meadery (newdaymeadery.com), a family-owned operation known for its honey wine. Stop by Fountain Square Brewery (fountainsquarebrewery.com) for a taste of Indy-made beer and make a mental note to cruise back later for dinner at Bluebeard (bluebeardindy.com) — the James Beard Award semifinalist slings Italian-inspired food made with mostly local meat and produce.

Massachusetts Avenue

"Mass Ave" packs what seems like endless restaurants, art galleries and boutiques into a five-block area. Silver in the City (silverinthecity.com), a quirky-cool gift shop, sells jewelry, housewares and stylish T-shirts printed with the 317 area code for showcasing your Indy pride; White Dog (facebook.com/whitedogmassave) is where you can realize your vintage-starlet dreams through a curated collection of timeworn goods. Snatch up all the classic trinkets your bike basket can hold and then pause for a midday break at the neighborhood's German biergarten, Rathskeller (rathskeller.com), or Chatterbox (chatterboxjazz.com), a jazz club where the Rolling Stones once held an impromptu concert.

Indiana Avenue

This was the commercial and social hub of Indianapolis' African-American community in the 1920s and '30s. At the height of the jazz era, Indiana Avenue was lit up with clubs and bistros that drew some of the country's greatest musicians — Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington among them. Today the district pays homage to its history and a few of Indianapolis' most celebrated African-American leaders, including Madam C.J. Walker, who rose from poverty to become America's first self-made female millionaire. Take some time to appreciate Indiana Avenue's public art, including the nearby Glick Peace Walk (indyculturaltrail.org/glick-peace-walk.html), which is dedicated to Susan B. Anthony, Martin Luther King, Jr. and other luminaries.

White River State Park

On your last stop before returning to the Alexander, trade in your pedals for paddles and take a kayak float down White River State Park's canal. You'll breeze by some of the district's top attractions, including the Indianapolis Zoo and its White River Gardens (indyzoo.com), which warrants its own visit for the 3.3 acres of flowered pathways. In August, the park throws one of Indiana's best outdoor parties — Dig IN (digindiana.org), a summer food festival honoring the state's best chefs, brewers and winemakers. Last year's inaugural event celebrated farm to fork with food stands dishing out everything from sun-ripened Indiana tomatoes to sweet corn grown in Hoosier soil.

For more info, go to visitindy.com and indyculturaltrail.org.

Read More

Bizarre 7-hour ocean standoff ends in arrest

FOX 5 San Diego

John Michael White, 46, was being pursued by police officers for a drug-related felony warrant when he ran into the ocean.

CORONADO, Calif. — A man who appeared to be high on drugs surrendered early Monday after spending more than seven hours in the ocean off Coronado evading police, who said he was wanted on a felony warrant.

John Michael White spent seven hours in the surf off Coronado trying to avoid the police.

John Michael White, 46, took off all of his clothes except for his briefs and ran into the water from the area of the Hotel Del Coronado around 9:50 p.m. Sunday as officers were trying to take him into custody on a felony warrant alleging narcotics violations, according to the Coronado Police Department.

Throughout the night, White stayed in the water as Coronado police, lifeguards, the Coast Guard and Navy Shore Patrol surrounded him and tried to coax him out of the surf. Helicopters flew overhead, divers were on standby and police K-9 patrol units waited on the beach, but the man threatened to kill himself if anyone approached.

Ocean currents eventually pushed him down to Silver Strand State Beach. Finally, shortly before 5:30 a.m., a Harbor Police dive team took White into custody, police said. He was taken to a UCSD Medical Center in Hillcrest for observation and faces a charge of resisting arrest, as well as those on the original arrest warrant.

Read more at FOX 5 San Diego.

Read More

More legal trouble for Lil' Reese: rapper charged with misdemeanor theft

CHICAGO — Rapper Lil Reese is in more legal trouble.

The Chicago rapper was in bond court Sunday on a misdemeanor theft charge and the Chicago Sun-Times reports that records show the Def Jam rapper and friend of fellow rapper Chief Keef was arrested after he "presented false documentation to obtain" a BMW in April. The paper says that neither police nor prosecutors elaborated on the charge on Sunday.

His arrest over the weekend comes about two months after he was arrested in Chicago after police in Champaign identified him as the alleged attacker of a woman whose 2012 beating was captured on videotape. Court records indicate he has pleaded not guilty in that case

Read More

Cuba-bound flight departs Moscow - airline rep says fugitive NSA leaker Snowden not seen on board

REUTERS

A plane en route to Cuba taxis in Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport today.There was no sign that NSA leaker Edward Snowden was onboard the flight to Cuba. A flight attendant said Snowden was not on the plane and the seat he had been expected to occupy was taken by another passenger.

MOSCOW — Aeroflot says a Cuba-bound flight for which National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden was registered has departed from Moscow, but he has not been seen on board.

An airline representative told The Associated Press that the Havana-bound flight has left Moscow. The representative, who wouldn't give her name as she wasn't authorized to speak to the media, said Snowden wasn't on the flight.

REUTERS

NSA leak Edward Snowden

AP reporters on the flight couldn't see Snowden in the seat he booked or anywhere else on the plane.

A flight attendant said Snowden was not on the plane, and the seat he had been expected to occupy was taken by another passenger, Reuters reported. A source at Russian carrier Aeroflot, which was operating the flight, said: "He didn't take the flight."

The airline said earlier Snowden registered for the flight using his US passport, which American officials say has been annulled.

Snowden arrived in Moscow on Sunday from Hong Kong, where he had been hiding for several weeks to evade US justice. Ecuador is considering Snowden's asylum application.

Read More

Outrage as Russia’s Vladimir Putin aids flight of NSA leaker Snowden

Furious US lawmakers lashed out at Vladimir Putin yesterday for granting safe passage to fugitive Edward Snowden on his desperate journey to evade extradition on espionage charges.

Snowden, 30, the whistleblower who spilled American spying secrets, fled his Hong Kong hideout yesterday, despite his passport being revoked by the United States the day before. And he flew into Russia's open arms on the first leg of a circuitous search for asylum that officials said could end in Ecuador.

"I hope we'll chase him to the ends of the earth, bring him to justice and let the Russians know there will be consequences if they harbor this guy," Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said on "Fox News Sunday."

EPA

WELCOME TO MOSCOW! Passengers arriving at Moscow's airport from Hong Kong are greeted yesterday by a crush of journalists seeking NSA leaker Edward Snowden, believed to have been on their flight.

Graham vowed there would "absolutely" be consequences if Putin facilitates Snowden's escape.

"They want to be part of the world community, the [World Trade Organization]. They want a good relationship with the United States. They should hold this felon and send him back home for justice," he said.

Snowden planned to spend the night in Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport — likely because, without a passport, he's not allowed to go past customs — before hopping an Aeroflot flight to Cuba today. From there, he might go o Caracas, Venezuela, according to Russia's state ITAR-Tass news agency, and then to Ecuador.

Authorities in Hong Kong claimed Snowden was free to leave because a US extradition request did not fully comply with Chinese law.

An official from Ecuador said this morning that the country was considering the request from Snowden to seek asylum there.

"We are analyzing it with a lot of responsibility," said Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino.

He added that the asylum request "has to do with freedom of expression and with the security of citizens around the world."

Snowden was also aided by the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks, which is helping the former National Security Agency contractor secure political asylum in a "democratic country," a spokesman said.

But it was Russia's involvement — and Russian President Putin's likely meddling — that rankled the United States.

"What's infuriating here is [President] Putin of Russia aiding and abetting Snowden's escape," fumed Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) on CNN's "State of the Union." "Putin always seems almost eager to put a finger in the eye of the United States."

Schumer said Russia's involvement will have "serious consequences" in US-Russian relations.

Rep. Pete King (R-LI) agreed.

"This is a direct slap at President Obama and the United States by Putin. The president must make it clear to Putin that the US will take the appropriate diplomatic and economic action," said King, chairman of the House Homeland Security subcommittee on counterterrorism and intelligence.

Read More

Bring on the Botox! Cosmetic surgeon offers remedies for NYC’s mayoral candidates

If the mayor is the face of the city, then the 2013 field of candidates needs Botox.

And that's not all, says a respected plastic surgeon.

Anthony Weiner has a bulge on his jaw; Christine Quinn's mouth droops; and John Catsimatidis has a double chin — traits that "communicate" stress, unhappiness and unhealthiness, says Dr. Adam Scheiner, an expert on facial features.

"If you're going out for political office, you don't want to be seen as less than energetic," said the surgeon, author of the book "The True Definition of Beauty."

Scheiner, 44, who has been on "The Dr. Oz Show," said Botox, laser surgery and liposuction would help the candidates look stronger, happier and more likeable.

"They can be cleaned up," he said.

People decide within seconds of meeting someone whether they trust that person — and politicians are no exception, Scheiner said.

"It's just hard-wired into us," he said. "Look at Kennedy and Nixon."

The doctor reviewed the faces of nine mayoral candidates and recommended remedies ranging from invasive surgery to simple light therapy to improve the way they are perceived.

He said Weiner's bulge — the one on his jaw! — may be a result of teeth grinding, which sends voters a message that he's stressed out.

"It doesn't sit right," the doc said. "You're thinking something is a little off here."

He said the problem can be fixed with a Botox injection to relax the muscle.

And Quinn's mouth, with its downturned sides, conveys that she's stern and unhappy, he said, recommending "fillers" to add volume.

"This would help her appear less sad or mad," Scheiner said.

With Catsimatidis, Scheiner had his hands full.

The Gristedes magnate has "neck fullness" and a puffiness under his eyes that make him look tired and sick, Scheiner said.

He recommended lower-eyelid surgery, liposuction and a surgical neck lift.

"It would make a big difference for him to appear more awake and energetic," he said.

He noted Comptroller John Liu has sun-damage spots that can be treated with light therapy; former Comptroller Bill Thompson and Public Advocate Bill de Blasio both have heavy eyelids that call for surgery; and ex-MTA Chairman Joe Lhota has a furrowed brow that could use some Botox.

Sal Albanese, a former councilman, also has a furrowed brow, while activist Randy Credico has lines around his eyes.

Both cases, the doc said, call for Botox.

Overall, he predicted Weiner was most likely to win — based on his face.

The former congressman, he said, has healthy-looking eyes and mouth areas.

"He doesn't have as many issues as the other candidates . . . when it comes to his face," Scheiner said.

Additional reporting by Larry Celona

noneill@nypost.com

Read More

Serby's Special Q&A with Yankees... Old Timers

Post columnist Steve Serby goes back in time, lobbing questions at the Old Timers who gathered yesterday at Yankee Stadium.

Q: What is your favorite Yankees memory?

DAVID CONE: Probably warming up in the outfield on the day that Joe DiMaggio died, and Paul Simon walks out and plays his famous song "Mrs. Robinson" ... Where Have You Gone, Joe DiMaggio? So I just sat down, with my back against the outfield wall, and watched Paul Simon. My own little personal concert is what it seemed like. That was an unbelievable moment. I was lucky: I got to pitch on the day Mickey Mantle died, the day Joe DiMaggio died. And that one, the day Joe DiMaggio died, that tribute was ... like none other.

Paul J. Bereswill

Yogi Berra and Whitey Ford

AP

Bernie Williams

BERNIE WILLIAMS: The old Stadium, winning the batting title from a personal standpoint on the last day of the [1998] season was very special. That same year, winning the championship, I don't know if I can top that. I think every year that I spent here was very special. I never took it for granted.

LOU PINIELLA: Winning our first world championship in 1977. I've always worn that ring with a lot of pride. I remember players I've played with and the teams that we beat on the way to that. My favorite year, though, was '78. That was the year that we were written off at the All-Star break and we came back from that 14-game deficit and had that wonderful, wonderful, memorable playoff game in Boston, the most fun-filled game I've ever played in my life.

WILLIE RANDOLPH: If I could just speak from a selfish standpoint, it was the '77 All- Star Game in the old Yankee Stadium. Obviously I'm a 22-year-old kid, rubbing elbows with guys I was emulating three years ago, you know? In front of all your family and friends. It's the ultimate dream come true. You got the Chris Chambliss home run [in the 1976 ALCS] obviously was huge, and there's a lot of other great memories being part of championships, but to me, just being able to stay on the field, look around and soak everything in on that one particular night, played the whole game, and just to be able to be on that stage, I felt like I really kind of arrived as a young player.

ROY WHITE: I always tell everybody that one of my great memories is the first time just coming into the Yankee Stadium clubhouse as a rookie and seeing Mickey Mantle sitting over in the corner and [Roger] Maris and then Whitey [Ford] and Elston Howard. Bobby Richardson, who was my idol as a second baseman, that was a great moment for me. If you want to talk about a moment on the playing field, I think a home run against Boston in '78, in a big series, in the bottom of the ninth [off Bill Campbell] that tied up a game that we won in extra innings, and we swept that series and it catapulted us into first place.

Read More

Former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher in UES chain-reaction car crash

Former Pittsburgh Steeler head coach Bill Cowher gave a big hit while driving on the Upper East Side yesterday, police and fire sources said.

The CBS "NFL Today" commentator was heading north on Park Avenue at 1:12 p.m. when his Mercedes struck the passenger side of a Ford Fusion turning left on East 92nd Street. The Ford then smashed into scaffolding. No one was hurt.

Cowher, who was known for his temper on the sideline, walked away without a scratch.

Both Cowher, 56, and the Ford driver claimed they had the green light. Police didn't arrest anyone or write any summonses, the sources said.

BIG STOP: Ex-NFL coach Bill Cowher is upbeat after smashing his Benz yesterday in Manhattan.

"With how banged up that car is, it's amazing no one was really hurt," said Jim Conner, 45, who witnessed the chain-reaction crash.

EMS arrived at the scene and checked a female passenger traveling with Cowher and the driver of the Ford, witnesses said.

Read More

Hong Kong says Snowden has left for third country

The Guardian

NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden has left Hong Kong, according to reports.

HONG KONG — A former National Security Agency contractor wanted by the United States for revealing two highly classified surveillance programs has been allowed to leave for a "third country" because a U.S. extradition request did not fully comply with Hong Kong law, the territory's government said Sunday.

A statement from the government did not identify the country, but the South China Morning Post, which has been in contact with Edward Snowden, reported that he was on a plane for Moscow, but that Russia was not his final destination.

Snowden, who has been in hiding in Hong Kong for several weeks since he revealed information on the highly classified spy programs, has talked of seeking asylum in Iceland.

Russia's ITAR-Tass news agency, citing an unidentified Aeroflot official, said Snowden would fly from Moscow to Cuba on Monday and then take a flight to Caracas, Venezuela.

Snowden's departure came a day after the United States made a formal request for his extradition and warned Hong Kong against delaying the process of returning him to face trial in the U.S.

The Hong Kong government said Snowden left "on his own accord for a third country through a lawful and normal channel."

It acknowledged the U.S. extradition request, but said U.S. documentation did not "fully comply with the legal requirements under Hong Kong law." It said additional information was requested from Washington, but since the Hong Kong government "has yet to have sufficient information to process the request for provisional warrant of arrest, there is no legal basis to restrict Mr. Snowden from leaving Hong Kong."

The statement said Hong Kong had informed the U.S. of Snowden's departure. It added that it wanted more information about alleged hacking of computer systems in Hong Kong by U.S. government agencies which Snowden had revealed.

Snowden's departure eliminates a possible fight between Washington and Beijing at a time when China is trying to deflect U.S. accusations that it carries out extensive surveillance of American government and commercial operations. Hong Kong, a former British colony, has a high degree of autonomy and is granted rights and freedoms not seen on mainland China, but under the city's mini constitution Beijing is allowed to intervene in matters involving defense and diplomatic affairs.

Hong Kong has an extradition treaty with the U.S., but the document has some exceptions, including for crimes deemed political.

The Obama administration on Saturday warned Hong Kong against delaying Snowden's extradition, with White House national security adviser Tom Donilon saying in an interview with CBS News, "Hong Kong has been a historically good partner of the United States in law enforcement matters, and we expect them to comply with the treaty in this case."

Snowden's departure came as the South China Morning Post released new allegations from Snowden that U.S. hacking targets in China included the nation's cellphone companies and two universities hosting extensive Internet traffic hubs.

He told the newspaper that "the NSA does all kinds of things like hack Chinese cellphone companies to steal all of your SMS data." It added that Snowden said he had documents to support the hacking allegations, but the report did not identify the documents. It said he spoke to the newspaper in a June 12 interview.

With a population of more than 1.3 billion, China has massive cellphone companies. China Mobile is the world's largest mobile network carrier with 735 million subscribers, followed by China Unicom with 258 million users and China Telecom with 172 million users.

Snowden said Tsinghua University in Beijing and Chinese University in Hong Kong, home of some of the country's major Internet traffic hubs, were targets of extensive hacking by U.S. spies this year. He said the NSA was focusing on so-called "network backbones" in China, through which enormous amounts of Internet data passes.

The Chinese government has not commented on the extradition request and Snowden's departure, but its state-run media have used Snowden's allegations to poke back at Washington after the U.S. had spent the past several months pressuring China on its international spying operations.

A commentary published Sunday by the official Xinhua News Agency said Snowden's disclosures of U.S. spying activities in China have "put Washington in a really awkward situation."

"Washington should come clean about its record first. It owes ... an explanation to China and other countries it has allegedly spied on," it said. "It has to share with the world the range, extent and intent of its clandestine hacking programs."

Read More

Nets shooting for building blocks at No. 22

This year's draft is a far different one for Nets director of player personnel Gregg Polinsky than any from the past several seasons.

After spending recent years hoping to find pieces to build the foundation of a playoff team, Polinsky — who has been with the Nets since 1999 and is in his fifth year in his current position — instead enters the final few days of preparation for this year's draft looking to try and find pieces to compliment a core group that won 49 games last season and earned the fourth playoff seed in the Eastern Conference.

"You're still looking at the talent level, and what they bring to the table, but also how they do fit with your group," Polinsky said at the completion of a recent draft workout. "[But] you're also looking at your core guys, too, and their age.

"That's where a young guy may fall to us, and maybe in two years this guy can get groomed under some of our veterans, and now he is able to step in. That's why when people say, 'They're going to take this kind of guy' … it really depends on how all of this falls.

"There's so many possibilities that it's not just lining them up, which we do, but it's also when we line them up, which guys have fallen as you've ranked them, and what their promise is going forward."

Figuring out the promise of the players in this draft class will be exactly what Polinsky and the Nets' scouts will be doing starting today, when they convene to begin several days of combing through the available prospects and ranking them in preparation for Thursday's draft.

Armed with the 22nd pick in what has been universally described as a weak draft, one would think that would mean there is little value to be had for a team like the Nets — who already have an established roster full of talent and are picking in the latter part of the first round.

But though this year's draft lacks the kind of surefire star power last year's did with Anthony Davis and next year's does with Anthony Wiggins, among others, Polinsky thinks there's plenty of value to be had, that the pool is filled with players who can become quality role players — if not more.

"I don't think it's as talented as ,let's say, if you just project out on what you've seen with your eyes, as next year," Polinsky said. "[That thought's] out there, but I think it's true. It's a fair statement that [next year is] going to be a better draft.

"But, with that being said, that's the fun of it, is trying to see if you can shake the sand and find a nugget."

And for the Nets, because of the way their team is set up, the focus for Polinsky and his team of scouts will be to present general manager Billy King with some options who, more likely than not, can step in and contribute quickly to a veteran-laden team.

"The team's that are, maybe because of their record, they have a good core to them … I would say we're one of them," he said. "We have a foundation to us now, and we can draft now with, in mind, what our team looks like and what Billy sees as potential for free agency and make comparisons to maybe a rookie versus a free agent based on the money we'll have.

"Those are all things that, when we get done with this next week, we'll have sorted through all of those things."

tbontemps@nypost.com

Read More

Man stabbed in Queens apartment

A man was fighting for his life yesterday after he was stabbed in a Queens apartment, police said.

The victim was knifed in the chest following an argument with another man in the building on Liberty Avenue at 8:35 p.m., cops said.

He was rushed to Jamaica Hospital in critical condition but his condition was later upgraded to stable, police said.

Cops were questioning a suspect last night but he has not yet been arrested.

Read More

The rumble

All that jazz

Yanks Old-Timer kicks off concert series

Bernie Williams will be warming up at today's Old-Timers' Day game in preparation for his performance with his all-star band at Westchester's Ridge Hill in Yonkers on Thursday at 6 p.m.

The free show, which is open to the public, will feature the former Yankee-turned-guitarist playing Latin jazz rhythms that have earned him a Latin Grammy nomination. Williams will open the 2013 Summer Concert Series there.

Williams, the five-time All-Star and four-time world champion, made his first Old-Timer's Day appearance in 2011 after 16 seasons with the Yankees.

MeetTheFamous.com/JackShea

Bernie Williams

Stars are out for L.I. golf benefit

A star-studded celebrity guest list, highlighted by new Brooklyn Nets coach Jason Kidd and former Giant Michael Strahan, will be on hand for the second annual Big Daddy Celebrity Golf Classic tomorrow at the Oheka Castle in Huntington to help raise money for the LIJ Brain Aneurysm Center for Kids and the Long Island Children's Museum in Uniondale.

In addition to Kidd and Strahan, the guest list includes, among others: Tiki Barber, Amani Toomer, Justin Tuck, Matt Ryan, Larry Fitzgerald, Howard Cross, Gary Sheffield, Ronnie Lott, Mike Smith, Brian Billick, Marshall Faulk, MarShon Brooks, Ken Daneyko, Kevin Weekes, Billy Jaffe and Joe Buck.

The outing is the brainstorm of Long Island's Rich "Big Daddy" Salgado, who has formed the Big Daddy Foundation with the purpose of choosing a different charity in the metropolitan area. Strahan and Scott Rechler, the CEO of RXR Realty Group, will be honored.

Russo: Phil praise goes over the top

Sirius/XM's Chris Russo on Phil Mickelson making the trip out west to see his daughter Amanda graduate before flying back east for the first round of the U.S. Open:

"I love Mickelson, too, but can we calm down on the 'Father of the Year' talk? When you're flying on a Gulfstream jet with a stewardess on board, where I'm sure there are beds on the aircraft. …

"It's not like he went to Philadelphia's International Airport to check in, wait in line and fly in the back of the plane to get out to California for his 13-year-old's eighth-grade graduation. He got on a plane when he wanted to, flew home, slept on the plane, waitress on the plane, flew to a private airport, went to the graduation, got back on the plane and flew east. … You would have thought that basically Phil walked to the graduation. He had a Gulfstream. You see the jet? It's a 10-seat jet!"

J.R.'s Rucker Park jam session

Knicks star J.R Smith and former NBA player Dee Brown surprised fans at Rucker Park on Thursday night. In honor of the re-release of the Reebok Pump Omni Lite, Brown got in on an impromptu dunk contest, and Smith later decided to lace up and get in on the game.

Read More

Broner wins split decision over Malignaggi

As the bell sounded, Paulie Malignaggi and Adrien Broner stood on the ropes in their corners and raised their hands to air, hoping to celebrate victory. Many in the Barclays Center Saturday night viewed it as wishful thinking on Malignaggi's part.

But when the scorecards were read, the outcome was closer than most thought. Broner (27-0, 22 KOs) remained unbeaten and captured the WBA welterweight title with a split decision win over Malignaggi (32-5, 7 KOs).

Judge Tom Miller scored the bout for Malignaggi 115-113, while judges Glenn Feldman and Tom Schreck saw it for Broner 115-113 and 117-111. The Post scored it 116-112 for Broner.

Punch stats told the story of the fight. Broner landed 214 power shots to 94 for Malignaggi, who landed 120 jabs compared to just 32 for Broner.

"I thought I outworked him," Malignaggi said. "In his spots he was sharp, but he wasn't busy. He only worked about 30 seconds of every round. The fight could have went either way. In my hometown as the defending champion I felt I should have got it. He didn't do enough to take the belt from the champion."

Broner, who won titles at 130 and 135 pounds jumped up two weight classes to 147 pounds to challenge Malignaggi for his title. Malignaggi thought he was catching Broner at the right time, before he became a seasoned veteran and had faced tougher opposition. "I came to his home town and beat him on a split decision," Broner said. "That's saying something."

It was a chance for Malignaggi to validate his two world titles and win the kind of huge fight that had eluded him. His face was disfigured in losing a decision to Miguel Cotto in 2006. He was stopped in 11 rounds by Ricky Hatton in 2008 and he was stopped again in 11 rounds by Amir Khan in 2010.

After the Khan loss, it looked like a chance for another big-money fight would elude him. But he captured the WBA welterweight title by beating Vyacheslav Senchenko in the Ukraine and then successfully defended his title at the Barclays Center last October.

Broner, on the fast track to becoming a pay-per-view star, was heavily favored, but Malignaggi came out firing jabs and hooks that kept Broner on the defensive for much of the first two rounds.

When Broner stunned Malignaggi with a sharp right hand to start the third round, Malignaggi re-established himself, but it was becoming clear Malignaggi stream of punches weren't hurting Broner, who kept pressing forward.

By the end of the third round, Broner was starting to find his rhythm, countering between Malignaggi's piston-like jabs. But the Brooklyn native stayed busy, keeping his fists in constant motion jabbing to Broner's body and head.

Broner didn't seem bothered by Malignaggi's punches and landed a hard right hand at the bell to end the fifth round. The challenger continued to stalk Malignaggi in the sixth round, landing a hard body punch early in the round. He picked up the pace as the round went on, rocking Malignaggi with heavy-handed combinations.

The pattern continued into the ninth where Broner opened by exchanging more words than punches. But by the end of the round, he had landed a hard right that jarred Malignaggi as the bell sounded.

As Round 12 sounded, the crowd began to chant "Paulie … Paulie." But Malignaggi couldn't score the knockout he needed.

In other bouts:

In a wild slugfest, Sakio Bika (32-5-2, 21 KOs) of Cameron, Africa, won the WBC super middleweight title with a majority decision over Marco Periban (20-1, 13 KOs) of Mexico. The two landed 57 of 180 punches in the 12th round before Bika claimed the decision 114-114, 116-112 and 115-113.

Seth Mitchell (26-1-1, 19 KOs) of Brandywine, Maryland, avenged his November defeat to Johnathon Banks (29-2-1, 19 KOS) of Detroit by scoring a unanimous decision in a lackluster heavyweight bout.

"He weathered the storm better this time than he did last time," said Banks, who scored a second-round TKO in November. "I did as much as I could but I wasn't able to take advantage this time."

Mitchell was hurt in the third round, but recovered and pulled out the win.

"I felt I won eight out of 12 rounds," Mitchell said. "I used patience and distance."

Staten Island's Marcus Browne improved to 5-0 with his fifth knockout, a first-round stoppage of Ricardo Campillo (7-7-1, five KOs) of Mexico.

george.willis@nypost.com

Read More

LeBron's Heat face a difficult road to a three-peat - and don't rule out a return to Cleveland

Well past midnight early Friday morning, Heat president Pat Riley was drenched in champagne. Dwyane Wade sat alone on the floor outside the locker room, "soaking it in,'' as he said. The tarp covering the locker-room carpet was indeed soaked.

And LeBron James reveled in the interview room, saying his goal was still to be "if not the greatest, one of the greatest to ever play this game.''

King James is on his way with his second ring, but the Heat's repeat Thursday night and their wild celebration after the NBA Finals Game 7 win over the Spurs may have been the last pure moment of joy James and Wade will share in South Beach.

NBAE/Getty Images

KING ME:LeBron James displays his NBA MVP trophy after the Heat defeated the Spurs to win their second straight title.

If the Heat get to this stage next June and attempt a "Miami Thrice,'' the focus will shift to whether it is the last stand for James, Wade and Chris Bosh. All three have opt-outs in their contracts after next season. A return to Cleveland could be in the cards for James.

"Two championships in three years so far, it's the ultimate,'' James said. "I don't want to think about next year, what our possibilities are next year. I got to take full advantage of this one. It's an unbelievable moment for our team.''

Miami has already been installed as 2-1 favorites to win the 2014 title by online betting service Bovada. But if the Heat thought this run was tougher than last year's, they may not have seen anything yet.

As one team official said, "Oh yeah, it's going to be harder.''

Tom Thibodeau's Bulls will finally be armed with former MVP Derrick Rose, who has missed both series against Miami the past two seasons. The Pacers, who took the Heat to a Game 7, get back All-Star forward Danny Granger to join 7-foot-2 monster Roy Hibbert and an improving Paul George.

The Knicks, meanwhile, match up well with Miami after winning 3-of-4 in the regular season. The Knicks will have a fully healthy Iman Shumpert, Carmelo Anthony and perhaps Amar'e Stoudemire will be right and ready for the playoffs.

If the Heat survive the East for the fourth straight year, it may be the young studs from Oklahoma City, with a healthy Russell Westbrook, to greet them in the finals — not the older Spurs.

But if James continues to be spectacular with the highest of stakes — he did it in London in the Olympic gold-medal game and through last year's Finals — then the Heat will be unbeatable in 2014.

James' finest hour was his last hour, when he swished jumpers all over South Florida to will the Heat to a 95-88 win in Game 7, scoring his 2013 playoff-high 37 points. He had to shake off a series in which his jumper was lost to sink five 3-pointers and go 8-of-8 from the free throw line. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich dared him all series to beat his team from the perimeter and James did.

"To be able to come through for my teammates in the biggest moment on the biggest stage makes me more satisfied than anything in the world,'' James said early Friday. "I know the grass isn't always green and there's going to be trials and tribulations. But hopefully I can continue to be the leader for my teammates.''

James doesn't sound like a guy ready to skip out on Miami. In recent days he referred to himself as "the kid from Akron, Ohio.'' That may not bode well for Cavaliers fans, who are hoping James still identifies with Cleveland despite all the criticism he has endured there for leaving.

Trying to stockpile titles in Miami may be more appealing.

"Everybody can't get to the Finals and win six in a row and not lose one like Michael Jordan,'' Wade said.

But the Heat can surely try.

The Miami roster will stay virtually the same. Disappointing Mike Miller will likely be cut via the amnesty clause, but Ray Allen, whose game-tying 3-pointer with 5.2 seconds left in Game 6 saved the Heat's season, should return.

James will get married this summer and enjoy the spoils of victory as a two-time champion. The Cleveland talk can wait. So can talk about him not living up to his nickname — "The Chosen One.''

In his parting words, however, James told the media to keep coming with the criticism.

"Please continue to motivate me,'' he said. "I need you guys.''

marc.berman@nypost.com

Read More

Letter penned by George Washington pulls in $1.2 million at auction

A deep-pocketed history buff yesterday shelled out $1.2 million at auction for a rare letter penned by George Washington.

The anonymous telephone buyer won the piece in heated bidding at Christie's on the Upper East Side, after an in-person bidder put down her paddle and opted out after the price topped $1.1 million.

Washington penned the letter to Gen. John Armstrong on April 25, 1788. Sent from Mount Vernon, the seven-page missive urged the adoption of the US Constitution and was written at the height of a national debate over ratification.

"It is one of the finest Washington letters we've ever handled," senior rare-books-and-manuscript specialist Chris Coover told The Post after the sale.

Getty Images

MAIL BONDING: This 1788 letter from George Washington to a fellow general fetched $1.2 million at Christie's yesterday. In it, the Father of His Country urged the ratification of the US Constitution.

At the time, Washington was "heavily invested in the success of the American Republic," and was urging other states to sign.

Armstrong shared Washington's belief "in the importance of the ratification," Cooper said.

Bidding on the letter — which had been expected to bring as much as $2 million — opened at $500,000. With fees to the auction house, the buyer will pay $1,443,750 for the letter.

It last changed hands in 1968 for and undisclosed sum.

Christie's has said it sold a similar letter in 2009 for $3.2 million.

kevin.fasick@nypost.com

Read More

It’s one ‘N’ done: Deen gets chop

Put a fork in her.

Celebrity chef Paula Deen was dumped by the Food Network yesterday — despite posting videos apologizing for her use of racial slurs.

Officials at the network said they won't renew her contract, which expires next month, after she flippantly admitted to using the N-word during a court deposition.

Asked under oath whether she had ever used the slur, she replied, "Yes, of course," on May 17, according to the deposition.

Deen then canceled a "Today" show appearance yesterday — in which she was expected to address the scandal — opting to instead post apology videos on YouTube.

PAULA DEEN Off TV for using racial slur.

"I want to apologize to everybody for the wrong that I've done," Deen said in one heavily edited video.

"I want to learn and grow from this. Inappropriate, hurtful language is totally, totally unacceptable."

She added, "Please forgive me for the mistakes that I've made."

She later posted a second apology video addressing "Today" show host Matt Lauer, claiming she was too distraught to show up.

"I was physically not able to [make it] this morning. The pain has been tremendous that I have caused to myself and others," she said.

The apology-fest comes after a former employee sued her, claiming she used sexual innuendo and racial slurs that created a hostile work environment.

The ex-employee, Lisa Jackson, is a former manager of Uncle Bubba's Oyster House, which Deen owns with her brother in Savannah, Ga.

Asked in the deposition to give an example of a time she used the N-word, Deen replied she used it once after she was held at gunpoint by a black robber.

She claimed she used the term after the stickup, "probably in telling my husband," according to the deposition.

The 66-year-old Georgia-based chef is famous for her fried and buttery food.

Deen's publicist did not immediately return calls seeking comment yesterday.

noneill@nypost.com

Read More