July 26, 2004

CEO SCOTT #1: FORTUNE

Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott is the biggest cheese in business, Fortune says this week, ranking him at the top of its "Power 25" list of the most important executives in...

BROKER SANDS IS PROBED BY NASD

The National Association of Securities Dealers is probing Sands Brothers, a New York brokerage firm, for dodging payments to clients who have successfully sued them, sources told The Post. Regulators...

WE’LL ALWAYS HAVE PARIS (AND IT’S A ONE-MAN SHOW!)

YOU don't have to be a blonde to play Paris Hilton. You don't even have to be a woman. Ask Kevin Shinick. In "I Love Paris," premiering tonight off- Broadway,...

WIDOW OF NEWSMAN SUES HOSP.

A "60 Minutes" producer - on the way to becoming the long-running show's top exec, died because doctors at a prominent hospital overmedicated him and tried to cover it up,...

VOLUNTEER DAY SOUGHT FOR 9/11

Two New York lawmakers are asking President Bush to designate a national day of volunteer service in memory of the victims and heroes of 9/11. Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY) and...

JOHN’S HAVING A BALL – MAKES SURPRISE VISIT TO SOX GAME

BOSTON - Democrat John Kerry swooped into Boston last night on a stealth mission on the eve of his convention - saying he couldn't bear to miss the climactic game...

BROOKLYN SHOPPERS ENTHRALLED BY MALL

Crowds flocked to the opening of a major new shopping mall in downtown Brooklyn yesterday, sampling free hot dogs, ice cream and balloons in a carnival-like atmosphere as they browsed...

DEADLY DATE IN BRONX – THUG KILLS DRIVER

A young college grad's night out with an old friend turned into a date with death early yesterday when an armed robber pounced on their car at a Bronx intersection...

BLIND KIOSK OWNER IN BID TO SAVE LIVELIHOOD

After 33 years, a blind newsstand operator faces eviction because the city sent his license-renewal forms to an old address. Two years ago, Marvin Titen, 69, realized he hadn't received...

NYPD DAILY BLOTTER

THE BRONX * An unidentified man was struck and killed yesterday by a subway train, police said. The motorman saw the victim lying on the tracks as the southbound No....

COPS FIND BLOOD IN LORI’S HOME

Police in Utah yesterday reportedly were examining evidence, including a bloody knife, that suggests missing pregnant jogger Lori Hacking was killed in her Salt Lake City apartment. Cops have uncovered...

GAY NUPS PROTESTED AT CITY HALL

Dozens of heterosexual couples renewed their wedding vows outside City Hall yesterday to protest gay marriage. "When you counterfeit marriage, you weaken it," said Rev. Joseph Mattera, director of the...

HAMPTONS DIARY

WHAT a difference a sentencing makes. A freshly blonded Martha Stewart was back in the Hamptons with a vengeance this weekend, schmoozing with celebrities, posing for pictures and shopping in...

PASSENGER DIES IN ‘DWI’ HORROR

A Queens woman who was riding in a car operated by a drunk driver was killed in an early-morning crash on the Grand Central Parkway, cops said. Diana Almonte, 25,...

SOMBER N.J. VIGIL FOR TRAGIC BRITTNEY

BRICK TOWNSHIP, N.J. - They came by the hundreds last night, lighting candles in memory of Brittney Gregory - the beautiful 16-year-old honors student believed murdered by an ex-con. More...

BULL’S-EYE LOOKS GOOD ON A-ROD

BOSTON - The battle scars were on Alex Rodriguez's right cheek as he walked into the clubhouse yesterday afternoon a few minutes after five. He was decked out in a...

NETS EYE WILCOX IN KERRY DEAL

With Shareef Abdur-Rahim now out of their grasp, the Nets continue to shop Kerry Kittles and have had serious talks with the Clippers, according to league sources. The Clippers, spurned...

SORE WRIST KOS VARITEK

How tough is Jason Varitek? Yesterday, backup Boston catcher Doug Mirabelli said Varitek is one of the "worst two guys" to mess with on the Red Sox. But Alex Rodriguez...

REYES MAKING STRIDES

It was maddeningly typical of the Mets' anguish the past two weeks. They got a huge day out of red-hot Jose Reyes, who had a career-high four hits; but in...

BROWN LOOKS OK IN FINAL REHAB TEST

Billy Connors flew in from Tampa to supervise. Anxiety and excitement blended among the dozen rookies in the clubhouse. And there, at the center of it all, stood Kevin Brown,...

YANKEES BOMB IN BEANTOWN – CONTRERAS HAMMERED AS SOX CLAIM SERIES

Red Sox 9 - Yankees 6 BOSTON - Only Red Sox groupie John Kerry threw a baseball worse than Jose Contreras last night at Fenway Park. Kerry, the feeble-armed Democratic...

SCHOOLS FAIL OUR CHILDREN – SHOCKING STATE REPORT

Thousands of students are the victims of what amounts to educational malpractice at the city's failing public schools, according to state findings obtained by The Post. State Education Department inspectors...

KKR GROUP LOOKS AT AT&T TAKEOVER PLAY

Ma Bell might be bracing for a takeover by one of the world's leading buyout firms and a group of former AT&T executives, Newsweek reports this week. The former high-ranking...

FATAL REUNION – CRASH KILLS L.I. STUDENT, INJURES 2 BUDDIES

A reunion of high school pals ended in tragedy after a Long Island man lost control of his car and ran into a tree, killing himself and injuring two passengers....

TRUMP OPENS HEART TO SHATTERED FAMILY

Two devastated immigrant parents - who buried their three young kids earlier this month after they were killed in a tragic car accident - got some help last week from...

‘MOB’ABLE FEAST – SAN GENNARO BOSS ID’D AS A WISEGUY

A "made" member of the Bonanno crime family is now the boss of the San Gennaro feast - less than a decade after former Mayor Rudy Giuliani vowed to either...

RE’BOURNE’ SPY THRILLER IS NO. 1

Matt Damon reigned supreme as "The Bourne Supremacy" rocked the weekend box office, while the weekend's other big debut, "Catwoman," was declawed. Damon's action-packed spy sequel rocketed to No. 1...

SANDY MEMO MAY EMERGE

The Bush administration is examining whether to declassify the top-secret memo that former Clinton National Security Adviser Sandy Berger took out of the National Archives, sparking a criminal probe, officials...

HARDY HOLY MAN – PRESIDES AT NUPS HOURS AFTER BRUTAL BEATING

A battered and bruised Bronx priest, who bravely beat back a deranged man as he attacked churchgoing parishioners, didn't let his injuries keep him from officiating at a cousin's wedding...

KIDS SEE DAD’S FIERY SUICIDE

A Queens cabby burned himself to death in front of his two terrified young kids yesterday after a bitter argument with his wife. Rishi Ram Sawak, 48, had been drinking...

N.Y. GIVES HILL BADGE OF DISHONOR

BOSTON - A political button that sticks it to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton was the talk of the New York delegation last night. The official delegate button, unveiled at a...

EBAY WILL AUCTION WHOLE KITT & CABOODLE

The star of the 1980s TV series "Knight Rider" goes on the eBay auction block this week. No, not David Hasselhoff, the "young loner on a crusade to champion the...

FIERY SUICIDE – HORRIFIED KIDS SEE DAD TORCH SELF

A Queens cabby yesterday burned himself to death in front of his two terrified young kids after a bitter argument with his wife. Rishi Ram Sawak, 48, had been drinking...

TRAGIC DATE IN BRONX – SHOT MAN BRAIN DEAD

A young college grad's night out with an old friend left him brain dead yesterday when an armed robber pounced on their car at a Bronx intersection and shot him...

COMEBACK CONEY – DROP IN CRIME A ‘SHORE’ THING

For years, fear of crime defined Coney Island as much as its sand, surf and sideshows. But the NYPD's continuing crime-prevention efforts have been paying off, pumping new life into...

NEWSMAN’S WIDOW SUES TOP HOSPITAL

A "60 Minutes" producer - on the way to becoming the long-running show's top exec - died because doctors at a prominent hospital overmedicated him and tried to cover it...

ECK: BASEBALL SAVED ME

COOPERSTOWN - Dennis Eckersley, only the third closer elected to the Hall of Fame, wrapped up the induction ceremony yesterday with tear ducts open, successfully challenging even one of the...

PUTTING EMOTION ASIDE

BOSTON - One clubhouse resembled Times Square on V-J Day, a giddy, gleeful cacophony of shouts and laughter. You could hear the revelry from the neighboring concourse outside the Red...

BOSOX REMAIN BIG THREAT

BOSTON - Consider this a useful weekend of field research for the Yankees, who get on with the rest of their summer fully aware once again that the Red Sox,...

MOUNDS OF TROUBLE FOR JOSE, STAFF

BOSTON - Jose Con treras proved once again he simply is not man enough to pitch at Fenway Park. The problem is not his arm, but his head. "He wasn't...

COTTON’S WORLD OPEN TO ALL

PHOENIX - Cotton Fitzsimmons, who would be the first to say he had a great run, died peacefully at 72 in his own Scottsdale bed Saturday night with his wife,...

MILLAR’S BAT PUMMELED BOMBERS

BOSTON - Kevin Millar's bat is nearly as unstoppable as his mouth. In the past four days, the outspoken leader of the "Cowboy Up" crew dissed Boston fans and strongly...

DAMON EARLY RISER FOR SOX

BOSTON - Call Johnny Damon the hair-o of the day. Boston's shaggy-haired cult hero came up clutch twice in the first two innings last night, rescuing the Red Sox with...

MOLITOR WAS MAGIC – DH OVERCAME INJURIES, DRUGS

COOPERSTOWN - Dennis Eckersley, Hall of Famer, knew one when he saw one, all the way to the on-deck circle where Paul Molitor waited. "I used to look there and...

STARR REPORT

Their pilots take off Robert Marianetti and David Wachtenheim, the animating duo behind Robert Smigel's "TV Funhouse" in "SNL," have added Cartoon Network to their resume. The duo directed and...

CITY’S ROAD TO RECOVERY

It wasn't that long ago that every New Yorker maintained a level of street cred simply for living here. In fact, in 1993 we lived in a metropolis with more...

FEDS HAVE HUGE GOP BOMB TEAM

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is about to send its largest team of agents ever to a single event - the Republican National Convention in the city...

‘STALKING HEAD’ IS CLEARED – SUITS VS. ANCHOR DROPPED

Two men who claimed they were being harassed and stalked by TV personality Steve Bartelstein have quietly dropped their sensational lawsuits against the WABC/Channel 7 morning man, The Post has...

BUSH PRAISES ‘AWESOME’ LANCE

BOSTON - President Bush phoned Lance Armstrong yesterday to congratulate his fellow Texan on a record sixth Tour de France triumph. "You're awesome," Bush told Armstrong. Bush's phone call thrust...

ISRAELI SIEGE KILLS ARAFAT THUGS

Israeli soldiers yesterday shot and killed six Palestinian militants - including two commanders of Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement - in a West Bank firefight that capped a violence-filled day in...

THUGS STAB AND SHOOT AT CO-OP CITY WEDDING

Goon wedding-crashers stabbed the groom and his best man and shot a family friend as they were leaving the reception in Co-op City early yesterday morning, police said. It's unclear...

CLINTONS GET PARTY STARTED

BOSTON - John Kerry's Democratic convention kicks off today - but the first star speeches belong to Bill and Hillary Clinton. The former first couple headlined a super-hot party last...

ALL SYSTEMS GO – THE RIGHT WAY TO EXPAND SUBWAYS

THIS WEEK the MTA will submit its capital plan for system improvements and expansions over the next five years. The plan has been shaped by our view that what lies...

MAN HELD IN IMMIGRANT MUGS

A Pennsylvania man posing as a contractor robbed Mexican day laborers at gunpoint in a weeklong spree on Long Island, police said. Patrick Kelly, 37, was arrested and charged with...

DEAD WOMAN DUMPED ON QNS. STREET

The body of a woman who died mysteriously was left on a quiet Queens street yesterday afternoon, police said. The unidentified woman, who appeared to be in her 20s, was...

RIDER DIES IN QUEENS ‘DWI’ CRASH

A Queens woman who was riding in a car operated by a drunken driver was killed in an early-morning crash on the Grand Central Parkway yesterday, police said. Diana Almonte,...

COPS SHOOTS ‘SHOPLIFTER’

A police officer shot and wounded a shoplifter who tried to flee from a Target store last night in Brooklyn, police said. It was not immediately clear if the suspect...

DIVA ALREADY A CELL-EBRITY – JAIL GALS ABUZZ FOR MARTHA

Attention, Martha: Inmates at the Danbury Correctional Facility in Connecticut are eagerly awaiting your arrival. Prisoners at the minimum-security prison camp where Martha Stewart is expected to serve her sentence...

DEJEAN’S A RELIEF FOR WEARY PEN

The Mets' bullpen has been beleaguered and burnt out, the single largest culprit in losing nine of their last dozen games. But if there was a silver lining to be...

YANKEES ABSORB MORE SETBACKS – RETURNS OF MOOSE, GIAMBI UNDECIDED

BOSTON - Injury and illness continue to frustrate the Yankees. Mike Mussina was supposed to test his irritated right elbow in a Fenway Park bullpen session yesterday, but didn't because...

PEP TALK COMES UP FLAT

AL Leiter grabbed a few pa pers, Exhibit A, and headed to an off-limits area in the home clubhouse to orchestrate a pre-game, closed-door meeting that he had called. Printed...

PULP FICTION: JOHN TRAVOLTA MULLS BIO

John Travolta may soon join the ranks of celebrity memoirists. His literary agent, New Hampshire-based Susan Crawford, has set up meetings for the "Saturday Night Fever" and "Pulp Fiction" star...

‘I DO’ IT AGAIN – NO FEAR, MS. SPEARS: WEDDING PROS OFFER TIPS FOR OOPS-FREE NUPTIALS; BRIT’S WEDDING BELLE CLUES

BRITNEY Spears' second trip down the aisle promises to be far more glamorous than the first - though out-styling a Las Vegas chapel won't be hard. While the details of...

SENSUOUS & STEAMY ‘TANGO’

FOREVER TANGOThe Shubert Theatre, 225 W. 44th St. (212) 239-6200. Performances through Aug. 29. WHEN Luis Bravo 10 years ago started a spectacular tango show with his life savings, he...

‘THE A-BEN-TICE’ SOUNDS FAMILIAR

MATT and Ben want to be just like The Donald. A new Spike TV cable show called "American Start-Up," produced by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, will give eight wannabe...

I’M DEAD SET ON MOVING HARRY: LEONA

THERE goes the neighborhood. Hotel empress Leona Helmsley is plotting to uproot beloved hubby Harry from his final resting spot at Woodlawn Cemetery - because his "view" will soon be...

WEIRD BUT TRUE

Cops in Columbia, S.C., have gotten rid of hookers and junkies in abandoned buildings by stinking them out. They spray the buildings with a chemical called Skunk Shot - which...

THIS HEINZ IS NO EASY SQUEEZE

John Kerry's hunky stepson, Chris Heinz, looks like a movie star, is an heir to a billion-dollar ketchup fortune and boasts a Harvard MBA - but he still can't find...

CRASH KILLS L.I. STUDENT

A reunion of high-school pals ended in tragedy after a Long Island man lost control of his car and ran into a tree, killing himself and injuring two passengers. Graduate...

U.S., IRAQIS GUN DOWN 13 REBS

American and Iraqi forces killed 13 militants in a major battle north of Baghdad yesterday. The hourlong engagement began after rebels used guns and rocket-propelled grenades on Iraqi police and...

FAMILY BIZ SWINGING AGAIN

Fifteen years ago, when Kenny Kaufman was helping his father build the Coney Island Batting Range on Stillwell Avenue, he had to develop an emergency plan to secure the baseball...

JOHN’S HAVING A BALL – SURPRISE VISIT TO SOX GAME

BOSTON - Democrat John Kerry swooped into Boston last night on a stealth mission on the eve of his convention - saying he couldn't bear to miss the climactic game...

CHUCK GETS ELIOT BANNED IN BOSTON

BOSTON - New York delegates arrived at the Democratic National Convention last night amid simmering political tensions and a growing logistical "nightmare." Insiders said a dispute had erupted over whether...

TRUMP CHIPS IN TO AID TRAGIC FAMILY

Two devastated immigrant parents - who buried their three young kids earlier this month after they were killed in a car accident - got some help last week from New...

BIG UNIT EXPECTING TRADE

YANKEE NOTES BOSTON - Randy Johnson, who can veto a trade, signed autographs for his Arizona teammates during the weekend, giving a clear indication he expects to be dealt before...

SCHILLING TICKED BY A-ROD REACTION

Yesterday afternoon, Curt Schilling called Alex Rodriguez's reaction on Saturday "stupid" and said it was "[bleeping] ridiculous" if A-Rod indeed thought he were being targeted by Bronson Arroyo. "Yesterday happened...

PIAZZA EYES RETURN TO LINEUP TOMORROW

MET NOTES Mike Piazza, who yesterday missed his fourth consecutive game with a sprained left wrist, hopes to play tomorrow in Montreal. By going through a light batting practice session...

SPORTSCENTER: ‘ROCK’ BOTTOM

FACT or Fiction: Putting a band on SportsCenter" is the best idea ESPN has ever had? Fiction. It is the worst idea! This week, SportsCenter will have musical performances by...

SCHILLING TICKED OFF BY ALEX’S REACTION

Yesterday afternoon, Curt Schilling called Alex Rodriguez's reaction on Saturday "stupid" and said it was "[bleeping] ridiculous" if A-Rod indeed thought he was being targeted by Bronson Arroyo. "Yesterday happened...

SAME OLD SONG: BEAT THE METS – BRAVES IN TUNE, AMAZIN’S SWOON

Braves 4 - Mets 3 Art Howe chose "frustrating." Cliff Floyd went with "depressing." Steve Trachsel picked "disappointing." Such are the words the Mets used when asked to describe their...

BROWN’S ON TRACK FOR WEEKEND RETURN

Hud. Valley 8 - S.I. Yanks 4 There was Kevin Brown last night, fresh off an 80-pitch rehab outing here on Staten Island, wondering about the strength of his back...