company town

Les Moonves Has Bigger Fish to Fry Than Katie Couric

MEDIA
• Last week Les Moonves had to squash Katie Couric rumors. Now the CBS chief is trying to fend off Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman, who is trying to remove Moonves from his post. [NYP]
• Bad-ass New York Ranger star Sean Avery is going to become … an intern at Vogue? Perhaps staffers should consider investing in mouth guards. [Cut]
• Former White House talking head Tony Snow is becoming a CNN talking head. [Romenesko]

FINANCE
• Wall Street is eagerly waiting to see if Jerry Yang can pull a rabbit out of his hat: Yahoo reports its earnings today. [NYP]
• Why are hedge-fund managers backing Obama when the presidential candidate is a fan of the Stop Tax Haven Abuse Act, which limits offshore accounts? [DealBook/NYT]
• “It’s too early to strike up the band and say that happy days are here again,” Bank of America chief Kenneth D. Lewis said. Thanks for the newsflash, Ken. [DealBook/NYT]

LAW
• A woman is suing Victoria’s Secret, claiming that the lingerie label stole her idea for its “Very Sexy 100-Way Strapless Convertible Bra.” [City Room/NYT]
• A man who was staying at the Marriott Marquis on New Year’s Eve was evicted from Times Square establishment after one of his acquaintances was found lying facedown in a hallway. The reveler hopped in his pickup truck and headed home. Three hours later, he pulled off the road to get gas, and his truck skidded off the exit ramp and hit a tree. He then sued the hotel for $750,000, claiming it was responsible for the injuries he sustained in the accident. Pop quiz: Did the court agree with his argument? Uh, no. [Law.com]
• JPMorgan is offering displaced Bear Stearns recruits their signing bonuses — $10,000 for undergrads and $50,000 for MBAs — if the students agree not to sue the bank over their lost jobs. [NYT]

REAL ESTATE
• The Chelsea Hotel now joins the Beatrice Inn and Patsy’s Italian Restaurant in the migration to Atlantic City. [Living With Legends]
• Meanwhile, back on the island of Manhattan, Chelsea residents rally to save the neighborhood’s mom-and-pop stores. [NYO]
• Say good-bye to those Happy Meals! McDonald’s on 57th Street is being replaced by an organic café. [Real Deal]

Les Moonves Has Bigger Fish to Fry Than Katie Couric