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'Extreme Makeover' Yields a New Political Figure

"Extreme Makeover" is headed for reality-TV history, but not before political operative Heidi Ecker unveiled her $200,000 transformation on last night's penultimate episode. "To say I'm happy is an understatement," she told us yesterday. "I keep pinching myself."

He May Be $260,000 Poorer, But Iverson's Ready to Party

Woo-hoo! Who wants to party with Allen Iverson this weekend? And does the NBA superstar's recent jury verdict in Superior Court (he was found liable for his security detail's '05 beating of a guy at downtown's Eyebar) make you less likely to party with him . . . or maybe more likely? (The victim won $260K in damages.)

This Is No Place to Break the Rules

After 22 years covering the White House, NBC's Steve Handelsman thought he knew the ins and outs of the West Wing. But a misstep -- actually, about 10 steps -- resulted in an unusual suspension of his press pass for three weeks.

WNBA All-Stars Will Keep Their Eyes on the Ball

You've heard all about pro basketball's all-star extravaganzas: insanely glitzy parties, VIP fans, free-flowing food and drink (sometimes a little too free-flowing) leading up to the big game. This weekend's WNBA All-Star event in Washington? Not so much.

Which Candidates the Stars Take a Shine to

Paul Simon stumped across Iowa with Chris Dodd 10 days ago, marking the official start to the 2008 Celebrity Primary season; earlier Steven Spielberg endorsed Hillary Clinton, while his fellow Hollywood titan David Geffen shifted his support to Barack Obama. Here's the first in an occasional look at how the stars are coming out in the '08 presidential race:

Mr. Motown Himself Takes Another Personal Hit on the Silver Screen

Just months after "Dreamgirls" skewered Berry Gordy Jr., the legendary producer who brought us the Temptations and the Supremes is getting another slap on the big screen -- this time in "Talk to Me," the biopic of D.C. broadcaster Petey Greene.

He Swims With Sharks And Takes a Big Bite

For the third year in a row, a local card shark reached the final table at the World Series of Poker Main Event in Las Vegas. In 2005, Severn CPA Steve Danneman placed second and won $4.2 million; last year, Rockville insurance agent Rhett Butler finished fifth and won $3.2 million. The streak continues: Yesterday, Reston software engineer Lee Childs came in seventh and took home $705,000.

A Pop Quiz for the Education Secretary

Poor Margaret Spellings! The secretary of education was ready to talk student loans, No Child Left Behind, blah, blah, blah, when she came into The Post for an interview with editors and reporters last week. So maybe she was taken aback when a reporter (not us, we swear!) asked why she turned down Karl Rove when he asked her out back in the early '80s. (Rove later joked it took his ego "decades to recover.")

The Bachelor's Five-Party System

What kind of bachelor party could possibly mark the big transition for a man long heralded as one of D.C.'s most eligible? Apparently, no single event could do the trick for GOP lobbyist Jeff Kimbell, who last weekend went to his home town of Chicago for the third of his five bachelor parties.

Spirits Are Soaring (and Pouring) at Citronelle

Gourmet food without wine? Not in Michel Richard's restaurant! Rather than subject customers to dinner without their favorite vintage, Citronelle voluntarily shut down two nights before reopening Saturday.