May 8, 2000

THE REAL STORY BEHIND AP EDITOR'S EXIT

As Associated Press shareholders gather in New York for their annual meeting today, the venerable newsgathering organization is still reeling from the ouster of Executive Editor William Ahearn. And Ahearn...

DEN'S IN DIRE STRAITS - SEEKS BUYER AS INVESTOR WELL RUNS DRY

The scandal-plagued Digital Entertainment Network is on the block. The company is looking for a buyer or a merger partner after investors refused to pony up more cash for a...

THE STOCK MARKET WILL SOON BE TESTED

ANOTHER day, more bad news about inflation. "So what?" Wall Street said collectively on Friday, when the Labor Department announced that more jobs were created in April than expected, that...

ON THE NEWSSTAND

The National Magazine Awards were given out last week. Here's what we think of some of the winners: Nest nabbed the gold for General Excellence for circulation under 100,000. Bravo!...

ISN'T ITROMANTIC? HERE COMES THE BRIDE...AND THE HORSE AND THE CAMEL. MUST BE A CELEBRITY WEDDING...

"The 4th Annual CelebrityWeddings: In Style" Tonight at 8:00, Ch. 7 (and if you're getting married) IF you're planning a wedding anytime soon, this is the special for you. If...

VIOLIN SELLS FOR $1.3M

A 300-year-old fiddle fetched $1,326,000 on Friday - an auction record for a musical instrument sold in the United States. The golden-red violin, made by legendary Cremonese craftsman Antonio Stradivari,...

THE STARR REPORT

That's good Bass! Set the VCRs for the kiddies: Teen heartthrobs 'N Sync are getting back to basics with a special appearance on "Sesame Street." The multiplatinum pop group will...

HERE COME THE BRIDAL GOWNS: GOING DOWN THE AISLE IN STYLE

HALLELUJAH -- they're worn again! Bridal separates that can be doffed long after the wedding's over were one of the hottest trends to emerge from last week's Fall 2000/Spring 2001...

MISSED 'LOVE BUG'? TRY A FEW OF THESE

I MUST admit I didn't feel too sorry for anyone who got the "ILoveYou" virus last week. The feeling was more pity than anything else. I mean, c'mon, are people...

'GLADIATOR' $WORD SLAYS COMPETITION

The Roman epic "Gladiator" beheaded the competition on its opening weekend, with an estimated $32.7 million take at the box office to kick off the summer blockbuster season. The flick,...

BOMBSHELL REPORT: NATO EXAGGERATED KOSO STRIKES

An embarrassing U.S. Air Force report reveals that the actual number of targets destroyed by the NATO air campaign in Kosovo last year was a tiny fraction of what military...

BRITS SET TO FLEE STRIFE IN SIERRA LEONE

Britain has dispatched five warships and hundreds of paratroopers to West Africa to evacuate its citizens from the fighting in Sierra Leone. But there was no indication a rapid-reaction force...

DRIVE-BY SHOOTER'S BULLET HITS WOMAN IN BX. CHURCH

A 42-year-old churchgoer was hit in the shoulder by a stray bullet during a drive-by shooting in The Bronx yesterday afternoon, police said. The victim was inside the Central Cristiano...

THOUSANDS GATHER FOR FUNERAL TODAY - DIGNITARIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD COMING TO ST. PAT'S

The city pays final tribute to John Cardinal O'Connor today at his beloved St. Patrick's Cathedral, in a solemn service being attended by the nation's top political leaders, as well...

ALL EYES TURN TO LIKELY SUCCESSOR

The man widely expected to don the miter as the next archbishop of New York will make his first high-profile appearance since the death of John Cardinal O'Connor when he...

PEER URGES NEW LEADER: BE OWN MAN

WASHINGTON - Whoever succeeds John Cardinal O'Connor should chart his own path and avoid trying to imitate his prominent predecessor, a top church official said yesterday. "Whoever his successor will...

'ALL OF US WHO LIVE HERE FEEL TERRIBLE'

Victoria and Marcus Kranz were émigrés from Romania who had not just adapted to the United States, but thrived here, raising their son in a sophisticated environment of culture and...

UNHOLY ROW OVER DONNA'S 'CONFERENCE' BEFORE WAKE

High-ranking officials at St. Patrick's Cathedral are angry Donna Hanover chose to talk about her rocky marriage to Mayor Giuliani outside the wake for John Cardinal O'Connor. "It was very...

IT'S A TIME TO HONOR PRINCE OF PEACE, NOT LORD OF EVIL

TODAY, with ultimate decency, we celebrate the life of a prince of peace called John Cardinal O'Connor. And yet, with abject indecency, we are subjected to the celebration of a...

BIG APPLE'S HEAT DOESN'T WILT SPIRITS AT CUBA PARADE

With weather that seemed more fitting for Havana than the Big Apple, Cubans marched up the Avenue of Americas yesterday in a bittersweet tribute to their island's independence from Spain....

DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS JR., FILM LEGEND, DIES AT 90

Douglas Fairbanks Jr., the devilishly handsome, mustachioed actor who starred in more than 65 films during Hollywood's golden era and was a real-life war hero, died yesterday in Manhattan. He...

HILL THRILLED BY ROLE REVERSAL WITH BILL

LITTLE ROCK - Hillary Rodham Clinton yesterday told Arkansas supporters of the "delicious role reversal" that she and the president have experienced since she announced her Senate candidacy in February....

ELIAN & DAD DINE AT RITZY ESTATE

WASHINGTON - Elian Gonzalez traded his wooded, seashore estate for an evening at a tony Georgetown townhouse, where a big-bucks Democratic fund-raising couple invited him for dinner. Elian, together with...

KOCH: 'SPIRITUAL MENTOR' SAVED ME FROM SUICIDE

Former Mayor Ed Koch recalls how he considered suicide in the darkest days of his administration - until he got a call from John Cardinal O'Connor. In this week's New...

THE CITY'S SAD TRADITION

The massive funeral for John Cardinal O'Connor will follow a tradition that's marked the passing of New York archbishops for at least 60 years. The funerals for three New York...

CARBON-MONOXIDE HORROR - SIX DIE AT DOC'S POSH L.I. HOME

A Long Island doctor came home from work to a house of horrors yesterday - his 2-year-old daughter, his elderly parents, a nanny and two house guests dead from carbon-monoxide...

FINEST TURN OUT IN FORCE TO DENOUNCE GARDEN RALLY FOR COP KILLER

Thousands of supporters of convicted cop killer Mumia Abu-Jamal rallied yesterday to demand a new trial for the death-row inmate - as angry off-duty officers staged a counterprotest to call...

MISFIRE SAVES HACK'S LIFE

Two livery drivers were attacked within 40 minutes of each other in separate incidents yesterday - including one who miraculously escaped with his life after a robber put a gun...

CITY PROBE TARGETS POSSIBLE $KIMMING AT LITTLE ITALY 'MALL'

Investigators are scrutinizing the books of the Little Italy Chamber of Commerce to see if someone's been pocketing merchant fees that were supposed to be forwarded to the city, The...

FAULTY GUEST LIST COSTS M'SOFT $30,000

ALBANY - Microsoft is coughing up $30,000 to the state after turning in an erroneous list of guests at a dinner for state and New York City officials. The software...

JOKER MAKES HER KATHIE EEK!

Kathie Lee Gifford had a starring role in a twist on the "Of Mice and Men" story - and here are the pictures. The television chatterbox was signing copies of...

BRITS EVACUATING WAR-TORN SIERRA LEONE

Britain has dispatched five warships and hundreds of paratroopers to West Africa to evacuate its citizens from the fighting in Sierra Leone. But there was no indication a rapid-reaction force...

EWING LOSES OPENING BATTLE TO ZO

MIAMI - In a quiet moment before Game 1 yesterday, Jeff Van Gundy lamented Patrick Ewing's sudden outbreak of back spasms on Friday. "It's interesting," Van Gundy said. "Before Saturday,...

ONLY CHAMPS DESERVE ROSES

LOUISVILLE - They call it the Run For the Roses, but there is nothing sweet or sappy about the Kentucky Derby. Yes, the buildup to the event is hokey and...

VAN MAKES DUMB MOVE ; CAMBY MUST PLAY DOWN STRETCH

MIAMI - This is no time for the Knicks to panic. An opening road loss in a game they could have easily won does not lose a series, especially when...

THE GAME STOPS HERE ; KNICK 'O' GRINDS TO HALT WHEN BALL GOES TO PATRICK

YES, YES, I know. Patrick Ewing's a warrior. We hear that two, three times per telecast. Two, three times per radiocast. We read it almost every day. For the last...

BIRDS PICK LOCK IN BRONX ; GET BEST OF RIVERA WITH 3 IN NINTH

Orioles 7 Yankees 6 Because Joe Torre's lineup card doesn't house a superstar at every position, the air of invincibility wrapped around the Yankees across the past two summers has...

KNOBLAUCH STILL MAY BECOME GROUND CHUCK

YANKEE NOTES The disabled list is a destination the Yankees would like to avoid with Chuck Knoblauch's bothersome sprained left hand. However, Joe Torre said yesterday the shelf is still...

HOUSTON TURNOVER A KILLER

MIAMI - Allan Houston had the ball and game in his hands with a half-minute remaining, the Knicks trailing by two points. All seemed OK in the Knicks' universe until...

IT'S NOT THE HEAT, IT'S THE FUTILITY: 'ZO OUTDUELS OLD PAL PATRICK

MIAMI - Alonzo Mourning got deeper on Patrick Ewing than the masseur's fingers into his back tissue, took a lob from Dan Majerle, and spun like any excuse the Knick...

PJ PROVES CHAIRMAN OF BOARDS

MIAMI - Heat forward Jamal Mashburn was asked what he felt was the most significant number of yesterday's game. Was it his 21 points of offense, or his defense that...

YANKS: THE OL' RELIABLES

A HALF century ago, the Yankees were in the midst of a dynasty, they wore pinstripe uniforms in The Bronx and Bob Sheppard called their familiar names day in and...

JAMAL A MONSTER MASH

MIAMI - Maybe one time, Jamal Mashburn really will want to read all the newspapers. See, Mashburn has been a pretty easy target in recent playoff seasons. His playoff contributions,...

ALONZO'S BIG DAY

MIAMI - In a way, the Knicks had their shot at Alonzo Mourning earlier in the game. In a collision that contained the ferocity and impact of a Lombardi-era Packers...

DOC'S EAGER TO PITCH AT 'HOME'

Tampa is Dwight Gooden's home, and pitching for the Devil Rays certainly appeals to him. But tonight, Gooden works New York as an opponent for the first time when he...

MCPHEE WANTS RANGER JOB

On April 3, just a week after Neil Smith was dismissed as the team's general manager, the Rangers were in Washington to play the Caps. There was much discussion that...

DEVILS SEEKING JOY OF SIX

Even in the playoffs, 3-2 does not add up to four, the Devils have learned. Or at least have been taught. Painfully. Remembering that crucial mathematical tidbit might help them...

BOB SHEPPARD ... NO. 1 ; YANKS GIVE 'VOICE OF GOD' MONUMENTAL TRIBUTE

What started out 50 years ago as a part-time gig has become the job of a lifetime. Half-a-century after becoming the Yankees' public-address announcer, Bob Sheppard has become the legendary...

JUST WASN'T SPREE'S DAY

MIAMI - So what did you expect - Latrell Sprewell to stop every star he faced this postseason? The Knicks came up 87-83 losers in Game 1 to the Heat...

O'S COMEBACK PROVES MO ISN'T SUPERHUMAN

Just when Mariano Rivera had spoiled New Yorkers -and most of the baseball world - into thinking he was invincible and infallible, Baltimore discovered the Yankee closer is still human...

HARDAWAY GETS GOIN' IN SLO-MO

MIAMI - Early in the fourth quarter, Knick point guard of the moment Chris Childs tried to squeeze into a tiny crevice amid a skyline of home white Heat jerseys....

DUQUE INVITED TO CARDINAL'S FUNERAL

When John Cardinal O'Connor is buried today, Yankee pitcher Orlando Hernandez will be among the mourners. The former New York Archbishop was helpful in bringing Hernandez' family from Cuba, and...

LJ CLANGS BIG OPPORTUNITY TO FLAME THE FANS

KNICK NOTES MIAMI - The "Big L" salute was shelved yesterday. Larry Johnson was recently painted in a Miami newspaper as the most hated sports figure in South Florida. Yesterday,...

HEAT 'D' GOOD BUT NOT GREAT

HEAT NOTES MIAMI - Sometimes, something looks so obvious but you interpret it the wrong way. Take the Knicks' spiffy end-game offensive performance yesterday. They went the final 5:34 with...

HOT 'FRANK' TAKES FOURTH IN A ROW

Brutally Frank continued his rags-to-riches story yesterday by holding off Western Expression by a head to win the Grade 1 $200,000 Carter Handicap. It was another half-length back to favored...

BENCHED RICKEY GOES FOR THE JUGGLER

MET NOTES MIAMI - Rickey Henderson blamed the Mets' recent lack of offense production on instability caused by Bobby Valentine's constant juggling of the lineup. Henderson did not play in...

METS SINK DEEPER INTO THE DEMPSTER ; MARLIN FIRES ONE-HITTER

Marlins 3 Mets 0 MIAMI - Two points of view emerged from the Mets' 3-0 loss to the Marlins yesterday afternoon. The first explained away their sixth defeat in seven...

TRAINERS SAY PEGASUS IS REAL TRIPLE THREAT

LOUISVILLE - For years, the locals have been celebrating Pegasus. A giant sculpture of the mythical winged horse hangs in the lobby of Louisville International Airport. There's the annual downtown...

DRYSDALE NOT READY TO CLAIM THE CROWN

LOUISVILLE - Neil Drysdale, the incorrigibly precise, self-effacing Englishman who won the 126th Kentucky Derby with the blockbuster favorite Fusaichi Pegasus, resolutely refused yesterday to jump on the Triple Crown...

IT'S NOT THE HEAT, IT'S THE FUTILITY: KNICKS' DRY SPELL IN FOURTH QUARTER PUTS MIAMI UP 1-0

GAME 1 Heat 87 Knicks 83 MIAMI - This ain't Toronto. Masters of late-game heroics in their first-round sweep, the Knicks were jarred back to reality yesterday in Miami against...

FEW EAGER TO TEST PEGASUS IN PREAKNESS

LOUISVILLE - Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus will be 3-5 to win the Preakness two weeks away, and no one is tripping over themselves to take him on. The only...