November 26, 2003

CONSUMERS UPBEAT BUT STILL WATCHING SPENDING

Consumer confidence surged this month, but holiday spending could still take a hit, according to two reports released by the Conference Board yesterday. The Consumer Confidence Index hit 91.7 in...

GREEKS GET $17M FOR 1 E. 42ND

THE Greek government may finally part with its slender, 16-story bank building at 1 E. 42nd St., along with a smaller, adjoining structure on 43rd Street, for about $17 million...

SEC RESISTS MARTHA'S GRILLING

The Securities and Exchange Commission wants Martha Stewart to back off. The white-collar watchdog, which filed charges against Stewart over the ImClone insider-trading scandal in June, asked a federal judge...

NEW YORK AUCTION SURPRISE: CABLEVISION ENTERS BIDDING FOR PRIMEDIA MAGAZINE

CABLEVISION has joined the bidding for New York magazine, and could become part of a broad coalition of bidders. The Long Island-based cable giant was in on a meeting last...

PROBE ENTERS CITI ; U.S. ATTORNEY EYES FIRM'S MUTUAL FUND BUSINESS

Citigroup is under investigation by the U.S. Attorney's Office for its mutual fund practices. The focus of the probe of the financial services giant is an undisclosed $16 million payment...

GDP ROCKETS 8.2%, BUT HOME SALES OFF

Business is finally looking up, but Wall Street took it with a yawn yesterday. Although economists peering back on the summer say robust good times romped for only three months,...

SHOPPERS UPBEAT BUT STILL WARY

Consumer confidence surged this month, but holiday spending could still take a hit, according to two reports released by the Conference Board yesterday. The Consumer Confidence Index hit 91.7 in...

BLEAK HOUSE

THE HAUNTED MANSION (one star) Special-effects snoozefest. Running time: 98 minutes. Rated PG (frightening images, mild curse words). At the E- Walk, the Village East, the Harlem USA, others. 'THE...

LAS VEGAS SCENE'S NEVER LOOKED 'COOLER'

THE COOLER 1/2 (three and one half stars) Hits the jackpot. Running time: 101 minutes. Rated R (sex, violence, profanity). At the Empire, the Lincoln Square, the Angelika, others. 'THE...

MY 2-YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER . . . THE TURKEY KILLER

'I want to eat that one, Daddy!" These may not be the words every father dreams of hearing from his 2-year-old daughter as she points to a live animal -...

COFFEEHOUSE TROUBADOUR CULTIVATES THE GARDEN

JOHN MAYER JOHN Mayer writes sensitive, emotional songs - the stuff of coffeehouses and maybe a joint on the Bleecker Street strip. Monday, the 25-year-old Grammy winner - who won...

THIS THORNTON MAKES A WILDER SANTA

BAD SANTA (two stars) You better watch out. Running time: 91 minutes. Rated R (sex, violence, profanity). At the Empire, the Cinema 1, the Kips Bay, others. ANYONE suffering from...

FRENCH KISS

THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE (four stars) A French treat. Running time: 80 minutes. Rated PG-13 (sensuality, violence and crude humor). At the Lincoln Plaza and the Sunshine. SAVE those obituaries...

THESE BUENOS AIRES COPS NOT SO BUENO

EL BONAERENSE (three stars) Who'll police the police? In Spanish, with English subtitles. Running time: 100 minutes. Not rated (violence, sex). At Film Forum, Houston Street, west of Sixth Avenue....

'AMERICA' THE BEAUTIFUL

IN AMERICA (four stars) Sublime. Running time: 103 minutes. Rated PG-13 (some sexuality, drug references, brief violence and language). At the Beekman, the Lincoln Plaza and the Union Square. THE...

SHRIVER MUM ON ABSENCE

MARIA Shriver returns to "Dateline" Friday - her first time back on the NBC newsmagazine since her husband Arnold Schwarzenegger declared his candidacy for California governor last June. Shriver, who...

FRANKLY, WE GET NO KICK FROM THIS TEAM

OUR SINATRA At Birdland, 315 W. 44 St. Call Telecharge, (212) 239-6200. Through Jan. 31. 'OUR Sinatra" is an anthology of Old Blue Eyes' songs as performed by three singers...

NO'TORI'OUS SPELLING TO GET MARRIED

Wedding bells for Tori and actor/playwright Charlie.TORI Spelling has landed a husband. Spelling, best known for her role as virginal Donna Martin on "Beverly Hills, 90210," will marry actor/playwright Charlie...

DON'T WASTE TIME ON THIN 'LINE'

TIMELINE Half a star Tedious, inept. Running time: 116 minutes. Rated PG-13 (violence). At the Battery Park, the 19th Street East, the Kips Bay, others. 'TIMELINE" is the kind of...

NEXT 'AVERAGE JOE' DONE BEFORE GIRLS CATCH ON

'AVERAGE Joe' has turned out to be such a hit for NBC, the network is readying a sequel for January. "We may have outdone ourselves with the casting, it's much...

LUCK OF THE IRATE ; PRODUCERS ON LOSING STREAK, BEMOAN BAD PRESS

THE League of American Theaters and Producers held its annual conference in Las Vegas last week. Given the number of bad bets producers have made on Broadway this fall, it...

STARR REPORT

'Press' run is over Here's a shocker: More changes to MSNBC's prime- time schedule. "The Abrams Report" (Dan Abrams), which now airs at 9 p.m., will move to 6 p.m....

'VIEW'-ISH GIRL CARRIES THE BALL: HASSELBECK SCORES AN OPENING-DAY TOUCHDOWN

ELISABETH Hasselbeck won us over right at the outset yesterday on her first official day as the newest member of "The View." "I'm hearing it's all about The Post," she...

NOUVEAU BEGINNING

THERE'S been a lot of hullabaloo about this year's Beaujolais Nouveau, largely because it's the first wine to emerge from what many hope could be a stunning vintage in many...

YOUNG RESTAURATEUR BITES INTO TWO NEW EATERIES

ALEX Freij, the 28-year-old restaurateur who opened industry (food) last year, is working simultaneously on two projects scheduled to open early next year. Freij and his partner Jason Hennings struck...

FINDIN' FIXIN'S: SHOPPING AT THE 11TH HOUR FOR THE HOLIDAY

WHAT will be the missing ingredient this year - bread for the stuffing? Cranberry sauce? Thanksgiving is such a major feast, some integral part of the meal plan is bound...

GOBBLE UP LAST-MINUTE RESERVATIONS

STILL haven't made Thanksgiving plans? At press time, these restaurants still had a few tables left. Act fast to nab them, though, unless you want to be the turkey. The...

WESTWARD, YO! RON HOWARD'S AT HOME ON THE RANGE

THE MISSING * * * (three stars) A mystical western. Running time: 130 minutes. Rated R (violence). At the AMC Empire, Loews Lincoln Square, Kips Bay, others. RON Howard has...

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE: MORE THAN 150 GIFT IDEAS TO SUIT EVERYONE ON YOUR LIST

Zipping It All Up Scratching your head over what to give the fashion-conscious New York City girl in your life? Let her neighborhood dictate the sort of stylish gift she...

GAME FOR ANYTHING: VIDEO FUN FOR EVERY TASTE

Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat gives players a chance for players to be the mischievous Cat and interact with classic Seuss characters as well as original creatures. By...

FOR YOUR VIEWING PLEASURE

The Adventures of Indiana Jones $69.98 (Paramount) Long one of the most-sought after holdouts on DVD, this set brings together magnificently restored prints of "Raiders of the Lost Ark," "Indiana...

SAVAGE WIFE KILLER'S DEATH SENTENCE KO'D

ALBANY - The state's highest court yesterday overturned the death sentence of a Syracuse-area man convicted under New York's capital-punishment law of brutally killing his wife. James Cahill III had...

JAY-Z MOB TURNS UGLY AT GARDEN

Fans who were shut out of retiring rap star Jay-Z's sold-out Madison Square Garden show last night sparked chaos when they tried to push their way into the arena. The...

COPS TRIED TO KILL ME: SUSPECT

Although he was in violation of parole and wanted for a Manhattan murder, Sean Pritchett said yesterday it wasn't an arrest that cops were looking for when they burst into...

COMMISH DEFENDS FERRY WORK

Reeling from charges of poor safety measures aboard the Staten Island Ferry, Transportation Commissioner Iris Weinshall said yesterday that her agency is "doing a good job" running the boats. "I...

BUSH THE STATESMAN; ESTABLISHMENT IGNORES TRANSFORMATION

HISTORY isn't a popularity contest. It judges by results, not yesterday's opinion polls. And history may prove as generous in its evaluation of George W. Bush as a foreign-policy president...

COURT TAKES WIFE-SLAYER OFF DEATH ROW

ALBANY - The state's highest court yesterday overturned the death sentence of a Syracuse-area man convicted under New York's capital-punishment law of brutally killing his wife. James Cahill III had...

ETHNIC-ARSON TEEN TO TESTIFY

One member of the accused teenage hate gang that torched the Long Island home of a Mexican family with a rocket apologized to his victims yesterday and agreed to testify...

BALL-CAP BANDIT HITS LONG ISLAND BANKS

A busy bank robber, who wears a baseball cap and specializes in robbing Long Island banks, has pulled 10 jobs in just five months. He likes banks without bulletproof bandit...

WEIRD BUT TRUE

DWI charges have been dropped against Brad Lieser of Belgrade, Minn. The reason: The tiny town (pop. 750) can't afford to prosecute him. "A few thousand dollars for one case...

THE SHEEP LOOK UP; BIPARTISAN ANTI-ALBANY REVOLT

ALBANY TWO stunning events in the past two weeks have provided the first glimmers of hope that state government's Business as Usual culture may be about to change. The first...

CRIME DOESN'T PAY, BUT IT'S NO CRIME TO BE RICH

WE KNOW it's true be cause F. Scott Fitzgerald told us: "The rich are different from you and me." So far, the prosecution has proven, without doubt, that Dennis Kozlowski...

2 BUSTED IN ROB AND CARJACK

A group of Long Island teenagers robbed and beat a cabby, stole his taxi and used it to rob a shopper at a Hampton Bays supermarket, police said. Shameak Jones,...

B'KLYN TEEN GETS 30 YEARS FOR SHOOTING

A state judge yesterday sentenced a teenager to 30 years behind bars for opening fire during an apparent robbery attempt outside a Brooklyn liquor store last year, killing a customer...

L.I. SHOCK AT KID-SEX ABDUCTION

Residents of the Long Island town where a masked sex-abuse duo molested a 12-year-old girl and tried to abduct two other young girls say they are angry, shocked and scared...

BADGE OF COURAGE ; COP SHOT IN '88 GETS PROMOTION

A "choirboy cop," nearly killed in a wild gun battle with a Brooklyn robber, was promoted to deputy inspector yesterday, 15 years after his brush with death. Joseph Campbell, 42,...

CITY OWED $97M IN TLC FINES

The city has failed to collect $97 million in fines it has levied over the past 13 years on commuter vans, livery cabs and other vehicles regulated by the Taxi...

ISRAEL FREES 10 JORDAN PRISONERS

Israel freed 10 Jordanian prisoners yesterday in a goodwill gesture to Jordan's king to mark the end of Ramadan, officials in Jerusalem said. The 10, who include one woman, were...

ROCKETS TARGET U.S. HQ

WASHINGTON - Pro-Saddam guerrillas launched a brazen new rocket attack on the U.S. administration headquarters in Baghdad last night, sending a message that they've survived this month's aggressive counter-insurgency operations...

KA-BLOOM! RIVALS POUND MIKE IN POLL

Mayor Bloomberg's popularity has hit the skids again - and two potential challengers would beat him handily, a new poll shows. "In Thanksgiving week, there is nothing [politically] for him...

DELIVERYMAN'S VILE KILLER JAILED FOR LIFE

The triggerman who took the life of a Chinese food deliveryman in Brooklyn last year was sentenced to 25 years to life yesterday, as a prosecutor said the convicted murderer...

'COVER-UP' AT HIS HOLLYWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Teachers at the elementary school that Jackson attended just before he skyrocketed to megafame have covered up a sign dedicating their auditorium to him after parents complained it was distracting...

COPS TRIED TO KILL ME: SHOOT SUSPECT

Although he was in violation of parole and wanted for a Manhattan murder, Sean Pritchett said yesterday it wasn't an arrest that cops were looking for when they burst into...

PLAYTIME PERIL ; DANGEROUS DUCKS, YO-YOS ON TOY-HAZARD LIST

Before buying from your kids' Christmas wish lists of toys, a consumer group yesterday warned parents to beware of toxic ducks, flammable water yo-yos and numerous other playthings that can...

THANKSGIVING WITH HIZZONER? STUFF IT, NYERS SAY

Voters are so alienated from Mayor Bloomberg that most don't even want to sit down to Thanksgiving dinner with him, according to a new poll. Only 36 percent of those...

QAEDA COLE KILLER BUSTED

WASHINGTON - A suspected mastermind of the USS Cole bombing was arrested by security forces in Yemen, and officials say he could provide tips about ongoing terror plots on the...

LONE GOPER STALLS BILL ON 9/11 CLAIMS

WASHINGTON - A Republican senator is using a special rule to block efforts to extend the deadline for filing claims with Sept. 11 victim compensation fund, leaving family members fearful...

MTV RAPE SHOCK ; WOMAN CLAIMS ATTACK IN 'REAL WORLD' HOUSE

San Diego cops searched the house on MTV's "The Real World" yesterday after a 22-year-old woman told them she was date-raped in one of its camera-free bathrooms. The woman says...

PARADE - AND GIANT TURKEY BALLOON - IS JAKE

Jake, a giant turkey stuffed with helium, is fixing to take wing tomorrow in the special spot carved out for him - he'll lead the Thanksgiving Day Parade. The 77th...

NYPD DAILY BLOTTER

Brooklyn A 19-year-old man was stabbed to death in Downtown Brooklyn yesterday in a fight over cigarettes, police sources said. Cody Knox, of Grand Avenue, got into an argument with...

CITY WILL DISH OUT TIX BLITZ

The city will serve up a Thanksgiving quality-of-life ticket-writing blitz, The Post has learned. Sources said that the Department of Sanitation and the Police Department will start the crackdown on...

INSIDE CASTLE KOZ ; EVEN MAID GOT TO ENJOY 6G SHOWER CURTAIN

Call it Lifestyles of the Maids of the Rich and Famous. Manhattan jurors yesterday got a video peek inside the $18 million Fifth Avenue duplex co-op which prosecutors say tarnished...

SHUCKS! OYSTER BAR WORK WOES

Dozens of angry restaurant workers rallied outside Grand Central Terminal yesterday as they took a contract dispute with one of the city's best-known eateries to the streets. Workers, from waiters...

PASSING THE TORCH SST 'SAILS' HOME AMID BID TO REOPEN LADY LIBERTY

It was the supersonic Concorde's slowest trip - a lazy crawl yesterday along the Hudson River, past the Statue of Liberty, to its new home at the Intrepid Museum on...

ANGELIDES WALKS BOTH SIDES OF REFORM LINE

A self-proclaimed reformer who helped get Dick Grasso ousted from the New York Stock Exchange has himself been singled out for accepting political contributions while doling out huge bond deals....

PEP PILL FOR BUSH AS SENATE OKS RX BOOST

WASHINGTON - President Bush yesterday praised Congress for approving a historic Medicare bill that helps seniors pay for prescription drugs and sends more than $25 billion to rural hospitals and...

FUND SHUTDOWN ; FEDS CLOSE STC; SPITZER BRINGS FELONY CHARGES

Some 134 employees at Phoenix-based Security Trust Corp. will lose their jobs by March 31, as federal and state authorities move to shut down a firm for the first time...

AS ECONOMY RISES, DEMS' PREZ HOPES FALL

WASHINGTON - The news that the economy's summer growth surge was a red-hot 8.2 percent, coupled with a Medicare prescription drug deal for seniors, had Republicans yesterday grinning big-time -...

TWO KILOS FOUND ON R.I. TEEN: POLICE

A 16-year-old Rhode Island girl was charged with being a drug courier after two kilos of cocaine were found in her suitcase when she arrived on a flight from Santo...

RAP MOGUL MUST 'STATE' HIS CASE

A federal judge has told hip-hop honcho Russell Simmons that his suit against the state lobbying commission doesn't belong in her court. Manhattan Judge Loretta Preska tossed out a federal...

COPS GRILL PAL OF HS 'STABBERS'

Police questioned a former Martin Luther King HS student yesterday as they tried to learn the identities and whereabouts of his friends, who are suspected of stabbing two current students...

FREDDY COMES OUT SMOKING

Likely mayoral candidate Fernando Ferrer was blowing smoke at Mayor Bloomberg last night. Ferrer - who has been critical of Bloomberg's far-reaching ban on smoking - made a splash at...

BUSTS IN THE BAG ; FEDS ROUND UP 25 IN JFK DRUG RING

A team of baggage handlers at Kennedy Airport operated like a well-oiled machine in receiving massive deliveries of drugs on the tarmac over the past decade, authorities said. The feds...

$2M IN E. SIDE 'ROID RAID

Cops acting on a tip from U.S. Customs arrested a suspected steroid dealer yesterday and discovered $2 million in cash hidden in his safe, along with more than 10,000 "performance-enhancing"...

GDP UP 8.2%, BUT HOMES SLUMP

Business is finally looking up. Although economists peering back on the summer say robust good times romped for only three months, the momentum was strong enough to improve corporate profits...

MASS. HITS MORGAN STANLEY

A Morgan Stanley branch manager was hit by a claim yesterday that he promoted the sale of Morgan Stanley funds over others that might have been more suitable for investors....

FAWNING SEAN MAY PENN IRAQI COLUMN

Talk about a poison Penn. The newspaper run by Sharon Stone's ex-hubby is considering sending left-leaning actor Sean Penn to Iraq, where he would write a column about life in...

WITNESS HORROR AS CAR HITS GIRL

A 9-year-old girl was struck by a car and seriously injured in The Bronx yesterday in a accident that horrified onlookers. "I think she thought it was all right to...

FERRY HAND IN CRACK ARREST

A deckhand aboard the killer Staten Island ferry when it crashed - and out on worker's compensation since then - has been busted for drug possession, cops said yesterday. Edward...

FURY AS SLAY JURY DEADLOCKS

A murder victim's dad lunged threateningly at the defendant's lawyer in a Long Island courtroom last night after jurors' dramatic announcement that they couldn't reach a verdict in the seven-year-old...

SPREE-VENGE GAME: KNICKS EXPECT LATRELL TO CAUSE MINNY MAYHEM

MINNEAPOLIS - Knick coach Don Chaney says he doesn't think Latrell Sprewell will be looking to "make a point" when he faces the Knicks tonight at Target Center. Actually, Sprewell...

GIRL, 9, HIT BY CAR IN THE BRONX

A 9-year-old girl on her way to a family gathering was seriously injured when a car struck her in The Bronx yesterday, police and relatives said. Shanez Begum was crossing...

L.I. SLAY JURY DEADLOCKS ; FATHER OF TEEN VICTIM LASHES OUT

A murder victim's dad lunged threateningly at the defendant's lawyer in a Long Island courtroom last night after jurors' dramatic announcement that they couldn't reach a verdict in the seven-year-old...

THORN SAYS BRYON'S JOB IS SAFE FOR NOW

NET NOTES SEATTLE - The reports have hit the Internet, and the whispers are being heard: Byron Scott's job is in jeopardy. "That's not true," Net president Rod Thorn insisted...

ACCUSER'S LINK TO STAR SAYS BOY'S HEALTH IS FAILING

LOS ANGELES - Michael Jackson's 12-year-old accuser - a recovering cancer patient - seems in poor medical condition, says the comedy club owner who introduced him to the King of...

DELIVERY KILLER JAILED FOR LIFE

The triggerman who took the life of a Chinese food deliveryman in Brooklyn last year was sentenced to 25 years to life yesterday, as a prosecutor said the convicted murderer...

BALL-CAP BANDIT HITS L.I. BANKS

A busy bank robber, who wears a baseball cap and specializes in robbing Long Island banks, has pulled 10 jobs in just five months. He likes banks without bulletproof bandit...

WIFE-SLAY DEATH SENTENCE KO'D

ALBANY - The state's highest court yesterday overturned the death sentence of a Syracuse-area man convicted under New York's capital-punishment law of brutally killing his wife. James Cahill III had...

SHOOT SUSPECT SAYS COPS WERE OUT TO KILL HIM

Though he was in violation of parole and wanted for a Manhattan murder, Sean Pritchett said yesterday it wasn't an arrest the cops were looking for when they burst into...

THE DRIVE TO DOWN CORLEONE

The narrow alleys of Corleone, Sicily no longer run red with the blood of Mafia victims. But the memory lingers on - thanks in large part to the Godfather movies....

ROCKETS TARGET U.S. BAGHDAD HQ

WASHINGTON - Pro-Saddam guerillas launched a brazen new rocket attack on the U.S. administration headquarters in Baghdad last night, sending a message that they've survived this month's aggressive counter-insurgency operations...

COLE KILLER BUSTED: YEMEN REELS IN AL QAEDA 'BIG FISH'

WASHINGTON - A suspected mastermind of the USS Cole bombing was arrested by security forces in Yemen, and officials say he could provide tips about ongoing terror plots on the...

SHEFFIELD REMAINS ON A-LIST, TOO

YANKEE NOTES While the Yankees are obsessed with upgrading their pitching staff, they aren't ignoring their glaring weakness in right field and are focusing on inking Gary Sheffield. "I have...

BOMBERS' CALL TO ARMS: FOCUS TURNING BEYOND SCHILLING

With Curt Schilling on his way to the Red Sox, a deal that could be finalized by tonight, Yankee brass huddled in Tampa all day yesterday where they presented George...

THE FAN'S CORNER

You'd guess a man who's 6-foot-5 and 330 pounds would be either a security guard or professional wrestler. How about a little of both? Andy Varga works as a security...

GIANT REPORT CARD: WAIT 'TIL NEXT YEAR

QUARTERBACKSWhat has happened to Kerry Collins (18 of 34, 160 yards, 2 INTs)? Lost two fumbles and was responsible for four turnovers. Had two TD passes dropped. RUNNING BACKS Would...

FASSEL TOOK SAFE ROUTE

GIANT NOTES His first reaction was to take an intentional safety. Then Jim Fassel considered going for the improbable first down on fourth-and-19 from his own 3-yard line. Finally, Fassel...

SLATS WANTS GRIT FROM LUNDMARK

TAMPA - The future is now for Jamie Lundmark. Or, at least, if the 22- year-old sophomore is going to have an immediate future with the Rangers, now is the...

GIVE THANKS FOR THESE JETS

AMID a decidedly disappointing season, here are seven reasons (one for each loss) to be thankful you're a Jets fan.No. 1: Chad Pennington. Barring major injuries, he's going to be...

A BLUE MONDAY ; GIANT MISTAKES WON'T GO AWAY

All around the NFL, upstarts, contenders and pretenders make magic each week, staging improbable comebacks and wild rallies, causing observers to gaze in amazement as they struggle to believe what...

N.J. CAVING IN ON BEAR HUNT

THE New Jersey black bear hunt scheduled for December is in jeopardy, and if what we are hearing is accurate, it looks as if Gov. McGreevey will buckle under to...

CANARSIE IS COUNTING ON SCHULTERS BROTHERS

Jamal Schulters seems to have almost limitless ability on the football field and hopes one day to play against his brother Lance on an NFL field. But while Lance, now...

UCONN BANGED UP BUT READY TO RUMBLE

NIT PREVIEW For a few tense seconds Saturday, UConn coach Jim Calhoun feared that Emeka Okafor, the nation's consensus preseason player of the year, might have suffered a major injury....

STIRLING'S PANACEA FOR PECA

In a desperate attempt to jump-start Michael Peca, Islanders coach Steve Stirling is preparing to break up his most potent and consistent scoring line. The trio of Alexei Yashin, Oleg...

SADDENED NETS LOOK TO FILL THE 'ZO VOID

"We are the same team, so we have to find a way to turn this into a positive." JASON KIDD SEATTLE - They were one day removed from the devastating...

NEW DIGS FOR STORM

A long-awaited and highly anticipated moment in St. John's basketball history is about to become reality. At a news conference next week prior to the Hofstra game, St. John's will...

THORN SAYS BYRON'S JOB IS SAFE FOR NOW

NET NOTES SEATTLE - The reports have hit the Internet and the whispers: Byron Scott's job is in jeopardy. "That's not true," team president Rod Thorn insisted yesterday. The Nets...

'PAN' EYES CROWN GLORY

Having won the pacing Triple Crown, a victory in the Breeders' Crown Three-Year-Old Colts & Geldings event Saturday at The Meadowlands is all that separates No Pan Intended from adding...

METS OFFER CASTILLO $14M

The Mets have offered a three-year deal in the $14 million range to Marlin free-agent second baseman Luis Castillo, a major-league source said last night. But Met executives don't believe...

RANGERS NEAR DEAL FOR JAGR

Rangers 2Lightning 0 TAMPA - As if the Rangers' altogether impressive 2-0 victory here last night over the Lightning isn't evidence enough of the juggernaut into which the club has...

POST-'ZO ERA STARTS WITH GUTTY NET WIN

Nets 93 Sonics 70 SEATTLE - They were one day removed from the devastating news of teammate Alonzo Mourning's deteriorating kidney disease that will require a transplant or dialysis. They...

PLENTY TO BE THANKFUL FOR: NFL TEAMS STUFFED WITH BLESSINGS

This is the week we should pause to give thanks for all our blessings. Some things - good health, good friends and a stable family - are obvious. Figuring out...

BOWL FORECAST

With a full week of games remaining and countless hours of backroom deal-making, here's an early look at this year's bowl schedule: Sugar Bowl, Jan. 4 - Oklahoma vs. USC...