August 1, 2001

G+J ROCKED AGAIN - MAG CHIEF DEFECTS BACK TO CONDE NAST

Bertelsmann's Gruner + Jahr group suffered another major blow yesterday as David Carey bolted his job running Fast Company and Inc. magazines to return to his old post as publisher...

VIVENDI CHALLENGES FTC'S '3 TENORS' PRICE-FIX CHARGE

The world's biggest music company, Vivendi Universal, is going to war against the Federal Trade Commission over "The Three Tenors." The FTC filed charges against Vivendi and Warner Music over...

FANCY SPRITZ ON TAP AT RITZ

HOW would you like your water, Madame? Guests checking in at the Ritz-Carlton's soon-to-open Battery Park hotel will be greeted by their very own water sommelier. The water expert will...

D'AMATO'S SITE GOES IN BIT BUCKET

File this: FileAmerica, the government services portal backed by Ted Kennedy Jr. and former Senator Al D'Amato, is kaput. The site's attorney, Wally Epstein, said yesterday that File America had...

TUCKER ANTHONY AGREES TO $600M BUYOUT

Tucker Anthony Sutro, a regional brokerage whose biggest shareholder is buyout kingpin Thomas H. Lee, has agreed to be acquired by Royal Bank of Canada in a cash deal valued...

SONY-YAHOO! DEAL COULD BE PRELUDE TO CLOSER TIES

Sony and Yahoo! moved closer yesterday to a joint marketing deal that could spark a scramble between the remaining media and tech companies to pair up in the style of...

BONNIE'S BA-ACK

MEREDITH may have been cleaning house recently, shutting down titles such as Crayola Kids last year and Family Money this year - but the sleeping giant of women's magazines is...

AT&T CALLS ON COMCAST - RESPONDS TO REQUEST FOR TALKS ON HOSTILE BID

AT&T Corp. has decided it is willing to talk to Comcast Corp. after all. After three weeks of static surrounding Comcast's hostile bid for its cable business, AT&T has made...

NYSE LAUNCHES ASSAULT ON AMEX'S ETF BIZ

The Big Board's Dick Grasso made his move yesterday to steal away lucrative exchange-traded funds business from Sal Sodano's American Stock Exchange, in a battle that could get ugly before...

USERS GET A FEEL FOR HOTBRAILLE.COM'S SITE

You've got braille. The visually impaired have been flocking to the Internet as a means of keeping in touch. HotBraille.com, a site which allows users to type a letter and...

DOW JONES HAS A 1-DAY WONDER RALLY

Wall Street enjoyed a one-day rally yesterday but investors don't expect the gains to stick around today. Thanks to end-of-the-month window dressing by portfolio managers, blue chips and tech stocks...

STARR REPORT

'Live' Diamond spurs sparkling numbersNeil Diamond's "Live By Request" show on A&E last Saturday was the highest-rated, most-watched "LBR" in A&E history. That's quite a feat, considering Diamond beat out...

HERE'S AN ITALIAN RED THAT'S REALLY COOL

STOCK clerk at the Italian Wine Merchants on East 16th Street is an enviable summer job for two reasons.First, owner Sergio Esposito keeps the basement stockroom-cum-wine cellar at exactly 57...

TYNE ENDS HER HOLDOUT

'JUDGING Amy" co-star Tyne Daly's back suddenly seems to feel better - and she could return to the set this Friday after a two-week holdout over money. CBS has apparently...

BELLINI UP TO THE TABLE

BELLINI [] 208 E. 52ND ST. (212) 308-0830 ----------- BELLINI is the perfect real-world Italian restaurant."Real world" means you won't blow your golden parachute on one meal, as at San...

CONAN CUTS O'BRIEN

THERE'S nothing sacred on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" - except Conan O'Brien's private life. On last Thursday's "Late Night," guest Dom DeLuise congratulated O'Brien on his "engagement with Liza"...

IT'S INTO THE FLAY ONCE MORE

IRON Chef Bobby Flay is adding another iron to his blazing fire. The TV Food Network personality, who also owns Mesa Grill and Bolo, has just inked a lease to...

LATEST POP TWIST

DIET Coke drinkers in the habit of adding a spritz of lemon to the beverage before they sip might soon be able to chuck the citrus slice. Diet Coke with...

WHY KATIE SHOULD TAKEOVER FOR TOM

WHO will replace Tom Brokaw? The answer was once assumed to be Brian Williams, but that was before NBC News was faced with the challenge of keeping Katie Couric happy...

HOT FOR TEACHER - STRIPPING PROF HAS DEGREE IN SIZZLE

EVER wonder what goes through a stripper's mind during a lap dance - other than "Wow, that beer gut is so hot"?If the dancer happens to be 29-year-old Cathy MacGregor...

CHEFS' NEW SHELL GAME: A BARNACLE BILL OF FARE

BARNACLES are here. And hot chefs are stuck on them.These seafaring cling-ons are an Iberian delicacy that's popping up at fully committed spots such as Ilo, Patria and Chicama. "My...

ANOTHER ABT EXEC ACCUSED - FIRED DANCER FILES SEX-HARASS CLAIM

ANOTHER high-ranking executive at the scandal-ridden American Ballet Theater has been hit with charges of sexual harassment.A complaint filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission accuses David Richardson, ABT's assistant...

PEEK AT MIDNIGHT 'HOUR'

A midnight sneak preview of "Rush Hour 2" has been added to the lineup for the fifth annual Urbanworld Film Festival, which kicks off today. The event, which runs through...

JACKSON: 5-HOUR SELLOUT

MICHAEL Jackson sold out his two-night stint at Madison Square Garden in five hours yesterday. While Madonna sold her five nights at the Garden in just a few minutes, Jackson...

NBC ELECTION FRIGHT

NBC News yesterday continued to stonewall a demand from a Democratic lawmaker to hand over alleged in-house videotapes that supposedly prove election-night bias inside the Peacock Network. California Rep. Henry...

SHOTGUN WEDDING - CH. 13 MERGES WITH CH. 21 IN A MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE FOR CITY'S TWO MAJOR PBS OUTLETS

LONG Island's public TV station, WLIW/Ch. 21, is merging with Manhattan-based WNET/Ch. 13. The WLIW board of directors - meeting at the station's headquarters in Plainview yesterday - voted by...

USA DEMOTED ON CABLE DIAL

USA Network is furious withTime Warner Cable for moving it backward on its channel lineup and replacing it with Court TV. Time Warner is moving USA from Ch. 23 to...

THE INSIDE SCOOP - JOIN THE ICE CREAM COUNTERCULTURE - JUST FOR A CHILL

IF there's one jerk everyone loves, it's a soda jerk. Sitting down to ice cream at a counter is one of summer's most nostalgically pleasurable rites, albeit one that's increasingly...

DRAG RACER GETS LIFE: JUDGE SLAMS DRIVER WHO KILLED 2 ON BELT PARKWAY

A furious Brooklyn judge blasted a 21-year-old convicted murderer who killed two people last year during a wild, late-night drag race on the Belt Parkway - and sent him away...

FEDS POISED TO APPROVE $460M PLAN TO DREDGE HUDSON PCBS

Bush administration officials are set to OK a $460 million plan to clean toxic PCBs from the Hudson River, a congressman said last night. There's no official announcement yet, but...

POISONED OFFICER SUES OVER TOXIC TROOPS

TORONTO - A Canadian military officer whose troops tried to poison him with battery acid and shoe polish is suing the army for letting the soldiers off with a light...

N.J. SUSPENDS LYING JUDGE

A New Jersey judge caught lying to police about a fight with her ex-boyfriend will be suspended for three months. Superior Court Judge Rosemarie Williams, 49, should also undergo psychological...

NEW YORK POST FROM AUG. 1, 1960

"The abandoned Highbridge shuttle is finally headed for the scrap heap. The Board of Estimate has set a hearing for Aug. 25 on plans to demolish the old structure, the...

LOUIMA COP'S CRUCIAL DAY

RETIRED Sgt. Patrick Walsh, who could blow the whole Abner Louima mess out of the water, is scheduled to talk to federal prosecutors tomorrow, according to sources. It could be...

BRET SCHUNDLER'S BIG MISTAKE

WHY is Bret Schundler running on his opponent's strategy? From the moment the former Jersey City mayor won an upset victory in New Jersey's GOP gubernatorial primary, Democrats began licking...

JUDGE LIFTS BRIT BAN ON FARRAKHAN

Louis Farrakhan won a legal battle yesterday to end a 15-year ban on visits to Britain. At London's High Court, Judge Michael Turner gave no immediate explanation for his lifting...

SLAIN OVER PARKING - SUSPECT HUNTED IN DEADLY FIGHT FOR CAR SPOT IN PRIVATE N.J. LOT

New Jersey cops are hunting for an armed killer who gunned down an aspiring singer in a fit of rage over a parking space, investigators said yesterday. The senseless weekend...

WHAT A MATCH! SHE'S HIS VENUS, HE'S HER SECURITY

It's a love match for Venus Williams, who's fallen head over heels for her bodyguard. The sexy tennis queen has been seeing Davide Tomassoni, a hunky Italian security guard who...

FERRER'S FOUL FORAY - FANNING FLAMES OF FALSE RESENTMENT

TEN years ago this month, years of racial tension peaked in New York City's worst unrest in decades - the Crown Heights riot. A lot's changed for the better since,...

QUEEN OF STING DOES HER THING

Eat your heart out, "Fear Factor" - a 24-year-old woman has just survived living in a glass cage with 2,700 poisonous scorpions for 30 days. Malena Hassan was crowned the...

JUST GIVE HER THE BALL, MIKE!

MIKE PIAZZA, a little girl is crying for her ball. Give it up, slugger. It's the decent thing to do. Friday, the 13th of July, was a lucky day for...

VALLONE BUDGET WOULDN'T CUT IT: RIVAL

City Comptroller Alan Hevesi yesterday tore into mayoral rival Peter Vallone for saying only parks would escape budget cuts if the economy tanked under his administration. "Saying that you are...

HEINZ KETCHUP GIVES PURPLE TO THE PEOPLE

Purple reigns. The funky hue is joining the colorful cast of H.J. Heinz's EZ Squirt Tomato Red and Blastin' Green ketchup aimed at children. "Kids love decorating their food with...

TWO INDICTED IN $120,000 ID-THEFT SCAM

Two women - a city employee and a city college student - were indicted yesterday for stealing credit cards and using them to buy computers, lingerie and carpeting. Diane Crawford,...

HERMIT KNEW 'EVERYBODY & ANYBODY'

Sausage 'n' eggs hermit Irwin Rose's body remained unclaimed and unidentified in a morgue yesterday, even as associates described him as a networking genius who knew everybody. Rose, who hadn't...

TV BIG: I WAS 'CRACK' SCREENWRITER

Troubled "West Wing" honcho Aaron Sorkin, nabbed on drug charges in April, says he was often high on crack when he wrote the 1995 movie "The American President." "I was...

LAWYER BUSTED IN CRASH SCAM

A lawyer was arrested by the feds yesterday and charged with helping Russian scam artists arrange a phony car crash to collect insurance money. Alexander Galkovich, 30, was arraigned in...

COPS PUT SQUEEZE ON 'RANDY RUBS' MAN

Long Island authorities said yesterday they are widening their probe of a masseur at a posh day spa and may file more criminal charges against the man accused of molesting...

LEVY LETS PESTY POP BACK INTO PS 165

Schools Chancellor Harold Levy will let a parent - booted out of his son's Upper West Side school following run-ins with the principal - back in the building. A top...

HILL'S COCKFIGHT BILL PASSES EASILY

WASHINGTON - An anti-cockfighting measure backed by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton as a "basic animal rights" issue was approved yesterday by the Senate. Clinton declined to comment on the vote,...

HER IOWA CHAT LOOKS AWFULLY PRESIDENTIAL

WASHINGTON. TIME and again, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton insists she's not - now or ever - a presidential candidate. But the former first lady is fueling speculation she wants to...

MONGOLIANS SHOWER RUDY KHAN WITH GIFTS

Mayor Giuliani was invited to visit Mongolia yesterday to "get personally acquainted with the nomadic lifestyle." Jargalsaikhany Enkhsaikhan, Mongolia's ambassador to the United Nations, clearly wasn't aware of the mayor's...

$200M QNS. SCHOOL PROJECT HANDED TO NONPROFIT BUILDERS

The Board of Education - stung by criticism over $1.8 billion in construction overruns - will turn to a nonprofit group to build a $200 million kindergarten-to-12th-grade campus in Queens....

NYERS OFFER HELP TO WIFE OF SLAIN BYSTANDER

The heartbreaking story of a widow whose husband was killed in Queens by a stray bullet has prompted an outpouring of sympathy from Post readers as police search for the...

CHUCK'S GOT MOST BUCKS

WASHINGTON - Sen. Chuck Schumer has quietly built up the biggest campaign war chest in the Senate, with nearly $7 million on hand, documents filed yesterday show. That's more than...

ANTI-ISRAEL LINE HARDENS

WASHINGTON - New, even harsher anti-Israel language is now being pushed for an upcoming U.N. conference - including claims that Israel is "an apartheid, racist and fascist state" that is...

SAD 'TRAIL OF TEARS' FOR MRI KID

A 6-year-old Westchester boy - who survived brain surgery only to die after a freakish MRI mistake - was laid to rest yesterday by his heartbroken family. In a separate...

COP'S LIVER GIFT SAVES DAD

A rookie Bronx cop and his father happily left the hospital yesterday, a week after the cop donated more than half of his liver to save his dad's life. Jose...

CRUISE: 3 FOR ME, 1 FOR NICOLE

Actor Tom Cruise may be going on another "Mission: Impossible" - the hunky star is now demanding 75 percent of the assets from his marriage with Nicole Kidman. Kidman's lawyer...

HOUSE VOTES TO BAN CLONING OF HUMANS

WASHINGTON - The Republican-led House yesterday voted to ban all human cloning, defeating a proposal by some congressmen to allow it just for scientific research. If the Senate goes along...

CHURCH PLAYED ROLE IN CHANGES TO SEX-ABUSE BILL IN CONN.

IT'S not the first time the Catholic Church allegedly flexed its muscles to influence sex-abuse law. A similar debacle occurred north of the Long Island Sound just a few years...

NEW 'TORCH' DONOR SCANDAL

WASHINGTON - A New Jersey real-estate mogul said he gave $62,000 under various names to Sen. Robert Torricelli and invited the New Jersey Democrat to invest in his company, it...

FEDS DOUBT STAR SCAMMER'S PLEDGE TO REPAY $14M

Imprisoned celebrity money manager Dana Giacchetto has agreed to a settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission - but government lawyers aren't holding their breath for the money. Under the...

GIRL, 8, FIGHTS OFF SEX MONSTER

A brave little girl fought off a hulking sex fiend, biting him so badly that he may have left enough blood for police to use DNA evidence if he's caught....

RELIGIOUS GROUPS STALL REFORM LAW

A strongly backed bill that would make it a crime if educators fail to report an accusation of school sex abuse to the police is being stymied by two of...

HOW SCANS ARE KEPT SAFE

If you go for an MRI and spot an oxygen tank, an IV pole, a wheelchair or a step stool inside the scanning room, don't panic, experts say. Such items...

'DIPLOMATIC' SETTLEMENT IN SCOFFLAW WAR

Scofflaw diplomats won't wake up this morning to find their cars have been towed away. Sources said the city reached an "understanding" with the U.S. State Department last night, just...

SECRETARY FLEECED BIZ HONCHO: DA

A quiet Queens secretary used erasable ink to embezzle $400,000 from her Wall Street boss' personal checking account - then bought her hubby a pizza parlor with some of the...

N.J. PLAYS OLYMPIC SPOILER

New Jersey officials - steamed by New York's efforts to win back the Jets - nearly sabotaged New York's 2012 Olympic bid yesterday, throwing a tantrum while U.S. Olympic officials...

BOLD COPS RESCUE 3 FISHERMEN

Three fishermen, trapped by the surf at the tip of a Breezy Point jetty, were plucked to safety from a 15-foot tower by an NYPD helicopter in a daring rescue...

DEATH-PENALTY FOES TAP KIN OF UNABOMBER

ALBANY - The brother who turned in the notorious Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski, to authorities and then fought for his life to be spared will now head up a statewide anti-death-penalty...

LAWYER IN CAR-CRASH SCAM: FEDS

A drugged-up lawyer was busted by the feds yesterday and charged with helping Russian scam artists arrange a phony car crash to collect insurance money, officials said. Alexander Galkovich, 30,...

LEVY LETS PESTY PARENT BACK INTO HIS KID'S SCHOOL

Schools Chancellor Harold Levy will let a parent - booted out of his son's Upper West Side school following run-ins with the principal - back in the building. A top...

COPS RESCUE 3 FROM RISING TIDE

Three fisherman trapped by pounding surf at the tip of a Breezy Point jetty were plucked to safety from the top of a 15-foot tower by an NYPD helicopter in...

ROSIE ESTATE GOES FOR BLOOMING $8M

Rosie O'Donnell walked away with a cool $8 million in cash yesterday after selling her stunning, six-bedroom mansion in Greenwich, Conn. She bought the estate two years ago for $6.5...

SWARM OF HIGH-FLYING SPACE GERMS BAFFLES BRITAIN'S BRAINS

In an astounding discovery, scientists believe they have found evidence of bacteria from outer space on the edge of Earth's atmosphere. If the finding is confirmed, it will be the...

DEREK, ALEX HAVE BAT CHAT

YANKEE NOTES When Derek Jeter slid into second with an eighth-inning double, he was greeted by a rather hard tag from buddy Alex Rodriguez. Jeter mouthed something to A-Rod and...

CLEMENS OK, BUT GETTING EXTRA DAY OF REST

When Roger Clemens arrived at Yankee Stadium yesterday he was ready to test his cranky right groin with a bullpen session. However, minutes before Clemens was to leave the clubhouse,...

YANK STREAK DIES AT 8 - ABSENCE OF TINO, JORGE FELT

Nobody feels sorry for the Yankees, and that's the way it should be. They have the most World Series titles, play in the finest city for the best manager, work...

BIGGIO BLAST BURIES METS

HOUSTON - Last night, the game was incidental. The trade deadline took hold of the Mets' minds. Most of them wondered if they would be Mets after 4 p.m. passed....

WHITE STAYS, PUTS OUT FIRE

HOUSTON - Rick White has watched his three best friends on the Mets - Turk Wendell, Rick Reed and Dennis Cook - traded within the last week. Yesterday, White sat...

VET WICKS DOING ALL SHE CAN

Sue Wicks has played in virtually every part of the world, in all kinds of leagues. Now she's a veteran, nearing the twilight of her career. So when Liberty coach...

LAWSUIT FILED TO PROTECT SHARKS

TWO environmental groups are asking a judge to halt a decision by the National Marine Fisheries Service to allow a limited amount of shark fishing in U.S. waters. The Ocean...

DEADLINE NEAR FOR MAC DEAL

The clock continues ticking for the Nets and the Sixers in their respective scenarios with free agent center Todd MacCulloch. By 11:59.59 p.m. Friday - or midnight Saturday to most...

NO HOOP FOR HOUSTON - ALLAN TAKES SUMMER OFF

The Knicks can talk all they want about their club being better than a first-round playoff victim. But Allan Houston yesterday said that if the individual players on the club...

THIS IS NOT YOUR EVERYDAY PUNTER

ALBANY - The other day, the punters and kickers on the Giants' roster took a trip to a local drug store and sure enough, Rodney Williams was singled out for...

LEGAL WOES DON'T WORRY ME: RIVERS

ALBANY - Marcellus Rivers, a rookie tight end vying for a spot on the Giants' roster, said yesterday "it is not hard at all" to concentrate on football despite having...

SHOULDER BOTHERING FERGUSON

JET NOTES Jets starting nose tackle Jason Ferguson was among a handful of players to sit out practice yesterday, though Ferguson's injury has potential to be the most serious of...

BIG START FOR TOP RIDERS, CHALK

SARATOGA SPRINGS - Two outstanding factoids about the first week of racing at the Old Spa: Chalk players feasted at the windows; and hand-in-hand with this, a handful of top...

SWAYNE'S DREAM LIVES ON

Kevin Swayne called it a "long haul," which is a bit of an understatement. National moving companies don't log the kind of miles Swayne has in his long route to...

FOR STARTERS, CHEN WANTS TO BE IN ROTATION

MET NOTES HOUSTON - When Bruce Chen came over from the Phillies organization Saturday, he was just happy to return to the majors. But as the 24-year-old lefty spoke, he...

SUPERMAN TO SURVIVOR - JONES JUST DOESN'T GIVE UP

Right from the start, Marvin Jones was supposed to be Superman. As the fourth overall pick in the 1993 NFL Draft, he was supposed to terrorize opposing running backs the...

STERLING TRIES NEW APPROACH

The puffiness in the face isn't the only thing missing from Sterling Hitchcock as he prepares for his second stint as a Yankee. When Hitchcock was knocking on the major...

NO ONE MEETS LEITER PRICE

HOUSTON - As the last 24 hours of the trade deadline unfolded, Steve Phillips called his fellow GMs, scouring the market for the best deals. Phillips even told his counterparts...

'GOOD' IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH - NO MORE IN-GAME LESSONS FOR LILLY

TED Lilly pitched the kind of game last night that encourages the Yankees about his long-term future, and emboldens them that they made the right short-term decision to obtain Sterling...

A-ROD ANSWERS BOOS WITH BLAST

The 45,978 at the Stadium last night showered boos on Alex Rodriguez, more for his dis of their beloved Derek Jeter than his failure to come home and make the...

YANK MOVE HAS FAMILIAR RING - HITCHCOCK ADDITION HELPS FILL IN BLANKS

STANDING on the mound Saturday, Derek Jeter heard Roger Clemens mention groin pain and before the righty even made the dugout after being removed with two out in the sixth...

UGIE DEAL ATTRACTS ATTENTION

YANKEE NOTES Had the Expos not gotten cold feet and flunked Brandon Knight's right arm in mid-June, Ugueth Urbina would have been in the Yankees' bullpen last night. Instead, Urbina,...

EIGHT IS ENOUGH - TEXAS ENDS YANK STREAK

Rangers 6 - Yankees 2 Even the hottest lineups are delicate. How else can you explain Darren Oliver being able to dominate the sizzling Yankees last night? Playing without their...

UGIE DEAL CATCHES YANKEES' EYES

YANKEE NOTES Had the Expos not gotten cold feet and flunked Brandon Knight's right arm in mid-June, Ugueth Urbina would have been in the Yankees' bullpen last night. Instead, Urbina,...

A-ROD'S STUNG BY RANGER FAILURES

Before last night's game at the Stadium - his first in The Bronx since signing a $252 million deal this offseason - Texas' Alex Rodriguez spoke candidly about how badly...

STERLING NEW STYLE - HITCHCOCK TONES DOWN HIS ACT FOR 2ND STAY IN BRONX

The puffiness in the face isn't the only thing missing from Sterling Hitchcock as he prepares for his second stint as a Yankee. When Hitchcock was knocking on the major...

LAWTON LOVES THE METS

HOUSTON - When the 4 p.m. trade deadline arrived yesterday, GM Steve Phillips was fatigued, but satisfied after pulling off the Matt Lawton for Rick Reed deal Monday night. "I'd...