Week of August 15, 2005

Israeli troops fan out in the Jewish settlements of the Gaza Strip and serve

Jewish residents with eviction notices.

Iraqi officials, facing a midnight deadline and pressure from the Bush

Administration, fail to finish writing a new constitution.

Folk singer Joan Baez joins war protesters near President Bush’s ranch to meet

with military families who want troops pulled out of Iraq.

charges that he violated state ethics laws by

failing to report golf outings and other gifts. He

apologized and blamed poor record keeping.

In Paris - Brother Roger - the renowned founder

of a French ecumenical community dies after a

woman stabbed him during evening prayers. He

was 90.

Republican Senator Huck Hagel of Nebraska says

that the United States needs to craft an exit

strategy because its continued presence had

created a potential Vietnam.

121 persons die in a Greek Cypriot 737 crash.

Both pilots were slumped over and a loss of cabin

pressure may have doomed the flight.

A chartered jet carrying French Caribbean islanders home from a Panama

vacation crashes in rural Venezuela - minutes after the pilot reported trouble in

both engines. 160 perish.

Militants fire at least three homemade rockets from a warehouse hideout in the

Jordanian port of Aqaba, narrowly missing two U.S. Navy ships and killing a

Jordanian soldier.

After reaching record highs last week, near term crude oil futures ease -

remaining above $66 a barrel.

In Germany - Pope Benedict XI chooses tough language to tell Muslim leaders

they must work herder to combat terrorism and steer youths away from “the

darkness of a new barbarism.”

Week of August 15, 2005

A Texas jury finds Merck & Co. liable in the death of a 59-year-old marathon

runner who took the once-popular pain reliever Vioxx and awarded his widow

$253.4 million.

She can say a few words and wants to communicate, but doctors say Coretta

Scott King (78) might not fully recover from a stroke she suffered this week.

Political groups representing Iraq’s minority Sunni Arabs call for new delays in

approving a national constitution, complaining that they had been cut out of final-

hour negotiations between Shiites and Kurds. They are appealing to the U.N. and

U.S. to intervene.

Technology -

Google says it plans to launch software that pulls news stories, photographs,

weather updates, stock quotes and other features onto a user’s computer without

opening a web browser. The feature is called sidebar

Amazon.com plans to become the latest Internet giant to offer a digital mapping

service continuing its quest to become a destination for more than just shopping

Google says it will make a second stock offering - 14.8 million new shares. The

company went public April 18, 2004 with an IPO price of $85 and Google shares

today closed at $279.99.

So far, some 22 million Ipod’s have been sold.

Sports -

Francisco 49yers. There was not hint of trouble

when the 23-year-old collapsed after coming

off the field after an exhibition game.

Former NFL offensive lineman Barret Robbins,

awaiting trial on three attempted murder

charges, is arrested in san Antonio on

suspicion of possessing marijuana.

Comcast Corp. wins the rights to broadcast

NHL games on its Outdoor Life Network,

beating out ESPN.

Entertainment news -

Now that “Saw” is a gigantic hit via DVD, actor

Week of August 15, 2005

Cary Elwes wants some the profits. The movie was made for $1.2 million and so

far - has made $102.9 million on DVD. He said he got crumbs while others got a

nice back-end deal.

Music news -

months after ending his 16-year

relationship with Capitol

Records - cuts a deal with

WalMart - and they alone will

carry his music. It’s the first time

an artist has made an entire

catalog available only through

one outlet. Many believe

exclusives are just plain bad.

Brooks’ deal comes when he

has put his recording and

performing career on hold to

spend time with his family.

Passing - Esther Wong (88) the godmother of punk - known for her Madam

Wong’s clubs during the 1980’s in the LA area.

bones in a horse riding accident at her London country home. She had three

cracked ribs, a broken collarbone and a broken hand.

Records - home of previous

Idol winners Fantasia and

Ruben Studdard.

During an interview for a MTV

special Kanye West launched

into a discussion about hip-hop

and homosexuality, while

talking about “He mama,” on

song on his upcoming album -

“Late Registration.” He said

everyone in hip-hop

discriminates against gay

people and adds that in slang,

Week of August 15, 2005

gay is “the opposite, the exact opposite word of hop hop.” He told his fellow

rappers to stop it.

Sting performs on David Letterman this week.

Mick Jagger and Keith Richards end a feud - and the boys will rock again. Look

for a Rolling Stones tour and album. TBA.

Hot Hits This Week in 2005 -

Pon De Replay - Rihanna

Sugar, We're Goin' Down - Fall Out Boy

Don’t Cha - Pussycat Dolls with Busta

Rhymes

Beverly Hills - Weezer

Feel Good Inc - Gorillaz Featuring De La

Soul

Wake Me Up When September Ends -

Green Day

Cool - Gwen Stefani

You & Me - Lifehouse

Don’t Lie - Black Eyed Peas

Television news -

Dick Clark and Ryan Seacrest will co-host

Rockin’ Eve” from Times Square Dec. 31.

Clark is recovering at home from a Dec. 6

stroke. Seacrest has agreed to a multi-year

deal to executive produce and join Clark on

the ABC special.

ABC is finally taking Peter Jennings’ name off “Word News Tonight With Peter

Jennings” - who died from cancer Aug. 7.

Kelly Monaco and John O’Hurley will return for a rematch of the “Dancing with

the Stars” finale. Monaco and her partner had beaten O’Hurley and his partner,

but that prompted skepticism over whether Monoco had been favored because

she works on the ABC program - “General Hospital.’

Top TV -

CSI - 13.85 million viewers

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition - 11.71

Week of August 15, 2005

Without a Race - 11.54

CSI: Miami - 11.35

60 Minutes - 10.88

Two and A Half Men - 10.12

Two and a Half Men #2 - 10.07

NCIS - 9.45

AFC-NFC Hall of Fame Game - 9.10

Law & Order: Criminal Intent - 8.73

Unforgettable Moments in Television Entertainment - 8.65

Everybody Loves Raymond -

8.50

Top movies this week in 2005

The 40-year-old Virgin

Red Eye

Four Brothers

Wedding Crashers

The Skeleton Key

March of the Penguins

Valiant

Dukes of Hazzard

Charlie and The Chocolate

Factory

Sky High

Must Love dogs

The Great Raid

Deuce Bigalow: European

Gigolo

Week of August 15, 2005

Last Episode of “Six Feet Under” on HBO