Clive Barnes, the New York Post s arts critic since 1977, died yesterday of cancer. He was 81. As a New York dance and theater critic for decades, his name was plastered all over Broadway in blurbs on theater marquees. A familiar figure...

At the same time Ashley Dupre found out her "Client 9" was the governor of New York, her mom and stepdad were reeling from the news their little girl was a hooker, the former Emperor s Club call girl reveals in a new interview. And while friends...

East Hampton is raising property taxes by almost 24 percent to help cut a $15 million deficit. The East Hampton Town Board approved a $68.5 million spending plan on Tuesday night by a 3-2 vote. Town Supervisor Bill McGintee said high health-care...

A former prison guard jailed for his part in a John Gotti-ordered hit ended a 23-hour standoff with cops in The Bronx yesterday after going berserk. Joe Principe ranted that a government conspiracy was ruining his life as he barricaded himself in...

The trendy Lower East Side won a battle against the invasion of the high-rise tower. The City Council yesterday unanimously approved a major rezoning of the neighborhood to limit the size of new construction and maintain the small-town quality of...

A federal jury yesterday brought down the curtain on opera-loving money manager Alberto Vilar, convicting the fallen philanthropist of swindling clients - including the mom of actress Phoebe Cates - out of millions of dollars. The former...

How much is that doggie through the window? A pooch was behind the wheel of a van that crashed into a Long Island coffee shop last night. "He s definitely going to lose his license," said owner Bryan Maher, of his appropriately named dog...

The ex-con son and the brother of a founder of a prominent black leadership group have been busted for driving with an illegal handgun, authorities said yesterday. Kelvin Alexander Jr., 26, and his uncle, Barry Alexander, 39, were pulled over by...

A dog s fur coat may not be enough to keep him warm, so a Brooklyn organization is sponsoring a coats-for-canines drive. The Dyker Heights Civic Association says it s accepting "gently used" dog coats, sweaters and blankets for homeless mutts this...

Bus riders in Queens and Brooklyn will be walking farther and waiting longer under the MTA s plans to slash service for at least 22 weekday and overnight lines, The Post has learned. On the chopping block for weekdays are the B23, B25, B37, B 39...

A crack-fueled sex fiend was sentenced to 154 years in prison yesterday for two brutal attacks in the same East Village building in which he choked, blindfolded and then violated his terrified young victims. John Hamlett further tortured his...

Left-wing billionaire financier George Soros is using his financial muscle at a Manhattan fund-raiser tonight to help Al Franken win a recount in Minnesota s Senate election. Soros - the hedge-fund honcho and sugar daddy of the Democratic Party -...

ALBANY - Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is the first choice of voters to replace Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton if the former first lady is named secretary of state by President-elect Obama, a new poll yesterday showed. The Marist College survey found...

Mayor Bloomberg suggested yesterday that he won t send out the annual $400 property-tax rebate to small homeowners - even if legally forced to do so by the City Council. "We have no money," said the mayor. "I think that s what you have to...

Dozens of subway riders are left stranded on the platform, unable to board jampacked Lexington Avenue line trains, according to a new study. On average, about 25 riders are unable to squeeze into the rush-hour sardine cans on the 4, 5, and 6...

A callous brute tried to pull a fast one yesterday while pleading guilty to kicking his roommate s dog to death, claiming that the 15-pound Boston terrier - so swollen from nursing five puppies that she could hardly move - had attacked him. But...

The "tough mama" from Harlem who risked her life for a faux Gucci bag now has a pair of high-end purses that fashionistas would die for. Marie Conde, a 26-year-old nursing home worker who turned the tables on three street punks, was showered with...

ATLANTIC CITY - Atlantic City s Expressway will stop accepting money at toll plazas by the end of 2010, and will use E-ZPass and video tolling instead. Video tolling uses cameras to capture license-plate numbers, and motorists without E-ZPass are...

ALBANY - Gov. Paterson s approval rating took a dive even before the impact of Tuesday s budget-cutting session could be taken into account, a poll found. The governor s standing dipped to 51 percent from 57 percent last month, according to the...

WASHINGTON - The Justice Department and the NYPD are feuding over surveillance of suspected terrorists - and how quickly it can be legally approved. Intelligence officials familiar with the spat say the department is accusing federal lawyers of...