January 19, 2001

WHAT W LEARNED FROM HIS DADDY ABOUT THE ECONOMY

WHY would George W. Bush want the economy to improve now? I know this is heresy. But if business conditions picked up tomorrow, George W. will likely find himself in...

MARYMOUNT TO APPEAL $1M RULING IN CO-ED HOUSING MESS

Marymount Manhattan College is appealing what could become a $1 million-plus decision in favor of a Midtown hotel that rented rooms to its students in 1987. A Manhattan Supreme Court...

TAKEOVER RUMORS LIGHT UP SUNGLASS HUT STOCK

Shares of Sunglass Hut soared 25 percent yesterday on speculation that the company may be acquired. The stock rose $1.75 to close at $7. "There are rumors someone's looking at...

AT AOL TIME WARNER, TIME RUNS OUT FOR MANY - STUDIO, NEW LINE, MUSIC & THE WB TO SLASH COSTS

The ax is swinging far and wide at AOL Time Warner. Just days after CNN announced it would lay off 400 employees, Time Warner's other divisions are following suit. Company...

REPORT: THE SHOW'S ALMOST OVER AT WB'S TROUBLED ENTERTAINDOM WEB SITE

Speculation was rife yesterday that another piece of Time Warner's great Web experiment was going to be shuttered. Entertaindom, the Warner Bros. entertainment site, is ripe for closure, and the...

NEW PUBLISHER KAHN-DO AT THE NEW YORKER

David Kahn was selected as publisher of The New Yorker, after a swift search inside and outside the company to find the successor to the exiting David Carey. Kahn's new...

NEW LINE'S BAD-BOY PRESIDENT IS LEAVING

Michael De Luca's exit from the president's suite at New Line films is a perfect example of the new AOL Time Warner's maxim: no more extravagant showmen. De Luca started...

150 GET BOOT @ NBCI - FREE NETWORK ADS CAN'T SAVE JOBS OF SAN FRAN STAFFERS

Ailing NBC Internet yesterday took advantage of the blizzard of media and new media layoffs to shed a few hundred of its own. The Internet arm of the Peacock network...

WELL-ACTED 'PLEDGE' A POLISHED PSYCHO-DRAMA

THE PLEDGE ( 1/2) Jack Nicholson plumbs the depths of obsession in a deeply disturbing drama. Running time: 124 minutes. Rated R (graphic violence, profanity). At the E Walk, the...

THRILLER HAS 'GIFT' OF GRAB

THE GIFT () Great Cate Blanchett heads a powerhouse cast as Tennessee Williams meets "The Sixth Sense." Running time: 112 minutes. Rated R (violence, profanity, sexuality/nudity). At the E Walk,...

SHARP AND DEFINITELY (QUENTIN) CRISP

RESIDENT ALIENNew York Theatre Workshop, 79 E. Fourth St. (212) 460-5475. ------------ A MAN of 90 spends the day in his East Third Street room. He cooks an egg, puts...

RISING 'RENT' HAS STABILIZED

RENT ( 1/2)Nederlander Theater. 208 W. 41st St. (212) 921-8000. ------------As part of a special New York Pulse Broadway series, critic Clive Barnes is revisiting long-running shows to see how...

HIS KICKS ARE FOR KIDS - WYCLEF JEAN AND HIS SOLID FOUNDATION TAKE HIP-HOP TO CARNEGIE HALL

'MAN, 10 years ago I was working at Burger King and today I'm making music," marvels Wyclef Jean, a performer, songwriter and producer, and one of the most highly regarded...

GUY AND THE HOODS ARE THE . . . 'SNATCH' OF THE DAY

SNATCH () Exuberant, stylized London gangster flick, starring Brad Pitt, Dennis Farina, Jason Statham and Vinnie Jones. Running time: 102 minutes. Rated R (gunplay, boxing, implied sadism, language). At the...

THE STARR REPORT

'Island' breezes to impressive numbers Red-hot "Temptation Island" derailed "The West Wing" in the Wednesday-night ratings race. The second episode of Fox's "Island" averaged 17.6 million viewers from 9 to...

BILL MAHER IS SORRY, KIDS

The "Incorrect" host made "no excuses." 'POLITICALLY Incorrect" host Bill Maher has apologized for comparing mentally disabled children to dogs. "I make no excuses," Maher said in a published interview....

EX-WIFE AND 'X' STRIFE - NOW GROOM OF DOOM RICK ROCKWELL IS HAVING A TIFF WITH DAVID DUCHOVNY

IF his marriage to Darva Conger had worked out, Rick Rockwell would be getting ready to celebrate his one-year wedding anniversary Feb. 15. Instead, the jilted groom from "Who Wants...

HANDS OFF! - MOVE 'MASTERPIECE THEATER' FROM ITS SUNDAY NIGHT SLOT? DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT

OK, I'm making a vow. A sacred vow, yet. It's about Masterpiece Theater, or as it's referred to around my house, Master Race Theater. (Too many low lives around my...

CBS BOWLING FOR DOLLARS

DESPITE reports that ad sales for this year's Super Bowl were going soft, CBS is getting more than $2.3 million per 30-second commercial spot - a new record - sources...

HITMAN SEEKING SHRINK MEETS GIRL

PANIC ()Low-key, self-consciously quirky dark comedy about a hitman suffering a midlife crisis. Running time: 88 minutes. Rated: R (adult language, murder). At the Angelika, Houston and Mercer streets. ----------...

ANY LIVES LEFT FOR CAT? - 'SEUSSICAL' MAY SWING ON A STAR TO SURVIVE

ROSIE O'Donnell plopped herself into "Seussical, the Musical" this week, sparking much behind-the-scenes talk about her power at the box office, her influence over Broadway in general, David Shiner's future...

'TREK' BEAUTY TERRIFIED - MAN IN COURT FOR STALKING JERI RYAN AND SHOW PRODUCER

LOS ANGELES - A 22-year-old man yesterday was ordered to stand trial for allegedly stalking "Star Trek: Voyager" beauty Jeri Ryan and a producer. L.A. County Superior Court Judge Alan...

MADONNA GOT DUMPED! - OUT-OF-WORK BRIT DIDN'T WANT TO BE A 'KEPT' GUY

SEX goddess Madonna once begged a man to love her. Just weeks after her grand Scottish wedding to film director Guy Ritchie - his second movie "Snatch" opens in the...

DELI SAYS KIM'S BEEF IS OFF-BASINGER

The great Kim Basinger Sandwich controversy heated up yesterday as the Stage Deli claimed the sexy star - a devout vegetarian - was the force behind the popular meat-filled snack...

BRAZILIANS TO BRITNEY: SHOW US SOME SKIN!

Britney Spears is under fire again for what she's wearing - but this time, the complaint is that she's too covered up! Locals in Rio de Janeiro, where the teen...

BADILLO'S BUCK-$HOT TARGETS BLOOMBERG

Possible GOP mayoral candidate Herman Badillo stepped up his attack on billionaire Michael Bloomberg yesterday, blasting him as out of touch with New Yorkers and lacking ideas for how to...

GOOD REV. NEEDS YOUR COUNSEL NOW, BUBBA

ONE good turn deserves another. And that is why Bill Clinton should go somewhere over the rainbow and streak to the side of Jesse Jackson. After all, Jesse was there...

MARINES' OSPREY CMDR. FIRED

The commanding officer of a Marine Osprey training squadron was fired yesterday amid charges that he tried to falsify aircraft-maintenance records. But the Marine Corps said there was no evidence...

TWO PERISH IN BROOKLYN BLAZE

A fast-moving, early-morning fire killed two Brooklyn women yesterday, despite the desperate rescue efforts of relatives, as flames trapped them inside their burning house. The bodies of Ezerlene Armstrong, 81,...

FUROR AS N.J. COURT LETS '63 COP KILLER OUT OF JAIL

The families of two New Jersey cops who were murdered nearly 40 years ago were outraged yesterday at a state Supreme Court decision to transfer the convicted killer to a...

NYPD ON TEXAS CON ALERT - KILLER TRIO MAY BE ON LAM HERE

Cops say there's a "possibility" three of the notorious criminals who busted out of a Texas prison made it to New York City - and were caught on videotape brazenly...

IN WITH THE NEW PREZ - START THE SALESMANSHIP

WASHINGTON CALL it the "Florida hangover." More than a month after the cessation of the post-election hijinks, the nation's capital is in a kind of dazed funk - not exactly...

MO. JUDGE GETS CHANCE TO FIRE BACK AT ASHCROFT

WASHINGTON - Missouri Judge Ronnie White struck back at his old nemesis John Ashcroft yesterday - slamming the attorney general-nominee for "distorting" his record. "Sen. John Ashcroft seriously distorted my...

ECO-PROTESTERS CLIMB THE WALLS

WASHINGTON - Cops nabbed three anti-Bush protesters yesterday after they scaled a federal building - the first sign of turbulence amid the tightest inaugural security ever. With almost 7,000 Secret...

QUEENS KIDS ELECTED TO GO TO INAUGURAL

A group of 80 Queens sixth-grade students hit the presidential lottery - they've been invited to attend George W. Bush's swearing-in tomorrow. The sixth-graders from District 28 - covering schools...

W.'S FATHERLY ADVICE: DON'T YOU DARE MISTREAT MY DAUGHTERS

WASHINGTON - Playing proud but protective first papa, President-elect Bush is warning that his twin daughters aren't "fair game," and he'll give an earful to anyone who goes after them...

SNOW WAY! 2ND STORM COULD WHACK US

Here we snow again! Brace yourself. Three weeks after a flaky storm dumped 12 inches on the Big Apple, we're due for another white wallop tomorrow. There could be an...

KERIK ESTABLISHING NYPD CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE SECTION

Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik said yesterday he is revamping the way NYPD units share information - in hopes of giving cops an edge over criminals across the city. Kerik said...

FLAP OVER PUTIN PAL'S JFK ARREST

A new diplomatic crisis roiled U.S.-Russian relations yesterday after a close crony of President Vladimir Putin was arrested at Kennedy Airport as he flew in to attend George W. Bush's...

DISGRACED DISTRICT 15 OFFICIAL IS SENT PACKING

Embattled Brooklyn District 15 Superintendent Frank DeStefano resigned yesterday following charges of financial mismanagement and pressure from Schools Chancellor Harold Levy, sources said yesterday. As The Post reported last week,...

FAMILY AND FRIENDS RALLYING 'ROUND JESSE: VOW THAT THEY WILL 'ENDURE'

The Rev. Jesse Jackson's family said yesterday they will "endure" the scandal over the preacher's love child - as messages of support poured in. The civil-rights leader's son, Rep. Jesse...

DUBYA DEBUTS, VOWING A 'FRESH START' - RENEWS PLEDGE TO RESTORE HONOR TO THE WHITE HOUSE

WASHINGTON - President-elect George W. Bush grinned, blew a few kisses and flashed a three-fingered "W" sign last night as he kicked off his inaugural fest with a vow "to...

O.J'S SHADOW HANGS OVER PUFFY TRIAL JURY SELECTION

The Sean "Puffy" Combs gun case seemed almost to gain a fourth co-defendant yesterday - O.J. Simpson. On Day 2 of jury selection, the name of O.J. - the most...

NFL-SLAY JURY TRYING TO GET PAST DEADLOCK

Jurors in the murder trial of former NFL wide receiver Rae Carruth are deadlocked in the sensational case - but have been ordered to get back to work today to...

LEVY: HOUSECLEANING OF SCHOOLS HAS HELPED

Schools Chancellor Harold Levy said he has replaced about a third of the city's school superintendents and appointed 12 new superintendents - all part of his vow to hold top...

CLINTON'S FAREWELL HAILS ERA OF HIS WAYS

WASHINGTON - Soon-to-be-ex-President Clinton last night said goodbye from the Oval Office by boasting that his eight years in office were "an era of great American renewal." "I have steered...

LAST STOP FOR SUBWAY REDBIRDS

The Transit Authority's fleet of 1,400 aging Redbirds have cheated the scrapheap for the last time. TA officials yesterday announced plans to buy enough new subway cars so that they...

ELEPHANT-NAPPER MUST 'PACH' IT IN

An elephant that was kidnapped from an Austrian circus and sought with the help of mugshots printed in newspapers was found yesterday in a warehouse near Berlin. Austrian police had...

CONGO CONFIRMS PREZ WAS KILLED DURING SHOOTOUT

Congo's government ended two days of confusion and denials yesterday, confirming that President Laurent Kabila was dead of gunshot wounds he suffered in a gun battle Tuesday. Information Minister Dominique...

CONCORDE FLIES AGAIN OVER FRANCE FOR SAFETY TESTS

The Concorde is one flight closer to being back in regular use. An Air France Concorde took off from Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris yesterday for the first time...

THE PEOPLE SPEAK: 'HE'S TAINTED HIS NAME' (VOX POX)

What effect does Jesse Jackson's love child have on your image of him? * David Pope, 58, computer consultant, Manhattan: "It's changed my opinion in a negative way. He's supposed...

STUFFING KNOCKED OUT OF TURKEY TAKE

HUNTERS reported taking 4,145 wild turkeys in New York during the fall 2000 season, about half as many as were taken the previous fall, according to the New York State...

VIAGRA IN HIS RACEHORSE LANDS TRAINER STIFF PENALTY

Viagra, the miracle drug used to enhance human male sexual performance, has found its way into the race-horse population. Yesterday the New York State Racing and Wagering Board suspended trainer...

CLASSIC FINISH IS YEAR'S BEST

The dramatic finish of last year's Breeders' Cup Classic featuring Tiznow and European Horse of the Year Giant's Causeway has been voted the NTRA Moment of the Year. Tiznow's connections...

BILLICK: A NEW BREED OF COACH

BECAUSE Brian Billick understands the times, Bill Walsh has long seen a Super Bowl as the Baltimore coach's landing place. Two weeks ago, as the Adelphia Coliseum video screen fired...

IT'S BEEN A WEEK TO FORGET AND IT'S NOT EVEN OVER YET

AFTER strongly and often profanely suggesting that I "lighten up" and/or take a "chill pill," more than a few letter-writers, predominantly young adult males, have much the same question for...

IT'S THOMAS TO THE RESCUE: UNDERSTUDY SET TO PLAY MARCUS IN THE MIDDLE

AUBURN HILLS - The reality is the loss of Marcus Camby for five games due to suspension might not be as devastating as it sounds to the Knicks' recent run...

MODELL SPORTING BALTIMORE'S GOODS AS HOME GROWN

OWINGS MILLS, Md. - TV execs may not be too excited about a defensive-minded Super Bowl between the Ravens and Giants, but Art Modell doesn't care. The 75-year-old owner of...

NFL FINES SIRAGUSA 10G FOR GANNON HIT

RAVEN NOTES OWINGS MILLS, Md. - Tony Siragusa, all 340 pounds of him, was fined $10,000 yesterday for slamming Oakland quarterback Rich Gannon to the ground in last weekend's AFC...

LEAFS LEADIN' LINDROS DERBY - 3-WAY DEAL COULD PUT FLYER STAR IN TORONTO

PHILADELPHIA - As the Eric Lindros stalemate continues, it appears possible the Flyers, Leafs and Kings will work a three-way deal so the big headache ends up in Toronto. The...

BANISHED CAMBY TURNING COUCH POTATO

KNICK NOTES AUBURN HILLS - Suspended Marcus Camby flew to Detroit with the club yesterday but may have to watch the game at former Knick teammate John Wallace's house. Camby...

SEHORN & SHARPE TOGETHER AGAIN

The last time they met on a football field, Jason Sehorn and Shannon Sharpe were spitting trash-talk at each other. Just don't expect that apparent animosity to spill over when...

TEAMWORK KEY TO CARDOZO SUCCESS

Cardozo 68 - Van Buren 51 Daryll "Showtime" Hill didn't shoot much while growing up playing ball at Lincoln Park in South Ozone. "I didn't have to," the senior point...

RON KEEPS LOW PROFILE - RANGERS' COACH PLAYS IT COY ABOUT AN INJURY TO ONE OF HIS DEFENDERS

Ron Low's comments had been shrouded in mystery. "I can't tell you who's in on defense," the coach said after yesterday's Garden morning skate, "because I'm not entirely sure of...

PUT THIS ONE IN YOUR POCKET ; COLLINS' GIANT EDGE AT QB SPELLS DOOM FOR RAVENS

KERRY COLLINS and Trent Dilfer both got their teams to Tampa, which is incredible enough, but only one gets to claim the grand prize. Given what has already transpired, the...

DILFER STILL HEARS BOOS FROM TAMPA

OWINGS MILLS, Md. - Trent Dilfer can deal with being the quarterback Tampa Bay didn't want. He can handle being the man critics said would never be a Super Bowl...

JETER, YANKS DISAGREE - ARBITRATION FIGURE WILL SET RECORD

Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter is so good at winning that even when he loses he sets records. Jeter and the Yankees were unable to sign off on a contract extension...

METS CONTINUE CROUSHORE-ING UP BULLPEN

A year ago, when Mets general manager Steve Phillips was laying the foundation for what became a World Series team, he made a point to stockpile left-handed relievers in order...

FASSEL LATEST GUARANTEE: JETS COACH IS A WINNER

GIANT NOTES He doesn't know him very well, but from everything Jim Fassel has seen and heard about Herman Edwards, he believes the Jets made a solid choice in naming...

HAPPY VINNY: CHANGE GOOD FOR THE TEAM

Vinny Testaverde has been particularly inconspicuous so far this offseason as the hierarchy of his team was being dismantled piece by piece before his disbelieving eyes. Yesterday, though, in the...

NBA HIT CAMBY-MAN RIGHT ON THE NOSE

HAD Marcus Camby's punch found its target, the Garden's maintenance crew would've had to scrape up Danny Ferry with a Zamboni. That said, how could anyone in Camp Cablevision possibly...

BIG BLUE RUNNERS DON'T FEAR RAVENS

Welcome to Baltimore's other Inner Harbor, where offenses routinely drown in trying to run against the Ravens' deadly current. With a brutally effective defense that is considered one of the...

LINDROS MAY GO IN 3-WAY TRADE

There may be a three-way developing with the L.A. Kings and Maple Leafs for Flyers star Eric Lindros, involving Rob Blake. The Kings are said to have been offering Jozef...

WILPON STADIUM PLAN HITS A MINNY SNAG

The way the discouraging news is pouring in this offseason, Mets co-owner Fred Wilpon might not want to answer the team hotline in his office. Not only have the Amazin's...

FIERY DEVILS ENJOY BLOWOUT OF FLYERS

Devils 7 - Flyers 1 PHILADELPHIA - Give the Devils a reason, and they give back the reasons they are the champs. They may fluff off some against the generics...

THE LONE RANGER ; RICHTER WINS 267TH, PASSES GIACOMIN AS BEST IN BLUE

OVERTIME Rangers 2 Maple Leafs 1 The ice belonged to Mike Richter, and so did the win and so did the record, and so did the roaring standing ovation that...