President Bush Sums Up the Financial Crisis the Best Way He Knows How“Wall Street got drunk,” the president said, “and now it’s got a hangover.” Also, Donald Trump Jr. invests in India, ‘Esquire’ editors decide to flash people, and more, in our daily roundup of finance, real-estate, media, and law news.
Sheryl Crow Finally Has Something to Say About Ashley and Lance
Sheryl Crow thinks it’s “pathetic” that Lance Armstrong is dating Ashley Olsen. Paris Hilton has been frequenting New York hot spots very late at night (or, rather, early in the morning). Donald Trump Jr. is suing the board members of his West Side condo for kicking him off. Jon Corzine’s ex, 48-year-old Carla Katz, is dating a 32-year-old American soldier and former model. Torch, a new club slated to open tonight, is scrambling to get Tiki Barber and 800 other invitees not to show up because the plumbing isn’t ready. A guy on the subway once told Matthew Broderick that he looked and sounded exactly like Matthew Broderick.
gossipmonger
Benicio Del Toro Helps Out a Gay Meth AddictFormer New York Stock Exchange chairman Dick Grasso may or may not have had an affair and fathered a love child. Steven Spielberg ate at the Waverley Inn with his family and a whole lot of other famous folks. Denise Rich sang a Rolling Stones song to an audience that included Donald Trump Jr. and Ivana Trump at new venue Espace. Benicio del Toro appeared at the Gay Men’s Health Crisis Center as a sponsor for a meth-addict friend. One of Howard Stern’s sidekicks filmed a porno inside Stern’s studio with Ron Jeremy. Jay-Z may be “scrambling” because the lead single from his American Gangster album is not doing well.
gossipmonger
‘Gossip Girl’ Star Chace Crawford Apparently Not Worried About His TruckAt the memorial service for former movie critic Joel Siegel, ABC anchor Charles Gibson noted that the Jewish Siegel sent the best Christmas cards. Gossip Girl star Chace Crawford got cozy with a “rude and nasty” Carrie Underwood at Marquee and a party at Soho Grand (not “Chance” Crawford, as reported by “Page Six”). Vanessa and Donald Trump Jr. dined at Gemma and drank at the Rose Bar in the Gramercy Park Hotel. Cindy Adams claims that members of John Edwards’s camp are “profoundly worried” about the recent allegations that Edwards strayed on his wife. David Lauren and Lauren Bush arrived via motorcycle to the Domino Bazaar Saturday.
new york fugging city
Celebs Rise and Fugging Shine at BCBGUnbelievably, for all the grousing we did in February about the relative lack of celebrities hanging around Bryant Park, we almost missed our first sighting of this season.
the morning line
Mike, Trumps, Rudy
• No particular surprise here, but it’s still pleasant to report: Despite not actually running, Bloomberg handily topped Giuliani in a Daily News presidential poll. Some 46 percent of New Yorkers pick Mike over Rudy, who gets 29 percent. [NYDN]
• Not fans of Bloomberg: the Virginia Citizens Defense League. It’s planning to hold a gun giveaway — in a government building — to raise money for two dealers sued by Bloomie. [WNBC]
• New York may start collecting DNA from just about all convicts in all crimes: Eliot Spitzer’s proposing mandatory sampling of all prisoners, parolees, registered sex offenders, and future cons. The program’s also supposed to make exonerating the wrongly jailed a snap. [NYT]
• The Post trumpets the “return of the Mafia.” An exclusive story claims that Sicilian mobsters are making a major comeback across the organized-crime landscape, especially with the Gambino brothers out of jail. About 28 Godfather references follow. [NYP]
• And, more Trumps! Donald Jr. and his wife Vanessa had a baby girl over the weekend, Kai “It’s Danish” Madison Trump; the Donald, who may not even be done siring his own progeny, thus becomes a grandfather. That is all. [amNY]
gossipmonger
Bar, PittyBrad Pitt played bartender for Angelina at the after-party of her new movie, The Good Shepherd. (He also gave his thoughts on the current state of the CIA). Fabian Basabe dropped his assault charges against Bungalow 8 at the behest of the Manhattan D.A., but he is still considering a civil lawsuit. Jim Carrey and J-Lo may be the two newest catches for the Church of Scientology. Christie’s tried to round up in-house “volunteers” (read: free labor) to man its “awesome auctions.” Rosie O’Donnell and Republican fund-raiser Georgette Mosbacher are B.F.F. because Rosie gave her $300k. Nicole Richie and Joel Madden must be really serious, because Richie listed Madden as an “emergency contact” when she was booked for her DWI charge Monday. Sylvester Stallone thinks Richard Gere blames him for the whole “gerbil incident.” Don Rickles made fun of Kirk Douglas at his 90th birthday party. Lillo Brancato — the Sopranos actor facing a murder rap — tried to commit suicide at Rikers Island last month. A local politician once propositioned a lesbian, and a pregnant real-estate broker doesn’t pay her taxes or her accountant. Donald Trump Jr. cut down his own Christmas tree. Liz Smith says China is considering dropping the dragon as its national symbol. Cindy Adams professes her love for The Good Shepherd, insults millions of working-class Americans in the process. (Says Cindy: “high school dropouts can stick to Daniel Craig’s shoot-n-shout shlock.”) “Why Men Cheat,” by Men’s Health editor Dave Zinczenko, has inexplicably become the most commented-on blog post in Yahoo history. Speaking of Zinczenko: Got rock-hard abs and the ability to read a TelePrompTer? Naked News is looking for a new anchor.
gossipmonger
Baby Deutsch, Baby TrumpLindsay Lohan flipped out at a GQ-sponsored dinner because she was seated next to Jessica Biel’s assistant — who used to work for Lindsay. (Related: Lohan has merely been in three car accidents, not four). Russell Crowe was dumped by his publicist, may have done something to warrant a late-night trip to a Santa Fe emergency room. Jay McInerney and Anne Hearst eloped, to honeymoon in the same spot that TomKat did. 60 Minutes to run more stories from other reporters (including A-Coop) to fill Ed Bradley’s slots. Bill O’Reilly will host an anti-immigration fund-raiser in Soho. Donny Deutsch will have a baby Deutsch. Michael Richards isn’t technically a member of the tribe, though he does like to think of himself as one. (Actually, he’s a Freemason!) Tony Parker and Eva Longoria got engaged. D’you hear? The founders of Spy have a book out. The chairman of Walt Disney Studios got a cheap laugh at a media conference making a joke about the Post, the Post reports. The Bachelor took the woman who won his heart for burgers at P.J. Clarke’s. Sheryl Crow is the new face of Revlon. Chazz Palminteri, of A Bronx Tale fame, is trying to bring his cabaret show to Broadway. Donald Trump Jr. spent more than $3,000 on a crib.
