Bernanke Says That a Recession Is ‘Possible’As both the economy and the media seem to be contracting, Jared Kushner solidiers on, throwing himself into a new project after his breakup with Ivanka. All this and more in our roundup of finance, media, law, and real-estate news.
gossipmonger
Eric Nederlander Just Can’t WinBroadway scion Eric Nederlander is divorcing his second wife just seven weeks after having a daughter with her. Theodora Richards is now vice-president of creative direction at some jeans company. Maxim gave Nas’s new album two and a half stars despite the fact that it’s not even done yet. (They did the same thing to the new Black Crowes record.) Grey’s Anatomy star Sara Ramirez flipped out at a midtown bar after a female fan chatted up her boyfriend. Lorne Michaels is in talks with a major Vegas casino to create a live SNL revue starring former popular cast members.
in other news
The Donald Sued for $4 BillionDonald Trump is getting hit with a lawsuit for a whopping $4 billion in Las Vegas. The plaintiff, Nights at Vegas, Inc., is a licensed management company that handles the leasing of many properties in the Donald’s new Trump International Hotel & Tower. According to legal papers obtained by TMZ.com, their complaint is that the real-estate mogul, who runs a competing leasing organization for units in the building, won’t let them use his own name in order to market the rentals. In other words, they can’t use the Trump brand to drum up interest. Trump’s own leasing agency charges owners more (50 percent of rental income, as opposed to the 20 percent that Nights at Vegas charges), which put it at a disadvantage without the no-branding rule. Still, both the suit and Trump’s marketing mandate come as a surprise. This may officially be the first time in history the Donald has ever asked people to stop saying his name.
Trump Sued for More Than He’s Worth [TMZ.com]
gossipmonger
Happy Birthday (Again), KanyeKanye West hosted his birthday party at the Louis Vuitton store then got free Vuitton swag. Anne Heche might be back on the ladies. Zach Braff loves New York, he says. The Sopranos cast didn’t know what Sunday night’s finale was going to be, and they went to Miami. Paris Hilton’s father wants to throw her a party in Vegas when she gets out of jail, but several clubs have said no. Owen Wilson left his bike at Scores West. Hugh Hefner wants Daphne Merkin to show his girls a little love. New York socialite Dori Cooperman is at Promises for rehab and trying to cozy up to Lindsay Lohan. At a benefit for the American Institute for Stuttering, Harold Evans wanted to take the Queen Mary for a spin.
gossipmonger
Vanity CareLimos parked outside Graydon Carter’s Waverly Inn delayed an ambulance en route to nearby St. Vincent’s Hospital. Former Citigroup chairman Sandy Weill cut down his use of the company’s corporate jets right before 17,000 people were laid off. Michael Chabon is proud to have been branded an anti-Semite by the Post. Ellen Barkin is writing a novel based on her marriage to Ron Perelman. Bonnie Fuller is branching into TV. Barbara and Lauren Bush sang karaoke. The famous hawks living at 927 Fifth Avenue will soon be in a kids’ book. Jay Leno confused two Mexican comedians. Joe Francis says his Girls Gone Wild videos don’t feature black girls because they ask for money, not because he’s racist.
the morning line
Sprung From Cages on Highway 9
• New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine apologized from a wheelchair for the careless driving that led to his crash. Then he rode home from the hospital, fifteen miles over the speed limit. [NYP]
• In the meantime, perennial bridesmaid Richard Codey is easing into his third acting-governor gig in six years — this time, unlike during the McGreevey denouement, without a personal staff and with an elected leader watching over him. [NYT]
• Owner Hilly Kristal is having second thoughts about the CBGB-in-Vegas thing, turning down investor after investor because “the focus has to be on new acts, new interesting things.” We could certainly use that thinking for, let’s see, the last fifteen years of the original CB’s. [MetroNY]
• After losing two men in a week to freak train accidents, MTA has decided to halt all track work pending a safety review. Workers say that a lack of two-way radios may be to blame. [amNY]
• And “as a thank-you to our readers,” the Daily News costs 25 cents this week — starting, that is, the exact same day the Post began charging 50 cents again. The extreme-skinflint demographic is theirs! Temporarily! [NYDN]
grub street
Vegas, Vegas, It’s a Helluva Town
Tired of going away for a weekend and having that vacation spot feel, you know, different from home? Then it’s your lucky day. Because God forbid Las Vegas should have any indigenous cuisine, Grub Street’s Daniel Maurer broke news yesterday that potentially three more noted New York restaurateurs will be joining the other big-name, franchised eateries in Sin City. Soon, it seems, you’ll be able to gamble and ogle showgirls (do they even still have showgirls in Vegas?) while dining Terrance Brennan’s Artisanal, Jeffery Chodorow’s Asia de Cuba, or François Payard’s Payard Patisserie. Grub Street’s got the details.
Terrance Brennan to Make Vegas Just a Little Bit Cheesier? [Grub Street]
Chodorow and Payard May Also Ride Gravy Train to Vegas [Grub Street]
