Talk is cheap, but not when it threatens superstar Tom Cruise's reputation as a hard-body, heterosexual hottie. That's why he's suing a porn star named Chad Slater for $100 million. Cruise alleges that Slater, also known as Kyle Bradford, spread a false story that he and Cruise had a continuing gay love affair and that when Nicole Kidman found out, the fallout ended in divorce.
In the lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court Wednesday, Cruise says Slater told the "vicious, self-promoting" lie to Acustar magazine, and it then was translated into Spanish in a publication called "TVyNovelas." Cruise filed for divorce from Kidman in February, reportedly shocking the actress and feeding a multitude of rumors about marital woes.
X X X
LET IT BE
Former Beatle George Harrison, 58, underwent surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, N.Y., to remove a cancerous growth from a lung, according to a statement Wednesday. The statement did not say when the surgery occurred, but said it had been successful. Harrison is reportedly relaxing in Tuscany, Italy.
In 1999, Harrison suffered a punctured lung when he was stabbed by a man who broke into his home in Henley-on-Thames, west of London. The attacker, Michael Abram, 34, was acquitted by reason of insanity and confined to a mental hospital.
X X X
A SOLID `B'
Students in former Vice President Al Gore's journalism class at Columbia University gave him mixed marks as a professor. Students were forbidden to tape or provide transcripts of the class to the media, but now that the semester is over, they're spilling. Smart guy? Yes. Knowledgable? Sure. But, said student Seth Solomonow, "it's really a problem to have a professor who's afraid to say what he thinks." (Yo, Seth, he's a politician, remember?) Students said it wasn't too cool that somebody teaching news-gathering refused to answer their questions about the election, saying he didn't want to criticize President Bush during a "period of constitutional vulnerability." But, hey, who else can get David Letterman in as a guest speaker?
X X X
HOSPITAL UPDATE
Supermodel Niki Taylor, 26, underwent several hours of surgery Wednesday as doctors struggled to repair internal injuries caused by a car accident. Taylor has been in critical condition in Atlanta's Grady Memorial Hospital since the Nissan Maxima in which she was riding hit a utility pole early Sunday. She suffered severe liver damage and possible lung damage.
The driver, Chad Renegar, and another passenger suffered only minor injuries. Renegar said he looked down to answer his cell phone and ran off the road. "For just a moment, I was distracted by something that was not part of what I should've been doing at the moment, which was driving, and the result of that has changed the lives of three people and their families," Renegar, 27, told ABC's "Good Morning America" Wednesday.
Taylor's family is hoping she will stabilize after the surgery, her publicist said.
X X X
PUMPING HIM UP
Last week action hero Arnold Schwarzenegger said he had no plans to run for governor of California, but a group of five Republicans won't give up, and they have encouraged him to muscle his way into politics someday.
The politicians had breakfast with Schwarzenegger in Beverly Hills Wednesday and gave the 53-year-old actor's ego a good workout. (Please, Arnie, please, please.)
Political analysts say the star's instant name recognition, good looks, and sizable personal fortune could help the GOP big time. Still, Schwarzenegger has bowed out for now, and the govs didn't argue. "I was going to arm wrestle him over it, but I decided not to because I need both of mine," Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge joked.
X X X
WHERE THERE'S SMOKE ...
Cold weather Wednesday helped firefighters tame a wildfire that destroyed 4,000 acres over four days on a New Mexico ranch owned by media mogul Ted Turner.
The fire, ignited by lightning Saturday, was too big for crews to battle on the ground, said David Vackar, general manager of the 588,000-acre Vermejo Park Ranch in northeast New Mexico. Instead, ranch employees and contract loggers used heavy equipment to dig containment lines around the blaze.
The blaze jumped fire lines Monday when the wind kicked up. But Vackar said new fire lines completed since late Tuesday were holding, helped by a cold front that kept daytime temperatures at about 60 degrees and raised humidity levels. Vermejo Park is one of three New Mexico ranches owned by Turner, the state's largest private landowner. Wonder if he'll have a fire sale.
X X X
STORK REPORT
Spanish crooner Julio Iglesias is a papa again. The 57-year-old singer's longtime girlfriend, Miranda Rijnsburger, gave birth Tuesday at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami to twin daughters, Victoria and Cristina, bringing their brood to four. They already have two sons, ages 2 and 3. Iglesias, is also the father to three adult children from his marriage.
X X X
(This report contains material from The Associated Press, Reuters and people.com.)
X X X
Visit Philadelphia Online, the Inquirer's World Wide Web site, at http://www.philly.com/
Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.
(c) 2001, The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Visit Philadelphia Online, the Inquirer's World Wide Web site, at http://www.philly.com/
Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.
Names in the news.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)
Talk is cheap, but not when it threatens superstar Tom Cruise's reputation as a hard-body, heterosexual hottie. That's why he's suing a porn star named Chad Slater for $100 million. Cruise alleges that Slater, also known as Kyle Bradford, spread a false story that he and Cruise had a continuing gay love affair and that when Nicole Kidman found out, the fallout ended in divorce.
In the lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court Wednesday, Cruise says Slater told the "vicious, self-promoting" lie to Acustar magazine, and it then was translated into Spanish in a publication called "TVyNovelas." Cruise filed for divorce from Kidman in February, reportedly shocking the actress and feeding a multitude of rumors about marital woes.
X X X
LET IT BE
Former Beatle George Harrison, 58, underwent surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, N.Y., to remove a cancerous growth from a lung, according to a statement Wednesday. The statement did not say when the surgery occurred, but said it had been successful. Harrison is reportedly relaxing in Tuscany, Italy.
In 1999, Harrison suffered a punctured lung when he was stabbed by a man who broke into his home in Henley-on-Thames, west of London. The attacker, Michael Abram, 34, was acquitted by reason of insanity and confined to a mental hospital.
X X X
A SOLID `B'
Students in former Vice President Al Gore's journalism class at Columbia University gave him mixed marks as a professor. Students were forbidden to tape or provide transcripts of the class to the media, but now that the semester is over, they're spilling. Smart guy? Yes. Knowledgable? Sure. But, said student Seth Solomonow, "it's really a problem to have a professor who's afraid to say what he thinks." (Yo, Seth, he's a politician, remember?) Students said it wasn't too cool that somebody teaching news-gathering refused to answer their questions about the election, saying he didn't want to criticize President Bush during a "period of constitutional vulnerability." But, hey, who else can get David Letterman in as a guest speaker?
X X X
HOSPITAL UPDATE
Supermodel Niki Taylor, 26, underwent several hours of surgery Wednesday as doctors struggled to repair internal injuries caused by a car accident. Taylor has been in critical condition in Atlanta's Grady Memorial Hospital since the Nissan Maxima in which she was riding hit a utility pole early Sunday. She suffered severe liver damage and possible lung damage.
The driver, Chad Renegar, and another passenger suffered only minor injuries. Renegar said he looked down to answer his cell phone and ran off the road. "For just a moment, I was distracted by something that was not part of what I should've been doing at the moment, which was driving, and the result of that has changed the lives of three people and their families," Renegar, 27, told ABC's "Good Morning America" Wednesday.
Taylor's family is hoping she will stabilize after the surgery, her publicist said.
X X X
PUMPING HIM UP
Last week action hero Arnold Schwarzenegger said he had no plans to run for governor of California, but a group of five Republicans won't give up, and they have encouraged him to muscle his way into politics someday.
The politicians had breakfast with Schwarzenegger in Beverly Hills Wednesday and gave the 53-year-old actor's ego a good workout. (Please, Arnie, please, please.)
Political analysts say the star's instant name recognition, good looks, and sizable personal fortune could help the GOP big time. Still, Schwarzenegger has bowed out for now, and the govs didn't argue. "I was going to arm wrestle him over it, but I decided not to because I need both of mine," Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge joked.
X X X
WHERE THERE'S SMOKE ...
Cold weather Wednesday helped firefighters tame a wildfire that destroyed 4,000 acres over four days on a New Mexico ranch owned by media mogul Ted Turner.
The fire, ignited by lightning Saturday, was too big for crews to battle on the ground, said David Vackar, general manager of the 588,000-acre Vermejo Park Ranch in northeast New Mexico. Instead, ranch employees and contract loggers used heavy equipment to dig containment lines around the blaze.
The blaze jumped fire lines Monday when the wind kicked up. But Vackar said new fire lines completed since late Tuesday were holding, helped by a cold front that kept daytime temperatures at about 60 degrees and raised humidity levels. Vermejo Park is one of three New Mexico ranches owned by Turner, the state's largest private landowner. Wonder if he'll have a fire sale.
X X X
STORK REPORT
Spanish crooner Julio Iglesias is a papa again. The 57-year-old singer's longtime girlfriend, Miranda Rijnsburger, gave birth Tuesday at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami to twin daughters, Victoria and Cristina, bringing their brood to four. They already have two sons, ages 2 and 3. Iglesias, is also the father to three adult children from his marriage.
X X X
(This report contains material from The Associated Press, Reuters and people.com.)
X X X
Visit Philadelphia Online, the Inquirer's World Wide Web site, at http://www.philly.com/
Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.
(c) 2001, The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Visit Philadelphia Online, the Inquirer's World Wide Web site, at http://www.philly.com/
Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.
Names in the news.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)
Talk is cheap, but not when it threatens superstar Tom Cruise's reputation as a hard-body, heterosexual hottie. That's why he's suing a porn star named Chad Slater for $100 million. Cruise alleges that Slater, also known as Kyle Bradford, spread a false story that he and Cruise had a continuing gay love affair and that when Nicole Kidman found out, the fallout ended in divorce.
In the lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court Wednesday, Cruise says Slater told the "vicious, self-promoting" lie to Acustar magazine, and it then was translated into Spanish in a publication called "TVyNovelas." Cruise filed for divorce from Kidman in February, reportedly shocking the actress and feeding a multitude of rumors about marital woes.
X X X
LET IT BE
Former Beatle George Harrison, 58, underwent surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, N.Y., to remove a cancerous growth from a lung, according to a statement Wednesday. The statement did not say when the surgery occurred, but said it had been successful. Harrison is reportedly relaxing in Tuscany, Italy.
In 1999, Harrison suffered a punctured lung when he was stabbed by a man who broke into his home in Henley-on-Thames, west of London. The attacker, Michael Abram, 34, was acquitted by reason of insanity and confined to a mental hospital.
X X X
A SOLID `B'
Students in former Vice President Al Gore's journalism class at Columbia University gave him mixed marks as a professor. Students were forbidden to tape or provide transcripts of the class to the media, but now that the semester is over, they're spilling. Smart guy? Yes. Knowledgable? Sure. But, said student Seth Solomonow, "it's really a problem to have a professor who's afraid to say what he thinks." (Yo, Seth, he's a politician, remember?) Students said it wasn't too cool that somebody teaching news-gathering refused to answer their questions about the election, saying he didn't want to criticize President Bush during a "period of constitutional vulnerability." But, hey, who else can get David Letterman in as a guest speaker?
X X X
HOSPITAL UPDATE
Supermodel Niki Taylor, 26, underwent several hours of surgery Wednesday as doctors struggled to repair internal injuries caused by a car accident. Taylor has been in critical condition in Atlanta's Grady Memorial Hospital since the Nissan Maxima in which she was riding hit a utility pole early Sunday. She suffered severe liver damage and possible lung damage.
The driver, Chad Renegar, and another passenger suffered only minor injuries. Renegar said he looked down to answer his cell phone and ran off the road. "For just a moment, I was distracted by something that was not part of what I should've been doing at the moment, which was driving, and the result of that has changed the lives of three people and their families," Renegar, 27, told ABC's "Good Morning America" Wednesday.
Taylor's family is hoping she will stabilize after the surgery, her publicist said.
X X X
PUMPING HIM UP
Last week action hero Arnold Schwarzenegger said he had no plans to run for governor of California, but a group of five Republicans won't give up, and they have encouraged him to muscle his way into politics someday.
The politicians had breakfast with Schwarzenegger in Beverly Hills Wednesday and gave the 53-year-old actor's ego a good workout. (Please, Arnie, please, please.)
Political analysts say the star's instant name recognition, good looks, and sizable personal fortune could help the GOP big time. Still, Schwarzenegger has bowed out for now, and the govs didn't argue. "I was going to arm wrestle him over it, but I decided not to because I need both of mine," Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge joked.
X X X
WHERE THERE'S SMOKE ...
Cold weather Wednesday helped firefighters tame a wildfire that destroyed 4,000 acres over four days on a New Mexico ranch owned by media mogul Ted Turner.
The fire, ignited by lightning Saturday, was too big for crews to battle on the ground, said David Vackar, general manager of the 588,000-acre Vermejo Park Ranch in northeast New Mexico. Instead, ranch employees and contract loggers used heavy equipment to dig containment lines around the blaze.
The blaze jumped fire lines Monday when the wind kicked up. But Vackar said new fire lines completed since late Tuesday were holding, helped by a cold front that kept daytime temperatures at about 60 degrees and raised humidity levels. Vermejo Park is one of three New Mexico ranches owned by Turner, the state's largest private landowner. Wonder if he'll have a fire sale.
X X X
STORK REPORT
Spanish crooner Julio Iglesias is a papa again. The 57-year-old singer's longtime girlfriend, Miranda Rijnsburger, gave birth Tuesday at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami to twin daughters, Victoria and Cristina, bringing their brood to four. They already have two sons, ages 2 and 3. Iglesias, is also the father to three adult children from his marriage.
X X X
(This report contains material from The Associated Press, Reuters and people.com.)
X X X
Visit Philadelphia Online, the Inquirer's World Wide Web site, at http://www.philly.com/
Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.
(c) 2001, The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Visit Philadelphia Online, the Inquirer's World Wide Web site, at http://www.philly.com/
Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.
Names in the news.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)
Talk is cheap, but not when it threatens superstar Tom Cruise's reputation as a hard-body, heterosexual hottie. That's why he's suing a porn star named Chad Slater for $100 million. Cruise alleges that Slater, also known as Kyle Bradford, spread a false story that he and Cruise had a continuing gay love affair and that when Nicole Kidman found out, the fallout ended in divorce.
In the lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court Wednesday, Cruise says Slater told the "vicious, self-promoting" lie to Acustar magazine, and it then was translated into Spanish in a publication called "TVyNovelas." Cruise filed for divorce from Kidman in February, reportedly shocking the actress and feeding a multitude of rumors about marital woes.
X X X
LET IT BE
Former Beatle George Harrison, 58, underwent surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, N.Y., to remove a cancerous growth from a lung, according to a statement Wednesday. The statement did not say when the surgery occurred, but said it had been successful. Harrison is reportedly relaxing in Tuscany, Italy.
In 1999, Harrison suffered a punctured lung when he was stabbed by a man who broke into his home in Henley-on-Thames, west of London. The attacker, Michael Abram, 34, was acquitted by reason of insanity and confined to a mental hospital.
X X X
A SOLID `B'
Students in former Vice President Al Gore's journalism class at Columbia University gave him mixed marks as a professor. Students were forbidden to tape or provide transcripts of the class to the media, but now that the semester is over, they're spilling. Smart guy? Yes. Knowledgable? Sure. But, said student Seth Solomonow, "it's really a problem to have a professor who's afraid to say what he thinks." (Yo, Seth, he's a politician, remember?) Students said it wasn't too cool that somebody teaching news-gathering refused to answer their questions about the election, saying he didn't want to criticize President Bush during a "period of constitutional vulnerability." But, hey, who else can get David Letterman in as a guest speaker?
X X X
HOSPITAL UPDATE
Supermodel Niki Taylor, 26, underwent several hours of surgery Wednesday as doctors struggled to repair internal injuries caused by a car accident. Taylor has been in critical condition in Atlanta's Grady Memorial Hospital since the Nissan Maxima in which she was riding hit a utility pole early Sunday. She suffered severe liver damage and possible lung damage.
The driver, Chad Renegar, and another passenger suffered only minor injuries. Renegar said he looked down to answer his cell phone and ran off the road. "For just a moment, I was distracted by something that was not part of what I should've been doing at the moment, which was driving, and the result of that has changed the lives of three people and their families," Renegar, 27, told ABC's "Good Morning America" Wednesday.
Taylor's family is hoping she will stabilize after the surgery, her publicist said.
X X X
PUMPING HIM UP
Last week action hero Arnold Schwarzenegger said he had no plans to run for governor of California, but a group of five Republicans won't give up, and they have encouraged him to muscle his way into politics someday.
The politicians had breakfast with Schwarzenegger in Beverly Hills Wednesday and gave the 53-year-old actor's ego a good workout. (Please, Arnie, please, please.)
Political analysts say the star's instant name recognition, good looks, and sizable personal fortune could help the GOP big time. Still, Schwarzenegger has bowed out for now, and the govs didn't argue. "I was going to arm wrestle him over it, but I decided not to because I need both of mine," Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge joked.
X X X
WHERE THERE'S SMOKE ...
Cold weather Wednesday helped firefighters tame a wildfire that destroyed 4,000 acres over four days on a New Mexico ranch owned by media mogul Ted Turner.
The fire, ignited by lightning Saturday, was too big for crews to battle on the ground, said David Vackar, general manager of the 588,000-acre Vermejo Park Ranch in northeast New Mexico. Instead, ranch employees and contract loggers used heavy equipment to dig containment lines around the blaze.
The blaze jumped fire lines Monday when the wind kicked up. But Vackar said new fire lines completed since late Tuesday were holding, helped by a cold front that kept daytime temperatures at about 60 degrees and raised humidity levels. Vermejo Park is one of three New Mexico ranches owned by Turner, the state's largest private landowner. Wonder if he'll have a fire sale.
X X X
STORK REPORT
Spanish crooner Julio Iglesias is a papa again. The 57-year-old singer's longtime girlfriend, Miranda Rijnsburger, gave birth Tuesday at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami to twin daughters, Victoria and Cristina, bringing their brood to four. They already have two sons, ages 2 and 3. Iglesias, is also the father to three adult children from his marriage.
X X X
(This report contains material from The Associated Press, Reuters and people.com.)
X X X
Visit Philadelphia Online, the Inquirer's World Wide Web site, at http://www.philly.com/
Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.
(c) 2001, The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Visit Philadelphia Online, the Inquirer's World Wide Web site, at http://www.philly.com/
Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.
Names in the news.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)
Talk is cheap, but not when it threatens superstar Tom Cruise's reputation as a hard-body, heterosexual hottie. That's why he's suing a porn star named Chad Slater for $100 million. Cruise alleges that Slater, also known as Kyle Bradford, spread a false story that he and Cruise had a continuing gay love affair and that when Nicole Kidman found out, the fallout ended in divorce.
In the lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court Wednesday, Cruise says Slater told the "vicious, self-promoting" lie to Acustar magazine, and it then was translated into Spanish in a publication called "TVyNovelas." Cruise filed for divorce from Kidman in February, reportedly shocking the actress and feeding a multitude of rumors about marital woes.
X X X
LET IT BE
Former Beatle George Harrison, 58, underwent surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, N.Y., to remove a cancerous growth from a lung, according to a statement Wednesday. The statement did not say when the surgery occurred, but said it had been successful. Harrison is reportedly relaxing in Tuscany, Italy.
In 1999, Harrison suffered a punctured lung when he was stabbed by a man who broke into his home in Henley-on-Thames, west of London. The attacker, Michael Abram, 34, was acquitted by reason of insanity and confined to a mental hospital.
X X X
A SOLID `B'
Students in former Vice President Al Gore's journalism class at Columbia University gave him mixed marks as a professor. Students were forbidden to tape or provide transcripts of the class to the media, but now that the semester is over, they're spilling. Smart guy? Yes. Knowledgable? Sure. But, said student Seth Solomonow, "it's really a problem to have a professor who's afraid to say what he thinks." (Yo, Seth, he's a politician, remember?) Students said it wasn't too cool that somebody teaching news-gathering refused to answer their questions about the election, saying he didn't want to criticize President Bush during a "period of constitutional vulnerability." But, hey, who else can get David Letterman in as a guest speaker?
X X X
HOSPITAL UPDATE
Supermodel Niki Taylor, 26, underwent several hours of surgery Wednesday as doctors struggled to repair internal injuries caused by a car accident. Taylor has been in critical condition in Atlanta's Grady Memorial Hospital since the Nissan Maxima in which she was riding hit a utility pole early Sunday. She suffered severe liver damage and possible lung damage.
The driver, Chad Renegar, and another passenger suffered only minor injuries. Renegar said he looked down to answer his cell phone and ran off the road. "For just a moment, I was distracted by something that was not part of what I should've been doing at the moment, which was driving, and the result of that has changed the lives of three people and their families," Renegar, 27, told ABC's "Good Morning America" Wednesday.
Taylor's family is hoping she will stabilize after the surgery, her publicist said.
X X X
PUMPING HIM UP
Last week action hero Arnold Schwarzenegger said he had no plans to run for governor of California, but a group of five Republicans won't give up, and they have encouraged him to muscle his way into politics someday.
The politicians had breakfast with Schwarzenegger in Beverly Hills Wednesday and gave the 53-year-old actor's ego a good workout. (Please, Arnie, please, please.)
Political analysts say the star's instant name recognition, good looks, and sizable personal fortune could help the GOP big time. Still, Schwarzenegger has bowed out for now, and the govs didn't argue. "I was going to arm wrestle him over it, but I decided not to because I need both of mine," Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge joked.
X X X
WHERE THERE'S SMOKE ...
Cold weather Wednesday helped firefighters tame a wildfire that destroyed 4,000 acres over four days on a New Mexico ranch owned by media mogul Ted Turner.
The fire, ignited by lightning Saturday, was too big for crews to battle on the ground, said David Vackar, general manager of the 588,000-acre Vermejo Park Ranch in northeast New Mexico. Instead, ranch employees and contract loggers used heavy equipment to dig containment lines around the blaze.
The blaze jumped fire lines Monday when the wind kicked up. But Vackar said new fire lines completed since late Tuesday were holding, helped by a cold front that kept daytime temperatures at about 60 degrees and raised humidity levels. Vermejo Park is one of three New Mexico ranches owned by Turner, the state's largest private landowner. Wonder if he'll have a fire sale.
X X X
STORK REPORT
Spanish crooner Julio Iglesias is a papa again. The 57-year-old singer's longtime girlfriend, Miranda Rijnsburger, gave birth Tuesday at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami to twin daughters, Victoria and Cristina, bringing their brood to four. They already have two sons, ages 2 and 3. Iglesias, is also the father to three adult children from his marriage.
X X X
(This report contains material from The Associated Press, Reuters and people.com.)
X X X
Visit Philadelphia Online, the Inquirer's World Wide Web site, at http://www.philly.com/
Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.
(c) 2001, The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Visit Philadelphia Online, the Inquirer's World Wide Web site, at http://www.philly.com/
Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.
Names in the news.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)
Talk is cheap, but not when it threatens superstar Tom Cruise's reputation as a hard-body, heterosexual hottie. That's why he's suing a porn star named Chad Slater for $100 million. Cruise alleges that Slater, also known as Kyle Bradford, spread a false story that he and Cruise had a continuing gay love affair and that when Nicole Kidman found out, the fallout ended in divorce.
In the lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court Wednesday, Cruise says Slater told the "vicious, self-promoting" lie to Acustar magazine, and it then was translated into Spanish in a publication called "TVyNovelas." Cruise filed for divorce from Kidman in February, reportedly shocking the actress and feeding a multitude of rumors about marital woes.
X X X
LET IT BE
Former Beatle George Harrison, 58, underwent surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, N.Y., to remove a cancerous growth from a lung, according to a statement Wednesday. The statement did not say when the surgery occurred, but said it had been successful. Harrison is reportedly relaxing in Tuscany, Italy.
In 1999, Harrison suffered a punctured lung when he was stabbed by a man who broke into his home in Henley-on-Thames, west of London. The attacker, Michael Abram, 34, was acquitted by reason of insanity and confined to a mental hospital.
X X X
A SOLID `B'
Students in former Vice President Al Gore's journalism class at Columbia University gave him mixed marks as a professor. Students were forbidden to tape or provide transcripts of the class to the media, but now that the semester is over, they're spilling. Smart guy? Yes. Knowledgable? Sure. But, said student Seth Solomonow, "it's really a problem to have a professor who's afraid to say what he thinks." (Yo, Seth, he's a politician, remember?) Students said it wasn't too cool that somebody teaching news-gathering refused to answer their questions about the election, saying he didn't want to criticize President Bush during a "period of constitutional vulnerability." But, hey, who else can get David Letterman in as a guest speaker?
X X X
HOSPITAL UPDATE
Supermodel Niki Taylor, 26, underwent several hours of surgery Wednesday as doctors struggled to repair internal injuries caused by a car accident. Taylor has been in critical condition in Atlanta's Grady Memorial Hospital since the Nissan Maxima in which she was riding hit a utility pole early Sunday. She suffered severe liver damage and possible lung damage.
The driver, Chad Renegar, and another passenger suffered only minor injuries. Renegar said he looked down to answer his cell phone and ran off the road. "For just a moment, I was distracted by something that was not part of what I should've been doing at the moment, which was driving, and the result of that has changed the lives of three people and their families," Renegar, 27, told ABC's "Good Morning America" Wednesday.
Taylor's family is hoping she will stabilize after the surgery, her publicist said.
X X X
PUMPING HIM UP
Last week action hero Arnold Schwarzenegger said he had no plans to run for governor of California, but a group of five Republicans won't give up, and they have encouraged him to muscle his way into politics someday.
The politicians had breakfast with Schwarzenegger in Beverly Hills Wednesday and gave the 53-year-old actor's ego a good workout. (Please, Arnie, please, please.)
Political analysts say the star's instant name recognition, good looks, and sizable personal fortune could help the GOP big time. Still, Schwarzenegger has bowed out for now, and the govs didn't argue. "I was going to arm wrestle him over it, but I decided not to because I need both of mine," Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge joked.
X X X
WHERE THERE'S SMOKE ...
Cold weather Wednesday helped firefighters tame a wildfire that destroyed 4,000 acres over four days on a New Mexico ranch owned by media mogul Ted Turner.
The fire, ignited by lightning Saturday, was too big for crews to battle on the ground, said David Vackar, general manager of the 588,000-acre Vermejo Park Ranch in northeast New Mexico. Instead, ranch employees and contract loggers used heavy equipment to dig containment lines around the blaze.
The blaze jumped fire lines Monday when the wind kicked up. But Vackar said new fire lines completed since late Tuesday were holding, helped by a cold front that kept daytime temperatures at about 60 degrees and raised humidity levels. Vermejo Park is one of three New Mexico ranches owned by Turner, the state's largest private landowner. Wonder if he'll have a fire sale.
X X X
STORK REPORT
Spanish crooner Julio Iglesias is a papa again. The 57-year-old singer's longtime girlfriend, Miranda Rijnsburger, gave birth Tuesday at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami to twin daughters, Victoria and Cristina, bringing their brood to four. They already have two sons, ages 2 and 3. Iglesias, is also the father to three adult children from his marriage.
X X X
(This report contains material from The Associated Press, Reuters and people.com.)
X X X
Visit Philadelphia Online, the Inquirer's World Wide Web site, at http://www.philly.com/
Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.
(c) 2001, The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Visit Philadelphia Online, the Inquirer's World Wide Web site, at http://www.philly.com/
Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.
