The rent’s too damn high in New York City — even for Syrian refugees.

The Big Apple may be the nation’s melting pot, but only 11 of the 10,100 Syrians fleeing a brutal civil war who have resettled in the United States since 2013 are here, a Post review of State Department rec­ords shows. That’s an astonishingly low number for a city internationally known as an historic immigration gateway. Blame it on high rents and prices — the bane of many a resident.

“There is still an interest to be resettled in New York City, but it’s no surprise to say it’s the high cost of living in New York City [keeping refugees out],” said Avigail Ziv, executive director of the New York and New Jersey International Rescue Committee, which resettled five of the 11 individuals.(nypost.com)…[+]

The shady Lebanese-Nigerian businessman who got Hillary Clinton’s State Department to arrange a high-level meeting was only one of a dizzying number of big ­donors to the Clinton Foundation to score government favors.

The list includes high rollers whose relationships with the Clintons made them even richer; countries with dubious human-rights records; and companies looking to grease the skids to get an edge on the competition. Frank Giustra, a billionaire mining magnate from Vancouver, pledged $100 million to the foundation in 2005 — and then reaped a fortune from the relationship.(nypost.com)…[+]

Donald Trump created a new firestorm Tuesday by warning that “Second Amendment people” would be able to prevent Hillary Clinton from restricting gun rights if she becomes president. “Hillary wants to abolish, essentially abolish, the Second Amendment. And, by the way, if she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks,” Trump said at a Wilmington, North Carolina, rally.“Although the Second Amendment people — maybe there is — I don’t know. But I’ll tell you what: That will be a horrible day.”Trump’s warning was understood by some as an assassination threat.(nypost.com)…[+]

BAGHDAD — A fire ripped through a maternity ward at a Baghdad hospital overnight, killing 12 newborn babies, government officials said Wednesday, a deadly blaze that was likely caused by faulty electrical wiring. By morning, grief-stricken fathers searched for their missing newborns in vain while angry relatives gathered outside the Yarmouk hospital in western Baghdad blamed the government for the tragedy.The hospital director, Saad Hatem Ahmed, said the blaze broke out late on Tuesday night and that the initial investigation indicated it was an electrical fire. Ahmed said 29 female patients and eight babies were moved from the ward where the fire broke out and transferred to another hospital.(nypost.com)…[+]

RIO DE JANEIRO — Military police in Rio de Janeiro are stepping up security after projectiles struck a bus carrying journalists to the main Olympic Park, the organizing committee for the games said. While authorities said it was not immediately clear what struck the bus, a retired U.S. Air Force captain who now writes about women’s basketball said she was certain it was gunfire.Britain’s Press Association on Wednesday quoted Lee Michaelson, who was on the bus Tuesday, as saying that she instinctively hit the floor when she heard the sound of gunfire and “hollered to the others … ‘Get down! Get down! We are taking fire.’”(nypost.com)…[+]

The Clinton campaign is wooing former Republican Secretaries of State Condoleezza Rice, James Baker, George Shultz, and Henry Kissinger and other GOP bigs who have withheld support for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, Politico reported.

The Clinton campaign has been reaching out, trying to persuade these Republican stalwarts to cross the aisle and support Hillary Clinton, said the Beltway publication.

The outreach effort comes as Trump struggles to win institutional Republican support. Relations worsened last week when he failed to endorse Speaker of the House Paul Ryan in his re-election bid before finally coming around Friday night.(nypost.com)…[+]

SWISSVALE, Pa. — A Pennsylvania bride was escorted down the aisle over the weekend by the man who received her father’s heart.

KDKA-TV reports Jeni Stepien’s wedding was Saturday in Swissviale, 10 years after her father was killed by a mugger. Her dad’s organs were donated after his death and the recipient was Arthur Thomas, of New Jersey. Stepien says she wanted her dad to be a part of the ceremony, and asking Thomas to walk her down the aisle was the perfect way. She met Thomas on the eve of her wedding. She says she’s so thankful her dad was there both in spirit and a piece of him physically as well. Thomas says he can’t imagine a greater honor than escorting the daughter of the man who’s given him his heart.(nypost.com)…[+]

The tallest water slide in the world claimed the life of a 10-year-old boy on Sunday — prompting officials to shut down the 17-story ride and open an investigation, according to a report.

Caleb Thomas Schwab, who is the son of Kansas state Rep. Scott Schwab, was accidentally killed at the Schlitterbahn Water Park in Kansas City, Kan., while riding the Verrückt — a 168-foot-tall behemoth that boasts a top speed of 65 mph and translates to “insane” in German, the Kansas City Star reports.

Schwab and his wife, Michele, issued a statement about their son’s death on Sunday night after authorities deemed the incident an “apparent accident.” “He brought abundant joy to our family and all those he came in contact with,” they said. “We will see him another day.”(nypost.com)…[+]

RIO DE JANEIRO — A bomb squad is investigating after an apparent blast shook the area near the finish line of the men’s cycling road race.

Reporters could hear a loud boom on the press tribune and felt the ground shake as the cyclists had about 70 kilometers to go Saturday. An officer assigned to the event said it was a controlled explosion of an unattended bag. He did not give his name because he was not authorized to speak. A half dozen military police were cordoning off the area. No one was immediately evacuated, and it did not appear that anyone was injured. The race was continuing and had not been rerouted.(nypost.com)…[+]

President Obama gave a pep talk to America’s Olympic athletes in his White House address Saturday — while also inserting a plug for pro-immigration policies.

Obama thanked Team USA for showing the world the “best of America” and reminding other nations “America always sets the gold standard” because of the diversity and teamwork our athletes show. “We’re a nation of immigrants that finds strength in our diversity and unity in our national pride,” he said. “And let’s see in ourselves the example they set,” the president added. On Friday, the president and the first lady also recorded a Snapchat video wishing the Olympians luck.(nypost.com)…[+]