Table of contents for September 23, 2024 in Globe

AFTER making a remarkable mend following a crippling pelvis injury, insiders say perky Kathie Lee Gifford is rarin’ to leap back on the dating-go-round and snare a new hunk. The 71-year-old Today alum — recently hospitalized after fracturing her pelvis while recovering from hip replacement surgery — surprised folks when she turned up at a Nashville screening of Reagan, a bio about the late president, on Aug. 25. “She’s still got plenty of physical therapy ahead of her, but she can walk without help and that was enough for her to get back out and start living,” blabs a source. As GLOBE reported, Gifford is still brokenhearted after her two-year romance with businessman Richard Spitz went kaput early this year. “It hit her pretty hard when Richard broke things off,” says the source.…

SUPERMODEL Elle Macpherson has recently revealed she was diagnosed with breast cancer seven years ago and claims to have healed herself holistically — after refusing chemotherapy recommended by 32 doctors! The Aussie beauty, 60, says she’s now in “clinical remission” after being told she had HER2-positive and estrogen receptor-positive ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). The statuesque stunner — nicknamed The Body during her ’80s heyday because of her fabulously fit figure — confides it was a “shock” to learn she had the disease. Elle adds, “It was unexpected. It was confusing. It was daunting in so many ways.” The catwalk legend says she was initially recommended a mastectomy with radiation, chemotherapy, hormone therapy and reconstruction of the removed breast. But instead, Elle says she opted out of notoriously harsh chemo…

Words in the lists appear in alphabetical order and are sorted by length. They need to be put into their correct positions in the grid. You’ll have to think a few steps ahead, as sometimes several words will fit in the same space! WORD BOX 4 LETTERS OPUS POGO ZITS 5 LETTERS BALDO MOMMA MUTTS NANCY 6 LETTERS BATMAN SKIPPY TINTIN 7 LETTERS ASTERIX DILBERT PEANUTS PHANTOM RUGRATS SAD SACK 8 LETTERS ANDY CAPP 9 LETTERS HI AND LOIS MARMADUKE SPIDER-MAN 10 LETTERS BROOM-HILDA HEATHCLIFF JOE PALOOKA ROSE IS ROSE THE FAR SIDE THE FUNNIES 11 LETTERS FLASH GORDON RED AND ROVER 12 LETTERS ARCHIE COMICS THE BORN LOSER Puzzle answers: page 46…

RESERVOIR Dogs thug Michael Madsen won’t be going to the pound as prosecutors dismissed the domestic violence case where he was accused of shoving his wife, DeAnna! The Los Angeles District Attorney declined to press charges against Madsen, 66, following his alleged August dustup with his 64-year-old spouse at their Malibu mansion, citing “insufficient evidence.” From the get-go, lawyer Perry Wander insisted his famous client was “not guilty.” Now, a rep for the hulking star crows, “We are thrilled.”…

PIGSKIN superstar Travis Kelce is rolling in dough after nabbing a bunch of major paydays, but insiders say the Kansas City Chiefs jock is leaning on his billionaire superstar lover, Taylor Swift, for investment tips so he won’t blow his fortune. Last week, the 34-year-old Super Bowl champ and his retired, All-Pro Philadelphia Eagle brother Jason, 36, inked an eye-popping $100 million deal to renew their podcast series. And Travis has penned a bunch of other cash-spinning ventures like starring in a new TV chiller series by American Horror Story bigwigs. Now, the NFL tight end’s bank account has ballooned to the $100 million mark, according to insiders, who also note Travis’ bundle is just a drop in the ocean compared to his 34-year-old squeeze, who’s worth a staggering $1.3…

DEVASTATED Dustin Hoffman is ready to say so long to Hollywood after critics panned his epic flop Megalopolis, sources spill. According to industry insiders, Hoffman, 87, hoped to put an exclamation point on his phenomenal career by FINALLY working with acclaimed director Francis Ford Coppola — but their hotly anticipated movie’s lukewarm reception has incinerated the two-time Oscar winner’s dream! “Dustin knows his legacy is secure with his films like Tootsie, Rain Man and Kramer vs. Kramer,” a tipster dishes. “But he really hoped he had one more legendary film left in him, so he hitched his star to one of the most accomplished film directors of all time with Francis. It crushes him that Megalopolis will be legendary all right — as one of the biggest turkeys ever made!”…

IN THE ice cold parts of the world, many things have been found frozen in time — some, like prehistoric mammoths, are expected, but others, like entire forests and still-living alligators, are a shock. Here are a few of the surprises and mysteries discovered completely frozen in glaciers and chilling parts of the world:…

PIN-UP gal Jenny McCarthy and her Blue Bloods cop Donnie Wahlberg proved love can last in crazy Tinseltown by renewing their wedding vows — after ten years of togetherness. The 51-year-old Playboy centerfold turned Masked Singer judge and movie star Mark Wahlberg’s 55-year-old brother celebrated their tenth anniversary on Aug. 31 at the riverfront Hotel Baker in St. Charles, Ill., where they originally tied the knot — and vowed their love would last an “eternity.” “Happy Anniversary! [yeah we did a thing — again],” lovestruck Donnie writes on a photo showing him clutching the stunning blonde while gazing into her eyes. The renewal was in front of a smaller group than their original 2014 knot-tie with 90 guests. Jenny was looking hot draped in a blue sleeveless satin dress and Donnie…

ALPHA game show vixen Vanna White was “scared” of sharing the Wheel of Fortune stage with Pat Sajak’s successor, Ryan Seacrest — despite her 41 years of experience, insiders tattle. “I had no idea what to expect, when I’m used to one person for so long,” the veteran letter-turner admits. Pat, 77, the show’s longtime host — and Vanna’s close pal — retired in May after 41 years. Ryan, 49, was quickly recruited to replace him. “After Pat quit, Vanna was optimistic about working with Ryan, but they have zero chemistry and no vibe,” a snitch sniped. “She just doesn’t jibe with Ryan like she did with Pat, and no one really ever expected her to.” But a friend of Ryan’s claims “there is absolutely no truth to this. Ryan…

CRUSHING Kim Kardashian is taking English soccer stud Jude Bellingham under her wing as the male face of her fashion line, but sources say his fans fear the middle-aged man-eater will swallow the 21-year-old hunk whole. The bootylicious 43-year-old reality wench has been crushing on the young man-candy since signing him to Skims, according to insiders who say she’s also on the prowl for a new chunk of man since being dumped by NFL ball-catcher Odell Beckham Jr., over six months ago. While Jude has a stunning galpal in his adopted country Spain, where he plays for top soccer squad Real Madrid, his starry-eyed boss keeps jetting to Europe to get closer off the pitch. “Kim is bragging about him to everybody, sending hot pictures of him to her friends…

NEW York State has been rocked by a shocking spy scandal after the governor’s former chief of staff Linda Sun was arrested by the FBI and charged with making megabucks by working as a secret agent for Communist China. Sun, 41, and her husband, Chris Hu, 40, were busted Sept. 3, after agents searched their $3.5 million, five-bedroom Manhasset mansion. In a 63-page indictment, the feds charge that during her 15 years working for the state, Sun was secretly an agent for the Communist Chinese Party who blocked officials of Taiwan, or free China, from meeting with New York State bigwigs and pushed a favorable image of the Beijing regime. Her hubby is accused of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and using false identification. The pair are also charged with…

PERSNICKETY Whoopi Goldberg is PO-ed she doesn’t have a private potty at The View’s new Big Apple studio! Sources snitch none of the show’s co-hosts are thrilled to move to a new space in down-town Manhattan after ten years at ABC’s Upper West Side headquarters, even though it’s a state-of-the-art facility. But as usual, Whoopi, 68, is whining the loudest, according to an insider. Her hottest topic — she’s peeved about her wee-wee new dressing room and that she won’t be able to pee in private, as the new space doesn’t have an en suite bathroom, says the snitch. Instead she’ll be forced to use the common ladies’ room down the hall, a tipster tattles. “Prior to the move, she had the biggest dressing room of anybody, with a shower…

MURDEROUS mom Susan Smith, who was sentenced to life in prison for drowning her two young sons in a South Carolina lake in 1994, is begging her baby daddy ex to not oppose her bid for parole — but he plans to do whatever it takes to keep his kids’ callous killer behind bars, a relative spills. “He has every right to stand in her way, and that’s exactly what he’s about to do,” a family member of David Smith anonymously confides. “She killed his kids — caused him a lifetime of heartbreak. If she thinks he’s going to just stand by while she tries to get out of jail, she’s even more delusional than we even thought.” The insider dishes David will contact officials and “100 percent” oppose the…

THE killer whales of Spain are at it again, deliberately ramming and destroying boats and putting crews at risk! Now scientists have a new theory about the cause of this bizarre behavior — the orcas are practicing their hunting skills! In the most recent incident, a pod of ornery orcas viciously butted a sailboat and damaged its rudder late last month off Spain’s northwest coast, according to the team that rescued the craft’s two stranded crew members. The Cape Finisterre episode was just the latest in a puzzling series of attacks by the psycho sea mammals — going back years and damaging hundreds of vessels! In the recent encounter involving the sailboat Amidala, the Belgian crew members sent out a distress signal after being rammed by an untold number of…

BRUISED Tamra Judge is trying to laugh it off after a face-off with her mom — who attacked the Real Housewife for sharing pix of her recovery from plastic surgery! “Your face literally makes me want to throw up,” the Bravo star’s mother, Sandy Baker, texted her. Tamra admits to having a brow lift, a carbon-dioxide laser treatment and a blue chemical peel by Dr. Donald Mowlds in Newport Beach, Calif., and posted videos of her discolored and misshapen mug following the procedures. She underwent a lower facelift seven years ago. But now, Sandy thinks Tamra does “not look like” herself! “One of my friends called and asked if you had been [in] a motorcycle accident,” she texted. Tamra, 57, shared her mom’s messages online and joked it “feels like” she…

NORWAY’S Princess Märtha Louise has married controversial, self-proclaimed shaman Durek Verrett — an ex-con who sources claim is a charlatan who “brainwashed his bride.” Despite Verrett’s bizarre and notorious background, the Aug. 31 ceremony in Geiranger, Norway, was traditional with 350 guests including the bride’s parents, King Harald and Queen Sonja, her younger brother Crown Prince Haakon, his wife, Crown Princess Mette-Marit and their kids, Princess Ingrid Alexandra and Prince Sverre Magnus. Also at the ceremony were the New Age bride’s daughters, Maud, 21, Leah, 19, and Emma, 15, her children with her late husband, Ari Behn, who she was married to from 2002 to 2017. He died in 2019. Fascinated by New Age theories, the 52-year-old princess, who’s worth $23 million, claims to be a clairvoyant and met her…

THOUSAND-pound sister Amy Slaton, 36, was arrested on drug and child endangerment charges at a drive-through safari park in Tennessee. Law enforcement was summoned after someone in the heavyweight’s vehicle was reportedly bitten by a camel. When police arrived, they noticed “suspicious odors” emanating from the car. They arrested Amy and her companion, Brian Scott Lovvorn, on charges of illegal possession of Schedule I drugs — which include marijuana, heroin and LSD — and Schedule VI drugs, which include prescription medications like valium and tramadol, and two counts of child endangerment. Amy, who co-stars with her sister, Tammy, on TLC’s 1000-Lb. Sisters, recently reported she’s dropped 176 pounds after her weight peaked at 406 pounds. She has two sons, ages two and four, with ex-hubby Michael Halterman.…

CRACKERJACK cook Rachael Ray has left “seriously concerned” fans hungry to know more about her health after she shockingly appeared to slur her words in a new video! “Is she slurring or am I slurring?” wondered an online poster, while another asked whether the gabby former daytime darling “is in a bit of trouble?!” In the video, the 56-year-old chef tells an anecdote about “almost killing” elderly crooner Tony Bennett when he came over with his wife, Susan Crow, for a dinner of osso buco, braised veal shanks — because she had polished the kitchen floors so well for his visit that Tony’s chair tipped over and the codger cracked his noggin on a marble countertop. But one side of Rachael’s mouth seems to droop as she speaks, and numerous…

Unscramble the letters highlighted in the finished puzzle to spell a September gem. ACROSS 1 Pesters 5 Baby elephant 9 Twinge 13 Increase, with “up” 17 Light brown 18 Get an — effort (2 wds.) 19 Lip balm ingredient 20 Goals 21 Conclude, with “up” 22 Greet the judge 23 Scoundrels 24 Slaloms 25 Fill-in worker 26 Matisse and Van Gogh 28 Casual top 30 Running behind 32 Petrol 33 Twosome 34 Subway vehicles 37 Kid’s query 38 Three Bears’ meal 42 Bull-riding event 43 “Dig in!” 44 Special Forces cap 45 Always, in verse 46 Classic street liners 47 Miss after marriage 48 Wordsworth works 49 Way, way off 50 Quarterback Manning 51 Assent 52 — and bounds 53 Wedding-cake layers 54 Winter glider 56 Opportunities, so to speak…

HERE’S some bitter news about the artificial sweetener erythritol — a new study suggests the popular product increases the risk of heart attack and stroke! According to Cleveland Clinic scientists, erythritol — a common ingredient in many keto diet foods — makes platelets more active, which may cause damaging blood clots! “This research raises some concerns that a standard serving of an erythritol-sweetened food or beverage may acutely stimulate a direct clot-forming effect,” says study co-author Dr. W.H. Wilson Tang. Erythritol is synthesized from corn and packs about 70 percent of sugar’s punch. Manufacturers use it to add bulk to stevia and monk fruit sweeteners and value its ability to provide a crispy texture to baked goods. The FDA classifies erythritol as “generally recognized as safe,” which means there are…

ARIES March 21 - April 20 Say yes when a perky water sign suggests an outdoor adventure! You’ll banish stress and may meet a soulmate! Later, the waning Leo moon triggers insecurities about your looks — a sale on some splashy wardrobe items helps you bounce back! Money luck arrives wrapped in blue Sunday! TAURUS April 21 - May 21 Bulls are searching for connections while Mars is in Cancer. Check out a hobby group or new social event — you’ll make friends easily now! Thursday, an old friend asks for financial assistance — keep within your means or you’ll end up in a pinch! New romance is starred at the weekend! GEMINI May 22 - June 21 The sun in Libra spotlights an opportunity that’s been lurking for a…

DOES going from rags to riches — from a TV B-actress to the wife of a mega-millionaire with a royal title — give a gal the right to be snooty? If you are former Suits actress Meghan Markle, who’s now the wife of England’s Prince Harry, and carry the title “duchess” thanks to your marriage — the answer apparently is YES! According to sources, staffers at Meghan and Harry’s Archewell charity organization are running for the borders to get away from Meghan. The latest is her chief of staff, Josh Kettler — he’s reportedly the 18th worker to resign since the couple started the foundation in October 2020. Tattlers place the blame on Meghan, who’s gone from commoner to stuck-up monster. “It’s Meghan. She’s unbearable,” squawks a source. “She talks…