August 22, 2005
PRETTY PAYOUT - REFCO PLAYERS POCKET $82M HELP ON TAXES
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amPrivate equity giant Thomas H. Lee and Refco CEO Phillip Bennett got an $82.2 million dividend payout from the company to help pay the taxes they owed after the trading...
VESTIMENTA SELLS OFF BRAND-NAME RIGHTS
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amVestimenta, which makes clothes under its own label as well as for Giorgio Armani and Calvin Klein, has sold the rights to the Vestimenta brand - known as Hilton outside...
REFCO TROVE ROCKS
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amThere are good deals and there are great deals, and then there are the deals made by people like Refco Inc. investor Thomas H. Lee and Refco Chairman and Chief...
RETRYING O.J. - FILMMAKER WHO HELPS WRONGLY JAILED TURNS TO SIMPSON TRIAL 10 YEARS LATER
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amIF a TV show can show how an innocent man was wrongly convicted, can it also show how a guilty one got off? "The O.J. Verdict" - a controversial PBS...
'FIGHTING' FOR THE KIDS
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amWHILE it doesn't break any new creative ground, Lifetime's latest women-we-love TV-movie, "Fighting the Odds: The Marilyn Gambrell Story," is the interesting true story of a parole officer-turned-inspirational teacher for...
CALLER ID RIGHT ON YOUR TV
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amTOO busy watching TV to get off the couch to answer the phone? Yeah, us too. Here's a helpful, new gimmick: Time Warner cable system is about to offer customers...
STARR REPORT
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amCharlie's angel? Nary a week goes by without those unnamed "friends" of "Two and a Half Men" star Charlie Sheen and wife Denise Richards blabbing about the estranged couple to...
FOOT FETISH - RETRO FOOTWEAR SNEAKS BACK INTO CLOSETS; SOLE SURVIVORS - THESE CLASSIC SNEAKS ARE BEING REISSUED FOR A NEW GENERATION OF FANS
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amALONG with skeletons, there's one item that's universal in all of our closets - an old pair of sneakers. You can't get rid of the former, but you don't want...
FOUR GIS KILLED IN AFGHANISTAN
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amFour American soldiers were killed and three wounded in Afghanistan yesterday in a bomb attack that came while they were trying to secure a province before next month's elections, the...
WEIRD BUT TRUE
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amAn alligator living in a Los Angeles lake is becoming a folk hero of sorts, with fans hoping he continues to elude capture. The alligator, believed to be an abandoned...
HELL WEEKEND - SIX MEN BLOWN AWAY IN 24 HOURS
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amGunfire erupted at a Queens park last night, leaving one man dead, another fighting for his life and two others injured. The shootings, in Laurelton, capped 24 hours of violence...
GRID MYSTERY - NFL ROOKIE DIES JUST AFTER GAME
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amStunned San Francisco 49er teammates yesterday were reeling from the sudden fatal collapse of offensive lineman Thomas Herrion after a grueling exhibition game. The 6-foot-3, 310-pound grid guard fell to...
NEW CHARTER STILL IN LIMBO
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amFacing a U.S. deadline for the second week in a row, the drafters of the new Iraq constitution yesterday still had no final document to present by today's deadline and...
3 DIE IN NEWARK CRASH - WRONG-WAY SUV
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amThree passengers were thrown from their vehicle and killed yesterday when an open-air Jeep collided with an SUV going the wrong way in Newark, police said. The Jeep, carrying the...
WILLIE BOWS OUT OF FUND-RAISER
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amCiting a scheduling conflict, GOP gubernatorial candidate William Weld yesterday a planned appearance yesterday at a fund-raiser for a group called Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth - but did...
WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amIN A highly unusual - and, some say, unethical - move, Assemblywoman Deborah Glick, a supporter of Margarita Lopez, prominently displayed a photo of Lopez in a taxpayer-funded mailer to...
ARIEL: BALL NOW IN PALESTINIAN COURT
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amJERUSALEM - As Israeli bulldozers leveled evacuated homes and businesses in the Gaza Strip yesterday, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon vowed there would be no more widespread "disengagement" until Palestinian leaders...
E.P.A. IN SLAY PROBE - N.J. WATER RECORD EYED
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amFederal investigators are probing whether there were signs of water-record tampering at a New Jersey treatment plant where a chemist was mysteriously murdered in February. In a long-shot move, the...
NYPD DAILY BLOTTER
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amBROOKLYN * Two teens tossed an object at a passing SUV in Brooklyn yesterday, injuring a 12-year-old girl and sparking a four-car collision. Jewel Roberson, 40, was driving her daughter,...
WEINER GOES DEM-BAITING AT LATEST DEBATE
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amAfter spending most of the campaign attacking Mayor Bloomberg, the four Democratic candidates finally slammed one another in a feisty debate yesterday morning. With just over three weeks until the...
MARTHA'S HANDPICKED APPRENTICES - 10 WOMEN AND 6 GUY WANNABES
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amTrump this, Donald! Martha Stewart has handpicked the new cast of her version of "The Apprentice" - and the candidates are a far cry from the brash wannabes we've seen...
GOP SENATOR AND VET: IRAQ LOOKING LIKE 'NAM
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amA Republican senator with his eye on making a 2008 presidential run said yesterday that the war in Iraq is looking a lot like the war in Vietnam and that...
NYPD COPS NAB 'KILLER' IN FLORIDA
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amNYPD cops hunting a Brooklyn man accused of fatally stabbing his ex-girlfriend's mother and her pet Chihuahua in a jealous rage have busted him in Florida, law-enforcement sources said yesterday....
DAY OF DEATH - 5 MEN BLOWN AWAY IN JUST 10 HOURS
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amFive men were gunned down in separate incidents in just 10 hours over the weekend - including a Bronx dad known for combating gang violence and a gentle-giant, budding basketball...
KEEPING THE GROUND SACRED: WRONG PLACE FOR ARTS
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amTHE unprovoked and barbaric attacks of 9/11, and the many months of rescue and recovery at Ground Zero, have been permanently seared into the hearts and minds of more than...
'ABLE' WAY TO BAG SADDAM
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amWASHINGTON - The computer technology used by the secret Pentagon unit that allegedly detected the presence of 9/11 hijackers in the United States is now a major tool of American...
3 HURT IN BROADWAY TRUCK FIRE
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amA truck burst into flames on the Upper West Side yesterday, burning two people inside and injuring a third, officials said. The truck was traveling south on Broadway near West...
WRONG-WAY SUV SNUFFS OUT 3 LIVES IN NEWARK
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amThree people were killed yesterday when they were thrown from their open-top vehicle after it collided with an SUV going the wrong way on a Newark street, police said. Their...
PARDON THE INTER'NUP'TION - BERMUDA WEDDING BACK ON
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amA Westchester couple that missed its wedding in Bermuda when its cruise ship was abruptly re-routed to Canada is finally getting their day in the sun. Lauren Correa and her...
'FLIP-FLOP FREDDY' - '01 ATTACK DOCUMENT RICH WITH '05 AMMO
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amThe Post has obtained a copy of the "negative research" book on Fernando Ferrer, prepared in painstaking detail by Mark Green's campaign four years ago. The 114-page, never-before-released "Ferrer Research...
ROCK OF AGED - ROLLING STONES CAN STILL THRILL
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amBOSTON - At the kickoff concert to what may very well be the Rolling Stones' final tour before they kick off, the wizened British rockers made Beantown boil at Fenway...
SHOCKING PEEK BEHIND SCENES - FOULMOUTHED TIRADES, PATRONAGE BIDS REVEALED IN 'ILLEGAL' PHONE RECORDINGS OF GOV, LIBBY & OTHERS
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amALBANY - Someone secretly recorded private telephone calls to Gov. Pataki, his wife, Libby, then-Sen. Alfonse D'Amato and others - capturing sensitive personal and political conversations, tapes obtained by The...
SLAIN JEW'S KIN SEEK PLO MISSION AS PAYMENT
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amThe Palestinian Authority may have to hand over its United Nations mission to a Jewish family if a judge agrees that the Manhattan property should be used to pay part...
TYRANT CAPTOR IN A HOLE - EX-GI CAUGHT SADDAM - BUT CAN'T CATCH A BREAK
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amJeans Cruz never thought he would have a tough time finding a job with a résumé like his: computer training, nursing skills, military experience - and capturing Saddam Hussein. The...
GRAPE EXPECTATIONS FOR QUEENS
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amQueens' first vineyard is outgrowing wine experts' wildest expectations. "They've been amazed. And now everyone wants to be on the list for the first bottle," said James Trent, founder of...
WELD COY ON GAY MARRIAGE - SWINGS BOTH WAYS
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amNEWLY minted Republican gubernatorial hopeful William Weld is refusing to take a position on the highly controversial 2003 ruling by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court legalizing same-sex marriages - even...
SHUTTLE CATCHES FLIGHT TO FLORIDA
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amThe space shuttle Discovery finally returned home to the Sunshine State yesterday. The ship - forced nearly two weeks ago to land in California because of bad weather in Florida...
ISRAEL FINDS A WAY - AND ROOM
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amJERUSALEM - Where do you put 8,500 suddenly homeless and unhappy Gaza Strip settlers? Wherever you can. The eviction of 1,800 families has the brand-new Israeli Disengagement Authority renting hundreds...
'MEAT' THE EXPERT - BURGER FANS GET THEIR BUNS OVER TO NYU
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amNew York University is serving up the ultimate gut course this fall, and it's redefining what it means to cram. Hamburger Heaven - the university's first hamburger appreciation course -...
FROM SCAM TO LAM: SEVAN ON 'THE RUN'
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amWASHINGTON - Investigators fear that the former head of the U.N. oil-for-food program may have left the country to avoid prosecution for taking oil bribes from Saddam Hussein, The Post...
THE ULTIMATE 'SHOP CLASS' - $PREES FOR THE TRENDY TEENAGER
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amBig Apple parents with deep pockets are dropping a record amount of money on their kids to get them the trendiest clothing, hottest laptops and cutting-edge gadgets as they head...
SEXY TENNIS STAR TELLS A 'TALL' TALE
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amTowering tennis phenom Maria Sharapova is covering a little more court these days - she's grown two inches since last year's Wimbledon. The Russian-born teen, who has climbed the ranks...
'VIRGIN' GETS SOME - $CORES ON VERY FIRST TIME OUT
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amThe "40-Year-Old Virgin" nailed the box office first time around - snatching $20.6 million to debut at No. 1 for the weekend. Steve Carell's debut as a leading man was...
QUEENS' GRAPE EXPECTATIONS
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amQueens' first vineyard is outgrowing wine experts' wildest expectations. "They've been amazed. And now everyone wants to be on the list for the first bottle," said James Trent, founder of...
CATCHER PLANE UPSET
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amMike DiFelice's first day as a Met was one to forget. DiFelice was told at about 11:30 Saturday night he had been called up from Triple-A Norfolk after Mike Piazza...
KRIS MISS NO TIME FOR JOY - NATS BOUNCE BENSON, MANHANDLE METS
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amNationals 7 - Mets 4 "Analyze This" was a hit. "Analyze That" was not. Such is the story of the 2005 Mets. For every good moment there is a bad...
ANDY, KIM CLINCH
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amAndy Roddick and Kim Clijsters clinched the U.S. Open series yesterday, meaning that if they win at Flushing Meadows, they will net twice the prize money. This new gimmick is...
SPRAINED KNEE KOS PETERSON
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amGIANT NOTES The Giants feel heading into this season they've significantly improved their depth at cornerback. They had better be correct in that assessment, as they will likely have to...
STILL TRYING TO BELIEVE
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amTHE game ended and the games began. The Mets lost 7-4 to the Nationals yesterday and afterward Omar Minaya, Willie Randolph and members of their staffs gathered in the manager's...
NETS BEATEN BY LAKERS IN MCKIE BATTLE
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amThe Nets were blown out of the water. According to a league official, the Lakers stepped up by offering Aaron McKie nearly half their midlevel excepton, a two-year deal for...
GIANT PAIN - EXTENT OF ELI'S ELBOW INJURY UNKNOWN
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amThe hope was for Eli Manning to awaken yesterday, stretch out his right arm and feel no discomfort. That did not happen. "This is something we never ever wanted to...
DEAL 'EM IN - METROS LOOKING FOR HELP
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amThe desperate MetroStars hosted last-place Chivas USA last night in a game they admitted they had to win to have any reasonable chance of reaching the MLS Cup playoffs. It's...
BOSS HORSE APPEARS SET FOR TRAVERS
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amSARATOGA SPRINGS - George Steinbrenner's Bellamy Road, who hasn't raced since finishing seventh as the favorite in the Kentucky Derby, will likely make his comeback in the mile-and-a-quarter "Midsummer Derby,"...
PIAZZA'S NOT HAPPY ON DL
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amMET NOTES The Mets placed Mike Piazza on the 15-day DL yesterday, but that is only half of what concerns the catcher. "The only thing for me that's frustrating is...
THIS TIME, MIG GETS THE CALL
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amSARATOGA SPRINGS - Track was good, harrowed after overnight rains; all grass races were switched to main track. When NYRA, or whoever takes over franchise, gets enough money, priority should...
RUSTY TY: I'M RIGHT ON TRACK
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amJET NOTES And now for Ty Law's comeback. "I'm pleased where I'm at with my foot," Law said after his first full Jets practice. "I'm right on track." Law hopes...
TIE TRYIN' - GUEVARA RESCUES METROS
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amMetroStars 3 - Chivas USA 3 Amado Guevara had to watch last Sunday's MetroStars game from the stands. The disgruntled star had already pronounced his desire to leave the club...
WHITE SOX STUNNED BY UNIT'S COLLAPSE
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amCHICAGO - They hit four homers off Randy Johnson in the fourth inning but none of the White Sox said the Big Unit has turned into the Big Salad. "I...
CHISOX ROLL OVER RANDY - JOHNSON ALLOWS FOUR BOMBS IN FOURTH INNING
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amWhite Sox 6 - Yankees 2 CHICAGO - Big Unit? For one inning, Randy Johnson morphed into The Big Launching Pad. Or World's Largest Batting Tee. Then it was back...
GIAMBI'S STRENGTH COACH SPLITS
August 22, 2005 | 4:00amYANKEE NOTES CHICAGO - Jason Giambi had a tough weekend. His hitting slump stretched to 0-for-20, he fouled a ball off his right calf and his strength and conditioning coach...