NEW YORK (AP) – Al Franken is taking his radio show on the campaign trail.

“The Al Franken Show” will broadcast live across the country starting Thursday and ending Oct. 9, making stops in eight cities including swing state battlegrounds Minneapolis; Columbus, Ohio; and Miami.

“It serves a lot of purposes,” Franken told The Associated Press Tuesday. “The main one is to drive me into the ground before the elections.”

The tour will open in San Diego and then head to San Francisco; Denver; Minneapolis; Madison, Wis.; Columbus; Miami; and Tampa, Fla.

“The Al Franken Show” airs weekdays from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. (ET).

Morissette nixes Indonesia show

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) – Alanis Morissette is the latest international star to cancel a concert in Indonesia due to security fears.

Morissette, who is touring with her new album, “So-Called Chaos,” had been set to perform Sunday in the capital Jakarta, concert promoter Rini Noor told local television station Metro TV on Tuesday.

A U.S. travel advisory on Sept. 3 warned of possible terror attacks in Indonesia. Six days after the advisory was issued, a suicide bombing outside the Australian Embassy in the Kuningan district of central Jakarta killed nine people and injured more than 170.

Valli, wife won’t hang on anymore

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Singer Frankie Valli has filed for divorce from his wife of 20 years, according to court documents.

Divorce papers filed Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court show that Valli, 67, and his estranged wife, Randy, separated Thursday. The couple have 10-year-old twin boys and a 17-year-old son.

Valli, a Newark, N.J., native whose real name is Frank Castelluccio, was inducted in 1990 into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Four Seasons.

He’s known for hits such as “Sherry,” “Walk Like a Man,” “Rag Doll” and the theme song from “Grease.”

Valli has appeared on HBO’s “The Sopranos” and in several films, including “Witness to the Mob,” “Modern Love” and “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.”

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LOS ANGELES (AP) – Will Ferrell was flashing back to his college days.

The star of “Elf” and “Anchorman” returned to his alma mater to show what he’s made of himself – and to show his bare backside like he did in his comedy “Old School.”

Ferrell, a graduate of the University of Southern California, hosted the 75th anniversary gala for its School of Cinema-Television on Sunday, commemorating the first college in the country to offer courses in filmmaking.

The event opened with the screening of a short, silent project that was described as the school’s first student film: It was black-and-white footage of Ferrell wearing the school’s Trojan mascot headdress and running bare-bottomed around campus.

“It’s amazing what they turn up in those archives,” Ferrell deadpanned. “For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Will Ferrell. I am a professional entertainer, actor and exhibitionist.”

Although he was there addressing the school of cinema and television, the former “Saturday Night Live” regular cannot be counted among that department’s graduates.

“This is such a thrill for me because I’m also a graduate of USC, class of 1990, with a degree in sports information,” Ferrell said, drawing laughs from the crowd before adding: “Which is … true.”

Filmmakers from USC’s school of entertainment include Ron Howard, John Singleton, Robert Zemeckis and “Star Wars” creator George Lucas, who were among the more than 1,200 people attending the celebration.

After being introduced by an actor who was costumed as Darth Vader, Lucas turned to him and said: “Just don’t forget … I AM your father.”

Steven Spielberg also made a presentation – although he acknowledged not getting accepted to USC because of his C-average grade record, which the admissions officer said was too low.

“I said, “Well, I understand you allow people in football and basketball to play here and they have C-averages,”‘ Spielberg recalled. “He said, “If you can make a basket or throw a football, you can get in here, too.”‘

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On the Net:

http://www.usc.edu/

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LONDON (AP) – Walking down the red carpet at the premiere for her new film, “Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow,” Gwyneth Paltrow said her most rewarding role is at home.

“I’m spending as much time as possible with Apple, carrying her around, singing to her, all kinds of things,” the Oscar-winning actress said of her daughter with husband, Coldplay leader singer Chris Martin.

Paltrow left baby Apple, born in May, long enough to accompany co-star Jude Law to the premiere of the fantasy adventure film in London’s Leicester Square on Monday.

The pair found themselves acting largely against blue screens with minimal props as they portrayed a reporter and her fighter pilot ex-boyfriend, who tackle a computer-generated robot invasion from outer space.

“At first it was tricky and it was difficult to keep a straight face, then we got used to it,” Law said.

Added Paltrow: “It’s a difficult technique but it was actually fun. You’ve just got to use your imagination.”

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SILVER SPRING, Md. (AP) – The Discovery Channel’s theatrical documentary unit will produce a film based on the life and death of amateur bear expert Timothy Treadwell.

Treadwell, 46, of Malibu, Calif., and his girlfriend, Amie Huguenard, 37, were killed in October 2003 by a bear in Katmai National Park and Preserve.

Treadwell was an author and videographer who devoted himself to saving grizzlies after he said he had near-fatal experiences with illegal drugs. He said close encounters with bears inspired him to give up drugs, study bears and work for their protection.

He regularly spent summers among Katmai bears, a practice other bear experts called dangerous for him and the bears.

Authorities believe Treadwell and Huguenard were killed by a 1,000-pound adult male grizzly. An audio recording of the attack was captured by Treadwell’s video camera.

The deaths were detected by a pilot who arrived to pick them up and saw a large grizzly standing over human remains. Park rangers responded and killed the bear when it charged. State troopers and rangers later also killed a smaller bear at the campsite.

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On the Net:

http://dsc.discovery.com/

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LAS VEGAS (AP) – The secret to success in life? Easy, says Andre Agassi: Find a wife like Steffi Graf.

Agassi has found it trying at times to juggle family life, a demanding tennis schedule and his charity work. He concedes he’s thought about retirement for the past five years.

“The first key to a great sense of balance is having a great wife,” Agassi said by telephone recently. “Without a support system, it wouldn’t be possible.”

Agassi and his tennis star-wife are raising two children.

“It’s a challenge,” Agassi says. “As hard as it is at times, the things that are enjoyable are more enjoyable now.”

Agassi, 34, is ranked seventh in the world and has committed to a full tournament schedule next year.

“I think we all need challenges in our life,” he said. “Because I’m older … I have a greater capacity to appreciate the rare moments.”

Agassi hosts his ninth annual Grand Slam for Children benefit concert in Las Vegas on Oct. 2. Sponsored by the Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation, the show will feature Josh Groban, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, John Mayer, Ray Romano and Robin Williams. The concert has raised more than $36 million for charity.

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On the Net:

http://www.agassiopen.com/

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NEW YORK (AP) – Dale Earnhardt Jr. has trouble remembering those frantic seconds when he escaped from his burning race car. He believes, however, his late father figured in his survival.

“I don’t want to put some weird, you know, psycho twist on it like he was pulling me out or anything, but he had a lot to do with me getting out of that car,” the NASCAR star said. “From the movement I made to unbuckle my belt to lying on the stretcher, I have no idea what happened.”

Earnhardt recalled that perilous July day in Sonoma, Calif., during an interview with correspondent Mike Wallace for “60 Minutes” that will be broadcast Wednesday on CBS.

Earnhardt’s father was killed three years ago in a wreck during the final lap of the Daytona 500 race. The son insists he felt his father’s presence on the day when he scrambled out of his flaming car and was left with second-degree burns on his legs, neck and chin. In fact, he said, when he reached safety, he began asking about the “person” who helped him from the car.

Earnhardt told “60 Minutes” he grabbed one of his representatives by the collar, “screaming at him to find the guy that pulled me out of the car. He was like, “Nobody helped you get out,’ and I was like, “That’s strange because I swear somebody … had me underneath … my arms and was carrying me out of the car.”‘

Wallace asks if that was his father.

“Yeah, I don’t know,” Earnhardt said. “You tell me. It … freaks me out today just talking about it. It just gives me chills.”

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On the Net:

http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/home/main100.shtml

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VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) – Bertrand Cantat, the French rock star convicted of manslaughter in the beating death of his actress-girlfriend, left Tuesday for France to serve the rest of his eight-year prison sentence.

French police arrived in Lithuania Monday and escorted Cantat on the flight to Amsterdam, Netherlands, and then on to Paris. An AP reporter aboard the flight said Cantat exhaled with relief after the plane left Vilnius and began chatting animatedly with his three plainclothes French police guards.

Cantat was convicted in March of beating 41-year-old French actress Marie Trintignant to death in a Vilnius hotel room in July 2003. The singer was sentenced to eight years in prison.

Since his arrest and trial, Cantat had spent his time inside the maximum-security Luskiskes prison in the capital, Vilnius.

“For 14 months Betrand Cantat has been in this prison and today he goes to France. Of course now he is happy. Why? Because France is France, and here he was alone. He doesn’t know what future awaits him in France but life goes on,” said Virginijus Papirtis, Bertrand Cantat’s lawyer.

In June, Cantat sent a letter to Lithuanian Justice Minister Vytautas Markevicius asking to be allowed to serve the rest of his sentence in France. Lithuania sent documents in August outlining Cantat’s return to France, which were approved by French officials.

Cantat, 41, was the lead singer of one of France’s most popular bands, Noir Desir (Black Desire).

The love affair between Cantat and Trintignant was once the focus of public fascination in France. Trintignant was in Lithuania making a film when the two had the fatal dispute in their hotel.

NEW YORK (AP) – It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood video store.

Mister Rogers arrived on DVD Tuesday in a commemorative documentary about the life of the man in the cardigan sweater and sneakers.

The Emmy-nominated, three-hour documentary, “Fred Rogers: America’s Favorite Neighbor,” chronicles the life of Rogers, an ordained Presbyterian minister who produced, wrote and hosted “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” for more than 30 years. He died Feb. 27, 2003, at 74 after battling stomach cancer.

The documentary is narrated by actor Michael Keaton, who began his career as a stagehand on the show. In January, the film was shown on PBS and was nominated for prime-time Emmys in the categories of nonfiction special and writing for nonfiction programming.

In it, Rogers reveals his thinking behind the famous routine of putting on a zip-up sweater and changing his shoes that began each show: “It’s an invitation for somebody to be close to you, because that’s what neighbors are – close to you.”

David Newell, who was with the show for its entire run and played postman Mr. McFeely, told The Associated Press recently that he remembers Rogers as a perfectionist, but an exceedingly gentle man who “never threw a sneaker across the room!”

“We are trying to carry on his wonderful legacy,” Newell added.

The DVD also includes footage of Rogers appearing on “The Arsenio Hall Show” and “The Tonight Show.”

The tribute to Rogers also is available in a double VHS box set.

Proceeds benefit the Fred Rogers Fund and children’s programming on WQED, the Pittsburgh PBS station where “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” was produced.

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On the Net:

http://www.fci.org/mister-rogers-neighborhood/