Entertainment News

WASHINGTON - Actor Kal Penn started a new job Monday as a liaison between the White House and Asian communities.

LONDON - British comic actress Mollie Sugden, who played the formidable saleswoman Mrs. Slocombe in the BBC's long running comedy series "Are You Being Served?", has died aged 86.

WOBURN, Mass. - Dane Cook's half brother has been indicted on additional charges that he stole more than $11 million from the comedian, prosecutors said Monday.

Celebrity birthdays for the week of July 12-18:

NEW YORK - Even President Barack Obama, a gleam in his eye as he talked at the Radio and Television Correspondents' Association dinner two weeks ago, seemed to recognize the special relationship he's forged with TV networks in the opening months of his administration.

WASHINGTON - Actor Kal Penn started a new job Monday as a liaison between the White House and Asian communities.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Action movie "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" edged past "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" to claim the crown for a second weekend at the North American box office, according to updated figures released on Monday.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - If sushi lovers think the price of their favorite raw fish is too high already, then the new documentary "The End of the Line" may shock them with its argument that the real cost may be some species' extinction.

WOBURN, Mass. - Dane Cook's half brother has been indicted on additional charges that he stole more than $11 million from the comedian, prosecutors said Monday.

LOS ANGELES - Giant robots have defeated dinosaurs and woolly mammoths at the weekend box office.

NEW YORK - Music lovers weren't the only ones drawn to the King of Pop. Wooed by his global fame and earning power, a bevy of financial firms ponied up tens of millions to finance the singer's luxe lifestyle and kick-start his troubled career.

NEW YORK - A New York congressman who is considering a Senate run posted a YouTube video calling Michael Jackson a "pervert" and questioning the exhaustive media coverage of the pop star's death.

LOS ANGELES - A judge said Monday that Michael Jackson's longtime attorney and a family friend should take over the pop singer's estate for now, rejecting a request from Jackson's mother to be put in charge or share control.

GENEVA - In her most famous song, "Torn," Natalie Imbruglia sings of loneliness and shame.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A Los Angeles judge handed temporary control of Michael Jackson's multimillion dollar estate on Monday to a lawyer and music industry executive named as co-executors in his 2002 will.

Giant robots have defeated dinosaurs and woolly mammoths at the weekend box office. Paramount says "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" finished the Fourth of July weekend in first place again with $42.4 million. (July 6)

There is increased activity at Forest Lawn just one day before Michael Jackson's public memorial service. Derek Bell reports.

Billy Johnson from Yahoo describes the preparations for the pop star's tribute.

Cooper Boone talks about his new album, cooking show and "Cougar Dream."

The Literature Festival in Paraty, Brazil, attracted thousands of children this year. Outdoor activities, theater presentations, story telling, and other events encouraged children to embrace the pleasures of reading.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Action movie "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" edged past "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" to claim the crown for a second weekend at the North American box office, according to updated figures released on Monday.

LONDON (Reuters) - Romantic comedy meets the wizarding world in "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," the sixth installment in the hit movie franchise in which hormones, as well as hexes, are on the loose at Hogwarts school.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The global recession, shrinking advertising sales and fears that the Internet could render big media empires obsolete provide an ominous backdrop for executives at this week's Sun Valley conference.

DEAR ABBY: I am a 35-year-old married woman who, unfortunately, has an overprotective mother. Mom was always clingy. When I was young I was rarely allowed to go anywhere without her, including visits to nearby homes of friends or family. She always had to come along, too.

DEAR ABBY: I'm a 15-year-old girl and I have always had a fear of heights. But my mother and sister love thrill rides. As a result, we often go to theme parks. When we do, I'll usually go on a couple of the "kiddie rides," which is what Mom calls "mild" rides. Mom and my sister try to drag me on the roller coasters, but I always say no.

DEAR ABBY: I often go to the movies with my friend "Valerie." During the movie she puts her phone on mute, but I can still hear when it vibrates. Val acts embarrassed by it, but she never turns the phone off.

01/23/2009 - DEAR MARGO: My best friend since elementary school (I'll call her CJ) is married to a man I have never liked (I'll call him Phil). Even when they dated I considered Phil overbearing and foolish.

01/22/2009 - DEAR MARGO: I recently left my husband of 21 years and now live alone.

01/16/2009 - DEAR MARGO: My family is at their wits' end with a major upset, courtesy of my grandparents.

CAMBRIDGE, Minn. - A 21-year-old woman faces felony charges after allegedly prank-calling her 69-year-old grandmother 45 times in one day, threatening to kill her. The woman faces five felony counts including harassment. A criminal complaint said she told police she was "bored" and "wanted to have some fun."

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Police charged the father of a 5-year-old girl with child abuse after the girl was spotted behind the wheel of a speeding pickup truck. KRQE-TV reported the father was arrested Thurday when police saw his truck speeding and swerving on the city's west side. Police said the father told them he was trying to teach his daughter how to drive by having her sit in his lap.

SARASOTA, Fla. - Authorities arrested two people connected to the theft of a baby skunk from a pet store. The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office reported that the skunk was stolen Wednesday from Animal Crackers Pet Store. The animal was valued at $400.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - Cedar Rapids police arrested a woman after officials said she drove a stolen car from Illinois around a barricade at a deadly accident. Police said the woman drove past two squad cars and officers who were directing traffic after the accident Sunday morning that killed a Cedar Rapids man.

NEW YORK - Money doesn't grow on trees, but a tree-care supervisor in New York City's Central Park found an old wallet inside a dead one.

LOS ANGELES - A judge said Monday that Michael Jackson's longtime attorney and a family friend should take over the pop singer's estate for now, rejecting a request from Jackson's mother to be put in charge or share control.

NEW YORK - Michael Jackson's concerts always were difficult to get tickets to, but that's nothing compared to the pop star's memorial service.

LOS ANGELES - Michael Jackson's ex-wife Debbie Rowe will attend the pop superstar's memorial service.

Los Angeles (E! Online) - Not all the magic in Hogwarts could save Rupert Grint from catching the dreaded swine flu.

Los Angeles (E! Online) - The Rev. Al Sharpton thinks Michael Jackson deserves being honored commensurate with his star status. That means a postage stamp, a national day of mourning—and deferential treatment from the media.