July 26, 2005

THE BUSH FAMILY CONNECTION TO CNOOC'S BID FOR UNOCAL

IS George Bush advising the Chinese on their potential acquisition of Unocal? Not that George Bush, but close. I'm talking about George P. Bush, the oldest son of Florida Gov....

RUNAWAY BRIBES - SONY PAYOLA DETAILED; EPIC RECORDS' KLAIMAN AXED

Executives at music giant SonyBMG bribed radio programmers with gifts such as vacations and flat screen TVs to get their artists on the air, New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer...

M'SOFT TRIES WIFI SPIES

Microsoft is dispatching a fleet of vehicles across the U.S. to track down signals of wireless computers - but not for eavesdropping. Microsoft is tuning into signals on WiFi networks...

XM PORTABLE DEVICE TO PLAY RADIO & MP3S

XM Satellite Radio has reached an alliance with Samsung to produce a new portable device that plays both satellite radio and MP3s. An announcement is expected today. It marks the...

LAND GRAB IN BKLYN

REFLECTING the astonishing boom in land values, a prime development site in North Williamsburg - the former Old Dutch Mustard Company plant and several adjacent properties - are up for...

CASE'S LIME NET EYES GREEN GENERATION

With the tagline "healthy living with a twist," the soon-to-be-launched Lime network is eyeing a big slice of the growing market for eco-friendly, health-conscious consumers. Lime - part of AOL...

SEC PROBING HOST STOCK RUNUP

The Securities and Exchange Commission has launched a swift investigation into Host America on the heels of a spectacular runup in the cafeteria giant's shares, according to an 8-K filing...

SEC PROBING ALLEGED FIDELITY BROKER BRIBES

Mutual fund giant Fidelity Investments is facing federal charges over allegations it bribed traders with bachelor parties, Super Bowl trips and golf outings. The Securities and Exchange Commission has slapped...

JOSS NOT TOSSED FOR LOVE: GAP

Gap girl Joss Stone, the 18-year-old British music sensation, will appear in the retailer's upcoming fall campaign - but as a backup singer. The soul diva - who replaced Sarah...

JANE MAKES IT PLAIN: TIME TO MOVE ON

The world of celebrity editors got a little smaller yesterday when Jane Pratt, the editor in chief of Jane, said she is resigning as of Sept. 30 from the magazine...

BON-TON MAY JOIN SAKS BID

The Bon-Ton Stores is considering a partnership with a private equity firm to make an offer for all of Saks Inc., including the upscale Saks Fifth Avenue department stores, according...

MAD CONTRACT - SHOE TYCOON GETS WELL-HEELED TERMS

Life after prison is paying pretty well for trendy shoe impresario Steve Madden, according to documents filed last week with the Securities and Exchange Commission detailing his employment contract. Madden,...

SEC AIMS AT RUN-UP IN HOST STOCK

The Securities and Exchange Commission has launched a swift investigation into Host America on the heels of a spectacular runup in the cafeteria giant's shares, according to an 8-K filing...

CASE'S LIME IN GREEN MIX

With the tagline "healthy living with a twist," the soon-to-be-launched Lime network is eyeing a big slice of the growing market for eco-friendly, healthconscious consumers. Lime - part of AOL...

STARR REPORT

Courtin' AshleighAshleigh Banfield, who's appeared intermittently on Court TV, has inked a more permanent deal with the network. Banfield, who first appeared on Court TV last April, will sub on...

STERN ON DEMAND - HOWARD'S TV SHOW TOYS WITH X

HOWARD Stern's television future might be very much In Demand. The self-declared king of all media is in talks to transform his raunchy morning show into a Video On Demand...

NBC REPORTER FILES ABUSE CHARGES AGAINST CHURCH

JIM Cummins, an NBC News reporter, is suing his old Catholic archdiocese in Iowa charging sexual abuse that happened almost 43 years ago. Cummins, 60, filed a federal suit last...

NO FUNNY BUSINESS - 'COMEDY' IS NOT A LAUGHING MATTER

HERE'S the truth about situation comedies: Comedy has nothing to do with it. In fact, the one key ingredient that seems to be missing from every stage of the sitcom...

IT'S THEIR DAY

GREEN Day led the pack in nominations for the 22nd annual MTV Video Music Awards, announced yesterday, as the punk popsters grabbed eight nods for "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" and...

NFL QB TACKLES 'SURVIVOR'

FORMER Dallas Cowboy quarterback Gary Hogeboom is among the latest batch of castaways on "Survivor." Hogeboom, 47, is now a land developer in Grand Rapids, Mich., but turned in his...

DOC'S BOOK DOLES OUT DOSES OF MEDICAL MINUTIAE, STAT

THERE are some things Marcus Welby and "ER" never told us: like why people seem more attractive when you're drunk, or whether cracking your knuckles leads to arthritis - and...

HOW TO BRUSH THE BOREDOM AWAY

New toothpaste flavors will make you want to brush. IF brushing twice a day, or trying to get your kids to brush twice a day, is a real drag, then...

FAT CHANCE - 'INSIDE' BELLY OF 'LOST' BEAST

THAT'S heavy, man. Former "Lost" villain William Mapother has gone from hunky to extra-chunky for his role in an upcoming episode of Fox's "The Inside." In the episode, airing Aug....

ARE THESE DAN'S FINAL CBS DAYS?

CBS chief Les Moonves' reference to Dan Rather in the past tense has sparked rumors that Rather could be leaving CBS - maybe even before his contract expires in January....

WINNING PLATES - ANDY WANG PICKS FIVE GREAT LAS VEGAS RESTAURANTS TO TRY RIGHT NOW

LAS VEGAS is a haven for gamblers, strippers and 24-hour party people, but it's increasingly becoming a hotspot for foodies as well. From the four-star restaurants that dot the strip...

HE'S GOT A TICKET TO TELLURIDE - IN COLORADO, SUMMER IS THE NEW WINTER. IS LOW SEASON IN SKI COUNTRY GONE FOREVER? CHRIS BUNTING INVESTIGATES

THE right-brained, artsy mountain town of Telluride rolls out the red carpet for lowbudget filmmakers every year, but for low-budget travelers? Not so much. Tucked away in an exclusive and...

FATHER KNOWS BEST - REALITY TV DADS ARE NEW EXPERTS ON PARENTING; POPS PROPS

'I never get out. I'm so overprotected it's insane," wines Brooke Hogan, the 16-year-old daughter of "WrestleMania" body slammer Hulk Hogan, on VH1's newest reality TV show "Hogan Knows Best."...

BMW 'SUICIDE' ON EAST SIDE

The body of a 27-year- old Queens man was found slumped in the rear seat of a car parked on an Upper East Side street yesterday morning. Responding to a...

CAVE GALS X-POSED AS SEX-TOY USERS

They may have not had the Pink Pussycat Boutique back then, but prehistoric women did have sex toys, researchers say. A sculpted and polished phallus recently found in a German...

WEIRD BUT TRUE

Bad fashion can be a felony in Arkansas, where judges have started holding witnesses and defendants who dress too casually in contempt of court. In one case, a Rogers Municipal...

BLOCKING RATNER'S SHOT

MTA leaders got an earful yesterday from grass-roots groups concerned about developer Bruce Ratner's game plan to build an NBA arena in Downtown Brooklyn. Most of the 60 or so...

FAKE BOMBER MAY GET REAL JAIL TIME

A disgruntled Amtrak passenger from The Bronx whose alleged bomb threat froze Penn Station for over an hour Sunday has been charged with making a terroristic threat - and could...

VEGAS BETS ON VILLAGE - N.Y. DOWNTOWN PROJECT'S THEME

Viva Las Village! In a quest to further Manhattanize Las Vegas, Sin City developers are planning a massive new project that will mimic the borough's downtown streets. Dubbed East Village...

CAM-SCAM SLAM FOR DIAZ - FOTOG CONVICTED OVER TOPLESS PIX

LOS ANGELES - Jurors yesterday convicted an L.A. photographer of hatching a blackmail scheme against Cameron Diaz, involving topless photos taken of the now-famous actress a decade earlier. The seven-woman,...

WHAT'S MAYAN IS HIS - MEL PLANS MEXICO EPIC

Mel Gibson sure has a passion for the past - he's planning another violence-packed epic set in ancient times, featuring actors speaking an ancient dialect. With subtitles. But, unlike his...

EGYPT COPS TRACE TERROR TO MOUNTAINS

Egyptian police fought gun battles yesterday in desert mountain villages where they believe the bombs used in the deadly Red Sea resort attacks were made, authorities said. They also said...

'FAKE DOC' TURNS HERSELF IN

An allegedly phony doctor who caused a life-threatening infection by injecting a patient with a substance not approved by the Food and Drug Administration surrendered to authorities yesterday, prosecutors said....

BAKED APPLE MISERY - HEAT TO GET WORSE

Today may be the hottest and most uncomfortable day of the year in New York City - and that's the good news, because tomorrow could be even worse. With temperatures...

BIN LADEN COKE PLOT; COKE FIEND BIN LADEN

Osama bin Laden tried to buy a massive amount of cocaine, spike it with poison and sell it in the United States, hoping to kill thousands of Americans one year...

FAKE DOC IS INDICTED FOR MURDER

The quack plastic surgeon whose last patient - a young New York banker - wound up buried under concrete in his Newark home has been indicted for her murder, Manhattan...

NYPD DAILY BLOTTER

MANHATTAN * A young man was fighting for his life after a thug stabbed him with a box-cutter near the Port Authority Bus Terminal, police said yesterday. Hector Cruz, 23,...

ISRAEL DEMANDS POPE MEA CULPA - SLAMS SERMON THAT OMITS NETANYA ATTACK

JERUSALEM - Israel yesterday demanded that the Vatican explain why Pope Benedict XVI spoke out against recent terrorist attacks - but "deliberately" left out a bombing in Israel. Foreign Ministry...

HILLARY'S BATTLE CRY TO HER FELLOW DEMS

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton slammed Republicans for pushing the country "off track" while urging Democrats in Ohio yesterday to circle the wagons and stand strong on national security - tactics...

POST-LONDON SUBWAY CRIME GOES WAY DOWNTOWN

New York subway crime is down over 20 percent since the July 7 terrorist attacks on London's transit system, officials said yesterday. And Michael Scagnelli, the NYPD's chief of transportation,...

TEEN GAL DRIVER DIES IN L.I. CRASH

A teenage girl was killed and another injured on Long Island last night when their car spun out of control and slammed into a tree, police said. The car was...

MILLER BACKER LAUDS MAYOR'S CAPITAL EFFORT

A key supporter of Council Speaker Gifford Miller yesterday praised Mayor Bloomberg's efforts in Washington on housing and other issues important to New Yorkers, calling his capital staffers "warriors." Congresswoman...

JUDGE WON'T BOW ON 'FEVER' FLOOR SALE

A man's legal bid for ownership of the famed "Saturday Night Fever" dance floor is stayin' alive. Brooklyn Civil Court Judge Ira Harkavy issued a preliminary injunction barring Joseph Rizzo...

CITY GETS KIDS' MED RECORDS

In a move that would greatly expand the amount of medical data collected on New Yorkers, the city's Board of Health has quietly approved a measure requiring doctors to turn...

TWO BUSTED SOURCE EXECS NAMED IN SEX-HARASS CASE

Two Source magazine bigwigs charged with attempted murder in connection with a shootout outside a Chelsea bar are named in a sexual-harassment and sexual-discrimination complaint that says a macho atmosphere...

DISS IS INSANE - NYC RANKS 8TH FOR SINGLES LIFE?

You gotta be kidding. Everybody knows New York City is the greatest scene in the world for singles - so then why does the Big Apple rank only No. 8...

ASPIRING CHEF, 27, FOUND DEAD IN CAR

The body of a 27-year-old Queens man was found slumped in the rear seat of a car parked on an Upper East Side street yesterday morning. Responding to a 911...

LABOR PAINS AS HUGE UNIONS DITCH AFL-CIO

The Teamsters and the Service Employees International Union split from the AFL-CIO yesterday in a historic withdrawal that cost the labor giant two of its largest affiliates - and 3.2...

MAYOR'S VETO COULD SINK SUNDAY FREE-PARKING PLAN

Don't plan on leaving your car at the meter all day Sunday just yet. Mayor Bloomberg indicated yesterday that he would veto a bill about to be introduced at the...

BLOOMBERG SAYS NO WAY HE'LL RUN FOR GOVERNOR

There is no circumstance under which Mayor Bloomberg would run for governor next year or any other year, Hizzoner declared yesterday. "Let me say it this way," Bloomberg said at...

W. MAKES IRAQ ADVISERS DIPLOS

WASHINGTON - President Bush yesterday tapped two top Iraq advisers as his new ambassadors to Israel and Egypt, underscoring again that Iraq is the lynchpin of his Mideast policy. Nominated...

CLOTHES TAX TO BE SLASHED JUST IN TIME FOR ELECTIONS

Mayor Bloomberg joined Gov. Pataki yesterday at a bill signing that will allow the city to lower the tax on clothing sales under $110 from 8.375 percent to 4.375 percent...

SHOW'S HAPPY ENDING - MISSING KIDS FOUND

An eagle-eyed tipster who recognized a boy in a missing-person promo on TV's "Without a Trace" led authorities straight to the abducted child and his younger sister in a Westchester...

DIDDY HIGH ON MIAMI HEAT - HYPES 'HOT' MTV SHOW

Hip-hop mogul Sean "P. Diddy" Combs swooped down in a jetpack on the sands of Miami's South Beach yesterday to help announce the contenders and presenters at the upcoming MTV...

MIKE RIPS BUS BLUNDER - BLAMES TOUR FIRM

Mayor Bloomberg blamed a tour-bus company for a 911 report of "suspicious" passengers that ended up terrifying tourists, closing down a swath of Midtown and making cops handcuff of five...

LOW DOINGS ON THE HIGH SEAS - HONEYMOON HUNTERS HEAR BLOODY TALES

EVERYTHING about newlyweds Jennifer and George Smith appeared picture-perfect - their tanned looks, their beaming smiles, their loving embrace. It was on our nation's day of independence, July 4, somewhere...

LEAVE ABORTION OUT OF IT: POLL

WASHINGTON - A huge majority of Americans say Supreme Court nominee John Roberts' abortion views - whether for or against - shouldn't disqualify him for the job, a poll shows....

DOC COP A BIG BOPPER - 4 BRUTALITY SUITS

The Albuquerque cop who allegedly brutalized a New York heart surgeon during a controversial arrest reportedly has been sued four prior times for using excessive force. Officer Allen Hancock could...

EGYPTIAN FIENDS MAY BE DEAD

Egyptian security forces hunted for militants yesterday suspected in last week's bombings - but said it was possible that the attackers may have been killed in the three explosions. The...

BAG THAT VOLUNTEER SPIRIT

New Yorkers have been so eager to open their bags for NYPD officers at subway entrances that some straphangers are worried that there is no point to the exercise. "All...

MIKE RIPS BUS TOUR DE FARCE

Mayor Bloomberg yesterday blamed a tour-bus company for a 911 report of "suspicious" passengers that ended up terrifying tourists, closing down a swath of Midtown and having cops handcuff five...

MEXICO MEL GOES MAYAN FOR ANOTHER ANCIENT EPIC

Mel Gibson sure has a passion for the past - he's planning another violence-packed epic set in ancient times, featuring actors speaking an ancient dialect. With subtitles. But, unlike his...

TV VIEWER HELPS COPS FIND MISSING KIDS

An eagle-eyed tipster who recognized a boy in a missing-person promo on TV's "Without a Trace" led authorities to the abducted child and his younger sister in a Westchester apartment...

DOCTORS PLANNING FACE TRANSPLANTS

At least two hospitals are reportedly in the final phases of planning a controversial new procedure - face transplant. Doctors are close to perfecting a way to remove the face...

'CRASHERS' CRASH WITH TASTELESS GIMMICK

Red-faced producers of the flick "Wedding Crashers" - under fire from war vets - yesterday bit the bullet and yanked from the Web a gimmicky promo "Purple Heart" medal that...

DISCO-URAGING NEWS FOR 'SNF' FLOOR OWNER

A bid for ownership of the "Saturday Night Fever" dance floor is stayin' alive. Brooklyn Civil Court Judge Ira Harkavy issued a preliminary injunction barring Joseph Rizzo - owner of...

STOLEN KIDS FOUND - TV TIPSTER HAILED

An eagle-eyed tipster recognized a boy in a missing-person promo on TV's "Without a Trace" - finally solving a 2-year-old abduction case by leading authorities to the child and his...

SCOUT MEET HORROR - LEADERS ELECTROCUTED

Four adult Boy Scout leaders were killed yesterday in an electrical accident during the opening day of the organization's 2005 Jamboree in Virginia, authorities said. The tragedy happened between 4:30...

FIRED FIDDLER JUST NOT GOOD ENOUGH, SAYS PHIL

The New York Philharmonic is playing the smallest violin in the world for prize-winning musician Anton Polezhayev, saying he didn't lose his job with the renowned orchestra because he's a...

ROBERTS' ABORT VIEW IS IRRELEVANT: POLL

WASHINGTON - A huge majority of Americans say Supreme Court nominee John Roberts' abortion views - whether for or against - shouldn't disqualify him for the job, a new poll...

ARAB FAN SLIPS RICKY A TRICKY

Pop star Ricky Martin might want to stick to singing in Spanish instead of advocating in Arabic - the Latino heartthrob had to apologize yesterday hours after he was sandbagged...

STEVE'S REHAB ON RIGHT TRACH

MET NOTES DENVER - Steve Trachsel's first rehab start was fine. His second one was apparently dominant. Trachsel, the Met right-hander who is on the mend from a herniated disc...

DEADLINE DEALING - AMAZIN'S HAVE EYES ON SORIANO

DENVER - It has been speculated that if the Mets try to add a bat, it would be a first baseman. But the Mets are interested in at least one...

BROWN-OUT - WRONG CHOICE TO FIX KNICKS

LARRY Brown just got fired, almost incomprehensibly, after an NBA Championship followed by a run to Game 7. He is hurt, as anyone would be, and feeling insecure, which he...

MILBURY EXPECTS FAMILIAR ROSTER

ISLE NOTES The Islanders officially reopened for business over the weekend and it seems when they take the ice for the first game of the season, Oct. 5, they will...

METS NOT SWINGING FOR HRS AT COORS

DENVER - The Mets may hit a bunch of home runs during their three-game set in Colorado this week. But they say they won't be looking to go deep. In...

DAWKINS: LARRY CAN SPUR KNICKS

Darryl Dawkins was still known as "Chocolate Thunder" and breaking backboards when he came to the Nets in 1982 and played for Larry Brown. The 6-11 former star followed Brown's...

RED-HOT IN JULY - 'COMFORTABLE' CARLOS BELTING THE BALL

MET NOTES DENVER - With six games to go in July, Carlos Beltran is in the midst of having his best month as a Met. Entering last night, Beltran was...

PLAYOFFS MAY EXPAND

This might be one way for the Rangers to make the 2006-07 playoffs. Although the league soft-peddled the idea earlier this month, the new collective bargaining agreement grants the NHL...

AIKMAN NIXED ESPN

Before re-signing with Fox Sports to be its No. 1 NFL analyst for the next seven years, Troy Aikman rejected an overture to join ESPN's "Monday Night Football," both Aikman...

BIG EAST TAKES LOOK AT REPLAY

The meeting was scheduled for 15 minutes. It lasted the better part of 2 ½ hours. One can only hope it doesn't take that long for instant replay to work...

GIANTS GIVE JACOBS FOUR-YEAR DEAL

The first of the Giants' four rookie draft picks agreed to terms on a contract yesterday when Brandon Jacobs, the massive running back from Southern Illinois, signed a four-year deal....

DEADLINE DEALER - MINAYA STILL SEEKING HELP AT BAT, IN PEN

DENVER - By this time next week, the trade deadline will have passed. So the Mets, starting today, have six days to find a deal that works. The Mets are...

HE'S THE MAN - BROWN, ISIAH COULD TALK $ STARTING TODAY

Larry Brown was ready to accept the Knicks' head coaching job last night after having an Italian dinner in Westchester with interim coach Herb Williams and Knicks president Isiah Thomas...

SULLIVAN JOINS NETS AS ASSISTANT COACH

A former University of North Carolina player who coached in Detroit last year is definitely coming to the area to continue his coaching career. No, not that guy, although Larry...

BACK ON TRACH-SEL - STEVE HURLS REHAB GEM FOR ST. LUCIE

MET NOTES DENVER - Steve Trachsel's first rehab start was fine. His second one was apparently dominant. Trachsel, the Met right-hander who is on the way mend from a herniated...

JACKSON IS LOVIN' JASON'S PROGRESS

Add Reggie Jackson to the list of voices singing hosannas for Jason Giambi. "I think he deserves a tremendous amount of credit," the Hall of Fame slugger said of Giambi,...

SIMPLY UNAMAZIN' - AWFUL ROCKIES FOIL START OF METS' ROAD TRIP

Rockies 5 - Mets 3 DENVER - The Mets had won seven of their 10 games since the All-Star break, embarking on a good run against two first-place teams and...

BOOZE BASHIN' - SHEFF REVEALS HE KICKED DRINKING IN '99

Gary Sheffield can't tell you the exact moment he gave up booze. Yet, he can tell you that since he limits his alcohol intake to an occasional glass of wine...

BALLER OF THE WEEK: "HOLLYWOOD-A"

Adrian Walton's game is so nice they had to name him thrice. The former Fordham star who admits maturity problems plagued his past is on a mission to prove he...

PAVANO SHOULD RETURN ON SATURDAY

YANKEE NOTES If Carl Pavano's right shoulder doesn't bark after today's abbreviated minor league rehab outing, he will start Saturday against the Angels at Yankee Stadium. Pavano, who hasn't pitched...

WRIGHT MOVE - JARET WILL HEAD TO BULLPEN UPON ARRIVAL

THE Yankees are rehabbing Jaret Wright's injured shoulder with designs on putting a power arm in the bullpen, not the rotation, by mid-August. This decision is much like the one...