Week of May 23, 2003

Congress approves a sweeping tax cut bill - a $350-billion tax cut bill.

Lt. Gen James Conway - a top marine commander in Iraq says that U.S.

intelligence was “simply wrong” in its assessment that Saddam Hussein intended

to unleash chemical or biological weapons against U.s. forces during the war.

Under criticism, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon says his nation must end its

occupation of Palestinian lands.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair visits southern Iraq and the top military

commander says the war is still not over in many parts of the country.

The Pentagon says it is planning a broad re-alignment of troops in Asia - to

smaller more mobile forces.

The House approves new powers for defense

clout following the U.S. military action in Iraq. The

plan bolsters Rumsfeld’s authority over hiring,

firing, pay and transfer of more than 700,000

civilian defense employees - over a quarter of

the entire federal civilian workforce.

Moscow asks Tehran to confirm that it is not

secretly developing a nuclear bomb and the

White House demands that the regime do more

to halt the activities of Al Qaeda terrorists within

its borders.

Disney says it plans to close more than 100

stores and wants to sell the remainders to a buyer who would operate them

under a licensing deal. Disney has been in the retail business for 15 years.

lawsuit alleging that Microsoft crushed AOL’s Netscape web browser.

ITunes 4.0 - Apple issues an update to ITunes curtailing the ability to share play

lists over the Internet. Under the ITunes 4.0 version released last month, Apple

allows users to stream songs over a local network. The company touted it as a

way family and friends could listen to each other’s music between computers at

home or in a small group setting, but some users found away to extend it beyond

Week of May 23, 2003

local networks to the Internet, making it similar to the music-swapping function at

the center of piracy debates.

Entertainment -

on the Disney channel and is now a movie. It’s

described as a bitter parting. Lizzie is also a big

merchandise mover for Disney with books, clothes

and music. But Ms. Duff wants to move on. She’s

shooting “Cheaper by the Dozen” for Fox and next

month, begins production on the Warner Bros.

Film - “Cinderella Story.”

American Idol may be over for now, but host Ryan

Seacrest is up for a new daily live syndicated TV

show beginning in January. It’s part

newsmagazine and part variety.

Music news -

On Monday - American Idol winner

Appearing on the “Today” show this week

- Mariah Carey and the same day, John

Mellencamp appears on GMA.

Performing on the MTV Movie Awards this week - t.A.T.u - the Russian duo

pronounced tattoo.

Available this week - A two DVD set of Led Zeppelin, featuring vintage concert

footage.

Sinead O’Connor has announced her impending retirement from music.

Brian Wilson will perform the lost Beach Boys album “Smile” in Boston, New York

and Newark in June.

Promotion - Nike is banking on a high school basketball player by the name of

LeBron James. He’s not even in the NBA and many say it’s a gamble. The deal

is for $90 million.

Week of May 23, 2003

Disney says it will offer movies on demand using over-the-air TV stations. For a

few dollars, customers with special boxes will be able stop, start, pause, rewind

and replay movies as if they were tapes or DVD’s. The video on-demand system

is called “MovieBeam" and will test in three cities this fall, and use the signals of

regular TV stations to beam digital signals to the boxes.

Friday night television -

CBS - JAG, Hack, 48 Hours Mystery, Late Show, Craig Killborn

NBC - Dateline NBC, Law & Order Special Victims, Tonight, Conan O’Brien

ABC - America’s Funniest Home Videos, 20/20, Nightline

Fox - Movie

PBS - Washington Week, Wall St. Week

Sci-Fi - Stargate SG-1, Scare Tactics

Late Show w/David Letterman - Halle Berry, Don

Rickles.

At the movies -

Bruce Almighty

The matrix Reloaded

Daddy Day Care

X2: X-Men United

The In-Laws

Down With Love

The Lizzie McGuire Movie

Holes

Indentity

Anger Management