Good news if you're house-hunting in the Hamptons: More than 1,500 properties are now on the market, up from 1,000 at this time last year. Prices have yet to drop, though, since many homeowners are hoping to rent their mansions next summer rather than take a lower offer to sell now. [NYT]

Three years ago, Donald Trump filed a lawsuit against New York Times reporter Timothy O'Brien, the author of TrumpNation: The Art of Being Donald. The Donald's biggest objection to O'Brien's 288-page exposé? That O'Brien had suggested he was "only" worth $150-250 million, not the $5 billion that Trump argued was a more accurate estimate of his fortune. Trump filed a $5 billion defamation suit against O'Brien and his publisher, Warner Books, and the case that has been winding its way through the courts for close to three years now. After a modest victory last month—a judge ruled that Times publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr. could be compelled to give a deposition in the case—Trump suffered a defeat today: A New Jersey appeals court judge has ruled that O'Brien does not have to turn over the confidential sources who helped him come up with his "low-ball" estimate. Trump's lawsuit will continue to move ahead. And there's always a chance that Trump will ask for even more in damages: He's now suggesting he's worth $10 billion.

The highest paid member of the McCain/Palin campaign during the first two weeks of October? That would be Amy Strozzi, Sarah Palin's make-up artist who was nominated for an Emmy for her work on So You Think You Can Dance. [The Caucus]

Publicity-seeking artist Geoffrey Raymond is downtown today with his painting of former Fed chief Alan Greenspan, in case you happen to have nothing to do and you'd like to add your commentary to his portrait of the "Fallen Prince." [Dealbreaker, previously]

A plan to construct the first casino in New York City—4,500 slot machines at Aqueduct Race Track in Queens—is one step closer to becoming a reality. Now whatever money you still have left amid the recession you'll now be able to lose here at home, without traveling all the way to Atlantic City or Foxwoods! [GamingToday]

Gwyneth Paltrow arriving at JFK with her kids, Apple and Moses ... Michelle Williams getting coffee in Brooklyn with daughter Matilda ... Jessica Szohr eating on the set of Gossip Girl in Astoria ... Katie Holmes carrying Suri in Central Park ... Selena Gomez talking to fans outside CBS studios in Midtown ... Sarah Jessica Parker and son James leaving their West Village townhouse ... Mario Lopez bowling ... Liza Minnelli rehearsing for her upcoming show at a studio in Chelsea ... and Kate Bosworth leaving the Beatrice Inn.

Sarah Palin has finally gotten around to addressing the $150,000 worth of clothing purchased for her by the RNC. The aspiring veep now says that $50,000 worth of clothes was returned after the convention, and another third "remains unwrapped and packed in the belly of the vice presidential candidate's campaign plane." She'd also like people to know that she's so frugal, she normally shops at consignment stores. Her favorite? It's in Anchorage and it's called "Out of the Closet." [Fox News]

♦ The New York Times has endorsed Barack Obama, not surprisingly. [NYT]
♦ If Bravo loses Project Runway, there's always the copycat show Fashion House to fill the void. [NYP]
♦ Maer Roshan's Radar magazine has folded. [Gawker]
♦ OK! has a brand new editor, publisher and executive creative director. [NYP]

♦ Hilary Swank is reportedly in contract to buy a two-bedroom condo at the Superior Ink building in the West Village for $3.5 million. [WSJ]
♦ Kenneth Siskind, a managing director at Allen & Co., paid $3.15 million for a 12th-floor, three-bedroom apartment at 322 Central Park West. [Cityfile]
♦ Christopher Sinclair, the CEO of Cambridge Solutions in Greenwich, has picked up a four-bedroom vacation home in Palm Beach for $9.68 million. [Palm Beach Daily via TRD]
♦ Real estate investor Adam Gordon has listed his recently-renovated six-floor mansion at 54 Bond Street (which includes retail space on the first floor) for $36 million, just one year after buying the property for $15 million. [Curbed, Corcoran]

We're all trying to keep costs down during these turbulent economic times. And have you see how much costumes cost? We figured we'd do you a favor and set you up with your very own Halloween outfit. And for free, too! How does it work? It's simple. You pick a mask, you tell us where to mail it, and it's all yours. And you get to choose between seven exciting variations! Instructions, larger pictures of the masks, and a bit of helpful costume advice below.

Star Jones no longer has a husband to fight with or any co-stars to bash, so now she's going to battle with the board of her condo building at 300 East 90th Street over a mysterious leak that's been soaking her penthouse triplex since 2003. According to a lawsuit filed in the Manhattan Supreme Court, Jones wants $700,000 to compensate for water damage in her apartment, the $17,861-a-month she's been shelling out for a temporary rental since 2006, and the "unhealthy and dangerous" effects the now-moldy pad has had on her asthma condition. Still no word on what caused the leak to begin with, although we're guessing Barbara Walters and Joy Behar are prime suspects.

You certainly saw this one coming. Keith Olbermann reported last night that Joe Wurzelbacher ("Joe the Plumber") is now negotiating a book deal. Another Republican who is even more in demand with agents right now: Sarah Palin. "As more and more polls cast doubt on the McCain-Palin ticket, producers and agents across the entertainment world are discussing possibilities for capitalizing on her fame, ranging from an Oprah-style syndicated talk show to a Sean Hannity-like perch in cable news or on radio." [THR]

Fashion star Zac Posen celebrates his 28th birthday today. Actor Kevin Kline is 61. Law & Order's B.D. Wong is 48. R&B singer Monica is turning 28. Shenae Grimes of 90210 is 19. Your favorite bisexual MTV personality, Tila Tequila, is 27. And Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich celebrates his 42nd birthday today. Weekend birthdays after the jump.

♦ Lydia Hearst, seen here attending a party last week, doesn't think her family's publishing company should be hosting parties these days. "It's time to work through this crisis, not party through it," she says. [P6]
♦ How are Madonna and Guy Ritchie coping with their split? Madonna has supposedly enrolled in anger management classes at the Kabbalah Center, while Guy has been out with Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law. [The Sun, People]
♦ Elisabeth Hasselbeck is introducing Sarah Palin at a rally in Florida this weekend. [ET]
♦ A month after vacationing together in St. Tropez, Jennifer Lopez has asked Benny Medina to come back on as her manager. [Fox411]

Barack Obama speaks in Spanish in a new campaign commercial. And he has a pretty good accent, too. The video after the jump.

♦ This could get messy: Asian and European markets were mauled on Friday, pointing to another monumental beating for the U.S. market today. [MW]
♦ A recap of Alan Greenspan's humiliating day in front of members of a congressional panel yesterday. [NYT, NYP]
♦ One of the very few people who is having an exceptional year: John Paulson, whose three funds are up between 15 and 25 percent. [WSJ]

♦ André Leon Talley has joined the chorus of disapproval over Sarah Palin's wardrobe budget: "Wal-Mart hockey moms would never spend $150,000 on clothing." Then again, he's not so unhappy with what he's seen so far: "I thought that she was totally pro-Jackie in that knit suit." [The Cut]
♦ Meanwhile, that Louis Vuitton bag that Palin's daughter, Piper, was spotted with? It was quite likely a fake. [Fashionista]
♦ In tribute to Richard Blackwell, the UK Sun does its own worst-dressed list, honoring Rachel Zoe, Britney Spears, and Sharon Stone. [The Sun]
♦ The "luxury mall" in the basement of the Plaza has opened. [NYO]

At long last, Fox Business is tackling the issue that's really been keeping us all up late these past few weeks: How is Popeye's Chicken holding up during these tough economic times? Good news! Al Copeland Jr., the man who controls Popeye's, says that the chain is doing just fine, not because a $3.99 bucket of greasy chicken is the only thing some people can afford right now, but because of its "chef-crafted food, made from scratch." Who knew?

♦ Cain is re-opening tonight with a new look and a new name, Cain Luxe. [P6]
♦ The Chelsea club Citrine is opening tonight, too. [Eater]
♦ Le Cirque's chef, Christophe Bellanca, has parted ways with the Maccioni family. [Feedbag]
♦ A guide to the best ethnic bakeries in Manhattan. [NYT]
♦ Williamsburg's Kellogg's Diner reopens today. [GS]
♦ An early look at Supper Club, Bon Appetit's pop-up lunch spot that will be open through October 31st. [Eater]
♦ Katie Lee Joel defends her much-maligned, Burger Bash winning, patty melt. [YumSugar]

Michael Bloomberg has prevailed in his quest to run for the third term. By a vote of 29 to 22, the New York City Council voted to extend term limits a little while ago, overturning two voter referendums that had imposed a limit of two four-year terms. The vote wasn't without some excitement: After Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum announced the tally at 4:35 p.m., the balcony "erupted in shouts of 'The city's for sale!' and 'Shame on you!'" [NYT, NYDN, NYP]