December 20, 2004

HIGH FLYING IPO - KKR PLOTS $1B STOCK OFFERING FOR PANAMSAT

Barely four months after closing its $4.1 billion purchase of PanAmSat Corp., an investor group led by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. is already gearing up to offer shares of...

CAMERAS PUSH THE ENVELOPE AT P.O.

Too busy to get to the Post Office during normal business hours and tempted to use one of those fancy 24-hour Automated Postal Center kiosks in the lobby of the...

FINANCE VETS LAUNCH $584M DEBT FUND

Nearly two years after leaving Wall Street to hang up his own shingle, banking industry veteran Barry Friedberg has launched a new investment fund. FriedbergMilstein, the merchant-banking firm founded by...

TIME FOR SOLSTICE FULL OF SOUL

TOMORROW is not just another Tuesday. At 7:30 a.m., when the rest of us are hitting the snooze button on our alarm clocks, a small but hardy group of urban...

TUCKER TO MSNBC?

CONSERVATIVE CNN host Tucker Carlson is reportedly close to jumping to rival MSNBC to replace Deborah Norville. Carlson - whose contract as co-host of the CNN show "Crossfire" expired earlier...

KATIE POPS UP ON LIST TO TAKE DAN'S CHAIR

CBS has a new name on top of its list of potential replacement for Dan Rather - Katie Couric. According to Broadcasting & Cable magazine, CBS wants to "land a...

STARR REPORT

Rikki rollin' in Vegas Court TV's L.A.-based legal analyst Rikki Klieman, an attorney by trade, is going prime-time - but she's not straying far from what she knows best. Klieman,...

DANCE FASTER, OLD FELLA

HE'S not headed to a re tirement home anytime soon, but the old-looking, mysterious dancing guy from the Six Flags amusement parks ads turned out to be something of flop....

SINGING THE BLUES - WHY BIG TV NO LONGER UNITES US

TV'S top shows - they ain't what they used to be. Sure, at the very top of the list of the highest-rated single telecasts of 2004 are a handful that...

NEW GUARD FOR '05 RED CARPET - FASHION FRENZY OVER 'PHANTOM' STAR

NINA Garcia remembers the last time she saw a young star generate as much fashion heat as Emmy Rossum, the 18-year-old star of "The Phantom of the Opera." "It was...

WINNERS AND LOSERS FOR '04

'TIS the season . . . to name the winners and losers in New York politics this year. The list was put together with the help of over a dozen...

MOB BOSS' SON IS MAFIA LAWYER: RAT

A mob turncoat has charged that the son of a Mafia leader has been employed as the "house counsel" of the Gambino crime family. Former Gambino captain Michael "Mikey Scars"...

TRAGIC MOM'S 30-YEAR QUEST - SEEKING SON TAKEN BY DAD

A woman's search for her missing son has led her back to New York - the city where her boy was snatched 30 years ago. "I think I'm the only...

CATHOLIC TEACHERS' TV SLAM

Catholic teachers have a New Year's "gift" for the Archdiocese of New York - a series of television ads blasting the archdiocese's contract offer as unfair, The Post has learned....

HERO HOME FOR CHRISTMAS

It took Capt. Ryan Lowry three days to journey from the mayhem of Fallujah to the magic of home. But after a Black Hawk helicopter ride to Baghdad, a military...

DOUBLE-TIME BUSH - REPEATS AS MAG'S PERSON OF YEAR

WASHINGTON - Cruising to re-election and "changing the rules of politics to fit his 10-gallon-hat leadership style" along the way earned President Bush Time magazine's Person of the Year honors...

WEIRD BUT TRUE

Residents of a Florida town had that sinking feeling over the weekend - but no, they weren't depressed. A monster sinkhole, more than 150 feet wide and 50 feet deep,...

THE BOGUS BEGGAR - QUICK-CHANGE SCAMMER RAKES IT IN ON FIFTH AVE.

Paula Headley dressed for her job in Midtown - wearing a filthy blanket and a pathetic look on her tear-streaked face. Then she headed home at the end of a...

W. ENLISTS FOR SPORTS 'ROID WAR

WASHINGTON - President Bush is ready to bat cleanup for Sen. John McCain in a federal bid to rid baseball of steroids if Major League Baseball can't "get its act...

TEACHER ACCUSED OF FOMENTING KIDDIE BRAWL IN BRONX CLASSROOM

A kindergarten teacher stood by while 5-year-old kids ganged up and pummeled a classmate, officials said. Worse yet, stunned education officials said they found that Sarrit Segal not only failed...

RUMMY REACTS TO BAD 'SIGN'

After rubber-stamping condolences to many of the 1,000-plus families of soldiers killed in Iraq, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has decided to personally sign the letters, according to a military publication....

GIULIANI: I COULDN'T KERIK LESS

WASHINGTON - Rudy Giuliani - desperate to protect his reputation and his business - is sprinting away from scandal-scarred Bernard Kerik. In a lengthy interview with Newsweek, Giuliani said Kerik's...

'SNICKET' THE TICKET

It was cash and Carrey at the movies over the weekend as Jim Carrey and his dark kiddie flick, "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events," rocketed to the top...

TAPEWORM SNAKE - 'SEX' TEACH PLAYS 'PIMP' FOR CAMERA

Barry Schenker never shed his skin when students at Franklin K. Lane HS referred to him as "Snake," and spouted no venom when they called him "pimp" to his face,...

NYPD DAILY BLOTTER

BROOKLYN * A man was shot dead yesterday by a thug who accosted him on a Bushwick street, police said. The victim, 27, was shot in the face and chest...

DEPRAVED SCHEMER DESERVES NO SYMPATHY

DON'T hog that lethal injection needle, Scott Peterson. Pass it on down to Lisa Montgomery when you're done. Montgomery's alleged crime is so gruesome, it is enough to turn even...

BIG CHILL TO FOLLOW THE SNOW

We're not kidding when we say today's weather will be a big fat zero. Forecasters say that after 2 inches of snow is dumped on the Big Apple this morning,...

'QUESTION' GI: I SUPPORT PREZ

The soldier who put Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on the spot with a pointed question about the lack of armor on many military vehicles says that he meant no disrespect...

THE BEAK GOES ON IN CENTRAL PARK BIRD COUNT

How many birds are there in Central Park? That's what dozens of enthusiasts tried to figure out yesterday as they roamed through the park for hours, counting as many feathered...

EX-DOORMAN KILLS HIMSELF AT CEMETERY

A 42-year-old retired doorman, still despondent over a messy divorce years ago, was found dead yesterday after he apparently committed suicide in a Queens cemetery, cops said. Police went to...

BLUE CHRISTMAS AT JAYSON HOME

Tanya Williams has a lot on her mind as she prepares for Christmas: There are presents to buy, husband Jayson's attempt at an NBA comeback, and two young daughters who...

LIST EYED AS POL-DONOR PATROL

Voters may soon be able to search a list of campaign donors who also do business with the city. Mayor Bloomberg wants to keep people who do business with the...

EYESORE WILL BE A PLAYLAND

A grubby strip of blacktopped land along the Hudson River is about to be transformed into a sprawling sports and recreational space. The prime riverfront property between 123rd and 133rd...

ISRAEL TO FREE PALESTINIANS

The Israeli government yesterday said it would free 170 jailed Palestinians in a gesture of gratitude for Egypt's recent release of an Israeli Arab imprisoned for spying. Prime Minister Ariel...

NYERS HAVE $HOT AT UNCLAIMED BILLIONS

ALBANY - Paul Newman is owed. So are Woody Allen, Al Pacino and Sopranos star Edie Falco. From the bold Donald Trump to the beautiful Christie Brinkley, the state Comptroller's...

BUTCHER HAD TOLD FRIENDS SHE WAS TO GIVE BIRTH ON DAY OF KILLING

Baby-snatching suspect Lisa Montgomery used to compete with her victim at kennel shows and recently told friends she was due to give birth Dec. 16 - the same day she...

ANOTHER YEAR AT WAR - THE TROOPS COME THROUGH AGAIN

AS 2004 draws to a close, our military can be proud. Once again, our troops defeated our enemies, redeemed the mistakes of our civilian leadership and defied the prophets of...

-'ANGELS' ANSWER PRAYERS - SLAY KIDS' HOME FIXED (S)-BRONX XMAS ANGELS - FIX 'SLAY' KIDS' HOME (LCF)

Since taking custody of her six grandchildren after her daughter was savagely murdered four months ago, Sheila Blackmond has been praying for a "memorable Christmas" for the kids. Her prayers...

SADDAM BELCHES BLUSTER AS AIDES PREP FOR TRIAL

A year in jail has done little to temper deposed dictator Saddam Hussein's bluster, as his top henchmen face trial this week. In his first comments from jail, issued through...

BLOODY SUNDAY IN IRAQ - ELECTION WORKERS EXECUTED, BOMBS KILL 62

Brazen gunmen dragged three elections workers from their car on a busy Baghdad street in broad daylight and fatally shot them yesterday, as suicide bombings in two other Iraqi cities...

BURNED AGAIN: TEEN SUES BANK OVER VANISHED $50,000

A Rockland County teen is out of patience - and money - after she learned that a $50,000 trust account she'd waited more than 15 years to access was mysteriously...

FLACK TO SCHOOL - SINGER TO OPEN A FREE HARLEM CONSERVATORY

A new music school is coming to Harlem, founded by legendary songstress Roberta Flack. The New York-based Grammy-winner plans to transform two abandoned brownstones on 126th Street into a center...

TEEN'S BROKEN TRU$T - SUES OVER LOST 50G

A Rockland County teen is out of patience - and money - after she learned that a $50,000 trust account she'd waited more than 15 years to access was mysteriously...

TEACH A RIOT ROUSER - KINDERGARTEN BRAWL

A kindergarten teacher stood by while 5-year-old kids ganged up and pummeled a classmate, officials said. Worse yet, stunned education officials said they found that Sarrit Segal not only failed...

STATEN IS. 'SHOPLIFT' GAL TAKES THE PLUNGE

A woman suspected of shoplifting a jacket at the Staten Island Mall last night jumped over a railing on the second floor and dropped into a fountain as stunned Christmas...

BROLIN CHARGED IN WIFE BEATING

Actor Josh Brolin was arrested yesterday after he hit his wife, actress Diane Lane, in their West Los Angeles home, police said. Brolin, 36, was charged with spousal battery, a...

FLACK TO SCHOOL - LEGENDARY SINGER STARTING CONSERVATORY IN HARLEM

A new music school is coming to Harlem, founded by legendary songstress Roberta Flack. The New York-based Grammy-winner plans to transform two abandoned brownstones on 126th Street into a center...

POST PLAYS SANTA CLAUS

A New York Post holiday food drive will make sure hundreds of needy families in the South Bronx enjoy a good Christmas dinner. Spearheaded by the distribution department at The...

DRUG BUST BOOST - BIGGER NARC SQUADS

The city's narcotics cops are hoping to make more arrests next year under a proposed plan that would change the way they arrange their enforcement teams, sources said. The NYPD's...

SADDAM BELCHES BLUSTER AS TOP AIDES PREP FOR TRIAL

A year in jail has done little to temper deposed dictator Saddam Hussein's bluster, as his top henchmen face trial this week. In his first comments from jail, issued through...

PEDDLING 'LIES'- WATCHDOGS BLAST GOV'T-$$ HUCKSTER

ALBANY - Television viewers who thought those commercials promising "hidden money" from the federal government to help pay bills were too good to be true were right, the state Consumer...

MILLION$ WAIT TO BE CLAIMED 27

ALBANY - Paul Newman is owed. So is Woody Allen, Al Pacino and Sopranos star Edie Falco. From the bold Donald Trump to the beautiful Christie Brinkley, the state Comptroller's...

RUDY 'JAIL' SUIT - VID MAN SEEKS $5M

A film producer who taped intimate interviews with Rudy Giuliani and his wife, Judith Nathan, but was later kicked off the project, has filed a $5 million lawsuit - claiming...

NEW NARC BID TO BOOST BUSTS

The city's narcotics cops are hoping to make more arrests next year under a proposed plan that would change the way they arrange their enforcement teams, sources said. The NYPD's...

GIULIANI: COULDN'T KERIK LESS

WASHINGTON - Rudy Giuliani - desperate to protect his reputation and his business - is sprinting away from scandal-scarred Bernard Kerik. In a lengthy interview with Newsweek, Giuliani said Kerik's...

CRAW'S CLUTCH - REDEEMS HIMSELF WITH GAME-WINNER

Knicks 94 - Jazz 93 Last Wednesday's final-second Piston loss has haunted Jamal Crawford for days. Crawford didn't get to bed until 4 a.m. after that game and received a...

ANSWERING THE CALL - MANNING RESPONDS TO COUGHLIN TALK

Of all the items on Tom Coughlin's list, of all the questions he wanted answered from Eli Manning, one may have been more pertinent than all the others put together....

SOME LIFE IN LOSS

GIANT REPORT CARDQUARTERBACKS: B Shame on anyone who saw fit to write off Eli Manning (16 of 23, 182, 2 TDs, 1 INT) after four miserable starts. Teammates said he...

DON SIX CAPTURES GRAVESEND

Inner-track specialist Don Six, who tired badly down stretch under 128 pounds in Fall Highweight last out, got in to yesterday's Gravesend Handicap with 112 in first try for Scott...

TOM: HEY, WE STILL LOST

GIANT NOTES When the relief abated after Eli Manning finally gave his team a taste of what its craved this season, the Giants were 33-30 losers to the Steelers and...

CHAD SPITS OUT HIS GRIPE JUICE - JETS QB SULLEN AFTER WIN

Jets 37 - Seahawks 14 For the Jets, the week leading into yesterday's game had an edge to it, with some prominent players stepping up and publicly voicing their displeasure...

FROM BAD TO MAD

CHAD Pennington showed up yesterday at Giants Stadium and played like he was mad at the world. Turns out he was. Mad Pennington (18-24, 253 yards) threw three touchdown passes...

UNIT DEAL HINGES ON COMPENSATION

Late today or early tomorrow Bud Selig is going to give the Yankees and Diamondbacks a 72-hour window to get Randy Johnson and Shawn Green signed to contract extensions. The...

GUARDS' GARDEN PARTY

CARLOS Arroyo felt like he was at home even though he was in an opposing gym. The Puerto Rico native was the inspiration for what was billed as "Una Tarde...

MOURNING & RAPTORS NEAR PACT

TORONTO - Alonzo Mourning, who sought a $14 million buyout from the Nets on the $17.7 mil he's owed for the final three years of his contract, is close to...

SOWELL RECEIVES HIS DUE

For the uninitiated, Jerald Sowell is usually the player immediately in front of Curtis Martin - the lead blocker on all those posters and calendars - clearing a path for...

CRAW'S CLUTCH

Knicks 94 - Jazz 93 Last Wednesday's final-second Piston loss has haunted Jamal Crawford for days. Crawford didn't get to bed until 4 a.m. after that game and received a...

BARTON STEPS UP IN EVERY WAY

IF Chad Pennington no longer wants to waste his time exchanging pleasantries with the riff-raff lugging notebooks, if Pennington no longer wants to be the face, or the voice, of...

MARTIN KEEPS ON ROLLING

JET NOTES Curtis Martin, with yet another vintage performance on his march toward Canton and the Pro Football Hall of Fame, walked out of Giants Stadium last night as the...

NETS COME UP SHORT

Raptors 110 - Nets 99 TORONTO - Yes, help is coming for the undermanned, vertically challenged Nets. Vince Carter will provide offense, adrenaline, a working pulse. But exactly when he...

JET OFFENSE HACKS UP SEAHAWKS

From his bunker, Paul Hackett can hear the rants of Jets fans and media alike, often criticizing his conservative game plans and even calling for his job on a platter....

VINCE TATTLED ON TEAM

NET NOTES TORONTO - Cartergate dominated much of the pre-game talk yesterday. A report out of Seattle said three Sonics claimed Vince Carter, with hands on knees and waiting for...

SANTANA LOW-KEYS IT AFTER BIG AFTERNOON

In the week leading up to yesterday's game, Santana Moss' mouth did most of the running. Yesterday, his performance did all the talking, his feet did the running, and his...

CARTER TO KNICKS NEVER HAD CHANCE

KNICK NOTES With Toronto GM Rob Babcock's belief the Nets' pair of first-round picks were key to accepting their offer, it's become apparent Knicks president Isiah Thomas didn't have the...

STORM PACKS LATE PUNCH

St. John's 74 - Marist 66 Coach Norm Roberts watched his Red Storm stumble through the first few minutes of each half yesterday. His players committed 19 turnovers against a...

OVER THE EDGE, AGAIN

YEAH, yeah, we know. It's a societal problem. Midway, a maker of purposefully depraved video games, last year lost its deal to produce NFL-licensed games. The league, which indulges plenty...