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LONDON (AP) – Monica Lewinsky has been accepted for a one-year master’s degree course in London, the London School of Economic and Political Science confirmed Wednesday.

Lewinsky, a former White House intern whose affair with President Clinton nearly brought down his presidency, will be working on a degree in social psychology, a school spokeswoman said. She spoke on condition of anonymity, in line with the school’s policy.

Classes will begin the first week of October.



ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) – A photographer who tried to snap Reese Witherspoon at the California Adventure theme park was cited for allegedly assaulting two employees, police said.

Todd Wallace, 44, of Beverly Hills, was cited for misdemeanor assault and battery Friday and probably will appear in court next month, Sgt. Rick Martinez said.

There was no phone listing for a Todd Wallace in Beverly Hills.

Wallace was photographing Witherspoon from a distance and then moved in on a group that included the actress and some children, Martinez said.

“It did not become an issue until he got close to the group and became aggressive, frightening members of the party,” the sergeant said.

An employee accompanying the group tried to get them away from the photographer but Wallace “pushed her with his entire body, not just once but numerous times,” Martinez said.

Wallace also allegedly assaulted a second employee, Martinez said. He was cited and released.

Witherspoon, star of “Legally Blonde” and “Sweet Home Alabama,” told police in April that photographers had swarmed her car when she left a Brentwood gym, tried to force her off the road and surrounded her when she reached the gated community in West Los Angeles where she lives with her husband, actor Ryan Phillippe, and their two children.

Photographers told police they approached Witherspoon outside the gym only to tell her that one of their colleagues had scraped her vehicle. Authorities declined to file criminal charges.



NEW YORK (AP) – Legendary bluesman Dr. John, one of New Orleans’ most iconic natives, has reiterated his love for the Louisiana city and urged people to donate to relief efforts for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

“If anybody in the government would’ve done something about the disappearing wetlands for the past 50 years, then this probably wouldn’t have been as bad,” the boogie-woogie pianist said in a recent statement.

“It makes me think of what my friend Rev. Goat just told me, “Let me say this before it goes any further, New Orleans didn’t die of natural causes, she was murdered.”‘

The 64-year-old musician, whose real name is Malcolm Rebennack, was born and raised in New Orleans. His unique combination of R&B, blues and rock ‘n’ roll – which he dubbed “voodoo” music – has long been emblematic of the diverse, hodgepodge city.

Famous for performing in full Mardi Gras costume, Dr. John’s albums include “Gumbo,” “Gris-gris” and last year’s “N’Awlinz: Dis, Dat or d’Udda.”



On the Net:

http://www.drjohn.org/



NEW YORK (AP) – Olympic gold medalist Scott Hamilton will host Fox’s “Skating With Celebrities,” which will pair six personalities with six professional figure skaters.

“No doubt there will be plenty of falls, bruises and scary moments,” Mike Darnell, Fox’s executive vice president of alternative programming, said in a statement Tuesday.

“This competition will require our celebrity skaters to not only demonstrate rhythm, but also athleticism, grace and balance … on ice, and before a team of unforgiving judges with both Olympic and world championship experience,” Darnell said.

Dave Coulier, Bruce Jenner, Todd Bridges, Kristy Swanson, Deborah Gibson and Jillian Barberie with be paired with skating stars including Nancy Kerrigan, Tai Babilonia and Kurt Browning for the six-episode competition.

Olympic gold medalist Dorothy Hamill will be among the judges.

Fox didn’t announce when the show will premiere.



LONDON (AP) – Welsh teenager Charlotte Church, who has transformed herself from child opera prodigy to pop star, has been named GQ magazine’s woman of the year.

GQ hailed the 19-year-old as a role model and praised Church for her efforts to take her voice, dubbed by critics as angelic, into a harder, more rock-star style.

“Charlotte Church is our woman of the year simply because she is larger than life. She is a great singer, a tabloid giant and enjoys life to the full,” said GQ editor Dylan Jones.

After four albums of classical music and opera, Church released her first pop recording, “Tissues and Issues,” this year.

Rapper Jay-Z was named international man of the year.

Pierce Brosnan picked up the editor’s special award. The lifetime achievement award went to Bryan Ferry of Roxy Music and the outstanding contribution award went to Bob Geldof.

The awards ceremony was held at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden and hosted by Rory Bremner.



On the Net:

http://www.charlottechurch.com/

LAS VEGAS (AP) – A federal jury decided Wednesday that Rod Stewart should pay a Las Vegas casino $2 million plus interest for a canceled show in December 2000.

The seven-member panel found that Stewart should not have kept an advance he was paid for the New Year’s weekend show that he said he was unable to perform at the Rio hotel-casino because of throat surgery several months earlier.

One of his lawyers, Kerry Garvis Wright, said outside U.S. District Court that the 60-year-old singer will appeal.

Steve Morris, a lawyer for the Las Vegas casino and parent company Harrah’s Entertainment, said he was “delighted and relieved” by the verdict.

Jury foreman Stevan Jorgensen, 56, said the case boiled down to a misunderstanding of the contract between the British rocker and the casino.

“We felt it was only fair,” he said, “that if Mr. Stewart didn’t perform the concert that he should give the money back.”

The jury deliberated about three hours Wednesday after nearly two weeks of testimony in the civil breach-of-contract lawsuit.

Stewart was paid $2 million in advance in January 2000 for the December 2000 show.

He and his doctors testified he was later diagnosed with thyroid cancer and had two tumors surgically removed in May 2000. One was cancerous, one was benign.

Stewart, who was not in the courtroom Wednesday, said that he didn’t fully recover his trademark raspy voice in time for the Las Vegas show.

He did recover in time to begin a world concert tour in June 2001, and estimated he has performed 150 shows since. But he said Harrah’s would not let him reschedule the December 2000 show.

Harrah’s chief executive Gary Loveman testified that a makeup show on any other date could not provide the same monetary benefit to the casino as a show on New Year’s weekend.

The interest on the $2 million was not determined.

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