January 20, 2000

$100M VC FUND PACKS A DELL OF A PUNCH

Adam Dell, the lesser-known brother of technology billionaire Michael Dell, is launching a $100 million venture capital fund to provide seed money for Silicon Alley companies in New York, The...

ARIS MIGHT PICK FRUIT OF THE LOOM

Bankrupt Fruit of the Loom may have a buyer. Aris Industries is negotiating to buy the largest U.S. maker of underwear and T-shirts, sources said. The talks are in the...

HERALD SQ. STORE FOR HENNES & MAURITZ

The Swedish invasion continues. Retailer Hennes & Mauritz is on the verge of signing a deal for its third Manhattan location, The Post has learned. The "Ikea of the clothing...

AOL PROFIT DOUBLES: APPLE ALSO JUMPS, BUT IBM HAS DOWN QTR.

Fresh from acquiring Time Warner, AOL's profits for the quarter ended Dec. 31 doubled as subscriptions and advertising soared. The company earned $271 million, or 10 cents a share, for...

BIKINI TO HANG IT UP: RAYGUN FINANCIAL BATTERIES ARE RUNNING LOW; EXCLUSIVE

RayGun Publishing, the cutting-edge Santa Monica-based publisher of Bikini and RayGun magazines, is being rocked by a new wave of financial difficulties. Bikini, which shopped unsuccessfully for a new buyer...

STARMEDIA BEEFING UP LATIN AMERICAN AUCTION BIZ

StarMedia wants to be the eBay of Latin America. The New York-based Internet business has inked a deal with MercadoLibre, the leading Latin American online auction site, to create a...

THE OVITZ SHOP GOES HIP-HOP

Yo! Yo! Michael Ovitz is going hip-hop. The once-superagent on the comeback trail's Artists Management Group merged yesterday with Violator Management, bringing such notorious hip-hop-sters as Busta Rhymes, Missy Elliot,...

PRIMEDIA, EMMIS TO BATTLE FOR LOS ANGELES MAG

The battle for Los Angeles magazine, which Walt Disney is divesting, is going to pit two relatively new media moguls against one another -- Tom Rogers, newly installed CEO of...

WILL CYBER PORN CON GO FREE?: COURTS WILL DECIDE IF PATRICK NAUGHTON IS AN INTERNET PERVERT OF JUST AN OVERWORKED EXEC

LOS ANGELES - Tomorrow a tall, slim man will walk into a Los Angeles courtroom and ask for his freedom. Though he may look like your average Joe, Patrick Naughton...

BATTLE OF THE BUBBLEGUM DIVAS: CAN CHRISTINA AGUILERA OUST BRITNEY SPEARS AS POP MUSIC'S REIGNING TEEN QUEEN?

ONCE, they both wore Mickey Mouse ears -- now pop sensations Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera are duking it out for the title of Teen Queen. Spears -- the reigning...

ANOTHER ACTION HERO IN A BRA: CLEO'S NO XENA BUT JACKY IS WACKY

"Cleopatra 2525" Saturday night at 9 on WPIX/Ch.11 1/2 "Jack of All Trades" Saturday night at 9:30 on WPIX/Ch.11 1/2 ALL shows are not created equal, especially if the shows...

FOX'S 60-MINUTE RECIPE: NET TO AIR HOUR-LONG TV MOVIES

FIRST came the 15-minute comedy from UPN -- and now Fox is going to launch a series of one-hour made-for-TV movies. The first, a drama about the JonBenet Ramsey investigation,...

DROUGHT BREAKS FOR DREW

DREW Carey is finally going to get some -- ahem -- action from his on-screen girlfriend. On "The Drew Carey Show" -- ABC's biggest comedy -- Drew has been dating...

THIS WONDERFUL 'WIVES' MISSUS FEW TRICKS

LEGEND has it that Queen Elizabeth (the first one) asked Shakespeare to write a play showing Falstaff in love, which became "The Merry Wives of Windsor." Legend also has it...

THE STARR REPORT

Jack's raw 'Hyde'Jack Wagner is prepping for his Broadway debut in "Jekyll & Hyde," which kicks off Jan. 25 at the Plymouth Theatre -- a long way from "Melrose Place."...

UNSEEN GEMS: DON'T OVERLOOK 'EM, EVEN IF OSCAR DOES

WHILE heavyweights like "The Green Mile," "American Beauty" and "Topsy-Turvy" will battle for Academy Awards and other honors, a host of gems from 1999 offer just as much enjoyment for...

MCTEER'S TURN: 'TUMBLEWEEDS' STAR IS ON A ROLL

ANY similarity between Oscar hopeful Janet McTeer and the free-spirited single mom she plays in "Tumbleweeds" is purely coincidental. For one thing, Mary Jo Walker, her screen persona, has longish,...

REAL REASON 'SPIN CITY' STAR IS QUITTING... ILLNESS DIDN'T KO ME: FOX

MICHAEL J. Fox says he could have done another season of "Spin City" -- but decided that it's more important to raise research money for the Parkinson's disease that's afflicting...

3 SOUGHT IN DEADLY BLAZE AT SETON HALL: TRIO WAS EJECTED FROM DORM BEFORE TRAGEDY

Investigators probing the tragic fire that killed three students and injured 62 others at a Seton Hall University dorm yesterday reportedly are looking for three young men who had been...

O'CONNOR TAPPED FOR CONGRESSIONAL HONOR

Staten Island Rep. Vito Fossella will nominate John Cardinal O'Connor to receive the Congressional Gold Medal - the highest honor the nation can bestow upon a civilian. "Cardinal O'Connor embodies...

CONVICTION UPHELD IN 'JUNK JUSTICE' CASE

A Court of Appeals panel yesterday upheld Manhattan federal Judge Harold Baer's controversial decision in a drug case that sparked accusations of "junk justice" and calls for Baer to be...

BETWEEN A BARAK AND A HARD PLACE

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak was under fire on two fronts yesterday after he reportedly made a major concession to Syria, and as Yasser Arafat, arriving in Washington, complained about...

BIZARRE RIVER RESCUE TURNS TRAGIC

A rescue effort turned into a bizarre tragedy yesterday after firefighters dragged a man found floating in the East River six blocks through the frigid waters with a grappling hook...

COUNCIL STRIKES OUT ON ROCKER RESOLUTION

The City Council's top Republican threw a curve at his Democratic colleagues yesterday, refusing to approve a resolution condemning Atlanta Braves pitcher John Rocker. Queens Councilman Tom Ognibene said he...

$3B HARDLY 'WORTH' THE BOTHER TO TRUMP

What's the difference of a few billion when you're ultrarich to begin with? Peanuts, Donald Trump says. The tycoon, a possible presidential candidate, shrugged his shoulders yesterday at a Wall...

LITTLE PIGGIES PROBABLY WILL NOT PICK A PREZ

MT. PLEASANT, Iowa. LET'S remember that the Iowa caucuses are mostly a load of hogwash. They're fine for a state that had 15.4 million pigs at last count (Dec. 1),...

'BABY SALE' HEROES HIGH ON HOPE IN ADOPT FIGHT

The Minnesota couple seeking to adopt Baby Nikolett was "very hopeful" yesterday after a Long Island judge heard arguments from all parties in the international tug-of-love case, their lawyer said....

SCANDAL-CEMETERY PLOT THICKENS

A troubled cemetery at the center of a Brooklyn political firestorm -- and a probe into judicial patronage -- should be given back to plot owners, state lawyers say. The...

COPS PROBE PUFFY & PAL IN 3 OTHER ATTACKS; EXCLUSIVE

Sean "Puffy" Combs and his recording empire's security chief -- already indicted in a Midtown club shoot-'em-up -- are under investigation in at least three other shootings and beatings, The...

COMRADE PATAKI PAINTS THE STATE RED

NOW that democracy has come to Russia, how much longer can it be before New York's Republican voters are liberated from the Leninist policies of their party's leadership? The party...

FEDS HAVE GOTTI IN-LAW IN SIGHTS ON TAX CHARGE

After years of trying, the feds are set to pinch the son-in-law of "Dapper Don" John Gotti early next week on tax charges, The Post has learned. Brooklyn federal prosecutors...

RUSSIA PREDICTS FEBRUARY VICTORY IN CHECHEN WAR

The Russian military went for broke in its assault on the Chechen capital of Grozny yesterday as top generals predicted the brutal north Caucasus war will be over in a...

HEY, HILL: TRUE-BLUE RUDY " COP GUARD

Mayor Giuliani yesterday said that unlike First Lady Hillary Clinton -- who is trying to dump the NYPD from her security detail -- he enjoys being seen with New York's...

POL MAKES PLAY FOR JETS IN YONKERS

If the Jets are heading back to New York, the team should land in Yonkers, a state senator says. Sen. Nick Spano (R-Westchester) pitched the idea of transplanting the football...

FED PACT TO BOOST HARLEM BIZ

The Small Business Administration signed an agreement yesterday with Harlem businesses that could become a model for cooperation between the federal government and minority- and women-owned enterprises. The agreement commits...

SUPER-FIT DAVE QUITS HOSP TWO DAYS EARLY

A beaming David Letterman was sprung from the hospital yesterday -- two days ahead of schedule because of his ultra-quick recovery from heart surgery. Seconds after strolling out of New...

RFK KIN BUSTED IN 1975 MURDER: SKAKEL: I DID NOT KILL TEEN

Kennedy kin Michael Skakel vowed to beat the rap yesterday -- after returning to his Connecticut hometown to be booked for the gruesome 1975 golf-club murder of teenager Martha Moxley....

MCCAIN RIPS GOP'S 'SOVIET' RULES: BLASTS BID TO BOOT ]]HIM FROM N.Y. BALLOT

GOP presidential hopeful Sen. John McCain lashed out at Gov. Pataki and state Republican leaders yesterday, likening them to Cold War Communists for trying to bounce him from New York's...

NAME'S STILL UNBEATABLE IN POLITICS, EXPERTS SAY

It'll be politics as usual for the Kennedys, despite the murder indictment of cousin Michael Skakel. Experts say the scandal shouldn't touch Kathleen Kennedy Townsend -- the dynasty's most politically...

WASHINGTON GETS A NEW 'AIR' FORCE

Michael Jordan floated back into the NBA yesterday as part owner of the Washington Wizards, one of the sad-sack teams in the league. One of the greatest basketball players of...

SECRET-WITNESS TWIST WORRIES DIALLO COPS: JUDGE KEEPS STATEMENTS UNDER WRAPS

In a blow to the four NYPD cops accused in the Amadou Diallo shooting, an Albany judge yesterday barred them from seeing statements from a woman they once considered their...

DUFF'S ATTORNEY TO JUDGE: I CAN'T TAKE HER ANYMORE

He's represented mobsters and killers, but lawyer Barry Levin told a Manhattan judge yesterday he "can't handle" his latest client -- Patricia Duff. "I've been practicing law since 1985 and...

'TIRELESS' COP NEVER LET UP ON SLAY PROBE

Frank Garr, the lead investigator in the Martha Moxley murder case, is a relentless and tireless sleuth. Since 1976, he's been working on the murder, first as a Greenwich, Conn.,...

SURPRISE! RUDY'S WINNING THE $$ RACE

Mayor Giuliani stunned Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign yesterday, revealing that he raised $8.8 million over the past six months to her $8 million in their Senate race. Clearly elated over...

1930S SCREEN SIREN LAMARR DEAD AT 86

Actress Hedy Lamarr, screen sex symbol of the '30s and '40s and unsung wartime inventor, was found dead yesterday at 86. Her body was discovered in her home near Orlando,...

NEW SCHOOLS CHIEF ALREADY DRAWING FIRE

On his first day as interim schools chancellor, Harold Levy said hefty pay raises are needed to lure better teachers -- drawing fire from one of Mayor Giuliani's appointees on...

CLINTON HEALTH PLAN A SHOT IN ARM FOR GORE

WASHINGTON -- President Clinton, using the power of the White House, yesterday gave Al Gore a boost before the Iowa caucuses -- unveiling a new health-reform plan and giving the...

TIME COULD TRASH PROSECUTORS' CASE

Time is not on the side of prosecutors in the Martha Moxley murder case, legal experts said yesterday. The 24-year gap between the grisly crime and the arrest of Kennedy...

BUFFALO-GRILLED HILL SLAMS RADIO HOST: I DIDN'T CHEAT ON BILL

Hillary Rodham Clinton hit the roof yesterday when a feisty radio talk-show host asked if she'd ever cheated on her husband -- or had a fling with presidential aide Vince...

JAIL FOR YOUTH MARCH CHAIR TOSSER

A demonstrator who threw metal chairs toward cops during the first Million Youth March was sentenced to the minimum 18 months yesterday after the Rev. Al Sharpton made a plea...

THE TERRIFYING WAKE-UP CALL: 'IT'S REAL! IT'S REAL!'

They didn't believe it was real. Many of the 600 freshmen who live in Boland Hall thought an early-morning fire alarm was a prank and rolled over to go back...

TRAGEDY SPARKS BATTLE OF BADGES

An unsuccessful rescue effort in the East River yesterday set off a bizarre war of words between cops and firefighters -- after NYPD sources all but blamed the firefighters for...

DESPERATE DAD'S WORST FEARS ARE REALIZED

As soon as Joseph Karol heard about the fire at his son Aaron's dorm he rushed to the Seton Hall campus -- and found a roommate of the 18-year-old. The...

LUONGO LIVES EVERY CANADIAN KID'S DREAM

MONTREAL - First, the French Canadian media surrounded him for interviews. Then came the English-speaking Canadian reporters. And finally the New York contingent pushed its way in. Hours before facing...

MADDEN STANDING TALL IN SHORT ORDER

It's one tough lineup to crack; one Robbie Ftorek struggles with nightly. A league-leader has been among the team's frequent scratches. While there's little he can do about the Devils'...

MICHAEL'S HIS OWN MAN: AIR FACES NEW CHALLENGES AS WIZARDS BOSS

HE HAS no prior experience at running an NBA team other than being on the court where he always had the option to shoot when others might fail. He never...

DOUGLAS LOST FOR SEASON

Another Net bites the dust. Backup point guard Sherman Douglas, on the injured list since Dec. 28, has decided to go ahead with surgery on his left ankle and will...

KNICKS HAPPY AIR IS BACK IN GAME

KNICK NOTES Allan Houston said Michael Jordan's six rings will help him in his new job. Knick GM Scott Layden said the Wizards may have netted the next Jerry West....

NETS' LONG-RANGE PLAN WORRIES CASEY

It seems like a good idea at the time. Stephon Marbury drives, penetrates, kicks out. The Nets, open, receive the ball behind the line and fire away. No problem, right?...

HOU GOT IT WRONG: ALLAN'S GRIPE SEEMS SELFISH TO VAN GUNDY

Perplexed by Allan Houston's remarks about being frustrated recently over a lesser role in the offense because of Patrick Ewing's post presence, Jeff Van Gundy met with his star shooting...

BET RIDERS WHO SIZZLE WITH SPEED

Speed horses -- those with the ability to come away quickly from the gate, dictate the pace in front, choose their path and avoid traffic trouble -- are always dangerous,...

KEVIN MAY BE LEAVIN' STEVENS: VET ODD MAN OUT OF RANGER REVIVAL

RALEIGH -- The question is moot for at least another week because that's at least how long it will be before Brian Leetch is able to return to the Ranger...

HEY, BOSS, JETER'S WORTH IT: BIG BUCKS WON'T CHANGE DEREK OR YANK IMAGE

ANY time the old hurdler from Culver Military Academy and Williams College stands as the final hurdle to the completion of a deal, there is no place for the word...

TAG'S RULING LIKELY TODAY

The NFL is expected to rule today on the validity of Bill Belichick's contract, an overdue move that will let new Jet owner Woody Johnson move forward in handling the...

BIG-DOG BUCCANEERS VOW THEY'LL SHOW UP

Why bother? All that practice. The film study, the after-hours preparation. All the packing. The charter flight. All those questions. The Buccaneers can put a stop to all this in...

PETTITTE DEAL AWAITS DOCS' OK

Left-hander Andy Pettitte's three-year, $25.5 million contract is contingent upon him passing a physical examination, which is scheduled to take place next week. Though the Yankees drew no closer to...

METS GIVE HAYES MINOR SHOT

Veteran Charlie Hayes, the man who caught the final out of the 1996 World Series for the Yankees, will try to continue his career with the team across town. The...

ST. JOHN'S PULLS CONN JOB: TIX PLAN VIRTUALLY BARS HUSKY FANS FROM GARDEN TILT; EXCLUSIVE

If St. John's' 82-77 upset of Connecticut last Sunday didn't turn the flame up on this increasingly heated rivalry, wait until Husky fans try to buy tickets for the Feb....

VAN GUNDY: HOU GOT IT WRONG, ALLAN

KNICK NOTES Perplexed by Allan Houston's remarks about being frustrated recently over a lesser role in the offense because of Patrick Ewing's post presence, Jeff Van Gundy met with his...

GUARDS MAKE THEIR POINT

T HE Knicks point guards insist they hold no grudge against Stephon Marbury for the cheap shot he took at them last season. Something about how the Knicks never would...

NO BULL! WIZARDS CAN'T GO WRONG WITH JORDAN

HE HAS no prior experience at running an NBA team other than being on the court where he always had the option to shoot when others might fail. He never...

FLAT ISLES BLANKED IN MONTREAL YAWNER

Canadiens 3 - Islanders 0 MONTREAL -- Roberto Luongo wasn't taking this for granted. How could he? Playing his first NHL game in his hometown, the 20-year rookie goaltender was...

EIGHT NOT ENOUGH FOR SPEECHLESS FEICK

NET NOTES After Monday's game in Philadelphia, when he played 23 minutes, Jamie Feick, the league's fifth-leading rebounder, was visibly upset. Imagine how he felt last night after playing a...

STREAKING ELIAS EQUALS DEVILS' MARK

Devils 4 - Blackhawks 1 This was more than just stretching a streak or tying a record. This was clutch performance under pressure, when it mattered. This was what stars...

ONCE AGAIN, NETS FAIL IN THE CLUTCH

Gee, is there a pattern developing here or what? For a third straight game last night, the Nets battled back and placed themselves in an end-game situation where they needed...

KNICKS STUFF STEPH: CHILDS' CLUTCH 'D' STOPS MARBURY IN HIS TRACKS FOR WIN

At the end of the night, it was Stephon Marbury with the ball, Charlie Ward on the bench having fouled out after a solid performance and Chris Childs on the...