Turn On:
On Monday night, a new "Miss USA" (NBC, 9 p.m. EST) will be crowned.
Morning Briefing:
All fired up: Chris Shelton, the young "Apprentice" contestant who has been repeatedly raked over the coals in the boardroom by Donald Trump for his fiery temper (and yucky tobacco-chewing habit) but has somehow managed to avert getting fired thus far, was arrested on Sunday for disorderly conduct. According to the Associated Press, Shelton, a 22-year-old real estate millionaire, was hauled into custody by tribal police at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tampa, Fla., after causing a disturbance in the hotel's lobby. He was reportedly furious over a $20 cover charge at the hotel bar. "He was loud and he just wouldn't calm down," a police spokesman told the press. According to the police report, "There were several patrons in the area who were visibly shaken by his actions." Shelton is now free after posting $250 in bail. (Associated Press)
Creepy ratings boost: Peter Jennings' announcement last week that he is fighting lung cancer resulted in a ratings bump for his ABC newscast. His sad disclosure netted him a 7.1 rating/14 share, whereas NBC got only 6.3/12 and CBS just 4.6/9. According to Variety, "Depending on the severity of his condition, and the extent to which he shares his battle with viewers, Jennings could even see the ratings bump that puts him over [NBC anchor Brian] Williams.
The "Nanny Diaries," D.C.-style? Yep. Barbara Kline, founder of the Washington child-care agency White House Nannies, is releasing a book with Penguin Publishing next month in which she tells thinly disguised tales of the parenting habits of the rich and famous and politically well-connected. Past clients have included MSNBC's Chris Matthews, ABC News' Claire Shipman, and James Carville and Mary Matalin -- though there's no telling whether they'll be among those featured in the tattle-heavy book, "White House Nannies." (Rush and Molloy)
Getting the media to mind their pees and Q's: Michael Jackson's mother, Katherine, would very much like you to know why she left the courtroom last week during some particularly graphic testimony by former Jackson employees: It wasn't because she couldn't stand the heat; it was because she had to go to the bathroom. "I am only asking for fair and accurate reporting," she said in a statement. "Accusing me of leaving due to graphic testimony when I simply went to the rest room is not fair, not accurate." All clear now? (Associated Press)
<a target="new" href="Hold the fries: But the Jackson trial money quote from last week had to have been the testimony of former Jackson chef Phillip LeMarque, who said he was alarmed late one night in 1991, while delivering a snack to Jackson, to find the pop star with one hand in Macaulay Culkin's shorts: "I was shocked, and I almost dropped the French fries," LeMarque said. Culkin has always insisted that Jackson never touched him inappropriately -- and may testify to that during the trial. (Reuters)
Also: Those of you looking forward to screening that videotape of Jenna Bush down on all fours doing "Da Butt" at a party will be disappointed to learn that the alleged tape has, alas, disappeared. (Rush and Molloy) ... Party like it's 1999, not 1989: Prince is reportedly so serious about his no-drugs-in-the-house policy that he recently chucked a TV star out of his L.A. home for doing a line on his coffee table. (Rush and Molloy) ... Jennifer Lopez's latest album, "Rebirth," has done horribly on the charts, and now it's suffering from reports that it has exceeded its marketing budget by $150,000 and that several of Lopez's dancers have quit because they "haven't been paid in like a month." (Page Six) ... Ari Fleischer's news- and gossip-free book about life in the inner Bush circle, "Taking Heat," published last month, has reportedly failed thus far to sell even a tenth of the 200,000 copies in its initial print run. (Lloyd Grove's Lowdown ... The Matthew McConaughey and Penélope Cruz flick "Sahara" topped the box office this weekend, taking in an estimated $18.5 million. (MTV News) ... Martha Stewart, Michael Moore and Jon Stewart are among those on Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people. (Time via Reuters) ... In an effort to fight the highly publicized child obesity epidemic in the United States, "Sesame Street" spokespeople say they're planning to have Cookie Monster "broaden his eating habits" on future shows and are "teaching him moderation." (BBC News)
Money Quotes:
Rolling Stone deputy managing editor Joe Levy on President Bush's iPod playlist, which includes songs by Joni Mitchell, John Hiatt, the Knack and John Fogerty: "One thing that's interesting is that the president likes artists who don't like him." (Rolling Stone via New York Times)
Pamela Anderson on her new scripted comedy, "Stacked," premiering Wednesday on Fox, in which she plays a non-celeb version of herself: "I'm just glad I'm doing a real show and not a reality show. To me, the people who watch reality shows are the same people who read the supermarket tabloids." (N.Y. Daily News)
-- Amy Reiter
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