November 9, 1999

EXPERTS SAY MICROSOFT ADS ARE NO HELP

Bill Gates is a piker when it comes to buying effective spin control. The desperate public relations and lobbying campaign Gates has launched to help protect his Microsoft empire from...

SAFRA'S ACT OF PRIDE - COUGHS UP $450M TO PROTECT HOLDERS

Everybody has always said Republic National Bank of New York founder Edmond J. Safra is a class act. Yesterday he proved it. The billionaire businessman said he would personally accept...

GATES WAIT FOR BAILOUT FROM GOP - WILL RESIST DEAL; HOPE GEORGE W. GETS WHITE HOUSE

Microsoft boss Bill Gates plans to play cat and mouse with the feds until after the election, in hopes that George W. Bush becomes president and saves his tail, officials...

SWEDES TAKE ON GAP, BANANA REP - H&M GETS IN THEIR FACES AT TWO LOCATIONS

Gap and Banana Republic, look out. The "Ikea of the clothing industry" is moving in on your territory - literally and figuratively. Swedish retailing giant Hennes & Mauritz, known for...

LAWYERS FOR U.S. NOW HOT COMMODITIES TO LAW FIRMS

Goverment lawyers who won a major victory in the Microsoft monopoly battle can name their price when they step into private practice - starting at $1 million and up. Legal...

RULING SHRUGGED OFF BY THE STREET

Monopoly schmonopoly. Investors bucked expectations and shrugged off a judge's finding that Microsoft was a predatory monopoly, taking the stock down only about 2 percent yesterday. In extraordinarily heavy trading,...

NO GLITZ FOR THE RITZ - SCHRAGER PLANS PLAIN-CHAIN HOTEL

Now you can call it the Mo-Ritz-Carlton. Plans for the crumbling St. Moritz hotel to be transformed into a trendy hotel have been scuttled. Instead, hip hotelier Ian Schrager -...

FAMILIAR SHADE OF GRAY

THE exasperations and ecstasies of parenthood, family life and small towns are tried-and-true comic topics, and they serve Spalding Gray well in his latest monologue, "Morning, Noon and Night." Tall,...

CROWS' SHOW OFFERS PROBABLE CAWS & EFFECT

WITH the assurance of a stoner three tokes to the wind, lead singer Adam Duritz faced the sold-out crowd and rubbed his balding, dreadlocked head to help himself think. "This...

APPLE'S APPEAL GROWS

WITH only a few weeks left to enter the lucrative Christmas CD stocking-stuffer race - and be a contender - chicks rule this week with new releases by Fiona Apple,...

MONICA & WALTERS, AGAIN - 10 BIG NAMES OF '99 TO AIR

BARBARA Walters has interviewed Monica Lewinsky - again. The new interview, part of Walters' "Ten Most Fascinating People of 1999" special, airs Nov. 30. It is the first time she...

YOU'RE A GOOD TV STAR, KRISTIN CHENOWETH

BROADWAY is losing yet another of one its shining talents to TV-land - at least for a while. Kristin Chenoweth, who won a Tony last season for "You're a Good...

THE STARR REPORT

A creep among us Why is someone stalking good guy Burt Dubrow with nasty e-mails? "Beth" has sent several atrociously written missives to The Post about Dubrow, the well-liked executive...

TRAVELER'S UPDATE

Turkey in Italy Take off for a Roman holiday with Italiatour's Thanksgiving package departing Nov. 21. For $1,099 you get round-trip airfare on Alitalia (from JFK or Newark), five nights...

DIRTY DIAMONDS - DID YOU KNOW ... THAT BUYING A DIAMOND CAN LEAD TO THIS?

THAT dazzling diamond necklace you buy for that special someone at a swank Fifth Avenue jewelry store may be funding the activities of a cannibal gang in Sierra Leone whose...

IS 'THE INSIDER' LIBELOUS? - A TOBACCO COMPANY MAY SUE OVER DOCUDRAMA - AND IT HAS A CASE

IT made $7 million over the weekend and won rave reviews from many critics, but "The Insider" might also earn the Walt Disney Co. a massive lawsuit from Brown &...

MILKEN'S LIFE-SAVING MENU

MICHAEL Milken, a man who looks not a day over 40 - he's 53 - is smacking his lips over his apple pancakes. "Just taste them," he says, nodding his...

OUT-FOXED IN SYDNEY - THE $450-MILLION FOX ENTERTAINMENT COMPLEX IS OPEN FOR BIG BUSINESS

SYDNEY'S mammoth new Fox Studios Australia is bringing Hollywood glitz to the Land Down Under. The $450-million entertainment complex - part theme-park, part upscale shopping and entertainment mecca and part...

AFTER SHORT-FUSED HUNK ATTACKS ATM ... 'WORLD' PUNCHES OUT NAT MARSTON

Short-tempered soap actor Nathaniel Marston - who was arrested for assaulting an ATM machine last month and then allegedly beat up a man at a dog run last week -...

$100 BUYS $3M IN WOE - INNOCENT YANK GETS BILL TIED TO ITALY KIDNAP

A $100 bill with a violent, shady past has entangled a Long Island art-gallery owner and an American artist in Italy in a web of international intrigue. Art dealer Laura...

A LITTLE LIQUOR MAY BENEFIT LIVER: STUDY

Doctors may someday prescribe booze to beat liver disease, a new study suggests. The results of Canadian research, presented at a convention in Dallas yesterday, showed that one to two...

FOR THE 'RECORD,' TRUMP IS NO BUTLER

"The Guinness Book of World Records" has set a record of its own for the most boneheaded mistake of the year - it identified a photo of an elderly man...

JUBILANT GERMAN ANNIVERSARY - 10 YEARS SINCE THE WALL FELL

Germany is ready to party like it's 1989 again - the once-divided nation is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the crumbling of the Berlin Wall. Cold warriors George Bush and...

DON'T STONE POLS PROFESSING THEIR FAITH

WHEN he was running for president, John F. Kennedy was required by the anti-Catholic prejudices of the day to deny that his religion would affect the way he would govern...

THEY'VE GOT LEAKS, CRACKS, VERMIN - AND A 'DEAF' OWNER

Life in a Baruch Singer building, with hundreds of violations, can be exasperating, say tenants in one of the Harlem landlord's most problem-ridden apartment houses. "The biggest problem here is...

GOP RAISES $TINK OVER HILLARY'S PARTY-PAID AD

Senate hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton hits the airwaves upstate today, in a glowing ad touting "leadership that's on our side" - just days after Mayor Giuliani unleashed his own commercial...

LEAD-TAINTED SCHOOL TO REOPEN - OFFICIALS SAY IT'S SAFE, BUT PARENTS STILL AFRAID

Parents were sick with worry yesterday about their kids returning to a lead-laden Bronx elementary school that officials hoped to reopen today. "I've already made an appointment for my son...

RUDY: SWEEP OUT ED. BD. TO CLEAN UP FILTHY SCHOOLS

Filthy conditions in the city's school cafeterias are further proof the Board of Education should be abolished, Mayor Giuliani said yesterday. "If you can't have decent cafeterias on $10 billion...

PARENTS AT FAULT FOR POKEMANIA: SHRINKS

Parents who've diagnosed their kids with Pokmon fever have only themselves to blame, child psychologists say. Shrinks say they've seen busy parents buy their children the collectible playing cards to...

BRADLEY REBOUNDS WITH CAMPAIGN JABS AT VEEP

WASHINGTON - It was all elbows in the Democratic 2000 race yesterday as Bill Bradley jabbed at rival Al Gore, saying the veep attacked his health-care plan with the "political...

2ND AVE. SUBWAY HIKE IS 'FARE' IF . . .

The leader of a transit-riders advocacy group said yesterday he would back a modest fare hike to help finance a full-length Second Avenue. But an increase in the $1.50 fare...

HILLARY PLANS JERUSALEM JAUNT

First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton's four-day trip to Israel and Jordan will include a visit to the Western Wall in Jerusalem, the White House said yesterday. Some Jewish leaders criticized...

LOOSE BOLTS PLAGUED 767S LIKE EGYPTAIR'S

The bolts that hold the tail fins on hundreds of Boeing 767 jets may never have been properly tightened - but the planes are still safe to fly, the aerospace...

COMIC HAS BEEN NO STANDUP GUY

Jerry Seinfeld may have been a rock-solid TV performer - but as a real-life single guy he was one very big flake. As a rising standup comic in his 20s,...

DRAFT-DUCKING CLINTON PRAISES MILITARY SERVICE

WASHINGTON - President Clinton, who ducked the Vietnam draft, now says fighting in the war was a "good thing" and "a plus" for running for commander-in-chief. The White House yesterday...

PREZ'S AIDE SAW FALN PARDONS HELPING GORE

WASHINGTON - A new bombshell document on President Clinton's get-out-of-jail deal for FALN terrorists shows a key White House aide said freeing them could boost Vice President Al Gore politically....

SISTER DEMANDS JUSTICE FOR TRAGIC CLOSET-SLAY GIRL

The woman who says she saw her mother beat her baby sister to death 20 years ago and then entomb her in a closet demanded justice for the little girl...

HMO GIANT WILL LET DOCS MAKE CALL ON TREATMENTS

One of the country's biggest HMOs announced a revolutionary change in the way it does business - doctors will now have the final say on what treatments are covered. The...

DIVORCED HALL FINALLY GETTING SATISFACTION

Jerry Hall says she's happy she finally divorced Mick Jagger because the rocker's endless skirt-chasing made their marriage "intolerable." "I am very, very glad we are divorced," the leggy blond...

EDUCATION? I CALL IT CRIMINAL NEGLECT; EDUCATION OR CRIMINAL NEGLECT?

Throughout our alleged halls of learning, sex crimes go unreported and unpunished, lead threatens the health of kids, and mice and roaches eat better than students in vermin-infested cafeterias. UNDER...

HIS LATEST ENGAGEMENT - SEINFELD TO MARRY THE BEAUTY WHO DUMPED HER NEWLYWED HUBBY

Jerry Seinfeld is kissing his bachelor days goodbye - he's popped the question to Jessica Sklar, the busty beauty who dumped her brand-new hubby last year to date the sitcom...

SLUMLORD GETS POL PALS' HELP - BIDS TO CASH IN ON A BUILDING HE LOST

A special bill would enable him to regain control of the Harlem building he lost for not paying taxes. The bill, intended to benefit only Singer, was sponsored by Assembly...

LATEST ENGAGEMENT - SEINFELD TO MARRY THE BEAUTY WHO DUMPED HER NEWLYWED HUBBY

Jerry Seinfeld is kissing his bachelor days goodbye - he's popped the question to Jessica Sklar, the busty beauty who dumped her brand-new hubby last year to date the sitcom...

JAILED SPY: FILES PROVE THAT FEDS LIED

Jailed arms merchant Edwin Wilson says secret CIA and Justice Department documents prove he's been rotting in prison for 16 years because prosecutors lied about his dealings with the super-spy...

OFF-DUTY COP SHOOTS MUGGER

A knife-wielding mugger picked the wrong target yesterday on a busy street in downtown Brooklyn - an off-duty cop who shot him in the chest, police said. Cops said the...

NO MASTERPIECE, BUT ...

QUARTERBACKS: D+ Rick Mirer (12-18, 122 yards, 1 TD) didn't make the big mistakes, but he also failed to see open receivers on plays that could have allowed the Jets...

CLAUDE IS SILVER LINING FOR RETURNING MCKAY

There is one common thread among the two players who figure largely in Randy McKay's return from suspension tonight: Ulf Samuelsson and Claude Lemieux are serious competitors for the title...

PARCELLS MUST STICK WITH RICK

In one sentence, Bill Parcells insists it's not all Rick Mirer's fault, this offensive mess in which the Jets are mired. In the next breath, though, Parcells wonders aloud how...

PARCELLS SEES RED OVER GREEN

JET NOTES It seems that Bill Parcells' patience is close to wearing completely out with tight end Eric Green. Green, who signed a four-year, $7.5 million deal with the Jets...

QB CALLS SHOTS AT FT. HAMILTON

In April of his sophomore year, Ben Nieves sat in Fort Hamilton head coach Vincent Laino's office and was asked if he wanted to become a starting quarterback. There wasjust...

CURRAN TO GET MCGUIRE AWARD; CURRAN AMONG 1ST 'MCGUIRE' WINNERS

HAD Frank McGuire not found satisfaction and success playing, then coaching, basketball and baseball, choosing a life of crime would not have been out of the question, he told me...

OBEN BRACES FOR RETURN OF BRATZKE

GIANT NOTES Let the countdown begin. Come Sunday, defensive end Chad Bratzke makes a triumphant return to Giants Stadium when the Colts arrive to face the Giants. Bratzke left the...

JINTS ENJOYING THEIR STAY AT THE TOP OF EAST

Leave for a long weekend in second place. Lounge around, spend time with the family, catch a few games on the tube, relax, kick back. Come back to work tied...

INJURIES FORCE ISLANDERS TO RECALL GREEN FROM LOWELL

Continuing their toughest stretch of the young season (five of their next six games are on the road), the Islanders have lost two forwards to injury. Left wing Mike Watt...

NOT ALL RANGERS FAILING

Sometimes there's a need to step back, take a breath and place things in perspective. Which is to say, no matter how disappointing the Rangers have been through the season's...

GOODEN'S PLANNING JOB PITCH TO BOSS

There will come a time in the not so distant future when George Steinbrenner will handle a call at his Legends Field office that will make The Boss stop and...

L.A. GETS GREEN - SIX YEARS AT $84M

DANA POINT, Calif. -Commissioner Bud Selig spent 45 minutes yesterday haranguing a ballroom full of executives about the continuing escalation of player salaries. After he finished, he was greeted with...

METS STAYING OFF THE PACE IN GRIF DERBY

HOT STOVE NOTES DANA POINT, Calif. - The Mets believe they remain on the periphery of the Ken Griffey Jr. sweepstakes, though they know that it would likely take a...

YANKS, METS EYE DEAL FOR WELLS

DANA POINT, Calif. - Less than a year after receiving David Wells as the main figure in the Roger Clemens trade with the Yankees, the Blue Jays are offering the...

STILL-SIDELINED LJ: I'LL PLAY THURSDAY

Larry Johnson sat out his second straight game last night against Milwaukee with back spasms but vowed he would be back for Thursday's game in Minnesota. LJ said he's sure...

ERNIE'S LEGACY LIVES ON - CAMBY MAKING GRUNFELD LOOK SMART

THERE was a while there during the final minutes of the Knicks' overtime victory over the Bucks last night where Ernie Grunfeld's imprint was all over the court. Latrell Sprewell,...

CAMBY STANDS AND DELIVERS - SHAKES OFF ANKLE INJURY

To fully appreciate the sight of Marcus Camby sailing through the air for a dazzling finger roll against Milwaukee in overtime last night, you had to see him curled up...

SPREE TO RESCUE - TIES IT AT :7.9 WITH TREY, FUELS KNICKS' WIN IN OT

Latrell Sprewell made like Mike. With Michael Jordan sitting first-row courtside at the Garden last night, Sprewell shook off a horrible shooting night and saved the game. Spree became a...

EWING HAS THE TICKET FOR JORDAN

KNICK NOTES Michael Jordan and Patrick Ewing walked into the Garden together last night at 6. Jordan, in town to receive an award from Rosie O'Donnell, was Ewing's guest. "He's...

HOUSE PASSES ALI BOXING REFORM BILL

WASHINGTON - Congress acted yesterday to stamp out corruption in boxing, only a week after the indictment of International Boxing Federation chief Robert W. Lee Sr. for allegedly taking bribes....

SAM MAKES HIS POINTS ON COURT AND OFF

Sam Cassell is indeed back to his old self. Milwaukee's outspoken point guard is scoring in bunches, tearing apart defenses and speaking his mind, even if it ruffles some feathers...

LJ'S WOES ARE BACK - SPASMS SIDELINE JOHNSON AGAIN

Larry Johnson sat out his second straight game last night against Milwaukee with back spasms but assured he'll be back for tomorrow night's game in Minnesota. LJ said he's sure...

ERNIE CONTINUES TO RIDE HIGH ROAD

THIS WAS the trip of the familiar and the unfamiliar for Ernie Grunfeld. Eating a dinner Sunday night at one of his favorite restaurants, Primola in Manhattan, was familiar. Spending...