House designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in NJ may be moved due to flooding

AP

The Bachman-Wilson house, designed and built by Frank Lloyd Wright, in Millstone, NJ

MILLSTONE, NJ — Some say it's a work of art — one of the many gems of the Garden State.

Designed and built by Frank Lloyd Wright in the 1950s, the house, which sits along the Millstone River in Somerset County, features the legendary architect's floor-to-ceiling windows that let in all the nature surrounding it.

But for the owners of the Bachman-Wilson house in Millstone Borough, there's been a little too much Mother Nature coming in.

Any significant rain event causes the Millstone River to rise, flooding the historic home.

Hurricane Irene in 2012 was the final straw for the owners, Sharon and Lawrence Tarantino, who have decided to sell the home, but with one stipulation — the new owners must move the house, piece by piece.

The couple is looking to move the house to another part of New Jersey. If that's not possible, they're considering Upstate New York, the Midwest or even Italy.

If the house is moved out of New Jersey, it would leave the state with just three original Frank Lloyd Wright buildings.

"The (current) site is not sustainable," Sharon Tarantino told The Star-Ledger of Newark. "We've been here for 25 years, and for 20 years we've dealt with flooding. It came to a point after Hurricane Irene and we determined the only way to save the house is to relocate it and build it on another site."

Tarantino said she and her husband love their Wright house with its large windows, gleaming wood floors and remodeled kitchen. As a designer and an architect respectively, the couple has done extensive renovations to maintain Wright's original vision for the structure. And after several floods and several renovations, the Tarantinos say they not only want to maintain that vision, but they want to keep it safe.

"This is sort of an organic happening in a way, that the house is transforming through nature," Tarantino said. "I think (Wright) would welcome it — I think he would be really thrilled that we're making the effort to do this to save a house, that isn't grand in scale but grand in its spirit and design and it's jewel that should be saved."

Not everyone is sold on the idea of the house moving out of New Jersey.

"It's a part of New Jersey's heritage and it would be a great loss to our state," said Stephanie Cherry-Farmer, senior director of programs at Preservation New Jersey, an advocacy group that placed the Bachman-Wilson home on their list of endangered historic sites in 2011. "Hopefully, they will be able to find a solution that allows the house to exist but keeps it part of New Jersey's heritage."

The Tarantinos are trying to do just that.

So far they've looked at two sites in New Jersey — one in Princeton and another in northern New Jersey, without being specific. Sharon Tarantino said the couple's top requirement is that the site have some kind of Wright connection, and they're also looking for a place that's similar to where the house stands now.

"It might be a site in New Jersey, but it might not be appropriate it for the house," she said. "So what if it's New Jersey."

The Tarantinos, who own Tarantino Architecture, are asking for $950,000 for house and its contents — which includes all Frank Lloyd Wright furniture — and $550,000 to deconstruct and move the house. And they plan to work closely with the new owner to reconstruct the house.

Over a dozen Frank Lloyd Wright houses are for sale across the nation, according to a Wright building conservancy group. And a few have relocated from their original location, but one expert says those moves are rarer.

"You do lose a lot when you move a Frank Lloyd Wright house from an original site to another one," said Victor Sidy, dean of the Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture in Arizona. "He designed each one of his house in relation to the building site the views the sun angle, the neighbors; each house was a solved problem, and the problem was living within the constraints of the site."

This problem, though, has gotten out of hand, the owners say.

"We feel like it's something that has to be done because of the environment," Sharon Tarantino said. "We have to save the house. We cannot go through another flood."

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Conn. Dem disgrace: Call for resignation after pol tells girl, 17, 'I got a snake sitting under my desk here'

HARTFORD, Conn. — The chairman of Connecticut's Republican Party is calling for a Democratic state lawmaker to resign over what was taken as a lewd remark to a teenage girl.

State Rep. Ernest Hewett already has been stripped of his leadership title for the reference he made to "a snake" under his desk at last week's budget hearing. He has said his remark came out wrong and he understood how it could be misconstrued.

Republican Party chairman Jerry Labriola said Friday that the remark was "a disgrace and an embarrassment."

The 17-year-old girl had been testifying in support of funding for the Connecticut Science Center's youth programs which helped her get over a fear of snakes. Hewett said: "If you're bashful I got a snake sitting under my desk here."

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Feds hunt for 3 LI sex offenders gone missing after Hurricane Sandy

US Marshals are searching for several Suffolk County sex offenders who disappeared after Hurricane Sandy.

The federal law-enforcement agency launched Operation Shore Restore in December to track down offenders who were displaced during the superstorm, authorities said.

“These local agencies during the Hurricane were pretty taxed,” said Charlie Dunne, the US Marshal for the Eastern District of New York. “So marshals want to come in and help other law-enforcement get a handle on where these sex offenders are.”

There are about 1000 individuals on Suffolk County, and marshals focused on 500 offenders in the operation.

Authorities found 450 of the offenders living in their registered homes, while forty had relocated because of the storm. They were found living with family members, in hotels, or even in homeless shelters because their residences were damaged in the storm.

“There were ten we felt had absconded as a result of the hurricane, and left,” said Dunne.

Seven so far have been located and arrested, but three have not been found yet.

It was not immediately released how serious the crimes were that the offenders had been convicted of before they were released.

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Veteran journalist Bob Woodward slams Obama's budget cut 'madness'

Journalist Bob Woodward on Wednesday criticized Barack Obama's handling of the automatic U.S. budget cuts set to take effect this week, calling the president's decision to hold back on military deployments "madness."

His comments continued what has become a running dispute between Woodward, perhaps the country's best-known print journalist, and the Democratic White House over who is responsible for the across-the-board cuts scheduled to begin on Friday.

Last week, Woodward published an opinion piece in the Washington Post - where he is an associate editor - saying the administration was "wrong" to blame the cuts on Republicans.

AP

Former Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward.

That drew retorts from White House press secretary Jay Carney, who in posts on Twitter and later in comments to reporters blamed the budget stalemate on Republican opposition to including increased revenues in any deal to replace the cuts.

The $85 billion across-the-board budget cuts were mandated by Congress and the White House as part of the August 2011 deal to avoid a government default. The reductions are split between defense spending and domestic programs.

Woodward, who first gained fame in the 1970s from exposing the Watergate scandal during the administration of President Richard Nixon, wrote a detailed account in his 2012 book, "The Price of Politics," of the August 2011 deal that led to the cuts.

On Wednesday he attacked Obama for drawing national security into the budget debate.

"So we now have the president going out (saying) 'Because of this piece of paper and this agreement, I can't do what I need to do to protect the country.' That's a kind of madness that I haven't seen in a long time," Woodward told MSNBC on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Obama warned of threats to Navy readiness in a visit to the Newport News Shipbuilding shipyard in Virginia, where maintenance to the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln has been delayed by the budget crisis.

Earlier this month, the Pentagon said it was delaying deployment of another carrier, the USS Harry Truman, to the Middle East because of funding.

Obama's decision to drag the military into the budget fight likely would not have happened in previous administrations, Republican or Democratic, Woodward added on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" program.

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Contractor at Sandy damaged school swiped iMacs

A contractor who was supposed to be doing emergency repairs at a Queens school damaged by Hurricane Sandy instead helped himself to two desktop computers, police officials said yesterday.

Iannelli Construction worker Kevin Smith, 43, was arrested today for the alleged November theft of two iMacs from a classroom at Scholar’s Academy in Rockaway Park.

He was charged with burglary, illegal entry of a dwelling and possession of stolen property, authorities said.

Department of Education officials said Smith was captured on surveillance cameras that were reviewed during a probe by the School Construction Authority’s Inspector General and the Queens District Attorney’s office.

Scholar’s Academy initially reported that 80 computer tablets were stolen during the clean-up after the superstorm — which DOE officials said yesterday caused at least $110 million in damage and personnel costs for the city’s public schools.

At least 10 other schools had reported missing or stolen equipment in the weeks after the storm hit.

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Macy’s CEO ‘hung up’ on Martha Stewart betrayal

Macy’s CEO Terry Lundgren testified he was so shocked when Martha Stewart called him to break the news she had a secret deal with JCPenney that he hung up on her.

“I don’t remember hanging up on anyone in my life, “ Lundgren testified during a Manhattan Supreme Court trial over her pact with Penney. “That’s how frustrated I was with Martha Stewart on that phone call.”

After recovering from his initial shock, Lundgren said he repeatedly asked Stewart why she had not first told him about her talks with Penney so that he might have had a chance to counter the deal.

Stewart began answering him in stilted language as if she were reading from a text written by lawyers, he told the courtroom.

“I was completely shocked and blown away by what she was saying,” Lundgren testified. “She said this was going to be good for Macy’s. I think that’s when I hung up.”

Stewart wasn’t the only one cozying up to Lundgren as a friend while also double-dealing behind his back, the Macy’s CEO said.

Shortly after JCPenney CEO Ron Johnson made a splashy presentation to Wall Street on Penney’s turnaround plans, Lundgren said he wrote to Johnson to congratulate him.

“Thank you, Terry. Your note means a ton to me,” Johnson replied in an e-mail dated Jan. 27, 2012, which was submitted as evidence by Macy’s.

“I consider you a friend.”

Lundgren testified that he “didn’t know about those other e-mails [Johnson] was writing at the same time.”

Lundgren was referring to a flurry of catty e-mails disclosed last week, in which Johnson joked with colleagues that the surprise announcement with Stewart would give Lundgren a “migraine.”

Macy’s unleashed more provocative e-mails yesterday, including one in which a top Penny executive snarkily told Johnson it “sounds like Macy’s pretty unhappy with the Martha deal: [frowning- face symbol].”

Johnson’s sarcasm was apparent in his email reply to the colleague: “I am so sad… They look asleep at the wheel.”

Martha kept her talks with Johnson secret right up to the end, Lundgren said, despite the fact that she had sought several favors from him in the weeks leading up to the surprise announcement.

In addition to accepting Lundgren’s invite for a business trip to Haiti after its earthquake of the summer of 2011, Stewart also asked Lundgren just last October for a $10,000 VIP ticket to a posh New York event honoring Ralph Lauren and Oprah Winfrey.

A few weeks later, she asked for and got exclusive tickets to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.

Lundgren’s testimony is the latest salvo in the battle over whether Stewart can legally keep her deal with Penney, in which the retailer shelled out $38.5 million for a 17-percent stake in Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.

The pact also includes a 10-year, $200 million licensing agreement for Martha Stewart brand home goods.

jcovert@nypost.com

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Man commits suicide by leaping in front of Manhattan subway train

G.N.Miller/New York Post

A train at the Manhattan subway stop where a man jumped to his death today.

A suicidal man died after jumping in front of a subway train in Manhattan this morning, police said.

The unidentified victim was near the edge of the platform at Eighth Avenue and West 23rd Street in Chelsea around 9:30 a.m. as the E train neared the station, sources said. He stepped back about 10 feet before taking a running leap just before the train arrived, sources added.

The MTA suspended C trains and rerouted E trains below 53rd Street and Fifth Avenue for about two hours after the incident.

kconley@nypost.com

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Upper East Siders boo Christine Quinn over waste transfer station support at mayoral forum

They trashed her!

Upper East Siders opposed to the construction of a waste transfer station in their neighborhood booed City Council Speaker Christine Quinn at a mayoral forum today for her continued support of a controversial project that would send garbage trucks rumbling throughout posh area streets.

“I am not changing my position on the [marine transfer station],” Quinn declared to the crowd inside the New York Foundation for Senior Citizens on E. 93rd Street.

In the wake of Superstorm Sandy, new concerns have emerged about the E. 91st site, which is now classified as a flood zone, but Quinn said structural changes would be made to prevent any storm damage.

Warzer Jaff

Christine Quinn at today's mayoral forum

Immediately, the crowd jeered and heckled.

“Why have you never visited the site?” one person demanded.

Quinn did manage to raise a stink — about the jeers.

“Hang on — if you want an answer you have to listen,” she barked. “You can scream and yell. You could throw soft things after, but you have got to let me answer if I listen to your question with attention.”

She said that the five borough plan, which she supported in 2006 and of which the East Side station is a part, is meant to take the burden off of low income neighborhoods which traditionally get saddled with the stinky facilities. Part of the city scheme — the Gansevoort Street recycling center — sits in her own district, she noted.

“I can’t stand up in this neighborhood and say your neighborhood takes something if mine does not take one.”

Still, the heckling continued.

“Don’t expect us to vote for you!”

“That’s fine,” Quinn snapped.

Meanwhile, City Council Comptroller John Liu, who has previously supported the plan, flipped his position at the forum because of Hurricane Sandy-related issues.

“It doesn’t make sense to proceed while turning a blind eye to that simple fact,” he said.

Former City Comptroller Bill Thompson and Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, who voted in favor of the 2006 plan, said concerns over flooding left them both on the fence, and said they both planned to visit the site. The forum was sponsored by Rep. Carolyn Maloney.

cgiove@nypost.com

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Man pleads guilty to smuggling military-grade sniper scopes

A man pleaded guilty today to illegally trying to smuggle restricted military-grade night-vision sniper scopes out of the US to Ukraine.

Volodymyr Ponomarenko was charged in Brooklyn federal court with attempting to ship the high-tech devices overseas without a Customs export license that is required to transport restricted technology out of the country.

US Customs and Border Protection officers at New York's JFK airport had discovered the items in Dec. 2011 during a search of parcels destined for Ukraine, officials said.

Inside they found two night-vision rifle sniper scopes, a thermal imaging camera, and three high-powered sniper scopes, Brooklyn federal prosecutors say.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents traced the shipment to a freight forwarder in Elizabeth, NJ., and eventually tracked down and arrested Ponomarenko - who is a citizen of Ukraine, prosecutors said.

Under federal law, certain types of rifle scopes cannot be exported without a special license from the US government out of concern that they might be diverted to terrorists, insurgents, or others who could utilize them to kill US armed forces overseas, officials said.

Ponomarenko faces up to five years in prison when he is sentenced.

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Biden tries to rally support for gun control in Conn. speech

DANBURY, Conn. — Vice President Joe Biden is trying to rally support for the administration's proposals to curb gun violence, saying there will be a moral price to pay for inaction.

Biden is speaking Thursday at a conference in Danbury, Conn., just a few miles from the scene of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. He says that America has changed its views of gun control since the Dec. 14 massacre of 26 people inside the Newtown school.

Other speakers, including the parents of a 7-year-old girl killed at Sandy Hook, urged Congress to honor the memories of the victims with strong action.

Getty Images

Vice President Joe Biden speaks at a conference on gun violence at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, Connecticut.

Meanwhile, Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy announced he wants to immediately ban high-capacity ammunition magazines, require background checks for the transfer of firearms and expand the state's assault weapons ban.

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'Blade Runner' wanted to build an arsenal: report

JOHANNESBURG — Oscar Pistorius applied for firearm licenses for six more guns weeks before the shooting death of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp inside his house on Feb. 14, according to official records obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday.

The applications were made on Jan. 22, just over three weeks before Pistorius shot his girlfriend dead in his home with a licensed 9 mm pistol.

The athlete says the killing of Steenkamp was accidental as he thought she was a dangerous intruder inside his bathroom. Prosecutors say the double-amputee athlete intended to kill his girlfriend and have charged him with premediated murder.

In details obtained from the South African Police Service's National Firearms Center and given over the telephone, Pistorius applied for licenses for a Smith & Wesson model 500 revolver, a .38-caliber Smith & Wesson revolver, a Vector .223-caliber rifle and three shotguns: A Mossberg shotgun, a Maverick shotgun and a Winchester shotgun.

PROSECUTORS SLAM PISTORIUS' DEFENSE

TESTIMONY: PISTORIUS VS COPS

BLADE RUNNER'S HARROWING TALE OF HOW HE DID IT

PROSTHETIC STRAP-ONS KEY TO 'MURDER' RAP

ANGUISH, OUTRAGE AT REEVA FUNERAL

PHOTOS: REEVA STEENKAMP

The details were given to the AP by two separate officials at the government department. They refused to give their names because they were not authorized to speak to the media, although the records are available to the public.

Pistorius registered the 9 mm handgun used in the Valentine's Day killing for self-defense, the firearm center officials said. The six outstanding applications listed those guns for Pistorius' private collection.

The six recent firearm license applications were sent back to a police and firearms station in Johannesburg to be reapplied for on Monday, four days after Steenkamp's killing, the officials said. No reasons were given why the applications were sent back to be refiled.

Pistorius' license for the 9 mm Parabellum pistol that was used in Steenkamp's shooting was issued to Pistorius on Sept. 10, 2010 on appeal after an initial application in 2008 was rejected. One of the officials said the rejection was procedural as Pistorius had passed his competency test and had no criminal record.

The 9 mm pistol license card was printed on Sept. 16, 2010 and received by Pistorius on Sept. 27, 2010, the officials said.

Under South Africa's strict gun laws, you need a license for every firearm you own. An applicant must undergo a competency test — which includes gun safety training — before a license can be issued.

Pistorius would also have had to provide three character referees, one of the firearms center officials said, one of whom must be a family member and one of whom must be a neighbor.

Getty Images

Oscar's Weapons: a graphic illustrating the weapons Oscar Pistorius has applied for at the central firearms registry. Six applications are pending.

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Nut job nabbed stealing 75lbs of almonds

A nut job tried to run away with 75 pounds of almonds in Brooklyn -- but he dropped them during his getaway and ended up getting busted by the Williamsburg Shomrim Patrol, law-enforcement sources said.

Juan Ayala, 35, allegedly grabbed three 25-pound cardboard boxes of the nuts from a parked delivery van in Williamsburg on South 8th Street near Bedford Avenue about 4 p.m. Sunday, according to a court complaint.

He tried to run off with the loot, sources said, but the 5-foot-8, 180 pound man ended up dropping the boxes on South 8th Street, sources said.

KM Group

Juan Ayala (2nd from left) being arrested by the police after a tipster called the Williamsburg Shomrim Patrol hotline while Ayala was attempting to steal 75 lbs. of almonds.

The driver called 911, but Ayala allegedly scampered off before the police could catch him.

But two hours later, Ayala smashed his 2010 silver Toyota Carrola into a parked, unoccupied van on Wythe Avenue and South 8th Street—about two blocks from the scene of the crime, sources said.

A person nearby spotted him trying to flee the accident, and called the hotline for Williamsburg Shomrim Patrol, which is a local volunteer civilian patrol, sources said.

The patrol held Ayala for the police—and the same cop who had rushed to the scene of the almond heist nabbed him, sources said. The van driver then identified Ayala as the would-be thief.

“I really f----- up,” he allegedly told the police. He then bizarrely added, “I really f----- up my relationship. But I didn’t break into the car.”

Authorities charged him with third-degree burglary, attempted petit larceny, and trespass, as well as leaving the scene of an accident.

One source said almonds are expensive, and go for about $4 a pound.

Ayala is currently being held at Riker’s Island, with bail set at $2,250, records show.

Law-enforcement sources say Ayala has a long arrest history, largely for drug possession and sale.

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Channel 2 anchor arrested for allegedly choking wife

Channel 2 news anchor Rob Morrison allegedly choked his co-worker wife and yelled threats at her even as cops were arresting him, according to published reports today.

Darien cops were called by the mom of Ashley Morrison at 1:30 a.m. Sunday reporting a fight at her daughter’s home, according to the Darien Times newspaper.

When officers arrived they saw red marks on Ashley’s neck and she told police what happened.

Even as Morrison was being processed, cops said they heard the “increasingly belligerent” Morrison shouting threats to harm his wife, according to the paper.

Rob Morrison's mugshot taken by Darien Police

Ashley Morrison also works for CBS news, on the network’s “MoneyWatch” program, which regularly runs on Channel 2.

Rob Morrison posted $100,000 bond and faces felony strangulation and misdemeanor threatening and disorderly conduct charges.

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White House calls draft immigration plan a backup; it would let undocumented become citizens in 8 years

WASHINGTON — Republicans and Democrats alike on Sunday predicted President Barack Obama would fail if he pushed forward with his own effort to overhaul the nation's immigration system and urged the administration to hold off while lawmakers work on a bipartisan measure.

Republican Sen. John McCain predicted the administration's efforts would come up short if the White House went forward with a proposal to put the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants in the U.S. on a long pathway to citizenship. Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer, who met with Obama on Wednesday at the White House to discuss progress, urged his allies in the administration to give a bipartisan group of eight lawmakers the time to hammer out a deal on their own.

Obama's newly appointed top aide, chief of staff Denis McDonough, said the White House would only send its plan to Congress if the lawmakers stumble in their efforts and cast its efforts as a backup plan.

"Well, let's make sure that it doesn't have to be proposed," McDonough said of the president's pitch, first reported on USA Today's website late Saturday.

"We will be prepared with our own plan if these ongoing talks between Republicans and Democrats up on Capitol Hill break down," McDonough said in a second interview, adding he's optimistic they would not crumble.

The administration's proposal would create a visa for those in the country illegally and allow them to become legal permanent residents within eight years. The proposal also requires businesses to know the immigration status of their workers and adds more funding for border security.

It drew immediate criticism from Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.

"If actually proposed, the president's bill would be dead on arrival in Congress, leaving us with unsecured borders and a broken legal immigration system for years to come," said Rubio, who is among the eight lawmakers searching for a comprehensive plan.

Many of the details in the administration's draft proposal follow the broad principles that Obama previously outlined. But the fact the administration is writing its own alternative signaled Obama wants to address immigration sooner rather than later and perhaps was looking to nudge lawmakers to move more quickly.

The tactic potentially complicates the administration's work with Congress.

Republican Rep. Paul Ryan, the Wisconsin lawmaker who was his party's vice presidential nominee last year, said the timing of the leak suggested the White House was looking for "a partisan advantage and not a bipartisan solution."

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Nurse aide slapped with charges for 'abusing' elderly Bronx patient

A cold-hearted Bronx nurse aide was arrested after she was caught on video abusing an elderly patient with Alzeheimer’s, authorities said.

Sandra Kerr, 55, was caught on camera at work hitting the woman twice in her side on Sep. 14 at the Gold Crest Care Center in Pelham Gardens, according to Attorney General Eric. T. Schneiderman.

The victim’s granddaughter had been worried about her care, and hid the camera in the room.

Two days before, she also allegedly pushed the helpless woman into the metal railing of her bed, and pushed padding from the bed onto her body. She also allegedly snapped the victim’s arm back.

Sandra Kerr, nurse aide arrested for allegedly abusing a Bronx senior

She was charged with three counts of willful violation of the public health law, as well as three counts of endangering the welfare of an incompetent or physically disabled person.

The arrest was made with the assistance of the New York State Police, according to law-enforcement sources.

Kerr, who lives in a basement apartment in Williamsbridge, could face one year in jail.

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Congressman reveals he was tweeting secret daughter - not mistress - during State of the Union

Tennessee Congressman Steven Cohen yesterday revealed he’s the father of a 24-year-old love child, after what appeared to be a flirtatious Twitter exchange with a pretty Texas bikini model during the State of the Union.

“There has been much written and said about my tweeting a very beautiful 24-year-old woman during the State of the Union address,” Cohen, 63 and a lifelong bachelor, told reporters.

“I haven’t been able to say this until now, and I found out three years ago…the young lady is my daughter.”

The bombshell revelation from the Democrat lawmaker came after Brink, a Texas college student, tweeted Cohen during the President’s speech, gushing, “I just saw you on TV!”

© WMCTV

Congressman Steve Cohen tweets a message to his daughter during the State of the Union address.

“Pleased u r watching. Ilu.” Cohen responded, using the popular social media shorthand for “I love you.”

The next day, Cohen tweeted, “happy valentines, beautiful girl. Ilu.”

Both tweets were quickly deleted by Cohen when he realized the messages were public, but it was too late.

Cohen’s camp, who apparently didn’t know the full story, initially said Brink was a family friend. Cohen later came clean.

He said he learned Brink was his daughter after searching the Internet for her mom, thrice-married Texas lawyer Cynthia White McMurrey Brink Sinatra, whose professional Web page lists Brink’s 1988 birthday. The math corresponded with a fling Cohen had with Sinatra, who has two other daughters from previous relationships.

With Post Wire Services

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Sen. Lautenberg not seeking re-election in NJ

New Jersey Democratic Sen. Frank Lautenberg has announced he will not seek re-election.

Newark Mayor Cory Booker, also a Democrat, previously announced his plans to seek Lautenberg’s seat instead of challenging Republican Gov. Chris Christie, as many Democrats hoped he would.

Broadcast newsman Geraldo Rivera has also said he’s contemplating a run for the US Senate in New Jersey in 2014.

“I figure, at my age, if I’m going to do it, I’ve got to do it. And there doesn’t seem to be any Republicans ready to work against or run against Cory Booker,” he said.

AP

Sen. Frank Lautenberg

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Texas teacher suspended after lassoing student in class

He’d get an A for stupidity.

A Texas history teacher has been suspended after lassoing a student during class, leaving the teen with bruises and rope marks around his neck.

The 7th grade teacher at Schrade Middle School in Rowlett, Texas, was trying to teach lasso techniques cowboys used in cattle drives, according to ABC affiliate Houston News8.

Then he called for volunteers.

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The 13-year-old who put his hand up started running and the teacher promptly roped him.

The student's parents complained when they saw the bruises and the teacher was immediately suspended. The Garland Independent School District launched an investigation and Rowlett police are looking at possible criminal charges.

"This is not something that we feel was malicious, it was not intentional," Garland Independent School District spokesman Chris Moore told News8.

"Extremely unfortunate, and extremely poor judgment."

The teacher has promised never to use a lasso in class again.

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Pregnant Kate Middleton caught in teeny bikini

Kate Middleton was caught flashing her bikini baby bump!

An Italian magazine is poised to publish photos of the princess in a royal blue two-piece, showing just the slightest sign of her pregnancy.

The Chi magazine pictures were snapped during a recent vacation in the secluded Caribbean isle of Mustique. Middleton’s bump can only be seen when she’s shot at an extreme side, profile angle.

“We are disappointed that photographs of the Duke and Duchess on a private holiday look likely to be published overseas,” a St. James’ spokesman for the couple said. “This is a clear breach of the couple’s right to privacy.”

The princess and future queen of England is a favorite target of celebrity shutterbugs.

Last year, French and Italian gossip mags gleefully printed secretly-snapped images of Princess Kate sunbathing topless in the south of France.

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eMarketer sees new home in 11 Times Square

The bright lights of 11 Times Square will soon shine brighter, thanks to four new office and retail leases at the striking new tower at Eighth Avenue and 42nd Street.

On the office side, eMarketer, the leading provider of data on digital marketing and media, is moving from downtown. The deal for 53,573 square feet – not yet signed, but likely to be this week, sources said -- will bring the 1.1 million square-foot 11 Times Square to comfortably over 70 percent leased.

Law firm Proskauer Rose moved into over 400,000 square feet two years ago and Microsoft recently signed for 200,000 feet more.

Meanwhile, three new store leases have filled all of 11 Times Square’s retail space.

In the largest, Senor Frog’s, a Mexican-themed eatery/entertainment venue, will open its first northeast outpost in 21,000 square feet. Bank of America signed for a retail branch of 2,393 square feet and Off the Wall Frozen Yogurt took 2,500 square feet.

Global Foods International took 25,000 square feet last year.

The corner now occupied by 11 Times Square was a dangerous mugging ground as recently as 10 years ago. The tower’s developer, SJP Properties, built it “on spec” (without pre-signed tenants).

Like just about every new Manhattan spec tower, it found its footing after a brief dry period that strained its owners and drew sniping from real estate pundits unfamiliar with history. SJP owns the tower with Prudential Financial Inc.

scuozzo@nypost.com

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