Entertainment Report

CATFIGHT! Foxy and Jacki Square Off!
It's bad enough when male rappers get into disputes and physical confrontations, but when the ladies get into the act, it makes you wonder. Female rappers Foxy Brown and Jacki O were involved in a physical altercation at Miami's Circle House Studios on Sunday (April 24th). According to Jacki O, she was already at the recording studio working with Brooklyn-based rapper Krazy, when Brown arrived. O said in a released statement, "I was all for the idea of having her join us in the studio. That shows how much respect I had for her." But according to the rapper, Brown wasn't pleased with the greeting and the level of respect she got when she arrived at the studio and began to berate Jacki O.

The two woman exchanged words and a physical altercation ensued, until Brown was taken off the premises. Jacki O said, "This was not the way I wanted it to go down. I was looking forward to working with her on a song. We are two women in hip-hop and should be able to come to the table together. She forced me to show her who is the Madam Of Miami."


TERROR SQUAD AND THE BLOODY MELEE IN THE BRONX

Fat Joe's Grammy-nominated rap collective the Terror Squad calls the Bronx, New York, home, but the New York Post reports that a bloody melee erupted after the group was booed at a Bronx nightclub early Sunday morning (April 24th). According to police, three patrons were slashed with a boxcutter and one smashed on the head with a liquor bottle as the fight at the Crimson Lounge spilled out into the street at 4 a.m. ET.

Fat Joe and the Terror Squad were allegedly on stage when the crowd began to boo them. According to the police, words were exchanged and the situation escalated until someone from the stage jumped into the crowd with a boxcutter and slashed two people in the stomach and one on the wrist. Another person from the stage allegedly smashed a bottle on a patron's head.

According to the Terror Squad's spokeswoman, only group member Tony Sunshine was at the nightclub that night and he wasn't involved in the melee. Fat Joe and another member were performing in Virginia, while another member was at home in New Jersey.

Elton to Wed
Elton John has announced plans to marry his longtime partner, filmmaker David Furnish, in the middle of December. The pair, who have been together 11 years, will tie the knot shortly after gay civil partnerships become legal in the U.K. on December 5th. Elton told Britain's Daily Mail that, "We definitely want to do it about the middle of December. Meeting David has been the greatest thing to happen to me."

Elton talked about the recent rumors that the couple's relationship may be on the rocks: "(David's) the most honest guy I've ever met. If anything happened, I think David would say: 'Listen, I was tempted the other night,' and he's human. But that hasn't happened. Yes, we spend a lot of time apart and it's hard, but we make it work." Elton was previously married to studio engineer Renate Blauvelt from 1984 to 1988.

Elton, who has long credited Furnish as helping him overcome his drug and alcohol problem, didn't go into any details about where the wedding would take place, but did reveal, "There will be no honeymoon. I'm on tour."

Jerry, Dick and Wal-Mart

Be Jerry For A Day
Talk show host Jerry Springer is looking for a one-time sidekick. The former Cincinnati mayor is launching a "Be Jerry For A Day" contest on April 30th which will award one viewer the job of co-hosting the sometimes-confrontational daytime program. Interested parties can submit audition tapes directly to The Jerry Springer Show or audition in person at select Professional Bull Rider's (PBR) events over the next seven months. The audition requires applicants to write and sing a verse to a song or to recite an original "Final Thought" in a style similar to Springer's own closing monologues.

The "Be Jerry For A Day" contest team will travel to PBR outings in New York, Phoenix, Dallas, Tulsa, and Kansas City. They'll also hold auditions in other cities like Los Angeles, Detroit, and Cleveland.

More information on contest rules, audition details, and locations is online at JerrySpringerTV.com.

Andy Dick ousted for flashing his . . .
Comedian Andy Dick had one of his dates at a Canadian comedy club cancelled after patrons complained that he exposed himself onstage. Several people complained to management at Yuk Yuk's in Edmonton after seeing an apparently intoxicated Dick perform on April 1.

Dick told the Edmonton Journal he was drinking the whole time he was in Edmonton but he didn't think he was drunk on stage. Dick admitted to exposing himself during the performance, but claimed that management was aware that it was part of his act. Yuk Yuk's cancelled Dick's April 2 appearance and paid him half his $15,000 fee.

I Got Mine At Wal-Mart
Now that it has conquered the retail and grocery sectors, Wal-Mart is turning its attention to a new market -- matchmaking. Wal-Mart International has launched a singles' shopping night at its German stores. On Friday nights, singles are invited to put red bows on their carts to show that they're shopping for a mate, as well as for whatever happens to be on sale. The program has been so well received, says John B. Menzer, president and CEO of Wal-Mart International, that it has been adopted in South Korea, Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom.

A TV ad for the event -- set to a peppy version of the 1980s song "Jump for My Love" -- showcases red hearts, balloons, and lots of happy singles frolicking through the aisles, and in one case pushing one another in shopping carts. No word yet if Wal-Mart plans to expand the program into the U.S.

It's The Human Casino Chip!

A Marlow Oklahoma woman sells herself as the Human Casino Chip on ebay.

Tina Womack is willing to dress up in a costume and travel to anywhere in the United States. She is going to walk around for 3 days dressed as a Human Casino Chip. She states that she will only walk around in the costume for 12 hours a day as her feet couldn't take more than that. She has suggested to have her go to Las Vegas to walk the strip, to go to The Mall of America, and to New York to stand out side of the Good Morning America studios. She also states that if the winning bidder is not a casino and just a business that can't afford to send her anywhere she will change the costume and go to Oklahoma City on her own dime.

There has been a large amount of attention to the online auction site lately. Golden Palace.com has made headlines buying just recently the rights to name a set of triplets. Mrs. Womack adds to her auction that the Golden Palace has a casino chip all over thier site, and that they should have it walking around the city of thier choice also.

Mrs. Womack says that she is going to use the money raised in the auction to pay for her son's adoption and pay off the bills. When asked if she was embarressed she replied, " No way! People are doing alot more embarressing things." She states that she is a stay at home mom of 3 kids and this is her way of bringing in some money to help out with the extra expenses.

GoldenPalaceCasino.com is the current high bidder on the auction, which you can view
here!

Gimme Some Sugar Bo Bice

Gimme Some Sugar
The final seven contestants are ready to perform tomorrow night for your votes. One of Indie's favorites in the competition is Bo Bice and you can check out his garageband.com site here.

Now if Indie had her way it would be Constantine's talent with Bo's looks - is she never happy?

Entertainment Report

Big Surprise from Britney?
No shocker when Britney Spears announced yesterday (April 12th) on her website that she and husband Kevin Federline are expecting their first child together, putting an end to weeks of speculation by the tabloid media. In a message to fans, Britney wrote: "Dear Fans, the time has finally come to share our wonderful news that we are expecting our first child together. There are reports that I was in the hospital this weekend, Kevin and I just want everyone to know that all is well. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. Love, Britney & Kevin."

No other details were announced. This is Britney's first child, but her husband has two young children from a previous relationship with actress Shar Jackson.


ALICIA KEYS MAKES TIME MAGAZINE'S LIST OF '100 MOST INFLUENTIAL'
Singer Alicia Keys joins everyone from the Dalai Lama to Martha Stewart on Time magazine's list of the most influential people of the year. The annual Time 100 is on newsstands this week, and features those who "shape our world" and have the ability to "transform the lives and thoughts of millions." The list is determined by the magazine's editors. Keys is described as "a work in progress as a songwriter, but a refreshing contrast."


'APPRENTICE' CONTESTANT CHRIS ARRESTED
Hot-tempered Apprentice contestant Christopher Shelton had a run-in with the law last weekend in Florida. The Nevada native was booked for disorderly conduct early Sunday (April 10th) morning for throwing a tantrum at Tampa's Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. According to reports, Shelton became irate when he was refused free entrance to a hotel nightclub. Hotel security repeatedly asked the inebriated Shelton to calm down, but when he continued his profanity-laced rant, police hauled him away. He spent the rest of the night in jail and was freed on $250 bail.

Shelton is one of six players still remaining on the latest season of The Apprentice players and was in Tampa to celebrate the birthday of fellow Apprentice John Gafford. NBC is not commenting on the incident, saying it was a "personal matter" for Shelton.

Shelton's arrest will not affect his status on The Apprentice because the remaining episodes of the season have already been filmed and produced.

Interesting News . . .

NEW YORK GOP LAUNCHES 'STOP HILLARY' CAMPAIGN
The chairman of New York's Republican party has launched a national campaign to keep Hillary Clinton from being re-elected to the Senate next year, saying her plan is to run for president. The "STOP HILLARY NOW!" fundraising effort is chairman Stephen Minarik's first anti-Hillary appeal to national Republicans. In his letter, he refers to Clinton six times as a "radical liberal" or "ultraliberal," and says she has a, quote, "vast network of far-left contributors." He writes, "Stopping Hillary Rodham Clinton is the most important thing you and I can do as Republicans in the next two years. You could say it's our duty as Republicans." Clinton has said she is not looking beyond her Senate re-election effort.

BE VERY NICE WHEN YOU ORDER THAT BURRITO
A former Taco Bell employee in Salt Lake City, Utah has pleaded guilty to one count of credit card fraud for double-swiping the credit cards of restaurant customers he found annoying. In five incidents, Travis Dominguez would charge his customers for their food, and then swipe the card a second time for amounts ranging between $20 and $50. In addition to being barred from employment involving financial transactions, Dominguez was ordered to undergo a psychological evaluation and pay over $140 in restitution. He was sentenced to probation and six months in jail. (Salt Lake Tribune)

Entertainment Report

50 CENT COMPETES AGAINST HIMSELF AT THE TOP OF THE CHART

50 Cent's "Candy Shop" featuring Olivia was recently certified gold and the song is enjoying its seventh consecutive week at Number One on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, but it might be challenged for the Number One spot next week by another one of his songs. The rapper's collaboration with The Game, "Hate It Or Love It," is Number Two this week and will likely give "Candy Shop" some stiff competition for the highly coveted Number One slot.

50 Cent also has another song in the Top Ten. The rapper's platinum-certified "Disco Inferno" is Number Seven this week after peaking at Number Three.

In related news, 50 Cent has sold more than 2.8 million copies of The Massacre in the five weeks the album has been out.


GWEN STEFANI TO DEBUT A SNEAKER LINE

Gwen Stefani is planning to feature sneakers in her L.A.M.B. fashion collection this fall. According to MTV.com, the No Doubt vocalist has already linked up with K-Swiss' Royal Elastics, which will place the shoes in high-end boutiques and department stores. Stefani is looking forward to expanding the clothing line to include sneakers, saying, "It's very much about my style and how I like to put things together and I'm really excited to be adding a collection of L.A.M.B. sneakers to my closet."

The collection will incorporate song lyrics and is expected to cost from $99-$180 a pair.

Stefani was recently named best-dressed by British magazine Harpers & Queen.

COOKIE MONSTER ON A HEALTH KICK?

The 36th season of Sesame Street will focus on healthy habits including the Cookie Monster eating fewer cookies and advocating healthy eating habits, the Associated Press reports. Instead of singing his trademark "C Is For Cookie" song, the blue furry monster will be singing a new song -- "A Cookie Is a Sometimes Food."

Because of the rise in childhood obesity, Sesame Street is concentrating on the need to teach children about healthy foods and physical activity.

Each episode will open with a "health tip" about nutrition, exercise, hygiene and rest.

DENISE RICHARDS PUTS BAN ON SHEEN?

If Denise Richards gets her way, her soon-to-be ex-husband Charlie Sheen will not be in the delivery room when their baby is born, Page Six of the New York Post reports. Sources close to Richards say the actress has "too much anger in her heart" to allow him to be present at the birth in June. But Richards' rep, Jill Fritzo, denies the story, telling Page Six, "It's not true."

A representative for Sheen, who has reportedly asked for joint custody of the unborn child and the couple's daughter, Sam, says that he plans to be there for the birth.

BRITNEY AND KEVIN GET REAL IN UPCOMING UPN SERIES

Britney Spears and husband Kevin Federline have signed a deal with UPN to star in their own reality show. According to the network, the series shares the couple's "personal love story through exclusive, never-before-seen private videos they shot themselves during their courtship, engagement and wedding." The series will include six episodes and is expected to begin airing later this season.

The footage--shot mostly by Britney and Kevin with their own cameras--begins shortly after the couple first met in Los Angeles and headed off to Europe together on her concert tour.

The series includes the events leading up to and including their marriage last September.

Entertainment Report

'AMERICAN IDOL' ARREST WILL NOT COST THE BIG GUY

American Idol contestant Scott Savol will not lose his spot in the finals even though he was arrested back in 2001, USA Today reports. Thesmokinggun.com posted a police report documenting Savol's arrest after an altercation with the mother of his then-infant son. The 28-year-old singer was convicted of misdemeanor disorderly conduct as a result of the incident. Savol will not be booted from the show because he had previously told America Idol producers of the misdemeanor disorderly conduct conviction that resulted from the incident.

"Scott Savol was forthcoming to the American Idol producers and the network regarding his misdemeanor," the show's producers said in a statement. "After reviewing the facts, in which the charges were reduced to disorderly conduct, we felt that considering Scott's honesty and his remorse, the situation did not warrant his disqualification."


PETA TARGETS 'VIEW' CO-HOST STAR JONES REYNOLDS

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals went after Star Jones Reynolds, with a parody of her wedding Friday morning. The April Fool's Day parody took place outside the View studios in New York City. PETA displayed a new "Fur is a Drag" ad featuring 6-foot-tall cross-dresser Flotilla DeBarge dressed in a large white wedding gown and a white fur coat splashed with blood.

"As long as no laws are broken, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery," Jones Reynolds said in a statement Thursday to The Associated Press. "I hope his hair and makeup look fabulous and he remembers to shave."

On a side note, PETA has listed Jones Reynolds four times on its annual "worst dressed" list, because of her love of fur.

BACKSTREET BOYS ANNOUNCE TITLE OF UPCOMING ALBUM

Oh Boy! The Backstreet Boys announced on their Website that their new album will be named Never Gone. The title is said to come from a song on the album that band member Kevin Richardson wrote for his father. The CD will be released in June.

The first single from the album, "Incomplete," will be released on April 1st.
Backstreet Boys are currently on their U.S. club tour to reconnect with fans and introduce songs from the new album. They will be in several Midwest cities next week, and will wind up the tour in Norfolk, Virginia on April 18th.

This will be the group's first album since 2000's Black and Blue, which sold over 5 million copies worldwide in its first week of release.


MADONNA AND RITCHIE'S MARRIAGE ON THE ROCKS?

Could Madonna and Guy Ritchie's marriage possibly be on the rocks? US Weekly is reporting that Madge has been recently caught without her wedding ring. To further those rumors, a source said that Ritchie is getting fed up with his wife's bossy attitude, telling the magazine, "Madonna is used to getting what she wants, but Guy isn't impressed by her diva behavior and rarely gives in to her." However, according to the New York Daily News, Madonna's rep says the rumor is just "not accurate."

NOAH WYLE TO LEAVE 'ER' AS CAST REGULAR

Noah Wyle will be leaving ER as a cast regular at the end of this season, USA Today reports. The actor, who has been with the show since it began 11-years ago, is not leaving the show completely. He has signed on to appear in four episodes in each of the next two seasons.

Wyle's character, Dr. John Carter, will say his goodbye to colleagues at Chicago's County General Hospital before leaving to work for a Doctors Without Borders-type organization in the season finale.

Producers say that Carter will reunite with his true love, Kem, played by Thandie Newton, in Paris on the episode before the finale.

The ER season finale is scheduled to air on May 19 at 10 PM ET/PT.

POPE JOHN PAUL THE SECOND PASSES

POPE JOHN PAUL THE SECOND
MAY 18, 1920 - APRIL 2, 2005

Pope John Paul the Second, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, died Saturday, April 2nd, 2005, at the Vatican after battling serious illness over the past two months. He was 84. The Vatican announced the Pontiff's death via an e-mail Saturday, which read:

"The Holy Father died this evening at 9:37 p.m. (2:37 p.m. ET) in his private apartment. All the procedures outlined in the apostolic Constitution 'Universi Dominici Gregis' that was written by John Paul II on Feb. 22, 1996, have been put in motion."

After word that the pontiff had taken a turn for the worse on Friday (April 1st), tens of thousands gathered in St. Peter's Square outside his Vatican apartments to hold vigil and pray as they waited for the inevitable news.

John Paul had suffered from worsening Parkinson's disease since the mid-1990s, and had crippling knee and hip ailments. His final health crisis began on February 1st, when he was rushed to the hospital with breathing problems as a complication of the flu. He remained at Rome's Gemelli Polyclinic until February 10th, when he returned to the Vatican. However, two weeks later, on February 24th, he returned to the hospital with renewed breathing problems, and doctors decided to perform a tracheotomy, in which a tube was inserted in his windpipe to allow him to breathe easier. That tube remained in even after the pontiff left the hospital on March 13th. Just days ago, on March 30th, amid reports that he wasn't responding well to his medications, a feeding tube was inserted into the pope's nose, since his Parkinson's was causing him problems swallowing. One day later, on March 31st, the Vatican said the pontiff made a sudden turn for the worse. He developed a high fever caused by a urinary tract infection, and after initially stabilizing, his condition deteriorated and septic shock and heart failure set in. John Paul held on, deciding himself not to go to the hospital for treatment, until dying Friday.



More info at CNN.com