June 27, 2002

ARE OTHERS ROTTEN TO THE CORE?

WHICH companies would be doing a lot worse without creative accounting? An outright fraud like WorldCom's is hard to spot. But not so hard is finding companies that, without the...

PRADA CANCELS IPO AGAIN

The third time wasn't a charm. Prada has pulled out of its initial public offering yet again, citing the weakness of world markets as the reason for its third cancellation....

WHAT A WILD RIDE - HELTER-SKELTER MARKETS RECOVER LATE

Wall Street experienced a hugely volatile day, even though the major market averages didn't really show it by the end of the day. After WorldCom said it had overstated earnings...

GRUBMAN ON HOT SEAT - NEW YORK A.G. SPITZER EYES SOLLY WORLDCOM ANALYST

Salomon Smith Barney's Jack Grubman could be facing criminal charges by the time New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer is through with him. Grubman could be hit with criminal charges...

LEVY'S DITCHING PARK AVE. DUPLEX - BUT NOT FOR A SONG

EMI Recorded Music Chairman Alain Levy is selling his fancy duplex condominium at 515 Park Ave., now that he's settled in at the company's headquarters in London. His 5,000-square-foot apartment,...

BLACK BUYS HILL, DAN'S FOR $20M

The former Conrad Black - now known as Lord Black of Crossharbour - is about to gain control of The Hill in Washington D.C. and Dan's Papers on the East...

FUND BOSSES BURNED BY BAD CALLS ON TELECOM GIANT

When WorldCom dropped from higher than $16 per share late last year to under $5 per share this year, some mutual fund managers believed it was an opportunity that was...

CENDANT LETS SUNSHINE IN

The nation's largest real estate company has snapped up another Manhattan-based real estate brokerage company, The Post has learned. Sources say The Sunshine Group signed a contract last night for...

NUMBERS WIZ THAT TOPPLED PHONE GIANT FINISHED AT 40

In his bean-counter world, Scott Sullivan was the poster boy for big deals. At the early age of 35, he personally quarterbacked America's largest takeover of the day - the...

ADELPHIA VULTURES TAKE ANOTHER LOOK

Vultures are back swarming over the tasty remains of now-bankrupt Adelphia Communications. Bidding for Adelphia's lucrative cable operations - particularly those in Los Angeles and the Carolinas - had ground...

BANKS HANGING UP ON WORLDCOM

Some of Wall Street's biggest lenders, rocked by WorldCom Inc.'s disclosure of massive fraud, were scrambling yesterday to figure out their exposure to the troubled long-distance phone giant, and whether...

OZZY'S FLAT-HUNTING IN THE #%&!% BIG APPLE

New York could be getting its own version of "The Osbournes" - if Sharon Osbourne can close a deal for an apartment here. Sources say the wife of the Prince...

NICE DECOR (PITY ABOUT THE HOST); SHE CLASHES BADLY ON 'TRADING SPACES'

NEWS FLASH: I may give up watching documentaries about the mating habits of brontosauruses for the bright new world of decorating other people's houses. My new fave is "Tradevery episode...

WHY, I OUGHTA... - KATIE SHOWS COULTER HER BRAWN

MEOW! Katie Couric confronted conservative writer Ann Coulter yesterday in a contentious exchange on "Today" - after Coulter had compared Katie to Eva Braun in a new book. On the...

THIS ROBE-CLAD BAND BELTS OUT SPIRITED SPREE FOR ALL

AMID the current rock revival fueled by the Strokes, White Stripes and the Hives, few would imagine the surprising success of a choral symphonic pop band with 24 members clothed...

OOPS! EMMYS KILL OFF 'BUFFY'

BUFFY who? The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the group that hands out the Emmys, forgot to add "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer" to the list of the potential contenders...

JOHNNY B. BAD - FROM THE SCHOOL OF HARD KNOXVILLE

JOHNNY Knoxville is the kind of guy everyone likes. Girls want to smooch the wickedly handsome, 31-year-old prince of pranks, who plays a moronic alien in "Men in Black II."...

HAPPIER HOUR: DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE

ADMIT it: When you say, "Let's meet for a drink," you usually mean two or three. But you shouldn't have to run out in search of an ATM when the...

'SHOW' TIME

Psycho-thriller Eminem is still ruling the charts, for the fifth week in a row. "The Eminem Show" sold another 380,800 copies, making it No.1 on the Top 200 Album Sales,...

PUT ELVIS ON THE RADIO

Elvis has a whole new sound, but will anyone hear it? Dutch musician Tom Holkenburg's (also known as "JXL") catchy dance remix of Elvis Presley's "A Little Less Conversation" grabbed...

SAY, IT AIN'T SOHO - MOMA'S NEW HOME NOT A HIP REPLACEMENT

THEY'RE calling it the next Chelsea, the latest cultural mecca and culinary melting spot east of Manhattan. Well, it isn't. At least not yet.Long Island City - the temporary home...

CHER'S STILL GOT IT, BABE

CHER ------- EVERYBODY talks about how pop stars need to reinvent themselves to stay fresh, but with the exception of David Bowie, nobody's been to the patent office as often...

CHER FUR SURE

WITH a little help from designer Bob Mackie, Cher will turn back time again during her circus-inspired "Living Proof Farewell Tour," which hit Madison Square Garden last night and tonight....

CHURCHES GAIN IN BID TO RENT PUBLIC SCHOOLS

New York churches would be able to hold religious services in public schools under a far-reaching legal opinion handed down by a Manhattan federal judge yesterday. Judge Loretta Preska ruled...

FATHER VOWS TO KILL KID'S SLAYER

EXCLUSIVE The father of a 10-year- old girl who was brutally sexually attacked and murdered 22 years ago told The Post his daughter's murderer shouldn't be released on parole -...

'FAT JEW' WIFE A TARGET OF 'HIT'

Two Egyptian business partners who live in Brooklyn were arrested yesterday for allegedly trying to hire a hit man to whack their wives - one because she's fat and Jewish,...

DWI MOM HAD TWIN TOTS WITH HER: COPS

A "highly intoxicated" Long Island woman was busted behind the wheel of her car early yesterday - with her twin toddlers in the rear seat, cops said. Cops said they...

ASPIRIN CUTS LUNG-CANCER RISK IN WOMEN: STUDY

Women who pop an aspirin at least three times a week cut their risk of developing lung cancer by more than half, a New York University study has found. The...

ARAFAT THUMBS NOSE AT BUSH: WILL RUN FOR PREZ AGAIN AFTER CALLING FOR JANUARY ELECTIONS

JERUSALEM - Palestinian President Yasser Arafat called for elections for mid-January and decided to rebuff President Bush by running again, top aides said yesterday. Palestinian officials also announced sweeping reforms...

DA SLAPS NEW RAP ON EX-TYCO BIG

Manhattan prosecutors added to ex-Tyco boss Dennis Kozlowski's legal woes yesterday, charging that he not only evaded taxes, but tampered with evidence. Kozlowski resigned this month after being charged with...

POST MEDALS A HIGH NOTE FOR SINGER BOLTON

Grammy Award-winning crooner Michael Bolton joined the chorus of voices singing the praises of The Post's Liberty Medal Awards yesterday. "It is the myriad everyday people of all nationalities and...

GOVERNOR'S RACE AND WORLDCOM

The collapse of WorldCom became a hot issue in the governor's race yesterday - as the two Democratic candidates pointed fingers at each other for ties to the scandalized telecommunications...

WEIRD BUT TRUE

A 12-year-old Colorado girl is being hauled into court - for returning a library book late. Marisa Gohr is due to appear in Littleton Municipal Court on July 9, even...

SHARON WAS RIGHT

PRESIDENT Bush's bold Middle East speech is a vindication of the ideas of Ariel Sharon. Ironically, it came during the 20th anniversary of Israel's war in Lebanon, which temporarily made...

PIANO MAN LEAVES REHAB FIT AS A FIDDLE

Looking trim and jaunty, Billy Joel was in the mood for a melody yesterday after moving out of a rehab clinic for those who make love to their tonic and...

WELCOME TO PLEDGE WAR II

CONSERVATIVES and Republicans screamed and hollered yesterday when word came of the federal appeals-court decision against the use of the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools. They were horrified. They...

CONGRESS STOCKPILES 20,000 GAS MASKS

WASHINGTON - More than 20,000 gas masks are headed to the Capitol, after police yesterday said fear of a biological attack by terrorists against Congress warrants the extra protection. The...

COPS' KIN RIP KILLER'S PAROLE BID

A vicious killer who coldbloodedly executed two city cops 31 years ago is up for parole tomorrow - and the victims' anguished families and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly are up...

CANTOR KIN RIP 'VULTURES' AT RIVAL BROKER

Survivors of Cantor Fitzgerald workers killed in the 9/11 attacks are aghast at a rival British brokerage house's attempts to poach key employees and further damage the devastated company just...

COP PASSED DWI TEST 5 HOURS AFTER CRASH

Alcohol blood-test results from an off-duty cop allegedly drunk when he ran down and killed a 21-year-old motorcyclist came back below the legal limit, according to law-enforcement sources. The blood...

FBI BOSS RIPPED FOR PLANS TO ADDRESS TERROR-LINKED MUSLIMS

WASHINGTON - FBI Director Robert Mueller is drawing fire for agreeing to speak to a Muslim group linked to supporters of Hamas and Hezbollah. The White House also is involved...

AD BUT TRUE: APPLE SEEKS SCHOOL CHIEF VIA CLASSIFIEDS

Help Wanted: Big city in need of new schools chancellor. Candidate must be top-notch manager and skilled politician. Glutton for punishment a plus. An aide to Mayor Bloomberg said yesterday...

DATE RAPE SUSPECT CAUGHT ON TAPE

Cops have a strong lead on the man wanted in the brutal rape and slashing of a 21-year-old woman he met at a downtown bar - his photograph. "He's a...

DUBYA HOLD$ GUN TO YASSER'S HEAD

WASHINGTON - President Bush yesterday said, "I meant what I said" that Yasser Arafat must go - and warned America may cut off funds to the Palestinians if he doesn't....

HIS MEMORIAL CROSS TO BEAR

For Port Authority cops stationed at the World Trade Center there are still many small acts of remembrance and tribute, even as Ground Zero turns from crime scene to construction...

THE 'FAME' ATTRACTION: BIZMEN PITCH AMERICA'S HALL AT GROUND ZERO

EXCLUSIVE Two businessmen are seeking the city's help in creating a multimedia star-spangled tourist attraction for the edge of Ground Zero that would be called "America's Hall of Fame," The...

RATS LIKE THIS ARE WHY THERE'S A 'BLUE WALL'

THE blue wall of silence would never have been erected like that similar structure in Berlin if it wasn't for the Eric Turetzkys of the world. It is a terrible...

COURT TOSSES FLAG AT EX-GIANT

A former Giants wide receiver claims he's finally ending his dodging run over $150,000 in child support he allegedly failed to pay - but he's not saying he's guilty. Mark...

BLOOMY WILL MISS 'DAY' FOR VICTIMS

Mayor Bloomberg is all but certain to miss the Day of Remembrance for Sept. 11 victims' families Saturday, the mayor's aides said yesterday. Bloomberg's expected no-show comes as his troubled...

WOULD-BE ACTOR'S MAKE-OR-BREAK ROLE

Martha Stewart's fate is in the hands of a well-connected, "moral" young money manager who came to New York to be an actor - and now finds himself in the...

OUTRAGE OVER BIG-BIZ SCAMS: PREZ JOINS ANGRY CHORUS AS BILLION$ GO DOWN DRAIN

Wall Street is looking more and more like Fraud Street. From the White House to Main Street, cries of outrage rose over the latest in a string financial scandals ripping...

MARTHA MARKED DOWN: STOCK DROPS AFTER BROKER AIDE'S STOP-LOSS DENIAL

Share prices in Martha Stewart's company tanked yesterday, after reports a Merrill Lynch employee reversed himself and said the grande dame of gracious living and her splashy stockbroker misled ImClone...

GEORGE EXPOSES TERRORIST FOR WHAT HE IS

IT'S like "The Emperor's New Clothes" - suddenly Yasser Arafat stands naked to the world as a terrorist. President Bush dared to say what most of the world, Arabs included,...

JEWEL HEIST ON 5TH AVE.

In the latest in a series of Midtown jewelry heists, a burglar busted into a Fifth Avenue jewelry store early yesterday and made off with $125,000 in watches and jewelry...

PALS GRIEVE FOR PAKISTANI FAMILY KILLED IN B'KLYN FIRE

At age 13, she dreamed of living in a large house with many rooms - but she died in a small Brooklyn apartment with her entire family - seven tragic...

THIRD COP FINGERS SCHWARZ

A police sergeant who loaned Justin Volpe the gloves he soiled while sodomizing Abner Louima took the stand yesterday and placed Charles Schwarz near the scene of the attack. Sgt....

THE LORD IS OUTLAWED? HEY, WHY STOP THERE?

WHY stop at killing "God"? Our vulnerable schoolchildren, whose self-esteem has long been threatened by the forced learning of such culturally biased concepts as writing and reading, are suffering yet...

B'KLYN SLAY SUSPECT NABBED IN N.C.

A Brooklyn man wanted in the April slaying of a 66-year-old woman, an innocent passer-by caught in a shootout, has been arrested in North Carolina, police said. Darryl "Droopy" Sommerville,...

PERVERT PRIEST'S CALIF. 'SODOM'

Had Tony Curtis' old home. A openly gay priest re-created a "Sodom and Gomorrah" in Palm Springs, Calif., renting actor Tony Curtis' old house for randy poolside sex with his...

GOD-AWFUL: HOLY WAR AS COURT OUTLAWS PLEDGE

A Left Coast federal-court decision shooting down the Pledge of Allegiance was slammed yesterday as "junk justice" by lawmakers and leaders from New York and around the country. In a...

'SIDEWALK' LAW GETS TOUGH ON CITY'S PSYCHO CYCLISTS

The City Council unanimously approved a tougher law on menacing cyclists who ride on sidewalks yesterday, imposing fines for dangerous biking and striking pedestrians. Under the new proposal, if a...

DETECTIVE PLEADS GUILTY TO DWI

A Brooklyn detective pleaded guilty yesterday to driving while intoxicated during a May car crash in which he rear-ended another vehicle, authorities said. Detective Johnny Belfort entered his plea in...

RENT WRANGLE WRAPS UP TODAY

Landlords demanded increases yesterday for long-term tenants in rent-stabilized apartments, claiming they're getting too sweet a deal under the city's rent-hike formula. Tenants, meanwhile, charged that they're being ripped off...

AL QAEDA LEFTOVERS KILL 10 PAKISTANIS IN FIERCE BATTLE

WASHINGTON - Al Qaeda fighters killed 10 Pakistani soldiers yesterday during a gun battle in a lawless tribal region near the Afghan border. The gunfire erupted during a raid coordinated...

N.Y. NUN WARNED OF PERV PRIEST

As child-molestation claims dogged a Boston Archdiocese priest in 1995, church officials promised that a New York City hostel was a "good placement" for him despite a nun's fears that...

YANKS CAN'T TAKE HEAT - CLEMENS ROUGHED UP; ORIOLES RALLY IN NINTH

Orioles 8 - Yankees 7 BALTIMORE - Roger Clemens had been battered by the Orioles. Ramiro Mendoza was ineffective. Derek Jeter killed a seventh-inning rally by hitting into a double...

LAYDEN SIDESTEPS 'FIRING' SQUAD

THEY stood and waved their orange towels and held up their orange Lucky 7 placards and prayed that Scott Layden could hear them chanting, "We Want But-ler, We Want But-ler."...

PIAZZA LEAVES WITH A BRUISE

MET NOTES Mike Piazza left last night's 6-3 loss after the eighth inning when he took a Scott Strickland pitch on his right instep. X-rays of Piazza's right foot were...

ROLLING THE MCDYESS - KNICKS PULL BLOCKBUSTER FOE DENVER'S MCDYESS

After giving the Knicks a thumbs down early last night, Nuggets star power forward Antonio McDyess reconsidered 30 minutes before the draft, giving the OK on a blockbuster deal that...

OF GARCIA TAKES THAMES' PLACE

YANKEE NOTES BALTIMORE - Say hello to Karim Garcia, the newest Yankee. Minutes after last night's 8-7 loss to the Orioles at Camden Yards little-used outfielder Marcus Thames was sent...

SHEFF STEPS UP, AND METS ARE COOKED

CLOSE your eyes. Pretend Gary Sheffield was wearing "Mets" across his chest when that rainbow shot off his bat dipped into the bleachers in left-center, a 410-foot grand slam. Listen...

STRICK STUNG AGAIN - SHEFFIELD'S SLAM DOOMS AMAZIN'S

Scott Strickland practically demanded another chance at the Braves after losing Monday's game, and he got exactly what he was looking for last night. Strickland, raised in Texas, must know...

MIGHTY MO LAUNCHES SHEA ROCKET

As Mo Vaughn's mammoth home run sailed through the muggy Shea Stadium air, it also seemed to slice through the fog Vaughn has been in. His 505-foot blast in the...

NETS JUAN-DERING UNTIL THE VERY END

Juan Dixon comes battled tested. He carries a resume that includes a first team All-America designation, an ACC Player of the Year award and a Most Outstanding Player honor for...

MERCER FACES COMPLETE PACKAGE IN KLITSCHKO

While working with Mike Tyson, Tommy Brooks never quite knew what to expect, other than the unexpected. "Mike is the kind of guy, he does what he wants to do...

COOMER'S INJURY COULD BE REAL PAIN IN THE NECK

YANKEE NOTES BALTIMORE - The Yankees played a man short last night after Ron Coomer left Camden Yards for New York and a date with an MRI tube today to...

YANKEE BATS GET LOST - TRIP DETOURED BY SLUMPING LINEUP

BALTIMORE - To their credit, the Yankees didn't whine about their lack of hitting across the past four games going into last night's action against the Orioles at Camden Yards....

ROBERTS WANTS A BRONX RETURN

MET NOTES Grant Roberts threw 40 pitches during a Tuesday afternoon bullpen session, using his entire repertoire over 11 minutes, and came out of it feeling good. Roberts hoped his...

CHIPPER IS NO LONGER MET KILLER

For most of his career, the predominant image of Chipper Jones against the Mets has been one of home runs launched into the Shea Stadium bullpen and game-winners hit off...

MERCER GETS FULL PACKAGE IN KLITSCHKO

While working with Mike Tyson, Tommy Brooks never quite knew what to expect, other than the unexpected. "Mike is the kind of guy, he does what he wants to do...

WILCOX, WAGNER: NO APPLE PICKIN'

Everyone figured it'd be one or the other. Everyone was wrong. Neither Chris Wilcox nor Dajuan Wagner will play in New York, even though seemingly every mock draft in the...

GERMAN STAR KEEPS POWER DOWN

Carolina's Birgit Prinz wasn't around when the WUSA season began. She missed her American team's first five games while playing for FCC Frankfurt in her homeland of Germany. Last night,...

DUKIES 'HONOR' COACH K

Somewhere in Durham, Coach K is beaming. With their selections at the No. 2 and No. 3 spots, respectively, Duke stars Jay Williams and Mike Dunleavy Jr. became the second-highest...

MAYHEM REIGNS AFTER TOP 5 - CAVS TAB WAGNER AT NO. 6; BUTLER SLIPS TO HEAT AT 10

We should have seen this unpredictable NBA Draft coming like a Shaquille O'Neal dunk. There were too many good, but not great, prospects; too many differences of opinion; too many...

CAMBY, JAX STUNNED

Marcus Camby and Mark Jackson, part of the package that is bringing Antonio McDyess to the Big Apple, were stung by the news they were traded. Jackson, a native New...

NETS' SECRET IS OUT: TAB KID YUGO STAR

". . . And with the 24th pick on the first round in the 2002 NBA Draft, the New Jersey Nets select . . ." Who? Nenad Krstic, the guy...

AMAZIN'S LOOK COOKED BY SHEFF

CLOSE your eyes. Pretend Gary Sheffield was wearing "Mets" across his chest when that rainbow shot off his bat dipped into the bleachers in left-center. Listen to the roar of...

STRICK STUNG AGAIN : SHEFFIELD SLAM SEALS MET LOSS

Braves 6 Mets 3 Scott Strickland practically demanded another chance at the Braves after losing Monday night's game - and he got exactly what he was looking for last night....

SPOTLIGHT PACKS HEAT

PART of what's needed to thrive as a New York baseball star after playing elsewhere involves making the adjustment to every night at the ballpark being treated with the gravity...

ROCKETS TAB MING AS DRAFT'S TOP PICK

The NBA took a giant step forward last night when Yao Ming, the 7-foot-5 center from China, was tabbed by the Houston Rockets as the first pick in the draft....

KNICKS PULL BLOCKBUSTER FOR DENVER'S MCDYESS

GM Scott Layden finally put his stamp on the Knick organization. After giving a thumbs down early last night, Nuggets star power forward Antonio McDyess reconsidered, approving a blockbuster deal...

PULL THE TRIGGER ON DRAFT BLOCKBUSTER

Denver power forward Antonio McDyess refused to commit to resign with the Knicks after next season, squashing a blockbuster yesterday afternoon that would have finally given the Knicks the elite...

ARMANDO DELIVERS RELIEF AND HOPE

Armando Benitez wanted to make it clear he meant no insult to Gary Sheffield, though Benitez turned the Braves' slugger into a silent out under the noisiest of circumstances. Tuesday...

COOMER'S INJURY REAL PAIN IN THE NECK

YANKEE NOTES BALTIMORE - The Yankees played a man short last night after Ron Coomer left Camden Yards for New York and a date with an MRI tube today to...

YANKS CAN'T TAKE HEAT - CLEMENS HIT HARD; O'S RALLY FOR WIN

Orioles 8 Yankees 7 BALTIMORE - Let down by Ramiro Mendoza, Roger Clemens almost was bailed out by the Yankees' bats, which came to life on a stifling evening at...

BRAVES WON'T REST 'TIL THEY FINISH METS

If there's one thing the Braves have learned in their many trips to New York, it's that no lead is safe, either on the scoreboard or in the standings. So...