Moammar Khadafy's tent in Donald Trump's backyard was dismantled this afternoon. As for how much Trump really knew about who had rented his Bedford property—or whether he was truly duped by the Libyan leader's reps—that remains an open question. In what may be a historic first for the Trumpster, he's turning down all interview requests for the time being. Savor the moment. [AP, previously]
• The week in reviews: Pete Wells of the Times shows little love for Hotel Griffou this week, leaving the Village hotspot starless; TONY's Jay Cheshes has nice things to say about Michael Psilakis' Gus & Gabriel; NY's Patronite & Raisfeld weigh in on Brooklyn's Fort Defiance; RG visits Yerba Buena Perry; and Gael Greene shares thoughts on Jeffrey Chodorow's latest, Ed's Chowder House.
• More photos/details about the new MePa venue Abe & Arthur's. [TFB, Eater]
• Are those calorie counts that are now posted for all to see (sigh) actually making a difference? Unclear, but the city is now conducting "research." [NYT]
• Incoming Tavern on the Green operator Dean Poll says it will take up to four years (and lots of cash, of course) to finish renovations on the space. [NYP]
• Nevermind the endless delays and appalling lack of legroom, some airlines are now offering passengers their very own signature cocktails. Yay! [VV]
• Do you know a "foodiot"? Probably, although you may be one, too. [NYO]
• If Mike Bloomberg asks you to bring over dinner, you can't go wrong with the half chicken with herbs at Quatorze Bis or the Sichuan shrimp from Shun Lee Palace. Whatever you do, do not pick up anything from Blue Smoke. [NYT]
Is Rudy Giuliani planning to run for president again in 2012? And is that why President Obama encouraged Gov. Paterson to abandon his gubernatorial bid? (The theory being that if Giuliani becomes New York's governor next year, he'd be better positioned to compete in a presidential election in 2012, and that by pushing Paterson aside, the chances of Rudy taking Albany are greatly diminished.) That's "insanity" and "very silly," and it ain't gonna happen, says Steve Kornacki. [PolitickerNY]
• Condé Nast editors and publishers may be forced to cut their budgets by as much as 25% now that the consultants reviewing operations are completing their tour of duty. Not surprisingly, "significant layoffs" are expected. [NYO]
• More trouble for Harvey: The Weinstein Co. says it plans to cut 35 additional positions at the film company over the next month or so. [THR]
• A new bidder for beleaguered BusinessWeek appears to have emerged in ex-BMG chief Strauss Zelnick and former WSJ publisher Gordon Crovitz. [BW]
• WSJ, the glossy owned by the Wall Street Journal, is expanding [WWD]
• The CW is planning a reality show about what it's like to be a Virgin flight attendant in search of "good times, great parties, adventure and love." [Wrap]
• Mark Consuelos (or Mr. Kelly Ripa) has been given the boot by Oprah. [NYP]
• The Observer is moving from the Flatiron district to a Jared Kushner-owned building in Midtown: "If I'm paying rent, I'd rather pay it to myself." [NYO]
• Eight out of ten Americans say they would oppose any plan to spend tax dollars to bail out failing newspapers. You're shocked by that, we're sure. [E&P]
It's official. The richest man in Russia, Mikhail Prokhorov, has taken control of the New Jersey Nets. The 44-year-old oligarch, who is worth $9.5 billion according to Forbes, signed a $200 million deal today with real estate developer/Nets owner Bruce Ratner that will make him the principal owner of the team, as well as a major investor in the Nets' long-delayed new home in Brooklyn. This makes Prokhorov the first foreign owner of an NBA team who isn't Canadian, and the "the only NBA owner who can dunk," according to Prokhorov. And the tri-state area now has its very own Mark Cuban, clearly. [NYT]
We trust that, like any self-respecting woman, you're no longer sporting the pathetic stunted eyelashes you had to go out and buy, but have been using Latisse to grow lashes that are "longer, thicker and darker." And as shocking as it might be that Latisse manufacturer Allergan, in its noble quest to save us from the shame of small eyelashes, would mislead its customers, the FDA recently sent out a letter warning the company that it's been minimizing some of the risks associated with use of the product.
Tinsley Mortimer has returned to NYC after a brief jaunt across the pond to hit up London Fashion Week. (She's now "living between New York and Knightsbridge," she explained to WWD earlier this week.) She rushed back to NYC yesterday, though, so she could make an appearance at the annual New Yorkers for Children gala at Cipriani 42nd Street last night.
One good thing about summer ending and fall beginning, according to the blog EVGrieve: If you're not too into guys wearing pink shirts (or draping pink sweaters over their shoulders, as the mayor is wont to do now and then), you can look forward to seeing a lot less of that on the streets of the city from now on. At least not until next May. [EVGrieve]
Gov. David Paterson is retooling his public image once again. After opting to shave off his salt-and-pepper beard a few weeks ago and go with a handsome mustache, he showed up to meetings this morning sans any facial hair whatsoever. Will this improve his standing with voters? Will it do anything to repair his relationship with President Obama? Let's just say it certainly can't hurt. [NYT, previously]
We really can't imagine why, but Bernie Madoff's old assistant, Eleanor Squillari, has decided to auction off a portrait of Madoff that the fraudster gave her as a gift back in the late '80s. (Squillari mentioned the photo in the June issue of Vanity Fair: "Once, he gave me a picture of him taken by Karsh, the famous Canadian photographer, saying, 'Here, hang this over your bed.'") It's estimated to sell for between $3,000-$5,000. But hurry up! Bidding ends tomorrow. [Artnet via Dealbreaker]
Moammar Khadafy didn't get to stay in Bedford last night—construction on his Bedouin-style tent was halted last night after his plans to camp out on Donald Trump's estate were revealed publicly—and he instead had to bunk down at the Libyan mission on East 48th Street. The world's most fashionable dictator held his first meeting of the day early this morning when he had a tête-à-tête with one the few people willing to talk to him, Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan. Then it was off to the United Nations where he bypassed protesters and delivered a rambling speech about, well, you name it. Dressed in tan-colored robes, black cap, and with a shiny black pin in the shape of Africa pinned over his heart, Khadafy relied on a handful of handwritten pages to deliver a 90-minute speech, which was about 75 minutes or so over the limit.
Sienna Miller walking her dog ... Rihanna getting out of an SUV ... Will Ferrell jogging near Union Square ... Matt Damon filming scenes for The Adjustment Bureau with Anthony Mackie in Brooklyn ... Paul Simon walking on Madison Avenue ... Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore leaving their hotel ... Kevin Bacon walking on 14th Street ... Bruce Willis arriving at ABC for an appearance on GMA ... Calvin Klein eating lunch outside at Sant Ambroeus in the Village ... Angie Harmon carrying her daughter on Madison Avenue ... and John Mayer leaving Gemma on the Bowery after having dinner.
Having a Tibetan nanny first became trendy several years ago. So you might think that overzealous Manhattan moms would have moved on to another nationality by now, wouldn't you? Apparently not. MSNBC reports that having a nanny from Tibet remains a "status symbol" for many parents, although some have been forced to make do without these prized domestic employees, since Tibetan nannies caught on to the trend years ago—and now command higher salaries as a result—and some financially challenged New Yorkers can't afford them any longer. So what are they doing instead? They've been forced to hire women from China and the Philippines! Sounds grim, huh? [MSNBC]
You probably assumed that anyone who had the misfortune to entrust their money to Bernie Madoff lost their shirts, right? Not quite. Only about half of his clients lost money when you account for how much cash they withdrew from their accounts during the same time period, say prosecutors. Does this mean prosecutors might now consider cutting Madoff's jail sentence in half? We're guessing the answer is "no," but we thought we'd throw it out there. [NYDN]
• The four-story Soho townhouse that Kate Hudson currently rents (but does not own) is up for sale and now available at a discount. The 4,136-square-foot property located at 43 King Street, which comes with four bedrooms, 3.5 baths, four fireplaces and a private garden in the back, first went on the market in November 2008 for $6.25 million. It now can be yours for $4.95 million. [Real Estalker, Corcoran]
• Publishing entrepreneur Win McCormack has put his apartment at 170 East End Avenue on the market less than a year after he bought it for $8.75 million. The four-bedroom apartment with 1,600-square-foot terrace overlooking Gracie Mansion and the East River is currently listed for $10.5 million. [Curbed, Corcoran]
• Mark Brashear, who heads up Hugo Boss in the US, has paid $3.2 million for a 2,793-square-foot condo at 60 Beach Street in Tribeca. [Real Deal]
In his nearly eight years as mayor, Mike Bloomberg has banned trans fats. He's forced chain restaurants to post calorie counts. Most recently, he took on the soft drink industry with an anti-obesity ad campaign. But when it comes to Bloomberg's own diet, it seems anything goes, according to the Times' Michael Barbaro. The mayor dumps salt on just about everything he eats, including pizza and even Saltine crackers. He has a weakness for all varieties of fast food and likes to snack on Cheez-Its. And you won't find him with a bottle of Poland Spring or Evian in hand. "I can count on two hands the number of times I have seen him drink water," says one of the mayor's regular dining companions. [NYT]
It's a big birthday for Bruce Springsteen. The rock legend turns 60 today. Also celebrating: Jermaine Dupri is turning 37. Singer Julio Iglesias turns 66. Mickey Rooney is 89. Playwright George C. Wolfe is turning 55. Jason Alexander of Seinfeld fame is 50. Hedge fund manager Marc Lasry is turning 50, too. Ani DiFranco turns 39. Writer Joshua Foer is turning 27. Writer/blogger Ana Marie Cox is 37. And Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain turns 24 today.
• Mischa Barton went to see "Tosca" at the Metropolitan Opera the other night. Naturally, when she showed up and saw a red carpet, she started walking it... until she realized it was for the screening of Michael Moore's new documentary at Alice Tully Hall. It was then that the light bulb went on and she ran across the street. Pull it together, woman! [P6]
• Jessica Simpson can't catch a break. Tony Romo ditched her; her dog got snatched by a coyote; her friends keep dishing to the media; and now her ex, Nick Lachey, appears to be reuniting with his ex, Vanessa Minnillo. Poor Jess. [E!]
• Tyra Banks appeared on Larry King Live last night and talked about how she dealt with packing on some lbs (again), her real hair (again), and how she loves being naked (unless the lighting in the dressing room sucks). [CNN, ET]
"Donald Trump may have inadvertently rented property in a ritzy New York suburb to loathed Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, who has spent weeks trying to find a place to pitch his trademark tent while in town for the United Nations General Assembly meeting," ABC News now reports, confirming a previous account that the Libyan leader was planning to spend the week in Bedford. Team Trump claims it rented the property to a bunch of Middle Eastern dudes, but had no idea they had any connection to the Libyan leader. Says a Trump rep: "We have business partners and associates all over the world. The property was leased on a short-term basis to Middle Eastern partners who may or may not have a relationship to Mr. Gaddafi. We are looking into the matter now." Meanwhile, work constructing the tent has been halted by town officials. That's what they're hoping anyway: "Attorney Joel Sachs said officials found workers constructing the tent but could not communicate with them because they didn't speak English. He said they gave the order to stop the work to the property's caretaker." [ABC News, HuffPo]
