PEOPLE

By Belinda Luscombe

THEY'RE NOT JERRY'S KIDS

Astronauts aren't the only ones who can have a bumpy ride on re-entry. JERRY SPRINGER, who was a popular local news anchor and mayor of Cincinnati before wading into the quagmire of daily talk shows, is attempting to return to news. He has been asked by the NBC affiliate in Chicago to do commentary. But to the two news anchors, sharing a show with the unabashed chronicler of America's most tawdry domestic dramas was like being asked to drink battery acid. On Thursday night, Carol Marin resigned on the air. "This isn't about one television newscast in one city," she says. "It's about the heart and soul of news." Ron Magers, her co-anchor, is still considering his options. Springer, who sees bigger fights than this on his show all the time, is unperturbed. "No one's grabbing their children off the streets," he says. "This is about contract negotiations, not me."

SEEN & HEARD

Just in time for those lonely eves when Chelsea's away, good news for Bill Clinton. Mick Fleetwood and the classic Rumours lineup of Fleetwood Mac are back. The band has signed with Reprise and will tour. This makes the Partridge Family and the Nixon Cabinet the only two groups from that era that have not reunited.

Good citizen or bad Don Juan? Eddie Murphy was stopped by sheriff's deputies in L.A. at 4:45 a.m. with a transsexual prostitute in his car. The prostitute was arrested; the comedian wasn't. Murphy says the "beautiful Hawaiian-looking woman" asked him for a ride. "I was just concerned about her safety."

NEW WAY TO PAY FOR COLLEGE

At 64, all the good financial books explain, one's earning capacity is not at its peak. So for ARCELI KEH, better known to most people as the Woman Who Had a Baby at 63, the obvious way to put aside a little nest egg for her daughter was to sell her story, complete with interview, home videos and family snapshots. After a quick but brutal media race, the National Enquirer emerged victorious, handing over a six-figure sum to the Keh family, who told the magazine they would like to have another child. Then, after the dust had cleared, a new bidding war ensued--to buy from the Enquirer the rights to the video. Although abc's PrimeTime Live was initially the main contender, producers there grew uncomfortable with the perception of buying a story, and American Journal stepped in. Looks like Baby will get her new pair of shoes.

BAD HAIR BILLIONAIRE AVAILABLE

Looks like it might be time for someone to start a Second Wives Club--MARLA MAPLES, for example. She and THE DONALD, 50, have announced that after 3 1/2 years of what appeared to be fiscal and marital bliss, they are separating "as friends." They have a daughter Tiffany (named after the store), 4, and a prenuptial agreement. Sources say this is the sticking point. The second Mrs. Trump, 33, is due between $1 million and $5 million if they split now, but a source told the New York Times that if the union lasts one more year, she will get a portion of his net worth, estimated at between $450 million and $2.5 billion. No hard feelings, though. Marla apparently will still be the host of the Trump-owned Miss Universe Pageant in Miami on May 16.