Drunken thief takes singer Justin Moore's guitar
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Country singer Justin Moore knows his fans can get rowdy — maybe sometimes to a fault. The singer says a drunken fan stole one of his guitars at a Michigan concert, but eventually returned Moore's favorite Gibson guitar worth about $4,000 after the fan realized it was a drunken mistake.
Posner says he failed to source material for book
NEW YORK (AP) — An author and journalist who resigned last month from the Internet news site The Daily Beast over allegations of lifting material acknowledged that passages in his latest book are similar to those of another writer. Gerald Posner, whose many books include "Case Closed" and "Secrets of the Kingdom," said in an interview with The Associated Press that a flawed research methodology for "Miami Babylon," a nonfiction work released last fall by Simon & Schuster, led him to use text from Frank Owen's "Clubland" without giving proper credit.
Reagan 'GE Theater' tapes restored, go to library
SIMI VALLEY, Calif. (AP) — All 208 episodes of television's "General Electric Theater," hosted by then-actor Ronald Reagan, are being delivered to former first lady Nancy Reagan on Wednesday as part of the two-year celebration of the late president's 100th birthday. The 1954-1962 "General Electric Theater" tapes, most believed to be damaged or lost, were recently uncovered in the General Electric/NBC Universal archives. They were restored to broadcast quality for use in the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley.
Rolling Stones tunes supply 'Idol' surprises
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tim Urban couldn't get any satisfaction on "American Idol." The judges dismissed Urban's reggae rendition of "Under My Thumb" during a night of Rolling Stones tunes in the Fox singing competition's first round of finals Tuesday. "Idol" judge Randy Jackson dubbed the 20-year-old college student's take on the 1966 classic "weird," and Simon Cowell affirmed it was a "crazy decision." Urban shrugged off their criticism.
Trump is reviving 'Apprentice' with regular folks
NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump isn't firing "The Celebrity Apprentice," but he's bringing back the regular edition of the show with 14 ordinary job-hunters plagued by the economic crisis. NBC and Trump said Wednesday they want to put America back to work with the show, which is expected to air this fall.
French polemic over fake game show electrocutions
PARIS (AP) — A state-run TV channel is stirring controversy with a documentary about a fake game show in which credulous participants obey orders to deliver increasingly powerful electric shocks to a man, who is really an actor, until he appears to die. The producers of "The Game of Death," broadcast Wednesday night, wanted to examine both what they call TV's mind-numbing power to suspend morality, and the striking human willingness to obey orders.
Norteno star denies knowledge of playing for gang
McALLEN, Texas (AP) — Latin Grammy winner Ramon Ayala said the lights went out, people started running and he and his band hit the floor when the Mexican military raided a drug cartel's holiday party in December. Speaking publicly for the first time since the raid and his arrest, the renowned norteno accordion player said Tuesday that he had no idea he'd been booked to play at a private home — much less a drug gang's holiday party — before the raid near Mexico City. He and members of his band, Los Bravos del Norte, were detained.
3 histories receive Bancroft Prize
NEW YORK (AP) — Biographies of Abigail Adams and Depression-era photographer Dorothea Lange are among the winners of the prestigious Bancroft Prize for history. Columbia University announced Wednesday that three authors will each receive $10,000 for the Bancroft.
Sony bets MJ fans won't stop 'til they get enough
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The man who spearheaded the record-breaking deal in which Michael Jackson's estate will get up to $250 million in the next seven years said Tuesday that Sony Music Entertainment bought a treasure trove of new Jackson music, some of it recorded "quite recently," some in collaboration with other artists. John Branca, who negotiated the deal along with co-executor John McClain and team of attorneys, was clearly elated about the deal. He said in an interview with The Associated Press that this is only the first of more deals that will bring Jackson's music to his fans and introduce it to a world of potential new fans.
Jessica Simpson investigates standards of beauty
NEW YORK (AP) — Singer and sometimes actress Jessica Simpson has paid the price of beauty, and now she's examining people's obsession with looking good. She made headlines last year when photos of her performing suggested she might have gained a few pounds. That sparked a national debate on TV news channels, talk shows and in print asking if Simpson was, indeed, fat.
