May 18, 2004
BEST BUY INKS DEAL ON B'WAY
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amTHE tides of change continue to sweep the Houston Street corridor, which until not long ago was a nondescript frontier between the booming Greenwich Village and SoHo neighborhoods to the...
DRIVE FOR PEACE - FEDS MUST PUSH HYBRIDS FOR U.S. SECURITY
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amTHE parents of Nicholas Berg will be happy to know this: In just 20 years - 30 at the most - we Americans won't have any need for the people...
A-MASE-ING GRACE - RAPPER TURNED REVEREND AIMING AT COMEBACK
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amFormer rap star Mase, who shocked the hip-hop world in 1999 when he abruptly retired to become a preacher, is aiming for a comeback, The Post has learned. Mase, who...
SAFETY SCRAMBLE - INVESTORS BOLT STOCKS AFTER IRAQ, TURKEY ATTACKS
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amWall Street money is scrambling to safety, joining investors around the world rattled by increased geopolitical turmoil. Stocks tumbled in huge sell-offs here and around the world as investors pulled...
OSCAR EYES MADISON SITE AMID LABEL'S EXPANSION
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amOscar de la Renta is scouting for real estate on Madison Avenue for his first retail store, as part of a strategy to expand a business that some observers say...
ANGEL ON ROSHAN'S RADAR
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amLike Harry Potter chasing the ever elusive golden snitch, Maer Roshan claims he is closing in on $15 million in financing for his fledgling Radar magazine. The new backers, an...
GOOD NEWS AT N.Y. FACTORIES
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amFactory orders at New York plants are on a solid upswing, with more hiring and shipping under way, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York said. The Fed's New York...
KMART SHARES SOAR 9.75% ON 2ND-STRAIGHT QTR. PROFIT
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amKmart Holding Corp. yesterday reported its second-straight profitable quarter since its emergence from bankruptcy protection, but a continued decline in sales raised longer-term questions about the company's turnaround. Kmart earned...
DEUTSCHE JUNK BOND ISSUE BLOWS UP
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amDeutsche Bank's New York junk bond desk saw a $500 million bond deal finally go bust last night, forcing the giant firm to reprice the offering this morning. Repricing the...
KMART PROFIT UP AS SALES FALL
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amKmart Holding Corp. yesterday reported its second straight profitable quarter since its emergence from bankruptcy protection, but a continued decline in sales raised longer-term questions about the company's turnaround. Kmart...
DRESSING FOR CHEMO - SECRETS OF A CANCER 'IT' GIRL
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amWHEN Jackie Carter was diagnosed with cancer, one of her first thoughts was: "What do you wear when you go to get chemo?" Her answer: feather boas, white leather boots...
OGRE JOYED - 'SHREK 2' IS A MONSTER OF A GOOD TALE
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amSHREK 2 [*** 1/2] (three and one-half stars) Crowd-pleasing encore. Running time: 92 minutes. Rated PG (fart jokes). At the Chelsea, the Union Square, The Kips Bay, others. ----- 'SHREK...
'IDOL' LINES COULD STAY OPEN LONGER
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amWHAT'S the old song title? Just three little words: Diana, Fantasia and Jasmine. "American Idol" is down to its next-to-last week and nerves are getting short. A major controversy is...
PACK IT IN - ORBACH CLOSES THE CASE ON THIS 'LAW'
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amDET. Lennie Briscoe turns in his badge on tomorrow's "Law & Order" after 12 years - but both he and the only man who's played him, Jerry Orbach, will return...
'RESTAURANT' OFF THE MENU
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amNBC has pulled the tablecloth out from under "The Restaurant." Just three episodes into the season, the ratings-short reality show has been yanked from the schedule until the all-important May...
UNFULFILLING 'SEX'
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amTHE JOYS OF SEXAt the Variety Arts Theatre, 110 Third Avenue. Call Tele-charge (212) 239-6200. 'WHY do men work out and sculpt their pecs? Why do we [women] wear heels...
STARR REPORT
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amJanet, Natalie, Kim Jackson-family conspiracy theorists take note: Janet Jackson and her brother, Michael Jackson, are not one and the same. Janet Jackson talked to "ET" about some of the...
MAMET TAKES A SHOT AT 'THE SHIELD'
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amIF you're a fan of either David Mamet or "The Shield," you'll be happy to know (and watch) tonight's new episode on FX (10 p.m.), which was directed by Mamet...
HARD TARGET - ANALYZING TONY'S 23-MINUTE DREAM
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amWAKE me when it's over. That's how it felt Sunday night watching that epic Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) dream sequence on "The Sopranos" on HBO. Beginning about 10 minutes into...
SPOT CHECK
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amThe Dorchester Park Lane, London From $484, (800) 727-9820; dorchesterhotel.com At first sight The Dorch may be a beacon of traditional English style, but what separates it from the other...
'SHROOMS GET EX-COP TOSSED IN HOLE
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amSaying an ex-cop-turned-drug-felon had wasted his life, a judge yesterday sentenced him to five years to life behind bars for accepting "magic mushrooms" in the mail at his Brooklyn apartment,...
DISGRACED GUY SKIPS APOLOGY IN GUILTY PLEA
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amHe didn't apologize; he didn't elaborate. Disgraced Bronx powerbroker Guy Velella pleaded guilty to conspiracy yesterday, brusquely admitting he was "wrong" to peddle his influence as a state senator to...
SUNDAY BOOZE SALES A SMASH
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amLooks like New Yorkers are getting into the spirit on Sundays. Liquor sales have soared 10 percent in the 12 months since New York state has allowed purchases on Sundays,...
ISRAEL UNVEILS 'MOAT' PLAN
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amJERUSALEM - Israel is considering building a deep moat through the desert separating Egypt from the Gaza Strip to keep arms from being smuggled to terrorists. Officials said the water-filled...
NEW '9/11' FLICK HAS FAR 'MOORE' FIZZLE THAN SIZZLE
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amCANNES, France - President Bush need not lose any sleep over Michael Moore's much-hyped "Fahrenheit 9/11," which turns out to be a wet firecracker. Moore's virulent feature-length attack on Bush,...
POISON-CHEM BLAST IN IRAQ - SARIN FIRST WMD FIND
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amWASHINGTON - A bomb containing the deadly nerve agent sarin exploded near a U.S. military convoy in Iraq - the first discovery of Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction since...
THE GAY STATE - DOZENS SAY, 'I DO' IN 1ST-EVER LEGAL NUPS
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amDozens of gay and lesbian couples tied the knot yesterday in Massachusetts in the nation's first-ever state-sanctioned same-sex nuptials. The atmosphere across the state was festive as gay couples exercised...
'I HAVE NO FEAR, AND IF I RAN INTO HIM AGAIN, I'D CLOCK HIM'
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amThe young woman who fended off a ferocious would-be rapist with the help of her loyal pooch in Central Park last week said she survived her nightmare ordeal on sheer...
VICIOUS L.I. SOCCER 'STOMP'
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amAn amateur Long Island soccer player - upset because his team lost a close game at the last second - attacked an opposing player in a melee and stomped on...
SHARPTON GOES ON RATINGS WARPATH
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amThe Rev. Al Sharpton yesterday led a protest at Nielsen Media Research's offices and charged the TV ratings company with setting up a phony task force to look at a...
IT'S OFFICIAL - DEMS TAP CHUCK FOR ANOTHER TERM
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amState Democrats officially nominated Sen. Charles Schumer for another term yesterday as he launched into an attack on President Bush's handling of the war on terror. "They're like a bull...
MIKE TO FACE 9/11 PANEL - N.Y. IN FOR PRAISE AS CITY HOSTS HEARINGS
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amIn a last-minute decision, Mayor Bloomberg will testify before the 9/11 commission tomorrow, amid indications the city's response to the attacks on the World Trade Center will come in for...
OVER THE RIVER - TEMP FDR ROAD GOES ABOVE WATER
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amMotorists who use the FDR Drive will soon be taking a detour over the choppy waters of the East River. The state Department of Transportation is putting the finishing touches...
COPS HUNT HUBBY OF STRANGLED WIFE
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amCops want to question the husband of a Harlem mom who was found strangled with a nylon stocking in the couple's apartment, police said yesterday. The body of Michelle Coulibaly,...
HONEYMOON ENDS AT THE BORDER, ALBANY WARNS
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amNew York will not recognize the same-sex marriages of any of its residents who manage to obtain a license in Massachusetts, a spokesman for Gov. Pataki said yesterday. "New York...
PACINO & EX END FAMILY FEUD OVER KIDS
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amSay hello to Al Pacino's little friend - an agreement ending his bitter court clash with former flame Beverly D'Angelo. "I am happy to announce that the parties have reached...
COPS TRACK BX. 'BRIDE-KILLER' TO DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amPolice have finally spoken to the fiancé of the Bronx bride-to-be who was brutally stabbed to death on the eve of her wedding - and are trying to get him...
A-ROD IS $22 MIL BARGAIN - MORE FANS JAM STADIUM
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amHoly cow! The Yankees are packing nearly 11,000 more people per game into the Stadium this year compared to last season, putting them on track to rake in almost $22...
APPLE'S BID FOR OLYMPICS TAKES A LEAP
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amNew York's Olympic dreams got a lift yesterday when an independent rating service boosted the city's chances of winning the highly competitive bid to host the 2012 Games. The city...
COP HAS NO SICK DAYS IN 40 YEARS
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amA veteran cop who has never taken a sick day in 40 years was honored by the NYPD yesterday - and shrugged off the record. "They're building this thing much...
TB SCARE HALTS MOB TRIAL
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amA tuberculosis scare at the federal prison in Brooklyn stalled jury selection in the racketeering trial of reputed Bonanno boss Joseph Massino, who was quarantined in efforts to keep the...
PIZZA KING REWARD - 25G BOUNTY ON MANSION SHOOTER
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amIn a two-pronged bid to catch the gunman who shot a millionaire restaurateur and his son last week in their palatial upstate home, police yesterday released a sketch of the...
NEW GUIDE TO COUNCIL HAS VERY POOR PLOT
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amThe new official guide to the City Council could become a collector's item, since someone made a stupendous goof and included outdated district maps for each of the 51 local...
BACK-TO-BASICS SCHOOL PLAN ADDS HOURS TO MATH, READING
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amStruggling middle-school students would be required to take three hours of additional instruction in basic subjects such as math and English under a plan unveiled yesterday by state Education Commissioner...
HOT DOG! WHAT A RESCUE - PUP PULLED FROM BLAZE
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amThis little Chihuahua is the sole pet survivor of a tragic Brooklyn house fire that claimed the lives of three other animals. Firefighters pulled the 14-year-old pooch named Norman out...
PARK PROTEST APPEAL DENIED
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amThe Parks Department has denied an appeal to use Central Park for a protest during the Republican Convention in late August. "The appeal by United for Peace and Justice did...
KIDNAP MA'S BATTLE - FIGHTS HERE TO WIN BACK TOT SHE TOOK TO CHINA
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amThe latest twist in a tangled tug of love played out in a Manhattan courtroom yesterday as a mother battled to win back her young son three years after she...
THUG SHOOTS MAN FOR HIS GOLD CHAIN
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amA coldblooded mugger shot a mechanic in the stomach - then callously snatched the gold chain off the victim's neck as he lay writhing on a Queens sidewalk, police said....
'RAPE' RIDE HOME - AWAKENS NEXT TO CABBY
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amIt was a nightmare end to one woman's night out in a bar. A Manhattan 28-year-old has filed charges of rape after telling cops she went out drinking Saturday night,...
'ACQUAINTANCE' ATTACKS SEND MANHATTAN RAPES SOARING
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amThe number of rapes in Manhattan has jumped sharply so far this year - but NYPD officials believe the increase largely involves assaults where the victims and assailants knew each...
'OFFENSIVE' AD PUT OUT OF CERVEZA
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amByline: Marsha Kranes A billboard ad for Tecate beer that's had Latinas in a froth will be retired at the end of the month, distributor Labatt USA announced yesterday. The...
ATL. CITY ROB THUG ON A ROLL
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amAn Atlantic City thief hit the jackpot again over the weekend - robbing another couple of their winnings as they returned to their hotel room, cops said. The knife-wielding thug...
MYSTERY BROOKLYN TOT TURNS UP IN BALTIMORE
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amA forlorn little girl who says she's from Brooklyn is living in a foster home in Baltimore because officials can't locate her parents or guardian. "She says her name is...
TRANSSEXUALS CAN COMPETE IN OLYMPICS
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amOlympic bigwigs yesterday agreed to gender-bend the rules and allow transsexuals to compete in this year's Games. The controversial move will apply both to men who have become women and...
FOTOG LEAVES GEMS IN TAXI
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amA London-based photographer is heartbroken after leaving a collection of African jewelry in a cab over the weekend. Carol Beckwith, known for her photos of African culture, forgot the collection,...
NYPD DAILY BLOTTER
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amBROOKLYN * A year after a brilliant honors student was shot to death while riding in a pal's car on the Belt Parkway, cops are asking for help in finding...
DRUG BUST OUTSIDE SCHOOL
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amAn on-duty Department of Education worker was arrested yesterday after he sold illegal drugs to a woman outside a Brooklyn school and police found a huge cache of narcotics in...
SAD TALE BEHIND BAY BODY
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amA body found floating in Gravesend Bay yesterday has been identified as that of a Brooklyn man missing since April - whose mother became the victim of a cruel hoax....
MARTHA 'BLOCK' PARTY - BRO CASHES IN ON EBAY
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amMartha Stewart is going to lose her marbles today - and her gnomes will no longer have a place to live. Her brother, Frank Kostyra, has started selling mementos from...
MERCEDES MARAUDERS PULL 5 HEISTS
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amTwo crooks tooling around Brooklyn in a Mercedes robbed a donut shop, two delis, a bodega and a Starbucks yesterday. The crime spree began at 5:10 a.m., when the unarmed...
ISRAEL KILLS 12 IN GAZA
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amJERUSALEM - Israel killed 12 Palestinians - including at least four gunmen - at a southern Gaza refugee camp yesterday amid word that the country might build a moat separating...
INDIA: DEMOCRACY WINS - DON'T RUSH TO JUDGE ELECTION RESULTS
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amIN last week's elections, the world's largest democracy - India - booted an economically progressive, peace-seeking government that had supported the United States to a degree unprecedented for New Delhi,...
BRO KILLER GETS 24 YRS.
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amAn unstable Long Island man who lit his mother ablaze when he was a youth was sentenced to 24 years yesterday for pumping 14 bullets into his older brother, killing...
WEIRD BUT TRUE
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amHigh-school dropout Bob Brophy has a lot to crow about. He just graduated from college with a perfect 4.0 grade index - at the ripe old age of 72. Oh,...
CLASSROOM EXTRA: ONE FOR THE BIRDS
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amPigeons and sparrows aren't the only birds that live here. Here are a few other feathered creatures that consider the Big Apple their nest. It's amazing how much we know...
LYNNDIE BARES NEW JAIL HORRORS
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amNotorious Abu Ghraib leash girl Lynndie England told investigators that male Iraqi prisoners were forced to wear women's "maxi pads" and crawl on their hands and knees through broken glass....
JASON HOPES HR IS SLUMP-BUSTER
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amJason Phillips called it "one of the great moments I've been a part of." That's obvious, right? After all, the Met catcher hit a game-winning homer in the 13th inning...
LOOPER'S PEN IS MIGHTIER
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amMET NOTES Seven-and-a-third innings. No runs. Six hits. Nine strikeouts. Sounds like a pitching line from Kerry Wood. Actually, it was the Met bullpen's total line on Sunday. "They did...
THORPE LIKES HIS L.I. CHANCES
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amThere's a "damn good" chance Jim Thorpe will cash in another winner's check next month when he defends his title at the Commerce Bank Long Island Classic. A two-time winner...
IRON MAN - 46 YEARS LATER, MOLLOY COACH STILL GOING STRONG
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amGeorge "Snuffy" Stirnweiss had promised Jack Curran a spot in the Yankees' minor-league camp in the spring of 1955. But the day before Curran was set to leave for Florida...
FINDING HIS PLACE - DIGS SUIT VAZQUEZ, BUT DINGERS DON'T
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amJavier Vazquez has struggled with his location this season, but not the location of his new job. "This is my home," he said Sunday morning, gesturing inside the Yankee Stadium...
SEEING SOME LIGHT - SUDDENLY, METS HAVE HOPE
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amAfter it was all over, after all the clutch homers cherished and all the bullpen work appreciated, Mike Piazza stood in front of his locker in the visitors' clubhouse at...
GREENE: BAN CHEATERS FOR LIFE
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amOne day after sprinter Marion Jones strongly criticized the United States Anti-Doping Agency, saying it was unfair, another of the sport's superstars said he supports the agency and believes cheaters...
READY TO MAKE GAME 7 HISTORY - CONFIDENT NETS FACE PISTONS, LONG ODDS
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amThe Nets are headed for a strange new world, the franchise's first-ever NBA playoff Game 7. Public perception says they will fail. The numbers throughout playoff history say they will...
PISTONS: WORK STILL TO BE DONE
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amPISTON NOTES To a man, the Pistons weren't gloating after their stunning Meadowlands win Sunday that forced Thursday's Game 7 at the Palace. There weren't a lot of boasts about...
FRANK NOT CHANGING APPROACH
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amNET NOTES A Game 7? Hey, no problem for Nets coach Lawrence Frank. Oh, there might be some additional crossing T's and dotting I's, but basically the approach will be...
JOSE CLOSE TO CALL-UP
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amYANKEE NOTES Billy Connors reportedly thinks Jose Contreras is ready to be recalled from Triple-A, and a decision on the Cuban righty is expected within the next 24 hours. In...
'SMARTY' CAN WEAR CROWN
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amThere was still an eighth of a mile to go in Saturday's 129th Preakness when the comparisons to some of the 11 Triple Crown immortals started in a "Philly Flash."...
FISHY CALL DID IN SPURS
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amI'M STARTING to feel sorry for Charles Barkley; it's actually heart-rending how dense the dunce is when even the most hairless situation is there for the tweezing. Take his clueless...
WILLIS: KIDD'S PLAY KEY TO A JERSEY VICTORY
May 18, 2004 | 4:00amWillis Reed knows Jason Kidd is not healthy, knows the Nets point guard's game isn't close to what it was the past two seasons because of his ailments. But the...