Bobby Flay turns 44 today. You can wish him a happy birthday in person: He'll be the featured attraction at the NYC Wine & Food Festival event this evening at Chelsea Market. Also celebrating: Sean Lennon is 33. Trent Lott turns 67. Sharon Osbourne is turning 56. Pro golfer Annika Sörenstam is 38. Actor John O'Hurley is 54. Actor Brandon Routh is 29. Jackson Browne is 60. Director Guillermo del Toro is 44. And Randy Spelling, son of Aaron and brother of Tori, is turning 30.

♦ The Federal Reserve said on Wednesday that it would provide up to $37.8 billion to AIG. That's on top of the $85 billion lifetime the insurance giant got a few weeks ago. [NYT]
♦ Hank Paulson suggested yesterday the government may invest in banks as part of the next step in trying to resolve the credit crisis. [Bloomberg, NYT]
♦ Talks continue between Wells Fargo and Citigroup, who are both vying for control of Wachovia, although they appear close to a settlement. [WSJ, DB]

The latest issue of Architectural Digest has a big set of photos of Woody Allen and wife Soon-Yi's townhouse on East 70th Street. (Above: Woody's living room, which features a very fitting painting by Ed Ruscha.) A tour of the home after the jump.

♦ Charlotte Ronson continues with her role as the most respectable (and least annoying) member of Ronson family: She's signed a deal with J.C. Penney to design "a full contemporary sportswear collection" called I ♥ Ronson. [WWD]
♦ Did you sense that the fashion world had turned on its axis? That's because Richie Rich unveiled his first solo collection this past weekend in Miami Beach. [Miami New Times via Paper]
♦ Narciso Rodriguez is parting company with Liz Claiborne after an 18-month partnership; the designer will now have independent ownership of his brand. [WWD]
♦ Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen launched their Elizabeth and James line in London last night with the help of Henry Holland, Dasha Zhukova and Pixie Geldof. [FabSugar]

A cold-hearted, unfeeling Connecticut judge has thrown out a woman's claim that L'Oreal ruined her life by giving her brown hair. Charlotte Feeney says that a box of blonde hair dye contained brunette dye, and that as a result "she suffered headaches and anxiety, missed the attention that blondes receive and had to stay home and wear hats most of the time." Now who knows if she'll ever be able to put the pieces of her life back together? [AP]

The Post has a follow-up to the suit filed yesterday by four women who claim they were sexually harassed (and, in one case, raped) by a former manager of the Hawaiian Tropic Zone in Times Square. The women, who are seeking $600 million in damages from the former GM and the restaurant's parent company, Dennis Riese's Riese Organization, tell the paper that they're hoping the lawsuit ends up shutting down the company's entire chain of 113 restaurants. Unrelated: At least two of the four women are aspiring singers, in case you're curious: see here and here. [NY Post, previously]

You've probably seen the commercial: Avon Anew Clinical Advanced Dermabrasion System promises to fade fine lines and improve skin texture. Sounds great, and at $28 it's a lot cheaper than going to an actual dermatologist. But the authorities in the UK have called bullshit on the product's claims, and ordered the company to pull the ads. American TV audiences will be left unprotected from the deception, but we're still safe from the corrupting sight of Eva Mendes' boobs, thank goodness. [Daily Mail]

Last Friday, Howard Stern finally made an honest woman of his lady love Beth Ostrosky. US Weekly has the official photos from the wedding, which took place at Le Cirque and was attended by Barbara Walters, Billy Joel and Katie Lee, Jimmy Kimmel and Sarah Silverman, and Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos, who officiated. What Howard's perennial sidekick Robin Quivers says was a "clever, creative, fun party" appears to have been marred only by Ostrosky's dress: The Georgina Chapman-created number, unlike the designer's usual romantic, ethereal frocks, looks like it should have been accessorized with platform stripper shoes and a pole—which, come to think of it, would have been entirely appropriate.

Ron Lauder now says he'll "reluctantly" support Mayor Bloomberg's efforts to extend term limits so that he can take up a third term in 2009. Why? Because "we are in the midst of a financial emergency," of course! But Lauder says he only consented to the deal with the agreement that the city will put the matter before voters (again!) in 2010, at which point he'll go (back!) to supporting a two-term limit. Complicated! But at least now Lauder can return to his regularly scheduled nap. [NYT]

♦ It seems the closure of Jason Strauss and Noah Tepperberg's Marquee this summer had more to do with a drug-related sting operation than a water main break. [NYO]
♦ Frank Bruni gives one star to Socarrat Paella Bar in today's Times: Although Socarrat's signature dish isn't perfect, it's "better than the paellas at many other Spanish restaurants in New York." [NYT]
♦ The fro-yo wars are heating up: Both Pinkberry and Red Mango have hired branding firms to help define their places in the fro-yo market. [AdAge]
♦ The East Village nightclub Mr. Black has been shut down after failing to pay taxes. [VV via Gawker]

If you're planning your Christmas vacation to the Caribbean (or considering whether to follow Sarah Palin's lead and invest in a tanning bed in your home), consider this: "Forecasters say we're likely to be hit with one of those old fashioned winters with freezing temperatures and plenty of snow that you'll be able to tell your grandchildren about—not the wussy winters we've had in recent years." [NYDN]

Paris Hilton is keeping up her noble attempt to remain relevant in these complicated political and economic times. (She's got to do something to get people to watch her TV show, listen to her music, and buy her perfume, clothes, and line of canned prosecco!) The latest issue of Harper's Bazaar features Hilton standing behind a White House podium in a gem-studded jacket and bikini top addressing some of the issues she would tackle as the nation's commander-in-chief: "I pledge to support the American workforce by wearing only American designers: Calvin Klein between Memorial Day and Labor Day, Donna Karan the rest of the year." Of course, Donna Karan was purchased by the French about eight years ago, but we certainly don't expect her to keep up to date on the sprawling empire that is LVMH. We were a little disappointed, though, to see that she missed out on the chance to buy parishilton2008.com and parishiltonforpresident.com. The latter was purchased earlier today and is now up for sale. [NYP]

♦ Sean Hannity has signed a new "multi-year" deal with Fox News. [THR]
♦ Cutbacks at the Wall Street Journal: Reporters will only get one laptop now, not two. [Gawker]
♦ Ratings for Meet the Press have dropped since Tim Russert's passing. [NYP]
♦ The New York Times is shutting down the website for the International Herald Tribune. [E&P]
♦ People is rushing to market a 96-page, soft-cover book commemorating Paul Newman. [Folio]
♦ Dan Rather is seeking to expand his suit against CBS. And he's "only" making $1.5 million a year at HDNet, in case you were wondering. [Bloomberg]
♦ Dreamworks is downsizing. [Nikki Finke]
♦ The Natalee Holloway made-for-TV movie is on the way. To Lifetime, naturally. [NYP]
♦ Ryan Seacrest's radio show is coming to New York. And some people wonder why radio is dying. [NYP]

Nina Garcia has a bossily-titled new book to publicize, The One Hundred: A Guide to the Pieces Every Stylish Woman Must Own, which explains why she took time to talk with with the vaguely insufferable hipster parent site Babble.com about her one-year old. Little Lucas (full name: Lucas Alexander Conrod) wears "Chrome Hearts Tees and Burberry pants" that Garcia's fashionable friends have given him, even though she herself buys him inexpensive stuff. As for how she juggles motherhood and career, she says: "That's easy. He comes first." What, you don't think that appearing on Project Runway, being the fashion director of Marie Claire, and writing books would leave ample time for baby-bonding?

Here's a curious byproduct of the weak housing market: Divorce rates may end up going down since some couples in the process of splitting up don't have enough money for two separate homes. Now they can remain under the same roof (and exchange nasty put-downs) while they wait for the recession to run its course. [Miami Today via TBS]

Can you pick out which of these society staples is a registered Democrat or a Republican? There's no guarantee they'll show up at the polls on November 4th (or if they'll planning to follow their party's lead come election time), but take your best guess. Answers after the jump!

Alicia Keys talking on her phone in Midtown ... Khloe Kardashian and Joan Rivers selling cupcakes as part of a segment for Celebrity Apprentice ... Whitney Port walking with a friend around the Central Park Reservoir ... Chris Noth walking down Broadway ... Katie Holmes and Suri leaving their apartment on East 13th ... Gary Sinise and Russell Crow leaving ABC studios ... Aubrey O'Day posing on the red carpet at Bowlmor Lanes ... Debra Messing outside the Letterman show ... Actress Famke Janssen and her boyfriend walking their dog on Prince Street ... And Kourtney Kardashian and her boyfriend Scott Disick leaving their hotel in Midtown, just a few minutes before Jimmy Kimmel and CSI star Eddie Cahill stepped out, too.

Condé Nast has devoted an enormous sum to launch its new business title, Portfolio: While initial estimates pegged the cost at $100 million, it was recently reported that the media conglomerate may be planning to spend $150 million to get the magazine off the ground. Since its debut in 2007, Portfolio has struggled to gain subscribers and advertisers, fired editors and hired new ones, changed its cover strategy, and emerged as the perpetual train wreck that media obsessives can't get enough of. But now we hear things are worse than ever. "With everything that's happened over the past few weeks, everyone is much more concerned," an insider tells us. For good reason.

Interested in a life-sized Lego sculpture of you and your significant other for $60,000? An authentic Guinness pub installed in your home for $250,000? Maybe a Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course in your backyard for $1 million? The economy is screwed and the holidays aren't here yet, but Neiman Marcus has released its annual Christmas catalog full of the usual overpriced items. The savvy press reps at the high-end retail chain seem to have anticipated the questions about timing. It's just an elaborate press stunt, you see; they don't actually expect anyone to buy anything! "The whole purpose of these fantasy gifts is to make people smile... and sometimes bad times are even better for fantasy."

As if the calorie-counts that chain restaurants now have to display weren't scary enough (at least McDonalds has the sense to put the numbers in a size barely visible to the naked eye), the city's Health Department is now ambushing you on the subway with reminders that your diet sucks and you're never going to shift those stubborn extra pounds. As part of a three-month campaign that started Monday, posters will tell commuters how many calories are in particular snacks and meals (a giant apple bran muffin, 470 calories!) and point out that adults should eat only 2000 calories a day—which we're sure you don't need us to tell you is used up simply by looking at the frosting on cupcakes.